Synthesis of 64Cu-Radiolabeled Folate-Conjugated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Cancer Diagnosis.

We report the synthesis of 64Cu-labeled folate-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles for positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based diagnosis of cancer. The citrate/hydrazine-stabilized Fe3O4 nanoparticles measuring ~50 nm were utilized for target synthesis. Radio-thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis shows the formation of 64Cu-labeled nanomaterial with a radiochemical purity of 82.17% and a stability of ~90% in buffer solution and human serum for 24 h. Moreover, the sample exhibited good cellular uptake in breast (SKBR3), oral (KB) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines.

Mechanochemical synthesis of chitosan submicron particles from the gladius of Todarodes pacificus.

The present work focused on the synthesis of ß-chitosan submicron particles (CSPs) from Todarodes pacificus using mechanochemical techniques. The gladius was submitted to a sequence of mechanical and chemical treatments to synthesize ß-chitin (CT), which was further deacetylated to form spherical chitosan submicron particles with an average diameter of ⩽100 nm. The surface morphology of ß-chitin and CSPs was observed using electron microscopy. The degree of deacetylation (DD%), evaluated from the absorbance peak of a Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrum, was 80 ± 2.5%. Physicochemical characterization exhibited good crystallinity, positive zeta potential and low molecular weight, as well as reduced ash content and high water-binding capacity. CSPs exhibit significant antimicrobial properties toward all tested pathogenic bacterial and fungal microorganisms. Antioxidant analysis revealed high reducing power and excellent scavenging and chelating ability. Hence, CSPs synthesized from gladius of Todarodes pacificus using mechanochemical techniques are promising candidates for biomedical applications.

Performance of Kerria japonica and Rosa chinensis flower dyes as sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells.

The natural dyes carotenoid and anthocyanin were extracted from Kerria japonica and Rosa chinensis, respectively, using a simple extraction technique without any further purification. They were then used as sensitizers in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), and their characteristics were studied. The ranges of short-circuit current (J(SC)) from 0.559 to 0.801(mA/cm(2)), open-circuit voltage (V(OC)) from 0.537 to 0.584 V, and fill factor from 0.676 to 0.705 were obtained for the DSSCs made using the extracted dyes. Sugar molecules were added externally to the dye for stabilization and to increase the conversion efficiency. The efficiencies of the K. japonica and R. chinensis dyes were 0.22% and 0.29%, respectively; after the addition of sugar, the efficiency increased to 0.29% for K. japonica and decreased to 0.27% for R. chinensis. Thus, the addition of sugar molecules increased the conversion efficiency slightly with the carotenoid dye of K. japonica, while there was no considerable change with the anthocyanin of R. chinensis. This paper briefly discusses the simple extraction technique of these natural dyes and their performance in DSSCs.