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Paper des Monats
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Silica materials are popular in biomedical applications as composites and drug delivery platforms due to their low toxicity and biocompatibility. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles are attractive drug delivery systems based on their porous silica framework with high surface area. In the preparation of mesoporous silica frameworks, most commonly, MCM-41, the efficient removal of the template responsible for introducing porous networks, cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), is a critical step due to the template’s high toxicity in the environment and human health. In this work, we present a new one-pot approach of introducing challenging antibiotics within a silica framework without the need of toxic templates, but instead using micelle formation by an antibacterial agent. We demonstrate that micelles formed by cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC), a known antibacterial agent, entrap antibiotics such as rifampicin and ciprofloxacin. Extensive NMR studies elucidate the precise localisation of the antibiotic within the CPC micelle. Ciprofloxacin is placed between the outer and palisade region while rifampicin is located further into the hydrophobic CPC micelle core. In both cases, the formation of the silica framework can be built around the CPC-antibiotic loaded micelles. The resulting silica nanoparticles show loading of both CPC and antibiotic agents, porosity and dual antibacterial release upon disruption of the micelle within the silica framework. The design not only provides a strategy of a therapeutic design to form porous frameworks but also highlights the potential of precise antibiotic dose and release in nanoparticle systems.
Although the use of noble metal catalysts can increase the efficiency of hydrogen evolution reaction, the process is still limited by the characteristics of the metal-hydrogen (M−H) bond, which can be too strong or too weak, depending on the metal employed. Studies revealed that the hydrogen affinity for the metal surface (i.e. H absorption/desorption) is regulated also by the potential at the metal nanoparticles. Through controlled periodic illumination (CPI) of a series of metal/TiO2 suspensions, here we demonstrated that an increase of the HER efficiency is possible for those photodeposited metals which have a Tafel slope below 125 mV. Two possible explanations are here reported, in both of them the M−H interaction and the metal covering level play a prominent role, which also depend on the prevailing HER mechanism (Volmer-Heyrovsky or Volmer-Tafel).
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.
This paper reports on the effect of the solvent viscosity on the formation of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) during Sputtering onto Liquid (SoL) process. All other parameters related to the plasma and the host liquid are kept constant. SoL is a simple highly reproducible approach for preparation of colloidal dispersions of small naked NPs. The properties of the final product are determined by both the sputtering parameters and the host liquid characteristics. As a model system we chose to sputter a gold target by a direct-current magnetron discharge onto a line of polymerized rapeseed oils having similar surface tension (32.6 ― 33.1 mJ·m-2 at RT). It was found that well dispersed Au NPs grow in the bulk solution of oils with low viscosities (below 630 cP at 25 °C) while gold films form onto the surface of high viscosity liquids (more than 1000 cP at 25 °C). The mean diameter of the individual Au NPs slightly increases with oil viscosity and is in range about 2.1―2.5 nm according to transmission electron microscopy.
The core−shell NaYF4:Yb3+/Tm3+@NaYF4:Yb3+ upconversion nanoparticles were successfully prepared by a solvothermal method, and a layer of mesoporous silica (mSiO2) was successfully coated on the periphery of the core−shell nanoparticles to transform their surface from lipophilic to hydrophilic, further expanding their applications in biological tissues. The physical phase, morphology, structure, and fluorescence properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), ζ potential analysis, and fluorescence spectroscopy. It was found that the material has a hexagonal structure with good hydrophilicity and emits intense fluorescence under 980 nm pump laser excitation. The non-contact temperature sensing performance of nanoparticles was evaluated by analyzing the upconversion fluorescence of Tm3+ (1G4 → 3F4 and 3F3 → 3H6) in the temperature range of 284−344 K. The absolute and relative sensitivities were found to be 0.0067 K−1 and 1.08 % K−1, respectively, with high-temperature measurement reliability and good temperature cycling performance. More importantly, its temperature measurement in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution is accurate. In addition, the temperature of the cells can be increased by adjusting the laser power density and laser irradiation time. Therefore, an optical temperature sensing platform was built to realize the application of real-time monitoring of cancer cell temperature and the dual function of photothermal therapy.
This paper reports a systematic study into the effect of nitrogen on iron-catalyzed graphitization of biomass. Chitin, chitosan, N-acetylglucosamine, gelatin and glycine were selected to represent nitrogen-rich saccharides and amino-acid/polypeptide biomass precursors. The materials were pyrolyzed with an iron catalyst to produce carbons with a wide range of chemical and structural features such as mesoporosity and nitrogen-doping. Many authors have reported the synthesis of nitrogen-doped carbons by pyrolysis and these have diverse applications. However, this is the first systematic study of how nitrogen affects pyrolysis of biomass and importantly the catalytic graphitization step. Our data demonstrates that nitrogen inhibits graphitization but that some nitrogen survives the catalytic graphitization process to become incorporated into various chemical environments in the carbon product.
The cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) is a plant virus explored as a nanotechnological platform. The robust self-assembly mechanism of its capsid protein allows for drug encapsulation and targeted delivery. Additionally, the capsid nanoparticle can be used as a programmable platform to display different molecular moieties. In view of future applications, efficient production and purification of plant viruses are key steps. In established protocols, the need for ultracentrifugation is a significant limitation due to cost, difficult scalability, and safety issues. In addition, the purity of the final virus isolate often remains unclear. Here, an advanced protocol for the purification of the CCMV from infected plant tissue was developed, focusing on efficiency, economy, and final purity. The protocol involves precipitation with PEG 8000, followed by affinity extraction using a novel peptide aptamer. The efficiency of the protocol was validated using size exclusion chromatography, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, reversed-phase HPLC, and sandwich immunoassay. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the final eluate of the affinity column is of exceptional purity (98.4%) determined by HPLC and detection at 220 nm. The scale-up of our proposed method seems to be straightforward, which opens the way to the large-scale production of such nanomaterials. This highly improved protocol may facilitate the use and implementation of plant viruses as nanotechnological platforms for in vitro and in vivo applications.
Aqueous Dispersions of Polypropylene: Toward Reference Materials for Characterizing Nanoplastics
(2023)
Microplastics and nanoplastics pollute the natural environment all over the world, but the full extent of the hazards posed by this waste is unclear. While research on microplastics is well advanced, little work has been done on nanoplastics. This discrepancy is mainly due to the lacking ability to detect nanoplastics in biologically and environmentally relevant matrices. Nanoplastics reference materials can help the development of suitable methods for identifying and quantifying nanoplastics in nature. The aim is to synthesize nanoplastics made from one of the most commonly used plastics, namely polypropylene. An easy way to produce long-term stable aqueous dispersions of polypropylene nanoparticles (nano polypropylene) is reported. The nanoplastic particles, prepared by mechanical breakdown, show a mean hydrodynamic diameter of D h = 180.5 ± 5.8 nm and a polydispersity index of PDI = 0.084 ± 0.02. No surfactant is needed to obtain dispersion which is stable for more than 6 months. The colloidal stability of the surfactant-free nano polypropylene dispersions is explained by their low zeta potential of 𝜻 = −43 ± 2 mV.
To enhance the biological effects of radiation damage in cancerous cells, we present an alternative approach to the use of gold nanoparticles (AuNP), focusing on the synthesis and characterization of highly monodisperse, spherical radioactive gold nanoparticles 198AuNP. The size of the AuNP size was optimized with the help of Geant4/TOPAS particle scattering simulations, and energy deposition per nm3 per decay for varying radii (2–10 nm) was evaluated. This work is the foundation for ongoing experimental work to evaluate cell death induced by 198AuNP which aims for the use of radioactive gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment.
Core–shell nanoparticles have attracted much attention in recent years due to their unique properties and their increasing importance in many technological and consumer products. However, the chemistry of nanoparticles is still rarely investigated in comparison to their size and morphology. In this review, the possibilities, limits, and challenges of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for obtaining more insights into the composition, thickness, and homogeneity of nanoparticle coatings are discussed with four examples: CdSe/CdS quantum dots with a thick coating and a small core; NaYF4-based upconverting nanoparticles with a large Yb-doped core and a thin Er-doped coating; and two types of polymer nanoparticles with a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) core with either a poly(methyl methacrylate) or polystyrene coating. Different approaches for calculating the thickness of the coating are presented, like a simple numerical modelling or a more complex simulation of the photoelectron peaks. Additionally, modelling of the XPS background for the investigation of coating is discussed. Furthermore, the new possibilities to measure with varying excitation energies or with hard-energy X-ray sources (hard-energy X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) are described. A discussion about the sources of uncertainty for the determination of the thickness of the coating completes this review.
Iron nitride (Fe3N) and iron carbide (Fe3C) nanoparticles can be prepared via sol−gel synthesis. While sol−gel methods are simple, it can be difficult to control the crystalline composition, i.e., to achieve a Rietveld-pure product. In a previous in situ synchrotron study of the sol−gel synthesis of Fe3N/Fe3C, we showed that the reaction proceeds as follows:
Fe3O4 → FeOx → Fe3N → Fe3C. There was considerable overlap between the different phases, but we were unable to ascertain whether this was due to the experimental setup (side-on heating of a quartz capillary which could lead to thermal gradients) or whether individual particle reactions proceed at different rates. In this paper, we use in situ wide- and small-angle X-ray scattering (wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)) to demonstrate that the overlapping phases are indeed due to variable reaction rates. While the initial oxide nanoparticles have a small range of diameters, the size range expands considerably and very rapidly during the oxide−nitride transition. This has implications for the isolation of Rietveld-pure Fe3N, and in an extensive laboratory study, we were indeed unable to isolate phasepure Fe3N. However, we made the surprising discovery that Rietveld-pure Fe3C nanoparticles can be produced at 500 °C with a sufficient furnace dwell time. This is considerably lower than the previous reports of the sol−gel synthesis of Fe3C nanoparticles.
The roughness as a property of core–shell (CS) microparticles plays a key role in their functionality. Quantitative evaluation of the roughness of CS microparticles is, however, a challenging task with approaches using electron microscopy images being scarce and showing pronounced differences in terms of methodology and results. This work presents a generalized method for the reliable roughness determination of nonplanar specimens such as CS particles from electron microscopic images, the method being robust and reproducible with a high accuracy. It involves a self-written software package (Python) that analyzes the recorded images, extracts corresponding data, and calculates the roughness based on the deviation of the identified contour. Images of single particles are taken by a dual mode scanning electron microscopy (SEM) setup which permits imaging of the same field-of-view of the sample with high resolution and surface sensitive in SE InLens mode as well as in transmission mode (TSEM). Herein, a new type of polystyrene core–iron oxide shell–silica shell particles is developed to serve as a set of lower micrometer-sized study objects with different surface roughness; the analysis of their images by the semiautomatic workflow is demonstrating that the particles’ profile roughness can be quantitatively obtained.
A facile and efficient methodology is described for the solvothermal synthesis of size-tunable, stable, and uniform NiCu core–shell nanoparticles (NPs) for application in catalysis. The diameter of the NPs is tuned in a range from 6 nm to 30 nm and to adjust the Ni:Cu ratio from 30:1 to 1:1. Furthermore, the influence of different reaction parameters on the final NPs is studied. The NPs are structurally characterized by a method combination of transmission electron microscopy, anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering, X-ray absorption fine structure, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using these analytical methods, it is possible to elucidate a core–shell–shell structure of all particles and their chemical composition. In all cases, a depletion from the core to the shell is observed, with the core consisting of NiCu alloy, surrounded by an inner Ni-rich shell and an outer NiO shell. The SiO2-supported NiCu core–shell NPs show pronounced selectivity of >99% for CO in the catalytic reduction of CO2 to CO using hydrogen as reactant (reverse water–gas shift reaction) independent of size and Ni:Cu ratio.
A versatile software package in the form of a Python extension, named CDEF (computing Debye’s scattering formula for extraordinary form factors), is proposed to calculate approximate scattering profiles of arbitrarily shaped nanoparticles for small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). CDEF generates a quasi-randomly distributed point cloud in the desired particle shape and then applies the open-source software DEBYER for efficient evaluation of Debye’s scattering formula to calculate the SAXS pattern (https://github.com/j-from-b/CDEF). If self-correlation of the scattering signal is not omitted, the quasi-random distribution provides faster convergence compared with a true-random distribution of the scatterers, especially at higher momentum transfer. The usage of the software is demonstrated for the evaluation of scattering data of Au nanocubes with rounded edges, which were measured at the four-crystal monochromator beamline of PTB at the synchrotron radiation facility BESSY II in Berlin. The implementation is fast enough to run on a single desktop computer and perform model fits within minutes. The accuracy of the method was analyzed by comparison with analytically known form factors and verified with another implementation, the SPONGE, based on a similar principle with fewer approximations. Additionally, the SPONGE coupled to McSAS3 allows one to retrieve information on the uncertainty of the size distribution using a Monte Carlo uncertainty estimation algorithm.
Mono-, Di-, and Tri-valent Cation Doped BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 Nanoparticles: Ferroelectric Photocatalysts
(2022)
The ferroelectricity of multivalent co-doped Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3; BFO) nanoparticles (NPs) is revealed and utilized for light photocatalysis exploiting their narrow electronic band gap. The photocatalytic activity of ferroelectric photocatalysts BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 (BFM) NPs and mono-, di-, or tri-valent cations (Ag+, Ca2+, Dy3+; MDT) co-incorporated BFM NPs are studied under ultrasonication and in acidic conditions. We find that such doping enhances the photocatalytic activity of the ferroelectric NPs approximately three times. The correlation of the photocatalytic activity with structural, optical, and electrical properties of the doped NPs is established. The increase of spontaneous polarization by the mono- and tri-valent doping is one of the major factors in enhancing the photocatalytic performance along with other factors such as stronger light absorption in the visible range, low recombination rate of charge carriers and larger surface area of NPs. A-site doping of BFO NPs by divalent elements suppresses the polarization, whereas trivalent (Dy3+) and monovalent (Ag+) cations provide an increase of polarization. The depolarization field in these single domain NPs acts as a driving force to mitigate recombination of the photoinduced charge carriers.
This paper discusses the feasibility of a novel strategy based on the combination of bioprinting nano-doping technology and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry analysis for the preparation and characterization of gelatin- based multi-element calibration standards suitable for quantitative imaging. To achieve this, lanthanide up-conversion nanoparticles were added to a gelatin matrix to produce the bioprinted calibration standards. The features of this bioprinting approach were com- pared with manual cryosectioning standard preparation, in terms of throughput, between batch repeatability and elemental signal homogeneity at 5 μm spatial resolution. By using bioprinting, the between batch variability for three independent standards of the same concentration of 89 Y (range 0–600 mg/kg) was reduced to 5% compared to up to 27% for cryosectioning. On this basis, the relative standard deviation ( RSD ) obtained between three independent calibration slopes measured within 1 day also reduced from 16% (using cryosectioning ) to 5% (using bioprinting), supporting the use of a single standard preparation replicate for each of the concentrations to achieve good calibration performance using bioprinting. This helped reduce the analysis time by approximately 3-fold. With cryosectioning each standard was prepared and sectioned individually, whereas using bio-printing it was possible to have up to six different standards printed simultaneously, reducing the preparation time from approximately 2 h to under 20 min (by approxi- mately 6-fold). The bio-printed calibration standards were found stable for a period of 2 months when stored at ambient temperature and in the dark.
A solvothermal method was used to prepare a series of Yb3+/Tm3+/Ca2+ co-doped NaYF4 nanoparticles with different Ca2+ contents. Strong upconversion blue fluorescence could be observed under 980 nm laser excitation of the samples. The effect of different Ca2+ contents on the luminescence intensity was investigated, and it was found that the UV-vis upconversion luminescence increased and then decreased with an increasing Ca2+ concentration during the increase of the Ca2+ content from 0 mol% to 25 mol%, reaching the strongest fluorescence at 15 mol%, which was up to about 28 times stronger than that without Ca2+ doping. Furthermore, the mechanism was investigated, and it was found that the doping of Ca2+ disrupted the symmetry of the crystal field, resulting in a significant enhancement of the overall fluorescence. Applied to fluorescence intensity ratio thermometry, the absolute and relative sensitivities are as high as 0.0418 K−1 and 2.31% K−1, respectively, with a minimum temperature resolution of 0.0129 K.
Within this work, the combination of a microdroplet generator and an ICP-ToF-MS for nanoparticle analysis is presented. For the size determination of platinum nanoparticles an on-line isotope dilution analysis approach was developed. The 194Pt/195Pt isotopic ratio was used for the characterization of the particles, while the 182W/183W isotopic ratio was monitored simultaneously for mass bias correction. The on-line ID-MDG-sp-ICP-ToF-MS approach was deployed for the size determination of three platinum nanoparticle samples (50 nm, 63 nm, 70 nm); for validation, complementary size characterization techniques (sp-ICP-ToF-MS and TEM) were used. The robustness of this technique was evidenced, by using sodium chloride concentrations up to 100 mg L−1 as a matrix component. Our new on-line ID MDG-sp-ICP-ToF-MS approach is a promising tool for the fast and reliable determination of nanoparticles' size in severe matrix concentrations, e.g., environmental samples.
Metal nanoparticles have a substantial impact across diferent felds of science, such as photochemistry, energy conversion, and medicine. Among the commonly used nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles are of special interest due to their antibacterial properties and applications in sensing and catalysis. However, many of the methods used to synthesize silver nanoparticles often do not result in well-defned products, the main obstacles being high polydispersity or a lack of particle size tunability. We describe an automated approach to on-demand synthesis of adjustable particles with mean radii of 3 and 5 nm using the polyol route. The polyol process is a promising route for silver nanoparticles e.g., to be used as reference materials. We characterised the as-synthesized nanoparticles using small-angle X-ray scattering, dynamic light scattering and further methods, showing that automated synthesis can yield colloids with reproducible and tuneable properties.
Improved Durability of Wood Treated with Nano Metal Fluorides against Brown-Rot and White-Rot Fungi
(2022)
Low-water soluble metal fluorides such as magnesium fluoride (MgF2) and calcium Fluoride (CaF2) were evaluated for decay protection of wood. Initially, the biocidal efficacy of nano metal fluorides (NMFs) against wood destroying fungi was assessed with an in-vitro agar test. The results from the test showed that agar medium containing MgF2 and CaF2 was more efficient in preventing fungal decay than stand-alone MgF2 or CaF2. These metal fluorides, in their nanoscopic form synthesized using fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis, were introduced into the sapwood of Scots pine and beech wood and then subjected to accelerated ageing by leaching (EN 84). MAS 19F NMR and X-ray micro CT images showed that metal fluorides were present in treated wood, unleached and leached. Decay resistance of Scots pine and beech wood treated with NMFs was tested against Wood destroying fungi Rhodonia placenta and Trametes versicolor in accordance with EN 113. Results revealed that mass losses were reduced to below 3% in wood treated with the combination of MgF2 and CaF2.
It is concluded that NMFs provide full protection to wood even after it has been leached and can be used as wood preservatives in outdoor environments.