Striking Improvement in Peroxidase Activity of Cytochrome c by Modulating Hydrophobicity of Surface‐Functionalized Gold Nanoparticles within Cationic Reverse Micelles

This work demonstrates a remarkable enhancement in the peroxidase activity of mitochondrial membrane protein cytochrome c (cyt c) by perturbing its tertiary structure in the presence of surface‐functionalised gold nanoparticles (GNPs) within cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reverse micelles. The loss in the tertiary structure of cyt c exposes its heme moiety (which is buried inside in the native globular form), which provides greater substrate (pyrogallol and H₂O₂) accessibility to the reactive heme residue. The surfactant shell of the CTAB reverse micelle in the presence of co‐surfactant (n‐hexanol) exerted higher crowding effects on the interfacially bound cyt c than similar anionic systems. The congested interface led to protein unfolding, which resulted in a 56‐fold higher peroxidase activity of cyt c than that in water. Further perturbation in the protein’s structure was achieved by doping amphiphile‐capped GNPs with varying hydrophobicities in the water pool of the reverse micelles. The hydrophobic moiety on the surface of the GNPs was directed towards the interfacial region, which induced major steric strain at the interface. Consequently, interaction of the protein with the hydrophobic domain of the amphiphile further disrupted its tertiary structure, which led to better opening up of the heme residue and, thereby, superior activity of the cyt c. The cyt c activity in the reverse micelles proportionately enhanced with an increase in the hydrophobicity of the GNP‐capping amphiphiles. A rigid cholesterol moiety as the hydrophobic end group of the GNP strikingly improved the cyt c activity by up to 200‐fold relative to that found in aqueous buffer. Fluorescence studies with both a tryptophan residue (Trp59) of the native protein and the sodium salt of fluorescein delineated the crucial role of the hydrophobicity of the GNP‐capping amphiphiles in improving the peroxidase activity of cyt c by unfolding its tertiary structure within the reverse micelles.     

Influence of Capping Ligands on the Self—organization of Gold Nanoparticles into Superlattices from CTAB Reverse Micelles

Gold nanoparticles with size 3-10nm (diameter) were prepared by the reduction of HAuCl4 in a CTAB/octane 1-butanol/H2O reverse micelle system using NaBH4 as the reducing agent.The as-formed gold nanoparticle colloid was characterized by UV/vis absorption spectrum and transmission electron microscopy(TEM).Various capping ligands,such as alkylthiols with different chain length and shape,trioctylphosphine(TOP),and pyridine are used to passivate the gold nanoparticles for the purpose of self-organization into superstructures.It is shown that the ligands have a great influence on the selforganization of gold nanoparticles into superlattices,and dodecanethiol C12H25SH is confirmed to be the best ligand for the self-organization.Self-organization of C12H25SH-capped gold nanoparticles into 1D,2D and 3D supperlattices has been observed on the carbon-coated copper grid by TEM without using any selective precipitation process.     

AEOT反胶束中脂肪酶的催化活性

反胶束已广泛应用于膜模拟化学和蛋白质的液 液萃取中[1～ 3] ,反胶束酶反应作为实现有机相酶催化的方法之一 ,具有许多独特的优点 ,反胶束独特的结构特征使表面活性剂分子组成的膜将油水相隔开 ,从而有利于保持酶的活性和稳定性。酶在反胶束的微水环境中比在水溶液中更接近天然的细胞内环境 ,在这里酶和底物分子均可得到有效的分散 ,接触几率大大提高 ,因而催化效率也得到很大提高。反胶束可以适用于各种类型的 (亲水的、疏水的和双亲的 )底物[4] ,已逐步形成“胶束酶学”的研究分支 ,研究胶束酶学的Martinek等[3] 曾预言 :反胶束体系有可…     

Formation and Gelation of Titania Nanoparticles from AOT Reverse Micelles

Titania nanoparticles have been produced by the controlled hydrolysis of tetraisopropyltitanate (TPT) in sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) reverse micelles. Particle formation and aggregation were investigated by static and dynamic light scattering and the chemical species by vibrational spectroscopy. The kinetics of particle formation and aggregation were controlled by varying [H₂O]/[AOT] (w ₀), [H₂O]/[Ti(IV)] and [AOT]/[Ti(IV)]. Nanoparticles, with diameters<10 nm, could be produced at relatively high Ti(IV) concentrations (up to 0.05 M). These nanoparticles aggregated into sols, with colloid sizes of 20 to 200 nm, eventually forming gelatinous precipitates. Different titania phases were produced, depending on the size of the micellar water pool; small pools (w ₀<6) yielded amorphous particles, while larger pools (w ₀>10) produced anatase.     

Spectroelectrochemical Behavior of Polycrystalline Gold Electrode Modified by Reverse Micelles

The increasing demand for raising the reliability of electronic contacts has led to the development of methods that protect metal surfaces against atmospheric corrosion agents. This severe problem implies an important economic cost annually but small amounts of corrosion inhibitors can control, decrease or avoid reactions between a metal and its environment. In this regard, surfactant inhibitors have displayed many advantages such as low price, easy fabrication, low toxicity and high inhibition efficiency. For this reason, in this article, the spectroelectrochemical behavior of polycrystalline gold electrode modified by reverse micelles (water/polyethyleneglycol-dodecylether (BRIJ 30)/n-heptane) is investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM), potentiodynamic methods and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Main results indicate a strong adsorption of a monolayer of micelles on the gold substrate in which electron tunneling conduction is still possible. Therefore, this method of increasing the corrosion resistance of gold contacts is usable only in conditions of long-term storage but not in the operation of devices with such contacts. In this regard, the micelle coating must be removed from the surface of the gold contacts before use. Finally, the aim of the present work is to understand the reactions occurring at the surfactant/metal interface, which may help to improve the fabrication of novel electrodes.     

Comparison of the Peroxidase‐Like Activity of Unmodified,Amino‐Modified,and Citrate‐Capped Gold Nanoparticles

The origin of the peroxidase‐like activity of gold nanoparticles and the impact of surface modification are studied. Furthermore, some influencing factors, such as fabrication process, redox property of the modifier, and charge property of the substrate, are investigated. Compared to amino‐modified or citrate‐capped gold nanoparticles, unmodified gold nanoparticles show significantly higher catalytic activity toward peroxidase substrates, that is, the superficial gold atoms are a contributing factor to the observed peroxidase‐like activity. The different catalytic activities of amino‐modified and citrate‐capped gold nanoparticles toward 3,3′,5,5′‐tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) show that the charge characteristics of the nanoparticles and the substrate also play an important role in the catalytic reactions.     

Cationic Reverse Micelles Create Water with Super Hydrogen‐Bond‐Donor Capacity for Enzymatic Catalysis: Hydrolysis of 2‐Naphthyl Acetate by α‐Chymotrypsin

Reverse micelles (RMs) are very good nanoreactors because they can create a unique microenvironment for carrying out a variety of chemical and biochemical reactions. The aim of the present work is to determine the influence of different RM interfaces on the hydrolysis of 2‐naphthyl acetate (2‐NA) by α‐chymotrypsin (α‐CT). The reaction was studied in water/benzyl‐n‐hexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BHDC)/benzene RMs and, its efficiency compared with that observed in pure water and in sodium 1,4‐bis‐2‐ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) RMs. Thus, the hydrolysis rates of 2‐NA catalyzed by α‐CT were determined by spectroscopic measurements. In addition, the method used allows the joint evaluation of the substrate partition constant K_p between the organic and the micellar pseudophase and the kinetic parameters: catalytic rate constant k_cat, and the Michaelis constant K_M of the enzymatic reaction. The effect of the surfactant concentration on the kinetics parameters was determined at constant W₀=[H₂O]/[surfactant], and the variation of W₀ with surfactant constant concentration was investigated. The results show that the classical Michaelis–Menten mechanism is valid for α‐CT in all of the RMs systems studied and that the reaction takes place at both RM interfaces. Moreover, the catalytic efficiency values k_cat/K_M obtained in the RMs systems are higher than that reported in water. Furthermore, there is a remarkable increase in α‐CT efficiency in the cationic RMs in comparison with the anionic system, presumably due to the unique water properties found in these confined media. The results show that in cationic RMs the hydrogen‐bond donor capacity of water is enhanced due to its interaction with the cationic interface. Hence, entrapped water can be converted into “super‐water” for the enzymatic reaction studied in this work.     

溶剂对反胶束法合成CdS纳米粒子粒径的影响

以磺基琥珀酸二辛酯钠盐(AOT)为保护剂,利用反胶束法在不同烷烃溶液中合成了CdS纳米粒子.采用紫外-可见光谱、透射电子显微镜、荧光光谱法对其进行表征.研究表明:在不同烷烃溶液中合成的CdS纳米粒子,其粒子大小和荧光强度都随溶剂而改变.     

Fabrication of PbS Nanoparticles Embedded in Silica Gel by Reverse Micelles and Sol-Gel Routes

PbS doped-silica gels showing a visible absorption onset were prepared by the sol-gel method. PbS nanoparticles with strong quantum-confinement effect were obtained from sodium sulfide and lead nitrate by the reverse micelle method. Chemical parameters such as the water/surfactant and the [Pb²⁺]/[S²⁻] ratios play a very important role in the PbS particle size and in their absorption threshold. The PbS nanoparticles were dispersed in a hydrolyzed solution of TEOS and converted to homogeneous gels after heating. The absorption threshold of PbS doped-gel is blue shifted compared to the one of the as-prepared PbS particles. The non-linear optical properties of the PbS nanoparticle solution were measured by degenerate four-wave mixing and theX ⁽³⁾ value was estimated to be 1.95 10⁻¹¹ esu.     

盐酸胍对反胶束中RNase A活性的影响

以胞嘧啶核苷酸2',3'-环单磷酸酯为底物研究了变性剂盐酸胍对十二胺丁酸盐-环己烷反胶束溶液中核糖核酸酶A活性的影响,同水溶液相比,盐酸胍对反胶束中酶活性的抑制作用很小。反胶束的大小限制了酶分子天然态构象的改变,从而保证了其活性中心的完整性。核糖核酸酶A的内源荧光研究发现,同水溶液相比,反胶束中蛋白的最大发射波长没有发生变化,但荧光偏振极化度增加,也表明了在反胶束中酶分子的运动自由度较在水溶液中有所降低。     

混合反胶束的电导与微结构研究

反胶束是两亲分子在非极性溶剂中形成的一种有序组合体，在医药、化工、采油、胶束催化及酶催化等领域中有重要应用．与胶束溶液相比，人们对反胶束的形成与结构的了解至今仍不充分．特别是对于由混合表面活性剂形成的反胶束的研究几乎无人涉及．本文采用动态光散射、电导及荧光光谱等手段对阴离子表面活性剂AOT与非离子表面活性剂形成的混合反胶束进行了研究，旨在探讨利用表面活性剂的复配来调节和控制反胶束的结构和性能．亚实验部分二异辛基磺化琉璃酸钠（AOT，Sigma公司）；Brij30为含4个氧乙烯基（EO基）的十二碳醇（AcrosOrgani…     

Effect of the Cationic Surfactant Moiety on the Structure of Water Entrapped in Two Catanionic Reverse Micelles Created from Ionic Liquid‐Like Surfactants

The behavior of water entrapped in reverse micelles (RMs) formed by two catanionic ionic liquid‐like surfactants, benzyl‐n‐hexadecyldimethylammonium 1,4‐bis‐2‐ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT‐BHD) and cetyltrimethylammonium 1,4‐bis‐2‐ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT‐CTA), was investigated by using dynamic (DLS) and static (SLS) light scattering, FTIR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy techniques. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in which AOT‐CTA has been used to create RMs and encapsulate water. DLS and SLS results revealed the formation of RMs in benzene and the interaction of water with the RM interface. From FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy data, a difference in the magnitude of the water–catanionic surfactant interaction at the interface is observed. For the AOT‐BHD RMs, a strong water–surfactant interaction can be invoked whereas for AOT‐CTA this interaction seems to be weaker. Consequently, more water molecules interact with the interface in AOT‐BHD RMs with a completely disrupted hydrogen‐bond network, than in AOT‐CTA RMs in which the water structure is partially preserved. We suggest that the benzyl group present in the BHD⁺ moiety in AOT‐BHD is responsible for the behavior of the catanionic interface in comparison with the interface created in AOT‐CTA. These results show that a simple change in the cationic component in the catanionic surfactant promotes remarkable changes in the RMs interface with interesting consequences, in particular when using the systems as nanoreactors.     

Detection of Heavy Metal Ions Using Synthesized Amino Thiol Surfactants Assembled on Gold Nanoparticles

In this work, we synthesized amino thiol surfactants, namely, 10-(4-aminophenoxy)-decane-1-thiol and 12-(4-aminophenoxy)-dodecane-1-thiol. The self-assembling of the synthesized surfactants on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was investigated using different techniques such as ultraviolet analysis, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized surfactants show the ability to assemble on gold nanoparticles and form stable nanostructure with it. We used the synthesized surfactants and their nanostructures with gold nanoparticles for the detection of Zn and Ni ions in aqueous solution using the ultraviolet spectrophotometer technique. The synthesized amino thiol surfactants showed the ability to detect Zn and Ni ions at low concentration. The results showed that gold nanoparticles can enhance the detection of Zn and Ni ions using the nanostructures of the synthesized surfactants.     

Preparation of Cross‐Linked Micelles from Glycidyl Methacrylate Based Block Copolymers and Their Usages as Nanoreactors in the Preparation of Gold Nanoparticles

This study reports the synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether‐block‐poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (MPEG‐b‐PGMA) diblock, and poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether‐block‐poly(glycidyl methacrylate)‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (MPEG‐b‐PGMA‐b‐PMMA) triblock copolymers via atom transfer radical polymerization and their self‐assembly behaviors in aqueous media by using acetone as cosolvent. These block copolymers formed near monodisperse core–shell micelles having cross‐linkable cores. Two types of cross‐linked micelles, namely spherical MPEG‐b‐PGMA core cross‐linked (CCL) micelles and MPEG‐b‐PGMA‐b‐PMMA interlayer cross‐linked (ILCL) micelles, were also successfully prepared from these block copolymers by using various bifunctional cross‐linkers such as hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), ethylenediamine (EDA), and 2‐aminoethanethiol (AET). Cross‐linking was successfully carried out via ring‐opening reactions of epoxy residues of hydrophobic‐cores with primary amine or thiol groups of bifunctional cross‐linkers. Finally, these cross‐linked micelles were successfully used as nanoreactors in the synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in aqueous media. Both CCL and ILCL micelles were found to be good stabilizers for AuNPs in aqueous media. Both CCL‐ and ILCL‐stabilized AuNP dispersions were stable for a long time without any size changes and flocculation at room temperature. These cross‐linked stabilized AuNPs exhibited good catalytic activities in the reduction of p‐nitrophenol. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 514–526.     

SiO2介导的5 nm金颗粒的高效富集及其催化活性研究

粒径小于10 nm的金纳米颗粒（Au NPs）具有高的表面积与体积比,因此具有极强的催化活性,在催化领域应用广泛.传统湿法合成的金纳米颗粒浓度过低,需要进一步富集才能满足实验要求.然而,小粒径Au NPs在浓缩过程中容易聚集,失去催化活性.在保持催化活性的同时,浓缩小粒径的AuNPs是一个挑战.本工作用500 nm硅烷化修饰的SiO₂颗粒,通过静电相互作用吸附5 nm Au NPs,在室温下自组装形成Au NPs@SiO₂复合物.Au NPs的负载效率可达99.5%,每个SiO₂上负载的Au NPs高达800～1000个,大大提高了Au NPs有效浓度,并且富集到SiO₂表面的Au NPs不会团聚.催化活性研究结果显示,制备得到的Au NPs@SiO₂的催化活性是同浓度Au NPs的3倍.该复合物颗粒重复使用5次后,催化转换效率仍能保持在80%左右.该复合物颗粒能稳定保存一个月,结构和催化活性不变.并且,通过调节Au NPs在SiO₂表面的组装密度,可精确调控Au NPs@SiO₂催化活性.本工作提供了一种制备高浓度小粒径Au NPs的简单方法,并大大提高了Au NPs催化活性,该方法在富集其它小粒径纳米颗粒中具有广泛应用.     

Direct Metallization of Gold Nanoparticles on a Polystyrene Bead Surface using Cationic Gold Ligands

Gold nanoparticles are formed to cover the surface of sulfonated‐polystyrene (PS) beads by the in‐situ ion‐exchange and chemical reduction of a stable cationic gold ligand, which makes it different from the physical adsorption or multiple electroless metallization methods. PS beads are synthesized by dispersion polymerization with a diameter of 2.7 µm, and their surface is modified by introducing sulfonic acid groups (SO) to give an ion exchange capacity of up to 2.25 mequiv. · g⁻¹, which provides 1.289 × 10¹⁰ SO per bead. Subsequently, the anionic surface of the PS beads is incorporated with a cationic gold ligand, dichlorophenanthrolinegold(III) chloride ([AuCl₂(phen)]Cl), through an electrostatic interaction in the liquid phase to give gold nanoparticles (ca. 1–4 nm in diameter) formed on the PS surface. Assuming that approximately three SO groups interact with one [AuCl₂(phen)]⁺ ion in the ion‐exchange process, the gold coverage on a PS bead is estimated as 12.0 wt.‐%, which compares well with the 16.8 wt.‐% of gold loading measured by inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Because of the adjustable IEC values of the polymer surface and the in‐situ metallization of Au in the presence of S atoms, both of which are of a soft nature, the developed methodology could provide a simple and controllable route to synthesize a robust metal coating on the polymer bead surface.