Lyotropic liquid crystal directed synthesis of anisotropic copper microparticles and their application in catalysis

Regulating the structural polymorphism and protein corona composition of phytantriol-based lipid nanoparticles using choline ionic liquids

Lipid-based lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs) face stability challenges in biological fluids during clinical translation. Ionic Liquids (ILs) have emerged as effective solvent additives for tuning the structure of LCNP's and enhancing their stability. We investigated the effect of a library of 21 choline-based biocompatible ILs with 9 amino acid anions as well as 10 other organic/inorganic anions during the preparation of phytantriol (PHY)-based LCNPs, followed by incubation in human serum and serum proteins. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results show that the phase behaviour of the LCNPs depends on the IL concentration and anion structure. Incubation with human serum led to a phase transition from the inverse bicontinuous cubic (Q2) to the inverse hexagonal (H2) mesophase, influenced by the specific IL present. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and proteomics analysis of selected samples, including PHY control and those with choline glutamate, choline hexanoate, and choline geranate, identified abundant proteins in the protein corona, including albumin, apolipoproteins, and serotransferrin. The composition of the protein corona varied among samples, shedding light on the intricate interplay between ILs, internal structure and surface chemistry of LCNPs, and biological fluids.

Stability Evaluation of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Precursor for the Co-delivery of Chlorhexidine and Silver Nanoparticles

Sealing the therapeutic agents in the root canal is considered to be an essential step in root canal therapy. The lyotropic liquid crystalline precursor (LLCP) incorporated with chlorhexidine (CHX) and silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) has been confirmed as a promising candidate for root canal therapy in the previous study. Importantly, the stability of the LLCP system was a significant determinant for its therapeutic effect and further application. The objective of this study was to comprehensively investigate the stability of the LLCP incorporated with CHX and Ag-NPs. The oil-water partition coefficient of CHX and Ag-NPs was measured. The water absorption and the physical stability of drug-loaded LLCP solution were studied. Stability under high temperature, high humidity, and strong light irradiation was also investigated. The results demonstrated that CHX and Ag-NPs could be entrapped in the water channel of LLCP, indicating the low tendency of drugs leakage. The drug-loaded LLCP was a pseudoplastic fluid and it showed an excellent physical stability with a sedimentation rate of 0.981 and a settling time of 26~28 h. The payload of LLCP was confirmed to weaken the water absorption behavior, which facilitated its transformation to cubic liquid crystal. The stress testing under high temperature, high humidity, and strong light irradiation also manifested that the LLCP was stable when stored under moisture-proof condition. In conclusion, the developed LLCP incorporated with CHX and Ag-NPs was highly stable during storage and qualified for further application.