The present article overviews the current state-of-the-art and future prospects for the use of diatomaceous earth (DE) in the continuously expanding sector of energy science and technology.
Electrospinning is a well-established method for the fabrication of polymer biomaterials, including those with core-shell nanofibers. The variability of structures presents a great range of opportunities in tissue engineering and drug delivery by incorporating biologically active molecules such as drugs, proteins, and growth factors and subsequent control of their release into the target microenvironment to achieve therapeutic effect. The object of study is non-woven core-shell PVA–PEG–SiO2@PVA–GO fiber mats assembled by the technology of coaxial electrospinning. The task of the core-shell fiber development was set to regulate the degradation process under external factors. The dual structure was modified with silica nanoparticles and graphene oxide to ensure the fiber integrity and stability. The influence of the nano additives and crosslinking conditions for the composite was investigated as a function of fiber diameter, hydrolysis, and mechanical properties. Tensile mechanical tests and water degradation tests were used to reveal the fracture and dissolution behavior of the fiber mats and bundles. The obtained fibers were visualized by confocal fluorescence microscopy to confirm the continuous core-shell structure and encapsulation feasibility for biologically active components, selectively in the fiber core and shell. The results provide a firm basis to draw the conclusion that electrospun core-shell fiber mats have tremendous potential for biomedical applications as drug carriers, photocatalysts, and wound dressings.
Modern
imaging technologies, including optoacoustic endoscopy,
are based on the optoacoustic effect. Much promise is offered by the
all-optical fiber-based approach, because fiber has a miniature cross
section, is highly sensitive, and can be used in a variety of imaging
and therapeutic techniques. We developed a probe based on a hollow-core
microstructured optical waveguide (HC-MOW) with a hybrid nanostructured
membrane. The membrane consisted of a free-standing single-walled
carbon nanotube film and a Bragg reflector, which can be used as a
source and a detector of ultrasound. Membrane vibrations were excited
with an IR laser pulse and were read out by recording the intensity
of the reflected visible CW laser light. We explained the nature of
the intensity modulation of the reflected light and supported our
explanation with numerical simulations of the membrane’s vibration
eigenfrequencies and thermal distribution. The membrane vibrations
were also observed with raster-scanning optoacoustic mesoscopy. The
transmittance of the HC-MOW between 400 nm and 6.5 μm and that
of the hybrid nanostructured membrane in the NIR range enable potential
optoacoustic sensing in the IR fingerprint region of biomolecules.
This permits the optoacoustic probe to be used for medical endoscopic
purposes.
A novel eco-friendly approach based on a combination of layer-by-layer and freezing-induced loading techniques implemented to modify diatomite using gold nanoparticles ensures surface-enhanced Raman scattering and photoacoustic signal amplification.
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