The combination of the sonochemical activation of Ni(NO₃)₂ and Co(NO₃)₂ in the presence of Fe(NO₃)₃ and polyethylene glycol and consecutive heat treatment of the formed metal hydroxides offers a cheap and efficient method for the preparation of nickel ferrite and cobalt ferrite magnetic nanoparticles, which can be successfully applied in the selective capture of fluorescently derivatized N-glycans from human serum. XRD measurement revealed that, besides the ferrite phase, nickel and cobalt oxides also form during heat treatment. The amount of simple metal oxides can be well controlled by the temperature of the heat treatment, since increasing temperature yielded higher spinel content. For both nickel and cobalt, the best heat treatment temperature was found to be 673 K, where the samples contained 84.1% nickel ferrite, and in the case of cobalt, almost pure (99.6%) cobalt ferrite could be prepared. FT-IR and zeta potential measurements indicated the presence of surface OH groups, which aided in the dispersion of the particles in water and, in addition, can promote the adsorption of polar compounds. The practical applicability of the magnetic nanopowders was demonstrated in the purification of fluorescently derivatized N-glycans (from human serum). Cobalt ferrite was found to be the most effective. Owing to the easy preparation and the simplicity of the magnetic separation the pure cobalt ferrite, magnetic nanoparticles could be efficient tools for the selective enrichment of serum N-glycans in HPLC measurements.

In cancer therapy, immunogenic cell death eliminates tumor cells more efficiently than conventional apoptosis. During photodynamic therapy (PDT), some photosensitizer (PS) targeting lysosomes divert apoptosis to the immunologically more relevant necrosis-like cell death. Acridine orange (AO) is a PS targeting lysosome. We synthesized a new compound, 3-N,N-dimethylamino-6-isocyanoacridine (DM), a modified AO, aiming to target lysosomes better. To compare DM and AO, we studied optical properties, toxicity, cell internalization, and phototoxicity. In addition, light-mediated effects were monitored by the recently developed QUINESIn method on nuclei, and membrane stability, morphology, and function of lysosomes utilizing fluorescent probes by imaging cytometry in single cells. DM proved to be a better lysosomal marker at 405 nm excitation and lysed lysosomes more efficiently. AO injured DNA and histones more extensively than DM. Remarkably, DM’s optical properties helped visualize shockwaves of nuclear DNA released from cells during the PDT. The asymmetric polar modification of the AO leads to a new compound, DM, which has increased efficacy in targeting and disrupting lysosomes. Suitable AO modification may boost adaptive immune response making PDT more efficient.

In this paper the preparation and detailed characterization of designed polyurethanes (SPURs) are reported for potential biological, biomedical and/or pharmaceutical applications. Importantly, in order to fulfill these goals all reactants and solvents used were selected according to the proposal of EUR-8 Pharmacopoeia. For the synthesis, a novel strategy was introduced and elaborated. A series of SPUR samples was prepared from poly(ε-caprolactone)-diol, 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate and sucrose as a chain extender/crosslinking agent to obtain sucrose containing polyurethanes. In addition, the mol ratios of the sucrose were varied within an order of magnitude. The prepolymers and the products of the syntheses were investigated by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and infrared spectroscopy (IR), respectively. It was found that the reactivity of the eight free hydroxyl groups of sucrose are different, and after curing the SPUR samples at 60 °C no free isocyanate groups can be observed. Furthermore, swelling experiments performed with various solvents of different polarities revealed that the highest degree of swelling took place in dimethyl-sulfoxide. However, low degrees of swelling were recognized in water and hexane. It is important to note that the gel contents were around 90% in all cases, which demonstrate that the crosslinking was almost complete. In addition, the kinetics of swelling were also evaluated and successfully modeled. The crosslink densities were calculated from the data of the swelling experiments by means of the Flory-Rehner equation. Unexpectedly, it was found that the crosslink density decreased with the increasing sucrose content also in line with the results obtained by relaxation modulus experiments and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The Tg and Tm of SPUR samples, determined from DSC and DMA measurements, were around −57 °C and 27 °C, respectively. According to the mechanical tests the SPUR samples showed high elongation at break values, i.e., high flexibilities. Furthermore, the stress-strain curves were also modeled and discussed.