The Topobiology of Chemical Elements in Seabird Feathers.

The highly organized morphogenesis of bird feathers holds important phylo- and ontogenetic information on the evolution of birds, organogenesis, tissue regeneration, and the health status of individual animals. Altered topobiological patterns are regularly used as retrospective evidence for disturbed developmental trajectories due to the past exposure to environmental stressors. Using the most advanced high-resolution (5-70 µm) X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM), we describe in the feathers from three species of Procellariiformes hitherto unknown, depositions of elements (Zn, Ca, Br, Cu, Fe) that are independent of pigmentation or any underlying variation in density or polymer structure. In the case of Zn, the pattern across several species of Procellariiformes, but not other species, consisted of highly regular bands of Zn numbering 30-32, which may reflect the estimated number of days of active feather growth or the duration of the moult period. Thus, speculatively, the highly consistent Zn pattern might be the result of a so far unknown diurnal systemic regulation rather than local heterogeneity amongst the follicular stem cells.

External manipulation of nanostructure in photoresponsive lipid depot matrix to control and predict drug release in vivo.

On-demand drug delivery systems are highly promising to control the time-course of drug release and ultimately optimize drug concentration time profiles in patients. Lipid based lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophases have demonstrated exceptional responsiveness to external stimuli such as heat, pH and light. Our objective was to quantitatively characterize the time-course of light activated drug release from near infrared (NIR) activated photothermal systems using ex vivo and in vivo studies. Photoresponsive hybrid gold nanorod-liquid crystalline matrices were prepared and loaded into custom-made implants which were inserted into subcutaneous tissues in rats. Time resolved SAXS studies showed the abdomen to be the best site of implantation to achieve in vivo activation of the subcutaneous dose from by the NIR laser. External control of drug release was achieved via NIR laser light and plasma concentrations of the model drug were determined over time. Laser activation achieved a phase change of the photoresponsive formulations and thereby a considerable change in the rate of drug release. Population pharmacokinetic modeling of all results simultaneously revealed a two stage release process unique to these liquid crystalline matrices. The developed structural model was able to successfully describe also the results of our previous study in 2009 where a change in temperature was utilized to trigger subcutaneous drug release. Thus, modeling of the data proved to be a valuable analytical tool which provided a quantitative understanding of the time-course of drug release in vivo and will be essential in the development of these matrices as on-demand release systems.

Understanding the photothermal heating effect in non-lamellar liquid crystalline systems, and the design of new mixed lipid systems for photothermal on-demand drug delivery.

Lipid-based liquid crystalline systems are showing potential as stimuli-responsive nanomaterials, and NIR-responsive gold nanoparticles have been demonstrated to provide control of transitions in non-lamellar phases. In this study, we focus on a deeper understanding of the photothermal response of both lamellar and non-lamellar phases, and new systems formed by alternative lipid systems not previously reported, by linking the photothermal heating to the bulk thermal properties of the materials. Dynamic photothermal studies were performed using NIR laser irradiation and monitoring the structural response using time resolved small angle X-ray scattering for the bulk phases and hexosomes. In addition, cryoFESEM and cryoTEM were used to visualise and assess the effect of GNR incorporation into hexagonal phase nanostructures. The ability of the systems to respond to photothermal heating was correlated with the thermal phase behaviour and heat capacities of the different structures. Access to alternative phase transitions in these systems and understanding the likely photothermal response will facilitate different modes of application of these hybrid nanomaterials for on-demand drug delivery applications.

Sodium uptake in cell construction and subsequent in operando electrode behaviour of Prussian blue analogues, Fe[Fe(CN)6](1-x)·yH2O and FeCo(CN)6.

The development of electrodes for ambient temperature sodium-ion batteries requires the study of new materials and the understanding of how crystal structure influences properties. In this study, we investigate where sodium locates in two Prussian blue analogues, Fe[Fe(CN)6]1-x·yH2O and FeCo(CN)6. The evolution of the sodium site occupancies, lattice and volume is shown during charge-discharge using in situ synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data. Sodium insertion is found to occur in these electrodes during cell construction and therefore Fe[Fe(CN)6]1-x·yH2O and FeCo(CN)6 can be used as positive electrodes. NazFeFe(CN)6 electrodes feature higher reversible capacities relative to NazFeCo(CN)6 electrodes which can be associated with a combination of structural factors, for example, a major sodium-containing phase, ∼Na0.5FeFe(CN)6 with sodium locating either at the x = y = z = 0.25 or x = y = 0.25 and z = 0.227(11) sites and an electrochemically inactive sodium-free Fe[Fe(CN)6]1-x·yH2O phase. This study demonstrates that key questions about electrode performance and attributes in sodium-ion batteries can be addressed using time-resolved in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction studies.

Removal of aluminium from aqueous solutions using PAN-based adsorbents: characterisation, kinetics, equilibrium and thermodynamic studies.

Economic adsorbents in bead form were fabricated and utilised for the adsorption of Al(3+) from aqueous solutions. Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) beads, PAN powder and the thermally treated PAN beads (250 °C/48 h/Ar and 600 °C/48 h/Ar-H2) were characterised using different techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, specific surface analysis (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), thermogravimetric analysis as well as scanning electron microscopy. Effects of pH, contact time, kinetics and adsorption isotherms at different temperatures were investigated in batch mode experiments. Aluminium kinetic data best fit the Lagergren pseudo-second-order adsorption model indicating a one-step, surface-only, adsorption process with chemisorption being the rate limiting step. Equilibrium adsorption data followed a Langmuir adsorption model with fairly low monolayer adsorption capacities suitable for freshwater clean-up only. Various constants including thermodynamic constants were evaluated from the experimental results obtained at 20, 40 and 60 °C. Positive values of ΔH° indicated that the adsorption of Al(3+) onto all three adsorbents was endothermic with less energy input required for PAN powder compared to PAN beads and low-temperature thermally treated PAN. Negative ΔG° values indicated that the aluminium adsorption process was spontaneous for all adsorbents examined.

Selective sorption of actinides by titania nanoparticles covalently functionalized with simple organic ligands.

Although current and proposed reprocessing of used nuclear fuel is performed predominantly by solvent extraction processes, solid phase sorbent materials have many advantages including the ability to avoid production of large volumes of organic waste. Therefore, three titania nanoparticle based sorbent materials have been developed, functionalized with organic ligands designed to impart selectivity for elements relevant to important separations at the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. A novel, simplified method of covalent functionalization to the titania surface has been utilized, and the resulting materials have been shown to be hydrolytically stable at pH 2. The sorption behavior of these organofunctionalized titania materials was investigated over a wide pH range with a selection of elements including fission products and actinides. Titania nanoparticles functionalized with an amine or phosphate moiety were able to demonstrate exclusive extraction of uranium under optimized conditions. Titania nanoparticles functionalized with a picolinamide moiety exhibited superior minor actinide sorption properties, in terms of both efficiency and selectivity, to solvent extraction processes using similar organic moieties. As such, organo-functionalized titania materials as solid phase sorbents show promise as a future alternative to solvent extraction processes for nuclear separations.

Sensitivity of nanostructure in charged cubosomes to phase changes triggered by ionic species in solution.

The phase behavior of dispersions comprising mixed ionic surfactant and phytantriol was precisely controlled by varying the ionic surfactant content in the mixed lipid and the ionic strength in the system. Two important trends in the phase transition of the mixed lipid systems were identified: (1) An increase in the ionic surfactant content increased the curvature of the self-assembled system toward the hydrophobic region, resulting in the phase transition from cubic phase to lamellar phase. (2) An increase in ionic strength decreased repulsion between the headgroups of the ionic surfactant, resulting in a phase transition from lamellar phase to cubic phase. The phase transitions were confirmed using small-angle X-ray scattering and cryo-TEM and were strongly correlated with the visual turbidity of the dispersions. The lipid mixture with anionic surfactant showed high sensitivity to multivalent cations for triggering the phase transition, which may be a potential strategy to develop a detection/treatment system for toxic multivalent metallic cations such as chromium.

Novel spiropyran amphiphiles and their application as light-responsive liquid crystalline components.

Light-responsive materials formed by liquid crystalline lipids in water have potential application to drug delivery through inclusion of photochromic additives such as spiropyran. A series of novel analogues of spiropyran (SP) have been synthesized with an SP headgroup that possess a C8 (SP-OC), C12 (SP-L), and C16 (SP-P) tail to probe the influence of the length of the hydrophobic tail on their physicochemical properties and effect on behavior in liquid crystal matrices with a view to application as stimulus-responsive elements on ultraviolet irradiation. In addition, compounds possessing an oleyl (SP-OL) and phytanyl (SP-PHYT) tail, to mimic those of the "parent" reverse bicontinuous cubic (V2) phase forming lipids, glyceryl monooleate (GMO) and phytantriol, were also prepared. The photochromic compounds were characterized by their melting points and photophysical behavior in solution using techniques including hot stage microscopy (HSM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and UV-visible spectroscopy. Their effect on the equilibrium nanostructure of bulk V2 phases and phase-switching kinetics after exposure to UV light was assessed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The melting point of the SP derivatives decreased linearly with increasing chain length, which suggests that interactions between the head groups governed their melting point, rather than the van der Waals interactions between the tails. Changing the R group did not influence the equilibrium rate constants for the isomerization of SP. Phase transition temperatures of liquid crystalline (LC) matrices were influenced significantly by incorporation of the SP derivatives and were greatest when the photochromic compound possessed an intermediate tail length substituent compared to the short alkyl or bulkier moieties. The level of disruption of lipid packing, and hence phase structure, were dependent on the duration of UV exposure.

Nanofibrillar micelles and entrapped vesicles from biodegradable block copolymer/polyelectrolyte complexes in aqueous media.

Here we report a viable route to fibrillar micelles and entrapped vesicles in aqueous solutions. Nanofibrillar micelles and entrapped vesicles were prepared from complexes of a biodegradable block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(lactide) (PEO-b-PLA) and a polyelectrolyte poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in aqueous media and directly visualized using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The self-assembly and the morphological changes in the complexes were induced by the addition of PAA/water solution into the PEO-b-PLA in tetrahydrofuran followed by dialysis against water. A variety of morphologies including spherical wormlike and fibrillar micelles, and both unilamellar and entrapped vesicles, were observed, depending on the composition, complementary binding sites of PAA and PEO, and the change in the interfacial energy. Increasing the water content in each [AA]/[EO] ratio led to a morphological transition from spheres to vesicles, displaying both the composition- and dilution-dependent micellar-to-vesicular morphological transitions.

Individual dispersion of carbon nanotubes in epoxy via a novel dispersion-curing approach using ionic liquids.

The effective dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in a thermoset was achieved using ionic liquid as the dispersion-curing agent. We preferentially dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) down to individual tube levels in epoxy resin. Here the dispersion is ruled by the depletion of physical bundles within the MWCNT networks, for which molecular ordering of ionic liquids is considered responsible. The quantitative analyses using ultra small angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) confirmed the dispersion of individual MWCNTs in the matrix. The distance between the dispersed nanotubes was calculated at different nanotube loadings using the power law fitting of the USAXS data. The fine dispersion and subsequent curing, both controlled by ionic liquid, lead to composites with substantially enhanced fracture mechanical and thermomechanical properties with no reduction in thermal properties. Merging processing techniques of nanocomposites with ionic liquid for efficient dispersion of nanotubes and preferential curing of thermosets facilitates the development of new, high performance materials.

The Effect of a Rapid Heating Rate, Mechanical Vibration and Surfactant Chemistry on the Structure-Property Relationships of Epoxy/Clay Nanocomposites.

The role of processing conditions and intercalant chemistry in montmorillonite clays on the dispersion, morphology and mechanical properties of two epoxy/clay nanocomposite systems was investigated in this paper. This work highlights the importance of employing complementary techniques (X-ray diffraction, small angle X-ray scattering, optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy) to correlate nanomorphology to macroscale properties. Materials were prepared using an out of autoclave manufacturing process equipped to generate rapid heating rates and mechanical vibration. The results suggested that the quaternary ammonium surfactant on C30B clay reacted with the epoxy during cure, while the primary ammonium surfactant (I.30E) catalysed the polymerisation reaction. These effects led to important differences in nanocomposite clay morphologies. The use of mechanical vibration at 4 Hz prior to matrix gelation was found to facilitate clay dispersion and to reduce the area fraction of I.30E clay agglomerates in addition to increasing flexural strength by over 40%.

Characterizing the photoinduced switching process of a nitrospiropyran self-assembled monolayer using in situ sum frequency generation spectroscopy.

Sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy is employed to investigate the reversible, photoinduced spiro→merocyanine isomerization of a self-assembled monolayer, the result of attachment of nitrospiropyran to a gold surface using a dithiolane anchoring group. The attachment of these molecular "alligator clips" to spiropyran molecules provide an easily accessible method to self-assemble a robust monolayer of spiropyran on a gold surface, which allows photoswitching of the spiropyran units. Probing the symmetric and antisymmetric stretching modes of the nitro group allows the determination of the structural orientation of the charged moiety with respect to the surface normal as well as the isomerization rates under photoinduced switching conditions. The photoisomerization of the spiropyran SAM on the gold surface is much faster than the rates of switching spiropyrans in a solid crystalline form, and the rate of thermal relaxation of the opened to closed form in this study is found to be on the same time scale as the relaxation of spiropyran when present in solutions with polar solvents.

Controlling the nanostructure of gold nanorod-lyotropic liquid-crystalline hybrid materials using near-infrared laser irradiation.

Lipid-based liquid-crystalline matrixes provide a unique prospect for stimuli-responsive nanomaterials, attributed to the ability to effect self-assembly of the lipids at the molecular level. Differences in liquid crystal nanostructure have previously been shown to change drug diffusion and hence release, with research progressing toward the use of in situ changes to nanostructure to control drug release. Toward this goal, we have previously communicated the ability to switch between nonlamellar structures using gold nanorod (GNR)-phytantriol-based liquid-crystalline hybrid nanomaterials as near-infrared light responsive systems (Fong et al. Langmuir 2010, 26, 6136-6139). In this study, the effect of laser activation on matrix nanostructure with changes in a number of system variables including lipid composition, GNR aspect ratio, GNR concentration, and laser pulse time were investigated. The nanostructure of the matrix was followed using small-angle X-ray scattering, while both cryoFESEM and cryoTEM were used to visualize the effect of GNR incorporation into the liquid crystal nanostructure. The system response was found to be dependent on all variables, thus demonstrating the potential of these nanocomposite materials as reversible "on-demand" drug delivery applications.

Uranyl-sorption properties of amorphous and crystalline TiO2/ZrO2 millimeter-sized hierarchically porous beads.

Hierarchically porous TiO(2)/ZrO(2) millimeter-sized beads were synthesized using a sol-gel templating technique, and investigated for suitability as radionuclide sorbents using uranyl as a radionuclide-representative probe. The bead properties were varied by altering either composition (22, 36, and 82 wt % Zr in the Ti/Zr composite) or calcination temperature (500 or 700 °C). Uranyl adsorption was higher for the crystalline beads (surface area: 52-59 m(2) g(-1)) than the amorphous beads (surface area: 95-247 m(2) g(-1)), reaching a maximum of 0.170 mmol g(-1) for the 22 wt % Zr sample. This was attributed to the higher surface hydroxyl density (OH nm(-2)), presence of limited microporosity, and larger mesopores in the crystalline beads. Mass transport properties of the crystalline beads were not compromised by the large bead diameter: sorption rates comparable to those reported for powders were achieved and rates were higher than exclusively mesoporous reported systems, thereby highlighting the importance of pore hierarchy in designing materials with improved kinetics. Chemical stability of the sorbent, an important property for processes involving corrosive effluents (e.g., radioactive waste), was also assessed. Crystalline beads displayed superior resistance against matrix leaching in HNO(3). Stability varied with composition: the 22 wt % Zr sample demonstrated the highest stability.

Alkylation of spiropyran moiety provides reversible photo-control over nanostructured soft materials.

The purpose of this study was to create a light responsive nanostructured liquid crystalline matrix using a novel alkylated spiropyran photochromic molecule (spiropyran laurate, SPL) as a light activated drug delivery system. The liquid crystal matrix, prepared from phytantriol, responds reversibly to changes in photoisomerism of SPL on irradiation, switching between the bicontinuous cubic and the reversed hexagonal liquid crystal structures, a change previously shown to dramatically alter drug release rate. In contrast, the non-derivatized spiropyran and spirooxazine photochromic compounds do not sufficiently disrupt the matrix on isomerization to induce the phase change. Thus, novel alkylated spiropyran has the potential to be an effective agent for use in liquid crystalline systems for reversible 'on-demand' drug delivery applications.

A simple and effective approach to vesicles and large compound vesicles via complexation of amphiphilic block copolymer with polyelectrolyte in water.

This work reports for the first time a simple and effective approach to trigger a spheres-to- vesicles morphological transition from amphiphilic block copolymer/polyelectrolyte complexes in aqueous solution. Vesicles and large compound vesicles (LCVs) were prepared via complexation of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in water and directly visualized using cryo-TEM. The complexation and morphological transitions were driven by the hydrogen bonding between the complementary binding sites on the PAA and PEO blocks of the block copolymer. The findings in this work suggest that complexation between amphiphilic block copolymer and polyelectrolyte is a viable approach to vesicles and LCVs in aqueous media.

Evaluating the link between self-assembled mesophase structure and drug release.

Lipid-based liquid crystalline materials are of increasing interest for use as drug delivery systems. The intricate nanostructure of the reversed bicontinuous cubic (V(2)) and inverse hexagonal (H(2)) liquid crystal matrices have been shown to provide diffusion controlled release of actives of varying size and polarity. In this study, we extend the understanding of release to other self-assembled phases, the micellar cubic phase (I(2)) and inverse micelles (L(2)). The systems are comparable as they were all prepared from the one lipid, glyceryl monooleate (GMO), which sequentially forms all four phases with increasing hexadecane (HD) content in excess water. Phase identity was confirmed by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). SAXS data indicated that four mesophases were formed with increasing HD content at 25°C: V(2) phase (Pn3m space group) formed at 0-4% (w/w) HD, H(2) phase formed at 4-25% (w/w) HD, I(2) phase (Fd3m space group) formed at 25-40% (w/w) HD and finally L(2) phase formed at >40% (w/w) HD. Analogous compositions using phytantriol rather than GMO as the core lipid did not produce the I(2) phase, with only V(2) to H(2) to L(2) transitions being apparent with increasing HD concentration. In order to relate the liquid crystal phase structure to drug release rate, in vitro release tests were conducted by incorporating radio-labelled glucose as a model hydrophilic drug into the four GMO-based mesophases. It was found that the drug release followed first-order diffusion kinetics and was fastest from V(2) followed by L(2), H(2), and I(2). Drug release was shown to be significantly faster from bicontinuous cubic phase than the other mesophases, indicating that the state of the water compartments, whether open or closed, has a great influence on the rate of drug release. It is envisioned that liquid crystalline mesophases with slower release characteristics will more likely have potential applications as sustained release drug delivery systems, and hence that the bicontinuous cubic phase is not necessarily the best choice for a sustained release matrix.

Nanoscale water condensation on click-functionalized self-assembled monolayers.

We have examined the nanoscale adsorption of molecular water under ambient conditions onto a series of well-characterized functionalized surfaces produced by Cu(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC or "click") reactions on alkyne-terminated self-assembled monolayers on silicon. Water contact angle (CA) measurements reveal a range of macroscopic hydrophilicity that does not correlate with the tendency of these surfaces to adsorb water at the molecular level. X-ray reflectometry has been used to follow the kinetics of water adsorption on these "click"-functionalized surfaces, and also shows that dense continuous molecular water layers are formed over 30 h. For example, a highly hydrophilic surface, functionalized by an oligo(ethylene glycol) moiety (with a CA = 34°) showed 2.9 Å of adsorbed water after 30 h, while the almost hydrophobic underlying alkyne-terminated monolayer (CA = 84°) showed 5.6 Å of adsorbed water over the same period. While this study highlights the capacity of X-ray reflectometry to study the structure of adsorbed water on these surfaces, it should also serve as a warning for those intending to characterize self-assembled monolayers and functionalized surfaces to avoid contamination by even trace amounts of water vapor. Moreover, contact angle measurements alone cannot be relied upon to predict the likely degree of moisture uptake on such surfaces.

Nanostructured liquid crystalline particles provide long duration sustained-release effect for a poorly water soluble drug after oral administration.

This study is the first to demonstrate the ability of nanostructured liquid crystal particles to sustain the absorption of a poorly water soluble drug after oral administration. Cubic (V(2)) liquid crystalline nanostructured particles (cubosomes) formed from phytantriol (PHY) were shown to sustain the absorption of cinnarizine (CZ) beyond 48h after oral administration to rats. Plasma concentrations were sustained within the range of 21.5±1.5ng/mL from 12 to 48h. In stark contrast, cubosomes prepared using glyceryl monooleate (GMO) did not sustain the absorption of CZ and drug concentrations fell below quantifiable levels after 24h. Sustained absorption of CZ from PHY cubosomes lead to a significant enhancement (p<0.05) in oral bioavailability (F%=21%) compared to a CZ suspension (9%) and oleic acid emulsion (12%). Analysis of the nanostructured particles in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) revealed that the V(2)Pn3m nanostructure of PHY cubosomes was maintained for extended periods of time, in contrast to GMO cubosomes where the V(2)Im3m nanostructure was lost within 18h after exposure, suggesting that degradation of the LC nanostructure may limit sustained drug release. In addition, PHY cubosomes were shown to be extensively retained in the stomach (>24h) leading to the conclusion that in the case of non-digestible PHY cubosomes, the stomach may act as a non-sink reservoir that facilitates the slow release of poorly water soluble drugs, highlighting the potential use of non-digestible LC nanostructured particles as novel sustained oral drug delivery systems.