Quantification of blood-brain barrier transport and neuronal toxicity of unlabelled multiwalled carbon nanotubes as a function of surface charge.

Nanoparticles capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) will greatly advance the delivery of therapies against brain disorders. Carbon nanotubes hold great potential as delivery vehicles due to their high aspect-ratio and cell-penetrating ability. Studies have shown multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) cross the BBB, however they have largely relied on labelling methods to track and quantify transport, or on individual electron microscopy images to qualitatively assess transcytosis.

Spatially Resolved Dissolution and Speciation Changes of ZnO Nanorods during Short-Term Incubation in a Simulated Wastewater Environment.

Zinc oxide engineered nanomaterials (ZnO ENMs) are used in a variety of applications worldwide due to their optoelectronic and antibacterial properties with potential contaminant risk to the environment following their disposal. One of the main potential pathways for ZnO nanomaterials to reach the environment is urban wastewater treatment plants. So far there is no technique that can provide spatiotemporal nanoscale information about the rates and mechanisms by which the individual nanoparticles transform.

Label-Free Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Sulfur-Producing Enzymes inside Microglia Cells following Exposure to Silver Nanowires.

There are no methods sensitive enough to detect enzymes within cells, without the use of analyte labeling. Here we show that it is possible to detect protein ion signals of three different HS-synthesizing enzymes inside microglia after pretreatment with silver nanowires (AgNW) using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). Protein fragment ions, including the fragment of amino acid (CHN = 70 amu), fragments of the sulfur-producing cystathionine-containing enzymes, and the Ag ion signal could be detected without the use of any labels; the cells were mapped using the CHN amino acid fragment.

Structure and solvents effects on the optical properties of sugar-derived carbon nanodots.

Carbon nanodots are a new and intriguing class of fluorescent carbon nanomaterials and are considered a promising low cost, nontoxic alternative to traditional inorganic quantum dots in applications such as bioimaging, solar cells, photocatalysis, sensors and others. Despite the abundant available literature, a clear formation mechanism for carbon nanodots prepared hydrothermally from biomass precursors along with the origins of the light emission are still under debate. In this paper, we investigate the relationships between the chemical structure and optical properties of carbon nanodots prepared by the hydrothermal treatment of glucose.

Silver Nanowire Particle Reactivity with Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Cells: Intracellular Availability of Silver Governs Their Cytotoxicity.

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are increasingly being used in the production of optoelectronic devices, with manufacturing processes posing a risk for occupational exposures via inhalation. Although some studies have explored the environmental effects of AgNWs, few data exist on human health effects. Alveolar macrophages are central in the clearance of inhaled fibers from the lungs, with frustrated phagocytosis often stated as a key determinant for the onset of inflammatory reactions.

Silver nanoparticles reduce brain inflammation and related neurotoxicity through induction of HS-synthesizing enzymes.

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are known to penetrate into the brain and cause neuronal death. However, there is a paucity in studies examining the effect of AgNP on the resident immune cells of the brain, microglia. Given microglia are implicated in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD), it is important to examine how AgNPs affect microglial inflammation to fully assess AgNP neurotoxicity.

Inactivation, Clearance, and Functional Effects of Lung-Instilled Short and Long Silver Nanowires in Rats.

There is a potential for silver nanowires (AgNWs) to be inhaled, but there is little information on their health effects and their chemical transformation inside the lungs in vivo. We studied the effects of short (S-AgNWs; 1.5 μm) and long (L-AgNWs; 10 μm) nanowires instilled into the lungs of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Mechanisms of Polymer-Templated Nanoparticle Synthesis: Contrasting ZnS and Au.

We combine solution small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and high-resolution analytical transmission electron microscopy (ATEM) to gain a full mechanistic understanding of substructure formation in nanoparticles templated by block copolymer reverse micelles, specifically poly(styrene)-block-poly(2-vinylpyridine). We report a novel substructure for micelle-templated ZnS nanoparticles, in which small crystallites (∼4 nm) exist within a larger (∼20 nm) amorphous organic-inorganic hybrid matrix. The formation of this complex structure is explained via SAXS measurements that characterize in situ for the first time the intermediate state of the metal-loaded micelle core: Zn(2+) ions are distributed throughout the micelle core, which solidifies as a unit on sulfidation.

High resolution and dynamic imaging of biopersistence and bioreactivity of extra and intracellular MWNTs exposed to microglial cells.

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are increasingly being developed both as neuro-therapeutic drug delivery systems to the brain and as neural scaffolds to drive tissue regeneration across lesion sites. MWNTs with different degrees of acid oxidation may have different bioreactivities and propensities to aggregate in the extracellular environment, and both individualised and aggregated MWNTs may be expected to be found in the brain. Before practical application, it is vital to understand how both aggregates and individual MWNTs will interact with local phagocytic immune cells, the microglia, and ultimately to determine their biopersistence in the brain.

Correlative electron and X-ray microscopy: probing chemistry and bonding with high spatial resolution.

Two powerful and complementary techniques for chemical characterisation of nanoscale systems are electron energy-loss spectroscopy in the scanning transmission electron microscope, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy in the scanning transmission X-ray microscope. A correlative approach to spectro-microscopy may not only bridge the gaps in spatial and spectral resolution which exist between the two instruments, but also offer unique opportunities for nanoscale characterisation. This review will discuss the similarities of the two spectroscopy techniques and the state of the art for each microscope.

Aqueous dispersions of oligomer-grafted carbon nanomaterials with controlled surface charge and minimal framework damage.

Functionalised carbon nanomaterials (CNMs), with an undamaged carbon framework and controlled physiochemical properties, are desirable for a wide range of scientific studies and commercial applications. The use of a thermochemical grafting approach provides a versatile means to functionalise both multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon black (CB) nanoparticles without altering their inherent structures. The functionalisation process was investigated by employing various types of grafting monomers; to improve water solubility, reagents were chosen that introduced an ionic character either intrinsically or after further chemical reactions.

Aqueous cationic, anionic and non-ionic multi-walled carbon nanotubes, functionalised with minimal framework damage, for biomedical application.

The use of a thermochemical grafting approach provides a versatile means to functionalise as-synthesised, bulk multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) without altering their inherent structure. The associated retention of properties is desirable for a wide range of commercial applications, including for drug delivery and medical purposes; it is also pertinent to studies of intrinsic toxicology. A systematic series of water-compatible MWNTs, with diameter around 12 nm have been prepared, to provide structurally-equivalent samples predominantly stabilised by anionic, cationic, or non-ionic groups.

High-resolution analytical electron microscopy reveals cell culture media-induced changes to the chemistry of silver nanowires.

There is a growing concern about the potential adverse effects on human health upon exposure to engineered silver nanomaterials (particles, wires, and plates). However, the majority of studies testing the toxicity of silver nanomaterials have examined nominally "as-synthesized" materials without considering the fate of the materials in biologically relevant fluids. Here, in-house silver nanowires (AgNWs) were prepared by a modified polyol process and were incubated in three cell culture media (DMEM, RPMI-1640, and DCCM-1) to examine the impact of AgNW-medium interactions on the physicochemical properties of the AgNWs.

Sulfidation of silver nanowires inside human alveolar epithelial cells: a potential detoxification mechanism.

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) are being developed for use in optoelectronics. However before widespread usage, it is crucial to determine their potential effects on human health. It is accepted that Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) exert toxic effects by releasing Ag(+) ions, but much less is known about whether Ag(+) reacts with compounds, or any downstream bioactive effects of transformed AgNPs.

Chemical speciation of nanoparticles surrounding metal-on-metal hips.

Spectromicroscopy of tissue surrounding failed CoCr metal-on-metal hip replacements detected corroded nanoscale debris in periprosthetic tissue in two chemical states, with concomitant mitochondrial damage. The majority of debris contained Cr(3+), with trace amounts of oxidised cobalt. A minority phase containing a core of metallic chromium and cobalt was also observed.

Contamination of holey/lacey carbon films in STEM.

In many cases, the key to obtaining good TEM results is in the sample preparation itself. Even once a thin specimen is achieved, other factors determine how well the sample will behave in the microscope. One of the main hindrances to TEM and STEM-EELS analysis is the build up of carbon contamination on the sample under the electron beam.

Imaging methods for determining uptake and toxicity of carbon nanotubes in vitro and in vivo.

Demand for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is increasing rapidly in electrical, mechanical, and health and medical applications due to their thermal, electrical conductive and other properties. The continued commercial up-scaling of CNT production and application needs to be accompanied by an understanding of the occupational health, public safety and environmental implications of these materials. An increasing volume of literature on the toxicity of CNTs is being published; however, the results of these studies are frequently inconclusive.

pH-dependent toxicity of high aspect ratio ZnO nanowires in macrophages due to intracellular dissolution.

High-aspect ratio ZnO nanowires have become one of the most promising products in the nanosciences within the past few years with a multitude of applications at the interface of optics and electronics. The interaction of zinc with cells and organisms is complex, with both deficiency and excess causing severe effects. The emerging significance of zinc for many cellular processes makes it imperative to investigate the biological safety of ZnO nanowires in order to guarantee their safe economic exploitation.

Uptake of noncytotoxic acid-treated single-walled carbon nanotubes into the cytoplasm of human macrophage cells.

Water-soluble single-walled nanotubes (SWNTs) are being tested as contrast agents for medical imaging and for the delivery of therapeutically active molecules to target cells. However, before they become used commercially, it will be essential to establish their subcellular distribution and whether they are cytotoxic. Here we characterize uptake of unlabeled, acid-treated, water-soluble SWNTs by human monocyte derived macrophage cells using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and analytical electron microscopy and compare our findings to previous work on unpurified SWNTs.