Chitosan-graft-polyethylenimine (CHI-g-PEI) copolymer has been used for the improvement of low transfection efficiency of chitosan. The present study aims to test the pulmonary toxicity and efficiency of CHI-g-PEI as an aerosol gene carrier. Mice were exposed to aerosol containing green-fluorescent protein (GFP)-polyethylenimine (PEI) or GFP-CHI-g-PEI complexes for 30 min during the development...

ABSTRACT The synthesis of a novel supramolecular system comprising of branched polyethylenimine and cyclodextrin, is presented. The synthesis route is based on the self-assembly phenomena with the inclusion of solvent molecules. The systems are formed by a hydrogen-bonding network and host-guest type interactions between the building blocks. It was found that the native cyclodextrin and polyeth...

Despite recent progress in preparing numerous types of nanosheets, it remains a difficult challenge to assemble the tiny building blocks into functional macroscale architectures suitable for practical applications. Here we introduce a diffusion driven layer-by-layer assembly process and demonstrate its application for the construction of graphene oxide sheets into various three-dimensional stru...

The development of a portable and easy-to-use device for the detection of explosives with high sensitivity and selectivity is in high demand for homeland security and public safety. In this study, we demonstrate miniaturized devices depending on the upconversion ratiometric luminescent probe for point-of-care (POC) assay of explosives with the naked-eye. When the PEI-coated upconversion nanopar...

The work demonstrates a judicious approach to achieve hepatocyte cell-targeted highly efficient gene delivery by utilizing a supramolecular complex of galactosylated cucurbituril and dextran-spermine conjugates.

p-Co₃O₄/n-TiO₂ nanoparticles (~400 nm) for photocatalysis were prepared via carbon assisted method and sol-gel method in this work. The paper also studied the application of visible light illuminated p-Co₃O₄/n-TiO₂ nanocomposites cocatalyst to the overall pure water splitting into H₂ and O₂. In addition, the H₂ evolution rate of the p-Co₃O₄/n-TiO₂ nanocomposites is 25% higher than that of the p...

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are powerful tools commonly used for the specific inhibition of gene expression. However, vectorization is required to facilitate cell penetration and to prevent siRNA degradation by nucleases. We have shown that diamond nanocrystals coated with cationic polymer can be used to carry siRNAs into Ewing sarcoma cells, in which they remain traceable over long periods...

A new class of ratiometric fluorescence sensors composed of rare-earth (RE) compound nanotubes is described. Polyethylenimine-coated yttrium hydroxide fluoride nanotubes (YHF NTs) that were synthesized hydrothermally exhibit highly efficient fluorescence when doped with RE ions. The polyethylenimine on the NTs facilitates the incorporation of phosphors such as quantum dots or organic dyes onto ...

Chemical detection is still a continuous challenge when it comes to designing single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) sensors with high selectivity, especially in complex chemical environments. A perfect example of such an environment would be in thermally oxidized soybean oil. At elevated temperatures, oil oxidizes through a series of chemical reactions which results in the formation of monoacyl...

By combining upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye molecules, multicolor emission based on energy transfer is achieved. The complexes can be dissolved in epoxy resin, and self-assembled hemispherical microstructures are fabricated through a hydrophobic effect. A luminescence temperature sensor takes advantage of the high temperature sensitivity of the complexes due to e...