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The rational synthesis and use of nanomaterials require the characterization of many different properties, ranging from particle size and size distribution over surface chemistry to more applicationrelevant features like optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties. In the following, several methods for the characterization of functional groups on nanomaterials, like polymer and silica nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots, and lanthanide-based upconversion nanocrystals are presented. Additionally, procedures for the measurement of the key spectroscopic performance parameters of nanomaterials with linear and nonlinear photoluminescence, such as the photoluminescence quantum yield, are presented for the UV/vis/NIR/SWIR.
The overall interest in nanotoxicity, triggered by the increasing use of nanomaterials in the material and life sciences, and the synthesis of an ever increasing number of new functional nanoparticles calls for standardized test procedures1,2 and for efficient approaches to screen the potential genotoxicity of these materials. Aiming at the development of fast and easy to use, automated microscopic methods for the determination of the genotoxicity of different types of nanoparticles, we assess the potential of the fluorometric γH2AX assay for this purpose. This assay, which can be run on an automated microscopic detection system, relies on the detection of DNA double strand breaks as a sign for genotoxicity3. Here, we provide first results obtained with broadly used nanomaterials like CdSe/CdS and InP/ZnS quantum dots as well as iron oxide, gold, and polymer particles of different surface chemistry with previously tested colloidal stability and different cell lines like Hep-2 and 8E11 cells, which reveal a dependence of the genotoxicity on the chemical composition as well as the surface chemistry of these nanomaterials. These studies will be also used to establish nanomaterials as positive and negative genotoxicity controls or standards for assay performance validation for users of this fluorometric genotoxicity assay. In the future, after proper validation, this microscopic platform technology will be expanded to other typical toxicity assays.
Biophotonics and analytics - Photoluminescence properties of nanocrystals and surface group analysis
(2018)
Correlating the photoluminescence (PL) properties of nanomaterials like semiconductor nanocrystals (QDs) and upconversion nanocrystals (UCNPs) assessed in ensemble studies and at the single particle level and studying their surface chemistry is increasingly relevant for applications of these nanomaterials in the life and material sciences. Here we present a comparison of the spectroscopic properties of ensembles and single nanocrystalline emitters and simple methods for the quantification of functional groups and ligands on particle surfaces. The overall goal of this study was to derive particle architectures and surface chemistries well suited for spectroscopic and microscopic applications.
The overall interest in nanotoxicity, triggered by the increasing use of nanomaterials in the material and life sciences, and the synthesis of an ever increasing number of new functional nanoparticles calls not only for standardized test procedures1,2 and for efficient approaches to screen the potential genotoxicity of these materials, but also for standardized and validated methods for surface analysis.
4,5 The analysis and quantification of surface chemistry is hence in the focus of an increasing number of standardization organizations and interlaboratory comparisons with different analytical methods are being done.5 For the monitoring of nanomaterial synthesis and the fast assessment of the number of functional groups such as carboxyl and amino functionalities, which are very commonly used functionalities in the life sciences, simple and validated methods are needed that can be performed with common laboratory instrumentation. 5,6 Here we provide a brief overview of the ongoing research in division Biophotonics employing quantitative NMR (qNMR), conductometry, and colorimetric and fluorometric optical assays for the determination of the total and the accessible number of carboxyl and amino groups on differently sized polymer and silica nano- and microparticles.5-7
Nanoparticles (NPs) have found a wide range of applications in research and industry. Thereby the interaction of NPs with biological systems like cells has become a major field of interest, ranging from medical applications to nanotoxicology. Size, shape and surface modification of the nanomaterials determine the uptake rate and pathway into the cells, and therefore impact specific cell components and processes.
In recent years, elemental imaging of biological samples using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is gaining more and more importance. Improvements concerning both spatial resolution (down to 1 µm) and signal-to-background ratio due to low-dispersion LA chambers make LA-ICP-MS particularly interesting for single cell analysis.
Here LA-ICP-MS was applied for the imaging of individual cells to study the uptake and intracellular processing of metal-containing nanostructures. The cells were incubated with different NPs under varying experimental conditions and afterwards fixed with para-formaldehyde and dried for LA analysis. High-spatial resolution LA-ICP-MS was achieved by careful optimisation of the laser ablation parameters.
Our findings show, that LA-ICP-MS is applicable to localize NP aggregates within cellular compartments. The uptake efficiency depends strongly on the physicochemical properties of the nanostructures as well as on the incubation conditions like concentration and incubation time.
The results demonstrate the potential of LA-ICP-MS providing insight into nanoparticle-cell interaction dependent on experimental parameters.
In the interest of exploring their potential in the field of single particle analysis, a Microdroplet Generator (MDG) was coupled to an ICP-ToF-MS.
Isotopic Dilution Analysis was also incorporated for the size determination of three different Platinum Nanoparticles samples (50, 63 and 70 nm). The performance of the technique was validated by comparison to traditional size characterization techniques (sp-ICP-ToF-MS, TEM), while the robustness of the technique was proven by incorporating NaCl in the samples’ matrix, up to 100 mg/L.
Nanoparticle suspensions were microprinted onto TEM grids for subsequent analysis by SEM/TSEM and evaluation of particle numbers using Image J software. Various nanoparticle types, concentrations and printing conditions (temperature, rel. humidity) were evaluated in order to determine the optimal conditions for producing a uniform distribution of particles on the substrate and eliminating the coffee ring effect.
Luminescent nanocrystals like core/shell semiconductor quantum dots and lanthanide doped nanophosphors as well as gold nanoclusters with emission in the visible (vis) and particularly in the near infrared (NIR) and short wavelength infrared (SWIR) region have been increasingly used as reporters in the life sciences and for bioimaging studies in the last years. This has led to sophisticated core-shell particle architectures of different chemical composition utilizing semiconductor quantum dots and lanthanide-based nanocrystals and initiated the design of gold nanoclusters with different ligands. In addition, this led to an increasing number of quantitative spectroscopic studies focusing on the key performance parameter photoluminescence quantum yield to identify optimum particle structures. In the following, an overview of different classes of nanocrystalline emitters and their photophysics is provided and examples for the absolute characterization of the photoluminescence properties of these different vis/NIR/SWIR emitters are shown including excitation power density-dependent studies on the ensemble and single particle level. Also, the impact of such measurements on a profound mechanistic understanding of the underlying nonradiative deactivation pathways is highlighted as required for reporter design.
Nanomaterials are used in many different applications in the material and life sciences. Examples are optical reporters, barcodes, and nanosensors, magnetic and optical contrast agents, and catalysts. Due to their small size and large surface area, there are also concerns about their interaction with and uptake by biological systems. This has initiated an ever increasing number of cyctoxicity studies of nanomaterials of different chemical composition and surface chemistry, but until now, the toxicological results presented by different research groups often do not address or differ regarding a potential genotoxicity of these nanomaterials. This underlines the need for a standardized test procedure to detect genotoxicity.1,2
Aiming at the development of fast, easy to use, and automatable microscopic methods for the determination of the genotoxicity of different types of nanoparticles, we assess the potential of the fluorometric γH2AX assay for this purpose. This assay, which can be run on an automated microscopic detection system, relies on the determination of DNA double strand breaks as a sign for genotoxicity.3 Here, we present first results obtained with broadly used nanomaterials like CdSe/CdS and InP/ZnS quantum dots as well as iron oxide, gold, and polymer particles of different surface chemistry with previously tested colloidal stability. These studies will be also used to establish nanomaterials as positive and negative genotoxicity controls or standards for assay performance validation for users of this fluorometric genotoxicity assay. In the future, after proper validation, this microscopic platform technology will be expanded to other typical toxicity assays.
References. (1) Landsiedel, R.; Kapp, M. D.; Schulz, M.; Wiench, K.; Oesch, F., Reviews in Mutation Research 2009, 681, 241-258. (2) Henriksen-Lacey, M.; Carregal-Romero, S.; Liz-Marzán, L. M., Bioconjugate Chem. 2016, 28, 212-221. (3) Willitzki, A.; Lorenz, S.; Hiemann, R.; Guttek, K.; Goihl, A.; Hartig, R.; Conrad, K.; Feist, E.; Sack, U.; Schierack, P., Cytometry Part A 2013, 83, 1017-1026.
Applications of luminescent nanomaterials like semiconductor nanocrystals (QDs) and lanthanide-based upconversion nanocrystals (UCNPs) in the life sciences such as bioimaging studies or their use as reporter in assays call for a correlation of the photoluminescence (PL) properties of these nanomaterials on ensemble and single particle levels. This is particularly relevant within the context of continuously decreasing detection limits. Aiming at optimum nanomaterials for spectroscopic and microscopic applications, we examine the optical properties of QDs like II/VI QDs and cadmium-free AgInS2/ZnS QDs (AIS/ZnS) and UCNPs of different chemical composition, size, and particle architecture for ensembles and single particles. This includes PL spectra, PL quantum yields (ΦF), brightness values, blinking behavior, and PL decay kinetics. For UCNPs with their nonlinear spectrally converted PL excited by sequential multiphoton absorption, these measurements were also done as a function of excitation power density (P). Special emphasis is dedicated to the performance parameters ΦF and brightness, that determine signal size and provide a measure for nanocrystal quality.[1-5]
Systematic studies of the excitation energy dependence (EED) [6] of the PL properties of II/VI and ternary AgInS2/ZnS QDs reveal the potential of this relatively simple method for providing insights into the electronic energy structure of QDs. The intrinsic nature of the inhomogeneous broadening of the PL bands of AIS/ZnS QDs was confirmed by single particle spectroscopy.[5] By combining P-dependent integration spectroscopy and single particle measurements of UCNPs, using a new custom-made setup, consisting of different lasers, an inverted microscope, different detectors, and an AFM, we could study the P-dependent optical properties of these nonlinear emitters from ~10 W/cm2 up to ~105 W/cm2. These results provide optimum dopant ion concentrations for bioanalytical, spectroscopic, and microscopic applications of UCNP.
Acknowledgement. Financial support by grants RE1203/12-3 and RE1203/20-1 (support of F. Weigert, L. Dhamo, and F. Frenzel) from German Research Council (DFG) is acknowledged.
Correlating the photoluminescence (PL) properties of nanomaterials like semiconductor nanocrystals (QDs) and upconversion nanocrystals (UCNPs) assessed in ensemble studies and at the single particle level is increasingly relevant for applications of these nanomaterials in the life sciences like bioimaging studies or their use as reporters in microfluidic assays. Here we present a comparison of the spectroscopic properties of ensembles and single emitters for QDs like II/VI QDs and cadmium-free AIS/ZnS QDs as well as different UCNPs. The overall goal of this study was to derive particle architectures well suited for spectroscopic and microscopic applications.
Surface functionalization of nanomaterials is nowadays at the core of many applications of functional materials in the life and material sciences. Examples range from membranes and microarrays over bead-based assays, and next generation sequencing to nanometer-sized optical reporters, nanosensors, and magnetic and optical contrast agents. Typical function-nalization steps include silanization and grafting reactions with reactive monomers to introduce functional groups like amino or carboxylic acid groups or the attachment of ligands like polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules and biomolecules. [1-3] This enables to tune e.g., dis-persibility, hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, minimize unspecific interactions, improve biofunctionalization efficiencies, and enhance blood circulation times and allows for the use of nanomaterials as reporters in assays or the design of targeted probes for bioimaging.
At the core of all functionalization strategies are reliable and validated methods for surface group and ligand quantification that can be preferably performed with routine laboratory instrumentation, require only small amounts of substances, and are suitable for many different types of nanomaterials. [3] There is meanwhile a considerable need to make these methods traceable. We present here versatile and simple concepts for the quantification of common functional groups, ligands, and biomolecules on different types of organic and inorganic nanomaterials, using conventional and newly developed cleavable and multimodal reporters, that can be detected with optical spectroscopy. [4-7] These reporters are chosen to enable method validation with the aid of method comparisons and mass balances. Also, strategies how to make these simple assays traceable to SI units using quantitative nuclear resonance spectroscopy (qNMR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are derived.
Relative and Absolute Methods for Measuring Photoluminescence Quantum Yields of UV/vis/NIR Emitters
(2019)
One of the key spectroscopic performance parameters of molecular and particulate emitters is the photoluminescence quantum yield (PL QY) that provides a direct measure for the number of emitted per absorbed photons. This triggered the interest in methods suitable for measuring this property for emitters in various environments in the UV/vis/NIR and above 1000 nm as well as on the ensemble and single emitter level. Moreover, for nonlinear emitters like lanthanide-based upconversion nanocrystals methods including instrumentation for power density-dependent PL QY studies are required.
An overview of the research activities in Division Biophotonics of BAM is given and suitable relative and absolute methods for the deter-mination of PL QY of organic dyes and different types of application-relevant nanomaterials in dispersion and in the solid state are presen-ted. This covers also the design and calibration of integrating sphere setups, achievable uncertainties, and candidates for PL QY reference materials.
Nowadays, different nanoparticles have been developed for commercial applications. However, since data on toxicity are barely available, their increasing application in cosmetic products, food and their release in the environment might cause severe problems. Since a range of physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of NPs are closely related to particle size and surface functionalization, precise separation and surface groups quantification is essential to acquire an in-depth understanding of their properties.
In this work, the performance of asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation (AF4) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the separation of nanoparticles (NPs) with different sizes, coatings, and coating densities was investigated and optimized.
For the first time, a two-dimensional off-line hyphenation of both techniques (AF4-CE) was developed. The results clearly demonstrated, that AF4-CE hyphenation can significantly improve the separation resolution and reduce the peak broadening in CE. Also, for the first time, CE was employed to determine the coating density of NPs and the results were in good agreement with the values acquired with conductometric titration.
Common approaches to improve the optical properties of semiconductor quantum dots and lanthanide doped nanophosphors present core/shell structures as radiationless deactivation at the particle surface is usually the main energy loss mechanism. This has led to increasingly sophisticated particle architectures using multishell systems with shells of different chemical composition and thickness and initiated an increasing number of quantitative spectroscopic studies focusing on the key performance parameter photoluminescence quantum yield to identify optimum particle structures. This is particularly challenging in the long wavelength region > 1000 nm and for nonlinear emitters like upconversion nanocrystals. Here, we present suitable absolute methods to quantify the photoluminescence of these different emitters in the vis/NIR/IR and as function of excitation power density and underline the impact of such measurements on a profound mechanistic understanding of the nonradiative deactivation pathways in semiconductor and upconversion nanocrystals of different size and particle architecture in different environments.
The interaction of nanoparticles (NPs) with cells has become a major field of interest, ranging from medical applications to nanotoxicology. Size, shape and surface modification of the NPs determine the uptake rate and pathway into the cells, and therefore impact specific cell components and processes.
Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is an established quantitative multi-elemental analysis and mapping technique. In recent years, it was shown that LA-ICP-MS can provide quantitative as well as distribution information of NPs in cell samples.
Here LA-ICP-MS was applied for the imaging of individual cells to study the uptake and intracellular processing of metal-containing nanostructures. Additionally, the local distribution of naturally occurring elements in cells like P was measured to indicate cell morphology. The cells were incubated with different types of NPs under varying experimental conditions. For LA analysis, the cells were fixed and dried.
Our findings show, that LA-ICP-MS is suitable for the localisation of nanoparticle aggregates within cellular compartments. The studied NPs accumulate in the perinuclear region in the course of intracellular processing, but do not enter the cell nucleus. The uptake efficiency depends strongly on the physicochemical properties of the nanostructures as well as on the incubation conditions like concentration and incubation time.
The results demonstrate the potential of LA-ICP-MS providing insight into NP uptake, intracellular distribution and cell-to-cell variation dependent on experimental parameters.