High-Pressure Transition of a Poly(ethylene glycol)-Grafted Phospholipid Monolayer at the Air/Water Interface

Amphiphilic polymers for aggregation-induced emission at air/liquid interfaces

Polymersomes and related self-assembled nanostructures displaying Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE) are highly relevant for plenty of applications in imaging, biology and functional devices. Experimentally simple, scalable and universal strategies for on-demand self-assembly of polymers rendering well-defined nanostructures are highly desirable. A purposefully designed combination of amphiphilic block copolymers including tunable lengths of hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG_m) and hydrophobic AIE polymer poly(tetraphenylethylene-trimethylenecarbonate) (P(TPE-TMC)_n) has been studied at the air/liquid interface. The unique 2D assembly properties have been analyzed by thermodynamic measurements, UV-vis reflection spectroscopy and photoluminescence in combination with molecular dynamics simulations. The (PEG)_m-b-P(TPE-TMC)_n monolayers formed tunable 2D nanostructures self-assembled on demand by adjusting the available surface area. Tuning of the PEG length allows to modification of the area per polymer molecule at the air/liquid interface. Molecular detail on the arrangement of the polymer molecules and relevant molecular interactions has been convincingly described. AIE fluorescence at the air/liquid interface has been successfully achieved by the (PEG)_m-b-P(TPE-TMC)_n nanostructures. An experimentally simple 2D to 3D transition allowed to obtain 3D polymersomes in solution. This work suggests that engineered amphiphilic polymers for AIE may be suitable for selective 2D and 3D self-assembly for imaging and technological applications.

Langmuir films of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylethanolamine grafted poly(ethylene glycol). In-situ evidence of surface aggregation at the air-water interface

The molecular packing-dependent interfacial organization of polyethylene glycol grafted dipalmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (PE-PEGs) Langmuir films was studied. The PEG chains covered a wide molecular mass range (350, 1000 and 5000Da). In surface pressure-area (π-A), isotherms PE-PEG¹⁰⁰⁰ and PE-PEG⁵⁰⁰⁰ showed transitions (midpoints at π_m,t1∼11mN/m, "t1"), which appeared as a long non-horizontal line region. Thus, t1 cannot be considered a first-order phase transition but may reflect a transition within the polymer, comprising its desorption from the air-water interface and compaction upon compression. This is supported by the increase in the ν_s(C-O-C) PM-IRRAS signal intensity and the increasing surface potentials at maximal compression, which reflect thicker polymeric layers. Furthermore, changes in hydrocarbon chain (HC) packing and tilt with respect to the surface led to reorientation in the PO₂^- group upon compression, indicated by the inversion of the ν_asym(PO₂^-) PM-IRRAS signal around t1. The absence of a t1 in PE-PEG³⁵⁰ supports the requisite of a critical polymer chain length for this transition to occur. In-situ epifluorescence microscopy revealed 2D-domain-like structures in PE-PEG¹⁰⁰⁰ and PE-PEG⁵⁰⁰⁰ around t1, possibly associated with gelation/dehydration of the polymeric layer and appearing at decreasing π as the polymeric tail became longer. Another transition, t2, appearing in PE-PEG³⁵⁰ and PE-PEG¹⁰⁰⁰ at π_m,t2=29.4 and 34.8mN/m, respectively, was associated with HC condensation and was impaired in PE-PEG⁵⁰⁰⁰ due to steric hindrance imposed by the large size of its polymer moiety. Two critical lengths of polymer chains were found, one of which allowed the onset of polymeric-tail gelation and the other limited HC compaction.

Unusual triskelion patterns and dye-labelled GUVs: consequences of the interaction of cholesterol-containing linear-hyperbranched block copolymers with phospholipids

Cholesterol (Ch) linked to a linear-hyperbranched block copolymer composed of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(glycerol) (hbPG) was investigated for its membrane anchoring properties. Two polyether-based linear-hyperbranched block copolymers with and without a covalently attached rhodamine fluorescence label (Rho) were employed (Ch-PEG30-b-hbPG23 and Ch-PEG30-b-hbPG17-Rho). Compression isotherms of co-spread 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) or 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) with the respective polymers were measured on the Langmuir trough and the morphology development of the liquid-condensed (LC) domains was studied by epi-fluorescence microscopy. LC domains were strongly deformed due to the localization of the polymers at the domain interface, indicating a line activity for both block copolymers. Simultaneously, it was observed that the presence of the fluorescence label significantly influences the domain morphology, the rhodamine labelled polymer showing higher line activity. Adsorption isotherms of the polymers to the water surface or to monolayers of DPPC and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), respectively, were collected. Again the rhodamine labelled polymer showed higher surface activity and a higher affinity for insertion into lipid monolayers, which was negligibly affected when the sub-phase was changed to aqueous sodium chloride solution or phosphate buffer. Calorimetric investigations in bulk confirmed the results found using tensiometry. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) also confirmed the polymers' fast adsorption to and insertion into phospholipid membranes.

Mixing behavior of a poly(ethylene glycol)-grafted phospholipid in monolayers at the air/water interface

Mixed phospholipid monolayers hosting a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-grafted distearoylphosphatidylethanolamine with a PEG molecular weight of 5000 (DSPE-PEG5000) spread at the air/water interface were used as model systems to study the effect of PEG-phospholipids on the lateral structure of PEG-grafted membrane-mimetic surfaces. DSPE-PEG5000 has been found to mix readily with distearoylphosphoethanolamine-succinyl (DSPE-succynil), a phospholipid whose structure resembles closely that of the phospholipid part of the DSPE-PEG5000 molecule. However, properties of mixed monolayers such as morphology and stability varied significantly with DSPE-PEG5000 content. In particular, our surface pressure, epifluorescence microscopy (EFM), and Brewster angle microscopy (BAM) studies have shown that mixtures containing 1-9 mol % of DSPE-PEG5000 form stable condensed monolayers with no sign of microscopic phase separation at surface pressures above approximately 25 mN/m. Yet, at 1 mol % of DSPE-PEG5000 in mixed monolayers, the two components have been found to behave nearly immiscibly at surface pressures below approximately 25 mN/m. For monolayers containing 18-75 mol % of DSPE-PEG5000, a high-pressure transition has been observed in the low-compressibility region of their isotherms, which has been identified on the basis of continuous BAM imaging of monolayer morphology, as reminiscent of the collapse nucleation in a pure DSPE-PEG5000 monolayer. Thus, the comparative analysis of our surface pressure, EFM, and BAM data has revealed that there exists a rather narrow range of mixture compositions with DSPE-PEG5000 content between 3 and 9 mol %, where somewhat homogeneous distribution of DSPE-PEG5000 molecules and high pressure stability can be achieved. This finding can be useful to "navigating" through possible mixture compositions while developing guidelines to the rational design of membrane-mimetic surfaces with highly controlled bio-nonfouling properties.

Memory effects of monolayers and vesicles formed by the non-ionic surfactant, 2C18E12

The behaviour of monolayers and bilayers formed by the dialkyl chain non-ionic surfactant, 1,2-di-O-octadecyl-rac-glycerol-3-omega-methoxydodecaethylene glycol (2C(18)E(12)) in water at 297 K has been investigated. Using a surface film balance (or Langmuir trough) the compression-expansion cycle of the 2C(18)E(12) monolayer was found to be reversible when compressed to surface pressures (pi) less than 42 mN m(-1). Compression of 2C(18)E(12) monolayer to pi greater than 42 mN m(-1) above this resulted in a considerable hysteresis upon expansion with the pi remaining high relative to that obtained upon compression, suggesting a time/pressure dependent re-arrangement of 2C(18)E(12) molecules in the film. Morphology of the 2C(18)E(12) monolayer, investigated using Brewster angle microscopy, was also found to depend upon monolayer history. Bright, randomly dispersed domains of 2C(18)E(12) of approximately 5 mum in size were observed during compression of the monolayer to pi less than 42 mN m(-1). At pi of 42 mN m(-1) and above, the surfactant film appeared to be almost completely 'solid-like.' Regardless of the extent of compression of the monolayer film, expansion of the film caused formation of chains or 'necklaces' of individual surfactant domains, with the extent of chain formation dependent upon pressure of compression of the monolayer and the length of time held at that pressure. Irreversible effects on 2C(18)E(12) vesicle size were also seen upon temperature cycling the vesicles through their liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature with vesicles shrinking in size and not returning to their original size upon standing at 298 K for periods of more than 24 h. No comparable hysteresis, time, pressure or temperature effects were observed with the monolayer or vesicles formed by the corresponding phospholipid, disteaorylphosphatidylcholine, under identical conditions. The effects observed with 2C(18)E(12) are attributed to the ability of the polyoxyethylene head group to dehydrate and intrude into the hydrophobic chain region of the mono- and bilayers. These studies have important implications for the use of the vesicles formed by 2C(18)E(12) as drug delivery vehicles.

Effects of surface pressure on the structure of the monolayer formed at the air/water interface by a non-ionic surfactant

The monolayer formed at an air/water interface by the synthetic non-ionic surfactant, 1,2-di-O-octadecyl-rac-glyceryl-3-(omega-methoxydodecakis (ethylene glycol)) (2C18E12) has been characterized using Langmuir trough measurements, Brewster angle microscopy (BAM), and neutron reflectometry. The BAM and reflectometry studies were performed at four different surface pressures (pi) in the range 15-40 mN/m. The BAM studies (which give information on the in-plane organisation of the surfactant layer) demonstrate that the 2C18E12 molecules are arranged on the water surface to form distinct, approximately circular, 5 microm diameter domains. As the surface pressure is increased these domains retain their size and shape but are made progressively more close-packed, such that the monolayer is made more or less complete at pi=40 mN/m. The neutron reflectometry measurements were made to determine the structure of the interfacial surfactant layer at pi=15, 28, 34 and 40 mN/m, providing information on the thickness of the 2C18E12 alkyl chains', head groups' and associated solvent distributions (measured along the surface normal), along with the separations between these distributions, and the effective interfacial area per molecule. Partial structure factor analyses of the reflectivity data show that the effective interfacial area occupied decreases from 217 A2 per 2C18E12 molecule at pi=15 mN/m down to 102 A2 at pi=40 mN/m. There are concomitant increases in the widths of the surfactant's alkyl chains' and head groups' distributions (modelled as Gaussians), with the former rising from 12 A (at pi=15 mN/m) up to 19 A (at pi=40 mN/m) and the latter rising from 13 A (at pi=15 mN/m) up to 24 A (at pi=40 mN/m). The compression of the monolayer is also shown to give rise to an increased surface roughness, some of which is due to the thermal roughness caused by capillary waves, but with a significant contribution also coming from the intrinsic/structural disorder in the monolayer. At all surface pressures studied, the alkyl chains and head groups of the 2C18E12 are found to exhibit a significant overlap, and this increases with increasing pi. Given the various trends noted on how the structure of the 2C18E12 monolayer changes as a function of pi, we extrapolate to consider the structure of the monolayer at pi>40 mN/m (making comparison with its single chain (CnEm) counterparts) and then relate these findings to the observations recorded on the structure and solute entrapment efficiency of 2C18E12 vesicles.

Dilational viscoelasticity of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer films at the air-water interface in the range of high surface pressures

The dynamic dilational elasticity of adsorbed and spread films of PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymers at the air-water interface was measured as a function of surface pressure, surface age, and frequency. At low surface pressures (<10 mN/m), the surface viscoelasticity is identical to that of PEO homopolymer films. The results at higher surface pressures can be explained by the desorption of PPO segments from the interface and then mixing with PEO segments in water. Unlike some recent results, the spread and adsorbed films are not identical. Spread films exhibit a maximum real part of the dynamic surface elasticity of about 20 mN/m and probably begin to dissolve in water at surface pressures above 19 mN/m. However, the surface elasticity of the adsorbed films decreases beyond the maximum, indicating the formation of a loose surface structure.