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- Liang, Lijun, et al.
(författare)
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Theoretic Study on Dispersion Mechanism of Boron Nitride Nanotubes by Polynucleotides
- 2016
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Ingår i: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 2045-2322. ; 6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Due to the unique electrical and mechanical properties of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNT), BNNT has been a promising material for many potential applications, especially in biomedical field. Understanding the dispersion of BNNT in aqueous solution by biomolecules is essential for its use in biomedical applications. In this study, BNNT wrapped by polynucleotides in aqueous solution was investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Our results demonstrated that the BNNT wrapped by polynucleotides could greatly hinder the aggregation of BNNTs and improve the dispersion of BNNTs in aqueous solution. Dispersion of BNNTs with the assistance of polynucleotides is greatly affected by the wrapping manner of polynucleotides on BNNT, which mainly depends on two factors: the type of polynucleotides and the radius of BNNT. The interaction between polynucleotides and BNNT(9, 9) is larger than that between polynucleotides and BNNT(5, 5), which leads to the fact that dispersion of BNNT(9, 9) is better than that of BNNT(5, 5) with the assistance of polynucleotides in aqueous solution. Our study revealed the molecular-level dispersion mechanism of BNNT with the assistance of polynucleotides in aqueous solution. It shades a light on the understanding of dispersion of single wall nanotubes by biomolecules.
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| 3. |
- Liang, Lijun, et al.
(författare)
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Theoretical Evaluation on Potential Cytotoxicity of Graphene Quantum Dots
- 2016
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Ingår i: ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 2373-9878. ; 2:11, s. 1983-1991
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Owing to unique morphology, ultrasmall lateral sizes, and exceptional properties, graphene quantum dots (GQDs) hold great potential in many applications, especially in the field of electrochemical biosensors, bioimaging, drug delivery, et cetera. Its biosafety and potential cytotoxicity to human and animal cells has been a growing concern in recent years. In this work, the potential cytotoxicity of GQDs was evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulation demonstrates that small size GQDs could easily permeate into the lipid membrane in a vertical way. It is relatively difficult to permeate into the lipid membrane for GQDs that are larger than GQD61 on the nanosecond time-scale. The thickness of the POPC membrane could even be affected by the small size of GQDs. Free energy calculations revealed that the free energy barrier of GQD permeation through the lipid membrane could greatly change with the change of GQD size. Under high GQD concentration, the GQD molecules could rapidly aggregate in water but disaggregate after entering into the membrane interior. Moreover, high concentrations of GQDs could induce changes in the structure properties and diffusion properties of the lipid bilayer, and it may affect the cell signal transduction. However, GQDs with relatively small size are not large enough to mechanically damage the lipid membrane. Our results suggest that the cytotoxicity of GQDs with small size is low and may be appropriate for biomedical application.
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- Liang, Lijun, et al.
(författare)
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Translocation mechanism of C-60 and C-60 derivations across a cell membrane
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of nanoparticle research. - : Springer. - 1388-0764 .- 1572-896X. ; 18:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Carbon-based nanoparticles (NPs) such as fullerenes and nanotubes have been extensively studied for drug delivery in recent years. The permeation process of fullerene and its derivative molecules through membrane is essential to the utilization of fullerene-based drug delivery system, but the mechanism and the dynamics of permeation through cell membrane are still unclear. In this study, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the permeation process of functionalized fullerene molecules (ca. 0.72 nm) through the membrane. Our results show that single functionalized fullerene molecule in such nanoscale could permeate the lipid membrane in micro-second time scale. Pristine C-60 molecules prefer to aggregate into several small clusters while C60OH15 molecules could aggregate into one big cluster to permeate through the lipid membrane. After permeation of C-60 or its derivatives into membrane, all C-60 and C60OH15 molecules disaggregated and monodispersed in the lipid membrane.
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