Diving deep into the milky way using anti-reflection coatings for astronomical CCDs

We report two anti-reflection (AR) coatings that give better quantum efficiency (QE) than the existing AR coating on the Gaia astrometric field (AF) charged coupled devices (CCDs). Light being the core of optical astronomy is extremely important for such missions, therefore, the QE of the devices that are used to capture it should be substantially high. To reduce the losses due to the reflection of light from the surface of the CCDs, AR coatings can be applied. Currently, the main component of the Gaia satellite, the AF CCDs use hafnium dioxide (HfO2) AR coating. In this paper, the ATLAS module of the SILVACO software has been employed for simulating and studying the AF CCD pixel structure and several AR coatings. Our findings suggest that zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) will prove to be better AR coatings for broadband astronomical CCDs in the future and will open new avenues to understand the evolution of the milky way

Drug Delivery Applications of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

There has been substantial progress in the field of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their nanoscale counterparts (NMOFs), in recent years. Their exceptional physicochemical properties are being constantly and actively exploited for various applications such as energy harvesting, gas storage, gas separation, catalysis, etc. Due to their porous framework, large surface area, tunability and easy surface functionalization, MOFs and NMOFs have also emerged as useful tools for biomedical applications, specifically for drug delivery. As drug carriers, they offer high drug loading capacity and controlled release at the target site. This chapter aims to give a panorama of the use of these MOFs as drug delivery agents. A brief overview of the structure and composition of MOFs, along with various methods and techniques to synthesize NMOFs suitable for drug delivery applications are mentioned. In addition, the most commonly employed strategies to associate drugs with these NMOFs are highlighted and methods to characterize them are also briefly discussed. The last section summarizes the applications of MOFs and NMOFs as carriers of therapeutic drugs, biomolecules, and other active agents

Magnetic Nanoparticles: An Overview for Biomedical Applications

The use of magnetic nanoparticles has greatly expanded for numerous biomedical applications over the past two decades due to their high surface area, size-dependent superparamagnetic properties, precision tunability, and easy surface modification. Magnetic nanoparticles can be engineered and manipulated with other nanoparticles and functional compounds to form multi-modal systems useful in theragnosis. However, superior biocompatibility, high loading efficacy, regulated drug release, and in vitro and in vivo stability are necessary for the efficient incorporation of these nanoparticles into physiological systems. In recent years, considerable advancements have been made and reported both in synthesis and application, given the broad range of biomedical-related prospective uses of magnetic nanoparticles. Here, in this review, we have highlighted some essential works, specifically related to the application of magnetic nanoparticles in drug delivery, magnetic hyperthermia, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic particle imaging, biosensors, and tissue engineering