Localization of a specific protein within the cell ultrastructure in high resolution is based on a specific bond between the molecule of interest (antigen) and an antibody conjugated to an electron dense nanoparticle clearly visible in consecutive observation in the electron microscope. Colloidal gold nanoparticles are usually used as the label. Diameter of the nanoparticle must be small enough...

We investigate the phase behavior and 3D structure of strongly attractive mixtures of silica microspheres and polystyrene nanoparticles. These binary mixtures are electrostatically tuned to promote a repulsion between like-charged (microsphere-microsphere and nanoparticle-nanoparticle) species and a strong attraction between oppositely charged (microsphere-nanoparticle) species. Using confocal ...

In order to overcome the sensitivity limitation of SPR, nanoparticle-coupled SPR biosensors have explored with tremendous interests since nanoparticles may significantly enhance the sensitivity by 1-2 orders of magnitude. M. J. Natan et al. reported that a conjugate between an antibody and Au colloidal particle produced a greater than 20-fold increase in plasmon angle shift over than observed i...

Multipodal nanoparticles (NPs) with controlled tethers are promising principal building blocks, useful for constructing more complex materials, much like atoms are connected into more complex molecules. Here we report colloidal sphere templating as a viable means to create tetrapodal NPs with site-specific tethers. Amorphous sol-gel materials were molded by the template into shaped NPs that mim...

BACKGROUND The majority of complex and advanced materials contain nanoparticles. The properties of these materials depend crucially on the size and shape of these nanoparticles. Wulff construction offers a simple method of predicting the equilibrium shape of nanoparticles given the surface energies of the material. RESULTS We review the mathematical formulation and the main applications of Wu...

Centrifugal casting of composites and ceramics has been widely employed to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of functional materials. This powerful method has yet to be deployed in the context of nanoparticles--yet size-effect tuning of quantum dots is among their most distinctive and application-relevant features. Here we report the first gradient nanoparticle films to be construct...

As an alternative photosensitizer in dye-sensitized solar cells, bovine serum albumin (BSA) (a nonhazardous protein) was used in the synthesis of colloidal CdS nanoparticles (NPs). This system has been employed to replace the commonly used N719 dye molecule. Various nanostructured forms of ZnO, namely, nanorod and nanoparticle-based photoanodes, have been sensitized with colloidal CdS NPs to ev...

Bioconjugation based on crosslinking primary amines to carboxylic acid groups has found broad applications in protein modification, drug development, and nanomaterial functionalization. However, proteins, which are made up of amino acids, typically give nonselective bioconjugation when using primary amine-based crosslinking. In order to control protein orientation and activity after conjugation...

The organization of nanoparticles in constrained geometries is an area of fundamental and practical importance. Spherical confinement of nanocolloids leads to new modes of packing, self-assembly, phase separation and relaxation of colloidal liquids; however, it remains an unexplored area of research for colloidal liquid crystals. Here we report the organization of cholesteric liquid crystal for...

We have studied the colloidal self-assembly of silica microspheres on a glass substrate patterned with triangular dimple arrays of varying pitch. Using the same silica microspheres, both charge-stabilized and hard-sphere-like binary mixtures of microspheres and nanoparticles were prepared, and their gravitational sedimentation followed by colloidal crystallization were rigorously examined in re...