Fluorescence Probe Technique Research Articles

Fluorescence Probing Investigation of the Mechanism of Formation of MSU-type Mesoporous Silica Prepared in Fluoride Medium

The mechanism of formation of a MSU-type siliceous material from tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) in the presence of the nonionic surfactant tergitol T-15-S-12, sulfuric acid, and sodium fluoride has been investigated using mainly fluorescence probing techniques and, to a lesser extent, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and 29Si NMR spectroscopy. The tergitol micelles present in the systems obtained by progressively generating the reaction mixture giving rise to the mesostructured material by adding to an appropriate tergitol solution sulfuric acid, TEOS, and NaF were characterized by fluorescence probing (micelle aggregation number, micropolarity, and microviscosity) and also by dynamic light scattering (apparent micelle diameter). 29Si NMR experiments were also performed on selected systems after hydrolysis of the TEOS. The fluorescence probing techniques were also used to follow the changes of micelle characteristics with time during the evolution of the full reaction mixture from a limpid solution to a system containing a minor amount of condensed siliceous material. The synthesized solid material was characterized by X-ray diffraction and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analyses. The micelle aggregation number N was found to change only little, and the micropolarity remained constant when going from the tergitol solution to the full reaction mixture. The results of DLS measurements agree with this finding. Besides, while the condensation of silica took place after addition of NaF, the N value increased only very little with time up to the point where a small amount of mesostructured material precipitated out. These results indicate that the interaction between tergitol micelles and the siliceous species formed in the system by the hydrolysis of TEOS and also between micelles and the growing siliceous species must be very weak. As in our previous studies of the mechanism of formation of MCM41-type material from sodium silicate in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, it appears that the locus of formation of the mesostructured material is not the micelle surface but the bulk phase. Micelles only act as reservoirs of surfactant providing surfactant monomer that binds to the growing siliceous species.

Complexation between poly(acrylic acid) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone): Influence of the molecular weight of poly(acrylic acid) and small molecule salt on the complexation

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) with different molecular weight and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were prepared by free radical polymerization using 2,2′-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator in anhydrous methanol for PAA, and in distilled water for PVP. Then, the complexation between PAA and PVP in aqueous solution was studied by UV transmittance measurement and fluorescence probe technique. The result shows that (1) at low pH, the formation of complexation between PAA and PVP bases on the intermacromolecular hydrogen bond and the composition of the formed complex is around 3:2 (the unit molar ratio of PAA to PVP) at pH 2.60 over the range of pH investigated. (2) The cooperative interaction through the formation of hydrogen bond among active sites plays an important role in complex formation, and depends on the pH of solution, the required minimum chain length of poly(acrylic acid). (3) The hydrogen bond is not affected by small molecular salt, which only affects those carboxylic groups without forming hydrogen bond on the PAA chain.

Giant vesicles of a single-tailed chiral cationic surfactant, (1R,2S)-(–)- N-dodecyl- N-methylephedrinium bromide, in water

Self-assembly properties of a single-tailed chiral cationic surfactant, (1R,2S)-(–)- N-dodecyl- N-methylephedrinium bromide (DMEB), have been studied in water. The molecular self-assemblies of the amphiphile have been characterized by surface tension, fluorescence probes, light scattering, and microscopic techniques. The results have been compared with those of dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) surfactant. The critical aggregation concentration of DMEB was found to be much less than that of DTAB. Surface tension and fluorescence probe studies have suggested formation of micellar structures at low temperature (<28 °C) and spontaneous formation of giant vesicles in water above 28 °C. The mean size of the aggregates has been measured by a dynamic light scattering method. The micropolarity and microviscosity of the self-assemblies were determined by fluorescence probe technique. The 1H NMR and FTIR spectra were recorded to elucidate the role of the hydrophobic head group towards the formation of bilayer structures. The phase transition temperatures of the vesicular aggregates were determined by measurement of fluorescence anisotropy at various temperatures.

Biomimetic Amphiphiles for Polymeric Micellar Carrier System

A commercial available amphiphilic polymer, Cholesterol terminated PEO (Chol-PEO), was used as novel biomimetic drug delivery system. The association behavior of Chol-PEOs in aqueous solution was studied by fluorescence probe technique and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Fluorescence excitation spectra for pyrene probe solubilized in the aggregates of Chol-PEOs suggested the presence of a critical micelle concentration (cmc) in water. TEM images of the aggregates suggested that the PEO block formed the biocompatible micelle coronas and the cholesterol block formed the hydrophobic micelle cores. These new biomimetic diblock copolymers were evaluated as nanocapsules for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs and drug release behavior of a hydrophobic anti-cancer drug, adriamycin (ADR), was examined.

Effect of ethanol on the aggregation properties of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide surfactant

Surfactant aggregation properties in aqueous and mixed organic/aqueous solutions have attracted considerable interests especially for the applications to the template synthesis of nanoporous inorganic materials. In this work, we study the aggregation behavior of cetyl trimethylammonium bromide surfactant in both aqueous and mixed water/ethanol solutions by the steady-state fluorescence probe technique. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and the micelle aggregation number were determined in solutions with different ethanol contents. The CMC increases and the aggregation number decreases with increasing ethanol content in solutions. The effect of ethanol on the micelle formation can be treated as a structure breaking process. The density functional theory was used to calculate the charge density distribution over the surfactant molecules in different solvents. The results obtained reveal that the micelle size distribution in solutions can be adjusted by varying the content of ethanol in solvents.

Novel Biomimetic Surfactant: Synthesis and Micellar Characteristics

Novel biomimetic surfactants based on cholesterol as the hydrophobic segment and poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine] (pMPC) as the hydrophilic segment were synthesized in the present study by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) using a cholesterol-based macroinitiator. The association behavior of cholesterol-block-poly[2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl phosphorylcholine] (Chol-pMPCs) in aqueous solution was studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy, fluorescence probe technique, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The (1)H NMR spectrum of the polymer in CD(3)OD showed both the cholesterol group and the phosphorylcholine group while the cholesterol group did not appeared in the (1)H NMR spectrum of the polymer in D(2)O, which implied the formation of a micelle structure. Fluorescence excitation spectra of a pyrene probe solubilized in the aggregates of Chol-pMPCs suggested the presence of a critical micelle concentration (cmc) in water. The critical micelle concentrations of the polymers CMPC10, CMPC20 and CMPC40 were determined to be 7.27 x 10(-3), 13.47 x 10(-3), and 20.77 x 10(-3) mg . mL(-1), respectively. AFM images of the aggregates on mica suggested that the pMPC block formed the biocompatible micelle coronas and the cholesterol block formed the hydrophobic micelle cores. These new biomimetic diblock copolymers were evaluated as "stealthy" nanocapsules for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs. The anti-cancer drug adriamycin (ADR) was chosen as a hydrophobic drug to be incorporated into the inner core of the micelles and the morphology of the drug-loaded micelles were observed by AFM.

Molecular structure of agarose chains in thermoreversible hydrogels revealed by means of a fluorescent probe technique

AbstractThermoreversible hydrogels of agarose with both high and low molecular weights were studied by means of a fluorescence probe method using 1‐anilino‐8‐naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS). The fluorescence spectra of ANS in agarose/water changed markedly with agarose concentration. Analysis of the spectra shows that this change is not due to a shift of the whole spectrum, but that there are two fluorescent components of ANS in addition to the fluorescence peak at 542 nm due to free ANS molecules in water. The fluorescence component at 461 nm is assumed to be from ANS intercalated within either a single 31 helix‐form agarose chain or nonpolar region produced by chemical defect, and the fluorescence component between 507 and 522 nm is assumed to be from ANS in aggregated regions of agarose chains having a loose helical structure. There is no doubt that a certain number of water molecules are included in the aggregated region. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 680–688, 2005

Aggregation behaviour of octyl-β-thioglucopyranoside in the presence of glycine

Micelle formation and structure of the non-ionic surfactant octyl-β-thioglucopyranoside (OTG) in aqueous solutions in the presence of different concentrations of glycine has been studied by using the fluorescence probe technique. By using the pyrene 1:3 ratio method it has been found that the addition of glycine produces a decrease in the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant. However, it seems that the presence of the additive does not modify the micellar size and shape in comparison with those observed in aqueous medium. In order to obtain information on the microstructural characteristics of the aggregates, the effect of glycine on the microenvironmental properties has been examined. The pyrene 1:3 ratio index and the intramolecular excimer formation of 1,3-bis-(1-pyrenyl)propane revealed that both micropolarity and microviscosity of micelles were practically unaffected with the presence of glycine in the medium. The most relevant conclusion that we can draw from this study is that glycine causes stabilization of the octyl-β-thioglucopyranoside micelles, acting through an indirect mechanism, but without affecting the general structure of the micelles.

Fluorescence probe studies on the complexation between poly(methacrylic acid) and poly( N, N-diethylacrylamide)

The complexation between poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) and poly( N, N-diethylacrylamide) (PDEAM) in aqueous phase was studied by UV–vis and fluorescence probe techniques. It was demonstrated that the complexation of PMAA with PDEAM occurs within a pH range of 1–6.5 and along with the complexation, the conformation of PMAA changed from a hypercoiled to a loose coiled form. The complex ratio between the two polymers is 1:1 (PMAA:PDEAM, in monomer unit). Salt effect studies showed that the complexation occurred due to formation of hydrogen bonds between the two polymers. Based upon these conclusions and the “compact micelle-like structure” for PMAA at low pH, a “ladder” model was proposed for the structure of PMAA–PDEAM complex formed at low pH.

PH-sensitivity and pH-dependent interior structural change of self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles of pullulan acetate/oligo-sulfonamide conjugate

pH-sensitive hydrogel nanoparticles that respond to the local acidic pH found in various diseased states such as tumors, ischemia and inflammation were prepared from pullulan acetate/oligo-sulfadimethoxine (PA/OSDM) conjugates. PA/OSDM nanoparticles prepared by dialysis at pH 9.5 had a spherical shape with a size range of 50–140 nm and low critical aggregation concentration (CAC) (<12×10−3 mg/ml), dependent on the degree of substitution of OSDM (DS). With a decrease in dialysis pH (pHdia), the CAC gradually decreased due to the increase in the hydrophobic nature of OSDM. The nanoparticles prepared at pHdia 8.0 from the polymer with DS 1.0 aggregated in a pH range of 6.6–7.2 while the aggregation of nanoparticles prepared below pHdia 7.4 occurred in a broader pH range with a downshifted transition pH. These results indicate that the CAC and sharpness of the pH sensitivity of self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles can be controlled by the pH of the dialysis buffer. In addition, the photophysical and photochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles were examined by a fluorescence probe technique. The micropolarity was monitored by pyrene and the microviscosity was measured by 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5,-hexatriene (DPH) in the core of nanoparticles. Both properties dramatically changed as the pH decreased from 7.2 to 6.8, indicating that the interior restructuring of the hydrogel nanoparticles changed rapidly in this pH range. This is probably due to recruitment of hydrophobic group of deionized OSDM into the core. The pH sensitivity of the nanoparticles affected their drug release behavior. Doxorubicin (DOX) release from the PA/OSDM nanoparticles showed pH-dependent profiles around physiological pH and was significantly promoted at pH<6.8.

PH-sensitivity and pH-dependent interior structural change of self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles of pullulan acetate/oligo-sulfonamide conjugate

pH-sensitive hydrogel nanoparticles that respond to the local acidic pH found in various diseased states such as tumors, ischemia and inflammation were prepared from pullulan acetate/oligo-sulfadimethoxine (PA/OSDM) conjugates. PA/OSDM nanoparticles prepared by dialysis at pH 9.5 had a spherical shape with a size range of 50–140 nm and low critical aggregation concentration (CAC) (<12×10 −3 mg/ml), dependent on the degree of substitution of OSDM (DS). With a decrease in dialysis pH (pH dia), the CAC gradually decreased due to the increase in the hydrophobic nature of OSDM. The nanoparticles prepared at pH dia 8.0 from the polymer with DS 1.0 aggregated in a pH range of 6.6–7.2 while the aggregation of nanoparticles prepared below pH dia 7.4 occurred in a broader pH range with a downshifted transition pH. These results indicate that the CAC and sharpness of the pH sensitivity of self-assembled hydrogel nanoparticles can be controlled by the pH of the dialysis buffer. In addition, the photophysical and photochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles were examined by a fluorescence probe technique. The micropolarity was monitored by pyrene and the microviscosity was measured by 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5,-hexatriene (DPH) in the core of nanoparticles. Both properties dramatically changed as the pH decreased from 7.2 to 6.8, indicating that the interior restructuring of the hydrogel nanoparticles changed rapidly in this pH range. This is probably due to recruitment of hydrophobic group of deionized OSDM into the core. The pH sensitivity of the nanoparticles affected their drug release behavior. Doxorubicin (DOX) release from the PA/OSDM nanoparticles showed pH-dependent profiles around physiological pH and was significantly promoted at pH<6.8.

Structural Characterization of Micellar Aggregates in Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate/Aluminum Nitrate/Urea/Water System in the Synthesis of Mesoporous Alumina

The mechanism of templated synthesis of ordered mesoporous alumina according to the recipe proposed by Yada et al. (Yada, M.; Machida, M.; Kijima, T. Chem. Commun. 1996, 769) using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as template, has been investigated by NMR self-diffusion and spin and fluorescence probe techniques. In the precursor solutions urea was found to produce a substantial shortening of the long entangled cylindrical aggregates characteristic of the SDS micellar solutions with aluminum salt in large excess. The formation of mesostructured hexagonal alumina was followed using spin probes incorporated in the SDS aggregates. No structural changes were observed during urea hydrolysis, before the onset of the precipitation. In the precipitate, the presence of the surfactant template is demonstrated as well as its interaction with the aluminum species. Time evolution of this interaction is also observed. Finally, the influence of the composition of the precursor system on the structure and thermal stability of as-synthesized alumina has been studied. It appears that hexagonally structured alumina is formed over a large range of compositions of the starting solution, with the dimension of the unit cell being almost constant. A model of precipitation is proposed that is based on the analogy with the formation of the hexagonal crystalline Al-DS precipitate in the ternary SDS/Al(NO3)3/water system.

Studies on microstructure and aqueous solution properties of block copolymer of acrylamide-styrene

Three series of block copolymers of acrylamide (AM) and styrene (St) as hydrophobic comonomer with varied microstructures were prepared in microemulsion medium by changing feed ratio of monomers, ratio of St to surfactant, and amount of initiator, respectively. The effects of microstructure factors of the amphiphilic block copolymers PAM-b-PSt on their aqueous solution properties were investigated by fluorescence probe technique and surface tension measurement in detail. The experimental results show that the aqueous solution properties of PAM-b-PSt are strongly dependent on their microstructure factors, such as the length and content of PSt hydrophobic blocks in the copolymers and their molecular weight. It was found that the main microstructure factors which effect the hydrophobic association behavior of the copolymer PAM-b-PSt are the length and content of PSt hydrophobic blocks in the copolymer, whereas the hydrophobic association behavior of the copolymer is not affected nearly so much by molecular weight in more dilute regions. At the same time, it was also found that the main microstructure factors which affect the surface activity of the copolymer are the content of PSt hydrophobic blocks in the copolymer and molecular weight, whereas the length of PSt blocks in copolymer does not affect surface activity of the copolymer nearly so much under fixed content of PSt hydrophobic blocks and molecular weight in the copolymer.

Application of Ultrasonic Attenuation Measurements in the Studies on Macromolecular Conformational Behaviors —Phase Behavior of the Aqueous Solution of Poly(vinyl methyl ether) Sensitive to Temperature and the Modification of the Behavior by Using Poly(acrylic acid)

AbstractThe phase behavior of the aqueous solution of poly(vinyl methyl ether) (PVME) sensitive to temperature and the modification of the behavior by using poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) have been studied by ultrasonic attenuation measurements and fluorescence probe techniques. It has been observed that PVME solution is transparent at mom temperature and becomes turbid upon heating. The solution turns clear again as smn as the temperature is decreased to room temperature. The heating and cooling process can be repeated for many times. The phase behavior of the solution sensitive to temperature is attributed to the conformational changes of the polymer. PVME may adopt an open coil conformation at mom temperature. With this conformation, the polymer is well miscible with the solvent, water, and thereby the system is a real solution. The polymer may adopt a compact coil conformation when the temperature is higher than a specific value. which is called the LCST (the lower critical solution temperature) of PVME. In this case, the polymer tangles to each other and forms various aggregates, which can scatter incident light and ultrasonic waves greatly. resulting in the phase separation, Introduction of PAA decreases the temperature sensitivity of the phase behavior of the polymer. The nature of the inhibition is attributed to the complexation of PAA with PVME and the strong hydrophilicity of PAA. Results from fluorescence probe studies are in accordance with those from ultrasonic attenuation measurements, indicating again that the ultrasonic attenuation method can be successfully used for the qualitative studies of polymer conformations and complexation between polymers.

Interactions of endothelin-1 with dexamethasone in primary cultured human trabecular meshwork cells.

Concentrations of aqueous humor endothelin (ET)-1 are increased in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) as well as in animal models of glaucoma. Glucocorticoids have also been associated with glaucoma, in that topical administration of glucocorticoids can increase intraocular pressure by increasing outflow resistance in the trabecular meshwork (TM) in some individuals. Recent research has shown that dexamethasone (Dex), a synthetic glucocorticoid, can increase the release of ET-1 from human nonpigmented ciliary epithelial (HNPE) cells, a source of aqueous ET-1. In the present study, the downstream interaction of ET-1 with Dex in target TM cells, an action that may alter outflow resistance, was investigated. A normal primary human TM (NTM) cell line and a TM cell line derived from a glaucomatous eye (GTM) were used. The cells were treated with vehicle or Dex. The mRNA levels of prepro-ET-1, endothelin receptor A (ET(A)), and endothelin receptor B (ET(B)) were measured by quantitative RT-PCR (QPCR). The protein expression of ET(A) and ET(B) receptors were investigated by Western blot analysis using polyclonal anti-ET(A) and anti-ET(B) antibodies, respectively, on plasma membrane fractions. Intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)](i)) mobilization mediated by ET-1 was measured using the Fura-2 AM fluorescent probe technique as an index of ET receptor function. ET-1-stimulated nitric oxide (NO) release was measured using a Griess colorimetric NO synthase assay kit. Both NTM and GTM cultured cells expressed prepro-ET-1 mRNA less abundantly than did HNPE cells, and Dex treatment had no effect on the mRNA expression of the ET-1 gene. TM cells expressed mRNA of ET(A) receptors as detected by QPCR, whereas the ET(B) message was not clearly delineated. Western blot analysis showed that both ET(A) and ET(B) receptor proteins were present. The ET(A) receptor was linked to calcium mobilization as ET-1 produced an increase in intracellular calcium release, and this increase was blocked with a selective ET(A) receptor antagonist. Dex failed to induce any change in the expression of the ET(A) receptor in both NTM and GTM cells, and this was supported by the absence of a Dex effect on the ET-1-induced calcium response. However, Dex treatment diminished ET(B) receptor protein expression and produced a decrease in ET-1-stimulated release of NO, a response mediated by ET(B) receptors in TM cells. The Dex-induced increase in ET-1 released by HNPE cells coupled to the downstream Dex-induced specific suppression of ET(B) receptor protein expression and declines in ET-1-mediated increase in NO released by TM cells could increase contraction and decrease relaxation of the TM and contribute to the declines in conventional aqueous humor outflow and increases in intraocular pressure that occur with glucocorticoids.

Probing the micellization of diblock and triblock copolymers of poly(l-lactide) and poly(ethylene glycol) in aqueous and NaCl salt solutions

The micelle formation of a series of amphiphilic block copolymers in aqueous and NaCl solutions was studied by a fluorescent probe technique using pyrene as a "model drug". These copolymers were synthesized from poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and l-lactide by a new calcium ammoniate catalyst. They had fixed PEG block lengths (44, 104 or 113 ethylene oxide units) and various poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) block lengths (15–280 lactide units). The critical micelle concentration (cmc) was found to decrease with increasing PLLA content. The distinct dissimilarity of the cmc values of diblock and triblock copolymers based on the same block length of PEG provided evidence for the different configurations of their micelles. It was also observed that the introduction of NaCl salt significantly contributed to a decrease in the cmcs of the copolymers with short PEG and PLLA blocks, while it had less influence on the cmcs of copolymers with long PEG or PLLA blocks. The dependence of partition coefficients ranging from 0.2×105 to 1.9×105 on the PLLA content in the copolymer and on the micelle configuration was also discussed. The contribution of NaCl salt to increasing the partition of pyrene into a micellar phase was observed.

PH-Responsive Micellization of Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers Synthesized via Reversible Addition−Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization

Well-defined poly(sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonate-block-sodium 6-acrylamidohexanoate) (pNaAMPS-AaH) was synthesized by reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization of sodium 6-acrylamidohexanoate (AaH) using the sodium 2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonate-based macrochain transfer agent. The “living” polymerization of AaH was evidenced by the fact that the number-average molecular weight increased linearly with monomer conversion while the molecular weight distribution remained narrow independent of the conversion. pH-induced association and dissociation behavior of the diblock copolymers was investigated by quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS), static light scattering (SLS), 1H NMR spin−spin relaxation time, and fluorescence probe techniques. At pH < 4, the diblock copolymers exhibited large values of the hydrodynamic radius and small values of the 1H NMR spin−spin relaxation time. These observations indicated that micellization occurred to form polymer micelles comprising hydrophobic protonated AaH cores and hydrophilic NaAMPS coronas at pH < 4. On the other hand, these diblock copolymers dissolved in aqueous solutions as a state of unimer under high-pH conditions. 8-Anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid, ammonium salt hydrate (ANS), as a fluorescence probe could be incorporated into the protonated AaH core of diblock copolymer micelles at low pH and released upon dissociation of the micelles at high pH, which was completely reversible.

Probing the association behavior of poly(ethylene glycol)-based amphiphilic comb-like polymer in NaCl solution

The effect of salt on the associative behavior of intramolecular aggregates obtained from poly(ethylene glycol)-based amphiphilic comb-like polymers in aqueous medium at pH 6.2 has been investigated by surface tension, fluorescence probe, dynamic light-scattering, and viscometry techniques. Results reveal that the addition of salt screens the electrostatic repulsion between the charges along the polymer backbone in the aggregates and consequently (1) reduces the surface activity at the air/water interface, (2) leads to the contraction of the polymer backbone, and (3) reduces the hydrodynamic sizes of the aggregates. In contrast, the hydrophobicity of the aggregates remains unperturbed.

Characterization of hydrophobized pullulan with various hydrophobicities

In this study, we prepared self-assembling nanospheres of hydrophobized pullulan. Pullulan acetate (PA), as hydrophobized pullulan, was synthesized by the acetylation of pullulan. PA derivatives were synthesized by changing the degree of acetylation. PA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The particle size distribution of the PA was determined using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and the number-average particle size was found to depend upon the degree of acetylation of PA. Morphology by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the PA nanospheres were spherical in shape. The fluorescence probe technique was used to study the self-association behavior of hydrophobized pullulans in water using pyrene as a hydrophobic probe. The critical association concentration (CAC) values were determined from the fluorescence excitation spectra, CAC values were dependent upon the degree of acetylation. Drug release studies using clonazepam (CNZ) as a hydrophobic model drug showed that the increased drug contents and increased degree of acetylation resulted in a slower release rate of drug from the nanospheres.

Microstructure of Dispersed Colloidal Particles of a Bilayer Cubic Phase

The microstructures of the interior phase of the cubic particles have been studied by dispersing the cubic phase formed by monoolein into different solvents. Steady‐state fluorescence probe techniques have been utilized to study the micropolarity changes of the cubic particles in different solvents, and to obtain fluorescence quenching for lissamine rhodamine B incorporated into the cubic particles by diacyl phosphatidylethanolamine (NBD‐PE) aqueous solution. It is found that the solvents inside and outside the cubic particles can be exchanged during the formation of the particles and the results of fluorescence quenching experiment also suggest that there might be two different water compartments extant inside the particles.