Assembly of lipid bilayers on silica and modified silica colloids by reconstitution of dried lipid films

Measurements of Ion Binding to Lipid-Hosted Ionophores by Affinity Chromatography

The binding affinity between antibiotic ionophores and alkali ions within supported lipid bilayers was evaluated using affinity chromatography. We used zonal elution and frontal analysis methods in nanovolume liquid chromatography to characterize the binding selectivity of the carrier and channel ionophores valinomycin and gramicidin A within different phosphatidylcholine bilayers. Distinct binding sensitivity to the lipid phase, both in affinity and selectivity, is observed for valinomycin, whereas gramicidin is less sensitive to changes in a membrane environment, behavior that is consistent with ion binding occurring within the interior of an established channel. There is good agreement between the chromatographic retention and the reported binding selectivity measured by other techniques. Surface potential near the binding site affects ion retention and the apparent association binding constants, but not the binding selectivity or enthalpy measurements. A model accounting for the surface potential contributions of retained ions during frontal analyses yields values close to intrinsic binding constants for gramicidin A (K_A for K⁺ between 70 and 120 M^-1) using reasonable estimates of the initial potential that is postulated to arise from the underlying silica.

Biosafety of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Careful analysis of any new nanomedicine device or disposal should be undertaken to comprehensively characterize the new product before application, so that any unintended side effect is minimized. Because of the increasing number of nanotechnology-based drugs, we can anticipate that regulatory authorities might adapt the approval process for nanomedicine products due to safety concerns, e.g., request a more rigorous testing of the potential toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs). Currently, the use of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) as drug delivery systems is challenged by a lack of data on the toxicological profile of coated or non-coated MSN. In this context, we have carried out an extensive study documenting the influence of different functionalized MSN on the cellular internalization and in vivo behaviour. In this article, a synthesis of these works is reviewed and the perspectives are drawn. The use of magnetic MSN (Fe3O4@MSN) allows an efficient separation of coated NPs from cell cultures with a simple magnet, leading to results regarding corona formation without experimental bias. Our interest is focused on the mechanism of interaction with model membranes, the adsorption of proteins in biological fluids, the quantification of uptake, and the effect of such NPs on the transcriptomic profile of hepatic cells that are known to be readily concerned by NPs' uptake in vivo, especially in the case of an intravenous injection.

Electrospinning deposition of hydrogel fibers used as scaffold for biomembranes. Thermal stability of DPPC corroborated by ellipsometry

DPPC bilayers were deposited over thin hydrogel scaffolds using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique (with DPPC thickness ∼ 6.2 nm). Wrinkled hydrogels films were used to maintain a moist environment in order to enhance DPPC bilayer stability. Polymer mixtures were prepared using HEMA (as a base monomer) and DEGDMA, PEGDA575, PEGDA700 or AAm (as crosslinking agents); a thermal initiator was added to obtain a final pre-hydrogel (oligomer) with an adequate viscosity for thin film formation. This mixture was deposited as wrinkled film/fibers over hydrophilic silicon wafers using an electrospinning technique. Later, these samples were exposed to UV light to trigger photopolymerization, generating crosslinking bonds between hydrogel chains; this process also generated remnant surface stresses in the films that favored wrinkle formation. In the cases where DEGDMA and AAm were used as crosslinking agents, HEMA was added in higher amounts. The resultant polymer film surface showed homogenous layering with some small isolated clusters. If PEGDA575/700 was used as the crosslinking agent, we observed the formation of polymer wrinkled thin films, composed by main and secondary chains (with different dimensions). Moreover, water absorption and release was found to be mediated through surface morphology, ordering and film thickness. The thermal behavior of biomembranes was examined using ellipsometry techniques under controlled heating cycles, allowing phases and phase transitions to be detected through slight thickness variations with respect to temperature. Atomic force microscopy was used to determinate surface roughness changes according to temperature variation, temperature was varied sufficiently for the detection and recording of DPPC phase limits. Contact angle measurements corroborated and quantified system wettability, supporting the theory that wrinkled hydrogel films act to enhance DPPC bilayer stability during thermal cycles.

Solid colloids with surface-mobile linkers

In this report we review the possibilities of using colloids with surface mobile linkers for the study of colloidal self-assembly processes. A promising route to create systems with mobile linkers is the use of lipid (bi-)layers. These lipid layers can be either used in the form of vesicles or as coatings for hard colloids and emulsion droplets. Inside the lipid bilayers molecules can be inserted via membrane anchors. Due to the fluidity of the lipid bilayer, the anchored molecules remain mobile. The use of different lipid mixtures even allows creating Janus-like particles that exhibit directional bonding if linkers are used which have a preference for a certain lipid phase. In nature mobile linkers can be found e.g. as receptors in cells. Therefore, towards the end of the review, we also briefly address the possibility of using colloids with surface mobile linkers as model systems to mimic cell-cell interactions and cell adhesion processes.

Dehydration and crystallization of amorphous calcium carbonate in solution and in air

The mechanisms by which amorphous intermediates transform into crystalline materials are poorly understood. Currently, attracting enormous interest is the crystallization of amorphous calcium carbonate, a key intermediary in synthetic, biological and environmental systems. Here we attempt to unify many contrasting and apparently contradictory studies by investigating this process in detail. We show that amorphous calcium carbonate can dehydrate before crystallizing, both in solution and in air, while thermal analyses and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements reveal that its water is present in distinct environments. Loss of the final water fraction--comprising less than 15% of the total--then triggers crystallization. The high activation energy of this step suggests that it occurs by partial dissolution/recrystallization, mediated by surface water, and the majority of the particle then crystallizes by a solid-state transformation. Such mechanisms are likely to be widespread in solid-state reactions and their characterization will facilitate greater control over these processes.

Native silica nanoparticles are powerful membrane disruptors

Silica nanoparticles permeabilize liposomal membranes as a function of nanoparticle size, surface chemistry and biocoating as well as membrane charge.

Electrochemical modeling of the silica nanoparticle-biomembrane interaction

The interaction of amorphous colloidal silica (SiO(2)) nanoparticles of well-defined sizes with a dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) monolayer on a mercury (Hg) film electrode has been investigated. It was shown using electrochemical methods and microcalorimetry that particles interact with the monolayer, and the electrochemical data shows that the extent of interaction is inversely proportional to the particle size. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the electrode-supported monolayers following exposure to the particles shows that the nanoparticles bind to the DOPC monolayer irrespective of their size, forming a particle monolayer on the DOPC surface. A one-parameter model was developed to describe the electrochemical results where the fitted parameter is an interfacial layer thickness (3.2 nm). The model is based on the adsorptive interactions operating within this interfacial layer that are independent of the solution pH and solution ionic strength. The evidence implies that the most significant forces determining the interactions are van der Waals in character.