510544 - SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS OF INORGANIC NANOMEDICINES

insegnamento

ID:

510544

Durata (ore):

24

CFU:

SSD:

CHIMICA GENERALE E INORGANICA

Anno:

2025

Periodo di attività

Primo Semestre (29/09/2025 - 23/01/2026)

Obiettivi Formativi

The course aims to train students on the general principles governing the formation and interactions between inorganic nanoparticles, and in particular on the changes in material properties at the nanoscale compared to the macroscopic scale. The course will also highlight the chemical-physical features that differentiate inorganic nanoparticles from lipidic, polymeric, liposomal ones, in relation to their use in nanomedicine. Furthermore, the synthesis techniques for inorganic nanoparticles with medical applications will be explored, as well as techniques for their modification for use in nanomedicine. By the end of the course, students will have a thorough understanding of the techniques and properties useful for understanding the most advanced scientific literature in the inorganic nanomedicine field, and for studying and designing new nanodrugs based on inorganic materials

Prerequisiti

basic knowledge of general and inorganic chemistry and of physical chemistry

Metodi didattici

Frontal lessons with the aid of Power Point projections

Verifica Apprendimento

At the end of the course, each student will be asked to prepare a specific paper on a topic—different for each student and agreed upon with the instructor—imagining a possible research project for the creation of a new inorganic nanopharmaceutical. The exam will include the preparation of the written paper and its oral discussion using a PowerPoint presentation

Testi

The power point files used during the frontal lessons will be given to the students and are considered sufficient material for learning and preparing for the exam. Moreover, the course makes extensive use of research articles taken from up-to-date literature: students will be provided with bibliographic references of all the articles used, with links that are embedded in the power point files. All articles belong to journals and archives that are either open access or that are accessible online to students through the Unipv network, or remotely accessible online accessing with each student's university credentials.
Three books may also be considered (available in the Science Library - Biblioteca delle Scienze of the University of Pavia) for the general concepts and theory of nananochemistry (being very expensive research books their purchase is NOT recommended):
- Cademartiri, Ozin - Concept of Nanochemistry (Wiley-VCH)
- Cao – Nanostructures & Nanomaterials (Imperial College Press)
- Sergeev, Klabunde – Nanochemistry (Elsevier)

Contenuti

After an introduction on the properties of (inorganic) matter at the nanoscale and their changes as a function of the size of the NPs (solubility, melting point, redox potentials, light absorption/emission), some basic concepts will be introduced on DLVO theory, agglomeration, aggregation and stabilization of NPs by the electrostatic and steric effect. The course will then focus on the synthesis and properties of inorganic NPs of specific substances (either elements or compounds). For each substance an overview of its literature applications in nanomedicine will be given, followed by all the examples (if any) of authorized products or products in clinical trial. The reviewed substances will be: Au, Ag, Fe oxides, SiO2, Fe[Fe(CN)6]xnH2O (Prussian Blue), Calcium phosphate,HfO2, ZnO, CeO2, Quantum Dots (CdSe, PbSe, InAs)