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Institute
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Recent molecular beam experiments have shown that water may adsorb molecularly or dissociatively on an α-Al2O3(0001) surface, with enhanced dissociation probability compared to “pinhole dosing”, i.e., adsorption under thermal equilibrium conditions. However, precise information on the ongoing reactions and their relative probabilities is missing. In order to shed light on molecular beam scattering for this system, we perform ab initio molecular dynamics calculations to simulate water colliding with α-Al2O3(0001). We find that single water molecules hitting a cold, clean surface from the gas phase are either reflected, molecularly adsorbed, or dissociated (so-called 1–2 dissociation only). A certain minimum translational energy (above 0.1 eV) seems to be required to enforce dissociation, which may explain the higher dissociation probability in molecular beam experiments. When the surface is heated and/or when refined surface and beam models are applied (preadsorption with water or water fragments, clustering and internal preexcitation in the beam), additional channels open, among them physisorption, water clustering on the surface, and so-called 1–4 and 1–4′ dissociation.
α-Al2O3 surfaces are common in a wide variety of applications and useful models of more complicated, environmentally abundant, alumino-silicate surfaces. While decades of work have clarified that all properties of these surfaces depend sensitively on the crystal face and the presence of even small amounts of water, quantitative insight into this dependence has proven challenging. Overcoming this challenge requires systematic study of the mechanism by which water interacts with various α-Al2O3 surfaces. Such insight is most easily gained for the interaction of small amounts of water with surfaces in ultra high vacuum. In this study, we continue our combined theoretical and experimental approach to this problem, previously applied to water interaction with the α-Al2O3 (0001) and (11̅02) surfaces, now to water interaction with the third most stable surface, that is, the (112̅0). Because we characterize all three surfaces using similar tools, it is straightforward to conclude that the (112̅0) is most reactive with water. The most important factor explaining its increased reactivity is that the high density of undercoordinated surface Al atoms on the (112̅0) surface allows the bidentate adsorption of OH fragments originating from dissociatively adsorbed water, while only monodentate adsorption is possible on the (0001) and (11̅02) surfaces: the reactivity of α-Al2O3 surfaces with water depends strongly, and nonlinearly, on the density of undercoordinated surface Al atoms.
Dynamic and direct visualization of interfacial evolution is helpful in gaining fundamental knowledge of all-solid-state-lithium battery working/degradation mechanisms and clarifying future research directions for constructing next-generation batteries. Herein, in situ and in operando synchrotron X-ray tomography and energy dispersive diffraction were simultaneously employed to record the morphological and compositional evolution of the interface of InLi-anode|sulfide-solid-electrolyte during battery cycling. Compelling morphological evidence of interfacial degradation during all-solid-state-lithium battery operation has been directly visualized by tomographic measurement. The accompanying energy dispersive diffraction results agree well with the observed morphological deterioration and the recorded electrochemical performance. It is concluded from the current investigation that a fundamental understanding of the phenomena occurring at the solid-solid electrode|electrolyte interface during all-solid-state-lithium battery cycling is critical for future progress in cell performance improvement and may determine its final commercial viability.
Vibrationally resolved lowest-energy bands of the photoelectron spectra (PES) of adamantane, diamantane, and urotropine were simulated by a time-dependent correlation function approach within the harmonic approximation. Geometries and normal modes for neutral and cationic molecules were obtained from B3LYP hybrid density functional theory (DFT). It is shown that the simulated spectra reproduce the experimentally observed vibrational finestructure (or its absence) quite well. Origins of the finestructure are discussed and related to recurrences of autocorrelation functions and dominant vibrations. Remaining quantitative and qualitative errors of the DFT-derived PES spectra refer to (i) an overall redshift by ∼0.5 eV and (ii) the absence of satellites in the high-energy region of the spectra. The former error is shown to be due to the neglect of many-body corrections to ordinary Kohn-Sham methods, while the latter has been argued to be due to electron-nuclear couplings beyond the Born-Oppenheimer approximation [Gali et al., Nat. Commun. 7, 11327 (2016)].
Vibrationally resolved absorption and emission (fluorescence) spectra of perylene and its N-derivatives in gas phase and in solution (acetonitrile) were simulated using a time-dependent approach based on correlation functions determined by density functional theory. By systematically varying the number and position of N atoms, it is shown that the presence of nitrogen heteroatoms has a negligible effect on the molecular structure and geometric distortions upon electronic transitions, while spectral properties change: in particular the number of N atoms is important while their position is less decisive. Thus, the N-substitution can be used to fine-tune the optical properties of perylene-based molecules.
Using gradient- and dispersion-corrected density functional theory in connection with ab initio molecular dynamics and efficient, parametrized Velocity-Velocity Autocorrelation Function (VVAF) methodology, we study the vibrational spectra (Vibrational Sum Frequency, VSF, and infrared, IR) of hydroxylated alpha-Al2O3(0001) surfaces with and without additional water. Specifically, by considering a naked hydroxylated surface and the same surface with a particularly stable, "ice-like" hexagonal water later allows us to identify and disentangle main spectroscopic bands of OH bonds, their orientation and dynamics, and the role of water adsorption. In particular, we assign spectroscopic signals around 3700 cm(-1) as being dominated by perpendicularly oriented non-hydrogen bonded aluminol groups, with and without additional water. Furthermore, the thin water layer gives spectroscopic signals which are already comparable to previous theoretical and experimental findings for the solid/(bulk) liquid interface, showing that water molecules closest to the surface play a decisive role in the vibrational response of these systems. From a methodological point of view, the effects of temperature, anharmonicity, hydrogen-bonding, and structural dynamics are taken into account and analyzed, allowing us to compare the calculated IR and VSF spectra with the ones based on normal mode analysis and vibrational density of states. The VVAF approach employed in this work appears to be a computationally accurate yet feasible method to address the vibrational fingerprints and dynamical properties of water/metal oxide interfaces. Published by AIP Publishing.
Negatively charged flat gold nanotriangles, formed in a vesicular template phase and separated by an AOT-micelle-based depletion flocculation, were reloaded by adding a cationic polyelectrolyte, that is, a hyperbranched polyethylenimine (PEI). Heating the system to 100 degrees C in the presence of a gold chloride solution, the reduction process leads to the formation of gold nanoparticles inside the polymer shell surrounding the nanoplatelets. The gold nanoparticle formation is investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic light scattering measurements in combination with transmission electron microscopy. Spontaneously formed gold clusters in the hyperbranched PEI shell with an absorption maximum at 350 nm grow on the surface of the nanotriangles as hemispherical particles with diameters of similar to 6 nm. High-resolution micrographs show that the hemispherical gold particles are crystallized onto the {111} facets on the bottom and top of the platelet as well as on the edges without a grain boundary. Undulated gold nanoplatelet superstructures with special properties become available, which show a significantly modified performance in SERS-detected photocatalysis regarding both reactivity and enhancement factor.
We report strong evidence of Berry phase effects in intense laser dissociation of D-2(+) molecules, manifested as Aharonov-Bohm-like oscillations in the photofragment angular distribution (PAD). Our calculations show that this interference pattern strongly depends on the parity of the diatom initial rotational state, (-1)(j). Indeed, the PAD local maxima (minima) observed in one case (j odd) correspond to local minima (maxima) in the other case (j even). Using simple topological arguments, we clearly show that such interference conversion is a direct signature of the Berry phase. The sole effect of the latter on the rovibrational wave function is a sign change of the relative phase between two interfering components, which wind in opposite senses around a light-induced conical intersection (LICI). Therefore, encirclement of the LICI leads to constructive (j odd) or destructive (j even) self-interference of the initial nuclear wavepacket in the dissociative limit. To corroborate our theoretical findings, we suggest an experiment of strong-field indirect dissociation of D-2(+) molecules, comparing the PAD of the ortho and para molecular species in directions nearly perpendicular to the laser polarization axis.
For the only water coordinated "free" uranyl (VI) aquo ion in perchlorate solution we identified and assigned several different excited states and showed that the (3)Delta state is the luminescent triplet state from transient absorption spectroscopy. With additional data from other spectroscopic methods (TRLFS, UV/vis) we generated a detailed Jablonski diagram and determined rate constants for several state transitions, like the inner conversion rate constant from the (3)Phi state to the (3)Delta state transition to be 0.35 ps(-1). In contrast to luminescence measurements, it was possible to observe the highly quenched uranyl(VI) ion in highly concentrated chloride solution by TAS and we were able to propose a dynamic quenching mechanism, where chloride complexation is followed by the charge transfer from the excited state uranyl(VI) to chloride. This proposed quenching route is supported by TD-DFT calculations.
In this combined theoretical and experimental study we report on an analysis of the resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra of gas phase water via the lowest dissociative core-excited state |1s−1O4a11〉. We focus on the spectral feature near the dissociation limit of the electronic ground state. We show that the narrow atomic-like peak consists of the overlapping contribution from the RIXS channels back to the ground state and to the first valence excited state |1b−114a11〉 of the molecule. The spectral feature has signatures of ultrafast dissociation (UFD) in the core-excited state, as we show by means of ab initio calculations and time-dependent nuclear wave packet simulations. We show that the electronically elastic RIXS channel gives substantial contribution to the atomic-like resonance due to the strong bond length dependence of the magnitude and orientation of the transition dipole moment. By studying the RIXS for an excitation energy scan over the core-excited state resonance, we can understand and single out the molecular and atomic-like contributions in the decay to the lowest valence-excited state. Our study is complemented by a theoretical discussion of RIXS in the case of isotopically substituted water (HDO and D2O) where the nuclear dynamics is significantly affected by the heavier fragments' mass.
The applications of quantum dots (QDs) in two-photon (2P) excitation applications demand reliable data about their 2P absorption (2PA) cross sections (sigma(2PA)). In the present study, sigma(2PA) values have been determined for a series of commercial colloidal CdSe/ZnS QDs and CdSeTe/ZnS QDs in aqueous media. For the first time for these QDs, the sigma(2PA) values have been determined over a wide spectral range, that is, between 720 and 900 nm, and are compared to the extinction coefficient (epsilon) values obtained under one-photon (1P) excitation. Furthermore, we present a QD in combination with an organic dye in a biotin-streptavidin Forster resonance energy transfer bioassay under 1P and 2P excitation. The results for the bioassay under 2P excitation are compared to those obtained under 1P excitation. The results demonstrate that in the case of the 2P excitation, higher sensitivity can be achieved because of an improved signal-to-noise ratio.
Combining photochromism and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of molecular switches-functionalized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) represents a promising concept toward novel photonic and optoelectronic devices. Using second harmonic generation, density functional theory, and correlated wave function methods, we studied the switching abilities as well as the NLO contrasts between different molecular states of various fulgimide-containing SAMs on Si(111). Controlled variations of the linker systems as well as of the fulgimides enabled us to demonstrate very efficient reversible photoinduced ring-opening/closure reactions between the open and closed forms of the fulgimides. Thus, effective cross sections on the order of 10(-18) cm(-2) are observed. Moreover, the reversible switching is accompanied by pronounced NLO contrasts up to 32%. Further molecular engineering of the photochromic switches and the linker systems may even increase the NLO contrast upon switching.
Negatively charged ultraflat gold nanotriangles (AuNTs) stabilized by the anionic surfactant dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) were reloaded with the cationic surfactant benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BDAC). Because of the spontaneous formation of a catanionic AOT micelle/BDAC bilayer onto the surface of the reloaded AuNTs, a reduction of Ag+ ions leads to the formation of spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). With increasing concentration of AgNPs on the AuNTs, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is shifted stepwise from 1300 to 800 nm. The tunable LSPR enables to shift the extinction maximum to the wavelength of the excitation laser of the Raman microscope at 785 nm. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiments performed under resonance conditions show an SERS enhancement factor of the analyte molecule rhodamine RG6 of 5.1 X 10(5), which can be related to the silver hot spots at the periphery of the undulated gold nanoplatelets.
Negatively charged ultrathin gold nanotriangles (AuNTs) were synthesized in a vesicular dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT)/phospholipid-based template phase. These "naked" AuNTs with localized surface plasmon resonances in the NIR region at about 1300 nm and special photothermal properties are of particular interest for imaging and hyperthermia of cancerous tissues. For these kinds of applications the toxicity and the cellular uptake of the AuNTs is of outstanding importance. Therefore, this study focuses on the toxicity of "naked" AOT-stabilized AuNTs compared to polymer-coated AuNTs. Polymeric coating consisted of non-modified hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), maltose-modified poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI-Mal) and heparin. The toxicological experiments were carried out with two different cell lines (embryonic kidney carcinoma cell line HEK293T and NK-cell leukemia cell line YTS). This study revealed that the heparin-coating of AuNTs improved biocompatibility by a factor of 50 when compared to naked AuNTs. Of note, the highest nontoxic concentration of the AuNTs coated with PEI and PEI-Mal is drastically decreased. Overall, this is mainly triggered by the different surface charges of polymeric coatings. Therefore, AuNTs coated with heparin were selected to carry out uptake studies. Their promising high biocompatibility and cellular uptake may open future studies in the field of biomedical applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Herein, an approach via combination of confined porous textures and reversible deactivation radical polymerization techniques is proposed to advance synthetic polymer chemistry, i.e., a connection of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP). Zn-2(benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate)2(1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]-octane) [Zn-2(bdc)(2)(dabco)] is utilized as a reaction environment for polymerization of various methacrylate monomers (methyl, ethyl, benzyl, and isobornyl methacrylate) in a confined nanochannel, resulting in polymers with control over dispersity, end functionalities, and tacticity with respect to distinct molecular size. To refine and reconsolidate the compartmentation effect on polymer regularity, initiator-functionalized Zn MOF was synthesized via cocrystallization with an initiator-functionalized ligand, 2-(2-bromo-2-methylpropanamido)-1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (Brbdc), in different ratios (10%, 20%, and 50%). Through the embedded initiator, surface-initiated ARGET ATRP was directly initiated from the walls of the nanochannels. The obtained polymers had a high molecular weight up to 392 000. Moreover, a significant improvement in end-group functionality and stereocontrol was observed, entailing polymers with obvious increments in isotacticity. The results highlight a combination of MOFs and ATRP that is a promising and universal methodology to prepare various polymers with high molecular weight exhibiting well-defined uniformity in chain length and microstructure as well as the preserved chain-end functionality.
As part of a project studying the secondary metabolites extracted from the Chilean flora, we report herein three new beta-agarofuran sesquiterpenes, namely (1S,4S,5S,6R,7R,8R,9R,10S)-6-acetoxy-4,9-dihydroxy-2,2,5a,9-tetramethyloctahydro-2H-3,9a-methanobenzo[b] oxepine-5,10-diylbis(furan-3-carboxylate), C27H32O11, (II), (1S,4S,5S,6R,7R,9S,10S)-6-acetoxy-9-hydroxy-2,2,5a, 9-tetramethyloctahydro-2H-3,9a-methanobenzo[ b] oxepine-5,10-diyl bis(furan-3-carboxylate), C27H32O10, (III), and (1S,4S,5S,6R,7R,9S,10S)-6-acetoxy-10-(benzoyloxy)-9-hydroxy-2,2,5a,9-tetramethyloctahydro-2H-3,9a-methanobenzo[b]oxepin-5-yl furan-3-carboxylate, C29H34O9, (IV), obtained from the seeds of Maytenus boaria and closely associated with a recently published relative [Paz et al. (2017). Acta Cryst. C73, 451-457]. In the (isomorphic) structures of (II) and (III), the central decalin system is esterified with an acetate group at site 1 and furoate groups at sites 6 and 9, and differ at site 8, with an OH group in (II) and no substituent in (III). This position is also unsubstituted in (IV), with site 6 being occupied by a benzoate group. The chirality of the skeletons is described as 1S, 4S, 5S, 6R, 7R, 8R, 9R, 10S in (II) and 1S, 4S, 5S, 6R, 7R, 9S, 10S in (III) and (IV), matching the chirality suggested by NMR studies. This difference in the chirality sequence among the title structures (in spite of the fact that the three skeletons are absolutely isostructural) is due to the differences in the environment of site 8, i.e. OH in (II) and H in (III) and (IV). This diversity in substitution, in turn, is responsible for the differences in the hydrogen-bonding schemes, which is discussed.
1,4-Polymyrcene was synthesized by anionic polymerization of -myrcene and was subjected to photochemical functionalization with various thiols (i.e. methyl thioglycolate, methyl 3-mercaptopropionate, butyl 3-mercaptopropionate, ethyl 2-mercaptopropionate and 2-methyl-2-propanethiol) using benzophenone/UV light as the radical source. The yield of thiol addition to the trisubstituted double bonds of 1,4-polymyrcene decreased in the order 1 degrees thiol (ca 95%) > 2 degrees thiol (ca 80%) > 3 degrees thiol (<5%), due to the reversibility of the thiol-ene reaction. Remarkably, thiol addition to the side-chain double bonds was 8 - 10 times (1 degrees thiol) or 24 times (2 degrees thiol) faster than to the main-chain double bonds, which can be explained by the different accessibility of the double bonds and steric hindrance. Despite the use of a 10-fold excess of thiol with respect to myrcene units, the thiol-ene addition was accompanied by chain coupling reactions, which in the extreme case of 3 degrees thiol (or in the absence of thiol) resulted in the formation of insoluble crosslinked material. As an example, a methyl-thioglycolate-functionalized 1,4-polymyrcene was saponified/crosslinked to give submicron polyelectrolyte particles in dilute alkaline solution. (c) 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
The incorporation of inorganic particles in a polymer matrix has been established as a method to adjust the mechanical performance of composite materials. We report on the influence of covalent integration of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) on the actuation behavior and mechanical performance of hybrid nanocomposite (H-NC) based shape-memory polymer actuators (SMPA). The H-NC were synthesized by reacting two types of oligo(ω-pentadecalactone) (OPDL) based precursors with terminal hydroxy groups, a three arm OPDL (3 AOPDL, Mn = 6000 g mol•1−1 ) and an OPDL (Mn =3300 g • mol−1 ) coated magnetite nanoparticle (Ø = 10 ± 2 nm), with a diisocyanate. These H-NC were compared to the homopolymer network regarding the actuation performance, contractual stress (σcontr) as well as thermal and mechanical properties. The melting range of the OPDL crystals (ΔTm,OPDL) was shifted in homo polymer networks from 36 ºC − 76 ºC to 41ºC − 81 °C for H-NC with 9 wt% of MNP content. The actuators were explored by variation of separating temperature (Tsep), which splits the OPDL crystalline domain into actuating and geometry determining segments. Tsep was varied in the melting range of the nanocomposites and the actuation capability and contractual stress (σcontr) of the nanocomposite actuators could be adjusted. The reversible strain (εrev) was decreased from 11 ± 0.3% for homo polymer network to 3.2±0.3% for H-NC9 with 9 wt% of MNP indicating a restraining effect of the MNP on chain mobility. The results show that the performance of H-NCs in terms of thermal and elastic properties can be tailored by MNP content, however for higher reversible actuation, lower MNP contents are preferable.
High-energy radiation is used in combination with radiosensitizing therapeutics to treat cancer. The most common radiosensitizers are halogenated nucleosides and cisplatin derivatives, and recently also metal nanoparticles have been suggested as potential radiosensitizing agents. The radiosensitizing action of these compounds can at least partly be ascribed to an enhanced reactivity towards secondary low-energy electrons generated along the radiation track of the high-energy primary radiation, or to an additional emission of secondary reactive electrons close to the tumor tissue. This is referred to as physico-chemical radiosensitization. In this Concept article we present current experimental methods used to study fundamental processes of physico-chemical radiosensitization and discuss the most relevant classes of radiosensitizers. Open questions in the current discussions are identified and future directions outlined, which can lead to optimized treatment protocols or even novel therapeutic concepts.
We present a ‘hit-and-return’ (HARE) method for time-resolved serial synchrotron crystallography with time resolution from milliseconds to seconds or longer. Timing delays are set mechanically, using the regular pattern in fixed-target crystallography chips and a translation stage system. Optical pump-probe experiments to capture intermediate structures of fluoroacetate dehalogenase binding to its ligand demonstrated that data can be collected at short (30 ms), medium (752 ms) and long (2,052 ms) intervals.
Material surfaces with tailored aerophobicity are crucial for applications where gas bubble wettability has to be controlled, e.g., gas storage and transport, electrodes, bioreactors or medical devices. Here, we present switchable underwater aerophobicity of hydrophobic polymeric substrates, which respond to heat with multilevel micro-and nanotopographical changes. The cross-linked poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] substrates possess arrays of microcylinders with a nanorough top surface. It is hypothesized that the specific micro-/nanotopography of the surface allows trapping of a water film at the micro interspace and in this way generates the aerophobic behavior. The structured substrates were programmed to a temporarily stable, nanoscale flat substrate showing aerophilic behavior. Upon heating, the topographical changes caused a switch in contact angle from aerophilic to aerophobic for approaching air bubbles. In this way, the initial adhesion of air bubbles to the programmed flat substrate could be turned into repellence for the recovered substrate surface. The temperature at which the repellence of air bubbles starts can be adjusted from 58 +/- 3 degrees C to 73 +/- 3 degrees C by varying the deformation temperature applied during the temperature-memory programming procedure. The presented actively switching polymeric substrates are attractive candidates for applications, where an on-demand gas bubble repellence is advantageous. (c) 2018 Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum fur Material- und Kustenforschung. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
The heterogeneous nature of non-cellulosic polysaccharides, such as arabinoxylan, makes it difficult to correlate molecular structure with macroscopic properties. To study the impact of specific structural features of the polysaccharides on crystallinity or affinity to other cell wall components, collections of polysaccharides with defined repeating units are required. Herein, a chemoenzymatic approach to artificial arabinoxylan polysaccharides with systematically altered branching patterns is described. The polysaccharides were obtained by glycosynthase-catalyzed polymerization of glycosyl fluorides derived from arabinoxylan oligosaccharides. X-ray diffraction and adsorption experiments on cellulosic surfaces revealed that the physicochemical properties of the synthetic polysaccharides strongly depend on the specific nature of their substitution patterns. The artificial polysaccharides allow structure-property relationship studies that are not accessible by other means.
1-(Dimethylamino)-1-phenyl-1-silacyclohexane 1, was synthesized, and its molecular structure and conformational properties studied by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), low temperature C-13 NMR spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. The predominance of the 1-Ph-ax conformer (1-Ph-eq:1-Ph-ax ratio of 20:80%, Delta G degrees (317 K) = -0.87 kcal/mol) in the gas phase is close to the theoretically estimated conformational equilibrium. In solution, low temperature NMR spectroscopy showed analyzable decoalescence of C-ipso and C(1,5) carbon signals in C-13 NMR spectra at 103 K. Opposite to the gas state in the freon solution employed (CD2Cl2/CHFCl2/CHFCl2 = 1:1:3), which is still liquid at 100 K, the 1-Ph-eq conformer was found to be the preferred one [(1-Ph-eq: 1-Ph-ax = 77%: 23%, K = 77/23 = 2.8; -Delta G degrees = -RT In K (at 103 K) = 0.44 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol]. When comparing 1 with 1-phenyl-1-(X)silacylohexanes (X = H, Me, OMe, F, Cl), studied so far, the trend of predominance of the Ph-ax conformer in the gas phase and of the Ph-eq conformer in solution is confirmed.
Well-defined dihydroxy telechelic oligodepsipeptides (oDPs), which have a high application potential as building blocks for scaffold materials for tissue engineering applications or particulate carrier systems for drug delivery applications are synthesized by ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of morpholine-2,5-diones (MDs) catalyzed by 1,1,6,6-tetra-n-butyl-1,6-distanna-2,5,7,10-tetraoxacyclodecane (Sn(IV) alkoxide). In contrast to ROP catalyzed by Sn(Oct)(2), the usage of Sn(IV) alkoxide leads to oDPs, with less side products and well-defined end groups, which is crucial for potential pharmaceutical applications. A slightly faster reaction of the ROP catalyzed by Sn(IV) alkoxide compared to the ROP initiated by Sn(Oct)(2)/EG is found. Copolymerization of different MDs resulted in amorphous copolymers with T(g)s between 44 and 54 degrees C depending on the molar comonomer ratios in the range from 25% to 75%. Based on the well-defined telechelic character of the Sn(IV) alkoxide synthesized oDPs as determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight measurements, they resemble interesting building blocks for subsequent postfunctionalization or multifunctional materials based on multiblock copolymer systems whereas the amorphous oDP-based copolymers are interesting building blocks for matrices of drug delivery systems.
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.
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.
In this study, we present a novel and facile method for the synthesis of multiresponsive plasmonic nanoparticles with an interesting interfacial behavior. We used thiol-initiated photopolymerization technique to graft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) onto the surface of protein-coated gold nanoparticles. The combination of the protein bovine serum albumin with the thermoresponsive polymer leads to smart hybrid nanoparticles, which show a stimuli-responsive behavior of their aggregation and a precisely controllable phase transfer behavior. Three interconnected stimuli, namely, temperature, ionic strength, and pH, were identified as property tuning switches. The aggregation was completely reversible and was quantified by determining Smoluchowski’s instability ratios with time-resolved dynamic light scattering. The tunable hydrophobicity via the three stimuli was used to study interfacial activity and phase transfer behavior of the nanoparticles at an octanol/water interface. Depending on the type of coating (i.e., protein or protein/polymer) as well as the three external stimuli, the nanoparticles either remained in the aqueous phase (aggregated or nonaggregated), accumulated at the oil/water interface, wet the glass wall between the glass vial and the octanol phase, or even crossed the oil/water interface. Such smart and interfacially active nanoparticles with external triggers that are capable of crossing oil/water interfaces under physiological conditions open up new avenues for a variety of applications ranging from the development of drug-delivery nanosystems across biological barriers to the preparation of new catalytic materials.
The 3,3-disubstitued 3-silaheterocyclohexane with an electronegative substituent at silicon, 3-fluoro-3-methyl-3-silatetrahydropyran 1, was synthesized, and its molecular structure and conformational properties studied by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and low temperature C-13 and F-19 NMR spectroscopy. Quantum-chemical calculations were carried out both for the isolated species and Hcomplexes in gas and in polar medium. The predominance of the 1-FeqMeax conformer (1-F-eq:1-F-ax ratio of 65:35, Delta G degrees = 0.37 kcal/mol) determined from GED is close to the theoretically estimated conformational equilibrium, especially at the DFT level. In solution, low temperature NMR spectroscopy showed no decoalescence of the signals in C-13 (down to 95 K) and F-19 NMR spectra (down to 123 K). However, the calculated F-19 chemical shift of -173.6 ppm for the 1-FeqMeax conformer practically coincides with the experimentally observed value (-173 to -175 ppm) as distinct from that for the 1-FaxMeeq conformer (-188.8 ppm), suggesting compound 1 to be anancomeric in solution, in compliance with its theoretical and experimental preference in the gas phase.
Sugar amino acids (SAAs), as biologically interesting structures bearing both amino and carboxylic acid functional groups represent an important class of multifunctional building blocks. In this study, we develop an easy access to novel SAAs in only three steps starting from nitro compounds in high yields in analytically pure form, easily available by ceric (IV) mediated radical additions. Such novel SAAs have been applied in the assembly of total nine carbopeptoids with the form of linear homo-and heterooligomers for the structural investigations employing circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, which suggest that the carbopeptoids emerge a well-extended, left (or right)-handed conformation similar to polyproline II (PPII) helices. NMR studies also clearly demonstrated the presence of ordered secondary structural elements. 2D-ROESY spectra were acquired to identify i+1NH <-> (C1H)-C-i, (C2H)-C-i correlations which support the conformational analysis of tetramers by CD spectroscopy. These findings provide interesting information of SAAs and their oligomers as potential scaffolds for discovering new drugs and materials.
This study describes the synthesis and characterization of an amphiphilic construct intended to recruit SH-containing molecules to membranes. The construct consists of 1)an aliphatic chain to enable anchoring within membranes, 2)a maleimide moiety to react with the sulfhydryl group of a soluble (bio)molecule, and 3)a fluorescence moiety to allow the construct to be followed by fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. It is shown that the construct can be incorporated into preformed membranes, thus allowing application of the approach with biological membranes. The close proximity between the fluorophore and the maleimide moiety within the construct causes fluorescence quenching. This allows monitoring of the reaction with SH-containing molecules by measurement of increases in fluorescence intensity and lifetime. Notably, the construct distributes into laterally ordered membrane domains of lipid vesicles, which is probably triggered by the length of its membrane anchor. The advantages of the new construct can be employed for several biological, biotechnological, and medicinal applications.
Stable Carbenes or Betaines?
(2018)
The anisotropy effect in H-1 NMR spectroscopy can be readily employed to indicate the position of carbene/betaine mesomeric equilibria. NR2 substituted carbene/betaines tend to adopt betaine structures, whereas in the absence of NR2 substituents, the betaine structures cannot stabilise the structure through both -donation effects of the NMe2 groups and the electronegativity of the nitrogen atoms, and the corresponding carbene-like structures are preferred. These conclusions are supported by calculated bond orders and (C-13)/ppm values. The spatial magnetic properties of isonitriles and carbon monoxide, which can be counted as stable carbenes or, at least, as carbene-analogues, also exist as stable betaine structures, which is again supported by structural and magnetic properties.
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.
The combination of gold nanoparticles with liposomes is important for nano- and biotechnology. Here, we present direct, label-free characterization of liposome structure and composition at the site of its interaction with citrate-stabilized gold nanoparticles by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Evidenced by the vibrational spectra and cryo-EM, the gold nanoparticles destroy the bilayer structure of interacting liposomes in the presence of a high amount of citrate, while at lower citrate concentration the nanoparticles interact with the surface of the intact liposomes. The spectra of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylcholine/sphingomyelin liposomes show that at the site of interaction the lipid chains are in the gel phase. The SERS spectra indicate that cholesterol has strong effects on the contacts of the vesicles with the nanoparticles. By combining cryo-EM and SERS, the structure and properties of lipid nanoparticle composites could be tailored for the development of drug delivery systems.
While click chemistry reactions for biopolymer network formation are attractive as the defined reactions may allow good control of the network formation and enable subsequent functionalization, tailoring of gelatin network properties over a wide range of mechanical properties has yet to be shown. Here, it is demonstrated that copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition of alkyne functionalized gelatin with diazides gave hydrogel networks with properties tailorable by the ratio of diazide to gelatin and diazide rigidity. 4,4′-diazido-2,2′-stilbenedisulfonic acid, which has been used as rigid crosslinker, yielded hydrogels with Young’s moduli E of 50–390 kPa and swelling degrees Q of 150–250 vol.%, while the more flexible 1,8-diazidooctane resulted in hydrogels with E = 125–280 kPa and Q = 225–470 vol.%. Storage moduli could be varied by two orders of magnitude (G′ = 100–20,000 Pa). An indirect cytotoxicity test did not show cytotoxic properties. Even when employing 1:1 ratios of alkyne and azide moieties, the hydrogels were shown to contain both, unreacted alkyne groups on the gelatin backbone as well as dangling chains carrying azide groups as shown by reaction with functionalized fluorescein. The free groups, which can be tailored by the employed ratio of the reactants, are accessible for covalent attachment of drugs, as was demonstrated by functionalization with dexamethasone. The sequential network formation and functionalization with click chemistry allows access to multifunctional materials relevant for medical applications.
Recently, we proposed a new strategy to construct artificial plant protein assemblies, which were induced by adding a small molecule, based on dual supramolecular interactions. In this paper, we further explored this method by employing Human Galectin-1 (Gal-1) as a building block to form self-assembled microribbons. Two non-covalent interactions, including lactose-lectin binding and dimerization of Rhodamine B (RhB), induced by the small molecule ligand addition, were involved in the crosslinking of the animal protein, resulting in the formation of assemblies. By using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), and three-dimensional (3D) tomographic analysis, we arrived at a possible mechanistic model for the microribbon formation. Furthermore, the morphology of protein assemblies could be fine-timed by varying the incubation time, the protein/ligand ratio, and the chemical structures of ligands. Interestingly, the formation of protein microribbons successfully inhibited Gal-1 induced T-cell agglutination and apoptosis. This is because the multivalent and dynamic interactions in protein assemblies compete with the binding between Gal-1 and the glycans on cell surfaces, which suppresses the function of Gal-1 in promotion of tumor progression and metastasis.
Helical structures are ubiquitous in biological materials and often serve a structural purpose. Bioinspired helical materials can be challenging to synthesize and rarely reach the degree of hierarchy of their natural counterparts. Here we report the first example of particles synthesized by direct emulsification of polypeptides found to display spiral morphologies in the dry state. The polypeptides were alpha-helical homo- and copolypeptides of gamma-benzyl glutamate and allylglycine. The chirality of the spirals was controlled by the chirality of the alpha-helices. Notably, right-handed alpha-helical polypeptides (rich in 1, residues) produced clockwise spirals, whereas left-handed alpha-helical polypeptides (rich in D residues) produced the enantiomorphs, i.e., counterclockwise spirals. The disruption of the alpha-helical conformation by the introduction of chiral defects led to less regular spirals and in some cases their suppression. A hypothesis for the transmission of helicity and chirality from a molecular to a higher hierarchical level, involving fibril bundling of coiled alpha-helices, is proposed.
Self-assembling features of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (AOT) molecules and micelle adsorption on gold Au (111) surfaces have been examined using molecular dynamics simulation. We argue that AOT micelles display a strong adsorption on gold surfaces resulting in distorted cylindrical micelles attached to the (111) facets. The well protected Au(111) facets decorated by a dense packed elongated ellipsoidal AOT layer hinder the diffusion of the reactant to the (111) facets and could result in the preferential growth of ultra-thin gold nanoplatelets.
Here we present a self-made annular continuous-flow reactor that can be used in the UV/vis range in an internal numbering-up manner. As a model reaction, we chose a powerful batch-scale-limited benzoannelation method, namely, an intramolecular photodehydro-Diels-Alder (IMPDDA) reaction. The scale-up potential of this particular photochemical benchmark reaction toward the preparation of macrocylic (1,7)naphthalenophanes by variation of selected flow parameters is presented.
8-Allylcoumarins are conveniently accessible through a microwave-promoted tandem Claisen rearrangement/Wittig olefination/cyclization sequence. They serve as a versatile platform for the annellation of five- to seven-membered rings using ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM). Furano-, pyrano-, oxepino- and azepinocoumarins were synthesized from the same set of precursors using Ru-catalyzed double bond isomerizations and RCM in a defined order. One class of products, pyrano[2,3-f]chromene-2,8-diones, were inaccessible through direct RCM of an acrylate, but became available from the analogous allyl ether via an assisted tandem catalytic RCM/allylic oxidation sequence.
Ring current effects on resonance-assisted and intramolecularly bridged hydrogen bond protons for 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline 1 and a number of related compounds were calculated and the through-space NMR shieldings (TSNMRS) obtained hereby visualized as iso-chemical-shielding surfaces (ICSS) of various size and direction. These calculations revealed that this through-space effect is comparably large (up to 2 ppm) dependent on the position of the intramolecularly bridged OH proton, and therefore, contribute considerably to the chemical shift of the latter making it questionable to use delta(OH)/ppm in the estimation of intramolecular hydrogen bond strength without taking this into account. Furthermore, the anisotropy effects of additional groups on the aromatic moiety (e.g. the carbonyl group in salicylaldehyde or in o-hydroxyacetophenone of ca. 0.6 ppm deshielding) should also be considered. These through-space effects need to be taken into account when using OH chemical shifts to estimate hydrogen bond strength.
Polymeric materials possessing specific features like programmability, high deformability, and easy processability are highly desirable for creating modern actuating systems. In this study, thermoplastic shape-memory polymer actuators obtained by combining crystallizable poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(3S-isobutylmorpholin-2,5-dione) (PIBMD) segments in multiblock copolymers are described. We designed these materials according to our hypothesis that the confinement of glassy PIBMD domains present at the upper actuation temperature contribute to the stability of the actuator skeleton, especially at large programming strains. The copolymers have a phase-segregated morphology, indicated by the well-separated melting and glass transition temperatures for PIBMD and PCL, but possess a partially overlapping T-m of PCL and T-g of PIBMD in the temperature interval from 40 to 60 degrees C. Crystalline PIBMD hard domains act as strong physical netpoints in the PIBMD-PCL bulk material enabling high deformability (up to 2000%) and good elastic recoverability (up to 80% at 50 degrees C above T-m,T-PCL). In the programmed thermoplastic actuators a high content of crystallizable PCL actuation domains ensures pronounced thermoreversible shape changes upon repetitive cooling and heating. The programmed actuator skeleton, composed of PCL crystals present at the upper actuation temperature T-high and the remaining glassy PIBMD domains, enabled oriented crystallization upon cooling. The actuation performance of PIBMD-PCL could be tailored by balancing the interplay between actuation and skeleton, but also by varying the quantity of crystalline PIBMD hard domains via the copolymer composition, the applied programming strain, and the choice of T-high. The actuator with 17 mol% PIBMD showed the highest reversible elongation of 11.4% when programmed to a strain of 900% at 50 degrees C. It is anticipated that the presented thermoplastic actuator materials can be applied as modern compression textiles.
Soft robots and devices with the advanced capability to perform adaptive motions similar to that of human beings often have stimuli-sensitive polymeric materials as the key actuating component. The external signals triggering the smart polymers’ actuations can be transmitted either via a direct physical connection between actuator and controlling unit (tethered) or remotely without a connecting wire. However, the vast majority of such polymeric actuator materials are limited to one specific type of motion as their geometrical information is chemically fixed. Here, we present magnetically driven nanocomposite actuators, which can be reversibly reprogrammed to different actuation geometries by a solely physical procedure. Our approach is based on nanocomposite materials comprising spatially segregated crystallizable actuation and geometry determining units. Upon exposure to a specific magnetic field strength the actuators’ geometric memory is erased by the melting of the geometry determining units allowing the implementation of a new actuator shape. The actuation performance of the nanocomposites can be tuned and the technical significance was demonstrated in a multi-cyclic experiment with several hundreds of repetitive free-standing shape shifts without losing performance.
The generation of reactive singlet oxygen under mild conditions is of current interest in chemistry, biology, and medicine. We were able to release oxygen from dipyridylanthracene endoperoxides (EPOs) by using a simple chemical trigger at low temperature. Protonation and methylation of such EPOs strongly accelerated these reactions. Furthermore, the methyl pyridinium derivatives are water soluble and therefore serve as oxygen carriers in aqueous media. Methylation of the EPO of the ortho isomer affords the parent form directly without increasing the temperature under very mild conditions. This exceptional behavior is ascribed to the close contact between the nitrogen atom and the peroxo group. Singlet oxygen is released upon this reaction, and can be used to oxygenate an acceptor such as tetramethylethylene in the dark with no heating. Thus, a new chemical source of singlet oxygen has been found, which is triggered by a simple stimulus.
Rapid Synthesis of Sub-10nm Hexagonal NaYF4-Based Upconverting Nanoparticles using Therminol((R))66
(2018)
We report a simple one-pot method for the rapid preparation of sub-10nm pure hexagonal (-phase) NaYF4-based upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs). Using Therminol((R))66 as a co-solvent, monodisperse UCNPs could be obtained in unusually short reaction times. By varying the reaction time and reaction temperature, it was possible to control precisely the particle size and crystalline phase of the UCNPs. The upconversion (UC) luminescence properties of the nanocrystals were tuned by varying the concentrations of the dopants (Nd3+ and Yb3+ sensitizer ions and Er3+ activator ions). The size and phase-purity of the as-synthesized core and core-shell nanocrystals were assessed by using complementary transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, and small-angle X-ray scattering studies. In-depth photophysical evaluation of the UCNPs was pursued by using steady-state and time-resolved luminescence spectroscopy. An enhancement in the UC intensity was observed if the nanocrystals, doped with optimized concentrations of lanthanide sensitizer/activator ions, were further coated with an inert/active shell. This was attributed to the suppression of surface-related luminescence quenching effects.
Non-Born-Oppenheimer quantum dynamics of H-2(+) and HD+ excited by single one-cycle laser pulses linearly polarized along the molecular (z) axis have been studied within a three-dimensional model, including the internuclear distance R and electron coordinates z and rho, by means of the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation on the timescale of about 200 fs. Laser carrier frequencies corresponding to the wavelengths of lambda(l) = 400 and 50 nm have been used and the amplitudes of the pulses have been chosen such that the energies of H-2(+) and HD+ are above the dissociation threshold after the ends of the laser pulses. It is shown that excitation of H-2(+) and HD+ above the dissociation threshold is accompanied by formation of vibrationally "hot" and "cold" ensembles of molecules. Dissociation of vibrationally "hot" molecules does not prevent the appearance of post-laser-pulse electronic oscillations, parallel z oscillations, and transversal rho oscillations. Moreover, dissociation of "hot" molecules does not influence characteristic frequencies of electronic z and rho oscillations. The main difference between the laser-induced quantum dynamics of homonuclear H-2(+) and its heteronuclear isotope HD+ is that fast post-laser-pulse electronic z oscillations in H-2(+) are regularly shaped with the period of tau(shp) approximate to 30 fs corresponding to nuclear oscillations in H-2(+), while electronic z oscillations in HD+ arise as "echo pulses" of its initial excitation and appear with the period of tau(echo) approximate to 80 fs corresponding to nuclear motion in HD+. Accordingly, corresponding power spectra of nuclear motion contain strong low-frequency harmonics at omega(shp) = 2 pi/tau(shp) in H2(+) and omega(echo) = 2 pi/tau(echo) in HD+. Power spectra related to both electronic and nuclear motion have been calculated in the acceleration form. Both higher- and lower-order harmonics are generated at the laser wavelength lambda(l) = 400 nm, while only lower-order harmonics are well pronounced at lambda(l) = 50 nm. It is also shown that a rationalized harmonic order, defined in terms of the frequency of the laser-induced electronic z oscillations, agrees with the concept of inversion symmetry for electronic motion in diatomic molecules.
The one-pot synthesis of 8-prenylcoumarins from 1,1-dimethylallylated salicylaldehydes and the stabilized ylide [(ethoxycarbonyl)methylene]triphenylphosphorane under microwave conditions was found to have a limited scope. The sequence suffers from a difficult and sometimes low-yielding synthesis of the precursors and from a competing deprenylation upon microwave irradiation. This side reaction occurs in particular with electron rich arenes with two or more alkoxy groups at adjacent positions, a prominent substitution pattern in naturally occurring 8-prenylcoumarins. Both limitations of this one-step sequence were overcome by a two-step synthesis consisting of a microwave-promoted tandem allyl ether Claisen rearrangement/Wittig olefination and a subsequent olefin cross metathesis with 2-methyl-2-butene. The cross metathesis step proceeds with a high selectivity and yields exclusively the desired prenyl, rather than the alternative crotyl substituent. Several naturally occurring 8-prenylcoumarins that were previously inaccessible have been synthesized in good overall yields along this route.
Potential impact of effects on reproductive attributes induced by herbicides on a plant community
(2018)
Current herbicide risk assessment guidelines for nontarget terrestrial plants require testing effects on young, vulnerable life stages (i.e., seedling emergence [and subsequent growth] and vegetative vigor [growth and dry wt]) but not directly on the reproduction of plants. However, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has proposed that effects on reproduction might be considered when evaluating the potential effects on plants. We adapted the plant community model for grassland (IBC-grass) to give insight into the current debate on the sensitivity of reproductive versus vegetative endpoints in ecological risk assessment. In an extensive sensitivity analysis of this model, we compared plant attributes potentially affected by herbicides and the consequences for long-term plant population dynamics and plant diversity. This evaluation was implemented by reducing reproductive as well as vegetative endpoints by certain percentages (e.g., 10-90%) as a theoretical assumption. Plant mortality and seed sterility (i.e., inability of seeds to germinate) were the most sensitive attributes. Our results indicated that effects on seed production at off-field exposure rates must be very strong to have an impact on the risk assessment. Otherwise, effects on seed production are compensated for by the soil seed bank. The present study highlights the usefulness of community level modeling studies to support regulators in their decisions on the appropriate risk assessment endpoints and provides confidence in their assessments. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1707-1722. (c) 2018 SETAC
The aqueous self-assembly behavior of a series of poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(l-/d-lactide) block copolymers and corresponding stereocomplexes is examined by differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic light scattering, and transmission electron microscopy. Block copolymers assemble into spherical micelles and worm-like aggregates at room temperature, whereby the fraction of the latter seemingly increases with decreasing lactide weight fraction or hydrophobicity. The formation of the worm-like aggregates arises from the crystallization of the polylactide by which the spherical micelles become colloidally unstable and fuse epitaxically with other micelles. The self-assembly behavior of the stereocomplex aggregates is found to be different from that of the block copolymers, resulting in rather irregular-shaped clusters of spherical micelles and pearl-necklace-like structures.
This study demonstrates the bottom-up synthesis of silver nanolenses. A robust coating protocol enabled the functionalization of differently sized silver nanoparticles with DNA single strands of orthogonal sequence. Coated particles 10nm, 20nm, and 60nm in diameter were self-assembled by DNA origami scaffolds to form silver nanolenses. Single molecules of the protein streptavidin were selectively placed in the gap of highest electric field enhancement. Streptavidin labelled with alkyne groups served as model analyte in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiments. By correlated Raman mapping and atomic force microscopy, SERS signals of the alkyne labels of a single streptavidin molecule, from a single silver nanolens, were detected. The discrete, self-similar aggregates of solid silver nanoparticles are promising for plasmonic applications.