Terminal alkynyl and azide groups are introduced on the surface of molecularly imprinted core-shell nanoparticles using precipitation polymerization. These clickable groups enable simple nanoparticle conjugation and surface modification under mild reaction conditions, opening new opportunities for nanoparticle-based assays and chemical sensing.

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Magnetic hydrogel that can respond to a magnetic stimulus is a promising biomaterial for tissue regeneration and cancer treatment. In this study, a novel magnetic hydrogel is formed by simply mixing bisphosphonate (BP)-modified hyaluronic acid (i.e., HA–BP) polymeric solution and iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticle dispersion, in which the hydrogel networks are cross-linked by BP groups and iron atoms on the surface of particle. The iron–BP coordination chemistry affords a dynamic network, characterized by self-healing, shear-thinning, and smoothly injectable properties. Moreover, the HA–BP·Fe3O4 magnetic hydrogel demonstrates heat-generation characterization under an alternating magnetic field. The animal experiments confirm the biocompatibilities of HA–BP·Fe3O4 hydrogel, which presents the hydrogels potential for tissue regeneration and anticancer treatment applications.

In this paper, we describe the synthesis of water-compatible Molecularly Imprinted Polymer (MIP) microspheres by nanoparticle-stabilized emulsion (Pickering emulsion) polymerization. During the polymerization, the amount of the porogen used not only affected the stability of the Pickering emulsion but also the specific molecular recognition of the obtained MIP microspheres. Under optimized conditions, the MIP microspheres synthesized had a porous and hydrophilic surface. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescent labeling experiments indicated that the MIP microspheres had particle sizes of 165 AE 38 mm. Selective molecular recognition with the MIP microspheres was studied through equilibrium binding analysis and liquid chromatography experiments under pure aqueous conditions. Using the new MIP microspheres as solid phase extraction (SPE) absorbents, low concentration organic pollutants (b-blockers) were effectively enriched from tap water and easily detected using HPLC-MS analysis.

One challenging task in building (bio)chemical sensors is the efficient and stable immobilization of receptor on a suitable transducer. Herein, we report a method for covalent immobilization of molecularly imprinted core-shell nanoparticles for construction of robust chemical sensors. The imprinted nanoparticles with a core-shell structure have selective molecular binding sites in the core and multiple amino groups in the shell. The model Au transducer surface is first functionalized with a self-assembled monolayer of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid. The 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid is activated by treatment with carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide and then reacted with the core-shell nanoparticles to form amide bonds. We have characterized the process by studying the treated surfaces after each preparation step using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The microscopy results show the successful immobilization of the imprinted nanoparticles on the surface. The photoelectron spectroscopy results further confirm the success of each functionalization step. Further, the amino groups on the MIP surface were activated by electrostatically adsorbing negatively charged Au colloids. The functionalized surface was shown to be active for surface enhanced Raman scattering detection of propranolol. The particle immobilization and surface enhanced Raman scattering approach described here has a general applicability for constructing chemical sensors in different formats.

Multifunctional colloidosomes are prepared from molecularly imprinted polymer nanoparticles and fluorogenic boronic acid using a Cu(I)-catalyzed click reaction. The molecular selectivity of the colloidosomes was investigated by radioligand binding analysis, which indicated that the inter-particle click reaction did not affect the molecular specificity of the MIP nanoparticles on the colloidosomes for the model template, propranolol. Besides specific molecular recognition of the MIP nanoparticles, the colloidosomes also displayed dose-dependent fluorescence response to fructose at physiological pH.Moreover, the immobilized boronic acid in the core could effectively bind isoproterenol, a template analogue containing a catecholamine moiety. The depletion of isoproterenol from solution allowed the MIP nanoparticles on the colloidosomes to bind propranolol more efficiently. The pre-designed molecular selectivity and fluorescence response of the colloidosomes are interesting for potential applications in controlled delivery, chemical sensing and bioseparation.

We report a new strategy toward construction of functional composite materials for fast molecular separation. Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles containing surface-exposed alkyne groups were synthesized by one-pot precipitation polymerization. Magnetic Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were first coated with a silica shell, and then modified with terminal azide groups. The two types of clickable nanoparticles were conjugated through a Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction to give composite magnetic particles, which displayed high molecular recognition selectivity and could be easily separated using a simple magnet.

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) can be used as antibody mimics to develop robust chemical sensors. One challenging problem in using MIPs for sensor development is the lack of reliable conjugation chemistry that allows MIPs to be fixed on transducer surface. In this work, we study the use of epoxy silane to immobilize MIP nanoparticles on model transducer surfaces without impairing the function of the immobilized nanoparticles. The MIP nanoparticles with a core-shell structure have selective molecular binding sites in the core and multiple amino groups in the shell. The model transducer surface is functionalized with a self-assembled monolayer of epoxy silane, which reacts with the core-shell MIP particles to enable straightforward immobilization. The whole process is characterized by studying the treated surfaces after each preparation step using atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The microscopy results show that the MIP particles are immobilized uniformly on surface. The photoelectron spectroscopy results further confirm the action of each functionalization step. The molecular selectivity of the MIP-functionalized surface is verified by radioligand binding analysis. The particle immobilization approach described here has a general applicability for constructing selective chemical sensors in different formats.