Nanostructured Polyelectrolyte-based System as a Toolbox for Metal Ions Detection

The capability of certain heavy metal ions to induce fluorescence decrease by a quenching mechanism suggested us to design and build a sensor potentially tunable for different ions at different concentrations. We propose a quenching-based sensor exploiting a nanostructured architecture in which fluorescent molecules (the sensing probe) are entrapped to recognize a specific analyte (heavy metal ions) through an optical transduction. The polyelectrolyte nanostructured system, named nanocapsule, improves the fluorophore-ion quenching sensitivity allowing a micromolar detection. Furthermore we couple our sensor with an electrical device in order to refine the sensing procedure: the electric field created allows a metal ions spatial gradient, necessary to detect a specific element on a single sample solution, avoiding a comparative analysis with an intensity reference value. Results obtained will show the advantages and the potentialities of our system as a smart toolbox for metal ions detection.     

A personal journey on using polymerization in aqueous dispersed media to synthesize polymers with branched structures

This short review is dedicated to celebrate Prof.Shoukuan Fu's 80 th birthday by discussing several of my accomplished projects over the past twenty years,which all applied radical polymerization in aqueous dispersed media for producing polymers with branched structures.These projects include the use of microemulsion polymerization for syntheses of fluorescent nanoparticles,hairy nanoparticles and hyperbranched polymers;the use of miniemulsion polymerization for synthesis of star polymers and light-emitting nanoparticles;the use of seeded emulsion polymerization for synthesis of hairy nanoparticles and hyperstar polymers;and the use of precipitation polymerization for synthesis of hollow polymer nanocapsules.Discussion of these projects demonstrates intriguing features of polymerization in biphasic dispersed media via either conventional radical polymerization or controlled radical polymerization to effectively regulate the branched structure of functional polymers.     

小分子液滴为模板制备有机-无机杂化纳米微胶囊

通过细乳液聚合,在正辛烷液滴外包覆一层苯乙烯与甲基丙烯酸-3-三甲氧基硅丙酯(MPS)的共聚物,制备了有机-无机杂化纳米微胶囊.通过透射电镜和动态光散射粒径仪观测其形态,用红外光谱表征了其分子结构.讨论了聚合方法对微胶囊制备的影响;通过溶度参数的计算和实验验证,发现配方中单体体积分数需小于36%才能得到微胶囊;通过界面自由能模型的计算和动力学分析,说明了微胶囊形成的热力学原因;发现共聚物中MPS的加入有利于微胶囊的形成,但若MPS的含量过大将会导致胶囊塌陷;最后阐明了这种微胶囊制备过程的机理.     

Guests inducing p-sulfonatocalix[4]arenes into nanocapsule and layer structure

Reaction of sodium p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene and TbCl₃ in the presence of 2,2′-bipyridine-N,N′-dioxide (bpdo) gives the 2:1 supramolecular nanocapsule [[Tb(bpdo)₂·4H₂O]³⁺?{p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene⁴⁻}₂], which further interacts with the [Tb(bpdo)₄]³⁺ through charge-assisted π-stacking interactions forming a channel structure 1. In further investigation, we tried to use the terpyridine-1,1′,1′-trisoxide (tpto) instead of bpdo. Although we failed to isolate a supramolecular capsules based on the tpto, lanthanide and p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene, a layer structure derived from p-sulfonatocalix[4]arene with an unusual [Cu(tpto)₂]²⁺ incorporation into the cavity of the calixarene and an outside [Cu(tpto)₂]²⁺ balancing the charge, has been obtained. Fluorescence spectra show clearly that compound 1 possesses the luminescence characteristics of Tb³⁺ and the ligand bpdo can sensitize Tb³⁺ ion. Gas sorption experiment shows the channel structure 1 has highly selective gas sorption properties for water and methanol.     

基于超支化聚合物的单分子胶束的研究进展

近年来,单分子胶束/粒子(Unimolecular micelle:UIM)引起了人们的极大兴趣,这是由于通过对核和壳的化学设计,粒子的溶解性、生物相容性、刺激响应性、与基质的相互作用等都可得到改进,粒子还可以包裹多种客体。相对于自组装法而言,超支化聚合物法在合成UIM方面具有某些独有的特征,主要表现在:(1)UIM的尺寸主要由超支化聚合物决定,从而具有相当的可预见性;(2)可以大规模、高浓度合成UIM;(3)对聚合物的亲水性没有要求,可以利用的聚合物非常广泛,核-壳结构更为丰富;(4)产品可以以任何形式存在。本文在简要比较以自组装法和超支化聚合物法合成UIM的基础上,主要介绍了以超支化聚合物(特别是超支化聚甘油醚(PG))为支架合成各种核-壳聚合物及其应用。以长链小分子或聚合物改性的PG可以用作纳米胶囊,也可以作为纳米模板来合成各种无机粒子,而后者显示出量子限制效应和模板效应。特别地,一种全亲水壳交联的、刺激响应的粒子的合成显示了超支化聚合物法在合成复杂UIM方面的优势。总之,超支化聚合物法提供了巨大的核-壳结构分子设计空间,为合成功能集成粒子提供了更多机会。     

Miniemulsion cross-linking: A convenient route to hollow polymeric nanocapsule with a liquid core

Miniemulsion stabilized by poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(butyl methylacrylate) (PDMAEMA-b-PBMA) diblock copolymers has been used as liquid templates for the synthesis of polymer nanocapsules via quaternization cross-linking of PDMAEMA segments of the copolymer by 1,2-bis(2-iodoethoxy)ethane (BIEE) crosslinkers. PDMAEMA-b-PBMAs here as a stabilizer in miniemulsion with different molecular weights led to a size variation in diameters of nanocapsules, demonstrating the capsules have potential design capability of this technique. The solution behavior of the capsules has been also investigated in this paper.     

DFT investigation of endohedral boron oxide nanocapsules: Encapsulation of He, Ne, Ar, H, N, and Cl atoms

The electronic structure and stabilization energy of spherical and pyramidal shapes of boron oxide nanocapsules (X@B₂₀O₃₀, X = He, Ne, Ar, H, N, Cl) were investigated by long-range and dispersion corrected density functional theory (DFT + Disp) including CAM-B3LYP, B3LYP-D3, ωB97X-D and B2PLYP-D methods. Based on these calculations, the formation of nanocapsules is an exothermic process (except for Cl@B₂₀O₃₀). The spherical boron oxide nanocapsules are mainly stabilized by dispersion, while the stability of pyramidal complexes is mainly due to monomer relaxation energy. The theoretical results obtained in this work show that the boron oxide capsule is a good potential candidate for gas storage.     

Controlling the size of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) nanoparticles prepared by emulsification–diffusion technique using ethanol as surface agent

Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBHV) nanospheres and oily nanocapsules were prepared by emulsification–diffusion technique. Controlled particle sizes were obtained employing binary mixtures of solvents (chloroform:ethanol) in the organic phase. Ethanol was chosen because of its dipole–dipole interaction with chloroform and its hydrogen bond with water. The smallest particles (from 253 to 493 nm) were obtained using a mixture of solvents composed of 70% ethanol and 30% chloroform (v/v) in the organic phase, while the largest particles (from 896 to 1568 nm) were obtained using chloroform exclusively. Independently of the organic phase composition, the nanoparticles showed unimodal distributions. Optical microscopy showed that the size of the primary emulsion droplets of the nanosphere formulations decreased with increasing ethanol concentrations in the organic phase. A simple empirical equation was developed correlating the nanoparticle diameters with the surface tension gradient coefficient multiplied by the ethanol molar concentration in the organic phase. The strategy showed that the control of the nanoparticle diameters, using emulsification–diffusion technique, could be achieved by adjusting the surface tension of the organic phase.     

Water-soluble octahedral polyammonium nanocapsules: synthesis and encapsulation studies

The syntheses of two water-soluble octahedral polyammonium nanocapsules 5e and 5f are described. Nanocapsule 5e was prepared via the TFA-catalyzed condensation reaction of six MOM-protected 4-hydroxybutyl-footed tetraformyl cavitands 3c with 12 ethylene diamines, followed by reduction and acidic hydrolysis of the intermediate octahedral polyimino nanocapsule. Nanocapsule 5f was prepared from 5e via the oxidation of the 4-hydroxybutyl feet to 3-carboxypropyl feet. Both nanocapsules are soluble in water below pH 5. 5f is also water-soluble above pH 7. In acidic aqueous solution, nanocapsule 5e encapsulates small negatively charged, partially hydrophobic guests, such as p-toluenesulfonic acid, N-BOC-aspartic acid, or 4-methylumbelliferyl phosphate. The single site microscopic binding constants for the latter guests are 150±30, 510±50, 1550±150 M⁻¹, respectively and were determined from ¹H NMR titrations and DOSY experiments by assuming a 6:1 binding model with six identical, independent binding sites per nanocapsule (statistical binding). 5e doesn't bind small neutral hydrophobic molecules in aqueous solution. However, both nanocapsules bind to nucleotides, such as ATP, dAMP, dGMP or TTP. NMR experiments support that nucleotides are not encapsulated, but bind to the outside of the nanocapsules.     

温度响应型HRP纳米胶囊用于酶的高效固定和回收

以辣根过氧化物酶(horseradish peroxidase,HRP)为目标蛋白,N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAM)为单体,采用原位沉淀聚合法,在37℃,NIPAM和HRP质量比为6∶1的条件下,制备了粒径大小为13.7 nm,zeta电位是(-3.7±0.3)mV的温度响应型辣根过氧化物酶纳米胶囊(nHRP).采用基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱仪(MALDI-TOF MS)、透射电镜(TEM)、动态光散射仪(DLS)和紫外-可见光分光光度计(UV-Vis)等对HRP的修饰度,nHRP的微观结构、粒径大小、催化活性、温度响应性能和热稳定性能进行了表征.研究表明,制备的辣根过氧化物酶纳米胶囊单分散性较好;在环境温度高于33℃时,nHRP出现响应变化,其粒径大小变化显著,且呈可逆性;nHRP相比HRP原酶热稳定性显著提高;50℃时,将nHRP高速离心,可使酶多次有效地分离和回收.