A sonochemical approach to the direct surface functionalization of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane

• Bashiru Kayode Sodipo and
• Azlan Abdul Aziz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1472–1476, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.160

• cause them to agglomerate in ionic solution [1]. In addition, SPION exhibit a lack of affinity for biomolecules. One of the methods used to minimize these effects is through surface modification or functionalization of the SPION. Organic compounds, such as (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), are

Protein-coated pH-responsive gold nanoparticles: Microwave-assisted synthesis and surface charge-dependent anticancer activity

• Dickson Joseph,
• Nisha Tyagi,
• Christian Geckeler and
• Kurt E.Geckeler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1452–1462, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.158

• methodologies with biological molecules as the templates. Towards this purpose, biomolecules such as proteins/enzymes and DNA possess significant advantage as both reducing and capping agents on gold, which is the most extensively studied system in this category [11][12]. Gold nanoparticles are known for their

• ]. Biomolecules have been reported to interact with gold salts and reduce them into metallic gold, acting both as a reductant and stabilizer [12][17][18][19][20][21]. Proteins, such as bovine serum albumin, silk fibroin protein, chicken egg white lysozyme, α-amylase, green fluorescent protein and apoferritin have

Near-field photochemical and radiation-induced chemical fabrication of nanopatterns of a self-assembled silane monolayer

• Ulrich C. Fischer,
• Carsten Hentschel,
• Florian Fontein,
• Linda Stegemann,
• Christiane Hoeppener,
• Harald Fuchs and
• Stefanie Hoeppener

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1441–1449, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.156

• reactive groups. Hence, they form templates for the spatially defined fabrication of functionalities for the attachment of, e.g., biomolecules [1][2][3], polymers [4][5][6], or other organic or inorganic nanoparticles [7][8] with nanometer precision. Potential applications of such chemically structured

The protein corona protects against size- and dose-dependent toxicity of amorphous silica nanoparticles

• Dominic Docter,
• Christoph Bantz,
• Dana Westmeier,
• Hajo J. Galla,
• Qiangbin Wang,
• James C. Kirkpatrick,
• Peter Nielsen,
• Michael Maskos and
• Roland H. Stauber

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1380–1392, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.151

• , the GI tract also contains additional biobarriers, such as mucous matrices and other biomolecules. Thus, future studies need to consider experimentally this layer of additional complexity to resolve the mechanisms and (patho)biological effects of silica nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo. Generally

Purification of ethanol for highly sensitive self-assembly experiments

• Kathrin Barbe,
• Martin Kind,
• Christian Pfeiffer and
• Andreas Terfort

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1254–1260, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.139

• modification [4], e.g., as etch resist for microfabrication [5][6], as support for molecular systems like metal-organic frameworks or biomolecules [7], or for the tuning of electronic properties of metal surfaces [8][9][10][11][12], to mention just a few. One reason for the popularity of SAMs is their ease of

Model systems for studying cell adhesion and biomimetic actin networks

• Dorothea Brüggemann,
• Johannes P. Frohnmayer and
• Joachim P. Spatz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1193–1202, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.131

• membrane by biotin-streptavidin linkages. This anchorage resulted in the formation of a cortex-like actin structure within the GUVs. However, the GUVs in this study were contaminated by agarose, which adhered to the lipid membrane. A very similar approach for growing GUVs with embedded biomolecules was

Antimicrobial nanospheres thin coatings prepared by advanced pulsed laser technique

• Alina Maria Holban,
• Valentina Grumezescu,
• Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu,
• Bogdan Ştefan Vasile,
• Roxana Truşcă,
• Rodica Cristescu,
• Gabriel Socol and
• Florin Iordache

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 872–880, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.99

• materials [37], metaloporphyrines [38] and for biomolecules, e.g., poly(lactic acid) (PLA) [39], poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) PLGA [40], polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) [41] and fibrinogen [42]. Our recent reports have highlighted the capability of the laser processing technique to prepare thin coatings based on

In vitro toxicity and bioimaging studies of gold nanorods formulations coated with biofunctional thiol-PEG molecules and Pluronic block copolymers

• Tianxun Gong,
• Douglas Goh,
• Malini Olivo and
• Ken-Tye Yong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 546–553, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.64

• the encapsulated AuNRs synthesized in this study. The bright red and orange scattered spots located within the cells suggest that the AuNRs were internalized into the cells by non-specific cellular uptake since no biomolecules were attached to our gold formulations. Huang et al. performed a similar

Exploring the complex mechanical properties of xanthan scaffolds by AFM-based force spectroscopy

• Hao Liang,
• Guanghong Zeng,
• Yinli Li,
• Shuai Zhang,
• Huiling Zhao,
• Lijun Guo,
• Bo Liu and
• Mingdong Dong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 365–373, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.42

• strength, adhesive properties, and elastic modulus [27][28][29], have been investigated by FS. In the mechanical measurements of biomolecules, the unfolding of the regular secondary structure of proteins was characterized by periodical peaks on the force–distance curves, which allowed for the

Near-infrared dye loaded polymeric nanoparticles for cancer imaging and therapy and cellular response after laser-induced heating

• Tingjun Lei,
• Alicia Fernandez-Fernandez,
• Romila Manchanda,
• Yen-Chih Huang and
• Anthony J. McGoron

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 313–322, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.35

• and protect their cargo from degradation, including drugs and other types of biomolecules [1][2]. NPs have also proven to be useful in overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR) by preventing the direct interaction of drug exporter pumps with their substrates once encapsulated in NPs [3]. An additional

Exploring the retention properties of CaF₂ nanoparticles as possible additives for dental care application with tapping-mode atomic force microscope in liquid

• Matthias Wasem,
• Joachim Köser,
• Sylvia Hess,
• Enrico Gnecco and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 36–43, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.4

• polymers or biomolecules. Compared to contact mode AFM the destructive lateral forces are virtually eliminated in tapping mode as the probing tip has a much lower contact time while mapping the surface, which results in a much more gentle sensing of the investigated surface [1][2]. AM-AFM has the ability

Functionalization of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

• Eloise Van Hooijdonk,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Rony Snyders and
• Jean-François Colomer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 129–152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.14

• present polymer-based functionalization and the grafting of biomolecules (DNA molecules, glucose molecules, proteins, etc.) on VA-CNTs for biological applications. Finally, we present some less-common functionalization methods. 3.1 Functional groups Fluorination of VA-CNTs: During the past decade

Towards 4-dimensional atomic force spectroscopy using the spectral inversion method

• Jeffrey C. Williams and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 87–93, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.10

• and biological materials, as well as in the study of other rate-dependent phenomena, such as binding or folding/unfolding events in complex biomolecules. Methods The details of the spectral inversion method using the torsional harmonic cantilever have been described in detail elsewhere [8][11], so

Effect of spherical Au nanoparticles on nanofriction and wear reduction in dry and liquid environments

• Dave Maharaj and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 759–772, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.85

• treatment, nanoparticles are either functionalized with biomolecules that recognize and attach to the cancer cells, [6][7] or in the case of iron-oxide nanoparticles, the nanoparticles are directed by an external magnetic field [9]. The cells are destroyed by drugs that coat the nanoparticles or by

Dimer/tetramer motifs determine amphiphilic hydrazine fibril structures on graphite

• Loji K. Thomas,
• Nadine Diek,
• Uwe Beginn and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 658–666, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.75

• nanowires [30], and DNA/biomolecules [31][32]. With regard to STM imaging of 1-D structures on HOPG, one should be wary of innate graphitic artefacts and 1-D fibre-like structures present on bare HOPG surface, mostly occurring as a result of cleaving [25][26][27]. Although, graphitic artefacts may show

FTIR nanobiosensors for Escherichia coli detection

• Stefania Mura,
• Gianfranco Greppi,
• Maria Laura Marongiu,
• Pier Paolo Roggero,
• Sandeep P. Ravindranath,
• Lisa J. Mauer,
• Nicoletta Schibeci,
• Francesco Perria,
• Massimo Piccinini,
• Plinio Innocenzi and
• Joseph Irudayaraj

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 485–492, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.55

• traditional devices into biosensing systems with high sensitivity. In particular, mesoporous titania thin films synthesized with the sol–gel method, were used to immobilize biomolecules (antibodies and pathogens) thanks to the high surface area due to their nano-organization, visible in a AFM image (Figure 1

• ). This was possible due to a high control of the gelation process on the films and subsequent thermal treatments that avoided the denaturation of biomolecules in environments that have a high alcohol concentration and extreme pH values, hence obtaining ordered and reproducible substrates. With this

Mapping mechanical properties of organic thin films by force-modulation microscopy in aqueous media

• Jianming Zhang,
• Zehra Parlak,
• Carleen M. Bowers,
• Terrence Oas and
• Stefan Zauscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 464–474, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.53

• atomic force microscopy; biomolecules; elastic modulus mapping; nanomechanical characterization; self-assembled monolayers; Introduction Mapping the mechanical properties, such as elastic modulus, friction, and adhesion of surfaces and thin films in aqueous (or liquid) environments with nanoscale

• the free resonance frequency of the cantilever. FMM on patterned protein monolayers Characterizing the dynamic mechanical properties of biomolecular monolayers provides insight into the dynamics of biomolecules on surfaces and aids in the design of functional biomolecular micro- and nanostructures

• . Here, acoustic AFM methods are promising tools since they enable sensitive mapping of the contact-mechanical properties of samples by introducing high-frequency modulation while imaging the topography [53]. Although these methods have been used in air, imaging of many polymers and biomolecules should

Repulsive bimodal atomic force microscopy on polymers

• Alexander M. Gigler,
• Christian Dietz,
• Maximilian Baumann,
• Nicolás F. Martinez,
• Ricardo García and
• Robert W. Stark

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 456–463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.52

• cantilevers may allow the mechanical characterization of biomolecules. In a bimodal AFM setup, two eigenmodes are driven simultaneously using the same dither piezo. Correspondingly, two lock-in amplifiers (one external and one inside the AFM controller) are used to analyze the deflection signals recorded by

The morphology of silver nanoparticles prepared by enzyme-induced reduction

• Henrik Schneidewind,
• Thomas Schüler,
• Katharina K. Strelau,
• Karina Weber,
• Dana Cialla,
• Marco Diegel,
• Roland Mattheis,
• Andreas Berger,
• Robert Möller and
• Jürgen Popp

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 404–414, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.47

• absorption or scattering processes [5]. Another simple and robust approach for the detection of biomolecules utilizing properties of metal nanoparticles is the measurement of the electrical conductivity. It was shown, that bioanalytical investigations can be carried out by measuring the electrical

• additional metal deposition leads to core–shell structures [8], which feature special properties that are well suited for the detection of biomolecules [9][10][11]. Even though the application of nanoparticles for the detection of biomolecules is already widespread, its full potential has not been exploited

Combining nanoscale manipulation with macroscale relocation of single quantum dots

• Francesca Paola Quacquarelli,
• Richard A. J. Woolley,
• Martin Humphry,
• Jasbiner Chauhan,
• Philip J. Moriarty and
• Ashley Cadby

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 324–328, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.36

• ], biomolecules [8][9], and quantum dots [10]. Nonetheless, these techniques fundamentally rely on a statistical distribution of molecules and are therefore not optimal for the study of specific isolated nanostructures at well-defined locations on a surface. Recent attempts at the positioning of quantum dots (QDs

Self-assembly of octadecyltrichlorosilane: Surface structures formed using different protocols of particle lithography

• ChaMarra K. Saner,
• Kathie L. Lusker,
• Zorabel M. LeJeune,
• Wilson K. Serem and
• Jayne C. Garno

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 114–122, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.12

• helpful for new applications and developments in the patterning of biomolecules or nanoparticles for optical measurements and biosensor surfaces. The morphology of SAMs or nanostructures of OTS reflects a balance of the interactions that occur between the silane precursor and the silanol groups

Surface functionalization of aluminosilicate nanotubes with organic molecules

• Wei Ma,
• Weng On Yah,
• Hideyuki Otsuka and
• Atsushi Takahara

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 82–100, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.10

• functional surfaces with highly controlled chemical properties. Functionalized surfaces can be used in a number of applications, including passivation of metal surfaces, adhesion promotion, and adsorption of biomolecules to substrates for sensing [1][4]. Recently, the assembly of organic molecules on

Approaches to nanostructure control and functionalizations of polymer@silica hybrid nanograss generated by biomimetic silica mineralization on a self-assembled polyamine layer

• Jian-Jun Yuan and
• Ren-Hua Jin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 760–773, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.84

• the heating process is undesirable for many biomimetic silica-derived technologies, such as the encapsulation of enzymes, cells or other temperature-sensitive biomolecules or systems [37][38]. LPEI@silica nanograss with porphyrin function The ethyleneimine units of LPEI have a strong ability to

Surface induced self-organization of comb-like macromolecules

• Konstantin I. Popov,
• Vladimir V. Palyulin,
• Martin Möller,
• Alexei R. Khokhlov and
• Igor I. Potemkin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 569–584, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.61

• – such an important class of biomolecules as proteoglycans has comblike structure. These molecules are involved in cell signalling and cell surface protection as well as joint lubrication, lung clearance and cartilage stability, cellular matrix integrity [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Comb copolymers also have

Fabrication of multi-parametric platforms based on nanocone arrays for determination of cellular response

• Lindarti Purwaningsih,
• Tobias Schoen,
• Tobias Wolfram,
• Claudia Pacholski and
• Joachim P. Spatz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 545–551, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.58

• on large areas. Gold nanoparticles on top of the nanostructures allow for spatially resolved functionalization with a variety of biomolecules through simple thiol chemistry. A 3,3'-dithiobis(sulfosuccinimidylpropionate) (DTSSP) linker molecule was used to immobilize laminin, an extracellular matrix

• °). Attaching biomolecules to the surfaces lowers the contact angle to values of approximately 20° proving that the hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity of the substrates is a constant parameter in the following cell experiments. The potential of the substrates to support neural cell adhesion was tested with SHSY5Y