Adsorption of Polyelectrolytes at Oppositely Charged Surfaces

Ag2O-Containing Biocidal Interpolyelectrolyte Complexes on Glass Surfaces-Adhesive Properties of the Coatings

Biocidal coatings are of great interest to the healthcare system. In this work, the biocidal activity of coatings based on a complex biocide containing polymer and inorganic active antibacterial components was studied. Silver oxide was distributed in a matrix of a positively charged interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) of polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) and sodium polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) using ultrasonic dispersion, forming nanoparticles with an average size of 5-6 nm. The formed nanoparticles in the matrix are not subject to agglomeration and changes in morphology during storage. It was found that the inclusion of silver oxide in a positively charged IPEC allows a more than 4-fold increase in the effectiveness of the complex biocide against E. coli K12 in comparison with the biocidal effect of PDADMAC and IPEC. Polycation, IPEC, and the IPEC/Ag2O ternary complex form coatings on the glass surface due to electrostatic adsorption. Adhesive and cohesive forces in the resulting coatings were studied with micron-scale coatings using dynamometry. It was found that the stability of the coating is determined primarily by adhesive interactions. At the macro level, it is not possible to reliably identify the role of IPEC formation in adhesion. On the other hand, use of the optical tweezers method makes it possible to analyze macromolecules at the submicron scale and to evaluate the multiple increase in adhesive forces when forming a coating from IPEC compared to coatings from PDADMAC. Thus, the application of ternary IPEC/Ag2O complexes makes it possible to obtain coatings with increased antibacterial action and improved adhesive characteristics.

Self-Cross-Linkable Chitosan-Alginate Complexes Inspired by Mussel Glue Chemistry

In this study, mussel-inspired chemistry, based on catechol-amine reactions, was adopted to develop self-cross-linkable chitosan-alginate (Chi-Alg) complexes. To do so, the biopolymers were each substituted with ∼20% catechol groups (ChiC and AlgC), and then four complex combinations (Chi-Alg, ChiC-Alg, Chi-AlgC, ChiC-AlgC) were prepared at the surface and in bulk solution. Based on QCM-D and lap shear adhesion tests, the complex with catechol only on Chi (ChiC-Alg) did not show a significant variation from the control complex (Chi-Alg). Conversely, the complexes with catechol on alginate (Chi-AlgC and ChiC-AlgC) rendered a self-cross-linking property and enhanced cohesive properties.

Structure and Dynamics of Hybrid Colloid-Polyelectrolyte Coacervates: Insights from Molecular Simulations

Electrostatic interactions in polymeric systems are responsible for a wide range of liquid-liquid phase transitions that are of importance for biology and materials science. Such transitions are referred to as complex coacervation, and recent studies have sought to understand the underlying physics and chemistry. Most theoretical and simulation efforts to date have focused on oppositely charged linear polyelectrolytes, which adopt nearly ideal-coil conformations in the condensed phase. However, when one of the coacervate components is a globular protein, a better model of complexation should replace one of the species with a spherical charged particle or colloid. In this work, we perform coarse-grained simulations of colloid-polyelectrolyte coacervation using a spherical model for the colloid. Simulation results indicate that the electroneutral cell of the resulting (hybrid) coacervates consists of a polyelectrolyte layer adsorbed on the colloid. Power laws for the structure and the density of the condensed phase, which are extracted from simulations, are found to be consistent with the adsorption-based scaling theory of hybrid coacervation. The coacervates remain amorphous (disordered) at a moderate colloid charge, Q, while an intra-coacervate colloidal crystal is formed above a certain threshold, at Q > Q*. In the disordered coacervate, if Q is sufficiently low, colloids diffuse as neutral nonsticky nanoparticles in the semidilute polymer solution. For higher Q, adsorption is strong and colloids become effectively sticky. Our findings are relevant for the coacervation of polyelectrolytes with proteins, spherical micelles of ionic surfactants, and solid organic or inorganic nanoparticles.

Mucoadhesive Rifampicin-Liposomes for the Treatment of Pulmonary Infection by Mycobacterium abscessus: Chitosan or ε-Poly-L-Lysine Decoration

Mycobacterium abscessus (Mabs) is a dangerous non-tubercular mycobacterium responsible for severe pulmonary infections in immunologically vulnerable patients, due to its wide resistance to many different antibiotics which make its therapeutic management extremely difficult. Drug nanocarriers as liposomes may represent a promising delivery strategy against pulmonary Mabs infection, due to the possibility to be aerosolically administrated and to tune their properties in order to increase nebulization resistance and retainment of encapsulated drug. In fact, liposome surface can be modified by decoration with mucoadhesive polymers to enhance its stability, mucus penetration and prolong its residence time in the lung. The aim of this work is to employ Chitosan or ε-poly-L-lysine decoration for improving the properties of a novel liposomes composed by hydrogenated phosphatidyl-choline from soybean (HSPC) and anionic 1,2-Dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylglycerol sodium salt (DPPG) able to entrap Rifampicin. A deep physicochemical characterization of polymer-decorated liposomes shows that both polymers improve mucoadhesion without affecting liposome features and Rifampicin entrapment efficiency. Therapeutic activity on Mabs-infected macrophages demonstrates an effective antibacterial effect of ε-poly-L-lysine liposomes with respect to chitosan-decorated ones. Altogether, these results suggest a possible use of ε-PLL liposomes to improve antibiotic delivery in the lung.

Structure and Dynamics of Hybrid Colloid-Polyelectrolyte Coacervates

We develop a scaling theory for the structure and dynamics of "hybrid" complex coacervates formed from linear polyelectrolytes (PEs) and oppositely charged spherical colloids, such as globular proteins, solid nanoparticles, or spherical micelles of ionic surfactants. At low concentrations, in stoichiometric solutions, PEs adsorb at the colloids to form electrically neutral finite-size complexes. These clusters attract each other through bridging between the adsorbed PE layers. Above a threshold concentration, macroscopic phase separation sets in. The coacervate internal structure is defined by (i) the adsorption strength and (ii) the ratio of the resulting shell thickness to the colloid radius, H/R. A scaling diagram of different coacervate regimes is constructed in terms of the colloid charge and its radius for Θ and athermal solvents. For high charges of the colloids, the shell is thick, H ≫ R, and most of the volume of the coacervate is occupied by PEs, which determine its osmotic and rheological properties. The average density of hybrid coacervates exceeds that of their PE-PE counterparts and increases with nanoparticle charge, Q. At the same time, their osmotic moduli remain equal, and the surface tension of hybrid coacervates is lower, which is a consequence of the shell's inhomogeneous density decreasing with the distance from the colloid surface. When charge correlations are weak, hybrid coacervates remain liquid and follow Rouse/reptation dynamics with a Q-dependent viscosity, η _Rouse ∼ Q ^4/5 and η _rep ∼ Q ^28/15 for a Θ solvent. For an athermal solvent, these exponents are equal to 0.89 and 2.68, respectively. The diffusion coefficients of colloids are predicted to be strongly decreasing functions of their radius and charge. Our results on how Q affects the threshold coacervation concentration and colloidal dynamics in condensed phases are consistent with experimental observations for in vitro and in vivo studies of coacervation between supercationic green fluorescent proteins (GFPs) and RNA.

Wetting behavior of polyelectrolyte complex coacervates on solid surfaces

The wetting behavior of complex coacervates underpins their use in many emerging applications of surface science, particularly wet adhesives and coatings. Many factors dictate if a coacervate phase will condense on a solid surface, including solution conditions, the nature of the polymer-substrate interaction, and the underlying supernatant-coacervate bulk phase behavior. In this work, we use a simple inhomogeneous mean-field theory to study the wetting behavior of complex coacervates on solid surfaces both off-coexistence (wetting transitions) and on-coexistence (contact angles). We focus on the effects of salt concentration, the polycation/polyanion surface affinity, and the applied electrostatic potential on the wettability. We find that the coacervate generally wets the surface via a first order wetting transition with second order transitions possible above a surface critical point. Applying an electrostatic potential to a solid surface always improves the surface wettability when the polycation/polyanion-substrate interaction is symmetric. For asymmetric surface affinity, the wettability has a nonmonotonic dependence with the applied potential. We use simple scaling and thermodynamic arguments to explain our results.

Molecular Self-Assembly Enables Tuning of Nanopores in Atomically Thin Graphene Membranes for Highly Selective Transport

Atomically thin membranes comprising nanopores in a 2D material promise to surpass the performance of polymeric membranes in several critical applications, including water purification, chemical and gas separations, and energy harvesting. However, fabrication of membranes with precise pore size distributions that provide exceptionally high selectivity and permeance in a scalable framework remains an outstanding challenge. Circumventing these constraints, here, a platform technology is developed that harnesses the ability of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes to self-assemble preferentially across larger, relatively leaky atomically thin nanopores by exploiting the lower steric hindrance of such larger pores to molecular interactions across the pores. By selectively tightening the pore size distribution in this manner, self-assembly of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes simultaneously introduced on opposite sides of nanoporous graphene membranes is demonstrated to discriminate between nanopores to seal non-selective transport channels, while minimally compromising smaller, water-selective pores, thereby remarkably attenuating solute leakage. This improved membrane selectivity enables desalination across centimeter-scale nanoporous graphene with 99.7% and >90% rejection of MgSO₄ and NaCl, respectively, under forward osmosis. These findings provide a versatile strategy to augment the performance of nanoporous atomically thin membranes and present intriguing possibilities of controlling reactions across 2D materials via exclusive exploitation of pore size-dependent intermolecular interactions.

Where in the world are condensed counterions?

A scaling model of the concentration profiles of both condensed and free counterions is presented for solutions of spherical and cylindrical charged nanoparticles of different charge valences, nanoparticle sizes, and salt concentrations. The distribution of counterions for both spherical and cylindrical charged particles in salt-free solutions is determined by the condensation parameter γ₀ defined as the ratio of nanoparticle valence Z₀ to the number of Bjerrum lengths l_B = e²/(εkT) per nanoparticle size (γ₀ = Z₀l_B/(2r₀) for spherical nanoparticles with radii r₀ or γ₀ = Z₀l_B/L for cylindrical particles with length L), where ε is solution dielectric permittivity, e is elementary charge and kT is thermal energy. Depending on the magnitudes of the condensation parameter γ₀ and nanoparticle volume fraction ϕ, we find three qualitatively different regimes for the counterion distribution near charged particles: (i) weakly charged particles with no condensed counterions, (ii) regime of weak counterion condensation with less than half of the counterions condensed, and (iii) regime of strong counterion condensation with the majority of counterions condensed. The magnitude of electrostatic energy of a condensed counterion with respect to solution locations with zero electric field is larger than thermal energy kT, and the fraction of condensed counterions increases from less than half in the weak condensation regime to the majority of all counterions in the strong condensation regime. The condensed counterions are not bound to the nanoparticle surface but instead are localized within the condensed counterion zone near the charged particle. The thickness of the condensed counterion zone varies with the condensation parameter γ₀, the nanoparticle shape and volume fraction ϕ, and the salt concentration and can be as narrow as Bjerrum length (∼nm) or as large as the particle size (∼L the length of charged cylinder).

Heterogeneity in Lateral Distribution of Polycations at the Surface of Lipid Membrane: From the Experimental Data to the Theoretical Model

Natural and synthetic polycations of different kinds attract substantial attention due to an increasing number of their applications in the biomedical industry and in pharmacology. The key characteristic determining the effectiveness of the majority of these applications is the number of macromolecules adsorbed on the surface of biological cells or their lipid models. Their study is complicated by a possible heterogeneity of polymer layer adsorbed on the membrane. Experimental methods reflecting the structure of the layer include the electrokinetic measurements in liposome suspension and the boundary potential of planar bilayer lipid membranes (BLM) and lipid monolayers with a mixed composition of lipids and the ionic media. In the review, we systematically analyze the methods of experimental registration and theoretical description of the laterally heterogeneous structures in the polymer layer published in the literature and in our previous studies. In particular, we consider a model based on classical theory of the electrical double layer, used to analyze the available data of the electrokinetic measurements in liposome suspension with polylysines of varying molecular mass. This model suggests a few parameters related to the heterogeneity of the polymer layer and allows determining the conditions for its appearance at the membrane surface. A further development of this theoretical approach is discussed.

Electrostatically crosslinked cellulose nanocrystal and polyelectrolyte complex sponges with pH responsiveness

This work focuses on the development of a responsive sponge made of an anionic cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) skeleton that is electrostatically crosslinked by a pH-responsive poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolyte complex (PEC). The results prove the formation of a global percolated network comprised of disordered CNC rods crosslinked by PEC clusters. The bulk density of the freeze-dried CNC-PEC sponges increases from 35 to 93 mg/cm³ with PEC concentration, while the compression modulus of dry specimens increases from 7 up to 62 kPa. At the lowest PEC concentration of 1 wt%, at pH 2.0, the compression modulus decreases to 0.9 kPa, whereas at pH 5.5, it increases to 42 kPa. The intensive complexation between sponge constituents is also reflected in a reduced ability to bind charged dyes at neutral pH values. Decreasing the pH results in an increased adsorption efficiency for anionic dyes, while raising the pH improves the cationic dye adsorption.

On Concept of Hybrid in Colloid Sciences

The concepts hybrid and hybridization are common in many scientific fields, as in the taxonomic parts of botany and zoology, in modern genetic, and in the quantum–mechanical theory of atomic–molecular orbitals, which are of foremost relevance in most aspects of modern chemistry. Years later, scientists applied the concept hybrid to colloids, if the particles’ domains are endowed with functionalities differing each from the other in nature and/or composition. For such denomination to be fully valid, the domains belonging to a given hybrid must be recognizable each from another in terms of some intrinsic features. Thus, the concept applies to particles where a given domain has its own physical state, functionality, or composition. Literature examples in this regard are many. Different domains that are present in hybrid colloids self-organize, self-sustain, and self-help, according to the constraints dictated by kinetic and/or thermodynamic stability rules. Covalent, or non-covalent, bonds ensure the formation of such entities, retaining the properties of a given family, in addition to those of the other, and, sometimes, new ones. The real meaning of this behavior is the same as in zoology; mules are pertinent examples, since they retain some features of their own parents (i.e., horses and donkeys) but also exhibit completely new ones, such as the loss of fertility. In colloid sciences, the concept hybrid refers to composites with cores of a given chemical type and surfaces covered by moieties differing in nature, or physical state. This is the result of a mimicry resembling the ones met in a lot of biological systems and foods, too. Many combinations may occur. Silica nanoparticles on which polymers/biopolymers are surface-bound (irrespective of whether binding is covalent or not) are pertinent examples. Here, efforts are made to render clear the concept, which is at the basis of many applications in the biomedical field, and not only. After a historical background and on some features of the species taking part to the formation of hybrids, we report on selected cases met in modern formulations of mixed, and sometimes multifunctional, colloid entities.

Nonelectrostatic Adsorption of Polyelectrolytes and Mediated Interactions between Solid Surfaces

Polymer-mediated interaction between two solid surfaces is directly connected to the properties of the adsorbed polymer layers. Nonelectrostatic interactions with a surface can significantly impact the adsorption of polyelectrolytes to charged surfaces. We use a classical density functional theory to study the effect of various polyelectrolyte solution properties on the adsorption and interaction between two like-charged surfaces. Our results show that nonelectrostatic interactions not only enhance polyelectrolyte adsorption but can also result in qualitatively different salt effects with respect to the adsorbed amount. In particular, we observe decreasing, increasing, and a previously unreported nonmonotonic behavior in the adsorbed amount of polymer with added salt under the conditions studied, although the nonmonotonic regime only occurs for a narrow range in the parameter space. With sufficient nonelectrostatic adsorption, the adsorbed polymer layers produce a long-range repulsive barrier that is strong enough to overcome dispersive interactions that cause surfaces to attract. Concurrently, a short-range bridging attraction is observed when the two polyelectrolyte layers span both the surfaces. Both the repulsive barrier and bridging attraction depend on the charge density of the polymer backbone and the bulk salt concentration but not on the chain length in the semidilute regime studied.

Hybrid Ceramic Membranes for the Removal of Pharmaceuticals from Aqueous Solutions

Layer-by-Layer (LbL) technology was used to coat alumina ceramic membranes with nanosized polyelectrolyte films. The polyelectrolyte chains form a network with nanopores on the ceramic surface and promote the rejection of small molecules such as pharmaceuticals, salts and industrial contaminants, which can otherwise not be eliminated using standard ultrafiltration methods. The properties and performance of newly developed hybrid membranes are in the focus of this investigation. The homogeneity of the applied coating layer was investigated by confocal fluorescence microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Properties such as permeability, bubble point, pore size distribution and Zeta potential were determined for both pristine and LbL coated membranes using various laboratory tests. Subsequently, a thorough comparison was drawn. The charging behavior at solid-liquid interface was characterized using streaming potential techniques. The retention potential was monitored by subjecting widely used pharmaceuticals such as diclofenac, ibuprofen and sulfamethoxazol. The results prove a successful elimination of pharmaceutical contaminants, up to 84% from drinking water, by applying a combination of polyelectrolyte multilayers and ceramic membranes.

The Double-Faced Electrostatic Behavior of PNIPAm Microgels

PNIPAm microgels synthesized via free radical polymerization (FRP) are often considered as neutral colloids in aqueous media, although it is well known, since the pioneering works of Pelton and coworkers, that the vanishing electrophoretic mobility characterizing swollen microgels largely increases above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAm, at which microgels partially collapse. The presence of an electric charge has been attributed to the ionic initiators that are employed when FRP is performed in water and that stay anchored to microgel particles. Combining dynamic light scattering (DLS), electrophoresis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments, we show that collapsed ionic PNIPAm microgels undergo large mobility reversal and reentrant condensation when they are co-suspended with oppositely charged polyelectrolytes (PE) or nanoparticles (NP), while their stability remains unaffected by PE or NP addition at lower temperatures, where microgels are swollen and their charge density is low. Our results highlight a somehow double-faced electrostatic behavior of PNIPAm microgels due to their tunable charge density: they behave as quasi-neutral colloids at temperature below LCST, while they strongly interact with oppositely charged species when they are in their collapsed state. The very similar phenomenology encountered when microgels are surrounded by polylysine chains and silica nanoparticles points to the general character of this twofold behavior of PNIPAm-based colloids in water.

Nanocomposite-based dual enzyme system for broad-spectrum scavenging of reactive oxygen species

A broad-spectrum reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging hybrid material (CASCADE) was developed by sequential adsorption of heparin (HEP) and poly(L-lysine) (PLL) polyelectrolytes together with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) antioxidant enzymes on layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoclay support. The synthetic conditions were optimized so that CASCADE possessed remarkable structural (no enzyme leakage) and colloidal (excellent resistance against salt-induced aggregation) stability. The obtained composite was active in decomposition of both superoxide radical anions and hydrogen peroxide in biochemical assays revealing that the strong electrostatic interaction with the functionalized support led to high enzyme loadings, nevertheless, it did not interfere with the native enzyme conformation. In vitro tests demonstrated that ROS generated in human cervical adenocarcinoma cells were successfully consumed by the hybrid material. The cellular uptake was not accompanied with any toxicity effects, which makes the developed CASCADE a promising candidate for treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases.

Stimuli-Induced Nonequilibrium Phase Transitions in Polyelectrolyte-Surfactant Complex Coacervates

Polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes (PESCs) are important soft colloids with applications in the fields of personal care, cosmetics, pharmaceutics, and much more. If their phase diagrams have long been studied under pseudoequilibrium conditions, and often inside the micellar or vesicular regions, understanding the effect of nonequilibrium conditions, applied at phase boundaries, on the structure of PESCs generates an increasing interest. In this work we cross the micelle-vesicle and micelle-fiber phase boundaries in an isocompositional surfactant-polyelectrolyte aqueous system through a continuous and rapid variation of pH. We employ two microbial glycolipid biosurfactants in the presence of polyamines, both systems being characterized by their responsiveness to pH. We show that complex coacervates (Co) are always formed in the micellar region of both glycolipids' phase diagram and that their phase behavior drives the PESC stability and structure. However, for glycolipid forming single-wall vesicles, we observe an isostructural and isodimensional transition between complex coacervates and a multilamellar walls vesicle (MLWV) phase. For the fiber-forming glycolipid, on the contrary, the complex coacervate disassembles into free polyelectrolyte coexisting with the equilibrium fiber phase. Last but not least, this work also demonstrates the use of microbial glycolipid biosurfactants in the development of sustainable PESCs.

Critical adsorption of multiple polyelectrolytes onto a nanosphere: splitting the adsorption-desorption transition boundary

Employing extensive Monte Carlo computer simulations, we investigate in detail the properties of multichain adsorption of charged flexible polyelectrolytes (PEs) onto oppositely charged spherical nanoparticles (SNPs). We quantify the conditions of critical adsorption-the phase-separation curve between the adsorbed and desorbed states of the PEs-as a function of the SNP surface-charge density and the concentration of added salt. We study the degree of fluctuations of the PE-SNP electrostatic binding energy, which we use to quantify the emergence of the phase subtransitions, including a series of partially adsorbed PE configurations. We demonstrate how the phase-separation adsorption-desorption boundary shifts and splits into multiple subtransitions at low-salt conditions, thereby generalizing and extending the results for critical adsorption of a single PE onto the SNP. The current findings are relevant for finite concentrations of PEs around the attracting SNP, such as the conditions for PE adsorption onto globular proteins carrying opposite electric charges.

Adsorption Characteristics of Carboxymethylated Lignin on Rigid and Soft Surfaces Probed by Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Limited information is available on the interaction of anionically charged lignin and cationic particles, despite the promising use of anionic lignin as a coagulant and dispersant for suspension systems. The main objective of this study was to discover the fate of lignin on its interaction with rigid and soft surfaces. In this work, carboxymethylated lignin (CML) with two different charge densities were produced, and their adsorption performance on gold and poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)-coated gold surfaces was comprehensively studied. The viscoelastic properties of adsorbed CML on the gold surface were investigated by means of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. A higher adsorbed amount and compact layer were observed for the adsorption of CML with a lower charge density of -1.16 meq/g (CML1). CML with a higher charge density (-2.92 meq/g), CML2, yielded a lower surface excess density of 2.31 × 10^-6 mol/m² and a higher occupied area per molecule (71.84 Ų) at the interface of water and gold sensor. Below and at equilibrium, CML2 generated a bulkier adsorption layer than did CML1 on the gold sensor and on the PDADMAC-coated sensor. Studies on the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of CML and PDADMAC revealed that CML1 adsorbed more greatly than CML2 on PDADMAC, and it generated a thicker but less viscoelastic layer. In this system, the greater loss to storage modulus ( G″/ G') value was achieved for CML2, indicating its looser structure in the LBL system. Studies on the LBL assembly of carboxymethylated xylan/PDADMAC and CML/PDADMAC provided concrete evidence for the fate of three-dimensional structure of CML on its adsorption performance.

Structure of Liquid Coacervates formed by Oppositely Charged Polyelectrolytes

We develop a scaling theory and perform molecular dynamic simulations of weakly interacting coacervates with electrostatic interaction energy per charge less than thermal energy kT. Such liquid coacervates formed by oppositely charged polyelectrolytes can be asymmetric in charge density and number of charges per chain. We predict that these coacervates form interpenetrating solutions with two correlation lengths and two qualitatively different types of conformations of polyelectrolytes with lower and higher charge densities, which are analogous to chain conformations in quasi-neutral and in polyelectrolyte solutions, respectively. Weaker charged chains are attracted to and adsorbed on stronger charged chains forming a screening "coat" around the stronger charged polyelectrolytes. Salt added at lower concentrations screens the repulsion between stronger charged chains, thereby reducing the thickness of the screening coat and resulting in the non-zero net polymer charge in the coacervate. At higher salt concentrations salt screens the attraction between oppositely charged chains, decreasing the coacervate concentration and its polymeric charge density. Thus, we predict a non-monotonic salt concentration dependence of polymeric charge density for asymmetric coacervates. Phase diagram for a mixture of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes at various compositions is proposed for different salt concentrations.

Adsorption and encapsulation of flexible polyelectrolytes in charged spherical vesicles

We present a theory of adsorption of flexible polyelectrolytes on the interior and exterior surfaces of a charged vesicle in an electrolyte solution. The criteria for adsorption and the density profiles of the adsorbed polymer chain are derived in terms of various characteristics of the polymer, vesicle, and medium, such as the charge density and length of the polymer, charge density and size of the vesicle, electrolyte concentration and dielectric constant of the medium. For adsorption inside the vesicle, the competition between the loss of conformational entropy and gain in adsorption energy results in two kinds of encapsulated states, depending on the strength of the polymer-vesicle interaction. By considering also the adsorption from outside the vesicle, we derive the entropic and energy contributions to the free energy change to transfer an adsorbed chain in the interior to an adsorbed chain on the exterior. In this paper, we have used the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) method to solve the equation for the probability distribution function of the chain. The present WKB results are compared with the previous results based on variational methods. The WKB and variational results are in good agreement for both the interior and exterior states of adsorption, except in the zero-salt limit for adsorption in the exterior region. The adsorption criteria and density profiles for both the interior and exterior states are presented in terms of various experimentally controllable variables. Calculation of the dependencies of free energy change to transfer an adsorbed chain from the interior to the exterior surface on salt concentration and vesicle radius shows that the free energy penalty to expel a chain from a vesicle is only of the order of thermal energy.

Macroion adsorption-electrokinetic and optical methods

Recent studies on macroion adsorption at solid/liquid interfaces evaluated by electrokinetic and optical methods are reviewed. In the first section a description of electrokinetic phenomena at a solid surface is briefly outlined. Various methods for determining both static and dynamic properties of the electrical double layer, such as the appropriate location of the slip plane, are presented. Theoretical approaches are discussed concerning quantitative interpretation of streaming potential/current measurements of homogeneous macroscopic interfaces. Experimental results are presented, involving electrokinetic characteristics of bare surfaces, such as mica, silicon, glass etc. obtained from various types of electrokinetic cells. The surface conductivity effect on zeta potential is underlined. In the next section, various theoretical approaches, proposed to determine a distribution of electrostatic potential and flow distribution within macroion layers, are presented. Accordingly, the influence of the uniform as well as non-uniform distribution of charges within macroion layer, the dissociation degree, and the surface conductance on electrokinetic parameters are discussed. The principles, the advantages and limits of optical techniques as well as AFM are briefly outlined in Section 4. The last section is devoted to the discussion of experimental data obtained by streaming potential/current measurements and optical methods, such as reflectometry, ellipsometry, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS), colloid enhancement, and fluorescence technique, for mono- and multilayers of macroions. Results of polycations (PEI, PAMAM dendrimers, PAH, PDADMAC) and polyanions (PAA, PSS) adsorption on mica, silicon, gold, and PTFE are quantitatively interpreted in terms of theoretical approaches postulating the three dimensional charge distribution or the random sequential adsorption model (RSA). Macroion bilayer formation, experimentally examined by streaming current measurements, and theoretically interpreted in terms of the comprehensive formalism is also reviewed. The utility of electrokinetic measurements, combined with optical methods, for a precise, in situ characteristics of macroion mono- and multilayer formation at solid/liquid interfaces is pointed out.

Critical adsorption of periodic and random polyampholytes onto charged surfaces

How different are the properties of critical adsorption of polyampholytes and polyelectrolytes onto charged surfaces? How important are the details of polyampholyte charge distribution on the onset of critical adsorption transition? What are the scaling relations governing the dependence of critical surface charge density on salt concentration in the surrounding solution? Here, we employ Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations and uncover the scaling relations for critical adsorption for quenched periodic and random charge distributions along the polyampholyte chains. We also evaluate and discuss the dependence of the adsorbed layer width on solution salinity and details of the charge distribution. We contrast our findings to the known results for polyelectrolyte adsorption onto oppositely charged surfaces, in particular, their dependence on electrolyte concentration.

Interaction Forces between Pegylated Star-Shaped Polymers at Mica Surfaces

We present a study focused on characterizing the interaction forces between mica surfaces across solutions containing star-shaped polymers with cationic ends. Using the surface forces apparatus, we show that the interaction forces in pure water between surfaces covered with the polymers can be adequately described by the dendronized brush model. In that framework, our experimental data suggest that the number of branches adsorbed at the surface decreases as the concentration of polymer in the adsorbing solution increases. The onset of interaction was also shown to increase with the concentration of polymer in solution up to distances much larger than the contour length of the polymer, suggesting that the nanostructure of the polymer film is significantly different from that of a monolayer. High compression of the polymer film adsorbed at low polymer concentration revealed the appearance of a highly structured hydration layer underneath the polymer layer. These results support that charged polymer chains do not necessarily come into close contact with the surface even if strong electrostatic interaction is present. Altogether, our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the interfacial behavior of star-shaped polymers and reveal the unexpected role of hydration water in the control of the polymer conformation.

Coarse-grained simulations of polyelectrolyte complexes: MARTINI models for poly(styrene sulfonate) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium)

We present simulations of aqueous polyelectrolyte complexes with new MARTINI models for the charged polymers poly(styrene sulfonate) and poly(diallyldimethylammonium). Our coarse-grained polyelectrolyte models allow us to study large length and long time scales with regard to chemical details and thermodynamic properties. The results are compared to the outcomes of previous atomistic molecular dynamics simulations and verify that electrostatic properties are reproduced by our MARTINI coarse-grained approach with reasonable accuracy. Structural similarity between the atomistic and the coarse-grained results is indicated by a comparison between the pair radial distribution functions and the cumulative number of surrounding particles. Our coarse-grained models are able to quantitatively reproduce previous findings like the correct charge compensation mechanism and a reduced dielectric constant of water. These results can be interpreted as the underlying reason for the stability of polyelectrolyte multilayers and complexes and validate the robustness of the proposed models.

Adsorption of highly charged Gaussian polyelectrolytes onto oppositely charged surfaces

In many biological processes highly charged biopolymers are adsorbed onto oppositely charged surfaces of macroions and membranes. They form strongly correlated structures close to the surface which cannot be explained by the conventional Poisson-Boltzmann theory. In this work strong coupling theory is used to study the adsorption of highly charged Gaussian polyelectrolytes. Two cases of adsorptions are considered, when the Gaussian polyelectrolytes are confined (a) by one charged wall, and (b) between two charged walls. The effects of salt and the geometry of the polymers on their adsorption-depletion transitions in the strong coupling regime are discussed.

Generation of mechanical force by grafted polyelectrolytes in an electric field

We study theoretically and by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations the generation of mechanical force by grafted polyelectrolytes in an external electric field, which favors its adsorption on the grafting plane. The force arises in deformable bodies linked to the free end of the chain. Varying the field, one controls the length of the nonadsorbed part of the chain and hence the deformation of the target body, i.e., the arising force too. We consider target bodies with a linear force-deformation relation and with a Hertzian one. While the first relation models a coiled Gaussian chain, the second one describes the force response of a squeezed colloidal particle. The theoretical dependences of generated force and compression of the target body on an applied field agree very well with the results of MD simulations. The analyzed phenomenon may play an important role in future nanomachinery, e.g., it may be used to design nanovices to fix nanosized objects.

Adsorption of polyelectrolytes and polyelectrolytes-surfactant mixtures at surfaces: a physico-chemical approach to a cosmetic challenge

The use of polymer and polymer - surfactant mixtures for designing and developing textile and personal care cosmetic formulations is associated with various physico-chemical aspects, e.g. detergency and conditioning in the case of hair or wool, that determine their correct performances in preserving and improving the appearance and properties of the surface where they are applied. In this work, special attention is paid to the systems combining polycations and negatively charged surfactants. The paper introduces the hair surface and presents a comprehensive review of the adsorption properties of these systems at solid-water interfaces mimicking the negative charge and surface energy of hair. These model surfaces include mixtures of thiols that confer various charge densities to the surface. The kinetics and factors that govern the adsorption are discussed from the angle of those used in shampoos and conditioners developed by the cosmetic industry. Finally, systems able to adsorb onto negatively charged surfaces regardless of the anionic character are presented, opening new ways of depositing conditioning polymers onto keratin substrates such as hair.

Strong Selective Adsorption of Polymers

A scaling theory is developed for selective adsorption of polymers induced by the strong binding between specific monomers and complementary surface adsorption sites. By "selective" we mean specific attraction between a subset of all monomers, called "sticky", and a subset of surface sites, called "adsorption sites". We demonstrate that, in addition to the expected dependence on the polymer volume fraction ϕ_bulk in the bulk solution, selective adsorption strongly depends on the ratio between two characteristic length scales, the root-mean-square distance l between neighboring sticky monomers along the polymer, and the average distance d between neighboring surface adsorption sites. The role of the ratio l/d arises from the fact that a polymer needs to deform to enable the spatial commensurability between its sticky monomers and the surface adsorption sites for selective adsorption. We study strong selective adsorption of both telechelic polymers with two end monomers being sticky and multisticker polymers with many sticky monomers between sticky ends. For telechelic polymers, we identify four adsorption regimes at l/d < 1 that are characterized by the fraction of occupied adsorption sites and whether the dominant conformation of adsorbed chains is a single-end-adsorbed "mushroom" or double-end-adsorbed loop. For l/d > 1, we expect that the adsorption layer at exponentially low ϕ_bulk consists of separated unstretched loops, while as ϕ_bulk increases the layer crosses over to a brush of extended loops with a second layer of weakly overlapping tails. For multisticker chains, in the limit of exponentially low ϕ_bulk, adsorbed polymers are well separated from each other. As l/d increases, the conformation of an individual polymer changes from a single-end-adsorbed "mushroom" to a random walk of loops. For high ϕ_bulk, adsorbed polymers at small l/d are mushrooms that cover all the adsorption sites. At sufficiently large l/d, adsorbed multisticker polymers strongly overlap. We anticipate the formation of a self-similar carpet and with increasing l/d a two-layer structure with a brush of loops covered by a self-similar carpet. As l/d exceeds the threshold determined by the adsorption energy, the brush of loops under the carpet reaches a saturated state, resulting in a l/d-independent brush-under-carpet structure, which can also be applied to describe adsorbed multisticker polymers in nonselective adsorption where a sticker can strongly bind to any place on the adsorption surface. We examine the adsorbed amount Γ of multisticker polymers in different regimes for selective adsorption. If the adsorbed multisticker polymers are nonoverlapping mushrooms, the adsorbed amount Γ increases linearly with the surface density of adsorption sites Σ ≈ 1/d². In the self-similar carpet regime, Γ increases sublinearly as Σ^0.15 in a good solvent, while only logarithmically in a theta solvent. Formation of a brush layer under the carpet contributes an additional adsorbed amount. This additional amount increases linearly with Σ and eventually dominates the overall adsorbed amount Γ before saturating at a plateau value controlled by the adsorption energy.

Interactions between colloidal particles in the presence of an ultrahighly charged amphiphilic polyelectrolyte

A novel amphiphilic polyelectrolyte denoted as PAGC8 and a traditional amphiphilic polyelectrolyte denoted as PASC8 were prepared. PAGC8 consisted of gemini-type surfactant segment based on 1,3-bis (N,N-dimethyl-N-octylammonium)-2-propyl acrylate dibromide, while PASC8 incorporated acryloyloxyethyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-dodecylammonium bromide as single chain surfactant units within its repeat unit structure. Turbidity, stability, and zeta potential measurements were performed in the presence of PAGC8 and PASC8, respectively, to evaluate their effectiveness in inducing solid/liquid separations. It was found that the maximum transmittance was observed before the zeta potential values reached the isoelectric point, implying that not only charge neutralization but also charge-patch mechanism contributed to the separation process. Colloid probe atomic force microscopy technique was introduced to directly determine the interactions between surfaces in the presence of ultrahighly charged amphiphilic polyelectrolyte. On the basis of the AFM results, we have successfully interpreted the influence of the charge density of the polyelectrolytes on the phase stability. Electrostatic interaction played the dominant role in the flocculation processes, although both electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic effect provided contributions to the colloidal dispersions. The attractions upon surfaces approach in the case of PAGC8 were significantly larger than that of PASC8 due to the higher charge density. The strong peeling events upon retraction in the presence of PAGC8 implied that the hydrophobic effect was stronger than that of PASC8, which displayed the loose pulling events. A strong attraction was identified at shorter separation distances for both systems. However, these interactions cannot be successfully described by the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory of colloid stability due to the participation of charge-patch and strong hydrophobic effect. To account for the additional interactions, we proposed an extended DLVO empirical model to explain the non-DLVO forces in the systems. A reasonable physical model was also proposed to further describe the interactions between surfaces in the two amphiphilic polyelectrolyte systems.

Triggering protein adsorption on tailored cationic cellulose surfaces

The equipment of cellulose ultrathin films with BSA (bovine serum albumin) via cationization of the surface by tailor-made cationic celluloses is described. In this way, matrices for controlled protein deposition are created, whereas the extent of protein affinity to these surfaces is controlled by the charge density and solubility of the tailored cationic cellulose derivative. In order to understand the impact of the cationic cellulose derivatives on the protein affinity, their interaction capacity with fluorescently labeled BSA is investigated at different concentrations and pH values. The amount of deposited material is quantified using QCM-D (quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, wet mass) and MP-SPR (multi-parameter surface plasmon resonance, dry mass), and the mass of coupled water is evaluated by combination of QCM-D and SPR data. It turns out that adsorption can be tuned over a wide range (0.6-3.9 mg dry mass m(-2)) depending on the used conditions for adsorption and the type of employed cationic cellulose. After evaluation of protein adsorption, patterned cellulose thin films have been prepared and the cationic celluloses were adsorbed in a similar fashion as in the QCM-D and SPR experiments. Onto these cationic surfaces, fluorescently labeled BSA in different concentrations is deposited by an automatized spotting apparatus and a correlation between the amount of the deposited protein and the fluorescence intensity is established.

Polyelectrolyte adsorption, interparticle forces, and colloidal aggregation

This review summarizes the current understanding of adsorption of polyelectrolytes to oppositely charged solid substrates, the resulting interaction forces between such substrates, and consequences for colloidal particle aggregation. The following conclusions can be reached based on experimental findings. Polyelectrolytes adsorb to oppositely charged solid substrates irreversibly up to saturation, whereby loose and thin monolayers are formed. The adsorbed polyelectrolytes normally carry a substantial amount of charge, which leads to a charge reversal. Frequently, the adsorbed films are laterally heterogeneous. With increasing salt levels, the adsorbed mass increases leading to thicker and more homogeneous films. Interaction forces between surfaces coated with saturated polyelectrolyte layers are governed at low salt levels by repulsive electric double layer interactions, and particle suspensions are stable under these conditions. At appropriately high salt levels, the forces become attractive, principally due to van der Waals interactions, but eventually also through other forces, and suspensions become unstable. This situation can be rationalized with the classical theory of Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey, and Overbeek (DLVO). Due to the irreversible nature of the adsorption process, stable unsaturated layers form in colloidal particle suspensions at lower polyelectrolyte doses. An unsaturated polyelectrolyte layer can neutralize the overall particle surface charge. Away from the charge reversal point, electric double layer forces are dominant and particle suspensions are stable. As the charge reversal point is approached, attractive van der Waals forces become important, and particle suspensions become unstable. This behaviour is again in line with the DLVO theory, which may even apply quantitatively, provided the polyelectrolyte films are sufficiently laterally homogeneous. For heterogeneous films, additional attractive patch-charge interactions may become important. Depletion interactions may also lead to attractive forces and suspension destabilization, but such interactions become important only at high polyelectrolyte concentrations.

Binding of a protein or a small polyelectrolyte onto synthetic vesicles

Catanionic vesicles were prepared by mixing nonstoichiometric amounts of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate and dioctyldimethylammonium bromide in water. Depending on the concentration and mole ratios between the surfactants, catanionic vesicular aggregates are formed. They have either negative or positive charges in excess and are endowed with significant thermodynamic and kinetic stability. Vesicle characterization was performed by dynamic light scattering and electrophoretic mobility. It was inferred that vesicle size scales in inverse proportion with its surface charge density and diverges as the latter quantity approaches zero and/or the mole ratio equals unity. Therefore, both variables are controlled by the anionic/cationic mole ratio. Small-angle X-ray scattering, in addition, indicates that vesicles are unilamellar. Selected anionic vesicular systems were reacted with poly-L-lysine hydrobromide or lysozyme. Polymer binding continues until complete neutralization of the negatively charged sites on the vesicles surface is attained, as inferred by electrophoretic mobility. Lipoplexes are formed as a result of significant electrostatic interactions between cationic polyelectrolytes and negatively charged vesicles.

Dendrimer induced interaction forces between colloidal particles revealed by direct force and aggregation measurements

Interaction forces and aggregation rates were determined in order to characterize colloid stability of negative carboxyl latex particles in the presence of oppositely charged poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers of three different generations G4, G7 and G10. The force profiles were measured by the atomic force microscopy (AFM) based on multi-particle colloidal probe technique. Close to the isoelectric point, the measured force profiles were more attractive than the pure van der Waals interactions. This behavior was rationalized in term of an additional electrostatic patch-charge contribution whose magnitude increases by increasing the dendrimer generation. The aggregation rates were calculated from these results using the classical theory developed by Derjaguin, Landau, Verwey and Overbeek (DLVO) as well as including the additional attractive term and a radially symmetric force field. The calculated aggregation rates were compared to the ones obtained directly from time-resolved dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements using exactly the same latex particles as in the AFM study. The results from these two methods were in good agreement in the case of dendrimers of lower generation, while at higher generation, significant differences were found. In the latter case, the stability ratio in the slow aggregation regime extracted from direct force measurements was much higher than the one measured experimentally by DLS. Despite the fact that the additional attractive term was included in the calculation, the discrepancy between the two different stability ratios suggests that the assumption of radial symmetric interaction is weak.

Polyelectrolyte adsorption on solid surfaces: theoretical predictions and experimental measurements

This work utilizes a combination of theory and experiments to explore the adsorption of two different cationic polyelectrolytes onto oppositely charged silica surfaces at pH 9. Both polymers, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), PDADMAC, and poly(4-vinyl N-methylpyridinium iodide), PVNP, are highly charged and highly soluble in water. Another important aspect is that a silica surface carries a relatively high surface charge density at this pH level. This means that we have specifically chosen to investigate adsorption under conditions where electrostatics can be expected to dominate the interactions. Of specific focus in this work is the response of the adsorption to the addition of simple salt (i.e., a process where electrostatics is gradually screened out). Theoretical predictions from a recently developed correlation-corrected classical density functional theory for polyelectrolytes are evaluated by direct quantitative comparisons with corresponding experimental data, as obtained by ellipsometry measurements. We find that, at low concentrations of simple salt, the adsorption increases with ionic strength, reaching a maximum at intermediate levels (about 200 mM). The adsorption then drops but retains a finite level even at very high salt concentrations, indicating the presence of nonelectrostatic contributions to the adsorption. In the theoretical treatment, the strength of this relatively modest but otherwise largely unknown nonelectrostatic surface affinity was estimated by matching predicted and experimental slopes of adsorption curves at high ionic strength. Given these estimates for the nonelectrostatic part, experimental adsorption data are essentially captured with quantitative accuracy by the classical density functional theory.