Pramuan Tangboriboonrat

Janus colloidal particles: preparation, properties, and biomedical applications.

Janus or anisotropic colloidal particles comprising of at least two components of different chemistry, functionality, and/or polarity have attracted attentions in a wide range of applications, e.g., in optics, magnetics, plasmonics, colloidal chemistry, and biomedicine. The interesting features of Janus colloidal particles are attributed to their tunable and controllable asymmetric structure, which allows controlling their physicochemical properties, down to the nanoscale. Moreover, their synergistic potential for multiplexing, multilevel targeting, and combination therapies make them particularly attractive for biomedical applications. However, the synthesis of Janus colloidal particles must be well-adapted to get particles with precise control of their various structural/physical/chemical properties. Nowadays, the advance in new fabrication processes is a strong need for fabricating compact composite particles with spatially separated functionalities, uniform size, tunable composition, and effective response to stimuli. In this review article, we summarized the most recent representative works on Janus colloidal particles including the various fabrication methods, important properties, and their potential applications, particularly in the biomedical field.

Immobilization of fluorescein isothiocyanate on magnetic polymeric nanoparticle using chitosan as spacer

The nanoparticle with simultaneous combination of magnetic and fluorescent properties was prepared by immobilization of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) onto magnetic polymeric nanoparticle (MPNP). The MPNP with 41% magnetic content was obtained from incorporating Fe(3)O(4) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into poly(styrene/divinyl benzene/acrylic acid) via the miniemulsion polymerization. Before labeling with FITC, the carboxylated MPNP was coated with chitosan (CS) having low, medium, or high molecular weight (MW) in order to avoid quenching of the fluorescent by iron oxide. Data obtained from TEM, size and zeta potential measurements clearly indicated the presence of CS as a shell surrounding the superparamagnetic MPNP core. The zeta potential, FTIR, and fluorescent spectroscopies confirmed the attachment of FITC to the MPNP-CS via covalent bonding. The higher MW or longer chains of CS (300kDa) offered the larger spacer with multiple sites for the FITC binding and, thus, provided the higher fluorescent emission intensity. The MPNP-CS immobilized with FITC would be useful for cell-labeling application.

Detection of Vibrio cholerae using the intrinsic catalytic activity of a magnetic polymeric nanoparticle.

A novel and sensitive magnetic polymeric nanoparticle (MPNP)-polymerase chain reaction-colorimetry (magneto-PCR-colorimetry) technique was developed for detection of Vibrio cholerae ( V. cholerae ). The technique involved an amplification of V. cholerae DNA on the surface of an MPNP and then employed the intrinsic catalytic activity of the MPNP to detect the target gene by colorimetry. An amino-modified forward primer was covalently labeled onto the MPNP surface which would bind to PCR product during PCR cycling. By employing the catalytic activity of the MPNP, the analysis of PCR product bound MPNP yielded a sensitivity of 10(3) CFU/mL of V. cholerae in buffer system within 4 h. The specificity and efficiency of the technique were investigated by using various bacterial DNAs in drinking and tap water.

Preparation of superparamagnetic polystyrene-based nanoparticles functionalized by acrylic acid

This work aimed to reduce the steps used for preparing homogeneous and functionalized magnetic polymeric nanoparticles (MPNP) under mild conditions. A Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) was synthesized by the chemical co-precipitation of an aqueous Fe3+/Fe2+ solution with NH4OH at room temperature under N2 atmosphere. After dispersing an MNP coated with oleic acid into a mixture of styrene (St) and acrylic acid (AA) monomers, the MPNP was functionalized with AA and was produced through the miniemulsion polymerization in the absence of a magneto-template. When mixing a crosslinking agent (divinyl benzene; DVB) with St and AA in the polymerization process, we obtained a homogeneous distribution of MNP (53%) in the PS/DVB matrix without the appearance of a non-magnetic polymer particle. The superparamagnetic MPNP, therefore, fulfilled the criteria for further use in bio-related applications.

Hollow latex particles functionalized with chitosan for the removal of formaldehyde from indoor air.

Chitosan and polyethyleneimine (PEI) functionalized hollow latex (HL) particles were conveniently fabricated by coating poly(methyl methacrylate-co-divinyl benzene-co-acrylic acid) (P(MMA/DVB/AA)) HL particles with 5 wt% chitosan or 14 wt% PEI. The materials were used as formaldehyde adsorbent, where their adsorbent activity was examined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The nucleophilic addition of amines to carbonyls generated a carbinolamine intermediate with a characteristic band at 1,020 cm(-1) and Schiff base product at 1650 cm(-1), whose intensity increased with prolonged formaldehyde exposure times. The major products observed in HL-chitosan were carbinolamine and Schiff base, whereas a small amount of Schiff base was obtained in HL-PEI particles, confirming a chemical bond formation without re-emission of formaldehyde. Compared to HL-PEI, HL-chitosan possesses higher formaldehyde adsorption efficiency. Besides providing opacity and whiteness, the multilayer HL-chitosan particles can effectively remove indoor air pollutants, i.e., formaldehyde gas, and, hence, would be useful in special coating applications.

Multifunctional Fluorescent-Magnetic Polymeric Colloidal Particles: Preparations and Bioanalytical Applications.

Fluorescent-magnetic particles (FMPs) play important roles in modern materials, especially as nanoscale devices in the biomedical field. The interesting features of FMPs are attributed to their dual detection ability, i.e., fluorescent and magnetic modes. Functionalization of FMPs can be performed using several types of polymers, allowing their use in various applications. The synergistic potentials for unique multifunctional, multilevel targeting nanoscale devices as well as combination therapies make them particularly attractive for biomedical applications. However, the synthesis of FMPs is challenging and must be further developed. In this review article, we summarized the most recent representative works on polymer-based FMP systems that have been applied particularly in the bioanalytical field.

Facile method for preparation of anisotropic submicron magnetic Janus particles using miniemulsion

Submicron hybrid magnetic, polystyrene (PS) based Janus particles containing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) on one side were successfully assembled using the miniemulsion/solvent evaporation method. Nanodroplets of styrene (St) monomer in the presence of PS and MNPs were generated in an aqueous continuous phase. The subsequent evaporation of St monomers resulted the precipitation of PS and MNPs into spherical nanoparticles. The effect of PS content, oil:water phase ratio, MNPs:PS ratio, and type and concentration of stabilizers on Janus morphology was investigated. A MNPs:PS weight ratio of 1:1 promoted the formation of Janus-like particles with MNPs located on one side due to the increased PS concentration during evaporation of the monomer solvent. Of the stabilizing agents tested (sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS), Triton X-405, polyvinyl alcohol, and Pluronic F-68), the presence of 1.0 g L(-1) SDS and 20.0 g L(-1) Pluronic F-68 was found to effectively stabilize hybrid particles with Janus morphology.

In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of natural rubber latex film surface coated with PMMA nanoparticles.

In order to increase surface roughness of the sulphur-prevulcanized natural rubber (SPNR) film and, hence, decrease the direct contact between the rubber and skin, the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) latex particles were deposited onto the SPNR film grafted with polyacrylamide (SPNR-g-PAAm). The surface coverage of PMMA particles on the SPNR-g-PAAm increased with increasing latex immersion time, particle size and concentration. Prior to the in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation on L-929 fibroblasts, the SPNR and SPNR-g-PAAm coated with PMMA particles were extracted by using the culture medium. Results showed that the cytotoxicity effect could be significantly reduced by coating PMMA particles onto the rubber film. At the extract concentrations of < or =12.5% for 24h at 37 degrees C, no toxicity potential was detected. The study will be helpful for development of gloves designed for the hypersensitive person.

Novel method for toughening of polystyrene based on natural rubber latex

γ-Radiation vulcanized natural rubber latex/phase transfer/bulk polymerization is a novel process for the preparation of toughened polystyrene based on natural rubber latex. The negatively charged γ-radiation vulcanized natural rubber latex was first titrated with benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride in the presence of a styrene monomer. At a critical transfer concentration, the crosslinked rubber particles transferred from the aqueous phase into the styrene phase in which they swelled, depending on the irradiation dose used. By bulk polymerization of the styrene phase containing transferred particles, the polymer blends exhibited two-phase morphology similar to that of commercial high-impact polystyrene that was microscopically obtained. The final product showed an increase in the unnotched Izod impact energy over the unmodified polystyrene. The effect of irradiation dose, rubber content, and initiator concentration on the impact property and morphology of toughened polystyrene prepared was investigated.

Physical properties of polymer composite: Natural rubber glove waste/polystyrene foam waste/cellulose

Abstract The polymer composite was prepared from the wastes of natural rubber glove (NRG) and polystyrene foam (PSF) blended with cellulose from sugar cane leaves via the laminate method. The NRG and PSF were firstly dispersed in toluene under continuous stirring. Then, maleic anhydride (MA) was added into the mixture. Effects of blend ratio and of MA content (0.5–15%, w/w) on physical properties of the polymer composite were investigated. The toluene resistance of the polymer blend was improved after adding MA and cellulose. The highest toluene resistance was achieved when using 12% cellulose. The chemical reactions of MA with polymer blend and with composite were confirmed by ATR-FTIR. The hardness of the polymer blend and composite increased as a function of PSF. In addition, their impact strength increased with increasing NRG and cellulose contents.