Gold nanorods and poly(amido amine) dendrimer thin film for biosensing

Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry - The use of gold nanomaterials in electrochemical biosensing has been proven to be effective either by modifying the electrodes’ surface or by...     

Fabrication of metal nanoparticle monolayers on amphiphilic poly(amido amine) dendrimer Langmuir films

A newly designed 1.5th generation poly(amido amine) dendrimer with an azacrown core, hexylene spacers, and octyl terminals was spread on gold nanoparticle (Au-NP) suspension. The surface pressure-area isothermal curves indicated that the molecular area of dendrimer on Au-NP suspension was significantly smaller than that on water, indicating the formation of dendrimer/Au-NP composites. The dendrimer Langmuir films on the Au-NP suspension were transferred to copper grids at various surface pressures and observed by transmission electron microscopy. The transferred films consisted of a fractal-like network of nanoparticles at low surface pressure and of a defect-rich monolayer of nanoparticles at high surface pressure. From these results, it was suggested that the dendrimers bind Au-NPs, and dendrimer/Au-NP composites formed networks or monolayers at the interface. From the intensity decrease of the Au plasmon band of Au-NP suspension after the formation of composite, it was estimated that some (approximately 14) dendrimer molecules bind to one Au-NP. Furthermore, neutron reflectivity at the air/suspension interface and X-ray reflectivity of the film transferred on a silicon substrate revealed that the dendrimer molecules are localized on the upper-half surface of Au-NP. Metal affinity of azacrown, flexibility of hexylene spacer, and amphiphilicity of dendrimer with octyl terminals played important roles for the formation of dendrimer/Au-NP hybrid films. The present investigation proposed a new method to fabricate the self-assembled functional polymer/nanoparticle hybrid film.     

Novel amphiphilic linear polymer/dendrimer block copolymer: Synthesis of poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)-block-poly(amido amine) dendrimer

Novel linear polymer/dendrimer block copolymers, poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline)-block-poly(amido amine) dendrimers (water-soluble full-generation type 4 (G = 4.0 and 5.0) and amphiphilic half-generation type 5 (G = 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5)), were synthesized by divergent-growth dendrimer construction with ω-ethylenediamine-terminated poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), which was prepared by living ring-opening polymerization of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline. Assembly of the amphiphilic dendrimer-based block copolymer (G = 5.5) was investigated by surface tension measurements (critical micelle concentration, 0.49 wt.-%) and by small-angle neutron scattering analysis (spherical particles; assembled number, ca. 10³).     

Designing poly(amido amine) dendrimers containing core diversities by click chemistry of the propargyl focal point poly(amido amine) dendrons

General, fast, efficient, and inexpensive methods for the synthesis of poly (amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers having core diversities were elaborated. In all syntheses, the major step involved an inexpensive 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction between an alkyne and an azide in the presence of Cu(I) species, which is known as the best example of click chemistry. The propargyl‐functionalized PAMAM dendrons are obtained by the divergent approach using propargylamine as an alkyne‐focal point. Three core building blocks, 1,3,5‐tris(azidomethyl)benzene, N,N,N′,N′‐tetra(azidopropylamidoethyl)‐1,2‐diaminoethane, and 4,4′‐(3,5‐bis(azidopropyloxy)benzyloxy)bisphenyl, were designed and synthesized to serve as the azide functionalities for dendrimer growth via click reactions with the alkyne‐dendrons. These three building blocks were employed together with the propargyl‐functionalized PAMAM dendrons in a convergent strategy to synthesize three kinds of PAMAM dendrimers with different core units. This novel and pivotal strategy using an efficient click methodology provides the fast and efficient synthesis of the PAMAM dendrimers with the tailed made core units. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1083–1097, 2008     

Interactions of 3, 3.5, 4, and 4.5 generations of poly(amido amine) dendrimer with cationic surfactants

The conductivity (κ), turbidity (τ), NMR, and Krafft temperature (T _K) studies have been carried out for hexadecylpyridinium bromide (HPyBr), hexadecylpyridinium chloride (HPyCl), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) in the presence of 3G, 3.5G, 4G, and 4.5G generations of poly(amido amine) dendrimers (PAMAM) in aqueous phase. The cmc of all present surfactants were evaluated from κ and τ measurements, both in the presence as well as in the absence of PAMAM. The cmc values decrease in the presence of PAMAM in comparison to that in pure water, especially in the presence of amine terminated PAMAM. Krafft temperature values of pure surfactants also decrease in the presence of various generations of PAMAM. A comparison of all present results from different techniques indicates that HPyBr interacts more strongly with all generations of PAMAM rather than HPyCl and HTAB.     

Synthesis of carbohydrate‐linked poly(polyoxometalate) poly(amido)amine dendrimers

Mannose‐functionalized and ethoxyethanol‐functionalized poly(amido)amine dendrimers bound multiple vanadate‐substituted polyoxotungstate Wells–Dawson‐type polyoxometalates (POMs). Dendrimers incorporating 10–30 POMs were characterized with NMR, transmission electron microscopy, and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry techniques. The number of metal clusters per dendrimer molecule varied according to the dendrimer generation and the nature of the surface functional groups. Efforts aimed at using the poly(polyoxometalate) dendrimers as oxidation catalysts are also described. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3059–3066, 2005     

Strong fluorescence emission from PEGylated hyperbranched poly(amido amine)

Hyperbranched poly(amido amine)s (HPAA) show weak photoluminescence, however, they have shown strong emission after short polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains have been linked onto HPAA macromolecule via Michael addition reaction. These PEGylated hyperbranched poly(amido amine)s show low cytotoxicity and potential application in cell imaging.     

Preparation of mesoporous aluminophosphate using poly(amido amine) as template

Mesoporous aluminophosphate was prepared by using G4.0 poly(amido amine)dendrimer as a template and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and N₂ adsorption/desorption methods. Results show that the title compound exhibits a typical mesoporous structure with the average pore size from 5 to 8 nm. The formation mechanism of the nanoporous structure using dendrimer as a template was also discussed. __________ Translated from Journal of Fujian Normal University (Natural Science Edition), 2007, 23(2): 67–70 [译自: 福建师范大学学报 (自然科学版)]     

Structural investigations of poly(amido amine) dendrimers in methanol using molecular dynamics

The molecular structure of poly(amido amine) dendrimers is investigated with molecular dynamics simulations using the Amber 7 modeling package. A method for defining residues for complex molecules is developed, and it enables the study of the effects of protonation of the primary and tertiary amines. The effects of implicit solvents versus explicit solvents as well as the pH of the solution on the molecular structure are calculated. Good agreement with experimental results for the radius of gyration measured in methanol by X‐ray scattering is observed for simulations with an explicit solvent and protonation of the primary amines. Calculations of the intramolecular atomistic pair correlation function show a dense core, as well as the presence of voids filled with the solvent inside the molecule. The primary amines (end groups) are shown to access the molecular interior by backfolding. Comparisons with experiments and other reported simulation results highlight the advantages of the approach developed here. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3062–3077, 2006     

Dilute solution properties of poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) in aqueous sodium chloride solutions

MW fractions of poly(dimethyldiallylammonium chloride) (PDMDAAC) were prepared by preparative size-exclusion chromatography and characterized by static and dynamic light scattering, viscometry, size-exclusion chromatography, and electrophoretic light scattering, in 0.50M NaCl solution. The behavior of fractions with MW < 2 × 10⁵ was as expected for a strong polyelectrolyte in a good solvent, with a Mark-Houwink exponent of ca. 0.8, and MW-dependencies of the hydrodynamic radius and the radius of gyration of corresponding magnitude. At higher MW, curvature appears in the MW-dependencies, which can be best explained by the presence of branching. While this notably lowers the intrinsic viscosity at high MW, the electrophoretic mobility is unchanged regardless of molar mass. Thus, the branched polymers display the electrophoretic free-draining behavior characteristic of linear polyelectrolytes. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation of poly(ethylene glycol)-modified poly(amido amine) dendrimers encapsulating gold nanoparticles and their heat-generating ability

Loading of HAuCl4 in poly(amido amine) G4 dendrimers having poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) grafts at all chain ends and subsequent reduction with NaBH4 yielded PEG-modified dendrimers encapsulating gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) of ca. 2 nm diameter. The Au NPs held in the dendrimers were stable in aqueous solutions and dissolved readily, even after freeze-drying. Despite their small particle size, the heat-generating ability of Au NPs held in the dendrimer was comparable to that of widely used Au NPs with ca. 11 nm diameter under visible light irradiation. The observed excellent colloidal stability, high heat-generating ability and their biocompatible surface confirm that the PEG-modified dendrimers encapsulating Au NPs are a promising tool for photothermal therapy and imaging.     

Dehydrochlorination of poly(vinyl chloride) by aqueous sodium hydroxide solution under two-phase conditions

The reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) powder with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in the presence of quaternary ammonium or phosphonium halides yielded dehydrochlorinated products of conjugated polyene structure. The reaction was discussed in terms of a phase transfer catalytic mechanism between aqueous and polymer phases. Among the catalysts used tetrabutylammonium bromide was the best. To obtain the optimum conditions the effects of reaction temperature, the concentration of NaOH and the catalyst, and the molecular weight of poly(vinyl chloride) were investigated. Treatment of PVC films and solutions in tetrahydrofuran with aqueous NaOH solutions under two-phase conditions also produced dehydrochlorinated films and powders.     

Elasticity of Single Poly(amido amine) Dendrimers

An atomic force microscope in the compression mode was used to probe the nanomechanical response of single dendrimeric molecules, as well as dendrimer aggregates adsorbed on silicon surface. The force‐compression behaviour of individual, generation 5 poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers was described by a Hertzian model for the deformation of elastic bodies. The modulus values obtained ranged between 700 MPa (single dendrimers) and 150 MPa (dendrimer aggregates).

     

Adsorption of poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers on silica: importance of electrostatic three-body attraction

Adsorption of poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers to silicon oxide surfaces was studied as a function of pH, ionic strength, and dendrimer generation. By combining optical reflectometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM), the adsorbed layers can be fully characterized and an unequivocal determination of the adsorbed mass becomes possible. For early stages, the adsorption process is transport limited and of first order with respect to the dendrimer solution concentration. For later stages, the surface saturates and the adsorbed dendrimers form loose but correlated liquidlike surface structures. This correlation is evidenced by a peak in the pair correlation function determined by AFM. The maximum adsorbed amount increases with increasing ionic strength and pH. The increase with the ionic strength is explained by the random sequential adsorption (RSA) model and electrostatic repulsion between the dendrimers. The adsorbing dendrimers interact by the repulsive screened Coulomb potential, whose range decreases with increasing ionic strength and thus leads to increasing adsorbed densities. The pH increase is interpreted as an effect of the substrate and is quantitatively explained by the extended three-body RSA model. This model stipulates the importance of a three-body interaction acting between two adsorbing dendrimers and the charged substrate. The presence of the charged substrate weakens the repulsion between the adsorbing dendrimers and thus leads to higher surface densities. This effect can be interpreted as an additional attractive three-body interaction, which acts in addition to the usual two-body repulsion and originates from the additional screening of the Coulomb repulsion by the counterions accumulating in the diffuse layer.     

Solubility of silybin in aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidone) solution

Silybin is a main component in silymarin, which is an antihepatotoxic polyphenolic substance isolated from the milk thistle plant, Silybum marianum. A major problem in the development of an oral solid dosage form of this drug is the extremely poor aqueous solubility. In present work, the solubility of silybin in aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP k30) solution at the temperature range from 293.15 to 313.15 K was measured by a solid–liquid equilibrium method. Experimental results reveal that the solubility of silybin increases with the increase both in PVP's concentration and temperature. With the increase in PVP's concentration, the transfer enthalpy for silybin from water to aqueous PVP solution decreases within a negative region, and the transfer entropy increases slightly first in a positive region and then decreases to a negative region. The transfer enthalpy is lower than the entropy term. A modified UNIQUAC model was used to correlate solubility data.     

Light-sensitive chalcone-containing poly(amido imides)

Soluble poly(amido imides) and copoly(amido imides) containing main-and side-chain chromophore chalcone groups have been synthesized. Thermo-and photocrosslinking of polymer chains in films under UV irradiation have been studied. The mechanical properties, dielectric behavior, and photosensitivity and photoconductivity characteristics of the polymers have been investigated.     

Viscometric study of poly(α-L-glutamic acid) in NaCl solution

Summary Intrinsic viscosities of Na poly(-L-glutamate) having different degrees of polymerization and neutralization in aqueous NaCl solution are reported. The results are discussed in terms of Stockmayer and Fixman relation. It is deduced that this polymer suffers from residual charge interaction at condition and from negative excluded volume effect if the electrostatic long range interaction is eliminated.With 6 figures and 7 tables     

Mixed self-assembly of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers and sodium dodecyl sulfate in aqueous solution

Interaction of amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers with anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been investigated in aqueous solution. Formation of mixed micelles has been confirmed by surface tension measurements, whereas the influence of the surfactant on the copolymer self-assembling has been studied by measurement of the 1H NMR self-diffusion coefficients and by small-angle neutron scattering. As a rule, the surfactant decreases the heterogeneity of the micellar structures formed by the copolymer in water. Moreover, increasing the content of SDS results in the increasingly more important extension of the poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) corona chains and the copolymer micelle deaggregation. The stability of the micelles against SDS increases with the length of the hydrophobic block. Preliminary two-dimensional NMR measurements with nuclear Overhauser enhancement have confirmed the spatial vicinity between SDS and the constitutive blocks of the copolymer.     

Enhanced photoluminescence from poly(phenylene vinylene):dendrimer polyelectrolyte assemblies in solution

Poly(2,5-methoxy-propyloxy sulfonate phenylene vinylene)(MPS-PPV) and DAB-Am-16, a generation 3.0 polypropylenimine hexadecamine dendrimer (DAB), are shown to form a tunable photoresponsive polyelectrolyte assembly in aqueous solution with an enhanced emission signal of up to 18-times that of MPS-PPV alone.     

Electron-beam initiated crosslinking in poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) aqueous solution

The reactions between the OH, H and e_aq⁻ transients of water radiolysis and a linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) were identified by the spectral and kinetic properties of intermediates. The radical responsible for crosslink formation is the isopropyl-centered radical that forms mainly in OH radical attack on the polymer. Below pH 3 this radical undergoes reversible protonation with pK_a≈2.1. The radical decay is composed of fast and slow parts. The initial fast decay is attributed to intramolecular reactions of radicals on the same chain (loop formation), the following slow decay to competition between further intramolecular and intermolecular (H-type crosslinks) termination processes. The differences in the network formation during irradiation of aqueous monomer and polymer solutions are discussed.