The entrapment of nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) and liposomes in transparent, nanoporous silica gel derived from the precursor tetramethylorthosilicate was investigated. NLPs are discoidal patches of lipid bilayer that are belted by amphiphilic scaffold proteins and have an average thickness of 5 nm. The NLPs in this work had a diameter of roughly 15 nm and utilized membrane scaffold protein...

Living hybrid materials that respond dynamically to their surrounding environment have important applications in bioreactors. Silica based sol-gels represent appealing matrix materials as they form a mesoporous biocompatible glass lattice that allows for nutrient diffusion while firmly encapsulating living cells. Despite progress in sol-gel cellular encapsulation technologies, current technique...

Diatoms are unicellular eucaryotic algae with cell walls containing silica, intricately and ornately structured on the nanometer scale. Overall silica structure is formed by expansion and molding of the membrane-bound silica deposition vesicle. Although molecular details of silica polymerization are being clarified, we have limited insight into molecular components of the silica deposition vesi...

In this work we compare the hydrothermal stability performance of a Templated Molecular Sieve Silica (TMSS) membrane against a standard, non-templated Molecular Sieve Silica (MSS) membrane. The tests were carried under dry and wet (steam) conditions and characterised using pure gases (He, H2, CO and CO2) at 1-2 atm membrane pressure drop at 200°C. Single gas TMSS membrane H2, permeance and H2/C...

Recovery of ammonia (NH3) from residual waters offers various reuse opportunities, such as the production fertilisers and generation electricity heat. However, simultaneous evaporation water (H2O) during NH3 stripping under vacuum results in diluted recovered gas with high H2O contents. Whereas porous gas-permeable membranes are already used for stripping, use non-porous silica-based pervaporat...

A method of tethering a mediator to an enzymatic membrane was studied to construct a non-leaking mediated glucose biosensor. Ferrocene carboxylic acid and glucose oxidase were immobilized in a sol gel derived silica (SGS) matrix containing cross-linked poly (vinyl alcohol) (CLPVA) and Nafion. CLPVA was applied as a solid support due to the ability to form very homogenous films with high quality...

In the present study, we investigated lipid membrane interactions of silica nanoparticles as carriers for antimicrobial peptide LL-37 (LLGDFFRKSKEKIGKEFKRIVQRIKDFLRNLVPRTES). doing so, smooth mesoporous were compared to virus-like nanoparticles, characterized by a “spiky” external surface, well nonporous nanoparticles. For this, employed combination neutron reflectometry, ellipsometry, dynamic ...

Exposure to crystalline silica can result in damage to the lung parenchyma and scarring that can lead to fibrosis. Pulmonary damage may be the direct consequence of toxic interaction between quartz particles and cell membranes, or it may be due to silica-induced production of oxidant species by pulmonary phagocytes, that in turn overwhelms pulmonary antioxidant systems and causes lung injury. D...