Effect of ligand and shell densities on the surface structure of core-shell nanoparticles self-assembled from function-spacer-lipid constructs.

Biomolecular corona is the major obstacle to the clinical translation of nanomedicines. Since corona formation is governed by molecular interactions at the nano-bio interface, nanoparticle surface properties such as topography, charge and surface chemistry can be tuned to manipulate biomolecular corona formation. To this end, as the first step towards a deep understanding of the processes of corona formation, it is necessary to develop nanoparticles employing various biocompatible materials and characterize their surface structure and dynamics at the molecular level.

Assessment of core-shell nanoparticles surface structure heterogeneity by SAXS contrast variation and ab initio modeling.

For the biomedical applications of nanoparticles, the study of their structure is a major step towards understanding the mechanisms of their interaction with biological environment. Detailed structural analysis of particles' surface is vital for rational design of drug delivery systems. In particular, for core-shell or surface-modified nanoparticles surface structure can be described in terms of shell coating uniformity and shell thickness uniformity around the nanoparticle core.

Polariton-assisted manipulation of energy relaxation pathways: donor-acceptor role reversal in a tuneable microcavity.

Resonant interaction between excitonic transitions of molecules and localized electromagnetic field allows the formation of hybrid light-matter polaritonic states. This hybridization of the light and the matter states has been shown to significantly alter the intrinsic properties of molecular ensembles placed inside the optical cavity. Here, we have observed strong coupling of excitonic transition in a pair of closely located organic dye molecules demonstrating an efficient donor-to-acceptor resonance energy transfer with the mode of a tuneable open-access cavity.

Structure of Supramers Formed by the Amphiphile Biotin-CMG-DOPE.

The synthetic function-spacer-lipid (FSL) amphiphile biotin-CMG-DOPE is widely used for delicate ligation of living cells with biotin residues under physiological conditions. Since this molecule has an "apolar-polar-hydrophobic" gemini structure, the supramolecular organization is expected to differ significantly from the classical micelle. Its organization is investigated with experimental methods and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS).

Structure of Supramers Formed by the Amphiphile Biotin-CMG-DOPE.

https://doi.org/10.1002/open.

Polariton-assisted splitting of broadband emission spectra of strongly coupled organic dye excitons in tunable optical microcavity.

Resonance interaction between a localized electromagnetic field and excited states in molecules paves the way to control fundamental properties of a matter. In this study, we encapsulated organic molecules with relatively low unoriented dipole moments in the polymer matrix, placed them in tunable optical microcavity and realized, for the first time, controllable modification of the broad photoluminescence (PL) emission of these molecules in strong coupling regime at room temperature. Notably, while in most previous studies it was reported that the single mode dominates in the PL signal (radiation of the so-called branch of the lower polariton), here we report on the observation of two distinct PL peaks, evolution of which has been followed as the microcavity mode is detuned from the excitonic resonance.

A versatile tunable microcavity for investigation of light-matter interaction.

Light-matter interaction between a molecular ensemble and a confined electromagnetic field is a promising area of research, as it allows light-control of the properties of coupled matter. The common way to achieve coupling is to place an ensemble of molecules or quantum emitters into a cavity. In this approach, light-matter coupling is evidenced by modification of the spectral response of the emitter, which depends on the strength of interaction between emitter and cavity modes.

An instrumental approach to combining confocal microspectroscopy and 3D scanning probe nanotomography.

In the past decade correlative microscopy, which combines the potentials of different types of high-resolution microscopies with a variety of optical microspectroscopy techniques, has been attracting increasing attention in material science and biological research. One of outstanding solutions in this area is the combination of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), which provides data on not only the topography, but also the spatial distribution of a wide range of physical properties (elasticity, conductivity, etc.), with ultramicrotomy, allowing 3D multiparametric examination of materials.