Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles for intracellular delivery of fluorescent dye

In this study, hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) were synthesized using the sol-gel/emulsion approach and its potential application in drug delivery was assessed. The HMSNs were characterized, by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), nitrogen adsorption/desorption and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), to have a mesoporous layer on its surface, with an average pore diameter of about 2 nm and a surface area of 880 m²/g. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) loaded into these HMSNs was used as a model platform to assess its efficacy as a drug delivery tool. Its release kinetic study revealed a sequential release of FITC from the HMSNs for over a period of one week when soaked in inorganic solution, while a burst release kinetic of the dye was observed just within a few hours of soaking in organic solution. These FITC-loaded HMSNs was also found capable to be internalized by live human cervical cancer cells (HeLa), wherein it was quickly released into the cytoplasm within a short period of time after intracellular uptake. We envision that these HMSNs, with large pores and high efficacy to adsorb chemicals such as the fluorescent dye FITC, could serve as a delivery vehicle for controlled release of chemicals administered into live cells, opening potential to a diverse range of applications including drug storage and release as well as metabolic manipulation of cells.     

Solvatochromic dissociation of non-covalent fluorescent organic nanoparticles upon cell internalization

Amorphous red-emitting materials involving solvatochromic small molecules have been processed by the reprecipitation method as non-doped nanospheres characterized by a remarkably low polydispersity. Their mean diameter could simply be tuned by the concentration of the organic solution giving rise to time-stable dispersion of 85-200 nm-sized nanoparticles. Time-resolved measurements performed on solid nanoparticles showed significant size-dependence effects of the emission lifetime and maxima evidencing populations with distinct molecular conformations. Nanoparticle internalization has proved successful in NIH-3T3 murine fibroblasts with normal toxicity effects after 48 h. Fluorescence confocal microscopy under one- and two-photon excitations revealed dual emission enabling localization of the organic material within the plasma membrane and the cytoplasm. Model experiments resorting to suspended artificial lipid bilayers allowed us to conclude on the dissolution of nanoparticles by the phospholipid membrane during the internalization process. They let us to assume that uptake of hydrophobic nanoparticles by living cells implies an endocytosis mechanism operating through the formation of plasmic vesicles.     

Microfluidization-assisted synthesis of hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (HMSNs) with the diameter in range of 100–500 nm and the wall thickness of about 50 nm were synthesized by templates of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide under the assistant of microfluidization technique. These HMSNs were demonstrated effective drug loading and a pH-responsive drug release.     

Anionic-cationic switchable amphoteric monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Anionic-cationic switchable monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized by one-pot amino and carboxylic acid bifunctionalization based on the self-assembly of the surfactant, two types of co-structure-directing agents containing amino and carboxylic groups, and silica sources. These nanoparticles revealed properties of dispersity and reversibility, with the advantage of the pH-responsive anionic-cationic/acid-base switchability. It was demonstrated that the extracted materials achieved reutilization and controllable dispersity in aqueous solution by adjusting the static electric power among the particles during the switching process.     

Functionalisation of mesoporous silica nanoparticles with 3-isocynatopropyltrichlorosilane

The functionalisation of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSN) with the isocyanate group was carried out. The excellent reactivity of 3-isocynanatopropyltrichlorosilane allowed its grafting on the surface of MSN in mild conditions. Further reaction with different nucleophiles bearing primary amino groups led to the formation of a urea linkage and thus the covalent grafting of the nucleophiles to the MSN surface.     

Synthesis and characterization of colloidal fluorescent mesoporous silica particles

Mesoporous silica particles with narrow size distribution were obtained by a seeded growth process. Depending on the size of seeds and on the time of addition of reactants, the size of particles can be varied between 300 and 1000 nm. In a second step the dye fluorescein isothiocyanate can be embedded. The structure of these new silica particles with low density was investigated by SEM, XRD, BET, and confocal microscopy.     

Bioresponsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles for triggered drug release

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have garnered a great deal of attention as potential carriers for therapeutic payloads. However, achieving triggered drug release from MSNPs in vivo has been challenging. Here, we describe the synthesis of stimulus-responsive polymer-coated MSNPs and the loading of therapeutics into both the core and shell domains. We characterize MSNP drug-eluting properties in vitro and demonstrate that the polymer-coated MSNPs release doxorubicin in response to proteases present at a tumor site in vivo, resulting in cellular apoptosis. These results demonstrate the utility of polymer-coated nanoparticles in specifically delivering an antitumor payload.     

Stability of small mesoporous silica nanoparticles in biological media

In this work, sub-50 nm pegylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles prepared with hydrothermal treatment are shown to have long-term stability in various media at both room and physiological temperature. Compared to bare mesoporous silica nanoparticles, the highly pegylated mesoporous silica nanoparticles show significantly improved biocompatibility and decreased macrophage uptake, making these nanoparticles viable for in vivo stealth drug delivery applications.     

A novel fluorescent aptasensor based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles for the selective detection of sulfadiazine in edible tissue

Sulfadiazine (SDZ) is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections in animals, and SDZ residues in food can be harmful to human health. As a result, an aptasensor based on silica nanoparticles was developed for the rapid detection of SDZ. An aptamer that specifically binds to SDZ was obtained using graphene oxide-SELEX and further truncated to a 13 nt sequence (SDZ30-1:5′-AACCCAATGGGAT-3′), which has a high affinity (K_d = 65.72 nM). In addition, it was found by molecular simulation that a steric hindrance could prevent the target molecule from entering the binding pocket formed by the key base “TGG”, which affects the total binding free energy of SDZ30-1 and the target molecule, thereby affecting the affinity of SDZ30-1 to the target. The SDZ30-1 was selected as the fluorescent probe to establish an aptasensor for the detection of SDZ residues in milk and honey. The aptasensor exhibited a wide dynamic linear range (3.125 – 100 ng/mL) and a limit of detection (LOD = 1.68 ng/mL). The aptasensor in spiked samples recovered at a rate of 95.12 – 105.47%, with a coefficient of variation of less than 13.18 %. The results of aptasensor were positively correlated with those of HPLC (R² > 0.8687). Based on the above results, it could be inferred that the aptasensor can be used sensitively and rapidly for the detection of SDZ residues in edible tissue.     

Highly aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles with cubic pore structure

Mesoporous silica with cubic symmetry has attracted interest from researchers for some time. Here, we present the room temperature synthesis of mesoporous silica nanoparticles possessing cubic Pm3?n symmetry with very high molar ratios (>50%) of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane. The synthesis is robust allowing, for example, co-condensation of organic dyes without loss of structure. By means of pore expander molecules, the pore size can be enlarged from 2.7 to 5 nm, while particle size decreases. Adding pore expander and co-condensing fluorescent dyes in the same synthesis reduces average particle size further down to 100 nm. After PEGylation, such fluorescent aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles are spontaneously taken up by cells as demonstrated by fluorescence microscopy.     

Dendrimer-encapsulated Pt nanoparticles on mesoporous silica for glucose detection

A hybrid system of mesoporous silica (MS) particle incorporated with poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-encapsulated platinum nanoparticles (Pt-DENs) was constructed in a neutral aqueous solution through electrostatic interaction. The MS/Pt-DENs composite particles immobilized with glucose oxidase (GOx) were used to modify a glassy carbon electrode for detecting the electrocatalytic response to the reduction of glucose. Pt-DENs can improve the conductivity of MS and enhance the electron transfer between redox centers in enzymes and electrode surfaces. The structure of composite particles and the performance of MS/Pt-DEN-modified electrodes were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, N₂ sorption characterization method, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and amperometric measurements. The MS/Pt-DENs/GOx-modified electrodes, which had a fast response of GOx less than 3?s, could be used for the determination of glucose ranging from 0.02 to 10?mM. The detection limits were 4???M at signal-to-noise ratio of 3.     

Uniform silica nanoparticles encapsulating two-photon absorbing fluorescent dye

We have prepared uniform silica nanoparticles (NPs) doped with a two-photon absorbing zwitterionic hemicyanine dye by reverse microemulsion method. Obvious solvatochromism on the absorption spectra of dye-doped NPs indicates that solvents can partly penetrate into the silica matrix and then affect the ground and excited state of dye molecules. For dye-doped NP suspensions, both one-photon and two-photon excited fluorescence are much stronger and recorded at shorter wavelength compared to those of free dye solutions with comparative overall dye concentration. This behavior is possibly attributed to the restricted twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT), which reduces fluorescence quenching when dye molecules are trapped in the silica matrix. Images from two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy demonstrate that the dye-doped silica NPs can be actively uptaken by Hela cells with low cytotoxicity.     

Microspectroscopic analysis of green fluorescent proteins infiltrated into mesoporous silica nanochannels

The infiltration of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into nanochannels of different diameters in mesoporous silica particles was studied in detail by fluorescence microspectroscopy at room temperature. Silica particles from the MCM-41, ASNCs and SBA-15 families possessing nanometer-sized (3-8 nm in diameter) channels, comparable to the dimensions of the infiltrated guest protein EGFP (barrel structure with dimensions of 2.4 nm × 4.2 nm), were used as hosts. We found that it is necessary to first functionalize the surfaces of the silica particles with an amino-silane for effective encapsulation of EGFP. We demonstrated successful infiltration of the protein into the nanochannels based on fluorescence microspectroscopy and loading capacity calculations, even for nanochannel diameters approaching the protein dimensions. We studied the spatial distributions of the EGFPs within the silica particles by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and multimode microscopy. Upon infiltration, the fluorescence lifetime drops as expected for an emitter embedded in a high refractive index medium. Further, the spectral properties of EGFP are preserved, confirming the structural integrity of the infiltrated protein. This inorganic-protein host-guest system is an example of a nanobiophotonic hybrid system that may lead to composite materials with novel optical properties.     

Nuclear-targeted drug delivery of TAT peptide-conjugated monodisperse mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Most present nanodrug delivery systems have been developed to target cancer cells but rarely nuclei. However, nuclear-targeted drug delivery is expected to kill cancer cells more directly and efficiently. In this work, TAT peptide has been employed to conjugate onto mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs-TAT) with high payload for nuclear-targeted drug delivery for the first time. Monodispersed MSNs-TAT of varied particle sizes have been synthesized to investigate the effects of particle size and TAT conjugation on the nuclear membrane penetrability of MSNs. MSNs-TAT with a diameter of 50 nm or smaller can efficiently target the nucleus and deliver the active anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) into the targeted nucleus, killing these cancer cells with much enhanced efficiencies. This study may provide an effective strategy for the design and development of cell-nuclear-targeted drug delivery.     

Synthesis and characterization of pore size-tunable magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Magnetic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (M-MSNs) are emerging as one of the most appealing candidates for theranostic carriers. Herein, a simple synthesis method of M-MSNs with a single Fe(3)O(4) nanocrystal core and a mesoporous shell with radially aligned pores was elaborated using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as silica source, cationic surfactant CTAB as template, and 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene (TMB)/decane as pore swelling agents. Due to the special localization of TMB during the synthesis process, the pore size was increased with added TMB amount within a limited range, while further employment of TMB lead to severe particle coalescence and not well-developed pore structure. On the other hand, when a proper amount of decane was jointly incorporated with limited amounts of TMB, effective pore expansion of M-MSNs similar to that of analogous mesoporous silica nanoparticles was realized. The resultant M-MSN materials possessed smaller particle size (about 40-70 nm in diameter), tunable pore sizes (3.8-6.1 nm), high surface areas (700-1100 m(2)/g), and large pore volumes (0.44-1.54 cm(3)/g). We also demonstrate their high potential in conventional DNA loading. Maximum loading capacity of salmon sperm DNA (375 mg/g) was obtained by the use of the M-MSN sample with the largest pore size of 6.1 nm.     

One-pot aerosol synthesis of ordered hierarchical mesoporous core-shell silica nanoparticles

A mixed surfactant approach has been successfully employed in an aerosol-based synthesis of spherical silica particles exhibiting a new core-shell structure where the shell and the core exhibit different ordered mesoporosity and pore sizes.     

Formation of titanium nitride nanoparticles within mesoporous silica SBA-15

We report the first synthesis of titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles inside the nanoscale channels of mesoporous silica SBA-15. The TiN precursor, Ti(NMe(2))(4) in toluene, was incorporated into the methyl group-modified channels of the SBA-15 powder. The functionalization of pore surfaces with methyl groups generates hydrophobic surfaces that facilitate impregnation with Ti(NMe(2))(4) and minimizes reactions between the TiN precursor and the hydroxyl groups on the surface of SBA-15. Formation of TiN nanoparticles inside the mesoporous channels of SBA-15 was carried out by subsequent ammonolysis at high temperatures (700-750 degrees C). The final products have been characterized by TEM and EELS images, powder XRD patterns, FTIR spectra, UV-vis absorption spectra, and nitrogen adsorption isotherm measurements to confirm the presence and distribution of TiN nanoparticles in the SBA-15 samples.     

Solid-state NMR study of MCM-41-type mesoporous silica nanoparticles

A systematic study of the surface of MCM-41-type mesoporous silica nanoparticles prepared under low surfactant concentration was carried out using high-resolution solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The structures and concentrations of various species present during dehydration and rehydration of mesoporous silicas between -25 and 500 degrees C were detailed by employing one-dimensional and two-dimensional (1)H, (13)C, and (29)Si NMR, including (1)H signal intensity measurements, (1)H-(1)H homonuclear correlation experiments (double quantum, exchange, and RFDR), and (1)H-(29)Si heteronuclear correlation NMR. These experiments employed high MAS rates of up to 45 kHz. The study shows that the surfactant (CTAB) was almost completely removed by acid extraction. The residual molecules assumed prone positions along the pores, with the tailgroup being most mobile. The weakly adsorbed water was hydrogen bonded to the silanol groups, all of which were involved in such bonds under ambient humidity. Specific structures involving water and silanol groups were proposed for various stages of thermal treatment, which included dehydration, dehydroxylation, and subsequent rehydration.