The loading and containment of cargo within nanoparticles and their efficient delivery to cells represent a primary challenge in nanomedicine. We report lipid exchange between free and mesoporous silica nanoparticle-supported lipid bilayers as an effective means of containing cargo, controlling charge, and directing delivery to mammalian cells. The delivery of a membrane-impermeable dye (calcei...

We investigate the interparticle interactions, phase behavior, and structure of microsphere-nanoparticle mixtures that possess high size and charge asymmetry. We employ a novel Monte Carlo simulation scheme to calculate the effective microsphere interactions in suspension, yielding new insight into the origin of the experimentally observed behavior. The initial settling velocity, final sediment...

The plasmonic properties of metallodielectric nanoparticles exhibit a highly sensitive dependence on geometry, due to the interaction between primitive plasmon modes associated with the surfaces of the nanoparticle. Changes in nanoparticle geometry that reduce symmetry alter the interactions between plasmonmodes and give rise to modified, and altogether new, plasmonic features. Here, we have ex...

Uniformly-sized, single-crystal alpha-quartz nanospheres have been synthesized at 200 °C and 15 atm under continuous stirring starting from uniform, amorphous Stöber silica colloids and using NaCl and alkali hydroxide as mineralizers. Quartz nanosphere size is controlled by the colloid particle size via direct devitrification. Uniform, high-purity nanocrystalline quartz is important for underst...

We present a novel approach for the fabrication of tailored nanomorphology gradients on metal oxide surfaces. We first show the direct formation of a nanocolloidal density gradient by a dip-coating process. The obtained silica nanoparticle gradients are then subjected to a heat treatment. Control of this sintering step allows the precise tailoring of the particle morphology on the surface. Both...

In this study, nanoparticle stabilized foam experiments were performed in bulk tests, micromodels, and sandpacks at elevated temperatures and pressures to investigate the flow behavior and displacement mechanisms for enhanced heavy oil recovery. The results from the bulk tests showed that the stability of the foam and oil in water (O/W) emulsion improved when silica nanoparticles (SiO2) were ad...

Nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA) is a light-scattering technique that is useful for the rapid sizing and enumeration of extracellular vesicles (EVs). As a relatively new method, NTA has been criticised for a lack of standardisation. We propose the use of silica microspheres for the calibration of NTA measurements and describe in detail a protocol for the analysis of EVs by NTA which should ...

This article reports a simple, versatile approach to the fabrication of lithographically defined mesoscopic colloidal silica nanoparticle patterns over large areas using spin-coating, interferometric lithography, and reactive-ion etching. One-dimensional nanoparticle films (bands) and 2D discs, diamonds, and holes with sub-micrometer periodicity, high quality, and excellent uniformity were succ...

Layered polymer/nanoparticle composites have been created through the one-step two-beam interference lithographic exposure of a dispersion of 25 and 50 nm silica particles within a photopolymerizable mixture at a wavelength of 532 nm. The polymerizable mixture is composed of pentaerythritol triacrylate (monomer), 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (monomer), and photoinitiator. In the areas of constructiv...

Vascular endothelium is a potential target for therapeutic intervention in diverse pathological processes, including inflammation, atherosclerosis, and thrombosis. By virtue of their intravascular topography, endothelial cells are exposed to dynamically changing mechanical forces that are generated by blood flow. In the present study, we investigated the interactions of negatively charged 2.7 n...