6.5 Synthese und Streuverfahren nanostrukturierter Materialien
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Noble metal-free nanoparticles (NPs) based on multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) were synthesized using a one-step pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLALs) method for the electrochemical reduction of CO2. Laser ablation was performed in pure water or poly-(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)-containing an aqueous solution of Al8Cr17Co17Cu8Fe17Ni33 MPEA targets. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements combined with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) mapping were used to characterize the structure and composition of the laser-generated MPEA nanoparticles (MPEA-NPs). These results confirmed the presence of a characteristic elemental distribution of a core-shell phase structure as the predominant NP species. The electrocatalytic performance of the laser-generated MPEA-NPs was characterized by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) demonstrating an enhanced electrocatalytic CO2 activity for PDADMAC-stabilized NPs. The findings of these investigations indicate that MPEAs have great potential to replace conventional, expensive noble metal electrocatalysts.
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.
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.
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.
AbstractWe report on gold clusters with around 62 gold atoms and a diameter of 1.15±0.10 nm. Dispersions of the clusters are long‐term stable for two years at ambient conditions. The synthesis was performed by mixing tetrachloroauric acid (HAuCl4 ⋅ 3 H2O) with the ionic liquid 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([Emim][DCA]) at temperatures of 20 to 80 °C. Characterization was performed with small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS), UV‐Vis spectroscopy, and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. A three‐stage model is proposed for the formation of the clusters, in which cluster growth from gold nuclei takes place according to the Lifshitz‐Slyozov‐Wagner (LSW) model followed by oriented attachment to form colloidal stable clusters.
A round-robin study has been carried out to estimate the impact of the human element in small-angle scattering data analysis. Four corrected datasets were provided to participants ready for analysis. All datasets were measured on samples containing spherical scatterers, with two datasets in dilute dispersions and two from powders. Most of the 46 participants correctly identified the number of populations in the dilute dispersions, with half of the population mean entries within 1.5% and half of the population width entries within 40%. Due to the added complexity of the structure factor, far fewer people submitted answers on the powder datasets. For those that did, half of the entries for the means and widths were within 44 and 86%, respectively. This round-robin experiment highlights several causes for the discrepancies, for which solutions are proposed.
Today there are hundreds of products available containing silver in form of nanoparticles, so-called nanosilver. This situation and the foreseeable future growing market of nanosilver will supposedly cause an increased release of silver into the environment. In this way, silver can be also incorporated into the human body and accumulated in different organs, which can be toxic or at least an unknown risk to human health. For these reasons, it is important to constantly study materials containing silver nanoparticles, their production, application in products and technical processes, dissemination of silver nanoparticles in the environment, and effects on humans and nature. The state-of-the-art nanoparticle size and concentration characterization are illustrated in an extensive interlaboratory comparison. To guarantee the traceability of measurements and to secure the comparison of results of different analytical methods, reference materials (RM) and certified reference materials (CRM) are essential. As a case study, the objective of the presented project was to provide an aqueous suspension of silver nanoparticles as a reference material with a nominal diameter below 10 nm for application in the determination of the size and concentration of nanoparticles in an aqueous surrounding. Measurands are the particles’ diameter D, size distribution width σ, number density N, and concentration c. Target uncertainties, defined as one sigma of the measurand values, are 5% for D, 10% for σ, 20% for N, and 20% for c. The certification was carried out based on ISO 17867 and the relevant ISO-Guides to produce reference material. The process of using SAXS as a reliable method for testing homogeneity and short-term and long-term stability of the material is reported. The particle preparation is described in detail so that the user can carry out the steps of synthesis and characterization in his own laboratory if required. Optionally, one can also contact the author for the provision of the silver nanoparticles. Detailed information can be found elsewhere (BAM Certification Reports, BAM-N008 (2022)).
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.
A Round Robin study has been carried out to estimate the impact of the human element in small-angle scattering data analysis. Four corrected datasets were provided to participants ready for analysis. All datasets were measured on samples containing spherical scatterers, with two datasets in dilute dispersions, and two from powders.
Most of the 46 participants correctly identified the number of populations in the dilute dispersions, with half of the population mean entries within 1.5 % and half of the population width entries within 40 %, respectively. Due to the added complexity of the structure factor, much fewer people submitted answers on the powder datasets.
For those that did, half of the entries for the means and widths were within 44 % and 86 % respectively. This Round Robin experiment highlights several causes for the discrepancies, for which solutions are proposed.
Post-assembly modifications are efficient tools to adjust colloidal features of block copolymer (BCP) particles. However, existing methods often address particle shape, morphology, and chemical functionality individually. For simultaneous control, we transferred the concept of seeded polymerization to phase separated BCP particles. Key to our approach is the regioselective polymerization of (functional) monomers inside specific BCP domains. This was demonstrated in striped PS-b-P2VP ellipsoids. Here, polymerization of styrene preferably occurs in PS domains and increases PS lamellar thickness up to 5-fold. The resulting asymmetric lamellar morphology also changes the particle shape, i.e., increases the aspect ratio. Using 4-vinylbenzyl azide as co-monomer, azides as chemical functionalities can be added selectively to the PS domains. Overall, our simple and versatile method gives access to various multifunctional BCP colloids from a single batch of pre-formed particles.
Advanced peptide-based nanomaterials composed of self-assembling peptides (SAPs) are of emerging interest in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. The introduction of fluorine into peptides, in fact, offers unique opportunities to tune their biophysical properties and intermolecular interactions. In particular, the degree of fluorination plays a crucial role in peptide engineering as it can be used to control the characteristics of fluorine-specific interactions and, thus, peptide conformation and self-assembly. Here, we designed and explored a series of amphipathic peptides by incorporating the fluorinated amino acids (2S)-4-monofluoroethylglycine (MfeGly), (2S)-4,4-difluoroethylglycine (DfeGly) and (2S)-4,4,4-trifluoroethylglycine (TfeGly) as hydrophobic components. This approach enabled studying the impact of fluorination on secondary structure formation and peptide self-assembly on a systematic basis. We show that the interplay between polarity and hydrophobicity, both induced differentially by varying degrees of side chain fluorination, does affect peptide folding significantly. A greater degree of fluorination promotes peptide fibrillation and subsequent formation of physical hydrogels in physiological conditions. Molecular simulations revealed the key role played by electrostatically driven intra-chain and inter-chain contact pairs that are modulated by side chain fluorination and give insights into the different self-organization behaviour of selected peptides. Our study provides a systematic report about the distinct features of fluorinated oligomeric peptides with potential applications as peptide-based biomaterials.
SI Files for "Towards automation of the polyol process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles"
(2022)
The graphml file: reaction_graph_AgNP.graphml is included. It contains topological information (Fig. 1 in the main text) about the reaction setup and metadata with reaction condtions. It used by the Python API used to control the Chemputer.
SAXS reports. The complete report sheets generated by McSAS are included. They contain extended information characterising the size distributions and the fitting parameters.
NP3_I: saxs_report_NP3_I.pdf
NP3_II: saxs_report_NP3_II.pdf
NP3_III: saxs_report_NP3_III.pdf
NP3_IV: saxs_report_NP3_IV.pdf
NP5_I: saxs_report_NP5_I.pdf
NP5_II: saxs_report_NP5_II.pdf
NP5_III: saxs_report_NP5_III.pdf
Herein, a simple one-pot procedure is reported to obtain aqueous zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle dispersions from ZnO nanoparticles dispersed in cyclohexane. In the process, polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate (polysorbate 80, Tween 80) functions as a phase transfer agent and colloidal stabilizer. The particles grow in a defined manner during the transfer, presumably via coalescence. The final particle radii are tuneable in the range from 2.3 ± 0.1 nm to 5.7 ± 0.1 nm depending on the incubation time of the dispersion at 90 °C. Small-angle X-ray scattering is employed to determine the particle radius distributions before and after phase transfer. The larger ZnO particle radii are associated with a redshift of the optical bandgap and luminescence emission, as expected for semiconductor nanoparticles. The particles presented here exhibit a relative size distribution width of 20%, rendering them attractive for applications in, e.g., biology or catalysis. The latter application is demonstrated at the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye.
The continuously increasing use of plastics is supposed to result in a rising exposure of MNPs to humans. Available data on human health risks of microplastics after oral uptake increased immensely in the past years and indicates very likely only low risks after oral consumption. Concerning nanoplastics, uptake, transport and potential adverse effects after oral uptake are less well understood. This study aims to investigate differences between microplastic particles and particles in the submicron- and nanoscaled size derived from food-relevant polymers with a particle size range consistent with higher potential for cellular uptake, fate, and effects when applied to human intestinal and liver cells. This work includes the development of cellular and subcellular detection methods for synthetic polymeric particles in the micro- and nanometer-range, using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Small-Angle X-ray and Dynamic Light Scattering methods, Asymmetric Flow Field Flow Fractionation, octanol-water fractionation, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Polylactic acid (250 nm and 2 μm (polydisperse)), melamine formaldehyde (366 nm) and polymethylmethacrylate (25 nm) were thoroughly characterized. The submicro- and nanoplastic test particles showed an increased uptake and transport quantity through intestinal cells. Both types of particles resulted in observed differences of uptake behavior, most likely influenced by different lipophilicity, which varied between the polymeric test materials. Toxic effects were detected after 24 h only in overload situations for the particles in the submicrometer range. This study provides further evidence for gastrointestinal uptake of submicro- and nanoplastics and points towards differences regarding bioavailability between microplastics and smaller plastic particles that may result following the ingestion of contaminated food and beverages. Furthermore, the results reinforce the importance for studying nanoplastics of different materials of varying size, surface properties, polymer composition and hydrophobicity.
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.
Solvent annealing is a versatile tool to adjust the shape and morphology of block copolymer (BCP) particles. During this process, polar solvents are often used for block-selective swelling. However, such water-miscible solvents can induce (partial) solubilization of one block in the surrounding aqueous medium, thus, causing complex structural variations and even particle disassembly. To reduce the complexity in morphology control, we focused on toluene as a nonpolar polystyrene-selective solvent for the annealing of striped polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) ellipsoids. The selective stretching of PS chains produces unique asymmetric lamellae structures, which translate to an increase in the particle aspect ratio after toluene evaporation. Complete reversibility is achieved by changing to chloroform as a nonselective solvent. Moreover, surfactants can be used to tune block-selective wetting of the particle surface during the annealing; for example, a PS shell can protect the internal lamellae structure from disassembly. Overall, this versatile postassembly process enables the tailoring of the structural features of striped colloidal ellipsoids by only using commercial BCPs and solvents.
Aluminum (Al) is highly abundant in the biosphere and can occur in different physico-chemical states. It is present in human food and undergoes transitions between dissolved and particulate species during the passage of the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, in a complex matrix such as food different inorganic and organic counterions can affect the chemical behavior of Al following oral uptake.
In this work, the effects of different counterions, namely chloride, citrate, sulfate, lactate and acetylacetonate, on Al uptake and toxicity in the human intestine are studied. The respective Al salts showed different dissolution behavior in biological media and formed nanoscaled particles correlating in reverse with the amount of their dissolved fraction. The passage through the intestinal barrier was studied using a Caco-2 Transwell® system, showing counterion-dependent variance in cellular uptake and transport. In addition, Al toxicity was investigated using Al species (Al3+, metallic Al0 and oxidic γAl2O3 nanoparticles) and counterions individually or in mixtures on Caco-2 and HepG2 cells. The strongest toxicity was observed using a combination of Al species, depending on solubility, and the lipophilic counterion acetylacetonate. Notably, only the combination of both led to toxicity, while both substances individually did not show toxic effects. A toxification of previously non-toxic Al-species by the presence of acetylacetonate is shown here for the first time. The dependency on the concentration of free Al ions was demonstrated using sodium hydrogen phosphate, which was able to counteract the toxic effects by complexing free Al ions.
These findings, using Al salts as an example for a common food contaminant, underline the importance of a consideration of the chemical properties of human nutrition, especially dissolution and hydrophobicity, which can significantly influence the cellular uptake and effects of xenobiotic substances.
Surface self-assembly of spherical nanoparticles of sizes below 10 nm into hierarchical heterostructures is under arising development despite the inherent difficulties of obtaining complex ordering patterns on a larger scale. Due to template-mediated interactions between oil-dispersible superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and polyethylenimine-stabilized gold nanoparticles (Au(PEI)NPs) at the water–oil interface of microemulsions, complex nanostructured films can be formed. Characterization of the reverse microemulsion phase by UV–vis absorption revealed the formation of heteroclusters from Winsor type II phases (WPII) using Aerosol-OT (AOT) as the surfactant. SAXS measurements verify the mechanism of initial nanoparticle clustering in defined dimensions. XPS suggested an influence of AOT at the MNP surface. Further, cryo-SEM and TEM visualization demonstrated the elongation of the reverse microemulsions into cylindrical, wormlike structures, which subsequently build up larger nanoparticle superstructure arrangements. Such WPII phases are thus proven to be a new form of soft template, mediating the self-assembly of different nanoparticles in hierarchical network-like filaments over a substrate during solvent evaporation.
The behaviour of microemulsion (ME) droplets in mesoporous systems is highly important for understanding the immobilisation of drugs or chemical formulations, cleaning processes or enhanced oil recovery. The loading of pores as well as the structural organisation of MEs within the pores is a relevant parameter, especially for immobilisation applications. For this reason, the uptake of microemulsions in cylindrical pores of SBA-15 was investigated via adsorption and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Adsorption isotherms revealed an adsorption of the microemulsion droplets based on the adsorption of surfactant as a driving force. The adapted scattering model is based on the analysis of bare SBA-15 in full contrast conditions and employs microemulsions inside of SBA-15 measured at the silica contrast matching point. Accordingly, the structural arrangement of microemulsion droplets in the pores of SBA-15 was determined in good detail. Microemulsion droplets smaller than the pore size access the pores while retaining their spherical shape and become increasingly ordered for higher loading, where the droplets arrange in a dense packing of spherical droplets in a cylindrical pore. Interestingly, microemulsion droplets larger than the pore size can easily be incorporated, but become deformed upon entering and are present as elongated rod-like structures.
Ultra-SAXS can enhance the capabilities of existing synchrotron SAXS/WAXS beamlines. A compact ultra-SAXS module has been developed, which extends the measurable q-range with 0.0015 ≤ q (nm−1) ≤ 0.2, allowing structural dimensions in the range 30 ≤ D (nm) ≤ 4000 to be probed in addition to the range covered by a high-end SAXS/WAXS instrument. By shifting the module components in and out on their respective motor stages, SAXS/WAXS measurements can be easily and rapidly interleaved with USAXS measurements. The use of vertical crystal rotation axes (horizontal diffraction) greatly simplifies the construction, at minimal cost to efficiency. In this paper, the design considerations, realization and synchrotron findings are presented. Measurements of silica spheres, an alumina membrane, and a porous carbon catalyst are provided as application examples.