Ashok M. Raichur

Studies on interaction of colloidal Ag nanoparticles with Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA)

Biofunctionalization of noble metal nanoparticles like Ag, Au is essential to obtain biocompatibility for specific biomedical applications. Silver nanoparticles are being increasingly used in bio-sensing applications owing to excellent optoelectronic properties. Among the serum albumins, the most abundant proteins in plasma, a wide range of physiological functions of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) has made it a model system for biofunctionalization. In absence of adequate prior reports, this study aims to investigate the interaction between silver nanoparticles and BSA. The interaction of BSA [0.05-0.85% concentrations] with Ag nanoparticles [50ppm concentration] in aqueous dispersion was studied through UV-vis spectral changes, morphological and surface structural changes. At pH 7, which is more than the isoelectric point of BSA, a decrease in absorbance at plasmon peak of uninteracted nanoparticles (425nm) was noted till 0.45% BSA, beyond that a blue shift towards 410nm was observed. The blue shift may be attributed to enhanced electron density on the particle surfaces. Increasing pH to 12 enhanced the blue shift further to 400nm. The conformational changes in BSA at alkaline pH ranges and consequent hydrophobic interactions also played an important role. The equilibrium adsorption data fitted better to Freundlich isotherm compared to Langmuir curve. The X-ray diffraction study revealed complete coverage of Ag nanoparticles by BSA. The scanning electron microscopic study of the interacted nanoparticles was also carried out to decipher morphological changes. This study established that tailoring the concentration of BSA and pH of the interaction it was possible to reduce aggregation of nanoparticles. Biofunctionalized Ag nanoparticles with reduced aggregation will be more amenable towards bio-sensing applications.

LbL Fabricated Poly(Styrene Sulfonate)/TiO2 Multilayer Thin Films for Environmental Applications

Fabrication of multilayer ultrathin composite films composed of nanosized titanium dioxide particles (P25, Degussa) and polyelectrolytes (PELs), such as poly(allyl amine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(styrene sulfonate sodium salt) (PSS), on glass substrates using the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly technique and its potential application for the photodegradation of rhodamine B under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation has been reported. The polyelectrolytes and TiO(2) were deposited on glass substrates at pH 2.5 and the growth of the multilayers was studied using UV/vis spectrophotometer. Thickness measurements of the films showed a linear increase in film thickness with increase in number of bilayers. The surface microstructure of the thin films was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope. The ability of the catalysts immobilized by this technique was compared with TiO(2) films prepared by drop casting and spin coating methods. Comparison has been made in terms of film stability and photodegradation of rhodamine B. Process variables such as the effect of surface area of the multilayers, number of bilayers, and initial dye concentration on photodegradation of rhodamine B were studied. Degradation efficiency increased with increase in number of catalysts (total surface area) and bilayers. Kinetics analysis indicated that the photodegradation rates follow first order kinetics. Under maximum loading of TiO(2), with five catalyst slides having 20 bilayers of polyelectrolyte/TiO(2) on each, 100 mL of 10 mg/L dye solution could be degraded completely in 4 h. The same slides could be reused with the same efficiency for several cycles. This study demonstrates that nanoparticles can be used in wastewater treatment using a simple immobilization technique. This makes the process an attractive option for scale up.

In Vivo Genotoxicity Assessment of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles by Allium cepa Root Tip Assay at High Exposure Concentrations

The industrial production and commercial applications of titanium dioxide nanoparticles have increased considerably in recent times, which has increased the probability of environmental contamination with these agents and their adverse effects on living systems. This study was designed to assess the genotoxicity potential of TiO2 NPs at high exposure concentrations, its bio-uptake, and the oxidative stress it generated, a recognised cause of genotoxicity. Allium cepa root tips were treated with TiO2 NP dispersions at four different concentrations (12.5, 25, 50, 100 µg/mL). A dose dependant decrease in the mitotic index (69 to 21) and an increase in the number of distinctive chromosomal aberrations were observed. Optical, fluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed chromosomal aberrations, including chromosomal breaks and sticky, multipolar, and laggard chromosomes, and micronucleus formation. The chromosomal aberrations and DNA damage were also validated by the comet assay. The bio-uptake of TiO2 in particulate form was the key cause of reactive oxygen species generation, which in turn was probably the cause of the DNA aberrations and genotoxicity observed in this study.

Reversible polyelectrolyte capsules as carriers for protein delivery.

A reversible drug delivery system based on spontaneous deposition of a model protein into preformed microcapsules has been demonstrated for protein delivery applications. Layer-by-Layer assembly of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) onto polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) doped CaCO3 particles, followed by core removal yielded intact hollow microcapsules having a unique property to induce spontaneous deposition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) at pH below its isoelectric point of 4.8, where it was positively charged. These capsules showed reversible pH dependent open and closed states to fluorescence labeled dextran (FITC-Dextran) and BSA (FITC-BSA). The loading capacity of BSA increased from 9.1 x 10(7) to 2.03 x 10(8) molecules per capsule with decrease in pH from 4.5 to 3. The loading of BSA-FITC was observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), which showed homogeneous distribution of protein inside the capsule. Efficient loading of BSA was further confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The interior capsule concentration was as high as 209 times the feeding concentration when the feeding concentration was increased from 1 to 10 mg/ml. The deposition was initially controlled by spontaneous loading mechanism at lower BSA concentration followed by diffusion controlled loading at higher concentration; which decreased the loading efficiency from 35% to 7%. Circular dichroism (CD) measurements and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that there was no significant change in conformation of released BSA in comparison with native BSA. The release was initially burst in the first 0.5 h and sustained up to 5 h. The hollow capsules were found to be biocompatible with mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells during in vitro cell culture studies. Thus these pH sensitive polyelectrolyte microcapsules may offer a promising delivery system for water soluble proteins and peptides.

Role of interfacial phenomena in determining adsorption of Bacillus polymyxa onto hematite and quartz

Utility of microorganisms as surface modifiers in flotation and flocculation has generated great interest in recent times. The surface properties of the minerals and the microorganisms such as zeta-potential (

The utility of Bacillus subtilis as a bioflocculant for fine coal

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Chitosan–dextran sulphate nanocapsule drug delivery system as an effective therapeutic against intraphagosomal pathogen Salmonella

-potential) and hydrophobicity play a major role in determining adsorption of the microorganisms to the minerals and hence the efficiency of flocculation and flotation. These properties are also dependent on the solution conditions such as pH and ionic strength. In the present investigation, the role of ionic strength and pH in determining the surface properties and hence adsorption of the bacterium Bacillus polymyxa to hematite and quartz has been studied in detail. Results indicate that increasing the ionic strength changes the

Combined toxicity of two crystalline phases (anatase and rutile) of Titania nanoparticles towards freshwater microalgae: Chlorella sp.

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Dual enzyme responsive microcapsules simulating an “OR” logic gate for biologically triggered drug delivery applications

-potential of hematite and the bacterium without changing the point-of-zero-charge (PZC). Contact angle measurements showed that hematite was the most hydrophobic when compared with both quartz and the bacterium. Adsorption tests demonstrated that conditioning time, pH and ionic strength are all important in controlling adsorption of B. polymyxa on to both quartz and hematite. Adsorption of bacteria on to hematite was more compared with quartz. Flocculation tests demonstrated that in the presence of bacteria and electrolyte, hematite settled very rapidly in the pH range of 2–8. However, quartz settled much slower under the same indicating that the quartz particles are being dispersed. Thus selective flocculation of hematite can be used effectively in separating hematite from quartz. Interaction energies calculated using the extended DLVO theory were found to be in good agreement with the adsorption and flocculation tests.

Tailor-Made Hollow Silver Nanoparticle Cages Assembled with Silver Nanoparticles: An Efficient Catalyst for Epoxidation

Abstract The application of Bacillus subtilis as a flocculant for fine coal has been reported here. Zeta-potential measurements showed that both the coal and bacteria had similar surface charge as a function of pH. Surface free energy calculations showed that the coal was hydrophobic while the bacterium was hydrophilic. The adhesion of the bacteria to coal and subsequent settling was studied in detail. Adhesion of bacteria to coal surface and subsequent settling of coal was found to be quick. Both adhesion and settling were found to be independent of pH, which makes the process very attractive for field applications. The presence of an electrolyte along with the bacterium was found to not only enhance adhesion of bacteria, but also produce a clear supernatant. Further, the settled fraction was more compact than with bacteria alone. Interaction energy calculations using the extended DLVO theory showed that the electrical forces along with the acid–base interaction energy play a dominant role in the lower pH range. Above pH 7, the acid–base interaction energy is the predominant attractive force and is sufficient enough to overcome the repulsive forces due to electrical charges to bring about adhesion and thus settling of fine coal. With increase in electrolyte concentration, the change in total interaction energy with pH is minimal which probably leads to better adhesion and hence settling.