•Multifunctional porous silica (pSiO2) nanocarriers were designed and prepared.•The pSiO2 nanocarriers have large specific surface area and high drug loading capacity.•ZnO QDs and hyaluronic acid are used to double seal the loaded drug molecules.•The nanocarriers display minimal premature release and pH/enzyme responsive release.•The fluorescent ZnO QDs could be used to monitor the drug release.pH/enzyme-responsive nanocarriers based on porous silica (pSiO2) nanospheres (NSs) were developed for controlled release of drug. The pSiO2 NSs present uniform spheres and have an average diameter of 100 nm. The pSiO2 NSs with high specific surface area (835 m2·g− 1) and the pore volume (1.24 cm3·g− 1) are suitable for drug loading and the loading capacity reaches to 29% for amoxicillin (AMX) model drug. In this system, protocatechuic acid (PCA) and L-glutamic acid (Glu) as linkers were grafting onto the surface of pSiO2 NSs to conjugate the capping lids. Acid-decomposable ZnO quantum dots (QDs) were introduced to block the partial pores of pSiO2 via amido bonds, which could act as gates and fluorescence probes. To minimize the premature release, hyaluronic acid (HA) was further coating on the outer surface of pSiO2, which would be degraded by over-expressed hyaluronidase (Hyal-1) in the tumor microenvironment. The controlled release of the drug from the ZnO/HA-gated delivery system was realized by the acidic dissolution of ZnO QDs and enzymatic hydrolysis of HA. The obtained ZnO/HA-gated pSiO2 delivery system would achieve minimized premature release and responsive release under a physiological environment.

•Fe3O4@Cu-apatite nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by hydrothermal method.•Fe3O4@Cu-apatite NPs can be used to separate His-tagged proteins.•Fe3O4@Cu-apatite NPs present high protein binding ability.•Fe3O4@Cu-apatite NPs exhibit low cytotoxicity.Hierarchical Fe3O4@Cu-apatite nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. The Fe3O4 cores present spherical shape and have a mean diameter of 300 nm, and the Cu-apatite shell with thickness of about 50 nm is composed of a large number of sheets. Using the high affinity of Cu2 + on the surface toward histidine tags, the Fe3O4@Cu-apatite NPs can be applied to enrich and magnetically separate histidine tagged (His-tagged) proteins directly from the mixture of lysed cells. Research results indicated that the Fe3O4@Cu-apatite NPs presented negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and high protein binding ability.Fe3O4@Cu-apatite nanoparticles can be used to magnetically separate His-tagged proteins.

•NiFe2O4 architectures have been synthesized by the hydrothermal method.•NiFe2O4 architectures mainly consist of radial fibers.•NiFe2O4 architectures can capture directly His-tagged proteins from the mixture of lysed cells.NiFe2O4 architectures were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. NiFe2O4 architectures consist of radial fibers with 30 nm in diameters and 1 µm in lengths. These architectures possess an excellent magnetic response and have Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 73.1 m2/g. Due to their high Ni2+ density, these architectures can be used to magnetically separate histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins directly from the mixture of lysed cells. The results show that the architectures present negligible nonspecific adsorption and high protein binding activity with the max value of 120.1 mg/g.

Nickel hydroxide/hydroxyapatite (Ni(OH)2/HAP) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH) were successfully synthesized in three steps. First, Ni(OH)2/HAP-COOH NPs were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route in the presence of citric acid. Second, rhodamine B was reacted with hydrazine hydrate to obtain rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH). Finally, RBH was conjugated on the surface of Ni(OH)2/HAP-COOH NPs to form Ni(OH)2/HAP-RBH. As affinity adsorbents, these NPs can directly purify histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins from a mixture of lysed cells, and exhibit high protein adsorption capacity with a maximum value of 115 mg g−1. A prominent fluorescence enhancement at 578 nm was observed in the presence of Pt2+, accompanied by a change in absorption spectrum. These NPs display excellent selectivity and sensitive recognition of Pt2+ in comparison with other metal ions and anions with a detection limit of 0.03 μM. These NPs exhibit low cytotoxicity and can be used as a probe for Pt2+ and living cell imaging.

Hollow nickel silicate nanospheres (NiSiO3 NSs) with hierarchical shells were hydrothermally synthesized by using silica spheres as a template. The NiSiO3 NSs have an average diameter of 250 nm with a shell thickness of 50 nm, and the hierarchical shell consists of a large number of sheets. By taking advantage of the high affinity of Ni2+ toward histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins, hollow NiSiO3 NSs can be used to enrich and separate His-tagged proteins directly from a mixture of lysed cells. Results indicated that the hollow NiSiO3 NSs presented negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and a high protein binding ability with a high binding capacity of 13.2 mmol g−1. Their specificity and affinity toward His-tagged proteins remained after recycling 5 times. The hollow NiSiO3 NSs are especially suitable for rapid purification of His-tagged proteins.

•Porous HAP NPs were prepared via a solvothermal route.•HAP NPs are modified with IDA, followed by chelating Ni2 + ions.•HAP/IDA-Ni2 + NPs can capture directly His-tagged proteins from the mixture of lysed cells.•HAP/IDA-Ni2 + NPs present negligible nonspecific adsorption and high protein binding ability.A simple strategy has been developed to synthesize hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles (NPs) in a simulated body fluid (SBF). The HAP NPs have an average diameter of 50 nm and present porous structure. By taking advantage of surface hydroxyl groups, the HAP NPs are further modified with iminodiacetic acid (IDA), followed by chelating Ni2 + ions. The HAP/IDA-Ni2 + NPs as novel adsorbent can capture directly histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins from the mixture of lysed cells without sample pretreatment. Results indicated that the HAP/IDA-Ni2 + NPs present negligible nonspecific adsorption and high protein binding ability, and their specificity and affinity toward His-tagged proteins can remain after 5 times of recycling. The HAP/IDA-Ni2 + NPs are especially suitable for purification of His-tagged proteins with low molecule weight.

•Ferric oxide/cysteine (FeOOH/Cys) architectures were prepared by a solvothermal route.•FeOOH/Cys can chelate Ni2 + ions to produce FeOOH/Cys-Ni2 + architectures.•FeOOH/Cys-Ni2 + architectures present high loading capacity and specificity.•The targeting materials can be recovered and reused.Petal-like ferric oxide/cysteine (FeOOH/Cys) architectures were prepared through a solvothermal route, which possessed high thiol group density. These thiol groups as binding sites can chelate Ni2 + ions, which can be further used to enrich and separate his-tagged proteins directly from the mixture of lysed cells without sample pretreatment. These results show that the FeOOH/Cys architectures with immobilized Ni2 + ions present negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and high protein adsorption capacity, with the saturation capacity being 88 mg/g, which are especially suitable for purification of his-tagged proteins.

•Flower-like Cu/PAA composites were prepared by solution method.•Cu/PAA composites had excellent water solubility.•Reaction conditions had an important effect on their morphologies.•Cu/PAA composites are selective in their antibacterial action.Water-soluble copper/polyacrylic acid (Cu/PAA) composites were synthesized by a facile solution-phase reduction route. The Cu/PAA composites presented flower-like architecture, consisting of several intercrossing sheets, and reaction conditions had an important effect on their morphologies. Their antibacterial activity towards the bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) were evaluated by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), cup diffusion method and optical density (OD600). Results indicated that Cu/PAA flower is selective in its antibacterial action. It displays more effective antibacterial activity against B. subtilis than other three stains, and better bactericidal activity against S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa than B. subtilis. There is no bactericidal ability against B. subtilis in the tested concentration range, which indicates that B. subtilis may be a copper-tolerant bacterium.

Hierarchical Fe3O4@NixSiOy microspheres (MSs) are synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method, using Fe3O4@SiO2 MSs as template. The prepared Fe3O4 cores present spherical shape and have a mean diameter of 500 nm, and the NixSiOy shell with thickness of 50 nm was composed of a large number of sheets. The Fe3O4@NixSiOy MSs are easily manipulated by an external magnetic force. By taking advantages of the high affinity of Ni2+ on the shell surface toward histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins, the Fe3O4@NixSiOy MSs can be applied to enrich and magnetically separate His-tagged proteins directly from the mixture of lysed cells. Research results indicated that the Fe3O4@NixSiOy MSs presented negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and high protein binding ability. These MSs with a high binding capacity of 14.6 mmol g−1 are much higher than that of commercial microbeads at only 10–12 mg g−1. Their specificity and affinity toward His-tagged proteins can be remained after four times recycling. The obtained Fe3O4@NixSiOy MSs are especially suitable for rapid purification of His-tagged proteins.

Ferroferric oxide/L-cysteine (Fe3O4/Cys) nanospheres (NSs) have been successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. Fe3O4/Cys NSs possessed high thiol group density and saturation magnetization (Ms) of 84.6 emu g−1. The prepared magnetic NSs are biocompatible and manipulatable by an external magnetic force. After chelating Ni2+ ions, Fe3O4/Cys-Ni2+ NSs were used to enrich and purify histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins directly from the mixture of lysed cells without pretreatment. It has been found that Fe3O4/Cys-Ni2+ NSs present negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and high protein binding activity with the saturation capacity being 53.2 μg mg−1 and they are especially suitable for rapid purification of His-tagged proteins.

•Cu2O crystals with different morphologies are synthesized.•Reaction conditions play important roles in the formation of Cu2O crystals.•Cu2O crystals have good antibacterial activity.Uniform cuprous oxides with different morphologies have been successfully synthesized using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a capping agent. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–vis spectrophotometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to characterize the structure and morphology of cuprous oxides. It was found that the reaction conditions such as PVP, reducing agent and complexing agent played important roles in the formation of regular cuprous oxide crystals. In addition, their antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) was also investigated by the Oxford cup method. Results suggested that cuprous oxides are selective in their antibacterial action. They display effective antibacterial activity against S. aureus, B. subtilis and P. aeruginosa. There is no bactericidal ability against E. coli in the tested concentration range, which indicates that E. coli may be a Cu(I)-tolerant bacterium.

Ln3+-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals were synthesized by a facile citric acid-assisted solvothermal process. The effect of citric acid on the morphology and crystalline structure of the products was investigated, and the luminescence and fluorescence properties of the products were examined. Results show that citric acid plays a key part in controlling product morphology. As-synthesized cubic phase NaYF4 nanocrystals with narrow size (around 50 nm) could be an excellent host material for different doped lanthanide ions. Yb3+/Er3+ co-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals show strong up-conversion luminescence under 980 nm of continuous wave diode laser excitation, showing potential application as phosphors.Highlights► Ln3+-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals have been synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. ► Citric acid plays a key role in controlling the morphology of Ln3+-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals. ► Ln3+-doped NaYF4 nanocrystals present novel down and up conversion luminescence emission.

In this paper, we report a novel solution route to prepare In2S3 nanoparticles through directly dispersing melted indium in a sulfur-dissolved solvent. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED) show the formation of In2S3 nanoparticles possessing tetragonal structure with an average particle diameter of 30 nm. The as-prepared In2S3 nanoparticles display strong blue–UV emission, promising for applications in optical devices.

Micrometer-sized flowerlike FeS/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)(PVP) architectures were synthesized by solvothermal process with the aid of thiourea, in which PVP may serve as soft templates. The FeS/PVP flowers have uniform morphologies with an average diameter of 5 μm, made of several nanopetals. The formation of FeS/PVP flowers is a new kinetic control process. In this process, thiourea molecules would be decomposed to produce “gas bubble”, and the “gas bubble” could make PVP chain segment rearrange along exterior force, resulting in the morphology evolution. The higher “gas bubble” pressure would produce 3D flowers, and the lower pressure would give a hollow structure. The evolution process from particles to 3D flowers is observed for the first time. In addition, the hollow FeS/PVP and Cu2S/PVP spheres are also obtained by this technique.

In this paper, we report a new solution synthetic route to prepare Pb–Bi bimetal nanoparticles from bulk ingot that is different from conventional solution methods. The Pb–Bi nanoparticles were prepared by dispersing directly melt Pb–Bi ingot in a suitable solvent and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and other techniques. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the Pb–Bi nanoparticles appear a spherical shape with an average diameter of 50 nm. X-ray diffraction studies show that the Pb–Bi nanoparticles contain crystalline Pb7Bi3, Bi and a little amount of PbO. Tribological results show that Pb–Bi nanoparticles as a lubricating additive show good antiwear properties. In addition, the formation mechanism of the Pb–Bi nanoparticles was also discussed.

In this paper, we report a novel solution method for preparing alloy nanoparticles that involves dispersion, surface oxidation and solvent absorption. In–Sn alloy nanoparticles were prepared by dispersing melt In–Sn alloy in a suitable solvent from In–Sn alloy. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the nanoparticles appear to be close to a spherical shape and have an average diameter of 60 nm. Electron diffraction and power X-ray diffraction studies confirm that the formation of In–Sn alloy nanoparticles that have the same crystal structure with equilibrium phase In3Sn and InSn4 as the bulk alloy. Thermal analysis reveals that the samples contain at least 3 wt% organic solvent. In addition, the tribological properties of In–Sn alloy nanoparticles as an additive in lubricating oil were evaluated on a four-ball tester. The results show that the In–Sn alloy nanoparticles have excellent performance in wear, which is better than that of the corresponding monometallic particles.

In this paper, we report a simple method to prepare bismuth nanoparticles from bulk bismuth. Bismuth nanoparticles of near spherical shape have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. Bismuth nanoparticles have mean diameter of 40–50 nm and exhibit the same crystal structure as the bulk bismuth. The surface of bismuth nanoparticle has been oxidized and the thermal analysis shows that bismuth samples contain at least 9 wt.% organic solvent and 76 wt.% metallic bismuth. The tribological property of bismuth nanoparticles as additives in oil is evaluated on a four-ball tester. The results show that bismuth nanoparticles exhibit good performance in wear.

In this paper, we report a novel solution route to prepare SnS nanoparticles through directly dispersing melted tin in a sulfur-dissolved solvent. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron diffraction (ED) show the formation of SnS nanoparticles possessing orthorhombic structure and an average particle diameter of less than 200 nm. The as-prepared SnS nanoparticles display novel blue-UV emission, promising for applications in optical devices.

In this paper, we report a novel solution dispersion method for preparing tin nanoparticles from bulk tin. Tin nanoparticles, with average diameter of 30–40 nm, have the same crystal structure as the bulk tin, and the particle surface has been oxidized. In addition, tin nanoparticles show excellent antiwear properties.

Ferroferric oxide/L-cysteine (Fe3O4/Cys) nanospheres (NSs) have been successfully synthesized via a facile solvothermal route. Fe3O4/Cys NSs possessed high thiol group density and saturation magnetization (Ms) of 84.6 emu g−1. The prepared magnetic NSs are biocompatible and manipulatable by an external magnetic force. After chelating Ni2+ ions, Fe3O4/Cys-Ni2+ NSs were used to enrich and purify histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins directly from the mixture of lysed cells without pretreatment. It has been found that Fe3O4/Cys-Ni2+ NSs present negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and high protein binding activity with the saturation capacity being 53.2 μg mg−1 and they are especially suitable for rapid purification of His-tagged proteins.

Nickel hydroxide/hydroxyapatite (Ni(OH)2/HAP) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH) were successfully synthesized in three steps. First, Ni(OH)2/HAP-COOH NPs were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route in the presence of citric acid. Second, rhodamine B was reacted with hydrazine hydrate to obtain rhodamine B hydrazide (RBH). Finally, RBH was conjugated on the surface of Ni(OH)2/HAP-COOH NPs to form Ni(OH)2/HAP-RBH. As affinity adsorbents, these NPs can directly purify histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins from a mixture of lysed cells, and exhibit high protein adsorption capacity with a maximum value of 115 mg g−1. A prominent fluorescence enhancement at 578 nm was observed in the presence of Pt2+, accompanied by a change in absorption spectrum. These NPs display excellent selectivity and sensitive recognition of Pt2+ in comparison with other metal ions and anions with a detection limit of 0.03 μM. These NPs exhibit low cytotoxicity and can be used as a probe for Pt2+ and living cell imaging.

Hollow nickel silicate nanospheres (NiSiO3 NSs) with hierarchical shells were hydrothermally synthesized by using silica spheres as a template. The NiSiO3 NSs have an average diameter of 250 nm with a shell thickness of 50 nm, and the hierarchical shell consists of a large number of sheets. By taking advantage of the high affinity of Ni2+ toward histidine-tagged (His-tagged) proteins, hollow NiSiO3 NSs can be used to enrich and separate His-tagged proteins directly from a mixture of lysed cells. Results indicated that the hollow NiSiO3 NSs presented negligible nonspecific protein adsorption and a high protein binding ability with a high binding capacity of 13.2 mmol g−1. Their specificity and affinity toward His-tagged proteins remained after recycling 5 times. The hollow NiSiO3 NSs are especially suitable for rapid purification of His-tagged proteins.