A new strategy to integrate silver nanowires with waterborne coating to improve their antimicrobial and antiviral properties

PurposeThis study aims to focus on the preparation and characterization of the silver nanowire (AgNWs), as well as their application as antimicrobial and antivirus activities either with incorporation on the waterborne coating formulation or on their own.Design/methodology/approachPrepared AgNWs are characterized by different analytical instruments, such as ultraviolet-visible spectroscope, scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction spectrometer. All the paint formulation's physical and mechanical qualities were tested using American Society for Testing and Materials, a worldwide standard test procedure. The biological activities of the prepared AgNWs and the waterborne coating based on AgNWs were investigated. And, their effects on pathogenic bacteria, antioxidants, antiviral activity and cytotoxicity were also investigated.FindingsThe obtained results of the physical and mechanical characteristics of the paint formulation demonstrated the formulations' greatest performance, as well as giving good scrub resistance and film durability. In the antimicrobial activity, the paint did not have any activity against bacterial pathogen, whereas the AgNWs and AgNWs with paint have similar activity against bacterial pathogen with inhibition zone range from 10 to 14 mm. The development of antioxidant and cytotoxicity activity of the paint incorporated with AgNWs were also observed. The cytopathic effects of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) were reduced in all three investigated modes of action when compared to the positive control group (HSV-1-infected cells), suggesting that these compounds have promising antiviral activity against a wide range of viruses, including DNA and RNA viruses.Originality/valueThe new waterborne coating based on nanoparticles has the potential to be promising in the manufacturing and development of paints, allowing them to function to prevent the spread of microbial infection, which is exactly what the world requires at this time.

Nanomaterial-based smart coatings for antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities

Infectious diseases caused by different pathogens (parasites, protozoa, bacteria, viruses, and fungi) have affected the world at various times in the form of epidemics and pandemics. The coronavirus has also directly affected the world's economy and public health. Various drugs such as antibiotics, antimicrobials, antifungals, and antivirals have been investigated to combat these diseases. However, these fatal infections are still a major concern because of their transmission through contaminated surfaces, human-to-human contact, airborne diffusion, and microbial resistance. Therefore, considerable efforts are required to suppress the transmission of these pathogens. Smart coatings are able to sense their environment and adapt their properties according to the stimulus. Furthermore, various parameters of coating technology can be controlled on a molecular level to influence the morphology. Nanomaterial (NM)-based smart coatings are 99.99% effective against bacteria, viruses, and fungi because of the unique properties of NMs involved. Moreover, NM-based smart coatings are 1000-fold more efficient than traditional coating technologies. Besides their antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial application, they are anticorrosive and self-cleaning. This chapter summarizes various NM-based smart coatings (organic, inorganic, and carbon) implemented in antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral applications. Furthermore, the application of these coatings in various fields and their associated challenges will be discussed. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticles as an exotic antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agents

Globally, concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic its prevention have become important. Because of COVID-19 and other microbial diseases, enhance research work has emerged revealing new antimicrobial and antiviral materials and techniques. Tremendous growth in nanotechnology has opened up the door to fabricating numerous nanomaterials. These nanomaterials are employed as antimicrobial and antiviral agents for various applications with 99.99% effectiveness compared with conventional techniques. Nanoparticles possess unique physicochemical characteristics for multiple applications. This chapter details the use of nanoparticles for antifungal, antimicrobial, and antiviral applications. It describes various kinds of nanoparticles, such as nanometals, metal oxides, polymeric nanomaterials, and carbon-based nanomaterials. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coronavirus Label-Free Immunosensor: Preliminary Results

Real-time detection of airborne infection agents present in human breath and environmental airways, such as the human respiratory Coronavirus, is important for public health. For this, a model label-free immunosensor, based on multi-walled nanotubes (MWNT)-based screen-printed graphite electrodes (SPEs), was proposed and studied. For sensing applications, MWNTs have many advantages such as small size with larger surface area, excellent electron transfer promoting ability when used for antibody immobilization, with retention of its selectivity for potential immunosensors development. In order to verify the selectivity of the selected primary antibody (anti-CoV 229E antibody) and the effective immunocomplex formation (antigen-antibody), an in-depth voltammetric characterization of MWNT-SPEs interface was carried out during the multistep fabrication of CoV immunosensor using [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as an electroactive probe.After that, the analytical robustness of the performances of these immunosensing platforms was estimated and verified. Indeed, a nanomolar range detection limit (180 TCID50/mL)g/mL) with excellent reproducibility (RSD% = 8%) was obtained. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023.

Using Nanomaterials for SARS-CoV-2 Sensing via Electrochemical Techniques.

Advancing low-cost and user-friendly innovations to benefit public health is an important task of scientific and engineering research. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), electrochemical sensors are being developed for low-cost SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis, particularly in resource-limited settings. Nanostructures with sizes ranging from 10 nm to a few micrometers could deliver optimum electrochemical behavior (e.g., quick response, compact size, sensitivity and selectivity, and portability), providing an excellent alternative to the existing techniques. Therefore, nanostructures, such as metal, 1D, and 2D materials, have been successfully applied in in vitro and in vivo detection of a wide range of infectious diseases, particularly SARS-CoV-2. Electrochemical detection methods reduce the cost of electrodes, provide analytical ability to detect targets with a wide variety of nanomaterials, and are an essential strategy in biomarker sensing as they can rapidly, sensitively, and selectively detect SARS-CoV-2. The current studies in this area provide fundamental knowledge of electrochemical techniques for future applications.

Plastic Waste-Derived Carbon Dots: Insights of Recycling Valuable Materials Towards Environmental Sustainability.

Carbon dots (CDs) or carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as rising stars in the carbon family due to their diverse applications in various fields. CDs are spherical particles with a well-distributed size of less than 10 nm. Functional CDs are promising nanomaterials with low toxicity, low cost, and enormous applications in the field of bioimaging, optoelectronics, photocatalysis, and sensing. Plastic is non-biodegradable and hazardous to the environment, however extremely durable and used in abundance. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of plastic waste, particularly masks, goggles, face shields, and shoe cover, has increased tremendously. It needs to be recycled in a productive way as plastic wastes take hundreds or thousands of years to degrade naturally. The conversion of plastic waste into magnificent CDs has been reported as one of the key alternatives for environmental sustainability and socio-economic benefits. In this review, synthetic routes for the conversion of plastic wastes into CDs utilizing hydrothermal, solvothermal, pyrolysis, flash joule heating, and characterization of these CDs using different techniques, such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscope, have been discussed. Furthermore, potential applications of these plastic-derived CDs in sensing, catalysis, agronomics, and LED lights are summarized herein.

Valorization of hazardous plastic wastes into value-added resources by catalytic pyrolysis-gasification: A review of techno-economic analysis

Plastic waste pollution has grown exponentially since the 1950s. This situation was exacerbated when the volume of personal protective equipment (PPE)-based plastic waste surged after the COVID-19 pandemic. Plastic waste management such as landfills and incineration have adverse effects on the environment and human health due to the leaching of hazardous chemicals and the emission of toxic gases. Modern solutions such as biodegradable plastics and green brick technology are expensive and not well developed to valorize the current accumulation of plastic waste. This has led to the emergence of thermal degradation processes, which is faster and more realistic to solve the PPE-based plastic waste buildup. Pyrolysis and gasification systems to valorize plastic waste into hydrocarbons and fuels are discussed and compared with examples respectively. Scoping review approach is employed to conduct this study. To further increase the value of the final product of plastic waste management, the integrated pyrolysis system to upcycle plastic waste to carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and the factors affecting the production of non-condensable gases are critically reviewed. The importance of feedstock composition, catalyst type, pyrolysis operating condition (including gas condition and temperature profiles) based on various studies is discussed. The potential and limitation of an integrated pyrolysis system are assessed from kinetic analysis, economic analysis and life-cycle assessment. This review is expected to contribute to the industrial-scale development of sustainable upcycling of plastic waste and enhance the production of desirable gas components for CNM synthesis for environmental sustainability.

Current Advances in Nanomaterial-associated Micro and Nano-devices for SARS-CoV-2 Detection

COVID-19 spread rapidly around the world in 18 months, with various forms of variants caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV). This has put pressure on the world community and created an urgent need for understanding its early occurrence through rapid, simple, cheap, and yet highly accurate diagnosis. The most widely adopted method as of today is the real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. This test has shown the potential for rapid testing, but unfortunately, the test is not rapid and, in some cases, displays false negatives or false positives. The nanomaterials play an important role in creating highly sensitive systems, and have been thought to significantly improve the performance of the SARSCoV- 2 protocols. Several biosensors based on micro-and nano-sensors for SARS-CoV-2 detection have been reported, and they employ multi-dimensional hybrids on sensing surfaces with devices having different sizes and geometries. Zero-to-three-dimension nanomaterial hybrids on sensing surfaces, including nanofilm hybrids for SARS-CoV-2 detection, were employed with unprecedented sensitivity and accuracy. Furthermore, the sensors were nanofluidic and mediated high-performance SARS-CoV-2 detection. This breakthrough has brought the possibility of making a biosystem on a chip (Bio-SoC) for rapid, cheap, and point-of-care detection. This review summarises various advancements in nanomaterial-associated nanodevices and metasurface devices for detecting SARS-CoV-2.

Smart and functional textiles

Smart and Functional Textiles is an application-oriented book covering a wide range of areas from multifunctional nanofinished textiles, coated and laminated textiles, wearable e-textiles, textile-based sensors and actuators, thermoregulating textiles, to smart medical textiles and stimuli-responsive textiles. It also includes chapters on 3D printed smart textiles, automotive smart textiles, smart textiles in military and defense, as well as functional textiles used in care and diagnosis of Covid-19. • Overview of smart textiles and their multidirectional applications • Materials, processes, advanced techniques, design and performance of smart fabrics • Fundamentals, advancements, current challenges and future perspectives of smart textiles. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

Carbon Nanomaterials-Based Screen-Printed Electrodes for Sensing Applications.

Electrochemical sensors consisting of screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) are recurrent devices in the recent literature for applications in different fields of interest and contribute to the expanding electroanalytical chemistry field. This is due to inherent characteristics that can be better (or only) achieved with the use of SPEs, including miniaturization, cost reduction, lower sample consumption, compatibility with portable equipment, and disposability. SPEs are also quite versatile; they can be manufactured using different formulations of conductive inks and substrates, and are of varied designs. Naturally, the analytical performance of SPEs is directly affected by the quality of the material used for printing and modifying the electrodes. In this sense, the most varied carbon nanomaterials have been explored for the preparation and modification of SPEs, providing devices with an enhanced electrochemical response and greater sensitivity, in addition to functionalized surfaces that can immobilize biological agents for the manufacture of biosensors. Considering the relevance and timeliness of the topic, this review aimed to provide an overview of the current scenario of the use of carbonaceous nanomaterials in the context of making electrochemical SPE sensors, from which different approaches will be presented, exploring materials traditionally investigated in electrochemistry, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon black, and those more recently investigated for this (carbon quantum dots, graphitic carbon nitride, and biochar). Perspectives on the use and expansion of these devices are also considered.

Viricidal Activity of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Materials with Silver Nanoparticles.

The use of diverse Ag-based nanoparticulated forms has shown promising results in controlling viral propagation. In this study, a commercial nanomaterial consisting of ceramic-coated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was incorporated into thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plates using an industrial protocol, and the surface composition, ion-release dynamics and viricidal properties were studied. The surface characterization by FESEM-EDX revealed that the molar composition of the ceramic material was 5.5 P:3.3 Mg:Al and facilitated the identification of the embedded AgNPs (54.4 ± 24.9 nm). As determined by ICPMS, the release rates from the AgNP-TPU into aqueous solvents were 4 ppm/h for Ag and Al, and 28.4 ppm/h for Mg ions. Regarding the biological assays, the AgNP-TPU material did not induce significant cytotoxicity in the cell lines employed. Its viricidal activity was characterized, based on ISO 21702:2019, using the Spring viraemia of carp virus (SVCV), and then tested against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The results demonstrated that AgNP-TPU materials exhibited significant (75%) and direct antiviral activity against SVCV virions in a time- and temperature-dependent manner. Similar inhibition levels were found against SARS-CoV-2. These findings show the potential of AgNP-TPU-based materials as a supporting strategy to control viral spread.

Functional Nanomaterials Enhancing Electrochemical Biosensors as Smart Tools for Detecting Infectious Viral Diseases.

Electrochemical biosensors are known as analytical tools, guaranteeing rapid and on-site results in medical diagnostics, food safety, environmental protection, and life sciences research. Current research focuses on developing sensors for specific targets and addresses challenges to be solved before their commercialization. These challenges typically include the lowering of the limit of detection, the widening of the linear concentration range, the analysis of real samples in a real environment and the comparison with a standard validation method. Nowadays, functional nanomaterials are designed and applied in electrochemical biosensing to support all these challenges. This review will address the integration of functional nanomaterials in the development of electrochemical biosensors for the rapid diagnosis of viral infections, such as COVID-19, middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), influenza, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and dengue, among others. The role and relevance of the nanomaterial, the type of biosensor, and the electrochemical technique adopted will be discussed. Finally, the critical issues in applying laboratory research to the analysis of real samples, future perspectives, and commercialization aspects of electrochemical biosensors for virus detection will be analyzed.

Nanotechnologies for the Diagnosis and Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has caused well over 750 million infections and 6.8 million deaths. Rapid diagnosis and isolation of infected patients are the primary aims of the concerned authorities to minimize the casualties. The endeavor to mitigate the pandemic has been impeded by the emergence of newly identified genomic variants of SARS-CoV-2. Some of these variants are considered as serious threats because of their higher transmissibility and potential immune evasion, leading to reduced vaccine efficiency. Nanotechnology can play an important role in advancing both diagnosis and therapy of COVID-19. In this review, nanotechnology-based diagnostic and therapeutic strategies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants are introduced. The biological features and functions of the virus, the mechanism of infection, and currently used approaches for diagnosis, vaccination, and therapy are discussed. Then, nanomaterial-based nucleic acid- and antigen-targeting diagnostic methods and viral activity suppression approaches that have a strong potential to advance both diagnostics and therapeutics toward control and containment of the COVID-19 pandemic are focused upon.

Nanotechnology in the COVID-19 era: Carbon-based nanomaterials as a promising solution.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to collaboration between nanotechnology scientists, industry stakeholders, and clinicians to develop solutions for diagnostics, prevention, and treatment of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Nanomaterials, including carbon-based materials (CBM) such as graphene and carbon nanotubes, have been studied for their potential in viral research. CBM unique effects on microorganisms, immune interaction, and sensitivity in diagnostics have made them a promising subject of SARS-CoV-2 research. This review discusses the interaction of CBM with SARS-CoV-2 and their applicability, including CBM physical and chemical properties, the known interactions between CBM and viral components, and the proposed prevention, treatment, and diagnostics uses.

SARS-COV-2 infection and Parkinson's disease: Possible links and perspectives.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The hallmarks are the presence of Lewy bodies composed mainly of aggregated α-synuclein and immune activation and inflammation in the brain. The neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 with induction of cytokine storm and neuroinflammation can contribute to the development of PD. Interestingly, overexpression of α-synuclein in PD patients may limit SARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasion and degeneration of dopaminergic neurons; however, on the other hand, this virus can speed up the α-synuclein aggregation. The review aims to discuss the potential link between COVID-19 and the risk of PD, highlighting the need for further studies to authenticate the potential association. We have also overviewed the influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the PD course and management. In this context, we presented the prospects for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and related PD cases that, beyond global vaccination and novel anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents, may include the development of graphene-based nanoscale platforms offering antiviral and anti-amyloid strategies against PD.

Numerical Study of Titanium Dioxide and MXene Nanomaterial-Based Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor for Virus SARS-CoV-2 Detection.

A novel surface plasmon resonance-based biosensor for SARS-CoV-2 virus is proposed in this article. The biosensor is a Kretschmann configuration-based structure that consists of CaF2 prism as base, at which silver (Ag), TiO2, and MXene nanolayers are used to enhance the performance. Theoretically, the performance parameters have been investigated by means of Fresnel equations and transfer matrix method (TMM). The TiO2 nanolayer not only prevents oxidation of Ag layer but also enhances the evanescent field in its vicinity. The sensor provides an ultrahigh angular sensitivity of 346°/RIU for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Some other performance parameters, including FWHM (full width at half maxima), detection accuracy (DA), limit of detection (LOD), and quality factor (QF) have also been calculated for proposed SPR biosensor with their optimized values 2.907°, 0.3439 deg-1, 1.445 × 10-5, and 118.99 RIU-1, respectively. The obtained results designate that the proposed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based biosensor has notably enhanced angular sensitivity as compared to previous results reported in the literatures till date. This work may facilitate a significant biological sample sensing device for fast and accurate diagnosis at early stage of SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Recent Advances in Nanomaterials‐Based FETs for SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19 Virus) Diagnosis

The emergence of infectious diseases that are quickly spreading, like the coronavirus (COVID‐19), necessitates the development of efficient biosensors that can quickly detect and identify pathogens. It is essential to create sensitive virus detection methods in order to stop a virus from spreading throughout the world. It is determined that field‐effect transistors (FETs) made of nanomaterials are potential candidates for rapid virus identification due to how easily the electronic transport characteristics of such an atomically thin nanomaterial can be affected by perturbations. Various FETs in this review article are investigated that are based on nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene, graphene‐oxide, and semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) WSe2 in order to show that they are promising biosensors in regards to quickly and precisely detect COVID‐19. The conjugation of nanomaterials with proteins enables the direct delivery of antiviral agents to the host cells. This method also minimizes the off‐target effects and enables the targeted interactions. This mechanism has produced encouraging results in regards to sensing or treating COVID‐19. The high surface area and extremely small size of nanomaterials make them crucial in regards to the development of new detection methods. The point‐of‐care test method of detection is quick, simple, and user‐friendly, and it only requires a small amount of a patient's blood. It does not require a laboratory or trained professionals. This overview of the current research that is conducted on nanomaterials will prove to be useful in the process of formulating strategies for the diagnosis, treatment, and vaccination of viruses in opinion. Finally, the conclusion of this review provides a summary of the current challenges and the future prospects. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Advanced Functional Materials is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Biodegradable Polymer Nanoparticles: Therapeutic Applications and Challenges

The greatest medication encapsulation and distribution options have received substantial research on biodegradable natural polymers. For their potential to act as an effective vehicle for site-specific medication delivery in the body, biodegradable nanoparticles (NPs) are attracting more interest. They provide enhanced biocompatibility, and practical release patterns for a variety of medicines to be used in a number of applications. This article has explored the various applications of these particles, including cancer therapy, implantable device, and antioxidant delivery. However, there is still potential to investigate more biodegradable polymers for cutting-edge biological applications.

Automatic Analysis of Isothermal Amplification via Impedance Time-Constant-Domain Spectroscopy: A SARS-CoV-2 Case Study

The development of sensitive and affordable testing devices for infectious diseases is essential to preserve public health, especially in pandemic scenarios. In this work, we have developed an attractive analytical method to monitor products of genetic amplification, particularly the loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction (RT-LAMP). The method is based on electrochemical impedance measurements and the distribution of relaxation times model, to provide the so-called time-constant-domain spectroscopy (TCDS). The proposed method is tested for the SARS-CoV-2 genome, since it has been of worldwide interest due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly, once the method is calibrated, its performance is demonstrated using real wastewater samples. Moreover, we propose a simple classification algorithm based on TCDS data to discriminate among positive and negative samples. Results show how a TCDS-based method provides an alternative mechanism for label-free and automated assays, exhibiting robustness and specificity for genetic detection.