Pairs of ionic group dependence of the structure of a complex coacervate core micelle (C3M) in an aqueous solution was investigated using DLS, cryo-TEM, and SANS with a contrast matching technique and a detailed model analysis. Block copolyelectrolytes were prepared by introducing an ionic group (i.e., ammonium, guanidinium, carboxylate, and sulfonate) to poly(ethylene oxide--allyl glycidyl ether) ( = 227 and = 52), and C3Ms were formed by simple mixing of two oppositely-charged block copolyelectrolyte solutions with the exactly same degree of polymerization. All four C3Ms are spherical with narrow distribution of micelle dimension, and the cores are significantly swollen by water, resulting in relatively low brush density of PEO chains on the core surface. With the pair of strong polyelectrolytes, core radius and aggregation number increases, which reflects that the formation of complex coacervates are significantly sensitive to the pairs of ionic groups rather than simple charge pairing.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym11030455 | DOI Listing |
Langmuir
January 2025
Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, ul. Berdychowo 4, PL 60-965 Poznan, Poland.
Despite extensive research on the use of salts to enhance micellar growth, numerous questions remain regarding the impact of ionic exchange and molecular structure on charge neutralization. This study looks into how certain cations (Na, Ca, and Mg) affect the structure of a cocamidopropyl betaine CAPB and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate SDBS surfactant mixture, aiming toward applications in targeted delivery systems. The mixture consists of a zwitterionic surfactant, cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB), and an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), combined in varying molar ratios at a total concentration of 200 mM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Chem Phys
January 2025
Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India.
Heteropolar two-dimensional materials, including hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), are promising candidates for seawater desalination and osmotic power harvesting, but previous simulation studies have considered bare, unterminated nanopores in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. There is presently a lack of force fields to describe functionalized nanoporous hBN in aqueous media. To address this gap, we conduct density functional theory (DFT)-based ab initio MD simulations of hBN nanopores surrounded by water molecules.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJBMR Plus
February 2025
Departamento de Química, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, Brazil.
Mineralizing cells release a special class of extracellular vesicles known as matrix vesicles (MV), crucial for bone mineralization. Following their release, MV anchor to the extracellular matrix (ECM), where their highly specialized enzymatic machinery facilitates the formation of seed mineral within the MV's lumen, subsequently releasing it onto the ECM. However, how MV propagate mineral onto the collagenous ECM remains unclear.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFree Radic Biol Med
January 2025
Department of Oncobiology and Epigenetics, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, Pomorska 141/143, 90-236 Lodz, Poland; Military Institute of Medicine - National Research Institute, Szaserow 128, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address:
Metallofullerenols and fullerenols have attracted attention due to their remarkable ability to interact with various biologically relevant molecules, paving the way for biomedical applications, ranging from medical imaging techniques to drug carriers, acting with increased efficiency and reduced side effects. In this work, we investigated the effects of two fullerene derivatives, Gd@C(OH) and C(OH), on erythrocyte membrane components under oxidative stress conditions induced by 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride (AAPH) as a source of peroxyl radicals. The results demonstrated that gadolinium encapsulation within the fullerene cage enhanced the electron affinity of Gd@C(OH), resulting in stronger antioxidant activity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) are permselective membranes that, in principle, only allow the flow of ions with a specific charge sign, opposite to that of the fixed membrane ionic groups (counter-ions). This charge-based selectivity, like the size-based selectivity of classic semipermeable membranes, leads to an uneven distribution of permeating ions on the two sides of the membrane, which allows for ion separation or recovery in various processes in industry or environmental protection. Here, we apply the principles of mass balance, charge neutrality, and equality of electrochemical potentials in the state of thermodynamic equilibrium to provide a simple method for estimating the Gibbs-Donnan factors and the equilibrium concentrations of permeating ions in two compartments separated by an ideal IEM, i.
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