Monolayer Protected Clusters
Monolayer Protected Clusters - Related Videos
14:18
Synthesis, Assembly, and Characterization of Monolayer Protected Gold Nanoparticle Films for Protein Monolayer Electrochemistry
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Cited by 1 •
2011
Alkanethiolate stabilized gold colloids known as monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) are synthesized, characterized, and assembled into thin films as an adsorption interface for protein monolayer electrochemistry of simple redox protein like Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin (AZ) and cytochrome c (cyt c).
10:34
Ligand Nano-cluster Arrays in a Supported Lipid Bilayer
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Cited by 3 •
2017
We present a protocol to functionalize glass with nanometric protein patches surrounded by a fluid lipid bilayer. These substrates are compatible with advanced optical microscopy and are expected to serve as platform for cell adhesion and migration studies.
06:27
Use of a Monocyte Monolayer Assay to Evaluate Fcγ Receptor-mediated Phagocytosis
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Cited by 13 •
2017
The monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) is an in vitro assay that utilizes isolated primary monocytes obtained from mammalian peripheral whole blood to evaluate Fcγ receptor (FcγR)-mediated phagocytosis.
02:04
Generation of a Human Colonoid Monolayer with Barrier Function to Study Host–Pathogen Interactions
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2026
Source: In, J. G.,et al. Human Colonoid Monolayers to Study Interactions Between Pathogens, Commensals, and Host Intestinal Epithelium. J. Vis. Exp. (2019).This video demonstrates the procedure for culturing colon-derived epithelial cells on a collagen-coated Transwell system to generate a mucus-producing monolayer that models the intestinal barrier and enables host–pathogen interaction studies.
10:37
Spatial Separation of Molecular Conformers and Clusters
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Cited by 3 •
2014
We present a technique that allows the spatial separation of different conformers or clusters present in a molecular beam. An electrostatic deflector is used to separate species by their mass-to-dipole moment ratio, leading to the production of gas-phase ensembles of a single conformer or cluster stoichiometry.
FAQs
The organized ligand layer creates a protective interface around the metal core that limits direct cluster-to-cluster contact, reducing aggregation. Because the shell also determines how the cluster interacts with its surrounding medium, changing ligand composition can alter solubility, surface charge, optical behavior, and chemical reactivity. These effects help maintain useful nanoscale properties in bioengineering environments.
Thiol-containing molecules bind strongly to gold or silver, anchoring the protective surface layer to the metal core. This strong interaction helps preserve the ligand coating while allowing the outer portions of the molecules to determine how the cluster behaves in solution or near biological materials. The resulting separation of core binding and surface presentation supports controlled functional design.
Ligand composition and terminal functional groups provide a way to tune water dispersibility, biomolecule attachment, and interactions with cells or tissues. A cluster can therefore be designed with surface characteristics suited to a particular bioengineering objective rather than relying only on the metal core. These surface changes may also influence charge, chemical reactivity, and optical behavior.
Surface design can influence several properties at once, including solubility, charge, optical behavior, and chemical reactivity. The effect depends on the organized ligand layer surrounding the ultrasmall core and on the composition of its exposed groups. This sensitivity makes these clusters useful for studying nanoscale structure-property relationships, where small changes in surface organization can produce different functional outcomes.
A practical design begins by matching the intended function with the ligand shell rather than selecting the metal core alone. Researchers can choose ligand compositions and terminal groups to support water dispersibility, biomolecule attachment, or interactions with cells and tissues. They can then evaluate whether the resulting surface characteristics provide the required optical, chemical, or biological behavior.
Water dispersibility and biomolecule attachment depend substantially on the molecules presented at the cluster surface. Ligand composition can be selected to improve compatibility with water, while terminal functional groups provide sites or chemical features suited to interaction with biomolecules. In bioengineering, these choices help connect the nanoscale cluster to sensing, imaging, or delivery functions.
Their tunable surfaces and nanoscale optical and chemical properties support several bioengineering uses. Monolayer Protected Clusters can serve in sensitive biosensors, fluorescence and imaging probes, and targeted delivery platforms. They are also useful for examining how nanoscale structure relates to function, linking controlled surface design with measurable biological or analytical outcomes.
Clusters containing only a few to hundreds of atoms provide a size regime in which core composition and surface organization can strongly shape behavior. Their ligand shells offer an additional design variable, allowing researchers to relate surface chemistry to optical, chemical, and biological outcomes. This makes them useful not only as applied tools but also as systems for fundamental bioengineering research.