Quaternized styryl-azinium fluorophores as cellular RNA-binders.

The capability of three quaternized styryl-azinium iodides to bind cellular RNA has been tested by means of Fluorescence Confocal Microscopy imaging of stained MCF-7 cells treated with RNase. Their association constants have been estimated through spectrophotometric and fluorimetric titrations with tRNA and compared to their affinity toward DNA. Transient absorption spectroscopy with femtosecond resolution confirmed the binding of the investigated compounds with tRNA and shed new light on the excited state dynamics of their complexes, by revealing a significant lengthening of the lifetime of S1 upon complexation, which parallels the fluorescence quantum yield enhancement.

Controlled assembly of metal colloids on dye-doped silica particles to tune the photophysical properties of organic molecules.

The use of plasmonic nanomaterials is a challenging strategy to control radiation and radiation-induced processes at a nanometric scale. The localized surface plasmons of metal nanoparticles have been shown to affect the efficiency of a variety of radiative and non-radiative processes occurring in organic molecules. In this contribution, we present an overview of the results obtained through an original approach based on the hierarchical assembly of plasmonic gold colloids on silica templates, covalently doped with organic dyes. The detailed morphological characterization demonstrates the disposition of gold colloids on silica achieved through the tight control of the synthetic conditions. The studies carried out while gradually increasing the concentration of gold nanoparticles allow the detailed investigation of the effects of the progressive addition of plasmonic particles on the photophysical behaviour of organic molecules. In particular, the fluorescence behaviour of three dyes with different spectral properties, namely fluorescein, rhodamine B and 9-aminoacridine, are investigated in the presence of increasing concentrations of gold nanoparticles. In order to fix the distance between the dye and the gold nanoparticles, the dyes are anchored to silica nanoparticles, and the metal colloids are chemically adsorbed on the silica surface. The steady state and time-resolved data are analysed to evaluate the impact of plasmonic nanoparticles on the radiative and non-radiative processes of the dyes; the data provide evidence that the modulation of the fluorescence intensity (enhancement or quenching) can be achieved by changing the concentration of gold colloids. The plasmonic nanostructures can be employed to favour one deactivation process over the others. For example, we demonstrate that the photoinduced formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be enhanced upon the plasmonic engineering of a photosensitizing agent (Protoporphyrin IX, PpIX). The Vis-excitation of silica-PpIX samples in the presence of gold nanoparticles results in a faster and more efficient photoinduced formation of ROS species either in solution or in a hydrogel. The ROS efficiency data and the fluorescence behaviour of PpIX in the presence of gold colloids suggest that the enhancement of the excitation field occurs through a plasmonic effect. For the application of the assembled hybrid materials, further advantages come from the development of photosensitizer-containing hydrogel films that are able to efficiently produce ROS upon visible excitation. Our preliminary results are herein reported and discussed.

Photoactivation of Luminescent Centers in Single SiO2 Nanoparticles.

Photobleaching of fluorophores is one of the key problems in fluorescence microscopy. Overcoming the limitation of the maximum number of photons, which can be detected from a single emitter, would allow one to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio and thus the temporal and spatial resolution in fluorescence imaging. It would be a breakthrough for many applications of fluorescence spectroscopy, which are unachievable up to now. So far, the only approach for diminishing the effect of photobleaching has been to enhance the photostability of an emitter. Here, we present a fundamentally new solution for increasing the number of photons emitted by a fluorophore. We show that, by exposing a single SiO2 nanoparticle to UV illumination, one can create new luminescent centers within this particle. By analogy with nanodiamonds, SiO2 nanoparticles can possess luminescent defects in their regular SiO2 structure. However, due to the much weaker chemical bonds, it is possible to generate new defects in SiO2 nanostructures using UV light. This allows for the reactivation of the nanoparticle's fluorescence after its photobleaching.

A steady-state and time-resolved photophysical study of CdTe quantum dots in water.

The exciton generation and recombination dynamics in semiconductor nanocrystals are very sensitive to small variations in dimensions, shape and surface capping. In the present work CdTe quantum dots are synthesized in water using 3-mercaptopropionic acid and 1-thioglycerol as stabilizers. Nanocrystals with an average dimension of 4.0 ± 1.0 and 3.7 ± 0.9 nm were obtained, when 3-mercaptopropionic acid or 1-thioglycerol, respectively, was used as a capping agent. The steady-state characterization shows that the two types of colloids have different luminescence behavior. In order to investigate the electronic structure and the dynamics of the exciton state, a combined study in the time domain has been carried out by using fluorescence time-correlated single photon counting and femtosecond transient absorption techniques. The electron-hole radiative recombination follows the non-exponential decay law for both colloids, which results in different average decay time values (of the order of tens of nanoseconds) for the two samples. The data demonstrate that the process is slower for 1-thioglycerol-stabilized colloids. The ultrafast transient absorption measurements are performed at two different excitation wavelengths (at the band gap and at higher energies). The spectra are dominated in both types of samples by the negative band-gap bleaching signals although transient positive absorption bands due to the electrons in the conduction band are observable. The analysis of the signals is affected by the different interactions with the defect states, due to ligand capping capacities. In particular, the data indicate that in 1-thioglycerol-stabilized colloids the non-radiative recombination processes are kinetically more competitive than the radiative recombination. Therefore the comparison of the data obtained from the two samples is interpreted in terms of the effects of the capping agents on the electronic relaxation of the colloids.

Photoluminescence of a single quantum emitter in a strongly inhomogeneous chemical environment.

We present the results of a comprehensive photoluminescence study of defect centres in single SiO2 nanoparticles. We show that the photo-physical properties of the luminescent centres strongly resemble those of single dye molecules. However, these properties exhibit a large variability from particle to particle due to the different local chemical environment around each centre of each particle. This variability provides new insight into the complex photo-physics of single quantum emitters embedded into a random chemical environment. Moreover, a better understanding of the fundamental mechanism of the photoluminescence of defect centres in SiO2 structure is paramount for their application as white-light sources, non-toxic labels for bio-imaging, or for combining them with metallic and semiconductor nanostructures.

Effect of metal nanoparticles on the photophysical behaviour of dye-silica conjugates.

Fluorescein has been covalently entrapped into 120 nm silica beads in order to measure the effect of plasmonic gold nanoparticles, having 25 nm diameter, on the radiative processes of the dye. Two distinct regimes of enhancement and quenching of fluorescein emission have been observed, depending on the concentration of the metal adsorbed on the silica surface and the overlap between the SPR and the fluorescein spectra. At particle concentrations below 5.0 × 10(13) nanoparticles mL(-1), the fluorescence of the dye is enhanced, and this effect is more pronounced when the excitation wavelength matches the maximum of the extinction spectrum of the gold nanoparticles. When the concentration of gold is further increased, quenching occurs and it has been attributed to the SPR shift following the aggregation of the gold colloids on the silica surface. The invariance of the fluorescence lifetimes during the whole process indicates that the mechanism of fluorophore-nanoparticle interaction is mainly based on changes in the absorption efficiency of the organic dye.

Driving the interactions between organic nanoparticles and phospolipidic membranes by an easy treatment of the surface stabilizer.

Polymer-stabilized perylene nanoparticles were prepared through a solvent exchange method. The formation of the nanostructures in aqueous solution was confirmed by the appearance of a red-shifted emission attributable to the formation of excimer-like aggregates. The behavior of organic nanostructures in the presence of lipid vesicles was investigated through steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. When no further surface treatment is applied to the nanoparticles, changes in the decay times and emission spectra demonstrate that inside the lipid bilayers the nanoparticles redissolve into the monomeric form with a rate and efficiency determined by the working temperature (above and below the transition temperature Tm of the phospholipid). On the other hand, when the stabilized shell is UV-cured to induce photo-cross-linking of the polymeric chains, the nanoparticle stability increases and their redissolution in the membrane is prevented. Confocal fluorescence images support the data obtained in bulk. The results indicate that the prepared nanostructures could be successfully used either as nanometric carriers for the delivery of poor water-soluble lipophilic compounds or as imaging tools depending on the rigidity/cross-linking degree of their polymeric stabilizer shell.

New insights on the incorporation of lanthanide ions into nanosized layered double hydroxides.

Nanosized Layered Double Hydroxides (LDH) were prepared in confined environment through the microemulsion method in the presence of different lanthanide cations (Ln(III) = Eu(III), Yb(III), Tb(III), and Nd(III)). To investigate the effects of lanthanide insertion in the sheets of LDH materials, several samples were prepared upon progressively increasing the content of Ln ions and properly reducing the Al(III) amount; the samples were characterized in terms of metal content, structure, morphology, thermal behavior, and spectroscopic properties. The data revealed that Ln(III) content in the LDH samples depends on the ionic radius of the lanthanide cations and on its concentration in the starting microemulsion. X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) indicated that Eu(III) can be inserted into the LDH structure in average atomic percentages lower than 2.7%, leading to the formation of a low symmetry phase, as confirmed by steady state luminescence spectra; while Yb(III) can be incorporated into the layer structure up to about 10% forming a pure layered phase containing the lanthanide in the sheet. The incorporation of Yb(III) and Eu(III) into the LDH sheets is also supported by FT-IR measurements. Coupled thermogravimetrical (TG) and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies indicated that water molecules are essential in the coordination sphere of incorporated Ln cations; this observation accounts for the lower thermal stability of Ln-doped LDH compared to the undoped ones. Furthermore, Eu-luminescence measurements indicates that the lanthanide inclusion does not compromise its luminescence although the spectral position and brightness can be tuned by the loading.

New Insights into the Effects of Surface Functionalization on the Peroxidase Activity of Cytochrome c Adsorbed on Silica Nanoparticles.

The immobilization of proteins on inorganic supports is attracting increasing interest since the realization of active surfaces finds application in enzyme-assisted catalysis, environmental sciences, and medical fields. In the present study, cytochrome c (cyt c) is adsorbed on silica nanoparticles (SNPs) and amino-functionalized silica nanoparticles (SNPs-APTES), which are prepared for this purpose and having a diameter of about 50 nm. The peroxidase activity of the protein is investigated under different experimental conditions, to evaluate the impact of differently charged surfaces on the catalytic activity of the biomolecule. The peroxidase activity of cyt c increases upon adsorption on SNPs, and it shows a linear behavior with nanoparticles concentration; on the other hand, the contact with increasing amounts of SNPs-APTES does not affect the catalytic activity of the protein. The kinetic profile of the oxidation reaction is altered for cyt c-SNPs sample, suggesting that upon adsorption, changes in the catalytic process take place. Moreover, we observe that the enhancement of peroxidase activity of cyt c-SNPs is almost completely inhibited in high-ionic-strength buffer: this indicates that the protein establishes electrostatic interactions with SNP. The spectroscopic properties of the adsorbed protein on the two different matrices are investigated by using fluorescence and Raman spectroscopies to account for the enzymatic activity of the hybrid materials. The fluorescence spectra of cyt c-silica bio-composites reveal that the adsorption on silica modifies the microenvironments of the emitting amino acid residues of the protein. Indeed, their fluorescence gains intensity and appears blue-shifted compared to that of the native protein; these modifications are more evident when cyt c is adsorbed on SNPs. Raman spectra suggest that both oxidation and spin state of heme iron change when cyt c is adsorbed on SNPs but not on SNPs-APTES. The spectroscopic data of biocomposite materials are discussed in terms of structural changes to account for the increment of peroxidase activity upon adsorption on the negatively charged surface of SNPs.

Fluorimetric Studies of a Transmembrane Protein and Its Interactions with Differently Functionalized Silver Nanoparticles.

Transmembrane proteins play important roles in intercellular signaling to regulate interactions among the adjacent cells and influence cell fate. The study of interactions between membrane proteins and nanomaterials is paramount for the design of nanomaterial-based therapies. In the present work, the fluorescence properties of the transmembrane receptor Notch2 have been investigated. In particular, the steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence methods have been used to characterize the emission of tryptophan residues of Notch2 and then this emission is used to monitor the effect of silver colloids on protein behavior. To this aim, silver colloids are prepared with two different methods to make sure that they bear hydrophilic (citrate ions, C-AgNPs) or hydrophobic (dodecanethiol molecules, D-AgNPs) capping agents. The preparation procedures are tightly controlled to obtain metal cores with similar size distributions (7.4 ± 2.5 and 5.0 ± 0.8 nm, respectively), thus, making the comparison of the results easier. The occurrence of strong interactions between Notch2 and D-AgNPs is suggested by the efficient and statistically relevant quenching of the stationary protein emission already at low nanoparticle (NP) concentrations (ca. 12% quenching with [D-AgNPs] = 0.6 nM). The quenching becomes even more pronounced (ca. 60%) when [D-AgNPs] is raised to 8.72 nM. On the other hand, the addition of increasing concentrations of C-AgNPs to Notch2 does not affect the protein fluorescence (intensity variations below 5%) indicating that negligible interactions are taking place. The fluorescence data, recorded in the presence of increasing concentrations of silver nanoparticles, are then analyzed through the Stern-Volmer equation and the sphere of action model to discuss the nature of interactions. The effect of D-AgNPs on the fluorescence decay times of Notch2 is also investigated and a decrease in the average decay time is observed (from 4.64 to 3.42 ns). The observed variations of the stationary and time-resolved fluorescence behavior of the protein are discussed in terms of static and collisional interactions. These results document that the capping shell is able to drive the protein-particle interactions, which likely have a hydrophobic nature.

The Influence of Modified Silica Nanomaterials on Adult Stem Cell Culture.

The preparation of tailored nanomaterials able to support cell growth and viability is mandatory for tissue engineering applications. In the present work, silica nanoparticles were prepared by a sol-gel procedure and were then functionalized by condensation of amino groups and by adsorption of silver nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging was used to establish the morphology and the average dimensions of about 130 nm, which were not affected by the functionalization. The three silica samples were deposited (1 mg/mL) on cover glasses, which were used as a substrate to culture adult human bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) and human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs). The good cell viability over the different silica surfaces was evaluated by monitoring the mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity. The analysis of the morphological parameters (aspect ratio, cell length, and nuclear shape Index) yielded information about the interactions of stem cells with the surface of three different nanoparticles. The data are discussed in terms of chemical properties of the surface of silica nanoparticles.

Spectroscopic and Microscopic Studies of Aggregation and Fibrillation of Lysozyme in Water/Ethanol Solutions.

The thermal aggregation of lysozyme has been analyzed in water/ethanol solutions at low pH to induce the specific protein aggregation pathway which leads to fibrillar structures in a few hours. In this solvating medium, the protein undergoes a conformational rearrangement promoting the formation of fibrils that are structurally similar to amyloid ones. As the process evolves with different steps, a multitechnique approach has been used by means of analytical probes that can be selectively sensitive in the detection of the different stages of protein association. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, intrinsic fluorescence, stationary fluorescence anisotropy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements have been carried out at different times to access and characterize the whole aggregation pathway. The data recorded with different experimental setups revealed different sensitivity to different stages of protein assembling. The whole set of data together with the direct visualization of different aggregate structures by use of TEM and AFM imaging enable to discuss a possible mechanism of fibrillation.

Spectroscopic investigation of interactions of new potential anticancer drugs with DNA and non-ionic micelles.

Photophysical properties of some azinium iodides in aqueous solution of nanostructured systems as DNA and nonionic micelles were investigated using steady-state and ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy. Spectrophotometric and fluorimetric titrations of the investigated compounds with salmon testes DNA supplied evidence of a good interaction between the salts and DNA with binding constants of 10(4)-10(6) M(-1), making them interesting for pharmaceutical applications. The interaction with DNA also changes the photobehavior of the compounds, increasing the radiative deactivation pathway to the detriment of internal conversion and slowing down the excited state dynamics. The interaction of the azinium salts with the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 from premicellar to postmicellar concentration was studied by spectrophotometric and fluorimetric titrations evidencing the ability of the micelles to associate the studied salts in their hydrophobic portion and to release them in the presence of DNA, acting as promising drug carriers. Also transient absorption spectroscopy with femtosecond resolution demonstrated the insertion of the investigated compounds into micellar aggregates. Preliminary measurements by confocal fluorescence microscopy on MCF-7 cells in the presence of the studied azinium salts showed that they are able to cross the cellular membrane and that their cytotoxicity can be expressed through interaction with DNA (RNA). In fact, they showed a significant fluorescence signal in all cell compartments, particularly (for 2 and 3) into punctuate structures within the nuclei compatible with a localization into the nucleoli.

Protein encapsulation in biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles: morphology, fluorescence behaviour and stem cell uptake.

The synthesis and characterization of new biodegradable polymeric NPs loaded with bovine serum albumin marked with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC-BSA) is reported. The protein is encapsulated in poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) NPs by the double emulsion method with subsequent solvent evaporation. The NPs display a spherical shape with a narrow size distribution and no aggregation is observed after drying. Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements appear to be a sensitive method to investigate the protein environment on the nanometer-scale. Finally, FITC-BSA-loaded NPs are rapidly internalized in stem cells. Interestingly, 25% cells were slightly positive after 28 days.

Protein interactions with nanosized hydrotalcites of different composition.

Nanosized hydrotalcite-like compounds (HTlc) with different chemical composition were prepared and used to study protein adsorption. Two soft proteins, myoglobin (Mb) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), were chosen to investigate the nature of the forces controlling the adsorption and how these depend on the chemical composition of the support. Both proteins strongly interact with HTlc exhibiting in most cases a Langmuir-type adsorption. Mb showed a higher affinity for Nickel Chromium (NiCr-HTlc) than for Nickel Aluminum (NiAl-HTlc), while for BSA no significant differences between supports were found. Adsorption experiments in the presence of additives showed that proteins exhibited different types of interactions onto the same HTlc surface and that the adsorption was strongly suppressed by the addition of disodium hydrogen phosphate (Na(2)HPO(4)). Atomic force microscopy images showed that the adsorption of both proteins onto nanoparticles was followed by the aggregation of biocomposites, with a more disordered structure for BSA. Fluorescence measurements for adsorbed Mb showed that the inorganic nanoparticles induced conformational changes in the biomolecules; in particular, the interactions with HTlc surface quenched the tryptophan fluorescence and this process was particularly efficient for NiCr-HTlc. The adsorption of BSA onto the HTlc nanoparticles induced a selective quenching of the exposed fluorescent residues, as indicated by the blue-shift of the emission spectra of tryptophan residues and by the shortening of the fluorescence decay times.

Plasmonic nanobubbles as transient vapor nanobubbles generated around plasmonic nanoparticles.

We have used short laser pulses to generate transient vapor nanobubbles around plasmonic nanoparticles. The photothermal, mechanical, and optical properties of such bubbles were found to be different from those of plasmonic nanoparticle and vapor bubbles, as well. This phenomenon was considered as a new complex nanosystem-plasmonic nanobubble (PNB). Mechanical and optical scattering properties of PNB depended upon the nanoparticle surface and heat capacity, clusterization state, and the optical pulse length. The generation of the PNB required much higher laser pulse fluence thresholds than the explosive boiling level and was characterized by the relatively high lower threshold of the minimal size (lifetime) of PNB. Optical scattering by PNB and its diameter (measured as the lifetime) has been varied with the fluence of laser pulse, and this has demonstrated the tunable nature of PNB.