Retracted: Imprinted ZnO nanostructure-based electrochemical sensing of calcitonin: A clinical marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor following concerns raised by various readers. The article reports different electron micrographs for different sample preparations, but some images are of different areas from the same sample. Figure 4E is a magnified section of Figure 4C, and the images are identical as demonstrated by overlapping the images and adjusting for magnification scale. The article reports EDX spectra in Figure 5C and Figure 5D for samples that are reported as different. An overlay of the spectra indicate they are identical in magnitude and in the random fluctuations of noise except in the specific zones where the signal was expected to vary. These problems with the data presented cast doubt on all the data, and accordingly also the conclusions based on that data, in this publication. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

RETRACTED: Anisotropic (spherical/hexagon/cube) silver nanoparticle embedded magnetic carbon nanosphere as platform for designing of tramadol imprinted polymer.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief following concerns raised by a reader. The particles shown in Fig. 3F appear to be copies of each other as they share the identical arrangement of the characteristic speckles inside the particles. In addition, the extraordinary similarities observed between the data presented in Fig. 4C and in Fig. 3C in ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng., 2017, 3 (9), pp 2120­2135, 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00089, Fig. 4A in Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, Volume 142, 1 June 2016, Pages 248-258 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2016.02.053 and Fig. 1D in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 73, 15 November 2015, Pages 234-244, 10.1016/j.bios.2015.06.005 are highly unlikely. The problems with the data presented cast doubt on all the data, and accordingly also the conclusions based on that data, in this publication. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Introduction of selectivity and specificity to graphene using an inimitable combination of molecular imprinting and nanotechnology.

Recently, the nanostructured modified molecularly imprinting polymer has created a great attention in research field due to its excellent properties such as high surface to volume ratio, low cost, and easy preparation/handling. Among the nanostructured materials, the carbonaceous material such as 'graphene' has attracted the tremendous attention of researchers owing to their fascinating electrical, thermal and physical properties. In this review article, we have tried to explore as well as compile the role of graphene-based nanomaterials in the fabrication of imprinted polymers. In other words, herein the recent efforts made to introduce selectivity in graphene-based nanomaterials were tried collected together. The major concern of this review article is focused on the sensing devices fabricated via a combination of graphene, graphene@nanoparticles, graphene@carbon nanotubes and molecularly imprinted polymers. Additionally, the combination of graphene and quantum dots was also included to explore the fluorescence properties of zero-band-gap graphene.

2-Dimensional graphene as a route for emergence of additional dimension nanomaterials.

Dimension has a different and impactful significance in the field of innovation, research and technologies. Starting from one-dimension, now, we all are moving towards 3-D visuals and try to do the things in this dimension. However, we still have some very innovative and widely applicable nanomaterials, which have tremendous potential in the form of 2-D only i.e. graphene. In this review, we have tried to incorporate the reported pathways used so far for modification of 2-D graphene sheets to make is three-dimensional. The modified graphene been applied in many fields like supercapacitors, sensors, catalysis, energy storage devices and many more. In addition, we have also incorporated the conversion of 2-D graphene to their various other dimensions like zero-, one- or three-dimensional nanostructures.

Single cell imprinting on the surface of Ag-ZnO bimetallic nanoparticle modified graphene oxide sheets for targeted detection, removal and photothermal killing of E. Coli.

A very cost-effective, fast, sensitive and specific imprinted polymer modified electrochemical sensor for the targeted detection, removal and destruction of Escherichia coli bacteria was developed onto the surface of Ag-ZnO bimetallic nanoparticle and graphene oxide nanocomposite. The nanocomposite played a dual role in this work, as a platform for imprinting of bacteria as well as a participated in their laser-light induced photo killing. In terms of sensing, our proposed sensor can detect E. Coli as few as 10CFUmL-1 and capture 98% of bacterial cells from their very high concentrated solution (105CFUmL-1). Similarly to the quantitative detection, we have also investigated the quantitative destruction of E. Coli and found that 16.0cm2 area of polymer modified glass plate is sufficient enough to kill 105CFUmL-1 in the small time span of 5 minutes. The obtained results suggest that our proposed sensor have potential to serve as a promising candidate for specific and quantitative detection, removal as well as the destruction of a variety of bacterial pathogens.

Anisotropic Gold Nanoparticle Decorated Magnetopolymersome: An Advanced Nanocarrier for Targeted Photothermal Therapy and Dual-Mode Responsive T1 MRI Imaging.

Herein, we report the advanced polymer vesicle [made up of triblock polymer: poly(ethylene oxide)-co-poly(Cys-AuNP@FA)-co-poly(3-methoxypropylacrylamide] having encapsulated magnetic nanoparticle capable of targeted methotrexate delivery (having folic acid as tagging agent), photothermal therapy [anisotropic gold nanoparticle (AuNPs)] and stimuli-responsive T1-imaging (as MRI contrast agent). The prepared polymersome, called as magnetopolymersome (MPS), after encapsulation of magnetic nanoparticle (Gd-doped) is not only high yield and simple in synthesis but also possess very high biocompatibility, more than 95% drug encapsulation efficiency and effective near-infrared (NIR) responsive photothermal therapy. The MPS is highly stable under normal physiological environments and other extreme end conditions (like presence of serum or Triton-X 100) and have excellent stimuli-responsive (temperature and NIR) T1-contrast effect in vitro conditions (60.57 mM-1 s-1). To explore the role of shape of AuNPs on the photothermal therapy and drug delivery behavior of prepared nanocarrier, herein, we have synthesized four different shapes of AuNPs, i.e., spherical, triangle, rod, and flower. It was found that nanoflower-conjugated MPS shows the most efficient NIR responsive behavior in comparison to their other colleagues, which broke the ancient myth that spherical nanoparticle are the best candidate for drug delivery process. These features make nanoflower or other anisotropic nanoparticle-based polymersome a very promising and efficient nanocarrier for drug loading, delivery, imaging, and photothermal therapy.

RETRACTED: Graphene quantum dots decorated CdS doped graphene oxide sheets in dual action mode: As initiator and platform for designing of nimesulide imprinted polymer.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (https://www.elsevier.com/about/our-business/policies/article-withdrawal). This article has been retracted at the request of Editor following concerns raised by a reader. The article uses several electron micrographs which have been used in other publications as well denoting different samples. Fig. 2A was reused from Fig. 3A, Chemical Engineering Journal, Volume 299, 1 September 2016, Pages 244-254, 10.1016/j.cej.2016.04.051. According to the authors this was due to a mistake at the compilation of the manuscript (mixing images from the GO and Cds:GO samples). Fig. 2C was reused (a lower zoom level) from Fig. 1F, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Volume 89, Part 1, 15 March 2017, Pages 620-626, 10.1016/j.bios.2015.12.085. The inset in Fig. 1F was reused from Fig. 2D, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2015, 49 (10), pp 6117­6126, 10.1021/acs.est.5b00182. These problems with the data presented cast doubt on all the data, and accordingly also the conclusions based on that data, in this publication. As such this article represents a severe abuse of the scientific publishing system. The scientific community takes a very strong view on this matter and apologies are offered to readers of the journal that this was not detected during the submission process.

Size-specific imprinted polymer embedded carbon nanodots modified magnetic nanoparticle for specific recognition of titanium nanoparticle: The round versus round.

Like the two sides of a coin, any new invention or discovery also possess their two faces. Similarly, while nanomaterials were identified as a boon in several fields like industrial, medicinal or agriculture; some of them have been also validated as a risk to the environment and living organisms. In this report, we addressed an efficient optical method for the detection of popularly used titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO2) by a size-specific imprinted polymer embedded heteroatom-doped carbon nanodots (CNDs) decorated at the surface of the water-soluble magnetic nanoparticle. The CNDs were prepared by an economic and eco-friendly one-step hydrothermal method using a series of Brassicaceae family members (i.e. radish, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower). The as prepared CNDs shows very good production (12.8%) and quantum yields (40.7%). The size-specific imprinted polymer is biocompatible and biodegradable in nature and was able to detect the TiO2 nanoparticles with a high selectivity i.e. limit of detection (LOD)=6.88ngL(-1) (S/N=3) and remove the nanoparticle very efficiently. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied for the detection of TiO2 nanoparticles in wastewater, human sera, and cosmetic samples.

Nanocomposite of bimetallic nanodendrite and reduced graphene oxide as a novel platform for molecular imprinting technology.

In this present work, for the first time, we are reporting a green synthesis approach for the preparation of vinyl modified reduced graphene oxide-based magnetic and bimetallic (Fe/Ag) nanodendrite (RGO@BMNDs). Herein, the RGO@BMNDs acts as a platform for the synthesis of the pyrazinamide (PZA)-imprinted polymer matrix and used for designing of the electrochemical sensor. We have demonstrated how the change in morphology could affect the electrochemical and magnetic property of nanomaterials and for this the reduced graphene oxide-based bimetallic nanoparticle (Fe/Ag) was also prepared It was found that the combination of graphene and bimetallic nanodendrites shows improvement as well as enhancement in the electrocatalytic activity and adsorption capacity, in comparison to their respective nanoparticles. The application of imprinted-RGO@BMNDs sensor was explored for trace level detection of PZA (Limit of detection = 6.65 pg L(-1), S/N = 3), which is a drug used for the cure of Tuberculosis. This is lowest detection limit reported so far for the detection of PZA. The sensor is highly selective, cost-effective, simple and free from any interfering effect. The real time application of the sensor was explored by successful detection of PZA in pharmaceutical and human blood serum, plasma and urine samples.

Stimuli-responsive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-co-tyrosine@gadolinium: Iron oxide nanoparticle-based nanotheranostic for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

In this paper, we have prepared a stimuli-responsive polymer modified gadolinium doped iron oxide nanoparticle (poly@Gd-MNPs) as cancer theranostic agent. The responsive polymer is composed of the poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-co-tyrosine unit, which shows excellent loading for the anti-cancer drug (methotrexate) and stimuli dependent release (change in pH and temperature). The in vitro experiment revealed that the poly@Gd-MNPs exhibited T1-weighted MRI capability (r1=11.314mM(-1)s(-1)) with good in-vitro hyperthermia response. The prepared poly@Gd-MNPs has generated quick heating (45°C in 2min) upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field and able to travel a distance of 35cm in 1min in the presence of an external magnet. The poly@Gd-MNPs shows 86% of drug loading capacity with 70% drug release in first 2h. The cytotoxic assay (MTT) demonstrated that the nanoparticle did not affect the viability of normal human fibroblast and efficiently kill the MCF7 cancer cells in the presence of an external magnetic field. To explore the uptake of poly@Gd-MNPs in the cells, bright field cell imaging study was also performed. This study provides a valuable approach for the design of highly sensitive polymer modified gadolinium doped iron oxide-based T1 contrast agents for cancer theranostics.