Inner front cover in Small

Our recent paper on Templated Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells was selected for the inner front cover of Issue 22 of Small.

Read more about the article: Templated Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells

Olon and the SupraBioNanoLab launch a research project on polymorphism

Olon Group and SupraBioNanoLab (Politecnico di Milano, Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”) jointly announce an innovative public-private partnership agreement for a research project on the advanced study of polymorphism and the characterization of the solid state of the molecules of active ingredients.

This strongly internationally oriented, three-year project involves a PhD program dedicated to the development of new knowledge on the polymorphism of active ingredients and to the advancement of methods for characterizing the solid state of their molecules. 

The PhD will be undertaken by the researcher Ajay Suresh, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal, India, who will spend the next few years in Italy working on the project and collaborating in synergy with Olon and the Department of Chemistry at the Politecnico di Milano, under the coordination of Professor Pierangelo Metrangolo, ‘Giulio Natta’ Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering and President of the Physical and Biophysical Chemistry Division at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC Div. I). 

The strong innovative scope of the project also lies in the model of integration between the Politecnico, the home of academic excellence in terms of knowledge and facilities in the field of crystal chemistry and engineering, and Olon. “The collaboration and exchange of knowledge between two of the leading poles of knowledge and expertise in this area certainly has the potential to produce significant results. The study of polymorphism is one of the most promising areas of study in terms of engineering of molecules, above all because it lays the foundations for the development of much more sustainable and efficient industrial chemical processes,” explained Professor Metrangolo.

“Through this long-term collaboration, we will be able to expand substantially our internal expertise in the analysis and study of the physical state of active ingredients, and at the same time increase our polymorphous screening capabilities. Two key areas of expertise to ensure competitiveness on the global pharmaceutical market,” said Giorgio Bertolini, Head of Research and Development Olon Group.

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Superfluorinated Extracellular Vesicles for In Vivo Imaging by ¹⁹F-MRI

Nazeeha Ayaz, Dr. Cristina Chirizzi, Prof. Pierangelo Metrangolo, Prof. Francesca Baldelli Bombelli and others have recently published an article on ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces about "Superfluorinated Extracellular Vesicles for In Vivo Imaging by ¹⁹F-MRI".

The full paper can be found at the following link: Superfluorinated Extracellular Vesicles for In Vivo Imaging by ¹⁹F-MRI.

Abstract. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in cell-to-cell communication and have great potential as efficient delivery vectors. However, a better understanding of EV in vivo behavior is hampered by the limitations of current imaging tools. In addition, chemical labels present the risk of altering the EV membrane features and, thus, in vivo behavior. ¹⁹F-MRI is a safe bioimaging technique providing selective images of exogenous probes. Here, we present the first example of fluorinated EVs containing PERFECTA, a branched molecule with 36 magnetically equivalent ¹⁹F atoms. A PERFECTA emulsion is given to the cells, and PERFECTA-containing EVs are naturally produced. PERFECTA-EVs maintain the physicochemical features, morphology, and biological fingerprint as native EVs but exhibit an intense ¹⁹F-NMR signal and excellent 19F relaxation times. In vivo ¹⁹F-MRI and tumor-targeting capabilities of stem cell-derived PERFECTA-EVs are also proved. We propose PERFECTA-EVs as promising biohybrids for imaging biodistribution and delivery of EVs throughout the body.

How to cite:
María Sancho-Albero, Nazeeha Ayaz, Victor Sebastian, Cristina Chirizzi, Miguel Encinas-Gimenez, Giulia Neri, Linda Chaabane, Lluís Luján, Pilar Martin-Duque, Pierangelo Metrangolo, Jesús Santamaría, and Francesca Baldelli Bombelli Superfluorinated Extracellular Vesicles for In Vivo Imaging by ¹⁹F-MRI, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2023, TBD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.2c20566

Templated Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells

Alessandro Marchetti, Dr. Claudia Pigliacelli, Prof. Pierangelo Metrangolo, and others have recently published an article on Small about "Templated Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells".

The full paper can be found at the following link: Templated Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells.

Abstract. Out-of-equilibrium self-assembly of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has been devised using different types of strategies and fuels, but achieving finite 3D structures with a controlled morphology through this assembly mode is still rare. Here, a spherical peptide-gold superstructure (PAuSS) is used as a template to control the out-of-equilibrium self-assembly of Au NPs, obtaining a transient 3D-branched Au-nanoshell (BAuNS) stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The BAuNS dismantles upon SDS concentration gradient equilibration over time in the sample solution, leading to NPs disassembly and regression to PAuSS. Notably, BAuNS assembly and disassembly promotes temporary interparticle plasmonic coupling, leading to reversible and tunable changes of their plasmonic properties, a highly desirable behavior in the development of optoelectronic nanodevices.

How to cite:
Alessandro Marchetti, Alessandro Gori, Anna Maria Ferretti, Daniel Arenas Esteban, Sara Bals, Claudia Pigliacelli, Pierangelo Metrangolo, Templated Out-of-Equilibrium Self-Assembly of Branched Au Nanoshells, Small , 2023, 2206712
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202206712