One-pot synthesis and characterization of three kinds of thiol-organosilica nanoparticles

Using a one-pot synthesis, thiol-organosilica nanoparticles (NPs) made from (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane, (3-mercaptopropyl)triethoxysilane, and (3-mercaptopropyl)methyldimethoxysilane have been successfully prepared. We compared the synthesis processes of thiol-organosilica NPs made of these three kinds of organosilicates, as well as particles made from tetraethoxysilicate (TEOS), at concentrations varying between 6.25 and 200 mM. We examined three types of synthetic conditions: the St?ber method, in which particles are prepared in 65% ethanol, and two entirely aqueous solvent syntheses, containing either 2% or 27% ammonium hydroxide. The synthetic mixtures were examined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to evaluate the as-prepared NPs. The formation trends and rates for these organosilica NPs vary with differing organosilicate precursors, concentrations, and synthetic conditions. The St?ber method is not suitable for formation of thiol-organosilica NPs as compared with the case of TEOS, but the conditions without ethanol and with 27% ammonium hydroxide are suitable for the formation of thiol-organosilica NPs. The size distributions of the formed NPs were evaluated using TEM and dynamic light scattering. The mean diameters of NPs increase with increasing concentrations of silicate, but the size distributions of NPs prepared under various conditions also differ between silicate sources. Thiol-organosilica NPs internally functionalized with fluorescent dye were also prepared using a one-pot synthesis and were characterized using fluorescence microscopy. The thiol-organosilica NPs retain fluorescent dye maleimide very well. In addition, rhodamine B-doped thiol-organosilica NPs show higher fluorescence than thiol-organosilica NPs prepared with rhodamine red maleimide. The surface of thiol-organosilica NPs contains exposed thiol residues, allowing the covalent attachment of fluorescent dye maleimide and protein maleimide. This is the first report describing the synthesis of thiol-organosilica NPs made of three kinds of thiol-organosilicates, differences in nanoparticle formation due to the kinds and concentrations of thiol-organosilicate and due to synthetic conditions, and the advantages of thiol-organosilica NPs due to the existence of both interior and exterior thiol residues.     

Ultrasmall Sub-10 nm Near-Infrared Fluorescent Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Ultrasmall sub-10 nm nanoprobes and carriers are of significant interest due to their favorable biodistribution characteristics in in vivo experiments. Here we describe the one-pot synthesis of PEGylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles with a single pore, tunable sizes around 9 nm and narrow size distributions that can be labeled with near-infrared dye Cy5.5. Particles are characterized by a combination of transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and nitrogen sorption/desorption measurements. The possibility to distinguish an "inside" and "outside" may render these particles an interesting subject for further studies in sensing, drug delivery, and theranostics applications.     

Synthesis of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene-silica core-shell particles with a self-templating method and their fluorescent properties

Sub-micrometer particles with poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV) cores coated by silica-based shells were prepared with a self-templating method and their fluorescent properties were investigated in this paper. The characteristic of this method was that all reactions could be finished in one-pot, which exempted from removing the template and reduced reaction steps compared to the conventional process. Emission wavelength of the resultant core-shell particles can readily be tuned through chemical modification of MEH-PPV, which was carried out via regulating the conjugation length of the polymer. In addition, the size of MEH-PPV/SiO₂ core-shell particles could be controlled by altering reaction conditions. The obtained particles had clear core-shell structure and may be used as biolabeling materials. The morphologies, particle size distribution and fluorescent properties of MEH-PPV/SiO₂ particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), particle size analyzer and fluorescence emission spectra, respectively.     

交替共聚物P(St-alt-Ma-Dopa)的自组装及乳化性能

以二甲亚砜(DMSO)为溶剂, 用多巴胺(Dopamine)胺解聚(苯乙烯-alt-马来酸酐)(P(St-alt-Man))制备双亲交替共聚物P(St-alt-Ma-Dopa). 在选择性溶剂(N,N-二甲基甲酰胺(DMF)/水)中对P(St-alt-Ma-Dopa)进行溶液自组装, 用紫外分光光度计(UV)、透射电镜(TEM)、荧光探针技术、zeta电位仪等技术研究了添加剂(HCl, NaOH或NaCl)对P(St-alt-Ma-Dopa)自组装行为的影响及其胶体粒子的乳化性能. 结果表明, P(St-alt-Ma-Dopa)链在选择性溶剂(DMF/水)中可自组装形成球状胶体颗粒, 其临界聚集水含量(CWC)明显大于P(St-alt-Man). 体系的pH值、盐浓度等对P(St-alt-Ma-Dopa)胶体粒子的性质(粒子大小、zeta电位、亲疏水性等)有较大的影响, 引入多巴胺结构使交替共聚物胶体粒子的乳化性能有所提高.     

Colloidal aspects relating to direct incorporation of TiO2 nanoparticles into mesoporous spheres by an aerosol-assisted process

Titania nanoparticles have been incorporated into spherical mesoporous silica powders by an aerosol-assisted synthesis process from both aqueous and ethanol-based precursor dispersions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the titania nanoparticles exist as single particles or small aggregates within the mesoporous carrier particles and analysis of the nitrogen adsorption isotherms proved that the pore blocking of the particles is small. Particle size and zeta potential measurements showed that the addition of tetraethoxysiloxane (TEOS), and also hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (C16TAB) induced flocculation of the TiO2 nanoparticles. The higher yield and narrower size distribution of the composite powder produced from ethanol-based dispersions compared to the aqueous dispersions could be related to a smaller degree of aggregation, indicated by rheological measurements.     

Functionalized organosilica microspheres via a novel emulsion-based route

Thiol-functionalized organosilica microspheres were synthesized via a two-step process: (1) acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and condensation of 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS), followed by (2) base-catalyzed condensation, which led to the rapid formation of emulsion droplets with a narrow size distribution. These droplets continued to condense to form solid microspheres. Solution (29)Si NMR and optical microscopy were applied to study the mechanism of this novel synthetic route. Solid-state (29)Si NMR, SEM, zeta potential titration, and Coulter counter measurements were used to study the bulk and surface properties and to determine the particle size distributions of the final microspheres. Compared to conventional St?ber silica particles, these microspheres were shown to have a lower degree of cross-linking (average degree of condensation, r = 1.25), a larger average size (up to 6 microm), and a higher isoelectric point (pH = 4.4). Confocal microscopy of dye-labeled microspheres showed an even distribution of dye molecules throughout the interior, characteristic of a readily accessible and permeable organosilica network. These findings have implications for the production of functionalized solid supports for use in catalysis and biological applications, such as optically encoded carriers for combinatorial synthesis.     

Synthesis and characterization of monodisperse, mesoporous, and magnetic sub-micron particles doped with a near-infrared fluorescent dye

Recently, multifunctional silica nanoparticles have been investigated extensively for their potential use in biomedical applications. We have prepared sub-micron monodisperse and stable multifunctional mesoporous silica particles with a high level of magnetization and fluorescence in the near infrared region using an one-pot synthesis technique. Commercial magnetite nanocrystals and a conjugated-NIR-dye were incorporated inside the particles during the silica condensation reaction. The particles were then coated with polyethyleneglycol to stop aggregation. X-ray diffraction, N₂ adsorption analysis, TEM, fluorescence and absorbance measurements were used to structurally characterize the particles. These mesoporous silica spheres have a large surface area (1978 m²/g) with 3.40 nm pore diameter and a high fluorescence in the near infrared region at λ=700 nm. To explore the potential of these particles for drug delivery applications, the pore accessibility to hydrophobic drugs was simulated by successfully trapping a hydrophobic ruthenium dye complex inside the particle with an estimated concentration of 3 wt%. Fluorescence imaging confirmed the presence of both NIR dye and the post-grafted ruthenium dye complex inside the particles. These particles moved at approximately 150 μm/s under the influence of a magnetic field, hence demonstrating the multifunctionality and potential for biomedical applications in targeting and imaging.     

CE characterization of semiconductor nanocrystals encapsulated with amorphous silicium dioxide

The electrophoretic mobility of silica-encapsulated semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) dependent on the pH and the ionic strength of the separation electrolyte has been determined by CE. Having shown the viability of the approach, the electrophoretic mobility mu of the nanoparticles investigated is calculated for varied zeta potential zeta, particle radius r, and ionic strength I employing an approximate analytical expression presented by Ohshima (J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2001, 239, 587-590). The comparison of calculated with measured data shows that the experimental observations exactly follow what would be expected from theory. Within the parameter range investigated at fixed zeta and I there is an increase in mu with r which is a nonlinear function. This dependence of mu on size parameters can be used for the size-dependent separation of particles. Modeling of mu as function of I and zeta makes it possible to calculate the size distribution of nanoparticles from electrophoretic data (using the peak shape of the particle zone in the electropherogram) without the need for calibration provided that zeta is known with adequate accuracy. Comparison of size distributions calculated via the presented method with size histograms determined from transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs reveals that there is an excellent matching of the size distribution curves obtained with the two independent methods. A comparison of calculated with measured distributions of the electrophoretic mobility showed that the observed broad bands in CE studies of colloidal nanoparticles are mainly due to electrophoretic heterogeneity resulting from the particle size distribution.     

Facile fabrication of aggregation-induced emission based red fluorescent organic nanoparticles for cell imaging

A cyano-substituted diarylethlene derivative aggregation-induced emission （ALE） dye with two amino end-groups and 4,4＇-（hexafluoroisopropylidene）diphthalic anhydride were facilely incorporated into red fluorescent organic nanoparticles （FONs） via room temperature anhydride ring-opening polymerization under an air atmosphere. These obtained RO-HFDA FONs were characterized by a series of techniques including gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, size distribution and zeta potential measurements, UV-Vis absorption spectrum, fluorescent spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Biocompatibility evaluation and cell uptake behavior of RO-HFDA FONs were further investigated to explore their potential biomedical application. We demonstrated that such FONs showed high water dispersibility, stable uniform spherical morphology （150-200 nm）, broad excitation band （350-605 nm）, intense red fluorescence （627 nm） and excellent biocompatibility, making them promising for cell imaging applications.     

Amplified light scattering and emission of silver and silver core-silica shell particles

Side versus forward light scattergrams, and fluorescence (488 nm excitation) intensity versus particle count histograms were gathered for bare, R6G-coated, and silica-R6G-coated silver particles of 150-200 nm diameter, one-by-one by flow cytometry. Fluorescence emission intensity of the composite particles monotonically increased and then reached a plateau with greater R6G concentrations, as measured by flow cytometry. Fluorescence amplification factors of up to 3.5x10(3) were estimated by reference to measurements on core-shell particles with silica instead of silver cores. Huge surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensities, at least 10(14)-fold greater than normal Raman scattering intensities, were observed with 633 nm excitation for molecules such as rhodamine 6G (R6G) on the same single particles of silver. Although routine transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopies showed gross structures of the bare and coated particles, high-resolution field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), revealed Brownian roughness describing quantum size and larger structures on the surface of primary colloidal silver particles. These silver particles were further characterized by extinction spectra and zeta potentials. Structural and light scattering observations that are reported herein were used to tentatively propose a new hierarchical model for the mechanism of SERS.     

Amphiphilic Fluorescence Resonance Energy-Transfer Dyes: Synthesis,Fluorescence, and Aggregation Behavior in Water

Amphiphilic pyrene/perylene bis-chromophore dyes were synthesized from unsymmetrically substituted perylene bisimide dyes, which were obtained through three synthetic methods. The optical and aggregation behaviors of these functional dyes were studied by means of UV/Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and TEM. These dyes are highly fluorescent and cover the whole visible-light region. A donor/acceptor dye displays intramolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), with a high efficiency of up to 96.4 % from pyrene to perylene bisimide chromophores, which leads to a high fluorescence color sensitivity to environmental polarity. Under a λ=365 nm UV lamp, the light-emitting colors of the donor/acceptor dye change from green to yellow with increasing solvent polarity, which demonstrates application potential as a new class of FERT probes. The donor/acceptor dye in water was assembled into hollow vesicles with a narrow size distribution. The bilayer structure of the vesicular wall was directly observed by means of TEM. These vesicular aggregates in water are fluorescent at λ=650–850 nm within the near-infrared region.     

Facile one-pot synthesis of PEGylated monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticles with controllable particle sizes

In this work, we describe the one-pot synthesis of PEGylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles （MSNs） with uniform shape, tunable sizes, and narrow size distributions. The size of these nanoparticles can be controlled from 49 nm to 98 nm by simply varying the concentration oftriethanolamine during the base- catalyzed sol-gel reaction. Particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements. These PEGylated MSNs exhibited excellent long-term stability in biological media, which ensures their potential applications in drug delivery.     

Silver colloid nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and their antibacterial activity

A one-step simple synthesis of silver colloid nanoparticles with controllable sizes is presented. In this synthesis, reduction of [Ag(NH(3))(2)](+) complex cation by four saccharides was performed. Four saccharides were used: two monosaccharides (glucose and galactose) and two disaccharides (maltose and lactose). The syntheses performed at various ammonia concentrations (0.005-0.20 mol L(-1)) and pH conditions (11.5-13.0) produced a wide range of particle sizes (25-450 nm) with narrow size distributions, especially at the lowest ammonia concentrations. The average size, size distribution, morphology, and structure of particles were determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV/Visible absorption spectrophotometry. The influence of the saccharide structure (monosacharides versus disaccharides) on the size of silver particles is briefly discussed. The reduction of [Ag(NH(3))(2)](+) by maltose produced silver particles with a narrow size distribution with an average size of 25 nm, which showed high antimicrobial and bactericidal activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including highly multiresistant strains such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles was found to be dependent on the size of silver particles. A very low concentration of silver (as low as 1.69 mug/mL Ag) gave antibacterial performance.     

The synthesis and characterisation of a novel dendritic system for gene delivery

There has been increasing interest in recent years in gene delivery. We report the synthesis of non-viral delivery systems composed of variations of the cell penetrating peptide TAT, a nuclear localisation signal peptide and dendritic polylysine. The delivery systems were tested for their ability to form complexes with plasmid DNA by utilising gel shift analysis, isothermal titration calorimetry, particle size analysis, zeta potential and transmission electron microscopy. These techniques indicated the successful formation of complexes between the peptide dendrimer and DNA.     

Encapsulation of uncharged water-insoluble organic substance in polymeric membrane capsules via layer-by-layer approach

We report a general and versatile method for the encapsulation of electrically uncharged organic substance in polymeric capsules by using a layer-by-layer (LbL) approach. Electrical charge was induced on the surface of pyrene (uncharged organic substance) with an amphiphilic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) by micellar solubilization. The SDS micellar solution of pyrene in water was then deposited on a flat substrate as well as colloidal particles with chitosan as an oppositely charged polyelectrolyte. Pyrene was used as a model drug because it displayed intrinsic fluorescence that allowed us to monitor LbL growth by fluorescence and under confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). To examine the proof of concept, multilayers were coated on the planar support by the LbL method. UV-vis spectroscopy showed regular growth of each layer deposited. Thin film formation was evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. The LbL method was extended to particles where fluorescence spectroscopy revealed LbL growth and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) provided evidence of particle coating. The quantification of dye in each deposited layer further proved LbL growth. The removal of sacrificial core provided thin capsules. The capsules were characterized by TEM and CLSM. The capsules showed potential as a drug delivery system, which is suggested by the slow release of entrapped dye by concentration-dependent diffusion in isotonic saline solution. The kinetics of desorption of pyrene from this thin film was modeled by a pseudo-second-order model.     

Green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Callicarpa maingayi stem bark extraction

Different biological methods are gaining recognition for the production of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) due to their multiple applications. The use of plants in the green synthesis of nanoparticles emerges as a cost effective and eco-friendly approach. In this study the green biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using Callicarpa maingayi stem bark extract has been reported. Characterizations of nanoparticles were done using different methods, which include; ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXF) spectrometry, zeta potential measurements and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. UV-visible spectrum of the aqueous medium containing silver nanoparticles showed absorption peak at around 456 nm. The TEM study showed that mean diameter and standard deviation for the formation of silver nanoparticles were 12.40 ± 3.27 nm. The XRD study showed that the particles are crystalline in nature, with a face centered cubic (fcc) structure. The most needed outcome of this work will be the development of value added products from Callicarpa maingayi for biomedical and nanotechnology based industries.     

Synthesis of High-Performance Aqueous Fluorescent Nanodispersions for Textile Printing—A Study of Influence of Moles Ratio on Fastness Properties

Aqueous fluorescent dispersions containing dyed acrylic-based copolymer nanoparticles possess significant credentials concerning green technology as compared to those prepared with the conventional vinyl-based monomers in textile and garment sectors; however, their essential textile fastness properties are yet to achieve. In the present work, a series of acrylic nanodispersions were synthesized by varying the moles ratio of benzyl methacrylate (BZMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA) monomers. This was done to study their effect on dye aggregation and dyed polymer particles agglomeration. FT-IR spectral analysis showed the formation of polymer structures, while Malvern Analyzer, Transmission Electron Microscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis suggested that the particles are spherical in shape and their size is less than 200 nm. The obtained nanodispersions were later applied on cotton fabrics for the evaluation of wash fastness and colour migration. Premier color scan spectrophotometer and zeta potential measurement studies suggested that colour migration of printed cotton fabrics increased with an increasing agglomeration of particles and it was also observed to increase with the moles ratio of MMA and zeta potentials.     

Immunolabeling for correlative light and electron microscopy on ultrathin cryosections.

Correlative labeling permits colocalization of molecular species for observation of the same sample in light (LM) and electron microscopy (EM). Myosin bands in ultrathin cryosections were labeled using both fluorophore conjugated to secondary antibody (IgG) and colloidal gold (cAu) particles conjugated to primary IgG as reporters for LM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. This technique allows rapid evaluation of labeling via LM, prior to more time-consuming observations with TEM and also yields two complementary data sets in one labeling procedure. Quenching of the fluorescent signal was inversely related to the distance between fluorophore and cAu particles. The signal from fluorophore conjugated to secondary antibody was inversely proportional to the size of cAu conjugated to primary antibody. Where fluorophore and cAu were bound to the same antibody, the fluorescence signal was nearly completely quenched regardless of fluorophore excitation or emission wavelength and regardless of particle size, 3 nm and larger. Colloidal metal particles conjugated to primary antibody provide high spatial resolution for EM applications. Fluorophore conjugated to secondary antibody provides spatial resolution well within that of conventional fluorescence microscopy. Use of fluorescent secondary antibody moved the fluorophore a sufficient distance from the cAu particles on the primary antibody to limit quenching of fluorescence.     

Stöber synthesis of monodispersed luminescent silica nanoparticles for bioanalytical assays

We have developed a simple method to prepare bright and photostable luminescent silica nanoparticles of different sizes and narrow size distribution in high yield. The method is based on the use of St?ber synthesis in the presence of a fluorophore to form bright silica nanoparticles. Unlike micro-emulsion-based methods often used to prepare luminescent silica particles, the St?ber method is a one-pot synthesis that is carried out at room temperature under alkaline conditions in ethanol:water mixtures and avoids the use of potentially toxic organic solvents and surfactants. Our luminescent particles contained the transition metal complex tris(1,10-phenanthroline) ruthenium(II) chloride, [Ru(phen)3]Cl2. They showed higher photostability and a longer fluorescence lifetime compared to free Ru(phen)3 solutions. Leakage of dye molecules from the silica particles was negligible, which was attributed to strong electrostatic attractions between the positively charged ruthenium complex and the negatively charged silica. To demonstrate the utility of the highly luminescent silica nanoparticles in bioassays, we further modified their surface with streptavidin and demonstrated their binding to biotinylated glass slides. The study showed that digital counting of the luminescent nanoparticles could be used as an attractive alternative to detection techniques involving analogue luminescence detection in bioanalytical assays.