Noelio O. Dantas

By Anielle Christine Almeida Silva, Jerusa Maria de Oliveira, Kelen Talita Romão da Silva, Francisco Rubens Alves dos Santos, João Paulo Santos de Carvalho, Rose Kethelyn Souza Avelino, Eurípedes Alves da Silva Filho, Marcelo Duzzioni, Edigar Henrique Vaz Dias, Fábio de Oliveira, Juliana Rodrigues Machado, Malu Mateus Santos, Marcos Vinícius da Silva, Carlo José Freire de Oliveira, Virmondes Rodrigues Junior, Lucas Anhezini and Noelio Oliveira Dantas

This book chapter will comment on fluorescent reporter proteins and nanocrystals’ applicability as fluorescent markers. Fluorescent reporter proteins in the Drosophila model system offer a degree of specificity that allows monitoring cellular and biochemical phenomena in vivo, such as autophagy, mitophagy, and changes in the redox state of cells. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocrystals (NCs) have several biological applications and emit in the ultraviolet, with doping of europium ions can be visualized in the red luminescence. Therefore, it is possible to monitor nanocrystals in biological systems using different emission channels. CdSe/CdS magic-sized quantum dots (MSQDs) show high luminescence stability in biological systems and can be bioconjugated with biological molecules. Therefore, this chapter will show exciting results of the group using fluorescent proteins and nanocrystals in biological systems.

Part of the book: Bioluminescence

By Anielle C.A. Silva, Eliete A. Alvin, Francisco R.A. dos Santos, Samanta L.M. de Matos, Jerusa M. de Oliveira, Alessandra S. Silva, Éder V. Guimarães, Mirella S. Vieira, Eurípedes A. da Silva Filho, Ricardo S. Silva, Lucas Anhezini, Nilvanira D. Tebaldi and Noelio O. Dantas

This chapter aims to show significant progress that our group has been developing and the applications of several doped semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), as nanopowders or embedded in glass systems. Depending on the type of dopant incorporated in the nanocrystals, the physical, chemical, and biological properties can be intensified. However, it can also generate undesired toxic effects that can potentially compromise its use. Here we present the potential of zinc oxide NCs doped with silver (Ag), gold (Au), and magnesium (Mg) ions to control bacterial diseases in agriculture. We have also performed biocompatibility analysis of the pure and Ag-doped sodium titanate (Na2Ti3O7) NCs in Drosophila. The doped nanocrystals embedded in glassy systems are chrome (Cr) or copper (Cu) in ZnTe and Bi2Te3 NCs for spintronic development nanodevices. Therefore, we will show several advantages that doped nanocrystals may present in the technological and biotechnological areas.

Part of the book: Materials at the Nanoscale

By Eliete A. Alvin, Anna V.B. e Borges, Rhéltheer de P. Martins, Marcela R. Lemes, Rafaela M. Barbosa, Carlo J.F. de Oliveira, Diógenes Meneses, Bruno G. Lucca, Noelio O. Dantas, Virmondes R. Junior, Renata P.A. Balvedi, Fabiane C. de Abreu, Marcos V. da Silva and Anielle C.A. Silva

Mass testing for COVID-19 is essential to defining patient management strategies, choosing the best clinical management, and dimensioning strategies for controlling viral dissemination and immunization strategies. Thus, it is of utmost importance to search for devices that allow a quick and reliable diagnosis of low cost that can be transposed from the bench to the bedside, such as biosensors. These devices can help choose the correct clinical management to minimize factors that lead to infected patients developing more severe diseases. The use of nanomaterials to modify biosensors’ surfaces to increase these devices’ sensitivity and their biofunctionality enables high-quality nanotechnological platforms. In addition to the diagnostic benefits, nanotechnological platforms that facilitate the monitoring of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may be the key to determining loss of protective immune response after an episode of COVID-19, which leads to a possible chance of reinfection, as well as how they can be used to assess and monitor the success of immunization strategies, which are beginning to be administered on a large scale and that the extent and duration of their protection will need to be determined. Therefore, in this chapter, we will cover nanomaterials’ use and their functionalities in the surface design of sensors, thus generating nanotechnological platforms in the various facets of the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Part of the book: Biotechnology to Combat COVID-19

By Anielle C.A. Silva, Jerusa M. de Oliveira, Luciana R.S. Floresta, Matheus V. da Silva, José L. da S. Duarte, Karolina B. da Silva, Eurípedes A. da Silva Filho, Vinícius P. Bittar, Ana L.S. Borges, Guilherme L. Fernandes, Alessandra S. Silva, Éder V. Guimarães, Ricardo S. Silva, Carmem L.P.S. Zanta, Lucas Anhezini and Noelio O. Dantas

Doping is a technique that makes it possible to incorporate substitutional ions into the crystalline structure of materials, generating exciting properties. This book chapter will comment on the transition metals (TM) doped nanocrystals (NCs) and how doping and concentration influence applications and biocompatibility. In the NCs doped with TM, there is a strong interaction of sp-d exchange between the NCs’ charge carriers and the unpaired electrons of the MT, generating new and exciting properties. These doped NCs can be nanopowders or be embedded in glass matrices, depending on the application of interest. Therefore, we show the group results of synthesis, characterization, and applications of iron or copper-doped ZnO nanopowders and chromium-doped Bi2S3, nickel-doped ZnTe, and manganese-doped CdTe quantum dots in the glass matrices.

Part of the book: Transition Metal Compounds

By Anielle C.A. Silva, Amanda I.S. Barbosa, Alessandra S. Silva, Elisson A. Batista, Thaís K. de Lima Rezende, Éder V. Guimarães, Ricardo S. Silva and Noelio O. Dantas

Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor (DMS) nanocrystals are a new class of materials formed by doping the semiconductor with transition metals (TM), which gives interesting magneto-optical properties. These properties are attributed to the exchange interaction between the pure semiconductor’s sp-electrons and the localized TM d-electrons. This book chapter shows exciting results of new DMS developed by the group, both in powder form and embedded in glassy systems. Depending on the concentration of doping ions, saturation of the incorporation of substitutional and interstitial sites in the nanocrystal structure may occur, forming other nanocrystals. In this context, we investigated the doping saturation limit in nanopowders of DMS Zn1-xMnxO NCs and Zn1-xMnxTe, Zn0.99-xMn0.01CoxTe, and Bi2-xCoxS NCs synthesized in glassy matrices. Thus, the sites’ saturation into the crystalline lattice of nanocrystals is a topic little reported in the literature, and we will comment on this work. Therefore, we will show results from the group about the modulation and saturation in diluted magnetic semiconductors nanocrystals in this work.

Part of the book: Materials at the Nanoscale

By Weslley Rick Viana Sampaio, Petteson Linniker Carvalho Serra, Noelio Oliveira Dantas, Rômulo Ríbeiro Magalhães de Sousa and Anielle Christine Almeida Silva

Thin films of nanocomposite materials arouse a lot of interest due to their excellent mechanical, electrical, optical, tribological properties and also by the vast field of application. This chapter covers some techniques of thin films growth, such as the processes of physical vapor deposition, such as magnetron sputtering; the processes of chemical vapor deposition; layer-by-layer; among other techniques. Additionally, relevant features and applications of some nanocomposites thin films are presented. The wide variety of thin films growth techniques have allowed the development of several devices including those that act as: transistors, actuators, sensors, solar cells, devices with shape memory effect, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), thermoelectric devices.

Part of the book: Nanocomposite Materials for Biomedical and Energy Storage Applications

By Anielle C.A. Silva, Eliete A. Alvin, Lais S. de Jesus, Caio C.L. de França, Marílya P.G. da Silva, Samaysa L. Lins, Diógenes Meneses, Marcela R. Lemes, Rhanoica O. Guerra, Marcos V. da Silva, Carlo J.F. de Oliveira, Virmondes Rodrigues Junior, Renata M. Etchebehere, Fabiane C. de Abreu, Bruno G. Lucca, Sanívia A.L. Pereira, Rodrigo C. Rosa and Noelio O. Dantas

This chapter comments on the advantages of nanobiosensors using nanocrystals in improving electrochemical sensors’ response and their use as theragnostic tools in biomedical applications. The use of nanomaterials to modify electrochemical sensors’ surfaces to increase these devices’ sensitivity and their bio-functionality enables high-quality nanotechnological platforms. Thus, graphene nanostructures and CdSe/CdS magic-sized quantum dots (MSQDs) were shown to improve biosensor’s sensitivity. In addition, the use of CdSe/CdS MSQDs and cobalt ferrite nanocrystals (NCs) as potential tools for drug delivery systems and biocompatible titanium dioxide NCs in osseointegration processes and their bio-location are also demonstrated. So, this chapter shows some impressive results on which the group has been working regarding the applications of nanocrystals to electrochemical sensors and theranostic applications.

Part of the book: Biosignal Processing