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Duan Z, Han J, Liu Y, Zhao X, Wang B, Cao S, Wu D. A polymeric 1H/ 19F dual-modal MRI contrast agent with a snowman-like Janus nanostructure. J Mater Chem B 2024; 12:7090-7102. [PMID: 38984662 DOI: 10.1039/d4tb00923a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a pivotal tool in contemporary medical diagnostics, offering non-invasive and high-resolution visualization of internal structures. Contrast agents are essential for enhancing MRI resolution, accurate lesion detection, and early pathology identification. While gadolinium-based contrast agents are widely used in clinics, safety concerns have prompted exploration of metal-free alternatives, including fluorine and nitroxide radical-based MRI contrast agents. Fluorine-containing compounds exhibit excellent MRI capabilities, with 19F MRI providing enhanced resolution and quantitative assessment. Nitroxide radicals, such as PROXYL and TEMPO, offer paramagnetic properties for MRI contrast. Despite their versatility, nitroxide radicals suffer from lower relaxivity values (r1) compared to gadolinium. Dual-modal imaging, combining 1H and 19F MRI, has gained prominence for its comprehensive insights into biological processes and disease states. However, existing dual-modal agents predominantly utilize gadolinium-organic ligands without incorporating nitroxide radicals. Here, we introduce a novel dual-modal MRI contrast agent (J-CA) featuring a Janus asymmetric nanostructure synthesized via seeded emulsion polymerization and post-modification. J-CA demonstrates excellent in vitro and in vivo performance in both 19F and 1H MRI, with a T2 relaxation time of 5 ms and an r1 value of 0.31 mM-1 s-1, ensuring dual-modal imaging capability. Moreover, J-CA exhibits superior biocompatibility and organ targeting, making it a promising candidate for precise lesion imaging and disease diagnosis. This work introduces a new avenue for metal-free dual-modal MRI, addressing safety concerns associated with traditional contrast agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziwei Duan
- Sun Yat-Sen University of Shenzhen Campus, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jialei Han
- Sun Yat-Sen University of Shenzhen Campus, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Yadong Liu
- Sun Yat-Sen University of Shenzhen Campus, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Sun Yat-Sen University of Shenzhen Campus, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Bo Wang
- Sun Yat-Sen University of Shenzhen Campus, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen, China.
| | | | - Dalin Wu
- Sun Yat-Sen University of Shenzhen Campus, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen, China.
- Sun Yat-sen University, Key Laboratory of Sensing Technology and Biomedical Instrument of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen, China
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Honciuc A, Negru OI. Monitoring the Surface Energy Change of Nanoparticles in Functionalization Reactions with the NanoTraPPED Method. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:1246. [PMID: 37049338 PMCID: PMC10097230 DOI: 10.3390/nano13071246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Performing chemical functionalization on the surface of nanoparticles underlies their use in applications. Probing that a physicochemical transformation has indeed occurred on a nanoparticles' surface is rather difficult. For this reason, we propose that a macroscopic parameter, namely the surface energy γ, can monitor the physicochemical transformations taking place at the surface of nanoparticles. Determining the surface energy of macroscopic surfaces is trivial, but it is very challenging for nanoparticles. In this work we demonstrate that the Nanoparticles Trapped on Polymerized Pickering Emulsion Droplet (NanoTraPPED) method can be successfully deployed to monitor the evolution of surface energies γ, with its γp polar and γd dispersive components of the silica nanoparticles at each stage of two surface reactions: (i) amination by siloxane chemistry, coupling reaction of a 2,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde and formation of a Schiff base ligand, followed by coordination of metal ions and (ii) epoxide ring opening and formation of azide. The change in surface energy and its components are discussed and analyzed for each step of the two reactions. It is observed that large variations in surface energy are observed with the complexity of the molecular structure attaching to nanoparticle surface, while functional group replacement leads to only small changes in the surface energies.
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Highly selective recovery of perfluorooctanoic acid from semiconductor wastewater via adsorption on pH-stimulated poly (dimethyl amino) ethyl methacrylate microgels. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.120479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Honciuc A, Negru OI. Role of Surface Energy of Nanoparticle Stabilizers in the Synthesis of Microspheres via Pickering Emulsion Polymerization. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:995. [PMID: 35335808 PMCID: PMC8949673 DOI: 10.3390/nano12060995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Polymer microspheres are important for a variety of applications, such as ion exchange chromatography, catalyst supports, absorbents, etc. Synthesis of large microspheres can be challenging, because they cannot be obtained easily via classic emulsion polymerization, but rather by more complex methods. Here, we present a facile method for obtaining polymer microspheres, beyond 50 μm, via Pickering emulsion polymerization. The method consists in creating oil-in-water (o/w) Pickering emulsion/suspension from vinyl bearing monomers, immiscible with water, whereas silica nanoparticles (NPs), bearing glycidyl functionalities, have a stabilizing role by adsorbing at the monomer/water interface of emulsion droplets. The emulsion is polymerized under UV light, and polymer microspheres decorated with NPs are obtained. We discovered that the contact angle of the NPs with the polymer microsphere is the key parameter for tuning the size and the quality of the obtained microspheres. The contact angle depends on the NPs' interfacial energy and its polar and dispersive contributions, which we determine with a newly developed NanoTraPPED method. By varying the NPs' surface functionality, we demonstrate that when their interfacial energy with water decreases, their energy of adhesion to water increases, causing the curvature of the polymer/water interface to decrease, resulting in increasingly larger polymer microspheres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Honciuc
- Electroactive Polymers and Plasmochemistry Laboratory, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Aleea Gr. Ghica Voda 41A, 700487 Iasi, Romania;
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Soto-Figueroa C, Galicia-García T, Rodríguez-Hidalgo MDR, Vicente L. Micellar shuttle of a polymeric ionic liquid (P(EHO)-CI-P(EtOx)) in a water/ethyl acetate two-phase system: Micellar load capacity and selective transfer of molecular anions. Eur Polym J 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Honciuc A, Negru OI. NanoTraPPED-A New Method for Determining the Surface Energy of Nanoparticles via Pickering Emulsion Polymerization. NANOMATERIALS 2021; 11:nano11123200. [PMID: 34947547 PMCID: PMC8709214 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Surface energy with its polar and disperse components describes the physicochemical state of nanoparticles’ (NPs) surfaces, and can be a valuable parameter for predicting their bulk behavior in powders. Here, we introduce a new method, namely, Nanoparticles Trapped on Polymerized Pickering Emulsion Droplets (NanoTraPPED), for measuring the surface energy of a series of silica NPs bearing various surface functional groups. The method consists in creating Pickering emulsions from vinyl bearing monomers, immiscible with water, whereas NPs of interest have a stabilizing role, and in the process, become trapped at the monomer/water interface of emulsion droplets. The Pickering emulsion is polymerized, and polymer microspheres (colloidosomes) decorated with NPs are obtained. NanoTraPPED relies on measuring contact angles from the immersion depth of nanoparticles at the interface of various polymer colloidosomes with the electron microscope. The contact angle values are used as input for the Owens-Wendt-Rabel-Kaelble (OWRK) model, to quantitatively determine the total surface energy with water γNP/water, air γNP, and the corresponding polar and dispersive interaction components of NPs carrying -NH2, -SH, -OH, -CN and -C8 surface functional groups, ranking these according to their polarity. Our findings were confirmed independently by calculating the interfacial desorption energies of NPs from contact angles.
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Ghavidel N, Fatehi P. Interfacial and Emulsion Characteristics of Oil-Water Systems in the Presence of Polymeric Lignin Surfactant. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:3346-3358. [PMID: 33667093 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c03458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
It is hypothesized that polymeric lignin surfactants have different affinities for stabilizing oil-water emulsions and that the emulsifying performance of these surfactants is highly affected by their adsorption performance at the oil-water interface. To validate this hypothesis, the adsorption performance of sulfethylated lignin (SEKL) surfactant at different oil-water interfaces was examined by assessing the contact angle, dynamic interfacial tension, and surface loading (Γ). Moreover, the interfacial adsorption kinetics of SEKL was comprehensively assessed in different oil-water systems to reveal the mechanisms of the SEKL adsorption at the interface. Also, the impacts of SEKL concentration and ionic strength on the performance of SEKL as an effective emulsifier for the emulsions were assessed. Furthermore, the droplet size and instability index of the emulsions were systematically correlated with the adsorption performance of SEKL at the interface of oil and water. For the first time, by implementing a modified Ward Toradai diffusion model, two distinct early stages of the adsorption of SEKL at the oil interface were identified. Interestingly, the second stage was the determining stage of adsorption with the diffusion-controlled mechanism when polymers reconfigured at the oil-water interface. Salt screening facilitated the clustering of SEKL upon charge repulsion elimination, which removed the energy barrier in the first stage of adsorption (ΔEp→0 = 0), but it introduced a steric barrier upon the reconfiguration of polymers at the oil interfaces in the second stage of adsorption. In addition to the kinetics of adsorption, satisfactory correlations were observed between surface pressure (Δγ = γ∞ - γ0), surface loading (Γ) of polymers, and contact angle at oil interfaces on one hand and the oil droplet size and emulsion stability on the other hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Ghavidel
- Green Processes Research Centre and Chemical Engineering Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B5E1, Canada
| | - Pedram Fatehi
- Green Processes Research Centre and Chemical Engineering Department, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B5E1, Canada
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Zhang X, Kreuzer LP, Schwaiger DM, Lu M, Mao Z, Cubitt R, Müller-Buschbaum P, Zhong Q. Abnormal fast dehydration and rehydration of light- and thermo-dual-responsive copolymer films triggered by UV radiation. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:2603-2613. [PMID: 33527960 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm02007a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal fast dehydration and rehydration of light- and thermo-dual-responsive copolymer films of poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-6-(4-phenylazophenoxy)hexyl acrylate), abbreviated as P(OEGMA300-co-PAHA), are triggered by UV radiation. Both rapid kinetic processes are probed by in situ neutron reflectivity (NR). The transition temperatures (TTs) of P(OEGMA300-co-PAHA) are 53.0 (ambient conditions) and 52.5 °C (UV radiation, λ = 365 nm). Thin P(OEGMA300-co-PAHA) films show a random distribution of OEGMA300 and PAHA segments. They swell in a D2O vapor atmosphere at 23 °C (below TT) to a swelling ratio d/das-prep of 1.61 ± 0.01 and exhibit a D2O volume fraction φ(D2O) of 39.3 ± 0.5%. After being exposed to UV radiation for only 60 s, d/das-prep and φ(D2O) significantly decrease to 1.00 ± 0.01 and 13.4 ± 0.5%, respectively. Although the UV-induced trans-cis isomerization of the azobenzene in PAHA induces increased hydrophilicity, the configuration change causes a breaking of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds between OEGMA300 and D2O molecules and unexpected film shrinkage. As compared to thermal stimulus-induced dehydration, the present dehydration rate is 100 times faster. Removal of the UV radiation causes immediate rehydration. After 200 s, d/das-prep and φ(D2O) recover to their hydrated states, which is also 30 times faster than the initial hydration. At 60 °C (above TT), thin P(OEGMA300-co-PAHA) films switch to their collapsed state and are insensitive to UV radiation. Thus, the UV-induced fast dehydration and rehydration depend on the existence of hydrogen bonds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Manufacturing Technology, Ministry of Education, National Base for International Science and Technology Cooperation in Textiles and Consumer-Goods Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, 310018 Hangzhou, China.
| | - Lucas P Kreuzer
- Technische Universität München, Physik-Department, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Dominik M Schwaiger
- Technische Universität München, Physik-Department, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.
| | - Min Lu
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Manufacturing Technology, Ministry of Education, National Base for International Science and Technology Cooperation in Textiles and Consumer-Goods Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, 310018 Hangzhou, China.
| | - Zhengwei Mao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Robert Cubitt
- Institut Laue-Langevin, 6 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Peter Müller-Buschbaum
- Technische Universität München, Physik-Department, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany. and Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ), Technische Universität München, Lichtenbergstr. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Qi Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials & Manufacturing Technology, Ministry of Education, National Base for International Science and Technology Cooperation in Textiles and Consumer-Goods Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, 310018 Hangzhou, China. and Technische Universität München, Physik-Department, Lehrstuhl für Funktionelle Materialien, James-Franck-Str. 1, 85748 Garching, Germany.
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Jiang H, Liu L, Li Y, Yin S, Ngai T. Inverse Pickering Emulsion Stabilized by Binary Particles with Contrasting Characteristics and Functionality for Interfacial Biocatalysis. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:4989-4997. [PMID: 31909591 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b16117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Water-in-oil (w/o) Pickering emulsions have received considerable attention in biphasic enzymatic catalysis for their advantages of good stability, large interfacial area, and ease of product separation. However, enzymes are commonly encapsulated in the interior of aqueous droplets, which inevitably increases the diffusional resistance to catalysis. Alternatively, enzymes are immobilized or trapped into Pickering stabilizers. Often, however, these approaches suffer from leaching and a decrease of enzyme activity during the chemical treatments. We report here a new Pickering interfacial biocatalysis platform with efficient enzyme encapsulation, binary particle composition, and high catalytic performance. Our approach is based on w/o Pickering emulsions stabilized by binary particles consisting of hard silica and soft, pH-responsive microgel particles. We demonstrate that pH-responsive microgels can simultaneously stabilize a w/o Pickering emulsion, encapsulate enzymes, and catalyze reactions at the water/oil interface. In addition, we show that the coordination with rigid silica nanoparticles as additional stabilizers markedly improves the emulsion structure and will provide a new avenue for the preparation of w/o Pickering emulsion and concept of biphasic catalysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Jiang
- Department of Chemistry , The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin , N.T., Hong Kong , P. R. China
| | - Liangdong Liu
- Department of Chemistry , The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin , N.T., Hong Kong , P. R. China
| | - Yunxing Li
- Department of Chemistry , The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin , N.T., Hong Kong , P. R. China
- The Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering , Jiangnan University , Wuxi 214122 , P. R. China
| | - Shouwei Yin
- Research and Development Centre of Food Proteins, School of Food Science and Engineering , South China University of Technology , Guangzhou 510640 , P. R. China
| | - To Ngai
- Department of Chemistry , The Chinese University of Hong Kong , Shatin , N.T., Hong Kong , P. R. China
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Borówko M, Sokołowski S, Staszewski T. Amphiphilic Dimers at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces: A Density Functional Approach. J Phys Chem B 2019; 123:5962-5972. [PMID: 31204480 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.9b04501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
We apply density functional theory to study the structure of dimers at the interface between two partially miscible symmetric liquids. The dimers are built of two tangentially jointed spheres and do not solve the coexisting liquids. The interactions in the system are modeled using Lennard-Jones potentials with different interactions between segments of the dimers and the liquid components. We study how asymmetry of the interactions between dimers and molecules of the liquid, i.e., the degree of dimer amphiphilicity, influences the interfacial structure. Two unexpected phenomena have been found. First, for some systems, the liquid-liquid interface is able to accommodate only a finite amount of dimers. If the amount of added dimers is larger than a threshold value, a part or all of the dimers move to the interior one of the coexisting phase, forming an insoluble sheet inside it, or the initial interface splits into separate parts. The second is a peculiar behavior of the dependence of the interfacial width with an increase of the amount of added dimers. In this case, we observe a discontinuous jump that is connected with reorientation of dimers with respect to the interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Borówko
- Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes , Maria Curie-Skłodowska University , 20031 Lublin , Poland
| | - S Sokołowski
- Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes , Maria Curie-Skłodowska University , 20031 Lublin , Poland
| | - T Staszewski
- Department for the Modelling of Physico-Chemical Processes , Maria Curie-Skłodowska University , 20031 Lublin , Poland
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Wu D, Mihali V, Honciuc A. pH-Responsive Pickering Foams Generated by Surfactant-Free Soft Hydrogel Particles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:212-221. [PMID: 30540483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pickering foams are foams stabilized by particles and are generally known to have good stability. A special subclass of particle-stabilized foams includes stimuli-responsive Pickering foams that can be formed or deconstructed by applying an external stimuli or changing the environmental conditions; such intelligent particles could find use in many practical applications. Here, we synthesized surfactant-free biocompatible poly[2(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDEAEMA) hydrogel particles (HGPs) by emulsion polymerization. The morphology, structure, and surface charge of the HGPs were characterized by TEM, DLS, and the zeta potential, respectively. We have observed that the pH values of the aqueous solution have a strong influence on the formation of the Pickering foams in the presence of PDEAEMA HGPs. Namely, at pH values ≤4.0 no Pickering foams were produced, while at pH values >4.0 stable Pickering foams were formed. Moreover, the height, size and bubble size distribution of Pickering foams are strongly influenced by the pH values of aqueous solution and PDEAEMA HGPs concentration. The formed Pickering foams in basic aqueous solution can all be conveniently deconstructed by changing the pH values to below 4.0. Interestingly, the dried lamellas of the Pickering foams were constituted by either monolayers or multilayers of PDEAEMA HGPs as demonstrated by SEM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalin Wu
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Einsiedlerstrasse 31 , 8820 Waedenswil , Switzerland
| | - Voichita Mihali
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Einsiedlerstrasse 31 , 8820 Waedenswil , Switzerland
| | - Andrei Honciuc
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology , Zurich University of Applied Sciences , Einsiedlerstrasse 31 , 8820 Waedenswil , Switzerland
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