BiOCl, BiOBr, and BiOI have been synthesized by wet chemical route using bismuth nitrate (Bi(NO3)3.5H2O) and potassium halides, KCl, KBr, and KI, using a mixture of de-ionized water and ethanol as the solvent. Synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution SEM to observe the crystalline phase and crystallite size. Effective surface areas of the synthesized samples were estimated by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller studies. Photoactive properties of these samples were studied under three types of light exposure conditions viz. UV light from mercury vapour lamp, natural sunlight, and visible radiations from a 100-W incandescent tungsten filament. Degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous media was estimated spectrophotometerically in visible range from the area under the curve with a peak at 464 nm. Kinetic constant for degradation reaction was calculated assuming the pseudo-first-order degradation mechanism. It was revealed that all the three samples show excellent degradation of MO in UV exposure with BiOCl as the most efficient photocatalyst in these radiations. BiOBr shows highest photodegradation performance among the three samples under natural sunlight exposure. Overall performance of the three photocatalyst samples is much better than the popular titanium dioxide photocatalyst.
The advancement in biosensors can overcome the challenges faced by conventional diagnostic techniques for the detection of the highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Hence, the development of an accurate, rapid, sensitive, and selective diagnostic technique can mitigate adverse health conditions caused by SARS-CoV-2. This work proposes the development of an electrochemical immunosensor based on bio-nanocomposites for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies through the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) electroanalytical method. The facile synthesis of chitosan-functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-CS bio-nanocomposites) is performed using the sol-gel method. Characterization of the TiO2-CS bio-nanocomposite is accomplished using UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The electrochemical performance is studied using cyclic voltammetry (CV), DPV, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for its electroanalytical and biosensing capabilities. The developed immunosensing platform has a high sensitivity with a wide range of detection from 50 ag mL−1 to 1 ng mL−1. The detection limit of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody in buffer media is obtained to be 3.42 ag mL−1 and the limit of quantitation (LOQ) to be 10.38 ag mL−1. The electrochemical immunosensor has high selectivity in different interfering analytes and is stable for 10 days. The results suggest that the developed electrochemical immunosensor can be applicable for real sample analysis and further high-throughput testing.
In recent years, drug manufacturers and researchers have begun to consider the nanobiotechnology approach to improve the drug delivery system for tumour and cancer diseases. In this article, we review current strategies to improve tumour and cancer drug delivery, which mainly focuses on sustaining biocompatibility, biodistribution, and active targeting. The conventional therapy using cornerstone drugs such as fludarabine, cisplatin etoposide, and paclitaxel has its own challenges especially not being able to discriminate between tumour versus normal cells which eventually led to toxicity and side effects in the patients. In contrast to the conventional approach, nanoparticle-based drug delivery provides target-specific delivery and controlled release of the drug, which provides a better therapeutic window for treatment options by focusing on the eradication of diseased cells via active targeting and sparing normal cells via passive targeting. Additionally, treatment of tumours associated with the brain is hampered by the impermeability of the blood-brain barriers to the drugs, which eventually led to poor survival in the patients. Nanoparticle-based therapy offers superior delivery of drugs to the target by breaching the blood-brain barriers. Herein, we provide an overview of the properties of nanoparticles that are crucial for nanotechnology applications. We address the potential future applications
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