1
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Dasaro SR, Singh A, Vlachos P, Ristroph KD. Mechanistic insights into how mixing factors govern polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexation in RNA lipid nanoparticle formulation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 678:98-107. [PMID: 39182390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.08.150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 08/19/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Lipid nanoparticle self-assembly is a complex process that relies on ion pairing between nucleic acids and hydrophobic cationic lipid counterions for encapsulation. The chemical factors influencing this process, such as formulation composition, have been the focus of recent research. However, the physical factors, particularly the mixing protocol, which directly modulates these chemical factors, have yet to be mechanistically examined using a reproducible mixing platform comparable to the industry standard. We here utilize Flash NanoPrecipitation (FNP), a scalable rapid mixing platform, to isolate and systematically investigate how mixing factors influence this complexation step, first by using a model polyelectrolyte-surfactant system and then generalizing to a typical RNA lipid nanoparticle formulation. EXPERIMENTS Aqueous polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) solutions are rapidly homogenized using reproducible FNP mixing and controlled flow rates at different stoichiometric ratios and total solids concentrations to form polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes (PESCs). Then, key mixing factors such as total flow rate, inlet stream relative volumetric flow rate, and magnitude of flow fluctuation are studied using both this PESC system and an RNA lipid nanoparticle formulation. FINDINGS Fluctuations in flow as low as ± 5 % of the total flow rate are found to severely compromise PESC formation. This result is replicated in the RNA lipid nanoparticle system, which exhibited significant differences in size (132.7 nm vs. 75.6 nm) and RNA encapsulation efficiency (34.0 % vs. 82.8 %) under fluctuating vs. steady flow. We explain these results in light of the chemical variables isolated and studied; slow or nonuniform mixing generates localized concentration gradients that disrupt the balance between the hydrophobic and electrostatic forces that drive complex formation. These experiments contribute to our understanding of the complexation stage of lipid nanoparticle formation and provide practical insights into the importance of developing controlled mixing protocols in industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia R Dasaro
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 225 S. University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Abhishek Singh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 585 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Pavlos Vlachos
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 585 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Kurt D Ristroph
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, 225 S. University St., West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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2
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Ghosh R, Singh B, Basu S, Mondal A, Maiti PK, De M. Reversing the Trend: Deciphering Self-Assembly of Unconventional Amphiphiles Having Both Alkyl-Chain and PEG. Chempluschem 2024; 89:e202400147. [PMID: 38623044 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202400147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
In the field of molecular self-assembly, the core of an assembly is always made up of hydrophobic moiety like a long alkyl chain, whereas the outer part has always been a hydrophilic moiety such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), or charged species. Hence, reversing the trend to manifest self-assembled structures with a PEG core and a surface consisting of alkyl chains in aqueous system is incredibly challenging. Herein, we architected a unique class of cationic bolaamphiphiles containing low molecular weight PEG and alkyl chains of different lengths. The bolaamphiphiles spontaneously form vesicles without external stimuli. These vesicles are unprecedented because PEG makes up the vesicle core, while the alkyl chains appear on the vesicles' exterior. Hence, this particular design reverses the usual trend of self-assembly formation. The vesicle size increases with the increase in alkyl chain-length. To our great surprise, we obtained large micelles for longest alkyl-chain amphiphile, which in turn act as a gemini amphiphile. The shift from a particular bolaamphiphile to gemini amphiphile with the variation of alkyl chain is also unexplored. Therefore, this specific class of self-assembled structure would compound a new paradigm in molecular self-assembly and supramolecular chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ghosh
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Bharat Singh
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Subhadip Basu
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Avijit Mondal
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Prabal Kumar Maiti
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
| | - Mrinmoy De
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, 560012, India
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3
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Hardt M, Honnigfort C, Carrascosa-Tejedor J, Braun MG, Winnall S, Glikman D, Gutfreund P, Campbell RA, Braunschweig B. Photoresponsive arylazopyrazole surfactant/PDADMAC mixtures: reversible control of bulk and interfacial properties. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:9975-9984. [PMID: 38695540 DOI: 10.1039/d3nr05414d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
In many applications of polyelectrolyte/surfactant (P/S) mixtures, it is difficult to fine-tune them after mixing the components without changing the sample composition, e.g. pH or the ionic strength. Here we report on a new approach where we use photoswitchable surfactants to enable drastic changes in both the bulk and interfacial properties. Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) mixtures with three alkyl-arylazopyrazole butyl sulfonates (CnAAP) with -H, -butyl and -octyl tails are applied and E/Z photoisomerization of the surfactants is used to cause substantially different hydrophobic interactions between the surfactants and PDADMAC. These remotely controlled changes affect significantly the P/S binding and allows for tuning both the bulk and interfacial properties of PDADMAC/CnAAP mixtures through light irradiation. For that, we have fixed the surfactant concentrations at values where they exhibit pronounced surface tension changes upon E/Z photoisomerization with 365 nm UV light (Z) and 520 nm green (E) light and have varied the PDADMAC concentration. The electrophoretic mobility can be largely tuned by photoisomerisation of CnAAP surfactants and P/S aggregates, which can even exhibit a charge reversal from negative to positive values or vice versa. In addition, low colloidal stability at equimolar concentrations of PDADMAC with CnAAP surfactants in the E configuration lead to the formation of large aggregates in the bulk which can be broken up by irradiation with UV light when the surfactant's alkyl chain is short enough (C0AAP). Vibrational sum-frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy reveals changes at the interface similar to the bulk, where the charging state at air-water interfaces can be modified with light irradiation. Using SFG spectroscopy, we interrogated the O-H stretching modes of interfacial H2O and provide qualitative information on surface charging that is complemented by neutron reflectometry, from which we resolved the surface excesses of PDADMAC and CnAAP at the air-water interface, independently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hardt
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Christian Honnigfort
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Javier Carrascosa-Tejedor
- Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 20156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Marius G Braun
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Samuel Winnall
- Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 20156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Dana Glikman
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
| | - Philipp Gutfreund
- Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), 71 avenue des Martyrs, CS 20156, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Richard A Campbell
- Division of Pharmacy & Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Björn Braunschweig
- Institute of Physical Chemistry and Center for Soft Nanoscience, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 28/30, 48149 Münster, Germany.
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4
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Weiand E, Koenig PH, Rodriguez-Ropero F, Roiter Y, Angioletti-Uberti S, Dini D, Ewen JP. Boundary Lubrication Performance of Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complexes on Biomimetic Surfaces. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:7933-7946. [PMID: 38573738 PMCID: PMC11025133 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Aqueous mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and surfactants are useful in many industrial applications, such as shampoos and hair conditioners. In this work, we investigate the friction between biomimetic hair surfaces in the presence of adsorbed complexes formed from cationic polyelectrolytes and anionic surfactants in an aqueous solution. We apply nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations using the coarse-grained MARTINI model. We first developed new MARTINI parameters for cationic guar gum (CGG), a functionalized, plant-derived polysaccharide. The complexation of CGG and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on virgin and chemically damaged biomimetic hair surfaces was studied using a sequential adsorption approach. We then carried out squeeze-out and sliding NEMD simulations to assess the boundary lubrication performance of the CGG-SDS complex compressed between two hair surfaces. At low pressure, we observe a synergistic friction behavior for the CGG-SDS complex, which gives lower shear stress than either pure CGG or SDS. Here, friction is dominated by viscous dissipation in an interfacial layer comprising SDS and water. At higher pressures, which are probably beyond those usually experienced during hair manipulation, SDS and water are squeezed out, and friction increases due to interdigitation. The outcomes of this work are expected to be beneficial to fine-tune and screen sustainable hair care formulations to provide low friction and therefore a smooth feel and reduced entanglement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Weiand
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Institute
of Molecular Science and Engineering, Imperial
College London, South
Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Thomas
Young Centre for the Theory and Simulation of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Peter H. Koenig
- Corporate
Functions Analytical and Data & Modeling Sciences, Mason Business
Center, The Procter and Gamble Company, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States
| | - Francisco Rodriguez-Ropero
- Corporate
Functions Analytical and Data & Modeling Sciences, Mason Business
Center, The Procter and Gamble Company, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States
| | - Yuri Roiter
- Corporate
Functions Analytical and Data & Modeling Sciences, Mason Business
Center, The Procter and Gamble Company, Mason, Ohio 45040, United States
| | - Stefano Angioletti-Uberti
- Institute
of Molecular Science and Engineering, Imperial
College London, South
Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Thomas
Young Centre for the Theory and Simulation of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Department
of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Daniele Dini
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Institute
of Molecular Science and Engineering, Imperial
College London, South
Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Thomas
Young Centre for the Theory and Simulation of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - James P. Ewen
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College
London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Institute
of Molecular Science and Engineering, Imperial
College London, South
Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Thomas
Young Centre for the Theory and Simulation of Materials, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
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5
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Qiu Q, Wang Z, Lan L. Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complex Nanofibrous Membranes for Antibacterial Applications. Polymers (Basel) 2024; 16:414. [PMID: 38337304 DOI: 10.3390/polym16030414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes (PESCs) have garnered significant attention due to their extensive range of biological and industrial applications. Most present applications are predominantly used in liquid or emulsion states, which limits their efficacy in solid material-based applications. Herein, pre-hydrolyzed polyacrylonitrile (HPAN) and quaternary ammonium salts (QAS) are employed to produce PESC electrospun membranes via electrospinning. The formation process of PESCs in a solution is observed. The results show that the degree of PAN hydrolysis and the varying alkyl chain lengths of surfactants affect the rate of PESC formation. Moreover, PESCs/PCL hybrid electrospun membranes are fabricated, and their antibacterial activities against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) are investigated. The resulting electrospun membranes exhibit high bactericidal efficacy, which enables them to serve as candidates for future biomedical and filtration applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaohua Qiu
- College of Textile Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Zhengkai Wang
- College of Textile Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Liying Lan
- College of Textile Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
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6
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Zhang L, Sekhar KPC, Yang Y, Dong S, Song A, Hao J. Developing Safe Organohydrogel Sunscreens Using Polyelectrolyte-Betaine Surfactant Complexes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:17333-17341. [PMID: 37988122 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Oil-in-water emulsions are extensively used in skincare products due to their improved texture, stability, and effectiveness. There is limited success in developing effective delivery systems that can selectively target the active sunscreen ingredients onto the skin surface. Herein, an organohydrogel was prepared by physical cross-linking of an oil-in-water nanoemulsion with chitosan under neutral pH conditions. In the presence of a small quantity of coconut oil, lauramidopropyl betaine and glycerol were able to emulsify the active sunscreen ingredients into nanoscale droplets with enhanced ultraviolet light absorption. A facile pH-triggered interfacial cross-linking approach was applied to transform the nanoemulsion into an organohydrogel sunscreen. Furthermore, the organohydrogel sunscreen displayed encouraging characteristics including efficient UV-blocking capacity, resistance to water, simple removal, and minimal skin penetration. This facile approach provides an effective pathway for scaling up the organohydrogels, which are highly suitable for the safe application of sunscreen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liquan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Kanaparedu P C Sekhar
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Yujie Yang
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Shuli Dong
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Aixin Song
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Jingcheng Hao
- Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
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7
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Fehér B, Wacha A, Jezsó B, Bóta A, Pedersen JS, Varga I. The evolution of equilibrium poly(styrene sulfonate) and dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide supramolecular structure in dilute aqueous solution with increasing surfactant binding. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 651:992-1007. [PMID: 37586154 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS In the last 20 years, it has been demonstrated that oppositely charged polyelectrolyte-surfactant (PE-S) mixtures are prone to forming kinetically arrested non-equilibrium aggregates, which are present in the prepared mixtures from rather low surfactant-to-polymer-repeat-unit ratios. Practically, this means that the PE-S mixtures used for the structural investigations of the formed PE-S complexes are typically a mixture of the primary PE-S complexes and large non-equilibrium aggregates of close to charge-neutral complexes. EXPERIMENTS In this work, we present a unique approach that allows the preparation of PE-S mixtures in the equilibrium one-phase region (surfactant binding β, is typically below 80%) without forming non-equilibrium aggregates. We used this method to prepare equilibrium, non-aggregated complexes of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) (NaPSS, Mw = 17 kDa) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) (β = 10 - 70%) both in water and in an inert electrolyte (100 mM NaCl). The evolution of the complex structure was monitored by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as a function of increasing surfactant binding (β), and the measured scattering data were fitted by suitable structural models on an absolute scale where concentrations, compositions, and scattering contrasts calculated from molecular properties are used as restraints. FINDINGS We could show that at low binding (β < 30%), the system is a mixture of bare polyelectrolyte coils and NaPSS-DTAB complexes containing a closed surfactant associates of low aggregation number wrapped by the polyelectrolyte chain. Once all polymer chains are occupied by a micelle-like surfactant aggregate, the aggregation number increases linearly with increasing surfactant chemical potential. Using the structural insight provided by the SAXS measurements, we could fit the experimental binding isotherm data with a physically coherent, simple thermodynamic model. Finally, we also compared the stoichiometric NaPSS-DTAB precipitate's structure with the equilibrium complexes' structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Fehér
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark; Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - András Wacha
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Bálint Jezsó
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Attila Bóta
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Jan Skov Pedersen
- Department of Chemistry and Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 14, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
| | - Imre Varga
- Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
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8
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Bak M, Mihály J, Gyulai G, Szalai I, Varga I, Mészáros R. Structuring liquids through solvent-assisted interfacial association of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and amphiphiles. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 650:1097-1104. [PMID: 37467638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Sculpting liquids into different shapes is usually based on the interfacial interactions of functionalized nanoparticles or polymers with specific ligands, leading to exciting material properties due to the combination of the mobility of liquid components with the solid-like characteristic of the arrested liquid/liquid interface. There is an intense interest in novel structured liquids produced from simple compounds with versatile application potentials. Complexes of oppositely charged commercial polyelectrolytes and traditional aliphatic surfactants are good candidates for this goal since they reveal rich structural features and could adsorb at various interfaces. However, they have not been applied yet for structuring liquids. EXPERIMENTS The interfacial interactions and film formation between aqueous sodium poly(styrene) sulfonate solutions (NaPSS) and hexadecylamine (HDA) solutions in various alkanols were investigated by surface tension measurements and ATR-IR spectroscopy. 3D printing experiments also assessed the robustness of the formed films. FINDINGS Arrested fatty alcohol/water interfaces were formed due to the interfacial association of NaPSS, HDA, and alkanol molecules, which also act as cosurfactants in the surface region. These solid films enable the synthesis of temperature-sensitive all-in-liquid constructs and offer alternatives to bulk polyion/mixed surfactant assemblies prepared earlier through numerous synthesis steps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónika Bak
- Laboratory of Interfaces and Nanosized Systems, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - Judith Mihály
- Biological Nanochemistry Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Magyar tudósok körútja 2, Hungary
| | - Gergő Gyulai
- Laboratory of Interfaces and Nanosized Systems, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - István Szalai
- Laboratory of Interfaces and Nanosized Systems, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - Imre Varga
- Laboratory of Interfaces and Nanosized Systems, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary
| | - Róbert Mészáros
- Laboratory of Interfaces and Nanosized Systems, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Hungary; Department of Chemistry, J. Selye University, 945 01 Komárno, Slovakia.
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9
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Shyichuk A, Ziółkowska D, Szulc J. Coagulation of Hydrophobic Ionic Associates of Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide and Carrageenan. Molecules 2023; 28:7584. [PMID: 38005305 PMCID: PMC10673590 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28227584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In aqueous solutions, cetyltrimethylammonium cations bind to carrageenan polyanions, and the resulting ionic associates form macroscopic aggregates due to hydrophobic interaction. At certain ratios of cetyltrimethylammonium to carrageenan, the resulting colloidal particles auto-flocculate. According to visual observations, the ratio ranges from 1 to 3 mmol/g; otherwise the suspensions are stable. By measuring the sedimentation rate and particle size distribution, the most extensive flocculation was found to be from 1.7 to 2.3 mmol/g. The ratio corresponding to the fastest auto-flocculation was precisely determined by titrating the reagents with small increments and recording the turbidity. The turbidimetric titration plots contain distinct break points corresponding to the most extensive flocculation. These break points occur at the same ratio of carrageenan to cetyltrimethylammonium over a wide range of reagent concentrations. The precise values of the critical ratio were found to be 1.78 and 1.53 mmol/g, respectively, during the titration of cetyltrimethylammonium with carrageenan and vice versa. The number of anionic sulfate groups in carrageenan was measured by ICP OES and found to be 1.35 mmol/g. This value is consistent with the critical ratio of the auto-flocculation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dorota Ziółkowska
- Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Seminaryjna 3, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (A.S.); (J.S.)
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10
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Carrascosa-Tejedor J, Tummino A, Fehér B, Kardos A, Efstratiou M, Skoda MWA, Gutfreund P, Maestro A, Lawrence MJ, Campbell RA, Varga I. Effects of Charge Density on Spread Hyperbranched Polyelectrolyte/Surfactant Films at the Air/Water Interface. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:14869-14879. [PMID: 37839073 PMCID: PMC10601538 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
The interfacial structure and morphology of films spread from hyperbranched polyethylene imine/sodium dodecyl sulfate (PEI/SDS) aggregates at the air/water interface have been resolved for the first time with respect to polyelectrolyte charged density. A recently developed method to form efficient films from the dissociation of aggregates using a minimal quantity of materials is exploited as a step forward in enhancing understanding of the film properties with a view to their future use in technological applications. Interfacial techniques that resolve different time and length scales, namely, ellipsometry, Brewster angle microscopy, and neutron reflectometry, are used. Extended structures of both components are formed under a monolayer of the surfactant with bound polyelectrolytes upon film compression on subphases adjusted to pH 4 or 10, corresponding to high and low charge density of the polyelectrolyte, respectively. A rigid film is related to compact conformation of the PEI in the interfacial structure at pH 4, while it is observed that aggregates remain embedded in mobile films at pH 10. The ability to compact surfactants in the monolayer to the same extent as its maximum coverage in the absence of polyelectrolyte is distinct from the behavior observed for spread films involving linear polyelectrolytes, and intriguingly evidence points to the formation of extended structures over the full range of surface pressures. We conclude that the molecular architecture and charge density can be important parameters in controlling the structures and properties of spread polyelectrolyte/surfactant films, which holds relevance to a range of applications, such as those where PEI is used, including CO2 capture, electronic devices, and gene transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Carrascosa-Tejedor
- Division
of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS20156, Grenoble 38042, France
| | - Andrea Tummino
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS20156, Grenoble 38042, France
- CEA
Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, 17 Rue des Martyrs, Grenoble Cedex 9 38054, France
| | - Bence Fehér
- Institute
of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd
University, 112, Budapest H-1518, Hungary
| | - Attila Kardos
- Institute
of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd
University, 112, Budapest H-1518, Hungary
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Education, J. Selye
University, Komárno 945 01, Slovakia
| | - Marina Efstratiou
- Division
of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | - Maximilian W. A. Skoda
- ISIS
Neutron
and Muon Source, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0QX, U.K.
| | - Philipp Gutfreund
- Institut
Laue-Langevin, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS20156, Grenoble 38042, France
| | - Armando Maestro
- Basque
Foundation for Science, Plaza Euskadi 5, Bilbao 48009, Spain
- Centro
de Fısica de Materiales (CSIC, UPV/EHU)—Materials Physics
Center MPC, Paseo Manuel
de Lardizabal 5, San Sebastián E-20018, Spain
| | - M. Jayne Lawrence
- Division
of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | - Richard A. Campbell
- Division
of Pharmacy and Optometry, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, U.K.
| | - Imre Varga
- Institute
of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd
University, 112, Budapest H-1518, Hungary
- Department
of Chemistry, Faculty of Education, J. Selye
University, Komárno 945 01, Slovakia
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11
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Li H, Lalwani SM, Eneh CI, Braide T, Batys P, Sammalkorpi M, Lutkenhaus JL. A Perspective on the Glass Transition and the Dynamics of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers and Complexes. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:14823-14839. [PMID: 37819874 PMCID: PMC10863056 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c00974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) or polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), formed by layer-by-layer assembly or the mixing of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes (PEs) in aqueous solution, respectively, have potential applications in health, energy, and the environment. PEMs and PECs are very tunable because their structure and properties are influenced by factors such as pH, ionic strength, salt type, humidity, and temperature. Therefore, it is increasingly important to understand how these factors affect PECs and PEMs on a molecular level. In this Feature Article, we summarize our contributions to the field in the development of approaches to quantify the swelling, thermal properties, and dynamic mechanical properties of PEMs and PECs. First, the role of water as a plasticizer and in the glass-transition temperature (Tg) in both strong poly(diallyldimethylammonium)/poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PDADMA/PSS) and weak poly(allylamine hydrochloride)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAH/PAA) systems is presented. Then, factors influencing the dynamics of PECs and PEMs are discussed. We also reflect on the swelling of PEMs in response to different salts and solvent additives. Last, the nature of water's microenvironment in PEMs/PECs is discussed. A special emphasis is placed on experimental techniques, along with molecular simulations. Taken together, this review presents an outlook and offers recommendations for future research directions, such as studying the additional effects of hydrogen-bonding hydrophobic interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Li
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Suvesh Manoj Lalwani
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Chikaodinaka I. Eneh
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Tamunoemi Braide
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Piotr Batys
- Jerzy
Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy
of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Krakow, Poland
| | - Maria Sammalkorpi
- Department
of Chemistry and Materials Science, Aalto
University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
- Department
of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
- Academy
of Finland Center of Excellence in Life-Inspired Hybrid Materials
(LIBER), Aalto University, P.O. Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland
| | - Jodie L. Lutkenhaus
- Artie
McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas
A&M University, College
Station, Texas 77840, United States
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12
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Carrillo JM, Wang Y, Kumar R, Sumpter BG. Coarse-grained explicit-solvent molecular dynamics simulations of semidilute unentangled polyelectrolyte solutions. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2023; 46:92. [PMID: 37796422 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00342-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
We present results from explicit-solvent coarse-grained molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of fully charged, salt-free, and unentangled polyelectrolytes in semidilute solutions. The inclusion of a polar solvent in the model allows for a more physical representation of these solutions at concentrations, where the assumptions of a continuum dielectric medium and screened hydrodynamics break down. The collective dynamic structure factor of polyelectrolytes, S(q, t), showed that at [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the polyelectrolyte peak in the structure factor S(q) and [Formula: see text] is the correlation length, the relaxation time obtained from fits to stretched exponential was [Formula: see text], which describes unscreened Zimm-like dynamics. This is in contrast to implicit-solvent simulations using a Langevin thermostat where [Formula: see text]. At [Formula: see text], a crossover region was observed that eventually transitions to another inflection point [Formula: see text] at length scales larger than [Formula: see text] for both implicit- and explicit-solvent simulations. The simulation results were also compared to scaling predictions for correlation length, [Formula: see text], specific viscosity, [Formula: see text], and diffusion coefficient, [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the polyelectrolyte concentration. The scaling prediction for [Formula: see text] holds; however, deviations from the predictions for [Formula: see text] and D were observed for systems at higher [Formula: see text], which are in qualitative agreements with recent experimental results. This study highlights the importance of explicit-solvent effects in molecular dynamics simulations, particularly in semidilute solutions, for a better understanding of polyelectrolyte solution behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan-Michael Carrillo
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - Yangyang Wang
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
| | - Bobby G Sumpter
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
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13
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Lamch Ł, Szczęsna W, Balicki SJ, Bartman M, Szyk-Warszyńska L, Warszyński P, Wilk KA. Multiheaded Cationic Surfactants with Dedicated Functionalities: Design, Synthetic Strategies, Self-Assembly and Performance. Molecules 2023; 28:5806. [PMID: 37570776 PMCID: PMC10421305 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Contemporary research concerning surfactant science and technology comprises a variety of requirements relating to the design of surfactant structures with widely varying architectures to achieve physicochemical properties and dedicated functionality. Such approaches are necessary to make them applicable to modern technologies, such as nanostructure engineering, surface structurization or fine chemicals, e.g., magnetic surfactants, biocidal agents, capping and stabilizing reagents or reactive agents at interfaces. Even slight modifications of a surfactant's molecular structure with respect to the conventional single-head-single-tail design allow for various custom-designed products. Among them, multicharge structures are the most intriguing. Their preparation requires specific synthetic routes that enable both main amphiphilic compound synthesis using appropriate step-by-step reaction strategies or coupling approaches as well as further derivatization toward specific features such as magnetic properties. Some of the most challenging aspects of multicharge cationic surfactants relate to their use at different interfaces for stable nanostructures formation, applying capping effects or complexation with polyelectrolytes. Multiheaded cationic surfactants exhibit strong antimicrobial and antiviral activity, allowing them to be implemented in various biomedical fields, especially biofilm prevention and eradication. Therefore, recent advances in synthetic strategies for multiheaded cationic surfactants, their self-aggregation and performance are scrutinized in this up-to-date review, emphasizing their applications in different fields such as building blocks in nanostructure engineering and their use as fine chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Łukasz Lamch
- Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; (Ł.L.); (W.S.); (S.J.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Weronika Szczęsna
- Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; (Ł.L.); (W.S.); (S.J.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Sebastian J. Balicki
- Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; (Ł.L.); (W.S.); (S.J.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Marcin Bartman
- Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; (Ł.L.); (W.S.); (S.J.B.); (M.B.)
| | - Liliana Szyk-Warszyńska
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Kraków, Poland; (L.S.-W.); (P.W.)
| | - Piotr Warszyński
- Jerzy Haber Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Niezapominajek 8, 30-239 Kraków, Poland; (L.S.-W.); (P.W.)
| | - Kazimiera A. Wilk
- Department of Engineering and Technology of Chemical Processes, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; (Ł.L.); (W.S.); (S.J.B.); (M.B.)
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14
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Santhamoorthy M, Thirupathi K, Kumar SSD, Pandiaraj S, Rahaman M, Phan TTV, Kim SC. k-Carrageenan based magnetic@polyelectrolyte complex composite hydrogel for pH and temperature-responsive curcumin delivery. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125467. [PMID: 37336380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The dual stimuli-responsive drug delivery system has attracted a lot of interest in controlled drug delivery to specific sites. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles integrated polyelectrolyte complex-based hydrogel (MPEC HG) system was developed in this work. First, magnetic nanoparticles were produced in situ in the synthetic polymer polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG). Furthermore, the natural biopolymer k-carrageenan (kCG) was employed to form the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) through charge-balancing interaction between positively charged guanidine units and negatively charged sulfonate groups. Various characterization approaches were used to characterize the developed magnetic polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel (MPEC HG) system. Curcumin (Cur) was employed as a model bioactive agent to examine the drug loading and stimuli-responsive drug release efficiency of the MPEC HG system. Under the combined pH and temperature stimuli conditions (pH 5.0/42 °C), the developed hydrogel system demonstrated great drug loading efficiency (~ 68 %) and enhanced drug release. Furthermore, the MPEC HG system's in vitro cytotoxicity behavior was investigated on a human liver cancer (HepG2) cell line, and the results revealed that the MPEC HG system is biocompatible. As a result, the MPEC HG system might be used for dual pH and temperature stimuli-responsive drug delivery applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kokila Thirupathi
- Department of Physics, Government Arts and Science College for Women, Karimngalam-635111, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar
- Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
| | - Saravanan Pandiaraj
- Department of Self-Development Skills, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mostafizur Rahaman
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thi Tuong Vy Phan
- Center for Advanced Chemistry, Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung, Hai Chau, Danang 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung, Hai Chau, Danang 550000, Viet Nam.
| | - Seong-Cheol Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Vasilieva EA, Kuznetsova DA, Valeeva FG, Kuznetsov DM, Zakharova LY. Role of Polyanions and Surfactant Head Group in the Formation of Polymer-Colloid Nanocontainers. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:1072. [PMID: 36985966 PMCID: PMC10056398 DOI: 10.3390/nano13061072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study was aimed at the investigation of the supramolecular systems based on cationic surfactants bearing cyclic head groups (imidazolium and pyrrolidinium) and polyanions (polyacrylic acid (PAA) and human serum albumin (HSA)), and factors governing their structural behavior to create functional nanosystems with controlled properties. Research hypothesis. Mixed PE-surfactant complexes based on oppositely charged species are characterized by multifactor behavior strongly affected by the nature of both components. It was expected that the transition from a single surfactant solution to an admixture with PE might provide synergetic effects on structural characteristics and functional activity. To test this assumption, the concentration thresholds of aggregation, dimensional and charge characteristics, and solubilization capacity of amphiphiles in the presence of PEs have been determined by tensiometry, fluorescence and UV-visible spectroscopy, and dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering. RESULTS The formation of mixed surfactant-PAA aggregates with a hydrodynamic diameter of 100-180 nm has been shown. Polyanion additives led to a decrease in the critical micelle concentration of surfactants by two orders of magnitude (from 1 mM to 0.01 mM). A gradual increase in the zeta potential of HAS-surfactant systems from negative to positive value indicates that the electrostatic mechanism contributes to the binding of components. Additionally, 3D and conventional fluorescence spectroscopy showed that imidazolium surfactant had little effect on HSA conformation, and component binding occurs due to hydrogen bonding and Van der Waals interactions through the tryptophan amino acid residue of the protein. Surfactant-polyanion nanostructures improve the solubility of lipophilic medicines such as Warfarin, Amphotericin B, and Meloxicam. PERSPECTIVES Surfactant-PE composition demonstrated beneficial solubilization activity and can be recommended for the construction of nanocontainers for hydrophobic drugs, with their efficacy tuned by the variation in surfactant head group and the nature of polyanions.
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16
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Signori F, Wennink JWH, Bronco S, Feijen J, Karperien M, Bizzarri R, Dijkstra PJ. Aggregation and Gelation Behavior of Stereocomplexed Four-Arm PLA-PEG Copolymers Containing Neutral or Cationic Linkers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043327. [PMID: 36834737 PMCID: PMC9962659 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based hydrogels were prepared by mixing phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4) solutions of four-arm (PEG-PLA)2-R-(PLA-PEG)2 enantiomerically pure copolymers having the opposite chirality of the poly(lactide) blocks. Dynamic Light Scattering, rheology measurements, and fluorescence spectroscopy suggested that, depending on the nature of the linker R, the gelation process followed rather different mechanisms. In all cases, mixing of equimolar amounts of the enantiomeric copolymers led to micellar aggregates with a stereocomplexed PLA core and a hydrophilic PEG corona. Yet, when R was an aliphatic heptamethylene unit, temperature-dependent reversible gelation was mainly induced by entanglements of PEG chains at concentrations higher than 5 wt.%. When R was a linker containing cationic amine groups, thermo-irreversible hydrogels were promptly generated at concentrations higher than 20 wt.%. In the latter case, stereocomplexation of the PLA blocks randomly distributed in micellar aggregates is proposed as the major determinant of the gelation process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Signori
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tech Med Centre, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, CNR-IPCF, Area della Ricerca di Pisa, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jos W. H. Wennink
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tech Med Centre, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Simona Bronco
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche—Istituto per i Processi Chimico-Fisici, CNR-IPCF, Area della Ricerca di Pisa, Via Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Jan Feijen
- Department of Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tech Med Centre, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Karperien
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tech Med Centre, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Ranieri Bizzarri
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma 65, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: (R.B.); (P.J.D.)
| | - Pieter J. Dijkstra
- Department of Developmental BioEngineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tech Med Centre, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (R.B.); (P.J.D.)
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17
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Bezrukov A, Galyametdinov Y. Tuning Properties of Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Associates in Two-Phase Microfluidic Flows. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14245480. [PMID: 36559847 PMCID: PMC9788532 DOI: 10.3390/polym14245480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This work focuses on identifying and prioritizing factors that allow control of the properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes in two-phase microfluidic confinement and provide advantages over synthesis of such complexes in macroscopic conditions. We characterize the impact of polymer and surfactant aqueous flow conditions on the formation of microscale droplets and fluid threads in the presence of an immiscible organic solvent. We perform an experimental and selected numerical analysis of fast supramolecular reactions in droplets and threads. The work offers a quantitative control over properties of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes produced in two-phase confinement by varying capillary numbers and the ratio of aqueous and organic flowrates. We propose a combined thread-droplet mode to synthesize polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes. This mode allows the production of complexes in a broader size range of R ≈ 70-200 nm, as compared with synthesis in macroscopic conditions and the respective sizes R ≈ 100-120 nm. Due to a minimized impact of undesirable post-chip reactions and ordered microfluidic confinement conditions, the dispersity of microfluidic aggregates (PDI = 0.2-0.25) is lower than that of their analogs synthesized in bulk (PDI = 0.3-0.4). The proposed approach can be used for tailored synthesis of target drug delivery polyelectrolyte-surfactant systems in lab-on-chip devices for biomedical applications.
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