Core-Shell Spheroidal Hydrogels Produced via Charge-Driven Interfacial Complexation.

Through charge-driven interfacial complexation, we produced millimeter-sized spheroidal hydrogels (SH) with a core-shell structure allowing long-term stability in aqueous media. The SH were fabricated by extruding, dropwise, a cationic cellulose nanofibril (CCNF) dispersion into an oppositely charged poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) bath. The SH have a solid-like CCNF-PAA shell, acting as a semipermeable membrane, and a liquid-like CCNF suspension in the core.

Inorganic and organic characterization of Santa Lucía salt mine peloid for quality evaluations.

Santa Lucía peloid is a sediment used in pelotherapy in Cuban primary health care services. Therefore, in addition to physicochemical regulated parameters, other analyses are required to complement their physicochemical characterization and understand potential element mobility, radiological risk, and toxicity as well as likely bioactive compounds present in Santa Lucía peloid. For these purposes, inorganic and organic elements and compounds were considered to evaluate Santa Lucía peloid's quality.

Spherical gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods for the determination of gentamicin.

Gentamicin is an antibiotic indicated to treat mastitis in dairy cattle and for the treatment of bacterial resistance in the context of hospital infections. The effect caused by gentamicin on the optical properties of gold nanoparticles aqueous dispersions were used to develop quantitative methods to determine this antibiotic. Two different aqueous dispersions, one containing spherical Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the other containing Au nanorods (AuNRs), had their conditions adjusted to enable a stable and sensitive response towards gentamicin.

Study of the interaction of flavonoids with 3-mercaptopropionic acid modified CdTe quantum dots mediated by cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide in aqueous medium.

Flavonoids are polyphenols that help the maintenance of health, aiding the prevention of diseases. In this work, CdTe QDs coated with 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3MPA), with an average size of 2.7nm, were used as photoluminescence probe for flavonoids in different conditions.

Unraveling the binding mechanism of polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters with bovine serum albumin: a novel theoretical model based on molecular dynamic simulations.

To gain a better understanding of the interactions governing the binding mechanism of proteins with non-ionic surfactants, the association processes of Tween 20 and Tween 80 with the bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein were investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Protein:surfactant molar ratios were chosen according to the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of each surfactant in the presence of BSA. It was found that both the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic groups of the BSA equally contribute to the surface area of interaction with the non-ionic surfactants.

Physico-chemical studies of molecular interactions between non-ionic surfactants and bovine serum albumin.

Surfactants, particularly non-ionic types, are often added to prevent and/or minimize protein aggregation during fermentation, purification, freeze-drying, shipping, and/or storage. In this work we have investigated the interactions between two non-ionic surfactants (Tween 20 and Tween 80) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), as model protein, using surface tension, fluorescence measurements and computational analysis. The results showed that, in both cases, the surface tension profile of the surfactants curve is modified upon addition of the protein, and the CMC values of Tween 20 and Tween 80 in the presence of protein are higher than the CMC values of the pure surfactants.

Effect of surfactant structure on the residual fluorescence of micelle-based fluorescent probes.

In the present paper we have investigated some photo-physical characteristics of different micellar-based fluorescent probes containing a fluorophore (pyrene) and a quencher unit (dodecyl-dioxo 2,3,2). The fluorescent response of the probe in the presence of Cu(II) ions was studied using different micellar substrates, and it was found that the pH at which the On-Off jump occurs is not influenced by the chemical structure of surfactant. In addition, the experimental residual fluorescence is not proportionally affected by microviscosity or by the size of the micellar aggregates.

Interactions and film formation in polyethylenimine-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide aqueous mixtures at low surfactant concentration.

The interactions involved in aqueous mixtures of polyethyleneimine (PEI) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) were studied under dilute conditions. The phase diagram of this polyelectrolyte-surfactant system of similar charge was constructed by determining the CAC and CMC* values at different PEI concentrations, using surface-tension and conductivity measurements, respectively. Formation of thin films at the air-solution interface was detected at concentrations belonging to the interaction region of the phase diagram, using Brewster angle microscopy.

Micelles for the self-assembly of "off-on-off" fluorescent sensors for pH windows.

A micellar approach is proposed to build a series of systems featuring an "off-on-off" fluorescent window response with changes in pH. The solubilizing properties of micelles are used to self-assemble, in water, plain pyrene with lipophilized pyridine and tertiary amine moieties. Since these components are contained in the small volume of the same micelle, pyrene fluorescence is influenced by the basic moieties: protonated pyridines and free tertiary amines behave as quenchers.

Using micelles for a new approach to fluorescent sensors for metal cations.

A new approach based on self-assembly inside micelles has been individuated to prepare a system behaving as a water-operating selective fluorescent sensor for Cu2+ and Ni2+.