Synthesis of hybrid microgels by coupling of laser ablation and polymerization in aqueous medium

Abstract

Loading microgels with bioactive nanoparticles (NPs) often requires multiple synthesis and purification steps, and organic solvents or precursors that are difficult to remove from the gel. Hence, a fast and aqueous synthesis procedure would facilitate the synthesis of inorganic–organic hybrid microgels. Two microgel compounds were hybridized with laser-generated zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs prepared in a single-step procedure. ZnO NPs were formed by laser ablation in liquid, while the polymer microgels were synthesized in-situ inside the ablation chamber. Further, the authors report the preparation of two different microgel systems. The first one was produced without the use of chemical initiator forming hydrogels with ZnO NPs and diffuse morpholgy. Typical microgel colloids were also synthesized via a conventional chemical method in a preheated reaction chamber. The existence of microgel colloids partially loaded with ZnO NPs was confirmed in a transmission electron microscopy investigation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic measurements and dynamic light scattering verify the formation of polymer colloids. These initial results indicate the application potential of laser ablation in microgel precursor solution for the fabrication of polymeric carriers for inorganic nanoparticles. Preliminary biological tests using zinc chloride demonstrated negative dose effects on primary cell culture with zinc concentrations above 200 μM but no noticeable influence at 100 μM.

Laser Synthesis and Processing of Colloids: Fundamentals and Applications

“…Resano-Garcia et al reported that the yield of LAL-synthesized AgNPs in stirred liquid was approximately 30% higher than that in unstirred liquid, that the ablation reproducibility was also significantly improved (over four repeated experiments), and that the NP size distribution was narrower (Figure 53a,b). 401 Similar findings were reported by researchers using a semibatch apparatus equipped with a magnetic stirrer 380,738 (Figure 52b) and single-pass flowing liquid experimental configurations 310 (Figure 52c). The removal of NPs by flowing liquid is effective and inhibits bubble settlement in the vicinity of the ablation grooves, 400 thereby improving the ablation reproducibility and dramatically increasing the NP productivity (by 380% for ns LAL of alumina and 700% for fs LAL of gold) relative to the stationary liquid by adjusting the flow rate.…”

Size control and supporting of palladium nanoparticles made by laser ablation in saline solution as a facile route to heterogeneous catalysts

“…Set-up for laser-fabrication of ligand-free palladium nanoparticles in aqueous, micromolar saline solution. see also [32]). The chamber was filled with Milli-Q water (resistivity of 18.2 M cm at 25 • C) or with an electrolyte solution using different ionic strengths.…”

Electrophoretic deposition of ligand-free platinum nanoparticles on neural electrodes affects their impedance in vitro and in vivo with no negative effect on reactive gliosis

“…Ablation was conducted in a self-constructed ablation chamber (Fig. 2 ), which has been shown in more details by Nachev et al [ 52 ]. A system containing a ns-pulsed Nd:YAG Laser (Rofin PowerLine E20) and a scanner with an F-Theta lens was chosen to generate the nanoparticles as described by Koenen et al [ 53 ].…”