We present the synthesis of a silver nanoparticle (AgNP) based drug-delivery system that achieves the simultaneous intracellular delivery of doxorubicin (Dox) and alendronate (Ald) and improves the anticancer therapeutic indices of both drugs. Water, under microwave irradiation, was used as the sole reducing agent in the size-controlled, bisphosphonate-mediated synthesis of stabilized AgNPs. AgNPs were coated with the bisphosphonate Ald, which templated nanoparticle formation and served as a site for drug attachment. The unreacted primary ammonium group of Ald remained free and was subsequently functionalized with either Rhodamine B (RhB), through amide formation, or Dox, through imine formation. The RhB-conjugated NPs (RhB–Ald@AgNPs) were studied in HeLa cell culture. Experiments involving the selective inhibition of cell membrane receptors were monitored by confocal fluorescence microscopy and established that macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated endocytosis were the main mechanisms of cellular uptake. The imine linker of the Dox-modified nanoparticles (Dox–Ald@AgNPs) was exploited for acid-mediated intracellular release of Dox. We found that Dox–Ald@AgNPs had significantly greater anti-cancer activity in vitro than either Ald or Dox alone. Ald@AgNPs can accommodate the attachment of other drugs as well as targeting agents and therefore constitute a general platform for drug delivery.

The immobilization of molecular switches within materials can give rise to new bulk properties that are useful for a variety of applications.

The development of novel materials for removal of organic contaminants from water is of global importance for the preservation of the environment. Here, we describe the synthesis and characterization of the first porous covalent calix[4]arene-based polymer (CalP) and its use for water purification. CalP has a high surface area, large pore volume and excellent sorption capacity for a range of organic solvents, oils, and toxic dyes. The polymer can selectively absorb up to seven times its weight of oil from oil/water mixtures. From aqueous solutions, it can adsorb both anionic and cationic dyes in under 15 minutes. Its uptake capacity is significantly higher than those of the most adsorbent materials reported to date, including commercial activated carbon. Additionally, the polymer can be easily regenerated using mild washing procedures and reused several times with no loss of absorption efficiency.

In the surge of recent successes of 2D materials following the rise of graphene, molybdenum disulfide (2D-MoS₂) has been attracting growing attention from both fundamental and applications viewpoints, owing to the combination of its unique nanoscale properties. For instance, the bandgap of 2D-MoS₂, which changes from direct (in the bulk form) to indirect for ultrathin films (few layers), offers new prospects for various applications in optoelectronics. In this review, we present the latest scientific advances in the field of synthesis and characterization of 2D-MoS₂ films while highlighting some of their applications in energy harvesting, gas sensing, and plasmonic devices. A survey of the physical and chemical processing routes of 2D-MoS₂ is presented first, followed by a detailed description and listing of the most relevant characterization techniques used to study the MoS₂ nanomaterial as well as theoretical simulations of its interesting optical properties. Finally, the challenges related to the synthesis of high quality and fairly controllable MoS₂ thin films are discussed along with their integration into novel functional devices.