Immobilization of oligonucleotides onto silica nanoparticles for DNA hybridization studies

This paper describes the development of oligonucleotide-functionalized nanoparticles. We used disulfide-coupling chemistry for the immobilization of oligonucleotides onto silica nanoparticles and subsequently demonstrated the properties of the resulting DNA nanoparticles. Factors influencing the immobilization and hybridization processes were examined and optimized. The oligonucleotide-modified silica nanoparticles provide an efficient substrate for hybridization and can be used in the development of DNA biosensors and biochips.     

A novel method for synthesis of silica nanoparticles

A sequential method has been used, for the first time, to prepare monodisperse and uniform-size silica nanoparticles using ultrasonication by sol-gel process. The silica particles were obtained by hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in ethanol medium and a detailed study was carried out on the effect of different reagents on particle sizes. Various-sized particles in the range 20-460 nm were synthesized. The reagents ammonia (2.8-28 mol L(-1)), ethanol (1-8 mol L(-1)), water (3-14 mol L(-1)), and TEOS (0.012-0.12 mol L(-1)) were used and particle size was examined under scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. In addition to the above observations, the effect of temperature on particle size was studied. The results obtained in the present study are in agreement with the results observed for the electronic absorption behavior of silica particles, which was measured by UV-vis spectrophotometry.     

A novel synthesis route for ethylenediamine-protected ruthenium nanoparticles

A novel method has been developed to prepare water-dispersible ethylenediamine (en)-stabilized ruthenium nanoparticles. The procedure involves the reduction of an en-RuCl(3) complex by sodium borohydride. The Ru nanoparticles so prepared are fairly stable in water. TEM imaging shows a mean diameter of about 2.1 nm for the particles and a narrow particle size distribution.     

Dendrimer modified magnetite nanoparticles for protein immobilization

A cascading polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer was synthesized on the surface of magnetite nanoparticles to allow enhanced immobilization of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Characterization of the synthesis revealed exponential doubling of the surface amine from generations one through four starting with an amino silane initiator. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed clear dispersion of the dendrimer-modified magnetite nanoparticles in methanol solution. The dendrimer-modified magnetite nanoparticles were used to carry out magnetic immobilization of BSA. BSA immobilizing efficiency increased with increasing generation from one to five and BSA binding amount of magnetite nanoparticles modified with G5 dendrimer was 7.7 times as much as that of magnetite nanoparticles modified with only aminosilane. There are two major factors that improve the BSA binding capacity of dendrimer-modified magnetite nanoparticles: one is that the increased surface amine can be conjugated to BSA by a chemical bond through glutaraldehyde; the other is that the available area has increased due to the repulsion of surface positive charge.     

Covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase onto new modified acrylonitrile copolymer/silica gel hybrid supports

New polymer/silica gel hybrid supports were prepared by coating high surface area of silica gel with modified acrylonitrile copolymer. The concentrations of the modifying agent (NaOH) and the modified polymer were varied. GOD was covalently immobilized on these hybrid supports and the relative activity and the amount of bound protein were determined. The highest relative activity and sufficient amount of bound protein of the immobilized GOD were achieved in 10% NaOH and 2% solution of modified acrylonitrile copolymer. The influence of glutaraldehyde concentration and the storage time on enzyme efficiency were examined. Glutaraldehyde concentration of 0.5% is optimal for the immobilized GOD. It was shown that the covalently bound enzyme (using 0.5% glutaraldehyde) had higher relative activity than the activity of the adsorbed enzyme. Covalently immobilized GOD with 0.5% glutaraldehyde was more stable for four months in comparison with the one immobilized on pure silica gel, hybrid support with 10% glutaraldehyde and the free enzyme. The effect of the pore size on the enzyme efficiency was studied on four types of silica gel with different pore size. Silica with large pores (CPC-Silica carrier, 375 A) presented higher relative activity than those with smaller pore size (Silica gel with 4, 40 and 100 A). The amount of bound protein was also reduced with decreasing the pore size. The effect of particle size was studied and it was found out that the smaller the particle size was, the greater the activity and the amount of immobilized enzyme were. The obtained results proved that these new polymer/silica gel hybrid supports were suitable for GOD immobilization.     

Direct immobilization of cholesteryl-TEG-modified oligonucleotides onto hydrophobic SU-8 surfaces

We introduce a rapid, simple one-step procedure for the high-yield immobilization of cholesteryl-tetraethyleneglycol-modified oligonucleotides (chol-DNA) at hydrophobic sites made of SU-8 photoresist. Topographic structures of SU-8 were microfabricated on microscope glass coverslips sputtered with a Ti/Au layer. Upon application, chol-DNA adsorbed to the SU-8 structures from solution, leaving the surrounding gold surface free of chol-DNA. chol-DNA immobilization is complete within 15 min and yields a surface coverage in the range of 20-95 pmol/cm(2), which corresponds to a film density of 10(12)-10(13) molecules/cm(2). chol-DNA immobilization is stable and can be sustained despite rinsing, drying, dry storage for several hours, and rehydration of chips. Furthermore, complementary DNA in solution hybridizes efficiently to immobilized chol-DNA.     

Dithiol-mediated immobilization of CdS nanoparticles from reverse micellar system onto Zn-doped silica particles and their high photocatalytic activity

Cds nanoparticles, prepared in a reverse micellar system, were immobilized directly onto alkanedithiol-modified Zn-doped silica particles, which were themselves prepared via hydrolysis of tetraethylorthosilicate in the presence of Zn(NO(3))(2) followed by contact with dithiol molecules. The resulting CdS-Zn-SiO(2) composite was then used as a photocatalyst for the generation of H(2) from 2-propanol aqueous solution. Under UV irradiation (lambda>300 nm), a high photocatalytic activity was observed for the CdS-Zn-SiO(2) composite material. This is effected by electron transfer from the photoexcited ZnS (dithiol-bonded Zn on SiO(2)) to CdS nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity is increased with a decrease in the number of methylene groups in the dithiol molecules, according to the rank order 1,10-decanedithiol <1,6-hexanedithiol <1,2-ethanedithiol.     

A novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence sensor for pyrogallol with core-shell luminol-doped silica nanoparticles modified electrode by the self-assembled technique

The core-shell luminol-doped SiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized and immobilized on the surface of chitosan film coating graphite electrode by the self-assembled technique. Then, a novel electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) sensor for pyrogallol was developed based on its ECL enhancing effect for the core-shell luminol-doped silica nanoparticles. The ECL analytical performances and the sensing mechanism of this ECL sensor for pyrogallol were investigated in detail. The corresponding results showed that: compared with the conventional ECL reaction procedures by luminol ECL reaction system, the electrochemical (EC) reaction of pyrogallol and its subsequent chemiluminescence (CL) reaction occurred in the different spatial region whilst offering a high efficiency to couple the EC with the CL reaction to form the ECL procedures. In this case, this new sensing scheme offered more potential to improve the analytical performances of the ECL reaction. Under the optimum experimental conditions, this ECL sensor showed less than 5% decrease in continuums over 100 times ECL measurements, the detection limit was 1.0 × 1.0⁻⁹ mol/L for pyrogallol. The linear range extended from 3.0 × 10⁻⁹ mol/L to 2.0 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L for pyrogallol.     

Amplified fluorescence response of chemosensors grafted onto silica nanoparticles

In conventional fluorescent chemosensors, the recognition of the target by the receptor unit affects the fluorescence properties of a single covalently coupled fluorescent moiety. Here we show for the first time that when a suitable TSQ derivative is densely grafted onto the surface of preformed silica nanoparticles electronic interactions between the individual chemosensor units enable the free units to recognize the state of the surrounding complexed ones. As a result, the fluorescence transduction is not limited to the local site where binding occurs, but it involves a wider region of the fluorophore network that is able to transfer its excitation energy to the complexed units. Such behavior leads to an amplification of the fluorescence signal. What we report here is the first example of amplification in the case an off-on chemosensor due to its organization onto the surface of silica nanoparticles. We also describe a simple general model to approach amplification in multifluorophoric systems based on the localization of the excited states, which is valid for assemblies such as the supramolecular ones where molecular interactions are weak and do not significantly perturb the individual electronic states. The introduction of an amplification factor f in particular allows for a simple quantitative estimation of the amplification effects.     

Electrostatic self-assembly of PEG copolymers onto porous silica nanoparticles

A critical requirement toward the clinical use of nanocarriers in drug delivery applications is the development of optimal biointerfacial engineering procedures designed to resist biologically nonspecific adsorption events. Minimization of opsonization increases blood residence time and improves the ability to target solid tumors. We report the electrostatic self-assembly of polyethyleneimine-polyethylene glycol (PEI-PEG) copolymers onto porous silica nanoparticles. PEI-PEG copolymers were synthesized and their adsorption by self-assembly onto silica surfaces were investigated to achieve a better understanding of structure-activity relationships. Quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) study confirmed the rapid and stable adsorption of the copolymers onto silica-coated QCM sensors driven by strong electrostatic interactions. XPS and FT-IR spectroscopy were used to analyze the coated surfaces, which indicated the presence of dense PEG layers on the silica nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering was used to optimize the coating procedure. Monodisperse dispersions of the PEGylated nanoparticles were obtained in high yields and the thin PEG layers provided excellent colloidal stability. In vitro protein adsorption tests using 5% serum demonstrated the ability of the self-assembled copolymer layers to resist biologically nonspecific fouling and to prevent aggregation of the nanoparticles in physiological environments. These results demonstrate that the electrostatic self-assembly of PEG copolymers onto silica nanoparticles used as drug nanocarriers is a robust and efficient procedure, providing excellent control of their biointerfacial properties.     

Electrostatic assembly of core-corona silica nanoparticles onto cotton fibers

In this investigation core-corona silica nanoparticles were employed to decorate cotton fibers using electrostatic forces. The resultant composites of silica and cellulose were characterized by FESEM and TEM techniques revealed that layers of the core-corona silica deposited on cotton fibers were more uniform and smoother than those of colloidal silica nanoparticles. This improvement was mostly due to the enhanced dispersion and stabilization capabilities of the covalently bonded corona of silica nanoparticles. Experimental results also unveiled that the adsorption amount of nano core-corona silica materials was strongly governed by the surface charge density and charge strength of the cellulosic substrates. The incorporation of core-corona nanoparticles on cotton will provide a wide range of applications for this natural substrate as the surface properties can be fine tuned by a judicious choice of core, corona materials or by attaching complementary organic or inorganic shells (nano particles or polymers) to the charged corona.     

A novel method of introducing hydrophobic moieties into oligonucleotides for covalent and non-covalent immobilization on electrode surfaces

The depth of location of electrochrome dyes RH-type in a bilayer is evaluated using the magnitudes of intramembrane field Delta phi measured by two methods: from relative change of the rate of transmembrane transport of hydrophobic ions and by means of electrostriction method based on the compensation of the 2nd harmonic of capacitive current, which is generated due to electrostriction phenomenon if sine voltage is applied to the bilayer. The experiments and theoretical analysis are conducted. Comparing the theoretical curves for Delta phi measured by the both methods and the experimental data, the depth of location was estimated as follows: 0.7-1 nm for the dyes RH-421 and RH-160, and 0.9-1.15 nm for the dye RH-237.     

Phosphocreatine immobilization of the surface of silica and magnetite nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery

Russian Chemical Bulletin - A method is proposed for immobilization of anti-ischemic drug phosphocreatine on the surface of aminated silica and magnetite nanoparticles of similar size and shape....     

Amino modified mesostructured silica nanoparticles for efficient adsorption of methylene blue

In this work, mesostructured silica nanoparticles (MSN(AP)) with high adsorptivity were prepared by a modification with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) as a pore expander. The performance of the MSN(AP) was tested by the adsorption of MB in a batch system under varying pH (2-11), adsorbent dosage (0.1-0.5gL(-1)), and initial MB concentration (5-60mgL(-1)). The best conditions were achieved at pH 7 when using 0.1gL(-1) MSN(AP) and 60mgL(-1)MB to give a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 500.1mgg(-1) at 303K. The equilibrium data were evaluated using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Harkins-Jura isotherms and fit well to the Freundlich isotherm model. The adsorption kinetics was best described by the pseudo-second order model. The results indicate the potential for a new use of mesostructured materials as an effective adsorbent for MB.     

Adsorption of phenol and benzyl alcohol onto surfactant modified silica

The adsorption of the surfactant, dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, DTAB, and the co-adsorption of the additives phenol and benzyl alcohol, onto silica from aqueous solutions are investigated. The adsorption of DTAB is found to increase with increasing alcohol concentration in solutions where the DTAB concentration is below the cmc. Moreover, the corresponding adsorption of DTAB decreases when the DTAB concentration is above the cmc. The co-adsorption of the alcohol is found to increase with increasing alcohol concentration, and benzyl alcohol co-adsorbs more strongly than phenol. The surfactant modified silica shows a very high ability to incorporate phenol and benzyl alcohol. The results are discussed in relation to solubilization site and surfactant aggregate shape.     

Click chemistry for facile immobilization of cyclodextrin derivatives onto silica as chiral stationary phases

Click chemistry was applied to immobilize mono-azido-β-cyclodextrin derivatives onto the surface of silica to give novel chiral stationary phases (CSPs). The desired CSPs showed high stability and excellent enantioseparation effects in capillary electrochromatography (CEC).     

新型亲水聚合物修饰硅胶颗粒固定化酶的制备及在蛋白质组鉴定中的应用

采用原子转移自由基聚合法制备了亲水聚合物修饰的硅胶颗粒作为一种新型固定化酶载体,在实现胰蛋白酶高密度固定的同时,显著降低了载体材料非特异性吸附导致的样品损失。因此,该固定化酶材料兼具高酶解效率和高回收率的特性。以标准蛋白质牛血清白蛋白(BSA)为样本,使用该固定化酶1 min即可完成酶解,鉴定到肽段对BSA的氨基酸序列覆盖率可达90%以上。该固定化酶材料成功应用于酵母菌全蛋白质复杂样本的酶解,从3 min酶解产物中鉴定到666个蛋白质,超过同样条件下溶液酶解12 h的鉴定结果。     

Luminescent silica nanoparticles modified with a functional pyrylocyanine dye

A method was developed for the chemical modification of silica nanoparticles with a pyrylium dye under the sol-gel synthesis conditions. The films of silica particles modified with a pyrylium dye gave greenish blue luminescence with a maximum at 490 nm upon treatment with a solution of butylamine. The film samples of silica nanoparticles modified with pyrylocyanine exhibited good light resistance.