0000000000160935
AUTHOR
Frauke Kuehn
Kinetics of Complex Formation between DNA and Cationically Charged Cylindrical Brush Polymers Observed by Stopped Flow Light Scattering
The complex formation of pUC19 DNA and a cylindrical brush polymer with quaternized poly(vinyl pyridinium) side chains is investigated by stopped flow light scattering (LS). In highly dilute solutions up to two kinetic processes are observable, depending on the mole fraction of anionic charges, x(anion) . For x(anion) 0.4-0.5 only one kinetic process was identified leading to the largest complexes at x(anion) = 0.4 well below charge stoichiometry. For 0.2 < x(anion) < 0.4 two kinetic growth processes were identified: The initially formed complexes on the time scale of a few hundred milliseconds keep growing by an unusual fractal growth process until after several minutes they become stab…
Polymer Complexes in Biological Applications
This chapter summarizes the influence of polyelectrolyte topology on biological functions and biomedical applications such as cell uptake, drug delivery, and gene transfection. Polyelectrolytes utilized are spherical structures derived from dendrimers and albumin or cylindrical brushes, all of which are decorated with various polypeptide chains.