Oxidative Dissolution of Silver Nanoparticles by Biologically Relevant Oxidants: A Kinetic and Mechanistic Study

The oxidative dissolution of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) plays an important role in the synthesis of well‐defined nanostructured materials, and may be responsible for their activities in biological systems. In this study, we use stopped‐flow spectrophotometry to investigate the kinetics and mechanism of the oxidative dissolution of AgNPs by H₂O₂ in quasi‐physiological conditions. Our results show that the reaction is first order with respect to both [Ag⁰] and [H₂O₂], and parallel pathways that involve the oxidation of H₂O₂ and HO₂^? are proposed. The order of the reaction is independent of the size of the AgNPs (≈5–20 nm). The rate of dissolution increases with increasing pH from 6.0 to 8.5. At 298 K and I=0.1 M , the value of k_b is five orders of magnitude higher than that of k_a (where k_a and k_b are the rate constants for the oxidative dissolution of AgNPs by H₂O₂ and HO₂^?, respectively). In addition, the effects of surface coating and the presence of halide ions on the dissolution rates are investigated. A possible mechanism for the oxidative dissolution of AgNPs by H₂O₂ is proposed. We further demonstrate that the toxicities of AgNPs in both bacteria and mammalian cells are enhanced in the presence of H₂O₂, thereby highlighting the biological relevance of investigating the oxidative dissolution of AgNPs.     

Silver Nanoparticles and Its Mechanistic Insight for Chronic Wound Healing: Review on Recent Progress

Wounds are structural and functional disruptions of skin that occur because of trauma, surgery, acute illness, or chronic disease conditions. Chronic wounds are caused by a breakdown in the finely coordinated cascade of events that occurs during healing. Wound healing is a long process that split into at least three continuous and overlapping processes: an inflammatory response, a proliferative phase, and finally the tissue remodeling. Therefore, these processes are extensively studied to develop novel therapeutics in order to achieve maximum recovery with minimum scarring. Several growth hormones and cytokines secreted at the site of lesions tightly regulates the healing processes. The traditional approach for wound management has been represented by topical treatments. Metal nanoparticles (e.g., silver, gold and zinc) are increasingly being employed in dermatology due to their favorable effects on healing, as well as in treating and preventing secondary bacterial infections. In the current review, a brief introduction on traditional would healing approach is provided, followed by focus on the potential of wound dressing therapeutic techniques functionalized with Ag-NPs.     

纳米银形状控制合成与聚合物纳米银复合材料

纳米银(Ag NPs)由于其独特的物理、化学和生物学特性备受研究人员的关注.纳米银应用性能除了受到粒子尺寸、分布、纯度等因素影响,还与纳米银的形状密切相关.纳米银的形状对纳米银的抗菌性能、光学性能以及聚合物纳米银复合材料的综合性能都会产生重要影响.纳米银的形状控制合成可以进一步发挥聚合物纳米银复合材料的性能潜力.因此,不断发展纳米银新的合成方法,研究纳米银形状控制的机理就显得尤为重要.本文综述了纳米银合成方法和不同形状纳米银的最新研究进展,合成方法重点介绍了辐射法、激光烧蚀法、电化学法、光化学法和生物合成法,评述了这些方法的优缺点;同时从模板法、动力学、热力学以及氧化刻蚀4个方面介绍了纳米银形状控制的机理.介绍了聚合物纳米银复合材料的研究进展.     

银纳米微球和银纳米棒自组装膜的制备及SERS研究

采用硼氢化钠还原硝酸银,用振荡器在不同转速下振荡得到单分散的银纳米微球和银纳米棒,再将银纳米微球及银纳米棒自组装于被3-氨丙基-三甲氧基硅烷(APTMS)修饰的玻璃基片上,制得了具有表面增强拉曼(SERS)活性的基底,分别以罗丹明6G(R6G)和罗丹明B(RB)为探针分子对这两种基底进行SERS活性检测,结果发现这两种基底均为较理想的SERS衬底。     

Preparation of Hybrid Microgels Functionalized by Silver Nanoparticles

Summary: Hybrid microgels functionalized with silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have been prepared and their physico‐chemical properties examined. Composite particles have been obtained by formation of AgNP in presence of poly[vinylcaprolactam‐co‐(acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate)] (VCL/AAEM) microgel particles. It has been demonstrated that hybrid particles with different AgNP amounts can be prepared. Hybrid particles are sensitive to temperature and swelling, and collapse processes are reversible. Incorporation of AgNP leads to shrinkage of microgel template due to the partial immobilization of polymer chains on the microgel surface. As a consequence, gradual loss of temperature sensitivity is observed. Hybrid microgels form highly transparent well‐organized films on solid substrates, providing homogeneous distribution of AgNP in bulk material. Presence of AgNP increases considerably the thermal stability of composite films.

Schematic representation (left) and TEM image (right) of hybrid microgels containing silver nanoparticles (AgNP).     

单分散性银纳米粒子的可控制备

以卤化银或氧化银作为前驱体,室温下以水为溶剂,在较高溶液浓度下,利用化学还原法制备了单分散性银纳米粒子,并通过改变前驱体的种类,实现了粒径可控制备。采取扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、紫外-可见光谱仪（UV-Vis）、X射线-粉末衍射仪（XRD）、X射线-光电子能谱仪（XPS）等对所制备的银纳米粒子的形貌及成分进行了表征。结果显示,所制备的银纳米粒子具有较高的单分散性,粒径在40~150 nm之间,具有面心立方多晶结构。该方法制备的银纳米粒子可用于喷墨打印RFID天线。     

In-Situ Formation of Silver Nanoparticles in PEI

Nanocomposites consisting of spherical particles of Ag were prepared using a single step in situ method whereby Ag is introduced into the dissolved polymer via dissolution as the organometallic complex Ag TFA in the same solvent as the polymer. The kinetic rate of formation of the particles is determined using WAXS and SAXS measurements. Nanoparticle formation is found to depend on reducing the solvent/polymer ratio, which leads to de-solvating the metal complex. This destabilizes the metal precursor complex, causing it to degrade and the metal particles to phase separate by a thermodynamic driving force. The size of the nanoparticles varies with the cure temperature and the conditions affecting molecular mobility.     

Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles by Septoria apii and Trichoderma koningii

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by Septoria apii and Trichoderma koningii for the first time and characterized systematically.     

银纳米粒子修饰银电极法测定酪氨酸

通过NaBH₄还原AgNO₃得到胶体银纳米粒子,制作了以该纳米粒子修饰的银电极。研究了银纳米粒子修饰银电极在电催化中的应用,并对相关机理进行了探讨。该修饰电极对醋酸具有电催化活性,但酪氨酸却对该催化信号有明显的抑制作用,因此建立了用胶体银纳米粒子修饰银电极在NaAc-HAc缓冲溶液中检测酪氨酸的方法,并讨论了最佳工作条件。结果表明：在pH = 5.5时,峰电流与酪氨酸的浓度在1.0×10_-8～1.0×10_-3mol L_-1 范围内呈良好的线性关系,检出限为4.2×10_-9 mol L_-1,线性回归方程为Ip (μA) = 7.64 pC – 15.69 ( R = 99.73% )。用该方法检测氨基酸注射液中酪氨酸的含量,加标回收率在95.2%~107.8%之间。     

纳米半导体硫化银单层膜的自组装

本文使用Triton X-100作为模板剂制备半导体硫化银纳米颗粒,并研究了其吸收光谱的兰移特性。在金属铝或金基底上自组装有机双功能分子单层膜后,将其浸入所制备的纳米硫化银颗粒的微乳液中,自组装得到硫化银纳米颗粒单层膜并研究了其表面形貌特征。     

Salivary Excretion of Renal-Clearable Silver Nanoparticles

Salivary elimination is an important pathway for the body to excrete small molecules with digestive enzymes. However, very few engineered nanoparticles can be excreted through salivary glands, which often host bacteria or viruses during infection and involve in disease transmission. Herein, we report that renal clearable glutathione coated AgNPs (GS-AgNPs) can selectively accumulate in the submandibular salivary gland, followed by being excreted in its excretory duct. By conducting head-to-head comparison on in vivo transport and interactions of both GS-AgNPs and glutathione coated gold nanoparticles (GS-AuNPs) with the same sizes, we found that low-density GS-AgNPs showed much higher vascular permeability than GS-AuNPs and can rapidly penetrate into submandibular salivary glands, be efficiently taken up by striated and excretory duct cells, and eventually secreted into saliva.     

Formation of Silver Nanoparticles by Electron Transfer in Peptides and c-Cytochromes

The reduction of Ag⁺ ions to Ag⁰ atoms is a highly endergonic reaction step, only the aggregation to Ag_n clusters leads to an exergonic process. These elementary chemical reactions play a decisive role if Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) are generated by electron transfer (ET) reactions to Ag⁺ ions. We studied the formation of AgNPs in peptides by photoinduced ET, and in c-cytochromes by ET from their Fe²⁺/hemes. Our earlier photoinduced experiments in peptides had demonstrated that histidine prevents AgNP formation. We have now observed that AgNPs can be easily synthesized with less-efficient Ag⁺-binding amino acids, and the rate increases in the order lysine<asparagine<aspartate<serine. The ability of Fe²⁺/hemes of c-cytochromes to reduce Ag⁺ to AgNPs was studied in an enzymatic experiment and with living bacteria Geobacter sulfurreducens (Gs).     

Activation of Oxygen on Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Assisted by Surface Plasmon Resonances

Surface plasmon resonances (SPRs) have been found to promote chemical reactions. In most oxidative chemical reactions oxygen molecules participate and understanding of the activation mechanism of oxygen molecules is highly important. For this purpose, we applied surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to find out the mechanism of SPR‐assisted activation of oxygen, by using p‐aminothiophenol (PATP), which undergoes a SPR‐assisted selective oxidation, as a probe molecule. In this way, SPR has the dual function of activating the chemical reaction and enhancing the Raman signal of surface species. Both experiments and DFT calculations reveal that oxygen molecules were activated by accepting an electron from a metal nanoparticle under the excitation of SPR to form a strongly adsorbed oxygen molecule anion. The anion was then transformed to Au or Ag oxides or hydroxides on the surface to oxidize the surface species, which was also supported by the heating effect of the SPR. This work points to a promising new era of SPR‐assisted catalytic reactions.     

CW and Pulsed EPR Study of Silver Nanoparticles in a SiO2 Matrix

Metallic silver nanoparticles were prepared by the sol-gel method in an SiO2 matrix. The process includes complexation of silicon alkoxides with metal salts, hydrolysis, polycondensation, formation of powder, and subsequent thermal treatment first in oxidizing and second in reducing atmospheres. The sizes of metallic particles were determined both by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. These measurements revealed sizes of metallic particles between 1 and 20 nm, depending upon processing conditions. The magnetic properties were investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy in the temperature range between 4 and 300 K. The spin-lattice relaxation time T1 was measured by pulsed EPR. The temperature dependence of T1 is described by the relation 1/T1 Tn, where 0.4 < n < 1. This behavior is unusual and different from any well-known relaxation processes such as Raman, Direct or the Orbach-Aminov.     

Growth Dynamics Study of Silver Nanoparticles Obtained by Green Synthesis using Salvia officinalis Extract

ABSTRACT

Silver nanoparticles were synthesized by the bottom-up approach using Salvia officinalis extract, and their growth process was correlated with changes in their ultraviolet–visible spectra. Experiments were performed at different initial mixing ratios of silver nitrate to plant extract and at pH values to outline a pattern concerning the growth of silver nanoparticles obtained by this synthesis procedure. Relative areas calculated from the spectra from 350 to 600?nm were used as a comparison for the growth dynamics of silver nanoparticles synthesized in mixtures with different compositions. The graphical representation of relative areas vs. time presents four stages of nanoparticle growth with each linear portion corresponding to a different process rate.     

In Situ Formation of a Uniform Distribution of Silver Nanoparticles in PVDF: Kinetics of Formation and Resulting Properties

Hybrid organic/silver nanoparticle thermoplastic films have been prepared using a single step process where the silver nanoparticles were formed during a cure cycle applied to the film. Figure 1 is a TEM demonstrating the ability of our technique to produce silver nanoparticles in the semi-crystalline polymer Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). The current laboratory focus is on characterizing kinetics and particularly the diameter growth and inter-particle distance as a function of time and temperature using the techniques of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Using the Beaucage model, the SAXS data demonstrates that the particle size reaches equilibrium after approximately 70 minutes of curing at 240 °C. This result is also observed in the XRD results where the half width of the diffraction peaks becomes smaller quickly during the initial hour. In a parallel experiment using DSC, the exothermic heat flow increases rapidly during the first hour but does not reach completion until almost 150 minutes.     

纳米银对水中三价砷的催化氧化研究

纳米银由于具有优良的杀菌性能,越来越多地用到饮用水消毒等领域.其作为杀菌剂主要针对饮用水中细菌超标以及水处理膜组件中存在的膜污染（菌污染）等问题.然而,由于AgNPs具有良好的光催化活性,可能会影响水处理系统中共存无机砷[As（Ⅲ）和As（V）]的形态转化.本研究采用液相色谱-电感耦合等离子质谱联用技术（HPLC-ICP/MS）测定As（Ⅲ）和As（V）,系统考察了水相中AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）和As（V）的吸附性能,体系pH值、NOM及共存离子（以Ca²⁺为例）等环境因素以及AgNPs的粒径和包覆剂等对As（Ⅲ）形态变化的影响.结果表明,AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）不存在物理吸附,但对As（Ⅲ）的氧化具有明显的催化作用.体系pH大于7.0时,AgNPs开始呈现对As（Ⅲ）氧化的显著催化作用,NOM、Ca²⁺、光照等环境因素均在一定程度上促进As（Ⅲ）的形态转化.此外,该过程与AgNPs本身的性质密切相关,粒径越小其催化性越好,PVP/CTS包覆AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）的催化氧化反应速率常数（k＝15.82×10^－2 h^－1）为柠檬酸包覆AgNPs的2倍.最后,在实际环境水样中验证了AgNPs对As（Ⅲ）的催化氧化.以上研究结果表明,水处理系统中的AgNPs在杀菌抑菌的同时,还能够促使As（Ⅲ）向低毒As（V）的转化,为As污染的去除提供了新的思路.     

科研转化的综合化学实验:银纳米粒子的制备及其催化反应动力学测量

设计了一个包含胶体化学方法制备金属纳米粒子及其作为异相催化剂催化氧化还原反应的动力学过程等内容的本科生综合化学实验。首先采用晶种生长法合成了不同尺寸的球状和片状银纳米粒子,然后经过离心纯化后作为异相催化剂催化硼氢化钠还原4-硝基苯酚的反应,研究了催化反应动力学过程,分析了催化反应的表观反应速率常数和催化剂的活性。本实验可以锻炼学生制备纳米材料和跟踪反应动力学进程的能力,使学生进一步理解异相催化反应机理、熟悉光谱仪器的应用。     

Segregation of Dispersed Silica Nanoparticles in Microfluidic Water-in-Oil Droplets: A Kinetic Study

Dispersed negatively charged silica nanoparticles segregate inside microfluidic water-in-oil (W/O) droplets that are coated with a positively charged lipid shell. We report a methodology for the quantitative analysis of this self-assembly process. By using real-time fluorescence microscopy and automated analysis of the recorded images, kinetic data are obtained that characterize the electrostatically-driven self-assembly. We demonstrate that the segregation rates can be controlled by the installment of functional moieties on the nanoparticle's surface, such as nucleic acid and protein molecules. We anticipate that our method enables the quantitative and systematic investigation of the segregation of (bio)functionalized nanoparticles in microfluidic droplets. This could lead to complex supramolecular architectures on the inner surface of micrometer-sized hollow spheres, which might be used, for example, as cell containers for applications in the life sciences.