TY - JOUR A1 - Caetano, Daniel L. Z. A1 - Carvalho, Sidney Jurado de A1 - Metzler, Ralf A1 - Cherstvy, Andrey G. T1 - Critical adsorption of multiple polyelectrolytes onto a nanosphere BT - splitting the adsorption-desorption transition boundary JF - Interface : journal of the Royal Society N2 - Employing extensive Monte Carlo computer simulations, we investigate in detail the properties of multichain adsorption of charged flexible polyelectrolytes (PEs) onto oppositely charged spherical nanoparticles (SNPs). We quantify the conditions of critical adsorption-the phase-separation curve between the adsorbed and desorbed states of the PEs-as a function of the SNP surface-charge density and the concentration of added salt. We study the degree of fluctuations of the PE-SNP electrostatic binding energy, which we use to quantify the emergence of the phase subtransitions, including a series of partially adsorbed PE configurations. We demonstrate how the phase-separation adsorption-desorption boundary shifts and splits into multiple subtransitions at low-salt conditions, thereby generalizing and extending the results for critical adsorption of a single PE onto the SNP. The current findings are relevant for finite concentrations of PEs around the attracting SNP, such as the conditions for PE adsorption onto globular proteins carrying opposite electric charges. KW - nanoparticles KW - polyelectrolytes KW - electrostatics KW - critical adsorption KW - phase-transition boundary Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2020.0199 SN - 1742-5689 SN - 1742-5662 VL - 17 IS - 167 PB - Royal Society CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cui, Qianling A1 - Shen, Guizhi A1 - Yan, Xuehai A1 - Li, Lidong A1 - Moehwald, Helmuth A1 - Bargheer, Matias T1 - Fabrication of Au@Pt multibranched nanoparticles and their application to in situ SERS monitoring JF - ACS applied materials & interfaces N2 - Here, we present an Au@Pt core-shell multibranched nanoparticle as a new substrate capable of in situ surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), thereby enabling monitoring of the catalytic reaction on the active surface. By careful control of the amount of Pt deposited bimetallic Au@Pt, nanoparticles with moderate performance both for SERS and catalytic activity were obtained. The Pt-catalyzed reduction of 4-nitrothiophenol by borohydride was chosen as the model reaction. The intermediate during the reaction was captured and clearly identified via SERS spectroscopy. We established in situ SERS spectroscopy as a promising and powerful technique to investigate in situ reactions taking place in heterogeneous catalysis. KW - nanoparticles KW - gold KW - core-shell nanostructure KW - surface-enhanced Raman scattering KW - heterogeneous catalysis KW - bimetallic nanoparticles Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/am504709a SN - 1944-8244 VL - 6 IS - 19 SP - 17075 EP - 17081 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cui, Qianling A1 - Yashchenok, Alexey A1 - Zhang, Lu A1 - Li, Lidong A1 - Masic, Admir A1 - Wienskol, Gabriele A1 - Moehwald, Helmuth A1 - Bargheer, Matias T1 - Fabrication of Bifunctional Gold/Gelatin Hybrid Nanocomposites and Their Application JF - ACS applied materials & interfaces N2 - Herein, a facile method is presented to integrate large gold nanoflowers (similar to 80 nm) and small gold nanoparticles (2-4 nm) into a single entity, exhibiting both surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and catalytic activity. The as-prepared gold nanoflowers were coated by a gelatin layer, in which the gold precursor was adsorbed and in situ reduced into small gold nanoparticles. The thickness of the gelatin shell is controlled to less than 10 nm, ensuring that the small gold nanoparticles are still in a SERS-active range of the inner Au core. Therefore, the reaction catalyzed by these nanocomposites can be monitored in situ using label-free SERS spectroscopy. In addition, these bifunctional nanocomposites are also attractive candidates for application in SERS monitoring of bioreactions because of their excellent biocompatibility. KW - core-shell nanostructure KW - gold KW - hybrid material KW - gelatin KW - nanoparticles KW - surface-enhanced Raman scattering Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/am5000068 SN - 1944-8244 VL - 6 IS - 3 SP - 1999 EP - 2002 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dai, Xiaolin A1 - Mate, Diana M. A1 - Glebe, Ulrich A1 - Garakani, Tayebeh Mirzaei A1 - Körner, Andrea A1 - Schwaneberg, Ulrich A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - Sortase-mediated ligation of purely artificial building blocks JF - Polymers N2 - 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. KW - sortase-mediated ligation KW - enzymes KW - block copolymers KW - nanoparticles Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10020151 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 10 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dey, Pradip A1 - Bergmann, Tobias A1 - Cuellar-Camacho, Jose Luis A1 - Ehrmann, Svenja A1 - Chowdhury, Mohammad Suman A1 - Zhang, Minze A1 - Dahmani, Ismail A1 - Haag, Rainer A1 - Azad, Walid T1 - Multivalent flexible nanogels exhibit broad-spectrum antiviral activity by blocking virus entry JF - ACS nano N2 - The entry process of viruses into host cells is complex and involves stable but transient multivalent interactions with different cell surface receptors. The initial contact of several viruses begins with attachment to heparan sulfate (HS) proteoglycans on the cell surface, which results in a cascade of events that end up with virus entry. The development of antiviral agents based on multivalent interactions to shield virus particles and block initial interactions with cellular receptors has attracted attention in antiviral research. Here, we designed nanogels with different degrees of flexibility based on dendritic polyglycerol sulfate to mimic cellular HS. The designed nanogels are nontoxic and broad-spectrum, can multivalently interact with viral glycoproteins, shield virus surfaces, and efficiently block infection. We also visualized virus-nanogel interactions as well as the uptake of nanogels by the cells through clathrin-mediated endocytosis using confocal microscopy. As many human viruses attach to the cells through HS moieties, we introduce our flexible nanogels as robust inhibitors for these viruses. KW - multivalent KW - herpes simplex virus KW - heparan sulfate KW - nanoparticles KW - click chemistry KW - polyglycerol Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.8b01616 SN - 1936-0851 SN - 1936-086X VL - 12 IS - 7 SP - 6429 EP - 6442 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Draude, F. A1 - Galla, S. A1 - Pelster, Axel A1 - Tentschert, J. A1 - Jungnickel, H. A1 - Haase, Alfred A1 - Mantion, Alexandre A1 - Thuenemann, Andreas F. A1 - Taubert, Andreas A1 - Luch, A. A1 - Arlinghaus, H. F. T1 - ToF-SIMS and Laser-SNMS analysis of macrophages after exposure to silver nanoparticles JF - Surface and interface analysis : an international journal devoted to the development and application of techniques for the analysis surfaces, interfaces and thin films N2 - Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) are among the most commercialized nanoparticles because of their antibacterial effects. Besides being employed, e. g. as a coatingmaterial for sterile surfaces in household articles and appliances, the particles are also used in a broad range of medical applications. Their antibacterial properties make SNPs especially useful for wound disinfection or as a coating material for prostheses and surgical instruments. Because of their optical characteristics, the particles are of increasing interest in biodetection as well. Despite the widespread use of SNPs, there is little knowledge of their toxicity. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and laser post-ionization secondary neutral mass spectrometry (Laser-SNMS) were used to investigate the effects of SNPs on human macrophages derived from THP-1 cells in vitro. For this purpose, macrophages were exposed to SNPs. The SNP concentration ranges were chosen with regard to functional impairments of the macrophages. To optimize the analysis of the macrophages, a special silicon wafer sandwich preparation technique was employed; ToF-SIMS was employed to characterize fragments originating from macrophage cell membranes. With the use of this optimized sample preparation method, the SNP-exposed macrophages were analyzed with ToF-SIMS and with Laser-SNMS. With Laser-SNMS, the three-dimensional distribution of SNPs in cells could be readily detected with very high efficiency, sensitivity, and submicron lateral resolution. We found an accumulation of SNPs directly beneath the cell membrane in a nanoparticular state as well as agglomerations of SNPs inside the cells. KW - Laser-SNMS KW - ToF-SIMS KW - life sciences KW - imaging KW - nanoparticles KW - three-dimensional depth profiling Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/sia.4902 SN - 0142-2421 VL - 45 IS - 1 SP - 286 EP - 289 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gerecke, Christian A1 - Edlich, Alexander A1 - Giulbudagian, Michael A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Zhang, Nan A1 - Said, Andre A1 - Yealland, Guy A1 - Lohan, Silke B. A1 - Neumann, Falko A1 - Meinke, Martina C. A1 - Ma, Nan A1 - Calderon, Marcelo A1 - Hedtrich, Sarah A1 - Schaefer-Korting, Monika A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard T1 - Biocompatibility and characterization of polyglycerol-based thermoresponsive nanogels designed as novel drug-delivery systems and their intracellular localization in keratinocytes JF - Nanotoxicology N2 - Novel nanogels that possess the capacity to change their physico-chemical properties in response to external stimuli are promising drug-delivery candidates for the treatment of severe skin diseases. As thermoresponsive nanogels (tNGs) are capable of enhancing penetration through biological barriers such as the stratum corneum and are taken up by keratinocytes of human skin, potential adverse consequences of their exposure must be elucidated. In this study, tNGs were synthesized from dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) and two thermoresponsive polymers. tNG_dPG_tPG are the combination of dPG with poly(glycidyl methyl ether-co-ethyl glycidyl ether) (p(GME-co-EGE)) and tNG_dPG_pNIPAM the one with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM). Both thermoresponsive nanogels are able to incorporate high amounts of dexamethasone and tacrolimus, drugs used in the treatment of severe skin diseases. Cellular uptake, intracellular localization and the toxicological properties of the tNGs were comprehensively characterized in primary normal human keratinocytes (NHK) and in spontaneously transformed aneuploid immortal keratinocyte cell line from adult human skin (HaCaT). Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed fluorescently labeled tNGs entered into the cells and localized predominantly within lysosomal compartments. MTT assay, comet assay and carboxy-H2DCFDA assay, demonstrated neither cytotoxic or genotoxic effects, nor any induction of reactive oxygen species of the tNGs in keratinocytes. In addition, both tNGs were devoid of eye irritation potential as shown by bovine corneal opacity and permeability (BCOP) test and red blood cell (RBC) hemolysis assay. Therefore, our study provides evidence that tNGs are locally well tolerated and underlines their potential for cutaneous drug delivery. KW - Drug delivery KW - nanoparticles KW - particle characterization KW - keratinocytes KW - nanotoxicology Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/17435390.2017.1292371 SN - 1743-5390 SN - 1743-5404 VL - 11 SP - 267 EP - 277 PB - Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gu, Sasa A1 - Risse, Sebastian A1 - Lu, Yan A1 - Ballauff, Matthias T1 - Mechanism of the oxidation of 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine catalyzed by peroxidase-like Pt nanoparticles immobilized in spherical polyelectrolyte brushes BT - a kinetic study JF - ChemPhysChem N2 - Experimental and kinetic modelling studies are presented to investigate the mechanism of 3,3 ',5,5 '-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) oxidation by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) catalyzed by peroxidase-like Pt nanoparticles immobilized in spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPB-Pt). Due to the high stability of SPB-Pt colloidal, this reaction can be monitored precisely in situ by UV/VIS spectroscopy. The time-dependent concentration of the blue-colored oxidation product of TMB expressed by different kinetic models was used to simulate the experimental data by a genetic fitting algorithm. After falsifying the models with abundant experimental data, it is found that both H2O2 and TMB adsorb on the surface of Pt nanoparticles to react, indicating that the reaction follows the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. A true rate constant k, characterizing the rate-determining step of the reaction and which is independent on the amount of catalysts used, is obtained for the first time. Furthermore, it is found that the product adsorbes strongly on the surface of nanoparticles, thus inhibiting the reaction. The entire analysis provides a new perspective to study the catalytic mechanism and evaluate the catalytic activity of the peroxidase-like nanoparticles. KW - kinetics KW - nanoparticles KW - reaction mechanisms KW - spherical polyelectrolyte KW - brushes KW - UV KW - vis spectroscopy Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.201901087 SN - 1439-4235 SN - 1439-7641 VL - 21 IS - 5 SP - 450 EP - 458 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hass, Roland A1 - Reich, Oliver T1 - Photon density wave spectroscopy for dilution-free sizing of highly concentrated nanoparticles during starved-feed polymerization JF - ChemPhysChem : a European journal of chemical physics and physical chemistry KW - analytical methods KW - fiber-optical spectroscopy KW - nanoparticles KW - photon density wave spectroscopy KW - polymerization Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cphc.201100323 SN - 1439-4235 VL - 12 IS - 14 SP - 2572 EP - 2575 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Malden ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holland-Moritz, Henry A1 - Graupner, Julia A1 - Möller, Wolfhard A1 - Pacholski, Claudia A1 - Ronning, Carsten T1 - Dynamics of nanoparticle morphology under low energy ion irradiation JF - Nanotechnology N2 - If nanostructures are irradiated with energetic ions, the mechanism of sputtering becomes important when the ion range matches about the size of the nanoparticle. Gold nanoparticles with diameters of similar to 50 nm on top of silicon substrates with a native oxide layer were irradiated by gallium ions with energies ranging from 1 to 30 keV in a focused ion beam system. High resolution in situ scanning electron microscopy imaging permits detailed insights in the dynamics of the morphology change and sputter yield. Compared to bulk-like structures or thin films, a pronounced shaping and enhanced sputtering in the nanostructures occurs, which enables a specific shaping of these structures using ion beams. This effect depends on the ratio of nanoparticle size and ion energy. In the investigated energy regime, the sputter yield increases at increasing ion energy and shows a distinct dependence on the nanoparticle size. The experimental findings are directly compared to Monte Carlo simulations obtained from iradina and TRI3DYN, where the latter takes into account dynamic morphological and compositional changes of the target. KW - ion beam KW - nanoparticles KW - sputtering KW - Monte Carlo KW - in situ Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/aac36c SN - 0957-4484 SN - 1361-6528 VL - 29 IS - 31 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER -