Core-shell lipid-polymer nanoparticles as a promising ocular drug delivery system to treat glaucoma

Nowadays,tremendous researches have been focused on the core-shell lipid-polymer nanoparticles(LPNs) due to the advantages of both liposomes and polymer nanoparticles.In this work,LPNs were applied to encapsulate brinzolamide(Brz-LPNs) for achieving sustained drug release,improving drug corneal permeation and enhancing drug topical therapeutic effect.The structure of Brz-LPNs was composed of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid(PLGA) nanocore which encapsulated Brz(Brz-NPs) and lipid shell around the core.Brz-LPNs were prepared by a modified thin-film dispersion method.With the parameters optimization of Brz-LPNs,optimal Brz-LPNs showed an average particle size of151.23±1.64 nm with a high encapsulation efficiency(EE) of 86.7%±2.28%.The core-shell structure of Brz-LPNs were confirmed by transmission electronic microscopy(TEM).Fourier transformed infrared spectra(FTIR) analysis proved that Brz was successfully entrapped into Brz-LPNs.Brz-LPNs exhibited obvious sustained release of Brz,compared with AZOPT^■ and Brz-LPs.Furthermore,the corneal accumulative permeability of Brz-LPNs significantly increased compared to the commercial available formulation(AZOPT^■) in vitro.Moreover,Brz-LPNs(1 mg/mL Brz) showed a more sustained and effective intraocular pressure(IOP) reduction than Brz-LPs(1 mg/mL) and AZOPT^■(10 mg/mL Brz) in vivo.In conclusion,Brz-LPNs,as promising ocular drug delivery systems,are well worth developing in the future for glaucoma treatment.

Fabrication of Cu_2O@Cu_2O core-shell nanoparticles and conversion to Cu_2O@Cu core-shell nanoparticles in solution

Cu2O@Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by using solution phase strategy. It was found that Cu2O@Cu2O NPs were easily converted to Cu2O@Cu NPs with the help of polyvinylpyrrolidine (PVP) and excessive ascorbic acid (AA) in air at room temperature, which was an interesting phenomenon. The features of the two kinds of NPs were characterized by XRD, TEM and extinction spectra. Cu2O@Cu NPs with different shell thicknesses showed wide tunable optical properties for the localized surface plasmon (LSP) in metallic Cu. But Cu2O@Cu2O NPs did not indicate this feature. FTIR results reveal that Cu+ ions on the surface of Cu2O shell coordinate with N and O atoms in PVP and are further reduced to metallic Cu by excessive AA and then form a nucleation site on the surface of Cu2O nanocrystalline. PVP binds onto different sites to proceed with the reduction utill all the Cu sources in Cu2O shell are completely assumed.

Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles supported on a metal-organic framework as highly efficient catalysts for nitroarenes reduction

Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles with a mean particle size of 8–9 nm were prepared by solvothermal reduction of bivalent nickel and palladium in oleylamine and trioctylphosphine.Subsequently,the first-ever deposition of Ni@Pd core-shell nanoparticles having different compositions on a metal-organic framework（MIL-101）was accomplished by wet impregnation in n-hexane.The Ni@Pd/MIL-101 materials were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and also investigated as catalysts for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene under mild reaction conditions.At 30 °C and 0.1 MPa of H2 pressure,the Ni@Pd/MIL-101 gives a TOF as high as 375 h–1 for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene and is applicable to a wide range of substituted nitroarenes.The exceptional performance of this catalyst is believed to result from the significant Ni-Pd interaction in the core-shell structure,together with promotion of the conversions of aromatics by uncoordinated Lewis acidic Cr sites on the MIL-101 support.

Synthesis of Ni@Au Core-shell Nanoparticles and Its Applications in Ullmann Reaction as a Synergistic Catalyst

The Ni@Au core-shell nanoparticles had been successfully synthesized from aqueous solution by one-step route at room temperature. The Ni@Au nanoparticles can be an excellent catalyst for Ullmann reaction. The advantage of Ni@Au is that the catalyst does not need additional reducing agents. The Au shell can effectively protect the Ni core from oxidation. The Ni core and Au shell have both composited in structure and cooperated in function.

Preparation and Characterization of Nano-Sized (Mg_(x)Fe_(1–x)O/SiO₂) (x = 0.1) Core-Shell Nanoparticles by Chemical Precipitation Method

Magnetic core-shell nanoparticles have been widely studied because of their excellent and convenient magnetic and electrical properties.In this present work core-shell magneticnanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized by simple chemical precipitation method. Firstly Mg(x)Fe(1–x)O (magnesiwuestite) nano powder samples were synthesised by low temperature chemical combustion method. Secondly the as synthesised Mg(x)Fe(1–x)O nanoparticles are used to synthesis magnetic core-shell Nano particles byusing 2-propanol, poly ethylene glycol (PEG), ammonia solution 30 wt%, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Separation of the core-shell magnetic nanoparticles from the aqueous suspension using a centrifuge. The synthesised MNPs and core shell MNP were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermal gravimetric-differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), (EDAX) for structural, thermal and morphological respectively. It is observed that the particle size of spherical sampleis 32.5 nm.

Shell-driven Fine Structure Transition of Core Materials in Co@Au Core-shell Nanoparticles

Co@Au core shell nanoparticles(NPs) of different shell thicknesses were fabricated by a combination of the displacement process and the reduction-deposition process in a microfluidic reactor. The effect of the shell thickness on the fine structures(local atom arrangement) of core materials was investigated by X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure(XANES) and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure(EXAFS).The results indicate that the shell thickness affects the fine structure of the core materials by causing atomic re-arrangement between the hexagonal close pack(hcp) and the face centered cubic(fcc) structure, and forming Co-Au bonds in the core-shell interface.

Raman scattering in In/InOx core-shell structured nanoparticles

The properties of Raman phonons are very important due to the fact that they can availably reflect some important physical information. An abnormal Raman peak is observed at about 558 cm-1 in In film composed of In/InOx core-shell structured nanoparticles, and the phonon mode stays very stable when the temperature changes. Our results indicate that this Raman scattering is attributed to the existence of incomplete indium oxide in the oxide shell.

Synthesis of Octylmethoxycinamate-silica Core-shell Nanoparticles with Self-templating Method

t A self-templating method was employed to synthesize core-shell nanoparticles with octylmethoxycinamate（OMC）, a well-known organic UV absorber, as core and nanosilica particles as shell. The characteristic of this method is that the whole process requires neither surface treatment for nanosilica particles nor additional surfactant or stabilizer, and all the reactions could be finished in one-pot, which exempts removing template and reduces reaction steps compared to the conventional process. The morphology, structure, particle size distribution, chemical composition and optical property of OMC-SiO2 nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, transmission electron microscopy（TEM）, dynamic light scattering（DLS）, FTIR spectrometry and UV absorption spectrometry, respectively. Experiment results indicate that the resulting OMC-SiO2 nanoparticles were perfectly spherical with smooth particle surfaces, and had clear core-shell structures. The particle size could be tuned by altering reaction conditions. In addition, the mechanism of the self-templating method for forming core-shell nanoparticles was discussed.

Memory Effect up to Room-temperature in Ni/Ni_2P Core-shell Structured Nanoparticles

Memory effect has been studied in the system using magnetic nanoparticles with Ni nanocore encapsulated by non-magnetic and oxidation-resistant Ni2P nanoshell acquired through surface-phosphatizing Ni nanoparticles. The self-assembled array with interparticle spacing of about 6 nm shows memory effect up to 200 K below its average blocking temperature of 260 K. And reducing the interparticle spacing of the self-assembled array via annealing can further enlarge the temperature range of memory effect up to room-temperature. The memory effect can be understood based on the thermal relaxation theory of single-domain magnetic nanoparticles. Furthermore, the read-write magnetic coding is realized based on the temperature changes, using the memory effect up to room-temperature, which may be useful for future memory devices.

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly (Methyl Methacrylate)/Polyethylenimine Grafting Core-Shell Nanoparticles for CO2 Adsorption Using Soap-Free Emulsion Copolymerization

Unlike previous emulsion polymerization, we used grafting reactions in soap-free emulsion systems. In this study, we synthesized grafted PMMA/PEI core-shell nanoparticles by varying the MMA/PEI content and molecular weight of PEI (Mn = 600, 8000, and 10,000). The size and morphology of the core-shell nanoparticles were characterized by a particle size analyzer and scanning electron microscopy. The nanoparticles were 178 - 408 nm in diameter and swelled in water or methanol by 30 - 75 nm. The size of the nanoparticles increased with MMA contents, whereas the size distribution progressively became homogeneous with increasing molecular weight of PEI. Lastly, we measured CO2 adsorption capacity of the grafted PMMA/PEI core-shell nanoparticles, and we found the capacity to be limited at a level of 0.69 mg, which occurred for nanoparticles prepared from emulsions at a pH value of 11.

A Comparative Study on the Selected Area Electron Diffraction Pattern of Fe Oxide/Au Core-shell Structured Nanoparticles

The selected area electron diffraction （SAED） pattern of magnetic iron oxide core/gold shell nanoparticles has been studied. For the composite particles with mean size less than 10 nm, their SAED pattern is found to be different from either the pattern of pure Fe oxide nanoparticles or that of pure Au particles. Based on the fact that the ring diameters of these composite particles fit the characteristic relation for the fcc structure, the Au atoms on surfaces of the concerned particles are supposed to pack in a way more tightly than they usually do in pure Au nanoparticles. The driving force for this is the coherency strain which enables the shell material at the heterostructured interface to adapt the lattice parameters of the core.

Preparation and Characterization of Silica and Clay-Silica Core-Shell Nanoparticles Using Sol-Gel Method

Silica and montmorillonite-supported silica nanoparticles were prepared via an acid one step sol-gel process. The synthesized solids were characterized using XRD, FTIR, TEM and N2 adsorption. The effect of preparing temperatures on the structure and properties of the silica nanoparticles were studied. The results show that the increase of annealing temperature from 25 to 200℃, don’t change amorphous state of silica. While for montmorillonite-supported silica the clay platelets are delaminated during the sol-gel process. TEM results showed that the average particle size of silica is increased by increasing temperature due to the particle sintering and the clay-silica nanoparticles possessed core–shell morphology with diameter of 29 nm. The surface area measurements showed that by increasing annealing temperature the surface area was decreased due to aggregation of particle. The clay-silica sample showed lower average pore width than that of the silica prepared at 200℃ indicating that it has a macropores structure. The adsorption efficiency of the prepared samples was tested by adsorption of protoporphyrin IX. The highest adsorption efficiency was found for SiO2 prepared at 200℃. Temkin model describe the equilibrium of adsorption of protoporphyrin IX on caly-silica nanoparticles under different conditions.

Synthesis and Characterization of Bimetallic Gold-Silver Core-Shell Nanoparticles: A Green Approach

Bimetallic gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles were prepared by chemical reduction in aqueous solution, following a method that was friendly to the environment, allowing us to use this for medicinal purposes. Gold nanoparticles were synthesized, and silver cations were then reduced on the nanoparticles. Using the optical properties of metallic nanoparticles, surface plasmon resonance was determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy, and the values obtained for gold and silver were approximately 520 nm and 400 nm in wavelength, respectively. The absorption peaks of the surface plasmon band show a clear red-shift due to size effect in the case of the silver surface, and a plasmon coupling effect, in the case of gold. To obtain a better understanding of the coating conditions, high resolution transmission electron microscopy was used. The average hydrodynamic size and the size distribution of the synthesized nanoparticles were obtained by dynamic light scattering. The development of this process, which is benign for the environment, opens the possibility for many applications in the areas of renewable energy, medicine and biology.

Manufacturing of Surface Nanostructured Fibers Featuring an Antibacterial Effect by Magnetic Field Transportation of Magnetite@Silver Core-Shell Nanoparticles

Magnetic core-shell nanoparticles of type Fe3O4@Ag were synthesized in gram scale following a combined co-precipitation phase-transfer method and afterwards, processed to nanoparticle polymer (polypropylene and polyamide) composites. These composites were used as sheath material for the fabrication of core-sheath fibers. During the melt spinning process, a magnetic field was applied around the roving, whereby the particles move in the still liquid sheath polymer towards the surface. The produced fiber materials were investigated by AFM showing a nanostructuring of the surface, which was indirectly confirmed by determination of a slight surface tension lowering. Nanoparticle movement was shown by cross-section SEM and EDX measurements. The antibacterial activity of the spun fibers was proven by contacting them with Escherichia coli. A long-term stability of this effect was observable by carrying out a standard washability test. In contrast to previous works this new approach uses no deposition technique to introduce surface changes. It rather applies a magnetic force to move appropriately equipped nanoparticles from the inside of the fiber to the surface. This leads in only one step to a strong superficial anchoring of the particles resulting in a unique combination of long-term stable antibacterial and improved anti-soiling effects.

Core-shell lipid-polymeric nanoparticles for enhanced oral bioavailability and antihypertensive efficacy of KY5 peptide

Hypertension is the leading risk factor for death and disability, and hypertensive patients always need long-term oral antihypertensive drugs. Some bioactive peptides that extracted from animals or plants have shown excellent advantages on antihypertension. However, the oral delivery of these peptides is always failure on account of instability and poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. Herein, we developed a core-shell lipid-polymeric nanoparticle for oral delivery of a highly efficient antihypertensive peptide KY5(KY5-CSs). KY5-CSs had a particle size of 216.7 ± 2.5 nm, with a narrow PDI of 0.07 ± 0.01.The zeta potential was-4.1 ± 0.1 m V. It exhibited good stability in 4 ℃ and possessed a controlled release behavior in gastrointestinal tract. The cellular uptake study proved that the lipid shell imparted unique capability of permeation across the mucus layer and internalization by Caco-2/HT-29 cells. In addition, KY5-CSs enhanced in situ intestinal absorption in SD rats. The pharmacokinetic studies and antihypertensive efficacy showed a superior oral absorption and antihypertensive effect of KY5-CSs than KY5-NPs. In conclusion, the core-shell lipid-polymeric nanoparticles will provide attractive potential for oral delivery of antihypertensive peptides.

Structural Analysis of TiC and TiC-C Core-Shell Nanostructures Produced by Pulsed-Laser Ablation

This paper reports on the ablation process of a pure Ti solid target immersed in a C-enriched acetone solution, leading to the production of titanium carbide (TiC) and Ti-C core-shell nanostructures. The used route of synthesis is generally called pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL). The presence of carbon structures in the solution contributed to the carbon content in the produced Ti-based nanomaterials. The atomic composition of the produced nanostructures was analyzed using SEM-EDS, while TEM micrographs revealed the formation of spherical TiC and core-shell nanostructures ranging from 40 to 100 nm. The identification of atomic planes by HRTEM confirmed a 10 nm diameter C-shell with a graphite structure surrounding the Ti-core. Raman spectroscopy allowed for the identification of D and G peaks for graphite and a Raman signal at 380 and 600 cm−1, assigned to TiC. The results contribute to the state-of-the-art production of TiC and Ti-C core-shell nanostructures using the PLAL route.

3D core-shell nanofibers framework and functional ceramic nanoparticles synergistically reinforced composite polymer electrolytes for high-performance all-solid-state lithium metal battery

Satisfactory ionic conductivity,excellent mechanical stability,and high-temperature resistance are the prerequisites for the safe application of solid polymer electrolytes(SPEs)in all-solid-state lithium metal batteries(ASSLMBs).In this study,a novel poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide)(PMIA)-core/poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)-shell nanofiber membrane and the functional Li_(6.4)La_(3)Zr_(1.4)Ta_(0.6)O_(12)(LLZTO)ceramic nanopar-ticle are simultaneously introduced into the PEO-based SPEs to prepare composite polymer electrolytes(CPEs).The core PMIA layer of composite nanofibers can greatly improve the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the CPEs,while the shell PEO layer can provide the 3D continuous transport channels for lithium ions.In addition,the introduction of functional LLZTO nanoparticle not only reduces the crys-tallinity of PEO,but also promotes the dissociation of lithium salts and releases more Li^(+)ions through its interaction with the Lewis acid-base of anions,thereby overall improving the transport of lithium ions.Consequently,the optimized CPEs present high ionic conductivity of 1.38×10^(−4)S/cm at 30℃,signifi-cantly improved mechanical strength(8.5 MPa),remarkable thermal stability(without obvious shrinkage at 150℃),and conspicuous Li dendrites blocking ability(>1800 h).The CPEs also both have good com-patibility and cyclic stability with LiFePO_(4)(>2000 cycles)and high-voltage LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)(NMC811)(>500 cycles)cathodes.In addition,even at low temperature(40℃),the assembled LiFePO4/CPEs/Li bat-tery still can cycle stably.The novel design can provide an effective way to exploit high-performance solid-state electrolytes.

Enhanced near-field radiative heat transfer between core-shell nanoparticles through surface modes hybridization

Core-shell nanoparticles(CSNPs)are widely used in energy harvesting,conversion,and thermal management due to the excellent physical properties of different components.Because of the synergistic interaction between the core and the shell,the thermal radiative properties are expected to be further enhanced.In this work,we achieve near-field radiative heat transfer(NFRHT)enhancement between SiC@Drude CSNPs.Numerical results show that the total heat flux between NPs is 1.47 times and 9.98 times higher than homogeneous SiC and Drude NPs at the same radius when the core volume fraction is 0.76.Surface modes hybridization arising from the interfaces of the shell-core and shell-air contributes to the improved thermal radiation.The effect of shift frequency on the NFRHT between SiC@Drude CSNPs is studied,showing that the enhancement ratio of NFRHT between CSNPs can reach 4.34 at a shift frequency of 1×10^(14) rad/s,which is 38.34 times higher than the previous work.This study demonstrates that surface modes hybridization in CSNPs can significantly improve NFRHT and open a novel path for high-efficiency energy transport at the nanoscale.

Core-shell nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopy in situ probing the composition and evolution of interfacial species on PtCo surfaces

The composition and evolution of interfacial species play a key role during electrocatalytic process.Unveiling the structural evolution and intermediate during catalytic process by in situ characterization can shed new light on the electrocatalytic reaction mechanism and develop highly efficient catalyst.However,directly probing the interfacial species is extremely difficult for most spectroscopic techniques due to complicated interfacial environment and ultra-low surface concentration.Herein,electrochemical core-shell nanoparticle enhanced Raman spectroscopy is utilized to probe the composition and evolution processes of interfacial species on Au@Pt,Au@Co,and Au@PtCo core-shell nanoparticle surfaces.The spectral evidences of interfacial intermediates including hydroxide radical(OH*),superoxide ion(O_(2)^(−)),as well as metal oxide species are directly captured by in situ Raman spectroscopy,which are further confirmed by the both isotopic experiment and density functional theory calculation.These results provide a mechanistic guideline for the rational design of highly efficient electrocatalysts.

Hierarchical Magnetic Network Constructed by CoFe Nanoparticles Suspended Within “Tubes on Rods” Matrix Toward Enhanced Microwave Absorption

Hierarchical magnetic-dielectric composites are promising functional materials with prospective applications in microwave absorption(MA)field.Herein,a three-dimension hierarchical“nanotubes on microrods,”core–shell magnetic metal–carbon composite is rationally constructed for the first time via a fast metal–organic frameworksbased ligand exchange strategy followed by a carbonization treatment with melamine.Abundant magnetic CoFe nanoparticles are embedded within one-dimensional graphitized carbon/carbon nanotubes supported on micro-scale Mo2N rod(Mo2N@CoFe@C/CNT),constructing a special multi-dimension hierarchical MA material.Ligand exchange reaction is found to determine the formation of hierarchical magnetic-dielectric composite,which is assembled by dielectric Mo2N as core and spatially dispersed CoFe nanoparticles within C/CNTs as shell.Mo2N@CoFe@C/CNT composites exhibit superior MA performance with maximum reflection loss of−53.5 dB at 2 mm thickness and show a broad effective absorption bandwidth of 5.0 GHz.The Mo2N@CoFe@C/CNT composites hold the following advantages:(1)hierarchical core–shell structure offers plentiful of heterojunction interfaces and triggers interfacial polarization,(2)unique electronic migration/hop paths in the graphitized C/CNTs and Mo2N rod facilitate conductive loss,(3)highly dispersed magnetic CoFe nanoparticles within“tubes on rods”matrix build multi-scale magnetic coupling network and reinforce magnetic response capability,confirmed by the off-axis electron holography.