Thermodynamics of the Binding of Lysozyme to a Dendritic Polyelectrolyte: Electrostatics Versus Hydration.

The interaction between dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS) of the second generation and lysozyme was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) at different temperatures and salt concentrations. Analysis by ITC showed that 2-3 lysozyme molecules were bound to each dPGS. The resulting binding constant and the Gibbs free energy Δ decreased markedly with increasing salt concentration but were nearly independent of temperature.

Interaction of human serum albumin with dendritic polyglycerol sulfate: Rationalizing the thermodynamics of binding.

We study the thermodynamics of the interaction between human serum albumin (HSA) and dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS) of different sizes (generations) by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and computer simulations. The analysis by ITC revealed the formation of a 1:1 complex for the dPGS-G2 of second generation. The secondary structure of HSA remained unchanged in the presence of dPGS-G2, as shown by circular dichroism.

Counterion-Release Entropy Governs the Inhibition of Serum Proteins by Polyelectrolyte Drugs.

Dendritic polyelectrolytes constitute high potential drugs and carrier systems for biomedical purposes. Still, their biomolecular interaction modes, in particular those determining the binding affinity to proteins, have not been rationalized. We study the interaction of the drug candidate dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS) with serum proteins using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) interpreted and complemented with molecular computer simulations.

Bioinspired Universal Monolayer Coatings by Combining Concepts from Blood Protein Adsorption and Mussel Adhesion.

Despite the increasing need for universal polymer coating strategies, only a few approaches have been successfully developed, and most of them are suffering from color, high thickness, or high roughness. In this paper, we present for the first time a universal monolayer coating that is only a few nanometers thick and independent of the composition, size, shape, and structure of the substrate. The coating is based on a bioinspired synthetic amphiphilic block copolymer that combines two concepts from blood protein adsorption and mussel adhesion.

Synthesis of Dispersible Mesoporous Nitrogen-Doped Hollow Carbon Nanoplates with Uniform Hexagonal Morphologies for Supercapacitors.

In this study, dispersible mesoporous nitrogen-doped hollow carbon nanoplates have been synthesized as a new anisotropic carbon nanostructure using gibbsite nanoplates as templates. The gibbsite-silica core-shell nanoplates were first prepared before the gibbsite core was etched away. Dopamine as carbon precursor was self-polymerized on the hollow silica nanoplates surface assisted by sonification, which not only favors a homogeneous polymer coating on the nanoplates but also prevents their aggregation during the polymerization.