Controlling dimensions of polymerized micelles: micelle template versus reaction conditions

The polymerization of elongated micellar structures offers a novel approach to the production of high aspect ratio, water-soluble amphiphilic nanoparticles. Three different surfactants were synthesized consisting of a cationic surfactant of the form (C(X)H(2X+1))trimethylammonium (where X = 14, 16, or 18) and a vinyl-containing counterion, 4-vinylbenzoate. The resulting polymer-surfactant aggregates have been polymerized to produce high aspect ratio nanoparticles which are insensitive to changes in solution conditions. The radius of the initial template is maintained on polymerization, whereas the template length is not. The aggregate radius is varied by changing the length of the surfactant tail, in this case producing aggregates with radii of 1.7, 2.0, or 2.4 nm. Variation of the initiator decomposition half-life, by means of using different initiators and varying temperature, is used to control the aggregate length between 80 and 500 nm. Through the process discussed here, both the radius and length of the aggregates are controlled independently.     

The adsorption of polymerized rodlike micelles at the solid-liquid interface

Solutions of rodlike polymeric micellar aggregates, formed from the polymerization of cetyltrimethyl-ammonium 4-vinylbenzoate (CTVB), adsorb at the solid-liquid interface. The poly-CTVB aggregates are imaged in situ using soft contact atomic force microscopy. The aggregates form self-organized two-dimensional films that show a high degree of order on nanometer to micrometer length scales. Unlike their simple surfactant analogues, the adsorbed layer structures are permanently adsorbed and the structure is resilient to washing with pure solvent. In the case of poly-CTVB, the adsorbed aggregates appear to be rigid cylindrical structures of between 30 and 60 nm in length. At the interface, the center to center spacing of the aligned aggregates is 8+/-1 nm. Images of a second series ofpolymerized aggregates formed by the copolymerization of CTVB with sodium vinyltosylate revealed a change in the aggregate structure to a set of linked spherical aggregates. These polymerized aggregates also spontaneously form a permanent adsorbed layer at the solid-liquid interface.     

Evidence of Shear Rate Dependence on Restructuring and Breakup of Latex Aggregates

Small-angle static light scattering has been used to probe the evolution of aggregate size and structure in the shear-induced aggregation of latex particles. The size of aggregates obtained from the particle-sizing instrument (Coulter LS230) was compared with the size of those obtained with another approach utilizing the Guinier equation on the scattering data. Comparison of the two methods for studying the effects of mixing on the evolution of the aggregate size with time revealed similar trends. The aggregate structures were quantified in terms of their fractal dimensions on the grounds of the validity of Rayleigh-Gans-Debye scattering theory for the fractal aggregates. Analysis of the scattering patterns of aggregates verified that restructuring of the aggregates occurred as the aggregates were exposed to certain shear environments, resulting in a scale-dependent structure that could not be quantified by a fractal dimension. The effect of restructuring on aggregate size was particularly noticeable when the aggregates were exposed to average shear rates of 40 to 80 s(-1), whereas no significant restructuring occurred at lower shear rates. At 100 s(-1), the fragmentation of aggregates appeared to be more significant than aggregate compac-tion. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.     

Photoinitiated polymerization of columnar stacks of self-assembled trialkyl-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxamide derivatives

A disk-shaped molecule, N-(5-sorbyl-pentyl)-N',N"-di(n-octyl)benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide (1), has been synthesized and assembled into a columnar stack in cyclohexane. Using a photoinitiated process, we polymerized monomer 1 in its self-assembled state and analyzed the resulting poly-1. On cooling a boiling cyclohexane solution of 1, the molecules aggregate via amide hydrogen bonds, as supported by the position of the N-H stretching band in FT-IR spectroscopy. Evidence of helical columnar stacking of 1 in the aggregate is provided by an induced CD effect upon blending 1 with a chiral side-chain homologue 3 in a so-called "sergeants and soldiers" experiment. The columnar assembly in cyclohexane was polymerized by UV light (365 nm) irradiation in the presence of 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone as radical photoinitiator. The polymerization occurs selectively to give 1,4-polymer with isolated trans C=C bonds, as shown by FT-IR, and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Lack of polymerization of methyl sorbate (4) under identical conditions, and low incorporation of 4 in copolymerizations with 1 in cyclohexane, suggests that the polymerization preferentially occurs within the columnar assembly. Size exclusion chromatography shows that the degree of polymerization (X(n)()) based on number average molecular weight is approximately 65. Incorporation of small amounts of nonpolymerizable derivatives 2 and 3 into the columns has no effect on X(n)() and conversion. Molecular models show that the polymerizable sidearm of 1 is long enough to span the distance between the monomers in the chiral stack. Under the atomic force microscope (AFM), purified samples of polymerized 1 displayed nanometer-sized fibrous morphologies with a high-axial-ratio (>150), uniform width (60 nm), and a thickness (1.0 nm) which corresponds to the width of the benzene tricarboxamide core of 1, whereas aggregates of nonpolymerized 1 yield a featureless image due to their instability.     

Prediction of three-dimensional fractal dimensions using the two-dimensional properties of fractal aggregates

Fractal dimension analysis using an optical imaging analysis technique is a powerful tool in obtaining morphological information of particulate aggregates formed in coagulation processes. However, as image analysis uses two-dimensional projected images of the aggregates, it is only applicable to one and two-dimensional fractal analyses. In this study, three-dimensional fractal dimensions are estimated from image analysis by characterizing relationships between three-dimensional fractal dimensions (D(3)) and one (D(1)) and two-dimensional fractal dimensions (D(2) and D(pf)). The characterization of these fractal dimensions were achieved by creating populations of aggregates based on the pre-defined radius of gyration while varying the number of primary particles in an aggregate and three-dimensional fractal dimensions. Approximately 2000 simulated aggregates were grouped into 33 populations based on the radius of gyration of each aggregate class. Each population included from 15 to 115 aggregates and the number of primary particles in an aggregate varied from 10 to 1000. Characterization of the fractal dimensions demonstrated that the one-dimensional fractal dimensions could not be used to estimate two- and three-dimensional fractal dimensions. However, two-dimensional fractal dimensions obtained statistically, well-characterized relationships with aggregates of a three-dimensional fractal characterization. Three-dimensional fractal dimensions obtained in this study were compared with previously published experimental values where both two-dimensional fractal and three-dimensional fractal data were given. In the case of inorganic aggregates, when experimentally obtained three-dimensional fractal dimensions were 1.75, 1.86, 1.83+/-0.07, 2.24+/-0.22, and 1.72+/-0.13, computed three-dimensional fractal dimensions using two-dimensional fractal dimensions were 1.75, 1.76, 1.77+/-0.04, 2.11+/-0.09, and 1.76+/-0.03, respectively. However, when primary particles were biological colloids, experimentally obtained three-dimensional fractal dimensions were 1.99+/-0.08 and 2.14+/-0.04, and computed values were both 1.79+/-0.08. Analysis of the three-dimensional fractal dimensions with the imaging analysis technique was comparable to the conventional methods of both light scattering and electrical sensing when primary particles are inorganic colloids.     

Solvent entrainment in and flocculation of asphaltenic aggregates probed by small-angle neutron scattering

While small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) has proven to be very useful for deducing the sizes and masses of asphaltenic aggregates in solution, care must be taken to account for solvation effects within the aggregates so as to not err in the characterization of these important systems. SANS measurements were performed on solutions of asphaltenes dispersed in deuterated solvents in which a broad spectrum of solute and solvent chemical compositions was represented. Fits to the scattering intensity curves were performed using the Guinier approximation, the Ornstein-Zernike (or Zimm) model, a mass-fractal model, and a polydisperse cylinder model. The mass-fractal model provided apparent fractal dimensions (2.2-3) for the aggregates that generally decreased with increasing aggregate size, indicating increased surface roughness for larger aggregates. The polydisperse cylinder model provided typical values of the particle thicknesses from 5 to 32 angstroms, the average particle radius from 25 to 125 angstroms, and approximately 30% radius polydispersity. Subsequent calculation of average aggregate molar masses suggested a range of solvent entrainment from 30 to 50% (v/v) within the aggregates that were consistent with previous viscosity measurements. Additional calculations were performed to estimate the proportion of microparticle to nanoparticle aggregates in the solutions. The results indicate that the inclusion of solvation effects is essential for the accurate determination of aggregate molecular weights and fractal dimensions.     

Structure and dynamic properties of colloidal asphaltene aggregates

The abundant literature involving asphaltene often contrasts dynamic measurements of asphaltene solutions, highlighting the presence of small particle sizes between 1 and 3 nm, with static scattering measurements, revealing larger aggregates with a radius of gyration around 7 nm. This work demonstrates the complementary use of the two techniques: a homemade dynamic light scattering setup adapted to dark and fluorescent solutions, and small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering. Asphaltene solutions in toluene are prepared by a centrifugation separation to investigate asphaltene polydispersity. These experiments demonstrate that asphaltene solutions are made of Brownian colloidal aggregates. The hydrodynamic radii of asphaltene aggregates are between 5 and 10 nm, while their radii of gyration are roughly comparable, between 3.7 and 7.7 nm. A small fraction of asphaltenes with hydrodynamic and gyration radii around 40 nm is found in the pellet of the centrifugation tube. The fractal character of the largest clusters is observed from small angle scattering nearly on a decade length scale. Previous results on aggregation mechanisms are confirmed ( Eyssautier, J., et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2011 , 115 , 6827 ): nanoaggregates of 3 nm radius, and with hydrodynamic properties also frequently illustrated in the literature, aggregate to form fractal clusters with a dispersity of aggregation number.     

Stable vesicle formation through intra- and inter-chain aggregation of poly[sodium N-(11-acrylamidoundecanoyl)-l-valinate] in aqueous solution

The vesicle-forming surfactant, sodium N-(11-acrylamidoundecanoyl)-l-valinate was polymerized to obtain corresponding polysoap. Light scattering and fluorescence probe techniques were used to characterize the polysoap. Fluorescence probe studies suggested that the polymer forms intra-chain as well as inter-chain aggregates. The microenvironment of the aggregates was studied by fluorescence measurements using 1-anilinonaphthalene, pyrene, and 1,6-diphenylhexatriene (DPH) as probe molecules. Fluorescence anisotropy studies by use of DPH have indicated a high local viscosity of the aggregates formed by the polysoap in water. The pH-induced change of the aggregate structure has been studied. The phase transition temperature of the polysoap was determined from temperature dependence of fluorescence anisotropy of DPH. Dynamic light scattering measurements were performed to determine the mean size of the aggregates. Transmission electron micrographs revealed closed vesicles in water.     

Fractal Morphology and Breakage of DLCA and RLCA Aggregates

Latex aggregates, formed in 1 M McIlvaine buffer solution and 0.2 M NaCl solution, have been characterized in terms of aggregate size distribution and fractal morphology. This was achieved using three sizing techniques (image analysis, laser scattering, and electrical sensing) in which size distributions and fractal properties of the aggregates were measured. Estimates of fractal dimensions were made using the two-slope method based on dimensional analysis and the small-angle light scattering method. Aggregate suspensions were prepared using both water and a mixture of heavy water/ water as the solvent. The latter essentially eliminated sedimentation, which was observed after one day of aggregation when water alone was used as a solvent. Latex aggregates formed by diffusion-limited colloid aggregation (DLCA) and reaction-limited colloid aggregation (RLCA) had fractal dimensions close to 1.8 and 2.1, respectively. As observed through image analysis, DLCA aggregates possessed a loose tenuous structure, whereas RLCA aggregates were more compact. Disruption of both DLCA and RLCA aggregates has been investigated in laminar flow and turbulent capillary flow. The shear forces introduced by a laminar shear device with a shear rate up to 1711 s(-1) were unable to bring about aggregate breakup; shearing facilitates aggregate growth in the case of DLCA. However, latex aggregates were significantly disrupted after passage through a turbulent capillary tube at 95209 s(-1). Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Preparation of a novel aggregate like sugar-ball micelle composed of poly(methylglutamate) and poly(ethyleneglycol) modified by lactose and its molecular recognition by lectin

We report the preparation and characteristics of a novel micellar aggregate of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(methylglutamate) (PMG)-poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG), whose terminus was modified by lactose lactone (LA). Due to the terminal LA moiety, this aggregate could be specifically recognized by RCA120 lectin. PMG-PEG-LA was synthesized by polymerizing the N-carboxy anhydride of L-glutamic acid gamma-methyl ester with H2N-PEG-LA as a polymerization initiator. By applying a fluorescence method using pyrene as a probe molecule, we found that PMG-PEG-LA could form the aggregate in aqueous solution. Fluorescence measurements showed that the critical aggregation concentration (C.A.C.) was 1.1 x 10(-5) M. The average diameter of the aggregate was 220 nm at 25 degrees C, as determined by the dynamic light scattering method. Circular dichroism measurements for the aggregate solution showed that the PMG residue took an alpha-helical structure, and that they associated to constitute the hydrophobic core of the aggregate. By adding RCA120 lectin to the aggregate solution, the turbidity of the solution increased rapidly, due to association of the aggregates. This implies that the aggregate could be recognized by lectin, and also suggests that sugar residues locate at the surface of the aggregates. From these findings, we concluded that the PMG-PEG-LA molecules form an aggregate like a "sugar ball" micelle, whose surface is covered by the sugar moieties. Application of the present aggregate system as a drug carrier is briefly discussed.     

Fabrication of high-aspect-ratio poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) brushes patterned on silica surfaces by very-large-scale integration process

We used a novel fabricated process including electron beam and isotropic oxygen plasma to generate signal line patterns of polymerized 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) on patterned Si(1 0 0) surfaces. Isotropic oxygen plasma was introduced to enhance the resolutions of the line and dots patterns of the PHEMA brush are approached to 350 nm and 2 μm, respectively. We established the surface grafting polymerization kinetics of the PHEMA chains on silicon surface by to fit the thickness and number-average molecular weight (M(n)). The propagation rate (k(p)) and active grafting specie deactivation rate (k(d)) lies in the range of ~3.6 × 10(-2) s(-1) M(-1) and 4.8 × 10(-5) s(-1), respectively. The measured thicknesses by ellipsometer and analyzed M(n) of "free" PHEMA by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) are fitted well by the polymerization kinetic model. In addition, aspect-ratios (height/width) are used to define the shape of patterned PHEMA brushes. The high-aspect-ratio of the PHEMA brush line with width of 350 nm is 0.27. We use a graft polymerization/solvent immersion method for generating various patterns of polymer brushes to investigate the deformation of the PHEMA brush through aspect-ratios.     

PLA-b-PEO-b-PLA三嵌段共聚物分子聚集体性质的研究

采用开环聚合的方法 ,合成了组成不同的PLA b PEO b PLA三嵌段共聚物 .滴加选择性溶剂水于共聚物的良溶剂溶液中 ,制备了共聚物以水为介质的“平头”聚集体胶束溶液 .把聚集体胶束溶液浇铸在云母片上 ,采用扫描探针显微镜 (SPM)表征了其形貌和表面微粘弹性 .发现脱离了极性介质水的聚集体的表面性质发生了不均一化 ,聚集体的顶部比相连接的部分具有较高的储能模量 .聚集体环境的改变使聚集体中不同嵌段的迁移导致了这种表面粘弹性的不均一 .另外 ,采用动态光散射的方法测量了体系溶液中聚集体胶束的尺寸 .实验发现光散射所得到的聚集体的尺寸远远大于SPM所得到尺寸 .增加聚合物的起始浓度使聚集体胶束的尺寸以及多分散性都在不同程度上增大 .然而聚合物的不同 ,这种增加的程度会有比较大的差别     

Polymerization of anionic wormlike micelles

Polymerizable anionic wormlike micelles are obtained upon mixing the hydrotropic salt p-toluidine hydrochloride (PTHC) with the reactive anionic surfactant sodium 4-(8-methacryloyloxyoctyl)oxybenzene sulfonate (MOBS). Polymerization captures the cross-sectional radius of the micelles (approximately 2 nm), induces micellar growth, and leads to the formation of a stable single-phase dispersion of wormlike micellar polymers. The unpolymerized and polymerized micelles were characterized using static and dynamic laser light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, 1H NMR, and stopped-flow light scattering. Stopped-flow light scattering was also used to measure the average lifetime of the unpolymerized wormlike micelles. A comparison of the average lifetime of unpolymerized wormlike micelles with the surfactant monomer propagation rate was used to elucidate the mechanism of polymerization. There is a significant correlation between the ratio of the average lifetime to the monomer propagation rate and the average aggregation number of the polymerized wormlike micelles.     

On variations in size distributions of particles and aggregates upon dilution of magnetic fluids

Variations in size distributions of particles and aggregates upon dilution of kerosene-based magnetic fluids have been studied by dynamic light scattering. The data obtained on samples of magnetic fluids produced by three different manufacturers have shown that the dilution of an initial concentrated magnetic fluid leads to the formation of a system of unstable aggregates with sizes ranging from 70?100 nm to 1 μm. The aggregates peptize for 2?4 days to result in the establishment of stationary particle and aggregate size distributions.     

Synthesis and aggregation behavior of a hexameric quaternary ammonium surfactant

A star-shaped hexameric quaternary ammonium surfactant (PAHB), bearing six hydrophobic chains and six charged hydrophilic headgroups connected by an amide-type spacer group, was synthesized. The self-assembly behavior of the surfactant in aqueous solution was studied by surface tension, electrical conductivity, isothermal titration microcalorimetry, dynamic light scattering, cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, and NMR techniques. The results reveal that there are two critical aggregate concentrations during the process of aggregation, namely C(1) and C(2). The aggregate transitions are proved to be caused by the changes of the surfactant configuration through hydrophobic interaction among the hydrocarbon chains. Below C(1), PAHB may present a star-shaped molecular configuration due to intramolecular electrostatic repulsion among the charged headgroups, and large aggregates with network-like structure are observed. Between C(1) and C(2), the hydrophobic interaction among the hydrophobic chains may become stronger to make the hydrophobic chains of the PAHB molecules curve back and pack more closely, and then the network-like aggregates transfer to large spherical aggregates of ～100 nm. Beyond C(2), the hydrophobic interaction may become strong enough to cause the PAHB molecular configuration to turn into a pyramid-like shape, resulting in the transition of the spherical large aggregates to spherical micelles of ～10 nm. Interestingly, the PAHB displays high emulsification ability to linear fatty alkyls even at very low concentration.     

Colloid aggregation arrested by caging within a polymer network

The aggregation of colloidal particles within the confines of a polymer network has been studied. An isorefractive covalently cross-linked polymer gel in dimethyl sulfoxide was formulated so that the multicomponent system that is the gel is essentially invisible to light scattering. The high dielectric solvent was chosen so that electrostatics could be used to control the state of aggregation of a colloid dispersed within the gel matrix. Smoluchowski's population balance equations were solved for the case where aggregates larger than the gel's mesh spacing are immobile. Light scattering intensities predicted from the evolution of the aggregate population were calculated. The observed asymptotic increase in scattering intensity is consistent with this model and indicates that the aggregation process becomes arrested by the spatial constraints imposed by the mesh of the polymer network. Essentially once the aggregates reach a certain size, they become caged within the mesh of the gel network and thus no longer aggregate. Evidence is also given that indicates that formulating for specific gel properties can lead to controlled final aggregate size.     

Ribbon phases in surfactant systems Comparisons between experimental results and predictions of a theoretical model

Ribbon phases consist of long cylindrical aggregates that have non-circular normal sections. We have recently pointed out that scattering data for a large number of different intermediate ribbon phases of lower than hexagonal symmetry found in ionic surfactant systems indicate that these phases have a structure possessing a centred rectangular symmetry. In this communication, we have investigated the aggregate dimensions for the phases with cylindrical aggregates, i.e., the hexagonal phases and the centred rectangular ribbon phases. Previously published phase diagrams, small angle X-ray and neutron scattering data and ²HNMR data for these phases in different systems have been used for this purpose. The results are that the axial ratios of the aggregates increase when the temperature decreases, when the surfactant concentration increases, and when the average surfactant charge decreases. Models that semi-quantitatively describe the thermodynamics of the micellar, hexagonal and lamellar phases, which are based on the Poisson-Boltzmann cell model approach, have previously been presented in the literature. We have extended these models to treat also the ribbon phases. The results from the calculations show the same trends with respect to changes in the dimensions of the non-circular aggregates upon changes in temperature, surfactant concentration and average surfactant charge, as those obtained experimentally. Theoretically calculated phase diagrams with ribbon phases are also presented. Based on the predictions of the model and some previously published experimental data for hexagonal phases, it is proposed that the formation of non-circular, cylindrical aggregates is a general property of single-chain, ionic surfactant/water systems, and that these aggregates in general pack on hexagonal lattices. The normal sections of these aggregates are circular on average, on account of the fact that the degree of deformation and the orientation of deformation changes along the axis of the aggregates and with time. Only for some systems, temperatures and surfactant concentrations do the asymmetric aggregates line up and ribbon phases with centred rectangular symmetry are obtained. The driving mechanisms for the transition from the hexagonal phase with asymmetric (fluctuating) cylinders and further to the centred rectangular phase with asymmetric (stiff) cylinders is also discussed. It is argued that this phase transition is of the first order.     

The effects of Au aggregate morphology on surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement

We have identified empirically a relationship between the surface morphology of small individual aggregates (<100 Au nanoparticles) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement. We have found that multilayer aggregates generated greater SERS enhancement than aggregates limited to two-dimensional (2D) or one-dimensional structures, independent of the number of particles. SERS intensity was measured using the 730 cm(-1) vibrational mode of the adsorbed adenine molecule on 75 nm Au particles, at an excitation wavelength of 632.8 nm. To gain insight into these relationships and its mechanism, we developed a qualitative model that considers the collections of interacting Au nanoparticles of an individual aggregate as a continuous single entity that retains its salient features. We found the dimensions of the modeled surface features to be comparable with those found in rough metal surfaces, known to sustain surface plasmon resonance and generate strong SERS enhancement. Among the aggregates that we have characterized, a three 75 nm nanoparticle system was the smallest to generate strong SERS enhancement. However, we also identified single individual Au nanoparticles as SERS active at the same wavelength, but with a diameter twice in size. For example, we observed a symmetric SERS-active particle of 180 nm in diameter. Such individual nanoparticles generated SERS enhancement on the same order of magnitude as the small monolayer Au aggregates, an intensity value significantly stronger than predicted in recent theoretical studies. We also found that an aspect of our model that relates the dimensions of its features to SERS enhancement is also applicable to single individual Au particles. We conclude that the size of the nanoparticle itself, or the size of a protrusion of an irregularly shaped single Au particle, will contribute to SERS enhancement provided that its dimensions satisfy the conditions for plasmon resonance. In addition, by considering the ratio of the generated intensities of typical 2D Au aggregates to the enhancement of individual SERS-active particles, a value of approximately 2 is determined. Its moderate value suggests that it is not the aggregation effect that is responsible for much of the observed SERS enhancement but the surface region associated with the SERS-active site.     

Structure of maltodextrin gels — a small angle X-ray scattering study

The structure of maltodextrin gels was investigated by small angle X-ray scattering. The inhomogeneities in the maltodextrin gels are molecular aggregates with maximum dimensions of almost 300 nm. Their shape can be approximated by oblate ellipsoids of revolution with an axial ratio of 0.1. The radius of gyration of the aggregates amounts to about 90 nm. For this reason in the nomenclature of Papkov the gels are polymer gels of the 2^nd type. The melting of these aggregates is measured by SAXS with a position sensitive detector in the range near 56 °C.     

Quaternary size distribution of soluble aggregates of glutathione-S-transferase-purified viral protein as determined by asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation and dynamic light scattering

Polyomavirus VP1 protein in pentamer form was expressed in E. coli and purified using glutathione-S-transferase (GST) affinity chromatography. Purified GST-tagged protein was found to exist as soluble aggregates with a size distribution of 1-52 tagged pentamers (340-1800 x 10(3)kDa), as determined by asymmetrical flow field flow fractionation with multiple angle light scattering (AFFFF-MALS). Aggregation did not inhibit tag removal by enzymatic cleavage, implying that the quaternary structure of the VP1 pentamers had been maintained. Elution gel filtration (EGF) was utilized to prepare a solution enriched with protein small enough to access resin pores (LMWe) as well as solution enriched with protein excluded from resin pores (HMWe). Material size distributions within both solutions were determined using AFFFF-MALS (radius of gyration LMWe: 5-10nm; HMWe: 10-35 nm) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) (hydrodynamic diameter LMWe: 10-90 nm; HMWe: 20-300 nm). DLS and AFFFF-MALS analysis of each fraction of affinity chromatography purified material identified the elution profiles of large and small aggregate structures. DLS readings of all fractions were significantly affected by the presence of high molecular weight aggregates, with Z-average hydrodynamic diameter values reflecting the mass ratio of large and small aggregate structures in a solution. The methods utilized in this study have the potential to be used during chromatographic purification of all proteins that exist as soluble aggregates to determine size distribution. The finding that GST-tagged viral proteins exist as soluble aggregates has implications for existing immunological studies that utilize them.