Synthesis of Monodisperse Polymeric Nano- and Microparticles and Their Application in Bioanalysis

Polystyrene Core–Silica Shell Particles with Defined Nanoarchitectures as a Versatile Platform for Suspension Array Technology

“…10,11 The major drawback using PS beads nonetheless is the limited flexibility for chemical surface modification since the functionalization is usually determined already by the choice of precursors during bead preparation in rather difficult two-stage or copolymerization procedures. 12 Native SiO 2 particles, on the other hand, can be postfunctionalized with various functional groups using straightforward silane chemistry. 13 However, SiO 2 particles have higher densities (2 g mL −1 ) and lower refractive indices which make them less favorable for cytometric applications in comparison to PS.…”

“…Suspension array technology (SAT) based on spherical microparticles plays an increasingly important role in various fields of the analytical sciences. − Because of the requirement of only small amounts of sample, fast reaction kinetics, facile array preparation, and the recent availability of user-friendly, robust, and reasonably priced flow cytometers for high throughput single-particle read-out, bead-based SAT is becoming a more and more attractive alternative to classical flat arrays or ELISA techniques for analyzing low to medium numbers of targets in a multiplexed manner. − Neat polystyrene (PS) or silica (SiO 2 ) microparticles are used as the spherical platform of choice because both materials are cheap and can be synthesized in high yields in the nano- to micrometer range, for instance, using the classical Stöber method or dispersion polymerization. , Commercial array platforms such as the BD cytometric bead array or the Luminex xMAP technology preferably rely on PS beads because the PS beads’ scattering properties with comparatively high refractive indices match well with the requirements on cytometric analysis, and hydrophobic dyes can be easily incorporated for encoding. , The major drawback using PS beads nonetheless is the limited flexibility for chemical surface modification since the functionalization is usually determined already by the choice of precursors during bead preparation in rather difficult two-stage or copolymerization procedures . Native SiO 2 particles, on the other hand, can be postfunctionalized with various functional groups using straightforward silane chemistry .…”

Sustainable and Ecofriendly Nanoparticle Synthesis Using Microbial Strains Isolated From Heavy Metal Rich Industrial Effluent

“…These include issues with controlling particle size, overuse of solvents and surfactants, and a lack of adaptability to changes in experimental conditions. Consequently, there is a pressing demand for a cost-effective and ecofriendly method for synthesizing monodisperse nanoparticles to meet existing and future market requirements [7].…”

Polystyrene Microparticles with Convergently Grown Mesoporous Silica Shells as a Promising Tool for Multiplexed Bioanalytical Assays

“…Polystyrene particles are commonly used in commercial assays because their high refractive index endows them with excellent scattering properties, which are particularly beneficial for flow cytometry or other types of single-particle analysis methods. In addition, the option of facile dye incorporation makes multiplexing possible and has been established commercially. − However, polystyrene particles are rather inflexible in their chemical modification, which leads to restrictions with respect to the fields of application or renders the preparation procedures more complex. − Silica particles on the other hand have inferior scattering properties but are easier to modify via silane chemistry. − Both types of particles are nowadays used for bead-based bioassays, but especially the combination of the advantageous features of both materials in a core/shell particle format is a very promising one, , enabling robust and fast yet highly sensitive multiplexing assays . Although hybrid and core/shell particles have become increasingly popular in bioanalytical applications, − examples using the combination of a polymer core and silica shell are still sparse.…”