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Brigitte Tiersch

Publications and source records attributed to Brigitte Tiersch.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Preparation of crystalline gold nanoparticles at the surface of mixed phosphatidylcholine-ionic surfactant vesicles.

The formation of gold nanoparticles and the crystal growth at the surface of mixed phosphatidylcholine (PC)-ionic surfactant vesicles was investigated. The PC-bilayer surface was negatively charged by incorporating sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and positively charged by adding hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAB). The mass ratio phosphatidylcholine:surfactant was fixed in both cases at 1:1. The gold nanoparticle formation was studied by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. TEM micrographs confirm that the particle formation occurs on the vesicle surface. However, the reduction process depends on the ionic surfactant incorporated into the vesicles, the vesicle size distribution, as well as the temperature used for the reduction process. Thereby, it becomes possible to control the crystal growth of the individual spherical gold nanoparticles in a characteristic way. Red colored colloidal dispersions consisting of monodisperse spherical nanoparticles with an average particle size between 2 and 8 nm (determined by dynamic light scattering) can be obtained by using a monodisperse SDS-modified vesicle phase. When the temperature is increased to 45 degrees C, a crystallization in rod-like or triangular structures is observed. In the CTAB-based template phase in general larger gold particles of about 35 nm are formed. In similarity to the anionic vesicles a temperature increase leads to the crystallization in triangular structures.

Journal Article↗

Size-controlled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as self-organized organic-inorganic composite materials.

This paper presents some results concerning the size-controlled hydroxyapatite nanoparticles obtained in aqueous media in a biopolymer matrix from soluble precursors salts. Taking the inspiration from nature, where composite materials made of a polymer matrix and inorganic fillers are often found, e.g. bone, shell of crustaceans, shell of eggs, etc., the feasibility on making composite materials containing chitosan and nanosized hydroxyapatite was investigated. A stepwise co-precipitation approach was used to obtain different types of composites by means of different ratio between components. The synthesis of hydroxyapatite was carried out in the chitosan matrix from calcium chloride and sodium dihydrogenphosphate in alkaline solutions at moderate pH of 10-11 for 24 h. Our research is focused on studying and understanding the structure of this class of composites, aiming at the development of novel materials, controlled at the nanolevel scale. The X-ray diffraction technique was employed in order to study the kinetic of hydroxyapatite formation in the chitosan matrix as well as to determine the HAp crystallite sizes in the composite samples. The hydroxyapatite synthesized using this route was found to be nano-sized (15-50 nm). Moreover, applying an original approach to analyze the (002) XRD diffraction peak profile of hydroxyapatite by using a sum of two Gauss functions, the bimodal distribution of nanosized hydroxyapatite within the chitosan matrix was revealed. Two types of size distribution domains such as cluster-like (between 200 and 400 nm), which are the habitat of ''small'' hydroxyapatite nanocrystallites and scattered-like, which are the habitat of ''large'' hydroxyapatite nanocrystallites was probed by TEM and CSLM. The structural features of composites suggest that self-assembly processes might be involved. The composites contain nanosized hydroxyapatite with structural features close to those of biological apatites that make them attractive for bone tissue engineering applications.

Biocompatible Materials↗

Polymer-induced structural changes in lecithin/sodium dodecyl sulfate-based multilamellar vesicles.

Aqueous concentrated lecithin mixtures (asolectin from soybean) show typical lamellar liquid crystalline behavior and the individual lamellae tend to form spherical supramolecular structures, i.e., multilamellar vesicles. When part of the lecithin is replaced by the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), the compact multilamellar vesicles disappear and the viscosity decreases. By adding poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) to the lecithin/SDS system, the formation of multilamellar vesicles can be induced again and the viscosity increases. However, one characteristic feature of these polymer-modified systems is a temperature-dependent phase transition from a compact multilamellar vesicle phase to a more swollen liquid crystalline phase. The polymer-modified multilamellar compact vesicles are of interest for utilization as new thermosensitive drug delivery systems.

Calorimetry, Differential Scanning↗