Reduction of Cytochrome c by Halide-Modified, Laser-Ablated Silver Colloids

Electrochemical investigation of the effect of some organic phosphates on haemoglobin

The effects of DPG,IHP,GTP,GDP and GMP on the structure and stability of haemoglobin were electrochemically investigated with an iodide-modified silver electrode in 0.01 M KNO 3 at pH 7.0.Anodic and cathodic peaks of haemoglobin were observed at 250 mV and 12 mV with a formal potential value of 133 mV vs.Ag/AgCl.The effects of different concentrations of DPG,IHP,GTP,GDP and GMP on the anaerobic redox reaction were determined. The results showed that DPG and IHP can lead to a positive shift in the reduction peak of haemoglobin,indicating that the oxidation peak shift of haemoglobin was small as a result of stabilization of the reduced state and destabilization of the R-like state of haemoglobin.GTP elicited a more positive shift in the cathodic and anodic peaks of haemoglobin at a higher concentration,signifying that it has a low-affinity binding site on haemoglobin.The positive shift of the cathodic and anodic peaks revealed a slight variation in the structure and indicated the unfolding of haemoglobin in the presence of high concentrations of GTP.Our study also showed that GDP and GMP did not cause significant shift the cathodic and anodic peaks of haemoglobin even at high concentrations,refuting the existence of specific GDP-and GMP-binding sites on the protein.Moreover,the iodide-modified silver electrode method proved to be easy and useful in investigating the effects of ligands or other effectors on haemoglobin in solution.

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering of cytochrome P450-2D6 on coated silver hydrosols

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) from dilute solutions (down to nanomolar concentrations) of human mono-oxygenase CYP2D6 is observed using aqueous dispersions of Ag nanoparticles (hydrosol) coated with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of mercaptoalkanoic acids of two different lengths. From a direct comparison with its resonance Raman spectrum in solution, CYP2D6 appears to fully retain its native structure upon adsorption on coated hydrosol through electrostatic interaction, while a structural change in the active site is observed when uncoated citrate-reduced hydrosol is used. Using SERRS on these biocompatible coated hydrosols, the effects of dextromethorphan on the enzyme's active site can be observed, demonstrating that CYP2D6 ability of binding substrates is preserved. Moreover, by tuning the wavelength of the exciting laser away from the main absorption band of the heme, the vibrational bands of the SAM coating are observed and analyzed to see how the presence of the protein affects the SAM structure.

Analysis of Titanium Nanoparticles Created by Laser Irradiation under Liquid Environments†

The results of studies of the formation of various titanium-based nanoparticles by laser ablation of a titanium rod in liquid environments comprised of water, ethanol, 2-propanol, and n-hexane are reported. The effect of fluence on nanoparticle characteristics was studied by ablation with a 532 nm Nd:YAG operating at 10 Hz, showing that mean particle size and the size distribution increase with increasing laser intensity. The solvent plays a crucial role in the nature of the nanoparticles, as solvent components are incorporated into the nanoparticles during formation. Titanium nanoparticles formed in oxygen-rich solvents incorporate oxygen, while those formed in a carbon-rich environment are found to contain carbon. The nanoparticles created in their respective liquid environments are very stable, maintain their character over time, and remain in solution for months after creation.

Preparation of zinc oxide nanorods using pulsed laser ablation in water media at high temperature

ZnO columnar single crystals were formed by pulsed laser ablation in deionized water and surfactant aqueous solutions of lauryl dimethylaminoacetic acid (LDA) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at 80 degrees C. ZnO particles produced by laser ablation were dissolved at a higher temperature than 60 degrees C, and then crystalline growth to columnar structure proceeded. While large ZnO columnar crystals were obtained in deionized water, the crystals prepared in surfactant solution were smaller than those in deionized water due to inhibition of crystalline growth by surfactant adsorption on ZnO surfaces. The size of ZnO nanorods depended on how surfactant molecules adsorb on ZnO surface.

Laser-Assisted Synthesis of Au−Ag Alloy Nanoparticles in Solution

By using laser-induced heating, we prepared Au-Ag nanoalloys via three different procedures: (i) mixture of Au nanoparticles and Ag(+) ions irradiated by a 532 nm laser, (ii) mixture of Au and Ag nanoparticles irradiated by a 532 nm laser, and (iii) mixture of Au and Ag nanoparticles irradiated by a 355 nm laser. Procedure i is advantageous for the production of spherical alloy nanoparticles; in procedures ii and iii, nanoalloys with a sintered structure have been obtained. The morphology of the obtained nanoalloys depends not only on the laser wavelength but also on the concentration of nanoparticles in the initial mixture. When the total concentration of Ag and Au nanoparticles in the mixture is increased, large-scale interlinked networks have been observed upon laser irradiation. It is expected that this selective heating strategy can be extended to prepare other bi- or multi-metallic nanoalloys.

Composition/Structural Evolution and Optical Properties of ZnO/Zn Nanoparticles by Laser Ablation in Liquid Media

We present composition-controlled synthesis of ZnO-Zn composite nanoparticles by laser ablation of a zinc metal target in pure water or in aqueous solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). By SDS concentration, composition and size of the nanoparticles can be controlled in a wide range. Relative amounts of the components Zn and ZnO, the particle size, and the microstructure can evolve with SDS concentration in solution. High SDS concentration corresponds to high relative amount of Zn nanoparticles existing as the core in the core/shell nanostructures, whereas low SDS concentration leads to high ZnO amount. This was explained by a dynamic mechanism on the basis of the competition between aqueous oxidation and SDS capping protection. Correspondingly, optical absorption spectra evolve from the excitonic peak of ZnO (about 350 nm) to the Zn surface plasmon resonance (about 242 nm) with rise of SDS concentration. A blue (about 450 nm) photoluminescence was observed in the obtained ZnO nanoparticles, which was attributed to existence of interstitial zinc in ZnO lattices. This study has revealed that laser ablation of active metal in liquid media is an appropriate method to synthesize a series of metal oxide semiconductor-metal composite nanoparticles with controlled composition and size.

Photofragmentation of Phase-Transferred Gold Nanoparticles by Intense Pulsed Laser Light

Gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of approximately 20 nm were prepared in an aqueous solution by a wet chemistry method. The parent gold nanoparticles were then capped with a 4-aminothiophenol protecting layer and transferred into toluene by tuning the surface charge of the modified nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles before and after phase transfer were subjected to photofragmentation by a pulsed 532 nm laser. The effects of solvent properties and surface chemistry on the photofragmentation of the gold nanoparticles have been investigated. Fast photofragmentation has been observed in the organic solvent in which the dielectric constant, heat capacity, and thermal conductivity are lower. The results suggest new approaches for the preparation of very small gold clusters from gold nanoparticles.

Influence of intense pulsed laser irradiation on optical and morphological properties of gold nanoparticle aggregates produced by surface acid-base reactions

Gold nanoparticles were surface modified with an ionizable and pH-sensitive monolayer of thiobarbituric acid (TBA). By variation of the pH value of the solution, nanoparticle aggregates can be produced in a controlled way. The aggregates thus prepared were irradiated with an intense pulsed laser at 532 nm. The products in solution were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and optical absorption spectroscopy. The TEM images of the products revealed that the nanoparticle aggregates dissociate upon laser irradiation and form much smaller gold nanoparticles. The optical absorption spectra measured simultaneously show the gradual disappearance of the absorbance band of the aggregates at around 680 nm. Additionally, a blue shift (from 534 to 524 nm) of the resonance absorbance corresponding to isolated nanoparticles has been observed. All the observations suggest that the colloidal solution becomes more stable after laser irradiation. Both the reduced nanoparticle size and the stabilizing TBA ligands present on the particle surface contribute to the acquired stability of the colloidal solutions.

Laser Fragmentation of Water-Suspended Gold Flakes via Spherical Submicroparticles to Fine Nanoparticles

By nanosecond, 532-nm laser irradiation typically at approximately 1 J/(cm2 pulse), water-suspended thin gold flakes, 0.1-0.2-microm thick but more than 10-microm across, were efficiently fragmented in a unique two-step mode, as evidenced by the in situ extinction spectra taken as a function of the laser irradiation time. The initial main photoproducts were spherical gold particles in the submicrometer regime. Their ensuing laser fragmentation in oxygen-free water environment generated stable, negatively charged, fine nanoparticles less than 10 nm in diameter, characterized by a considerably weak and blue-shifted plasmon band. The Mie theory can reproduce these distinct spectral features of the fine nanoparticles as well as the scattering-dominated extinction spectra of the submicroparticles. The submicroparticle to nanoparticle conversion seemed most likely to be a single-pulse event, not leaving any larger intermediate nanoparticles in the suspension. Oxygen, as an effective electron acceptor, strongly affected the stability of the negatively charged nanoparticles, promoting their quasi-reversible or irreversible agglomeration. From the estimated balance between the absorbed laser energy and the energies for the relevant particles to produce a high-temperature molten state, possible fragmentation mechanisms are discussed.

Silver-colloid-nucleated cytochrome c superstructures encapsulated in silica nanoarchitectures

We recently discovered that self-organized superstructures of the heme protein cytochrome c (cyt. c) are nucleated in buffer by gold nanoparticles. The protein molecules within the superstructure survive both silica sol-gel encapsulation and drying from supercritical carbon dioxide to form air-filled biocomposite aerogels that exhibit gas-phase binding activity for nitric oxide. In this investigation, we report that viable proteins are present in biocomposite aerogels when the nucleating metal nanoparticle is silver rather than gold. Silver colloids were synthesized via reduction of an aqueous solution of Ag+ using either citrate or borohydride reductants. As determined by transmission electron microscopy and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, the silver nanoparticles vary in size and shape depending on the synthetic route, which affects the fraction of cyt. c that survives the processing necessary to form a biocomposite aerogel. Silver colloids synthesized via the citrate preparation are polydisperse, with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm, and lead to low cyt. c viability in the dried bioaerogels (approximately 15%). Protein superstructures nucleated at approximately 10-nm Ag colloids prepared via the borohydride route, including citrate stabilization of the borohydride-reduced metal, retain significant protein viability within the bioaerogels (approximately 45%).

Stabilization and size control of gold nanoparticles during laser ablation in aqueous cyclodextrins

Femtosecond laser radiation has been used to ablate a gold target in aqueous beta-cyclodextrin (CD) solutions to produce stable gold nanoparticle colloids with extremely small size (2 to 2.4 nm) and size dispersion (1 to 1.5 nm). On the basis of XPS and zeta-potential measurements, we propose a model involving chemical interactions between the gold and the CDs. The model includes both the hydrophobic interaction of the Au0 with the interior cavity of the CD and the hydrogen bonding of O- groups on the partially oxidized gold surface with -OH groups of the CDs.

Self-assembled metal colloid films: two approaches for preparing new SERS active substrates

In this paper, we propose two new approaches for preparing active substrates for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). In the first approach (method 1), one transfers AgI nanoparticles capped by negatively charged mercaptoacetic acid from a AgI colloid solution onto a quartz slide and then deoxidizes AgI to Ag nanoparticles on the substrate. The second approach (method 2) deoxidizes AgI to Ag nanoparticles in a colloid solution and then transfers the Ag nanoparticles capped by negatively charged mercaptoacetic acid onto a quartz slide. By transfer of the AgI/Ag nanoparticles from the colloid solutions to the solid substrates, the problem of instability of the colloid solutions can largely be overcome. The films thus prepared by both approaches retain the merits of metal colloid solutions while they discharge their shortcomings. Accordingly, the obtained Ag particle films are very suitable as SERS active substrates. SERS active substrates with different coverages can be formed in a layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly by exposing positively charged surfaces to the colloid solutions containing oppositely charged AgI/Ag nanoparticles. The SERS active substrates fabricated by the two novel methods have been characterized by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The results of AFM and UV-vis spectroscopy show that the Ag nanoparticles grow with the increase in the number of coverage and that most of them remain isolated even at high coverages. Consequently, the surface optical properties are dominated by the absorption due to the isolated Ag nanoparticles. The relationship between SERS intensity and surface morphology of the new active substrates has been investigated for Rhodamine 6G (R6G) adsorbed on them. It has been found that the SERS enhancement depends on the size and aggregation of the Ag particles on the substrates. Especially, we can obtain a stronger SERS signal from the substrate prepared by method 1, implying that for the metal nanoparticles capped with stabilizer molecules such as mercaptoacetic acid, the in situ deoxidization in the film is of great use in preparing SERS active substrates. Furthermore, we have found that the addition of Cl- into the AgI colloid solution changes the surface morphology of the SERS active substrates and favors stronger SERS enhancement.