Suzanne Giorgio

Surface Segregation of Pd from TiO2‐Supported AuPd Nanoalloys under CO Oxidation Conditions Observed In situ by ETEM and DRIFTS

A TiO2‐supported AuPd bimetallic catalyst with an Au/Pd atomic ratio of 8 was prepared by deposition‐precipitation with urea, and its activity in CO oxidation at room temperature was compared to the one of a monometallic Au/TiO2 catalyst. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) analyses suggest that Au‐Pd/TiO2 contains bimetallic nanoparticles after reduction under H2 at 500 °C although the presence of monometallic Au particles cannot be totally excluded. The evolution of the AuPd nanoparticles surface composition during exposure to O2 and CO/O2 was studied in situ by environmental high resolution electron microscopy (ETEM) and DRIFTS. Pd segregation at the surface of the bimetallic nanoparticles was evidenced by DRIFTS and directly observed by ETEM under O2 and CO/O2 with the formation of Aucore‐Pdshell structure. The changes in the surface composition of the Au‐Pd nanoparticles under CO/O2 was paralleled with the higher rate of deactivation in the first reaction stages observed for Au‐Pd/TiO2 compared to Au/TiO2, which could be related to the possible replacement of Au in low coordination sites, at the origin of the high activity in CO oxidation, by Pd atoms. These results noticeably underline the modifications induced by the reactant that can undergo a bimetallic AuPd catalyst.

Cationic Nucleoside Lipids Based on a 3-Nitropyrrole Universal Base for siRNA Delivery

Cationic nucleoside lipids based on a 3-nitropyrrole universal base were prepared from D-ribose using a straightforward chemical synthesis. Several studies including DLS, TEM, and ethidium bromide (EthBr) assay demonstrated that these amphiphilic molecules form supramolecular organizations of nanometer size in aqueous solutions and are able to bind nucleic acids. siRNA knockdown experiments were performed with these nucleolipids, and we observed protein knockdown activity similar to the siPORT NeoFX positive control. No significant cytotoxicity was found.

Cationic Nucleoside Lipids Derived from Universal Bases: A Rational Approach for siRNA Transfection

Cationic nucleoside lipids (CNLs) derived from 5-nitroindole and 4-nitroimidazole bases were prepared from d-ribose by using a straightforward chemical synthesis. TEM experiments indicate that these amphiphilic molecules self-assemble to form supramolecular organizations in aqueous solutions. Electrophoresis and standard ethidium bromide (EB) fluorescence displacement assay shows that CNLs are able to bind siRNA. We demonstrated that both the nature of the universal bases and the stereochemistry of the anomeric position (alpha, beta) have an impact on the CNLs-siRNA complex formation. Correlations among chemical structure, stereochemistry, siRNA knockdown effect, and binding affinities for all the compounds were shown and analyzed with a simple molecular modeling study. The best binding affinities for siRNA were found for the beta anomer of the 5-nitroindole CNL which exhibits protein knockdown activity similar to the standard siPORT NeoFX positive control. It is noteworthy that no significant cytotoxicity at the tested concentration was observed for the novel CNLs.

Mastering Dendrimer Self-Assembly for Efficient siRNA Delivery: From Conceptual Design to In Vivo Efficient Gene Silencing

Self-assembly is a fundamental concept and a powerful approach in molecular science. However, creating functional materials with the desired properties through self-assembly remains challenging. In this work, through a combination of experimental and computational approaches, the self-assembly of small amphiphilic dendrons into nanosized supramolecular dendrimer micelles with a degree of structural definition similar to traditional covalent high-generation dendrimers is reported. It is demonstrated that, with the optimal balance of hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity, one of the self-assembled nanomicellar systems, totally devoid of toxic side effects, is able to deliver small interfering RNA and achieve effective gene silencing both in cells - including the highly refractory human hematopoietic CD34(+) stem cells - and in vivo, thus paving the way for future biomedical implementation. This work presents a case study of the concept of generating functional supramolecular dendrimers via self-assembly. The ability of carefully designed and gauged building blocks to assemble into supramolecular structures opens new perspectives on the design of self-assembling nanosystems for complex and functional applications.

Mix and Match: Coassembly of Amphiphilic Dendrimers and Phospholipids Creates Robust, Modular, and Controllable Interfaces

Self-assembly of supramolecular structures has become an attractive means to create new biologically inspired materials and interfaces. We report the first robust hybrid bilayer systems readily coassembled from amphiphilic dendrimers and a naturally occurring phospholipid. Both concentration and generation of the dendrimers have direct impacts on the biophysical properties of the coassemblies. Raising the dendrimer concentration increases the hybrid bilayer stability, while changes in the generation and the concentration of the embedded dendrimers impact the fluidity of the coassembled systems. Multivalent dendrimer amine terminals allow for nondestructive in situ derivatization, providing a convenient approach to decorate and modulate the local environment of the hybrid bilayer. The coassembly of lipid/dendrimer interfaces offers a unique platform for the creation of hybrid systems with modular and precisely controllable behavior for further applications in sensing and drug delivery.

Monitoring in situ the colloidal synthesis of AuRh/TiO2 selective-hydrogenation nanocatalysts

AuRh nanoparticles (NPs) of various compositions and sizes in the 2–4 nm range were synthesized using a colloidal approach and were characterized at each preparation step by dynamic light scattering (DLS), ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, and liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy (liquid TEM). The AuRh colloids appear relatively instable, leading to their gradual coalescence. After fast immobilization of the metallic nanoparticles on rutile TiO2 nanorods, the materials were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and low-temperature CO adsorption monitored by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The inherent lack of miscibility between Au and Rh leads to partial segregation inside the NPs, which is further exalted after a reducing thermal treatment applied for PVA removal. The catalytic properties in the liquid-phase selective hydrogenation of cinnamaldehyde to hydrocinnamaldehyde are strongly influenced by these nanostructural modifications. While in as-prepared samples the intermixing between Au and Rh phases promotes the catalytic performances for Rh-rich AuRh catalysts through Au-induced stabilization of Rh in its metallic form, segregation into Janus particles after reduction decreases the catalytic activity.

Antibacterial activities of fluorescent nano assembled triphenylamine phosphonium ionic liquids

Staphylococcus aureus, a Gram positive coccal bacterium is a major cause of nosocomial infection. We report the synthesis of new triphenylamine phosphonium ionic liquids which are able to self-assemble into multiwall nanoassemblies and to reveal a strong bactericidal activity (MIC=0.5mg/L) for Gram positive bacteria (including resistant strains) comparable to that of standard antibiotics. Time kill, metabolism and fluorescence confocal microscopy studies show a quasi-instantaneously penetration of the nanoassemblies inside the bacteria resulting of a rapid blocking (30min) of their proliferation. As confirmed by rezasurin reduction monitoring, these compounds strongly affect the bacterial metabolism and a Gram positive versus Gram negative selectivity is clearly observed. These fluorescent phosphonium ionic liquid might constitute a useful tool for both translocation studies and to tackle infectious diseases related to the field of implantology.

Self-assembling supramolecular dendrimer nanosystem for PET imaging of tumors

Significance Nanotechnology-based imaging is expected to bring breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis by improving imaging sensitivity and specificity while reducing toxicity. Here, we developed an innovative nanosystem for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging based on a self-assembling amphiphilic dendrimer. This dendrimer assembled spontaneously into uniform supramolecular nanomicelles with abundant PET reporting units on the surface. By harnessing both dendrimeric multivalence and the “enhanced permeation and retention” (EPR) effect, this dendrimer nanosystem effectively accumulated in tumors, leading to exceedingly sensitive and specific imaging of various tumors, especially those that are otherwise undetectable using the clinical gold reference 2-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). This study illustrates the power of nanotechnology based on self-assembling dendrimers to provide an effective platform for bioimaging and related biomedical applications. Bioimaging plays an important role in cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, imaging sensitivity and specificity still constitute key challenges. Nanotechnology-based imaging is particularly promising for overcoming these limitations because nanosized imaging agents can specifically home in on tumors via the “enhanced permeation and retention” (EPR) effect, thus resulting in enhanced imaging sensitivity and specificity. Here, we report an original nanosystem for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging based on an amphiphilic dendrimer, which bears multiple PET reporting units at the terminals. This dendrimer is able to self-assemble into small and uniform nanomicelles, which accumulate in tumors for effective PET imaging. Benefiting from the combined dendrimeric multivalence and EPR-mediated passive tumor targeting, this nanosystem demonstrates superior imaging sensitivity and specificity, with up to 14-fold increased PET signal ratios compared with the clinical gold reference 2-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG). Most importantly, this dendrimer system can detect imaging-refractory low–glucose-uptake tumors that are otherwise undetectable using [18F]FDG. In addition, it is endowed with an excellent safety profile and favorable pharmacokinetics for PET imaging. Consequently, this dendrimer nanosystem constitutes an effective and promising approach for cancer imaging. Our study also demonstrates that nanotechnology based on self-assembling dendrimers provides a fresh perspective for biomedical imaging and cancer diagnosis.