Search results for "polymers"

Can Soft Models Describe Polymer Knots?

2020

Similar to macroscopic ropes and cables, long polymers create knots. We address the fundamental question whether and under which conditions it is possible to describe these intriguing objects with crude models that capture only mesoscale polymer properties. We focus on melts of long polymers which we describe by a model typical for mesoscopic simulations. A worm-like chain model defines the polymer architecture. To describe nonbonded interactions, we deliberately choose a generic "soft" repulsive potential that leads to strongly overlapping monomers and coarse local liquid structure. The soft model is parametrized to accurately reproduce mesoscopic structure and conformations of reference p…

Brush Conformation of Polyethylene Glycol Determines the Stealth Effect of Nanocarriers in the Low Protein Adsorption Regime

2021

For nanocarriers with low protein affinity, we show that the interaction of nanocarriers with cells is mainly affected by the density, the molecular weight, and the conformation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains bound to the nanocarrier surface. We achieve a reduction of nonspecific uptake of ovalbumin nanocarriers by dendritic cells using densely packed PEG chains with a "brush" conformation instead of the collapsed "mushroom" conformation. We also control to a minor extent the dysopsonin adsorption by tailoring the conformation of attached PEG on the nanocarriers. The brush conformation of PEG leads to a stealth behavior of the nanocarriers with inhibited uptake by phagocytic cells, whi…

Guidelines to design new spin crossover materials

2010

International audience; This review focuses on new families of spin crossover (SCO) complexes based on polynitrile anions as new anionic ligands or on polyazamacrocycles as neutral macrocyclic ligands. We have shown that the structural and electronic characteristics (original coordination modes and high electronic delocalization) of the polynitrile anions can be tuned by slight chemical modifications such as substitution of functional groups or variation of the negative charge to design new discrete or polymeric SCO systems.In our ongoing work on the design of new molecular systems based on new ligands that can be fine-tuned via chemical modifications, another promising way which has been r…

Investigation of the superstructure of native collagen by a combination of small angle X-ray scattering, electron microscopy and light diffraction

1978

It is shown that there exists a direct correlation between the light diffraction pattern of an electron-microscopical picture and the X-ray small angle scattering. By this means it can be proved for native collagen prepared by a special method that the density pattern of stained samples imaged in the electron microscopy is identical with the density pattern available from moist fibres. The reflex intensities of the small angle X-ray scattering are taken for calculating the density structure whereby the necessary phases are delivered by the electron microscopic examination combined with light diffraction.

Multi-responsive copolymers: using thermo-, light- and redox stimuli as three independent inputs towards polymeric information processing

2011

We report on triple responsive polymers, exhibiting a distinct and reversible lower critical solution temperature in water that can be altered by light and redox stimuli, and we suggest their evaluation for molecular information processing.

Endothelialization and Anticoagulation Potential of Surface-Modified PET Intended for Vascular Applications.

2018

In vascular tissue engineering, great attention is paid to the immobilization of biomolecules onto synthetic grafts to increase bio- and hemocompatibility-two critical milestones in the field. The surface modification field of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), a well-known vascular-graft material, is matured and oversaturated. Nevertheless, most developed methods are laborious multistep procedures generally accompanied by coating instability or toxicity issues. Herein, a straightforward surface modification procedure is presented engineered to simultaneously promote surface endothelialization and anticoagulation properties via the covalent immobilization of gelatin through a photoactivate…

Structural determination of the lipo-chitin oligosaccharide nodulation signals produced by Rhizobium giardinii bv. giardinii H152

2003

Abstract Rhizobium giardinii bv. giardinii is a microsymbiont of plants of the genus Phaseolus and produces extracellular signal molecules that are able to induce deformation of root hairs and nodule organogenesis. We report here the structures of seven lipochitooligosaccharide (LCO) signal molecules secreted by R. giardinii bv. giardinii H152. Six of them are pentamers of GlcNAc carrying C 16:0 , C 18:0 , C 20:0 and C 18:1 fatty acyl chains on the non-reducing terminal residue. Four are sulfated at C-6 of the reducing terminal residue and one is acetylated in the same position. Six of them are N -methylated on the non-reducing GlcN residue and all the nodulation factors are carbamoylated o…

Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery, Imaging, and Theragnosis.

2020

In the past few decades, polymeric nanocarriers have been recognized as promising tools and have gained attention from researchers for their potential to efficiently deliver bioactive compounds, including drugs, proteins, genes, nucleic acids, etc., in pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Remarkably, these polymeric nanocarriers could be further modified as stimuli-responsive systems based on the mechanism of triggered release, i.e., response to a specific stimulus, either endogenous (pH, enzymes, temperature, redox values, hypoxia, glucose levels) or exogenous (light, magnetism, ultrasound, electrical pulses) for the effective biodistribution and controlled release of drugs or genes…

Nanovesicles as Drug Delivery Vehicles: Liposomes and Polymersomes

2015

Biopolymer coating of soybean lecithin liposomes via layer-by-layer self-assembly as novel delivery system for ellagic acid

2010

Abstract The formulation of a novel delivery system for ellagic acid formulated via layer-by-layer (L-b-L) electrostatic deposition of biopolymers onto soybean lecithin liposomes was achieved. Optimization of parameters affecting the formulation of biopolymer-coated liposomes was carried out by monitoring changes on its size, surface charge and morphology. Ellagic acid was loaded into the liposome core and loading properties were analyzed. Release profiles for ellagic acid from optimized biopolymer-coated liposomes were evaluated as a function of time, temperature and pH of the media. The L-b-L electrostatic deposition of biopolymers succeeded in building nanosized, spherical and stable lip…