Characterization and Optimization of Vesicle Properties in bioPISA: from Size Distribution to Post-Assembly Loading.

This study investigates the formation and properties of vesicles produced via biocatalytic Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (bioPISA) as artificial cells. Methods for achieving size uniformity, including gentle centrifugation and sucrose gradient centrifugation, are explored, and the effects of stirring speed on vesicle morphology is investigated. The internal structure of the vesicles, characterized by a polymer-rich matrix, is analyzed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS).

Grafting and controlled release of antimicrobial peptides from mesoporous silica.

The grafting of antimicrobial peptides onto mesoporous silica particles and their controlled release using a green light-responsive linker, which enables tunable release-concentration-time profiles, is presented. The mesoporous silica surface is functionalized with antimicrobial peptides employing sequential functionalization steps, including the grafting of 3-[(2-propynylcarbamate)propyl]triethoxysilane (PPTEOS) as anchor, boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) as photosensitive linker, and C14R peptides as antimicrobial agents. Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) validate the successful fabrication and functionalization of mesoporous silica.

Inverse opals with reactive surface chemistry as sensors for aqueous pollutants.

Inverse opal colorimetric sensors operating on wetting transitions usually rely on physical differences of the infiltrating liquid. Here, we exploit a reactive surface chemistry that changes wettability upon binding of an analyte. Upon binding of Fe to a Schiff base immobilized on the porous structure, the surface becomes more hydrophilic, triggering the infiltration of the structure and causing the structural color to disappear.

Single-fibre coating and additive manufacturing of multifunctional papers.

Paper-based materials with precisely designed wettabilities show great potential for fluid transport control, separation, and sensing. To tune the wettability of paper, paper sheets are usually modified after the paper manufacturing process. This limits the complexity of the local wettability design.

Printing of In Situ Functionalized Mesoporous Silica with Digital Light Processing for Combinatorial Sensing.

Combinatorial sensing is especially important in the context of modern drug development to enable fast screening of large data sets. Mesoporous silica materials offer high surface area and a wide range of functionalization possibilities. By adding structural control, the combination of structural and functional control along all length scales opens a new pathway that permits larger amounts of analytes being tested simultaneously for complex sensing tasks.