Mechanistic investigation of seeded growth in triblock copolymer stabilized gold nanoparticles.

We report the seeded synthesis of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) via the reduction of HAuCl4 by (L31 and F68) triblock copolymer (TBP) mixtures. In the present study, we focused on [TBP]/[Au(III)] ratios of 1-5 (≈1 mM HAuCl4) and seed sizes ~20 nm. Under these conditions, the GNP growth rate is dominated by both the TBP and seed concentrations. With seeding, the final GNP size distributions are bimodal. Increasing the seed concentration (up to ~0.1 nM) decreases the mean particle sizes 10-fold, from ~1000 to 100 nm. The particles in the bimodal distribution are formed by the competitive direct growth in solution and the aggregative growth on the seeds. By monitoring kinetics of GNP growth, we propose that (1) the surface of the GNP seeds embedded in the TBP cavities form catalytic centers for GNP growth and (2) large GNPs are formed by the aggregation of GNP seeds in an autocatalytic growth process.

Antibacterial Activity of Partially Oxidized Ag/Au Nanoparticles against the Oral Pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis W83.

Advances in nanotechnology provide opportunities for the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease. While physicochemical properties of Ag containing nanoparticles (NPs) are known to influence the magnitude of their toxicity, it is thought that nanosilver can be made less toxic to eukaryotes by passivation of the NPs with a benign metal. Moreover, the addition of other noble metals to silver nanoparticles, in the alloy formulation, is known to alter the silver dissolution behavior. Thus, we synthesized glutathione capped Ag/Au alloy bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) via the galvanic replacement reaction between maltose coated Ag NPs and chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) in 5% aqueous triblock F127 copolymer solution. We then compared the antibacterial activity of the Ag/Au NPs to pure Ag NPs on Porphyromonas gingivalis W83, a key pathogen in the development of periodontal disease. Only partially oxidized glutathione capped Ag and Ag/Au (Au:Ag≈0.2) NPs inhibited the planktonic growth of P. gingivalis W83. This effect was enhanced in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, which simulates the oxidative stress environment in the periodontal pocket during chronic inflammation.

Fluorescence of commercial Pluronic F127 samples: Temperature-dependent micellization.

We present a novel approach of using the butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) antioxidant found in commercial Pluronic F127 samples as a marker of polymer aggregation. The BHT marker was compared to the pyrene dye and static light scattering methods as a way to measure the critical micelle concentration (CMC) and critical micelle temperature (CMT). The n→π(∗) transitions of BHT are sensitive to the microenvironment as demonstrated by plotting the fractional intensities of its excitation (≈280nm) and emission (≈325nm) peaks. BHT is more sensitive to changes in temperature than concentration. The partition coefficient increases ≈40-fold for pyrene compared to ≈2-fold for BHT when the temperature is increased from 25 to 37°C. CMT values determined using the BHT fluorescence decrease with increasing F127 concentration. Our results show that BHT can be used as a reliable marker of changes in the microenvironment of Pluronic F127.

Synthesis of Organotin Polyamine Ethers Containing Acyclovir and their Preliminary Anticancer and Antiviral Activity.

Organotin polyamine ethers containing acyclovir in their backbone were synthesized in moderate to high yield employing the aqueous interfacial polycondensation system. The products are high molecular weight polymers. Infrared spectroscopy of the products shows new bands characteristic of the formation of Sn-N and Sn-O bonds consistent with the proposed structure. MALDI-TOF MS below 2000 Da shows the presence of organotin and acyclovir units containing these two moieties. The products show moderate inhibition of a number of cancer cell lines and exhibit the ability to inhibit a number of viruses, particularly the herpes simplex virus-1 and varicella zoster virus that are responsible for herpes, chicken pox and shingles.