Introduction: Nanotechnology is a science, engineering conducted at nanoscale level for the manipulation of matter to create materials with significantly unusual, varied and new properties. Attributes of these synthesized nanomaterials promise to provide a number of applications in health including nanomedicine, nanorobots/nanobots, nanostars, nanofibers, chemotherapy and many more. There has been a remarkable interest in identification of adverse health effects associated with the use of nanotechnology too. The focus of this review is to highlight the current techniques and development of new technologies advancing medical science and disease treatment in human healthcare. Firstly, several Nano-pharmaceuticals and Nano-diagnostic methods offer numerous potential ways for targeted drug delivery, gene therapy, cancer treatment and clinical diagnosis to provide best rational use of the medicine and minimize the toxic effects. These techniques can also help to design certain drugs in a controlled way to avoid their structural complexity by dealing at the atomic and molecular level. Secondly, along with the discussion of potential applications of nanotechnology, some of the examples will be given to elaborate the various scientific and technical aspects in the real life. Conclusion: Finally, conclusion with the future scope and challenges of nanotechnology in health will be described and discussed.
SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome - corona virus-2) emerged as a deadly virus and took approximately 3,422,907 deaths so far globally. The case fatality rate for SARS-CoV-2 is about 3-4% far below in comparison with the previous outbreaks including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. So far, the infection has reached in stage 3 i.e., community transmission in most of the countries, globally. The vaccine development is only the way by which the world could getout from this outbreak. Many vaccines have been developed by scientific communities up to the phase 3 trials and expecting some fruitful result out of it. In this review, we have discussed about the current status for COVID-19, the incubation and recovery period of the virus, structure of the virus, biological properties and its mechanism of replication. We have also discussed its health impact and current medicinal drugs including Remdesivir, Hydroxychloroquine, etc. and vaccines which are currently in trial phase, and lastly what could be the future plan to neutralize the effect of this outbreak.
In this paper, the development of Ionic Liquids to synthesize various types of nanoparticles having commercial and viable uses in 21st century is discussed. Nanotechnology is a promising methodology that generates various types of nanoparticles. Research-based on Ionic Liquids is in the progressive stage and by amalgamating it in nanotechnology, amazing results can be accomplished. Thus, efforts must be made to develop advanced techniques to synthesize nanoparticles with desired structures and morphologies in eco-friendly and sustainable Ionic Liquids to reduce environmental pollution in the future. With this perspective, various developments and efforts made by the scientists in the domain of Nanomaterials and Ionic Liquids have been reviewed.
Abstract This study has explored a new plant source, Bael tree leaves, as an efficient dye extraction towards green energy harvesting through dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The photosensitizers, photo-absorption, bandgap, and ionic conductivity characteristics of the extracted dye were determined using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Tauc plot, and conductivity meter, respectively. Chlorophyll is the main constituent in the extracted dye confirmed by TLC analysis. An optimum concentration (0.2 g ml −1 ) with ionic conductivity of 455 μ S cm −1 of the dye was used as a photoactive layer in DSSC, demonstrating power densities of 1.345 μ W m −2 and 8.078 μ W m −2 under the illumination of the LED lamp (1555 lx) and tungsten bulb (1926 lx), respectively. Additional parameters, including fill factor (0.26), ideality factor (1.25), characteristic resistance (309 Ω), series resistance (313 Ω), and shunt resistance (662 Ω) of the fabricated DSSC under tungsten illumination reveal that the novel Bael tree leaves-based dye can harvest green energy efficiently through DSSCs.
The analysis of functional groups in organic compounds and inorganic ions in salts is a laboratory experiment that forms an inevitable part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum in the science field all over the world. With this experiment, the student learns the testing techniques for the chemicals and gets a true sense of the importance of the subject. Conventionally, this testing is carried out in test tubes, and after the observation, the chemicals used are discarded in the sink. This practice is one of the major reasons behind chemical pollution caused in the environment. It is high time that young students should be made aware of this fact. A short experiment based on this fact has been carried out so that the younger generation comprehends this issue and acts accordingly to the needs of the time. For this reason, the same experiment is put in a greener framework. With this experiment, students are also made to learn the life lesson─"howsoever big a problem (chemical pollution) is, we should confront it by finding the solution (pruning the chemical requirement) and contribute to it (by adopting a greener outlook)". A pedagogical model is also formed for the same in the present work.
Abstract:: Cancer is the most malignant chronic disease worldwide, with a high mortality rate. It can be treated with conventional therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, but these techniques have several side effects, limiting their therapeutic outcome and reducing application. Recently, a promising method of drug delivery has been devised to minimize side effects and induce potential benefits during treatment. The targeted drug delivery system (TDDS) is one of the established drug delivery methods using nanoparticles, crossing different biological barriers, targeting a specific diseased site, and resulting in sustained drug release. The current research introduces a plethora of nanoparticles that can be implemented to deliver or target drugs to a particular site, such as polymeric nanoparticles (PLGA, PLA, chitosan), metal-based nanoparticles (gold, iron oxide), carbon-based nanoparticles (CNTs, graphene), bio nanoparticles (liposomes, micelles) and ceramic nanoparticles (mesoporous-based silica, calcium phosphate). Most of them are proven to be very efficient in targeting the desired site and causing fatal damage to the tumor cells. Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a nano compound, that shows a wide range of favorable properties, making it widely acceptable for biomedical applications. This review focuses on TDDS using ZnO as a drug carrier, followed by factors affecting TDDS such as drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, cell viability, and zeta potential. The target mechanism of TDDS for cancer therapy has also been discussed, indicating a better alternative for clinical treatment. This approach also presents certain challenges besides the potential for oncology.
The present work focuses on the growth of ZnO films vertically on indium tin oxide substrate using a wet chemical method. The morphological and structural study of the prepared films confirmed the formation of one-dimensional growth with a polycrystalline single-phase hexagonal wurtzite structure. The computed texture coefficient indicates the c-axis growth of the film. The optical spectra study exhibited a strong and sharp characteristics absorption band. The numerical derivative method and the Tauc plot method for the different transition values have been used to compare energy bandgap calculations.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by thermal decomposition method using zinc carbonate as precursor and potassium hydroxide as starting materials. These particles were characterized by using UV visible spectrophotometer, thermoluminescence (TL) reader. The biological function of ZnO nanoparticle was tested against the Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candidaalbicans and Escherichia colibacteria. UV absorption peak observed at 353 nm and suggested an energy band gap of 3.51 eV for the compound under study.TL curve indicates the electron trapping site in ZnO nanostructures with a very large band gap.A significant antibacterial activity was observed in case of Pseudomonasaeruginosa, which indicates that the ZnO nanoparticles have greatest antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonasaeruginosa.
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