Vibrational spectroscopic methods to characterize the bionanoparticles originating from newly developed self-forming synthetic PEGylated lipids (QuSomes)

Abstract

Vibrational spectroscopy has been used to elucidate the temperature dependence of structural and conformational changes in lipids and liposomes. In this work, the thermal properties of lipid-based nanovesicles originating from a newly developed self-forming synthetic PEGylated lipids has been investigated by variable-temperature Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) absorption and Raman spectroscopic methods. Thermally-induced changes in infrared and Raman spectra of these artificial lipid based nanovesicles composed of 1,2-dimyristoyl-rac-glycerol-3-dodecaethylene glycol (GDM-12) and 1,2-distearoyl-rac-glycerol-3-triicosaethylene glycol (GDS-23) were acquired by using a thin layered FTIR spectrometer in conjunction with a unique custom built temperature-controlled demountable liquid cell and variable-temperature controlled Raman microscope, respectively. The lipids under consideration have long hydrophobic acyl chains and contain various units of hydrophilic polyethylene glycol headgroups. In contrast to conventional phospholipids, this new kind of lipid is forming liposomes or nanovesicles spontaneously upon hydration, without supplying external activation energy. We have found that the thermal stability of such PEGylated lipids and nanovesicles differs greatly depending upon the acyl chain-lengths as well as associated head group units. However, the thermal behavior observed from both spectroscopic vibrational techniques are in good agreement.