Self-assembly Stability Research Articles

Influences on the Dynamics and Stability of Self-Assembly: Solvent, Substrate, and Concentration

Influences on the Dynamics and Stability of Self-Assembly: Solvent, Substrate, and Concentration

Redox-responsive phenyl-functionalized polylactide micelles for enhancing Ru complexes delivery and phototherapy

Poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) block copolymer (PEG-PLA) is one of the most widely used biomedical polymers in clinical drug delivery owing to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, endowing PEG-PLA micelles with high drug loading, self-assembly stability and fast intracellular drug release is still challenging. Redox-responsive diblock copolymers (MPEG-SS-PMLA) of poly(ethylene glycol) and phenyl-functionalized poly(lactic acid) with disulfide bond as the linker are synthesized to prepare PLA-based micelles that demonstrate excellent colloidal stability and high Ru loading. Notably, MPEG-SS-PMLA achieved a remarkably high Ru loading efficiency of 84.3% due to the existence of strong π-π stacking between phenyl and Ru complex. MPEG-SS-PMLA exhibited good colloidal stability in physiological condition but quickly destabilized by reductive tumor microenvironment. Interestingly, about 74% of Ru complex was released under 10 mmol/L GSH concentration. Ru-loaded MEPG-SS-PMLA showed efficient delivery and release of Ru complex into MCF-7 cancer cells, achieving enhanced in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of photodynamic therapy. This feasible functionalization method of MPEG-PLA has appeared to be a clinically viable platform for controlled delivery therapeutic agents and enhanced phototherapy.

Isoconversional Curing and Degradation Kinetics Study of Self-assembled Thermo-responsive Resin System Bearing Oxime and Iminium Groups

This paper demonstrates synthesis of a self-assembled resin system containing p-acetylpyridine oxime, formaldehyde and p-methoxyacetophenone moieties in main chain and thermally cross-linkable periphery oxime groups, and application as antimicrobial coating in biomedical applications. The post-polymerization conversion from oxime into iminium groups was observed by heating scan, with exothermic peaks being at 194 to 247°C. Various degradation models including the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa (F-W-O), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (K-A-S), Tang (T) and Friedman (F) methods were employed to check the thermal stability of self-assembly by computing apparent activation energy. It has also exhibited strong biocidal properties against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and fungi until the macrochain retains some positive charge. The obtained results prove that the structure of links, which combine the hydrophobic pyridine rings with the hydrophilic iminium groups, is responsible for the high biocidal activity of the resin system.

STM investigation of the dependence of alkane and alkane (C 18H 38, C 19H 40) derivatives self-assembly on molecular chemical structure on HOPG surface

Alkane molecules and their derivatives are composed of alkyl chain and functional groups that dominate the interactions of intermolecule and molecule/substrate and result in different self-assemblies on solid surface. In the present paper, the self-assemblies of alkanes and alkane (C 18H 38, C 19H 40) derivatives are studied on HOPG surface at room temperature in ambient conditions by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to understand the structure and stability of these self-assemblies and to reveal the dependence of their self-assemblies on their chemical structures. It is found that the alkane molecules with short alkyl chains such as tridecane (C 13H 28), tetradecane (C 14H 30) and pentadecane (C 15H 32) can form lamellar structures on HOPG and be steadily imaged by STM. On the other hand, linear or herringbone structures can be observed in the self-assemblies formed by a series of derivatives of C 18H 38 and C 19H 40. The results are discussed based on STM results to understand the structures and structural stability of alkane molecular self-assemblies.