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Applied Sciences
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Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles Volume II: Organic Aspects
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Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles Volume II: Organic Aspects

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanotechnology and Applied Nanosciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 11177

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pietro Calandra

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CNR-ISMN, National Research Council, Institute for the Study of Nanostructured Materials, Via Salaria km 29.300, 00015 Monterotondo Stazione (RM), Italy
Interests: complex systems properties; surfactant self-assembly; synsthesis and characterization of nanoparticles
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Domenico Lombardo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto Processi Chimico-Fisici, (CNR–IPCF), 98158 Messina, Italy
Interests: structure and interactuion in nano-colloids (polymers and block copolymers; dendrimers; lipids; proteins); self-assembly in nanostructured (and hybrid) materials; interaction of nanoparticles with model bio-membranes and biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoparticles have recently gained increased attention due to their peculiar properties. Besides their size, also their chemical nature plays a pivotal role. For this reason, recently, an increasing attention is being paid to organic-based nanoparticles, which are triggering a huge number of novel applications.

The main focus of this Special Issue will be to point out the progresses on the organic-based nonoparticles from the experimental point of view as well as from the theoretical one, including computational aspects and modeling. Research articles, with special emphasis to results obtained in the last five years, are welcome, as well as review articles on emerging fields.

Potential topics therefore include (but are not limited to):

  • Structural characterizations
  • Magnetic behavior
  • Core-shell organic nanostructures
  • Computational structure optimization
  • Modelling
  • structure–properties relationships
  • New applications
  • New Methods for synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles
  • Emerging field of organic nanoparticles
  • Surface functionalization
  • Hybrid nanoparticles
  • Properties of interfaces between different materials
  • Drug and gene delivery
  • Organic Nanocomparticles for biomedical applications
  • Inter-molecular self-assembly
  • Soft nanoparticles
  • Dendrimers

Dr. Pietro Calandra
Dr. Domenico Lombardo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2217 KiB  
Article
Development of Eudragit® Nanoparticles for Intranasal Drug Delivery: Preliminary Technological and Toxicological Evaluation
by Roberta Corsaro, Rosamaria Lombardo, Carla Ghelardini, Lorenzo Di Cesare Mannelli, Daniele Bani, Angela Bonaccorso and Rosario Pignatello
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 2373; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052373 - 24 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1723
Abstract
Intranasal administration has assumed in the last years an increasing value as an alternative strategy for the systemic adsorption of drugs, as an alternative to oral and parenteral routes thanks to the high vascularized nasal mucosa. Nevertheless, different drug features may restrict its [...] Read more.
Intranasal administration has assumed in the last years an increasing value as an alternative strategy for the systemic adsorption of drugs, as an alternative to oral and parenteral routes thanks to the high vascularized nasal mucosa. Nevertheless, different drug features may restrict its absorption through the nasal mucosa with an insufficient diffusion to the systemic circulation. Several technological strategies are under investigation to improve drug absorption during nasal formulation design and production. The use of bioadhesive polymers can be considered a valid approach to pursue the aforementioned goal. Based on this consideration, Eudragit® Retard RS100 and RL100 resins were selected as positively charged copolymers to prepare polymeric NPs with potential mucoadhesive properties suitable for intranasal application. NPs were produced by the Quasi-emulsion Solvent Evaporation (QESD) method and loaded with diclofenac acid (DIC) or its epolamine salt (DIEP). Preliminary investigations were performed to obtain the optimized blank formulation and drugs loaded NPs evaluating different parameters that can affect particles size and polydispersity. The optimized formulations unloaded and loaded with DIC and DIEP were further evaluated for their thermotropic behavior by differential scanning calorimetry. Mucoadhesive evaluation was assessed by measuring variation in zeta potential and by turbidimetric assay after incubation of particles with mucin in simulated nasal fluid (SNF) at 37 °C at different time points (0, 1 and 24 h) compared to the pure suspensions. Stability of DIC and DIEP loaded NPs was also evaluated in SNF to predict potential aggregation phenomena after nasal administration. Finally, in vivo experiments showed absence of toxicity on the nasal mucosa of mice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles Volume II: Organic Aspects)
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21 pages, 9316 KiB  
Article
Levodopa-Loaded 3D-Printed Poly (Lactic) Acid/Chitosan Neural Tissue Scaffold as a Promising Drug Delivery System for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
by Ezgi Saylam, Yigit Akkaya, Elif Ilhan, Sumeyye Cesur, Ece Guler, Ali Sahin, Muhammmet Emin Cam, Nazmi Ekren, Faik Nuzhet Oktar, Oguzhan Gunduz, Denisa Ficai and Anton Ficai
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 10727; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112210727 - 13 Nov 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3028
Abstract
Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, develops due to decreased dopamine levels in the basal ganglia. Levodopa, a dopamine precursor used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, can be used as a drug delivery system. This study presents [...] Read more.
Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease in the world, develops due to decreased dopamine levels in the basal ganglia. Levodopa, a dopamine precursor used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, can be used as a drug delivery system. This study presents an approach to the use of 3D-printed levodopa-loaded neural tissue scaffolds produced with polylactic acid (PLA) and chitosan (CS) for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Surface morphology and pore sizes were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Average pore sizes of 100–200 µm were found to be ideal for tissue engineering scaffolds, allowing cell penetration but not drastically altering the mechanical properties. It was observed that the swelling and weight loss behaviors of the scaffolds increased after the addition of CS to the PLA. Levodopa was released from the 3D-printed scaffolds in a controlled manner for 14 days, according to a Fickian diffusion mechanism. Mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) derived from human adipose tissue were used in MTT analysis, fluorescence microscopy and SEM studies and confirmed adequate biocompatibility. Overall, the obtained results show that PLA/CS 3D-printed scaffolds have an alternative use for the levodopa delivery system for Parkinson’s disease in neural tissue engineering applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles Volume II: Organic Aspects)
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10 pages, 887 KiB  
Article
Differential Scanning Calorimetry as a New Method to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Rejuvenating Agents in Bitumens
by Paolino Caputo and Cesare Oliviero Rossi
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(14), 6528; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11146528 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 1775
Abstract
To date, few methods allow distinguishing a fluxing effect of an additive for bitumen from a regenerating effect. This research aims at identifying a method to accurately establish whether an oxidized bitumen has been regenerated or has simply been fluxed by a softener. [...] Read more.
To date, few methods allow distinguishing a fluxing effect of an additive for bitumen from a regenerating effect. This research aims at identifying a method to accurately establish whether an oxidized bitumen has been regenerated or has simply been fluxed by a softener. Oxidized bitumens, simulating the aging process that results in road pavement lifetime, were prepared by the Rolling thin film oven test (RTFOT) procedure for 225 min and the Pressure Aging Vessel (PAV) procedure. Their asphaltene parts were extracted and analyzed by calorimetry (Differential Scanning Calorimetry DSC), and the results were compared with the presence and absence of a fluxing agent and real rejuvenators. The self-consistent results showed that the thermal properties of the asphaltene fractions is a sound probe to monitor the effect of rejuvenation clearly distinguishable from the mere fluxing effect. This preliminary study might allow the creation of standard protocols capable of identifying a priori the rejuvenating effect of an additive in the future. Furthermore, given the widespread use of calorimetry for the characterization, it tends to become a widely accessible and useful tool for this purpose in material characterization laboratories. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles Volume II: Organic Aspects)
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Review

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21 pages, 1693 KiB  
Review
Magnetite-Silica Core/Shell Nanostructures: From Surface Functionalization towards Biomedical Applications—A Review
by Angela Spoială, Cornelia-Ioana Ilie, Luminița Narcisa Crăciun, Denisa Ficai, Anton Ficai and Ecaterina Andronescu
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(22), 11075; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112211075 - 22 Nov 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3921
Abstract
The interconnection of nanotechnology and medicine could lead to improved materials, offering a better quality of life and new opportunities for biomedical applications, moving from research to clinical applications. Magnetite nanoparticles are interesting magnetic nanomaterials because of the property-depending methods chosen for their [...] Read more.
The interconnection of nanotechnology and medicine could lead to improved materials, offering a better quality of life and new opportunities for biomedical applications, moving from research to clinical applications. Magnetite nanoparticles are interesting magnetic nanomaterials because of the property-depending methods chosen for their synthesis. Magnetite nanoparticles can be coated with various materials, resulting in “core/shell” magnetic structures with tunable properties. To synthesize promising materials with promising implications for biomedical applications, the researchers functionalized magnetite nanoparticles with silica and, thanks to the presence of silanol groups, the functionality, biocompatibility, and hydrophilicity were improved. This review highlights the most important synthesis methods for silica-coated with magnetite nanoparticles. From the presented methods, the most used was the Stöber method; there are also other syntheses presented in the review, such as co-precipitation, sol-gel, thermal decomposition, and the hydrothermal method. The second part of the review presents the main applications of magnetite-silica core/shell nanostructures. Magnetite-silica core/shell nanostructures have promising biomedical applications in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a contrast agent, hyperthermia, drug delivery systems, and selective cancer therapy but also in developing magnetic micro devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Nanoparticles Volume II: Organic Aspects)
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