Biomedical applications solutes

Nucleic acids, DNA and RNA, are attractive biopolymers that can be used for biomedical applications [175,176], nanostructure fabrication [177,178], computing [179,180], and materials for electron-conduction [181,182]. Immobilization of DNA and RNA in well-defined nanostructures would be one of the most unique subjects in current nanotechnology. Unfortunately, a silica surface cannot usually adsorb duplex DNA in aqueous solution due to the electrostatic repulsion between the silica surface and polyanionic DNA. However, Fujiwara et al. recently found that duplex DNA in protonated phosphoric acid form can adsorb on mesoporous silicates, even in low-salt aqueous solution [183]. The DNA adsorption behavior depended much on the pore size of the mesoporous silica. Plausible models of DNA accommodation in mesopore silica channels are depicted in Figure 4.20. Inclusion of duplex DNA in mesoporous silicates with larger pores, around 3.8 nm diameter, would be accompanied by the formation of four water monolayers on the silica surface of the mesoporous inner channel (Figure 4.20A), where sufficient quantities of Si—OH groups remained after solvent extraction of the template (not by calcination). 

In biomedical applications, the ranges of ion concentration are higher by several orders of magnitude. For instance, the abovementioned calcium probes for living cells cannot be used because the dissociation constant is so low that they would be saturated. Special attention is thus to be paid to the ionophore moiety to achieve proper selectivity and efficiency of binding. For instance, at present there is a need for a selective fluorescent probe for the determination of calcium in blood which could work in the millimolar range in aqueous solutions so that optodes with immobilized probes on the tip could be made for continuous monitoring calcium in blood vessels. 

Morf and W. Simon, Liquid membrane ion-selective electrodes and their biomedical applications. Chapter 2 of Medical and Biological Applications of Electrochemical Devices (ed. J. Koryta), John Wiley Sons, Chichester (1980). MS - mixed solution technique, SS - separate solution technique symbols for ion-exchanging ions from table 7.1. 

A convenient method is the spectrometric determination of Li in aqueous solution by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), using an acetylene flame—the most common technique for this analyte. The instrument has an emission lamp containing Li, and one of the spectral lines of the emission spectrum is chosen, according to the concentration of the sample, as shown in Table 2. The solution is fed by a nebuhzer into the flame and the absorption caused by the Li atoms in the sample is recorded and converted to a concentration aided by a calibration standard. Possible interference can be expected from alkali metal atoms, for example, airborne trace impurities, that ionize in the flame. These effects are canceled by adding 2000 mg of K per hter of sample matrix. The method covers a wide range of concentrations, from trace analysis at about 20 xg L to brines at about 32 g L as summarized in Table 2. Organic samples have to be mineralized and the inorganic residue dissolved in water. The AAS method for determination of Li in biomedical applications has been reviewed . 

Synthetic fluor-containing apatites are prepared and investigated for biomedical applications and serve also as models to understand the formation of biological fluorapatites and some of their properties. The synthesis of fluoridated apatites has been accomplished in various ways from simple ion exchange in solution to more elaborate techniques involving sol-gel routes or thermal processes. Two main classes of synthesis routes are presented in this chapter high-temperature routes and low-temperature solution routes. 

It is the unique properties exhibited by polyelectrolytes that have led to their use in a variety of biomedical applications. Therefore, any discussion of polyelectrolytes as biomaterials should provide some insight into the properties of polyelectrolyte systems. In this section, an overview of polyelectrolyte properties will be presented, including polyelectrolyte solutions, gels, and complexes. The purpose of this section is not to provide an exhaustive review of polyelectrolyte thermodynamics but to provide background information for the ensuing discussion of biomedical applications of polyelectrolytes. 

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