Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Longjiang Ding, Xiaoliang Chen, Wenhe Ma, Jiang Li, Xiaoguo Liu, Chunhai Fan, Guangbao Yao
Summary: How far we can push chemical self-assembly is one of the most important scientific questions of the century. Colloidal self-assembly is a bottom-up technique for the rational design of functional materials with desirable collective properties. The regioselective control over the formation of DNA bonds on the particle surface has enabled unprecedented complexity in colloidal self-assembly, thanks to the advances in surface chemistry and structural DNA nanotechnology. This review summarizes the recent advances in DNA-mediated regioselective surface encoding of colloids, with a focus on its introduction and its crucial role in the self-assembly of colloidal structures.
CHEMICAL SOCIETY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
A. W. Zaibudeen, Ranjini Bandyopadhyay
Summary: Understanding and controlling deposit patterns is crucial for various applications. This study investigates the effect of polymer and surfactant on the drying dynamics and structure of nanoparticles in dried deposits. The results show that the addition of surfactant can modify the evaporation kinetics and deposit patterns of the colloidal droplets, demonstrating the potential for systematic control of droplet drying and deposition through the manipulation of internal flows.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Enrico Lavagna, Sebastian Salassi, Davide Bochicchio, Giulia Rossi
Summary: This study computationally investigates the colloidal aggregation of gold nanoparticles isotropically functionalized by a mixture of charged and hydrophobic ligands, and reveals that anisotropic aggregates with different topologies can be formed by varying the proportion of the two ligands.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Mengdi Lu, Hu Zhu, Ming Lin, Fang Wang, Long Hong, Jean-Francois Masson, Wei Peng
Summary: This study successfully used block copolymer brush-like layers on optical fibers to achieve dense and well-dispersed gold nanorods films, enabling the development of real-time biosensors for antigen-antibody interaction. By preparing citrate-stabilized gold nanorods via surfactant exchange, issues related to cytotoxicity and sensor performance were addressed. The sensor produced using the PS-b-P4VP template demonstrated higher sensitivity and detection limit, showcasing the potential application of these biosensors without cytotoxicity.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS B-CHEMICAL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenhao Dong, Zhimao Yang, Jie He, Chuncai Kong, Zhihong Nie
Summary: This article describes the vesicular self-assembly of shaped nanoparticles, such as gold nanocubes grafted with amphiphilic block copolymers, in selective solvents. The nanocubes assembled within the vesicular membranes exhibit two distinctive packing modes, namely square-like and hexagonal packing, depending on the relative dimensions of the copolymer ligands and nanocubes. The corresponding optical properties of the plasmonic nanovesicles can be tuned by varying the length of the grafted copolymers and the size of the nanocubes. This work provides guidance for the fabrication of functional plasmonic vesicles for applications in catalysis, nanomedicines, and optical devices.
Article
Microbiology
Sunyia Hussain, Janine H. Peterson, Harris D. Bernstein
Summary: The assembly of trimeric porins involves a stepwise process that requires the presence of the Bam complex and LPS. The interaction with LPS is not only essential for trimerization but also for the productive insertion of individual subunits into the lipid bilayer.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Henryk J. Laszewski, Bruno Palpant, Malcolm Buckle, Claude Nogues
Summary: Gold nanorods can be functionalized with biomolecules for efficient cell targeting, but challenges arise due to the cytotoxicity and sequestration effects of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) used in the synthesis process.
ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maegen Kincanon, Catherine J. Murphy
Summary: The self-assembly of colloidal nanocrystals is of great interest for creating hierarchical nanomaterials with advanced function. Gold nanocrystals can enhance local electric fields and provide plasmonic fields for surface-enhanced spectroscopies. A selective biotinylation method was developed for gold nanorods, allowing for self-assembly upon addition of streptavidin. The self-assembly was analyzed for different sized nanorods, showing high yield for larger nanorods and low yield for smaller nanorods.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Xingyun Li, Sai Zhang, Yuan Chen, Shanshan Wang, Qingchi Xu, Jun Xu
Summary: In this work, a novel gold nanocapsule with an anisotropic ellipsoidal shape and cavity structure was successfully prepared by self-assembly of ultrathin Au nanowires. The assembly mechanism was studied by tuning the assembly conditions, and the nanocapsules showed great drug loading ability and pH-responsive drug release behavior.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Minchao Liu, Cheng Shang, Tiancong Zhao, Hongyue Yu, Yufang Kou, Zirui Lv, Mengmeng Hou, Fan Zhang, Qiaowei Li, Dongyuan Zhao, Xiaomin Li
Summary: Porous anisotropic nanohybrids have attracted attention because of their unique properties including high surface area, tunable pore structures, and controllable compositions. Here, authors report a selective occupation strategy to achieve site-specific anisotropic growth of amorphous mesoporous subunits on crystalline MOFs.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jue Yin, Mo Xie, Junke Wang, Meirong Cui, Dan Zhu, Shao Su, Chunhai Fan, Jie Chao, Qian Li, Lianhui Wang
Summary: In this work, the authors report a simple and versatile one-pot strategy to fabricate DNA architectures with the assistance of spherical gold nanoparticles modified with thiolated oligonucleotide strands. The desired architectures are formed via the stochastic co-assembly of different modules.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kwaku Twum, Khai-Nghi Truong, Frank Boateng Osei, Carolina von Essen, Sanaz Nadimi, John F. Trant, Kari Rissanen, Ngong Kodiah Beyeh
Summary: Doubly and triply deprotonated 2-bromo-C-alkylre-sorcinarene anions form host-guest complexes with both tetramethylammonium cations and bis-protonated dimethyl piperazine cations. The trianion forms a closed dimeric capsule, while the dianion forms a nanotube. Solution studies show strong binding between the dimeric capsule and tetramethylammonium cations.
CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Haiyun Liu, Na Ren, Yi Gao, Tingfan Wu, Boren Sui, Zhen Liu, Bin Chang, Man Huang, Hong Liu
Summary: In this study, a miRNA detection strategy based on the self-assembly of AuNPs induced by the hairpin probe-guided DNAzyme walker enzyme cleavage and walk was established. This strategy utilizes the continuous mechanical motion characteristics of DNAzyme walker to improve reaction efficiency and achieves ultra-sensitive detection using dynamic light scattering technology. It has also been successfully applied to analyze target miRNAs in cancer cell samples.
DALTON TRANSACTIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Helal Abujubara, Jie Yang, A. Birsen Otyakmaz, Anais F. M. Noisier, Werngard Czechtizky, Malin Lemurell, Alesia A. A. Tietze
Summary: We report a mild ionic liquid (IL)-mediated thiolation technique using 1,3-ethyl-methyl imidazolium acetate as a solvent and precursor to generate activated IL for the conjugation reaction of small molecules and peptides. Interestingly, a bifunctional active IL could also be successfully employed as a linker for peptides lacking cysteine. This study lays the foundation for further investigation of the use of active ILs in modifying larger and more complex therapeutic modalities.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Maximilian Niehues, Sabrina Engel, Bart Jan Ravoo
Summary: Stimuli-responsive self-assembly of plasmonic magnetic dumbbell Janus nanoparticles (Au-Fe3O4) was demonstrated using the host-guest interaction of cyclodextrin and arylazopyrazole. Efficient ligand exchange procedures allowed the introduction of functional ligands to the gold or magnetite core of the dumbbell, leading to distinct nanoparticle superstructures in aqueous solutions. These superstructures could be modulated with light, showing reversible formation and fragmentation.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Jinzhe Liang, Yiyao Ge, Zhen He, Qinbai Yun, Guigao Liu, Shiyao Lu, Li Zhai, Biao Huang, Hua Zhang
Summary: Metal-containing nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention due to their unique physicochemical properties and promising applications. The phase of these nanomaterials, especially the amorphous phase and amorphous/crystalline heterophase, significantly influences their performance in catalysis and energy storage. This review provides an overview of the recent progress in wet-chemical synthesis and applications of amorphous and amorphous/crystalline heterophase metal-containing nanomaterials. Different categories of metal-containing nanomaterials, including metals, metal alloys, and metal compounds, are highlighted, along with their synthetic routes and promising applications. Current challenges and personal perspectives in this emerging research field are also discussed.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katriann Arja, Robert Selegard, Marketa Paloncyova, Mathieu Linares, Mikael Lindgren, Patrick Norman, Daniel Aili, K. Peter R. Nilsson
Summary: This study reports on the chiro-optical properties and architectural arrangement of optoelectronic materials generated through self-assembly of oligothiophene-porphyrin derivatives and synthetic peptides. The materials exhibit a three-dimensional ordered helical structure and optical activity, making them promising for bioelectronic applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yiyao Ge, Jingjie Ge, Biao Huang, Xixi Wang, Guigao Liu, Xiang-Huan Shan, Lu Ma, Bo Chen, Guanghua Liu, Songmo Du, An Zhang, Hongfei Cheng, Qingbo Wa, Shiyao Lu, Lujiang Li, Qinbai Yun, Kuo Yuan, Qinxin Luo, Zhichuan J. J. Xu, Yonghua Du, Hua Zhang
Summary: Amorphous nanomaterials with long-range disordered structures have unique properties and promising applications in catalysis. This study demonstrates a facile wet-chemical reduction strategy for synthesizing various amorphous multimetallic Pd-based nanomaterials, such as PdRu, PdRh, and PdRuRh, and explores their phase-dependent catalytic performances in different applications. The synthesized amorphous PdRh nanocatalyst exhibits superior performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction compared to its crystalline counterpart and other reported Pd-based electrocatalysts for HER.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Isabelle Matthiesen, Michael Jury, Fatemeh Rasti Boroojeni, Saskia L. Ludwig, Muriel Holzreuter, Sebastian Buchmann, Andrea Aman Trager, Robert Selegard, Thomas E. Winkler, Daniel Aili, Anna Herland
Summary: Astrocytes play a crucial role in the central nervous system, contributing to synaptic development and maintenance, neurotransmitter recycling, and the function of the blood-brain barrier. This study investigates the interactions between neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cell lines and human fetal primary astrocytes using a hyaluronan-based hydrogel system. The study reveals that fetal primary astrocytes have stronger interactions with the hyaluronan-based gels compared to the cell lines, especially when cell-adhesion peptides are conjugated to the hydrogel backbone. Bioprinted astrocytes using functionalized hyaluronan show extensive protrusions and connections between neighboring cells. Tailored and optimized hydrogels that mimic the extracellular matrix and are compatible with astrocytes can aid in the development of advanced tissue and disease models of the central nervous system.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Olof Eskilson, Elisa Zattarin, Linn Berglund, Kristiina Oksman, Kristina Hanna, Jonathan Rakar, Petter Sivler, Marten Skog, Ivana Rinklake, Rozalin Shamasha, Zeljana Sotra, Annika Starkenberg, Magnus Oden, Emanuel Wiman, Hazem Khalaf, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Johan P. E. Junker, Robert Selegard, Emma M. Bjork, Daniel Aili
Summary: The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and wounds can have severe consequences, such as morbidity and mortality. Infections in wounds are common and can delay healing and lead to sepsis. This study presents a novel strategy for pH sensing in wound dressings made from bacterial nanocellulose, which can facilitate early detection of infection. The pH-responsive nanocomposites showed excellent properties as wound dressings and could be used for encapsulation and release of bioactive compounds for the treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds, promoting the development of innovative wound care materials.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andrea Trager, Sajjad Naeimipour, Michael Jury, Robert Selegard, Daniel Aili
Summary: Bioprinting of hydrogel-based bioinks containing cellulose oxalate nanofibrils allows for the fabrication of complex, cell-laden 3D structures with high viability. Theseshear thinning bioinks can be easily extruded through the printing nozzle and retain the shape of the printed structure. The hydrogels show good biocompatibility and can be cross-linked after printing for long-term stability, making them suitable for producing complex geometries that support cell growth.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Linn Berglund, Paula Squinca, Yagmur Bas, Elisa Zattarin, Daniel Aili, Jonathan Rakar, Johan Junker, Annika Starkenberg, Mattia Diamanti, Petter Sivler, Marten Skog, Kristiina Oksman
Summary: This study explores the self-assembly of nanocellulose into bio-based hydrogels via hydrogen bonding. Different methods of separating and assembling nanocellulose from wood are compared, and it is found that the vacuum-assisted filtration method produces the most promising wound dressing material.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emanuel Wiman, Elisa Zattarin, Daniel Aili, Torbjorn Bengtsson, Robert Selegard, Hazem Khalaf
Summary: Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a major global health issue. Few novel antimicrobial agents have been developed, despite the increasing need. Antimicrobial peptides have shown promise in vitro, but limitations exist. Researchers have designed and synthesized lipopeptides with enhanced antimicrobial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. These lipopeptides effectively inhibit bacteria by disrupting their cell membranes. Combination with antibiotics further enhances their effects. Additional experiments are needed to validate their efficacy in vivo.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Bo Chen, Qinbai Yun, Yiyao Ge, Lujiang Li, Hua Zhang
Summary: The crystal phase is an important parameter that describes the atomic arrangement of crystalline materials. Different crystal phases of monoelemental materials result in different physicochemical properties and functions. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, various monoelemental nanomaterials with unconventional crystal phases have been developed. These unconventional-phase nanomaterials exhibit unique properties and have promising applications in catalysis and batteries.
ACCOUNTS OF MATERIALS RESEARCH
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Wei Zhai, Yao Yao, Zijian Li, Li Zhai, Hua Zhang
NATIONAL SCIENCE REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Qi Zhang, Md. Shafayat Hossain, Brian Casas, Wenkai Zheng, Zi-Jia Cheng, Zhuangchai Lai, Yi-Hsin Tu, Guoqing Chang, Yao Yao, Siyuan Li, Yu-Xiao Jiang, Sougata Mardanya, Tay-Rong Chang, Jing-Yang You, Yuan-Ping Feng, Guangming Cheng, Jia-Xin Yin, Nana Shumiya, Tyler A. Cochran, Xian P. Yang, Maksim Litskevich, Nan Yao, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Hua Zhang, Luis Balicas, M. Zahid Hasan
Summary: Ongoing advances in superconductors are transforming technology by providing lossless supercurrents. The discovery of an unprecedentedly high superconducting critical current density in 1T'-WS2, combined with its anisotropic superconducting state and topological properties, establishes it as a potential topological superconductor candidate, with promising applications in quantum computing technology.
PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Rozalin Shamasha, Sneha Kollenchery Ramanathan, Annika Starkenberg, Gunnar Kratz, Jonathan Rakar, Daniel Aili, Johan P. E. Junker
TISSUE ENGINEERING PART A
(2023)