Self-assembly of NrTP6 cell-penetrating lipo-peptide with variable number of lipid chains: Impact of phosphate ions on lipid association.

Hypothesis: Lipopeptides synthesized from the Nucleolar Targeting Peptide (NrTP6) with one, two or four dodecanoic fatty acid (FA) chains, display large head to tail volumes, which together with the number of lipid chains per molecule, impacts their self-assembly behavior. In phosphate buffer (PB), peptide to peptide interactions are triggered by the presence of phosphate ions that act as ionic crosslinkers, affecting the organization of the lipid assemblies.

Experimental: The NrTP6 lipopeptides were synthesized by the solid phase peptide synthesis technique.

Long PEO-based nanoribbons generated in a polystyrene matrix through reaction-induced microphase separation followed by a fast crystallization process.

A dispersion of elongated nanostructures with a high aspect ratio in polymer matrices has been reported to provide a material with valuable properties such as mechanical strength, barrier effect and shape memory, among others. In this study, we show the procedure to achieve a distribution of elongated crystalline nanodomains in a PS matrix employing the self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers (BCP). The selected BCP was polystyrene-block-polyethylene oxide (PS-b-PEO).

Effect of surfactant concentration on the responsiveness of a thermoresponsive copolymer/surfactant mixture with potential application on "Smart" foams formulations.

Hypothesis: Previous efforts to formulate smart foams composed of mixtures of PNIPAAm, a thermoresponsive uncharged polymer, and surfactants have failed because the surfactant displaces the PNIPAAm from the liquid-air interface, removing the thermal responsiveness. We hypothesized that thermoresponsive foams could be formulated with such a mixture if a charged surfactant were used in order to anchor an oppositely charged brush-type polyelectrolyte, for which PNIPAAm could be incorporated as side chains, to the interface.

Experiments: A brush-type negatively charged co-polyelectrolyte (Cop-L) with PNIPAAm as side chains was synthetized.

Thermodynamic and elastic fluctuation analysis of Langmuir mixed monolayers composed by dehydrocholic acid (HDHC) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB).

The physicochemical and elastic properties of Langmuir mixed monolayers composed by dehydrocholic acid (HDHC) and didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) were evaluated. The experiments were performed with a constant surface pressure penetration Langmuir balance based on Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA). The behavior of such amphiphiles in monolayer was clearly non-ideal and would be seriously influenced by the amount of HDHC molecules present.

Spread mixed monolayers of deoxycholic and dehydrocholic acids at the air-water interface, effect of subphase pH. Characterization by axisymmetric drop shape analysis.

Bile acids (deoxycholic and dehydrocholic acids) spread mixed monolayers behavior at the air/water interface were studied as a function of subphase pH using a constant surface pressure penetration Langmuir balance based on the Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis (ADSA). We examined the influence of electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydration forces on the interaction between amphiphilic molecules at the interface by the collapse area values, the thermodynamic parameters and equation of state virial coefficients analysis. The obtained results showed that at neutral (pH=6.

Aqueous sodium dehydrocholate-sodium deoxycholate mixtures at low concentration.

The behavior of the sodium dehydrocholate (NaDHC)-sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) mixed system was studied by a battery of methods that examine effects caused by the different components of the system: monomers, micelles, and both components. The behavior of the mixed micellar system was studied by the application of Rubingh's model. The obtained results show that micellar interaction was repulsive when the aggregates were rich in NaDHC.