This study reports the synthesis, characterisation and thermal properties of polylactide (PLA)/titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) composites using the sol–gel method. The percentage weight of TiO₂ NP sol was varied from 3, 8, 11 and 14. The synthesised composites were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. Encapsulation of the TiO₂ into the PLA matrix was attainable based on the SEM images and the FTIR and EDS results. The thermal stability of the composites was shifted to lower temperatures due to photodegradation induced by the metal oxide on the PLA chain. Both PLA and TiO₂ NPs have potential in drug delivery because of their biocompatibility and biodegradability.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a mosquito-borne zoonotic disease that is caused by the Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV); Bunyaviridae: Phlebovirus. RVF disease can affect several different species, including ruminants, camels and humans and thus present a dual threat to public health and livestock food production in endemic regions. In livestock, the RVFV infection is characterised by an acute hepatitis, abortion and high mortality rates in new-born animals. The current RVF diagnostic techniques have shown good sensitivity. However, they require extensive sample processing and complex instrumentation. Owing to speed, low cost, ease of use, and most importantly, the ability to diagnose diseases at sites where they are managed, lateral flow immunoassays (LFIA) are the most widely used point-of-care (POC) tools for disease diagnosis. In this study, a lateral flow assay (LFA) device that is able to detect antibodies against RVFV, with a minimum detectable concentration of 0.125 mg/mL, was successfully developed. The LFA also successfully detected RVFV antibodies in reference RVFV sera. Protein A (ProA), which has the ability to bind immunoglobulins from different species, was used in the detection probe, giving the developed RVFV LFA potential for multi-species diagnosis.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), a marvel that uses surfaces to enhance conventional Raman signals, is proposed for a myriad of applications, such as diagnosis of diseases, pollutants, and many more. The substrates determine the SERS enhancement, and plasmonic metallic nanoparticles such as Au, Ag, and Cu have dominated the field. However, the last decades have failed to translate SERS prototypes into real-life applications. Irreproducibility on the SERS signal that stems from the roughened SERS substrates is the main causative factor for this observation. To mitigate irreproducibility several two-dimensional (2-D) substrates have been sought for use as possible alternatives. Application of 2-D graphene substrates in Raman renders graphene-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (GERS). This account used density functional theory (DFT) substantiated with experimental Raman to compare the enhancement capabilities of plasmonic Au nanoparticles (SERS), graphene substrate (GERS), and coupling of the two SERS and GERS substrates. The DFT also enabled the study of the SERS and GERS systems molecular orbital to gain insight into their mechanisms. The amalgamation of the SERS and GERS occurrence, i.e., graphene doped with plasmonic metallic substrates showed a pronounced enhancement and matched the Au-driven enhancement emanating from both electromagnetic and charge transfer SERS and GERS mechanisms.