Ordered arrays of nanoporous gold nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Wang

2012-09-01

Full Text Available A combination of a “top-down” approach (substrate-conformal imprint lithography and two “bottom-up” approaches (dewetting and dealloying enables fabrication of perfectly ordered 2-dimensional arrays of nanoporous gold nanoparticles. The dewetting of Au/Ag bilayers on the periodically prepatterned substrates leads to the interdiffusion of Au and Ag and the formation of an array of Au–Ag alloy nanoparticles. The array of alloy nanoparticles is transformed into an array of nanoporous gold nanoparticles by a following dealloying step. Large areas of this new type of material arrangement can be realized with this technique. In addition, this technique allows for the control of particle size, particle spacing, and ligament size (or pore size by varying the period of the structure, total metal layer thickness, and the thickness ratio of the as-deposited bilayers.

Control of carbon nanotube growth using cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, Yoon; Green, Malcolm L.H.; Kim, Young Heon; Lee, Jeong Yong; Lee, Cheol Jin

2005-01-01

We have controllably grown carbon nanotubes using uniformly distributed cobalt nanoparticles as catalyst. Cobalt nanoparticles with a uniform size were synthesized by chemical reaction and colloidal solutions including the cobalt nanoparticles were prepared. The cobalt nanoparticles were uniformly distributed on silicon substrates by a spin-coating method. Carbon nanotubes with a uniform diameter were synthesized on the cobalt nanoparticles by thermal chemical vapor deposition of acetylene gas. The density and vertical alignment of carbon nanotubes could be controlled by adjusting the density of cobalt (Co) nanoparticles

A computer-controlled conformal radiotherapy system. IV: Electronic chart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fraass, Benedick A.; McShan, Daniel L.; Matrone, Gwynne M.; Weaver, Tamar A.; Lewis, James D.; Kessler, Marc L.

1995-01-01

Purpose: The design and implementation of a system for electronically tracking relevant plan, prescription, and treatment data for computer-controlled conformal radiation therapy is described. Methods and Materials: The electronic charting system is implemented on a computer cluster coupled by high-speed networks to computer-controlled therapy machines. A methodical approach to the specification and design of an integrated solution has been used in developing the system. The electronic chart system is designed to allow identification and access of patient-specific data including treatment-planning data, treatment prescription information, and charting of doses. An in-house developed database system is used to provide an integrated approach to the database requirements of the design. A hierarchy of databases is used for both centralization and distribution of the treatment data for specific treatment machines. Results: The basic electronic database system has been implemented and has been in use since July 1993. The system has been used to download and manage treatment data on all patients treated on our first fully computer-controlled treatment machine. To date, electronic dose charting functions have not been fully implemented clinically, requiring the continued use of paper charting for dose tracking. Conclusions: The routine clinical application of complex computer-controlled conformal treatment procedures requires the management of large quantities of information for describing and tracking treatments. An integrated and comprehensive approach to this problem has led to a full electronic chart for conformal radiation therapy treatments

Controlled synthesis of Zn0 nanoparticles by bioreduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canizal, G.; Schabes-Retchkiman, P.S.; Pal, U.; Liu, Hong Bo; Ascencio, J.A.

2006-01-01

Synthesis of metallic Zn nanoparticles through bio-reduction methods is reported for the first time. The structure, shape and size of the nanoparticles are critically controlled through the pH used in the sample preparation. High resolution electron microscopy was used in order to determine the structure of individual nanoparticles. Formation of quantum dots and the efficiency of ion reduction in the synthesis process are studied through the optical absorption in colloids. The structure and stability of the Zn clusters (up to 4000 atoms) were determined through the calculation of minimum energy configurations using molecular and quantum mechanics approximations and image simulation. The structure of the obtained nanoparticles was preferentially hexagonal, although multiple twinned and fcc-like structures were identified. The size controlled synthesis of small nanoparticles in the quantum-dot range was demonstrated successfully

Controlling amyloid-beta peptide(1-42) oligomerization and toxicity by fluorinated nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Saraiva, Ana M; Cardoso, Isabel; Pereira, M Carmo; Coelho, Manuel A N; Saraiva, Maria João; Möhwald, Helmuth; Brezesinski, Gerald

2010-09-03

The amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) is a major fibrillar component of neuritic plaques in Alzheimer's disease brains and is related to the pathogenesis of the disease. Soluble oligomers that precede fibril formation have been proposed as the main neurotoxic species that contributes to neurodegeneration and dementia. We hypothesize that oligomerization and cytotoxicity can be repressed by nanoparticles (NPs) that induce conformational changes in Abeta42. We show here that fluorinated and hydrogenated NPs with different abilities to change Abeta42 conformation influence oligomerization as assessed by atomic force microscopy, immunoblot and SDS-PAGE. Fluorinated NPs, which promote an increase in alpha-helical content, exert an antioligomeric effect, whereas hydrogenated analogues do not and lead to aggregation. Cytotoxicity assays confirmed our hypothesis by indicating that the conformational conversion of Abeta42 into an alpha-helical-enriched secondary structure also has antiapoptotic activity, thereby increasing the viability of cells treated with oligomeric species.

Torsional Arming of Thiomannosyl Donors & Conformational Control of Hexahydropyridazines via pH

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Jacob Ingemar

The overall objective of the research presented in this PhD thesis was to investigate torsional arming of thiogalacto- and thiomannosyl donors (part 1) and to investigate the possible synthesis and attachment of a pH regulated conformational switch to an α-cyclodextrin (part 2). Part 1: It is well...... demonstrated their ability to change conformation under different conditions. These conformational changes are connected to various intramolecular interactions and can to some extent, be controlled by pH (Chapter 3). Fusing these conformationally labile compounds to the rim of a cyclodextrin would create...... compounds that could release molecules at a specified change in pH conditions. To investigate this, four hexahydropyridazines were synthesized and investigated for their pH induced conformational change (Chapter 4). Out of the four compounds, one revealed to flip between two conformations depending on pH...

Controlled synthesis of PbS-Au nanostar-nanoparticle heterodimers and cap-like Au nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Nana; Li, Lianshan; Huang, Teng; Qi, Limin

2010-11-01

Uniform PbS-Au nanostar-nanoparticle heterodimers consisting of one Au nanoparticle grown on one horn of a well-defined six-horn PbS nanostar were prepared using the PbS nanostars as growth substrates for the selective deposition of Au nanoparticles. The size of the Au nanoparticles on the horns of the PbS nanostars could be readily adjusted by changing the PbS concentration for the deposition of Au nanoparticles. An optimum cetyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration and temperature were essential for the selective deposition of uniform Au nanoparticles on single horns of the PbS nanostars. Unusual PbS-Au nanoframe-nanoparticle heterodimers were obtained by etching the PbS-Au nanostar-nanoparticle heterodimers with oxalic acid while novel cap-like Au nanoparticles were obtained by etching with hydrochloric acid. The obtained heterodimeric nanostructures and cap-like nanoparticles are promising candidates for anisotropic nanoscale building blocks for the controllable assembly of useful, complex architectures.

Charge-reversal nanoparticles: novel targeted drug delivery carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xinli; Liu, Lisha; Jiang, Chen

2016-07-01

Spurred by significant progress in materials chemistry and drug delivery, charge-reversal nanocarriers are being developed to deliver anticancer formulations in spatial-, temporal- and dosage-controlled approaches. Charge-reversal nanoparticles can release their drug payload in response to specific stimuli that alter the charge on their surface. They can elude clearance from the circulation and be activated by protonation, enzymatic cleavage, or a molecular conformational change. In this review, we discuss the physiological basis for, and recent advances in the design of charge-reversal nanoparticles that are able to control drug biodistribution in response to specific stimuli, endogenous factors (changes in pH, redox gradients, or enzyme concentration) or exogenous factors (light or thermos-stimulation).

Size-controlled and redox-responsive supramolecular nanoparticles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weinhart-Mejia, R.; Kronig, G.A.; Huskens, Jurriaan

2015-01-01

Control over the assembly and disassembly of nanoparticles is pivotal for their use as drug delivery vehicles. Here, we aim to form supramolecular nanoparticles (SNPs) by combining advantages of the reversible assembly properties of SNPs using host–guest interactions and of a stimulus-responsive

Photoresponsive lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles for controlled doxorubicin release

Science.gov (United States)

Yao, Cuiping; Wu, Ming; Zhang, Cecheng; Lin, Xinyi; Wei, Zuwu; Zheng, Youshi; Zhang, Da; Zhang, Zhenxi; Liu, Xiaolong

2017-06-01

Currently, photoresponsive nanomaterials are particularly attractive due to their spatial and temporal controlled drug release abilities. In this work, we report a photoresponsive lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticle for remote controlled delivery of anticancer drugs. This hybrid nanoparticle comprises three distinct functional components: (i) a poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) core to encapsulate doxorubicin; (ii) a soybean lecithin monolayer at the interface of the core and shell to act as a molecular fence to prevent drug leakage; (iii) a photoresponsive polymeric shell with anti-biofouling properties to enhance nanoparticle stability, which could be detached from the nanoparticle to trigger the drug release via a decrease in the nanoparticle’s stability under light irradiation. In vitro results revealed that this core-shell nanoparticle had excellent light-controlled drug release behavior (76% release with light irradiation versus 10% release without light irradiation). The confocal microscopy and flow cytometry results also further demonstrated the light-controlled drug release behavior inside the cancer cells. Furthermore, a CCK8 assay demonstrated that light irradiation could significantly improve the efficiency of killing cancer cells. Meanwhile, whole-animal fluorescence imaging of a tumor-bearing mouse also confirmed that light irradiation could trigger drug release in vivo. Taken together, our data suggested that a hybrid nanoparticle could be a novel light controlled drug delivery system for cancer therapy.

Interactions Controlling the Slow Dynamic Conformational Motions of Ubiquitin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soichiro Kitazawa

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Rational mutation of proteins based on their structural and dynamic characteristics is a useful strategy for amplifying specific fluctuations in proteins. Here, we show the effects of mutation on the conformational fluctuations and thermodynamic stability of ubiquitin. In particular, we focus on the salt bridge between K11 and E34 and the hydrogen bond between I36 and Q41, which are predicted to control the fluctuation between the basic folded state, N1, and the alternatively folded state, N2, of the protein, using high-pressure NMR spectroscopy. The E34A mutation, which disrupts the salt bridge, did not alter picosecond–to–nanosecond, microsecond–to–millisecond dynamic motions, and stability of the protein, while the Q41N mutation, which destabilizes the hydrogen bond, specifically amplified the N1–N2 conformational fluctuation and decreased stability. Based on the observed thermodynamic stabilities of the various conformational states, we showed that in the Q41N mutant, the N1 state is more significantly destabilized than the N2 state, resulting in an increase in the relative population of N2. Identifying the interactions controlling specific motions of a protein will facilitate molecular design to achieve functional dynamics beyond native state dynamics.

Conformational change results in loss of enzymatic activity of jack bean urease on its interaction with silver nanoparticle.

Science.gov (United States)

Ponnuvel, Shobana; Subramanian, Balakumar; Ponnuraj, Karthe

2015-10-01

Urease is an enzyme produced by microbes such as bacteria, yeast and fungi. Plants also produce this enzyme. Urease action splits urea into ammonia and carbamate. This action is having important implications in agro-chemical, medicinal and environment. Therefore there is always a constant search for new and novel compounds which could inhibit this enzyme. Here we have studied the interaction of jack bean urease (JBU) with silver nanoparticle to analyze the influence of the resultant protein corona formation on the catalytic property of JBU. Several techniques like UV-Vis, gel shift assay and CD spectroscopy have been used to characterize this interaction. Urease activity assay suggests that the protein corona formation inhibits the enzymatic action of JBU. The loss of enzymatic action could be either due to the nanoparticle blocking the active site of JBU or a conformational change in the protein. The CD spectra of JBU-AgNP complexes clearly revealed significant changes in the secondary structural composition of the JBU and this could be the reason for the loss of enzymatic activity of JBU. This study revealed an interesting observation, where the interaction of AgNP with JBU resulted destabilization of hexameric nature of JBU which is otherwise highly stable. The results of the present study could be useful in the development of nanoparticle based material for inhibiting the ureolytic activity of ureases in different fields.

Microfluidic Reactors for the Controlled Synthesis of Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Erdem, Emine Yegan

Nanoparticles have attracted a lot of attention in the past few decades due to their unique, size-dependent properties. In order to use these nanoparticles in devices or sensors effectively, it is important to maintain uniform properties throughout the system; therefore nanoparticles need to have uniform sizes -- or monodisperse. In order to achieve monodispersity, an extreme control over the reaction conditions is required during their synthesis. These reaction conditions such as temperature, concentration of reagents, residence times, etc. affect the structure of nanoparticles dramatically; therefore when the conditions vary locally in the reaction vessel, different sized nanoparticles form, causing polydispersity. In widely-used batch wise synthesis techniques, large sized reaction vessels are used to mix and heat reagents. In these types of systems, it is very hard to avoid thermal gradients and to achieve rapid mixing times as well as to control residence times. Also it is not possible to make rapid changes in the reaction parameters during the synthesis. The other drawback of conventional methods is that it is not possible to separate the nucleation of nanoparticles from their growth; this leads to combined nucleation and growth and subsequently results in polydisperse size distributions. Microfluidics is an alternative method by which the limitations of conventional techniques can be addressed. Due to the small size, it is possible to control temperature and concentration of reagents precisely as well as to make rapid changes in mixing ratios of reagents or temperature of the reaction zones. There have been several microfluidic reactors -- (microreactors) in literature that were designed to improve the size distribution of nanoparticles. In this work, two novel microfluidic systems were developed for achieving controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. The first microreactor was made out of a chemically robust polymer, polyurethane, and it was used for low

Design parameters for voltage-controllable directed assembly of single nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, Benjamin F; Bhaskaran, Harish; Abelmann, Leon

2013-01-01

Techniques to reliably pick-and-place single nanoparticles into functional assemblies are required to incorporate exotic nanoparticles into standard electronic circuits. In this paper we explore the use of electric fields to drive and direct the assembly process, which has the advantage of being able to control the nano-assembly process at the single nanoparticle level. To achieve this, we design an electrostatic gating system, thus enabling a voltage-controllable nanoparticle picking technique. Simulating this system with the nonlinear Poisson–Boltzmann equation, we can successfully characterize the parameters required for single particle placement, the key being single particle selectivity, in effect designing a system that can achieve this controllably. We then present the optimum design parameters required for successful single nanoparticle placement at ambient temperature, an important requirement for nanomanufacturing processes. (paper)

Controlled synthesis of Zn{sup 0} nanoparticles by bioreduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canizal, G. [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas No. 152, Col. San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Apartado Postal 14-805, C.P. 07730, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Schabes-Retchkiman, P.S. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nal. Autonoma de Mexico, A.P. 20-364, C.P. 01000, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Pal, U. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Autonoma de Puebla, Apdo. Postal J-48, Puebla, Pue. 72570 (Mexico); Liu, Hong Bo [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas No. 152, Col. San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Apartado Postal 14-805, C.P. 07730, Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Ascencio, J.A. [Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo, Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas No. 152, Col. San Bartolo Atepehuacan, Apartado Postal 14-805, C.P. 07730, Mexico D.F. (Mexico)]. E-mail: ascencio@imp.mx

2006-06-10

Synthesis of metallic Zn nanoparticles through bio-reduction methods is reported for the first time. The structure, shape and size of the nanoparticles are critically controlled through the pH used in the sample preparation. High resolution electron microscopy was used in order to determine the structure of individual nanoparticles. Formation of quantum dots and the efficiency of ion reduction in the synthesis process are studied through the optical absorption in colloids. The structure and stability of the Zn clusters (up to 4000 atoms) were determined through the calculation of minimum energy configurations using molecular and quantum mechanics approximations and image simulation. The structure of the obtained nanoparticles was preferentially hexagonal, although multiple twinned and fcc-like structures were identified. The size controlled synthesis of small nanoparticles in the quantum-dot range was demonstrated successfully.

Phospholipid-assisted synthesis of size-controlled gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Peng; Zhu Xinyuan

2007-01-01

Morphology and size control of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by phospholipids (PLs) has been reported. It was found that gold entities could form nanostructures with different sizes controlled by PLs in an aqueous solution. During the preparation of 1.5 nm gold seeds, AuNPs were obtained from the reduction of gold complex by sodium borohydride and capped by citrate for stabilization. With the different ratios between seed solution and growth solution, which was composed by gold complex and PLs, gold seeds grew into larger nanoparticles step by step until enough large size up to 30 nm. The main discovery of this work is that common biomolecules, such as PLs can be used to control nanoparticle size. This conclusion has been confirmed by transmission electron micrographs, particle size analysis, and UV-vis spectra

Conformational Control of Energy Transfer: A Mechanism for Biocompatible Nanocrystal-Based Sensors

OpenAIRE

Kay, Euan R.; Lee, Jungmin; Nocera, Daniel; Bawendi, Moungi G.

2012-01-01

Fold-up fluorophore: A new paradigm for designing self-referencing fluorescent nanosensors is demonstrated by interfacing a pH-triggered molecular conformational switch with quantum dots. Analytedependent, large-amplitude conformational motion controls the distance between the nanocrystal energy donor and an organic FRET acceptor. The result is a fluorescence signal capable of reporting pH values from individual endosomes in living cells.

The role of PEG conformation in mixed layers: from protein corona substrate to steric stabilization avoiding protein adsorption

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joan Comenge

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Although nanoparticles (NPs have been traditionally modified with a single ligand layer, mixture of ligands might help to combine different functionalities and to further engineer the NP surface. A detailed study of the competition between an alkanethiol (11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and SH-PEG for the surface of AuNPs and the resultant behaviors of this model nanoconjugate is presented here. As a result, the physicochemical properties of these conjugates can be progressively tuned by controlling the composition and especially the conformation of the mixed monolayer. This has implications in the physiological stability. The controlled changes on the SH-PEG conformation rather than its concentration induce a change in the stabilization mechanism from electrostatic repulsion to steric hindrance, which changes the biological fate of NPs. Importantly, the adsorption of proteins on the conjugates can be tailored by tuning the composition and conformation of the mixed layer.

Sequence-independent control of peptide conformation in liposomal vaccines for targeting protein misfolding diseases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hickman, D.T.; Nand, D.; Baldus, M.; Muhs, A.

2011-01-01

Synthetic peptide immunogens which mimic the conformation of a target epitope of pathological relevance offer the possibility to precisely control the immune response specificity. Here, we performed conformational analyses using a panel of peptides in order to investigate the key parameters

Chloride (Cl−) ion-mediated shape control of palladium nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nalajala, Naresh; Chakraborty, Arup; Bera, Bapi; Neergat, Manoj

2016-01-01

The shape control of Pd nanoparticles is investigated using chloride (Cl − ) ions as capping agents in an aqueous medium in the temperature range of 60–100 °C. With weakly adsorbing and strongly etching Cl − ions, oxygen plays a crucial role in shape control. The experimental factors considered are the concentration of the capping agents, reaction time and reaction atmosphere. Thus, Pd nanoparticles of various shapes with high selectivity can be synthesized. Moreover, the removal of Cl − ions from the nanoparticle surface is easier than that of Br − ions (moderately adsorbing and etching) and I − ions (strongly adsorbing and weakly etching). The cleaned Cl − ion-mediated shape-controlled Pd nanoparticles are electrochemically characterized and the order of the half-wave potential of the oxygen reduction reaction in oxygen-saturated 0.1 M HClO 4 solution is of the same order as that observed with single-crystal Pd surfaces. (paper)

Interaction study on bovine serum albumin physically binding to silver nanoparticles: Evolution from discrete conjugates to protein coronas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo, Jun; Zhong, Ruibo; Li, Wanrong; Liu, Yushuang; Bai, Zhijun; Yin, Jun; Liu, Jingran; Gong, Pei [Agricultural Nanocenter, School of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot 010018 (China); Zhao, Xinmin, E-mail: zhao.xinmin@hotmail.com [School of Foreign Language, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot 010018 (China); Zhang, Feng, E-mail: fengzhang1978@hotmail.com [Agricultural Nanocenter, School of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 306 Zhaowuda Road, Hohhot 010018 (China)

2015-12-30

Graphical abstract: With the non-uniform coating of amphiphilic polymer, the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) can form protein coronas which can become discrete protein–nanoparticle conjugates when controlling the protein–nanoparticle molar ratios. The protein's conformational changes upon binding NPs was also studied by both circular dichroism and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy. - Highlights: • The amphiphilic polymer coating can not only transfer hydrophobic NPs into water soluble, but also providing a thick shell responsible for the strong physisorption to proteins without significantly changing their spatial conformations. • NP with discrete proteins can be simply obtained by a simple mixing procedure followed by a gel electrophoresis separation, and the resulting conjugates are robust enough to resist common separation techniques like gel electrophoresis. • In combination with the universal amphiphilic polymer coating strategy and the physisorption mediated protein–NP conjugation, proteins like BSA can be effectively conjugated to different materials such as noble metal, semiconductor and magnetic NPs. • In contrast to chemical coupling methods, the physisorption mediated protein–NP conjugation holds facile, robust and reversible advantages, which may find wide applications in nano-biomedicine field. - Abstract: The nanostructures formed by inorganic nanoparticles together with organic molecules especially biomolecules have attracted increasing attention from both industries and researching fields due to their unique hybrid properties. In this paper, we systemically studied the interactions between amphiphilic polymer coated silver nanoparticles and bovine serum albumins by employing the fluorescence quenching approach in combination with the Stern-Volmer and Hill equations. The binding affinity was determined to 1.30 × 10{sup 7} M{sup −1} and the interaction was spontaneously driven by mainly the van der Waals force and

Biosynthesis of size-controlled gold nanoparticles using fungus, Penicillium sp.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaorong; He, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Kemin; Wang, Yonghong; Li, Huimin; Tan, Weihong

2009-10-01

The unique optoelectronic and physicochemical properties of gold nanoparticles are significantly dependent on the particle size, shape and structure. In this paper, biosynthesis of size-controlled gold nanoparticles using fungus Penicillium sp. is reported. Fungus Penicillium sp. could successfully bioreduce and nucleate AuCl4(-) ions, and lead to the assembly and formation of intracellular Au nanoparticles with spherical morphology and good monodispersity after exposure to HAuCl4 solution. Reaction temperature, as an important physiological parameter for fungus Penicillium sp. growth, could significantly control the size of the biosynthesized Au nanoparticles. The biological compositions and FTIR spectra analysis of fungus Penicillium sp. exposed to HAuCl4 solution indicated the intracellular reducing sugar played an important role in the occurrence of intracellular reduction of AuCl4(-) ions and the growth of gold nanoparticles. Furthermore, the intracellular gold nanoparticles could be easily separated from the fungal cell lysate by ultrasonication and centrifugation.

Controlled synthesis of colloidal silver nanoparticles in capillary micro-flow reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Shengtai; Liu Yulan; Maeda, Hideaki

2008-01-01

In this study, using a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) capillary tube as a micro-flow reactor, well-dispersed colloidal silver nanoparticles were controllably synthesized with different flow rates of precursory solution. Scanning transmission electron microscopy images and UV-visible absorbance spectra showed that silver nanoparticles with large size can be prepared with slow flow rate in the PTFE capillary reactor. The effects of tube diameters on the growth of colloidal silver nanoparticles were investigated. Experiment results demonstrated that using tube with small diameter was more propitious for the controllable synthesis of silver nanoparticles with different sizes.

Nanoparticles for mosquito control: Challenges and constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Benelli

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Mosquito control programs are facing important and timely challenges, including the recent outbreaks of novel arbovirus, the development of resistance in several Culicidae species, and the rapid spreading of highly invasive mosquitoes worldwide. Current control tools mainly rely on the employment of (i synthetic or microbial pesticides, (ii insecticide-treated bed nets, (iii adult repellents, (iv biological control agents against mosquito young instars (mainly fishes, amphibians and copepods (v Sterile Insect Technique (SIT, (vi “boosted SIT”, (vii symbiont-based methods and (viii transgenic mosquitoes. Currently, none of these single strategies is fully successful. Novel eco-friendly strategies to manage mosquito vectors are urgently needed. The plant-mediated fabrication of nanoparticles is advantageous over chemical and physical methods, since it is cheap, single-step, and does not require high pressure, energy, temperature, or the use of highly toxic chemicals. In the latest years, a growing number of plant-borne compounds have been proposed for efficient and rapid extracellular synthesis of metal nanoparticles effective against mosquitoes at very low doses (i.e. 1–30 ppm. In this review, we focused on the promising potential of green-fabricated nanoparticles as toxic agents against mosquito young instars, and as adult oviposition deterrents. Furthermore, we analyzed current evidences about non-target effects of these nanocomposites used for mosquito control, pointing out their moderate acute toxicity for non-target aquatic organisms, absence of genotoxicity at the doses tested against mosquitoes, and the possibility to boost the predation rates of biological control agents against mosquitoes treating the aquatic environment with ultra-low doses (e.g. 1–3 ppm of green-synthesized nanoparticles, which reduce the motility of mosquito larvae. Challenges for future research should shed light on (i the precise mechanism(s of action of

Lipid nanoparticle interactions and assemblies

Science.gov (United States)

Preiss, Matthew Ryan

oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in the lipid bilayer, the local temperature and membrane fluidity could be observed. DLNAs were encapsulated with different sized nanoparticles and concentrations in order to observe the effect of the bilayer nanoparticles on the lipid bilayer's phase behavior and leakage. Two different sized nanoparticles were used, a 2 nm gold nanoparticle (GNP) much smaller than the thickness of the bilayer and a 4 nm GNP near the thickness of the lipid bilayer. The 2 nm GNPs were shown to affect the lipid bilayer differently than the 4 nm GNP. Specifically, the two nanoparticles altered the phase behavior and leakage differently in a temperature dependent fashion, demonstrating that embedded nanoparticle size can be used induce or inhibit bilayer leakage. A dual solvent exchange method was used to control the lipid surface composition of an iron oxide nanoparticle with a cationic lipid and a polyethylene glycol (PEG) lipid to produce lipid coated magnetic nanoparticles (LMNPs). PEG is well known for its ability to enhance the pharmacokinetics of nanostructures by preventing uptake by the immune system. By controlling the lipid surface composition, the surface charge and PEG conformation can be controlled which allowed the LMNPs to be used as an MRI contrast agent and a delivery system for siRNA that could be triggered with temperature.

Human serum albumin as protecting agent of silver nanoparticles: role of the protein conformation and amine groups in the nanoparticle stabilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alarcon, Emilio I.; Bueno-Alejo, Carlos J.; Noel, Christopher W.; Stamplecoskie, Kevin G. [Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa, Department of Chemistry (Canada); Pacioni, Natalia L. [Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, INFIQC, Departamento de Quimica Organica (Argentina); Poblete, Horacio [Center for Bioinformatics and Molecular Simulations, Universidad de Talca (Chile); Scaiano, J. C., E-mail: tito@photo.chem.uottawa.ca [Centre for Catalysis Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa, Department of Chemistry (Canada)

2013-01-15

Thermally denatured human serum albumin interacts with {approx}3.0 nm spherical AgNP enhancing the fluorescence of Trp-214 at large protein/nanoparticle ratios. However, using native HSA, no changes in the emission were observed. The observation is likely due to differences between native and denatured protein packing resulting from protein corona formation. We have also found that NH{sub 2} blocking of the protein strongly affects the ability of the protein to protect AgNP from different salts/ions such as NaCl, PBS, Hank's buffer, Tris-HCl, MES, and DMEM. Additionally, AgNP can be readily prepared in aqueous solutions by a photochemical approach employing HSA as an in situ protecting agent. The role of the protein in this case is beyond that of protecting agent; thus, Ag{sup +} ions and I-2959 complexation within the protein structure also affects the efficiency of AgNP formation. Blocking NH{sub 2} in HSA modified the AgNP growth profile, surface plasmon band shape, and long-term stability suggesting that amine groups are directly involved in the formation and post-stabilization of AgNP. In particular, AgNP size and shape are extensively influenced by NH{sub 2} blocking, leading primarily to cubes and plates with sizes around 5-15 nm; in contrast, spherical monodisperse 4.0 nm AgNP are observed for native HSA. The nanoparticles prepared by this protocol are non-toxic in primary cells and have remarkable antibacterial properties. Finally, surface plasmon excitation of native HSA-AgNP promoted loss of protein conformation in just 5 min, suggesting that plasmon heating causes protein denaturation using continuous light sources such as commercial LED.

Human serum albumin as protecting agent of silver nanoparticles: role of the protein conformation and amine groups in the nanoparticle stabilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alarcon, Emilio I.; Bueno-Alejo, Carlos J.; Noel, Christopher W.; Stamplecoskie, Kevin G.; Pacioni, Natalia L.; Poblete, Horacio; Scaiano, J. C.

2013-01-01

Thermally denatured human serum albumin interacts with ∼3.0 nm spherical AgNP enhancing the fluorescence of Trp-214 at large protein/nanoparticle ratios. However, using native HSA, no changes in the emission were observed. The observation is likely due to differences between native and denatured protein packing resulting from protein corona formation. We have also found that NH 2 blocking of the protein strongly affects the ability of the protein to protect AgNP from different salts/ions such as NaCl, PBS, Hank’s buffer, Tris–HCl, MES, and DMEM. Additionally, AgNP can be readily prepared in aqueous solutions by a photochemical approach employing HSA as an in situ protecting agent. The role of the protein in this case is beyond that of protecting agent; thus, Ag + ions and I-2959 complexation within the protein structure also affects the efficiency of AgNP formation. Blocking NH 2 in HSA modified the AgNP growth profile, surface plasmon band shape, and long-term stability suggesting that amine groups are directly involved in the formation and post-stabilization of AgNP. In particular, AgNP size and shape are extensively influenced by NH 2 blocking, leading primarily to cubes and plates with sizes around 5–15 nm; in contrast, spherical monodisperse 4.0 nm AgNP are observed for native HSA. The nanoparticles prepared by this protocol are non-toxic in primary cells and have remarkable antibacterial properties. Finally, surface plasmon excitation of native HSA-AgNP promoted loss of protein conformation in just 5 min, suggesting that plasmon heating causes protein denaturation using continuous light sources such as commercial LED.

Pore fabrication in various silica-based nanoparticles by controlled etching

KAUST Repository

Zhao, Lan

2010-07-20

A novel method based on controlled etching was developed to fabricate nanopores on preformed silica nanoparticles (<100 nm in diameter). The obtained monodisperse nanoporous particles could form highly stable homogeneous colloidal solution. Fluorescent silica nanoparticles and magnetic silica-coated γ-Fe 2O 3 nanoparticles were investigated as examples to illustrate that this strategy could be generally applied to various silica-based functional nanoparticles. The results indicated that this method was effective for generating pores on these nanoparticles without altering their original functionalities. The obtained multifunctional nanoparticles would be useful for many biological and biomedical applications. These porous nanoparticles could also serve as building blocks to fabricate three-dimensionally periodic structures that have the potential to be used as photonic crystals. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Investigating the influence of effective parameters on molecular characteristics of bovine serum albumin nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rohiwal, S.S.; Satvekar, R.K.; Tiwari, A.P.; Raut, A.V.; Kumbhar, S.G.; Pawar, S.H., E-mail: pawar_s_h@yahoo.com

2015-04-15

Graphical abstract: The physiochemical properties of nanoparticles provide the basic aspects about the conformational transitions which could have a strong bearing on the bioavailability for bioactive molecules such as peptides and hormones. - Highlights: • Synthesis and surface and structural properties of Bovine Serum Albumin nanoparticles (BSANPs). • Study of conformational transitions of BSANPs by spectroscopic techniques. • Studies on the effect of pH and protein concentration on formulation of BSANPs. - Abstract: The protein nanoparticles formulation is a challenging task as they are prone to undergo conformational transitions while processing which may affect bioavailability for bioactive compounds. Herein, a modified desolvation method is employed to prepare Bovine Serum Albumin nanoparticles, with controllable particle size ranging from 100 to 300 nm and low polydispersity index. The factors influencing the size and structure of BSA NPs viz. protein concentration, pH and the conditions for purification are well investigated. The structure of BSA NPs is altered due to processing, and may affect the effective binding ability with drugs and bioactive compounds. With that aims, investigations of molecular characteristics of BSA NPs are carried out in detail by using spectroscopic techniques. UV–visible absorption and Fourier Transform Infrared demonstrate the alteration in protein structure of BSA NPs whereas the FT-Raman spectroscopy investigates changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of the protein. The conformational changes of BSA NPs are observed by change in fluorescence intensity and emission maximum wavelength of tryptophan residue by fluorescence spectroscopy. The field emission scanning electron and atomic force microscopy micrographs confirm the size and semi-spherical morphology of the BSA NPs. The effect of concentration and pH on particle size distribution is studied by particle size analyzer.

Cellular membrane trafficking of mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, I-Ju [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2012-01-01

This dissertation mainly focuses on the investigation of the cellular membrane trafficking of mesoporous silica nanoparticles. We are interested in the study of endocytosis and exocytosis behaviors of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with desired surface functionality. The relationship between mesoporous silica nanoparticles and membrane trafficking of cells, either cancerous cells or normal cells was examined. Since mesoporous silica nanoparticles were applied in many drug delivery cases, the endocytotic efficiency of mesoporous silica nanoparticles needs to be investigated in more details in order to design the cellular drug delivery system in the controlled way. It is well known that cells can engulf some molecules outside of the cells through a receptor-ligand associated endocytosis. We are interested to determine if those biomolecules binding to cell surface receptors can be utilized on mesoporous silica nanoparticle materials to improve the uptake efficiency or govern the mechanism of endocytosis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) is a small peptide recognized by cell integrin receptors and it was reported that avidin internalization was highly promoted by tumor lectin. Both RGD and avidin were linked to the surface of mesoporous silica nanoparticle materials to investigate the effect of receptor-associated biomolecule on cellular endocytosis efficiency. The effect of ligand types, ligand conformation and ligand density were discussed in Chapter 2 and 3. Furthermore, the exocytosis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles is very attractive for biological applications. The cellular protein sequestration study of mesoporous silica nanoparticles was examined for further information of the intracellular pathway of endocytosed mesoporous silica nanoparticle materials. The surface functionality of mesoporous silica nanoparticle materials demonstrated selectivity among the materials and cancer and normal cell lines. We aimed to determine

Building Strategic Conformal Automation for Air Traffic Control Using Machine Learning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Regtuit, Robert; Borst, C.; van Kampen, E.; van Paassen, M.M.

2018-01-01

Acceptance of automation has been a bottleneck for successful introduction of automation in Air Trac Control. Strategic conformal automation has been proven to increase automation acceptance, by creating a better match between automation and operator decision-making. In this paper strategic

Size control in the synthesis of 1-6 nm gold nanoparticles via solvent-controlled nucleation.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Jieun; Kim, Dukhan; Lee, Dongil

2011-11-15

We report a facile synthetic route for size-controlled preparation of gold nanoparticles. Nearly monodisperse gold nanoparticles with core diameters of 1-6 nm were obtained by reducing AuP(Phenyl)(3)Cl with tert-butylamine borane in the presence of dodecanethiol in the solvent mixture of benzene and CHCl(3). Mechanism studies have shown that the size control is achieved by the solvent-controlled nucleation in which the nuclei concentration increases with increasing the fraction of CHCl(3), leading to smaller particles. It was also found that, following the solvent-controlled nucleation, particle growth occurs via ligand replacement of PPh(3) on the nuclei by Au(I)thiolate generated by the digestive etching of small particles. This synthetic strategy was successfully demonstrated with other alkanethiols of different chain length with which size-controlled, monodisperse gold nanoparticles were prepared in remarkable yield without requiring any postsynthesis treatments.

Use of 1–4 interaction scaling factors to control the conformational equilibrium between α-helix and β-strand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pang, Yuan-Ping

2015-01-01

Highlights: • 1–4 interaction scaling factors are used to adjust conformational energy. • This article reports the effects of these factors on protein conformations. • Reducing these factors changes a helix to a strand in molecular dynamics simulation. • Increasing these factors causes the reverse conformational change. • These factors control the conformational equilibrium between helix and strand. - Abstract: 1–4 interaction scaling factors are used in AMBER forcefields to reduce the exaggeration of short-range repulsion caused by the 6–12 Lennard-Jones potential and a nonpolarizable charge model and to obtain better agreements of small-molecule conformational energies with experimental data. However, the effects of these scaling factors on protein secondary structure conformations have not been investigated until now. This article reports the finding that the 1–4 interactions among the protein backbone atoms separated by three consecutive covalent bonds are more repulsive in the α-helix conformation than in two β-strand conformations. Therefore, the 1–4 interaction scaling factors of protein backbone torsions ϕ and ψ control the conformational equilibrium between α-helix and β-strand. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm that reducing the ϕ and ψ scaling factors readily converts the α-helix conformation of AcO-(AAQAA) 3 -NH 2 to a β-strand conformation, and the reverse occurs when these scaling factors are increased. These results suggest that the ϕ and ψ scaling factors can be used to generate the α-helix or β-strand conformation in situ and to control the propensities of a forcefield for adopting secondary structure elements

Size Controlled Synthesis of Starch Nanoparticles by a Microemulsion Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suk Fun Chin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Controllable particles sizes of starch nanoparticles were synthesized via a precipitation in water-in-oil microemulsion approach. Microemulsion method offers the advantages of ultralow interfacial tension, large interfacial area, and being thermodynamically stable and affords monodispersed nanoparticles. The synthesis parameters such as stirring rates, ratios of oil/cosurfactant, oil phases, cosurfactants, and ratios of water/oil were found to affect the mean particle size of starch nanoparticles. Starch nanoparticles with mean particles sizes of 109 nm were synthesized by direct nanoprecipitation method, whereas by using precipitation in microemulsion approach, starch nanoparticles with smaller mean particles sizes of 83 nm were obtained.

Controlled Deposition of Tin Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles Using Microcontact Printing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joo C. Chan

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This report describes extensive studies of deposition processes involving tin oxide (SnOx nanoparticles on smooth glass surfaces. We demonstrate the use of smooth films of these nanoparticles as a platform for spatially-selective electroless deposition of silver by soft lithographic stamping. The edge and height roughness of the depositing metallic films are 100 nm and 20 nm, respectively, controlled by the intrinsic size of the nanoparticles. Mixtures of alcohols as capping agents provide further control over the size and shape of nanoparticles clusters. The distribution of cluster heights obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM is modeled through a modified heterogeneous nucleation theory as well as Oswald ripening. The thermodynamic modeling of the wetting properties of nanoparticles aggregates provides insight into their mechanism of formation and how their properties might be further exploited in wide-ranging applications.

Electroanalytical Evaluation of Nanoparticles by Nano-impact Electrochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, Anahita

Applications of engineered nanoparticles in electronics, catalysis, solid oxide fuel cells, medicine and sensing continue to increase. Traditionally, nanoparticle systems are characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. These methods are cumbersome and expensive, which limit their routine use for screening purposes. Electrochemistry is a powerful, yet underutilized tool, for the detection and classification of nanoparticles. The first part of this dissertation investigates a recently developed electrochemical method -- nanoparticle collision electrochemistry -- for detection and characterization of nanoparticles. Three independent projects have been described to evaluate the use of this technique for characterizing nanoparticle based systems including: conjugation with biomolecules, interaction with environmental contaminants and fundamental investigation of conformational changes of nanoparticle capping ligands. The thesis reports the first use of nano-impact electrochemistry to quantitatively investigate bioconjugation and biomolecular recognition at conductive nanoparticles. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the potential of this method as a single step, reagentless and label-free technique for the ultra-sensitive detection of biomolecular targets. A fundamental study of biorecognition is important for the development of therapeutics and molecular diagnosis probes in the biomedical, biosensing and biotechnology fields. The second project describes the use of this method as a screening tool of particle reactivity. We study the interaction and adsorption of a toxic environmental metalloid (Arsenic) with metal oxide nanoparticles to extract mechanistic, speciation and loading information. We discuss the potential of this approach to complement or replace costly characterization techniques and enable routine study of nanoparticles and their reactivity. In the third project, we use the nano-impact method to study the pH-dependent conformational changes

Use of Soybean Lecithin in Shape Controlled Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Ayres, Benjamin Robert

The work presented in this dissertation is a composite of experiments in the growth of gold nanoparticles with specific optical properties of interest. The goal is to synthesize these gold nanoparticles using soybean extract for not only shape control, but for propensity as a biocompatible delivery system. The optical properties of these nanoparticles has found great application in coloring glass during the Roman empire and, over the centuries, has grown into its own research field in applications of nanoparticulate materials. Many of the current functions include use in biological systems as biosensors and therapeutic applications, thus making biocompatibility a necessity. Current use of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide leads to rod-shaped gold nanoparticles, however, the stability of these gold nanoparticles does not endure for extended periods of time in aqueous media. In my research, two important components were found to be necessary for stable, anisotropic growth of gold nanoparticles. In the first experiments, it was found that bromide played a key role in shape control. Bromide exchange on the gold atoms led to specific packing of the growing crystals, allowing for two-dimensional growth of gold nanoparticles. It was also discerned that soybean lecithin contained ligands that blocked specific gold facets leading to prismatic gold nanoparticle growth. These gold nanoprisms give a near infrared plasmon absorption similar to that of rod-shaped gold nanoparticles. These gold nanoprisms are discovered to be extremely stable in aqueous media and remain soluble for extended periods of time, far longer than that of gold nanoparticles grown using cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. Since soy lecithin has a plethora of compounds present, it became necessary to discover which compound was responsible for the shape control of the gold nanoprisms in order to optimize the synthesis and allow for a maximum yield of the gold nanoprisms. Many of these components were identified

Conformational and functional variants of CD44-targeted protein nanoparticles bio-produced in bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pesarrodona, Mireia; Conchillo-Solé, Oscar; Unzueta, Ugutz; Xu, Zhikun; Ferrer-Miralles, Neus; Daura, Xavier; Vázquez, Esther; Villaverde, Antonio; Fernández, Yolanda; Foradada, Laia; Schwartz, Simó Jr; Abasolo, Ibane; Sánchez-Chardi, Alejandro; Roldán, Mónica; Villegas, Sandra; Rinas, Ursula

2016-01-01

Biofabrication is attracting interest as a means to produce nanostructured functional materials because of its operational versatility and full scalability. Materials based on proteins are especially appealing, as the structure and functionality of proteins can be adapted by genetic engineering. Furthermore, strategies and tools for protein production have been developed and refined steadily for more than 30 years. However, protein conformation and therefore activity might be sensitive to production conditions. Here, we have explored whether the downstream strategy influences the structure and biological activities, in vitro and in vivo, of a self-assembling, CD44-targeted protein-only nanoparticle produced in Escherichia coli. This has been performed through the comparative analysis of particles built from soluble protein species or protein versions obtained by in vitro protein extraction from inclusion bodies, through mild, non-denaturing procedures. These methods have been developed recently as a convenient alternative to the use of toxic chaotropic agents for protein resolubilization from protein aggregates. The results indicate that the resulting material shows substantial differences in its physicochemical properties and its biological performance at the systems level, and that its building blocks are sensitive to the particular protein source. (paper)

Use of 1–4 interaction scaling factors to control the conformational equilibrium between α-helix and β-strand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pang, Yuan-Ping, E-mail: pang@mayo.edu

2015-02-06

Highlights: • 1–4 interaction scaling factors are used to adjust conformational energy. • This article reports the effects of these factors on protein conformations. • Reducing these factors changes a helix to a strand in molecular dynamics simulation. • Increasing these factors causes the reverse conformational change. • These factors control the conformational equilibrium between helix and strand. - Abstract: 1–4 interaction scaling factors are used in AMBER forcefields to reduce the exaggeration of short-range repulsion caused by the 6–12 Lennard-Jones potential and a nonpolarizable charge model and to obtain better agreements of small-molecule conformational energies with experimental data. However, the effects of these scaling factors on protein secondary structure conformations have not been investigated until now. This article reports the finding that the 1–4 interactions among the protein backbone atoms separated by three consecutive covalent bonds are more repulsive in the α-helix conformation than in two β-strand conformations. Therefore, the 1–4 interaction scaling factors of protein backbone torsions ϕ and ψ control the conformational equilibrium between α-helix and β-strand. Molecular dynamics simulations confirm that reducing the ϕ and ψ scaling factors readily converts the α-helix conformation of AcO-(AAQAA){sub 3}-NH{sub 2} to a β-strand conformation, and the reverse occurs when these scaling factors are increased. These results suggest that the ϕ and ψ scaling factors can be used to generate the α-helix or β-strand conformation in situ and to control the propensities of a forcefield for adopting secondary structure elements.

Controlled specific placement of nanoparticles into microdomains of block copolymer thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Joonwon, E-mail: joonwonbae@gmail.com [Department of Applied Chemistry, Dongduk Women' s University, Seoul 136-714 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jungwook [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul 121-742 (Korea, Republic of); Park, Jongnam, E-mail: jnpark@unist.ac.kr [Interdisciplinary School of Green Energy, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 689-798 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-07-01

Conceptually attractive hybrid materials composed of nanoparticles and elegant block copolymers have become important for diverse applications. In this work, controlled specific placement of nanoparticles such as gold (Au) and titania (TiO{sub 2}) into microphase separated domains in poly(styrene)-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymer thin films was demonstrated. The effect of nanoparticle surface functionality on the spatial location of particles inside polymer film was observed by transmission electron microscopy. It was revealed that the location of nanoparticles was highly dependent on the surface ligand property of nanoparticle. In addition, the microphase separation behavior of thin block copolymer film was also affected by the nanoparticle surface functional groups. This study might provide a way to understand the properties and behaviors of numerous block copolymer/nanoparticle hybrid systems. - Highlights: • Controlled location of nanoparticles in the block copolymer matrix • Tailoring surface functionality of metal nanocrystals • Fabrication of homogeneous nanocomposites using organic inorganic components • Possibility for the preparation of nanohybrids.

Controlled specific placement of nanoparticles into microdomains of block copolymer thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Joonwon; Kim, Jungwook; Park, Jongnam

2014-01-01

Conceptually attractive hybrid materials composed of nanoparticles and elegant block copolymers have become important for diverse applications. In this work, controlled specific placement of nanoparticles such as gold (Au) and titania (TiO 2 ) into microphase separated domains in poly(styrene)-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymer thin films was demonstrated. The effect of nanoparticle surface functionality on the spatial location of particles inside polymer film was observed by transmission electron microscopy. It was revealed that the location of nanoparticles was highly dependent on the surface ligand property of nanoparticle. In addition, the microphase separation behavior of thin block copolymer film was also affected by the nanoparticle surface functional groups. This study might provide a way to understand the properties and behaviors of numerous block copolymer/nanoparticle hybrid systems. - Highlights: • Controlled location of nanoparticles in the block copolymer matrix • Tailoring surface functionality of metal nanocrystals • Fabrication of homogeneous nanocomposites using organic inorganic components • Possibility for the preparation of nanohybrids

Size Controlled Synthesis of Transition Metal Nanoparticles for Catalytic Applications

KAUST Repository

Esparza, Angel

2011-07-07

Catalysis offers cleaner and more efficient chemical reactions for environmental scientists. More than 90% of industrial processes are performed with a catalyst involved, however research it is still required to improve the catalyst materials. The purpose of this work is to contribute with the development of catalysts synthesis with two different approaches. First, the precise size control of non-noble metals nanoparticles. Second, a new one-pot synthesis method based on a microemulsion system was developed to synthesize size-controlled metal nanoparticles in oxide supports. The one-pot method represents a simple approach to synthesize both support and immobilized nanometer-sized non-noble metal nanoparticles in the same reaction system. Narrow size distribution nickel, cobalt, iron and cobalt-nickel nanoparticles were obtained. High metal dispersions are attainable regardless the metal or support used in the synthesis. Thus, the methodology is adaptable and robust. The sizecontrolled supported metal nanoparticles offer the opportunity to study size effects and metal-support interactions on different catalytic reactions with different sets of metals and supports.

Externally controlled triggered-release of drug from PLGA micro and nanoparticles.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Hua

Full Text Available Biofilm infections are extremely hard to eradicate and controlled, triggered and controlled drug release properties may prolong drug release time. In this study, the ability to externally control drug release from micro and nanoparticles was investigated. We prepared micro/nanoparticles containing ciprofloxacin (CIP and magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid PLGA. Both micro/nanoparticles were observed to have narrow size distributions. We investigated and compared their passive and externally triggered drug release properties based on their different encapsulation structures for the nano and micro systems. In passive release studies, CIP demonstrated a fast rate of release in first 2 days which then slowed and sustained release for approximately 4 weeks. Significantly, magnetic nanoparticles containing systems all showed ability to have triggered drug release when exposed to an external oscillating magnetic field (OMF. An experiment where the OMF was turned on and off also confirmed the ability to control the drug release in a pulsatile manner. The magnetically triggered release resulted in a 2-fold drug release increase compared with normal passive release. To confirm drug integrity following release, the antibacterial activity of released drug was evaluated in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro. CIP maintained its antimicrobial activity after encapsulation and triggered release.

Externally controlled triggered-release of drug from PLGA micro and nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Xin; Tan, Shengnan; Bandara, H M H N; Fu, Yujie; Liu, Siguo; Smyth, Hugh D C

2014-01-01

Biofilm infections are extremely hard to eradicate and controlled, triggered and controlled drug release properties may prolong drug release time. In this study, the ability to externally control drug release from micro and nanoparticles was investigated. We prepared micro/nanoparticles containing ciprofloxacin (CIP) and magnetic nanoparticles encapsulated in poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA. Both micro/nanoparticles were observed to have narrow size distributions. We investigated and compared their passive and externally triggered drug release properties based on their different encapsulation structures for the nano and micro systems. In passive release studies, CIP demonstrated a fast rate of release in first 2 days which then slowed and sustained release for approximately 4 weeks. Significantly, magnetic nanoparticles containing systems all showed ability to have triggered drug release when exposed to an external oscillating magnetic field (OMF). An experiment where the OMF was turned on and off also confirmed the ability to control the drug release in a pulsatile manner. The magnetically triggered release resulted in a 2-fold drug release increase compared with normal passive release. To confirm drug integrity following release, the antibacterial activity of released drug was evaluated in Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms in vitro. CIP maintained its antimicrobial activity after encapsulation and triggered release.

Functionally-interdependent shape-switching nanoparticles with controllable properties

Science.gov (United States)

Halman, Justin R.; Satterwhite, Emily; Roark, Brandon; Chandler, Morgan; Viard, Mathias; Ivanina, Anna; Bindewald, Eckart; Kasprzak, Wojciech K.; Panigaj, Martin; Bui, My N.; Lu, Jacob S.; Miller, Johann; Khisamutdinov, Emil F.; Shapiro, Bruce A.; Dobrovolskaia, Marina A.

2017-01-01

Abstract We introduce a new concept that utilizes cognate nucleic acid nanoparticles which are fully complementary and functionally-interdependent to each other. In the described approach, the physical interaction between sets of designed nanoparticles initiates a rapid isothermal shape change which triggers the activation of multiple functionalities and biological pathways including transcription, energy transfer, functional aptamers and RNA interference. The individual nanoparticles are not active and have controllable kinetics of re-association and fine-tunable chemical and thermodynamic stabilities. Computational algorithms were developed to accurately predict melting temperatures of nanoparticles of various compositions and trace the process of their re-association in silico. Additionally, tunable immunostimulatory properties of described nanoparticles suggest that the particles that do not induce pro-inflammatory cytokines and high levels of interferons can be used as scaffolds to carry therapeutic oligonucleotides, while particles with strong interferon and mild pro-inflammatory cytokine induction may qualify as vaccine adjuvants. The presented concept provides a simple, cost-effective and straightforward model for the development of combinatorial regulation of biological processes in nucleic acid nanotechnology. PMID:28108656

ATMP-stabilized iron nanoparticles: chelator-controlled nanoparticle synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Greenlee, Lauren F.; Rentz, Nikki S.

2014-11-01

In this study, we characterize iron nanoparticles synthesized in water in the presence of a phosphonate chelator, amino tris(methylene phosphonic acid) (ATMP) for a range of molar ratios of ATMP to iron. An increase in the molar ratio from 0.05 to 0.8 decreases nanoparticle size from approximately 150 nm to less than 10 nm. Zeta potential measurements were used to evaluate colloidal stability. Zeta potential values varied as a function of pH, and zeta potential values decreased with increasing pH. At lower molar ratios of ATMP to iron, the zeta potential varied between 15 and -40 mV, passing through an isoelectric point at pH 7.5. At higher ratios, the zeta potential was negative across the measured pH range of 2-12 and varied from -2 to -55 mV. Diffraction analysis indicates that ATMP-stabilized iron nanoparticles may have a nano-crystalline structure, potentially with regions of amorphous iron. Characterization results of ATMP-stabilized iron nanoparticles are compared to results obtained for carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-stabilized iron nanoparticles. CMC stabilization caused similar peak broadening in diffraction spectra as for ATMP, suggesting similar nano-crystalline/amorphous structure; however, an increase in the molar ratio of CMC to iron did not cause the same reduction in nanoparticle size as was observed for ATMP-stabilized iron nanoparticles.

Vibration atomic layer deposition for conformal nanoparticle coating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Suk Won; Woo Kim, Jun; Jong Choi, Hyung; Hyung Shim, Joon, E-mail: shimm@korea.ac.kr [School of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 136-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-01-15

A vibration atomic layer deposition reactor was developed for fabricating a conformal thin-film coating on nanosize particles. In this study, atomic layer deposition of 10–15-nm-thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films was conducted on a high-surface-area acetylene black powder with particle diameters of 200–250 nm. Intense vibration during the deposition resulted in the effective separation of particles, overcoming the interparticle agglomeration force and enabling effective diffusion of the precursor into the powder chunk; this phenomenon led to the formation of a conformal film coating on the nanopowder particles. It was also confirmed that the atomic layer deposition Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} films initially grew on the high-surface-area acetylene black powder particles as discrete islands, presumably because chemisorption of the precursor and water occurred only on a few sites on the high-surface-area acetylene black powder surface. Relatively sluggish growth of the films during the initial atomic layer deposition cycles was identified from composition analysis.

pH induced protein-scaffold biosynthesis of tunable shape gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaorong; He Xiaoxiao; Wang Kemin; Ren Fang; Qin Zhihe

2011-01-01

In this paper, a pH-inductive protein-scaffold biosynthesis of shape-tunable crystalline gold nanoparticles at room temperature has been developed. By simple manipulation of the reaction solution's pH, anisotropic gold nanoparticles including spheres, triangles and cubes could be produced by incubating an aqueous solution of sodium tetrachloroaurate with Dolichomitriopsis diversiformis biomasses after immersion in ultrapure Millipore water overnight. A moss protein with molecular weight of about 71 kDa and pI of 4.9 was the primary biomolecule involved in the biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles. The secondary configuration of the proteins by CD spectrum implied that the moss protein could display different secondary configurations including random coil, α-helix and intermediate conformations between random coil and α-helix for the experimental pH solution. The growth process of gold nanoparticles further showed that the moss protein with different configurations provided the template scaffold for the shape-controlled biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles. The constrained shape of the gold nanoparticles, however, disappeared in boiled moss extract. The gold nanoparticles with designed morphology were successfully reconstructed using the moss protein purified from the gold nanoparticles. Structural characterizations by SEM, TEM and SAED showed that the triangular and cubic gold nanoparticles were single crystalline.

Enhanced emission of nile red fluorescent nanoparticles embedded in hybrid sol-gel glasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrer, Maria L; del Monte, Francisco

2005-01-13

Highly fluorescent Nile Red (NR) nanoparticles embedded in a hybrid sol-gel glass are reported. The crystallite growth within the confined system created by the porous hybrid matrix results in NR nanoparticles of averaged dimensions below 36 nm. The preparation process allows for the control of both the conformation adopted by single NR molecules prior to aggregation (e.g., near planar) and the configuration of the aggregates (e.g., oblique with phi architecture which ultimately forms the nanoparticles. The full preservation of the fluorescent configuration of the aggregates in the nanoparticles is confirmed through the application of the exciton theory, and it is responsible for the significant increase of the fluorescence emission intensity (e.g., up to 525- and 70-fold as compared to that obtained for single NR molecules embedded in pure and hybrid silica glasses, respectively).

Controlling Hydrogel Mechanics via Bio-Inspired Polymer-Nanoparticle Bond Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiaochu; Barrett, Devin G; Messersmith, Phillip B; Holten-Andersen, Niels

2016-01-26

Interactions between polymer molecules and inorganic nanoparticles can play a dominant role in nanocomposite material mechanics, yet control of such interfacial interaction dynamics remains a significant challenge particularly in water. This study presents insights on how to engineer hydrogel material mechanics via nanoparticle interface-controlled cross-link dynamics. Inspired by the adhesive chemistry in mussel threads, we have incorporated iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) into a catechol-modified polymer network to obtain hydrogels cross-linked via reversible metal-coordination bonds at Fe3O4 NP surfaces. Unique material mechanics result from the supra-molecular cross-link structure dynamics in the gels; in contrast to the previously reported fluid-like dynamics of transient catechol-Fe(3+) cross-links, the catechol-Fe3O4 NP structures provide solid-like yet reversible hydrogel mechanics. The structurally controlled hierarchical mechanics presented here suggest how to develop hydrogels with remote-controlled self-healing dynamics.

Research in Korea on Gas Phase Synthesis and Control of Nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Mansoo

2001-01-01

Research activity into the gas phase synthesis of nanoparticles has witnessed rapid growth on a worldwide basis, which is also reflected by Korean research efforts. Nanoparticle research is inherently a multi-disciplinary activity involving both science and engineering. In this paper, the recent studies undertaken in Korea on the gas phase synthesis and control of nanoparticles are reviewed. Studies on the synthesis of various kinds of nanoparticles are first discussed with a focus on the different types of reactors used. Recent experimental and theoretical studies and newly developed methods of measuring and modeling nanoparticle growth are also reviewed

Synthesis of nanoparticles with frog foam nest proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hyo-Jick; Ebersbacher, Charles F.; Myung, Nosang V.; Montemagno, Carlo D.

2012-01-01

Microemulsions provide an efficient means of synthesizing monodispersed nanoparticles. Recent studies have demonstrated potential problems of surfactant due to the interaction with nanoparticles/precursors. To solve the problems, various types of chemical surfactants have been tested, but natural biosurfactants have not received a great deal of attention in engineering application. Here, we report the formation of microemulsions using frog foam nest protein, ranaspumin-2 (RSN-2), based on the hypothesis that RSN-2 assembles at the water–oil interface as a result of conformational change into an extended form. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies showed that RSN-2 undergoes a reversible transition between extended and globular conformation in foams/microemulsions and aqueous solution, respectively. Microemulsions were formulated with RSN-2 to synthesize 8–10 nm superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by mixing precursor-containing microemulsions with base-containing microemulsions. RSN-2 proteins were recovered from microemulsions and found to be recycled to make foams and microemulsions. Fluorescence spectroscopic analyses showed that RSN-2 maintained its mechanical agitation-induced amphiphilicity throughout multiple foaming/defoaming processes. These results suggest that conformational flexibility and structural stability of RSN-2 in aggressive environments enable the recycled use of RSN-2, elucidating the cost-effective advantage.

Synthesis of nanoparticles with frog foam nest proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Hyo-Jick, E-mail: choihc@ucmail.uc.edu; Ebersbacher, Charles F. [University of Cincinnati, School of Energy, Environmental, Biological and Medical Engineering (United States); Myung, Nosang V. [University of California, Riverside, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (United States); Montemagno, Carlo D., E-mail: montemcd@ucmail.uc.edu [University of Cincinnati, School of Energy, Environmental, Biological and Medical Engineering (United States)

2012-09-15

Microemulsions provide an efficient means of synthesizing monodispersed nanoparticles. Recent studies have demonstrated potential problems of surfactant due to the interaction with nanoparticles/precursors. To solve the problems, various types of chemical surfactants have been tested, but natural biosurfactants have not received a great deal of attention in engineering application. Here, we report the formation of microemulsions using frog foam nest protein, ranaspumin-2 (RSN-2), based on the hypothesis that RSN-2 assembles at the water-oil interface as a result of conformational change into an extended form. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies showed that RSN-2 undergoes a reversible transition between extended and globular conformation in foams/microemulsions and aqueous solution, respectively. Microemulsions were formulated with RSN-2 to synthesize 8-10 nm superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by mixing precursor-containing microemulsions with base-containing microemulsions. RSN-2 proteins were recovered from microemulsions and found to be recycled to make foams and microemulsions. Fluorescence spectroscopic analyses showed that RSN-2 maintained its mechanical agitation-induced amphiphilicity throughout multiple foaming/defoaming processes. These results suggest that conformational flexibility and structural stability of RSN-2 in aggressive environments enable the recycled use of RSN-2, elucidating the cost-effective advantage.

Synthesis of nanoparticles with frog foam nest proteins

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hyo-Jick; Ebersbacher, Charles F.; Myung, Nosang V.; Montemagno, Carlo D.

2012-09-01

Microemulsions provide an efficient means of synthesizing monodispersed nanoparticles. Recent studies have demonstrated potential problems of surfactant due to the interaction with nanoparticles/precursors. To solve the problems, various types of chemical surfactants have been tested, but natural biosurfactants have not received a great deal of attention in engineering application. Here, we report the formation of microemulsions using frog foam nest protein, ranaspumin-2 (RSN-2), based on the hypothesis that RSN-2 assembles at the water-oil interface as a result of conformational change into an extended form. Fluorescence spectroscopic studies showed that RSN-2 undergoes a reversible transition between extended and globular conformation in foams/microemulsions and aqueous solution, respectively. Microemulsions were formulated with RSN-2 to synthesize 8-10 nm superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by mixing precursor-containing microemulsions with base-containing microemulsions. RSN-2 proteins were recovered from microemulsions and found to be recycled to make foams and microemulsions. Fluorescence spectroscopic analyses showed that RSN-2 maintained its mechanical agitation-induced amphiphilicity throughout multiple foaming/defoaming processes. These results suggest that conformational flexibility and structural stability of RSN-2 in aggressive environments enable the recycled use of RSN-2, elucidating the cost-effective advantage.

Natural Non-Mulberry Silk Nanoparticles for Potential-Controlled Drug Release

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Juan; Yin, Zhuping; Xue, Xiang; Kundu, Subhas C.; Mo, Xiumei; Lu, Shenzhou

2016-01-01

Natural silk protein nanoparticles are a promising biomaterial for drug delivery due to their pleiotropic properties, including biocompatibility, high bioavailability, and biodegradability. Chinese oak tasar Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin (ApF) nanoparticles are easily obtained using cations as reagents under mild conditions. The mild conditions are potentially advantageous for the encapsulation of sensitive drugs and therapeutic molecules. In the present study, silk fibroin protein nanoparticles are loaded with differently-charged small-molecule drugs, such as doxorubicin hydrochloride, ibuprofen, and ibuprofen-Na, by simple absorption based on electrostatic interactions. The structure, morphology and biocompatibility of the silk nanoparticles in vitro are investigated. In vitro release of the drugs from the nanoparticles depends on charge-charge interactions between the drugs and the nanoparticles. The release behavior of the compounds from the nanoparticles demonstrates that positively-charged molecules are released in a more prolonged or sustained manner. Cell viability studies with L929 demonstrated that the ApF nanoparticles significantly promoted cell growth. The results suggest that Chinese oak tasar Antheraea pernyi silk fibroin nanoparticles can be used as an alternative matrix for drug carrying and controlled release in diverse biomedical applications. PMID:27916946

Controlled positioning of nanoparticles on graphene by noninvasive AFM lithography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellido, Elena; Ojea-Jiménez, Isaac; Ghirri, Alberto; Alvino, Christian; Candini, Andrea; Puntes, Victor; Affronte, Marco; Domingo, Neus; Ruiz-Molina, Daniel

2012-08-21

Atomic force microscopy is shown to be an excellent lithographic technique to directly deposit nanoparticles on graphene by capillary transport without any previous functionalization of neither the nanoparticles nor the graphene surface while preserving its integrity and conductivity properties. Moreover this technique allows for (sub)micrometric control on the positioning thanks to a new three-step protocol that has been designed with this aim. With this methodology the exact target coordinates are registered by scanning the tip over the predetermined area previous to its coating with the ink and deposition. As a proof-of-concept, this strategy has successfully allowed the controlled deposition of few nanoparticles on 1 μm(2) preselected sites of a graphene surface with high accuracy.

Controllable Catalysis with Nanoparticles: Bimetallic Alloy Systems and Surface Adsorbates

KAUST Repository

Chen, Tianyou

2016-05-16

Transition metal nanoparticles are privileged materials in catalysis due to their high specific surface areas and abundance of active catalytic sites. While many of these catalysts are quite useful, we are only beginning to understand the underlying catalytic mechanisms. Opening the “black box” of nanoparticle catalysis is essential to achieve the ultimate goal of catalysis by design. In this Perspective we highlight recent work addressing the topic of controlled catalysis with bimetallic alloy and “designer” adsorbate-stabilized metal nanoparticles.

Controllable Catalysis with Nanoparticles: Bimetallic Alloy Systems and Surface Adsorbates

KAUST Repository

Chen, Tianyou; Rodionov, Valentin

2016-01-01

Transition metal nanoparticles are privileged materials in catalysis due to their high specific surface areas and abundance of active catalytic sites. While many of these catalysts are quite useful, we are only beginning to understand the underlying catalytic mechanisms. Opening the “black box” of nanoparticle catalysis is essential to achieve the ultimate goal of catalysis by design. In this Perspective we highlight recent work addressing the topic of controlled catalysis with bimetallic alloy and “designer” adsorbate-stabilized metal nanoparticles.

Influence of locus of control on conformity to authority in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Influence of locus of control on conformity to authority in a multicultural organisation - A case of IITA Nigeria. John O Ekore. Abstract. No Abstract Available African Journal for the Psychological Study of Social Issues Vol.5(2) 2000: 90-96. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ...

PEGylated nanoparticles bind to and alter amyloid-beta peptide conformation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brambilla, Davide; Verpillot, Romain; Le Droumaguet, Benjamin

2012-01-01

We have demonstrated that the polyethylene glycol (PEG) corona of long-circulating polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) favors interaction with the amyloid-beta (Aß(1-42)) peptide both in solution and in serum. The influence of PEGylation of poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) and poly(lactic acid) NPs on the int......We have demonstrated that the polyethylene glycol (PEG) corona of long-circulating polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) favors interaction with the amyloid-beta (Aß(1-42)) peptide both in solution and in serum. The influence of PEGylation of poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) and poly(lactic acid) NPs...

Controlling the net charge on a nanoparticle optically levitated in vacuum

Science.gov (United States)

Frimmer, Martin; Luszcz, Karol; Ferreiro, Sandra; Jain, Vijay; Hebestreit, Erik; Novotny, Lukas

2017-06-01

Optically levitated nanoparticles in vacuum are a promising model system to test physics beyond our current understanding of quantum mechanics. Such experimental tests require extreme control over the dephasing of the levitated particle's motion. If the nanoparticle carries a finite net charge, it experiences a random Coulomb force due to fluctuating electric fields. This dephasing mechanism can be fully excluded by discharging the levitated particle. Here, we present a simple and reliable technique to control the charge on an optically levitated nanoparticle in vacuum. Our method is based on the generation of charges in an electric discharge and does not require additional optics or mechanics close to the optical trap.

Scalable fabrication of size-controlled chitosan nanoparticles for oral delivery of insulin.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Zhiyu; Santos, Jose Luis; Tian, Houkuan; Huang, Huahua; Hu, Yizong; Liu, Lixin; Leong, Kam W; Chen, Yongming; Mao, Hai-Quan

2017-06-01

Controlled delivery of protein would find diverse therapeutic applications. Formulation of protein nanoparticles by polyelectrolyte complexation between the protein and a natural polymer such as chitosan (CS) is a popular approach. However, the current method of batch-mode mixing faces significant challenges in scaling up while maintaining size control, high uniformity, and high encapsulation efficiency. Here we report a new method, termed flash nanocomplexation (FNC), to fabricate insulin nanoparticles by infusing aqueous solutions of CS, tripolyphosphate (TPP), and insulin under rapid mixing condition (Re > 1600) in a multi-inlet vortex mixer. In comparison with the bulk-mixing method, the optimized FNC process produces CS/TPP/insulin nanoparticles with a smaller size (down to 45 nm) and narrower size distribution, higher encapsulation efficiency (up to 90%), and pH-dependent nanoparticle dissolution and insulin release. The CS/TPP/insulin nanoparticles can be lyophilized and reconstituted without loss of activity, and produced at a throughput of 5.1 g h -1 when a flow rate of 50 mL min -1 is used. Evaluated in a Type I diabetes rat model, the smaller nanoparticles (45 nm and 115 nm) control the blood glucose level through oral administration more effectively than the larger particles (240 nm). This efficient, reproducible and continuous FNC technique is amenable to scale-up in order to address the critical barrier of manufacturing for the translation of protein nanoparticles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Controlled delivery of acyclovir from porous silicon micro- and nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maniya, Nalin H.; Patel, Sanjaykumar R.; Murthy, Z.V.P., E-mail: zvpm2000@yahoo.com

2015-03-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Porous silicon (PSi) was fabricated by electrochemical etching process. • Micro- and nanoparticles were prepared by ultrasonic fracture of PSi films. • Acyclovir was loaded into native, oxidized, and hydrosilylated PSi particles. • Micro- and nanoparticles displays controlled release behaviour for several days. • Drug release behaviour and release kinetics from PSi particles were studied. - Abstract: In this work, micro- and nanoparticles of porous silicon (PSi) are demonstrated to act as effective carrier for the controlled delivery of acyclovir (ACV). PSi films prepared by electrochemical etching were fractured by ultrasonication to prepare micro- and nanoparticles. PSi native particles were thermally oxidized (TOPSi) and thermally hydrosilylated using undecylenic acid (UnPSi). PSi particles with three different surface chemistries were then loaded with ACV by physical adsorption and covalent attachment. Such particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro ACV release experiments in phosphate buffered saline showed sustained release behaviour from both micro- and nanoparticles and order of release was found to be native PSi > TOPSi > UnPSi. Drug release kinetics study using Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggested a combination of both drug diffusion and Si scaffold erosion based drug release mechanisms.

Controlled delivery of acyclovir from porous silicon micro- and nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maniya, Nalin H.; Patel, Sanjaykumar R.; Murthy, Z.V.P.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Porous silicon (PSi) was fabricated by electrochemical etching process. • Micro- and nanoparticles were prepared by ultrasonic fracture of PSi films. • Acyclovir was loaded into native, oxidized, and hydrosilylated PSi particles. • Micro- and nanoparticles displays controlled release behaviour for several days. • Drug release behaviour and release kinetics from PSi particles were studied. - Abstract: In this work, micro- and nanoparticles of porous silicon (PSi) are demonstrated to act as effective carrier for the controlled delivery of acyclovir (ACV). PSi films prepared by electrochemical etching were fractured by ultrasonication to prepare micro- and nanoparticles. PSi native particles were thermally oxidized (TOPSi) and thermally hydrosilylated using undecylenic acid (UnPSi). PSi particles with three different surface chemistries were then loaded with ACV by physical adsorption and covalent attachment. Such particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro ACV release experiments in phosphate buffered saline showed sustained release behaviour from both micro- and nanoparticles and order of release was found to be native PSi > TOPSi > UnPSi. Drug release kinetics study using Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggested a combination of both drug diffusion and Si scaffold erosion based drug release mechanisms

Building high-coverage monolayers of covalently bound magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Mackenzie G.; Teplyakov, Andrew V., E-mail: andrewt@udel.edu

2016-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A method for forming a layer of covalently bound nanoparticles is offered. • A nearly perfect monolayer of covalently bound magnetic nanoparticles was formed on gold. • Spectroscopic techniques confirmed covalent binding by the “click” reaction. • The influence of the functionalization scheme on surface coverage was investigated. - Abstract: This work presents an approach for producing a high-coverage single monolayer of magnetic nanoparticles using “click chemistry” between complementarily functionalized nanoparticles and a flat substrate. This method highlights essential aspects of the functionalization scheme for substrate surface and nanoparticles to produce exceptionally high surface coverage without sacrificing selectivity or control over the layer produced. The deposition of one single layer of magnetic particles without agglomeration, over a large area, with a nearly 100% coverage is confirmed by electron microscopy. Spectroscopic techniques, supplemented by computational predictions, are used to interrogate the chemistry of the attachment and to confirm covalent binding, rather than attachment through self-assembly or weak van der Waals bonding. Density functional theory calculations for the surface intermediate of this copper-catalyzed process provide mechanistic insight into the effects of the functionalization scheme on surface coverage. Based on this analysis, it appears that steric limitations of the intermediate structure affect nanoparticle coverage on a flat solid substrate; however, this can be overcome by designing a functionalization scheme in such a way that the copper-based intermediate is formed on the spherical nanoparticles instead. This observation can be carried over to other approaches for creating highly controlled single- or multilayered nanostructures of a wide range of materials to result in high coverage and possibly, conformal filling.

Conformation and elasticity of a charged polymer chain bridging two nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowicki, W.; Nowicka, G.

2013-01-01

A complex composed of a charged flexible polymer chain irreversibly attached with its ends to surfaces of two nanoparticles was investigated using the Metropolis Monte Carlo method on a simple cubic lattice. The simulations were performed in the presence of explicit ions. The bridging chain and the nanoparticles bearing the same and the opposite sign charges were considered. Changes in the free energy of the complex upon its stretching or compression, together with the magnitude of the elastic force, were examined. The relative roles of energetic and entropic effects in determining the properties of the complex were identified. Also, the adsorption of charged monomers on the opposite-sign charged nanoparticles and its influence on the examined quantities was studied. Moreover, a simple semi-analytical approach to the thermodynamics of the polymer bridge was derived

Influence of functionalized nanoparticles on conformational stability of type I collagen for possible biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kandamchira, Aswathy; Selvam, Sangeetha; Marimuthu, Nidhin; Janardhanan, Sreeram Kalarical; Fathima, Nishter Nishad

2013-12-01

Collagen-nanoparticle interactions are vital for many biomedical applications including drug delivery and tissue engineering applications. Iron oxide nanoparticles synthesized using starch template according to our earlier reported procedures were functionalized by treating them with Gum Arabic (GA), a biocompatible polysaccharide, so as to enhance the interaction between nanoparticle surfaces and collagen. Viscosity, circular dichroism (CD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques have been used to study the collagen-nanoparticle interactions. The relative viscosity for collagen-nanoparticle conjugate was found to increase with increase in concentration of the nanoparticle within the concentration range investigated, which is due to the aggregation of protein onto the surface of nanoparticle. The CD spectra for the collagen-nanoparticle at different concentration ratios do not have much variation in the Rpn values (ratio of positive peak intensity over negative peak intensity) after functionalization with GA. The variation of molar ellipticity values for collagen-nanoparticle is due to the glycoprotein present in GA. The collagen triple helical structure is maintained after interaction with nanoparticles. The FTIR spectra of native collagen, Coll-Fs (nanoparticle without functionalization) and Coll-FsG (nanoparticle functionalized with GA) show clearly the amide I, II, III bands, with respect to collagen. The ability of polysaccharide stabilized/functionalized nanoparticles to maintain the collagen properties would help in its biomedical applications. © 2013.

PtPb nanoparticle electrocatalysts: control of activity through synthetic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghosh, Tanushree; Matsumoto, Futoshi; McInnis, Jennifer; Weiss, Marilyn; Abruna, Hector D.; DiSalvo, Francis J.

2009-01-01

Solution phase synthesis of intermetallic nanoparticles without using surfactants (for catalytic applications) and subsequent control of size distribution remains a challenge: of growing interest, but not widely explored yet. To understand the questions in the syntheses of Pt containing intermetallic nanoparticles (as electrocatalysts for direct fuel cells) by using sodium naphthalide as the reducing agent, the effects of the Pt precursors' organic ligands were investigated. PtPb syntheses were studied as the model case. In particular, methods that lead to nanoparticles that are independent single crystals are desirable. Platinum acetylacetonate, which is soluble in many organic solvents, has ligands that may interfere less with nanoparticle growth and ordering. Interesting trends, contrary to expectations, were observed when precursors were injected into a reducing agent solution at high temperatures. The presence of acetylacetonate, from the precursor, on the nanoparticles was confirmed by ATR, while SEM imaging showed evidence of morphological changes in the nanoparticles with increasing reaction temperature. A definite relationship between domain size and extent of observed residue (organic material and sodium) present on the particles could be established. By varying post-reaction solvent removal techniques, room temperature crystallization of PtPb nanoparticles was also achieved. Electrochemical activity of the nanoparticles was also much higher than that of nanoparticles synthesized by previous reaction schemes using sodium naphthalide as the reducing agent. Along with the above mentioned techniques, BET, TEM, CBED, SAED, and XRD were used as characterization tools for the prepared nanoparticles.

Uniform and Conformal Carbon Nanofilms Produced Based on Molecular Layer Deposition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Yang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Continuous and uniform carbon nanofilms (CNFs are prepared by pyrolysis of polyimide films which are produced by molecular layer deposition (MLD. The film thickness can be easily controlled at nanometer scale by altering the cycle numbers. During the annealing process at 600 °C, the polyimide film is subject to shrinkage of 70% in thickness. The obtained CNFs do not exhibit a well-graphitized structure due to the low calcination temperature. No clear pore structures are observed in the produced films. CNFs grown on a glass substrate with a thickness of about 1.4 nm shows almost 98% optical transmittance in the visible spectrum range. Au nanoparticles coated with CNFs are produced by this method. Carbon nanotubes with uniform wall thickness are obtained using anodic aluminum oxide as a template by depositing polyimide films into its pores. Our results demonstrate that this method is very effective to coat conformal and uniform CNFs on various substrates, such as nanoparticles and porous templates, to produce functional composite nanomaterials.

Controlling the interparticle distance in a 2D molecule-nanoparticle network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guedon, C M; Zonneveld, J; Van der Molen, S J [Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium, Leiden University, PO Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Valkenier, H; Hummelen, J C [Stratingh Institute for Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen (Netherlands)

2011-03-25

Mechanically controllable break junctions allow for an impressive level of control over the distance between two electrodes, but lack stability at room temperature. On the other hand, two-dimensional (2D) networks of nanoparticles bridged by molecules form a stable device structure for investigating molecular conductance properties. Here, we combine both techniques to create a robust platform for molecular charge transport with control over the inter-electrode distance on the picometer scale. The resistance change due to bending of our structures is dependent on the molecular species present between the nanoparticles.

Controlling the interparticle distance in a 2D molecule-nanoparticle network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guedon, C M; Zonneveld, J; Van der Molen, S J; Valkenier, H; Hummelen, J C

2011-01-01

Mechanically controllable break junctions allow for an impressive level of control over the distance between two electrodes, but lack stability at room temperature. On the other hand, two-dimensional (2D) networks of nanoparticles bridged by molecules form a stable device structure for investigating molecular conductance properties. Here, we combine both techniques to create a robust platform for molecular charge transport with control over the inter-electrode distance on the picometer scale. The resistance change due to bending of our structures is dependent on the molecular species present between the nanoparticles.

Functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles for controlling the movement of immune cells

Science.gov (United States)

White, Ethan E.; Pai, Alex; Weng, Yiming; Suresh, Anil K.; van Haute, Desiree; Pailevanian, Torkom; Alizadeh, Darya; Hajimiri, Ali; Badie, Behnam; Berlin, Jacob M.

2015-04-01

Immunotherapy is currently being investigated for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. The ability to control the location of immune cells during or following activation would represent a powerful new technique for this field. Targeted magnetic delivery is emerging as a technique for controlling cell movement and localization. Here we show that this technique can be extended to microglia, the primary phagocytic immune cells in the central nervous system. The magnetized microglia were generated by loading the cells with iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with CpG oligonucleotides, serving as a proof of principle that nanoparticles can be used to both deliver an immunostimulatory cargo to cells and to control the movement of the cells. The nanoparticle-oligonucleotide conjugates are efficiently internalized, non-toxic, and immunostimulatory. We demonstrate that the in vitro migration of the adherent, loaded microglia can be controlled by an external magnetic field and that magnetically-induced migration is non-cytotoxic. In order to capture video of this magnetically-induced migration of loaded cells, a novel 3D-printed ``cell box'' was designed to facilitate our imaging application. Analysis of cell movement velocities clearly demonstrate increased cell velocities toward the magnet. These studies represent the initial step towards our final goal of using nanoparticles to both activate immune cells and to control their trafficking within the diseased brain.Immunotherapy is currently being investigated for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer. The ability to control the location of immune cells during or following activation would represent a powerful new technique for this field. Targeted magnetic delivery is emerging as a technique for controlling cell movement and localization. Here we show that this technique can be extended to microglia, the primary phagocytic immune cells in the central nervous system. The magnetized microglia were

Continuous, size and shape-control synthesis of hollow silica nanoparticles enabled by a microreactor-assisted rapid mixing process

Science.gov (United States)

He, Yujuan; Kim, Ki-Joong; Chang, Chih-Hung

2017-06-01

Hollow silica nanoparticles (HSNPs) were synthesized using a microreactor-assisted system with a hydrodynamic focusing micromixer. Due to the fast mixing of each precursor in the system, the poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) thermodynamic-locked (TML) conformations were protected from their random aggregations by the immediately initiated growth of silica shells. When altering the mixing time through varying flow rates and flow rate ratios, the different degrees of the aggregation of PAA TML conformations were observed. The globular and necklace-like TML conformations were successfully captured by modifying the PAA concentration at the optimized mixing condition. Uniform HSNPs with an average diameter ∼30 nm were produced from this system. COMSOL numerical models was established to investigate the flow and concentration profiles, and their effects on the formation of PAA templates. Finally, the quality and utility of these uniform HSNPs were demonstrated by the fabrication of antireflective thin films on monocrystalline photovoltaic cells which showed a 3.8% increase in power conversion efficiency.

Poloxamer-Decorated Polymer Nanoparticles for Lung Surfactant Compatibility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck-Broichsitter, Moritz; Bohr, Adam; Ruge, Christian A

2017-01-01

Lung-delivered polymer nanoparticles provoked dysfunction of the essential lung surfactant system. A steric shielding of the nanoparticle surface with poloxamers could minimize the unwanted interference of polymer nanoparticles with the biophysical function of lung surfactant. The extent of poly......(styrene) and poly(lactide) nanoparticle-induced lung surfactant inhibition could be related to the type and content of the applied poloxamer. Escalations of the adsorbed coating layer thickness (>3 nm) as well as concentration (brush- rather than mushroom-like conformation of poly(ethylene glycol), chain......-associated proteins. Poloxamer-modified polymer nanoparticles represent a promising nanomedicine platform intended for respiratory delivery revealing negligible effects on the biophysical functionality of the lining layer present in the deep lungs....

Size-controllable synthesis of bare gold nanoparticles by femtosecond laser fragmentation in water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maximova, Ksenia; Aristov, Andrei; Sentis, Marc; Kabashin, Andrei V

2015-01-01

We report a size-controllable synthesis of stable aqueous solutions of ultrapure low-size-dispersed Au nanoparticles by methods of femtosecond laser fragmentation from preliminary formed colloids. Such approach makes possible the tuning of mean nanoparticle size between a few nm and several tens of nm under the size dispersion lower than 70% by varying the fluence of pumping radiation during the fragmentation procedure. The efficient size control is explained by 3D geometry of laser fragmentation by femtosecond laser-induced white light super-continuum and plasma-related phenomena. Despite the absence of any protective ligands, the nanoparticle solutions demonstrate exceptional stability due to electric repulsion effect associated with strong negative charging of formed nanoparticles. Stable aqueous solutions of bare gold nanoparticles present a unique object with a variety of potential applications in catalysis, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, photovoltaics, biosensing and biomedicine. (paper)

Size controlled synthesis of biocompatible gold nanoparticles and their activity in the oxidation of NADH

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandran, Parvathy R; Sandhyarani, N; Naseer, M; Udupa, N

2012-01-01

Size and shape controlled synthesis remains a major bottleneck in the research on nanoparticles even after the development of different methods for their preparation. By tuning the size and shape of a nanoparticle, the intrinsic properties of the nanoparticle can be controlled leading tremendous potential applications in different fields of science and technology. We describe a facile route for the one pot synthesis of gold nanoparticles in water using monosodium glutamate as the reducing and stabilizing agent in the absence of seed particles. The particle diameter can be easily controlled by varying the pH of the reaction medium. Nanoparticles were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and dynamic light scattering. Zeta potential measurements were made to compare the stability of the different nanoparticles. The results suggest that lower pH favours a nucleation rate giving rise to smaller particles and higher pH favours a growth rate leading to the formation of larger particles. The synthesized nanoparticles are found to be stable and biocompatible. The nanoparticles synthesized at high pH exhibited a good electrocatalytic activity towards oxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH).

Controlled intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species in human mesenchymal stem cells using porphyrin conjugated nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Lavado, Andrea S.; Chauhan, Veeren M.; Alhaj Zen, Amer; Giuntini, Francesca; Jones, D. Rhodri E.; Boyle, Ross W.; Beeby, Andrew; Chan, Weng C.; Aylott, Jonathan W.

2015-08-01

Nanoparticles capable of generating controlled amounts of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), that advance the study of oxidative stress and cellular communication, were synthesized by functionalizing polyacrylamide nanoparticles with zinc(ii) porphyrin photosensitisers. Controlled ROS production was demonstrated in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) through (1) production of nanoparticles functionalized with varying percentages of Zn(ii) porphyrin and (2) modulating the number of doses of excitation light to internalized nanoparticles. hMSCs challenged with nanoparticles functionalized with increasing percentages of Zn(ii) porphyrin and high numbers of irradiations of excitation light were found to generate greater amounts of ROS. A novel dye, which is transformed into fluorescent 7-hydroxy-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, provided an indirect indicator for cumulative ROS production. The mitochondrial membrane potential was monitored to investigate the destructive effect of increased intracellular ROS production. Flow cytometric analysis of nanoparticle treated hMSCs suggested irradiation with excitation light signalled controlled apoptotic cell death, rather than uncontrolled necrotic cell death. Increased intracellular ROS production did not induce phenotypic changes in hMSC subcultures.Nanoparticles capable of generating controlled amounts of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), that advance the study of oxidative stress and cellular communication, were synthesized by functionalizing polyacrylamide nanoparticles with zinc(ii) porphyrin photosensitisers. Controlled ROS production was demonstrated in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) through (1) production of nanoparticles functionalized with varying percentages of Zn(ii) porphyrin and (2) modulating the number of doses of excitation light to internalized nanoparticles. hMSCs challenged with nanoparticles functionalized with increasing percentages of Zn

Conformal Nets II: Conformal Blocks

Science.gov (United States)

Bartels, Arthur; Douglas, Christopher L.; Henriques, André

2017-08-01

Conformal nets provide a mathematical formalism for conformal field theory. Associated to a conformal net with finite index, we give a construction of the `bundle of conformal blocks', a representation of the mapping class groupoid of closed topological surfaces into the category of finite-dimensional projective Hilbert spaces. We also construct infinite-dimensional spaces of conformal blocks for topological surfaces with smooth boundary. We prove that the conformal blocks satisfy a factorization formula for gluing surfaces along circles, and an analogous formula for gluing surfaces along intervals. We use this interval factorization property to give a new proof of the modularity of the category of representations of a conformal net.

Controlled formation of metallic nanowires via Au nanoparticle ac trapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, L; Calame, M; Molen, S J van der; Liao, J; Schoenenberger, C

2007-01-01

Applying ac voltages, we trapped gold nanoparticles between micro-fabricated electrodes under well-defined conditions. We demonstrate that the nanoparticles can be controllably fused together to form homogeneous gold nanowires with pre-defined diameters and conductance values. Whereas electromigration is known to form a gap when a dc voltage is applied, this ac technique achieves the opposite, thereby completing the toolkit for the fabrication of nanoscale junctions

Controlled formation of metallic nanowires via Au nanoparticle ac trapping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, L; Calame, M; Molen, S J van der; Liao, J; Schoenenberger, C [Institute of Physics, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland)

2007-06-13

Applying ac voltages, we trapped gold nanoparticles between micro-fabricated electrodes under well-defined conditions. We demonstrate that the nanoparticles can be controllably fused together to form homogeneous gold nanowires with pre-defined diameters and conductance values. Whereas electromigration is known to form a gap when a dc voltage is applied, this ac technique achieves the opposite, thereby completing the toolkit for the fabrication of nanoscale junctions.

Probing Conformational Change of Bovine Serum Albumin–Dextran Conjugates under Controlled Dry Heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xia, Shuqin; Li, Yunqi; Zhao, Qin; Li, Ji; Xia, Qiuyang; Zhang, Xiaoming; Huang, Qingrong (Rutgers); (Chinese Aca. Sci.); (Jiangnan)

2015-04-29

The time-dependent conformational change of bovine serum album (BSA) during Maillard reaction with dextran under controlled dry heating has been studied by small-angle X-ray scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and circular dichroism analysis. Through the research on the radii of gyration (R_g), intrinsic fluorescence, and secondary structure, conjugates with dextran coating were found to inhibit BSA aggregation and preserve the secondary structure of native BSA against long-time heat treatment during Maillard reaction. The results suggested that the hydrophilic dextran was conjugated to the compact protein surface and enclosed it and more dextran chains were attached to BSA with the increase of the heating time. The study presented here will be beneficial to the understanding of the conformational evolution of BSA molecules during the dry-heating Maillard reaction and to the control of the protein–polysaccharide conjugate structure.

Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles in the Detection and Control of the Growth of Pathogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chitra, K.; Annadurai, G.

2013-01-01

In this present study the bio conjugated fluorescent silica nanoparticles give an efficient fluorescent-based immunoassay for the detection of pathogen. The synthesized silica nanoparticles were poly dispersed and the size of the silica nanoparticles was in the range of 114-164 nm. The energy dispersive X-ray spectrophotometer showed the presence of silica at 1.8 keV and the selected area diffractometer showed amorphous nature of silica nanoparticles. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the attachment of dye and carboxyl group onto the silica nanoparticles surface. The fluorescent silica nanoparticles showed highly efficient fluorescence and the fluorescent emission of silica nanoparticles occurred at 536 nm. The SEM image showed the aggregation of nanoparticles and bacteria. The growth of the pathogenic E. coli was controlled using silica nanoparticles; therefore silica nanoparticles could be used in food packaging material, biomedical material, and so forth. This work provides a rapid, simple, and accurate method for the detection of pathogen using fluorescent-based immunoassay.

Interaction study on bovine serum albumin physically binding to silver nanoparticles: Evolution from discrete conjugates to protein coronas

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jun; Zhong, Ruibo; Li, Wanrong; Liu, Yushuang; Bai, Zhijun; Yin, Jun; Liu, Jingran; Gong, Pei; Zhao, Xinmin; Zhang, Feng

2015-12-01

The nanostructures formed by inorganic nanoparticles together with organic molecules especially biomolecules have attracted increasing attention from both industries and researching fields due to their unique hybrid properties. In this paper, we systemically studied the interactions between amphiphilic polymer coated silver nanoparticles and bovine serum albumins by employing the fluorescence quenching approach in combination with the Stern-Volmer and Hill equations. The binding affinity was determined to 1.30 × 107 M-1 and the interaction was spontaneously driven by mainly the van der Waals force and hydrogen-bond mediated interactions, and negatively cooperative from the point of view of thermodynamics. With the non-uniform coating of amphiphilic polymer, the silver nanoparticles can form protein coronas which can become discrete protein-nanoparticle conjugates when controlling their molar ratios of mixing. The protein's conformational changes upon binding nanoparticles was also studied by using the three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy.

Computer controlled multi-leaf conformation radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuda, T [Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital (Japan); Inamura, K

1981-10-01

A conformation radiotherapy system with 5-split collimators of which openings can be controlled symmetrically by computerized techniques during rotational irradiation by a linear accelerator has been developed. Outline of the system performance and its clinical applications are described as follows. 1. Profile of the system: The hardware is composed of three parts, namely, the multi-split collimator, the electronic data processor, and the interface between those two parts. 1) The multi-leaf collimator is composed of 5 pairs (10 leaves) diaphragms. It can be mounted to the X-ray head of a linear accelerator when used, and can be dismounted after its use. 2) The electronic data processor sends control signal to the collimator according to the 5-leaf target volume data which can be stored into a minifloppy disc through the curve digitizer previously. This part is composed of a) dedicated micro processor, b) I/O expansion unit, c) color CRT display with key board, d) dual mini-floppy disc unit, e) curve digitizer and f) digital plotter for recording and verification of resulted accuracy. 2. Performance of the system: 1) Maximum field size: 15 cm x 15 cm at isocenter. 2) Maximum elongation ratio of the target volume: 3 : 1 when the longer diameter is 15 cm. 3) Control accuracy: Within +-3 mm deviation from planned beam focus at isocenter. 3. Clinical application: The method of treatment planning and clinical advantages of this irradiation method are explained by raising clinical experiences such as treating brain tumor and rectal cancer.

Computer controlled multi-leaf conformation radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Tadayoshi; Inamura, Kiyonari.

1981-01-01

A conformation radiotherapy system with 5-split collimators of which openings can be controlled symmetrically by computerized techniques during rotational irradiation by a linear accelerator has been developed. Outline of the system performance and its clinical applications are described as follows. 1. Profile of the system: The hardware is composed of three parts, namely, the multi-split collimator, the electronic data processor, and the interface between those two parts. 1) The multi-leaf collimator is composed of 5 pairs (10 leaves) diaphragms. It can be mounted to the X-ray head of a linear accelerator when used, and can be dismounted after its use. 2) The electronic data processor sends control signal to the collimator according to the 5-leaf target volume data which can be stored into a minifloppy disc through the curve digitizer previously. This part is composed of a) dedicated micro processor, b) I/O expansion unit, c) color CRT display with key board, d) dual mini-floppy disc unit, e) curve digitizer and f) digital plotter for recording and verification of resulted accuracy. 2. Performance of the system: 1) Maximum field size: 15 cm x 15 cm at isocenter. 2) Maximum elongation ratio of the target volume: 3 : 1 when the longer diameter is 15 cm. 3) Control accuracy: Within +-3 mm deviation from planned beam focus at isocenter. 3. Clinical application: The method of treatment planning and clinical advantages of this irradiation method are explained by raising clinical experiences such as treating brain tumor and rectal cancer. (author)

Nanoparticles from a controlled polymerization process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tirumala, V.R.; Caneba, G.T.; Dar, Y.; Wang, H.-H.; Mancini, D.C.

2003-01-01

Free-radical retrograde precipitation polymerization process in the past has shown excellent control characteristics over reaction rate, molecular weight, and in the entrapment of live radicals for the generation of block copolymers. The same principle has now been extended to study the reaction confinement to a nanoscale region. Nanosized polymer particles have been reported to form from block copolymers, conventional precipitation polymerization methods, or through emulsion polymerization approaches. In this work, we present a new method of generating nanosized polymer particles by polymerizing the monomer in an environment that precipitates the polymer above the lower critical solution temperature. The nanoparticles have been characterized by both tapping-mode atomic force microscopy observations and in situ synchrotron time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering analysis. The results from both the techniques showed the formation of nanoparticles in the size range of 15-30 nm, directly from the polymerization process.

Control of In Vivo Transport and Toxicity of Nanoparticles by Tea Melanin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Shiun Chen

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nanoparticles are unfamiliar to researchers in toxicology. Toxicity may be generated simply due to the reduction in size. Compounds that prevent or cure toxic materials may not work on nanoparticles. Furthermore, as there are more and more applications of nanoparticles in drug delivery and in vivo imaging, controlling the transport and toxicity will be primary concerns for medical application of nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs if injected intraperitoneally into mice can enter hippocampus and induce cognitive impairment. GNPs caused a global imbalance of monoamine levels, specifically affecting the dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons. Pretreatment of tea melanin significantly prevented the deposition of GNPs in mouse brains, especially in the hippocampus. Pretreatment of melanin completely alleviated GNP-induced impairment of cognition. Pre-administration of melanin stably maintained monoamines at normal profiles. Melanin completely prevented the invasion of GNPs into the Cornu Ammonis region of the hippocampus shown by coherent anti-Stoke Raman scattering microscopy. Here we show that the administration of tea melanin prevented the accumulation of Au in brain, the imbalance of monoamines, and the impairment of cognition in mice. The current study provides a therapeutic approach to toxicity of nanoparticles and a novel strategy to control the transport of GNP in mouse brain.

Curcumin-incorporated albumin nanoparticles and its tumor image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Guangming; Wu, Rongchun; Pan, Qinqin; Wang, Kaikai; Sun, Yong; Lu, Ying

2015-01-01

Albumin is an ideal carrier for hydrophobic drugs. This paper reports a facile route to develop human serum albumin (HSA)–curcumin (CCM) nanoparticles, in which β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) acted as an inducer and CCM acted as a bridge. Fluorescence quenching and conformational changes in HSA–CCM nanoparticles occurred during assembly. Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions may play a key role in assembly. HSA–CCM nanoparticles were about 130 nm in size, and the solubility of CCM increased by more than 500 times. The HSA–CCM nanoparticles could accumulate at the cytoplasm of tumor cells and target the tumor tissues. Therefore, HSA nanoparticles fabricated by β-ME denaturation are promising nanocarriers for hydrophobic substances from chemotherapy drugs to imaging probes. (paper)

Curcumin-incorporated albumin nanoparticles and its tumor image

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Guangming; Pan, Qinqin; Wang, Kaikai; Wu, Rongchun; Sun, Yong; Lu, Ying

2015-01-01

Albumin is an ideal carrier for hydrophobic drugs. This paper reports a facile route to develop human serum albumin (HSA)-curcumin (CCM) nanoparticles, in which β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) acted as an inducer and CCM acted as a bridge. Fluorescence quenching and conformational changes in HSA-CCM nanoparticles occurred during assembly. Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions may play a key role in assembly. HSA-CCM nanoparticles were about 130 nm in size, and the solubility of CCM increased by more than 500 times. The HSA-CCM nanoparticles could accumulate at the cytoplasm of tumor cells and target the tumor tissues. Therefore, HSA nanoparticles fabricated by β-ME denaturation are promising nanocarriers for hydrophobic substances from chemotherapy drugs to imaging probes.

Curcumin-incorporated albumin nanoparticles and its tumor image.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Guangming; Pan, Qinqin; Wang, Kaikai; Wu, Rongchun; Sun, Yong; Lu, Ying

2015-01-30

Albumin is an ideal carrier for hydrophobic drugs. This paper reports a facile route to develop human serum albumin (HSA)-curcumin (CCM) nanoparticles, in which β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) acted as an inducer and CCM acted as a bridge. Fluorescence quenching and conformational changes in HSA-CCM nanoparticles occurred during assembly. Disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions may play a key role in assembly. HSA-CCM nanoparticles were about 130 nm in size, and the solubility of CCM increased by more than 500 times. The HSA-CCM nanoparticles could accumulate at the cytoplasm of tumor cells and target the tumor tissues. Therefore, HSA nanoparticles fabricated by β-ME denaturation are promising nanocarriers for hydrophobic substances from chemotherapy drugs to imaging probes.

Controllable synthesis of rice-shape Alq3 nanoparticles with single crystal structure

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wanfeng; Fan, Jihui; Song, Hui; Jiang, Feng; Yuan, Huimin; Wei, Zhixian; Ji, Ziwu; Pang, Zhiyong; Han, Shenghao

2016-10-01

We report the controllable growth of rice-shape nanoparticles of Alq3 by an extremely facile self-assembly approach. Possible mechanisms have been proposed to interpret the formation and controlled process of the single crystal nanoparticles. The field-emission performances (turn-on field 7 V μm-1, maximum current density 2.9 mA cm-2) indicate the potential application on miniaturized nano-optoelectronics devices of Alq3-based. This facile method can potentially be used for the controlled synthesis of other functional complexes and organic nanostructures.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and its application for mosquito control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naba Kumar Mondal

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Objective: To synthesize and characterize silver nanoparticles from aqueous root extract of Parthenium hysterophorus (P. hysterophorus and also to evaluate the potentiality of synthesized silver nanoparticles as larvacidal agent against Culex quinquefasciatus (Cx. quinquefasciatus. Methods: The silver nano particles were generated using root extract of P. hysterophorus. The characterization of synthesized nanoparticles was done by visual color change, UV-Vis spectrum, scanning electron micrograph, fluorescent microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results: It was found that aqueous silver ions can be reduced by aqueous root extract of P. hysterophorus to generate extremely stable silver nanoparticles in aqueous medium. Larvae were exposed to varying concentrations of plant extracts, aqueous silver nitrate solution and synthesized silver nanoparticles for 0, 24 and 48 h separately. Aqueous root extract showed moderate larvicidal effects; however, the maximum efficacy (60.18% was observed with the synthesized silver nanoparticles against the larvae of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Conclusions: These results suggest that the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friently approach for the control of the Cx. quinquefasciatus. This is the first report on the mosquito larvicidal activity of the nano particle synthesized by P. hysterophorus.

Reaction parameters for controlled sonosynthesis of gold nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gonzalez M, A. L. [Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, Facultad de Quimica, Paseo Colon esq. Paseo Tollocan s/n, 50120 Toluca, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Cabrera L, L. I. [UNAM-UAEM, Centro Conjunto de Investigacion en Quimica Sustentable, Km 14.5 Carretera Toluca-Atlacomulco, 50200 San Cayetano-Toluca, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2015-07-01

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles by sonochemical technique has been previously performed with excellent results. The synthesis has been carried out in the presence of citric acid, a strong reducing agent, which allows the nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles, at the same time that controls particle size. In this work we report the use of sodium tartrate as a mild reducing agent that allows a better understanding of the effect of the reaction parameters during gold nanoparticle synthesis. A conventional sonication bath (37 k Hz) was used for the sonochemical synthesis. This work focuses on the reaction temperature effect and the effect of sodium tartrate concentration. It was confirmed that particle size, and particle morphology is dependent of these two reaction parameters. Equally, colloidal stabilization was related to reaction temperature and sodium tartrate concentration. It was also determined that Ostwald ripening takes place during sonochemical reaction under our conditions, allowing to understand the mechanism that takes place during synthesis. Gold nanoparticles with main particle size of 17 nm were achieved by this method. Characterization techniques used: Fourier transform infrared spectra (Ftir), X-ray diffraction and Atomic Force Microscope was used in order to determine particle size of the synthetic product of reaction M10c by tapping mode. (Author)

Reaction parameters for controlled sonosynthesis of gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez M, A. L.; Cabrera L, L. I.

2015-01-01

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles by sonochemical technique has been previously performed with excellent results. The synthesis has been carried out in the presence of citric acid, a strong reducing agent, which allows the nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles, at the same time that controls particle size. In this work we report the use of sodium tartrate as a mild reducing agent that allows a better understanding of the effect of the reaction parameters during gold nanoparticle synthesis. A conventional sonication bath (37 k Hz) was used for the sonochemical synthesis. This work focuses on the reaction temperature effect and the effect of sodium tartrate concentration. It was confirmed that particle size, and particle morphology is dependent of these two reaction parameters. Equally, colloidal stabilization was related to reaction temperature and sodium tartrate concentration. It was also determined that Ostwald ripening takes place during sonochemical reaction under our conditions, allowing to understand the mechanism that takes place during synthesis. Gold nanoparticles with main particle size of 17 nm were achieved by this method. Characterization techniques used: Fourier transform infrared spectra (Ftir), X-ray diffraction and Atomic Force Microscope was used in order to determine particle size of the synthetic product of reaction M10c by tapping mode. (Author)

Ribosome-induced changes in elongation factor Tu conformation control GTP hydrolysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Villa, Elizabeth; Sengupta, Jayati; Trabuco, Leonard G.

2009-01-01

In translation, elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) molecules deliver aminoacyl-tRNAs to the mRNA-programmed ribosome. The GTPase activity of EF-Tu is triggered by ribosome-induced conformational changes of the factor that play a pivotal role in the selection of the cognate aminoacyl-tRNAs. We present a 6.......7-A cryo-electron microscopy map of the aminoacyl-tRNA x EF-Tu x GDP x kirromycin-bound Escherichia coli ribosome, together with an atomic model of the complex obtained through molecular dynamics flexible fitting. The model reveals the conformational changes in the conserved GTPase switch regions...... of EF-Tu that trigger hydrolysis of GTP, along with key interactions, including those between the sarcin-ricin loop and the P loop of EF-Tu, and between the effector loop of EF-Tu and a conserved region of the 16S rRNA. Our data suggest that GTP hydrolysis on EF-Tu is controlled through a hydrophobic...

Dynamic and Progressive Control of DNA Origami Conformation by Modulating DNA Helicity with Chemical Adducts.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Haorong; Zhang, Hanyu; Pan, Jing; Cha, Tae-Gon; Li, Shiming; Andréasson, Joakim; Choi, Jong Hyun

2016-05-24

DNA origami has received enormous attention for its ability to program complex nanostructures with a few nanometer precision. Dynamic origami structures that change conformation in response to environmental cues or external signals hold great promises in sensing and actuation at the nanoscale. The reconfiguration mechanism of existing dynamic origami structures is mostly limited to single-stranded hinges and relies almost exclusively on DNA hybridization or strand displacement. Here, we show an alternative approach by demonstrating on-demand conformation changes with DNA-binding molecules, which intercalate between base pairs and unwind DNA double helices. The unwinding effect modulates the helicity mismatch in DNA origami, which significantly influences the internal stress and the global conformation of the origami structure. We demonstrate the switching of a polymerized origami nanoribbon between different twisting states and a well-constrained torsional deformation in a monomeric origami shaft. The structural transformation is shown to be reversible, and binding isotherms confirm the reconfiguration mechanism. This approach provides a rapid and reversible means to change DNA origami conformation, which can be used for dynamic and progressive control at the nanoscale.

Controllable synthesis and sintering of silver nanoparticles for inkjet-printed flexible electronics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Zhiliang; Zhu, Weiyue

2015-01-01

An effective and facile strategy was developed to successfully synthesize nearly uniform silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with particle size of <10 nm, and demonstrated to achieve the sintering of AgNPs at room temperature for inkjet-printed flexible electronics. In such system, a series of different chain-length alkylamines were exploited as capped molecules to controllable synthesis of uniform AgNPs with the mean nanoparticle size in rang of 8.6 ± 0.9, 8.9 ± 1.2 and 9.2 ± 1.6 nm, and these ultra-small nanoparticles were very favorable to attain an excellent printing fluency. Based on the as-synthesized AgNPs, a sequence of flexible electrocircuits was successfully fabricated by ink-jet printing technique. After the dipped treatment, the printed AgNPs were achieved to spontaneous coalescence and aggregation at room temperature induced by preferential dissolution of capped molecules on AgNPs surfaces into methanol solution. These aggregated AgNPs demonstrated superior controllability, excellent stability and low resistivity in the range of 31.6–26.5 μΩ cm, and would have enormous potential in the application to be tailored for assembly of optoelectronics devices. - Highlights: • Silver nanoparticles with particle size of <10 nm was controllably synthesized. • The sintering of silver nanoparticles was conducted at room temperature. • The resistivity was reached as low as 26.5 μΩ cm for flexible electronics

Controlled growth of silica-titania hybrid functional nanoparticles through a multistep microfluidic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiba, K; Sugiyama, T; Takei, T; Yoshikawa, G

2015-11-11

Silica/titania-based functional nanoparticles were prepared through controlled nucleation of titania and subsequent encapsulation by silica through a multistep microfluidic approach, which was successfully applied to obtaining aminopropyl-functionalized silica/titania nanoparticles for a highly sensitive humidity sensor.

Characteristics of Barium Hexaferrite Nanoparticles Prepared by Temperature-Controlled Chemical Coprecipitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwak, Jun Young; Lee, Choong Sub; Kim, Don; Kim, Yeong Il

2012-01-01

Ba-ferrite (BaFe 12 O 19 ) nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical coprecipitation method in an aqueous solution. The particle size and the crystallization temperature of the Ba-ferrite nanoparticles were controlled varying the precipitation temperature. The precipitate that was prepared at 0 .deg. C showed the crystal structure of Ba-ferrite in X-ray diffraction when it was calcined at the temperature above 580 .deg. C, whereas what was prepared at 50 .deg. C showed the crystallinity when it was calcined at the temperature higher than about 700 .deg. C. The particle sizes of the synthesized Ba-ferrite were in a range of about 20-30 nm when it was prepared by being precipitated at 0 .deg. C and calcined at 650 .deg. C. When the precipitation temperature increased, the particle size also increased even at the same calcination temperature. The magnetic properties of the Ba-ferrite nanoparticles were also controlled by the synthetic condition of precipitation and calcination temperature. The coercive force could be appreciably lowered without a loss of saturation magnetization when the Ba-ferrite nanoparticles were prepared by precipitation and calcination both at low temperatures

Gas-phase laser synthesis of aggregation-free, size-controlled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bapat, Parimal V.; Kraft, Rebecca; Camata, Renato P.

2012-01-01

Nanophase hydroxyapatite (HA) is finding applications in many areas of biomedical research, including bone tissue engineering, drug delivery, and intracellular imaging. Details in chemical composition, crystal phase makeup, size, and shape of HA nanoparticles play important roles in achieving the favorable biological responses required in these applications. Most of the nanophase HA synthesis techniques involve solution-based methods that exhibit substantial aggregation of particles upon precipitation. Typically these methods also have limited control over the particle size and crystal phase composition. In this study, we describe the gas-phase synthesis of aggregation-free, size-controlled HA nanoparticles with mean size in the 20–70 nm range using laser ablation followed by aerosol electrical mobility classification. Nanoparticle deposits with adjustable number concentration were obtained on solid substrates. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Samples are well represented by log-normal size distributions with geometric standard deviation σ g ≈ 1.2. The most suitable conditions for HA nanoparticle formation at a laser fluence of 5 J/cm 2 were found to be a temperature of 800 °C and a partial pressure of water of 160 mbar.

Chitosan-based nanoparticles of avermectin to control pine wood nematodes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Wenlong; Yu, Aixin; Wang, Guodong; Zheng, Feng; Jia, Jinliang; Xu, Hanhong

2018-06-01

Pine wood nematode disease is a most devastating disease of pine trees. Avermectin (AVM) is a widely used bio-nematocide which can effectively to kill the pine wood nematode (PWN). However, its poor solubility in water and rapid photolysis are responsible for its poor bioavailability, which causes environmental pollution because of excessive applied rates. Here, a simple electrostatic interaction method was used to encapsulate AVM within nanoparticles composed of poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) and chitosan (CS). The loading capacity of the resulting AVM-CS/γ-PGA nanoparticles was as much as 30.5%. The encapsulation of AVM within these nanoparticles reduced its losses by more than 20.0% through photolysis. An in vitro test showed that the rate of release of AVM from the nanoparticles was dependent on the ambient pH, with rapid release occurring in an alkaline environment. The mortality rate of nematodes which were treated with 1ppm of AVM content of AVM-CS/γ-PGA was 98.6% after 24h, while one of free AVM was only 69.9%. In addition, FITC-labeled CS/γ-PGA nanoparticles (FITC-CS/γ-PGA) showed that the nanoparticles could enrich in intestines and head of nematodes. All of these results showed that those nanoparticles of AVM are a potential multifunctional formulation to control the pest and reduce environment pollution. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using Chemicals to Optimize Conformance Control in Fractured Reservoirs; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seright, Randall S.; Liang, Jenn-Tai; Schrader, Richard; Hagstrom II, John; Wang, Ying; Kumar, Ananad; Wavrik, Kathryn

2001-01-01

This report describes work performed during the third and final year of the project, Using Chemicals to Optimize Conformance Control in Fractured Reservoirs. This research project had three objectives. The first objective was to develop a capability to predict and optimize the ability of gels to reduce permeability to water more than that to oil or gas. The second objective was to develop procedures for optimizing blocking agent placement in wells where hydraulic fractures cause channeling problems. The third objective was to develop procedures to optimize blocking agent placement in naturally fractured reservoirs

Controllably annealed CuO-nanoparticle modified ITO electrodes: Characterisation and electrochemical studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Tong; Su, Wen; Fu, Yingyi [College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Hu, Jingbo, E-mail: hujingbo@bnu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China); Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification of Ministry of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875 (China)

2016-12-30

Graphical abstract: We report a simple and controllable synthesis of CuO-nanoparticle-modified ITO by employing a combination of ion-implantation and annealing methods for the first time. The optimum CuO/ITO electrode shows uniform morphology, highly accessible surface area, long-term stability and excellent electrochemical performance towards biomolecules such as glucose in alkaline solution. - Highlights: • Controllably annealed CuO/ITO electrode was synthesized for the first time. • The generation mechanism of CuO nanoparticles is revealed. • The optimum CuO/ITO electrode shows excellent electrochemical performance. • A reference for the controllable preparation of other metal oxide nanoparticles. - Abstract: In this paper, we report a facile and controllable two-step approach to produce indium tin oxide electrodes modified by copper(II) oxide nanoparticles (CuO/ITO) through ion implantation and annealing methods. After annealing treatment, the surface morphology of the CuO/ITO substrate changed remarkably and exhibited highly electroactive sites and a high specific surface area. The effects of annealing treatment on the synthesis of CuO/ITO were discussed based on various instruments’ characterisations, and the possible mechanism by which CuO nanoparticles were generated was also proposed in this work. Cyclic voltammetric results indicated that CuO/ITO electrodes exhibited effective catalytic responses toward glucose in alkaline solution. Under optimal experimental conditions, the proposed CuO/ITO electrode showed sensitivity of 450.2 μA cm{sup −2} mM{sup −1} with a linear range of up to ∼4.4 mM and a detection limit of 0.7 μM (S/N = 3). Moreover, CuO/ITO exhibited good poison resistance, reproducibility, and stability properties.

A computational study of vicinal fluorination in 2,3-difluorobutane: implications for conformational control in alkane chains.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Stephen J; Gourdain, Stephanie; Coulthurst, Anton; Fox, Clare; Kuprov, Ilya; Essex, Jonathan W; Skylaris, Chris-Kriton; Linclau, Bruno

2015-01-19

A comprehensive conformational analysis of both 2,3-difluorobutane diastereomers is presented based on density functional theory calculations in vacuum and in solution, as well as NMR experiments in solution. While for 1,2-difluoroethane the fluorine gauche effect is clearly the dominant effect determining its conformation, it was found that for 2,3-difluorobutane there is a complex interplay of several effects, which are of similar magnitude but often of opposite sign. As a result, unexpected deviations in dihedral angles, relative conformational energies and populations are observed which cannot be rationalised only by chemical intuition. Furthermore, it was found that it is important to consider the free energies of the various conformers, as these lead to qualitatively different results both in vacuum and in solvent, when compared to calculations based only on the electronic energies. In contrast to expectations, it was found that vicinal syn-difluoride introduction in the butane and by extension, longer hydrocarbon chains, is not expected to lead to an effective stabilisation of the linear conformation. Our findings have implications for the use of the vicinal difluoride motif for conformational control. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The synthesis and characterization of platinum nanoparticles: a method of controlling the size and morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, Nguyen Viet; Hayakawa, Tomokatsu; Lakshminarayana, Gandham; Nogami, Masayuki; Chien, Nguyen Duc; Hirata, Hirohito

2010-01-01

In this paper, Pt nanoparticles with good shapes of nanocubes and nano-octahedra and well-controlled sizes in the range 5-7 and 8-12 nm, respectively, have been successfully synthesized. The modified polyol method by adding silver nitrate and varying the molar ratio of the solutions of silver nitrate and H 2 PtCl 6 has been used to produce Pt nanoparticles of the size and shape to be controlled. The size and morphology of Pt nanoparticles have been studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM). The results have shown that their very sharp and good shapes exist in the main forms of cubic, cuboctahedral, octahedral and tetrahedral shapes directly related to the crystal nucleation along various directions of the {100} cubic, {111} octahedral and {111} tetrahedral facets during synthesis. In particular, various irregular and new shapes of Pt nanoparticles have been found. Here, it is concluded that the role of silver ions has to be considered as an important factor for promoting and controlling the development of Pt nanoparticles of {100} cubic, {111} octahedral and {111} tetrahedral facets, and also directly orienting the growth and formation of Pt nanoparticles.

Clean Photothermal Heating and Controlled Release From Near Infrared Dye Doped Nanoparticles Without Oxygen Photosensitization

Science.gov (United States)

Guha, Samit; Shaw, Scott K.; Spence, Graeme T.; Roland, Felicia M.; Smith, Bradley D.

2015-01-01

The photothermal heating and release properties of biocompatible organic nanoparticles, doped with a near-infrared croconaine (Croc) dye, were compared with analogous nanoparticles doped with the common near-infrared dyes ICG and IR780. Separate formulations of lipid-polymer-hybrid nanoparticles and liposomes, each containing Croc dye, absorbed strongly at 808 nm and generated clean laser-induced heating (no production of 1O2 and no photobleaching of the dye). In contrast, laser-induced heating of nanoparticles containing ICG or IR780 produced reactive 1O2 leading to bleaching of the dye and also decomposition of co-encapsulated payload such as the drug Doxorubicin. Croc dye was especially useful as a photothermal agent for laser controlled release of chemically sensitive payload from nanoparticles. Solution state experiments demonstrated repetitive fractional release of water soluble fluorescent dye from the interior of thermosensitive liposomes. Additional experiments used a focused laser beam to control leakage from immobilized liposomes with very high spatial and temporal precision. The results indicate that fractional photothermal leakage from nanoparticles doped with Croc dye is a promising method for a range of controlled release applications. PMID:26149326

Controlled Fab installation onto polymeric micelle nanoparticles for tuned bioactivity

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shaoyi; Florinas, Stelios; Teitgen, Abigail; Xu, Ze-Qi; Gao, Changshou; Wu, Herren; Kataoka, Kazunori; Cabral, Horacio; Christie, R. James

2017-12-01

Antibodies and antigen-binding fragments (Fabs) can be used to modify the surface of nanoparticles for enhanced target binding. In our previous work, site-specific conjugation of Fabs to polymeric micelles using conventional methods was limited to approximately 30% efficiency, possibly due to steric hindrance related to macromolecular reactants. Here, we report a new method that enables conjugation of Fabs onto a micelle surface in a controlled manner with up to quantitative conversion of nanoparticle reactive groups. Variation of (i) PEG spacer length in a heterofunctionalized cross-linker and (ii) Fab/polymer feed ratios resulted in production of nanoparticles with a range of Fab densities on the surface up to the theoretical maximum value. The biological impact of variable Fab density was evaluated in vitro with respect to cell uptake and cytotoxicity of a drug-loaded (SN38) targeted polymeric micelle bearing anti-EphA2 Fabs. Fab conjugation increased cell uptake and potency compared with non-targeted micelles, although a Fab density of 60% resulted in decreased uptake and potency of the targeted micelles. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that conjugation strategies can be optimized to allow control of Fab density on the surface of nanoparticles and also that Fab density may need to be optimized for a given cell-surface target to achieve the highest bioactivity.

Atomic cranks and levers control sugar ring conformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Qingmin; Lee, Gwangrog; Marszalek, Piotr E

2005-01-01

In this paper we review the conformational analysis of sugar rings placed under tension during mechanical manipulations of single polysaccharide molecules with the atomic force microscope and during steered molecular dynamics simulations. We examine the role of various chemical bonds and linkages between sugar rings in inhibiting or promoting their conformational transitions by means of external forces. Small differences in the orientation of one chemical bond on the sugar ring can produce significantly different mechanical properties at the polymer level as exemplified by two polysaccharides: cellulose, composed of β-1→4-linked D-glucose, and amylose, composed of α-1→4-linked D-glucose. In contrast to β-glucose rings, which are mechanically stable and produce simple entropic elasticity of the chain, α-glucose rings flip under tension from their chair to a boat-like structure and these transitions produce deviations of amylose elasticity from the freely jointed chain model. We also examine the deformation of two mechanically complementary 1→6-linked polysaccharides: pustulan, a β-1→6-linked glucan, and dextran, a α-1→6-linked glucan. Forced rotations about the C 5 -C 6 bonds govern the elasticity of pustulan, and complex conformational transitions that involve simultaneous C 5 -C 6 rotations and chair-boat transitions govern the elasticity of dextran. Finally, we discuss the likelihood of various conformational transitions in sugar rings in biological settings and speculate on their significance

Organic-inorganic hybrid nanoparticles controlled delivery system for anticancer drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Martino, Antonio; Guselnikova, Olga A; Trusova, Marina E; Postnikov, Pavel S; Sedlarik, Vladimir

2017-06-30

The use of organic-inorganic hybrid nanocarriers for controlled release of anticancer drugs has been gained a great interest, in particular, to improve the selectivity and efficacy of the drugs. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared then surface modified via diazonium chemistry and coated with chitosan, and its derivative chitosan-grafted polylactic acid. The purpose was to increase the stability of the nanoparticles in physiological solution, heighten drug-loading capacity, prolong the release, reduce the initial burst effect and improve in vitro cytotoxicity of the model drug doxorubicin. The materials were characterized by DLS, ζ-potential, SEM, TGA, magnetization curves and release kinetics studies. Results confirmed the spherical shape, the presence of the coat and the advantages of using chitosan, particularly its amphiphilic derivative, as a coating agent, thereby surpassing the qualities of simple iron oxide nanoparticles. The coated nanoparticles exhibited great stability and high encapsulation efficiency for doxorubicin, at over 500μg per mg of carrier. Moreover, the intensity of the initial burst was clearly diminished after coating, hence represents an advantage of using the hybrid system over simple iron oxide nanoparticles. Cytotoxicity studies demonstrate the increase in cytotoxicity of doxorubicin when loaded in nanoparticles, indirectly proving the role played by the carrier and its surface properties in cell uptake. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controllable synthesis and characterization of Fe3O4/Au composite nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing, Yan; Jin, Yan-Yan; Si, Jian-Chao; Peng, Ming-Li; Wang, Xiao-Fang; Chen, Chao; Cui, Ya-Li

2015-01-01

Fe 3 O 4 /Au composite nanoparticles (GoldMag NPs) have received considerable attention because of their advantageous properties arisen from both individual Au and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. Many efforts have been devoted to the synthesis of these composite nanoparticles. Herein, GoldMag NPs were reported to be synthesized by two-step method. Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation and modified by the citric acid, and then citric acid-coated Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were used as seeds in sodium citrate solution to reduce the HAuCl 4 . The size of obtained nanoparticles was geared from 25 to 300 nm by controlling the concentration of reactants. The GoldMag NPs were characterized by UV–vis spectrometer, dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The GoldMag NPs showed good superparamagnetism at room temperature and were well dispersed in water with surface plasmon resonance absorption peak varied from 538 nm to 570 nm. - Highlights: • A low cost, simple manipulation and nontoxic approach was designed for preparation of magnetic Fe 3 O 4 /Au (GoldMag NPs) nanocomposites. • The size of GoldMag NPs could be controlled from 25 to 300 nm by varying the concentration of reactants. • GoldMag NPs possessed good magnetic response, high dispersion, and good stability

Controlled intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species in human mesenchymal stem cells using porphyrin conjugated nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavado, Andrea S; Chauhan, Veeren M; Zen, Amer Alhaj; Giuntini, Francesca; Jones, D Rhodri E; Boyle, Ross W; Beeby, Andrew; Chan, Weng C; Aylott, Jonathan W

2015-09-14

Nanoparticles capable of generating controlled amounts of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), that advance the study of oxidative stress and cellular communication, were synthesized by functionalizing polyacrylamide nanoparticles with zinc(II) porphyrin photosensitisers. Controlled ROS production was demonstrated in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) through (1) production of nanoparticles functionalized with varying percentages of Zn(II) porphyrin and (2) modulating the number of doses of excitation light to internalized nanoparticles. hMSCs challenged with nanoparticles functionalized with increasing percentages of Zn(II) porphyrin and high numbers of irradiations of excitation light were found to generate greater amounts of ROS. A novel dye, which is transformed into fluorescent 7-hydroxy-4-trifluoromethyl-coumarin in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, provided an indirect indicator for cumulative ROS production. The mitochondrial membrane potential was monitored to investigate the destructive effect of increased intracellular ROS production. Flow cytometric analysis of nanoparticle treated hMSCs suggested irradiation with excitation light signalled controlled apoptotic cell death, rather than uncontrolled necrotic cell death. Increased intracellular ROS production did not induce phenotypic changes in hMSC subcultures.

Rate of hydrolysis in ATP synthase is fine-tuned by  -subunit motif controlling active site conformation

KAUST Repository

Beke-Somfai, T.; Lincoln, P.; Norden, B.

2013-01-01

Computer-designed artificial enzymes will require precise understanding of how conformation of active sites may control barrier heights of key transition states, including dependence on structure and dynamics at larger molecular scale. F(o)F(1) ATP synthase is interesting as a model system: a delicate molecular machine synthesizing or hydrolyzing ATP using a rotary motor. Isolated F(1) performs hydrolysis with a rate very sensitive to ATP concentration. Experimental and theoretical results show that, at low ATP concentrations, ATP is slowly hydrolyzed in the so-called tight binding site, whereas at higher concentrations, the binding of additional ATP molecules induces rotation of the central γ-subunit, thereby forcing the site to transform through subtle conformational changes into a loose binding site in which hydrolysis occurs faster. How the 1-Å-scale rearrangements are controlled is not yet fully understood. By a combination of theoretical approaches, we address how large macromolecular rearrangements may manipulate the active site and how the reaction rate changes with active site conformation. Simulations reveal that, in response to γ-subunit position, the active site conformation is fine-tuned mainly by small α-subunit changes. Quantum mechanics-based results confirm that the sub-Ångström gradual changes between tight and loose binding site structures dramatically alter the hydrolysis rate.

Rate of hydrolysis in ATP synthase is fine-tuned by  -subunit motif controlling active site conformation

KAUST Repository

Beke-Somfai, T.

2013-01-23

Computer-designed artificial enzymes will require precise understanding of how conformation of active sites may control barrier heights of key transition states, including dependence on structure and dynamics at larger molecular scale. F(o)F(1) ATP synthase is interesting as a model system: a delicate molecular machine synthesizing or hydrolyzing ATP using a rotary motor. Isolated F(1) performs hydrolysis with a rate very sensitive to ATP concentration. Experimental and theoretical results show that, at low ATP concentrations, ATP is slowly hydrolyzed in the so-called tight binding site, whereas at higher concentrations, the binding of additional ATP molecules induces rotation of the central γ-subunit, thereby forcing the site to transform through subtle conformational changes into a loose binding site in which hydrolysis occurs faster. How the 1-Å-scale rearrangements are controlled is not yet fully understood. By a combination of theoretical approaches, we address how large macromolecular rearrangements may manipulate the active site and how the reaction rate changes with active site conformation. Simulations reveal that, in response to γ-subunit position, the active site conformation is fine-tuned mainly by small α-subunit changes. Quantum mechanics-based results confirm that the sub-Ångström gradual changes between tight and loose binding site structures dramatically alter the hydrolysis rate.

Polymer nanoparticles containing essential oils: new options for mosquito control.

Science.gov (United States)

Werdin González, Jorge Omar; Jesser, Emiliano Nicolás; Yeguerman, Cristhian Alan; Ferrero, Adriana Alicia; Fernández Band, Beatriz

2017-07-01

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are vectors of important parasites and pathogens causing death, poverty and social disability worldwide. The overuse of synthetic insecticides to control mosquito vectors lead to resistance, adverse environmental effects and high operational costs. Therefore, the development of eco-friendly control tools is an important public health challenge. In this study, two different essential oils (EO) (geranium, Geranium maculatum, and bergamot, Citrus bergamia) loaded polymeric nanoparticle (PN) were elaborated using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and chitosan (Qx) as the polymeric matrix/coating. In addition, the mosquito larvicidal acute and residual activity of the PN was evaluated on Culex pipiens pipiens. The physicochemical characterization of PN revealed that PEG-PN had sizes nanoparticles containing essential oil are a promising source of eco-friendly mosquito larvicidal products.

Conformational changes of fibrinogen in dispersed carbon nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Park SJ

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Sung Jean Park,1 Dongwoo Khang21College of Pharmacy, Gachon University, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea; 2School of Nano and Advanced Materials Science Engineering and Center for PRC and RIGET, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South KoreaAbstract: The conformational changes of plasma protein structures in response to carbon nanotubes are critical for determining the nanotoxicity and blood coagulation effects of carbon nanotubes. In this study, we identified that the functional intensity of carboxyl groups on carbon nanotubes, which correspond to the water dispersity or hydrophilicity of carbon nanotubes, can induce conformational changes in the fibrinogen domains. Also, elevation of carbon nanotube density can alter the secondary structures (ie, helices and beta sheets of fibrinogen. Furthermore, fibrinogen that had been in contact with the nanoparticle material demonstrated a different pattern of heat denaturation compared with free fibrinogen as a result of a variation in hydrophilicity and concentration of carbon nanotubes. Considering the importance of interactions between carbon nanotubes and plasma proteins in the drug delivery system, this study elucidated the correlation between nanoscale physiochemical material properties of carbon nanotubes and associated structural changes in fibrinogen.Keywords: carbon nanotubes, fibrinogen, nanotoxicity, conformational change, denaturation

Size-controlled synthesis of transition metal nanoparticles through chemical and photo-chemical routes

Science.gov (United States)

Tangeysh, Behzad

The central objective of this work is developing convenient general procedures for controlling the formation and stabilization of nanoscale transition metal particles. Contemporary interest in developing alternative synthetic approaches for producing nanoparticles arises in large part from expanding applications of the nanomaterials in areas such as catalysis, electronics and medicine. This research focuses on advancing the existing nanoparticle synthetic routes by using a new class of polymer colloid materials as a chemical approach, and the laser irradiation of metal salt solution as a photo-chemical method to attain size and shape selectivity. Controlled synthesis of small metal nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1 to 5nm is still a continuing challenge in nanomaterial synthesis. This research utilizes a new class of polymer colloid materials as nano-reactors and protective agents for controlling the formation of small transition metal nanoparticles. The polymer colloid particles were formed from cross-linking of dinegatively charged metal precursors with partially protonated poly dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (PDMAEMA). Incorporation of [PtCl6]2- species into the colloidal particles prior to the chemical reduction was effectively employed as a new strategy for synthesis of unusually small platinum nanoparticles with narrow size distributions (1.12 +/-0.25nm). To explore the generality of this approach, in a series of proof-of-concept studies, this method was successfully employed for the synthesis of small palladium (1.4 +/-0.2nm) and copper nanoparticles (1.5 +/-0.6nm). The polymer colloid materials developed in this research are pH responsive, and are designed to self-assemble and/or disassemble by varying the levels of protonation of the polymer chains. This unique feature was used to tune the size of palladium nanoparticles in a small range from 1nm to 5nm. The procedure presented in this work is a new convenient room temperature route for synthesis of

Differential mobility analysis of nanoparticles generated by laser vaporization and controlled condensation (LVCC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelsayed, Victor; El-Shall, M. Samy; Seto, Takafumi

2006-01-01

Silicon and iron aluminide (FeAl) nanoparticles were synthesized by a laser vaporization controlled condensation (LVCC) method. The particles generated by the laser ablation of solid targets were transported and deposited in the presence of well-defined thermal and electric field in a newly designed flow-type LVCC chamber. The deposition process of nanoparticles was controlled by the balance of the external forces; i.e., gas flow, thermophoretic and electrostatic forces. The size distributions of generated nanoparticles were analyzed using a low-pressure differential mobility analyzer (LP-DMA). The effect of synthesis condition on the size distribution was analyzed by changing the pressure of the carrier gas (20-200 Torr), the temperature gradient in the LVCC chamber (ΔT=0-190 deg. C) and the electric field applied between the LVCC chamber plates (E=0-3000 V/m). It was found that electrostatic field was effective to selectively deposit small size nanoparticles (about 10 nm) with expelling large droplet-like particles

Tuning dipolar magnetic interactions by controlling individual silica coating of iron oxide nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas Rojas, P. C.; Tancredi, P.; Moscoso Londoño, O.; Knobel, M.; Socolovsky, L. M.

2018-04-01

Single and fixed size core, core-shell nanoparticles of iron oxides coated with a silica layer of tunable thickness were prepared by chemical routes, aiming to generate a frame of study of magnetic nanoparticles with controlled dipolar interactions. The batch of iron oxides nanoparticles of 4.5 nm radii, were employed as cores for all the coated samples. The latter was obtained via thermal decomposition of organic precursors, resulting on nanoparticles covered with an organic layer that was subsequently used to promote the ligand exchange in the inverse microemulsion process, employed to coat each nanoparticle with silica. The amount of precursor and times of reaction was varied to obtain different silica shell thicknesses, ranging from 0.5 nm to 19 nm. The formation of the desired structures was corroborated by TEM and SAXS measurements, the core single-phase spinel structure was confirmed by XRD, and superparamagnetic features with gradual change related to dipolar interaction effects were obtained by the study of the applied field and temperature dependence of the magnetization. To illustrate that dipolar interactions are consistently controlled, the main magnetic properties are presented and analyzed as a function of center to center minimum distance between the magnetic cores.

Controlling “chemical nose” biosensor characteristics by modulating gold nanoparticle shape and concentration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohit S. Verma

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Conventional lock-and-key biosensors often only detect a single pathogen because they incorporate biomolecules with high specificity. “Chemical nose” biosensors are overcoming this limitation and identifying multiple pathogens simultaneously by obtaining a unique set of responses for each pathogen of interest, but the number of pathogens that can be distinguished is limited by the number of responses obtained. Herein, we use a gold nanoparticle-based “chemical nose” to show that changing the shapes of nanoparticles can increase the number of responses available for analysis and expand the types of bacteria that can be identified. Using four shapes of nanoparticles (nanospheres, nanostars, nanocubes, and nanorods, we demonstrate that each shape provides a unique set of responses in the presence of different bacteria, which can be exploited for enhanced specificity of the biosensor. Additionally, the concentration of nanoparticles controls the detection limit of the biosensor, where a lower concentration provides better detection limit. Thus, here we lay a foundation for designing “chemical nose” biosensors and controlling their characteristics using gold nanoparticle morphology and concentration. Keywords: Morphology, Color change, Staphylococcus aureus, Point-of-care, Nanocubes, Nanorods

Role of proteins in controlling selenium nanoparticle size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobias, J; Suvorova, E I; Bernier-Latmani, R

2011-01-01

This work investigates the potential for harnessing the association of bacterial proteins to biogenic selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) to control the size distribution and the morphology of the resultant SeNPs. We conducted a proteomic study and compared proteins associated with biogenic SeNPs produced by E. coli to chemically synthesized SeNPs as well as magnetite nanoparticles. We identified four proteins (AdhP, Idh, OmpC, AceA) that bound specifically to SeNPs and observed a narrower size distribution as well as more spherical morphology when the particles were synthesized chemically in the presence of proteins. A more detailed study of AdhP (alcohol dehydrogenase propanol-preferring) confirmed the strong affinity of this protein for the SeNP surface and revealed that this protein controlled the size distribution of the SeNPs and yielded a narrow size distribution with a three-fold decrease in the median size. These results support the assertion that protein may become an important tool in the industrial-scale synthesis of SeNPs of uniform size and properties.

ToF-SIMS study of growth behavior in all-nanoparticle multilayer films using a novel indicator layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, B.-J.; Yin, Y.-S.; Ling, Y.-C.

2008-01-01

All-nanoparticle multilayer films found novel applications in the areas of photonics, catalysis, sensors, and biomaterials. The assembly of nanoparticles into conformal and uniform films with precise control over chemical and physical properties poses a significant challenge. Using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), we have investigated the growth behavior in all-nanoparticle multilayer films using a novel indicator layer. The all-nanoparticle multilayer films were prepared by dipping the polyester substrate with electrostatic charges alternatively into solutions containing three different types of nanoparticles (TiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , and SiO 2 ). Upon the deposition of each layer, ToF-SIMS was employed to determine the surface chemical composition of intermediate products. The intermixing extent of TiO 2 indicator layer was used to reveal the stratification of each layer. Combining with zeta-potential measurements, the solvation and deposition of the under-layer species in the aqueous environment during fresh layer formation was proposed as a plausible cause for mutilayers not stratified into well-defined layers but displaying a nonlinear growth behavior.

The interaction with gold suppresses fiber-like conformations of the amyloid β (16-22) peptide

Science.gov (United States)

Bellucci, Luca; Ardèvol, Albert; Parrinello, Michele; Lutz, Helmut; Lu, Hao; Weidner, Tobias; Corni, Stefano

2016-04-01

Inorganic surfaces and nanoparticles can accelerate or inhibit the fibrillation process of proteins and peptides, including the biomedically relevant amyloid β peptide. However, the microscopic mechanisms that determine such an effect are still poorly understood. By means of large-scale, state-of-the-art enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations, here we identify an interaction mechanism between the segments 16-22 of the amyloid β peptide, known to be fibrillogenic by itself, and the Au(111) surface in water that leads to the suppression of fiber-like conformations from the peptide conformational ensemble. Moreover, thanks to advanced simulation analysis techniques, we characterize the conformational selection vs. induced fit nature of the gold effect. Our results disclose an inhibition mechanism that is rooted in the details of the microscopic peptide-surface interaction rather than in general phenomena such as peptide sequestration from the solution.Inorganic surfaces and nanoparticles can accelerate or inhibit the fibrillation process of proteins and peptides, including the biomedically relevant amyloid β peptide. However, the microscopic mechanisms that determine such an effect are still poorly understood. By means of large-scale, state-of-the-art enhanced sampling molecular dynamics simulations, here we identify an interaction mechanism between the segments 16-22 of the amyloid β peptide, known to be fibrillogenic by itself, and the Au(111) surface in water that leads to the suppression of fiber-like conformations from the peptide conformational ensemble. Moreover, thanks to advanced simulation analysis techniques, we characterize the conformational selection vs. induced fit nature of the gold effect. Our results disclose an inhibition mechanism that is rooted in the details of the microscopic peptide-surface interaction rather than in general phenomena such as peptide sequestration from the solution. Electronic supplementary information (ESI

Catalase-only nanoparticles prepared by shear alone: Characteristics, activity and stability evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiao-Nan; Du, Xin-Ying; Xing, Jin-Feng; Ge, Zhi-Qiang

2016-09-01

Catalase is a promising therapeutic enzyme; however, it carries risks of inactivation and rapid degradation when it is used in practical bioprocess, such as delivery in vivo. To overcome the issue, we made catalase-only nanoparticles using shear stress alone at a moderate shear rate of 217s(-1) in a coaxial cylinder flow cell. Properties of nanoparticles, including particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential, were characterized. The conformational changes of pre- and post-sheared catalase were determined using spectroscopy techniques. The results indicated that the conformational changes of catalase and reduction in α-helical content caused by shear alone were less significant than that by desolvation method. Catalase-only nanoparticles prepared by single shear retained over 90% of its initial activity when compared with the native catalase. Catalase nanoparticles lost only 20% of the activity when stored in phosphate buffer solution for 72h at 4°C, whereas native catalase lost 53% under the same condition. Especially, the activity of nanogranulated catalase was decreased only slightly in the simulated intestinal fluid containing α-chymotrypsin during 4h incubation at 37°C, implying that the catalase nanoparticle was more resistant to the degradation of proteases than native catalase molecules. Overall, catalase-only nanoparticles offered a great potential to stabilize enzymes for various pharmaceutical applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional polythiophene nanoparticles: Size-controlled electropolymerization and ion selective response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Si, P.C.; Chi, Qijin; Li, Z.S.

2007-01-01

polymerization to form polymer nanoparticles or clusters by which the size of the polymer nanoparticles can further be controlled electrochemically. The electropolymerization was monitored in situ by scanning tunneling microscopy to unravel the dynamics of the process and possible mechanisms. These are further......We have synthesized a thiophene derivative, (4-benzeno-15-crown-5 ether)-thiophene-3-methylene-amine (BTA), which was used as a monomer for electrochemical polymerization on metallic surfaces to prepare functional polymer films. Self-assembly of BTA monomers on Au(111) surfaces promotes ordered...

Conformal field theory in conformal space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preitschopf, C.R.; Vasiliev, M.A.

1999-01-01

We present a new framework for a Lagrangian description of conformal field theories in various dimensions based on a local version of d + 2-dimensional conformal space. The results include a true gauge theory of conformal gravity in d = (1, 3) and any standard matter coupled to it. An important feature is the automatic derivation of the conformal gravity constraints, which are necessary for the analysis of the matter systems

Controlled delivery of acyclovir from porous silicon micro- and nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Maniya, Nalin H.; Patel, Sanjaykumar R.; Murthy, Z. V. P.

2015-03-01

In this work, micro- and nanoparticles of porous silicon (PSi) are demonstrated to act as effective carrier for the controlled delivery of acyclovir (ACV). PSi films prepared by electrochemical etching were fractured by ultrasonication to prepare micro- and nanoparticles. PSi native particles were thermally oxidized (TOPSi) and thermally hydrosilylated using undecylenic acid (UnPSi). PSi particles with three different surface chemistries were then loaded with ACV by physical adsorption and covalent attachment. Such particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In vitro ACV release experiments in phosphate buffered saline showed sustained release behaviour from both micro- and nanoparticles and order of release was found to be native PSi > TOPSi > UnPSi. Drug release kinetics study using Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggested a combination of both drug diffusion and Si scaffold erosion based drug release mechanisms.

pH-controlled desorption of silver nanoparticles from monolayers deposited on PAH-covered mica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oćwieja, Magdalena, E-mail: ncocwiej@cyf-kr.edu.pl; Adamczyk, Zbigniew, E-mail: ncadamcz@cyf-kr.edu.pl; Morga, Maria, E-mail: ncmorga@cyf-kr.edu.pl [Polish Academy of Sciences, Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry (Poland)

2015-05-15

Although the release of silver nanoparticles from various surfaces and coatings plays an important role in many practical applications, the mechanisms of these processes are not fully understood. Therefore, in this work, the charge-stabilized silver particles of well-defined surface properties, with average sizes of 15, 28, and 54 nm, were used to quantitatively study this problem. The silver nanoparticles were obtained by the chemical reduction method using trisodium citrate as the stabilizing agent. Their size distributions and stabilities were determined using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. The electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential of nanoparticles were determined for controlled ionic strength as a function of pH. The monolayers were produced on poly(allylamine hydrochloride)-modified mica under diffusion-controlled conditions. The coverage was determined by a direct enumeration of deposited nanoparticles using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Using these well-defined monolayers, the kinetics of the release of nanoparticles was studied under controlled ionic strength and various pH values. The direct AFM and SEM measurements of the monolayer coverage, as a function of desorption time, allowed one to determine the kinetics of the release process. The equilibrium adsorption constant and the binding energy of particles were also determined using the random sequential adsorption model. The experimental results indicated that the release rate of particles is the fastest at lower pH values and for smaller particle sizes. This is confirmed by the binding energy values that at pH 3.5 varied between −15.9 and −18.1 kT for particles of the sizes 15 and 54 nm, respectively. These results were quantitatively interpreted in terms of the ion-pair concept where it was assumed that the binding energy between nanoparticles and the substrate was controlled by electrostatic interactions. Based on the

Control surface wettability with nanoparticles from phase-change materials

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ten Brink, G. H.; van het Hof, P. J.; Chen, B.; Sedighi, M.; Kooi, B. J.; Palasantzas, G.

2016-01-01

The wetting state of surfaces can be controlled physically from the highly hydrophobic to hydrophilic states using the amorphous-to-crystalline phase transition of Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) nanoparticles as surfactant. Indeed, contact angle measurements show that by increasing the surface coverage of the

Freeze-drying for controlled nanoparticle distribution in Co/SiO 2 Fischer–Tropsch catalysts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eggenhuisen, T.M.; Munnik, P.; Talsma, H.; de Jongh, P.E.; de Jong, K.P.

2013-01-01

Controlling the nanoparticle distribution over a support is considered essential to arrive at more stable catalysts. By developing a novel freeze drying method, the nanoparticle distribution was successfully manipulated for the preparation of Co/SiO2 Fischer-Tropsch catalysts using a commercial

Cavity Control and Cooling of Nanoparticles in High Vacuum

Science.gov (United States)

Millen, James

2016-05-01

Levitated systems are a fascinating addition to the world of optically-controlled mechanical resonators. It is predicted that nanoparticles can be cooled to their c.o.m. ground state via the interaction with an optical cavity. By freeing the oscillator from clamping forces dissipation and decoherence is greatly reduced, leading to the potential to produce long-lived, macroscopically spread, mechanical quantum states, allowing tests of collapse models and any mass limit of quantum physics. Reaching the low pressures required to cavity-cool to the ground state has proved challenging. Our approach is to cavity cool a beam of nanoparticles in high vacuum. We can cool the c.o.m. motion of nanospheres, and control the rotation of nanorods, with the potential to produce cold, aligned nanostructures. Looking forward, we will utilize novel microcavities to enhance optomechanical cooling, preparing particles in a coherent beam ideally suited to ultra-high mass interferometry at 107 a.m.u.

Design of a temperature measurement and feedback control system based on an improved magnetic nanoparticle thermometer

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Zhongzhou; Sun, Yi; Liu, Jie; Su, Rijian; Yang, Ming; Li, Nana; Gan, Yong; Ye, Na

2018-04-01

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia, as a novel cancer treatment, requires precise temperature control at 315 K-319 K (42 °C-46 °C). However, the traditional temperature measurement method cannot obtain the real-time temperature in vivo, resulting in a lack of temperature feedback during the heating process. In this study, the feasibility of temperature measurement and feedback control using magnetic nanoparticles is proposed and demonstrated. This technique could be applied in hyperthermia. Specifically, the triangular-wave temperature measurement method is improved by reconstructing the original magnetization response of magnetic nanoparticles based on a digital phase-sensitive detection algorithm. The standard deviation of the temperature in the magnetic nanoparticle thermometer is about 0.1256 K. In experiments, the temperature fluctuation of the temperature measurement and feedback control system using magnetic nanoparticles is less than 0.5 K at the expected temperature of 315 K. This shows the feasibility of the temperature measurement method for temperature control. The method provides a new solution for temperature measurement and feedback control in hyperthermia.

Controlling Release of Integral Lipid Nanoparticles Based on Osmotic Pump Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Zhiqiang; Yu, Qin; Xie, Yunchang; Li, Fengqian; Lu, Yi; Dong, Xiaochun; Zhao, Weili; Qi, Jianping; Wu, Wei

2016-08-01

To achieve controlled release of integral nanoparticles by the osmotic pump strategy using nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as model nanoparticles. NLCs was prepared by a hot-homogenization method, transformed into powder by lyophilization, and formulated into osmotic pump tablets (OPTs). Release of integral NLCs was visualized by live imaging after labeling with a water-quenching fluorescent probe. Effects of formulation variables on in vitro release characteristics were evaluated by measuring the model drug fenofibrate. Pharmacokinetics were studied in beagle dogs using the core tablet and a micronized fenofibrate formulation as references. NLCs are released through the release orifices of the OPTs as integral nanoparticles. Near zero-order kinetics can be achieved by optimizing the influencing variables. After oral administration, decreased C max and steady drug levels for as long as over 24 h are observed. NLC-OPTs show an oral bioavailability of the model drug fenofibrate similar to that of the core tablets, which is about 1.75 folds that of a fast-release formulation. Controlled release of integral NLCs is achieved by the osmotic pump strategy.

Controlled release of bioactive PDGF-AA from a hydrogel/nanoparticle composite.

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott Donaghue, Irja; Shoichet, Molly S

2015-10-01

Polymer excipients, such as low molar mass poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), have shown contradictory effects on protein stability when co-encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles. To gain further insight into these effects, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-AA) was encapsulated in polymeric nanoparticles with vs. without PEG. PDGF-AA is a particularly compelling protein, as it has been demonstrated to promote cell survival and induce the oligodendrocyte differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) both in vitro and in vivo. Here we show, for the first time, the controlled release of bioactive PDGF-AA from an injectable nanoparticle/hydrogel drug delivery system (DDS). PDGF-AA was encapsulated, with high efficiency, in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles, and its release from the drug delivery system was followed over 21 d. Interestingly, the co-encapsulation of low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) increased the PDGF-AA loading but, unexpectedly, accelerated the aggregation of PDGF-AA, resulting in reduced activity and detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the absence of PEG, released PDGF-AA remained bioactive as demonstrated with NSPC oligodendrocyte differentiation, similar to positive controls, and significantly different from untreated controls. This work presents a novel delivery method for differentiation factors, such as PDGF-AA, and provides insights into the contradictory effects reported in the literature of excipients, such as PEG, on the loading and release of proteins from polymeric nanoparticles. Previously, the polymer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been used in many biomaterials applications, from surface coatings to the encapsulation of proteins. In this work, we demonstrate that, unexpectedly, low molecular weight PEG has a deleterious effect on the release of the encapsulated protein platelet-derived growth factor AA (PDGF-AA). We also demonstrate release of bioactive PDGF-AA (in the absence of PEG

Natural material-decorated mesoporous silica nanoparticle container for multifunctional membrane-controlled targeted drug delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hu Y

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Yan Hu,1 Lei Ke,2 Hao Chen,1 Ma Zhuo,1 Xinzhou Yang,1 Dan Zhao,1 Suying Zeng,1 Xincai Xiao1 1Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Science, South-Central University for Nationalities, 2Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China Abstract: To avoid the side effects caused by nonspecific targeting, premature release, weak selectivity, and poor therapeutic efficacy of current nanoparticle-based systems used for drug delivery, we fabricated natural material-decorated nanoparticles as a multifunctional, membrane-controlled targeted drug delivery system. The nanocomposite material coated with a membrane was biocompatible and integrated both specific tumor targeting and responsiveness to stimulation, which improved transmission efficacy and controlled drug release. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs, which are known for their biocompatibility and high drug-loading capacity, were selected as a model drug container and carrier. The membrane was established by the polyelectrolyte composite method from chitosan (CS which was sensitive to the acidic tumor microenvironment, folic acid-modified CS which recognizes the folate receptor expressed on the tumor cell surface, and a CD44 receptor-targeted polysaccharide hyaluronic acid. We characterized the structure of the nanocomposite as well as the drug release behavior under the control of the pH-sensitive membrane switch and evaluated the antitumor efficacy of the system in vitro. Our results provide a basis for the design and fabrication of novel membrane-controlled nanoparticles with improved tumor-targeting therapy. Keywords: multifunctional, membrane-controlled, natural materials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, targeted drug delivery

Quantitatively Probing the Means of Controlling Nanoparticle Assembly on Surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patete, J.m.; Wong, S.; Peng, X.; Serafin, J.M.

2011-05-17

As a means of developing a simple, cost-effective, and reliable method for probing nanoparticle behavior, we have used atomic force microscopy to gain a quantitative 3D visual representation of the deposition patterns of citrate-capped Au nanoparticles on a substrate as a function of (a) sample preparation, (b) the choice of substrate, (c) the dispersion solvent, and (d) the number of loading steps. Specifically, we have found that all four parameters can be independently controlled and manipulated in order to alter the resulting pattern and quantity of as-deposited nanoparticles. From these data, the sample preparation technique appears to influence deposition patterns most broadly, and the dispersion solvent is the most convenient parameter to use in tuning the quantity of nanoparticles deposited onto the surface under spin-coating conditions. Indeed, we have quantitatively measured the effect of surface coverage for both mica and silicon substrates under preparation techniques associated with (i) evaporation under ambient air, (ii) heat treatment, and (iii) spin-coating preparation conditions. In addition, we have observed a decrease in nanoparticle adhesion to a substrate when the ethylene glycol content of the colloidal dispersion solvent is increased, which had the effect of decreasing interparticle-substrate interactions. Finally, we have shown that substrates prepared by these diverse techniques have potential applicability in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Quantitatively Probing the Means of Controlling Nanoparticle Assembly on Surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patete, J.M.; Wong, S.; Peng, X.; Serafin, J.M.

2011-01-01

As a means of developing a simple, cost-effective, and reliable method for probing nanoparticle behavior, we have used atomic force microscopy to gain a quantitative 3D visual representation of the deposition patterns of citrate-capped Au nanoparticles on a substrate as a function of (a) sample preparation, (b) the choice of substrate, (c) the dispersion solvent, and (d) the number of loading steps. Specifically, we have found that all four parameters can be independently controlled and manipulated in order to alter the resulting pattern and quantity of as-deposited nanoparticles. From these data, the sample preparation technique appears to influence deposition patterns most broadly, and the dispersion solvent is the most convenient parameter to use in tuning the quantity of nanoparticles deposited onto the surface under spin-coating conditions. Indeed, we have quantitatively measured the effect of surface coverage for both mica and silicon substrates under preparation techniques associated with (i) evaporation under ambient air, (ii) heat treatment, and (iii) spin-coating preparation conditions. In addition, we have observed a decrease in nanoparticle adhesion to a substrate when the ethylene glycol content of the colloidal dispersion solvent is increased, which had the effect of decreasing interparticle-substrate interactions. Finally, we have shown that substrates prepared by these diverse techniques have potential applicability in surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

Controlling exchange bias in Co-CoOx nanoparticles by oxygen content

OpenAIRE

Kovylina, Miroslavna; del Muro, Montserrat Garcia; Konstantinovic, Zorica; Varela, Manuel; Iglesias, Oscar; Labarta, Amilcar; Batlle, Xavier

2009-01-01

We report on the occurrence of exchange bias on laser-ablated granular thin films composed of Co nanoparticles embedded in amorphous zirconia matrix. The deposition method allows controlling the degree of oxidation of the Co particles by tuning the oxygen pressure at the vacuum chamber (from 2x10^{-5} to 10^{-1} mbar). The nature of the nanoparticles embedded in the nonmagnetic matrix is monitored from metallic, ferromagnetic (FM) Co to antiferromagnetic (AFM) CoOx, with a FM/AFM intermediate...

Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated magnetic core-shell nanoparticles for inhibition of insulin amyloid fibril formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skaat, Hadas; Margel, Shlomo; Belfort, Georges

2009-01-01

Maghemite (γ-Fe 2 O 3 ) magnetic nanoparticles of 15.0 ± 2.1 nm are formed by nucleation followed by controlled growth of maghemite thin films on gelatin-iron oxide nuclei. Uniform magnetic γ-Fe 2 O 3 /poly (2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl acrylate) (γ-Fe 2 O 3 /PHFBA) core-shell nanoparticles are prepared by emulsion polymerization of the fluorinated monomer 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl acrylate (HFBA) in the presence of the maghemite nanoparticles. The kinetics of the insulin fibrillation process in the absence and in the presence of the γ-Fe 2 O 3 /PHFBA core-shell nanoparticles are elucidated. A significant direct slow transition from α-helix to β-sheets during insulin fibril formation is observed in the presence of the γ-Fe 2 O 3 /PHFBA nanoparticles. This is in contradiction to our previous manuscript, which illustrated that the γ-Fe 2 O 3 core nanoparticles do not affect the kinetics of the formation of the insulin fibrils, and to other previous publications that describe acceleration of the fibrillation process by using various types of nanoparticles. These core-shell nanoparticles may therefore be also useful for the inhibition of conformational changes of other amyloidogenic proteins that lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, mad cow and prion diseases.

pH-Responsive PLGA Nanoparticle for Controlled Payload Delivery of Diclofenac Sodium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shalil Khanal

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA based nanoparticles have gained increasing attention in delivery applications due to their capability for controlled drug release characteristics, biocompatibility, and tunable mechanical, as well as degradation, properties. However, thorough study is always required while evaluating potential toxicity of the particles from dose dumping, inconsistent release and drug-polymer interactions. In this research, we developed PLGA nanoparticles modified by chitosan (CS, a cationic and pH responsive polysaccharide that bears repetitive amine groups in its backbone. We used a model drug, diclofenac sodium (DS, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID, to study the drug loading and release characteristics. PLGA nanoparticles were synthesized by double-emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The nanoparticles were evaluated based on their particle size, surface charge, entrapment efficacy, and effect of pH in drug release profile. About 390–420 nm of average diameters and uniform morphology of the particles were confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM imaging and dynamic light scattering (DLS measurement. Chitosan coating over PLGA surface was confirmed by FTIR and DLS. Drug entrapment efficacy was up to 52%. Chitosan coated PLGA showed a pH responsive drug release in in vitro. The release was about 45% more at pH 5.5 than at pH 7.4. The results of our study indicated the development of chitosan coating over PLGA nanoparticle for pH dependent controlled release DS drug for therapeutic applications.

Biosensor-controlled gene therapy/drug delivery with nanoparticles for nanomedicine

Science.gov (United States)

Prow, Tarl W.; Rose, William A.; Wang, Nan; Reece, Lisa M.; Lvov, Yuri; Leary, James F.

2005-04-01

Nanomedicine involves cell-by-cell regenerative medicine, either repairing cells one at a time or triggering apoptotic pathways in cells that are not repairable. Multilayered nanoparticle systems are being constructed for the targeted delivery of gene therapy to single cells. Cleavable shells containing targeting, biosensing, and gene therapeutic molecules are being constructed to direct nanoparticles to desired intracellular targets. Therapeutic gene sequences are controlled by biosensor-activated control switches to provide the proper amount of gene therapy on a single cell basis. The central idea is to set up gene therapy "nanofactories" inside single living cells. Molecular biosensors linked to these genes control their expression. Gene delivery is started in response to a biosensor detected problem; gene delivery is halted when the cell response indicates that more gene therapy is not needed. Cell targeting of nanoparticles, both nanocrystals and nanocapsules, has been tested by a combination of fluorescent tracking dyes, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Intracellular targeting has been tested by confocal microscopy. Successful gene delivery has been visualized by use of GFP reporter sequences. DNA tethering techniques were used to increase the level of expression of these genes. Integrated nanomedical systems are being designed, constructed, and tested in-vitro, ex-vivo, and in small animals. While still in its infancy, nanomedicine represents a paradigm shift in thinking-from destruction of injured cells by surgery, radiation, chemotherapy to cell-by-cell repair within an organ and destruction of non-repairable cells by natural apoptosis.

Ligand adsorption and exchange on pegylated gold nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Previous researchers proposed that thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-SH) adopts a “mushroom-like” conformation on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in water. However, information regarding the size and permeability of the PEG-SH mushroom caps and surface area passivated by the PEG-SH mushroom stems are ...

Thermosensitive liposomes entrapping iron oxide nanoparticles for controllable drug release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tai, L-A; Wang, Y-C; Wang, Y-J; Yang, C-S; Tsai, P-J; Lo, L-W

2009-01-01

Iron oxide nanoparticles can serve as a heating source upon alternative magnetic field (AMF) exposure. Iron oxide nanoparticles can be mixed with thermosensitive nanovehicles for hyperthermia-induced drug release, yet such a design and mechanism may not be suitable for controllable drug release applications in which the tissues are susceptible to environmental temperature change such as brain tissue. In the present study, iron oxide nanoparticles were entrapped inside of thermosensitive liposomes for AMF-induced drug release while the environmental temperature was maintained at a constant level. Carboxyfluorescein was co-entrapped with the iron oxide nanoparticles in the liposomes as a model compound for monitoring drug release and environmental temperature was maintained with a water circulator jacket. These experiments have been successfully performed in solution, in phantom and in anesthetized animals. Furthermore, the thermosensitive liposomes were administered into rat forearm skeletal muscle, and the release of carboxylfluorescein triggered by the external alternative magnetic field was monitored by an implanted microdialysis perfusion probe with an on-line laser-induced fluorescence detector. In the future such a device could be applied to simultaneous magnetic resonance imaging and non-invasive drug release in temperature-sensitive applications.

Shape-controlled synthesis of Pt-Pd core-shell nanoparticles exhibiting polyhedral morphologies by modified polyol method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Long, Nguyen Viet; Asaka, Toru; Matsubara, Takashi; Nogami, Masayuki

2011-01-01

Pt-Pd core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple synthetic method. First, Pt nanoparticles were synthesized in a controlled manner via the reduction of chloroplantinic acid hexahydrate in ethylene glycol (EG) at 160 deg. C in the presence of silver nitrate and the stabilization of polyvinylpyrrolidon. AgNO 3 used acts as a structure-modifying agent to the morphology of the Pt nanoparticles. These Pt nanoparticles function as the seeds for the successive reduction of sodium tetrachloropalladate (II) hydrate in EG under stirring for 15 min at 160 deg. C in order to synthesize Pt-Pd core-shell nanoparticles. To characterize the as-prepared Pt-Pd nanoparticles, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM are used. The high-resolution elemental mappings were carried out using the combination of scanning TEM and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The results also demonstrate the homogeneous nucleation and growth of the Pd metal shell on the definite Pt core. The synthesized Pt-Pd core-shell nanoparticles exhibit a sharp and polyhedral morphology. The epitaxial growth of the controlled Pd shells on the Pt cores via a polyol method was observed. It is suggested that Frank-van der Merwe and Stranski-Krastanov growth modes coexisted in the nucleation and growth of Pt-Pd core-shell nanoparticles.

Nanoparticle-doped Polymer Foils for Use in Solar Control Glazing

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, G. B.; Deller, C. A.; Swift, P. D.; Gentle, A.; Garrett, P. D.; Fisher, W. K.

2002-04-01

Since nanoparticles can provide spectrally selective absorption without scattering they can be used to dope polymers for use in windows, to provide a clear view while strongly attenuating both solar heat gain and UV, at lower cost than alternative technologies. The underlying physics and how it influences the choice and concentration of nanoparticle materials is outlined. Spectral data, visible and solar transmittance, and solar heat gain coefficient are measured for clear polymers and some laminated glass, in which the polymer layer is doped with conducting oxide nanoparticles. Simple models are shown to apply making general optical design straightforward. Use with clear glass and tinted glass is considered and performance shown to match existing solar control alternatives. A potential for widespread adoption in buildings and cars is clearly demonstrated, and scopes for further improvements are identified, so that ultimately both cost and performance are superior.

Nanoparticle-doped Polymer Foils for Use in Solar Control Glazing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.B.; Deller, C.A.; Swift, P.D.; Gentle, A.; Garrett, P.D.; Fisher, W.K.

2002-01-01

Since nanoparticles can provide spectrally selective absorption without scattering they can be used to dope polymers for use in windows, to provide a clear view while strongly attenuating both solar heat gain and UV, at lower cost than alternative technologies. The underlying physics and how it influences the choice and concentration of nanoparticle materials is outlined. Spectral data, visible and solar transmittance, and solar heat gain coefficient are measured for clear polymers and some laminated glass, in which the polymer layer is doped with conducting oxide nanoparticles. Simple models are shown to apply making general optical design straightforward. Use with clear glass and tinted glass is considered and performance shown to match existing solar control alternatives. A potential for widespread adoption in buildings and cars is clearly demonstrated, and scopes for further improvements are identified, so that ultimately both cost and performance are superior

Coordination of KSHV Latent and Lytic Gene Control by CTCF-Cohesin Mediated Chromosome Conformation

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Hyojeung; Wiedmer, Andreas; Yuan, Yan; Robertson, Erle; Lieberman, Paul M.

2011-01-01

Herpesvirus persistence requires a dynamic balance between latent and lytic cycle gene expression, but how this balance is maintained remains enigmatic. We have previously shown that the Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) major latency transcripts encoding LANA, vCyclin, vFLIP, v-miRNAs, and Kaposin are regulated, in part, by a chromatin organizing element that binds CTCF and cohesins. Using viral genome-wide chromatin conformation capture (3C) methods, we now show that KSHV latency control region is physically linked to the promoter regulatory region for ORF50, which encodes the KSHV immediate early protein RTA. Other linkages were also observed, including an interaction between the 5′ and 3′ end of the latency transcription cluster. Mutation of the CTCF-cohesin binding site reduced or eliminated the chromatin conformation linkages, and deregulated viral transcription and genome copy number control. siRNA depletion of CTCF or cohesin subunits also disrupted chromosomal linkages and deregulated viral latent and lytic gene transcription. Furthermore, the linkage between the latent and lytic control region was subject to cell cycle fluctuation and disrupted during lytic cycle reactivation, suggesting that these interactions are dynamic and regulatory. Our findings indicate that KSHV genomes are organized into chromatin loops mediated by CTCF and cohesin interactions, and that these inter-chromosomal linkages coordinate latent and lytic gene control. PMID:21876668

Controlling energy transfer between multiple dopants within a single nanoparticle

Science.gov (United States)

DiMaio, Jeffrey R.; Sabatier, Clément; Kokuoz, Baris; Ballato, John

2008-01-01

Complex core-shell architectures are implemented within LaF3 nanoparticles to allow for a tailored degree of energy transfer (ET) between different rare earth dopants. By constraining specific dopants to individual shells, their relative distance to one another can be carefully controlled. Core-shell LaF3 nanoparticles doped with Tb3+ and Eu3+ and consisting of up to four layers were synthesized with an outer diameter of ≈10 nm. It is found that by varying the thicknesses of an undoped layer between a Tb3+-doped layer and a Eu3+-doped layer, the degree of ET can be engineered to allow for zero, partial, or total ET from a donor ion to an acceptor ion. More specifically, the ratio of the intensities of the 541-nm Tb3+ and 590 nm Eu3+ peaks was tailored from core-shell configuration that restricts ET is used. Beyond simply controlling ET, which can be limiting when designing materials for optical applications, this approach can be used to obtain truly engineered spectral features from nanoparticles and composites made from them. Further, it allows for a single excitation source to yield multiple discrete emissions from numerous lanthanide dopants that heretofore would have been quenched in a more conventional active optical material. PMID:18250307

Zinc-decorated silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for protein binding and controlled release.

Science.gov (United States)

Bele, Marjan; Hribar, Gorazd; Campelj, Stanislav; Makovec, Darko; Gaberc-Porekar, Vladka; Zorko, Milena; Gaberscek, Miran; Jamnik, Janko; Venturini, Peter

2008-05-01

The aim of this study was to be able to reversibly bind histidine-rich proteins to the surface of maghemite magnetic nanoparticles via coordinative bonding using Zn ions as the anchoring points. We showed that in order to adsorb Zn ions on the maghemite, the surface of the latter needs to be modified. As silica is known to strongly adsorb zinc ions, we chose to modify the maghemite nanoparticles with a nanometre-thick silica layer. This layer appeared to be thin enough for the maghemite nanoparticles to preserve their superparamagnetic nature. As a model the histidine-rich protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used. The release of the BSA bound to Zn-decorated silica-coated maghemite nanoparticles was analysed using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). We demonstrated that the bonding of the BSA to such modified magnetic nanoparticles is highly reversible and can be controlled by an appropriate change of the external conditions, such as a pH decrease or the presence/supply of other chelating compounds.

Development of thermosensitive poly(n-isopropylacrylamide-co-((2-dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate))-based nanoparticles for controlled drug release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peng, Cheng-Liang; Luo, Tsai-Yueh; Lin, Wuu-Jyh [Isotope Application Division, Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, PO Box 3-27, Longtan Taoyuan 325, Taiwan (China); Tsai, Han-Min; Yang, Shu-Jyuan; Lin, Chia-Fu; Shieh, Ming-Jium, E-mail: soloman@ntu.edu.tw [Institute of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, No 1, Section 1, Jen-Ai Road, Taipei 10051, Taiwan (China)

2011-07-01

Thermosensitive nanoparticles based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-((2-dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate)) (poly(NIPA-co-DMAEMA)) copolymers were successfully fabricated by free radical polymerization. The lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the synthesized nanoparticles was 41 deg. C and a temperature above which would cause the nanoparticles to undergo a volume phase transition from 140 to 100 nm, which could result in the expulsion of encapsulated drugs. Therefore, we used the poly(NIPA-co-DMAEMA) nanoparticles as a carrier for the controlled release of a hydrophobic anticancer agent, 7-ethyl-10-hydroxy-camptothecin (SN-38). The encapsulation efficiency and loading content of SN-38-loaded nanoparticles at an SN-38/poly(NIPA-co-DMAEMA) ratio of 1/10 (D/P = 1/10) were about 80% and 6.293%, respectively. Moreover, the release profile of SN-38-loaded nanoparticles revealed that the release rate at 42 deg. C (above LCST) was higher than that at 37 deg. C (below LCST), which demonstrated that the release of SN-38 could be controlled by increasing the temperature. The cytotoxicity of the SN-38-loaded poly(NIPA-co-DMAEMA) nanoparticles was investigated in human colon cancer cells (HT-29) to compare with the treatment of an anticancer drug, Irinotecan (CPT-11). The antitumor efficacy evaluated in a C26 murine colon tumor model showed that the SN-38-loaded nanoparticles in combination with hyperthermia therapy efficiently suppressed tumor growth. The results indicate that these thermo-responsive nanoparticles are potential carriers for controlled drug delivery.

Physical Property Control on the Cellular Uptake Pathway and Spatial Distribution of Nanoparticles in Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Sungsook; Seo, Eunseok; Kim, Ki Hean; Lee, Sang Joon

2015-06-01

Nanoparticles have been developed in broad biomedical research in terms of effective cellular interactions to treat and visualize diseased cells. Considering the charge and polar functional groups of proteins that are embedded in cellular membranes, charged nanoparticles have been strategically developed to enhance electrostatic cellular interactions. In this study, we show that cellular uptake efficiency, pathway, and spatial distribution of gold nanoparticles in a cell are significantly modulated based on the surface condition of gold nanoparticles and human cancer cells that were tuned by controlling the pH of the medium and by introducing an electron beam. Cellular uptake efficiency is increased when electrostatic attraction is induced between the cells and the gold nanoparticles. Cell surface modification changes the cellular uptake pathways of the gold nanoparticles and concentrates the gold nanoparticles at the membrane region. Surface modification of the gold nanoparticles also contributes to deep penetration and homogeneous spatial distributions in a cell.

Development of a dose-controlled multiculture cell exposure chamber for efficient delivery of airborne and engineered nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asimakopoulou, Akrivi; Daskalos, Emmanouil; Papaioannou, Eleni; Konstandopoulos, Athanasios G; Lewinski, Nastassja; Riediker, Michael

2013-01-01

In order to study the various health influencing parameters related to engineered nanoparticles as well as to soot emitted by Diesel engines, there is an urgent need for appropriate sampling devices and methods for cell exposure studies that simulate the respiratory system and facilitate associated biological and toxicological tests. The objective of the present work was the further advancement of a Multiculture Exposure Chamber (MEC) into a dose-controlled system for efficient delivery of nanoparticles to cells. It was validated with various types of nanoparticles (Diesel engine soot aggregates, engineered nanoparticles for various applications) and with state-of-the-art nanoparticle measurement instrumentation to assess the local deposition of nanoparticles on the cell cultures. The dose of nanoparticles to which cell cultures are being exposed was evaluated in the normal operation of the in vitro cell culture exposure chamber based on measurements of the size specific nanoparticle collection efficiency of a cell free device. The average efficiency in delivering nanoparticles in the MEC was approximately 82%. The nanoparticle deposition was demonstrated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Analysis and design of the MEC employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and true to geometry representations of nanoparticles with the aim to assess the uniformity of nanoparticle deposition among the culture wells. Final testing of the dose-controlled cell exposure system was performed by exposing A549 lung cell cultures to fluorescently labeled nanoparticles. Delivery of aerosolized nanoparticles was demonstrated by visualization of the nanoparticle fluorescence in the cell cultures following exposure. Also monitored was the potential of the aerosolized nanoparticles to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g. free radicals and peroxides generation), thus expressing the oxidative stress of the cells which can cause extensive cellular damage or damage on DNA.

Development of a dose-controlled multiculture cell exposure chamber for efficient delivery of airborne and engineered nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Asimakopoulou, Akrivi; Daskalos, Emmanouil; Lewinski, Nastassja; Riediker, Michael; Papaioannou, Eleni; Konstandopoulos, Athanasios G.

2013-04-01

In order to study the various health influencing parameters related to engineered nanoparticles as well as to soot emitted by Diesel engines, there is an urgent need for appropriate sampling devices and methods for cell exposure studies that simulate the respiratory system and facilitate associated biological and toxicological tests. The objective of the present work was the further advancement of a Multiculture Exposure Chamber (MEC) into a dose-controlled system for efficient delivery of nanoparticles to cells. It was validated with various types of nanoparticles (Diesel engine soot aggregates, engineered nanoparticles for various applications) and with state-of-the-art nanoparticle measurement instrumentation to assess the local deposition of nanoparticles on the cell cultures. The dose of nanoparticles to which cell cultures are being exposed was evaluated in the normal operation of the in vitro cell culture exposure chamber based on measurements of the size specific nanoparticle collection efficiency of a cell free device. The average efficiency in delivering nanoparticles in the MEC was approximately 82%. The nanoparticle deposition was demonstrated by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Analysis and design of the MEC employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and true to geometry representations of nanoparticles with the aim to assess the uniformity of nanoparticle deposition among the culture wells. Final testing of the dose-controlled cell exposure system was performed by exposing A549 lung cell cultures to fluorescently labeled nanoparticles. Delivery of aerosolized nanoparticles was demonstrated by visualization of the nanoparticle fluorescence in the cell cultures following exposure. Also monitored was the potential of the aerosolized nanoparticles to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) (e.g. free radicals and peroxides generation), thus expressing the oxidative stress of the cells which can cause extensive cellular damage or damage on DNA.

Morphological control of Ni/NiO core/shell nanoparticles and production of hollow NiO nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chopra, Nitin; Claypoole, Leslie; Bachas, Leonidas G.

2010-01-01

Chemical synthesis coupled with a microwave irradiation process allowed for the control of size (6-40 nm), shape, and shell thickness of Ni/NiO core/shell nanoparticles. In this unique synthetic route, the size of Ni nanoparticles (NiNPs) was strongly influenced by the nickel salt-to-stabilizer ratio and the amount of the stabilizer. Interestingly, it was observed that the shape of the nanoparticles was altered by varying the reaction time, where longer reaction times resulted in annealing effects and rupture of the stabilizer micelle leading to distinct shapes of Ni/NiO core/shell nanostructures. Product cooling rate was another important parameter identified in this study that not only affected the shape, but also the crystal structure of the core/shell nanoparticles. In addition, a simple and cost-effective method of microwave irradiation of NiNPs led to the formation of distinctly shaped hollow NiO nanoparticles. These high surface area core/shell nanoparticles with well-controlled morphologies are important and can lead to significant advancement in the design of improved fuel cells, electrochromic display devices, and catalysis systems.

Morphological control of Ni/NiO core/shell nanoparticles and production of hollow NiO nanostructures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chopra, Nitin [University of Alabama, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT) (United States); Claypoole, Leslie [Fairmont State University (United States); Bachas, Leonidas G., E-mail: bachas@uky.ed [University of Kentucky, Department of Chemistry (United States)

2010-10-15

Chemical synthesis coupled with a microwave irradiation process allowed for the control of size (6-40 nm), shape, and shell thickness of Ni/NiO core/shell nanoparticles. In this unique synthetic route, the size of Ni nanoparticles (NiNPs) was strongly influenced by the nickel salt-to-stabilizer ratio and the amount of the stabilizer. Interestingly, it was observed that the shape of the nanoparticles was altered by varying the reaction time, where longer reaction times resulted in annealing effects and rupture of the stabilizer micelle leading to distinct shapes of Ni/NiO core/shell nanostructures. Product cooling rate was another important parameter identified in this study that not only affected the shape, but also the crystal structure of the core/shell nanoparticles. In addition, a simple and cost-effective method of microwave irradiation of NiNPs led to the formation of distinctly shaped hollow NiO nanoparticles. These high surface area core/shell nanoparticles with well-controlled morphologies are important and can lead to significant advancement in the design of improved fuel cells, electrochromic display devices, and catalysis systems.

Shape control of the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles under different chain length of reducing agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngoi, Kuan Hoon; Chia, Chin-Hua; Zakaria, Sarani; Chiu, Wee Siong

2015-01-01

We report on the effect of using reducing agents with different chain-length on the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in 1-octadecene. This modification allows us to control the shape of nanoparticles into spherical and cubic iron oxide nanoparticles. The highly monodisperse 14 nm spherical nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-dodecanediol and average 14 nm edge-length cubic iron oxide nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-tetradecanediol. The structural characterization such as transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows similar properties between two particles with different shapes. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) shows no significant difference between spherical and cubic nanoparticles, which are 36 emu/g and 37 emu/g respectively and superparamagnetic in nature

Shape control of the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles under different chain length of reducing agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngoi, Kuan Hoon; Chia, Chin-Hua, E-mail: chia@ukm.edu.my; Zakaria, Sarani [School of Applied Physics, Faculty Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Chiu, Wee Siong [Low Dimensional Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2015-09-25

We report on the effect of using reducing agents with different chain-length on the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of iron (III) acetylacetonate in 1-octadecene. This modification allows us to control the shape of nanoparticles into spherical and cubic iron oxide nanoparticles. The highly monodisperse 14 nm spherical nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-dodecanediol and average 14 nm edge-length cubic iron oxide nanoparticles are obtained under 1,2-tetradecanediol. The structural characterization such as transmission electron microscope (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows similar properties between two particles with different shapes. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) shows no significant difference between spherical and cubic nanoparticles, which are 36 emu/g and 37 emu/g respectively and superparamagnetic in nature.

Size control and supporting of palladium nanoparticles made by laser ablation in saline solution as a facile route to heterogeneous catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marzun, Galina; Nakamura, Junji; Zhang, Xiaorui; Barcikowski, Stephan; Wagener, Philipp

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • We studied laser-generated, size-controlled palladium nanoparticles in saline solution. • Palladium nanoparticles were electrostatically stabilized by anions. • Photo- and electrocatalyst are prepared by supporting Pd nanoparticles to TiO 2 and graphene. • Particle size does not change during supporting process, while 18 wt% load has been achieved. • Palladium nanoparticles and graphene undergo a redox-reaction during adsorption. - Abstract: In the literature many investigations on colloidal stability and size control of gold nanoparticles are shown but less for ligand-free palladium nanoparticles, which can be promising materials in various applications. Palladium nanoparticles are perspective materials for a manifold of energy application like photo- and electrocatalysis or hydrogen storage. For this purpose, size-controlled nanoparticles with clean surfaces and facile immobilization on catalyst supports are wanted. Laser ablation in saline solution yields ligand-free, charged colloidal palladium nanoparticles that are supported by titania and graphene nanosheets as model systems for photo- and electrocatalysis, respectively. By adjusting the ionic strength during laser ablation in liquid, it is possible to control stability and particle size without compromising subsequent nanoparticle adsorption of supporting materials. A quantitative deposition of nearly 100% yield with up to 18 wt% nanoparticle load was achieved. The average size of the laser-generated nanoparticles remains the same after immobilization on a support material, in contrast to other preparation methods of catalysts. The characterization by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals a redox reaction between the immobilized nanoparticles and the graphene support

A High-Yield Synthesis of Chalcopyrite CuInS2 Nanoparticles with Exceptional Size Control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chivin Sun

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We report high-yield and efficient size-controlled syntheses of Chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanoparticles by decomposing molecular single source precursors (SSPs via microwave irradiation in the presence of 1,2-ethanedithiol at reaction temperatures as low as 100°C and times as short as 30 minutes. The nanoparticles sizes were 1.8 nm to 10.8 nm as reaction temperatures were varied from 100°C to 200°C with the bandgaps from 2.71 eV to 1.28 eV with good size control and high yields (64%–95%. The resulting nanoparticles were analyzed by XRD, UV-Vis, ICP-OES, XPS, SEM, EDS, and HRTEM. Titration studies by 1H NMR using SSP 1 with 1,2-ethanedithiol and benzyl mercaptan were conducted to elucidate the formation of Chalcopyrite CuInS2 nanoparticles.

Metallic nanoparticle-based strain sensors elaborated by atomic layer deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Puyoo, E.; Malhaire, C.; Thomas, D.; Rafaël, R.; R'Mili, M.; Malchère, A.; Roiban, L.; Koneti, S.; Bugnet, M.; Sabac, A.; Le Berre, M.

2017-03-01

Platinum nanoparticle-based strain gauges are elaborated by means of atomic layer deposition on flexible polyimide substrates. Their electro-mechanical response is tested under mechanical bending in both buckling and conformational contact configurations. A maximum gauge factor of 70 is reached at a strain level of 0.5%. Although the exponential dependence of the gauge resistance on strain is attributed to the tunneling effect, it is shown that the majority of the junctions between adjacent Pt nanoparticles are in a short circuit state. Finally, we demonstrate the feasibility of an all-plastic pressure sensor integrating Pt nanoparticle-based strain gauges in a Wheatstone bridge configuration.

Facile biofunctionalization of silver nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial properties, endotoxin removal, and biofilm control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lambadi PR

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Paramesh Ramulu Lambadi,1,* Tarun Kumar Sharma,1,* Piyush Kumar,1 Priyanka Vasnani,2 Sitaramanjaneya Mouli Thalluri,2 Neha Bisht,1 Ranjana Pathania,1,2 Naveen Kumar Navani1,21Department of Biotechnology, 2Centre of Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India*These authors contributed equally to this workAbstract: Infectious diseases cause a huge burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Pathogenic bacteria establish infection by developing antibiotic resistance and modulating the host’s immune system, whereas opportunistic pathogens like Pseudomonas aeruginosa adapt to adverse conditions owing to their ability to form biofilms. In the present study, silver nanoparticles were biofunctionalized with polymyxin B, an antibacterial peptide using a facile method. The biofunctionalized nanoparticles (polymyxin B-capped silver nanoparticles, PBSNPs were assessed for antibacterial activity against multiple drug-resistant clinical strain Vibrio fluvialis and nosocomial pathogen P. aeruginosa. The results of antibacterial assay revealed that PBSNPs had an approximately 3-fold higher effect than the citrate-capped nanoparticles (CSNPs. Morphological damage to the cell membrane was followed by scanning electron microscopy, testifying PBSNPs to be more potent in controlling the bacterial growth as compared with CSNPs. The bactericidal effect of PBSNPs was further confirmed by Live/Dead staining assays. Apart from the antibacterial activity, the biofunctionalized nanoparticles were found to resist biofilm formation. Electroplating of PBSNPs onto stainless steel surgical blades retained the antibacterial activity against P. aeruginosa. Further, the affinity of polymyxin for endotoxin was exploited for its removal using PBSNPs. It was found that the prepared nanoparticles removed 97% of the endotoxin from the solution. Such multifarious uses of metal nanoparticles are an attractive means of enhancing the potency of antimicrobial

Wrinkling instability in nanoparticle-supported graphene: implications for strain engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, William; Yamamoto, Mahito; Pierre-Louis, Olivier; Huang, Jia; Fuhrer, Michael; Einstein, Theodore

2013-03-01

We have carried out a systematic study of the wrinkling instability of graphene membranes supported on SiO2 substrates with randomly placed silica nanoparticles. At small nanoparticle density, monolayer graphene adheres to the substrate and is highly conformal over the nanoparticles. With increasing nanoparticle density, and decreasing nanoparticle separation to ~100 nm, graphene's elastic response dominates substrate adhesion, and elastic stretching energy is reduced by the formation of wrinkles which connect protrusions. Above a critical nanoparticle density, the wrinkles form a percolating network through the sample. As the graphene membrane is made thicker, delamination from the substrate is observed. Since the wrinkling instability acts to remove inhomogeneous in-plane elastic strains through out-of-plane buckling, our results can be used to place limits on the possible in-plane strain magnitudes that may be created in graphene to realized strain-engineered electronic structures.[2] Supported by the UMD NSF-MRSEC under Grant No. DMR 05-20471, the US ONR MURI and UMD CNAM.

Static validation of licence conformance policies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rene Rydhof; Nielson, Flemming; Nielson, Hanne Riis

2008-01-01

Policy conformance is a security property gaining importance due to commercial interest like Digital Rights Management. It is well known that static analysis can be used to validate a number of more classical security policies, such as discretionary and mandatory access control policies, as well...... as communication protocols using symmetric and asymmetric cryptography. In this work we show how to develop a Flow Logic for validating the conformance of client software with respect to a licence conformance policy. Our approach is sufficiently flexible that it extends to fully open systems that can admit new...

Conformity and statistical tolerancing

Science.gov (United States)

Leblond, Laurent; Pillet, Maurice

2018-02-01

Statistical tolerancing was first proposed by Shewhart (Economic Control of Quality of Manufactured Product, (1931) reprinted 1980 by ASQC), in spite of this long history, its use remains moderate. One of the probable reasons for this low utilization is undoubtedly the difficulty for designers to anticipate the risks of this approach. The arithmetic tolerance (worst case) allows a simple interpretation: conformity is defined by the presence of the characteristic in an interval. Statistical tolerancing is more complex in its definition. An interval is not sufficient to define the conformance. To justify the statistical tolerancing formula used by designers, a tolerance interval should be interpreted as the interval where most of the parts produced should probably be located. This tolerance is justified by considering a conformity criterion of the parts guaranteeing low offsets on the latter characteristics. Unlike traditional arithmetic tolerancing, statistical tolerancing requires a sustained exchange of information between design and manufacture to be used safely. This paper proposes a formal definition of the conformity, which we apply successively to the quadratic and arithmetic tolerancing. We introduce a concept of concavity, which helps us to demonstrate the link between tolerancing approach and conformity. We use this concept to demonstrate the various acceptable propositions of statistical tolerancing (in the space decentring, dispersion).

Ras conformational switching: simulating nucleotide-dependent conformational transitions with accelerated molecular dynamics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barry J Grant

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Ras mediates signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation and development by cycling between GTP- and GDP-bound active and inactive conformational states. Understanding the complete reaction path of this conformational change and its intermediary structures is critical to understanding Ras signaling. We characterize nucleotide-dependent conformational transition using multiple-barrier-crossing accelerated molecular dynamics (aMD simulations. These transitions, achieved for the first time for wild-type Ras, are impossible to observe with classical molecular dynamics (cMD simulations due to the large energetic barrier between end states. Mapping the reaction path onto a conformer plot describing the distribution of the crystallographic structures enabled identification of highly populated intermediate structures. These structures have unique switch orientations (residues 25-40 and 57-75 intermediate between GTP and GDP states, or distinct loop3 (46-49, loop7 (105-110, and alpha5 C-terminus (159-166 conformations distal from the nucleotide-binding site. In addition, these barrier-crossing trajectories predict novel nucleotide-dependent correlated motions, including correlations of alpha2 (residues 66-74 with alpha3-loop7 (93-110, loop2 (26-37 with loop10 (145-151, and loop3 (46-49 with alpha5 (152-167. The interconversion between newly identified Ras conformations revealed by this study advances our mechanistic understanding of Ras function. In addition, the pattern of correlated motions provides new evidence for a dynamic linkage between the nucleotide-binding site and the membrane interacting C-terminus critical for the signaling function of Ras. Furthermore, normal mode analysis indicates that the dominant collective motion that occurs during nucleotide-dependent conformational exchange, and captured in aMD (but absent in cMD simulations, is a low-frequency motion intrinsic to the structure.

Multigeometry Nanoparticle Engineering via Kinetic Control through Multistep assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yingchao; Wang, Xiaojun; Zhang, Ke; Zhang, Fuwu; Mays, Jimmy; Wooley, Karen; Pochan, Darrin

2014-03-01

Organization of block copolymers into complicated multicompartment (MCM) and multigeometry (MGM) nanostructures is of increasing interest. Multistep, co-assembly methods resulting in kinetic control processing was used to produce complex nanoparticles that are not obtained via other assembly methods. Vesicle-cylinder, separate vesicle and cylinder, disk-cylinder, and mixed vesicle nanoparticles were constructed by binary blends of distinct diblock copolymers. Initially, the vesicle former polyacrylic acid-polyisoprene and cylinder former polyacrylic acid-polystyrene which share the same hydrophilic domain but immiscible hydrophobic domain were blended in THF. Secondly, dimaine molecules are added to associate with the common hydrophilic PAA. Importantly, and lastly, by tuning the kinetic addition rate of selective, miscible solvent water, the unlike hydrophobic blocks are kinetically trapped into one particle and eventually nanophase separate to form multiple compartments and multigeometries. The effective bottom-up multistep assembly strategies can be applied in other binary/ternary blends, in which new vesicle-sphere, disk-disk and cylinder-cylinder MCM/MGM nanoparticles were programed. We are grateful for the financial support from the National Science Funding DMR-0906815 (D.J.P. and K.L.W.) and NIST METROLOGY POCHAN 2012.

Colloidal templating : a route towards controlled synthesis of functional polymeric nanoparticles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ali, S.I.

2010-01-01

Template-directed synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles offers better control over particle morphology, shape, structure, composition and properties compare to the conventional emulsion polymerization routes. For the production of anisotropic polymer-clay composite latex particles and polymeric

Quantifying polypeptide conformational space: sensitivity to conformation and ensemble definition.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, David C; Lim, Carmay

2006-08-24

Quantifying the density of conformations over phase space (the conformational distribution) is needed to model important macromolecular processes such as protein folding. In this work, we quantify the conformational distribution for a simple polypeptide (N-mer polyalanine) using the cumulative distribution function (CDF), which gives the probability that two randomly selected conformations are separated by less than a "conformational" distance and whose inverse gives conformation counts as a function of conformational radius. An important finding is that the conformation counts obtained by the CDF inverse depend critically on the assignment of a conformation's distance span and the ensemble (e.g., unfolded state model): varying ensemble and conformation definition (1 --> 2 A) varies the CDF-based conformation counts for Ala(50) from 10(11) to 10(69). In particular, relatively short molecular dynamics (MD) relaxation of Ala(50)'s random-walk ensemble reduces the number of conformers from 10(55) to 10(14) (using a 1 A root-mean-square-deviation radius conformation definition) pointing to potential disconnections in comparing the results from simplified models of unfolded proteins with those from all-atom MD simulations. Explicit waters are found to roughen the landscape considerably. Under some common conformation definitions, the results herein provide (i) an upper limit to the number of accessible conformations that compose unfolded states of proteins, (ii) the optimal clustering radius/conformation radius for counting conformations for a given energy and solvent model, (iii) a means of comparing various studies, and (iv) an assessment of the applicability of random search in protein folding.

Colloidal nanoparticle size control: experimental and kinetic modeling investigation of the ligand-metal binding role in controlling the nucleation and growth kinetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mozaffari, Saeed; Li, Wenhui; Thompson, Coogan; Ivanov, Sergei; Seifert, Soenke; Lee, Byeongdu; Kovarik, Libor; Karim, Ayman M

2017-09-21

Despite the major advancements in colloidal metal nanoparticles synthesis, a quantitative mechanistic treatment of the ligand's role in controlling their size remains elusive. We report a methodology that combines in situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and kinetic modeling to quantitatively capture the role of ligand-metal binding (with the metal precursor and the nanoparticle surface) in controlling the synthesis kinetics. We demonstrate that accurate extraction of the kinetic rate constants requires using both, the size and number of particles obtained from in situ SAXS to decouple the contributions of particle nucleation and growth to the total metal reduction. Using Pd acetate and trioctylphosphine in different solvents, our results reveal that the binding of ligands with both the metal precursor and nanoparticle surface play a key role in controlling the rates of nucleation and growth and consequently the final size. We show that the solvent can affect the metal-ligand binding and consequently ligand coverage on the nanoparticles surface which has a strong effect on the growth rate and final size (1.4 nm in toluene and 4.3 nm in pyridine). The proposed kinetic model quantitatively predicts the effects of varying the metal concentration and ligand/metal ratio on nanoparticle size for our work and literature reports. More importantly, we demonstrate that the final size is exclusively determined by the nucleation and growth kinetics at early times and not how they change with time. Specifically, the nanoparticle size in this work and many literature reports can be predicted using a single, model independent kinetic descriptor, (growth-to-nucleation rate ratio) 1/3 , despite the different metals and synthetic conditions. The proposed model and kinetic descriptor could serve as powerful tools for the design of colloidal nanoparticles with specific sizes.

Fabrication and characterization of size-controlled starch-based nanoparticles as hydrophobic drug carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Fei; Gao, Chunmei; Liu, Mingzhu

2013-10-01

Acetylated corn starch was successfully synthesized and optimized by the reaction of native corn starch with acetic anhydride and acetic acid in the presence of sulfuric acid as a catalyst. The optimal degree of substitution of 2.85 was obtained. Starch-based nanoparticles were fabricated by a simple and novel nanoprecipitation procedure, by the dropwise addition of water to acetone solution of acetylated starch under stirring. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry showed that acetylated starch had some new bands at 1750, 1375 and 1240 cm(-1) while acetylated starch nanoparticles presented the identical peaks as the drug-loaded acetylated starch nanoparticles and the acetylated starch. Wide angle X-ray diffraction indicated that A-type pattern of native starch was completely transformed into the V-type pattern of Acetylated starch and starch-based nanoparticles show the similar type pattern with the acetylated starch. The scanning electron microscopy showed that the different sizes of pores formed on the acetylated starch granules were utterly converted into the uniform-sized spherical nanoparticles after the nanoprecipitation. The encapsulation efficiency and diameter of nanoparticle can be adjusted by the degree of substitution, the volume ratio of nonsolvent to solvent and the weight ratio of acetylated starch to drug. It was also depicted that the release behaviors of drug-loaded nanoparticles depend on the size of nanoparticles and the degree of substitution of the acetylated starch. Release studies prove that the starch-based nanoparticles with uniform size can be used for the encapsulation of hydrophobic drug and attained the sustained and controllable drug release carriers.

Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated magnetic core-shell nanoparticles for inhibition of insulin amyloid fibril formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skaat, Hadas; Margel, Shlomo [Department of Chemistry, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 52900 (Israel); Belfort, Georges [Howard P Isermann Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180 (United States)], E-mail: ch348@mail.biu.ac.il, E-mail: belfog@rpi.edu, E-mail: Shlomo.margel@mail.biu.ac.il

2009-06-03

Maghemite ({gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}) magnetic nanoparticles of 15.0 {+-} 2.1 nm are formed by nucleation followed by controlled growth of maghemite thin films on gelatin-iron oxide nuclei. Uniform magnetic {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/poly (2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl acrylate) ({gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/PHFBA) core-shell nanoparticles are prepared by emulsion polymerization of the fluorinated monomer 2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutyl acrylate (HFBA) in the presence of the maghemite nanoparticles. The kinetics of the insulin fibrillation process in the absence and in the presence of the {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/PHFBA core-shell nanoparticles are elucidated. A significant direct slow transition from {alpha}-helix to {beta}-sheets during insulin fibril formation is observed in the presence of the {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}/PHFBA nanoparticles. This is in contradiction to our previous manuscript, which illustrated that the {gamma}-Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} core nanoparticles do not affect the kinetics of the formation of the insulin fibrils, and to other previous publications that describe acceleration of the fibrillation process by using various types of nanoparticles. These core-shell nanoparticles may therefore be also useful for the inhibition of conformational changes of other amyloidogenic proteins that lead to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, mad cow and prion diseases.

Controlled growth of gold nanoparticles in zeolite L via ion-exchange reactions and thermal reduction processes

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Shangjing; Ding, Shuang; Li, Shangyu; Wang, Runwei; Zhang, Zongtao

2014-01-01

The growth of gold nanoparticles in zeolite can be controlled using ion-exchange reactions and thermal reduction processes. We produce a number of different sizes of the gold nanoparticles with the particle size increasing with increased temperature

Characterization of endogenous nanoparticles from roasted chicken breasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xunyu; Cao, Lin; Cong, Shuang; Song, Yukun; Tan, Mingqian

2018-06-22

Emergence of endogenous nanoparticles in thermally processed food has aroused much attention due to their unique properties and potential biological impact. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of fluorescence nanoparticles in roasted chicken breasts, elemental composition, physico-chemical properties and their molecular interaction with human serum albumin (HSA). Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that the foodborne nanoparticles from roasted chicken were nearly spherical with an average particle size of 1.7 ± 0.4 nm. The elemental analysis of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed the composition of nanoparticles as 47.4% C, 25.8% O and 26.1% N. The fluorescence of HSA was quenched by the nanoparticles following a static mode, and the molecular interaction of nanoparticles with HSA was spontaneous (ΔG°＜0), where hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces played an important role during HSA-nanoparticles complex stabilization through thermodynamic analysis by isothermal titration calorimetry. The principal location of the nanoparticles binding site on HSA was primarily in site I as determined by site-specific marker competition. The conformational of HSA was also changed and ɑ-helical structure decreased in the presence of nanoparticles. Our studies revealed that fluorescent nanoparticles were produced after roasting of chicken breast at 230 °C for 30 min for the first time. The obtained nanoparticles can interact with HSA in a spontaneous manner, thus providing valuable insight into foodborne NPs as well as their effects to human albumin protein.

Physically Targeted Intravenous Polyurethane Nanoparticles for Controlled Release of Atorvastatin Calcium

Science.gov (United States)

Eftekhari, Behnaz Sadat; Karkhaneh, Akbar; Alizadeh, Ali

2017-01-01

Background: Intravenous drug delivery is an advantageous choice for rapid administration, immediate drug effect, and avoidance of first-pass metabolism in oral drug delivery. In this study, the synthesis, formulation, and characterization of atorvastatin-loaded polyurethane (PU) nanoparticles were investigated for intravenous route of administration. Method: First, PU was synthesized and characterized. Second, nanoparticles were prepared in four different ratios of drug to polymer through two different techniques, including emulsion-diffusion and single-emulsion. Finally, particle size and polydispersity index, shape and surface morphology, drug entrapment efficiency (EE), drug loading, and in vitro release were evaluated by dynamics light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and UV visible spectroscopy, respectively. Results: Within two methods, the prepared nanoparticles had a spherical shape and a smooth surface with a diversity of size ranged from 174.04 nm to 277.24 nm in emulsion-diffusion and from 306.5 nm to 393.12 in the single-emulsion method. The highest EE was 84.76%, for (1:4) sample in the emulsion-diffusion method. It has also been shown that in vitro release of nanoparticles, using the emulsion-diffusion method, was sustained up to eight days by two mechanisms: drug diffusion and polymer relaxation. Conclusion: PU nanoparticles, that were prepared by the emulsion-diffusion method, could be used as effective carriers for the controlled drug delivery of poorly water soluble drugs such as atorvastatin calcium. PMID:28532144

Multi-Temperature Zone, Droplet-based Microreactor for Increased Temperature Control in Nanoparticle Synthesis

KAUST Repository

Erdem, E. Yegân

2013-12-12

Microreactors are an emerging technology for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. The Multi-Temperature zone Microreactor (MTM) described in this work utilizes thermally isolated heated and cooled regions for the purpose of separating nucleation and growth processes as well as to provide a platform for a systematic study on the effect of reaction conditions on nanoparticle synthesis. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A computer-controlled conformal radiotherapy system. III: graphical simulation and monitoring of treatment delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kessler, Marc L.; McShan, Daniel L.; Fraass, Benedick A.

1995-01-01

Purpose: Safe and efficient delivery of radiotherapy using computer-controlled machines requires new procedures to design and verify the actual delivery of these treatments. Graphical simulation and monitoring techniques for treatment delivery have been developed for this purpose. Methods and Materials: A graphics-based simulator of the treatment machine and a set of procedures for creating and manipulating treatment delivery scripts are used to simulate machine motions, detect collisions, and monitor machine positions during treatment. The treatment delivery simulator is composed of four components: a three-dimensional dynamic model of the treatment machine; a motion simulation and collision detection algorithm, user-interface widgets that mimic the treatment machine's control and readout devices; and an icon-based interface for creating and manipulating treatment delivery scripts. These components are used in a stand-alone fashion for interactive treatment delivery planning and integrated with a machine control system for treatment implementation and monitoring. Results: A graphics-based treatment delivery simulator and a set of procedures for planning and monitoring computer-controlled treatment delivery have been developed and implemented as part of a comprehensive computer-controlled conformal radiotherapy system. To date, these techniques have been used to design and help monitor computer-controlled treatments on a radiotherapy machine for more than 200 patients. Examples using these techniques for treatment delivery planning and on-line monitoring of machine motions during therapy are described. Conclusion: A system that provides interactive graphics-based tools for defining the sequence of machine motions, simulating treatment delivery including collision detection, and presenting the therapists with continual visual feedback from the treatment machine has been successfully implemented for routine clinical use as part of an overall system for computer-controlled

In situ Raman scattering study on a controllable plasmon-driven surface catalysis reaction on Ag nanoparticle arrays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dai, Z G; Xiao, X H; Zhang, Y P; Ren, F; Wu, W; Zhang, S F; Zhou, J; Jiang, C Z; Mei, F

2012-01-01

Control of the plasmon-driven chemical reaction for the transformation of 4-nitrobenzenethiol to p,p′-dimercaptoazobenzene by Ag nanoparticle arrays was studied. The Ag nanoparticle arrays were fabricated by means of nanosphere lithography. By changing the PS particle size, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) peaks of the Ag nanoparticle arrays can be tailored from 460 to 560 nm. The controlled reaction process was monitored by in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering. The reaction can be dramatically influenced by varying the duration of laser exposure, Ag nanoparticle size, laser power and laser excitation wavelength. The maximum reaction speed was achieved when the LSPR wavelength of the Ag nanoparticle arrays matched the laser excitation wavelength. The experimental results reveal that the strong LSPR can effectively drive the transfer of the ‘hot’ electrons that decay from the plasmon to the reactants. The experimental results were confirmed by theoretical calculations. (paper)

Formation of Nanoparticles Controlled by the Yield and Properties of the γ-Generated Radicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Q.

2009-01-01

In the past two decades, nanoparticles have attracted much attention because of their novel properties. Among the numerous synthetic methods, ionizing irradiation, which is simple and can take at normal temperature and pressure, even at low temperature, is a powerful method for preparing metals, alloys, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, metal halides and insoluble sulphate nanoparticles. In this method, dose rate is always used to affect the shape, component and size of synthesized nanoparticles. In addition, to eliminate the effect of ·OH on the formation of nanoparticles, alcohol (such as isopropyl alcohol) is always added and a lot of reductive radicals with wide range of reduction potentials are generated. At the same time, these radicals transformed from ·OH can also reduce the reactant, which have been used to control the growth of nanoparticles. However, so far, most nanoparticles synthesized by ionizing irradiation are spherical. In our previous work, ''solid'' BaSO 4 microspheres, mainly consisting of quasi-spherical nanoparticles, have been synthesized by precipitating Ba 2+ ions with SO 4 2- ions, which were generated from the reduction of K 2 S 2 O 8 in the presence of EDTA under N 2 atmosphere by γ-irradiation

Surfactant effects in magnetite nanoparticles of controlled size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guardia, P.; Batlle-Brugal, B.; Roca, A.G.; Iglesias, O.; Morales, M.P.; Serna, C.J.; Labarta, A.; Batlle, X.

2007-01-01

Magnetite Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles of controlled size within 6 and 20 nm in diameter were synthesised by thermal decomposition of an iron organic precursor in an organic medium. Particles were coated with oleic acid. For all samples studied, saturation magnetisation M s is size-independent, and reaches a value close to that expected for bulk magnetite, in contrast to results in small particle systems for which M s is usually much smaller due to surface spin disorder. The coercive field for the 6 nm particles is in agreement with coherent rotation, taking the bulk magnetocrystalline anisotropy into account. Both results suggest that the oleic acid molecules covalently bonded to the nanoparticle surface yield a strong reduction in the surface spin disorder. However, although the saturated state may be similar, the approach to saturation is different and, in particular, the high-field differential susceptibility is one order of magnitude larger than in bulk materials. The relevance of these results in biomedical applications is discussed

Controllable ALD synthesis of platinum nanoparticles by tuning different synthesis parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Chuandao; Lin, Yuyuan; Marks, Laurence; Hu, Linhua; Poeppelmeier, Kenneth; Stair, Peter

2017-01-01

Pt nanoparticles were successfully deposited using three different atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods, e.g. AB-type, ABC-type and static ABC-type ALD, on two different types of strontium titanate nanocuboids (STO-NCs) samples in a reaction temperature window of 125 °C–300 °C. The influence of reaction temperature, number of ALD cycles, type of substrate, 2nd reagent and type of ALD method on Pt nanoparticle deposition are comprehensively studied and discussed in this work. Varying the reaction temperature and number of cycles across the three different ALD methods affects Pt particle size, density, and loading. Surface termination of STO-NCs substrate will change deposited Pt nanoparticle growth orientation and thermodynamic shape. The B reagent besides platinum precursor can lead to different ligand decomposition mechanism when Pt precursors are exposed: oxygen allows more effective ligand combustion compared to water, however, the Pt particles are more oxidized according to XPS studies. We expect this work provides a way for tailoring nanoparticles with desired size, dispersion, exposed surfaces and chemical state etc, which helps controlling and optimizing their performance when applied as catalysts or nanosensors. (paper)

Workers’ Conformism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolay Ivantchev

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Conformism was studied among 46 workers with different kinds of occupations by means of two modified scales measuring conformity by Santor, Messervey, and Kusumakar (2000 – scale for perceived peer pressure and scale for conformism in antisocial situations. The hypothesis of the study that workers’ conformism is expressed in a medium degree was confirmed partly. More than a half of the workers conform in a medium degree for taking risk, and for the use of alcohol and drugs, and for sexual relationships. More than a half of the respondents conform in a small degree for anti-social activities (like a theft. The workers were more inclined to conform for risk taking (10.9%, then – for the use of alcohol, drugs and for sexual relationships (8.7%, and in the lowest degree – for anti-social activities (6.5%. The workers who were inclined for the use of alcohol and drugs tended also to conform for anti-social activities.

Size-controlled Synthesis and Characterization of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles by Chemical Coprecipitation Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chia Chin Hua; Sarani Zakaria; Farahiyan, R.; Liew Tze Khong; Mustaffa Abdullah; Sahrim Ahmad; Nguyen, K.L.

2008-01-01

Magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) nanoparticles have been synthesized using the chemical coprecipitation method. The Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were likely formed via dissolution-recrystallization process. During the precipitation process, ferrihydrite and Fe(OH) 2 particles formed aggregates and followed by the formation of spherical Fe 3 O 4 particles. The synthesized Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles exhibited superparamagnetic behavior and in single crystal form. The synthesis temperature and the degree of agitation during the precipitation were found to be decisive in controlling the crystallite and particle size of the produced Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles. Lower temperature and higher degree of agitation were the favorable conditions for producing smaller particle. The magnetic properties (saturation magnetization and coercivity) of the Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles increased with the particle size. (author)

Novel Polysaccharide Based Polymers and Nanoparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery and Biomedical Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Shalviri, Alireza

controlled delivery applications of larger molecular size compounds. The starch based hydrogels, polymers and nanoparticles developed in this work have shown great potentials for controlled drug delivery and biomedical imaging applications.

PH Sensitive Polymers for Improving Reservoir Sweep and Conformance Control in Chemical Flooring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mukul Sharma; Steven Bryant; Chun Huh

2008-03-31

There is an increasing opportunity to recover bypassed oil from depleted, mature oilfields in the US. The recovery factor in many reservoirs is low due to inefficient displacement of the oil by injected fluids (typically water). The use of chemical flooding methods to increase recovery efficiencies is severely constrained by the inability of the injected chemicals to contact the bypassed oil. Low sweep efficiencies are the primary cause of low oil recoveries observed in the field in chemical flooding operations even when lab studies indicate high oil recovery efficiency. Any technology that increases the ability of chemical flooding agents to better contact the remaining oil and reduce the amount of water produced in conjunction with the produced oil will have a significant impact on the cost of producing oil domestically in the US. This translates directly into additional economically recoverable reserves, which extends the economic lives of marginal and mature wells. The objective of this research project was to develop a low-cost, pH-triggered polymer for use in IOR processes to improve reservoir sweep efficiency and reservoir conformance in chemical flooding. Rheological measurements made on the polymer solution, clearly show that it has a low viscosity at low pH and exhibits a sudden increase in viscosity (by 2 orders of magnitude or more) at a pH of 3.5 to 4. This implies that the polymer would preferentially flow into zones containing water since the effective permeability to water is highest in these zones. As the pH of the zone increases due to the buffering capacity of the reservoir rock, the polymer solution undergoes a liquid to gel transition causing a sharp increase in the viscosity of the polymer solution in these zones. This allows operationally robust, in-depth conformance treatment of such water bearing zones and better mobility control. The rheological properties of HPAM solutions were measured. These include: steady-shear viscosity and

Conformation radiotherapy and conformal radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morita, Kozo

1999-01-01

In order to coincide the high dose region to the target volume, the 'Conformation Radiotherapy Technique' using the multileaf collimator and the device for 'hollow-out technique' was developed by Prof. S. Takahashi in 1960. This technique can be classified a type of 2D-dynamic conformal RT techniques. By the clinical application of this technique, the late complications of the lens, the intestine and the urinary bladder after radiotherapy for the maxillary cancer and the cervical cancer decreased. Since 1980's the exact position and shape of the tumor and the surrounding normal tissues can be easily obtained by the tremendous development of the CT/MRI imaging technique. As a result, various kinds of new conformal techniques such as the 3D-CRT, the dose intensity modulation, the tomotherapy have been developed since the beginning of 1990'. Several 'dose escalation study with 2D-/3D conformal RT' is now under way to improve the treatment results. (author)

Killing tensors and conformal Killing tensors from conformal Killing vectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rani, Raffaele; Edgar, S Brian; Barnes, Alan

2003-01-01

Koutras has proposed some methods to construct reducible proper conformal Killing tensors and Killing tensors (which are, in general, irreducible) when a pair of orthogonal conformal Killing vectors exist in a given space. We give the completely general result demonstrating that this severe restriction of orthogonality is unnecessary. In addition, we correct and extend some results concerning Killing tensors constructed from a single conformal Killing vector. A number of examples demonstrate that it is possible to construct a much larger class of reducible proper conformal Killing tensors and Killing tensors than permitted by the Koutras algorithms. In particular, by showing that all conformal Killing tensors are reducible in conformally flat spaces, we have a method of constructing all conformal Killing tensors, and hence all the Killing tensors (which will in general be irreducible) of conformally flat spaces using their conformal Killing vectors

Generating MnO2 nanoparticles using simulated amorphization and recrystallization

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Sayle, TXT

2005-09-21

Full Text Available . The resulting MnO2 nanoparticle is about 8 nm in diameter, conforms to the pyrolusite structure (isostructural with rutile TiO2, comprising 1 x 1 octahedra) is heavily twinned and comprises a wealth of isolated and clustered point defects such as cation...

Control of light scattering by nanoparticles with optically-induced magnetic responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wei; Miroshnichenko, Andrey E.; Kivshar, Yuri S.

2014-01-01

Conventional approaches to control and shape the scattering patterns of light generated by different nanostructures are mostly based on engineering of their electric response due to the fact that most metallic nanostructures support only electric resonances in the optical frequency range. Recently, fuelled by the fast development in the fields of metamaterials and plasmonics, artificial optically-induced magnetic responses have been demonstrated for various nanostructures. This kind of response can be employed to provide an extra degree of freedom for the efficient control and shaping of the scattering patterns of nanoparticles and nanoantennas. Here we review the recent progress in this research direction of nanoparticle scattering shaping and control through the interference of both electric and optically-induced magnetic responses. We discuss the magnetic resonances supported by various structures in different spectral regimes, and then summarize the original results on the scattering shaping involving both electric and magnetic responses, based on the interference of both spectrally separated (with different resonant wavelengths) and overlapped dipoles (with the same resonant wavelength), and also other higher-order modes. Finally, we discuss the scattering control utilizing Fano resonances associated with the magnetic responses. (topical review - plasmonics and metamaterials)

Nanoparticle size and production efficiency are affected by the presence of fatty acids during albumin nanoparticle fabrication.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian C Luebbert

Full Text Available We have previously identified extensive glycation, bound fatty acids and increased quantities of protein aggregates in commercially available recombinant HSA (rHSA expressed in Oryza sativa (Asian rice (OsrHSA when compared to rHSA from other expression systems. We propose these differences may alter some attributes of nanoparticles fabricated with OsrHSA, as studies have associated greater quantities of aggregates with increased nanoparticle diameters. To determine if this is the case, nanoparticles were fabricated with OsrHSA from various suppliers using ethanol desolvation and subsequent glutaraldehyde cross-linking. All nanoparticles fabricated with OsrHSA showed larger diameters of approximately 20 to 90nm than particles fabricated with either defatted bovine serum albumin (DF-BSA (100.9 ± 2.8nm or human plasma albumin (pHSA (112.0 ± 4.0nm. It was hypothesized that the larger nanoparticle diameters were due to the presence of bound fatty acids and this was confirmed through defatting OsrHSA prior to particle fabrication which yielded particles with diameters similar to those fabricated with pHSA. For additional conformation, DF-BSA was incubated with dodecanoic acid prior to desolvation yielding particles with significantly larger diameters. Further studies showed the increased nanoparticle diameters were due to the bound fatty acids modulating electrostatic interactions between albumin nanoparticles during the desolvation and not changes in protein structure, stability or generation of additional albumin oligomers. Finally the presence of dodecanoic acid was shown to improve doxorubicin loading efficiency onto preformed albumin nanoparticles.

Dual drug-loaded nanoparticles on self-integrated scaffold for controlled delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bennet D

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Devasier Bennet,1 Mohana Marimuthu,1 Sanghyo Kim,1 Jeongho An21Department of Bionanotechnology, Gachon University, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea; 2Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, SunKyunKwan University, Gyeonggi, Republic of KoreaAbstract: Antioxidant (quercetin and hypoglycemic (voglibose drug-loaded poly-D,L-lactide-co-glycolide nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using the solvent evaporation method. The dual drug-loaded nanoparticles were incorporated into a scaffold film using a solvent casting method, creating a controlled transdermal drug-delivery system. Key features of the film formulation were achieved utilizing several ratios of excipients, including polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, hyaluronic acid, xylitol, and alginate. The scaffold film showed superior encapsulation capability and swelling properties, with various potential applications, eg, the treatment of diabetes-associated complications. Structural and light scattering characterization confirmed a spherical shape and a mean particle size distribution of 41.3 nm for nanoparticles in the scaffold film. Spectroscopy revealed a stable polymer structure before and after encapsulation. The thermoresponsive swelling properties of the film were evaluated according to temperature and pH. Scaffold films incorporating dual drug-loaded nanoparticles showed remarkably high thermoresponsivity, cell compatibility, and ex vivo drug-release behavior. In addition, the hybrid film formulation showed enhanced cell adhesion and proliferation. These dual drug-loaded nanoparticles incorporated into a scaffold film may be promising for development into a transdermal drug-delivery system.Keywords: quercetin, voglibose, biocompatible materials, encapsulation, transdermal

Nanoparticle-Based Surface Modifications for Microtribology Control and Superhydrophobicity

Science.gov (United States)

Hurst, Kendall Matthew

2010-11-01

The emergence of miniaturization techniques for consumer electronics has brought forth the relatively new and exciting field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). However, due to the inherent forces that exist between surfaces at the micro- and nanoscale, scientists and semiconductor manufacturers are still struggling to improve the lifetime and reliability of complex microdevices. Due to the extremely large surface area-to-volume ratio of typical MEMS and microstructured surfaces, dominant interfacial forces exist which can be detrimental to their operational lifetime. In particular, van der Waals, capillary, and electrostatic forces contribute to the permanent adhesion, or stiction , of microfabricated surfaces. This strong adhesion force also contributes to the friction and wear of these silicon-based systems. The scope of this work was to examine the effect of utilizing nanoparticles as the basis for roughening surfaces for the purpose of creating films with anti-adhesive and/or superhydrophobic properties. All of the studies presented in this work are focused around a gas-expanded liquid (GXL) process that promotes the deposition of colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) into conformal thin films. The GXL particle deposition process is finalized by a critical point drying step which is advantageous to the microelectromechanical systems and semiconductor (IC) industries. In fact, preliminary results illustrated that the GXL particle deposition process can easily be integrated into current MEMS microfabrication processes. Thin films of AuNPs deposited onto the surfaces of silicon-based MEMS and tribology test devices were shown to have a dramatic effect on the adhesion of microstructures. In the various investigations, the apparent work of adhesion between surfaces was reduced by 2-4 orders of magnitude. This effect is greatly attributed to the roughening of the typically smooth silicon oxide surfaces which, in turn, dramatically decreases the "real are of

Formation of Nanoparticles Controlled by the Yield and Properties of the γ-Generated Radicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Q. [Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing (China)

2009-07-01

In the past two decades, nanoparticles have attracted much attention because of their novel properties. Among the numerous synthetic methods, ionizing irradiation, which is simple and can take at normal temperature and pressure, even at low temperature, is a powerful method for preparing metals, alloys, metal oxides, metal chalcogenides, metal halides and insoluble sulphate nanoparticles. In this method, dose rate is always used to affect the shape, component and size of synthesized nanoparticles. In addition, to eliminate the effect of ·OH on the formation of nanoparticles, alcohol (such as isopropyl alcohol) is always added and a lot of reductive radicals with wide range of reduction potentials are generated. At the same time, these radicals transformed from ·OH can also reduce the reactant, which have been used to control the growth of nanoparticles. However, so far, most nanoparticles synthesized by ionizing irradiation are spherical. In our previous work, ''solid'' BaSO{sub 4} microspheres, mainly consisting of quasi-spherical nanoparticles, have been synthesized by precipitating Ba{sup 2+} ions with SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} ions, which were generated from the reduction of K{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 8} in the presence of EDTA under N{sub 2} atmosphere by γ-irradiation.

Chitosan nanoparticles-trypsin interactions: Bio-physicochemical and molecular dynamics simulation studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Salar, Safoura; Mehrnejad, Faramarz; Sajedi, Reza H; Arough, Javad Mohammadnejad

2017-10-01

Herein, we investigated the effect of the chitosan nanoparticles (CsNP) on the structure, dynamics, and activity of trypsin. The enzyme activity in complex with the nanoparticles slightly increased, which represents the interactions between the nanoparticles and the enzyme. The kinetic parameters of the enzyme, K m and k cat , increased after adding the nanoparticles, resulting in a slight increase in the catalytic efficiency (k cat /K m ). However, the effect of the nanoparticles on the kinetic stability of trypsin has not exhibited significant variations. Fluorescence spectroscopy did not show remarkable changes in the trypsin conformation in the presence of the nanoparticles. The circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy results also revealed the secondary structure of trypsin attached to the nanoparticles slightly changed. Furthermore, we used molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to find more information about the interaction mechanisms between the nanoparticles and trypsin. The root mean square deviation (RMSD) of Cα atoms results have shown that in the presence of the nanoparticles, trypsin was stable. The simulation and the calculation of the binding free energy demonstrate that the nonpolar interactions are the most important forces for the formation of stable nanoparticle-trypsin complex. This study has explicitly elucidated that the nanoparticles have not considerable effect on the trypsin. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

40 CFR 52.2237 - NOX RACT and NOX conformity exemption.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false NOX RACT and NOX conformity exemption... RACT and NOX conformity exemption. Approval. EPA is approving the section 182(f) oxides of nitrogen (NOX) reasonably available control technology (RACT) and NOX conformity exemption request submitted by...

Replacement between conformity and counter-conformity in consumption decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chou, Ting-Jui; Chang, En-Chung; Dai, Qi; Wong, Veronica

2013-02-01

This study assessed, in a Chinese context, how self-esteem interacts with perceived similarity and uniqueness to yield cognitive dissonance, and whether the dissonance leads to self-reported conformity or counter-conformity behavior. Participants were 408 respondents from 4 major Chinese cities (M age = 33.0 yr., SD = 4.3; 48% men). Self-perceptions of uniqueness, similarity, cognitive dissonance, self-esteem and need to behave in conformity or counter-conformity were measured. A theoretical model was assessed in four situations, relating the ratings of self-esteem and perceived similarity/uniqueness to the way other people at a wedding were dressed, and the resultant cognitive dissonance and conformity/ counter-conformity behavior. Regardless of high or low self-esteem, all participants reported cognitive dissonance when they were told that they were dressed extremely similarly to or extremely differently from the other people attending the wedding. However, the conforming/counter-conforming strategies used by participants to resolve the cognitive dissonance differed. When encountering dissonance induced by the perceived extreme uniqueness of dress, participants with low self-esteem tended to say they would dress next time so as to conform with the way others were dressed, while those with high self-esteem indicated they would continue their counter-conformity in attire. When encountering dissonance induced by the perceived extreme similarity to others, both those with high and low self-esteem tended to say they would dress in an unorthodox manner to surprise other people in the future.

Controlled growth of gold nanoparticles in zeolite L via ion-exchange reactions and thermal reduction processes

KAUST Repository

Zeng, Shangjing

2014-09-01

The growth of gold nanoparticles in zeolite can be controlled using ion-exchange reactions and thermal reduction processes. We produce a number of different sizes of the gold nanoparticles with the particle size increasing with increased temperature of the final heat treatment. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles for stimuli-responsive controlled drug delivery: advances, challenges, and outlook

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Song Y

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Yuanhui Song, Yihong Li, Qien Xu, Zhe Liu Wenzhou Institute of Biomaterials and Engineering (WIBE, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China Abstract: With the development of nanotechnology, the application of nanomaterials in the field of drug delivery has attracted much attention in the past decades. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as promising drug nanocarriers have become a new area of interest in recent years due to their unique properties and capabilities to efficiently entrap cargo molecules. This review describes the latest advances on the application of mesoporous silica nanoparticles in drug delivery. In particular, we focus on the stimuli-responsive controlled release systems that are able to respond to intracellular environmental changes, such as pH, ATP, GSH, enzyme, glucose, and H2O2. Moreover, drug delivery induced by exogenous stimuli including temperature, light, magnetic field, ultrasound, and electricity is also summarized. These advanced technologies demonstrate current challenges, and provide a bright future for precision diagnosis and treatment. Keywords: mesoporous silica nanoparticle, drug delivery system, controlled release, stimuli-responsive, chemotherapy

Significant Enhancement of the Chiral Correlation Length in Nematic Liquid Crystals by Gold Nanoparticle Surfaces Featuring Axially Chiral Binaphthyl Ligands.

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, Taizo; Sharma, Anshul; Hegmann, Torsten

2016-01-26

Chirality is a fundamental scientific concept best described by the absence of mirror symmetry and the inability to superimpose an object onto its mirror image by translation and rotation. Chirality is expressed at almost all molecular levels, from single molecules to supramolecular systems, and present virtually everywhere in nature. Here, to explore how chirality propagates from a chiral nanoscale surface, we study gold nanoparticles functionalized with axially chiral binaphthyl molecules. In particular, we synthesized three enantiomeric pairs of chiral ligand-capped gold nanoparticles differing in size, curvature, and ligand density to tune the chirality transfer from nanoscale solid surfaces to a bulk anisotropic liquid crystal medium. Ultimately, we are examining how far the chirality from a nanoparticle surface reaches into a bulk material. Circular dichroism spectra of the gold nanoparticles decorated with binaphthyl thiols confirmed that the binaphthyl moieties form a cisoid conformation in isotropic organic solvents. In the chiral nematic liquid crystal phase, induced by dispersing the gold nanoparticles into an achiral anisotropic nematic liquid crystal solvent, the binaphthyl moieties on the nanoparticle surface form a transoid conformation as determined by imaging the helical twist direction of the induced cholesteric phase. This suggests that the ligand density on the nanoscale metal surfaces provides a dynamic space to alter and adjust the helicity of binaphthyl derivatives in response to the ordering of the surrounding medium. The helical pitch values of the induced chiral nematic phase were determined, and the helical twisting power (HTP) of the chiral gold nanoparticles calculated to elucidate the chirality transfer efficiency of the binaphthyl ligand capped gold nanoparticles. Remarkably, the HTP increases with increasing diameter of the particles, that is, the efficiency of the chirality transfer of the binaphthyl units bound to the nanoparticle

Nanoparticles with entrapped {alpha}-tocopherol: synthesis, characterization, and controlled release

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zigoneanu, Imola Gabriela [101 E B Doran Building, BAE Department, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Astete, Carlos Ernesto [110 E B Doran Building, BAE Department, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Sabliov, Cristina Mirela [141 E B Doran Building, BAE Department, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)], E-mail: csabliov@lsu.edu

2008-03-12

An emulsion evaporation method was used to synthesize spherical poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles with entrapped {alpha}-tocopherol. Two different surfactants were used: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). For SDS nanoparticles, the size of the nanoparticles decreased significantly with the entrapment of {alpha}-tocopherol in the PLGA matrix, while the size of PVA nanoparticles remained unchanged. The polydispersity index after synthesis was under 0.100 for PVA nanoparticles and around 0.150 for SDS nanoparticles. The zeta potential was negative for all PVA nanoparticles. The entrapment efficiency of {alpha}-tocopherol in the polymeric matrix was approximately 89% and 95% for nanoparticles with 8% and 16% {alpha}-tocopherol theoretical loading, respectively. The residual PVA associated with the nanoparticles after purification was approximately 6% ( w/w relative to the nanoparticles). The release profile showed an initial burst followed by a slower release of the {alpha}-tocopherol entrapped inside the PLGA matrix. The release for nanoparticles with 8% {alpha}-tocopherol theoretical loading (86% released in the first hour) was faster than the release for the nanoparticles with 16% {alpha}-tocopherol theoretical loading (34% released in the first hour)

Nanoparticles with entrapped α-tocopherol: synthesis, characterization, and controlled release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zigoneanu, Imola Gabriela; Astete, Carlos Ernesto; Sabliov, Cristina Mirela

2008-01-01

An emulsion evaporation method was used to synthesize spherical poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles with entrapped α-tocopherol. Two different surfactants were used: sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). For SDS nanoparticles, the size of the nanoparticles decreased significantly with the entrapment of α-tocopherol in the PLGA matrix, while the size of PVA nanoparticles remained unchanged. The polydispersity index after synthesis was under 0.100 for PVA nanoparticles and around 0.150 for SDS nanoparticles. The zeta potential was negative for all PVA nanoparticles. The entrapment efficiency of α-tocopherol in the polymeric matrix was approximately 89% and 95% for nanoparticles with 8% and 16% α-tocopherol theoretical loading, respectively. The residual PVA associated with the nanoparticles after purification was approximately 6% ( w/w relative to the nanoparticles). The release profile showed an initial burst followed by a slower release of the α-tocopherol entrapped inside the PLGA matrix. The release for nanoparticles with 8% α-tocopherol theoretical loading (86% released in the first hour) was faster than the release for the nanoparticles with 16% α-tocopherol theoretical loading (34% released in the first hour)

Precise control of polymer coated nanopores by nanoparticle additives: Insights from computational modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eskandari Nasrabad, Afshin; Coalson, Rob D. [Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 (United States); Jasnow, David [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 (United States); Zilman, Anton [Department of Physics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A7 (Canada)

2016-08-14

Polymer-nanoparticle composites are a promising new class of materials for creation of controllable nano-patterned surfaces and nanopores. We use coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations augmented with analytical theory to study the structural transitions of surface grafted polymer layers (brushes) induced by infiltration of nanoparticles that are attracted to the polymers in the layer. We systematically compare two different polymer brush geometries: one where the polymer chains are grafted to a planar surface and the other where the chains are grafted to the inside of a cylindrical nanochannel. We perform a comprehensive study of the effects of the material parameters such as the polymer chain length, chain grafting density, nanoparticle size, strength of attraction between nanoparticles and polymer monomers, and, in the case of the cylindrically grafted brush, the radius of the cylinder. We find a very general behavioral motif for all geometries and parameter values: the height of the polymer brush is non-monotonic in the nanoparticle concentration in solution. As the nanoparticle concentration increases, the brush height first decreases and after passing through a minimum value begins to increase, resulting in the swelling of the nanoparticle infused brush. These morphological features may be useful for devising tunable “smart” nano-devices whose effective dimensions can be reversibly and precisely adjusted by changing the nanoparticle concentration in solution. The results of approximate Self-Consistent Field Theory (SCFT) calculations, applicable in the regime of strong brush stretching, are compared to the simulation results. The SCFT calculations are found to be qualitatively, even semi-quantitatively, accurate when applied within their intended regime of validity, and provide a useful and efficient tool for modeling such materials.

Polymer crowding and shape distributions in polymer-nanoparticle mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Wei Kang; Denton, Alan R., E-mail: alan.denton@ndsu.edu [Department of Physics, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58108-6050 (United States)

2014-09-21

Macromolecular crowding can influence polymer shapes, which is important for understanding the thermodynamic stability of polymer solutions and the structure and function of biopolymers (proteins, RNA, DNA) under confinement. We explore the influence of nanoparticle crowding on polymer shapes via Monte Carlo simulations and free-volume theory of a coarse-grained model of polymer-nanoparticle mixtures. Exploiting the geometry of random walks, we model polymer coils as effective penetrable ellipsoids, whose shapes fluctuate according to the probability distributions of the eigenvalues of the gyration tensor. Accounting for the entropic cost of a nanoparticle penetrating a larger polymer coil, we compute the crowding-induced shift in the shape distributions, radius of gyration, and asphericity of ideal polymers in a theta solvent. With increased nanoparticle crowding, we find that polymers become more compact (smaller, more spherical), in agreement with predictions of free-volume theory. Our approach can be easily extended to nonideal polymers in good solvents and used to model conformations of biopolymers in crowded environments.

Polymer crowding and shape distributions in polymer-nanoparticle mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Wei Kang; Denton, Alan R.

2014-01-01

Macromolecular crowding can influence polymer shapes, which is important for understanding the thermodynamic stability of polymer solutions and the structure and function of biopolymers (proteins, RNA, DNA) under confinement. We explore the influence of nanoparticle crowding on polymer shapes via Monte Carlo simulations and free-volume theory of a coarse-grained model of polymer-nanoparticle mixtures. Exploiting the geometry of random walks, we model polymer coils as effective penetrable ellipsoids, whose shapes fluctuate according to the probability distributions of the eigenvalues of the gyration tensor. Accounting for the entropic cost of a nanoparticle penetrating a larger polymer coil, we compute the crowding-induced shift in the shape distributions, radius of gyration, and asphericity of ideal polymers in a theta solvent. With increased nanoparticle crowding, we find that polymers become more compact (smaller, more spherical), in agreement with predictions of free-volume theory. Our approach can be easily extended to nonideal polymers in good solvents and used to model conformations of biopolymers in crowded environments

Size control synthesis of starch capped-gold nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tajammul Hussain, S.; Iqbal, M.; Mazhar, M.

2009-01-01

Metallic gold nanoparticles have been synthesized by the reduction of chloroaurate anions [AuCl 4 ] - solution with hydrazine in the aqueous starch and ethylene glycol solution at room temperature and at atmospheric pressure. The characterization of synthesized gold nanoparticles by UV-vis spectroscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), electron diffraction analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-rays photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that average size of pure gold nanoparticles is 3.5 nm, they are spherical in shape and are pure metallic gold. The concentration effects of [AuCl 4 ] - anions, starch, ethylene glycol, and hydrazine, on particle size, were investigated, and the stabilization mechanism of Au nanoparticles by starch polymer molecules was also studied by FT-IR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FT-IR and TGA analysis shows that hydroxyl groups of starch are responsible of capping and stabilizing gold nanoparticles. The UV-vis spectrum of these samples shows that there is blue shift in surface plasmon resonance peak with decrease in particle size due to the quantum confinement effect, a supporting evidence of formation of gold nanoparticles and this shift remains stable even after 3 months.

Conformal house

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryttov, Thomas Aaby; Sannino, Francesco

2010-01-01

fixed point. As a consistency check we recover the previously investigated bounds of the conformal windows when restricting to a single matter representation. The earlier conformal windows can be imagined to be part now of the new conformal house. We predict the nonperturbative anomalous dimensions...... at the infrared fixed points. We further investigate the effects of adding mass terms to the condensates on the conformal house chiral dynamics and construct the simplest instanton induced effective Lagrangian terms...

Self-assembled nanoparticles of glycol chitosan – Ergocalciferol succinate conjugate, for controlled release

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quinones, Javier Perez; Gothelf, Kurt Vesterager; Kjems, Jørgen

2012-01-01

Glycol chitosan was linked to vitamin D2 hemisuccinate (ergocalciferol hemisuccinate) for controlled release through water-soluble carbodiimide activation. The resulting conjugate formed self-assembled nanoparticles in aqueous solution with particle size of 279 nm and ergocalciferol hemisuccinate...... content of 8.4% (w/w). Almost spherical 50–90 nm nanoparticles were observed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy upon drying. Drug linking to glycol chitosan was confirmed by FTIR spectroscopy and proton NMR. Particles were also characterized by differential scanning calorimetry and wide...

Continuous Flow Controlled Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Pulsed Mixing Microfluidic System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guojun Liu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available To prepare the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs with uniform sizes, fine morphology, and good monodispersity, a pulsed mixing microfluidic system based on PZT actuation was presented. The system includes PZT micropump and Y type micromixer. By adjusting voltage (entrance flow rate, pulsed frequency, phase, and other parameters, a variety of mixing modes can be achieved, so as to realize the controllable synthesis of nanoparticles in a certain range. By numerical simulation and analysis, the channel section size, entrance angle, and pulse frequency were optimized. Based on the optimized structure and working parameters, the test prototype has been manufactured in lab, and the related synthesis tests of AuNPs were carried out. The test results indicate that AuNPs with uniform morphology and good monodispersity can be synthesized using the system with the section size (0.4 mm × 0.4 mm, the entrance channel angle (60° under condition of the pulsed frequency (300 Hz, and the entrance flow rate (4 mL/min. The average diameter and its standard deviation of AuNPs synthesized were 21.6 nm, 4.83 nm, respectively. The research work above can be applied to the fields such as the controlled synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles, biomedicine, and microchemical system.

Gold nanoparticle growth control - Implementing novel wet chemistry method on silicon substrate

KAUST Repository

Al-Ameer, Ammar; Katsiev, Habib; Sinatra, Lutfan; Hussein, Irshad; Bakr, Osman

2013-01-01

Controlling particle size, shape, nucleation, and self-assembly on surfaces are some of the main challenges facing electronic device fabrication. In this work, growth of gold nanoparticles over a wide range of sizes was investigated by using a novel

Metallic stent and stereotactic conformal radiotherapy for hilar cholangiocarcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yu; Wang Ning; Tian Qihe; Guo Zhanwen; Zhang Haibo; Song Liyan

2005-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effect of metallic stent combined with stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (SCRT) for hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: Fifty-four patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma were analyzed, including 31 treated with stent plus stereotactic conformal radiotherapy (combined group) and 23 with metallic stent alone (control group). Results: The mean survival time of combined group was 11.1 ± 4.6 months, compared with 5.1 ± 2.8 months of the control group, giving a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). Conclusion: The combination of metallic stent and stereotactic conformal radiotherapy is more effective than metallic stent alone for unresectable hilar cholangiocarcinoma. (authors)

Shape-control by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles using organic additives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzuti, Antonino [Politecnico di Bari, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica (Italy); Dassisti, Michele [Politecnico di Bari, Dipartimento di Meccanica, Management e Matematica (Italy); Mastrorilli, Piero, E-mail: p.mastrorilli@poliba.it [Politecnico di Bari, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica (Italy); Sportelli, Maria C.; Cioffi, Nicola; Picca, Rosaria A. [Università di Bari, Dipartimento di Chimica (Italy); Agostinelli, Elisabetta; Varvaro, Gaspare [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Struttura della Materia (Italy); Caliandro, Rocco [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto di Cristallografia (Italy)

2015-10-15

A simple and fast microwave-assisted hydrothermal method is proposed for the synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles. The addition of different surfactants (polyvinylpyrrolidone, oleic acid, or trisodium citrate) was studied to investigate the effect on size distribution, morphology, and functionalization of the magnetite nanoparticles. Microwave irradiation at 150 °C for 2 h of aqueous ferrous chloride and hydrazine without additives resulted in hexagonal magnetite nanoplatelets with a facet-to-facet distance of 116 nm and a thickness of 40 nm having a saturation magnetization of ∼65 Am{sup 2} kg{sup −1}. The use of polyvinylpyrrolidone led to hexagonal nanoparticles with a facet-to-facet distance of 120 nm and a thickness of 53 nm with a saturation magnetization of ∼54 Am{sup 2} kg{sup −1}. Additives such as oleic acid and trisodium citrate yielded quasi-spherical nanoparticles of 25 nm in size with a saturation magnetization of ∼70 Am{sup 2} kg{sup −1} and spheroidal nanoparticles of 60 nm in size with a saturation magnetization up to ∼82 Am{sup 2} kg{sup −1}, respectively. A kinetic control of the crystal growth is believed to be responsible for the hexagonal habit of the nanoparticles obtained without additive. Conversely, a thermodynamic control of the crystal growth, leading to spheroidal nanoparticles, seems to occur when additives which strongly interact with the nanoparticle surface are used. A thorough characterization of the materials was performed. Magnetic properties were investigated by Superconducting Quantum Interference Device and Vibrating Sample magnetometers. Based on the observed magnetic properties, the magnetite obtained using citrate appears to be a promising support for magnetically transportable catalysts.

A microfluidic tubing method and its application for controlled synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jidong; Chen, Wenwen; Sun, Jiashu; Liu, Chao; Yin, Qifang; Zhang, Lu; Xianyu, Yunlei; Shi, Xinghua; Hu, Guoqing; Jiang, Xingyu

2014-05-21

This report describes a straightforward but robust tubing method for connecting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices to external equipment. The interconnection is irreversible and can sustain a pressure of up to 4.5 MPa that is characterized experimentally and theoretically. To demonstrate applications of this high-pressure tubing technique, we fabricate a semicircular microfluidic channel to implement a high-throughput, size-controlled synthesis of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles ranging from 55 to 135 nm in diameter. This microfluidic device allows for a total flow rate of 410 mL h(-1), resulting in enhanced convective mixing which can be utilized to precipitate small size nanoparticles with a good dispersion. We expect that this tubing technique would be widely used in microfluidic chips for nanoparticle synthesis, cell manipulation, and potentially nanofluidic applications.

Controlled synthesis of size-tunable nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles using water-in-oil microemulsions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Ajeet; Saxena, Amit; Shankar, Ravi; Mozumdar, Subho; De, Arnab

2013-01-01

Industrial demands have generated a growing need to synthesize pure metal and metal–oxide nanoparticles of a desired size. We report a novel and convenient method for the synthesis of spherical, size tunable, well dispersed, stable nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles by reduction of nickel nitrate at room temperature in a TX-100/n-hexanol/cyclohexane/water system by a reverse microemulsion route. We determined that reduction with alkaline sodium borohydrate in nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of nickel nanoparticles, while the use of hydrazine hydrate in aerobic conditions leads to the formation of nickel oxide nanoparticles. The influence of several reaction parameters on the size of nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles were evaluated in detail. It was found that the size can be easily controlled either by changing the molar ratio of water to surfactant or by simply altering the concentration of the reducing agent. The morphology and structure of the nanoparticles were characterized by quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction analysis (EDA) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. The results show that synthesized nanoparticles are of high purity and have an average size distribution of 5–100 nm. The nanoparticles prepared by our simple methodology have been successfully used for catalyzing various chemical reactions. (paper)

Low molecular weight compounds as effective dispersing agents in the formation of colloidal silver nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natsuki, Jun; Natsuki, Toshiaki, E-mail: natsuki@shinshu-u.ac.jp; Abe, Takao [Shinshu University, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology (Japan)

2013-03-15

A convenient method to synthesize uniform, well-dispersed colloidal silver nanoparticles is described. Aldonic acid or {alpha}-hydroxy acid compounds of low molecular weight are used instead of polymeric compounds as dispersing agents to prepare silver nanoparticles. The size, conformation, and electrical conductivity of the silver nanoparticles, and the effect and function of the dispersing agents are investigated in detail. Using these low molecular weight compounds as dispersing agents, silver nanoparticles with a diameter of 10 nm or less and high electrical conductivity can be obtained. In addition, this procedure allows silver nanoparticles to be sintered at 150 Degree-Sign C, which is lower than that required for silver nanoparticle formulation using polymeric compounds (200 Degree-Sign C). The silver nanoparticles produced by this process can be used to prepare various inks and to manufacture electronic circuits. It is found that low molecular weight compounds are more effective dispersing agents than polymeric compounds in the formation of silver nanoparticles.

Novel synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Bauhinia variegata: a recent eco-friendly approach for mosquito control.

Science.gov (United States)

Govindarajan, Marimuthu; Rajeswary, Mohan; Veerakumar, Kaliyan; Muthukumaran, Udaiyan; Hoti, S L; Mehlhorn, Heinz; Barnard, Donald R; Benelli, Giovanni

2016-02-01

Mosquito vectors are responsible for transmitting diseases such as malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, dengue, and lymphatic filariasis. The use of synthetic insecticides to control mosquito vectors has caused physiological resistance and adverse environmental effects, in addition to high operational cost. Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles has been proposed as an alternative to traditional control tools. In the present study, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using aqueous leaf extract of Bauhinia variegata by reduction of Ag(+) ions from silver nitrate solution has been investigated. The bioreduced silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV–visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). Leaf extract and synthesized AgNPs were evaluated against the larvae of Anopheles subpictus, Aedes albopictus, and Culex tritaeniorhynchus. Compared to aqueous extract, synthesized AgNPs showed higher toxicity against An. subpictus, Ae. albopictus, and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus with LC50 and LC90 values of 41.96, 46.16, and 51.92 μg/mL and 82.93, 89.42, and 97.12 μg/mL, respectively. Overall, this study proves that B. variegata is a potential bioresource for stable, reproducible nanoparticle synthesis and may be proposed as an efficient mosquito control agent.

Size-Controlled Synthesis of Fe3O4 Magnetic Nanoparticles in the Layers of Montmorillonite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katayoon Kalantari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4-NPs were synthesized using chemical coprecipitation method. Fe3O4-NPs are located in interlamellar space and external surfaces of montmorillonite (MMT as a solid supported at room temperature. The size of magnetite nanoparticles could be controlled by varying the amount of NaOH as reducing agent in the medium. The interlamellar space changed from 1.24 nm to 2.85 nm and average diameter of Fe3O4 nanoparticles was from 12.88 nm to 8.24 nm. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized using some instruments such as transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Electrostatically assisted fabrication of silver-dielectric core/shell nanoparticles thin film capacitor with uniform metal nanoparticle distribution and controlled spacing.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xue; Niitsoo, Olivia; Couzis, Alexander

2016-03-01

An electrostatically-assisted strategy for fabrication of thin film composite capacitors with controllable dielectric constant (k) has been developed. The capacitor is composed of metal-dielectric core/shell nanoparticle (silver/silica, Ag@SiO2) multilayer films, and a backfilling polymer. Compared with the simple metal particle-polymer mixtures where the metal nanoparticles (NP) are randomly dispersed in the polymer matrix, the metal volume fraction in our capacitor was significantly increased, owing to the densely packed NP multilayers formed by the electrostatically assisted assembly process. Moreover, the insulating layer of silica shell provides a potential barrier that reduces the tunneling current between neighboring Ag cores, endowing the core/shell nanocomposites with a stable and relatively high dielectric constant (k) and low dielectric loss (D). Our work also shows that the thickness of the SiO2 shell plays a dominant role in controlling the dielectric properties of the nanocomposites. Control over metal NP separation distance was realized not only by variation the shell thickness of the core/shell NPs but also by introducing a high k nanoparticle, barium strontium titanate (BST) of relatively smaller size (∼8nm) compared to 80-160nm of the core/shell Ag@SiO2 NPs. The BST assemble between the Ag@SiO2 and fill the void space between the closely packed core/shell NPs leading to significant enhancement of the dielectric constant. This electrostatically assisted assembly method is promising for generating multilayer films of a large variety of NPs over large areas at low cost. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

IONP-doped nanoparticles for highly effective NIR-controlled drug release and combination tumor therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fu X

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Xudong Fu,1 Xinjun Wang,1 Shaolong Zhou,1 Yanyan Zhang2 1The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 2School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Despite advances in controlled drug delivery, drug delivery systems (DDSs with controlled activated drug release and high spatial and temporal resolution are still required. Theranostic nanomedicine is capable of diagnosis, therapy, and monitoring the delivery and distribution of drug molecules and has received growing interest. In this study, a near-infrared light-controlled “off–on” DDS with magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic targeting properties was developed using a hybrid nanoplatform (carbon nanotubes [CNTs]-iron oxide nanoparticle. Doxorubicin (DOX and distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-PEG were adsorbed onto CNTs-iron oxide nanoparticle, and then to avoid the unexpected drug release during circulation, 1-myristyl alcohol was used to encapsulate the CNTs–drug complex. Herein, multifunctional DOX-loaded nanoparticles (NPs with “off–on” state were developed. DOX-NPs showed an obvious “off–on” effect (temperature increase, drug release controlled by near-infrared light in vitro and in vivo. In the in vivo and in vitro studies, DOX-NPs exhibited excellent magnetic resonance imaging ability, magnetic targeting property, high biosafety, and high antitumor combined therapeutic efficacy (hyperthermia combined with chemotherapy. These results highlight the great potential of DOX-NPs in the treatment of cancer. Keywords: controlled drug release, magnetic targeting, MRI, combination therapy

Low-Cost Printed Flexible Antenna by Using an Office Printer for Conformal Applications

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Kashif Nisar Paracha

2018-01-01

Full Text Available A low-cost inkjet printing method for antenna fabrication on a polyethylene terephthalate (PET substrate is presented in this paper. An office inkjet printer is used to have desired patterns of silver nanoparticle ink on the PET substrate without any postprocessing. Silver nanoparticle ink cures instantly as soon as it is ejected from the printer on a chemically treated PET substrate. The thickness of the silver nanoparticle layer was measured to be 300 nm with a sheet resistance of as low as 0.3 Ω/sq and a conductivity around 1.11 × 107 S/m with single layer deposition. A coplanar waveguide- (CPW- fed Z-shape planar antenna on the PET substrate achieved the measured radiation efficiency of 62% and the IEEE gain of 1.44 dBi at 2.45 GHz. The printed antenna is also tested in bending conditions to ascertain its performance for the Internet of things (IoT conformal applications for the future 5G network.

Controlled Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Aspergillus terreus IF0 and Its Antibacterial Potential against Gram Negative Pathogenic Bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Priyadarshini, E.; Pradhan, N.; Sukla, L.B.; Panda, P.K.; Pradhan, N.

2014-01-01

Biosynthesis of monodispersed nanoparticles, along with determination of potential responsible biomolecules, is the major bottleneck in the area of bio nano technology research. The present study focuses on an eco friendly, ambient temperature protocol for size controlled synthesis of gold nanoparticles, using the fungus Aspergillus terreus IF0. Gold nanoparticles were formed immediately, with the addition of chloroauric acid to the aqueous fungal extract. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM-EDX, and XRD analysis. Particle diameter and dispersity of nanoparticles were controlled by varying the ph of the fungal extract. At ph 10, the average size of the synthesized particles was in the range of 10–19 nm. Dialysis to obtain high and low molecular weight fraction followed by FTIR analysis revealed that biomolecules larger than 12 kDa and having –CH, –NH, and –SH functional groups were responsible for bioreduction and stabilization. In addition, the synthesized gold nanoparticles were found to be selectively bactericidal against the pathogenic gram negative bacteria, Escherichia coli.

Cellular oxido-reductive proteins of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii control the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barwal Indu

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Elucidation of molecular mechanism of silver nanoparticles (SNPs biosynthesis is important to control its size, shape and monodispersity. The evaluation of molecular mechanism of biosynthesis of SNPs is of prime importance for the commercialization and methodology development for controlling the shape and size (uniform distribution of SNPs. The unicellular algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was exploited as a model system to elucidate the role of cellular proteins in SNPs biosynthesis. Results The C. reinhardtii cell free extract (in vitro and in vivo cells mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles reveals SNPs of size range 5 ± 1 to 15 ± 2 nm and 5 ± 1 to 35 ± 5 nm respectively. In vivo biosynthesized SNPs were localized in the peripheral cytoplasm and at one side of flagella root, the site of pathway of ATP transport and its synthesis related enzymes. This provides an evidence for the involvement of oxidoreductive proteins in biosynthesis and stabilization of SNPs. Alteration in size distribution and decrease of synthesis rate of SNPs in protein-depleted fractions confirmed the involvement of cellular proteins in SNPs biosynthesis. Spectroscopic and SDS-PAGE analysis indicate the association of various proteins on C. reinhardtii mediated in vivo and in vitro biosynthesized SNPs. We have identified various cellular proteins associated with biosynthesized (in vivo and in vitro SNPs by using MALDI-MS-MS, like ATP synthase, superoxide dismutase, carbonic anhydrase, ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase, histone etc. However, these proteins were not associated on the incubation of pre-synthesized silver nanoparticles in vitro. Conclusion Present study provides the indication of involvement of molecular machinery and various cellular proteins in the biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles. In this report, the study is mainly focused towards understanding the role of diverse cellular protein in the synthesis and capping of silver

Multi-Temperature Zone, Droplet-based Microreactor for Increased Temperature Control in Nanoparticle Synthesis

KAUST Repository

Erdem, E. Yegâ n; Cheng, Jim C.; Doyle, Fiona M.; Pisano, Albert P.

2013-01-01

Microreactors are an emerging technology for the controlled synthesis of nanoparticles. The Multi-Temperature zone Microreactor (MTM) described in this work utilizes thermally isolated heated and cooled regions for the purpose of separating

94: Treatment plan optimization for conformal therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, I.I.; Lane, R.G.

1987-01-01

Computer-controlled conformal radiation therapy techniques can deliver complex treatments utilizing large numbers of beams, gantry angles and beam shapes. Linear programming is well-suited for planning conformal treatments. Given a list of available treatment beams, linear programming calculates the relative weights of the beams such that the objective function is optimized and doses to constraint points are within the prescribed limits. 5 refs.; 3 figs

Shape-and size-controlled Ag nanoparticles stabilized by in situ generated secondary amines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramírez-Meneses, E., E-mail: esther.ramirez@ibero.mx [Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Iberoamericana, Prolongación Paseo de la Reforma 880, Lomas de Santa Fe, Distrito Federal C.P. 01219 (Mexico); Montiel-Palma, V. [Centro de Investigaciones Químicas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001 Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos C.P. 62209 (Mexico); Domínguez-Crespo, M.A.; Izaguirre-López, M.G. [Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada-IPN, Unidad Altamira. Km 14.5 Carretera Tampico-Puerto Industrial, 89600 Altamira, Tamaulipas (Mexico); Palacios-Gonzalez, E. [Laboratorio de Microscopia de Ultra alta Resolución, Instituto Mexicano del Petróleo, Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas No. 152, C.P. 07730 México D.F. (Mexico); Dorantes-Rosales, H. [Departamento de Metalurgia, E.S.I.Q.I.E.-I.P.N., Unidad Profesional Adolfo López Mateos, Zacatenco, Delegación. Gustavo A. Madero, C.P. 07738 México D.F. (Mexico)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Ag nanoparticles were generated from Ag amido complexes AgN{sup i}Pr{sub 2} and AgN(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}. • Ag nanoparticles were stabilized by in situ generated HN{sup i}Pr{sub 2} or HN(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}. • 1 or 5 equiv. of ethylenediamine as additional capping agent decreases the average size of the particles. • Ethylenediamine favor the formation of spherical particles. - Abstract: Silver amides such as AgN{sup i}Pr{sub 2} and AgN(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2} have been employed successfully as precursors for the yield synthesis of silver nanoparticles under mild conditions of dihydrogen gas reduction (2 atm) in organic media. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the formation of silver nanoparticles with FCC structure, variously sized from 26 to 35 nm for AgN{sup i}Pr{sub 2} and from 14 to 86 nm for AgN(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}, the synthesis could take place in absence of added stabilizers due to the in situ formation of secondary amines from the reaction of dihydrogen gas with the amide ligands of the silver precursor. Indeed, the presence of HNR{sub 2} (R = iPr{sub 2}, N(SiMe{sub 3}){sub 2}) on the surface of the nanoparticle was confirmed by spectroscopic means. Finally, the addition of ethylenediamine as additional capping agent allowed not only the control of the structural characteristics of the resulting Ag nanoparticles (well-dispersed with spherical shape), but that regarding the nanoparticle size as it inhibited overgrowth, limiting it to ca. 25 nm.

Temperature-controlled cross-linking of silver nanoparticles with Diels-Alder reaction and its application on antibacterial property

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Lian; Yang, Pengfei; Li, Junying; Zhang, Zhiliang; Yu, Xi; Lu, Ling

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Silver nanoparticles were functionalized by furan groups. • The DA reaction of furan with bismaleimide was used to cross-link the particles. • The reverse cross-linking could be controlled by temperature. • The antibacterial activity of silvers could be adjusted by the cross-linking. - Abstract: Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized and functionalized with furan group on their surface, followed by the reverse Diels-Alder (DA) reaction with bismaleimide to vary the particle size, so as to give different antibacterial activities. These nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–vis), Nanoparticle Size Analyzer and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the cross-linking reaction with bismaleimide had a great effect on the size of AgNPs. The size of the AgNPs could be controlled by the temperature of DA/r-DA equilibrium. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the inhibition zone diameter by introducing the particles into a media containing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. It was found that these particles were effective bactericides. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles decreased orderly as the particle size enlarged.

Temperature-controlled cross-linking of silver nanoparticles with Diels-Alder reaction and its application on antibacterial property

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Lian; Yang, Pengfei, E-mail: ypf@qlu.edu.cn; Li, Junying; Zhang, Zhiliang; Yu, Xi; Lu, Ling

2017-05-01

Highlights: • Silver nanoparticles were functionalized by furan groups. • The DA reaction of furan with bismaleimide was used to cross-link the particles. • The reverse cross-linking could be controlled by temperature. • The antibacterial activity of silvers could be adjusted by the cross-linking. - Abstract: Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized and functionalized with furan group on their surface, followed by the reverse Diels-Alder (DA) reaction with bismaleimide to vary the particle size, so as to give different antibacterial activities. These nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV–vis), Nanoparticle Size Analyzer and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the cross-linking reaction with bismaleimide had a great effect on the size of AgNPs. The size of the AgNPs could be controlled by the temperature of DA/r-DA equilibrium. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the inhibition zone diameter by introducing the particles into a media containing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. It was found that these particles were effective bactericides. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles decreased orderly as the particle size enlarged.

Facile synthesis of concentrated gold nanoparticles with low size-distribution in water: temperature and pH controls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Chunfang

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The citrate reduction method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs has known advantages but usually provides the products with low nanoparticle concentration and limits its application. Herein, we report a facile method to synthesize GNPs from concentrated chloroauric acid (2.5 mM via adding sodium hydroxide and controlling the temperature. It was found that adding a proper amount of sodium hydroxide can produce uniform concentrated GNPs with low size distribution; otherwise, the largely distributed nanoparticles or instable colloids were obtained. The low reaction temperature is helpful to control the nanoparticle formation rate, and uniform GNPs can be obtained in presence of optimized NaOH concentrations. The pH values of the obtained uniform GNPs were found to be very near to neutral, and the pH influence on the particle size distribution may reveal the different formation mechanism of GNPs at high or low pH condition. Moreover, this modified synthesis method can save more than 90% energy in the heating step. Such environmental-friendly synthesis method for gold nanoparticles may have a great potential in large-scale manufacturing for commercial and industrial demand.

Facile synthesis of concentrated gold nanoparticles with low size-distribution in water: temperature and pH controls

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chunfang; Li, Dongxiang; Wan, Gangqiang; Xu, Jie; Hou, Wanguo

2011-07-01

The citrate reduction method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) has known advantages but usually provides the products with low nanoparticle concentration and limits its application. Herein, we report a facile method to synthesize GNPs from concentrated chloroauric acid (2.5 mM) via adding sodium hydroxide and controlling the temperature. It was found that adding a proper amount of sodium hydroxide can produce uniform concentrated GNPs with low size distribution; otherwise, the largely distributed nanoparticles or instable colloids were obtained. The low reaction temperature is helpful to control the nanoparticle formation rate, and uniform GNPs can be obtained in presence of optimized NaOH concentrations. The pH values of the obtained uniform GNPs were found to be very near to neutral, and the pH influence on the particle size distribution may reveal the different formation mechanism of GNPs at high or low pH condition. Moreover, this modified synthesis method can save more than 90% energy in the heating step. Such environmental-friendly synthesis method for gold nanoparticles may have a great potential in large-scale manufacturing for commercial and industrial demand.

5-Fluorouracil Encapsulated Chitosan Nanoparticles for pH-Stimulated Drug Delivery: Evaluation of Controlled Release Kinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Seda Tığlı Aydın

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Nanoparticles consisting of human therapeutic drugs are suggested as a promising strategy for targeted and localized drug delivery to tumor cells. In this study, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles were prepared in order to investigate potentials of localized drug delivery for tumor environment due to pH sensitivity of chitosan nanoparticles. Optimization of chitosan and 5-FU encapsulated nanoparticles production revealed 148.8±1.1 nm and 243.1±17.9 nm particle size diameters with narrow size distributions, which are confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM images. The challenge was to investigate drug delivery of 5-FU encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles due to varied pH changes. To achieve this objective, pH sensitivity of prepared chitosan nanoparticle was evaluated and results showed a significant swelling response for pH 5 with particle diameter of ∼450 nm. In vitro release studies indicated a controlled and sustained release of 5-FU from chitosan nanoparticles with the release amounts of 29.1–60.8% due to varied pH environments after 408 h of the incubation period. pH sensitivity is confirmed by mathematical modeling of release kinetics since chitosan nanoparticles showed stimuli-induced release. Results suggested that 5-FU encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles can be launched as pH-responsive smart drug delivery agents for possible applications of cancer treatments.

Conformal Radiotherapy: Physics, Treatment Planning and Verification. Proceedings book

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Wagter, C [ed.

1995-12-01

The goal of conformal radiotherapy is to establish radiation dose distributions that conform tightly to the target volume in view of limiting radiation to normal tissues. Conformal radiotherapy significantly improves both local control and palliation and thus contributes to increase survival and to improve the quality of life. The subjects covered by the symposium include : (1) conformal radiotherapy and multi-leaf collimation; (2) three dimensional imaging; (3) treatment simulation, planning and optimization; (4) quality assurance; and (5) dosimetry. The book of proceedings contains the abstracts of the invited lectures, papers and poster presentations as well as the full papers of these contributions.

Truncated conformal space approach to scaling Lee-Yang model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yurov, V.P.; Zamolodchikov, Al.B.

1989-01-01

A numerical approach to 2D relativstic field theories is suggested. Considering a field theory model as an ultraviolet conformal field theory perturbed by suitable relevant scalar operator one studies it in finite volume (on a circle). The perturbed Hamiltonian acts in the conformal field theory space of states and its matrix elements can be extracted from the conformal field theory. Truncation of the space at reasonable level results in a finite dimensional problem for numerical analyses. The nonunitary field theory with the ultraviolet region controlled by the minimal conformal theory μ(2/5) is studied in detail. 9 refs.; 17 figs

Conformal Radiotherapy: Physics, Treatment Planning and Verification. Proceedings book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Wagter, C.

1995-12-01

The goal of conformal radiotherapy is to establish radiation dose distributions that conform tightly to the target volume in view of limiting radiation to normal tissues. Conformal radiotherapy significantly improves both local control and palliation and thus contributes to increase survival and to improve the quality of life. The subjects covered by the symposium include : (1) conformal radiotherapy and multi-leaf collimation; (2) three dimensional imaging; (3) treatment simulation, planning and optimization; (4) quality assurance; and (5) dosimetry. The book of proceedings contains the abstracts of the invited lectures, papers and poster presentations as well as the full papers of these contributions

Interaction between serum albumins and sonochemically synthesized cadmium sulphide nanoparticles: a spectroscopic study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naveenraj, Selvaraj; Asiri, Abdullah M.; Anandan, Sambandam

2013-01-01

Cadmium Sulphide nanoparticles approximately 5–10 nm in size range were synthesized by sonochemical technique, which follows acoustic cavitation phenomenon and generates nanoparticles with a smaller size range and higher surface area. The in vitro binding interaction of these sonochemically synthesized CdS nanoparticles with serum albumins (SA) were investigated using UV–Vis absorption, fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic techniques since CdS nanoparticles has biological applications such as cellular labelling and deep-tissue imaging. UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence studies confirm that CdS nanoparticles bind with SA through ground state complex formation (static quenching mechanism). The results suggest that sonochemically synthesized CdS nanoparticles interact with HSA more than that of BSA and these nanoparticles can be easily transported and rapidly released to the targets by serum albumins. CD studies confirmed the conformational change of serum albumins on the interaction of CdS nanoparticles.Graphical AbstractThis paper investigates the in vitro binding interaction of Cadmium Sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles with serum albumins (HSA and BSA) using the UV-vis, steady-state fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD) spectral techniques.

Controllable synthesis of a novel magnetic core-shell nanoparticle for dual-modal imaging and pH-responsive drug delivery

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Chen; Zhang, Cheng; Wang, Yingxi; Li, Liu; Li, Ling; Whittaker, Andrew K.

2017-12-01

In this study, novel magnetic core-shell nanoparticles Fe3O4@La-BTC/GO have been synthesized by the layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL) method and further modified by attachment of amino-modified PEG chains. The nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized by x-ray diffraction, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The core-shell structure was shown to be controlled by the LBL method. The drug loading of doxorubicin (DOX) within the Fe3O4@La-BTC/GO-PEG nanoparticles with different numbers of deposited layers was investigated. It was found that DOX loading increased with increasing number of metal organic framework coating layers, indicating that the drug loading can be controlled through the controllable LBL method. Cytotoxicity assays indicated that the Fe3O4@La-BTC/GO-PEG nanoparticles were biocompatible. The DOX was released rapidly at pH 3.8 and pH 5.8, but at pH 7.4 the rate and extent of release was greatly attenuated. The nanoparticles therefore demonstrate an excellent pH-triggered drug release. In addition, the particles could be tracked by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorescence optical imaging (FOI). A clear dose-dependent contrast enhancement in T 2-weighted MR images and fluorescence images indicate the potential of these nanoparticles as dual-mode MRI/FOI contrast agents.

Construction and evaluation of controlled-release delivery system of Abamectin using porous silica nanoparticles as carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yan; Cui, Haixin; Sun, Changjiao; Zhao, Xiang; Cui, Bo

2014-12-01

Photolysis and poor solubility in water of Abamectin are key issues to be addressed, which causes low bioavailability and residual pollution. In this study, a novel hydrophilic delivery system through loading Abamectin with porous silica nanoparticles (Abam-PSNs) was developed in order to improve the chemical stability, dispersity, and the controlled release of Abamectin. These results suggest that Abam-PSNs can significantly improve the performance of controllable release, photostability, and water solubility of Abamectin by changing the porous structure of silica nanoparticles, which is favorable to improve the bioavailability and reduce the residues of pesticides.

Synthesis and characterization of magnetic Fe/CNTs composites with controllable Fe nanoparticle concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Fan; Duan Hongyan; Wang Weigao; Wang Jun

2012-01-01

Fe/CNTs composites, with different concentrations of Fe nanoparticles (NPs) on carbon nanotube (CNT) surfaces, were successfully fabricated via a facile solvothermal method. The lengths of CNTs are up to 10 μm and the mean diameter of the Fe nanoparticles is about 25 nm. The structures, composition and magnetic properties of the Fe/CNTs were characterized by XRD, FTIR, FE-SEM, TEM and PPMS. We found that the concentrations of Fe nanoparticles depositing on the CNTs could be controlled by adjusting the initial mass ratio of ferrocene to CNTs. The Fe/CNTs composites display good ferromagnetic properties at room temperature, with a saturation magnetization of 125 emu/g-Fe and a coercivity of 276 Oe. The Curie temperature of the sample is about 1038 K, slightly lower than that (1043 K) of the bulk iron.

Controlled Fabrication of Gelatin Nanoparticles as Drug Carriers

Science.gov (United States)

Jahanshahi, M.; Sanati, M. H.; Minuchehr, Z.; Hajizadeh, S.; Babaei, Z.

2007-08-01

In recent years, significant effort has been devoted to develop nanotechnology for drug delivery since it offers a suitable means of delivering small molecular weight drugs, as well as macromolecules such as proteins, peptides or genes by either localized or targeted delivery to the tissue of interest. Nanotechnology focuses on formulating therapeutic agents in biocompatible nanocomposites such as nanoparticles, nanocapsules, micellar systems, and conjugates. Protein nanoparticles (BSA, HAS and gelatin) generally vary in size from 50-300 nm and they hold certain advantages such as greater stability during storage, stability in vivo, non-toxicity, non-antigen and ease to scale up during manufacture over the other drug delivery systems. The primary structure of gelatin offers many possibilities for chemical modification and covalent drug attachment. Here nanoparticles of gelatin type A were prepared by a two-step desolvation method as a colloidal drug delivery system and the essential parameters in fabrication were considered. Gelatin was dissolved in 25 mL distilled water under room temperature range. Then acetone was added to the gelatin solution as a desolvating agent to precipitate the high molecular weight (HMW) gelatin. The supernatant was discarded and the HMW gelatin re-dissolved by adding 25 mL distilled water and stirring at 600 rpm. Acetone were added drop-wise to form nanoparticles. At the end of the process, glutaraldehyde solution was used for preparing nanoparticles as a cross-linking agent, and stirred for 12h at 600 rpm. For purification stage we use centrifuge with 600rpm for 3 times. The objective of the present study is consideration of some factors such as temperature, gelatin concentration, agitation speed and the amount of acetone and their effects on size and distribution of nanoparticles. Among the all conditions, 60° C, 50 mg/ml gelatin concentration, 75 ml acetone had the best result and the nanoparticle size was under 170 nm. The effect

Simulation studies on structural and thermal properties of alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, J Meena

2017-06-01

The structural and thermal properties of the passivated gold nanoparticles were explored employing molecular dynamics simulation for the different surface coverage densities of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkane thiol. The structural properties of the monolayer protected gold nanoparticles such us overall shape, organization and conformation of the capping alkane thiol chains were found to be influenced by the capping density. The structural order of the thiol capped gold nanoparticles enhances with the increase in the surface coverage density. The specific heat capacity of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles was found to increase linearly with the thiol coverage density. This may be attributed to the enhancement in the lattice vibrational energy. The present simulation results suggest, that the structural and thermal properties of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles may be modified by the suitable selection of the SAM coverage density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Controlled Synthesis of Sb 2 O 3 Nanoparticles, Nanowires, and Nanoribbons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Sb 2 O 3 nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanoribbons have been selectively synthesized in a controlled manner under mild conditions by using CTAB as a soft template. By adopting Sb ( OH 4 − as an inorganic precursor and the concentration of CTAB as an adjusting parameter, morphologies of Sb 2 O 3 nanostructures can be selectively controlled. Typically, C CTAB <0.15 mmol favors the formation of nanoparticles (product one or short form P1; when the concentration of CATB is in the range 0.15–2.0 mmol, nanowires (P2 dominate the products; nanoribbons (P3 form above the concentration of 2.0 mmol, and when the concentration of CTAB goes further higher, treelike bundles of nanoribbons could be achieved. The method in the present study has potential advantages of easy handling, relatively low-cost, and large-scale production. The facile and large-scale synthesis of varied Sb 2 O 3 nanostructures is believed to be useful for the application of catalysis and flame retardance.

Development of chitosan-nanoparticle film based materials for controlled quality of minced beef during refrigerated storage

Science.gov (United States)

Erdawati

2010-10-01

Chitosan nanoparticles were prepared based on the ionic gelation of chitosan with tripolyphosphate anions. The physicochemical properties of the chitosan nanoparticles were determined by FTIR analysis, XRD pattern and TEM. The effects of chitosan nanoparticles treatment on the shelf-life extension of minced beef stored at 20±1° C were studied, including chemical and microbiological,. Results indicated that chitosan nanoparticle treatment reduced the total microbial load of fresh minced beef about 10-fold (from 3.2×104 CFU/g to 5.4×102 CFU/g) before storage and the microbial flora was different with that of raw samples. The wide-spectrum antibacterial property of chitosan against bacteria isolated from minced beef was confirmed, and chitosan concentration of 400 ppm was eventually determined for application in minced beef. Based on microbiological analysis, biochemical indices determination and sensory evaluation, shelf-lives of 2-3 days for control, 4-5 days for nanoparticle chitosan treatment samples, were observed, indicating that chitosan nanoparticle have a great potential for minced beef preservation.

Structural and functional aspects of trypsin–gold nanoparticle interactions: An experimental investigation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nidhin, Marimuthu [Department of Chemistry, Amity School of Applied Sciences, Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Amity University Haryana Amity Education Valley, Gurgaon, Haryana 122413 (India); Ghosh, Debasree [Department of Nanotechnology, Amity School of Applied Sciences, Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Amity University Haryana Amity Education Valley, Gurgaon, Haryana 122413 (India); Yadav, Himanshu; Yadav, Nitu [Department of Chemistry, Amity School of Applied Sciences, Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Amity University Haryana Amity Education Valley, Gurgaon, Haryana 122413 (India); Majumder, Sudip, E-mail: sudip22m@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Amity School of Applied Sciences, Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Amity University Haryana Amity Education Valley, Gurgaon, Haryana 122413 (India)

2015-12-15

Highlights: • Trypsin undergoes activation on incubation with gold nanoparticles. • Enhanced activity depends on the stoichiometry of the mixture. • Higher concentration of nanoparticles damage stability and conformation of trypsin. • Gold nanoparticles undergo morphological change on incubation with trypsin. - Abstract: Trypsin (Trp) is arguably the most important member of the serine proteases. Constructs made up of gold nanoparticles (GNP) with trypsin have been known to exhibit increased efficiency and stability in various experiments. Here we report simple Trp–GNP constructs mixed in different trypsin-to-GNP ratios which exhibit higher efficiencies in biochemical assay, varying resistance to autolysis and higher ability in cell trypsinization. Trp–GNP constructs in different trypsin-to-GNP ratios exhibit prolonged and sustained activity compared to native trypsin in N-α-p-benzoyl-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) assay as monitored by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The activity was monitored as a function of decreasing rate of linear release of p-nitro aniline (resulting from the cleavage of BAPNA by trypsin) with time during the assay, whose absorbance was measured at 410 nm (λ{sub max} p-nitro aniline). We have done extensive studies to understand structural basis of this trypsin GNP interaction by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. Our findings suggest that on interaction, the gold nanoparticles probably form an adherent layer on trypsin that effectively changes the morphology and dimensions of the nanoconstructs. However, trypsin-to-GNP ratio is extremely important, as higher concentration of GNP might damage the conformation of protein. Stability studies related to denaturation show that 1:1 Trp–GNP constructs exhibit maximum stability and high efficiency in all assays performed.

Structural and functional aspects of trypsin–gold nanoparticle interactions: An experimental investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nidhin, Marimuthu; Ghosh, Debasree; Yadav, Himanshu; Yadav, Nitu; Majumder, Sudip

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Trypsin undergoes activation on incubation with gold nanoparticles. • Enhanced activity depends on the stoichiometry of the mixture. • Higher concentration of nanoparticles damage stability and conformation of trypsin. • Gold nanoparticles undergo morphological change on incubation with trypsin. - Abstract: Trypsin (Trp) is arguably the most important member of the serine proteases. Constructs made up of gold nanoparticles (GNP) with trypsin have been known to exhibit increased efficiency and stability in various experiments. Here we report simple Trp–GNP constructs mixed in different trypsin-to-GNP ratios which exhibit higher efficiencies in biochemical assay, varying resistance to autolysis and higher ability in cell trypsinization. Trp–GNP constructs in different trypsin-to-GNP ratios exhibit prolonged and sustained activity compared to native trypsin in N-α-p-benzoyl-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) assay as monitored by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The activity was monitored as a function of decreasing rate of linear release of p-nitro aniline (resulting from the cleavage of BAPNA by trypsin) with time during the assay, whose absorbance was measured at 410 nm (λ_m_a_x p-nitro aniline). We have done extensive studies to understand structural basis of this trypsin GNP interaction by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and circular dichroism (CD) techniques. Our findings suggest that on interaction, the gold nanoparticles probably form an adherent layer on trypsin that effectively changes the morphology and dimensions of the nanoconstructs. However, trypsin-to-GNP ratio is extremely important, as higher concentration of GNP might damage the conformation of protein. Stability studies related to denaturation show that 1:1 Trp–GNP constructs exhibit maximum stability and high efficiency in all assays performed.

Size and morphology controlled NiSe nanoparticles as efficient catalyst for the reduction reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Subbarao, Udumula; Marakatti, Vijaykumar S. [New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064 (India); Amshumali, Mungalimane K. [New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064 (India); Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Jnanasagara Campus, Cantonment, Bellary 583105 (India); Loukya, B. [International Center for Materials Science, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064 (India); Singh, Dheeraj Kumar [Chemistry & Physics of Materials Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064 (India); Datta, Ranjan [International Center for Materials Science, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064 (India); Peter, Sebastian C., E-mail: sebastiancp@jncasr.ac.in [New Chemistry Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Jakkur P.O., Bangalore 560064 (India)

2016-12-15

Facile and efficient ball milling and polyol methods were employed for the synthesis of nickel selenide (NiSe) nanoparticle. The particle size of the NiSe nanoparticle has been controlled mechanically by varying the ball size in the milling process. The role of the surfactants in the formation of various morphologies was studied. The compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The efficiency of the NiSe nanoparticle as a catalyst was tested for the reduction of para-nitroaniline (PNA) to para-phenyldiamine (PPD) and para-nitrophenol (PNP) to para-aminophenol (PAP) using NaBH{sub 4} as the reducing agent. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant played a crucial role in the reduction process. - Graphical abstract: NiSe nanoparticles in different size and morphology were synthesized using facile ball milling and polyol methods. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant in these materials played a crucial role in the hydrogenation of PNA and PNP. - Highlights: • NiSe nanoparticles synthesized using ball milling and solution phase methods. • NiSe nanoparticle is an efficient catalyst for the reduction of PNA and PNP. • NiSe is found to be better than the best reported noble metal catalysts.

Size and morphology controlled NiSe nanoparticles as efficient catalyst for the reduction reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subbarao, Udumula; Marakatti, Vijaykumar S.; Amshumali, Mungalimane K.; Loukya, B.; Singh, Dheeraj Kumar; Datta, Ranjan; Peter, Sebastian C.

2016-01-01

Facile and efficient ball milling and polyol methods were employed for the synthesis of nickel selenide (NiSe) nanoparticle. The particle size of the NiSe nanoparticle has been controlled mechanically by varying the ball size in the milling process. The role of the surfactants in the formation of various morphologies was studied. The compounds were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The efficiency of the NiSe nanoparticle as a catalyst was tested for the reduction of para-nitroaniline (PNA) to para-phenyldiamine (PPD) and para-nitrophenol (PNP) to para-aminophenol (PAP) using NaBH 4 as the reducing agent. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant played a crucial role in the reduction process. - Graphical abstract: NiSe nanoparticles in different size and morphology were synthesized using facile ball milling and polyol methods. Particle size, morphology and the presence of surfactant in these materials played a crucial role in the hydrogenation of PNA and PNP. - Highlights: • NiSe nanoparticles synthesized using ball milling and solution phase methods. • NiSe nanoparticle is an efficient catalyst for the reduction of PNA and PNP. • NiSe is found to be better than the best reported noble metal catalysts.

Nanoparticles for Control of Biofilms of Acinetobacter Species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richa Singh

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Biofilms are the cause of 80% of microbial infections. Acinetobacter species have emerged as multi- and pan-drug-resistant bacteria and pose a great threat to human health. These act as nosocomial pathogens and form excellent biofilms, both on biotic and abiotic surfaces, leading to severe infections and diseases. Various methods have been developed for treatment and control of Acinetobacter biofilm including photodynamic therapy, radioimmunotherapy, prophylactic vaccines and antimicrobial peptides. Nanotechnology, in the present scenario, offers a promising alternative. Nanomaterials possess unique properties, and multiple bactericidal mechanisms render them more effective than conventional drugs. This review intends to provide an overview of Acinetobacter biofilm and the significant role of various nanoparticles as anti-biofouling agents, surface-coating materials and drug-delivery vehicles for biofilm control and treatment of Acinetobacter infections.

Synthesis and evaluation of temperature- and glucose-sensitive nanoparticles based on phenylboronic acid and N-vinylcaprolactam for insulin delivery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Jun-zi [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 (China); Bremner, David H. [School of Science, Engineering and Technology, Kydd Building, Abertay University, Dundee DD1 1HG, Scotland (United Kingdom); Li, He-yu; Sun, Xiao-zhu [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 (China); Zhu, Li-Min, E-mail: lzhu@dhu.edu.cn [College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620 (China)

2016-12-01

Poly N-vinylcaprolactam-co-acrylamidophenylboronic acid p(NVCL-co-AAPBA) was prepared from N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) and 3-acrylamidophenylboronic acid (AAPBA), using 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. The synthesis and structure of the polymer were examined by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and {sup 1}H-NMR. Dynamic light scattering (DLS), lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were utilized to characterize the nanoparticles, CD spectroscopy was used to determine if there were any changes to the conformation of the insulin, and cell and animal toxicity were also investigated. The prepared nanoparticles were found to be monodisperse submicron particles and were glucose- and temperature-sensitive. In addition, the nanoparticles have good insulin-loading characteristics, do not affect the conformation of the insulin and show low-toxicity to cells and animals. These p(NVCL-co-AAPBA) nanoparticles may have some value for insulin or other hypoglycemic protein delivery. - Highlights: • A comprehensive study of a nanoparticles may have some value for insulin or other hypoglycemic protein delivery. • p(NVCL-co-AAPBA)'s synthetic method is simple, convenient to carry out. • NVCL is low toxic and safe. • The evaluation of acute toxicity and chronic toxicity is the most highlight.

Stabilization of silver nanoparticles in nonanoic acid: A temperature activated conformation reaction observed with surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henneke, Dale E.; Malyavanatham, Gokul; Kovar, Desiderio; O'Brien, D.T.; Becker, M.F.; Nichols, William T.; Keto, J.W.

2003-01-01

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by ultraviolet (λ=248 nm) laser ablation of an aerosol of micron-sized source particles entrained in nitrogen. As a result of thermionic electron emission and photoionization, nanoparticles produced in this manner were highly charged. The resulting aerosol was primarily composed of nanometer sized particles. The charged nanoparticles were deflected by an electric field that was perpendicular to the aerosol flow. Deflected nanoparticles were deposited directly into n-nonanoic acid flowing along the negative collection electrode. Suspensions of nanoparticles collected in this manner were dark gray in color and were found to be flocculated. When the suspensions were heated to temperatures above 75 deg. C, a color change from gray to clear was observed. Ultraviolet/visible extinction spectroscopy was performed on each suspension following annealing at different temperatures and times. By modeling the absorption decrease as a first order reaction, a good fit for the data was found. Analysis by dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that the initial mean flocculent size of the gray suspensions was 602 nm. DLS analysis of the suspensions taken at different annealing intervals showed that the flocculent size decreased, but maintained a narrow size distribution until the size shrank below the instrument resolution limit. The reduction in flocculent size coincided with the observed color change, and an irreversible transition to a deflocculated primary nanoparticle suspension is observed. Surface enhanced Raman scattering is used to confirm that the reaction results from a change in the orientation of the nonanoic molecule on the surface of the nanoparticle

Controlling semiconductor nanoparticle size distributions with tailored ultrashort pulses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hergenroeder, R; Miclea, M; Hommes, V

2006-01-01

The laser generation of size-controlled semiconductor nanoparticle formation under gas phase conditions is investigated. It is shown that the size distribution can be changed if picosecond pulse sequences of tailored ultra short laser pulses (<200 fs) are employed. By delivering the laser energy in small packages, a temporal energy flux control at the target surface is achieved, which results in the control of the thermodynamic pathway the material takes. The concept is tested with silicon and germanium, both materials with a predictable response to double pulse sequences, which allows deduction of the materials' response to complicated pulse sequences. An automatic, adaptive learning algorithm was employed to demonstrate a future strategy that enables the definition of more complex optimization targets such as particle size on materials less predictable than semiconductors

Templated assembly of Co-Pt nanoparticles via thermal and laser-induced dewetting of bilayer metal films.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Yong-Jun; Kim, Jung-Hwan; Thompson, Carl V; Ross, Caroline A

2013-01-07

Templated dewetting of a Co/Pt metal bilayer film on a topographic substrate was used to assemble arrays of Co-Pt alloy nanoparticles, with highly uniform particle size, shape and notably composition compared to nanoparticles formed on an untemplated substrate. Solid-state and liquid-state dewetting processes, using furnace annealing and laser irradiation respectively, were compared. Liquid state dewetting produced more uniform, conformal nanoparticles but they had a polycrystalline disordered fcc structure and relatively low magnetic coercivity. In contrast, solid state dewetting enabled formation of magnetically hard, ordered L1(0) Co-Pt single-crystal particles with coercivity >12 kOe. Furnace annealing converted the nanoparticles formed by liquid state dewetting into the L1(0) phase.

Quantum Conformal Algebras and Closed Conformal Field Theory

CERN Document Server

Anselmi, D

1999-01-01

We investigate the quantum conformal algebras of N=2 and N=1 supersymmetric gauge theories. Phenomena occurring at strong coupling are analysed using the Nachtmann theorem and very general, model-independent, arguments. The results lead us to introduce a novel class of conformal field theories, identified by a closed quantum conformal algebra. We conjecture that they are the exact solution to the strongly coupled large-N_c limit of the open conformal field theories. We study the basic properties of closed conformal field theory and work out the operator product expansion of the conserved current multiplet T. The OPE structure is uniquely determined by two central charges, c and a. The multiplet T does not contain just the stress-tensor, but also R-currents and finite mass operators. For this reason, the ratio c/a is different from 1. On the other hand, an open algebra contains an infinite tower of non-conserved currents, organized in pairs and singlets with respect to renormalization mixing. T mixes with a se...

C-metric solution for conformal gravity with a conformally coupled scalar field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Kun, E-mail: mengkun@tjpu.edu.cn [School of Science, Tianjin Polytechnic University, Tianjin 300387 (China); Zhao, Liu, E-mail: lzhao@nankai.edu.cn [School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071 (China)

2017-02-15

The C-metric solution of conformal gravity with a conformally coupled scalar field is presented. The solution belongs to the class of Petrov type D spacetimes and is conformal to the standard AdS C-metric appeared in vacuum Einstein gravity. For all parameter ranges, we identify some of the physically interesting static regions and the corresponding coordinate ranges. The solution may contain a black hole event horizon, an acceleration horizon, either of which may be cut by the conformal infinity or be hidden behind the conformal infinity. Since the model is conformally invariant, we also discussed the possible effects of the conformal gauge choices on the structure of the spacetime.

Blueshift of the silver plasmon band using controlled nanoparticle dissolution in aqueous solution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mogensen, Klaus Bo; Kneipp, Katrin

2014-01-01

In this work, we report the size-dependent blue shift of the silver nanoparticle plasmon band in aqueous solution by means of UV/VIS spectroscopy. An oxidative dissolution scheme allows a gradual decrease in the particle sizes by controlled oxidation during recording of the optical spectra. Hence......-dependence of the plasmon peak energy is seen, which is interpreted as an increase in the free electron density of the nanoparticles. Utilization of the size-dependent electronic contribution to the optical response in nanoplasmonic sensors is shown to be a promising extension to improve the sensitivity and specificity...

Factors Controlling Nanoparticle Pharmacokinetics: An Integrated Analysis and Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moghimi, Seyed Moien; Hunter, A.C.; Andresen, T.L.

2012-01-01

of interrelated core and interfacial physicochemical and biological factors. Pertinent to realizing therapeutic goals, definitive maps that establish the interdependency of nanoparticle size, shape, and surface characteristics in relation to interfacial forces, biodistribution, controlled drug release, excretion......Intravenously injected nanoparticulate drug carriers provide a wide range of unique opportunities for site-specific targeting of therapeutic agents to many areas within the vasculature and beyond. Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of these carriers are controlled by a complex array...... are already on the market and many are in late-phase clinical trials. With concomitant advances in extensive computational knowledge of the genomics and epigenomics of interindividual variations in drug responses, the boundaries toward development of personalized nanomedicines can be pushed further....

Study on the interaction between gold nanoparticles and papain by spectroscopic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Gongke; Chen, Ye; Yan, Changling; Lu, Yan

2015-01-01

The interaction between gold nanoparticles and papain was studied by fluorescence, UV–vis absorption and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopic techniques under the physiological conditions. The results showed that the binding of gold nanoparticles to papain was a spontaneous binding process. The fluorescence of papain was strongly quenched by gold nanoparticles. The quenching mechanism was probably a static quenching type with the formation of a ground state complex. The Stern–Volmer quenching constants, the binding constants and the number of binding sites in different temperatures were calculated. The corresponding thermodynamic parameters ΔH,ΔS and ΔG indicated that hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces played a key role in the interaction process. Additionally, the conformational change of papain induced by gold nanoparticles was analyzed by UV–vis absorption and synchronous fluorescence spectra. - Highlights: • Spherical and monodispersed gold nanoparticles are synthesized. • The fluorescence of papain is quenched by gold nanoparticles under physiological conditions. • Hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals forces may play an essential role in the binding of gold nanoparticles with papain. • This binding interaction is predominantly enthalpy driven

Environment friendly approach for size controllable synthesis of biocompatible Silver nanoparticles using diastase.

Science.gov (United States)

Maddinedi, Sireesh Babu; Mandal, Badal Kumar; Anna, Kiran Kumar

2017-01-01

A green, facile method for the size selective synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using diastase as green reducing and stabilizing agent is reported. The thiol groups present in the diastase are mainly responsible for the rapid reaction rate of silver nanoparticles synthesis. The variation in the size and morphology of AgNPs were studied by changing the pH of diastase. The prepared silver nanoparticles were characterized by using UV-vis, XRD, FTIR, TEM and SAED. The FTIR analysis revealed the stabilization of diastase molecules on the surface of AgNPs. Additionally, in-vitro cytotoxicity experiments concluded that the cytotoxicity of the as-synthesized AgNPs towards mouse fibroblast (3T3) cell lines is dose and size dependent. Furthermore, the present method is an alternative to the traditional chemical methods of size controlled AgNPs synthesis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Polysaccharides-based polyelectrolyte nanoparticles as protein drugs delivery system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shu Shujun; Sun Lei; Zhang Xinge, E-mail: zhangxinge@nankai.edu.cn [Nankai University, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry (China); Wu Zhongming [Tianjin Medical University, Metabolic Diseases Hospital (China); Wang Zhen; Li Chaoxing, E-mail: lcx@nankai.edu.cn [Nankai University, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials Ministry of Education, Institute of Polymer Chemistry (China)

2011-09-15

Polysaccharides-based nanoparticles were prepared by synthesized quaternized chitosan and dextran sulfate through simple ionic-gelation self-assembled method. Introduction of quaternized groups was intended to increase water solubility of chitosan and make the nanoparticles have broader pH sensitive range which can remain more stable in physiological pH and decrease the loss of protein drugs caused by the gastric cavity. The load of BSA was affected by molecular parameter, i.e., degree of substitution, and average molecular weight of quaternized chitosan, as well as concentration of BSA. Fast release occurred in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) while the release was slow in hydrochloric acid (pH 1.4). The drug release mechanism is Fickian diffusion through release kinetics analysis. Cell uptake demonstrated nanoparicles can internalize into Caco-2 cells, which suggested that nanoparticles had good biocompatibility. No significant conformation change was noted for the released BSA in comparison with native BSA using circular dichroism spectroscopy. This kind of novel composite nanoparticles may be a promising delivery system for oral protein and peptide drugs.

Controlled supramolecular assembly of micelle-like gold nanoparticles in PS-b-P2VP diblock copolymers via hydrogen bonding.

Science.gov (United States)

Jang, Se Gyu; Kramer, Edward J; Hawker, Craig J

2011-10-26

We report a facile strategy to synthesize amphiphilic gold (Au) nanoparticles functionalized with a multilayer, micelle-like structure consisting of a Au core, an inner hydroxylated polyisoprene (PIOH) layer, and an outer polystyrene shell (PS). Careful control of enthalpic interactions via a systematic variation of structural parameters, such as number of hydroxyl groups per ligand (N(OH)) and styrene repeating units (N(PS)) as well as areal chain density of ligands on the Au-core surface (Σ), enables precise control of the spatial distribution of these nanoparticles. This control was demonstrated in a lamellae-forming poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) diblock copolymer matrix, where the favorable hydrogen-bonding interaction between hydroxyl groups in the PIOH inner shell and P2VP chains in the PS-b-P2VP diblock copolymer matrix, driving the nanoparticles to be segregated in P2VP domains, could be counter balanced by the enthalphic penalty of mixing of the PS outer brush with the P2VP domains. By varying N(OH), N(PS), and Σ, the nanoparticles could be positioned in the PS or P2VP domains or at the PS/P2VP interface. In addition, the effect of additives interfering with the hydrogen-bond formation between hydroxyl groups on Au nanoparticles and P2VP chains in a diblock copolymer matrix was investigated, and an interesting pea-pod-like segregation of Au nanoparticles in PS domains was observed.

Non-conformable, partial and conformable transposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

König, Thomas; Mäder, Lars Kai

2013-01-01

and the Commission regarding a directive’s outcome, play a much more strategic role than has to date acknowledged in the transposition literature. Whereas disagreement of a member state delays conformable transposition, it speeds up non-conformable transposition. Disagreement of the Commission only prolongs...... the transposition process. We therefore conclude that a stronger focus on an effective sanctioning mechanism is warranted for safeguarding compliance with directives....

Can acyclic conformational control be achieved via a sulfur-fluorine gauche effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Thiehoff, C; Holland, M C; Daniliuc, C; Houk, K N; Gilmour, R

2015-06-01

The gauche conformation of the 1,2-difluoroethane motif is known to involve stabilising hyperconjugative interactions between donor (bonding, σ C-H ) and acceptor (antibonding, σ *C-F) orbitals. This model rationalises the generic conformational preference of F-C β -C α -X systems ( φ FCCX ≈ 60°), where X is an electron deficient substituent containing a Period 2 atom. Little is known about the corresponding Period 3 systems, such as sulfur and phosphorus, where multiple oxidation states are possible. Conformational analyses of β-fluorosulfides, -sulfoxides and -sulfones are disclosed here, thus extending the scope of the fluorine gauche effect to the 3rd Period (F-C-C-S(O) n ; φ FCCS ≈ 60°). Synergy between experiment and computation has revealed that the gauche effect is only pronounced in structures bearing an electropositive vicinal sulfur atom (S + -O - , SO 2 ).

Wrinkling instability in graphene supported on nanoparticle-patterned SiO2

Science.gov (United States)

Cullen, William; Yamamoto, Mahito; Pierre-Louis, Olivier; Einstein, Theodore; Fuhrer, Michael

2012-02-01

Atomically-thin graphene is arguably the thinnest possible mechanical membrane: graphene's effective thickness (the thickness of an isotropic continuum slab which would have the same elastic and bending stiffness) is significantly less than 1 å, indicating that graphene can distort out-of-plane to conform to sub-nanometer features. Here we study the elastic response of graphene supported on a SiO2 substrate covered with SiO2 nanoparticles. At a low density of nanoparticles, graphene is largely pinned to the substrate due to adhesive interaction. However, with increasing nanoparticle density, graphene's elasticity dominates adhesion and strain is relieved by the formation of wrinkles which connect peaks introduced by the supporting nanoparticles. At a critical density, the wrinkles percolate, resulting in a wrinkle network. We develop a simple elastic model allowing for adhesion which accurately predicts the critical spacing between nanoparticles for wrinkle formation. This work has been supported by the University of Maryland NSF-MRSEC under Grant No. DMR 05-20471 with supplemental funding from NRI, and NSF-DMR 08-04976.

Biomimetic synthesis of hybrid hydroxyapatite nanoparticles using nanogel template for controlled release of bovine serum albumin.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Jinli; Zhong, Zhenyu; Ma, Jun

2016-05-01

A biomimetic method was used to prepare hybrid hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanoparticles with chitosan/polyacrylic acid (CS-PAA) nanogel. The morphology, structure, crystallinity, thermal properties and biocompatibility of the obtained hybrid nanogel-HAP nanoparticles have been characterized. In addition, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a model protein to study the loading and release behaviors of the hybrid nanogel-HAP nanoparticles. The results indicated that the obtained HAP nanoparticles were agglomerated and the nanogel could regulate the formation of HAP. When the nanogel concentration decreased, different HAP crystal shapes and agglomerate structures were obtained. The loading amount of BSA reached 67.6 mg/g for the hybrid nanoparticles when the mineral content was 90.4%, which decreased when the nanogel concentration increased. The release profile of BSA was sustained in neutral buffer. Meanwhile, an initial burst release was found at pH 4.5 due to the desorption of BSA from the surface, followed by a slow release. The hemolysis percentage of the hybrid nanoparticles was close to the negative control, and these particles were non-toxic to bone marrow stromal stem cells. The results suggest that these hybrid nanogel-HAP nanoparticles are promising candidate materials for biocompatible drug delivery systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conformal Einstein spaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozameh, C.N.; Newman, E.T.; Tod, K.P.

1985-01-01

Conformal transformations in four-dimensional. In particular, a new set of two necessary and sufficient conditions for a space to be conformal to an Einstein space is presented. The first condition defines the class of spaces conformal to C spaces, whereas the last one (the vanishing of the Bach tensor) gives the particular subclass of C spaces which are conformally related to Einstein spaces. (author)

Conformal Gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hooft, G.

2012-01-01

The dynamical degree of freedom for the gravitational force is the metric tensor, having 10 locally independent degrees of freedom (of which 4 can be used to fix the coordinate choice). In conformal gravity, we split this field into an overall scalar factor and a nine-component remainder. All unrenormalizable infinities are in this remainder, while the scalar component can be handled like any other scalar field such as the Higgs field. In this formalism, conformal symmetry is spontaneously broken. An imperative demand on any healthy quantum gravity theory is that black holes should be described as quantum systems with micro-states as dictated by the Hawking-Bekenstein theory. This requires conformal symmetry that may be broken spontaneously but not explicitly, and this means that all conformal anomalies must cancel out. Cancellation of conformal anomalies yields constraints on the matter sector as described by some universal field theory. Thus black hole physics may eventually be of help in the construction of unified field theories. (author)

78 FR 78310 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; North Carolina; Transportation Conformity...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-26

...] Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; North Carolina; Transportation Conformity Memorandum of... Resources. This submission adopts a memorandum of agreement establishing transportation conformity criteria...-related control measures and mitigation measures. This proposed action streamlines the conformity process...

Magnetic agglomeration method for size control in the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Dale L [Albuquerque, NM

2011-07-05

A method for controlling the size of chemically synthesized magnetic nanoparticles that employs magnetic interaction between particles to control particle size and does not rely on conventional kinetic control of the reaction to control particle size. The particles are caused to reversibly agglomerate and precipitate from solution; the size at which this occurs can be well controlled to provide a very narrow particle size distribution. The size of particles is controllable by the size of the surfactant employed in the process; controlling the size of the surfactant allows magnetic control of the agglomeration and precipitation processes. Agglomeration is used to effectively stop particle growth to provide a very narrow range of particle sizes.

Designing the nanoparticle-biomolecule interface for "targeting and therapeutic delivery".

Science.gov (United States)

Mahon, Eugene; Salvati, Anna; Baldelli Bombelli, Francesca; Lynch, Iseult; Dawson, Kenneth A

2012-07-20

The endogenous transport mechanisms which occur in living organisms have evolved to allow selective transport and processing operate on a scale of tens of nanometers. This presents the possibility of unprecedented access for engineered nanoscale materials to organs and sub-cellular locations, materials which may in principle be targeted to precise locations for diagnostic or therapeutic gain. For this reason, nano-architectures could represent a truly radical departure as delivery agents for drugs, genes and therapies to treat a host of diseases. Thus, for active targeting, unlike the case of small molecular drugs where molecular structure has evolved to promote higher physiochemical affinity to specific sites, one aims to exploit these energy dependant endogenous processes. Many active targeting strategies have been developed, but despite this truly remarkable potential, in applications they have met with mixed success to date. This situation may have more to do with our current understanding and integration of knowledge across disciplines, than any intrinsic limitation on the vision itself. In this review article we suggest that much more fundamental and detailed control of the nanoparticle-biomolecule interface is required for sustained and general success in this field. In the simplest manifestation, pristine nanoparticles in biological fluids act as a scaffold for biomolecules, which adsorb rapidly to the nanoparticles' surface, conferring a new biological identity to the nanoparticles. It is this nanoparticle-biomolecule interface that is 'read' and acted upon by the cellular machinery. Moreover, where targeting moieties are grafted onto nanoparticles, they may not retain their function as a result of poor orientation, and structural or conformational disruption. Further surface adsorption of biomolecules from the surrounding environment i.e. the formation of a biomolecule corona may also obscure specific surface recognition. To transfer the remarkable

Controlled release of bupivacaine using hybrid thermoresponsive nanoparticles activated via photothermal heating.

Science.gov (United States)

Alejo, Teresa; Andreu, Vanesa; Mendoza, Gracia; Sebastian, Victor; Arruebo, Manuel

2018-08-01

Near-infrared (NIR) responsive nanoparticles are of great interest in the biomedical field as antennas for photothermal therapy and also as triggers for on-demand drug delivery. The present work reports the preparation of hollow gold nanoparticles (HGNPs) with plasmonic absorption in the NIR region covalently bound to a thermoresponsive polymeric shell that can be used as an on-demand drug delivery system for the release of analgesic drugs. The photothermal heating induced by the nanoparticles is able to produce the collapse of the polymeric shell thus generating the release of the local anesthetic bupivacaine in a spatiotemporally controlled way. Those HGNPs contain a 10 wt.% of polymer and present excellent reversible heating under NIR light excitation. Bupivacaine released at physiological temperature (37 °C) showed a pseudo-zero order release that could be spatiotemporally modified on-demand after applying several pulses of light/temperature above and below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymeric shell. Furthermore, the nanomaterials obtained did not displayed detrimental effects on four mammalian cell lines at doses up to 0.2 mg/mL. From the results obtained it can be concluded than this type of hybrid thermoresponsive nanoparticle can be used as an externally activated on-demand drug delivery system. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Morphology Control of Platinum Nanoparticles and their Catalytic Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyazaki, Akane; Balint, Ioan; Nakano, Yoshio

2003-01-01

Platinum nanoparticles with different morphology were prepared by reduction of K 2 PtCl 4 solution in the presence of different capping polymers. It was found that the shapes and the sizes of the Pt nanocrystals resulted were related to the kind of capping polymer used. When poly(vinylpyrrolidon) (PVP), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPA) and sodium poly(acrylate) (SPA) were used as capping agents, the dominant shapes of the Pt nanocrystals observed by transmission electron microscopy were hexagonal (∼62%), square (∼67%) and triangular (∼41%), respectively. The average sizes of Pt nanocrystals were 6.9, 13.6 and 14.6 nm for capping polymers of PVP, NIPA and SPA, respectively. The colloidal Pt nanoparticles with different morphologies were supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 (1 wt.% Pt) and then their catalytic activity for NO reduction by CH 4 was tested in the 350-600 deg. C temperature range. Additionally, the catalytic activities of these alumina-supported Pt nanocrystals were compared with a conventional catalyst having the average size of Pt particles of ∼2.4 nm. Over the alumina-supported Pt nanocrystals as compared with the conventional Pt/Al 2 O 3 , it was observed that the NO/CH 4 reaction yields to NH 3 and CO decreased significantly and on the other hand, the yield to N 2 O increased. The experimental results are suggesting that the catalytic behavior can be tuned in a convenient way through the morphological control of the metal nanoparticles

Morphology Control of Platinum Nanoparticles and their Catalytic Properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyazaki, Akane [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology (Japan)], E-mail: akanem@chemenv.titech.ac.jp; Balint, Ioan [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Romanian Academy (Romania); Nakano, Yoshio [Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Environmental Chemistry and Engineering, Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology (Japan)

2003-04-15

Platinum nanoparticles with different morphology were prepared by reduction of K{sub 2}PtCl{sub 4} solution in the presence of different capping polymers. It was found that the shapes and the sizes of the Pt nanocrystals resulted were related to the kind of capping polymer used. When poly(vinylpyrrolidon) (PVP), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPA) and sodium poly(acrylate) (SPA) were used as capping agents, the dominant shapes of the Pt nanocrystals observed by transmission electron microscopy were hexagonal ({approx}62%), square ({approx}67%) and triangular ({approx}41%), respectively. The average sizes of Pt nanocrystals were 6.9, 13.6 and 14.6 nm for capping polymers of PVP, NIPA and SPA, respectively. The colloidal Pt nanoparticles with different morphologies were supported on {gamma}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (1 wt.% Pt) and then their catalytic activity for NO reduction by CH{sub 4} was tested in the 350-600 deg. C temperature range. Additionally, the catalytic activities of these alumina-supported Pt nanocrystals were compared with a conventional catalyst having the average size of Pt particles of {approx}2.4 nm. Over the alumina-supported Pt nanocrystals as compared with the conventional Pt/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, it was observed that the NO/CH{sub 4} reaction yields to NH{sub 3} and CO decreased significantly and on the other hand, the yield to N{sub 2}O increased. The experimental results are suggesting that the catalytic behavior can be tuned in a convenient way through the morphological control of the metal nanoparticles.

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Effects on the Agglomeration of Magnetite Nanoparticles by Magnetic Field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Daeseong; Kim, Hackjin

2016-01-01

The dynamics of agglomeration of magnetite nanoparticles studied by measuring the magnetic weight shows the kinetics of stretched exponential. During the growth of the magnetic weight, the structure of agglomerate fluctuates by temperature change. This fast relaxation that can be interpreted in terms of Boltzmann distribution indicates that the thermal equilibration is established promptly with the temperature change. Agglomerate of nanoparticles resembles protein in that both of them exist in complex structures of various conformations with different formation energies, which requires the energy landscape for understanding of dynamics in detail

pH-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles employed in controlled drug delivery systems for cancer treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Ke-Ni; Zhang, Chun-Qiu; Wang, Wei; Wang, Paul C.; Zhou, Jian-Ping; Liang, Xing-Jie

2014-01-01

In the fight against cancer, controlled drug delivery systems have emerged to enhance the therapeutic efficacy and safety of anti-cancer drugs. Among these systems, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) with a functional surface possess obvious advantages and were thus rapidly developed for cancer treatment. Many stimuli-responsive materials, such as nanoparticles, polymers, and inorganic materials, have been applied as caps and gatekeepers to control drug release from MSNs. This review presents an overview of the recent progress in the production of pH-responsive MSNs based on the pH gradient between normal tissues and the tumor microenvironment. Four main categories of gatekeepers can respond to acidic conditions. These categories will be described in detail

Interaction of carbon nanoparticles to serum albumin: elucidation of the extent of perturbation of serum albumin conformations and thermodynamical parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandal, Samir [Molecular and Human Genetics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032 (India); Hossain, Maidul [Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032 (India); Devi, P. Sujatha [Nano-Structured Materials Division, CSIR-Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata 700032 (India); Kumar, Gopinatha Suresh [Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032 (India); Chaudhuri, Keya, E-mail: keya.chaudhuri@gmail.com [Molecular and Human Genetics Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata 700032 (India)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Strong interaction of serum albumins to CNPs and potential toxicity. ► Partial unfolding and alteration of BSA and HSA secondary structure by CNP. ► Significant insight into design of nanoparticles in biomedical applications. -- Abstract: Carbon nanoparticles continuously generated from industries and vehicles due to incomplete combustion of fuels is one of the potent causes of air pollution. The exposure of this polluted air with carbon nanoparticles, introduced into the bloodstream of animals in the course of respiration, motivated us to study their interaction with plasma proteins, bovine serum albumin and human serum albumin. Carbon nanoparticles with very small size and high purity were synthesized by dehydration of D-glucose using concentrated sulphuric acid as dehydrating agent. These were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy and UV–visible spectroscopy. Carbon nanoparticles-protein interactions were studied by fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. The fluorescence quenching constants and thermodynamic parameters such as enthalpy change (ΔH°), entropy change (ΔS°) and free energy change (ΔG°) were calculated, which indicated a strong static quenching and primary electrostatic interaction between the carbon nanoparticles and blood proteins. Circular dichroism spectra provided the information about the secondary structure alteration of the proteins in presence of carbon nanoparticles. These findings have shed light towards an understanding of the interactions between carbon nanoparticles and serum proteins which may clarify the potential risks and undesirable health effects of carbon nanoparticles, as well as the related cellular trafficking and systemic translocation.

Externally controlled on-demand release of anti-HIV drug using magneto-electric nanoparticles as carriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Madhavan; Guduru, Rakesh; Liang, Ping; Hong, Jeongmin; Sagar, Vidya; Khizroev, Sakhrat

2013-01-01

Although highly active anti-retroviral therapy has resulted in remarkable decline in the morbidity and mortality in AIDS patients, inadequately low delivery of anti-retroviral drugs across the blood-brain barrier results in virus persistence. The capability of high-efficacy-targeted drug delivery and on-demand release remains a formidable task. Here we report an in vitro study to demonstrate the on-demand release of azidothymidine 5'-triphosphate, an anti-human immunodeficiency virus drug, from 30 nm CoFe2O4@BaTiO3 magneto-electric nanoparticles by applying a low alternating current magnetic field. Magneto-electric nanoparticles as field-controlled drug carriers offer a unique capability of field-triggered release after crossing the blood-brain barrier. Owing to the intrinsic magnetoelectricity, these nanoparticles can couple external magnetic fields with the electric forces in drug-carrier bonds to enable remotely controlled delivery without exploiting heat. Functional and structural integrity of the drug after the release was confirmed in in vitro experiments with human immunodeficiency virus-infected cells and through atomic force microscopy, spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared and mass spectrometry studies.

Gaining Control over Radiolytic Synthesis of Uniform Sub-3-nanometer Palladium Nanoparticles: Use of Aromatic Liquids in the Electron Microscope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abellan Baeza, Patricia; Parent, Lucas R.; Al Hasan, Naila M.; Park, Chiwoo; Arslan, Ilke; Karim, Ayman M.; Evans, James E.; Browning, Nigel D.

2016-01-07

Synthesizing nanomaterials of uniform shape and size is of critical importance to access and manipulate the novel structure-property relationships arising at the nanoscale. In this work we synthesize Pd nanoparticles with well-controlled size using in situ liquid-stage scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and demonstrate a match between the reaction kinetics and products of the radiolytic and chemical syntheses of size-stabilized Pd nanoparticles. We quantify the effect of electron dose on the nucleation kinetics, and compare these results with in situ small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments investigating the effect of temperature during chemical synthesis. This work introduces methods for precise control of nanoparticle synthesis in the STEM and provides a means to uncover the fundamental processes behind the size and shape stabilization of nanoparticles.

Gold nanoparticle assemblies of controllable size obtained by hydroxylamine reduction at room temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Tódor, István Sz.; Szabó, László; Marişca, Oana T.; Chiş, Vasile; Leopold, Nicolae

2014-12-01

Colloidal nanoparticle assemblies (NPAs) were obtained in a one-step procedure, by reduction of HAuCl4 by hydroxylamine hydrochloride, at room temperature, without the use of any additional nucleating agent. By changing the order of the reactants, NPAs with mean size of 20 and 120 nm were obtained. Because of their size and irregular popcorn like shape, the larger size NPAs show absorption in the NIR spectral region. The building blocks of the resulted nanoassemblies are spherical nanoparticles with diameters of 4-8 and 10-30 nm, respectively. Moreover, by stabilizing the colloid with bovine serum albumin at different time moments after synthesis, NPAs of controlled size between 20 and 120 nm, could be obtained. The NPAs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, TEM and SEM electron microscopies. In addition, the possibility of using the here proposed NPAs as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate was assessed and found to provide a higher enhancement compared to conventional citrate-reduced nanoparticles.

Controlled fabrication of gold nanoparticles biomediated by glucose oxidase immobilized on chitosan layer-by-layer films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caseli, Luciano; Santos, David S. dos; Aroca, Ricardo F.; Oliveira, Osvaldo N.

2009-01-01

The control of size and shape of metallic nanoparticles is a fundamental goal in nanochemistry, and crucial for applications exploiting nanoscale properties of materials. We present here an approach to the synthesis of gold nanoparticles mediated by glucose oxidase (GOD) immobilized on solid substrates using the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technique. The LbL films contained four alternated layers of chitosan and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), with GOD in the uppermost bilayer adsorbed on a fifth chitosan layer: (chitosan/PSS) 4 /(chitosan/GOD). The films were inserted into a solution containing gold salt and glucose, at various pHs. Optimum conditions were achieved at pH 9, producing gold nanoparticles of ca. 30 nm according to transmission electron microscopy. A comparative study with the enzyme in solution demonstrated that the synthesis of gold nanoparticles is more efficient using immobilized GOD.

Controlling thin film structure for the dewetting of catalyst nanoparticle arrays for subsequent carbon nanofiber growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Randolph, S J; Fowlkes, J D; Melechko, A V; Klein, K L; III, H M Meyer; Simpson, M L; Rack, P D

2007-01-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanofiber (CNF) growth is a catalytic chemical vapor deposition process in which structure and functionality is controlled by the plasma conditions and the properties of the catalyst nanoparticles that template the fiber growth. We have found that the resultant catalyst nanoparticle network that forms by the dewetting of a continuous catalyst thin film is dependent on the initial properties of the thin film. Here we report the ability to tailor the crystallographic texture and composition of the nickel catalyst film and subsequently the nanoparticle template by varying the rf magnetron sputter deposition conditions. After sputtering the Ni catalyst thin films, the films are heated and exposed to an ammonia dc plasma, to chemically reduce the native oxide on the films and induce dewetting of the film to form nanoparticles. Subsequent nanoparticle treatment in an acetylene plasma at high substrate temperature results in CNF growth. Evidence is presented that the texture and composition of the nickel thin film has a significant impact on the structure and composition of the formed nanoparticle, as well as the resultant CNF morphology. Nickel films with a preferred (111) or (100) texture were produced and conditions favoring interfacial silicidation reactions were identified and investigated. Both compositional and structural analysis of the films and nanoparticles indicate that the properties of the as-deposited Ni catalyst film influences the subsequent nanoparticle formation and ultimately the catalytic growth of the carbon nanofibers

Experimental opto-mechanics with levitated nanoparticles: towards quantum control and thermodynamic cycles (Presentation Recording)

Science.gov (United States)

Kiesel, Nikolai; Blaser, Florian; Delic, Uros; Grass, David; Dechant, Andreas; Lutz, Eric; Bathaee, Marzieh; Aspelmeyer, Markus

2015-08-01

Combining optical levitation and cavity optomechanics constitutes a promising approach to prepare and control the motional quantum state of massive objects (>10^9 amu). This, in turn, would represent a completely new type of light-matter interface and has, for example, been predicted to enable experimental tests of macrorealistic models or of non-Newtonian gravity at small length scales. Such ideas have triggered significant experimental efforts to realizing such novel systems. To this end, we have recently successfully demonstrated cavity-cooling of a levitated sub-micron silica particle in a classical regime at a pressure of approximately 1mbar. Access to higher vacuum of approx. 10^-6 mbar has been demonstrated using 3D-feedback cooling in optical tweezers without cavity-coupling. Here we will illustrate our strategy towards trapping, 3D-cooling and quantum control of nanoparticles in ultra-high vacuum using cavity-based feedback cooling methods and clean particle loading with hollow-core photonic crystal fibers. We will also discuss the current experimental progress both in 3D-cavity cooling and HCPCF-based transport of nanoparticles. As yet another application of cavity-controlled levitated nanoparticles we will show how to implement a thermodynamic Sterling cycle operating in the underdamped regime. We present optimized protocols with respect to efficiency at maximum power in this little explored regime. We also show that the excellent level of control in our system will allow reproducing all relevant features of such optimized protocols. In a next step, this will enable studies of thermodynamics cycles in a regime where the quantization of the mechanical motion becomes relevant.

Shape-controlled synthesis of Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles and their corresponding electrochemical properties

KAUST Repository

Song, Hyon Min; Anjum, Dalaver H.; Khashab, Niveen M.

2012-01-01

The shape-controlled synthesis of Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) was successfully achieved through the emulsion phase generated during the phase transfer from organic to aqueous medium. Contrary to conventional epitaxial growth for obtaining

Mechanical control of the plasmon coupling with Au nanoparticle arrays fixed on the elastomeric film via chemical bond

Science.gov (United States)

Bedogni, Elena; Kaneko, Satoshi; Fujii, Shintaro; Kiguchi, Manabu

2017-03-01

We have fabricated Au nanoparticle arrays on the flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) film. The nanoparticles were bound to the film via a covalent bond by a ligand exchange reaction. Thanks to the strong chemical bonding, highly stable and uniformly dispersed Au nanoparticle arrays were fixed on the PDMS film. The Au nanoparticle arrays were characterized by the UV-vis, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The UV-vis and SEM measurements showed the uniformity of the surface-dispersed Au nanoparticles, and SERS measurement confirmed the chemistry of the PDMS film. Reflecting the high stability and the uniformity of the Au nanoparticle arrays, the plasmon wavelength of the Au nanoparticles reversely changed with modulation of the interparticle distance, which was induced by the stretching of the PDMS film. The plasmon wavelength linearly decreased from 664 to 591 nm by stretching of 60%. The plasmon wavelength shift can be explained by the change in the strength of the plasmon coupling which is mechanically controlled by the mechanical strain.

Conformal symmetry in two-dimensional space: recursion representation of conformal block

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zamolodchikov, A.B.

1988-01-01

The four-point conformal block plays an important part in the analysis of the conformally invariant operator algebra in two-dimensional space. The behavior of the conformal block is calculated in the present paper in the limit in which the dimension Δ of the intermediate operator tends to infinity. This makes it possible to construct a recursion relation for this function that connects the conformal block at arbitrary Δ to the blocks corresponding to the dimensions of the zero vectors in the degenerate representations of the Virasoro algebra. The relation is convenient for calculating the expansion of the conformal block in powers of the uniformizing parameters q = i π tau

Anomalous Dimensions of Conformal Baryons

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pica, Claudio; Sannino, Francesco

2016-01-01

We determine the anomalous dimensions of baryon operators for the three color theory as function of the number of massless flavours within the conformal window to the maximum known order in perturbation theory. We show that the anomalous dimension of the baryon is controllably small, within...

Size control and catalytic activity of bio-supported palladium nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Søbjerg, Lina Sveidal; Lindhardt, Anders T; Skrydstrup, Troels; Finster, Kai; Meyer, Rikke Louise

2011-07-01

The development of nanoparticles has greatly improved the catalytic properties of metals due to the higher surface to volume ratio of smaller particles. The production of nanoparticles is most commonly based on abiotic processes, but in the search for alternative protocols, bacterial cells have been identified as excellent scaffolds of nanoparticle nucleation, and bacteria have been successfully employed to recover and regenerate platinum group metals from industrial waste. We report on the formation of bio-supported palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on the surface of two bacterial species with distinctly different surfaces: the gram positive Staphylococcus sciuri and the gram negative Cupriavidus necator. We investigated how the type of bacterium and the amount of biomass affected the size and catalytic properties of the nanoparticles formed. By increasing the biomass:Pd ratio, we could produce bio-supported Pd nanoparticles smaller than 10nm in diameter, whereas lower biomass:Pd ratios resulted in particles ranging from few to hundreds of nm. The bio-supported Pd nanoparticle catalytic properties were investigated towards the Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction and hydrogenation reactions. Surprisingly, the smallest nanoparticles obtained at the highest biomass:Pd ratio showed no reactivity towards the test reactions. The lack of reactivity appears to be caused by thiol groups, which poison the catalyst by binding strongly to Pd. Different treatments intended to liberate particles from the biomass, such as burning or rinsing in acetone, did not re-establish their catalytic activity. Sulphur-free biomaterials should therefore be explored as more suitable scaffolds for Pd(0) nanoparticle formation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Glyco-Nanoparticles Made from Self-Assembly of Maltoheptaose-block-Poly(methyl methacrylate): Micelle, Reverse Micelle, and Encapsulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zepon, Karine M; Otsuka, Issei; Bouilhac, Cécile; Muniz, Edvani C; Soldi, Valdir; Borsali, Redouane

2015-07-13

The synthesis and the solution-state self-assembly of the "hybrid" diblock copolymers, maltoheptaose-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (MH-b-PMMA), into large compound micelles (LCMs) and reverve micelle-type nanoparticles, are reported in this paper. The copolymers were self-assembled in water and acetone by direct dissolution method, and the morphologies of the nanoparticles were investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR), and fluorescence spectroscopy as a function of the volume fraction of the copolymer hydrophobic block, copolymer concentration, stirring speed, and solvent polarity. The DLS measurements and TEM images showed that the hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of the LCMs obtained in water increases with the copolymer concentration. Apart from that, increasing the stirring speed leads to polydispersed aggregations of the LCMs. On the other hand, in acetone, the copolymers self-assembled into reverse micelle-type nanoparticles having Rh values of about 6 nm and micellar aggregates, as revealed the results obtained from DLS, AFM, and (1)H NMR analyses. The variation in micellar structure, that is, conformational inversion from LCMs to reverse micelle-type structures in response to polarity of the solvent, was investigated by apparent water contact angle (WCA) and (1)H NMR analyses. This conformational inversion of the nanoparticles was further confirmed by encapsulation and release of hydrophobic guest molecule, Nile red, characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy.

Formation of polyhedral ceria nanoparticles with enhanced catalytic CO oxidation activity in thermal plasma via a hydrogen mediated shape control mechanism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Jie; Zhang Yaohua; Song Xubo; Li Xingguo

2011-01-01

Ceria nanoparticles with well defined facets are prepared in argon–hydrogen thermal plasma followed by controlled oxidation. With increasing hydrogen fraction in the plasma, a clear sphere-to-polyhedron shape transition is observed. The heat released during the hydrogenation of cerium, which significantly enhances the species mobility on the surface, favors the growth of well defined facets. The polyhedron ceria nanoparticles, though lower in specific surface area, exhibit superior catalytic performance for CO oxidation over the round particles, which is attributed to the higher density of the reactive {200} and {220} facets on the surface. The hydrogen mediated shape control mechanism provides new insights into the shape control of nanoparticles during thermal plasma processing.

Effect of fullerenol surface chemistry on nanoparticle binding-induced protein misfolding

Science.gov (United States)

Radic, Slaven; Nedumpully-Govindan, Praveen; Chen, Ran; Salonen, Emppu; Brown, Jared M.; Ke, Pu Chun; Ding, Feng

2014-06-01

Fullerene and its derivatives with different surface chemistry have great potential in biomedical applications. Accordingly, it is important to delineate the impact of these carbon-based nanoparticles on protein structure, dynamics, and subsequently function. Here, we focused on the effect of hydroxylation -- a common strategy for solubilizing and functionalizing fullerene -- on protein-nanoparticle interactions using a model protein, ubiquitin. We applied a set of complementary computational modeling methods, including docking and molecular dynamics simulations with both explicit and implicit solvent, to illustrate the impact of hydroxylated fullerenes on the structure and dynamics of ubiquitin. We found that all derivatives bound to the model protein. Specifically, the more hydrophilic nanoparticles with a higher number of hydroxyl groups bound to the surface of the protein via hydrogen bonds, which stabilized the protein without inducing large conformational changes in the protein structure. In contrast, fullerene derivatives with a smaller number of hydroxyl groups buried their hydrophobic surface inside the protein, thereby causing protein denaturation. Overall, our results revealed a distinct role of surface chemistry on nanoparticle-protein binding and binding-induced protein misfolding.Fullerene and its derivatives with different surface chemistry have great potential in biomedical applications. Accordingly, it is important to delineate the impact of these carbon-based nanoparticles on protein structure, dynamics, and subsequently function. Here, we focused on the effect of hydroxylation -- a common strategy for solubilizing and functionalizing fullerene -- on protein-nanoparticle interactions using a model protein, ubiquitin. We applied a set of complementary computational modeling methods, including docking and molecular dynamics simulations with both explicit and implicit solvent, to illustrate the impact of hydroxylated fullerenes on the structure and

Gold nanoparticle growth control - Implementing novel wet chemistry method on silicon substrate

KAUST Repository

Al-Ameer, Ammar

2013-04-01

Controlling particle size, shape, nucleation, and self-assembly on surfaces are some of the main challenges facing electronic device fabrication. In this work, growth of gold nanoparticles over a wide range of sizes was investigated by using a novel wet chemical method, where potassium iodide is used as the reducing solution and gold chloride as the metal precursor, on silicon substrates. Four parameters were studied: soaking time, solution temperature, concentration of the solution of gold chloride, and surface pre-treatment of the substrate. Synthesized nanoparticles were then characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The precise control of the location and order of the grown gold overlayer was achieved by using focused ion beam (FIB) patterning of a silicon surface, pre-treated with potassium iodide. By varying the soaking time and temperature, different particle sizes and shapes were obtained. Flat geometrical shapes and spherical shapes were observed. We believe, that the method described in this work is potentially a straightforward and efficient way to fabricate gold contacts for microelectronics. © 2013 IEEE.

Size control of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles in electric double layered magnetic fluid synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aquino, R.; Tourinho, F.A.; Itri, R.; E Lara, M.C.F.L.; Depeyrot, J.

2002-01-01

We propose a method based on the pH of the synthesis to control the nanoparticle size during the ferrofluid elaboration. The particle diameter is determined by means of X-ray diffraction experiments. The measured mean size depends on the type of buffer used during the coprecipitation process. The results therefore confirm that the nanoparticle size can be monitored by the hydroxide concentration and suggest to consider the induced interplay between nucleation and crystal growth

Phase- and shape-controlled hydrothermal synthesis of CdS nanoparticles, and oriented attachment growth of its hierarchical architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yali; Hu, Pengfei; Jia, Dianzeng

2013-01-01

Hydrothermal strategies were successfully used to control the phases and morphologies of CdS nanocrystals. In the absence of an external direction-controlling process, the hexagonal and cubic phase well-defined leaf- and flower-like CdS nanocrystals were controlled obtained via adjusting the reaction duration or the concentration of surfactant. Oriented attachment growth modes were suggested for the formation of CdS superstructures, which was clarified through the tracing of temporal evolution of CdS nanoparticles. The CdS superstructures were structured by primary building nanoparticles, and held excellent visible emission with a peak in the green regions. This strategy is very helpful for studying the phase and morphology controlled fabrication of sulfides nanocrystals.

Magnetic control of potential microrobotic drug delivery systems: nanoparticles, magnetotactic bacteria and self-propelled microjets.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Islam S M; Magdanz, Veronika; Sanchez, Samuel; Schmidt, Oliver G; Abelmann, Leon; Misra, Sarthak

2013-01-01

Development of targeted drug delivery systems using magnetic microrobots increases the therapeutic indices of drugs. These systems have to be incorporated with precise motion controllers. We demonstrate closed-loop motion control of microrobots under the influence of controlled magnetic fields. Point-to-point motion control of a cluster of iron oxide nanoparticles (diameter of 250 nm) is achieved by pulling the cluster towards a reference position using magnetic field gradients. Magnetotactic bacterium (MTB) is controlled by orienting the magnetic fields towards a reference position. MTB with membrane length of 5 µm moves towards the reference position using the propulsion force generated by its flagella. Similarly, self-propelled microjet with length of 50 µm is controlled by directing the microjet towards a reference position by external magnetic torque. The microjet moves along the field lines using the thrust force generated by the ejecting oxygen bubbles from one of its ends. Our control system positions the cluster of nanoparticles, an MTB and a microjet at an average velocity of 190 µm/s, 28 µm/s, 90 µm/s and within an average region-of-convergence of 132 µm, 40 µm, 235 µm, respectively.

Inorganic nanoparticles for the spatial and temporal control of organic reactions: Applications to radical degradation of biopolymer networks

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Joan Marie

Nanoparticles of gold and iron oxide not only possess remarkable optical and magnetic properties, respectively, but are also capable of influencing their local environment with an astounding degree of precision. Using nanoparticles to direct the reactivity of organic molecules near their surface provides a unique method of spatial and temporal control. Enediynes represent an exceptional class of compounds that are thermally reactive to produce a diradical intermediate via Bergman cycloaromatization. While natural product enediynes are famously cytotoxic, a rich chemistry of synthetic enediynes has developed utilizing creative means to control this reactivity through structure, electronics, metal chelation, and external triggering mechanisms. In a heretofore unexplored arena for Bergman cyclization, we have investigated the reactivity of enediynes in connection with inorganic nanoparticles in which the physical properties of the nanomaterial are directly excited to thermally promote aromatization. As the first example of this methodology, gold nanoparticles conjugated with (Z)-octa-4-en-2,6-diyne-1,8-dithiol were excited with 514 nm laser irradiation. The formation of aromatic and polymeric products was confirmed through Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Water soluble analogues Au-PEG-EDDA and Fe3O4-PEG-EDDA (EDDA = (Z)-octa-4-en-2,6-diyne-1,8-diamine) show similar reactivity under laser irradiation or alternating magnetic field excitation, respectively. Furthermore, we have used these functionalized nanoparticles to attack proteinaceous substrates including fibrin and extracellular matrix proteins, capitalizing on the ability of diradicals to disrupt peptidic bonds. By delivering a locally high payload of reactive molecules and thermal energy to the large biopolymer, network restructuring and collapse is achieved. As a synthetic extension towards multifunctional nanoparticles, noble metal seed-decorated iron oxides have also been prepared and assessed for

Visual Outcome and Tumor Control After Conformal Radiotherapy for Patients With Optic Nerve Sheath Meningioma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arvold, Nils D.; Lessell, Simmons; Bussiere, Marc; Beaudette, Kevin; Rizzo, Joseph F.; Loeffler, Jay S.; Shih, Helen A.

2009-01-01

Purpose: Optic nerve sheath meningioma (ONSM) is a rare tumor that almost uniformly leads to visual dysfunction and even blindness without intervention. Because surgical extirpation carries a high risk of postoperative blindness, vision-sparing treatment strategies are desirable. Methods and Materials: We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 25 patients (25 optic nerves) with ONSM, treated at a single institution with conformal fractionated radiotherapy by either stereotactic photon or proton radiation. Primary endpoints were local control and visual acuity. Results: The patients presented with symptoms of visual loss (21) or orbital pain (3) or were incidentally diagnosed by imaging (3). The mean age was 44 years, and 64% were female patients. The indication for treatment was the development or progression of symptoms. Of the patients, 13 were treated with photons, 9 were treated with protons, and 3 received a combination of photons and protons. The median dose delivered was 50.4 gray equivalents (range, 45-59.4 gray equivalents). Median follow-up after radiotherapy was 30 months (range, 3-168 months), with 3 patients lost to follow-up. At most recent follow-up, 21 of 22 patients (95%) had improved (14) or stable (7) visual acuity. One patient had worsened visual acuity after initial postirradiation improvement. Of the 22 patients, 20 (95%) had no radiographic progression. Three patients had evidence of asymptomatic, limited retinopathy on ophthalmologic examination, and one had recurrent ONSM 11 years after treatment. Conclusions: Highly conformal, fractionated radiation therapy for symptomatic primary ONSM provides tumor control and improvement in visual function in most cases, with minimal treatment-induced morbidity. Longer follow-up is needed to assess the durability of tumor control and treatment-related late effects.

Nanoparticle mediated micromotor motion

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Mei; Liu, Limei; Gao, Wenlong; Su, Miaoda; Ge, Ya; Shi, Lili; Zhang, Hui; Dong, Bin; Li, Christopher Y.

2015-03-01

In this paper, we report the utilization of nanoparticles to mediate the motion of a polymer single crystal catalytic micromotor. Micromotors have been fabricated by directly self-assembling functional nanoparticles (platinum and iron oxide nanoparticles) onto one or both sides of two-dimensional polymer single crystals. We show that the moving velocity of these micromotors in fluids can be readily tuned by controlling the nanoparticles' surface wettability and catalytic activity. A 3 times velocity increase has been achieved for a hydrophobic micromotor as opposed to the hydrophilic ones. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity of platinum nanoparticles inside the micromotor can be enhanced by their synergetic interactions with iron oxide nanoparticles and an electric field. Both strategies lead to dramatically increased moving velocities, with the highest value reaching ~200 μm s-1. By decreasing the nanoparticles' surface wettability and increasing their catalytic activity, a maximum of a ~10-fold increase in the moving speed of the nanoparticle based micromotor can be achieved. Our results demonstrate the advantages of using nanoparticles in micromotor systems.In this paper, we report the utilization of nanoparticles to mediate the motion of a polymer single crystal catalytic micromotor. Micromotors have been fabricated by directly self-assembling functional nanoparticles (platinum and iron oxide nanoparticles) onto one or both sides of two-dimensional polymer single crystals. We show that the moving velocity of these micromotors in fluids can be readily tuned by controlling the nanoparticles' surface wettability and catalytic activity. A 3 times velocity increase has been achieved for a hydrophobic micromotor as opposed to the hydrophilic ones. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the catalytic activity of platinum nanoparticles inside the micromotor can be enhanced by their synergetic interactions with iron oxide nanoparticles and an electric

Controlled evaluation of silver nanoparticle dissolution using atomic force microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Ronald D; Vikesland, Peter J

2012-07-03

Incorporation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into an increasing number of consumer products has led to concern over the potential ecological impacts of their unintended release to the environment. Dissolution is an important environmental transformation that affects the form and concentration of AgNPs in natural waters; however, studies on AgNP dissolution kinetics are complicated by nanoparticle aggregation. Herein, nanosphere lithography (NSL) was used to fabricate uniform arrays of AgNPs immobilized on glass substrates. Nanoparticle immobilization enabled controlled evaluation of AgNP dissolution in an air-saturated phosphate buffer (pH 7.0, 25 °C) under variable NaCl concentrations in the absence of aggregation. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to monitor changes in particle morphology and dissolution. Over the first day of exposure to ≥10 mM NaCl, the in-plane AgNP shape changed from triangular to circular, the sidewalls steepened, the in-plane radius decreased by 5-11 nm, and the height increased by 6-12 nm. Subsequently, particle height and in-plane radius decreased at a constant rate over a 2-week period. Dissolution rates varied linearly from 0.4 to 2.2 nm/d over the 10-550 mM NaCl concentration range tested. NaCl-catalyzed dissolution of AgNPs may play an important role in AgNP fate in saline waters and biological media. This study demonstrates the utility of NSL and AFM for the direct investigation of unaggregated AgNP dissolution.

All-optical control of long-lived nuclear spins in rare-earth doped nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Serrano, D; Karlsson, J; Fossati, A; Ferrier, A; Goldner, P

2018-05-29

Nanoscale systems that coherently couple to light and possess spins offer key capabilities for quantum technologies. However, an outstanding challenge is to preserve properties, and especially optical and spin coherence lifetimes, at the nanoscale. Here, we report optically controlled nuclear spins with long coherence lifetimes (T 2 ) in rare-earth-doped nanoparticles. We detect spins echoes and measure a spin coherence lifetime of 2.9 ± 0.3 ms at 5 K under an external magnetic field of 9 mT, a T 2 value comparable to those obtained in bulk rare-earth crystals. Moreover, we achieve spin T 2 extension using all-optical spin dynamical decoupling and observe high fidelity between excitation and echo phases. Rare-earth-doped nanoparticles are thus the only nano-material in which optically controlled spins with millisecond coherence lifetimes have been reported. These results open the way to providing quantum light-atom-spin interfaces with long storage time within hybrid architectures.

Conformal Infinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frauendiener Jörg

2000-08-01

Full Text Available The notion of conformal infinity has a long history within the research in Einstein's theory of gravity. Today, ``conformal infinity'' is related with almost all other branches of research in general relativity, from quantisation procedures to abstract mathematical issues to numerical applications. This review article attempts to show how this concept gradually and inevitably evolved out of physical issues, namely the need to understand gravitational radiation and isolated systems within the theory of gravitation and how it lends itself very naturally to solve radiation problems in numerical relativity. The fundamental concept of null-infinity is introduced. Friedrich's regular conformal field equations are presented and various initial value problems for them are discussed. Finally, it is shown that the conformal field equations provide a very powerful method within numerical relativity to study global problems such as gravitational wave propagation and detection.

Conformal Infinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Frauendiener, Jörg

2004-01-01

The notion of conformal infinity has a long history within the research in Einstein's theory of gravity. Today, "conformal infinity" is related to almost all other branches of research in general relativity, from quantisation procedures to abstract mathematical issues to numerical applications. This review article attempts to show how this concept gradually and inevitably evolved from physical issues, namely the need to understand gravitational radiation and isolated systems within the theory of gravitation, and how it lends itself very naturally to the solution of radiation problems in numerical relativity. The fundamental concept of null-infinity is introduced. Friedrich's regular conformal field equations are presented and various initial value problems for them are discussed. Finally, it is shown that the conformal field equations provide a very powerful method within numerical relativity to study global problems such as gravitational wave propagation and detection.

Conformational diversity of flexible ligand in metal-organic frameworks controlled by size-matching mixed ligands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hua, Xiu-Ni; Qin, Lan; Yan, Xiao-Zhi; Yu, Lei; Xie, Yi-Xin; Han, Lei

2015-01-01

Hydrothermal reactions of N-auxiliary flexible exo-bidentate ligand 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) and carboxylates ligands naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (2,6-H_2ndc) or 4,4′-(hydroxymethylene)dibenzoic acid (H_2hmdb), in the presence of cadmium(II) salts have given rise to two novel metal-organic frameworks based on flexible ligands (FL-MOFs), namely, [Cd_2(2,6-ndc)_2(bpp)(DMF)]·2DMF (1) and [Cd_3(hmdb)_3(bpp)]·2DMF·2EtOH (2) (DMF=N,N-Dimethylformamide). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that compound 1 exhibits a three-dimensional self-penetrating 6-connected framework based on dinuclear cluster second building unit. Compound 2 displays an infinite three-dimensional ‘Lucky Clover’ shape (2,10)-connected network based on the trinuclear cluster and V-shaped organic linkers. The flexible bpp ligand displays different conformations in 1 and 2, which are successfully controlled by size-matching mixed ligands during the self-assembly process. - Graphical abstract: Compound 1 exhibits a 3D self-penetrating 6-connected framework based on dinuclear cluster, and 2 displays an infinite 3D ‘Lucky Clover’ shape (2,10)-connected network based on the trinuclear cluster. The flexible 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane ligand displays different conformations in 1 and 2, which successfully controlled by size-matching mixed ligands during the self-assembly process.

Conformational diversity of flexible ligand in metal-organic frameworks controlled by size-matching mixed ligands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hua, Xiu-Ni; Qin, Lan; Yan, Xiao-Zhi; Yu, Lei; Xie, Yi-Xin; Han, Lei, E-mail: hanlei@nbu.edu.cn

2015-12-15

Hydrothermal reactions of N-auxiliary flexible exo-bidentate ligand 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) and carboxylates ligands naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid (2,6-H{sub 2}ndc) or 4,4′-(hydroxymethylene)dibenzoic acid (H{sub 2}hmdb), in the presence of cadmium(II) salts have given rise to two novel metal-organic frameworks based on flexible ligands (FL-MOFs), namely, [Cd{sub 2}(2,6-ndc){sub 2}(bpp)(DMF)]·2DMF (1) and [Cd{sub 3}(hmdb){sub 3}(bpp)]·2DMF·2EtOH (2) (DMF=N,N-Dimethylformamide). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that compound 1 exhibits a three-dimensional self-penetrating 6-connected framework based on dinuclear cluster second building unit. Compound 2 displays an infinite three-dimensional ‘Lucky Clover’ shape (2,10)-connected network based on the trinuclear cluster and V-shaped organic linkers. The flexible bpp ligand displays different conformations in 1 and 2, which are successfully controlled by size-matching mixed ligands during the self-assembly process. - Graphical abstract: Compound 1 exhibits a 3D self-penetrating 6-connected framework based on dinuclear cluster, and 2 displays an infinite 3D ‘Lucky Clover’ shape (2,10)-connected network based on the trinuclear cluster. The flexible 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane ligand displays different conformations in 1 and 2, which successfully controlled by size-matching mixed ligands during the self-assembly process.

Factors Controlling the Pharmacokinetics, Biodistribution and Intratumoral Penetration of Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Ernsting, Mark J.; Murakami, Mami; Roy, Aniruddha; Li, Shyh-Dar

2014-01-01

Nanoparticle drug delivery to the tumor is impacted by multiple factors: nanoparticles must evade clearance by renal filtration and the reticuloendothelial system, extravasate through the enlarged endothelial gaps in tumors, penetrate through dense stroma in the tumor microenvironment to reach the tumor cells, remain in the tumor tissue for a prolonged period of time, and finally release the active agent to induce pharmacological effect. The physicochemical properties of nanoparticles such as size, shape, surface charge, surface chemistry (PEGylation, ligand conjugation) and composition affect the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, intratumoral penetration and tumor bioavailability. On the other hand, tumor biology (blood flow, perfusion, permeability, interstitial fluid pressure and stroma content) and patient characteristics (age, gender, tumor type, tumor location, body composition and prior treatments) also have impact on drug delivery by nanoparticles. It is now believed that both nanoparticles and the tumor microenvironment have to be optimized or adjusted for optimal delivery. This review provides a comprehensive summary of how these nanoparticle and biological factors impact nanoparticle delivery to tumors, with discussion on how the tumor microenvironment can be adjusted and how patients can be stratified by imaging methods to receive the maximal benefit of nanomedicine. Perspectives and future directions are also provided. PMID:24075927

Conformal ZnO nanocomposite coatings on micro-patterned surfaces for superhydrophobicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steele, Adam; Bayer, Ilker; Moran, Stephen; Cannon, Andrew; King, William P.; Loth, Eric

2010-01-01

A conformal coating process is presented to transform surfaces with inherent micro-morphology into superhydrophobic surfaces with hierarchical surface structure using wet chemical spray casting. Nanocomposite coatings composed of zinc oxide nanoparticles and organosilane quaternary nitrogen compound are dispersed in solution for application. The coating is applied to a micro-patterned polydimethylsiloxane substrate with a regular array of cylindrical microposts as well as a surface with random micro-structure for the purpose of demonstrating improved non-wettability and a superhydrophobic state for water droplets. Coating surface morphology is investigated with an environmental scanning electron microscope and surface wettability performance is characterized by static and dynamic contact angle measurements.

Colloidal strategies for controlling the morphology, composition, and crystal structure of inorganic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hodges, James M.

Emerging applications and fundamental studies require nanomaterials with increasingly sophisticated architectures that have precise composition, morphology, and crystal structure. Colloidal nanochemistry has emerged as one of the most effective methods for generating high quality, monodisperse nanoparticles with diverse structural features and highly complex geometries. These wet-chemical approaches offer an array of synthetic levers that can be used to tailor nanoparticles for targeted applications, and deliver solution-dispersible solids that are easily integrated onto device architectures. Additionally, colloidal nanoparticles can be used as building blocks for constructing periodic superlattices and multicomponent hybrid nanoparticles, which offer unique properties that can support next-generation technologies. As the applications for colloidal nanoparticles continue to expand, the architectural and compositional requirements for these materials are becoming increasingly rigid. Conventional colloidal methods are effective for generating diverse nanoparticle systems, but rely on complex nucleation and growth processes, which are often poorly understood and difficult to control in dynamic reaction environments. For these reasons, there are a number of high profile nanoparticle targets that remain out of reach. Accordingly, new approaches are needed that can circumvent these synthetic bottlenecks and narrow the growing disconnect between nano-design and synthetic capability. In this dissertation, I present several colloidal strategies for engineering synthetically challenging nanomaterials using multistep reaction sequences that, in many ways, parallel the total-synthesis framework that organic chemists use to access complex molecules. A variety of approaches are discussed, including nanoscale ion exchange transformations and seeded-growth protocol for constructing multicomponent hybrid nanoparticles. First, I demonstrate that solution-mediated anion and cation

Low-temperature thermoelectric power factor enhancement by controlling nanoparticle size distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Zebarjadi, Mona; Esfarjani, Keivan; Bian, Zhixi; Shakouri, Ali

2011-01-12

Coherent potential approximation is used to study the effect of adding doped spherical nanoparticles inside a host matrix on the thermoelectric properties. This takes into account electron multiple scatterings that are important in samples with relatively high volume fraction of nanoparticles (>1%). We show that with large fraction of uniform small size nanoparticles (∼1 nm), the power factor can be enhanced significantly. The improvement could be large (up to 450% for GaAs) especially at low temperatures when the mobility is limited by impurity or nanoparticle scattering. The advantage of doping via embedded nanoparticles compared to the conventional shallow impurities is quantified. At the optimum thermoelectric power factor, the electrical conductivity of the nanoparticle-doped material is larger than that of impurity-doped one at the studied temperature range (50-500 K) whereas the Seebeck coefficient of the nanoparticle doped material is enhanced only at low temperatures (∼50 K).

Synthesis of silver nanoparticles by coastal plant Prosopis chilensis (L.) and their efficacy in controlling vibriosis in shrimp Penaeus monodon

Science.gov (United States)

Kandasamy, Kathiresan; Alikunhi, Nabeel M.; Manickaswami, Gayathridevi; Nabikhan, Asmathunisha; Ayyavu, Gopalakrishnan

2013-02-01

The present work investigated the effect of leaf extract from coastal plant Prosopis chilensis on synthesis of silver nanoparticles using AgNO3 as a substrate and to find their antibacterial potential on pathogenic Vibrio species in the shrimp, Penaeus monodon. The leaf extract could be able to produce silver nanoparticles, as evident by gradual change in colour of the reaction mixture consisted of the extract and 1 mM AgNO3 to dark brown. The silver nanoparticles exhibited 2 θ values corresponding to the presence of silver nanocrystal, as evident by X-ray diffraction spectrum. The peaks corresponding to flavanones and terpenoids were found to be stabilizing agents of the nanoparticles, as revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The size of silver nanoparticles ranged from 5 to 25 nm with an average of 11.3 ± 2.1 nm and was mostly of spherical in shape, as confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. The silver nanoparticles were found to inhibit Vibrio pathogens viz., Vibrio cholerae, V. harveyi, and V. parahaemolyticus and this antibacterial effect was better than that of leaf extract, as proved by disc diffusion assay. The nanoparticles were then tested in the shrimp Penaeus monodon challenged with the four species of Vibrio pathogens for 30 days. The shrimps fed with silver nanoparticles exhibited higher survival, associated with immunomodulation in terms of higher haemocyte counts, phenoloxidase and antibacterial activities of haemolymph of P. monodon which is on par with that of control. Thus, the present study proved the possibility of using silver nanoparticles produced by coastal Prosopis chilensis as antibacterial agent in controlling vibriosis.

Preparation of size-controlled (30-100 nm) magnetite nanoparticles for biomedical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishio, K.; Ikeda, M.; Gokon, N.; Tsubouchi, S.; Narimatsu, H.; Mochizuki, Y.; Sakamoto, S.; Sandhu, A.; Abe, M.; Handa, H.

2007-01-01

Size-controlled magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) with several dozen nanometers (nm) were synthesized for biomedical applications. Nanoparticles of single-phase magnetite, as revealed by X-ray analyses and magnetic measurements, were prepared by oxidizing ferrous hydroxide (Fe(OH) 2 ) with a weak oxidant NaNO 3 in an N 2 -deaerated aqueous NaOH solution (pH=12-13) at various temperatures below 37 deg. C. As the synthesis temperature increases from 4 to 37 deg. C, the MNPs are decreased in size (d) from 102±5.6 to 31.7±4.9 nm and widened in size distribution, Δd/d increases from 5.5% to 15%. Prepared without using any surfactant, the MNPs are advantageous for immobilizing functional molecules stably on the surfaces for biomedical applications

Ordered mesoporous polymer-silica hybrid nanoparticles as vehicles for the intracellular controlled release of macromolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Tae-Wan; Slowing, Igor I; Chung, Po-Wen; Lin, Victor Shang-Yi

2011-01-25

A two-dimensional hexagonal ordered mesoporous polymer-silica hybrid nanoparticle (PSN) material was synthesized by polymerization of acrylate monomers on the surface of SBA-15 mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The structure of the PSN material was analyzed using a series of different techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and N(2) sorption analysis. These structurally ordered mesoporous polymer-silica hybrid nanoparticles were used for the controlled release of membrane-impermeable macromolecules inside eukaryotic cells. The cellular uptake efficiency and biocompatibility of PSN with human cervical cancer cells (HeLa) were investigated. Our results show that the inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) of PSN is very high (>100 μg/mL per million cells), while the median effective concentration for the uptake (EC(50)) of PSN is low (EC(50) = 4.4 μg/mL), indicating that PSNs are fairly biocompatible and easily up-taken in vitro. A membrane-impermeable macromolecule, 40 kDa FITC-Dextran, was loaded into the mesopores of PSNs at low pH. We demonstrated that the PSN material could indeed serve as a transmembrane carrier for the controlled release of FITC-Dextran at the pH level inside live HeLa cells. We believe that further developments of this PSN material will lead to a new generation of nanodevices for intracellular controlled delivery applications.

siRNA nanoparticle functionalization of nanostructured scaffolds enables controlled multilineage differentiation of stem cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Morten Ø; Nygaard, Jens V; Burns, Jorge S

2010-01-01

The creation of complex tissues and organs is the ultimate goal in tissue engineering. Engineered morphogenesis necessitates spatially controlled development of multiple cell types within a scaffold implant. We present a novel method to achieve this by adhering nanoparticles containing different ...

Exposure assessment and engineering control strategies for airborne nanoparticles: an application to emissions from nanocomposite compounding processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, Candace S.-J.; White, David; Rodriguez, Henoc; Munoz, Christian E.; Huang, Cheng-Yu; Tsai, Chuen-Jinn; Barry, Carol; Ellenbecker, Michael J.

2012-01-01

In this study, nanoalumina and nanoclay particles were compounded separately with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer to produce nanocomposites using a twin-screw extruder to investigate exposure and effective controls. Nanoparticle exposures from compounding processes were elevated under some circumstances and were affected by many factors including inadequate ventilation, surrounding air flow, feeder type, feeding method, and nanoparticle type. Engineering controls such as improved ventilation and enclosure of releasing sources were applied to the process equipment to evaluate the effectiveness of control. The nanoparticle loading device was modified by installing a ventilated enclosure surrounding the loading chamber. Exposures were studied using designed controls for comparison which include three scenarios: (1) no isolation; (2) enclosed sources; and (3) enclosed sources and improved ventilation. Particle number concentrations for diameters from 5 to 20,000 nm measured by the Fast Mobility Particle Sizer and aerodynamic particle sizer were studied. Aerosol particles were sampled on transmission electron microscope grids to characterize particle composition and morphology. Measurements and samples were taken at the near- and far-field areas relative to releasing sources. Airborne particle concentrations were reduced significantly when using the feeder enclosure, and the concentrations were below the baseline when two sources were enclosed, and the ventilation was improved when using either nanoalumina or nanoclay as fillers.

Biophysical functionality in polysaccharides: from Lego-blocks to nano-particles.

Science.gov (United States)

Cesàro, Attilio; Bellich, Barbara; Borgogna, Massimiliano

2012-04-01

The objective of the paper is to show the very important biophysical concepts that have been developed with polysaccharides. In particular, an attempt will be made to relate "a posteriori" the fundamental aspects, both experimental and theoretical, with some industrial applications of polysaccharide-based materials. The overview of chain conformational aspects includes relationships between topological features and local dynamics, exemplified for some naturally occurring carbohydrate polymers. Thus, by using simulation techniques and computational studies, the physicochemical properties of aqueous solutions of polysaccharides are interpreted. The relevance of conformational disorder-order transitions, chain aggregation, and phase separation to the underlying role of the ionic contribution to these processes is discussed. We stress the importance of combining information from analysis of experimental data with that from statistical-thermodynamic models for understanding the conformation, size, and functional stability of industrially important polysaccharides. The peculiar properties of polysaccharides in industrial applications are summarized for the particularly important example of nanoparticles production, a field of growing relevance and scientific interest.

Conformal Infinity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frauendiener Jörg

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The notion of conformal infinity has a long history within the research in Einstein's theory of gravity. Today, 'conformal infinity' is related to almost all other branches of research in general relativity, from quantisation procedures to abstract mathematical issues to numerical applications. This review article attempts to show how this concept gradually and inevitably evolved from physical issues, namely the need to understand gravitational radiation and isolated systems within the theory of gravitation, and how it lends itself very naturally to the solution of radiation problems in numerical relativity. The fundamental concept of null-infinity is introduced. Friedrich's regular conformal field equations are presented and various initial value problems for them are discussed. Finally, it is shown that the conformal field equations provide a very powerful method within numerical relativity to study global problems such as gravitational wave propagation and detection.

Gold nanoparticle assemblies of controllable size obtained by hydroxylamine reduction at room temperature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tódor, István Sz.; Szabó, László; Marişca, Oana T.; Chiş, Vasile; Leopold, Nicolae, E-mail: nicolae.leopold@phys.ubbcluj.ro [Babeş-Bolyai University, Faculty of Physics (Romania)

2014-12-15

Colloidal nanoparticle assemblies (NPAs) were obtained in a one-step procedure, by reduction of HAuCl{sub 4} by hydroxylamine hydrochloride, at room temperature, without the use of any additional nucleating agent. By changing the order of the reactants, NPAs with mean size of ∼20 and ∼120 nm were obtained. Because of their size and irregular popcorn like shape, the larger size NPAs show absorption in the NIR spectral region. The building blocks of the resulted nanoassemblies are spherical nanoparticles with diameters of 4–8 and 10–30 nm, respectively. Moreover, by stabilizing the colloid with bovine serum albumin at different time moments after synthesis, NPAs of controlled size between 20 and 120 nm, could be obtained. The NPAs were characterized using UV–Vis spectroscopy, TEM and SEM electron microscopies. In addition, the possibility of using the here proposed NPAs as surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate was assessed and found to provide a higher enhancement compared to conventional citrate-reduced nanoparticles.

Facile and solvent-free routes for the synthesis of size-controllable Fe3O4 nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngo, Thanh Hieu; Tran, Dai Lam; Do, Hung Manh; Le, Van Hong; Nguyen, Xuan Phuc; Tran, Vinh Hoang

2010-01-01

Magnetite nanoparticles are one of the most important materials that are widely used in both medically diagnostic and therapeutic research. In this paper, we present some facile and non-toxic synthetic approaches for size-controllable preparations of magnetite nanoparticles, which are appropriate for biomedical applications, namely (i) co-precipitation; (ii) reduction–precipitation and (iii) oxidation–precipitation. Magnetic characterizations of the obtained nanoparticles have been studied and discussed. The oxidation precipitation route was chosen for investigation of the dependence of kinetic driven activation energy and that of coercive force on particle size (and temperature) during the course of the reaction. The structural–magnetic behavior was also correlated. Being solvent and surfactant-free, these methods are advantageous for synthesis and further functionalization towards biomedical applications

Copper-assisted shape control in colloidal synthesis of indium oxide nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Selishcheva, Elena; Parisi, Juergen; Kolny-Olesiak, Joanna, E-mail: joanna.kolny@uni-oldenburg.de [University of Oldenburg, Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics (Germany)

2012-02-15

Indium oxide is an important n-type transparent semiconductor, finding application in solar cells, sensors, and optoelectronic devices. We present here a novel non-injection synthesis route for the preparation of colloidal indium oxide nanocrystals by using oleylamine (OLA) as ligand and as solvent. Indium oxide with cubic crystallographic structure is formed in a reaction between indium acetate and OLA, the latter is converted to oleylamide during the synthesis. The shape of the nanocrystals can be influenced by the addition of copper ions. When only indium (III) acetate is used as precursor flower-shaped indium oxide nanoparticles are obtained. Addition of copper salts such as copper (I) acetate, copper (II) acetate, copper (II) acetylacetonate, or copper (I) chloride, under otherwise identical reaction conditions changes the shape of nanoparticles to quasi-spherical or elongated. The anions, except for chloride, do not influence the shape of the resulting nanocrystals. This finding suggests that adsorption of copper ions on the In{sub 2}O{sub 3} surface during the nanoparticles growth is responsible for shape control, whereas changes in the reactivity of the In cations caused by the presence of different anions play a secondary role. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and UV-Vis-absorption spectroscopy are used to characterize the samples.

Copper-assisted shape control in colloidal synthesis of indium oxide nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selishcheva, Elena; Parisi, Jürgen; Kolny-Olesiak, Joanna

2012-01-01

Indium oxide is an important n-type transparent semiconductor, finding application in solar cells, sensors, and optoelectronic devices. We present here a novel non-injection synthesis route for the preparation of colloidal indium oxide nanocrystals by using oleylamine (OLA) as ligand and as solvent. Indium oxide with cubic crystallographic structure is formed in a reaction between indium acetate and OLA, the latter is converted to oleylamide during the synthesis. The shape of the nanocrystals can be influenced by the addition of copper ions. When only indium (III) acetate is used as precursor flower-shaped indium oxide nanoparticles are obtained. Addition of copper salts such as copper (I) acetate, copper (II) acetate, copper (II) acetylacetonate, or copper (I) chloride, under otherwise identical reaction conditions changes the shape of nanoparticles to quasi-spherical or elongated. The anions, except for chloride, do not influence the shape of the resulting nanocrystals. This finding suggests that adsorption of copper ions on the In 2 O 3 surface during the nanoparticles growth is responsible for shape control, whereas changes in the reactivity of the In cations caused by the presence of different anions play a secondary role. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, and UV–Vis-absorption spectroscopy are used to characterize the samples.

Logarithmic conformal field theory through nilpotent conformal dimensions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moghimi-Araghi, S.; Rouhani, S.; Saadat, M.

2001-01-01

We study logarithmic conformal field theories (LCFTs) through the introduction of nilpotent conformal weights. Using this device, we derive the properties of LCFTs such as the transformation laws, singular vectors and the structure of correlation functions. We discuss the emergence of an extra energy momentum tensor, which is the logarithmic partner of the energy momentum tensor

Viscous conformal gauge theories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toniato, Arianna; Sannino, Francesco; Rischke, Dirk H.

2017-01-01

We present the conformal behavior of the shear viscosity-to-entropy density ratio and the fermion-number diffusion coefficient within the perturbative regime of the conformal window for gauge-fermion theories.......We present the conformal behavior of the shear viscosity-to-entropy density ratio and the fermion-number diffusion coefficient within the perturbative regime of the conformal window for gauge-fermion theories....

The intercomparison of the dose distributions between conformation techniques with pions and photons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karasawa, K.; Nakagawa, K.; Akanuma, A.

1990-01-01

To compare conformation radiation treatment with pions vs photons, dose volume histograms (DVH) to the critical organs, including the spinal cord, kidney, and intestine, were examined in a patient with retroperitoneal soft tissue sarcoma. For photon conformation treatment, the following techniques were used: 360 degree rotation conformation technique (photon conformation), 4 fixed field technique (photon 4-field), and 2-axis conformation technique (photon 2-axial conformation). According to the DVH reduction method, complication probability was estimated. The concave portion of the target was conformed by pion conformation treatment, but not by photon conformation treatment. Pion conformation for the intestine showed the best DVH, whereas photon 4-field technique showed the worst DVH. For the kidney, pion conformation showed better DVH as compared with any other photon conformation treatment technique. In the spinal cord, photon 2-axial conformation was far superior, followed by pion conformation and then photon conformation and 4-field technique. A 2-axial technique showed a bigger inhomogeneity inside the target volume which is critical in curative treatment. TD 50 was 72 Gy for pion conformation, 53 Gy for photon conformation, 51 Gy for photon 4-field, and 68 Gy for photon 2-axial conformation. Complication probabilities for these conformation techniques at 60 Gy were 3%, 85%, 97%, and 9%. In view of tumor control probabilities, pion seems to have the biggest therapeutic ratio among these techniques. (N.K.)

Concentrated Solutions of Single-Chain Nanoparticles: A Simple Model for Intrinsically Disordered Proteins under Crowding Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Angel J; Lo Verso, Federica; Arbe, Arantxa; Pomposo, José A; Colmenero, Juan

2016-03-03

By means of large-scale computer simulations and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), we investigate solutions of single-chain nanoparticles (SCNPs), covering the whole concentration range from infinite dilution to melt density. The analysis of the conformational properties of the SCNPs reveals that these synthetic nano-objects share basic ingredients with intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), as topological polydispersity, generally sparse conformations, and locally compact domains. We investigate the role of the architecture of the SCNPs in their collapse behavior under macromolecular crowding. Unlike in the case of linear macromolecules, which experience the usual transition from self-avoiding to Gaussian random-walk conformations, crowding leads to collapsed conformations of SCNPs resembling those of crumpled globules. This behavior is already found at volume fractions (about 30%) that are characteristic of crowding in cellular environments. The simulation results are confirmed by the SANS experiments. Our results for SCNPs--a model system free of specific interactions--propose a general scenario for the effect of steric crowding on IDPs: collapse from sparse conformations at high dilution to crumpled globular conformations in cell environments.

Conformal invariance in supergravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergshoeff, E.A.

1983-01-01

In this thesis the author explains the role of conformal invariance in supergravity. He presents the complete structure of extended conformal supergravity for N <= 4. The outline of this work is as follows. In chapter 2 he briefly summarizes the essential properties of supersymmetry and supergravity and indicates the use of conformal invariance in supergravity. The idea that the introduction of additional symmetry transformations can make clear the structure of a field theory is not reserved to supergravity only. By means of some simple examples it is shown in chapter 3 how one can always introduce additional gauge transformations in a theory of massive vector fields. Moreover it is shown how the gauge invariant formulation sometimes explains the quantum mechanical properties of the theory. In chapter 4 the author defines the conformal transformations and summarizes their main properties. He explains how these conformal transformations can be used to analyse the structure of gravity. The supersymmetric extension of these results is discussed in chapter 5. Here he describes as an example how N=1 supergravity can be reformulated in a conformally-invariant way. He also shows that beyond N=1 the gauge fields of the superconformal symmetries do not constitute an off-shell field representation of extended conformal supergravity. Therefore, in chapter 6, a systematic method to construct the off-shell formulation of all extended conformal supergravity theories with N <= 4 is developed. As an example he uses this method to construct N=1 conformal supergravity. Finally, in chapter 7 N=4 conformal supergravity is discussed. (Auth.)

Platinum nanoparticles on gallium nitride surfaces: effect of semiconductor doping on nanoparticle reactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Schäfer, Susanne; Wyrzgol, Sonja A; Caterino, Roberta; Jentys, Andreas; Schoell, Sebastian J; Hävecker, Michael; Knop-Gericke, Axel; Lercher, Johannes A; Sharp, Ian D; Stutzmann, Martin

2012-08-01

Platinum nanoparticles supported on n- and p-type gallium nitride (GaN) are investigated as novel hybrid systems for the electronic control of catalytic activity via electronic interactions with the semiconductor support. In situ oxidation and reduction were studied with high pressure photoemission spectroscopy. The experiments revealed that the underlying wide-band-gap semiconductor has a large influence on the chemical composition and oxygen affinity of supported nanoparticles under X-ray irradiation. For as-deposited Pt cuboctahedra supported on n-type GaN, a higher fraction of oxidized surface atoms was observed compared to cuboctahedral particles supported on p-type GaN. Under an oxygen atmosphere, immediate oxidation was recorded for nanoparticles on n-type GaN, whereas little oxidation was observed for nanoparticles on p-type GaN. Together, these results indicate that changes in the Pt chemical state under X-ray irradiation depend on the type of GaN doping. The strong interaction between the nanoparticles and the support is consistent with charge transfer of X-ray photogenerated free carriers at the semiconductor-nanoparticle interface and suggests that GaN is a promising wide-band-gap support material for photocatalysis and electronic control of catalysis.

Synthesis of nanoparticles in a flame aerosol reactor with independent and strict control of their size, crystal phase and morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang Jingkun; Chen, D-R; Biswas, Pratim

2007-01-01

A flame aerosol reactor (FLAR) was developed to synthesize nanoparticles with desired properties (crystal phase and size) that could be independently controlled. The methodology was demonstrated for TiO 2 nanoparticles, and this is the first time that large sets of samples with the same size but different crystal phases (six different ratios of anatase to rutile in this work) were synthesized. The degree of TiO 2 nanoparticle agglomeration was determined by comparing the primary particle size distribution measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to the mobility-based particle size distribution measured by online scanning mobility particle spectrometry (SMPS). By controlling the flame aerosol reactor conditions, both spherical unagglomerated particles and highly agglomerated particles were produced. To produce monodisperse nanoparticles, a high throughput multi-stage differential mobility analyser (MDMA) was used in series with the flame aerosol reactor. Nearly monodisperse nanoparticles (geometric standard deviation less than 1.05) could be collected in sufficient mass quantities (of the order of 10 mg) in reasonable time (1 h) that could be used in other studies such as determination of functionality or biological effects as a function of size

Synthesis of nanoparticles in a flame aerosol reactor with independent and strict control of their size, crystal phase and morphology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang Jingkun; Chen, D-R; Biswas, Pratim [Aerosol and Air Quality Research Laboratory, Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, Campus Box 1180, St Louis, MO 63130 (United States)

2007-07-18

A flame aerosol reactor (FLAR) was developed to synthesize nanoparticles with desired properties (crystal phase and size) that could be independently controlled. The methodology was demonstrated for TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, and this is the first time that large sets of samples with the same size but different crystal phases (six different ratios of anatase to rutile in this work) were synthesized. The degree of TiO{sub 2} nanoparticle agglomeration was determined by comparing the primary particle size distribution measured by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to the mobility-based particle size distribution measured by online scanning mobility particle spectrometry (SMPS). By controlling the flame aerosol reactor conditions, both spherical unagglomerated particles and highly agglomerated particles were produced. To produce monodisperse nanoparticles, a high throughput multi-stage differential mobility analyser (MDMA) was used in series with the flame aerosol reactor. Nearly monodisperse nanoparticles (geometric standard deviation less than 1.05) could be collected in sufficient mass quantities (of the order of 10 mg) in reasonable time (1 h) that could be used in other studies such as determination of functionality or biological effects as a function of size.

Monofunctional gold nanoparticles: synthesis and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huo Qun; Worden, James G.

2007-01-01

The ability to control the assembly of nanoparticle building blocks is critically important for the development of new materials and devices. The properties and functions of nanomaterials are not only dependent on the size and properties of individual particles, but also the interparticle distance and interactions. In order to control the structures of nanoassemblies, it is important to first achieve a precise control on the chemical functionality of nanoparticle building blocks. This review discusses three methods that have been reported recently for the preparation of monofunctional gold nanoparticles, i.e., nanoparticles with a single chemical functional group attached to each particle. The advantages and disadvantages of the three methods are discussed and compared. With a single functional group attached to the surface, one can treat such nanoparticles as molecular building blocks to react with other molecules or nanoparticles. In other words, by using appropriate chemical reactions, nanoparticles can be linked together into nanoassemblies and materials by covalent bonds, similar to the total chemical synthesis of complicated organic compounds from smaller molecular units. An example of using this approach for the synthesis of nanoparticle/polymer hybrid materials with optical limiting properties is presented. Other potential applications and advantages of covalent bond-based nanoarchitectures vs. non-covalent interaction-based supramolecular self-assemblies are also discussed briefly in this review

Biospectroscopy of Nanodiamond-Induced Alterations in Conformation of Intra- and Extracellular Proteins: A Nanoscale IR Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanal, Dipesh; Kondyurin, Alexey; Hau, Herman; Knowles, Jonathan C; Levinson, Olga; Ramzan, Iqbal; Fu, Dong; Marcott, Curtis; Chrzanowski, Wojciech

2016-08-02

The toxicity of nanomaterials raises major concerns because of the impact that nanomaterials may have on health, which remains poorly understood. We need to explore the fate of individual nanoparticles in cells at nano and molecular levels to establish their safety. Conformational changes in secondary protein structures are one of the main indicators of impaired biological function, and hence, the ability to identify these changes at a nanoscale level offers unique insights into the nanotoxicity of materials. Here, we used nanoscale infrared spectroscopy and demonstrated for the first time that nanodiamond-induced alterations in both extra- and intracellular secondary protein structures lead to the formation of antiparallel β-sheet, β-turns, intermolecular β-sheet, and aggregation of proteins. These conformational changes of the protein structure may result in the loss of functionality of proteins and in turn lead to adverse effects.

Temperature-controlled cross-linking of silver nanoparticles with diels-alder reaction and its application on antibacterial property

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lian; Yang, Pengfei; Li, Junying; Zhang, Zhiliang; Yu, Xi; Lu, Ling

2017-05-01

Sliver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized and functionalized with furan group on their surface, followed by the reverse Diels-Alder (DA) reaction with bismaleimide to vary the particle size, so as to give different antibacterial activities. These nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-vis), Nanoparticle Size Analyzer and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). It was found that the cross-linking reaction with bismaleimide had a great effect on the size of AgNPs. The size of the AgNPs could be controlled by the temperature of DA/r-DA equilibrium. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the inhibition zone diameter by introducing the particles into a media containing Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. It was found that these particles were effective bactericides. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of the nanoparticles decreased orderly as the particle size enlarged.

Physics responsible for heating efficiency and self-controlled temperature rise of magnetic nanoparticles in magnetic hyperthermia therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaterabadi, Zhila; Nabiyouni, Gholamreza; Soleymani, Meysam

2018-03-01

Magnetic nanoparticles as heat-generating nanosources in hyperthermia treatment are still faced with many drawbacks for achieving sufficient clinical potential. In this context, increase in heating ability of magnetic nanoparticles in a biologically safe alternating magnetic field and also approach to a precise control on temperature rise are two challenging subjects so that a significant part of researchers' efforts has been devoted to them. Since a deep understanding of Physics concepts of heat generation by magnetic nanoparticles is essential to develop hyperthermia as a cancer treatment with non-adverse side effects, this review focuses on different mechanisms responsible for heat dissipation in a radio frequency magnetic field. Moreover, particular attention is given to ferrite-based nanoparticles because of their suitability in radio frequency magnetic fields. Also, the key role of Curie temperature in suppressing undesired temperature rise is highlighted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hierarchical Mesoporous Organosilica-Silica Core-Shell Nanoparticles Capable of Controlled Fungicide Release.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Leilei; Liang, Yucang; Erichsen, Egil Severin; Anwander, Reiner

2018-05-17

A new class of hierarchically structured mesoporous silica core-shell nanoparticles (HSMSCSNs) with a periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO) core and a mesoporous silica (MS) shell is reported. The applied one-pot, two-step strategy allows rational control over the core/shell chemical composition, topology, and pore/particle size, simply by adjusting the reaction conditions in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as structure-directing agent under basic conditions. The spherical, ethylene- or methylene-bridged PMO cores feature hexagonal (p6mm) or cage-like cubic symmetry (Pm3‾ n) depending on the organosilica precursor. The hexagonal MS shell was obtained by n-hexane-induced controlled hydrolysis of TEOS followed by directional co-assembly/condensation of silicate/CTAB composites at the PMO cores. The HSMSCSNs feature a hierarchical pore structure with pore diameters of about 2.7 and 5.6 nm in the core and shell domains, respectively. The core sizes and shell thicknesses are adjustable in the ranges of 90-275 and 15-50 nm, respectively, and the surface areas (max. 1300 m 2  g -1 ) and pore volumes (max. 1.83 cm 3  g -1 ) are among the highest reported for core-shell nanoparticles. The adsorption and controlled release of the fungicide propiconazole by the HSMSCSNs showed a three-stage release profile. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Temperature responsive porous silicon nanoparticles for cancer therapy - spatiotemporal triggering through infrared and radiofrequency electromagnetic heating.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamarov, Konstantin; Xu, Wujun; Osminkina, Liubov; Zinovyev, Sergey; Soininen, Pasi; Kudryavtsev, Andrey; Gongalsky, Maxim; Gaydarova, Azha; Närvänen, Ale; Timoshenko, Victor; Lehto, Vesa-Pekka

2016-11-10

One critical functionality of the carrier system utilized in targeted drug delivery is its ability to trigger the release of the therapeutic cargo once the carrier has reached its target. External triggering is an alluring approach as it can be applied in a precise spatiotemporal manner. In the present study, we achieved external triggering through the porous silicon (PSi) nanoparticles (NPs) by providing a pulse of infrared or radiofrequency radiation. The NPs were grafted with a temperature responsive polymer whose critical temperature was tailored to be slightly above 37°C. The polymer coating improved the biocompatibility of the NPs significantly in comparison with their uncoated counterparts. Radiation induced a rapid temperature rise, which resulted in the collapse of the polymer chains facilitating the cargo release. Both infrared and radiofrequency radiation were able to efficiently trigger the release of the encapsulated drug in vitro and induce significant cell death in comparison to the control groups. Radiofrequency radiation was found to be more efficient in vitro, and the treatment efficacy was verified in vivo in a lung carcinoma (3LL) mice model. After a single intratumoral administration of the carrier system combined with radiofrequency radiation, there was clear suppression of the growth of the carcinoma and a prolongation of the survival time of the animals. The temperature responsive (TR) polymer grafted on the surface of porous silicon nanoparticles (PSi NPs) changes its conformation in response to the heating induced by infrared or radiofrequency radiation. The conformation change allows the loaded doxorubicin to escape from the pores, achieving controlled drug release from TR PSi NPs, which displayed efficacy against malignant cells both in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controllable deposition of platinum nanoparticles on single-wall carbon nanohorns as catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Ben; Xu, Wei; Guo, Zhengduo; Zhou, Nengzhi; Liu, Yang; Shi, Zujin; Lian, Yongfu

2012-09-01

Uniform and well dispersed platinum nanoparticles were successfully deposited on single-walled carbon nanohorns with the assistance of 4,4-dipydine and ion liquids, respectively. In particular, the size of platinum nanoparticles could be controlled in a very narrow range (2.2 to 2.5 nm) when ion liquids were applied. The crystalline nature of these platinum nanoparticles was confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy observation and X-ray power diffraction analysis, and two species of platinum Pt(0) and Pt(II) were detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical studies revealed that thus obtained nanocomposites had much better electrocatalytic activity for the methanol oxidation than those prepared with carbon nanotubes as supporter.

Laser printing of nanoparticle toner enables digital control of micropatterned carbon nanotube growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Polsen, Erik S; Stevens, Adam G; Hart, A John

2013-05-01

Commercialization of materials utilizing patterned carbon nanotube (CNT) forests, such as hierarchical composite structures, dry adhesives, and contact probe arrays, will require catalyst patterning techniques that do not rely on cleanroom photolithography. We demonstrate the large scale patterning of CNT growth catalyst via adaptation of a laser-based electrostatic printing process that uses magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) toner. The MICR toner contains iron oxide nanoparticles that serve as the catalyst for CNT growth, which are printed onto a flexible polymer (polyimide) and then transferred to a rigid substrate (silicon or alumina) under heat and mechanical pressure. Then, the substrate is processed for CNT growth under an atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) recipe. This process enables digital control of patterned CNT growth via the laser intensity, which controls the CNT density; and via the grayscale level, which controls the pixelation of the image into arrays of micropillars. Moreover, virtually any pattern can be designed using standard software (e.g., MS Word, AutoCAD, etc.) and printed on demand. Using a standard office printer, we realize isolated CNT microstructures as small as 140 μm and isolated catalyst ″pixels″ as small as 70 μm (one grayscale dot) and determine that individual toner microparticles result in features of approximately 5-10 μm . We demonstrate that grayscale CNT patterns can function as dry adhesives and that large-area catalyst patterns can be printed directly onto metal foils or transferred to ceramic plates. Laser printing therefore shows promise to enable high-speed micropatterning of nanoparticle-containing thin films under ambient conditions, possibly for a wide variety of nanostructures by engineering of toners containing nanoparticles of desired composition, size, and shape.

Spatially controlled synthesis of silver nanoparticles and nanowires by photosensitized reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jradi, S; Zeng, X H; Plain, J; Royer, P; Bachelot, R; Akil, S [Laboratoire de Nanotechnologie et d' Instrumentation Optique, ICD CNRS FRE 2848, Universite de Technologie de Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, BP 2060, 10010 Troyes (France); Balan, L; Lougnot, D J; Soppera, O; Vidal, L, E-mail: lavinia.balan@uha.fr [Institut de Science des Materiaux de Mulhouse CNRS LRC 7228, 15 rue Jean Starcky, 68057 Mulhouse (France)

2010-03-05

The present paper reports on the spatially controlled synthesis of silver nanoparticles (NPs) and silver nanowires by photosensitized reduction. In a first approach, direct photogeneration of silver NPs at the end of an optical fiber was carried out. Control of both size and density of silver NPs was possible by changing the photonic conditions. In a further development, a photochemically assisted procedure allowing silver to be deposited at the surface of a polymer microtip was implemented. Finally, polymer tips terminated by silver nanowires were fabricated by simultaneous photopolymerization and silver photoreduction. The silver NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

Controlled synthesis of pompon-like self-assemblies of Pd nanoparticles under microwave irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong Xia; Zhao Yanxi; Huang Tao; Liu Hanfan; Liew, Kong Yong

2009-01-01

Pd nanoparticles with uniform, self-assembled pompon-like nanostructure were synthesized by thermal decomposition of palladium acetate under microwave irradiation with methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) as a solvent in the presence of a little amount of ethylene glycol (EG) and KOH without using any special stabilizers. The as-synthesized Pd nano-pompons were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. The results show that the as-prepared Pd nano-pompons with the average diameters in the range of 28-81 nm were self-assemblies organized by hundreds of smaller primary nanoparticles with an average dimension of about 2.4 nm. The sizes of Pd nano-pompons can be well controlled by adjusting the concentration of palladium acetate. A little amount of EG and KOH also plays an important role in controlling the size, uniformity and dispersion of Pd nano-pompons. The Pd nano-pompons can be easily supported on γ-Al 2 O 3 and their catalytic activity was examined preliminarily.

Highly uniform up-converting nanoparticles: Why you should control your synthesis even more

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palo, Emilia; Tuomisto, Minnea; Hyppänen, Iko; Swart, Hendrik C.; Hölsä, Jorma; Soukka, Tero; Lastusaari, Mika

2017-01-01

Luminescent β-NaYF 4 :Yb 3+ ,Er 3+ (x Yb : 0.17, x Er : 0.03) nanomaterials were synthesized for use as labels for biomedical applications with high temperature co-precipitation synthesis in 1-octadecene and oleic acid. The effect of the synthesis conditions (e.g. argon flow, cooling and stirring rates) on the products’ up-conversion luminescence intensity, particle size and morphology were studied. The factors contributing to these properties were analysed. It was observed that an efficient inert gas flow is essential to the formation of the preferred highly-luminescent hexagonal structure. Furthermore, the flow rate, together with the stirring rate, crucially affect the Er:Yb molar ratio of the products. The optimization of this ratio is essential when strong up-conversion emission is required from small particles, whereas the morphology and uniformity of the nanoparticles can be controlled with the cooling rate. These results emphasize the importance of controlling the synthesis conditions, especially when nanoparticles need to have a specific morphology because of their use e.g. as luminescent labels in medical diagnostics.

Highly uniform up-converting nanoparticles: Why you should control your synthesis even more

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palo, Emilia, E-mail: ekharj@utu.fi [University of Turku, Department of Chemistry, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), Doctoral Programme in Physical and Chemical Sciences, Turku (Finland); Turku University Centre for Materials and Surfaces (MatSurf), Turku (Finland); Tuomisto, Minnea [University of Turku, Department of Chemistry, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); University of Turku Graduate School (UTUGS), Doctoral Programme in Physical and Chemical Sciences, Turku (Finland); Turku University Centre for Materials and Surfaces (MatSurf), Turku (Finland); Hyppänen, Iko [University of Turku, Department of Chemistry, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); Turku University Centre for Materials and Surfaces (MatSurf), Turku (Finland); Swart, Hendrik C.; Hölsä, Jorma [University of the Free State, Department of Physics, Bloemfontein ZA-9300 (South Africa); Soukka, Tero [University of Turku, Department of Biochemistry, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); Lastusaari, Mika [University of Turku, Department of Chemistry, FI-20014 Turku (Finland); Turku University Centre for Materials and Surfaces (MatSurf), Turku (Finland)

2017-05-15

Luminescent β-NaYF{sub 4}:Yb{sup 3+},Er{sup 3+} (x{sub Yb}: 0.17, x{sub Er}: 0.03) nanomaterials were synthesized for use as labels for biomedical applications with high temperature co-precipitation synthesis in 1-octadecene and oleic acid. The effect of the synthesis conditions (e.g. argon flow, cooling and stirring rates) on the products’ up-conversion luminescence intensity, particle size and morphology were studied. The factors contributing to these properties were analysed. It was observed that an efficient inert gas flow is essential to the formation of the preferred highly-luminescent hexagonal structure. Furthermore, the flow rate, together with the stirring rate, crucially affect the Er:Yb molar ratio of the products. The optimization of this ratio is essential when strong up-conversion emission is required from small particles, whereas the morphology and uniformity of the nanoparticles can be controlled with the cooling rate. These results emphasize the importance of controlling the synthesis conditions, especially when nanoparticles need to have a specific morphology because of their use e.g. as luminescent labels in medical diagnostics.

Intelligent hydrophilic nanoparticles fabricated via alkaline hydrolysis of crosslinked polyacrylonitrile nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Wu, Q.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, J.

2013-01-01

Crosslinked polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanolatex, with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 84 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.06, was successfully synthesized at a high monomer concentration and low surfactant content via a modified emulsion polymerization. Three measurements were adopted to control the nucleation and growth processes. Taking advantage of the chemical activity of nitrile groups, intelligent hydrophilic polymeric nanoparticles were fabricated via simple alkaline hydrolysis treatment of the crosslinked PAN nanolatex. Dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic light scattering, FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and TEM observations were used to monitor the changes in the composition, structure, and morphology of the nanoparticles during the hydrolysis process. The sizes, chemical composition, morphology, and pH-responsive behavior of the intelligent hydrophilic nanoparticles could be adjusted by simply changing the hydrolysis time. As the hydrolysis was prolonged, the following nanoparticles could be obtained, crosslinked PAN nanoparticles with hydrophilic surfaces, amphiphilic nanoparticles with a hydrophobic PAN core and a hydrophilic polymeric shell composed of acrylamide and acrylic acid units, or carboxylic polyacrylamide nanoparticles. These modified nanoparticles all display good hydrophilicity, good biocompatibility, pH-sensitivity, as well as carboxyl functional groups, and thus are ideal candidates for various biomedical applications

Intelligent hydrophilic nanoparticles fabricated via alkaline hydrolysis of crosslinked polyacrylonitrile nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Y., E-mail: zhyw@dhu.edu.cn; Wu, Q.; Zhang, H.; Zhao, J. [Donghua University, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Material Science and Engineering, Chemical Fibers Research Institute (China)

2013-07-15

Crosslinked polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanolatex, with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 84 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.06, was successfully synthesized at a high monomer concentration and low surfactant content via a modified emulsion polymerization. Three measurements were adopted to control the nucleation and growth processes. Taking advantage of the chemical activity of nitrile groups, intelligent hydrophilic polymeric nanoparticles were fabricated via simple alkaline hydrolysis treatment of the crosslinked PAN nanolatex. Dynamic light scattering, electrophoretic light scattering, FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and TEM observations were used to monitor the changes in the composition, structure, and morphology of the nanoparticles during the hydrolysis process. The sizes, chemical composition, morphology, and pH-responsive behavior of the intelligent hydrophilic nanoparticles could be adjusted by simply changing the hydrolysis time. As the hydrolysis was prolonged, the following nanoparticles could be obtained, crosslinked PAN nanoparticles with hydrophilic surfaces, amphiphilic nanoparticles with a hydrophobic PAN core and a hydrophilic polymeric shell composed of acrylamide and acrylic acid units, or carboxylic polyacrylamide nanoparticles. These modified nanoparticles all display good hydrophilicity, good biocompatibility, pH-sensitivity, as well as carboxyl functional groups, and thus are ideal candidates for various biomedical applications.

Molecular designing of nanoparticles and functional materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignjatović Nenad L.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The interdisciplinary research team implemented the program titled “Molecular designing of nanoparticles with controlled morphological and physicochemical characteristics and functional materials based on them” (MODENAFUNA, between 2011 and 2016, gaining new knowledge significant to the further improvement of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies. It gathered under its umbrella six main interrelated topics pertaining to the design and control of morphological and physicochemical properties of nanoparticles and functional material based on them using new methods of synthesis and processing: 1 inorganic nanoparticles, 2 cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries, 3 functional ceramics with improved electrical and optical properties, 4 full density nanostructured calcium phosphate and functionally-graded materials, 5 nano-calcium phosphate in bone tissue engineering and 6 biodegradable micro- and nano-particles for the controlled delivery of medicaments. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. III45004: Molecular designing of nanoparticles with controlled morphological and physicochemical characteristics and functional materials based on them

Green coconut ( Cocos nucifera Linn) shell extract mediated size controlled green synthesis of polyshaped gold nanoparticles and its application in catalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Koushik; Bag, Braja Gopal; Samanta, Kousik

2014-08-01

The shell extract of green coconut ( Cocos nucifera Linn) has been utilized for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles at room temperature under very mild condition without any extra stabilizing or capping agents. The size of the synthesized gold nanoparticles could be controlled by varying the concentration of the shell extract. The stabilized gold nanoparticles were analyzed by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy, HRTEM, Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. The catalytic activity of the freshly synthesized gold nanoparticles was studied for the sodium borohydride reduction of 4-nitrophenol and the kinetics of the reduction reaction were studied spectrophotometrically.

Control of nanoparticle size, reactivity and magnetic properties during the bioproduction of magnetite by Geobacter sulfurreducens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byrne, J. M.; Telling, N. D.; Coker, V. S.; Pattrick, R. A. D.; Laan, G. van der; Arenholz, E.; Tuna, F.; Lloyd, J. R.

2011-08-02

The bioproduction of nano-scale magnetite by Fe(III)-reducing bacteria offers a potentially tunable, environmentally benign route to magnetic nanoparticle synthesis. Here, we demonstrate that it is possible to control the size of magnetite nanoparticles produced by Geobacter sulfurreducens, by adjusting the total biomass introduced at the start of the process. The particles have a narrow size distribution and can be controlled within the range of 10-50 nm. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that controlled production of a number of different biominerals is possible via this method including goethite, magnetite and siderite, but their formation is strongly dependent upon the rate of Fe(III) reduction and total concentration and rate of Fe(II) produced by the bacteria during the reduction process. Relative cation distributions within the structure of the nanoparticles has been investigated by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and indicates the presence of a highly reduced surface layer which is not observed when magnetite is produced through abiotic methods. The enhanced Fe(II)-rich surface, combined with small particle size, has important environmental applications such as in the reductive bioremediation of organics, radionuclides and metals. In the case of Cr(VI), as a model high-valence toxic metal, optimised biogenic magnetite is able to reduce and sequester the toxic hexavalent chromium very efficiently in the less harmful trivalent form.

Nanocomposites of size-controlled gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide: formation and applications in SERS and catalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Jie; Zhang, Liming; Chen, Biao; Ji, Nan; Chen, Fenghua; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Zhijun

2010-12-01

In this paper, we describe the formation of Au nanoparticle-graphene oxide (Au-GO) and -reduced GO (Au-rGO) composites by noncovalent attachment of Au nanoparticles premodified with 2-mercaptopyridine to GO and rGO sheets, respectively, viaπ-π stacking and other molecular interactions. Compared with in situ reduction of HAuCl4 on the surface of graphene sheets that are widely used to prepare Au-GO composites, the approach developed by us offers well controlled size, size distribution, and morphology of the metal nanoparticles in the metal-GO nanohybrids. Moreover, we investigated surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and catalysis properties of the Au-graphene composites. We have demonstrated that the Au-GO composites are superior SERS substrates to the Au NPs. Similarly, a comparative study on the catalytic activities of the Au, Au-GO, and Au-rGO composites in the reduction of o-nitroaniline to 1,2-benzenediamine by NaBH4 indicates that both Au-GO and Au-rGO composites exhibit significantly higher catalytic activities than the corresponding Au nanoparticles.

Quality controls in intensity-modulated conformational radiotherapy. S.F.P.M. report nr 26, January 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valinta, Danielle; Poinsignon, Anne; Caron, Jerome; Dejean, Catherine; Corsetti, Dominique; Marcie, Serge; Mazurier, Jocelyne; Naudy, Suzanne; Aget, Helene; Marchesi, Vincent; Vieillevigne, Laure; Dedieu, Veronique; Bramoule, Celine; Caselles, Olivier; Lacaze, Brigitte; Mazurier, Jocelyne

2009-08-01

This report proposes a comprehensive presentation of the different controls which can be performed for the implementation of 3D intensity-modulated conformal radiation therapy (IMCR). The authors first present the IMCR principle by describing modes of production of modulated beams, the practical realisation of intensity modulation with Multi Leaf Collimator (MLC), multi leaf collimators, and the inverse planning system. They present the quality control of the accelerator (pre-requisites, linearity of the monitor chamber, symmetry and homogeneity), the quality control of multi leaf collimators (prerequisites, leaf absolute calibration, static mode, dynamic mode), the quality control of the treatment planning system (prerequisites, tests specific to IMCR, example in dynamic mode with the chair test), the quality control of the treatment plan (objective, necessary equipment and software solutions, measurement of point absolute dose, control of dose distribution, independent calculation of the number of monitor units), and the treatment verification (pre-treatment verification, patient repositioning during treatment). Finally, they indicate human means required for IMCR implementation, and formulate some recommendations for this implementation

Preparation and Characterization of Starch Nanoparticles for Controlled Release of Curcumin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suk Fun Chin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Curcumin was loaded onto starch nanoparticles by using in situ nanoprecipitation method and water-in-oil microemulsion system. Curcumin loaded starch nanoparticles exhibited enhanced solubility in aqueous solution as compared to free curcumin. Effects of formulation parameters such as types of reaction medium, types of surfactant, surfactant concentrations, oil/ethanol ratios, loading time, and initial curcumin concentration were found to affect the particle size and loading efficiency (LF of the curcumin loaded starch nanoparticles. Under optimum conditions, curcumin loaded starch nanoparticles with mean particles size of 87 nm and maximum loading efficiency of 78% were achieved. Curcumin was observed to release out from starch nanoparticles in a sustained way under physiological pH over a period of 10 days.

In-situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles by electron beam irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong, Jiangfeng; Liu, Hongwei; Jiang, Yuwen; Yang, Shaoguang; Liao, Xiaozhou; Liu, Zongwen; Ringer, Simon

2015-01-01

Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope chamber at room temperature and the growth mechanism was explored in detail. The sizes of the Ag nanoparticles are controlled by the electron beam current density. Two nanoparticle growth stages were identified. The first growth stage was dominated by the discharging effect, while the second stage was controlled by the heating effect. The nanoparticle synthesis method should be applicable to the synthesis of other metallic nanoparticles. - Highlights: • Ag nanoparticles were synthesized by electron beam irradiation in the transmission electron microscope chamber. • The sizes of the Ag nanoparticles are controlled by the electron beam current density. • The growth mechanism was studied, two growth stages were confirmed. • The first growth stage was dominated by the discharging effect, and the second stage was controlled by the heating effect.

Monitoring conformational dynamics with solid-state R1ρ experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quinn, Caitlin M.; McDermott, Ann E.

2009-01-01

A new application of solid-state rotating frame (R 1ρ ) relaxation experiments to observe conformational dynamics is presented. Studies on a model compound, dimethyl sulfone (DMS), show that R 1ρ relaxation due to reorientation of a chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) tensor undergoing chemical exchange can be used to monitor slow-to-intermediate timescale conformational exchange processes. Control experiments used d 6 -DMS and alanine to confirm that the technique is monitoring reorientation of the CSA tensor rather than dipolar interactions or methyl group rotation. The application of this method to proteins could represent a new site-specific probe of conformational dynamics

Structure and function of nanoparticle-protein conjugates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aubin-Tam, M-E; Hamad-Schifferli, K

2008-01-01

Conjugation of proteins to nanoparticles has numerous applications in sensing, imaging, delivery, catalysis, therapy and control of protein structure and activity. Therefore, characterizing the nanoparticle-protein interface is of great importance. A variety of covalent and non-covalent linking chemistries have been reported for nanoparticle attachment. Site-specific labeling is desirable in order to control the protein orientation on the nanoparticle, which is crucial in many applications such as fluorescence resonance energy transfer. We evaluate methods for successful site-specific attachment. Typically, a specific protein residue is linked directly to the nanoparticle core or to the ligand. As conjugation often affects the protein structure and function, techniques to probe structure and activity are assessed. We also examine how molecular dynamics simulations of conjugates would complete those experimental techniques in order to provide atomistic details on the effect of nanoparticle attachment. Characterization studies of nanoparticle-protein complexes show that the structure and function are influenced by the chemistry of the nanoparticle ligand, the nanoparticle size, the nanoparticle material, the stoichiometry of the conjugates, the labeling site on the protein and the nature of the linkage (covalent versus non-covalent)

Co-precipitation of oppositely charged nanoparticles: the case of mixed ligand nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moglianetti, Mauro; Ponomarev, Evgeniy; Szybowski, Maxime; Stellacci, Francesco; Reguera, Javier

2015-01-01

Colloid stability is of high importance in a multitude of fields ranging from food science to biotechnology. There is strong interest in studying the stability of small particles (of a size of a few nanometres) with complex surface structures, that make them resemble the complexity of proteins and other natural biomolecules, in the presence of oppositely charged nanoparticles. While for nanoparticles with homogeneously charged surfaces an abrupt precipitation has been observed at the neutrality of charges, data are missing about the stability of nanoparticles when they have more complex surface structures, like the presence of hydrophobic patches. To study the role of these hydrophobic patches in the stability of nanoparticles a series of negatively charged nanoparticles has been synthesized with different ratios of hydrophobic content and with control on the structural distribution of the hydrophobic moiety, and then titrated with positively charged nanoparticles. For nanoparticles with patchy nanodomains, the influence of hydrophobic content was observed together with the influence of the size of the nanoparticles. By contrast, for nanoparticles with a uniform distribution of hydrophobic ligands, size changes and hydrophobic content did not play any role in co-precipitation behaviour. A comparison of these two sets of nanoparticles suggests that nanodomains present at the surfaces of nanoparticles are playing an important role in stability against co-precipitation. (paper)

Novel hybrid coatings with controlled wettability by composite nanoparticle aggregation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hritcu, Doina, E-mail: dhritcu@ch.tuiasi.ro; Dodi, Gianina; Iordache, Mirabela L.; Draganescu, Dan; Sava, Elena; Popa, Marcel I.

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Magnetite-grafted chitosan composite nanoparticles were synthesized. • The particles are able to assemble under the influence of a silane derivative. • Thin films containing composites, chitosan and hydrolyzed silane were optimized. • The novel hybrid coatings show hierarchical roughness and high wetting angle. - Abstract: The aim of this study is to evaluate novel hybrid materials as potential candidates for producing coatings with hierarchical roughness and controlled wetting behaviour. Magnetite (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}) nanoparticles obtained by co-precipitation were embedded in matrices synthesized by radical graft co-polymerization of butyl acrylate (BA), butyl methacrylate (BMA), hexyl acrylate (HA) or styrene (ST) with ethylene glycol di-methacrylate (EGDMA) onto previously modified chitosan bearing surface vinyl groups. The resulting composite particles were characterized regarding their average size, composition and magnetic properties. Hybrid thin films containing suspension of composite particles in ethanol and pre-hydrolysed hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTS) as a coupling/crosslinking agent were deposited by spin coating or spraying. The films were cured by heating and subsequently characterized regarding their morphology (scanning electron microscopy), contact angle with water and adhesion to substrate (scratch test). The structure-property relationship is discussed.

Conformal expansions and renormalons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rathsman, J.

2000-02-07

The coefficients in perturbative expansions in gauge theories are factorially increasing, predominantly due to renormalons. This type of factorial increase is not expected in conformal theories. In QCD conformal relations between observables can be defined in the presence of a perturbative infrared fixed-point. Using the Banks-Zaks expansion the authors study the effect of the large-order behavior of the perturbative series on the conformal coefficients. The authors find that in general these coefficients become factorially increasing. However, when the factorial behavior genuinely originates in a renormalon integral, as implied by a postulated skeleton expansion, it does not affect the conformal coefficients. As a consequence, the conformal coefficients will indeed be free of renormalon divergence, in accordance with previous observations concerning the smallness of these coefficients for specific observables. The authors further show that the correspondence of the BLM method with the skeleton expansion implies a unique scale-setting procedure. The BLM coefficients can be interpreted as the conformal coefficients in the series relating the fixed-point value of the observable with that of the skeleton effective charge. Through the skeleton expansion the relevance of renormalon-free conformal coefficients extends to real-world QCD.

Optical trapping and control of nanoparticles inside evacuated hollow core photonic crystal fibers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grass, David, E-mail: david.grass@univie.ac.at; Fesel, Julian; Hofer, Sebastian G.; Kiesel, Nikolai; Aspelmeyer, Markus, E-mail: markus.aspelmeyer@univie.ac.at [Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ), Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna (Austria)

2016-05-30

We demonstrate an optical conveyor belt for levitated nanoparticles over several centimeters inside both air-filled and evacuated hollow-core photonic crystal fibers (HCPCF). Detection of the transmitted light field allows three-dimensional read-out of the particle center-of-mass motion. An additional laser enables axial radiation pressure based feedback cooling over the full fiber length. We show that the particle dynamics is a sensitive local probe for characterizing the optical intensity profile inside the fiber as well as the pressure distribution along the fiber axis. In contrast to some theoretical predictions, we find a linear pressure dependence inside the HCPCF, extending over three orders of magnitude from 0.2 mbar to 100 mbar. A targeted application is the controlled delivery of nanoparticles from ambient pressure into medium vacuum.

Development of conformal respirator monitoring technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shonka, J.J.; Weismann, J.J.; Logan, R.J.

1997-04-01

This report summarizes the results of a Small Business Innovative Research Phase II project to develop a modular, surface conforming respirator monitor to improve upon the manual survey techniques presently used by the nuclear industry. Research was performed with plastic scintillator and gas proportional modules in an effort to find the most conducive geometry for a surface conformal, position sensitive monitor. The respirator monitor prototype developed is a computer controlled, position-sensitive detection system employing 56 modular proportional counters mounted in molds conforming to the inner and outer surfaces of a commonly used respirator (Scott Model 801450-40). The molds are housed in separate enclosures and hinged to create a open-quotes waffle-ironclose quotes effect so that the closed monitor will simultaneously survey both surfaces of the respirator. The proportional counter prototype was also designed to incorporate Shonka Research Associates previously developed charge-division electronics. This research provided valuable experience into pixellated position sensitive detection systems. The technology developed can be adapted to other monitoring applications where there is a need for deployment of many traditional radiation detectors

The Relationship between Self-Assembly and Conformal Mappings

Science.gov (United States)

Duque, Carlos; Santangelo, Christian

The isotropic growth of a thin sheet has been used as a way to generate programmed shapes through controlled buckling. We discuss how conformal mappings, which are transformations that locally preserve angles, provide a way to quantify the area growth needed to produce a particular shape. A discrete version of the conformal map can be constructed from circle packings, which are maps between packings of circles whose contact network is preserved. This provides a link to the self-assembly of particles on curved surfaces. We performed simulations of attractive particles on a curved surface using molecular dynamics. The resulting particle configurations were used to generate the corresponding discrete conformal map, allowing us to quantify the degree of area distortion required to produce a particular shape by finding particle configurations that minimize the area distortion.

Laser-assisted immobilization of colloid silver nanoparticles on polyethyleneterephthalate

Science.gov (United States)

Siegel, Jakub; Lyutakov, Oleksiy; Polívková, Markéta; Staszek, Marek; Hubáček, Tomáš; Švorčík, Václav

2017-10-01

Immobilization of nanoobjects on the surface of underlying material belongs to current issues of material science. Such altered materials exhibits completely exceptional properties exploitable in a broad spectrum of industrially important applications ranging from catalysts up to health-care industry. Here we present unique approach for immobilization of electrochemically synthesized silver nanoparticles on polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) foil whose essence lies in physical incorporation of particles into thin polymer surface layer induced by polarized excimer laser light. Changes in chemical composition and surface structure of polymer after particle immobilization were recorded by wide range of analytical techniques such as ARXPS, EDX, RBS, AAS, Raman, ICP-MS, DLS, UV-vis, SEM, TEM, and AFM. Thorough analysis of both nanoparticles entering the immobilization step as well as modified PET surface allowed revealing the mechanism of immobilization process itself. Silver nanoparticles were physically embedded into a thin surface layer of polymer reaching several nanometers beneath the surface rather than chemically bonded to PET macromolecules. Laser-implanted nanoparticles open up new possibilities especially in the development of the next generation cell-conform antimicrobial coatings of polymeric materials, namely due to the considerable immobilization strength which is strong enough to prevent particle release into the surrounding environment.

Encapsulation method for atom probe tomography analysis of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D.J.; Giddings, A.D.; Wu, Y.; Verheijen, M.A.; Prosa, T.J.; Roozeboom, F.; Rice, K.P.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Geiser, B.P.; Kelly, T.F.

2015-01-01

Open-space nanomaterials are a widespread class of technologically important materials that are generally incompatible with analysis by atom probe tomography (APT) due to issues with specimen preparation, field evaporation and data reconstruction. The feasibility of encapsulating such non-compact matter in a matrix to enable APT measurements is investigated using nanoparticles as an example. Simulations of field evaporation of a void, and the resulting artifacts in ion trajectory, underpin the requirement that no voids remain after encapsulation. The approach is demonstrated by encapsulating Pt nanoparticles in an ZnO:Al matrix created by atomic layer deposition, a growth technique which offers very high surface coverage and conformality. APT measurements of the Pt nanoparticles are correlated with transmission electron microscopy images and numerical simulations in order to evaluate the accuracy of the APT reconstruction. - Highlights: • Pt nanoparticles were analyzed using atom probe tomography and TEM. • The particles were prepared by encapsulation using atomic layer deposition. • Simulation of field evaporation near a void results in aberrations in ion trajectories. • Apparent differences between TEM and APT analyses are reconciled through simulation of field evaporation from a low-field matrix containing high-field NPs; ion trajectory aberrations are shown to lead to an apparent mixing of the matrix into the NPs.

Silver nanoparticles: synthesis and size control by electron irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bogle, K A; Dhole, S D; Bhoraskar, V N [Microtron Accelerator Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Pune, Pune-411007 (India)

2006-07-14

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by irradiating solutions, prepared by mixing AgNO{sub 3} and poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA), with 6 MeV electrons. The electron-irradiated solutions and the thin coatings cast from them were characterized using the ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. During electron irradiation, the process of formation of the silver nanoparticles appeared to be initiated at an electron fluence of {approx}2 x 10{sup 13} e cm{sup -2}. This was evidenced from the solution, which turned yellow and exhibited the characteristic plasmon absorption peak around 455 nm. Silver nanoparticles of different sizes in the range 60-10 nm, with a narrow size distribution, could be synthesized by varying the electron fluence from 2 x 10{sup 13} to 3 x 10{sup 15} e cm{sup -2}. Silver nanoparticles of sizes in the range 100-200 nm were also synthesized by irradiating an aqueous AgNO{sub 3} solution with 6 MeV electrons.

Chemical synthesis and characterization of palladium nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Viet Long; Hayakawa, Tomokatsu; Nogami, Masayuki; Nguyen, Duc Chien; Hirata, Hirohito; Ohtaki, Michitaka

2010-01-01

This work presents the results of the successful preparation of Pd nanoparticles by the polyol method and the proposed techniques of controlling their size and shape. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilized Pd nanoparticles of various shapes with the largest sizes in the forms of octahedrons (24 nm), tetrahedrons (22 nm) and cubes (20 nm) have been obtained by alcohol reduction in ethanol with the addition of a hydrochloric acid catalyst. Moreover, PVP–Pd nanoparticles of well-controlled spherical shapes have also been prepared by a modified polyol method. PVP–Pd nanoparticles of cubic, octahedral, tetrahedral and spherical shapes with well-controlled size achieved by using ethylene glycol (EG) as reductant and various inorganic species were also fabricated. In particular, Pd nanorods with sizes of 47 nm and 16 nm formed due to the anisotropic growth mechanism of Pd nanoparticles were found. At the same time, tetrahedral particles of sharp shapes of 120 nm and 70 nm sizes have been observed. A high concentration of inorganic species was used to control the size and shape of the Pd nanoparticles, leading to the appearance of various irregular sizes and shapes. There was evidence of the very sharp corners and edges of tetrahedral and octahedral Pd nanoparticles or others that were formed in the clustering and combination of the seeds of smaller particles

Morphology control of MnO2 nanoparticles: Effect of P123 polymer in ethanol-water system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A series of MnO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by two-step reaction in the ethanol-water system with urea as reducing agent. During the novel routine, P123 polymer plays a crucial role in controlling the morphology. Then, characterization and systematic investigations of the samples by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy confirmed that the morphology of MnO2 nanoparticles changed as the raw materials ratio changed. Finally, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were employed to confirm the crystal structure and the exact components. These results indicated the particles showed a rod-like shape without P123 and changed into sheet-like shape after the addition of P123. Therefore, this idea could be developed for the controllable synthesis of other metal oxide-based nanomaterials.

The disclosed transformation of pre-sputtered Ti films into nanoparticles via controlled thermal oxidation

Science.gov (United States)

Awad, M. A.; Raaif, M.

2018-05-01

Nanoparticles of TiO2 were successfully prepared from pre-sputtered Ti films using the controlled thermal oxidation. The effect of oxidation temperature on structural, morphological and optical properties in addition to photocatalysis activity of the sputtered films was tested and explained. Analysis of XRD and EDAX elucidated the enhancement in crystallization and oxygen content with the increase of oxidation temperature. SEM depicted the formation of very fine nanoparticles with no specific border on the films oxidized at 550 and 600 °C, whilst crystallites with larger size of approximately from 16 to 23 nm have been observed for the film oxidized at 650 °C. Both optical transmission and refractive index were increased with increasing the oxidation temperature. A red shift in the absorption edge was obtained for the films oxidized at 650 °C compared to that oxidized at 600 °C. The photocatalysis tests demonstrated the priority of 600 °C nanoparticle films to decompose methyl orange (MO) more than 650 °C treated film.

Controlled synthesis of Fe3O4/ZIF-8 nanoparticles for magnetically separable nanocatalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Fei; He, Mingyuan; Ge, Jianping

2015-04-27

Fe3O4/ZIF-8 nanoparticles were synthesized through a room-temperature reaction between 2-methylimidazolate and zinc nitrate in the presence of Fe3O4 nanocrystals. The particle size, surface charge, and magnetic loading can be conveniently controlled by the dosage of Zn(NO3)2 and Fe3O4 nanocrystals. The as-prepared particles show both good thermal stability (stable to 550 °C) and large surface area (1174 m(2) g(-1)). The nanoparticles also have a superparamagnetic response, so that they can strongly respond to an external field during magnetic separation and disperse back into the solution after withdrawal of the magnetic field. For the Knoevenagel reaction, which is catalyzed by alkaline active sites on external surface of catalyst, small Fe3O4/ZIF-8 nanoparticles show a higher catalytic activity. At the same time, the nanocatalysts can be continuously used in multiple catalytic reactions through magnetic separation, activation, and redispersion with little loss of activity. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rapid and controlled transformation of nitrate in water and brine by stabilized iron nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Zhong; Zhao Dongye; Pan Gang

2009-01-01

Highly reactive zero-valent iron (ZVI) nanoparticles stabilized with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) were tested for reduction of nitrate in fresh water and brine. Batch kinetic tests showed that the pseudo first-order rate constant (k obs ) with the stabilized nanoparticles was five times greater than that for non-stabilized counterparts. The stabilizer not only increased the specific surface area of the nanoparticles, but also increased the reactive particle surface. The allocation between the two reduction products, NH 4 + and N 2 , can be manipulated by varying the ZVI-to-nitrate molar ratio and/or applying a Cu-Pd bimetallic catalyst. Greater CMC-to-ZVI ratios lead to faster nitrate reduction. Application of a 0.05 M HEPES buffer increased the k obs value by 15 times compared to that without pH control. Although the presence of 6% NaCl decreased k obs by 30%, 100% nitrate was transformed within 2 h in the saline water. The technology provides a powerful alternative for treating water with concentrated nitrate such as ion exchange brine.

Spectroscopic studies on the interaction between ZnSe nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Zhi; Wu, Dudu

2012-01-01

The interaction between ZnSe nanoparticles (NPs) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by UV–vis, fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. The results showed that the fluorescence of BSA was strongly quenched by ZnSe NPs and the quenching mechanism was discussed to be a static quenching procedure, which was proved by quenching constant (K q ). The recorded UV–vis data and the fluorescence data quenching by the ZnSe NPs showed that the interaction between them leads to the formation of ZnSe–BSA complex. Based on the synchronous fluorescence spectra, it was established that the conformational change of BSA was induced by the interaction of ZnSe with the tyrosine micro-region of the BSA molecules. Furthermore, the temperature effects on the structural and spectroscopic properties of individual ZnSe NPs and protein and their bioconjugates (ZnSe–BSA) were also researched. It was found that, compared to the monotonic decrease of the individual ZnSe NPs fluorescence intensity, the temperature dependence of the ZnSe–BSA emission had a much more complex behavior, which was highly sensitive to the conformational changes of the protein. - Highlights: ►Interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and ZnSe nanoparticles was studied. ► UV–vis data and fluorescence data demonstrated the formation of ZnSe–BSA complex. ► Temperature dependence of ZnSe–BSA emission was sensitive to the conformational changes of protein.

Conformational analysis by intersection: CONAN.

Science.gov (United States)

Smellie, Andrew; Stanton, Robert; Henne, Randy; Teig, Steve

2003-01-15

As high throughput techniques in chemical synthesis and screening improve, more demands are placed on computer assisted design and virtual screening. Many of these computational methods require one or more three-dimensional conformations for molecules, creating a demand for a conformational analysis tool that can rapidly and robustly cover the low-energy conformational spaces of small molecules. A new algorithm of intersection is presented here, which quickly generates (on average heuristics are applied after intersection to generate a small representative collection of conformations that span the conformational space. In a study of approximately 97,000 randomly selected molecules from the MDDR, results are presented that explore these conformations and their ability to cover low-energy conformational space. Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 24: 10-20, 2003

Controlled-release of tetracycline and lovastatin by poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide acid)-chitosan nanoparticles enhances periodontal regeneration in dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Bor-Shiunn; Lee, Chien-Chen; Wang, Yi-Ping; Chen, Hsiao-Jan; Lai, Chern-Hsiung; Hsieh, Wan-Ling; Chen, Yi-Wen

2016-01-01

Chronic periodontitis is characterized by inflammation of periodontal tissues, leading to bone resorption and tooth loss. The goal of treatment is to regenerate periodontal tissues including bone and cementum lost as a consequence of disease. The local delivery of tetracycline was proven to be effective in controlling localized periodontal infection without apparent side effects. Previous studies suggested that lovastatin has a significant role in new bone formation; however, the local delivery of lovastatin might enhance its therapeutic effects. A number of local delivery devices have been developed recently, including poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles. The aim of this study was to develop a local delivery device, PLGA-lovastatin-chitosan-tetracycline nanoparticles, which allows the sequential release of tetracycline and lovastatin to effectively control local infection and promote bone regeneration in periodontitis. The size and microstructure of nanoparticles were examined by transmission electron microscopy, Nanoparticle Size Analyzer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The release of tetracycline and lovastatin was quantified using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect and alkaline phosphatase activity of the nanoparticles in osteoblast cell cultures as well as antibacterial activity against periodontal pathogens were investigated. Finally, the bone regeneration potential of PLGA nanoparticles in three-walled defects in beagle dogs was investigated. The results indicated that PLGA-lovastatin-chitosan-tetracycline nanoparticles showed good biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, and increased alkaline phosphatase activity. The volumetric analysis from micro-CT revealed significantly increased new bone formation in defects filled with nanoparticles in dogs. This novel local delivery device might be useful as an adjunctive treatment in periodontal regenerative therapy.

The conformal method and the conformal thin-sandwich method are the same

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maxwell, David

2014-01-01

The conformal method developed in the 1970s and the more recent Lagrangian and Hamiltonian conformal thin-sandwich methods are techniques for finding solutions of the Einstein constraint equations. We show that they are manifestations of a single conformal method: there is a straightforward way to convert back and forth between the parameters for these methods so that the corresponding solutions of the Einstein constraint equations agree. The unifying idea is the need to clearly distinguish tangent and cotangent vectors to the space of conformal classes on a manifold, and we introduce a vocabulary for working with these objects without reference to a particular representative background metric. As a consequence of these conceptual advantages, we demonstrate how to strengthen previous near-CMC (constant mean curvature) existence and non-existence theorems for the original conformal method to include metrics with scalar curvatures that change sign. (paper)

Controlled surface functionalization of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles with terminal amino and carboxyl groups

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kralj, Slavko; Drofenik, Miha; Makovec, Darko

2011-01-01

General and versatile methods for the functionalization of superparamagnetic, silica-coated, maghemite nanoparticles by surface amino and/or carboxyl groups have been established. The nanoparticles were synthesized using co-precipitation from aqueous solutions and coated with a thin layer of silica using the hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS). For the amino functionalization, 3-(2-aminoethylamino)propylmethyldimethoxysilane (APMS) was grafted onto the nanoparticle surfaces in their aqueous suspensions. The grafting process was followed by measurements of the ζ-potential and a determination of the concentration of the surface amino groups with conductometric titrations. The surface concentration of the amino groups could be varied by increasing the amount of APMS in the grafting process up to approximately 2.3 –NH 2 groups per nm 2 . The carboxyl functionalization was obtained in two ways: (i) by a ring-opening linker elongation reaction of the surface amines at the functionalized nanoparticles with succinic anhydride (SA) in non-aqueous medium, and (ii) by reacting the APMS and SA first, followed by grafting of the carboxyl-terminated reagent onto the nanoparticle surfaces. Using the first method, the SA only reacted with the terminal primary amino groups (–NH 2 ) of the surface-grafted APMS molecules. Infra-red spectroscopy (ATR FTIR) and mass spectrometry (HRMS) showed that the second method enables the bonding of up to two SA molecules per one APMS molecule, since the SA reacted with both the primary (–NH 2 ) and secondary amino (–NH–) groups of the APMS molecule. When using both methods, the ratio between the surface amino and carboxyl groups can be controlled.

Dual stimuli-sensitive dendrimers: Photothermogenic gold nanoparticle-loaded thermo-responsive elastin-mimetic dendrimers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukushima, Daichi; Sk, Ugir Hossain; Sakamoto, Yasuhiro; Nakase, Ikuhiko; Kojima, Chie

2015-08-01

Dendrimers are synthetic macromolecules with unique structures that can work as nanoplatforms for both photothermogenic gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and thermosensitive elastin-like peptides (ELPs) with valine-proline-glycine-valine-glycine (VPGVG) repeats. In this study, photothermogenic AuNPs were loaded into thermo-responsive elastin-mimetic dendrimers (dendrimers conjugating ELPs at their periphery) to produce dual stimuli-sensitive nanoparticles. Polyamidoamine G4 dendrimers were modified with acetylated VPGVG and (VPGVG)2, and the resulting materials were named ELP1-den and ELP2-den, respectively. The AuNPs were prepared by the reduction of Au ions using a dendrimer-nanotemplated method. The AuNP-loaded elastin-mimetic dendrimers exhibited photothermal properties. ELP1-den and ELP2-den showed similar temperature-dependent changes in their conformations. Phase transitions were observed at around 55°C and 35°C for the AuNP-loaded ELP1-den and AuNP-loaded ELP2-den, respectively, but not for the corresponding PEGylated dendrimer. In contrast to the AuNP-loaded PEGylated dendrimer, AuNP-loaded ELP2-den readily associated with cells and induced efficient photocytotoxicity at 37°C. The cell association and the photocytotoxicity properties of AuNP-loaded ELP2-den could be controlled by temperature. These results therefore suggest that dual stimuli-sensitive dendrimer nanoparticles of this type could be used for photothermal therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solvent polarity controls the helical conformation of short peptides rich in Calpha-tetrasubstituted amino acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellanda, Massimo; Mammi, Stefano; Geremia, Silvano; Demitri, Nicola; Randaccio, Lucio; Broxterman, Quirinus B; Kaptein, Bernard; Pengo, Paolo; Pasquato, Lucia; Scrimin, Paolo

2007-01-01

The two peptides, rich in C(alpha)-tetrasubstituted amino acids, Ac-[Aib-L-(alphaMe)Val-Aib](2)-L-His-NH(2) (1) and Ac-[Aib-L-(alphaMe)Val-Aib](2)-O-tBu (2 a) are prevalently helical. They present the unique property of changing their conformation from the alpha- to the 3(10)-helix as a function of the polarity of the solvent: alpha in more polar solvents, 3(10) in less polar ones. Conclusive evidence of this reversible change of conformation is reported on the basis of the circular dichroism (CD) spectra and a detailed two-dimensional NMR analysis in two solvents (trifluoroethanol and methanol) refined with molecular dynamics calculations. The X-ray diffractometric analysis of the crystals of both peptides reveals that they assume a prevalent 3(10)-helix conformation in the solid state. This conformation is practically superimposable on that obtained from the NMR analysis of 1 in methanol. The NMR results further validate the reported CD signature of the 3(10)-helix and the use of the CD technique for its assessment.

The Role of Conformity in Relation to Cohesiveness and Intimacy in Day-Hospital Groups of Patients with Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Il Ho; Park, Sun Young; Choi, Sulkee; Lee, Soo Young; Kim, Jae-Jin

2017-07-01

Conformity is defined as the act of adjusting one's behavior to match the social responses of others. Patients with schizophrenia often adjust their maladaptive behaviors by conforming in group treatment settings. This study aimed to examine whether the opinions of group members influence conformity of patients with schizophrenia who attend day-hospital programs. Nineteen patients with schizophrenia from four different day-hospital programs and 23 healthy controls from four different social clubs completed the homographic meaning choice task under conditions of prior exposure to the pseudo-opinions of their group members, strangers, and unknown information sources. Group influences on conformity were observed when the level of group cohesiveness was high and the level of intimacy was low across participant groups. Controls did not exhibit a significant effect of group influence on conformity, whereas patients were significantly influenced by their group members when making conformity-based decisions despite significantly lower intimacy and cohesiveness levels. These findings suggest that unlike controls, patients with schizophrenia tend to respond with conformity when influenced by the opinions of their affiliated group. In patients with schizophrenia group conformity may be used to select a more accurate decision and to enhance feelings of affiliation among them.

Controllable biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles from a Eucommia ulmoides bark aqueous extract

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Mingxia; Li, Wei; Yang, Feng; Liu, Huihong

2015-05-01

The present work reports the green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by water extract of Eucommia ulmoides (E. ulmoides) bark. The effects of various parameters such as the concentration of reactants, pH of the reaction mixture, temperature and the time of incubation were explored to the controlled formation of gold nanoparticles. The characterization through high resolution-transmission electron microscopic (HRTEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) infer that the as-synthesized AuNPs were spherical in shape with a face cubic crystal (FCC) structure. The results from zeta potential and dynamic light scattering (DLS) suggest the good stability and narrow size distribution of the AuNPs. This method for synthesis of AuNPs is simple, economic, nontoxic and efficient. The as-synthesized AuNPs show excellent catalytic activity for the catalytic reducing decoloration of model compounds of azo-dye: reactive yellow 179 and Congo red.

Advances in research of targeting delivery and controlled release of drug-loaded nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan Zhonghua

2003-01-01

Biochemistry drug, at present, is still the main tool that human struggle to defeat the diseases. So, developing safe and efficacious technique of drug targeting delivery and controlled release is key to enhance curative effect, decrease drug dosage, and lessen its side effect. Drug-loaded nanoparticles, which is formed by conjugate between nanotechnology and modern pharmaceutics, is a new fashioned pharmic delivery carrier. Because of advantages in pharmic targeting transport and controlled or slow release and improving bioavailability, it has been one of developing trend of modern pharmaceutical dosage forms

Control of the interparticle spacing in superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle clusters by surface ligand engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Dan, Wang; Bingbing, Lin; Taipeng, Shen; Jun, Wu; Fuhua, Hao; Chunchao, Xia; Qiyong, Gong; Huiru, Tang; Bin, Song; Hua, Ai

2016-07-01

Polymer-mediated self-assembly of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles allows modulation of the structure of SPIO nanocrystal cluster and their magnetic properties. In this study, dopamine-functionalized polyesters (DA-polyester) were used to directly control the magnetic nanoparticle spacing and its effect on magnetic resonance relaxation properties of these clusters was investigated. Monodisperse SPIO nanocrystals with different surface coating materials (poly(ɛ-caprolactone), poly(lactic acid)) of different molecular weights containing dopamine (DA) structure (DA-PCL2k, DA-PCL1k, DA-PLA1k)) were prepared via ligand exchange reaction, and these nanocrystals were encapsulated inside amphiphilic polymer micelles to modulate the SPIO nanocrystal interparticle spacing. Small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) was applied to quantify the interparticle spacing of SPIO clusters. The results demonstrated that the tailored magnetic nanoparticle clusters featured controllable interparticle spacing providing directly by the different surface coating of SPIO nanocrystals. Systematic modulation of SPIO nanocrystal interparticle spacing can regulate the saturation magnetization (M s) and T 2 relaxation of the aggregation, and lead to increased magnetic resonance (MR) relaxation properties with decreased interparticle spacing. Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB933903), the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2012BAI23B08), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 20974065, 51173117, and 50830107).

Superspace conformal field theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Quella, Thomas [Koeln Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Theoretische Physik; Schomerus, Volker [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany)

2013-07-15

Conformal sigma models and WZW models on coset superspaces provide important examples of logarithmic conformal field theories. They possess many applications to problems in string and condensed matter theory. We review recent results and developments, including the general construction of WZW models on type I supergroups, the classification of conformal sigma models and their embedding into string theory.

Superspace conformal field theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quella, Thomas

2013-07-01

Conformal sigma models and WZW models on coset superspaces provide important examples of logarithmic conformal field theories. They possess many applications to problems in string and condensed matter theory. We review recent results and developments, including the general construction of WZW models on type I supergroups, the classification of conformal sigma models and their embedding into string theory.

Factors controlling nanoparticle pharmacokinetics: an integrated analysis and perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Moghimi, S M; Hunter, A C; Andresen, T L

2012-01-01

Intravenously injected nanoparticulate drug carriers provide a wide range of unique opportunities for site-specific targeting of therapeutic agents to many areas within the vasculature and beyond. Pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of these carriers are controlled by a complex array of interrelated core and interfacial physicochemical and biological factors. Pertinent to realizing therapeutic goals, definitive maps that establish the interdependency of nanoparticle size, shape, and surface characteristics in relation to interfacial forces, biodistribution, controlled drug release, excretion, and adverse effects must be outlined. These concepts are critically evaluated and an integrated perspective is provided on the basis of the recent application of nanoscience approaches to nanocarrier design and engineering. The future of this exciting field is bright; some regulatory-approved products are already on the market and many are in late-phase clinical trials. With concomitant advances in extensive computational knowledge of the genomics and epigenomics of interindividual variations in drug responses, the boundaries toward development of personalized nanomedicines can be pushed further.

Simple and environmentally friendly preparation and size control of silver nanoparticles using an inhomogeneous system with silver-containing glass powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mori, Yasutaka; Tagawa, Toshio; Fujita, Masanori; Kuno, Toyohiko; Suzuki, Satoshi; Matsui, Takemi; Ishihara, Masayuki

2011-01-01

A simple, environmentally friendly method for preparing highly size-controlled spherical silver nanoparticles was developed that involved heating a mixture of silver-containing glass powder and an aqueous solution of glucose. The stabilizing agent for silver nanoparticles was found to be caramel, which was generated from glucose when preparing the nanoparticles. The particle size was independent of the reaction time, but it increased proportionally with the square root of the glucose concentration in the range 0.25–8.0 wt% (corresponding to particle sizes of 3.48 ± 1.83 to 20.0 ± 2.76 nm). Difference of the generation mechanism of silver nanoparticles between this inhomogeneous system and a system in which Ag + was homogeneously dispersed was discussed.

A facile route to controlled synthesis of Co3O4 nanoparticles and their environmental catalytic properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Yuming; He Kun; Yin Lin; Zhang Aimin

2007-01-01

Using ammonia and Co(CH 3 COO) 2 ·4H 2 O as starting materials, a facile and surfactant-free route to controlled synthesis of Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles was proposed. Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles with average sizes of 3.5, 6, 11, 19 and 70 nm were obtained through adjusting the ethanol amount in the solvent (the ratio of ethanol to water) or the concentration of raw materials. In this process, the presence of enough O 2 was crucial for the formation of pure Co 3 O 4 phase. The environmental catalytic properties of as-obtained Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles were investigated. The results indicated their remarkable catalysis for ozonation degradation of phenol, which denoted a promising application as catalyst in waste-water treatment

A nanoscale friction investigation during the manipulation of nanoparticles in controlled environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palacio, Manuel; Bhushan, Bharat

2008-01-01

Future micro/nanodevices will contain very small features such that liquid lubrication is not practical and inherent lubricity is needed. In this study, a nanoscale friction investigation was carried out during the manipulation of Au and SiO 2 nanoparticles on silicon using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Nanoparticle sliding was characterized by quantifying the lateral force associated with the AFM tip twisting as it hits the particle edge. The friction force varies with particle area and humidity, illustrating how meniscus forces on nanoparticles affect friction. A large tip slid on the nanoparticle-coated surface exhibited friction reduction due to nanoparticle sliding and contact area reduction

Gas Phase Nanoparticle Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Granqvist, Claes; Kish, Laszlo; Marlow, William

This book deals with gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis and is intended for researchers and research students in nanomaterials science and engineering, condensed matter physics and chemistry, and aerosol science. Gas-phase nanoparticle synthesis is instrumental to nanotechnology - a field in current focus that raises hopes for environmentally benign, resource-lean manufacturing. Nanoparticles can be produced by many physical, chemical, and even biological routes. Gas-phase synthesis is particularly interesting since one can achieve accurate manufacturing control and hence industrial viability.

Conformal Infinity

OpenAIRE

Frauendiener, J?rg

2000-01-01

The notion of conformal infinity has a long history within the research in Einstein's theory of gravity. Today, 'conformal infinity' is related to almost all other branches of research in general relativity, from quantisation procedures to abstract mathematical issues to numerical applications. This review article attempts to show how this concept gradually and inevitably evolved from physical issues, namely the need to understand gravitational radiation and isolated systems within the theory...

Controlled structure and properties of silicate nanoparticle networks for incorporation of biosystem components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai-Kato, Kumiko; Kawanishi, Toru; Hasegawa, Toshiaki; Takaoka, Akio; Kato, Masaru; Toyo'oka, Toshimasa; Utsunomiya-Tate, Naoko

2011-01-01

Inorganic nanoparticles are of technological interest in many fields. We created silicate nanoparticle hydrogels that effectively incorporated biomolecules that are unstable and involved in complicated reactions. The size of the silicate nanoparticles strongly affected both the physical characteristics of the resulting hydrogel and the activity of biomolecules incorporated within the hydrogel. We used high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to analyze in detail the hydrogel network patterns formed by the silicate nanoparticles. We obtained clear nanostructured images of biomolecule-nanoparticle composite hydrogels. The TEM images also showed that larger silicate nanoparticles (22 nm) formed more loosely associated silicate networks than did smaller silicate nanoparticles (7 nm). The loosely associated networks formed from larger silicate nanoparticles might facilitate substrate diffusion through the network, thus promoting the observed increased activity of the entrapped biomolecules. This doubled the activity of the incorporated biosystems compared with that of biosystems prepared by our own previously reported method. We propose a reaction scheme to explain the formation of the silicate nanoparticle networks. The successful incorporation of biomolecules into the nanoparticle hydrogels, along with the high level of activity exhibited by the biomolecules required for complicated reaction within the gels, demonstrates the nanocomposites' potential for use in medical applications.

Glutamate decarboxylase-derived IDDM autoantigens displayed on self-assembled protein nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Hyoung; Ahn, Ji-Young; Sim, Sang Jun; Lee, Jeewon

2005-01-01

The recombinant ferritin heavy chain (FTN-H) formed self-assembled spherical nanoparticles with the size comparable to native one. We tried to express the GAD65 COOH-terminal fragments, i.e., 448-585 (GAD65 448-585 ), 487-585 (GAD65 487-585 ), and 512-585 (GAD65 512-585 ) amino acid fragments, using FTN-H as N-terminus fusion expression partner in Escherichia coli. All of recombinant fusion proteins (FTN-H::GAD65 448-585 , FTN-H::GAD65 487-585 , and FTN-H::GAD65 512-585 ) also formed spherical nanoparticles due probably to the self-assembly function of the fused ferritin heavy chain. The antigenic epitopes within GAD65 448-585 , GAD65 487-585 , and GAD65 512-585 against insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) marker (autoantibodies against GAD65) were localized at the surface of the spherical protein nanoparticles so that anti-GAD65 Ab could recognize them. Protein nanoparticles like FTN-H seem to provide distinct advantages over other inorganic nanoparticles (e.g., Au, Ag, CdSe, etc.) in that through the bacterial synthesis, the active capture probes can be located at the nanoparticle surface with constant orientation/conformation via covalent cross-linking without complex chemistry. Also it is possible for the protein nanoparticles to have uniform particle size, which is rarely achieved in the chemical synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles. Thus, the recombinant ferritin particles can be used as a three-dimensional (spherical) and nanometer-scale probe structure that is a key component in ultra-sensitive protein chip for detecting protein-small molecule interactions and protein-protein interactions

Relationship between Length and Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Signal Strength in Metal Nanoparticle Chains: Ideal Models versus Nanofabrication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristen D. Alexander

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We have employed capillary force deposition on ion beam patterned substrates to fabricate chains of 60 nm gold nanospheres ranging in length from 1 to 9 nanoparticles. Measurements of the surface-averaged SERS enhancement factor strength for these chains were then compared to the numerical predictions. The SERS enhancement conformed to theoretical predictions in the case of only a few chains, with the vast majority of chains tested not matching such behavior. Although all of the nanoparticle chains appear identical under electron microscope observation, the extreme sensitivity of the SERS enhancement to nanoscale morphology renders current nanofabrication methods insufficient for consistent production of coupled nanoparticle chains. Notwithstanding this fact, the aggregate data also confirmed that nanoparticle dimers offer a large improvement over the monomer enhancement while conclusively showing that, within the limitations imposed by current state-of-the-art nanofabrication techniques, chains comprising more than two nanoparticles provide only a marginal signal boost over the already considerable dimer enhancement.

Conformal superalgebras via tractor calculus

Science.gov (United States)

Lischewski, Andree

2015-01-01

We use the manifestly conformally invariant description of a Lorentzian conformal structure in terms of a parabolic Cartan geometry in order to introduce a superalgebra structure on the space of twistor spinors and normal conformal vector fields formulated in purely algebraic terms on parallel sections in tractor bundles. Via a fixed metric in the conformal class, one reproduces a conformal superalgebra structure that has been considered in the literature before. The tractor approach, however, makes clear that the failure of this object to be a Lie superalgebra in certain cases is due to purely algebraic identities on the spinor module and to special properties of the conformal holonomy representation. Moreover, it naturally generalizes to higher signatures. This yields new formulas for constructing new twistor spinors and higher order normal conformal Killing forms out of existing ones, generalizing the well-known spinorial Lie derivative. Moreover, we derive restrictions on the possible dimension of the space of twistor spinors in any metric signature.

Design parameters for voltage-controllable directed assembly of single nanoparticles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Porter, Benjamin F.; Abelmann, Leon; Bhaskaran, Harish

2013-01-01

Techniques to reliably pick-and-place single nanoparticles into functional assemblies are required to incorporate exotic nanoparticles into standard electronic circuits. In this paper we explore the use of electric fields to drive and direct the assembly process, which has the advantage of being

Testing of WS2 Nanoparticles Functionalized by a Humin-Like Shell as Lubricant Additives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hagit Sade

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Nanoparticles of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC have been known to reduce friction and wear when added to oil-type liquid lubricants. Aggregation limits the ability of the nanoparticles to penetrate into the interface between the two rubbing surfaces—an important factor in friction reduction mechanisms. Doping has been successfully used to reduce agglomeration, but it must be done in the production process of the nanoparticles. The use of surface-functionalized nanoparticles is less common than doping. Nonetheless, it has the potential to reduce agglomeration and thereby improve the reduction of friction and wear. In this study, we present the results of preliminary tribological ball-on-flat tests performed with WS2 nanoparticles functionalized by a humin-like conformal shell, as additives to polyalphaolefin-4 (PAO-4 oil. We tested WS2 inorganic nanotubes (INTs and two grades of inorganic fullerene-like nanoparticles (IFs. The shell/coating was found to improve friction reduction for IFs but not for INTs through better dispersion in the oil. The thicker the coating on the IFs, the less agglomerated they were. Coated industrial-grade IFs were found, by far, to be the best additive for friction reduction. We suggest the combination between reduced agglomeration and poor crystallinity as the reason for this result.

TH-EF-BRB-04: 4π Dynamic Conformal Arc Therapy Dynamic Conformal Arc Therapy (DCAT) for SBRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, T; Long, T; Tian, Z.; Yan, Y; Jiang, S; Gu, X [UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (United States); Modiri, A; Sawant, A [University of Maryland in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop an efficient and effective trajectory optimization methodology for 4π dynamic conformal arc treatment (4π DCAT) with synchronized gantry and couch motion; and to investigate potential clinical benefits for stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) to breast, lung, liver and spine tumors. Methods: The entire optimization framework for 4π DCAT inverse planning consists of two parts: 1) integer programming algorithm and 2) particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The integer programming is designed to find an optimal solution for arc delivery trajectory with both couch and gantry rotation, while PSO minimize a non-convex objective function based on the selected trajectory and dose-volume constraints. In this study, control point interaction is explicitly taken into account. Beam trajectory was modeled as a series of control points connected together to form a deliverable path. With linear treatment planning objectives, a mixed-integer program (MIP) was formulated. Under mild assumptions, the MIP is tractable. Assigning monitor units to control points along the path can be integrated into the model and done by PSO. The developed 4π DCAT inverse planning strategy is evaluated on SBRT cases and compared to clinically treated plans. Results: The resultant dose distribution of this technique was evaluated between 3D conformal treatment plan generated by Pinnacle treatment planning system and 4π DCAT on a lung SBRT patient case. Both plans share the same scale of MU, 3038 and 2822 correspondingly to 3D conformal plan and 4π DCAT. The mean doses for most of OARs were greatly reduced at 32% (cord), 70% (esophagus), 2.8% (lung) and 42.4% (stomach). Conclusion: Initial results in this study show the proposed 4π DCAT treatment technique can achieve better OAR sparing and lower MUs, which indicates that the developed technique is promising for high dose SBRT to reduce the risk of secondary cancer.

Conformal sequestering simplified

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmaltz, Martin; Sundrum, Raman

2006-01-01

Sequestering is important for obtaining flavor-universal soft masses in models where supersymmetry breaking is mediated at high scales. We construct a simple and robust class of hidden sector models which sequester themselves from the visible sector due to strong and conformally invariant hidden dynamics. Masses for hidden matter eventually break the conformal symmetry and lead to supersymmetry breaking by the mechanism recently discovered by Intriligator, Seiberg and Shih. We give a unified treatment of subtleties due to global symmetries of the CFT. There is enough review for the paper to constitute a self-contained account of conformal sequestering

Nanoparticles and direct immunosuppression

Science.gov (United States)

Ngobili, Terrika A

2016-01-01

Targeting the immune system with nanomaterials is an intensely active area of research. Specifically, the capability to induce immunosuppression is a promising complement for drug delivery and regenerative medicine therapies. Many novel strategies for immunosuppression rely on nanoparticles as delivery vehicles for small-molecule immunosuppressive compounds. As a consequence, efforts in understanding the mechanisms in which nanoparticles directly interact with the immune system have been overshadowed. The immunological activity of nanoparticles is dependent on the physiochemical properties of the nanoparticles and its subsequent cellular internalization. As the underlying factors for these reactions are elucidated, more nanoparticles may be engineered and evaluated for inducing immunosuppression and complementing immunosuppressive drugs. This review will briefly summarize the state-of-the-art and developments in understanding how nanoparticles induce immunosuppressive responses, compare the inherent properties of nanomaterials which induce these immunological reactions, and comment on the potential for using nanomaterials to modulate and control the immune system. PMID:27229901

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SIMBU

2013-05-22

May 22, 2013 ... accomplish a better control over the size and shape distributions of the nanoparticles, product harvesting, and recovery are ... stabilization of various nanoparticles by physical and che- .... colonies on Luria Bertani (LB) medium at 37°C up to 108- ..... Crude latex was obtained by cutting the green stems of J.

Conformity index: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feuvret, Loic; Noel, Georges; Mazeron, Jean-Jacques; Bey, Pierre

2006-01-01

We present a critical analysis of the conformity indices described in the literature and an evaluation of their field of application. Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy, with or without intensity modulation, is based on medical imaging techniques, three-dimensional dosimetry software, compression accessories, and verification procedures. It consists of delineating target volumes and critical healthy tissues to select the best combination of beams. This approach allows better adaptation of the isodose to the tumor volume, while limiting irradiation of healthy tissues. Tools must be developed to evaluate the quality of proposed treatment plans. Dosimetry software provides the dose distribution in each CT section and dose-volume histograms without really indicating the degree of conformity. The conformity index is a complementary tool that attributes a score to a treatment plan or that can compare several treatment plans for the same patient. The future of conformal index in everyday practice therefore remains unclear

Shape-controlled synthesis of Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles and their corresponding electrochemical properties

KAUST Repository

Song, Hyon Min

2012-01-01

The shape-controlled synthesis of Au@Pd core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) was successfully achieved through the emulsion phase generated during the phase transfer from organic to aqueous medium. Contrary to conventional epitaxial growth for obtaining core-shell structures, this method does not require high temperatures and does not have shape restrictions. © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Trioctylphosphine-assisted morphology control of ZnO nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Yun-Kun; Cho, GeonHee; Park, YoonSu; Oh, Soong Ju; Ha, Don-Hyung

2018-06-01

This study investigates the morphological change in colloidal ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized with trioctylphosphine (TOP). The addition of TOP to the synthesis causes an evolution in the shape of ZnO NPs to tadpole-like particles from quasi-spherical particles at 300 °C. The total length of the tadpole-like ZnO NPs can be modified by controlling the molar ratio of TOP to oleylamine (OLAM). The tadpole-like particles are elongated as the concentration of TOP increased but decreased when the addition of TOP is excessive. These tadpole-like ZnO NPs transform to quasi-spherical NPs regardless of the amount of TOP at a reaction time of 3 h at 300 °C. At 200 °C, the effect of TOP on the ZnO NP synthesis differs from that at 300 °C. The ZnO NPs synthesized by controlling the molar ratios of surfactant ligands (TOP:OLAM = 2:100 and 70:100) at 200 °C share similar amorphous structures, while a crystalline ZnO phase is formed when the reaction time is 3 h. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis shows that TOP influences the oxidation of ZnO and suggests that a combination of OLAM and TOP plays a role in controlling the shape of ZnO NPs. These results provide critical insights to the utilization of TOP for a shape controlling ligand in ZnO NPs and suggest a new route to design oxide NPs.

Size Control Technology of Silver Nanoparticles Using Electron Beam Irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun Suk; Kim, Byungnam; Kim, Hye Won; Koo, Yong Hwan; Lee, Byung Cheol; Park, Ji Hyun; Bae, Hyung Bin; Park, Changmoon

2013-01-01

The manufacturing of silver nanoparticles using an electron beam is easy, fast, and highly productive, and it is possible at room temperature with no chemical residuals. Its various advantages therefore make this an important method for manufacturing nanoparticles such as silver, copper, and platinum. In particular, despite the use of electron beam irradiation, the results show that this method makes it possible to produce silver nanoparticles at low cost since low beam energy and low doses are used. This means that middle and high-energy electron beam accelerators are very expensive, but a low-energy electron beam accelerator has a relatively low cost of around 4-5 times, and mass production for a flow reaction without the need for extra radiation shielding is possible. Silver nanoparticles are of great interest to many researchers owing to their ability to be used in many applications such as catalysis, nanoelectronics, optical filters, electromagnetic interference shielding, surface Raman scattering, medical supplies, fabrics, cosmetics, hygiene and kitchen supplies, and electric home appliances

Size Control Technology of Silver Nanoparticles Using Electron Beam Irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Hyun Suk; Kim, Byungnam; Kim, Hye Won; Koo, Yong Hwan; Lee, Byung Cheol [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Ji Hyun [Univ. of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Hyung Bin [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Park, Changmoon [Chungnam National Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-15

The manufacturing of silver nanoparticles using an electron beam is easy, fast, and highly productive, and it is possible at room temperature with no chemical residuals. Its various advantages therefore make this an important method for manufacturing nanoparticles such as silver, copper, and platinum. In particular, despite the use of electron beam irradiation, the results show that this method makes it possible to produce silver nanoparticles at low cost since low beam energy and low doses are used. This means that middle and high-energy electron beam accelerators are very expensive, but a low-energy electron beam accelerator has a relatively low cost of around 4-5 times, and mass production for a flow reaction without the need for extra radiation shielding is possible. Silver nanoparticles are of great interest to many researchers owing to their ability to be used in many applications such as catalysis, nanoelectronics, optical filters, electromagnetic interference shielding, surface Raman scattering, medical supplies, fabrics, cosmetics, hygiene and kitchen supplies, and electric home appliances.

Progress toward clonable inorganic nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Thomas W.; Staicu, Lucian C.; Nemeth, Richard S.; Schwartz, Cindi L.; Crawford, David; Seligman, Jeffrey D.; Hunter, William J.; Pilon-Smits, Elizabeth A. H.; Ackerson, Christopher J.

2015-10-01

Pseudomonas moraviensis stanleyae was recently isolated from the roots of the selenium (Se) hyperaccumulator plant Stanleya pinnata. This bacterium tolerates normally lethal concentrations of SeO32- in liquid culture, where it also produces Se nanoparticles. Structure and cellular ultrastructure of the Se nanoparticles as determined by cellular electron tomography shows the nanoparticles as intracellular, of narrow dispersity, symmetrically irregular and without any observable membrane or structured protein shell. Protein mass spectrometry of a fractionated soluble cytosolic material with selenite reducing capability identified nitrite reductase and glutathione reductase homologues as NADPH dependent candidate enzymes for the reduction of selenite to zerovalent Se nanoparticles. In vitro experiments with commercially sourced glutathione reductase revealed that the enzyme can reduce SeO32- (selenite) to Se nanoparticles in an NADPH-dependent process. The disappearance of the enzyme as determined by protein assay during nanoparticle formation suggests that glutathione reductase is associated with or possibly entombed in the nanoparticles whose formation it catalyzes. Chemically dissolving the nanoparticles releases the enzyme. The size of the nanoparticles varies with SeO32- concentration, varying in size form 5 nm diameter when formed at 1.0 μM [SeO32-] to 50 nm maximum diameter when formed at 100 μM [SeO32-]. In aggregate, we suggest that glutathione reductase possesses the key attributes of a clonable nanoparticle system: ion reduction, nanoparticle retention and size control of the nanoparticle at the enzyme site.Pseudomonas moraviensis stanleyae was recently isolated from the roots of the selenium (Se) hyperaccumulator plant Stanleya pinnata. This bacterium tolerates normally lethal concentrations of SeO32- in liquid culture, where it also produces Se nanoparticles. Structure and cellular ultrastructure of the Se nanoparticles as determined by cellular

Ultra-small platinum and gold nanoparticles by arc plasma deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Sang Hoon; Jeong, Young Eun; Ha, Heonphil; Byun, Ji Young; Kim, Young Dok

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Ultra-small (<2 nm) and bigger platinum and gold nanoparticles were produced by arc plasma deposition (APD). • Size and coverage of deposited nanoparticles were easily controlled with APD parameters. • Crystalline structures of deposited nanoparticles emerged only when the particle size was bigger than ∼2 nm. - Abstract: Ultra-small (<2 nm) nanoparticles of platinum and gold were produced by arc plasma deposition (APD) in a systematic way and the deposition behavior was studied. Nanoparticles were deposited on two dimensional amorphous carbon and amorphous titania thin films and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Deposition behavior of nanoparticles by APD was studied with discharge voltage (V), discharge condenser capacitance (C), and the number of plasma pulse shots (n) as controllable parameters. The average size of intrinsic nanoparticles generated by APD process was as small as 0.9 nm and deposited nanoparticles began to have crystal structures from the particle size of about 2 nm. V was the most sensitive parameter to control the size and coverage of generated nanoparticles compared to C and n. Size of APD deposited nanoparticles was also influenced by the nature of evaporating materials and substrates

Fermion-scalar conformal blocks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iliesiu, Luca [Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University,Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Kos, Filip [Department of Physics, Yale University,217 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); Poland, David [Department of Physics, Yale University,217 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520 (United States); School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States); Pufu, Silviu S. [Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University,Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Simmons-Duffin, David [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study,1 Einstein Dr, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States); Yacoby, Ran [Joseph Henry Laboratories, Princeton University,Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-04-13

We compute the conformal blocks associated with scalar-scalar-fermion-fermion 4-point functions in 3D CFTs. Together with the known scalar conformal blocks, our result completes the task of determining the so-called ‘seed blocks’ in three dimensions. Conformal blocks associated with 4-point functions of operators with arbitrary spins can now be determined from these seed blocks by using known differential operators.

Fabrication challenges associated with conformal optics

Science.gov (United States)

Schaefer, John; Eichholtz, Richard A.; Sulzbach, Frank C.

2001-09-01

A conformal optic is typically an optical window that conforms smoothly to the external shape of a system platform to improve aerodynamics. Conformal optics can be on-axis, such as an ogive missile dome, or off-axis, such as in a free form airplane wing. A common example of conformal optics is the automotive head light window that conforms to the body of the car aerodynamics and aesthetics. The unusual shape of conformal optics creates tremendous challenges for design, manufacturing, and testing. This paper will discuss fabrication methods that have been successfully demonstrated to produce conformal missile domes and associated wavefront corrector elements. It will identify challenges foreseen with more complex free-form configurations. Work presented in this paper was directed by the Precision Conformal Optics Consortium (PCOT). PCOT is comprised of both industrial and academic members who teamed to develop and demonstrate conformal optical systems suitable for insertion into future military programs. The consortium was funded under DARPA agreement number MDA972-96-9-08000.

Multilayer conformal applicator for microwave heating and brachytherapy treatment of superficial tissue disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Juang, T; Stauffer, P R; Neuman, D G; Schlorff, J L

2006-11-01

The purpose of this study was to construct and perform preliminary functionality evaluations of a multilayer conformal applicator with provisions for thermal monitoring, tight conformity and simultaneous microwave heating and brachytherapy treatment of large-area contoured surfaces. The multilayer conformal applicator consists of thermal monitoring catheters for fibre-optic monitoring of skin temperatures, a waterbolus, a PCB microwave antenna array, a dielectric spacer for brachytherapy considerations, brachytherapy catheters for delivering HDR radiation and an inflatable air bladder for improving conformity to contoured surfaces. The applicator also includes an elastic attachment structure to hold the applicator securely in place on the patient. The conformity of the applicator to irregular surfaces was evaluated through CT imaging of the applicator fitted onto a life-sized human torso phantom. The fluid flow dynamics of the waterbolus, which impact the effectiveness of temperature control, were evaluated with thermometry during a 19 degrees C step change temperature of the circulating water. CT imaging showed improved conformity to the torso phantom surface following the application of gentle inward pressure from inflating the outer air bladder. Only a small number of 1-5 mm sized air gaps separated the conformal applicator and tissue surface. Thermometry testing of the bolus fluid flow dynamics demonstrated temperature uniformity within +/-0.82 degrees C across a 19 x 34 x 0.6 cm area bolus and +/-0.85 degrees C across a large 42 x 32 x 0.6 cm area bolus. CT scans of the applicator confirmed that the applicator conforms well to complex body contours and should maintain good conformity and positional stability even when worn on a mobile patient. Thermometry testing of two different waterbolus geometries demonstrated that uniform circulation and temperature control can be maintained throughout large, complex bolus shapes.

Saturation Mutagenesis of the HIV-1 Envelope CD4 Binding Loop Reveals Residues Controlling Distinct Trimer Conformations.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Duenas-Decamp

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The conformation of HIV-1 envelope (Env glycoprotein trimers is key in ensuring protection against waves of neutralizing antibodies generated during infection, while maintaining sufficient exposure of the CD4 binding site (CD4bs for viral entry. The CD4 binding loop on Env is an early contact site for CD4 while penetration of a proximal cavity by CD4 triggers Env conformational changes for entry. The role of residues in the CD4 binding loop in regulating the conformation of the trimer and trimer association domain (TAD was investigated using a novel saturation mutagenesis approach. Single mutations identified, resulted in distinct trimer conformations affecting CD4bs exposure, the glycan shield and the TAD across diverse HIV-1 clades. Importantly, mutations that improve access to the CD4bs without exposing the immunodominant V3 loop were identified. The different trimer conformations identified will affect the specificity and breadth of nabs elicited in vivo and are important to consider in design of Env immunogens for vaccines.

Conformational control of cofactors in nature: The effect of methoxy group orientation on the electronic structure of ubisemiquinone