Antonios Kouloumpis

Gd(III)-doped carbon dots as a dual fluorescent-MRI probe

We describe the synthesis of Gd(III)-doped carbon dots as dual fluorescence-MRI probes for biomedical applications. The derived Gd(III)-doped carbon dots show uniform particle size (3–4 nm) and gadolinium distribution and form stable dispersions in water. More importantly, they exhibit bright fluorescence, strong T1-weighted MRI contrast and low cytotoxicity.

Graphene oxide derivatives with variable alkyl chain length and terminal functional groups as supports for stabilization of cytochrome c

In this study we report the ability of reduced and non-reduced graphene oxide-based nanomaterials (GONs), modified with variable alkyl chain length and terminal functional groups, to act as effective scaffolds for the immobilization of cytochrome c (cyt c) using different immobilization procedures. The GONs/cyt c conjugates are characterized by a combination of techniques, namely atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron and FT-IR spectroscopies as well as thermo-gravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The effect of the structure of functional groups and the surface chemistry of GONs on the immobilization efficiency, the peroxidase activity and the stability of the cyt c was investigated and correlated with conformational changes on the protein molecule upon immobilization. The enhanced thermal stability (up to 2-fold) and increased tolerance (up to 25-fold) against denaturing agents observed for immobilized cyt c, indicates that these functionalized GONs are suitable as nanoscaffolds for the development of robust nanobiocatalysts.

A bottom-up approach for the synthesis of highly ordered fullerene-intercalated graphene hybrids

Much of the research effort on graphene focuses on its use as a building block for the development of new hybrid nanostructures with well-defined dimensions and properties suitable for applications such as gas storage, heterogeneous catalysis, gas/liquid separations, nanosensing and biomedicine. Towards this aim, here we describe a new bottom-up approach, which combines self-assembly with the Langmuir Schaefer deposition technique to synthesize graphene-based layered hybrid materials hosting fullerene molecules within the interlayer space. Our film preparation consists in a bottom-up layer-by-layer process that proceeds via the formation of a hybrid organo-graphene oxide Langmuir film. The structure and composition of these hybrid fullerene-containing thin multilayers deposited on hydrophobic substrates were characterized by a combination of X-ray diffraction, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, atomic force microscopy and conductivity measurements. The latter revealed that the presence of C60 within the interlayer spacing leads to an increase in electrical conductivity of the hybrid material as compared to the organo-graphene matrix alone.

Laccase-Functionalized Graphene Oxide Assemblies as Efficient Nanobiocatalysts for Oxidation Reactions

Multi-layer graphene oxide-enzyme nanoassemblies were prepared through the multi-point covalent immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor (TvL) on functionalized graphene oxide (fGO). The catalytic properties of the fGO-TvL nanoassemblies were found to depend on the number of the graphene oxide-enzyme layers present in the nanostructure. The fGO-TvL nanoassemblies exhibit an enhanced thermal stability at 60 °C, as demonstrated by a 4.7-fold higher activity as compared to the free enzyme. The multi-layer graphene oxide-enzyme nanoassemblies can efficiently catalyze the oxidation of anthracene, as well as the decolorization of an industrial dye, pinacyanol chloride. These materials retained almost completely their decolorization activity after five reaction cycles, proving their potential as efficient nano- biocatalysts for various applications.

Tuning the dispersibility of carbon nanostructures from organophilic to hydrophilic: towards the preparation of new multipurpose carbon-based hybrids.

The hydroxyphenyl derivatives of carbon nanostructures (graphene and carbon nanotubes) can be easily transformed into highly organophilic or hydrophilic derivatives by using the ionic interactions between the phenolic groups and oleylamine or tetramethylammonium hydroxide, respectively. The products were finely dispersed in homo-polymers or block co-polymers to create homogeneous carbon-based nanocomposites and were used as nanocarriers for the dispersion and protection of strongly hydrophobic compounds, such as large aromatic chromophores or anticancer drugs in aqueous solutions.

Hybrid Nanomaterials of Magnetic Iron Nanoparticles and Graphene Oxide as Matrices for the Immobilization of beta-Glucosidase: Synthesis, Characterization, and Biocatalytic Properties

Hybrid nanostructures of magnetic iron nanoparticles and graphene oxide were synthesized and used as nanosupports for the covalent immobilization of β-glucosidase. This study revealed that the immobilization efficiency depends on the structure and the surface chemistry of nanostructures employed. The hybrid nanostructure-based biocatalysts formed exhibited a 2 to 4-fold higher thermostability as compared to the free enzyme, as well as an enhanced performance at higher temperatures (up to 70 °C) and in a wider pH range. Moreover, these biocatalysts retained a significant part of their bioactivity (up to 40 %) after 12 repeated reaction cycles.

Graphene/Carbon Dot Hybrid Thin Films Prepared by a Modified Langmuir–Schaefer Method

The special electronic, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of graphene resulting from its 2D nature, as well as the ease of functionalizing it through a simple acid treatment, make graphene an ideal building block for the development of new hybrid nanostructures with well-defined dimensions and behavior. Such hybrids have great potential as active materials in applications such as gas storage, gas/liquid separation, photocatalysis, bioimaging, optoelectronics, and nanosensing. In this study, luminescent carbon dots (C-dots) were sandwiched between oxidized graphene sheets to form novel hybrid multilayer films. Our thin-film preparation approach combines self-assembly with the Langmuir–Schaefer deposition and uses graphene oxide nanosheets as template for grafting C-dots in a bidimensional array. Repeating the cycle results in a facile and low-cost layer-by-layer procedure for the formation of highly ordered hybrid multilayers, which were characterized by photoluminescence, UV–visible, X-ray photoelectron, and Raman spectroscopies, as well as X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy.

Induction of micronuclei by multi-walled carbon nanotubes interacting with humic acids in cultured human lymphocytes

Mixtures of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with natural humic acids (Leonardite humic acid, LHA) or humic acid-like polycondensates (HALP) were evaluated, for the first time, about their potential genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in cultured human lymphocytes. The genotoxic evaluation of the tested materials, either separately or in combination, for the detection of micronuclei (MN) in the cytoplasm of interphase cells, was performed using the cytokinesis block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. A comparative analysis of the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity reveals that in the tested concentrations, the [MWCNTs + LHA] mixture is more genotoxic and slightly more cytotoxic than the [MWCNTs + HALP] mixture. MN induction observed in human lymphocytes demonstrates that humic substances enhance the genotoxic effects of MWCNTs. In addition, the present data highlight a – so far unforeseen – potential genotoxic effect as the result of both clastogenic and aneugenic actions of the particular mixtures on human lymphocytes.

Carbon Nanostructures Containing Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (POSS)

This mini review describes the synthesis and properties of carbon nanostructures containing organic-inorganic cage-like polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS). The physical and chemical functionalization of carbon nanomaterials such as graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and fullerenes with POSS towards the development of novel hybrid nanostructures is described in detail. Special emphasis is given to the potential impact of these hybrid nanostructures on various technological applications.

Self-assembly of one-side-functionalized graphene nanosheets in bilayered superstructures for drug delivery

In this article, we describe the one-side functionalization of graphene nanosheets with hydrophilic catechol-bearing pyrrolidine rings. For this purpose, we used, for the first time, a solvothermal alternative of 1,3 dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylide. To achieve asymmetrical reaction, graphene nanosheets were initially and during reaction deposited on glass substrate. The result of one-side functionalization of graphene was the formation of amphiphilic few-layered graphene nanosheets. The modified side becomes hydrophilic due to the attachment of catechols, while the nonmodified side remains hydrophobic. In the literature, there are limited examples of functionalized graphene with different sides, the so-called Janus-type graphenes. These amphiphilic graphene nanosheets dispersed in water were self-organized in bilayer superstructures, with hydrophilic outer surface and hydrophobic internal space. The later can host hydrophobic molecules such as anticancer drugs and could be used in drug delivery systems. As an example, camptothecin, a drug practically insoluble in water, was used here to show that it can be transferred to water phase using graphene as transporter.