The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of treating cancer, such as (but not limited to) metastatic bladder and breast cancer. The disclosed method comprises using two treatment modalities to synergistically treat primary and secondary tumor cells in a subject. The first element of the method comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of a plasmonics-active metal nanoparticle to a subject comprising a primary cancer and a distant metastatic site, wherein the nanoparticle concentrates at the primary cancer. The method further comprises exposing the subject to photon radiation at the site of the primary cancer. The second element of the disclosed method comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of an immune checkpoint modulator to the subject. The synergistic combination provides a rapid, safe, and effective treatment of local and distant lesions, better than each modality alone.

Composite compositions comprising metal nanoparticles and/or microparticles and a binder are provided. Composites are tunable to achieved specific desired characteristics, such as sintering temperature, melting temperature, print resolution, and surface binding capabilities. Preferably, the metal particles may be produced using plasma-based technology. The composites are spreadable or printable and are especially useful in the field of electronics. The composites are capable of being used to form highly conductive wires or traces in electronic components. Preferably, the resulting metal structure has a low level of metal oxidation. The disclosure also includes methods for producing composite materials.

The present invention provides a silver coating composition that develops excellent conductivity (low resistance value) by low-temperature and short-time calcining, and that is excellent in fine-line drawing performance and suitable for intaglio offset printing. A silver particle coating composition comprising: silver nano-particles (N) whose surfaces are coated with a protective agent containing an aliphatic hydrocarbon amine; a surface energy modifier; and a dispersion solvent. The surface energy modifier may be selected from the group consisting of a silicon-based surface energy modifier and an acrylic surface energy modifier. The coating composition preferably further comprises silver microparticles (M). The silver coating composition is suitable for intaglio offset printing.

A wire explosion assembly configured to form nanoparticles by exploding at least a segment of an electrically conductive wire. The wire explosion assembly includes a spool supporting the electrically conductive wire, a vessel defining a wire explosion chamber, means in the wire explosion chamber for pulling the electrically conductive wire off of the spool and applying tension on the segment of the electrically conductive wire, and a power source for delivering an electrical current to the segment of the electrically conductive wire. The electrical current is configured to explode the segment of the electrically conductive wire into the nanoparticles.

Monodispersed metal nanoparticles are prepared by preparing a homogeneous metal complex solution by mixing metal salt with a complexing agent in solvent. A precipitating agent is added into the homogeneous metal complex solution to form a slurry. A homogeneous mixture of reducing agent and solvent is added to perform reducing reaction on the slurry to form metal nanoparticles in a controlled environment under gas purge. A capping agent is added to modify surface properties of metal nanoparticles. The metal nanoparticles are washed and the metal nanoparticles are recovered by phase extraction or centrifugation. The technique can be used to prepare conductive pastes with bimodal particle size distribution.

The universal one-pot and up-scalable synthesis of SERS encoded nanoparticles relies on the controlled co-absorption of mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) and the Raman code on the metallic surfaces of the nanoparticles. In contrast to most of the reported procedures which typically involve complex steps, the present method has demonstrated to be an easy and fast one-pot approach for the production of SERS-encoded nanoparticles. This versatile strategy allows for the SERS codification of particles with every molecule with affinity toward the metal surface, independently of its chemical nature, as exemplified here in the fabrication of 31 different encoded particles using the same standard procedure. In addition to the easiness of preparation, scalability to the liter regime, stability in aqueous solutions including PBS and chemical diversity, our SERS-encoded particles show considerably higher optical efficiency than those fabricated by using PEG or PVP polymers.

Nanocages are formed by etching nancubes. The nanocubes are added to an aqueous system having an amphiphilic lipid dissolved in an organic solvent (e.g. a hydrophobic alcohol) to form reverse micelles. As the water evaporates the micelles shrink as etching of the flat surface of the nanocubes occurs. In this fashion hollow nanocages are produced. In one embodiment, the nanocage is covalently attached to a polymer shell (e.g. a dextran shell).

Nanocages are formed by etching nancubes. The nanocubes are added to an aqueous system having an amphiphilic lipid dissolved in an organic solvent (e.g. a hydrophobic alcohol) to form reverse micelles. As the water evaporates the micelles shrink as etching of the flat surface of the nanocubes occurs. In this fashion hollow nanocages are produced. In one embodiment, the nanocage is covalently attached to a polymer shell (e.g. a dextran shell).

Exemplified microscale selective laser sintering (μ-SLS or micro-SLS) systems and methods facilitate modeling of the nanoparticle powder bed by simulating the interactions between particles during the powder spreading operation. In particular, the exemplified methods and system use multiscale modeling techniques to accurately predict the formation and mechanical/electrical properties of parts produced by selective laser sintering of powder beds. Discrete element modeling is used for nanoscale particle interactions by implementing the different forces dominant at nanoscale. A heat transfer analysis is used to predict the sintering of individual particles in the powder beds in order to build up a complete structural model of the parts that are being produced by the SLS process.

Exemplified microscale selective laser sintering (μ-SLS or micro-SLS) systems and methods facilitate modeling of the nanoparticle powder bed by simulating the interactions between particles during the powder spreading operation. In particular, the exemplified methods and system use multiscale modeling techniques to accurately predict the formation and mechanical/electrical properties of parts produced by selective laser sintering of powder beds. Discrete element modeling is used for nanoscale particle interactions by implementing the different forces dominant at nanoscale. A heat transfer analysis is used to predict the sintering of individual particles in the powder beds in order to build up a complete structural model of the parts that are being produced by the SLS process.