Polyelectrolyte-protein synergism: pH-responsive polyelectrolyte/insulin complexes as versatile carriers for targeted protein and drug delivery.

The co-assembly of polyelectrolytes (PE) with proteins offers a promising approach for designing complex structures with customizable morphologies, charge distribution, and stability for targeted cargo delivery. However, the complexity of protein structure limits our ability to predict the properties of the formed nanoparticles, and our goal is to identify the key triggers of the morphological transition in protein/PE complexes and evaluate their ability to encapsulate multivalent ionic drugs. A positively charged PE can assemble with a protein at pH above isoelectric point due to the electrostatic attraction and disassemble at pH below isoelectric point due to the repulsion.

Rigid-to-Flexible Transition in a Molecular Brush in a Good Solvent at a Semidilute Concentration.

The structures of a molecular brush in a good solvent are investigated using synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering in a wide range of concentrations. The brush under study, PPOx--PPrOx, features a relatively long poly(2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) (PPOx) backbone and short poly(2--propyl-2-oxazoline) (PPrOx) side chains. As a solvent, ethanol is used.

Directed Vertical Diffusion of Photovoltaic Active Layer Components into Porous ZnO-Based Cathode Buffer Layers.

Cathode buffer layers (CBLs) can effectively further the efficiency of polymer solar cells (PSCs), after optimization of the active layer. Hidden between the active layer and cathode of the inverted PSC device configuration is the critical yet often unattended vertical diffusion of the active layer components across CBL. Here, a novel methodology of contrast variation with neutron and anomalous X-ray reflectivity to map the multicomponent depth compositions of inverted PSCs, covering from the active layer surface down to the bottom of the ZnO-based CBL, is developed.