Design and Self-Assembly of Sugar-Based Amphiphiles: Spherical to Cylindrical Micelles

Analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry: An update for 2021-2022

The use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry for the analysis of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates is a well-established technique and this review is the 12th update of the original article published in 1999 and brings coverage of the literature to the end of 2022. As with previous review, this review also includes a few papers that describe methods appropriate to analysis by MALDI, such as sample preparation, even though the ionization method is not MALDI. The review follows the same format as previous reviews. It is divided into three sections: (1) general aspects such as theory of the MALDI process, matrices, derivatization, MALDI imaging, fragmentation, quantification and the use of computer software for structural identification. (2) Applications to various structural types such as oligo- and polysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosides and biopharmaceuticals, and (3) other general areas such as medicine, industrial processes, natural products and glycan synthesis where MALDI is extensively used. Much of the material relating to applications is presented in tabular form. MALDI is still an ideal technique for carbohydrate analysis, particularly in its ability to produce single ions from each analyte and advancements in the technique and range of applications show little sign of diminishing.

Amphiphilic Low-Molecular-Weight Gelators Bearing β-S-N-Acetylglucosamine Linked to a Tartaric Acid Scaffold: Synthesis, Self-Assembly and Wheat Germ Agglutinin Binding

The self-assembly of carbohydrate-based amphiphiles can lead to colloidal soft materials such as supramolecular gels featuring highly desirable characteristics like biodegradability and biocompatibility. The report herein presents the synthesis, characterization and supramolecular self-assembly, physical gelation and wheat lectin binding of two structurally related amphiphilic compounds having β-S-N-acetylglucosamine residues linked to a 2,3-diacyl-N,N'-dipropargylated-l-tartaric diamide. A 1-thio-β-N-acetyl-d-glucosamine precursor attached to a conveniently functionalized linker with an azido group was synthesized by means of a one-pot procedure followed by deprotection. A click reaction successfully led to the two amphiphiles, which differed in length of the fatty acid attached to the tartaric acid scaffold. Although both compounds are poorly soluble in water and organic solvents, the difference in terms of hydrophilic moieties provided them with distinct supramolecular gelation properties. While the presence of an octadecyl chain produced a hydrogelator, the dodecadecyl homologue would only form weak gels in DMSO. SEM and rheology experiments confirmed the characteristic fibrillar morphology and viscoelastic properties, in agreement with the presence of physical gels. Both amphiphiles were able to interact reversibly with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), a lectin that specifically recognizes GlcNAc residues, indicating a potential use in the food industry, as a gluten sensitivity manager, as well as in health-related industries, for example, for drug delivery systems.

Research Status of Dendrimer Micelles in Tumor Therapy for Drug Delivery

Dendrimers are a family of polymers with highly branched structure, well-defined composition, and extensive functional groups, which have attracted great attention in biomedical applications. Micelles formed by dendrimers are ideal nanocarriers for delivering anticancer agents due to the explicit study of their characteristics of particle size, charge, and biological properties such as toxicity, blood circulation time, biodistribution, and cellular internalization. Here, the classification, preparation, and structure of dendrimer micelles are reviewed, and the specific functional groups modified on the surface of dendrimers for tumor active targeting, stimuli-responsive drug release, reduced toxicity, and prolonged blood circulation time are discussed. In addition, their applications are summarized as various platforms for biomedical applications related to cancer therapy including drug delivery, gene transfection, nano-contrast for imaging, and combined therapy. Other applications such as tissue engineering and biosensor are also involved. Finally, the possible challenges and perspectives of dendrimer micelles for their further applications are discussed.

Unusual Increasing Viscoelasticity of Wormlike Micelles Composed of Imidazolium Gemini Surfactants with Temperature

The viscoelasticity of wormlike micelles composed of ionic surfactants typically shows an exponential decrease with increasing temperature, which limits their application in relatively high-temperature (>90.0 °C) oilfields and the synthesis of functional materials as supramolecular templates at high temperatures. In this work, a series of imidazolium gemini surfactants, 1,9-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(3-alkyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium) bromide ([C_n-2-C_nim]Br₂, n = 12, 14, 16, 18, 20), were synthesized. Their surface activities and aggregation behaviors in water were studied by electrical conductivity, rheology, polarization optical microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, ζ potential, and hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. [C₁₂-2-C₁₂im]Br₂ and [C₁₄-2-C₁₄im]Br₂ mainly precipitate in water. [C_n-2-C_nim]Br₂ (n = 16, 18, 20) forms lamellar liquid crystals over a large range of concentrations at low temperatures. With the increase of temperature, the lamellar liquid crystals transit to wormlike micelles. Interestingly, the viscoelasticity of the three wormlike micelles first increases to the maximum and then decreases with increasing temperature. These wormlike micelles without additives retain high viscoelasticity up to 90.0 °C or above. With the increase of the alkyl chain length of the surfactants, the transition temperature of lamellar liquid crystal to wormlike micelles and the disintegration temperature of wormlike micelles increase. The unusual increase of the viscoelasticity of wormlike micelles was due to the desorption of weakly bound counterions and the extension of the long hydrophobic chains of surfactants at high temperatures.

Tuning the Chiral Structures from Self-Assembled Carbohydrate Derivatives

Carbohydrates have been regarded as one of the most ideally suited candidates for chirality study via self-assembly owning to their unique chemical structures, abundance, and sustainability. Much efforts have been devoted to design and synthesize diverse carbohydrate derivatives and self-assemble them into various supermolecular morphologies. Nevertheless, still inadequate attention is paid to deeply and comprehensively understand how the carbohydrate structures and self-assembly approaches affect the final morphologies and properties for future demands. Herein, to fulfill the need, a range of recently published studies relating to the chirality of carbohydrates is reviewed and discussed. Furthermore, to tune the chirality of carbohydrate-based structures on both molecular and superstructural levels via chirality transfer and chirality expression, the designing of the molecules and choosing of the proper approaches for self-assembly are elucidated.

Mannose-based surfactant as biofunctional nanoemulsion stabilizer

The development and implementation of new amphiphiles based on natural resources rather than petrochemical precursors is an essential requirement due to their feedstock depletion and adverse environmental impacts. In addition, the use of bio-based surfactants can provide unique characteristics and improve the properties and versatility of the colloidal systems in which they are applied, such as emulsions. Here, the emulsification properties of a synthesized biocompatible mannose-based surfactant were investigated. Its behavior was evaluated in the presence of four different natural oils (castor, sunflower, olive and soybean) as well as two different aqueous phases (pure water and phosphate-buffered saline). The results highlighted its interest as surfactant in O/W nanoemulsions for all tested oil and aqueous phases, using a low-energy preparation protocol and relatively low surfactant concentrations. Furthermore, the mannose groups present on the polar head of the surfactant and adsorbed on the surface of the emulsion droplets were shown to retain their native biological properties. The specific mannose-concanavalin A binding was observed in vitro by the designed nanoemulsions, revealing the biorecognition properties of the surfactant and its potential applicability as a nanocarrier.