Search results for " Industry"

Highly fluorescent and photostable organic- and water-soluble CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots capped with thiols

2012

Highly fluorescent organic- and water-soluble CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) with thiol ligands chemisorbed on the QD surface were synthesized by the replacement of amine ligands by alkyl thiols under very mild conditions. The QDs exhibited an even greater photostability than the initial core-shell amine capped QDs.

Interactions between proteins and poly(ethylene-glycol) investigated using molecular dynamics simulations

2017

Poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) is a polymer used to coat therapeutic preparations, like drugs or drug nanocarriers, and improve their efficacy. This effect is probably due to a reduction of the interactions of the coated species with the host organism. Nevertheless, experiments show that PEGylated materials do interact with the surrounding biological milieu, and in particular with blood proteins. Here, we use atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the interactions between the polymer and several blood proteins. In these simulations, the proteins are immersed in a mixture of PEG and water molecules. We observe how PEG distributes around the protein surface and measure PEG-prot…

Injectable in situ forming hydrogels based on natural and synthetic polymers for potential application in cartilage repair

2015

In this work we prepared two new hyaluronic acid (HA) based in situ forming hydrogels for the potential treatment of articular cartilage damages. In particular the amino derivative of HA (HA-EDA) and its graft copolymer with α-elastin (HA-EDA-g-α-elastin) were crosslinked, in mild physiological conditions via Michael-type addition, with α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide (PHEA) derivatized with divinylsulfone (DV). The swelling and degradation profile of the obtained hydrogels as well as the metabolic activity of incorporated bovine articular chondrocytes were investigated. Histological analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to analyze the morphology of cells …

Metal ion affinity-based biomolecular recognition and conjugation inside synthetic polymer nanopores modified with iron-terpyridine complexes.

2011

Here we demonstrate a novel biosensing platform for the detection of lactoferrin (LFN) via metal-organic frameworks, in which the metal ions have accessible free coordination sites for binding, inside the single conical nanopores fabricated in polymeric membrane. First, monolayer of amine-terminated terpyridine (metal-chelating ligand) is covalently immobilized on the inner walls of the nanopore via carbodiimide coupling chemistry. Second, iron-terpyridine (iron-terPy) complexes are obtained by treating the terpyridine modified-nanopores with ferrous sulfate solution. The immobilized iron-terPy complexes can be used as recognition elements to fabricate biosensing nanodevice. The working pri…

Polymeric Micelles and Liposomes as Potential Drug Carriers

1986

In the past, a whole aray of polymeric carriers for biologically active substances have been reported. In this field the main interest has focused on the use of randomly solubilized polymers. Naturally occuring amphiphilic transport proteins can be modelled by synthetic micellar solubilized polymers. Poly(ethylene oxide)-polypeptide block copolymers with hydrophobic and cyclophosphamide-containing side groups are described. These micellar systems are able to transport different hydrophobic drugs.

1984

Different polymeric transport systems for biologically active substances are presented. In the past, most of the reviews on polymeric drugs dealt with pharmaca, fixed to conventional water-soluble polymers. Naturally occuring transport proteins with their complex features have recently been imitated by micellar solubilized polymers. Polymerized liposomes from polymerizable lipids can be regarded as vesicular solubilized polymers and are discussed as stable models for biomembranes. By insertion of glycolipids, these liposomes are rendered susceptible to specific recognition by proteins. When natural or cleavable synthetic lipids are incorporated into polymerizable membranes, phase-separation…

α,β-Poly(N-Hydroxyethyl)-DL-Aspartamide Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Devices

1996

α,β-poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-DL-aspartamide (PHEA) was exposed to gamma radiation to obtain micromatrices able to swell in an aqueous medium. Crosslinked PHEA was loaded with an anti-inflammatory drug, 4-biphenylacetic acid (BPAA) and the drug dispersion in the network was investigated by X-ray analysis. The BPAA loaded PHEA microparticles were also characterized by dimensional analysis, which showed the presence of quasispherical shapes. The drug release from PHEA hydrogel was studied in vitro in a pH 1.1 (simulated gastric juice) and in a pH 7.4 buffer solution, respectively. The experimental data indicate that an anomalous delivery occurs, but Fickian diffusion through swollen PHEA hydrogel…

Effect of phosphatydylcholine on spectral properties and photostability of 3,3′-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) — a potent anti-tumor photose…

1998

Abstract The potential anti-tumor photosensitizer 3,3′-diethyloxadicarbocyanine iodide (DODCI) has been immobilized in dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine (DMPC) vesicles. Binding of the dicarbocyanine to the lipid vesicles induces several changes in the electronic absorption, emission and excitation spectra of the dye. The monomeric dye molecules exist in at least two forms when immobilized in the DMPC liposomes and the non-luminescing H-aggregates of the dye show efficient excitation energy transfer to the DODCI monomers. Entrapment of the dye in the liposomes generally decreases the photostability of DODCI. While emission from singlet oxygen (1O2) has not been recorded, indirect results sugg…

Polyreactions in ordered systems: Polymerization of octadecyl methacrylate in monolayers at the gas–water interface

1977

The ultraviolet-initiated polymerization of octadecyl methacrylate (ODMA, octadecyl 2-methyl-2-propenoate) as a monomolecular layer at the gas-water interface was studied. The polymerization was carried out at 27°C at the nitrogen-water interface; air inhibits the polymerization. At 27°C the ODMA monolayer exhibits three different states which were characterized by surface pressure-area diagrams and by surface potential measurements. The ODMA monolayer was polymerized under constant surface pressure in the range between 0 and 10 dyne/cm. The polymerization was followed by recording the contraction of the film. The conversion was determined by comparison of the area per monomer unit during p…

Perovskite solar cells employing organic charge-transport layers

2013

Thin-film photovoltaics play an important role in the quest for clean renewable energy. Recently, methylammonium lead halide perovskites were identified as promising absorbers for solar cells(1). In the three years since, the performance of perovskite-based solar cells has improved rapidly to reach efficiencies as high as 15%(1-10). To date, all high-efficiency perovskite solar cells reported make use of a (mesoscopic) metal oxide, such as Al2O3, TiO2, or ZrO2, which requires a high-temperature sintering process. Here, we show that methylammonium lead iodide perovskite layers, when sandwiched between two thin organic charge-transporting layers, also lead to solar cells with high power-conve…