DFT study on electronic properties of single- and double-shell icosahedral fullerenes

Multi-shell fullerenes are widely studied for their interesting properties although comparative studies on single- and multi-shell structures remain scarce. In this work, important electronic features of single- and double-shell icosahedral fullerenes as a function of their sizes were calculated in the framework of the density functional theory. Fully optimized structures were used to get the gap between the highest occupied molecular and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (H-L gap), electronegativity, softness and density of the electronic states. This work shows that the H-L gap of the single-shell fullerenes decreases nonlinearly as the nanoparticles size increases, whereas for the double-shell fullerenes an opposite trend is obtained. A decrease of the H-L gap is found going from single- to double-shell fullerenes with similar external sizes, up to a diameter of 3.13 nm. The electron density of states revealed that isolated peaks give way to more dense electronic states for nanoparticles with diameters above 2 nm.     

Evaluation of methods to predict reactivity of gold nanoparticles

Several methods have appeared in the literature for predicting reactivity on metallic surfaces and on the surface of metallic nanoparticles. All of these methods have some relationship to the concept of frontier molecular orbital theory. The d-band theory of Hammer and N?rskov is perhaps the most widely used predictor of reactivity on metallic surfaces, and it has been successfully applied in many cases. Use of the Fukui function and the condensed Fukui function is well established in organic chemistry, but has not been so widely applied in predicting the reactivity of metallic nanoparticles. In this article, we will evaluate the usefulness of the condensed Fukui function in predicting the reactivity of a family of cubo-octahedral gold nanoparticles and make comparison with the d-band method.     

A molecular bowl sumanene

Nonplanar polyaromatic carbon molecules including fullerenes and carbon nanotubes have been attracting great interest due to their potential as materials, catalysts, etc. In this context, bowl-shaped polyaromatic hydrocarbons (π bowls) are considered to be key materials in the science of nonplanar π-conjugated carbon systems. Among π bowls, we focused on a molecular bowl "sumanene (C(21)H(12))" featuring a C(3v) symmetric structural motif present in fullerenes or carbon nanotube molecules. In this article, we present the research on sumanenes to date, including their synthesis, structural characterization, derivatization, complexation, and their potential uses as electrical materials. The characteristic structural feature of a sumanene depends on three sp(3) hybridized carbon atoms at the benzylic positions. Facile functionalization via selective formation of benzylic anions gives stereoselective substituted compounds, the π-extended derivatives, and the deeper π bowls. Furthermore, the dynamically flexible aspect based on bowl-to-bowl inversion is also described. The crystal with a columnar bowl-in-bowl stacking exhibits a high electron transport ability with anisotropy. Complexation with a cyclopentadienyl iron cation results in the first selective formation of the concave-bound complex as a π-bowl complex.     

Fullerenes as unique nanopharmaceuticals for disease treatment

As unique nanoparticles, fullerenes have attracted much attention due to their unparalleled physical, chemical and biological properties. Various functionalized fullerenes with -OH, -NH₂, -COOH, and peptide modifications were developed. It summarized the biological activities of fullerenes derivatives in cancer therapy with high efficiency and low toxicity, as reactive oxygen species scavenger and lipid peroxidation inhibitor, to inhibit human immunodeficiency virus and to suppress bacteria and microbial at low concentration. In addition, the mechanism for fullerene to enter cells and biodistribution of fullerene in vivo was also discussed. This research focuses on the current understanding of fullerenes-based nanomaterials in the potential clinical application as well as biological mechanism of fullerenes and its derivatives in disease therapy.     

全共轭聚噻吩类和聚硒吩类嵌段共聚物的凝聚态结构调控

嵌段共聚物可发生微相分离形成丰富的介观尺度上的相结构,而共轭聚合物是一类具有特殊的力学、导电性能或光电功能的半刚性链高分子.全共轭嵌段共聚物因其兼具两者的特性而备受瞩目.本文着重介绍了近年来课题组在基于全共轭聚(3-烷基噻吩)和聚(3-烷基硒吩)嵌段共聚物体系的研究进展,通过改变体系的分子结构包括主侧链结构、侧链的烷基长度及取代基团等以及对体系在溶液状态及薄膜状态进行后处理包括改变溶剂、热处理、溶剂蒸气处理等来调控体系的微相分离行为和结晶行为,实现对材料凝聚态结构的调控.在此基础上,以有机场效应晶体管和聚合物太阳能电池器件作为最终体现聚噻吩或聚硒吩类体系凝聚态结构与性能关系的平台,将获得的调控体系凝聚态结构的有效策略用于实现其半导体材料物理性能的提升.     

Enhancement of titanium dioxide photocatalysis by water-soluble fullerenes

Fullerenes are known for their unique electronic properties including high electron affinity. Although use of fullerenes for scavenging photo-generated electrons from titanium dioxide particles has been demonstrated, no attempts have been made to utilize the unique properties of fullerenes to increase the efficacy of photocatalysis. The present study has demonstrated that a mixture of water-soluble polyhydroxy fullerenes (PHF) and titanium dioxide (anatase polymorph) enhances photocatalytic degradation of organic dye. The PHF molecules adsorbed to the surface of titanium dioxide due to electrostatic forces, with adsorption density being higher at lower pH values. The surface coverage of titanium dioxide nanoparticles by PHF molecules determined the extent of enhancement, with an optimum dosed weight ratio of PHF to titanium dioxide at 0.001. Hydroxylation and concomitant solubilization of fullerenes allow their unique electronic properties to be harnessed for photocatalysis.     

The application of quantum chemistry and condensed matter theory in studying amino-acids, protein folding and anticancer drug technology

The adaptation of methods from quantum chemistry and condensed matter theory for studying biological molecules has proved fruitful in developing our understanding of the electronic and conformational structure and thereby the functionality of amino-acids and proteins. Professor Suhai has been at the forefront of these developments and has made contributions in many areas of this vast field of research. In this article, we focus on three such areas, namely, (1) amino acids, (2) bacteriorhodopsin and (3) anti-cancer drugs involving especially Ru and Rh. We show how advances in density functional theory (DFT) have been used to calculate the electronic structure and density in amino-acids so that they can be compared with X-ray diffraction studies. We also demonstrate how ideas from the theory of phase transitions in condensed matter may be applied for studying phase transitions in bacteriorhodopsin, DNA and proteins. Finally, we highlight some of the recent work done in bringing DFT together with quantum chemistry modelling in studying metallopharmaceutical complexes and conformations of peptides.     

Collective dynamics of dipolar and multipolar colloids: From passive to active systems

This article reviews recent research on the collective dynamical behavior of colloids with dipolar or multipolar interactions. Indeed, whereas equilibrium structures and static self-assembly of such systems are now rather well understood, the past years have seen an explosion of interest in understanding dynamicals aspects, from the relaxation dynamics of strongly correlated dipolar networks over systems driven by time-dependent, electric, or magnetic fields, to pattern formation and dynamical control of active, self-propelled systems. Unraveling the underlying mechanisms is crucial for a deeper understanding of self-assembly in and out of equilibrium and the use of such particles as functional devices. At the same time, the complex dynamics of dipolar colloids poses challenging physical questions and puts forward their role as model systems for nonlinear behavior in condensed matter physics. Here we attempt to give an overview of these developments, with an emphasis on theoretical and simulation studies.     

General formulae for interacting spherical nanoparticles and fullerenes

Most nanodevices under investigation adopt a computational approach such as molecular dynamics simulations, which gives a numerical value for the potential energy as calculated from the interaction of every atom on one molecule with every atom on a second molecule. Although the simulation only involves short range atom–atom interactions and ignores those interactions at longer distances, the simulation still involves significant computational time. In this paper, we determine analytical formulae for four types of Lennard–Jones interactions: (i) a solid spherical nanoparticle with an atom, (ii) two distinct radii hollow spherical fullerenes, (iii) a solid spherical nanoparticle with a hollow spherical fullerene and (iv) two distinct radii solid spherical nanoparticles. The interaction energy using the 6–12 Lennard–Jones potential for these four situations are determined using the continuum approximation, which assumes that a discrete atomic structure can be replaced by either an average atomic surface density or an average atomic volume density. Using these formulae the computational time for a simulation might be dramatically reduced for those molecular interactions involving spherical nanoparticles or fullerenes. Such formulae might be exploited in hybrid analytical-computational numerical schemes, as well as in metallofullerenes and certain assumed spherical models of molecules such as methane and ammonia. As an illustration of the formulae presented here we determine both the most stable and the maximum radii of a solid spherical nanoparticle inside a fullerene, modelling the centre of a carbon onion or metallofullerenes. We also determine new cut-off formulae for interacting spherical nanoparticles and fullerenes which might be useful in computational schemes.     

p-tert-Butylcalix[8]arene-bonded silica monoliths for liquid chromatography

Monolithic silica columns have inspired considerable research interests in the separation science because of their unique properties in permeability, mass transfer, efficiency and throughput. In this paper, a chemically p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene-bonded silica monolith was prepared as the promising candidate for versatile LC separations. Micrometer-sized macropores and nanometer-sized mesopores in this derivatized silica monolith reduce the diffusion path length and provide both low backpressure and high column efficiencies, leading to high-speed and high-throughput separations. Since p-tert-butylcalix[8]arene possesses a pi-donors cavity composed of benzene rings while polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, anthraquinones, phenol regio isomers and fullerenes are pi-systems with appreciable electron affinity, they may have a chance to get involved in forming host-guest inclusion complexes through non-covalent interactions, e.g. hydrophobic and pi-pi interactions. Compared with RP-18e, the prepared calixarene-bonded monolith exhibited better selectivity to molecules which contains more pi-electrons and more condensed cyclic moieties. The column efficiency was about 22,000 plates/m. The calixarene-bonded monolith also showed its good performances in separation of fullerenes and dihydropyridines, indicating a promising approach for purification of fullerenes with high purity from the carbon soot.     

Sizes of pentagonal clusters in fullerenes

Stability and chemistry, both exohedral and endohedral, of fullerenes are critically dependent on the distribution of their obligatory 12 pentagonal faces. It is well known that there are infinitely many IPR-fullerenes and that the pentagons in these fullerenes can be at an arbitrarily large distance from each other. IPR-fullerenes can be described as fullerenes in which each connected cluster of pentagons has size 1. In this paper we study the combinations of cluster sizes that can occur in fullerenes and whether the clusters can be at an arbitrarily large distance from each other. For each possible partition of the number 12, we are able to decide whether the partition describes the sizes of pentagon clusters in a possible fullerene, and state whether the different clusters can be at an arbitrarily large distance from each other. We will prove that all partitions with largest cluster of size 5 or less can occur in an infinite number of fullerenes with the clusters at an arbitrarily large distance of each other, that 9 partitions occur in only a finite number of fullerene isomers and that 15 partitions do not occur at all in fullerenes.     

Reactivity of boron fullerenes

The properties of carbon and boron fullerenes are compared, and similarities and distinctions are pointed out. The ionization potentials and electron affinities of boron nanoparticles are estimated, and the binding energy for these systems is calculated.     

关于高分子凝聚态物理学范式的思考

每门成熟科学必然都存在一个范式,体现该门学科特殊的内在结构、基本理论框架,界定研究范围.但迄今为止,发展迅猛的高分子凝聚态物理学的范式尚未形成.本文梳理、总结了近二、三十年来高分子凝聚态物理学的重要成果,阐述并强调了软凝聚态物质、自相似、分形、标度律、关联效应、溶致凝聚、熵致相变、布朗运动、多体效应和对称破缺等基本概念及其意义,指出探究和凝练高分子凝聚态物理学的范式是摆在当前高分子物理学家面前亟待解决的问题.     

New methods for nanotoxicology: synchrotron radiation-based techniques

Nanotoxicology, a new branch of bionanoscience, deals with the study and application of the toxic or biological effects of nanomaterials or nanostructures, and aims to fill gaps in our knowledge of interactions between nano- and biosystems. However, progress in this new discipline largely relies on developing methodology to characterize nanomaterials in biological samples, quantify nanoparticles in living systems, and study their uptake, translocation, biodistribution, location and chemical status in vitro and in vivo, etc. In this review article, we focus on the main features of synchrotron radiation-based methods and their application to the study of the toxicological activities of nanomaterials. Synchrotron radiation-based analytical techniques are shown to provide a potent means for characterizing the toxic or biological behaviors of nanoparticles in biological systems.     

Classification system for fullerenes

The universal classification of nanoshells developed on the basis of group theory makes it possible to formulate new rules of the composition and structure of fullerenes. The classification shows the possible numbers of atoms for a given point group of symmetry, their arrangement at the symmetry elements, the number of nonequivalent groups of atoms in a structure, their coordination numbers, and the angles between bonds. The suggested formulas of the compositions of nanostructures and their classification is valid for all fullerenes known thus far and makes it possible to determine the compositions of as yet unknown fullerenes. The composition of heteroatomic nanoparticles with differently coordinated atoms composed of several shells shifted with respect to one another in accordance with the lengths and angles of chemical bonds between atoms of these shells can also be determined. The suggested procedure was used for calculating bridging diatomic nanostructures, for which a general formula for determining the compositions is derived. The stability of some predicted structures is supported by accurate quantum-chemical calculations.     

Use of nanoparticles in capillary and microchip electrochromatography

Applications of nanoparticles are of rising interest in separation science, due to their favorable surface-to-volume ratio as well as their applicability in miniaturization. A stationary phase with large surface area in combination with an electroosmotic flow-driven system has great potential in a highly efficient separation system. This review covers the use of various nanoparticles as stationary or pseudostationary phase in capillary and microchip electrochromatography. The use of nanoparticles in pseudostationary phase capillary electrochromatography and open-tubular capillary electrochromatography are thoroughly discussed. The stationary and pseudostationary phases that are described include polymer nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, silica nanoparticles, fullerenes and carbon nanotubes.     

Fullerenes in Sol-Gel Materials

The family of fullerene molecules is composed of a large variety of compounds that have been synthesized following the discovery of C₆₀ in 1985. The chemistry of fullerenes, developed in these last years, has allowed designing the properties of this family of molecules for specific applications in materials science. One of the main tasks to build up solid state devices based on fullerenes is the synthesis of materials doped with a highly dispersed and homogeneous distribution of fullerenes. Many of the peculiar photophysical properties, such as the reverse saturable absorption used to obtain a solid state optical limiter, are in fact lost in the aggregates of fullerenes. Sol-gel processing allows preparing inorganic oxides and hybrid organic-inorganic materials at low temperatures and presents an interesting alternative to organic polymers to entrap molecules of the fullerene family in a solid matrix. Porous inorganic solids and aerogels are also important classes of materials that can be synthesized via sol-gel and can act as hosts of fullerenes. In the present article we have reviewed the main achievements of sol-gel processing of fullerene based nanocomposite materials.     

Characterisation and determination of fullerenes: A critical review

A prominent sector of nanotechnology is occupied by a class of carbon-based nanoparticles known as fullerenes. Fullerene particle size and shape impact in how easily these particles are transported into and throughout the environment and living tissues. Currently, there is a lack of adequate methodology for their size and shape characterisation, identification and quantitative detection in environmental and biological samples. The most commonly used methods for their size measurements (aggregation, size distribution, shape, etc.), the effect of sampling and sample treatment on these characteristics and the analytical methods proposed for their determination in complex matrices are discussed in this review. For the characterisation and analysis of fullerenes in real samples, different analytical techniques including microscopy, spectroscopy, flow field-flow fractionation, electrophoresis, light scattering, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry have been reported. The existing limitations and knowledge gaps in the use of these techniques are discussed and the necessity to hyphenate complementary ones for the accurate characterisation, identification and quantitation of these nanoparticles is highlighted.     

Bioconjugated Luminescent Nanoparticles for Biological Applications

Abstract

Inorganic nanostructures that interface with biological systems have recently attracted widespread interest in biology and medicine. Nanoparticles are thought to have potential as novel luminescent probes for both diagnostic (e.g., imaging) and therapeutic (e.g., drug delivery) purposes because of their size comparable to biomolecules and their novel optical, electronic, and magnetic properties. Critical issues for successful nanoparticle delivery include the ability to target specific tissues and cell types and escape from the biological particulate filter known as reticuloendothelial system. Three distinct types of luminescent nanoparticles have been identified which show promise in bioanalysis, namely dye‐doped nanoparticles, semiconductor and metal nanoparticles. In this article we examine the recent advances in the development of dye‐doped nanoparticles, metal and semiconductor nanoparticles, bioconjugation schemes to attach these nanoparticles to biomolecules and a few biological applications.