11^th International Conference and Expo on Nanoscience and Molecular Nanotechnology October 20-22, 2016 ROME, ITALY

Gónzalez RC completed his studies at University of Valparaiso, Chile with a thesis on the validation of the process of the fabrication of tablets in a pharmaceutical laboratory. After his studies he started to work at the National Agency of Medicines in Chile for 2 years as Inspector of the validation of the pharmaceutical processes. Subsequently, he went to Barcelona to do a Post-graduate course called Research, Development and Control of Drugs. Currently he is doing his PhD at University of Barcelona. His PhD project is about the development and characterization of nanostructured systems

In this work, the peptide ocular delivery (POD) was conjugated with poly(lactic-co-glycolic-acid) (PLGA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG)-nanoparticles (NPs) loaded with ketoprofen (KT) with the aim to increase the ocular bioavailability of the KT. The NPs were prepared using the solvent displacement method. Through the assembling of the PLGA and PEG, and conjugation of peptide, the copolymer (PLGA-PEG-POD) used to prepare the nanoparticles was synthesized. For optimization and to investigate the influence of several independents variables (such as the pH of aqueous phase, concentration of poloxamer 188 and of the drug) on the dependents variables (particle size, polydispersity index (PI), zeta potential (ZP) and encapsulation efficiency (EE)), a factorial design was applied. Following this biopharmaceutical behavior (release in vitro) and the ex vivo ocular permeation of the optimized NPs formulation was studied using Franz cells. The conjugation of the PEG and the peptide was confirmed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Due to the conjugation of the peptide with the polymer PLGA-PEG, the surface charge of the NPs was positive, facilitating ocular penetration. The factors that most influence the NPs formulation were the PI and the EE. The optimized formulation showed a slow and prolonged release. Also, it was observed that the permeation of the NPs creates a reservoir, which allows a nanostructured prolonged release system

Kooshina Koosha has completed her BS in Textile Engineering/Textile Chemistry Major in 2013 and her MSc in Nanofibrous Structure in 2015 from Islamic Azad University, Yadegar Imam, Shar-e-Rey Branch. She has submitted papers in conferences; some of which are: 1st Conference on Textile Engineering with latest Methods in Related Industry at Islamic Azad University Tehran Branch-Iran, 4th National Conference on Textile Engineering, Polymer at Islamic Azad University Yazd Branch-Iran and so on

Electrospinnig is a simple, versatile and widely accepted technique to produce ultra-fine fibers ranging from nanometer to micron. Recently there has been great interest in developing this technique to produce nanofibers with novel properties and functionalities. Most of the works reported on electrospinning evolve on the synthetic biodegradable polymer for dozens of applications in medicine, energy, transportation and electronic devices. In biomedical applications, synthetic biodegradable polymers such as polyester regularly associated with poor biocompatibility and systemic or local reaction resulted from the acidic degradation products. Therefore, naturally occurring polymers such gelatin has been widely explored due to its biocompatibility , biodegradability, hydrophilic in nature and commercial availability at low cost. Gelatin is a natural biopolymer derived from collagens and has almost identical compositions and biological properties as those of collagens. Accordingly, this natural biopolymer could be useful for dozens of biomedical applications. In order to expand the range of applications and to produce uniform and very fine nanofibers, choosing a non-toxic solvent, which will not degrade the gelatin structure and investigation of electrospinning parameters, play an important role. In the present work, gelatin was prepared by acetic acid which has a less affection to degradation and is of low toxicity. The morphology of electrospun gelatin nanofibers was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM). FTIR measurements were performed in FTIR spectrometer to verify the composition of fibers for functional groups and determining whether acid has affected the gelatin structure or not

Nikita Yabbarov finished department of biochemistry of Kazan (Volga region) Federal university and have finished doctorate program of Russian Academy of Sciences in “Bioengineering” Centre. Mr. Yabbarov has experience in synthesis of conjugates and complexes of proteins and peptides (e.g. human alpha fetoprotein and epidermal growth factor) with dendrimers and evaluation of bioactivity of such conjugates and complexes in vitro and in vivo

Human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and AFP receptor binding domain (AFPRbd) are able to bind and internalize effectively by wide range of human tumor cells and tissues. As other vector molecules AFPRbd has insufficient quantity of chemical groups which can be conjugated with drugs or diagnostic agents. Conjugation of vector molecules with macromolecular polymer carriers like dendrimers aims to solve this problem. Our study describes influence of AFPRbd-dendrimer-doxorubicin conjugate surface charge on intracellular trafficking routes and toxicity. The amine-terminated (G2) and acetyl-terminated (G212) 2nd generation PAMAM dendrimers carrying doxorubicin (Dox) were used to synthesize conjugates with AFPRbd. Unmodified by AFPRbd G2 and G212 dendrimer derivates labeled with Dox were absorbed by the cells at 37°C with different efficiency. G212-Dox derivate characterized much slower internalization rate than non-acetylated G2-Dox. Only G212-Dox shown partial colocalization with lysosomal marker LAMP2 after 4 h of incubation. Internalization of AFPRbd-G2-Dox and AFPRbd-G212-Dox did not show significant difference. At the same time, both conjugates contained AFPRbd were almost fully associated with LAMP2 already after 30 min of incubation. Cytotoxicity results revealed that IC50 levels of G212-Dox and AFPRbd-G212-Dox coincided and demonstrated a bit higher activity against sensitive to Dox SKOV3 and resistant SKVLB cells than AFPRbd-G2-Dox conjugate after 72h of incubation. At the same time, after 1 h of incubation AFPRbd-G2-Dox and AFPRbd-G212- Dox were much more than G212-Dox and G2-Dox. We may conclude that there is significant difference in ways of dendrimers internalization by tumor cells depending on nature of surface chemical groups. On the other hand, chemical modification of dendrimer conjugated with does not AFPRbd influence dramatically on the protein trafficking and resulting cytotoxic effect. Russian Scientific Foundation supported this study (№15-15-10013).

Panagiota Moutsatsou is a final year PhD student at Loughborough University. Her project is part of the CDT (Centre for Doctoral Training) in Regenerative Medicine Program and is funded by the Loughborough University Graduate School. She has already published a part of her research in the class A journal Polymer

The aim of this study is to fabricate and test, as for its cellular compatibility and antibacterial activity, a composite nanofibrous membrane consisting of conducting polyaniline (PANI) and biodegradable chitosan for potential use in wound healing applications. The addition of a conducting polymer such as polyaniline is expected to broaden the utility of chitosan nanofibrous membranes, introducing the potential for electrical excitation of cells and controlled release of bioactive molecules, which is beneficial for tissue engineering applications. For that reason, camphorsulfonic acid (CSA) doped PANI was either blended into chitosan solution or grafted on the chitosan backbone in different ratios to produce composite nanofibers with the electrospinning method. The effect of different process and environmental parameters on the electrospinnability and nanofiber morphology was investigated. Humidity was determined as one of the important parameters affecting the electrospinnability of chitosan-PANI blend solutions together with the applied voltage. Chitosan grafted PANI (ChgPANI) solutions were found to be not electrospinnable throughout the range of the parameters tested in the current study. Polyaniline–chitosan blends of different ratios (1:3, 3:5 and 1:1) using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as common solvent, were successfully electrospun into defect-free nanofibers and waterproofed. They were characterized for their morphology, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, electrical conductivity and antibacterial activity. The membranes were then evaluated for their cellular biocompatibility in terms of cell attachment and morphology as well as cell proliferation. The effect of the PANI content on the membrane properties is discussed

Mohammed Naffakh obtained PhD in Physics from the Complutense University of Madrid (2001). He is "Ramón y Cajal" Senior Researcher at the Technical University of Madrid (ESTII-UPM). Before joining ESTII-UPM, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (ICTP-CSIC, Madrid) (2005-2012) and the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA, Lyon) (2002-2004). His research interests are focused on the study of the structure-property relationship in polymer blends, composites, hybrid and nanocomposite materials. He has publications in Prog. Polym. Sci., J. Mater. Chem., RSC Adv., CrystEngComm, etc. He is member of the Educational Innovation Group "Materials Science and Engineering Education (MATERIALS-EDU)" at UPM

In recent years, special attention has been given to the benefits of polymer nanocomposite technology to improve the inherent properties of biodegradable polymers. These materials are called “bionanocomposites”, and they provide a fascinating interdisciplinary research field that combines materials science, nanotechnology and biological science. The composites based on biodegradable polymers and different nanofillers with varying functionalities can lead to bionanocomposites with applications ranging from environmentally friendly packaging to automotive uses. Along with many interesting nanofillers, inorganic transition metal dichalcogenide materials (TMDCs), such as tungsten and molybdenum disulfides (WS2 and MoS2), are of interest to the scientific community because of their unique layered structure and functional properties, with nano-sized particles tending to exhibit a different set of properties compared to the bulk forms. TMDCs nanostructures can be zero-dimensional (0-D) (nanoparticles), one-dimensional (1-D) (nanotubes) or two-dimensional (2-D) (nanosheets). In particular, the use of environmentally friendly and biocompatible inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles (IF-WS2) and nanotubes (INT-WS2) have been shown to offer design, processing, performance and cost advantages when compared to carbon nanotubes, nanoclays or other inorganic nanoparticles, for manufacturing advanced polymer nanocomposites. Incorporating of INT-WS2 into biopolymer can modify the crystallization behavior. The present research continues work in this field and focuses on the use of well-dispersed INT-WS2 for enhancing the processability and crystallization behaviour of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co- hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) (Figure 1). In particular, the effects of different INT-WS2 loadings on the isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization behavior of PHBV were studied in detail, using neat PHBV for comparisons

M Alazab Alnaqbi has completed his PhD from the American University at Washington DC, USA. He is a Faculty Member in the Chemistry Department, College of Science, United Arab Emirates. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals

Electrospun polystyrene (PS) nanofibers were prepared with various concentrations of polyvinylchloride (PVC) concentrations using DMF solvent. The electrospun nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TGA, FTIR and PET surface area. Fibers with a size range of 500 nm-8 m in diameter and below 100 m2/g in surface area were prepared after a thorough electrospinning optimization process. The prepared fibers were tested for their oil absorption efficiency as a function of absorbent weight, time of absorption and initial concentration of the polymer solution prior its conversion to fibers. Results showed an initial sorption capacity of a range of 50-100 g/g with microfibers prepared from PS/PVC solutions. The surface area of the produced fibers varied based on fiber size distribution, which depends on variations in the electrospinning parameters and the percentage of the PVC particles. Results showed the importance of the high surface area and interconnectivity of the porosities within the PS/PVC microfibrous sorbent for the removal of the oil, making the micro- fibrous PS/PVC sorbents an excellent candidate for crude oil spill cleanup

Hsien Ting Chiu has completed his Bachelor’s degree from National Tsing Hua University at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences in 2012. He is now a PhD student in National Tsing Hua University at the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences. His research is focused on nanomaterial design for cancer application

Nanotechnology in combined therapy with both physical and chemical approach has been commonly suggested in cancer therapy due to the synergistic effect which results better therapeutic efficacy than a single treatment. Unfortunately, few challenges including the limited drug penetration and distribution within tumors considerably weakens the potential impact of nanomedicines. Living cells with tumor-homing property have recently arisen as an exciting opportunity to overcome these difficulties. An optimal intratumoral delivery and distribution of nanotherapeutic agents is becoming increasingly realistic by cell-mediated delivery. In this study, a doxorubicin loaded gold nanorods/albumin core-shell nanoplatform (NR@DOX:SAs) was designed for macrophage-mediated delivery to achieve effective antitumor effects by combined photothermal and enhanced chemo-therapy. The albumin shell served as a drug reservoir to delay the intracellular DOX release as well as the drug-related toxicity to impair the host cell carriers. On-demand payload release was enabled by near infrared laser irradiation to destroy neighboring cancerous cells in the nearby vicinity. As compared to the free NR@DOX:SAs, the nano-engineered macrophage was capable to deliver the bearing nanodrugs throughout the tumor tissue, resulting in better therapeutic efficacy against prostate cancer by local administration. On the contrary, free DOX which could be spread out readily was quickly cleared at the tumor site showing no effect on tumor elimination. This result suggested that our developed cell-mediated delivery system was more practically expedited in clinical application for cancer therapy in the future

Tsu An Yang has completed her Bachelor’s degree from National Tsing Hua University of Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Sciences. She is a Master’s student in National Chiao Tung University of Applied Chemistry. Her studies are focused on nanoparticle design and antibody drug conjugates

The advanced and innovative design of antibody/drug nanoparticle has gained tremendous attentions and has been considered as a potential treatment in clinic. In this study, the as-prepared cross-linked PAMAM dendrimer nanocluster (DNC) is electrostatically covered with polyacrylic acid (PAA). Consequently, the negatively charged particle is capable of absorbing an anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX) and also immobilizing anti-HER2 antibody (HER2) via the covalent linkage. The fabricated product (DNC@PAA:DOX-HER2) exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (EE) of DOX and showed the colloidal stability in culture medium. PAA is known as pH-sensitive polymer, which controls the cargo to be liberated by electrostatic repulsion. Our study demonstrated that DNC@PAA:DOX-HER2 displayed an excellent ability to sensitize SKOV3 cell (a HER2 positive cell line). The cargo is expected to be trafficked to the acid organelle and discharged to release the cytotoxicity. In order to get closer to the clinical practice regarding the cocktail treatment, another anti-cancer drug, monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) will be equipped with DNC@PAA:DOX-HER2 to establish a multi-drug delivery system in our subsequent study

Jun Zhao has completed his Master’s degree from Wuhan University of Technology. He is the Assistant Researcher of Shanghai Synchron Radiation Facility. His research field is focused on the EUV and soft X-ray lithography. He has published more than 10 papers in reputed journals

A new stitching soft X-ray interference lithography technique is developed in BL08U1B, SSRF. A special multi-beam grating mask for soft X-ray is employed in this technique, which adopted permalloy as the beam stop layer to improve the service life. An order-sorting aperture (OSA) is necessary to block the 0th order diffraction beams from the mask to realize stitching the exposure area one by one via moving the wafer with a micron precision. And a new in situ monitoring scheme using high harmonics is employed to collimate the mask and OSA. Therefore, the 0th order diffraction beams can be blocked completely and the undesired pattern around the exposed area could be eliminated. In this way, the exposed depth has been increased from less than 100 nm up to 300 nm and the exposed area is no longer decided by the mask and then could be stitched with a micron precision, up to several square centimeters

Myung Gi Seo has completed his PhD and Post-doctoral studies from Korea University

Hydrogen peroxide is a very clean oxidizing agent generating only water as a by-product compared with other oxidizing agents. Currently, over 3.0 million metric tonnes of hydrogen peroxide is being produced annually by a well-known anthraquinone oxidation process. However, the anthraquinone oxidation process uses hazardous organic chemicals and it is suitable for mass production rather than small/medium sized production. To replace the anthraquinone oxidation process, the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide, which involves a direct reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, has come to the forefront of researchers’ attention. Pd is mainly used as the catalyst in the direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. Many studies conducted focus on increasing the selectivity toward hydrogen peroxide by addition of acid and halide ions in reaction medium. In our previous study, a core@shell catalyst was introduced in the synthesis of hydrogen peroxide and it was found that the core@shell catalyst provided higher hydrogen conversion and hydrogen peroxide selectivity compared to using general supported catalysts. This phenomenon was attributed to the fact that the core@shell catalyst has a high Pd dispersion as the shell physically blocks the sintering of Pd particles in catalysts with a core@shell structure despite undergoing the calcination process at high temperatures. However, the catalyst with a core@shell structure is not efficient in mass transfer owing to the micropores on the outer shell. In response to this challenge, we introduced a silica-protected mesoporous core-satellite nanocomposite to improve the mass transfer process, which in turn increases the generation of hydrogen peroxide

Natalia Marchesan Bexiga has completed her MSc from Sao Paulo University, Pharmaceutical Biochemistry Technology Department, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and started her Doctoral studies at Sao Paulo University, Immunobiological and Biopharmaceutical Laboratory. She is currently working on developing a delivery system for vaccines by oral route. She worked for more than 5 years in pharmaceutical companies in Research & Development and validation of processes and cleaning fields

Chitosan derivatives are often employed in drug delivery due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and mucoadhesive properties. Carboxymethyl-chitosan nanoparticles (CMCNPs) can deliver drugs and other biomolecules in a controlled manner, using different administration routes. The aim of this study was to produce and characterize CMCSNPs loaded with ovalbumin (OVA-CMCNPs); the best formulation will be further used as model antigen in oral immunization. Carboxymethyl-chitosan was successfully obtained by reacting the pre-alkalized chitosan with monochloroacetic acid in aqueous solution under mechanical stirring. The occurrence of 6-O-carboxymethylation was evidenced by 1H NMR and the degree of substitution was found to be 0.77. OVA-CMCNPs were prepared by ionotropic gelation method with calcium chloride (CaCl2) and OVA loading. NPs were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence spectroscopy (FS) to determine total protein content (encapsulation efficiency). The mean hydrodynamic diameter (MHD) obtained for OVA-CSNPS was 205±2 nm, with polydispersity index of 0.10±0.03. The ζ-potential reached -12.4±1.5 mV and the count rate (kcps) found was 352±1.9. The mean particle diameter obtained from the atomic force microscopy (AFM) data for OVA-CSNPS was 225±3 nm. AFM image showed that CSNPs showed pseudo-spherical shape, but not OVA-CSNPs. OVA loading of 132 µg/ml resulted in encapsulation efficiency of 24.1% due to its isoelectric point (pI: 4.54). The results showed that the tested methods for size characterization are complementary and recommended in combination. The final formulation presented an excellent particle size range, good encapsulation efficiency, a larger quantity of nanoparticles and a ζ potential that indicates a stable colloid for long term storage

J Zaręba is BSc candidate of Physics in Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. His scientific interests are in nanotechnology and modern carbon nanomaterials. From 2016, he is the Contractor of the project of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education “Najlepsi zNajlepszych”

The use of surface active agents in separation of carbon nanomaterials in water is one of the best ways to create a stable homogeneous solution. Different groups of carbon nanomaterials, due to the hydrophobic properties of nanostructures, easily clump. Most interesting in this regard are carbon nanotubes (CNT), having inter alia a very high strength, and thermal and electrical conductivity. Surfactants, due to its amphiphilic construction, interact with CNTs forming the steric barriers between the CNT surface and water molecules. The presence of the ion part also causes electrostatic interaction, which improves the dispersion of the solution. Surface energy impacts CNT under the influence of the surfactant drops significantly, allowing the preparation of homogeneous solutions of nanostructures in water. In addition, observable very good stability of the solutions was obtained. Careful study of the degree of electrostatic interaction were made using a conductivity meter, allowing to determine the impact loads on the occurrence degree of dispersion solution. The stability and quality of the dispersed solutions was tested by means of spectroscopic methods UV/VIS (Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy). The results from all these studies can be used to assess the dispersion of CNTs in water, and thus the quality of the aqueous CNTs suspensions

I’m a student of third year of physics study on Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. I’m interested in nanotechnology. I’m a laureate of Najlepsi z Najlepszych program, which is financed by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education

Carbon nanomaterials (CN) like nanotubes, fullerene or graphene are showing a great number of applications in modern nanotechnology. One of many possible ways to employ CN is aqueous phase. In our work, we focused on problem of creating a well dispersed aqueous suspension of carbon nanotubes. As it was investigated, carbon nanotubes due to strong hydrophobic nature of their walls are difficult to disperse. Only way to stabilize a suspension is to use dispersants. In our work, we used various surfactants to prolong stability of suspensions. We would like to present how the surfactant molecules influenced the interactions between nanotubes. We used TEM, SEM and AFM to show how different types of surfactants interact with nanotubes and how stable the suspensions are

Justyna Iżykowska, MSc, is a PhD candidate in Adam Mickiewicz Uniwersity in Poznań, Poland. She is also a student of Optometry at the same university. Her scientific interests are self-assembly of polymers, subsurface phenomenon and nanotechnology. From 2016, she is the Contractor of the project of Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education “Najlepsi zNajlepszych’’

The phenomena of water molecules relaxation process that takes place in close proximity to carbon nanotubes surface is crucial to designing modern contrast agents which are based on these structures. Shortening of relaxation times in very low magnetic fields is an effect of paramagnetic impurities in the CNT structures, as well as the degree of dispersion of nanoparticles in aqueous solution and type of the surface coating agent. The temperature may affect the surfactant's ability of self-assembly into more complicated structures on CNT surface, significantly modifying relaxation processes of water molecules. The aim of the studies is to verify usefulness of gemini surfactants, with different types of hydrophilic heads, length of spacer between them and length of hydrophobic alkyl chains. The surfactants have been chosen due to their amphiphilic character, because they may easily interact with hydrophobic nanotube's surface without significant influence on their electronic properties. Relaxation of water molecules has been investigated by fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance technique, in the wide spectrum of resonance field (10 kHz-12 MHz) and in variable temperatures

Michalina Skupin is currently a PhD student at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland. She has completed her Master’s degree in Biophysics. She is an active Member of Biophysical Society and Polish Synchrotron Society since 2014.

In our work, we focused on noncovalent modification of the carbon surface in aqueous solution. The use of surfactants to stabilize mentioned nanomaterials in suspension is one of the efficient approaches. Several works have been reported on dispersing of multi-wall carbon nanotubes by conventional single chain surfactants, like SDS, CTAB or DTAP. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of the use of cationic gemini surfactants, with different length of spacer group, as the efficient systems for dispersion of nanostructures in aqueous solutions. In present studies, the varieties of dimeric surfactants with imidazolium and tertrasolium groups were used. The stability of the CN suspensions was investigated using UV/VIS and also AFM method to evaluate surfactant stabilization efficiency. The microstructure of the stable, concentrated, redispersed suspensions of carbon nanomaterials was investigated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. In addition, NMRD (nuclear magnetic resonance dispersion) profiles and FTIR studies were applied in order to check quality of selected suspensions

Vural Bütün received his PhD at the University of Sussex-UK in 1999. He has been working at Chemistry Department of Eskişehir Osmangazi University (ESOGU), Turkey since 1999. He became a Member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences in 2009. He is holder of various scientific awards including TWAS Encouragement Award, Outstanding Young Scientist Award and TÜBİTAK Encouragement Award. He has published 60 papers with more than 2800 citations. Currently, he is the Director of Central Research Laboratory and the Dean of Faculty of Science at ESOGU

Medical nanotechnology is a growing science that has applications on various areas of drug target, delivery or release. Nano-sized particles provide a control on optimization of the therapeutic index of cancer drugs. Beyond this therapeutic functionality, nanoparticles modified with magnetic Fe3O4 have been designed to deliver multiple components and imaging agents, diagnostics and therapies. In this study, multi-responsive microgels, which were first introduced by our group in the literature, were used in order to control targeting and releasing properties of liposomes. Firstly, 5-fluorouracil (5FU), which is used clinically to treat breast, stomach and colon cancer, was loaded into liposomes in aqueous media. Then, a water-soluble monomer, namely 2-(N-morpholino) ethyl methacrylate, based multi-responsive microgel hosting 5FU loaded liposome system was synthesized. In the third stage, a hybrid system consisting of liposome-5FU loaded microgels was covered with magnetic-nanoparticles to provide them to get responsiveness to a magnetic field. Finally, the resulting hybrid system was used for in vitro studies as a drug carrier and controlled drug release system in phosphate buffer solution incubated at 37°C. All microgel, liposome and hybrid-nanoparticles were characterized by using dynamic light scattering instrument, zeta potentiometer and transmission electron microscopy. The release of 5FU from liposome-microgel hybrid system was analyzed using HPLC with ultraviolet spectrophotometer detector having a wavelength of 266 nm

Cansel Tuncer completed her PhD at 2015 from Eskisehir Osmangazi University. She has been working as a Research Assistant at the same university since 2009. She has published 7 papers in reputed journals. She has worked as Researcher on seven projects based on biomolecules and polymers. She is currently working in the two projects as project manager. She has great experience on polymer synthesis via GTP, ATRP, free radical polymerization, heterogen polymerization methods, derivation of polymers, hydrogels, microgels, nanoparticles and metal production

Semiconductor and metal nanoparticles are in the focus of scientific research. It has been shown that their sizes determine their properties. Their unique electronic nature privilege them for a large variety of potential applications; e.g., biological labels and quantum-dot lasers and solar cells. The cadmium chalcogenides are the prototypical systems of the II–VI semiconductor compounds. Solid CdS is a yellow material due to its band gap of 2.32-2.58 eV. In this study, CdS nanoparticles with different sizes were synthesized using different methods. Sol-gel method was used for the preparation of spherical CdS and Ag/CdS nanoparticles with a diameter around 200 nm. In this method, PEG, which is capable of controlling the growth of nanocrystals owing to high viscosity and solubility in water, has been used as a stabilizer. Another method was hydrothermal synthesis which provided both cauliflower-type CdS nanoparticles and CdS nanoflower. Consequently, CdS nanostructures in different particle sizes and shapes were prepared successfully by using both methods. These particles were used for the photodegradation of a variety of dyes. The results are indicating possible potential usage of them in waste water treatment. The band gaps of CdS nanocrystals were obtained from the absorbance measurements via UV-Vis spectrophotometer. XRD, TEM and SEM instruments were used for the characterization of nanostructures. UV-Vis spectrophotometer was used to determine decolorization percent (W%) and the adsorption capacity (q) of CdS particles

Eun-Kyung Lim obtained her PhD (2011) in Chemical Engineering from Yonsei University under the guidance of Professor S Haam. Her research efforts are on development of smart theranostics nanosystems for cancer metabolism regulation

Nanocomposites are widely utilized to obtain an accurate diagnosis and provide effective therapy for a number of diseases, because they can be easily formulated by introducing therapeutic agents (e.g., drug and gene) and imaging agents (e.g., magnetic nanocrystal). Furthermore, nanocomposites can be developed as all-in-one systems, which enable cancer diagnosis and therapy, as well as the simultaneous monitoring of drug behavior. In this protocol, we describe the preparation of pyrenyl-based polymer and multifunctional nanocomposites, which enable multimodal imaging, targeted cancer detection and pH-sensitive drug delivery. Notably, these nanocomposites can be used to perform multiple tasks simultaneously for early cancer detection, efficient cataloguing of patient groups for personalized therapy, and real-time monitoring of disease progress. Starting from synthesis of pyrenyl-based polymers, this protocol can be completed in about 15 d

Taejoon Kang has completed his PhD and Post-doctoral studies from KAIST. He is the Senior Researcher at Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB). He has published more than 30 papers in reputed journals

Developing a well-defined nanostructure that can provide strong, reproducible, and stable SERS signals is quite important for the practical application of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors. We report here a novel single nanowire (NW) on graphene (SNOG) structure as an efficient, reproducible, and stable SERS-active platform. Au NWs having a well-defined single-crystal geometry on a monolayer graphene-coated metal film can form a well-defined, continuous nanogap structure that provides extremely reproducible and stable SERS signals. The in-NW reproducibility was verified by 2-dimensional Raman mapping, and the NW-to-NW reproducibility was verified by the cumulative curves of 32 SERS spectra. The simulation also indicated that a highly regular, line-shaped hot spot formed between the Au NW and graphene. Furthermore, SNOG platforms showed improved photostability and long-term oxidation immunity. We anticipate that SNOG platforms will be appropriate for practical biological and chemical sensor applications that demand reproducible, stable, and strong signal production