Synthesis and Characterization of Mechanical Alloyed Mg-Ni-Ca and Mg-Cu-Ca Amorphous Alloys

AbstractMagnesium and its alloys are widely recommended for automotive, electronics and biomedical industries due to their strength to weight ratio. The mechanically alloyed magnesium with Ni, Cu and Ca alloys exhibits superior properties. In this work, the ternary Mg70Ni10Ca20 and Mg85Cu10Ca5 alloys were synthesized by mechanical alloying for 10h in SPEX mill with 10:1 ball to powder ratio under argon (Ar) atmosphere. Their structural and phase transformation with respect to milling time and composition were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The XRD pattern showed the formation of amorphous with nano crystalline peaks. The Mg2Cu and CaCu intermetallic phases were identified in Mg85Cu10Ca5 alloy and Mg2Ni and MgNi2 intermetallic compounds were identified in Mg70Ni10Ca20 alloy. A crystallite size of 44.45nm was measured from the α-Mg XRD peak in Mg-Cu-Ca alloy, and 45.59nm was measured for the Mg2Ni phase in Mg-Ni-Ca alloy

Cerium Niobate Hollow Sphere Engineered Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Synergistic Photothermal/Chemodynamic Cancer Therapy

Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated chemodynamic therapy (CDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) have potential for various cancer treatments. However, they are still bound by the demands of Fenton reaction conditions such as oxygen dependence, inherent defects in common standard photosensitizers (PSs), and the continuous availability of laser sources. Herein, we designed Ce3NbO7/g-C3N4 nanocomposites (NCs) and investigated their ability to evaluate the performance of PTT/CDT synergistically to enhance cancer treatment. The activation of Ce3NbO7/g-C3N4 NCs in the tumor microenvironment (TME) causes the generation of cytotoxic ROS via the Fenton reaction. Additionally, the g-C3N4 in NCs absorbs NIR, generating hyperthermia in the TME. The photothermal conversion efficiency (ƞ) of the Ce3NbO7/g-C3N4 NCs was found to be 49.5%. A photocatalytic reaction with PTT-enhanced Fenton reagents, without consuming additional photothermal agents (PTA) or Fenton reagents, generates the hydroxyl radical (OH•) primarily by direct electron transfer in the TME. Almost 68% of cells experienced programmed cell death due to the combinational effect (PTT/CDT), making it an efficient and biocompatible therapy. Furthermore, this work provides a basis for developing numerous innovative materials that can be used to treat cancer, overcome general limitations, and enhance ROS production under single-wavelength (808 nm) laser irradiation

Inorganic nanoparticles for photothermal treatment of cancer

In recent years, inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted increasing attention as potential theranostic agents in the field of oncology. Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive technique that uses nanoparticles to produce heat from light to kill cancer cells. PTT requires two essential elements: a photothermal agent (PTA) and near-infrared (NIR) radiation. The role of PTAs is to absorb NIR, which subsequently triggers hyperthermia within cancer cells. By raising the temperature in the tumor microenvironment (TME), PTT causes damage to the cancer cells. Nanoparticles (NPs) are instrumental in PTT given that they facilitate the passive and active targeting of the PTA to the TME, making them crucial for the effectiveness of the treatment. In addition, specific targeting can be achieved through their enhanced permeation and retention effect. Thus, owing to their significant advantages, such as altering the morphology and surface characteristics of nanocarriers comprised of PTA, NPs have been exploited to facilitate tumor regression significantly. This review highlights the properties of PTAs, the mechanism of PTT, and the results obtained from the improved curative efficacy of PTT by utilizing NPs platforms