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van Kesteren S, Diethelm P, Jung SH, Isa L. DNA-Based Replication of Programmable Colloidal Assemblies. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2400180. [PMID: 38693098 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202400180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Nature uses replication to amplify the information necessary for the intricate structures vital for life. Despite some successes with pure nucleotide structures, constructing synthetic microscale systems capable of replication remains largely out of reach. Here, a functioning strategy is shown for the replication of microscale particle assemblies using DNA-coated colloids. By positioning DNA-functionalized colloids using capillary forces and embedding them into a polymer layer, programmable sequences of patchy particles are created that act as a primer and offer precise binding of complementary particles from suspension. The strings of complementary colloids are cross-linked, released from the primer, and purified via flow cytometric sorting to achieve a purity of up to 81% of the replicated sequences. The replication of strings of up to five colloids and non-linear shapes is demonstrated with particles of different sizes and materials. Furthermore, a pathway for exponential self-replication is outlined, including preliminary data that shows the transfer of patches and binding of a second-generation of assemblies from suspension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven van Kesteren
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Diethelm
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Se-Hyeong Jung
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
| | - Lucio Isa
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland
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2
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van Kesteren S, Diethelm P, Isa L. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) for purifying colloidal clusters. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:2881-2886. [PMID: 38477048 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00122b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Colloidal particles are considered to be essential building blocks for creating innovative self-assembled and active materials, for which complexity beyond that of compositionally uniform particles is key. However, synthesizing complex, multi-material colloids remains a challenge, often resulting in heterogeneous populations that require post-synthesis purification. Leveraging advances brought forward in the purification of biological samples, here we apply fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) to sort colloidal clusters synthesized through capillary assembly. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of FACS in sorting clusters based on size, shape, and composition. Notably, we achieve a sorting purity of up to 97% for clusters composed of up to 9 particles, albeit observing a decline in purity with increasing cluster size. Additionally, dimers of different colloids can be purified to over 97%, while linear and triangular trimers can be separated with up to 88% purity. This work underscores the potential of FACS as a promising and little-used tool in colloidal science to support the development of increasingly more intricate particle-based building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven van Kesteren
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, ETH Zurich, Vladmir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - Pascal Diethelm
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, ETH Zurich, Vladmir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.
| | - Lucio Isa
- Laboratory for Soft Materials and Interfaces, ETH Zurich, Vladmir-Prelog-Weg 1-5, Zurich, 8093, Switzerland.
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3
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Darko WK, Mangal D, Conrad JC, Palmer JC. Particle dispersion through porous media with heterogeneous attractions. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:837-847. [PMID: 38170621 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01166f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Porous media used in many practical applications contain natural spatial variations in composition and surface charge that lead to heterogeneous physicochemical attractions between the media and transported particles. We performed Stokesian dynamics (SD) simulations to examine the effects of heterogeneous attractions on quiescent diffusion and hydrodynamic dispersion of particles within geometrically ordered arrays of nanoposts. We find that transport under quiescent conditions occurs by two mechanisms, diffusion through the void space and intermittent hopping between the attractive wells of different nanoposts. As the attraction heterogeneity increases, the latter mechanism becomes dominant, resulting in an increase in the particle trajectory tortuosity, deviations from Gaussian behavior in the particle displacement distributions, and a decrease in the long-time particle diffusivity. Similarly, under flow conditions corresponding to low Péclet number (Pe), increased attraction heterogeneity leads to transient localization near the nanoposts, resulting in a broadening of the particle distribution and enhanced longitudinal dispersion in the direction of flow. At high Pe where advection strongly dominates, however, the longitudinal dispersion coefficient is insensitive to attraction heterogeneity and exhibits Taylor-Aris dispersion behavior. Our findings provide insight into how heterogeneous interactions may influence particle transport in complex 3-D porous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfred Kwabena Darko
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, USA.
| | - Deepak Mangal
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, 02115, USA
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, USA.
| | - Jeremy C Palmer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204, USA.
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4
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Exploiting anisotropic particle shape to electrostatically assemble colloidal molecules with high yield and purity. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 629:322-333. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.08.158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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5
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Abstract
This contribution describes a synthetic strategy for the fabrication of multicomponent colloidal "molecules" with controllable complex morphologies and compositionally distinct lobes. Using 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TPM) as the building block, the methodology enables a scalable bulk synthesis of customized chiral colloidal particles with geometric and compositional chirality by a sequential seeded growth method. The synthetic protocol presents a versatile platform for constructing colloidal molecules with multiple components having customized shapes and functionalities, with the potential to impact the design of chromatic patchy particles, colloidal swimmers, and chiral optical materials, as well as informing programmable assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzhu Liu
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Fangyuan Dong
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Nicolle S Jackson
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Michael D Ward
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Marcus Weck
- Molecular Design Institute, Department of Chemistry New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
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6
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Vereroudakis E, Bantawa M, Lafleur RP, Parisi D, Matsumoto NM, Peeters JW, Del Gado E, Meijer EW, Vlassopoulos D. Competitive Supramolecular Associations Mediate the Viscoelasticity of Binary Hydrogels. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:1401-1411. [PMID: 32875081 PMCID: PMC7453573 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular polymers are known to form strong and resilient hydrogels which can take up large amounts of water while exhibiting ease of processing and self-healing. They also possess similarities with networks of biological macromolecules. The combination of these features makes supramolecular polymers ideal candidates for studying mechanisms and consequences of self-assembly, which are relevant to biological materials. At the same time, this renders investigations of mixed hydrogels based on different supramolecular compounds necessary, since this substantially widens their applicability. Here, we address unusual viscoelastic properties of a class of binary hydrogels made by mixing fibrillar supramolecular polymers that are formed from two compounds: 1,3,5-benzene-tricarboxamide decorated with aliphatic chains terminated by tetra(ethylene glycol) (BTA) and a 20 kg/mol telechelic poly(ethylene glycol) decorated with the same hydrogen bonding BTA motif on both ends (BTA-PEG-BTA). Using a suite of experimental and simulation techniques, we find that the respective single-compound-based supramolecular systems form very different networks which exhibit drastically different rheology. More strikingly, mixing the compounds results in a non-monotonic dependence of modulus and viscosity on composition, suggesting a competition between interactions of the two compounds, which can then be used to fine-tune the mechanical properties. Simulations offer insight into the nature of this competition and their remarkable qualitative agreement with the experimental results is promising for the design of mixed hydrogels with desired and tunable properties. Their combination with a sensitive dynamic probe (here rheology) offer a powerful toolbox to explore the unique properties of binary hydrogel mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Vereroudakis
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation
for Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science & Technology, University
of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Minaspi Bantawa
- Department
of Physics, Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20057, United States
| | - René P.
M. Lafleur
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Daniele Parisi
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation
for Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science & Technology, University
of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Nicholas M. Matsumoto
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Emanuela Del Gado
- Department
of Physics, Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20057, United States
| | - E. W. Meijer
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitris Vlassopoulos
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation
for Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science & Technology, University
of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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Kawaguchi H. On Going to a New Era of Microgel Exhibiting Volume Phase Transition. Gels 2020; 6:gels6030026. [PMID: 32824458 PMCID: PMC7559898 DOI: 10.3390/gels6030026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of phenomena of volume phase transition has had a great impact not only on bulk gels but also on the world of microgels. In particular, research on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels, whose transition temperature is close to body temperature, has made remarkable progress in almost 35 years. This review presents some breakthrough findings in microgels that exhibit volume phase transitions and outlines recent works on the synthesis, structural analysis, and research direction of microgels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruma Kawaguchi
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Hiyoshi, Yokohama 241-0814, Japan
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8
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Zhang S, Yu P, Zhang Y, Ma Z, Teng K, Hu X, Lu L, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, An Q. Remarkably Boosted Molecular Delivery Triggered by Combined Thermal and Flexoelectrical Field Dual Stimuli. ChemistrySelect 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202000423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Peng Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Zequn Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Kaixuan Teng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Xiantong Hu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Orthopaedic ImplantsFourth Medical Center of CPLA General Hospital Beijing 100048 China
| | - Limei Lu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Yihe Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
| | - Yantao Zhao
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Orthopaedic ImplantsFourth Medical Center of CPLA General Hospital Beijing 100048 China
| | - Qi An
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid WastesNational Laboratory of Mineral Materials, School of Materials Sciences and Technology, China University of Geosciences Beijing 100083 China
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Abstract
From rock salt to nanoparticle superlattices, complex structure can emerge from simple building blocks that attract each other through Coulombic forces1-4. On the micrometre scale, however, colloids in water defy the intuitively simple idea of forming crystals from oppositely charged partners, instead forming non-equilibrium structures such as clusters and gels5-7. Although various systems have been engineered to grow binary crystals8-11, native surface charge in aqueous conditions has not been used to assemble crystalline materials. Here we form ionic colloidal crystals in water through an approach that we refer to as polymer-attenuated Coulombic self-assembly. The key to crystallization is the use of a neutral polymer to keep particles separated by well defined distances, allowing us to tune the attractive overlap of electrical double layers, directing particles to disperse, crystallize or become permanently fixed on demand. The nucleation and growth of macroscopic single crystals is demonstrated by using the Debye screening length to fine-tune assembly. Using a variety of colloidal particles and commercial polymers, ionic colloidal crystals isostructural to caesium chloride, sodium chloride, aluminium diboride and K4C60 are selected according to particle size ratios. Once fixed by simply diluting out solution salts, crystals are pulled out of the water for further manipulation, demonstrating an accurate translation from solution-phase assembly to dried solid structures. In contrast to other assembly approaches, in which particles must be carefully engineered to encode binding information12-18, polymer-attenuated Coulombic self-assembly enables conventional colloids to be used as model colloidal ions, primed for crystallization.
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10
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Kurka DW, Niehues M, Ravoo BJ. Self-Assembly of Colloidal Molecules Based on Host-Guest Chemistry and Geometric Constraints. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:3924-3931. [PMID: 32182073 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The preparation of colloidal molecules (CMs), that is, clusters of colloids with a defined aggregation number and configuration, is of continued and significant interest in colloid chemistry and materials science and numerous interactions have been utilized to drive their (self-)assembly. However, only very few reports are available on the assembly of CMs based on host-guest chemistry. In this paper, we investigate the assembly of like-charged silica particles into well-defined, core-satellite ABn-type CMs in water, mediated by host-guest interactions and geometric constraints. Exploiting the inherent dynamics of noncovalent attraction and making use of a soft polymer shell to enhance multivalent host-guest interactions, we successfully synthesized AB3, AB4, and AB6 CMs by selecting the appropriate size ratio of satellite to core particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin W Kurka
- Organic Chemistry Institute and Center for Soft Nanoscience, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 40, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Maximilian Niehues
- Organic Chemistry Institute and Center for Soft Nanoscience, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 40, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Bart Jan Ravoo
- Organic Chemistry Institute and Center for Soft Nanoscience, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Corrensstraße 40, 48149 Münster, Germany
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11
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Månsson LK, Peng F, Crassous JJ, Schurtenberger P. A microgel-Pickering emulsion route to colloidal molecules with temperature-tunable interaction sites. SOFT MATTER 2020; 16:1908-1921. [PMID: 31995090 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm02401h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A simple Pickering emulsion route has been developed for the assembly of temperature-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgel particles into colloidal molecules comprising a small number of discrete microgel interaction sites on a central oil emulsion droplet. Here, the surface activity of the microgels serves to drive their assembly through adsorption to growing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) emulsion oil droplets of high monodispersity, prepared in situ via ammonia-catalysed hydrolysis and condensation of dimethyldiethoxysilane (DMDES). A dialysis step is employed in order to limit further growth once the target assembly size has been reached, thus yielding narrowly size-distributed, colloidal molecule-like microgel-Pickering emulsion oil droplets with well-defined microgel interaction sites. The temperature-responsiveness of the PNIPAM interaction sites will allow for the directional interactions to be tuned in a facile manner with temperature, all the way from soft repulsive to short-range attractive as the their volume phase transition temperature (VPTT) is crossed. Finally, the microgel-Pickering emulsion approach is extended to a mixture of PNIPAM and poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PNIPMAM) microgels that differ with respect to their VPTT, this in order to prepare patchy colloidal molecules where the directional interactions will be more readily resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda K Månsson
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden. and NanoLund, POB 118, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Feifei Peng
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden. and NanoLund, POB 118, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jérôme J Crassous
- Institute of Physical Chemistry, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 AAchen, Germany
| | - Peter Schurtenberger
- Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, POB 124, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden. and NanoLund, POB 118, SE-22100 Lund, Sweden and Lund Institute of Advanced Neutron and X-ray Science (LINXS), Scheelevägen 19, SE-22370 Lund, Sweden
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