Journal of Materials Chemistry最新文献

Magnetic nanocomposites containing iron oxide (maghemite) nanoparticles, well embedded in a synthetic clay matrix (laponite) were prepared by a new one step chemical route and characterized by TEM, XRD, magnetization measurements, Mössbauer spectroscopy, DLS, and MRI measurements. The synthetic procedure leads to non-stoichiometric γ-Fe(2)O(3) with a controllable content in the nanocomposite. Magnetic nanoparticles incorporated in the diamagnetic clay matrix exhibit a mean diameter of 13 nm, superparamagnetic behavior with a high saturation magnetization achievable at low applied magnetic fields. In-field Mössbauer spectra and ZFC/FC magnetization curves reveal a perfect ferrimagnetic ordering within nanoparticles with negligible spin frustration and interparticle interactions due to the complete coating of maghemite surfaces by the nanocrystalline laponite matrix. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles embedded in laponite matrix exhibit strong T(2) weighted MRI contrast. The maghemite/laponite composite particles have 200 nm hydrodynamic diameter and form very stable hydrosols and/or hydrogels depending on their concentration in water.

A synthetically diverse linker molecule consisting of both a terminal epoxide and a terminal amine has been synthesized and shown to have the desired reactivity. Proof of principle experimentation showed that the prepared linker molecule possessed the ability to be reactive towards dextran coated iron nanoparticles, essentially converting the surface alcohols to amines with an efficiency on average of 50 linkers per nanoparticle. Once the surface of the nanoparticles had been functionalized, the iron nanoparticles were subsequently functionalized with both folic acid and fluorescein isothiocyanate, with an average efficiency of 20 and 3 molecules per nanoparticle, respectively. The labeled nanoparticles were then incubated with both folate receptor positive and negative cell lines, which showed a preferential accumulation of the particles in the receptor positive cell line. In addition to the fluorescence based assays, accumulation of the nanoparticles was demonstrated using T2-weighted MRI imaging, which showed that the iron core of the nanoparticle was present within the desired cell line. Overall, this linker has shown the ability to functionalize the surface of nanoparticles and can theoretically be used to label a wide variety of other targeting agents or imaging agents for in vivo therapies or diagnostics.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to exhibit significant anti-platelet activity and its release from polymer matrices has been already utilized to increase the biocompatibility of various blood-contacting devices. Herein, details of a new synthetic approach for preparing NO-releasing diazeniumdiolated polyurethanes (PU) are described. The method's utility is demonstrated by the incorporation of methoxymethyl- or sugar-protected pre-formed diazeniumdiolate moieties directly into chain extender diols which are then incorporated into the polyurethane backbone. This approach provides the ability to control the number of diazeniumdiolate groups incorporated into the polymer backbone, and hence the surface flux of NO that can ultimately be liberated from polymeric films prepared from the new PU materials. The method provides a means of covalently attaching diazeniumdiolate groups to polyurethanes in a form that resists dissociation of NO during processing but can be activated for spontaneous NO release via hydrolysis of the carbohydrate or methoxymethyl moieties under basic and acidic conditions, respectively.

Noble metal nanoparticles (NPs) possess size- and shape- dependent optical properties, suggesting the possibility of tuning desired optical properties of ensemble NPs at single NP resolution and underscoring the importance of probing the sizes and shapes of single NPs in situ and in real-time. In this study, we synthesized twelve colloids of Ag NPs. Each colloid contains various sizes and shapes of single NPs, showing rainbow colors with peak-wavelength of absorption spectra from 393 to 738 nm. We correlated the sizes and shapes of single NPs determined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with scattering localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectra of single NPs characterized by dark-field optical microcopy and spectroscopy (DFOMS). Single spherical (2-39 nm in diameter), rod (2-47 nm in length with aspect ratios of 1.3-1.6), and triangular (4-84 nm in length with thickness of 2-27 nm) NPs show LSPR spectra (λ(max)) at 476±5 or 533±12, 611±23, and 711±40 nm, respectively. Notably, we observed new cookie-shaped NPs, which exhibit LSPR spectra (λ(max)) at 725±10 nm with a shoulder peak at 604±5 nm. Linear correlations of sizes of any given shape of single NPs with their LSPR spectra (λ(max)) enable the creation of nano optical rulers (calibration curves) for identification of the sizes and shapes of single NPs in solution in real time using DFOMS, offering the feasibility of using single NPs as multicolored optical probes for study of dynamics events of interest in solutions and living organisms at nm scale in real time.

Porous silicon nanowires are synthesized through metal assisted wet-chemical etch of highly-doped silicon wafer. The resulted porous silicon nanowires exhibit a large surface area of 337 m(2)·g(-1) and a wide spectrum absorption across the entire ultraviolet, visible and near infrared regime. We further demonstrate that platinum nanoparticles can be loaded onto the surface of the porous silicon nanowires with controlled density. These combined advancements make the porous silicon nanowires an interesting material for photocatalytic applications. We show that the porous silicon nanowires and platinum nanoparticle loaded porous silicon nanowires can be used as effective photocatalysts for photocatalytic degradation of organic dyes and toxic pollutants under visible irradiation, and thus are of significant interest for organic waste treatment and environmental remediation.

In this paper we report the surface modification and functional characterization of a gold nanoparticle-based drug delivery system for potential therapeutic application in ovarian cancer. It is currently recognized that nanotechnology may play a pivotal role in drug delivery by increasing efficacy and reducing toxicity of anti-cancer drugs. Here, we report the fabrication of a gold nanoparticles (AuNP) based drug delivery system consisting of folic acid (FA), mercapto-polyethylene glycol (PEG-SH) with a molecular weight of 2000 (designated as PSH2-2K or PSH) and cis-platin (CP) [Au-PSH-CP-FA] for potential therapeutic application in ovarian cancer. Fabrication is done in a three steps incubation process at room temperature (RT). The gold nanoconjugates are characterized with several physico-chemical techniques such as UV-Vis (UV-Visible spectroscopy), TEM (Transmission electron microscopy), ICP (Inductively coupled plasma) and radioactivity measurement with a scintillation counter. Attachment and release profiles of FA from the gold nanoconjugates are performed using (3)H-labelled FA ((3)H-FA). The expressions of folate receptor (FR) for ovarian cancer cell lines (OV-167, OVCAR-5), human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and ovarian surface epithelial (OSE) cells are determined by FACS analysis. Quantitation of platinum content in the nanoconjugates and its release profile is determined by platinum (Pt) analysis using ICP-MS. Biological functional characterization using in vitro proliferation assay demonstrates that Au-PSH-CP-FA not only retains the cytotoxic effect of CP, but it protects the normal cells from the cytotoxic insult, while enhancing the cytotoxic effect on the tumor cells. In future, this strategy may be utilized as a strategy for the treatment of ovarian cancers and may overcome the core side effect issues in anticancer therapy.

The sensitive optoelectronic properties of metal nanoparticles make nanoparticle-based materials a powerful tool to study fundamental biorecognition processes. Here we present a new and versatile method for coupling underivatized carbohydrates to gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) via the photochemically induced reaction of perfluorophenylazide (PFPA). A one-pot procedure was developed where Au NPs were synthesized and functionalized with PFPA by a ligand-exchange reaction. Carbohydrates were subsequently immobilized on the NPs by a fast light activation. The coupling reaction was efficient, resulting in high coupling yield as well as high ligand surface coverage. A colorimetric system based on the carbohydrate-modified Au NPs was used for the sensitive detection of carbohydrate-protein interactions. Binding and cross-reactivity studies were carried out between carbohydrate-functionalized Au NPs and lectins. Results showed that the surface-bound carbohydrates not only retained their binding affinities towards the corresponding lectin, but also exhibited affinity ranking consistent with that of the free ligands in solution.

The incorporation of affinity baits into N-isopropylacrylamide-hydrogel-based nanoparticles offers a novel technology that addresses the major analytical challenges of disease biomarker discovery. In solution in complex biologic fluids (e.g. blood or urine), core-shell bait-containing nanoparticles can perform three functions in one step: (a) sieve molecules according to size, (b) sequestrate and concentrate target analytes, and (c) protect analytes from degradation.

Silk proteins belong to a class of unique, high molecular weight, block copolymer-like proteins that have found widespread use in biomaterials and regenerative medicine. The useful features of these proteins, including self-assembly, robust mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability can be enhanced through a variety of chemical modifications. These modifications provide chemical handles for the attachment of growth factors, cell binding domains and other polymers to silk, expanding the range of cell and tissue engineering applications attainable. This review focuses on the chemical reactions that have been used to modify the amino acids in silk proteins, and describes their utility in biomedical applications.