Search results for "nanoparticle"

Electrochemical biosensing using hydrogel nanoparticles

2014

Abstract Biology and medicine have seen great advancements in the development of nanobiosensors capable of characterizing and quantifying biomolecules. This review reports a systematic study of the usefulness of hydrogel nanoparticles (HNPs) in the different steps of the electroanalytical process developed in electrochemical biosensing systems. We illustrate the advantages offered by HNPs in detection of analytes with representative recent examples that highlight the scientific interest in widening the use of HNPs in electrochemical biosensing methods. We review different types of HNP-based electrochemical biosensors, such as enzyme, protein, and nucleic acids, in terms of their sensing per…

Reactive Polymers: A Versatile Toolbox for the Immobilization of Functional Molecules on TiO2 Nanoparticles

2006

Polysarcosine-functionalized lipid nanoparticles for therapeutic mRNA delivery

2020

Polysarcosine (pSar) is a polypeptoid based on the endogenous amino acid sarcosine (N-methylated glycine), which has previously shown potent stealth properties. Here, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) for therapeutic application of messenger RNA were assembled using pSarcosinylated lipids as a tool for particle engineering. Using pSar lipids with different polymeric chain lengths and molar fractions enabled the control of the physicochemical characteristics of the LNPs, such as particle size, morphology, and internal structure. In combination with a suited ionizable lipid, LNPs were assembled, which displayed high RNA transfection potency with an improved safety profile after intravenous injection…

Loading of polymer nanocarriers: Factors, mechanisms and applications

2014

Abstract The progress in synthetic polymer chemistry has allowed the precise design of hybrid and multifunctional colloidal particles, which differ in type, size and shape, thus enhancing their possible applications as target-oriented carriers of low and high molar mass active species. This survey discusses the basic principles and factors, associated with the process of loading of polymeric nanoparticles. For the purpose of this review, the polymeric nano-carriers are divided into five most studied types: micelles, nanogels, capsules (incl. vesicles), dendrimers, and hybrid nanoparticles with porous cores. Factors influencing the loading are described and their importance discussed. An imp…

Synthesis and bio-functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles for medical diagnosis and treatment

2011

The synthesis of multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) is a highly active area of current research located at the interface between materials science, biotechnology and medicine. By virtue of their unique physical properties magnetic nanoparticles are emerging as a new class of diagnostic probes for multimodal tracking and as contrast agents for MRI. Furthermore, they show great potential as carriers for targeted drug and gene delivery, since reactive agents, such as drug molecules or large biomolecules (including genes and antibodies), can easily be attached to their surface. On the other hand, the fate of the nanoparticles inside the body is mainly determined by the interactions wi…

Enhancing the mechanical performance of polymer based nanocomposites by plasma-modification of nanoparticles

2012

Abstract The possibility of enhancing the mechanical performance of two different polymer-based nanocomposites using polyamide 6 (PA6) and poly[ethylene-co-(vinyl acetate)] (EVA) as matrices was investigated. The nanofillers used were, respectively, either carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or an organically modified montmorillonite (Cloisite 15A), both previously modified by plasma treatment to introduce polar moieties. The nanofillers were fully characterized by Raman spectroscopy, XPS, FT-IR and XRD, demonstrating their effective modification with oxygenated groups. The nanocomposites were prepared by melt processing in order to obtain films and fibres. The mechanical tests carried out on the nanoc…

Morphology control in biphasic hybrid systems of semiconducting materials.

2015

Simple blends of inorganic nanocrystals and organic (semiconducting) polymers usually lead to macroscopic segregation. Thus, such blends typically exhibit inferior properties than expected. To overcome the problem of segregation, polymer coated nanocrystals (nanocomposites) have been developed. Such nanocomposites are highly miscible within the polymer matrix. In this Review, a summary of synthetic approaches to achieve stable nanocomposites in a semiconducting polymer matrix is presented. Furthermore, a theoretical background as well as an overview concerning morphology control of inorganic NCs in polymer matrices are provided. In addition, the morphologic behavior of highly anisotropic na…

Metal-polymer nanocomposite resist: a step towards in-situ nanopatterns metallization

2013

In this work we propose an alternative method for the fabrication of metal micro/nanostructures from metal-polymer nanocomposite resists and their subsequent electroless metallization. The process consists of three simple steps: 1. Fabrication of micro or nanopatterns by lithography or any other direct printing technologies (inkjet or microplotter printing...), 2. In-situ synthesis of metal nanoparticle during a post-bake step and 3. Non-electrochemical metallization of nanocomposite patterns. The novelty of our approach is that both Ag and Au nanoparticles are embedded into the polymer pattern and act as seeds for the reduction of Ag(I) when immersed into a solution of the corresponding pr…

Optically active amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerols as templates for palladium nanoparticles

2006

Abstract We report a systematic study on the encapsulation of palladium nanoparticles in optically active amphiphilic hyperbranched polyglycerols with different optical signs and different degrees of polymerization, namely (−)-P(G 40 C16 0.5 ) 1 and (+)-P(G 73 C16 0.5 ) 2 . Several issues have been addressed here: (a) relatively wide size distributions (1–5 nm) of palladium nanoparticles have been achieved, (b) a remarkable template effect ( 1 , DP n  = 40, 1.2 ± 0.1 nm; 2 , DP n  = 73, 2.3 ± 0.1 nm average particle size) has been observed using TEM technique, as shown by the particle size dependent on the degree of polymerization of the polymers, (c) NaBH 4 is found to be a convenient redu…

Highly Defined, Colloid‐Like Ionic Clusters in Solution

2012

Many societal challenges at the beginning of the 21st century lead to an apparent and growing need for functional materials and novel ways of materials synthesis and assembly. Rising to the challenge, the utilization of small, self-assembling building blocks for the bottom-up construction of new types of polymers and nanostructures has enjoyed increasing popularity among materials researchers in the recent past. Supramolecular materials like foldamers, surface films, nanoparticles, etc. are created by exploiting noncovalent forces [1] leading to an ordered arrangement of nanoscale building blocks. [2] In the search for new polymers based on noncovalent molecular forces, we are motivated by …