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Okeyo PO, Larsen PE, Kissi EO, Ajalloueian F, Rades T, Rantanen J, Boisen A. Single particles as resonators for thermomechanical analysis. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1235. [PMID: 32144254 PMCID: PMC7060253 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15028-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermal methods are indispensable for the characterization of most materials. However, the existing methods require bulk amounts for analysis and give an averaged response of a material. This can be especially challenging in a biomedical setting, where only very limited amounts of material are initially available. Nano- and microelectromechanical systems (NEMS/MEMS) offer the possibility of conducting thermal analysis on small amounts of materials in the nano-microgram range, but cleanroom fabricated resonators are required. Here, we report the use of single drug and collagen particles as micro mechanical resonators, thereby eliminating the need for cleanroom fabrication. Furthermore, the proposed method reveals additional thermal transitions that are undetected by standard thermal methods and provide the possibility of understanding fundamental changes in the mechanical properties of the materials during thermal cycling. This method is applicable to a variety of different materials and opens the door to fundamental mechanistic insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Ouma Okeyo
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
- The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation's Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN), Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Peter Emil Larsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation's Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN), Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Eric Ofosu Kissi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1068 Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fatemeh Ajalloueian
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
- The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation's Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN), Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas Rades
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jukka Rantanen
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anja Boisen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
- The Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Foundation's Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN), Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsted Plads, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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Karl M, Larsen PE, Rangacharya VP, Hwu ET, Rantanen J, Boisen A, Rades T. Ultrasensitive Microstring Resonators for Solid State Thermomechanical Analysis of Small and Large Molecules. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:17522-17531. [PMID: 30468581 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b09034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Thermal analysis plays an important role in both industrial and fundamental research and is widely used to study thermal characteristics of a variety of materials. However, despite considerable effort using different techniques, research struggles to resolve the physicochemical nature of many thermal transitions such as amorphous relaxations or structural changes in proteins. To overcome the limitations in sensitivity of conventional techniques and to gain new insight into the thermal and mechanical properties of small- and large-molecule samples, we have developed an instrumental analysis technique using resonating low-stress silicon nitride microstrings. With a simple sample deposition method and postprocess data analysis, we are able to perform rapid thermal analysis of direct instrumental triplicate samples with only pico- to nanograms of material. Utilizing this method, we present the first measurement of amorphous alpha and beta relaxation, as well as liquid crystalline transitions and decomposition of small-molecule samples deposited onto a microstring resonator. Furthermore, sensitive measurements of the glass transition of polymers and yet unresolved thermal responses of proteins below their apparent denaturation temperature, which seem to include the true solid state glass transition of pure protein, are reported. Where applicable, thermal events detected with the setup were in good agreement with conventional techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis. The sensitive detection of even subtle thermal transitions highlights further possibilities and applications of resonating microstrings in instrumental physicochemical analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Karl
- Department of Pharmacy , University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 2 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark.,Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology , Technical University of Denmark , Ørsteds Plads , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Peter E Larsen
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology , Technical University of Denmark , Ørsteds Plads , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Varadarajan P Rangacharya
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology , Technical University of Denmark , Ørsteds Plads , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark
| | - En Te Hwu
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology , Technical University of Denmark , Ørsteds Plads , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Jukka Rantanen
- Department of Pharmacy , University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 2 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Anja Boisen
- Department of Micro- and Nanotechnology , Technical University of Denmark , Ørsteds Plads , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark.,Danish National Research Foundation and Villum Fondens Center for Intelligent Drug Delivery and Sensing Using Microcontainers and Nanomechanics (IDUN) , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark
| | - Thomas Rades
- Department of Pharmacy , University of Copenhagen , Universitetsparken 2 , 2100 Copenhagen , Denmark
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