Current Nanomaterials - Volume 5, Issue 2, 2020

Although the integrity of the Blood-brain Barrier (BBB) is often compromised in several Central nervous system (CNS) disorders, the release of therapeutic or diagnostic agents in the brain remains challenging. Indeed, most of the currently established diagnostic and therapeutic protocols result ineffective in treating and detecting CNS diseases. In this context, it is essential to develop novel strategies that allow a targeted release of the therapeutic agents to the brain, overcoming the BBB. The technological advances of the last decade have led to the development of new techniques for nanoscale treatment and diagnosis of brain diseases. Several nano-formulations have been recently proposed and successfully tested in preclinical models for their capacity to cross the BBB, in particular when chemically modified with the intent to exploit specific transport processes that normally occur at the interface between blood and endothelium of the cerebral vasculature. In this review, the tunable physico-chemical characteristics of inorganic nanoparticles will be reviewed, and how this aspect can offer the possibility to improve current therapeutic strategies. The local and systemic toxicity of these nanomaterials will be also analyzed. Furthermore, we will provide an update on recent key advancements in the design and synthesis of novel inorganic core-lipid shell nanoparticles for the treatment of CNS disorders, and how these vectors may overcome challenges faced by current inorganic nanomaterials.

World water resources are barely alive due to various factors such as rise in population, adverse changes in the environment and the effects of pollutants, which increase the demand for fresh-water. Numerous techniques have been developed to solve the problem of water inadequacy, but most of them are adverse with respect to the environment and economy. Graphene-oxide (GO) nanopore materials may be an effective solution for water-purification due to its properties of easy fabrication and modification. This next-generation membrane has high waterflux, selectivity, and permeability to selected molecules. In this discussion, we have covered the latest technologies and potential applications of GO for waterpurification, which shall help researchers to get quick ideas for future research to design and fabricate multi-layered GO membranes. This article gives a snapshot of current status and proposed strategies of graphene-membranes for water treatment with earlier information to wastewater management and stimulated progress in this area from 2017 to date. The future challenges and opportunities in this field have also been highlighted.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been widely used in a broad spectrum of applications due to their unique properties. AgNPs are known to have a potential impact that varies based on their size, dosage, exposure time and state. Various green synthesized AgNPs have been extensively explored to treat potential anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal agents revealing bioaccumulation in various biological systems that have increased toxicity. We review the impact of AgNPs on the environment and biological systems and deliberate the toxicity associated with it.

Background: Possessions of components, described by their shape and size (S&S), are certainly attractive and has formed the foundation of the developing field of nanoscience. Methods: Here, we study the S&S reliant on electronic construction and possession of nanocrystals by semiconductors and metals to explain this feature. We formerly considered the chemical dynamics of mineral nanocrystals that are arranged according to the S&S not only for the big surface area, but also as a consequence of the considerably diverse electronic construction of the nanocrystals. Results: The S&S of models, approved by using the Fractional Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FFTIR), indicate the construction of CdSe and ZnSe nanoparticles. Conclusion: In order to study the historical behavior of the nanomaterial in terms of S&S and estimate further results, the FFTIR was used to solve this project.

Background: Biofuels produced from trans-esterification of high lipid content in microalgae represent a promising alternative renewable source of energy to the limited and depleted global fossil fuel reservoir. The most critical step in such a process is the harvesting of algal cells. Objective: We aimed to improve the current methodology for microalgae harvesting via utilizing biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from Synechocystis sp. ElfSCS31 as an eco-friendly, stable, and affordable flocculant agent. Methods: AgNPs were prepared by the green synthesis method using the alcoholic extract of Synechocystis sp. ElfSCS31. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Zeta sizer, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), and UV-Vis Spectroscopy. Biosynthesised AgNPs were applied for harvesting 20 microalgae strains, and then, harvesting efficiency was determined by UV Spectrophotometry. Results: Our results revealed an average size of polydispersed nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 100 nm for prepared AgNPs and the potential of 1.78 mV, with an average crystallite size of 22 nm. Biosynthesised AgNPs exhibited harvesting efficiency towards different strains of microalgae, which reached 97% in some strains as in Chlorella lobophora and Chlorococcum oleofaciens. Conclusion: The presented study introduces a feasible strategy using biosynthesized AgNPs as a flocculant agent to harvest different strains of microalgae at normal growth conditions of light and temperature. Our developed method could replace the classical high-cost step of harvesting that leads to unravelling the full potential of microalgae as a promising and fascinating source for biofuels production.