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- 2016 (4) (entfernen)
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- Aldrithiol (1)
- BCA assay (1)
- Biotin–FITC titration (1)
- Dye (1)
- Ellman (1)
- Fluorescence (1)
- Ligand analysis (1)
- Ligands (1)
- Nano particles (1)
- Nanoparticles (1)
Simple, fast, and versatile methods for the quantification of thiol groups are of considerable interest not only for protein analysis but also for the characterization of the surface chemistry of nanomaterials stabilized with thiol ligands or bearing thiol groups for the subsequent (bio-) functionalization via maleimide−thiol chemistry. Here, we compare two simple colorimetric assays, the widely used Ellman’s assay performed at alkaline pH and the aldrithiol assay executed at acidic and neutral pH, with respect to their potential for the quantification of thiol groups and thiol ligands on different types of nanoparticles like polystyrene nanoparticles, semiconductor nanocrystals (SC NC), and noble metal particles, and we derive criteria for their use. In order to assess the underlying reaction mechanisms and to obtain stoichiometry factors mandatory for reliable thiol quantification, both methods were studied photometrically and with electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ESI-TOF-MS), thereby demonstrating the influence of different thiols on the reaction mechanism. Our results underline the suitability of both methods for the quantification of directly accessible thiol groups or ligands on the surface of 2D- and 3D-supports, here exemplarily polystyrene nanoparticles. Moreover, we could derive strategies for the use of these simple assays for the determination of masked (i.e., not directly accessible) thiol groups like disulfides such as lipoic acid and thiol stabilizing ligands coordinatively bound to Cd and/or Hg surface atoms of II/VI and ternary SC NC and to gold and silver nanoparticles.
The optical properties of semiconductor nanocrystals (SC NCs) are largely controlled by their size and surface chemistry, i.e., the chemical composition and thickness of inorganic passivation shells and the chemical nature and number of surface ligands as well as the strength of their bonds to surface atoms.
The latter is particularly important for CdTe NCs, which – together with alloyed CdₓHg₁₋ₓTe – are the only SC NCs that can be prepared in water in high quality without the need for an additional inorganic passivation shell. Aiming at a better understanding of the role of stabilizing ligands for the control of the application-relevant fluorescence features of SC NCs, we assessed the influence of two of the most commonly used monodentate thiol ligands, thioglycolic acid (TGA) and mercaptopropionic acid (MPA),
on the colloidal stability, photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield (QY), and PL decay behavior of a set of CdTe NC colloids. As an indirect measure for the strength of the coordinative bond of the ligands to SC NC surface atoms, the influence of the pH (pD) and the concentration on the PL properties of these colloids was examined in water and D₂O and compared to the results from previous dilution studies with a set of thiol-capped Cd₁₋ₓHgₓTe SC NCs in D₂O. As a prerequisite for these studies, the number of surface ligands was determined photometrically at different steps of purification after SC NC synthesis with Ellman’s test.
Our results demonstrate ligand control of the pH-dependent PL of these SC NCs, with MPA-stabilized CdTe NCs being less prone to luminescence quenching than TGA-capped ones. For both types of CdTe colloids, ligand desorption is more pronounced in H₂O compared to D₂O, underlining also the role of hydrogen bonding and solvent molecules.
Aiming at the development of validated protocols
for protein conjugation of nanomaterials and the determination
of protein labeling densities, we systematically assessed
the conjugation of the model protein streptavidin (SAv) to
100-, 500-, and 1000-nm-sized polystyrene and silica nanoparticles
and dye-encoded polymer particles with two
established conjugation chemistries, based upon achievable
coupling efficiencies and labeling densities. Bioconjugation
reactions compared included EDC/sulfo NHS ester chemistry
for direct binding of the SAv to carboxyl groups at the particle
surface and maleimide-thiol chemistry in conjunction with
heterobifunctional PEG linkers and aminated nanoparticles
(NPs). Quantification of the total and functional amounts of
SAv on these nanomaterials and unreacted SAv in solution
was performed with the BCA assay and the biotin–FITC
(BF) titration, relying on different signal generation principles,
which are thus prone to different interferences. Our results
revealed a clear influence of the conjugation chemistry on
the amount of NP crosslinking, yet under optimized reaction
conditions, EDC/sulfo NHS ester chemistry and the attachment
via heterobifunctional PEG linkers led to comparably
efficient SAv coupling and good labeling densities. Particle
size can obviously affect protein labeling densities and
particularly protein functionality, especially for larger
particles. For unstained nanoparticles, direct bioconjugation
seems to be the most efficient strategy, whereas for dyeencoded
nanoparticles, PEG linkers are to be favored for the
prevention of dye–protein interactions which can affect
protein functionality specifically in the case of direct SAv
binding. Moreover, an influence of particle size on achievable
protein labeling densities and protein functionality could be
demonstrated.
3-Aminovinylquinoxalines are readily accessible from (hetero)aryl glyoxylic acids or heterocyclic π-nucleophiles by consecutive four- and fivecomponent syntheses in the sense of an activation-alkynylation-cyclocondensation-addition sequence or glyoxylation-alkynylation-cyclocondensation-addition sequence in good yields. The title compounds are highly fluorescent with pronounced emission solvatochromicity and protochromic fluorescence quenching. Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy furnishes radiative and nonradiative fluorescence decay rates in various solvent polarities. The electronic structure is corroborated by DFT and TD-DFT calculations rationalizing the observed spectroscopic effects.