Advances of Inorganic Materials in the Detection and Therapeutic Uses Against Coronaviruses

: Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped viruses with particle-like characteristics and a diameter of 60−140 nm, positively charged, and single-stranded RNA genomes which produce a major outbreak of human fatal pneumonia since the beginning of the 21st century. COVID-19 is currently considered as a continuous potential pandemic threat across the globe. Therefore, considerable efforts have been made to develop innovative methods and technologies for suppressing the spread of viruses as well as inactivating the viruses but COVID-19 vaccines are still in the development phase. This perspective focuses on the sensing, detection and therapeutic applications of CoVs using inorganic-based nanomaterials, metal complexes, and metal-conjugates. Synthetic inorganic-based nanoparticles interact strongly with proteins of viruses due to their morphological similarities, and therefore, numerous antivirals have been tested for efficacy against different viruses in vitro through colorimetric and electrochemical assays. Metal complexes-based agents such as bismuth complexes form attractive class of drugs with a number of therapeutic applications including the inhibition and duplex-unwinding activity of SARS-CoV helicase by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-RT-PCR), phosphate release assay and radioassay studies. Metal-conjugates show major effects on inhibiting the 3C-like protease of SARS-CoV and the replication of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). We anticipate that these approaches will provide rapid and accurate antiviral strategies in the development of these innovative sensors for the detection, inhibition and antiviral activities of coronaviruses.

Clean Technology for the Treatment and Modelling of Acid Mine Drainage Effluent

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) exists as a phenomenon that involves the release of acidic water and metal conjugates, in and around mines, degrading the surrounding water environment. A real-time mining effluent is treated using low-cost adsorption technology using Combined Vegetable Waste Carbon (CVWC) as sorbent. Batch sorption was reviewed to know the effect of process factors on the removal of Cadmium (Cd), Zinc (Zn), and Iron (Fe). A two-level CCD (Central Composite Design) with three factors was adopted in the optimization of process factors. Also, the same factors were considered to review the ANNs (Artificial Neural Networks), model. A comparative statistical analysis was performed for the experimental data based on RMSE and R2 values in both RSM (Response Surface Methodology) and ANNs models. This study revealed that the ANNs model was well fit compared to RSM and this would probably reduce the experimental trials thereby reducing cumbersome calculations.

Enhanced Antioxidant Activities of Metal Conjugates of Curcumin Derivatives

Antioxidant properties of three Curcumin derivatives in which the 1,3-diketone system is appended with nitrogen and sulfur donors and their copper conjugates are examined for the first time. Metal conjugation seems to offer distinct advantages in radical scavenging activities of curcumin compounds.