Adsorption of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles on silica and calcium carbonate sand

Adsorption Dynamics of Surface-Modified Silica Nanoparticles at Solid-Liquid Interfaces

Understanding the adsorption dynamics of nanoparticles at solid-liquid interfaces is of paramount importance to engineer nanoparticles for a variety of applications. The nanoparticle surface chemistry is significant for controlling the adsorption dynamics. This study aimed to experimentally examine the adsorption of surface-modified round-shaped silica nanoparticles (with an average diameter of 12 nm), grafted with hydrophobic (propyl chains) and/or hydrophilic (polyethylene glycol chains) agents, at an aqueous solution-silica interface with spherical soda-lime glass beads (diameter of 3 mm) being used as adsorbents. While no measurable adsorption was observed for solely hydrophobic or hydrophilic nanoparticles, a considerable level of adsorption was detected for nanoparticles comprising both hydrophobic and hydrophilic agents. Various kinetic models were employed to model the adsorption dynamics of the responsive nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that the mixed diffusion-kinetics models could predict the dynamics better than the adsorption diffusion models, indicating that the dynamics is controlled by a combination of liquid film diffusion, intra-particle diffusion, and mass action. Additionally, the adsorption of the surface-modified silica nanoparticles onto a mineral silica surface was examined using molecular dynamics simulations. The interaction energy for nanoparticles comprising both hydrophobic and hydrophilic agents was evaluated to be more favorable than that of solely hydrophobic or hydrophilic nanoparticles.

Dextran mediated MnFe2O4/ZnS magnetic fluorescence nanocomposites for controlled self-heating properties

Dextran mediated MnFe2O4/ZnS opto-magnetic nanocomposites with different concentrations of ZnS were competently synthesized adopting the co-precipitation method. The structural, morphological, magnetic, and optical properties of the nanocomposites were exhaustively characterized by XRD, HRTEM, FTIR, VSM techniques, and PL spectroscopy. XRD spectra demonstrate the existence of the cubic spinel phase of MnFe2O4 and the cubic zinc blend phase of ZnS in the nanocomposites. HRTEM images show the average crystallite size ranges of 15-21 nm for MnFe2O4 and 14-45 nm for ZnS. Investigation of the FTIR spectra reveals the incorporation of ZnS nanoparticles on the surface of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles by dint of biocompatible surfactant dextran. The nanocomposites exhibit both magnetic and photoluminescence properties. Photoluminescence analysis confirmed the redshift of the emission peaks owing to the trap states in the ZnS nanocrystals. The room temperature VSM analysis shows that the saturation magnetization and coercivity of MnFe2O4 nanoparticles initially increase then decrease with the increasing concentration of ZnS in the nanocomposite. The induction heating analysis shows that the presence of dextran enhances the self heating properties of the MnFe2O4/ZnS nanocomposites which can also be controlled by tailoring the concentration of the ZnS nanoparticles. These suggest that MnFe2O4/Dex/ZnS is a decent candidate for hyperthermia applications.

Polyethyleneimine-Coated Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles for Targeted Tumor PET/MR Imaging

A Mn₃O₄ nanoparticle (NP)-based dual-modality probe has been developed for tumor positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The dual-modality imaging probe was constructed by modifying multifunctional polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated Mn₃O₄ NPs with folic acid (FA), followed with the radiolabeling with ⁶⁴Cu. The formed imaging probe was utilized for PET/MR imaging of human cervical cancer mouse xenografts, which overexpress folate receptor (FR). The PEI-coated Mn₃O₄ NPs were synthesized using a solvothermal approach via decomposition of acetylacetone manganese. Multifunctional groups, including fluorescein isothiocyanate (FI), PEGylated FA, and NOTA chelator, were then sequentially loaded onto the surface of the amine groups of the Mn₃O₄ NPs. The remaining PEI amines were neutralized by the acetylation reaction. The resulting NOTA-FA-FI-PEG-PEI-Ac-Mn₃O₄ NPs were fully characterized and evaluated in vitro and successfully radiolabeled with ⁶⁴Cu for tumor PET/MR imaging in small animals. In vivo blocking experiments were performed to determine the FR binding specificity of NPs. PET imaging results demonstrated that ⁶⁴Cu-labeled Mn₃O₄ NPs display good tracer uptake in the FR-expressing HeLa tumors (tumor-to-muscle (T/M) ratio: 5.35 ± 0.31 at 18 h postinjection (pi)) and substantially reduced tracer uptake in the FR-blocked HeLa tumors (T/M ratio: 2.78 ± 0.68 at 18 h pi). The ex vivo data, including PET imaging and biodistribution, further confirmed the tumor binding specificity of the ⁶⁴Cu-labeled Mn₃O₄ NPs. Moreover, the FR-targeted Mn₃O₄ NPs exhibited efficient T₁-weighted MR imaging (MRI), leading to the precise tumor MRI at 18 h pi. PET/MR imaging with the ⁶⁴Cu-NOTA-FA-FI-PEG-PEI-Ac-Mn₃O₄ NPs may offer a new quantitative approach to precisely measure the FR in tumors. The strategy of incorporating PEI nanotechnology into the construction of new biomaterials may be applied for the construction of novel nanoplatforms for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Sorption of Differently Charged Gold Nanoparticles on Synthetic Pyrite

Sorption of nanoparticles on mineral surfaces has been well recognized for its environmental implication. For certain gold ore deposits, sorption of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on pyrite may constitute a critical step in the metallogenesis process, yet it has not been adequately investigated. In this work, we synthesized negatively charged, positively charged AuNPs and pyrite respectively, and experimentally studied sorption of AuNPs on pyrite in an anaerobic environment. The effects of AuNPs charge characteristics, pH, hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) concentration, and ionic strength were evaluated. For the negatively charged AuNPs, almost no sorption was observed owing to the electrostatic repulsion between the AuNPs and pyrite surface (with a measured isoelectric point of 2.0). In contrast, positively charged AuNPs could be significantly adsorbed on pyrite through electrostatic attraction, with the sorption extent decreasing with the increase of pH (2.2–9.1). However, the adsorption of CTAB from the solution was found to increase with the increase of pH. Furthermore, deliberately added CTAB seemed to inhibit the sorption of AuNPs. Our study not only demonstrates that the electrostatic interaction is the dominant mechanism in the sorption of AuNPs on pristine pyrite, but also reveals the important competitive relation between AuNPs and CTAB in the sorption process.

Quantitative Measurement of Ligand Exchange with Small-Molecule Ligands on Iron Oxide Nanoparticles via Radioanalytical Techniques

Ligand exchange on the surface of hydrophobic iron oxide nanoparticles is a common method for controlling surface chemistry for a desired application. Furthermore, ligand exchange with small-molecule ligands may be necessary to obtain particles with a specific size or functionality. Understanding to what extent ligand exchange occurs and what factors affect it is important for the optimization of this critical procedure. However, quantifying the amount of exchange may be difficult because of the limitations of commonly used characterization techniques. Therefore, we utilized a radiotracer technique to track the exchange of a radiolabeled ¹⁴C-oleic acid ligand with hydrophilic small-molecule ligands on the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles functionalized with ¹⁴C-oleic acid were modified with small-molecule ligands with terminal functional groups including catechols, phosphonates, sulfonates, thiols, carboxylic acids, and silanes. These moieties were selected because they represent the most commonly used ligands for this procedure. The effectiveness of these molecules was compared using both procedures widely found in the literature and using a standardized procedure. After ligand exchange, the nanoparticles were analyzed using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The labeled and unlabeled particles were further characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) to determine the particle size, hydrodynamic diameter, and zeta potential. The unlabeled particles were characterized via attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) to confirm the presence of the small molecules on the particles and verify the magnetic properties, respectively. Radioanalytical determination of ¹⁴C-oleic acid was used to calculate the total amount of oleic acid remaining on the surface of the particles after ligand exchange. The results revealed that the ligand-exchange reactions performed using widely cited procedures did not go to completion. Residual oleic acid remained on the particles after these reactions and the reactions using a standardized protocol. A comparison of the ligand-exchange procedures indicated that the binding moiety, multidenticity, reaction time, temperature, and presence of a catalyst impacted the extent of exchange. Quantification of the oleic acid remaining after ligand exchange revealed a binding hierarchy in which catechol-derived anchor groups displace the most oleic acid on the surface of the nanoparticles and the thiol group displaces the least amount of oleic acid. Thorough characterization of ligand exchange is required to develop nanoparticles suitable for their intended application.

Steric stabilization of nanoparticles with grafted low molecular weight ligands in highly concentrated brines including divalent ions

Whereas numerous studies of stabilization of nanoparticles (NPs) in electrolytes have examined biological fluids, the interest has grown recently in media with much higher ionic strengths including seawater and brines relevant to environmental science and subsurface oil and gas reservoirs. Given that electrostatic repulsion is limited at extremely high ionic strengths due to charge screening, we have identified ligands that are well solvated in concentrated brine containing divalent cations and thus provide steric stabilization of silica nanoparticles. Specifically, the hydrodynamic diameter of silica nanoparticles with grafted low molecular weight ligands, a diol ether, [3-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy)propyl]-trimethoxysilane, and a zwitterionic sulfobetaine, 3-([dimethyl(3-trimethoxysilyl)propyl]ammonio)propane-1-sulfonate, is shown with dynamic light scattering to remain essentially constant, indicating lack of aggregation, at room temperature and up to 80 °C for over 30 days. An extended DLVO model signifies that steric stabilization is strongly dominant against van der Waals attraction for ∼10 nm particles given that these ligands are well solvated even in highly concentrated brine. In contrast, polyethylene glycol oligomers do not provide steric stabilization at elevated temperatures, even at conditions where the ligands are soluble, indicating complicating factors including bridging of the ether oxygens by divalent cations.

In situ measurement and simulation of nano-magnetite mobility in porous media subject to transient salinity

Nanotechnologies have been proposed for a variety of environmental applications, including subsurface characterization, enhanced oil recovery, and in situ contaminant remediation. For such applications, quantitative predictive models will be of great utility for system design and implementation. Electrolyte chemistry, which can vary substantially within subsurface pore waters, has been shown to strongly influence nanoparticle aggregation and deposition in porous media. Thus, it is essential that mathematical models be capable of tracking changes in electrolyte chemistry and predicting its influence on nanoparticle mobility. In this work, a modified version of a multi-dimensional multispecies transport simulator (SEAWAT) was employed to model nanoparticle transport under transient electrolyte conditions. The modeling effort was supported by experimental measurements of paramagnetic magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticle, coated with polyacrylamide-methylpropane sulfonic acid - lauryl acrylate (nMag-PAMPS), mobility in columns packed with 40-50 mesh Ottawa sand. Column effluent analyses and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were used to quantify nanoparticle breakthrough and in situ aqueous phase concentrations, respectively. Experimental observations revealed that introduction of de-ionized water into the brine saturated column (80 g L(-1) NaCl + 20 g L(-1) CaCl2) promoted release and remobilization of deposited nanoparticles along a diagonal front, coincident with the variable density flow field. This behavior was accurately captured by the simulation results, which indicated that a two-site deposition-release model provided the best fit to experimental observations, suggesting that heterogeneous nanoparticle-surface interactions governed nanoparticle attachment. These findings illustrate the importance of accounting for both physical and chemical processes associated with changes in electrolyte chemistry when predicting nanoparticle transport behavior in subsurface formations.

Aqueous aggregation and surface deposition processes of engineered superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for environmental applications

Engineered, superparamagnetic, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have significant potential as platform materials for environmental sensing, imaging and remediation due to their unique size, physicochemical and magnetic properties. To this end, controlling the size and surface chemistry of the materials is crucial for such applications in the aqueous phase, and in particular, for porous matrixes with particle-surface interaction considerations. In this study, superparamagnetic, highly monodispersed 8 nm IONPs were synthesized and transferred into water as stable suspensions (remaining monodispersed) by way of an interfacial oleic acid bilayer surface. Once stabilized and characterized, particle-particle and model surface interactions (deposition and release) were quantitatively investigated and described systematically as a function of ionic strength (IS) and type with time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, and real-time quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) measurements. The critical coagulation concentration (CCC) for oleic acid bilayer coated iron oxide nanoparticles (OA-IONPs) were determined to be 710 mM for NaCl (matching DLVO predictions) and 10.6 mM for CaCl2, respectively. For all conditions tested, surface deposition kinetics showed stronger, more favorable interactions between OA-IONPs and polystyrene surfaces compared to silica, which is hypothesized to be due to increased particle-surface hydrophobic interactions (when compared to silica surfaces).

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Grafted with Sulfonated and Zwitterionic Polymers: High Stability and Low Adsorption in Extreme Aqueous Environments

A facile "grafting through" approach was developed to tether tunable quantities of poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) as well as zwitterionic poly([3-(methacryloylamino)propyl]dimethyl(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide) (PMPDSA) homopolymer onto iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles (NPs). In this case, homopolymers may be grafted, unlike "grafting to" approaches that often require copolymers containing anchor groups. The polymer coating provided steric stabilization of the NP dispersions at high salinities and elevated temperature (90 °C) and almost completely prevented adsorption of the NPs on silica microparticles and crushed Berea sandstone. The adsorption of PAMPS IO NPs decreased with the polymer loading, whereby the magnitude of the particle-surface electrosteric repulsion increased. The zwitterionic PMPDSA IO NPs displayed 1 order of magnitude less adsorption onto crushed Berea sandstone relative to the anionic PAMPS IO NPs. The ability to design homopolymer coatings on nanoparticle surfaces by the "grafting through" technique is of broad interest for designing stable dispersions and modulating the interactions between nanoparticles and solid surfaces.

Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles for Atherosclerosis Imaging

The production of magnetic nanoparticles of utmost quality for biomedical imaging requires several steps, from the synthesis of highly crystalline magnetic cores to the attachment of the different molecules on the surface. This last step probably plays the key role in the production of clinically useful nanomaterials. The attachment of the different biomolecules should be performed in a defined and controlled fashion, avoiding the random adsorption of the components that could lead to undesirable byproducts and ill-characterized surface composition. In this work, we review the process of creating new magnetic nanomaterials for imaging, particularly for the detection of atherosclerotic plaque, in vivo. Our focus will be in the different biofunctionalization techniques that we and several other groups have recently developed. Magnetic nanomaterial functionalization should be performed by chemoselective techniques. This approach will facilitate the application of these nanomaterials in the clinic, not as an exception, but as any other pharmacological compound.