Antibodies immobilized on inorganic supports

Antibodies and antigens can be covalently coupled to a variety of carriers, both organic and inorganic. The methods for coupling these proteins may be found scattered throughout the technical literature. This report, although it concentrates on inorganic supports, describes several of the more successful methods used in laboratories today. Each of these methods is described in enough detail for the reader to carry out the coupling method of interest in his or her own laboratory. The coupling methods have been divided into two groups, direct and silane. Under each of these general headings are described the specific methodologies.     

Optimization of tetramethoxysilane-derived sol gel entrapment protocol stabilizes highly active chlorophyllase

Entrapment of membrane proteins is a challenging task compared to that involving soluble proteins. Chlorophyllase, a membrane protein, was successfully entrapped in tetramethoxysilane-derived sol-gel. Pre-gel sol typically consists of an aqueous suspension of chlorophyllase, precursors including tetramethoxysilane and/or methytrimethoxysilane, and sodium fluoride as catalyst. To obtain a highly active entrapped enzyme preparation, the effects of various immobilization parameters, including the chemical compositions of pre-gel sol (water/silane ratio, precursor type and proportions, enzyme loading, sodium fluoride concentration), and sol-gel process parameters (aging and drying time and approach) have been investigated. Chlorophyllase demonstrated the highest activity in gel derived from a pre-gel sol with water/silane ratio of 30 and enzyme loading of 0.257 mg_protein/g_gel, and showed moderately lower activity in organically modified sol-gel than that in hydrophilic sol-gel. The effects of water/silane ratio and precursor combinations on the activity of entrapped chlorophyllase were also studied by examining the pore morphology of gel via nitrogen adsorption-desorption. Longer aging time leads to an entrapped chlorophyllase preparation with higher activity. Chlorophyllase preparation demonstrated negligible activity after air-drying for 12 h while lyophilized chlorophyllase preparation demonstrated 8, 4 and 4 times higher activity than air-dried, vacuum-dried and solvent-dried preparations. Chlorophyllase demonstrated 30% higher activity in the improved sol-gel protocol than that from a non-optimized sol-gel protocol developed in a previous study.     

聚丙烯酸酯/无机氧化物型杂化材料的合成与应用

从硅烷偶联剂改性有机相的基本反应原理出发,综述了聚丙烯酸酯/无机氧化物型杂化材料的主要制备方法及其优缺点,讨论了无机氧化物对这类材料的热性能、阻燃性、机械性能等方面的影响,展望了这些材料作为涂料、功能膜、生物材料以及光电材料的应用前景.     

Synthesis, characterization, flame retardance and thermal properties of halogen-free expandable graphite/PMMA composites prepared from sol-gel method

In this work, silane was grafted on expandable graphite via a free-radical reaction. The modified expandable graphite has an -OEt functional group which reacts with TEOS and PMMA that was modified via a sol-gel reaction using a coupling agent that contains silicon. Synergism between silicon flame retardant and expandable graphite increased the flame retardance of the materials. Expandable graphite was functionalized using a coupling agent to increase the interactive force between the organic and inorganic phases. It enhanced the thermal stability of the composites. SEM was adopted to observe the morphology of the composites, and the behavior associated with expansion after the materials had been burned is elucidated. LOI, TGA and IPDT were employed to calculate the flame retardance and thermal stability. The results indicate that the composites are halogen-free flame retardant organic/inorganic composites. Two methods for elucidating the kinetics of thermal degradation were utilized to measure the activation energy when the composites degraded in the high-temperature atmosphere.     

Proteins Entrapped in Silica Monoliths Prepared from Glyceroxysilanes

The preparation of discrete polyol based silane precursors derived from glycerol by a simple one-pot process is described. These polyol-based silanes could be hydrolyzed under mild pH conditions and upon gelation resulted in the formation of optically clear, monolithic, mesoporous silica. The hydrolysis and condensation reactions lead to cure rates that are very sensitive to ionic strength, but are almost unaffected by pH in contrast to those of alkoxysilanes derived from primary alcohols such as Si(OEt)₄. Residual glycerol in the silica monolith could be removed by washing, or could be left in the silica to reduce the magnitude of shrinkage during long term storage. The biocompatible glyceroxysilane precursors lead to materials that were able to retain the activity of entrapped enzymes over repeated cycles of use for periods of up to several months.     

Influence of Boron Nitride on the Network Structure and Properties of Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Composite Materials

The influence of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on the network structure and properties of poly(dimethylsiloxane) networks was investigated. A silane coupling reaction occurs during the preparation of materials to fix the filler to the network. The composite materials display a reduction in bulk network cross-linking and increase in hydrogen bonding interactions when compared to the unfilled material. Consequently, the tensile modulus is enhanced, the tan-delta decreases and compression set resistance diminishes. The in situ silane coupling reaction does not impact the expected thermal conductivity of the material and the inclusion of h-BN leads to materials with decreased coefficient of thermal expansion.     

Sol–Gel‐Derived Biohybrid Materials Incorporating Long‐Chain DNA Aptamers

Sol–gel‐derived bio/inorganic hybrid materials have been examined for diverse applications, including biosensing, affinity chromatography and drug discovery. However, such materials have mostly been restricted to the interaction between entrapped biorecognition elements and small molecules, owing to the requirement for nanometer‐scale mesopores in the matrix to retain entrapped biorecognition elements. Herein, we report on a new class of macroporous bio/inorganic hybrids, engineered through a high‐throughput materials screening approach, that entrap micron‐sized concatemeric DNA aptamers. We demonstrate that the entrapment of these long‐chain DNA aptamers allows their retention within the macropores of the silica material, so that aptamers can interact with high molecular weight targets such as proteins. Our approach overcomes the major limitation of previous sol–gel‐derived biohybrid materials by enabling molecular recognition for targets beyond small molecules.     

无机纳米稀土发光材料的制备方法*

无机纳米稀土发光材料作为一种重要的发光材料,由于具有独特的光、电和化学性质,使其在高性能磁体、发光器件、显示、生物标记、光学成像和光学治疗等方面得到了广泛的应用。稀土发光材料的这些性质与材料的尺寸和形状密切相关,近年来研究者已经利用多种合成方法制备了不同形状的纳米稀土发光材料,包括纳米线、纳米棒、纳米管、纳米纤维和纳米片等。本文综述了无机纳米稀土发光材料的几种常用的制备方法,包括水热/溶剂热法、有机/无机前驱体热分解法和超声辅助合成法等,评述了这些方法的优缺点,并结合课题组在无机纳米稀土发光材料制备方面的工作,对无机纳米稀土发光材料制备方法的发展进行了展望。     

Proteins in Countryclub-Like Jails:Encapsulation of Enzymes in Nanoporous Materials

A popular method for enzyme immobilization is formation of covalent bonds between enzymes and a solid support, which often alters the enzymatic activities. Recently, various enzymes have been entrapped in inorganic oxides such as silica for biocatalysis and biosensor applications through conventional sol-gel process. However, because of the microporous nature (i.e. pore diameter of 1.5-2 nm or less) of conventional sol-gels, the activities of enzymes are hindered by low diffusion rates of substrate molecules and poor accessibility of enzymes inside the materials.     

Composite materials based on ormosil for the construction of electrochemical sensors and biosensors

Sol-gel process has gained tremendous attention in past decades for the preparation of pure and composite material for numerous applications. Organically modified sol-gel glasses (ormosils) have hybrid properties of rigid inorganic silica matrix and organic functionalities. Ormosils provide ambient environment for bio-molecules encapsulation and such systems have been used widely for biosensor applications. Biological elements including enzymes, antibodies, antigens, DNA, whole cells, tissues, proteins, biologically derived material, and biomimetic materials provide the possibility of biological recognition to the device and transducer to detect the biological signals with the help of associated electronics and software to amplify these signals into a readable form for the user. In this review we report on the formation of sol-gel based composite materials primarily on ormosil along with carbon nano tubes, metal nano particles, mediators, inorganic complexes, polymers, ionomers and biological materials and cite the electrochemical sensor/biosensor system based on it.     

Organic functionalization of luminescent oxide nanoparticles toward their application as biological probes

Luminescent inorganic nanoparticles are now widely studied for their applications as biological probes for in vitro or in vivo experiments. The functionalization of the particles is a key step toward these applications, since it determines the control of the coupling between the particles and the biological species of interest. This paper is devoted to the case of rare earth doped oxide nanoparticles and their functionalization through their surface encapsulation with a functional polysiloxane shell. The first step of the process is the adsorption of silicate ions that will act as a primary layer for the further surface polymerization of the silane, either aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) or glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). The amino- or epoxy- functions born by the silane allow the versatile coupling of the particles with bio-organic species following the chemistry that is commonly used in biochips. Special attention is paid to the careful characterization of each step of the functionalization process, especially concerning the average number of organic functions that are available for the final coupling of the particles with proteins. The surface density of amino or epoxy functions was found to be 0.4 and 1.9 functions per square nanometer for GPTMS and APTES silanized particles, respectively. An example of application of the amino-functionalized particles is given for the coupling with alpha-bungarotoxins. The average number (up to 8) and the distribution of the number of proteins per particle are given, showing the potentialities of the functionalization process for the labeling of biological species.     

Acrylic polymer/silica organic–inorganic hybrid emulsions for coating materials: Role of the silane coupling agent

Acrylic polymer/silica organic–inorganic hybrid emulsions were synthesized by a simple method, that is, a conventional emulsion polymerization and subsequent sol–gel process, to provide water‐based coating materials. The acrylic polymer emulsions contained a silane coupling agent monomer, such as methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane, to form highly solvent‐resistant hybrid films. On the other hand, the hybrid films from the surface‐modified polymer emulsions, in which the silane coupling agent was located only on the surface of the polymer particles and the particle core was not crosslinked, did not exhibit high solvent resistance. A honeycomblike array structure, which was derived from the polymer particles (diameter ≈ 50 nm) and the silica domain, on the hybrid film surfaces was observed by atomic force microscopy. The crosslinked core part and silane coupling agent containing the shell part of the polymer particles played important roles in attaining high solvent resistance. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 4736–4742, 2006     

基于自组装溶胶凝胶法无机Janus纳米片的制备及其乳化性能研究

论文首先采用水解苯乙烯-马来酸酐共聚物为乳化剂,正硅酸乙酯、亲油性硅烷偶联剂和亲水性硅烷偶联剂三种前驱体溶于石蜡做为油相(分散相),水为连续相,乳化分散后通过溶胶凝胶法,制备得到了表面亲水/内部亲油的核壳实心微球;然后超声清洗除去石蜡后得到了表面亲水/内部亲油的二氧化硅空心球,将其破碎后即得到了无机Janus纳米片.实...     

Structure of hybrid organic–inorganic sols for the preparation of hydrothermally stable membranes

A procedure for the preparation of hybrid sols for the synthesis of organic–inorganic microporous materials and thin film membranes is reported. We describe silane reactivity and sol structure for acid-catalysed colloidal sols from mixtures of either tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES), or bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTESE) and MTES. Early-stage hydrolysis and condensation rates of the individual silane precursors were followed with ²⁹Si liquid NMR and structural characteristics of more developed sols were studied with Dynamic Light Scattering. Condensation was found to proceed at more or less similar rates for the different precursors. Homogeneously mixed hybrid colloids can therefore be formed from precursor mixtures. The conditions of preparation under which clear sols with low viscosity could be formed from BTESE/MTES were determined. These sols were synthesised at moderate water/silane and acid/silane ratios and could be applied for the coating of defect-free microporous membranes for molecular separations under hydrothermal conditions.     

Optical Chemical Sensors Based on Sol-Gel Materials: Recent Advances and Critical Issues

The use of the sol-gel process to produce materials for optical chemical sensors and biosensors is attracting considerable interest. This interest derives mainly from the design flexibility of the sol-gel process and the ease of fabrication. In most applications the sol-gel material is used to provide a microporous support matrix in which analyte-sensitive species are entrapped and into which smaller analyte molecules may diffuse. Sensors based on entrapped organic and inorganic dyes, enzymes and other biomolecules have been reported. A range of sensor configurations has been employed, including monoliths, thin films, as well as more elaborate structures. In this paper a selection is presented of recent significant developments in optical chemical sensors which employ solgel-derived materials. These developments include the tailoring of sol-gel materials to optimise sensor response, advanced waveguide structures and novel probe-tip sensors. Those issues which remain critical to the eventual deployment of sol-gel sensors are examined. In particular, the problems of leaching, microstructural stability, diffusion-limited response time, and susceptibility to interferents are discussed and some solutions proposed.     

基于磁性微球的固定化金属亲和载体及其在蛋白质/多肽纯化中的应用

采用模板法制备的单分散磁性硅胶微球,经过表面修饰偶联上亚氨基二乙酸(IDA),与过渡金属离子Cu2 螯合,制成一种新型的磁性固定化金属亲和纯化载体。用牛血清白蛋白(BSA)作为模型进行磁性固定化金属亲和吸附蛋白的研究,结果表明,BSA在磁性亲和载体上的吸附可用Langmuir吸附方程描述,对BSA的饱和吸附量为90mg/g。将磁性亲和载体用于带有组氨酸标签的镇痛抗肿瘤多肽(analgesic-antitumorpeptide,AGAP)纯化,在未经过滤的细胞裂解液中可以将AGAP一步纯化,非特异性吸附低,操作简便,完全适用于含有组氨酸标记的重组多肽或蛋白的分离纯化。     

The influence of non-rubber constituents on performance of silica reinforced natural rubber compounds

An in-rubber study of the interaction of silica with proteins present in natural rubber show that the latter compete with the silane coupling agent during the silanisation reaction; the presence of proteins makes the silane less efficient for improving dispersion and filler–polymer coupling, and thus influences the final properties of the rubber negatively. Furthermore, the protein content influences the rheological properties as well as filler–filler and filler–polymer interactions. Stress strain properties also vary with protein content, as do dynamic properties. With high amounts of proteins present in natural rubber, the interactions between proteins and silica are able to disrupt the silica–silica network and improve silica dispersion. High amounts of proteins reduce the thermal sensitivity of the filler–polymer network formation. The effect of proteins is most pronounced when no silane is used, but they are not able to replace a coupling agent.     

Inorganic membranes and solid state sciences

The latest developments in inorganic membranes are closely related to recent advances in solid state science. Sol–gel processing, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and hydrothermal synthesis are methods that can be used for inorganic membrane preparation. Innovative concepts from material science (templating effect, nanophase materials, growing of continuous zeolite layers, hybrid organic–inorganic materials) have been applied by our group to the preparation of inorganic membrane materials. Sol–gel-derived nanophase ceramic membranes are presented with current applications in nanofiltration and catalytic membrane reactors. Silica membranes with an ordered porosity, due to liquid crystal phase templating effect, are described with potential application in pervaporation. Defect-free and thermally stable zeolite membranes can be obtained through an original synthesis method, in which zeolite crystals are grown inside the pores of a support. Hybrid organic–inorganic materials with permselective properties for gas separation and facilitated transport of solutes in liquid media, have been successfully adapted to membrane applications. Potential membrane developments offered by CVD deposition techniques are also illustrated through several examples related to the preparation of purely inorganic and hybrid organic–inorganic membrane materials.     

Preparation of silane-coated TiO2 nanoparticles in supercritical CO2

Nanometric inorganic pigments are widely used as fillers for hybrid composite materials. However, these nanometric powders are hydrophilic in nature and their surface must be functionalized before use. In this work, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were coated using silane coupling agents with alkyl functionality. A supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) method was used for surface silanization. Five alkylalkoxysilanes with different alkyl chain length and structure were studied: methyltrimethoxy, isobutyltriethoxy, octyltriethoxy, octyldimethylmethoxy and octadecyltrimethoxysilane. The microstructure and thermal stability of deposited monolayers were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis, ATR–IR spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, wettability characterization and low-temperature N₂ adsorption/desorption analysis. The use of scCO₂ as a solvent provided an effective approach to functionalize individual inorganic nanoparticles due to the enhanced diffusivity of the solution molecules in the aggregates interparticle voids. The trifunctional silanes employed here yielded surfaces with better thermal stabilities and greater hydrophobicities than the used monofunctional silane.