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We have followed the structural evolution during evaporation-induced self-assembly of sulfonated cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) in the presence of H+ and Li+ counterions by small-angle X-ray scattering. Drying of CNC-H dispersions results in ordered films that could not be readily redispersed, while the CNC-Li films were disordered and prone to reswelling and redispersion. The scaling of the separation distance (d) between CNC particles and the particle concentration (c) shows that the CNC-H dispersions display a unidimensional contraction of the nematic structure (d ∝ c–1) during drying, while the CNC-Li dispersions consolidate isotropically (d ∝ c–1/3), which is characteristic for hydrogels with no preferential orientation. Temporal evolution of the structure factor and complementary dynamic light-scattering measurements show that CNC-Li is more aggregated than CNC-H during evaporation-induced assembly. Insights on the structural evolution during CNC assembly and redispersion can promote development of nov...

The thermodynamics of interactions between cations of the second group of the periodic table and differently negatively charged cellulose nanocrystals was investigated using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). The interaction of cations with the negatively charged CNCs was found to be endothermic and driven by an increase in entropy upon adsorption of the ions, due to an increase in degrees of freedom gained by the surface bound water upon ion adsorption. The effect was pH-dependent, showing an increase in enthalpy for cellulose suspensions at near-neutral pH (6.5) when compared to acidic pH (2). Sulfated cellulose nanoparticles were found to readily interact with divalent ions at both pH levels. The adsorption on carboxylate nanocrystals was found to be pH dependent, showing that the carboxylic group needs to be in the deprotonated form to interact with divalent ions. For the combined system (sulfate and carboxylate present at the same time), at neutral pH, the adsorption enthalpy was higher than the value obtained from cellulose nanocrystals containing a single functional group, while the association constant was higher due to an increased favorable entropic contribution. The higher entropic contribution indicates a more restricted surface-bound water layer when multiple functionalities are present. The stoichiometric number n was nearly constant for all systems, showing that the adsorption depends almost completely on the ion valency and on the amount of ionic groups on the CNC surface, independent of the type of functional group on the CNC surface as long as it is deprotonated. In addition, we showed that the reduction in Gibbs free energy drives the ionotropic gelation of nanocellulose suspensions, and we show that ITC is able to detect gel formation at the same time as determining the critical association concentration. ispartof: BIOMACROMOLECULES vol:20 issue:8 pages:3181-3190 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) doped with anisotropic gold nanorods (AuNRs) was studied by small-angle neutron scattering. Correlation distances and structured domains were analysed to determine the influence of CNC and AuNR concentration on structuring. The transfer of the nematic structure of CNCs to AuNRs is explained in terms of an entropy-driven evolution from an isotropic to a cholesteric phase, with small nematic domains already present in the "isotropic" phase in equilibrium with the chiral nematic phase. ispartof: CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS vol:56 issue:85 pages:13001-13004 ispartof: location:England status: published

The lyotropic cholesteric liquid crystal phase developed by suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) has come increasingly into focus from numerous directions over the last few years. In part, this is because CNC suspensions are sustainably produced aqueous suspensions of a fully bio-derived nanomaterial with attractive properties. Equally important is the interesting and useful behavior exhibited by solid CNC films, created by drying a cholesteric-forming suspension. However, the pathway along which these films are realized, starting from a CNC suspension that may have low enough concentration to be fully isotropic, is more complex than often appreciated, leading to reproducibility problems and confusion. Addressing a broad audience of physicists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers, this Review focuses primarily on the physics and physical chemistry of CNC suspensions and the process of drying them. The ambition is to explain rather than to repeat, hence we spend more time than usual on the meanings and relevance of the key colloid and liquid crystal science concepts that must be mastered in order to understand the behavior of CNC suspensions, and we present some interesting analyses, arguments and data for the first time. We go through the development of cholesteric nuclei (tactoids) from the isotropic phase and their potential impact on the final dry films; the spontaneous CNC fractionation that takes place in the phase coexistence window; the kinetic arrest that sets in when the CNC mass fraction reaches ∼10 wt.%, preserving the cholesteric helical order until the film has dried; the ’coffee-ring effect’ active prior to kinetic arrest, often ruining the uniformity in the produced films; and the compression of the helix during the final water evaporation, giving rise to visible structural color in the films.

The interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with sulfated, carboxylated, and pyridinium-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was studied as a function of the degree of substitution by determining the adsorption isotherm and by directly measuring the thermodynamics of interaction. The adsorption of BSA onto positively charged pyridinium-grafted cellulose nanocrystals followed Langmuirian adsorption with the maximum amount of adsorbed protein increasing linearly with increasing degree of substitution. The binding mechanism between the positively charged pyridinum-grafted cellulose nanocrystals and BSA was found to be endothermic and based on charge neutralization. A positive entropy of adsorption associated with an increase of the degree of disorder upon addition of BSA compensated for the unfavorable endothermic enthalpy and enabled formation of pyridinium-g-CNC-BSA complexes. The endothermic enthalpy of adsorption was further found to decrease as a function of increasing degree of substitution. Negatively charged cellulose nanocrystals bearing sulfate and/or carboxylic functionalities were found to not interact significantly with the BSA protein. To investigate in more detail the role of single amino acids in the adsorption of proteins onto cellulose nanocrystals, we also studied the interaction of different types of amino acids with CNCs, i.e., charged (lysine, aspartic acid), aromatic (tryptophan, tyrosine), and polar (serine) amino acids. We found that none of the single amino acids bound with CNCs irrespective of surface charge and that therefore the binding of proteins with CNCs appears to require larger amino acid sequences that induce a greater entropic contribution to stabilize binding. Single amino acids are thus not adsorbed onto cellulose nanocrystals. ispartof: Langmuir vol:33 issue:22 pages:5473-5481 ispartof: location:United States status: published

The magnetic alignment of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and lepidocrocite nanorods (LpN), pristine and in hybrid suspensions has been investigated using contrast-matched small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) under in situ magnetic fields (0 – 6.8 T) and polarized optical microscopy. The pristine CNC (diamagnetic) and pristine LpN (paramagnetic) align perpendicular and parallel to the direction of field, respectively. The alignment of both the nanoparticles in their hybrid suspensions depends on the relative amount of the two components (CNC and LpN) and strength of the applied magnetic field. In the presence of 10 wt% LpN and fields < 1.0 T, the CNC align parallel to the field. In the hybrid containing lower amount of LpN (1 wt%), the ordering of CNC is partially frustrated in all range of magnetic field. At the same time, the LpN shows both perpendicular and parallel orientation, in the presence of CNC. This study highlights that the natural perpendicular ordering of CNC can be switched to parallel by weak magnetic fields and the incorporation of paramagnetic nanoparticle as LpN, as well it gives a method to influence the orientation of LpN.

Inspired by the Bogolanfini dyeing technique, we report how flexible nanofibrillated cellulose (CNF) films can be functionalized and patterned by surface-bound nanoparticles of hydrolyzable tannins and multivalent metal ions with tunable colors. Molecular dynamics simulations show that gallic acid (GA) and ellagic acid (EA) rapidly adsorb and assemble on the CNF surface, and atomic force microscopy confirms that nanosized GA assemblies cover the surface of the CNF. CNF films were patterned with tannin-metal ion nanoparticles by an in-fibre reaction between the pre-impregnated tannin and the metal ions in the printing ink. Spectroscopic studies show that the Fe-III/II ions interact with GA and form surface-bound, stable GA-Fe-III/II nanoparticles. The functionalization and patterning of CNF films with metal ion-hydrolyzable tannin nanoparticles is a versatile route to functionalize films based on renewable materials and of interest for biomedical and environmental applications.

We investigated the magnetic alignment degree of ordering of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and lepidocrocite nanorods (LpN) pristine and hybrid suspensions, using contrast-variation small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) with in situ magnetic field (0 – 6.8 T) and polarized optical microscopy. The CNC and LpN align perpendicular and parallel to the direction of field respectively, whereas according to the amount of LpN and magnetic field a different behavior is observed. Below 1.0 T the CNC align parallel to the field in the hybrid containing 10 wt% LpN and switches to perpendicular at higher field. In the hybrid containing lower amount of LpN (1 wt%) the ordering of CNC is partially frustrated in all the range of magnetic field, at the same time LpN partially switch from parallel to perpendicular alignment. The present study highlights that the natural perpendicular ordering of CNC can be switch to parallel by weak magnetic fields and the incorporation of paramagnetic nanoparticle as LpN, as well it gives a method to influence the orientation of LpN.

In this paper, we use dynamic light scattering in polarized and depolarized mode to determine the translational and rotational diffusion coefficients of concentrated rod-like cellulose nanocrystals in aqueous suspension. Within the range of studied concentrations (1 – 5 wt%), the suspension starts a phase transition from an isotropic to an anisotropic state as shown by microscopy and viscosity measurements. SANS measurements also confirmed the start of cellulose nanocrystal alignment and a decreasing distance between the cellulose nanocrystals with increasing concentration. As expected, rotational and translational diffusion coefficients generally decreased with increasing concentration. However, the translational parallel diffusion coefficient was found to show a local maximum at the onset of the isotropic-to-nematic phase transition. This is attributed to the increased available space for rods to move along their longitudinal axis upon alignment. This increased parallel diffusion coefficient thus confirms the general idea that rodlike particles gain translational entropy upon alignment while paying the price for losing rotational degrees of freedom. Once the concentration increases further, diffusion becomes more hindered even in the aligned regions due to a reduction in the rod separation distance. This leads to once again decreasing translational diffusion coefficients. Furthermore, the relaxation rate for fast mode translational diffusion (parallel to the long particle axis) exhibited two regimes of relaxation behavior at concentrations where significant alignment of the rods is measured. We attribute this unusual dispersive behavior to two length scales: one linked to the particle length (at large wavevector q), and the other to a twist fluctuation correlation length (at low wavevector q) along the CNC rods that is of a larger length when compared to the actual length of rods and could be linked to the size of aligned domains. ispartof: LANGMUIR vol:35 issue:6 pages:2289-2302 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Nacre continues to be an inspiration for the fabrication of strong and tough materials from renewable and earth-abundant raw materials. Herein, we showed how a nacre-like hybrid material based on nanocellulose (NC) and CaCO3 can be prepared via the sequential infiltration of polymer-stabilised CaCO3 liquid precursors into layers of pre-deposited NC films. Layer-by-layer assembly of the NC films followed by controlled spreading and infiltration with liquid CaCO3 precursors generated a lamellar material with an architecture and iridescent appearance similar to those of nacre. The wettability of the NC films towards the liquid CaCO3 precursors was controlled by hydroxyl and carboxyl functionalization of the NC fibrils and the addition of magnesium ions. The combination of a high stiffness and plasticity of the nacre-like NC/CaCO3 hybrid materials show that excellent mechanical properties can be obtained employing a fibrillar organic constituent that is relatively hard. The fabrication of a nacre-like hybrid material via an aqueous route of assembly and infiltration processing demonstrates how a sustainable composite material with outstanding properties can be produced using the most abundant biopolymer and biomineral on earth. published

We investigate the effect of shear flow applied during the drying of aqueous suspension of cellulose nanocrystals on optical reflective properties and structural characteristics of the resulting solidified films. Shear flow can significantly improve internal structural homogeneity of the films, while its effect on optical reflective properties is relatively minor. The measured width of the selective reflection peak is an order of magnitude larger than expected for an ideal helically modulated structure, which reflects a distribution of pitch values and possibly also of regimes of distorted helical modulation. We attribute these imperfections to the broad size distribution of the cellulose nanocrystals.

After successful cationization of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to produce pyridinium-grafted-CNCs, a variety of different cationic CNCs were prepared using a similar procedure, thus unlocking access to a wide variety of cationized cellulose nanocrystals through a simple one-pot reaction. In this study, cationic CNCs were prepared through the use of 4-(1-bromoethyl)benzoic acid or 4-bromomethylbenzoic acid, p-toluenesulfonyl chloride, CNCs, and two different amines, 1-methylimidazole and 4-dimethylaminopyridine. The amines acted as both the base catalyst for the esterification and the nucleophile to form the cationic charge. This method offers a versatile and straightforward route to prepare a variety of different cationic nanocrystals and therefore tailor their interaction with their environment.

Reactions of the carbonato platinum(II) complexes [Pt(CO3)(PPh3)2]·CH2Cl2 (1) and [Pt(CO3)(dppe)] (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane; 2) with adenine (3a) and its N6-methylated derivatives (N6-MeAde, 3b; N6,N6-Me2Ade, 3c) resulted under splitting off carbon dioxide in formation of bis(adeninato)platinum complexes [Pt(N6,N6-RR’Ade–H-κN9)2(PPh3)2] (4a–4c) and [Pt(N6,N6-RR’Ade–H-κN9)2(dppe)] (5a–5c) R/R’ = H, Me, respectively. Analogous reactions with adenines methylated at the N9 or N3 position (9-MeAde, 3d; N6,9-Me2Ade, 3e; 3-MeAde, 3f) gave cationic complexes which could be isolated as hexafluorophosphate salts: [Pt(9-MeAde–H-κ2N6,N7)(PPh3)2][PF6] (6a), [Pt(N6,9-Me2Ade–H-κ2N6,N7)(dppe)][PF6] (6b), and [Pt(3-MeAde–H-κ2N6,N7)(PPh3)2][PF6] (7). The deprotonation of the less acidic exocyclic N6HR (R = H, Me) group and the chelating κ2N6,N7 coordination in complexes 6/7 could unambiguously clarified by 1H,15N HMBC NMR spectroscopy and additionally by DFT calculations. All complexes were fully characterized especially by NMR (1H, 13C, 31P) and single-crystal X-ray structural investigations (4b∙2 i-PrOH, 4c, 5a∙MeOH, and 5c∙1.5 MeOH). In vitro antitumoral activity was investigated against five tumor cell lines (A549 lung, A2780 ovarian, DLD-1 colon, FaDu head and neck, and SW1736 anaplastic thyroid). The most active compound 4b was found more active than cisplatin against cisplatin resistant DLD-1 (IC50 = 4.1 ± 0.5 µM) and SW1736 cell lines (IC50 = 1.5 ± 0.4 µM).

Assembly of bio-based nano-sized particles into complex architectures and morphologies is an area of fundamental interest and technical importance. We have investigated the assembly of sulfonated cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) dispersed in a shrinking levitating aqueous drop using time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Analysis of the scaling of the particle separation distance (d) with particle concentration (c) was used to follow the transition of CNC dispersions from an isotropic state at 1-2 vol% to a compressed nematic state at particle concentrations above 30 vol%. Comparison with SAXS measurements on CNC dispersions at near equilibrium conditions shows that evaporation-induced assembly of CNC in large levitating drops is comparable to bulk systems. Colloidal states with d vs. c scalings intermediate between isotropic dispersions and unidirectional compression of the nematic structure could be related to the biphasic region and gelation of CNC. Nanoscale structural information of CNC assembly up to very high particle concentrations can help to fabricate nanocellulose-based materials by evaporative methods.

Colloids of electrically charged nanorods can spontaneously develop a fluid yet ordered liquid crystal phase, but this ordering competes with a tendency to form a gel of percolating rods. The threshold for ordering is reduced by increasing the rod aspect ratio, but the percolation threshold is also reduced with this change; hence, prediction of the outcome is nontrivial. Here, we show that by establishing the phase behavior of suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) fractionated according to length, an increased aspect ratio can strongly favor liquid crystallinity without necessarily influencing gelation. Gelation is instead triggered by increasing the counterion concentration until the CNCs lose colloidal stability, triggering linear aggregation, which promotes percolation regardless of the original rod aspect ratio. Our results shine new light on the competition between liquid crystal formation and gelation in nanoparticle suspensions and provide a path for enhanced control of CNC self-organization for applications in photonic crystal paper or advanced composites.

The packing of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in the anisotropic chiral nematic phase has been investigated over a wide concentration range by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and laser diffraction. The average separation distance between the CNCs and the average pitch of the chiral nematic phase have been determined over the entire isotropic-anisotropic biphasic region. The average separation distances range from 51 nm, at the onset of the anisotropic phase formation, to 25 nm above 6 vol % (fully liquid crystalline phase) whereas the average pitch varies from ≈15 μm down to ≈2 μm as ϕ increases from 2.5 up to 6.5 vol %. Using the cholesteric order, we determine that the twist angle between neighboring CNCs increases from about 1° up to 4° as ϕ increases from 2.5 up to 6.5 vol %. The dependence of the twisting on the volume fraction was related to the increase in the magnitude of the repulsive interactions between the charged rods as the average separation distance decreases.

The formation of nematically-ordered cellulose nanofiber (CNF) suspensions with an order parameter f$_{max}$ ≈ 0.8 is studied by polarized optical microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and rheological measurements as a function of CNF concentration. The wide range of CNF concentrations, from 0.5 wt% to 4.9 wt%, is obtained using osmotic dehydration. The rheological measurements show a strong entangled network over all the concentration range whereas SAXS measurements indicate that at concentrations >1.05 wt% the CNF suspension crosses an isotropic-anisotropic transition that is accompanied by a dramatic increase of the optical birefringence. The resulting nanostructures are modelled as mass fractal structures that converge into co-existing nematically-ordered regions and network-like regions where the correlation distances decrease with concentration. The use of rapid, upscalable osmotic dehydration is an effective method to increase the concentration of CNF suspensions while partly circumventing the gel/glass formation. The facile formation of highly ordered fibers can result in materials with interesting macroscopic properties.

The intrinsic ability of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) to self-organize into films and bulk materials with helical order in a cholesteric liquid crystal is scientifically intriguing and potentially important for the production of renewable multifunctional materials with attractive optical properties. A major obstacle, however, has been the lack of control of helix direction, which results in a defect-rich, mosaic-like domain structure. Herein, a method for guiding the helix during film formation is introduced, which yields dramatically improved uniformity, as confirmed by using polarizing optical and scanning electron microscopy. By raising the CNC concentration in the initial suspension to the fully liquid crystalline range, a vertical helix orientation is promoted, as directed by the macroscopic phase boundaries. Further control of the helix orientation is achieved by subjecting the suspension to a circular shear flow during drying.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), ribbonlike crystalline nanoparticles, are a biobased material that can be a great alternative to obtaining films with tunable optical properties. Iridescent and light-diffracting films can be readily obtained via the drying of a suspension of these cellulose nanocrystals. The characteristics of the particle deposition process together with the self-assembly in the precluding suspension has a direct effect on the optical properties of the obtained films. Particle deposition onto a substrate is affected by the flow dynamics inside sessile droplets and usually yields a ring-shaped deposition pattern commonly referred to as the coffee-ring effect. We set out to measure and describe the drying kinetics under different conditions. We found that the Marangoni flow inside the droplet was too small to counteract the capillary flow that deposits CNCs at the edges, resulting in the coffee-ring effect, irrespective of the atmospheric humidity. By varying the amount of ethanol in the atmosphere, we were able to find a balance between (1) colloidal stability in the droplet, which is reduced by ethanol diffusion into the droplet, and (2) increasing Marangoni flow relative to capillary flow inside the droplet by changing the droplet surface tension. We could thus make iridescent films with a uniform thickness. ispartof: LANGMUIR vol:33 issue:1 pages:228-234 ispartof: location:United States status: published

We have investigated the chemistry of the Bogolan or mud cloth dyeing process, a traditional technique of coloring cotton cloths deeply rooted in Mali. Textiles produced by the traditional Bogolan process, using tannin-rich plant extract and iron-rich clay-based mud, were compared using infrared (IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) with cotton fibers that were impregnated with tannin and iron salt solutions. IR spectroscopy in both reflective mode on the cloth and cotton and in transmission mode on single fibers, together with SEM, showed that gallic and tannic acid adsorb and precipitate onto the cotton fiber surface. IR spectroscopy and comparison with tannin and iron solution-impregnated cotton showed that the black color of the traditional Bogolan cloth is dominated by the formation of iron-tannin complexes. The presence of iron in the Bogolan cloth was confirmed using XANES data, supporting the notion that iron has been transferred from the iron-rich clay-based mud to the cloth. The chemistry of Bogolan cloth is not only historically and culturally significant and of importance in textile conservation, but may also inspire future research on sustainable dyeing and processing techniques based on natural products.

We have studied how cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) self-assemble into liquid crystalline phases in shrinking, isolated droplets. By adjusting the water dissolution rate of an aqueous CNC droplet immersed in a binary toluene-ethanol mixture we can control the final morphology of the consolidated microbead. At low ethanol concentration in the surrounding fluid dense microbeads of spherical morphology are produced while collapsed core-shell particles are obtained at high ethanol concentration. Polarized light microscopy was used to follow the spatial evolution and coalescence of birefringent spheroids during droplet shrinkage. Electron microscopy reveals the resultant nematic microstructure. This method of confined CNC assembly provides thus the possibility to prepare ordered microbeads, which can be useful as templates or for their optical properties.

Nanocellulose fibrils are ubiquitous in nature and nanotechnologies but their mesoscopic structural assembly is not yet fully understood. Here we study the structural features of rod-like cellulose nanoparticles on a single particle level, by applying statistical polymer physics concepts on electron and atomic force microscopy images, and we assess their physical properties via quantitative nanomechanical mapping. We show evidence of right-handed chirality, observed on both bundles and on single fibrils. Statistical analysis of contours from microscopy images shows a non-Gaussian kink angle distribution. This is inconsistent with a structure consisting of alternating amorphous and crystalline domains along the contour and supports process-induced kink formation. The intrinsic mechanical properties of nanocellulose are extracted from nanoindentation and persistence length method for transversal and longitudinal directions, respectively. The structural analysis is pushed to the level of single cellulose polymer chains, and their smallest associated unit with a proposed 2 × 2 chain-packing arrangement., Nature Communications, 6, ISSN:2041-1723

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), produced by the acid hydrolysis of wood, cotton or other cellulose-rich sources, constitute a renewable nanosized raw material with a broad range of envisaged uses: for example, in composites, cosmetics and medical devices. The intriguing ability of CNCs to self-organize into a chiral nematic (cholesteric) liquid crystal phase with a helical arrangement has attracted significant interest, resulting in much research effort, as this arrangement gives dried CNC films a photonic band gap. The films thus acquire attractive optical properties, creating possibilities for use in applications such as security papers and mirrorless lasing. In this critical review, we discuss the sensitive balance between glass formation and liquid crystal self-assembly that governs the formation of the desired helical structure. We show that several as yet unclarified observations-some constituting severe obstacles for applications of CNCs-may result from competition between the two phenomena. Moreover, by comparison with the corresponding self-assembly processes of other rod-like nanoparticles, for example, carbon nanotubes and fd virus particles, we outline how further liquid crystal ordering phenomena may be expected from CNCs if the suspension parameters can be better controlled. Alternative interpretations of some unexpected phenomena are provided, and topics for future research are identified, as are new potential application strategies. AuthorCount:7

Carbon aerogels with large open pores and high surface area are fabricated via pyrolysis of a readily available natural resource, e.g., bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) aerogels. Freeze-drying of the BNC hydrogels is used to preserve the 3D open network structure upon calcination whereas using Fe(III) improves the yield and H/C ratio. These carbon aerogels are explored as anodes in lithium ion batteries where it is shown that they deliver superior capacity retention and rate performance compared to other carbon-based materials.

The formation of hybrids of nanofibrillated cellulose and titania nanoparticles in aqueous media has been studied. Their transparency and mechanical behavior have been assessed by spectrophotometry and nanoindentation. The results show that limiting the titania nanoparticle concentration below 16 vol% yields homogeneous hybrids with a very high Young's modulus and hardness, of up to 44 GPa and 3.4 GPa, respectively, and an optical transmittance above 80%. Electron microscopy shows that higher nanoparticle contents result in agglomeration and an inhomogeneous hybrid nanostructure with a concomitant reduction of hardness and optical transmittance. Infrared spectroscopy suggests that the nanostructure of the hybrids is controlled by electrostatic adsorption of the titania nanoparticles on the negatively charged nanocellulose surfaces. AuthorCount:10

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers observed in women in industrialized Western countries. The development of novel diagnostic methods and the application of modern systemic therapies have significantly optimized early detection and therapy of breast cancer. However, many patients are currently overtreated. Traditionally, tumours have been categorized on the basis of histopathological criteria. However, staining pattern and intensity of cancer cells are not sufficient to reflect the molecular events driving tumour development and progression. Therefore, new genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic techniques are applied to clinical samples aiming to identify new targets for a therapy tailored for an individual patient. After an introduction to common genomic and transcriptomic profiling technologies and their relevance for clinical use, we will focus on analytical and preanalytical applications for the identification of new therapeutic targets by protein profiling, with a special emphasis on two-dimensional gel-technologies (2D-PAGE), particularly as they apply to the study of breast cancer.