Paper-based colorimetric detection of COVID-19 using aptasenor based on biomimetic peroxidase like activity of ChF/ZnO/CNT nano-hybrid.

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) as the infectious disease caused the pandemic disease around the world through infection by SARS-CoV-2 virus. The common diagnosis approach is Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) which is time consuming and labor intensive. In the present study a novel colorimetric aptasensor was developed based on intrinsic catalytic activity of chitosan film embedded with ZnO/CNT (ChF/ZnO/CNT) on 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) substrate. The main nanocomposite platform was constructed and functionalized with specific COVID-19 aptamer. The construction subjected with TMB substrate and H2O2 in the presence of different concentration of COVID-19 virus. Separation of aptamer after binding with virus particles declined the nanozyme activity. Upon addition of virus concentration, the peroxidase like activity of developed platform and colorimetric signals of oxidized TMB decreased gradually. Under optimal conditions the nanozyme could detect the virus in the linear range of 1-500 pg mL and LOD of 0.05 pg mL. Also, a paper-based platform was used for set up the strategy on applicable device. The paper-based strategy showed a linear range between 50 and 500 pg mL with LOD of 8 pg mL. The applied paper based colorimetric strategy showed reliable results for sensitive and selective detection of COVID-19 virus with the cost-effective approach.

Antiviral Activity of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles against SARS-CoV-2.

The highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 virus is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets, aerosols, and contaminated surfaces. In addition to antiviral drugs, the decontamination of surfaces and personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial to mitigate the spread of infection. Conventional approaches, including ultraviolet radiation, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, heat and liquid chemicals, can damage materials or lack comprehensive, effective disinfection. Consequently, alternative material-compatible and sustainable methods, such as nanomaterial coatings, are needed. Therefore, the antiviral activity of two novel zinc-oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NP) against SARS-CoV-2 was investigated in vitro. Each nanoparticle was produced by applying highly efficient "green" synthesis techniques, which are free of fossil derivatives and use nitrate, chlorate and sulfonate salts as starting materials and whey as chelating agents. The two "green" nanomaterials differ in size distribution, with ZnO-NP-45 consisting of particles ranging from 30 nm to 60 nm and ZnO-NP-76 from 60 nm to 92 nm. Human lung epithelial cells (Calu-3) were infected with SARS-CoV-2, pre-treated in suspensions with increasing ZnO-NP concentrations up to 20 mg/mL. Both "green" materials were compared to commercially available ZnO-NP as a reference. While all three materials were active against both virus variants at concentrations of 10-20 mg/mL, ZnO-NP-45 was found to be more active than ZnO-NP-76 and the reference material, resulting in the inactivation of the Delta and Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants by a factor of more than 106. This effect could be due to its greater total reactive surface, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Higher variations in virus inactivation were found for the latter two nanomaterials, ZnO-NP-76 and ZnO-NP-ref, which putatively may be due to secondary infections upon incomplete inactivation inside infected cells caused by insufficient NP loading of the virions. Taken together, inactivation with 20 mg/mL ZnO-NP-45 seems to have the greatest effect on both SARS-CoV-2 variants tested. Prospective ZnO-NP applications include an antiviral coating of filters or PPE to enhance user protection.

Synergistic Enhancement of Filtering Efficiency and Antibacterial Performance of a Nanofiber Air Filter Decorated with Electropolarized Lithium-Doped ZnO Nanorods.

According to clinical case reports, bacterial co-infection with COVID-19 can significantly increase mortality, with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) being one of the most common pathogens causing complications such as pneumonia. Thus, during the pandemic, research on imparting air filters with antibacterial properties was actively initiated, and several antibacterial agents were investigated. However, air filters with inorganic nanostructures on organic nanofibers (NFs) have not been investigated extensively. This study aimed to demonstrate the efficiency of electropolarized poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (PVDF-TrFE) NFs decorated with Li-doped ZnO nanorods (NRs) to improve the filtering ability and antibacterial activity of the ultrathin air filter. The surfactant was loaded onto the ZnO─known for its biocompatibility and low toxicity─nanoparticles (NPs) and transferred to the outer surface of the NFs, where Li-doped ZnO NRs were grown. The Li-doped ZnO NR-decorated NF effectively enhanced the physical filtration efficiency and antibacterial properties. Additionally, by exploiting the ferroelectric properties of Li-doped ZnO NRs and PVDF-TrFE NFs, the filter was electropolarized to increase its Coulombic interaction with PMs and S. aureus. As a result, the filter exhibited a 90% PM1.0 removal efficiency and a 99.5% sterilization rate against S. aureus. The method proposed in this study provides an effective route for simultaneously improving the air filter performance and antibacterial activity.

Machine Learning-Assisted Sensor Based on CsPbBr3@ZnO Nanocrystals for Identifying Methanol in Mixed Environments.

Methanol is a respiratory biomarker for pulmonary diseases, including COVID-19, and is a common chemical that may harm people if they are accidentally exposed to it. It is significant to effectively identify methanol in complex environments, yet few sensors can do so. In this work, the strategy of coating perovskites with metal oxides is proposed to synthesize core-shell CsPbBr3@ZnO nanocrystals. The CsPbBr3@ZnO sensor displays a response/recovery time of 3.27/3.11 s to 10 ppm methanol at room temperature, with a detection limit of 1 ppm. Using machine learning algorithms, the sensor can effectively identify methanol from an unknown gas mixture with 94% accuracy. Meanwhile, density functional theory is used to reveal the formation process of the core-shell structure and the target gas identification mechanism. The strong adsorption between CsPbBr3 and the ligand zinc acetylacetonate lays the foundation for the formation of the core-shell structure. The crystal structure, density of states, and band structure were influenced by different gases, which results in different response/recovery behaviors and makes it possible to identify methanol from mixed environments. Furthermore, due to the formation of type II band alignment, the gas response performance of the sensor is further improved under UV light irradiation.

An In-Situ Fabrication Method of ZnO and Other Zn(II) Compounds Containing Polypropylene Composites.

This study investigated the methods of preparation of zinc oxide-polypropylene nanocomposites and their antibacterial properties. Seven solutions with ZnO nanoparticles or zinc ions were formulated as a PP additive. Two methods of ZnO NPs syntheses were carried out: (1) a modified hydrothermal method where a water solution of zinc acetate dihydrate, PEI, and ammonia were mixed with a final pH 11; (2) a thermal decomposition of a water solution of zinc acetate in the presence of PEI and ammonia using a two-screw extruder. During the experiments, the influence of various amounts of particle stabilizer, heating of the solutions, and the temperatures of the syntheses were examined. As a result, the simultaneous crystallization of ZnO in the extrusion process confirmed this method's attractiveness from the application point of view. Fabricated PP-ZnO composite shows antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Atomic layer deposition of ZnO on polypropylene nonwovens for photocatalytic antibacterial facemasks.

Addressing respiratory infectious diseases remains one of the main priorities due to the increased risk of exposure caused by population growth, increasing international travel and commerce, and most recently, the COVID-19 outbreak. In the war against respiratory diseases, facemasks are powerful tools to obstruct the penetration of microorganisms, thereby protecting the wearer from infections. Nonetheless, the intercepted microorganisms on the surface of facemasks may proliferate and lead to secondary infection. To solve this problem, atomic layer deposition is introduced to deposit uniform and mechanically robust ZnO layers on polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics, a widely used raw material in fabricating facemasks. The loading of ZnO demonstrates no adverse effects on the separation performance of facemasks, and the filtration efficiency of the facemasks towards different types of nanoparticles remains higher than 98.9%. Moreover, the modified PP nonwoven fabrics are granted with excellent antibacterial activity and photocatalytic sterilization ability, which can inactivate both germ-negative and germ-positive bacteria (E. coliandS. aureus) effectively with and without light illumination. Therefore, the modified PP nonwoven fabrics are potential candidates to be used as the outer layer on facemasks and endow them with photocatalytic antibacterial activity.

ZnO-Based Electrochemical Immunosensor to Assess Vaccine-Induced Antibody-Mediated Immunity against Wild-Type and Gamma SARS-CoV-2 Strains.

The evaluation of serological responses to COVID-19 is crucial for population-level surveillance, developing new vaccines, and evaluating the efficacy of different immunization programs. Research and development of point-of-care test technologies remain essential to improving immunity assessment, especially for SARS-CoV-2 variants that partially evade vaccine-induced immune responses. In this work, an impedimetric biosensor based on the immobilization of the recombinant trimeric wild-type spike protein (S protein) on zinc oxide nanorods (ZnONRs) was employed for serological evaluation. We successfully assessed its applicability using serum samples from spike-based COVID-19 vaccines: ChAdOx1-S (Oxford-AstraZeneca) and BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech). Overall, the ZnONRs/ spike-modified electrode displayed accurate results for both vaccines, showing excellent potential as a tool for assessing and monitoring seroprevalence in the population. A refined outcome of this technology was achieved when the ZnO immunosensor was functionalized with the S protein from the P.1 linage (Gamma variant). Serological responses against samples from vaccinated individuals were acquired with excellent performance. Following studies based on traditional serological tests, the ZnONRs/spike immunosensor data reveal that ChAdOx1-S vaccinated individuals present significantly less antibody-mediated immunity against the Gamma variant than the BNT162b2 vaccine, highlighting the great potential of this point-of-care technology for evaluating vaccine-induced humoral immunity against different SARS-CoV-2 strains.

Green Synthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Based on Cestrum diurnum L. of Potential Antiviral Activity against Human Corona 229-E Virus.

SARS-CoV-2 has caused more than 596 million infections and 6 million fatalities globally. Looking for urgent medication for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation is obligatory. Plant extracts and green synthesized nanoparticles have numerous biological activities, including antiviral activity. HPLC analysis of C. dirnum L. leaf extract showed that catechin, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, and syringic acid were the most major compounds, with concentrations of 1425.16, 1004.68, 207.46, and 158.95 µg/g, respectively. Zinc nanoparticles were biosynthesized using zinc acetate and C. dirnum extract. TEM analysis revealed that the particle size of ZnO-NPs varied between 3.406 and 4.857 nm. An XRD study showed the existence of hexagonal crystals of ZnO-NPs with an average size of 12.11 nm. Both ZnO-NPs (IC50 = 7.01 and CC50 = 145.77) and C. dirnum L. extract (IC50 = 61.15 and CC50 = 145.87 µg/mL) showed antiviral activity against HCOV-229E, but their combination (IC50 = 2.41 and CC50 = 179.23) showed higher activity than both. Molecular docking was used to investigate the affinity of some metabolites against the HCOV-229E main protease. Chlorogenic acid, solanidine, and catchin showed high affinity (-7.13, -6.95, and -6.52), compared to the ligand MDP (-5.66 Kcal/mol). Cestrum dinurum extract and ZnO-NPs combination should be subjected to further studies to be used as an antiviral drug.

Strong anti-viral nano biocide based on Ag/ZnO modified by amodiaquine as an antibacterial and antiviral composite.

In this paper, we synthesized Ag/ZnO composite colloidal nanoparticles and the surface of nanoparticles was improved by amodiaquine ligand. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using the XRD diffraction pattern, FT-IR Spectroscopy, TEM image, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects of the synthesized colloid were examined on E.coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterococcus hirae bacteria, and Candida Albicans and form spore aspergillus fungi, also influenza, herpes simplex, and covid 19 viruses. The results indicate more than 7 log removal of the bacteria, fungi, and viruses by synthesized colloid with a concentration of 15 µg/L (Ag)/50 µg/ml (ZnO). This removal for covid 19 virus is from 3.2 × 108 numbers to 21 viruses within 30 s. Also, irritation and toxicity tests of the synthesized colloid show harmless effects on human cells and tissues. These colloidal nanoparticles were used as mouthwash solution and their clinical tests were done on 500 people infected by the coronavirus. The results indicate that by washing their mouth and nose three times on day all patients got healthy at different times depending on the depth of the disease. Almost all people with no signs of infection and using this solution as a mouthwash didn't infect by the virus during the study.

The Biosynthesized Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles' Antiviral Activity in Combination with Pelargonium zonale Extract against the Human Corona 229E Virus.

Almost one-third of all infectious diseases are caused by viruses, and these diseases account for nearly 20% of all deaths globally. It is becoming increasingly clear that highly contagious viral infections pose a significant threat to global health and economy around the world. The need for innovative, affordable, and safe antiviral therapies is a must. Zinc oxide nanoparticles are novel materials of low toxicity and low cost and are known for their antiviral activity. The genus Pelargonium was previously reported for its antiviral and antimicrobial activity. In this work, Pelargonium zonale leaf extract chemical profile was studied via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and was used for the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles. Furthermore, the antiviral activity of the combination of P. zonale extract and the biosynthesized nanoparticles of ZnO against the human corona 229E virus was investigated. Results revealed that ZnONPs had been biosynthesized with an average particle size of about 5.5 nm and characterized with UV, FTIR, TEM, XRD, and SEM. The antiviral activity showed significant activity and differences among the tested samples in favor of the combination of P. zonale extract and ZnONPs (ZnONPs/Ex). The lowest IC50, 2.028 µg/mL, and the highest SI, 68.4 of ZnONPs/Ex, assert the highest antiviral activity of the combination against human coronavirus (229E).

Antifungal Effect of Nanoparticles against COVID-19 Linked Black Fungus: A Perspective on Biomedical Applications.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly transmissible and pathogenic coronavirus that has caused a 'coronavirus disease 2019' (COVID-19) pandemic in multiple waves, which threatens human health and public safety. During this pandemic, some patients with COVID-19 acquired secondary infections, such as mucormycosis, also known as black fungus disease. Mucormycosis is a serious, acute, and deadly fungal infection caused by Mucorales-related fungal species, and it spreads rapidly. Hence, prompt diagnosis and treatment are necessary to avoid high mortality and morbidity rates. Major risk factors for this disease include uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and immunosuppression that can also facilitate increases in mucormycosis infections. The extensive use of steroids to prevent the worsening of COVID-19 can lead to black fungus infection. Generally, antifungal agents dedicated to medical applications must be biocompatible, non-toxic, easily soluble, efficient, and hypoallergenic. They should also provide long-term protection against fungal growth. COVID-19-related black fungus infection causes a severe increase in fatalities. Therefore, there is a strong need for the development of novel and efficient antimicrobial agents. Recently, nanoparticle-containing products available in the market have been used as antimicrobial agents to prevent bacterial growth, but little is known about their efficacy with respect to preventing fungal growth, especially black fungus. The present review focuses on the effect of various types of metal nanoparticles, specifically those containing silver, zinc oxide, gold, copper, titanium, magnetic, iron, and carbon, on the growth of various types of fungi. We particularly focused on how these nanoparticles can impact the growth of black fungus. We also discussed black fungus co-infection in the context of the global COVID-19 outbreak, and management and guidelines to help control COVID-19-associated black fungus infection. Finally, this review aimed to elucidate the relationship between COVID-19 and mucormycosis.

ZnO-based antimicrobial coatings for biomedical applications.

Rapid transmission of infectious microorganisms such as viruses and bacteria through person-to-person contact has contributed significantly to global health issues. The high survivability of these microorganisms on the material surface enumerates their transmissibility to the susceptible patient. The antimicrobial coating has emerged as one of the most interesting technologies to prevent growth and subsequently kill disease-causing microorganisms. It offers an effective solution a non-invasive, low-cost, easy-in-use, side-effect-free, and environmentally friendly method to prevent nosocomial infection. Among antimicrobial coating, zinc oxide (ZnO) stands as one of the excellent materials owing to zero toxicity, high biocompatibility to human organs, good stability, high abundancy, affordability, and high photocatalytic performance to kill various infectious pathogens. Therefore, this review provides the latest research progress on advanced applications of ZnO nanostructure-based antibacterial coatings for medical devices, biomedical applications, and health care facilities. Finally, future challenges and clinical practices of ZnO-based antibacterial coating are addressed.

Selectivity of volatile organic compounds on the surface of zinc oxide nanosheets for gas sensors.

The detection of volatile organic compounds by gas sensors is of great interest for environmental quality monitoring and the early-stage and noninvasive diagnosis of diseases. Experiments found hexane, toluene, aniline, butanone, acetone, and propanol gases in the exhaled breath of patients suffering from COVID-19, lung cancer, and diabetes. However, no studies are available to systematically elucidate the selectivity of these gases on nanosheets of zinc oxide for chemiresistive and direct thermoelectric gas sensors. Therefore, this work performed the elucidation by studying the electronic, electrical, and thermal properties of the bilayered ZnO nanosheets with polar (0001) and non-polar (112̄0) surfaces under the adsorption of the gases. The interaction between the gases and the nanosheets belongs to two groups: electrostatic attraction and charge exchange. The second one occurs due to the peak resonance of the same type of orbitals between the substrates and the gases along the surface normal and the first one for the other cases. The characteristics of the Seebeck coefficient exhibited distinct selectivity of butanone and acetone.

Questioning ZnO, Ag, and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents for textiles: Do they guarantee total protection against bacteria and SARS-CoV-2?

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) occasioned global economic and health systems collapse. Also, it raised several concerns about using conventional cotton fabrics for manufacturing personal protective equipment without the antimicrobial capacity to inactivate viruses, such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants. Therefore, developing antimicrobial cotton fibers is crucial to avoid new global pandemics or the transmission of dangerous pathogens that remain on surfaces for long periods, especially in hospitals and medical clinics. Herein, we developed antimicrobial cotton fabrics with Ag, ZnO, and Ag/ZnO nanoparticles and evaluated their bactericidal activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), photocatalytic activity, and antiviral activity against Delta SARS-CoV-2. Although the antimicrobial fabrics are effective against these bacteria, they only reduce part of the SARS-CoV-2 virions during the first 15 min of direct contact via damage only to biological structures on the viral surface particle while the viral RNA remains intact.

In Silico Studies on Zinc Oxide Based Nanostructured Oil Carriers with Seed Extracts of Nigella sativa and Pimpinella anisum as Potential Inhibitors of 3CL Protease of SARS-CoV-2.

Coming into the second year of the pandemic, the acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants continue to be a serious health hazard globally. A surge in the omicron wave, despite the discovery of the vaccines, has shifted the attention of research towards the discovery and use of bioactive compounds, being potential inhibitors of the viral structural proteins. The present study aimed at the green synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with seed extracts of Nigella sativa and Pimpinella anisum-loaded nanostructured oil carriers (NLC)-using a mixture of olive and black seed essential oils. The synthesized ZnO NLC were extensively characterized. In addition, the constituent compounds in ZnO NLC were investigated as a potential inhibitor for the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (3CLpro or Mpro) where 27 bioactive constituents, along with ZnO in the nanostructure, were subjected to molecular docking studies. The resultant high-score compounds were further validated by molecular dynamics simulation. The study optimized the compounds dithymoquinone, δ-hederin, oleuropein, and zinc oxide with high docking energy scores (ranging from -7.9 to -9.9 kcal/mol). The RMSD and RMSF data that ensued also mirrored these results for the stability of proteins and ligands. RMSD and RMSF data showed no conformational change in the protein during the MD simulation. Histograms of every simulation trajectory explained the ligand properties and ligand-protein contacts. Nevertheless, further experimental investigations and validation of the selected candidates are imperative to take forward the applicability of the nanostructure as a potent inhibitor of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) for clinical trials.

CaZnO-based nanoghosts for the detection of ssDNA, pCRISPR and recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen and targeted delivery of doxorubicin.

Overexpression of proteins/antigens and other gene-related sequences in the bodies could lead to significant mutations and refractory diseases. Detection and identification of assorted trace concentrations of such proteins/antigens and/or gene-related sequences remain challenging, affecting different pathogens and making viruses stronger. Correspondingly, coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) mutations/alterations and spread could lead to overexpression of ssDNA and the related antigens in the population and brisk activity in gene-editing technologies in the treatment/detection may lead to the presence of pCRISPR in the blood. Therefore, the detection and evaluation of their trace concentrations are of critical importance. CaZnO-based nanoghosts (NGs) were synthesized with the assistance of a high-gravity technique at a 1,800 MHz field, capitalizing on the use of Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract as the templating agent. A complete chemical, physical and biological investigation revealed that the synthesized NGs presented similar morphological features to the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), resulting in excellent biocompatibility, interaction with ssDNA- and/or pCRISPR-surface, through various chemical and physical mechanisms. This comprise the unprecedented synthesis of a fully inorganic nanostructure with behavior that is similar to MSCs. Furthermore, the endowed exceptional ability of inorganic NGs for detective sensing/folding of ssDNA and pCRISPR and recombinant SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen (RSCSA), along with in-situ hydrogen peroxide detection on the HEK-293 and HeLa cell lines, was discerned. On average, they displayed a high drug loading capacity of 55%, and the acceptable internalizations inside the HT-29 cell lines affirmed the anticipated MSCs-like behavior of these inorganic-NGs.

On the Efficacy of ZnO Nanostructures against SARS-CoV-2.

In 2019, the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), related to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), started spreading around the word, giving rise to the world pandemic we are still facing. Since then, many strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19 have been studied and implemented. In addition to pharmacological treatments and vaccines, it is mandatory to ensure the cleaning and disinfection of the skin and inanimate surfaces, especially in those contexts where the contagion could spread quickly, such as hospitals and clinical laboratories, schools, transport, and public places in general. Here, we report the efficacy of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnONPs) against SARS-CoV-2. NPs were produced using an ecofriendly method and fully characterized; their antiviral activity was tested in vitro against SARS-CoV-2, showing a decrease in viral load between 70% and 90%, as a function of the material's composition. Application of these nano-antimicrobials as coatings for commonly touched surfaces is envisaged.

Highly Stable Buffer-Based Zinc Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosurface Chemistry for Rapid Immunosensing of SARS-CoV-2 Antigens.

The widespread and long-lasting effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has called attention to the significance of technological advances in the rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study reports the use of a highly stable buffer-based zinc oxide/reduced graphene oxide (bbZnO/rGO) nanocomposite coated on carbon screen-printed electrodes for electrochemical immuno-biosensing of SARS-CoV-2 nuelocapsid (N-) protein antigens in spiked and clinical samples. The incorporation of a salt-based (ionic) matrix for uniform dispersion of the nanomixture eliminates multistep nanomaterial synthesis on the surface of the electrode and enables a stable single-step sensor nanocoating. The immuno-biosensor provides a limit of detection of 21 fg/mL over a linear range of 1-10 000 pg/mL and exhibits a sensitivity of 32.07 ohms·mL/pg·mm2 for detection of N-protein in spiked samples. The N-protein biosensor is successful in discriminating positive and negative clinical samples within 15 min, demonstrating its proof of concept used as a COVID-19 rapid antigen test.

Scavenging ROS to Alleviate Acute Liver Injury by ZnO-NiO@COOH.

Currently, the incidence of acute liver injury (ALI) is increasing year by year, and infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can also induce ALI, but there are still no targeted therapeutic drugs. ZnO-NiO particles is mainly used to clean up reactive oxygen species (ROS) in industrial wastewater, and it is insoluble in water. Its excellent properties are discovered and improved by adding shuttle-based bonds to make it more water-soluble. ZnO-NiO@COOH particles are synthetically applied to treat ALI. The p-n junction in ZnO-NiO@COOH increases the surface area and active sites, thereby creating large numbers of oxygen vacancies, which can quickly adsorb ROS. The content in tissues and serum levels of L-glutathione (GSH) and the GSH/oxidized GSH ratio are measured to assess the capacity of ZnO-NiO@COOH particles to absorb ROS. The ZnO-NiO@COOH particles significantly reduce the expression levels of inflammatory factors (i.e., IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α), macrophage infiltration, and granulocyte activation. ZnO-NiO@COOH rapidly adsorb ROS in a short period of time to block the generation of inflammatory storms and gain time for the follow-up treatment of ALI, which has important clinical significance.

Durable nanocomposite face masks with high particulate filtration and rapid inactivation of coronaviruses.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique challenge to the healthcare community due to the high infectivity rate and need for effective personal protective equipment. Zinc oxide nanoparticles have shown promising antimicrobial properties and are recognized as a safe additive in many food and cosmetic products. This work presents a novel nanocomposite synthesis approach, which allows zinc oxide nanoparticles to be grown within textile and face mask materials, including melt-blown polypropylene and nylon-cotton. The resulting nanocomposite achieves greater than 3 log10 reduction (≥ 99.9%) in coronavirus titer within a contact time of 10 min, by disintegrating the viral envelope. The new nanocomposite textile retains activity even after 100 laundry cycles and has been dermatologist tested as non-irritant and hypoallergenic. Various face mask designs were tested to improve filtration efficiency and breathability while offering antiviral protection, with Claros' design reporting higher filtration efficiency than surgical masks (> 50%) for particles ranged 200 nm to 5 µm in size.