Physical and optical properties of organo-modified silica nanoparticles prepared by sol–gel

A comparative study on the physical and optical properties of silica nanoparticles prepared by sol–gel has been carried out. Post-modification of as-synthesized silica nanoparticles produced organo-functionalized silica nanoparticles slightly increased in size (~20%) and relatively high aggregation. However, in situ method produced sixfold bigger functionalized particles with good dispersion and less aggregation. Higher organic content was observed for in situ modified nanosilica, leading to a higher surface hydrophobicity that improved compatibility and dispersion in preparation of silica-polymer nanocomposite. Furthermore, in situ and post-modified nanosilica demonstrated a distinct optical activity, photoluminescence and UV compared to the unmodified nanoparticles.     

Investigation of the effect of dual-size coatings on the hydrophobicity of cotton surface

A series of silica nanoparticles with two different length scales were introduced onto the cotton substrates to study the correlation between the surface structure and observed hydrophobicity. SiO₂ nanoparticles of 7, 12, 20, and 40 nm in size were individually functionalized using 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane or 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane. Amino functionalized silica nanoparticles were durably attached to the cotton surface that was previously treated with epichlorohydrin. By depositing an additional layer of epoxy modified silica nanoparticles, a dual-size hierarchical coating was obtained. It was found that the order of deposition of particles to develop dual-size coatings determines the surface roughness, hydrophobicity and the amount of silica loaded on the cotton substrate. Deposition of the bigger nanoparticles on top of smaller ones resulted in rougher surfaces, higher hydrophobicity and higher amount of silica loading onto the cotton surface. A strong correlation between the size ratio of deposited nanoparticle combinations and the amount of silica loading was observed. It was found that there is also a direct relationship between the surface roughness and the hydrophobicity of the samples generated. Based upon these correlations, it is now possible to tune surface roughness and subsequent wettability by controlling the sizes of the dual-type nanoparticle layers.     

Recyclable,non-leaching antimicrobial magnetic nanoparticles

Recyclable antimicrobial magnetic nanoparticles, Fe₃O₄@P(St-co-AcQAC), were prepared through surfactantfree seeded emulsion polymerization involving a polymerizable, hydrophobic quaternary ammonium compound (QAC). These antimicrobial magnetic nanoparticles demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activities against both Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria, and can be reused for multiple times.     

Antimicrobial Sol–Gel Coatings

The preparation and the releasing behavior of modified silica coatings, containing embedded biocides on textiles, were compared and assessed with regard to application parameters like antimicrobial efficacy, wash-out and long-term behavior. For this, silica layers with embedded silver, silver salts and biocidal quaternary ammonium salts (cetyltrimethylammoniumbromid and octenidine) were investigated. Both the growth of fungi and bacteria can be inhibited by coatings with embedded biocides. Especially by using octenidine, an excellent long-term inhibition of fungi growth can be reached.     

Thiol modified chitosan-silica nanohybrid for antibacterial,antioxidant and drug delivery application

Chitosan exhibits great versatility in various biomedical fields and mesoporous silica nanoparticles have emerged as an interesting material in biomedical areas owing to their outstanding physio-chemical properties. The combination of inorganic silica and organic polymer such as chitosan, make them suitable for a wide range of biomedical applications. Here, we have explored the benefits of chitosan and silica by synthesizing chitosan-silica nanohybrid. In the synthesis of chitosan-silica (CS–Si) nanohybrid, chitosan is modified by thioglycolic acid and mesoporous silica MCM-41(Mobil Composition of Matter number 41) is functionalized by 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-1-propane thiol (TMSP). The modified chitosan and thiol functionalized MCM-41(inorganic network) is then linked through disulfide bond by oxidation process or oxidative coupling, resulting in the formation of inorganic-organic hybrid material. The hybrid material was characterized by FTIR, Raman, XRD, TGA, Zeta potential, EDX, Proton NMR and SEM techniques. The antibacterial results indicated that gram-negative (E. coli) bacteria exhibit better inhibition zone than gram-positive (B. subtilis) bacteria. The DPPH scavenging capability of synthesized hybrid was found to be 68%. The drug (quercetin) encapsulation efficiency of hybrid material was calculated to be 92.38% and more drug releases in acidic medium (pH 5.0) than at pH 7.4, so we can conclude that hybrid material shows pH-dependent drug releasing behavior. The results show that synthesized nano-hybrid material possess good antibacterial and antioxidant activities and is also a good nanocarrier for drug delivery application.     

Effect of cationization on adsorption of silver nanoparticles on cotton surfaces and its antibacterial activity

Cotton was cationized by exhaustion method using 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHPTAC) as a cation-generating agent. Adsorption of silver nanoparticles on normal and cationized cotton was studied by exhaustion method at temperatures of 80°C and 100°C. Two exhaustion baths were used, containing nanosilver colloidal solutions stabilized by two different stabilizers and various concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of normal and cationized samples confirmed the existence of quaternary ammonium groups on cationized cellulose fibers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns showed that crystallinity of the modified cellulose fibers was decreased. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed that the surface of the modified cotton was rougher than that of normal cotton. In addition, SEM images showed the presence of silver nanoparticles on the surface of treated fabric samples. The amount of silver particles adsorbed on the fabric samples was determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer. Antibacterial tests were performed against Escherichia coli bacteria as an indication of antibacterial effect of samples. Cationized cotton samples adsorbed more silver nanoparticles and then had greater ability to inhibit bacteria.     

Silica–silver core–shell particles for antibacterial textile application

The silica–silver core–shell particles were synthesized by simple one pot chemical method and were employed on the cotton fabric as an antibacterial agent. Extremely small (1–2 nm) silver nanoparticles were attached on silica core particles of average 270 nm size. The optimum density of the nano silver particles was found which was sufficient to show good antibacterial activity as well as the suppression in their surface plasmon resonance responsible for the colour of the core–shell particle for antibacterial textile application. The change in the density and size of the particles in the shell were monitored and confirmed by direct evidence of their transmission electron micrographs and by studying surface plasmon resonance characteristics. The colony counting method of antibacterial activity testing showed excellent results and even the least silver containing core–shell particles showed 100% activity against bacterial concentration of 10⁴ colony counting units (cfu). The bonding between core–shell particles and cotton fabric was examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity test confirmed the firm attachment of core–shell particles to the cotton fabric as a result 10 times washed sample was as good antibacterial as that of unwashed sample. The bacterial growth was inhibited on and beneath the coated fabric, at the same time no zone of inhibition which occurs due to the migration of silver ions into the medium was observed indicating immobilization of silver nanoparticles on silica and core–shell particles on fabric by strong bonding.     

A modified polyvinylchloride surface with antibacterial and antifouling functions

Surfaces with antibacterial and hydrophilic properties are very attractive to cardiovascular applications. The objective of this study was to synthesize and immobilize a novel antibacterial and hydrophilic polymer onto surface of polyvinylchloride via an effective and mild surface coating technique. The surface coated with a terpolymer constructed with N‐vinylpyrrolidone, 3,4‐dichloro‐5‐hydroxy‐2(5H)‐furanone derivative, and succinimide residue was evaluated with cell adhesion, bacterial adhesion, and bacterial viability. 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells and two bacteria species were used to evaluate surface adhesion and antibacterial activity. Results showed that the polymer‐modified polyvinylchloride surface exhibited not only significantly decreased 3T3 fibroblast cell adhesion with a 66% to 87% reduction but also significantly decreased bacterial adhesion with 69% to 87% and 52% to 74% reduction of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus attachment, respectively, as compared with original polyvinylchloride. Furthermore, the modified polyvinylchloride surfaces exhibited significant antibacterial functions by inhibiting bacterial growth (75%‐84% and 78–94% inhibition of P aeruginosa and S aureus, respectively, as compared to original polyvinylchloride) and killing bacteria. These results demonstrate that covalent polymer attachment conferred antifouling and antibacterial properties to the polyvinylchloride surface.     

The antibacterial finish of cotton via sols containing quaternary ammonium salts

The sols containing quaternary ammonium salts were prepared via sol-gel process. The effects of the molar rate of HCl, H₂O and EtOH to TEOS on the sol viscosity were investigated in detail. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), Octadecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (DC) and Ethylene-Bis (Octadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride) [E-Bis(OTAC)]were added in the sols and applied to cotton samples by treated. The antibacterial activities of the samples were assessed against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The samples treated by E-Bis(OTAC) sol exhibited the satisfactory antibacterial activity that resulted from the more microorganism adsorption and hydrophobicity. The antibacterial activities were still excellent after 10 times washings comparison with the control samples.     

Inorganic-organic hybrid nanoparticles from n-octyl triethoxy silane

Ormosil (organically modified silane) such as n-octyl triethoxy silane has been found to aggregate in the form of normal micelles as well as reverse micelles in which the triethoxy silane moeities are hydrolyzed to form a hydrated silica network while the n-octyl groups are held together through hydrophobic interaction. These nanoparticles are spherical in shape and are nearly monodispersed with an average diameter of below 100 nm. The nanoparticles originating from the micellar aggregate have an hydrophobic core with a layer of the hydrated silica network at the surface. The hydrophobic core can host hydrophobic molecules such as tetraphenyl porphyrin, which is leached out of the particles extremely slowly compared to that in Triton X-100 micelles. The nanoparticles originating from the reverse micelles have a hydrated silica network in the core surrounded by the hydrophobic n-octyl chains on the particle surface. The hydrophilic silica cores of these nanoparticles have been used to encapsulate horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and the enzyme shows its activity and follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics.     

Tuning the hemolytic and antibacterial activities of amphiphilic polynorbornene derivatives

Amphiphilic cationic polynorbornene derivatives, soluble in water, were prepared from modular norbornene monomers, with a wide range of molecular weights (M(n) = 1600-137 500 g/mol) and narrow polydispersities (PDI = 1.1-1.3). The antibacterial activity determined by growth inhibition assays and the hemolytic activity against human red blood cells were measured and compared to determine the selectivity of the polymers for bacterial over mammalian cells. The effects of monomer repeat unit hydrophobicity and polymer molecular weight on antibacterial and hemolytic activities were determined. The hydrophobicity of the repeat unit was observed to have dramatic effects on antibacterial and hemolytic activities. Lipid membrane disruption activities of the polymers was confirmed by measuring polymer-induced dye leakage from large unilamellar vesicles. By tuning the overall hydrophobicity of the polymer through random copolymerizations of modular norbornene derivatives, highly selective, nonhemolytic antibacterial activities were obtained. For appropriate monomer composition, selectivity against bacteria versus human red blood cells was determined to be over 100.     

Surface acidity and basicity of functionalized silica particles

Tetraethoxysilane has been co-hydrolyzed with functionalized organosilanes in a modified Stöber process to produce silica particles with amino, carboxylate or dihydroimidazole groups on the surface. The effects of reaction conditions and the loading of the functionalized organosilane on particle size was examined by TEM. Fluorescence spectroscopy of the surface amino groups covalently modified with fluorescamine, and the surface carboxylate groups with 4-bromomethyl-6,7-dimethoxycoumarin, demonstrated that these functional groups were accessible for further reaction. Changes in surface acidity and basicity caused by the presence of functional groups (amine, dihydroimidazole, carboxylate) on the particle surface were determined using an indicator titration technique. Particles with surface imidazole and amine groups and particles with surface carboxylate groups have enhanced basicity and acidity, respectively. Dihydroimidazole-modified silica had greater surface basicity than the amine-modified silica. The effect on basicity and acidity increases as the amount of added functionalized silane increases. However, this increase is nonlinear with respect to the increase in added functionalized silane. Particles with both surface dihydroimidazole and carboxylate groups demonstrated reduced surface basicity and acidity.     

功能化荧光素掺杂二氧化硅纳米粒子用于免疫层析试验

A simple but effective approach was developed to synthesize amino functionalized fluorescein isothiocyanate-doped silica nanoparticles based upon polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane. Organic dye molecule (fluorescein isothiocyanate) coupled with a silane coupling agent, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, was incorporated into silica sphere through controlled hydrolysis and polymerization of tetraethoxysilane. The dye was connected with silica sphere through 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, which avoided the leakage of the dye. The cohydrolysis and polymerization of tetraethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane outside the surface of the silica sphere formed another thin silica shell with the functionalized amino groups on the surface. With amino groups on the surface, the nanoparticle surface was affluent in positive charges. The amino-functionalized nanoparticles were linked with mouse monoclonal antibody against hepatitis B virus surface antigen through electrostatic interaction to form fluorescence probes, which were tested by immunochromatographic assay using immunochromatography test strip. It was indicated that the fluorescence probe was suitable for immunoassay.     

Synthesis of star-shaped CuO nanoparticles supported on magnetic functionalized graphene: Catalytic and antibacterial activity

In this study, graphene oxide was modified during consecutive functionalization steps with 1,4-diphenylamine, cyanuric chloride, and ethylenediamine. Then, star-shaped CuO nanoparticles were synthesized on modified graphene oxide using the seed-mediated growth method in which nucleation, growth stages, and reduction of graphene oxide to graphene occurred simultaneously. After ensuring successful synthesis of CuO nanoparticles and to facilitate recycling, a magnetization process was utilized by adding iron oxide nanoparticles. This nanocomposite was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The prepared heterogeneous catalyst was investigated for the reduction of organic dyes in the presence of NaBH₄ as a reducing reagent. The kinetic data obtained for the reduction of methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) were fitted to first-order rate equations, and the calculated rate constants for the reduction of MO, MB, 4-NP and Rh6G were as follows: −0.091, −0.071, −0.045, and 0.040, respectively. As star-shaped CuO nanoparticles showed a higher antibacterial effect compared to spherical-shaped CuO nanoparticles, the antibacterial activity of star-shaped CuO nanoparticles immobilized on magnetic functionalized graphene was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria through an agar well diffusion assay and demonstrated more antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria.     

Antimicrobial silica particles loaded with quaternary ammonium polyethyleneimine network

Silica particles functionalized with quaternary ammonium groups were prepared by interpenetrating polyethylenimine (PEI) into silica particles and crosslinking with diiodopentane, followed by octyliodide alkylation and methyliodide quaternarization (S‐QA‐PEI). The synthesized S‐QA‐PEI particles were identified with a slight particle size increase of 2–3 µm. Different ratios of PEI:silica particles were prepared and analyzed. While silica particles are negatively charged, ?16.7 ± 5.11 mV, the prepared S‐QA‐PEI particles are positively charged, +50–60 mV. These particles were embedded in poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) and poly(ethylene methacrylic acid) coatings which exhibited strong antibacterial activity. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Emission properties and applications of nanostructured luminescent oxide nanoparticles

Rare earth doped oxide materials are well known for their numerous applications in light emitting devices. An interesting issue is to study the emission properties of nanoparticles, with the aim to understand the influence of small size and surface effects on the emission processes. These particles could furthermore be used in new applications such as the elaboration of transparent emitting devices or new biological labels. The work presented here concerns highly luminescent rare earth doped yttrium vanadates (YVO₄:Eu) and lanthanum phosphate LaPO₄:Ce,Tb·xH₂O nanoparticles. Simple aqueous colloidal syntheses are used for the elaboration of concentrated colloids based on the progressive decomposition of polymeric precursors at moderate temperature (60–90 °C). Both types of particles exhibit strong emission (quantum yields of 25% and 45% for vanadates and phosphates, respectively), but significantly lower than that for the equivalent bulk materials. The alteration of the emission processes is discussed in terms of surface quenching effects. Improvements are obtained through the elaboration of core/shell nanostructures. Surface derivatization has been achieved through the controlled growth of an organically modified silica shell using a functionalized silane precursor. Two examples are given concerning the applications of those particles. The first one is the elaboration of transparent and highly luminescent thin films, obtained by the dispersion of the functionalized particles in a sol–gel silica matrix. The other one is the use of guanidine functionalized particles as biological labels for the single particle detection of sodium channels in cardiac cells.     

Bacterial adhesion on hybrid cationic nanoparticle-polymer brush surfaces: ionic strength tunes capture from monovalent to multivalent binding

This paper describes the creation of hybrid surfaces containing cationic nanoparticles and biocompatible PEG (polyethylene glycol) brushes that manipulate bacterial adhesion for potential diagnostic and implant applications. Here, ～10 nm cationically functionalized gold nanoparticles are immobilized randomly on negative silica surfaces at tightly controlled surface loadings, and the remaining areas are functionalized with a hydrated PEG brush, using a graft copolymer of poly-l-lysine and PEG (PLL-PEG), containing 2000 molecular weight PEG chains and roughly 30% functionalization of the PLL. The cationic nanoparticles attract the negative surfaces of suspended Staphylococcus aureus bacteria while the PEG brush exerts a steric repulsion. With the nanoparticle and PEG brush heights on the same lengthscale, variations in ionic strength are demonstrated to profoundly influence the capture of S. aureus on these surfaces. For bacteria captured from gentle flow, a crossover from multivalent to univalent binding is demonstrated as the Debye length is increased from 1 to 4 nm. In the univalent regime, 1 um diameter spherical bacteria are captured and held by single nanoparticles. In the multivalent regime, there is an adhesion threshold in the surface density of nanoparticles needed for bacterial capture. The paper also documents an interesting effect concerning the relaxations in the PLL-PEG brush itself. For brushy surfaces containing no nanoparticles, bacterial adhesion persists on newly formed brushes, but is nearly eliminated after these brushes relax, at constant mass in buffer for 12h. Thus brushy relaxations increase biocompatibility.     

A Biomimetic Surface for Infection-resistance through Assembly of Metal-phenolic Networks

Despite the fact that numerous infection-resistant surfaces have been developed to prevent bacterial colonization and biofilm formation, developing a stable, highly antibacterial and easily produced surface remains a technical challenge. As a crucial structural component of biofilm, extracellular DNA(eDNA) can facilitate initial bacterial adhesion, subsequent development, and final maturation. Inspired by the mechanistic pathways of natural enzymes(deoxyribonuclease), here we report a novel antibacterial surface by employing cerium(Ce(Ⅳ)) ion to mimic theDNA-cleavage ability of natural enzymes. In this process, the coordination chemistry of plant polyphenols and metal ions was exploited to create an in situ metal-phenolic film on substrate surfaces. Tannic acid(TA) works as an essential scaffold and Ce(Ⅳ) ion acts as both a cross-linker and a destructor of eDNA. The Ce(Ⅳ)-TA modified surface exhibited highly enhanced bacteria repellency and biofilm inhibition when compared with those of pristine or Fe(Ⅲ)-TA modified samples. Moreover, the easily produced coatings showed high stability under physiological conditions and had nontoxicity to cells for prolonged periods of time. This as-prepared DNA-cleavage surface presents versatile and promising performances to combat biomaterial-associated infections.     

Recyclable,non-leaching antimicrobial magnetic nanoparticles

Pathogenic bacterial contaminations in water cause serious or even lethal threats. Strategies that effectively kill bacteria without causing environmental contamination are urgently needed in a wide range of applications. We prepared recyclable antimicrobial magnetic nanoparticles, Fe₃O₄@P(St-co-AcQAC), through surfactant-free seeded emulsion polymerization involving a polymerizable, hydrophobic quaternary ammonium compound (QAC). Fe₃O₄ particles were first synthesized by a solvothermal reaction, followed by functionalization with a methacrylic silane (MPS), and then copolymerized with a QAC-containing acrylic monomer (AcQAC), leading to Fe₃O₄ @P(St-co-AcQAC) nanoparticles. As confirmed by antibacterial assays, these Fe₃O₄@P(St-co-AcQAC) nanoparticles exhibited strong antimicrobial action against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis and Gram-negative Escherichia coli, without leaching out any bactericidal agent. An additional benefit of antimicrobial magnetic particles is that they can be easily recycled while maintaining excellent antimicrobial efficacy.     

Polysiloxane cationic biocides with imidazolium salt (ImS) groups, synthesis and antibacterial properties

Novel polysiloxanes with pendant biocidal N,N′-dialkylimidazolium salt (ImS) groups were synthesized and compared with polysiloxanes bearing conventional biocidal quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) groups. The bacteriostatic power of these polymers was tested and compared under the same conditions in aqueous solution against two common strains of Gram positive bacteria and three strains of Gram negative bacteria. These new ImS containing polymers exhibited high antibacterial potency against all bacteria studied, similar to those substituted with QAS groups. The advantage of the imidazolium substituted polysiloxane stems from its higher thermal stability, as compared with the quaternary alkylammonium functionalized polymer, as demonstrated by thermogravimetric studies.