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Dr. Rajesh Sunasee
State University of New York at Plattsburgh

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cellulose nanocrystals
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Synthesis
Characterization
Surface Modification

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Short Biography

Rajesh Sunasee is an associate professor of Organic Chemistry at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh and is the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. He received his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Alberta, Canada. He is the Councilor of the Northern New York American Chemical Society Local Section and is a member of the cellulose and renewable materials division of ACS. His research primarily focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of nanostructured materials, in particular cellulose nanocrystals, for potential biomedical applications and other applications (water treatment).

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Journal article
Published: 15 August 2021 in Nanomaterials
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An emerging interest regarding nanoparticles (NPs) concerns their potential immunomodulatory and pro-inflammatory activities, as well as their impact in the circulatory system. These biological activities of NPs can be related to the intensity and type of the responses, which can raise concerns about adverse side effects and limit the biomedical applicability of these nanomaterials. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a library of cationic cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in the human blood and endothelial cells using cell-based assays. First, we evaluated whether the cationic CNCs would cause hemolysis and aggregation or alteration on the morphology of red blood cells (RBC). We observed that although these nanomaterials did not alter RBC morphology or cause aggregation, at 24 h exposure, a mild hemolysis was detected mainly with unmodified CNCs. Then, we analyzed the effect of various concentrations of CNCs on the cell viability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in a time-dependent manner. None of the cationic CNCs caused a dose-response decrease in the cell viability of HUVEC at 24 h or 48 h of exposure. The findings of this study, together with the immunomodulatory properties of these cationic CNCs previously published, support the development of engineered cationic CNCs for biomedical applications, in particular as vaccine nanoadjuvants.

ACS Style

Alexandre Bernier; Tanner Tobias; Hoang Nguyen; Shreshth Kumar; Beza Tuga; Yusha Imtiaz; Christopher W. Smith; Rajesh Sunasee; Karina Ckless. Vascular and Blood Compatibility of Engineered Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals in Cell-Based Assays. Nanomaterials 2021, 11, 2072 .

AMA Style

Alexandre Bernier, Tanner Tobias, Hoang Nguyen, Shreshth Kumar, Beza Tuga, Yusha Imtiaz, Christopher W. Smith, Rajesh Sunasee, Karina Ckless. Vascular and Blood Compatibility of Engineered Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals in Cell-Based Assays. Nanomaterials. 2021; 11 (8):2072.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alexandre Bernier; Tanner Tobias; Hoang Nguyen; Shreshth Kumar; Beza Tuga; Yusha Imtiaz; Christopher W. Smith; Rajesh Sunasee; Karina Ckless. 2021. "Vascular and Blood Compatibility of Engineered Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals in Cell-Based Assays." Nanomaterials 11, no. 8: 2072.

Preprint content
Published: 11 May 2021
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ACS Style

Long Nguyen; Yusha Imtiaz; Beza Tuga; Christopher Smith; Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee. Fabrication of cationic cellulose nanocrystals-polymer conjugates as potential immunomodulators. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Long Nguyen, Yusha Imtiaz, Beza Tuga, Christopher Smith, Karina Ckless, Rajesh Sunasee. Fabrication of cationic cellulose nanocrystals-polymer conjugates as potential immunomodulators. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Long Nguyen; Yusha Imtiaz; Beza Tuga; Christopher Smith; Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee. 2021. "Fabrication of cationic cellulose nanocrystals-polymer conjugates as potential immunomodulators." , no. : 1.

Paper
Published: 17 March 2021 in New Journal of Chemistry
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An experimental and DFT study of the cleavage of the MOM group mediated by an eco-friendly reagent, bismuth trichloride.

ACS Style

Angela Pacherille; Beza Tuga; Dhanashree Hallooman; Isaac Dos Reis; Mélodie Vermette; Bilkiss B. Issack; Lydia Rhyman; Ponnadurai Ramasami; Rajesh Sunasee. BiCl3-Facilitated removal of methoxymethyl-ether/ester derivatives and DFT study of –O–C–O– bond cleavage. New Journal of Chemistry 2021, 45, 7109 -7116.

AMA Style

Angela Pacherille, Beza Tuga, Dhanashree Hallooman, Isaac Dos Reis, Mélodie Vermette, Bilkiss B. Issack, Lydia Rhyman, Ponnadurai Ramasami, Rajesh Sunasee. BiCl3-Facilitated removal of methoxymethyl-ether/ester derivatives and DFT study of –O–C–O– bond cleavage. New Journal of Chemistry. 2021; 45 (16):7109-7116.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Angela Pacherille; Beza Tuga; Dhanashree Hallooman; Isaac Dos Reis; Mélodie Vermette; Bilkiss B. Issack; Lydia Rhyman; Ponnadurai Ramasami; Rajesh Sunasee. 2021. "BiCl3-Facilitated removal of methoxymethyl-ether/ester derivatives and DFT study of –O–C–O– bond cleavage." New Journal of Chemistry 45, no. 16: 7109-7116.

Journal article
Published: 13 October 2020 in Journal of Chemical Education
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ACS Style

Shannon Nephew; Rajesh Sunasee. An Engaging and Fun Breakout Activity for Educators and Students about Laboratory Safety. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 98, 186 -190.

AMA Style

Shannon Nephew, Rajesh Sunasee. An Engaging and Fun Breakout Activity for Educators and Students about Laboratory Safety. Journal of Chemical Education. 2020; 98 (1):186-190.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shannon Nephew; Rajesh Sunasee. 2020. "An Engaging and Fun Breakout Activity for Educators and Students about Laboratory Safety." Journal of Chemical Education 98, no. 1: 186-190.

Journal article
Published: 15 August 2020 in Nanomaterials
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Polysaccharides have been shown to have immunomodulatory properties. Modulation of the immune system plays a crucial role in physiological processes as well as in the treatment and/or prevention of autoimmune and infectious diseases. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are derived from cellulose, the most abundant polysaccharide on the earth. CNCs are an emerging class of crystalline nanomaterials with exceptional physico-chemical properties for high-end applications and commercialization prospects. The aim of this study was to design, synthesize, and evaluate the cytotoxicity of a series of biocompatible, wood-based, cationic CNCs as potential immunomodulators. The anionic CNCs were rendered cationic by grafting with cationic polymers having pendant +NMe3 and +NH3 moieties. The success of the synthesis of the cationic CNCs was evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, and elemental analysis. No modification in the nanocrystals rod-like shape was observed in transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses. Cytotoxicity studies using three different cell-based assays (MTT, Neutral Red, and LIVE/DEAD®) and three relevant mouse and human immune cells indicated very low cytotoxicity of the cationic CNCs in all tested experimental conditions. Overall, our results showed that cationic CNCs are suitable to be further investigated as immunomodulators and potential vaccine nanoadjuvants.

ACS Style

Yusha Imtiaz; Beza Tuga; Christopher Smith; Alexander Rabideau; Long Nguyen; Yali Liu; Sabahudin Hrapovic; Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee. Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Studies of Wood-Based Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals as Potential Immunomodulators. Nanomaterials 2020, 10, 1603 .

AMA Style

Yusha Imtiaz, Beza Tuga, Christopher Smith, Alexander Rabideau, Long Nguyen, Yali Liu, Sabahudin Hrapovic, Karina Ckless, Rajesh Sunasee. Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Studies of Wood-Based Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals as Potential Immunomodulators. Nanomaterials. 2020; 10 (8):1603.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Yusha Imtiaz; Beza Tuga; Christopher Smith; Alexander Rabideau; Long Nguyen; Yali Liu; Sabahudin Hrapovic; Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee. 2020. "Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Studies of Wood-Based Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals as Potential Immunomodulators." Nanomaterials 10, no. 8: 1603.

Rapid communication
Published: 28 July 2020 in Journal of Chemical Education
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With a sudden move to remote and online teaching due to COVID-19 pandemic, Organic Chemistry became more challenging for both students and educators with the emergence of new technological challenges and instructional strategies. The Organic Chemistry I class at SUNY Plattsburgh was shifted to an online learning model in an attempt to mimic face-to-face teaching as well as maintaining active learning. This communication highlights the instructor’s perspectives on the challenges and insights gained for teaching Organic Chemistry I (lecture component) for the Spring 2020 semester in the time of COVID-19. A combination of asynchronous and synchronous teaching methods was found to be effective for content delivery, active learning, and increasing student’s engagement. Synchronous class attendance was monitored and compared with typical face-to-face class attendance. Synchronous problem-solving exercises had an effect on student’s attendance rate and learning. An exit survey indicated about 64% of students had a preference for face-to-face teaching over online teaching of Organic Chemistry.

ACS Style

Rajesh Sunasee. Challenges of Teaching Organic Chemistry during COVID-19 Pandemic at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 97, 3176 -3181.

AMA Style

Rajesh Sunasee. Challenges of Teaching Organic Chemistry during COVID-19 Pandemic at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution. Journal of Chemical Education. 2020; 97 (9):3176-3181.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajesh Sunasee. 2020. "Challenges of Teaching Organic Chemistry during COVID-19 Pandemic at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution." Journal of Chemical Education 97, no. 9: 3176-3181.

Journal article
Published: 15 June 2020 in Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
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Removal of toxic organic cationic dye, Auramine O (AO), is critical prior to its discharge to the environment. In this work, wood-based colloidal cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) in their anionic forms (sulfated and carboxylated) were examined as nanoadsorbents for the effective removal of cationic toxic AO. Both sulfated and carboxylated CNCs were characterized by FTIR, DLS, zeta potential, AFM and XRD techniques. The impact of both surface functionalities (half-ester sulfate and carboxylate) of CNCs were studied in relation to the adsorption of AO. The batch adsorption experiments were performed at 0 and 25 °C at different contact time and the highest removal percentage (82 %) and adsorption capacity (20 mg g−1) were obtained for the sulfated CNCs for an equilibrium contact time of 30 min. The kinetic data was fitted to the pseudo-second-order adsorption model, with the highest rate constant (0.55 g mg-1. min−1) related to the sulfated CNCs for the adsorption at 0 °C. The calculated thermodynamics parameters indicated that AO adsorption on both CNC samples was a spontaneous exothermic process with a decrease in the entropy of the system for the sulfated CNCs and an increase in entropy for the carboxylated CNCs. Fitting equilibrium data to four different types of isotherms (Henry, Freundlich, Langmuir and Temkin) showed that Freundlich isotherm was the most suitable to describe the adsorption behavior of AO at either 0 or 25 °C. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential application of sustainable and biodegradable wood-based CNCs as green bioadsorbents for the adsorption of toxic cationic AO dye.

ACS Style

Alexandre H. Pinto; Jeffrey K. Taylor; Richard Chandradat; Edmond Lam; Yali Liu; Alfred C.W. Leung; Michael Keating; Rajesh Sunasee. Wood-based cellulose nanocrystals as adsorbent of cationic toxic dye, Auramine O, for water treatment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 2020, 8, 104187 .

AMA Style

Alexandre H. Pinto, Jeffrey K. Taylor, Richard Chandradat, Edmond Lam, Yali Liu, Alfred C.W. Leung, Michael Keating, Rajesh Sunasee. Wood-based cellulose nanocrystals as adsorbent of cationic toxic dye, Auramine O, for water treatment. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. 2020; 8 (5):104187.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Alexandre H. Pinto; Jeffrey K. Taylor; Richard Chandradat; Edmond Lam; Yali Liu; Alfred C.W. Leung; Michael Keating; Rajesh Sunasee. 2020. "Wood-based cellulose nanocrystals as adsorbent of cationic toxic dye, Auramine O, for water treatment." Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 8, no. 5: 104187.

Encyclopedia
Published: 30 May 2020 in Comprehensive Glycoscience
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With increasing global awareness on the use of more eco-friendly products towards the replacement of petroleum-based products, nanocellulose has emerged as a powerful green natural material with remarkable physico-chemical properties, biocompatibility, renewability, sustainability and tunable surface properties. Being derived from cellulose, nature most abundant polymer on earth, nanocellulose combines cellulose properties with nanomaterials amazing features. This chapter provides an overview about the three main types of nanocellulose namely cellulose nanocrystals, cellulose nanofibrils and bacterial nanocellulose, their preparation techniques and chemical functionalization methods for the design of advanced functional nanocellulose-based biomaterials. The diverse applications of nanocellulose are highlighted which entails reinforcement materials, tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, biosensors, water remediation, catalysis, energy storage, electronics among others.

ACS Style

Rajesh Sunasee. Nanocellulose: Preparation, Functionalization and Applications. Comprehensive Glycoscience 2020, 506 -537.

AMA Style

Rajesh Sunasee. Nanocellulose: Preparation, Functionalization and Applications. Comprehensive Glycoscience. 2020; ():506-537.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajesh Sunasee. 2020. "Nanocellulose: Preparation, Functionalization and Applications." Comprehensive Glycoscience , no. : 506-537.

Research article
Published: 06 January 2019 in Journal of Nanomaterials
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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have great potential in many areas of research, applications, and future commercialization prospects. Recently, CNCs have emerged as attractive candidates for biomedical applications such as drug and gene delivery systems. As such, cytotoxicity studies have been the major focus in the past decade. However, despite the rod-like nature of CNCs, the potential immune response of surface-modified CNCs is not well investigated. The current study examined the potential immune and antioxidant response induced by CNCs grafted with β-cyclodextrin (CNCs-β-CD) in a human monocyte cell line (THP-1) and a mouse macrophage-like cell line (J774A.1). We analyzed the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), by ELISA and mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) using fluorescence cell imaging and examined the intracellular levels of proteins involved in the immune and antioxidant response by immunoblotting. Our results indicated a dramatic increase neither in the IL-1β secretion nor in the mitochondria-derived ROS resulting in no changes in the intracellular antioxidant response in THP-1 cells treated with different concentrations of CNCs-β-CD. Overall, CNCs-β-CD is nonimmunogenic and do not induce an increased antioxidant response under the conditions tested and hence has the potential to be used as a drug delivery carrier.

ACS Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Melissa Carson; Hannah W. Despres; Angela Pacherille; Kaylee D. Nunez; Karina Ckless. Analysis of the Immune and Antioxidant Response of Cellulose Nanocrystals Grafted with β-Cyclodextrin in Myeloid Cell Lines. Journal of Nanomaterials 2019, 2019, 1 -9.

AMA Style

Rajesh Sunasee, Melissa Carson, Hannah W. Despres, Angela Pacherille, Kaylee D. Nunez, Karina Ckless. Analysis of the Immune and Antioxidant Response of Cellulose Nanocrystals Grafted with β-Cyclodextrin in Myeloid Cell Lines. Journal of Nanomaterials. 2019; 2019 ():1-9.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Melissa Carson; Hannah W. Despres; Angela Pacherille; Kaylee D. Nunez; Karina Ckless. 2019. "Analysis of the Immune and Antioxidant Response of Cellulose Nanocrystals Grafted with β-Cyclodextrin in Myeloid Cell Lines." Journal of Nanomaterials 2019, no. : 1-9.

Conference abstract
Published: 01 November 2018 in Free Radical Biology and Medicine
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The interest in derivatives of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) for multiple biomedical application has been increasing in the recent years. CNCs is a versatile platform that shows variation in size and dispersion depending on the methods of extraction and preparations, which can impact their reactivity in biological systems. In addition, CNCs are suitable to functionalization with an array of polymers, generating chemically related nanomaterials with different morphologies, surface charges and reactivity. This diversity of physicochemical characteristics can lead to a various biological activities and potentially to undesirable effects, including a robust immune response. Previously, we reported that a cationic CNCs derivative, CNCs-poly(AEMA2), evoked substantial immunological response in mouse and human macrophages, by inducing the secretion of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β). This effect was partially associated with mitochondria-derived reactive species (ROS). In this study we sought to understand the mechanistic differences regarding immunological responses evoked by functionalized CNCs and whether surface charges is associated with this effect. We investigated the effect of a cationic, CNCs-poly(AMPA), and an anionic, CNCs-poly(NIPAAm) derivative on the secretion of inflammatory cytokines, mitochondria-derived ROS and mitochondrial function and antioxidant response as well as on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, in human and murine inflammatory cells. CNCs-poly(AMPA) evoked the greatest immunological response in LPS-stimulated murine cell line, while CNCs-poly(NIPAAm) showed a significant NLRP3 inflammasome-dependent and independent immunological response in non-stimulated human primary monocytes. In addition, CNCs-poly(NIPAAm) increased the generation of acidic vesicular organelles and mitochondrial-ROS as well as increases antioxidant enzymes in non-stimulated cells, while CNCs-poly(AMPA) affected mitochondrial function by decreasing the intracellular ATP. These differences on the mitochondrial function and ER stress response suggest a diverse mechanisms associated with their immune activity. Moreover, these effects may be related with the surface charges of the functionalized CNCs, and their likely interactions with biomolecules in the intra and extracellular milieu.

ACS Style

Karina Ckless; Phil Anderson; Hannah Despres; Rajesh Sunasee. Mechanistic insights on the immune and antioxidant response of functionalized cellulose nanocrystals: Does surface charge matter? Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2018, 128, S102 .

AMA Style

Karina Ckless, Phil Anderson, Hannah Despres, Rajesh Sunasee. Mechanistic insights on the immune and antioxidant response of functionalized cellulose nanocrystals: Does surface charge matter? Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2018; 128 ():S102.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Karina Ckless; Phil Anderson; Hannah Despres; Rajesh Sunasee. 2018. "Mechanistic insights on the immune and antioxidant response of functionalized cellulose nanocrystals: Does surface charge matter?" Free Radical Biology and Medicine 128, no. : S102.

Conference abstract
Published: 01 November 2018 in Free Radical Biology and Medicine
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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have great potential in many areas of research, applications and future commercialization prospects. Recently, CNCs have emerged as attractive candidates for biomedical applications such as drug and gene delivery systems. Cyclodextrins (CD) are cyclic oligosaccharides with the unique ability to form inclusion complexes with drug molecules and as such, they have been commonly employed as materials in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. The conjugation of CNCs with β-CD has been previously reported for drug delivery applications but there are no studies on any potential immunological response of the surface modified CNCs with β-CD. The current study examined the potential immune and antioxidant response induced by CNCs grafted with β-cyclodextrin (CNCs-β-CD) in human monocyte cell line (THP-1) and mouse macrophage-like cell line (J774A.1) We analyzed the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), by ELISA and mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) using fluorescence cell imaging as well as examining examined the intracellular levels of proteins involved in the immune and antioxidant response by immunoblotting. Our results indicated neither a dramatic increase in the IL-1β secretion nor in the mitochondria derived ROS. We also observed no changes in the intracellular antioxidant response in THP-1 cells treated with different concentrations of CNCs-β-CD. Overall, CNCs-β-CD is non-immunogenic and does not induce an increased antioxidant response under the conditions tested and hence has the potential to be used as a drug delivery carrier.

ACS Style

Hannah Despres; Rajesh Sunasee; Melissa Carson; Angela Pacherille; Kaylee Nunez; Karina Ckless. Cell-based analysis of the immune and antioxidant response of the nanocarrier β-cyclodextrin conjugated with cellulose nanocrystals. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2018, 128, S102 .

AMA Style

Hannah Despres, Rajesh Sunasee, Melissa Carson, Angela Pacherille, Kaylee Nunez, Karina Ckless. Cell-based analysis of the immune and antioxidant response of the nanocarrier β-cyclodextrin conjugated with cellulose nanocrystals. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2018; 128 ():S102.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hannah Despres; Rajesh Sunasee; Melissa Carson; Angela Pacherille; Kaylee Nunez; Karina Ckless. 2018. "Cell-based analysis of the immune and antioxidant response of the nanocarrier β-cyclodextrin conjugated with cellulose nanocrystals." Free Radical Biology and Medicine 128, no. : S102.

Review
Published: 05 March 2018 in Fibers
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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are renewable nanosized materials with exceptional physicochemical properties that continue to garner a high level of attention in both industry and academia for their potential high-end material applications. These rod-shaped CNCs are appealing due to their non-toxic, carbohydrate-based chemical structure, large surface area, and the presence of ample surface hydroxyl groups for chemical surface modifications. CNCs, generally prepared from sulfuric acid-mediated hydrolysis of native cellulose, display an anionic surface that has been exploited for a number of applications. However, several recent studies showed the importance of CNCs’ surface charge reversal towards the design of functional cationic CNCs. Cationization of CNCs could further open up other innovative applications, in particular, bioapplications such as gene and drug delivery, vaccine adjuvants, and tissue engineering. This mini-review focuses mainly on the recent covalent synthetic methods for the design and fabrication of cationic CNCs as well as their potential bioapplications.

ACS Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Usha D. Hemraz. Synthetic Strategies for the Fabrication of Cationic Surface-Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals. Fibers 2018, 6, 15 .

AMA Style

Rajesh Sunasee, Usha D. Hemraz. Synthetic Strategies for the Fabrication of Cationic Surface-Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals. Fibers. 2018; 6 (1):15.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Usha D. Hemraz. 2018. "Synthetic Strategies for the Fabrication of Cationic Surface-Modified Cellulose Nanocrystals." Fibers 6, no. 1: 15.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Free Radical Biology and Medicine
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ACS Style

Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee; Nicholas A Needham; Anthony Asencio. BODIPY labeled Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) Induces Il-1β secretion and Antioxidant Response in a Mitochondrial ROS-independent Manner. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2017, 112, 207 -208.

AMA Style

Karina Ckless, Rajesh Sunasee, Nicholas A Needham, Anthony Asencio. BODIPY labeled Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) Induces Il-1β secretion and Antioxidant Response in a Mitochondrial ROS-independent Manner. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2017; 112 ():207-208.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee; Nicholas A Needham; Anthony Asencio. 2017. "BODIPY labeled Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs) Induces Il-1β secretion and Antioxidant Response in a Mitochondrial ROS-independent Manner." Free Radical Biology and Medicine 112, no. : 207-208.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2017 in Free Radical Biology and Medicine
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ACS Style

Adham Sabra; Phil J Anderson; Melissa Carson; Ayesha Shuja; Rajesh Sunasee; Karina Ckless. Immunological and Oxidative Responses Caused by Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNCs) Derivatives Designed for Biomedical Applications, in Human and Mouse Cells. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2017, 112, 209 -210.

AMA Style

Adham Sabra, Phil J Anderson, Melissa Carson, Ayesha Shuja, Rajesh Sunasee, Karina Ckless. Immunological and Oxidative Responses Caused by Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNCs) Derivatives Designed for Biomedical Applications, in Human and Mouse Cells. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2017; 112 ():209-210.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adham Sabra; Phil J Anderson; Melissa Carson; Ayesha Shuja; Rajesh Sunasee; Karina Ckless. 2017. "Immunological and Oxidative Responses Caused by Cellulose Nanocrystal (CNCs) Derivatives Designed for Biomedical Applications, in Human and Mouse Cells." Free Radical Biology and Medicine 112, no. : 209-210.

Original research
Published: 01 September 2017 in Nanotechnology, Science and Applications
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Effect of surface organic coatings of cellulose nanocrystals on the viability of mammalian cell lines Ambar S Jimenez,1 Francesca Jaramillo,1 Usha D Hemraz,2 Yaman Boluk,3 Karina Ckless,1 Rajesh Sunasee1 1Department of Chemistry, State University of New York at Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY, USA; 2National Research Council, Montreal, QC, Canada, 3Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta and National Institute for Nanotechnology, National Research Council, Edmonton, AB, Canada Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as promising candidates for a number of bio-applications. Surface modification of CNCs continues to gain significant research interest as it imparts new properties to the surface of the nanocrystals for the design of multifunctional CNCs-based materials. A small chemical surface modification can potentially lead to drastic behavioral changes of cell-material interactions thereby affecting the intended bio-application. In this work, unmodified CNCs were covalently decorated with four different organic moieties such as a diaminobutane fragment, a cyclic oligosaccharide (β-cyclodextrin), a thermoresponsive polymer (poly[N-isopropylacrylamide]), and a cationic aminomethacrylamide-based polymer using different synthetic covalent methods. The effect of surface coatings of CNCs and the respective dose-response of the above organic moieties on the cell viability were evaluated on mammalian cell cultures (J774A.1 and MFC-7), using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and lactate dehydrogenase assays. Overall, the results indicated that cells exposed to surface-coated CNCs for 24 h did not display major changes in cell viability, membrane permeability as well as cell morphology. However, with longer exposure, all these parameters were somewhat affected, which appears not to be correlated with either anionic or cationic surface coatings of CNCs used in this study. Keywords: cellulose nanocrystals, surface coating, cell viability, MTT, LDH

ACS Style

Ambar S Jimenez; Francesca Jaramillo; Usha D Hemraz; Yaman Boluk; Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee. Effect of surface organic coatings of cellulose nanocrystals on the viability of mammalian cell lines. Nanotechnology, Science and Applications 2017, ume 10, 123 -136.

AMA Style

Ambar S Jimenez, Francesca Jaramillo, Usha D Hemraz, Yaman Boluk, Karina Ckless, Rajesh Sunasee. Effect of surface organic coatings of cellulose nanocrystals on the viability of mammalian cell lines. Nanotechnology, Science and Applications. 2017; ume 10 ():123-136.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ambar S Jimenez; Francesca Jaramillo; Usha D Hemraz; Yaman Boluk; Karina Ckless; Rajesh Sunasee. 2017. "Effect of surface organic coatings of cellulose nanocrystals on the viability of mammalian cell lines." Nanotechnology, Science and Applications ume 10, no. : 123-136.

Journal article
Published: 01 November 2016 in Free Radical Biology and Medicine
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Mostafa Elbery; Adham Sabra; Andrew Guglielmo; Milena Mattes Cerveira; Fernanda Ghenov; Rajesh Sunasee; Karina Ckless. Curcumin Attenuates S-Glutathionylation of the NLRP3 Protein and Alters NLRP3 Inflammasome Protein-Protein Interactions in LPS/CNC-AEMA2 Stimulated-Macrophages. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2016, 100, S53 .

AMA Style

Mostafa Elbery, Adham Sabra, Andrew Guglielmo, Milena Mattes Cerveira, Fernanda Ghenov, Rajesh Sunasee, Karina Ckless. Curcumin Attenuates S-Glutathionylation of the NLRP3 Protein and Alters NLRP3 Inflammasome Protein-Protein Interactions in LPS/CNC-AEMA2 Stimulated-Macrophages. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. 2016; 100 ():S53.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mostafa Elbery; Adham Sabra; Andrew Guglielmo; Milena Mattes Cerveira; Fernanda Ghenov; Rajesh Sunasee; Karina Ckless. 2016. "Curcumin Attenuates S-Glutathionylation of the NLRP3 Protein and Alters NLRP3 Inflammasome Protein-Protein Interactions in LPS/CNC-AEMA2 Stimulated-Macrophages." Free Radical Biology and Medicine 100, no. : S53.

Article
Published: 25 August 2016 in ChemInform
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ACS Style

Oghale Obaro-Best; Jack Reed; Alya A. F. B. Norfadilah; Ryan Monahan; Rajesh Sunasee. ChemInform Abstract: Bismuth Trichloride-Mediated Cleavage of Phenolic Methoxymethyl Ethers. ChemInform 2016, 47, 1 .

AMA Style

Oghale Obaro-Best, Jack Reed, Alya A. F. B. Norfadilah, Ryan Monahan, Rajesh Sunasee. ChemInform Abstract: Bismuth Trichloride-Mediated Cleavage of Phenolic Methoxymethyl Ethers. ChemInform. 2016; 47 (37):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oghale Obaro-Best; Jack Reed; Alya A. F. B. Norfadilah; Ryan Monahan; Rajesh Sunasee. 2016. "ChemInform Abstract: Bismuth Trichloride-Mediated Cleavage of Phenolic Methoxymethyl Ethers." ChemInform 47, no. 37: 1.

Review
Published: 09 May 2016 in Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery
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Introduction: Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are bio-based nanomaterials typically derived from the acid hydrolysis of the most abundant natural polymer, cellulose. These nanomaterials have garnered significant interest due to their unique properties, such as uniform rod-like shape, high surface area, high strength, liquid crystalline behavior, tailored surface chemistry, biocompatibility, biodegradability, sustainability and non-toxic carbohydrate-based nature. Areas covered: The recent developments in the use of unmodified and modified CNCs as versatile nanoplatforms for emerging biomedical applications such as drug delivery systems, enzyme/protein immobilization scaffolds, bioimaging, biosensing and tissue engineering are highlighted. A brief discussion of the biological and toxicity properties of CNCs is also presented. Expert opinion: While a number of recent studies have indicated that CNCs are promising nanomaterials for biomedical applications, there is a substantial amount of work that still remains to be done before realizing the full therapeutic potential of CNCs. Major effort should be focused on detailed in vitro and in vivo studies of modified CNCs constructs in order to better understand the integration of CNCs in the biological systems.

ACS Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Usha D. Hemraz; Karina Ckless. Cellulose nanocrystals: a versatile nanoplatform for emerging biomedical applications. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery 2016, 13, 1243 -1256.

AMA Style

Rajesh Sunasee, Usha D. Hemraz, Karina Ckless. Cellulose nanocrystals: a versatile nanoplatform for emerging biomedical applications. Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery. 2016; 13 (9):1243-1256.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Usha D. Hemraz; Karina Ckless. 2016. "Cellulose nanocrystals: a versatile nanoplatform for emerging biomedical applications." Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery 13, no. 9: 1243-1256.

Original articles
Published: 02 April 2016 in Synthetic Communications
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A simple and efficient method for removal of phenolic methoxymethyl ethers in the presence of 30 mol% of bismuth trichloride in acetonitrile/water is described. Notable features of the cleavage protocol entail use of an ecofriendly bismuth reagent, ease of handling, low cost, operational simplicity, and good functional group compatibility. A number of structurally varied phenolic methoxymethyl ethers were cleaved in good to excellent yields.

ACS Style

Oghale Obaro-Best; Jack Reed; Alya A. F. B. Norfadilah; Ryan Monahan; Rajesh Sunasee. Bismuth trichloride–mediated cleavage of phenolic methoxymethyl ethers. Synthetic Communications 2016, 46, 586 -593.

AMA Style

Oghale Obaro-Best, Jack Reed, Alya A. F. B. Norfadilah, Ryan Monahan, Rajesh Sunasee. Bismuth trichloride–mediated cleavage of phenolic methoxymethyl ethers. Synthetic Communications. 2016; 46 (7):586-593.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oghale Obaro-Best; Jack Reed; Alya A. F. B. Norfadilah; Ryan Monahan; Rajesh Sunasee. 2016. "Bismuth trichloride–mediated cleavage of phenolic methoxymethyl ethers." Synthetic Communications 46, no. 7: 586-593.

Conference paper
Published: 18 May 2015 in MRS Proceedings
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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have emerged as a new class of renewable material for various applications due to their remarkable properties and commercialization prospect. The relative low density, expected low cost, non-toxic character, uniform nanosize distribution, high aspect ratios, high surface area, thermal properties and high modulus of elasticity make CNCs attractive nanomaterials that recently prompted the industrial production of CNCs in North America. Surface functionalization of CNCs continues to be an exciting area of research for the design of novel CNC-based materials. In this work, we report the synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity studies of novel cationic surface modified CNC derivatives. The negative surface of CNC was rendered positive after grafting with cationic polymers via surface-initiated living radical polymerization method. The modified CNCs were characterized by both spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Their cytotoxicity effects were evaluated using MTT assay in two cell lines such as mouse macrophages (J774.A1) and human breast cancer (MCF7). Preliminary studies indicated that only one of the modified CNCs caused significant decrease in J774.A1 cell viability (50%), at the highest concentration tested (100 µg/mL). However this concentration is well above of what would be applicable for biomedical purposes. MCF7 cells were not affected by any of the cationic CNCs at any concentration. A detailed cytotoxicity study is currently underway to fully understand the interaction of these cationic CNCs with the biological systems for possible bio-inspired applications.

ACS Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Usha D. Hemraz; Karina Ckless; James S. Burdick; Yaman Boluk. Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxicity Studies. MRS Proceedings 2015, 1718, 91 -96.

AMA Style

Rajesh Sunasee, Usha D. Hemraz, Karina Ckless, James S. Burdick, Yaman Boluk. Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxicity Studies. MRS Proceedings. 2015; 1718 ():91-96.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Rajesh Sunasee; Usha D. Hemraz; Karina Ckless; James S. Burdick; Yaman Boluk. 2015. "Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals: Synthesis, Characterization and Cytotoxicity Studies." MRS Proceedings 1718, no. : 91-96.