A CONFORMATION STUDY OF POLYELECTROLYTE-DENDRITIC SURFACTANT COMPLEXES IN DILUTE SOLUTIONS

Three dendronized polymers from generation one to generation three have been prepared by complexing negatively charged Frechet-type dendrons with a polyanion, poly（diallydimethylammoniurn chloride） （PDADMAC）. The gaffing degree has been confirmed mainly by elemental analysis. In dilute solutions of tetrahydrofuran, static light scattering studies indicate that the first generation complex has a coil-like conformation, even more flexible than PDADMAC. The second and third generation complexes exhibit polyelectrolyte behavior. Dynamic light scattering experiments indicate that all the three complexes have almost the same hydrodynamic radius, indicating that they might own similar coil conformation. Atomic force microscopy shows the existence of disordered globules formed by one or a couple of complex coils. All these observations can be explained by the flowerlike coil conformation, which is formed by the intra-molecular association. This is totally different from the stretched chain conformation formed by covalently connected dendronized polymers. This result also explains why some ordered supramolecular structures, found in condensed state of the similar complexes, are not as perfect as those of conventional dendronized polymers.

Flocculating Properties of Water-Soluble Polymer-Colloid Complexes of Aluminoxane Particles with Weakly Charged Cationic Polyelectrolytes

The flocculating properties of polymer-colloid complexes (PCCs) formed via noncovalent interactions of positively charged aluminoxane particles (APs) with macromolecules of weakly charged cationic acrylamide copolymers from the Praestol and Organopol series have been studied. The PCCs that spontaneously formed during mixing of sols of a high-basicity aluminum polyhydroxochloride (APHC) with aqueous solutions of the copolymers exhibit high flocculating ability under the conditions of gravity sedimentation of the model kaolin dispersion with Сd = 8 g/dm3, and their efficiency exceeds both that of the copolymers and the earlier obtained PCCs with nonionogenic polyacrylamide (PAA). In contrast to weakly charged polycationites, the fully charged KF-99 polyelectrolyte does not form PCCs and the products of its mixing with APHC do not reveal an increased flocculating effect.

Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Protamine-Based Polyelectrolyte Nano Complexes for Protein Delivery (A Review Articles)

We produced low-molecular-weight heparin/protamine micro (nano) particles (LMW-H/P MPs·NPs) as a carrier for heparin-binding growth factors (GFs), such as fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and various GFs in platelet-rich plasma (PRP). A mixture of LMW-H (MW: approximately 5000 Da, 6.4 mg/ml) and protamine (MW: approximately 3000 Da, 10 mg/ml) at a ratio of 7:3 (vol:vol) yields a dispersion of micro (nano) particles (200 nm - 3 μm in diameter). The diluted LMW-H solution in saline (0.32 mg/ml) mixed with diluted protamine (0.5 mg/ml) at a ratio at 7:3 (vol:vol) resulted in soluble nanoparticles (approximately 100 nm in diameter). The generated NPs could be then stabilized by adding 2 mg/ml dextran (MW: 178-217 kDa) and remained soluble after lyophilization of dialyzed LMW-H /P NPs solution. The LMW-H/P MPs·NPs adsorb GFs, control their release, protect GFs and activate their biological activities. Furthermore, administration of GFs-containing F/P MPs·NPs exhibited significantly higher inductions of vascularization and fibrous tissue formation in vivo than GFs alone. LMW-H/P MPs·NPs can also efficiently bind to tissue culture plates and retain the binding of GFs. The LMW-H/P MPs·NP-coated matrix with various GFs or cytokines provided novel biomaterials that could control cellular activity such as proliferation and differentiation. Thus, LMW-H/P MPs·NPs are an excellent carrier for GFs and are a functional coating matrix for various kinds of cell cultures.

Effect of poly(ethylene glycol) modified polyethylenimine polyelectrolyte complex on pharmaceutical characteristics and uptake on breast cancer cell

Cationic polyethylenimine （PEI） with dextran fluorescein anionic （DFA） or oligodeoxynucleotide （ODN） could form polyelectrolyte complex by self-assembly as a gene delivery vector. This study was designed to investigate the effects on pharmaceutical characteristics and cell uptake PEI after a long-circulation modification with poly（ethylene glycol） （PEG）. DFA or ODN reacted with PEI or PEI-PEG to form polyelectrolyte complexes. Surface characters of these complexes and the retardation of ODN by PEI and PEI-PEG were evaluated. The uptake rates of DFA/PEI and DFA/PEI-PEG complexes by MCF-7 cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. Confocal laser scanning microscopy was utilized to visualize the internalization of these complexes. ODN/PEI complex showed the dependence of their size and ξ potential on the N/P ratio. ODN/PEI-PEG complex were much less affected by N/P ratio and their size was around 30 100 nm. PEI and PEI-PEG retarded ODN even at N/P ratio as low as 4, and complete retardation was found at N/P ratio of 8. The uptake rate by MCF-7 cells was direct correlated to the DFA concentration and incubation time, and the uptake rate could exceed 99% under the selected condition. The results in this study showed that PEI self-assembly polyelectrolyte complex after stealth or long circulation modification may increase the ability as a gene vector to delivery genes into cells.

Repeated-batch Cultivation of Encapsulated Monascus purpureus by Polyelectrolyte Complex for Natural Pigment Production

In general,productions of natural pigment in submerged microorganism culture were much less than that in solid-state fermentation,because the solid-state culture can provide a support carrier for the mycelium. To improve natural pigment production,the cultivation of Monascus purpureus in submerged encapsulated cell was investigated. Monascus purpureus immobilized in polyelectrolyte complex(PEC) microcapsules,which were pre-pared by sodium cellulose sulphate(NaCS) and poly-dimethyl-diallyl-ammonium chloride(PDMDAAC),was a good substitute for submerged cell culture because it mimicked the solid-state environment. The repeated-batch process with encapsulated cells was studied in flasks and a bubble column. The results indicated that the bubble column was more suitable for the encapsulation culture than the shaking flasks because of its good mass transfer performance and minor shear stress on cells. Owing to the protection of the microcapsule's membrane,Monascus purpureus in microcapsules increased approximately three times over that in free cell culture with negligible cell leakage to the medium. The pigment production in the bubble column finally reached 3.82(OD500) ,which was two times higher than in free cell culture. In addition,the duration of each batch was shortened to 15% of that in free cell culture.

Tunable and sustained-release characteristics of venlafaxine hydrochloride from chitosan–carbomer matrix tablets based on in situ formed polyelectrolyte complex film coating

The objective of this study is to design sustained-release tablets using matrix technology, which can well control the release of highly water-soluble drugs with good system robustness and simple preparation process. Taking venlafaxine hydrochloride(VH) as a drug model, the feasibility of using chitosan(CS), carbomer(CBM) combination system to achieve this goal was studied. Formulation and process variables influencing drug release from CS–CBM matrix tablets were investigated. It was found that CS–CBM combination system weakened the potential influence of CS, CBM material properties and gastric emptying time on drug release profile. Demonstrated by direct observation, differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), in situ self-assembled polyelectrolyte complex(PEC) film was formed on the tablet surface during gastrointestinal tract transition, which contributed to the tunable and robust control of drug release. The sustained drug release behavior was further demonstrated in vivo in Beagle dogs, with level A in vitro and in vivo correlation(IVIVC) established successfully. In conclusion, CS–CBM matrix tablets are promising system to tune and control the release of highly water-soluble drugs with good system robustness.

Preparation and Application of Chitosan-based Polyelectrolyte Complex Materials: An Overview

Chitosan,a renewable,non-toxic,and natural cationic polyelectrolyte,can be combined with many anionic polyelectrolytes(such as sodium alginate,hyaluronic acid,xylan,and gelatin)via electrostatic forces to form chitosan-based polyelectrolyte composites under certain conditions.This review summarizes various methods of preparing chitosan-based polyelectrolyte composites and analyzes their applications in clinical medicine and agriculture,as well as pharmaceutical,tissue,food,environmental,and textile engineering fields.The future development direction and potential of chitosan-based polyelectrolytes are also discussed.

GROWTH AND MORPHOLOGY OF POLYMER-ACTIN COMPLEXES

F-actins are semi-flexible polyelectrolytes and can be assembled into large polymer-actin complex with polymorphism through electrostatic interaction with polycations. This study investigates the structural phase behavior and the growth of polymer-actin complexes in terms of its longitudinal and lateral sizes. Our results show that formation of polymer-actin complexes is cooperative, and morphology and growth of polymer-actin complexes depend on polycation species and concentrations of polycation and salt in a constant actin concentration. We found that the longitudinal growth and lateral growth of polymer-actin complexes are dominated by different factors. This induces the structural polymorphism of polymer-actin complexes. Major factors to influence the polymorphism of polymer-actin complexes in polyelectrolytc system have been discussed. Our results indicate that the semi-flexible polyelectrolyte nature of F-actins is important for controlling the morphology and growth ofactin architectures in cell.

BINDING OF IONIC SURFACTANTS ON OPPOSITELY CHARGED POLYELECTROLYTES OBSERVED BY FLUORESCENCE METHODS

Our recent studies concerning the binding of ionic surfactants on oppositely charged polyelectrolytes observedwith fluorescence techniques are reviewed. The cationic surfactants cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB),dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride (DTAC), and nonionic surfactant octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C_(12)E_8) wereallowed to bind on anionic poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) and its pyrene and/or naphthalenelabeled copolymers. The relative excimer emission intensity I_E/I_M of a cationic probe l-pyrenemethylamine hydrochloride(PyMeA·HCl) and the non-radiative energy transfer (NRET) I_(Py)/I_(Np) of naphthalene to pyrene for labeled polyelectrolyteswere chosen to monitor the binding process and the conformation change of surfactant-bound polyelectrolytes. The 1:1aggregation of polyelectrolyte-CTAB with respect to the charge was found as long as the CTAB concentration was slightlyhigher than its critical aggregation concentration (CAC). The intermolecular NRET indicated that the CTAB-boundpolyelectrolytes aggregated together through the hydrophobic interaction between the CTAB tails. However, neither 1:1polyelectrolyte-DTAC aggregation nor intermolecular aggregation of DTAC-bound polyelectrolyte was observed owing to itsweaker hydrophobicity of 12 carbon atoms in the tail, which is shorter than that of CTAB. As known from the fluorescenceresults, nonionic surfactant C_(12)E_8 did not bind on the anionic polyelectrolytes, but the presence of PAMPS promoted themicelle formation for C_(12)E_8 at the CAC slightly below its critical micelle concentration (CMC). The solid complex of dansyllabeled AMPS copolymer-surfactant exhibited a decrease in local polarity with increasing charge density of thepolyelectrolyte or with alkane tail length of the surfactant. SAXS suggested a lamella structure for the AMPS copolymer-surfactant solid complexes with a long period of 3.87 nm for CTAB and 3.04 nm for DTAC, respectively.

Polyelectrolyte Complexes and Coacervates Formed by De novo-Designed Peptides and Oligonucleotide

The liquid-liquid phase separation of biopolymers in living cells contains multiple interactions and occurs in a dynamic environment.Resolving the regulation mechanism is still a challenge.In this work,we designed a series of peptides(XXLY)_(6)SSSGSS and studied their complexation and coacervation behavior with single-stranded oligonucleotides.The“X”and“Y”are varied to combine known amounts of charged and non-charged amino acids,together with the introduction of secondary structures and pH responsiveness.Results show that the electrostatic interaction,which is described as charge density,controls both the strength of complexation and the degree of chain relaxation,and thus determines the growth and size of the coacervates.The hydrophobic interaction is prominent when the charges are neutralized.Interestingly,the secondary structures of peptides exhibit profound effect on the morphology of the phases,such as solid phase to liquid phase transition.Our study gains insight into the phase separation under physiological conditions.It is also helpful to create coacervates with desirable structures and functions.

Polyelectrolyte Complexes between Hyperbranched and Linear Polysaccharides: Fucoidan/Chitosan

Polyelectrolyte complexes(PECs)of hyperbranched(HB)and linear polysaccharides are promising as more effective encapsulation agents compared to PECs formed by linear polysaccharides.We investigated the PECs between the HB anionic polysaccharide fucoidan(FUC)and the cationic linear polysaccharide chitosan(CS).The FUC had a molecular weight(MW)of 30×106.The PECs were prepared in three solvents(water,0.01 and 0.1 mol/L acetic acid)with CS of MW of 15,110 and 170 kDa,and deacetylation degrees(DDA)of 70%and 97%.The structures of the PECs and the initial FUC were investigated by multi-angle static and dynamic light scattering.As the FUC contained 18 wt%of—OSO3 groups and 5 wt%of uronic acid units,it was a“strong-weak”copolyanion,so the HB macromolecules of the FUC formed nanogel particles in 0.1 mol/L AcOH and open branched structures in water,as confirmed by the Kratky plots.After mixing the solutions of original components,the PEC structures underwent an equilibration period,the duration of which increased with the MW of CS.As the charge stoichiometry was approached,the PECs shrank;the fractal dimension approached unity,indicating the side-by-side packing of adjacent FUC branches with the help of CS.Secondary aggregation in the vicinity of the charge compensation was hardly observed,as it occurred in a very narrow region.The PEC content at theζ-potential inversion depended on solvents’pH and the DDA of CS.In the extreme case of core-shell PECs in 0.1 mol/L AcOH,obtained by mixing FUC nanogels with the solutions of high MW CS of 97%DDA,the protruding tails of CS formed a positively charged shell in the whole range of FUC content(10 wt%<WFUC<90 wt%).Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images of dried samples were discussed in relation to the light scattering results.

PEC生物微胶囊研究进展

聚电解质复合物(PEC)生物微胶囊由聚合物阴阳离子络合反应形成,因其反应温和、生物相容性好,近年来已成为热门的研究领域,在人工器官、医疗诊断、细胞固定化等方面有着广泛的用途。本文系统介绍了PEC生物微胶囊的制备、特性研究和应用研究,并综述了这3个方面的最新研究进展,最后对PEC生物微胶囊的发展前景进行了展望。

新型HA-PEC纳米复合骨修复材料的研制及细胞相容性研究

目的:制备一种新型的HA-PEC纳米复合骨组织缺损修复材料,并评价其细胞相容性。方法:将含有Ca、P离子(Ca/P的摩尔比为1.67,Ca^(2+)的终浓度为6 mmol/L)的酸性壳聚糖(chitosan,CS)溶液滴加入磷酸化壳聚糖(phosphorylated chitosan,PCS)溶液中,控制反应条件,获得由羟基磷灰石(hydroxyapatite,HA)和壳聚糖-磷酸化壳聚糖聚电解质复合物(polyelectrolyte complex,PEC)共同组成的HA-PEC微粒。HA-PEC复合物与成骨细胞共同培养,观察细胞黏附、生长的情况。结果:纳米级的、低结晶度的HA均匀地分布在PEC纤维中,"HA-PEC微粒"具有类骨的微孔结构,可促进成骨细胞黏附、增殖、分化。结论:"HA-PEC"纳米复合材料具有良好的生物相容性和降解性,有望成为一种有前途的新型骨组织修复材料。

Counterion-Mediated Hydrogen Bonding Making Strong Polyelectrolytes pH-Responsive:Current Understanding and Perspectives

The counterion-mediated hydrogen bonding(CMHB)is related to the hydrogen bonding between bound counterions and polyelectrolyte chains in polyelectrolyte systems,where the counterions can both electrostatically bind to the charged groups of polyelectrolyte chains and act as hydrogen bond donors or acceptors to form hydrogen bonds with the hydrogen bond sites associated with polyelectrolyte chains simultaneously.A large number of literatures illustrate that strong polyelectrolytes(SPs)are insensitive to pH,which severely limmits the applications of SPs as smart materials.However,our studies have demonstrated that the CMHB makes SPs pH-responsive.This perspective discusses the mechanism of pH responsiveness of SPs and the pH-tunable properties of SPs,based on the pH-controlled CMHB effect.The future research directions on the pH responsiveness of SPs are also discussed here.It is anticipated that the study of the pH responsiveness of SPs not only will provide a new understanding of the fundamental properties of SPs,but also will greatly expand the applications of SPs in the field of smart materials.

Self-assembly Induced by Complexation of Diblock Copolyelectrolytes and Oppositely Charged Homopolymers

We investigate the solution self-assembly of a mixture of positively charged homopolymers and AB diblock copolymers,in which the A blocks are negatively charged,and the B blocks are neutral.The electrostatic complexation between oppositely charged polymers drives the formation of many ordered phases.The microstructures and phase diagrams are calculated using self-consistent field theory(SCFT)based on an ion-pair model with an equilibrium constant K to characterize the strength of binding between positively and negatively charged monomers.The effects of the charge ratio,representing the ratio of charges from the homopolymer over all charges from polymers in the system,on the ordered structure are systematically studied,both for hydrophobic and hydrophilic A blocks.The charge ratio plays an important role in determining the phase boundaries in the phase diagram of salt concentration versus polymer concentration.We also provide information about the varying tendency of the domain spacing and core size of the spherical phase when the charge ratio is changed,and the results are in good agreement with experiments.These studies provide a deep understanding of the self-assembled microstructures of oppositely charged diblock copolymer-homopolymer systems.

Polyelectrolyte complex-based thermochromic hydrogels containing carbonized polymer dots for smart windows with fast response,excellent solar modulation ability,and high durability

Thermochromic smart windows have gained increasing popularity in light modulation and energy management in buildings.However,the fabrication of flexible thermochromic smart windows with high luminous transmittance(Tlum),tailorable critical temperature(τc),strong solar modulation ability(ΔTsol),and long-term durability remains a huge challenge.In this study,hydrogel-based thermochromic smart windows are fabricated by sandwiching thermochromic hydrogels of polyallylamine hydrochloride,polyacrylic acid,and carbonized polymer dots(CPDs)complexes between two pieces of transparent substrates.Benefiting from the incorporation of nanosized CPDs,the thermochromic hydrogel has an ultrahigh Tlum of~98.7%,a desirableτc of~24.2℃,aΔTsol of~89.3%and a rapid transition time of~3 s from opaque state to transparent state.Moreover,the thermochromic hydrogel exhibits excellent anti-freezing ability,tight adhesion toward various substrates,and excellent self-healing capability.The self-healing capability enables the fabrication of large-area smart windows by welding multiple hydrogel pieces.The smart windows retain their original thermochromic properties after being stored under ambient conditions for at least 147 days or undergoing 10,000 uninterrupted heating/cooling cycles.The model houses with smart windows can achieve a temperature reduction of 9.2℃,demonstrating the excellent indoor temperature modulation performance of the smart windows.

PEC/g-C3N4杂化膜的制备及其渗透汽化性能研究

将石墨态氮化碳(g-C3N4)和聚电解质络合物(PEC)相结合,以聚丙烯腈(PAN)超滤膜为基底制备PEC/g-C3N4杂化膜,考察了杂化膜的渗透汽化有机溶剂脱水性能.用傅里叶红外光谱、扫描电镜和低场核磁等表征了杂化膜的组成、形貌和水在膜中的状态.研究了g-C3N4含量、PEC浓度和抽滤溶液体积等成膜因素和进料液温度、进料液水含量、分离体系等操作条件对杂化膜渗透汽化性能的影响.结果表明,在最优制膜条件和操作温度下,PEC/g-C3N4杂化膜对进料液中乙醇质量分数为90%的乙醇/水体系通量和透过液水质量分数分别为2560 g/(m^2·h)和98.0%,且PEC/g-C3N4杂化膜具有良好的运行稳定性.

Carbon Fibers Decorated by Polyelectrolyte Complexes toward Their Epoxy Resin Composites with High Fire Safety

The achievement of both robust fire-safety and mechanical properties is of vital requirement for carbon fiber （CF） composites. To this end, a facile interracial strategy for fabricating flame-retardant carbon fibers decorated by bio-based polyelectrolyte complexes （PEC） consisting of chitosan （CH） and ammonium polyphosphate （APP） was developed, and its corresponding fire-retarded epoxy resin composites （EP/（PEC@CF）） without any other additional flame retardants were prepared. The decorated CFs were characterized by SEM- EDX, XPS and XRD, indicating that the flame-retardant PEC coating was successfully constructed on the surface of CF. Thanks to the nitrogen- and phosphorous-containing PEC, the resulting composites exhibited excellent flame retardancy as the limiting oxygen index （LOI） increased from 31.0% of EP/CF to 40.5% and UL-94 V-0 rating was achieved with only 8.1 wt% PEC. EP/（PEC8.1@CF） also performed well in cone calorimetry with the decrease of peak-heat release rate （PHRR） and smoke production rate （SPR） by 50.0% and 30.4%, respectively, and the value of fire growth rate （FIGRA） was also reduced to 3.41 kW·m-2- s-1 from 4.84 kW· m-2· s-1, suggesting a considerably enhanced fire safety. Furthermore, SEM images of the burning residues revealed that the PEC coating exhibited the dominant flame-retardant activity in condensed phase via the formation of compact phosphorus-rich char. In addition, the impact strength of the composite was improved, together with no obvious deterioration of flexural properties and glass transition temperature. Taking advantage of the features, the PEC-decorated carbon fibers and the relevant composites fabricated by the cost-effective and facile strategy would bring more chances for widespread applications.

Positively charged nanofiltration membrane fabricated by poly(acid–base) complexing effect induced phase inversion method for heavy metal removal

Poly(arylene ether ketone)s with carboxylic groups(PAEK-COOH)is a good membrane fabrication material,a kind of polyacids,while polyethylenimine(PEI)is a weak organic base,a kind of polybases.Those polyacids and polybases would form ionic complexation at the interface of two liquid phases.In this paper,PAEK-COOH/N-methyl pyrrolidone(NMP)/1,4-dioxane(DO)mixture,employed as polymer casting solution and aqueous solution of PEI,used as coagulation bath,respectively.Then ion complexation induced phase inversion process is applied to prepare positively charged nanofiltration membrane with thinner but denser separation skin layer.The complexing reaction at the interface of two liquid phases has great influence on the kinetic aspects of phase inversion process,which in accordance would affect the morphology and performance of the membrane.The obtained membrane,fabricated via the ion complexation induced phase inversion method,is positively charged,has high water permeability,and possesses high rejection towards divalent cations,such as Mg^(2+),Ca^(2+),Pb^(2+)etc.,which could be used for removal of heavy metals from polluted water.At the optimal condition,the pure water flux of the PAEK-COOH-PEI nanofiltration membrane is 24.3 L·m^(-2)·h^(-1),with MgCl_2rejection of 92.2%.

Fabrication of channeled scaffolds through polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) printed sacrificial templates for tissue formation

One of the pivotal factors that limit the clinical translation of tissue engineering is the inability to create large volume and complex three-dimensional (3D) tissues, mainly due to the lack of long-range mass transport with many current scaffolds. Here we present a simple yet robust sacrificial strategy to create hierarchical and per-fusable microchannel networks within versatile scaffolds via the combination of embedded 3D printing (EB3DP), tunable polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC), and casting methods. The sacrificial templates of PEC filaments (diameter from 120 to 500 μm) with arbitrary 3D configurations were fabricated by EB3DP and then incorpo-rated into various castable matrices (e.g., hydrogels, organic solutions, meltable polymers, etc.). Rapid disso-lution of PEC templates within a 2.00 M potassium bromide aqueous solution led to the high fidelity formation of interconnected channels for free mass exchange. The efficacy of such channeled scaffolds for in vitro tissue formation was demonstrated with mouse fibroblasts, showing continuous cell proliferation and ECM deposition. Subcutaneous implantation of channeled silk fibroin (SF) scaffolds with a porosity of 76% could lead to tissue ingrowth as high as 53% in contrast to 5% for those non-channeled controls after 4 weeks. Both histological and immunofluorescence analyses demonstrated that such channeled scaffolds promoted cellularization, vasculari-zation, and host integration along with immunoregulation.