TY - JOUR A1 - Elert, Anna Maria A1 - Chen, Yong-Cin A1 - Smales, Glen J. A1 - Topolniak, Ievgeniia A1 - Sturm, Heinz A1 - Schönhals, Andreas A1 - Szymoniak, Paulina T1 - Effects of the charge density of nanopapers based on carboxymethylated cellulose nanofibrils investigated by complementary techniques JF - ACS Omega N2 - Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) with different charge densities were prepared and investigated by a combination of different complementary techniques sensitive to the structure and molecular dynamics of the system. The morphology of the materials was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS). The latter measurements were quantitatively analyzed yielding to molecular parameters in dependence of the charge density like the diameter of the fibrils, the distance between the fibrils, and the dimension of bundles of nanofibrils, including pores. The influence of water on the properties and the charge density is studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The TGA measurements reveal two mass loss processes. The one at lower temperatures was related to the loss of water, and the second process at higher temperatures was related to the chemical decomposition. The resulting char yield could be correlated to the distance between the microfibrils. The DSC investigation for hydrated CNFs revealed three glass transitions due to the cellulose segments surrounded by water molecules in different states. In the second heating scan, only one broad glass transition is observed. The dielectric spectra reveal two relaxation processes. At low temperatures or higher frequencies, the β-relaxation is observed, which is assigned to localized fluctuation of the glycosidic linkage. At higher temperatures and lower frequencies, the α-relaxation takes places. This relaxation is due to cooperative fluctuations in the cellulose segments. Both processes were quantitatively analyzed. The obtained parameters such as the relaxation rates were related to both the morphological data, the charge density, and the content of water for the first time. KW - Cellulose nanofibrils PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-600528 DO - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.4c00255 SN - 2470-1343 VL - 9 SP - 20152 EP - 20166 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-60052 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Božičević, Lucija A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Hildebrandt, Jana A1 - Knigge, Xenia A1 - Vrček, Valerije A1 - Peranić, Nikolina A1 - Kalcec, Nikolina A1 - Vinkovic Vrcek, Ivana T1 - Estrogenic activity of plastic nanoparticles mixture under in vitro settings JF - Environmental Science: Nano N2 - The plastic value chain, central part of modern living, caused environmental pollution and bioaccumulation of plastic nanoparticles (PNPs). Their ubiquitous presence in different environmental and biological compartments has become a serious threat to human health and ecosystems. Frequently used plastic materials such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE) have been detected in the form of PNPs in the food chain, soil, water and air, as well as in human feces and blood. In this study, we aimed to provide novel insights in endocrine disrupting properties of PNPs using in vitro estrogen receptor (ER) transactivation assay. The effects of PP-NPs, PE-NPs and PS-NPs and their mixture on T47D-KBluc cell line stably transfected with luciferase as reporter enzyme was evaluated by means of cytotoxicity, cellular uptake and ER activation. Tested dose range for PNPs was 0.001 – 10 mg/L. Both cellular uptake and cytotoxicity for all PNPs was found to be dose-dependent. Only the highest dose of PP-NPs and PE-NPs induced apoptosis and cell death, while PS-NPs were not cytotoxic in tested dose range. For tested concentrations, PP-NPs and PE-NPs showed significant agonistic activity on ER, while PS-NPs cannot be considered ER active. When, applied as mixture, PNP demonstrated additive toxicity effects compared to the effect of each individual PNPs. Additivity was also observed for ER agonistic effect of PNPs mixture according to the benchmark dose-addition modelling approach. This study provides missing science-based evidence on endocrine disrupting effects of PE-NPs, PP-NPs, PS-NPs and their mixtures and highlights the importance of considering unintentional, aggregate and combined exposure to different PNPs in risk management. KW - Risk assessment KW - Nanoplastics KW - Estrogenic activity of plastic nanoparticles PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EN00883E SN - 2051-8153 VL - 11 IS - 5 SP - 2112 EP - 2126 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59724 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sieg, Holger A1 - Schaar, Caroline A1 - Fouquet, Nicole A1 - Böhmert, Linda A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Braeuning, Albert T1 - Particulate iron oxide food colorants (E 172) during artificial digestion and their uptake and impact on intestinal cells JF - Toxicology in Vitro N2 - Iron oxide of various structures is frequently used as food colorant (E 172). The spectrum of colors ranges from yellow over orange, red, and brown to black, depending on the chemical structure of the material. E 172 is mostly sold as solid powder. Recent studies have demonstrated the presence of nanoscaled particles in E 172 samples, often to a very high extent. This makes it necessary to investigate the fate of these particles after oral uptake. In this study, 7 differently structured commercially available E 172 food colorants (2 x Yellow FeO(OH), 2 x Red Fe2O3, 1 x Orange Fe2O3 + FeO(OH) and 2 x Black Fe3O4) were investigated for particle dissolution, ion release, cellular uptake, crossing of the intestinal barrier and toxicological impact on intestinal cells. Dissolution was analyzed in water, cell culture medium and artificial digestion fluids. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was employed for determination of the specific surface area of the colorants in the digestion fluids. Cellular uptake, transport and toxicological effects were studied using human differentiated Caco-2 cells as an in vitro model of the intestinal barrier. For all materials, a strong interaction with the intestinal cells was observed, albeit there was only a limited dissolution, and no toxic in vitro effects on human cells were recorded. KW - Toxicology KW - Nanoparticles KW - Small-angle X-ray scattering KW - SAXS PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-593935 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2024.105772 VL - 96 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Elsevier BV AN - OPUS4-59393 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chen, Z. A1 - Perez, J. P. H. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Blukis, R. A1 - Pauw, Brian Richard A1 - Stammeier, J. A. A1 - Radnik, Jörg A1 - Smith, A. J. A1 - Benning, L. G. T1 - Impact of organic phosphates on the structure and composition of short-range ordered iron nanophases JF - Nanoscale advances N2 - Organic phosphates (OP) are important nutrient components for living cells in natural environments, where they readily interact with ubiquitous iron phases such as hydrous ferric oxide, ferrihydrite (FHY). FHY partakes in many key bio(geo)chemical reactions including iron-mediated carbon storage in soils, or iron-storage in living organisms. However, it is still unknown how OP affects the formation, structure and properties of FHY. Here, we document how β-glycerophosphate (GP), a model OP ligand, affects the structure and properties of GP–FHY nanoparticles synthesized by coprecipitation at variable nominal molar P/Fe ratios (0.01 to 0.5). All GP–FHY precipitates were characterized by a maximum solid P/Fe ratio of 0.22, irrespective of the nominal P/Fe ratio. With increasing nominal P/Fe ratio, the specific surface area of the GP–FHY precipitates decreased sharply from 290 to 3 m2 g−1, accompanied by the collapse of their pore structure. The Fe–P local bonding environment gradually transitioned from a bidentate binuclear geometry at low P/Fe ratios to monodentate mononuclear geometry at high P/Fe ratios. This transition was accompanied by a decrease in coordination number of edge-sharing Fe polyhedra, and the loss of the corner-sharing Fe polyhedra. We show that Fe(III) polymerization is impeded by GP, and that the GP–FHY structure is highly dependent on the P/Fe ratio. We discuss the role that natural OP-bearing Fe(III) nanophases have in biogeochemical reactions between Fe–P and C species in aquatic systems. KW - Organic phosphates KW - Iron nanophases KW - Scattering KW - Diffraction KW - Nanomaterials KW - Coprecipitation KW - Carbon storage PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-599399 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3na01045g SN - 2516-0230 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-59939 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paul, Maxi B. A1 - Böhmert, Linda A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Loeschner, Katrin A1 - Givelet, Lucas A1 - Fahrenson, Christoph A1 - Braeuning, Albert A1 - Sieg, Holger T1 - Influence of artificial digestion on characteristics and intestinal cellular effects of micro-, submicro- and nanoplastics JF - Food and Chemical Toxicology N2 - The production of plastics is rising since they have been invented. Micro, submicro- and nanoplastics are produced intentionally or generated by environmental processes, and constitute ubiquitous contaminants which are ingested orally by consumers. Reported health concerns include intestinal translocation, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Every digestive milieu in the gastrointestinal tract does have an influence on the properties of particles and can cause changes in their effect on biological systems. In this study, we subjected plastic particles of different materials (polylactic acid, polymethylmethacrylate, melamine formaldehyde) and sizes (micro- to nano-range) to a complex artificial digestion model consisting of three intestinal fluid simulants (saliva, gastric and intestinal juice). We monitored the impact of the digestion process on the particles by performing Dynamic Light Scattering, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation. An in vitro model of the intestinal epithelial barrier was used to monitor cellular effects and translocation behavior of (un)digested particles. In conclusion, artificial digestion decreased cellular interaction and slightly increased transport of all particles across the intestinal barrier. The interaction with organic matter resulted in clear differences in the agglomeration behavior. Moreover, we provide evidence for polymer-, size- and surface-dependent cellular effects of the test particles. KW - Toxicology KW - General Medicine KW - Food Science KW - Nanoplastics KW - Nanoparticle KW - Dynamic Light Scattering KW - DLS PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2023.114423 VL - 184 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-59298 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paul, Maxi B. A1 - Böhmert, Linda A1 - Thünemann, Andreas A1 - Loeschner, Katrin A1 - Givelet, Lucas A1 - Fahrenson, Christoph A1 - Braeuning, Albert A1 - Sieg, Holger T1 - Influence of artificial digestion on characteristics and intestinal cellular effects of micro-, submicro- and nanoplastics JF - Food and Chemical Toxicology N2 - The production of plastics is rising since they have been invented. Micro, submicro- and nanoplastics are produced intentionally or generated by environmental processes, and constitute ubiquitous contaminants which are ingested orally by consumers. Reported health concerns include intestinal translocation, inflammatory response, oxidative stress and cytotoxicity. Every digestive milieu in the gastrointestinal tract does have an influence on the properties of particles and can cause changes in their effect on biological systems. In this study, we subjected plastic particles of different materials (polylactic acid, polymethylmethacrylate, melamine formaldehyde) and sizes (micro- to nano-range) to a complex artificial digestion model consisting of three intestinal fluid simulants (saliva, gastric and intestinal juice). We monitored the impact of the digestion process on the particles by performing Dynamic Light Scattering, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Asymmetric Flow Field-Flow Fractionation. An in vitro model of the intestinal epithelial barrier was used to monitor cellular effects and translocation behavior of (un)digested particles. In conclusion, artificial digestion decreased cellular interaction and slightly increased transport of all particles across the intestinal barrier. The interaction with organic matter resulted in clear differences in the agglomeration behavior. Moreover, we provide evidence for polymer-, size- and surface-dependent cellular effects of the test particles. KW - Toxicology KW - Nanoparticles KW - Dynamic Light Scattering KW - Nanoplastics KW - Microplastics KW - Reference Method KW - Reference Material PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-593947 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2023.114423 VL - 184 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier BV AN - OPUS4-59394 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hallier, Dorothea C. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Seitz, H. A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin T1 - Inside back cover for the article "Bio-SAXS of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins: Radiation protection by the compatible solute ectoine" JF - Physical chemistry chemical physics (PCCP) N2 - Showcasing research from the Federal Institute for Material Research and Testing Berlin and Fraunhofer Institute for Celltherapy and Immunology Branch Bioanalytics and Bioprocesses Potsdam. Bio-SAXS of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins: Radiation protection by the compatible solute ectoine. We aimed to increase the possible undisturbed exposure time during bio-SAXS measurements of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins. Therefore small angle X-ray scattering was performed on Gene-V Protein (G5P/GVP), which is involved in DNA repair processes. To achieve this, irradiations were performed in presence and absence of the hydroxyl-radical scavenger and osmolyte Ectoine, which showed efficient radiation protection and prevented protein aggregation, thus allows for a non-disturbing way to improve structure-determination of biomolecules. KW - Bio-SAXS KW - BioSAXS KW - Cosolute KW - DNA KW - Dosimetry KW - Ectoin KW - Ectoine KW - G5P KW - GVP KW - Geant4 KW - Geant4-DNA KW - Ionizing radiation damage KW - LEE KW - McSAS3 KW - Microdosimetry KW - Monte-Carlo simulations KW - OH Radical KW - OH radical scavenger KW - Protein KW - Protein unfolding KW - Radiation damage KW - Radical Scavenger KW - SAXS KW - Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins KW - Small-angle xray scattering KW - Topas-MC KW - Topas-nBio KW - TopasMC KW - X-ray scattering KW - Particle scatterin simulations KW - ssDNA PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CP90056H SN - 1463-9076 SN - 1463-9084 VL - 25 IS - 7 SP - 5889 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-57006 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Foroutan, F. A1 - Kyffin, B. A. A1 - Nikolaou, A. A1 - Merino-Gutierrez, J. A1 - Abrahams, I. A1 - Kanwal, N. A1 - Knowles, J. C. A1 - Smith, A. J. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Carta, D. T1 - Highly porous phosphate-based glasses for controlled delivery of antibacterial Cu ions prepared via sol–gel chemistry JF - RSC Advances N2 - Mesoporous glasses are a promising class of bioresorbable biomaterials characterized by high surface area and extended porosity in the range of 2 to 50 nm. These peculiar properties make them ideal materials for the controlled release of therapeutic ions and molecules. Whilst mesoporous silicate-based glasses (MSG) have been widely investigated, much less work has been done on mesoporous phosphate-based glasses (MPG). In the present study, MPG in the P2O5–CaO–Na2O system, undoped and doped with 1, 3, and 5 mol% of Cu ions were synthesized via a combination of the sol–gel method and supramolecular templating. The non-ionic triblock copolymer Pluronic P123 was used as a templating agent. The porous structure was studied via a combination of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Small-Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis at 77 K. The structure of the phosphate network was investigated via solid state 31P Magic Angle Spinning Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (31P MAS-NMR) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Degradation studies, performed in water via Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), showed that phosphates, Ca2+, Na+ and Cu ions are released in a controlled manner over a 7 days period. The controlled release of Cu, proportional to the copper loading, imbues antibacterial properties to MPG. A significant statistical reduction of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial viability was observed over a 3 days period. E. coli appeared to be more resistant than S. aureus to the antibacterial effect of copper. This study shows that copper doped MPG have great potential as bioresorbable materials for controlled delivery of antibacterial ions. KW - Bioresorbable Biomaterials KW - Mesoporous phosphate-based glasses KW - Synthesis KW - Degradation studies KW - X-ray scattering KW - MOUSE KW - Antibacterial properties KW - Aantimicrobial PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-578101 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3RA02958A VL - 13 IS - 29 SP - 19662 EP - 19673 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry AN - OPUS4-57810 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hallier, Dorothea C. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Seitz, H. A1 - Hahn, Marc Benjamin T1 - Bio-SAXS of single-stranded DNA-binding proteins: Radiation protection by the compatible solute ectoine JF - Physical chemistry chemical physics (PCCP) N2 - Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) can be used for structural determination of biological macromolecules and polymers in their native states (e.g. liquid phase). This means that the structural changes of (bio-)polymers, such as proteins and DNA, can be monitored in situ to understand their sensitivity to changes in chemical environments. In an attempt to improve the reliability of such experiments, the reduction of radiation damage occurring from exposure to X-rays is required. One such method, is to use scavenger molecules to protect macromolecules against radicals produced during radiation exposure, such as reactive oxygen species (ROS). In this study we investigate the feasibility of applying the compatible solute, osmolyte and radiation protector Ectoine (THP(B)), as a scavenger molecule during SAXS measurements of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein Gene-V Protein (G5P/GVP). In this case, we monitor the radiation induced changes of G5P during bio-SAXS measurments and the resulting microscopic energy-damage relation was determined from microdosimetric calculations by Monte-Carlo based particle scattering simulations with TOPAS/Geant4 and a custom target-model. This resulted in a median-lethal energy deposit of pure G5P at 4 mg mL−1 of E1/2 = 7 ± 5 eV, whereas a threefold increase of energy-deposit was needed under the presence of Ectoine to reach the same level of damage. This indicates that Ectoine increases the possible exposure time before radiation-damage to G5P is observed. Furthermore, the dominant type of damage shifted from aggregation in pure solutions towards a fragmentation for solutions containing Ectoine as a cosolute. These results are interpreted in terms of indirect radiation damage by reactive secondary species, as well as post-irradiation effects, related to preferential-exclusion of the cosolute from the protein surface. Hence, Ectoine is shown to provide a non-disturbing way to improve structure-determination of proteins via bio-SAXS in future studies. KW - BioSAXS KW - Bio-SAXS KW - Cosolute KW - Ectoine KW - G5P KW - GVP KW - Radiation damage KW - Radical Scavenger KW - Single-stranded DNA-binding proteins KW - X-ray scattering KW - DNA KW - ssDNA KW - Protein KW - SAXS KW - Small-angle xray scattering KW - McSAS3 KW - Dosimetry KW - Microdosimetry KW - Geant4 KW - Geant4-DNA KW - Topas KW - Topas-MC KW - Monte-Carlo simulations KW - Particle scattering simulations KW - Topas-nBio KW - OH Radical KW - OH radical scavenger KW - LEE KW - Ionizing radiation damage KW - Protein unfolding KW - Ectoin PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-568909 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d2cp05053f SN - 1463-9076 SN - 1463-9084 VL - 25 IS - 7 SP - 5372 EP - 5382 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge AN - OPUS4-56890 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sprachmann, J. A1 - Grabicki, N. A1 - Möckel, Anna A1 - Maltitz, J. A1 - del Refugio Monroy Gómez, J. A1 - Smales, Glen Jacob A1 - Dumele, O. T1 - Substituted Benzophenone Imines for COF Synthesis via Formal Transimination JF - Chemical Communications N2 - Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a prominent class of organic materials constructed from versatile building blocks via reversible reactions. The quality of imine-linked COFs can be improved by using amine monomers protected with benzophenone forming benzophenone imines. Here, we present a study on substituted benzophenones in COF synthesis via formal transimination. 12 para-substituted N-aryl benzophenone imines, with a range of electron-rich to electron-poor substituents, were prepared and their hydrolysis kinetics were studied spectroscopically. All substituted benzophenone imines can be employed in COF synthesis and lead to COFs with high crystallinity and high porosity. The substituents act innocent to COF formation as the substituted benzophenones are cleaved off. Imines can be tailored to their synthetic demands and utilized in COF formation. This concept can make access to previously unattainable, synthetically complex COF monomers feasible. KW - Materials Chemistry KW - Metals and Alloys KW - Surfaces, Coatings and Films KW - General Chemistry KW - Ceramics and Composites KW - Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials KW - Catalysis PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-586449 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3CC03735E SN - 1359-7345 SP - 1 EP - 4 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-58644 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -