Supported nanoparticles for catalysis and biomedical applications

In recent years we have prepared a large variety of stable supported metal nanoparticles by using supports such as silica, alumina, titania, magnetite (hereafter generally termed as Oxides Supports, OS), Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) and hydroxyapatite (HA) to be employed as catalytic systems and biomaterials. With regards to the OS, we have developed a convenient method for the anchoring of AuNPs on matrices modified with a propynylcarbamate functionality, without the need of any additional reducing and/or stabilizing agents. Among these systems, the Au/SiO2 catalyst was also the most active in the oxidation of a large variety of primary and secondary alcohols both in batch and flow settings (Fig. 1A), yielding very stable performances as a function of time without any detrimental activity degradation [1]. Figure 1. In the HA case we have reported an easy, green and low-cost method to support AgNPs onto multifunctionalized HA-R crystals (Fig. 1B, R = zoledronate, (9R)-9-hydroxystearate) obtaining materials that combine the biological properties of R with a significant long-standing antibacterial activity [2]. ___________ [1] M. Giorgetti, G. Aquilanti, B. Ballarin, M. Berrettoni, M.C. Cassani, S. Fazzini, D. Nanni, D. Tonelli, Anal. Chem. 2016, 88, 6873; M.C. Cassani, B. Ballarin, D. Barreca, E. Boanini, E. Bonansegna, G. Carraro, S. Fazzini, A. Mignani, D. Nanni, D. Pinelli, RSC Adv. 2016, 6, 25780; B. Ballarin, D. Barreca, E. Boanini, M.C. Cassani, P. Dambruoso, A. Massi, A. Mignani, D. Nanni, C. Parise, A. Zaghi, ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2017, 5, 4746. [2] E. Boanini, P. Torricelli, C. Boga, G. Micheletti, M.C. Cassani, M. Fini, A. Bigi, Langmuir 2016, 32, 188; E. Boanini, P. Torricelli, F. Bonvicini, M.C. Cassani, M. Fini, G.A. Gentilomi, A. Bigi, Eur. J. Pharm. Biopharm. 2018, 127, 120; E. Boanini, M.C. Cassani, K. Rubini, C. Boga, A. Bigi, Nanomaterials 2018, 8, 390.