Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 12, 2026
11:46
Production of Elastin-like Protein Hydrogels for Encapsulation and Immunostaining of Cells in 3D
Published on: May 19, 2018
13.1K
Robust Hydrogels from Lanthanide Nucleotide Coordination with Evolving Nanostructures for a Highly Stable Protein
Li Xu1,2, Zijie Zhang2, Xiaoqiang Fang1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangdong Pharmaceutical University , Zhongshan 528458 , P. R. China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|April 13, 2018
Summary
Lanthanide coordination with adenosine monophosphate (AMP) creates novel hydrogels. These stable, tunable materials show promise for applications in biosensing and drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Coordination Chemistry
- Supramolecular Chemistry
Background:
- Metal-organic coordination commonly yields metal-organic frameworks or nanoparticles.
- Lanthanides offer tunable properties and technological relevance.
- Hydrogels represent an underexplored material class from lanthanide-organic chemistry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation of hydrogels from lanthanide and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) coordination.
- To characterize the structural and thermal properties of these novel lanthanide-AMP coordination materials.
- To explore the potential applications of these hydrogels, particularly in enzyme encapsulation.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of lanthanide-adenosine monophosphate coordination materials.
- Characterization using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to study the sol-to-gel transition.
- Morphological analysis via transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
- Evaluation of guest molecule entrapment and enzyme activity.
Main Results:
- Lighter lanthanides (La³⁺–Tb³⁺) formed nanoparticles, while heavier lanthanides formed nanoparticles that transformed into hydrogels.
- The sol-to-gel transition was exothermic and accompanied by a morphology change from nanoparticles to nanofibers.
- The resulting hydrogels exhibited excellent stability, insensitive to ionic strength and temperature.
- Gelation was specific to AMP; other nucleotides or adenine derivatives did not form hydrogels.
- Encapsulated glucose oxidase in hydrogels showed enhanced activity and stability compared to nanoparticles.
Conclusions:
- Lanthanide-AMP coordination provides a unique pathway to novel, stable hydrogel materials.
- These hydrogels demonstrate potential for advanced applications, including biosensors, imaging, and drug delivery systems.
- The specificity of AMP in forming hydrogels highlights the importance of ligand choice in coordination chemistry.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Nucleotide Excision Repair
40.9K
Overview
40.9K
01:38Nucleotide Excision Repair
5.3K
DNA Distortion and Damage
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
Cells are regularly exposed to mutagens—factors in the environment that can damage DNA and generate mutations. UV radiation is one of the most common mutagens and is estimated to introduce a significant number of changes in DNA. These include bends or kinks in the structure, which can block DNA replication or transcription. If these errors are not fixed, the damage can cause mutations, which in turn can result in cancer or disease depending on which sequences are...
5.3K
02:54Coordination Compounds and Nomenclature
26.9K
In most main group element compounds, the valence electrons of the isolated atoms combine to form chemical bonds that satisfy the octet rule. For instance, the four valence electrons of carbon overlap with electrons from four hydrogen atoms to form CH4. The one valence electron leaves sodium and adds to the seven valence electrons of chlorine to form the ionic formula unit NaCl (Figure 1a). Transition metals do not normally bond in this fashion. They primarily form coordinate covalent bonds, a...
26.9K
02:57Coordination Number and Geometry
19.1K
For transition metal complexes, the coordination number determines the geometry around the central metal ion. Table 1 compares coordination numbers to molecular geometry. The most common structures of the complexes in coordination compounds are octahedral, tetrahedral, and square planar.
19.1K
02:33Lattice Centering and Coordination Number
12.2K
The structure of a crystalline solid, whether a metal or not, is best described by considering its simplest repeating unit, which is referred to as its unit cell. The unit cell consists of lattice points that represent the locations of atoms or ions. The entire structure then consists of this unit cell repeating in three dimensions. The three different types of unit cells present in the cubic lattice are illustrated in Figure 1.
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
Types of Unit Cells
Imagine taking a large number of identical...
12.2K
01:21Equations of Motion: Rectangular Coordinates and Cylindrical Coordinates
786
Understanding the motion of particles is a fundamental aspect of classical mechanics, and the choice of the coordinate system plays a pivotal role in unraveling the complexities of their dynamics.
When a particle moves relative to an inertial frame, the equations of motion can be expressed using rectangular components. If the motion is confined to the x-y plane, the equations having the x and y coordinates only can be used to simplify the mathematical representation.
However, when particles...
When a particle moves relative to an inertial frame, the equations of motion can be expressed using rectangular components. If the motion is confined to the x-y plane, the equations having the x and y coordinates only can be used to simplify the mathematical representation.
However, when particles...
786