Co-reporter:Dandan Zhu, Xuemin Lu, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir April 29, 2014 Volume 30(Issue 16) pp:4671-4677
Publication Date(Web):April 4, 2014
DOI:10.1021/la500603c
A self-healing electrically conductive superhydrophobic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coating has been prepared by chemical vapor deposition of a fluoroalkylsilane (POTS) onto a PEDOT film, which was obtained by electrochemical deposition. The coating not only maintained high conductivity with a low resistivity of 3.2 × 10–4 Ω·m, but also displayed a water contact angle larger than 156° and a sliding angle smaller than 10°. After being etched with O2 plasma, the coating showed an excellent self-healing ability, spontaneously regaining its superhydrophobicity when left under ambient conditions for 20 h. This superhydrophobicity recovery process was found to be humidity-dependent, and could be accelerated and completed within 2 h under a high humidity of 84%. The coating also exhibited good superhydrophobicity recovering ability after being corroded by strong acid solution at pH 1 or strong base solution at pH 14 for 3 h.
Co-reporter:Shuang-Shuang Chen, Xue-Min Lu, Qing-Hua Lu
Chinese Chemical Letters 2017 Volume 28, Issue 4(Volume 28, Issue 4) pp:
Publication Date(Web):1 April 2017
DOI:10.1016/j.cclet.2016.10.039
In order to understand how cells respond to concave and convex subcellular surface structures, colloidal crystal array and honeycomb-structured surfaces composed of highly ordered hexagonal units with completely inverse curvature were fabricated via facile self-assembly and breath figure approaches, respectively. The influence of hexagonal surface curvature on cell fate was subsequently investigated. Cells underwent more extensive spreading on the convex colloidal crystal array surface, while adhesive forces were higher on the concave honeycomb surface. The behaviors of cells on the different surfaces were investigated by comparing cell morphology, cellular adhesive force and cytoskeleton structure. The results revealed comprehensive differences in cell behavior between those on concave honeycomb surfaces and convex colloidal crystal arrays.Download high-res image (159KB)Download full-size imageThe colloidal crystal array and honeycomb surfaces were used to investigate the effects of hexagonal subcellular curvature on cell behaviors, showing the highly ordered hexagonal structure and completely inverse curvature. The main differences in cell behaviors were ascribed to differences in the distribution of the cytoskeleton that adopted to achieve mechanical balance.
Co-reporter:Feng Cai;Feng Zheng;Xuemin Lu;Qinghua Lu
Polymer Chemistry (2010-Present) 2017 vol. 8(Issue 47) pp:7316-7324
Publication Date(Web):2017/12/06
DOI:10.1039/C7PY01576C
The alignment of liquid crystals (LCs) is the key technology in LC displays, molecular switches and optical systems. Azobenzene (azo) molecules are often incorporated into LC alignment polymer films to make them photoresponsive and thereby anisotropic for light induced alignment; however, in most cases azo-containing materials suffer from the limitation of low thermal stability and poor transparency. We adopted a sequential addition method and synthesized sequence-controlled terpolymers with a terminal azo-containing segment via atom transfer radical polymerization. The control of LC alignment could then be realized by annealing-induced surface migration and polarized-light-induced alignment of azo units in the films of these terpolymers. Terpolymers derived from methyl methacrylate, N-p-anisylmaleimide and 6-[4-(4′-methoxyphenylazo)phenoxy]hexylmethacrylate exhibit excellent transparency, thermal properties, as well as a good LC alignment ability. We demonstrate that sequence-controlled polymerization is useful for precisely controlling the location of functional features along the polymer chain, and thus accurately regulating the properties of the copolymer obtained.
Co-reporter:Feng Zheng, Cornelia Gertina Catharina Elizabeth van Sittert, and Qinghua Lu
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2017 Volume 121(Issue 3) pp:
Publication Date(Web):December 23, 2016
DOI:10.1021/acs.jpcc.6b11316
Positive tone photosensitive polyimides (p-PSPIs) composed of poly(amic acid) (PAA) and a diazonaphthoquinone photoactive compound (DNQ PAC) have been greatly contributed to the progress of microelectronics. However, the relationships among PAC molecular structures, hydrogen-bonding interactions, and dissolution inhibitation for p-PSPIs have not been well understood. In this study, multiscale molecular modeling was utilized to evaluate such relationships. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were used to predict the polarity of various DNQ PAC models and their corresponding indenylidene ketene (IK) compounds. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to mimic the interactions between DNQ PAC and PAA polymer chains by calculating parameters such as the energy of mixing (ΔEmix) and Flory–Huggins parameter (χAB). The computational results showed that χAB values of PACs containing mono functional phenols significantly differed before and after UV exposure. Their corresponding suppositional p-PSPI films were found to form a “skin layer” by covering a high concentration of PAC on the surface of the film. Experimental dissolution behavior measurements of selected p-PSPI films strongly supported the computational observations. Succinctly, this work demonstrated the applicability of atomistic molecular simulations for the evaluation of dissolution inhibitation effect of DNQ PACs and to understand the possible dissolution inhibition mechanisms of p-PSPIs.
Co-reporter:Faqin Tong;Zhao Chen;Xuemin Lu;Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry C 2017 vol. 5(Issue 39) pp:10375-10382
Publication Date(Web):2017/10/12
DOI:10.1039/C7TC02958F
Azobenzene (azo)-containing polymers have attracted continuous attention due to their excellent photosensitivity. However, practical applications of their photo-induced birefringence have been hampered by low thermal stability. In this work, we report a series of polyimides synthesized by a low-temperature co-polycondensation of azo-containing pyrimidyl diamine, 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether, and 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride. The obtained co-polyimides (co-PIs) show good thermal stability, with high glass transition temperatures (Tg) of more than 200 °C and 5% weight loss temperatures (T5%) as high as about 400 °C in nitrogen. Their photo-induced birefringence (Δn) has been determined as 0.013 at room temperature and up to 0.017 at 100 °C. The photo-induced reorientation property of the as-prepared highly thermostable azo-PIs is expected to have wide applications in image recording and electro-optical devices.
Co-reporter:Qiang Ye, Dandan Zhu, Lianyi Xu, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 vol. 4(Issue 7) pp:1497-1503
Publication Date(Web):15 Jan 2016
DOI:10.1039/C5TC04174K
Assemblies with helical fiber nanostructures were fabricated via simple ionic linkage of a cationic tetraphenylethylene derivative (TPEHexN+) and an anionic binaphthyl derivative (SBNPSO3− or RBNPSO3−). Chiroptical studies showed that the as-prepared SBNP–TPEHN and RBNP–TPEHN assemblies in the solid state exhibited high dissymmetry factors of +0.065 and −0.063 at the absorption band of TPE moieties, respectively. The circularly polarized luminescence of their films also had high average dissymmetry factors at 442 nm (+3.8 × 10−2 for SBNP–TPEHN, and −4.2 × 10−2 for RBNP–TPEHN). The fiber structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A hypothetical mechanism for the formation of helical fibers is proposed.
Co-reporter:Zhangjun Huang, Feng Zheng, Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu, Cornelia Gertina Catharina Elizabeth van Sittert and Qinghua Lu
RSC Advances 2016 vol. 6(Issue 79) pp:75552-75561
Publication Date(Web):28 Jul 2016
DOI:10.1039/C6RA13486F
Cyclomatrix-polyphosphazenes (C-PPZs) are a new class of nanomaterials that have attracted significant interest owing to their unique inorganic–organic hybrid structure and tunable properties. The limited success that has been achieved in producing C-PPZs from non-aromatic organic monomers is ascribed to an insufficient understanding of their polymerization mechanism. In this work, by using a new strategy termed solubility-parameter-triggered polycondensation, we demonstrate experimentally and computationally that C-PPZs nanoparticle synthesis from non-aromatic monomers is feasible and solubility-parameter (SP)-dependent. The precipitation polycondensation of C-PPZ occurs once the solution SP is outside a critical SP range, while within the critical range only oligomers are detected from the reaction; this SP-dependent rule is applicable for C-PPZ oligomers from both aromatic and non-aromatic monomers. The upper/lower critical SP values increase with the increase of organic monomer hydrophilicity. The morphologies of C-PPZ products exist as clusters or nanoparticles when the reaction solvent SP is controlled below the upper critical SP or exceeds the lower critical SP, respectively. This theory presents a feasible way to predict and determine the precipitation polycondensation conditions and product morphology of any novel C-PPZ nanomaterial.
Co-reporter:Qiang Ye, Shuangshuang Chen, Dandan Zhu, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 15) pp:3091-3097
Publication Date(Web):03 Mar 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5TB00207A
Two-photon fluorescence imaging has attracted increasing interest in the biological and medical fields because of its low cell damage, high resolution, large imaging depth, and easy dynamic observation. A high-performance two-photon probe with long-term imaging capability was proposed for this imaging technology. In this work, a new two-photon probe compound was synthesized from tetraphenylethylene fluorogen with aggregation-induced emission. A phenyl-[phenyl-(1,2,5-thialdiazol)] amine group was induced to red-shift the absorption and emission wavelengths of the compound. After self-assembly, fluorescent dots with aggregation-induced emission cores and hydrophobic shells terminated by –COOH were formed. Cell experiments proved that the 4-(7-(phenyl(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)amino)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)benzoic acid (TPECOOH) dots with red emission showed good biocompatibility and excellent two-photon imaging ability. TPECOOH dots were used successfully in direct long-term cell imaging with high efficiency. Even after twelve days, fluorescence imaging could still be observed in live HeLa cells.
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu, Dandan Zhu, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 7) pp:3801-3807
Publication Date(Web):06 Jan 2015
DOI:10.1039/C4TA06944G
By mimicking nature, the preparation of artificial self-cleaning surfaces has gradually matured both in theory and technology, but their actual application has been hampered by enormous difficulties. The main challenge is that their design principle (i.e., their requirement for micro- and nano-structures) is difficult to reconcile with the need for coating strength and transparency. Here, we have exploited a porous structured silica coating with the help of an electrodeposited porous PEDOT template. This porous silica coating not only provides the requisite roughness for the final superhydrophobic surface, but also has a low refractive index, thereby enhancing the transparency of the silica coating. After fluorination, a highly transparent, thermally and mechanically stable superhydrophobic coating was obtained. The silica coating is found to withstand tests of harsh environments, such as mechanical resistance and ultra-high hydraulic pressure tests. This large-area superhydrophobic coating has great potential for use in solar cells and self-cleaning windows.
Co-reporter:Qiang Ye, Dandan Zhu, Hongxing Zhang, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 27) pp:6997-7003
Publication Date(Web):03 Jun 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5TC00987A
This work provides a novel strategy for the construction of materials exhibiting circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with a thermal tunability and a high efficiency in the solid state. In this strategy, cholesterol pendants were introduced into tetraphenylethene, a typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule using long undecyl spacers as a covalent connection bridge. The resulting AIE molecule (2CTPE) exhibited CPL with a high dissymmetry factor (∼10−2) and a high fluorescence efficiency (42%) in the solid state. The presence of the long spacer led to the formation of a liquid crystal (LC) phase of 2CTPE with a typical focal conic texture of cholesteric LC, as revealed by polarizing optical microscopy (POM) investigation. Furthermore, circular dichroism (CD) and CPL properties of 2CTPE could be thermally regulated. These results give evidence to the synthesis of new, tunable CPL materials with a high fluorescence efficiency in the solid state.
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu, Faqin Tong, Xuemin Lu, Kai Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 vol. 3(Issue 9) pp:2086-2092
Publication Date(Web):13 Jan 2015
DOI:10.1039/C4TC02653E
A fluorescent and robust superhydrophobic coating based on a fluorinated polypyrene/silica hybrid (FPSH) film was reported. This hybrid film is composed of an underlying polypyrene film and overlying silica layers. The polypyrene film is electrodeposited on an indium tin oxide glass electrode by cyclic voltammetry to provide a petal-like hierarchical rough structure and strong fluorescence with one-step electrochemical polymerization. Notably, the fluorescence emission of this polypyrene film derives from the excimer forms, reported here for the first time. The silica layers are fabricated by a two-step chemical vapor deposition to obtain a supporting silica backbone and a low-energy surface. Several critical tests were performed on the FPSH films, confirming that the film is not only a thermally stable, anti-acid/alkali, and anti-impact self-cleaning surface, but also presents a strong green fluorescence emission.
Co-reporter:Zhangjun Huang, Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Chemical Communications 2015 vol. 51(Issue 39) pp:8373-8376
Publication Date(Web):10 Apr 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5CC00735F
Water-triggered self-assembly polycondensation was proposed for preparation of cyclomatrix polyphosphazene nanoparticles from amino acid esters, and a critical solubility parameter was found to determine whether the nanoparticles were formed. Based on this rule, we also investigated the control of the size of its nanoparticles.
Co-reporter:Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu, Zhangjun Huang and Qinghua Lu
Chemical Communications 2015 vol. 51(Issue 26) pp:5698-5701
Publication Date(Web):16 Feb 2015
DOI:10.1039/C4CC10379C
In combination with the breath-figure method, an in situ growth approach of polyphosphazenes was performed on a honeycomb surface resulting in a closely packed nanoparticle coating and a micro/nanoscale hierarchical structure. The hierarchically structured surfaces exhibited high biocompatibility, allowed good cellular adhesion and presented strong potential use as a cell scaffold.
Co-reporter:Lijuan Sun, Tianhui Liu, Hua Li, Liang Yang, Lingjie Meng, Qinghua Lu, and Jiangang Long
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2015 Volume 7(Issue 8) pp:4990
Publication Date(Web):February 5, 2015
DOI:10.1021/acsami.5b00175
Functionalized and monodisperse nanoshells have attracted significant attention owing to their well-defined structure, unique properties, and wide range of potential applications. Here, the synthesis of cross-linked organic–inorganic hybrid nanoshells with strong fluorescence properties was reported via a facile precipitation polymerization of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and fluorescein on silica particles used as templates. The resulting poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-fluorescein) (PCTPF) nanoshells were firm cross-linked shells with ∼2.2 nm mesopores that facilitated the transport of drug molecules. The fluorescent nanoshells also exhibited excellent water dispersibility and biocompatibility; thus, they can be considered as ideal drug vehicles with high doxorubicin storage capacity (26.2 wt %) and excellent sustained release (up to 14 days). Compared to doxorubicin (DOX) alone, the PCTPF nanoshells more efficiently delivered DOX into and killed cancer cells. Moreover, the PCTPF nanoshells also exhibited remarkable fluorescent emission properties and improved photobleaching stability in both suspension and solid state owing to the covalent immobilization of fluorescein in the highly cross-linked organic–inorganic hybrids. The exceptional fluorescent properties enabled the release of DOX as well as the distribution of nanoshells and DOX to be monitored.Keywords: doxorubicin (DOX); drug delivery; fluorescence; nanoshells; poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-fluorescein) (PCTPF)
Co-reporter:Dandan Zhu, Qiang Ye, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Polymer Chemistry 2015 vol. 6(Issue 28) pp:5086-5092
Publication Date(Web):08 Jun 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5PY00621J
In an attempt to prepare polymers able to function as self-healing materials, a quadruple hydrogen-bonding ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) moiety was introduced to polymer systems. Low crosslinking materials based on hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) and poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) containing 10% of UPy moieties were synthesized, and their thermal and rheological properties were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and a rotational rheometer. The hydroxyethyl group and a PEG oligomer with high molecular polarity as side chains provided high surface energies and adhesion properties. The fastest self-healing of these polymer films can be achieved within 20 min. The adhesion strength tests via the tensile mode revealed the potential of these self-healing polymers in application as adhesives.
Co-reporter:Lingjie Meng, Chengqiang Xu, Tianhui Liu, Hua Li, Qinghua Lu and Jiangang Long
Polymer Chemistry 2015 vol. 6(Issue 16) pp:3155-3163
Publication Date(Web):12 Mar 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5PY00196J
Highly cross-linked and monodispersed polyphosphazene nanoparticles (NPs) exhibiting strong fluorescence were prepared by a remarkably simple one-pot polycondensation of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and 4,5-dibromofluorescein (DBF). The morphology and size of the resulting poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-dibromofluorescein) (PCTPDBF) NPs can be facilely tuned by varying the solvent and reactant concentration. The fluorescent DBF units were isolated and “fastened” in the cross-linked structures, which can well suppress the concentration-quenching effect of small fluorescent probes. Hence, the PCTPDBF NPs can emit bright yellow fluorescence at any concentration. The PCTPDBF NPs could enter HeLa and H9C2 cells and were located in the cytoplasm. Combined with their excellent biocompatibility and improved resistance to photobleaching and protein interference, they can be used as ideal fluorescent agents for cell imaging.
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu;Shuangshuang Chen;Xuemin Lu ;Qinghua Lu
Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2015 Volume 36( Issue 12) pp:1205-1210
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/marc.201500102
Co-reporter:Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu, Dandan Zhu and Qinghua Lu
Soft Matter 2015 vol. 11(Issue 37) pp:7420-7427
Publication Date(Web):04 Aug 2015
DOI:10.1039/C5SM01769F
Responsive membranes have been used to construct smart biomaterial interfaces. We report a novel approach to fabricate honeycomb films with a pattern of thermoresponsive polymer, namely poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). The approach was based on a combination of the breath figure method and reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer. The hybrid film had morphological and chemical patterns resulting in varied wettability and morphology at various stages, as well as high thermo-responsiveness. Enhanced cell adhesion was observed at an incubation temperature of 37 °C, which is above its lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Furthermore, cells could be harvested at temperatures below the LCST without trypsin treatment. The non-invasive characteristics give this membrane potential as a substrate for cell sheet engineering.
Co-reporter:Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu, Ying Hu and Qinghua Lu
Biomaterials Science 2015 vol. 3(Issue 1) pp:85-93
Publication Date(Web):22 Aug 2014
DOI:10.1039/C4BM00233D
Inspired by the typically adhesive behaviors of fish skin and Parthenocissus tricuspidata, two different decorations of polystyrene honeycomb membrane (PSHCM) prepared by the breath figure approach were carried out with poly(N-(3-Sulfopropyl)-N-(methacryloxyethyl)-N,N-dimethylammonium betaine)(polySBMA) to explore controllable bioadhesive surfaces. Casting and dip-coating were employed to graft polySBMA onto the plasma treated PSHCM. The polySBMA casted PSHCM showed a uniform covering layer on the PSHCM similar to the mucus layer of fish skin, presenting excellent antifouling properties. On the contrary, a dip-coated one showed the polySBMA aggregating on the honeycomb pore walls forming a large number of sucking disks such as the adhesive disks of the tendrils of P. tricuspidata, which remarkably boosts cell adhesion on substrates. Thus, bioadhesion could be regulated as desired by tuning the distribution of zwitterionic polymer on the honeycomb surface. The results may provide a new approach for the design of biomaterial surfaces.
Co-reporter:Lingjie Meng, Wenjian Xia, Li Liu, Lvye Niu, and Qinghua Lu
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2014 Volume 6(Issue 7) pp:4989
Publication Date(Web):March 7, 2014
DOI:10.1021/am406031n
Golden single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) were prepared by growing gold nanoparticles onto the bilayer polysaccharide functionalized SWNTs. The layer-by-layer self-assembly of sodium alginate and chitosan on SWNTs provided an ideal surface with high density of active metal-binding groups such as amino and carboxylic acid groups, and then an approach of seed growth was adopted to facilitate the formation of gold nanoparticles coated SWNTs. The resulting golden SWNT hybrids have good water dispersibility and biocompatibility and tend to enter cancer cells. Interestingly, they have an enhanced NIR absorption and effectively transfer NIR laser into heat. The material can quickly cause localized hyperthermia, resulting in rapid cell death, and therefore appears to act as a highly effective photothermal converter for cancer ablation.Keywords: gold; layer-by-layer; photothermal therapy; single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs);
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu, Qiang Ye, Xuemin Lu, and Qinghua Lu
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2014 Volume 6(Issue 16) pp:14736
Publication Date(Web):August 12, 2014
DOI:10.1021/am5043627
An electro-responsively reversible switching of wettability between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity has been obtained from a highly porous structured polythiophene film. The polythiophene film was prepared by two-step electrochemical deposition on an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate. The underlying poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) provides a highly porous structured conductive support, and poly(3-methylthiophene) (P(3-MTH)) deposited thereon plays the role of a low-surface-energy conductive coating. The wettability switching of this double-layer film between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity has been investigated by doping and dedoping in an electrolyte solution containing ClO4–. Electrochromism of the film was also seen to accompany the electrochemical process of conversion between the two superwetting states. On the basis of this porous electro-active film, an in situ electro-wetting device was also demonstrated.Keywords: polythiophene film; superhydrophilicity; superhydrophobicity; surface chemistry; wettability transition
Co-reporter:Jun Wu, Zeyuan Yi, Xuemin Lu, Shuangshuang Chen and Qinghua Lu
Polymer Chemistry 2014 vol. 5(Issue 7) pp:2567-2573
Publication Date(Web):16 Dec 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3PY01544K
Two kinds of liquid crystalline (LC) supramolecules with anisotropic fluorescence emission were prepared by ionic self-assembly from a copolymer, derived from acrylic acid and 6-(4′-cyanobiphenyl-4-yloxy)hexyl acrylate, and oppositely charged fluorescent molecules: stilbene-based rod-like dye (Stil) or tetraphenylethene-based propeller-like dye (TPE). The supramolecules exhibited a nematic LC nature and the different structure of the fluorescent units showed different effect on the LC behaviour of the supramolecules. After being spin-coated onto an oriented PVA film, the liquid crystalline supramolecule film was thermally annealed and the anisotropic fluorescence emission was investigated. A different thermal amplification effect was found depending on the different structure of the fluorescent unit. This conclusion provides a new perspective on the design of a high-performance fluorescence polarization film.
Co-reporter:Feng Shan;Xuemin Lu;Junfang Guan;Qinghua Lu;Xingliang Feng
Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2014 Volume 35( Issue 7) pp:735-740
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/marc.201300880
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu;Xuemin Lu;Mei Li ;Qinghua Lu
Advanced Materials Interfaces 2014 Volume 1( Issue 4) pp:
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/admi.201400011
Co-reporter:Jun Wu, Xue-Min Lu, Feng Shan, Jun-Fang Guan, Qing-Hua Lu
Chinese Chemical Letters 2014 Volume 25(Issue 1) pp:15-18
Publication Date(Web):January 2014
DOI:10.1016/j.cclet.2013.11.008
A novel photoresponding ionic complex (PANDAZO) was prepared by the ionic self-assembly (ISA) of sodium polyacrylate (PANa) and azobenzene chromophores (NDAZO). The ionic complex forms an interdigitated lamellar structure with full overlap of the side chains. The optical anisotropy was investigated by using a polarization pulse laser (355 nm). Furthermore, a high photoinduced birefringence (Δn = 0.365) was measured by using a continuous 488 nm laser as the pump light.A novel photoresponding ionic complex bearing azobenzene chromophores is prepared. The photoinduced anisotropic properties of the ionic complex are explored. A high birefringence value (0.365) is obtained in the complex film.
Co-reporter:Ying Hu, Lingjie Meng, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2014 Volume 30(Issue 15) pp:4458-4464
Publication Date(Web):2017-2-22
DOI:10.1021/la500270t
It is a significant issue to overcome the concentration-quenching effect of the small fluorescent probes and maintain the high fluorescent efficiency at high concentration for sensitive and selective fluorescent mark or detection. We developed a new strategy to “isolate” and “fasten” porphyrin moieties in a highly cross-linked poly(tetraphenylporphyrin-co-cyclotriphosphazene) (TPP–PZS) by the polycondensation of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (TPP-(OH)4) in a suitable solvent. The resulting TPP–PZS particles were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and ultraviolet and visible (UV–vis) absorption spectra. Remarkably, TPP–PZS particles obtained in acetone emitted a bright red fluorescence both in powder state and in solution because the aggregation of porphyrin moieties in “H-type” (face-to-face) and “J-type” (edge-to-edge) was effectively blocked. The fluorescent TPP–PZS particles also showed superior resistance to photobleaching, and had a high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of Hg2+ ions. The TPP–PZS particles were therefore used as an ideal material for preparing test strips to quickly detect/monitor the Hg2+ ions in a facile way.
Co-reporter:Dandan Zhu, Xuemin Lu, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2014 Volume 30(Issue 16) pp:4671-4677
Publication Date(Web):April 4, 2014
DOI:10.1021/la500603c
A self-healing electrically conductive superhydrophobic poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coating has been prepared by chemical vapor deposition of a fluoroalkylsilane (POTS) onto a PEDOT film, which was obtained by electrochemical deposition. The coating not only maintained high conductivity with a low resistivity of 3.2 × 10–4 Ω·m, but also displayed a water contact angle larger than 156° and a sliding angle smaller than 10°. After being etched with O2 plasma, the coating showed an excellent self-healing ability, spontaneously regaining its superhydrophobicity when left under ambient conditions for 20 h. This superhydrophobicity recovery process was found to be humidity-dependent, and could be accelerated and completed within 2 h under a high humidity of 84%. The coating also exhibited good superhydrophobicity recovering ability after being corroded by strong acid solution at pH 1 or strong base solution at pH 14 for 3 h.
Co-reporter:Ying Hu, Lingjie Meng, Lvye Niu, and Qinghua Lu
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2013 Volume 5(Issue 11) pp:4586
Publication Date(Web):May 9, 2013
DOI:10.1021/am400843d
Multifunctional nanoparticles were prepared by directly welding superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles and Au shells together with highly cross-linked polyphosphazene as “glue” in a facile but effective way. The as-prepared particles can simultaneously take advantages of both magnetization of Fe3O4 core for magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis and strong near-infrared absorption of Au nanoshell for photothermal therapy.Keywords: Au nanoshells; Fe3O4 nanoparticles; polyphosphazene; superparamagnetic;
Co-reporter:Lvye Niu;Lingjie Meng;Qinghua Lu
Macromolecular Bioscience 2013 Volume 13( Issue 6) pp:735-744
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/mabi.201200475
Co-reporter:Jun Wu, Xuemin Lu, Feng Shan, Junfang Guan and Qinghua Lu
RSC Advances 2013 vol. 3(Issue 45) pp:22841-22844
Publication Date(Web):26 Sep 2013
DOI:10.1039/C3RA43151G
A colourimetric sensor based on supramolecular fibres composed of polydiacetylene acid and polystyrene-co-poly(4-vinylpyridine) was fabricated through electrospinning. The obtained fibres show high sensitivity and selectivity to organic amine vapour at ppb concentrations.
Co-reporter:Jun Wu, Xuemin Lu, Zeyuan Yi, Feng Shan, and Qinghua Lu
Macromolecules 2013 Volume 46(Issue 9) pp:3376-3383
Publication Date(Web):April 25, 2013
DOI:10.1021/ma400247h
A series of azobenzene-containing fluorescent complexes with stilbene fluorescent unit were prepared based on the ionic self-assembly approach. The incorporation of the stilbene unit did not change the lamellar structure of the azobenzene-containing complex. Under pulsed laser irradiation, the azobenzene group oriented in the direction perpendicular to the laser polarization, and as a result, the fluorescent stilbene unit was cooperatively oriented following the direction of azobenzene group orientation. This oriented complex films presented anisotropic emission of fluorescence, and the anisotropic ratio of fluorescence increases with the increase of the content of azobenzene unit in the complex.
Co-reporter:Ying Hu, Lingjie Meng, Lvye Niu, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2013 Volume 29(Issue 29) pp:9156-9163
Publication Date(Web):June 25, 2013
DOI:10.1021/la402119s
Highly cross-linked and biocompatible poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS) were used to directly coat hydrophilic superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles by a facile but effective one-pot polycondensation. The obtained core–shell Fe3O4@PZS nanohybrids were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction spectra. Interesting, the size and T2 relaxivity of Fe3O4@PZS increased with increasing the mass ratio of Fe3O4 to PZS. All these nanohybrids could be internalized by HeLa cells but show negligible cytotoxicity. The PZS layer slowly degraded into less dangerous forms such as 4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol, phosphate and ammonia at neutral or acid atmosphere. Considering their excellent water dispersibility, colloidal and chemical stability, magnetic manipulation, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) properties, Fe3O4@PZS nanohybrids have great potential in MRI diagnosis of cancer.
Co-reporter:Dr. Kun Cui;Dr. Xuemin Lu;Junfang Guan; Qinghua Lu;Dr. Zhaofu Fei; Paul J. Dyson
Chemistry - A European Journal 2013 Volume 19( Issue 26) pp:8550-8557
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/chem.201204349
Abstract
Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) are obtained in water by self-assembly from a polymeric ionic liquid, fluorescent carboxylate moiety, and a surfactant through two main supramolecular interactions, that is, ionic bonds and hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions. The hydrophobicity of the surfactant is tunable and a highly hydrophobic surfactant increases the fluorescence intensity and stability of the FNPs. The fluorescence of the FNPs is sensitive to a quenching effect by various ions with high selectivity, and consequently, they may be used as sensors. The self-assembly approach used to generate the FNPs is considerably simpler than other methods based on more challenging synthetic methods and the flexibility of the approach should allow a wide and diverse range of FNPs to be prepared with specific sensor applications.
Co-reporter:Feng Shan ; Xuemin Lu ; Qian Zhang ; Jun Wu ; Yuzhu Wang ; Fenggang Bian ; Qinghua Lu ; Zhaofu Fei ;Paul J. Dyson
Journal of the American Chemical Society 2012 Volume 134(Issue 50) pp:20238-20241
Publication Date(Web):December 5, 2012
DOI:10.1021/ja309168f
Controlling of the orientation of mesochannels in mesostructured thin films is important for the development of novel molecular devices and, in particular, generating vertically aligned mesochannels with respect to the substrate plane is extremely challenging for nonsiliceous materials. We describe a facile and highly effective air flow method, which is able to control the unidirectional alignment of titania mesochannels in a desired direction (e.g., parallel, perpendicular, or oblique) on a large scale, via manipulation of the air flow rate and incident angle. The titania mesochannels were characterized by TEM, SEM, SAXRD, and GISAXS. The unidirectional, vertically aligned mesostructured titania films were found to exhibit excellent ion conductivity.
Co-reporter:Hongdan Peng, Lingjie Meng, Qinghua Lu, Sheng Dong, Zhaofu Fei and Paul J. Dyson
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2012 vol. 22(Issue 30) pp:14868-14873
Publication Date(Web):17 May 2012
DOI:10.1039/C2JM31799K
Fluorescent graphene-based materials have been prepared by a facile ion exchange route comprising the reaction of carboxylated, reduced graphene oxide (c-RGO) with fluorescent anthracene-modified imidazolium salts in water–ethanol solution. The resulting reduced graphene oxide hybrid materials emit strong blue light at 392, 414 and 438 nm and maintain a relatively high quantum yield (QY, 0.29), as electron and energy transfer between the anthracene moieties and the graphene plane is blocked by the imidazolium moiety. In contrast, physical mixing of the imidazolium salt with non-carboxylated reduced graphene oxide (n-RGO) affords a material that exhibits negligible fluorescence due to direct π–π stacking interactions between the n-RGO plane and the anthracene moieties.
Co-reporter:L. Tan, A. Wan, H. Li, Q. Lu
Acta Biomaterialia 2012 Volume 8(Issue 10) pp:3744-3753
Publication Date(Web):October 2012
DOI:10.1016/j.actbio.2012.06.008
Nitric oxide (NO) donor compounds are primarily monofunctional in that they release NO under the requisite conditions. To detect the amount and duration of NO released, subsequent analysis methods are required. It would be advantageous if a NO donor compound could both release and detect NO at the same time. This would eliminate potential errors in the analysis. In this paper, novel cadmium telluride quantum dots (CdTe QD)–carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS) nanocomposite NO donors, including both diazeniumdiolates and fluorescence probes, were fabricated by first synthesizing CdTe QD in CMCS aqueous solution and then reacting NO as well as ethyl bromide with the resultant CdTe QD–CMCS nanocomposites. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and particle size analysis were used to examine the morphology and size distribution of the CdTe QD–CMCS nanocomposite NO donors. The donors are nanospheres with CdTe QD encapsulated and have dimensions of ∼300 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle tests were employed to characterize the chemical structure of the donors, and the results also show that CdTe QD are well incorporated into CMCS, and many of them are close to the surface of the donors. The precursors of the donors exhibit a fluorescent effect, and the fluorescence can be quenched by NO. The donors can release NO spontaneously in a phosphate-buffered saline solution similar to a physiological environment, and can quantitatively detect the release of NO in situ based on fluorescence quenching of the donors by the NO.When CdTe QDs-CMCS nanocomposite NO donors are in a PBS solution, NO molecules are released, some of which diffuse into the donors and form NO-Cd complex with CdTe QDs. Consequently the fluorescence of the donors under excitation is reduced, signifying the release of NO.
Co-reporter:Lianjiang Tan, Ajun Wan, Huili Li, Hongcai Zhang, Qinghua Lu
Materials Chemistry and Physics 2012 Volume 134(2–3) pp:562-566
Publication Date(Web):15 June 2012
DOI:10.1016/j.matchemphys.2012.03.039
In this communication, biocompatible cadmium selenium quantum dots (CdSe QDs)–chitosan (CS) nanocomposites for fluorescence detection of nitric oxide (NO) are reported. The QDs–CS nanocomposites were generated by in situ synthesizing CdSe QDs in a CS aqueous solution, having spherical outline and an average dimension of 386.4 nm. Almost all the CdSe QDs, with the dimension from 5 to 12 nm, distribute well in the CS matrix. Many of the CdSe QDs are very close to the surface of the QDs–CS nanocomposites, in favor of the detection of NO. The QDs–CS nanocomposites are sensitive to NO molecules and can detect NO based on fluorescence quenching by NO, as evidenced by fluorescence microscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The QDs–CS nanocomposites have potential biomedical applications owing to their low cytotoxicity.Graphical abstractHighlights► QDs–CS nanocomposites were prepared by synthesizing QDs in CS molecular network. ► The in situ synthesized QDs distribute well in CS matrix. ► The nanocomposites are biocompatible and sensitive to NO. ► The nanocomposites can detect NO based on fluorescence quenching by NO.
Co-reporter:Lingjie Meng, Xiaoke Zhang, Qinghua Lu, Zhaofu Fei, Paul J. Dyson
Biomaterials 2012 33(6) pp: 1689-1698
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.11.004
Co-reporter:Dr. Lingjie Meng;Lvye Niu;Ling Li; Qinghua Lu;Dr. Zhaofu Fei; Paul J. Dyson
Chemistry - A European Journal 2012 Volume 18( Issue 42) pp:13314-13319
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/chem.201201811
Abstract
Gold nanoparticles were grown on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) coated with a thiol-functionalized ionic liquid resulting in the formation of core-shell structures referred to as SWNT-IL-Au nanohybrid materials. The nanohybrid materials were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Raman-, and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The nanohybrid materials were found to enter lysosomes in HeLa cells and show negligible cytotoxicity. Interestingly, they have an enhanced NIR absorption that is effectively transferred into heat to cause localized hyperthermia, resulting in rapid cell death; overall, the material appears to have excellent properties for photothermal therapeutic applications.
Co-reporter:Dr. Lingjie Meng;Lvye Niu;Ling Li; Qinghua Lu;Dr. Zhaofu Fei; Paul J. Dyson
Chemistry - A European Journal 2012 Volume 18( Issue 42) pp:
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/chem.201290182
Co-reporter:Wei Cui, Xuemin Lu, Kun Cui, Lvye Niu, Yen Wei, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2012 Volume 28(Issue 25) pp:9413-9420
Publication Date(Web):May 24, 2012
DOI:10.1021/la3016436
Ionically assembled nanoparticles (INPs) have been formed from poly(ionic liquid-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) with deoxycholic acid through electrostatic interaction. The structure and properties of the INPs were investigated by using 1H NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and so on. Due to pH-responsive deoxycholic acid (pKa = 6.2) and thermo responsive N-isopropylacrylamide included in the ionic complex, the INPs exhibit highly pH and thermal dual-responsive properties. The potential practical applications as drug delivery carriers were demonstrated using doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug. With a lower pH (pH 5.2) and higher temperature (above 37 °C), structural collapse of the INPs occurred as well as release of DOX owing to protonated DA departure from the INPs and a lower LCST (lower critical solution temperature) at the pathological conditions. The result shows that 80% of DOX molecules were released from INPs within 48 h at pH 5.2, 43 °C, but only 30% of the drug was released within 48 h at 37 °C and pH 7.4. Moreover, drug-loaded INPs exhibit an inhibitory effect on cell growth.
Co-reporter:Kun Cui, Dandan Zhu, Wei Cui, Xuemin Lu, and Qinghua Lu
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2012 Volume 116(Issue 10) pp:6077-6082
Publication Date(Web):February 22, 2012
DOI:10.1021/jp211847b
A simple copolymer, copoly(ionic liquid), consisting of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and 1-benzyl-4-vinylpyridine bromide (4-VPBn+Br–) units as thermo-responsive and ionic liquid parts, respectively, has been synthesized. Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) were then formed under the driving forces of electrostatic interaction between 2-(4-amino-2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazole derivative (AHBTA) and copoly(ionic liquid) due to hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance. The fluorescent intensity of the FNPs enhanced by a factor of about 50 times when the pH was increased from 7 to 10, and was effectively doubled within 1 °C around LCST in pH 9 buffer solution, thus showing a dramatic pH and thermal dual-dependent property. The FNPs exhibited reversible fluorescence enhancement/quenching over more than five cycles, regardless of the heating/cooling process. Furthermore, the FNPS proved to be much more stable to UV light irradiation than pure fluorescence molecule AHBTA.
Co-reporter:Feng Shan, Xuemin Lu, Qian Zhang, Bin Su, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2012 Volume 28(Issue 1) pp:812-817
Publication Date(Web):November 27, 2011
DOI:10.1021/la203377k
In this paper, hybrid film of mesoporous silica film with oriented mesochannels and semiconductor quantum dot has been prepared. Encapsulation of CdS and PbS within the oriented mesochannels leads to a regular arrangement at the macro scale. The hybrid film thus obtained showed remarkable anisotropic photoelectronic properties due to the confinement effect of the oriented mesochannels. Furthermore, due to the independence of the orientations of the mesochannels on the substrate, bilayer films containing both CdS and PbS could be prepared. This design has allowed an extension of the range of light absorption by the thin film as well as an amplification of the response to external photoelectronic effects. Such a hybrid film may prove useful in the design of anisotropic electrodes and electronic nanodevices.
Co-reporter:Hongdan Peng, Lingjie Meng, Lvye Niu, and Qinghua Lu
The Journal of Physical Chemistry C 2012 Volume 116(Issue 30) pp:16294-16299
Publication Date(Web):July 9, 2012
DOI:10.1021/jp3043889
An environmentally friendly method for preparation of multifunctional free-standing papers composed of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and cellulose has been developed. The results show that the cellulose can effectively reduce the graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets in ionic liquids and the cellulose can be adsorbed onto the basal planes of the resulted RGO at the same time. Since cellulose is a natural, inexpensive, renewable, nontoxic, and biodegradable polymer, this approach presents a facile and cost-effective method to synthesize highly water-dispersible and stable functionalized graphene nanosheets (termed as RGO-CL) on a large scale. Furthermore, highly ordered RGO-CL composite papers are fabricated by flow-directed assembly of individual hybrid RGO-CL nanosheets and show a robust mechanical flexibility and significantly improved biocompatibility and conductivity, and have therefore potential applications in biomedical scaffolds for tissue engineering, medical devices, and so on.
Co-reporter:Kun Cui, Xuemin Lu, Wei Cui, Jun Wu, Xumeng Chen and Qinghua Lu
Chemical Communications 2011 vol. 47(Issue 3) pp:920-922
Publication Date(Web):15 Nov 2010
DOI:10.1039/C0CC03900D
Fluorescent nanoparticles were formed from a poly(ionic liquid) through ion interactions. The fluorescent nanoparticles show highly fluorescent intensity and stability to UV light irradiation and were utilized for highly sensitive and selectivity fluorescent sensor of copper ion.
Co-reporter:Xuemin Lu, Sufang Xiao, Xumeng Chen and Qinghua Lu
Polymer Chemistry 2011 vol. 2(Issue 11) pp:2528-2535
Publication Date(Web):01 Sep 2011
DOI:10.1039/C1PY00236H
Through an ionic self-assembly approach, a photosensitive complex was prepared by attaching two different matching anions, photoresponsive units of methyl orange (MO) and perfluorinated dodecanoic acid (FDA), to a poly(ionic liquid) backbone (PIL). The FTIR spectrum proved that the two anions were competitively attached to the PIL backbone. The complexes show typical liquid crystalline behavior and have a single layer lamellar mesostructure for PMOF0. The incorporation of FDA leads to different lamellar structures in casting film depending on the FDA content: when the FDA content increases to 10%, MO and FDA side chains organized into a different lamellar structure independently: MO lamellar structure favors single layer packing order and FDA favors bi-layer packing order according to XRD investigation. These complexes are effective in controlling the in-plane and out-of-plane alignment of liquid crystal molecules.
Co-reporter:Wei Cui, Xuemin Lu, Kun Cui, Jun Wu, Yen Wei, and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2011 Volume 27(Issue 13) pp:8384-8390
Publication Date(Web):June 10, 2011
DOI:10.1021/la200552k
New types of fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) were prepared through ionic self-assembly of anthracene derivative and chitosan for applications as drug delivery carriers with real-time monitoring of the process of drug release. Because of the presence of the hydrophilic groups, these FNPs showed excellent dispersion and stability in aqueous solution. The structure and properties of the FNPs were investigated by using means of 1H NMR, FTIR, SEM, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and so on. The potential practical applications as drug delivery carriers for real-time detection of the drug release process were demonstrated using Nicardipine as a model drug. Upon loading the drug, the strong blue fluorescence of FNPs was quenched due to electron transfer and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). With release of drug in vitro, the fluorescence was recovered again. The relationship between the accumulative drug release of FNPs and the recovered fluorescence intensity has been established. Such FNPs may open up new perspectives for designing a new class of detection system for monitoring drug release.
Co-reporter:Xumeng Chen, Xuemin Lu, Kun Cui, Wei Cui, Jun Wu, Qinghua Lu
Polymer 2011 Volume 52(Issue 14) pp:3243-3250
Publication Date(Web):22 June 2011
DOI:10.1016/j.polymer.2011.02.023
A new family of dual-photoresponsive complexes has been fabricated based on the method of Precipitation Ionic Self-assembly (PISA). Poly (acrylic acid sodium salt) was coupled with two types of ionic mesogenic units containing azobenzene and cinnamate group, respectively, yielding a series of thermotropic liquid crystalline supramolecules. By changing the ratio of the two mesogenic units, different phase behaviors and nanostructures were obtained. Comparable photoinduced orientation of azo groups was observed in all the complex films after being irradiated by linearly polarized laser, while cinnamate groups can be crosslinked under UV light exposure. Furthermore, the influence of crosslinked cinnamate groups on the photoinduced orientation and its thermal stability was investigated in detail. This novel material may be utilized in many fields, such as surface relief gratings, liquid crystal display and nonlinear optics. This green and facial method can provide guidelines for the convenient design of multi-functional supramolecular materials.
Co-reporter:Junfeng Zhou, Lingjie Meng and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2010 vol. 20(Issue 26) pp:5493-5498
Publication Date(Web):02 Jun 2010
DOI:10.1039/C0JM00117A
Highly cross-linked and monodispersed poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS) submicrospheres were synthesized by one-step polycondesation. The spheres are enriched in N, P, and S atoms, and phenolic hydroxyl groups, and exhibit good water dispersion. These properties facilitate initial growth of gold nanoseeds on the PZS surface and subsequent growth of gold nanoshells. This facile fabrication method can also be used for the preparation of silver and gold–silver bimetallic nanoshells with tunable thickness by varying the mass ratio of metal salt to PZS. The core@shell structures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, selected-area electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction analysis. PZS@gold nanoshells showed very strong surface plasmon resonance absorption in the near infrared region (700–1100 nm), where blood and biological tissues are nearly transparent. Furthermore, PZS@gold nanoshells effectively induced photothermal conversion under laser irradiation of 808 nm and rapidly killed tumor cells, suggesting potential application in photothermal imaging and therapies using NIR lasers.
Co-reporter:Suhao Wang, Mei Li and Qinghua Lu
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 2010 Volume 2(Issue 3) pp:677
Publication Date(Web):February 16, 2010
DOI:10.1021/am900704u
Superhydrophobic and superoleophilic filter paper was successfully prepared by treating commercially available filter paper with a mixture of hydrophobic silica nanoparticles and polystyrene solution in toluene. Applications of the filter paper in separating liquids with low surface tensions such as oil and ethanol from water were investigated in detail. The oil uptake ability of the superhydrophobic filter paper was evaluated and the results show that the filter paper can selectively adsorb oil floating on a water surface or in aqueous emulsions. Furthermore, filtration of mixtures of oil and water through the paper can reduce the water content in the oil. Additionally, the filter paper can also extract ethanol from homogeneous aqueous solution.Keywords: filter paper; oil adsorption; separation; superhydrophobic coating; surface tension
Co-reporter:Bin Su, Mei Li and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2010 Volume 26(Issue 8) pp:6048-6052
Publication Date(Web):December 9, 2009
DOI:10.1021/la903771p
Superhydrophobic surfaces in nature such as legs of water striders can get an extra supporting force from the deformed water surface they contact, leading to an anticipation of using water-repellent surfaces on ship and even submarine hulls to reduce friction drag. Here, we first fabricate superhydrophobic coatings with microstructures on glass balls by introducing hydrophobic silica nanoparticles into a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. Then, the movement of a superhydrophobic ball on and below water surface is investigated and compared with that of a highly hydrophilic normal glass ball. The results reveal that a superhydrophobic ball can fall more slowly under water compared with a normal glass ball, because the dense microbubbles trapped at the solid/water interface around the superhydrophobic ball act not as a reducer, but as an enhancer for the friction drag. In contrast, the faster movement of a superhydrophobic ball on the water surface can be mainly attributed to the great reduction of skin friction owing to the increased area of the solid/atmosphere interface.
Co-reporter:Dr. Junfeng Zhou;Dr. Lingjie Meng;Dr. Xinliang Feng;Dr. Xiaoke Zhang; Qinghua Lu
Angewandte Chemie International Edition 2010 Volume 49( Issue 45) pp:8476-8479
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/anie.201003820
Co-reporter:Xiaoke Zhang;Lingjie Meng Dr.;Xuefeng Wang Dr. ;Qinghua Lu
Chemistry - A European Journal 2010 Volume 16( Issue 2) pp:556-561
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/chem.200901168
Abstract
Fluorescent single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were prepared by mixing cut SWCNTs with acridine orange (AO). The optical absorbance and fluorescence characteristics of AO–SWCNT conjugates display interesting pH-dependent properties. Fluorescence microscopy in combination with transmission electron microscopy proves that AO–SWCNTs can enter HeLa cells and are located inside lysosomes. The endocytosis-inhibiting tests show that the clathrin-mediated endocytosis is a key step in the internalization process. The internalized AO–SWCNTs remain inside lysosomes for more than a week and have little effect on cell proliferation. These findings may be useful in understanding the SWCNT-based intracellular drug delivery mechanism and help to develop new intracellular drug transporters.
Co-reporter:Bin Su, Xuemin Lu, Qinghua Lu, Xin Li, Changquan You and Jia Jia
Chemistry of Materials 2009 Volume 21(Issue 20) pp:4970
Publication Date(Web):October 5, 2009
DOI:10.1021/cm9022985
An on-demand pattern of mesoporous thin film with oriented mesochannels was attractive for the application of mesoporous thin film in wide fields. In this work, we reported the preparation of such a featured mesoporous silica thin film based on self-movement of solution on a laser pattern-irradiated polyimide film. SEM and EDS observation confirmed that the deposition of silica sol precursor showed strict selectivity on such an irradiated polyimide film surface with aid of photomask: aggregation occurred only on the irradiated region and not on the nonirradiation region. TEM and In-plane XRD results proved that mesochannels in the patterned silica thin film oriented along laser induced surface periodic microgrooves (LIPS). The selective pattern of silica sol solution on the laser pattern-irradiated polyimide surface was attributed to the difference in surface energy between irradiated and nonirradiated regions according to the calculating result based on the contacting angle measurement, which leads to self-movement of silica solution from the low surface energy to high surface energy. The alignment of mesochannels in the patterned silica film resulted form the confining effect of surface microgrooves. Such a selectivity deposition provides a powerful tool to control the on-demand pattern of mesoporous silica film with oriented mesochannels. Further experiments proved that the on-demand control of pattern is applicable not only for the pure silica mesoporous system, but also for other hybrid systems based on mesoporous materials.
Co-reporter:Yali Zhou, Mei Li, Bin Su and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2009 vol. 19(Issue 20) pp:3301-3306
Publication Date(Web):30 Mar 2009
DOI:10.1039/B819251K
Stable superhydrophobic silver films were fabricated on glass substrates by using the silver mirror reaction. The water contact angle (CA) on the obtained silver surface was 154°, and a water droplet could easily roll off. Both the CA and surface roughness could be tailored by altering the initial silver ion concentration. The movement of a superhydrophobic ball on the surface of water was also investigated and compared with that of a superhydrophilic ball. The results suggested that the superhydrophobic coating on the ball repulsed water and provided extra supporting force, leading to a faster movement on the surface of water. We hope that our findings would improve the understanding of superhydrophobic properties and be useful in further research on drag-reducing materials.
Co-reporter:Ling Li, Lingjie Meng, Xiaoke Zhang, Chuanlong Fu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2009 vol. 19(Issue 22) pp:3612-3617
Publication Date(Web):20 Apr 2009
DOI:10.1039/B823322E
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) wrapped with cellulose have been successfully prepared by the treatment of SWCNTs with a cellulose solution in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide. The obtained SWCNT complex can be dispersed in water, forming a stable solution with excellent biocompatibility. It was found that long cellulose/SWCNT scaffolds could promote the growth of HeLa cells. In suspensions, short cellulose/SWCNTs complexes tend to enter HeLa cells and show little affect on cell proliferation. Therefore, the complexes have potential applications in biomaterial scaffolds and intracellular drug delivery systems.
Co-reporter:Junfeng Zhou, Lingjie Meng, Qinghua Lu, Jianwei Fu and Xiaobin Huang
Chemical Communications 2009 (Issue 42) pp:6370-6372
Publication Date(Web):01 Oct 2009
DOI:10.1039/B914394G
A superparamagnetic pomegranate-like core@shell structure with Fe3O4@SiO2nanoparticles as cores and cross-linked PZS as shells was fabricated. The Fe3O4@SiO2@PZS hybrid composite shows exellent solvent resistance and water dispersion, allowing potentially great biocompatibility and possible tailored surface chemistry for applications in biotechnology.
Co-reporter:Xu Pan, Sufang Xiao, Changshun Wang, Peng Cai, Xuemin Lu, Qinghua Lu
Optics Communications 2009 Volume 282(Issue 5) pp:763-768
Publication Date(Web):1 March 2009
DOI:10.1016/j.optcom.2008.11.013
Photoinduced anisotropy in an azobenzene ionic liquid–crystalline polymer was investigated through dichroism, birefringence and polarization holography. A dichroism degree of 1.58 and a birefringence value Δn ∼ 10−2 were achieved in the polymer film at room temperature, and the polymer film was found to possess the characteristics of reversible and long-term optical storage. Particularly the stored birefringence could be enhanced to Δn ∼ 10−1 by annealing the film, and it is attributed to the thermal self-organization of the molecules. Furthermore, linear- and circular-polarization holographic recordings were accomplished in the polymer film and pure polarization gratings were produced.
Co-reporter:Bin Su, Mei Li, Zhengyu Shi and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2009 Volume 25(Issue 6) pp:3640-3645
Publication Date(Web):February 10, 2009
DOI:10.1021/la803948m
Hydroxide zinc carbonate (HZC) films with different morphologies were deposited on zinc plates through a convenient chemical-bath deposition (CBD) process using urea solution. By altering deposition conditions, the structure of HZC crystals could be tuned from vertically aligned nanosheets to flowerlike microstructures. The upright-standing HZC nanosheets were developed from interconnected nanorods growing up on the zinc plates in aqueous urea solution and led to superhydrophilic properties because of the hydrophilic upside edges consisting of hydroxyl groups and large distance. In contrast, flowerlike microstructures formed in N,N-dimethylformamide−water solution and the exposed hydrophobic crystal planes resulted in superhydrophobic properties with a water contact angle as high as 155.2°. The final surface wettabilities could be ascribed to both the atomic composition and hydrophilicity of HZC crystal planes exposed to the water−solid interface. All the surfaces with specific wettabilities can be one-step fabricated without subsequent modification, and tunable wetting properties can provide zinc substrates extending applications.
Co-reporter:Lingjie Meng, Chuanlong Fu, Qinghua Lu
Progress in Natural Science: Materials International 2009 Volume 19(Issue 7) pp:801-810
Publication Date(Web):10 July 2009
DOI:10.1016/j.pnsc.2008.08.011
Functionalization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has attracted considerable interest in the fields of physics, chemistry, material science and biology. The functionalized CNTs exhibit improved properties enabling facile fabrication of novel nanomaterials and nanodevices. Most of the functionalization approaches developed at present could be categorized into the covalent attachment of functional groups and the non-covalent adsorption of various functional molecules onto the surface of CNTs. This review highlights recent development and our work in functionalization of carbon nanotubes, leading to bio-compatible CNTs, fluorescent CNTs and transition metal functionalized CNTs. These novel methods possess advantages such as simplified technical procedures and reduced cost of novel nanomaterials and nanodevices fabrication.
Co-reporter:Hui Kong, Xuemin Lu, Sufang Xiao, Qinghua Lu
Polymer 2009 50(5) pp: 1166-1172
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1016/j.polymer.2009.01.003
Co-reporter:Xiaoke Zhang, Lingjie Meng and Qinghua Lu
ACS Nano 2009 Volume 3(Issue 10) pp:3200
Publication Date(Web):August 31, 2009
DOI:10.1021/nn9006362
Natural polysaccharides such as amylose (AMY), alginate sodium (ALG), and chitosan (CHI) have been noncovalently wrapped onto single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to give a series of SWCNT scaffolds, termed as AMY-SWCNT, ALG-SWCNT, CHI-SWCNT, and CHI/ALG-SWCNT scaffolds. Compared to purified SWCNTs and oxidized SWCNTs, the polysaccharide-wrapped SWCNTs can well mimic nanofibrous extracellular matrix and significantly enhance cell adhesion and proliferation. The surface properties of the SWCNT scaffolds, such as functional groups, surface charge, and hydrophilicity, can all directly influence the protein adsorption and lead to changes in cellular FAK expression, thus affect the mammalian cell morphology and proliferation. By quantitatively studying the surface properties of these SWCNT scaffolds, it can be concluded that relatively positively charged hydrophilic scaffolds that bear −OH groups can remarkably promote cell growth. Considering all properties, the relatively electrical neutral and hydrophilic AMY-SWCNT scaffolds bearing only −OH groups are able to sustain the highest cell viability after 72 h culturing.Keywords: polysaccharide; scaffold; single-wall carbon nanotubes; surface properties
Co-reporter:Chuanlong Fu;Lingjie Meng;Qinghua Lu;Zhaofu Fei;Paul J. Dyson
Advanced Functional Materials 2008 Volume 18( Issue 6) pp:857-864
Publication Date(Web):
DOI:10.1002/adfm.200701144
Abstract
The fluorescent imidazolium salt (1,3-bis(9-anthracenylmethyl)imidazolium chloride, [bamim]Cl) has been grafted onto the surfaces of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) using an ion exchange strategy based on metathesis of the K+ ion in CO2K derivatized SWNTs with [bamim]+. The resulting SWNT-[bamim] complex has been characterized with high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), elemental mapping, and elemental linear profiles analysis. A blue light emission can be observed at 392, 414 and 438 nm for SWNT-[bamim] upon being excited at 254 nm. The quantum yield (QY) of the SWNT-[bamim] complex (0.40) is much higher than that of SWNT/[bamim]Cl (0.02), used as a control, and prepared using a π-π stacking method, indicating that ion exchange is a far more effective strategy for retaining a high QY. Additionally, UV-Vis-NIR and Raman spectroscopy show that the SWNT-[bamim] complex can maintain the one-dimensional electronic states of SWNTs. Other imidazolium salts have also been successfully grafted onto SWNTs via the same strategy, indicating that the ion exchange process can serve as a universal strategy for the functionalization of SWNTs.
Co-reporter:Xiaoke Zhang, Xuefeng Wang, Qinghua Lu, Chuanlong Fu
Carbon 2008 Volume 46(Issue 3) pp:453-460
Publication Date(Web):March 2008
DOI:10.1016/j.carbon.2007.12.015
Five types of carbon nanotube (CNT) scaffolds were prepared by vacuum filtration of the dispersed single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), acid-treated SWCNTs, multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), acid-treated MWCNTs, and amylose-wrapped SWCNTs in water onto porous poly(vinylidene chloride) membranes. The influence of these scaffolds on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells was investigated by WST-1 assay, acridine orange/ethidium bromide double staining and 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′tetram-ethylindocarbocyanine perchlorate staining. The results indicated that the viability of HeLa cells cultured on these scaffolds decreased in the following order: amylose-wrapped SWCNTs > acid-treated MWCNTs > MWCNTs > acid-treated SWCNTs > SWCNTs. Cells cultured on SWCNTs and on acid-treated SWCNTs were found undergoing apoptosis with damaged cell membrane and condensed chromatin. The result of an immunocytochemical test showed that both “dot-like” and “dash-like” focal adhesion kinases (FAKs) mainly distributed at the periphery of cells cultured on SWCNTs, while “dot-like” FAKs distributed in the whole cell body of cells cultured on MWCNTs. We therefore hypothesize that FAK expression might play a key role in controlling cell viability for cells cultured on CNT scaffolds.
Co-reporter:Lanzheng Ren, Lingjie Meng, Qinghua Lu, Zhaofu Fei, Paul J. Dyson
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 2008 Volume 323(Issue 2) pp:260-266
Publication Date(Web):15 July 2008
DOI:10.1016/j.jcis.2008.04.016
Gold nano- and microstructures such as polyhedral crystals, large single-crystalline nanoplates, hollow trapeziform crystals, holey polyhedra, and dendrites were produced via microwave heating of HAuCl4⋅4H2O in a variety of ionic liquids (ILs) in the absence of capping agents (polymers or surfactants) or additional reducing agents. The influence of the IL anions and cations on the topology (size, shape, etc.) of gold materials was studied in detail. The anions of the ILs control the topology of materials, whereas the cations used in the experiments exert less influence. It was also found that the HAuCl4 concentration, reaction temperature, and heating method are key parameters that help to control the topological structures of the gold materials. For example, the thickness of the large single-crystalline nanoplates could be adjusted from 16 to 320 nm by varying the HAuCl4 concentration and reaction temperature. This easy synthetic approach to gold nano- and microstructures is a seedless, one-step, fast, template-free route that shows good reproducibility and may be further developed to produce other types of metal nanostructures that satisfy specific applications.By varying the anions and cations of ionic liquids gold nano- and microstructures were produced via microwave heating of HAuCl4⋅4H2O without capping agents or additional reducing agents.
Co-reporter:Cheng-Yu Jin, Bang-Shang Zhu, Xue-Feng Wang and Qing-Hua Lu
Chemical Research in Toxicology 2008 Volume 21(Issue 9) pp:1871-1877
Publication Date(Web):August 5, 2008
DOI:10.1021/tx800179f
Nanotitanium dioxide (TiO2) is an important industrial material that is widely used as an additive in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food colorants. Although the small size of the TiO2 nanoparticle is useful in various applications, the biosafety of this material needs to be evaluated. In this study, mouse fibroblast (L929) cells were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of different concentrations (3−600 μg/mL) of homogeneous and weakly aggregated TiO2 nanoparticles in aqueous solution. The L929 cells became round and even shrank as the concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles increased. Moreover, TiO2 nanoparticle-treated cells had condensed fragmented chromatin or were directly necrosed, as observed by acridine orange (AO) staining. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed that in cells cultured in a medium containing 300 μg/mL TiO2, the number of lysosomes increased, and some cytoplasmic organelles were damaged. In addition, there was a significant increase in oxidative stress at higher TiO2 nanoparticle concentrations (>60 μg/mL). As the concentration of TiO2 nanoparticles increased in the culture medium, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) increased, while those of methyl tetrazolium cytotoxicity (MTT), glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased. A possible mechanism for the cytotoxicity of TiO2 nanoparticles is also discussed.
Co-reporter:ChuanLong Fu;LingJie Meng;QingHua Lu
Science China Chemistry 2008 Volume 51( Issue 3) pp:269-274
Publication Date(Web):2008 March
DOI:10.1007/s11426-008-0029-0
Helical amylose/SWNTs complexes (A/S-C) of various sizes, a single nanotube wrapped by amylose in particular, were demonstrated. The formation process of the helical A/S-C was further explained by a novel hierarchical self-assembly model, including the wrapping of amylose chains around SWNT and the hierarchical self-assembly of wrapped-SWNTs into the superstructural A/S-C. Besides the hydrophobic interaction, the hydrogen bonding also plays a certain role in the self-assembly process.
Co-reporter:Bin Su, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Langmuir 2008 Volume 24(Issue 17) pp:9695-9699
Publication Date(Web):July 23, 2008
DOI:10.1021/la800595v
Oriented mesostructured silica films show potential for the design of nanostructured materials for applications in optics, electronics, and so on. In this report, we propose a new approach to control the orientation of mesochannels using a laser-modified polyimide surface. Pluronic 123 was employed as the structure agent, and mesostructured SBA-15-type silica film was prepared using dip- and spin-coating techniques. The orientation of the mesochannels was evaluated by in-plane X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements. It was shown that the mesochannels were oriented along the surface microgrooves. The driving force for the orientation of the mesochannels is attributed to the confining effect of the surface microgrooves on the deposited mesochannels.
Co-reporter:Sufang Xiao, Xuemin Lu, Qinghua Lu and Bin Su
Macromolecules 2008 Volume 41(Issue 11) pp:3884-3892
Publication Date(Web):May 13, 2008
DOI:10.1021/ma800059x
A new type of thermotropic liquid-crystalline photosensitive supramolecule was fabricated by ionic self-assembly of polyelectrolyte and functional unit azobenzene ionic liquid crystal (azo-ILC). It was found that the thermal and phase behaviors can be modulated by changing of the spacer length (4, 6, or 12 methylene units designated PAZO4, PAZO6, and PAZO12, respectively). Highly ordered liquid-crystalline structure with a lamellar morphology of different d-spacing was observed. The photoinduced orientation of azobenzene groups in thin films of the obtained ionic-bonding supramolecules was studied by polarized UV−vis and FTIR. Under the irradiation of pulsed laser, very effective induction of optical anisotropy with the preferred direction perpendicular to the pulsed polarization was observed. Typically, the maximum in-plane orientation order (S) of −0.93 for PAZO12 at maximum absorbance was achieved after irradiation and subsequent anneal at its liquid-crystalline temperature. It was found that the maximum S can be increased by increasing the clearing temperature of the photosensitive material. These results may provide guidelines for the design of effective photoinduced anisotropic materials. Furthermore, uniform alignment control of low-molecular-weight liquid crystals on the oriented supramolecular films was achieved.
Co-reporter:Yan Zhao, Mei Li, Qinghua Lu and Zhengyu Shi
Langmuir 2008 Volume 24(Issue 21) pp:12651-12657
Publication Date(Web):October 10, 2008
DOI:10.1021/la8024364
Artificial superhydrophobic surfaces with a hierarchical topography were fabricated by using layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes and silica nanoparticles on microsphere-patterned polyimide precursor substrates followed with thermal and fluoroalkylsilane treatment. In this special hierarchical topography, micrometer-scale structures were provided by replica molding of polyamic acid using two-dimensional arrays of polystyrene latex spheres as templates, and nanosized silica particles were then assembled on these microspheres to construct finer structures at the nanoscale. Heat treatment was conducted to induce chemical cross-linking between polyelectrolytes and simultaneously convert polyamic acid to polyimide. After surface modification with fluoroalkylsilane, the as-prepared highly hydrophilic surface was endowed with superhydrophobicity due to the bioinspired combination of low surface energy materials and hierarchical surface structures. A superhydrophobic surface with a static water contact angle of 160° and sliding angle of less than 10° was obtained. Notably, the polyimide microspheres were integrated with the substrate and were mechanically stable. In addition, the chemical and mechanical stability of the polyelectrolyte/silica nanoparticle multilayers could be increased by heat-induced cross-linking between polyelectrolytes to form nylon-like films, as well as the formation of interfacial chemical bonds.
Co-reporter:Xuefeng Wang, C. André Ohlin, Qinghua Lu, Zhaofu Fei, Jun Hu and Paul J. Dyson
Green Chemistry 2007 vol. 9(Issue 11) pp:1191-1197
Publication Date(Web):03 Aug 2007
DOI:10.1039/B704503D
The toxicity of ethyl-, butyl-, octyl-, benzyl-, and allyl-substituted 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium, alkylpyridinium, N-alkyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium (choline derivatives) and alkyl-triethylammonium salts towards HeLa cells has been studied. The relative toxicities have been determined in the presence and absence of foetal bovine serum using an MTT assay after 24 and 48 h, and attempts to determine possible sources of the observed toxicity investigated using microscopy and by measuring the intracellular calcium concentration, presence of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential in cells exposed to 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate.
Co-reporter:Mei Li, Jianhai Xu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2007 vol. 17(Issue 45) pp:4772-4776
Publication Date(Web):27 Sep 2007
DOI:10.1039/B709665H
Stable and durable superhydrophobic surfaces have been fabricated on nickel substrates with a convenient wet-chemical-process by using monoalkyl phosphonic acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation revealed that flowery microstructures gradually formed and constituted a continuous slipcover over the nickel surfaces, while the nickel surfaces transformed from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic during the steeping process. The petals of the nanoflowers consisted of lamellar crystals resulting from the self-assembly of alkyl phosphonates. The surface roughness as well as the wettability can be tailored synchronously by controlling the steeping time and using phosphonic acids with different alkyl groups. This approach is easily developed to other engineering metal substrates such as steel.
Co-reporter:Chuanlong Fu;Lingjie Meng;Qinghua Lu;Xiaoke Zhang;Chao Gao
Macromolecular Rapid Communications 2007 Volume 28(Issue 22) pp:
Publication Date(Web):26 SEP 2007
DOI:10.1002/marc.200700458
The key to developing novel applications of SWNTs in biotechnology and biomedicine is to improve their biocompatibility and solubility in water and to assemble them into useful architectures. We describe how amylose can help to solubilize SWNTs and wrap around SWNTs into helical superstructures with periodic pitch. FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, 1H NMR and HR-TEM are used to confirm the generation of amylose/SWNTs complexes (A/S-C). It is demonstrated that most of the A/S-C have similar diameters (ca. 20–30 nm) and a helical morphology with a pitch of ca. 14 nm. A test of Hela cell viability revealed that the A/S-C had much better biocompatibility than SWNTs.
Co-reporter:Yan Zhao, Qinghua Lu, Dongsheng Chen and Yen Wei
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2006 vol. 16(Issue 46) pp:4504-4509
Publication Date(Web):03 Oct 2006
DOI:10.1039/B608981J
We present a facile and effective method for controlling the surface hydrophobicity of polyimide films from sticky to superhydrophobic properties by tailoring their topographies. Nanostructured silver layers were produced on polyimide films by treatment with aqueous KOH and AgNO3, followed by thermal treatment at 200 °C or higher temperatures. Further modification of the gold-coated silver layers with n-dodecanethiol led to hydrophobic surfaces. Different morphologies of the silver layers at the micro- and nano-meter scales, which result in the variety of hydrophobicity, can be tailored by controlling the thermal treatment temperature. Surfaces prepared at 320 °C showed a sticky property that water drops did not slide off even when the sample was held upside down. Superhydrophobic surfaces were obtained when the temperature was above 340 °C. A remarkable superhydrophobicity, as evidenced by a very large water contact angle of 162° and a very small sliding angle of 7°, was achieved by heating the modified polyimide films at 360 °C. This is also the first example for superhydrophobic modification of polyimide films.
Co-reporter:Xuefeng Wang;C. André Ohlin;Qinghua Lu;Jun Hu
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A 2006 Volume 78A(Issue 4) pp:746-754
Publication Date(Web):31 MAY 2006
DOI:10.1002/jbm.a.30764
Biomaterial surface modification is an efficient way of improving cell-material interactions. In this study, sub-micrometer laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) were produced on polystyrene by laser irradiation. FT-IR analysis confirmed that this treatment also led to surface oxidation and anisotropic orientation of the produced carbonyl groups. As a consequence, the surface energy of the laser-treated polystyrene was 1.45 times that of the untreated polystyrene, as measured by contact-angle goniometry. Protein adsorption and rat C6 glioma cell behavior on the two substrates were investigated, showing that the changed physicochemical properties of laser-modified polystyrene surface led to an increase in the quantity of adsorbed bovine serum albumin and significantly affected the behavior of rat C6 glioma cells. In the early stages of cell spreading, cells explored their microenvironment using filopodium as the main sensor. Moreover, cells actively aligned themselves along the direction of LIPSS gradually and cell attachment and proliferation were significantly enhanced. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2006
Co-reporter:Dongsheng Chen, Yi Li, Qinghua Lu, Jie Yin, Zikang Zhu
Applied Surface Science 2005 Volume 246(1–3) pp:167-173
Publication Date(Web):15 June 2005
DOI:10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.11.005
Abstract
Copper was selectively deposited on PI surface catalyzed by laser-induced deposition of Ag particles. First, PI film was ablated by a focused Nd:YAG laser (λ = 266 nm) for patterning, and then the ablated film was immersed in a silver diammine solution. Ag(NH3)2+ ions were reduced to Ag at the ablated region on the film, and the Ag particles were deposited in situ. After rinsing the film, copper was deposited on the seeded film by electroless plating successfully. Deposits and the ablated film were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Stylus Profiler.
Co-reporter:H.W. Lu, Q.H. Lu, W.T. Chen, H.J. Xu, J. Yin
Materials Letters 2004 Volume 58(1–2) pp:29-32
Publication Date(Web):January 2004
DOI:10.1016/S0167-577X(03)00408-7
Nanogrooved surface of polystyrene (PS) petri dishes was induced by an ultraviolet laser irradiation (ULI) method. After laser treatment, the water contact angle was decreased significantly from 72° to 38°. The influence of the surface modification on the growth of the human tongue squamous cells carcinomas (HTSCC) was investigated. The laser-irradiated PS surface showed enhanced attachment and growth in HTSCC cell culture test. Moreover, cell orientation was successfully controlled by selectively treating the PS surface.
Co-reporter:Bangshang Zhu, Qiqiao Zhang, Qinghua Lu, Yuhong Xu, Jie Yin, Jun Hu, Zongguang Wang
Biomaterials 2004 Volume 25(Issue 18) pp:4215-4223
Publication Date(Web):August 2004
DOI:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2003.11.020
The surface properties of the extracellular matrix play vital roles in cellular behavior such as adhesion, spreading, migration, proliferation and differentiation. While cell attachment and adhesion onto surfaces are mainly mediated by surface molecular interaction, cell morphology and orientation are significantly affected by the topographical cues of the substrate. We reported here the alignment of C6 glioma cells on polystyrene (PS) substrate containing periodic nanotopography. The ridge/groove type structures (210 nm in periodicity, and 30–40 nm in depth) were generated on polystyrene surface using Nd:YAG polarized laser radiation at 266 nm. The cultured cells were shown to align strictly along the direction of the ridges/grooves. And there were distinctive features such as elongated morphology and asymmetrical cell surface extensions, revealed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicated that ordered and continuous nanostructures on substrates can pattern cell, and guide cell alignment and oriented growth along definite directions. The possible mechanism and significance of these observations were also discussed.
Co-reporter:Bangshang Zhu;Jie Yin;Qinhua Lu;Jun Hu;Zongguang Wang
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials 2004 Volume 70B(Issue 1) pp:43-48
Publication Date(Web):20 FEB 2004
DOI:10.1002/jbm.b.30011
Biomaterial surface chemistry and nanoscale topography of biomaterials can significantly influence cell behavior in vitro. Polystyrene (PS) Petri dishes were subjected to Nd:YAG laser irradiation at 266 nm, which resulted in well-defined three-dimensional (3D) periodic nanoscale surface topographies and surface oxidation. The surface changes were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and a contact-angle goniometer. The samples were then used to investigate the cell behavior of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The surface laser modification affected the CHO cell adhesion and alignment, and caused morphological changes in comparison with unmodified PS. The results obtained from the cell-behavior studies revealed that nanoscale hydrophilic surface topography cues affected the adhesion, extension, alignment, and morphology of cells. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 70B: 43–48, 2004
Co-reporter:X. M. Lu;Q. H. Lu;Z. K. Zhu;Z. G. Wang;J. Yin
Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics 2003 Volume 41(Issue 12) pp:1273-1280
Publication Date(Web):1 MAY 2003
DOI:10.1002/polb.10461
The influence of the mechanical rubbing of a polyimide (PI) film on the laser-induced periodic structure (LIPS) was demonstrated. The periodicity and amplitude of LIPS were greater when the rubbing direction was parallel to the laser polarization direction. The amplitude became small and the periodicity of LIPS did not show an obvious change when the rubbing direction was perpendicular to the laser polarization direction. The effect of the rubbing pretreatment on LIPS was explained on the basis of the wave-guide effect of rubbing-induced microgrooves on LIPS formation. The orientation of PI chains induced by mechanical rubbing was relaxed after laser irradiation, and a new orientation of PI chains was formed during the LIPS formation. When the rubbing direction was perpendicular to the laser polarization direction, the orientation of PI chains remained in the rubbing direction. The laser-irradiated, perpendicularly rubbed PI surface could be used to verify the effects of surface morphologies and intermolecular interactions on liquid-crystal alignment. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1273–1280, 2003
Co-reporter:Mei Li, Jianhai Xu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2007 - vol. 17(Issue 45) pp:NaN4776-4776
Publication Date(Web):2007/09/27
DOI:10.1039/B709665H
Stable and durable superhydrophobic surfaces have been fabricated on nickel substrates with a convenient wet-chemical-process by using monoalkyl phosphonic acid. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation revealed that flowery microstructures gradually formed and constituted a continuous slipcover over the nickel surfaces, while the nickel surfaces transformed from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic during the steeping process. The petals of the nanoflowers consisted of lamellar crystals resulting from the self-assembly of alkyl phosphonates. The surface roughness as well as the wettability can be tailored synchronously by controlling the steeping time and using phosphonic acids with different alkyl groups. This approach is easily developed to other engineering metal substrates such as steel.
Co-reporter:Ling Li, Lingjie Meng, Xiaoke Zhang, Chuanlong Fu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2009 - vol. 19(Issue 22) pp:NaN3617-3617
Publication Date(Web):2009/04/20
DOI:10.1039/B823322E
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) wrapped with cellulose have been successfully prepared by the treatment of SWCNTs with a cellulose solution in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide. The obtained SWCNT complex can be dispersed in water, forming a stable solution with excellent biocompatibility. It was found that long cellulose/SWCNT scaffolds could promote the growth of HeLa cells. In suspensions, short cellulose/SWCNTs complexes tend to enter HeLa cells and show little affect on cell proliferation. Therefore, the complexes have potential applications in biomaterial scaffolds and intracellular drug delivery systems.
Co-reporter:Junfeng Zhou, Lingjie Meng, Qinghua Lu, Jianwei Fu and Xiaobin Huang
Chemical Communications 2009(Issue 42) pp:NaN6372-6372
Publication Date(Web):2009/10/01
DOI:10.1039/B914394G
A superparamagnetic pomegranate-like core@shell structure with Fe3O4@SiO2nanoparticles as cores and cross-linked PZS as shells was fabricated. The Fe3O4@SiO2@PZS hybrid composite shows exellent solvent resistance and water dispersion, allowing potentially great biocompatibility and possible tailored surface chemistry for applications in biotechnology.
Co-reporter:Zhangjun Huang, Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Chemical Communications 2015 - vol. 51(Issue 39) pp:NaN8376-8376
Publication Date(Web):2015/04/10
DOI:10.1039/C5CC00735F
Water-triggered self-assembly polycondensation was proposed for preparation of cyclomatrix polyphosphazene nanoparticles from amino acid esters, and a critical solubility parameter was found to determine whether the nanoparticles were formed. Based on this rule, we also investigated the control of the size of its nanoparticles.
Co-reporter:Kun Cui, Xuemin Lu, Wei Cui, Jun Wu, Xumeng Chen and Qinghua Lu
Chemical Communications 2011 - vol. 47(Issue 3) pp:NaN922-922
Publication Date(Web):2010/11/15
DOI:10.1039/C0CC03900D
Fluorescent nanoparticles were formed from a poly(ionic liquid) through ion interactions. The fluorescent nanoparticles show highly fluorescent intensity and stability to UV light irradiation and were utilized for highly sensitive and selectivity fluorescent sensor of copper ion.
Co-reporter:Hongdan Peng, Lingjie Meng, Qinghua Lu, Sheng Dong, Zhaofu Fei and Paul J. Dyson
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2012 - vol. 22(Issue 30) pp:NaN14873-14873
Publication Date(Web):2012/05/17
DOI:10.1039/C2JM31799K
Fluorescent graphene-based materials have been prepared by a facile ion exchange route comprising the reaction of carboxylated, reduced graphene oxide (c-RGO) with fluorescent anthracene-modified imidazolium salts in water–ethanol solution. The resulting reduced graphene oxide hybrid materials emit strong blue light at 392, 414 and 438 nm and maintain a relatively high quantum yield (QY, 0.29), as electron and energy transfer between the anthracene moieties and the graphene plane is blocked by the imidazolium moiety. In contrast, physical mixing of the imidazolium salt with non-carboxylated reduced graphene oxide (n-RGO) affords a material that exhibits negligible fluorescence due to direct π–π stacking interactions between the n-RGO plane and the anthracene moieties.
Co-reporter:Yali Zhou, Mei Li, Bin Su and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2009 - vol. 19(Issue 20) pp:NaN3306-3306
Publication Date(Web):2009/03/30
DOI:10.1039/B819251K
Stable superhydrophobic silver films were fabricated on glass substrates by using the silver mirror reaction. The water contact angle (CA) on the obtained silver surface was 154°, and a water droplet could easily roll off. Both the CA and surface roughness could be tailored by altering the initial silver ion concentration. The movement of a superhydrophobic ball on the surface of water was also investigated and compared with that of a superhydrophilic ball. The results suggested that the superhydrophobic coating on the ball repulsed water and provided extra supporting force, leading to a faster movement on the surface of water. We hope that our findings would improve the understanding of superhydrophobic properties and be useful in further research on drag-reducing materials.
Co-reporter:Junfeng Zhou, Lingjie Meng and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2010 - vol. 20(Issue 26) pp:NaN5498-5498
Publication Date(Web):2010/06/02
DOI:10.1039/C0JM00117A
Highly cross-linked and monodispersed poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-4,4′-sulfonyldiphenol) (PZS) submicrospheres were synthesized by one-step polycondesation. The spheres are enriched in N, P, and S atoms, and phenolic hydroxyl groups, and exhibit good water dispersion. These properties facilitate initial growth of gold nanoseeds on the PZS surface and subsequent growth of gold nanoshells. This facile fabrication method can also be used for the preparation of silver and gold–silver bimetallic nanoshells with tunable thickness by varying the mass ratio of metal salt to PZS. The core@shell structures were investigated by transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, selected-area electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction analysis. PZS@gold nanoshells showed very strong surface plasmon resonance absorption in the near infrared region (700–1100 nm), where blood and biological tissues are nearly transparent. Furthermore, PZS@gold nanoshells effectively induced photothermal conversion under laser irradiation of 808 nm and rapidly killed tumor cells, suggesting potential application in photothermal imaging and therapies using NIR lasers.
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu, Faqin Tong, Xuemin Lu, Kai Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 9) pp:NaN2092-2092
Publication Date(Web):2015/01/13
DOI:10.1039/C4TC02653E
A fluorescent and robust superhydrophobic coating based on a fluorinated polypyrene/silica hybrid (FPSH) film was reported. This hybrid film is composed of an underlying polypyrene film and overlying silica layers. The polypyrene film is electrodeposited on an indium tin oxide glass electrode by cyclic voltammetry to provide a petal-like hierarchical rough structure and strong fluorescence with one-step electrochemical polymerization. Notably, the fluorescence emission of this polypyrene film derives from the excimer forms, reported here for the first time. The silica layers are fabricated by a two-step chemical vapor deposition to obtain a supporting silica backbone and a low-energy surface. Several critical tests were performed on the FPSH films, confirming that the film is not only a thermally stable, anti-acid/alkali, and anti-impact self-cleaning surface, but also presents a strong green fluorescence emission.
Co-reporter:Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu, Zhangjun Huang and Qinghua Lu
Chemical Communications 2015 - vol. 51(Issue 26) pp:NaN5701-5701
Publication Date(Web):2015/02/16
DOI:10.1039/C4CC10379C
In combination with the breath-figure method, an in situ growth approach of polyphosphazenes was performed on a honeycomb surface resulting in a closely packed nanoparticle coating and a micro/nanoscale hierarchical structure. The hierarchically structured surfaces exhibited high biocompatibility, allowed good cellular adhesion and presented strong potential use as a cell scaffold.
Co-reporter:Qiang Ye, Shuangshuang Chen, Dandan Zhu, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 15) pp:NaN3097-3097
Publication Date(Web):2015/03/03
DOI:10.1039/C5TB00207A
Two-photon fluorescence imaging has attracted increasing interest in the biological and medical fields because of its low cell damage, high resolution, large imaging depth, and easy dynamic observation. A high-performance two-photon probe with long-term imaging capability was proposed for this imaging technology. In this work, a new two-photon probe compound was synthesized from tetraphenylethylene fluorogen with aggregation-induced emission. A phenyl-[phenyl-(1,2,5-thialdiazol)] amine group was induced to red-shift the absorption and emission wavelengths of the compound. After self-assembly, fluorescent dots with aggregation-induced emission cores and hydrophobic shells terminated by –COOH were formed. Cell experiments proved that the 4-(7-(phenyl(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)amino)benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazol-4-yl)benzoic acid (TPECOOH) dots with red emission showed good biocompatibility and excellent two-photon imaging ability. TPECOOH dots were used successfully in direct long-term cell imaging with high efficiency. Even after twelve days, fluorescence imaging could still be observed in live HeLa cells.
Co-reporter:Lianyi Xu, Dandan Zhu, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 7) pp:NaN3807-3807
Publication Date(Web):2015/01/06
DOI:10.1039/C4TA06944G
By mimicking nature, the preparation of artificial self-cleaning surfaces has gradually matured both in theory and technology, but their actual application has been hampered by enormous difficulties. The main challenge is that their design principle (i.e., their requirement for micro- and nano-structures) is difficult to reconcile with the need for coating strength and transparency. Here, we have exploited a porous structured silica coating with the help of an electrodeposited porous PEDOT template. This porous silica coating not only provides the requisite roughness for the final superhydrophobic surface, but also has a low refractive index, thereby enhancing the transparency of the silica coating. After fluorination, a highly transparent, thermally and mechanically stable superhydrophobic coating was obtained. The silica coating is found to withstand tests of harsh environments, such as mechanical resistance and ultra-high hydraulic pressure tests. This large-area superhydrophobic coating has great potential for use in solar cells and self-cleaning windows.
Co-reporter:Qiang Ye, Dandan Zhu, Lianyi Xu, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2016 - vol. 4(Issue 7) pp:NaN1503-1503
Publication Date(Web):2016/01/15
DOI:10.1039/C5TC04174K
Assemblies with helical fiber nanostructures were fabricated via simple ionic linkage of a cationic tetraphenylethylene derivative (TPEHexN+) and an anionic binaphthyl derivative (SBNPSO3− or RBNPSO3−). Chiroptical studies showed that the as-prepared SBNP–TPEHN and RBNP–TPEHN assemblies in the solid state exhibited high dissymmetry factors of +0.065 and −0.063 at the absorption band of TPE moieties, respectively. The circularly polarized luminescence of their films also had high average dissymmetry factors at 442 nm (+3.8 × 10−2 for SBNP–TPEHN, and −4.2 × 10−2 for RBNP–TPEHN). The fiber structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A hypothetical mechanism for the formation of helical fibers is proposed.
Co-reporter:Shuangshuang Chen, Xuemin Lu, Ying Hu and Qinghua Lu
Biomaterials Science (2013-Present) 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 1) pp:NaN93-93
Publication Date(Web):2014/08/22
DOI:10.1039/C4BM00233D
Inspired by the typically adhesive behaviors of fish skin and Parthenocissus tricuspidata, two different decorations of polystyrene honeycomb membrane (PSHCM) prepared by the breath figure approach were carried out with poly(N-(3-Sulfopropyl)-N-(methacryloxyethyl)-N,N-dimethylammonium betaine)(polySBMA) to explore controllable bioadhesive surfaces. Casting and dip-coating were employed to graft polySBMA onto the plasma treated PSHCM. The polySBMA casted PSHCM showed a uniform covering layer on the PSHCM similar to the mucus layer of fish skin, presenting excellent antifouling properties. On the contrary, a dip-coated one showed the polySBMA aggregating on the honeycomb pore walls forming a large number of sucking disks such as the adhesive disks of the tendrils of P. tricuspidata, which remarkably boosts cell adhesion on substrates. Thus, bioadhesion could be regulated as desired by tuning the distribution of zwitterionic polymer on the honeycomb surface. The results may provide a new approach for the design of biomaterial surfaces.
Co-reporter:Qiang Ye, Dandan Zhu, Hongxing Zhang, Xuemin Lu and Qinghua Lu
Journal of Materials Chemistry A 2015 - vol. 3(Issue 27) pp:NaN7003-7003
Publication Date(Web):2015/06/03
DOI:10.1039/C5TC00987A
This work provides a novel strategy for the construction of materials exhibiting circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with a thermal tunability and a high efficiency in the solid state. In this strategy, cholesterol pendants were introduced into tetraphenylethene, a typical aggregation-induced emission (AIE) molecule using long undecyl spacers as a covalent connection bridge. The resulting AIE molecule (2CTPE) exhibited CPL with a high dissymmetry factor (∼10−2) and a high fluorescence efficiency (42%) in the solid state. The presence of the long spacer led to the formation of a liquid crystal (LC) phase of 2CTPE with a typical focal conic texture of cholesteric LC, as revealed by polarizing optical microscopy (POM) investigation. Furthermore, circular dichroism (CD) and CPL properties of 2CTPE could be thermally regulated. These results give evidence to the synthesis of new, tunable CPL materials with a high fluorescence efficiency in the solid state.
![1-?Hexanaminium, N,?N,?N-?trimethyl-?6-?[4-?(1,?2,?2-?triphenylethenyl)?phenoxy]?-?, bromide (1:1)](/data/chemimg/3780600/1603831-36-2.png)
![1-?Hexanaminium, N,?N,?N-?trimethyl-?6-?[4-?(1,?2,?2-?triphenylethenyl)?phenoxy]?-?, bromide (1:1)](/data/chemimg/3780600/1603831-36-2_b.png)
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