Nanoscale self-assembly: concepts, applications and challenges

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eberechukwu Victoria Amadi ◽  
Anusha Venkataraman ◽  
Chris Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Integrated Circuits ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Biological Molecules ◽  
Discrete Elements ◽  
Future Outlook ◽  
Hybrid Approaches ◽  
The Future ◽  
Concise Information

Abstract Self-assembly offers unique possibilities for fabricating nanostructures, with different morphologies and properties, typically from vapor or liquid phase precursors. Molecular units, nanoparticles, biological molecules and other discrete elements can spontaneously organise or form via interactions at the nanoscale. Currently, nanoscale self-assembly finds applications in a wide variety of areas including carbon nanomaterials and semiconductor nanowires, semiconductor heterojunctions and superlattices, the deposition of quantum dots, drug delivery, such as mRNA-based vaccines, and modern integrated circuits and nanoelectronics, to name a few. Recent advancements in drug delivery, silicon nanoelectronics, lasers and nanotechnology in general, owing to nanoscale self-assembly, coupled with its versatility, simplicity and scalability, have highlighted its importance and potential for fabricating more complex nanostructures with advanced functionalities in the future. This review aims to provide readers with concise information about the basic concepts of nanoscale self-assembly, its applications to date, and future outlook. First, an overview of various self-assembly techniques such as vapour deposition, colloidal growth, molecular self-assembly and directed self-assembly/hybrid approaches are discussed. Applications in diverse fields involving specific examples of nanoscale self-assembly then highlight the state of the art and finally, the future outlook for nanoscale self-assembly and potential for more complex nanomaterial assemblies in the future as technological functionality increases.

A Bottom-Up Approach to Solution-Processed, Atomically Precise Graphitic Cylinders on Surfaces

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Leonhardt ◽  
Jeff M. Van Raden ◽  
David Miller ◽  
Lev N. Zakharov ◽  
Benjamin Aleman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
Carbon Nanostructures ◽  
Carbon Nanomaterials ◽  
Circle Packing ◽  
Pyrolytic Graphite ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Casting Technique ◽  
New Class ◽  
Solution Casting Technique

Extended carbon nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), exhibit remarkable properties but are difficult to synthesize uniformly. Herein, we present a new class of carbon nanomaterials constructed via the bottom-up self-assembly of cylindrical, atomically-precise small molecules. Guided by supramolecular design principles and circle packing theory, we have designed and synthesized a fluorinated nanohoop that, in the solid-state, self-assembles into nanotube-like arrays with channel diameters of precisely 1.63 nm. A mild solution-casting technique is then used to construct vertical “forests” of these arrays on a highly-ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface through epitaxial growth. Furthermore, we show that a basic property of nanohoops, fluorescence, is readily transferred to the bulk phase, implying that the properties of these materials can be directly altered via precise functionalization of their nanohoop building blocks. The strategy presented is expected to have broader applications in the development of new graphitic nanomaterials with π-rich cavities reminiscent of CNTs.

Carbon Nanotubes, Quantum Dots and Dendrimers as Potential Nanodevices for Nanotechnology Drug Delivery Systems

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 2113-2124
Author(s):  
Prashant Malik ◽  
Neha Gulati ◽  
Raj Kaur Malik ◽  
Upendra Nagaich
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Nanotubes ◽  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Quantum Dots ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Drug Delivery Systems ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Atomic Scale ◽  
Sustained Drug Delivery ◽  
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology ◽  
Conventional Device

Nanotechnology deal with the particle size in nanometers. Nanotechnology is ranging from extensions of conventional device physics to completely new approaches based upon molecular self assembly, from developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale to direct control of matter on the atomic scale. In nanotechnology mainly three types of nanodevices are described: carbon nanotubes, quantum dots and dendrimers. It is a recent technique used as small size particles to treat many diseases like cancer, gene therapy and used as diagnostics. Nanotechnology used to formulate targeted, controlled and sustained drug delivery systems. Pharmaceutical nanotechnology embraces applications of nanoscience to pharmacy as nanomaterials and as devices like drug delivery, diagnostic, imaging and biosensor materials. Pharmaceutical nanotechnology has provided more fine tuned diagnosis and focused treatment of disease at a molecular level.    

Self-assembly of Amphiphilic Tripeptides into Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 194-199
Author(s):  
Zhaoxu Tu ◽  
Xianghui Xu ◽  
Yeting Jian ◽  
Dan Zhong ◽  
Bin He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Self Assembly

scholarly journals The effects of cononsolvents on the synthesis of responsive particles via polymerisation-induced thermal self-assembly

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marissa Morales-Moctezuma ◽  
Sebastian G Spain
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Self Assembly ◽  
Biomedical Applications

Nanogels have emerged as innovative platforms for numerous biomedical applications including gene and drug delivery, biosensors, imaging, and tissue engineering. Polymerisation-induced thermal self-assembly (PITSA) has been shown to be suitable...

scholarly journals Recent Progress in Polysaccharide Aerogels: Their Synthesis, Application, and Future Outlook

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1347
Author(s):  
Arbanah Muhammad ◽  
Dabin Lee ◽  
Yonghun Shin ◽  
Juhyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Supercritical Co2 ◽  
Wound Dressing ◽  
Freeze Drying ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Porous Structures ◽  
Air Filtration ◽  
Future Outlook ◽  
Synthetic Process

Porous polysaccharides have recently attracted attention due to their porosity, abundance, and excellent properties such as sustainability and biocompatibility, thereby resulting in their numerous applications. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of studies on the utilization of polysaccharides such as cellulose, chitosan, chitin, and starch as aerogels due to their unique performance for the fabrication of porous structures. The present review explores recent progress in porous polysaccharides, particularly cellulose and chitosan, including their synthesis, application, and future outlook. Since the synthetic process is an important aspect of aerogel formation, particularly during the drying step, the process is reviewed in some detail, and a comparison is drawn between the supercritical CO2 and freeze drying processes in order to understand the aerogel formation of porous polysaccharides. Finally, the current applications of polysaccharide aerogels in drug delivery, wastewater, wound dressing, and air filtration are explored, and the limitations and outlook of the porous aerogels are discussed with respect to their future commercialization.

scholarly journals Tripeptide Self-Assembly into Bioactive Hydrogels: Effects of Terminus Modification on Biocatalysis

Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
Marina Kurbasic ◽  
Ana M. Garcia ◽  
Simone Viada ◽  
Silvia Marchesan
Keyword(s):  
Self Assembly ◽  
The Self ◽  
Chemical Modifications ◽  
Ability To Work ◽  
Active Compounds ◽  
Future Design ◽  
Self Organized ◽  
The Future ◽  
Bio Material ◽  
Supramolecular Catalysts

Bioactive hydrogels based on the self-assembly of tripeptides have attracted great interest in recent years. In particular, the search is active for sequences that are able to mimic enzymes when they are self-organized in a nanostructured hydrogel, so as to provide a smart catalytic (bio)material whose activity can be switched on/off with assembly/disassembly. Within the diverse enzymes that have been targeted for mimicry, hydrolases find wide application in biomaterials, ranging from their use to convert prodrugs into active compounds to their ability to work in reverse and catalyze a plethora of reactions. We recently reported the minimalistic l-His–d-Phe–d-Phe for its ability to self-organize into thermoreversible and biocatalytic hydrogels for esterase mimicry. In this work, we analyze the effects of terminus modifications that mimic the inclusion of the tripeptide in a longer sequence. Therefore, three analogues, i.e., N-acetylated, C-amidated, or both, were synthesized, purified, characterized by several techniques, and probed for self-assembly, hydrogelation, and esterase-like biocatalysis. This work provides useful insights into how chemical modifications at the termini affect self-assembly into biocatalytic hydrogels, and these data may become useful for the future design of supramolecular catalysts for enhanced performance.

scholarly journals Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine, and the Kidney

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 7187
Author(s):  
Peter V. Hauser ◽  
Hsiao-Min Chang ◽  
Norimoto Yanagawa ◽  
Morgan Hamon
Keyword(s):  
Drug Delivery ◽  
Tissue Engineering ◽  
Renal Clearance ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
Fluid Homeostasis ◽  
Primary Function ◽  
Drug Removal ◽  
Main Pathway ◽  
The Future

The kidneys are vital organs performing several essential functions. Their primary function is the filtration of blood and the removal of metabolic waste products as well as fluid homeostasis. Renal filtration is the main pathway for drug removal, highlighting the importance of this organ to the growing field of nanomedicine. The kidneys (i) have a key role in the transport and clearance of nanoparticles (NPs), (ii) are exposed to potential NPs’ toxicity, and (iii) are the targets of diseases that nanomedicine can study, detect, and treat. In this review, we aim to summarize the latest research on kidney-nanoparticle interaction. We first give a brief overview of the kidney’s anatomy and renal filtration, describe how nanoparticle characteristics influence their renal clearance, and the approaches taken to image and treat the kidney, including drug delivery and tissue engineering. Finally, we discuss the future and some of the challenges faced by nanomedicine.

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