Advanced compositional analysis of nanoparticle-polymer composites using direct fluorescence imaging

Crick, C. R., Noimark, S., Peveler, W. J. , Bear, J. C., Ivanov, A. P., Edel, J. B. and Parkin, I. P. (2016) Advanced compositional analysis of nanoparticle-polymer composites using direct fluorescence imaging. Journal of Visualized Experiments(113), e54178. (doi: 10.3791/54178) (PMID:27500449)

Abstract

The fabrication of polymer-nanoparticle composites is extremely important in the development of many functional materials. Identifying the precise composition of these materials is essential, especially in the design of surface catalysts, where the surface concentration of the active component determines the activity of the material. Antimicrobial materials which utilize nanoparticles are a particular focus of this technology. Recently swell encapsulation has emerged as a technique for inserting antimicrobial nanoparticles into a host polymer matrix. Swell encapsulation provides the advantage of localizing the incorporation to the external surfaces of materials, which act as the active sites of these materials. However, quantification of this nanoparticle uptake is challenging. Previous studies explore the link between antimicrobial activity and surface concentration of the active component, but this is not directly visualized. Here we show a reliable method to monitor the incorporation of nanoparticles into a polymer host matrix via swell encapsulation. We show that the surface concentration of CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles can be accurately visualized through cross-sectional fluorescence imaging. Using this method, we can quantify the uptake of nanoparticles via swell encapsulation and measure the surface concentration of encapsulated particles, which is key in optimizing the activity of functional materials.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Peveler, Dr William
• Authors: Crick, C. R., Noimark, S., Peveler, W. J., Bear, J. C., Ivanov, A. P., Edel, J. B., and Parkin, I. P.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Biomedical Engineering
• Journal Name: Journal of Visualized Experiments
• Publisher: JoVE
• ISSN: 1940-087X
• ISSN (Online): 1940-087X
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 Journal of Visualized Experiments
• First Published: First published in Journal of Visualized Experiments 113: e54178
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the Editor