Sodium nitrate nano3

The preparation and characterization of the composite comprising polymer-coated Macadamia integrifolia nutshell biomass with embedded Pd nanoparticles (Pd@Polym-MNS) were as described in our recent report ^{48 (link)}. Waste Macadamia nutshells were kindly donated by the Eastern Produce Estates SA (Pty) Ltd, Tzaneen, South Africa and all experiments were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. All reagents were sourced from Johannesburg, South Africa. Potassium dichromate (K₂Cr₂O₇) and formic acid (HCOOH, 85 wt%) were purchased from Merck Chemical Company, and Rochelle Chemicals, respectively. Sodium sulfate (Na₂SO₄), sodium chloride (NaCl), and sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich. Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄, 98% wt%) and hydrochloric acid (HCl), 32% (w/w) were purchased from Associated Chemical Enterprises. A stock solution of Cr(VI) was prepared by dissolving the K₂Cr₂O₇ in deionized water obtained from a Milli-Q water system (Milli-Q Direct, with 18.2 MΩ cm resistivity, Merck Millipore Corporation, USA).

Luteolin ≥98% (LT) was supplied by Baoji Guokang Bio-Technology Co. (Baoji, China). Lipoid^®S100 (LP) l-α-phosphatidylcholine, M.wt = 786.1 g/mol was obtained from Lipoid AG (Ludwigshafen, Germany). Cholesterol (CH) was a gift from the Nile Company for Pharmaceuticals and Chemical Industries (Cairo, Egypt). Streptozotocin (STZ) was obtained from Sigma–Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA). Vanadium trichloride, N-1-naphthyl-ethylenediamine, sulfanilamide, sodium nitrate (NaNO₃), and zinc sulfate (ZnSO₄) were purchased from Sigma–Aldrich (Munich, Germany). All other chemicals and reagents used were of analytical grade.

Graphite (powder, synthetic, average particle size lower than 20 μm) was used and was purchased from (Sigma Aldrich, Poznan, Poland). Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄, 95–98%), sodium nitrate (NaNO₃, ACS reagent, 99%), potassium permanganate (KMnO₄, 97%) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂, ACS reagent, 29.0–32.0 wt % H₂O₂ basis) from (Sigma Aldrich, Poznan, Poland) were used as the chemical reagents for the exfoliation conditions required to form the GO sheets. Glycidyl methacrylate (98%), methyl methacrylate (98%), n-butyl methacrylate (98%), 2-(trimethylsilyloxy)ethyl methacrylate (HEMATMS, 99%), anisole (98%), copper bromide (CuBr, 97%), N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA, 98%), ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (EBiB, 98%), 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BiBB, 98%) were acquired from (Sigma Aldric, MO, USA) and used without further purification. Tetrahydrofuran (THF) (POCH, Gliwice, Poland) and triethylamine (Et₃N) 98% from (Fluka, Buchs, Switzerland) were dehydrated over sodium before the use. Silicone elastomer (PDMS) Sylgard 184 and silicone oil (SO) Lukosiol M200 were purchased from (Dow, Midland, MI, USA) and (Lukoil, Prague, Czech Republic), respectively. Acetone p.a., dimethylformamide p.a. and diethyl ether p.a. (LachNer, Neratovice, Czech Republic) were used as received. Hydrochloric acid (HCl, ACS reagent, 37%) was supplied by (Sigma Aldrich, Poznan, Poland) [46 (link)].

The AFP aptamer, 5′-ATCAGGTGCAGTTCTCGACTCGGTCTTGATGTGGG-3′, was obtained from Shanghai Sangon Biotech Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). The antigen, including preprostate antigen (PSA) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), was obtained from Okai Biotech Co., Ltd. (Beijing, China). Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) was purchased from Beijing KEY-BIO Biotech Co., Ltd. (Beijing, China). Ethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, 98%), disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na₂HPO₄•12H₂O), and glucose (Glu) were obtained from Aladdin Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). Potassium ferrocyanide (K₄[Fe(CN)₆]), sodium dihydrogen phosphate (NaH₂PO₄•2H₂O), and potassium ferricyanide (K₃[Fe(CN)₆], 99.5%) were obtained from McLean Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB, 99%), ethanol (99.8%), and sodium hydroxide were obtained from Kermel Reagent Co., Ltd. (Tianjin, China). Ruthenium tribipyridine (Ru(bpy)₃Cl₂) and sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) were provided by Sigma-Aldrich (Shanghai, China). Concentrated HCl (36–38%) was obtained from Shuanglin Chemical Reagent Co., Ltd. (Hangzhou, China). Serum samples were provided by Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences (Taiyuan, China).

Cell culture reagents were provided by Gibco (Biomol, Sevilla, Spain). rGO was purchased from Graphitene, Ltd (Flixborough, UK). For the synthesis of GO, sodium nitrate (NaNO₃) and potassium permanganate (KMnO₄) were purchased in Sigma-Aldrich (Madrid, Spain), and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂, 30% w/w), sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄, 95%), ethanol absolute (EtOH) and hydrochloric acid (HCl, 37%) in Scharlab (Barcelona, Spain). Chemicals for the different assays were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (Madrid, Spain) and VWR International Eurolab (Barcelona, Spain).