Dynamics of molecular diffusion of rhodamine 6G in silica nanochannels

Ultrabright fluorescent particles via physical encapsulation of fluorescent dyes in mesoporous silica: a mini-review

Harnessing the power of mesoporous silica to encapsulate organic fluorescent dyes has led to the creation of an extraordinary class of nanocomposite photonic materials. These materials stand out for their ability to produce the brightest fluorescent particles known today, surpassing even the luminosity of quantum dots of similar spectrum and size. The synthesis of these materials offers precise control over the shape and size of the particles, ranging from the nano to the multi-micron scale. Just physical encapsulation of the dyes opens new possibilities for mixing different dyes within individual particles, paving the way for nearly limitless multiplexing capabilities. Moreover, this approach lays the groundwork for the development of highly sensitive sensors capable of detecting subtle changes in temperature and acidity at the nanoscale, among other parameters. This mini-review highlights the mechanism of synthesis, explains the nature of ultrabrightness, and describes the recent advancements and future prospects in the field of ultrabright fluorescent mesoporous silica particles, showcasing their potential for various applications.

Translational Diffusion of a Fluorescent Tracer Molecule in Nanoconfined Water

Diffusion of tracer dye molecules in water confined to the nanoscale is an important subject with a direct bearing on many technological applications. It is not yet clear, however, if the dynamics of water in hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic nanochannels remains bulk-like. Here, we present diffusion measurement of a fluorescent dye molecule in water confined to the nanoscale between two hydrophilic surfaces whose separation can be controlled with a precision of less than a nm. We observe that the fluorescence intensities correlate over fast (∼30 μs) and slow (∼1000 μs) time components. The slow time scale is due to adsorption of fluorophores to the confining walls, and it disappears in the presence of 1 M salt. The fast component is attributed to diffusion of dye molecules in the gap. It is found to be bulk-like for sub-10 nm separations and indicates that the viscosity of water under confinement remains unaltered up to a confinement gap as small as ∼5 nm. Our findings contradict some of the recent measurements of diffusion under nanoconfinement; however, they are consistent with many estimates of self-diffusion using molecular dynamics simulations and measurements using neutron scattering experiments.

Three-Dimensional Single Particle Tracking and Its Applications in Confined Environments

Single particle tracking (SPT) has proven to be a powerful technique in studying molecular dynamics in complicated systems. We review its recent development, including three-dimensional (3D) SPT and its applications in probing nanostructures and molecule-surface interactions that are important to analytical chemical processes. Several frequently used 3D SPT techniques are introduced. Especially of interest are those based on point spread function engineering, which are simple in instrumentation and can be easily adapted and used in analytical labs. Corresponding data analysis methods are briefly discussed. We present several important case studies, with a focus on probing mass transport and molecule-surface interactions in confined environments. The presented studies demonstrate the great potential of 3D SPT for understanding fundamental phenomena in confined space, which will enable us to predict basic principles involved in chemical recognition, separation, and analysis, and to optimize mass transport and responses by structural design and optimization.

Liquid dispensing in the adhesive hairy pads of dock beetles

Many insects can climb on smooth inverted substrates using adhesive hairy pads on their legs. The hair-surface contact is often mediated by minute volumes of liquid, which form capillary bridges in the contact zones and aid in adhesion. The liquid transport to the contact zones is poorly understood. We investigated the dynamics of liquid secretion in the dock beetle Gastrophysa viridula by quantifying the volume of the deposited liquid footprints during simulated walking experiments. The footprint volume increased with pad-surface contact time and was independent of the non-contact time. Furthermore, the footprint volume decreased to zero after reaching a threshold cumulative volume (approx. 30 fl) in successive steps. This suggests a limited reservoir with low liquid influx. We modelled our results as a fluidic resistive system and estimated the hydraulic resistance of a single attachment hair of the order of MPa · s/fl. The liquid secretion in beetle hairy pads is dominated by passive suction of the liquid during the contact phase. The high calculated resistance of the secretion pathway may originate from the nanosized channels in the hair cuticle. Such nanochannels presumably mediate the transport of cuticular lipids, which are chemically similar to the adhesive liquid.

Control and formation mechanism of extended nanochannel geometry in colloidal mesoporous silica particles

A large class of colloidal multi-micron mesoporous silica particles have well-defined cylindrical nanopores, nanochannels which self-assembled in the templated sol-gel process. These particles are of broad interest in photonics, for timed drug release, enzyme stabilization, separation and filtration technologies, catalysis, etc. Although the pore geometry and mechanism of pore formation of such particles has been widely investigated at the nanoscale, their pore geometry and its formation mechanism at a larger (extended) scale is still under debate. The extended geometry of nanochannels is paramount for all aforementioned applications because it defines accessibility of nanochannels, and subsequently, kinetics of interaction of the nanochannel content with the particle surrounding. Here we present both experimental and theoretical investigation of the extended geometry and its formation mechanism in colloidal multi-micron mesoporous silica particles. We demonstrate that disordered (and consequently, well accessible) nanochannels in the initially formed colloidal particles gradually align and form extended self-sealed channels. This knowledge allows to control the percentage of disordered versus self-sealed nanochannels, which defines accessibility of nanochannels in such particles. We further show that the observed aligning the channels is in agreement with theory; it is thermodynamically favored as it decreases the Gibbs free energy of the particles. Besides the practical use of the obtained results, developing a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of morphogenesis of complex geometry of nanopores will open doors to efficient and controllable synthesis that will, in turn, further fuel the practical utilization of these particles.

How gold nanoparticles can be used to probe the structural changes of a pH-responsive hydrogel

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have UV-visible absorption spectra that are highly sensitive to their local environment due to their surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Furthermore, GNPs are able to quench the fluorescence of suitable dyes depending on the GNP-dye separation. Both of these features have led to the use of GNPs as spectroscopic rulers. In this study we sought to use GNPs as spectroscopic probes to investigate the local structural changes associated with the macroscopic pH-triggered swelling/de-swelling transitions of a pH-responsive hydrogel. The hydrogel used in this study comprised covalently inter-linked pH-responsive poly(ethylacrylate-co-methacrylic acid-co-divinyl benzene) microgel particles (MGs). MGs are crosslinked polymer colloids that swell when the pH approaches the pK_a of the constituent polymer. The interlinked MG hydrogels are termed doubly crosslinked microgels (DX MGs) and are a new family of hydrogels. They had polymer volume fractions (ϕ_p) that strongly decreased as the pH increased. UV-visible spectra showed that the wavelength of the SPR absorption (λ_max) for the DX MG/GNP gels was pH-responsive. A linear relationship was found between λ_max and ϕ_p for ϕ_p values up to ∼0.80. The inclusion of Rhodamine 6G within the DX MG/GNP hydrogels resulted in metal-induced fluorescence quenching which was studied using photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The extent of quenching was pH-dependent and was also proportional to ϕ_p. The results of the study showed that the pH-triggered changes of the nanoscale and macroscopic swelling for the DX MGs were similar and imply that affine swelling occurred, which is a new observation. The data suggest that UV-visible or PL spectroscopy could be used to study the swelling of pH-responsive hydrogels containing GNPs remotely.

Self-assembly of multi-hierarchically structured spongy mesoporous silica particles and mechanism of their formation

Here we report on self-assembly of novel multi-hierarchically structured meso(nano)porous colloidal silica particles which have cylindrical pores of 4-6nm, overall size of ∼10μm and "cracks" of 50-200nm. These cracks make particles look like micro-sponges. The particles were prepared through a modified templated sol-gel self-assembly process. The mechanism of assembly of these particles is investigated. Using encapsulated fluorescent dye, we demonstrate that the spongy particles are advantageous to facilitate dye diffusion out of particles. This multi-hierarchically geometry of particles can be used to improve the particle design for multiple applications to control drug release, rate of catalysis, filtration, utilization of particles as hosts for functional molecules (e.g., enzymes), etc.

Mixed titanium, silicon, and aluminum oxide nanostructures as novel adsorbent for removal of rhodamine 6G and methylene blue as cationic dyes from aqueous solution

Mixed oxide nanoparticles containing Ti, Si, and Al of 8-15 nm size range were synthesized using a combined sol-gel - hydrothermal method. Effects of composition on the structure, morphology, and optical properties of the nanoparticles were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), microRaman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). Dye removal abilities of the nanoparticles from aqueous solutions were tested for different cationic dyes. While all the mixed oxide nanoparticles revealed high and fast adsorption of cationic dyes, the particles containing Ti and Si turned out to be the best. The adsorption kinetics and equilibrium adsorption behavior of the adsorbate - adsorbent systems could be well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm model, respectively. Estimated thermodynamic parameters revealed the adsorption process is spontaneous, driven mainly by the electrostatic force between the cationic dye molecules and negative charge at nanoparticle surface. Highest dye adsorption capacity (162.96 mg MB/g) of the mixed oxide nanostructures containing Ti and Si is associated to their high specific surface area, and the presence of surface Si-O(δ-) groups, in addition to the hydroxyl groups of amorphous titania. Mixed oxide nanoparticles containing 75% Ti and 25% Si seen to be the most efficient adsorbents for removing cationic dye molecules from wastewater.

Investigating axial diffusion in cylindrical pores using confocal single-particle fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

We explored the feasibility of using confocal fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to study small nanoparticle diffusion in hundred-nanometer-sized cylindrical pores. By modeling single particle diffusion in tube-like confined three-dimensional space aligned parallel to the confocal optical axis, we showed that two diffusion dynamics can be observed in both original intensity traces and the autocorrelation functions (ACFs): the confined two-dimensional lateral diffusion and the unconfined one-dimensional (1D) axial diffusion. The separation of the axial and confined lateral diffusion dynamics provides an opportunity to study diffusions in different dimensions separately. We further experimentally studied 45 nm carboxylated polystyrene particles diffusing in 300 nm alumina pores. The experimental data showed consistency with the simulation. To extract the accurate axial diffusion coefficient, we found that a 1D diffusion model with a Lorentzian axial collection profile needs to be used to analyze the experimental ACFs. The diffusion of the 45 nm nanoparticles in polyethyleneglycol-passivated 300 nm pores slowed down by a factor of ∼2, which can be satisfactorily explained by hydrodynamic frictions.

Tunable reverse electrodialysis microplatform with geometrically controlled self-assembled nanoparticle network

Clean and sustainable energy generation from ambient environments is important not only for large scale systems, but also for tiny electrical devices, because of the limitations of batteries or external power sources. Chemical concentration gradients are promising energy resources to power micro/nanodevices sustainably without discharging any pollutants. In this paper, an efficient microplatform based on reverse electrodialysis, which enables high ionic flux through three dimensional nanochannel networks for high power energy generation, is demonstrated. Highly effective cation-selective nanochannel networks are realized between two microfluidic channels with geometrically controlled in situ self-assembled nanoparticles in a cost-effective and simple way. The nano-interstices between the assembled nanoparticles have a role as collective three-dimensional nanochannel networks and they allow higher ionic flux under concentration gradients without decreasing diffusion potential, compared to standard one-dimensional nanochannels. An in-depth experimental study with theoretical analysis shows that the electrical power of the presented system can be flexibly tuned or further optimized by changing the size, material, and shape of the assembled nanoparticles or by the geometric control of the microchannel. This microfluidic power generation system can be readily integrated with existing lab on a chip systems in the near future and can also be utilized to investigate nanoscale electrokinetics.

Tuning the aspect ratio of arrays of silica nanochannels

Arrays of silica nanochannels (ASNCs) with various nanochannel lengths and particle aspect ratios are reported.

Percolation Diffusion into Self-Assembled Mesoporous Silica Microfibres

Percolation diffusion into long (11.5 cm) self-assembled, ordered mesoporous microfibres is studied using optical transmission and laser ablation inductive coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Optical transmission based diffusion studies reveal rapid penetration (<5 s, D > 80 μm²∙s^-¹) of Rhodamine B with very little percolation of larger molecules such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP) observed under similar loading conditions. The failure of ZnTPP to enter the microfibre was confirmed, in higher resolution, using LA-ICP-MS. In the latter case, LA-ICP-MS was used to determine the diffusion of zinc acetate dihydrate, D~3 × 10^-4 nm²∙s^-1. The large differences between the molecules are accounted for by proposing ordered solvent and structure assisted accelerated diffusion of the Rhodamine B based on its hydrophilicity relative to the zinc compounds. The broader implications and applications for filtration, molecular sieves and a range of devices and uses are described.

Engineering multi-stage nanovectors for controlled degradation and tunable release kinetics

Nanovectors hold substantial promise in abating the off-target effects of therapeutics by providing a means to selectively accumulate payloads at the target lesion, resulting in an increase in the therapeutic index. A sophisticated understanding of the factors that govern the degradation and release dynamics of these nanovectors is imperative to achieve these ambitious goals. In this work, we elucidate the relationship that exists between variations in pore size and the impact on the degradation, loading, and release of multistage nanovectors. Larger pored vectors displayed faster degradation and higher loading of nanoparticles, while exhibiting the slowest release rate. The degradation of these particles was characterized to occur in a multi-step progression where they initially decreased in size leaving the porous core isolated, while the pores gradually increased in size. Empirical loading and release studies of nanoparticles along with diffusion modeling revealed that this prolonged release was modulated by the penetration within the porous core of the vectors regulated by their pore size.

Mass transfer of water-insoluble organic compound from octadecylsilyl-silica gel into water in the presence of a nonionic surfactant

The release of perylene from octadecylsilyl (ODS)-silica gel into water using a nonionic surfactant was kinetically studied by single microparticle injection and absorption microspectroscopy techniques. The release of perylene from the porous microparticles significantly depended on the surfactant concentration. The release rate constant was inversely proportional to the microparticle radius; the rate-determining step was the process at the spherical microparticle surface. The mechanism is discussed in terms of the solubilization of perylene at the microparticle surface by the micelle.

Synthesis of subphthalocyanines as probes for the accessibility of silica nanochannels

The synthesis of a new subphthalocyanine is reported. Its structural and photophysical properties are ideal for probing the accessibility of arrays of silica nanochannels.

Analysis of single quantum-dot mobility inside 1D nanochannel devices

We visualized individual quantum dots using a combination of a confining nanochannel and an ultra-sensitive microscope system, equipped with a high numerical aperture lens and a highly sensitive camera. The diffusion coefficients of the confined quantum dots were determined from the experimentally recorded trajectories according to the classical diffusion theory for Brownian motion in two dimensions. The calculated diffusion coefficients were three times smaller than those in bulk solution. These observations confirm and extend the results of Eichmann et al (2008 Langmuir 24 714-21) to smaller particle diameters and more narrow confinement. A detailed analysis shows that the observed reduction in mobility cannot be explained by conventional hydrodynamic theory.

Correlation of Nitrogen Sorption and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy for the Analysis of Amino Group Distributions on Mesoporous Silica

Aminopropylalkoxysilanes are frequently used for the functionalization of mesoporous silica. The analysis of amino group distributions on arrays of silica nanochannels by a combination of nitrogen sorption and confocal laser scanning microscopy provides valuable insight into the mechanisms underlying the interaction of these silanes with mesoporous silica surfaces. Tendencies towards external surface functionalization, non-uniform distribution in the pores, and hydrolysis of the silica framework are shown to depend to a large extent on the mobility of the aminopropylalkoxysilane molecules, which can be adjusted by the number and type of alkoxy groups.

High excitation transfer efficiency from energy relay dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells

The energy relay dye, 4-(Dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM), was used with a near-infrared sensitizing dye, TT1, to increase the overall power conversion efficiency of a dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) from 3.5% to 4.5%. The unattached DCM dyes exhibit an average excitation transfer efficiency (ETE) of 96% inside TT1-covered, mesostructured TiO(2) films. Further performance increases were limited by the solubility of DCM in an acetonitrile based electrolyte. This demonstration shows that energy relay dyes can be efficiently implemented in optimized dye-sensitized solar cells, but also highlights the need to design highly soluble energy relay dyes with high molar extinction coefficients.

Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticles for probing spatial distribution of electromagnetic field enhancement via surface-enhanced Raman scattering

We show that the spatial distribution of the electromagnetic (EM) field enhancement can be probed directly via dynamic evolution of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules as they diffuse into Ag@SiO(2) core-shell nanoparticles. The porous silica shell limits the diffusion of R6G molecules toward inner Ag cores, thereby allowing direct observation and quantification of the spatial distribution of SERS enhancement as molecules migrate from the low to high EM fields inside the dielectric silica shell. Our experimental evidence is validated by the generalized Mie theory, and the approach can potentially offer a novel platform for further investigating the site and spatial distribution of the EM fields and the EM versus chemical enhancement of SERS due to molecular confinement within the Ag@SiO(2) nanoshell.

Principles and applications of nanofluidic transport

The evolution from microfluidic to nanofluidic systems has been accompanied by the emergence of new fluid phenomena and the potential for new nanofluidic devices. This review provides an introduction to the theory of nanofluidic transport, focusing on the various forces that influence the movement of both solvents and solutes through nanochannels, and reviews the applications of nanofluidic devices in separation science and energy conversion.