Metal-Based Nanomaterials Incorporate with Ultrasound as Acceptable Approach towards Cancer Therapy

Among current biological researches, there have a plenty of works related cancer therapy issues by using functional or pure-phased composites in non-invasive strategies. Especially in fabricating anticancer candidates, functional composites are divided into different sorts with different characteristics. Additionally, nanotechnology provides various approaches in utilizing composites’ functionality for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Compared with previous Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), Photo-Thermal Therapy (PTT), chemotherapy and radiotherapy, ultrasound is used to activate sonosensitizer to produce cytotoxic Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) toward target cancer cells. In recent years, the form of Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT) has been making much effort to develop highly efficient metal based Nanomaterials (NMs) as sonosensitizers, which can efficiently generate ROS and has the advantages of deeper tissue penetration. However, the traditional sonosensitizers, such as porphyrins, hypericin, and curcumins suffer from complex synthesis, poor water solubility, and low tumor targeting efficacy. For contrasting this limitation, the metal based inorganic NMs show biocompatibility, controllable physicochemical properties, and ease of achieving multifunctional properties, which greatly expanded their application in SDT. In this review, we systematically summarize the metal based inorganic NMs as carrier of molecular sonosensitizers, and produce ROS under ultrasound. Moreover, the prospects of advanced metal based further materials application are also discussed.

Investigation of technology schemes for the production of cast composite functional materials

Obtaining and using ligatures, modifiers and deoxidizers to obtain structural alloys of a given composition and properties in metallurgy and foundry is an important production task. One of the existing developments in the field of technologies for the preparation of functional composites on a matrix basis for non-ferrous and ferrous alloys is the combination of solid filler with a melt of an active metal binder. At that, from the filler material, which is selected from the group comprising iron, nickel, titanium, silicon, boron, manganese, first a porous workpiece of a given geometric shape with a technological total pore volume is formed, then it is heated to a temperature corresponding to the liquidus temperature of the active binder, the heating being carried out in a gas inert medium, after which the heated workpiece is impregnated with the melt of this binder by forced infiltration of the melt into the pores of the workpiece under pressure, mainly by the method of liquid stamping. The task of the study was to expand the scope of use of composites, to create a single flexible universal, and at the same time, simplified technology that will provide an opportunity to obtain a wide range of diverse in composition and service characteristics of deoxidizers, modifiers and ligatures for non-ferrous and ferrous alloys. The developed technology, based on vacuum impregnation (suction) of the matrix alloy through porous filler, makes it possible to obtain new functional metal-matrix composite materials of a given composition for use as inexpensive ligatures, modifiers and deoxidizers in metallurgical processes, as well as to simplify and make their use safe. The proposed method for obtaining ligatures, modifiers and deoxidizers provides a possibility of their industrial serial production and is easy to perform, and also reduces the cost of the metallurgy product obtained with their application by increasing the effective content of active components and their more complete assimilation, which reduces the consumption of scarce and expensive materials.

Ga Based Particles, Alloys and Composites: Fabrication and Applications

Liquid metal (LM) materials, including pure gallium (Ga) LM, eutectic alloys and their composites with organic polymers and inorganic nanoparticles, are cutting-edge functional materials owing to their outstanding electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, extraordinary mechanical compliance, deformability and excellent biocompatibility. The unique properties of LM-based materials at room temperatures can overcome the drawbacks of the conventional electronic devices, particularly high thermal, electrical conductivities and their fluidic property, which would open tremendous opportunities for the fundamental research and practical applications of stretchable and wearable electronic devices. Therefore, research interest has been increasingly devoted to the fabrication methodologies of LM nanoparticles and their functional composites. In this review, we intend to present an overview of the state-of-art protocols for the synthesis of Ga-based materials, to introduce their potential applications in the fields ranging from wearable electronics, energy storage batteries and energy harvesting devices to bio-applications, and to discuss challenges and opportunities in future studies.

Recent Advances on Nanocomposite Resists With Design Functionality for Lithographic Microfabrication

Nanocomposites formed by a phase-dispersed nanomaterial and a polymeric host matrix are highly attractive for nano- and micro-fabrication. The combination of nanoscale and bulk materials aims at achieving an effective interplay between extensive and intensive physical properties. Nanofillers display size-dependent effects, paving the way for the design of tunable functional composites. The matrix, on the other hand, can facilitate or even enhance the applicability of nanomaterials by allowing their easy processing for device manufacturing. In this article, we review the field of polymer-based nanocomposites acting as resist materials, i.e. being patternable through radiation-based lithographic methods. A comprehensive explanation of the synthesis of nanofillers, their functionalization and the physicochemical concepts behind the formulation of nanocomposites resists will be given. We will consider nanocomposites containing different types of fillers, such as metallic, magnetic, ceramic, luminescent and carbon-based nanomaterials. We will outline the role of nanofillers in modifying various properties of the polymer matrix, such as the mechanical strength, the refractive index and their performance during lithography. Also, we will discuss the lithographic techniques employed for transferring 2D patterns and 3D shapes with high spatial resolution. The capabilities of nanocomposites to act as structural and functional materials in novel devices and selected applications in photonics, electronics, magnetism and bioscience will be presented. Finally, we will conclude with a discussion of the current trends in this field and perspectives for its development in the near future.