Stability Of Nanocomplexes Research Articles

Copper(II)-Ethanolamine Triazine Complex on Chitosan-Functionalized Nanomaghemite for Catalytic Aerobic Oxidation of Benzylic Alcohols

In this study a novel, effective and recoverable Cu(II)-catalyst was synthesized by incorporating of Cu(OAc)2 within ethanolamine-triazine derivative (TAETA) attached to chitosan (Chs)-functionalized γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles [MNP@Chs/TAETA-Cu(II)]. It was characterized by different techniques such as FT-IR, EDS, ICP, TEM, TGA and VSM. The as-prepared nanocomposite demonstrated high oxidation activity and desired selectivity in the aerobic oxidation of structurally diverse set of benzyl alcohols. Spectral results and leaching experiments revealed that this magnetically recoverable heterogeneous catalyst preserved its structure after it was reused several times. This protocol offers some beneficial features such as the use of oxygen as an ideal oxidant, stability of nanocomplex, easily catalyst separation by using an external magnetic field and efficient recycling as well as the lack of by-products.

Dinuclear cadmium (II) Schiff base complex: synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopic characterization and application as a new precursor for preparation of nano-cadmium oxide

A novel cadmium (II) nano-complex, [Cd(EtOH)(HL)(NO3)]2 (1), (H2L = 2-[(2-hydroxy-propylimino) methyl] phenol) was synthesized by solvothermal and sonochemical methods. The new nanostructure was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Single crystalline of compound 1 was obtained using a branch tube method. The determination of the structure by single-crystal X-ray crystallography shows that the complex is a centrosymmetric dimer in which deprotonated phenolates bridge the two seven-coordinate metal atoms and link the two halves of the dimer. The luminescent properties of the complex 1 were examined and compared with the free ligand. The thermal stability of nano-complex 1 was analyzed by thermal gravimetric analysis. Furthermore, the effect of the initial substrates concentration on size and morphology of compound 1 nanostructure was investigated in sonochemical method. After the solid-state transformation of compound 1 at 650 °C in air, pure-phase nano-sized cadmium (II) oxide was produced. The morphology and size of the prepared CdO samples were further observed using TEM and SEM. Investigation of the optical properties of the produced cadmium oxide, using UV–Vis spectroscopy, confirmed its semiconducting properties by revealing optical band gap at 2.93 eV. A blue shift is observed in the band gap when compared with bulk sample which is due to the quantum size effect.

Non-invasive Oil-Based Method to Increase Topical Delivery of Nucleic Acids to Skin

Topical delivery of nucleic acids to skin has huge prospects in developing therapeutic interventions for cutaneous disorders. In spite of initial success, clinical translation is vastly impeded by the constraints of bioavailability as well as stability in metabolically active environment of skin. Various physical and chemical methods used to overcome these limitations involve invasive procedures or compounds that compromise skin integrity. Hence, there is an increasing demand for developing safe skin penetration enhancers for efficient nucleic acid delivery to skin. Here, we demonstrate that pretreatment of skin with silicone oil can increase the transfection efficiency of non-covalently associated peptide-plasmid DNA nanocomplexes in skin exvivo and invivo. The method does not compromise skin integrity, as indicated by microscopic evaluation of cellular differentiation, tissue architecture, enzyme activity assessment, dye penetration tests using Franz assay, and cytotoxicity and immunogenicity analyses. Stability of nanocomplexes is not hampered on pretreatment, thereby avoiding nuclease-mediated degradation. The mechanistic insights through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy reveal some alterations in the skin hydration status owing to possible occlusion effects of the enhancer. Overall, we describe a topical, non-invasive, efficient, and safe method that can be used to increase the penetration and delivery of plasmid DNA to skin for possible therapeutic applications.

Biophysical Characterization of Glycodendrimers As Nano-carriers for HIV Peptides

This paper examines the formation and stability of nano-complexes that could provide a new therapeutic approach against HIV-1 infection. Poly(propylene imine) glycodendrimers decorated with 2(nd) generation cationic carbosilane dendrons were generated and their use in polyplex formation checked. Owing to their positively-charged terminal amino groups the hybrid glycodendrimers can bind anionic peptides. It was shown that they form nano-complexes with the HIV-derived peptides P24, Gp160 and Nef. Complexes 130-190 nm in size were formed in molar ratios (dendrimer/ peptide) of (3-4):1. These were sufficiently stable over time and at different pHs. The results obtained suggest that the hybrid dendrimers studied can be considered as alternative carriers for delivering HIV peptides to dendritic cells.

Combining QD-FRET and Microfluidics to Monitor DNA Nanocomplex Self-Assembly in Real-Time

Advances in genomics continue to fuel the development of therapeutics that can target pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular level. Typically functional inside the cell, nucleic acid-based therapeutics require an efficient intracellular delivery system. One widely adopted approach is to complex DNA with a gene carrier to form nanocomplexes via electrostatic self-assembly, facilitating cellular uptake of DNA while protecting it against degradation. The challenge lies in the rational design of efficient gene carriers, since premature dissociation or overly stable binding would be detrimental to the cellular uptake and therapeutic efficacy. Nanocomplexes synthesized by bulk mixing showed a diverse range of intracellular unpacking and trafficking behavior, which was attributed to the heterogeneity in size and stability of nanocomplexes. Such heterogeneity hinders the accurate assessment of the self-assembly kinetics and adds to the difficulty in correlating their physical properties to transfection efficiencies or bioactivities. We present a novel convergence of nanophotonics (i.e. QD-FRET) and microfluidics to characterize the real-time kinetics of the nanocomplex self-assembly under laminar flow. QD-FRET provides a highly sensitive indication of the onset of molecular interactions and quantitative measure throughout the synthesis process, whereas microfluidics offers a well-controlled microenvironment to spatially analyze the process with high temporal resolution (~milliseconds). For the model system of polymeric nanocomplexes, two distinct stages in the self-assembly process were captured by this analytic platform. The kinetic aspect of the self-assembly process obtained at the microscale would be particularly valuable for microreactor-based reactions which are relevant to many micro- and nano-scale applications. Further, nanocomplexes may be customized through proper design of microfludic devices, and the resulting QD-FRET polymeric DNA nanocomplexes could be readily applied for establishing structure-function relationships.

Combining QD-FRET and Microfluidics to Monitor DNA Nanocomplex Self-Assembly in Real-Time

Advances in genomics continue to fuel the development of therapeutics that can target pathogenesis at the cellular and molecular level. Typically functional inside the cell, nucleic acid-based therapeutics require an efficient intracellular delivery system. One widely adopted approach is to complex DNA with a gene carrier to form nanocomplexes via electrostatic self-assembly, facilitating cellular uptake of DNA while protecting it against degradation. The challenge lies in the rational design of efficient gene carriers, since premature dissociation or overly stable binding would be detrimental to the cellular uptake and therapeutic efficacy. Nanocomplexes synthesized by bulk mixing showed a diverse range of intracellular unpacking and trafficking behavior, which was attributed to the heterogeneity in size and stability of nanocomplexes. Such heterogeneity hinders the accurate assessment of the self-assembly kinetics and adds to the difficulty in correlating their physical properties to transfection efficiencies or bioactivities. We present a novel convergence of nanophotonics (i.e. QD-FRET) and microfluidics to characterize the real-time kinetics of the nanocomplex self-assembly under laminar flow. QD-FRET provides a highly sensitive indication of the onset of molecular interactions and quantitative measure throughout the synthesis process, whereas microfluidics offers a well-controlled microenvironment to spatially analyze the process with high temporal resolution (~milliseconds). For the model system of polymeric nanocomplexes, two distinct stages in the self-assembly process were captured by this analytic platform. The kinetic aspect of the self-assembly process obtained at the microscale would be particularly valuable for microreactor-based reactions which are relevant to many micro- and nano-scale applications. Further, nanocomplexes may be customized through proper design of microfludic devices, and the resulting QD-FRET polymeric DNA nanocomplexes could be readily applied for establishing structure-function relationships.