Protein-coated β-ferric hydrous oxide particles: An electrokinetic and electrooptic study

Using microelectrophoresis and electric light scattering techniques, we investigated the adsorption characteristics, surface coverage and surface electric parameters of superstructures from two isoforms of plastocyanin, PCa and PCb, in an oxidized state adsorbed on β-ferric hydrous oxide particles. The surface electric charge and electric dipole moments of the composite particles and the thickness of the protein adsorption layer are determined in a wide pH range, at different ionic strengths and concentration ratios of PC to β-FeOOH. The adsorption of the two proteins was found to shift the particles’ isoelectric point and to alter the total electric charge and the electric dipole moments of the oxide particles to different extent. A “reversal” in the direction of the permanent dipole moment is observed at lower pH for PCb- than for PCa-coated oxide particles. Strict correlation is found between the changes in the electrokinetic charge of the composite particles and the variation in their “permanent” dipole moments. Data suggest that the adsorption of the proteins is driven by electrostatic and/or hydrophobic interactions with the oxide surfaces dependent on pH. The adsorption behaviour is consistent with the involvement of the “eastern” and “northern” patches of the plastocyanin molecules in their adsorption on the oxide surfaces that are differently charged depending on pH.     

Comparison of electric light scattering and birefringence for polydisperse suspensions

Summary A review is made of the existing theoretical expressions, describing the change of the scattered light intensity and the birefringence by application of an electrical field to a colloid solution.Furthermore, the geometrical functions for disc-shaped particles are calculated in this article for the case of electric light scattering and are. presented graphically. In addition, expressions are derived for the average value of the electrical polarizability () for the case of polydisperse solutions.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird ein überblick über die existierenden theoretischen Beziehungen gegeben, die die Änderung der Intensität des Streulichtes und der Doppelbrechung von Kolloidsuspensionen im elektrischen Feld beschreiben.Weiterhin sind die geometrischen Funktionen für scheibchenförmige Teilchen in dieser Arbeit für den Fall der elektrooptischen Lichtstreuung berechnet und grafisch dargestellt. Außerdem werden Beziehungen für den Mittelwert der elektrischen Polarisierbarkeit () für den Fall polydisperser Suspensionen abgeleitet.

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With 1 figure and 1 table     

Contribution of LHC II complex to the electric properties of thylakoid membranes: an electric light scattering study of Chl b-less barley mutant

Electric light scattering measurements demonstrate a strong decline in the permanent electric dipole moment and electric polarizability of both thylakoid membranes and photosystem II-enriched particles of the Chlorina f2 mutant which has severely reduced levels of light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins compared to the wild type barley chloroplasts. The shift in the electric polarizability relaxation to higher frequencies in thylakoids and photosystem II particles from Chlorina f2 reflects higher mobility of the interfacial charges of the mutant than that of the wild type membranes. The experimental data strongly suggest that the major light-harvesting complex of photosystem II directly contribute to the electric properties of thylakoid membranes.     

ELECTRO-OPTICAL DETERMINATION OF α-FeOOH PARTICLE SIZES

Electric light scattering method is used for revealing the presence of aggregates in very diluted aqueous α-FeOOH suspensions. Three theoretical models are used for the geometrical form of aggregates. The comparison between the electro-optical results -theoretical and experimental - shows that even in the most diluted suspensions exist aggregates with irregular form. Using the comparison between electron microscopy and electro-optical results the geometric shape of the aggregates is determined.     

Electrooptics of beta-FeOOH particle in aqueous media 2. Field-strength dependence of decay and steady-state birefringence, and the hydrodynamic and electrooptic properties

Steady-state and decay birefringence, expressed in terms of the optical phase retardation per cell length delta/d, was measured on beta-FeOOH in aqueous ionic media at 633 nm and at 25 degrees C by an electric square-pulse technique over a wide range of field strength E to ca. 6 kV/cm. The field-strength dependence of both delta/d and field-free rotational relaxation time tau was determined at the sample concentrations between 0.0011 and 0.055 g/L and in the 0.02-2.0 mM NaCl concentration range. Extrapolation of both delta/d and tau values to infinitely high fields (E(2)-->infinity) could yield birefringence- and weight-average quantities, respectively. Observed tau values were decreased at weak fields but leveled off to ca. 0.3 ms at very high fields due to a slight polydispersity regarding the length and volume of particles. The weight-average relaxation time tau(w) was calculated with Perrin's expressions theoretically from the length, width, and volume of beta-FeOOH particles estimated in the dried state from electron micrograph. These quantities were variously averaged. The size distribution was discussed in terms of observed discrete histogram and theoretical (Weibull and Lansing-Kraemer) distribution functions. The sign of observed delta/d value was always positive. The infinitely high-field (delta/d)(infinity) values and the reduced optical anisotropy factor Delta g/n were evaluated by fitting to theoretical orientation functions. The intrinsic birefringence (n3-n1) could be estimated with the mean refractive index n(p) reported in the literature. For the spindle-shaped particle with an axial ratio of ca. 4, the sign of Delta g/n is always positive, whereas the quantity (n3-n1) was either negative (n(p) > 2.35) or positive (n(p) < 2.05) in sign or nearly zero (ca. n(p) = 2.26), depending critically on the n(p) values.     

Role of LHCII organization in the interaction of substituted 1,4-anthraquinones with thylakoid membranes

The chlorophyll fluorescence, photochemical activity and surface electric properties of thylakoid membranes with different stoichiometry of pigment-protein complexes and organization of the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b protein complex of photosystem II (LHCII) were studied in the presence of substituted 1,4-anthraquinones. Data show strong dependence of the quenching of the chlorophyll fluorescence on the structural organization of LHCII. The increase of the LHCII oligomerization, which is associated with significant reduction of the transmembrane electric charge asymmetry and electric polarizability of the membrane, correlates with enhanced quenching effect of substituted 1,4-athraquinones. Crucial for the large quinone-induced changes in the membrane electric dipole moments is the structure of the quinone molecule. The strongest reduction in the values of the dipole moments is observed after interaction of thylakoids with 3-chloro-9-hydroxy-1,4-anthraquinone (TF33) which has the highest quenching efficiency. The quinone induced changes in the photochemical activity of photosystem II (PSII) correlate with the total amount of the supramolecular LHCII-PSII complex and depend on the number of substituents in the 1,4-anthraquinone molecule.     

Formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers from polysaccharides at low ionic strength

Layer-by-layer deposition of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) and chitosan (CHI) was used to create polyelectrolyte multilayers on ellipsoidal beta-FeOOH particles at low ionic strength. Using electro-optics, we investigated the formation of films in dependence on the polyelectrolyte charge density by controlling pH of the dipping solutions. We found out a linear growth of the CMC/CHI films when they are constructed from highly charged CHI (at pH 4.0) and weakly charged NaCMC (at pH 4.0 and 5.5). The hydrodynamic thickness of the film constructed at pH 4.0/4.0 is unusually large for a linearly growing film (ca. 220 nm after deposition of 8 bilayers), but it strongly decreases (ca. 4 times) with increasing ionization of NaCMC (at pH 5.5). In both cases, the multilayer buildup proceeded through a series of adsorption-desorption steps. This was explained by a partial loss of CHI from the film surface on exposure to the solution of longer NaCMC molecules. The irregular film growth correlated quite well with the variations in the electrical polarizability of the polymer-coated particles. This correlation enabled us to conclude that the adsorption of both polymers occurs only on the film surface, with no diffusion in and out of the film bulk during deposition of each CMC/CHI bilayer.     

Stability and electric parameters of AgJ-sols in the presence of a surface active substance

Summary The electric parameters (permanent dipole moment and electric polarizability) of Agj particles were determined at various concentrations of the surface active substance DDAO (dimethyldodecylamine oxide) by means of the electric birefringence. Information about the stability was obtained from the relaxation times of the particles deduced by the transient electric birefringence. The obtained results show that the minimal stability, which coincides with the investigations of Lyklema and de Keizer, appears at a concentration when the particles are not in the isoelectric point but when they have a maximum value of the permanent dipole moment and a minimum of the electric polarizability. This illustrates the importance of the particles' electric moments for a better understanding of the sot stability in the investigated system.

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Zusammenfassung Es werden die elektrischen Parameter (permanentes Dipolmoment and elektrische Polarisierbarkeit) von AgJ-Teilchen bei verschiedenen Konzentrationen der oberflächenaktiven Substanz DDAO (Dimethyldodecylaminoxid) mit Hilfe der elektrooptischen Doppelbrechung bestimmt. Die Stabilität der Suspensionen wurde aus der Relaxationszeit der Teilchen nach Abschalten von Gleichspannungsimpulsen ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß die geringste Stabilität, die mit Untersuchungen von Lyklema und de Keizer übereinstimmt, bei einer Konzentration auftritt, bei der die Teilchen nicht den isoelektrischen Punkt erreicht haben, sondern bei der sie ein Maximum des permanenten Dipolmoments und ein Minimum der elektrischen Polarisierbarkeit besitzen. Dies weist auf die Bedeutung der elektrischen Teilchenmomente für ein besseres Verständnis der Solstabilität in dem untersuchten System hin.

     

Investigation of the electric moments of AgI particles in aqueous solutions by electric birefringence

Summary Aqueous suspensions of AgI were studied by the electric birefringence method. The rotatory diffusion constant and the relation between two electric moments of the particles (defined by the ratio ) were determined from the dependence of the electric birefringence on the frequency of the applied field (=229s ^–1; =2,37). These parameters were also calculated from the electric birefringence data in rapidly reversed electric pulses. The obtained values are=237s ^–1 and =1,09. The correspondence of the-values is satisfactory. The discrepancy of the -values may be due to the polydispersity of the investigated suspension. The dependence of electric birefringence on the frequency of the applied field, the difference between the initial slopes of the curvesn/E ₌ ² andn/E _~ ² and the type of the birefringence at field reversal show that the orientation of the AgI particles is due to the interaction of two electric moments with the applied field, which are directed along the larger dimension of the particles. One of both electric moments is the induced dipole moment connected with the displacement of the ions in the double electric layer. The other moment shows a slow relaxation between 10 Hz and 1 kHz and may be related to either the permanent or a slow induced dipole moment.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurden wäßrige AgI-Suspensionen mit Hilfe der elektrischen Doppelbrechung untersucht. Die Rotationsdiffusionskonstante und die Beziehung —definiert als Verhältnis - zwischen zwei elektrischen Momenten der Teilchen wurden aus der Abhängigkeit der elektrischen Doppelbrechung von der Frequenz des angelegten Feldes bestimmt (=229s ^–1;=2,37). Diese Parameter wurden auch aus Messungen der elektrischen Doppelbrechung im elektrischen Feld mit rechteckförmigen Impulsen wechseln der Polarität berechnet. Die erhaltenen Werte,=237s ^–1 und =1,09, stimmen im Fall gut, im Fall schlecht überein, was auf die Polydispersität der untersuchten Dispersionen zurückgeführt werden kann. Aus der Abhängigkeit der elektrischen Doppelbrechung von der Frequenz des angelegten Feldes, aus der Differenz zwischen den Anfangssteigungen der Kurvenn/E ₌ ² undn/E _~ ² und aus dem Verhalten der Doppelbrechung bei rechteckförmigen Pulsen wechselnder Polarität geht hervor, daß die Orientierung der AgI-Partikel von der Wechselwirkung zweier elektrischer Momente mit dem angelegten elektris chen Feld herrührt, die beide mit der Richtung der längeren Achse der Teilchen übereinstimmen. Eines der beiden Momente ist das induzierte Dipolmoment und kommt durch eine sehr schnelle Platzverschiebung der Ionen in der elektrischen Doppelschicht zustande. Das andere Moment zeigt eine langsame Relaxation im Bereich 10 Hz bis 1 kHz und kann entweder mit dem permanenten Dipolmoment oder mit einem langsamen induzierten Dipolmoment in Zusammenhang gebracht werden.

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With 4 figures and 1 table     

Complexation of ferric oxide particles with pectins of different charge density

The effect of polyelectrolyte charge density on the electrical properties and stability of suspensions of oppositely charged oxide particles is followed by means of electro-optics and electrophoresis. Variations in the electro-optical effect and the electrophoretic mobility are examined at conditions where fully ionized pectins of different charge density adsorb onto particles with ionizable surfaces. The charge neutralization point coincides with the maximum of particle aggregation in all suspensions. We find that the concentration of polyelectrolyte, needed to neutralize the particle charge, decreases with increasing charge density of the pectin. The most highly charged pectin presents an exception to this order, which is explained with a reduction of the effective charge density of this pectin due to condensation of counterions. The presence of condensed counterions, remaining bound to the pectin during its adsorption on the particle surface, is proved by investigation of the frequency behavior of the electro-optical effect at charge reversal of the particle surface.