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A nanosensor based on magnetic core-shell nanoparticles functionalized with rhodamine derivative, N-(3-carboxy)acryloyl rhodamine B hydrazide (RhBCARB), using (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) as a linker, has been synthesized for detection of Cu(II) ions in water. The magnetic nanoparticle and the modified rhodamine were fully characterized, showing a strong orange emission sensitive to Cu(II) ions. The sensor shows a linear response from 10 to 90 µg L-1, detection limit of 3 µg L-1 and no interference of Ni(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), Pb(II), Hg(II) and Fe(II) ions. The nanosensor performance is similar to those described in the literature, being a viable option for the determination of Cu(II) ions in natural waters. In addition, the magnetic sensor can be easily removed from the reaction medium with the aid of a magnet and its signal recovered in acidic solution, allowing its reuse in subsequent analysis.

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TbIII and EuIII systems have been investigated as ratiometric luminescent temperature probes in luminescent coordination polymers due to TbIII → EuIII energy transfer (ET). To help understand how ion-ion separation, chain conformation as well as excitation channel impact their thermometric properties, herein, [Eu(tfaa)3(µ-L)Tb(tfaa)3]n one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers (tfaa- = trifluoroacetylacetonate, and L = [(diphenylphosphoryl)R](diphenyl)phosphine oxide, R = ethyl - dppeo - or butyl - dppbo) were synthesized. The short µ-dppeo bridge ligand leads to a more linear 1D polymeric chain, while the longer µ-dppbo bridge leads to tighter packed chains. As the temperature rises from 80 K, upon direct TbIII excitation at 488 nm, the TbIII emission intensity decreases, while the EuIII emission intensity increases after 160 and 200 K when L = dppeo or dppbo, respectively. The temperature-dependent emission intensities, due to TbIII → EuIII ET, enable the development of ratiometric luminescent temperature probes featuring maximum relative thermal sensitivity up to 3.8% K-1 (250 K, L = dppbo, excitation at 488 nm). On the other hand, the same system displays maximum thermal sensitivity up to 3.5% K-1 (323 K) upon ligand excitation at 300 nm. Thus, by changing the excitation channel and bridge ligand that leads to modification of the polymer conformations, the maximum relative thermal sensitivity can be tuned.

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Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has gained increasing attention because it provides rich chemical information and high sensitivity, being applicable in many scientific fields including medical diagnosis, forensic analysis, food control, and microbiology. Although SERS is often limited by the lack of selectivity in the analysis of samples with complex matrices, the use of multivariate statistics and mathematical tools has been demonstrated to be an efficient strategy to circumvent this issue. Importantly, since the rapid development of artificial intelligence has been promoting the implementation of a wide variety of advanced multivariate methods in SERS, a discussion about the extent of their synergy and possible standardization becomes necessary. This critical review comprises the principles, advantages, and limitations of coupling SERS with chemometrics and machine learning for both qualitative and quantitative analytical applications. Recent advances and trends in combining SERS with uncommonly used but powerful data analysis tools are also discussed. Finally, a section on benchmarking and tips for selecting the suitable chemometric/machine learning method is included. We believe this will help to move SERS from an alternative detection strategy to a general analytical technique for real-life applications.

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LnIII complexes may display luminescence within the ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectral window and although they render bright emissions mainly due to the classical singlet-triplet-state-assisted ligand sensitization, which would be the photophysical parameters if they could be excited through direct spin-forbidden singlet → triplet transitions? Herein, we report the sensitization of Ln complexes through spin-forbidden S0 → T transitions in a series of homobimetallic EuIII, TbIII, ErIII, and YbIII complexes with halogen-substituted benzoate ligands. As halogens and LnIII atomic numbers increase, intense singlet → triplet absorption/excitation bands and relative quantum yields up to 18% were achieved due to an increased spin-orbit coupling effect. Moreover, the near-UV-shifted excitation may enable application in luminescent solar concentrators where YbIII near-infrared luminescence matches the maximum efficiency of the crystalline Si photovoltaic cell. Therefore, the spin-relaxed excitation channel provides new opportunities to improve the LnIII complex luminescence and potential within the energy conversion field.

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The engineering of core@multi-shell nanoparticles containing heterogeneous crystalline phases in different layers constitutes an important strategy for obtaining optical probes. The possibility of obtaining an opto-magnetic core@multi-shell nanoparticle capable of emitting in the visible and near-infrared ranges by upconversion and downshifting processes is highly desirable, especially when its optical responses are dependent on temperature and magnetic field variations. This work proposes the synthesis of hierarchically structured core@multi-shell nanoparticles of heterogeneous crystalline phases: a cubic core containing DyIII ions responsible for magnetic properties and optically active hexagonal shells, where ErIII, YbIII, and NdIII ions were distributed. This system shows at least three excitation energies located at different biological windows, and its emission intensities are sensitive to temperature and external magnetic field variations. The selected crystalline phases of the core@multi-shell nanoparticles obtained in this work is fundamental to the development of multifunctional materials with potential applications as temperature and magnetic field optical probes.

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We report a complete set of strategies for characterization and an accurate determination of gold in metallic nanoparticles. For this, gold nanorods (AuNR) were synthesized by using the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as the stabilizer and shape-directing agent. The surfactant CTAB forms a bilayer structure around the nanoparticles and became a challenge for the development of the microwave-assisted decomposition of the AuNR colloid. The bilayer structure of CTAB prevents the Au3+ release for the acidic media during the decomposition procedure. To overcome this limitation, a combination of low sample volume consumption (only 200 µL), an acidic mixture of reverse aqua regia (1:3 v/v, HCl:HNO3), and sulfuric acid, and a microwave program was used. The gold quantification by ICP-MS and checked through the ICP OES, demonstrated that the seed-mediated growth method used for the AuNR synthesis has a high yield, presenting ca. 100% of gold content (ca. 100 mg L-1 of gold concentration) in the post-synthesis colloid (AuNR-total) as well as in the colloid after a washing step (AuNR-res). The microwave-assisted decomposition procedure also demonstrated to be efficient in the acidic decomposition of the gold-silver core-shell nanoparticle (Au@AgNR), which presents a high content of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) (Mw ~55000 g mol-1) acting as a stabilizer, in addition to the matrix with CTAB. The results demonstrated an accurate recovery of ca. 100% of gold content for the Au@AgNR regarding the gold nanorod before the growth of the silver shell (AuNR_Core). The proposed microwave-assisted decomposition platform demonstrated to be an efficient, reliable, and robust characterization tool for the gold quantification in metallic nanoparticles, presenting no interference of the complex matrix with high organic content.

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Rod-shaped gold-silver core-shells (AuNR@Ag) were synthesized for an analysis of the amplification of Raman scattering (surface-enhanced Raman scattering, SERS). The microscopy characterization confirmed a hierarchically structured nanoparticle with well-defined size and morphology, however, with a degree of dispersion in terms of shell thickness and symmetry of Ag deposition. In this paper, we analyze the possible effects of such structural dispersion in the SERS spectra of 4-aminobenzothiol (4-ABT) and in its detection at low concentrations in solutions. The interpretation of experimental results was supported by classical electrodynamics simulations based on the boundary element method (BEM). We verified that even in the case of asymmetrical Ag deposition onto AuNRs, a large SERS normal may be observed, which leads to the possibility of using such nanostructures for SERS applications aiming at low analyte concentrations detections. We show that the SERS substrates based on such AuNR@Ag present very high sensitivity for the detection of ultra-low concentrations of 4-ABT reaching a detection limit of 1.10-15 mol L-1, which indicates the possibility of analytical applications in the detection of analytes such as pesticides.

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In vitro and in vivo experiments were undertaken to evaluate the solubility, apatite-forming ability, cytocompatibility, osteostimulation, and osteoinduction for a series of Nb-containing bioactive glass (BGNb) derived from composition of 45S5 Bioglass. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) revealed that the rate at which Na, Ca, Si, P, and Nb species are leached from the glass decrease with the increasing concentration of the niobium oxide. The formation of apatite as a function of time in simulated body fluid was monitored by 31P Magic Angle Spinning (MAS) Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Results showed that the bioactive glasses: Bioglass 45S5 (BG45S5) and 1 mol%-Nb-containing-bioactive glass (BGSN1) were able to grow apatite layer on their surfaces within 3 h, while glasses with higher concentrations of Nb2 O5 (2.5 and 5 mol%) took at least 12 h. Nb-substituted glasses were shown to be compatible with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs). Moreover, the bioactive glass with 1 mol% Nb2 O5 significantly enhanced cell proliferation after 4 days of treatment. Concentrations of 1 and 2.5 mol% Nb2 O5 stimulated osteogenic differentiation of BMMSCs after 21 days of treatment. For the in vivo experiments, trial glass rods were implanted into circular defects in rat tibia in order to evaluate their osteoconductivity and osteostimulation. Two morphometric parameters were analyzed: (a) thickness of new-formed bone layer and (b) area of new-formed subperiostal bone. Results showed that BGNb bioactive glass is osteoconductive and osteostimulative. Therefore, these results indicate that Nb-substituted glass is suitable for biomedical applications.

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We isolated a coordination polymer with the formula [Eu3(3,5-dcba)9(H2O)(dmf)3]·2dmf, with three unique EuIII coordination sites in the asymmetric unit, with the EuIII ions bridged by 3,5-dichlorobenzoato (3,5-dcba) ligands. The coordination polymer crystallized in the triclinic space group P1̅ with unit cell dimensions a = 12.4899(15), b = 16.326(2), and c = 25.059(3) Å, α = 84.271(3)°, ß = 84.832(3)°, and γ = 68.585(3)° and V = 4725.2(10) Å3. The characteristic 5D0 → 7F J ( J = 0-4) EuIII transitions were observed upon ligand-centered excitation. Emission lifetimes of 0.825 ± 0.085 and 1.586 ± 0.057 ms were observed and were attributed to the sites with coordination of water or dimethylformamide (dmf) molecules to each ion, respectively. Through a combination of spectroscopy and calculations, we determined the photophysical properties of each unique EuIII site. Energy-transfer rates ligand → EuIII were determined for each unique site using the overlapped polyhedra method. The rates depend on the coordinated water molecules and the different donor-acceptor distances. The two sites without coordinated water molecules and shortest donor-acceptor distance display the fastest energy-transfer rate ligand → EuIII, whereas the site with coordinated water molecules and longest donor-acceptor distance displays the slowest energy-transfer rate. Donor-acceptor distances were estimated computationally and were confirmed by calculating the frontier orbitals in the asymmetric units of the polymer using density functional theory.

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Functional mesoporous materials have been worldwide studied for different applications. Mesoporous silicas are highlighted due to the synthetic possibilities for the preparation of such materials with different particle sizes and morphologies, and controlled pores sizes and structures. Moreover, the silica superficial silanol groups are explored in several chemical modifications, leading to functional materials with tuned functionalities and properties. In this work, an organo-functionalization and pyrolysis synthetic procedure is used to obtain graphitic carbon modified mesoporous SBA-15 silica. The carbon content was tuned during the functionalization step, and the graphitic nanodomains were formed in the pores surface and particles outer surface. Textural and small angle X-ray diffraction analysis accessed the presence of the carbon nanostructures inside the SBA-15 mesopores. Advanced microanalysis using electron energy loss spectroscopy coupled to a transmission electron microscope had confirmed the carbon distribution along the silica pores, which gives higher hydrophobicity and changed the interaction of the mesoporous material with biological systems. Finally, the influence of the surface modification with graphitic carbon species over the interaction with human red blood cells (hemolysis) and human blood plasma (protein corona formation) was elucidated for the very first time for this kind of functional materials. It was observed that the graphitic carbon species considerably reduced the hemolytic effect of the silica particles, and was responsible for modulating the loading and composition of the hard corona plasma proteins. This work deepness the fundamental knowledge on the interaction between such nanomaterials and biological systems, one step further the use of these modified silicas in biomedical applications.

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The chemical composition, shape and size of upconverting nanoparticles are known to have a great influence on their spectroscopic properties, such as the emission color and the emission intensity variation as a function of temperature. This work shows the color tuning and the thermal sensitivity of NaYb0.67Gd0.30F4:Tm0.015:Ho0.015 nanoparticles synthesized by two different approaches of the same synthetic method showing the influence of size and morphology, 250 nm hexagonal-plated and 30 nm spheroidal nanoparticles, on the visible upconversion color under NIR irradiation. According to the 1931-CIE diagram, the hexagonal-shaped nanoparticles show white light emission and the spheroidal ones generate red light emission under 980 nm excitation. Besides, the variation of the luminescence intensity ratio of Tm3+ emissions as a function of temperature was monitored in the 77-293 K temperature range, and the maximum relative sensitivity (Sm) of the samples reached 1.33% K-1 for the hexagonal-plated nanoparticles and 1.76% K-1 for the spheroidal nanoparticles. These maximum sensitivity values are higher compared to the ones found in the literature for temperature sensing using upconverting nanoparticles. These data suggest the versatility of these nanoparticles for applications on white light emission and nanothermometry.

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A new oxygen-sensitive optical probe based on the [Tb(3,5-dcba)3 ]⋅1/2 H2 O (3,5-dcba=3,5-dichlorobenzoate) complex, which is chemically attached to a phosphine-oxide-functionalized polydimethylsiloxane is presented. The hybrid material shows green emission and transparency in the visible range. The optically sensitive probe is photostable under excitation at 350 nm and shows the highest oxygen sensitivity, I0 /I100 equal to 8.9 at 1 atm, among probes based on homonuclear lanthanide compounds. Furthermore its reversibility is demonstrated after several cycles ranging from 100 % N2 to 100 % O2 with response time of 8.5 s (N2 →O2 ) and recovery time of 49.5 s (O2 →N2 ).

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Imidazolium groups were successfully prepared and grafted on the surface of SBA-15 mesoporous silica. The ion-exchange properties of the functionalized porous solid (SBA-15/R(+)Cl(-)) toward AuCl(4)(-) anions were evaluated through an ion-exchange isotherm. The calculated values of the equilibrium constant (log ß = 4.47) and the effective ion-exchange capacity (t(Q) = 0.79 mmol g(-1)) indicate that the AuCl(4)(-) species can be loaded and strongly retained on the functionalized surface as counterions of the imidazolium groups. Subsequently, solids containing different amounts of AuCl(4)(-) ions were submitted to a chemical reduction process with NaBH(4), converting the anionic gold species into supported gold nanoparticles. The plasmon resonance bands, the X-ray diffraction patterns, and transmission electron microscopy images of the supported gold nanoparticles before and after thermal treatment at 973 K indicate that the metal nanostructures are highly dispersed and stabilized by the host environment.

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High fidelity calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite (bio) inorganic replicas of the fibrous network of the dried fruit of Luffa cylindrica are described, utilizing a facile synthetic route. The loofa sponge is a highly complex macroscopic architectural template, an inexpensive and sustainable resource. In the context of the morphosynthesis, the capability of replication of the loofa sponge opens the possibility of the use of biodiversity in obtaining new materials. We would like to emphasize that the template proposed in this paper, makes possible the preparation of inorganic replicas with a very desirable size, on the centimeter scale. This fact is innovative with respect to inorganic replicas described in the literature, which predominate at the micrometric scale, limited to the original size of the template.

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Réplicas (bio) inorgânicas de carbonato de cálcio e de hidroxiapatita, com elevada fidelidade à morfologia fibrosa do fruto seco da espécie Luffa cylindrica são descritas, utilizando uma rota de síntese simples e de baixo custo. A esponja vegetal é um molde macroscópico com arquitetura altamente complexa, de baixo custo e de fonte renovável. Dentro do contexto da morfossíntese, a capacidade de replicação da Luffa cylindrica acena com a possibilidade de uso da biodiversidade na obtenção de novos materiais. Enfatizamos que o molde proposto neste trabalho possibilita a preparação de réplicas inorgânicas com o tamanho desejado, em uma escala de centímetros. Este fato é inovador em relação as réplicas inorgânicas descritas na literatura, nas quais predominam a escala micrométrica, limitadas ao tamanho original do molde.

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