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Allegri G, Huskens J, Martinho RP, Lindhoud S. Distribution of polyelectrolytes and counterions upon polyelectrolyte complexation. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 672:654-663. [PMID: 38865879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.06.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Understanding polyelectrolyte complexation remains limited due to the absence of a systematic methodology for analyzing the distribution of components between the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) and the dilute phases. EXPERIMENTS We developed a methodology based on NMR to quantify all components of solid-like PECs and their supernatant phases formed by mixing different ratios of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid)-sodium salt (PAA). This approach allowed for determining relative and absolute concentrations of polyelectrolytes in both phases by 1H NMR studies. Using 23Na and 35Cl NMR spectroscopy we measured the concentration of counterions in both phases. FINDINGS Regardless of the mixing ratio of the polyelectrolytes the PEC is charge-stoichiometric, and any excess polyelectrolytes to achieve charge stoichiometry remains in the supernatant phase. The majority of counterions were found in the supernatant phase, confirming counterion release being a major thermodynamic driving force for PEC formation. The counterion concentrations in the PEC phase were approximately twice as high as in the supernatant phase. The complete mass balance of PEC formation could be determined and translated into a molecular picture. It appears that PAH is fully charged, while PAA is more protonated, so less charged, and some 10% extrinsic PAH-Cl- pairs are present in the complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Allegri
- Molecular Nanofabrication Group, Department for Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute & Faculty of Science Technology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Jurriaan Huskens
- Molecular Nanofabrication Group, Department for Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute & Faculty of Science Technology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Ricardo P Martinho
- Biomolecular Nanotechnology Group, Department for Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute & Faculty of Science Technology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Saskia Lindhoud
- Molecular Nanofabrication Group, Department for Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute & Faculty of Science Technology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, the Netherlands.
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Staňo R, van Lente J, Lindhoud S, Košovan P. Sequestration of Small Ions and Weak Acids and Bases by a Polyelectrolyte Complex Studied by Simulation and Experiment. Macromolecules 2024; 57:1383-1398. [PMID: 38370910 PMCID: PMC10867894 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Mixing of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes can result in phase separation into a polymer-poor supernatant and a polymer-rich polyelectrolyte complex (PEC). We present a new coarse-grained model for the Grand-reaction method that enables us to determine the composition of the coexisting phases in a broad range of pH and salt concentrations. We validate the model by comparing it to recent simulations and experimental studies, as well as our own experiments on poly(acrylic acid)/poly(allylamine hydrochloride) complexes. The simulations using our model predict that monovalent ions partition approximately equally between both phases, whereas divalent ones accumulate in the PEC phase. On a semiquantitative level, these results agree with our own experiments, as well as with other experiments and simulations in the literature. In the sequel, we use the model to study the partitioning of a weak diprotic acid at various pH values of the supernatant. Our results show that the ionization of the acid is enhanced in the PEC phase, resulting in its preferential accumulation in this phase, which monotonically increases with the pH. Currently, this effect is still waiting to be confirmed experimentally. We explore how the model parameters (particle size, charge density, permittivity, and solvent quality) affect the measured partition coefficients, showing that fine-tuning of these parameters can make the agreement with the experiments almost quantitative. Nevertheless, our results show that charge regulation in multivalent solutes can potentially be exploited in engineering the partitioning of charged molecules in PEC-based systems at various pH values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Staňo
- Faculty
of Physics, University of Vienna, Boltzmanngasse 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna
Doctoral School in Physics, University of
Vienna, Boltzmanngasse
5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jéré
J. van Lente
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, University
of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Lindhoud
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, University
of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Košovan
- Department
of Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Hlavova 8, 128 40 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Wang J, Waltmann C, Harms C, Hu S, Hegarty J, Shindel B, Wang Q, Dravid V, Shull KR, Torkelson JM, Olvera de la Cruz M. Tailoring Interactions of Random Copolymer Polyelectrolyte Complexes to Remove Nanoplastic Contaminants from Water. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:7514-7523. [PMID: 37196238 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c01028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
We investigate the usage of polyelectrolyte complex materials for water remediation purposes, specifically their ability to remove nanoplastics from water, on which there is currently little to no prior research. We demonstrate that oppositely charged random copolymers are effective at quantitatively removing nanoplastic contamination from aqueous solution. The mechanisms underlying this remediation ability are explored through computational simulations, with corroborating quartz crystal microbalance adsorption experiments. We find that hydrophobic nanostructures and interactions likely play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Curt Waltmann
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Caroline Harms
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Sumeng Hu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - John Hegarty
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Benjamin Shindel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Qifeng Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Vinayak Dravid
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Kenneth R Shull
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - John M Torkelson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Monica Olvera de la Cruz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
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Saha A, Yi R, Fahrenbach AC, Wang A, Jia TZ. A Physicochemical Consideration of Prebiotic Microenvironments for Self-Assembly and Prebiotic Chemistry. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12101595. [PMID: 36295030 PMCID: PMC9604842 DOI: 10.3390/life12101595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The origin of life on Earth required myriads of chemical and physical processes. These include the formation of the planet and its geological structures, the formation of the first primitive chemicals, reaction, and assembly of these primitive chemicals to form more complex or functional products and assemblies, and finally the formation of the first cells (or protocells) on early Earth, which eventually evolved into modern cells. Each of these processes presumably occurred within specific prebiotic reaction environments, which could have been diverse in physical and chemical properties. While there are resources that describe prebiotically plausible environments or nutrient availability, here, we attempt to aggregate the literature for the various physicochemical properties of different prebiotic reaction microenvironments on early Earth. We introduce a handful of properties that can be quantified through physical or chemical techniques. The values for these physicochemical properties, if they are known, are then presented for each reaction environment, giving the reader a sense of the environmental variability of such properties. Such a resource may be useful for prebiotic chemists to understand the range of conditions in each reaction environment, or to select the medium most applicable for their targeted reaction of interest for exploratory studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Saha
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 600 1st Ave, Floor 1, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
- Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University, Kolkata 700135, India
| | - Ruiqin Yi
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
| | - Albert C. Fahrenbach
- School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Anna Wang
- School of Chemistry, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- UNSW RNA Institute, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Correspondence: (A.W.); (T.Z.J.)
| | - Tony Z. Jia
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 600 1st Ave, Floor 1, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1-IE-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
- Correspondence: (A.W.); (T.Z.J.)
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Recovery Techniques Enabling Circular Chemistry from Wastewater. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27041389. [PMID: 35209179 PMCID: PMC8877087 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27041389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In an era where it becomes less and less accepted to just send waste to landfills and release wastewater into the environment without treatment, numerous initiatives are pursued to facilitate chemical production from waste. This includes microbial conversions of waste in digesters, and with this type of approach, a variety of chemicals can be produced. Typical for digestion systems is that the products are present only in (very) dilute amounts. For such productions to be technically and economically interesting to pursue, it is of key importance that effective product recovery strategies are being developed. In this review, we focus on the recovery of biologically produced carboxylic acids, including volatile fatty acids (VFAs), medium-chain carboxylic acids (MCCAs), long-chain dicarboxylic acids (LCDAs) being directly produced by microorganisms, and indirectly produced unsaturated short-chain acids (USCA), as well as polymers. Key recovery techniques for carboxylic acids in solution include liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, and membrane separations. The route toward USCA is discussed, including their production by thermal treatment of intracellular polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) polymers and the downstream separations. Polymers included in this review are extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Strategies for fractionation of the different fractions of EPS are discussed, aiming at the valorization of both polysaccharides and proteins. It is concluded that several separation strategies have the potential to further develop the wastewater valorization chains.
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van Lente JJ, Lindhoud S. Extraction of Lysozyme from Chicken Albumen Using Polyelectrolyte Complexes. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2105147. [PMID: 34877780 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202105147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Cells use droplet-like membrane-less organelles (MLOs) to compartmentalize and selectively take-up molecules, such as proteins, from their internal environment. These membraneless organelles can be mimicked by polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) consisting of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes. Previous research has demonstrated that protein uptake strongly depends on the PEC composition. This suggests that PECs can be used to selectively extract proteins from a multi-protein mixture. With this in mind, the partitioning of the protein lysozyme in four PEC systems consisting of different weak and strong polyelectrolyte combinations is investigated. All systems show similar trends in lysozyme partitioning as a function of the complex composition. The release of lysozyme from complexes at their optimal lysozyme uptake composition is investigated by increasing the salt concentration to 500 mm NaCl or lowering the pH from 7 to 4. Complexes of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and poly(acrylic acid) have the best uptake and release properties. These are used for selective extraction of lysozyme from a hen-egg white protein matrix. The (back)-extracted lysozyme retains its enzymatic activity, showing the capability of PECs to function as extraction media for proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jéré J van Lente
- Department of Molecules & Materials, Membrane Science & Technology cluster, Nanobiophysics Group and MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Lindhoud
- Department of Molecules & Materials nd MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, Enschede, 7522 NB, The Netherlands
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