Influence of salt and rinsing protocol on the structure of PAH/PSS polyelectrolyte multilayers

Dealing with plasmonic crystal biosensors: Sensitivity assessment of nanodisks/nanoholes arrayed plasmonic system for label-free DNA detection

Label-free optical deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sensing with arrayed plasmonic nanostructures (plasmonic crystals) is a promising technology for biomedical diagnosis and bioanalytical science. Plasmonic biosensors can detect target biomolecules by utilizing the shift in plasmonic resonance caused by changes in the surrounding refractive index (RI) attributed to the capture of target biomolecules using a recognizer. Conventional explanations for the sensitivity of plasmonic crystals are based on bulk (BRIS) and surface RI sensitivities (SRIS) for basic plasmonic nanoparticles despite their unique properties such as surface lattice resonances (SLRs), wherein localized surface plasmons (LSPs) cooperatively oscillate with their pitch. Therefore, investigating the sensitivity of SLRs is imperative for improving sensing performance. In this study, the sensitivity of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene-related DNA hybridization detection of complementary plasmonic crystals composed of nanodisks (PNDs) on or under plasmonic nanoholes (PNHs) was investigated considering the SLR properties. The BRIS was measured using the conventional definition of the peak wavelength shift per unit RI increment (nm/RIU) followed by the SRIS measurement using the layer-by-layer method. The BRIS and SRIS measurements reflect the practical sensitivity for DNA detection. PNHs had higher sensitivity than PNDs, with a limit of detection of 0.30 nM. Further, only the SLR-based mode responded to localized RI changes because of DNA hybridization, whereas both the LSPs- and SLR-based modes responded to uniform RI changes caused by layer-by-layer coating. Our investigation will open up possibilities and opportunities for plasmonic crystal biosensors.

Layer-by-Layer Deposition of Kraft Lignin and PEDOT:PSS

Kraft lignin (KL) is a sustainable carbon-based substance with a potential use in photovoltaic materials. However, its conductivity is low, but it can be improved via incorporation with a conductive polymer, such as poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT): poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS). This study examines the factors affecting the interaction of KL and PEDOT:PSS (PS) in a solution state using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) and a stagnation point refractometer (SPAR). The results confirmed that aqueous environments, e.g., pH and ionic strengths, considerably affected particle size and zeta potential of KL and PS due to protonation, deprotonation, particle aggregation, and charge screening. The polymers exhibited the largest adsorbed mass and thickness at pH 6 and 10 mM NaCl on a solid surface, which was attributed to the relatively linear structure of PEDOT chains, exposing more adsorptive sites for interaction with KL. A 10 mM NaCl concentration facilitated the screening of charges on PS and KL surfaces, diminishing repulsive forces and enabling hydrophobic and cationic-π interaction, which led to increased adsorption. Contact angle and SEM investigations of the adsorbed layer revealed the water contact angle increasing and the morphology changing from a smoother layer to a porous surface, providing further evidence of adsorption. Furthermore, the conductivity was improved by the introduction of a PS adlayer on ITO glass when it was sandwiched between KL adsorbed layers. These findings provide insight into KL and PS interaction and suggest that KL can be used with PS for conductive materials, such as photovoltaics, imparting the waterproofness of the films.

Biosensing by Polymer-Coated Etched Long-Period Fiber Gratings Working near Mode Transition and Turn-around Point

A methodology to enhance the sensitivity of long-period fiber gratings (LPFGs) based on the combination of three different enhancement approaches is presented; the methods here adopted are the working near mode transition (MT) of a cladding mode (CM), working near the turn-around point of a CM and the enhancement of the evanescent field of CMs by reducing the cladding diameter or by increasing the order number of CMs. In order to combine these enhancement methodologies, an electrostatic self-assembly (ESA) process was used to deposit a polymeric overlay, with a chosen thickness, onto the etched fiber. The add-layer sensitivity of the sensor was theoretically calculated, and the demonstration of the real applicability of the developed LPFG as a biosensor was performed by means of an IgG/anti-IgG immunoassay in human serum in a thermostated microfluidic system. The limits of detection (LODs) calculated by following different procedures (three times the standard deviation of the blank and the mean value of the residuals) were 6.9 × 10^-8 µg/mL and 4.5 × 10^-6 µg/mL, respectively. The calculated LODs demonstrate the effectiveness of the applied methodology for sensitivity enhancement.

Suppressing the Hofmeister Anion Effect by Thermal Annealing of Thin-Film Multilayers Made of Weak Polyelectrolytes

Thin films made of weak polyelectrolytes poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) have been fabricated on silicon wafers using the layer-by-layer (LbL) method. To study the influence of counteranion type on the growth and properties of PAH/PAA multilayers, the nature of the supporting sodium salt was varied from cosmotropic to chaotropic anions (F^–, Cl^–, and ClO₄^–). Results of ellipsometry and AFM measurements indicate that the film thickness and surface roughness systematically increase on the order F^– < Cl^– < ClO₄^–. Furthermore, we found that the hydrophobicity of the PAH/PAA multilayer also follows the described trend when a polycation is the terminating layer. However, the heating of PAH/PAA multilayers to 60 °C during the LbL assembly suppressed the influence of background anions on the multilayer formation and properties. On the basis of the obtained results, it could be concluded that thermal annealing induces changes at the polymer–air interface in the sense of reorientation and migration of polymer chains.

Nonlinear charge regulation for the deposition of silica nanoparticles on polystyrene spherical surfaces

HYPOTHESIS

We describe the deposition behavior of monodispersed silica nanoparticles on polystyrene spherical particles by using modified pairwise DLVO (Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek) interaction force profiles at pH values between two and twelve. Our modified model contains a new nonlinear charge regulation parameter that considers redistribution of ions, which allows us to realistically express the electrical double layer (EDL) interaction forces.

EXPERIMENTS

Silanol-terminated silica nanoparticles (7.6 ± 0.4 nm), l-lysine-covered silica nanoparticles (7.8 ± 0.4 nm), and polyallylamine hydrochloride-covered polystyrene (PAH/PS) particles (348 ± 1 nm) were synthesized. Then, each type of silica nanoparticle was deposited on the PAH/PS particles at a range of pH values.

FINDINGS

Our new regulation parameter describes the realistic redistribution of charges governed by pH, total salt concentration, ionic strength of solution, and separation distance of particles. We find that this regulation parameter can be roughly approximated from the absolute values of theoretically calculated surface charge density and potential distributions, as well as experimentally measured ζ-potentials. Morphological analysis using electron microscopy of the experimental systems shows that the modified pairwise DLVO interaction forces exceptionally describe the deposition behavior of the silica nanoparticles physically adsorbed on the PAH/PS particle substrates.

Modulating Role of Co-Solutes in Complexation between Bovine Serum Albumin and Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate

The action of three types of co-solutes: (i) salts (NaCl, NaBr, NaI), (ii) polymer (polyethylene glycol; PEG-400, PEG-3000, PEG-20000), and (iii) sugars (sucrose, sucralose) on the complexation between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and sodium polystyrene sulfonate (NaPSS) was studied. Three critical pH parameters were extracted from the pH dependence of the solution’s turbidity: pHc corresponding to the formation of the soluble complexes, pHΦ corresponding to the formation of the insoluble complexes, and pHopt corresponding to the charge neutralization of the complexes. In the presence of salts, the formation of soluble and insoluble complexes as well as the charge neutralization of complexes was hindered, which is a consequence of the electrostatic screening of attractive interactions between BSA and NaPSS. Distinct anion-specific trends were observed in which the stabilizing effect of the salt increased in the order: NaCl < NaBr < NaI. The presence of PEG, regardless of its molecular weight, showed no measurable effect on the formation of soluble complexes. PEG-400 and PEG-3000 showed no effect on the formation of insoluble complexes, but PEG-20000 in high concentrations promoted their formation due to the molecular crowding effect. The presence of sugar molecules had little effect on BSA-NaPSS complexation. Sucralose showed a minor stabilizing effect with respect to the onset of complex formation, which was due to its propensity to the protein surface. This was confirmed by the fluorescence quenching assay (Stern-Volmer relationship) and all-atom MD simulations. This study highlights that when evaluating the modulatory effect of co-solutes on protein-polyelectrolyte interactions, (co-solute)-protein interactions and their subsequent impact on protein aggregation must also be considered.

Predicting the outcomes of interpolyelectrolyte neutralization at surfaces on the basis of complexation experiments and vice versa

This study was carried out with the aim of establishing how the outcomes of polyelectrolyte multilayer formation can be predicted on the basis of the results of complexation studies in solution and vice versa. For this purpose, the correlation between the processes of complex and multilayer formation involving three pairs of vinylic polyions in solutions of binary 1 : 1 sodium salts (NaX; X = F, Cl, Br, I, NO₃, ClO₄) was explored by means of dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, potentiometry, microcalorimetry, spectrophotometry and quartz crystal microbalance. The gradual reactant mixing in solution at lower salt concentrations resulted in a Fuoss-Sadek sequence of events (primary complexes → secondary complexes → 1 : 1 flocculate), whereby the obtained nano-complexes could be successively overcharged. At high salt concentration and with excess polycation present, metastable nano-complexes and precipitates containing surplus of positively charged monomers were formed. The amount of extrinsically compensated charge was in accord with the polycation affinities toward counteranions, established by monitoring the electrolyte-induced aggregation of positively charged nano-complexes. Perfect analogy with respect to counteranion influence on the amount of adsorbed polycation was noticed for corresponding multilayers. Aside from providing a deeper understanding of interpolyelectrolyte neutralization, the gained insights can also be used to steer the polyelectrolyte multilayer composition and properties.

Swelling Effects on the Conductivity of Graphene/PSS/PAH Composites

Graphene/poly-(sodium-4-styrene sulfonate)(PSS)/poly-(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) composite is a frequently adopted system for fabricating polyelectrolyte multilayer films. Swelling is the bottleneck limiting its applications, and its effects on the conductivity is still controversial. Herein, we report successful swelling of a graphene/PSS/PAH composite in a vapor atmosphere, and the relation with the mass fraction of water is uncovered. The composite was prepared via a layer-by-layer assembly technique and systematically characterized. The results indicated that the average thickness for each bilayer was about 0.95 nm. The hardness and modulus were 2.5 ± 0.2 and 68 ± 5 GPa, respectively, and both were independent of thickness. The sheet resistance decreased slightly with the prolongation of immersion time, but was distinct from that of the water mass fraction. It reduced from 2.44 × 105 to 2.34 × 105 ohm/sq, and the change accelerated as the water mass fraction rose, especially when it was larger than 5%. This could be attributing to the lubrication effect of the water molecules, which sped up the migration of charged groups in the polyelectrolytes. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that a microphase separation occurred when the fraction reached an extreme value owing to the dominated interaction between PSS and PAH. These results provide support for the structural stability of this composite material and its applications in devices.

Construction of a Self-Assembled Polyelectrolyte/Graphene Oxide Multilayer Film and Its Interaction with Metal Ions

In this study, a composite multilayer film onto gold was constructed from two charged building blocks, i.e., negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) and a branched polycation (polyethylenimine, PEI) via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technology, and this process was monitored in situ with quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) under different experimental conditions. This included the differences in frequency (Δf) as well as the changes in dissipation to yield information on the absorbed mass and viscoelastic properties of the formed PEI/GO multilayer films. The experimental conditions were optimized to obtain a high amount of the adsorbed mass of the self-assembled multilayer film. The surface morphology of the PEI/GO multilayer film onto gold was studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was found that the positively charged PEI chains were combined with the oppositely charged GO to form an assembled film on the QCM sensor surface, in a wrapped and curled fashion. Raman and UV-vis spectra also showed that the intensities of the GO-characteristic signals are almost linearly related to the layer number. To explore the films for their use in divalent ion detection, the frequency response of the PEI/GO multilayer-modified QCM sensor to the exposure of aqueous solutions solution of Cu²⁺, Ca²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Sn²⁺ was further studied using QCM. Based on the Sauerbrey equation and the weight of different ions, the number of metal ions adsorbed per unit area on the surface of QCM sensors was calculated. For metal ion concentrations of 40 ppm, the adsorption capacities per unit area of Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Sn²⁺, and Ca²⁺ were found to be 1.7, 3.2, 0.7, and 4.9 nmol/cm², respectively. Thus, in terms of the number of adsorbed ions per unit area, the QCM sensor modified by PEI/GO multilayer film shows the largest adsorption capacity of Ca²⁺. This can be rationalized by the relative hydration energies.

Noncontact characterization of microstructured optical fibers coating in real time

Functional nanocoatings have allowed hollow-core microstructured optical fibers (HC-MOFs) to be introduced into biosensing and photochemistry applications. However, common film characterization tools cannot evaluate the coating performance in situ. Here we report the all-optical noncontact characterization of the HC-MOF coating in real time. Self-assembled multilayers consisting of inversely charged polyelectrolytes (PEs) are deposited on the HC-MOF core capillary, and a linear spectral shift in the position of the fiber transmission minima with increasing the film thickness is observed as small as ∼1.5-6nm per single PE bilayer. We exemplify the practical performance of our approach by registering an increase in the coating thickness from 6±1 to 11±1nm per PE bilayer with increasing ionic strength in the PE solutions from 0.15 to 0.5 M NaCl. Additionally, we show real-time monitoring of pH-induced coating dissolving. Simplicity and high sensitivity make our approach a promising tool allowing noncontact analysis of the HC-MOF coating which is still challenging for other methods.

Water Content of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Films Measured by Quartz Crystal Microbalance and Deuterium Oxide Exchange

Water content of natural and synthetic, thin, polymer films is of considerable interest to a variety of fields because it governs properties such as ion conductivity, rigidity, porosity, and mechanical strength. Measuring thin film water content typically requires either complicated and expensive instrumentation or use of multiple instrumental techniques. However, because a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is sensitive to changes in mass and viscosity, deuterated solvent exchange has emerged as a simple, single-instrument, in situ method to quantify thin film water content. Relatively few studies, though, have employed this technique to measure water content of polyelectrolyte multilayers formed by layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. In this work, poly (allyl amine) (PAH) and poly (styrene sulfonate) (PSS) films of up to nine layers were formed and the water content for each layer was measured via QCM with deuterium oxide exchange. The well-characterized nature of PAH/PSS films facilitated comparisons of the technique used in this work to other instrumental methods. Water content results showed good agreement with the literature and good precision for hydrated films thicker than 20 nm. Collectively, this work highlights the utility, repeatability, and limitations of this deuterated exchange technique in measuring the solvent content of thin films.

Multispectral sensing of biological liquids with hollow-core microstructured optical fibres

The state of the art in optical biosensing is focused on reaching high sensitivity at a single wavelength by using any type of optical resonance. This common strategy, however, disregards the promising possibility of simultaneous measurements of a bioanalyte's refractive index over a broadband spectral domain. Here, we address this issue by introducing the approach of in-fibre multispectral optical sensing (IMOS). The operating principle relies on detecting changes in the transmission of a hollow-core microstructured optical fibre when a bioanalyte is streamed through it via liquid cells. IMOS offers a unique opportunity to measure the refractive index at 42 wavelengths, with a sensitivity up to ~3000 nm per refractive index unit (RIU) and a figure of merit reaching 99 RIU-1 in the visible and near-infra-red spectral ranges. We apply this technique to determine the concentration and refractive index dispersion for bovine serum albumin and show that the accuracy meets clinical needs.

A closer physico-chemical look to the Layer-by-Layer electrostatic self-assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayers

The fabrication of polyelectrolyte multilayer films (PEMs) using the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) method is one of the most versatile approaches for manufacturing functional surfaces. This is the result of the possibility to control the assembly process of the LbL films almost at will, by changing the nature of the assembled materials (building blocks), the assembly conditions (pH, ionic strength, temperature, etc.) or even by changing some other operational parameters which may impact in the structure and physico-chemical properties of the obtained multi-layered films. Therefore, the understanding of the impact of the above mentioned parameters on the assembly process of LbL materials plays a critical role in the potential use of the LbL method for the fabrication of new functional materials with technological interest. This review tries to provide a broad physico-chemical perspective to the study of the fabrication process of PEMs by the LbL method, which allows one to take advantage of the many possibilities offered for this approach on the fabrication of new functional nanomaterials.

Atomistic simulation of PDADMAC/PSS oligoelectrolyte multilayers: overall comparison of tri- and tetra-layer systems

By employing large-scale molecular dynamics simulations of atomistically resolved oligoelectrolytes in aqueous solutions, we study in detail the first four layer-by-layer deposition cycles of an oligoelectrolyte multilayer made of poly(diallyl dimethyl ammonium chloride)/poly(styrene sulfonate sodium salt) (PDADMAC/PSS). The multilayers are grown on a silica substrate in 0.1 M NaCl electrolyte solutions and the swollen structures are then subsequently exposed to varying added salt concentration. We investigated the microscopic properties of the films, analyzing in detail the differences between three- and four-layer systems. Our simulations provide insights into the early stages of growth of a multilayer, which are particularly challenging for experimental observations. We found rather strong complexation of the oligoelectrolytes, with fuzzy layering of the film structure. The main charge compensation mechanism is for all cases intrinsic, whereas extrinsic compensation is relatively enhanced for the layer of the last deposition cycle. In addition, we quantified other fundamental observables of these systems, such as the film thickness, water uptake, and overcharge fractions for each deposition layer.

Functional lasing microcapillaries for surface-specific sensing

Lasing-based sensors have several advantages over fluorescent devices, specifically related to the high light intensity and narrow mode linewidth that can improve the speed and accuracy of the sensor performance. In this work, a microcapillary-based lasing sensor is demonstrated, in which the lasing wavelengths are sensitive to the surface binding of specific materials. In order to achieve this, we utilized lasing into the "star" and "triangle" modes of a conventional microcapillary and tracked the mode positions after the deposition of a polyelectrolyte tri-layer and the subsequent amide binding of carboxy-functionalized polystyrene microspheres. While the lasing mode spectrum becomes increasingly complicated by the addition of the surface layers, careful mode selection can be used to monitor the layer-by-layer surface binding in a mechanically and optically robust device. For polystyrene microspheres, the detection limits were 9.75 nM based upon the lasing mode shift, which compares favorably with fluorescence-based devices. The methods presented in this work could readily be extended to other surface binding schemes and lasing wavelengths, showing that capillary microlasers could be used for many potential applications that capitalize on stable lasing-based detection methods.

Viscoelastic Properties of Polyelectrolyte Multilayers Swollen with Ionic Liquid Solutions

Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) obtained by layer-by-layer assembly can be doped with ionic liquid (IL) via the swelling of the films with IL solutions. In order to examine the mechanical properties of IL-containing PEM, we implement a Kelvin-Voigt model to obtain thickness, viscosity and elastic modulus from the frequency and dissipation shifts determined by a dissipative quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D). We analyze the changes in the modeled thickness and viscoelasticity of PEI(PSS/PADMAC)4PSS and PEI(PSS/PAH)4PSS multilayers upon swelling by increasing the concentration of either 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride or 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride, which are water soluble ILs. The results show that the thickness of the multilayers changes monotonically up to a certain IL concentration, whereas the viscosity and elasticity change in a non-monotonic fashion with an increasing IL concentration. The changes in the modeled parameters can be divided into three concentration regimes of IL, a behavior specific to ILs (organic salts), which does not occur with swelling by simple inorganic salts such as NaCl. The existence of the regimes is attributed to a competition of the hydrophobic interactions of large hydrophobic ions, which enhance the layer stability at a low salt content, with the electrostatic screening, which dominates at a higher salt content and causes a film softening.

Guanidinium Can Break and Form Strongly Associating Ion Complexes

Guanidinium is one of nature's strongest denaturants and is also a motif that appears in several interfacial contexts such as the RGD sequence involved in cell adhesion, cell penetrating peptides, and antimicrobial molecules. It is important to quantify the origin of guanidinium's ion-specific interactions so that its unique behavior may be exploited in synthetic applications. The present work demonstrates that guanidinium ions can both break and form strongly associating ion complexes in a context-dependent way. These insights into guanidinium's behavior are elucidated using polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), where interpolymer ion pairs between oppositely charged polymers play an important role in determining material stability. Different polycation-polyanion combinations can span a large range of association affinities, where more strongly associating complexes can remain insoluble in concentrated salt solutions and in extreme pH conditions. This high stability is desirable in several application contexts for PECs, but also renders them challenging to process and, therefore, to study since they cannot be dissolved into polymer solutions. Here we demonstrate that guanidinium salts are very effective in dissolving the poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(allylamine) (PSS:PAH) complex, which has one of the highest reported polycation-polyanion association affinities. We also demonstrate the importance of charge identity in complexation phenomena by functionalizing guanidinium directly into poly(allylamine), resulting in a complex that remains stable under highly denaturing conditions. The model system of PSS:PAH is used to glean insights into guanidinium's denaturing activity, as well as to broadly comment on the nature of ion-specific interactions in charged macromolecules.

High Selectivities among Monovalent Cations in Dialysis through Cation-Exchange Membranes Coated with Polyelectrolyte Multilayers

Cation-exchange membranes allow preferential passage of cations over anions, but they show minimal selectivity among cations, which limits their use in ion separations. Recent studies show that modification of cation-exchange membranes with polyelectrolyte multilayers leads to exceptional monovalent/divalent cation electrodialysis selectivities, but no studies report high selectivity among monovalent ions. This work demonstrates that adsorption of protonated poly(allylamine) (PAH)/poly(4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) multilayers on Nafion membranes leads to high K⁺/Li⁺ selectivities in Donnan dialysis, where K⁺ and Li⁺ ions in a source phase pass through the membrane and exchange with Na⁺ ions in a receiving phase. Addition of 0.01 M HNO₃ to a source phase containing 0.01 M KNO₃ and 0.01 M LiNO₃ increases the K⁺/Li⁺ selectivity from 8 to ∼60 through (PAH/PSS)₅PAH-coated Nafion membranes, primarily because of a ≥fivefold increase in K⁺ flux. These selectivities are much larger than the ratio of 1.9 for the aqueous diffusion coefficients of K⁺ and Li⁺, and uncoated Nafion membranes give a K⁺/Li⁺ selectivity <3. Bi-ionic transmembrane potential measurements at neutral pH confirm that the membrane is more permeable to K⁺ than Li⁺, but this selectivity is less than in Donnan dialysis with acidic solutions. In situ ellipsometry data indicate that PAH/PSS multilayers (assembled at pH 2.3, 7.5, or 9.3) swell at pH 2.0, and this swelling may open cation-exchange sites that preferentially bind K⁺ to enable highly selective transport. The coated membranes also exhibit modest selectivity for K⁺ over H⁺, suggesting selective transport based on preferential partitioning of K⁺ into the coatings. Selectivity declines when increasing the source-phase KNO₃ concentration to 0.1 M, perhaps because the discriminating transport pathway saturates. Moreover, selectivities are lower in electrodialysis than in Donnan dialysis, presumably because electrodialysis engages other transport mechanisms, such as electroosmosis and strong electromigration.

Combatting implant-associated biofilms through localized drug synthesis

Bacterial contamination of implantable biomaterials is a significant socioeconomic and healthcare burden. Indeed, bacterial colonization of implants after surgery has a high rate of incidence whereas concurrent prophylaxis using systemic antibiotics has limited clinical success. In this work, we develop enzyme-prodrug therapy (EPT) to prevent and to treat bacteria at interfaces. Towards the overall goal, novel prodrugs for fluoroquinolone antibiotics were developed on a privileged glucuronide scaffold. Whereas carbamoyl prodrugs were not stable and not suitable for EPT, glucuronides containing self-immolative linker between glucuronic acid masking group and the antibiotic were stable in solution and readily underwent bioconversion in the presence of β-glucuronidase. Surface coatings for model biomaterials were engineered using sequential polymer deposition technique. Resulting coatings afforded fast prodrug conversion and mediated antibacterial measures against planktonic species as evidenced by pronounced zone of bacterial growth inhibition around the biomaterial surface. These biomaterials coupled with the glucuronide prodrugs also effectively combatted bacteria within established biofilms and also successfully prevented bacterial colonization of the surface. To our knowledge, this is the first report of EPT engineered to the surface of biomaterials to mediate antibacterial measures.

Layer-by-Layer polyelectrolyte assemblies for encapsulation and release of active compounds

Soft assemblies obtained following the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) approach are accounted among the most interesting systems for designing biomaterials and drug delivery platforms. This is due to the extraordinary versatility and flexibility offered by the LbL method, allowing for the fabrication of supramolecular multifunctional materials using a wide range of building blocks through different types of interactions (electrostatic, hydrogen bonds, acid-base or coordination interactions, or even covalent bonds). This provides the bases for the building of materials with different sizes, shapes, compositions and morphologies, gathering important possibilities for tuning and controlling the physico-chemical properties of the assembled materials with precision in the nanometer scale, and consequently creating important perspective for the application of these multifunctional materials as cargo systems in many areas of technological interest. This review studies different physico - chemical aspects associated with the assembly of supramolecular materials by the LbL method, paying special attention to the description of these aspects playing a central role in the application of these materials as cargo platforms for encapsulation and release of active compounds.

Poly(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate/sodium alginate multilayers and their interaction with proteins/enzymes

The aim of the present work is to construct and investigate the properties of novel polyelectrolyte multilayers consisting of poly(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) and sodium alginate (SA). The influence of PDMAEMA's pH dependent ionization degree on the charge balance, thickness and roughness of the multilayer films was assessed by potentiometric titrations, dye sorption and atomic force microscopy. Moreover, the cross-linking of PDMAEMA/SA films with a dihalogenated aromatic derivative with high reactivity (α,α'-dichloro-p-xylene) by means of Menshutkin reaction and the stability of the multilayer architecture to repeated treatments with NaOH are demonstrated. Also, the interaction of the obtained films with various proteins/enzymes (pepsin, bovine serum albumin, haemoglobin and lysozyme) is investigated. It was found that biomolecules with the isoelectric point in the acidic region of pH were adsorbed in a higher amount than the biomolecules with the isoelectric point in the basic region of pH.

A Microfluidic Method for Investigating Ion-Specific Bubble Coalescence in Salt Solutions

This paper reports the direct and precise measurement of bubble coalescence in salt solutions using microfluidics. We directly visualized the bubble coalescence process in a microchannel using high-speed imaging and evaluated the shortest coalescence time to determine the transition concentration of sodium halide solutions. We found the transition concentration is ion-specific, and the capacity of sodium halide salts to inhibit bubble coalescence follows the order of NaF > NaCl > NaBr > NaI. The microfluidic method overcomes the inherent uncertainties in conventional large-scale devices and methods.

The effect of guanidinium functionalization on the structural properties and anion affinity of polyelectrolyte multilayers

Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) is chemically functionalized with guanidinium (Gu) moieties in water at room temperature. The resulting PAH-Gu is used to prepare polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) with poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) via layer-by-layer deposition. The polyelectrolyte (PE) adsorption processes are monitored real-time by optical reflectometry and a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). Compared to the reference PSS/PAH PEMs, the PSS/PAH-Gu PEMs show a lower amount of deposited PE materials, lower wet thickness, higher stability under alkaline conditions and higher rigidity. These differences are rationalized by the additional Gu-SO3(-) interactions, also affecting the conformation of the PE chains in the PEM. The interactions between the PEMs and various sodium salts (NaCl, NaNO3, Na2SO4 and NaH2PO4) are also monitored using QCM-D. From the changes in the frequency, dissipation responses and supportive Reflection Absorption Infrared Spectroscopy it is concluded that Gu-functionalized PEMs absorb more H2PO4(-) compared to the Gu-free reference PEMs. This can be understood by strong interactions between Gu and H2PO4(-), the differences in the anion hydration energy and the anion valency. It is anticipated that compounds like the presented Gu-functionalized PE may facilitate the further development of H2PO4(-) sensors and ion separation/recovery systems.

Convective polymer assembly for the deposition of nanostructures and polymer thin films on immobilized particles

We report the preparation of polymer particles via convective polymer assembly (CPA). Convection is used to move polymer solutions and cargo through an agarose gel that contains immobilized template particles. This method both coats and washes the particles in a process that is amenable to automation, and does not depend on passive diffusion or electrical currents, thus facilitating incorporation of fragile and nanoscale objects, such as liposomes and gold nanoparticles, into the thin polymer films. Template dissolution leads to the formation of stable polymer particles and capsules.

Surface grafted chitosan gels. Part I. Molecular insight into the formation of chitosan and poly(acrylic acid) multilayers

Composite polyelectrolyte multilayers of chitosan and low molecular weight poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) have been assembled by sequential adsorption as a first step toward building a surface anchored chitosan gel. Silane chemistry was used to graft the first chitosan layer to prevent film detachment and decomposition. The assembly process is characterized by nonlinear growth behavior, with different adsorption kinetics for chitosan and PAA. In situ analysis of the multilayer by means of surface sensitive total internal reflection Raman (TIRR) spectroscopy, combined with target factor analysis of the spectra, provided information regarding composition, including water content, and ionization state of weak acidic and basic groups present in the thin composite film. Low molecular weight PAA, mainly in its protonated form, diffuses into and out of the composite film during adsorption and rinsing steps. The higher molecular weight chitosan shows a similar behavior, although to a much lower extent. Our data demonstrate that the charged monomeric units of chitosan are mainly compensated by carboxylate ions from PAA. Furthermore, the morphology and mechanical properties of the multilayers were investigated in situ using atomic force microscopy operating in PeakForce tapping mode. The multilayer consists of islands that grow in lateral dimension and height during the build-up process, leading to close to exponentially increasing roughness with deposition number. Both diffusion in and out of at least one of the two components (PAA) and the island-like morphology contribute to the nonlinear growth of chitosan/PAA multilayers.

Real-time study of interactions between cytosine-cytosine pairs in DNA oligonucleotides and silver ions using dual polarization interferometry

The real-time conformational changes of cytosine (C)-rich ssDNA oligonucleotides upon binding with silver ions (Ag(+)) were studied using dual polarization interferometry (DPI). Upon the addition of Ag(+), Ag(+) selectively bound to cytosine-cytosine mismatches and formed C-Ag(+)-C complexes, inducing change of the structure of the C-rich ssDNA from random coil conformation to duplex conformation, whereas the control ssDNA without cytosine-cytosine mismatches had no such signal, which was consistent with circular dichroism (CD) characterization. The conformational change of DNA was reflected on the changes of the mass, thickness, and density values resolved by DPI. The calibration curves showed that as the concentration of Ag(+) increased from 10 nM to 8 μM, the thickness and mass values increased linearly while the density values decreased linearly. Other metal ions such as K(+), Ca(2+), Na(+), Mg(2+), Zn(2+), Mn(2+), Ni(2+), and Pb(2+) did not interfere with the interaction between Ag(+) and C-rich ssDNA, indicating that this method had a good selectivity. The practical application of this biosensor was also investigated in real samples such as drinking water. Besides, cysteine could specifically capture Ag(+) from C-Ag(+)-C complexes and transformed the structure of the C-rich DNA back from rigid double-stranded conformation to random coil conformation, which allowed cysteine to be detected selectively as well. It is expected that this biosensing strategy may be utilized to study the interaction of DNA with other molecules.

Fabrication of complex free-standing nanostructures with concave and convex curvature via the layer-by-layer approach

We report on the fabrication of unprecedented free-standing complex polymeric nanoobjects, which possess both concave and convex curvatures, by exploiting the layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of polyelectrolytes. In a combined top-down/bottom-up replication approach pore diameter-modulated anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, fabricated by temperature modulation hard anodization (TMHA), were replicated with multilayers of poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) to yield open nanotubes with diameters in the wide and narrow segments of 210 and 150 nm, respectively. To obtain stable pore diameter-modulated nanopores, which possess segment lengths between 1 and 5 μm and 5 and 10 μm in the narrow and wide pore portion, respectively, conventional hard anodization of aluminum was followed by a subsequent temperature-modulated anodization. After removing the backside aluminum electrode, silanizing the aluminum oxide, and passivating the exposed membrane surface with a thin layer of gold, PSS and PAH were deposited alternatingly to yield LBL multilayers. For optimized LBL multilayer thicknesses and compactness, established in separate experiments on silicon substrates and nanoporous AAO with straight pores, free-standing polymeric nanoobjects with concave and convex curvatures, were obtained. These were stable for wall thickness to pore diameter ratios of ≥0.08.

Short versus long chain polyelectrolyte multilayers: a direct comparison of self-assembly and structural properties

Optimization of the layer-by-layer growth of short chain (∼30 repeat units per chain) polyelectrolyte multilayers and comparison with classical long chain systems.

Separation of ions using polyelectrolyte-modified nanoporous track-etched membranes

Selective ion exclusion from charged nanopores in track-etched membranes allows separation of ions with different charges or mobilities. This study examines pressure-driven transport of dissolved ions through track-etched membranes modified by adsorption of poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS)/protonated poly(allylamine) (PAH) films. For nominal 30 nm pores modified with a single layer of PSS, Br(-)/SO4(2-) selectivities are ∼3.4 with SO4(2-) rejections around 85% due to selective electrostatic exclusion of the divalent anion from the negatively charged pore. Corresponding membranes containing an adsorbed PSS/PAH bilayer are positively charged and exhibit average K(+)/Mg(2+) selectivities >10 at 8 mM ionic strength, and Mg(2+) rejections are >97.5% at ionic strengths <5 mM. The high rejection of Mg(2+) compared to SO4(2-) likely results from both a smaller pore size after deposition of the PAH layer and higher surface charge because of Mg(2+) adsorption. Simultaneous modeling of K(+) and Mg(2+) rejections using the nonlinearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation gives an average modified pore diameter of 8.4 ± 2.1 nm, which does not vary significantly with ionic strength. This diameter is smaller than that calculated from hydraulic permeabilities and estimated pore densities, suggesting that narrow regions near the pore entrance control ion transport. In addition to simple electrostatic exclusion, streaming potentials lead to differing rejections of Br(-) and acetate in PSS/PAH-modified pores, and of Li(+) and Cs(+) in PSS-modified pores. For these cases, electrical migration of ions toward the feed solution results in higher rejection of the more mobile ion.

Interaction and structure in polyelectrolyte/clay multilayers: a QCM-D study

This study focuses on the investigation of the influence of the ionic strength on the internal structure, film forming behavior, and swelling properties of polyelectrolyte/clay multilayers. Layer-by-layer films were prepared with three different polyelectrolytes [polyethylenimine (PEI), polydiallyldimethylammoniumchloride (pDADMAC), and 2-hydroxy-3-trimethylammonium propyl chloride starch (HPMA starch)] in combination with laponite clay platelets on three different surfaces. All experiments were carried out at two different ionic strengths (30 mM or 500 mM NaCl). The experiments performed with strong polyelectrolytes revealed a higher film thickness and adsorbed masses of clay and polyelectrolyte at 500 mM NaCl. The films containing PEI showed different behavior and were considerably less sensitive to changes in the ionic strength. This was also reflected by the swelling behavior as demonstrated by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) measurements. Films comprising PEI showed, in contrast to the other polyelectrolytes, much lower swelling in water leading to more compact and stable films in humid environments which is important for numerous applications of LbL clay coatings.

Laminin adsorption on nanostructures: switching the molecular orientation by local curvature changes

This work addresses the influence that the nanometric features of biologically relevant surfaces have on the conformation and properties of adsorbed laminin. It was observed that the adsorption kinetics and the nanomorphology of laminin were affected by the change in local curvature of chemically homogeneous nanostructured surfaces. The nanostructured surfaces were prepared by exploiting the self-assembly process of carboxylated polystyrene NPs, with diameters of 45, 109, and 209 nm, onto a polyelectrolyte multilayer formed by alternate deposition of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) on gold. The anchored polymeric NPs were finally coated with a homogeneous layer of poly(allylamine hydrochloride), providing three surfaces with different nanometric local curvature. Atomic force microscopy was employed to characterize the relevant morphological parameters of the nanostructured surfaces. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring was employed to determine the adsorbed mass of laminin as well as its adsorption rate as a function of the local surface curvature. A model is proposed to explain the higher and faster laminin adsorption on surfaces with lower local curvature, where a switching of laminin anchoring orientation from a side-on to an end-on geometry can be predicted by a simple curvature-dependent parameter, γ, connecting the average nanostructure height h and the macromolecule radius of gyration R(g). The results provide a framework to understand the dependence of biomolecule orientation on local nanostructure.