The (±)-α-Tocopherol (TP) with vitamin E activity has been encapsulated into biocompatible poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) carriers, which results in the formation of well-defined nanosized (d ~200–220 nm) core-shell structured particles (NPs) with 15–19% of drug loading (DL%). The optimal ratios of the polymer carriers, the TP active drug as well as the applied Pluronic F127 (PLUR) non-ionic stabilizing surfactant, have been determined to obtain NPs with a TP core and a polymer shell with high encapsulation efficiency (EE%) (69%). The size and the structure of the prepared core-shell NPs as well as the interaction of the carriers and the PLUR with the TP molecules have been determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and turbidity studies, respectively. Moreover, the dissolution of the TP from the polymer NPs has been investigated by spectrophotometric measurements. It was clearly confirmed that increase in the EE% from ca. 70% (PLA/TP) to ca. 88% (PLGA65/TP) results in the controlled release of the hydrophobic TP molecules (7 h, PLA/TP: 34%; PLGA75/TP: 25%; PLGA65/TP: 18%). By replacing the PLA carrier to PLGA, ca. 15% more active substance can be encapsulated in the core (PLA/TP: 65%; PLGA65/TP: 80%).

The pH-responsive intelligent drug release facility of hydrophobically modified chitosan nanoparticles (Chit NPs) (d = 5.2 ± 1.1 nm) was presented in the case of poorly water soluble Ca channel blocker nimodipine (NIMO) drug molecules. The adequate pH-sensitivity, i.e. the suitable drug carrier properties of the initial hydrophilic Chit were achieved by reductive amination of Chit with hexanal (C-) and dodecanal (C-) aldehydes. The successful modifications of the macromolecule were evidenced via FTIR measurements: the band appearing at 1412 cm (CN stretching in aliphatic amines) in the cases of the hydrophobically modified Chit samples shows that the CN bond successfully formed between the Chit and the aldehydes. Hydrophobization of the polymer unambiguously led to lower water contents with lower intermolecular interactions in the prepared hydrogel matrix: the initial hydrophilic Chit has the highest water content (78.6 wt%) and the increasing hydrophobicity of the polymer resulted in decreasing water content (C-chit.: 74.2 wt% and C-chit.: 47.1 wt%). Furthermore, it was established that the length of the side chain of the aldehyde influences the pH-dependent solubility properties of the Chit. Transparent homogenous polymer solution was obtained at lower pH, while at higher pH the formation of polymer (nano)particles was determined and the corresponding cut-off pH values showed decreasing tendency with increasing hydrophobic feature (pH = 7.47, 6.73 and 2.49 for initial Chit, C-chit and C-chit, respectively). Next the poorly water soluble NIMO drug was encapsulated with the C-chit with adequate pH-sensitive properties. The polymer-stabilized NIMO particles with 10 wt% NIMO content resulted in stable dispersion in aqueous phase, the formation of polymer shell increased in the water solubility/dispersibility of the initial hydrophobic drug. According to the drug release experiments, we clearly confirmed that the encapsulated low crystallinity NIMO drug remained closed in the polymer NPs at normal tissue pH (pH = 7.4, PBS buffer, physiological condition) but at pH < 6.5 which is typical for seriously ischemic brain tissue, 93.6% of the available 0.14 mg/ml NIMO was released into the buffer solution under 8 h release time. According to this in vitro study, the presented pH-sensitive drug carrier system could be useful to selectively target ischemic brain regions characterized by acidosis, to achieve neuroprotection at tissue zones at risk of injury, without any undesirable side effects caused by systemic drug administration.

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Graphite-oxide/TiO 2 (GO/TiO 2 ) composite materials were prepared by heterocoagulation method from Brodie's graphiteoxide (GO) in order to test them as catalysts in the methanol photocatalytic reforming reaction in liquid phase. The preparation of the composite itself resulted in only little changes in the structure of GO as it was indicated by attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) and 13 C magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C MAS NMR) spectroscopic measurements. However, during the photocatalytic reaction, all of the GO/TiO 2 samples darkened strongly indicating structural changes of GO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy along with NMR confirmed the loss of oxygen functionalities and emergence of graphitic species in the samples recovered from the photocatalytic reaction. Model experiments were designed to identify the key factors determining the activity of the GO/TiO 2 derived photocatalysts. It was found that the emergence of a pronounced coupling between TiO 2 and the graphite-like carbonaceous material is the most important contribution to get active and stable photocatalysts.

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In medical research the visualization of drug carrier accumulation and release of the loaded drugs in vivo is an important field. In this work, two protein-stabilized gold nanoclusters (Au NCs) as effective fluorescent reporters (FRs) were investigated for labeling of biocompatible chitosan-modified hyaluronic acid based nanocarriers having two different structures. The colloid stability of the labeled carriers was studied by dynamic light scattering and Zeta potential measurements, while the changes in the fluorescence of the lysozyme- (LYZ) and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilized Au NCs were analyzed by spectrofluorimetry and confocal fluorescent microscopy. We found that the labeling was effective with a wide range of marker:carrier mass ratios, and the fluorescence of the NCs and the colloid stability of the complexes were retained. Labeling during preparation and subsequent labeling were compared, and based on composition (nanocluster:carrier mass ratio) and structure of the complex systems we preferred the latter method, as it left the Au NCs free for further modifications. Considering both marker:carrier mass ratios and emission intensities, the LYZ-stabilized Au NCs proved to be better labels. The core-shell type carrier formulations showed increased fluorescence with LYZ-stabilized NCs, presumably from aggregation induced emission.

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