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Sample records for ultra-thin dendrimer lb

  1. Study of the charge transport characteristics of dendrimer molecular thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, J.C., E-mail: jcli@mail.neu.edu.cn; Han, N.; Wang, S.S.; Ba, D.C.

    2011-05-31

    In this work, we systematically studied the electrical characteristics of two types of dendritic arylamine thin film devices. We observed that, for devices with different interfacial structures, their charge injection barriers and transport properties are obviously different. The smallest charge injection barrier is observed in dendrimer devices without charge-transfer interfacial layers. The Richardson-Schottky thermionic emission model can be well used to fit the experimental current-voltage characteristics at a lower voltage region. The charge injection barrier increases about 0.4 eV and 0.5 eV when a 1-decanethiol self-assembly layer and -CN terminated dendrimer thin films are inserted as the interfacial layer, respectively. It is shown that the molecule/electrode charge-transfer interfaces can largely affect the device charge injection/transport process and consequently change the device performance. In this case, the space charge limited conduction theory is more applicable to simulate the device conduction mechanism. Owing to its ultra-thin thickness, the self-assembly monolayer technique is proved to be an efficient approach in engineering the interfacial electronic structures of dendrimer thin film devices.

  2. Study of the charge transport characteristics of dendrimer molecular thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, J.C.; Han, N.; Wang, S.S.; Ba, D.C.

    2011-01-01

    In this work, we systematically studied the electrical characteristics of two types of dendritic arylamine thin film devices. We observed that, for devices with different interfacial structures, their charge injection barriers and transport properties are obviously different. The smallest charge injection barrier is observed in dendrimer devices without charge-transfer interfacial layers. The Richardson-Schottky thermionic emission model can be well used to fit the experimental current-voltage characteristics at a lower voltage region. The charge injection barrier increases about 0.4 eV and 0.5 eV when a 1-decanethiol self-assembly layer and -CN terminated dendrimer thin films are inserted as the interfacial layer, respectively. It is shown that the molecule/electrode charge-transfer interfaces can largely affect the device charge injection/transport process and consequently change the device performance. In this case, the space charge limited conduction theory is more applicable to simulate the device conduction mechanism. Owing to its ultra-thin thickness, the self-assembly monolayer technique is proved to be an efficient approach in engineering the interfacial electronic structures of dendrimer thin film devices.

  3. Structural studies on Langmuir-Blodgett ultra-thin films on tin (IV) stearate using X-ray diffraction technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohamad Deraman; Muhamad Mat Salleh; Mohd Ali Sulaiman; Mohd Ali Sufi

    1991-01-01

    X-ray diffraction measurements were carried out on Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) ultra-thin films of tin (IV) stearate for different numbers of layers. The structural information such as interplanar spacing, unit cells spacing, molecular length and orientation of molecular chains were obtained from the diffraction data. This information is discussed and compared with that previously published for LB ultra-thin films of manganese stearate and cadmium stearate

  4. Function and application of ultra thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sasabe, Hiroyuki

    1988-02-01

    A film 10-100mm thick which is strong dynamically to some extent and has possibility to manifest fuctions of high degree different from the nature extrapolated from the normal thin film is called an ultra thin film. As an example of its concrete application, there is an electro-luminescence element which is made by laminating 5 layers of LB films of poly-L-phenylalanine on a n-GaP and has vapor-deposited gold electrodes. When voltage of 5V is imposed to it, light emission of 565nm can be observed and the emission efficiency of 2% is obtained. Besides, it has an excellent stability through the lapse of time. There is also a junction element and the ion concentration injected into macromolecule films of this element has a Gaussian distribution from the surface towards the direction of depth. Accordingly, the most active domain in terms of semiconductor as the result of doping is the location in the neighborhood of the peak. Furthermore, a photo memory is also proposed. It is applied to the artificial hemoglobine which is made of LB films, suggesting the feasibility of creating the artificial protein capable of functioning in the conditions in which the natural protein is unable to function. (5 figs, 1 tab, 7 refs)

  5. Immobilization of dendrimers on Si-C linked carboxylic acid-terminated monolayers on silicon(111)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boecking, Till; Wong, Elicia L.S.; James, Michael; Watson, Jolanta A.; Brown, Christopher L.; Chilcott, Terry C.; Barrow, Kevin D.; Coster, Hans G.L.

    2006-01-01

    Poly(amidoamine) dendrimers were attached to activated undecanoic acid monolayers, covalently linked to smooth silicon surfaces via Si-C bonds. The resulting ultra-thin dendrimer films were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray reflectometry (XR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). XPS results suggested amide bond formation between the dendrimer and the surface carboxylic acid groups. XR yielded thicknesses of 10 A for the alkyl region of the undecanoic acid monolayer and 12 A for the dendrimer layer, considerably smaller than the diameter of these spherical macromolecules in solution. This was consistent with AFM images showing collapsed dendrimers on the surface. It was concluded that the deformation arose from a large number of amine groups on the surface of each dendrimer reacting efficiently with the activated surface, whereby the dendrimers can deform to fill voids while spreading over the activated surface to form a homogeneous macromolecular layer

  6. Ultra-thin chip technology and applications

    CERN Document Server

    2010-01-01

    Ultra-thin chips are the "smart skin" of a conventional silicon chip. This book shows how very thin and flexible chips can be fabricated and used in many new applications in microelectronics, microsystems, biomedical and other fields. It provides a comprehensive reference to the fabrication technology, post processing, characterization and the applications of ultra-thin chips.

  7. Designable ultra-smooth ultra-thin solid-electrolyte interphases of three alkali metal anodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Yu; Wang, Wei-Wei; Li, Yi-Juan; Wu, Qi-Hui; Tang, Shuai; Yan, Jia-Wei; Zheng, Ming-Sen; Wu, De-Yin; Fan, Chun-Hai; Hu, Wei-Qiang; Chen, Zhao-Bin; Fang, Yuan; Zhang, Qing-Hong; Dong, Quan-Feng; Mao, Bing-Wei

    2018-04-09

    Dendrite growth of alkali metal anodes limited their lifetime for charge/discharge cycling. Here, we report near-perfect anodes of lithium, sodium, and potassium metals achieved by electrochemical polishing, which removes microscopic defects and creates ultra-smooth ultra-thin solid-electrolyte interphase layers at metal surfaces for providing a homogeneous environment. Precise characterizations by AFM force probing with corroborative in-depth XPS profile analysis reveal that the ultra-smooth ultra-thin solid-electrolyte interphase can be designed to have alternating inorganic-rich and organic-rich/mixed multi-layered structure, which offers mechanical property of coupled rigidity and elasticity. The polished metal anodes exhibit significantly enhanced cycling stability, specifically the lithium anodes can cycle for over 200 times at a real current density of 2 mA cm -2 with 100% depth of discharge. Our work illustrates that an ultra-smooth ultra-thin solid-electrolyte interphase may be robust enough to suppress dendrite growth and thus serve as an initial layer for further improved protection of alkali metal anodes.

  8. Ultra-thin zirconia films on Zr-alloys

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Joong Il Jake; Mayr-Schmoelzer, Wernfried; Mittendorfer, Florian; Redinger, Josef; Diebold, Ulrike; Schmid, Michael [Institute of Applied Physics, Vienna University of Technology (Austria); Li, Hao; Rupprechter, Guenther [Institute of Materials Chemistry, Vienna University of Technology (Austria)

    2014-07-01

    Zirconia ultra-thin films have been prepared by oxidation of Pt{sub 3}Zr(0001) and showed a structure equivalent to (111) of cubic zirconia. Following previous work, we have prepared ultra-thin zirconia by oxidation of a different alloy, Pd{sub 3}Zr(0001), which resulted in a similar structure with a slightly different lattice parameter, 351.2 ±0.4 pm. Unlike the oxide on Pt{sub 3}Zr, where Zr of the oxide binds to Pt in the substrate, here the oxide binds to substrate Zr via oxygen. This causes stronger distortion of the oxide structure, i.e. a stronger buckling of Zr in the oxide. After additional oxidation of ZrO{sub 2}/Pt{sub 3}Zr, a different ultra-thin zirconia phase is observed. A preliminary structure model for this film is based on (113)-oriented cubic zirconia. 3D oxide clusters are also present after growing ultra-thin zirconia films. They occur at the step edges, and the density is higher on Pd{sub 3}Zr. These clusters also appear on terraces after additional oxidation. XPS reveals different core level shifts of the oxide films, bulk, and oxide clusters.

  9. Nanocoatings and ultra-thin films technologies and applications

    CERN Document Server

    Tiginyanu, Ion

    2011-01-01

    Gives a comprehensive account of the developments of nanocoatings and ultra-thin films. This book covers the fundamentals, processes of deposition and characterisation of nanocoatings, as well as the applications. It is suitable for the glass and glazing, automotive, electronics, aerospace, construction and biomedical industries in particular.$bCoatings are used for a wide range of applications, from anti-fogging coatings for glass through to corrosion control in the aerospace and automotive industries. Nanocoatings and ultra-thin films provides an up-to-date review of the fundamentals, processes of deposition, characterisation and applications of nanocoatings. Part one covers technologies used in the creation and analysis of thin films, including chapters on current and advanced coating technologies in industry, nanostructured thin films from amphiphilic molecules, chemical and physical vapour deposition methods and methods for analysing nanocoatings and ultra-thin films. Part two focuses on the applications...

  10. Feasibility of Ultra-Thin Fiber-Optic Dosimeters for Radiotherapy Dosimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Bongsoo; Kwon, Guwon; Shin, Sang Hun; Kim, Jaeseok; Yoo, Wook Jae; Ji, Young Hoon; Jang, Kyoung Won

    2015-11-17

    In this study, prototype ultra-thin fiber-optic dosimeters were fabricated using organic scintillators, wavelength shifting fibers, and plastic optical fibers. The sensor probes of the ultra-thin fiber-optic dosimeters consisted of very thin organic scintillators with thicknesses of 100, 150 and 200 μm. These types of sensors cannot only be used to measure skin or surface doses but also provide depth dose measurements with high spatial resolution. With the ultra-thin fiber-optic dosimeters, surface doses for gamma rays generated from a Co-60 therapy machine were measured. Additionally, percentage depth doses in the build-up regions were obtained by using the ultra-thin fiber-optic dosimeters, and the results were compared with those of external beam therapy films and a conventional fiber-optic dosimeter.

  11. A blue-emitting CdS/dendrimer nanocomposite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sooklal, K.; Murphy, C.J.; Hanus, L.H.; Ploehn, H.J.

    1998-01-01

    CdS/dendrimer nanocomposites that emit blue light are formed by the arrested precipitation of nanometer-scale CdS quantum dots in the presence of starburst (poly(aminoamine)) dendrimers as the stabilizing host. The authors report a strong photoluminescence with emission maxima at about 450 nm. The optoelectronic properties of the CdS clusters are shown to be sensitive to synthesis conditions, including dendrimer type, solvent type, and the concentration of dendrimer and other solutes. Thin films of these materials prepared by solution casting retain the optoelectronic properties of the parent solutions. (orig.)

  12. On the blue emission of a novel solution-processed stilbenoid dendrimer thin film for OLED displays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coya, C. [Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnologia, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: carmen.coya@urjc.es; Andres, A. de [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid (Spain); Gomez, R.; Seoane, C.; Segura, J.L. [Departamento de Quimica Organica, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid (Spain)

    2008-05-15

    A novel blue fluorescent first generation stilbenoid dendrimer built on the 1,3,5-benzene core and endowed with a periphery of hexyloxy branches has been synthesized and is proposed as an active layer for organic light-emitting diodes processed by spin coating. In this work, we have obtained homogeneous thin films with blue emission (2.8 eV) by spin coating instead of the usual evaporation method used for low-weight molecular materials. The absorption and emission spectra of the films are analyzed and compared to that of the molecule. The obtained results show the dependence of the absorption and emission properties on the morphology and the dendrimer aggregation in the film. The effect of inter-dendrimer interactions leads to a broadening of the absorption bands and to a reduction of the threshold as the aggregation increases. The most efficient solid-state emission is for the films obtained from chloroform as solvent in the precursor solution.

  13. Epitaxially Grown Ultra-Flat Self-Assembling Monolayers with Dendrimers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takane Imaoka

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Mono-molecular films formed by physical adsorption and dendrimer self-assembly were prepared on various substrate surfaces. It was demonstrated that a uniform dendrimer-based monolayer on the subnanometer scale can be easily constructed via simple dip coating. Furthermore, it was shown that an epitaxially grown monolayer film reflecting the crystal structure of the substrate (highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG can also be formed by aligning specific conditions.

  14. Thin film properties of triphenylamine-cored dendrimers: A molecular approach to control aggregation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vamvounis, George; Pivrikas, Almantas; Shaw, Paul E.; Burn, Paul L.

    2013-01-01

    The solid-state photophysical and charge transport properties of two first-generation dendrimers are presented. The dendrimers are comprised of a triphenylamine core, dendrons containing a phenyl branching unit with thiophene (Dendrimer 1) or bithiophene (Dendrimer 2) moieties, and dodecyl surface groups. For Dendrimer 1, the excited state is located within the center of the dendrimer giving rise to a moderate solid-state photoluminescence quantum yield (Φ pl ) (0.13) and significant charge trapping, with both observations due to the degree of overlap of the main electroactive chromophores on adjacent dendrimers. For Dendrimer 2, the excited state is located within the dendron and in the solid-state this leads to a strongly red-shifted and weakened emission (Φ pl ∼ 0.02) due to strong intermolecular chromophore interactions. For films of Dendrimer 2 the charge mobility was higher than Dendrimer 1 but was still limited by a low density of strongly interacting electroactive chromophores. The pronounced difference between the solid-state properties of the two dendrimers is simply engineered by the addition of an extra thiophene in each of the dendrons. - Highlights: • Photophysical and charge-transport properties of two dendrimers are investigated. • Excited-state is on the center for Dendrimer 1 and on the dendron for Dendrimer 2. • Film quantum yield of luminescence is higher for Dendrimer 1. • Dendrimer 1 displays greater charge trapping at high fields

  15. Thin film properties of triphenylamine-cored dendrimers: A molecular approach to control aggregation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vamvounis, George, E-mail: g.vamvounis@uq.edu.au; Pivrikas, Almantas; Shaw, Paul E.; Burn, Paul L.

    2013-12-02

    The solid-state photophysical and charge transport properties of two first-generation dendrimers are presented. The dendrimers are comprised of a triphenylamine core, dendrons containing a phenyl branching unit with thiophene (Dendrimer 1) or bithiophene (Dendrimer 2) moieties, and dodecyl surface groups. For Dendrimer 1, the excited state is located within the center of the dendrimer giving rise to a moderate solid-state photoluminescence quantum yield (Φ{sub pl}) (0.13) and significant charge trapping, with both observations due to the degree of overlap of the main electroactive chromophores on adjacent dendrimers. For Dendrimer 2, the excited state is located within the dendron and in the solid-state this leads to a strongly red-shifted and weakened emission (Φ{sub pl} ∼ 0.02) due to strong intermolecular chromophore interactions. For films of Dendrimer 2 the charge mobility was higher than Dendrimer 1 but was still limited by a low density of strongly interacting electroactive chromophores. The pronounced difference between the solid-state properties of the two dendrimers is simply engineered by the addition of an extra thiophene in each of the dendrons. - Highlights: • Photophysical and charge-transport properties of two dendrimers are investigated. • Excited-state is on the center for Dendrimer 1 and on the dendron for Dendrimer 2. • Film quantum yield of luminescence is higher for Dendrimer 1. • Dendrimer 1 displays greater charge trapping at high fields.

  16. Ultra thin continuously reinforced concrete pavement research in south Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Perrie, BD

    2007-08-01

    Full Text Available Ultra thin continuously reinforced concrete pavements (UTCRCP), in literature also referred to as Ultra Thin Reinforced High Performance Concrete (UTHRHPC), have been used in Europe successfully as a rehabilitation measure on steel bridge decks...

  17. Nanowire decorated, ultra-thin, single crystalline silicon for photovoltaic devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aurang, Pantea; Turan, Rasit; Unalan, Husnu Emrah

    2017-10-06

    Reducing silicon (Si) wafer thickness in the photovoltaic industry has always been demanded for lowering the overall cost. Further benefits such as short collection lengths and improved open circuit voltages can also be achieved by Si thickness reduction. However, the problem with thin films is poor light absorption. One way to decrease optical losses in photovoltaic devices is to minimize the front side reflection. This approach can be applied to front contacted ultra-thin crystalline Si solar cells to increase the light absorption. In this work, homojunction solar cells were fabricated using ultra-thin and flexible single crystal Si wafers. A metal assisted chemical etching method was used for the nanowire (NW) texturization of ultra-thin Si wafers to compensate weak light absorption. A relative improvement of 56% in the reflectivity was observed for ultra-thin Si wafers with the thickness of 20 ± 0.2 μm upon NW texturization. NW length and top contact optimization resulted in a relative enhancement of 23% ± 5% in photovoltaic conversion efficiency.

  18. Ultra-thin ZnSe: Anisotropic and flexible crystal structure

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bacaksiz, C., E-mail: cihanbacaksiz@iyte.edu.tr [Department of Physics, Izmir Institute of Technology, 35430 Izmir (Turkey); Senger, R.T. [Department of Physics, Izmir Institute of Technology, 35430 Izmir (Turkey); Sahin, H. [Department of Photonics, Izmir Institute of Technology, 35430 Izmir (Turkey)

    2017-07-01

    Highlights: • Ultra-thin ZnSe is dynamically stable. • Ultra-thin ZnSe is electronically direct-gap semiconductor. • Ultra-thin ZnSe is ultra-flexible. • Ultra-thin ZnSe is mechanically in-plane anisotropic. - Abstract: By performing density functional theory-based calculations, we investigate the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the thinnest ever ZnSe crystal . The vibrational spectrum analysis reveals that the monolayer ZnSe is dynamically stable and has flexible nature with its soft phonon modes. In addition, a direct electronic band gap is found at the gamma point for the monolayer structure of ZnSe. We also elucidate that the monolayer ZnSe has angle dependent in-plane elastic parameters. In particular, the in-plane stiffness values are found to be 2.07 and 6.89 N/m for the arm-chair and zig-zag directions, respectively. The angle dependency is also valid for the Poisson ratio of the monolayer ZnSe. More significantly, the in-plane stiffness of the monolayer ZnSe is the one-tenth of Young modulus of bulk zb-ZnSe which indicates that the monolayer ZnSe is a quite flexible single layer crystal. With its flexible nature and in-plane anisotropic mechanical properties, the monolayer ZnSe is a good candidate for nanoscale mechanical applications.

  19. Ultra-thin ZnSe: Anisotropic and flexible crystal structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bacaksiz, C.; Senger, R.T.; Sahin, H.

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Ultra-thin ZnSe is dynamically stable. • Ultra-thin ZnSe is electronically direct-gap semiconductor. • Ultra-thin ZnSe is ultra-flexible. • Ultra-thin ZnSe is mechanically in-plane anisotropic. - Abstract: By performing density functional theory-based calculations, we investigate the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the thinnest ever ZnSe crystal . The vibrational spectrum analysis reveals that the monolayer ZnSe is dynamically stable and has flexible nature with its soft phonon modes. In addition, a direct electronic band gap is found at the gamma point for the monolayer structure of ZnSe. We also elucidate that the monolayer ZnSe has angle dependent in-plane elastic parameters. In particular, the in-plane stiffness values are found to be 2.07 and 6.89 N/m for the arm-chair and zig-zag directions, respectively. The angle dependency is also valid for the Poisson ratio of the monolayer ZnSe. More significantly, the in-plane stiffness of the monolayer ZnSe is the one-tenth of Young modulus of bulk zb-ZnSe which indicates that the monolayer ZnSe is a quite flexible single layer crystal. With its flexible nature and in-plane anisotropic mechanical properties, the monolayer ZnSe is a good candidate for nanoscale mechanical applications.

  20. Spectroelectrochemical properties of ultra-thin indium tin oxide films under electric potential modulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Xue, E-mail: x0han004@louisville.edu; Mendes, Sergio B., E-mail: sbmend01@louisville.edu

    2016-03-31

    In this work, the spectroscopic properties of ultra-thin ITO films are characterized under an applied electric potential modulation. To detect minute spectroscopic features, the ultra-thin ITO film was coated over an extremely sensitive single-mode integrated optical waveguide, which provided a long pathlength with more than adequate sensitivity for optical interrogation of the ultra-thin film. Experimental configurations with broadband light and several laser lines at different modulation schemes of an applied electric potential were utilized to elucidate the nature of intrinsic changes. The imaginary component of the refractive index (absorption coefficient) of the ultra-thin ITO film is unequivocally shown to have a dependence on the applied potential and the profile of this dependence changes substantially even for wavelengths inside a small spectral window (500–600 nm). The characterization technique and the data reported here can be crucial to several applications of the ITO material as a transparent conductive electrode, as for example in spectroelectrochemical investigations of surface-confined redox species. - Highlights: • Optical waveguides are applied for spectroscopic investigations of ultra-thin films. • Ultra-thin ITO films in aqueous environment are studied under potential modulation. • Unique spectroscopic features of ultra-thin ITO films are unambiguously observed.

  1. Fabrication of Ultra-thin Color Films with Highly Absorbing Media Using Oblique Angle Deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Young Jin; Lee, Gil Ju; Jang, Kyung-In; Song, Young Min

    2017-08-29

    Ultra-thin film structures have been studied extensively for use as optical coatings, but performance and fabrication challenges remain.  We present an advanced method for fabricating ultra-thin color films with improved characteristics. The proposed process addresses several fabrication issues, including large area processing. Specifically, the protocol describes a process for fabricating ultra-thin color films using an electron beam evaporator for oblique angle deposition of germanium (Ge) and gold (Au) on silicon (Si) substrates.  Film porosity produced by the oblique angle deposition induces color changes in the ultra-thin film. The degree of color change depends on factors such as deposition angle and film thickness. Fabricated samples of the ultra-thin color films showed improved color tunability and color purity. In addition, the measured reflectance of the fabricated samples was converted into chromatic values and analyzed in terms of color. Our ultra-thin film fabricating method is expected to be used for various ultra-thin film applications such as flexible color electrodes, thin film solar cells, and optical filters. Also, the process developed here for analyzing the color of the fabricated samples is broadly useful for studying various color structures.

  2. Dendrimer sensors probed with neutron reflectometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cavaye, Hamish; Smith, Arthur R.G.; Burn, Paul L.; Lo, Shih-Chun; Meredith, Paul; Gentle, Ian R.; James, Michael; Nelson, Andrew

    2009-01-01

    Full text: Oxidative photoluminescence (PL) quenching utilizing conjugated polymers as the sensing has proved to be one of the best of many methods for sensing explosive analytes.[1] However are a number of issues that can make polymers difficult to work with, including complex morphologies reproducibility of syntheses, and the need to include elaborate structures to reduce the packing of the polymer chains. Dendrimers, consisting of a core, dendrons, and surface groups, address these issues by being monodisperse and modular in their design. Determining how analytes are sequestered into thin films is important for solid-state sensors. We show that thin (230 ± 30 A ) and thick (750 ± 50 A) films of a first-generation dendrimer comrised of 2-ethylhexyloxy surface groups, biphenyl-based dendrons, and a 9,9,9',9'-tetra-n-propyl-2,2'-bifluorene core, can rapidly and reversibly detect p-nitrotoll oxidative luminescence quenching. For both the thin and thick films the PL is quenched by just 4 s . Combined PL and neutron reflectometry measurements on pristine and analyte-satura showed that during the adsorption process the films swelled, being on average 4% thicker for thin and thick dendrimer films. At the same time the PL was completely quenched. On removal of the analyte the films returned to their original thickness and scattering length density, and the restored, showing that the sensing process was fully reversible.

  3. Electrical switching and memory phenomena observed in redox-gradient dendrimer sandwich devices

    OpenAIRE

    Li, JianChang; Blackstock, Silas C.; Szulczewski, Greg J.

    2005-01-01

    We report on the fabrication of dendrimer sandwich devices with electrical switching and memory properties. The storage media is consisted of a redox-gradient dendrimer layer sandwiched in organic barrier thin films. The dendrimer layer acts as potential well where redox-state changes and consequent electrical transitions of the embedded dendrimer molecules are expected to be effectively triggered and retained, respectively. Experimental results indicated that electrical switching could be re...

  4. Ultra-thin film encapsulation processes for micro-electro-mechanical devices and systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stoldt, Conrad R; Bright, Victor M

    2006-01-01

    A range of physical properties can be achieved in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) through their encapsulation with solid-state, ultra-thin coatings. This paper reviews the application of single source chemical vapour deposition and atomic layer deposition (ALD) in the growth of submicron films on polycrystalline silicon microstructures for the improvement of microscale reliability and performance. In particular, microstructure encapsulation with silicon carbide, tungsten, alumina and alumina-zinc oxide alloy ultra-thin films is highlighted, and the mechanical, electrical, tribological and chemical impact of these overlayers is detailed. The potential use of solid-state, ultra-thin coatings in commercial microsystems is explored using radio frequency MEMS as a case study for the ALD alloy alumina-zinc oxide thin film. (topical review)

  5. Ultra thin metallic coatings to control near field radiative heat transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esquivel-Sirvent, R.

    2016-09-01

    We present a theoretical calculation of the changes in the near field radiative heat transfer between two surfaces due to the presence of ultra thin metallic coatings on semiconductors. Depending on the substrates, the radiative heat transfer is modulated by the thickness of the ultra thin film. In particular we consider gold thin films with thicknesses varying from 4 to 20 nm. The ultra-thin film has an insulator-conductor transition close to a critical thickness of dc = 6.4 nm and there is an increase in the near field spectral heat transfer just before the percolation transition. Depending on the substrates (Si or SiC) and the thickness of the metallic coatings we show how the near field heat transfer can be increased or decreased as a function of the metallic coating thickness. The calculations are based on available experimental data for the optical properties of ultrathin coatings.

  6. The interaction between the gas sensing and surface morphology properties of LB thin films of porphyrins in terms of the adsorption kinetics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capan, İ.; Erdoğan, M.; Stanciu, G.A.; Stanciu, S.G.; Hristu, R.; Göktepe, M.

    2012-01-01

    In this work we investigate the adsorption characteristics due to exposure to benzene, toluene and chloroform vapor of 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-Octaethyl-21H,23H-porphine metal free thin films fabricated by using the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) thin film technique and its derivatives containing iron chloride, cobalt and magnesium. By using the surface pressure–surface area (Π–A) isotherm graphs the optimum conditions for the thin film deposition and mean molecular area values of each porphyrin have been determined. Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) system was employed to investigate the gas sensing performances of thin films during the exposure to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The surface properties have been investigated by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and analyzed together with the QCM results to understand the adsorption kinetics of the gas sensing mechanism. The rate constants, k a for each thin film interacting with the saturated concentration of vapors have been calculated. The gas sensing interaction has been considered in terms of rate constants in each case. The highest value for k a has been observed for benzene exposure. -- Highlights: ► We model an adsorption behavior for gas sensing porphyrin LB thin films. ► Adsorption coefficients are consistent with the gas experiments. ► The higher rate constant values point out the faster response.

  7. Dendrimer-protein interactions versus dendrimer-based nanomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shcharbin, Dzmitry; Shcharbina, Natallia; Dzmitruk, Volha; Pedziwiatr-Werbicka, Elzbieta; Ionov, Maksim; Mignani, Serge; de la Mata, F Javier; Gómez, Rafael; Muñoz-Fernández, Maria Angeles; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Bryszewska, Maria

    2017-04-01

    Dendrimers are hyperbranched polymers belonging to the huge class of nanomedical devices. Their wide application in biology and medicine requires understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of their interactions with biological systems. Summarizing, electrostatic force plays the predominant role in dendrimer-protein interactions, especially with charged dendrimers. Other kinds of interactions have been proven, such as H-bonding, van der Waals forces, and even hydrophobic interactions. These interactions depend on the characteristics of both participants: flexibility and surface charge of a dendrimer, rigidity of protein structure and the localization of charged amino acids at its surface. pH and ionic strength of solutions can significantly modulate interactions. Ligands and cofactors attached to a protein can also change dendrimer-protein interactions. Binding of dendrimers to a protein can change its secondary structure, conformation, intramolecular mobility and functional activity. However, this strongly depends on rigidity versus flexibility of a protein's structure. In addition, the potential applications of dendrimers to nanomedicine are reviwed related to dendrimer-protein interactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Nanometric thin film membranes manufactured on square meter scale: ultra-thin films for CO 2 capture

    KAUST Repository

    Yave, Wilfredo

    2010-09-01

    Miniaturization and manipulation of materials at nanometer scale are key challenges in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In membrane science and technology, the fabrication of ultra-thin polymer films (defect-free) on square meter scale with uniform thickness (<100 nm) is crucial. By using a tailor-made polymer and by controlling the nanofabrication conditions, we developed and manufactured defect-free ultra-thin film membranes with unmatched carbon dioxide permeances, i.e. >5 m3 (STP) m-2 h -1 bar-1. The permeances are extremely high, because the membranes are made from a CO2 philic polymer material and they are only a few tens of nanometers thin. Thus, these thin film membranes have potential application in the treatment of large gas streams under low pressure like, e.g., carbon dioxide separation from flue gas. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  9. Morphological and structural characterizations of dendrimer-mediated metallic Ti and Al thin film nanocomposites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Curry, M. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Li, X. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Metallurgical and Materials Science and Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Zhang, J. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Weaver, M.L. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Department of Metallurgical and Materials Science and Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States); Street, S.C. [Center for Materials for Information Technology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States) and Department of Chemistry, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0209 (United States)]. E-mail: sstreet@bama.ua.edu

    2007-02-26

    Evidence is presented here for significant influence on the surface topography of Ti and Al films in the presence of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer monolayers [generations G(4-8)] on SiO {sub x}. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis clearly indicates formation of nitrides and carbides for Ti metal grown on dendrimer monolayers. In addition, obvious trends in measured correlation lengths and crystalline growth modes of Ti films indicate grain sizes tracking the intrinsic roughness of dendrimer monolayers. No formation of metal nitride is observed for Al depositions. Atomic force microscopy analyses show significant changes in rms vertical roughness and aggregation of as-deposited Ti or Al in presence of dendrimer monolayers.

  10. Study of neural cells on organic semiconductor ultra thin films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bystrenova, Eva; Tonazzini, Ilaria; Stoliar, Pablo; Greco, Pierpaolo; Lazar, Adina; Dutta, Soumya; Dionigi, Chiara; Cacace, Marcello; Biscarini, Fabio [ISMN-CNR, Bologna (Italy); Jelitai, Marta; Madarasz, Emilia [IEM- HAS, Budapest (Hungary); Huth, Martin; Nickel, Bert [LMU, Munich (Germany); Martini, Claudia [Dept. PNPB, Univ. of Pisa (Italy)

    2008-07-01

    Many technological advances are currently being developed for nano-fabrication, offering the ability to create and control patterns of soft materials. We report the deposition of cells on organic semiconductor ultra-thin films. This is a first step towards the development of active bio/non bio systems for electrical transduction. Thin films of pentacene, whose thickness was systematically varied, were grown by high vacuum sublimation. We report adhesion, growth, and differentiation of human astroglial cells and mouse neural stem cells on an organic semiconductor. Viability of astroglial cells in time was measured as a function of the roughness and the characteristic morphology of ultra thin organic film, as well as the features of the patterned molecules. Optical fluorescence microscope coupled to atomic force microscope was used to monitor the presence, density and shape of deposited cells. Neural stem cells remain viable, differentiate by retinoic acid and form dense neuronal networks. We have shown the possibility to integrate living neural cells on organic semiconductor thin films.

  11. Metal ion reactive thin films using spray electrostatic LbL assembly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krogman, Kevin C; Lyon, Katharine F; Hammond, Paula T

    2008-11-20

    By using the spray-layer-by-layer (Spray-LbL) technique, the number of metal counterions trapped within LbL coatings is significantly increased by kinetically freezing the film short of equilibrium, potentially limiting interchain penetration and forcing chains to remain extrinsically compensated to a much greater degree than observed in the traditional dipped LbL technique. The basis for the enhanced entrapment of metal ions such as Cu2+, Fe2+, and Ag+ is addressed, including the equilibrium driving force for extrinsic compensation by soft versus hard metal ions and the impact of Spray-LbL on the kinetics of polymer-ion complexation. These polymer-bound metal-ion coatings are also demonstrated to be effective treatments for air filtration, functionalizing existing filters with the ability to strongly bind toxic industrial compounds such as ammonia or cyanide gases, as well as chemical warfare agent simulants such as chloroethyl ethyl sulfide. On the basis of results reported here, future work could extend this method to include other toxic soft-base ligands such as carbon monoxide, benzene, or organophosphate nerve agents.

  12. Mechanical and electrical properties of ultra-thin chips and flexible electronics assemblies during bending

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Den Ende, D.A.; Van De Wiel, H.J.; Kusters, R.H.L.; Sridhar, A.; Schram, J.F.M.; Cauwe, M.; Van Den Brand, J.

    2014-01-01

    Ultra-thin chips of less than 20 μm become flexible, allowing integration of silicon IC technology with highly flexible electronics such as food packaging sensor systems or healthcare and sport monitoring tags as wearable patches or even directly in clothing textile. The ultra-thin chips in these

  13. Reliability assessment of ultra-thin HfO2 films deposited on silicon wafer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fu, Wei-En; Chang, Chia-Wei; Chang, Yong-Qing; Yao, Chih-Kai; Liao, Jiunn-Der

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Nano-mechanical properties on annealed ultra-thin HfO 2 film are studied. ► By AFM analysis, hardness of the crystallized HfO 2 film significantly increases. ► By nano-indention, the film hardness increases with less contact stiffness. ► Quality assessment on the annealed ultra-thin films can thus be achieved. - Abstract: Ultra-thin hafnium dioxide (HfO 2 ) is used to replace silicon dioxide to meet the required transistor feature size in advanced semiconductor industry. The process integration compatibility and long-term reliability for the transistors depend on the mechanical performance of ultra-thin HfO 2 films. The criteria of reliability including wear resistance, thermal fatigue, and stress-driven failure rely on film adhesion significantly. The adhesion and variations in mechanical properties induced by thermal annealing of the ultra-thin HfO 2 films deposited on silicon wafers (HfO 2 /SiO 2 /Si) are not fully understood. In this work, the mechanical properties of an atomic layer deposited HfO 2 (nominal thickness ≈10 nm) on a silicon wafer were characterized by the diamond-coated tip of an atomic force microscope and compared with those of annealed samples. The results indicate that the annealing process leads to the formation of crystallized HfO 2 phases for the atomic layer deposited HfO 2 . The HfSi x O y complex formed at the interface between HfO 2 and SiO 2 /Si, where the thermal diffusion of Hf, Si, and O atoms occurred. The annealing process increases the surface hardness of crystallized HfO 2 film and therefore the resistance to nano-scratches. In addition, the annealing process significantly decreases the harmonic contact stiffness (or thereafter eliminate the stress at the interface) and increases the nano-hardness, as measured by vertically sensitive nano-indentation. Quality assessments on as-deposited and annealed HfO 2 films can be thereafter used to estimate the mechanical properties and adhesion of ultra-thin HfO 2

  14. Nano-Photonic Structures for Light Trapping in Ultra-Thin Crystalline Silicon Solar Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prathap Pathi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Thick wafer-silicon is the dominant solar cell technology. It is of great interest to develop ultra-thin solar cells that can reduce materials usage, but still achieve acceptable performance and high solar absorption. Accordingly, we developed a highly absorbing ultra-thin crystalline Si based solar cell architecture using periodically patterned front and rear dielectric nanocone arrays which provide enhanced light trapping. The rear nanocones are embedded in a silver back reflector. In contrast to previous approaches, we utilize dielectric photonic crystals with a completely flat silicon absorber layer, providing expected high electronic quality and low carrier recombination. This architecture creates a dense mesh of wave-guided modes at near-infrared wavelengths in the absorber layer, generating enhanced absorption. For thin silicon (<2 μm and 750 nm pitch arrays, scattering matrix simulations predict enhancements exceeding 90%. Absorption approaches the Lambertian limit at small thicknesses (<10 μm and is slightly lower (by ~5% at wafer-scale thicknesses. Parasitic losses are ~25% for ultra-thin (2 μm silicon and just 1%–2% for thicker (>100 μm cells. There is potential for 20 μm thick cells to provide 30 mA/cm2 photo-current and >20% efficiency. This architecture has great promise for ultra-thin silicon solar panels with reduced material utilization and enhanced light-trapping.

  15. Which Dendrimer to Attain the Desired Properties? Focus on Phosphorhydrazone Dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caminade, Anne-Marie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre

    2018-03-09

    Among the six Critical Nanoscale Design Parameters (CNDPs) proposed by Prof. Donald A. Tomalia, this review illustrates the influence of the sixth one, which concerns the elemental composition, on the properties of dendrimers. After a large introduction that summarizes different types of dendrimers that have been compared with PolyAMidoAMine (PAMAM) dendrimers, this review will focus on the properties of positively and negatively charged phosphorhydrazone (PPH) dendrimers, especially in the field of biology, compared with other types of dendrimers, in particular PAMAM dendrimers, as well as polypropyleneimine (PPI), carbosilane, and p-Lysine dendrimers.

  16. Ultra-thin lithium micro-batteries. Performances and applications; Microaccumulateurs ultra minces au lithium. Performances et applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, M.; Terrat, J.P. [Hydromecanique et frottement (HEF), 42 - Andrezieux Boutheon (France); Levasseur, A.; Vinatier, P.; Meunier, G. [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 33 - Talence (France). Institut de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee et Physique de Bordeaux

    1996-12-31

    This short paper (abstract) describes the characteristics and performances of prototypes of ultra-thin lithium micro-batteries (thickness < 0.2 mm) which can be incorporated into microelectronic circuits. (J.S.)

  17. Ultra-thin lithium micro-batteries. Performances and applications; Microaccumulateurs ultra minces au lithium. Performances et applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martin, M; Terrat, J P [Hydromecanique et frottement (HEF), 42 - Andrezieux Boutheon (France); Levasseur, A; Vinatier, P; Meunier, G [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 33 - Talence (France). Institut de Chimie de la Matiere Condensee et Physique de Bordeaux

    1997-12-31

    This short paper (abstract) describes the characteristics and performances of prototypes of ultra-thin lithium micro-batteries (thickness < 0.2 mm) which can be incorporated into microelectronic circuits. (J.S.)

  18. Which Dendrimer to Attain the Desired Properties? Focus on Phosphorhydrazone Dendrimers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Marie Caminade

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Among the six Critical Nanoscale Design Parameters (CNDPs proposed by Prof. Donald A. Tomalia, this review illustrates the influence of the sixth one, which concerns the elemental composition, on the properties of dendrimers. After a large introduction that summarizes different types of dendrimers that have been compared with PolyAMidoAMine (PAMAM dendrimers, this review will focus on the properties of positively and negatively charged phosphorhydrazone (PPH dendrimers, especially in the field of biology, compared with other types of dendrimers, in particular PAMAM dendrimers, as well as polypropyleneimine (PPI, carbosilane, and p-Lysine dendrimers.

  19. Photoinduced Charge Transport Spectra for Porphyrin and Naphthalene Derivative-based Dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, J. H.; Wu, Y.; Parquette, J. R.; Epstein, A. J.

    2006-03-01

    Dendrimers are important chemical structures for harvesting charge. We prepared model dendrimers using two porphyrin derivatives and a naphthalene derivative. Films of these porphyrin derivatives have a strong Soret band (˜430nm) and four significant Q-bands; the naphthalene derivative has strong absorption at 365 and 383nm. Two kinds of photovoltaic cell structures [ITO/BaytronP/(thick or thin) dendrimer/Al] are constructed to investigate the optical response spectra of dendrimers under electric potential(V) on the cell (range from -1V to 2V). To obtain pure optical responses, incident light is modulated with an optical chopper and a lock-in amplifier is used to measure current (IAC) and phase (θ). For the excitation of the Soret band, IAC and θ do not change substantially with change of sign and amplitude of V. For Q-bands and naphthalene absorption bands, θ nearly follows the polarity of V on the cells and IAC is linear with V. Hence, IAC is nearly ohmic for Q- band although there are shifts due to built-in-potential. IAC for Soret band is almost same for thick and thin active layer cells. In contrast, IAC increases with thickness increase for Q bands. Mechanisms of photogeneration and charge transport will be discussed.

  20. Effect of generation on the electronic properties of light-emitting dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burn, Paul L.; Halim, Mounir; Pillow, Jonathan N. G.; Samuel, Ifor D. W.

    1999-12-01

    We have compared the optical and electronic properties of a series of porphyrin centered dendrimers containing stilbene dendrons. The first and second generation dendrimers could be spin-coated from solution to form good quality thin films. Incorporation into single layer light-emitting diodes gave red-light emission with maximum external quantum efficiencies of 0.02% and 0.04% for the first and second generation dendrimers respectively. We have determined by photoluminescence studies that energy can be transferred efficiently from the stilbene dendrons to the porphyrin core and that PL emission is from the core. Cyclic voltammetry studies on the dendrimers show that the reductions are porphyrin centered with the dendrons only affecting the rate of heterogeneous electron transfer between the electrode and the dendrimers. This suggests that charge mobility within a dendrimer film in an LED will be affected by the porphyrin edge to porphyrin edge distance. We have studied the hydrodynamic radii of the dendrimers by gel permeation chromatography and found as expected that the average porphyrin edge to dendron edge distance increases with generation. This is consistent with the slowing of heterogeneous electron transfer observed in the cyclic voltammetry on increasing the generation number and suggests that the dendrons are interleaved in the solid state to facilitate charge transport.

  1. Phosphorus dendrimers and photodynamic therapy. Spectroscopic studies on two dendrimer-photosensitizer complexes: Cationic phosphorus dendrimer with rose bengal and anionic phosphorus dendrimer with methylene blue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dabrzalska, Monika; Zablocka, Maria; Mignani, Serge; Majoral, Jean Pierre; Klajnert-Maculewicz, Barbara

    2015-08-15

    Dendrimers due to their unique architecture may play an important role in drug delivery systems including chemotherapy, gene therapy and recently, photodynamic therapy as well. We investigated two dendrimer-photosensitizer systems in context of potential use of these systems in photodynamic therapy. The mixtures of an anionic phosphorus dendrimer of the second generation and methylene blue were studied by UV-vis spectroscopy while that of a cationic phosphorus dendrimer (third generation) and rose bengal were investigated by spectrofluorimetric methods. Spectroscopic analysis of these two systems revealed the formation of dendrimer-photosensitizer complexes via electrostatic interactions as well as π stacking. The stoichiometry of the rose bengal-cationic dendrimer complex was estimated to be 7:1 and 9:1 for the methylene blue-anionic dendrimer complex. The results suggest that these polyanionic or polycationic phosphorus dendrimers can be promising candidates as carriers in photodynamic therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Dendrimers for Drug Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abhay Singh Chauhan

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Dendrimers have come a long way in the last 25 years since their inception. Originally created as a wonder molecule of chemistry, dendrimer is now in the fourth class of polymers. Dr. Donald Tomalia first published his seminal work on Poly(amidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers in 1985. Application of dendrimers as a drug delivery system started in late 1990s. Dendrimers for drug delivery are employed using two approaches: (i formulation and (ii nanoconstruct. In the formulation approach, drugs are physically entrapped in a dendrimer using non-covalent interactions, whereas drugs are covalently coupled on dendrimers in the nanoconstruct approach. We have demonstrated the utility of PAMAM dendrimers for enhancing solubility, stability and oral bioavailability of various drugs. Drug entrapment and drug release from dendrimers can be controlled by modifying dendrimer surfaces and generations. PAMAM dendrimers are also shown to increase transdermal permeation and specific drug targeting. Dendrimer platforms can be engineered to attach targeting ligands and imaging molecules to create a nanodevice. Dendrimer nanotechnology, due to its multifunctional ability, has the potential to create next generation nanodevices.

  3. Formation of thin luminescent Eu3+-LB films by in situ coordination with 2,3,5,6-tetra(2′-pyridyl)pyrazine and 1-octadecanol in pure and mixed Langmuir monolayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fugisawa, Fernanda P.; Ramos, Ana P.; Sousa Filho, Paulo C. de; Serra, Osvaldo A.; Zaniquelli, Maria E.D.

    2012-01-01

    The in situ complexation between 2,3,5,6-tetra(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (tppz) molecules and europium ions at the air–liquid interface by means of mixed 1-octadecanol Langmuir films is reported. These films were transferred to solid supports by means of the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique. The EDS maps attested the homogeneity of the LB films as well as the presence of the europium ions. The mixed alcohol/tppz LB film contained a larger amount of europium ions as compared to the pure octadecanol LB film. This work reports the production of a thin luminescent Eu 3+ film containing europium ions using only alcohol molecules as ligands—an unexpected result, since it is well known that there is an occurrence of non-radiative deactivation of excited europium by hydroxyl groups. Europium ion multiple binding sites were detected from lifetime decay measurements of these films in the presence of tppz molecules. - Highlights: ► In situ complexation of Eu (III) ions with 1-octadecanol and tppz. ► Formation of thin luminescent Eu(III)-LB films. ► EDS and luminescence studies attest to the presence of Eu(III) in the films. ► Eu(III) coordinates with both tppz and alcohol molecules at air/liquid interface. ► Relatively strong luminescence is observed in LB-films containing only Eu(III) and O–H oscillators.

  4. A fluorescent stilbenoid dendrimer for solution-processed blue light emitting diodes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coya, C.; Álvarez, A. L.; Ramos, M.; de Andrés, A.; Zaldo, C.; Gómez, R.; Segura, J. L.; Seoane, C.

    2008-04-01

    We report a solution processed blue stilbenoid dendrimer based on a 1, 3, 5 - benzene core and endowed with a periphery of electron donating and solubilizing alkoxy chains. Raman analysis it is revealed as a helpful tool to investigate changes from the pristine material to the material in the OLED structure, explaining the differences between the dendrimer single layer thin film photoluminescence (PL) and the electroluminescence (EL) dendrimer active layer emission in the device. We report a blue EL emission (439 nm) and a very promising effective mobility value of 2.55 × 10 -5 cm2/(V•s) suggesting good transport properties for non doped blue OLEDs that use air stable Al as the cathode.

  5. Synthesis of Dendrimer Containing Carbazole Unit as a Core Chromophore

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Seung Choul; Lee, Jae Wook; Jin, Sungho

    2012-01-01

    for the synthesis of Frechet-type dendrimers having a carbazole unit at core, which will be soluble in common organic solvents and easily spin-coated with high quality optical thin films

  6. Non-ohmic transport behavior in ultra-thin gold films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alkhatib, A.; Souier, T.; Chiesa, M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → C-AFM study on ultra-thin gold films. → Connection between ultra-thin film morphology and lateral electrical transport. → Transition between ohmic and non-ohmic behavior. → Electrical transition correlation to the film structure continuity. → Direct and indirect tunneling regimes related to discontinuous structures. - Abstract: Structure and local lateral electrical properties of Au films of thicknesses ranging from 10 to 140 nm are studied using conductive atomic force microscopy. Comparison of current maps taken at different thicknesses reveals surprising highly resistive regions (10 10 -10 11 Ω), the density of which increases strongly at lower thickness. The high resistivity is shown to be directly related to discontinuities in the metal sheet. Local I-V curves are acquired to show the nature of electrical behavior relative to thickness. Results show that in Au films of higher thickness the electrical behavior is ohmic, while it is non-ohmic in highly discontinuous films of lower thickness, with the transition happening between 34 and 39 nm. The non-ohmic behavior is explained with tunneling occurring between separated Au islands. The results explain the abrupt increase of electrical resistivity at lower thin film thicknesses.

  7. Film-thickness dependence of structure formation in ultra-thin polymer blend films

    CERN Document Server

    Gutmann, J S; Stamm, M

    2002-01-01

    We investigated the film-thickness dependence of structure formation in ultra-thin polymer blend films prepared from solution. As a model system we used binary blends of statistical poly(styrene-co-p-bromostyrene) copolymers of different degrees of bromination. Ultra-thin-film samples differing in miscibility and film thickness were prepared via spin coating of common toluene solutions onto silicon (100) substrates. The resulting morphologies were investigated with scanning force microscopy, reflectometry and grazing-incidence scattering techniques using both X-rays and neutrons in order to obtain a picture of the sample structure at and below the sample surface. (orig.)

  8. Role of interlayer coupling in ultra thin MoS2

    KAUST Repository

    Cheng, Yingchun; Zhu, Zhiyong; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

    2012-01-01

    The effects of interlayer coupling on the vibrational and electronic properties of ultra thin MoS 2 were studied by ab initio calculations. For smaller slab thickness, the interlayer distance is significantly elongated because of reduced interlayer

  9. Reliability assessment of ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films deposited on silicon wafer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fu, Wei-En [Center for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Room 216, Building 8, 321 Kuang Fu Road Sec. 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Chang, Chia-Wei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Chang, Yong-Qing [Center for Measurement Standards, Industrial Technology Research Institute, Room 216, Building 8, 321 Kuang Fu Road Sec. 2, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Yao, Chih-Kai [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Liao, Jiunn-Der, E-mail: jdliao@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

    2012-09-01

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Nano-mechanical properties on annealed ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} film are studied. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer By AFM analysis, hardness of the crystallized HfO{sub 2} film significantly increases. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer By nano-indention, the film hardness increases with less contact stiffness. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quality assessment on the annealed ultra-thin films can thus be achieved. - Abstract: Ultra-thin hafnium dioxide (HfO{sub 2}) is used to replace silicon dioxide to meet the required transistor feature size in advanced semiconductor industry. The process integration compatibility and long-term reliability for the transistors depend on the mechanical performance of ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films. The criteria of reliability including wear resistance, thermal fatigue, and stress-driven failure rely on film adhesion significantly. The adhesion and variations in mechanical properties induced by thermal annealing of the ultra-thin HfO{sub 2} films deposited on silicon wafers (HfO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si) are not fully understood. In this work, the mechanical properties of an atomic layer deposited HfO{sub 2} (nominal thickness Almost-Equal-To 10 nm) on a silicon wafer were characterized by the diamond-coated tip of an atomic force microscope and compared with those of annealed samples. The results indicate that the annealing process leads to the formation of crystallized HfO{sub 2} phases for the atomic layer deposited HfO{sub 2}. The HfSi{sub x}O{sub y} complex formed at the interface between HfO{sub 2} and SiO{sub 2}/Si, where the thermal diffusion of Hf, Si, and O atoms occurred. The annealing process increases the surface hardness of crystallized HfO{sub 2} film and therefore the resistance to nano-scratches. In addition, the annealing process significantly decreases the harmonic contact stiffness (or thereafter eliminate the stress at the interface) and increases the nano-hardness, as measured by vertically

  10. Nanometric thin film membranes manufactured on square meter scale: ultra-thin films for CO 2 capture

    KAUST Repository

    Yave, Wilfredo; Car, Anja; Wind, Jan; Peinemann, Klaus Viktor

    2010-01-01

    Miniaturization and manipulation of materials at nanometer scale are key challenges in nanoscience and nanotechnology. In membrane science and technology, the fabrication of ultra-thin polymer films (defect-free) on square meter scale with uniform

  11. Research on precision grinding technology of large scale and ultra thin optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Lian; Wei, Qiancai; Li, Jie; Chen, Xianhua; Zhang, Qinghua

    2018-03-01

    The flatness and parallelism error of large scale and ultra thin optics have an important influence on the subsequent polishing efficiency and accuracy. In order to realize the high precision grinding of those ductile elements, the low deformation vacuum chuck was designed first, which was used for clamping the optics with high supporting rigidity in the full aperture. Then the optics was planar grinded under vacuum adsorption. After machining, the vacuum system was turned off. The form error of optics was on-machine measured using displacement sensor after elastic restitution. The flatness would be convergenced with high accuracy by compensation machining, whose trajectories were integrated with the measurement result. For purpose of getting high parallelism, the optics was turned over and compensation grinded using the form error of vacuum chuck. Finally, the grinding experiment of large scale and ultra thin fused silica optics with aperture of 430mm×430mm×10mm was performed. The best P-V flatness of optics was below 3 μm, and parallelism was below 3 ″. This machining technique has applied in batch grinding of large scale and ultra thin optics.

  12. Calixarene Langmuir-Blodgett Thin Films For Volatile Organic Compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Capan, R.

    2010-01-01

    Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's) such as benzene, toluene, chloroform are chemicals that evaporate easily at room temperature and create many health effects on young children, elderly and a person with heightened sensitivity to chemicals. Concentrations of many VOC's are consistently higher indoors (up to ten times higher) than outdoors because many household products (for example paints, varnishes, many cleaning, disinfecting, cosmetic, degreasing, hobby products etc.) contains VOC's. Some effects of VOC's for human beings can be followed as the eye, nose, and throat irritations; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. These are big incentives for the development of portable, user-friendly VOC's sensors and for the investigation of the sensing properties of new materials to be prepared as a thin film sensing element. Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) ultra-thin film technique allows us to produce monolayer or multilayer organic thin films that can be used as chemical sensing elements.In this work, materials known as the calix[n]arene are investigated for the production of sensing material against several VOC's such as the chloroform, benzene, ethylbenzene and toluene by using LB thin film techniques. UV-visible, Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) system and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) measurement techniques are used to check the quality of the deposition process onto a solid substrate. Surface morphology and sensing properties of the final sensing layers are then studied by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and SPR techniques. Our results indicated that selected calixarene materials are sensitive enough and quite suitable to fabricate a highly ordered, reproducible and uniform LB film that can be used as a very thin sensing layer against VOC's.

  13. Temperature-sensitive elastin-mimetic dendrimers: Effect of peptide length and dendrimer generation to temperature sensitivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, Chie; Irie, Kotaro; Tada, Tomoko; Tanaka, Naoki

    2014-06-01

    Dendrimers are synthetic macromolecules with unique structure, which are a potential scaffold for peptides. Elastin is one of the main components of extracellular matrix and a temperature-sensitive biomacromolecule. Previously, Val-Pro-Gly-Val-Gly peptides have been conjugated to a dendrimer for designing an elastin-mimetic dendrimer. In this study, various elastin-mimetic dendrimers using different length peptides and different dendrimer generations were synthesized to control the temperature dependency. The elastin-mimetic dendrimers formed β-turn structure by heating, which was similar to the elastin-like peptides. The elastin-mimetic dendrimers exhibited an inverse phase transition, largely depending on the peptide length and slightly depending on the dendrimer generation. The elastin-mimetic dendrimers formed aggregates after the phase transition. The endothermal peak was observed in elastin-mimetic dendrimers with long peptides, but not with short ones. The peptide length and the dendrimer generation are important factors to tune the temperature dependency on the elastin-mimetic dendrimer. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. How Do Organic Vapors Swell Ultra-Thin PIM-1 Films?

    KAUST Repository

    Ogieglo, Wojciech; Rahimi, Khosrow; Rauer, Sebastian Bernhard; Ghanem, Bader; Ma, Xiao-Hua; Pinnau, Ingo; Wessling, Matthias

    2017-01-01

    Dynamic sorption of ethanol and toluene vapor into ultra-thin supported PIM-1 films down to 6 nm are studied with a combination of in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and in-situ X-ray reflectivity. Both ethanol and toluene significantly swell

  15. Ultra-thin films for plasmonics: a technology overview

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malureanu, Radu; Lavrinenko, Andrei

    2015-01-01

    Ultra-thin films with low surface roughness that support surface plasmon-polaritons in the infra-red and visible ranges are needed in order to improve the performance of devices based on the manipulation of plasmon propagation. Increasing amount of efforts is made in order not only to improve...... the quality of the deposited layers but also to diminish their thickness and to find new materials that could be used in this field. In this review, we consider various thin films used in the field of plasmonics and metamaterials in the visible and IR range. We focus our presentation on technological issues...... of their deposition and reported characterization of film plasmonic performance....

  16. Ultra-thin Metal and Dielectric Layers for Nanophotonic Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Shkondin, Evgeniy; Leandro, Lorenzo; Malureanu, Radu

    2015-01-01

    In our talk we first give an overview of the various thin films used in the field of nanophotonics. Then we describe our own activity in fabrication and characterization of ultra-thin films of high quality. We particularly focus on uniform gold layers having thicknesses down to 6 nm fabricated by......-beam deposition on dielectric substrates and Al-oxides/Ti-oxides multilayers prepared by atomic layer deposition in high aspect ratio trenches. In the latter case we show more than 1:20 aspect ratio structures can be achieved....

  17. Formation of thin luminescent Eu{sup 3+}-LB films by in situ coordination with 2,3,5,6-tetra(2 Prime -pyridyl)pyrazine and 1-octadecanol in pure and mixed Langmuir monolayers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fugisawa, Fernanda P. [Departamento de Quimica, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil); Ramos, Ana P., E-mail: anapr@ffclrp.usp.br [Departamento de Quimica, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil); Sousa Filho, Paulo C. de; Serra, Osvaldo A.; Zaniquelli, Maria E.D. [Departamento de Quimica, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto, Universidade de Sao Paulo, 14040-901 Ribeirao Preto, SP (Brazil)

    2012-05-15

    The in situ complexation between 2,3,5,6-tetra(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (tppz) molecules and europium ions at the air-liquid interface by means of mixed 1-octadecanol Langmuir films is reported. These films were transferred to solid supports by means of the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. The EDS maps attested the homogeneity of the LB films as well as the presence of the europium ions. The mixed alcohol/tppz LB film contained a larger amount of europium ions as compared to the pure octadecanol LB film. This work reports the production of a thin luminescent Eu{sup 3+} film containing europium ions using only alcohol molecules as ligands-an unexpected result, since it is well known that there is an occurrence of non-radiative deactivation of excited europium by hydroxyl groups. Europium ion multiple binding sites were detected from lifetime decay measurements of these films in the presence of tppz molecules. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In situ complexation of Eu (III) ions with 1-octadecanol and tppz. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Formation of thin luminescent Eu(III)-LB films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer EDS and luminescence studies attest to the presence of Eu(III) in the films. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Eu(III) coordinates with both tppz and alcohol molecules at air/liquid interface. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Relatively strong luminescence is observed in LB-films containing only Eu(III) and O-H oscillators.

  18. Thin film surface processing by UltraShort Laser Pulses (USLP)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scorticati, D.; Skolski, J.Z.P.; Römer, G.R.B.E.; Huis in 't Veld, A.J.; Workum, M.; Theelen, M.J.; Zeman, M.

    2012-01-01

    In this work, we studied the feasibility of surface texturing of thin molybdenum layers on a borosilicate glass substrate with Ultra-Short Laser Pulses (USLP). Large areas of regular diffraction gratings were produced consisting of Laserinduced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). A short pulsed

  19. Enhancement of absorption and color contrast in ultra-thin highly absorbing optical coatings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kats, Mikhail A.; Byrnes, Steven J.; Blanchard, Romain; Kolle, Mathias; Genevet, Patrice; Aizenberg, Joanna; Capasso, Federico

    2013-09-01

    Recently a new class of optical interference coatings was introduced which comprises ultra-thin, highly absorbing dielectric layers on metal substrates. We show that these lossy coatings can be augmented by an additional transparent subwavelength layer. We fabricated a sample comprising a gold substrate, an ultra-thin film of germanium with a thickness gradient, and several alumina films. The experimental reflectivity spectra showed that the additional alumina layer increases the color range that can be obtained, in agreement with calculations. More generally, this transparent layer can be used to enhance optical absorption, protect against erosion, or as a transparent electrode for optoelectronic devices.

  20. Influence of dendrimer generation and polyethylene glycol length on the biodistribution of PEGylated dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, Chie; Regino, Celeste; Umeda, Yasuhito; Kobayashi, Hisataka; Kono, Kenji

    2010-01-04

    Dendrimers are a potential drug carrier. Because modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is known to improve the blood retention, PEGylated dendrimers have been studied as a useful drug carrier. In this study, three types of PEGylated L-lysine-bearing polyamidoamine dendrimers (PEG2k-Lys-PAMAM (G4), PEG5k-Lys-PAMAM (G4), PEG2k-Lys-PAMAM (G5)) were synthesized, which are composed of a dendrimer of different generations (generations 4 and 5) and PEG chains with different molecular weights (2k and 5k). An acetylated L-lysine-bearing dendrimer was also synthesized as a non-PEGylated dendrimer. Bifunctional diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (pSCN-benzyl-DTPA) was bound to the epsilon -amino group of lysine in a dendrimer, to be labeled with radioactive indium-111. These PEGylayed dendrimers showed longer blood retention and lower accumulation in other normal organs such as the kidneys than the non-PEGylated dendrimer. The PEGylated dendrimers with the higher generation and the longer PEG led the greater blood retention.

  1. Polyphenylene dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marek, T.

    2002-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows. The most attractive property of polyphenylene dendrimers is their rigidity. They retain the molecular symmetry and monodispersity of the usual, commercially available alyphatic dendrimers, while the composition of the dendritic branches makes them self-supporting. In solution flexible dendrimers usually form a globular 3D-structure in which the dendritic branches are evenly distributed over the whole molecular volume, however, it has been shown that, depending on the generation of the particular dendrimer, their peripheral groups tend to fold back into the interior of the molecule. Moreover, when being adsorbed on a surface (or by the removal of the solvent), they often tend to flatten out. In contrast to this behaviour, it has been shown that rigid dendrimers based on polyphenylenes have stiff branches and the backfolding in solutions is impossible. Furthermore, when polyphenylene dendrimers are absorbed on a mica substrate their original shape is retained. These features and their size, lying in the low nanometer scale, make these molecules attractive candidates for several applications such as supports for functional groups and as hosts for smaller guest molecules. We have studied the free volume in a series of rigid polyphenylene dendrimers by positron lifetime spectroscopy (PLTS) and molecular dynamics calculations, in order to assess the expected relationship between the size (number of generations, molecular weight) of these molecules and the intramolecular free volume. We have found that the size of these inner free volumes is stable, and increases with the increasing number generations

  2. On-Demand Bioadhesive Dendrimers with Reduced Cytotoxicity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Feng Gao

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Tissue adhesives based on polyamidoamine (PAMAM dendrimer, grafted with UV-sensitive aryldiazirine (PAMAM-g-diazirine are promising new candidates for light active adhesion on soft tissues. Diazirine carbene precursors form interfacial and intermolecular covalent crosslinks with tissues after UV light activation that requires no premixing or inclusion of free radical initiators. However, primary amines on the PAMAM dendrimer surface present a potential risk due to their cytotoxic and immunological effects. PAMAM-g-diazirine formulations with cationic pendant amines converted into neutral amide groups were evaluated. In vitro toxicity is reduced by an order of magnitude upon amine capping while retaining bioadhesive properties. The in vivo immunological response to PAMAM-g-diazirine formulations was found to be optimal in comparison to standard poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA thin films.

  3. Structure-skin permeability relationship of dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Venuganti, Venkata Vamsi; Sahdev, Preety; Hildreth, Michael; Guan, Xiangming; Perumal, Omathanu

    2011-09-01

    To investigate skin penetration of poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as a function of surface charge and molecular weight in presence and absence of iontophoresis. Dendrimers were labeled with fluoroisothiocynate (FITC); skin penetration of dendrimers was studied using excised porcine skin in-vitro. Skin penetration of FITC-labeled dendrimers was quantified using confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). G2-G6 NH(2), G3.5-COOH and G4-OH dendrimers were used. Cationic dendrimers showed higher skin penetration than neutral and anionic dendrimers. Skin penetration of cationic dendrimer increased linearly with increase in treatment time. Iontophoresis enhanced skin penetration of cationic and neutral dendrimers. Increase in current strength and current duration increased skin transport of dendrimers. Passive and iontophoretic skin penetration of cationic dendrimers was inversely related to their molecular weight. Dendrimer penetrated the skin through intercellular lipids and hair follicles. With iontophoresis, dendrimer was also found in localized skin regions. The study demonstrates that the physicochemical properties of dendrimers influence their skin transport. Findings can be used to design dendrimer-based nanocarriers for drug delivery to skin.

  4. Ultra-thin infrared metamaterial detector for multicolor imaging applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoya, John A; Tian, Zhao-Bing; Krishna, Sanjay; Padilla, Willie J

    2017-09-18

    The next generation of infrared imaging systems requires control of fundamental electromagnetic processes - absorption, polarization, spectral bandwidth - at the pixel level to acquire desirable information about the environment with low system latency. Metamaterial absorbers have sparked interest in the infrared imaging community for their ability to enhance absorption of incoming radiation with color, polarization and/or phase information. However, most metamaterial-based sensors fail to focus incoming radiation into the active region of a ultra-thin detecting element, thus achieving poor detection metrics. Here our multifunctional metamaterial absorber is directly integrated with a novel mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and long-wave infrared (LWIR) detector with an ultra-thin (~λ/15) InAs/GaSb Type-II superlattice (T2SL) interband cascade detector. The deep sub-wavelength metamaterial detector architecture proposed and demonstrated here, thus significantly improves the detection quantum efficiency (QE) and absorption of incoming radiation in a regime typically dominated by Fabry-Perot etalons. Our work evinces the ability of multifunctional metamaterials to realize efficient wavelength selective detection across the infrared spectrum for enhanced multispectral infrared imaging applications.

  5. Energy transport in dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Supritz, C.; Engelmann, A.; Reineker, P.

    2006-01-01

    Dendrimers are highly branched polymers which are expected to be useful, for example, as efficient artificial light harvesting systems in nano-technological applications. There are two different classes of dendrimers: compact dendrimers with constant distance between neighboring branching points throughout the macromolecule and extended dendrimers where this distance increases from the system periphery to the center. An open question is still whether energy transport (via Frenkel excitons) occurs in a coherent or incoherent manner. We model the hyperbranched dendrimer molecule as an arrangement of two-level systems and apply the Frenkel exciton concept. The two-level systems are interacting with each other via transfer integrals modeling the special spatial structure of dendrimers. To take into account the electron-phonon interaction we introduce a heat bath that interacts with the exciton in a stochastic manner. In this way we describe the coupled coherent and incoherent Frenkel exciton transport inside a dendrimer. In order to mimic the influence of an energy capturing reaction center (like in photosynthesis) on exciton transport, we attach a sink to the dendrimer core

  6. Energy transport in dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Supritz, C. [Abteilung Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm (Germany)]. E-mail: christoph.supritz@uni-ulm.de; Engelmann, A. [Abteilung Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm (Germany); Reineker, P. [Abteilung Theoretische Physik, Universitaet Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89069 Ulm (Germany)

    2006-07-15

    Dendrimers are highly branched polymers which are expected to be useful, for example, as efficient artificial light harvesting systems in nano-technological applications. There are two different classes of dendrimers: compact dendrimers with constant distance between neighboring branching points throughout the macromolecule and extended dendrimers where this distance increases from the system periphery to the center. An open question is still whether energy transport (via Frenkel excitons) occurs in a coherent or incoherent manner. We model the hyperbranched dendrimer molecule as an arrangement of two-level systems and apply the Frenkel exciton concept. The two-level systems are interacting with each other via transfer integrals modeling the special spatial structure of dendrimers. To take into account the electron-phonon interaction we introduce a heat bath that interacts with the exciton in a stochastic manner. In this way we describe the coupled coherent and incoherent Frenkel exciton transport inside a dendrimer. In order to mimic the influence of an energy capturing reaction center (like in photosynthesis) on exciton transport, we attach a sink to the dendrimer core.

  7. Preclinical studies of dendrimer prodrugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kojima, Chie

    2015-01-01

    Dendrimers are synthetic macromolecules with well-defined structures bearing a wide variety of functional groups on their periphery. These groups can be used to conjugate bioactive molecules such as drugs, ligands and imaging agents. Dendrimer prodrugs can be used to improve the water solubility and pharmacokinetic properties of the corresponding free drugs. This article summarizes preclinical studies pertaining to the use of drug-dendrimer conjugates as dendrimer prodrugs for the treatments of various diseases, including cancer and inflammatory diseases. A wide range of anticancer drugs have been conjugated to dendrimers via biodegradable linkers. The side effects of the parent drugs can be markedly reduced using dendrimer prodrugs, with some drugs showing improved efficacy. Anti-inflammatory agents have also been conjugated to dendrimers and used to treat a number of inflammatory diseases. Drug-dendrimer conjugates are preferable to drug-dendrimer complexes, where the use of degradable linkers is critical to the release of the drug. Polyethylene glycol and/or ligands can be added to a dendrimer prodrug, which is useful for the targeting of affected tissues. Imaging probes can also be incorporated into dendrimer prodrugs for the simultaneous delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents as 'theranostics.'

  8. Analyzing nitrogen concentration using carrier illumination (CI) technology for DPN ultra-thin gate oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, W.S.; Wu, Bill; Fan, Aki; Kuo, C.W.; Segovia, M.; Kek, H.A.

    2005-01-01

    Nitrogen concentration in the gate oxide plays a key role for 90 nm and below ULSI technology. Techniques like secondary ionization mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are commonly used for understanding N concentration. This paper describes the application of the carrier illuminationTM (CI) technique to measure the nitrogen concentration in ultra-thin gate oxides. A set of ultra-thin gate oxide wafers with different DPN (decoupled plasma nitridation) treatment conditions were measured using the CI technique. The CI signal has excellent correlation with the N concentration as measured by XPS

  9. Optical absorption in dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Supritz, C.; Engelmann, A.; Reineker, P.

    2004-01-01

    Dendrimers are highly branched molecules, which are expected to be useful, for example, as efficient artificial light harvesting systems in nano-technological applications. There are two different classes of dendrimers: compact dendrimers with constant distance between neighboring branching points throughout the macromolecule and extended dendrimers, where this distance increases from the system periphery to the center. We investigate the linear absorption spectra of these dendrimer types using the Frenkel exciton concept. The electron-phonon interaction is taken into account by introducing a heat bath that interacts with the exciton in a stochastic manner

  10. Determining surface coverage of ultra-thin gold films from X-ray reflectivity measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kossoy, A.; Simakov, D.; Olafsson, S.; Leosson, K.

    2013-01-01

    The paper describes usage of X-ray reflectivity for characterization of surface coverage (i.e. film continuity) of ultra-thin gold films which are widely studied for optical, plasmonic and electronic applications. The demonstrated method is very sensitive and can be applied for layers below 1 nm. It has several advantages over other techniques which are often employed in characterization of ultra-thin metal films, such as optical absorption, Atomic Force Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy or Scanning Electron Microscopy. In contrast to those techniques our method does not require specialized sample preparation and measurement process is insensitive to electrostatic charge and/or presence of surface absorbed water. We validate our results with image processing of Scanning Electron Microscopy images. To ensure precise quantitative analysis of the images we developed a generic local thresholding algorithm which allowed us to treat series of images with various values of surface coverage with similar image processing parameters. - Highlights: • Surface coverage/continuity of ultra-thin Au films (up to 7 nm) was determined. • Results from X-ray reflectivity were verified by scanning electron microscopy. • We developed local thresholding algorithm to treat non-homogeneous image contrast

  11. Ordered Layered Dendrimers Constructed from Two Known Dendrimer Families: Inheritance and Emergence of Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dib, Hanna; Rebout, Cyrille; Laurent, Régis; Mallet-Ladeira, Sonia; Sournia-Saquet, Alix; Sárosi, Menyhárt B; Hey-Hawkins, Evamarie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Delavaux-Nicot, Béatrice; Caminade, Anne-Marie

    2016-07-25

    A new concept is presented, namely the synthesis of dendrimers intrinsically composed in alternation of building blocks pertaining to two known families of dendrimers: phosphorhydrazone dendrimers and triazine-piperazine dendrimers. These mixed dendrimers with layered controlled architecture inherit their easy (31) P NMR characterization and their thermal stability from the phosphorhydrazone family, and their decreased solubility from the triazine-piperazine family. However, they have also their own and original characteristics. Both parent families are white powders, whereas the mixed dendrimers are yellow, orange, or red powders, depending on the generation. DFT calculations were carried out on model dendrons to understand these special color features. Remarkably, these dendrimers incorporating redox-active organic entities allow for the first time the monitoring of the growth of an organic dendrimer by electrochemistry while highlighting an even-odd generation behavior. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Ultra-thin titanium nanolayers for plasmon-assisted enhancement of bioluminescence of chloroplast in biological light emitting devices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hsun Su, Yen [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Advanced Optoelectronic Technology Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China); Hsu, Chia-Yun; Chang, Chung-Chien [Science and Technology of Accelerator Light Source, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Tu, Sheng-Lung; Shen, Yun-Hwei [Department of Resource Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (China)

    2013-08-05

    Ultra-thin titanium films were deposited via ultra-high vacuum ion beam sputter deposition. Since the asymmetric electric field of the metal foil plane matches the B-band absorption of chlorophyll a, the ultra-thin titanium nanolayers were able to generate surface plasmon resonance, thus enhancing the photoluminescence of chlorophyll a. Because the density of the states of plasmon resonance increases, the enhancement of photoluminescence also rises. Due to the biocompatibility and inexpensiveness of titanium, it can be utilized to enhance the bioluminescence of chloroplast in biological light emitting devices, bio-laser, and biophotonics.

  13. New dendrimer - Peptide host - Guest complexes: Towards dendrimers as peptide carriers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boas, Ulrik; Sontjens, S.H.M.; Jensen, Knud Jørgen

    2002-01-01

    Adamantyl urea and adamantyl thiourea modified poly(propylene imine) dendrimers act as hosts for N-terminal tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-protected peptides and form chloroform-soluble complexes. investigations with NMR spectroscopy show that the peptide is bound to the dendrimer by ionic interactions...... between the dendrimer outer shell tertiary amines and the C-terminal carboxylic acid of the peptide, and also through host-urea to peptide-amide hydrogen bonding. The hydrogen-bonding nature of the peptide dendrimer interactions was further confirmed by using Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, for which...... the NH- and CO-stretch signals of the peptide amide moieties shift towards lower wave-numbers upon complexation with the dendrimer. Spatial analysis of the complexes with NOESY spectroscopy generally shows close proximity of the N-terminal Boc group of the peptide to the peripheral adamantyl groups...

  14. Synchrotron-radiation XPS analysis of ultra-thin silane films: Specifying the organic silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dietrich, Paul M., E-mail: paul.dietrich@yahoo.de [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Glamsch, Stephan [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Fabeckstr. 34/36, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Ehlert, Christopher [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Institut für Chemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 24-25, 14476 Potsdam (Germany); Lippitz, Andreas [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany); Kulak, Nora [Freie Universität Berlin, Institut für Chemie und Biochemie, Fabeckstr. 34/36, 14195 Berlin (Germany); Unger, Wolfgang E.S. [Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM), Unter den Eichen 87, 12205 Berlin (Germany)

    2016-02-15

    Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A synchrotron-based XPS method to analyze ultra-thin silane films is presented. • Specification and quantification of organic next to inorganic silicon is demonstrated. • Non-destructive chemical depth profiles of the silane monolayers were obtained. - Abstract: The analysis of chemical and elemental in-depth variations in ultra-thin organic layers with thicknesses below 5 nm is very challenging. Energy- and angle-resolved XPS (ER/AR-XPS) opens up the possibility for non-destructive chemical ultra-shallow depth profiling of the outermost surface layer of ultra-thin organic films due to its exceptional surface sensitivity. For common organic materials a reliable chemical in-depth analysis with a lower limit of the XPS information depth z{sub 95} of about 1 nm can be performed. As a proof-of-principle example with relevance for industrial applications the ER/AR-XPS analysis of different organic monolayers made of amino- or benzamidosilane molecules on silicon oxide surfaces is presented. It is demonstrated how to use the Si 2p core-level region to non-destructively depth-profile the organic (silane monolayer) – inorganic (SiO{sub 2}/Si) interface and how to quantify Si species, ranging from elemental silicon over native silicon oxide to the silane itself. The main advantage of the applied ER/AR-XPS method is the improved specification of organic from inorganic silicon components in Si 2p core-level spectra with exceptional low uncertainties compared to conventional laboratory XPS.

  15. Poly(amidoamine) dendrimers on lipid bilayers II: Effects of bilayer phase and dendrimer termination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Christopher V; Leroueil, Pascale R; Orr, Bradford G; Banaszak Holl, Mark M; Andricioaei, Ioan

    2008-08-07

    The molecular structures and enthalpy release of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers binding to 1,2-dimyristoyl- sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) bilayers were explored through atomistic molecular dynamics. Three PAMAM dendrimer terminations were examined: protonated primary amine, neutral acetamide, and deprotonated carboxylic acid. Fluid and gel lipid phases were examined to extract the effects of lipid tail mobility on the binding of generation-3 dendrimers, which are directly relevant to the nanoparticle interactions involving lipid rafts, endocytosis, lipid removal, and/or membrane pores. Upon binding to gel phase lipids, dendrimers remained spherical, had a constant radius of gyration, and approximately one-quarter of the terminal groups were in close proximity to the lipids. In contrast, upon binding to fluid phase bilayers, dendrimers flattened out with a large increase in their asphericity and radii of gyration. Although over twice as many dendrimer-lipid contacts were formed on fluid versus gel phase lipids, the dendrimer-lipid interaction energy was only 20% stronger. The greatest enthalpy release upon binding was between the charged dendrimers and the lipid bilayer. However, the stronger binding to fluid versus gel phase lipids was driven by the hydrophobic interactions between the inner dendrimer and lipid tails.

  16. Structure of Carbon Nanotube-dendrimer composite

    OpenAIRE

    Vasumathi, V.; Pramanik, Debabrata; Sood, A. K.; Maiti, Prabal K

    2012-01-01

    Using all atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations we report the microscopic picture of the nanotube-dendrimer complex for PAMAM dendrimer of generation 2 to 4 and carbon nanotube of chirality (6,5). We find compact wrapping conformations of dendrimer onto the nanotube surface for all the three generations of PAMAM dendrimer. The degree of wrapping is more for non-protonated dendrimer compared to the protonated dendrimer. For comparison we also study the interaction of another dendrimer,...

  17. 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.

  18. DNA condensation by partially acetylated poly(amido amine) dendrimers: effects of dendrimer charge density on complex formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Shi; Li, Ming-Hsin; Choi, Seok Ki; Baker, James R; Larson, Ronald G

    2013-09-03

    The ability of poly(amido amine) (or PAMAM) dendrimers to condense semiflexible dsDNA and penetrate cell membranes gives them great potential in gene therapy and drug delivery but their high positive surface charge makes them cytotoxic. Here, we describe the effects of partial neutralization by acetylation on DNA condensation using light scattering, circular dichroism, and single molecule imaging of dendrimer-DNA complexes combed onto surfaces and tethered to those surfaces under flow. We find that DNA can be condensed by generation-five (G5) dendrimers even when the surface charges are more than 65% neutralized, but that such dendrimers bind negligibly when an end-tethered DNA is stretched in flow. We also find that when fully charged dendrimers are introduced by flow to end-tethered DNA, all DNA molecules become equally highly coated with dendrimers at a rate that becomes very fast at high dendrimer concentration, and that dendrimers remain bound during subsequent flow of dendrimer-free buffer. These results suggest that the presence of dendrimer-free DNA coexisting with dendrimer-bound DNA after bulk mixing of the two in solution may result from diffusion-limited irreversible dendrimer-DNA binding, rather than, or in addition to, the previously proposed cooperative binding mechanism of dendrimers to DNA.

  19. DNA Condensation by Partially Acetylated Poly(amido amine Dendrimers: Effects of Dendrimer Charge Density on Complex Formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald G. Larson

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The ability of poly(amido amine (or PAMAM dendrimers to condense semiflexible dsDNA and penetrate cell membranes gives them great potential in gene therapy and drug delivery but their high positive surface charge makes them cytotoxic. Here, we describe the effects of partial neutralization by acetylation on DNA condensation using light scattering, circular dichroism, and single molecule imaging of dendrimer-DNA complexes combed onto surfaces and tethered to those surfaces under flow. We find that DNA can be condensed by generation-five (G5 dendrimers even when the surface charges are more than 65% neutralized, but that such dendrimers bind negligibly when an end-tethered DNA is stretched in flow. We also find that when fully charged dendrimers are introduced by flow to end-tethered DNA, all DNA molecules become equally highly coated with dendrimers at a rate that becomes very fast at high dendrimer concentration, and that dendrimers remain bound during subsequent flow of dendrimer-free buffer. These results suggest that the presence of dendrimer-free DNA coexisting with dendrimer-bound DNA after bulk mixing of the two in solution may result from diffusion-limited irreversible dendrimer-DNA binding, rather than, or in addition to, the previously proposed cooperative binding mechanism of dendrimers to DNA.

  20. Dendrimer Prodrugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soraya da Silva Santos

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The main objective of this review is to describe the importance of dendrimer prodrugs in the design of new drugs, presenting numerous applications of these nanocomposites in the pharmaceutical field. Therefore, the use of dendrimer prodrugs as carrier for drug delivery, to improve pharmacokinetic properties of prototype, to promote drug sustained-release, to increase selectivity and, consequently, to decrease toxicity, are just some examples of topics that have been extensively reported in the literature, especially in the last decade. The examples discussed here give a panel of the growing interest dendrimer prodrugs have been evoking in the scientific community.

  1. Computer simulations of dendrimer-polyelectrolyte complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandav, Gunja; Ganesan, Venkat

    2014-08-28

    We carry out a systematic analysis of static properties of the clusters formed by complexation between charged dendrimers and linear polyelectrolyte (LPE) chains in a dilute solution under good solvent conditions. We use single chain in mean-field simulations and analyze the structure of the clusters through radial distribution functions of the dendrimer, cluster size, and charge distributions. The effects of LPE length, charge ratio between LPE and dendrimer, the influence of salt concentration, and the dendrimer generation number are examined. Systems with short LPEs showed a reduced propensity for aggregation with dendrimers, leading to formation of smaller clusters. In contrast, larger dendrimers and longer LPEs lead to larger clusters with significant bridging. Increasing salt concentration was seen to reduce aggregation between dendrimers as a result of screening of electrostatic interactions. Generally, maximum complexation was observed in systems with an equal amount of net dendrimer and LPE charges, whereas either excess LPE or dendrimer concentrations resulted in reduced clustering between dendrimers.

  2. COVALENTLY ATTACHED MULTILAYER ULTRA-THIN FILMS FROM DIAZORESIN AND CALIXARENES

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Zhao-hui Yang; Wei-xiao Cao

    2003-01-01

    A kind of photosensitive ultra-thin film was fabricated from diazoresin (DR) and various calixarenes by using the self-assembly technique. Under UV irradiation both the ionic- and hydrogen bonds between the layers of the film will convert into covalent bonds. As a result, the stability of the film toward polar solvents increases dramatically.

  3. Culturing of primary rat neurons and glia on ultra-thin parylene-C

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Unsworth, C.P.; Delivopoulos, E.; Murray, A.F.

    2010-01-01

    Full text: In this article, we will describe how we have successfully cultured dissociated embryonic cortical neurons and glia from the postnatal rat hippocampus on extremely thin layers (up to 10 nm) of Parylene-C on a silicon dioxide substrate. Silicon wafers were oxidised, deposited with the biomaterial, Parylene-C, photo-lithographically patterned and plasma etched to produce chips that consisted of lines of Paryl ene-C with varying widths, thickness and lengths. The chips produced were then immersed in Horse Serum and plated with the cells. Ratios of Neurons; Glia; Cell Body were measured on, adjacent to and away from the Parylene-C. Our initial results show how these ratios remained roughly constant for ultra-thin Parylene-C thicknesses of 10 nm as compared to a benchmark thickness of 100 nm (where such cells are known to grow well). Thus, our findings demonstrate that it is possible to culture primary rat neurons and glia to practically cell membrane thicknesses of Parylene-C. Being able to culture cells on such ultra thin levels of Parylene-C will open up the possibility to develop Multi-Electrode Arrays (MEA) that can capacitively couple embedded electrodes through the parylene to the cells on its surface. Thus, providing a neat, insulated passive electrode. Only the ultra-thin thicknesses of Parylene demonstrated here would allow for the rea isation of such a technology. Hence, the outcome of this work, will be of great interest to the Neuroengineering and the Multi-Electrode Array (MEA) community, as an alternative material for the fabric tion of passive electrodes, used in capacitive coupling mode.

  4. Proton probing of ultra-thin foil dynamics in high intensity regime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Rajendra; Aktan, Esin; Aurand, Bastian; Cerchez, Mirela; Willi, Oswald

    2017-10-01

    The field of laser driven ion acceleration has been enriched significantly over the past decade, thanks to the advanced laser technologies. Already, from 100s TW class systems, laser driven sources of particles and radiations are being considered in number of potential applications in science and medicine due to their unique properties. New physical effects unearthed at these systems may help understand and conduct successful experiments at several PW class multi-beam facilities with high rep rate systems, e.g. ELI. Here we present the first experimental results on ultra-thin foil dynamics irradiated by an ultra-high intensity (1020 W/cm2) , ultra-high contrast (10-12) laser pulse at ARCTURUS laser facility at HHU Duesseldorf. By employing the elegant proton probing technique it is observed that for the circular polarization of laser light, a 100nm thin target is pushed forward as a compressed layer due to the radiation pressure of light. Whereas, the linear polarization seems to decompress the target drastically. 2D particle-in-cell simulations corroborate the experimental findings. Our results confirm the previous simulation studies investigating the fundamental role played by light polarization, finite focus spot size effect and eventually electron heating including the oblique incidence at the target edges.

  5. Ultra-thin Cu2ZnSnS4 solar cell by pulsed laser deposition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cazzaniga, Andrea Carlo; Crovetto, Andrea; Yan, Chang

    2017-01-01

    We report on the fabrication of a 5.2% efficiency Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cell made by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) featuring an ultra-thin absorber layer (less than 450 nm). Solutions to the issues of reproducibility and micro-particulate ejection often encountered with PLD are proposed. At the ......We report on the fabrication of a 5.2% efficiency Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) solar cell made by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) featuring an ultra-thin absorber layer (less than 450 nm). Solutions to the issues of reproducibility and micro-particulate ejection often encountered with PLD are proposed...

  6. Low temperature synthesis of Mo2C/W2C superlattices via ultra-thin modulated reactants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, C.D.; Johnson, D.C.

    1996-01-01

    The authors report here a synthesis method of preparing carbide superlattices using ultra-thin modulated reactants. Initial investigations into the synthesis of the binary systems, Mo 2 C and W 2 C using ultra-thin modulated reactants revealed that both can be formed at relatively low temperatures (500 and 600 C respectively). DSC and XRD data suggested a two step reaction pathway involving interdiffusion of the initial modulated reactant followed by crystallization of the final product, if the modulation length is on the order of 10 angstrom. This information was used to form Mo 2 C/W 2 C superlattices using the structure of the ultra-thin modulated reactant to control the final superlattice period. Relatively large superlattice modulations were kinetically trapped by having several repeat units of each binary within the total repeat of the initial reactant. DSC and XRD data again are consistent with a two step reaction pathway leading to the formation of carbide superlattices

  7. On the ability of PAMAM dendrimers and dendrimer/DNA aggregates to penetrate POPC model biomembranes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ainalem, Marie-Louise; Campbell, Richard A; Khalid, Syma; Gillams, Richard J; Rennie, Adrian R; Nylander, Tommy

    2010-06-03

    Poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have previously been shown, as cationic condensing agents of DNA, to have high potential for nonviral gene delivery. This study addresses two key issues for gene delivery: the interaction of the biomembrane with (i) the condensing agent (the cationic PAMAM dendrimer) and (ii) the corresponding dendrimer/DNA aggregate. Using in situ null ellipsometry and neutron reflection, parallel experiments were carried out involving dendrimers of generations 2 (G2), 4 (G4), and 6 (G6). The study demonstrates that free dendrimers of all three generations were able to traverse supported palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) bilayers deposited on silica surfaces. The model biomembranes were elevated from the solid surfaces upon dendrimer penetration, which offers a promising new way to generate more realistic model biomembranes where the contact with the supporting surface is reduced and where aqueous cavities are present beneath the bilayer. The largest dendrimer (G6) induced partial bilayer destruction directly upon penetration, whereas the smaller dendrimers (G2 and G4) leave the bilayer intact, so we propose that lower generation dendrimers have greater potential as transfection mediators. In addition to the experimental observations, coarse-grained simulations on the interaction between generation 3 (G3) dendrimers and POPC bilayers were performed in the absence and presence of a bilayer-supporting negatively charged surface that emulates the support. The simulations demonstrate that G3 is transported across free-standing POPC bilayers by direct penetration and not by endocytosis. The penetrability was, however, reduced in the presence of a surface, indicating that the membrane transport observed experimentally was not driven solely by the surface. The experimental reflection techniques were also applied to dendrimer/DNA aggregates of charge ratio = 0.5, and while G2/DNA and G4/DNA aggregates interact with POPC bilayers, G6/DNA

  8. Field emission mechanism from a single-layer ultra-thin semiconductor film cathode

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duan Zhiqiang; Wang Ruzhi; Yuan Ruiyang; Yang Wei; Wang Bo; Yan Hui

    2007-01-01

    Field emission (FE) from a single-layer ultra-thin semiconductor film cathode (SUSC) on a metal substrate has been investigated theoretically. The self-consistent quantum FE model is developed by synthetically considering the energy band bending and electron scattering. As a typical example, we calculate the FE properties of ultra-thin AlN film with an adjustable film thickness from 1 to 10 nm. The calculated results show that the FE characteristic is evidently modulated by varying the film thickness, and there is an optimum thickness of about 3 nm. Furthermore, a four-step FE mechanism is suggested such that the distinct FE current of a SUSC is rooted in the thickness sensitivity of its quantum structure, and the optimum FE properties of the SUSC should be attributed to the change in the effective potential combined with the attenuation of electron scattering

  9. The TDDB Characteristics of Ultra-Thin Gate Oxide MOS Capacitors under Constant Voltage Stress and Substrate Hot-Carrier Injection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jingyu Shen

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The breakdown characteristics of ultra-thin gate oxide MOS capacitors fabricated in 65 nm CMOS technology under constant voltage stress and substrate hot-carrier injection are investigated. Compared to normal thick gate oxide, the degradation mechanism of time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB of ultra-thin gate oxide is found to be different. It is found that the gate current (Ig of ultra-thin gate oxide MOS capacitor is more likely to be induced not only by Fowler-Nordheim (F-N tunneling electrons, but also by electrons surmounting barrier and penetrating electrons in the condition of constant voltage stress. Moreover it is shown that the time to breakdown (tbd under substrate hot-carrier injection is far less than that under constant voltage stress when the failure criterion is defined as a hard breakdown according to the experimental results. The TDDB mechanism of ultra-thin gate oxide will be detailed. The differences in TDDB characteristics of MOS capacitors induced by constant voltage stress and substrate hot-carrier injection will be also discussed.

  10. Management of light absorption in extraordinary optical transmission based ultra-thin-film tandem solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mashooq, Kishwar; Talukder, Muhammad Anisuzzaman

    2016-01-01

    Although ultra-thin-film solar cells can be attractive in reducing the cost, they suffer from low absorption as the thickness of the active layer is usually much smaller than the wavelength of incident light. Different nano-photonic techniques, including plasmonic structures, are being explored to increase the light absorption in ultra-thin-film solar cells. More than one layer of active materials with different energy bandgaps can be used in tandem to increase the light absorption as well. However, due to different amount of light absorption in different active layers, photo-generated currents in different active layers will not be the same. The current mismatch between the tandem layers makes them ineffective in increasing the efficiency. In this work, we investigate the light absorption properties of tandem solar cells with two ultra-thin active layers working as two subcells and a metal layer with periodically perforated holes in-between the two subcells. While the metal layer helps to overcome the current mismatch, the periodic holes increase the absorption of incident light by helping extraordinary optical transmission of the incident light from the top to the bottom subcell, and by coupling the incident light to plasmonic and photonic modes within ultra-thin active layers. We extensively study the effects of the geometry of holes in the intermediate metal layer on the light absorption properties of tandem solar cells with ultra-thin active layers. We also study how different metals in the intermediate layer affect the light absorption; how the geometry of holes in the intermediate layer affects the absorption when the active layer materials are changed; and how the intermediate metal layer affects the collection of photo-generated electron-hole pairs at the terminals. We find that in a solar cell with 6,6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester top subcell and copper indium gallium selenide bottom subcell, if the periodic holes in the metal layer are square or

  11. Management of light absorption in extraordinary optical transmission based ultra-thin-film tandem solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mashooq, Kishwar; Talukder, Muhammad Anisuzzaman, E-mail: anis@eee.buet.ac.bd [Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1205 (Bangladesh)

    2016-05-21

    Although ultra-thin-film solar cells can be attractive in reducing the cost, they suffer from low absorption as the thickness of the active layer is usually much smaller than the wavelength of incident light. Different nano-photonic techniques, including plasmonic structures, are being explored to increase the light absorption in ultra-thin-film solar cells. More than one layer of active materials with different energy bandgaps can be used in tandem to increase the light absorption as well. However, due to different amount of light absorption in different active layers, photo-generated currents in different active layers will not be the same. The current mismatch between the tandem layers makes them ineffective in increasing the efficiency. In this work, we investigate the light absorption properties of tandem solar cells with two ultra-thin active layers working as two subcells and a metal layer with periodically perforated holes in-between the two subcells. While the metal layer helps to overcome the current mismatch, the periodic holes increase the absorption of incident light by helping extraordinary optical transmission of the incident light from the top to the bottom subcell, and by coupling the incident light to plasmonic and photonic modes within ultra-thin active layers. We extensively study the effects of the geometry of holes in the intermediate metal layer on the light absorption properties of tandem solar cells with ultra-thin active layers. We also study how different metals in the intermediate layer affect the light absorption; how the geometry of holes in the intermediate layer affects the absorption when the active layer materials are changed; and how the intermediate metal layer affects the collection of photo-generated electron-hole pairs at the terminals. We find that in a solar cell with 6,6-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl ester top subcell and copper indium gallium selenide bottom subcell, if the periodic holes in the metal layer are square or

  12. Ultra-thin silicon/electro-optic polymer hybrid waveguide modulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Qiu, Feng; Spring, Andrew M. [Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Sato, Hiromu [Department of Molecular and Material Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Maeda, Daisuke; Ozawa, Masa-aki; Odoi, Keisuke [Nissan Chemical Industries, Ltd., 2-10-1 Tuboi Nishi, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8507 (Japan); Aoki, Isao; Otomo, Akira [National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Nishi-ku, Kobe 651-2492 (Japan); Yokoyama, Shiyoshi, E-mail: s-yokoyama@cm.kyushu-u.ac.jp [Institute for Materials Chemistry and Engineering, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan); Department of Molecular and Material Sciences, Kyushu University, 6-1 Kasuga-koen Kasuga, Fukuoka 816-8580 (Japan)

    2015-09-21

    Ultra-thin silicon and electro-optic (EO) polymer hybrid waveguide modulators have been designed and fabricated. The waveguide consists of a silicon core with a thickness of 30 nm and a width of 2 μm. The cladding is an EO polymer. Optical mode calculation reveals that 55% of the optical field around the silicon extends into the EO polymer in the TE mode. A Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) modulator was prepared using common coplanar electrodes. The measured half-wave voltage of the MZI with 7 μm spacing and 1.3 cm long electrodes is 4.6 V at 1550 nm. The evaluated EO coefficient is 70 pm/V, which is comparable to that of the bulk EO polymer film. Using ultra-thin silicon is beneficial in order to reduce the side-wall scattering loss, yielding a propagation loss of 4.0 dB/cm. We also investigated a mode converter which couples light from the hybrid EO waveguide into a strip silicon waveguide. The calculation indicates that the coupling loss between these two devices is small enough to exploit the potential fusion of a hybrid EO polymer modulator together with a silicon micro-photonics device.

  13. Heat wave propagation in a thin film irradiated by ultra-short laser pulses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoo, Jae Gwon; Kim, Cheol Jung; Lim, C. H.

    2004-01-01

    A thermal wave solution of a hyperbolic heat conduction equation in a thin film is developed on the basis of the Green's function formalism. Numerical computations are carried out to investigate the temperature response and the propagation of the thermal wave inside a thin film due to a heat pulse generated by ultra-short laser pulses with various laser pulse durations and thickness of the film

  14. Studies on applications of functional organic-thin-films for lithography on semiconductor device production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ogawa, Kazufumi

    1988-12-01

    This report describes some experimental results of studies in an attempt to contribute to the development of ultra-fine lithography which is used for the manufacture of semiconductor devices with design rule below 0.5 μm, and contains (1) manufacture of the exposure apparatus, (2) establishment of the resist process technology, and (3) preparation of the resist materials. The author designed and manufactured the KrF excimer laser stepper which is supposed to be most promising for practical uses. In the resist processing technology, the water-soluble contrast enhanced lithography (CEL) process was developed and this process has advantages is that high pattern contrast and large focus depth latitude were easily obtained. Finally, for resist materials, use of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films was investigated since the LB technique provides the method to prepare extremely thin organic films which are uniform in molecular level, and the reaction mechanism of the LB films of unsaturated compounds under irradiation with high energy beams was elucidated. (author)

  15. Graphene-based LbL deposited films: further study of electrical and gas sensing properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nabok A.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Graphene-surfactant composite materials obtained by the ultrasonic exfoliation of graphite powder in the presence of ionic surfactants (either CTAB or SDS were utilised to construct thin films using layer-by-layer (LbL electrostatic deposition technique. A series of graphene-based thin films were made by alternating layers of either graphene-SDS with polycations (PEI or PAH or graphene-CTAB with polyanions (PSS. Also, graphene-phthalocyanine composite films were produced by alternating layers of graphene-CTAB with tetrasulfonated nickel phthalocyanine. Graphene-surfactant LbL films exhibited good electric conductivity (about 0.1 S/cm of semiconductor type with a band gap of about 20 meV. Judging from UV-vis spectra measurements, graphene-phthalocyanine LbL films appeared to form joint π-electron system. Gas sensing testing of such composite films combining high conductivity of graphene with the gas sensing abilities of phthalocyanines showed substantial changes (up to 10% in electrical conductivity upon exposure to electro-active gases such as HCl and NH3.

  16. Control of mobility in molecular organic semiconductors by dendrimer generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lupton, J. M.; Samuel, I. D.; Beavington, R.; Frampton, M. J.; Burn, P. L.; Bässler, H.

    2001-04-01

    Conjugated dendrimers are of interest as novel materials for light-emitting diodes. They consist of a luminescent chromophore at the core with highly branched conjugated dendron sidegroups. In these materials, light emission occurs from the core and is independent of generation. The dendron branching controls the separation between the chromophores. We present here a family of conjugated dendrimers and investigate the effect of dendron branching on light emission and charge transport. We apply a number of transport measurement techniques to thin films of a conjugated dendrimer in a light-emitting diode configuration to determine the effect of chromophore spacing on charge transport. We find that the mobility is reduced by two orders of magnitude as the size of the molecule doubles with increased branching or dendrimer generation. The degree of branching allows a unique control of mobility by molecular structure. An increase in chromophore separation also results in a reduction of intermolecular interactions, which reduces the red emission tail in film photoluminescence. We find that the steady-state charge transport is well described by a simple device model incorporating the effect of generation, and use the materials to shed light on the interpretation of transient electroluminescence data. We demonstrate the significance of the ability to tune the mobility in bilayer devices, where a more balanced charge transport can be achieved.

  17. 3-Lie bialgebras (Lb,Cd and (Lb,Ce

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bai Ruipu

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Four dimensional $3$-Lie coalgebras with two-dimensional derived algebras, and four-dimensional $3$-Lie bialgebras of type $(L_b, C_c$ are classified. It is proved that there exist three classes of four dimensional $3$-Lie coalgebras with two-dimensional derived algebra which are $(L, C_{c_i}$, $i=1, 2, 3$ (Lemma 3.1, and ten classes of four dimensional $3$-Lie bialgebras of type $(L_b, C_c$ (Theorem 3.2.

  18. Glycopeptide dendrimers. Part I

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Niederhafner, Petr; Šebestík, Jaroslav; Ježek, Jan

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 14, č. 1 (2008), s. 2-43 ISSN 1075-2617 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/03/1362; GA ČR GA203/06/1272; GA MZe QF3115; GA AV ČR KAN200520703 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : artificial virus * calixarene dendrimers * carbopeptide dendrimers * glycopeptide dendrimers Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.654, year: 2008

  19. DNA assisted self-assembly of PAMAM dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Taraknath; Kumar, Mattaparthi Venkata Satish; Maiti, Prabal K

    2014-10-09

    We report DNA assisted self-assembly of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers using all atom Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and present a molecular level picture of a DNA-linked PAMAM dendrimer nanocluster, which was first experimentally reported by Choi et al. (Nano Lett., 2004, 4, 391-397). We have used single stranded DNA (ssDNA) to direct the self-assembly process. To explore the effect of pH on this mechanism, we have used both the protonated (low pH) and nonprotonated (high pH) dendrimers. In all cases studied here, we observe that the DNA strand on one dendrimer unit drives self-assembly as it binds to the complementary DNA strand present on the other dendrimer unit, leading to the formation of a DNA-linked dendrimer dimeric complex. However, this binding process strongly depends on the charge of the dendrimer and length of the ssDNA. We observe that the complex with a nonprotonated dendrimer can maintain a DNA length dependent inter-dendrimer distance. In contrast, for complexes with a protonated dendrimer, the inter-dendrimer distance is independent of the DNA length. We attribute this observation to the electrostatic complexation of a negatively charged DNA strand with the positively charged protonated dendrimer.

  20. Comparison of generation 3 polyamidoamine dendrimer and generation 4 polypropylenimine dendrimer on drug loading, complex structure, release behavior, and cytotoxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Naimin; Su, Yunzhang; Hu, Jingjing; Zhang, Jiahai; Zhang, Hongfeng; Cheng, Yiyun

    2011-01-01

    Background Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) and polypropylenimine (PPI) dendrimers are the commercially available and most widely used dendrimers in pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical engineering. In the present study, the loading and release behaviors of generation 3 PAMAM and generation 4 PPI dendrimers with the same amount of surface amine groups (32 per dendrimer) were compared using phenylbutazone as a model drug. Methods The dendrimer-phenylbutazone complexes were characterized by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and nuclear Overhauser effect techniques, and the cytotoxicity of each dendrimer was evaluated. Results Aqueous solubility results suggest that the generation 3 PAMAM dendrimer has a much higher loading ability towards phenylbutazone in comparison with the generation 4 PPI dendrimer at high phenylbutazone-dendrimer feeding ratios. Drug release was much slower from the generation 3 PAMAM matrix than from the generation 4 PPI dendrimer. In addition, the generation 3 PAMAM dendrimer is at least 50-fold less toxic than generation 4 PPI dendrimer on MCF-7 and A549 cell lines. Conclusion Although the nuclear Overhauser effect nuclear magnetic resonance results reveal that the generation 4 PPI dendrimer with a more hydrophobic interior encapsulates more phenylbutazone, the PPI dendrimer-phenylbutazone inclusion is not stable in aqueous solution, which poses a great challenge during drug development. PMID:22267921

  1. Ultra-Thin Solid-State Nanopores: Fabrication and Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuan, Aaron Tzeyang

    Solid-state nanopores are a nanofluidic platform with unique advantages for single-molecule analysis and filtration applications. However, significant improvements in device performance and scalable fabrication methods are needed to make nanopore devices competitive with existing technologies. This dissertation investigates the potential advantages of ultra-thin nanopores in which the thickness of the membrane is significantly smaller than the nanopore diameter. Novel, scalable fabrication methods were first developed and then utilized to examine device performance for water filtration and single molecule sensing applications. Fabrication of nanometer-thin pores in silicon nitride membranes was achieved using a feedback-controlled ion beam method in which ion sputtering is arrested upon detection of the first few ions that drill through the membrane. Performing fabrication at liquid nitrogen temperatures prevents surface atom rearrangements that have previously complicated similar processes. A novel cross-sectional imaging method was also developed to allow careful examination of the full nanopore geometry. Atomically-thin graphene nanopores were fabricated via an electrical pulse method in which sub-microsecond electrical pulses applied across a graphene membrane in electrolyte solution are used to create a defect in the membrane and controllably enlarge it into a nanopore. This method dramatically increases the accuracy and reliability of graphene nanopore production, allowing consistent production of single nanopores down to subnanometer sizes. In filtration applications in which nanopores are used to selectively restrict the passage of dissolved contaminants, ultra-thin nanopores minimize the flow resistance, increasing throughput and energy-efficiency. The ability of graphene nanopores to separate different ions was characterized via ionic conductance and reversal potential measurements. Graphene nanopores were observed to conduct cations preferentially over

  2. Ultra-thin distributed Bragg reflectors via stacked single-crystal silicon nanomembranes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cho, Minkyu; Seo, Jung-Hun; Lee, Jaeseong; Mi, Hongyi; Kim, Munho; Ma, Zhenqiang, E-mail: mazq@engr.wisc.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Zhao, Deyin; Zhou, Weidong [Nanophotonics Lab, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019 (United States); Yin, Xin; Wang, Xudong [Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

    2015-05-04

    In this paper, we report ultra-thin distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) via stacked single-crystal silicon (Si) nanomembranes (NMs). Mesh hole-free single-crystal Si NMs were released from a Si-on-insulator substrate and transferred to quartz and Si substrates. Thermal oxidation was applied to the transferred Si NM to form high-quality SiO{sub 2} and thus a Si/SiO{sub 2} pair with uniform and precisely controlled thicknesses. The Si/SiO{sub 2} layers, as smooth as epitaxial grown layers, minimize scattering loss at the interface and in between the layers. As a result, a reflection of 99.8% at the wavelength range from 1350 nm to 1650 nm can be measured from a 2.5-pair DBR on a quartz substrate and 3-pair DBR on a Si substrate with thickness of 0.87 μm and 1.14 μm, respectively. The high reflection, ultra-thin DBRs developed here, which can be applied to almost any devices and materials, holds potential for application in high performance optoelectronic devices and photonics applications.

  3. Integration of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles as a back reflector in ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se_2 solar cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin, Guanchao; Steigert, Alexander; Andrae, Patrick; Goebelt, Manuela; Latzel, Michael; Manley, Phillip; Lauermann, Iver; Christiansen, Silke; Schmid, Martina

    2015-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Plasmonic Ag nanoparticles as a back reflector in ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se_2 (CIGSe) solar cells are investigated. Ag diffusion is successfully passivated by reducing the substrate temperature and introducing a 50 nm atomic layer deposition (ALD) prepared Al_2O_3 film. This clears the thermal obstacle in incorporating Ag nanoparticles in CIGSe solar cells. Simulations show that Ag nanoparticles have the potential to greatly enhance the light absorption in ultra-thin CIGSe solar cells. - Highlights: • Ag nanoparticles are able to diffuse through ITO substrate into CIGSe absorber even at a low substrate temperature of 440 °C. • The direction (inserting a dielectric passivation layer) to thermally block the Ag diffusion and the requirements for the passivation layer are indicated and generalized. • An atomic layer deposited Al_2O_3 layer is experimentally proved to be able to thermally passivate the Ag nanoparticles, which clears the thermal obstacle in using Ag nanoparticles as a back reflector in ultra-thin CIGSe solar cells. • It is theoretically proved that the Ag nanoparticles as a back reflector have the potential to effectively enhance the absorption in ultra-thin CIGSe solar cells. - Abstract: Integration of plasmonic Ag nanoparticles as a back reflector in ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se_2 (CIGSe) solar cells is investigated. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that Ag nanoparticles underneath a Sn:In_2O_3 back contact could not be thermally passivated even at a low substrate temperature of 440 °C during CIGSe deposition. It is shown that a 50 nm thick Al_2O_3 film prepared by atomic layer deposition is able to block the diffusion of Ag, clearing the thermal obstacle in utilizing Ag nanoparticles as a back reflector in ultra-thin CIGSe solar cells. Via 3-D finite element optical simulation, it is proved that the Ag nanoparticles show the potential to contribute the effective absorption in CIGSe solar cells.

  4. Annealing of SnO2 thin films by ultra-short laser pulses

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scorticati, D.; Illiberi, A.; Bor, T.; Eijt, S.W.H.; Schut, H.; Römer, G.R.B.E.; Lange, D.F. de; Huis In't Veld, A.J.

    2014-01-01

    Post-deposition annealing by ultra-short laser pulses can modify the optical properties of SnO2 thin films by means of thermal processing. Industrial grade SnO2 films exhibited improved optical properties after picosecond laser irradiation, at the expense of a slightly increased sheet resistance

  5. Structural study and fabrication of nano-pattern on ultra thin film of Ag grown by magnetron sputtering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Banerjee, S.; Mukherjee, S.; Kundu, S.

    2001-01-01

    We present the structural study of ultra thin Ag films using grazing incidence x-ray reflectivity and the modification of these films with the tip of an atomic force microscope. Ag thin films are deposited using dc magnetron sputtering on a Si(001) substrate. Initially, the growth of the film is carpet like and above a certain thickness (∼42 A) the film structure changes to form mounds. This ultra thin film of Ag having carpet-like growth can be modified by the tip of an atomic force microscope, which occurs due to the porous nature of the film. A periodic pattern of nanometer dimensions has been fabricated on this film using the atomic force microscope tip. (author)

  6. Towards ultra-thin plasmonic silicon wafer solar cells with minimized efficiency loss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yinan; Stokes, Nicholas; Jia, Baohua; Fan, Shanhui; Gu, Min

    2014-05-13

    The cost-effectiveness of market-dominating silicon wafer solar cells plays a key role in determining the competiveness of solar energy with other exhaustible energy sources. Reducing the silicon wafer thickness at a minimized efficiency loss represents a mainstream trend in increasing the cost-effectiveness of wafer-based solar cells. In this paper we demonstrate that, using the advanced light trapping strategy with a properly designed nanoparticle architecture, the wafer thickness can be dramatically reduced to only around 1/10 of the current thickness (180 μm) without any solar cell efficiency loss at 18.2%. Nanoparticle integrated ultra-thin solar cells with only 3% of the current wafer thickness can potentially achieve 15.3% efficiency combining the absorption enhancement with the benefit of thinner wafer induced open circuit voltage increase. This represents a 97% material saving with only 15% relative efficiency loss. These results demonstrate the feasibility and prospect of achieving high-efficiency ultra-thin silicon wafer cells with plasmonic light trapping.

  7. Electronic structure evolution in doping of fullerene (C{sub 60}) by ultra-thin layer molybdenum trioxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang, Chenggong; Wang, Congcong; Kauppi, John [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Liu, Xiaoliang [Institute for Super-microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials (ISUPAM), Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China); Gao, Yongli, E-mail: ygao@pas.rochester.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States); Institute for Super-microstructure and Ultrafast Process in Advanced Materials (ISUPAM), Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410083 (China)

    2015-08-28

    Ultra-thin layer molybdenum oxide doping of fullerene has been investigated using ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) can be observed directly with UPS. It is observed that the Fermi level position in fullerene is modified by ultra-thin-layer molybdenum oxide doping, and the HOMO onset is shifted to less than 1.3 eV below the Fermi level. The XPS results indicate that charge transfer was observed from the C{sub 60} to MoO{sub x} and Mo{sup 6+} oxides is the basis as hole dopants.

  8. Positron annihilation study of polyphenylene dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marek, T.; Suevegh, K.; Vertes, A.; Ernst, A.; Bauer, R.; Weil, T.; Wiesler, U.; Klapper, M.; Muellen, K.

    2003-01-01

    The free volume of a series of rigid polyphenylene dendrimers was studied by positron lifetime spectroscopy and the experimental data were compared with results from molecular dynamics calculations. Contrary to dendrimers containing flexible repeat units rigid polyphenylene dendrimers proved to contain large stable 'inner' voids of a distinct size between their dendritic branches. The size of the 'inner' cavities increases with the size of the dendrimer. Due to these voids, polyphenylene dendrimers are potentially attractive with respect to the selective incorporation of guest molecules

  9. Ultra-thin flexible polyimide neural probe embedded in a dissolvable maltose-coated microneedle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang, Zhuolin; Yen, Shih-Cheng; Zhang, Songsong; Lee, Chengkuo; Xue, Ning; Sun, Tao; Tsang, Wei Mong; Liao, Lun-De; Thakor, Nitish V

    2014-01-01

    The ultra-thin flexible polyimide neural probe can reduce the glial sheath growth on the probe body while its flexibility can minimize the micromotion between the probe and brain tissue. To provide sufficient stiffness for penetration purposes, we developed a drawing lithography technology for uniform maltose coating to make the maltose-coated polyimide neural probe become a stiff microneedle. The coating thicknesses under different temperature and the corresponding stiffness are studied. It has been proven that the coated maltose is dissolved by body fluids after implantation for a few seconds. Moreover, carbon nanotubes are coated on the neural probe recording electrodes to improve the charge delivery ability and reduce the impedance. Last but not least, the feasibility and recording characteristic of this ultra-thin polyimide neural probe embedded in a maltose-coated microneedle are further demonstrated by in vivo tests. (paper)

  10. Ultra-thin flexible polyimide neural probe embedded in a dissolvable maltose-coated microneedle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiang, Zhuolin; Yen, Shih-Cheng; Xue, Ning; Sun, Tao; Mong Tsang, Wei; Zhang, Songsong; Liao, Lun-De; Thakor, Nitish V.; Lee, Chengkuo

    2014-06-01

    The ultra-thin flexible polyimide neural probe can reduce the glial sheath growth on the probe body while its flexibility can minimize the micromotion between the probe and brain tissue. To provide sufficient stiffness for penetration purposes, we developed a drawing lithography technology for uniform maltose coating to make the maltose-coated polyimide neural probe become a stiff microneedle. The coating thicknesses under different temperature and the corresponding stiffness are studied. It has been proven that the coated maltose is dissolved by body fluids after implantation for a few seconds. Moreover, carbon nanotubes are coated on the neural probe recording electrodes to improve the charge delivery ability and reduce the impedance. Last but not least, the feasibility and recording characteristic of this ultra-thin polyimide neural probe embedded in a maltose-coated microneedle are further demonstrated by in vivo tests.

  11. New dendrimer - peptide host - guest complexes : towards dendrimers as peptide carriers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boas, U.; Sontjens, S.H.M.; Jensen, K.J.; Christensen, J.B.; Meijer, E.W.

    2002-01-01

    Adamantyl urea and adamantyl thiourea modified poly(propylene imine) dendrimers act as hosts for N-terminal tert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc)-protected peptides and form chloroform-soluble complexes. investigations with NMR spectroscopy show that the peptide is bound to the dendrimer by ionic interactions

  12. Characterization of a high performance ultra-thin heat pipe cooling module for mobile hand held electronic devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahamed, Mohammad Shahed; Saito, Yuji; Mashiko, Koichi; Mochizuki, Masataka

    2017-11-01

    In recent years, heat pipes have been widely used in various hand held mobile electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet PCs, digital cameras. With the development of technology these devices have different user friendly features and applications; which require very high clock speeds of the processor. In general, a high clock speed generates a lot of heat, which needs to be spreaded or removed to eliminate the hot spot on the processor surface. However, it is a challenging task to achieve proper cooling of such electronic devices mentioned above because of their confined spaces and concentrated heat sources. Regarding this challenge, we introduced an ultra-thin heat pipe; this heat pipe consists of a special fiber wick structure named as "Center Fiber Wick" which can provide sufficient vapor space on the both sides of the wick structure. We also developed a cooling module that uses this kind of ultra-thin heat pipe to eliminate the hot spot issue. This cooling module consists of an ultra-thin heat pipe and a metal plate. By changing the width, the flattened thickness and the effective length of the ultra-thin heat pipe, several experiments have been conducted to characterize the thermal properties of the developed cooling module. In addition, other experiments were also conducted to determine the effects of changes in the number of heat pipes in a single module. Characterization and comparison of the module have also been conducted both experimentally and theoretically.

  13. Optical absorption in compact and extended dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Supritz, C.; Engelmann, A.; Reineker, P.

    2005-01-01

    Dendrimers are highly branched molecules, which are expected to be useful, for example, as efficient artificial light harvesting systems, in nano-technological or in medical applications. There are two different classes of dendrimers: compact dendrimers with constant distance between neighboring branching points throughout the macromolecule and extended dendrimers, where this distance increases from the system periphery to the center. We investigate the linear optical absorption spectra of these dendrimer types using the Frenkel exciton concept. The electron-phonon interaction is taken into account by introducing a heat bath that interacts with the exciton in a stochastic manner. We discuss compact dendrimers with equal excitation energies at all molecules, dendrimers with a functionalized core as well as with a whole branch functionalized. Furthermore the line shape of a compact dendrimer is discussed when neighboring molecules at the periphery interact and when all molecules have randomly distributed excitation energies due to disorder. Finally, we discuss two models for extended dendrimers

  14. Dendrimers for siRNA Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Biswas

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Since the discovery of the “starburst polymer”, later renamed as dendrimer, this class of polymers has gained considerable attention for numerous biomedical applications, due mainly to the unique characteristics of this macromolecule, including its monodispersity, uniformity, and the presence of numerous functionalizable terminal groups. In recent years, dendrimers have been studied extensively for their potential application as carriers for nucleic acid therapeutics, which utilize the cationic charge of the dendrimers for effective dendrimer-nucleic acid condensation. siRNA is considered a promising, versatile tool among various RNAi-based therapeutics, which can effectively regulate gene expression if delivered successfully inside the cells. This review reports on the advancements in the development of dendrimers as siRNA carriers.

  15. Structural and Optical Properties of Ultra-high Pure Hot Water Processed Ga2O3 Thin Film

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Subramani SHANMUGAN

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Thin film based gas sensor is an advanced application of thin film especially Ga2O3 (GO thin film gas sensor is useful for high temperature gas sensor. The effect of moisture or environment on thin film properties has more influence on gas sensing properties. Radio Frequency sputtered Ga2O3 thin film was synthesized and processed in ultra-high pure hot water at 95 °C for different time durations. The structural properties were verified by the Xray Diffraction technique and the observed spectra revealed the formation of hydroxyl compound of Gallium (Gallium Oxide Dueterate – GOD on the surface of the thin film and evidenced for structural defects as an effect of moisture. Decreased crystallite size and increased dislocation density was showed the crystal defects of prepared film. From the Ultra Violet – Visible spectra, decreased optical transmittance was noticed for various processing time. The formation of needle like GOD was confirmed using Field Emission Secondary Electron Microscope (FESEM images.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.22.2.7186

  16. Ultra-high current density thin-film Si diode

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qi [Littleton, CO

    2008-04-22

    A combination of a thin-film .mu.c-Si and a-Si:H containing diode structure characterized by an ultra-high current density that exceeds 1000 A/cm.sup.2, comprising: a substrate; a bottom metal layer disposed on the substrate; an n-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited the bottom metal layer; an i-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited on the n-layer; a buffer layer of a-Si:H deposited on the i-layer, a p-layer of .mu.c-Si deposited on the buffer layer; and a top metal layer deposited on the p-layer.

  17. DENDRIMER CONJUGATES FOR SELECTIVE OF PROTEIN AGGREGATES

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2004-01-01

    Dendrimer conjugates are presented, which are formed between a dendrimer and a protein solubilising substance. Such dendrimer conjugates are effective in the treatment of protein aggregate-related diseases (e.g. prion-related diseases). The protein solubilising substance and the dendrimer together...

  18. [Dendrimers in biomedical sciences and nanotechnology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekowski, Szymon; Miłowska, Katarzyna; Gabryelak, Teresa

    2008-12-30

    Dendrimers are relatively new, hyper-branched polymers that have many interesting abilities. Dendrimers could be used, for example, as drug or gene carriers, contrast agents, sensors for different metal ions, and in developing innovation technology. These spherical polymers are also characterized by pharmacological activity against different bacterial and viral diseases. Dendrimers are currently being intensively investigated as anti-prion and anti-amyloid fibril agents. They can be used to build specific dendrimer films to be applied in modern technology. This review describes different uses of dendrimer particles in biomedical sciences and nanotechnology and shows advantages of their application.

  19. Increase in Dye:Dendrimer Ratio Decreases Cellular Uptake of Neutral Dendrimers in RAW Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaidyanathan, Sriram; Kaushik, Milan; Dougherty, Casey; Rattan, Rahul; Goonewardena, Sascha N; Banaszak Holl, Mark M; Monano, Janet; DiMaggio, Stassi

    2016-09-12

    Neutral generation 3 poly(amidoamine) dendrimers were labeled with Oregon Green 488 (G3-OG n ) to obtain materials with controlled fluorophore:dendrimer ratios (n = 1-2), a mixture containing mostly 3 dyes per dendrimer, a mixture containing primarily 4 or more dyes per dendrimer ( n = 4+), and a stochastic mixture ( n = 4 avg ). The UV absorbance of the dye conjugates increased linearly as n increased and the fluorescence emission decreased linearly as n increased. Cellular uptake was studied in RAW cells and HEK 293A cells as a function of the fluorophore:dendrimer ratio (n). The cellular uptake of G3-OG n ( n = 3, 4+, 4 avg ) into RAW cells was significantly lower than G3-OG n ( n = 1, 2). The uptake of G3-OG n ( n = 3, 4+, 4 avg ) into HEK 293A cells was not significantly different from G3-OG 1 . Thus, the fluorophore:dendrimer ratio was observed to change the extent of uptake in the macrophage uptake mechanism but not in the HEK 293A cell. This difference in endocytosis indicates the presence of a pathway in the macrophage that is sensitive to hydrophobicity of the particle.

  20. Transport and Biodistribution of Dendrimers Across Human Fetal Membranes: Implications for Intravaginal Administration of Dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menjoge, Anupa R.; Navath, Raghavendra S.; Asad, Abbas; Kannan, Sujatha; Kim, Chong Jai; Romero, Roberto; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M.

    2010-01-01

    Dendrimers are emerging as promising topical antimicrobial agents, and as targeted nanoscale drug delivery vehicles. Topical intravaginal antimicrobial agents are prescribed to treat the ascending genital infections in pregnant women. The fetal membranes separate the extra-amniotic space and fetus. The purpose of the study is to determine if the dendrimers can be selectively used for local intravaginal application to pregnant women without crossing the membranes into the fetus. In the present study, the transport and permeability of PAMAM (poly(amidoamine)) dendrimers, across human fetal membrane (using a side-by-side diffusion chamber), and its biodistribution (using immunofluorescence) are evaluated ex-vivo. Transport across human fetal membranes (from the maternal side) was evaluated using Fluorescein (FITC), an established transplacental marker (positive control, size~ 400 Da) and fluorophore-tagged G4-PAMAM dendrimers (~ 16 kDa). The fluorophore-tagged G4-PAMAM dendrimers were synthesized and characterized using 1H NMR, MALDI TOF-MS and HPLC analysis. Transfer was measured across the intact fetal membrane (chorioamnion), and the separated chorion and amnion layers. Over a five hour period, the dendrimer transport across all the three membranes was less than transport of FITC was relatively fast with as much as 49% transport across the amnion. The permeability of FITC (7.9 × 10-7 cm2/s) through the chorioamnion was 7-fold higher than that of the dendrimer (5.8 × 10-8 cm2/s). The biodistribution showed that the dendrimers were largely present in interstitial spaces in the decidual stromal cells and the chorionic trophoblast cells (in 2.5 to 4 h) and surprisingly, to a smaller extent internalized in nuclei of trophoblast cells and nuclei and cytoplasm of stromal cells. Passive diffusion and paracellular transport appear to be the major route for dendrimer transport. The overall findings further suggest that entry of drugs conjugated to dendrimers would be

  1. Creation of a longitudinally polarized subwavelength hotspot with an ultra-thin planar lens: vectorial Rayleigh–Sommerfeld method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ye, Huapeng; Qiu, Cheng-Wei; Huang, Kun; Yeo, Swee Ping; Teng, Jinghua; Luk’yanchuk, Boris

    2013-01-01

    This letter shows how a longitudinally polarized hotspot can be created by a planar ultra-thin lens that beats the diffraction limit. On the imaging plane, a subwavelength optical resolution 0.39λ with almost purely longitudinal electric component has been demonstrated in air ambient. This novel paradigm addresses simultaneously both longitudinal polarization and deep sub-diffraction imaging, by a planar lens composed of ultra-thin opaque concentric annuli. The vectorial Rayleigh–Sommerfeld (VRS) approach, offering the advantage of significant reduction in computation, has been developed for a particular optimization of a flat lens with full control of polarization. Empowered by the robustness of VRS in dealing with polarization states, the proposed roadmap may be universally and efficiently integrated with other optimization algorithms to design super-resolution imaging with controlled polarization states at any wavelength without luminescence of the object. The lens, which is empowered by the proposed method, opens an avenue for the first time toward a highly integrated imaging system with advanced functionalities in far-field super-imaging, tailored polarization states and flat ultra-thin geometry simultaneously. (letter)

  2. Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and α-synuclein

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milowska, Katarzyna; Grochowina, Justyna; Katir, Nadia; El Kadib, Abdelkrim; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Bryszewska, Maria; Gabryelak, Teresa

    2013-01-01

    In this study the interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and α-synuclein (ASN) was examined. Polycationic viologen-phosphorus dendrimers (two positive charges per viologen unit) are novel compounds with relatively unknown properties. The influence of these viologen dendrimers on ASN was tested using fluorimetric and circular dichroism methods. ASN contains four tyrosine residues; therefore, the influence of dendrimers on protein molecular conformation by measuring the changes in the ASN fluorescence in the presence of dendrimers was evaluated. The interaction of dendrimers with free L-tyrosine was also monitored. Results show that viologen-phosphorus dendrimers interact with ASN; they quenched the fluorescence of ASN as well as free tyrosine by dynamic and static ways. However, the quenching was not accompanied by modifications in the ASN secondary structure. - Highlights: ► Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and α-synuclein (ASN) was investigated. ► Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of tyrosine in ASN. ► Dendrimers caused red-shift in maximum of fluorescence. ► Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers did not change the secondary structure of ASN.

  3. Opto-electrical approaches for high efficiency and ultra-thin c-Si solar cells

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ingenito, A.; Isabella, O.; Zeman, M.

    2014-01-01

    The need for cost reduction requires using less raw material and cost-effective processes without sacrificing the conversion efficiency. For keeping high the generated photo-current, an advanced light trapping scheme for ultra-thin silicon wafers is here proposed, exhibiting absorptances up to 99%

  4. Antibody-dendrimer conjugates: the number, not the size of the dendrimers, determines the immunoreactivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wängler, C; Moldenhauer, G; Eisenhut, M; Haberkorn, U; Mier, W

    2008-04-01

    Radioimmunotherapy using antibodies with favorable tumor targeting properties and high binding affinity is increasingly applied in cancer therapy. The potential of this valuable cancer treatment modality could be further improved by increasing the specific activity of the labeled proteins. This can be done either by coupling a large number of chelators which leads to a decreased immunoreactivity or by conjugating a small number of multimeric chelators. In order to systematically investigate the influence of conjugations on immunoreactivity with respect to size and number of the conjugates, the anti-EGFR antibody hMAb425 was reacted with PAMAM dendrimers of different size containing up to 128 chelating agents per conjugation site. An improved dendrimer synthesis protocol was established to obtain compounds of high homogeneity suitable for the formation of defined protein conjugates. The quantitative derivatization of the PAMAM dendrimers with DOTA moieties and the characterization of the products by isotopic dilution titration using (111)In/(nat)In are shown. The DOTA-containing dendrimers were conjugated with high efficiency to hMAb425 by applying Sulfo-SMCC as cross-linking agent and a 10- to 25-fold excess of the thiol-containing dendrimers. The determination of the immunoreactivities of the antibody-dendrimer conjugates by FACS analysis revealed a median retained immunoreactivity of 62.3% for 1.7 derivatization sites per antibody molecule, 55.4% for 2.8, 27.9% for 5.3, and 17.1% for 10.0 derivatization sites per antibody but no significant differences in immunoreactivity for different dendrimer sizes. These results show that the dendrimer size does not influence the immunoreactivity of the derivatized antibody significantly over a wide molecular weight range, whereas the number of derivatization sites has a crucial effect.

  5. Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and {alpha}-synuclein

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Milowska, Katarzyna, E-mail: milowska@biol.uni.lodz.pl [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Grochowina, Justyna [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Katir, Nadia [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination CNRS, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse (France); El Kadib, Abdelkrim [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (INANOTECH)-MAScIR (Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research), ENSET, Avenue de I' Armee Royale, Madinat El Irfane, 10100 Rabat (Morocco); Majoral, Jean-Pierre [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination CNRS, 205 route de Narbonne, 31077 Toulouse (France); Bryszewska, Maria; Gabryelak, Teresa [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland)

    2013-02-15

    In this study the interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and {alpha}-synuclein (ASN) was examined. Polycationic viologen-phosphorus dendrimers (two positive charges per viologen unit) are novel compounds with relatively unknown properties. The influence of these viologen dendrimers on ASN was tested using fluorimetric and circular dichroism methods. ASN contains four tyrosine residues; therefore, the influence of dendrimers on protein molecular conformation by measuring the changes in the ASN fluorescence in the presence of dendrimers was evaluated. The interaction of dendrimers with free L-tyrosine was also monitored. Results show that viologen-phosphorus dendrimers interact with ASN; they quenched the fluorescence of ASN as well as free tyrosine by dynamic and static ways. However, the quenching was not accompanied by modifications in the ASN secondary structure. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Interaction between viologen-phosphorus dendrimers and {alpha}-synuclein (ASN) was investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of tyrosine in ASN. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dendrimers caused red-shift in maximum of fluorescence. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Viologen-phosphorus dendrimers did not change the secondary structure of ASN.

  6. Effects of Cold Rolling Reduction and Initial Goss Grains Orientation on Texture Evolution and Magnetic Performance of Ultra-thin Grain-oriented Silicon Steel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LIANG Rui-yang

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel strips with a thickness of 0.06-0.12mm were produced by one-step-rolling methods with different Goss-orientation of grain-oriented silicon steel sheets. The effect of cold rolling reduction and initial Goss-orientation of samples on texture evolution and magnetic performance of ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel strips was studied by EBSD. The result shows that with the increase of cold rolling reduction and decrease of strips thickness, the recrystallization texture is enhanced after annealing.When the cold rolling reduction is 70%,RD//〈001〉 recrystallization texture is the sharpest, and the magnetic performance is the best. The higher degree of Goss orientation in initial sample is, the better magnetic performance of ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel.Therefore, for producing an ultra-thin grain-oriented silicon steel with high performance, a material with a concentrated orientation of Goss grains can be used.

  7. Optical properties of vacuum deposited polyaniline ultra-thin film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wahab, M. R. A.; Din, M.; Yunus, W. M. M.; Hasan, Z. A.; Kasim, A.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: Ultra-thin films of emeraldine base (EB) and emeraldine salt (ES) form of polyaniline (PANi) were prepared using electron-gun vacuum deposition. Thickness range studied was between 100AA and 450AA. Dielectric permittivity of the films determined from Kretchmann Configuration Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) angles-scanning set-up show shifts and narrowing of the SPR dip. Absorbance spectra of S-polarized and P-polarized light show the aging effect on orientation of the film. The effect of aging on its conductivity and photoluminescence is also correlated to the surface morphology

  8. Estimating the thickness of ultra thin sections for electron microscopy by image statistics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sporring, Jon; Khanmohammadi, Mahdieh; Darkner, Sune

    2014-01-01

    We propose a method for estimating the thickness of ultra thin histological sections by image statistics alone. Our method works for images, that are the realisations of a stationary and isotropic stochastic process, and it relies on the existence of statistical image-measures that are strictly m...

  9. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 4. An in-depth look into the binding/encapsulation of guanosine monophosphate by dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jingjing; Fang, Min; Cheng, Yiyun; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen

    2010-06-03

    In the present study, we investigated the host-guest chemistry of dendrimer/guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and present an in-depth look into the binding/encapsulation of GMP by dendrimers using NMR studies. (1)H NMR spectra showed a significant downfield shift of methylene protons in the outmost layer of the G5 dendrimer, indicating the formation of ion pairs between cationic amine groups of dendrimer and anionic phosphate groups of GMP. Chemical shift titration results showed that the binding constant between G5 dendrimer and GMP is 17,400 M(-1) and each G5 dendrimer has 107 binding sites. The binding of GMP to dendrimers prevents its aggregation in aqueous solutions and thereby enhances its stability. Nuclear Overhauser effect measurements indicated that a GMP binding and encapsulation balance occurs on the surface and in the interior of dendrimer. The binding/encapsulation transitions can be easily tailored by altering the surface and interior charge densities of the dendrimer. All these findings provide a new insight into the host-guest chemistry of dendrimer/guest complexes and may play important roles in the study of dendrimer/DNA aggregates by a "bottom-up" strategy.

  10. Wavelength-tunable colloidal quantum dot laser on ultra-thin flexible glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Foucher, C.; Guilhabert, B.; Laurand, N.; Dawson, M. D. [Institute of Photonics, SUPA, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow (United Kingdom)

    2014-04-07

    A mechanically flexible and wavelength-tunable laser with an ultra-thin glass membrane as substrate is demonstrated. The optically pumped hybrid device has a distributed feedback cavity that combines a colloidal quantum dot gain film with a grating-patterned polymeric underlayer, all on a 30-μm thick glass sheet. The total thickness of the structure is only 75 μm. The hybrid laser has an average threshold fluence of 450 ± 80 μJ/cm{sup 2} (for 5-ns excitation pulses) at an emitting wavelength of 607 nm. Mechanically bending the thin-glass substrate enables continuous tuning of the laser emission wavelength over an 18-nm range, from 600 nm to 618 nm. The correlation between the wavelength tunability and the mechanical properties of the thin laser structure is verified theoretically and experimentally.

  11. Dendrimers in drug research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boas, Ulrik; Heegaard, Peter M. H.

    2004-01-01

    and in vivo cytotoxicity, as well as biopermeability, biostability and immunogenicity. The review deals with numerous applications of dendrimers as tools for efficient multivalent presentation of biological ligands in biospecific recognition, inhibition and targeting. Dendrimers may be used as drugs...... for antibacterial and antiviral treatment and have found use as antitumor agents. The review highlights the use of dendrimers as drug or gene delivery devices in e.g. anticancer therapy, and the design of different host-guest binding motifs directed towards medical applications is described. Other specific examples...

  12. Transport and biodistribution of dendrimers across human fetal membranes: implications for intravaginal administration of dendrimer-drug conjugates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menjoge, Anupa R; Navath, Raghavendra S; Asad, Abbas; Kannan, Sujatha; Kim, Chong J; Romero, Roberto; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M

    2010-06-01

    Dendrimers are emerging as promising topical antimicrobial agents, and as targeted nanoscale drug delivery vehicles. Topical intravaginal antimicrobial agents are prescribed to treat the ascending genital infections in pregnant women. The fetal membranes separate the extra-amniotic space and fetus. The purpose of the study is to determine if the dendrimers can be selectively used for local intravaginal application to pregnant women without crossing the membranes into the fetus. In the present study, the transport and permeability of PAMAM (poly (amidoamine)) dendrimers, across human fetal membrane (using a side by side diffusion chamber), and its biodistribution (using immunofluorescence) are evaluated ex-vivo. Transport across human fetal membranes (from the maternal side) was evaluated using Fluorescein (FITC), an established transplacental marker (positive control, size approximately 400 Da) and fluorophore-tagged G(4)-PAMAM dendrimers (approximately 16 kDa). The fluorophore-tagged G(4)-PAMAM dendrimers were synthesized and characterized using (1)H NMR, MALDI TOF MS and HPLC analysis. Transfer was measured across the intact fetal membrane (chorioamnion), and the separated chorion and amnion layers. Over a 5 h period, the dendrimer transport across all the three membranes was less than dendrimer (5.8 x 10(-8) cm(2)/s). The biodistribution showed that the dendrimers were largely present in interstitial spaces in the decidual stromal cells and the chorionic trophoblast cells (in 2.5-4 h) and surprisingly, to a smaller extent internalized in nuclei of trophoblast cells and nuclei and cytoplasm of stromal cells. Passive diffusion and paracellular transport appear to be the major route for dendrimer transport. The overall findings further suggest that entry of drugs conjugated to dendrimers would be restricted across the human fetal membranes when administered topically by intravaginal route, suggesting new ways of selectively delivering therapeutics to the mother

  13. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 2. Effects of molecular properties of guests and surface functionalities of dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jingjing; Cheng, Yiyun; Wu, Qinglin; Zhao, Libo; Xu, Tongwen

    2009-08-06

    The host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes is investigated by NMR techniques, including (1)H NMR and 2D-NOESY studies. The effects of molecular properties of drug molecules (protonation ability and spatial steric hindrance of charged groups) and surface functionalities of dendrimers (positively charged amine groups and negatively charged carboxylate groups) on the host-guest interactions are discussed. Different interaction mechanisms between dendrimers and drug molecules are proposed on the basis of NMR results. Primary amine- and secondary amine-containing drugs preferentially bind to negatively charged dendrimers by strong electrostatic interactions, whereas tertiary amine and quaternary ammonium-containing drugs have weak binding ability with dendrimers due to relatively low protonation ability of the tertiary amine group and serious steric hindrance of the quaternary ammonium group. Positively charged drugs locate only on the surface of negatively charged dendrimers, whereas negatively charged drugs locate both on the surface and in the interior cavities of positively charged dendrimers. The host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes is promising for the development of new drug delivery systems.

  14. Atomistic computer simulations on multi-loaded PAMAM dendrimers: a comparison of amine- and hydroxyl-terminated dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badalkhani-Khamseh, Farideh; Ebrahim-Habibi, Azadeh; Hadipour, Nasser L.

    2017-12-01

    Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been extensively studied as delivery vectors in biomedical applications. A limited number of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies have investigated the effect of surface chemistry on therapeutic molecules loading, with the aim of providing insights for biocompatibility improvement and increase in drug loading capacity of PAMAM dendrimers. In this work, fully atomistic MD simulations were employed to study the association of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) with amine (NH2)- and hydroxyl (OH)-terminated PAMAM dendrimers of generations 3 and 4 (G3 and G4). MD results show a 1:12, 1:1, 1:27, and 1:4 stoichiometry, respectively, for G3NH2-FU, G3OH-FU, G4NH2-FU, and G4OH-FU complexes, which is in good agreement with the isothermal titration calorimetry results. The results obtained showed that NH2-terminated dendrimers assume segmented open structures with large cavities and more drug molecules can encapsulate inside the dendritic cavities of amine terminated dendrimers. However, OH-terminated have a densely packed structure and therefore, 5-FU drug molecules are more stable to locate close to the surface of the dendrimers. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding analysis showed that 5-FU drug molecules have more tendency to form hydrogen bonds with terminal monomers of OH-terminated dendrimers, while in NH2-terminated these occur both in the inner region and the surface. Furthermore, MM-PBSA analysis revealed that van der Waals and electrostatic energies are both important to stabilize the complexes. We found that drug molecules are distributed uniformly inside the amine and hydroxyl terminated dendrimers and therefore, both dendrimers are promising candidates as drug delivery systems for 5-FU drug molecules.

  15. Enhancement of Heat and Mass Transfer in Mechanically Contstrained Ultra Thin Films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kevin Drost; Jim Liburdy; Brian Paul; Richard Peterson

    2005-01-01

    Oregon State University (OSU) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) were funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct research focused on resolving the key technical issues that limited the deployment of efficient and extremely compact microtechnology based heat actuated absorption heat pumps and gas absorbers. Success in demonstrating these technologies will reduce the main barriers to the deployment of a technology that can significantly reduce energy consumption in the building, automotive and industrial sectors while providing a technology that can improve our ability to sequester CO{sub 2}. The proposed research cost $939,477. $539,477 of the proposed amount funded research conducted at OSU while the balance ($400,000) was used at PNNL. The project lasted 42 months and started in April 2001. Recent developments at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oregon State University suggest that the performance of absorption and desorption systems can be significantly enhanced by the use of an ultra-thin film gas/liquid contactor. This device employs microtechnology-based structures to mechanically constrain the gas/liquid interface. This technology can be used to form very thin liquid films with a film thickness less then 100 microns while still allowing gas/liquid contact. When the resistance to mass transfer in gas desorption and absorption is dominated by diffusion in the liquid phase the use of extremely thin films (<100 microns) for desorption and absorption can radically reduce the size of a gas desorber or absorber. The development of compact absorbers and desorbers enables the deployment of small heat-actuated absorption heat pumps for distributed space heating and cooling applications, heat-actuated automotive air conditioning, manportable cooling, gas absorption units for the chemical process industry and the development of high capacity CO{sub 2} absorption devices for CO{sub 2} collection and sequestration. The energy

  16. Tailoring the dendrimer core for efficient gene delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jingjing; Hu, Ke; Cheng, Yiyun

    2016-04-15

    Dendrimers have been widely used as non-viral gene vectors due to well-defined chemical structures, high density of cationic charges and ease of surface modification. Although a large number of studies have reported the important roles of dendrimer architecture, component, generation and surface functionality in gene delivery, the effect of dendrimer core on this issue still remains unclear. Recent literatures suggest that a slight alternation in dendrimer core has a profound effect in the transfection efficacy and biocompatibility. In this review, we will discuss the transfection mechanism of dendrimers with different types of cores in respect of flexibility, hydrophobicity and functionality. We hope to open a possibility of designing efficient dendrimers for gene delivery by choosing a proper dendrimer core. As a branch of researches on dendrimers and dendritic polymers, the design of biocompatible and high efficient polymeric gene carriers has attracted increasing attentions during these years. Although the effect of dendrimer generation, species, architecture and surface functionality on gene delivery have been widely reported, the effect of dendrimer core on this issue still remains unclear. Recent literatures suggest that a minor variation on the dendrimer core has a profound effect in the transfection efficacy and biocompatibility. This critical review summarized the dendrimers with different types of cores and discussed the transfection mechanism with particular focus on the flexibility, hydrophobicity, and functionality. It is hoped to provide a new insight to design efficient and safe dendrimer-based gene vectors by choosing a proper core. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review on the effect of dendrimer core on gene delivery. The findings obtained in this filed are of central importance in the design of efficient polymeric gene vectors. This article will appeal a wide readership such as physical chemist, dendrimer chemist, biological

  17. Phosphorus dendrimers for nanomedicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caminade, Anne-Marie

    2017-08-31

    From biomaterials to imaging, and from drug delivery to drugs by themselves, phosphorus-containing dendrimers offer a large palette of biological properties, depending essentially on their types of terminal functions. The most salient examples of phosphorus dendrimers used for the elaboration of bio-chips and of supports for cell cultures, for imaging biological events, and for carrying and delivering drugs or biomacromolecules are presented in this feature article. Several phosphorus dendrimers can be considered also as drugs per se (by themselves) in particular to fight against cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and inflammation, both in vitro and in vivo. Toxicity assays are also reported.

  18. Dendrimers: new hope for cancer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, S.S.

    2010-01-01

    A class of nanomaterials called dendrimers have been found particularly useful in cancer treatment. Dendrimers have often been referred to as the Polymers of the 21st century. The name Dendrimer comes from the Greek dendron, meaning tree. They are nearly perfect monodisperse (a consistent size and form) macromolecules with a regular and highly branched three-dimensional architecture having an average size of around 5x10 -9 m, which can be artificially synthesized

  19. Ultra-fast movies of thin-film laser ablation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Domke, Matthias; Rapp, Stephan; Schmidt, Michael; Huber, Heinz P.

    2012-11-01

    Ultra-short-pulse laser irradiation of thin molybdenum films from the glass substrate side initiates an intact Mo disk lift off free from thermal effects. For the investigation of the underlying physical effects, ultra-fast pump-probe microscopy is used to produce stop-motion movies of the single-pulse ablation process, initiated by a 660-fs laser pulse. The ultra-fast dynamics in the femtosecond and picosecond ranges are captured by stroboscopic illumination of the sample with an optically delayed probe pulse of 510-fs duration. The nanosecond and microsecond delay ranges of the probe pulse are covered by an electronically triggered 600-ps laser. Thus, the setup enables an observation of general laser ablation processes from the femtosecond delay range up to the final state. A comparison of time- and space-resolved observations of film and glass substrate side irradiation of a 470-nm molybdenum layer reveals the driving mechanisms of the Mo disk lift off initiated by glass-side irradiation. Observations suggest that a phase explosion generates a liquid-gas mixture in the molybdenum/glass interface about 10 ps after the impact of the pump laser pulse. Then, a shock wave and gas expansion cause the molybdenum layer to bulge, while the enclosed liquid-gas mixture cools and condenses at delay times in the 100-ps range. The bulging continues for approximately 20 ns, when an intact Mo disk shears and lifts off at a velocity of above 70 m/s. As a result, the remaining hole is free from thermal effects.

  20. Synergistic activity profile of carbosilane dendrimer G2-STE16 in combination with other dendrimers and antiretrovirals as topical anti-HIV-1 microbicide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepúlveda-Crespo, Daniel; Lorente, Raquel; Leal, Manuel; Gómez, Rafael; De la Mata, Francisco J; Jiménez, José Luis; Muñoz-Fernández, M Ángeles

    2014-04-01

    Polyanionic carbosilane dendrimers represent opportunities to develop new anti-HIV microbicides. Dendrimers and antiretrovirals (ARVs) acting at different stages of HIV replication have been proposed as compounds to decrease new HIV infections. Thus, we determined the potential use of our G2-STE16 carbosilane dendrimer in combination with other carbosilane dendrimers and ARVs for the use as topical microbicide against HIV-1. We showed that these combinations obtained 100% inhibition and displayed a synergistic profile against different HIV-1 isolates in our model of TZM.bl cells. Our results also showed their potent activity in the presence of an acidic vaginal or seminal fluid environment and did not activate an inflammatory response. This study is the first step toward exploring the use of different anionic carbosilane dendrimers in combination and toward making a safe microbicide. Therefore, our results support further studies on dendrimer/dendrimer or dendrimer/ARV combinations as topical anti-HIV-1 microbicide. This paper describes the first steps toward the use of anionic carbosilane dendrimers in combination with antivirals to address HIV-1, paving the way to further studies on dendrimer/dendrimer or dendrimer/ARV combinations as topical anti-HIV-1 microbicides. © 2014.

  1. A Manganin Thin Film Ultra-High Pressure Sensor for Microscale Detonation Pressure Measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guodong Zhang

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available With the development of energetic materials (EMs and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS initiating explosive devices, the measurement of detonation pressure generated by EMs in the microscale has become a pressing need. This paper develops a manganin thin film ultra-high pressure sensor based on MEMS technology for measuring the output pressure from micro-detonator. A reliable coefficient is proposed for designing the sensor’s sensitive element better. The sensor employs sandwich structure: the substrate uses a 0.5 mm thick alumina ceramic, the manganin sensitive element with a size of 0.2 mm × 0.1 mm × 2 μm and copper electrodes of 2 μm thick are sputtered sequentially on the substrate, and a 25 μm thick insulating layer of polyimide is wrapped on the sensitive element. The static test shows that the piezoresistive coefficient of manganin thin film is 0.0125 GPa−1. The dynamic experiment indicates that the detonation pressure of micro-detonator is 12.66 GPa, and the response time of the sensor is 37 ns. In a word, the sensor developed in this study is suitable for measuring ultra-high pressure in microscale and has a shorter response time than that of foil-like manganin gauges. Simultaneously, this study could be beneficial to research on ultra-high-pressure sensors with smaller size.

  2. Thermodynamical fluctuations and critical behavior in weakly disordered YBCO thin and ultra-thin films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lesueur, J.; Aprili, M.; Degoy, S.; Chambonnet, D.; Keller, D.

    1996-01-01

    The specific role of disorder in the transport properties of YBCO has been investigated, using both light-ion irradiation of thin films to finely tune the amount of atomic disorder, and ultra-thin films grown to study possible dimensional effects. For weak disorder, the samples display a resistive transition typical of the mean-field paraconductive regime of a homogeneous media, well described by the Lawrence and Doniach model for layered superconductors. As the disorder increases, two effects take place. First, the c-axis coherence length becomes shorter, leading to a more anisotropic material, as shown by the excess conductivity above T c . Second, an incipient granularity is revealed, leading to a less sharper transition, which is analyzed within the random 3D XY critical model for the paracoherence transition. Two main results are derived: an experimental test of the Ginzburg criteria for the paracoherence transition, and a new fluctuation regime in nanometric grain size superconductors

  3. Research progress on synthesis and characteristic about dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Zitao

    2017-12-01

    Dendrimers are hyper-branched polymers which have perfectly defined structures. Different from the common polymers, dendrimers are synthesized by a step-by-step iterative style, which starts from a central core and forms branching parts outward. The dendrimers also have different physical and chemical characteristics from common polymers. In this paper, contributions to dendrimer synthesis from different researchers with different scientific background, synthesis of different dendrimers, and applications of them will be reviewed.

  4. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes. 6. Fully acetylated dendrimers as biocompatible drug vehicles using dexamethasone 21-phosphate as a model drug.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Kun; Weng, Liang; Cheng, Yiyun; Zhang, Hongfeng; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen

    2011-03-17

    Fully acetylated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer was proposed as a biocompatible drug vehicle using dexamethasone 21-phosphate (Dp21) as a model drug. NMR techniques including (1)H NMR and 2D NOE NMR were used to characterize the host-guest chemistry of acetylated dendrimer/Dp21 and cationic dendrimer/Dp21 complexes. The pH-dependent micellization, complexation, and inclusion behaviors of Dp21 were observed in the presence of acetylated and cationic PAMAM dendrimers. Acetylated dendrimer only encapsulates Dp21 at acidic conditions, while cationic dendrimer can host Dp21 at both acidic and neutral conditions. The orientation of Dp21 molecules in the dendrimer cavities depends on the quaternization degree of tertiary amine groups of dendrimer and the protonation ratio of phosphate group of Dp21. A distinctive pH-dependent release behavior of Dp21 from the acetylated and nonacetylated dendritic matrix was observed: Dp21 exhibits a much slower release rate from acetylated dendrimer at lower pH conditions and a much faster release rate from nonacetylated dendrimer with decreasing pH values. Cytotoxicity studies further confirmed the biocompatibility of acetylated dendrimers, which are much safer in the delivery of therapeutics for the treatment of various diseases than nonacetylated dendrimers. The dendrimer-drug binding and release mechanisms provide a new insight for the design and optimization of biocompatible dendrimer-based drug delivery systems. © 2011 American Chemical Society

  5. Pharmaceutical and biomedical potential of surface engineered dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Satija, Jitendra; Gupta, Umesh; Jain, Narendra Kumar

    2007-01-01

    Dendrimers are hyperbranched, globular, monodisperse, nanometric polymeric architecture, having definite molecular weight, shape, and size (which make these an inimitable and optimum carrier molecule in pharmaceutical field). Dendritic architecture is having immense potential over the other carrier systems, particularly in the field of drug delivery because of their unique properties, such as structural uniformity, high purity, efficient membrane transport, high drug pay load, targeting potential, and good colloidal, biological, and shelf stability. Despite their enormous applicability in different areas, the inherent cytotoxicity, reticuloendothelial system (RES) uptake, drug leakage, immunogenicity, and hemolytic toxicity restricted their use in clinical applications, which is primarily associated with cationic charge present on the periphery due to amine groups. To overcome this toxic nature of dendrimers, some new types of nontoxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable dendrimers have been developed (e.g., polyester dendrimer, citric acid dendrimer, arginine dendrimer, carbohydrate dendrimers, etc.). The surface engineering of parent dendrimers is graceful and convenient strategy, which not only shields the positive charge to make this carrier more biomimetic but also improves the physicochemical and biological behavior of parent dendrimers. Thus, surface modification chemistry of parent dendrimers holds promise in pharmaceutical applications (such as solubilization, improved drug encapsulation, enhanced gene transfection, sustained and controlled drug release, intracellular targeting) and in the diagnostic field. Development of multifunctional dendrimer holds greater promise toward the biomedical applications because a number of targeting ligands determine specificity in the same manner as another type of group would secure stability in biological milieu and prolonged circulation, whereas others facilitate their transport through cell membranes. Therefore, as a

  6. Host-guest chemistry of dendrimer-drug complexes: 7. Formation of stable inclusions between acetylated dendrimers and drugs bearing multiple charges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Min; Zhang, Jiahai; Wu, Qinglin; Xu, Tongwen; Cheng, Yiyun

    2012-03-15

    Drug molecules bearing multiple charges usually form precipitates with cationic dendrimers, which presents a challenge during the preparation of dendrimer inclusions for these drugs. In the present study, fully acetylated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers were proposed as stable vehicles for drug molecules bearing two negative charges such as Congo red and indocyanine green. NMR techniques including (1)H NMR and (1)H-(1)H NOESY were used to characterize the host-guest chemistry of acetylated dendrimer and these guest molecules. The cationic PAMAM dendrimer was found to form a precipitate with Congo red and indocyanine green, but the acetylated one avoided the formation of cross-linking structures in aqueous solutions. NOESY studies revealed the encapsulation of Congo red and indocyanine green within the interior cavities of PAMAM dendrimers at mild acidic conditions and acetylated dendrimers show much stronger ability to encapsulate the guest molecules than cationic ones. Also, UV-vis-NIR studies suggest that acetylated dendrimers significantly improve the photostability of indocyanine green and prevent the formation of indocyanine green J-aggregates in aqueous solutions. The present study provides a new insight into dendrimer-based host-guest systems, especially for those guest molecules bearing multiple charges. © 2012 American Chemical Society

  7. Viologen-Phosphorus Dendrimers Inhibit α-Synuclein Fibrillation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milowska, Katarzyna; Grochowina, Justyna; Katir, Nadia; El Kadib, Abdelkrim; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Bryszewska, Maria; Gabryelak, Teresa

    2013-03-04

    Inhibition of α-synuclein (ASN) fibril formation is a potential therapeutic strategy in Parkinson's disease and other synucleinopathies. The aim of this study was to examine the role of viologen-phosphorus dendrimers in the α-synuclein fibrillation process and to assess the structural changes in α-synuclein under the influence of dendrimers. ASN interactions with phosphonate and pegylated surface-reactive viologen-phosphorus dendrimers were examined by measuring the zeta potential, which allowed determining the number of dendrimer molecules that bind to the ASN molecule. The fibrillation kinetics and the structural changes were examined using ThT fluorescence and CD spectroscopy. Depending on the concentration of the used dendrimer and the nature of the reactive groups located on the surface, ASN fibrillation kinetics can be significantly reduced, and even, in the specific case of phosphonate dendrimers, the fibrillation can be totally inhibited at low concentrations. The presented results indicate that viologen-phosphorus dendrimers are able to inhibit ASN fibril formation and may be used as fibrillar regulating agents in neurodegenerative disorders.

  8. Poly(amido amine) dendrimers in oral delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yellepeddi, Venkata K; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2016-01-01

    Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been extensively investigated for oral delivery applications due to their ability to translocate across the gastrointestinal epithelium. In this Review, we highlight recent advances in the evaluation of PAMAM dendrimers as oral drug delivery carriers. Specifically, toxicity, mechanisms of transepithelial transport, models of the intestinal epithelial barrier including isolated human intestinal tissue model, detection of dendrimers, and surface modification are discussed. We also highlight evaluation of various PAMAM dendrimer-drug conjugates for their ability to transport across gastrointestinal epithelium for improved oral bioavailability. In addition, current challenges and future trends for clinical translation of PAMAM dendrimers as carriers for oral delivery are discussed.

  9. Surface Acoustic Wave Monitor for Deposition and Analysis of Ultra-Thin Films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hines, Jacqueline H. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    A surface acoustic wave (SAW) based thin film deposition monitor device and system for monitoring the deposition of ultra-thin films and nanomaterials and the analysis thereof is characterized by acoustic wave device embodiments that include differential delay line device designs, and which can optionally have integral reference devices fabricated on the same substrate as the sensing device, or on a separate device in thermal contact with the film monitoring/analysis device, in order to provide inherently temperature compensated measurements. These deposition monitor and analysis devices can include inherent temperature compensation, higher sensitivity to surface interactions than quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) devices, and the ability to operate at extreme temperatures.

  10. Comparison of the internalization of targeted dendrimers and dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles into cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Xiangyang; Wang, Su He; Lee, Inhan; Shen, Mingwu; Baker, James R

    2009-11-01

    Dendrimer-based nanotechnology significantly advances the area of targeted cancer imaging and therapy. Herein, we compared the difference of surface acetylated fluorescein isocyanate (FI) and folic acid (FA) modified generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G5.NHAc-FI-FA), and dendrimer-entrapped gold nanoparticles with similar modifications ([(Au(0))(51.2)-G5.NHAc-FI-FA]) in terms of their specific internalization to FA receptor (FAR)-overexpressing cancer cells. Confocal microscopic studies show that both G5.NHAc-FI-FA and [(Au(0))(51.2-)G5.NHAc-FI-FA] exhibit similar internalization kinetics regardless of the existence of Au nanoparticles (NPs). Molecular dynamics simulation of the two different nanostructures reveals that the surface area and the FA moiety distribution from the center of the geometry are slightly different. This slight difference may not be recognized by the FARs on the cell membrane, consequently leading to similar internalization kinetics. This study underlines the fact that metal or inorganic NPs entrapped within dendrimers interact with cells in a similar way to that of dendrimers lacking host NPs. 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Colored ultra-thin hybrid photovoltaics with high quantum efficiency for decorative PV applications (Presentation Recording)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, L. Jay

    2015-10-01

    This talk will describe an approach to create architecturally compatible and decorative thin-film-based hybrid photovoltaics [1]. Most current solar panels are fabricated via complex processes using expensive semiconductor materials, and they are rigid and heavy with a dull, black appearance. As a result of their non-aesthetic appearance and weight, they are primarily installed on rooftops to minimize their negative impact on building appearance. Recently we introduced dual-function solar cells based on ultra-thin dopant-free amorphous silicon embedded in an optical cavity that not only efficiently extract the photogenerated carriers but also display distinctive colors with the desired angle-insensitive appearances [1,2]. The angle-insensitive behavior is the result of an interesting phase cancellation effect in the optical cavity with respect to angle of light propagation [3]. In order to produce the desired optical effect, the semiconductor layer should be ultra-thin and the traditional doped layers need to be eliminated. We adopted the approach of employing charge transport/blocking layers used in organic solar cells to meet this demand. We showed that the ultra-thin (6 to 31 nm) undoped amorphous silicon/organic hybrid solar cell can transmit desired wavelength of light and that most of the absorbed photons in the undoped a-Si layer contributed to the extracted electric charges. This is because the a-Si layer thickness is smaller than the charge diffusion length, therefore the electron-hole recombination is strongly suppressed in such ultra-thin layer. Reflective colored PVs can be made in a similar fashion. Light-energy-harvesting colored signage was demonstrated. Furthermore, a cascaded photovoltaics scheme based on tunable spectrum splitting can be employed to increase power efficiency by absorbing a broader band of light energy. Our work provides a guideline for optimizing a photoactive layer thickness in high efficiency hybrid PV design, which can be

  12. Perspective: Dendrimer drugs for infection and inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaunak, Sunil

    2015-12-18

    Biologists are dissecting complex biological pathways at breath taking speed. It is opening up new opportunities for the therapeutic evaluation of novel dendrimer drugs. This review focuses on studies of small dendrimers decorated with sulfate, phosphonate, N-acetyl-cysteine, glucosamine and mannose in animal model studies of infection and inflammation. It highlights those animal model studies which have demonstrated the most promising dendrimer drug constructs as potential new medicines. The issues relating to their analytical chemistry that are slowing the progress of dendrimer drugs into the clinic are highlighted. It should be possible to solve these with additional analytical expertise because it is small dendrimers with only 16-32 peripheral groups that make for the best infection and inflammation related medicines. Public-private partnerships are now needed to progress these dendrimer drugs into proof-of-concept clinical trials. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Highly reflective rear surface passivation design for ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vermang, Bart, E-mail: Bart.Vermang@angstrom.uu.se [Ångström Solar Center, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 75121 (Sweden); ESAT-KU Leuven, University of Leuven, Leuven 3001 (Belgium); Wätjen, Jörn Timo; Fjällström, Viktor; Rostvall, Fredrik; Edoff, Marika [Ångström Solar Center, University of Uppsala, Uppsala 75121 (Sweden); Gunnarsson, Rickard; Pilch, Iris; Helmersson, Ulf [Plasma & Coatings Physics, University of Linköping, Linköping 58183 (Sweden); Kotipalli, Ratan; Henry, Frederic; Flandre, Denis [ICTEAM/IMNC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve 1348 (Belgium)

    2015-05-01

    Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} rear surface passivated ultra-thin Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells with Mo nano-particles (NPs) as local rear contacts are developed to demonstrate their potential to improve optical confinement in ultra-thin CIGS solar cells. The CIGS absorber layer is 380 nm thick and the Mo NPs are deposited uniformly by an up-scalable technique and have typical diameters of 150 to 200 nm. The Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer passivates the CIGS rear surface between the Mo NPs, while the rear CIGS interface in contact with the Mo NP is passivated by [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]) (GGI) grading. It is shown that photon scattering due to the Mo NP contributes to an absolute increase in short circuit current density of 3.4 mA/cm{sup 2}; as compared to equivalent CIGS solar cells with a standard back contact. - Highlights: • Proof-of-principle ultra-thin CIGS solar cells have been fabricated. • The cells have Mo nano-particles (NPs) as local rear contacts. • An Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} film passivates the CIGS rear surface between these nano-particles. • [Ga]/([Ga] + [In]) grading is used to reduce Mo-NP/CIGS interface recombination.

  14. Brief Timelapse on Dendrimer Chemistry: Advances, Limitations, and Expectations

    KAUST Repository

    Ornelas, Catia

    2015-12-09

    © 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. Dendrimers are well-defined branched macromolecules that have been studied for a wide variety of applications. Possibility to add multiple functionalities in precise locations of the dendritic structure generated great expectations for the application of dendrimers in nanomedicine, however, the number of dendrimer-based formulations that advance to clinical studies has been somewhat deceiving. This is partially due to the nonreproducible pharmokinetic behavior observed for multifunctional dendrimers synthesized through the random-statistical approach that leads to mixtures of products. Therefore, it is crucial to develop multifunctional dendrimers with well-defined structures in order to increase the chances of meeting the clinical expectations placed on dendrimers. This talent article will give an overview of the dendrimer field, discussing the application of dendrimers in nanomedicine, light-harvesting systems, sensing and catalysis, with a critical analysis on the expectations, limitations, advances, current challenges and future directions. Dendrimer timelapse demonstrates constant evolution in dendrimer chemistry enabling their application in nanomedicine, protein mimic, catalysis, light harvesting systems, and sensing. Increasing the variety of functionalities in dendrimers located at precise sites of the dendritic backbone result in versatile multifunctional nanomaterials that in the future might approach the conceptual nanobots.

  15. Preparation of Cu Nanoclusters within Dendrimer Templates

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Zhao, M

    1998-01-01

    ... (16-atom Cu cluster in G4 and 64-atom Cu cluster in G6 dendrimers). The clusters remain trapped within the dendrimers for extended periods of time, do not agglomerate, and do not precipitate. The clusters can also be oxidized to yield dendrimer-encapsulated Cu(2+).

  16. Biological properties of water-soluble phosphorhydrazone dendrimers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Marie Caminade

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Dendrimers are hyperbranched and perfectly defined macromolecules, constituted of branches emanating from a central core in an iterative fashion. Phosphorhydrazone dendrimers constitute a special family of dendrimers, possessing one phosphorus atom at each branching point. The internal structure of these dendrimers is hydrophobic, but hydrophilic terminal groups can induce the solubility of the whole structure in water. Indeed, the properties of these compounds are mainly driven by the type of terminal groups their bear; this is especially true for the biological properties. For instance, positively charged terminal groups are efficient for transfection experiments, as drug carriers, as anti-prion agents, and as inhibitor of the aggregation of Alzheimer's peptides, whereas negatively charged dendrimers have anti-HIV properties and can influence the human immune system, leading to anti-inflammatory properties usable against rheumatoid arthritis. This review will give the most representative examples of the biological properties of water-soluble phosphorhydrazone dendrimers, organized depending on the type of terminal groups they bear.

  17. Noncovalent synthesis of protein dendrimers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lempens, E.H.M.; Baal, van I.; Dongen, van J.L.J.; Hackeng, T.M.; Merkx, M.; Meijer, E.W.

    2009-01-01

    The covalent synthesis of complex biomolecular systems such as multivalent protein dendrimers often proceeds with low efficiency, thereby making alternative strategies based on noncovalent chemistry of high interest. Here, the synthesis of protein dendrimers using a strong but noncovalent

  18. Optical and electrical properties of SnO2 thin films after ultra-short pulsed laser annealing

    OpenAIRE

    Scorticati, D.; Illiberi, A.; Römer, G.R.B.E.; Bor, T.; Ogieglo, W.; Klein Gunnewiek, M.; Lenferink, A.; Otto, C.; Skolski, J.Z.P.; Grob, F.; Lange, D.F. de; Huis in 't Veld, A.J.

    2013-01-01

    Ultra-short pulsed laser sources, with pulse durations in the ps and fs regime, are commonly exploited for cold ablation. However, operating ultra-short pulsed laser sources at fluence levels well below the ablation threshold allows for fast and selective thermal processing. The latter is especially advantageous for the processing of thin films. A precise control of the heat affected zone, as small as tens of nanometers, depending on the material and laser conditions, can be achieved. It enab...

  19. Development and implementation of ultra-thin concrete road technology for suburban streets in South Africa

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Louw, MR

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Louw, FC Rust, AO Bergh and AH McKay DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATIONN OF ULTRA- THIN CONCRETE ROAD TECHNOLOGY FOR SUBURBAN STREETS IN SOUTH AFRICA MR Louw, FC Rust, AO Bergh and AH McKay CSIR, Republic of South Africa rlouw...

  20. Design of an ultra-thin dual band infrared system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Du, Ke; Cheng, Xuemin; Lv, Qichao; Hu, YiFei

    2014-11-01

    The ultra-thin imaging system using reflective multiple-fold structure has smaller volume and less weight while maintaining high resolution compared with conventional optical systems. The multi-folded approach can significantly extend focal distance within wide spectral range without incurring chromatic aberrations. In this paper, we present a dual infrared imaging system of four-folded reflection with two air-spaced concentric reflective surfaces. The dual brand IR system has 107mm effective focal length, 0.7NA, +/-4° FOV, and 50mm effective aperture with 80mm outer diameter into a 25mm total thickness, which spectral response is 3~12μm.

  1. Electronic transport study in PAMAM dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vieira, Nirton C.S.; Soares, Demetrio A.W.; Fernandes, Edson G.R.; Queiroz, Alvaro A.A. de

    2005-01-01

    Dendrimers are nanomaterials that have many potential applications in medicine, including diagnosis and therapeutic procedures. Dendrimers are isomolecular polymers, with a very well controlled architecture and a thousand times smaller than cells. Dendrimers containing biocatalysts are of great interest for clinical applications in biosensors because of the way in which their chemical and electric conduction mechanism can be tailored. In this work, the polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM) of generation 4 was synthesized by divergent route and characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The electronic transport properties of PAMAM in a metal-polymer type heterojunction were studied. The electrical conduction mechanism of PAMAM studied in the temperature range of 291-323 K indicates a conduction mechanism thermally activated. (author)

  2. Performance regeneration of InGaZnO transistors with ultra-thin channels

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Binglei; Li, He; Zhang, Xijian, E-mail: zhangxijian@sdu.edu.cn, E-mail: songam@sdu.edu.cn; Luo, Yi; Wang, Qingpu [School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); Song, Aimin, E-mail: zhangxijian@sdu.edu.cn, E-mail: songam@sdu.edu.cn [School of Physics, Shandong University, Jinan 250100 (China); School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

    2015-03-02

    Thin-film transistors (TFTs) based on ultra-thin amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) semiconductors down to 4 nm were studied motivated by the increasing cost of indium. At and below 5 nm, it was found that the field-effect mobility was severely degraded, the threshold voltage increased, and the output characteristics became abnormal showing no saturated current. By encapsulating a layer of polymethyl methacrylate on the IGZO TFTs, the performance of the 5-nm-thick device was effectively recovered. The devices also showed much higher on/off ratios, improved hysteresis, and normal output characteristic curves as compared with devices not encapsulated. The stability of the encapsulated devices was also studied over a four month period.

  3. Dendrimers: relationship between structure and biocompatibility in vitro, and preliminary studies on the biodistribution of 125I-labelled polyamidoamine dendrimers in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malik, N; Wiwattanapatapee, R; Klopsch, R; Lorenz, K; Frey, H; Weener, J W; Meijer, E W; Paulus, W; Duncan, R

    2000-03-01

    Dendrimers are highly branched macromolecules of low polydispersity that provide many exciting opportunities for design of novel drug-carriers, gene delivery systems and imaging agents. They hold promise in tissue targeting applications, controlled drug release and moreover, their interesting nanoscopic architecture might allow easier passage across biological barriers by transcytosis. However, from the vast array of structures currently emerging from synthetic chemistry it is essential to design molecules that have real potential for in vivo biological use. Here, polyamidoamine (PAMAM, Starburst), poly(propyleneimine) with either diaminobutane or diaminoethane as core, and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafted carbosilane (CSi-PEO) dendrimers were used to study systematically the effect of dendrimer generation and surface functionality on biological properties in vitro. Generally, dendrimers bearing -NH(2) termini displayed concentration- and in the case of PAMAM dendrimers generation-dependent haemolysis, and changes in red cell morphology were observed after 1 h even at low concentrations (10 microg/ml). At concentrations below 1 mg/ml CSi-PEO dendrimers and those dendrimers with carboxylate (COONa) terminal groups were neither haemolytic nor cytotoxic towards a panel of cell lines in vitro. In general, cationic dendrimers were cytotoxic (72 h incubation), displaying IC(50) values=50-300 microg/ml dependent on dendrimer-type, cell-type and generation. Preliminary studies with polyether dendrimers prepared by the convergent route showed that dendrimers with carboxylate and malonate surfaces were not haemolytic at 1 h, but after 24 h, unlike anionic PAMAM dendrimers they were lytic. Cationic 125I-labelled PAMAM dendrimers (gen 3 and 4) administered intravenously (i.v.) to Wistar rats ( approximately 10 microg/ml) were cleared rapidly from the circulation (<2% recovered dose in blood at 1 h). Anionic PAMAM dendrimers (gen 2.5, 3.5 and 5.5) showed longer circulation

  4. Fabrication of dendrimer-releasing lipidic nanoassembly for cancer drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qihang; Ma, Xinpeng; Zhang, Bo; Zhou, Zhuxian; Jin, Erlei; Shen, Youqing; Van Kirk, Edward A; Murdoch, William J; Radosz, Maciej; Sun, Weilin

    2016-06-24

    An inherent dilemma in the use of nanomedicines for cancer drug delivery is their limited penetration into tumors due to their large size. We have demonstrated that dendrimer/lipid nanoassemblies can solve this problem by means of tumor-triggered disassembly and the release of small (several nanometers) dendrimers to facilitate tumor penetration. Herein, we report a general strategy for the fabrication of nanoassemblies from hydrophobic and hydrophilic dendrimers with phospholipids. Hydrophobic dendrimers could assemble with lipids via hydrophobic interactions, whereas hydrophilic dendrimers could only assemble with lipids in the presence of anionic surfactants via both electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The nanoassemblies of hydrophobic dendrimers/lipids were found to be capable of stripping off their lipid layers via fusion with the cell membrane and then intracellular or extracellular release of dendrimers, whereas the nanoassemblies of hydrophilic dendrimers/lipids were internalized via endocytosis and then released their dendrimers inside the cells. Therefore, these dendrimer/lipid nanoassemblies could be used for the delivery of different cancer drugs.

  5. The structure of carbosilane dendrimers of higher generations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rogachev, A.V.; Kuklin, A.I.; Chernyj, A.Yu.; Ozerin, A.N.; Muzafarov, A.M.; Tatarinova, E.A.; Gordelij, V.I.

    2008-01-01

    Using small-angle neutron scattering method, we investigate the structure of carbosilane dendrimers of the ninth generation with a four-function core and butyl terminal groups. It is shown that the dendrimers in question are monodispersive objects having anisometric form. The values of the partial volume and the mean scattering length density are determined with the contrast variation method. The studied dendrimers exhibit the same size and distribution of the scattering length density. It is found that about 20% of the interior dendrimer volume is permeable to a solvent. Performing a Monte Carlo simulation, we reconstruct the spatial distribution of scattering length density over the dendrimers and reveal changing of the excluded volume for different contrasts. The spatial structure features of carbosilane dendrimers of higher generations are discussed

  6. The strength limits of ultra-thin copper films

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiederhirn, Guillaume

    2007-07-02

    Elucidating size effects in ultra-thin films is essential to ensure the performance and reliability of MEMS and electronic devices. In this dissertation, the influence of a capping layer on the mechanical behavior of copper (Cu) films was analyzed. Passivation is expected to shut down surface diffusion and thus to alter the contributions of dislocation- and diffusion-based plasticity in thin films. Experiments were carried out on 25 nm to 2 {mu}m thick Cu films magnetron-sputtered onto amorphous-silicon nitride coated silicon (111) substrates. These films were capped with 10 nm of aluminum oxide or silicon nitride passivation without breaking vacuum either directly after Cu deposition or after a 500 C anneal. The evolution of thermal stresses in these films was investigated mainly by the substrate curvature method between -160 C and 500 C. Negligible differences were detected for the silicon nitride vs. the aluminum oxide passivated Cu films. The processing parameters associated with the passivation deposition also had no noticeable effect on the stress-temperature behavior of the Cu. However, the thermomechanical behavior of passivated Cu films strongly depended on the Cu film thickness. For films in the micrometer range, the influence of the passivation layer was not significant, which suggests that the Cu deformed mainly by dislocation plasticity. However, diffusional creep plays an increasing role with decreasing film thickness since it becomes increasingly difficult to nucleate dislocations in smaller grains. Size effects were investigated by plotting the stress at room temperature after thermal cycling as a function of the inverse film thickness. Between 2 {mu}m and 200 nm, the room temperature stress was inversely proportional to the film thickness. The passivation exerted a strong effect on Cu films thinner than 100 nm by effectively shutting down surface diffusion mechanisms. Since dislocation processes were also shut off in these ultra-thin films, they

  7. Anomalous aging and strain induced time dependent phenomena in ultra-thin La0.65Ca0.35MnO3 films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egilmez, M.; Saber, M.M.; Abdelhadi, M.; Chow, K.H.; Jung, J.

    2011-01-01

    We have shown that ultra-thin La 0.65 Ca 0.35 MnO 3 films exhibit strong metastable behavior. The resistance can vary with time significantly, suggesting that a state of dynamic phase separation exists whereby one phase grows at the expense of another. Physical properties associated with the metastable behavior have been investigated on the films grown on different substrates. We have found that ultra-thin films age much faster than the thicker counterparts and more interestingly the metastability in the resistance of these films enhanced when aged. -- Highlights: → Ultra-thin La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 films exhibit metastable behavior. → Physical properties associated with metastable behavior have been investigated. → The metastability in resistance of the films enhanced when films are aged. → Relaxation rates were used as a relative measure the metastability. → The metastable behavior is sensitive to the strain state of the film.

  8. Paramagnetic NMR investigation of dendrimer-based host-guest interactions.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fei Wang

    Full Text Available In this study, the host-guest behavior of poly(amidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers bearing amine, hydroxyl, or carboxylate surface functionalities were investigated by paramagnetic NMR studies. 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidinyloxy (TEMPO derivatives were used as paramagnetic guest molecules. The results showed that TEMPO-COOH significantly broaden the ¹H NMR peaks of amine- and hydroxyl-terminated PAMAM dendrimers. In comparison, no paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE was observed between TEMPO-NH₂, TEMPO-OH and the three types of PAMAM dendrimers. The PRE phenomenon observed is correlated with the encapsulation of TEMPO-COOH within dendrimer pockets. Protonation of the tertiary amine groups within PAMAM dendrimers plays an important role during this process. Interestingly, the absence of TEMPO-COOH encapsulation within carboxylate-terminated PAMAM dendrimer is observed due to the repulsion of TEMPO-COO- anion and anionic dendrimer surface. The combination of paramagnetic probes and ¹H NMR linewidth analysis can be used as a powerful tool in the analysis of dendrimer-based host-guest systems.

  9. Finite Element Modelling of Bends and Creases during Folding Ultra Thin Stainless Steel Foils

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Datta, K.; Akagi, H.; Geijselaers, Hubertus J.M.; Huetink, Han

    2003-01-01

    Finite Element Modelling of an ultra thin foil of SUS 304 stainless steel is carried out. These foils are 20 mm and below in thickness. The development of stresses and strains during folding of these foils is studied. The objective of this study is to induce qualities of paper in the foils of

  10. Dendrimer-based dynamic combinatorial libraries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chang, T.; Meijer, E.W.

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this project is to create water-sol. dynamic combinatorial libraries based upon dendrimer-guest complexes. The guest mols. are designed to bind to dendrimers using multiple secondary interactions, such as electrostatics and hydrogen bonding. We have been able to incorporate various guest

  11. Fluorescent properties of novel dendrimer dyes based on thiazole orange

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fei Xuening; Gu Yingchun; Lan Yunquan; Shi Bin

    2011-01-01

    In this paper, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers with active amino group of some generations (G=0.5-2) were prepared from commercial aminoacetaldehyde diethyl acetal by the divergent method. After that, thiazole orange (TO) with -COOH was incorporated with dendrimers of G=1 and 2 to afford novel dendrimer-TO dyes. The fluorescent properties studies showed that the fluorescent intensity of the same concentration of dendrimer-TO (G=2) was higher than that of the dendrimer-TO (G=1), and both of them were much stronger than free TO with -COOH. There was a fluorescent enhancement of the dendrimer dyes compared with free dye. The dendrimer dyes were of well-defined chemical structure,with little aggregation and self-quenching as well as good fluorescence properties of good stability, high intensity and sensitivity, which could be used in labeling cancer cells and further in diagnosis and detection of early-stage tumors. - Highlights: → A kind of dendrimer probe based on TO was designed and synthesized. → Dendrimers showed an obvious fluorescence enhancement compared to free dye. → Dendrimers labeled with BSA also showed fluorescence enhancement. → Dendrimers may be used in diagnosis and detection of early-stage tumors.

  12. Optimization of carboxylate-terminated poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-mediated cisplatin formulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulhari, Hitesh; Pooja, Deep; Singh, Mayank K; Chauhan, Abhay S

    2015-02-01

    Abstract Cisplatin is mainly used in the treatment of ovarian, head and neck and testicular cancer. Poor solubility and non-specific interactions causes hurdles in the development of successful cisplatin formulation. There were few reports on poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer-cisplatin complexes for anticancer treatment. But the earlier research was mainly focused on therapeutic effect of PAMAM dendrimer-cisplatin complex, with less attention paid on the formulation development of these complexes. Objective of the present study is to optimize and validate the carboxylate-terminated, EDA core PAMAM dendrimer-based cisplatin formulation with respect to various variables such as dendrimer core, generation, drug entrapment, purification, yield, reproducibility, stability, storage and in-vitro release. Dendrimer-cisplatin complex was prepared by an efficient method which significantly increases the % platinum (Pt) content along with the product yield. Dendrimers showed reproducible (∼27%) platinum loading by weight. Variation in core and generations does not produce significant change in the % Pt content. Percentage Pt content of dendrimeric formulation increases with increase in drug/dendrimer mole ratio. Formulation with low drug/dendrimer mole ratio showed delayed release compared to the higher drug/dendrimer mole ratio; these dendrimer formulations are stable in room temperature. In vitro release profiles of the stored dendrimer-cisplatin samples showed comparatively slow release of cisplatin, which may be due to formation of strong bond between cisplatin and dendrimer. This study will contribute to create a fine print for the formulation development of PAMAM dendrimer-cisplatin complexes.

  13. Light-emitting dendrimer film morphology: A neutron reflectivity study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vickers, S. V.; Barcena, H.; Knights, K. A.; Thomas, R. K.; Ribierre, J.-C.; Gambino, S.; Samuel, I. D. W.; Burn, P. L.; Fragneto, Giovanna

    2010-06-01

    We have used neutron reflectivity (NR) measurements to probe the physical structure of phosphorescent dendrimer films. The dendrimers consisted of fac-tris(2-phenylpyridyl)iridium(III) cores, biphenyl-based dendrons (first or second generation), and perdeuterated 2-ethylhexyloxy surface groups. We found that the shape and hydrodynamic radius of the dendrimer were both important factors in determining the packing density of the dendrimers. "Cone" shaped dendrimers were found to pack more effectively than "spherical" dendrimers even when the latter had a smaller radius. The morphology of the films determined by NR was consistent with the measured photoluminescence and charge transporting properties of the materials.

  14. How Do Organic Vapors Swell Ultra-Thin PIM-1 Films?

    KAUST Repository

    Ogieglo, Wojciech

    2017-06-22

    Dynamic sorption of ethanol and toluene vapor into ultra-thin supported PIM-1 films down to 6 nm are studied with a combination of in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and in-situ X-ray reflectivity. Both ethanol and toluene significantly swell the PIM-1 matrix and, at the same time, induce persistent structural relaxations of the frozen-in glassy PIM-1 morphology. For ethanol below 20 nm three effects were identified. First, the swelling magnitude at high vapor pressures is reduced by about 30% as compared to thicker films. Second, at low penetrant activities (below 0.3 p/p0) films below 20 nm are able to absorb slightly more penetrant as compared with thicker films despite similar swelling magnitude. Third, for the ultra-thin films the onset of the dynamic penetrant-induced glass transition Pg has been found to shift to higher values indicating higher resistance to plasticization. All of these effects are consistent with a view where immobilization of the super-glassy PIM-1 at the substrate surface leads to an arrested, even more rigid and plasticization-resistant, yet still very open, microporous structure. PIM-1 in contact with the larger and more condensable toluene shows very complex, heterogeneous swelling dynamics and two distinct penetrant-induced relaxation phenomena, probably associated with the film outer surface and the bulk, are detected. Following the direction of the penetrant\\'s diffusion the surface seems to plasticize earlier than the bulk and the two relaxations remain well separated down to 6 nm film thickness, where they remarkably merge to form just a single relaxation.

  15. Nanoscale effects in dendrimer-mediated targeting of neuroinflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nance, Elizabeth; Zhang, Fan; Mishra, Manoj K; Zhang, Zhi; Kambhampati, Siva P; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M; Kannan, Sujatha

    2016-09-01

    Neuroinflammation, mediated by activated microglia and astrocytes, plays a key role in the pathogenesis of many neurological disorders. Systemically-administered dendrimers target neuroinflammation and deliver drugs with significant efficacy, without the need for ligands. Elucidating the nanoscale aspects of targeting neuroinflammation will enable superior nanodevices for eventual translation. Using a rabbit model of cerebral palsy, we studied the in vivo contributions of dendrimer physicochemical properties and disease pathophysiology on dendrimer brain uptake, diffusion, and cell specific localization. Neutral dendrimers move efficiently within the brain parenchyma and rapidly localize in glial cells in regions of injury. Dendrimer uptake is also dependent on the extent of blood-brain-barrier breakdown, glial activation, and disease severity (mild, moderate, or severe), which can lend the dendrimer to be used as an imaging biomarker for disease phenotype. This new understanding of the in vivo mechanism of dendrimer-mediated delivery in a clinically-relevant rabbit model provides greater opportunity for clinical translation of targeted brain injury therapies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Transepithelial and endothelial transport of poly (amidoamine) dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitchens, Kelly M; El-Sayed, Mohamed E H; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2005-12-14

    This article summarizes our efforts to evaluate the potential of poly (amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as carriers for oral drug delivery. Specifically, the permeability of a series of cationic PAMAM-NH2 (G0-G4) dendrimers across Caco-2 cell monolayers was evaluated as a function of dendrimer generation, concentration, and incubation time. The influence of dendrimer surface charge on the integrity, paracellular permeability, and viability of Caco-2 cell monolayers was monitored by measuring the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), 14C-mannitol permeability, and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) enzyme, respectively. Microvascular extravasation of PAMAM-NH2 dendrimers in relation to their size, molecular weight, and molecular geometry is also discussed. Results of these studies show that transepithelial transport and microvascular extravasation of PAMAM dendrimers are dependent on their structural features including molecular size, molecular geometry, and surface chemistry. These results suggest that by optimizing the size and surface charge of PAMAM dendrimers, it is possible to develop oral delivery systems based on these carriers for targeted drug delivery.

  17. Practical computational toolkits for dendrimers and dendrons structure design

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinho, Nuno; Silva, Liana C.; Florindo, Helena F.; Brocchini, Steve; Barata, Teresa; Zloh, Mire

    2017-09-01

    Dendrimers and dendrons offer an excellent platform for developing novel drug delivery systems and medicines. The rational design and further development of these repetitively branched systems are restricted by difficulties in scalable synthesis and structural determination, which can be overcome by judicious use of molecular modelling and molecular simulations. A major difficulty to utilise in silico studies to design dendrimers lies in the laborious generation of their structures. Current modelling tools utilise automated assembly of simpler dendrimers or the inefficient manual assembly of monomer precursors to generate more complicated dendrimer structures. Herein we describe two novel graphical user interface toolkits written in Python that provide an improved degree of automation for rapid assembly of dendrimers and generation of their 2D and 3D structures. Our first toolkit uses the RDkit library, SMILES nomenclature of monomers and SMARTS reaction nomenclature to generate SMILES and mol files of dendrimers without 3D coordinates. These files are used for simple graphical representations and storing their structures in databases. The second toolkit assembles complex topology dendrimers from monomers to construct 3D dendrimer structures to be used as starting points for simulation using existing and widely available software and force fields. Both tools were validated for ease-of-use to prototype dendrimer structure and the second toolkit was especially relevant for dendrimers of high complexity and size.

  18. Some new aspects of dendrimer applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flomenbom, Ophir; Amir, Roey J.; Shabat, Doron; Klafter, Joseph

    2005-01-01

    Dendrimers are characterized by special features that make them promising candidates for many applications. Here we focus on two such applications: dendrimers as light harvesting antennae, and dendrimers as molecular amplifiers, which may serve as novel platforms for drug delivery. Both applications stem from the unique structure of dendrimers. We present a theoretical framework based on the master equation within which we describe these applications. The quantities of interest are the first passage time (FPT), probability density function (PDF) and its moments. We examine how the FPT PDF and its characteristics depend on the geometric and energetic structures of the dendrimeric system. In particular, we investigate the dependence of the FPT properties on the number of generations (dendrimer size) and the system bias. We present analytical expressions for the FPT PDF for very efficient dendrimeric antennae and for dendrimeric amplifiers. For these cases the mean FPT scales linearly with the system length, and fluctuations around the mean FPT are negligible for large systems. Relationships of the FPT to light harvesting process for other types of system-bias are discussed

  19. Transport properties of ultra-thin granular YBa2Cu3O7−δ nanobridges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bar, E.; Levi, D.; Koren, G.; Shaulov, A.; Yeshurun, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Nano bridges were patterned on laser ablated ultra-thin YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 films. • Magneto-transport measurements reveal phenomena that are usually absent in the bulk. • Magnetoresistance (MR) oscillation point to effect of granularity. • Negative MR at low fields and negative MR slope at high fields were observed. • V-I curves exhibit voltage jumps at temperatures well below T c . - Abstract: Magneto-transport measurements in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 nanobridges, patterned on laser ablated ultra-thin films, reveal phenomena that are usually absent in the bulk of the material. These include broadening of the resistive transition, magnetoresistance oscillation, negative magnetoresistance at low fields, negative magnetoresistance slope at high fields, and V–I curves that exhibit voltage jumps at temperatures well below T c . These phenomena, attributed to the granular nature of the bridges, should be taken into account in any future attempts to utilize such bridges in technological applications

  20. Mixed-Penetrant Sorption in Ultra-Thin Films of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity PIM-1

    KAUST Repository

    Ogieglo, Wojciech; Furchner, Andreas; Ghanem, Bader; Ma, Xiao-Hua; Pinnau, Ingo; Wessling, Matthias

    2017-01-01

    Mixed penetrant sorption into ultra-thin films of a super-glassy polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) was studied for the first time by using interference-enhanced in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. PIM-1 swelling and the concurrent changes in its refractive index were determined in ultra-thin (12 - 14 nm) films exposed to pure and mixed penetrants. The penetrants included water, n-hexane and ethanol and were chosen based on their significantly different penetrant-penetrant and penetrant-polymer affinities. This allowed studying microporous polymer responses at diverse ternary compositions and revealed effects such as competition for the sorption sites (for water / n-hexane or ethanol / n-hexane) or enhancement in sorption of typically weakly sorbing water in the presence of more highly sorbing ethanol. The results reveal details of the mutual sorption effects which often complicate comprehension of glassy polymers' behavior in applications such as high-performance membranes, adsorbents or catalysts. Mixed-penetrant effects are typically very challenging to study directly and their understanding is necessary owing to a broadly recognized inadequacy of simple extrapolations from measurements in pure component environment.

  1. Mixed-Penetrant Sorption in Ultra-Thin Films of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity PIM-1

    KAUST Repository

    Ogieglo, Wojciech

    2017-10-12

    Mixed penetrant sorption into ultra-thin films of a super-glassy polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1) was studied for the first time by using interference-enhanced in-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. PIM-1 swelling and the concurrent changes in its refractive index were determined in ultra-thin (12 - 14 nm) films exposed to pure and mixed penetrants. The penetrants included water, n-hexane and ethanol and were chosen based on their significantly different penetrant-penetrant and penetrant-polymer affinities. This allowed studying microporous polymer responses at diverse ternary compositions and revealed effects such as competition for the sorption sites (for water / n-hexane or ethanol / n-hexane) or enhancement in sorption of typically weakly sorbing water in the presence of more highly sorbing ethanol. The results reveal details of the mutual sorption effects which often complicate comprehension of glassy polymers\\' behavior in applications such as high-performance membranes, adsorbents or catalysts. Mixed-penetrant effects are typically very challenging to study directly and their understanding is necessary owing to a broadly recognized inadequacy of simple extrapolations from measurements in pure component environment.

  2. A polyamidoamine dendrimer-streptavidin supramolecular architecture for biosensor development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soda, N; Arotiba, O A

    2017-12-01

    A novel polyamidoamine dendrimer-streptavidin supramolecular architecture suitable as a versatile platform for biosensor development is reported. The dendrimer was electrodeposited on a glassy carbon electrode via cyclic voltammetry. The dendrimer electrode was further modified with streptavidin by electrostatic attraction upon drop coating. The platform i.e. the dendrimer-streptavidin modified electrode was electrochemically interrogated in phosphate buffer, ferrocyanide and H 2 O 2 . The dendrimer-streptavidin platform was used in the preparation of a simple DNA biosensor as a proof of concept. The supramolecular architecture of dendrimer-streptavidin was stable, electroactive and thus lends itself as a versatile immobilisation layer for any biotinylated bioreceptors in biosensor development. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Self-Assembled Films of Dendrimers and Metallophthalocyanines as FET-Based Glucose Biosensors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Figueiredo

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Separative extended gate field effect transistor (SEGFET type devices have been used as an ion sensor or biosensor as an alternative to traditional ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs due to their robustness, ease of fabrication, low cost and possibility of FET isolation from the chemical environment. The layer-by-layer technique allows the combination of different materials with suitable properties for enzyme immobilization on simple platforms such as the extended gate of SEGFET devices enabling the fabrication of biosensors. Here, glucose biosensors based on dendrimers and metallophthalocyanines (MPcs in the form of layer-by-layer (LbL films, assembled on indium tin oxide (ITO as separative extended gate material, has been produced. NH3+ groups in the dendrimer allow electrostatic interactions or covalent bonds with the enzyme (glucose oxidase. Relevant parameters such as optimum pH, buffer concentration and presence of serum bovine albumin (BSA in the immobilization process were analyzed. The relationship between the output voltage and glucose concentration shows that upon detection of a specific analyte, the sub-products of the enzymatic reaction change the pH locally, affecting the output signal of the FET transducer. In addition, dendritic layers offer a nanoporous environment, which may be permeable to H+ ions, improving the sensibility as modified electrodes for glucose biosensing.

  4. Engineering of dendrimer surfaces to enhance transepithelial transport and reduce cytotoxicity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jevprasesphant, Rachaneekorn; Penny, Jeffrey; Attwood, David; McKeown, Neil B; D'Emanuele, Antony

    2003-10-01

    To evaluate the cytotoxicity, permeation, and transport mechanisms of PAMAM dendrimers and surface-modified cationic PAMAM dendrimers using monolayers of the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, Caco-2. Cytotoxicity was determined using the MTT assay. The effect of dendrimers on monolayer integrity was determined from measurements of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and [14C]mannitol apparent permeability coefficient (Papp). The Papp of dendrimers through monolayers was measured in both the apical (A)-to-basolateral (B) and B --> A directions at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C and also in the presence and absence of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) and colchicine. The cytotoxicity and permeation of dendrimers increased with both concentration and generation. The cytotoxicity of cationic dendrimers (G2, G3, G4) was greater than that of anionic dendrimers (G2.5, G3.5) but was reduced by conjugation with lauroyl chloride: the least cytotoxic conjugates were those with six attached lauroyl chains. At 37 degrees C the Papp of cationic dendrimers was higher than that of anionic dendrimers and, in general, increased with the number of attached lipid chains. Cationic dendrimers decreased TEER and significantly increased the Papp of mannitol. Modified dendrimers also reduced TEER and caused a more marked increase in the Papp of mannitol. The Papp values of dendrimers and modified dendrimers were higher in the presence of EDTA, lower in the presence of colchicine, and lower at 4 degrees C than at 37 degrees C. The properties of dendrimers may be significantly modified by surface engineering. Conjugation of cationic PAMAM dendrimers with lauroyl chloride decreased their cytotoxicity and increased their permeation through Caco-2 cell monolayers. Both PAMAM dendrimers and lauroyl-PAMAM dendrimer conjugates can cross epithelial monolayers by paracellular and transcellular pathways.

  5. On the difference between optically and electrically determined resistivity of ultra-thin titanium nitride films

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Van Hao, B.; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.

    2013-01-01

    This work reports on the determination and comparison of the resistivity of ultra-thin atomic layer deposited titanium nitride films in the thickness range 0.65–20 nm using spectroscopic ellipsometry and electrical test structures. We found that for films thicker than 4 nm, the resistivity values

  6. Investigation of Dendrimer-Membrane Interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mecke, Almut; Hessler, Jessica; Lee, Inhan; Banaszak Holl, Mark; Orr, Bradford; Patri, Anil K.; Baker, J. R.

    2003-03-01

    Modified Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers show great promise as targeted drug transport agents. Current research efforts point to the possibility of dramatic improvements to conventional chemotherapy by selectively delivering a therapeutic to antigen bearing tumor cells. In order to better understand the uptake mechanism of such devices into cells we are investigating dendrimer-surface adsorption and dendrimer-membrane interactions using atomic force microscopy, light scattering and computer simulations. Model systems consisting of supported DMPC lipid bilayers have shown interesting results suggesting the shape and architecture of nano-devices play an important role for their biologic activity. We are also investigating the effect of targeted drug vehicles on cells in vitro.

  7. Generation dependent cancer targeting potential of poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kesharwani, Prashant; Tekade, Rakesh K; Jain, Narendra K

    2014-07-01

    Dendrimer-mediated delivery of bioactive is a successful and widely explored concept. This paper desribes comparative data pertaining to generation dependent cancer targeting propensity of Poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimers. This debut report reportsthe drug targeting and antciancer potential of different dendrimer generations. PPI dendrimers of different generations (3.0G, 4.0G and 5.0G) were synthesized and loaded with Melphalan. Results from loading, hemolysis, hematologic, cytotoxicty and flow cytometry assay depicted that as the generation of dendrimer increased from fourth to fifth, the only parameter i.e. toxicty is increased exponentionally. However, others parameters, i.e. loading, sustained release behavior, and targeting efficacy increased negligibly. Kaplan-Meier survival curves clearly depicted comparable therapeutic potential of PPI4M with PPI5M. In vivo investigations in Balb/c mice again favored 4.0G PPI dendrimer to be preferable nanocarrier for anticancer drug delivery owing to analogous anticancer potential. The outcomes of the investigation evidently projects 4.0G PPI dendrimer over 3.0G and 5.0G dendrimer in respect of its drug delivery benefit as well as superior biocompatibility. Thus, much against the common belief, 4.0G PPI dendrimers may be considered to be optimum in respect of drug delivery precluding the use of much more toxic 5.0G PPI dendrimer, which offers no benefit over 4.0G. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Glycopeptide dendrimers. Part II

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Niederhafner, Petr; Šebestík, Jaroslav; Ježek, Jan

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 14, č. 1 (2008), s. 44-65 ISSN 1075-2617 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA203/03/1362; GA ČR GA203/06/1272; GA MZe QF3115; GA AV ČR KAN200520703 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : artificial virus * cascade-release dendrimers * glycopeptide dendrimers * glycoconjugate * glycopeptides Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.654, year: 2008

  9. SNAP dendrimers: multivalent protein display on dendrimer-like DNA for directed evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaltenbach, Miriam; Stein, Viktor; Hollfelder, Florian

    2011-09-19

    Display systems connect a protein with the DNA encoding it. Such systems (e.g., phage or ribosome display) have found widespread application in the directed evolution of protein binders and constitute a key element of the biotechnological toolkit. In this proof-of-concept study we describe the construction of a system that allows the display of multiple copies of a protein of interest in order to take advantage of avidity effects during affinity panning. To this end, dendrimer-like DNA is used as a scaffold with docking points that can join the coding DNA with multiple protein copies. Each DNA construct is compartmentalised in water-in-oil emulsion droplets. The corresponding protein is expressed, in vitro, inside the droplets as a SNAP-tag fusion. The covalent bond between DNA and the SNAP-tag is created by reaction with dendrimer-bound benzylguanine (BG). The ability to form dendrimer-like DNA straightforwardly from oligonucleotides bearing BG allowed the comparison of a series of templates differing in size, valency and position of BG. In model selections the most efficient constructs show recoveries of up to 0.86 % and up to 400-fold enrichments. The comparison of mono- and multivalent constructs suggests that the avidity effect enhances enrichment by up to fivefold and recovery by up to 25-fold. Our data establish a multivalent format for SNAP-display based on dendrimer-like DNA as the first in vitro display system with defined tailor-made valencies and explore a new application for DNA nanostructures. These data suggest that multivalent SNAP dendrimers have the potential to facilitate the selection of protein binders especially during early rounds of directed evolution, allowing a larger diversity of candidate binders to be recovered. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. CMOS compatible fabrication of flexible and semi-transparent FeRAM on ultra-thin bulk monocrystalline silicon (100) fabric

    KAUST Repository

    Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Hanna, Amir; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

    2014-01-01

    Commercialization of flexible electronics requires reliable, high performance, ultra-compact and low power devices. To achieve them, we fabricate traditional electronics on bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100) and transform the top portion into an ultra-thin flexible silicon fabric with prefabricated devices, preserving ultra-large-scale-integration density and same device performance. This can be done in a cost effective manner due to its full compatibility with standard CMOS processes. In this paper, using the same approach, for the first time we demonstrate a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) cell on flexible silicon fabric platform and assess its functionality and practical potential.

  11. CMOS compatible fabrication of flexible and semi-transparent FeRAM on ultra-thin bulk monocrystalline silicon (100) fabric

    KAUST Repository

    Ghoneim, Mohamed T.

    2014-08-01

    Commercialization of flexible electronics requires reliable, high performance, ultra-compact and low power devices. To achieve them, we fabricate traditional electronics on bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100) and transform the top portion into an ultra-thin flexible silicon fabric with prefabricated devices, preserving ultra-large-scale-integration density and same device performance. This can be done in a cost effective manner due to its full compatibility with standard CMOS processes. In this paper, using the same approach, for the first time we demonstrate a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) cell on flexible silicon fabric platform and assess its functionality and practical potential.

  12. Review Dendrimer : Definisi, Sintesis, Aplikasi Dan Prospektif

    OpenAIRE

    Rahmi, Dwinna

    2013-01-01

    Dendrimer merupakan makrostruktur monodisperse dengan banyak cabang yang homogen dan degree of branching (DB) 100%. Dua cara sintesis dendrimer yaitu convergent dan divergent dilakukan. Convergent dilakukan dengan reaksi kovalen antara dua dan lebih monomer. Divergent dimulai dengan pembentukan inti dilanjutkan dengan pembentukan cabang yang merupakan group fungsional yang aktif. Sejauh ini dendrimer sudah banyak diterapkan pada bidang farmasi yaitu drug delivery dan non farmasi pada proses i...

  13. Ultra-thin flexible GaAs photovoltaics in vertical forms printed on metal surfaces without interlayer adhesives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Juho; Song, Kwangsun; Kim, Namyun; Lee, Jongho, E-mail: jong@gist.ac.kr [School of Mechanical Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005 (Korea, Republic of); Research Institute for Solar and Sustainable Energies (RISE), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju 61005 (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Jeongwoo [Photonic Bio Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KOPTI), 9 Cheomdanventure-ro 108beon-gil, Gwangju 61007 (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Jae Cheol [Department of Physics, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541 (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-06-20

    Wearable flexible electronics often require sustainable power sources that are also mechanically flexible to survive the extreme bending that accompanies their general use. In general, thinner microelectronic devices are under less strain when bent. This paper describes strategies to realize ultra-thin GaAs photovoltaics through the interlayer adhesiveless transfer-printing of vertical-type devices onto metal surfaces. The vertical-type GaAs photovoltaic devices recycle reflected photons by means of bottom electrodes. Systematic studies with four different types of solar microcells indicate that the vertical-type solar microcells, at only a quarter of the thickness of similarly designed lateral-type cells, generate a level of electric power similar to that of thicker cells. The experimental results along with the theoretical analysis conducted here show that the ultra-thin vertical-type solar microcells are durable under extreme bending and thus suitable for use in the manufacturing of wearable flexible electronics.

  14. Gene Transfer in Eukaryotic Cells Using Activated Dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dennig, Jörg

    Gene transfer into eukaryotic cells plays an important role in cell biology. Over the last 30 years a number of transfection methods have been developed to mediate gene transfer into eukaryotic cells. Classical methods include co-precipitation of DNA with calcium phosphate, charge-dependent precipitation of DNA with DEAE-dextran, electroporation of nucleic acids, and formation of transfection complexes between DNA and cationic liposomes. Gene transfer technologies based on activated PAMAM-dendrimers provide another class of transfection reagents. PAMAM-dendrimers are highly branched, spherical molecules. Activation of newly synthesized dendrimers involves hydrolytic removal of some of the branches, and results in a molecule with a higher degree of flexibility. Activated dendrimers assemble DNA into compact structures via charge interactions. Activated dendrimer - DNA complexes bind to the cell membrane of eukaryotic cells, and are transported into the cell by non-specific endocytosis. A structural model of the activated dendrimer - DNA complex and a potential mechanism for its uptake into cells will be discussed.

  15. Dendrimers bind antioxidant polyphenols and cisplatin drug.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amine Abderrezak

    Full Text Available Synthetic polymers of a specific shape and size play major role in drug delivery systems. Dendrimers are unique synthetic macromolecules of nanometer dimensions with a highly branched structure and globular shape with potential applications in gene and drug delivery. We examine the interaction of several dendrimers of different compositions mPEG-PAMAM (G3, mPEG-PAMAM (G4 and PAMAM (G4 with hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs cisplatin, resveratrol, genistein and curcumin at physiological conditions. FTIR and UV-visible spectroscopic methods as well as molecular modeling were used to analyse drug binding mode, the binding constant and the effects of drug complexation on dendrimer stability and conformation. Structural analysis showed that cisplatin binds dendrimers in hydrophilic mode via Pt cation and polymer terminal NH(2 groups, while curcumin, genistein and resveratrol are located mainly in the cavities binding through both hydrophobic and hydrophilic contacts. The overall binding constants of durg-dendrimers are ranging from 10(2 M(-1 to 10(3 M(-1. The affinity of dendrimer binding was PAMAM-G4>mPEG-PAMAM-G4>mPEG-PAMAM-G3, while the order of drug-polymer stability was curcumin>cisplatin>genistein>resveratrol. Molecular modeling showed larger stability for genisten-PAMAM-G4 (ΔG = -4.75 kcal/mol than curcumin-PAMAM-G4 ((ΔG = -4.53 kcal/mol and resveratrol-PAMAM-G4 ((ΔG = -4.39 kcal/mol. Dendrimers might act as carriers to transport hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs.

  16. Preliminary biological evaluation of a urea-functionalized dendrimer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephan, H.; Syhre, R.; Spies, H.; Johannsen, B.; Zessin, J.; Steinbach, J.; Klein, L.; Werner, N.; Voegtle, F.

    2002-01-01

    A new third generation ethylurea-functionalized polypropyleneamine dendrimer was prepared. After labelling this dendrimer with 11-carbon the biodistribution in rats was studied. The highest level of radioactivity was found in the liver (30-35% ID). The 11 C-labelled dendrimer was well tolerated by the rats. (orig.)

  17. Oligothia dendrimers for the formation of gold nanoparticles

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    d'Aleo, A.; Williams, R.M.; Osswald, F.; Edamana, P.; Hahn, U.; van Heyst, J.; Tichelaar, F.D.; Voegtle, F.; De Cola, L.

    2004-01-01

    The synthesis and characterization of oligothia dendrimers and their use for the formation of gold nanoparticles is described. The role played by these dendrimers in controlling the stability and size of the particles is discussed. It is shown that the generation of the dendrimers, as well as the

  18. Bifunctional Phosphorus Dendrimers and Their Properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caminade, Anne-Marie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre

    2016-04-23

    Dendrimers are hyperbranched and monodisperse macromolecules, generally considered as a special class of polymers, but synthesized step-by-step. Most dendrimers have a uniform structure, with a single type of terminal function. However, it is often desirable to have at least two different functional groups. This review will discuss the case of bifunctional phosphorus-containing dendrimers, and the consequences for their properties. Besides the terminal functions, dendritic structures may have also a function at the core, or linked off-center to the core, or at the core of dendrons (dendritic wedges). Association of two dendrons having different terminal functions leads to Janus dendrimers (two faces). The internal structure can also possess functional groups on one layer, or linked to one layer, or on several layers. Finally, there are several ways to have two types of terminal functions, besides the case of Janus dendrimers: either each terminal function bears two functions sequentially, or two different functions are linked to each terminal branching point. Examples of each type of structure will be given in this review, as well as practical uses of such sophisticated structures in the fields of fluorescence, catalysis, nanomaterials and biology.

  19. A review on comparative study of PPI and PAMAM dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaur, Daljeet; Jain, Keerti; Mehra, Neelesh Kumar; Kesharwani, Prashant; Jain, Narendra K.

    2016-01-01

    Dendrimers are hyperbranched, monodispersed macromolecules with multivalent functional end groups. Dendrimers have been explored as carrier for many drugs like anticancer, antiviral, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, anti tubercular drugs. Although a number of different types of dendrimers containing different core molecules, branching monomers and surface functional groups have been designed till date for drug delivery applications, yet the poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) and poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been the most explored dendrimers in this regard. In this review, we have summarized a comparative data on PPI and PAMAM dendrimers particularly relevant to their properties, synthesis, toxicity, biomedical applications and drug delivery attributes.

  20. A review on comparative study of PPI and PAMAM dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kaur, Daljeet; Jain, Keerti, E-mail: keertijain02@gmail.com; Mehra, Neelesh Kumar [ISF College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory (India); Kesharwani, Prashant [Wayne State University, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (United States); Jain, Narendra K., E-mail: jnarendr@yahoo.co.in, E-mail: dr.jnarendr@gmail.com [ISF College of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory (India)

    2016-06-15

    Dendrimers are hyperbranched, monodispersed macromolecules with multivalent functional end groups. Dendrimers have been explored as carrier for many drugs like anticancer, antiviral, antimalarial, antiprotozoal, anti tubercular drugs. Although a number of different types of dendrimers containing different core molecules, branching monomers and surface functional groups have been designed till date for drug delivery applications, yet the poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) and poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been the most explored dendrimers in this regard. In this review, we have summarized a comparative data on PPI and PAMAM dendrimers particularly relevant to their properties, synthesis, toxicity, biomedical applications and drug delivery attributes.

  1. Fluorophore:dendrimer ratio impacts cellular uptake and intracellular fluorescence lifetime.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dougherty, Casey A; Vaidyanathan, Sriram; Orr, Bradford G; Banaszak Holl, Mark M

    2015-02-18

    G5-NH2-TAMRAn (n = 1-4, 5+, and 1.5(avg)) were prepared with n = 1-4 as a precise dye:dendrimer ratio, 5+ as a mixture of dendrimers with 5 or more dye per dendrimer, and 1.5(avg) as a Poisson distribution of dye:dendrimer ratios with a mean of 1.5 dye per dendrimer. The absorption intensity increased sublinearly with n whereas the fluorescence emission and lifetime decreased with an increasing number of dyes per dendrimer. Flow cytometry was employed to quantify uptake into HEK293A cells. Dendrimers with 2-4 dyes were found to have greater uptake than dendrimer with a single dye. Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) showed that the different dye:dendrimer ratio alone was sufficient to change the fluorescence lifetime of the material observed inside cells. We also observed that the lifetime of G5-NH2-TAMRA5+ increased when present in the cell as compared to solution. However, cells treated with G5-NH2-TAMRA1.5(avg) did not exhibit the high lifetime components present in G5-NH2-TAMRA1 and G5-NH2-TAMRA5+. In general, the effects of the dye:dendrimer ratio on fluorescence lifetime were of similar magnitude to environmentally induced lifetime shifts.

  2. Energy transfer dynamics in Light-Harvesting Dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melinger, Joseph S.; McMorrow, Dale; Kleiman, Valeria D.

    2002-03-01

    We explore energy transfer dynamics in light-harvesting phenylacetylene symmetric and asymmetric dendrimers. Femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy is used to probe the ultrafast dynamics of electronic excitations in these dendrimers. The backbone of the macromolecule consists of branches of increasing conjugation length, creating an energy gradient, which funnels energy to an accepting perylene trap. In the case of the symmetric dendrimer (nanostar), the energy transfer efficiency is known to approach nearly unity, although the nature and timescale of the energy transfer process is still unknown. For the asymmetric dendrimers, energy transfer efficiencies are very high, with the possibility of more complex transfer processes. We experimentally monitor the transport of excitons through the light-harvesting dendrimer. The transients show a number of components, with timescales ranging from <300fs to several tens of picoseconds, revealing the complex photophysics taking place in these macromolecules. We interpret our results in terms of the Förster mechanism in which energy transfer occurs through dipole-dipole interactions.

  3. Synthesis of ultra-thin tellurium nanoflakes on textiles for high-performance flexible and wearable nanogenerators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Wen; Van Ngoc, Huynh; Qian, Yong Teng; Hwang, Jae Seok; Yan, Ya Ping [Department of Physics and Interdisciplinary Course of Physics and Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Gyeoggi-do (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Hongsoo [Department of Robotics Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), 711-873, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Dae Joon, E-mail: djkang@skku.edu [Department of Physics and Interdisciplinary Course of Physics and Chemistry, Sungkyunkwan University, 2066, Seobu-ro, Jangan-gu, Suwon 16419, Gyeoggi-do (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-01-15

    Highlights: • Ultra-thin tellurium (Te) nanoflakes were successfully grown on textile and used as an active piezoelectric material. • Te nanoflake nanogenerator device was systematically studied by bending and compressing test. • The ultra-high output power during compressing test can light up 10 LEDs without any external power source. • The device can offer a breakthrough in applying tellurium nanoflakes into high-performance flexible and wearable piezoelectric nanogenerator. - Abstract: We report that ultra-thin tellurium (Te) nanoflakes were successfully grown on a sample of a gold-coated textile, which then was used as an active piezoelectric material. An output voltage of 4 V and a current of 300 nA were obtained from the bending test under a driving frequency of 10 Hz. To test the practical applications, Te nanoflake nanogenerator (TFNG) device was attached to the subject’s arm, and mechanical energy was converted to electrical energy by means of periodic arm-bending motions. The optimized open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density of approximately 125 V and 17 μA/cm{sup 2}, respectively, were observed when a TFNG device underwent a compression test with a compressive force of 8 N and driving frequency of 10 Hz. This high-power generation enabled the instantaneous powering of 10 green light-emitting diodes that shone without any assistance from an external power source.

  4. Ultra-thin films of polysilsesquioxanes possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as gate insulator for organic field-effect transistors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakahara, Yoshio; Kawa, Haruna; Yoshiki, Jun; Kumei, Maki; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Oi, Fumio; Yamakado, Hideo; Fukuda, Hisashi; Kimura, Keiichi

    2012-01-01

    Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as an organic moiety of the side chain were synthesized by sol–gel condensation copolymerization of the corresponding trialkoxysilanes. The ultra-thin PSQ film with a radical initiator and a cross-linking agent was prepared by a spin-coating method, and the film was cured integrally at low temperatures of less than 120 °C through two different kinds of polymeric reactions, which were radical polymerization of vinyl groups and sol–gel condensation polymerization of terminated silanol and alkoxy groups. The obtained PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to acetone, which is a good solvent of PSQ before polymerization. It became clear by atomic force microscopy observation that the surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. Furthermore, pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with the PSQ film as a gate insulator showed typical p-channel enhancement mode operation characteristics and therefore the ultra-thin PSQ film has the potential to be applicable for solution-processed OFET systems. - Highlights: ► Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups were synthesized. ► The ultra-thin PSQ film could be cured at low temperatures of less than 120 °C. ► The PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to organic solvent. ► The surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. ► Pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor with the PSQ film was fabricated.

  5. On Topological Indices of Certain Dendrimer Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aslam, Adnan; Bashir, Yasir; Ahmad, Safyan; Gao, Wei

    2017-05-01

    A topological index can be considered as transformation of chemical structure in to real number. In QSAR/QSPR study, physicochemical properties and topological indices such as Randić, Zagreb, atom-bond connectivity ABC, and geometric-arithmetic GA index are used to predict the bioactivity of chemical compounds. Dendrimers are highly branched, star-shaped macromolecules with nanometer-scale dimensions. Dendrimers are defined by three components: a central core, an interior dendritic structure (the branches), and an exterior surface with functional surface groups. In this paper we determine generalised Randić, general Zagreb, general sum-connectivity indices of poly(propyl) ether imine, porphyrin, and zinc-Porphyrin dendrimers. We also compute ABC and GA indices of these families of dendrimers.

  6. Ultra-thin smart acoustic metasurface for low-frequency sound insulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Hao; Xiao, Yong; Wen, Jihong; Yu, Dianlong; Wen, Xisen

    2016-04-01

    Insulating low-frequency sound is a conventional challenge due to the high areal mass required by mass law. In this letter, we propose a smart acoustic metasurface consisting of an ultra-thin aluminum foil bonded with piezoelectric resonators. Numerical and experimental results show that the metasurface can break the conventional mass law of sound insulation by 30 dB in the low frequency regime (sound insulation performance is attributed to the infinite effective dynamic mass density produced by the smart resonators. It is also demonstrated that the excellent sound insulation property can be conveniently tuned by simply adjusting the external circuits instead of modifying the structure of the metasurface.

  7. Role of interlayer coupling in ultra thin MoS2

    KAUST Repository

    Cheng, Yingchun

    2012-01-01

    The effects of interlayer coupling on the vibrational and electronic properties of ultra thin MoS 2 were studied by ab initio calculations. For smaller slab thickness, the interlayer distance is significantly elongated because of reduced interlayer coupling. This explains the anomalous thickness dependence of the lattice vibrations observed by Lee et al. (ACS Nano, 2010, 4, 2695). The absence of interlayer coupling in mono-layer MoS 2 induces a transition from direct to indirect band gap behaviour. Our results demonstrate a strong interplay between the intralayer chemical bonding and the interlayer van-der-Waals interaction. This journal is © 2012 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  8. FORMULATING ULTRA-LOW-VOC WOOD FURNITURE COATINGS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The article discusses the formulation of ultra-low volatile organic compound (VOC) wood furniture coatings. The annual U.S. market for wood coatings is about 240, 000 cu m (63 million gal). In this basis, between 57 and 91 million kg (125 and 200 million lb) of VOCs are emitted i...

  9. pH controlled gating of toxic protein pores by dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandal, Taraknath; Kanchi, Subbarao; Ayappa, K. G.; Maiti, Prabal K.

    2016-06-01

    Designing effective nanoscale blockers for membrane inserted pores formed by pore forming toxins, which are expressed by several virulent bacterial strains, on a target cell membrane is a challenging and active area of research. Here we demonstrate that PAMAM dendrimers can act as effective pH controlled gating devices once the pore has been formed. We have used fully atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to characterize the cytolysin A (ClyA) protein pores modified with fifth generation (G5) PAMAM dendrimers. Our results show that the PAMAM dendrimer, in either its protonated (P) or non-protonated (NP) states can spontaneously enter the protein lumen. Protonated dendrimers interact strongly with the negatively charged protein pore lumen. As a consequence, P dendrimers assume a more expanded configuration efficiently blocking the pore when compared with the more compact configuration adopted by the neutral NP dendrimers creating a greater void space for the passage of water and ions. To quantify the effective blockage of the protein pore, we have calculated the pore conductance as well as the residence times by applying a weak force on the ions/water. Ionic currents are reduced by 91% for the P dendrimers and 31% for the NP dendrimers. The preferential binding of Cl- counter ions to the P dendrimer creates a zone of high Cl- concentration in the vicinity of the internalized dendrimer and a high concentration of K+ ions in the transmembrane region of the pore lumen. In addition to steric effects, this induced charge segregation for the P dendrimer effectively blocks ionic transport through the pore. Our investigation shows that the bio-compatible PAMAM dendrimers can potentially be used to develop therapeutic protocols based on the pH sensitive gating of pores formed by pore forming toxins to mitigate bacterial infections.Designing effective nanoscale blockers for membrane inserted pores formed by pore forming toxins, which are expressed by several virulent

  10. Developmental toxicity of low generation PAMAM dendrimers in zebrafish

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King Heiden, Tisha C.; Dengler, Emelyne; Kao, Weiyuan John; Heideman, Warren; Peterson, Richard E.

    2007-01-01

    Biological molecules and intracellular structures operate at the nanoscale; therefore, development of nanomedicines shows great promise for the treatment of disease by using targeted drug delivery and gene therapies. PAMAM dendrimers, which are highly branched polymers with low polydispersity and high functionality, provide an ideal architecture for construction of effective drug carriers, gene transfer devices and imaging of biological systems. For example, dendrimers bioconjugated with selective ligands such as Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) would theoretically target cells that contain integrin receptors and show potential for use as drug delivery devices. While RGD-conjugated dendrimers are generally considered not to be cytotoxic, there currently exists little information on the risks that such materials pose to human health. In an effort to compliment and extend the knowledge gleaned from cell culture assays, we have used the zebrafish embryo as a rapid, medium throughput, cost-effective whole-animal model to provide a more comprehensive and predictive developmental toxicity screen for nanomaterials such as PAMAM dendrimers. Using the zebrafish embryo, we have assessed the developmental toxicity of low generation (G3.5 and G4) PAMAM dendrimers, as well as RGD-conjugated forms for comparison. Our results demonstrate that G4 dendrimers, which have amino functional groups, are toxic and attenuate growth and development of zebrafish embryos at sublethal concentrations; however, G3.5 dendrimers, with carboxylic acid terminal functional groups, are not toxic to zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, RGD-conjugated G4 dendrimers are less potent in causing embryo toxicity than G4 dendrimers. RGD-conjugated G3.5 dendrimers do not elicit toxicity at the highest concentrations tested and warrant further study for use as a drug delivery device

  11. Comment on 'extrinsic versus intrinsic ferroelectric switching : experimental investigations using ultra-thin PVDF Langmuir-Blodgett films'

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Naber, R.C.G.; Blom, P.W.M.; de Leeuw, DM

    2006-01-01

    Previous work on ultra-thin P(VDF-TrFE) Langmuir-Blodgett films has indicated a transition from extrinsic to intrinsic ferroelectric switching. The lack of several key features of intrinsic switching in the experimental work reported by Kliem et al argues against intrinsic switching. In this Comment

  12. Biphasic interactions between a cationic dendrimer and actin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruenraroengsak, Pakatip; Florence, Alexander T

    2010-12-01

    Gene delivery systems face the problem not only of the route toward the cell and tissues in question, but also of the molecularly crowded environment of both the cytoplasm and the nucleus itself. One of the physical barriers in the cytoplasm for diffusing nanoparticles is an actin network. Here, we describe the finding that a self-fluorescent sixth generation cationic dendrimer (6 nm in diameter) interacts reversibly and possibly electrostatically with actin filaments in vitro. Not only does this interaction slow the diffusion of the dendrimer but it also affects actin polymerization in a biphasic manner. At low concentrations the dendrimer behaves like a G-binding actin protein, retarding actin polymerization, whereas at high concentrations the dendrimer acts as a nucleating protein accelerating the polymerization. Thus in vivo the diffusion of a dendrimer carrier such as this has both physical and chemical elements: by decreasing polymerization it might accelerate its own transport, and by enhancing actin polymerization retard it. This finding suggests that such a dendrimer may have a role as an anticancer agent through its inhibitory effect on actin polymerization.

  13. Exciton Transport Simulations in Phenyl Cored Thiophene Dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Kwiseon; Erkan Kose, Muhammet; Graf, Peter; Kopidakis, Nikos; Rumbles, Garry; Shaheen, Sean E.

    2009-03-01

    Phenyl cored 3-arm and 4-arm thiophene dendrimers are promising materials for use in photovoltaic devices. It is important to understand the energy transfer mechanisms in these molecules to guide the synthesis of novel dendrimers with improved efficiency. A method is developed to estimate the exciton diffusion lengths for the dendrimers and similar chromophores in amorphous films. The approach exploits Fermi's Golden Rule to estimate the energy transfer rates for an ensemble of bimolecular complexes in random orientations. Using Poisson's equation to evaluate Coulomb integrals led to efficient calculation of excitonic couplings between the transition densities. Monte-Carlo simulations revealed the dynamics of energy transport in the dendrimers. Experimental exciton diffusion lengths of the dendrimers range 10 ˜ 20 nm, increasing with the size of the dendrimer. Simulated diffusion lengths correlate well with experiments. The chemical structure of the chromophore, the shape of the transition densities and the exciton lifetime are found to be the most important factors that determine the exciton diffusion length in amorphous films.

  14. Tailoring silver nanoparticle construction using dendrimer templated silica networks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Xiaojun; Kakkar, Ashok

    2008-01-01

    We have examined the role of the internal environment of dendrimer templated silica networks in tailoring the construction of silver nanoparticle assemblies. Silica networks from which 3,5-dihydroxybenzyl alcohol based dendrimer templates have been completely removed, slowly wet with an aqueous solution of silver acetate. The latter then reacts with internal silica silanol groups, leading to chemisorption of silver ions, followed by the growth of silver oxide nanoparticles. Silica network constructed using generation 4 dendrimer contains residual dendrimer template, and mixes with aqueous silver acetate solution easily. Upon chemisorption, silver ions get photolytically reduced to silver metal under a stabilizing dendrimer environment, leading to the formation of silver metal nanoparticles

  15. Fatigue-resistant epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 capacitors on Pt electrode with ultra-thin SrTiO3 template layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takahara, Seiichi; Morimoto, Akiharu; Kawae, Takeshi; Kumeda, Minoru; Yamada, Satoru; Ohtsubo, Shigeru; Yonezawa, Yasuto

    2008-01-01

    Lead zirconate-titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) capacitors with Pt bottom electrodes were prepared on MgO substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique employing SrTiO 3 (STO) template layer. Perovskite PZT thin films are prepared via stoichiometric target using the ultra-thin STO template layers while it is quite difficult to obtain the perovskite PZT on Pt electrode via stoichiometric target in PLD process. The PZT capacitor prepared with the STO template layer showed good hysteresis and leakage current characteristics, and it showed an excellent fatigue resistance. The ultra-thin STO template layers were characterized by angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement. The effect of the STO template layer is discussed based on the viewpoint of the perovskite nucleation and diffusion of Pb and O atoms

  16. Charge transport in highly efficient iridium cored electrophosphorescent dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markham, Jonathan P. J.; Samuel, Ifor D. W.; Lo, Shih-Chun; Burn, Paul L.; Weiter, Martin; Bässler, Heinz

    2004-01-01

    Electrophosphorescent dendrimers are promising materials for highly efficient light-emitting diodes. They consist of a phosphorescent core onto which dendritic groups are attached. Here, we present an investigation into the optical and electronic properties of highly efficient phosphorescent dendrimers. The effect of dendrimer structure on charge transport and optical properties is studied using temperature-dependent charge-generation-layer time-of-flight measurements and current voltage (I-V) analysis. A model is used to explain trends seen in the I-V characteristics. We demonstrate that fine tuning the mobility by chemical structure is possible in these dendrimers and show that this can lead to highly efficient bilayer dendrimer light-emitting diodes with neat emissive layers. Power efficiencies of 20 lm/W were measured for devices containing a second-generation (G2) Ir(ppy)3 dendrimer with a 1,3,5-tris(2-N-phenylbenzimidazolyl)benzene electron transport layer.

  17. ULTRA-LIGHTWEIGHT CEMENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fred Sabins

    2001-10-23

    The objective of this project is to develop an improved ultra-lightweight cement using ultra-lightweight hollow glass spheres (ULHS). Work reported herein addresses tasks performed in the fourth quarter as well as the other three quarters of the past year. The subjects that were covered in previous reports and that are also discussed in this report include: Analysis of field laboratory data of active cement applications from three oil-well service companies; Preliminary findings from a literature review focusing on problems associated with ultra-lightweight cements; Summary of pertinent information from Russian ultra-lightweight cement literature review; and Comparison of compressive strengths of ULHS systems using ultrasonic and crush methods Results reported from the fourth quarter include laboratory testing of ULHS systems along with other lightweight cement systems--foamed and sodium silicate slurries. These comparison studies were completed for two different densities (10.0 and 11.5 lb/gal) and three different field application scenarios. Additional testing included the mechanical properties of ULHS systems and other lightweight systems. Studies were also performed to examine the effect that circulation by centrifugal pump during mixing has on breakage of ULHS.

  18. PREPARATION OF CHEMICALLY WELL-DEFINED CARBOHYDRATE DENDRIMER CONJUGATES

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2004-01-01

    A method for the synthesis of dendrimer conjugates having a well-defined chemical structure, comprising one or more carbohydrate moieties and one or more immunomodulating substances coupled to a dendrimer, is presented. First, the carbohydrate is bound to the dendrimer in a chemoselective manner...... conjugates and their use in vaccination, production of antibodies, high throughput screening, diagnostic assays and libraries....

  19. PAMAM dendrimer with 4-carbomethoxypyrrolidone - In vitro assessment of neurotoxicity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Janaszewska, Anna; Studzian, Maciej; Petersen, Johannes Fabritius

    2015-01-01

    Cytotoxicity of cationic amino-terminated PAMAM dendrimer and modified PAMAM-pyrrolidone dendrimer was compared. LDH assay and cell visualization technique were employed. Mouse embryonic hippocampal cells (mHippoE-18) were used. The experiments were performed in FBS-deprived medium. Pyrrolidone......-modification significantly diminished toxicity of PAMAM dendrimer. The absence of FBS did not reveal significant impact on the toxic effect. Results from LDH assay and MTT test were in good consistency. Low cytotoxicity of PAMAM-pyrrolidone dendrimer increases reliability of the results showing a small impact...... of this dendrimer on cell viability....

  20. Silicon nitride gradient film as the underlayer of ultra-thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon overcoat for magnetic recording slider

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Guigen, E-mail: wanggghit@yahoo.com [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Kuang Xuping; Zhang Huayu; Zhu Can [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Han Jiecai [Shenzhen Graduate School, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen 518055 (China); Center for Composite Materials, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080 (China); Zuo Hongbo [Center for Composite Materials, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150080 (China); Ma Hongtao [SAE Technologies Development (Dongguan) Co., Ltd., Dongguan 523087 (China)

    2011-12-15

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The ultra-thin carbon films with different silicon nitride (Si-N) film underlayers were prepared. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer It highlighted the influences of Si-N underlayers. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The carbon films with Si-N underlayers obtained by nitriding especially at the substrate bias of -150 V, can exhibit better corrosion protection properties - Abstract: There are higher technical requirements for protection overcoat of magnetic recording slider used in high-density storage fields for the future. In this study, silicon nitride (Si-N) composition-gradient films were firstly prepared by nitriding of silicon thin films pre-sputtered on silicon wafers and magnetic recording sliders, using microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source. The ultra-thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon films were then deposited on the Si-N films by filtered cathodic vacuum arc method. Compared with amorphous carbon overcoats with conventional silicon underlayers, the overcoats with Si-N underlayers obtained by plasma nitriding especially at the substrate bias of -150 V, can provide better corrosion protection for high-density magnetic recording sliders.

  1. Silicon nitride gradient film as the underlayer of ultra-thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon overcoat for magnetic recording slider

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Guigen; Kuang Xuping; Zhang Huayu; Zhu Can; Han Jiecai; Zuo Hongbo; Ma Hongtao

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► The ultra-thin carbon films with different silicon nitride (Si-N) film underlayers were prepared. ► It highlighted the influences of Si-N underlayers. ► The carbon films with Si-N underlayers obtained by nitriding especially at the substrate bias of −150 V, can exhibit better corrosion protection properties - Abstract: There are higher technical requirements for protection overcoat of magnetic recording slider used in high-density storage fields for the future. In this study, silicon nitride (Si-N) composition-gradient films were firstly prepared by nitriding of silicon thin films pre-sputtered on silicon wafers and magnetic recording sliders, using microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma source. The ultra-thin tetrahedral amorphous carbon films were then deposited on the Si-N films by filtered cathodic vacuum arc method. Compared with amorphous carbon overcoats with conventional silicon underlayers, the overcoats with Si-N underlayers obtained by plasma nitriding especially at the substrate bias of −150 V, can provide better corrosion protection for high-density magnetic recording sliders.

  2. Interaction of PAMAM dendrimers with bovine insulin depends on nanoparticle end-groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nowacka, Olga; Milowska, Katarzyna; Bryszewska, Maria

    2015-01-01

    We have looked at the interactions between polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers with different terminal groups (−COOH, −NH 2 , −OH) and bovine insulin. The influence of PAMAM dendrimers on insulin was tested by measuring zeta potential and fluorescence quenching. The secondary structure of insulin in the presence of dendrimers was examined by circular dichroism. The effect of dendrimers on dithiotreitol-induced aggregation of insulin was investigated by spectrophotometry. Dendrimers quenched the fluorescence of insulin, but did not change its secondary structure. Thus dendrimers neither induce hormone aggregation nor inhibit the aggregation process induced by dithiotreitol (DTT), except at 0.01 µmol/l. Dendrimers–insulin interactions are mainly electrostatic. - Highlight: • The interactions between PAMAM dendrimers and insulin were investigated. • The PAMAM dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of insulin. • The PAMAM dendrimers did not change the secondary structure of insulin. • Dendrimers did not induce aggregation of hormone. • Dendrimers–insulin interaction is mainly electrostatic

  3. Toxicity of PAMAM dendrimers to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petit, Anne-Noelle; Eullaffroy, Philippe; Debenest, Timothee; Gagne, Francois

    2010-01-01

    In recent decades, a new class of polymeric materials, PAMAM dendrimers, has attracted marked interest owing to their unique nanoscopic architecture and their hopeful perspectives in nanomedicine and therapeutics. However, the potential release of dendrimers into the aquatic environment raises the issue about their toxicity on aquatic organisms. Our investigation sought to estimate the toxicity of cationic PAMAM dendrimers on the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Algal cultures were exposed to different concentrations (0.3-10 mg L -1 ) of low dendrimer generations (G2, G4 and G5) for 72 h. Potential adverse effects on Chlamydomonas were assessed using esterase activity (cell viability), photosynthetic O 2 evolution, pigments content and chlorophyll a fluorescence transient. According to the median inhibitory concentration (IC 50 ) appraised from esterase activity, toxicity on cell viability decreased with dendrimer generation number (2, 3 and 5 mg L -1 for G2, G4 and G5 dendrimers, respectively). Moreover, the three generations of dendrimers did not induce the same changes in the photosynthetic metabolism of the green alga. O 2 evolution was stimulated in cultures exposed to the lowest generations tested (i.e. G2 and G4) whereas no significant effects were observed with G5. In addition, total chlorophyll content was increased after G2 treatment at 2.5 mg L -1 . Finally, G2 and G4 had positive effects on photosystem II (PSII): the amount of active PSII reaction centers, the primary charge separation and the electron transport between Q A and Q B were all increased inducing activation of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. These changes resulted in stimulation of full photosynthetic performance.

  4. Growth and hydrogenation of ultra-thin Mg films on Mo(111)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ostenfeld, Christopher Worsøe; Davies, Jonathan Conrad; Vegge, Tejs

    2005-01-01

    . Hydrogen cannot be adsorbed on magnesium films under UHV conditions. However, when evaporating Mg in a hydrogen background, a hydrogen overlayer is seen to adsorb at the Mg surface, due to the catalytic interaction with the Mo(1 1 1) substrate and subsequent spill-over. We show that two monolayers of Mg......The growth and hydrogenation of ultra-thin magnesium overlayers have been investigated on a Mo(1 1 1) single crystal substrate. For increasing magnesium coverages we observe intermediate stages in the TPD and LEISS profiles, which illustrate the transition from one monolayer to multilayer growth...

  5. Ultra-thin films of polysilsesquioxanes possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as gate insulator for organic field-effect transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakahara, Yoshio; Kawa, Haruna [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakae-dani, Wakayama 640-8510 (Japan); Yoshiki, Jun [Division of Information and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran 050-8585 (Japan); Kumei, Maki; Yamamoto, Hiroyuki; Oi, Fumio [Konishi Chemical IND. Co., LTD., 3-4-77 Kozaika, Wakayama 641-0007 (Japan); Yamakado, Hideo [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakae-dani, Wakayama 640-8510 (Japan); Fukuda, Hisashi [Division of Engineering for Composite Functions, Faculty of Engineering, Muroran Institute of Technology, 27-1 Mizumoto-cho, Muroran 050-8585 (Japan); Kimura, Keiichi, E-mail: kkimura@center.wakayama-u.ac.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Systems Engineering, Wakayama University, 930 Sakae-dani, Wakayama 640-8510 (Japan)

    2012-10-01

    Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups as an organic moiety of the side chain were synthesized by sol-gel condensation copolymerization of the corresponding trialkoxysilanes. The ultra-thin PSQ film with a radical initiator and a cross-linking agent was prepared by a spin-coating method, and the film was cured integrally at low temperatures of less than 120 Degree-Sign C through two different kinds of polymeric reactions, which were radical polymerization of vinyl groups and sol-gel condensation polymerization of terminated silanol and alkoxy groups. The obtained PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to acetone, which is a good solvent of PSQ before polymerization. It became clear by atomic force microscopy observation that the surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. Furthermore, pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with the PSQ film as a gate insulator showed typical p-channel enhancement mode operation characteristics and therefore the ultra-thin PSQ film has the potential to be applicable for solution-processed OFET systems. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Polysilsesquioxanes (PSQs) possessing 3-methacryloxypropyl groups were synthesized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The ultra-thin PSQ film could be cured at low temperatures of less than 120 Degree-Sign C. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The PSQ film showed the almost perfect solubilization resistance to organic solvent. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The surface of the PSQ film was very smooth at a nano-meter level. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Pentacene-based organic field-effect transistor with the PSQ film was fabricated.

  6. Optical absorption and energy transfer processes in dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reineker, P.; Engelmann, A.; Yudson, V.I.

    2004-01-01

    For dendrimers of various sizes the energy transfer and the optical absorption is investigated theoretically. The molecular subunits of a dendrimer are modeled as two-level systems. The electronic interaction between them is described via transfer integrals and the influence of vibrational degrees of freedom is taken into account in a first approach using a stochastic model. We discuss the time dependence of the energy transport and show that rim states of the dendrimer dominate the absorption spectra, that in general the electronic excitation energy is concentrated on peripheric molecules, and that the energetically lowest absorption peak is redshifted with increasing dendrimer size due to delocalization of the electronic excitation

  7. Molecular dynamics simulation of coarse-grained poly(L-lysine) dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahimi, Ali; Amjad-Iranagh, Sepideh; Modarress, Hamid

    2016-03-01

    Poly(L-lysine) (PLL) dendrimer are amino acid based macromolecules and can be used as drug delivery agents. Their branched structure allows them to be functionalized by various groups to encapsulate drug agents into their structure. In this work, at first, an attempt was made on all-atom simulation of PLL dendrimer of different generations. Based on all-atom results, a course-grained model of this dendrimer was designed and its parameters were determined, to be used for simulation of three generations of PLL dendrimer, at two pHs. Similar to the all-atom, the coarse-grained results indicated that by increasing the generation, the dendrimer becomes more spherical. At pH 7, the dendrimer had larger size, whereas at pH 12, due to back folding of branching chains, they had the tendency to penetrate into the inner layers. The calculated radial probability and radial distribution functions confirm that at pH 7, the PLL dendrimer has more cavities and as a result it can encapsulate more water molecules into its inner structure. By calculating the moment of inertia and the aspect ratio, the formation of spherical structure for PLL dendrimer was confirmed.

  8. Dendrimers in drug delivery and targeting: Drug-dendrimer interactions and toxicity issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kanika Madaan

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Dendrimers are the emerging polymeric architectures that are known for their defined structures, versatility in drug delivery and high functionality whose properties resemble with biomolecules. These nanostructured macromolecules have shown their potential abilities in entrapping and/or conjugating the high molecular weight hydrophilic/hydrophobic entities by host-guest interactions and covalent bonding (prodrug approach respectively. Moreover, high ratio of surface groups to molecular volume has made them a promising synthetic vector for gene delivery. Owing to these properties dendrimers have fascinated the researchers in the development of new drug carriers and they have been implicated in many therapeutic and biomedical applications. Despite of their extensive applications, their use in biological systems is limited due to toxicity issues associated with them. Considering this, the present review has focused on the different strategies of their synthesis, drug delivery and targeting, gene delivery and other biomedical applications, interactions involved in formation of drug-dendrimer complex along with characterization techniques employed for their evaluation, toxicity problems and associated approaches to alleviate their inherent toxicity.

  9. Dendrimers in drug delivery and targeting: Drug-dendrimer interactions and toxicity issues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madaan, Kanika; Kumar, Sandeep; Poonia, Neelam; Lather, Viney; Pandita, Deepti

    2014-01-01

    Dendrimers are the emerging polymeric architectures that are known for their defined structures, versatility in drug delivery and high functionality whose properties resemble with biomolecules. These nanostructured macromolecules have shown their potential abilities in entrapping and/or conjugating the high molecular weight hydrophilic/hydrophobic entities by host-guest interactions and covalent bonding (prodrug approach) respectively. Moreover, high ratio of surface groups to molecular volume has made them a promising synthetic vector for gene delivery. Owing to these properties dendrimers have fascinated the researchers in the development of new drug carriers and they have been implicated in many therapeutic and biomedical applications. Despite of their extensive applications, their use in biological systems is limited due to toxicity issues associated with them. Considering this, the present review has focused on the different strategies of their synthesis, drug delivery and targeting, gene delivery and other biomedical applications, interactions involved in formation of drug-dendrimer complex along with characterization techniques employed for their evaluation, toxicity problems and associated approaches to alleviate their inherent toxicity. PMID:25035633

  10. Flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors for ultra-sensitive pressure detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zang, Yaping; Zhang, Fengjiao; Huang, Dazhen; Gao, Xike; di, Chong-An; Zhu, Daoben

    2015-03-01

    The utilization of organic devices as pressure-sensing elements in artificial intelligence and healthcare applications represents a fascinating opportunity for the next-generation electronic products. To satisfy the critical requirements of these promising applications, the low-cost construction of large-area ultra-sensitive organic pressure devices with outstanding flexibility is highly desired. Here we present flexible suspended gate organic thin-film transistors (SGOTFTs) as a model platform that enables ultra-sensitive pressure detection. More importantly, the unique device geometry of SGOTFTs allows the fine-tuning of their sensitivity by the suspended gate. An unprecedented sensitivity of 192 kPa-1, a low limit-of-detection pressure of <0.5 Pa and a short response time of 10 ms were successfully realized, allowing the real-time detection of acoustic waves. These excellent sensing properties of SGOTFTs, together with their advantages of facile large-area fabrication and versatility in detecting various pressure signals, make SGOTFTs a powerful strategy for spatial pressure mapping in practical applications.

  11. Probing the surface swelling in ultra-thin supported polystyrene films during case II diffusion of n-hexane

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ogieglo, Wojciech; Wormeester, Herbert; Wessling, Matthias; Benes, Nieck Edwin

    2013-01-01

    In situ time-resolved spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to study the dynamics of n-hexane diffusion into, and the corresponding induced swelling of, ultra-thin polystyrene films. The experimental conditions are carefully selected to facilitate the observation of anomalous Case II diffusion in the

  12. Transport of dendrimer nanocarriers through epithelial cells via the transcellular route.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jevprasesphant, Rachaneekorn; Penny, Jeffrey; Attwood, David; D'Emanuele, Antony

    2004-06-18

    The mechanism of transport of G3 PAMAM and surface-modified (with lauroyl chains) G3 PAMAM dendrimer nanocarriers across Caco-2 cell monolayers has been investigated. Flow-cytometry studies following quenching of extracellular fluorescence demonstrated the cellular internalisation of dendrimers. Optical sectioning of cells incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated dendrimer and lauroyl-dendrimer using confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed colocalisation of a marker for cell nuclei (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, DAPI) and FITC fluorescence, also suggesting cellular internalisation of dendrimers. Transmission electron microscopic analyses of cells incubated with gold-labelled G3 PAMAM dendrimers confirmed endocytosis-mediated cellular internalisation when dendrimers were applied to the apical domain of Caco-2 cells. These findings are in agreement with our previous studies using Caco-2 cell monolayers that showed a significant decrease of dendrimer uptake in the presence of colchicine (endocytosis inhibitor) and when temperature was reduced from 37 to 4 degrees C. Copyright 2004 Elsevier B.V.

  13. Cloning strategies for heterologous expression of the bacteriocin enterocin A by Lactobacillus sakei Lb790, Lb. plantarum NC8 and Lb. casei CECT475.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiménez, Juan J; Diep, Dzung B; Borrero, Juan; Gútiez, Loreto; Arbulu, Sara; Nes, Ingolf F; Herranz, Carmen; Cintas, Luis M; Hernández, Pablo E

    2015-10-15

    Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) attract considerable interest as natural and nontoxic food preservatives and as therapeutics whereas the bacteriocin-producing LAB are considered potential probiotics for food, human and veterinary applications, and in the animal production field. Within LAB the lactobacilli are increasingly used as starter cultures for food preservation and as probiotics. The lactobacilli are also natural inhabitants of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and attractive vectors for delivery of therapeutic peptides and proteins, and for production of bioactive peptides. Research efforts for production of bacteriocins in heterologous hosts should be performed if the use of bacteriocins and the LAB bacteriocin-producers is ever to meet the high expectations deposited in these antimicrobial peptides. The recombinant production and functional expression of bacteriocins by lactobacilli would have an additive effect on their probiotic functionality. The heterologous production of the bacteriocin enterocin A (EntA) was evaluated in different Lactobacillus spp. after fusion of the versatile Sec-dependent signal peptide (SP usp45 ) to mature EntA plus the EntA immunity gene (entA + entiA) (fragment UAI), and their cloning into plasmid vectors that permitted their inducible (pSIP409 and pSIP411) or constitutive (pMG36c) production. The amount, antimicrobial activity (AA) and specific antimicrobial activity (SAA) of the EntA produced by Lactobacillus sakei Lb790, Lb. plantarum NC8 and Lb. casei CECT475 transformed with the recombinant plasmids pSIP409UAI, pSIP411UAI and pMGUAI varied depending of the expression vector and the host strain. The Lb. casei CECT475 recombinant strains produced the largest amounts of EntA, with the highest AA and SAA. Supernatants from Lb. casei CECT (pSIP411UAI) showed a 4.9-fold higher production of EntA with a 22.8-fold higher AA and 4.7-fold higher SAA than those from Enterococcus faecium T136, the natural

  14. Ultra-small lipid-dendrimer hybrid nanoparticles as a promising strategy for antibiotic delivery: In vitro and in silico studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonawane, Sandeep J; Kalhapure, Rahul S; Rambharose, Sanjeev; Mocktar, Chunderika; Vepuri, Suresh B; Soliman, Mahmoud; Govender, Thirumala

    2016-05-17

    The purpose of this study was to explore the preparation of a new lipid-dendrimer hybrid nanoparticle (LDHN) system to effectively deliver vancomycin against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. Spherical LDHNs with particle size, polydispersity index and zeta potential of 52.21±0.22 nm, 0.105±0.01, and -14.2±1.49 mV respectively were prepared by hot stirring and ultrasonication using Compritol 888 ATO, G4 PAMAM- succinamic acid dendrimer, and Kolliphor RH-40. Vancomycin encapsulation efficiency (%) in LDHNs was almost 4.5-fold greater than in lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticles formulated using Eudragit RS 100. Differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform-infrared studies confirmed the formation of LDHNs. The interactions between the drug-dendrimer complex and lipid molecules using in silico modeling revealed the molecular mechanism behind the enhanced encapsulation and stability. Vancomycin was released from LDHNs over the period of 72 h with zero order kinetics and super case II transport mechanism. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against S. aureus and MRSA were 15.62 μg/ml and 7.81 μg/ml respectively. Formulation showed sustained activity with MIC of 62.5 μg/ml against S. aureus and 500 μg/ml against MRSA at the end of 72 and 54 h period respectively. The results suggest that the LDHN system can be an effective strategy to combat resistant infections. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Molecularly precise dendrimer-drug conjugates with tunable drug release for cancer therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhuxian; Ma, Xinpeng; Murphy, Caitlin J; Jin, Erlei; Sun, Qihang; Shen, Youqing; Van Kirk, Edward A; Murdoch, William J

    2014-10-06

    The structural preciseness of dendrimers makes them perfect drug delivery carriers, particularly in the form of dendrimer-drug conjugates. Current dendrimer-drug conjugates are synthesized by anchoring drug and functional moieties onto the dendrimer peripheral surface. However, functional groups exhibiting the same reactivity make it impossible to precisely control the number and the position of the functional groups and drug molecules anchored to the dendrimer surface. This structural heterogeneity causes variable pharmacokinetics, preventing such conjugates to be translational. Furthermore, the highly hydrophobic drug molecules anchored on the dendrimer periphery can interact with blood components and alter the pharmacokinetic behavior. To address these problems, we herein report molecularly precise dendrimer-drug conjugates with drug moieties buried inside the dendrimers. Surprisingly, the drug release rates of these conjugates were tailorable by the dendrimer generation, surface chemistry, and acidity. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. Comparative toxicological assessment of PAMAM and thiophosphoryl dendrimers using embryonic zebrafish

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pryor JB

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Joseph B Pryor,1 Bryan J Harper,1 Stacey L Harper1,21Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; 2School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USAAbstract: Dendrimers are well-defined, polymeric nanomaterials currently being investigated for biomedical applications such as medical imaging, gene therapy, and tissue targeted therapy. Initially, higher generation (size dendrimers were of interest because of their drug carrying capacity. However, increased generation was associated with increased toxicity. The majority of studies exploring dendrimer toxicity have focused on a small range of materials using cell culture methods, with few studies investigating the toxicity across a wide range of materials in vivo. The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of surface charge and generation in dendrimer toxicity using embryonic zebrafish (Danio rerio as a model vertebrate. Due to the generational and charge effects observed at the cellular level, higher generation cationic dendrimers were hypothesized to be more toxic than lower generation anionic or neutral dendrimers with the same core composition. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers elicited significant morbidity and mortality as generation was decreased. No significant adverse effects were observed from the suite of thiophosphoryl dendrimers studied. Exposure to ≥50 ppm cationic PAMAM dendrimers G3-amine, G4-amine, G5-amine, and G6-amine caused 100% mortality by 24 hours post-fertilization. Cationic PAMAM G6-amine at 250 ppm was found to be statistically more toxic than both neutral PAMAM G6-amidoethanol and anionic PAMAM G6-succinamic acid at the same concentration. The toxicity observed within the suite of varying dendrimers provides evidence that surface charge may be the best indicator of dendrimer toxicity. Dendrimer class and generation are other potential

  17. Toxicity of PAMAM dendrimers to Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petit, Anne-Noelle, E-mail: anne-noelle.petit@ec.gc.ca [Environment Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2E7 (Canada); Eullaffroy, Philippe [Laboratoire Plantes, Pesticides et Developpement Durable, EA 2069, URVVC, BP 1039, Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, 51687 Reims Cedex 2 (France); Debenest, Timothee; Gagne, Francois [Environment Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2E7 (Canada)

    2010-10-15

    In recent decades, a new class of polymeric materials, PAMAM dendrimers, has attracted marked interest owing to their unique nanoscopic architecture and their hopeful perspectives in nanomedicine and therapeutics. However, the potential release of dendrimers into the aquatic environment raises the issue about their toxicity on aquatic organisms. Our investigation sought to estimate the toxicity of cationic PAMAM dendrimers on the green alga, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Algal cultures were exposed to different concentrations (0.3-10 mg L{sup -1}) of low dendrimer generations (G2, G4 and G5) for 72 h. Potential adverse effects on Chlamydomonas were assessed using esterase activity (cell viability), photosynthetic O{sub 2} evolution, pigments content and chlorophyll a fluorescence transient. According to the median inhibitory concentration (IC{sub 50}) appraised from esterase activity, toxicity on cell viability decreased with dendrimer generation number (2, 3 and 5 mg L{sup -1} for G2, G4 and G5 dendrimers, respectively). Moreover, the three generations of dendrimers did not induce the same changes in the photosynthetic metabolism of the green alga. O{sub 2} evolution was stimulated in cultures exposed to the lowest generations tested (i.e. G2 and G4) whereas no significant effects were observed with G5. In addition, total chlorophyll content was increased after G2 treatment at 2.5 mg L{sup -1}. Finally, G2 and G4 had positive effects on photosystem II (PSII): the amount of active PSII reaction centers, the primary charge separation and the electron transport between Q{sub A} and Q{sub B} were all increased inducing activation of the photosynthetic electron transport chain. These changes resulted in stimulation of full photosynthetic performance.

  18. Dendrimers as Potential Therapeutic Tools in HIV Inhibition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiangbo Li

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The present treatments for HIV transfection include chemical agents and gene therapies. Although many chemical drugs, peptides and genes have been developed for HIV inhibition, a variety of non-ignorable drawbacks limited the efficiency of these materials. In this review, we discuss the application of dendrimers as both therapeutic agents and non-viral vectors of chemical agents and genes for HIV treatment. On the one hand, dendrimers with functional end groups combine with the gp120 of HIV and CD4 molecule of host cell to suppress the attachment of HIV to the host cell. Some of the dendrimers are capable of intruding into the cell and interfere with the later stages of HIV replication as well. On the other hand, dendrimers are also able to transfer chemical drugs and genes into the host cells, which conspicuously increase the anti-HIV activity of these materials. Dendrimers as therapeutic tools provide a potential treatment for HIV infection.

  19. Design of interior-functionalized fully acetylated dendrimers for anticancer drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jingjing; Su, Yunzhang; Zhang, Hongfeng; Xu, Tongwen; Cheng, Yiyun

    2011-12-01

    In this study, dendrimers was synthesized by introducing functional groups into the interior pockets of fully acetylated dendrimers. NMR techniques including COSY and 2D-NOESY revealed the molecular structures of the synthesized dendrimers and the encapsulation of guest molecule such as methotrexate within their interior pockets. The synthesized polymeric nanocarriers showed much lower cytotoxicity on two cell lines than cationic dendrimers, and exhibited better performance than fully acetylated dendrimers in the sustained release of methotrexate. The results provided a new strategy in the design of non-toxic dendrimers with high performance in the delivery of anti-cancer drugs for clinical applications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Controlling the competing magnetic anisotropy energies in FineMET amorphous thin films with ultra-soft magnetic properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ansar Masood

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Thickness dependent competing magnetic anisotropy energies were investigated to explore the global magnetic behaviours of FineMET amorphous thin films. A dominant perpendicular magnetization component in the as-deposited state of thinner films was observed due to high magnetoelastic anisotropy energy which arises from stresses induced at the substrate-film interface. This perpendicular magnetization component decreases with increasing film thickness. Thermal annealing at elevated temperature revealed a significant influence on the magnetization state of the FineMET thin films and controlled annealing steps leads to ultra-soft magnetic properties, making these thin films alloys ideal for a wide range of applications.

  1. Electroluminescence of organic light-emitting diodes with an ultra-thin layer of dopant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Weizhi [State Key Lab of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China); Yu Junsheng [State Key Lab of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China)], E-mail: jsyu@uestc.edu.cn; Wang, Tao [State Key Lab of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China); Jiang, Yadong [State Key Lab of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China)], E-mail: jiangyd@uestc.edu.cn; Wei, Bangxiong [State Key Lab of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Optoelectronic Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Chengdu 610054 (China)

    2008-03-15

    Conventional fluorescent dyes, i.e., 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB), 5,12-dihydro-5,12-dimethylquino [2,3-b]acridine-7,14-dione (DMQA) and 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene (Rubrene), were used to investigate the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on indium tin oxide (ITO)/N,N'-bis-(1-naphthyl)-N,N'-diphenyl-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (NPB)/tris-(8-hydroxyquinolate)-aluminum (Alq{sub 3})/MgAg. The dyes were either inserted into devices as an ultra-thin film at the NPB/Alq{sub 3} interface by sequential evaporation, or doped into the Alq{sub 3} emission layer by co-evaporation with the doping ratio about 2%. Electroluminescence (EL) spectra of devices indicated that concentration quenching effect (CQE) of the dye-dopant was slightly bigger in the former than in the latter, while the degrees of CQE for three dopants are in the order of DMQA > DCJTB > Rubrene suggested by the difference in EL spectra and performances of devices. In addition, EL process of device with an ultra-thin layer of dopant is dominated by direct carrier trapping (DCT) process due to almost no holes recombine with electrons in Alq{sub 3}-host layer.

  2. Understanding the Structure-Function Relationships of Dendrimers in Environmental and Biomedical Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Bo

    We are living an era wherein nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely applied in our lives. Dendrimers are special polymeric NPs with unique physiochemical properties, which have been intensely explored for a variety of applications. Current studies on dendrimers are bottlenecked by insufficient understandings of their structure and dynamic behaviors from a molecular level. With primarily computational approaches supplemented by many other experimental technics, this dissertation aims to establish structure-function relationships of dendrimers in environmental and biomedical applications. More specifically, it thoroughly investigates the interactions between dendrimers and different biomolecules including carbon-based NPs, metal-based NPs, and proteins/peptides. Those results not only provide profound knowledge for evaluating the impacts of dendrimers on environmental and biological systems but also facilitate designing next-generation functional polymeric nanomaterials. The dissertation is organized as following. Chapter 1 provides an overview of current progresses on dendrimer studies, where methodology of Discrete Molecular Dynamics (DMD), my major research tool, is also introduced. Two directions of utilizing dendrimers will be discussed in following chapters. Chapter 2 will focus on environmental applications of dendrimers, where two back-to-back studies are presented. I will start from describing some interesting observations from experiments i.e. dendrimers dispersed model oil molecules. Then, I will reveal why surface chemistries of dendrimers lead to different remediation efficiencies by computational modelings. Finally, I will demonstrate different scenarios of dendrimer-small molecules association. Chapter 3 is centered on dendrimers in the biomedical applications including two subtopics. In the first topic, we will discuss dendrimers as surfactants that modulating the interactions between proteins and NPs. Some fundamental concepts regarding to NPs

  3. Light-fuelled transport of large dendrimers and proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koskela, Jenni E; Liljeström, Ville; Lim, Jongdoo; Simanek, Eric E; Ras, Robin H A; Priimagi, Arri; Kostiainen, Mauri A

    2014-05-14

    This work presents a facile water-based supramolecular approach for light-induced surface patterning. The method is based upon azobenzene-functionalized high-molecular weight triazine dendrimers up to generation 9, demonstrating that even very large globular supramolecular complexes can be made to move in response to light. We also demonstrate light-fuelled macroscopic movements in native biomolecules, showing that complexes of apoferritin protein and azobenzene can effectively form light-induced surface patterns. Fundamentally, the results establish that thin films comprising both flexible and rigid globular particles of large diameter can be moved with light, whereas the presented material concepts offer new possibilities for the yet marginally explored biological applications of azobenzene surface patterning.

  4. Dynamics simulation of a π-conjugated light-harvesting dendrimer II: phenylene-based dendrimer (phDG2)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kodama, Yasunobu; Ishii, Soh; Ohno, Kaoru

    2009-01-01

    We investigate the light-harvesting property of a π-conjugated dendrimer, phenylene-based dendrimer (phDG2), by carrying out a semi-classical Ehrenfest dynamics simulation based on the time-dependent density functional theory. Similar to our previous study of star-shaped stilbenoid phthalocyanine (SSS1Pc), phDG2 shows electron and hole transfer from the periphery to the core through a π-conjugated network when an electron is selectively excited in the periphery. The one-way electron and hole transfer occurs more easily in dendrimers with planar structure than in those with steric hindrance because π-conjugation is well maintained in the planar structure. The present results explain recent experiments by Akai et al (2005 J. Lumin. 112 449).

  5. Mechanisms involved in the hydrothermal growth of ultra-thin and high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Demes, Thomas [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Ternon, Céline, E-mail: celine.ternon@grenoble-inp.fr [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, LTM, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Morisot, Fanny [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP" 2, IMEP-LaHC, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Riassetto, David [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Legallais, Maxime [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP" 2, IMEP-LaHC, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Roussel, Hervé; Langlet, Michel [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble-INP, LMGP, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

    2017-07-15

    Highlights: • ZnO nanowires are grown on sol-gel ZnO seed layers by hydrothermal synthesis. • Ultra-thin and high aspect ratio nanowires are obtained without using additives. • Nanowire diameter is 20–25 nm regardless of growth time and seed morphology. • A nanowire growth model is developed on the basis of thermodynamic considerations. • The nanowires are intended for integration into electrically conductive nanonets. - Abstract: Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanowires (NWs) with tailored dimensions, notably high aspect ratios (AR) and small diameters, is a major concern for a wide range of applications and still represents a challenging and recurring issue. In this work, an additive-free and reproducible hydrothermal procedure has been developed to grow ultra-thin and high AR ZnO NWs on sol-gel deposited ZnO seed layers. Controlling the substrate temperature and using a low reagent concentration (1 mM) has been found to be essential for obtaining such NWs. We show that the NW diameter remains constant at about 20–25 nm with growth time contrary to the NW length that can be selectively increased leading to NWs with ARs up to 400. On the basis of investigated experimental conditions along with thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, a ZnO NW growth mechanism has been developed which involves the formation and growth of nuclei followed by NW growth when the nuclei reach a critical size of about 20–25 nm. The low reagent concentration inhibits NW lateral growth leading to ultra-thin and high AR NWs. These NWs have been assembled into electrically conductive ZnO nanowire networks, which opens attractive perspectives toward the development of highly sensitive low-cost gas- or bio-sensors.

  6. Operando SXRD of E-ALD deposited sulphides ultra-thin films: Crystallite strain and size

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giaccherini, Andrea; Russo, Francesca; Carlà, Francesco; Guerri, Annalisa; Picca, Rosaria Anna; Cioffi, Nicola; Cinotti, Serena; Montegrossi, Giordano; Passaponti, Maurizio; Di Benedetto, Francesco; Felici, Roberto; Innocenti, Massimo

    2018-02-01

    Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD), exploiting surface limited electrodeposition of atomic layers, can easily grow highly ordered ultra-thin films and 2D structures. Among other compounds CuxZnyS grown by means of E-ALD on Ag(111) has been found particularly suitable for the solar energy conversion due to its band gap (1.61 eV). However its growth seems to be characterized by a micrometric thread-like structure, probably overgrowing a smooth ultra-thin films. On this ground, a SXRD investigation has been performed, to address the open questions about the structure and the growth of CuxZnyS by means of E-ALD. The experiment shows a pseudo single crystal pattern as well as a powder pattern, confirming that part of the sample grows epitaxially on the Ag(111) substrate. The growth of the film was monitored by following the evolution of the Bragg peaks and Debye rings during the E-ALD steps. Breadth and profile analysis of the Bragg peaks lead to a qualitative interpretation of the growth mechanism. This study confirms that Zn lead to the growth of a strained Cu2S-like structure, while the growth of the thread-like structure is probably driven by the release of the stress from the epitaxial phase.

  7. Stopped-flow kinetic studies of poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-calf thymus DNA to form dendriplexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dey, Debabrata; Kumar, Santosh; Maiti, Souvik; Dhara, Dibakar

    2013-11-07

    Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are known to be highly efficient nonviral carriers in gene delivery. Dendrimer-mediated transfection is known to be a function of the dendrimer to DNA charge ratio as well as the size of the dendrimer. In the present study, the binding kinetics of four PAMAM dendrimers (G1, G2, G3, and G4) with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been studied using stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy. The effect of dendrimer-to-DNA charge ratio and dendrimer generation on the binding kinetics was investigated. In most cases, the results of dendrimer-CT-DNA binding can be explained by a two-step reaction mechanism: a rapid electrostatic binding between the dendrimer and DNA, followed by a conformational change of the dendrimer-DNA complex that ultimately leads to DNA condensation. It was observed that the charge ratio on the dendrimer and the DNA phosphate groups, as well as the dendrimer generation (size), has a marked effect on the kinetics of binding between the DNA and the dendrimers. The rate constant (k'1) of the first step was much higher compared to that of the second step (k'2), and both were found to increase with an increase in dendrimer concentration. Among the four generations of dendrimers, G4 exhibited significantly faster binding kinetics compared to the three smaller generation dendrimers.

  8. Sensitive thermal transitions of nanoscale polymer samples using the bimetallic effect: application to ultra-thin polythiophene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahumada, O; Pérez-Madrigal, M M; Ramirez, J; Curcó, D; Esteves, C; Salvador-Matar, A; Luongo, G; Armelin, E; Puiggalí, J; Alemán, C

    2013-05-01

    A sensitive nanocalorimetric technology based on microcantilever sensors is presented. The technology, which combines very short response times with very small sample consumption, uses the bimetallic effect to detect thermal transitions. Specifically, abrupt variations in the Young's modulus and the thermal expansion coefficient produced by temperature changes have been employed to detect thermodynamic transitions. The technology has been used to determine the glass transition of poly(3-thiophene methyl acetate), a soluble semiconducting polymer with different nanotechnological applications. The glass transition temperature determined using microcantilevers coated with ultra-thin films of mass = 10(-13) g is 5.2 °C higher than that obtained using a conventional differential scanning calorimeter for bulk powder samples of mass = 5 × 10(-3) g. Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations on models that represent the bulk powder and the ultra-thin films have been carried out to provide understanding and rationalization of this feature. Simulations indicate that the film-air interface plays a crucial role in films with very small thickness, affecting both the organization of the molecular chains and the response of the molecules against the temperature.

  9. Transepithelial transport of PEGylated anionic poly(amidoamine) dendrimers: implications for oral drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sweet, Deborah M; Kolhatkar, Rohit B; Ray, Abhijit; Swaan, Peter; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2009-08-19

    The purpose of this work was to assess the impact of PEGylation on transepithelial transport of anionic poly(amidoamine) dendrimers. Cytotoxicity, uptake and transport across Caco-2 cells of PEGylated G3.5 and G4.5 PAMAM dendrimers were studied. Methoxy polyethylene glycol (750 Da) was conjugated to carboxylic acid-terminated PAMAM dendrimers at feed ratios of 1, 2 and 4 PEG per dendrimer. Compared to the control, PEGylation of anionic dendrimers did not significantly alter cytotoxicity up to a concentration of 0.1 mM. PEGylation of G3.5 dendrimers significantly decreased cellular uptake and transepithelial transport while PEGylation of G4.5 dendrimers led to a significant increase in uptake, but also a significant decrease in transport. Dendrimer PEGylation reduced the opening of tight junctions as evidenced by confocal microscopy techniques. Modulation of the tight junctional complex correlated well with changes in PEGylated dendrimer transport and suggests that anionic dendrimers are transported primarily through the paracellular route. PEGylated dendrimers show promise in oral delivery applications where increased functionality for drug conjugation and release is desired.

  10. Dependence of the organic nonvolatile memory performance on the location of ultra-thin Ag film

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiao Bo; Wu Zhaoxin; He Qiang; Mao Guilin; Hou Xun; Tian Yuan

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrated organic nonvolatile memory devices based on 4,4',4''-tris[N-(3-methylphenyl)-N-phenylamino] triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) inserted by an ultra-thin Ag film. The memory devices with different locations of ultra-thin Ag film in m-MTDATA were investigated, and it was found that the location of the Ag film could affect the performance of the organic memory, such as ON/OFF ratio, retention time and cycling endurance. When the Ag film was located at the ITO/m-MTDATA interface, the largest ON/OFF ratio (about 10 5 ) could be achieved, but the cycling endurance was poor. When the Ag film was located in the middle region of the m-MTDATA layer, the ON/OFF ratios came down by about 10 3 , but better performance of cycling endurance was exhibited. When the Ag film was located close to the Al electrode, the ON/OFF ratios and the retention time of this device decreased sharply and the bistable phenomenon almost disappeared. Our works show a simple approach to improve the performance of organic memory by adjusting the location of the metal film.

  11. Formation of Silver and Gold Dendrimer Nanocomposites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balogh, Lajos; Valluzzi, Regina; Laverdure, Kenneth S.; Gido, Samuel P.; Hagnauer, Gary L.; Tomalia, Donald A.

    1999-01-01

    Structural types of dendrimer nanocomposites have been studied and the respective formation mechanisms have been described, with illustration of nanocomposites formed from poly(amidoamine) PAMAM dendrimers and zerovalent metals, such as gold and silver. Structure of {(Au(0)) n- PAMAM} and {(Ag(0)) n- PAMAM} gold and silver dendrimer nanocomposites was found to be the function of the dendrimer structure and surface groups as well as the formation mechanism and the chemistry involved. Three different types of single nanocomposite architectures have been identified, such as internal ('I'), external ('E') and mixed ('M') type nanocomposites. Both the organic and inorganic phase could form nanosized pseudo-continuous phases while the other components are dispersed at the molecular or atomic level either in the interior or on the surface of the template/container. Single units of these nanocomposites may be used as building blocks in the synthesis of nanostructured materials

  12. Transport of surface engineered polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers across IPEC-J2 cell monolayers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisal, Dipak S; Yellepeddi, Venkata K; Kumar, Ajay; Palakurthi, Srinath

    2008-11-01

    The aim of our study was to prepare arginine-and ornithine-conjugated Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and study their permeability across IPEC-J2 cell monolayers, a new intestinal cell line model for drug absorption studies. Arginine and ornithine were conjugated to the amine terminals of the PAMAM(G4) dendrimers by Fmoc synthesis. The apical-to-basolateral (AB) and basolateral-to-apical (BA) apparent permeability coefficients (P(app)) for the PAMAM dendrimers increased by conjugating the dendrimers with both of these polyamines. The enhancement in permeability was dependent on the dendrimer concentration and duration of incubation. Correlation between monolayer permeability and the decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) with the PAMAM dendrimers and the polyamine-conjugated dendrimers suggests that paracellular transport is one of the mechanisms of transport across the epithelial cells. Cytotoxicity of these surface-modified dendrimers was evaluated in IPEC-J2 cells by MTT (methylthiazoletetrazolium) assay. Arginine-conjugated dendrimers were insignificantly more toxic than PAMAM dendrimer as well as ornithine-conjugated dendrimers. Though investigations on the possible involvement of other transport mechanisms are in progress, results of the present study suggest the potential of dendrimer-polyamine conjugates as the carriers for antigen/drug delivery through the oral mucosa.

  13. An intrinsically fluorescent dendrimer as a nanoprobe of cell transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Jamal, Khuloud T; Ruenraroengsak, Pakatip; Hartell, Nicholas; Florence, Alexander T

    2006-07-01

    Dendrimers, spherical or quasi-spherical synthetic polymers in the nano-size range, have found useful applications as prospective carriers in drug and gene delivery. The investigation of dendrimer uptake by cells has been previously achieved by the incorporation of a fluorescent dye to the dendrimer either by chemical conjugation or by physical interaction. Here we describe the synthesis of two intrinsically fluorescent lysine based cationic dendrimers which lack a fluorophore, but which has sufficient fluorescence intensity to be detected at low concentrations. The nomenclature used to describe our compounds results in, for example the 6th generation dendrimer being notated as Gly-Lys(63) (NH2)(64); Gly denotes that the compound has a glycine in the core coupled to 63 lysine branching units (Lys(63)) and that the surface has 64 free amino groups (NH2)(64). The use of these dendrimers in probing transport avoids the need for fluorescent tagging with its attendant problems. The uptake of Gly-Lys(63) (NH2)(64) into Caco-2 cells was followed using confocal microscopy. Being cationic, it first adsorbs to the cell surface, enters the cytoplasm and reaches the nucleus within 35-45 min. Estimates of the diffusion coefficient of the dendrimer within the cell cytoplasm leads to a value of 6.27 ( +/- 0.49) x 10(-11) cm(2) s(-1), which is up to 1000 times lower than the diffusion coefficient of the dendrimer in water. Intrinsically fluorescent dendrimers of different size and charge are useful probes of transport in cells.

  14. Magnetic structures in ultra-thin Holmium films: Influence of external magnetic field

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rodrigues, L.J. [Departamento de Física Teórica e Experimental, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59600-900, RN (Brazil); Departamento de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró 59625-620, RN (Brazil); Mello, V.D. [Departamento de Física, Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Mossoró 59625-620, RN (Brazil); Anselmo, D.H.A.L. [Departamento de Física Teórica e Experimental, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal 59600-900, RN (Brazil); Vasconcelos, M.S., E-mail: mvasconcelos@ect.ufrn.br [Escola de Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, 59072-970 Natal, RN (Brazil)

    2015-03-01

    We address the magnetic phases in very thin Ho films at the temperature interval between 20 K and 132 K. We show that slab size, surface effects and magnetic field due to spin ordering impact significantly the magnetic phase diagram. Also we report that there is a relevant reduction of the external field strength required to saturate the magnetization and for ultra-thin films the helical state does not form. We explore the specific heat and the susceptibility as auxiliary tools to discuss the nature of the phase transitions, when in the presence of an external magnetic field and temperature effects. The presence of an external field gives rise to the magnetic phase Fan and the spin-slip structures. - Highlights: • We analyze the magnetic phases of very thin Ho films in the temperature interval 20–132 K. • We show that slab size, etc. due to spin ordering may impact the magnetic phase diagram. • All magnetic phase transitions, for strong magnetic fields, are marked by the specific heat. • The presence of an external field gives rise to the magnetic phase Fan and the spin-slip one.

  15. In Silico Characterization of the Binding Affinity of Dendrimers to Penicillin-Binding Proteins (PBPs): Can PBPs be Potential Targets for Antibacterial Dendrimers?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Shaimaa; Vepuri, Suresh B; Ramesh, Muthusamy; Kalhapure, Rahul; Suleman, Nadia; Govender, Thirumala

    2016-04-01

    We have shown that novel silver salts of poly (propyl ether) imine (PETIM) dendron and dendrimers developed in our group exhibit preferential antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Staphylococcus aureus. This led us to examine whether molecular modeling methods could be used to identify the key structural design principles for a bioactive lead molecule, explore the mechanism of binding with biological targets, and explain their preferential antibacterial activity. The current article reports the conformational landscape as well as mechanism of binding of generation 1 PETIM dendron and dendrimers to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) in order to understand the antibacterial activity profiles of their silver salts. Molecular dynamics at different simulation protocols and conformational analysis were performed to elaborate on the conformational features of the studied dendrimers, as well as to create the initial structure for further binding studies. The results showed that for all compounds, there were no significant conformational changes due to variation in simulation conditions. Molecular docking calculations were performed to investigate the binding theme between the studied dendrimers and PBPs. Interestingly, in significant accordance with the experimental data, dendron and dendrimer with aliphatic cores were found to show higher activity against S. aureus than the dendrimer with an aromatic core. The latter showed higher activity against MRSA. The findings from this computational and molecular modeling report together with the experimental results serve as a road map toward designing more potent antibacterial dendrimers against resistant bacterial strains.

  16. Intrinsic radiation tolerance of ultra-thin GaAs solar cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hirst, L. C.; Yakes, M. K.; Warner, J. H.; Schmieder, K. J.; Walters, R. J.; Jenkins, P. P. [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW., Washington, D.C. 20375 (United States); Bennett, M. F. [Sotera Defense Solutions, Inc., Annapolis Junction, Maryland 20701-1067 (United States)

    2016-07-18

    Radiation tolerance is a critical performance criterion of photovoltaic devices for space power applications. In this paper we demonstrate the intrinsic radiation tolerance of an ultra-thin solar cell geometry. Device characteristics of GaAs solar cells with absorber layer thicknesses 80 nm and 800 nm were compared before and after 3 MeV proton irradiation. Both cells showed a similar degradation in V{sub oc} with increasing fluence; however, the 80 nm cell showed no degradation in I{sub sc} for fluences up to 10{sup 14 }p{sup +} cm{sup −2}. For the same exposure, the I{sub sc} of the 800 nm cell had severely degraded leaving a remaining factor of 0.26.

  17. Dendrimer D5 is a vector for peptide transport to brain cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarantseva, S V; Bolshakova, O I; Timoshenko, S I; Kolobov, A A; Schwarzman, A L

    2011-02-01

    Dendrimers are a new class of nonviral vectors for gene or drug transport. Dendrimer capacity to penetrate through the blood-brain barrier remaines little studied. Biotinylated polylysine dendrimer D5, similarly to human growth hormone biotinylated fragment covalently bound to D5 dendrimer, penetrates through the blood-brain barrier and accumulates in Drosophila brain after injection into the abdomen. Hence, D5 dendrimer can serve as a vector for peptide transport to brain cells.

  18. Comparison between bulk and thin foil ion irradiation of ultra high purity Fe

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prokhodtseva, A., E-mail: anna.prokhodtseva@psi.ch [Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Association Euratom-Confédération Suisse, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland); Décamps, B. [Centre de Spectrométrie Nucléaire et de Spectrométrie de Masse (CSNSM), CNRS-IN2P3-Univ. Paris-Sud 11, UMR 8609, Bât. 108, 91405 Orsay (France); Schäublin, R. [Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Centre de Recherches en Physique des Plasmas, Association Euratom-Confédération Suisse, 5232 Villigen PSI (Switzerland)

    2013-11-15

    Accumulation of radiation damage in ultra high purity iron under self ion irradiation without and with simultaneous He implantation was investigated in bulk and thin foil form to assess, on the one hand, the effect of free surfaces and, on the other hand, the influence of He. Specimens were irradiated at room temperature to a dose of 0.8 dpa and ∼900 appm He content. We found in thin foils after irradiation with single beam a majority of a{sub 0} 〈1 0 0〉 type loops, while in the presence of He it is the ½ a{sub 0} 〈1 1 1〉 type loops that prevail. In single beam irradiated bulk samples most of the loops are of ½ a{sub 0} 〈1 1 1〉 type. In both bulk and thin foils density of defects visible in transmission electron microscope is considerably higher when He is implanted with prevailing ½ a{sub 0} 〈1 1 1〉 dislocation loops, indicating that He stabilizes them.

  19. Synthesis of Polyamidoamine Dendrimer for Encapsulating Tetramethylscutellarein for Potential Bioactivity Enhancement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shadrack, Daniel M; Mubofu, Egid B; Nyandoro, Stephen S

    2015-11-04

    The biomedical potential of flavonoids is normally restricted by their low water solubility. However, little has been reported on their encapsulation into polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers to improve their biomedical applications. Generation four (G4) PAMAM dendrimer containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid core with acrylic acid and ethylenediamine as repeating units was synthesized by divergent approach and used to encapsulate a flavonoid tetramethylscutellarein (TMScu, 1) to study its solubility and in vitro release for potential bioactivity enhancement. The as-synthesized dendrimer and the dendrimer-TMScu complex were characterized by spectroscopic and spectrometric techniques. The encapsulation of 1 into dendrimer was achieved by a co-precipitation method with the encapsulation efficiency of 77.8% ± 0.69% and a loading capacity of 6.2% ± 0.06%. A phase solubility diagram indicated an increased water solubility of 1 as a function of dendrimer concentration at pH 4.0 and 7.2. In vitro release of 1 from its dendrimer complex indicated high percentage release at pH 4.0. The stability study of the TMScu-dendrimer at 0, 27 and 40 °C showed the formulations to be stable when stored in cool and dark conditions compared to those stored in light and warmer temperatures. Overall, PAMAM dendrimer-G4 is capable of encapsulating 1, increasing its solubility and thus could enhance its bioactivity.

  20. Nature of the effective interaction between dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, Taraknath; Dasgupta, Chandan; Maiti, Prabal K.

    2014-01-01

    We have performed fully atomistic classical molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the effective interaction between two polyamidoamine dendrimers. Using the umbrella sampling technique, we have obtained the potential of mean force (PMF) between the dendrimers and investigated the effects of protonation level and dendrimer size on the PMF. Our results show that the interaction between the dendrimers can be tuned from purely repulsive to partly attractive by changing the protonation level. The PMF profiles are well-fitted by the sum of an exponential and a Gaussian function with the weight of the exponential function dominating over that of the Gaussian function. This observation is in disagreement with the results obtained in previous analytic [C. Likos, M. Schmidt, H. Löwen, M. Ballauff, D. Pötschke, and P. Lindner, Macromolecules 34, 2914 (2001)] and coarse-grained simulation [I. Götze, H. Harreis, and C. Likos, J. Chem. Phys. 120, 7761 (2004)] studies which predicted the effective interaction to be Gaussian

  1. Nature of the effective interaction between dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mandal, Taraknath, E-mail: taraknath@physics.iisc.ernet.in; Dasgupta, Chandan, E-mail: cdgupta@physics.iisc.ernet.in; Maiti, Prabal K., E-mail: maiti@physics.iisc.ernet.in [Centre for Condensed Matter Theory, Physics Department, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012 (India)

    2014-10-14

    We have performed fully atomistic classical molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the effective interaction between two polyamidoamine dendrimers. Using the umbrella sampling technique, we have obtained the potential of mean force (PMF) between the dendrimers and investigated the effects of protonation level and dendrimer size on the PMF. Our results show that the interaction between the dendrimers can be tuned from purely repulsive to partly attractive by changing the protonation level. The PMF profiles are well-fitted by the sum of an exponential and a Gaussian function with the weight of the exponential function dominating over that of the Gaussian function. This observation is in disagreement with the results obtained in previous analytic [C. Likos, M. Schmidt, H. Löwen, M. Ballauff, D. Pötschke, and P. Lindner, Macromolecules 34, 2914 (2001)] and coarse-grained simulation [I. Götze, H. Harreis, and C. Likos, J. Chem. Phys. 120, 7761 (2004)] studies which predicted the effective interaction to be Gaussian.

  2. Peptide- and saccharide-conjugated dendrimers for targeted drug delivery: a concise review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jie; Gray, Warren D.; Davis, Michael E.; Luo, Ying

    2012-01-01

    Dendrimers comprise a category of branched materials with diverse functions that can be constructed with defined architectural and chemical structures. When decorated with bioactive ligands made of peptides and saccharides through peripheral chemical groups, dendrimer conjugates are turned into nanomaterials possessing attractive binding properties with the cognate receptors. At the cellular level, bioactive dendrimer conjugates can interact with cells with avidity and selectivity, and this function has particularly stimulated interests in investigating the targeting potential of dendrimer materials for the design of drug delivery systems. In addition, bioactive dendrimer conjugates have so far been studied for their versatile capabilities to enhance stability, solubility and absorption of various types of therapeutics. This review presents a brief discussion on three aspects of the recent studies to use peptide- and saccharide-conjugated dendrimers for drug delivery: (i) synthesis methods, (ii) cell- and tissue-targeting properties and (iii) applications of conjugated dendrimers in drug delivery nanodevices. With more studies to elucidate the structure–function relationship of ligand–dendrimer conjugates in transporting drugs, the conjugated dendrimers hold promise to facilitate targeted delivery and improve drug efficacy for discovery and development of modern pharmaceutics. PMID:23741608

  3. Enhanced cooling in mono-crystalline ultra-thin silicon by embedded micro-air channels

    KAUST Repository

    Ghoneim, Mohamed T.; Fahad, Hossain M.; Hussain, Aftab M.; Rojas, Jhonathan Prieto; Sevilla, Galo T.; Alfaraj, Nasir; Lizardo, Ernesto B.; Hussain, Muhammad Mustafa

    2015-01-01

    In today’s digital world, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology enabled scaling of bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100) based electronics has resulted in their higher performance but with increased dynamic and off-state power consumption. Such trade-off has caused excessive heat generation which eventually drains the charge of battery in portable devices. The traditional solution utilizing off-chip fans and heat sinks used for heat management make the whole system bulky and less mobile. Here we show, an enhanced cooling phenomenon in ultra-thin (>10 μm) mono-crystalline (100) silicon (detached from bulk substrate) by utilizing deterministic pattern of porous network of vertical “through silicon” micro-air channels that offer remarkable heat and weight management for ultra-mobile electronics, in a cost effective way with 20× reduction in substrate weight and a 12% lower maximum temperature at sustained loads. We also show the effectiveness of this event in functional MOS field effect transistors (MOSFETs) with high-κ/metal gate stacks.

  4. Enhanced cooling in mono-crystalline ultra-thin silicon by embedded micro-air channels

    KAUST Repository

    Ghoneim, Mohamed T.

    2015-12-11

    In today’s digital world, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology enabled scaling of bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100) based electronics has resulted in their higher performance but with increased dynamic and off-state power consumption. Such trade-off has caused excessive heat generation which eventually drains the charge of battery in portable devices. The traditional solution utilizing off-chip fans and heat sinks used for heat management make the whole system bulky and less mobile. Here we show, an enhanced cooling phenomenon in ultra-thin (>10 μm) mono-crystalline (100) silicon (detached from bulk substrate) by utilizing deterministic pattern of porous network of vertical “through silicon” micro-air channels that offer remarkable heat and weight management for ultra-mobile electronics, in a cost effective way with 20× reduction in substrate weight and a 12% lower maximum temperature at sustained loads. We also show the effectiveness of this event in functional MOS field effect transistors (MOSFETs) with high-κ/metal gate stacks.

  5. Inhibition of the norepinephrine transporter by χ-conotoxin dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Jingjing; Brust, Andreas; Bhola, Rebecca F; Jha, Prerna; Mobli, Mehdi; Lewis, Richard J; Christie, Macdonald J; Alewood, Paul F

    2016-05-01

    Peptide dendrimers are a novel class of macromolecules of emerging interest with the potential of delayed renal clearance due to their molecular size and enhanced activity due to the multivalency effect. In this work, an active analogue of the disulfide-rich χ-conotoxin χ-MrIA (χ-MrIA), a norepinephrine reuptake (norepinephrine transporter) inhibitor, was grafted onto a polylysine dendron. Dendron decoration was achieved by employing copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition with azido-PEG chain-modified χ-MrIA analogues, leading to homogenous 4-mer and 8-mer χ-MrIA dendrimers with molecular weights ranging from 8 to 22 kDa. These dendrimers were investigated for their impact on peptide secondary structure, in vitro functional activity, and potential anti-allodynia in vivo. NMR studies showed that the χ-MrIA tertiary structure was maintained in the χ-MrIA dendrimers. In a functional norepinephrine transporter reuptake assay, χ-MrIA dendrimers showed slightly increased potency relative to the azido-PEGylated χ-MrIA analogues with similar potency to the parent peptide. In contrast to χ-MrIA, no anti-allodynic action was observed when the χ-MrIA dendrimers were administered intrathecally in a rat model of neuropathic pain, suggesting that the larger dendrimer structures are unable to diffuse through the spinal column tissue and reach the norepinephrine transporter. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  6. Poly (amidoamine) dendrimer-mediated hybrid formulation for combination therapy of ramipril and hydrochlorothiazide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Mayank Kumar; Pooja, Deep; Kulhari, Hitesh; Jain, Sanjay Kumar; Sistla, Ramakrishna; Chauhan, Abhay Singh

    2017-01-01

    We present a dendrimer-based hybrid formulation strategy to explore the potential of poly (amidoamine) PAMAM dendrimers to be used as drug carriers for combination therapy of an anti-hypertensive drug ramipril (RAPL) and a diuretic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). The drug-dendrimer complexes were prepared by phase-equilibration method. The results showed that the solubility of RAPL and HCTZ was dependent on dendrimer concentration and pH of dendrimer solution. The solubility profile of both RAPL and HCTZ dendrimer complexes illustrated a non-linear relationship with dendrimer concentration. At 0.8% (w/v) dendrimer concentration, solubility of RAPL was increased 4.91 folds with amine-terminated while for HCTZ, solubility enhancement was highest (3.72 folds) with carboxy-terminated. The complexes were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and high performance liquid chromatography. In-vitro drug dissolution performance of pure drugs, individual drug loaded dendrimer formulations and hybrid formulations was studied in USP dissolution medium (pH7.0) and in simulated gastric fluid (pH1.2). Dendrimer mediated formulations showed faster and complete dissolution compared to pure RAPL or HCTZ. Surprisingly, similar pattern of dissolution profile was established with hybrid formulations as compared to individual drug loaded dendrimers. The dendrimer-based hybrid formulations were found to be stable at dark and refrigerated conditions up to 5weeks. Conclusively, the proposed formulation strategy establishes a novel multitasking platform using dendrimer for simultaneous loading and delivery of multiple drugs for pharmaceutical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Study of Dendrimers by Topological Indices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soleimani Najmeh

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, five degree based topological indices, the first Zagreb (M1, second Zagreb (M2, first multiple Zagreb (PM1, second multiple Zagreb (PM2, and the hyper Zagreb (HM indices of two types of dendrimers are studied. In addition, two distance based topological indices, the total eccentricity (θ and eccentric connectivity (ξc indices of these dendrimers are computed.

  8. The production of ultra-thin layers of ion-exchange resin and metallic silver by electrospraying

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wyllie, H.A.

    1988-10-01

    Highly efficient radioactive sources for use in radioisotope metrology have been prepared on ultra-thin layers of electrosprayed ion-exchange resin. The efficiency of these sources can be reduced for the purpose of radioactivity standardisation by coating them with conducting silver layers which are also produced by electrospraying. A description is given of improvements to the electrospraying methods, together with details of the rotating, oscillating source-mount turntable

  9. Cationic PAMAM dendrimers as pore-blocking binary toxin inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Förstner, Philip; Bayer, Fabienne; Kalu, Nnanya; Felsen, Susanne; Förtsch, Christina; Aloufi, Abrar; Ng, David Y W; Weil, Tanja; Nestorovich, Ekaterina M; Barth, Holger

    2014-07-14

    Dendrimers are unique highly branched macromolecules with numerous groundbreaking biomedical applications under development. Here we identified poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as novel blockers for the pore-forming B components of the binary anthrax toxin (PA63) and Clostridium botulinum C2 toxin (C2IIa). These pores are essential for delivery of the enzymatic A components of the internalized toxins from endosomes into the cytosol of target cells. We demonstrate that at low μM concentrations cationic PAMAM dendrimers block PA63 and C2IIa to inhibit channel-mediated transport of the A components, thereby protecting HeLa and Vero cells from intoxication. By channel reconstitution and high-resolution current recording, we show that the PAMAM dendrimers obstruct transmembrane PA63 and C2IIa pores in planar lipid bilayers at nM concentrations. These findings suggest a new potential role for the PAMAM dendrimers as effective polyvalent channel-blocking inhibitors, which can protect human target cells from intoxication with binary toxins from pathogenic bacteria.

  10. Phosphorus Dendrimers as Carriers of siRNA—Characterisation of Dendriplexes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Pierre Majoral

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available There are many types of dendrimers used as nanomolecules for gene delivery but there is still an ongoing search for ones that are able to effectively deliver drugs to cells. The possibility of gene silencing using siRNA gives hope for effective treatment of numerous diseases. The aim of this work was to investigate in vitro biophysical properties of dendriplexes formed by siRNA and cationic phosphorus dendrimers of 3rd and 4th generation. First, using the ethidium bromide intercalation method, it was examined whether dendrimers have an ability to form complexes with siRNA. Next, the characterisation of dendriplexes formed at different molar ratios was carried out using biophysical methods. The effects of zeta potential, size and changes of siRNA conformation on the complexation with dendrimers were examined. It was found that both phosphorus dendrimers interacted with siRNA. The zeta potential values of dendriplexes ranged from negative to positive and the hydrodynamic diameter depended on the number of dendrimer molecules in the complex. Furthermore, using circular dichroism spectroscopy it was found that cationic phosphorus dendrimers changed only slightly the shape of siRNA CD spectra, thus they did not induce significant changes in the nucleic acid secondary structure during complex formation.

  11. Structural properties of dendrimer-colloid mixtures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lenz, Dominic A; Blaak, Ronald; Likos, Christos N

    2012-01-01

    We consider binary mixtures of colloidal particles and amphiphilic dendrimers of the second generation by means of Monte Carlo simulations. By using the effective interactions between monomer-resolved dendrimers and colloids, we compare the results of simulations of mixtures stemming from a full monomer-resolved description with the effective two-component description at different densities, composition ratios, colloid diameters and interaction strengths. Additionally, we map the two-component system onto an effective one-component model for the colloids in the presence of the dendrimers. Simulations based on the resulting depletion potentials allow us to extend the comparison to yet another level of coarse graining and to examine under which conditions this two-step approach is valid. In addition, a preliminary outlook into the phase behavior of this system is given. (paper)

  12. Flexible Ultra Moisture Barrier Film for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    David M. Dean

    2012-10-30

    Flexible Thin-film photovoltaic (TFPV) is a low cost alternative to incumbent c-Si PV products as it requires less volume of costly semiconductor materials and it can potentially reduce installation cost. Among the TFPV options, copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) has the highest efficiency and is believed to be one of the most attractive candidates to achieve PV cost reduction. However, CIGS cells are very moisture sensitive and require module water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of less than 1x10-4 gram of water per square meter per day (g-H2O/m2/day). Successful development and commercialization of flexible transparent ultra moisture barrier film is the key to enable flexible CIGS TFPV products, and thus enable ultimate PV cost reduction. At DuPont, we have demonstrated at lab scale that we can successfully make polymer-based flexible transparent ultra moisture barrier film by depositing alumina on polymer films using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology. The layer by layer ALD approach results in uniform and amorphous structure which effectively reduces pinhole density of the inorganic coating on the polymer, and thus allow the fabrication of flexible barrier film with WVTR of 10-5 g-H2O/m2/day. Currently ALD is a time-consuming process suitable only for high-value, relatively small substrates. To successfully commercialize the ALD-on-plastic technology for the PV industry, there is the need to scale up this technology and improve throughput. The goal of this contract work was to build a prototype demonstrating that the ALD technology could be scaled-up for commercial use. Unfortunately, the prototype failed to produce an ultra-barrier film by the close of the project.

  13. Synthesis and optical properties of water-soluble biperylene-based dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shao, Pin; Jia, Ningyang; Zhang, Shaojuan; Bai, Mingfeng

    2014-05-30

    We report the synthesis and photophysical properties of three biperylene-based dendrimers, which show red fluorescence in water. A fluorescence microscopy study demonstrated uptake of biperylene-based dendrimers in living cells. Our results indicate that these biperylene-based dendrimers are promising candidates in fluorescence imaging applications with the potential as therapeutic carriers.

  14. Interactions of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers with human serum albumin: binding constants and mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giri, Jyotsnendu; Diallo, Mamadou S; Simpson, André J; Liu, Yi; Goddard, William A; Kumar, Rajeev; Woods, Gwen C

    2011-05-24

    The interactions of nanomaterials with plasma proteins have a significant impact on their in vivo transport and fate in biological fluids. This article discusses the binding of human serum albumin (HSA) to poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimers. We use protein-coated silica particles to measure the HSA binding constants (K(b)) of a homologous series of 19 PAMAM dendrimers in aqueous solutions at physiological pH (7.4) as a function of dendrimer generation, terminal group, and core chemistry. To gain insight into the mechanisms of HSA binding to PAMAM dendrimers, we combined (1)H NMR, saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR, and NMR diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) of dendrimer-HSA complexes with atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dendrimer conformation in aqueous solutions. The binding measurements show that the HSA binding constants (K(b)) of PAMAM dendrimers depend on dendrimer size and terminal group chemistry. The NMR (1)H and DOSY experiments indicate that the interactions between HSA and PAMAM dendrimers are relatively weak. The (1)H NMR STD experiments and MD simulations suggest that the inner shell protons of the dendrimers groups interact more strongly with HSA proteins. These interactions, which are consistently observed for different dendrimer generations (G0-NH(2)vs G4-NH(2)) and terminal groups (G4-NH(2)vs G4-OH with amidoethanol groups), suggest that PAMAM dendrimers adopt backfolded configurations as they form weak complexes with HSA proteins in aqueous solutions at physiological pH (7.4).

  15. Synthesis of Poly(3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate) dendrimers from Polyphenols and Their Chemiluminescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, Dai Il; Song, Ju Hyun; Shin, Eun Hye; Kim, Yun Young; Lee, Do Hun; Choi, Soon Kyu; Hahn, Jung Tai

    2010-01-01

    Polyphenol dendrimers were synthesized to obtain a strong CL compound, and their CL intensities were found to be considerably stronger than the CL intensity of GA. The esterification of the hydroxyl groups of GA in the dendrimer was very effective in developing a strong CL. Further, the relationship between the CL intensity and structure of polyphenol dendrimers must be clarified to understand the reason behind the strong light emission of high-per-branch compounds such as poly(3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate ester) dendrimers. Polyphenol CL dendrimers can be used for a wide variety of CL assays by utilizing the hydroxyl groups of the polyphenol for forming a hydrogen bond with oxygen in the analyte structure. Dendrimer chemistry is rapidly expanding both for fundamental reasons as well as due to requirements in technological applications. A recent interesting development in dendrimer chemistry concerns the coordination of metal ions by interior branches or exterior units. Dendrimers containing photoactive units are particularly interesting for two reasons: (1) cooperation among the photoactive components can allow the dendrimer to perform specific functions, and (2) changes in the properties of photoactive components can be exploited to monitor the participation of dendrimers in chemical processes

  16. Peptide dendrimers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Niederhafner, Petr; Šebestík, Jaroslav; Ježek, Jan

    2005-01-01

    Roč. 11, - (2005), 757-788 ISSN 1075-2617 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA203/03/1362 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : multiple antigen peptides * peptide dendrimers * synthetic vaccine * multipleantigenic peptides Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 1.803, year: 2005

  17. Influence of dendrimer's structure on its activity against amyloid fibril formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klajnert, B.; Cortijo-Arellano, M.; Cladera, J.; Bryszewska, M.

    2006-01-01

    Inhibition of fibril assembly is a potential therapeutic strategy in neurodegenerative disorders such as prion and Alzheimer's diseases. Highly branched, globular polymers-dendrimers-are novel promising inhibitors of fibril formation. In this study, the effect of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (generations 3rd, 4th, and 5th) on amyloid aggregation of the prion peptide PrP 185-208 and the Alzheimer's peptide Aβ 1-28 was examined. Amyloid fibrils were produced in vitro and their formation was monitored using the dye thioflavin T (ThT). Fluorescence studies were complemented with electron microscopy. The results show that the higher the dendrimer generation, the larger the degree of inhibition of the amyloid aggregation process and the more effective are dendrimers in disrupting the already existing fibrils. A hypothesis on dendrimer-peptide interaction mechanism is presented based on the dendrimers' molecular structure

  18. Structure of a zinc oxide ultra-thin film on Rh(100)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuhara, J.; Kato, D.; Matsui, T. [Department of Materials, Physics and Energy Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Mizuno, S. [Department of Molecular and Material Sciences, Kyushu University, Kasuga, Fukuoka 816–8580 (Japan)

    2015-11-07

    The structural parameters of ultra-thin zinc oxide films on Rh(100) are investigated using low-energy electron diffraction intensity (LEED I–V) curves, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations. From the analysis of LEED I–V curves and DFT calculations, two optimized models A and B are determined. Their structures are basically similar to the planer h-BN ZnO(0001) structure, although some oxygen atoms protrude from the surface, associated with an in-plane shift of Zn atoms. From a comparison of experimental STM images and simulated STM images, majority and minority structures observed in the STM images represent the two optimized models A and B, respectively.

  19. Magnetic anisotropy in iron thin films evaporated under ultra-high vacuum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dinhut, J.F.; Eymery, J.P.; Krishnan, R.

    1992-01-01

    α-iron thin films with thickness ranging between 20 and 1500 nm have been evaporated using an electron gun under ultra-high vacuum conditions (5.10 -7 P). The columnar structure observed in cross-sectional TEM is related to the large surface diffusion. From Moessbauer spectra the spin orientation is deduced and found to be influenced by the column axis. Spins can be obtained perpendicularly to the film plane by rotating the substrte during the deposition. The magnetization of the samples is reduced by about 30% and the reduction attributed to the interstitial space which increases with the incident angle. The substrate rotation also decreases Ku( parallel ) by a factor 2 and increases Ku( perpendicular to ). (orig.)

  20. GaAs detectors with an ultra-thin Schottky contact for spectrometry of charged particles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chernykh, S.V., E-mail: chsv_84@mail.ru [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Research Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Chernykh, A.V. [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Didenko, S.I.; Baryshnikov, F.M. [National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Research Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Burtebayev, N. [Research Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Institute of Nuclear Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Britvich, G.I. [Institute of High Energy Physics, Protvino, Moscow region (Russian Federation); Chubenko, A.P. [Research Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan); P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Guly, V.G.; Glybin, Yu.N. [LLC “SNIIP Plus”, Moscow (Russian Federation); Zholdybayev, T.K.; Burtebayeva, J.T.; Nassurlla, M. [Research Institute of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan); Institute of Nuclear Physics, Almaty (Kazakhstan)

    2017-02-11

    For the first time, samples of particle detectors based on high-purity GaAs epilayers with an active area of 25 and 80 mm{sup 2} and an ultra-thin Pt Schottky barrier were fabricated for use in the spectrometry of charged particles and their operating characteristics were studied. The obtained FWHM of 14.2 (for 25 mm{sup 2} detector) and 15.5 keV (for 80 mm{sup 2} detector) on the 5.499 MeV line of {sup 238}Pu is at the level of silicon spectrometric detectors. It was found that the main component that determines the energy resolution of the detector is a fluctuation in the number of collected electron–hole pairs. This allows us to state that the obtained energy resolution is close to the limit for VPE GaAs. - Highlights: • VPE GaAs particle detectors with an active area of 25 and 80 mm{sup 2} were fabricated. • 120 Å ultra-thin Pt Schottky barrier was used as a rectifying contact. • The obtained FWHM of 14.2 keV ({sup 238}Pu) is at the level of Si spectrometric detectors. • Various components of the total energy resolution were analyzed. • It was shown that obtained energy resolution is close to its limit for VPE GaAs.

  1. Ultra thin hydro-films based on lactose-crosslinked fish gelatin for wound healing applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Etxabide, Alaitz; Vairo, Claudia; Santos-Vizcaino, Edorta; Guerrero, Pedro; Pedraz, Jose Luis; Igartua, Manoli; de la Caba, Koro; Hernandez, Rosa Maria

    2017-09-15

    This study focuses on the development and characterization of an ultra thin hydro-film based on lactose-mediated crosslinking of fish gelatin by Maillard reaction. Lactose results in the only efficient crosslinker able to produce resistant to handling hydro-films when compared to conventional crosslinkers such as glutaraldehyde or genipin (tested at 25 and 37°C in phosphate buffer saline solution (PBS)).The disappearance of the peak related to the N-containing groups (XPS) and the images obtained by SEM and AFM demonstrate the highly ordered nano-scaled structure of lactose-crosslinked gelatin, confirming the crosslinking efficiency. This dressing presents high hydrophilicity and mild occlusivity, as shown by the swelling curve (max swelling at 5min) and by the occlusion factor of 25.17±0.99%, respectively. It demonstrates high stability to hydrolysis or cell-mediated degradation. Moreover, ISO 10993-5:2009 biocompatibility assay results in undetectable cytotoxicity effects. Spreading, adhesion and proliferation assays confirm the excellent adaptability of the cells onto the hydro-film surface without invading the dressing. Finally, the hydro-film enables the controlled delivery of therapeutic factors, such as the epidermal growth factor (EGF). This study demonstrates that lactose-mediated crosslinking is able to produce ultra thin gelatin hydro-films with suitable properties for biomedical applications, such as wound healing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Ultra thin layer activation by recoil implantation of radioactive heavy ions. Applicability in wear and corrosion studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lacroix, O.; Sauvage, T.; Blondiaux, G.; Guinard, L.

    1997-07-01

    A new calibration procedure is proposed for the application of recoil implantation of radioactive heavy ions (energies between a few hundred keV and a few MeV) into the near surface of materials as part of a research programme on sub-micrometric wear or corrosion phenomena. The depth profile of implanted radioelements is performed by using ultra thin deposited films obtained by cathode sputtering under argon plasma. Two curves for 56 Co ion in nickel have been determined for implantation depths of 110 and 200 nm, respectively, and stress the feasibility and reproducibility of this method for such activated depths. The achieved surface loss detection sensitivities are about 1 and 2 nm respectively. The on line detection mode is performed directly on the sample of interest. A general description of the method is presented. A study of the reaction kinematics followed by a general treatment on the irradiation parameters to be adopted are also developed with the intention of using the ultra thin layer activation method (UTLA) to further applications in research and industry. (author)

  3. Molecular analysis of interactions between dendrimers and asymmetric membranes at different transport stages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, XiaoCong; Qu, ZhiGuo; Xu, Feng; Lin, Min; Wang, JiuLing; Shi, XingHua; Lu, TianJian

    2014-01-07

    Studying dendrimer-biomembrane interactions is important for understanding drug and gene delivery. In this study, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the behaviors of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (G4 and G5) as they interacted with asymmetric membranes from different sides of the bilayer, thus mimicking different dendrimer transport stages. The G4 dendrimer could insert into the membrane during an equilibrated state, and the G5 dendrimer could induce pore formation in the membrane when the dendrimers interacted with the outer side (outer interactions) of an asymmetric membrane [with 10% dipalmitoyl phosphatidylserine (DPPS) in the inner leaflet of the membrane]. During the interaction with the inner side of the asymmetric membrane (inner interactions), the G4 and G5 dendrimers only adsorbed onto the membrane. As the membrane asymmetry increased (e.g., increased DPPS percentage in the inner leaflet of the membrane), the G4 and G5 dendrimers penetrated deeper into the membrane during the outer interactions and the G4 and G5 dendrimers were adsorbed more tightly onto the membrane for the inner interactions. When the DPPS content reached 50%, the G4 dendrimer could completely penetrate through the membrane from the outer side to the inner side. Our study provides molecular understanding and reference information about different dendrimer transport stages during drug and gene delivery.

  4. Direct synthesis and morphological characterization of gold-dendrimer nanocomposites prepared using PAMAM succinamic acid dendrimers: preliminary study of the calcification potential.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasile, E; Serafim, A; Petre, D; Giol, D; Dubruel, P; Iovu, H; Stancu, I C

    2014-01-01

    Gold-dendrimer nanocomposites were obtained for the first time by a simple colloidal approach based on the use of polyamidoamine dendrimers with succinamic acid terminal groups and dodecanediamine core. Spherical and highly crystalline nanoparticles with dimensions between 3 nm and 60 nm, and size-polydispersity depending on the synthesis conditions, have been generated. The influence of the stoichiometric ratio and the structural and architectural features of the dendrimers on the properties of the nanocomposites has been described. The self-assembling behaviour of these materials produces gold-dendrimer nanostructured porous networks with variable density, porosity, and composition. The investigations of the reaction systems, by TEM, at two postsynthesis moments, allowed to preliminary establish the control over the properties of the nanocomposite products. Furthermore, this study allowed better understanding of the mechanism of nanocomposite generation. Impressively, in the early stages of the synthesis, the organization of gold inside the dendrimer molecules has been evidenced by micrographs. Growth and ripening mechanisms further lead to nanoparticles with typical characteristics. The potential of such nanocomposite particles to induce calcification when coating a polymer substrate was also investigated.

  5. Direct Synthesis and Morphological Characterization of Gold-Dendrimer Nanocomposites Prepared Using PAMAM Succinamic Acid Dendrimers: Preliminary Study of the Calcification Potential

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. Vasile

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Gold-dendrimer nanocomposites were obtained for the first time by a simple colloidal approach based on the use of polyamidoamine dendrimers with succinamic acid terminal groups and dodecanediamine core. Spherical and highly crystalline nanoparticles with dimensions between 3 nm and 60 nm, and size-polydispersity depending on the synthesis conditions, have been generated. The influence of the stoichiometric ratio and the structural and architectural features of the dendrimers on the properties of the nanocomposites has been described. The self-assembling behaviour of these materials produces gold-dendrimer nanostructured porous networks with variable density, porosity, and composition. The investigations of the reaction systems, by TEM, at two postsynthesis moments, allowed to preliminary establish the control over the properties of the nanocomposite products. Furthermore, this study allowed better understanding of the mechanism of nanocomposite generation. Impressively, in the early stages of the synthesis, the organization of gold inside the dendrimer molecules has been evidenced by micrographs. Growth and ripening mechanisms further lead to nanoparticles with typical characteristics. The potential of such nanocomposite particles to induce calcification when coating a polymer substrate was also investigated.

  6. Performance enhancement in organic photovoltaic solar cells using iridium (Ir) ultra-thin surface modifier (USM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Rina; Lim, Ju Won; Kim, Jung Hyuk; Angadi, Basavaraj; Choi, Ji Won; Choi, Won Kook

    2018-06-01

    In this study, Iridium (Ir) metallic layer as an ultra-thin surface modifier (USM) was deposited on ITO coated glass substrate using radio frequency magnetron sputtering for improving the photo-conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic cells. Ultra-thin Ir acts as a surface modifier replacing the conventional hole transport layer (HTL) PEDOT:PSS in organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells with two different active layers P3HT:PC60BM and PTB7:PC70BM. The Ir USM (1.0 nm) coated on ITO glass substrate showed transmittance of 84.1% and work function of >5.0 eV, which is higher than that of ITO (4.5-4.7 eV). The OPV cells with Ir USM (1.0 nm) exhibits increased power conversion efficiency of 3.70% (for P3HT:PC60BM active layer) and 7.28% (for PTB7:PC70BM active layer) under 100 mW/cm2 illumination (AM 1.5G) which are higher than those of 3.26% and 6.95% for the same OPV cells but with PEDOT:PSS as HTL instead of Ir USM. The results reveal that the chemically stable Ir USM layer could be used as an alternative material for PEDOT:PSS in organic photovoltaic cells.

  7. Molecular dynamics simulations of disjoining pressure effects in ultra-thin water films on a metal surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Han; Sun, Ying

    2013-11-01

    Disjoining pressure, the excess pressure in an ultra-thin liquid film as a result of van der Waals interactions, is important in lubrication, wetting, flow boiling, and thin film evaporation. The classic theory of disjoining pressure is developed for simple monoatomic liquids. However, real world applications often utilize water, a polar liquid, for which fundamental understanding of disjoining pressure is lacking. In the present study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to gain insights into the effect of disjoining pressure in a water thin film. Our MD models were firstly validated against Derjaguin's experiments on gold-gold interactions across a water film and then verified against disjoining pressure in an argon thin film using the Lennard-Jones potential. Next, a water thin film adsorbed on a gold surface was simulated to examine the change of vapor pressure with film thickness. The results agree well with the classic theory of disjoining pressure, which implies that the polar nature of water molecules does not play an important role. Finally, the effects of disjoining pressure on thin film evaporation in nanoporous membrane and on bubble nucleation are discussed.

  8. Electrical properties of single crystal Yttrium Iron Garnet ultra-thin films at high temperatures

    OpenAIRE

    Thiery, Nicolas; Naletov, Vladimir V.; Vila, Laurent; Marty, Alain; Brenac, Ariel; Jacquot, Jean-François; de Loubens, Grégoire; Viret, Michel; Anane, Abdelmadjid; Cros, Vincent; Youssef, Jamal Ben; Demidov, Vladislav E.; Demokritov, Sergej O.; Klein, Olivier

    2017-01-01

    We report a study on the electrical properties of 19 nm thick Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) films grown by liquid phase epitaxy. The electrical conductivity and Hall coefficient are measured in the high temperature range [300,400]~K using a Van der Pauw four-point probe technique. We find that the electrical resistivity decreases exponentially with increasing temperature following an activated behavior corresponding to a band-gap of $E_g\\approx 2$ eV, indicating that epitaxial YIG ultra-thin film...

  9. Solubility improvement of an anthelmintic benzimidazole carbamate by association with dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez, L.; Sigal, E.; Santo, M.; Otero, L.; Silber, J. J.

    2011-01-01

    The improvement of aqueous solubility of methyl (5-[propylthio]-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl) carbamate, albendazole (ABZ) using polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as solubility enhancers was investigated. Full generation PAMAM dendrimers with amine terminal groups, (G3), with hydroxyl terminal groups (G3OH) and half generation PAMAM dendrimers with carboxylate terminal groups (G2.5 and G3.5), were chosen for this study. The nature of dendrimer-ABZ association was investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence emission measurements and by 1 H-NMR spectroscopy. The results obtained show that these polymeric structures have the capacity to enhance the solubility of ABZ, both lipophilic and specific hydrogen bond interactions contributing to the guest-host association. Although all studied dendrimers have hydrophobic internal nanoenvironments with similar dimensions, their surfaces differ significantly and the nature and the localization of the interactions involved in ABZ-dendrimer association depend on the type of terminal groups. (author)

  10. Dendrimer-magnetic nanostructure: a Monte Carlo simulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jabar, A.; Masrour, R.

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, the magnetic properties of ternary mixed spins (σ,S,q) Ising model on a dendrimer nanostructure are studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The ground state phase diagrams of dendrimer nanostructure with ternary mixed spins σ = 1/2, S = 1 and q = 3/2 Ising model are found. The variation of the thermal total and partial magnetizations with the different exchange interactions, the external magnetic fields and the crystal fields have been also studied. The reduced critical temperatures have been deduced. The magnetic hysteresis cycles have been discussed. In particular, the corresponding magnetic coercive filed values have been deduced. The multiples hysteresis cycles are found. The dendrimer nanostructure has several applications in the medicine.

  11. Brief Timelapse on Dendrimer Chemistry: Advances, Limitations, and Expectations

    KAUST Repository

    Ornelas, Catia

    2015-01-01

    , with a critical analysis on the expectations, limitations, advances, current challenges and future directions. Dendrimer timelapse demonstrates constant evolution in dendrimer chemistry enabling their application in nanomedicine, protein mimic, catalysis

  12. Synthesis of PAMAM dendrimers and investigations of their interaction with POPC/POPG lipids

    OpenAIRE

    Gneid, Hassan

    2014-01-01

    PAMAM dendrimers are three dimensional organic polymers synthesised by repetitive steps to achieve a controlled size and shape with a choice of surface functional groups. One of the potential applications of dendrimers is for drug/gene delivery which requires the dendrimer to interact with the cellular membranes. This study is designed to probe the interactions between PAMAM dendrimers and lipid bilayers. To investigate these interactions PAMAM dendrimers up to the third generation were synth...

  13. Tecto-dendrimers: a study of covalently bound nanospheres

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Welch, Paul M [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Welch, Cynthia F [Los Alamos National Laboratory

    2008-01-01

    We present a computational and theoretical study of the size, shape, and solution properties of tecto-dendrimers. This class of polymer, composed of a central dendrimer with multiple dendrimers attached at its periphery, holds promise for multi-drug delivery and environmental remediation applications. We find (i) that the maximum number of tecto-units that may be attached to the central core varies logarightmically with the ratio of the sizes of the dendrimers, (ii) that their density profiles display a minimum near the junction of the tecto-units with the core, (iii) that a simple expression captures their radius of gyration, (iv) that their intrinsic viscosity will display a maximum as a function of the number of tecto-units attached, and (v) that their sphericity increases with increasing number of attached tecto-units. These results should bear upon both the synthesis and application of these materials.

  14. Transepithelial transport and toxicity of PAMAM dendrimers: implications for oral drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadekar, S; Ghandehari, H

    2012-05-01

    This article summarizes efforts to evaluate poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as carriers for oral drug delivery. Specifically, the effect of PAMAM generation, surface charge and surface modification on toxicity, cellular uptake and transepithelial transport is discussed. Studies on Caco-2 monolayers, as models of intestinal epithelial barrier, show that by engineering surface chemistry of PAMAM dendrimers, it is possible to minimize toxicity while maximizing transepithelial transport. It has been demonstrated that PAMAM dendrimers are transported by a combination of paracellular and transcellular routes. Depending on surface chemistry, PAMAM dendrimers can open the tight junctions of epithelial barriers. This tight junction opening is in part mediated by internalization of the dendrimers. Transcellular transport of PAMAM dendrimers is mediated by a variety of endocytic mechanisms. Attachment or complexation of cytotoxic agents to PAMAM dendrimers enhances the transport of such drugs across epithelial barriers. A remaining challenge is the design and development of linker chemistries that are stable in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and the blood stream, but amenable to cleavage at the target site of action. Recent efforts have focused on the use of PAMAM dendrimers as penetration enhancers. Detailed in vivo oral bioavailability of PAMAM dendrimer-drug conjugates, as a function of physicochemical properties will further need to be assessed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Dendrimers in Medicine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wu, Linping; Ficker, Mario; Christensen, Jørn Bolstad

    2015-01-01

    Dendrimers are three-dimensional macromolecular structures originating from a central core molecule and surrounded by successive addition of branching layers (generation). These structures exhibit a high degree of molecular uniformity, narrow molecular weight distribution, tunable size and shape ...

  16. Ultra-low damping in lift-off structured yttrium iron garnet thin films

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krysztofik, A.; Coy, L. E.; Kuświk, P.; Załeski, K.; Głowiński, H.; Dubowik, J.

    2017-11-01

    We show that using maskless photolithography and the lift-off technique, patterned yttrium iron garnet thin films possessing ultra-low Gilbert damping can be accomplished. The films of 70 nm thickness were grown on (001)-oriented gadolinium gallium garnet by means of pulsed laser deposition, and they exhibit high crystalline quality, low surface roughness, and the effective magnetization of 127 emu/cm3. The Gilbert damping parameter is as low as 5 ×10-4. The obtained structures have well-defined sharp edges which along with good structural and magnetic film properties pave a path in the fabrication of high-quality magnonic circuits and oxide-based spintronic devices.

  17. Electrostatic Swelling and Conformational Variation Observed in High-Generation Polyelectrolyte Dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Butler, Paul D.; Chen, Wei-Ren; Herwig, Kenneth W.; Hong, Kunlun; Liu, Yun; Porcar, L.; Shew, Chwen-Yang; Smith, Gregory Scott; Chen, Hsin-Lung; Chen, Chun-Yu; Li, Xin; Liu, Emily

    2010-01-01

    A coordinated study combining small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements was conducted to investigate the structural characteristics of aqueous (D2O) generation 7 and 8 (G7 and G8) PAMAM dendrimer solutions as a function of molecular protonation at room temperature. The change in intra-molecular conformation was clearly exhibited in the data analysis by separating the variation in the inter-molecular correlation. Our results unambiguously demonstrate an increased molecular size and evolved intra-molecular density profile upon increasing the molecular protonation. This is contrary to the existing understanding that in higher generation polyelectrolyte dendrimers, steric crowding stiffens the local motion of dendrimer segments exploring additional available intra-dendrimer volume and therefore inhibits the electrostatic swelling. Our observation is relevant to elucidation of the general microscopic picture of polyelectrolyte dendrimer structure, as well as the development of dendrimer-based packages with based on the stimuli-responsive principle.

  18. Solubility improvement of an anthelmintic benzimidazole carbamate by association with dendrimers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Fernández

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The improvement of aqueous solubility of methyl (5-[propylthio]-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate, albendazole (ABZ using polyamidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers as solubility enhancers was investigated. Full generation PAMAM dendrimers with amine terminal groups, (G3, with hydroxyl terminal groups (G3OH and half generation PAMAM dendrimers with carboxylate terminal groups (G2.5 and G3.5, were chosen for this study. The nature of dendrimer-ABZ association was investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence emission measurements and by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The results obtained show that these polymeric structures have the capacity to enhance the solubility of ABZ, both lipophilic and specific hydrogen bond interactions contributing to the guest-host association. Although all studied dendrimers have hydrophobic internal nanoenvironments with similar dimensions, their surfaces differ significantly and the nature and the localization of the interactions involved in ABZ-dendrimer association depend on the type of terminal groups.

  19. Solubility improvement of an anthelmintic benzimidazole carbamate by association with dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fernandez, L.; Sigal, E.; Santo, M., E-mail: msanto@exa.unrc.edu.ar [Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto (Argentina); Otero, L.; Silber, J. J. [Departamento de Quimica. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, Rio Cuarto (Argentina)

    2011-10-15

    The improvement of aqueous solubility of methyl (5-[propylthio]-1H-benzimidazole-2-yl) carbamate, albendazole (ABZ) using polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as solubility enhancers was investigated. Full generation PAMAM dendrimers with amine terminal groups, (G3), with hydroxyl terminal groups (G3OH) and half generation PAMAM dendrimers with carboxylate terminal groups (G2.5 and G3.5), were chosen for this study. The nature of dendrimer-ABZ association was investigated by UV absorption, fluorescence emission measurements and by {sup 1}H-NMR spectroscopy. The results obtained show that these polymeric structures have the capacity to enhance the solubility of ABZ, both lipophilic and specific hydrogen bond interactions contributing to the guest-host association. Although all studied dendrimers have hydrophobic internal nanoenvironments with similar dimensions, their surfaces differ significantly and the nature and the localization of the interactions involved in ABZ-dendrimer association depend on the type of terminal groups. (author)

  20. The effect of dendrimer charge inversion in complexes with linear polyelectrolytes

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lyulin, S.V.; Lyulin, A.V.; Darinskii, A.A.; Emri, I.

    2005-01-01

    The structure of complexes formed by charged dendrimers and oppositely charged linear chains with a charge of at least the same as that of dendrimers was studied by computer simulation using the Brownian dynamics method. The freely jointed, free-draining model of the dendrimer and the linear chain

  1. Facile Preparation of Hybrid Zinc Porphyrin Dendrimer Using Coordination Complex

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Go-Eun; Shin, Eun Ju [Sunchon National University, Suncheon (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-03-15

    Porphyrins and metalloporphyrins have been investigated extensively due to their important role in natural photosynthesis, strong absorption in visible region, good light-harvesting properties, unique photophysical and electrochemical properties, and the development of simple synthetic routes for various derivatives. Dendrimers have globular structure with branches of repeating units and wide diversity of the architecture because their size, shape, and functionalities can be tailored. Numerous dendrimers have been designed and synthesized for various applications ranging from catalyst to drug delivery. Both pyridine dendrons Py-PD and Py-AD were successfully coordinated at axial position on central zinc metal cation in zinc porphyrin dendrimers ZnP-AD, ZnP-AD2, or ZnP-AD4. Therefore, it was proven that the formation of axial coordination complex between metal-centered dendrimer and ligand-containing dendron provides another facile method for the preparation of new hybrid dendrimer.

  2. Axial ion channeling patterns from ultra-thin silicon membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Motapothula, M.; Dang, Z.Y.; Venkatesan, T.; Breese, M.B.H.; Rana, M.A.; Osman, A.

    2012-01-01

    We present channeling patterns produced by MeV protons transmitted through 55 nm thick [0 0 1] silicon membranes showing the early evolution of the axially channeled beam angular distribution for small tilts away from the [0 0 1], [0 1 1] and [1 1 1] axes. Instead of a ring-like “doughnut” distribution previously observed at small tilts to major axes in thicker membranes, geometric shapes such as squares and hexagons are observed along different axes in ultra-thin membranes. The different shapes arise because of the highly non-equilibrium transverse momentum distribution of the channeled beam during its initial propagation in the crystal and the reduced multiple scattering which allows the fine angular structure to be resolved. We describe a simple geometric construction of the intersecting planar channels at an axis to gain insight into the origin of the geometric shapes observed in such patterns and how they evolve into the ‘doughnut’ distributions in thicker crystals.

  3. Peptide Dendrimer/Lipid Hybrid Systems Are Efficient DNA Transfection Reagents: Structure–Activity Relationships Highlight the Role of Charge Distribution Across Dendrimer Generations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Efficient DNA delivery into cells is the prerequisite of the genetic manipulation of organisms in molecular and cellular biology as well as, ultimately, in nonviral gene therapy. Current reagents, however, are relatively inefficient, and structure–activity relationships to guide their improvement are hard to come by. We now explore peptide dendrimers as a new type of transfection reagent and provide a quantitative framework for their evaluation. A collection of dendrimers with cationic and hydrophobic amino acid motifs (such as KK, KA, KH, KL, and LL) distributed across three dendrimer generations was synthesized by a solid-phase protocol that provides ready access to dendrimers in milligram quantities. In conjunction with a lipid component (DOTMA/DOPE), the best reagent, G1,2,3-KL ((LysLeu)8(LysLysLeu)4(LysLysLeu)2LysGlySerCys-NH2), improves transfection by 6–10-fold over commercial reagents under their respective optimal conditions. Emerging structure–activity relationships show that dendrimers with cationic and hydrophobic residues distributed in each generation are transfecting most efficiently. The trigenerational dendritic structure has an advantage over a linear analogue worth up to an order of magnitude. The success of placing the decisive cationic charge patterns in inner shells rather than previously on the surface of macromolecules suggests that this class of dendrimers significantly differs from existing transfection reagents. In the future, this platform may be tuned further and coupled to cell-targeting moieties to enhance transfection and cell specificity. PMID:23682947

  4. Foldover, quasi-periodicity, spin-wave instabilities in ultra-thin films subject to RF fields

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Aquino, M. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Napoli ' Federico II' , Naples I-80125 (Italy)]. E-mail: mdaquino@unina.it; Bertotti, G. [Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM), I-10135 Turin (Italy); Serpico, C. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Napoli ' Federico II' , Naples I-80125 (Italy); Mayergoyz, I.D. [ECE Department and UMIACS, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Bonin, R. [Istituto Nazionale di Ricerca Metrologica (INRIM), I-10135 Turin (Italy); Guida, G. [Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Napoli ' Federico II' , Naples I-80125 (Italy)

    2007-09-15

    We study magnetization dynamics in a uniaxial ultra-thin ferromagnetic disk subject to spatially uniform microwave external fields. The rotational invariance of the system is such that the only admissible spatially uniform steady states are periodic (P-modes) and quasi-periodic (Q-modes) modes. The stability of P-modes versus spatially uniform and nonuniform perturbations is studied by using spin-wave analysis and the instability diagram for all possible P-modes is computed. The predictions of the spin-wave analysis are compared with micromagnetic simulations.

  5. Plans for the Study of the Spin Properties of the $\\Lb$ Baryon Using the Decay Channel $\\Lb \\ra \\jpsi(\\mumu) \\Lambda(p\\pi^{-})$

    CERN Document Server

    The ATLAS Collaboration

    2009-01-01

    This note summarizes the results of a study of the feasibility of measuring certain spin properties of $\\Lb$ baryon in the ATLAS experiment. We present an assessment of approaches for extracting the inclusive $\\Lb$ polarization and the parity violating $\\alpha_{\\Lb}$ parameter for the decay $\\Lb \\ra \\jpsi(\\mumu)\\Lambda(p\\pi^{-})$ from the reconstructed four final state charged particles. As a key test, we generated Monte Carlo samples of $\\Lb$ events of fixed polarization in the ATLAS detector and evaluated our ability to precisely extract the input polarization from the reconstructed events. The physics motivation for the planned measurements in ATLAS include the search for an explanation of the anomalous spin effects in hyperon inclusive production observed at lower energies, tests of various decay models based on HQET, tests of CP in an area not yet directly explored, and the development of $\\Lb$ polarimetry as a possible tool for spin analysis in future SUSY and other studies.

  6. Transepithelial Transport of PEGylated Anionic Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers: Implications for Oral Drug Delivery

    OpenAIRE

    Sweet, Deborah M.; Kolhatkar, Rohit B.; Ray, Abhijit; Swaan, Peter; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this work was to assess the impact of PEGylation on transepithelial transport of anionic poly(amidoamine) dendrimers. Cytotoxicity, uptake and transport across Caco-2 cells of PEGylated G3.5 and G4.5 PAMAM dendrimers were studied. Methoxy polyethylene glycol (750 Da) was conjugated to carboxylic acid-terminated PAMAM dendrimers at feed ratios of 1, 2 and 4 PEG per dendrimer. Compared to the control, PEGylation of anionic dendrimers did not significantly alter cytotoxicity up to...

  7. Thermodynamic properties of a liquid crystal carbosilane dendrimer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samosudova, Ya. S.; Markin, A. V.; Smirnova, N. N.; Ogurtsov, T. G.; Boiko, N. I.; Shibaev, V. P.

    2016-11-01

    The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of a first-generation liquid crystal carbosilane dendrimer with methoxyphenyl benzoate end groups is studied for the first time in the region of 6-370 K by means of precision adiabatic vacuum calorimetry. Physical transformations are observed in this interval of temperatures, and their standard thermodynamic characteristics are determined and discussed. Standard thermodynamic functions C p ° ( T), H°( T) - H°(0), S°( T) - S°(0), and G°( T) - H°(0) are calculated from the obtained experimental data for the region of T → 0 to 370 K. The standard entropy of formation of the dendrimer in the partially crystalline state at T = 298.15 K is calculated, and the standard entropy of the hypothetic reaction of its synthesis at this temperature is estimated. The thermodynamic properties of the studied dendrimer are compared to those of second- and fourth-generation liquid crystal carbosilane dendrimers with the same end groups studied earlier.

  8. Charge transport properties of carbazole dendrimers in organic field-effect transistors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mutkins, Karyn; Chen, Simon S. Y.; Aljada, Muhsen; Powell, Ben J.; Olsen, Seth; Burn, Paul L.; Meredith, Paul

    2011-10-01

    We report three generations of p-type dendrimer semiconductors comprised of spirobifluorene cores, carbazole branching units and fluorene surface groups for use in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). The group of dendrimers are defined by their generation and noted as SBF-(Gx)2, where x is the generation. Top contact-bottom gate OFETs were fabricated by spin-coating the dendrimers onto an n-octyltrichlorosilane (OTS) passivated silicon dioxide surface. The dendrimer films were found to be amorphous. The highest mobility was measured for the first generation dendrimer (SBF-(G1)2), which had an average mobility of (6.6 +/- 0.2) × 10-5 cm2/V s and an ON/OFF ratio of 3.0 × 104. As the generation of the dendrimer was increased there was only a slight decrease in the measured mobility in spite of the significantly different molecular sizes of the dendrimers. The mobility of SBF-(G3)2, which had a hydrodynamic radius almost twice of SBF-(G1)2, still had an average mobility of (4.7 +/- 0.6) × 10-5 cm2/V s and an ON/OFF ratio of 2.7 × 103. Density functional theory calculations showed that the highest occupied molecular orbital was distributed over the core and carbazole units meaning that both intra- and intermolecular charge transfer could occur enabling the hole mobility to remain essentially constant even though the dendrimers would pack differently in the solid-state.

  9. DNA compaction by poly (amido amine) dendrimers of ammonia cored and ethylene diamine cored

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qamhieh, K.; Al-Shawwa, J.

    2017-06-01

    The complexes build-up of DNA and soft particles poly amidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers of ammonia cored of generations (G1-G6) and ethylenediamine cored of generations (G1-G10) have been studied, using a new theoretical model developed by Qamhieh and coworkers. The model describes the interaction between linear polyelectrolyte (LPE) chain and ion-penetrable spheres. Many factors affecting LPE/dendrimer complex have been investigated such as dendrimer generation, the Bjerrum length, salt concentration, and rigidity of the LPE chain represented by the persistence length. It is found that the wrapping chain length around dendrimer increases by increasing dendrimer`s generation, Bjerrum length, and salt concentration, while decreases by increasing the persistence length of the LPE chain. Also we can conclude that the wrapping length of LPE chain around ethylenediamine cored dendrimers is larger than its length around ammonia cored dendrimers.

  10. III-V Ultra-Thin-Body InGaAs/InAs MOSFETs for Low Standby Power Logic Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Cheng-Ying

    As device scaling continues to sub-10-nm regime, III-V InGaAs/InAs metal- oxide-semiconductor ?eld-e?ect transistors (MOSFETs) are promising candidates for replacing Si-based MOSFETs for future very-large-scale integration (VLSI) logic applications. III-V InGaAs materials have low electron effective mass and high electron velocity, allowing higher on-state current at lower VDD and reducing the switching power consumption. However, III-V InGaAs materials have a narrower band gap and higher permittivity, leading to large band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) leakage or gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) at the drain end of the channel, and large subthreshold leakage due to worse electrostatic integrity. To utilize III-V MOSFETs in future logic circuits, III-V MOSFETs must have high on-state performance over Si MOSFETs as well as very low leakage current and low standby power consumption. In this dissertation, we will report InGaAs/InAs ultra-thin-body MOSFETs. Three techniques for reducing the leakage currents in InGaAs/InAs MOSFETs are reported as described below. 1) Wide band-gap barriers: We developed AlAs0.44Sb0.56 barriers lattice-match to InP by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and studied the electron transport in In0.53Ga0.47As/AlAs 0.44Sb0.56 heterostructures. The InGaAs channel MOSFETs using AlAs0.44Sb0.56 bottom barriers or p-doped In0.52 Al0.48As barriers were demonstrated, showing significant suppression on the back barrier leakage. 2) Ultra-thin channels: We investigated the electron transport in InGaAs and InAs ultra-thin quantum wells and ultra-thin body MOSFETs (t ch ~ 2-4 nm). For high performance logic, InAs channels enable higher on-state current, while for low power logic, InGaAs channels allow lower BTBT leakage current. 3) Source/Drain engineering: We developed raised InGaAs and recessed InP source/drain spacers. The raised InGaAs source/drain spacers improve electrostatics, reducing subthreshold leakage, and smooth the electric field near drain, reducing

  11. Logic circuits composed of flexible carbon nanotube thin-film transistor and ultra-thin polymer gate dielectric

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dongil; Yoon, Jinsu; Lee, Juhee; Lee, Byung-Hyun; Seol, Myeong-Lok; Bae, Hagyoul; Jeon, Seung-Bae; Seong, Hyejeong; Im, Sung Gap; Choi, Sung-Jin; Choi, Yang-Kyu

    2016-05-01

    Printing electronics has become increasingly prominent in the field of electronic engineering because this method is highly efficient at producing flexible, low-cost and large-scale thin-film transistors. However, TFTs are typically constructed with rigid insulating layers consisting of oxides and nitrides that are brittle and require high processing temperatures, which can cause a number of problems when used in printed flexible TFTs. In this study, we address these issues and demonstrate a method of producing inkjet-printed TFTs that include an ultra-thin polymeric dielectric layer produced by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) at room temperature and highly purified 99.9% semiconducting carbon nanotubes. Our integrated approach enables the production of flexible logic circuits consisting of CNT-TFTs on a polyethersulfone (PES) substrate that have a high mobility (up to 9.76 cm2 V-1 sec-1), a low operating voltage (less than 4 V), a high current on/off ratio (3 × 104), and a total device yield of 90%. Thus, it should be emphasized that this study delineates a guideline for the feasibility of producing flexible CNT-TFT logic circuits with high performance based on a low-cost and simple fabrication process.

  12. Structural analysis of binding functionality of folic acid-PEG dendrimers against folate receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampogna-Mireles, Diana; Araya-Durán, Ingrid D; Márquez-Miranda, Valeria; Valencia-Gallegos, Jesús A; González-Nilo, Fernando D

    2017-03-01

    Dendrimers functionalized with folic acid (FA) are drug delivery systems that can selectively target cancer cells with folate receptors (FR-α) overexpression. Incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) can enhance dendrimers solubility and pharmacokinetics, but ligand-receptor binding must not be affected. In this work we characterized, at atomic level, the binding functionality of conventional site-specific dendrimers conjugated with FA with PEG 750 or PEG 3350 as a linker. After Molecular Dynamics simulation, we observed that both PEG's did not interfere over ligand-receptor binding functionality. Although binding kinetics could be notably affected, the folate fragment from both dendrimers remained exposed to the solvent before approaching selectively to FR-α. PEG 3350 provided better solubility and protection from enzymatic degradation to the dendrimer than PEG 750. Also, FA-PEG3350 dendrimer showed a slightly better interaction with FR-α than FA-PEG750 dendrimer. Therefore, theoretical evidence supports that both dendrimers are suitable as drug delivery systems for cancer therapies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Synergistic effect of amino acids modified on dendrimer surface in gene delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Fei; Wang, Yitong; Wang, Hui; Shao, Naimin; Chen, Yuanyuan; Cheng, Yiyun

    2014-11-01

    Design of an efficient gene vector based on dendrimer remains a great challenge due to the presence of multiple barriers in gene delivery. Single-functionalization on dendrimer cannot overcome all the barriers. In this study, we synthesized a list of single-, dual- and triple-functionalized dendrimers with arginine, phenylalanine and histidine for gene delivery using a one-pot approach. The three amino acids play different roles in gene delivery: arginine is essential in formation of stable complexes, phenylalanine improves cellular uptake efficacy, and histidine increases pH-buffering capacity and minimizes cytotoxicity of the cationic dendrimer. A combination of these amino acids on dendrimer generates a synergistic effect in gene delivery. The dual- and triple-functionalized dendrimers show minimal cytotoxicity on the transfected NIH 3T3 cells. Using this combination strategy, we can obtain triple-functionalized dendrimers with comparable transfection efficacy to several commercial transfection reagents. Such a combination strategy should be applicable to the design of efficient and biocompatible gene vectors for gene delivery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Molecular dynamic analysis of the structure of dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Canetta, E.; Maino, G. E-mail: maino@bologna.enea.it

    2004-01-01

    We present main results of molecular dynamics simulations that we have carried out in order to investigate structural properties of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. Obtained data confirm the PAMAM dendrimer structure proposed by experiments, performed by means of X-ray scattering (SAXS) and quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) techniques.

  15. Molecular dynamic analysis of the structure of dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canetta, E.; Maino, G.

    2004-01-01

    We present main results of molecular dynamics simulations that we have carried out in order to investigate structural properties of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers. Obtained data confirm the PAMAM dendrimer structure proposed by experiments, performed by means of X-ray scattering (SAXS) and quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) techniques

  16. Analysis of switching characteristics for negative capacitance ultra-thin-body germanium-on-insulator MOSFETs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pi-Ho Hu, Vita; Chiu, Pin-Chieh

    2018-04-01

    The impact of device parameters on the switching characteristics of negative capacitance ultra-thin-body (UTB) germanium-on-insulator (NC-GeOI) MOSFETs is analyzed. NC-GeOI MOSFETs with smaller gate length (L g), EOT, and buried oxide thickness (T box) and thicker ferroelectric layer thickness (T FE) exhibit larger subthreshold swing improvements over GeOI MOSFETs due to better capacitance matching. Compared with GeOI MOSFETs, NC-GeOI MOSFETs exhibit better switching time due to improvements in effective drive current (I eff) and subthreshold swing. NC-GeOI MOSFET exhibits larger ST improvements at V dd = 0.3 V (-82.9%) than at V dd = 0.86 V (-9.7%), because NC-GeOI MOSFET shows 18.2 times higher I eff than the GeOI MOSFET at V dd = 0.3 V, while 2.5 times higher I eff at V dd = 0.86 V. This work provides the device design guideline of NC-GeOI MOSFETs for ultra-low power applications.

  17. Permeability of surface modified polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers across Caco-2 cell monolayers

    OpenAIRE

    Yellepeddi, Venkata K.; Pisal, Dipak S.; Kumar, Ajay; Kaushik, Radhey S.; Hildreth, Michael B.; Guan, Xiangming; Palakurthi, Srinath

    2007-01-01

    Aim of this study was to prepare polyamine-conjugated PAMAM dendrimers and study their permeability across Caco-2 cell monolayers. Polyamines, namely, arginine and ornithine were conjugated to the amine terminals of the G4 PAMAM dendrimers by Fmoc synthesis. The apical-to-basolateral (AB) and basolateral-to-apical (BA) apparent permeability coefficients (Papp) for the PAMAM dendrimers increased by conjugating the dendrimers with both of the polyamines. The enhancement in permeability was depe...

  18. Effect of solvent-controlled aggregation on the intrinsic emission properties of PAMAM dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jasmine, Maria J.; Kavitha, Manniledam; Prasad, Edamana

    2009-01-01

    Solvent-induced aggregation and its effect on the intrinsic emission properties of amine, hydroxy and carboxylate terminated, poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been investigated in glycerol, ethylene glycol, methanol, ethylene diamine and water. Altering the solvent medium induces remarkable changes in the intrinsic emission properties of the PAMAM dendrimers at identical concentration. Upon excitation at 370 nm, amine terminated PAMAM dendrimer exhibits an intense emission at 470 nm in glycerol, ethylene glycol as well as glycerol-water mixtures. Conversely, weak luminescence is observed for hydroxy and carboxylate terminated PAMAM dendrimers in the same solvent systems. When the solvent is changed to ethylene diamine, hydroxy terminated PAMAM exhibits intense blue emission at 425 nm. While the emission intensity is varied when the solvent milieu is changed, excited state lifetime values of PAMAM dendrimers remain independent of the solvent used. UV-visible absorption and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments confirm the formation of solvent-controlled dendrimer aggregates in the systems. Comparison of the fluorescence and DLS data reveals that the size distribution of the dendrimer aggregates in each solvent system is distinct, which control the intrinsic emission intensity from PAMAM dendrimers. The experimental results suggest that intrinsic emission intensity from PAMAM dendrimers can be regulated by proper selection of solvents at neutral conditions and room temperature

  19. Enhanced cooling in mono-crystalline ultra-thin silicon by embedded micro-air channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed T. Ghoneim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In today’s digital world, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS technology enabled scaling of bulk mono-crystalline silicon (100 based electronics has resulted in their higher performance but with increased dynamic and off-state power consumption. Such trade-off has caused excessive heat generation which eventually drains the charge of battery in portable devices. The traditional solution utilizing off-chip fans and heat sinks used for heat management make the whole system bulky and less mobile. Here we show, an enhanced cooling phenomenon in ultra-thin (>10 μm mono-crystalline (100 silicon (detached from bulk substrate by utilizing deterministic pattern of porous network of vertical “through silicon” micro-air channels that offer remarkable heat and weight management for ultra-mobile electronics, in a cost effective way with 20× reduction in substrate weight and a 12% lower maximum temperature at sustained loads. We also show the effectiveness of this event in functional MOS field effect transistors (MOSFETs with high-κ/metal gate stacks.

  20. Laser Radiation Pressure Acceleration of Monoenergetic Protons in an Ultra-Thin Foil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eliasson, Bengt; Liu, Chuan S.; Shao, Xi; Sagdeev, Roald Z.; Shukla, Padma K.

    2009-11-01

    We present theoretical and numerical studies of the acceleration of monoenergetic protons in a double layer formed by the laser irradiation of an ultra-thin film. The stability of the foil is investigated by direct Vlasov-Maxwell simulations for different sets of laser-plasma parameters. It is found that the foil is stable, due to the trapping of both electrons and ions in the thin laser-plasma interaction region, where the electrons are trapped in a potential well composed of the ponderomo-tive potential of the laser light and the electrostatic potential due to the ions, and the ions are trapped in a potential well composed of the inertial potential in an accelerated frame and the electrostatic potential due to the electrons. The result is a stable double layer, where the trapped ions are accelerated to monoenergetic energies up to 100 MeV and beyond, which makes them suitable for medical applications cancer treatment. The underlying physics of trapped and untapped ions in a double layer is also investigated theoretically and numerically.

  1. Facing-target sputtering deposition of ZnO films with Pt ultra-thin layers for gas-phase photocatalytic application

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Zhonghai; Hossain, Md. Faruk.; Arakawa, Takuya; Takahashi, Takakazu

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, various zinc oxide (ZnO) films are deposited by a versatile and effective dc-reactive facing-target sputtering method. The ratios of Ar to O 2 in the mixture gas are varied from 8:2 to 6:4 at a fixed sputtering pressure of 1.0 Pa. X-ray diffraction, spectrophotometer and scanning electron microscope are used to study the crystal structure, optical property and surface morphology of the as-deposited films. The Pt ultra-thin layer, ∼2 nm thick, is deposited on the surface of ZnO film by dc diode sputtering with a mesh mask controlling the coated area. The photocatalytic activity of ZnO films and Pt-ZnO films is evaluated by decomposition of methanol under UV-vis light irradiation. The variation of photocatalytic activity depends on the ratios of Ar to O 2 , which is mainly attributed to the different grain size and carrier mobility. Though the pure ZnO film normally shows a low gas-phase photocatalytic activity, its activity is significantly enhanced by depositing Pt ultra-thin layer.

  2. Prediction of transmittance spectra for transparent composite electrodes with ultra-thin metal layers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Zhao; Alford, T. L., E-mail: TA@asu.edu [School for Engineering of Matter, Transport, and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287 (United States); Khorasani, Arash Elhami [ON Semiconductor Corp., Phoenix, Arizona 85005 (United States); Theodore, N. D. [CHD-Fab, Freescale Semiconductor Inc., Tempe, Arizona 85224 (United States); Dhar, A. [Intel Corp., 2501 NW 229th Ave, Hillsboro, Oregon 97124 (United States)

    2015-11-28

    Recent interest in indium-free transparent composite-electrodes (TCEs) has motivated theoretical and experimental efforts to better understand and enhance their electrical and optical properties. Various tools have been developed to calculate the optical transmittance of multilayer thin-film structures based on the transfer-matrix method. However, the factors that affect the accuracy of these calculations have not been investigated very much. In this study, two sets of TCEs, TiO{sub 2}/Au/TiO{sub 2} and TiO{sub 2}/Ag/TiO{sub 2}, were fabricated to study the factors that affect the accuracy of transmittance predictions. We found that the predicted transmittance can deviate significantly from measured transmittance for TCEs that have ultra-thin plasmonic metal layers. The ultrathin metal layer in the TCE is typically discontinuous. When light interacts with the metallic islands in this discontinuous layer, localized surface plasmons are generated. This causes extra light absorption, which then leads to the actual transmittance being lower than the predicted transmittance.

  3. pH responsiveness of dendrimer-like poly(ethylene oxide)s.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Xiaoshuang; Taton, Daniel; Borsali, Redouane; Chaikof, Elliot L; Gnanou, Yves

    2006-09-06

    Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), two polymers known to form pH-sensitive aggregates through noncovalent interactions, were assembled in purposely designed architecture -a dendrimer-like PEO scaffold carrying short inner PAA chains-to produce unimolecular systems that exhibit pH responsiveness. Because of the particular placement of the PAA chains within the dendrimer-like structure, intermolecular complexation between acrylic acid (AA) and ethylene oxide (EO) units-and thus macroscopic aggregation or even mesoscopic micellization-could be avoided in favor of the sole intramolecular complexation. The sensitivity of such interactions to pH was exploited to generate dendrimer-like PEOs that reversibly shrink and expand with the pH. Such PAA-carrying dendrimer-like PEOs were synthesized in two main steps. First, a fifth-generation dendrimer-like PEO was obtained by combining anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) of ethylene oxide from a tris-hydroxylated core and selective branching reactions of PEO chain ends. To this end, an AB(2)C-type branching agent was designed: the latter includes a chloromethyl (A) group for its covalent attachment to the arm ends, two geminal hydroxyls (B(2)) protected in the form of a ketal ring for the growth of subsequent PEO generations by AROP, and a vinylic (C) double bonds for further functionalization of the interior of dendrimer-like PEOs. Reiteration of AROP and derivatization of PEO branches allowed us to prepare a dendrimer-like PEO of fourth generation with a total molar mass of 52,000 g x mol(-1), containing 24 external hydroxyl functions and 21 inner vinylic groups in the interior. A fifth generation of PEO chains was generated from this parent dendrimer-like PEO of fourth generation using a "conventional" AB(2)-type branching agent, and 48 PEO branches could be grown by AROP. The 48 outer hydroxy-end groups of the fifth-generation dendrimer-like PEO obtained were subsequently quantitatively

  4. The use of dendrimers as high-performance shells for round-trip energy transfer: efficient trans-cis photoisomerization from an excited triplet state produced within a dendrimer shell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miura, Yousuke; Momotake, Atsuya; Takeuchi, Keiichirou; Arai, Tatsuo

    2011-01-01

    A series of stilbene-cored poly(benzyl ether) dendrimers with benzophenone peripheries were synthesized and their photophysical and photochemical properties were studied. Fluorescence studies revealed that singlet-singlet energy transfer (SSET) from the stilbene core to the benzophenone units took place efficiently in dendrimers of all generations. Similarly, phosphorescence and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements indicated efficient triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) from the benzophenone periphery to the stilbene core. Upon excitation at 310 nm, the stilbene core isomerizes via an energy round trip within the dendrimer shell. The quantum yields for the energy round trip (Φ(ERT)), defined as the product of the quantum yields of SSET, intersystem crossing, and TTET (Φ(ERT) = Φ(SS)Φ(isc)Φ(TT)), were extremely high for all generations--99%, 95% and 94% for G1, G2, and G3, respectively--which means that the excitation energy of the dendrimer core was transferred to the dendrimer periphery and back to the core almost quantitatively. The quantum yield for photoisomerization of G1-G3 via an energy round trip was higher than for other stilbene-cored dendrimers, which mainly isomerize from the excited singlet state. Photostability in the dendrimers was also demonstrated and discussed.

  5. Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(Amidoamine Dendrimers Encapsulatd 198Au Nanoparticles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. Ritawidya1,2

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Brachytherapy or internal radiotherapy is one of many methods used for treatment of cancer. This modality requires an agent with radionuclides that emits  or β particle with a proper energy. 198Au (99% β max = 0.96 MeV and t1/2 = 2.69 days is one of radionuclides that has been considered to be effective for the above-mentioned purpose. The purpose of this research was to synthesis and characterize poly(amidoamine (PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated 198Au nanoparticles as a new brachytherapy agent. PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated 198Au nanoparticles was successfully synthesized by a bottom-up method using sodium borohydride as a reductor. Purification was then performed by a size exclusion chromatography in order to separate large Au nanoparticles that were formed outside the cavity of PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers. Prior to the synthesis of PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated 198Au nanoparticles, the synthetic procedure was first established by using a non-radioactive Au. The PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated Au nanoparticles produced was then characterized by using an UV-Vis spectroscopy, a transmission electron microscopy (TEM, particle size analyzer (PSA, and an atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS. Characterization results revealed that PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated Au nanoparticles that were prepared from a reaction mixture of PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers and Au HAuCl4 with mol ratio of 2.8, was found to be a proper formula. It produced PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated Au nanoparticles with diameter of 1.743 nm, spheris, uniform and drug loading value of 26.34%. This formula was then used in synthesis using radioactive Au, 198Au. Characterization results of PAMAM G3.0 dendrimers encapsulated 198Au nanoparticles gave a radiochemical purity of 99.4% and zero charge.

  6. Continuous-time quantum walks on multilayer dendrimer networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galiceanu, Mircea; Strunz, Walter T.

    2016-08-01

    We consider continuous-time quantum walks (CTQWs) on multilayer dendrimer networks (MDs) and their application to quantum transport. A detailed study of properties of CTQWs is presented and transport efficiency is determined in terms of the exact and average return probabilities. The latter depends only on the eigenvalues of the connectivity matrix, which even for very large structures allows a complete analytical solution for this particular choice of network. In the case of MDs we observe an interplay between strong localization effects, due to the dendrimer topology, and good efficiency from the linear segments. We show that quantum transport is enhanced by interconnecting more layers of dendrimers.

  7. Aptamer-conjugated dendrimer-modified quantum dots for glioblastoma cells imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Zhiming; Huang Peng; He Rong; Bao Chenchen; Cui Daxiang; Zhang Xiaomin; Ren Qiushi

    2009-01-01

    Targeted quantum dots have shown potential as a platform for development of cancer imaging. Aptamers have recently been demonstrated as ideal candidates for molecular targeting applications. In present work, polyamidoamine dendrimers were used to modify surface of quantum dots and improve their solubility in water solution. Then, dendrimer-modified quantum dots were conjugated with DNA aptamer, GBI-10, can recognize the extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C on the surface of human glioblastoma cells. The dendrimer-modified quantum dots exhibit water-soluble, high quantum yield, and good biocompatibility. Aptamer-conjugated quantum dots can specifically target U251 human glioblastoma cells. High-performance aptamer-conjugated dendrimers modified quantum dot-based nanoprobes have great potential in application such as cancer imaging.

  8. Structure of DNA-Functionalized Dendrimer Nanoparticles

    OpenAIRE

    Kumar, Mattaparthi Venkata Satish; Maiti, Prabal K

    2012-01-01

    Atomistic molecular dynamics simulations have been carried out to reveal the characteristic features of ethylenediamine (EDA) cored protonated poly amido amine (PAMAM) dendrimers of generation 3 (G3) and 4 (G4) that are functionalized with single stranded DNAs (ssDNAs). The four ssDNA strands that are attached via alkythiolate [-S (CH2)6-] linker molecule to the free amine groups on the surface of the PAMAM dendrimers observed to undergo a rapid conformational change during the 25 ns long sim...

  9. Optical spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in ultra-thin metasurfaces with arbitrary topological charges

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bouchard, Frédéric; De Leon, Israel; Schulz, Sebastian A.; Upham, Jeremy; Karimi, Ebrahim, E-mail: ekarimi@uottawa.ca [Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 25 Templeton, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada (Canada); Boyd, Robert W. [Department of Physics, University of Ottawa, 25 Templeton, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5 Canada (Canada); Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627 (United States)

    2014-09-08

    Orbital angular momentum associated with the helical phase-front of optical beams provides an unbounded “space” for both classical and quantum communications. Among the different approaches to generate and manipulate orbital angular momentum states of light, coupling between spin and orbital angular momentum allows a faster manipulation of orbital angular momentum states because it depends on manipulating the polarisation state of light, which is simpler and generally faster than manipulating conventional orbital angular momentum generators. In this work, we design and fabricate an ultra-thin spin-to-orbital angular momentum converter, based on plasmonic nano-antennas and operating in the visible wavelength range that is capable of converting spin to an arbitrary value of orbital angular momentum ℓ. The nano-antennas are arranged in an array with a well-defined geometry in the transverse plane of the beam, possessing a specific integer or half-integer topological charge q. When a circularly polarised light beam traverses this metasurface, the output beam polarisation switches handedness and the orbital angular momentum changes in value by ℓ=±2qℏ per photon. We experimentally demonstrate ℓ values ranging from ±1 to ±25 with conversion efficiencies of 8.6% ± 0.4%. Our ultra-thin devices are integratable and thus suitable for applications in quantum communications, quantum computations, and nano-scale sensing.

  10. Optical spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion in ultra-thin metasurfaces with arbitrary topological charges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouchard, Frédéric; De Leon, Israel; Schulz, Sebastian A.; Upham, Jeremy; Karimi, Ebrahim; Boyd, Robert W.

    2014-01-01

    Orbital angular momentum associated with the helical phase-front of optical beams provides an unbounded “space” for both classical and quantum communications. Among the different approaches to generate and manipulate orbital angular momentum states of light, coupling between spin and orbital angular momentum allows a faster manipulation of orbital angular momentum states because it depends on manipulating the polarisation state of light, which is simpler and generally faster than manipulating conventional orbital angular momentum generators. In this work, we design and fabricate an ultra-thin spin-to-orbital angular momentum converter, based on plasmonic nano-antennas and operating in the visible wavelength range that is capable of converting spin to an arbitrary value of orbital angular momentum ℓ. The nano-antennas are arranged in an array with a well-defined geometry in the transverse plane of the beam, possessing a specific integer or half-integer topological charge q. When a circularly polarised light beam traverses this metasurface, the output beam polarisation switches handedness and the orbital angular momentum changes in value by ℓ=±2qℏ per photon. We experimentally demonstrate ℓ values ranging from ±1 to ±25 with conversion efficiencies of 8.6% ± 0.4%. Our ultra-thin devices are integratable and thus suitable for applications in quantum communications, quantum computations, and nano-scale sensing.

  11. LB1 and LB6 Homo floresiensis are not modern human (Homo sapiens) cretins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Peter

    2012-02-01

    Excavations in the late Pleistocene deposits at Liang Bua cave, Flores, have uncovered the skeletal remains of several small-bodied and small-brained hominins in association with stone artefacts and the bones of Stegodon. Due to their combination of plesiomorphic, unique and derived traits, they were ascribed to a new species, Homo floresiensis, which, along with Stegodon, appears to have become extinct ∼17 ka (thousand years ago). However, recently it has been argued that several characteristics of H. floresiensis were consistent with dwarfism and evidence of delayed development in modern human (Homo sapiens) myxoedematous endemic (ME) cretins. This research compares the skeletal and dental morphology in H. floresiensis with the clinical and osteological indicators of cretinism, and the traits that have been argued to be associated with ME cretinism in LB1 and LB6. Contrary to published claims, morphological and statistical comparisons did not identify the distinctive skeletal and dental indicators of cretinism in LB1 or LB6 H. floresiensis. Brain mass, skeletal proportions, epiphyseal union, orofacial morphology, dental development, size of the pituitary fossa and development of the paranasal sinuses, vault bone thickness and dimensions of the hands and feet all distinguish H. floresiensis from modern humans with ME cretinism. The research team responsible for the diagnosis of ME cretinism had not examined the original H. floresiensis skeletal materials, and perhaps, as a result, their research confused taphonomic damage with evidence of disease, and thus contained critical errors of fact and interpretation. Behavioural scenarios attempting to explain the presence of cretinous H. sapiens in the Liang Bua Pleistocene deposits, but not unaffected H. sapiens, are both unnecessary and not supported by the available archaeological and geochronological evidence from Flores. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Mechanisms involved in the hydrothermal growth of ultra-thin and high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demes, Thomas; Ternon, Céline; Morisot, Fanny; Riassetto, David; Legallais, Maxime; Roussel, Hervé; Langlet, Michel

    2017-07-01

    Hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanowires (NWs) with tailored dimensions, notably high aspect ratios (AR) and small diameters, is a major concern for a wide range of applications and still represents a challenging and recurring issue. In this work, an additive-free and reproducible hydrothermal procedure has been developed to grow ultra-thin and high AR ZnO NWs on sol-gel deposited ZnO seed layers. Controlling the substrate temperature and using a low reagent concentration (1 mM) has been found to be essential for obtaining such NWs. We show that the NW diameter remains constant at about 20-25 nm with growth time contrary to the NW length that can be selectively increased leading to NWs with ARs up to 400. On the basis of investigated experimental conditions along with thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, a ZnO NW growth mechanism has been developed which involves the formation and growth of nuclei followed by NW growth when the nuclei reach a critical size of about 20-25 nm. The low reagent concentration inhibits NW lateral growth leading to ultra-thin and high AR NWs. These NWs have been assembled into electrically conductive ZnO nanowire networks, which opens attractive perspectives toward the development of highly sensitive low-cost gas- or bio-sensors.

  13. Uses of Dendrimers for DNA Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Pierre Majoral

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Biosensors such as DNA microarrays and microchips are gaining an increasingimportance in medicinal, forensic, and environmental analyses. Such devices are based onthe detection of supramolecular interactions called hybridizations that occur betweencomplementary oligonucleotides, one linked to a solid surface (the probe, and the other oneto be analyzed (the target. This paper focuses on the improvements that hyperbranched andperfectly defined nanomolecules called dendrimers can provide to this methodology. Twomain uses of dendrimers for such purpose have been described up to now; either thedendrimer is used as linker between the solid surface and the probe oligonucleotide, or thedendrimer is used as a multilabeled entity linked to the target oligonucleotide. In the firstcase the dendrimer generally induces a higher loading of probes and an easier hybridization,due to moving away the solid phase. In the second case the high number of localized labels(generally fluorescent induces an increased sensitivity, allowing the detection of smallquantities of biological entities.

  14. Tautomeric forms of PPI dendrimers functionalized with 4-(4′-ethoxybenzoyloxy)salicylaldehyde chromophores

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Franckevičius, M.; Vaišnoras, R.; Marcos, M.; Serrano, J.L.; Gruodis, A.; Galikova, N.; Gulbinas, V.

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► SA chromophore groups are formed by bonding terminal groups to PPI dendrimers. ► SA chromophore groups reveal four most stable tautomeric forms. ► Tautomeric properties of SA groups depend on the dendrimer generation and solvent. ► Aggregation of SA chromophores facilitates formation of the trans-keto tautomers. ► Fluorescence of PPI SA dendrimers is attributed to nπ ∗ states of keto tautomers. -- Abstract: Bonding of the promesogenic unit derived from 4-(4′-ethoxybenzoyloxy)salicylaldehyde to the amino terminated PPI dendrimer chains results in formation of the salicylidenimine chromophore groups. Absorption and fluorescence investigations of the dendrimer solutions supported by the quantum chemistry calculations revealed that the chromophore groups may exist in enol and keto tautomeric forms with relative concentrations depending on the dendrimer generation and solvent. The dendrimer fluorescence is attributed to nπ ∗ states of keto tautomers which may also be formed from excited enol tautomers.

  15. Interaction studies reveal specific recognition of an anti-inflammatory polyphosphorhydrazone dendrimer by human monocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ledall, Jérémy; Fruchon, Séverine; Garzoni, Matteo; Pavan, Giovanni M; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Turrin, Cédric-Olivier; Blanzat, Muriel; Poupot, Rémy

    2015-11-14

    Dendrimers are nano-materials with perfectly defined structure and size, and multivalency properties that confer substantial advantages for biomedical applications. Previous work has shown that phosphorus-based polyphosphorhydrazone (PPH) dendrimers capped with azabisphosphonate (ABP) end groups have immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties leading to efficient therapeutic control of inflammatory diseases in animal models. These properties are mainly prompted through activation of monocytes. Here, we disclose new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activation of human monocytes by ABP-capped PPH dendrimers. Following an interdisciplinary approach, we have characterized the physicochemical and biological behavior of the lead ABP dendrimer with model and cell membranes, and compared this experimental set of data to predictive computational modelling studies. The behavior of the ABP dendrimer was compared to the one of an isosteric analog dendrimer capped with twelve azabiscarboxylate (ABC) end groups instead of twelve ABP end groups. The ABC dendrimer displayed no biological activity on human monocytes, therefore it was considered as a negative control. In detail, we show that the ABP dendrimer can bind both non-specifically and specifically to the membrane of human monocytes. The specific binding leads to the internalization of the ABP dendrimer by human monocytes. On the contrary, the ABC dendrimer only interacts non-specifically with human monocytes and is not internalized. These data indicate that the bioactive ABP dendrimer is recognized by specific receptor(s) at the surface of human monocytes.

  16. Photosensitizer and peptide-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer for targeted in vivo photodynamic therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Narsireddy, Amreddy; Vijayashree, Kurra; Adimoolam, Mahesh G; Manorama, Sunkara V; Rao, Nalam M

    2015-01-01

    Challenges in photodynamic therapy (PDT) include development of efficient near infrared-sensitive photosensitizers (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)-21H,23H-porphine [PS]) and targeted delivery of PS to the tumor tissue. In this study, a dual functional dendrimer was synthesized for targeted PDT. For targeting, a poly(amidoamine) dendrimer (G4) was conjugated with a PS and a nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) group. A peptide specific to human epidermal growth factor 2 was expressed in Escherichia coli with a His-tag and was specifically bound to the NTA group on the dendrimer. Reaction conditions were optimized to result in dendrimers with PS and the NTA at a fractional occupancy of 50% and 15%, respectively. The dendrimers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, absorbance, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Using PS fluorescence, cell uptake of these particles was confirmed by confocal microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. PS-dendrimers are more efficient than free PS in PDT-mediated cell death assays in HER2 positive cells, SK-OV-3. Similar effects were absent in HER2 negative cell line, MCF-7. Compared to free PS, the PS-dendrimers have shown significant tumor suppression in a xenograft animal tumor model. Conjugation of a PS with dendrimers and with a targeting agent has enhanced photodynamic therapeutic effects of the PS.

  17. Regional Morphology and Transport of PAMAM Dendrimers Across Isolated Rat Intestinal Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, Dallin; Bond, Tanner; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2015-12-01

    Intestinal permeability of PAMAM dendrimers has been observed, giving rationale for their use in oral drug delivery as potential carriers of associated molecules. This study assessed the apparent permeability coefficients (Papp) of dendrimers across isolated rat intestinal regional mucosae, along with estimation of the maximum non-toxic concentration. Caco-2 monolayers were also used to assess the comparative Papp values between isolated mucosae and cell culture models. Concentrations from 0.1 to 10 mM of anionic and cationic dendrimers were tested in mucosae to assess their Papp, membrane TEER, [(14)C]-mannitol Papp, and histology. 0.1 mM concentrations of dendrimers were assessed over 120 min in Caco-2 cell monolayers as concentrations above that were cytotoxic. Jejunal transport of dendrimers was higher than transport in colonic epithelium. Monolayer Papp values of dendrimers were comparable to those of jejunal mucosae. Mucosae exposed to dendrimer concentrations of 10 mM for 120 min caused significant reduction in TEER and changes in tissue morphology; however, G3.5 was the only analogue that caused significant TEER reduction and morphological changes at 1 mM concentrations. Transport in jejunal mucosae appears to be the greatest indicating that the small intestinal will be the most likely region to target for oral drug delivery using PAMAM dendrimers. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Characterization of functional LB films using electron spin resonance spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuroda, Shin-ichi

    1995-01-01

    The role of ESR spectroscopy in the characterization of functional LB films is discussed. Unpaired electrons in LB films are associated with isolated radical molecules produced by charge transfer, paramagnetic metallic ions such as Cu 2+ , strongly interacting spins in the mixed valence states in charge-transfer salts, and so on. These spins often manifest the functions of materials. They can also act as microscopic probes in the ESR analysis devoted for the elucidation of characteristic properties of LB films. In structural studies, ESR is of particular importance in the analysis of molecular orientation of LB films. ESR can unambiguously determine the orientation of molecules through g-value anisotropy: different g value, different resonance field. Two types of new control methods of molecular orientation in LB films originated from the ESR analysis: study of in-plane orientation in dye LB films which led to the discovery of flow-orientation effect, and observation of drastic change of orientation of Cu-porphyrin in LB films using the trigger molecule, n-hexatriacontane. In the studies of electronic properties, hyperfine interactions between electron and nuclear spins provide information about molecular orbitals and local structures. Stable isotopes have been successfully applied to the stable radicals in merocyanine LB films to identify hyperfine couplings. In conducting LB films composed of charge-transfer salts, quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnetism in semiconducting films and spin resonance of conduction electrons in metallic films are observed. Results provide microscopic evidence for the development of columnar structures of constituent molecules. Development of new functional LB films may provide more cases where ESR spectroscopy will clarify the nature of such films. (author)

  19. Endocytic Uptake, Transport and Macromolecular Interactions of Anionic PAMAM Dendrimers within Lung Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morris, Christopher J; Aljayyoussi, Ghaith; Mansour, Omar; Griffiths, Peter; Gumbleton, Mark

    2017-12-01

    Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are a promising class of nanocarrier with applications in both small and large molecule drug delivery. Here we report a comprehensive evaluation of the uptake and transport pathways that contribute to the lung disposition of dendrimers. Anionic PAMAM dendrimers and control dextran probes were applied to an isolated perfused rat lung (IPRL) model and lung epithelial monolayers. Endocytosis pathways were examined in primary alveolar epithelial cultures by confocal microscopy. Molecular interactions of dendrimers with protein and lipid lung fluid components were studied using small angle neutron scattering (SANS). Dendrimers were absorbed across the intact lung via a passive, size-dependent transport pathway at rates slower than dextrans of similar molecular sizes. SANS investigations of concentration-dependent PAMAM transport in the IPRL confirmed no aggregation of PAMAMs with either albumin or dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine lung lining fluid components. Distinct endocytic compartments were identified within primary alveolar epithelial cells and their functionality in the rapid uptake of fluorescent dendrimers and model macromolecular probes was confirmed by co-localisation studies. PAMAM dendrimers display favourable lung biocompatibility but modest lung to blood absorption kinetics. These data support the investigation of dendrimer-based carriers for controlled-release drug delivery to the deep lung.

  20. Effect of ambient on electrical transport properties of ultra-thin Au nanowires

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amin, Kazi Rafsanjani; Kundu, Subhajit; Biswas, Sangram; Roy, Ahin; Singh, Abhishek Kumar; Ravishankar, N.; Bid, Aveek

    2016-12-01

    In this letter we present systematic studies of the dynamics of surface adsorption of various chemicals on ultra-thin single crystalline gold nanowires (AuNW) through sensitive resistance fluctuation spectroscopy measurements coupled with ab initio simulations. We show that, contrary to expectations, the adsorption of common chemicals like methanol and acetone has a profound impact on the electrical transport properties of the AuNW. Our measurements and subsequent calculations establish conclusively that in AuNW, semiconductor-like sensitivity to the ambient arises because of changes induced in its local density of states by the surface adsorbed molecules. The extreme sensitivity of the resistance fluctuations of the AuNW to ambient suggests their possible use as solid-state sensors.

  1. Poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) dendrimer-cisplatin complexes for chemotherapy of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yellepeddi, Venkata Kashyap; Vangara, Kiran Kumar; Palakurthi, Srinath

    2013-09-01

    Dendrimer-cisplatin complexes were prepared using PAMAM dendrimers with terminal -NH2 and -COOH groups as well as biotin-conjugated dendrimers. Preformulation parameters of dendrimer-cisplatin complexes were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Cytotoxicity and mechanism of cytotoxicity of dendrimer-cisplatin complexes was investigated in OVCAR-3, SKOV, A2780 and cisplatin-resistant CP70 human ovarian cancer cell lines. The loading of cisplatin in dendrimers was 11 % (w/w). PAMAM G4 dendrimers with amine surface groups (biotinylated and native) have shown 2.5- to 3.0-fold reduction in IC50 values in ovarian cancer cells when compared with carboxylate surface dendrimers ( p cisplatin complexes resulted in a 7.0-fold increase ( p cisplatin chemotherapy of ovarian cancer.

  2. Development of TREN dendrimers over mesoporous SBA-15 for CO2 adsorption

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhagiyalakshmi, Margandan; Park, Sang Do; Cha, Wang Seog; Jang, Hyun Tae

    2010-01-01

    Mesoporous SBA-15 was synthesized using rice husk ash (RHA) as the silica source and their defective Si-OH groups were grafted with tris(2-aminoethyl) amine (TREN) dendrimers generation through step-wise growth technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption results of parent SBA-15 obtained from RHA, suggests its resemblance with SBA-15 synthesized using conventional silica sources. Furthermore, the nitrogen adsorption/desorption results of SBA-15/TREN dendrimer generations (G1-G3) illustrates the growth of dendrimer inside the mesopores of SBA-15 and their CO 2 adsorption capacity was determined at 25 deg. C. The maximum CO 2 adsorption capacity of 5-6 and 7-8 wt% over second and third dendrimer generation was observed which is discernibly higher than the reported melamine and PAMAM dendrimers. The experimental CO 2 adsorption capacity was found to be less than theoretically calculated CO 2 adsorption capacity due to inter and intra molecular amidation as result of steric hindrance during the dendrimer growth. These SBA-15/TREN dendrimer generations also exhibit thermal stability up to 350 deg. C and CO 2 adsorption capacity remains unaltered upon seven consecutive runs.

  3. Quantitative assessment of surface functionality effects on microglial uptake and retention of PAMAM dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liaw, Kevin; Gök, Ozgul; DeRidder, Louis B.; Kannan, Sujatha; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M.

    2018-04-01

    Dendrimers are a promising class of polymeric nanoparticles for delivery of therapeutics and diagnostics. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers have shown significant efficacy in many animal models, with performance dependent on surface functionalities. Understanding the effects of end groups on biological interactions is critical for rational design of dendrimer-mediated therapies. In this study, we quantify the cellular trafficking kinetics (endocytosis and exocytosis) of generation 4 neutral (D4-OH), cationic (D4-NH2), anionic (D3.5-COOH), and generation 6 neutral (D6-OH) PAMAM dendrimers to investigate the nanoscale effects of surface functionality and size on cellular interactions. Resting and LPS-activated microglia were studied due to their central roles in dendrimer therapies for central nervous system disorders. D4-OH exhibits greater cellular uptake and lower retention than the larger D6-OH. D4-OH and D3.5-COOH exhibit similar trafficking kinetics, while D4-NH2 exhibits significant membrane interactions, resulting in faster cell association but lower internalization. Cationic charge may also enhance vesicular escape for greater cellular retention and preferential partitioning to nuclei. LPS activation further improves uptake of dendrimers, with smaller and cationic dendrimers experiencing the greatest increases in uptake compared to resting microglia. These studies have implications for the dependence of trafficking pathway on dendrimer properties and inform the design of dendrimer constructs tailored to specific therapeutic needs. Cationic dendrimers are ideal for delivering genetic materials to nuclei, but toxicity may be a limiting factor. Smaller, neutral dendrimers are best suited for delivering high levels of therapeutics in acute neuroinflammation, while larger or cationic dendrimers provide robust retention for sustained release of therapeutics in longer-term diseases.

  4. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers: from biomimicry to drug delivery and biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esfand, R; Tomalia, D A.

    2001-04-01

    Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are the first complete dendrimer family to be synthesized, characterized and commercialized. Based on this extensive activity, they are recognized as a unique new class of synthetic nanostructures. Dendrimers allow the precise control of size, shape and placement of functional groups that is desirable for many life science applications. From this perspective, this review focuses on crucial properties of biomimetic dendrimers that will broaden the potential for their use as macromolecular vectors in novel drug delivery and biomedical applications.

  5. Mechanical properties of ultra thin metallic films revealed by synchrotron techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gruber, Patric Alfons

    2007-07-20

    A prerequisite for the study of the scaling behavior of mechanical properties of ultra thin films is a suitable testing technique. Therefore synchrotron-based in situ testing techniques were developed and optimized in order to characterize the stress evolution in ultra thin metallic films on compliant polymer substrates during isothermal tensile tests. Experimental procedures for polycrystalline as well as single crystalline films were established. These techniques were used to systematically investigate the influence of microstructure, film thickness (20 to 1000 nm) and temperature (-150 to 200 C) on the mechanical properties. Passivated and unpassivated Au and Cu films as well as single crystalline Au films on polyimide substrates were tested. Special care was also dedicated to the microstructural characterization of the samples which was very important for the correct interpretation of the results of the mechanical tests. Down to a film thickness of about 100 to 200 nm the yield strength increased for all film systems (passivated and unpassivated) and microstructures (polycrystalline and singlecrystalline). The influence of different interfaces was smaller than expected. This could be explained by a dislocation source model based on the nucleation of perfect dislocations. For polycrystalline films the film thickness as well as the grain size distribution had to be considered. For smaller film thicknesses the increase in flow stress was weaker and the deformation behavior changed because the nucleation of perfect dislocations became unfavorable. Instead, the film materials used alternative mechanisms to relieve the high stresses. For regular and homogeneous deformation the total strain was accommodated by the nucleation and motion of partial dislocations. If the deformation was localized due to initial cracks in a brittle interlayer or local delamination, dislocation plasticity was not effective enough to relieve the stress concentration and the films showed

  6. Effect of viologen-phosphorus dendrimers on acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciepluch, Karol; Weber, Monika; Katir, Nadia; Caminade, Anne-Marie; El Kadib, Abdelkrim; Klajnert, Barbara; Majoral, Jean Pierre; Bryszewska, Maria

    2013-03-01

    The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is the first step in checking whether new compounds can be considered as drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases. The effect of viologen-phosphorus dendrimers on AChE and BChE activities was studied. The results show that the effects on the cholinesterase activities depend on dendrimer type and size. Viologen dendrimers can interact with the enzymes in two ways: they can bind either to a peripheral site of the enzyme or to amino acids located near the active site, inhibiting catalysis by both cholinesterases. All tested non-toxic viologen-phosphorus dendrimers inhibited the activities of both cholinesterases, showing their potential as new drugs for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Study on characteristics of a double-conductible channel organic thin-film transistor with an ultra-thin hole-blocking layer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guang-Cai, Yuan; Zheng, Xu; Su-Ling, Zhao; Fu-Jun, Zhang; Xue-Yan, Tian; Xu-Rong, Xu; Na, Xu

    2009-01-01

    The properties of top-contact organic thin-film transistors (TC-OTFTs) using ultra-thin 2, 9-dimethyl-4, 7-diphenyl-1, 10-phenanthroline (BCP) as a hole-blocking interlayer have been improved significantly and a BCP interlayer was inserted into the middle of the pentacene active layer. This paper obtains a fire-new transport mode of an OTFT device with double-conductible channels. The accumulation and transfer of the hole carriers are limited by the BCP interlayer in the vertical region of the channel. A huge amount of carriers is located not only at the interface between pentacene and the gate insulator, but also at the two interfaces of pentacene/BCP interlayer and pentacene/gate insulator, respectively. The results suggest that the BCP interlayer may be useful to adjust the hole accumulation and transfer, and can increase the hole mobility and output current of OTFTs. The TC-OTFTs with a BCP interlayer at V DS = −20 V showed excellent hole mobility μFE and threshold voltage V TH of 0.58 cm 2 /(V·s) and −4.6 V, respectively

  8. Interaction of phosphorus dendrimers with HIV peptides—Fluorescence studies of nano-complexes formation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ciepluch, Karol, E-mail: ciepluch@biol.uni.lodz.pl [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska Street 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Ionov, Maksim [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska Street 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Majoral, Jean-Pierre [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination du CNRS (LCC), 205 Route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse cedex 4 (France); Muñoz-Fernández, Maria Angeles [Laboratorio InmunoBiología Molecular, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid (Spain); Bryszewska, Maria [Department of General Biophysics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska Street 141/143, 90-236 Lodz (Poland)

    2014-04-15

    In this study, dendrimers emerge as an alternative approach for delivery of HIV peptides to dendritic cells. Gp160, NH-EIDNYTNTIYTLLEE-COOH; P24, NH-DTINEEAAEW-COOH and Nef, NHGMDDPEREVLEWRFDSRLAF-COOH peptides were complexed with two types of positively charged phosphorus-containing dendrimers (CPD). Fluorescence polarization, dynamic light scattering, transmission and electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were chosen to evaluate the dendriplexes stability. We were able to show that complexes were stable in time and temperature. This is crucial for using these peptide/dendrimer nano-complexes in a new vaccine against HIV-1 infection. -- Highlights: • The phosphorus dendrimers as nanocarriers of HIV-peptides are proposed. • The complexes of dendrimers and HIV-peptides were stable in time, temperature. • The results convince that phosphorus dendrimers could be consider as anti-HIV vaccine candidates.

  9. Interaction of phosphorus dendrimers with HIV peptides—Fluorescence studies of nano-complexes formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciepluch, Karol; Ionov, Maksim; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Muñoz-Fernández, Maria Angeles; Bryszewska, Maria

    2014-01-01

    In this study, dendrimers emerge as an alternative approach for delivery of HIV peptides to dendritic cells. Gp160, NH-EIDNYTNTIYTLLEE-COOH; P24, NH-DTINEEAAEW-COOH and Nef, NHGMDDPEREVLEWRFDSRLAF-COOH peptides were complexed with two types of positively charged phosphorus-containing dendrimers (CPD). Fluorescence polarization, dynamic light scattering, transmission and electron microscopy (TEM) techniques were chosen to evaluate the dendriplexes stability. We were able to show that complexes were stable in time and temperature. This is crucial for using these peptide/dendrimer nano-complexes in a new vaccine against HIV-1 infection. -- Highlights: • The phosphorus dendrimers as nanocarriers of HIV-peptides are proposed. • The complexes of dendrimers and HIV-peptides were stable in time, temperature. • The results convince that phosphorus dendrimers could be consider as anti-HIV vaccine candidates

  10. Dendrimers: a class of polymers in the nanotechnology for the delivery of active pharmaceuticals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samad, Abdus; Alam, Md Intakhab; Saxena, Kinshuk

    2009-01-01

    Dendrimers represent a class of novel polymers having unique molecular architectures characterized by their well-defined structure, with a high degree of molecular uniformity, low polydispersity and properties that make them attractive materials for the development of nanomedicines. The dendrimer drug delivery can be achieved by coupling a drug through one of two approaches. Hydrophobic drugs can be complexed within the hydrophobic dendrimer interior to make them water-soluble or drugs can be covalently coupled onto the surface of the dendrimer. In addition, dendrimers have been shown to be capable of bypassing efflux transporters. A new generation of dendrimer-based delivery systems will enable the efficient transport of drugs across cellular barriers. This review deals principally with the synthesis, characterization and recent applications of dendrimers. In future it will only ever be possible to designate a dendrimer as safe means of drug delivery related to a specific application. However, so far limited clinical experience using dendrimers makes it impossible to designate any particular system which is safe and non toxic. Although there is widespread concern as to the safety of nanosized particles, preclinical and clinical experience gained during the development of polymeric excipients, biomedical polymers and polymer therapeutics showed that judicious development of dendrimer chemistry for each specific application will ensure development of safe and important materials for biomedical and pharmaceutical use.

  11. A novel high performance, ultra thin heat sink for electronics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Escher, W.; Michel, B.; Poulikakos, D.

    2010-01-01

    We present an ultra thin heat sink for electronics, combining optimized impinging slot-jets, micro-channels and manifolds for efficient cooling. We first introduce a three-dimensional numerical model of the heat transfer structure, to investigate its hydrodynamic and thermal performance and its sensitivity to geometric parameters. In a second step we propose a three-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical model representing the complete system. Based on this model we design a novel manifold providing uniform fluid distribution. In order to save computational time a simpler semi-empirical model is proposed and validated. The semi-empirical model allows a robust optimization of the heat sink geometric parameters. The design is optimized for a 2 x 2 cm 2 chip and provides a total thermal resistance of 0.087 cm 2 K/W for flow rates 2 for a temperature difference between fluid inlet and chip of 65 K.

  12. Epitaxial stabilization of ultra thin films of electron doped manganites

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Middey, S., E-mail: smiddey@uark.edu; Kareev, M.; Meyers, D.; Liu, X.; Cao, Y.; Tripathi, S.; Chakhalian, J. [Department of Physics, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701 (United States); Yazici, D.; Maple, M. B. [Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States); Ryan, P. J.; Freeland, J. W. [Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439 (United States)

    2014-05-19

    Ultra-thin films of the electron doped manganite La{sub 0.8}Ce{sub 0.2}MnO{sub 3} were grown in a layer-by-layer growth mode on SrTiO{sub 3} (001) substrates by pulsed laser interval deposition. High structural quality and surface morphology were confirmed by a combination of synchrotron based x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Resonant X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements confirm the presence of Ce{sup 4+} and Mn{sup 2+} ions. In addition, the electron doping signature was corroborated by Hall effect measurements. All grown films show a ferromagnetic ground state as revealed by both dc magnetization and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements and remain insulating contrary to earlier reports of a metal-insulator transition. Our results hint at the possibility of electron-hole asymmetry in the colossal magnetoresistive manganite phase diagram akin to the high-T{sub c} cuprates.

  13. Improvement of transistor characteristics and stability for solution-processed ultra-thin high-valence niobium doped zinc-tin oxide thin film transistors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jeng, Jiann-Shing, E-mail: jsjeng@mail.nutn.edu.tw

    2016-08-15

    Nb-doped Zinc tin oxide (NZTO) channel materials have been prepared by solution process in combination with the spin-coating method. All NZTO thin film transistors (TFTs) are n-type enhancement-mode devices, either without or with Nb additives. High-valence niobium ion (ionic charge = +5) has a larger ionic potential and similar ionic radius to Zn{sup 2+} and Sn{sup 4+} ions. As compared with the pure ZTO device, introducing Nb{sup 5+} ions into the ZTO channel layers can improve the electrical properties and bias stability of TFTs because of the reduction of the oxygen vacancies. This study discusses the connection among the material properties of the NZTO films and the electrical performance and bias stability of NZTO TFTs and how they are influenced by the Nb/(Nb + Sn) molar ratios of NZTO films. - Highlights: • Ultra-thin high-valence niobium doped zinc-tin oxide (NZTO) thin films are prepared using a solution process. • Nb dopants in ZTO films reduce the oxygen vacancy and subgap adsorption of the ZTO films. • The Nb-doping concentration of the NZTO channel layer has a strong influence on the TFT performance.

  14. Poly(amido)amine (PAMAM) dendrimer-cisplatin complexes for chemotherapy of cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yellepeddi, Venkata Kashyap; Vangara, Kiran Kumar; Palakurthi, Srinath, E-mail: palakurthi@tamhsc.edu [Texas A and M Health Science Center, Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy (United States)

    2013-09-15

    Dendrimer-cisplatin complexes were prepared using PAMAM dendrimers with terminal -NH{sub 2} and -COOH groups as well as biotin-conjugated dendrimers. Preformulation parameters of dendrimer-cisplatin complexes were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Cytotoxicity and mechanism of cytotoxicity of dendrimer-cisplatin complexes was investigated in OVCAR-3, SKOV, A2780 and cisplatin-resistant CP70 human ovarian cancer cell lines. The loading of cisplatin in dendrimers was {approx}11 % (w/w). PAMAM G4 dendrimers with amine surface groups (biotinylated and native) have shown 2.5- to 3.0-fold reduction in IC{sub 50} values in ovarian cancer cells when compared with carboxylate surface dendrimers (p < 0.05). A correlation was observed among cytotoxicity of the complexes, cellular uptake, and platinum-DNA adduct formation. Treatment with dendrimer-cisplatin complexes resulted in a 7.0-fold increase (p < 0.05) in expression of apoptotic genes (Bcl2, Bax, p53) and 13.2- to 27.1-fold increase (p < 0.05) in the activity of caspases 3, 8, and 9 in vitro. Results suggest that PAMAM dendrimers can be used as potential carrier for cisplatin chemotherapy of ovarian cancer.

  15. Methotrexate loaded polyether-copolyester dendrimers for the treatment of gliomas: enhanced efficacy and intratumoral transport capability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhanikula, Renu Singh; Argaw, Anteneh; Bouchard, Jean-Francois; Hildgen, Patrice

    2008-01-01

    Therapeutic benefit in glial tumors is often limited due to low permeability of delivery systems across the blood-brain barrier (BBB), drug resistance, and poor penetration into the tumor tissue. In an attempt to overcome these hurdles, polyether-copolyester (PEPE) dendrimers were evaluated as drug carriers for the treatment of gliomas. Dendrimers were conjugated to d-glucosamine as the ligand for enhancing BBB permeability and tumor targeting. The efficacy of methotrexate (MTX)-loaded dendrimers was established against U87 MG and U 343 MGa cells. Permeability of rhodamine-labeled dendrimers and MTX-loaded dendrimers across the in vitro BBB model and their distribution into avascular human glioma tumor spheroids was also studied. Glucosylated dendrimers were found to be endocytosed in significantly higher amounts than nonglucosylated dendrimers by both the cell lines. IC 50 of MTX after loading in dendrimers was lower than that of the free MTX, suggesting that loading MTX in PEPE dendrimers increased its potency. Similar higher activity of MTX-loaded glucosylated and nonglucosylated dendrimers was found in the reduction of tumor spheroid size. These MTX-loaded dendrimers were able to kill even MTX-resistant cells highlighting their ability to overcome MTX resistance. In addition, the amount of MTX-transported across BBB was three to five times more after loading in the dendrimers. Glucosylation further increased the cumulative permeation of dendrimers across BBB and hence increased the amount of MTX available across it. Glucosylated dendrimers distributed through out the avascular tumor spheroids within 6 h, while nonglucosylated dendrimers could do so in 12 h. The results show that glucosamine can be used as an effective ligand not only for targeting glial tumors but also for enhanced permeability across BBB. Thus, glucosylated PEPE dendrimers can serve as potential delivery system for the treatment of gliomas.

  16. Multifunctional Dendrimer-templated Antibody Presentation on Biosensor Surfaces for Improved Biomarker Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Hye Jung; Kannan, Rangaramanujam M; Wang, Sunxi; Mao, Guangzhao; Kusanovic, Juan Pedro; Romero, Roberto

    2010-02-08

    Dendrimers, with their well-defined globular shape and a high density of functional groups, are ideal nanoscale materials for templating sensor surfaces. This work exploits dendrimers as a versatile platform for capturing biomarkers with improved sensitivity and specificity. Synthesis, characterization, fabrication, and functional validation of the dendrimer-based assay platform are described. Bifunctional hydroxyl/thiol functionalized G4-polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer is synthesized and immobilized on to the polyethylene-glycol (PEG)-functionalized assay plate by coupling PEG-maleimide and dendrimer thiol groups. Simultaneously, part of the dendrimer thiol groups are converted to hydrazide functionalities. The resulting dendrimer-modified surface is coupled to the capture antibody in the Fc region of the oxidized antibody. This preserves the orientation flexibility of the antigen binding region (Fv) of the antibody. To validate the approach, the fabricated plates are further used as a solid phase for developing a sandwich type ELISA to detect IL-6 and IL-1β, important biomarkers for early stages of chorioamnionitis. The dendrimer-modified plate provides assays with significantly enhanced sensitivity, lower nonspecific adsorption, and a detection limit of 0.13 pg ml -1 for IL-6 luminol detection and 1.15 pg ml -1 for IL-1β TMB detection, which are significantly better than those for the traditional ELISA. The assays were validated in human serum samples from normal (non-pregnant) woman and pregnant women with pyelonephritis. The specificity and the improved sensitivity of the dendrimer-based capture strategy could have significant implications for the detection of a wide range of cytokines and biomarkers since the capture strategy could be applied to multiplex microbead assays, conductometric immunosensors and field effect biosensors.

  17. Photosensitizer and peptide-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer for targeted in vivo photodynamic therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narsireddy A

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Amreddy Narsireddy,1 Kurra Vijayashree,2 Mahesh G Adimoolam,1 Sunkara V Manorama,1 Nalam M Rao21CSIR – Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, 2CSIR – Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, IndiaAbstract: Challenges in photodynamic therapy (PDT include development of efficient near infrared-sensitive photosensitizers (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl-21H,23H-porphine [PS] and targeted delivery of PS to the tumor tissue. In this study, a dual functional dendrimer was synthesized for targeted PDT. For targeting, a poly(amidoamine dendrimer (G4 was conjugated with a PS and a nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA group. A peptide specific to human epidermal growth factor 2 was expressed in Escherichia coli with a His-tag and was specifically bound to the NTA group on the dendrimer. Reaction conditions were optimized to result in dendrimers with PS and the NTA at a fractional occupancy of 50% and 15%, respectively. The dendrimers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, absorbance, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Using PS fluorescence, cell uptake of these particles was confirmed by confocal microscopy and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. PS-dendrimers are more efficient than free PS in PDT-mediated cell death assays in HER2 positive cells, SK-OV-3. Similar effects were absent in HER2 negative cell line, MCF-7. Compared to free PS, the PS-dendrimers have shown significant tumor suppression in a xenograft animal tumor model. Conjugation of a PS with dendrimers and with a targeting agent has enhanced photodynamic therapeutic effects of the PS.Keywords: photodynamic therapy, dendrimers, nanoparticle, targeted delivery, Affibody, xenograft animal model

  18. Impact of Dendrimers on Solubility of Hydrophobic Drug Molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonam Choudhary

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Adequate aqueous solubility has been one of the desired properties while selecting drug molecules and other bio-actives for product development. Often solubility of a drug determines its pharmaceutical and therapeutic performance. Majority of newly synthesized drug molecules fail or are rejected during the early phases of drug discovery and development due to their limited solubility. Sufficient permeability, aqueous solubility and physicochemical stability of the drug are important for achieving adequate bioavailability and therapeutic outcome. A number of different approaches including co-solvency, micellar solubilization, micronization, pH adjustment, chemical modification, and solid dispersion have been explored toward improving the solubility of various poorly aqueous-soluble drugs. Dendrimers, a new class of polymers, possess great potential for drug solubility improvement, by virtue of their unique properties. These hyper-branched, mono-dispersed molecules have the distinct ability to bind the drug molecules on periphery as well as to encapsulate these molecules within the dendritic structure. There are numerous reported studies which have successfully used dendrimers to enhance the solubilization of poorly soluble drugs. These promising outcomes have encouraged the researchers to design, synthesize, and evaluate various dendritic polymers for their use in drug delivery and product development. This review will discuss the aspects and role of dendrimers in the solubility enhancement of poorly soluble drugs. The review will also highlight the important and relevant properties of dendrimers which contribute toward drug solubilization. Finally, hydrophobic drugs which have been explored for dendrimer assisted solubilization, and the current marketing status of dendrimers will be discussed.

  19. Poly(Propylene Imine Dendrimers and Amoxicillin as Dual-Action Antibacterial Agents

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalia Wrońska

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Besides acting as antimicrobial compounds, dendrimers can be considered as agents that improve the therapeutic effectiveness of existing antibiotics. In this work we present a new approach to using amoxicillin (AMX against reference strains of common Gram-negative pathogens, alone and in combination with poly(propylene imine (PPI dendrimers, or derivatives thereof, in which 100% of the available hydrogen atoms are substituted with maltose (PPI 100%malG3. The concentrations of dendrimers used remained in the range non-toxic to eukaryotic cells. The results indicate that PPI dendrimers significantly enhance the antibacterial effect of amoxicillin alone, allowing antibiotic doses to be reduced. It is important to reduce doses of amoxicillin because its widespread use in medicine could lead to the development of bacterial resistance and environmental pollution. This is the first report on the combined antibacterial activity of PPI surface-modified maltose dendrimers and amoxicillin.

  20. Congenital cheek teratoma with temporo-mandibular joint ankylosis managed with ultra-thin silicone sheet interpositional arthroplasty.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatnagar, Ankur; Verma, Vinay Kumar; Purohit, Vishal

    2013-01-01

    Primary cheek teratomas are rare with joint ankylosis (TMJA). The fundamental aim in the treatment of TMJA is the successful surgical resection of ankylotic bone, prevention of recurrence, and aesthetic improvement by ensuring functional occlusion. Early treatment is necessary to promote proper growth and function of mandible and to facilitate the positive psychological development of child. Inter-positional arthroplasty with ultra-thin silicone sheet was performed. Advantages include short operative time, less foreign material in the joint space leading to negligible foreign body reactions and least chances of implant extrusion. Instead of excising a large bony segment, a thin silicone sheet was interposed and then sutured ensuring preservation of mandibular height. Aggressive post-operative physiotherapy with custom made dynamic jaw exerciser was used to prevent recurrence.

  1. In vitro evaluation of dendrimer prodrugs for oral drug delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Najlah, Mohammad; Freeman, Sally; Attwood, David; D'Emanuele, Antony

    2007-05-04

    Dendrimer-based prodrugs were used to enhance the transepithelial permeability of naproxen, a low solubility model drug. The stability of the dendrimer-naproxen link was assessed. Naproxen was conjugated to G0 polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers either by an amide bond or an ester bond. The stability of G0 prodrugs was evaluated in 80% human plasma and 50% rat liver homogenate. The cytotoxicity of conjugates towards Caco-2 cells was determined and the transport of the conjugates across Caco-2 monolayers (37 degrees C) was reported. In addition, one lauroyl chain (L) was attached to the surface group of G0 PAMAM dendrimer of the diethylene glycol ester conjugate (G0-deg-NAP) to enhance permeability. The lactic ester conjugate, G0-lact-NAP, hydrolyzed slowly in 80% human plasma and in 50% rat liver homogenate (t(1/2)=180 min). G0-deg-NAP was hydrolyzed more rapidly in 80% human plasma (t(1/2)=51 min) and was rapidly cleaved in 50% liver homogenate (t(1/2)=4.7 min). The conjugates were non-toxic when exposed to Caco-2 cells for 3h. Permeability studies showed a significant enhancement in the transport of naproxen when conjugated to dendrimers; L-G0-deg-NAP yielding the highest permeability. Dendrimer-based prodrugs with appropriate linkers have potential as carriers for the oral delivery of low solubility drugs such as naproxen.

  2. Exciton confinement in organic dendrimer quantum wells for opto-electronic applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lupton, J. M.; Samuel, I. D. W.; Burn, P. L.; Mukamel, S.

    2002-01-01

    Organic dendrimers are a fascinating new class of materials for opto-electronic applications. We present coupled electronic oscillator calculations on novel nanoscale conjugated dendrimers for use in organic light-emitting diodes. Strong confinement of excitations at the center of the dendrimers is observed, which accounts for the dependence of intermolecular interactions and charge transport on the degree of branching of the dendrimer. The calculated absorption spectra are in excellent agreement with the measured data and show that benzene rings are shared between excitations on the linear segments of the hyperbranched molecules. The coupled electronic oscillator approach is ideally suited to treat large dendritic molecules.

  3. Nonlinear Optical and Time-Resolved Properties of Novel Organic Dendrimers and Dendrimer Metal

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Goodson, T., III

    2004-01-01

    .... We found in particular that gold-metal dendrimer nanocomposites have very strong optical limiting properties that may be useful for eye and sensor protection devices in the visible and near Infrared spectral regions...

  4. Energy transfer to xanthene dyes in dansylated POPAM dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aumanen, Jukka; Korppi-Tommola, Jouko

    2011-12-01

    Excitation energy transfer (EET) in host-guest complexes of dansylated POPAM dendrimers and xanthene dyes have been studied by transient absorption spectroscopy. EET from dansyl periphery to guests: rose bengal, eosin, or fluorescein, showed non-exponential behaviour as a result of distribution of donor-acceptor distances. Time constants range from 100 fs to 8 ps, independent of the dye and the dendrimer generation. Experiments suggested that in dendrimers binding more than one guest, EET among the guests becomes effective. Guest-host and guest-guest interactions induce non-radiative relaxation channels making excitation decays of the guests clearly faster in complexes than in solution.

  5. Assess the Intra-molecular Cavity in PAMAM Dendrimers by Small Angle Neutron Scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Wei-Ren

    2008-01-01

    In this report, we present a contrast variation small angle neutron scattering (SANS) study of a series of neutral PAMAM dendrimer in aqueous solutions using three different generations (G4-6) at a concentration of about 10 mg/ml. Varying the solvent hydrogen-deuterium ratio, the scattering contributions from the water molecules and the constituent components of PAMAM dendrimer can be determined. Using an analytical model of the scattering cross section I(Q) incorporating the effect of water penetration, we have quantified the intra-molecular space of PAMAM dendrimer by evaluating the number of guest water molecules and we draw a direct comparison to computational predictions. As expected, the overall available internal cavity was seen to increase as a function of increasing dendrimer generation. However, the fraction of water accessible volume in the internal cavity of a dendrimer was found to remain invariant for the three generation PAMAM dendrimers studied in this report. We have also estimated the average water density inside a dendrimer, which is found to be higher than that of bulk water

  6. Transepithelial transport of PAMAM dendrimers across isolated rat jejunal mucosae in ussing chambers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, Dallin; Ghandehari, Hamidreza; Brayden, David J

    2014-08-11

    Oral delivery remains a challenge for poorly permeable hydrophilic macromolecules. Poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have shown potential for their possible oral delivery. Transepithelial transport of carboxyl-terminated G3.5 and amine-terminated G4 PAMAM dendrimers was assessed using isolated rat jejunal mucosae mounted in Ussing chambers. The 1 mM FITC-labeled dendrimers were added to the apical side of mucosae. Apparent permeability coefficients (Papp) from the apical to the basolateral side were significantly increased for FITC when conjugated to G3.5 PAMAM dendrimer compared to FITC alone. Minimal signs of toxicity were observed when mucosae were exposed to both dendrimers with respect to transepithelial electrical resistance changes, carbachol-induced short circuit current stimulation, and histological changes. [(14)C]-mannitol fluxes were not altered in the presence of 1 mM dendrimers, suggesting that the paracellular pathway was not affected at this concentration in this model. These results give insight into the mechanism of PAMAM dendrimer transepithelial rat jejunal transport, as well as toxicological considerations important for oral drug delivery.

  7. Polymerization of a divalent/tetravalent metal-storing atom-mimicking dendrimer

    OpenAIRE

    Albrecht, Ken; Hirabayashi, Yuki; Otake, Masaya; Mendori, Shin; Tobari, Yuta; Azuma, Yasuo; Majima, Yutaka; Yamamoto, Kimihisa

    2016-01-01

    The phenylazomethine dendrimer (DPA) has a layer-by-layer electron density gradient that is an analog of the Bohr atom (atom mimicry). In combination with electron pair mimicry, the polymerization of this atom-mimicking dendrimer was achieved. The valency of the mimicked atom was controlled by changing the chemical structure of the dendrimer. By mimicking a divalent atom, a one-dimensional (1D) polymer was obtained, and by using a planar tetravalent atom mimic, a 2D polymer was obtained. Thes...

  8. Characterization of Ultra thin chromium layers deposited ou to SiO2 using the Le-PIXE and the RB S techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zahraman, K.; Nsouli, B.; Roumie, M.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper, we demonstrate the ability of the Le-PIXE (Low Energy PIXE) technique, using proton energies < 1 MeV, for the monitoring of the thickness and the thickness uniformity of ultra thin (0.5 nm < t < 20 nm) chromium layers deposited onto quartz substrates. Chromium is a good candidate for obtaining conductive ultra thin layers on insulator substrates such as quartz (SiO2). The resistivity of such layers is highly related to the quality of the deposited chromium film. In order to optimize the deposition process, there is a need for rapid and accurate monitoring of such films (film thickness, thickness uniformity over a big surface...). The acquisition time needed to obtain results with less than 3-4 % precision was 5 minutes for the thinnest layers. The validation for the use of the Le-PIXE technique was checked by means of conventional RB S technique.

  9. Discharge amplified photo-emission from ultra-thin films applied to tuning work function of transparent electrodes in organic opto-electronic devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gentle, A.R.; Smith, G.B.; Watkins, S.E.

    2013-01-01

    A novel photoemission technique utilising localised discharge amplification of photo-yield is reported. It enables fast, accurate measurement of work function and ionisation potential for ultra-thin buffer layers vacuum deposited onto single and multilayer transparent conducting electrodes for organic solar cells and OLED's. Work function in most traditional transparent electrodes has to be raised to maximise charge transfer while high transmittance and high conductance must be retained. Results are presented for a range of metal oxide buffers, which achieve this goal. This compact photo-yield spectroscopy tool with its fast turn-around has been a valuable development aid since ionisation potential can vary significantly as deposition conditions change slightly, and as ultra-thin films grow. It has also been useful in tracking the impact of different post deposition cleaning treatments along with some storage and transport protocols, which can adversely reduce ionisation potential and hence subsequent device performance.

  10. Thin layer activation and ultra thin layer activation: two complementary techniques for wear and corrosion studies in various fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sauvage, T.; Vincent, L.; Blondiaux, G.

    2002-01-01

    Thin layer activation (TLA) is widely used since more than 25 years to study surface wear or corrosion. This well known technique uses most of the time charged particles activation, which gives sensitivity in the range of the micrometer, except when the fluid mode of detection is utilized. In this case application of the method is limited to phenomena where we have transport of radioactive fragments to detection point. The main disadvantage of this procedure is the error due to trapping phenomena between the wear or corrosion point and detection setup. So the ultra thin layer activation (UTLA) has been developed to get nanometric sensitivity without using any fluid for radioactivity transportation, which is the main source of error of the TLA technique. In this paper we shall briefly describe the TLA technique and the most important fields of application. Then we shall emphasise on UTLA with a presentation of the principle of the method and actual running of application. The main problem concerning UTLA is calibration which requires the use of thin films (usually 10 to 100 nanometers) deposited on substrate. This process is time consuming and we shall demonstrate how running software developed in the lab can solve it. We shall finish the presentation by giving some potential application of the technique in various fields. (authors)

  11. Dendrimer and an active substance occluded in the dendrimer : a process for the preparation thereof and a process for releasing the active substance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1998-01-01

    The invention relates to a dendrimer composition in which an effective number of the terminal functionalities are provided with blocking agents, and at least one active substance species is occluded in the dendrimer. A blocking agent is a sufficiently sterically sized compound which readily enters

  12. Development of a Topical Resveratrol Formulation for Commercial Applications Using Dendrimer Nanotechnology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pentek, Tyler; Newenhouse, Eric; O'Brien, Brennin; Chauhan, Abhay Singh

    2017-01-14

    Resveratrol (RSV) is well known for its anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties. However, resveratrol is insoluble in water and has stability issues. Recently, efforts were placed to prepare a resveratrol-based advanced anti-aging topical product but it contains harsh organic solvents and oils that could be harmful to the human body and the environment. Hence, we propose the use of a multifunctional dendrimer to solve the solubility and stability issues of resveratrol. A dendrimer-resveratrol complex was prepared, optimized and tested for solubility enhancement, stability in solution and cream dosage forms. We have also developed a high performance liquid chromatography method to measure the resveratrol within the final product. PAMAM dendrimers increased the solubility and stability of resveratrol in water and semisolid dosage forms. Therefore, this product would be water based 'green' formulation devoid of harsh organic solvents and oils and can be safely applied to the skin. Additionally, we have shown that the dendrimer helped to increase overall RSV loading and skin penetration of resveratrol. The dendrimer-RSV formulation was successfully scaled up towards commercialization. Dendrimer with RSV has led to an innovation in anti-aging cream and solutions that could be commercially marketed. Dendrimer-RSV complex could also be added to other product forms for additional purposes and applications.

  13. Dendrimer advances for the central nervous system delivery of therapeutics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Leyuan; Zhang, Hao; Wu, Yue

    2014-01-15

    The effectiveness of noninvasive treatment for central nervous system (CNS) diseases is generally limited by the poor access of therapeutic agents into the CNS. Most CNS drugs cannot permeate into the brain parenchyma because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and overcoming this has become one of the most significant challenges in the development of CNS therapeutics. Rapid advances in nanotechnology have provided promising solutions to this challenge. This review discusses the latest applications of dendrimers in the treatment of CNS diseases with an emphasis on brain tumors. Dendrimer-mediated drug delivery, imaging, and diagnosis are also reviewed. The toxicity, biodistribution, and transport mechanisms in dendrimer-mediated delivery of CNS therapeutic agents bypassing or crossing the BBB are also discussed. Future directions and major challenges of dendrimer-mediated delivery of CNS therapeutic agents are included.

  14. Composition consisting of a dendrimer and an active substance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    1995-01-01

    The invention relates to a composition consisting of a dendrimer provided with blocking agents and an active substance occluded in the dendrimer. According to the invention a blocking agent is a compound which is sterically of sufficient size, which readily enters into a chemical bond with the

  15. Physicochemical and biological properties of self-assembled antisense/poly(amidoamine) dendrimer nanoparticles: the effect of dendrimer generation and charge ratio

    OpenAIRE

    Nomani, Alireza; Haririan, Ismaeil; Rahimnia, Ramin; Fouladdel, Shamileh; Gazori, Tarane; Dinarvand, Rassoul; Omidi, Yadollah; Azizi, Ebrahim

    2010-01-01

    To gain a deeper understanding of the physicochemical phenomenon of self-assembled nanoparticles of different generations and ratios of poly (amidoamine) dendrimer (PAMAM) dendrimer and a short-stranded DNA (antisense oligonucleotide), multiple methods were used to characterize these nanoparticles including photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS); zeta potential measurement; and atomic force microscopy (AFM). PCS and AFM results revealed that, in contrast to larger molecules of DNA, smaller mol...

  16. Facile design of ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide membranes for the fabrication of plasmonic nanoarrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hao, Qi; Huang, Hao; Fan, Xingce; Hou, Xiangyu; Yin, Yin; Li, Wan; Si, Lifang; Nan, Haiyan; Wang, Huaiyu; Mei, Yongfeng; Qiu, Teng; Chu, Paul K.

    2017-03-01

    Ultra-thin anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes are efficient templates for the fabrication of patterned nanostructures. Herein, a three-step etching method to control the morphology of AAO is described. The morphological evolution of the AAO during phosphoric acid etching is systematically investigated and a nonlinear growth mechanism during unsteady-state anodization is revealed. The thickness of the AAO can be quantitatively controlled from ˜100 nm to several micrometers while maintaining the tunablity of the pore diameter. The AAO membranes are robust and readily transferable to different types of substrates to prepare patterned plasmonic nanoarrays such as nanoislands, nanoclusters, ultra-small nanodots, and core-satellite superstructures. The localized surface plasmon resonance from these nanostructures can be easily tuned by adjusting the morphology of the AAO template. The custom AAO template provides a platform for the fabrication of low-cost and large-scale functional nanoarrays suitable for fundamental studies as well as applications including biochemical sensing, imaging, photocatalysis, and photovoltaics.

  17. Magnetic field induced superconductor-insulator transitions for ultra-thin Bi films on the different underlayers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makise, K; Kawaguti, T; Shinozaki, B

    2009-01-01

    This work shows the experimental results of the superconductor-insulator (S-I) transition for ultra-thin Bi films in magnetic fields. The quench-condensed (q-c) Bi film onto insulating underlayers have been interpreted to be homogeneous. In contrast, the Bi film without underlayers has been regarded as a granular film. The electrical transport properties of ultra-thin metal films near the S-I transition depend on the structure of the film. In order to confirm the effect of the underlayer to the homogeneity of the superconducting films, we investigate the characteristics of S-I transitions of q-c nominally homogeneous Bi films on underlayers of two insulating materials, SiO, and Sb. Under almost the same deposition condition except for the material of underlayer, we prepared the Bi films by repeating the additional deposition and performed in-situ electrical measurement. It is found that the transport properties near the S-I transitions show the remarkable difference between two films on different underlayers. As for Bi films on SiO, it turned out that the temperature dependence of resistance per square R sq (T) of the field-tuned transition and the thickness-tuned transition shows similar behavior; it was a thermally activated form. On the other hand, the R sq (T) of Bi films on Sb for thickness-tuned S-I transition showed logarithmic temperature dependence, but that for field-tuned S-I transition showed a thermally activated form.

  18. Conduction and TSC properties of LB films adsorbing cyanine dyes; Cyanine shikiso kyuchaku LB maku ni okeru denki dendo oyobi netsushigeki denryu tokusei

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shinbo, K.; Kato, K.; Kaneko, F.; Kobayashi, S. [Niigata University, Niigata (Japan)

    1995-05-20

    The electric properties were investigated for phosphatidic acid (PA) LB films adsorbing cyanide dyes (NK-3) with sandwich electrodes. PA LB adsorbing the dyes and the monolayers of Cd salt without the dyes are deposited using subphases, containing various concentrations of the dyes and containing CdCl2 instead of the dyes, respectively. Conduction currents are measured at room temperature for the PA LB film devices. Increases in the conduction currents are observed in the LB films containing the dyes. Furthermore, the conduction currents remarkably increase using the Au upper electrode. The current(I) vs. voltage (V) properties nearly follow the Poole conduction, log(I)-V. Therefore, the conduction currents are very complicated and are thought to be due to composite mechanisms in the film and at the interface. TSC measurements are used to examine the dipolar polarizations in the PA LB films, in the temperature region between 150 K and 300 K. Remarkable increase of TSCs are observed above 260 K for the devices containing the dyes. The TSCs are caused by the dipolar polarizations, and increase with the quantity of the dyes contained in the LB devices and/or aggregations of the dyes. The results are useful for applications of ultrathin film devices in the future. 16 refs., 11 figs., 3 tabs.

  19. Supramolecular assembly of a series of chiral dendrimers in interfacial films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan Jing; Deng Guojun; Fan Qinghua; Liu Minghua

    2004-01-01

    Supramolecular assembly and interfacial properties of a series of novel binaphthyl containing dendrimers from generation 1 through generation 4 have been investigated at the air/water interface and in solid substrates. Due to the lack of either long alkyl chains or strong hydrophilic groups, the dendrimer molecules tend to aggregate together to form stable two-dimensional ultrathin films, as verified by π-A and A-t measurements. Atomic force microscope (AFM) measurements of the transferred one-layer ultrathin films indicate that all the dendrimers show disk-like morphologies, which could be varied in particle size upon changing the surface pressure. The height profiles reveal that the height of the disks is between that of a monolayer and a bilayer, indicating that they are formed due to the aggregation of dendrimers with a distortion and/or partial overlapping. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra of the transferred multilayer films show Cotton effects due to the exciton couplet of the aromatic moieties adjacent to the bis(diphenylphosphino)-binaphthyl moiety, which is an active catalytic site for the dendrimer. With the increment of the generation, the intensity of the Cotton effects increased, suggesting that the optical active site of the dendrimer can be controlled by the outside wedge

  20. Development of Tat-Conjugated Dendrimer for Transdermal DNA Vaccine Delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bahadoran, Azadeh; Moeini, Hassan; Bejo, Mohd Hair; Hussein, Mohd Zobir; Omar, Abdul Rahman

    In order to enhance cellular uptake and to facilitate transdermal delivery of DNA vaccine, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers conjugated with HIV transactivator of transcription (TAT) was developed. First, the plasmid DNA (pIRES-H5/GFP) nanoparticle was formulated using PAMAM dendrimer and TAT peptide and then characterized for surface charge, particle size, DNA encapsulation and protection of the pIRES-H5/GFP DNA plasmid to enzymatic digestion. Subsequently, the potency of the TAT-conjugated dendrimer for gene delivery was evaluated through in vitro transfection into Vero cells followed by gene expression analysis including western blotting, fluorescent microscopy and PCR. The effect of the TAT peptide on cellular uptake of DNA vaccine was studied by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. Finally, the ability of TAT-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer for transdermal delivery of the DNA plasmid was assessed through artificial membranes followed by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry. TAT-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer showed the ability to form a compact and nanometre-sized polyplexes with the plasmid DNA, having the size range of 105 to 115 nm and a positive charge of +42 to +45 mV over the N/P ratio of 6:1(+/-).  In vitro transfection analysis into Vero cells confirms the high potency of TAT-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer to enhance the cellular uptake of DNA vaccine.  The permeability value assay through artificial membranes reveals that TAT-conjugated PAMAM has more capacity for transdermal delivery of the DNA compared to unmodified PAMAM dendrimer (Pdendrimer is a promising non-viral vector for transdermal use.This article is open to POST-PUBLICATION REVIEW. Registered readers (see "For Readers") may comment by clicking on ABSTRACT on the issue's contents page.

  1. Anticancer copper(II) phosphorus dendrimers are potent proapoptotic Bax activators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mignani, Serge; El Brahmi, Nabil; Eloy, Laure; Poupon, Joel; Nicolas, Valérie; Steinmetz, Anke; El Kazzouli, Said; Bousmina, Mosto M; Blanchard-Desce, Mireille; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre; Cresteil, Thierry

    2017-05-26

    A multivalent phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 and its corresponding Cu-complex, 1G 3 -Cu have been recently identified as agents retaining high antiproliferative potency. This antiproliferative capacity was preserved in cell lines overexpressing the efflux pump ABC B1, whereas cross-resistance was observed in ovarian cancer cell lines resistant to cisplatin. Theoretical 3D models were constructed: the dendrimers appear as irregularly shaped disk-like nano-objects of about 22 Å thickness and 49 Å diameter, which accumulated in cells after penetration by endocytosis. To get insight in their mode of action, cell death pathways have been examined in human cancer cell lines: early apoptosis was followed by secondary necrosis after multivalent phosphorus dendrimers exposure. The multivalent plain phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 moderately activated caspase-3 activity, in contrast with the multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 -Cu which strikingly reduced the caspase-3 content and activity. This decrease of caspase activity is not related to the presence of copper, since inorganic copper has no or little effect on caspase-3. Conversely the potent apoptosis activation could be related to a noticeable translocation of Bax to the mitochondria, resulting in the release of AIF into the cytosol, its translocation to the nucleus and a severe DNA fragmentation, without alteration of the cell cycle. The multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer is more efficient than its non-complexed analog to activate this pathway in close relationship with the higher antiproliferative potency. Therefore, this multivalent Cu-conjugated phosphorus dendrimer 1G 3 -Cu can be considered as a new and promising first-in-class antiproliferative agent with a distinctive mode of action, inducing apoptosis tumor cell death through Bax activation pathway. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  2. White organic light emitting diodes based on fluorene-carbazole dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Usluer, Özlem; Demic, Serafettin; Kus, Mahmut; Özel, Faruk; Serdar Sariciftci, Niyazi

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, we report on theProd. Type: FTP fabrication and characterization of blue and white light emitting devices based on two fluorene-carbazole containing dendrimers and para-sexiphenyl (6P) oligomers. Blue light emitting diodes were fabricated using 9′,9″-(9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis-9′H-9,3′:6′,9″-tercarbazole (OFC-G2) and 9′,9″-(9,9′-spirobi[fluorene]-2,7-diyl)bis-9′H-9,3′:6′,9″-tercarbazole (SBFC-G2) dendrimers as a hole transport and emissive layer (EML) and 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP) as an electron transport layer. White light emitting diodes were fabricated using 6P and these two dendrimers as an EML. OLED device with the structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS (50 nm)/OFC-G2 (40 nm)/6P (20 nm)/LiF:Al (0.5:100 nm) shows maximum luminance of nearly 1400 cd/m 2 and a Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of (0.27, 0.30) at 12 V. -- Highlights: • White organic light emitting diodes have been fabricated using two fluorene-carbazole dendrimers and para-sexiphenyl (6P) oligomers. • When only these two dendrimers are used as EML, OLED devices are emitted blue light. • The emission colors of OLED devices change from blue to white when 6P is coated on dendrimer films

  3. Epitaxial growth of ultra-thin NbN films on AlxGa1−xN buffer-layers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krause, S; Meledin, D; Desmaris, V; Pavolotsky, A; Belitsky, V; Rudziński, M; Pippel, E

    2014-01-01

    The suitability of Al x Ga 1−x N epilayers to deposit onto ultra-thin NbN films has been demonstrated for the first time. High quality single-crystal films with 5 nm thickness confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) have been deposited in a reproducible manner by means of reactive DC magnetron sputtering at elevated temperatures and exhibit critical temperatures (T c ) as high as 13.2 K and residual resistivity ratio (RRR) ∼1 on hexagonal GaN epilayers. On increasing the Al content x in the Al x Ga 1−x N epilayer above 20%, a gradual deterioration of T c to 10 K was observed. Deposition of NbN on bare silicon substrates served as a reference and comparison. Excellent spatial homogeneity of the fabricated films was confirmed by R(T) measurements of patterned micro-bridges across the entire film area. The superconducting properties of these films were further characterized by critical magnetic field and critical current measurements. It is expected that the employment of GaN material as a buffer-layer for the deposition of ultra-thin NbN films will prospectively benefit terahertz electronics, particularly hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixers. (paper)

  4. Combining metadynamics simulation and experiments to characterize dendrimers in solution

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pavan, G.M.; Barducci, A.; Albertazzi, L.; Parrinello, M.

    2013-01-01

    We report a combined theoretical-experimental approach to characterize dendrimers and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-dendrimer hybrids in solution. Well-tempered metadynamics simulation allows for an exhaustive sampling of the conformational fluctuations in solution. In contrast to classical molecular

  5. Transepithelial Transport of PAMAM Dendrimers Across Isolated Human Intestinal Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hubbard, Dallin; Enda, Michael; Bond, Tanner; Moghaddam, Seyyed Pouya Hadipour; Conarton, Josh; Scaife, Courtney; Volckmann, Eric; Ghandehari, Hamidreza

    2015-11-02

    Poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have shown transepithelial transport across intestinal epithelial barrier in rats and across Caco-2 cell monolayers. Caco-2 models innately lack mucous barriers, and rat isolated intestinal tissue has been shown to overestimate human permeability. This study is the first report of transport of PAMAM dendrimers across isolated human intestinal epithelium. It was observed that FITC labeled G4-NH2 and G3.5-COOH PAMAM dendrimers at 1 mM concentration do not have a statistically higher permeability compared to free FITC controls in isolated human jejunum and colonic tissues. Mannitol permeability was increased at 10 mM concentrations of G3.5-COOH and G4-NH2 dendrimers. Significant histological changes in human colonic and jejunal tissues were observed at G3.5-COOH and G4-NH2 concentrations of 10 mM implying that dose limiting toxicity may occur at similar concentrations in vivo. The permeability through human isolated intestinal tissue in this study was compared to previous rat and Caco-2 permeability data. This study implicates that PAMAM dendrimer oral drug delivery may be feasible, but it may be limited to highly potent drugs.

  6. Unusual concentration-dependent microscopic dynamics of dendrimers in aqueous solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, Kaikin; Wu, Chin Ming; Lam, Hak Fai; Chathoth, Suresh M.

    2016-01-01

    Dendrimers are novel three-dimensional, hyperbranched globular nanopolymeric macromolecules. The nanoscopic size, narrow polydispersity index, excellent control over molecular structure, availability of multiple functional groups at the periphery, and cavities in the interior made them very attractive candidate for drug delivery. In this communication, we have studied the microscopic dynamics of tetra-acid and pentaerythritol glycidyl ether dendrimers dissolved in aqueous solution with different concentrations. The effects of concentration and temperature to their long-range diffusion process are investigated by dynamic light scattering. Experimental results show a huge variation in the translational diffusion coefficient for the two dendrimers samples. Besides, the dependence of diffusion coefficients on concentration is unusually different in these dendrimer samples. Although the diffusion process follows Arrhenius relation with the temperature in both systems, the activation energy for the diffusion process has a distinct concentration dependence.

  7. Unusual concentration-dependent microscopic dynamics of dendrimers in aqueous solution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Kaikin; Wu, Chin Ming; Lam, Hak Fai; Chathoth, Suresh M.

    2016-05-01

    Dendrimers are novel three-dimensional, hyperbranched globular nanopolymeric macromolecules. The nanoscopic size, narrow polydispersity index, excellent control over molecular structure, availability of multiple functional groups at the periphery, and cavities in the interior made them very attractive candidate for drug delivery. In this communication, we have studied the microscopic dynamics of tetra-acid and pentaerythritol glycidyl ether dendrimers dissolved in aqueous solution with different concentrations. The effects of concentration and temperature to their long-range diffusion process are investigated by dynamic light scattering. Experimental results show a huge variation in the translational diffusion coefficient for the two dendrimers samples. Besides, the dependence of diffusion coefficients on concentration is unusually different in these dendrimer samples. Although the diffusion process follows Arrhenius relation with the temperature in both systems, the activation energy for the diffusion process has a distinct concentration dependence.

  8. Unusual concentration-dependent microscopic dynamics of dendrimers in aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wong, Kaikin; Wu, Chin Ming; Lam, Hak Fai; Chathoth, Suresh M., E-mail: smavilac@cityu.edu.hk [City University of Hong Kong, Department of Physics and Materials Science (Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China) (China)

    2016-05-15

    Dendrimers are novel three-dimensional, hyperbranched globular nanopolymeric macromolecules. The nanoscopic size, narrow polydispersity index, excellent control over molecular structure, availability of multiple functional groups at the periphery, and cavities in the interior made them very attractive candidate for drug delivery. In this communication, we have studied the microscopic dynamics of tetra-acid and pentaerythritol glycidyl ether dendrimers dissolved in aqueous solution with different concentrations. The effects of concentration and temperature to their long-range diffusion process are investigated by dynamic light scattering. Experimental results show a huge variation in the translational diffusion coefficient for the two dendrimers samples. Besides, the dependence of diffusion coefficients on concentration is unusually different in these dendrimer samples. Although the diffusion process follows Arrhenius relation with the temperature in both systems, the activation energy for the diffusion process has a distinct concentration dependence.

  9. Dendrimer Advances for the Central Nervous System Delivery of Therapeutics

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    The effectiveness of noninvasive treatment for central nervous system (CNS) diseases is generally limited by the poor access of therapeutic agents into the CNS. Most CNS drugs cannot permeate into the brain parenchyma because of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and overcoming this has become one of the most significant challenges in the development of CNS therapeutics. Rapid advances in nanotechnology have provided promising solutions to this challenge. This review discusses the latest applications of dendrimers in the treatment of CNS diseases with an emphasis on brain tumors. Dendrimer-mediated drug delivery, imaging, and diagnosis are also reviewed. The toxicity, biodistribution, and transport mechanisms in dendrimer-mediated delivery of CNS therapeutic agents bypassing or crossing the BBB are also discussed. Future directions and major challenges of dendrimer-mediated delivery of CNS therapeutic agents are included. PMID:24274162

  10. Photoinduced Electron Transfer of PAMAM Dendrimer-Zinc(II) Porphyrin Associates at Polarized Liquid|Liquid Interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagatani, Hirohisa; Sakae, Hiroki; Torikai, Taishi; Sagara, Takamasa; Imura, Hisanori

    2015-06-09

    The heterogeneous photoinduced electron-transfer reaction of the ion associates between NH2-terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrinato zinc(II) (ZnTPPS(4-)) was studied at the polarized water|1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface. The positive photocurrent arising from the photoreduction of ZnTPPS(4-) by a lipophilic quencher, decamethylferrocene, in the interfacial region was significantly enhanced by the ion association with the PAMAM dendrimers. The photocurrent response of the dendrimer-ZnTPPS(4-) associates was dependent on the pH condition and on the generation of dendrimer. A few cationic additives such as polyallylamine and n-octyltrimethyammonium were also examined as alternatives to the PAMAM dendrimer, but the magnitude of the photocurrent enhancement was rather small. The high photoreactivity of the dendrimer-ZnTPPS(4-) associates was interpreted mainly as a result of the high interfacial concentration of photoreactive porphyrin units associated stably with the dendrimer which was preferably adsorbed at the polarized water|DCE interface. The photochemical data observed in the second and fourth generation PAMAM dendrimer systems demonstrated that the higher generation dendrimer which can incorporate a porphyrin molecule more completely in the interior is less efficient for the photocurrent enhancement at the interface. These results indicated that the photoreactivity of ionic reactant at a polarized liquid|liquid interface can readily be modified via ion association with the charged dendrimer.

  11. Mechanism of PAMAM Dendrimers Internalization in Hippocampal Neurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vidal, Felipe; Vásquez, Pilar; Díaz, Carola; Nova, Daniela; Alderete, Joel; Guzmán, Leonardo

    2016-10-03

    Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are hyperbranched macromolecules which have been described as one of the most promising drug nanocarrier systems. A key process to understand is their cellular internalization mechanism because of its direct influence on their intracellular distribution, association with organelles, entry kinetics, and cargo release. Despite that internalization mechanisms of dendrimers have been studied in different cell types, in the case of neurons they are not completely described. Considering the relevance of central nervous system (CNS) diseases and neuropharmacology, the aim of this report is to describe the molecular internalization mechanism of different PAMAM-based dendrimer systems in hippocampal neurons. Four dendrimers based on fourth generation PAMAM with different surface properties were studied: unmodified G4, with a positively charged surface; PP50, with a substitution of the 50% of amino surface groups with polyethylene glycol neutral groups; PAc, with a substitution of the 30% of amino surface groups with acrylate anionic groups; and PFO, decorated with folic acid groups in a 25% of total terminal groups. Confocal images show that both G4 and PFO are able to enter the neurons, but not PP50 and PAc. Colocalization study with specific endocytosis markers and specific endocytosis inhibitor assay demonstrate that clathrin-mediated endocytosis would be the main internalization mechanism for G4, whereas clathrin- and caveolae-mediated endocytosis would be implicated in PFO internalization. These results show the existence of different internalization mechanisms for PAMAM dendrimers in neurons and the possibility to control their internalization properties with specific chemical modifications.

  12. Rational design of dendrimer/lipid nanoassemblies in drug delivery for cancer chemotherapy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Qihang

    Nanocarriers can minimize the side effects and improve therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs. Although some success has been achieved via active or passive drug delivery to tumor cells, the known nanocarriers are far from satisfying therapeutic efficacy expectations. This is because they usually fail in one of the four crucial requirements, that is, to retain drug in blood circulation but release it reliably in tumor cells and to be stealthy in transport in circulation and tumor tissue but sticky upon arrival at the tumor cell. Therefore, the goal of this work is to fabricate nanoassemblies of dendrimers and lipids to address all these challenges. Particularly, nanoassemblies designed and prepared in this work are illustrated to improve the tumor tissue penetration. Examples of dendrimers synthesized in this work are water-insoluble, pH-dependent water-insoluble and water-soluble biodegradable polyester dendrimers. These dendrimers are shown to be encapsulated by commonly used fusogenic and long-circulating lipids to form reliable nanoassemblies. The dendrimer/lipid nanocarriers are used to demonstrate a cascade drug delivery. They are expected to be stable in circulation, due to their appropriately large size, but to release the drug-loaded dendrimers in tumor tissue. The released dendrimers carrying drugs are much smaller and hence expected to have a much deeper penetration throughout the tumor tissue.

  13. Investigation of interactions between dendrimer-coated magnetite nanoparticles and bovine serum albumin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pan Bifeng; Gao Feng; Ao Limei

    2005-01-01

    We investigated the interactions between dendrimer-coated magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs) and the protein serum albumin. The investigation was based on the fluorescence quenching of tryptophan residue of serum albumin after binding with the dendrimer-coated magnetite nanoparticles. The extent of the interactions between bovine serum albumin and dendrimer-coated MNPs strongly depends on their surface groups and pH value

  14. Understanding specific and nonspecific toxicities: a requirement for the development of dendrimer-based pharmaceuticals

    OpenAIRE

    McNerny, Daniel Q.; Leroueil, Pascale R.; Baker, James R.

    2010-01-01

    Dendrimer conjugates for pharmaceutical development are capable of enhancing the local delivery of cytotoxic drugs. The ability to conjugate different targeting ligands to the dendrimer allows for the cytotoxic drug to be focused at the intended target cell while minimizing collateral damage in normal cells. Dendrimers offer several advantages over other polymer conjugates by creating a better defined, more monodisperse therapeutic scaffold. Toxicity from the dendrimer, targeted and nonspecif...

  15. Skin Delivery of EGCG and Silibinin: Potential of Peptide Dendrimers for Enhanced Skin Permeation and Deposition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetty, Pallavi Krishna; Manikkath, Jyothsna; Tupally, Karnaker; Kokil, Ganesh; Hegde, Aswathi R; Raut, Sushil Y; Parekh, Harendra S; Mutalik, Srinivas

    2017-08-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of the peptide dendrimers to facilitate transdermal delivery of antioxidants, silibinin, and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Drug-peptide dendrimer complexes were prepared and evaluated for their ability to permeate across the skin. The data revealed the ready formation of complexes between drug and peptide dendrimer in a molar ratio of 1:1. In vitro permeation studies using excised rat skin and drug-peptide dendrimer complexes showed highest values for cumulative drug permeation at the end of 12 h (Q 12 ), with corresponding permeability coefficient (Kp) and enhancement ratio values also determined at this time point. With silibinin, 3.96-, 1.81-, and 1.06-fold increase in skin permeation was observed from silibinin-peptide dendrimer complex, simultaneous application of silibinin + peptide dendrimer, and pretreatment of skin with peptide dendrimer, respectively, in comparison with passive diffusion. With EGCG, 9.82-, 2.04-, and 1.72-fold increase in skin permeation was observed from EGCG-peptide dendrimer complex, simultaneous application of EGCG + peptide dendrimer, and pretreatment of skin with peptide dendrimer, respectively, in comparison with passive diffusion. The present study demonstrates the application of peptide dendrimers in effectively delivering antioxidants such as EGCG and silibinin into the skin, thus offering the potential to provide antioxidant effects when delivered via appropriately formulated topical preparations.

  16. The application of poly(amidoamine dendrimers for modification of jute yarns: Preparation and dyeing properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Akbar Zolriasatein

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, poly(amidoamine (PAMAM G-2 dendrimer was used for jute yarn. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR revealed that all carbonyl groups of jute fibers reacted with amino groups of polyamidoamine dendrimers. SEM observation indicated the good dispersion PAMAM dendrimers. Jute yarns pretreated with PAMAM dendrimer displayed markedly enhanced color strength with reactive dyes, even when dyeing had been carried out in the absence of electrolyte or alkali. Dendrimer-treated jute yarn showed much better light-fastness than untreated jute yarn.

  17. Fluorescent quantum dot hydrophilization with PAMAM dendrimer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potapkin, Dmitry V.; Geißler, Daniel; Resch-Genger, Ute; Goryacheva, Irina Yu.

    2016-05-01

    Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers were used to produce CdSe core/multi-shell fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) which are colloidally stable in aqueous solutions. The size, charge, and optical properties of QDs functionalized with the 4th (G4) and 5th (G5) generation of PAMAM were compared with amphiphilic polymer-covered QDs and used as criteria for the evaluation of the suitability of both water solubilization methods. As revealed by dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering (DLS and ELS), the hydrodynamic sizes of the QDs varied from 30 to 65 nm depending on QD type and dendrimer generation, with all QDs displaying highly positive surface charges, i.e., zeta potentials of around +50 mV in water. PAMAM functionalization yielded stable core/multi-shell QDs with photoluminescence quantum yields ( Φ) of up to 45 %. These dendrimer-covered QDs showed a smaller decrease in their Φ upon phase transfer compared with QDs made water soluble via encapsulation with amphiphilic brush polymer bearing polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene chains.

  18. Fluorescent quantum dot hydrophilization with PAMAM dendrimer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Potapkin, Dmitry V., E-mail: potapkindv@gmail.com [Saratov State University, Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Chemistry Institute (Russian Federation); Geißler, Daniel, E-mail: daniel.geissler@bam.de; Resch-Genger, Ute, E-mail: ute.resch@bam.de [BAM - Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (Germany); Goryacheva, Irina Yu., E-mail: goryachevaiy@mail.ru [Saratov State University, Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Chemistry Institute (Russian Federation)

    2016-05-15

    Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers were used to produce CdSe core/multi-shell fluorescent quantum dots (QDs) which are colloidally stable in aqueous solutions. The size, charge, and optical properties of QDs functionalized with the 4th (G4) and 5th (G5) generation of PAMAM were compared with amphiphilic polymer-covered QDs and used as criteria for the evaluation of the suitability of both water solubilization methods. As revealed by dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering (DLS and ELS), the hydrodynamic sizes of the QDs varied from 30 to 65 nm depending on QD type and dendrimer generation, with all QDs displaying highly positive surface charges, i.e., zeta potentials of around +50 mV in water. PAMAM functionalization yielded stable core/multi-shell QDs with photoluminescence quantum yields (Φ) of up to 45 %. These dendrimer-covered QDs showed a smaller decrease in their Φ upon phase transfer compared with QDs made water soluble via encapsulation with amphiphilic brush polymer bearing polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylene chains.

  19. Photo-physical and structural interactions between viologen phosphorus-based dendrimers and human serum albumin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciepluch, Karol; Katir, Nadia; El Kadib, Abdelkrim; Weber, Monika; Caminade, Anne-Marie; Bousmina, Mostapha; Pierre Majoral, Jean; Bryszewska, Maria

    2012-01-01

    This work deals with photo-physical and structural interactions between viologen phosphorus dendrimers and human serum albumin (HSA). Viologens are derivatives of 4,4′-bipyridinium salts. Aiming to rationalize the parameters governing such interactions eight types of these polycationic dendrimers in which the generation, the number of charges, the nature of the core and of the terminal groups vary from one to another, were designed and used. The influence of viologen-based dendrimers' on human serum albumin has been investigated. The photo-physical interactions of the two systems have been monitored by fluorescence quenching of free L-tryptophan and of HSA tryptophan residue. Additionally, using circular dichroism (CD) the effect of dendrimers on the secondary structure of albumin was measured. The obtained results show that viologen dendrimers interact with human serum albumin quenching its fluorescence either by collisional (dynamic) way or by forming complexes in a ground state (static quenching). In some cases the quenching is accompanied by changes of the secondary structure of HSA. - Highlights: ► Photo-physical interactions between viologen phosphorus dendrimers and human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated. ► The viologen dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of tryptophan in HSA. ► CD spectra to explain the changes in secondary structure of albumin after exposition of dendrimers.

  20. pH and generation dependent morphologies of PAMAM dendrimers on a graphene substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gosika, Mounika; Maiti, Prabal K

    2018-03-07

    The adsorption of PAMAM dendrimers at solid/water interfaces has been extensively studied, and is mainly driven by electrostatic and van der Waals interactions between the substrate and the dendrimers. However, the pH dependence of the adsorption driven predominantly by the van der Waals interactions is poorly explored, although it is crucial for investigating the potentiality of these dendrimers in supercapacitors and surface patterning. Motivated by this aspect, we have studied the adsorption behavior of PAMAM dendrimers of generations 2 (G2) to 5 (G5) with pH and salt concentration variation, on a charge neutral graphene substrate, using fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. The instantaneous snapshots from our simulations illustrate that the dendrimers deform significantly from their bulk structures. Based on various structural property calculations, we classify the adsorbed dendrimer morphologies into five categories and map them to a phase diagram. Interestingly, the morphologies we report here have striking analogies with those reported in star-polymer adsorption studies. From the fractional contacts and other structural property analyses we find that the deformations are more pronounced at neutral pH as compared to high and low pH. Higher generation dendrimers resist deformation following the deformation trend, G2 > G3 > G4 > G5 at any given pH level. As the adsorption here is mainly driven by van der Waals interactions, we observe no desorption of the dendrimers as the salt molarity is increased, unlike that reported in the electrostatically driven adsorption studies.

  1. Charge and energy transports via poly-phenylacetylene based dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Yongwoo; Li, Minghai; Lin, Xi

    2010-03-01

    Poly-Phenylacetylene (PPA) is widely used in photoconductivity, photoluminescence, and light harvesting applications. In this work, we investigate the charge and exciton transport energetics and mechanisms in the PPA-based dendrimers using our recently developed adapted Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model Hamiltonians and ab initio Hartree-Fock (HF) calculations. We found both doping and photo-excitation lead to the formation of optical phonon dressed pi electron states, namely the self-localized polarons, in the energy gap. Independent from their origins, these polarons can be self-trapped at multiple lattice locations along the PPA chain, and migrate from one to the next with an activation barrier of ˜0.006 eV, slightly higher than the corresponding barrier found in trans-polyacetylene. The PPA-based dendrimers can be constructed via the meta-positions of phenyl rings. In this case, we found the dendrimer junctions form attractive potential wells for both polarons and excitons, and the width and height of these junction potential wells can be controlled by the geometry of the dendrimers.

  2. Interactions of PAMAM dendrimers with SDS at the solid-liquid interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arteta, Marianna Yanez; Eltes, Felix; Campbell, Richard A; Nylander, Tommy

    2013-05-14

    This work addresses structural and nonequilibrium effects of the interactions between well-defined cationic poly(amidoamine) PAMAM dendrimers of generations 4 and 8 and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at the hydrophilic silica-water interface. Neutron reflectometry and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring were used to reveal the adsorption from premixed dendrimer/surfactant solutions as well as sequential addition of the surfactant to preadsorbed layers of dendrimers. PAMAM dendrimers of both generations adsorb to hydrophilic silica as a compact monolayer, and the adsorption is irreversible upon rinsing with salt solution. SDS adsorbs on the dendrimer layer and at low bulk concentrations causes the expansion of the dendrimer layers on the surface. When the bulk concentration of SDS is increased, the surfactant layer consists of aggregates or bilayer-like structures. The adsorption of surfactant is reversible upon rinsing, but slight changes of the structure of the preadsorbed PAMAM monolayer were observed. The adsorption from premixed solutions close to charge neutrality results in thick multilayers, but the surface excess is lower when the bulk complexes have a net negative charge. A critical examination of the pathway of adsorption for the interactions of SDS with preadsorbed PAMAM monolayers and premixed PAMAM/SDS solutions with hydrophilic silica revealed that nonequilibrium effects are important only in the latter case, and the application of a thermodynamic model to such experimental data would be inappropriate.

  3. Using an ultra-thin non-doped orange emission layer to realize high efficiency white organic light-emitting diodes with low efficiency roll-off

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Liping; Chen, Jiangshan; Ma, Dongge, E-mail: mdg1014@ciac.ac.cn [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China); Zhao, Yongbiao [Luminous Center of Excellence for Semiconductor Lighting and Displays, School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, Singapore 639798 (Singapore); Zhang, Hongmei [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023 (China)

    2014-06-28

    By adopting an ultra-thin non-doped orange emission layer sandwiched between two blue emission layers, high efficiency white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) with reduced efficiency roll-off were fabricated. The optimized devices show a balanced white emission with Internationale de L'Eclairage of (0.41, 0.44) at the luminance of 1000 cd/m{sup 2}, and the maximum power efficiency, current efficiency (CE), and external quantum efficiency reach 63.2 lm/W, 59.3 cd/A, and 23.1%, which slightly shift to 53.4 lm/W, 57.1 cd/A, and 22.2% at 1000 cd/m{sup 2}, respectively, showing low efficiency roll-off. Detailed investigations on the recombination zone and the transient electroluminescence (EL) clearly reveal the EL processes of the ultra-thin non-doped orange emission layer in WOLEDs.

  4. Hydrogel of Ketoconazole and PAMAM Dendrimers: Formulation and Antifungal Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elzbieta Tryniszewska

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Ketoconazole (KET, an imidazole derivative with well-known antifungal properties, is lipophilic and practically insoluble in water, therefore its clinical use has some practical disadvantages. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of PAMAM-NH2 and PAMAM-OH dendrimers generation 2 and generation 3 on the solubility and antifungal activity of KET and to design and evaluate KET hydrogel with PAMAM dendrimers. It was shown that the surface charge of PAMAM dendrimers strongly affects their influence on the improvement of solubility and antifungal activity of KET. The MIC and MFC values obtained by broth dilution method indicate that PAMAM-NH2 dendrimers significantly (up to 16-fold increased the antifungal activity of KET against Candida strains (e.g., in culture Candida albicans 1103059/11 MIC value was 0.008 μg/mL and 0.064 μg/mL, and MFC was 2 μg/mL and 32 μg/mL for KET in 10 mg/mL solution of PAMAM-NH2 G2 and pure KET, respectively. Antifungal activity of designed KET hydrogel with PAMAM-NH2 dendrimers measured by the plate diffusion method was definitely higher than pure KET hydrogel and than commercial available product. It was shown that the improvement of solubility and in the consequence the higher KET release from hydrogels seems to be a very significant factor affecting antifungal activity of KET in hydrogels containing PAMAM dendrimers.

  5. White organic light emitting diodes based on fluorene-carbazole dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Usluer, Özlem, E-mail: usluerozlem@yahoo.com.tr [Department of Chemistry, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, 48000 Muğla (Turkey); Demic, Serafettin [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Izmir Katip Çelebi University, 35620 Çiğli, Izmir (Turkey); Kus, Mahmut, E-mail: mahmutkus1@gmail.com [Chemical Engineering Department and Advanced Technology R and D Center, Selçuk University, Konya (Turkey); Özel, Faruk [Chemical Engineering Department and Advanced Technology R and D Center, Selçuk University, Konya (Turkey); Serdar Sariciftci, Niyazi [Linz Institute for Organic Solar Cells (LIOS), Physical Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstr. 69, A-4040 Linz (Austria)

    2014-02-15

    In this paper, we report on theProd. Type: FTP fabrication and characterization of blue and white light emitting devices based on two fluorene-carbazole containing dendrimers and para-sexiphenyl (6P) oligomers. Blue light emitting diodes were fabricated using 9′,9″-(9,9-dioctyl-9H-fluorene-2,7-diyl)bis-9′H-9,3′:6′,9″-tercarbazole (OFC-G2) and 9′,9″-(9,9′-spirobi[fluorene]-2,7-diyl)bis-9′H-9,3′:6′,9″-tercarbazole (SBFC-G2) dendrimers as a hole transport and emissive layer (EML) and 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BCP) as an electron transport layer. White light emitting diodes were fabricated using 6P and these two dendrimers as an EML. OLED device with the structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS (50 nm)/OFC-G2 (40 nm)/6P (20 nm)/LiF:Al (0.5:100 nm) shows maximum luminance of nearly 1400 cd/m{sup 2} and a Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of (0.27, 0.30) at 12 V. -- Highlights: • White organic light emitting diodes have been fabricated using two fluorene-carbazole dendrimers and para-sexiphenyl (6P) oligomers. • When only these two dendrimers are used as EML, OLED devices are emitted blue light. • The emission colors of OLED devices change from blue to white when 6P is coated on dendrimer films.

  6. The effect of dendrimer on cotton dyeability with direct dyes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khakzar Bafrooei F.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Pretreatment of cotton fabric with poly(propylene imine dendrimer enhanced its colour strength using C.I. Direct Red 81 and C.I. Direct Blue 78. Application of this dendrimer and the direct dye simultaneously on cotton fabric by the exhaust and the continuous dyeing method were studied; slight improvements in the dyeing results were obtained. Pretreatment of the cotton fabric with dendrimer in an emulsion form using the pad-dry method followed by continuous dyeing markedly increased the colour strength. In addition, level dyeing was obtained, and no negative effects on the fastness properties of the dyes used were observed.

  7. Atomic level insights into realistic molecular models of dendrimer-drug complexes through MD simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Vaibhav; Maiti, Prabal K.; Bharatam, Prasad V.

    2016-09-01

    Computational studies performed on dendrimer-drug complexes usually consider 1:1 stoichiometry, which is far from reality, since in experiments more number of drug molecules get encapsulated inside a dendrimer. In the present study, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were implemented to characterize the more realistic molecular models of dendrimer-drug complexes (1:n stoichiometry) in order to understand the effect of high drug loading on the structural properties and also to unveil the atomistic level details. For this purpose, possible inclusion complexes of model drug Nateglinide (Ntg) (antidiabetic, belongs to Biopharmaceutics Classification System class II) with amine- and acetyl-terminated G4 poly(amidoamine) (G4 PAMAM(NH2) and G4 PAMAM(Ac)) dendrimers at neutral and low pH conditions are explored in this work. MD simulation analysis on dendrimer-drug complexes revealed that the drug encapsulation efficiency of G4 PAMAM(NH2) and G4 PAMAM(Ac) dendrimers at neutral pH was 6 and 5, respectively, while at low pH it was 12 and 13, respectively. Center-of-mass distance analysis showed that most of the drug molecules are located in the interior hydrophobic pockets of G4 PAMAM(NH2) at both the pH; while in the case of G4 PAMAM(Ac), most of them are distributed near to the surface at neutral pH and in the interior hydrophobic pockets at low pH. Structural properties such as radius of gyration, shape, radial density distribution, and solvent accessible surface area of dendrimer-drug complexes were also assessed and compared with that of the drug unloaded dendrimers. Further, binding energy calculations using molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area approach revealed that the location of drug molecules in the dendrimer is not the decisive factor for the higher and lower binding affinity of the complex, but the charged state of dendrimer and drug, intermolecular interactions, pH-induced conformational changes, and surface groups of dendrimer do play an

  8. The adsorption-desorption transition of double-stranded DNA interacting with an oppositely charged dendrimer induced by multivalent anions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiang, Yangwei; Zhang, Dong; Zhang, Yaoyang; Deng, Zhenyu; Zhang, Linxi

    2014-05-28

    The adsorption-desorption transition of DNA in DNA-dendrimer solutions is observed when high-valence anions, such as hexavalent anions, are added to the DNA-dendrimer solutions. In the DNA-dendrimer solutions with low-valence anions, dendrimers bind tightly with the V-shaped double-stranded DNA. When high-valence anions, such as pentavalent or hexavalent anions, are added to the DNA-dendrimer solutions, the double-stranded DNA chains can be stretched straightly and the dendrimers are released from the double-stranded DNA chains. In fact, adding high-valence anions to the solutions can change the charge spatial distribution in the DNA-dendrimer solutions, and weaken the electrostatic interactions between the positively charged dendrimers and the oppositely charged DNA chains. Adsorption-desorption transition of DNA is induced by the overcharging of dendrimers. This investigation is capable of helping us understand how to control effectively the release of DNA in gene/drug delivery because an effective gene delivery for dendrimers includes non-covalent DNA-dendrimer binding and the effective release of DNA in gene therapy.

  9. Ultra-Thin Coatings Beautify Art

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    The craftsmen in the Roman Empire who constructed the Lycurgus Cup 17 centuries ago probably didn't think their artifact would survive for nearly 2,000 years as a prized possession. And they certainly couldn't have known that the technology they used to make it would eventually become an important part of space exploration. Carved from one solid mass, the cup is one of the few complete glass objects from that period, and the only one made from dichroic glass. Meaning "two-colored" in Greek, dichroic glass was originally created by adding trace amounts of gold and silver to a large volume of glass melt. The resulting medium partially reflects the light passing through it, causing an observer to see different colors depending on the direction of the light source. The Lycurgus Cup, for example, is famous for appearing green in daylight and red when lit at night, symbolic of the ripening grapes used to fill it with wine. NASA revitalized the production of dichroic glass in the 1950s and 1960s as a means of protecting its astronauts. Ordinary clear substances cannot protect human vision from the harsh rays of unfiltered sunlight, and everything from the human body to spacecraft sensors and computers are at risk if left unprotected from the radiation that permeates space. The microscopic amounts of metal present in dichroic glass make it an effective barrier against such harmful radiation. While the ancient manufacturing technique called for adding metals to glass melt, NASA developed a process in which metals are vaporized by electron beams in a vacuum chamber and then applied directly to surfaces in an ultra-thin film. The vapor condenses in the form of crystal structures, and the process is repeated for up to several dozen coatings. The resulting material, still only about 30 millionths of an inch thick, is sufficient to reflect radiation even while the glass, or polycarbonate, as in the case of space suit helmets, remains transparent to the human eye.

  10. Comment on 'Extrinsic versus intrinsic ferroelectric switching: experimental investigations using ultra-thin PVDF Langmuir-Blodgett films'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naber, R C G; Blom, P W M; Leeuw, D M de

    2006-01-01

    Previous work on ultra-thin P(VDF-TrFE) Langmuir-Blodgett films has indicated a transition from extrinsic to intrinsic ferroelectric switching. The lack of several key features of intrinsic switching in the experimental work reported by Kliem et al argues against intrinsic switching. In this Comment we discuss two published papers and new experimental results that support a lack of intrinsic switching and point to the conclusion that the thickness dependence of the Langmuir-Blodgett films is due to the influence of the electrode interfaces. (comment)

  11. Extremely efficient catalysis of carbon-carbon bond formation using "click" dendrimer-stabilized palladium nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astruc, Didier; Ornelas, Cátia; Diallo, Abdou K; Ruiz, Jaime

    2010-07-20

    This article is an account of the work carried out in the authors' laboratory illustrating the usefulness of dendrimer design for nanoparticle palladium catalysis. The "click" synthesis of dendrimers constructed generation by generation by 1-->3 C connectivity, introduces 1,2,3-triazolyl ligands insides the dendrimers at each generation. Complexation of the ligands by Pd(II) followed by reduction to Pd(0) forms dendrimer-stabilized Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) that are extremely reactive in the catalysis of olefin hydrogenation and C-C bond coupling reactions. The stabilization can be outer-dendritic for the small zeroth-generation dendrimer or intra-dendritic for the larger first- and second-generation dendrimers. The example of the Miyaura-Suzuki reaction that can be catalyzed by down to 1 ppm of PdNPs with a "homeopathic" mechanism (the less, the better) is illustrated here, including catalysis in aqueous solvents.

  12. Dendrimer Nanoscaffolds for Potential Theranostics of Prostate Cancer with a Focus on Radiochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lo, Su-Tang; Kumar, Amit; Hsieh, Jer-Tsong; Sun, Xiankai

    2013-01-01

    Dendrimers are a class of structurally defined macromolecules featured with a central core, a low-density interior formed by repetitive branching units, and a high-density exterior terminated with surface functional groups. In contrast to their polymeric counterparts, dendrimers are nano-sized and symmetrically shaped, which can be reproducibly synthesized in a large scale with monodispersity. These unique features have made dendrimers of increasing interest for drug delivery and other biomedical applications as a nanoscaffold system. Intended to address the potential use of dendrimers for the development of theranostic agents, which combines therapeutics and diagnostics in a single entity for personalized medicine, this review focuses on the reported methodologies of using dendrimer nanoscaffolds for targeted imaging and therapy of prostate cancer. Of particular interest, relevant chemistry strategies are discussed due to their important roles in the design and synthesis of diagnostic and therapeutic dendrimer-based nanoconjugates and potential theranostic agents, targeted or non-targeted. Given the developing status of nanoscaffolded theranostics, major challenges and potential hurdles are discussed along with the examples representing current advances. PMID:23294202

  13. Engineering CNDP's of dendrimers containing phosphorous interior compositions to produce new emerging properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caminade, Anne-Marie; Majoral, Jean-Pierre

    2018-03-01

    Phosphorus-containing dendrimers are defined as dendrimers having at least one phosphorus atom at each branching point. In this review, we will show how phosphorhydrazone dendrimers can be modified at will at the level of the core and of the branches, to afford specific properties, such as fluorescence to image biological events. Accelerated methods of synthesis of phosphorus (one step for one generation) will be also displayed, as well as the specific reactivity of P=N-P=S linkages obtained in most of these accelerated method of synthesis, which has led to particularly original dendritic architectures, such as dendrons included in dendrimers. Finally, we will display how modifications of the internal structure of a series of dendrimers having the same type and number of terminal functions can deeply modify their biological anti-inflammatory properties. Among the six critical nanoscale design parameters (CNDP), we will show how two of them, i.e., architecture and elemental composition, have been particularly engineered to modify phosphorus-containing dendrimers, in order to fulfill the desired properties.

  14. Structural properties of star-like dendrimers in solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rathgeber, S.; Gast, A.P.; Hedrick, J.L.

    2002-01-01

    We measured the form factor of star-like poly-ε-caprolactone dendrimers under good solvent conditions with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The parameters varied in the experiment were the dendrimer generation g=1,2,3 and the number of segments between the branching units n=5,10,15,20. The results are discussed in the frame work of the Beaucage model from which we cannot only derive the radius of gyration R g of the dendrimers but also their fractal dimensions. Decreasing the number of spacer units between the branching points results in a strong stretching of the dendrons. The fractal dimension increases monotonically with increasing generation and spacer number between the limit expected for a low-functionality star P∼5/3 (loose, polymeric structure) and that expected for a high-functionality star P∼3 (compact shape). (orig.)

  15. Trapping time statistics and efficiency of transport of optical excitations in dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heijs, Dirk-Jan; Malyshev, Victor A.; Knoester, Jasper

    2004-09-01

    We theoretically study the trapping time distribution and the efficiency of the excitation energy transport in dendritic systems. Trapping of excitations, created at the periphery of the dendrimer, on a trap located at its core, is used as a probe of the efficiency of the energy transport across the dendrimer. The transport process is treated as incoherent hopping of excitations between nearest-neighbor dendrimer units and is described using a rate equation. We account for radiative and nonradiative decay of the excitations while diffusing across the dendrimer. We derive exact expressions for the Laplace transform of the trapping time distribution and the efficiency of trapping, and analyze those for various realizations of the energy bias, number of dendrimer generations, and relative rates for decay and hopping. We show that the essential parameter that governs the trapping efficiency is the product of the on-site excitation decay rate and the trapping time (mean first passage time) in the absence of decay.

  16. Dendrimers for Vaccine and Immunostimulatory Uses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heegaard, Peter M. H.; Boas, Ulrik; Sørensen, Nanna Skall

    2010-01-01

    for efficient immunostimulating compounds (adjuvants) that can increase the efficiency of vaccines, as dendrimers can provide molecularly defined multivalent scaffolds to produce highly defined conjugates with small molecule immunostimulators and/or antigens. The review gives an overview on the use...... of dendrimers as molecularly defined carriers/presenters of small antigens, including constructs that have built-in immunostimulatory (adjuvant) properties, and as stand-alone adjuvants that can be mixed with antigens to provide efficient vaccine formulations. These approaches allow the preparation...... of molecularly defined vaccines with highly predictable and specific properties and enable knowledge-based vaccine design substituting the traditional empirically based approaches for vaccine development and production....

  17. Ultra-thin, conformal, and hydratable color-absorbers using silk protein hydrogel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Umar, Muhammad; Min, Kyungtaek; Jo, Minsik; Kim, Sunghwan

    2018-06-01

    Planar and multilayered photonic devices offer unprecedented opportunities in biological and chemical sensing due to strong light-matter interactions. However, uses of rigid substances such as semiconductors and dielectrics confront photonic devices with issues of biocompatibility and a mechanical mismatch for their application on humid, uneven, and soft biological surfaces. Here, we report that favorable material traits of natural silk protein led to the fabrication of an ultra-thin, conformal, and water-permeable (hydratable) metal-insulator-metal (MIM) color absorber that was mapped on soft, curved, and hydrated biological interfaces. Strong absorption was induced in the MIM structure and could be tuned by hydration and tilting of the sample. The transferred MIM color absorbers reached the exhibition of a very strong resonant absorption in the visible and near infra-red ranges. In addition, we demonstrated that the conformal resonator could function as a refractometric glucose sensor applied on a contact lens.

  18. Thin liquid sheet target capabilities for ultra-intense laser acceleration of ions at a kHz repetition rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klim, Adam; Morrison, J.; Orban, C.; Chowdhury, E.; Frische, K.; Feister, S.; Roquemore, M.

    2017-10-01

    The success of laser-accelerated ion experiments depends crucially on a number of factors including how thin the targets can be created. We present experimental results demonstrating extremely thin (under 200 nm) glycol sheet targets that can be used for ultra-intense laser-accelerated ion experiments conducted at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Importantly, these experiments operate at a kHz repetition rate and the recovery time of the liquid targets is fast enough to allow the laser to interact with a refreshed, thin target on every shot. These thin targets can be used to produce energetic electrons, light ions, and neutrons as well as x-rays, we present results from liquid glycol targets which are useful for proton acceleration experiments via the mechanism of Target Normal Sheath Acceleration (TNSA). In future work, we will create thin sheets from deuterated water in order to perform laser-accelerated deuteron experiments. This research was sponsored by the Quantum and Non-Equilibrium Processes Division of the AFOSR, under the management of Dr. Enrique Parra, and support from the DOD HPCMP Internship Program.

  19. Optimization of dendrimer structure for sentinel lymph node imaging: Effects of generation and terminal group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niki, Yuichiro; Ogawa, Mikako; Makiura, Rie; Magata, Yasuhiro; Kojima, Chie

    2015-11-01

    The detection of the sentinel lymph node (SLN), the first lymph node draining tumor cells, is important in cancer diagnosis and therapy. Dendrimers are synthetic macromolecules with highly controllable structures, and are potent multifunctional imaging agents. In this study, 12 types of dendrimer of different generations (G2, G4, G6, and G8) and different terminal groups (amino, carboxyl, and acetyl) were prepared to determine the optimal dendrimer structure for SLN imaging. Radiolabeled dendrimers were intradermally administrated to the right footpads of rats. All G2 dendrimers were predominantly accumulated in the kidney. Amino-terminal, acetyl-terminal, and carboxyl-terminal dendrimers of greater than G4 were mostly located at the injection site, in the blood, and in the SLN, respectively. The carboxyl-terminal dendrimers were largely unrecognized by macrophages and T-cells in the SLN. Finally, SLN detection was successfully performed by single photon emission computed tomography imaging using carboxyl-terminal dendrimers of greater than G4. The early detection of tumor cells in the sentinel draining lymph nodes (SLN) is of utmost importance in terms of determining cancer prognosis and devising treatment. In this article, the authors investigated various formulations of dendrimers to determine the optimal one for tumor detection. The data generated from this study would help clinicians to fight the cancer battle in the near future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Photo-physical and structural interactions between viologen phosphorus-based dendrimers and human serum albumin

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ciepluch, Karol, E-mail: ciepluch@biol.uni.lodz.pl [Department of General Biophysics, University of Lodz, 141/143 Pomorska St., 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Katir, Nadia [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination du CNRS (LCC), 205 route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse cedex 4 (France); Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (INANOTECH)-MAScIR (Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research), ENSET, Avenue de l' Armee Royale, Madinat El Irfane, 10100 Rabat (Morocco); El Kadib, Abdelkrim [Institute of Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology (INANOTECH)-MAScIR (Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation and Research), ENSET, Avenue de l' Armee Royale, Madinat El Irfane, 10100 Rabat (Morocco); Weber, Monika [Department of General Biophysics, University of Lodz, 141/143 Pomorska St., 90-236 Lodz (Poland); Caminade, Anne-Marie [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination du CNRS (LCC), 205 route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse cedex 4 (France); Bousmina, Mostapha [Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology, Avenue MVI, Km4, 10220 Rabat (Morocco); Pierre Majoral, Jean [Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination du CNRS (LCC), 205 route de Narbonne, F-31077 Toulouse cedex 4 (France); Hassan II Academy of Sciences and Technology, Avenue MVI, Km4, 10220 Rabat (Morocco); Bryszewska, Maria [Department of General Biophysics, University of Lodz, 141/143 Pomorska St., 90-236 Lodz (Poland)

    2012-06-15

    This work deals with photo-physical and structural interactions between viologen phosphorus dendrimers and human serum albumin (HSA). Viologens are derivatives of 4,4 Prime -bipyridinium salts. Aiming to rationalize the parameters governing such interactions eight types of these polycationic dendrimers in which the generation, the number of charges, the nature of the core and of the terminal groups vary from one to another, were designed and used. The influence of viologen-based dendrimers' on human serum albumin has been investigated. The photo-physical interactions of the two systems have been monitored by fluorescence quenching of free L-tryptophan and of HSA tryptophan residue. Additionally, using circular dichroism (CD) the effect of dendrimers on the secondary structure of albumin was measured. The obtained results show that viologen dendrimers interact with human serum albumin quenching its fluorescence either by collisional (dynamic) way or by forming complexes in a ground state (static quenching). In some cases the quenching is accompanied by changes of the secondary structure of HSA. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Photo-physical interactions between viologen phosphorus dendrimers and human serum albumin (HSA) were investigated. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The viologen dendrimers can quench the fluorescence of tryptophan in HSA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer CD spectra to explain the changes in secondary structure of albumin after exposition of dendrimers.

  1. Build-up enhancement of photoluminescence from phenylazomethine bismuth dendrimer using Bi(OTf)3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kambe, Tetsuya; Imaoka, Shotaro; Imaoka, Takane; Yamamoto, Kimihisa

    2018-05-01

    Metal assembly to a dendrimer can provide various functionalities based on the branched structure. Here, we researched assembly phenomena of bismuth salts in the phenylazomethine dendrimer and achieved enhancement of emission intensity per metal unit by using Bi(OTf)3. This enhancement suggested increasing of Bi-N coordination bonds derived from the bismuth units in the dendrimer.

  2. Fate and transformation products of amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimers under ozonation and irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Santiago-Morales, Javier; Rosal, Roberto; Hernando, María D.; Ulaszewska, Maria M.; García-Calvo, Eloy; Fernández-Alba, Amadeo R.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • We detected transformation products from dendrimer under ozonation and irradiation. • Retro-Michael fragmentation pathway with highly oxygenated structures. • High toxicity of G3 PAMAM dendrimer for green algae. • Reactive oxygen species were associated with the toxic damage. • Transformation mixtures could be more toxic than the parent dendrimer. -- Abstract: This article deals with the degradation of a third-generation (G3) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer under ozonation and irradiation. The identification and quantification of G3 PAMAM dendrimer and its transformation products has been performed by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. The dendrimer was completely depleted by ozone in less than 1 min. The effect of ultraviolet irradiation was attributed to hydroxyl-mediated oxidation. The transformation products were attributed to the oxidation of amines, which resulted in highly oxidized structures with abundance of carboxylic acids, which started from the formation of amine oxide and the scission of the C-N bond of the amide group. We studied the toxicity of treated mixtures for six different organisms: the acute toxicity for the bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the microcrustacean Daphnia magna, the multigenerational growth inhibition of the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, and the seed germination phytotoxicity of Licopersicon esculentum, Lactuca sativa and Lolium perenne. Ozonation and irradiation originated transformation products are more toxic than the parent dendrimer. The toxicity of the dendrimer for the green alga was linked to a strong increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species with intense lipid peroxidation

  3. Fate and transformation products of amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimers under ozonation and irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Santiago-Morales, Javier [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Rosal, Roberto, E-mail: roberto.rosal@uah.es [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Advanced Study Institute of Madrid, IMDEA Agua, Parque Científico Tecnológico, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Hernando, María D. [Spanish National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology – INIA, Crta. de la Coruña, km 7.5, 28040 Madrid (Spain); Ulaszewska, Maria M. [Advanced Study Institute of Madrid, IMDEA Agua, Parque Científico Tecnológico, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); García-Calvo, Eloy [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Advanced Study Institute of Madrid, IMDEA Agua, Parque Científico Tecnológico, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Fernández-Alba, Amadeo R. [Advanced Study Institute of Madrid, IMDEA Agua, Parque Científico Tecnológico, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid (Spain); Pesticide Residue Research Group, Department of Hydrogeology and Analytical Chemistry, University of Almería, 04120 Almería (Spain)

    2014-02-15

    Highlights: • We detected transformation products from dendrimer under ozonation and irradiation. • Retro-Michael fragmentation pathway with highly oxygenated structures. • High toxicity of G3 PAMAM dendrimer for green algae. • Reactive oxygen species were associated with the toxic damage. • Transformation mixtures could be more toxic than the parent dendrimer. -- Abstract: This article deals with the degradation of a third-generation (G3) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer under ozonation and irradiation. The identification and quantification of G3 PAMAM dendrimer and its transformation products has been performed by liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization-hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry. The dendrimer was completely depleted by ozone in less than 1 min. The effect of ultraviolet irradiation was attributed to hydroxyl-mediated oxidation. The transformation products were attributed to the oxidation of amines, which resulted in highly oxidized structures with abundance of carboxylic acids, which started from the formation of amine oxide and the scission of the C-N bond of the amide group. We studied the toxicity of treated mixtures for six different organisms: the acute toxicity for the bacterium Vibrio fischeri and the microcrustacean Daphnia magna, the multigenerational growth inhibition of the alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, and the seed germination phytotoxicity of Licopersicon esculentum, Lactuca sativa and Lolium perenne. Ozonation and irradiation originated transformation products are more toxic than the parent dendrimer. The toxicity of the dendrimer for the green alga was linked to a strong increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species with intense lipid peroxidation.

  4. RGD peptide-modified multifunctional dendrimer platform for drug encapsulation and targeted inhibition of cancer cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Xuedan; Alves, Carla S; Oliveira, Nilsa; Rodrigues, João; Zhu, Jingyi; Bányai, István; Tomás, Helena; Shi, Xiangyang

    2015-01-01

    Development of multifunctional nanoscale drug-delivery systems for targeted cancer therapy still remains a great challenge. Here, we report the synthesis of cyclic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide-conjugated generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) dendrimers for anticancer drug encapsulation and targeted therapy of cancer cells overexpressing αvβ3 integrins. In this study, amine-terminated G5 dendrimers were used as a platform to be sequentially modified with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FI) via a thiourea linkage and RGD peptide via a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer, followed by acetylation of the remaining dendrimer terminal amines. The developed multifunctional dendrimer platform (G5.NHAc-FI-PEG-RGD) was then used to encapsulate an anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). We show that approximately six DOX molecules are able to be encapsulated within each dendrimer platform. The formed complexes are water-soluble, stable, and able to release DOX in a sustained manner. One- and two-dimensional NMR techniques were applied to investigate the interaction between dendrimers and DOX, and the impact of the environmental pH on the release rate of DOX from the dendrimer/DOX complexes was also explored. Furthermore, cell biological studies demonstrate that the encapsulation of DOX within the G5.NHAc-FI-PEG-RGD dendrimers does not compromise the anticancer activity of DOX and that the therapeutic efficacy of the dendrimer/DOX complexes is solely related to the encapsulated DOX drug. Importantly, thanks to the role played by RGD-mediated targeting, the developed dendrimer/drug complexes are able to specifically target αvβ3 integrin-overexpressing cancer cells and display specific therapeutic efficacy to the target cells. The developed RGD peptide-targeted multifunctional dendrimers may thus be used as a versatile platform for targeted therapy of different types of αvβ3 integrin-overexpressing cancer cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Nanomedicine for prion disease treatment: new insights into the role of dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, James M; Appelhans, Dietmar; Tatzelt, Jörg; Rogers, Mark S

    2013-01-01

    Despite their devastating impact, no effective therapeutic yet exists for prion diseases at the symptomatic stage in humans or animals. Progress is hampered by the difficulty in identifying compounds that affect PrP (Sc) and the necessity of any potential therapeutic to gain access to the CNS. Synthetic polymers known as dendrimers are a particularly promising candidate in this area. Studies with cell culture models of prion disease and prion infected brain homogenate have demonstrated that numerous species of dendrimers eliminate PrP (Sc) in a dose and time dependent fashion and specific glycodendrimers are capable of crossing the CNS. However, despite their potential a number of important questions remained unanswered such as what makes an effective dendrimer and how dendrimers eliminate prions intracellularly. In a number of recent studies we have tackled these questions and revealed for the first time that a specific dendrimer can inhibit the intracellular conversion of PrP (C) to PrP (Sc) and that a high density of surface reactive groups is a necessity for dendrimers in vitro anti-prion activity. Understanding how a therapeutic works is a vital component in maximising its activity and these studies therefore represent a significant development in the race to find effective treatments for prion diseases.

  6. Growth of ultra-thin Ag films on Ni(111)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meyer, Axel; Flege, Jan Ingo; Falta, Jens [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen (Germany); Senanayake, Sanjaya [Chemistry Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000 (United States); Alamgir, Faisal [Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States)

    2009-07-01

    The physical and chemical properties of ultra-thin metal films on metallic substrates strongly depend on their morphology and the structure of the buried interface. Hence, detailed knowledge of the growth mechanisms is essential for the creation of new functional materials with novel characteristics. In this contribution, we present a comprehensive structural study of the growth and properties of epitaxial Ag films on Ni(111) by in-situ low energy electron microscopy (LEEM). For lower temperatures, the growth of the Ag film proceeds in a Stranski-Krastanov mode after completion of the wetting layer, while for higher temperatures layer-by-layer growth is observed. Quantitative information about the film structure were obtained by analyzing the intensity-voltage (I-V) dependence of the local electron reflectivity (IV-LEEM). The corresponding I(V) spectra showed intensity oscillations depending on local thickness of the Ag film due to the quantum size effect (QSE). Modeling of the I(V) spectra was performed both within the framework of a one-dimensional Kronig-Penney model and multiple scattering IV-LEED calculations. The results of both approaches concerning the variation of the layer spacings and interface characteristics for different temperatures and film thicknesses will be discussed.

  7. Dendrimer-based biosensor for chemiluminescent detection of DNA hybridization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, P.; Hun, X.; Qing, H.

    2011-01-01

    We report on a highly sensitive chemiluminescent (CL) biosensor for the sequence-specific detection of DNA using a novel bio barcode DNA probe modified with gold nanoparticles that were covered with a dendrimer. The modified probe is composed of gold nanoparticles, a dendrimer, the CL reagent, and the DNA. The capture probe DNA was immobilized on magnetic beads covered with gold. It first hybridizes with the target DNA and then with one terminal end of the signal DNA on the barcoded DNA probe. CL was generated by adding H 2 O 2 and Co(II) ions as the catalyst. The immobilization of dendrimer onto the gold nanoparticles can significantly enhance sensitivity and gives a detection limit of 6 fmol L -1 of target DNA. (author)

  8. Stepwise crystallization and the layered distribution in crystallization kinetics of ultra-thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zuo, Biao, E-mail: chemizuo@zstu.edu.cn, E-mail: wxinping@yahoo.com; Xu, Jianquan; Sun, Shuzheng; Liu, Yue; Yang, Juping; Zhang, Li; Wang, Xinping, E-mail: chemizuo@zstu.edu.cn, E-mail: wxinping@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology of the Education Ministry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018 (China)

    2016-06-21

    Crystallization is an important property of polymeric materials. In conventional viewpoint, the transformation of disordered chains into crystals is usually a spatially homogeneous process (i.e., it occurs simultaneously throughout the sample), that is, the crystallization rate at each local position within the sample is almost the same. Here, we show that crystallization of ultra-thin poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) films can occur in the heterogeneous way, exhibiting a stepwise crystallization process. We found that the layered distribution of glass transition dynamics of thin film modifies the corresponding crystallization behavior, giving rise to the layered distribution of the crystallization kinetics of PET films, with an 11-nm-thick surface layer having faster crystallization rate and the underlying layer showing bulk-like behavior. The layered distribution in crystallization kinetics results in a particular stepwise crystallization behavior during heating the sample, with the two cold-crystallization temperatures separated by up to 20 K. Meanwhile, interfacial interaction is crucial for the occurrence of the heterogeneous crystallization, as the thin film crystallizes simultaneously if the interfacial interaction is relatively strong. We anticipate that this mechanism of stepwise crystallization of thin polymeric films will allow new insight into the chain organization in confined environments and permit independent manipulation of localized properties of nanomaterials.

  9. Molecular Determinants of the Cellular Entry of Asymmetric Peptide Dendrimers and Role of Caveolae.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prarthana V Rewatkar

    Full Text Available Caveolae are flask-shaped plasma membrane subdomains abundant in most cell types that participate in endocytosis. Caveola formation and functions require membrane proteins of the caveolin family, and cytoplasmic proteins of the cavin family. Cationic peptide dendrimers are non-vesicular chemical carriers that can transport pharmacological agents or genetic material across the plasma membrane. We prepared a panel of cationic dendrimers and investigated whether they require caveolae to enter into cells. Cell-based studies were performed using wild type or caveola-deficient i.e. caveolin-1 or PTRF gene-disrupted cells. There was a statistically significant difference in entry of cationic dendrimers between wild type and caveola-deficient cells. We further unveiled differences between dendrimers with varying charge density and head groups. Our results show, using a molecular approach, that (i expression of caveola-forming proteins promotes cellular entry of cationic dendrimers and (ii dendrimer structure can be modified to promote endocytosis in caveola-forming cells.

  10. Molecular Determinants of the Cellular Entry of Asymmetric Peptide Dendrimers and Role of Caveolae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rewatkar, Prarthana V; Parekh, Harendra S; Parat, Marie-Odile

    2016-01-01

    Caveolae are flask-shaped plasma membrane subdomains abundant in most cell types that participate in endocytosis. Caveola formation and functions require membrane proteins of the caveolin family, and cytoplasmic proteins of the cavin family. Cationic peptide dendrimers are non-vesicular chemical carriers that can transport pharmacological agents or genetic material across the plasma membrane. We prepared a panel of cationic dendrimers and investigated whether they require caveolae to enter into cells. Cell-based studies were performed using wild type or caveola-deficient i.e. caveolin-1 or PTRF gene-disrupted cells. There was a statistically significant difference in entry of cationic dendrimers between wild type and caveola-deficient cells. We further unveiled differences between dendrimers with varying charge density and head groups. Our results show, using a molecular approach, that (i) expression of caveola-forming proteins promotes cellular entry of cationic dendrimers and (ii) dendrimer structure can be modified to promote endocytosis in caveola-forming cells.

  11. Quaternized Polyamidoamine Dendrimers as Novel Gene Delivery System: Relationship between Degree of Quaternization and Their Influences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Jung Hoon; Lim, Yong beom; Choi, Joon Sig; Choi, Myung Un; Yang, Chul Hak; Park, Jong Sang

    2003-01-01

    Quaternary ammonium groups were introduced to Starburst polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers for a gene carrier. These quaternary dendritic carriers exhibited reduced cytotoxicity on 293T cells compared to parent dendrimers examined and their transfection efficiency were similar with parent dendrimers. Quaternization could be a promising tool to improve properties of dendrimers as a gene delivery carrier

  12. Delivery of paclitaxel across cellular barriers using a dendrimer-based nanocarrier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teow, Huey Minn; Zhou, Zhengyuan; Najlah, Mohammad; Yusof, Siti R; Abbott, N Joan; D'Emanuele, Antony

    2013-01-30

    The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a third-generation (G3) polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer-based carrier to enhance the permeability of paclitaxel (pac) and to overcome cellular barriers. G3 dendrimers were surface modified with lauryl chains (L) and conjugated with paclitaxel (pac) via a glutaric anhydride (glu) linker, followed by labeling with FITC. Biological evaluation of the dendrimer and conjugates was conducted using the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (Caco-2) and primary cultured porcine brain endothelial cells (PBECs). LDH assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the dendrimer and conjugates. Cytotoxicity studies showed that the conjugation of lauryl chains and paclitaxel on G3 dendrimer significantly (pdendrimer-drug conjugates demonstrated an increase in the apparent permeability coefficient (P(app)) in both apical to basolateral A→B and basolateral to apical B→A directions across both cell monolayers compared to unmodified G3 and free drug. The B→A P(app) of paclitaxel was significantly (ptransporter system in both cell models. L6-G3-glu-pac conjugate had approximately 12-fold greater permeability across both cell monolayers than that of paclitaxel alone. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Switching the selectivity of a polyglycerol dendrimer monomolecularly imprinted with D-(−)-fructose

    OpenAIRE

    Hashidzume, Akihito; Zimmerman, Steven C.

    2009-01-01

    A polyglycerol dendrimer unimolecularly imprinted with D-(−)-fructose (Fru) was synthesized. The dendrimer formed adducts with several monosaccharides, Fru, D-(+)-galactose, D-(+)-glucose, D-(+)-mannose, and methyl-α-D-mannopyranoside (MMan), by removal of four water molecules. The dendrimer preferred Fru in the absence of N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylmethylenediamine (TMDAM), whereas it preferred MMan in the presence of TMDAM.

  14. Oligodeoxynucleotide nanostructure formation in the presence of polypropyleneimine dendrimers and their uptake in breast cancer cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Alex M; Santhakumaran, Latha M; Nair, Sandhya K; Amenta, Peter S; Thomas, Thresia; He, Huixin; Thomas, T J

    2006-01-01

    We studied the efficacy of five generations of polypropyleneimine (PPI) dendrimer to provoke nanostructure formation from a 21-nucleotide antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN). Nanostructure formation was observed with all generations of dendrimer by light scattering and microscopic techniques. The efficacy of the dendrimers increased with generation number. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the morphology of the structures at different condensation stages. Based on the observed nanostructures, we propose a zipping condensation mechanism, which is very different from the condensation pathways of high molecular weight DNA polymers. Electron microscopy showed the presence of toroidal nanoparticles. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that the nanostructures formed with G-4 and G-5 dendrimers could undergo facile cellular uptake in a breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, whereas nanostructures formed with G-1 to G-3 dendrimers lacked this ability. Nanoparticles formed with G-1 to G-3 dendrimers showed significantly lower zeta potential (5.2-6.5 mV) than those (12-18 mV) of particles formed with G-4 and G-5 dendrimers. These results show that the structure and charge density of the dendrimers are important in ODN nanoparticle formation and cellular transport and that G-4 and G-5 dendrimers are useful in cellular delivery of antisense ODN

  15. Oligodeoxynucleotide nanostructure formation in the presence of polypropyleneimine dendrimers and their uptake in breast cancer cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Alex M [Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 73 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102 (United States); Santhakumaran, Latha M [Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (United States); Nair, Sandhya K [Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (United States); Amenta, Peter S [Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (United States); Thomas, Thresia [Department of Environmental and Health Sciences Institute, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (United States); He, Huixin [Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, 73 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102 (United States); Thomas, T J [Department of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903 (United States)

    2006-11-14

    We studied the efficacy of five generations of polypropyleneimine (PPI) dendrimer to provoke nanostructure formation from a 21-nucleotide antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN). Nanostructure formation was observed with all generations of dendrimer by light scattering and microscopic techniques. The efficacy of the dendrimers increased with generation number. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the morphology of the structures at different condensation stages. Based on the observed nanostructures, we propose a zipping condensation mechanism, which is very different from the condensation pathways of high molecular weight DNA polymers. Electron microscopy showed the presence of toroidal nanoparticles. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that the nanostructures formed with G-4 and G-5 dendrimers could undergo facile cellular uptake in a breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, whereas nanostructures formed with G-1 to G-3 dendrimers lacked this ability. Nanoparticles formed with G-1 to G-3 dendrimers showed significantly lower zeta potential (5.2-6.5 mV) than those (12-18 mV) of particles formed with G-4 and G-5 dendrimers. These results show that the structure and charge density of the dendrimers are important in ODN nanoparticle formation and cellular transport and that G-4 and G-5 dendrimers are useful in cellular delivery of antisense ODN.

  16. Oligodeoxynucleotide nanostructure formation in the presence of polypropyleneimine dendrimers and their uptake in breast cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Alex M.; Santhakumaran, Latha M.; Nair, Sandhya K.; Amenta, Peter S.; Thomas, Thresia; He, Huixin; Thomas, T. J.

    2006-11-01

    We studied the efficacy of five generations of polypropyleneimine (PPI) dendrimer to provoke nanostructure formation from a 21-nucleotide antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN). Nanostructure formation was observed with all generations of dendrimer by light scattering and microscopic techniques. The efficacy of the dendrimers increased with generation number. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the morphology of the structures at different condensation stages. Based on the observed nanostructures, we propose a zipping condensation mechanism, which is very different from the condensation pathways of high molecular weight DNA polymers. Electron microscopy showed the presence of toroidal nanoparticles. Confocal microscopic analysis showed that the nanostructures formed with G-4 and G-5 dendrimers could undergo facile cellular uptake in a breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, whereas nanostructures formed with G-1 to G-3 dendrimers lacked this ability. Nanoparticles formed with G-1 to G-3 dendrimers showed significantly lower zeta potential (5.2-6.5 mV) than those (12-18 mV) of particles formed with G-4 and G-5 dendrimers. These results show that the structure and charge density of the dendrimers are important in ODN nanoparticle formation and cellular transport and that G-4 and G-5 dendrimers are useful in cellular delivery of antisense ODN.

  17. Targeting human liver cancer cells with lactobionic acid-G(4)-PAMAM-FITC sorafenib loaded dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iacobazzi, Rosa Maria; Porcelli, Letizia; Lopedota, Angela Assunta; Laquintana, Valentino; Lopalco, Antonio; Cutrignelli, Annalisa; Altamura, Emiliano; Di Fonte, Roberta; Azzariti, Amalia; Franco, Massimo; Denora, Nunzio

    2017-08-07

    Reported here is the synthesis and biological evaluation of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) targeted fourth generation poliamidoamine dendrimer (G(4)-PAMAM) loaded with sorafenib. The ASGP-R targeted dendrimer was obtained by conjugation of Lactobionic acid (La) to the G(4)-PAMAM dendrimer, followed by acetylation (Ac) of the free amino groups in order to reduce the non-specific interactions with the cell membrane. Moreover, by additionally grafting fluorescein (FITC), it was easy to characterize the internalization pathway and the intracellular fate of the targeted dendrimer Ac-La-G(4)-PAMAM-FITC. In vitro experiments performed on HepG-2 and HLE cell lines, allowed to study the ability of the dendrimers to affect the cell vitality. Confocal microscopy and cytofluorimetric analysis confirmed higher binding and uptake ability of the Ac-La-G(4)-PAMAM-FITC dendrimer in well differentiated and ASGP-R expressing human liver cancer cell line HepG-2 compared non-expressing HLE cells. Ac-La-G(4)-PAMAM-FITC dendrimer loaded with sorafenib was stable and showed sustained sorafenib release. As evidenced by the cytotoxicity studies, sorafenib included in the dendrimer maintained its effectiveness, and was able to produce a longer lasting effect over the time compared to molar equivalent doses of free sorafenib. This new targeted dendrimer appears to be a suitable carrier for the delivery of sorafenib to liver cancer cells expressing ASGP-R. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Using Multifunctional Phosphorescent Dendrimers with Iridium-Complex Core and Charge-Transporting Dendrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuzuki, Toshimitsu; Shirasawa, Nobuhiko; Suzuki, Toshiyasu; Tokito, Shizuo

    2005-06-01

    We report a novel class of light-emitting materials for use in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs): multifunctional phosphorescent dendrimers that have a phosphorescent core and dendrons based on charge-transporting building blocks. We synthesized first-generation and second-generation dendrimers consisting of a fac-tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium [Ir(ppy)3] core and hole-transporting phenylcarbazole-based dendrons. Smooth amorphous films of these dendrimers were formed by spin-coating them from solutions. The OLEDs using the dendrimer exhibited bright green or yellowish-green emission from the Ir(ppy)3 core. The OLEDs using the film containing a mixture of the dendrimer and an electron-transporting material exhibited higher efficiency than those using the neat dendrimer film. The external quantum efficiency of OLEDs using the film containing a mixture of the first-generation dendrimer and an electron-transporting material was as high as 7.6%.

  19. Micro-architecture embedding ultra-thin interlayer to bond diamond and silicon via direct fusion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong Cheol; Kim, Jongsik; Xin, Yan; Lee, Jinhyung; Kim, Young-Gyun; Subhash, Ghatu; Singh, Rajiv K.; Arjunan, Arul C.; Lee, Haigun

    2018-05-01

    The continuous demand on miniaturized electronic circuits bearing high power density illuminates the need to modify the silicon-on-insulator-based chip architecture. This is because of the low thermal conductivity of the few hundred nanometer-thick insulator present between the silicon substrate and active layers. The thick insulator is notorious for releasing the heat generated from the active layers during the operation of devices, leading to degradation in their performance and thus reducing their lifetime. To avoid the heat accumulation, we propose a method to fabricate the silicon-on-diamond (SOD) microstructure featured by an exceptionally thin silicon oxycarbide interlayer (˜3 nm). While exploiting the diamond as an insulator, we employ spark plasma sintering to render the silicon directly fused to the diamond. Notably, this process can manufacture the SOD microarchitecture via a simple/rapid way and incorporates the ultra-thin interlayer for minute thermal resistance. The method invented herein expects to minimize the thermal interfacial resistance of the devices and is thus deemed as a breakthrough appealing to the current chip industry.

  20. Dendrimers destabilize proteins in a generation-dependent manner involving electrostatic interactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gichm, Lise; Christensen, Casper; Boas, Ulrik

    2008-01-01

    Dendrimers are well-defined chemical polymers with a characteristic branching pattern that gives rise to attractive features such as antibacterial and antitumor activities as well as drug delivery properties. In addition, dendrimers can solubilize prion protein aggregates at very low concentratio...

  1. Synthesis and protonation behavior of carboxylate-functionalized poly(propylene imine) dendrimers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Duijvenbode, van R.C.; Rajanayagam, A.; Koper, G.J.M.; Baars, M.W.P.L.; Waal, de B.F.M.; Meijer, E.W.; Borkovec, M.

    2000-01-01

    Five generations of carboxylate-functionalized poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers have been synthesized starting from a double Michael addition of amine-functionalized poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers to methyl acrylate followed by basic hydrolysis using LiOH in a water/methanol mixture. The dendritic

  2. 64Cu-Labeled LyP-1-Dendrimer for PET-CT Imaging of Atherosclerotic Plaque

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    The ability to detect and quantify macrophage accumulation can provide important diagnostic and prognostic information for atherosclerotic plaque. We have previously shown that LyP-1, a cyclic 9-amino acid peptide, binds to p32 proteins on activated macrophages, facilitating the visualization of atherosclerotic plaque with PET. Yet, the in vivo plaque accumulation of monomeric [18F]FBA-LyP-1 was low (0.31 ± 0.05%ID/g). To increase the avidity of LyP-1 constructs to p32, we synthesized a dendritic form of LyP-1 on solid phase using lysine as the core structural element. Imaging probes (FAM or 6-BAT) were conjugated to a lysine or cysteine on the dendrimer for optical and PET studies. The N-terminus of the dendrimer was further modified with an aminooxy group in order to conjugate LyP-1 and ARAL peptides bearing a ketone. Oxime ligation of peptides to both dendrimers resulted in (LyP-1)4- and (ARAL)4-dendrimers with optical (FAM) and PET probes (6-BAT). For PET-CT studies, (LyP-1)4- and (ARAL)4-dendrimer-6-BAT were labeled with 64Cu (t1/2 = 12.7 h) and intravenously injected into the atherosclerotic (ApoE–/–) mice. After two hours of circulation, PET-CT coregistered images demonstrated greater uptake of the (LyP-1)4-dendrimer-64Cu than the (ARAL)4-dendrimer-64Cu in the aortic root and descending aorta. Ex vivo images and the biodistribution acquired at three hours after injection also demonstrated a significantly higher uptake of the (LyP-1)4-dendrimer-64Cu (1.1 ± 0.26%ID/g) than the (ARAL)4-dendrimer-64Cu (0.22 ± 0.05%ID/g) in the aorta. Similarly, subcutaneous injection of the LyP-1-dendrimeric carriers resulted in preferential accumulation in plaque-containing regions over 24 h. In the same model system, ex vivo fluorescence images within aortic plaque depict an increased accumulation and penetration of the (LyP-1)4-dendrimer-FAM as compared to the (ARAL)4-dendrimer-FAM. Taken together, the results suggest that the (LyP-1)4-dendrimer can be applied for in

  3. Trapping time statistics and efficiency of transport of optical excitations in dendrimers

    OpenAIRE

    Heijs, D.J.; Malyshev, V.A.; Knoester, J.

    2004-01-01

    We theoretically study the trapping time distribution and the efficiency of the excitation energy transport in dendritic systems. Trapping of excitations, created at the periphery of the dendrimer, on a trap located at its core, is used as a probe of the efficiency of the energy transport across the dendrimer. The transport process is treated as incoherent hopping of excitations between nearest-neighbor dendrimer units and is described using a rate equation. We account for radiative and non-r...

  4. Magnetic properties of dendrimer structures with different coordination numbers: A Monte Carlo study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masrour, R.; Jabar, A.

    2016-01-01

    We investigate the magnetic properties of Cayley trees of large molecules with dendrimer structure using Monte Carlo simulations. The thermal magnetization and magnetic susceptibility of a dendrimer structure are given with different coordination numbers, Z=3, 4, 5 and different generations g=3 and 2. The variation of magnetizations with the exchange interactions and crystal fields have been given of this system. The magnetic hysteresis cycles have been established. - Highlights: • The dendrimer structure is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. • The transition temperatures are obtained for different coordination numbers and generations. • The magnetic hysteresis cycle has been established. • The dendrimer structure exhibit the superparamagnetic behavior.

  5. Magnetic properties of dendrimer structures with different coordination numbers: A Monte Carlo study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Masrour, R., E-mail: rachidmasrour@hotmail.com; Jabar, A.

    2016-11-01

    We investigate the magnetic properties of Cayley trees of large molecules with dendrimer structure using Monte Carlo simulations. The thermal magnetization and magnetic susceptibility of a dendrimer structure are given with different coordination numbers, Z=3, 4, 5 and different generations g=3 and 2. The variation of magnetizations with the exchange interactions and crystal fields have been given of this system. The magnetic hysteresis cycles have been established. - Highlights: • The dendrimer structure is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations. • The transition temperatures are obtained for different coordination numbers and generations. • The magnetic hysteresis cycle has been established. • The dendrimer structure exhibit the superparamagnetic behavior.

  6. Ultra-Thin Optically Transparent Carbon Electrodes Produced from Layers of Adsorbed Proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alharthi, Sarah A.; Benavidez, Tomas E.; Garcia, Carlos D.

    2013-01-01

    This work describes a simple, versatile, and inexpensive procedure to prepare optically transparent carbon electrodes, using proteins as precursors. Upon adsorption, the protein-coated substrates were pyrolyzed under reductive conditions (5% H2) to form ultra-thin, conductive electrodes. Because proteins spontaneously adsorb to interfaces forming uniform layers, the proposed method does not require a precise control of the preparation conditions, specialized instrumentation, or expensive precursors. The resulting electrodes were characterized by a combination of electrochemical, optical, and spectroscopic means. As a proof-of-concept, the optically-transparent electrodes were also used as substrate for the development of an electrochemical glucose biosensor. The proposed films represent a convenient alternative to more sophisticated, and less available, carbon-based nanomaterials. Furthermore, these films could be formed on a variety of substrates, without classical limitations of size or shape. PMID:23421732

  7. Mesoporous polyaniline film on ultra-thin graphene sheets for high performance supercapacitors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Qian; Yan, Jun; Fan, Zhuangjun; Wei, Tong; Zhang, Milin; Jing, Xiaoyan

    2014-02-01

    A facile approach has been developed to fabricate mesoporous PANI film on ultra-thin graphene nanosheet (G-mPANI) hybrid by in situ polymerization using graphene-mesoporous silica composite as template. Due to its mesoporous structure, over-all conductive network, G-mPANI electrode displays a specific capacitance of 749 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1 with excellent rate capability (remains 73% even at 5.0 A g-1), much higher than that of pristine PANI electrode (315 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1, 39% retention at 5.0 A g-1) in 1 mol L-1 H2SO4 aqueous solution. More interestingly, the G-mPANI hybrid can maintain 88% of its initial capacitance compared to 45% for pristine PANI after 1000 cycles, suggesting a superior electrochemical cyclic stability.

  8. Ion-beam mixed ultra-thin cobalt suicide (CoSi2) films by cobalt sputtering and rapid thermal annealing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kal, S.; Kasko, I.; Ryssel, H.

    1995-10-01

    The influence of ion-beam mixing on ultra-thin cobalt silicide (CoSi2) formation was investigated by characterizing the ion-beam mixed and unmixed CoSi2 films. A Ge+ ion-implantation through the Co film prior to silicidation causes an interface mixing of the cobalt film with the silicon substrate and results in improved silicide-to-silicon interface roughness. Rapid thermal annealing was used to form Ge+ ion mixed and unmixed thin CoSi2 layer from 10 nm sputter deposited Co film. The silicide films were characterized by secondary neutral mass spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, tunneling electron microscopy (TEM), Rutherford backscattering, and sheet resistance measurements. The experi-mental results indicate that the final rapid thermal annealing temperature should not exceed 800°C for thin (micrographs of the ion-beam mixed and unmixed CoSi2 films reveals that Ge+ ion mixing (45 keV, 1 × 1015 cm-2) produces homogeneous silicide with smooth silicide-to-silicon interface.

  9. Controlled delivery of Gemcitabine Hydrochloride using mannosylated poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soni, Namrata; Jain, Keerti; Gupta, Umesh; Jain, N. K.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of the present investigation was to deliver Gemcitabine Hydrochloride (GmcH), an anticancer bioactive, specifically to lung tumor cells using mannosylated 4.0G poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers (M-PPI). 4.0G poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimers was synthesized using ethylenediamine as core and conjugated with mannose by ring opening reactions, followed by Schiff’s reaction in the presence of sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.0). Synthesized PPI dendrimers and mannose-conjugated dendrimers were characterized using IR, NMR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. GmcH was loaded into PPI and M-PPI dendrimers using equilibrium dialysis method to develop the formulations, GmcH-PPI and GmcH-M-PPI, respectively. The developed formulations were evaluated for drug loading, in vitro release kinetics, in vitro stability, hemolytic toxicity, cytotoxicity, pharmacokinetic, and biodistribution studies. The dendrimeric formulation of GmcH showed pH-sensitive release with faster release at acidic pH, i.e., pH 4.0 in comparison with physiological pH 7.4. M-PPI conjugate showed significant reduction in hemolytic toxicity as compared to plain 4.0G PPI dendrimers towards human erythrocytes. In the cytotoxicity studies with A-549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line, the GmcH-M-PPI formulation showed the lowest IC 50 value. Further, the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies of free drug GmcH, GmcH-PPI, and GmcH-M-PPI in albino rats of Sprague–Dawley strain suggested the mean residence time of GmcH-M-PPI conjugate to be significantly higher (24.85 h) than free GmcH and GmcH-PPI. Deposition of drug (396.1 ± 4.7 after 2 h) in lung was found to be significantly higher with GmcH-M-PPI formulation in comparison with Gmch and GmcH-PPI

  10. Controlled delivery of Gemcitabine Hydrochloride using mannosylated poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soni, Namrata; Jain, Keerti, E-mail: keertijain02@gmail.com; Gupta, Umesh, E-mail: umeshgupta175@gmail.com; Jain, N. K., E-mail: jnarendr@yahoo.co.in [Dr. H. S. Gour Central University, Pharmaceutics Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences (India)

    2015-11-15

    The aim of the present investigation was to deliver Gemcitabine Hydrochloride (GmcH), an anticancer bioactive, specifically to lung tumor cells using mannosylated 4.0G poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers (M-PPI). 4.0G poly(propyleneimine) (PPI) dendrimers was synthesized using ethylenediamine as core and conjugated with mannose by ring opening reactions, followed by Schiff’s reaction in the presence of sodium acetate buffer (pH 4.0). Synthesized PPI dendrimers and mannose-conjugated dendrimers were characterized using IR, NMR spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. GmcH was loaded into PPI and M-PPI dendrimers using equilibrium dialysis method to develop the formulations, GmcH-PPI and GmcH-M-PPI, respectively. The developed formulations were evaluated for drug loading, in vitro release kinetics, in vitro stability, hemolytic toxicity, cytotoxicity, pharmacokinetic, and biodistribution studies. The dendrimeric formulation of GmcH showed pH-sensitive release with faster release at acidic pH, i.e., pH 4.0 in comparison with physiological pH 7.4. M-PPI conjugate showed significant reduction in hemolytic toxicity as compared to plain 4.0G PPI dendrimers towards human erythrocytes. In the cytotoxicity studies with A-549 lung adenocarcinoma cell line, the GmcH-M-PPI formulation showed the lowest IC{sub 50} value. Further, the pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies of free drug GmcH, GmcH-PPI, and GmcH-M-PPI in albino rats of Sprague–Dawley strain suggested the mean residence time of GmcH-M-PPI conjugate to be significantly higher (24.85 h) than free GmcH and GmcH-PPI. Deposition of drug (396.1 ± 4.7 after 2 h) in lung was found to be significantly higher with GmcH-M-PPI formulation in comparison with Gmch and GmcH-PPI.

  11. Hyperbranched–dendrimer architectural copolymer gene delivery using hyperbranched PEI conjugated to poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of transfection efficiency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alavi, Seyyed Jamal [Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Gholami, Leila [Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Department of Modern Sciences and Technologies, School of Medicine (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Askarian, Saeedeh [Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Darroudi, Majid [Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Nuclear Medicine Research Center (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Massoudi, Abdolhossein [University of Payam noor, Department of Chemistry (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rezaee, Mehdi; Kazemi Oskuee, Reza, E-mail: Oskueekr@mums.ac.ir [Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2017-02-15

    The applications of dendrimer-based vectors seem to be promising in non-viral gene delivery because of their potential for addressing the problems with viral vectors. In this study, generation 3 poly(propyleneimine) (G3-PPI) dendrimers with 1, 4-diaminobutane as a core initiator was synthesized using a divergent growth approach. To increase the hydrophobicity and reduce toxicity, 10% of primary amines of G3-PPI dendrimers were replaced with bromoalkylcarboxylates with different chain lengths (6-bromohexanoic and 10-bromodecanoic). Then, to retain the overall buffering capacity and enhance transfection, the alkylcarboxylate–PPIs were conjugated to 10 kDa branched polyethylenimine (PEI). The results showed that the modified PPI was able to form complexes with the diameter of less than 60 nm with net-positive surface charge around 20 mV. No significant toxicity was observed in modified PPIs; however, the hexanoate conjugated PPI–PEI (PPI-HEX-10% PEI) and the decanoate conjugated PPI–PEI (PPI-DEC-10%-PEI) showed the best transfection efficiency in murine neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cell line, even PPI-HEX-10%-PEI showed transfection efficiency equal to standard PEI 25 kDa with reduced toxicity. This study suggested a new series of hyperbranched (PEI)–dendrimer (PPI) architectural copolymers as non-viral gene delivery vectors with high transfection efficiency and low toxicity.

  12. Hyperbranched-dendrimer architectural copolymer gene delivery using hyperbranched PEI conjugated to poly(propyleneimine) dendrimers: synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of transfection efficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alavi, Seyyed Jamal; Gholami, Leila; Askarian, Saeedeh; Darroudi, Majid; Massoudi, Abdolhossein; Rezaee, Mehdi; Kazemi Oskuee, Reza

    2017-02-01

    The applications of dendrimer-based vectors seem to be promising in non-viral gene delivery because of their potential for addressing the problems with viral vectors. In this study, generation 3 poly(propyleneimine) (G3-PPI) dendrimers with 1, 4-diaminobutane as a core initiator was synthesized using a divergent growth approach. To increase the hydrophobicity and reduce toxicity, 10% of primary amines of G3-PPI dendrimers were replaced with bromoalkylcarboxylates with different chain lengths (6-bromohexanoic and 10-bromodecanoic). Then, to retain the overall buffering capacity and enhance transfection, the alkylcarboxylate-PPIs were conjugated to 10 kDa branched polyethylenimine (PEI). The results showed that the modified PPI was able to form complexes with the diameter of less than 60 nm with net-positive surface charge around 20 mV. No significant toxicity was observed in modified PPIs; however, the hexanoate conjugated PPI-PEI (PPI-HEX-10% PEI) and the decanoate conjugated PPI-PEI (PPI-DEC-10%-PEI) showed the best transfection efficiency in murine neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cell line, even PPI-HEX-10%-PEI showed transfection efficiency equal to standard PEI 25 kDa with reduced toxicity. This study suggested a new series of hyperbranched (PEI)-dendrimer (PPI) architectural copolymers as non-viral gene delivery vectors with high transfection efficiency and low toxicity.

  13. The Debye light scattering equation’s scaling relation reveals the purity of synthetic dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tseng, Hui-Yu; Chen, Hsiao-Ping [National Chung Cheng University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (China); Tang, Yi-Hsuan [Kaohsiung Medical University, Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry (China); Chen, Hui-Ting [Kaohsiung Medical University, Department of Fragrance and Cosmetic Science (China); Kao, Chai-Lin, E-mail: clkao@kmu.edu.tw [Kaohsiung Medical University, Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry (China); Wang, Shau-Chun, E-mail: chescw@ccu.edu.tw [National Chung Cheng University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (China)

    2016-03-15

    Spherical dendrimer structures cannot be structurally modeled using conventional polymer models of random coil or rod-like configurations during the calibration of the static light scattering (LS) detectors used to determine the molecular weight (M.W.) of a dendrimer or directly assess the purity of a synthetic compound. In this paper, we used the Debye equation-based scaling relation, which predicts that the static LS intensity per unit concentration is linearly proportional to the M.W. of a synthetic dendrimer in a dilute solution, as a tool to examine the purity of high-generational compounds and to monitor the progress of dendrimer preparations. Without using expensive equipment, such as nuclear magnetic resonance or mass spectrometry, this method only required an affordable flow injection set-up with an LS detector. Solutions of the purified dendrimers, including the poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer and its fourth to seventh generation pyridine derivatives with size range of 5–9 nm, were used to establish the scaling relation with high linearity. The use of artificially impure mixtures of six or seven generations revealed significant deviations from linearity. The raw synthesized products of the pyridine-modified PAMAM dendrimer, which included incompletely reacted dendrimers, were also examined to gauge the reaction progress. As a reaction toward a particular generational derivative of the PAMAM dendrimers proceeded over time, deviations from the linear scaling relation decreased. The difference between the polydispersity index of the incompletely converted products and that of the pure compounds was only about 0.01. The use of the Debye equation-based scaling relation, therefore, is much more useful than the polydispersity index for monitoring conversion processes toward an indicated functionality number in a given preparation.Graphical abstract.

  14. The Debye light scattering equation’s scaling relation reveals the purity of synthetic dendrimers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tseng, Hui-Yu; Chen, Hsiao-Ping; Tang, Yi-Hsuan; Chen, Hui-Ting; Kao, Chai-Lin; Wang, Shau-Chun

    2016-01-01

    Spherical dendrimer structures cannot be structurally modeled using conventional polymer models of random coil or rod-like configurations during the calibration of the static light scattering (LS) detectors used to determine the molecular weight (M.W.) of a dendrimer or directly assess the purity of a synthetic compound. In this paper, we used the Debye equation-based scaling relation, which predicts that the static LS intensity per unit concentration is linearly proportional to the M.W. of a synthetic dendrimer in a dilute solution, as a tool to examine the purity of high-generational compounds and to monitor the progress of dendrimer preparations. Without using expensive equipment, such as nuclear magnetic resonance or mass spectrometry, this method only required an affordable flow injection set-up with an LS detector. Solutions of the purified dendrimers, including the poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer and its fourth to seventh generation pyridine derivatives with size range of 5–9 nm, were used to establish the scaling relation with high linearity. The use of artificially impure mixtures of six or seven generations revealed significant deviations from linearity. The raw synthesized products of the pyridine-modified PAMAM dendrimer, which included incompletely reacted dendrimers, were also examined to gauge the reaction progress. As a reaction toward a particular generational derivative of the PAMAM dendrimers proceeded over time, deviations from the linear scaling relation decreased. The difference between the polydispersity index of the incompletely converted products and that of the pure compounds was only about 0.01. The use of the Debye equation-based scaling relation, therefore, is much more useful than the polydispersity index for monitoring conversion processes toward an indicated functionality number in a given preparation.Graphical abstract

  15. Coherent exciton transport in dendrimers and continuous-time quantum walks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mülken, Oliver; Bierbaum, Veronika; Blumen, Alexander

    2006-03-01

    We model coherent exciton transport in dendrimers by continuous-time quantum walks. For dendrimers up to the second generation the coherent transport shows perfect recurrences when the initial excitation starts at the central node. For larger dendrimers, the recurrence ceases to be perfect, a fact which resembles results for discrete quantum carpets. Moreover, depending on the initial excitation site, we find that the coherent transport to certain nodes of the dendrimer has a very low probability. When the initial excitation starts from the central node, the problem can be mapped onto a line which simplifies the computational effort. Furthermore, the long time average of the quantum mechanical transition probabilities between pairs of nodes shows characteristic patterns and allows us to classify the nodes into clusters with identical limiting probabilities. For the (space) average of the quantum mechanical probability to be still or to be again at the initial site, we obtain, based on the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, a simple lower bound which depends only on the eigenvalue spectrum of the Hamiltonian.

  16. Physico-chemical studies on the interaction of dendrimers with lipid bilayers. 1. Effect of dendrimer generation and liposome surface charge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roy, Biplab; Panda, Amiya Kumar; Parimi, Srinivas; Ametov, Igor; Barnes, Timothy; Prestidge, Clive A

    2014-01-01

    Studies on the interaction of different generation poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers (2G, 4G and 6G) and liposomes of different compositions were carried out by a combined turbidity, dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopic measurements. Liposomes comprising soy lecithin (SLC, negative surface charge), 1, 2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC, mildly positive surface charge), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1'-rac-glycerol (DPPG, negatively charged) and a biologically simulated mixture of DPPC + DPPG (7:3, M/M, negatively charged) were used as model bilayers. 30 wt% cholesterol was used in each combination as it is known to control the fluidity of membrane bilayers. Silica was used as a negatively charged hard sphere model with an aim to compare the results. Both the turbidity and hydrodynamic diameter values of all the liposomes, except DPPC, passed through maxima upon the progressive addition of PAMAM; the effect was insignificant in case of DPPC. Formation of dendriosome, a complex formed between dendrimer and liposome, resulted in the charge reversal of the negatively charged liposomes. Interaction between PAMAM and liposome was found to be governed by electrostatic as well as hydrogen bonding. Generation dependent PAMAM activity followed the order: 6G >4G>2G in terms of overall dendrimer concentration. However, interestingly, the order was reverse when PAMAM activity was considered in terms of total end group concentrations. AFM studies reveal the rupture of bilayer structure upon addition of dendrimer.

  17. A combinatorial approach of inclusion complexation and dendrimer synthesization for effective targeting EGFR-TK.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shende, Pravin; Patil, Sampada; Gaud, R S

    2017-07-01

    The aim of the present study was to use a combinatorial approach of inclusion complexation and dendrimer synthesization of gefitinib using solvent-free technique for targeting EGFR-TK to treat Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). The inclusion complex of gefitinib with β-cyclodextrin was prepared by trituration method. This complex encapsulated G4 PAMAM dendrimers were synthesized by Michael addition and amidation reactions using green chemistry and then PEGylated by conjugation reaction. FTIR and DSC confirmed the formation of inclusion complex of gefitinib and β-cyclodextrin and PEGylation of G4 PAMAM dendrimers. Gefitinib showed higher solubility, encapsulation efficiency and controlled release profile from PEGylated dendrimers compared to inclusion complex. The PEGylated dendrimers of inclusion complex of gefitinib were found to reduce hemolytic toxicity and lesser GI 50 value on Human lung cancer cell line A-549 by effective targeting EGFR-TK. A combinatorial approach of inclusion complexation and dendrimer synthesization is one of the alternative advanced approaches to treat NSCLC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Interaction of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers with supported lipid bilayers and cells: hole formation and the relation to transport.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Seungpyo; Bielinska, Anna U; Mecke, Almut; Keszler, Balazs; Beals, James L; Shi, Xiangyang; Balogh, Lajos; Orr, Bradford G; Baker, James R; Banaszak Holl, Mark M

    2004-01-01

    We have investigated poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer interactions with supported 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) lipid bilayers and KB and Rat2 cell membranes using atomic force microscopy (AFM), enzyme assays, flow cell cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. Amine-terminated generation 7 (G7) PAMAM dendrimers (10-100 nM) were observed to form holes of 15-40 nm in diameter in aqueous, supported lipid bilayers. G5 amine-terminated dendrimers did not initiate hole formation but expanded holes at existing defects. Acetamide-terminated G5 PAMAM dendrimers did not cause hole formation in this concentration range. The interactions between PAMAM dendrimers and cell membranes were studied in vitro using KB and Rat 2 cell lines. Neither G5 amine- nor acetamide-terminated PAMAM dendrimers were cytotoxic up to a 500 nM concentration. However, the dose dependent release of the cytoplasmic proteins lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and luciferase (Luc) indicated that the presence of the amine-terminated G5 PAMAM dendrimer decreased the integrity of the cell membrane. In contrast, the presence of acetamide-terminated G5 PAMAM dendrimer had little effect on membrane integrity up to a 500 nM concentration. The induction of permeability caused by the amine-terminated dendrimers was not permanent, and leaking of cytosolic enzymes returned to normal levels upon removal of the dendrimers. The mechanism of how PAMAM dendrimers altered cells was investigated using fluorescence microscopy, LDH and Luc assays, and flow cytometry. This study revealed that (1) a hole formation mechanism is consistent with the observations of dendrimer internalization, (2) cytosolic proteins can diffuse out of the cell via these holes, and (3) dye molecules can be detected diffusing into the cell or out of the cell through the same membrane holes. Diffusion of dendrimers through holes is sufficient to explain the uptake of G5 amine-terminated PAMAM dendrimers into cells and is consistent

  19. Vibrational spectroscopic study of cationic phosphorus dendrimers with aminoethylpiperidine terminal groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furer, V. L.; Vandyukov, A. E.; Tripathi, V.; Majoral, J. P.; Caminade, A. M.; Kovalenko, V. I.

    2018-04-01

    Two generations of phosphoric dendrimers with piperidine functional groups were synthesized for use in biology and medicine. Neutral samples are soluble in organic solvents but after protonation these dendrimers become water soluble and can be used for biological experiments. The FTIR and FT Raman spectra of two generations of dendrimers Gi constructed from the cyclotriphosphazene core, repeating units sbnd Osbnd C6H4sbnd CHdbnd Nsbnd N(CH3)sbnd P(S)molecular structure and vibrational spectra of the first generation dendrimer was performed by the method of DFT. This molecule has flat, repeating units and a plane of symmetry passing through the core. The calculation of the distribution of potential energy made it possible to classify the bands in the experimental spectra of dendrimers. Amine groups are manifested in the form of a band of NH stretching vibrations at 3389 cm-1 in the IR spectrum of G1. NH+ stretching bands located at 2646 and 2540 cm-1 in the IR spectrum of G2. The stretching vibrations of NH+ groups are noticeably shifted to low frequencies due to the formation of a hydrogen bond with the chlorine atom. The line at 1575 cm-1 in the Raman spectrum of G1 is characteristic for repeating units.

  20. Ultra-low power thin film transistors with gate oxide formed by nitric acid oxidation method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobayashi, H.; Kim, W. B.; Matsumoto, T.

    2011-01-01

    We have developed a low temperature fabrication method of SiO 2 /Si structure by use of nitric acid, i.e., nitric acid oxidation of Si (NAOS) method, and applied it to thin film transistors (TFT). A silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) layer formed by the NAOS method at room temperature possesses 1.8 nm thickness, and its leakage current density is as low as that of thermally grown SiO 2 layer with the same thickness formed at ∼900 deg C. The fabricated TFTs possess an ultra-thin NAOS SiO 2 /CVD SiO 2 stack gate dielectric structure. The ultrathin NAOS SiO 2 layer effectively blocks a gate leakage current, and thus, the thickness of the gate oxide layer can be decreased from 80 to 20 nm. The thin gate oxide layer enables to decrease the operation voltage to 2 V (cf. the conventional operation voltage of TFTs with 80 nm gate oxide: 12 V) because of the low threshold voltages, i.e., -0.5 V for P-ch TFTs and 0.5 V for N-ch TFTs, and thus the consumed power decreases to 1/36 of that of the conventional TFTs. The drain current increases rapidly with the gate voltage, and the sub-threshold voltage is ∼80 mV/dec. The low sub-threshold swing is attributable to the thin gate oxide thickness and low interface state density of the NAOS SiO 2 layer. (authors)

  1. Dendrimers as tunable vectors of drug delivery systems and biomedical and ocular applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalomiraki, Marina; Thermos, Kyriaki; Chaniotakis, Nikos A

    2016-01-01

    Dendrimers are large polymeric structures with nanosize dimensions (1–10 nm) and unique physicochemical properties. The major advantage of dendrimers compared with linear polymers is their spherical-shaped structure. During synthesis, the size and shape of the dendrimer can be customized and controlled, so the finished macromolecule will have a specific “architecture” and terminal groups. These characteristics will determine its suitability for drug delivery, diagnostic imaging, and as a genetic material carrier. This review will focus initially on the unique properties of dendrimers and their use in biomedical applications, as antibacterial, antitumor, and diagnostic agents. Subsequently, emphasis will be given to their use in drug delivery for ocular diseases. PMID:26730187

  2. Liquid Crystalline Dendrimers. 1. Synthesis of Five Generations of Carbosilane Liquid Crystalline Dendrimers with Terminal Cyanobiphenyl Groups

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Shibaev, V

    1998-01-01

    Using the controlled layer by layer experimental technique via reiterative sequence of chemical reactions carbosilane LC dendrimers with terminal cyanobiphenyl mesogenic groups of generations 1 - 5 were synthesized...

  3. Physicochemical and biological properties of self-assembled antisense/poly(amidoamine dendrimer nanoparticles: the effect of dendrimer generation and charge ratio

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alireza Nomani

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Alireza Nomani1,6, Ismaeil Haririan1,5, Ramin Rahimnia2,4, Shamileh Fouladdel2, Tarane Gazori1, Rassoul Dinarvand1, Yadollah Omidi3, Ebrahim Azizi2,41Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Molecular Research Lab, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 3Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran; 4Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Technologies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 5Biomaterials Research Center (BRC Tehran, Iran; 6Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, IranAbstract: To gain a deeper understanding of the physicochemical phenomenon of self-assembled nanoparticles of different generations and ratios of poly (amidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM dendrimer and a short-stranded DNA (antisense oligonucleotide, multiple methods were used to characterize these nanoparticles including photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS; zeta potential measurement; and atomic force microscopy (AFM. PCS and AFM results revealed that, in contrast to larger molecules of DNA, smaller molecules produce more heterodisperse and large nanoparticles when they are condensed with a cationic dendrimer. AFM images also showed that such nanoparticles were spherical. The stability of the antisense content of the nanoparticles was investigated over different charge ratios using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It was clear from such analyses that much more than charge neutrality point was required to obtain stable nanoparticles. For cell uptake, self-assembled nanoparticles were prepared with PAMAM G5 and 5’-FITC labeled antisense and the uptake experiment was carried out in T47D cell culture. This investigation also shows that the cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was

  4. Synthesis and Catalytic Evaluation of Dendrimer-Encapsulated Cu Nanoparticles: An Undergraduate Experiment Exploring Catalytic Nanomaterials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Z. Vivian; Lyon, Jennifer L.; Croley, J. Sawyer; Crooks, Richard M.; Vanden Bout, David A.; Stevenson, Keith J.

    2009-01-01

    Copper nanoparticles were synthesized using generation 4 hydroxyl-terminated (G4-OH) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers as templates. The synthesis is conducted by coordinating copper ions with the interior amines of the dendrimer, followed by chemical reduction to form dendrimer-encapsulated copper nanoparticles (Cu-DEN). The catalytic…

  5. Diglycolamide-functionalized dendrimers : Studies on Americium(III) pertraction from radioactive waste

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ansari, Seraj A.; Mohapatra, Prasanta K.; Leoncini, Andrea; Huskens, Jurriaan; Verboom, Willem

    2017-01-01

    Diglycolamide (DGA)-functionalized poly(propylene imine) diaminobutane dendrimers were evaluated as the carrier in supported liquid membranes (SLMs) for selective recovery of trivalent actinides over uranium. The 0, 1st, and 2nd generation dendrimers with 2, 4, and 8 DGA moieties, termed as LI, LII,

  6. Precise localization of metal nanoparticles in dendrimer nanosnakes or inner periphery and consequences in catalysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiang; Gregurec, Danijela; Irigoyen, Joseba; Martinez, Angel; Moya, Sergio; Ciganda, Roberto; Hermange, Philippe; Ruiz, Jaime; Astruc, Didier

    2016-10-01

    Understanding the relationship between the location of nanoparticles (NPs) in an organic matrix and their catalytic performances is essential for catalyst design. Here we show that catalytic activities of Au, Ag and CuNPs stabilized by dendrimers using coordination to intradendritic triazoles, galvanic replacement or stabilization outside dendrimers strongly depends on their location. AgNPs are found at the inner click dendrimer periphery, whereas CuNPs and AuNPs are encapsulated in click dendrimer nanosnakes. AuNPs and AgNPs formed by galvanic replacement are larger than precursors and only partly encapsulated. AuNPs are all the better 4-nitrophenol reduction catalysts as they are less sterically inhibited by the dendrimer interior, whereas on the contrary CuNPs are all the better alkyne azide cycloaddition catalysts as they are better protected from aerobic oxidation inside dendrimers. This work highlights the role of the location in macromolecules on the catalytic efficiency of metal nanoparticles and rationalizes optimization in catalyst engineering.

  7. In Vitro Evaluation of Third Generation PAMAM Dendrimer Conjugates

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Najlah

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The present study compares the use of high generation G3 and low generation G0 Polyamidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers as drug carriers of naproxen (NAP, a poorly water soluble drug. Naproxen was conjugated to G3 in different ratios and to G0 in a 1:1 ratio via a diethylene glycol linker. A lauroyl chain (L, a lipophilic permeability enhancer, was attached to G3 and G0 prodrugs. The G3 and G0 conjugates were more hydrophilic than naproxen as evaluated by the measurement of partitioning between 1-octanol and a phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 and pH 1.2. The unmodified surface PAMAM-NAP conjugates showed significant solubility enhancements of NAP at pH 1.2; however, with the number of NAP conjugated to G3, this was limited to 10 molecules. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH assay indicated that the G3 dendrimer conjugates had a concentration dependent toxicity towards Caco-2 cells. Attaching naproxen to the surface of the dendrimer increased the IC50 of the resulting prodrugs towards Caco-2 cells. The lauroyl G3 conjugates showed the highest toxicity amongst the PAMAM dendrimer conjugates investigated and were significantly more toxic than the lauroyl-G0-naproxen conjugates. The permeability of naproxen across monolayers of Caco-2 cells was significantly increased by its conjugation to either G3 or G0 PAMAM dendrimers. Lauroyl-G0 conjugates displayed considerably lower cytotoxicity than G3 conjugates and may be preferable for use as a drug carrier for low soluble drugs such as naproxen.

  8. Neutron Reflectometry Investigations of the Interaction of DNA-PAMAM Dendrimers with Model Biological Membranes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ainalem, M.L.; Rennie, A.R.; Campbell, Richard; Edler, Karen; Nylander, Tommy

    2009-01-01

    The systemic delivery of DNA for gene therapy requires control of DNA compaction by an agent, such a lipid, surfactant or a polymer (e.g. cationic dendrimers) as well as understanding of how this complex interacts with a biological membrane. Poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have been reported to be a promising synthetic gene-transfection agent. We have studied the structure of the complexes formed between DNA and PAMAM dendrimers with SANS, dynamic light scattering and cryo-TEM. Here we noted that the structure of the complex formed strongly depends on the generation of the dendrimer. The results of the adsorption of generation 2 (G2) and 4 (G4) PAMAM dendrimers to surface deposited bilayers, consisting of palmitoyl oleoyl phosphatidyl choline on silicon surface, have been studied using neutron reflectometry (NR). The NR data shows that the dendrimers are able to penetrate the bilayer. However, the complex is less able to penetrate the bilayer, but rather stays on the top of the bilayer. The dendrimers appear slightly flattened on the surface in comparison with their size in bulk as determined by light scattering. We will also report on the interfacial behavior of the DNA-PAMAM complexes at other types of studies of interfaces, important for biomedical applications, where NR has allowed us to determine the layer structure and composition. (author)

  9. PEGylation of polylysine dendrimers improves absorption and lymphatic targeting following SC administration in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaminskas, Lisa M; Kota, Jagannath; McLeod, Victoria M; Kelly, Brian D; Karellas, Peter; Porter, Christopher Jh

    2009-12-03

    Polylysine dendrimers have potential as highly flexible, biodegradable nanoparticular carriers that may also promote lymphatic transport. The current study was undertaken to determine the impact of PEGylation on the absorption and lymphatic transport of polylysine dendrimers modified by surface derivatisation with PEG (200, 570 or 2000Da) or 4-benzene sulphonate following SC or IV dosing. PEGylation led to the PEG(200) derived dendrimer being rapidly and completely absorbed into the blood after SC administration, however only 3% of the administered dose was recovered in pooled thoracic lymph over 30h. Increasing the PEG chain length led to a systematic decrease in absorption into the blood and an enhancement of the proportion recovered in the lymphatics (up to 29% over 30h). For the PEG(570) and PEG(2000) derived dendrimers, indirect access to the lymph via equilibration across the capillary beds also appeared to play a role in lymphatic targeting after both IV and SC dosing. In contrast, the anionic benzene sulphonate-capped dendrimer was not well absorbed from the SC injection site (26% bioavailability) into either the blood or the lymph. The data suggest that PEGylated poly-L-lysine dendrimers are well absorbed from SC injection sites and that the extent of lymphatic transport may be enhanced by increasing the size of the PEGylated dendrimer complex.

  10. A selective glucose sensor: the cooperative effect of monoboronic acid-modified poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsai, Ching-Hua; Tang, Yi-Hsuan; Chen, Hui-Ting; Yao, Yi-Wen; Chien, Tun-Cheng; Kao, Chai-Lin

    2018-05-01

    Selective glucose binding was identified through five generations of monoboronic acid-functionalized PAMAM dendrimers. The best selectivity obtained when using G3 dendrimers (1b) generated 71.1, 94.9, and 1309 times stronger binding than when using galactose, fructose, and lactose, respectively. Further experiments using dendrimer analogues and glucose derivatives suggested that two nearby monoboronic acids cooperatively bound one glucose.

  11. High performance organic field-effect transistors with ultra-thin HfO2 gate insulator deposited directly onto the organic semiconductor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ono, S.; Häusermann, R.; Chiba, D.; Shimamura, K.; Ono, T.; Batlogg, B.

    2014-01-01

    We have produced stable organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) with an ultra-thin HfO 2 gate insulator deposited directly on top of rubrene single crystals by atomic layer deposition (ALD). We find that ALD is a gentle deposition process to grow thin films without damaging rubrene single crystals, as results these devices have a negligibly small threshold voltage and are very stable against gate-bias-stress, and the mobility exceeds 1 cm 2 /V s. Moreover, the devices show very little degradation even when kept in air for more than 2 months. These results demonstrate thin HfO 2 layers deposited by ALD to be well suited as high capacitance gate dielectrics in OFETs operating at small gate voltage. In addition, the dielectric layer acts as an effective passivation layer to protect the organic semiconductor

  12. Book of specifications (StLB) and solar technology in data processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jaehnig, W; Schiemann, W

    1982-06-01

    The book of specifications (StLB) is to create a common language for a system of integrated data processing in building construction to be used by all those participating in the process of construction. The StLB comprises e.g. special sectors from the field of framework construction and extension as well as of technical extension. Special performance sectors concerning solar energy are not yet included in the StLB. It can be expected that relevant texts for solar technology shall be included along with other editorial work. At present, analogous texts from various performance sectors can be transferred to solar technology. Different user programmes are available for the data-related utilization of the StLlB. The article illustrates the fields of application of the StLB and its data-related utilization procedure including text input as well as the various devices which are suitable for the individual processes of the StLB.

  13. Structural Distortion of Dendrimers on Gold Surfaces: A Tapping-Mode AFM Investigation

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Hierlemann, A

    1998-01-01

    .... The individual dendrimer molecules forming a monolayer were clearly imaged. Upon exposure to hexadecanethiol, the shapes of individual dendrimers change and they become taller and narrower as more stable thiol-Au bonds replace some of the amine-Au bonds...

  14. Enhancement of Muramyldipeptide (MDP) Immunostimulatory Activity by Controlled Multimerization on Dendrimers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Nanna Skall; Boas, Ulrik; Heegaard, Peter M. H.

    2011-01-01

    Peptidoglycan is a widespread bacterial PAMP molecule and a powerful initiator of innate immune responses. It consists of repeating units of MDP, which as a monomer is only weakly immunostimulatory. Here, MDP-coupled dendrimers were prepared and investigated for stimulation of pig blood mononuclear...... cells. Compared to monomeric MDP, MDP-dendrimers induced a markedly enhanced production of IL-12 p40, IL-1β and IL-6 and completely down-regulated surface expression of B7 and MHC class II. These results suggest a possible novel strategy based on controlled multimerization of minimal PAMP motifs...... on dendrimers for preparing molecularly defined immunostimulators with predictable bioactivities....

  15. Electron injection from graphene quantum dots to poly(amido amine) dendrimers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lin, T. N.; Inciong, M. R.; Santiago, S. R.; Shu, G. W.; Yuan, C. T.; Shen, J. L., E-mail: jlshen@cycu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, Center for Nanotechnology, and Center for Biomedical Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan (China); Kao, C. W. [Master Program in Nanotechnology at CYCU, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan (China); Yeh, J. M.; Chen-Yang, Y. W. [Department of Chemistry, Center for Nanotechnology, and Center for Biomedical Technology, Chung Yuan Christian University, Chung-Li 32023, Taiwan (China)

    2016-04-18

    The steady-state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) are used to study the electron injection from graphene quantum dots (GQDs) to poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers. The PL is enhanced by depositing GQDs on the surfaces of the PAMAM dendrimers. The maximum enhancement of PL with a factor of 10.9 is achieved at a GQD concentration of 0.9 mg/ml. The dynamics of PL in the GQD/PAMAM composite are analyzed, evidencing the existence of electron injection. On the basis of Kelvin probe measurements, the electron injection from the GQDs to the PAMAM dendrimers is accounted for by the work function difference between them.

  16. The neighbourhood polynomial of some families of dendrimers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazri Husin, Mohamad; Hasni, Roslan

    2018-04-01

    The neighbourhood polynomial N(G,x) is generating function for the number of faces of each cardinality in the neighbourhood complex of a graph and it is defined as (G,x)={\\sum }U\\in N(G){x}|U|, where N(G) is neighbourhood complex of a graph, whose vertices of the graph and faces are subsets of vertices that have a common neighbour. A dendrimers is an artificially manufactured or synthesized molecule built up from branched units called monomers. In this paper, we compute this polynomial for some families of dendrimer.

  17. Ab initio thermodynamics for the growth of ultra-thin Cu film on a perfect Mg O(001) surface

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhukovskii, Yuri F. [Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga str. 8, Riga LV-1063 (Latvia)]. E-mail: quantzh@latnet.lv; Fuks, David [Materials Engineering Department, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, POB 653, Beer-Sheva IL-84105 (Israel); Kotomin, Eugene A. [Institute for Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Kengaraga str. 8, Riga LV-1063 (Latvia); Dorfman, Simon [Department of Physics, Israel Institute of Technology-Technion, Haifa IL-32000 (Israel)

    2005-12-15

    Controlled growth of thin metallic films on oxide substrates is important for numerous micro-and nano electronic applications. Our ab initio study is devoted to the periodic slab simulations for a series of ordered 2a Cu superlattices on the regular Mg O(001) substrate. Submonolayer and monolayer substrate Cu coverages were calculated using the Daft-Gaga method, as implemented into the Crystal-98 code. The results of ab initio calculations have been combined with thermodynamic theory which allows US to predict the growth mode of ultra-thin metal films (spinodal decomposition vs. nucleation-and-growth regime) as a function of the metal coverage and the temperature, and to estimate the metal density in clusters. We show that 3a cluster formation becomes predominant already at low Cu coverages, in agreement with the experiment.

  18. Ab initio thermodynamics for the growth of ultra-thin Cu film on a perfect Mg O(001) surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhukovskii, Yuri F.; Fuks, David; Kotomin, Eugene A.; Dorfman, Simon

    2005-01-01

    Controlled growth of thin metallic films on oxide substrates is important for numerous micro-and nano electronic applications. Our ab initio study is devoted to the periodic slab simulations for a series of ordered 2a Cu superlattices on the regular Mg O(001) substrate. Submonolayer and monolayer substrate Cu coverages were calculated using the Daft-Gaga method, as implemented into the Crystal-98 code. The results of ab initio calculations have been combined with thermodynamic theory which allows US to predict the growth mode of ultra-thin metal films (spinodal decomposition vs. nucleation-and-growth regime) as a function of the metal coverage and the temperature, and to estimate the metal density in clusters. We show that 3a cluster formation becomes predominant already at low Cu coverages, in agreement with the experiment

  19. Iodine-Containing Mass-Defect-Tuned Dendrimers for Use as Internal Mass Spectrometry Calibrants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giesen, Joseph A.; Diament, Benjamin J.; Grayson, Scott M.

    2018-03-01

    Calibrants based on synthetic dendrimers have been recently proposed as a versatile alternative to peptides and proteins for both MALDI and ESI mass spectrometry calibration. Because of their modular synthetic platform, dendrimer calibrants are particularly amenable to tailoring for specific applications. Utilizing this versatility, a set of dendrimers has been designed as an internal calibrant with a tailored mass defect to differentiate them from the majority of natural peptide analytes. This was achieved by incorporating a tris-iodinated aromatic core as an initiator for the dendrimer synthesis, thereby affording multiple calibration points ( m/z range 600-2300) with an optimized mass-defect offset relative to all peptides composed of the 20 most common proteinogenic amino acids. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  20. Proton-conductive materials formed by coumarin photocrosslinked ionic liquid crystal dendrimers

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Concellon, A.; Liang, T.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.; Luis Serrano, J.; Romero, P.; Marcos, M.

    2018-01-01

    In this work, we have successfully examined for the first time the use of ionic dendrimers as building blocks for the preparation of 1D and 2D proton conductive materials. For this purpose, a new family of liquid crystalline dendrimers has been synthesized by ionic self-assembly of poly(amidoamine)

  1. Dynamics of complexation of a charged dendrimer by linear polyelectrolyte: Computer modelling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lyulin, S.V.; Darinskii, A.A.; Lyulin, A.V.

    2007-01-01

    Brownian-dynamics simulations have been performed for complexes formed by a charged dendrimer and a long oppositely charged linear polyelectrolyte when overcharging phenomenon is always observed. After a complex formation the orientational mobility of the individual dendrimer bonds, the fluctuations

  2. Targeting of follicle stimulating hormone peptide-conjugated dendrimers to ovarian cancer cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Modi, Dimple A.; Sunoqrot, Suhair; Bugno, Jason; Lantvit, Daniel D.; Hong, Seungpyo; Burdette, Joanna E.

    2014-02-01

    Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Current treatment modalities include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, which often lead to loss of fertility in premenopausal women and a myriad of systemic side effects. To address these issues, we have designed poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers to selectively target the follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), which is overexpressed by tumorigenic ovarian cancer cells but not by immature primordial follicles and other non-tumorigenic cells. Fluorescein-labeled generation 5 (G5) PAMAM dendrimers were conjugated with the binding peptide domain of FSH (FSH33) that has a high affinity to FSHR. The targeted dendrimers exhibited high receptor selectivity to FSHR-expressing OVCAR-3 cells, resulting in significant uptake and downregulation of an anti-apoptotic protein survivin, while showing minimal interactions with SKOV-3 cells that do not express FSHR. The selectivity of the FSH33-targeted dendrimers was further validated in 3D organ cultures of normal mouse ovaries. Immunostaining of the conjugates revealed their selective binding and uptake by ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) cells that express FSHR, while sparing the immature primordial follicles. In addition, an in vivo study monitoring tissue accumulation following a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of the conjugates showed significantly higher accumulation of FSH33-targeted dendrimers in the ovary and oviduct compared to the non-targeted conjugates. These proof-of-concept findings highlight the potential of these FSH33-targeted dendrimers to serve as a delivery platform for anti-ovarian cancer drugs, while reducing their systemic side effects by preventing nonspecific uptake by the primordial follicles.Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. Current treatment modalities include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy, which often lead to loss of fertility in premenopausal women and a myriad of systemic side

  3. Probing the binding of cationic lipids with dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mandeville, J S; Bourassa, P; Tajmir-Riahi, H A

    2013-01-14

    Polycationic polymers are used extensively in biology to disrupt cell membranes and thus enhance the transport of materials into the cell. We report the bindings of several lipids cholesterol (Chol), 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane(DOTAP), dioctadecyldimethylammoniumbromide (DDAB), and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) to dendrimers of different compositions such as mPEG-PAMAM (G3), mPEG-PAMAM (G4), and PAMAM (G4) under physiological conditions. FTIR, UV-visible spectroscopic, methods and molecular modeling were used to analyze the lipid binding mode, the binding constant, and the effects of lipid complexation on the dendrimer structure. The structural analysis showed that lipids bind dendrimers through both hydrophilic and hydrophobic contacts with overall binding constants of K(chol-mPEG-G3) = 1.7 × 10(3) M(-1), K(chol-mPEG-PAMAM-G4) = 2.7 × 10(3) M(-1), K(chol-PAMAM-G4) = 1.0 × 10(3) M(-1), K(DOPE-mPEG-G3) = 1.5 × 10(3) M(-1), K(DOPE-mPEG-PAMAM-G4) = 1.6 × 10(3) M(-1), K(DOPE-PAMAM-G4) = 5.3 × 10(2) M(-1), K(DDAB-mPEG-G3) = 1.5 × 10(3) M(-1), K(DDAB-mPEG-PAMAM-G4) = 1.9 × 10(2) M(-1), K(DDAB-PAMAM-G4) = 7.0 × 10(2) M(-1), K(DOTAP-mPEG-G3) = 1.9 × 10(3) M(-1), K(DOTAP-mPEG-PAMAM-G4) = 1.5 × 10(3) M(-1), and K(DOTAP-PAMAM-G4) = 5.7 × 10(2) M(-1). Weaker interaction was observed as dendrimer cationic charges increased. The free binding energies from docking were -5.15 (cholesterol), -5.79 (DDAB), and -5.36 kcal/mol (DOTAP) with the order of stability DDAB-PAMAM-G-4 > DOTAP-PAMAM-G4 > cholesterol-PAMAM-G4, consistent with the spectroscopic results. Dendrimers might act as carriers to transport lipids in vitro.

  4. Role of PAMAM-OH dendrimers against the fibrillation pathway of biomolecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekar, Gajalakshmi; Florance, Ida; Sivakumar, A; Mukherjee, Amitava; Chandrasekaran, Natarajan

    2016-12-01

    The binding behavior of nanoparticle with proteins determines its biocompatibility. This study reports the interaction of ten different biomolecules (proteins-BSA, HSA, haemoglobin, gamma globulin, transferrin and enzymes-hog and bacillus amylase, lysozyme from chicken and human and laccases from Tramates versicolor) with a surface group hydroxylated Poly AMido AMide dendrimer (PAMAM) of generation 5. The study has utilized various spectroscopic methods like UV-vis spectroscopy, Fluorescence emission, Synchronous, 3-D spectroscopy and Circular Dichroism to detect the binding induced structural changes in biomolecules that occur upon interaction with mounting concentration of the dendrimers. Aggregation of proteins results in the formation of amyloid fibrils causing several human diseases. In this study, fibrillar samples of all ten biomolecules formed in the absence and the presence of dendrimers were investigated with Congo Red absorbance and ThT Assay to detect fibril formation, Trp Emission and 3-D scan to evaluate the effect of fibrillation on aromatic environment of biomolecules, and CD spectroscopy to measure the conformational changes in a quantitative manner. These assays have generated useful information on the role of dendrimers in amyloid fibril formation of biomolecules. The outcomes of the study remain valuable in evaluating the biological safety of PAMAM-OH dendrimers for their biomedical application in vivo. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Biomimetics: From Bioinformatics to Rational Design of Dendrimers as Gene Carriers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araya-Durán, Ingrid; Varas-Concha, Ignacio; Almonacid, Daniel Eduardo; González-Nilo, Fernando Danilo

    2015-01-01

    Biomimetics, or the use of principles of Nature for developing new materials, is a paradigm that could help Nanomedicine tremendously. One of the current challenges in Nanomedicine is the rational design of new efficient and safer gene carriers. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are a well-known class of nanoparticles, extensively used as non-viral nucleic acid carriers, due to their positively charged end-groups. Yet, there are still several aspects that can be improved for their successful application in in vitro and in vivo systems, including their affinity for nucleic acids as well as lowering their cytotoxicity. In the search of new functional groups that could be used as new dendrimer-reactive groups, we followed a biomimetic approach to determine the amino acids with highest prevalence in protein-DNA interactions. Then we introduced them individually as terminal groups of dendrimers, generating a new class of nanoparticles. Molecular dynamics studies of two systems: PAMAM-Arg and PAMAM-Lys were also performed in order to describe the formation of complexes with DNA. Results confirmed that the introduction of amino acids as terminal groups in a dendrimer increases their affinity for DNA and the interactions in the complexes were characterized at atomic level. We end up by briefly discussing additional modifications that can be made to PAMAM dendrimers to turned them into promising new gene carriers. PMID:26382062

  6. Complexing Methylene Blue with Phosphorus Dendrimers to Increase Photodynamic Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monika Dabrzalska

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The efficiency of photodynamic therapy is limited mainly due to low selectivity, unfavorable biodistribution of photosensitizers, and long-lasting skin sensitivity to light. However, drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles may overcome the limitations mentioned above. Among others, dendrimers are particularly attractive as carriers, because of their globular architecture and high loading capacity. The goal of the study was to check whether an anionic phosphorus dendrimer is suitable as a carrier of a photosensitizer—methylene blue (MB. As a biological model, basal cell carcinoma cell lines were used. We checked the influence of the MB complexation on its singlet oxygen production ability using a commercial fluorescence probe. Next, cellular uptake, phototoxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS generation, and cell death were investigated. The MB-anionic dendrimer complex (MB-1an was found to generate less singlet oxygen; however, the complex showed higher cellular uptake and phototoxicity against basal cell carcinoma cell lines, which was accompanied with enhanced ROS production. Owing to the obtained results, we conclude that the photodynamic activity of MB complexed with an anionic dendrimer is higher than free MB against basal cell carcinoma cell lines.

  7. Polyamidoamine dendrimer-based binders for high-loading lithium–sulfur battery cathodes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhattacharya, Priyanka; Nandasiri, Manjula I.; Lv, Dongping; Schwarz, Ashleigh M.; Darsell, Jens T.; Henderson, Wesley A.; Tomalia, Donald A.; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Ji-Guang; Xiao, Jie

    2016-01-01

    Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are regarded as one of the most promising candidates for next generation energy storage systems because of their ultra high theoretical specific energy. To realize the practical application of Li-S batteries, however, a high S active material loading is essential (>70 wt% in the carbon-sulfur (C-S) composite cathode and >2 mg cm-2 in the electrode). A critical challenge to achieving this high capacity in practical electrodes is the dissolution of the longer lithium polysulfide reaction intermediates in the electrolyte (resulting in loss of active material from the cathode and contamination of the anode due to the polysulfide shuttle mechanism). The binder material used for the cathode is therefore crucial as this is a key determinant of the bonding interactions between the active material (S) and electronic conducting support (C), as well as the maintenance of intimate contact between the electrode materials and current collector. The battery performance can thus be directly correlated with the choice of binder, but this has received only minimal attention in the relevant Li-S battery published literature. Here, we investigated the application of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers as functional binders in Li-S batteries—a class of materials which has been unexplored for electrode design. By using dendrimers, it is demonstrated that high S loadings (>4 mg cm-2) can be easily achieved using "standard" (not specifically tailored) materials and simple processing methods. An exceptional electrochemical cycling performance was obtained (as compared to cathodes with conventional linear polymeric binders such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)) with >100 cycles and 85-98% capacity retention, thus demonstrating the significant utility of this new binder architecture which exhibits critical physicochemical properties and flexible nanoscale design parameters (CNDP's).

  8. Targeted gadolinium-loaded dendrimer nanoparticles for tumor-specific magnetic resonance contrast enhancement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scott D Swanson

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Scott D Swanson1, Jolanta F Kukowska-Latallo2, Anil K Patri5, Chunyan Chen6, Song Ge4, Zhengyi Cao3, Alina Kotlyar3, Andrea T East7, James R Baker31Department of Radiology, The University of Michigan Medical School, 2Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, 3Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, The University of Michigan, 4Applied Physics, The University of Michigan, MD, USA; 5Present address: National Cancer Institute at Frederick (Contractor, MD, USA; 6Present address: Intel Corporation, Chandler, AZ, USA; 7Present address: Stritch School of Medicine, Chicago, ILL, USAAbstract: A target-specific MRI contrast agent for tumor cells expressing high affinity folate receptor was synthesized using generation five (G5 of polyamidoamine (PAMAM dendrimer. Surface modified dendrimer was functionalized for targeting with folic acid (FA and the remaining terminal primary amines of the dendrimer were conjugated with the bifunctional NCS-DOTA chelator that forms stable complexes with gadolinium (Gd III. Dendrimer-DOTA conjugates were then complexed with GdCl3, followed by ICP-OES as well as MRI measurement of their longitudinal relaxivity (T1 s−1 mM−1 of water. In xenograft tumors established in immunodeficient (SCID mice with KB human epithelial cancer cells expressing folate receptor (FAR, the 3D MRI results showed specific and statistically significant signal enhancement in tumors generated with targeted Gd(III-DOTA-G5-FA compared with signal generated by non-targeted Gd(III-DOTA-G5 contrast nanoparticle. The targeted dendrimer contrast nanoparticles infiltrated tumor and were retained in tumor cells up to 48 hours post-injection of targeted contrast nanoparticle. The presence of folic acid on the dendrimer resulted in specific delivery of the nanoparticle to tissues and xenograft tumor cells expressing folate receptor in vivo. We present the specificity of the dendrimer

  9. On Topological Indices of Certain Families of Nanostar Dendrimers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Husin, Mohamad Nazri; Hasni, Roslan; Arif, Nabeel Ezzulddin; Imran, Muhammad

    2016-06-24

    A topological index of graph G is a numerical parameter related to G which characterizes its molecular topology and is usually graph invariant. In the field of quantitative structure-activity (QSAR)/quantitative structure-activity structure-property (QSPR) research, theoretical properties of the chemical compounds and their molecular topological indices such as the Randić connectivity index, atom-bond connectivity (ABC) index and geometric-arithmetic (GA) index are used to predict the bioactivity of different chemical compounds. A dendrimer is an artificially manufactured or synthesized molecule built up from the branched units called monomers. In this paper, the fourth version of ABC index and the fifth version of GA index of certain families of nanostar dendrimers are investigated. We derive the analytical closed formulas for these families of nanostar dendrimers. The obtained results can be of use in molecular data mining, particularly in researching the uniqueness of tested (hyper-branched) molecular graphs.

  10. Recent Advances in Click Chemistry Applied to Dendrimer Synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mathieu Arseneault

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Dendrimers are monodisperse polymers grown in a fractal manner from a central point. They are poised to become the cornerstone of nanoscale devices in several fields, ranging from biomedicine to light-harvesting. Technical difficulties in obtaining these molecules has slowed their transfer from academia to industry. In 2001, the arrival of the “click chemistry” concept gave the field a major boost. The flagship reaction, a modified Hüisgen cycloaddition, allowed researchers greater freedom in designing and building dendrimers. In the last five years, advances in click chemistry saw a wider use of other click reactions and a notable increase in the complexity of the reported structures. This review covers key developments in the click chemistry field applied to dendrimer synthesis from 2010 to 2015. Even though this is an expert review, basic notions and references have been included to help newcomers to the field.

  11. Analysis of the spatial structure of rigid polyphenylene dendrimers by small-angle neutron scattering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenfeldt, S.; Dingenouts, N.; Poetschke, D.; Ballauff, M.; Berresheim, A.J.; Muellen, K.; Lindner, P.; Saalwaechter, K.

    2005-01-01

    The analysis of the spatial structure of a rigid polyphenylene dendrimer G4-M of fourth generation by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is presented. This dendrimer is composed of phenyl units and is therefore devoid of any flexible unit. The scattering intensity of dilute solutions of the dendrimer was measured by SANS at different contrast which was adjusted by mixtures of protonated and deuterated toluene. Hence, the method of contrast variation could be applied and the data yield the scattering function extrapolated to infinite contrast. The comparison of this data with simulations demonstrates that the scaffold of the dendrimer is rigid as expected from its chemical structure. The positions of the various units setting up consecutive shells of the dendrimer are relatively well localized and the entire structure cannot be modeled in terms of spherically symmetric models. No backfolding of the terminal groups can occur and the model calculations demonstrate that higher generations of this dendritic scaffold must exhibit a dense shell and a congestion of the terminal groups. This finding is directly corroborated by recent solid-state NMR data. All results show that the rigid dendrimer investigated here presents the first example for a dendritic structure whose segment density does not have its maximum at the center. Rigid scaffolds are therefore the only way to achieve the goal of a 'dense-shell' dendrimer whereas flexible scaffolds leads invariably to the 'dense-core' case

  12. Molecular dynamics simulations of single siloxane dendrimers: Molecular structure and intramolecular mobility of terminal groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurbatov, A. O.; Balabaev, N. K.; Mazo, M. A.; Kramarenko, E. Yu.

    2018-01-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations of two types of isolated siloxane dendrimers of various generations (from the 2nd to the 8th) have been performed for temperatures ranging from 150 K to 600 K. The first type of dendrimer molecules has short spacers consisting of a single oxygen atom. In the dendrimers of the second type, spacers are longer and comprised of two oxygen atoms separated by a single silicon atom. A comparative analysis of molecular macroscopic parameters such as the gyration radius and the shape factor as well as atom distributions within dendrimer interior has been performed for varying generation number, temperature, and spacer length. It has been found that the short-spacer dendrimers of the 7th and 8th generations have a stressed central part with elongated bonds and deformed valence angles. Investigation of the time evolution of radial displacements of the terminal Si atoms has shown that a fraction of the Si groups have a reduced mobility. Therefore, rather long time trajectories (of the order of tens of nanoseconds) are required to study dendrimer intramolecular dynamics.

  13. Impact of ultra-thin Al2O3-y layers on TiO2-x ReRAM switching characteristics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trapatseli, Maria; Cortese, Simone; Serb, Alexander; Khiat, Ali; Prodromakis, Themistoklis

    2017-05-01

    Transition metal-oxide resistive random access memory devices have demonstrated excellent performance in switching speed, versatility of switching and low-power operation. However, this technology still faces challenges like poor cycling endurance, degradation due to high electroforming (EF) switching voltages and low yields. Approaches such as engineering of the active layer by doping or addition of thin oxide buffer layers have been often adopted to tackle these problems. Here, we have followed a strategy that combines the two; we have used ultra-thin Al2O3-y buffer layers incorporated between TiO2-x thin films taking into account both 3+/4+ oxidation states of Al/Ti cations. Our devices were tested by DC and pulsed voltage sweeping and in both cases demonstrated improved switching voltages. We believe that the Al2O3-y layers act as reservoirs of oxygen vacancies which are injected during EF, facilitate a filamentary switching mechanism and provide enhanced filament stability, as shown by the cycling endurance measurements.

  14. Expand classical drug administration ways by emerging routes using dendrimer drug delivery systems: a concise overview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mignani, Serge; El Kazzouli, Saïd; Bousmina, Mosto; Majoral, Jean-Pierre

    2013-10-01

    Drugs are introduced into the body by numerous routes such as enteral (oral, sublingual and rectum administration), parenteral (intravascular, intramuscular, subcutaneous and inhalation administration), or topical (skin and mucosal membranes). Each route has specific purposes, advantages and disadvantages. Today, the oral route remains the preferred one for different reasons such as ease and compliance by patients. Several nanoformulated drugs have been already approved by the FDA, such as Abelcet®, Doxil®, Abraxane® or Vivagel®(Starpharma) which is an anionic G4-poly(L-lysine)-type dendrimer showing potent topical vaginal microbicide activity. Numerous biochemical studies, as well as biological and pharmacological applications of both dendrimer based products (dendrimers as therapeutic compounds per se, like Vivagel®) and dendrimers as drug carriers (covalent conjugation or noncovalent encapsulation of drugs) were described. It is widely known that due to their outstanding physical and chemical properties, dendrimers afforded improvement of corresponding carried-drugs as dendrimer-drug complexes or conjugates (versus plain drug) such as biodistribution and pharmacokinetic behaviors. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the recent progresses of dendrimers as nanoscale drug delivery systems for the delivery of drugs using enteral, parenteral and topical routes. In particular, we focus our attention on the emerging and promising routes such as oral, transdermal, ocular and transmucosal routes using dendrimers as delivery systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Prevention of Synaptic Alterations and Neurotoxic Effects of PAMAM Dendrimers by Surface Functionalization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felipe Vidal

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available One of the most studied nanocarriers for drug delivery are polyamidoamine (PAMAM dendrimers. However, the alterations produced by PAMAM dendrimers in neuronal function have not been thoroughly investigated, and important aspects such as effects on synaptic transmission remain unexplored. We focused on the neuronal activity disruption induced by dendrimers and the possibility to prevent these effects by surface chemical modifications. Therefore, we studied the effects of fourth generation PAMAM with unmodified positively charged surface (G4 in hippocampal neurons, and compared the results with dendrimers functionalized in 25% of their surface groups with folate (PFO25 and polyethylene glycol (PPEG25. G4 dendrimers significantly reduced cell viability at 1 µM, which was attenuated by both chemical modifications, PPEG25 being the less cytotoxic. Patch clamp recordings demonstrated that G4 induced a 7.5-fold increment in capacitive currents as a measure of membrane permeability. Moreover, treatment with this dendrimer increased intracellular Ca2+ by 8-fold with a complete disruption of transients pattern, having as consequence that G4 treatment increased the synaptic vesicle release and frequency of synaptic events by 2.4- and 3-fold, respectively. PFO25 and PPEG25 treatments did not alter membrane permeability, total Ca2+ intake, synaptic vesicle release or synaptic activity frequency. These results demonstrate that cationic G4 dendrimers have neurotoxic effects and induce alterations in normal synaptic activity, which are generated by the augmentation of membrane permeability and a subsequent intracellular Ca2+ increase. Interestingly, these toxic effects and synaptic alterations are prevented by the modification of 25% of PAMAM surface with either folate or polyethylene glycol.

  16. Study of the complexation of oxacillin in 1-(4-Carbomethoxypyrrolidone)-terminated PAMAM dendrimers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Jon Stefan; Ficker, Mario; Petersen, Johannes Fabritius

    2013-01-01

    The complexation of oxacillin to three generations of 1-(4-carbomethoxypyrrolidone)-terminated PAMAM dendrimers was studied with NMR in CD3OD and CDCl3. The stochiometries, which were determined from Job plots, were found to be both solvent- and generation-dependent. The dissociation constants (Kd......) and Gibbs energies for complexation of oxacillin into the 1-(4-carbomethoxypyrrolidone)-terminated PAMAM dendrimer hosts were determined by (1)H NMR titrations and showed weaker binding of oxacillin upon increasing the size (generation) of the dendrimer....

  17. Interactions of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers with Human Serum Albumin: Binding Constants and Mechanisms

    OpenAIRE

    Giri, Jyotsnendu; Diallo, Mamadou S.; Simpson, André J.; Liu, Yi; Goddard, William A., III; Kumar, Rajeev; Woods, Gwen C.

    2011-01-01

    The interactions of nanomaterials with plasma proteins have a significant impact on their in vivo transport and fate in biological fluids. This article discusses the binding of human serum albumin (HSA) to poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimers. We use protein-coated silica particles to measure the HSA binding constants (K_b) of a homologous series of 19 PAMAM dendrimers in aqueous solutions at physiological pH (7.4) as a function of dendrimer generation, terminal group, and core chemistry. To g...

  18. Ultrafast Dynamics of Dansylated POPAM Dendrimers and Energy Transfer in their Dye Complexes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aumanen, J.; Kesti, T.; Sundström, V.; Vögtle, F.; Korppi-Tommola, J.

    We have studied internal dynamics of dansylated poly(propyleneamine) dendrimers of different generations in solution and excitation energy transfer from dansyl chromophores to xanthene dyes that form van der Waals complexes with the dendrimers

  19. EXAFS Characterization of Dendrimer-Derived Pt/γ-Al2O3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siani, A.; Alexeev, O. S.; Williams, C. T.; Ploehn, H. J.; Amiridis, M. D.

    2007-01-01

    The various steps involved in the preparation of a Pt/γ-Al2O3 material using hydroxyl-terminated generation four (G4OH) PAMAM dendrimers as templates were monitored by EXAFS. The results indicate that Cl ligands in the Pt precursors (H2PtCl6 and K2PtCl4) were partially replaced by aquo ligands upon hydrolysis to form [PtCl3(H2O)3]+ and [PtCl2(H2O)2] species. After interaction of such species with G4OH, Cl ligands from the first coordination shell of Pt were further replaced by nitrogen atoms from the dendrimer interior, indicating the complexation of Pt with the dendrimer. This process was accompanied by a transfer of the electron density from the dendrimer to Pt, indicating that the former plays the role of a ligand. Following treatment of the H2PtCl6/G4OH and K2PtCl4/G4OH composites with NaBH4, no substantial changes were detecteded in the electronic or coordination environment of Pt, and no formation of metal nanoparticles was observed. However, when the reduction treatment was performed with H2, the formation of extremely small Pt clusters incorporating no more than 4 Pt atoms was observed. These Pt species remained strongly bonded to the dendrimer and their nuclearity depends on the length of the H2 treatment. Formation of Pt nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 10 A was finally observed after the deposition of H2PtCl6/G4OH on γ-Al2O3 and drying, suggesting that their formation may be related to the collapse of the dendrimer structure. The Pt nanoparticles formed appear to have high mobility, since subsequent thermal treatment in O2/H2 led to further sintering

  20. Characterization of an engineered cellulose based membrane by thiol dendrimer for heavy metals removal

    OpenAIRE

    Algarra, Manuel; Vázquez, María Isabel; Alonso, Beatriz S.; Casado, Carmen Mª.; Casado, Juan; Benavente, Juana

    2014-01-01

    Diaminobutane based poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer functionalized with sixteen thiol groups, DAB-3-(SH)16, was successfully embeded in a swollen cellulosic support in order to achieve an easily handle engineered membrane. The membrane was characterised by physicochemical, electrical and transport measurements, and the effect of the dendrimer was established by comparing these results with those obtained for the original cellulosic support. Results show that dendrimer inclusion improves the me...