Zinc belongs to the mineral elements, the so-called micronutrients, which are essential for all types of plants. Embedding itself into the enzymes associated with proteosynthesis and energy processes, zinc is necessary for maintaining the integrity of biomembranes and also plays an important role in the development of seeds and generative organs. This review focuses on summarising the findings on the interaction of zinc and plants and translates into the knowledge of the effect of zinc nanoparticles on plants. The findings include an overview of both positive and negative effects on plants. In conclusion there is a great interest in nano-zinc as improving the knowledge about individual forms of zinc and their uptake and assimilation within higher plants may be the first step towards a wider involvement of zinc nanoparticles into agriculture.

• Klíčová slova
• Development, Growth, Nano-fertilizer, Nano-pesticides, Nanozinc, Toxicity,
• MeSH
• kovové nanočástice * chemie   toxicita   MeSH
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí chemie   metabolismus   toxicita   MeSH
• nanotechnologie MeSH
• půda chemie   MeSH
• rostliny metabolismus   MeSH
• zemědělství MeSH
• zinek * chemie   metabolismus   toxicita   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• látky znečišťující životní prostředí MeSH
• půda MeSH
• zinek * MeSH

Nanomaterials in agriculture are becoming popular due to the impressive advantages of these particles. However, their bioavailability and toxicity are key features for their massive employment. Herein, we comprehensively summarize the latest findings on the phytotoxicity of nanomaterial products based on essential metals used in plant protection. The metal nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized from essential metals belong to the most commonly manufactured types of nanomaterials since they have unique physical and chemical properties and are used in agricultural and biotechnological applications, which are discussed. The paper discusses the interactions of nanomaterials and vascular plants, which are the subject of intensive research because plants closely interact with soil, water, and atmosphere; they are also part of the food chain. Regarding the accumulation of NPs in the plant body, their quantification and localization is still very unclear and further research in this area is necessary.

• Klíčová slova
• Agriculture, Essential metal nanoparticles, Fertilizers, Nanomaterials, Nanoparticles uptake, Phytotoxicity,
• MeSH
• fyziologie rostlin účinky léků   MeSH
• kovové nanočástice chemie   toxicita   MeSH
• kovy chemie   metabolismus   toxicita   MeSH
• nanotechnologie * metody   MeSH
• rostliny účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• testy toxicity metody   MeSH
• zemědělství * metody   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• kovy MeSH

Iron oxide nanomaterials are considered promising tools for improved therapeutic efficacy and diagnostic applications in biomedicine. Accordingly, engineered iron oxide nanomaterials are increasingly proposed in biomedicine, and the interdisciplinary researches involving physics, chemistry, biology (nanotechnology) and medicine have led to exciting developments in the last decades. The progresses of the development of magnetic nanoparticles with tailored physico-chemical and surface properties produced a variety of clinically relevant applications, spanning from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), drug delivery, magnetic hyperthermia, to in vitro diagnostics. Notwithstanding the wellknown conventional synthetic procedures and their wide use, along with recent advances in the synthetic methods open the door to new generations of naked iron oxide nanoparticles possessing peculiar surface chemistries, suitable for other competitive biomedical applications. New abilities to rationally manipulate iron oxides and their physical, chemical, and biological properties, allow the emersion of additional possibilities for designing novel nanomaterials for theranostic applications.

• Klíčová slova
• Nanoparticles, biomedicine., colloids, iron oxide, nanomaterial synthesis, theranostics,
• MeSH
• kovové nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• magnetismus MeSH
• železité sloučeniny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ferric oxide MeSH Prohlížeč
• železité sloučeniny MeSH

Droplet-based microfluidic devices are now more than ever used for the synthesis of nanoparticles with low polydispersity and well-defined properties suitable for various industrial applications. Very small reaction volumes (microlitre to femtolitre) and short diffusion lengths, provide superior mixing efficiency and heat transport. Both play the dominant role in case of ultra-fast chemical reactions triggered upon reactant mixing, e.g. preparation of colloidal silver by reduction of silver salt. The high sensitivity of these systems to process variables makes otherwise more straightforward batch-wise production prone to suffer from inconsistency and poor reproducibility, which has an adverse effect on the reliability of production and further particle utilisation. This work presents a rigorous description of microfluidic droplet formation, reactant mixing, and nanoparticle synthesis using CFD simulations and experimental methods. The reaction mixture inside of droplets was homogenized in less than 40 milliseconds, which has been confirmed by simulations. Silver nanoparticles produced by droplet-based microfluidic chip showed superior to batch-wise preparation in terms of both particle uniformity and polydispersity.

• Klíčová slova
• CFD simulation, Droplets, Mixing efficiency, Nanoparticles, Two-phase flow,
• MeSH
• hydrodynamika * MeSH
• kinetika MeSH
• kovové nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• nanotechnologie přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• stříbro chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• stříbro MeSH

In parallel to technological advances and ever-increasing use of nanoparticles in industry, agriculture and consumer products, the potential ecotoxicity of nanoparticles and their potential accumulation in ecosystems is of increasing concern. Because scientific reports raise a concern regarding nanoparticle toxicity to plants, understanding of their bioaccumulation has become critical and demands more research. Here, the synthesis of isotopically-labeled nanoparticles of silver, copper and zinc oxide is reported; it is demonstrated that while maintaining the basic properties of the same unlabeled ("regular") nanoparticles, labeled nanoparticles enable more sensitive tracing of nanoparticles within plants that have background elemental levels. This technique is particularly useful for working with elements that are present in high abundance in natural environments. As a benchmark, labeled and unlabeled metal nanoparticles (Ag-NP, Cu-NP, ZnO-NP) were synthesized and compared, and then exposed in a series of growth experiments to Arabidopsis thaliana; the NPs were traced in different parts of the plant. All of the synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by TEM, EDS, DLS, ζ-potential and single particle ICP-MS, which provided essential information regarding size, composition, morphology and surface charge of nanoparticles, as well as their stability in suspensions. Tracing studies with A. thaliana showed uptake/retention of nanoparticles that is more significant in roots than in shoots. Single particle ICP-MS, and scanning electron micrographs and EDS of plant roots showed presence of Ag-NPs in particular, localized areas, whereas copper and zinc were found to be distributed over the root tissues, but not as nanoparticles. Thus, nanoparticles in any natural matrix can be replaced easily by their labeled counterparts to trace the accumulation or retention of NPs. Isotopically-labeled nanoparticles enable acquisition of specific results, even if there are some concentrations of the same elements that originate from other (natural or anthropogenic) sources.

• Klíčová slova
• Copper nanoparticles, Isotopically labeled nanoparticles, Nanoparticle uptake, Silver nanoparticles, Zinc oxide nanoparticles,
• MeSH
• kovové nanočástice MeSH
• měď analýza   MeSH
• nanočástice analýza   MeSH
• oxid zinečnatý analýza   MeSH
• rostliny chemie   MeSH
• stříbro analýza   MeSH
• zinek MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• měď MeSH
• oxid zinečnatý MeSH
• stříbro MeSH
• zinek MeSH

The knowledge of protein-nanoparticle interplay is of crucial importance to predict the fate of nanomaterials in biological environments. Indeed, protein corona on nanomaterials is responsible for the physiological response of the organism, influencing cell processes, from transport to accumulation and toxicity. Herein, a comparison using four different proteins reveals the existence of patterned regions of carboxylic groups acting as recognition sites for naked iron oxide nanoparticles. Readily interacting proteins display a distinctive surface distribution of carboxylic groups, recalling the geometric shape of an ellipse. This is morphologically complementary to nanoparticles curvature and compatible with the topography of exposed FeIII sites laying on the nanomaterial surface. The recognition site, absent in non-interacting proteins, promotes the nanoparticle harboring and allows the formation of functional protein coronas. The present work envisages the possibility of predicting the composition and the biological properties of protein corona on metal oxide nanoparticles.

• Klíčová slova
• Iron oxide nanoparticles, Nanomaterial surface, Nanoparticle recognition, Protein binding, Protein corona,
• MeSH
• kovové nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• magnetické nanočástice oxidů železa chemie   MeSH
• membránové proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• nanočástice metabolismus   MeSH
• povrchové vlastnosti MeSH
• proteinová korona chemie   MeSH
• vazba proteinů fyziologie   MeSH
• železité sloučeniny chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• membránové proteiny MeSH
• proteinová korona MeSH
• železité sloučeniny MeSH

The synthesis of a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivative, S-[4-({4-[(2,2'-bi-1,3-dithiol-4-ylmethoxy)methyl] phenyl}ethynyl)phenyl] ethanethioate, suitable for the modification of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), is described in this article. The TTF ligand was self-assembled on the AuNP surface through ligand exchange, starting from dodecanethiol-stabilized AuNPs. The resulting modified AuNPs were characterized by TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and electrochemistry. The most suitable electrochemical method was the phase-sensitive AC voltammetry at very low frequencies of the sine-wave perturbation. The results indicate a diminishing electronic communication between the two equivalent redox centers of TTF and also intermolecular donor-acceptor interactions manifested by an additional oxidation wave upon attachment of the ligand to AuNPs.

• Klíčová slova
• AC voltammetry, TEM, gold nanoparticles, spectroscopy, synthesis, tetrathiafulvalene,
• MeSH
• elektrochemie metody   MeSH
• kovové nanočástice * chemie   MeSH
• ligandy MeSH
• zlato * chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ligandy MeSH
• tetrathiafulvalene MeSH Prohlížeč
• zlato * MeSH

During the last years, several authors have focused on the characterization of the size and charge of the nanoparticles by capillary electrophoresis. However, considering that nanoparticles are generally suspended in a solvent different from those commonly used as background electrolytes (BGE), an appropriate characterization of the behavior of the nanoparticles in the sample-BGE interface is required, as this might affect the overall electrophoretic behavior of the nanoparticles. In the present work, we address the evaluation of the behavior of COOH-coated maghemite nanoparticles in the vicinity of a pH boundary. To do so, different suspensions of nanoparticles prepared in acid media were injected into a borate/NaOH pH 9.5 BGE. The formation and evolution of boundaries in the sample-BGE interface in such systems was modeled by computer simulation. A systematic evaluation of the effect that parameters such as the co-ion, the sample pH or the injection time have on the electrophoretic behavior of the nanoparticles was carried out.

• Klíčová slova
• Boundary effects, Dynamic pH junction, Nanoparticles, Stacking, pH boundary,
• MeSH
• elektroforéza kapilární přístrojové vybavení   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• magnetické nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• počítačová simulace MeSH
• železité sloučeniny chemie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• ferric oxide MeSH Prohlížeč
• magnetické nanočástice MeSH
• železité sloučeniny MeSH

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been used for decades as anti-bacterial agents in various industrial fields such as cosmetics, health industry, food storage, textile coatings and environmental applications, although their toxicity is not fully recognized yet. Antimicrobial and catalytic activity of AgNPs depends on their size as well as structure, shape, size distribution, and physico-chemical environment. The unique properties of AgNPs require novel or modified toxicological methods for evaluation of their toxic potential combined with robust analytical methods for characterization of nanoparticles applied in relevant vehicles, e.g., culture medium with/without serum and phosphate buffered saline.

• Klíčová slova
• Culture medium, Dynamic light scattering, Particle size and distribution, Phosphate buffered saline, Silver nanoparticles, Transmission electron microscopy,
• MeSH
• dynamický rozptyl světla MeSH
• farmaceutická vehikula MeSH
• kovové nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• stříbro chemie   MeSH
• transmisní elektronová mikroskopie MeSH
• velikost částic MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• farmaceutická vehikula MeSH
• stříbro MeSH

The need for excellent, affordable, rapid, reusable and biocompatible protein purification techniques is justified based on the roles of proteins as key biomacromolecules. Magnetic nanomaterials nowadays have become the subject of discussion in proteomics, drug delivery, and gene sensing due to their various abilities including rapid separation, superparamagnetism, and biocompatibility. These nanomaterials also referred to as magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) serve as excellent options for traditional protein separation and analytical methods because they have a larger surface area per volume. From ionic metals to carbon-based materials, MNPs are easily functionalized by modifying their surface to precisely recognize and bind proteins. This review excavates state-of-the-art MNPs and their functionalizing agents, as efficient protein separation and purification techniques, including ionic metals, polymers, biomolecules, antibodies, and graphene. The MNPs could be reused and efficaciously manipulated with these nanomaterials leading to highly improved efficiency, adsorption, desorption, and purity rate. We also discuss the binding and selectivity parameters of the MNPs, as well as their future outlook. It is concluded that parameters like charge, size, core-shell, lipophilicity, lipophobicity, and surface energy of the MNPs are crucial when considering protein selectivity, chelation, separation, and purity.

• Klíčová slova
• IMAC, Magnetic nanoparticles, Poly-his pre-tagged proteins, Protein separation and purification, Surface modification,
• MeSH
• adsorpce MeSH
• magnetické nanočástice * chemie   MeSH
• magnetismus MeSH
• polymery MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• magnetické nanočástice * MeSH
• polymery MeSH