The alarming situation of the growing number of diabetic patients has called for a simple, sensit... more The alarming situation of the growing number of diabetic patients has called for a simple, sensitive, and selective glucose sensor that is also stable and user-friendly. In this report, we have reviewed the latest electrochemical sensing technology based on transition metal phosphides (TMPs) for glucose detection. Apart from the oxides, sulfides, nitrides, chalcogenides, etc., transition metal phosphides are less explored and have emerged as potential candidates for non-enzymatic glucose sensing applications. This review will help scientists and researchers to exploit relevant properties for glucose sensing applications, identify the best synthesis approaches to prepare transition metal phosphides, and provide information on the factors influencing glucose sensing and parameters to improve the performance and theoretical insights into the mechanism involved. Therefore, this review emphasizes a few methods adopted for tuning the properties of TMPs to achieve a stable glucose-sensing ...
Polymer-plastics Technology and Engineering, Jun 15, 2015
ABSTRACT Clogging of polymer at the tip of the needle is a major problem in electrospinning that ... more ABSTRACT Clogging of polymer at the tip of the needle is a major problem in electrospinning that hinders the continuous electrospinning. A new combination of two environmentally benign solvents, acetone/acetic acid mixture, was investigated to eliminate clogging. Our results show that the use of acetone/acetic acid mixture in the ratio 3:7 as the solvent system completely avoided the clogging. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Abstract Food infections are among the most serious public health concerns and are one of the maj... more Abstract Food infections are among the most serious public health concerns and are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Monitoring and separation of such contaminants is an instrumental component in understanding and managing risks to human health and the environment. Many researchers and engineers have indulged in this important and difficult task and have developed technologies aiming the detection and removal of pathogenic organisms in processed as well as raw food products. Application of nanotechnology for monitoring and separation of food-borne pathogens is an active area of research. The magnetic nanoparticles are introduced into conventional pathogen detection techniques to make them simple, rapid, highly selective, and sensitive. The principle employed is that magnetic nanoparticles are often immobilized with various biomolecules like antibodies that have high selectivity to target analytes. Due to their large specific surface area and specific bonding, the modified magnetic nanoparticles recognize and capture the analytes from crude samples to form a complex, which can be detected and separated quickly and efficiently. Biofunctional magnetic nanoparticles (BMNPs) are used to facilitate the rapid separation of Escherichia coli from beef, ground water, and milk samples. Magnetic nanoparticles when integrated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoassay, spectrometry, and biosensors, make a rapid or an online analysis/detection of pathogens. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles has improved the detection sensitivity of pathogens using PCR technique by 10–100 times. In this chapter, exploitation of magnetic nanoparticles for the monitoring and separation of various pathogens in the processed food and raw food materials including milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables has been detailed. The state of the art of sensor-based monitoring of microorganisms, strategies adopted to enhance the sensitivity of such devices, are also discussed. Recent advancements in the functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles for the specific detection and separation of various pathogens are also taken into account.
Polymer-plastics Technology and Engineering, Apr 25, 2016
ABSTRACT In this study, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes... more ABSTRACT In this study, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes were fabricated and characterized. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed an increase in absorbance of vibrational peaks of poly(ε-caprolactone) as the titanium dioxide nanoparticle concentration was increased. From the X-ray diffraction spectra, it was observed that the incorporation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles does not affect the crystalline structure of the poly(ε-caprolactone); instead, the degree of crystallinity has been increased significantly. However, at higher concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, crystallinity was decreased to a lower value. Differential scanning calorimeter thermograms have also confirmed this tendency. Finally, efficacy of gentamicin-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes against a wound isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been evaluated. The results demonstrated that poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes can synergistically act with gentamicin to inhibit the growth of methicillin-resistant S. aureus. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
International Journal of Polymeric Materials, Sep 23, 2015
ABSTRACT Even though the biodegradability of polycaprolactone (PCL) is well established, few stud... more ABSTRACT Even though the biodegradability of polycaprolactone (PCL) is well established, few studies have carried out on the effect of nanofillers on the in vitro degradability of electrospun PCL membranes. Thus, the authors incorporated common nanofiller zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in electrospun PCL membranes. From the study of morphological schanges as well as the changes in crystallinity, it is clear that the ZnO nanoparticles accelerated the degradation of PCL. The FTIR results ascertain that the hydrolysis of the PCL nanofibers generates free hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in the bulk of the polymer. The tensile property of the PCL/ZnO nanocomposite membranes decreased with an increase in filler loading during degradation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
3D printing provides numerous opportunities for designing tissue engineering constructs with intr... more 3D printing provides numerous opportunities for designing tissue engineering constructs with intricate porosity, geometry and favourable mechanical properties and has the potential to revolutionize medical treatments.
The alarming situation of the growing number of diabetic patients has called for a simple, sensit... more The alarming situation of the growing number of diabetic patients has called for a simple, sensitive, and selective glucose sensor that is also stable and user-friendly. In this report, we have reviewed the latest electrochemical sensing technology based on transition metal phosphides (TMPs) for glucose detection. Apart from the oxides, sulfides, nitrides, chalcogenides, etc., transition metal phosphides are less explored and have emerged as potential candidates for non-enzymatic glucose sensing applications. This review will help scientists and researchers to exploit relevant properties for glucose sensing applications, identify the best synthesis approaches to prepare transition metal phosphides, and provide information on the factors influencing glucose sensing and parameters to improve the performance and theoretical insights into the mechanism involved. Therefore, this review emphasizes a few methods adopted for tuning the properties of TMPs to achieve a stable glucose-sensing ...
Polymer-plastics Technology and Engineering, Jun 15, 2015
ABSTRACT Clogging of polymer at the tip of the needle is a major problem in electrospinning that ... more ABSTRACT Clogging of polymer at the tip of the needle is a major problem in electrospinning that hinders the continuous electrospinning. A new combination of two environmentally benign solvents, acetone/acetic acid mixture, was investigated to eliminate clogging. Our results show that the use of acetone/acetic acid mixture in the ratio 3:7 as the solvent system completely avoided the clogging. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Abstract Food infections are among the most serious public health concerns and are one of the maj... more Abstract Food infections are among the most serious public health concerns and are one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality. Monitoring and separation of such contaminants is an instrumental component in understanding and managing risks to human health and the environment. Many researchers and engineers have indulged in this important and difficult task and have developed technologies aiming the detection and removal of pathogenic organisms in processed as well as raw food products. Application of nanotechnology for monitoring and separation of food-borne pathogens is an active area of research. The magnetic nanoparticles are introduced into conventional pathogen detection techniques to make them simple, rapid, highly selective, and sensitive. The principle employed is that magnetic nanoparticles are often immobilized with various biomolecules like antibodies that have high selectivity to target analytes. Due to their large specific surface area and specific bonding, the modified magnetic nanoparticles recognize and capture the analytes from crude samples to form a complex, which can be detected and separated quickly and efficiently. Biofunctional magnetic nanoparticles (BMNPs) are used to facilitate the rapid separation of Escherichia coli from beef, ground water, and milk samples. Magnetic nanoparticles when integrated with polymerase chain reaction (PCR), immunoassay, spectrometry, and biosensors, make a rapid or an online analysis/detection of pathogens. Superparamagnetic nanoparticles has improved the detection sensitivity of pathogens using PCR technique by 10–100 times. In this chapter, exploitation of magnetic nanoparticles for the monitoring and separation of various pathogens in the processed food and raw food materials including milk, meat, fruits, and vegetables has been detailed. The state of the art of sensor-based monitoring of microorganisms, strategies adopted to enhance the sensitivity of such devices, are also discussed. Recent advancements in the functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles for the specific detection and separation of various pathogens are also taken into account.
Polymer-plastics Technology and Engineering, Apr 25, 2016
ABSTRACT In this study, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes... more ABSTRACT In this study, electrospun poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes were fabricated and characterized. Fourier transform infrared analysis showed an increase in absorbance of vibrational peaks of poly(ε-caprolactone) as the titanium dioxide nanoparticle concentration was increased. From the X-ray diffraction spectra, it was observed that the incorporation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles does not affect the crystalline structure of the poly(ε-caprolactone); instead, the degree of crystallinity has been increased significantly. However, at higher concentrations of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, crystallinity was decreased to a lower value. Differential scanning calorimeter thermograms have also confirmed this tendency. Finally, efficacy of gentamicin-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes against a wound isolate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been evaluated. The results demonstrated that poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide nanocomposite membranes can synergistically act with gentamicin to inhibit the growth of methicillin-resistant S. aureus. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
International Journal of Polymeric Materials, Sep 23, 2015
ABSTRACT Even though the biodegradability of polycaprolactone (PCL) is well established, few stud... more ABSTRACT Even though the biodegradability of polycaprolactone (PCL) is well established, few studies have carried out on the effect of nanofillers on the in vitro degradability of electrospun PCL membranes. Thus, the authors incorporated common nanofiller zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles in electrospun PCL membranes. From the study of morphological schanges as well as the changes in crystallinity, it is clear that the ZnO nanoparticles accelerated the degradation of PCL. The FTIR results ascertain that the hydrolysis of the PCL nanofibers generates free hydroxyl and carbonyl groups in the bulk of the polymer. The tensile property of the PCL/ZnO nanocomposite membranes decreased with an increase in filler loading during degradation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
3D printing provides numerous opportunities for designing tissue engineering constructs with intr... more 3D printing provides numerous opportunities for designing tissue engineering constructs with intricate porosity, geometry and favourable mechanical properties and has the potential to revolutionize medical treatments.
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Papers by Nandakumar Kalarikkal