In this manuscript, recent advancements in the area of minimally-invasive transdermal biosensing and drug delivery are reviewed. The administration of therapeutic entities through the skin is complicated by the stratum corneum layer, which serves as a barrier to entry and retards bioavailability. A variety of strategies have been adopted for the enhancement of transdermal permeation for drug delivery and biosensing of various substances. Physical techniques such as iontophoresis, reverse iontophoresis, electroporation, and microneedles offer (a) electrical amplification for transdermal sensing of biomolecules and (b) transport of amphiphilic drug molecules to the targeted site in a minimally invasive manner. Iontophoretic delivery involves the application of low currents to the skin as well as the migration of polarized and neutral molecules across it. Transdermal biosensing via microneedles has emerged as a novel approach to replace hypodermic needles. In addition, microneedles have facilitated minimally invasive detection of analytes in body fluids. This review considers recent innovations in the structure and performance of transdermal systems.

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Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBN) exhibit selective fluorescence quenching behavior with heavy metal ions; in addition, they possess characteristic oxidant properties both for liquid–liquid and liquid–solid interface catalysis. Here, we propose to study the detection and efficient removal of toxic arsenic(III) species by materializing these dual functions of PBN. A sophisticated PBN-sensitized fluorometric switching system for dosage-dependent detection of As3+ along with PBN-integrated SiO2 platforms as a column adsorbent for biphasic oxidation and elimination of As3+ have been developed. Colloidal PBN were obtained by a facile two-step process involving chemical reduction in the presence of 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyl trimethoxysilane (EETMSi) and cyclohexanone as reducing agents, while heterogeneous systems were formulated via EETMSi, which triggered in situ growth of PBN inside the three-dimensional framework of silica gel and silica nanoparticles (SiO2). PBN-induced quenching of the emission signal was recorded with an As3+ concentration (0.05–1.6 ppm)-dependent fluorometric titration system, owing to the potential excitation window of PBN (at 480–500 nm), which ultimately restricts the radiative energy transfer. The detection limit for this arrangement is estimated around 0.025 ppm. Furthermore, the mesoporous and macroporous PBN-integrated SiO2 arrangements might act as stationary phase in chromatographic studies to significantly remove As3+. Besides physisorption, significant electron exchange between Fe3+/Fe2+ lattice points and As3+ ions enable complete conversion to less toxic As5+ ions with the repeated influx of mobile phase. PBN-integrated SiO2 matrices were successfully restored after segregating the target ions. This study indicates that PBN and PBN-integrated SiO2 platforms may enable straightforward and low-cost removal of arsenic from contaminated water.

This review describes the use of nanocrystal-based photocatalysts as quantum photoinitiators, including semiconductor nanocrystals (e.g., metal oxides, metal sulfides, quantum dots), carbon dots, graphene-based nanohybrids, plasmonic nanocomposites with organic photoinitiators, and tunable upconverting nanocomposites. The optoelectronic properties, cross-linking behavior, and mechanism of action of quantum photoinitiators are considered. The challenges and prospects associated with the use of quantum photoinitiators for processes such as radical polymerization, reversible deactivation radical polymerization, and photoinduced atom transfer radical polymerization are reviewed. Due to their unique capabilities, we forsee a growing role for quantum photoinitiators over the coming years.

The SARS-CoV-2 infections in Indian people have been associated with a mucormycotic fungal infection caused by the filamentous fungi Rhizopus arrhizus. The sporangiospores of R. arrhizus are omnipresent in the environment and cause infection through inhalation or ingestion of contaminated air and foods. Therefore, the anti-sporangiospore activity of polyethyleneimine functionalized silver nanoparticles (PEI-f-Ag-NPs) with variable size and surface charge as a function of the molecular weight of PEI was explored. The results showed that both PEI-f-AgNP-1 and PEI-f-AgNP-2, potentially, attenuated the germination and reduced the viability of sporangiospores. Furthermore, the results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of both PEI-f-AgNP-1 and PEI-f-AgNP-2 (1.65 and 6.50 μg/mL, respectively) were dependent on the nanoparticle size and surface ζ potentials. Similarly, the sporangiospore germination inhibition at MIC values was recorded, showing 97.33% and 94% germination inhibition, respectively, by PEI-f-AgNP-1 and 2 within 24 h, respectively. The confocal laser scanning microscopy, SEM-EDS, and confocal Raman spectroscopy investigation of PEI-f-Ag-NPs treated sporangiospores confirmed size and surface charge-dependent killing dynamics in sporangiospores. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first investigation of the polyethyleneimine functionalized silver nanoparticle-mediated size and surface charge-dependent anti-sporangiospore activity against R. arrhizus, along with a possible antifungal mechanism.