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Enhancement of viral fusion by nonadsorbing polymers.

Nonadsorbing polymers such as dextran and poly(ethylene glycol) enhance binding as well as extents of fusion of influenza virus with erythrocytes. Kinetics and extent of viral membrane fusion were measured using an assay based on lipid mixing of a fluorescent dye. The effects of nonadsorbing polymers were in the concentration range from 0 to 10 wt%, far below the concentration required to overcome hydration repulsion forces. The enhancing effects were dependent on the molecular weight of nonadsorbing polymer, and only occurred at molecular weight > 1500; this links the phenomena we observe to the so-called "excluded volume effect" of nonadsorbing polymers. The time delay between triggering and the onset of influenza virus fusion was significantly reduced in the presence of nonadsorbing polymers. High molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) also induced fusion of vesicular stomatitis virus with intact erythrocytes, which do not serve as target of vesicular stomatitis virus fusion in the absence of the polymer. The forces between membranes which determine rate-limiting processes in viral fusion and how they are affected by nonadsorbing polymers are discussed.

Adsorption↗

Spin-label electron spin resonance studies of micellar dispersions of PEGs-PEs polymer-lipids.

Conventional electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy of different positional isomers of phosphatidylcholine spin labels (n-PCSL; n=5, 7, 10, 12, 14, and 16) has been used to study micellar dispersions made of poly(ethylene glycol)s-phosphatidylethanolamines (PEGs-PEs) polymer-lipids. Such aggregates are currently used as long circulating drug delivery systems "in vivo." We varied both the hydrocarbon chain length and the polymer size of the polymer-lipids. The dependence of the lipid-chain packing density on temperature and on label position as well as the flexibility and polarity profiles with position of chain labeling have been established for the PEGs-PEs micellar dispersions. The results show both similarity and differences either with common micellar dispersions of single chained lyso-palmitoylphosphatidylcholine (C(16)Lyso-PC) or with lamellar dispersions of double chained dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC). Well defined chain flexibility gradients of the same overall shape are obtained in the considered dispersions. However, the mobility of the first acyl chain segments is appreciable higher in micelles of polymer-lipids than in bilayers of DPPC and it becomes indistinguishable at the chain termini. A trend of decreasing polarity on moving toward the bilayer interior is seen in DPPC bilayers, whereas biphasic polarity profiles are obtained in micelles of polymer-lipids and C(16)Lyso-PC. Moreover, the properties of the PEGs-PEs micelles do not depend on the length of the hydrocarbon chain of the polymer-lipids but are slightly influenced by the size of the polymer.

1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine↗

Capillary electrophoretic separation of uncharged polymers using polyelectrolyte engines. Theoretical model.

We recently demonstrated that the molecular mass distribution of an uncharged polymer sample can be analyzed using free-solution capillary electrophoresis of DNA-polymer conjugates. In these conjugates, the DNA is providing the electromotive force while the uncharged polydisperse polymer chains of the sample retard the DNA engine with different amounts of hydrodynamic drag. Here we present a theoretical model of this new analytical method. We show that for the most favourable, diffusion-limited electrophoresis conditions, there is actually an optimal DNA size to achieve the separation of a given polymer sample. Moreover, we demonstrate that the effective friction coefficient of the polymer chains is related to the stiffness of the two polymers of the conjugate, thus offering a method to estimate the persistence length of the uncharged polymer through mobility measurements. Finally, we compare some of our predictions with available experimental results.

Biopolymers↗

Modification of polysulfone with phospholipid polymer for improvement of the blood compatibility. Part 2. Protein adsorption and platelet adhesion.

Protein adsorption and platelet adhesion from human plasma on polysulfone (PSf) membranes modified with 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymer were studied. The modification was carried out by blending of the MPC polymer in the PSf. The amount of protein adsorbed on the PSf/MPC polymer blend membrane was significantly decreased with an increase in the composition of the blended MPC polymer. The distribution of the specific proteins adsorbed on the membrane surface was also determined by a gold-colloid immunoassay. Albumin, gamma-globulin and fibrinogen were observed on every membrane surface after contact with plasma. However, in the case of the blended membrane, the density of the adsorbed proteins decreased compared with that of original PSf membrane. That is, the MPC polymer blended in the membrane could function as a protein-adsorption-resistant additive. The number of platelets adhered on the PSf membrane was reduced, and change in the morphology of adherent platelets was also suppressed by the modification with the MPC polymer. Therefore, the PSf/MPC polymer blend membrane had improved blood compatibility compared with the PSf membrane.

Adsorption↗

Enhanced cell aggregation and liver functions using polymers modified with a cell-specific ligand in primary hepatocyte cultures.

Hepatocytes cultured as multicellular aggregates called spheroids exhibit enhanced liver functions and maintain them over a long period compared with monolayer culture. We previously reported the induction of hepatocyte spheroids using the synthetic polymer Eudragit (a copolymer of methacrylic acid and methylmethacrylate) as an artificial matrix in a cell suspension system (Yamada et al., J. Biochem., 123, 1017-1023, 1998). In this method, hepatocyte aggregation was promoted by the effects of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions between cells and the polymer. To enhance the cell aggregation ability and cell-specificity of the polymer, in the present study, we prepared hepatocyte-targeting polymers containing lactone, a ligand of the asialoglycoprotein receptor. Addition of the lactone-modified polymers to the medium promoted cell aggregation and spheroid formation more effectively than unmodified Eudragit. The spheroids induced by the polymers exhibited enhanced liver functions, i.e., albumin secretion, ammonia removal, and urea synthesis, from early in the culture. We also investigated the induction of hetero-spheroids composed of various liver constitutive cells by this method. The hetero-spheroids induced by the polymers showed improved liver functions.

Journal Article↗

Stable cationic capillary coating with successive multiple ionic polymer layers for capillary electrophoresis.

A coated capillary modified with a cationic polymer was developed by using a novel coating procedure, successive multiple ionic-polymer (SMIL) coating. The SMIL coating was achieved by first attaching the cationic polymer to the capillary inner wall, and then the anionic polymer to the cationic polymer layer, and finally the cationic polymer to the anionic polymer layer. The stability of Polybrene (PB)-modified capillary made by SMIL coating was remarkably improved in comparison with a conventional PB-modified capillary. It endured during 600 replicate analyses and also showed strong stability against 1 M NaOH and 0.1 M HCl. The relative standard deviation of the run-to-run, day-to-day, and capillary-to-capillary coating was all below 1%, and good reproducibilities were obtained. The PB-modified capillary made by SMIL coating was applied to the basic protein analyses. It gave good performances for the protein analyses even when the pH of the electrolyte was near the isoelectric point (pI) of the protein. In addition, 0.1 M NaOH rinse prior to the sample injection allowed the reproducible analysis of a highly adsorptive sample such as plasma because the adsorbed sample could be flushed out of the capillary. Besides protein analyses, an efficient analysis of the cationic drugs by capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry (CE/MS) was also possible.

Cations↗

Novel functionalized biodegradable polymers for nanoparticle drug delivery systems.

We have prepared and screened a library of novel functionalized polymers for development of nanoparticle drug delivery systems. The polymer backbone consisting of two ester-linked, nontoxic, biological monomers, glycerol and adipic acid, was prepared using a hydrolytic enzyme. The specificity of the chosen enzyme yields a linear polymer with one free pendant hydroxyl group per repeat unit, which can be further functionalized. This protocol gives control over the backbone polymer molecular weight, together with the ability to incorporate various amounts of different fatty acyl substituents. These functionalized polymers are able to self-assemble into well-defined small particles of high homogeneity with a very low toxicity. They are able to incorporate a water soluble drug, dexamethasone phosphate, with a high efficiency and drug loading which varies with the polymer specification. The above characteristics strongly suggest that these polymers could be developed into useful nanoparticulate drug delivery systems.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

Novel pb and zn coordination polymers: synthesis, molecular structures, and third-order nonlinear optical properties.

Three novel coordination polymers [Pb(bbbm)(2)(NO(3))(2)](n) (bbbm = 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl)bis-1H-benzimidazole) 1, [Zn(bbbt)(NCS)(2)](n) (bbbt = 1,1'-(1,4-butanediyl)bis-1H-benzotriazole) 2, and [Zn(pbbt)(NCS)(2)](n) (pbbt = 1,1'-(1,3-propylene)bis-1H-benzotriazole) 3 were synthesized and structurally characterized. Polymer 1 exhibits a two-dimensional rhombohedral grid network structure, the dimensions of the grid are 14.274 x 14.274 A, and the diagonal-to-diagonal distances are 24.809 x 14.125 A. Polymer 2 possesses a concavo-convex chain structure different from those of the known one-dimensional polymers, which are linear chain, zigzag chain, helical chain, double-stranded chain, and ladder chain. Polymer 3 exhibits a one-dimensional zigzag chain structure, and these chains were packed as an.ABAB. layered structure. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of polymers1, 2, and 3 were determined with a 7-ns pulsed laser at 532 nm. 1 shows strong third-order NLO absorptive and refractive properties, and its alpha(2) and n(2) values were calculated to be 5.8 x 10(-)(9) m W(-)(1) and 4.67 x 10(-)(18) m(2) W(-)(1) in a 3.4 x 10(-)(4) mol dm(-)(3) DMF solution, respectively. Both 2 and 3 exhibit weaker NLO absorption and strong refractive properties, and their n(2) values are 4.53 x 10(-)(18) m(2) W(-)(1) for 2 in a 5.2 x 10(-)(4) mol dm(-)(3) DMF solution and 3.02 x 10(-)(18) m(2) W(-)(1) for 3 in a 4.35 x 10(-)(4) mol dm(-)(3) DMF solution. The chi((3)) values of 1, 2, and 3 were calculated to be 1.67 x 10(-)(11), 1.62 x 10(-)(11), and 1.08 x 10(-)(11) esu, respectively, and the values are larger than those of the reported coordination polymers. We deduce that the valence shell structures of metal ions may have some influence on the strength of NLO properties, and discuss the relationships between the crystal structures of coordination polymers and the observed NLO properties.

Journal Article↗

A platinum acetylide polymer with sterically demanding substituents: effect of aggregation on the triplet excited state.

The effect of interchain interaction on the triplet excited state is explored in two Pt-acetylide polymers of the type [-trans-Pt(PBu(3))(2)-C triple bond C-Ar-C triple bond C-](n), where Ar is either 1,4-phenylene or is based on the pentiptycene unit (polymers 2 and 3, respectively). To explore the effect of interchain interaction in Pt-acetylide materials, the optical properties of parent polymer 2 are compared with those of polymer 3 in which interchain interaction is precluded by the sterically bulky pentiptycene moiety. Insight into the effect of the pentiptycene unit on packing in the solid state comes from the X-ray structure of monomer 1b, Ph-C triple bond C-[trans-Pt(PBu(3))(2)]-C triple bond C-Ar-C triple bond C-[trans-Pt(PBu(3))(2)]-C triple bond C-Ph. Spectroscopic studies indicate that weak phosphorescence emission from an interchain aggregate is observed from parent polymer 2, both in solution and in the solid state. By contrast, the photophysics of 3 is dominated by the intrachain triplet exciton. Interestingly, the phosphorescence emission of polymer 3 in the solid state is nearly superimposable with that of a single crystal of monomer 1b, suggesting that the solid polymer experiences an environment that is similar to that of the monomer in the crystal.

Journal Article↗

Assembling of dimeric entities of Cd(II) with 6-mercaptopurine to afford one-dimensional coordination polymers: synthesis and scanning probe microscopy characterization.

The direct reaction between 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and Cd(II) under different conditions yields either [Cd2(6-MP)4(NO3)2](NO3)2 (1) or [Cd(6-MP-)2.2H2O]n (4). Compound 1 behaves as the building block of the polymer [Cd(6-MP2-)2]n[Ca(H2O)6]n (3), by deprotonation of 6-MP ligand. In the reaction of 1 to give 3, the dinuclear compound [Cd2(6-MP)4(H2O)2](NO3)4.2H2O (2) can be isolated as an intermediate. Polymers 3 and 4 convert into each other in water via deprotonation-protonation reactions. The structures of compounds 1-3 have been determined by X-ray diffraction. Given the small differences in the arrangement shown in the crystal structures of the polymer 4 and the polyanion of 3, the stabilities and energetics of the two arrangements have been examined by DFT calculations to determine the possibility of identifying new conformations of both polymers. In addition, the two polymers have been characterized on surfaces by means of AFM. The direct reaction between 6-MP and Cd(II) and the deprotonation of the polymer 4 have proven to be useful routes for the isolation of one-dimensional systems on surfaces. The development of new strategies to characterize these types of polymers on surfaces opens the possibility to perform nanoscale studies on their properties and their potential use as nanomaterials.

Journal Article↗

Water-compatible molecularly imprinted polymers obtained via high-throughput synthesis and experimental design.

A technique allowing high-throughput synthesis and evaluation of molecularly imprinted polymer sorbents at a reduced scale (mini-MIPs) was developed and used for the optimization of MIPs for use in pure aqueous environments. The technique incorporated a 4-port liquid-handling robot for the rapid dispensing of monomers, templates, solvents and initiator into the reaction vessels of a 96-well plate. A library of 80 polymers, each ca. 50 mg, could thus be prepared in 24 h. The MIP rebinding capacity and selectivity could be rapidly assessed in the batch mode by quantifying nonbound fractions in parallel using a UV monochromator plate reader. This allowed a complete evaluation of the binding characteristics of an 80 polymer library in approximately 1 week. With the objective of optimizing a polymer imprinted with the local anaesthetic Bupivacaine for use in pure aqueous systems, a polymer library was prepared by varying the original poly(MAA-co-EDMA) MIP composition. The variable factors were the added amount of the hydrophilic comonomer, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), the cross-linking ratio, and the porogen. This optimization resulted in polymers showing high imprinting factors (IF = K(MIP)/K(NIP)) in water as a result, mainly, of reduced binding to the nonimprinted polymer. Normal scale batches of these materials showed strong retention of the template and low nonspecific binding when assessed as chromatographic stationary phases using pure phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, as mobile phase, by equilibrium batch rebinding experiments and as sorbents for extractions of the analyte from blood plasma samples.

Journal Article↗

Colorimetric molecularly imprinted polymer sensor array using dye displacement.

A colorimetric sensor array composed of seven molecularly imprinted polymers was shown to accurately identify seven different aromatic amines. The response patterns were systematically classified using linear discriminant analysis with 94% classification accuracy. Analyses of the response patterns of the analytes to the imprinted polymer array suggest that the different selectivity patterns, although subtle, appear to arise from the imprinting process. The molecular imprinting process enabled the rapid preparation of the polymers in the array from ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and methacrylic acid (80:20) in the presence of six different template molecules plus a blank nonimprinted polymer. The response of the imprinted polymer array was coupled to a colorimetric response, using a dye displacement strategy. A benzofurazan dye was selected and shown to give an accurate measure of the binding properties of the imprinted polymer array to all seven analytes. The colorimetric response also enabled the inclusion of analytes that are not spectroscopically active and were not among the original analytes that were used as template molecules. This broadens the potential utility of the imprinted polymer sensor array strategy to a wider range of analytes and applications.

Benzoxazoles↗

Interactions between polymers and carbon nanotubes: a molecular dynamics study.

We used force-field-based molecular dynamics to study the interaction between polymers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The intermolecular interaction energy between single-walled carbon nanotubes and polymers was computed, and the morphology of polymers adsorbed to the surface of nanotubes was investigated. Furthermore, the "wrapping" of nanotubes by polymer chains was examined. It was found that the specific monomer structure plays a very important role in determining the strength of interaction between nanotubes and polymers. The results of our study suggest that polymers with a backbone containing aromatic rings are promising candidates for the noncovalent binding of carbon nanotubes into composite structures. Such polymers can be used as building blocks in amphiphilic copolymers to promote increased interfacial binding between the CNT and a polymeric matrix.

Journal Article↗

Effects of polymer micelles of alkylated polyethylenimines on generation of gold nanoparticles.

Mono- and di-alkylated polyethylenimines (PEI-1R, PEI-2R) were synthesized and used as both reductants, by exploiting the functionality of the polyethylenimine's (PEI) amino groups, and stabilizers able to protect nascent gold nanoparticles generated from hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl4). From TEM images of the stained polymers, it is clear that the polymer micelles are round and well-structured when formed from PEI-2R, fused and less well-structured when formed from PEI-1R, and totally nonstructured when formed from PEI. These findings coincide with the results found by using pyrene as a probe to investigate aggregation behavior, where PEI-2R with a fluorescence intensity ratio (I1/I3) of 1.48 forms the more closely packed polymer micelles than PEI-1R (I1/I3 = 1.64) and PEI (I1/I3 = 1.72). The use of the highly alkylated polymer micelle (PEI-2R) results in the fastest reduction of HAuCl4, and gives the most effective protection to the generated gold nanoparticles. When used at higher polymer concentrations than required for micelle formation, it was found that polymer hydrophobicity was highly influential in directing the nanoparticle's morphology, i.e., the resulting polymer micelles were labeled with perfect and round necklace-like gold nanoparticles when PEI-2R was used, and imperfect and less round gold nanoparticles when PEI-1R was employed. These structures were totally absent when PEI was used. The use of alkylated PEI, being able to act simultaneously as both a reductant and as a very effective protective agent, greatly simplifies the process used for preparing gold nanoparticles.

Journal Article↗

Effect of polymer molecular weight on the polymer/surfactant interaction.

A thermodynamic analysis of the interaction between fourteen different molar mass poly(ethylene oxide)s (PEO) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) based on the measured surfactant-binding isotherms is given. The surfactant-binding isotherms were determined by the potentiometric method in the presence of 0.1 M inert electrolyte (NaBr). It was found that there is no PEO/SDS complex formation if M(PEO) < 1000. In the molecular weight range 1000 < M(PEO) < 8000, the critical aggregation concentration (cac) and the surfactant aggregation number are decreasing as the polymer molecular weight increases. The saturated bound surfactant amount is proportional to the number concentration of the polymer in this molecular weight range. If M(PEO) exceeds approximately 8000, the cac does not depend on the polymer molar mass, and the saturated bound amount of the surfactant becomes proportional to the mass concentration of the polymer. It was also observed that independently of the polymer molecular weight the surfactant aggregation number increases as the equilibrium surfactant monomer concentration increases from the cac to the critical micellar concentration (cmc). Finally, it was demonstrated that only one polymer molecule is involved in the complex formation independently of the polymer molecular weight.

Journal Article↗

Controlling optical properties and interchain interactions in semiconducting polymers by encapsulation in periodic nanoporous silicas with different pore sizes.

The photophysics of MEH-PPV incorporated into the pores of periodic silica hosts has been investigated in an effort to understand the role played by interchain aggregation and chain morphology in polaron production. In this work, guest/host interactions were used to incorporate MEH-PPV into the straight, homogeneous pores of hexagonal surfactant- or polymer-templated mesoporous silicas of varying pore diameters. Polarized photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy were then used to investigate the polymers' environment within the silica pores. Experiments exploiting luminescence peak shifts and depolarization indicate that depending on the pore size and preparation conditions, the alignment and packing of the polymer chains within the pores could be controlled. Samples could be produced with isolated chains, interacting straight chains, and coiled interacting chains. The sub-bandgap absorption by polarons was then measured with photoinduced absorption as a function of pore size. Small-diameter pores that allowed single polymer chains to reside within the pore showed little evidence of interchain contact and had a low polaron yield. Increasing the number of polymer chains within the pore increased the polaron yield. Finally, when the pores were large enough that the chains could coil, strong polaron absorption was observed, indicative of a further increase in polaron yield or an increase in polaron lifetime. The polaron absorption spectra also sharpen and red shift with increasing pore diameter, suggesting that excitons may migrate to lower energy polymer segments in samples where polymer chains are both coiled and interacting.

Journal Article↗

Phototriggered fluorescence color changes in azobenzene-functionalized conjugated polymers.

We report fluorescence studies of phototriggered changes in spectral position and shape for two azobenzene-functionalized poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives, poly(2-methoxy-5-(4-phenylazophenyl-4'-(1,10-dioxydecyl))-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MPA-10-PPV) and poly(2-hexyloxy-5-(4-phenylazophenyl-4'-(1,10-dioxydecyl))-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (HPA-10-PPV). Upon trans --> cis azobenzene photoisomerization, small (ca. 1 nm) blue shifts in spectral position are observed for MPA-10-PPV in 100% toluene, a good solvent for this polymer. These shifts are reversed upon visible irradiation and can be cycled many times. To probe the dependence of these shifts on initial polymer conformation, a dichloromethane-methanol cosolvent study was performed in which the solvent quality was decreased incrementally to induce a reduction in polymer coil dimensions. Unirradiated dichloromethane solutions of both MPA-10-PPV and HPA-10-PPV showed a red shift and reduction in quantum yield with increasing methanol concentration as expected based on literature results for other poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives. These changes have been attributed to a dramatic conformational collapse by others and occur for these azo polymers over the 30-60% (v/v) methanol range. While little or no light-induced spectral shifting was observed at low ( or=70%) methanol concentrations, significant spectral shifts were observed for both polymers upon azobenzene photoisomerization in solutions with 30-60% methanol, the same range over which the polymer undergoes collapse to a highly coiled state. The largest shifts are visible to the eye, with a 65:35 (v/v) dichloromethane-methanol solution of HPA-10-PPV showing yellow-orange fluorescence when the azobenzenes are trans, green fluorescence when they are cis, and yellow-orange again after the azobenzenes are returned to the trans state. We attribute these color changes to a reversible UV-phototriggered expansion of polymer coil dimensions that occurs as a result of trans --> cis azobenzene side chain isomerization and provide temperature data to support this conclusion.

Journal Article↗

Kinetic modeling of the polymer-derived ceramics route: investigation of the thermal decomposition kinetics of poly[B-(methylamino)borazine] precursors into boron nitride.

A complete kinetic modeling of the polymer-derived ceramics (PDCs) route is achieved for the first time through the investigation of the solid-state decomposition of a typical melt-spinnable poly[B-(methylamino)borazine] into boron nitride fibers at various heating rates. Through the use of the Lorentz fitting approach, it is shown that the two-step weight loss associated with the polymer-to-ceramic conversion is governed by a complex interplay of five diffusion-type transport mechanisms that are independent of the applied heating schedule. The application of the Friedman method to dynamic thermogravimetry data yields Ea and ln A values that are seen to increase with the extent of the ceramic conversion from region one (Ea = 38.73 kJ mol(-1)) to region five (Ea = 146.64 kJ mol(-1)). This fact indicates that both the mechanisms within those regions are parallel routes to the formation of the final solid-state material and their complexity increases with the conversion progress. The cross-linking process (first weight loss) of the polymer is governed by three dependent poorly energetic mechanisms. The first weight loss is activated by ammonolysis reactions that provide a modified polymer capable of undergoing condensation reactions in regions two and three to yield a highly cross-linked polymer. A large evolution of methylamine is identified during this process. Mineralization (region four) and ceramization (region five) steps are represented by two highly energetic multistep mechanisms. The mineralization step is associated with a large evolution of methylamine and occurs during the transition between the cross-linking and ceramization processes through the cleavage of the inter-ring B-N bonds. Ceramization represents the end of the polymer-to-ceramic conversion in which the planar consolidation of BN hexagons occurs through complex structural rearrangements of the borazine units (cleavage of the intraring B-N bonds) accompanied with an ammonia evolution. Finally, the simulation of the polymer-to-ceramic conversion was demonstrated through a simplified model that appropriately predicted experimental data.

Journal Article↗