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Applications of Diatoms in the Fields of Environment Resuscitation, Biomedical Research and Nanoparticles Production

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Andrzej Witkowski

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Guest Editor

Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, 70-383 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: diatoms; culture growth; biosilica; taxonomy; molecular phylogeny; biogeography; imaging

Dr. Piya Roychoudhury

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant

Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of Szczecin, 70-383 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: nanoparticles; biosynthesis; phycoremediation; diatoms; photothermal therapy; drug delivery; immunotherapy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Diatomaceous silica is naturally formed porous nanostructure, which is extremely abundant in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Nowadays, these silicious nanostructured have drawn attention among researchers because of their multiple capabilities in diverse applications. This biocompatible ultrastructure facilitates the removal of pollutants from water deriving from different industries, agriculture, and other anthropogenic sources. This excellent bioresource can, therefore, be a good option for wastewater treatment. The high surface area of this nanostructured silica is useful for functionalization with various biomolecules. The functionalized biosilica is beneficial for biomedical research, namely drug delivery, biosensing, and regenerative medicine. Metal nanoparticles are sometimes modified with silica to make them more effective and stable. This natural nanosilica can be combined with metal nanoparticles following some environmentally friendly techniques. This silica doped metal nanoparticles would be very significant for bioimaging and other medical applications.

In this Special Issue, the applications of diatomaceous silica in environment restoration, biomedical research, and metal–silica nanohybrid productions would be highlighted and discussed.

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue. Full papers, communications, and reviews are all welcome.

Prof. Dr. Andrzej Witkowski
Guest Editor

Dr. Piya Roychoudhury
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

biosilica
metal–silica nanohybrid
wastewater treatment
bioimaging
drug delivery

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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26 pages, 4328 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabolically Doping of 3D Diatomaceous Biosilica with Titanium

by Weronika Brzozowska, Myroslav Sprynskyy, Izabela Wojtczak, Przemysław Dąbek, Michał J. Markuszewski, Andrzej Witkowski and Bogusław Buszewski

Materials 2022, 15(15), 5210; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15155210 - 27 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1722

Abstract

Diatoms represent, in terms of species number, one of the largest groups of microalgae that have the ability to synthesize phenomenal mineral composites characterized by complex hierarchical structures. Their shells, called frustules, create intricately ornamented structures, reminiscent of the most sophisticated, natural mosaics. Ordinated pore systems perforate siliceous walls of the frustules with diameters ranging from nano to micro-scale, forming openwork three-dimensional silica structures. The use of these features is one of the main challenges in developing new technological solutions. In this study we assess the ability of selected diatom species (Pseudostaurosira trainorii) for metabolic insertion of soluble titanium from the culture medium into the structure of amorphous silica cell walls by its cultivation in laboratory conditions. The study is aimed at obtaining new and strengthening the already existing optical properties of diatomaceous biosilica. The physicochemical properties of the obtained materials have been studied using a series of instrumental methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Diatoms in the Fields of Environment Resuscitation, Biomedical Research and Nanoparticles Production)

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Review

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21 pages, 1935 KiB

Open AccessReview

Photonic Nano-/Microstructured Diatom Based Biosilica in Metal Modification and Removal—A Review

by Piya Roychoudhury, Rahul Bose, Przemysław Dąbek and Andrzej Witkowski

Materials 2022, 15(19), 6597; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196597 - 23 Sep 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2083

Abstract

The siliceous exoskeletal shells of diatoms, commonly known as frustules, have drawn attention because of their photoluminescence property and high volume to surface area. Photonic biosilica can also enhance the plasmonic sensitivity of nanoparticles. Because of this, researchers have studied the effectiveness of various metal particles after combining with biosilica. Additionally, naturally occurring diatom-based biosilica has excellent adsorption and absorption capabilities, which have already been exploited for wastewater treatment. Moreover, the nanoporous, ultra-hydrophilic frustules can easily accumulate more molecules on their surfaces. As a consequence, it becomes easier to conjugate noble metals with silica, making them more stable and effective. The main focus of this review is to agglomerate the utility of biocompatible diatom frustules, which is a no-cost natural resource of biosilica, in metal modification and removal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Diatoms in the Fields of Environment Resuscitation, Biomedical Research and Nanoparticles Production)

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