Synthesis of partially fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymers bearing perfluorosulfonic functions

Partially fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymers bearing perfluorosulfonic functions (ps‐PES‐FPES), with ionic exchange capacity (IEC) ranging between 0.9 and 1.5 meq H⁺/g, are synthesized by regioselective bromination of partially fluorinated poly(arylene ether sulfone) multiblock copolymers (PES‐FPES), followed by Ullman coupling reaction with lithium 1,1,2,2‐tetrafluoro‐2‐(1,1,2,2‐tetrafluoro‐2‐iodoethoxy)ethanesulfonate. The PES‐FPES are prepared by aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction by an original approach, that is, “one pot two reactions synthesis.” The chemical structures of polymers are analyzed by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy. The resulted ionomers present two distinct glass transitions and α relaxations revealing phase separation between the hydrophilic and the hydrophobic domains. The phase separation is observed at much lower block lengths of ps‐PES‐FPES as compared with the literature. AFM and SANS observations supported the phase separation, the hydrophilic domains are well dispersed but the connectivity to each other depends on the ps‐PES block lengths. The thermomechanical behavior, the water up‐take, and the conductivity of the ps‐PES‐FPES membranes are compared with those of Nafion 117^® and randomly functionalized polysulfone (ps‐PES). Conductivities close or higher to those of Nafion 117^® are obtained. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1941–1956     

Crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) containing siloxanes fabricated through thiol‐ene photochemistry

Homogenous amphiphilic crosslinked polymer films comprising of poly(ethylene oxide) and polysiloxane were synthesized utilizing thiol‐ene “ click ” photochemistry. A systematic variation in polymer composition was Carried out to obtain high quality films with varied amount of siloxane and poly(ethylene oxide). These films showed improved gas separation performance with high gas permeabilities with good CO₂/N₂ selectivity. Furthermore, the resulting films were also tested for its biocompatibility, as a carrier media which allow human adult mesenchymal stem cells to retain their capacity for osteoblastic differentiation after transplantation. The obtained crosslinked films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, Raman‐IR , and small angle X‐ray scattering. The synthesis ease and commercial availability of the starting materials suggests that these new crosslinked polymer networks could find applications in wide range of applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1548–1557     

The Cytotoxic Effect of α-Synuclein Aggregates

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder involving a functional protein, α-synuclein, whose primary function is related to vesicle trafficking. However, α-synuclein is prone to form aggregates, and these inclusions, known as Lewy bodies, are the hallmark of Parkinson's disease. α-synuclein can alter its conformation and acquire aggregating capacity, forming aggregates containing β-sheets. This protein's pathogenic importance is based on its ability to form oligomers that impair synaptic transmission and neuronal function by increasing membrane permeability and altering homeostasis, generating a deleterious effect over cells. First, we establish that oligomers interfere with the mechanical properties of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) membrane, as demonstrated by nanoindentation curves. In contrast, nanoindentation revealed that the α-synuclein monomer's presence leads to a much more resistant lipid bilayer. Moreover, the oligomers’ interaction with cell membranes can promote lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, suggesting the activation of cytotoxic events.     

Synthesis of C12-Keto Saxitoxin Derivatives with Unusual Inhibitory Activity Against Voltage-Gated Sodium Channels

A novel series of C12-keto-type saxitoxin (STX) derivatives bearing an unusual nonhydrated form of the ketone at C12 has been synthesized, and their Na_V-inhibitory activity has been evaluated in a cell-based assay as well as whole-cell patch-clamp recording. Among these compounds, 11-benzylidene STX ( 3 a ) showed potent inhibitory activity against neuroblastoma Neuro 2A in both cell-based and electrophysiological analyses, with EC₅₀ and IC₅₀ values of 8.5 and 30.7 nm , respectively. Interestingly, the compound showed potent inhibitory activity against tetrodotoxin-resistant subtype of Na_V1.5, with an IC₅₀ value of 94.1 nm . Derivatives 3 a – d and 3 f showed low recovery rates from Na_V1.2 subtype (ca 45–79 %) compared to natural dcSTX ( 2 ), strongly suggesting an irreversible mode of interaction. We propose an interaction model for the C12-keto derivatives with Na_V in which the enone moiety in the STX derivatives 3 works as Michael acceptor for the carboxylate of Asp¹⁷¹⁷.     

Enzymatic Insertion of Lipids Increases Membrane Tension for Inhibiting Drug Resistant Cancer Cells

Although lipids contribute to cancer drug resistance, it is challenging to target diverse range of lipids. Here, we show enzymatically inserting exceedingly simple synthetic lipids into membranes for increasing membrane tension and selectively inhibiting drug resistant cancer cells. The lipid, formed by conjugating dodecylamine to d -phosphotyrosine, self-assembles to form micelles. Enzymatic dephosphorylation of the micelles inserts the lipids into membranes and increases membrane tension. The micelles effectively inhibit a drug resistant glioblastoma cell (T98G) or a triple-negative breast cancer cell (HCC1937), without inducing acquired drug resistance. Moreover, the enzymatic reaction of the micelles promotes the accumulation of the lipids in the membranes of subcellular organelles (e.g., endoplasmic reticulum (ER), Golgi, and mitochondria), thus activating multiple regulated cell death pathways. This work, in which for the first time membrane tension is increased to inhibit cancer cells, illustrates a new and powerful supramolecular approach for antagonizing difficult drug targets.     

The beneficial impacts of functional groups of CNT on structure and gas separation properties of PEBA mixed matrix membranes

Incompatibility between filler and polymer chains accompanied by particle agglomeration has a detrimental effect on the performance of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). To obviate intermolecular forces of different additives, functional groups (-COOH, –NCO, and –NH₂) were grafted on the surface of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) which were then incorporated as fillers in the poly(ether-block-amide) (PEBA) polymeric matrix in the range of 0.1–1 wt% loading. CO₂ permeability and ideal CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ selectivity of MMMs was compared with the neat membrane, and the results revealed favorable enhancement and surpassed CO₂/N₂ Robeson's upper bound under 4–10 bar in the range of 15–55 °C. Mixed gas separation performance of MMMs, which is of vital importance in industrial applications, was also investigated. The results indicate that MWCNT-NCO created superior grafts with the polymer chains, and MMMs with this additive had a better gas separation performance with high mechanical and thermal stability.     

Proton exchange membrane prepared by blending polybenzimidazole with poly (aminophosphonate ester)

In this article, we report a new amorphous-crystalline polymer blend system consisting of poly (4, 4′-diphenylether-5, 5′-bibenzimidazole) (OPBI) and poly (aminophosphonate ester) (PAPE) polymers, the membranes of which were fabricated using the solution blending route. A series of blend membranes at different ratios were prepared and systematically analysed for chemical interactions, morphological changes and their physico-chemical properties studied for use as proton exchange membrane. While FT-IR spectroscopy established the hydrogen bonding interactions between N–H of OPBI and phosphonate ester group of PAPE, X-ray diffraction studies revealed the development of crystallinity in the membrane matrix. Interestingly, the gradual induction of crystallinity in an amorphous OPBI matrix was found to influence the properties of the blend membranes favourably. For instance, the blend membrane containing 25 wt% PAPE in OPBI matrix displayed the maximum property enhancement in terms of storage modulus, glass transition temperature (T_g), phosphoric acid (PA) doping level (37 mol/OPBI repeat unit) and most importantly proton conductivity (0.135 S/cm at 180 °C) which is almost twice the value for pristine OPBI (0.05 S/cm at 180 °C) under identical conditions. Although improved properties were observed at other blend ratios as well, the studies ascertain that the membrane with 25 wt% PAPE was found to be the threshold ratio up to which properties increase and beyond which i.e. at >25 wt% PAPE, there is a decrement in properties like mechanical stability and proton conductivity. An important reason for this was attributed to the creation of a right balance of amorphous and crystalline domains and appropriate intra and inter-polymer hydrogen bonding interactions in the matrix of 75/25 (OPBI/PAPE) blend membrane.     

Screening potential antagonists of epidermal growth factor receptor from Marsdenia tenacissima via cell membrane chromatography model assisted by HPLC–ESI–IT–TOF–MS

Marsdenia tenacissima, or Tongguanteng in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese herb and has a broad application in clinical practice for its pharmacological effects of treating asthma, pneumonia, tonsillitis, pharyngitis tumors, etc. However, few studies have reported the screening of the active components of this medicine for tumor therapy. In this work, a two‐dimensional analytical system was developed to screen antagonists of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) from M. tenacissima. A fraction was retained on the EGFR cell membrane chromatography (CMC) column, separated and identified as tenacissoside G (TG), tenacissoside H (TH) and tenacissoside I (TI) by two‐dimensional HPLC–IT–TOF–MS. Molecular docking and 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2‐H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay were carried out to assess the activity of TS (including TG, TH and TI). Molecular docking results showed that the binding mode of TS on EGFR is similar to that of gefitinib. The MTT assay demonstrated that gefitinib and TS (especially TI) could inhibit the growth of EGFR highly expressed cell lines in a dose‐dependent manner in the range of 5–50 μmol/L. In conclusion, the two‐dimensional EGFR/CMC–HPLC–IT–TOF–MS system could be a useful approach in drug discovery from traditional Chinese medicines for searching for potential antitumor candidates.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Phenolphthalein‐Containing Sulfonated Poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s by Direct Polycondensation for Proton Exchange Membrane

A series of novel phenolphthalein‐containing sulfonated poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s (sPAEPP) with various sulfonation degrees were synthesized by direct polycondensation. The structure of sPAEPP was confirmed by ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, and IR spectroscopy. The high‐molecular weight of these polymers was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The transparent, tough, and flexible membranes could be achieved by solution casting. The macroscopic properties and microstructure of the obtained membranes were investigated in detail. The results showed that these sPAEPP membranes displayed excellent properties in terms of swelling, proton conductivity, and methanol permeability. For example, sPAEPP‐100 membrane exhibited an appropriate water uptake of 33.1%, a swelling ratio of only 11.7% (lower than 20.1% of Nafion 117), a proton conductivity of 0.11 S cm^?1 (similar to that of Nafion 117) at 80 °C, and a methanol permeability of 4.82 × 10^?7 cm² s^?1. Meanwhile, it also presented outstanding oxidative stability. Atomic force microscope (AFM) micrographs showed that the hydrophilic domains of the sPAEPP‐100 membrane formed connected and narrow ionic channels, which contributed to its high proton conductivity and good dimensional stability. As a result, sPAEPP‐100 membrane displays excellent application prospect for fuel cells. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 1097–1104     

Analysis of membrane transport mechanisms of endogenous substrates using chromatographic techniques

Membrane transporters are expressed in various bodily tissues and play essential roles in the homeostasis of endogenous substances and the absortion, distribution and/or excretion of xenobiotics. For transporter assays, radioisotope‐labeled compounds have been mainly used. However, commercially available radioisotope‐labeled compounds are limited in number and relatively expensive. Chromatographic analyses such as high‐performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet absorptiometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry have also been applied for transport assays. To elucidate the transport properties of endogenous substrates, although there is no difficulty in performing assays using radioisotope‐labeled probes, the endogenous background and the metabolism of the compound after its translocation across cell membranes must be considered when the intact compound is assayed. In this review, the current state of knowledge about the transport of endogenous substrates via membrane transporters as determined by chromatographic techniques is summarized. Chromatographic techniques have contributed to our understanding of the transport of endogenous substances including amino acids, catecholamines, bile acids, prostanoids and uremic toxins via membrane transporters.