Probing the Diffusion of a Dilute Dye Solution in Mesoporous Glass with Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy

Diffusion of gold nanoparticles in porous silica monoliths determined by dynamic light scattering

HYPOTHESIS

The applicability of the dynamic light scattering method for the determination of particle diffusivity under confinement without applying refractive index matching was not adequately explored so far. The confinement effect on particle diffusion in a porous material which is relevant for particle chromatography has also not yet been fully characterized.

EXPERIMENTS

Dynamic light scattering experiments were performed for unimodal dispersions of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid-capped gold nanoparticles. Diffusion coefficients of gold nanoparticles in porous silica monoliths were determined without limiting refractive index matching fluids. Comparative experiments were also performed with the same nanoparticles and porous silica monolith but applying refractive index matching.

FINDINGS

Two distinct diffusivities could be determined inside the porous silica monolith, both smaller than that in free media, showing a slowing-down of the diffusion processes of nanoparticles under confinement. While the larger diffusivity can be related to the slightly slowed-down diffusion of particles in the bulk of the pores and in the necks connecting individual pores, the smaller diffusivity might be related to the diffusion of particles near the pore walls. It shows that the dynamic light scattering method with a heterodyne detection scheme can be used as a reliable and competitive tool for determining particle diffusion under confinement.

From Macro to Mesoporous ZnO Inverse Opals: Synthesis, Characterization and Tracer Diffusion Properties

Oxide inverse opals (IOs) with their high surface area and open porosity are promising candidates for catalyst support applications. Supports with confined mesoporous domains are of added value to heterogeneous catalysis. However, the fabrication of IOs with mesoporous or sub-macroporous voids (<100 nm) continues to be a challenge, and the diffusion of tracers in quasi-mesoporous IOs is yet to be adequately studied. In order to address these two problems, we synthesized ZnO IOs films with tunable pore sizes using chemical bath deposition and template-based approach. By decreasing the size of polystyrene (PS) template particles towards the mesoporous range, ZnO IOs with 50 nm-sized pores and open porosity were synthesized. The effect of the template-removal method on the pore geometry (spherical vs. gyroidal) was studied. The infiltration depth in the template was determined, and the factors influencing infiltration were assessed. The crystallinity and photonic stop-band of the IOs were studied using X-Ray diffraction and UV-Vis, respectively. The infiltration of tracer molecules (Alexa Fluor 488) in multilayered quasi-mesoporous ZnO IOs was confirmed via confocal laser scanning microscopy, while fluorescence correlation spectroscopy analysis revealed two distinct diffusion times in IOs assigned to diffusion through the pores (fast) and adsorption on the pore walls (slow).

Diffusion of single dye molecules in hydrated TiO2 mesoporous films

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) shows how the pore dimensions of thin and hydrated TiO₂ mesoporous calcined films modulate the diffusion of molecules across the pore network.

Temperature-Controlled Diffusion in PNIPAM-Modified Silica Inverse Opals

We report a new strategy for the preparation of well-defined and mechanically stable porous nanostructures with tunable porosity. Silica inverse opals, which are known as a model system for a porous periodic nanostructure, were grafted with brushes of the thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grown via atom transfer radical polymerization. By tuning the temperature, the swelling state of the brush layer is reversibly altered, and with this we were able to control the overall porosity of the system and, thus, the mobility of small penetrants. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, a method combining single molecule sensitivity with small probing volume (<1 μm³), was used to directly monitor and quantify in situ the changes in the penetrants' mobility.

Transport properties of hierarchical micro–mesoporous materials

This work provides an overview of different experimental techniques of diffusion measurements in porous materials and discusses transport properties of several classes of hierarchically organized micro-mesoporous materials.

Single-Molecule Investigations of Morphology and Mass Transport Dynamics in Nanostructured Materials

Nanostructured materials such as mesoporous metal oxides and phase-separated block copolymers form the basis for new monolith, membrane, and thin film technologies having applications in energy storage, chemical catalysis, and separations. Mass transport plays an integral role in governing the application-specific performance characteristics of many such materials. The majority of methods employed in their characterization provide only ensemble data, often masking the nanoscale, molecular-level details of materials morphology and mass transport. Single-molecule fluorescence methods offer direct routes to probing these characteristics on a single-molecule/single-nanostructure basis. This article provides a review of single-molecule studies focused on measurements of anisotropic diffusion, adsorption, partitioning, and confinement in nanostructured materials. Experimental methods covered include confocal and wide-field fluorescence microscopy. The results obtained promise to deepen our understanding of mass transport mechanisms in nanostructures, thus aiding in the realization of advanced materials systems.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy study on the effects of the shape and size of a protein on its diffusion inside a crowded environment

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) has been commonly used to study the diffusional and conformational fluctuations of labeled molecules at single-molecule resolution. Here, we explored the applications of FCS inside a polyacrylamide gel to study the effects of molecular weight and molecular shape in a crowded environment. To understand the effect of molecular weight, we carried out FCS experiments with four model systems of different molecular weights in the presence of varying concentrations of acrylamide. The correlation curves were fit adequately using a model containing two diffusing components: one representing unhindered diffusion and one representing slow hindered diffusion in the gel phase. A large number of measurements carried out at different randomly chosen spots on a gel were used to determine the most probable diffusion time values using Gaussian distribution analysis. The variation of the diffusivity with the molecular weight of the model systems could be represented well using the effective medium model. This model assumes a combination of hydrodynamic and steric effects on solute diffusivity. To study the effects of solute shape, FCS experiments were carried inside a urea gradient gel to probe the urea-induced unfolding transition of Alexa488Maleimide-labeled bovine serum albumin. We showed that the scaling behavior, relating the hydrodynamic radius and the number of amino acids, changes inside an acrylamide gel for both folded and unfolded proteins. We showed further that crowding induced by a polyacrylamide gel increases the resolution of measuring the difference in hydrodynamic radii between the unfolded and folded states.

Single-molecule mobility in confined and crowded femtolitre chambers

The effects of increased crowding and confinement on the mobility of individual fluorescent molecules were studied using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) in a microfluidic device with sealable femtolitre-volume chambers, and compared to three dimensional stochastic Monte Carlo simulations. When crowding and the degree of confinement were increased simultaneously, extended correlation times of fluorescent intensity fluctuations were observed with FCS compared to varying either crowding or confinement alone. Both experimental data and simulation suggest these extended correlation times were due to increased fluorophore adsorption-desorption events at the chamber lid in the presence of crowders. The data in increasingly confined and crowded chambers described here captures some of the salient features of crowding in cell-like environments.

Tracer diffusion in silica inverse opals

We employed fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to study the diffusion of small fluorescence tracers in liquid filled silica inverse opals. The inverse opals consisted of a nanoporous silica scaffold spanning a hexagonal crystal of spherical voids of 360 nm diameter connected by circular pores of 70 nm diameter. The diffusion of Alexa Fluor 488 in water and of perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PDI) in toluene was studied. Three diffusion modes could be distinguished: (1) Free diffusion limited by the geometric constraints given by the inverse opal, where, as compared to the free solution, this diffusion is slowed down by a factor of 3-4, (2) slow diffusion inside the nanoporous matrix of the silica scaffold, and (3) diffusion limited by adsorption. On the length scale of the focus of a confocal microscope of roughly 400 nm diffusion was non-Fickian in all cases.

Balance between Coulombic interactions and physical confinement in silica hydrogel encapsulation

We examined the behavior of various entrapped guest molecules within silica hydrogel and evaluated the effect of Coulombic interactions and physical confinement on molecular mobility. Although rhodamine 6G (R6G) and fluorescein (FL) share similar size and molecular structure, their behavior in silica hydrogel was found to be dramatically different. A good majority of R6G was immobilized with little to no exchangeable molecules, whereas FL displayed a considerable amount of mobility in silica hydrogel. Moreover, silica hydrogel encapsulated R6G failed to gain mobility even under low pH or high ionic strength conditions to minimize Coulombic interactions, implying that encapsulated R6G molecules were inaccessible and likely trapped deep inside the silica matrix of a hydrogel. On the contrary, FL was relatively free to rotate and translate inside a silica hydrogel, implying that FL remained solvated in the solvent phase and was able to maintain its mobility throughout the hydrogel formation process. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching measurements put the diffusion coefficient of FL in silica hydrogel at ca. 2.1 x 10(-6) cm(2) s(-1), about a factor of 3 slower than that in solution. The substantial difference in mobility between cationic R6G and anionic FL led us to conclude that the effect of Coulombic interactions on mobility is more dominating in hydrogel than in alcogel. Our results also suggest that Coulombic interactions are strong enough to influence the eventual placement of a guest molecule in a silica hydrogel, causing R6G and FL to reside in different microenvironments. This has a profound implication on the use of molecular probes to study silica hydrogel since a slight difference in physical attribute may result in very diverse observations even from identically prepared silica hydrogel samples. As demonstrated, the repulsion between FL and silica renders FL liquid-bound, making FL more suitable for monitoring the change in viscosity and physical confinement during hydrogel formation, whereas other researchers have shown that silica-bound R6G is more suitably used as a reliable probe for monitoring the growth of silica colloids because of its strong attraction toward silica.

What can be learned from single molecule spectroscopy? Applications to sol-gel-derived silica materials

Single molecule spectroscopic methods are now being widely employed to probe the nanometer scale properties of sol-gel-derived silica materials. This article reviews a subset of the recent literature in this area and provides salient examples of the new information that can be obtained. The materials covered include inorganic and organically-modified silica, along with surfactant-templated mesoporous materials. Studies of molecule-matrix interactions based on ionic, hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions are reviewed, highlighting the impacts of these interactions on mass transport phenomena. Quantitative investigations of molecular diffusion by single molecule tracking and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy are also covered, focusing on the characterization of anisotropic and hindered diffusion in mesoporous systems. Single molecule polarity studies are described and the new information that can be obtained from the resulting inhomogeneous distributions is discussed. Likewise, single molecule studies of silica acidity properties are reviewed, including observation of nanoscale buffering phenomena due to the chemistry of surface silanols. Finally, related single nanoparticle studies of macroporous silicas are also discussed.

Molecular orientation and its influence on autocorrelation amplitudes in single-molecule imaging experiments

The concentration dependence of autocorrelation amplitudes obtained from orientationally fixed single molecules is explored using theory, simulation, and experimental results. Autocorrelation amplitudes obtained under such circumstances are shown to be approximately 2-fold larger than predicted in previous studies (Koppel, D. E. Phys. Rev. A 1974, 10, 1938-1945 and citing references), which frequently assume polarization-independent excitation and detection. A detailed derivation of the autocorrelation amplitude expected under conditions frequently employed in single-molecule experiments is given. Simulated and experimental single-molecule image data obtained from samples incorporating fixed single molecules are used to verify the correctness of the model. These results are compared to both simulated and experimental time transient data in which the molecules exhibit predominantly fast rotational reorientation and to which previously reported models apply. The experimental results employed are obtained from dye-doped mesoporous silica thin films studied at different levels of hydration. The theory and results obtained are of importance to the determination of molecular concentrations from single-molecule image and time transient autocorrelation data, in situations where the molecules exhibit permanent or reversible adsorption at fixed orientations in or on thin-film materials.

Simultaneous Measurement of Orientational and Spectral Dynamics of Single Molecules in Nanostructured Host−Guest Materials

Nanostructured host-guest materials are important for various applications in nanoscience, and therefore, a thorough understanding of the dynamics of the guest molecules within the host matrix is needed. To this aim we used single-molecule fluorescence techniques to simultaneously examine the spectral and the orientational behavior of single molecules in nanostructured porous host materials. Two types of host-guest systems have been investigated. First, oxazine-1 dye molecules were fixed rigidly in the channels of microporous AlPO4-5 crystals. Second, it was shown that terrylenediimide (TDI) dye molecules move in the mesoporous network of an uncalcined M41S thin film. In the first sample both spectral fluctuations ( approximately 5 nm) and rare spectral jumps (>10 nm) of the emission maximum were observed. However, the orientation of the emission dipole of the dye molecules remained constant. In contrast, the second system showed orientational dynamics as well as substantially more spectral dynamics. In this system the molecules were found to move between different regions in the host. The typical motion of the TDI molecules in the pores of M41S was not continuous but characterized by jumps between specific sites. Moreover, the spectral and orientational dynamics were correlated and arose directly from the different environments that were being explored by the mobile molecule.

Multiple diffusion mechanisms due to nanostructuring in crowded environments

One of the key questions regarding intracellular diffusion is how the environment affects molecular mobility. Mostly, intracellular diffusion has been described as hindered, and the physical reasons for this behavior are: immobile barriers, molecular crowding, and binding interactions with immobile or mobile molecules. Using results from multi-photon fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, we describe how immobile barriers and crowding agents affect translational mobility. To study the hindrance produced by immobile barriers, we used sol-gels (silica nanostructures) that consist of a continuous solid phase and aqueous phase in which fluorescently tagged molecules diffuse. In the case of molecular crowding, translational mobility was assessed in increasing concentrations of 500 kDa dextran solutions. Diffusion of fluorescent tracers in both sol-gels and dextran solutions shows clear evidence of anomalous subdiffusion. In addition, data from the autocorrelation function were analyzed using the maximum entropy method as adapted to fluorescence correlation spectroscopy data and compared with the standard model that incorporates anomalous diffusion. The maximum entropy method revealed evidence of different diffusion mechanisms that had not been revealed using the anomalous diffusion model. These mechanisms likely correspond to nanostructuring in crowded environments and to the relative dimensions of the crowding agent with respect to the tracer molecule. Analysis with the maximum entropy method also revealed information about the degree of heterogeneity in the environment as reported by the behavior of diffusive molecules.

Single Molecule Spectroscopy Studies of Diffusion in Mesoporous Silica Thin Films

Single molecule spectroscopy is applied in studies of diffusion and surface adsorption in sol-gel-derived mesoporous silica thin films. Mesoporous films are obtained by spin casting surfactant-templated sols onto glass substrates. Small-angle X-ray diffraction results are consistent with hexagonally ordered mesophases in as-synthesized (i.e., surfactant-containing) films. Upon calcination, a 30% contraction and disordering of these structures occurs. Nile Red is used as a fluorescent probe of both the as-synthesized and calcined films. It is loaded into the samples at subnanomolar levels either prior to spin casting or after calcination. Fluorescence imaging and single-point fluorescence time transients show the dye molecules to be relatively mobile in the as-synthesized samples. In contrast, the molecules appear entrapped at fixed locations in dry calcined films. In calcined films rehydrated under high humidity conditions, the Nile Red molecules again become mobile. Time transients obtained from the as-synthesized and rehydrated samples provide clear evidence for frequent reversible adsorption of the dye to the silica surfaces. Autocorrelations of the time transients provide quantitative data on the mean diffusion coefficients (D = 2.4 x 10(-10) and 2.6 x 10(-10) cm2/s) and mean desorption times (1/k = 25 and 40 s) for the as-synthesized and rehydrated films, respectively. The results prove both water and surfactant play important roles in governing matrix interactions and mass transport.

Gaining insight into the nanoscale properties of sol-gel-derived silicate thin films by single-molecule spectroscopy

The application of single-molecule spectroscopic methods in studies of individual nanoscale environments within sol-gel-derived silicate thin films is reviewed. Representative examples of the experiments performed and results obtained in several studies from the authors' laboratories are given. Included are investigations of the static and dynamic polarity properties of organically modified silicate (ORMOSIL) films. The results of these studies point to nonrandom variations in the film properties, providing strong evidence for the formation of phase-separated organic- and inorganic-rich domains. Studies of single-molecule diffusion through the same films yield important evidence for the formation of liquidlike silicate oligomers that facilitate probe molecule diffusion. Finally, single-molecule studies of the local pH within individual film environments are discussed. Valuable information on the contributions of local materials' acidity variations to overall sample heterogeneity is obtained. The results of immersion studies indicate that certain molecular environments are inaccessible to external solutions over periods as long as a few hours. The article concludes with a discussion of possible future challenges in this research that may be addressed by new and existing single-molecule methods.

Understanding Supported Reactions in Spherical Compartments: A General Algorithm To Model and Determine Rate Constants, Diffusion Coefficients, and Spatial Product Distributions

A general algorithm allowing the numerical modeling of the time and space dependence of product formation in spherical reaction volumes is described. The algorithm is described by the complete set of mass balance equations. On the basis of these equations, the effects of the diffusion coefficient, reaction rate, bead size, reagent excess, and packing density of the resin beads on the overall reaction rates are determined for second-order reactions. Experimental data of reaction progress are employed to calculate reaction rates and diffusion coefficients in polymer-supported reactions. In addition, the conditions for shell-like product formation are determined, and various strategies for the radial patterning of resin beads are compared. The effect of diffusion on polymer-supported enzyme-catalyzed reactions of the Michaelis-Menten type is treated, as well. Finally, the effects of typical nonideal solid-phase phenomena, namely, the inhomogeneity of rate constants and the concentration dependence of diffusion coefficients, on overall rates are discussed.

Probing Strong Adsorption of Solute onto C18-Silica Gel by Fluorescence Correlation Imaging and Single-Molecule Spectroscopy under RPLC Conditions

Understanding molecular adsorption at a chromatographic interface is of great interest for addressing the tailing problem in chemical separations. Single-molecule spectroscopy and confocal fluorescence correlation imaging are used to study the adsorption sites of C(18) silica beads under RPLC chromatographic conditions. The experiments show that cationic molecule rhodamine 6G laterally diffuses through the chromatographic interface of a C(18) hydrocarbon monolayer and acetonitrile with occasional reversible strong adsorptions. Fluorescence correlation imaging extracts the rare strong adsorption events from large data sets, revealing that the strong adsorption sites are randomly distributed throughout the silica beads. Virtually every imaging pixel of silica beads adsorbs molecules. Single-molecule spectroscopy of the 584 strong adsorption events observed indicates that the strong adsorptions persist on the time scales from several milliseconds to seconds, having an average desorption time of 61 ms. The strong adsorption events are rare, comprising 0.3% of the total observation time. The sizes of strong adsorption sites are within the optical resolution of confocal imaging.

Controlling diffusion in sol-gel derived monoliths

Redox probes were trapped within a silica monolith prepared in part with organoalkoxysilanes containing a quaternary ammonium functional group. The diffusion coefficients of the entrapped molecules were measured as the gels were slowly dried using chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetry with ultramicroelectrodes. Gel-entrapped cobalt(II) tris(bipyridine) (Co(bpy)(3)(2+)) diffuses at rates similar to that measured in the sols by incorporating a small amount of the positively charged functional group in the matrix. In comparison, the diffusion coefficient of gel-entrapped ferricyanide (Fe(CN)(6)(3-)) drops an order of magnitude relative to its value in the sol soon after gelation. These results demonstrate the ease at which diffusion in hydrated gels can be easily controlled by simply changing the charge on the walls of the silica host.

Single-Molecule Studies of Diffusion by Oligomer-Bound Dyes in Organically Modified Sol−Gel-Derived Silicate Films

Single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy is used to study dye diffusion within organically modified silicate (ORMOSIL) films. ORMOSIL films are prepared from sols containing tetraethoxysilane and isobutyltrimethoxysilane in 2:1 and 1:9 molar ratios. Nile red and a new silanized form of nile red that can be covalently attached to the silicate matrix are used as fluorescent probe molecules. The number and rate of single molecules diffusing through these films increases dramatically with increasing film organic content. Autocorrelation of the fluorescence images yields a quantitative measure of the relative populations of fixed and diffusing species. Surprisingly, both "free" and silicate-bound nile red exhibit relatively facile translational motions. Single-molecule/single-point fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is used to measure the dye diffusion coefficients in submicrometer-scale film regions. The most common diffusion coefficients for "free" and silicate-bound nile red molecules in the 1:9 films are 3.9 x 10(-10) and 1.6 x 10(-10) cm(2)/s, respectively. The unexpectedly rapid diffusion of silicate-bound nile red is attributed to the presence of liquidlike silicate oligomers in the films. A lower bound for the molecular weight of the oligomers is estimated at 2900. Bulk solution-phase FCS experiments performed on "free" and silicate-bound nile red species extracted into chloroform solutions provide valuable support for these conclusions. Comparison of the results derived from experimental and simulated time transients indicates film heterogeneity occurs on sub-100-nm-length scales and likely results from the presence of inorganic- and organic-rich domains.