TY - JOUR A1 - Golusda, L. A1 - Kühl, A. A. A1 - Lehmann, M. A1 - Dahlke, K. A1 - Mueller, S. A1 - Boehm-Sturm, P. A1 - Saatz, Jessica A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Schnorr, J. A1 - Freise, C. A1 - Taupitz, M. A1 - Biskup, K. A1 - Blanchard, V. A1 - Klein, O. A1 - Sack, I. A1 - Siegmund, B. A1 - Paclik, D. T1 - Visualization of inflammation in experimental colitis by magnetic resonance imaging using very small superparamagnetic iron oxide particles N2 - Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise mainly ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn´s disease (CD). Both forms present with a chronic inflammation of the (gastro) intestinal tract, which induces excessive changes in the composition of the associated extracellular matrix (ECM). In UC, the inflammation is limited to the colon, whereas it can occur throughout the entire gastrointestinal tract in CD. Tools for early diagnosis of IBD are still very limited and highly invasive and measures for standardized evaluation of structural changes are scarce. To investigate an efficient non-invasive way of diagnosing intestinal inflammation and early changes of the ECM, very small superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (VSOPs) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were applied in two mouse models of experimental colitis: the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and the transfer model of colitis. For further validation of ECM changes and inflammation, tissue sections were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. For in depth ex-vivo investigation of VSOPs localization within the tissue, Europium-doped VSOPs served to visualize the contrast agent by imaging mass cytometry (IMC). VSOPs accumulation in the inflamed colon wall of DSS-induced colitis mice was visualized in T2* weighted MRI scans. Components of the ECM, especially the hyaluronic acid content, were found to influence VSOPs binding. Using IMC, colocalization of VSOPs with macrophages and endothelial cells in colon tissue was shown. In contrast to the DSS model, colonic inflammation could not be visualized with VSOP-enhanced MRI in transfer colitis. VSOPs present a potential contrast agent for contrast-enhanced MRI to detect intestinal inflammation in mice at an early stage and in a less invasive manner depending on hyaluronic acid content. KW - Inflammation KW - Imaging KW - Immunohistochemistry KW - MRI KW - Nanoparticle KW - Extracellular matrix KW - Laser ablation KW - ICP-MS PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-555395 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.862212 SN - 1664-042X VL - 13 IS - July 2022 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne AN - OPUS4-55539 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Löwa, N. A1 - Golusda, L. A1 - Paclik, D. A1 - Traub, Heike A1 - Schannor, Mathias A1 - Saatz, Jessica A1 - Freise, C. A1 - Taupitz, M. A1 - Siegmund, B. A1 - Kühl, A. A. A1 - Wiekhorst, F. T1 - Magnetic particle spectroscopy for Eu-VSOP quantification in intestinal inflammation: Distinguishing nanoparticle signals from dietary contamination N2 - Magnetic nanoparticles are gaining increasing attention as a promising alternative to gadolinium-based contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging, primarily due to their low toxicity. In this study, we investigated the use of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in mouse models of intestinal inflammation to assess their potential for detecting changes in the extracellular matrix. For magnetic quantification, we employed magnetic particle spectroscopy, which offers high sensitivity and minimal interference from biological tissue. However, we observed significant variations in magnetic signals within the intestine, as well as measurable signals in control animals, indicating possible magnetic contamination. By doping the nanoparticles with europium, we were able to confirm this suspicion through quantitative elemental analysis. Examination of mouse feed and feces allowed us to identify the source of contamination. Based on these findings, we developed a method to reliably distinguish genuine signals of magnetic nanoparticles from those caused by external magnetic contaminations. This approach is essential to ensure reliable results in future diagnostic and preclinical research. KW - ICP-MS KW - Nanoparticle KW - Magnetic particle spectroscopy KW - Quantification PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-642238 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D5NA00452G SN - 2516-0230 IS - 00452 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-64223 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grauel, Bettina A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Homann, C. A1 - Krukewitt, Lisa A1 - Andresen, Elina A1 - Roik, Janina A1 - Recknagel, Sebastian A1 - Haase, M. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Volume and surface effects on two-photonic and three-photonic processes in dry co-doped upconversion nanocrystals N2 - Despite considerable advances in synthesizing high-quality core/shell upconversion (UC) nanocrystals (NC; UCNC) and UCNC photophysics, the application of near-infrared (NIR)-excitable lanthanide-doped UCNC in the life and material sciences is still hampered by the relatively low upconversion luminescence (UCL) of UCNC of small size or thin protecting shell. To obtain deeper insights into energy transfer and surface quenching processes involving Yb3+ and Er3+ ions, we examined energy loss processes in differently sized solid core NaYF4 nanocrystals doped with either Yb3+ (YbNC; 20% Yb3+) or Er3+ (ErNC; 2% Er3+) and co-doped with Yb3+ and Er3+ (YbErNC; 20% Yb3+ and 2% Er3+) without a surface protection shell and coated with a thin and a thick NaYF4 shell in comparison to single and co-doped bulk materials. Luminescence studies at 375 nm excitation demonstrate backenergy transfer (BET) from the 4G11/2 state of Er3+ to the 2F5/2 state of Yb3+, through which the red Er3+ 4F9/2 state is efficiently populated. Excitation power density (P)-dependent steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence measurements at different excitation and emission wavelengths enable to separate surface-related and volume-related effects for two-photonic and threephotonic processes involved in UCL and indicate a different influence of surface passivation on the green and red Er3+ emission. The intensity and lifetime of the latter respond particularly to an increase in volume of the active UCNC core. We provide a threedimensional random walk model to describe these effects that can be used in the future to predict the UCL behavior of UCNC. KW - Nano KW - Nanomaterial KW - Upconversion KW - Nanoparticle KW - Lanthanide KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Pphotophysics KW - Lifetime KW - Sensor KW - Excitation KW - Power density KW - Single particle KW - Brightness KW - NIR KW - Mechanism KW - Modeling KW - Simulation KW - Energy transfer PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-535317 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3727-y SN - 1998-0124 VL - 15 IS - 3 SP - 2362 EP - 2373 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-53531 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geißler, Daniel A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Fischer, C. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Exploring Simple Particle-Based Signal Amplification Strategies in a Heterogeneous Sandwich Immunoassay with Optical Detection N2 - Heterogeneous sandwich immunoassays are widely used for biomarker detection in bioanalysis and medical diagnostics. The high analyte sensitivity of the current “gold standard” enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) originates from the signal-generating enzymatic amplification step, yielding a high number of optically detectable reporter molecules. For future point-of-care testing (POCT) and point-of-need applications, there is an increasing interest in more simple detection strategies that circumvent time-consuming and temperature-dependent enzymatic reactions. A common concept to aim for detection limits comparable to those of enzymatic amplification reactions is the usage of polymer nanoparticles (NP) stained with a large number of chromophores. We explored different simple NP-based signal amplification strategies for heterogeneous sandwich immunoassays that rely on an extraction-triggered release step of different types of optically detectable reporters. Therefore, streptavidinfunctionalized polystyrene particles (PSP) are utilized as carriers for (i) the fluorescent dye coumarin 153 (C153) and (ii) hemin (hem) molecules catalyzing the luminol reaction enabling chemiluminescence (CL) detection. Additionally, (iii) NP labeling with hemin-based microperoxidase MP11 was assessed. For each amplification approach, the PSP was first systematically optimized regarding size, loading concentration, and surface chemistry. Then, for an immunoassay for the inflammation marker C- eactive protein (CRP), the analyte sensitivity achievable with optimized PSP ystems was compared with the established ELISA concept for photometric and CL detection. Careful optimization led to a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 ng/mL for MP11-labeled PSP and CL detection, performing similarly well to a photometric ELISA (0.13 ng/mL), which demonstrates the huge potential of our novel assay concept. KW - Nanoparticle KW - Fluorescence KW - Immunoassay KW - Quality assurance KW - Antibody KW - Polymer KW - Dye KW - Signal enhancement KW - CRP KW - Biosensing PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-597853 DO - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03691 SN - 1520-6882 VL - 96 IS - 13 SP - 5078 EP - 5085 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Columbus, Ohio AN - OPUS4-59785 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kromer, C. A1 - Schwibbert, Karin A1 - Gadicherla, A. K. A1 - Thiele, Dorothea A1 - Nirmalananthan-Budau, Nithiya A1 - Laux, P. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Luch, A. A1 - Tschiche, H. R. T1 - Monitoring and imaging pH in biofilms utilizing a fluorescent polymeric nanosensor N2 - Biofilms are ubiquitous in nature and in the man-made environment. Given their harmful effects on human health, an in-depth understanding of biofilms and the monitoring of their formation and growth are important. Particularly relevant for many metabolic processes and survival strategies of biofilms is their extracellular pH. However, most conventional techniques are not suited for minimally invasive pH measurements of living biofilms. Here, a fluorescent nanosensor is presented for ratiometric measurements of pH in biofilms in the range of pH 4.5–9.5 using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The nanosensor consists of biocompatible polystyrene nanoparticles loaded with pH-inert dye Nile Red and is surface functionalized with a pH-responsive fluorescein dye. Its performance was validated by fluorometrically monitoring the time-dependent changes in pH in E. coli biofilms after glucose inoculation at 37 °C and 4 °C. This revealed a temperature-dependent decrease in pH over a 4-h period caused by the acidifying glucose metabolism of E. coli. These studies demonstrate the applicability of this nanosensor to characterize the chemical microenvironment in biofilms with fluorescence methods. KW - Dye KW - Fluorescence KW - Signal enhancement KW - Sensor KW - Quantum yield KW - Synthesis KW - Nanoparticle KW - Nano KW - Polymer KW - Ph KW - Biofilm KW - MIC KW - Corrosion KW - Microorganism KW - Bacteria PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-550751 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-13518-1 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 12 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Nature Publishing Group CY - London AN - OPUS4-55075 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Würth, Christian A1 - Grauel, Bettina A1 - Pons, Monika A1 - Frenzel, Florian A1 - Rissiek, P. A1 - Rücker, Kerstin A1 - Haase, Markus A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Yb- and Er concentration dependence of the upconversion luminescence of highly doped NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4:Lu core/shell nanocrystals prepared by a water-free synthesis N2 - High sensitizer and activator concentrations have been increasingly examined to improve the performance of multi-color emissive upconversion (UC) nanocrystals (UCNC) like NaYF4:Yb,Er and first strategies were reported to reduce concentration quenching in highly doped UCNC. UC luminescence (UCL) is, however, controlled not only by dopant concentration, yet by an interplay of different parameters including size, crystal and shell quality, and excitation power density (P). Thus, identifying optimum dopant concentrations requires systematic studies of UCNC designed to minimize additional quenching pathways and quantitative spectroscopy. Here, we quantify the dopant concentration dependence of the UCL quantum yield (ΦUC) of solid NaYF4:Yb,Er/NaYF4:Lu upconversion core/shell nanocrystals of varying Yb3+ and Er3+ concentrations (Yb3+ series: 20%‒98% Yb3+; 2% Er3+; Er3+ series: 60% Yb3+; 2%‒40% Er3+). To circumvent other luminescence quenching processes, an elaborate synthesis yielding OH-free UCNC with record ΦUC of ~9% and ~25 nm core particles with a thick surface shell were used. High Yb3+ concentrations barely reduce ΦUC from ~9% (20% Yb3+) to ~7% (98% Yb3+) for an Er3+ concentration of 2%, thereby allowing to strongly increase the particle absorption cross section and UCNC brightness. Although an increased Er3+ concentration reduces ΦUC from ~7% (2% Er3+) to 1% (40%) for 60% Yb3+. Nevertheless, at very high P (> 1 MW/cm2) used for microscopic studies, highly Er3+-doped UCNC display a high brightness because of reduced saturation. These findings underline the importance of synthesis control and will pave the road to many fundamental studies of UC materials. KW - Upconverion KW - Nanoparticle KW - Lanthanides KW - Quantum yield PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-551346 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-4570-5 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-55134 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Biesen, L. A1 - Nirmalananthan-Budau, Nithiya A1 - Hoffmann, Katrin A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Müller, T. J. J. T1 - Solid-State Emissive Aroyl-S,N-Ketene Acetals with Tunable N2 - N-Benzyl aroyl-S,N-ketene acetals can be readily synthesized by condensation of aroyl chlorides and N-Benzyl 2-methyl benzothiazolium salts in good to excellent yields, yielding a library of 35 chromophores with bright solid-state emission and aggregation-induced emission characteristics. Varying the substituent from electron-donating to electronwithdrawing enables the tuning of the solid-state emission Color from deep blue to red. KW - Nano KW - Nanoparticle KW - Photoluminescence KW - Fluorescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Photophysics KW - Lifetime KW - Sensor KW - dye KW - Enhancement KW - Particle KW - Polarity KW - AIE KW - Aggregation KW - Aggregation-induced emission KW - Solid state emission PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-509072 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201916396 VL - 59 IS - 25 SP - 10037 EP - 10041 PB - Wiley Online Libary AN - OPUS4-50907 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Soares, J. X. A1 - Wegner, Karl David A1 - Ribeiro, D. S. M. A1 - Melo, A. A1 - Häusler, I. A1 - Santos, J. L. M. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute T1 - Rationally designed synthesis of bright AgInS2/ZnS quantum dots with emission control N2 - In the blossoming field of Cd-free semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), ternary I–III–VI QDs have received increasing attention due to the ease of the environmentally friendly synthesis of high-quality materials in water, their high photoluminescence (PL) Quantum yields (QYs) in the red and near infrared (NIR) region, and their inherently low toxicity. Moreover, their oxygen-insensitive long PL lifetimes of up to several hundreds of nanoseconds close a gap for applications exploiting the compound-specific parameter PL lifetime. To overcome the lack of reproducible synthetic methodologies and to enable a design-based control of their PL properties, we assessed and modelled the synthesis of high-quality MPA-capped AgInS2/ZnS (AIS/ZnS) QDs. Systematically refined Parameters included reaction time, temperature, Ag:In ratio, S:In ratio, Zn:In ratio, MPA:In ratio, and pH using a design-of-experiment approach. Guidance for the optimization was provided by mathematical models developed for the application-relevant PL parameters, maximum PL wavelength, QY, and PL lifetime as well as the elemental composition in terms of Ag:In:Zn ratio. With these experimental data-based models, MPA:In and Ag:In ratios and pH values were identified as the most important synthesis parameters for PL Control and an insight into the connection of these parameters could be gained. Subsequently, the experimental conditions to synthetize QDs with tunable emission and high QY were predicted. The excellent agreement between the predicted and experimentally found PL features confirmed the reliability of our methodology for the rational design of high quality AIS/ZnS QDs with defined PL features. This approach can be straightforwardly extended to other ternary and quaternary QDs and to doped QDs. KW - Modelling KW - Nanoparticle KW - AIS KW - Semiconductor quantum dot KW - Design of experiment KW - Photoluminescence KW - Quantum yield KW - Surface chemistry KW - Synthesis KW - Lifetime PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-510075 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2876-8 VL - 13 IS - 9 SP - 2438 EP - 2450 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-51007 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Roebben, G. A1 - Kestens, V. A1 - Varga, Z. A1 - Charoud-Got, J. A1 - Ramaye, Y. A1 - Gollwitzer, Christian A1 - Bartczak, D. A1 - Geißler, Daniel A1 - Noble, J.E. A1 - Mazoua, S. A1 - Meeus, N. A1 - Corbisier, P. A1 - Palmai, M. A1 - Mihály, J. A1 - Krumrey, M. A1 - Davies, J. A1 - Resch-Genger, Ute A1 - Kumarswami, N. A1 - Minelli, C. A1 - Sikora, A. A1 - Goenaga-Infante, H. T1 - Reference materials and representative test materials to develop nanoparticle characterization methods: the NanoChOp project case N2 - This paper describes the production and characteristics of the nanoparticle test materials prepared for common use in the collaborative research project NanoChOp (Chemical and optical characterization of nanomaterials in biological systems), in casu suspensions of silica nanoparticles and CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs). This paper is the first to illustrate how to assess whether nanoparticle test materials meet the requirements of a "reference material" (ISO Guide 30, 2015) or rather those of the recently defined category of "representative test material (RTM)" (ISO/TS 16195, 2013). The NanoChOp test materials were investigated with small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and centrifugal liquid sedimentation (CLS) to establish whether they complied with the required monomodal particle size distribution. The presence of impurities, aggregates, agglomerates, and viable microorganisms in the suspensions was investigated with DLS, CLS, optical and electron microscopy and via plating on nutrient agar. Suitability of surface functionalization was investigated with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) and via the capacity of the nanoparticles to be fluorescently labeled or to bind antibodies. Between-unit homogeneity and stability were investigated in terms of particle size and zeta potential. This paper shows that only based on the outcome of a detailed characterization process one can raise the status of a test material to RTM or reference material, and how this status depends on its intended use. KW - Nanoparticle KW - Materials characterization KW - Reference material KW - Analytical quality assurance KW - Metrology PY - 2015 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-349644 DO - https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2015.00056 SN - 2296-2646 VL - 3 SP - Article 56, 1 EP - 16 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne AN - OPUS4-34964 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Redda, Zinnabu T. A1 - Brennecke, Daniel A1 - Prinz, Carsten A1 - Yimam, Abubeker A1 - Barz, Mirko A1 - Kadow, Steffen A1 - Laß-Seyoum, Asnakech T1 - Synthesis and characterization of AlPO4-18 supported mesoporous and crystalline β-Mo2C, Ni3C, and WC nanoparticles N2 - Developing high-efficiency, high-stability, and low-cost deoxygenation and hydrocracking catalysts could be considered one of the most significant breakthroughs in catalytic hydroprocessing. The present study utilized aluminophosphate (AlPO4-18), a zeolite-like molecular sieve, as catalyst support for producing carbon-coated β-Mo2C, Ni3C, and WC nanoparticles. The synthesis used an incipient wetness impregnation followed by a temperature-programmed reduction-carburization approach which involved cracking a hydrocarbon gas, propane, in a hydrogen environment. The synthesis parameters were a 1:7 propane/hydrogen reductive-carburizing gas stream, 15 wt.% metal loading, an 800 °C carburization temperature ramped-up at a heating rate of 10 °C min−1, a 2-h holding time, and a 1-h holding time in hydrogen. The synthesized catalysts were characterized using thermogravimetry mass spectroscopy/temperature-programmed oxidation (TPO TG-MS), nitrogen physisorption at 77 K, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM EDS). TPO TG-MS, nitrogen physisorption, TEM, and XRD characterization results proved that atomic carbon was successfully incorporated into the lattice interstitials, resulting in thermally stable, well-dispersed, crystalline and mesoporous β-Mo2C/AlPO4-18, Ni3C/AlPO4-18, and WC/AlPO4-18 nanoparticles. XRD analysis showed structural evolution during reduction-carburization, with average crystallite sizes of metal-containing particles of 8.2–9.22, 6.64–8.50, and 6.03–7.56 nm for β-Mo2C/AlPO4-18, Ni3C/AlPO4-18, and WC/AlPO4-18, respectively. These values did not significantly deviate from high-resolution TEM analysis. The surface areas of the nanoparticles were categorized in decreasing order as WC/AlPO4-18 > Ni3C/AlPO4-18 > β-Mo2C/AlPO4-18, with values of 193.79, 169.05, and 66.57 m2 g−1, respectively. In conclusion, these carbon-coated metal carbide nanoparticles with excellent thermal, structural, microscopic, and textural properties can be viable alternatives to noble metal catalysts for producing bio-jet fuel using the hydroprocessing pathway. KW - Catalyst synthesis KW - Temperature-programmed reduction-carburization KW - Catalyst characterization KW - BET surface area KW - Nanoparticle KW - Transition metal carbide catalyst KW - TEM PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-608182 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-024-04791-y SN - 1011-372X SN - 1572-879X VL - 154 SP - 5969 EP - 5988 PB - Springer Science and Business Media CY - Dordrecht AN - OPUS4-60818 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -