@article{TanLiuSiemensmeyeretal.2018, author = {Tan, Li and Liu, Bing and Siemensmeyer, Konrad and Glebe, Ulrich and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Synthesis of thermo-responsive nanocomposites of superparamagnetic cobalt nanoparticlesipoly(N-isopropylacrylamide)}, series = {Journal of colloid and interface science}, volume = {526}, journal = {Journal of colloid and interface science}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {San Diego}, issn = {0021-9797}, doi = {10.1016/j.jcis.2018.04.074}, pages = {124 -- 134}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Novel nanocomposites of superparamagnetic cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) were fabricated through surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). We firstly synthesized a functional ATRP initiator, containing an amine (as anchoring group) and a 2-bromopropionate group (SI-ATRP initiator). Oleic acid- and trioctylphosphine oxide-coated Co NPs were then modified with the initiator via ligand exchange. The process is facile and rapid for efficient surface functionalization and afterwards the Co NPs can be dispersed into polar solvent DMF without aggregation. Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering measurements confirmed the success of ligand exchange. The following polymerization of NIPAM was conducted on the surface of Co NPs. Temperature-dependent dynamic light scattering study showed the responsive behavior of PNIPAM-coated Co NPs. The combination of superparamagnetic and thermo-responsive properties in these hybrid nanoparticles is promising for future applications e.g. in biomedicine. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{TanLiuSiemensmeyeretal.2018, author = {Tan, Li and Liu, Bing and Siemensmeyer, Konrad and Glebe, Ulrich and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Synthesis of Polystyrene-Coated Superparamagnetic and Ferromagnetic Cobalt Nanoparticles}, series = {Polymers}, volume = {10}, journal = {Polymers}, number = {10}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-4360}, doi = {10.3390/polym10101053}, pages = {18}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Polystyrene-coated cobalt nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized through a dual-stage thermolysis of cobalt carbonyl (Co-2(CO)(8)). The amine end-functionalized polystyrene surfactants with varying molecular weight were prepared via atom-transfer radical polymerization technique. By changing the concentration of these polymeric surfactants, Co NPs with different size, size distribution, and magnetic properties were obtained. Transmission electron microscopy characterization showed that the size of Co NPs stabilized with lower molecular weight polystyrene surfactants (M-n = 2300 g/mol) varied from 12-22 nm, while the size of Co NPs coated with polystyrene of middle (M-n = 4500 g/mol) and higher molecular weight (M-n = 10,500 g/mol) showed little change around 20 nm. Magnetic measurements revealed that the small cobalt particles were superparamagnetic, while larger particles were ferromagnetic and self-assembled into 1-D chain structures. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the grafting density of polystyrene with lower molecular weight is high. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to obtain both superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic Co NPs by changing the molecular weight and concentration of polystyrene through the dual-stage decomposition method.}, language = {en} } @article{DaiMateGlebeetal.2018, author = {Dai, Xiaolin and Mate, Diana M. and Glebe, Ulrich and Garakani, Tayebeh Mirzaei and K{\"o}rner, Andrea and Schwaneberg, Ulrich and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Sortase-mediated ligation of purely artificial building blocks}, series = {Polymers}, volume = {10}, journal = {Polymers}, number = {2}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2073-4360}, doi = {10.3390/polym10020151}, pages = {13}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Sortase A (SrtA) from Staphylococcus aureus has been often used for ligating a protein with other natural or synthetic compounds in recent years. Here we show that SrtA-mediated ligation (SML) is universally applicable for the linkage of two purely artificial building blocks. Silica nanoparticles (NPs), poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) are chosen as synthetic building blocks. As a proof of concept, NP-polymer, NP-NP, and polymer-polymer structures are formed by SrtA catalysis. Therefore, the building blocks are equipped with the recognition sequence needed for SrtA reaction-the conserved peptide LPETG-and a pentaglycine motif. The successful formation of the reaction products is shown by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The sortase catalyzed linkage of artificial building blocks sets the stage for the development of a new approach to link synthetic structures in cases where their synthesis by established chemical methods is complicated.}, language = {en} } @article{LeiendeckerLichtBorghsetal.2018, author = {Leiendecker, Mai-Thi and Licht, Christopher J. and Borghs, Jannik and Mooney, David J. and Zimmermann, Marc and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Physical polyurethane hydrogels via charge shielding through acids or salts}, series = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, volume = {39}, journal = {Macromolecular rapid communications}, number = {7}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1022-1336}, doi = {10.1002/marc.201700711}, pages = {5}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Physical hydrogels with tunable stress-relaxation and excellent stress recovery are formed from anionic polyurethanes via addition of acids, monovalent salts, or divalent salts. Gel properties can be widely adjusted through pH, salt valence, salt concentration, and monomer composition. We propose and investigate a novel gelation mechanism based on a colloidal system interacting through charge repulsion and chrage shielding, allowing a broad use of the material, from acidic (pH 4-5.5) to pH-neutral hydrogels with Young's moduli ranging from 10 to 140 kPa.}, language = {en} } @article{TanLiuGlebeetal.2018, author = {Tan, Li and Liu, Bing and Glebe, Ulrich and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Magnetic Field-Induced Assembly of Superparamagnetic Cobalt Nanoparticles on Substrates and at Liquid-Air Interface}, series = {Langmuir}, volume = {34}, journal = {Langmuir}, number = {46}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, address = {Washington}, issn = {0743-7463}, doi = {10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02673}, pages = {13993 -- 14002}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Superparamagnetic cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) are an interesting material for self-assembly processes because of their magnetic properties. We investigated the magnetic field-induced assembly of superparamagnetic cobalt nanoparticles and compared three different approaches, namely, the assembly on solid substrates, at water-air, and ethylene glycol-air interfaces. Oleic acid- and trioctylphosphine oxide-coated Co NPs were synthesized via a thermolysis of cobalt carbonyl and dispersed into either hexane or toluene. The Co NP dispersion was dropped onto different substrates (e.g., transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid, silicon wafer) and onto liquid surfaces. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning force microscopy, optical microscopy, as well as scanning electron microscopy showed that superparamagnetic Co NPs assembled into one-dimensional chains in an external magnetic field. By varying the concentration of the Co NP dispersion (1-5 mg/mL) and the strength of the magnetic field (4-54 mT), the morphology of the chains changed. Short, thin, and flexible chain structures were obtained at low NP concentration and low strength of magnetic field, whereas they became long, thick and straight when the NP concentration and the magnetic field strength increased. In comparison, the assembly of Co NPs from hexane dispersion at ethylene glycol-air interface showed the most regular and homogeneous alignment, since a more efficient spreading could be achieved on ethylene glycol than on water and solid substrates.}, language = {en} } @article{JohnZimmermannBoeker2018, author = {John, Daniela and Zimmermann, Marc and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Generation of 3-dimensional multi-patches on silica particles via printing with wrinkled stamps}, series = {Soft matter}, volume = {14}, journal = {Soft matter}, number = {16}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c8sm00224j}, pages = {3057 -- 3062}, year = {2018}, abstract = {A simple route towards patchy particles with anisotropic patches with respect to a different functionality and directionality is presented. This method is based on microcontact printing of positively charged polyethylenimine (PEI) on silica particles using wrinkled stamps. Due to the wrinkled surface, the number of patches on the particles as well as the distance between two patches can be controlled.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannJohnGrigorievetal.2018, author = {Zimmermann, Marc and John, Daniela and Grigoriev, Dmitry and Puretskiy, Nikolay and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {From 2D to 3D patches on multifunctional particles}, series = {Soft matter}, volume = {14}, journal = {Soft matter}, number = {12}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {1744-683X}, doi = {10.1039/c8sm00163d}, pages = {2301 -- 2309}, year = {2018}, abstract = {A straightforward approach for the precise multifunctional surface modification of particles with three-dimensional patches using microcontact printing is presented. By comparison to previous works it was possible to not only control the diameter, but also to finely tune the thickness of the deposited layer, opening up the way for three-dimensional structures and orthogonal multifunctionality. The use of PEI as polymeric ink, PDMS stamps for microcontact printing on silica particles and the influence of different solvents during particle release on the creation of functional particles with three-dimensional patches are described. Finally, by introducing fluorescent properties by incorporation of quantum dots into patches and by particle self-assembly via avidin-biotin coupling, the versatility of this novel modification method is demonstrated.}, language = {en} } @article{SunGlebeCharanetal.2018, author = {Sun, Zhiyong and Glebe, Ulrich and Charan, Himanshu and B{\"o}ker, Alexander and Wu, Changzhu}, title = {Enzyme-Polymer Conjugates as Robust Pickering Interfacial Biocatalysts for Efficient Biotransformations and One-Pot Cascade Reactions}, series = {Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition}, volume = {57}, journal = {Angewandte Chemie : a journal of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker ; International edition}, number = {42}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1433-7851}, doi = {10.1002/anie.201806049}, pages = {13810 -- 13814}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Despite the rapid development of Pickering interfacial catalysis (PIC) at liquid-liquid interfaces with chemocatalysts, the use of unstable biocatalysts at emulsion interfaces remains a technical challenge. Herein, we present a Pickering interfacial biocatalysis (PIB) platform based on robust and recyclable enzyme-polymer conjugates that act as both catalytic sites and stabilizers at the interface of Pickering emulsions. The conjugates were prepared by growing poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) on a fragile enzyme, benzaldehyde lyase, under physiological conditions. The mild in situ conjugation process preserved the enzyme structure, and the conjugates were used to emulsify a water-organic two-phase system into a stable Pickering emulsion, leading to a significantly larger interfacial area and a 270-fold improvement in catalytic performance as compared to the unemulsified two-phase system. The PIB system could be reused multiple times. Conjugates of other enzymes were also fabricated and applied for cascade reactions.}, language = {en} } @article{LopezManovaHoppeetal.2018, author = {Lopez, Carlos G. and Manova, Anna and Hoppe, Corinna and Dreja, Michael and Schmiedel, Peter and Job, Mareile and Richtering, Walter and B{\"o}ker, Alexander and Tsarkova, Larisa A.}, title = {Combined UV-Vis-absorbance and reflectance spectroscopy study of dye transfer kinetics in aqueous mixtures of surfactants}, series = {Colloids and surfaces : an international journal devoted to the principles and applications of colloid and interface science ; A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects}, volume = {550}, journal = {Colloids and surfaces : an international journal devoted to the principles and applications of colloid and interface science ; A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0927-7757}, doi = {10.1016/j.colsurfa.2018.04.024}, pages = {74 -- 81}, year = {2018}, abstract = {We report an analytical approach to study the competitive processes of solubilisation in micelles and of adsorption onto hydrophobic surfaces of poorly soluble hydrophobic dyes. The method is demonstrated on model systems containing two sources of Disperse Red 60: a bulk powder and a donor red textile, with molecularly dissolved dye stabilised in an aqueous environment by mixed micelles of anionic and non-ionic surfactants. The process of dye transfer between a donor textile (red polyester), surfactant micelles and an acceptor textile (white polyamide) was quantified by a combination of colorimetric analyses. UV-Vis absorbance was used to follow the extraction of the dye and to evaluate the solubilisation capacity of the micellar solution. A calibration curve for textile reflectance versus the adsorbed dye was generated to quantify the mass of dye transferred onto the acceptor textile. A combination of both techniques allowed us to compare the amount of dye desorbed from the donor textile and adsorbed onto the acceptor textile as a function of time for systems undergoing exhaustion-solubilisation mechanisms and only solubilisation mechanism. Up to similar or equal to 10 min of the washing process, the released dye is predominantly solubilised in surfactant micelles. At later times, the adsorption of the dye on the hydrophobic surface is energetically favoured. The shift of the desorption equilibrium in the presence of the acceptor textile results in similar or equal to 30\% increase in the release of the dye. The reported methodology provides direct comparative analysis between the solubilisation capacity of amphiphilic stabilisers and the tendency of the dye to adsorb on solid substrates, important for designing novel concepts of disperse dye solubilisation and dye transfer inhibition during textile washing.}, language = {en} } @article{ZimmermannGrigorievPuretskiyetal.2018, author = {Zimmermann, Marc and Grigoriev, Dmitry and Puretskiy, Nikolay and B{\"o}ker, Alexander}, title = {Characteristics of microcontact printing with polyelectrolyte ink for the precise preparation of patches on silica particles}, series = {RSC Advances}, volume = {8}, journal = {RSC Advances}, number = {69}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, address = {Cambridge}, issn = {2046-2069}, doi = {10.1039/c8ra07955b}, pages = {39241 -- 39247}, year = {2018}, abstract = {This publication demonstrates the abilities of a precise and straightforward microcontact printing approach for the preparation of patchy silica particles. In a broad particle size range, it is possible to finely tune the number and parameters of three-dimensional patches like diameter and thickness using only polyethyleneimine ink, poly(dimethoxysilane) as stamp material and a suitable release solvent.}, language = {en} }