Dispersion and stability of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in aqueous suspension: effects of ultrasonication and concentration

Surfactant-free tantalum oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, colloidal properties, and application as a contrast agent for computed tomography

With the growing interest of the medical industry in biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs), the current synthetic methods should be adapted to appropriate demands (toxicity, scalability, etc.). Most applications require colloidal systems to be stable not only in water but also in vivo, which represents a major challenge. In this study, biocompatible Ta2O5 NPs were synthesized by a solvothermal method avoiding toxic reagents, and surfactant-free stable hydrosols were obtained and used for computed tomography (CT) imaging. The small hydrodynamic size (2 nm) and colloidal stability of primary NPs were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis to confirm their structure and purity. To develop a stable hydrosol preparation protocol, the influence of pH and ultrasonication duration on the stability of Ta2O5 sols was analyzed by DLS and microelectrophoresis. To enhance the understanding of NP behavior in vivo, sol stability in conditions close to physiological (NaCl solutions) was studied in a pH range of 3-9. Hydrosols prepared by the proposed protocol were stable for at least 6 months and exhibited negligible cytotoxicity. Ta2O5 NPs also showed high CT contrast both in theoretical calculations and in vivo (rat gastrointestinal tract).

Effect of the suspension of Ag-incorporated TiO2 nanoparticles (Ag-TiO2 NPs) on certain growth, physiology and phytotoxicity parameters in spinach seedlings

In this work, the effect of the inoculation of silver-incorporated titanium dioxide nanoparticles (Ag-TiO₂ NPs) in spinach seeds was evaluated on certain growth, physiology and phytotoxicity parameters of the plants. This is an important crop for human consumption with high nutritional value due to their low calorie and fat content, providing various vitamins and minerals, especially iron. These NPs were obtained by means of the sol-gel method and heat treatment; the resulting powder material was characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy and the influence of these NPs on plants was measured by estimating the germination rate, monitoring morphological parameters and evaluating phytotoxicity. The photosynthetic activity of the spinach plants was estimated through the quantification of the Ratio of Oxygen Evolution (ROE) by the photoacoustic technique. Samples of TiO₂ powder with particle size between 9 and 43 nm were used to quantify the germination rate, which served to determine a narrower size range between 7 and 26 nm in the experiments with Ag-TiO₂ NPs; the presence of Ag in TiO₂ powder samples was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The analysis of variance showed that the dependent variable (plant growth) could be affected by the evaluated factors (concentration and size) with significant differences. The statistical trend indicated that the application of the Ag-TiO₂ NPs suspension of lowest concentration and smallest particle size could be a promoting agent of the growth and development of these plants. The inoculation with NPs of 8.3 nm size and lowest concentration was related to the highest average ROE value, 24.6 ± 0.2%, while the control group was 20.2 ± 0.2%. The positive effect of the Ag-TiO₂ NPs treatment could be associated to the generation of reactive oxygen species, antimicrobial activity, increased biochemical attributes, enzymatic activity or improvements in water absorption.

Heteroaggregation of nanoparticles with biocolloids and geocolloids

The application of nanoparticles has raised concern over the safety of these materials to human health and the ecosystem. After release into an aquatic environment, nanoparticles are likely to experience heteroaggregation with biocolloids, geocolloids, natural organic matter (NOM) and other types of nanoparticles. Heteroaggregation is of vital importance for determining the fate and transport of nanoparticles in aqueous phase and sediments. In this article, we review the typical cases of heteroaggregation between nanoparticles and biocolloids and/or geocolloids, mechanisms, modeling, and important indicators used to determine heteroaggregation in aqueous phase. The major mechanisms of heteroaggregation include electric force, bridging, hydrogen bonding, and chemical bonding. The modeling of heteroaggregation typically considers DLVO, X-DLVO, and fractal dimension. The major indicators for studying heteroaggregation of nanoparticles include surface charge measurements, size measurements, observation of morphology of particles and aggregates, and heteroaggregation rate determination. In the end, we summarize the research challenges and perspective for the heteroaggregation of nanoparticles, such as the determination of αhetero values and heteroaggregation rates; more accurate analytical methods instead of DLS for heteroaggregation measurements; sensitive analytical techniques to measure low concentrations of nanoparticles in heteroaggregation systems; appropriate characterization of NOM at the molecular level to understand the structures and fractionation of NOM; effects of different types, concentrations, and fractions of NOM on the heteroaggregation of nanoparticles; the quantitative adsorption and desorption of NOM onto the surface of nanoparticles and heteroaggregates; and a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and modeling of heteroaggregation in natural water which is a complex system containing NOM, nanoparticles, biocolloids and geocolloids.

Biological Activity of Mesoporous Dendrimer-Coated Titanium Dioxide: Insight on the Role of the Surface-Interface Composition and the Framework Crystallinity

Hitherto, the field of nanomedicine has been overwhelmingly dominated by the use of mesoporous organosilicas compared to their metal oxide congeners. Despite their remarkable reactivity, titanium oxide-based materials have been seldom evaluated and little knowledge has been gained with respect to their "structure-biological activity" relationship. Herein, a fruitful association of phosphorus dendrimers (both "ammonium-terminated" and "phosphonate-terminated") and titanium dioxide has been performed by means of the sol-gel process, resulting in mesoporous dendrimer-coated nanosized crystalline titanium dioxide. A similar organo-coating has been reproduced using single branch-mimicking dendrimers that allow isolation of an amorphous titanium dioxide. The impact of these materials on red blood cells was evaluated by studying cell hemolysis. Next, their cytotoxicity toward B14 Chinese fibroblasts and their antimicrobial activity were also investigated. Based on their variants (cationic versus anionic terminal groups and amorphous versus crystalline titanium dioxide phase), better understanding of the role of the surface-interface composition and the nature of the framework has been gained. No noticeable discrimination was observed for amorphous and crystalline material. In contrast, hemolysis and cytotoxicity were found to be sensitive to the nature of the interface composition, with the ammonium-terminated dendrimer-coated titanium dioxide being the most hemolytic and cytotoxic material. This surface-functionalization opens the door for creating a new synergistic machineries mechanism at the cellular level and seems promising for tailoring the biological activity of nanosized organic-inorganic hybrid materials.

Heteroaggregation of engineered nanoparticles and kaolin clays in aqueous environments

The increasing and wide use of nanoparticles (NPs), including TiO2 and Ag NPs, have raised concerns due to their potential toxicity and environmental impacts. Kaolin is a very common mineral in aquatic systems, and there is a very high probability that nanoparticles (NPs) will interact with these clay minerals. We studied the effect of kaolin particles on the aggregation of NPs under different conditions, including the role of pH, ionic strength (IS), and humic acid (HA). We show that kaolin reduces the energy barrier and the Critical Coagulation Concentration (CCC) at pH 4. At pH 8, even though the energy barrier of the system without kaolin increases, kaolin promotes NP aggregation via heteroaggregation. When IS is equal to or greater than the CCC, on the one hand HA promotes aggregation of TiO2 NPs, but on the other hand HA decreases the rate of Ag NP aggregation because the existence of a surface coating may limit the adsorption of HA on these Ag NPs. In addition, the presence of HA increases the energy barrier and the CCC of the binary system (kaolin + NPs). Thus, the complex interactions of clay, NPs, IS, pH, and HA concentration determine the colloidal stability of the NPs. We find that kaolin is a potential coagulant for removal of NPs that behave like Ag and TiO2.

Interactions between suspension characteristics and physicochemical properties of silver and copper oxide nanoparticles: a case study for optimizing nanoparticle stock suspensions using a central composite design

The preparation of a stable nanoparticle stock suspension is the first step in nanotoxicological studies, but how different preparation methods influence the physicochemical properties of nanoparticles in a solution, even in Milli-Q water, is often under-appreciated. In this study, a systematic approach using a central composite design (CCD) was employed to investigate the effects of sonication time and suspension concentration on the physicochemical properties (i.e. hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential and ion dissolution) of silver (Ag) and copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) and to identify optimal conditions for suspension preparation in Milli-Q water; defined as giving the smallest particle sizes, highest suspension stability and lowest ion dissolution. Indeed, all the physicochemical properties of AgNPs and CuONPs varied dramatically depending on how the stock suspensions were prepared and differed profoundly between nanoparticle types, indicating the importance of suspension preparation. Moreover, the physicochemical properties of AgNPs and CuONPs, at least in simple media (Milli-Q water), behaved in predictable ways as a function of sonication time and suspension concentration, confirming the validity of our models. Overall, the approach allows systematic assessment of the influence of various factors on key properties of nanoparticle suspensions, which will facilitate optimization of the preparation of nanoparticle stock suspensions and improve the reproducibility of nanotoxicological results. We recommend that further attention be given to details of stock suspension preparation before conducting nanotoxicological studies as these can have an important influence on the behavior and subsequent toxicity of nanoparticles.

The effect of humic acid on the aggregation of titanium dioxide nanoparticles under different pH and ionic strengths

With the increasingly widespread use of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), the particles' environmental impacts have attracted concern, making it necessary to understand the fate and transport of TiO2 NPs in aqueous media. In this study, we investigated TiO2 NP aggregation caused by the effects of humic acid (HA), ionic strength (IS) and different pH using dynamic light scattering (DLS) to monitor the size distribution of the TiO2 NPs continuously. It was determined that HA can influence the stability of TiO2 NPs through charge neutralization, steric hindrance and bridging effects. In the absence of IS, aggregation was promoted by adding HA only when the pH (pH=4) is less than the point of zero charge for the TiO2 NPs (pHPZC≈6) because HA reduces the zeta potential of the TiO2 NPs via charge neutralization. At pH=4 and when the concentration of HA is 94.5 μg/L, the zeta potential of TiO2 NPs is close to zero, and they reach an aggregation maximum. A higher concentration of HA results in more negatively charged TiO2 NP surfaces, which hinder their aggregation. When the pH is 5.8, HA enhances the negative zeta potential of the TiO2 NPs and increases their stability via electrostatic repulsion and steric hindrance. When the pH (pH=8) is greater than pHpzc, the zeta potential of the TiO2 NPs is high (~40 mV), and it barely changes with increasing HA concentration. Thus, the TiO2 NPs are notably stable, and their size does not grow at pH8. The increase in the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) of TiO2 NPs indicated that there is steric hindrance after the addition of HA. HA can enhance the coagulation of TiO2 NPs, primarily due to bridging effect. These findings are useful in understanding the size change of TiO2 NPs, as well as the removal of TiO2 NPs and HA from aqueous media.