Person: Laurenti, Marco
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First Name
Marco
Last Name
Laurenti
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Farmacia
Department
Química en Ciencias Farmacéuticas
Area
Química Física
Identifiers
15 results
Search Results
Now showing 1 - 10 of 15
Item Enhancement of the Upconversion Emission by Visible-to-Near-Infrared Fluorescent Graphene Quantum Dots for miRNA Detection(ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2016) Laurenti, Marco; Paez-Pérez, Miguel; Algarra González, Manuel; Alonso Cristobal, Paulino; López Cabarcos, Enrique; Méndez González, Diego; Rubio Retama, Benito JorgeWe developed a sensor for the detection of specific microRNA (miRNA) sequences that was based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and ssDNA-UCNP@SiO2. The proposed sensor exploits the interaction between the sp2 carbon atoms of the GQD, mainly π–π stacking, and the DNA nucleobases anchored on the upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). This interaction brings the GQD to the surface of the ssDNA-UCNP@SiO2 system, enhancing the upconversion emission. On the other hand, hybridization of the single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) chains anchored on the nanoparticles with their complementary miRNA sequences blocks the capacity of the UCNPs to interact with the GQD through π–π stacking. That gives as result a reduction of the fluorescent enhancement, which is dependent on the concentration of miRNA sequences. This effect was used to create a sensor for miRNA sequences with a detection limit of 10 fM.Item SPION nanoparticles for delivery of dopaminergic isoquinoline and benzazepine derivatives(Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2022) Lucena-Serrano, Cristina; Lucena-Serrano, Ana; Díaz, Amelia; Valpuesta, María; Villaverde Cantizano, Gonzalo; López-Romero, J. Manuel; Sarabia, Francisco; Laurenti, Marco; Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge; Contreras Cáceres, RafaelSuperparamagnetic iron nanoparticles (SPIONs) have become one of the most useful colloidal systems in nanomedicine. We report here the preparation of new hybrid core@shell systems based on SPION nanoparticles coated with a SiO2 shell (SPION@SiO2) and functionalized with carboxyl groups SPION@SiO2-COOH). A series of new N-alkylamino- and N-alkylamido-terminated 1-phenyl- tetrahydroisoquinolines (THIQs) and 3 tetrahydrobenzazepines (THBs) derivatives presenting -SMe and -Cl groups, respectively, with potential dopaminergic activity, are synthesized and incorporated to the hybrid system. We include the synthetic details for THIQs and THBs derivatives preparation and investigate the influence of the terminal-functional group as well as the number of carbon atoms linked to THIQ and THB molecules during the coupling to the SPION@SiO2-COOH. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron ionization mass spectrometry (EI-MS) are used to characterize the synthesized THIQs and THBs. High-angle annular dark-field transmission electron microscopy (HAADFTEM), energy dispersive X-ray transmission electron microscopy (EDX-TEM), and proton high-resolution magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy1 H HRMAS-NMR) are used to confirm the presence of THB and THIQ molecules onto the surface of the nanoparticles. The hybrid SPION@SiO2-THIQ and THB systems show significant activity toward the D2 receptor, reaching Ki values of about 20 nM, thus having potential application in the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases.Item 10-Fold Quantum Yield Improvement of Ag2S Nanoparticles by Fine Compositional Tuning(ACS Applied materials and interfaces, 2020) Ortega Rodríguez, Alicia; Shen, Yingli; Zabala Gutiérrez, Irene; Santos, Harrison D. A.; Torres Vera, Vivian Andrea; Ximedes, Erving; Villaverde Cantizano, Gonzalo; Lifante, José; Gerke, Christoph; Fernández Monsalve, Nuria; Gómez Calderón, Óscar; Melle Hernández, Sonia; Marqués Hueso, José; Méndez González, Diego; Laurenti, Marco; Jones, Callum M. S.; López Romero, Juan Manuel; Contreras Cáceres, Rafael; Jaque García, Daniel; Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge; Garma Pons, SantiagoAg2S semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) are near-infrared luminescent probes with outstanding properties (good biocompatibility, optimum spectral operation range, and easy biofunctionalization) that make them ideal probes for in vivo imaging. Ag2S NPs have, indeed, made possible amazing challenges including in vivo brain imaging and advanced diagnosis of the cardiovascular system. Despite the continuous redesign of synthesis routes, the emission quantum yield (QY) of Ag2S NPs is typically below 0.2%. This leads to a low luminescent brightness that avoids their translation into the clinics. In this work, an innovative synthetic methodology that permits a 10-fold increment in the absolute QY from 0.2 up to 2.3% is presented. Such an increment in the QY is accompanied by an enlargement of photoluminescence lifetimes from 184 to 1200 ns. The optimized synthetic route presented here is based on a fine control over both the Ag core and the Ag/S ratio within the NPs. Such control reduces the density of structural defects and decreases the nonradiative pathways. In addition, we demonstrate that the superior performance of the Ag2S NPs allows for high-contrast in vivo bioimaging. .Item Upconverting Nanoparticles in Aqueous Media: Not a Dead-End Road. Avoiding Degradation by Using Hydrophobic Polymer Shells(Small, 2021) Méndez González, Diego; Torres Vera, Vivian Andrea; Zabala Gutiérrez, Irene; Gerke, Christoph; Cascales Sedano, Concepción; Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge; Gómez Calderón, Óscar; Melle Hernández, Sonia; Laurenti, MarcoThe stunning optical properties of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) have inspired promising biomedical technologies. Nevertheless, their transfer to aqueous media is often accompanied by intense luminescence quenching, partial dissolution by water, and even complete degradation by molecules such as phosphates. Currently, these are major issues hampering the translation of UCNPs to the clinic. In this work, a strategy is developed to coat and protect β-NaYF4 UCNPs against these effects, by growing a hydrophobic polymer shell (HPS) through miniemulsion polymerization of styrene (St), or St and methyl methacrylate mixtures. This allows one to obtain single core@shell UCNPs@HPS with a final diameter of ≈60–70 nm. Stability studies reveal that these HPSs serve as a very effective barrier, impeding polar molecules to affect UCNPs optical properties. Even more, it allows UCNPs to withstand aggressive conditions such as high dilutions (5 μg mL−1), high phosphate concentrations (100 mm), and high temperatures (70 °C). The physicochemical characterizations prove the potential of HPSs to overcome the current limitations of UCNPs. This strategy, which can be applied to other nanomaterials with similar limitations, paves the way toward more stable and reliable UCNPs with applications in life sciences.Item Contribution of resonance energy transfer to the luminescence quenching of upconversion nanoparticles with graphene oxide(Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2020) Méndez González, Diego; Gómez Calderón, Óscar; Melle Hernández, Sonia; González Izquierdo, Jesús; Bañares Morcillo, Luis; López Díaz, David; Velazquez Salicio, M. Mercedes; López Cabarcos, Enrique; Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge; Laurenti, MarcoUpconversion nanoparticles (UCNP) are increasingly used due to their advantages over conventional fluorophores, and their use as resonance energy transfer (RET) donors has permitted their application as biosensors when they are combined with appropriate RET acceptors such as graphene oxide (GO). However, there is a lack of knowledge about the design and influence that GO composition produces over the quenching of these nanoparticles that in turn will define their performance as sensors. In this work, we have analysed the total quenching efficiency, as well as the actual values corresponding to the RET process between UCNPs and GO sheets with three different chemical compositions. Our findings indicate that excitation and emission absorption by GO sheets are the major contributor to the observed luminescence quenching in these systems. This challenges the general assumption that UCNPs luminescence deactivation by GO is caused by RET. Furthermore, RET efficiency has been theoretically calculated by means of a semiclassical model considering the different nonradiative energy transfer rates from each Er3+ ion to the GO thin film. These theoretical results highlight the relevance of the relative positions of the Er3+ ions inside the UCNP with respect to the GO sheet in order to explain the RET-induced efficiency measurements.Item Control of upconversion luminescence by gold nanoparticle size: from quenching to enhancement(Nanoscale, 2019) Méndez González, Diego; Melle Hernández, Sonia; Gómez Calderón, Óscar; Laurenti, Marco; Cabrera Granado, Eduardo; Egatz-Gómez, Ana; López Cabarcos, Enrique; Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge; Díaz García, ElenaMetallic nanostructures have the potential to modify the anti-Stokes emission of upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) by coupling their plasmon resonance with either the excitation or the emission wavelength of the UCNPs. In this regard gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have often been used in sensors for UCNP luminescence quenching or enhancement, although systematic studies are still needed in order to design optimal UCNP–AuNP based biosensors. Amidst mixed experimental evidence of quenching or enhancement, two key factors arise: the nanoparticle distance and nanoparticle size. In this work, we synthesize AuNPs of different sizes to assess their influence on the luminescence of UCNPs. We find that strong luminescence quenching due to resonance energy transfer is preferentially achieved for small AuNPs, peaking at an optimal size. A further increase in the AuNP size is accompanied by a reduction of luminescence quenching due to an incipient plasmonic enhancement effect. This enhancement counterbalances the luminescence quenching effect at the biggest tested AuNP size. The experimental findings are theoretically validated by studying the decay rate of the UCNP emitters near a gold nanoparticle using both a classical phenomenological model and the finite-difference time-domain method. Results from this study establish general guidelines to consider when designing sensors based on UCNPs–AuNPs as donor–quencher pairs, and suggest the potential of plasmon-induced luminescence enhancement as a sensing strategy.Item FRET distance dependence from upconverting nanoparticles to quantum dots(Journal of physical chemistry C, 2018) Melle Hernández, Sonia; Gómez Calderón, Óscar; Laurenti, Marco; Méndez González, Diego; Egatz-Gómez, Ana; López Cabarcos, Enrique; Cabrera Granado, Eduardo; Díaz García, Elena; Rubio Retama, Benito JorgeFörster resonant energy transfer (FRET) with upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) as donors and quantum dots (QDs) as acceptors has been regarded as a promising tool for biosensing applications. In this work, we use time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to analyze the UCNP-to-QD FRET and we focus on the most relevant parameter of the FRET phenomenon, UCNP-QD distance. This distance is controlled by a nanometric silica shell around the UCNP surface. We theoretically reproduce the experimental results applying FRET theory to the distribution of emitting erbium ions in the UCNP. This simple model allows us to estimate the contribution of every erbium ion to the final FRET response and to explore different strategies to improve FRET efficiency.Item Oligonucleotide Sensor Based on Selective Capture of Upconversion Nanoparticles Triggered by Target Induced DNA Inter-Strand Ligand Reaction(ACS applied materials & interfaces, 2017) Méndez González, Diego; Laurenti, Marco; Latorre, Alfonso; Somoza, Álvaro; Vázquez, Ana; Negredo, Ana Isabel; López Cabarcos, Enrique; Calderón, Oscar Gómez; Melle Hernández, Sonia; Rubio Retama, Benito JorgeWe present a sensor that exploits the phenomenon of upconversion luminescence to detect the presence of specific sequences of small oligonucleotides like miRNAs among others. The sensor is based on NaYF4:Yb,Er@SiO2 nanoparticles functionalized with ssDNA that contain azide groups on the 3' ends. In the presence of a target sequence, inter-strand ligation is possible via click-reaction between one azide of the upconversion probe and a DBCO-ssDNA-biotin probe present in the solution. As result of this specific and selective process, biotin is covalently attached to the surface of the upconversion nanoparticles. The presence of biotin on the surface of the nanoparticles allows their selective capture on a streptavidin-coated support, giving a luminescent signal proportional to the amount of target present in the test samples. With the aim of studying the analytical properties of the sensor, total RNA samples were extracted from healthy mosquitoes and spiked-in with a specific target sequence at different concentrations. The result of these experiments revealed that the sensor was able to detect 10-17 moles (100 fM) of the target sequence in mixtures containing 100 ng of total RNA per well. Similar limit of detection was found for spiked human serum samples, demonstrating its suitability for detecting specific sequences of small oligonucleotides under real conditions. By contrast, under the presence of non-complementary sequences or sequences having mismatches, the luminescent signal was negligible or conspicuously reduced.Item Oligonucleotide sensor based on magnetic capture and photoligation of upconverting nanoparticles in solid surfaces(Journal of colloid and interface science, 2021) Méndez González, Diego; Silva Ibáñez, Pedro Pablo; Valiente Dies, Fernando; Gómez Calderón, Óscar; Méndez González, Juan Luis; Laurenti, Marco; Egatz-Gómez, Ana; Díaz García, Elena; Rubio Retama, Benito Jorge; Melle Hernández, SoniaIn this work, we present a luminescence platform that can be used as point of care system for determining the presence and concentration of specific oligonucleotide sequences. This sensor exhibited a limit of detection as low as 50 fM by means of: i) the use of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) functionalized magnetic microparticles that captured and concentrated ssDNA-upconverting nanoparticles (ssDNA-UCNPs) on a solid support, when the target sequence (miR-21-5p DNA-analogue) was in the sample, and ii) a photoligation reaction that covalently linked the ssDNA-UCNPs and the ssDNA magnetic microparticles, allowing stringent washes. The presented sensor showed a similar limit of detection when the assays were conducted in samples containing total miRNA extracted from human serum, demonstrating its suitability for detecting small specific oligonucleotide sequences under real-like conditions. The strategy of combining UCNPs, magnetic microparticles, and photoligation reaction provides new insight into low-cost, rapid, and ultra-sensitive detection of oligonucleotide sequences.- Project number: 270
Item Jugando con métodos interactivos para incentivar el aprendizaje de la física y fisicoquímica(2023) Marciello, Marzia; Alvear Jiménez, Alexis Fernando; Contreras Cáceres, Rafael; Díaz García, Diana; Fernández Fernández, María De La Cabeza; Filice, Marco; García Almodóvar, Victoria; Gómez Ruiz, Santiago; Laurenti, Marco; Lozano Chamizo, Laura; Méndez González, Diego; Ovejero Paredes, Karina; Sánchez Sánchez, VisitaciónLa sociedad actual se presenta cada día más tecnificada y los estudiantes están creciendo en ella desarrollando distintas capacidades cognitivas que resultan casi imprescindible comprender y atender para poder aumentar su interés en el aprendizaje de diferentes temas. Esta realidad está llevando los profesores a reconfigurar sus estrategias pedagógicas, actualizando los métodos educativos con el fin de mejorar la calidad de la educación adaptando los contenidos que se imparten con las necesidades de la sociedad. Por ello, cada vez es más frecuente recurrir a nuevas herramientas como las TIC (Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones) y a aplicaciones lúdicas que apoyen y fomenten el proceso de aprendizaje. La aplicación de las TICs en la enseñanza, ha supuesto un avance en la transmisión y recepción del conocimiento para incentivar a los alumnos al aprendizaje de aquellas asignaturas que suponen una mayor dificultad durante su proceso formativo. Asimismo, la gamificación, que consiste en incorporar elementos de juegos como las recompensas y la competición para animar a las estudiantes a realizar tareas que normalmente se consideran aburridas, está ganando cada día más atención sobre todo gracias a su innegable carácter motivacional. De hecho, el juego es un activador en la atención y surge como alternativa para complementar los esquemas de la enseñanza tradicional. Debido a su naturaleza intrínseca, el aprendizaje de la física y de la fisicoquímica (tanto en campo farmacéutico como en general) suele resultar un proceso complicado y muchas veces difícil de entender. Los métodos tradicionales de enseñanza de la ciencia en general, y de la física y fisicoquímica en particular, hacen que estas disciplinas fundamentales sean vistas por los alumnos como algo abstracto y poco estimulante. El objetivo de la actividad propuesta en este proyecto es convertir el estudio de dichas materias en algo más interesante y participativo, motivando a los estudiantes mediante juegos basados en herramientas TIC y generando finalmente un mejor conocimiento gracias a la competición lúdica, al aprendizaje colaborativo y a la autoevaluación. En este sentido, nuestra propuesta se ha centrado en actividades interactivas basadas en la gamificación para el desarrollo de un aprendizaje proactivo de asignaturas complejas permitiendo al mismo tiempo una autoevaluación tanto a los estudiantes como a los profesores. De hecho, los alumnos, gracias a la resolución de preguntas en forma de juego han podido valorar su nivel de aprendizaje durante el desarrollo del curso y el profesor ha podido comprobar si sus clases son los suficientemente claras y/o cuales argumentos debería de profundizar y/o explicar de otra manera para obtener una mayor comprensión por parte de los estudiantes.