1
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Insua I, Cardellini A, Díaz S, Bergueiro J, Capelli R, Pavan GM, Montenegro J. Self-assembly of cyclic peptide monolayers by hydrophobic supramolecular hinges. Chem Sci 2023; 14:14074-14081. [PMID: 38098728 PMCID: PMC10717465 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03930g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Supramolecular polymerisation of two-dimensional (2D) materials requires monomers with non-covalent binding motifs that can control the directionality of both dimensions of growth. A tug of war between these propagation forces can bias polymerisation in either direction, ultimately determining the structure and properties of the final 2D ensemble. Deconvolution of the assembly dynamics of 2D supramolecular systems has been widely overlooked, making monomer design largely empirical. It is thus key to define new design principles for suitable monomers that allow the control of the direction and the dynamics of two-dimensional self-assembled architectures. Here, we investigate the sequential assembly mechanism of new monolayer architectures of cyclic peptide nanotubes by computational simulations and synthesised peptide sequences with selected mutations. Rationally designed cyclic peptide scaffolds are shown to undergo hierarchical self-assembly and afford monolayers of supramolecular nanotubes. The particular geometry, the rigidity and the planar conformation of cyclic peptides of alternating chirality allow the orthogonal orientation of hydrophobic domains that define lateral supramolecular contacts, and ultimately direct the propagation of the monolayers of peptide nanotubes. A flexible 'tryptophan hinge' at the hydrophobic interface was found to allow lateral dynamic interactions between cyclic peptides and thus maintain the stability of the tubular monolayer structure. These results unfold the potential of cyclic peptide scaffolds for the rational design of supramolecular polymerisation processes and hierarchical self-assembly across the different dimensions of space.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Insua
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela 15705 Spain
- I+D Farma Group (GI-1645), Departamento de Farmacoloxía, Farmacia e Tecnoloxía Farmacéutica, Facultade de Farmacia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela 15782 Spain
| | - Annalisa Cardellini
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino 10129 Torino Italy
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano 6962 Lugano-Viganello Switzerland
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela 15705 Spain
| | - Julian Bergueiro
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela 15705 Spain
| | - Riccardo Capelli
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Giovanni M Pavan
- Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino 10129 Torino Italy
- Department of Innovative Technologies, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano 6962 Lugano-Viganello Switzerland
| | - Javier Montenegro
- Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CIQUS), Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela 15705 Spain
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2
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Wu Z, Wu JW, Michaudel Q, Jayaraman A. Investigating the Hydrogen Bond-Induced Self-Assembly of Polysulfamides Using Molecular Simulations and Experiments. Macromolecules 2023; 56:5033-5049. [PMID: 38362140 PMCID: PMC10865372 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
In this paper, we present a synergistic, experimental, and computational study of the self-assembly of N,N'-disubstituted polysulfamides driven by hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between the H-bonding donor and acceptor groups present in repeating sulfamides as a function of the structural design of the polysulfamide backbone. We developed a coarse-grained (CG) polysulfamide model that captures the directionality of H-bonds between the sulfamide groups and used this model in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the self-assembly of these polymers in implicit solvent. The CGMD approach was validated by reproducing experimentally observed trends in the extent of crystallinity for three polysulfamides synthesized with aliphatic and/or aromatic repeating units. After validation of our CGMD approach, we computationally predicted the effect of repeat unit bulkiness, length, and uniformity of segment lengths in the polymers on the extent of orientational and positional order among the self-assembled polysulfamide chains, providing key design principles for tuning the extent of crystallinity in polysulfamides in experiments. Those computational predictions were then experimentally tested through the synthesis and characterization of polysulfamide architectures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijie Wu
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Jiun Wei Wu
- Department
of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Quentin Michaudel
- Department
of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Materials Science & Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Arthi Jayaraman
- Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy St., Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, University
of Delaware, 201 DuPont Hall, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
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3
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Lionello C, Perego C, Gardin A, Klajn R, Pavan GM. Supramolecular Semiconductivity through Emerging Ionic Gates in Ion-Nanoparticle Superlattices. ACS NANO 2023; 17:275-287. [PMID: 36548051 PMCID: PMC9835987 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c07558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The self-assembly of nanoparticles driven by small molecules or ions may produce colloidal superlattices with features and properties reminiscent of those of metals or semiconductors. However, to what extent the properties of such supramolecular crystals actually resemble those of atomic materials often remains unclear. Here, we present coarse-grained molecular simulations explicitly demonstrating how a behavior evocative of that of semiconductors may emerge in a colloidal superlattice. As a case study, we focus on gold nanoparticles bearing positively charged groups that self-assemble into FCC crystals via mediation by citrate counterions. In silico ohmic experiments show how the dynamically diverse behavior of the ions in different superlattice domains allows the opening of conductive ionic gates above certain levels of applied electric fields. The observed binary conductive/nonconductive behavior is reminiscent of that of conventional semiconductors, while, at a supramolecular level, crossing the "band gap" requires a sufficient electrostatic stimulus to break the intermolecular interactions and make ions diffuse throughout the superlattice's cavities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Lionello
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Claudio Perego
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario
Lugano, Campus Est, Via
la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Gardin
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Rafal Klajn
- Department
of Organic Chemistry, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Giovanni M. Pavan
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario
Lugano, Campus Est, Via
la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
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4
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Molecular communications in complex systems of dynamic supramolecular polymers. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2162. [PMID: 35443756 PMCID: PMC9021206 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29804-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Supramolecular polymers are composed of monomers that self-assemble non-covalently, generating distributions of monodimensional fibres in continuous communication with each other and with the surrounding solution. Fibres, exchanging molecular species, and external environment constitute a sole complex system, which intrinsic dynamics is hard to elucidate. Here we report coarse-grained molecular simulations that allow studying supramolecular polymers at the thermodynamic equilibrium, explicitly showing the complex nature of these systems, which are composed of exquisitely dynamic molecular entities. Detailed studies of molecular exchange provide insights into key factors controlling how assemblies communicate with each other, defining the equilibrium dynamics of the system. Using minimalistic and finer chemically relevant molecular models, we observe that a rich concerted complexity is intrinsic in such self-assembling systems. This offers a new dynamic and probabilistic (rather than structural) picture of supramolecular polymer systems, where the travelling molecular species continuously shape the assemblies that statistically emerge at the equilibrium. The dynamic structure of supramolecular polymers is challenging to determine both in experiments and in simulations. Here the authors use coarse-grained molecular models to provide a comprehensive analysis of the molecular communication in these complex molecular systems.
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5
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Piskorz T, de Vries AH, van Esch JH. How the Choice of Force-Field Affects the Stability and Self-Assembly Process of Supramolecular CTA Fibers. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:431-440. [PMID: 34812627 PMCID: PMC8757428 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, computational methods have become an essential element of studies focusing on the self-assembly process. Although they provide unique insights, they face challenges, from which two are the most often mentioned in the literature: the temporal and spatial scale of the self-assembly. A less often mentioned issue, but not less important, is the choice of the force-field. The repetitive nature of the supramolecular structure results in many similar interactions. Consequently, even a small deviation in these interactions can lead to significant energy differences in the whole structure. However, studies comparing different force-fields for self-assembling systems are scarce. In this article, we compare molecular dynamics simulations for trifold hydrogen-bonded fibers performed with different force-fields, namely GROMOS, CHARMM General Force Field (CGenFF), CHARMM Drude, General Amber Force-Field (GAFF), Martini, and polarized Martini. Briefly, we tested the force-fields by simulating: (i) spontaneous self-assembly (none form a fiber within 500 ns), (ii) stability of the fiber (observed for CHARMM Drude, GAFF, MartiniP), (iii) dimerization (observed for GROMOS, GAFF, and MartiniP), and (iv) oligomerization (observed for CHARMM Drude and MartiniP). This system shows that knowledge of the force-field behavior regarding interactions in oligomer and larger self-assembled structures is crucial for designing efficient simulation protocols for self-assembling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz
K. Piskorz
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Delft University
of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
| | - A. H. de Vries
- Groningen
Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and Zernike Institute
for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan H. van Esch
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Delft University
of Technology, van der Maasweg 9, Delft, 2629 HZ, The Netherlands
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6
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Lv P, Shen X, Cui Z, Li B, Xu Q, Yu Z, Lu W, Shao H, Ge Y, Qi Z. Mechanically strong and stiff supramolecular polymers enabled by fiber reinforced
long‐chain
alkane matrix. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ping Lv
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Xin Shen
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Zhiliyu Cui
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Bo Li
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Qiangqiang Xu
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Zhuo Yu
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Weijie Lu
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Haonan Shao
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Yan Ge
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
| | - Zhenhui Qi
- Sino‐German Joint Research Lab for Space Biomaterials and Translational Technology, Synergetic Innovation Center of Biological Optoelectronics and Healthcare Engineering (BOHE) School of Life Sciences, Northwestern Polytechnical University Xi'an Shaanxi Province China
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7
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de Marco AL, Bochicchio D, Gardin A, Doni G, Pavan GM. Controlling Exchange Pathways in Dynamic Supramolecular Polymers by Controlling Defects. ACS NANO 2021; 15:14229-14241. [PMID: 34472834 PMCID: PMC8482751 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c01398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular fibers composed of monomers that self-assemble directionally via noncovalent interactions are ubiquitous in nature, and of great interest in chemistry. In these structures, the constitutive monomers continuously exchange in-and-out the assembly according to a well-defined supramolecular equilibrium. However, unraveling the exchange pathways and their molecular determinants constitutes a nontrivial challenge. Here, we combine coarse-grained modeling, enhanced sampling, and machine learning to investigate the key factors controlling the monomer exchange pathways in synthetic supramolecular polymers having an intrinsic dynamic behavior. We demonstrate how the competition of directional vs. nondirectional interactions between the monomers controls the creation/annihilation of defects in the supramolecular polymers, from where monomers exchange proceeds. This competition determines the exchange pathway, dictating whether a fiber statistically swaps monomers from the tips or from all along its length. Finally, thanks to their generality, our models allow the investigation of molecular approaches to control the exchange pathways in these dynamic assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L. de Marco
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Campus
Est, Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
- Department
of Physics, Universit degli studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16100 Genova, Italy
| | - Davide Bochicchio
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Campus
Est, Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
- Department
of Physics, Universit degli studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 33, 16100 Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Gardin
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanni Doni
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Campus
Est, Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni M. Pavan
- Department
of Innovative Technologies, University of
Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Polo Universitario Lugano, Campus
Est, Via la Santa 1, 6962 Lugano-Viganello, Switzerland
- Department
of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico
di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino, Italy
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8
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Alessandri R, Grünewald F, Marrink SJ. The Martini Model in Materials Science. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2008635. [PMID: 33956373 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202008635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Martini model, a coarse-grained force field initially developed with biomolecular simulations in mind, has found an increasing number of applications in the field of soft materials science. The model's underlying building block principle does not pose restrictions on its application beyond biomolecular systems. Here, the main applications to date of the Martini model in materials science are highlighted, and a perspective for the future developments in this field is given, particularly in light of recent developments such as the new version of the model, Martini 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Alessandri
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials and Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747AG, The Netherlands
| | - Fabian Grünewald
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials and Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747AG, The Netherlands
| | - Siewert J Marrink
- Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials and Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747AG, The Netherlands
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9
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Casalini T. Not only in silico drug discovery: Molecular modeling towards in silico drug delivery formulations. J Control Release 2021; 332:390-417. [PMID: 33675875 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The use of methods at molecular scale for the discovery of new potential active ligands, as well as previously unknown binding sites for target proteins, is now an established reality. Literature offers many successful stories of active compounds developed starting from insights obtained in silico and approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA). One of the most famous examples is raltegravir, a HIV integrase inhibitor, which was developed after the discovery of a previously unknown transient binding area thanks to molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular simulations have the potential to also improve the design and engineering of drug delivery devices, which are still largely based on fundamental conservation equations. Although they can highlight the dominant release mechanism and quantitatively link the release rate to design parameters (size, drug loading, et cetera), their spatial resolution does not allow to fully capture how phenomena at molecular scale influence system behavior. In this scenario, the "computational microscope" offered by simulations at atomic scale can shed light on the impact of molecular interactions on crucial parameters such as release rate and the response of the drug delivery device to external stimuli, providing insights that are difficult or impossible to obtain experimentally. Moreover, the new paradigm brought by nanomedicine further underlined the importance of such computational microscope to study the interactions between nanoparticles and biological components with an unprecedented level of detail. Such knowledge is a fundamental pillar to perform device engineering and to achieve efficient and safe formulations. After a brief theoretical background, this review aims at discussing the potential of molecular simulations for the rational design of drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Bioscience, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, Zürich 8093, Switzerland; Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Via la Santa 1, Lugano 6962, Switzerland.
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10
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11
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Perego C, Pesce L, Capelli R, George SJ, Pavan GM. Multiscale Molecular Modelling of ATP‐Fueled Supramolecular Polymerisation and Depolymerisation**. CHEMSYSTEMSCHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/syst.202000038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Perego
- Department of Innovative Technologies University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Galleria 2 Via Cantonale 2c 6928 Manno Switzerland
| | - Luca Pesce
- Department of Innovative Technologies University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Galleria 2 Via Cantonale 2c 6928 Manno Switzerland
| | - Riccardo Capelli
- Department of Applied Science and Technology Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 10129 Torino Italy
| | - Subi J. George
- Supramolecular Chemistry Laboratory New Chemistry Unit Jawaharlal Neru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research Jakkur Bangalore 560064 India
| | - Giovanni M. Pavan
- Department of Innovative Technologies University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Galleria 2 Via Cantonale 2c 6928 Manno Switzerland
- Department of Applied Science and Technology Politecnico di Torino Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 10129 Torino Italy
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12
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Vereroudakis E, Bantawa M, Lafleur RP, Parisi D, Matsumoto NM, Peeters JW, Del Gado E, Meijer EW, Vlassopoulos D. Competitive Supramolecular Associations Mediate the Viscoelasticity of Binary Hydrogels. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2020; 6:1401-1411. [PMID: 32875081 PMCID: PMC7453573 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular polymers are known to form strong and resilient hydrogels which can take up large amounts of water while exhibiting ease of processing and self-healing. They also possess similarities with networks of biological macromolecules. The combination of these features makes supramolecular polymers ideal candidates for studying mechanisms and consequences of self-assembly, which are relevant to biological materials. At the same time, this renders investigations of mixed hydrogels based on different supramolecular compounds necessary, since this substantially widens their applicability. Here, we address unusual viscoelastic properties of a class of binary hydrogels made by mixing fibrillar supramolecular polymers that are formed from two compounds: 1,3,5-benzene-tricarboxamide decorated with aliphatic chains terminated by tetra(ethylene glycol) (BTA) and a 20 kg/mol telechelic poly(ethylene glycol) decorated with the same hydrogen bonding BTA motif on both ends (BTA-PEG-BTA). Using a suite of experimental and simulation techniques, we find that the respective single-compound-based supramolecular systems form very different networks which exhibit drastically different rheology. More strikingly, mixing the compounds results in a non-monotonic dependence of modulus and viscosity on composition, suggesting a competition between interactions of the two compounds, which can then be used to fine-tune the mechanical properties. Simulations offer insight into the nature of this competition and their remarkable qualitative agreement with the experimental results is promising for the design of mixed hydrogels with desired and tunable properties. Their combination with a sensitive dynamic probe (here rheology) offer a powerful toolbox to explore the unique properties of binary hydrogel mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Vereroudakis
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation
for Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science & Technology, University
of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Minaspi Bantawa
- Department
of Physics, Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20057, United States
| | - René P.
M. Lafleur
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Daniele Parisi
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation
for Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science & Technology, University
of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Nicholas M. Matsumoto
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Emanuela Del Gado
- Department
of Physics, Institute for Soft Matter Synthesis and Metrology, Georgetown University, 37th and O Streets, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20057, United States
| | - E. W. Meijer
- Institute
for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven
University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Dimitris Vlassopoulos
- Institute
of Electronic Structure and Laser, Foundation
for Research and Technology (FORTH), 70013 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department
of Materials Science & Technology, University
of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
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13
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Kumar R, Lee YK, Jho YS. Martini Coarse-Grained Model of Hyaluronic Acid for the Structural Change of Its Gel in the Presence of Monovalent and Divalent Salts. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134602. [PMID: 32610441 PMCID: PMC7370153 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyaluronic acid (HA) has a wide range of biomedical applications including the formation of hydrogels, microspheres, sponges, and films. The modeling of HA to understand its behavior and interaction with other biomolecules at the atomic level is of considerable interest. The atomistic representation of long HA polymers for the study of the macroscopic structural formation and its interactions with other polyelectrolytes is computationally demanding. To overcome this limitation, we developed a coarse grained (CG) model for HA adapting the Martini scheme. A very good agreement was observed between the CG model and all-atom simulations for both local (bonded interactions) and global properties (end-to-end distance, a radius of gyration, RMSD). Our CG model successfully demonstrated the formation of HA gel and its structural changes at high salt concentrations. We found that the main role of CaCl2 is screening the electrostatic repulsion between chains. HA gel did not collapse even at high CaCl2 concentrations, and the osmotic pressure decreased, which agrees well with the experimental results. This is a distinct property of HA from other proteins or polynucleic acids which ensures the validity of our CG model. Our HA CG model is compatible with other CG biomolecular models developed under the Martini scheme, which allows for large-scale simulations of various HA-based complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj Kumar
- Department of Physics and Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University (GNU), 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (R.K.); (Y.K.L.)
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Jaypee University of Information Technology (JUIT), Waknaghat, Solan 173234, India
| | - Young Kyu Lee
- Department of Physics and Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University (GNU), 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (R.K.); (Y.K.L.)
| | - Yong Seok Jho
- Department of Physics and Research Institute of Natural Science, Gyeongsang National University (GNU), 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea; (R.K.); (Y.K.L.)
- Correspondence:
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Casalini T, Limongelli V, Schmutz M, Som C, Jordan O, Wick P, Borchard G, Perale G. Molecular Modeling for Nanomaterial-Biology Interactions: Opportunities, Challenges, and Perspectives. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:268. [PMID: 31681746 PMCID: PMC6811494 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Injection of nanoparticles (NP) into the bloodstream leads to the formation of a so-called "nano-bio" interface where dynamic interactions between nanoparticle surfaces and blood components take place. A common consequence is the formation of the protein corona, that is, a network of adsorbed proteins that can strongly alter the surface properties of the nanoparticle. The protein corona and the resulting structural changes experienced by adsorbed proteins can lead to substantial deviations from the expected cellular uptake as well as biological responses such as NP aggregation and NP-induced protein fibrillation, NP interference with enzymatic activity, or the exposure of new antigenic epitopes. Achieving a detailed understanding of the nano-bio interface is still challenging due to the synergistic effects of several influencing factors like pH, ionic strength, and hydrophobic effects, to name just a few. Because of the multiscale complexity of the system, modeling approaches at a molecular level represent the ideal choice for a detailed understanding of the driving forces and, in particular, the early events at the nano-bio interface. This review aims at exploring and discussing the opportunities and perspectives offered by molecular modeling in this field through selected examples from literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Casalini
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland
| | - Vittorio Limongelli
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Center for Computational Medicine in Cardiology, Institute of Computational Science, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | - Mélanie Schmutz
- Technology and Society Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Som
- Technology and Society Laboratory, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Jordan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Peter Wick
- Laboratory for Particles – Biology Interactions, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), St. Gallen, Switzerland
| | - Gerrit Borchard
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, Genève, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppe Perale
- Polymer Engineering Laboratory, Department of Innovative Technologies, Institute for Mechanical Engineering and Materials Technology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI), Manno, Switzerland
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Wien, Austria
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15
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Chakraborty S, Berac CM, Kemper B, Besenius P, Speck T. Modeling Supramolecular Polymerization: The Role of Steric Effects and Hydrophobic Interactions. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Saikat Chakraborty
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7-9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Christian M. Berac
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Graduate School “Materials Science in Mainz”, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Benedict Kemper
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Pol Besenius
- Institut für Organische Chemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Duesbergweg 10-14, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Graduate School “Materials Science in Mainz”, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Thomas Speck
- Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 7-9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Graduate School “Materials Science in Mainz”, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Staudingerweg 9, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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16
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Dutta K, Bochicchio D, Ribbe AE, Alfandari D, Mager J, Pavan GM, Thayumanavan S. Symbiotic Self-Assembly Strategy toward Lipid-Encased Cross-Linked Polymer Nanoparticles for Efficient Gene Silencing. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:24971-24983. [PMID: 31264399 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b04731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
A novel "symbiotic self-assembly" strategy that integrates the advantages of biocompatible lipids with a structurally robust polymer to efficiently encapsulate and deliver siRNAs is reported. The assembly process is considered to be symbiotic because none of the assembling components are capable of self-assembly but can form well-defined nanostructures in the presence of others. The conditions of the self-assembly process are simple but have been chosen such that it offers the ability to arrive at a system that is noncationic for mitigating carrier-based cytotoxicity, efficiently encapsulate siRNA to minimize cargo loss, be effectively camouflaged to protect the siRNA from nuclease degradation, and efficiently escape the endosome to cause gene knockdown. The lipid-siRNA-polymer (L-siP) nanoassembly formation and its disassembly in the presence of an intracellular trigger have been extensively characterized experimentally and through computational modeling. The complexes have been evaluated for the delivery of four different siRNA molecules in six different cell lines, where an efficient gene knockdown is demonstrated. The reported generalized strategy has the potential to make an impact on the development of a safe and effective delivery agent for RNAi-mediated gene therapy that holds the promise of targeting several hard-to-cure diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Davide Bochicchio
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Giovanni M Pavan
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
- Department of Applied Science and Technology , Politecnico di Torino , Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24 , 10129 Torino , Italy
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17
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Bochicchio D, Kwangmettatam S, Kudernac T, Pavan GM. How Defects Control the Out-of-Equilibrium Dissipative Evolution of a Supramolecular Tubule. ACS NANO 2019; 13:4322-4334. [PMID: 30875196 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b09523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Supramolecular architectures that work out-of-equilibrium or that can change in specific ways when absorbing external energy are ubiquitous in nature. Gaining the ability to create via self-assembly artificial materials possessing such fascinating behaviors would have a major impact in many fields. However, the rational design of similar dynamic structures requires to understand and, even more challenging, to learn how to master the molecular mechanisms governing how the assembled systems evolve far from the equilibrium. Typically, this represents a daunting challenge due to the limited molecular insight that can be obtained by the experiments or by classical modeling approaches. Here we combine coarse-grained molecular models and advanced simulation approaches to study at submolecular (<5 Å) resolution a supramolecular tubule, which breaks and disassembles upon absorption of light energy triggering isomerization of its azobenzene-containing monomers. Our approach allows us to investigate the molecular mechanism of monomer transition in the assembly and to elucidate the kinetic process for the accumulation of the transitions in the system. Despite the stochastic nature of the excitation process, we demonstrate how these tubules preferentially dissipate the absorbed energy locally via the amplification of defects in their supramolecular structure. We find that this constitutes the best kinetic pathway for accumulating monomer transitions in the system, which determines the dynamic evolution out-of-equilibrium and the brittle behavior of the assembly under perturbed conditions. Thanks to the flexibility of our models, we finally come out with a general principle, where defects explain and control the brittle/soft behavior of such light-responsive assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Bochicchio
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , Galleria 2, Via Cantonale 2c , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
| | - Supaporn Kwangmettatam
- Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology , University of Twente , PO Box 207, 7500 AE Enschede , The Netherlands
| | - Tibor Kudernac
- Molecular Nanofabrication Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology , University of Twente , PO Box 207, 7500 AE Enschede , The Netherlands
| | - Giovanni M Pavan
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , Galleria 2, Via Cantonale 2c , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
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18
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Casellas NM, Pujals S, Bochicchio D, Pavan GM, Torres T, Albertazzi L, García-Iglesias M. From isodesmic to highly cooperative: reverting the supramolecular polymerization mechanism in water by fine monomer design. Chem Commun (Camb) 2018; 54:4112-4115. [PMID: 29620772 DOI: 10.1039/c8cc01259h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Two structurally-similar discotic molecules able to self-assemble in water, forming supramolecular fibers, are reported. While both self-assembled polymers are indistinguishable from a morphological point-of-view, a dramatic change in their polymerization mechanism is observed (i.e., one self-assemble via an isodesmic mechanism, while the other shows one of the highest cooperativity values).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas M Casellas
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Calle Francisco Tomás y Valiente, 7, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
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19
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Perrin E, Schoen M, Coudert FX, Boutin A. Structure and Dynamics of Solvated Polymers near a Silica Surface: On the Different Roles Played by Solvent. J Phys Chem B 2018; 122:4573-4582. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.7b11753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elsa Perrin
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
- Fakultät für Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Sekr. C7, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Schoen
- Fakultät für Mathematik und Naturwissenschaften, Stranski-Laboratorium für Physikalische und Theoretische Chemie, Sekr. C7, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Engineering
Building I, Box 7905, 911 Partners Way, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - François-Xavier Coudert
- Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, CNRS, Institut de Recherche de Chimie Paris, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Anne Boutin
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France
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20
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Torchi A, Bochicchio D, Pavan GM. How the Dynamics of a Supramolecular Polymer Determines Its Dynamic Adaptivity and Stimuli-Responsiveness: Structure-Dynamics-Property Relationships From Coarse-Grained Simulations. J Phys Chem B 2018. [PMID: 29543455 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.8b00428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The rational design of supramolecular polymers that can adapt or respond in time to specific stimuli in a controlled way is interesting for many applications, but this requires understanding the molecular factors that make the material faster or slower in responding to the stimulus. To this end, it is necessary to study the dynamic adaptive properties at submolecular resolution, which is difficult at an experimental level. Here we show coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations (<5 Å resolution) demonstrating how the dynamic adaptivity and stimuli responsiveness of a supramolecular polymer is controlled by the intrinsic dynamics of the assembly, which is in turn determined by the structure of the monomers. As a representative case, we focus on a water-soluble 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamide (BTA) supramolecular polymer incorporating (charged) receptor monomers, experimentally seen to undergo dynamic clustering following the superselective binding to a multivalent recruiter. Our simulations show that the dynamic reorganization of the supramolecular structure proceeds via monomer diffusion on the dynamic fiber surface (exchange within the fiber). Rationally changing the structure of the monomers to make the fiber surface more or less dynamic allows tuning the rate of response to the stimulus and of supramolecular reconfiguration. Simple in silico experiments draw a structure-dynamics-property relationship revealing the key factors underpinning the dynamic adaptivity and stimuli-responsiveness of these supramolecular polymers. We come out with clear evidence that to master the bioinspired properties of these fibers, it is necessary to control their intrinsic dynamics, while the high-resolution of our molecular models permits us to show how.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Torchi
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , Galleria 2, Via Cantonale 2c , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
| | - Davide Bochicchio
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , Galleria 2, Via Cantonale 2c , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
| | - Giovanni M Pavan
- Department of Innovative Technologies , University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland , Galleria 2, Via Cantonale 2c , CH-6928 Manno , Switzerland
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21
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Korlepara DB, Balasubramanian S. Molecular modelling of supramolecular one dimensional polymers. RSC Adv 2018; 8:22659-22669. [PMID: 35539740 PMCID: PMC9081382 DOI: 10.1039/c8ra03402h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Supramolecular polymers exemplify the need to employ several computational techniques to study processes and phenomena occuring at varied length and time scales. Electronic processes, conformational and configurational excitations of small aggregates of chromophoric molecules, solvent effects under realistic thermodynamic conditions and mesoscale morphologies are some of the challenges which demand hierarchical modelling approaches. This review focusses on one-dimensional supramolecular polymers, the mechanism of self-assembly of monomers in polar and non-polar solvents and properties they exhibit. Directions for future work are as well outlined. Hierarchical computational modelling approaches for the study of supramolecular polymers is reviewed.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya B. Korlepara
- Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
- Bangalore
- India
| | - S. Balasubramanian
- Chemistry and Physics of Materials Unit
- Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research
- Bangalore
- India
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22
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Arefi HH, Yamamoto T. Communication: Self-assembly of a model supramolecular polymer studied by replica exchange with solute tempering. J Chem Phys 2017; 147:211102. [PMID: 29221407 DOI: 10.1063/1.5008275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Conventional molecular-dynamics (cMD) simulation has a well-known limitation in accessible time and length scales, and thus various enhanced sampling techniques have been proposed to alleviate the problem. In this paper, we explore the utility of replica exchange with solute tempering (REST) (i.e., a variant of Hamiltonian replica exchange methods) to simulate the self-assembly of a supramolecular polymer in explicit solvent and compare the performance with temperature-based replica exchange MD (T-REMD) as well as cMD. As a test system, we consider a relatively simple all-atom model of supramolecular polymerization (namely, benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides in methylcyclohexane solvent). Our results show that both REST and T-REMD are able to predict highly ordered polymer structures with helical H-bonding patterns, in contrast to cMD which completely fails to obtain such a structure for the present model. At the same time, we have also experienced some technical challenge (i.e., aggregation-dispersion transition and the resulting bottleneck for replica traversal), which is illustrated numerically. Since the computational cost of REST scales more moderately than T-REMD, we expect that REST will be useful for studying the self-assembly of larger systems in solution with enhanced rearrangement of monomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadi H Arefi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yamamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
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