Julia Xiaojun Zhao

Near-Infrared Fluorescent Materials for Sensing of Biological Targets

Near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) materials are promising labeling reagents for sensitive determination and imaging of biological targets. In the near-infrared region biological samples have low background fluorescence signals, providing high signal to noise ratio. Meanwhile, near-infrared radiation can penetrate into sample matrices deeply due to low light scattering. Thus, in vivo and in vitro imaging of biological samples can be achieved by employing the NIRF probes. To take full advantage of NIRF materials in the biological and biomedical field, one of the key issues is to develop intense and biocompatible NIRF probes. In this review, a number of NIRF materials are discussed including traditional NIRF dye molecules, newly developed NIRF quantum dots and single-walled carbon nanotubes, as well as rare earth metal compounds. The use of some NIRF materials in various nanostructures is illustrated. The enhancement of NIRF using metal nanostructures is covered as well. The fluorescence mechanism and bioapplications of each type of the NIRF materials are discussed in details.

Upconversion Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Mechanism, and Applications in Sensing

Upconversion is an optical process that involves the conversion of lower-energy photons into higher-energy photons. It has been extensively studied since mid-1960s and widely applied in optical devices. Over the past decade, high-quality rare earth-doped upconversion nanoparticles have been successfully synthesized with the rapid development of nanotechnology and are becoming more prominent in biological sciences. The synthesis methods are usually phase-based processes, such as thermal decomposition, hydrothermal reaction, and ionic liquids-based synthesis. The main difference between upconversion nanoparticles and other nanomaterials is that they can emit visible light under near infrared irradiation. The near infrared irradiation leads to low autofluorescence, less scattering and absorption, and deep penetration in biological samples. In this review, the synthesis of upconversion nanoparticles and the mechanisms of upconversion process will be discussed, followed by their applications in different areas, especially in the biological field for biosensing.

Sensing mercury for biomedical and environmental monitoring.

Mercury is a very toxic element that is widely spread in the atmosphere, lithosphere, and surface water. Concentrated mercury poses serious problems to human health, as bioaccumulation of mercury within the brain and kidneys ultimately leads to neurological diseases. To control mercury pollution and reduce mercury damage to human health, sensitive determination of mercury is important. This article summarizes some current sensors for the determination of both abiotic and biotic mercury. A wide array of sensors for monitoring mercury is described, including biosensors and chemical sensors, while piezoelectric and microcantilever sensors are also described. Additionally, newly developed nanomaterials offer great potential for fabricating novel mercury sensors. Some of the functional fluorescent nanosensors for the determination of mercury are covered. Afterwards, the in vivo determination of mercury and the characterization of different forms of mercury are discussed. Finally, the future direction for mercury detection is outlined, suggesting that nanomaterials may provide revolutionary tools in biomedical and environmental monitoring of mercury.

Aptamers: Active Targeting Ligands for Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy

Aptamers, including DNA, RNA and peptide aptamers, are a group of promising recognition units that can specifically bind to target molecules and cells. Due to their excellent specificity and high affinity to targets, aptamers have attracted great attention in various fields in which selective recognition units are required. They have been used in biosensing, drug delivery, disease diagnosis and therapy (especially for cancer treatment). In this review, we summarized recent applications of DNA and RNA aptamers in cancer theranostics. The specific binding ability of aptamers to cancer-related markers and cancer cells ensured their high performance for early diagnosis of cancer. Meanwhile, the efficient targeting ability of aptamers to cancer cells and tissues provided a promising way to deliver imaging agents and drugs for cancer imaging and therapy. Furthermore, with the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology, the conjugation of aptamers with functional nanomaterials paved an exciting way for the fabrication of theranostic agents for different types of cancers, which might be a powerful tool for cancer treatment.

Recent development of silica nanoparticles as delivery vectors for cancer imaging and therapy

UNLABELLED In spite of significant advances in early detection and combined treatments, a number of cancers are often diagnosed at advanced stages and thereby carry a poor prognosis. Developing novel prognostic biomarkers and targeted therapies may offer alternatives for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Recent rapid development of nanomaterials, such as silica based nanoparticles (SiNPs), can just render such a promise. In this article, we attempt to summarize the recent progress of SiNPs in tumor research as a novel delivery vector. SiNP-assisted imaging techniques are used in cancer diagnosis both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, SiNP-mediated drug delivery can efficiently treat tumor by carrying chemotherapeutic agents, photosensitizers, photothermal agents, siRNA, and gene therapeutic agents. Finally, SiNPs that contain at least two different functional agents may be more powerful for both tumor imaging and therapy. FROM THE CLINICAL EDITOR This paper summarizes recent progress on the field of silica nanoparticles research as novel delivery vectors for cancer-specific imaging as well as drug delivery of chemotherapeutics, photosensitizers, photothermal agents, siRNA, and gene therapy agents.

Development of Gold Nanoparticle-Enhanced Fluorescent Nanocomposites

A gold nanoparticle-enhanced fluorescent nanocomposite was developed. The designed nanocomposite contained a spherical gold nanoparticle core, a thin PVP coating layer, a silica spacer, and a fluorescent dye layer in the silica matrix. The dye molecules were conjugated to a polymer to be effectively doped in the nanocomposites. Different sized gold nanoparticle cores were used while the spacer thickness was varied. The function of the PVP layer in the fabrication of the nanocomposites was discussed. The fluorescence enhancement effects of the metal core size (gold nanoparticles) and the distance between the fluorescent molecules and the metal core were systematically studied. A series of control experiments were conducted to ensure the accuracy of the fluorescence enhancement measurement. The results showed that the developed nanocomposite can effectively enhance the fluorescence signal of the doped dye conjugates. An enhancement factor of 9.2 was obtained when the nanocomposite contained a 13.7 ± 1.3 nm gold nanoparticle core and a 36.6 ± 4.4 nm silica spacer. It is expected that the developed nanocomposite could be an effective model for studying various effects and the mechanism of metal-enhanced fluorescence at the nanoscale.

Gold-Nanoparticle-Decorated Silica Nanorods for Sensitive Visual Detection of Proteins

We report a rapid and highly sensitive approach based on gold-nanoparticle-decorated silica nanorods (GNP-SiNRs) label and lateral-flow strip biosensor (LFSB) for visually detecting proteins. Owing to its biocompatibility and convenient surface modification, SiNRs were used as carriers to load numerous GNPs, and the GNP-SiNRs were used as labels for the lateral-flow assay. The LFSB detection limit was lowered 50 times compared to the traditional GNP-based lateral-flow assay. Rabbit IgG was used as a model target to demonstrate the proof-of-concept. Sandwich-type immunoreactions were performed on the immunochromatographic strips, and the accumulation of GNP-SiNRs on the test zone produced the characteristic colored bands, enabling visual detection of proteins without instrumentation. The quantitative detection was performed by reading the intensities of the colored bands with a portable strip reader. The response of the optimized device was highly linear for the range of 0.05–2 ng mL–1, and the detection limit was estimated to be 0.01 ng mL–1. The GNP-SiNR-based LFSB, thus, offered an ultrasensitive method for rapidly detecting trace amounts of proteins. This method has a potential application with point-of-care screening for clinical diagnostics and biomedical research.

Engineering of SiO2-Au-SiO2 sandwich nanoaggregates using a building block: single, double, and triple cores for enhancement of near infrared fluorescence.

We have developed a simple and flexible chemical method to synthesize orderly metallic nanoaggregates using a designed SiO 2-Au core-shell building block. The number of the building blocks in a nanoaggregate is tunable from one to three. These metal nanostructures can generate an enlarged localized electromagnetic field through surface plasmon resonance and enhance the optical signals of the photoactive molecules within this electromagnetic field. Aggregates of metallic nanoparticles provide a higher signal enhancement than well-dispersed nanoparticles combined. The level of signal enhancement is determined by the number of building blocks in a nanoaggregate. The signal enhancement of the nanoaggregates has been verified with a near-infrared (NIR) dye. In the NIR region, biological samples have low background signals and deeper penetration of radiation. The application of these NIR enhanced metal nanostructures will open a significant approach for sensitive detection of biological samples.

Increasing Surface Area of Silica Nanoparticles With a Rough Surface

The silica nanoparticles with a rough surface were developed using a silane precursor in a reverse microemulsion followed by a drying treatment. The surface roughness of the nanoparticles was adjustable by changing the amount of the precursor. Within a certain range, the roughness increased as the amount of the silane precursor increased. The rough surface provided a larger surface area than the smooth one. The produced nanoparticles were characterized using the transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis, and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller analysis technique. Additionally, the amount of surface functional amino groups on the nanoparticles was detected using the traditional acid-base titration and the dissociation constant of this functional group was calculated. On the basis of the experimental results, the mechanism of the formation of the rough surface was proposed. Finally, the produced silica nanoparticles were utilized as a carrier for the chemical binding of a near-infrared dye molecule and the adsorption of the gold nanoparticles. The results demonstrated that the rough surface provide the silica nanoparticles with a high capacity of surface chemical and supramolecular reactions.

Shape-tunable hollow silica nanomaterials based on a soft-templating method and their application as a drug carrier.

A one-step soft-templating method for synthesizing shape-tunable hollow silica nanomaterials was developed in a reliable and highly reproducible way. For the first time, both nonspherical and spherical shapes with hollow interiors, including nanowire, nanospheres, and nanotadpole, were successfully obtained by simply changing the solvent. Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)-water droplets were used as soft templates for the formation of hollow structures, while three different solvents, including 1-propanol, 1-pentanol, and ethanol, led to the designed shapes. It was found that the solvent, the formation of PVP-water droplets, the amount of ammonia, and the reaction time had great effects on the morphology of synthesized hollow nanomaterials. The effect of various factors on the morphology was systematically studied to propose a growth mechanism. The obtained hollow silica nanomaterials showed excellent reproducibility and great potential for a large-scale synthesis. Finally, the application of the developed hollow silica nanomaterials was demonstrated using the hollow spherical silica nanoparticles. Its drug-carrying ability was studied. The results could be extended for doping various target molecules into the hollow structures for a broad range of applications.