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Huang T, Huang S, Liu D, Zhu W, Wu Q, Chen L, Zhang X, Liu M, Wei Y. Recent advances and progress on the design, fabrication and biomedical applications of Gallium liquid metals-based functional materials. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2024; 238:113888. [PMID: 38599077 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.113888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Gallium (Ga) is a well-known liquid metals (LMs) that possesses the features, such as fluidity, low viscosity, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and relative low toxicity. Owing to the weak interactions between Ga atoms, Ga LMs can be adopted for fabrication of various Ga LMs-based functional materials via ultrasonic treatment and mechanical grinding. Moreover, many organic compounds/polymers can be coated on the surface of LMs-based materials through coordination between oxidized outlayers of Ga LMs and functional groups of organic components. Over the past decades, different strategies have been reported for synthesizing Ga LMs-based functional materials and their biomedical applications have been intensively investigated. Although some review articles have published over the past few years, a concise review is still needed to advance the latest developments in biomedical fields. The main context can be majorly divided into two parts. In the first section, various strategies for fabrication of Ga LMs-based functional materials via top-down strategies were introduced and discussed. Following that, biomedical applications of Ga LMs-based functional materials were summarized and design Ga LMs-based functional materials with enhanced performance for cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) and PTT combined therapy were highlighted. We trust this review article will be beneficial for scientists to comprehend this promising field and greatly advance future development for fabrication of other Ga LMs-based functional materials with better performance for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tongsheng Huang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Shiyu Huang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Dong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Weifeng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Qinghua Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Lihua Chen
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.
| | - Xiaoyong Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Nanchang University, 999 Xuefu Avenue, Nanchang 330031, China.
| | - Meiying Liu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China.
| | - Yen Wei
- Department of Chemistry and the Tsinghua Center for Frontier Polymer Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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Huang Z, Guan M, Bao Z, Dong F, Cui X, Liu G. Ligand Mediation for Tunable and Oxide Suppressed Surface Gold-Decorated Liquid Metal Nanoparticles. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2306652. [PMID: 37806762 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202306652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2003] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Gallium-based liquid metal systems hold vast potential in materials science. However, maximizing their possibilities is hindered by gallium's native oxide and interfacial functionalization. In this study, small-molecule ligands are adopted as surfactants to modify the surface of eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) nanoparticles and suppress oxidation. Different p-aniline derivatives are explored. Next, the reduction of chloroanric acid (HAuCl4 ) onto these p-aniline ligand modified EGaIn nanoparticles is investigated to produce gold-decorated EGaIn nanosystems. It is found that by altering the concentrations of HAuCl4 or the p-aniline ligand, the formation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on EGaIn can be manipulated. The reduction of interfacial oxidation and presence of AuNPs enhances electrical conductivity, plasmonic performance, wettability, stability, and photothermal performance of all the p-aniline derivative modified EGaIn. Of these, EGaIn nanoparticles covered with the ligand of p-aminobenzoic acid offer the most evenly distributed AuNPs decoration and perfect elimination of gallium oxides, resulting in the augmented electrical conductivity, and highest wettability suitable for patterning, enhanced aqueous stability, and favorable photothermal properties. The proof-of-concept application in photothermal therapy of cancer cells demonstrates significantly enhanced photothermal conversion performance along with good biocompatibility. Due to such unique characteristics, the developed gold-decorated EGaIn nanodroplets are expected to offer significant potential in precise medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Huang
- CUHK(SZ)-Boyalife Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mingyang Guan
- CUHK(SZ)-Boyalife Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ziting Bao
- CUHK(SZ)-Boyalife Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fengyi Dong
- CUHK(SZ)-Boyalife Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaolin Cui
- CUHK(SZ)-Boyalife Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guozhen Liu
- CUHK(SZ)-Boyalife Joint Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Programme, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 518172, Shenzhen, China
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Qiao X, Zhang Y, Wang L, Zhou S, Pang X. Simple preparation of lignosulfonate stabilized eutectic gallium/indium liquid metal nanodroplets through ball milling process. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127809. [PMID: 37926321 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The combination of biomass and liquid metal (LM) makes the preparation process "greener" and application of LM composite materials more sustainable. Here we reported the solvent free preparation of lignosulfonate (LS) stabilized eutectic gallium/indium (EGaIn) LM nanodroplets through ball milling (BM), which was recognized to be efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to solution-based methods. By regulating the BM frequency and milling time, uniform LM nanodroplets with a size <200 nm can be achieved. Moreover, the surface of the EGaIn nanodroplets was covered by LS molecules, owing to the hydrogen bond formed between Ga2O3 and LS. Hydrophilic LS shell endowed the LS@EGaIn nanodroplets excellent colloidal stability in the aqueous media. The elongation at break and fracture strength of hydrogel with the addition of LS@EGaIn significantly improved with the addition of LS@EGaIn. Besides, the conductivity and excellent stress responsibility of the LS@EGaIn composite hydrogel illustrated its potential application as s a stress sensor, flexible wearable devices and other related applications. Moreover, it was predicted that LS can be replaced by other synthesized or biological macromolecules, and induced the formation of types of LM based composite materials through such a simple method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Qiao
- College of Materials Engineering, Henan International Joint Laboratory of Rare Earth Composite Materials, Henan Engineering Technology Research Center for Fiber Preparation and Modification, Henan University of Engineering, Zhengzhou 451191, China; Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Yuhan Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Linan Wang
- Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Shuzhen Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
| | - Xinchang Pang
- Henan Joint International Research Laboratory of Living Polymerizations and Functional Nanomaterials, Henan Key Laboratory of Advanced Nylon Materials and Application, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China.
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Zadehnazari A. Metal oxide/polymer nanocomposites: A review on recent advances in fabrication and applications. POLYM-PLAST TECH MAT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/25740881.2022.2129387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Amin Zadehnazari
- Department of Science, Petroleum University of Technology, Ahwaz, Iran
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5
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Corrigan N, Shi X, Boyer C. Diblock Copolymer Stabilized Liquid Metal Nanoparticles: Particle Settling Behavior and Application to 3D Printing. ACS Macro Lett 2023; 12:241-247. [PMID: 36715433 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.2c00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) is a liquid metal with promising applications due to its favorable thermal and electrical conductivity, low viscosity, and metallic nature. For applications, including imaging, catalysis, and nanomedicine, stable EGaIn particles with submicron diameters are required. However, the low viscosity and high density of EGaIn have typically precluded the formation of stable submicron particles due to rapid EGaIn droplet coalescence. In this work, we show that poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(N,N'-dimethylacrylamide) copolymers are able to effectively stabilize EGaIn nanodroplets formed upon ultrasonication, where the poly(acrylic acid) block anchors the polymer to the EGaIn surface and the poly(N,N'-dimethylacrylamide) block provides colloidal stability to the particles in solution. Although the high density of EGaIn causes rapid particle settling, the behavior is predictable, which allows the average particle size to be controlled through centrifugation. We demonstrate that stable EGaIn particles with sizes on the order of 50-100 nm and narrow particle size distributions can be easily obtained using this method and further used in photopolymer resins to prepare 3D printed EGaIn-polymer hybrid materials. The predictable sizes and high stability of these EGaIn nanoparticles should allow further applications in soft-electronics, nanomedicine, catalysis, and other nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Corrigan
- Cluster for Advanced Macromolecular Design and School of Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW2052, Australia.,Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW2052, Australia
| | - Xiaobing Shi
- Cluster for Advanced Macromolecular Design and School of Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW2052, Australia
| | - Cyrille Boyer
- Cluster for Advanced Macromolecular Design and School of Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW2052, Australia.,Australian Centre for Nanomedicine, UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW2052, Australia
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Huang Z, Zou S, Liu G. Surface Modification of Liquid Metal with p-Aniline Derivatives toward Bioapplications: Biosensing as an Example. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:56429-56439. [PMID: 36520994 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c10139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
It is a long-lasting research topic to avoid the formation of oxidation layers on gallium-based liquid metals. This study has developed a simple general method for modification of the eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) surface with p-aniline derivatives to introduce a monolayer of organic molecules with versatile functional groups. The binding affinity of carboxylic acid groups, amine groups, or thiol groups with EGaIn is in the order SH > NH2 > COOH. For the first time, it is evidenced that both NH2 and SH groups can coexist on the EGaIn nanoparticle surface with the binding affinities of 30 and 70%, respectively. The formation of these organic molecules on the EGaIn surface antioxidizes and thus stabilizes the EGaIn nanoparticles, while increasing the conductivity of EGaIn significantly. The resulting EGaIn nanoparticles have very good distribution in both ethanol and aqueous solutions and rich surface chemistry, making them suitable for the following attachment of biomolecules such as aptamers, antibodies, or enzymes for biomedical applications. As an example, the EGaIn surface is successfully modified with p-aminobenzoic acid followed by the attachment of an insulin aptamer, which can be used for the electrochemical detection of insulin with the lowest detectable concentration limit of 1 pM. This study reveals the modification of EGaIn nanoparticles with p-aniline derivatives with versatile functional groups to antioxidize EGaIn in a biological environment, opening a door for gallium-based liquid metals toward biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyang Huang
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Siyi Zou
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Guozhen Liu
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
- Ciechanover Institute of Precision and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
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7
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Xu K, Fan B, Putera K, Wawryk M, Wan J, Peng B, Banaszak Holl MM, Patti AF, Thang SH. Nanoparticle Surface Cross-Linking: A Universal Strategy to Enhance the Mechanical Properties of Latex Films. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ke Xu
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Bo Fan
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals, Monash Node, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Kevin Putera
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Michaela Wawryk
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Jing Wan
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Bo Peng
- BASF Advanced Chemicals Co., Ltd., R&D I, No. 300, Jiangxinsha Road, 200137 Shanghai, China
| | - Mark M. Banaszak Holl
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Antonio F. Patti
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- ARC-Industrial Transformation Training Centre - Green Chemistry in Manufacturing, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - San H. Thang
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals, Monash Node, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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8
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Huang X, Xu T, Shen A, Davis TP, Qiao R, Tang SY. Engineering Polymers via Understanding the Effect of Anchoring Groups for Highly Stable Liquid Metal Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS 2022; 5:5959-5971. [PMID: 35655929 PMCID: PMC9150068 DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.1c04138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Liquid metal nanoparticles (LMNPs) have recently attracted much attention as soft functional materials for various biorelated applications. Despite the fact that several reports demonstrate highly stable LMNPs in aqueous solutions or organic solvents, it is still challenging to stabilize LMNPs in biological media with complex ionic environments. LMNPs grafted with functional polymers (polymers/LMNPs) have been fabricated for maintaining their colloidal and chemical stability; however, to the best of our knowledge, no related work has been conducted to systematically investigate the effect of anchoring groups on the stability of LMNPs. Herein, various anchoring groups, including phosphonic acids, trithiolcarbonates, thiols, and carboxylic acids, are incorporated into brush polymers via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to graft LMNPs. Both the colloidal and chemical stability of such polymer/LMNP systems are then investigated in various biological media. Moreover, the influence of multidentate ligands is also investigated by incorporating different numbers of carboxylic or phosphonic acid into the brush polymers. We discover that increasing the number of anchoring groups enhances the colloidal stability of LMNPs, while polymers bearing phosphonic acids provide the optimum chemical stability for LMNPs due to surface passivation. Thus, polymers bearing multidentate phosphonic acids are desirable to decorate LMNPs to meet complex environments for biological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xumin Huang
- Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Tianhong Xu
- Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ao Shen
- Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Thomas P. Davis
- Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ruirui Qiao
- Australian
Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Shi-Yang Tang
- Department
of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, U.K.
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Hsia T, Wan J, Fan B, Thang SH. Bifunctional RAFT Agent Directed Preparation of Polymer/Graphene Oxide Composites. Macromol Rapid Commun 2021; 42:e2100460. [PMID: 34505728 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Polymer/graphene oxide (GO) composites, which combine the physical properties of GO and the processability of polymers, are of increasing interest in a variety of applications ranging from conductive foams, sensors, to bioelectronics. However, the preparation of these composites through physical blending demands the polymers with functional groups that interact strongly with the GO. Here the design and synthesis of a new bifunctional reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent are demonstrated, which allows the synthesis of polymers with predetermined molecular weights and low dispersibilities (Ð), while having functionalities at both polymer termini that allow strong binding to GO. To access polymers with diverse thermal and mechanical properties, acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA) copolymers with different types of acrylates, both short and long side chains, are synthesized under the control of the bifunctional RAFT agent. Furthermore, the strong binding between GO and the synthesized polymers is verified and explored to prepare polymer/GO composites with diverse tensile strengths and conductivity in the range of semiconductors. Overall, this novel RAFT agent is expected to expand the utility of polymer/GO composites by providing well-defined polymers with tunable properties and strong binding with GO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Hsia
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Jing Wan
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Bo Fan
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - San H Thang
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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10
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Wan J, Fan B, Putera K, Kim J, Banaszak Holl MM, Thang SH. Polymerization-Induced Hierarchical Self-Assembly: From Monomer to Complex Colloidal Molecules and Beyond. ACS NANO 2021; 15:13721-13731. [PMID: 34375086 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c05089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The nanoscale hierarchical design that draws inspiration from nature's biomaterials allows the enhancement of material performance and enables multifarious applications. Self-assembly of block copolymers represents one of these artificial techniques that provide an elegant bottom-up strategy for the synthesis of soft colloidal hierarchies. Fast-growing polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) renders a one-step process for the polymer synthesis and in situ self-assembly at high concentrations. Nevertheless, it is exceedingly challenging for the fabrication of hierarchical colloids via aqueous PISA, simply because most monomers produce kinetically trapped spheres except for a few PISA-suitable monomers. We demonstrate here a sequential one-pot synthesis of hierarchically self-assembled polymer colloids with diverse morphologies via aqueous PISA that overcomes the limitation. Complex formation of water-immiscible monomers with cyclodextrin via "host-guest" inclusion, followed by sequential aqueous polymerization, provides a linear triblock terpolymer that can in situ self-assemble into hierarchical nanostructures. To access polymer colloids with different morphologies, three types of linear triblock terpolymers were synthesized through this methodology, which allows the preparation of AXn-type colloidal molecules (CMs), core-shell-corona micelles, and raspberry-like nanoparticles. Furthermore, the phase separations between polymer blocks in nanostructures were revealed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy-infrared spectroscopy. The proposed mechanism explained how the interfacial tensions and glass transition temperatures of the core-forming blocks affect the morphologies. Overall, this study provides a scalable method of the production of CMs and other hierarchical structures. It can be applied to different block copolymer formulations to enrich the complexity of morphology and enable diverse functions of nano-objects.
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Zhai J, Fan B, Thang SH, Drummond CJ. Novel Amphiphilic Block Copolymers for the Formation of Stimuli-Responsive Non-Lamellar Lipid Nanoparticles. Molecules 2021; 26:3648. [PMID: 34203820 PMCID: PMC8232580 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26123648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-lamellar lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) lipid nanoparticles contain internal multidimensional nanostructures such as the inverse bicontinuous cubic and the inverse hexagonal mesophases, which can respond to external stimuli and have the potential of controlling drug release. To date, the internal LLC mesophase responsiveness of these lipid nanoparticles is largely achieved by adding ionizable small molecules to the parent lipid such as monoolein (MO), the mixture of which is then dispersed into nanoparticle suspensions by commercially available poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide) block copolymers. In this study, the Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) technique was used to synthesize a series of novel amphiphilic block copolymers (ABCs) containing a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block, a hydrophobic block and one or two responsive blocks, i.e., poly(4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaborolan-2-yl)benzyl acrylate) (PTBA) and/or poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA). High throughput small angle X-ray scattering studies demonstrated that the synthesized ABCs could simultaneously stabilize a range of LLC MO nanoparticles (vesicles, cubosomes, hexosomes, inverse micelles) and provide internal particle nanostructure responsiveness to changes of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations, pH and temperature. It was found that the novel functional ABCs can substitute for the commercial polymer stabilizer and the ionizable additive in the formation of next generation non-lamellar lipid nanoparticles. These novel formulations have the potential to control drug release in the tumor microenvironment with endogenous H2O2 and acidic pH conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Zhai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Bo Fan
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (B.F.); (S.H.T.)
| | - San H. Thang
- School of Chemistry, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (B.F.); (S.H.T.)
| | - Calum J. Drummond
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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12
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Peng W, Cai Y, Fanslau L, Vana P. Nanoengineering with RAFT polymers: from nanocomposite design to applications. Polym Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1039/d1py01172c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization is a powerful tool for the precise formation of macromolecular building blocks that can be used for the construction of well-defined nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wentao Peng
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yingying Cai
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Luise Fanslau
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Vana
- Institut für Physikalische Chemie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Tammannstrasse 6, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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