Abstract:
Highly porous, lightweight, and sustainable organosilane-coated organic aerogels with ultra-low densities and excellent material properties and methods for preparing them are provided. The aerogels are modified to have a superhydrophobic and superoleophilic surface, thus leading to an extremely high affinity for oils and/or organic solvents.
Abstract:
Highly porous, lightweight, and sustainable hybrid organic aerogels with ultra-low densities and excellent material properties and methods for preparing them are provided, including, e.g., PVA/CNF/GONS, RF/CNF/GONS, and PVA/CNF/MWCNT. The aerogels are modified to have a super-hydrophobic surface, thus leading to an extremely low swelling ratio and rate of moisture absorption.
Abstract:
The present technology provides a nanoparticle comprising: the polysiloxanes comprise silyloxy subunits having the structure (I) as shown herein, wherein Ra at each occurrence is independently selected from a bond to a Si of another polysiloxane chain or a C1-12 alkyl group; Ri at each occurrence is independently selected from the group consisting of C1-12 alkyl and C2-12 alkenyl groups, optionally substituted with a substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen and NR12, wherein each occurrence of R1 is independently selected from H or a C1-12 alkyl group, or two R1 groups, together with the N atom to which they are attached, form a pyrrolidine or piperidine ring; the crosslinks between polysiloxanes comprise disulfide linkages, the nanoparticle comprises an exterior surface comprising surface-modifying groups attached to and surrounding the silica network, wherein the surface-modifying groups comprise polyethylene glycol (PEG), polysarcosine, polyzwitterion, polycation, polyanion, or combinations of two or more thereof; and the nanoparticle has an average diameter of 15 nm to 200 nm. The nanoparticles herein may include biomolecules such as polynucleic acids, proteins, and complexes thereof, e.g., Cas9 RNP.
Abstract:
Provided herein are nanoplexes comprising a payload selected from a protein and/or a polynucleic acid; and a plurality of copolymers comprising a first copolymer that is poly(N,N′-bis(acryloyl)cystamine-poly(aminoalkyl)) (PBAP), a second copolymer that is poly(C2-3 akylene glycol)-PBAP-poly(C2-3 akylene glycol), and a third copolymer that is TG-poly(C2-3 akylene glycol)-PBAP-poly(C2-3 akylene glycol)-TG wherein TG at each occurrence is independently a targeting ligand, a cell penetrating peptide, an imaging agent or a capping group, provided that a plurality of TG groups is a targeting ligand; wherein the payload is non-covalently complexed to one or more of the copolymers, one or more of the first, second, and/or third copolymers comprises an endosomal escape group having a pKa of about 4.5 to about 6.5, and optionally one or more of the first, second, and/or third copolymers comprises a host and a guest non-covalent crosslinker.
Abstract:
Provided herein are silica metal organic framework (SMOF) nanoparticles that are pH-responsive for delivery of bioactive molecules. The nanoparticles include a organosilica network comprising a plurality of imidazolyl and/or carboxyl groups; a metal organic framework component comprising a transition metal coordinated to a coordinating ligand, wherein the transition metal is selected from the group consisting of zinc, iron, zirconium, copper, and cobalt, and the coordinating ligand is selected from an imidazolate ligand or a carboxylate ligand; a bioactive payload selected from the group consisting of a hydrophilic drug, a polynucleic acid, a protein and a protein-polynucleic acid complex; and a surface-modifying polymer conjugated to the same or a different organosilica network and forming at least part of an exterior surface of the nanoparticle, wherein the surface-modifying polymer is selected from polyethylene glycol and/or a polyzwitterion; and wherein the zinc also coordinates the imidazolyl or carboxyl group of the organosilica network.
Abstract:
Provided herein are nanocapsules comprising a single ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex as a core and an biodegradable crosslinked polymer shell that encapsulates the core, wherein the RNP complex comprises a Cas9 polypeptide and a guide RNA, and the biodegradable crosslinked polymer shell comprises polymerized monomers of imidazolyl acryloyl monomers, bisacryloyl disulfide monomers (a biodegradable cross-linker), optionally PEG acryloyl monomers, and either cationic acryloyl monomers, anionic acryloyl monomers, or both cationic and anionic acryloyl monomers (optionally in combination with non-ionic acryloyl monomers) as defined herein. Also provided are methods of making the nanocapsules, kits containing the nanocapsules and methods of delivering the encapsulated RNP to cells.
Abstract:
A unimolecular nanoparticle, a composition thereof, and methods of use thereof that includes 1) a dendritic polymer having a molecular weight of about 500-120,000 Da and terminating in hydroxyl, amino or carboxylic acid groups; 2) cationic polymers attached to at least a majority of the terminating groups of the dendritic polymer via a pH-sensitive linker, wherein each cationic polymer comprises a polymeric backbone attached to cationic functional groups and to weakly basic groups by disulfide bonds, wherein the molar ratio of cationic functional groups to weakly basic groups ranges from 1:1-5:1, and has a molecular weight from about 1,000-5,000 Da; and 3) poly(ethylene glycol) attached to a plurality of cationic polymers and having a terminal group selected from a targeting ligand, OH, O-alkyl, NH2, biotin, or a dye, wherein the terminal group of at least one poly(ethylene glycol) is having a molecular weight of about 1,000-15,000 Da.
Abstract:
The present technology provides a nanoparticle that includes a silica network comprising crosslinked polysiloxanes, wherein the crosslinks comprise disulfide linkages, and the nanoparticle has a surface bearing charged functional groups and a surface potential of either less than −30 mV or greater than +30 mV, and wherein the nanoparticle has an average diameter of 20 nm to 60 n. The nanoparticles may be used to efficiently deliver biomolecules to plant cells, including polynucleic acids, proteins and complexes thereof (e.g., Cas9 RNP).
Abstract:
Provided are a unimolecular nanoparticle, a composition thereof, and methods of use thereof, and includes 1) a dendritic polymer having a molecular weight of about 500-120,000 Da and terminating in hydroxyl, amino or carboxylic acid groups; 2) cationic polymers attached to at least a majority of the terminating groups of the dendritic polymer via a pH-sensitive linker, wherein each cationic polymer comprises a polymeric backbone attached to cationic functional groups and to weakly basic groups by disulfide bonds, wherein the molar ratio of cationic functional groups to weakly basic groups ranges from 1:1-5:1, and has a molecular weight from about 1,000-5,000 Da; and 3) poly(ethylene glycol) attached to a plurality of cationic polymers and having a terminal group selected from a targeting ligand, OH, O-alkyl, NH2 , biotin, or a dye, wherein the terminal group of at least one poly(ethylene glycol) is having a molecular weight of about 1,000-15,000 Da.
Abstract:
Provided herein are polymer-drug conjugates with enhanced antibacterial efficacy. These conjugates include a polymer comprising a plurality of masked cationic functional groups and an antibiotic drug linked to the cationic polymer by a pH-sensitive linker. The masked cationic functional groups may be converted in aqueous solution to free cationic functional groups faster at a pH below 7 than a pH above 7. The cationic functional groups may be masked as either an uncharged functional group or by an ion pair with a neighboring anionic functional group attached to the polymer. The pH-sensitive linker releases the drug faster in aqueous solution at or below a pre-determined pH value selected from a range of 4.5 to 7 than a pH value above 7.