Search results for "MACRO"

Adsorption of triblock copolymers and their homopolymers at laponite clay/solution interface. Role played by the copolymer nature

2009

The adsorption thermodynamics of copolymers, based on ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide ( PO) units, at the laponite (RD) clay/liquid interface was determined at 298 K. The copolymer nature was tuned at molecular level by changing the hydrophilicity, the architecture and the molecular weight (Mw) keeping constant the EO/PO ratio. Polyethylene (PEGs) and polypropylene (PPGs) glycols with varying Mw and their mixture were also investigated to discriminate the role of the EO and the PO segments in the adsorption process. Enthalpies of transfer of RD, at fixed concentration, from water to the aqueous macromolecule solutions as functions of the macromolecule molality were determined. They …

Thermal diffusion of dextran in aqueous solutions in the absence and the presence of urea.

2006

The Ludwig-Soret effect was studied for aqueous solutions of dextran in the temperature range 15T55 degrees C taking into account the effect of the addition of urea. In the absence of urea, the Soret coefficient S(T) changes sign; it is positive for T45.0 degrees C but negative for T45.0 degrees C. The positive sign of S(T) means that the dextran molecules migrate toward the cold side of the fluid; this behavior is typical for polymer solutions, whereas a negative sign indicates the macromolecules move toward the hot side. The addition of urea to the aqueous solution of dextran rises S(T) and reduces the inversion temperature. For 2 M urea the change in the sign of S(T) is observed at T = 2…

Interactions of quinine with polyacrylic and poly-L-glutamic acids in aqueous solutions

2004

Abstract Drug-loaded polymers provide an attractive form for controlled drug delivery systems. A proper knowledge of polymer–drug interactions can aid in the designing of polymers for various drug-delivery applications. In this paper we have investigated the interaction of a drug such as quinine, with synthetic macromolecules such as poly(acrylic acid), PAA, and poly(L-glutamic acid), PGA, at pH 7 and 37 °C by fluorescence spectroscopy and viscometry. The analysis of the binding isotherms revealed that the association process is positive cooperative up to a threshold concentration and then it is negative. In addition, the thermodynamic parameters vary along the isotherm. Results also sugges…

From Biocompatible to Biodegradable: Poly(Ethylene Glycol)s with Predetermined Breaking Points

2013

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is the gold standard polymer for biomedical applications. PEG is known for its biocompatibility and antifouling properties and is widely used for bioconjugation. However, like other synthetic polymers in the field, PEG is not biodegradable, limiting its use for parenteral formulations and protein conjugation to a molecular weight range with a specific upper limit (commonly 40–60 kDa) to avoid polyether accumulation in human tissue. For these biomedical applications, but also for other purposes such as cleavable hydrogels and templates for porous membranes, several routes for the insertion of in-chain biocleavable moieties, such as acetals or disulfides, into PEG …

Patterns of expression of trichocytic and epithelial cytokeratins in mammalian tissues

1988

Abstract Cells forming hair and nail material are characterized by the synthesis of members of a particular group of α-keratin polypeptides (trichocytic cytokeratins, “T cytokeratins”) different from epithelial cytokeratins (“E cytokeratins”). As the precursor cells to trichocytes are derived from fetal epidermal keratinocytes expressing only E cytokeratins, we have studied the patterns of expression of both T and E cytokeratins in developing human hair-and nailforming tissues of different fetal stages, by immunocyto-chemistry using antibodies specific for certain T or E cytokeratins and by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. In developing hair follicles up to the early …

1983

Poly(ethylene glycol)s grated onto suitably functionalized, crosslinked polystyrenes were introduced as a new class of multidetachably immobilized hydrophilic macromolecular supports for the synthesis of peptides. This new polymeric carrier system facilitates both the homogeneous solvation of the reaction site and the insolubilization of the substrate, which are prerequisites for an efficient multistep synthesis using polymeric supports. In these support systems, a strongly solvated hydrophilic linear chain molecule, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)1 , is attached to an insoluble, crosslinked polystyrene through suitable anchoring linkages. At the free chain end of this supported PEG, amino acid…

In vivo imaging and quantification of the continuous keratin filament network turnover

2008

Keratin polypeptides are major components of the epithelial cytoskeleton forming a filamentous 3D-network. Like intermediate filament polypeptides of other cell types, keratins make up a stable, but elastic network that is responsible for mechanical stress resilience. At the same time the keratin network is able to change its shape during development, cell division, metastasis and cell migration.

Antioxidant activity of cerium dioxide nanoparticles and nanorods in scavenging hydroxyl radicals

2019

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) have been shown to exhibit antioxidant capabilities, but their efficiency in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the underlying mechanisms are not yet well understood. In this study, cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) and nanorods (CeNRs) were found to exhibit much stronger scavenging activity than ·OH generation in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and surrogate lung fluid (SLF). The larger surface area and higher defect density of CeNRs may lead to higher ·OH scavenging activity than for CeNPs. These insights are important to understand the redox activity of cerium nanomaterials and provide clues to the role of CeNPs in biological and environmen…

Precision Anisotropic Brush Polymers by Sequence Controlled Chemistry

2020

The programming of nanomaterials at molecular length-scales to control architecture and function represents a pinnacle in soft materials synthesis. Although elusive in synthetic materials, Nature has evolutionarily refined macromolecular synthesis with perfect atomic resolution across three-dimensional space that serves specific functions. We show that biomolecules, specifically proteins, provide an intrinsic macromolecular backbone for the construction of anisotropic brush polymers with monodisperse lengths via grafting-from strategy. Using human serum albumin as a model, its sequence was exploited to chemically transform a single cysteine, such that the expression of said functionality is…

Refined carotenoid analysis of the major light-harvesting complex of Mantoniella squamata

1997

The major light-harvesting complex (LHC) of the prasinophycean alga Mantoniella squamata is unique compared to other chlorophyll (Chl) a/b-binding LHC with respect to the primary protein structure and the pigmentation. Although the presence of Chl a, Chl b, a Chl c-type pigment and the xanthophylls neoxanthin, violaxanthin and prasinoxanthin was clearly determined, several carotenoids remained unidentified or were described controversially. We re-analysed the carotenoid composition and identified a new set of xanthophylls present in the LHC: uriolide, micromonol, micromonal and dihydrolutein. Additionally, one hydrophobic component was detected, presumably a xanthophyll. The pigment analysi…