Folic acid conjugated palygorskite/Au hybrid microgels: Temperature, pH and light triple-responsive and its application in drug delivery

Herein, folic acid conjugated poly (NIPAM-co-functional palygorskite-Au-co-acrylic acid) (FA-PNFA) hybrid microgels were fabricated by emulsion polymerization. The introduction of acrylic acid can increase the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of FA-PNFA from 36 °C at pH 5.5-42 °C at pH 7.4. Doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) was chosen as the load drug, the results show that the DOX release behavior is driven by temperature, pH and light. Cumulative drug release rate can reach 74 % at 37 °C and pH 5.5 while only 20 % at 37 °C and pH 7.4, which effectively avoided the early leakage of the drug. In addition, by exposing FA-PNFA hybrid microgels to laser irradiation, the cumulative release rate was increased by 5 % compared to the release rate under dark conditions. Functional palygorskite-Au as physical crosslinkers not only improves the drug loading content of microgels but also promotes the release of DOX through light drive. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay demonstrated that the FA-PNFA are nontoxic up to 200 μg mL-1 towards 4T1 breast cancer cell. Meanwhile, DOX-loaded FA-PNFA show more significant cytotoxicity than the free DOX. Confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) revealed that the DOX-loaded FA-PNFA could be efficiently taken by 4T1 breast cancer cells. FA-PNFA hybrid microgels not only improve the LCST of PNIPAM, but also endow the microgels with photostimulation responsiveness, which can release drugs in response to the triple stimulation response of temperature, pH and light, thus effectively reducing the activity of cancer cells, making them more promising for wider medical applications.

Loading the dice: The orientation of virus-like particles adsorbed on titanate assisted organosilanized surfaces

The organization of virus-like particles (VLPs) on surfaces is a relevant matter for both fundamental and biomedical sciences. In this work, the authors have tailored surfaces with different surface tension components aiming at finding a relationship with the affinity of the different geometric/surface features of icosahedral P22 VLPs. The surfaces have been prepared by titanate assisted organosilanization with glycidyloxy, amino, and perfluoro silanes. Vibrational and photoelectron spectroscopies have allowed identifying the different functional groups of the organosilanes on the surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that, irrespective of the organosilane used, the final root mean square roughness remains below 1 nm. Contact angle analyses confirm the effective formation of a set of surface chemistries exhibiting different balance among surface tension components. The study of the adsorption of P22 VLPs has involved the analysis of the dynamics of virus immobilization by fluorescence microscopy and the interpretation of the final VLP orientation by AFM. These analyses give rise to statistical distributions pointing to a higher affinity of VLPs toward perfluorinated surfaces, with a dominant fivefold conformation on this hydrophobic surface, but threefold and twofold symmetries dominating on hydrophilic surfaces. These results can be explained in terms of a reinforced hydrophobic interaction between the perfluorinated surface and the dominating hydrophobic residues present at the P22 pentons.

Effect of Surface Modification of Palygorskite on the Properties of Polypropylene/Polypropylene-g-Maleic Anhydride/Palygorskite Nanocomposites

The effect of surface modification of palygorskite (Pal) on filler dispersion and on the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene (PP)/polypropylene grafted maleic anhydride (PP-g-MAH)/palygorskite (Pal) nanocomposites was evaluated. A natural Pal mineral was purified and individually surface modified with hexadecyl tributyl phosphonium bromide and (3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane; the pristine and modified Pals were melt-compounded with PP to produce nanocomposites using PP-g-MAH as compatibilizer. The grafting of Pal surface was verified by FT-IR and the change in surface hydrophilicity was estimated by the contact angle of sessile drops of ethylene glycol on Pal tablets. The extent of Pal dispersion and the degree of improvement in both the mechanical and thermal properties were related to the surface treatment of Pal. Modified Pals were better dispersed during melt processing and improved Young’s modulus and strength; however, maximum deformation tended to decrease. The thermal stability of PP/PP-g-MAH/Pal nanocomposites was considerably improved with the content of modified Pals. The degree of crystallinity increased with Pal content, regardless of the surface modification. Surfactant modified Pal exhibited better results in comparison with silane Pal; it is possible that longer alkyl chains from surfactant molecules promoted interactions with polymer chains, thereby improving nanofiller dispersion and enhancing the properties.

Ammonium sulfide-assisted hydrothermal activation of palygorskite for enhanced adsorption of methyl violet

Herein, palygorskite (PAL) was activated via a simple hydrothermal process in the presence of ammonium sulfide, and the effects of activation on the microstructure, physico-chemical feature and adsorption behaviors of PAL were intensively investigated. The hydrothermal process evidently improved the dispersion of PAL crystal bundles, increased surface negative charges and built more active -Si-O(-) groups served as the new "adsorption sites". The adsorption property of the activated PAL for Methyl Violet (MV) was systematically investigated by optimizing the adsorption variables, including pH, ionic strength, contact time and initial MV concentration. The activated PAL exhibited a superior adsorption capability to the raw PAL for the removal of MV (from 156.05 to 218.11mg/g). The kinetics for MV adsorption followed pseudo second-order kinetic models, while the isotherm and thermodynamics results showed that the adsorption pattern well followed the Langmuir model. The structure analysis of PAL before and after adsorption demonstrated that electrostatic interaction and chemical association of -X-O(-) are the prominent driving forces for the adsorption process.

Attapulgite Nanofiber-Cellulose Nanocomposite with Core-Shell Structure for Dye Adsorption

Nanocomposite particle used for adsorption has attracted continuous attention because of large specific surface area and adjustable properties from nanocomponent. Herein nanocomposite particle with cellulose core and attapulgite nanofibers shell was prepared. The size of cellulose core was about 2 mm and the thickness of nanofibers shell is about 300 μm. Adsorption capacity of nanocomposite particle to methylene blue can reach up to 11.07 mg L−1and the best adsorption effect occurs at pH = 8; pseudo-first-order equation and the Langmuir equation best describe the adsorption kinetic and isotherm, respectively; repeated adsorption-desorption experimental results show that 94.64% of the original adsorption capacity can be retained after being reused three times.

Attapulgite-doped electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanofibers enable enhanced osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

Attapulgite-doped electrospun poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanofibers enable enhanced osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.