Adsorption of Polymeric Micelles and Vesicles on a Surface Investigated by Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Mucoadhesive pickering nanoemulsions via dynamic covalent chemistry

HYPOTHESIS

Submicron oil droplets stabilized using aldehyde-functionalized nanoparticles should adhere to the primary amine groups present at the surface of sheep nasal mucosal tissue via Schiff base chemistry.

EXPERIMENTS

Well-defined sterically-stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles of 20 nm diameter were prepared in the form of concentrated aqueous dispersions via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) aqueous emulsion polymerization of 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate (TFEMA) using a water-soluble methacrylic precursor bearing cis-diol groups. Some of these hydroxyl-functional nanoparticles were then selectively oxidized using an aqueous solution of sodium periodate to form a second batch of nanoparticles bearing pendent aldehyde groups within the steric stabilizer chains. Subjecting either hydroxyl- or aldehyde-functional nanoparticles to high-shear homogenization with a model oil (squalane) produced oil-in-water Pickering macroemulsions of 20-30 µm diameter. High-pressure microfluidization of such macroemulsions led to formation of the corresponding Pickering nanoemulsions with a mean droplet diameter of around 200 nm. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) experiments were used to examine adsorption of both nanoparticles and oil droplets onto a model planar substrate bearing primary amine groups, while a fluorescence microscopy-based mucoadhesion assay was developed to assess adsorption of the oil droplets onto sheep nasal mucosal tissue.

FINDINGS

Squalane droplets coated with aldehyde-functional nanoparticles adhered significantly more strongly to sheep nasal mucosal tissue than those coated with the corresponding hydroxyl-functional nanoparticles. This difference was attributed to the formation of surface imine bonds via Schiff base chemistry and was also observed for the two types of nanoparticles alone in QCM studies. Preliminary biocompatibility studies using planaria indicated only mild toxicity for these new mucoadhesive Pickering nanoemulsions, suggesting potential applications for the localized delivery of hydrophobic drugs.

Enhanced Adsorption of Epoxy-Functional Nanoparticles onto Stainless Steel Significantly Reduces Friction in Tribological Studies

Epoxy-functional sterically-stabilized diblock copolymer nanoparticles (ca. 27 nm) are prepared via RAFT dispersion polymerization in mineral oil. Nanoparticle adsorption onto stainless steel is examined using a quartz crystal microbalance. Incorporating epoxy groups within the steric stabilizer chains results in a two-fold increase in the adsorbed amount, Γ, at 20 °C (7.6 mg m-2 ) compared to epoxy-core functional nanoparticles (3.7 mg m-2 ) or non-functional nanoparticles (3.8 mg m-2 ). A larger difference in Γ is observed at 40 °C; this suggests chemical adsorption of the nanoparticles rather than merely physical adsorption. A remarkable near five-fold increase in Γ is observed for ca. 50 nm epoxy-functional nanoparticles compared to non-functional nanoparticles (31.3 vs. 6.4 mg m-2 , respectively). Tribological studies confirm that chemical adsorption of the latter epoxy-functional nanoparticles leads to a significant reduction in friction between 60 °C and 120 °C.

Switch It Inside-Out: "Schizophrenic" Behavior of All Thermoresponsive UCST-LCST Diblock Copolymers

This feature article reviews our recent advancements on the synthesis, phase behavior, and micellar structures of diblock copolymers consisting of oppositely thermoresponsive blocks in aqueous environments. These copolymers combine a nonionic block, which shows lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior, with a zwitterionic block that exhibits an upper critical solution temperature (UCST). The transition temperature of the latter class of polymers is strongly controlled by its molar mass and by the salt concentration, in contrast to the rather invariant transition of nonionic polymers with type II LCST behavior such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) or poly(N-isopropyl methacrylamide). This allows for implementing the sequence of the UCST and LCST transitions of the polymers at will by adjusting either molecular or, alternatively, physical parameters. Depending on the location of the transition temperatures of both blocks, different switching scenarios are realized from micelles to inverse micelles, namely via the molecularly dissolved state, the aggregated state, or directly. In addition to studies of (semi)dilute aqueous solutions, highly concentrated systems have also been explored, namely water-swollen thin films. Concerning applications, we discuss the possible use of the diblock copolymers as "smart" nanocarriers.

Functional Modification of Silica through Enhanced Adsorption of Elastin-Like Polypeptide Block Copolymers

A powerful tool for controlling interfacial properties and molecular architecture relies on the tailored adsorption of stimuli-responsive block copolymers onto surfaces. Here, we use computational and experimental approaches to investigate the adsorption behavior of thermally responsive polypeptide block copolymers (elastin-like polypeptides, ELPs) onto silica surfaces, and to explore the effects of surface affinity and micellization on the adsorption kinetics and the resultant polypeptide layers. We demonstrate that genetic incorporation of a silica-binding peptide (silaffin R5) results in enhanced adsorption of these block copolymers onto silica surfaces as measured by quartz crystal microbalance and ellipsometry. We find that the silaffin peptide can also direct micelle adsorption, leading to close-packed micellar arrangements that are distinct from the sparse, patchy arrangements observed for ELP micelles lacking a silaffin tag, as evidenced by atomic force microscopy measurements. These experimental findings are consistent with results of dissipative particle dynamics simulations. Wettability measurements suggest that surface immobilization hampers the temperature-dependent conformational change of ELP micelles, while adsorbed ELP unimers (i.e., unmicellized block copolymers) retain their thermally responsive property at interfaces. These observations provide guidance on the use of ELP block copolymers as building blocks for fabricating smart surfaces and interfaces with programmable architecture and functionality.

Highly dispersible silver nanowires via a diblock copolymer approach for potential application in transparent conductive composites

A facile and reproducible strategy for fabricating highly dispersible silver nanowires (AgNWs) in nonalcoholic organic solvents using diblock copolymer micelles.

Solid-supported polymer bilayers formed by coil-coil block copolymers

The formation and physical properties of solid-supported polymer bilayers (SPBs) on an adhesive substrate have been explored by dissipative particle dynamics simulations. A SPB is developed by the adsorption of vesicles formed by diblock copolymers in a selective solvent. The adsorbed vesicle can remain intact or become ruptured into a SPB, depending on the interaction between solvophobic blocks and solvent and the interaction between solvophilic blocks and the substrate. The morphological phase diagram of adsorbed vesicles is acquired. The influence of polymer adhesion strength and solvophobicity on the geometrical and mechanical properties of a SPB is systematically studied as well. It is found that vesicular disruption is easily triggered for strong adhesion strength. Moreover, for strong adhesion strength and weak solvophobicity, the fluctuation of membrane height is impeded while the area of fluctuation is enhanced.

PNIPAmx–PPO36–PNIPAmx thermo-sensitive triblock copolymers: chain conformation and adsorption behavior on a hydrophobic gold surface

The presence of the PNIPAm block is not a sufficient condition for the complex adsorption behavior of PNIPAm_x–PPO₃₆–PNIPAm_x triblock copolymers.

Adsorption of hydrophobically end-capped poly(ethylene glycol) on cellulose

Adsorption of poly(ethylene glycol), hydrophobically end-capped with octadecenylsuccinic anhydride (OSA-PEG-OSA), on an ultrathin film of cellulose has been studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Normally, PEG does not adsorb on cellulosic surfaces, but the use of the telechelic hydrophobic modification was found to promote adsorption. The influence of the conformation of the polymer in solution prior to adsorption and the subsequent properties of the adsorbed layer were investigated. The adsorption experiments were done at concentrations below and above the critical association concentration. The adsorption of OSA-PEG-OSA on cellulose was observed to occur in four distinct stages. Because of the amphiphilic nature of cellulose, further adsorption experiments were performed on hydrophobic (polystyrene) and hydrophilic (silica) model substrates to illuminate the contribution of hydrophobic and hydrophilic factors in the adsorption phenomenon. As expected, the kinetics and the mechanism of adsorption were strongly dependent on the chemical composition of the substrate.

Dispersant adsorption and viscoelasticity of alumina suspensions measured by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring and in situ dynamic rheology

Adsorption behavior and water content of adsorbed layers of four dispersants for aqueous ceramic processing were studied by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) on alumina surfaces. The dispersants were a poly(acrylic acid), a lignosulfonate, and two hydrophilic comb copolymers with nonionic polyoxyethylene chains of different molecular weights. A Voigt model was applied to analyze the viscoelastic behavior of the adsorbed dispersant layers. The results from QCM-D were compared with viscoelastic properties determined by in situ dynamic rheology measurements of highly concentrated alumina suspensions during slip casting. The QCM-D results showed that both the poly(acrylic acid) and the lignosulfonate adsorbed in low amounts and in a flat conformation, which generated thin, highly rigid layers less than 1 nm thick. The water content of these layers was found to be around 30% for the lignosulfonate and 35% for the poly(acrylic acid). High casting rate and strength in terms of storage modulus were observed in the final consolidate of the suspensions with the two polyelectrolytes. In contrast, the high molecular weight comb copolymer adsorbed in a less elastic layer with a thickness of about 6 nm, which is enough to provide steric stabilization. The viscous behavior of this layer was attributed to high water content, which was calculated to be around 90%. Such a water-rich layer gives a lubrication effect, which allows for reorientation of particles during the consolidation process, resulting in a high final strength of the ceramic material. During consolidation, the suspension showed a slow casting rate, most likely due to rearrangement facilitated by the lubricating layer. The short-chain comb copolymer adsorbed in a 1.5 nm thick, rigid layer and gave low final strength to the consolidated suspension. It is likely that the poor consolidation behavior is caused by flocculation due to insufficient stabilization of the dispersion.

Facile preparation of stabilized polymeric nanotubes using sacrificial yttrium hydroxide nanotubes as template and block copolymer micelles as precursor

We report here facile preparation of stabilized polymeric nanotubes with a hair-like shell using yttrium hydroxide nanotubes as the sacrificial template and block copolymer micelles as the precursor, and orientation of the polymeric nanotubes encapsulating magnetic particles under magnetic field.