A hybrid thermal-biological recycling route for efficient extraction of metals and metalloids from end-of-life liquid crystal displays (LCDs).

Waste liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are one of the most substantial and rapidly growing e-waste streams that contain a notable amount of critical, precious, and toxic elements. This study presented a novel thermal-biological hybrid method for resource recovery from waste LCDs. Through the design of a multistage thermal treatment process with the addition of optimized 20 wt% B2O3 to waste, the LCD's glass structure was separated into two interconnected phases, resulting in the transfer of metals from the LCD's glass phase to the B2O3 phase that can solubilize in the acid solution. Following the thermal treatment step, the biometabolites of Aspergillus niger were used for bioleaching of In, Sr, Al, and As from the obtained thermally treated product. The optimal bioleaching parameters were a pulp density of 10 g/L, temperature of 70 °C, and leaching time of 2 days, which led to the highest extraction of 82.6% Al, 70.8% As, 64.5% In, and 36.2% Sr from thermally treated LCD waste, representing a multifold increase in Al, As, and Sr extraction levels compared to untreated waste. This study demonstrated that the proposed hybrid method could successfully overcome waste complexities and ensure effective element extraction from discarded LCDs.

Efficient performance of InP and InP/ZnS quantum dots for photocatalytic degradation of toxic aquatic pollutants.

In recent years, the growing concern over the presence of toxic aquatic pollutants has prompted intensive research into effective and environmentally friendly remediation methods. Photocatalysis using semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) has developed as a promising technology for pollutant degradation. Among various QD materials, indium phosphide (InP) and its hybrid with zinc sulfide (ZnS) have gained considerable attention due to their unique optical and photocatalytic properties. Herein, InP and InP/ZnS QDs were employed for the removal of dyes (crystal violet, and congo red), polyaromatic hydrocarbons (pyrene, naphthalene, and phenanthrene), and pesticides (deltamethrin) in the presence of visible light. The degradation efficiencies of crystal violet (CV) and congo red (CR) were 74.54% and 88.12% with InP, and 84.53% and 91.78% with InP/ZnS, respectively, within 50 min of reaction. The InP/ZnS showed efficient performance for the removal of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). For example, the removal percentage for naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene was 99.8%, 99.6%, and 88.97% after the photocatalytic reaction. However, the removal percentage of InP/ZnS for pesticide deltamethrin was 90.2% after 90 min light irradiation. Additionally, advanced characterization techniques including UV-visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) elemental mapping, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to analyze the crystal structure, morphology, and purity of the fabricated materials in detail. The particle size results obtained from TEM are in the range of 2.28-4.60 nm. Both materials (InP and InP/ZnS) exhibited a spherical morphology, displaying distinct lattice fringes. XRD results of InP depicted lattice planes (111), (220), and (311) in good agreement with cubic geometry. Furthermore, the addition of dopants was discovered to enhance the thermal stability of the fabricated material. In addition, QDs exhibited efficacy in the breakdown of PAHs. The analysis of their fragmentation suggests that the primary mechanism for PAHs degradation is the phthalic acid pathway.

Single- and two-photon-induced Förster resonance energy transfer in InP-mCherry bioconjugates.

Indium phosphide (InP) quantum dots (QDs) have recently garnered considerable interest in the design of bioprobes due to their non-toxic nature and excellent optical properties. Several attempts for the conjunction of InP QDs with various entities such as organic dyes and dye-labeled proteins have been reported, while that with fluorescent proteins remains largely uncharted. This study reports the development of a Förster resonance energy transfer pair comprising glutathione-capped InP/GaP/ZnS QDs [InP(G)] and the fluorescent protein mCherry. Glutathione on InP(G) undergoes effective bioconjugation with mCherry consisting of a hexahistidine tag, and the nonradiative energy transfer is investigated using steady-state and time-resolved measurements. Selective one-photon excitation of InP(G) in the presence of mCherry shows a decay of the emission of the QDs and a concomitant growth of acceptor emission. Time-resolved investigations prove the nonradiative transfer of energy between InP(G) and mCherry. Furthermore, the scope of two-photon-induced energy transfer between InP(G) and mCherry is investigated by exciting the donor in the optical transparency range. The two-photon absorption is confirmed by the quadratic relationship between the emission intensity and the excitation power. In general, near-infrared excitation provides a path for effective light penetration into the tissues and reduces the photodamage of the sample. The two-photon-induced energy transfer in such assemblies could set the stage for a wide range of biological and optoelectronic applications in the foreseeable future.

New Stable Gallium(III) and Indium(III) Complexes with Thiosemicarbazone Ligands: A Biological Evaluation.

The aim of this work is to explore a new library of coordination compounds for medicinal applications. Gallium is known for its various applications in this field. Presently, indium is not particularly important in medicine, but it shares a lot of chemical traits with its above-mentioned lighter companion, gallium, and is also used in radio imaging. These metals are combined with thiosemicarbazones, ligating compounds increasingly known for their biological and pharmaceutical applications. In particular, the few ligands chosen to interact with these hard metal ions share the ideal affinity for a high charge density. Therefore, in this work we describe the synthesis and the characterization of the resulting coordination compounds. The yields of the reactions vary from a minimum of 21% to a maximum of 82%, using a fast and easy procedure. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Infra Red (IR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) confirm the formation of stable compounds in all cases and a ligand-to-metal 2:1 stoichiometry with both cations. In addition, we further investigated their chemical and biological characteristics, via UV-visible titrations, stability tests, and cytotoxicity and antibiotic assays. The results confirm a strong stability in all explored conditions, which suggests that these compounds are more suitable for radio imaging applications rather than for antitumoral or antimicrobic ones.

Microemulsion-Assisted Self-Assembly of Indium Porphyrin Photosensitizers with Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

Designing and constructing supramolecular photosensitizer nanosystems with highly efficient photodynamic therapy (PDT) is vital in the nanomedical field. Despite recent advances in forming well-defined superstructures, the relationship between molecular arrangement in nanostructures and photodynamic properties has rarely been involved, which is crucial for developing stable photosensitizers for highly efficient PDT. In this work, through a microemulsion-assisted self-assembly approach, indium porphyrin (InTPP) was used to fabricate a series of morphology-controlled self-assemblies, including nanorods, nanospheres, nanoplates, and nanoparticles. They possessed structure-dependent 1O2 generation efficiency. Compared with the other three nanostructures, InTPP nanorods featuring strong π-π stacking, J-aggregation, and high crystallinity proved to be much more efficient at singlet oxygen (1O2) production. Also, theoretical modeling and photophysical experiments verified that the intermolecular π-π stacking in the nanorods could cause a decreased singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST) compared with the monomer. This played a key role in enhancing intersystem crossing and facilitating 1O2 generation. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that the InTPP nanorods could trigger cell apoptosis and tumor ablation upon laser irradiation (635 nm, 0.1 W/cm2) and exhibited negligible dark toxicity and high phototoxicity. Thus, the supramolecular self-assembly strategy provides an avenue for designing high-performance photosensitizer nanosystems for photodynamic therapy and beyond.

Effects of topically administered 0.6% hyaluronic acid on the healing of labial frenectomy in conventional and 940-nm indium gallium arsenide phosphide (InGaAsP) diode laser techniques in pediatric patients: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of 0.6% hyaluronic acid (HA) gel on the healing process and postoperative pain levels after diode laser-assisted labial frenectomy in pediatric patients. Ninety-six pediatric patients (females, 50 and males, 46) aged 8-14 years were randomly divided into four groups as follows: (1) conventional frenectomy with 0.6% topically administered HA (CFH, n = 24); (2) conventional frenectomy with placebo gel (CFP, n = 24); (3) frenectomy performed by diode laser with 0.6% topically administered HA (DLH, n = 24); and (4) frenectomy performed by diode laser with placebo gel (DLP, n = 24). HA application was continued for 1 week thrice daily after the frenectomy. Visual analog scale forms were collected from patients 1 week after the operation. In addition, the plaque index, gingival index, periodontal probing depth, and keratinized tissue width and thickness were recorded. This process was repeated 1 and 3 months after the first visit. The DLH group revealed significant differences in the probing depth, bleeding on probing, keratinized gingiva width, and attached gingiva width according to dual comparisons of the initial, first, and third-month values (p = 0.010, p = 0.007, p<0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively). Significant differences were observed between the CFP and CFH groups according to the initial and initial third-month values with regard to the bleeding on probing (p=0.019 and p = 0.019, respectively). The attached gingival thickness revealed significant differences between the CFP and CFH groups for the initial and initial-third-month comparisons (p = 0.005 and p = 0.007, respectively). The mean values of the initial and initial-third-month differences were significantly higher in the CFH group than those in the CFP group. HA- and laser-assisted labial frenectomies revealed better outcomes in terms of the probing depth, attached gingiva width, keratinized gingiva width, healing process, and postoperative comfort.

Comprehensive review of the global trends and future perspectives for recycling of decommissioned photovoltaic panels.

With the rapid deployment of renewable energy using photovoltaic (PV) panels, the sustainable management of decommissioned PV modules has become challenging. Decommissioned modules contain heavy metals, such as copper, cadmium, and lead, and hazardous polymer substances, such as ethylene vinyl acetate, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinylidene fluoride, which can pose a serious threat to the environment if disposed in a landfill. In addition, the low concentration value of critical metals, such as silver, indium, and tellurium, can also be lost. In this context, recycling decommissioned PV panels can be useful to resource recovery of valuable metals while lowering environmental stress. However, the lower share of PV modules and the prolonged life of 25-30 years compared to other waste volumes (e.g., electronic waste) hinder the progress in this direction. In contrast, reaching the end-of-life of the deployed first-generation PV panels is creating attraction toward the recycling of decommissioned modules. Henceforth, exploring the commercial viability of PV recycling necessitates a review of the methodologies that have been investigated on a laboratory scale and have the potential to be up-scaled. In this review, the recent trends in various PV-recycling steps, including frame disassembly, delamination, metal extraction, and recovery, are underlined while the associated problems are determined to suggest the required improvements in future technology. Furthermore, the environmental and economic feasibility of a few techniques are discussed to establish the viability of the recycling process. This review contributes to formulating PV waste management strategies and providing future research directions.

Simple preparation of lignosulfonate stabilized eutectic gallium/indium liquid metal nanodroplets through ball milling process.

The combination of biomass and liquid metal (LM) makes the preparation process "greener" and application of LM composite materials more sustainable. Here we reported the solvent free preparation of lignosulfonate (LS) stabilized eutectic gallium/indium (EGaIn) LM nanodroplets through ball milling (BM), which was recognized to be efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to solution-based methods. By regulating the BM frequency and milling time, uniform LM nanodroplets with a size <200 nm can be achieved. Moreover, the surface of the EGaIn nanodroplets was covered by LS molecules, owing to the hydrogen bond formed between Ga2O3 and LS. Hydrophilic LS shell endowed the LS@EGaIn nanodroplets excellent colloidal stability in the aqueous media. The elongation at break and fracture strength of hydrogel with the addition of LS@EGaIn significantly improved with the addition of LS@EGaIn. Besides, the conductivity and excellent stress responsibility of the LS@EGaIn composite hydrogel illustrated its potential application as s a stress sensor, flexible wearable devices and other related applications. Moreover, it was predicted that LS can be replaced by other synthesized or biological macromolecules, and induced the formation of types of LM based composite materials through such a simple method.

Changes in anticoagulation practice in subjects admitted with stroke associated with atrial fibrillation, following introduction of direct oral anticoagulants over 2013-2021.

BACKGROUND: The adoption of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) has changed practice in prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF). We used Irish data national data on stroke and anticoagulation therapy over 9 years to investigate changes in anticoagulation practice and potential consequences on stroke prevalence and thrombolysis. METHODS: AF, anticoagulation, thrombolysis, and stroke data from the Irish National Audit of Stroke (INAS) 2013-2021 were reviewed. The proportion of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (IH) with known AF admitted on anticoagulation was determined. Effects on age distribution in the population and thrombolysis practice were assessed. RESULTS: AF data were available on 34,630 of 35,241 individuals (98.3%) included in INAS; median age was 74 years and 56% were male. AF was found in 10,016 (28.9%, 9059 IS, 957 IH). 6313 had known AF prior to stroke (63.1%). The proportion all total IS due to AF decreased by 15.3% (31.3%-26.5%, chi-square = 24.6, p < 0.0001). The proportion of IH did not change significantly (21.6%-20.2%, chi-square = 1.8, p = 0.18). Over the 9 years, 3875 (38.6%) of the subjects with AF were recorded as receiving anticoagulants at admission. In 2013, 4.4% of AF-associated strokes were admitted on a DOAC and 21.4% on warfarin; by 2021, 44.1% were receiving a DOAC and 6.2% warfarin. There was a strong inverse correlation between the proportion of anticoagulated stroke patients and the total proportion of AF-associated strokes over time (r = -0.82, p = 0.006). In contrast, no correlation was found between increasing DOAC usage and IH (r = 0.14, p = 0.71). Increased anticoagulation usage correlated with a reduction in patients ⩾ 80 years (r = -0.83, p = 0.006) and also correlated with a relative reduction of 30.1% in subjects thrombolysed <4 h from onset (r = -0.89, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: DOACs have led to increased use of anticoagulation, but warfarin use fell by two-thirds. There has been a reduction in the proportion of AF-associated IS without a noticeable increase in IH. Increased anticoagulation correlated with reduced numbers of strokes in those >80 years and in the proportion of patients thrombolysed.

Interaction of gallium, indium, and vanadyl curcumin complexes with hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL): Mechanistic aspects and evaluation of antiamyloidogenic activity.

Many proteins and peptides can aggregate into amyloid fibrils with high-ordered and cross-ß rich structure characteristics. Amyloid deposition is a common feature of neurodegenerative diseases called amyloidosis. Various natural polyphenolic compounds such as curcumin exhibited antiamyloidogenic activities, but less researches were focused on the metal complexes of these compounds. In this study, the inhibitory effects of gallium curcumin (Ga(cur)3), indium curcumin (In(cur)3), and vanadyl curcumin (VO(cur)2) on the amyloid fibrillation of hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) have been investigated. Moreover, the details of binding interactions of these metal complexes with HEWL have been explored. The results of fluorescence quenching analyses revealed that In(cur)3 and VO(cur)2 have much higher binding affinities than Ga(cur)3 toward HEWL. The interactions of these metal complexes were accompanied by partial conformational changes in the tertiary structure of HEWL. The kinetic curves of the fibrillation process demonstrated that In(cur)3 and VO(cur)2 have higher inhibitory effects than Ga(cur)3 on the amyloid fibrillation of HEWL. The strength of binding to HEWL is completely in accordance with inhibitory activities of these metal complexes of curcumin.

Novel Ag-modified vanadate nanosheets for determination of small organic molecules with laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

Laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS) aroused intensive concerns for the merits of label-free and high-throughput analysis. Here, we designed a silver nanoparticles (AgNP)-modified indium vanadate nanosheets with doping samarium (AgNP@InVO4:Sm) nanosheets. The developed AgNP@InVO4:Sm nanosheets (AIVON) were synthesized based on the microemulsion-mediated solvothermal method and ultraviolet-assisted in situ formation of AgNP, then for the first time applied as a matrix in LDI-MS analysis. With the advantages including enhanced MS signal, little matrix-related background, high reproducibility, and good salt tolerance, AIVON exhibited much better prospect than non-modified indium vanadate nanosheets with doping samarium (IVON) and traditional organic matrix, thus allowing sensitive MS detection for a wide range of low-molecular-weight (LMW) molecules. Moreover, by coupling with headspace sampling thin-film microextraction (TFME), a kind of representative pollutant chlorophenols were identified and quantified via AIVON-assisted LDI-MS in environmental and biological samples. Volatile LMW pollutants could be preconcentrated after TFME, hence a sensitive and rapid assay with negligible sample matrix effect was realized by using AIVON-assisted LDI-MS. It is anticipated that this novel nano-matrix AIVON and the proposed TFME coupling detection strategy were of competitive merits for LDI-MS analysis in the fields of environment, biomedicine, and agriculture.

"Antibacterial properties of nine indium(III) complexes of substituted pyrazoles/pyrazolate and the structural and solution characterization of the mer- and trans­indium(III) complexes of 4-Me-pzH".

Two indium(III) complexes of formula mer-[InIIICl3(4-Me-pzH)3] and trans-[InIIICl2(4-Me-pzH)4]Cl·(4-Me-pzH)2·(H2O) were isolated from the same reaction mixture and crystallographically characterized. The two complexes exist in dynamic equilibrium and their dynamic behavior was probed by variable temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy in the 202 to 296 K range. Powder X-ray diffraction of the batch confirmed existence of both complexes in a 1:2 ratio. Antibacterial properties of both new complexes, in addition to seven other previously published indium(III) complexes, were investigated against three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative pathogenic bacterial strains. The results showed potential for the development of indium(III)-based antipseudomonal and antituberculosis drugs, with mer-[InCl3(4-Ph-pzH)3] being especially effective.

Turning trash to treasure: Innovative use of exhausted desiccant waste supported zinc indium sulphide for sustainable photocatalytic abatement of tetracycline.

Employing an affordable and sustainable visible-light-driven system is crucial for organic pollutant abatement, in the field of photocatalysis. In the present investigation, a pioneering photocatalyst zinc indium sulphide, ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) supported on a silica gel matrix, SiO2 (SG) which is the leftover material after multiple rounds of dehumidification processes, was synthesized. The fabrication of the heterojunction facilitated enhancement in light absorption and charge separation efficiency. The photocatalytic performance was evaluated through the degradation of tetracycline (TC) under light irradiation. The nano-photocatalyst experienced detailed analysis using spectroscopic and microscopic methods. The ZIS/SG catalyst exhibited remarkable efficiency in degrading TC under visible light conditions, achieving a nearly 98-99% degradation. This performance surpassed the degradation rates of the original ZIS and SG catalysts by 3.6 and 4.45 times, respectively. Additionally, the catalyst was effectively used to control TC levels in real-time within pharmaceutical plant effluent, resulting in a degradation efficiency of 78.2%. With affordability, enhanced TC mineralization, and recyclability for up to six runs (efficiency ∼ 85%), the ZIS/SG photocatalyst exhibits desirable qualities of an ideal one. This innovative nano-photocatalyst introduces new possibilities for improving the process of photocatalytic decontamination of tenacious emerging pollutants by providing satisfactory reusability and stability.

Temporally and spatially resolved molecular profiling in fingerprint analysis using indium vanadate nanosheets-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry.

This study presents the first-ever synthesis of samarium-doped indium vanadate nanosheets (IVONSs:Sm) via microemulsion-mediated solvothermal method. The nanosheets were subsequently utilized as a nano-matrix in laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS). It was discovered that the as-synthesized IVONSs:Sm possessed the following advantages: improved mass spectrometry signal, minimal matrix-related background, and exceptional stability in negative-ion mode. These qualities overcame the limitations of conventional matrices and enabled the sensitive detection of small biomolecules such as fatty acids. The negative-ion LDI mechanism of IVONSs:Sm was examined through the implementation of density functional theory simulation. Using IVONSs:Sm-assisted LDI-MS, fingerprint recognitions based on morphology and chemical profiles of endogenous/exogenous compounds were also achieved. Notably, crucial characteristics such as the age of an individual's fingerprints and their physical state could be assessed through the longitudinal monitoring of particular biomolecules (e.g., ascorbic acid, fatty acid) or the specific biomarker bilirubin glucuronide. Critical information pertinent to the identification of an individual would thus be facilitated by the analysis of the compounds underlying the fingerprint patterns.

First Gallium and Indium Crystal Structures of Curcuminoid Homoleptic Complexes: All-Different Ligand Stereochemistry and Cytotoxic Potential.

The crystal structure determination of metal complexes of curcuminoids is a relevant topic to assess their unequivocal molecular structure. We report herein the first two X-ray crystal structures of homoleptic metal complexes of a curcuminoid, namely Dimethoxycurcumin (DiMeOC), with gallium and indium. Such successful achievement can be attributed to the suppression of interactions from the phenolic groups, which favor an appropriate molecular setup, rendering Dimethoxycurcumin gallium ((DiMeOC)2-Ga) and Dimethoxycurcumin indium ((DiMeOC)3-In) crystals. Surprisingly, the conformation of ligands in the crystal structures shows differences in each metal complex. Thus, the ligands in the (DiMeOC)2-Ga complex show two different conformers in the two molecules of the asymmetric unit. However, the ligands in the (DiMeOC)3-In complex exhibit three different conformations within the same molecule of the asymmetric unit, constituting the first such case described for an ML3 complex. The cytotoxic activity of the (DiMeOC)2-Ga complex is 4-fold higher than cisplatin against the K562 cell line and has comparable activity towards U251 and PC-3 cell lines. Interestingly, this complex exhibit three times lesser toxicity than cisplatin and even slightly lesser cytotoxicity than curcumin itself.

Nose-to-brain translocation and nervous system injury in response to indium tin oxide nanoparticles of long-term low-dose exposures.

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is a semiconductor nanomaterial with broad application in liquid crystal displays, solar cells, and electrochemical immune sensors. It is worth noting that, with the gradual increase in worker exposure opportunities, the exposure risk in occupational production cannot be ignored. At present, the toxicity of ITO mainly focuses on respiratory toxicity. ITO inhaled through the upper respiratory tract can cause pathological changes such as interstitial pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis. Still, extrapulmonary toxicity after nanoscale ITO nanoparticle (ITO NPs) exposure, such as long-term effects on the central nervous system, should also be of concern. Therefore, we set up exposure dose experiments (0 mg·kg-1, 3.6 mg·kg-1, and 36 mg·kg-1) based on occupational exposure limits to treat C57BL/6 mice via nasal drops for 15 weeks. Moreover, we conducted a preliminary assessment of the neurotoxicity of ITO NPs (20-30 nm) in vivo. The results indicated that ITO NPs can cause diffuse inflammatory infiltrates in brain tissue, increased glial cell responsiveness, abnormal neuronal cell lineage transition, neuronal migration disorders, and neuronal apoptosis related to the oxidative stress induced by ITO NPs exposure. Hence, our findings provide useful information for the fuller risk assessment of ITO NPs after occupational exposure.

Novel Cytochrome P450-3A4 Enzymatic Nanobiosensor for Lapatinib (a Breast Cancer Drug) Developed on a Poly(anilino-co-4-aminobenzoic Acid-Green-Synthesised Indium Nanoparticle) Platform.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common types of cancer disease worldwide and it accounts for thousands of deaths annually. Lapatinib is among the preferred drugs for the treatment of breast cancer. Possible drug toxicity effects of lapatinib can be controlled by real-time determination of the appropriate dose for a patient at the point of care. In this study, a novel highly sensitive polymeric nanobiosensor for lapatinib is presented. A composite of poly(anilino-co-4-aminobenzoic acid) co-polymer {poly(ANI-co-4-ABA)} and coffee extract-based green-synthesized indium nanoparticles (InNPs) was used to develop the sensor platform on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE), i.e., SPCE||poly(ANI-co-4-ABA-InNPs). Cytochrome P450-3A4 (CYP3A4) enzyme and polyethylene glycol (PEG) were incorporated on the modified platform to produce the SPCE||poly(ANI-co-4-ABA-InNPs)|CYP3A4|PEG lapatinib nanobiosensor. Experiments for the determination of the electrochemical response characteristics of the nanobiosensor were performed with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The nanobiosensor calibration for 0-100 ng/mL lapatinib was linear and gave limit of detection (LOD) values of 13.21 ng/mL lapatinib and 18.6 ng/mL lapatinib in physiological buffer and human serum, respectively. The LOD values are much lower than the peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of lapatinib (2.43 µg/mL), which is attained 4 h after the administration of a daily dose of 1250 mg lapatinib. The electrochemical nanobiosensor also exhibited excellent anti-interference performance and stability.

Copper indium selenium nanomaterials for photo-amplified immunotherapy through simultaneously enhancing cytotoxic T lymphocyte recruitment and M1 polarization of macrophages.

Photoactivated immunotherapy has promising therapeutic efficacy for treating malignancies, especially metastatic tumors. In this study, an erythrocyte membrane-encapsulated copper indium selenium (RCIS) semiconductor nanomaterial was developed to eliminate primary and metastatic tumors, in which copper ions can induce chemodynamic performance, and the narrow band gap endows RCIS with the properties of near-infrared (NIR) light-activated photothermal and photodynamic amplified immunotherapy. Furthermore, RCIS can be used as a nanocarrier to form RNCIS nanoparticles (NPs) by loading NLG919, which blocks the indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1. Under NIR light irradiation, RNCIS NPs release NLG919 at tumor sites via photothermal properties, thereby promoting the recruitment of cytotoxic T lymphocytes and M1 polarization of macrophages, targeting the activation and amplification of immune responses. Herein, in vitro and in vivo studies showed that RNCIS NPs effectively kill cancer cells and eliminate primary and metastatic tumors. Therefore, this study suggests that semiconductor nanomaterials with narrow bandgaps have great potential as photoimmunotherapy agents and NIR light-responsive nanocarriers for controlled release, providing a great paradigm for synergetic tumor photoimmunotherapy. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The Erythrocyte membrane-coated, NLG919-loaded copper indium selenium (RNCIS) semiconductor was designed for eliminating primary and metastatic tumors. RNCIS exhibits chemodynamic, photodynamic, and photothermal activated immunotherapy by inhibiting indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1. This can enhance the recruitment of cytotoxic T lymphocyte and M1 polarization of macrophage, leading to higher synergetic photo-immune therapeutic efficacy.

Recovery technologies for indium, gallium, and germanium from end-of-life products (electronic waste) - A review.

Advanced high-tech applications for communication, renewable energy, and display, heavily rely on technology critical elements (TCEs) such as indium, gallium, and germanium. Ensuring their sustainable supply is a pressing concern due to their high economic value and supply risks in the European Union. Recovering these elements from end-of-life (EoL) products (electronic waste: e-waste) offers a potential solution to address TCEs shortages. The review highlights recent advances in pre-treatment and hydrometallurgical and biohydrometallurgical methods for indium, gallium, and germanium recovery from EoL products, including spent liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), photovoltaics (PVs), and optical fibers (OFs). Leaching methods, including strong mineral and organic acids, and bioleaching, achieve over 95% indium recovery from spent LCDs. Recovery methods emphasize solvent extraction, chemical precipitation, and cementation. However, challenges persist in separating indium from other non-target elements like Al, Fe, Zn, and Sn. Promising purification involves solid-phase extraction, electrochemical separation, and supercritical fluid extraction. Gallium recovery from spent GaN and GaAs LEDs achieves 99% yield via leaching with HCl after annealing and HNO3, respectively. Sustainable gallium purification techniques include solvent extraction, ionic liquid extraction, and nanofiltration. Indium and gallium recovery from spent CIGS PVs achieves over 90% extraction yields via H2SO4 with citric acid-H2O2 and alkali. Although bioleaching is slower than chemical leaching (several days versus several hours), indirect bioleaching shows potential, achieving 70% gallium extraction yield. Solvent extraction and electrolysis exhibit promise for pure gallium recovery. HF or alkali roasting leaches germanium with a high yield of 98% from spent OFs. Solvent extraction achieves over 90% germanium recovery with minimal silicon co-extraction. Solid-phase extraction offers selective germanium recovery. Advancements in optimizing and implementing these e-waste recovery protocols will enhance the circularity of these TCEs.

Building in biologically appropriate multifunctionality in aqueous copper indium selenide-based quantum dots.

Advanced nanoplatforms equipped with different functional moieties for theranostics hold appealing promise for reshaping precision medicine. The reliable construction of an individual nanomaterial with intrinsic near-infrared (NIR) photofunction and magnetic domains is much desired but largely unexplored in a direct aqueous synthesis system. Herein, we develop an aqueous phase synthetic strategy for Mn2+ doping of ZnS shell grown on Zn-Cu-In-Se core quantum dots (ZCISe@ZnS:Mn QDs), providing the optimal NIR fluorescence quantum efficiency of up to 18.9% and meanwhile efficiently introducing paramagnetic domains. The relaxometric properties of the water-soluble Mn-doped QDs make them desirable for both the longitudinal and transverse (T1 and T2) magnetic resonance (MR) contrast enhancement due to the shell lattice-doped Mn2+ ions with slow tumbling rates and favoured spin-proton dipolar interactions with surrounding water molecules. Surprisingly, the incorporation of Mn2+ ions into the shell is found to significantly enhance the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by combining both the chemodynamic and photodynamic processes upon NIR light irradiation, showing great potential for efficient photo-assisted ablation of cancer cells. Furthermore, a broad-spectrum excitation range beneficial for bright NIR fluorescence imaging of breast cancer has been proven and offers high flexibility in the choice of incident light sources. Multiparametric MR imaging of the brain has also been successfully demonstrated in vivo.