1
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Kumar S, Kohlbrecher J, Aswal VK. Competing Effects of Temperature and Polymer Concentration on Evolution of Re-entrant Interactions in the Nanoparticle-Block Copolymer System. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:14888-14899. [PMID: 38976366 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
An interesting evolution of the re-entrant interaction has been observed in an anionic silica nanoparticle (NP)-block copolymer (P85) dispersion due to mutually competing effects of temperature and polymer concentration. It has been demonstrated that a rise in the temperature leads to an evolution of attraction in the system, which interestingly diminishes on increasing the polymer concentration. Consequently, the system exhibits a re-entrant transition from repulsive to attractive and back to repulsive at a given temperature but with respect to the increasing polymer concentration, within a selected region of concentration and temperature. The intriguing observations have been elucidated based on the temperature/concentration-dependent modifications in the interactions governing the system, as probed by contrast-variation small-angle neutron scattering. The initial transition from the repulsive to attractive system is attributed to the temperature-driven enhancement in the hydrophobicity of the amphiphilic triblock copolymer (P85) adsorbed on nanoparticles. The strength and range of this attraction are found to be more than van der Waals attraction while relatively less than electrostatic interaction. At higher polymer concentrations, the saturation of polymer adsorption on nanoparticles introduces additional steric repulsion along with electrostatic interaction between their conjugates, effectively reducing the strength of the attraction. However, with a significant increase in temperature (>75 °C), the attraction again dominates the system, which eventually leads to the particle aggregation at all the measured polymer concentrations (>0.1 wt %). Our study provides useful inputs to develop smart NP-polymer composites having capabilities to respond to external stimuli such as temperature/concentration variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sugam Kumar
- Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400 094, India
| | - Joachim Kohlbrecher
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), Villigen CH-5232, Switzerland
| | - Vinod K Aswal
- Solid State Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai 400 094, India
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2
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Luo H, Ouyang M, Li H, Nie S, Xu D, Zhao T. Concave Gold Nanocubes Exhibit Growth-Etching Behavior: Unexpected Morphological Transformations. Inorg Chem 2024; 63:13110-13116. [PMID: 38940642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c02346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Chemical equilibrium stands as a fundamental principle governing the dynamics of chemical systems. However, it may become intricate when it refers to nanomaterials because of their unique properties. Here, we invesitigated concave gold nanocubes (CGNs) subjected to an akaline Au3+/H2O2 solution, which exhibit both etching and growth in a monotonic solution. When CGNs were subjected to an increasingly alkaline Au3+/H2O2 solution, their dimensions increased from 107 to 199 nm and then decreased to 125 nm. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that their morphology undergoes intricate alternations from concave to mutibranch and finally to concave again. Real-time ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and time-dependent TEM also demonstrated reduction first and then oxidation in one solution. Among the nanomaterials, the obtained carpenterworm-like gold nanoparticles revealed the best catalytic performance in p-nitrophenol reduction by NaBH4, with a chemical rate that continues to increase until the reaction reaches completion. Growth leading to atomic dislocation, distortion, and exposure on nanoparticles and the redox of H2O2 plausibly account for the further etching due to the Ostwald ripening effect. Our study may spur more interest in the tuning of the properties, engineering, investigation, and design of new kinds of nanomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Luo
- National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and Byproducts Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Min Ouyang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and Byproducts Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Hongchen Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and Byproducts Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Saiqun Nie
- School of Packaging and Materials Engineering, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
| | - Dong Xu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and Byproducts Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Tian Zhao
- School of Packaging and Materials Engineering, Hunan University of Technology, Zhuzhou 412007, China
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3
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Liu H, An L, Ruan Y, Lu Y. Flow Behavior of Entangled Polymer Nanoparticle Composites in a Nanotube: Insights into Jamming State. Macromol Rapid Commun 2024; 45:e2400019. [PMID: 38544358 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202400019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Using molecular dynamics simulations, this study investigates the equilibrium properties and flow behaviors of entangled polymer nanoparticle composites (PNCs) within a nanotube. The results show that the density distribution of nanoparticles (NPs), displacement of polymer chains and NPs, and the moduli of PNCs remain relatively unaffected when NP volume fractions (ΦN) ≤0.10. However, the flow behavior of entangled PNCs deviates from the ideal parabolic profile seen in unentangled PNCs, displaying plug-like flow characteristics with a significant platform region, indicating the presence of shear bands. Interestingly, entangled PNCs at intermediate ΦN values undergo a significant alteration in NP distribution under steady flow, resulting in notable NP aggregation. At ΦN = 0.30, a distinct change in the static structure of PNCs occurs, reducing the equilibrium distance between neighboring NPs. Consequently, the motion of both polymer chains and NPs becomes restricted, leading to an increase in the moduli of PNCs resembling solid-like behavior. Additionally, the entangled PNCs experience a complete absence of flow, indicating the entry into a jamming state. This study contributes to the understanding of PNCs flow behavior and provides insights into fundamental aspects and practical implications of PNCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Lijia An
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
| | - Yongjin Ruan
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Yuyuan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- School of Applied Chemistry and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, P. R. China
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4
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Li HY, Zhang B, Wang ZY. Conformational and static properties of tagged chains in solvents: effect of chain connectivity in solvent molecules. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:3073-3081. [PMID: 38265776 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm01473h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Polymer chains immersed in different solvent molecules exhibit diverse properties due to multiple spatiotemporal scales and complex interactions. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we study the conformational and static properties of tagged chains in different solvent molecules. Two types of solvent molecules were examined: one type consisted of chain molecules connected by bonds, while the other type consisted of individual bead molecules without any bonds. The only difference between the two solvent molecules lies in the chain connectivity. Our results show a compression of the tagged chains with the addition of bead or chain molecules. Chain molecule confinement induces a stronger compression compared to bead molecule confinement. In chain solvent molecules, the tagged chain's radius of gyration reached a minimum at a monomer volume fraction of ∼0.3. Notably, the probability distributions of chain size remain unchanged at different solvent densities, irrespective of whether the solvent consists of beads or polymers. Furthermore, as solvent density increases, a crossover from a unimodal to a bimodal distribution of bond angles is observed, indicating the presence of both compressed and expanded regions within the chain. The effective monomer-solvent interaction is obtained by calculating the partial radial distribution function and the potential of the mean force. In chain solvents, the correlation hole effect results in a reduced number of nearest neighbors around tagged monomers compared to bead solvents. The calculation of pore size distribution reveals that the solvent nonhomogeneity induced by chain connectivity leads to a broader distribution of pore sizes and larger pore dimensions at low volume fractions. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the conformational behavior of polymer chains in different solvent environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yao Li
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Structure Optoelectronics, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Bokai Zhang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Structure Optoelectronics, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhi-Yong Wang
- School of Physical Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Micro-Nano Structure Optoelectronics, Chongqing 400715, China
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5
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Colijn I, van der Kooij HM, Schroën K. From fundamental insights to rational (bio)polymer nanocomposite design - Connecting the nanometer to meter scale. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 324:103076. [PMID: 38301315 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.103076] [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: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Nanoparticle addition has the potential to make bioplastic use mainstream, as the resultant nanocomposite shows improved mechanical, barrier, and thermal properties. It is well established that the architecture and dynamics of the nanoparticle-polymer interphasial region, ∼ 1.5-9 nm from the nanoparticle surface, are crucial for nanocomposite characteristics. Yet, how these molecular phenomena translate to the bulk is still largely unknown. A multi-disciplinary and multi-scale vision is required to capture the full picture and improve materials far beyond what is currently possible. In this review, a first step in bridging the apparent gap between fundamental insights toward observed material properties is made. At the molecular scale, the polymer chain density and dynamics at the nanoparticle surface are governed by a complex interplay between enthalpy and entropy. The resultant interphasial properties can only be propagated to the macroscopic scale effectively when the nanoparticles are well-distributed. This makes the dispersion state a key parameter for which thermodynamic and kinetic insights can be used to prevent nanoparticle aggregation. These insights are linked to material properties relevant to packaging. The outlook section elaborates on the remaining challenges and the steps required to further understand and better design nanocomposite systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivanna Colijn
- Wageningen University and Research, Food Process Engineering Group, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Hanne M van der Kooij
- Wageningen University and Research, Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter Group, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Karin Schroën
- Wageningen University and Research, Food Process Engineering Group, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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6
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Luo MB, Hua DY. Simulation Study on the Mechanism of Intermediate Subdiffusion of Diffusive Particles in Crowded Systems. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:34188-34195. [PMID: 37744832 PMCID: PMC10515404 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
The intermediate subdiffusion of diffusive particles in crowded systems is studied for two model systems: the continuous time random walk (CTRW) model and the obstruction-binding model. For the CTRW model with an arbitrarily given longest waiting time τmax, we find that the diffusive particle exhibits subdiffusion below τmax and recovers normal diffusion above τmax. For the obstruction-binding model with randomly distributed attractive obstacles, the diffusion of the diffusive particle is dependent on the binding energy and the density of obstacles. Interestingly, diffusion curves for different binding strengths can be overlapped by rescaling the simulation time, indicating that the diffusive particle in the obstruction-binding model can change from the intermediate subdiffusion to the normal diffusion at a long-term simulation scale. The results of the two model systems show that the diffusive particles only exhibit intermediate subdiffusion below the longest waiting time. Therefore, long timescale subdiffusion would only be observed in the CTRW model with an infinitely long waiting time and in the obstruction-binding model with an infinitely large binding strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Bo Luo
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Dao-Yang Hua
- School of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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7
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Khan RAA, Luo M, Alsaad AM, Qattan IA, Abedrabbo S, Hua D, Zulfqar A. The Role of Polymer Chain Stiffness and Guest Nanoparticle Loading in Improving the Glass Transition Temperature of Polymer Nanocomposites. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:1896. [PMID: 37446412 DOI: 10.3390/nano13131896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The impact of polymer chain stiffness characterized by the bending modulus (kθ) on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of pure polymer systems, as well as polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), is investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. At small kθ values, the pure polymer system and respective PNCs are in an amorphous state, whereas at large kθ values, both systems are in a semicrystalline state with a glass transition at low temperature. For the pure polymer system, Tg initially increases with kθ and does not change obviously at large kθ. However, the Tg of PNCs shows interesting behaviors with the increasing volume fraction of nanoparticles (fNP) at different kθ values. Tg tends to increase with fNP at small kθ, whereas it becomes suppressed at large kθ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Azhar Ashraaf Khan
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Mengbo Luo
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Ahmad M Alsaad
- Department of Physics, Jordan University of Science & Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan
| | - Issam A Qattan
- Department of Physics, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Sufian Abedrabbo
- Department of Physics, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 127788, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Daoyang Hua
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
| | - Afsheen Zulfqar
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua 321004, China
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8
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Jiang Y, Seto R. Colloidal gelation with non-sticky particles. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2773. [PMID: 37188701 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38461-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Colloidal gels are widely applied in industry due to their rheological character-no flow takes place below the yield stress. Such property enables gels to maintain uniform distribution in practical formulations; otherwise, solid components may quickly sediment without the support of gel matrix. Compared with pure gels of sticky colloids, therefore, the composites of gel and non-sticky inclusions are more commonly encountered in reality. Through numerical simulations, we investigate the gelation process in such binary composites. We find that the non-sticky particles not only confine gelation in the form of an effective volume fraction, but also introduce another lengthscale that competes with the size of growing clusters in gel. The ratio of two key lengthscales in general controls the two effects. Using different gel models, we verify such a scenario within a wide range of parameter space, suggesting a potential universality in all classes of colloidal composites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Jiang
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Engineering, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- School of Physical Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China.
| | - Ryohei Seto
- Wenzhou Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Engineering, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), 325000, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Graduate School of Information Science, University of Hyogo, 650-0047, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan.
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9
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Brown CP, Hughes MDG, Mahmoudi N, Brockwell DJ, Coletta PL, Peyman S, Evans SD, Dougan L. Structural and mechanical properties of folded protein hydrogels with embedded microbubbles. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:2726-2737. [PMID: 36815670 PMCID: PMC10088474 DOI: 10.1039/d2bm01918c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Globular folded proteins are powerful building blocks to create biomaterials with mechanical robustness and inherent biological functionality. Here we explore their potential as advanced drug delivery scaffolds, by embedding microbubbles (MBs) within a photo-activated, chemically cross-linked bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein network. Using a combination of circular dichroism (CD), rheology, small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and microscopy we determine the nanoscale and mesoscale structure and mechanics of this novel multi-composite system. Optical and confocal microscopy confirms the presence of MBs within the protein hydrogel, their reduced diffusion and their effective rupture using ultrasound, a requirement for burst drug release. CD confirms that the inclusion of MBs does not impact the proportion of folded proteins within the cross-linked protein network. Rheological characterisation demonstrates that the mechanics of the BSA hydrogels is reduced in the presence of MBs. Furthermore, SANS reveals that embedding MBs in the protein hydrogel network results in a smaller number of clusters that are larger in size (∼16.6% reduction in number of clusters, 17.4% increase in cluster size). Taken together, we show that MBs can be successfully embedded within a folded protein network and ruptured upon application of ultrasound. The fundamental insight into the impact of embedded MBs in protein scaffolds at the nanoscale and mesoscale is important in the development of future platforms for targeted and controlled drug delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa P Brown
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Matt D G Hughes
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Najet Mahmoudi
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Spallation Source, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - David J Brockwell
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK
| | - P Louise Coletta
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research, Wellcome Trust Brenner Building, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK
| | - Sally Peyman
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Stephen D Evans
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
| | - Lorna Dougan
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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10
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Cheng R, Santos HA. Smart Nanoparticle-Based Platforms for Regulating Tumor Microenvironment and Cancer Immunotherapy. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202063. [PMID: 36479842 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Tumor development and metastasis are closely related to the tumor microenvironment (TME). Recently, several studies indicate that modulating TME can enhance cancer immunotherapy. Among various approaches to modulating TME, nanoparticles (NPs) with unique inherent advantages and smart modified characteristics are promising candidates in delivering drugs to cancer cells, amplifying the therapeutic effects, and leading to a cascade of immune responses. In this review, several smart NP-based platforms are briefly introduced, such as responsive NPs, targeting NPs, and the composition of TME, including dendritic cells, macrophages, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and regulatory T cells. Moreover, the recent applications of smart NP-based platforms in regulating TME and cancer immunotherapy are briefly introduced. Last, the advantages and disadvantages of these smart NP-based platforms in potential clinical translation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Cheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
- W. J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
| | - Hélder A Santos
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
- W. J. Kolff Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Ant. Deusinglaan 1, Groningen, 9713 AV, The Netherlands
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FI-00014, Finland
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11
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Agrawal S, Galmarini S, Kröger M. Voronoi tessellation-based algorithm for determining rigorously defined classical and generalized geometric pore size distributions. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:015307. [PMID: 36797966 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.015307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The geometric pore size distribution (PSD) P(r) as function of pore radius r is an important characteristic of porous structures, including particle-based systems, because it allows us to analyze adsorption behavior, the strength of materials, etc. Multiple definitions and corresponding algorithms, particularly in the context of computational approaches, exist that aim at calculating a PSD, often without mentioning the employed definition and therefore leading to qualitatively very different and apparently incompatible results. Here, we analyze the differences between the PSDs introduced by Torquato et al. and the more widely accepted one provided by Gelb and Gubbins, here denoted as T-PSD and G-PSD, respectively, and provide rigorous mathematical definitions that allow us to quantify the qualitative differences. We then extend G-PSD to incorporate the ideas of coating, which is significant for nanoparticle-based systems, and of finite probe particles, which is crucial to micro and mesoporous particles. We derive how the extended and classical versions are interrelated and how to calculate them properly. We next analyze various numerical approaches used to calculate classical G-PSDs and may be used to calculate the generalized G-PSD. To this end, we propose a simple yet sufficiently complicated benchmark for which we calculate the different PSDs analytically. This approach allows us to completely rule out a recently proposed algorithm based on radical Voronoi tessellation. Instead, we find and prove that the output of a grid-free classical Voronoi tessellation, namely, the properties of its triangulated faces, can be used to formulate an algorithm, which is capable of calculating the generalized G-PSD for a system of monodisperse spherical particles (or points) to any precision, using analytical expressions. The Voronoi-based algorithm developed and provided here has optimal scaling behavior and outperforms grid-based approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samarth Agrawal
- Laboratory for Building Energy Materials and Components, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Science and Technology, Empa, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.,Polymer Physics, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sandra Galmarini
- Laboratory for Building Energy Materials and Components, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Science and Technology, Empa, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Martin Kröger
- Polymer Physics, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.,Magnetism and Interface Physics, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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12
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Hua DY, Khan RAA, Luo MB. Langevin Dynamics Simulation on the Diffusivity of Polymers in Crowded Environments with Immobile Nanoparticles. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c01786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dao-Yang Hua
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310027, China
| | | | - Meng-Bo Luo
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou310027, China
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13
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Surface enrichment structures in a binary polymer system with different stiffnesses confined in slits. Colloid Polym Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00396-022-05041-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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14
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Song L, Patil S, Song Y, Chen L, Tian F, Chen L, Li X, Li L, Cheng S. Nanoparticle Clustering and Viscoelastic Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites with Non-Attractive Polymer–Nanoparticle Interactions. Macromolecules 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.2c00689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lixian Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, PR China
| | - Shalin Patil
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
| | - Yingze Song
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, PR China
| | - Liang Chen
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Fucheng Tian
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Le Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Energy Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, Sichuan 621010, PR China
| | - Xueyu Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Liangbin Li
- National Synchrotron Radiation Lab and CAS Key Laboratory of Soft Matter Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Shiwang Cheng
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, United States
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15
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Sazanova TS, Mochalov LA, Logunov AA, Kudryashov MA, Fukina DG, Vshivtsev MA, Prokhorov IO, Yunin PA, Smorodin KA, Atlaskin AA, Vorotyntsev AV. Influence of Temperature Parameters on Morphological Characteristics of Plasma Deposited Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12111838. [PMID: 35683699 PMCID: PMC9182487 DOI: 10.3390/nano12111838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Zinc oxide nanoparticles were obtained by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) under optical emission spectrometry control from elemental high-purity zinc in a zinc–oxygen–hydrogen plasma-forming gas mixture with varying deposition parameters: a zinc source temperature, and a reactor temperature in a deposition zone. The size and morphological parameters of the zinc oxide nanopowders, structural properties, and homogeneity were studied. The study was carried out with use of methods such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray structural analysis, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as statistical methods for processing and analyzing experimental data. It was established that to obtain zinc oxide nanoparticles with a given size and morphological characteristics using PECVD, it is necessary (1) to increase the zinc source temperature to synthesize more elongated structures in one direction (and vice versa), and (2) to decrease the reactor temperature in the deposition zone to reduce the transverse size of the deposited structures (and vice versa), taking into account that at relatively low temperatures instead of powder structures, films can form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana Sergeevna Sazanova
- Laboratory of Membrane and Catalytic Processes, Nanotechnology and Biotechnology Department, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev, Minin Str. 24, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia;
- Correspondence:
| | - Leonid Alexandrovich Mochalov
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Alexander Alexandrovich Logunov
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Mikhail Alexandrovich Kudryashov
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Diana Georgievna Fukina
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Maksim Anatolevich Vshivtsev
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Igor Olegovich Prokhorov
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Pavel Andreevich Yunin
- Department for Technology of Nanostructures and Devices, Institute for Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Science, Academic Str. 7, Afonino, 603087 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia;
| | - Kirill Alexandrovich Smorodin
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
| | - Artem Anatolevich Atlaskin
- Laboratory of SMART Polymeric Materials and Technologies, Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology, Miusskaya Sq. 9, 125047 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Andrey Vladimirovich Vorotyntsev
- Laboratory of Membrane and Catalytic Processes, Nanotechnology and Biotechnology Department, Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University n.a. R.E. Alekseev, Minin Str. 24, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia;
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory, Research Institute for Chemistry, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Gagarin Ave. 23, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; (L.A.M.); (A.A.L.); (M.A.K.); (D.G.F.); (M.A.V.); (I.O.P.); (K.A.S.)
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16
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Zhou Y, Schweizer KS. Theory for the Elementary Time Scale of Stress Relaxation in Polymer Nanocomposites. ACS Macro Lett 2022; 11:199-204. [PMID: 35574769 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
We construct a microscopic theory for the elementary time scale of stress relaxation in dense polymer nanocomposites. The key dynamical event is proposed to involve the rearrangement of cohesive segment-nanoparticle (NP) tight bridging complexes via an activated small NP dilational motion, which allows the confined segments to relax. The corresponding activation energy is determined by the NP bridge coordination number and potential of mean force barrier. The activation energy varies nonlinearly with interfacial cohesion strength and NP concentration, and a universal master curve is predicted. The theory is in very good agreement with experiments. The underlying ideas are relevant to a variety of other hybrid macromolecular materials involving hard particles and soft macromolecules.
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17
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Lu RX, Huang JH, Luo MB. A simulation study on the subdiffusion of polymer chains in crowded environments containing nanoparticles. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:3078-3085. [PMID: 35040462 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp03926a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Polymer chains in crowded environments often show subdiffusive behavior. We adopt molecular dynamics simulations to study the conditions for the subdiffusion of polymer chains in crowded environments containing randomly distributed, immobile, attractive nanoparticles (NPs). The attraction is strong enough to adsorb polymer chains on NPs. The results show that subdiffusion occurs at a low concentration of polymer chains (cp). A transition from subdiffusion to normal diffusion is observed when cp exceeds the transition concentration , which increases with increasing concentration of NPs while decreases with increasing size of NPs. The high concentration and small size of NPs exert a big effect on the subdiffusion of polymer chains. The subdiffusive behavior of polymer chains can be attributed to the strong adsorption of polymer chains on the attractive NPs. For the subdiffusion case, polymer chains are adsorbed strongly on multiple NPs, and they diffuse via the NP-exchange diffusion mechanism. However for the normal diffusion case, polymer chains are either free or weakly adsorbed on one or a few NPs, and they diffuse mainly via the adsorption-and-desorption diffusion mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Xing Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science of Polymer Materials of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Jian-Hua Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Key Laboratory of Surface & Interface Science of Polymer Materials of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Meng-Bo Luo
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China
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18
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Gentile L. Ferrihydrite nanoparticles entrapped in shear-induced multilamellar vesicles. J Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 606:1890-1896. [PMID: 34689045 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.09.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Ferrihydrite (Fh) nanoparticles are receiving considerable scientific interest due to their large reactive surface areas, crystalline structures, and nanoparticle morphology. They are of great importance in biogeochemical processes and have the ability to sequester hazardous and toxic substances. Here, the working hypothesis was to entrap fractal-like Fh nanoparticles, with a radius of gyration of 6.2 nm and a primary building block of polydisperse spheres with a radius of 0.8 nm, in a shear-induced multilamellar vesicle (MLV) state using a 40 wt% polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether surfactant. EXPERIMENTS Small- and Wide- Angle X-ray scattering revealed the equilibrium state of the non-ionic planar lamellar phase, the Fh dispersion, and their mixture. The MLV state was induced by using a shear flow in a Taylor-Couette geometry of a rheometer. FINDINGS The nonionic surfactant initially exhibited a lamellar gel phase with two distinct d-spacings of 11.0 and 9.7 nm, which collapsed into the MLV state under shear flow. The Fh nanoparticles induced bilayer attraction by suppressing lamellar layer undulations, decreasing the d-spacing. These results are helpful in the understanding of the relationship between nanoparticle size and nanoparticle-bilayers interactions and provides insight on Fh encapsulations in a kinetically stable MLVs state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Gentile
- Department of Chemistry, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Via Orabona 4, Bari 70126, Italy; Center of Colloid and Surface Science (CSGI) Bari Unit, Via Orabona 4 Bari 70126, Italy.
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19
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Zhao P, Li X, Tong Y, Dong X, Qi M. Effect of the interface between magnetic particles and carrier liquids on magnetorheological properties and sedimentation of magnetorheological fluids: A molecular dynamics simulation and experimental insights. J Mol Liq 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2021.117377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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20
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Sorichetti V, Hugouvieux V, Kob W. Dynamics of Nanoparticles in Polydisperse Polymer Networks: from Free Diffusion to Hopping. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c01394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Valerio Sorichetti
- Laboratoire de Physique Théorique et Modèles Statistiques (LPTMS), CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay, France
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Université Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
- IATE, Université Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, F-34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Virginie Hugouvieux
- IATE, Université Montpellier, INRAE, Institut Agro, F-34060 Montpellier, France
| | - Walter Kob
- Laboratoire Charles Coulomb (L2C), Université Montpellier, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France
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21
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Khan RAA, Qi HK, Huang JH, Luo MB. A simulation study on the effect of nanoparticle size on the glass transition temperature of polymer nanocomposites. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:8095-8104. [PMID: 34525159 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00843a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The effect of the size of nanoparticles, σNP, on the glass transition temperature, Tg, of polymer nanocomposites is studied by using molecular dynamics simulations. The variation of Tg with σNP shows two distinct behaviours for polymer nanocomposites at low and high volume fractions of nanoparticles (fNP). At a low fNP, Tg decays almost exponentially with σNP, whereas at a high fNPTg shows a complex behaviour: it initially increases and then decreases with increasing σNP. The decrease in Tg with σNP is due to the significant decrease of adsorbed polymer monomers, while the increase in Tg with σNP is attributed to the slower diffusion of larger nanoparticles. We have also investigated the diffusion and relaxation of polymer chains at a temperature above Tg for both low and high fNPs. The diffusion constant and relaxation time of polymer chains are highly consistent with the behaviour of Tg.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hang-Kai Qi
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Jian-Hua Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Meng-Bo Luo
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
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22
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Egorov SA. Nanoparticle diffusion in polymer melts in the presence of weak nanoparticle-monomer attractive interactions: A mode-coupling theory study. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:044904. [PMID: 34340386 DOI: 10.1063/5.0058164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mode-coupling theory is developed and employed to compute the nanoparticle diffusion coefficient in polymer solutions. Theoretical results are compared with molecular dynamics simulation data for a similar model. The theory properly reproduces the simulated effects of the nanoparticle size, mass, and concentration on the nanoparticle diffusion coefficient. Within the mode-coupling theory framework, a microscopic interpretation of the nonmonotonic dependence of the diffusion coefficient on the nanoparticle concentration is given in terms of structural and dynamic effects. Both the size dependence and mass dependence of the diffusion coefficient indicate a pronounced breakdown of the Stokes-Einstein relation for the present model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergei A Egorov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22901, USA
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23
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Khan RAA, Chen X, Qi HK, Huang JH, Luo MB. A novel shift in the glass transition temperature of polymer nanocomposites: a molecular dynamics simulation study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:12216-12225. [PMID: 34009220 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp00321f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The effect of the loading of nanoparticles on the glass transition temperature, Tg, of polymer nanocomposites is studied by using molecular dynamics simulations. Tg is estimated from the variation of system volume with temperature and the temperature-dependent diffusion of the polymer described by the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann law. The estimated values of Tg from the two methods are consistent with each other. Results show that Tg can be regulated by changing the volume fraction of nanoparticles, fNP. A novel shift in Tg is observed, that is, Tg increases with fNP at fNP < , while it decreases with increasing fNP at fNP > . The basic mechanism behind the novel shift in Tg is the competition between the attraction of nanoparticles towards polymer chains and the fast diffusion of nanoparticles. The increase in Tg at low fNP is due to the attraction of nanoparticles, whereas the decrease in Tg at high fNP is attributed to the fast diffusion of nanoparticles. The diffusion of the polymer above Tg is also investigated. The diffusion of the polymer decreases with increasing fNP below and increases with fNP above , in agreement with the variation of Tg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raja Azhar Ashraaf Khan
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Xian Chen
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Hang-Kai Qi
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Jian-Hua Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
| | - Meng-Bo Luo
- Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Quantum Technology and Device, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
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24
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Zhang B, Li J, Hu J, Liu L. Theory of polymer diffusion in polymer-nanoparticle mixtures: effect of nanoparticle concentration and polymer length. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:4632-4642. [PMID: 33949610 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm00226k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The dynamics of polymer-nanoparticle (NP) mixtures, which involves multiple scales and system-specific variables, has posed a long-standing challenge on its theoretical description. In this paper, we construct a microscopic theory for polymer diffusion in mixtures based on a combination of the generalized Langevin equation, mode-coupling approach, and polymer physics ideas. The parameter-free theory has an explicit expression and remains tractable on a pair correlation level with system-specific equilibrium structures as input. Taking a minimal polymer-NP mixture as an example, our theory correctly captures the dependence of polymer diffusion on NP concentration and average interparticle distance. Importantly, the polymer diffusion exhibits a power law decay as the polymer length increases at dense NPs and/or a long chain, which marks the emergence of entanglement-like motion. The work provides a first-principles theoretical foundation to investigate dynamic problems in diverse polymer nanocomposites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bokai Zhang
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Physics and Electronic Engineering, Heze University, Heze 274015, China
| | - Juanmei Hu
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Lei Liu
- Department of Physics, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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25
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Liu AY, Emamy H, Douglas JF, Starr FW. Effects of Chain Length on the Structure and Dynamics of Semidilute Nanoparticle–Polymer Composites. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ari Y. Liu
- Department of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, United States
| | - Hamed Emamy
- Department of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, United States
| | - Jack F. Douglas
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Francis W. Starr
- Department of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, United States
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26
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Pal T, Wessén J, Das S, Chan HS. Subcompartmentalization of polyampholyte species in organelle-like condensates is promoted by charge-pattern mismatch and strong excluded-volume interaction. Phys Rev E 2021; 103:042406. [PMID: 34005864 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.103.042406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Polyampholyte field theory and explicit-chain molecular dynamics models of sequence-specific phase separation of a system with two intrinsically disordered protein (IDP) species indicate consistently that a substantial polymer excluded volume and a significant mismatch of the IDP sequence charge patterns can act in concert, but not in isolation, to demix the two IDP species upon condensation. This finding reveals an energetic-geometric interplay in a stochastic, "fuzzy" molecular recognition mechanism that may facilitate subcompartmentalization of membraneless organelles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanmoy Pal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jonas Wessén
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Suman Das
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Hue Sun Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada
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27
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Lu S, Wu Z, Jayaraman A. Molecular Modeling and Simulation of Polymer Nanocomposites with Nanorod Fillers. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:2435-2449. [PMID: 33646794 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We present a coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs) containing nanorods with homogeneous and patchy surface chemistry/functionalization, modeled with isotropic and directional nanorod-nanorod attraction, respectively. We show how the PNC morphology is impacted by the nanorod design (i.e., aspect ratio, homogeneous or patchy surface chemistry/functionalization) for nanorods with a diameter equal to the Kuhn length of the polymer in the matrix. For PNCs with 10 vol % nanorods that have an aspect ratio ≤5, we observe percolated morphology with directional nanorod-nanorod attraction and phase-separated (i.e., nanorod aggregation) morphology with isotropic nanorod-nanorod attraction. In contrast, for nanorods with higher aspect ratios, both types of attractions result in aggregated nanorods morphology due to the dominance of entropic driving forces that cause long nanorods to form orientationally ordered aggregates. For most PNCs with isotropic or directional nanorod-nanorod attractions, the average matrix polymer conformation is not perturbed by the inclusion of up to 20 vol % nanorods. The polymer chains in contact with nanorods (i.e., interfacial chains) are on average extended and statistically different from the conformations the matrix chains adopt in the pure melt state (with no nanorods); in contrast, the polymer chains far from nanorods (i.e., bulk chains) adopt the same conformations as the matrix chains adopt in the pure melt state. We also study the effect of other parameters, such as attraction strength, nanorod volume fraction, and matrix chain length, for PNCs with isotropic or directional nanorod-nanorod attractions. Collectively, our results provide valuable design rules to achieve specific PNC morphologies (i.e., dispersed, aggregated, percolated, and orientationally aligned nanorods) for various potential applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shizhao Lu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Zijie Wu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, Delaware 19716, United States
| | - Arthi Jayaraman
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, 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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28
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Khatouri M, Ahfir R, Lemaalam M, El Khaoui S, Derouiche A, Filali M. Effect of hydrophobically modified PEO polymers (PEO-dodecyl) on oil/water microemulsion properties: in vitro and in silico investigations. RSC Adv 2021; 11:7059-7069. [PMID: 35423179 PMCID: PMC8694888 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra09804c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Microemulsions are excellent systems for transdermal delivery of multifunctional drugs because they have the potential to improve drug absorption/permeation and handling limitations. Biocompatible polymers are used as a coating of microemulsions to avoid the interactions that can occur between the microemulsions and the skin. Thus, they protect and lubricate these transporter nanovesicles. In this paper, we studied decane/water microemulsions covered with hydrophobically modified PEO polymer (PEO-m). To reveal the effect of hydrophobically modified PEO (PEO-m) polymer on the shape, the micro-arrangement and the dynamics of the microemulsions, we used an integrated strategy combining Molecular Dynamics simulation (MD), Small-Angle Neutron Scattering experiments (SANS), and the Ornstein-Zernike integral equations with the Hypernetted Chain (HNC) closure relation. We determined the microemulsion shape in vitro using the renormalized intensities spectra from SANS experiments. We discussed the micro arrangements of microemulsions, in vitro and in silico, employing the pair correlation function g(r) and the structure factor S(q), obtained from the three approaches with good agreement. Thus, we used the validated MD simulations to calculate the microemulsion's dynamics properties that we discussed using the mean-squared displacement (MSD) and the diffusion coefficients. We found that the presence of moderate quantities of PEO-m, from 4 to 12 PEO-m per microemulsion, does not influence the microemulsion shape, increases the stability of the microemulsion, and slightly decrease the dynamics. Our in vitro and in silico results suggest that polymer incorporation, which has interesting in vivo implications, has no disadvantageous effects on the microemulsion properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Khatouri
- Laboratoire de Physique Appliquée, Informatique et Statistique (LPAIS), Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University BP 1796 Fes Atlas Morocco
| | - R Ahfir
- Laboratoire de Physique Appliquée, Informatique et Statistique (LPAIS), Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University BP 1796 Fes Atlas Morocco
| | - M Lemaalam
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
| | - S El Khaoui
- Laboratoire de Physique Appliquée, Informatique et Statistique (LPAIS), Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University BP 1796 Fes Atlas Morocco
| | - A Derouiche
- Laboratoire de Physique des Polymères et Phénomènes Critiques Sciences Faculty Ben M'Sik, Hassan II University P.O. Box 7955 Casablanca Morocco
| | - M Filali
- Laboratoire de Physique Appliquée, Informatique et Statistique (LPAIS), Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University BP 1796 Fes Atlas Morocco
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29
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Zhou Y, Schweizer KS. PRISM Theory of Local Structure and Phase Behavior of Dense Polymer Nanocomposites: Improved Closure Approximation and Comparison with Simulation. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c02077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Zhou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Kenneth S. Schweizer
- Departments of Materials Science, Chemistry, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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30
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Shrestha UM, Han L, Saito T, Schweizer KS, Dadmun MD. Mechanism of Soft Nanoparticle Diffusion in Entangled Polymer Melts. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Umesh M. Shrestha
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
| | - Lu Han
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Tomonori Saito
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
| | - Kenneth S. Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Mark D. Dadmun
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, United States
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, United States
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31
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Nematollahi M, Jalali-Arani A, Golzar K, Modarress H. Investigation of nanoparticle-polymer interaction in bio-based nanosilica-filled PLA/NR nanocomposites: molecular dynamics simulation. J Mol Model 2020; 26:230. [PMID: 32785857 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-020-04431-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, by employing the COMPASS force field, was utilized to investigate structural and thermal characteristics as well as interfacial interactions between components of nanocomposite consisting of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/natural rubber (NR)/nanosilica, abbreviated as PSxN, where 1 ≤ x ≤ 7 and it represents the parts of SiO2 nanoparticles added to the PLA/NR (PN) blend. Analysis of the obtained results including density (ρ), fractional free volume (FFV), glass transition temperature (Tg), interaction energy (Einteraction), and radial distribution function (RDF) of these nanocomposites was performed. Comparing Einteraction of nanocomposites with that of the PN blend showed that the interactions between the chains of the two polymers are highly dependent on the added amounts of silica nanoparticles, so that by adding silica to the PN blend to obtain PS1N and PS3N nanocomposites, the amount of Einteraction was reduced to a smaller positive value, which indicates the tendency of the nanocomposite's components to interact with each other. By further addition of silica nanoparticles to have PS5N and PS7N nanocomposites and then by analysis of the RDF results, it was found that the nanoparticles were not well dispersed in these two nanocomposites and they were accumulated in the NR rubbery phase. Therefore, the percolation threshold for silica loading on the PN blend is at most 3 parts (x = 3). These results as well as the other obtained simulation results were compared with the available experimental data, and the agreement observed between them approved the simulation procedure and validated the obtained results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Nematollahi
- Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez St., Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Jalali-Arani
- Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez St., Tehran, Iran
| | - Karim Golzar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez St., Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Modarress
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, No. 424, Hafez St., Tehran, Iran.
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32
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Zhang X, Wei W, Jin X, Xiong H. Chain Dimension and Dynamics of Polymers in Well-Defined Non-sticky Nanocomposites of Molecular Nanoparticle Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane/Poly(butylene oxide). Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinlin Zhang
- Department of Polymer Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Polymer Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Polymer Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Huiming Xiong
- Department of Polymer Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
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33
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Bailey EJ, Winey KI. Dynamics of polymer segments, polymer chains, and nanoparticles in polymer nanocomposite melts: A review. Prog Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2020.101242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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34
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Pasquini M, Raos G. Tunable interaction potentials and morphology of polymer-nanoparticle blends. J Chem Phys 2020; 152:174902. [PMID: 32384852 DOI: 10.1063/5.0004437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the results of molecular dynamics simulations of a family of polymer nanocomposite systems. The polymer is described by a generic bead-and-spring model, while the polymer chains and the nanoparticles (NPs) interact by Hamaker-style potentials. The potential describing NP-NP interactions is modified by a tuning parameter f, which can be changed continuously between f = 0 (for fully developed van der Waals attractions between the NPs) and f = 1 (for completely repulsive interparticle interactions). We explore systematically the effect of the f parameter on the blend morphologies, for two representative NP sizes. When the polymer-NP attractions are decreased, the systems undergo a transition from dispersed to aggregated morphologies. The sharpness of the transition gradually increases with the interparticle attractions (i.e., decreasing f).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pasquini
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", Politecnico di Milano, via L. Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Guido Raos
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "G. Natta", Politecnico di Milano, via L. Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milano, Italy
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35
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Enzymes to unravel bioproducts architecture. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 41:107546. [PMID: 32275940 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Enzymes are essential and ubiquitous biocatalysts involved in various metabolic pathways and used in many industrial processes. Here, we reframe enzymes not just as biocatalysts transforming bioproducts but also as sensitive probes for exploring the structure and composition of complex bioproducts, like meat tissue, dairy products and plant materials, in both food and non-food bioprocesses. This review details the global strategy and presents the most recent investigations to prepare and use enzymes as relevant probes, with a focus on glycoside-hydrolases involved in plant deconstruction and proteases and lipases involved in food digestion. First, to expand the enzyme repertoire to fit bioproduct complexity, novel enzymes are mined from biodiversity and can be artificially engineered. Enzymes are further characterized by exploring sequence/structure/dynamics/function relationships together with the environmental factors influencing enzyme interactions with their substrates. Then, the most advanced experimental and theoretical approaches developed for exploring bioproducts at various scales (from nanometer to millimeter) using active and inactive enzymes as probes are illustrated. Overall, combining multimodal and multiscale approaches brings a better understanding of native-form or transformed bioproduct architecture and composition, and paves the way to mainstream the use of enzymes as probes.
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36
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Li CY, Huang JH, Li H, Luo MB. Study on the interfacial properties of polymers around a nanoparticle. RSC Adv 2020; 10:28075-28082. [PMID: 35519124 PMCID: PMC9055661 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra05392a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The interfacial properties of polymer chains on spherical nanoparticles are investigated using off-lattice Monte Carlo simulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao-Yang Li
- Department of Physics
- Hangzhou Normal University
- Hangzhou 311121
- China
| | - Jian-Hua Huang
- Department of Chemistry
- Zhejiang Sci-Tech University
- Hangzhou 310018
- China
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Physics
- Wenzhou University
- Wenzhou 325035
- China
| | - Meng-Bo Luo
- Department of Physics
- Zhejiang University
- Hangzhou 310027
- China
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37
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Huang JH, Sun DD, Lu RX, Zhang H, Khan RAA. Simulation on diffusivity and statistical size of polymer chains in polymer nanocomposites. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:21919-21927. [PMID: 32970078 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp04390g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The dynamical and conformational properties of polymer chains are affected significantly by strongly attractive nanoparticles. The adsorption of polymer chains on nanoparticles not only reduces the dynamics but also changes the conformation of polymer chains. For orderly distributed nanoparticles of size roughly the same as the radius of gyration of polymer chains, the variation of the diffusivity is highly related to that of the statistical size and can be explained mainly from the adsorption of polymers. In particular, both the polymer's size and diffusivity reach the minimum when the number of polymer chains matches the number of nanoparticles where polymer chains are mostly adsorbed on separate nanoparticles. The behavior of diffusivity can be explained from the cooperation of polymer adsorption and nanoparticle-exchange motion. Adsorption of the polymer chain slows down the diffusion, whereas the nanoparticle-exchange motion accelerates the diffusion of polymer chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian-Hua Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Dan-Dan Sun
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Rong-Xing Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
| | - Huan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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38
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You W, Yu W. Slow Linear Viscoelastic Relaxation of Polymer Nanocomposites: Contribution from Confined Diffusion of Nanoparticles. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Wei You
- Advanced Rheology Institute, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
| | - Wei Yu
- Advanced Rheology Institute, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory for Metal Matrix Composite Materials, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Ageing, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, P. R. China
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39
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Zhang H, Sun DD, Peng Y, Huang JH, Luo MB. Diffusivity and glass transition of polymer chains in polymer nanocomposites. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:23209-23216. [PMID: 31612882 DOI: 10.1039/c9cp04195h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The diffusivity and glass transition of polymer chains in polymer nanocomposites are studied by using dynamic Monte Carlo simulation. Nanoparticles are modeled as immobile and distributed in a cubic lattice in the system. The diffusion coefficient D of polymer chains is reduced, while the glass transition temperature Tg is increased by nanoparticles. Our results show that the effect of nanoparticles can be summarized as D = D0[1 - exp(-α·ID/2Rg)] and Tg = Tg,0[1 - exp(-α·ID/2Rg)]-1, with D0 and Tg,0 being the diffusion coefficient and the glass transition temperature in the absence of nanoparticles, Rg the radius of gyration of polymer chains, and ID the surface spacing between nearest-neighbor nanoparticles. The parameter α that governs the dynamics of polymer chains decreases with increasing nanoparticles' size or decreasing the temperature. Our results also show that smaller nanoparticles exert a stronger influence on the polymer dynamics at the same concentration of nanoparticles, whereas larger nanoparticles show a stronger effect at the same ID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
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40
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Sorichetti V, Hugouvieux V, Kob W. Addition to Structure and Dynamics of a Polymer–Nanoparticle Composite: Effect of Nanoparticle Size and Volume Fraction. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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41
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Lebouachera SEI, Pessoni L, Ghriga MA, Andreu N, Chemini R, Grassl B, Reynaud S. Rheological behaviour and adsorption phenomenon of a polymer-particle composite based on hydrolysed polyacrylamide/functionalized poly(styrene-acrylic acid) microspheres. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:5449-5454. [PMID: 31225845 DOI: 10.1039/c9sm00844f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The properties in aqueous solution of polymer-particle composites (PPC) depend on the size and the concentration of both the particles and the polymers as well as the interactions between them. In this work, rheological behaviour was studied in a semi-diluted regime of partially hydrolysed polyacrylamide (HPAM) with 2Rg/d a particle diameter/polymer gyration radius (Rg) ratio and a confinement parameter (pc) that were both greater than 1. Rg is the polymer gyration radius and d the particle diameter. pc characterizes the inter-particle distance (ID) with respect to the polymer size (pc = ID/2Rg) and depends on the concentration and size of the particles. We highlighted the PPC thickening effects as a function of the number of carboxylic functions on the surface of the polystyrene particles (PSL) obtained by free soap free emulsion polymerization (0.16-1.2 mmol g-1 of COOH). Thickening increases linearly with surface functionality for a pc of less than 10. This behaviour has been correlated to the polymer-particle interactions, which was demonstrated by adsorption measurements in dilute solution (12-22 mg g-1 of HPAM on PSL). Adsorption was quantified by zero-shear capillary viscosity measurements in a microfluidic device. In contrast, a thinning effect was observed for a pc greater than 10, which is also related to the salt effect studies (6-12 g L-1 in NaCl).
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Affiliation(s)
- Seif El Islam Lebouachera
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000 Pau, France. and Laboratoire des Sciences du Génie des Procédés Industriels, Faculté de Génie Mécanique et du Génie des Procédés, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene Bab-Ezzouar, 16111 Alger, Algeria
| | - Laurence Pessoni
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000 Pau, France.
| | - Mohammed Abdelfetah Ghriga
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000 Pau, France. and Laboratoire de Génie Physique des Hydrocarbures, Faculté des Hydrocarbures et de la Chimie, Université M'Hamed Bougara de Boumerdes, Avenue de l'Indépendance, 35000-Boumerdes, Algeria
| | - Nathalie Andreu
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000 Pau, France.
| | - Rachida Chemini
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Génie des Procédés Industriels, Faculté de Génie Mécanique et du Génie des Procédés, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene Bab-Ezzouar, 16111 Alger, Algeria
| | - Bruno Grassl
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000 Pau, France.
| | - Stéphanie Reynaud
- Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux, IPREM, UMR 5254, CNRS Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, 2 avenue P. Angot, Technopôle Hélioparc, 64000 Pau, France.
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42
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Zhou Y, Schweizer KS. Local structure, thermodynamics, and phase behavior of asymmetric particle mixtures: Comparison between integral equation theories and simulation. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:214902. [PMID: 31176349 DOI: 10.1063/1.5099369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuxing Zhou
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
| | - Kenneth S. Schweizer
- Department of Materials Science, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois, 1304 West Green Street, Urbana, Illinois 61801-3028, USA
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43
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Poling-Skutvik R, Roberts RC, Slim AH, Narayanan S, Krishnamoorti R, Palmer JC, Conrad JC. Structure Dominates Localization of Tracers within Aging Nanoparticle Glasses. J Phys Chem Lett 2019; 10:1784-1789. [PMID: 30916569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.9b00309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the transport and localization of tracer probes in a glassy matrix as a function of relative size using dynamic X-ray scattering experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. The quiescent relaxations of tracer particles evolve with increasing waiting time, tw. The corresponding relaxation times increase exponentially at small tw and then transition to a power-law behavior at longer tw. As tracer size decreases, the aging behavior weakens and the particles become less localized within the matrix until they delocalize at a critical size ratio δ0 ≈ 0.38. Localization does not vary with sample age even as the relaxations slow by approximately an order of magnitude, suggesting that matrix structure controls tracer localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Poling-Skutvik
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204-4004 , United States
| | - Ryan C Roberts
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204-4004 , United States
| | - Ali H Slim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204-4004 , United States
| | - Suresh Narayanan
- Advanced Photon Source , Argonne National Laboratory , Argonne , Illinois 60439 , United States
| | - Ramanan Krishnamoorti
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204-4004 , United States
| | - Jeremy C Palmer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204-4004 , United States
| | - Jacinta C Conrad
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , Texas 77204-4004 , United States
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44
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Chen R, Poling-Skutvik R, Howard MP, Nikoubashman A, Egorov SA, Conrad JC, Palmer JC. Influence of polymer flexibility on nanoparticle dynamics in semidilute solutions. SOFT MATTER 2019; 15:1260-1268. [PMID: 30444237 DOI: 10.1039/c8sm01834k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The hierarchical structure and dynamics of polymer solutions control the transport of nanoparticles (NPs) through them. Here, we perform multi-particle collision dynamics simulations of solutions of semiflexible polymer chains with tunable persistence length lp to investigate the effect of chain stiffness on NP transport. The NPs exhibit two distinct dynamical regimes - subdiffusion on short time scales and diffusion on long time scales. The long-time NP diffusivities are compared with predictions from the Stokes-Einstein relation (SER), mode-coupling theory (MCT), and a recent polymer coupling theory (PCT). Increasing deviations from the SER as the polymer chains become more rigid (i.e. as lp increases) indicate that the NP motions become decoupled from the bulk viscosity of the polymer solution. Likewise, polymer stiffness leads to deviations from PCT, which was developed for fully flexible chains. Independent of lp, however, the long-time diffusion behavior is well-described by MCT, particularly at high polymer concentration. We also observed that the short-time subdiffusive dynamics are strongly dependent on polymer flexibility. As lp is increased, the NP dynamics become more subdiffusive and decouple from the dynamics of the polymer chain center-of-mass. We posit that these effects are due to differences in the segmental mobility of the semiflexible chains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renjie Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
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45
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Trazkovich AJ, Wendt MF, Hall LM. Effect of Copolymer Sequence on Local Viscoelastic Properties near a Nanoparticle. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.8b02136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex J. Trazkovich
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 W 19th Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, 701 Lima Ave., Findlay, Ohio 45840, United States
| | - Mitchell F. Wendt
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 W 19th Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Lisa M. Hall
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 140 W 19th Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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46
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Karatrantos A, Koutsawa Y, Dubois P, Clarke N, Kröger M. Miscibility and Nanoparticle Diffusion in Ionic Nanocomposites. Polymers (Basel) 2018; 10:E1010. [PMID: 30960935 PMCID: PMC6403637 DOI: 10.3390/polym10091010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigate the effect of various spherical nanoparticles in a polymer matrix on dispersion, chain dimensions and entanglements for ionic nanocomposites at dilute and high nanoparticle loading by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The nanoparticle dispersion can be achieved in oligomer matrices due to the presence of electrostatic interactions. We show that the overall configuration of ionic oligomer chains, as characterized by their radii of gyration, can be perturbed at dilute nanoparticle loading by the presence of charged nanoparticles. In addition, the nanoparticle's diffusivity is reduced due to the electrostatic interactions, in comparison to conventional nanocomposites where the electrostatic interaction is absent. The charged nanoparticles are found to move by a hopping mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argyrios Karatrantos
- Materials Research and Technology, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Yao Koutsawa
- Materials Research and Technology, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5, Avenue des Hauts-Fourneaux, L-4362 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
| | - Philippe Dubois
- Center of Innovation and Research in Materials and Polymers (CIRMAP), Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials, University of Mons & Materia Nova Research Centre, Place du Parc 20, B-7000 Mons, Belgium.
| | - Nigel Clarke
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S3 7RH, UK.
| | - Martin Kröger
- Polymer Physics, Department of Materials, ETH Zurich, Leopold-Ruzicka-Weg 4, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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