Magnetoliposomes as model for signal transmission

Abstract

Liposomes containing magnetic nanoparticles (magnetoliposomes) have been extensively explored for targeted drug delivery. However, the magnetic effect of nanoparticles movement is also an attractive choice for the conduction of signals in communication systems at the nanoscale level because of the simple manipulation and efficient control. Here, we propose a model for the transmission of electrical and luminous signals taking advantage of magnetophoresis. The study involved three steps. Firstly, magnetite was synthesized and incorporated into fusogenic large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) previously associated with a fluorescent label. Secondly, the fluorescent magnetite-containing LUVs delivered their contents to the giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), which were corroborated by magnetophoresis and fluorescence microscopy. In the third step, magnetophoresis of magnetic vesicles was used for the conduction of the luminous signal from a capillary to an optical fibre connected to a fluorescence detector. Also, the magnetophoresis effects on subsequent transmission of the electrochemical signal were demonstrated using magnetite associated with CTAB micelles modified with ferrocene. We glimpse that these magnetic supramolecular systems can be applied in micro- and nanoscale communication systems.

Synthesis of bioluminescent gold nanoparticle–luciferase hybrid systems for technological applications

“…Hybrid Au/Fe 3 O 4 NPs were synthesized using PEG(SH) 2 8000. Nanoparticulated magnetite was first synthesized as previously described [ 57 , 58 ]. Fe 3 O 4 NPs were dispersed in PEG(SH) 2 8000 solution under stirring with the subsequent addition of AuHCl 4 .…”

“…After washing with l -cysteine solution, the colloidal suspension exhibited a red color, and the turbidity decreased. Au/Fe 3 O 4 NPs were synthesized by the addition of previously fabricated and characterized nanoparticulated magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) [ 58 ] in 4 mM PEG(SH) 2 8000 at pH 10, followed by the addition of HAuCl 4 stock solution under stirring. Magnetite synthesis was carried out according to Barreto et al [ 58 ].…”

“…Au/Fe 3 O 4 NPs were synthesized by the addition of previously fabricated and characterized nanoparticulated magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) [ 58 ] in 4 mM PEG(SH) 2 8000 at pH 10, followed by the addition of HAuCl 4 stock solution under stirring. Magnetite synthesis was carried out according to Barreto et al [ 58 ]. Briefly, 0.023 M ferric chloride solution was mixed with 0.027 M ferrous chloride solution.…”

Microfluidics for Multiphase Mixing and Liposomal Encapsulation of Nanobioconjugates: Passive vs. Acoustic Systems

“…The model solves the thickness of the viscous boundary layer and the thermal boundary layer given by Equations (18) and (19).…”

“…Furthermore, liposomes have been explored to prepare hybrid delivery encapsulates such as magnetoliposomes (MLPs), which combine the advantages of liposomes and nanostructured magnetic materials (e.g., magnetite). MLPs have found several biomedical and industrial applications, including molecule separation and targeted drug delivery [18,19]. We are particularly interested in preparing MLPs for drug delivery to potentiate even further a number of highly biocompatible cell-penetrating nanobioconjugates that we have synthesized by interfacing membrane active agents with the nanostructured material magnetite (e.g., the Outer Membrane Protein A (OmpA) of Escherichia coli and the translocating peptide Buforin II (BUF-II) [20][21][22]).…”