Aerogels are one of the most interesting materials of the 21st century owing to their high porosity, low density, and large available surface area. Historically, aerogels have been used for highly efficient insulation and niche applications, such as interstellar particle capture. Recently, aerogels have made their way into the composite universe. By coupling nanomaterial with a variety of matrix materials, lightweight, high-performance composite aerogels have been developed for applications ranging from lithium-ion batteries to tissue engineering materials. In this paper, the current status of aerogel composites based on nanomaterials is reviewed and their application in environmental remediation, energy storage, controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, and biosensing are discussed.

Microbial biofilm build-up in water distribution systems can pose a risk to human health and pipe material integrity. The impact is more devastating in space stations and to astronauts due to the isolation from necessary replacement parts and medical resources. As a result, there is a need for coatings to be implemented onto the inner region of the pipe to minimize the adherence and growth of biofilms. Lubricant-infused surfaces has been one such interesting material for anti-biofouling applications in which their slippery property promotes repellence to many liquids and thus prevents bacterial adherence. Textured and porous films are suitable substrate candidates to infuse and contain the lubricant. However, there is little investigation in utilizing a nanoparticulate thin film as the substrate material for lubricant infusion. A nanoparticulate film has high porosity within the structure which can promote greater lubricant infusion and retention. The implementation as a thin film structure aids to reduce material consumption and cost. In our study, we utilized a well-studied nanoporous thin film fabricated via layer-by-layer assembly of polycations and colloid silica and then calcination for greater stability. The film was further functionalized to promote fluorinated groups and improve affinity with a fluorinated lubricant. The pristine nanoporous film was characterized to determine its morphology, thickness, wettability, and porosity. The lubricant-infused film was then tested for its lubricant layer stability upon various washing conditions and its performance against bacterial biofilm adherence as a result of its slippery property. Overall, the modified silica nanoparticulate thin film demonstrated potential as a base substrate for lubricant-infused surface fabrication that repelled against ambient aqueous solvents and as an anti-biofouling coating that demonstrated low biofilm coverage and colony forming unit values. Further optimization to improve lubricant retention or incorporation of a secondary function can aid in developing better coatings for biofilm mitigation.

Optimizing the biological identity of nanoparticles (NPs) for efficient tumor uptake remains challenging. The controlled formation of a protein corona on NPs through protein absorption from biofluids could favor a biological identity that enables tumor accumulation. To increase the diversity of proteins absorbed by NPs, sera derived from Influenza A virus (IAV)-infected mice were used to pre-coat NPs formed using a hyperbranched polyester polymer (HBPE-NPs). HBPE-NPs, encapsulating a tracking dye or cancer drug, were treated with sera from days 3–6 of IAV infection (VS3-6), and uptake of HBPE-NPs by breast cancer cells was examined. Cancer cells demonstrated better uptake of HBPE-NPs pre-treated with VS3-6 over polyethylene glycol (PEG)-HBPE-NPs, a standard NP surface modification. The uptake of VS5 pre-treated HBPE-NPs by monocytic cells (THP-1) was decreased over PEG-HBPE-NPs. VS5-treated HBPE-NPs delivered a cancer drug more efficiently and displayed better in vivo distribution over controls, remaining stable even after interacting with endothelial cells. Using a proteomics approach, proteins absorbed from sera-treated HBPE-NPs were identified, such as thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1), that could bind multiple cancer cell receptors. Our findings indicate that serum collected during an immune response to infection is a rich source of macromolecules that are absorbed by NPs and modulate their biological identity, achieving rationally designed uptake by targeted cell types.

Reliable detection of microplastics by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is often hindered by poor particle–substrate contact and limited access to plasmonic hotspots on conventional planar substrates optimized for molecular adsorption. Here, we report a rapid microwave-assisted carbothermal shock strategy to fabricate silver nanoparticle-decorated electrospun carbon fibers (AgNPs@ECF) as a three-dimensional plasmonic platform tailored for solid microplastic sensing. Localized microwave-induced heating in a mixed ethanol–hexane system enables Ag nanoparticle nucleation and anchoring on conductive carbon fibers within 45 s, yielding a mechanically compliant, junction-rich architecture without chemical reductants or vacuum processing. The AgNPs@ECF composite was evaluated using morphologically weathered polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics, along with size-controlled PS bead standards ranging from ~50 nm to 45 μm. Across these models, SERS response is governed primarily by particle–substrate contact geometry and near-field accessibility rather than polymer type. The strongest enhancement occurs in the sub-micrometer regime, where particles can engage multiple AgNP-decorated fiber junctions, while ultrasmall and large, smooth particles show reduced enhancement due to limited contact or rapid field decay. Spatially resolved Raman mapping and finite-difference time-domain simulations support a contact-dominated enhancement mechanism, revealing localized field confinement at particle–fiber interfaces. These results establish the design principles for three-dimensional SERS substrates targeting heterogeneous solid particulates, demonstrating that contact-accessible plasmonic architectures are critical for reliable microplastic detection under realistic solid-particle measurement conditions.

Nickel silicide nanoparticles were prepared in situ on carbon nanofibers through pyrolysis of electrospun fibers containing poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN, carbon fiber precursor), silazane (SiCN ceramic precursor), and nickel chloride (nickel source). SiCN ceramics produced in carbon nanofibers during the pyrolysis expanded the graphitic interlayer spacing and facilitated the diffusion of metal atoms to the fiber surfaces, leading to the formation of nickel silicide nanoparticles at a reduced temperature. In addition, nickel silicide nanoparticles catalyzed an in situ formation of carbon nanotubes, with carbon sourced from the decomposition of silazane. The method introduces a simple route to produce carbon supported metal nanoparticles for catalysis and energy storage applications.

Metal nanoparticles supported on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) are promising for catalytic and electrochemical applications, but controlling their size, dispersion, and phase during rapid thermal processing remains challenging. Here, we report a dual-solvent microwave carbothermal shock (CTS) method for producing Cu- and Ni-containing nanostructures on CNFs under ambient-pressure conditions. Ethanolic metal nitrate precursors were deposited on pristine CNFs, and hexane was introduced as an antisolvent before microwave irradiation. At 0.05 M Cu(NO₃)₂, hexane addition decreased the mean Cu-containing particle diameter from 50 ± 20 nm to 33 ± 12 nm and improved dispersion. Varying precursor concentration further altered particle morphology and aggregation. For Ni, single-solvent processing yielded aggregated nanoparticles averaging 43 ± 16 nm, whereas dual-solvent processing produced a dense carbon nanotube network with an apparent mean filament diameter of 20 ± 7 nm. Microscopy and elemental mapping supported the association of Ni-containing particles with the nanotubes. X-ray diffraction identified crystalline face-centered cubic Cu and Ni, while X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated oxidized surface species. Hexane may additionally supply carbon during Ni-assisted nanotube growth, although its contribution requires confirmation. This approach provides a rapid, tunable route to supported metal nanoparticles and hierarchical carbon nanostructures without continuous external inert or hydrocarbon gas flow.