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Multiblock copolymers exhibiting spatio-temporal structure with autonomous viscosity oscillation.

ABSTRACT: Here we report an ABA triblock copolymer that can express microscopic autonomous formation and break-up of aggregates under constant condition to generate macroscopic viscoelastic self-oscillation of the solution. The ABA triblock copolymer is designed to have hydrophilic B segment and self-oscillating A segment at the both sides by RAFT copolymerization. In the A segment, a metal catalyst of chemical oscillatory reaction, i.e., the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, is introduced as a chemomechanical transducer to change the aggregation state of the polymer depending on the redox states. Time-resolved DLS measurements of the ABA triblock copolymer confirm the presence of a transitional network structure of micelle aggregations in the reduced state and a unimer structure in the oxidized state. This autonomous oscillation of a well-designed triblock copolymer enables dynamic biomimetic softmaterials with spatio-temporal structure.

SUBMITTER: Onoda M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4625142 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Multiblock copolymers exhibiting spatio-temporal structure with autonomous viscosity oscillation.

Onoda Michika M Ueki Takeshi T Shibayama Mitsuhiro M Yoshida Ryo R

Scientific reports 20151029

Here we report an ABA triblock copolymer that can express microscopic autonomous formation and break-up of aggregates under constant condition to generate macroscopic viscoelastic self-oscillation of the solution. The ABA triblock copolymer is designed to have hydrophilic B segment and self-oscillating A segment at the both sides by RAFT copolymerization. In the A segment, a metal catalyst of chemical oscillatory reaction, i.e., the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction, is introduced as a chemomec ...[more]

PMID: 26511660

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Project description:Elastin-mimetic hybrid copolymers with an alternating molecular architecture were synthesized via the step growth polymerization of azide-functionalized, telechelic poly(tert-butyl acrylate) (PtBA) and an alkyne-terminated, valine and glycine-rich peptide with a sequence of (VPGVG)2 (VG2). The resultant hybrid copolymer, [PtBA-VG2]n, contains up to six constituent building blocks and has a polydispersity index (PDI) of ~1.9. Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) treatment of [PtBA-VG2]n gave rise to an alternating copolymer of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and VG2 ([PAA-VG2]n). The modular design permits facile adjustment of the copolymer composition by varying the molecular weight of PAA (22 and 63 repeat units). Characterization by dynamic light scattering indicated that the multiblock copolymers formed discrete nanoparticles at room temperature in aqueous solution at pH 3.8, with an average diameter of 250-270 nm and a particle size distribution of 0.34 for multiblock copolymers containing PAA22 and 0.17 for those containing PAA63. Upon increasing the pH to 7.4, both types of particles were able to swell without being disintegrated, reaching an average diameter of 285-300 nm for [PAA22-VG2]n and 330-350 nm for [PAA63-VG2]n, respectively. The nanoparticles were not dissociated upon the addition of urea, further confirming their unusual stability. The nanoparticles were capable of sequestering a hydrophobic fluorescent dye (pyrene), and the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) was determined to be 1.09 × 10(-2) or 1.05 × 10(-2) mg/mL for [PAA22-VG2]n and [PAA63-VG2]n, respectively. We suggest that the multiblock copolymers form through collective H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions between the PAA and VG2 peptide units, and that the unusual stability of the multiblock nanoparticles is conferred by the multiblock architecture. These hybrid multiblock copolymers are potentially useful as pH-responsive drug delivery vehicles, with the possibility of drug loading through concerted H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions.

Project description:BackgroundDetailed knowledge of spatial and temporal variation in the genetic population structure of hosts and parasites is required for understanding of host - parasite coevolution. As hot-spots of contemporary coevolution in natural systems are difficult to detect and long-term studies are restricted to few systems, additional population genetic data from various host - parasite systems may provide important insights into the topic. This is particularly true for parasites, as these players have been under-investigated so far due to the lower availability of suitable molecular markers. Here, we traced genetic variation (based on sequence variants in the internal transcribed spacer region, ITS) among seven geographically isolated populations of the ichthyosporean Caullerya mesnili, a common microparasite of the cladoceran Daphnia (here, the D. longispina hybrid complex). At three sites, we also studied parasite genetic variation over time (three to four sampling points) and tested for associations between parasite genotypes and host species.ResultsParasite (and host) populations were significantly structured across space, indicating limited dispersal. Moreover, the frequency of parasite genotypes varied significantly over time, suggesting rapid evolutionary change in Caullerya. However, the distribution of parasite genotypes was similar across different host species, which might in turn have important consequences for parasite epidemiology.ConclusionsThe approach proposed here can be applied to track spatial and temporal changes in the population structure of other microparasite species for which sequence variation in the ITS or other highly variable genome regions has been documented but other types of polymorphic markers are lacking. Screening of parasite sequence variants allows for reliable detection of cross-species infections and, using advanced sequencing techniques in the near future, for detailed studies of parasite evolution in natural host - parasite systems.

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Multiblock copolymers exhibiting spatio-temporal structure with autonomous viscosity oscillation.

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Multiblock copolymers exhibiting spatio-temporal structure with autonomous viscosity oscillation.

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