Janus Nanoparticles Research Articles

Exsolution of phase-separated nanoparticles via trigger effect toward reversible solid oxide cell

The electrocatalytic characteristics of heterostructure nanoparticles have attracted attention for use in devices addressing energy and environmental issues. Among the various features, exsolved alloy or core–shell nanoparticles display high reactive surface area and strong interaction between the metal and substrate oxide. Herein, we report multifunctional heterostructure nanoparticles, namely Fe/Cu Janus nanoparticles (JN) and verify an exsolution trigger effect using Cu as a seed in the La0.43Sr0.37Fe0.09Cu0.03Ti0.88O3-δ (Fe75) perovskite substrate. During the exsolution process, the exsolved Cu particles played a key role in triggering the Fe exsolution by contributing additional surface energy. These Fe/Cu JNs exhibited outstanding catalytic activity in a reversible solid oxide cell fed with H2O/H2 and CO/CO2 fuels. A single cell with Fe75 showed an impressive current density of − 1.11 A cm−2 at 1.3 V and 900 °C. Our study experimentally elucidated the mechanism of the triggering of co-exsolution and demonstrated a multifunctional catalyst using Fe/Cu JNs.

Ball-Cup, Janus, core-shell and disordered-alloy rhodium-gold nanoparticles: An atomistic simulation on structural stability

In recent years, the synthesis of Au-Rh nanoparticles with different chemical arrangements have been reported. Studies indicated that the Au-Rh nanoparticles show the highly effective catalytic activity in the hydrogenation reactions at 300 K. Therefore, in this work, the stability of different chemical arrangements of Au-Rh nanoparticles, including Aucore@Rhshell, Rhcore@Aushell, Auball-Rhcup, Rhball-Aucup, Rh|Au Janus, and Au-Rh disordered-alloy, was investigated at room temperature by molecular dynamics simulation. The different parameters such as excess energy and strain were employed for comparison of stability of Au-Rh nanoparticles. Results show that the Au atoms always show the highest strain values regardless of their core or shell position. Therefore, the placement of Au atoms in the core of the nanoparticle leads to the most strain in the core position and the instability of Au-Rh nanoparticles. While, the placement of Rh atoms in the core of the nanoparticle and the placement of Au atoms in the shell of the nanoparticle lead to the reduction of the strain in the core and reduction of the surface energy in the shell, respectively, and consequently increase the stability of the Au-Rh nanoparticle. Hence, among the Au-Rh nanoparticles with different chemical arrangements, the group of Rhball-Aucup, Rh|Au Janus, and Rhcore@Aushell are known as nanoparticles with the most stability and the group of Aucore@Rhshell, and Auball-Rhcup are known as nanoparticles with the lowest stability. Meanwhile, the disordered-alloy nanoparticle shows the intermediate stability between two groups. Generally, in the Au-Rh nanoparticles with different chemical arrangements, it can be concluded that the stability of nanoparticles decreases by increasing the number of Au atoms in the positions close to the core.

Highly Durable and Efficient Ni-FeOx/FeNi3 Electrocatalysts Synthesized by a Facile In Situ Combustion-Based Method for Overall Water Splitting with Large Current Densities.

Ni-/Fe-based materials are promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) but usually are not suitable for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a durable and bifunctional catalyst consisting of Ni-FeOx and FeNi3 is prepared on nickel foam (Ni-FeOx/FeNi3/NF) by in situ solution combustion and subsequent calcination to accomplish efficient alkaline water splitting. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation shows that the high HER activity is attributed to the strong electronic coupling effects between FeOx and FeNi3 in the Janus nanoparticles by modulating ΔGH* and electronic states. Consequently, small overpotentials (η) of 71 and 272 mV in HER and 269 and 405 mV in OER yield current densities (j) of 50 and 1000 mA cm-2, respectively. The catalyst shows outstanding stability for 280 and 200 h in HER and OER at a j of ∼50 mA cm-2. Also, the robustness and mechanical stability of the electrode at an elevated j of ∼500 mA cm-2 are excellent. Moreover, Ni-FeOx/FeNi3/NF shows excellent water splitting activities as a bifunctional catalyst as exemplified by j of 50 and 500 mA cm-2 at cell voltages of 1.58 and 1.80 V, respectively. The Ni-FeOx/FeNi3/NF structure synthesized by the novel, simple, and scalable strategy has large potential in commercial water electrolysis, and the in situ combustion method holds great promise in the fabrication of thin-film electrodes for different applications.

Twinned-Au-tip-induced growth of plasmonic Au–Cu Janus nanojellyfish in upconversion luminescence enhancement

The metallic Janus nanoparticle is an emerging plasmonic nanostructure that has attracted attention in the fields of materials science and nanophotonics. The instability of the Cu nanostructure leads to very complex nucleation and growth kinetics, and synthesis of Cu Janus nanoparticle has challenges. Here, we report a new method for synthesis of Au–Cu Janus nanojellyfish (JNF) by using twinned tips of Au nanoflower (NF) as seeds. The twinned nanotip of the Au NF and the large lattice mismatch between Au and Cu can induce formation of twin defects during the growth process, resulting in asymmetric deposition of Cu atoms. The symmetry-breaking using different sizes of Au NF and Cu nanodomains within the Au–Cu JNF can controllably change the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) modes. The asymmetric Au–Cu JNF can induce plasmon coupling between dipolar and multipolar modes, which leads to clear electric-field enhancement in the near-infrared region. An Au–Cu JNF with multiple LSPR modes was chosen to simultaneously match the excitation and emission bands of the lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). A 5000-fold enhancement of the upconversion luminescence was achieved by using single plasmonic Au–Cu JNF. The Au–Cu JNF can also provide a guide for new metallic Janus nanoparticles in the fields of plasmonic, photothermal conversion, and nanomotors.

A plasmonic Au-Ag janus nanoprobe for monitoring endogenous hydrogen sulfide generation in living cells

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an essential intracellular gasotransmitter undertaking numerous signaling roles and physiological effects. Herein, an ingenious anisotropic gold (Au)-silver (Ag) Janus plasmonic nanoprobe was constructed based on the dark-field light scattering imaging for the detection of exogenous and endogenous H2S. In the presence of sulfide, the Ag islands as the sensing agent were susceptible to oxidation to Ag2S, which induced changes in the longitudinal localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) properties of Au-Ag Janus nanoparticles (JNPs), resulting in remarkable and distinctive scattering color changes as well as spectral shifts. The JNPs exhibited satisfying anti-interference capability and a good linear relationship with a low detection limit of 0.11 nM. Additionally, this distinct nanoprobe was successfully applied to monitor endogenous H2S as well as map local variations of H2S in real-time with its unique intuition and sensitivity in intracellular imaging applications. This work provided a promising application in the plasmonic detection of intracellular H2S and paved insight into the H2S-related biological process.

DNA-Au Janus Nanoparticles for In Situ SERS Detection and Targeted Chemo-photodynamic Synergistic Therapy.

Cancer theranostics is of great significance in the personalized therapy. In this work, stable Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) containing PEG and two kinds of DNAs were prepared by means of "click chemistry". In response to ATP or acid condition, the prepared JNPs could form Au NP dimers, which facilitate in situ SERS detection and SERS imaging analysis of cancer cells due to the formation of "hot spots" in the nanogap between the Au NP dimers. A detection limit of 2.3 × 10-9 M was obtained for ATP. As for a pH sensor, the SERS signals increased with the decrease of pH value from 8.0 to 4.0. In situ monitoring of ATP or acid condition in cancer cells by SERS can improve the accuracy and sensitivity of diagnosis. Moreover, drugs and photosensitizers loaded on the other side of JNPs led to the chemotherapy/photodynamic therapy synergistic antitumor effect, which was verified by in vitro and in vivo experiments. Given the excellent performance in SERS detection and cancer therapy, the developed JNPs hold considerable potential in cancer theranostics.

Janus Nanoparticle Coupled Double‐Network Hydrogel

For double network (DN) hydrogels, their performance can be tuned by adjusting the interaction between their two networks. A novel DN hydrogel toughening approach is proposed by employing Janus nanoparticles (JNs) as crosslinkers to gain a conjoined-network hydrogel. First, a kind of JNs modified by amino groups and quaternary ammonium salt is synthesized, named R3 N+ -JN-NH2 . The DN hydrogel is fabricated based on ionic coordination between calcium chloride (CaCl2 ) and sodium alginate (Alg), as well as covalent (benzoic imine) between glycol chitosan (GC) and benzaldehyde-capped poly(ethylene oxide) (BzCHO-PEO-BzCHO). Based on the same covalent and ionic dynamic crosslinking mechanism, the added R3 N+ -JN-NH2 interacts with two networks to promote crosslinking to form a dually crosslinked structure. The R3 N+ -JN-NH2 effectively provides more energy dissipation, and the hydrogel with conjoined networks shows better compression resistance.

Confinement Assembly of Terpolymer‐Based Janus Nanoparticles

While the confinement assembly of block copolymers into functional microparticles has been extensively studied, little is known about the behavior of Janus nanoparticles (JNPs) in spherical confinement. Here, the confinement self-assembly of JNPs in drying emulsion droplets is investigated and their behavior compared to their ABC triblock terpolymer precursors. Emulsions of both materials are prepared using Shirasu Porous Glass membranes leading to narrow size distributions of the microparticles with average hydrodynamic radii in the range of Rh =250-500nm (depending on the membrane pore radius, Rpore ). The internal structure of the microparticles is verified with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on ultrathin cross sections and compared to the corresponding bulk morphologies. While the confinement assembly of terpolymers results in microparticles with ordered inner morphologies, order for JNPs diminishes when the Janus balance deviates from parity.

Shedding Light on Luminescent Janus Nanoparticles: From Synthesis to Photoluminescence and Applications

Luminescent Janus nanoparticles refer to a special category of Janus-based nanomaterials that not only exhibit dual-asymmetric surface nature but also attractive optical properties. The introduction of luminescence has endowed conventional Janus nanoparticles with many alluring light-responsive functionalities and broadens their applications in imaging, sensing, nanomotors, photo-based therapy, etc. The past few decades have witnessed significant achievements in this field. This review first summarizes well-established strategies to design and prepare luminescent Janus nanoparticles and then discusses optical properties of luminescent Janus nanoparticles based on downconversion and upconversion photoluminescence mechanisms. Various emerging applications of luminescent Janus nanoparticles are also introduced. Finally, opportunities and future challenges are highlighted with respect to the development of next-generation luminescent Janus nanoparticles with diverse applications.

Biodegradable Polylactide-co-Glycolide-Chitosan Janus Nanoparticles (JNP) for the Local Delivery of the IL-6R Receptor Antagonist, Tocilizumab, for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) Chemoprevention

<h3>Introduction</h3> Risk factor behavior e.g. smoking with/without alcohol or diseases associated with DNA repair deficits e.g. Fanconi anemia (FA) render the entire oral cavity at risk to develop OSCC. While systemically- delivered chemopreventives should conceivably provide oral mucosal field-coverage, bioavailability issues and drug-related toxicities generated disappointing outcomes. In contrast, local delivery formulations can deliver therapeutically-relevant levels without systemic side-effects. This proof of concept study determined whether Janus nanoparticles are a viable field-coverage chemopreventive strategy. Due to IL6's vital role in OSCC de- velopment, tocilizumab was selected as the payload chemopreventive.Methods:1) Formulation of tocilizumab- containing PLGA-chitosan nanoparticles (electrohydrodynamic co-jetting), 2) Determination of keratinocyte [FA- OSCC and E6/E7 transduced (epi) human cell lines] Internalization via confocal microscopy and fluorescent- activated cell sorting (FACS), 3)Assessment of nanoparticle-delivered tocilizumab immunoreactivity (tocilizumab ELISA), 4)Evaluation of fluorescenttagged nanoparticle penetration of oral mucosal explants (fluorescent mi- croscopy). Results:1) JNP were successfully formulated to achieve 65% tocilizumab loading and subsequent re- lease of immuno-reactive tocilizumab (ELISA confirmed)., 2) Qualitative (confocal microscopy) and quantitative (FACS) analyses confirmed human keratinocyte nanoparticle internalization in a time-dependent fashion. Notably, even the shortest co-incubation FACS time point (1 h) revealed appreciable internalization (75% and 73% of epi and FA-OSCC cell populations, respectively)., 3) Fluorescent-tagged nanoparticle studies revealed 85% of the mucosal explants (11/13) demonstrated particle penetration past the stratum corneum while 38% (5/13) contained nanopar- ticles in the basilar third of the epithelium. <h3>Conclusions</h3> One of the mechanisms by which nanoparticles penetrate stratified epithelium is energy dependent (transcytosis). It is therefore probable that JNP optimization combined with in vivo analyses in ATP-replete tissues will enhance nanoparticle transport to the targeted, proliferative ep- ithelial cells. Previously, our lab has shown that local injections of tocilizumab significantly reduced OSCC tumori- genesis in vivo. Studies are currently ongoing to determine the OSCC chemoprevention efficacy of locally injected, sustained-release tocilizumab JNP.

Multifunctional “ball-rod” Janus nanoparticles boosting Fenton reaction for ferroptosis therapy of non-small cell lung cancer

Ferroptosis is a newly found cell death mechanism, which could bypass apoptosis and reverse multidrug resistance of tumors. However, efficient induction of tumor ferroptosis remains a challenge. In this study, multifunctional “ball-rod” Janus nanoparticles (FTG/L&SMD) were constructed for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ferroptosis treatment. Protected by tannic acid (TA), FTG/L&SMD maintains long-term function in blood circulation, while modification by 2, 3-dimethylmaleic anhydride (DMMA) confers the FTG/L&SMD with pH-responsive charge reversal. Glucose oxidase (GOD) on FTG/L&SMD catalyzes glucose to produce H2O2. Then, iron ion converts H2O2 to highly active hydroxyl radicals (OH•) via Fenton reaction, leading to lethal lipid peroxidation (LPO) accumulation. Meanwhile, TA reduces Fe3+ to Fe2+ to boost Fenton reaction cycle. Sor down-regulated glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression in another pathway to induce ferroptosis synergistically. In vitro studies have shown that compared with sorafenib (Sor), FTG/L&SMD not only has more efficient tumor targeting and higher cytotoxicity, but also inhibits tumor migration. In vivo antitumor therapy experiments demonstrate that FTG/L&SMD inhibits tumor growth efficiently, and its toxicity is negligible. In general, FTG/L&SMD can initiate Fenton reaction cycle and reinforced ferroptosis to kill tumor cells, which is a promising anti-tumor nano-drug for NSCLC.

Impact of Charge Regulation on Self-Assembly of Zwitterionic Nanoparticles.

Zwitterionic modification of colloids with weak acids and bases represents a promising strategy in creating functional materials with tunable properties and modeling the self-organization of charged proteins. However, accurate incorporation of the dynamic dissociation or association of ionization groups known as charge regulation (CR) is often intractable in theoretical and computational investigations since charge redistribution and configuration need to be evolved self-consistently. Using hybrid MonteCarlo and molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that a dilute suspension of overall charge-neutral zwitterionic Janus nanoparticles shows a conformational transition from an open assembly of string or bundle to compact cluster along with the variation in pH. The behavior under CR is qualitatively different from the commonly employed constant charge condition where the transition is absent. The CR-induced clustering is due to the inhomogeneous and fluctuating charges localized near the equatorial boundary of the Janus particle. These features are enhanced particularly at low salt concentration and high electrostatic coupling strength. Our results indicate the critical role of charge regulation in the spatial self-organization of zwitterionic nanoparticles.

A Multi-Step model to predict the size of stabilized oil droplets in pickering emulsions containing janus and non-janus nanoparticles

In this study, a multi-step model is proposed to predict the average size of stabilized oil droplets in Pickering emulsions considering the characteristics, participation ratio, three-phase contact angle, and aggregation/agglomeration of nanostabilizers. As the first step, a novel model is proposed to define the size and volume fraction of the aggregated/agglomerated domains based on the thermal conduction coefficient of water/nanostabilizer suspensions. Next, the average radius of the stabilized oil droplets is predicted using another designed model considering the content of involved nanostabilizers and their penetration depth inside the oil phase. Three different OX-50 silica nanoparticles (bare, homogenously modified (HM) and Janus) are used as stabilizers in Pickering emulsions. Janus nanoparticles are synthesized using a one-step desymmetrization process and the characteristics of the products are verified based on their behavior in the water/chloroform dual-phase system and FTIR test results. The results of the multi-step model are compared to the actual average radius of the stabilized oil droplets defined using the light-microscopy and FE-SEM tests. It was found that the proposed model is acceptably accurate in predicting the average size of the oil droplets in the systems containing bare and HM nanoparticles however, the unique behavior of Janus nanoparticles causes an overprediction.

High Yield Synthesis of Water‐Processable Donor:Acceptor Janus Nanoparticles with Tuned Internal Morphology and Highly Efficient Charge Separation/Transfer

AbstractHere, for the first time, the high‐yield (87.6%) robust and facile synthesis of water‐processable donor–acceptor Janus nanoparticles (JNP) that are of high potential for optoelectronic applications is reported. The water‐processable JNPs have easily controlled Janus ratios and are of excellent quality, which is shown by energy‐filtered transmission electron microscopy. The JNPs exhibit improved charge separation and transfer properties compared to the conventional donor–acceptor nanoparticles which is characterized via both steady‐state and transient photoluminescence spectroscopy. The Janus character of particles allows the combination of two materials into one composite and programs morphology of structures, which can be formed on the basis of the particles. Finally, outstanding performance of JNP‐based photovoltaic cells with 53% improvement of efficiency is shown.

Near-infrared laser-controlled nitric oxide-releasing gold nanostar/hollow polydopamine Janus nanoparticles for synergistic elimination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and wound healing

Recently, nitric oxide (NO) has received increasing interest in combat against bacteria-induced infections because of its ability to sensitize and enhance the antibacterial effectiveness of many therapeutic approaches such as antibiotics. However, high-efficient loading and controlled release of NO remain a big challenge. In the present work, a type of gold nanostar/hollow polydopamine Janus nanostructure (GNS/HPDA JNPs) with precise near infrared (NIR)-controlled NO release property was fabricated using a facile seed-mediated method. Upon NIR laser irradiation, the NO-releasing GNS/HPDA JNPs (GNS/HPDA-BNN6) exhibited a synergistic photothermal and NO antibacterial effect by significantly inhibiting the growth and biofilm formation of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). An in-depth mechanism study revealed that two pathways were mainly involved in the synergistic photothermal and NO antibacterial effect. In one pathway, the synergistic effect severely destroyed the bacterial membrane by causing leakage of intracellular components such as DNA. In another pathway, the synergistic effect largely disturbed bacterial metabolism by regulating relative metabolic genes, followed by enhancing ROS generation to cause intracellular GSH depletion and DNA damage. More importantly, the synergistic effect significantly diminished the drug resistance of MRSA by downregulating the expression of the drug-resistant gene mecA and some relative multidrug efflux pumps (e.g., SepA and Tet38). An in vivo evaluation using a rat model with MRSA-infected wounds indicated that the synergistic photothermal and NO effect of GNS/HPDA-BNN6 can effectively eliminate MRSA from wounds, thereby alleviating inflammation and promoting wound healing. Statement of significanceMultidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria have become a big threat to mankind, and therefore, the development of innovative antibacterial agents with high antibacterial efficiency is urgently required. Nanomaterial-mediated nitric oxide (NO) therapy is a promising strategy to effectively combat MDR bacteria through a synergistic antibacterial effect. Here, a gold nanostar/hollow polydopamine Janus nanostructure with precise near infrared (NIR) light-controlled NO release property (GNS/HPDA-BNN6) was developed. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated that GNS/HPDA-BNN6 could effectively eliminate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from infected wounds and promote wound healing through a synergistic photothermal and NO therapeutic effect. Remarkably, the synergistic effect significantly diminished the drug resistance of MRSA by downregulating the expression of some drug-resistant genes and multidrug efflux pumps.

Fabrication of amphiphilic porous PDVB-PAA Janus nanoparticles: Formation mechanism, simultaneous loading and regulated release of hydrophobic and hydrophilic cargos

In this work, we reported the amphiphilic porous polydivinylbenzene-poly(acrylic acid) (PDVB-PAA) Janus nanoparticles (NPs) with a cross-linked hydrophobic porous PDVB framework and a cross-linked hydrophilic porous PAA bulge, which were converted from polystyrene/polydivinylbenzene-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PS/PDVB-PtBA) Janus NPs via hydrolysis in dichloromethane. Cl,Br-labeled PS/PDVB-PtBA Janus NPs were designed and synthesized to experimentally verify the formation mechanism of PS/PDVB-PtBA Janus NPs and PDVB-PAA Janus NPs for the first time by combined techniques of TEM, SEM with element mapping and FTIR measurements. By simply varying the feeding amount of crosslinking agent ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) during the polymerization step of tBA, the morphologies of resultant PS/PDVB-PtBA Janus NPs and corresponding PDVB-PAA Janus NPs could be well controlled. It was demonstrated that the obtained amphiphilic porous PDVB-PAA Janus NPs could be applied as carrier materials for simultaneously loading hydrophobic coumarin 153 and hydrophilic rhodamine 6G.

Biocompatible amphiphilic Janus nanoparticles with enhanced interfacial properties for colloidal surfactants

Emulsions in which water droplets are dispersed in fluorocarbon oil phase (W/F emulsions) serve as effective means to encapsulate bioactives and precisely execute reactions in confined space due to the gas permeability, chemical inertness, and biocompatibility offered by the continuous phase. While molecular surfactants consisting of perfluorinated polyether (PFPE) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) have been used to stabilize these emulsions, these surfactants cannot effectively prevent coalescence and cross-contamination between the neighboring droplets. Herein, we present Janus nanoparticles (F-SiO2-PEG) as biocompatible colloidal surfactants to achieve excellent stability in W/F emulsions. By utilizing monolayered wax colloidosomes as templates, we show that Janus silica nanoparticles with two distinctive surface wetting properties can be synthesized in high purity. Moreover, we demonstrate that additional PEGylation of these Janus particles allows these colloidal surfactants to strongly adhere at the W/F interface, granting excellent emulsion stability compared to the equivalent randomly functionalized nanoparticles and prevent non-specific adsorption of proteins. As the strategy outlined in this work is general, we anticipate that it can be further extended to prepare Janus particles with tailored interfacial properties for biomedical, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical applications involving emulsions.

Kinetics‐Regulated Interfacial Selective Superassembly of Asymmetric Smart Nanovehicles with Tailored Topological Hollow Architectures

AbstractHollow nanoparticles featuring tunable structures with spatial and chemical specificity are of fundamental interest. However, it remains a significant challenge to design and synthesize asymmetric nanoparticles with controllable topological hollow architecture. Here, a versatile kinetics‐regulated cooperative polymerization induced interfacial selective superassembly strategy is demonstrated to construct a series of asymmetric hollow porous composites (AHPCs) with tunable diameters, architectures and components. The size and number of patches on Janus nanoparticles can be precisely manipulated by the precursor and catalyst content. Notably, AHPCs exhibit excellent photothermal conversion performance under the irradiation of a near infrared (NIR) laser. Thus, AHPCs are utilized as NIR light‐triggered nanovehicles and cargos can be controllably released. In brief, this versatile superassembly approach offers a streamlined and powerful toolset to design diverse asymmetric hollow porous composites.

Kinetics-Regulated Interfacial Selective Superassembly of Asymmetric Smart Nanovehicles with Tailored Topological Hollow Architectures.

Hollow nanoparticles featuring tunable structures with spatial and chemical specificity are of fundamental interest. However, it remains a significant challenge to design and synthesize asymmetric nanoparticles with controllable topological hollow architecture. Here, a versatile kinetics-regulated cooperative polymerization induced interfacial selective superassembly strategy is demonstrated to construct a series of asymmetric hollow porous composites (AHPCs) with tunable diameters, architectures and components. The size and number of patches on Janus nanoparticles can be precisely manipulated by the precursor and catalyst content. Notably, AHPCs exhibit excellent photothermal conversion performance under the irradiation of a near infrared (NIR) laser. Thus, AHPCs are utilized as NIR light-triggered nanovehicles and cargos can be controllably released. In brief, this versatile superassembly approach offers a streamlined and powerful toolset to design diverse asymmetric hollow porous composites.

Domain-selective compression of phase-separated vesicles induced by amphiphilic Janus nanoparticles

The surface chemistry of nanoparticles dominantly determines their interactions with biomembranes and potential cytotoxicity. However, little is known about the biological impacts of nanomaterials with anisotropic surface chemistry. In this presentation, I will demonstrate our work on understanding interactions of anisotropic nanoparticles with lipid membranes, using nanoparticles that display spatially separated hydrophobic and charged ligands on opposite sides. These amphiphilic nanoparticles, called Janus nanoparticles, disrupt and deform lipid vesicle membranes, including membrane wrinkling, protrusion, poration, and even collapse of entire vesicles.