Modification of the Co-assembly Behavior of Double-Hydrophilic Block Polyelectrolytes by Hydrophobic Terminal Groups: Ordered Nanostructures with Interpolyelectrolyte Complex Domains

Author(s):  
Anastasiia Fanova ◽  
Irina Davidovich ◽  
Yeshayahu Talmon ◽  
Athanasios Skandalis ◽  
Stergios Pispas ◽  
...  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huey Ling Tan ◽  
Ying Pei Lim ◽  
Mohomad Sufian So’aib

Peptide amphiphiles are promising molecular materials for drug delivery systems and regenerative medicine through formation of well-ordered nanostructures. Rationally designed self-associating synthetic peptide analogues containing arginine (FEFEFRFR) and lysine (FEFEFKFK) were studied to understand the effect of pH and side chain interactions and its influence on the resulting nanostructure formation. Changes in structural conformation in bulk were followed by turbidimetric-potentiometric titrations with pH ranges from 4 to 11 and 4 to 12.6 for FEFEFKFK and FEFEFRFR respectively. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the secondary structure of the peptides while Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) was employed to study the morphology and dimension of higher order structures at various pH. Turbidity results showed that both FEFEFKFK and FEFEFRFR displayed higher turbidity level when their side chains were neutralized, in which FEFEFRFR showed higher turbidity level when arginine was neutralized. Both peptides exhibited similar self-assembly behavior in solution which mainly adopted antiparallel β-sheets conformation with spherical structures of different micro-metre size when there is a net charge of +2 or -2. FEFEFKFK was also found to form concaved disks and beads-on-a-string arrangement at pH 4. Both the peptide analogues were capable of forming smaller aggregates in a network of spherical structure at nanoscale when the net charge was near zero. This study ultimately provides a better understanding of predicting morphology and size of surface functional modification of self-assembled polypeptides.  


INEOS OPEN ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Samoilova ◽  

The enzyme-containing magnetic composites are presented. The magnetic matrix for enzyme immobilization is obtained by sequential application of an amine-containing polysaccharide—chitosan and a synthetic polymer—poly(ethylene-alt-maleic acid) to the magnetite microparticles to form the interpolyelectrolyte complex shell. Then, the enzyme (trypsin) is immobilized by covalent or noncovalent binding. Thus, the suggested composites can be readily obtained in the environmentally friendly manner. The enzyme capacity of the resulting composites reaches 28.0–32.6 mg/g. The maximum hydrolysis rates of the H-Val-Leu-Lys-pNA substrate provided by these composites range within 0.60·10–7–0.77·10–7 M/min.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 11-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Gräf

AbstractThe use of ultra-short pulsed lasers enables the fabrication of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on various materials following a single-step, direct-writing technique. These specific, well-ordered nanostructures with periodicities in the order of the utilised laser wavelength facilitate the engineering of surfaces with functional properties. This review paper discusses the physical background of LIPSS formation on substrates with different material properties. Using the examples of structural colours, specific wetting states and the reduction of friction and wear, this work presents experimental approaches that allow to deliberately influence the LIPSS formation process and thus tailor the surface properties. Finally, the review concludes with some future developments and perspectives related to forthcoming applications of LIPSS-based surfaces are discussed.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 502
Author(s):  
Karel Šindelka ◽  
Zuzana Limpouchová ◽  
Karel Procházka

Using coarse-grained dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) with explicit electrostatics, we performed (i) an extensive series of simulations of the electrostatic co-assembly of asymmetric oppositely charged copolymers composed of one (either positively or negatively charged) polyelectrolyte (PE) block A and one water-soluble block B and (ii) studied the solubilization of positively charged porphyrin derivatives (P+) in the interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) cores of co-assembled nanoparticles. We studied the stoichiometric mixtures of 137 A10+B25 and 137 A10−B25 chains with moderately hydrophobic A blocks (DPD interaction parameter aAS=35) and hydrophilic B blocks (aBS=25) with 10 to 120 P+ added (aPS=39). The P+ interactions with other components were set to match literature information on their limited solubility and aggregation behavior. The study shows that the moderately soluble P+ molecules easily solubilize in IPEC cores, where they partly replace PE+ and electrostatically crosslink PE− blocks. As the large P+ rings are apt to aggregate, P+ molecules aggregate in IPEC cores. The aggregation, which starts at very low loadings, is promoted by increasing the number of P+ in the mixture. The positively charged copolymers repelled from the central part of IPEC core partially concentrate at the core-shell interface and partially escape into bulk solvent depending on the amount of P+ in the mixture and on their association number, AS. If AS is lower than the ensemble average ⟨AS⟩n, the copolymer chains released from IPEC preferentially concentrate at the core-shell interface, thus increasing AS, which approaches ⟨AS⟩n. If AS>⟨AS⟩n, they escape into the bulk solvent.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Wen ◽  
Aihua Chen

Self-assembly of amphiphilic single chain Janus nanoparticles (SCJNPs) is a novel and promising approach to fabricate assemblies with diversified morphologies. However, the experimental research of the self-assembly behavior of SCJNPs...


Holzforschung ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Brovko ◽  
Irina Palamarchuk ◽  
Konstantin Bogolitsyn ◽  
Nikolay Bogdanovich ◽  
Artem Ivakhnov ◽  
...  

AbstractA new approach to the formation of “fullerene-like” carbon-nitrogen carbogels based on the interpolyelectrolyte complex lignosulfonate-chitosan (IPEC LSNa-CT) was developed. It was established that carbogel maintained the morphology of the precursor complex, i.e. the spherical geometry and the particle size of its main fractions (40–55 nm) were stored in the carbonizate. The influence of pyrolysis (Py) temperature was studied in the range of 500–1000°C on the structure of carbonizate. Carbogels obtained under different processing conditions have a well-developed microporous structure. The specific surface area of carbogels reduced with increasing Py temperature according to their nitrogen content. The maximum specific surface area (438.3 m2g−1) corresponds to the carbogel obtained at 600°C, while the maximum nitrogen content of this sample is 4.4%. The internal porosity of the material and the volume of supermicropores are reduced with increasing Py temperature due to the accumulation of double and triple carbon bonds in the carbogel. Apparently, the structure-forming N-atoms participate in the formation of condensed nitrogen-containing and cyclic structures as a donor of the electron pair and as such they accelerate the carbonization process.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Itami ◽  
Akihito Hashidzume ◽  
Yuri Kamon ◽  
Hiroyasu Yamaguchi ◽  
Akira Harada

AbstractBiological macroscopic assemblies have inspired researchers to utilize molecular recognition to develop smart materials in these decades. Recently, macroscopic self-assemblies based on molecular recognition have been realized using millimeter-scale hydrogel pieces possessing molecular recognition moieties. During the study on macroscopic self-assembly based on molecular recognition, we noticed that the shape of assemblies might be dependent on the host–guest pair. In this study, we were thus motivated to study the macroscopic shape of assemblies formed through host–guest interaction. We modified crosslinked poly(sodium acrylate) microparticles, i.e., superabsorbent polymer (SAP) microparticles, with β-cyclodextrin (βCD) and adamantyl (Ad) residues (βCD(x)-SAP and Ad(y)-SAP microparticles, respectively, where x and y denote the mol% contents of βCD and Ad residues). Then, we studied the self-assembly behavior of βCD(x)-SAP and Ad(y)-SAP microparticles through the complexation of βCD with Ad residues. There was a threshold of the βCD content in βCD(x)-SAP microparticles for assembly formation between x = 22.3 and 26.7. On the other hand, the shape of assemblies was dependent on the Ad content, y; More elongated assemblies were formed at a higher y. This may be because, at a higher y, small clusters formed in an early stage can stick together even upon collisions at a single contact point to form elongated aggregates, whereas, at a smaller y, small clusters stick together only upon collisions at multiple contact points to give rather circular assemblies. On the basis of these observations, the shape of assembly formed from microparticles can be controlled by varying y.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document