Carbon nano-onions (CNOs) were successfully synthesized by employing the flame pyrolysis (FP) method, using flaxseed oil as a carbon source. The alcohol reduction method was used to prepare Pd/CNOs and Pd-Sn/CNOs electro-catalysts, with ethylene glycol as the solvent and reduction agent. The metal-nanoparticles were supported on the CNO surface without adjusting the pH of the solution. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images reveal CNOs with concentric graphite ring morphology, and also PdSn nanoparticles supported on the CNOs. X-ray diffractometry (XRD) patterns confirm that CNOs are amorphous and show the characteristic diffraction peaks of Pd. There is a shifting of Pd diffraction peaks to lower angles upon the addition of Sn compared to Pd/CNOs. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results also confirm the doping of Pd with Sn to form a PdSn alloy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) displays oxygen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and carbonyl, which facilitates the dispersion of Pd and Sn nanoparticles. Raman spectrum displays two prominent peaks of carbonaceous materials which correspond to the D and G bands. The Pd-Sn/CNOs electro-catalyst demonstrates improved electro-oxidation of methanol and ethanol performance compared to Pd/CNOs and commercial Pd/C electro-catalysts under alkaline conditions.

Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) supported by Pd and Pd-Sn electro-catalysts were prepared by the chemical reduction method using ethylene glycol as the reducing agent. Their physicochemical characteristics were studied using high resolution-transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Bruanaer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. FTIR revealed that oxygen, hydroxyl, carboxylic and carbonyl functional groups facilitated the dispersion of Pd and Sn nanoparticles. The doping of Pd with Sn to generate PdSn alloy was also confirmed by XPS data. The amorphous nature of CNFs was confirmed by XRD patterns which exhibited the Pd diffraction peaks. When Sn was added to Pd/CNFs, the diffraction peaks moved to lower angles. HRTEM images revealed that the CNFs with cylindrical shape-like morphology and also Pd-Sn nanoparticles dispersed on carbon support. The catalytic activity and stability towards alcohol electro-oxidation in alkaline medium at room temperature was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), chronoamperometry (CA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The obtained Pd-Sn/CNFs electro-catalyst exhibited a better electro-catalytic activity than Pd/CNFs and Pd/C electro-catalysts for both methanol and ethanol oxidation. The improvement of the electrochemical performance was associated with the synergistic effect via the addition of Sn which modified the Pd atom arrangement, thereby promoting oxidation through a dehydrogenation pathway. Furthermore, SnO₂ generates abundant OH species which helps with increasing the rate of the oxidative removal of carbon monoxide (CO) intermediates from Pd sites.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 2.3 million cases of breast cancer (BC) each year, with 80% of deaths occurring in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs). Chemotherapeutic agents are used in the treatment of BC to kill or slow the growth of cancer cells. While they can be effective in many cases, they also have potential side effects. These include long‐term effects such as possible damage to healthy organs, limited efficacy, and resistance development. Trastuzumab (Tmab) offers superior treatment options due to low toxicity and high specificity for a target antigen. However, Tmab treatment, despite being available for the last two decades, has remained challenging and expensive to manage, and inaccessible to people in underserved communities. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that such effective medication is within reach of those in need, regardless of social or economic class. Recent advances in nanomedicine have led to a growing number of studies that show promise in meeting these challenges through access to adequate anticancer drugs in LMICs. This review analyzes such reports while highlighting the progress of nanomedicine and anticancer drug systems and presents opportunities that have been overlooked over the years for LMICs.

Due to their low cost, accessibility of resources, and improved stability and durability, carbon‐based nanomaterials have attracted significant attention as cathode materials for oxygen reduction reactions. These materials also exhibit intrinsic physical and electrochemical features. However, their potential for use in fuel cells is constrained by low ORR activity and slow kinetics. Carbon nanomaterials can be functionalized and doped with heteroatoms to change their morphologies and generate a large number of oxygen reduction active sites to lessen the problems. Doping the carbon lattice with heteroatoms like N, S, and P and functionalizing the carbon structure with −OCH₃, −F, −COO⁻, −O⁻ are two of these modifications that can change specific properties of the carbon nanomaterials like expanding interlayer distance, producing a large number of active sites, and enhancing oxygen reduction activity. When compared to pristine carbon‐based nanomaterials, these doped and functionalized carbon nanomaterials, including their composites, exhibit accelerated rate performance, outstanding stability, and higher methanol tolerance. This article summarizes the most recent developments in heteroatom‐doped and functionalized carbon‐based nanomaterials, covering different synthesis approaches, characterization methods, electrochemical performance, and oxygen reduction reaction mechanisms. As cathode materials for fuel cell technologies, the significance of heteroatom co‐doping and transition metal heteroatom co‐doping is also underlined.