Publications by authors named "Martina Schroffenegger"

Nanoparticles find increasing applications in life science and biomedicine. The fate of nanoparticles in a biological system is determined by their protein corona, as remodeling of their surface properties through protein adsorption triggers specific recognition such as cell uptake and immune system clearance and nonspecific processes such as aggregation and precipitation. The corona is a result of nanoparticle-protein and protein-protein interactions and is influenced by particle design.

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Linear and cyclic poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOXA) adsorbates provide excellent colloidal stability to superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (FeO NPs) within protein-rich media. However, dense shells of linear PEOXA brushes cannot prevent weak but significant attractive interactions with human serum albumin. In contrast, their cyclic PEOXA counterparts quantitatively hinder protein adsorption, as demonstrated by a combination of dynamic light scattering and isothermal titration calorimetry.

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In this feature article, we summarize our recent work on understanding and controlling the thermal behavior of nanoparticles grafted with thermoresponsive polymer shells. Precision synthesis of monodisperse superparamagnetic iron oxide nanocrystals was combined with irreversible dense grafting of nitrodopamide-anchored thermoresponsive polymer chains. We provide an overview of how the dense and stable grafting of biomedically relevant polymers, including poly(ethylene glycol), poly( N-isopropylacrylamide), polysarcosin, and polyoxazolines, can be achieved.

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Thermoresponsive nanoparticles are promising smart materials for many applications. However, a rational design for applications requires a deeper understanding and experimental verification of the various parameters that influence the thermoresponsiveness of the spherical polymer brushes that define most of such nanomaterials. Therefore, we investigate superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) grafted with poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (6⁻33 kg mol) by temperature-cycled dynamic light scattering and differential scanning calorimetry.

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Nanoparticles grafted with a dense brush of hydrophilic polymers exhibit high colloidal stability. However, reversible aggregation can be triggered by an increase in temperature if the polymer is thermoresponsive, as the polymer shell partly loses its hydration. We investigate the role of nanoparticle curvature on the critical solution temperature (CST) of grafted poly(2-isopropyl-2-oxazoline) (PiPOx) and critical flocculation temperature (CFT) of the core-shell nanoparticle dispersion.

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Raman microscopy is a powerful imaging technique for biological materials providing information about chemistry in context with microstructure. A 532 nm laser is often used as excitation source, because high spatial resolution and signal intensity can be achieved. The latter can be controlled by laser power and integration time, whereby high power and long times give good signal to noise ratio.

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Core-shell nanoparticles receive much attention for their current and potential applications in life sciences. Commonly, a dense shell of hydrated polymer, a polymer brush, is grafted to improve colloidal stability of functional nanoparticles and to prevent protein adsorption, aggregation, cell recognition, and uptake. Until recently, it was widely assumed that a polymer brush shell indeed prevents strong association of proteins and that this leads to their superior "stealth" properties in vitro and in vivo.

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The morphology and topology of thermoresponsive polymers have a strong impact on their responsive properties. Grafting onto spherical particles has been shown to reduce responsiveness and transition temperatures; grafting of block copolymers has shown that switchable or retained wettability of a surface or particle during desolvation of one block can take place. Here, doubly thermoresponsive block copolymers were grafted onto spherical, monodisperse, and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to investigate the effect of thermal desolvation on spherical brushes of block copolymers.

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The asymmetric unit of the title salt, [Mn(C2H6OS)6]I2, consists of one Mn(II) ion, six O-bound dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) ligands and two I(-) counter-anions. The isolated complex cations have an octa-hedral configuration and are grouped in hexa-gonally arranged rows extending parallel to [100]. The two I(-) anions are located between the rows and are linked to the cations through two weak C-H⋯I inter-actions.

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The asymmetric unit of the title salt, C5H8N3 (+)·Cl(-), comprises one half of the 2,6-di-amino-pyridinium cation (the other half being completed by the application of mirror symmetry) and one Cl(-) counter-anion, also located on the mirror plane. The amino N atom shows a significant pyramidalization, with a dihedral angle of 30.4 (14)° between the least-squares planes of the amino group and the non-H atoms of the 2,6-di-amino-pyridinium moiety.

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