Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Investigation of a 3D Plasmonic Architecture Utilizing Ag Nanoparticles-Embedded Functionalized Carbon Nanowall

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a highly sensitive technique for detecting DNA, proteins, and single molecules. The design of SERS substrates plays a crucial role, with the density of hotspots being a key factor in enhancing Raman spectra. In this study, we employed carbon nanowall (CNW) as the nanostructure and embedded plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) to increase hotspot density, resulting in robust Raman signals. To enhance the CNW's performance, we functionalized it via oxygen plasma and embedded silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). The authors evaluated the substrate using rhodamine 6G (R6G) as a model target molecule, ranging in concentration from 10-6 M to 10-10 M for a 4 min exposure. Our analysis confirmed a proportional increase in Raman signal intensity with an increase in concentration. The CNW's large specific surface area and graphene domains provide dense hotspots and high charge mobility, respectively, contributing to both the electromagnetic mechanism (EM) and the chemical mechanism (CM) of SERS.

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) Using Debregeasia Salicifolia for Biological Applications

The synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) using the green route is environmentally harmonious and cost-effective compared to conventional chemical and physical methods. In this study, the green synthesis of silver NPs was carried out using an extract of Debregeasia salicifolia. The synthesized Ag NPs were characterized by means of different techniques i.e., UV-Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, SEM, and XRD. The XRD pattern exhibited distinctive Bragg's peaks at (200), (111), (311), and (220). The XRD analysis confirmed the face-centered cubic geometry of the synthesized NPs and revealed that the nature of these NPs is crystalline. The synthesized NPs were verified for their antibacterial activities against Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria. It showed that antibacterial activity of synthesized silver (NPs) was increased with increasing concentrations of both calcined and non-calcined NPs. The antioxidant activities of Ag NPs were also determined against ABTS at different concentrations for both calcined and non-calcined Ag NPs. Non-calcined Ag NPs have greater antioxidant activity than calcined Ag NPs. This report has a significant medicinal application, and it might open up new horizons in this field.

Lignin-Mediated Silver Nanoparticle Synthesis for Photocatalytic Degradation of Reactive Yellow 4G and In Vitro Assessment of Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Antibacterial Activities

This study explored the potential of abundantly available sodium lignosulfonate (LS) as a reducer and fabricating agent in preparing silver nanoparticles (LS–Ag NPs). The operational conditions were optimized to make the synthesis process simpler, rapid, and eco-friendly. The prepared LS–Ag NPs were analyzed via UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Results demonstrated that LS–Ag NPs were of crystalline structure, capped with LS constituents, and spherical in shape with a size of approximately 20 nm. Under optimized conditions, LS–Ag NPs exhibited significant photocatalytic activity in Reactive Yellow 4G degradation. The effects of photocatalyst (LS–Ag NPs) dosage, dye concentration, and its reusability for dye degradation were studied to make the process practically applicable in textile wastewater treatment. Additionally, the synthesized LS–Ag NPs displayed significant free radical scavenging against 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) with an IC₅₀ value of (50.2 ± 0.70 µg/mL) and also exhibited antidiabetic activity in terms of inhibition in the activity of carbohydrate-degrading marker enzyme α-glucosidase with an IC₅₀ value of (58.1 ± 0.65 µg/mL). LS–Ag NPs showed substantial antibacterial potential against pathogenic strains, namely E. coli and S. aureus. In conclusion, LS–Ag NPs can be a reliable and eco-friendly material for their possible application in the treatment of dye-containing wastewater and have a great perspective in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors.

Shape-Controlled and Well-Arrayed Heterogeneous Nanostructures via Melting Point Modulation at the Nanoscale

A novel method for fabricating shape-controlled and well-arrayed heterogeneous nanostructures by altering the melting point of the metal thin film at the nanoscale is proposed. Silver nanofilms (AgNFs) are transformed into silver nanoislands (AgNIs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and silver nanogaps (AgNGs) that are well-ordered and repositioned inside the gold nanoholes (AuNHs) depending on the diameter of the AuNHs, the thickness of the AgNF, and the heating temperature (120-200 °C). This method demonstrates the ability to fabricate uniform, stable, and unique structures with a fast, simple, and mass-producible process. For demonstrating the diverse applicability of the developed structures, high-density AgNGs inside the AuNHs are utilized as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrates. These AgNGs-based SERS substrates exhibit a performance enhancement, which is 1.06 × 10⁶ times greater than that of a metal film, with a relative standard deviation of 19.8%. The developed AgNP/AgNI structures are also used as nonreproducible anti-counterfeiting signs, and the anti-counterfeiting/readout system is demonstrated via image processing. Therefore, our method could play a vital role in the nanofabrication of high-demand nanostructures.

l-Cysteine modified silver nanoparticles-based colorimetric sensing for the sensitive determination of Hg2+ in aqueous solutions

A simple and sensitive colorimetric sensing method was constructed for detection of Hg²⁺ in aqueous solutions and based on silver nanoparticles functionalized with l-cysteine (l-Cys-Ag NPs). In this method, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) induced aggregation of l-Cys-Ag NPs. Simultaneously, the solution colour changed from bright yellow to brown. In the presence of Hg²⁺ , Hg²⁺ chelated ATP to form a complex and reduce the degree of aggregation of l-Cys-Ag NPs and was accompanied by a colour change from brown to bright yellow. The changing values of absorbance at 390 nm were linearly correlated with concentration of Hg²⁺ over the 4.00 × 10^-8 to 1.04 × 10^-6 mol·L^-1 range, with a detection limit of 8 nM. This method was used successfully for detection of Hg²⁺ in real water samples and performed good selectivity and sensitivity. The recovery range was 91.5-109.1%, indicating that the method has vast application potential for determination of Hg²⁺ in the environment.

Synthesis and Application of Silver Nanoparticles (Ag NPs) for the Prevention of Infection in Healthcare Workers

Silver is easily available and is known to have microbicidal effect; moreover, it does not impose any adverse effects on the human body. The microbicidal effect is mainly due to silver ions, which have a wide antibacterial spectrum. Furthermore, the development of multidrug-resistant bacteria, as in the case of antibiotics, is less likely. Silver ions bind to halide ions, such as chloride, and precipitate; therefore, when used directly, their microbicidal activity is shortened. To overcome this issue, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) have been recently synthesized and frequently used as microbicidal agents that release silver ions from particle surface. Depending on the specific surface area of the nanoparticles, silver ions are released with high efficiency. In addition to their bactericidal activity, small Ag NPs (<10 nm in diameter) affect viruses although the microbicidal effect of silver mass is weak. Because of their characteristics, Ag NPs are useful countermeasures against infectious diseases, which constitute a major issue in the medical field. Thus, medical tools coated with Ag NPs are being developed. This review outlines the synthesis and utilization of Ag NPs in the medical field, focusing on environment-friendly synthesis and the suppression of infections in healthcare workers (HCWs).

Key Role of TFEB Nucleus Translocation for Silver Nanoparticle-Induced Cytoprotective Autophagy

Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis. Here, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-induced cytoprotective autophagy required TFEB is shown. Ag NPs-induced nucleus translocation of TFEB through a well-established mechanism involving dephosphorylation of TFEB at serine-142 and serine-211 but independent of both the mTORC1 and ERK1/2 pathways. TFEB nucleus translocation precedes autophagy induced by Ag NPs and leads to enhanced expression of autophagy-essential genes. Knocking down the expression of TFEB attenuates the autophagy induction is demonstrated, and in the meantime, enhanced cell killing in HeLa cells treats with Ag NPs, indicating that TFEB is the key mediator for Ag NPs-induced cytoprotective autophagy. The results pinpoint TFEB as a potential target for developing more effective Ag NPs-based cancer therapeutics.

Inhibition of autophagy enhances the anticancer activity of silver nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are cytotoxic to cancer cells and possess excellent potential as an antitumor agent. A variety of nanoparticles have been shown to induce autophagy, a critical cellular degradation process, and the elevated autophagy in most of these situations promotes cell death. Whether Ag NPs can induce autophagy and how it might affect the anticancer activity of Ag NPs has not been reported. Here we show that Ag NPs induced autophagy in cancer cells by activating the PtdIns3K signaling pathway. The autophagy induced by Ag NPs was characterized by enhanced autophagosome formation, normal cargo degradation, and no disruption of lysosomal function. Consistent with these properties, the autophagy induced by Ag NPs promoted cell survival, as inhibition of autophagy by either chemical inhibitors or ATG5 siRNA enhanced Ag NPs-elicited cancer cell killing. We further demonstrated that wortmannin, a widely used inhibitor of autophagy, significantly enhanced the antitumor effect of Ag NPs in the B16 mouse melanoma cell model. Our results revealed a novel biological activity of Ag NPs in inducing cytoprotective autophagy, and inhibition of autophagy may be a useful strategy for improving the efficacy of Ag NPs in anticancer therapy.