Core-shell Nanoparticles Research Articles

Anti-OTC antibody-conjugated fluorescent magnetic/silica and fluorescent hybrid silica nanoparticles for oxytetracycline detection

Abstract This study presents two alternative fluorescent nanoparticle-based oxytetracycline (OTC) detection methods in milk samples. Rhodamine 6G-coated fluorescent hybrid silica nanoparticles and fluorescent magnetic/silica nanoparticles functionalized with anti-OTC antibodies were used in this test. The sandwich test format was utilized to compare anti-OTC antibody-conjugated fluorescent magnetic/silica nanoparticles with OTC/OTC antibody-conjugated fluorescent hybrid silica nanoparticles in an Eppendorf tube with magnetic separators. The magnetic separator helps to quickly retain all of the OTC captured by fluorescent magnetic core–shell nanoparticles in the milk sample. As a result, the assay time was dramatically shortened. The obtained linear range was 1.34 × 10−6 to 2.10 × 10−8 (M) (R 2 = 0.9954), the detection limit was 4.76 ng/mL, and the total assay time was 90 min. This approach was used to determine the OTC concentration in milk samples, and the maximum percentage (%) of interference was less than 3.0%, with a recovery rate of greater than 97.0%. This approach offers a high potential for residue detection in milk samples. With a total analysis period of less than 90 min, this approach provided the best way to determine the capture and detector nanoparticles’ response.

Conditional Cell-Penetrating Peptide Exposure as Selective Nanoparticle Uptake Signal.

A major bottleneck diminishing the therapeutic efficacy of various drugs is that only small proportions of the administered dose reach the site of action. One promising approach to increase the drug amount in the target tissue is the delivery via nanoparticles (NPs) modified with ligands of cell surface receptors for the selective identification of target cells. However, since receptor binding can unintentionally trigger intracellular signaling cascades, our objective was to develop a receptor-independent way of NP uptake. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are an attractive tool since they allow efficient cell membrane crossing. So far, their applicability is severely limited as their uptake-promoting ability is nonspecific. Therefore, we aimed to achieve a conditional CPP-mediated NP internalization exclusively into target cells. We synthesized different CPP candidates and investigated their influence on nanoparticle stability, ζ-potential, and uptake characteristics in a core-shell nanoparticle system consisting of poly(lactid-co-glycolid) (PLGA) and poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA10kPEG2k) block copolymers with CPPs attached to the PEG part. We identified TAT47-57 (TAT) as the most promising candidate and subsequently combined the TAT-modified PLA10kPEG2k polymer with longer PLA10kPEG5k polymer chains, modified with the potent angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) inhibitor MLN-4760. While MLN-4760 enables selective target cell identification, the additional PEG length hides the CPP during a first unspecific cell contact. Only after the previous selective binding of MLN-4760 to ACE2, the established spatial proximity exposes the CPP, triggering cell uptake. We found an 18-fold uptake improvement in ACE2-positive cells compared to unmodified particles. In summary, our work paves the way for a conditional and thus highly selective receptor-independent nanoparticle uptake, which is beneficial in terms of avoiding side effects.

C@Ag core-shell structure as lubricating additives towards high efficient lubrication

Efficient cooperative lubrication can be achieved via the introduction of core-shell structure lubricant additives with hard core and soft shell, for obtaining the expected anti-wear performance from the structural changes in the friction process. In this study, C@Ag microspheres with a core-shell structure were prepared by the redox method with carbon spheres as the core and Ag nanoparticles as the shell. Their tribological behaviors as base oil (G1830) additive with different concentrations were investigated in detail. Compared with base oil, the addition of C@Ag particles at 0.5 wt% can reduce the coefficient of friction (COF) and wear volume (Wv) up to 15.5% and 88%, respectively. More importantly, C@Ag particles provide superior lubrication performance to single additive (like carbon sphere (CS) and Ag nanoparticle). C@Ag core-shell particles contribute to the formation of tribo-film by melt bonding of flexible Ag and carbon sphere (CS) toward excellent self-repair performance and high-efficiency lubrication. Hence, core-shell structural nanoparticles with hard-core and soft-shell hold bright future for high-performance lubrication application.

Near-Infrared Light-Activatable DNA Tentacles for Efficient Inhibition of Tumor Metastasis by Bio-Orthogonal Cell Assembly.

Tumor metastasis remains a major challenge in cancer management. Among various treatment strategies, immune cell-based cancer therapy holds a great potential for inhibiting metastasis. However, its wide application in cancer therapy is restricted by complex preparations, as well as inadequate homing and controllability. Herein, we present a groundbreaking approach for bioorthogonally manipulating tumor-NK (natural killer) cell assembly to inhibit tumor metastasis. Multiple dibenzocyclootyne (DBCO) groups decorated long single-stranded DNA were tail-modified on core-shell upconversion nanoparticles (CSUCNPs) and condensed by photosensitive chemical linker (PC-Linker) DNA to shield most of the DBCO groups. On the one hand, the light-triggered DNA scaffolds formed a cross-linked network by click chemistry, effectively impeding tumor cell migration. On the other hand, the efficient cellular assembly facilitated the effective communication between tumor cells and NK-92 cells, leading to enhanced immune response against tumors and further suppression of tumor metastasis. These features make our strategy highly applicable to a wide range of metastatic cancers.

N-Alkylation of Amines Utilizing Magnetic Nano Chitosan Functionalized with EDTA/Co(II)

This research work has explored the application of a magnetic catalyst composed of coreshell nanoparticles [Fe3O4@SiO2@CS@EDTA/Co(II)], known as NCM@EDTA/Co(II), in the conversion of various alcohols containing electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups into their respective secondary or primary amine derivatives. The investigation has focused on optimizing reaction conditions by considering factors, such as the inclusion of a base, duration of reaction time, reaction temperature, catalyst quantity, and choice of transition metal, in order to determine the optimal parameters. The most favorable outcomes have been achieved by using 0.2 mmol of catalyst per 1 mmol of substrate under reflux conditions for a duration ranging from 3 to 24 hours. The reaction has demonstrated high efficiency, with the catalyst's easy separation via an external magnetic field, stability, and recyclability, highlighting its potential applications in chemistry and industrial environments.

Architecting ultra-thin SiO2 shell for high magnetic performance of Fe3O4 nanoparticles for biomedical applications

This research focuses on the architectural design of the silica shell on the Fe3O4 nanoparticle to precisely control and minimize its thickness, with the aim of achieving a final product with optimal saturation magnetization (Ms) for biomedical applications. A rapid and facile microwave-assisted synthesis method was developed for the synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 and Fe3O4@SiO2@NH2 core–shell nanoparticles with ultra-thin SiO2 shells and excellent magnetic performance. The particle size distribution of the Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles was in the range of 15–35 nm, with a mean particle size of approximately 21 nm. The mean thickness of the SiO2 shells on the Fe3O4 cores was found to be 3 nm. FTIR analysis also confirmed the successful silica coating on Fe3O4 nanoparticles and the successful amino-functionalization of silica-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The Ms of Fe3O4, Fe3O4@SiO2, and Fe3O4@SiO2@NH2 nanoparticles were found to be 64.4, 59.8, and 52.4 emu/g, respectively. It has been confirmed that the ultra-thin SiO2 coating has a negligible effect on the magnetic characteristics of the nanoparticles. The developed microwave-assisted synthesis method in this study not only provides an interesting, rapid, and facile synthesis route but also results in a product with a narrow particle size distribution, an ultra-thin SiO2 shell, favorable magnetic properties, and improved cell compatibility, which may be used in several different applications, particularly biomedical applications.

Vehicular and Core–Shell Nanoparticle Diffusion in Attractive Entangled Polymer Melts

Vehicular and Core–Shell Nanoparticle Diffusion in Attractive Entangled Polymer Melts

Nanoarchitectonics and properties of sol-gel-derived bioactive glasses containing maghemite@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles

Nanoarchitectonics and properties of sol-gel-derived bioactive glasses containing maghemite@ZnO core-shell nanoparticles

Synthesis of Au@Pd core–shell nanoparticles by ultrafine bubbles and ultrasound without capping and reducing agents

Abstract This paper, for the first time, reports on the synthesis of Au@Pd core–shell nanoparticles in the absence of any capping and reducing agents by ultrafine bubbles and ultrasound. The mean diameter of the bimetallic core–shell nanoparticles was controlled by the ultrafine bubble concentration during the synthesis. Pd’s shell thickness also varied with the concentration of Pd(II) ions. These Au@Pd core–shell nanoparticles showed excellent catalytic performance due to the pure surface without any capping and reducing agents.

Highly luminescent, fast switching electro-optical device based on core-shell bimetallic nanoparticles/ ferroelectric liquid crystal composites.

Owing to the passive nature of liquid crystal (LC) materials, achieving luminous displays using pure LC materials is challenging. In addition, it is difficult to achieve a fast switching time using pristine ferroelectric LC devices without compromising their cell thickness. Herein, we have developed a fast switching and highly luminescent electro-optical device by dispersing a minute concentration of bimetallic nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) having a spherical gold core and a silver shell within a ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) host matrix, ZLI3654. Au@Ag core-shell NPs having synergic attributes of both counterparts were successfully synthesized by a facile seed-mediated route. The Au core helps to tune the shape of the Ag shell and provides enhanced electron density as well as improved stability against oxidation. Introducing nanoparticles induces little structural modifications to the host FLC, resulting in an improvement in the mesogenic alignment. Interestingly, ∼29-fold enhancement in the photoluminescence (PL) intensity is observed on dispersing 0.25 wt% of Au@Ag NPs into the FLC host matrix. The enhanced electromagnetic field in the FLC-nanocomposite is attributed to the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance of Au@Ag NPs, which strengthens the photon absorption rates by the FLC molecules, culminating in the massive enrichment of the PL intensity. In addition, the improved localized electric field inside the FLC device led to a noticeable enhancement in the spontaneous polarization, dielectric permittivity, and, most interestingly, ∼53% fastening in the switching time at an optimum concentration (0.25 wt%) of Au@Ag NPs. The improved electro-optical parameters of the Au@Ag NPs/FLC composite have been compared with the performance of both pristine Au NPs/FLC and Ag NPs/FLC composites, respectively, for the comprehensiveness of the study. The present study paves a systematic way to develop FLC-based advanced electro-optical devices with faster switching and higher luminescence properties.

Effect of the Core–Shell Exchange Coupling on the Approach to Magnetic Saturation in a Ferrimagnetic Nanoparticle

The generally accepted model of the magnetic structure of an iron oxide core‒shell nanoparticle includes a single-domain magnetically ordered core surrounded by a layer with a frozen spin disorder. Due to the exchange coupling between the shell and core, the spin disorder should lead to nonuniform magnetization in the core. Suppression of this inhomogeneity by an external magnetic field causes the nonlinear behavior of the magnetization as a function of the field in the region of the approach to magnetic saturation. The equation proposed to describe this effect is tested using a micromagnetic simulation. Analysis of the approach to magnetic saturation of iron oxide nanoparticles at different temperatures using this equation can be used to estimate the temperature evolution of the core‒shell coupling energy and the size of the uniformly magnetized nanoparticle core and the temperature behavior of this size.

Tunable optical properties of graphene wrapped ZnO@Ag spherical core-shell nanoparticles

In this paper, we studied theoretically and numerically the material’s response to incident electromagnetic wave of graphene wrapped zinc-oxide/silver (g − ZnO@Ag) core–shell spherical nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric host matrix. As the nanoparticles size is ∼30 nm, a size much smaller than the wavelength of light, the quasi-static approximation is utilized to obtain analytical expressions for the electric polarizability and the corresponding extinction cross-section. It is found that the spectra of the extinction cross-section of g − ZnO@Ag nanoparticles exhibit two sets of localized surface resonance peaks in the visible and near infra-red (NIR) spectral regions. The first set of peaks observed below ∼900 nm are due to the coupling of the energy gap of the ZnO core with the local surface plasmon resonances of Ag shell, and the second set of graphene-assisted narrow peaks located in the NIR region (above ∼900 nm) are attributed to the plasmons excited at the Ag/graphene interface. It is found that the intensity of the extinction cross-section as well as the positions of the resonance wavelengths are interesting that the graphene-assisted narrow peaks are strongly dependent on the number of layers (N g ) and the chemical potential (μ) of graphene. It means that the response of ZnO@Ag core–shell nanoparticles to electromagnetic fields are greatly enhanced when it is wrapped with graphene and can also be tuned in the therapeutic NIR spectral region by varying N g and μ. The results may be used for possible application in the medical fields, especially for cancer detection and drug delivery.

Conductive Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications

Conductive Core–Shell Nanoparticles: Synthesis and Applications

The photothermal coupling of TiN@Au core-shell nanorods applied to near-infrared photothermal therapy

Thermal plasmonic nanoparticles offer a novel and significant approach for photothermal therapy in the medical field, which is photothermal therapy of cancer. This study introduces a type of core-shell nanorods with internal coupling of titanium nitride (TiN) and gold (Au) nanomaterials. The photothermal properties of these nanorods in the near infrared (NIR) band were investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics software and the finite element method. Results indicate that TiN@Au and Au@TiN core-shell nanorods exhibit superior photothermal properties in the NIR band compared to pure TiN nanorods of similar volume. Furthermore, core-shell nanorods with polarization angles of 0° and 45° demonstrate enhanced optical absorption properties in the near infrared range. Furthermore, the study on the tunability of localized surface plasmon resonance with variations in core diameter, shell thickness, and combined changes of core diameter and shell thickness for core-shell nanorods of equal volume suggests that TiN@Au core-shell nanorods with a 10 nm Au shell offer increased optical absorption efficiency and photothermal conversion capability. Ultimately, the TiN and Au core-shell nanorods proposed in this research offer valuable insights for the structural design and heat transfer control of nanoparticle heat generators to enhance fluid temperature, as well as provide practical guidance for the preparation of core-shell nanoparticles.

Nickel metal particles encapsulated in carbon shells as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for urea-assisted hydrogen production

Urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is considered an ideal water splitting reaction with the potential to replace oxygen evolution reaction (OER), as it lowers the anodic potential and utilizes urea as a renewable and abundant resource. However, creating stable, effective bifunctional catalysts is still challenging. In this work, we report a novel bifunctional catalyst of core-shell structure Ni-500 Nano-particle. The carbon coating not only offers numerous active sites and facilitates rapid charge transfer but also shields the nickel core from corrosion. Moreover, By replenishing the urea concentration, the current density can be recovered and sustained for 50 h with only an 8 % decrease. It is significantly less than pure water electrolysis that the urea-assisted water electrolyzer with Ni-500 as both cathode and anode achieves cell-voltage of 1.55 V at 100 mA cm−2. This work demonstrates the potential of Ni-500 as a inexpensive and effective catalyst for urea-based hydrogen production, and offers new perspectives into the design and optimization for core-shell structure electrocatalyst.

Unlocking high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction through Co-N coordination engineering in Co@N-doped porous carbon core-shell nanoparticles

Unlocking high-efficiency oxygen evolution reaction through Co-N coordination engineering in Co@N-doped porous carbon core-shell nanoparticles

Tetrahedral DNA-linked aptamer-antibody-based sandwich-type electrochemical sensor with Ag@Au core-shell nanoparticles as a signal amplifier for highly sensitive detection of α-fetoprotein.

The conventional electrochemical detection strategy for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is limited by the antigen-antibody (Ag-Ab) reactions and suffers from low sensitivity and poor reproducibility due to the inconsistency of Ab-modified electrodes. Herein, we designed and explored a sandwich-type electrochemical sensor for highly sensitive detection of AFP based on aptamer (Apt)-AFP-Ab interaction mode with silver@gold (Ag@Au) core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) as a signal amplifier. AuNPs were electrodeposited onto MXene (Ti3C2TX)-modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to get AuNPs/MXene/GCE and further used as the signal amplification substrate. The tetrahedral DNA-linked AFP aptamers were immobilized onto AuNPs/MXene/GCE surface via Au-S bonds and used as the sensing and recognition platform for AFP capturing. Ag@AuNPs with core-shell structures were synthesized, characterized, and bound with Ab as detection elements by catalyzing H2O2 reduction. In thepresence of AFP, a stable Apt-AFP-Ab sandwich structure was formed owing to the high affinities of aptamer and Ab toward the target AFP. The catalytic current produced by H2O2 reduction increased linearly with thelogarithm ofAFP concentration from 5 × 10-4 ng/mL to 1 × 105 ng/mL, accompanied by a low detection limit (1.6 × 10-4 ng/mL). Moreover, the novel sandwich-type electrochemical sensor shows high sensitivity, outstanding selectivity, and promising performance in the analysis of actual samples, displaying a broad application prospect in bioanalysis.

Hierarchical Micro- and Mesoporous Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8-Based Enzyme Hybrid for Combination Antimicrobial by Lysozyme and Lactoferrin.

Pathogenic bacteria have consistently posed a formidable challenge to human health, creating the critical need for effective antibacterial solutions. In response, enzyme-metal-organic framework (MOF) composites have emerged as a promising class of antibacterial agents. This study focuses on the development of an enzyme-MOF composite based on HZIF-8, incorporating the advantages of simple synthesis, ZIF-8 antibacterial properties, lysozyme hydrolysis, and high biological safety. Through a one-pot method, core-shell nanoparticles (HZIF-8) were synthesized. This structure enables efficient immobilization of lysozyme and lactoferrin within the HZIF-8, resulting in the formation of the lysozyme-lactoferrin@HZIF-8 (LYZ-LF@HZIF-8) composite. Upon exposure to light irradiation, HZIF-8 itself possessed antibacterial properties. Lysozyme initiated the degradation of bacterial peptidoglycan and lactoferrin synergistically enhanced the antibacterial effect of lysozyme. All of the above ultimately contributed to comprehensive antibacterial activity. Antibacterial assessments demonstrated the efficacy of the LYZ-LF@HZIF-8 composite, effectively eradicating Staphylococcus aureus at a cell density of 1.5 × 106 CFU/mL with a low dosage of 200 μg/mL and completely inactivating Escherichia coli at 400 μg/mL with the same cell density. The enzyme-MOF composite exhibited significant and durable antibacterial efficacy, with no apparent cytotoxicity in vitro, thereby unveiling expansive prospects for applications in the medical and food industries.

Poly(N-Heterocyclic Carbene)-Capped Alloy and Core-Shell AuAg Bimetallic Nanoparticles.

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-stabilized metal nanoparticles (NPs) have recently attracted considerable attention. While most efforts in the field have been devoted to the development of NHC-tethered monometallic NPs and enhancing their stabilities under various conditions, their bimetallic counterparts are rare in the literature. Herein, we demonstrate that the covalent immobilization of Au and Ag atoms on polymerized NHCs is a powerful method to access bimetallic AuAg NPs. In addition, we show that while AuAg alloy NPs are often obtained via this method, the use of bimetallic polymeric substrates with lower Ag content, relative to Au, results in the formation of core-shell NPs with Au core and Ag shell. Application of these nanomaterials for oxygen reduction reaction is demonstrated with all materials exhibiting electrocatalytic activity. This work demonstrates for the first time that while bimetallic poly(NHC-metal)s are viable substrates to access NHC-stabilized bimetallic NPs, careful adjustment of metal content in the polymeric substrates can finetune the microstructure of the resulting NPs, i.e. alloy vs. core-shell.

Amorphous-Co@Nd(BO2)3/rGO magnetic nanocomposites as high-frequency, wide-bandwidth and light-weight microwave absorbing materials

It is necessary to broaden absorption bandwidth, regulate applied frequency, reduce the weight and maintain strong absorption for magnetic microwave absorbing materials by constructing suitable material structures to satisfy the requirements for wide applications in various electromagnetic devices. In this work, well-structured amorphous-Co@Nd(BO2)3/rGO nanocomposites have been fabricated using a selective chemical reduction in a mixed aqueous solution containing Co2+ and Nd3+ ions along with GO sheets reduced by NaBH4 as the reductant, in which only Co2+ and GO but no Nd3+ ions were reduced. Very low coercivity of 0.4 Oe is achieved in amorphous-Co@Nd(BO2)3/rGO nanocomposites due to amorphous Co@Nd(BO2)3 core-shell nanoparticles uniformly anchored on rGO sheets. These soft magnetic rGO-based nanocomposites exhibit high-frequency microwave absorption performance including a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of −84.09 dB at 15.38 GHz for a 2.1 mm thickness at an applied frequency range (12.31–18 GHz) covering almost the entire Ku band. Moreover, a much wider absorption band of 7.24 GHz (10.67–17.89 GHz, RL ≤ −10 dB) with a 2.3 mm thickness along with a RLmin value of −35.92 dB is also achieved. These rGO-based magnetic composites also show good structural stability, low density and easily controlled material compositions along with facile chemical fabrication suitable for mass production, which promises their latent use in high-performance microwave absorbing devices. Crystallization behavior of a new amorphous Nd(BO2)3 phase was also investigated.