http://utw10193.utweb.utexas.edu/Archive/RuoffsPDFs/150.pdf

Synthesis and exfoliation of isocyanate-treated graphene oxide nanoplatelets

Recent advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology radically changed the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent various diseases in all aspects of human life. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most vital and fascinating nanomaterials among several metallic nanoparticles that are involved in biomedical applications. AgNPs play an important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology, particularly in nanomedicine. Although several noble metals have been used for various purposes, AgNPs have been focused on potential applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we discuss the synthesis of AgNPs using physical, chemical, and biological methods. We also discuss the properties of AgNPs and methods for their characterization. More importantly, we extensively discuss the multifunctional bio-applications of AgNPs; for example, as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cancer agents, and the mechanism of the anti-cancer activity of AgNPs. In addition, we discuss therapeutic approaches and challenges for cancer therapy using AgNPs. Finally, we conclude by discussing the future perspective of AgNPs.

/pdf/silver-nanoparticles-synthesis-characterization-properties-1gs52z8tm7.pdf

Silver Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, Applications, and Therapeutic Approaches

Spontaneous, single-walled, equilibrium vesicles can be prepared from aqueous mixtures of simple, commercially available, single-tailed cationic and anionic surfactants. Vesicle size, surface charge, or permeability can be readily adjusted by varying the ratio of anionic to cationic surfactant. Vesicle formation apparently results from the production of anion-cation surfactant pairs that then act as double-tailed zwitterionic surfactants. These vesicles are quite stable in comparison to conventional vesicles prepared by mechanical disruption of insoluble liquid crystalline dispersions.

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/245/4924/1371.full.pdf

Spontaneous vesicle formation in aqueous mixtures of single-tailed surfactants

Dynamic light scattering (DLS), also known as photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS), is a very powerful tool for studying the diffusion behaviour of macromolecules in solution. The diffusion coefficient, and hence the hydrodynamic radii calculated from it, depends on the size and shape of macromolecules. In this review, we provide evidence of the usefulness of DLS to study the homogeneity of proteins, nucleic acids, and complexes of protein–protein or protein–nucleic acid preparations, as well as to study protein–small molecule interactions. Further, we provide examples of DLS’s application both as a complementary method to analytical ultracentrifugation studies and as a screening tool to validate solution scattering models using determined hydrodynamic radii.

/pdf/dynamic-light-scattering-a-practical-guide-and-applications-33c5jpzczj.pdf

Dynamic light scattering: a practical guide and applications in biomedical sciences.

Nanoparticles for drug delivery: the need for precision in reporting particle size parameters.

The first order electric field correlation function of laser light scattered by polydisperse solutions of macromolecules can be written as a sum or distribution of exponentials, with decay rates proportional to the diffusion coefficients of the solute molecules. It is shown that the logarithm of this correlation function is formally equivalent to a cumulant generating function. A method is described by which the distribution function of the decay rates (and thus the extent of polydispersity) can be characterized, in a light scattering experiment, by calculation of the moments or cumulants. The systematic and random statistical errors in the calculated cumulants are discussed.

Dennis E. Koppel

Papers

Analysis of Macromolecular Polydispersity in Intensity Correlation Spectroscopy: The Method of Cumulants