Impact and mechanism of TiO2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis in vitro

The impact of TiO₂ nanoparticles on DNA synthesis in vitro in the dark and the molecular mechanism of such impact were studied. The impact of TiO₂ nanoparticles on DNA synthesis was investigated by adding TiO₂ nanoparticles in different sizes and at various concentrations into the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system. TiO₂ nanoparticles were premixed with the DNA polymerase, the primer or the template, respectively and then the supernatant and the precipitation of each mixture were added into the PCR system separately to observe the impact on DNA synthesis. Sequentially the interaction between TiO₂ nanoparticles and the DNA polymerase, the primer or the template was further analyzed by using UV-visible spectroscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results suggest that TiO₂ nanoparticles inhibit DNA synthesis in the PCR system in the dark more severely than microscale TiO₂ particles at the equivalent concentration and the inhibition effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles is concentration dependent. The molecular mechanism of such inhibition is that in the dark, TiO₂ nanoparticles interact with the DNA polymerase through physical adsorption while TiO₂ nanoparticles do with the primer or the template in a chemical adsorption manner. The disfunction levels of the bio-molecules under the impact of TiO₂ nanoparticles are in the following order: the primer > the template > the DNA polymerase. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50572074 & 50673078), the Shanghai Key Fundamental Project (Grant No. 06JC14068) and the Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (Grant No. 08ZZ21)     

Impact and mechanism of TiO_2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis in vitro

The impact of TiO2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis in vitro in the dark and the molecular mechanism of such impact were studied. The impact of TiO2 nanoparticles on DNA synthesis was investigated by adding TiO2 nanoparticles in different sizes and at various concentrations into the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system. TiO2 nanoparticles were premixed with the DNA polymerase, the primer or the template, respectively and then the supernatant and the precipitation of each mixture were added into the PCR system separately to observe the impact on DNA synthesis. Sequentially the interaction be- tween TiO2 nanoparticles and the DNA polymerase, the primer or the template was further analyzed by using UV-visible spectroscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE). The results suggest that TiO2 nanoparticles inhibit DNA synthesis in the PCR system in the dark more severely than mi- croscale TiO2 particles at the equivalent concentration and the inhibition effect of TiO2 nanoparticles is concentration dependent. The molecular mechanism of such inhibition is that in the dark, TiO2 nanoparticles interact with the DNA polymerase through physical adsorption while TiO2 nanoparticles do with the primer or the template in a chemical adsorption manner. The disfunction levels of the bio-molecules under the impact of TiO2 nanoparticles are in the following order: the primer > the tem- plate > the DNA polymerase.     

A Novel Toxicological Evaluation of TiO2 Nanoparticles on DNA Structure0

TiO2 has been tested to be toxic to DNA under the photo-irradiation of ultraviolet A （UVA）. However, in the dark conditions, after several days of treatment with TiO2 in aqueous solution, the interaction between TiO2 and two types of DNA was detected and the mechanisms were studied by the methods of gel-electrophoresis, IR spectroscopy and TEM. The results showed that the DNA would be bound to TiO2; the ratio of binding was related to the concentration and the treating time; the mechanism of binding is related to phosphate groups of DNA. Besides, DNA with different structure showed different degree of binding. These findings showed a new possible way through which the TiO2 nanoparticles interact with DNA.     

Sol–gel immobilization of SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> on hydrophobic clay and its removal of methyl orange from water

In this study, SiO₂/TiO₂–organoclay hybrids with high adsorption capability and high photocatalytic activity were synthesized by immobilizing mixed silica and titanium dioxide nanoparticles on organically modified clay via a hydrothermal sol–gel method. Addition of negatively charged silica particles enhanced the uniform dispersion of titanium dioxide nanoparticles on organoclay layers by decreasing the system tension, which resulted in high photocatalytic activity of SiO₂/TiO₂–organoclay hybrids. The high adsorption capability endowed by organically modified clay enriched the organic compounds around the photoactive sites, and thus greatly improved the photodegradation efficiency. Combining the high adsorption capability of organoclay with the high photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles, SiO₂/TiO₂–organoclay hybrids were promising and cost-effective photocatalysts in removal of pollutants from wastewater.     

Photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds by Au-TiO2/sepiolite composites as the highly efficient catalysts

Photocatalytic oxidation of methyl orange (MO) and Congo red (CR) as typical model organic contaminants was investigated in aqueous solution within a cooperating Au/TiO₂/sepiolite heterostructure system under UV light irradiation. The Au/TiO₂/sepiolite composites with a single-crystalline (anatase) framework was synthesized by a facile sol-gel method using titanium tetrachloride as a TiO₂ precursor and depositing metal Au on the surface of TiO₂ nanostructures via a facile chemical reduction process. The crystal structure, surface area, light adsorption and the photoinduced charge separation rate of the photocatalyst prepared were characterized in detail. As compared with the pristine TiO₂, the Au/TiO₂/sepiolite hybrid material exhibited good photocatalytic efficiency (90%) for the UV-light photooxidation of methyl orange, which is four-fold of that of reference TiO₂. In addition, Au/TiO₂/sepiolite hybrid material also shows a good photodegradation performance toward Congo red removal. The highly efficient photocatalytic activity is associated with the strong adsorption ability of sepiolite for aromatic dye molecules, fast photogenerated charge separation due to the formation of Schottky junction between TiO₂ and metallic Au. This work suggests that the combination of the excellent adsorption properties of sepiolite and the efficient separation effect of noble metallic nanoparticles provides a versatile strategy for the synthesis of novel and highly efficient photocatalysts.     

A novel one cycle allele specific primer extension--molecular beacon displacement method for DNA point mutation detection with improved specificity

We report here a new method for the real-time detection of DNA point mutations with molecular beacon as the fluorescence tracer and 3′ (exo-) Bst DNA polymerase large fragment as the polymerase. The method is based on the mechanism of allele specific primer extension-strand displacement (ASPE-SD). To improve the specificity of the method only one cycle of the allele specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used that could largely eliminate the non-specific reactions between the primers and template of the “wrong” genotype. At first, the primer and molecular beacon both hybridize to the DNA template, and the molecular beacon emits intensive fluorescence. The role of 3′ exonuclease excision of Bst DNA polymerase large fragment is utilized for primer extension. When 3′-termini matches its corresponding template, the primer would efficiently extend and replace the molecular beacon that would simultaneously return to its closed form leading to the quenching of the fluorescence. However, when 3′-termini of the primer mismatches its corresponding template primer extension and molecular beacon displacement would not happen and fluorescence of the hybridized molecular beacon holds the line without fluorescence quenching. This approach was fully demonstrated in synthetic template systems and applied to detect point mutation at codon 259, a possible point mutation site in exon 7 of p53 gene, obtained from human genomic DNA samples with unambiguous differentiation power.     

Zeta potential of shape-controlled TiO2 nanoparticles with surfactants

Zeta potential of shape- and size-controlled TiO₂ nanoparticles obtained with the introduction of surfactants during synthesis was measured at different pH values. A unique finding is that TiO₂ nanoparticles shaped by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) have double isoelectric points (IEPs), while other shape-controlled TiO₂ nanoparticles have only one IEP. The double IEPs might be due to the complex chemistry of TiO₂ nanoparticles with the presence of impurities (Na, S, C, etc.). At neutral pH, shape- and size-controlled TiO₂ nanoparticles have more negative zeta potential values and lower IEPs than TiO₂ nanoparticles obtained without the addition of surfactants during synthesis and the commercial anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles Degussa P-25. The lower IEPs could be attributed to the presence of carbonates on particle surfaces. The IEP value of TiO₂ nanoparticles increases with an increase in calcination temperature. The results suggest that the zeta potential of TiO₂ nanoparticles can be manipulated with the addition of surfactants during the synthesis process.     

Structurally Stabilized Organosilane‐Templated Thermostable Mesoporous Titania

Structurally thermostable mesoporous anatase TiO₂ (m‐TiO₂) nanoparticles, uniquely decorated with atomically dispersed SiO₂, is reported for the first time. The inorganic Si portion of the novel organosilane template, used as a mesopores‐directing agent, is found to be incorporated in the pore walls of the titania aggregates, mainly as isolated sites. This is evident by transmission electron microscopy and high‐angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, combined with electron dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. This type of unique structure provides exceptional stability to this new material against thermal collapse of the mesoporous structure, which is reflected in its high surface area (the highest known for anatase titania), even after high‐temperature (550 °C) calcination. Control of crystallite size, pore diameter, and surface area is achieved by varying the molar ratios of the titanium precursor and the template during synthesis. These mesoporous materials retain their porosity and high surface area after template removal and further NaOH/HCl treatment to remove silica. We investigate their performance for dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) with bilayer TiO₂ electrodes, which are prepared by applying a coating of m‐TiO₂ onto a commercial titania (P25) film. The high surface area of the upper mesoporous layer in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC significantly increases the dye loading ability of the photoanode. The photocurrent and fill factor for the DSSC with the bilayer TiO₂ electrode are greatly improved. The large increase in photocurrent current (ca. 56 %) in the P25–m‐TiO₂ DSSC is believed to play a significant role in achieving a remarkable increase in the photovoltaic efficiency (60 %) of the device, compared to DSSCs with a monolayer of P25 as the electrode.     

Interaction of ZnII Porphyrin with TiO2 Nanoparticles: From Mechanism to Synthesis of Hybrid Nanomaterials

The mechanism of interaction of Zn porphyrin (ZnPP) with TiO₂ surfaces is investigated with a view to optimizing the synthesis of hybrid nanomaterials. The strategy consists of studying the adsorption of ZnPP on TiO₂ flat surfaces by taking advantage of complementary surface characterization techniques. Combining a detailed X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis with AFM imaging allows ZnPP–surface and ZnPP intermolecular interactions to be discriminated. Probing the adsorption of ZnPP on TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) reveals the dominant role of ZnPP‐mediated interactions, which are associated with the formation of ZnPP multilayers and/or with the state of aggregation of NPs. These preliminary investigations provide a guideline to synthesizing a novel ZnPP–TiO₂ hybrid nanomaterial in a one‐step protocol. In this material, ZnPP molecules are presumably involved in the TiO₂ lattice rather than on the NP surface. Furthermore, ZnPP molecules preserve their electronic properties within the TiO₂ NPs, and this makes the ZnPP–TiO₂ hybrid nanomaterial an excellent candidate for nanomedicine and related applications, such as localization of nanoparticles in cells and tissues or in photodynamic therapy.     

Synthesis of Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles with β‐Cyclodextrin as a Supramolecular Shell

We report a novel, green hydrothermal‐synthesis route to well‐dispersed anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles with particle sizes of 9–16 nm in the presence of β‐CD (β‐cyclodextrin). During the synthesis process, the CD‐containing synthesis mixture assembled in both longitudinal and latitudinal directions. Driven by the interaction between molecules, the β‐CDs assembled in the longitudinal direction to form long‐chain compounds, whereas in the latitudinal direction, they tended to form regular aggregates through coordination with the Ti species from the hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate. In view of the effect of the coordination and the steric hindrance of β‐CDs as a supramolecular shell, homogeneous nuclei and slow growth of TiO₂ crystals during the synthesis process was observed, which was responsible for the formation of uniform TiO₂ nanoparticles. The low β‐CD dosage and the high product yield (>90 %) demonstrated well the potential of this synthesis route in the large‐scale industrial production of anatase nanoparticles.     

A Photoelectrochemical Biosensor Fabricated using Hierarchically Structured Gold Nanoparticle and MoS2 on Tannic Acid Templated Mesoporous TiO2

In a tannic acid assisted synthesis of mesoporous TiO₂, tannic acid was used as a cost effective and non‐toxic template for pore formation. Meanwhile, a gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) deposited TiO₂ nanocomposite was coated on an indium tin oxide electrode for the fabrication of a photoelectrochemical (PEC) biosensing system. Upon the formation of anatase structure, the electrode was coated with MoS₂ for effective visible light absorption. The mesoporous structure led to an enhanced surface area by improving Au NPs and glucose oxidase adsorption. Incorporation of Au NPs led to an enhanced photonic efficiency due to the generation of Schottky barriers. The obtained nanocomposite was used for the light‐driven, real‐time, and selective PEC glucose sensing. Under visible light irradiation, the enzyme immobilized electrodes yielded significant photocurrent improvement owing to the releasing electron donor H₂O₂. The obtained PEC biosensor demonstrated acceptable reproducibility and stability with a sensitivity of 4.42 μA mM^?1 cm^?2 and a low detection limit of 1.2 μM glucose. Also, the linear measurement range was found to be 0.004–1.75 mM glucose. The results indicated that the proposed production method of mesoporous TiO₂ will pave the way for a green chemistry based porous material production, along with the extension of the implementation of semiconductors in PEC biosensing systems.     

Synthesis of nanosized titanium dioxide from tetrabutoxytitanium

Mesoporous TiO₂ has been obtained by template synthesis. The introduction of a surfactant in the hydrolysis of tetrabutoxytitanium in aqueous ethanol allows the structure of the resulting material to be controlled. The amorphous TiO₂ resulting from hydrolysis turns into anatase on being calcined at 300°C. As determined by X-ray diffraction, the anatase crystallite size is 70 nm in the presence of the highest surfactant concentration examined and 210 nm in the absence of a surfactant. Amorphous materials have been characterized by electron microscopy and differential thermal analysis. The ultimate benzene adsorption value has been determined for calcined mesoporous TiO₂.     

Selective adsorption of epigallocatechin gallate onto highly reusable gallium doped mesoporous TiO2 nanoparticles adsorbent

This work describes a potential selective adsorption of epigallocatechin gallate by Ga-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) and showed excellent adsorption (～99%) and desorption capacity even after the 7th run. The work reports about a surfactant mediated template based synthesis of both pristine and Ga-doped TiO₂ mesoporous NPs to study the adsorption behavior EGCG. EGCG is the most abundant and bio-active compound capable of showing free radical scavenging activity, anticancer, antibacterial, and several other physiological functions. Therefore, extraction of EGCG is highly desirable for incorporation in food items that can effectively increase their nutritional and medicinal values. The pore diameter of the synthesized materials was found to be in the range 8.76–10.38 nm and the specific surface area was found to be around 25.80–58.72 m²/g. The particle size decreased from 25 nm to 15 nm in presence of Ga. A mixture of anatase and brookite phase was observed for all the synthesized TiO₂ NPs. The band gap value initially (3.40 eV) decreased in presence of minute amounts of Ga (3.44 eV) but then increased (3.59 eV) with the increase of Ga percentage. The point of zero charge (PZC) value of the materials lies in the range of 6.6–7.2. The adsorption study was carried out at different pH (1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) with variation of shaking time (1 h, 3 h, 5 h and 7 h). The material containing maximum Ga in the Ga-doped set (Set 3 TiO₂ NPs) showed highest adsorption percentage (99.45%) in pH 1 medium after 5 h shaking. The adsorption isotherm and the kinetics follow the Langmuir model and pseudo-second order respectively. Desorption was studied under high energy gamma rays, shaking, sonication and UV irradiation. The highest desorption (～96%) was obtained with sonication for 30 min.     

Nano Au/TiO2 hollow microsphere membranes for the improved sensitivity of detecting specific DNA sequences related to transgenes in transgenic plants

Gold nanoparticles (nano Au)/titanium dioxide (TiO₂) hollow microsphere membranes were prepared on the carbon paste electrode (CPE) for enhancing the sensitivity of DNA hybridization detection. The immobilization of nano Au and TiO₂ microsphere was investigated with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The hybridization events were monitored with EIS using [Fe(CN)₆]^3?/4? as indicator. The sequence-specific DNA of the 35S promoter from cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV35S) gene was detected with this DNA electrochemical sensor. The dynamic detection range was from 1.0×10^?12 to 1.0×10^?8 mol/L DNA and a detection limit of 2.3×10^?13 mol/L could be obtained. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the terminator of nopaline synthase (NOS) gene from the real sample of a kind of transgenic soybean was also satisfactorily detected.     

Nonenzymatic Oligomerization of Ribonucleotides: Towards in vitro Selection Experiments

Inspired by the polymerase chain reaction, orthogonal primer–template pairs have been applied in template‐controlled oligomerization experiments with Orgel's imidazole‐activated ribonucleotide‐5′‐phosphates. Variation of the linker length allowed us to monitor the extension of both primers simultaneously on a DNA sequencer. Sets of hexapyrimidine primers were found that are capable of inducing the reciprocal synthesis of each other's binding site. Considerable cross‐inhibition by different monomers was observed. However, this effect is a function of primer sequence and can disappear in favorable cases. With random sequences introduced into the templates, selection experiments are within reach. First results are reported below.     

Photocatalytic oxidation of organic dyes with visible-light-driven codoped TiO2 photocatalysts

A novel copper (II) and zinc (II) codoped TiO₂ photocatalyst was synthesized by a modified sol-gel method using titanium (IV) isopropoxide, Zn(NO₃)₂ · 6H₂O and copper(Il) nitrate as precursors. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and photo-luminescence spectra (PL). The XRD results showed undoped and Zn, Cu-codoped TiO₂ nanoparticles mainly including anatase phase and a tiny amount of Zn- and Cu-oxides exist in the mixed system, which is attributed to the decomposition of copper and zinc nitrates in the TiO₂ gel to form CuO and ZnO and randomly dispersed on the TiO₂ surface. On the basis of the optical characterization results, we found that the codoping of copper (II) and zinc (II) resulted a red shift of adsorption and lower recombination probability between electrons and holes, which were the reasons for high photocatalytic activity of Zn, Cu-codoped TiO₂ nanoparticles under visible light (λ > 400 nm). The photocatalytic activity of samples was tested for degradation of methyl orange (MO) in solutions. The results indicated that the visible-light driven capability of the codoped catalyst were much higher than that of the pure TiO₂ catalyst under visible irradiation. Because of the synergetic effect of copper (II) and zinc (II) element, the Zn, Cu-codoped TiO₂ catalyst will show higher quantum yield and enhance absorption of visible light. In the end, a key mechanism was proposed in order to account for the enhanced activity.     

The effects of solvent on photocatalytic properties of Bi2WO6/TiO2 heterojunction under visible light irradiation

Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ heterojunction photocatalysts with two different microstructures were controllably fabricated via a facile two-step synthetic route. XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, BET-surface, DRS, PL spectra, photoelectrochemical measurement (Mott-Schottky), and zeta-potential analyzer were employed to clarify structural and morphological characteristics of the obtained products. The results showed that Bi₂WO₆ nanoparticles/nanosheets grew on the primary TiO₂ nanorods. The TiO₂ nanorods used as a synthetic template inhibit the growth of Bi₂WO₆ crystals along the c-axis, resulting in Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ heterostructure with one-dimensional (1D) morphology. The photocatalytic properties of Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ heterojunction photocatalysts were strongly dependent on their shapes and structures. Compared with bare Bi₂WO₆ and TiO₂, Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ composite have stronger adsorption ability and better visible light photocatalytic activities towards organic dyes. The Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂ composite prepared in EG solvent with optimal Bi:Ti ratio of 2:12 (S-TB2) showed the highest photocatalytic activity, which could totally decompose Rhodamine B within 10 min upon irradiation with visible light (λ > 422 nm), and retained the high photocatalytic performance after five recycles, confirming its stability and practical usability. The results of PL indicated that Bi₂WO₆ and TiO₂ could combine well to form a heterojunction structure which facilitated electron–hole separation, and lead to the increasing photocatalytic activity.     

Study of Pt/TiO2 nanocomposite for cancer-cell treatment

The increasing incidence of cancer all over the world demands new, effective and secure materials for treatment. In this paper, we propose Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposite for cancer-cell treatment because noble metal nanoparticles are supposed to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanoparticles. To evaluate the cancer-cell killing effect of our Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposite, TiO₂ and Au/TiO₂ nanoparticles are also introduced. The prepared Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposite are characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV–vis adsorption spectra. Results of cell treatment indicate that Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposite, as extremely stable metal–semiconductor nanomaterial, can exhibit a very high photodynamic efficiency under a mild ultraviolet radiation. And our Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposite shows to be more effective in cancer-cell treatment than TiO₂ and Au/TiO₂ nanoparticles. As a result, Pt/TiO₂ nanocomposite may be supposed to have a promising application for cancer-cell treatment.     

Liquid-phase Reductive Deposition as Novel Preparation Method for Highly Dispersive Nickel Catalysts

We have been developing the selective deposition method onto TiO₂ nanoparticles, named as the liquid-phase selective-deposition method, where TiO₂ plays a role of formation center of Ni nanoparticles as well as protection from the aggregative growth of the particles. The concept of this method is to well disperse and stabilize Ni nanoparticles on TiO₂ surface by specific adsorption of Ni precursory complexes and then heterogeneous nucleation on the adsorption sites. The particle size was decreased with increasing the amount of Zn added, thus the catalytically active Ni surface area was increased. The selective deposition onto TiO₂ surface and addition of Zn to the nanoparticle promoted the catalytic activity of Ni–Zn nanoparticle, e.g. the catalytic activity of Ni–Zn/TiO₂ was ca. 10 times higher than that of the unsupported Ni nanoparticles. Ni in the nanocomposite was assigned as metallic, although their surface was oxidized under the atmospheric condition, but Zn and B were deposited as their oxide.     

Multifunctional Zn0.3Al0.4O4.5 crystals: An efficient photocatalyst for formaldehyde degradation and EBT adsorption

The Zn_0.3Al_0.4O_4.5 nanoparticles (ZnAlONPs) with size of 70–90 nm are used as an efficient photocatalyst for formaldehyde (HCHO) degradation and effective adsorbent for the removal of eriochrome black-T (EBT) dye from synthetic aqueous solution. Degradation of HCHO reactions were studied using TiO₂ (homemade), TiO₂ (P-25) and ZnAlONPs by irradiating under 18 W daylight lamp source for photocatalytic degradation. The HCHO degradation rate is about 67, 76 and 89% for TiO₂ (homemade), TiO₂ (P25) and ZnAlONPs during 2 h reaction, respectively at initial formaldehyde gas concentration of 20 ppm. Maximum adsorption capacity was optimized by changing the parameters such as pH, EBT concentration and adsorbent dosage. A  200 mg of ZnAlONPs are useable for quick removal of EBT (>95%). Langmuir isotherm model showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 90.90 mgg⁻¹. The ZnAlONPs could be successfully reused upto 5^th adsorption/desorption cycle for EBT dye removal from water samples.