Assembly of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-co-acrylic acid microgel thin films on polyelectrolyte multilayers: Effects of polyelectrolyte layer thickness, surface charge, and microgel solution pH

Temperature- and pH-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)?Cco-acrylic acid (pNIPAm-co-AAc) microgels were deposited on glass substrates coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers composed of the polycation poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and the polyanion poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS). The microgel density and structure of the resultant films were investigated as a function of: (1) the number of PAH/PSS layers (layer thickness); (2) the charge on the outer layer of the polyelectrolyte multilayer film; and (3) the pH of microgel deposition solution. The resultant films were studied by differential interference contrast optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the coverage of the microgels on the surface was a complex function of the pH of the deposition solution, the charge on the outer layer of the polyelectrolyte thin film and the PAH/PSS layer thickness; although it appears that microgel charge plays the biggest role in determining the resultant surface coverage.     

Functionalization of organic membranes by polyelectrolyte multilayer assemblies: application to the removal of copper ions from aqueous solutions

The functionalization of an organic polyethersulfone membrane (PES) was performed by alternating deposition of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(sodium 4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS), leading to the formation of a polyelectrolyte multilayer film (PEM). The resulting assembly was characterized by tangential streaming potential measurements to determine the charge of the modified membranes as a function of the polyelectrolyte solution concentration and as a function of the immersion time of the membrane in the polyelectrolyte solutions. Then, the modified membranes were used to perform the ultrafiltration of aqueous solutions containing copper(II) ions. Different operating conditions were tested including: polyelectrolyte concentration, polyelectrolyte nature, thickness of the PEM film or pH of the Cu(2+) solutions. These filtration experiments demonstrated that it was possible to obtain a satisfactory retention of the copper ions (88%), thus proving that this type of assembly can be useful for the removal of copper ions from contaminated aqueous solutions.     

Electrochemical Preparation of Poly(Malachite Green) Film Modified Nafion‐Coated Glassy Carbon Electrode and Its Electrocatalytic Behavior Towards NADH,Dopamine and Ascorbic Acid

Poly(malachite green) film modified Nafion‐coated glassy carbon electrodes have been prepared by potentiodynamic cycling in malachite green solution. The pH of polymerisation solution has only minor effect on film formation. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) was used to monitor the growth of the poly(malachite green) film. Cyclic voltammogram of the poly(malachite green) film shows a redox couple with well‐defined peaks. The redox response of the modified electrode was found to be depending on the pH of the contacting solution. The peak potentials were shifted to a less positive region with increasing pH and the dependence of the peak potential was found to be 56 mV per pH unit. The electrocatalytic behavior of poly(malachite green) film modified Nafion‐coated glassy carbon electrodes was tested towards oxidation of NADH, dopamine, and ascorbic acid. The oxidation of dopamine and ascorbic acid occurred at less positive potential on poly(malachite green) film compared to bare glassy carbon electrode. In the case of NADH, the overpotential was reduced substantially on modified electrode. Finally, the feasibility of utilizing poly(malachite green) film electrode in analytical estimation of ascorbic acid was demonstrated in flow injection analysis.     

Improvement of the thermo-oxidative stability of low-density polyethylene films by organic-inorganic hybrid coatings

LDPE films have been coated with single or bi-layer hybrid coatings formed through sol-gel reactions in order to improve their thermo-oxidative resistance. Different chemical compositions of the coating were investigated which differ either in the amount of the inorganic phase (silica deriving from tetraethoxysilane) or in the organic component (either alkoxy silane functionalized polyethylene-poly(ethylene glycol) diblock copolymers or poly(vinyl alcohol)). The thermo-oxidative stability of the coated films thus obtained has been assessed by means of isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and isothermal thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) under accelerated conditions, i.e. at high temperatures in pure oxygen flow. Conventional ageing in air at lower temperature, slightly above the in-service one, has also been carried out. The obtained data show: a) a general improvement of the thermal-resistance for the coated LDPE samples; b) a particularly high thermal-resistance for LDPE coated with a bi-layer coating with pure silica in the top layer; c) the effectiveness of the accelerated techniques in qualitatively assessing the thermo-oxidative resistance of the coated polymeric systems.     

Preparation of core-shell and hollow fibers using layer by layer (LbL) self-assembly of polyelectrolytes on electrospun submicrometer-scale silica fibers

Herein, fabrication of hollow fibers made of polyelectrolyte multilayers is reported. Silica submicrometer-scale fibers were fabricated by electrospinning and layer by layer deposition of polyelectrolytes were performed to coat silica fibers with polyelectrolyte multilayers, which were prepared by consecutive deposition of poly(ethyleneimine) and poly(styrene sulfonate sodium salt)/sodium dodecyl sulfate onto the surface of the silica fibers. In order to obtain hollow fibers, the core removal was carried out by introducing the core-shell fibers to a hydrofluoric acid solution. The hollow fibers were stable in hydrofluoric acid solution and displayed pH-dependent structural changes. SEM microscopy indicated the formation of the glass fibers and the fibers coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers (Silica—polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM) fibers). The diameter of the core-shell fibers was increased after layer-by-layer coating. ATR-FTIR was performed for characterization of the glass fibers before and after layer-by-layer coating as well as after selective core removal. IR spectrum of the Silica-PEM fibers indicates C-H stretching modes of saturated hydrocarbons, confirming multilayers formation. Core removal was also confirmed by IR spectroscopy as Si-O-Si band disappears for the IR spectrum of the fibers after core-removal.     

Formation and dielectric properties of polyelectrolyte multilayers studied by a silicon-on-insulator based thin film resistor

The formation of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) is investigated using a silicon-on-insulator based thin film resistor which is sensitive to variations of the surface potential. The buildup of the PEMs at the silicon oxide surface of the device can be observed in real time as defined potential shifts. The influence of polymer charge density is studied using the strong polyanion poly(styrene sulfonate), PSS, combined with the statistical copolymer poly(diallyl-dimethyl-ammoniumchloride-stat-N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide), P(DADMAC-stat-NMVA), at various degrees of charge (DC). The multilayer formation stops after a few deposition steps for a DC below 75%. We show that the threshold of surface charge compensation corresponds to the threshold of multilayer formation. However, no reversion of the preceding surface charge was observed. Screening of polyelectrolyte charges by mobile ions within the polymer film leads to a decrease of the potential shifts with the number of layers deposited. This decrease is much slower for PEMs consisting of P(DADMAC-stat-NMVA) and PSS as compared to PEMs consisting of poly(allylamine-hydrochloride), PAH, and PSS. From this, significant differences in the dielectric constants of the polyelectrolyte films and in the concentration of mobile ions within the films can be derived.     

含悬挂羧基手臂聚乳酸材料的合成与血小板粘附性研究

制备了乳酸-β-苹果酸共聚物,并在此基础上进一步修饰合成了含悬挂羟基(PLMAHE)以及悬挂羧基(PCA-PLA)的聚乳酸共聚物,利用原子力显微镜及环境扫描电镜,观察了聚合物膜的表面形貌以及粘附在聚合物膜上的血小板数量与形态.结果表明含悬挂羟基材料表面粘附血小板时发生聚集并有伪足生成,含悬挂羧基材料表面血小板粘附数量较少且形态正常,有望成为优良的抗凝血材料.     

The Effects of Thrombocytopenia on Vessel Stasis and Macromolecular Leakage after Photodynamic Therapy Using Photofrin

Abstract— Several studies have reported thrombus formation and/or the release of specific vasoactive eicosanoids, suggesting that platelet activation or damage after photodynamic therapy (PDT) may contribute to blood flow stasis. The role of circulating platelets on blood flow stasis and vascular leakage of macromolecules during and after PDT was assessed in an intravital animal model. Sprague-Daw-ley rats bearing chondrosarcoma on the right hind limb were injected intravenously (i.v.) with 25 mg/kg Photofrin 24 h before light treatment of 135 J/cm² at 630 nm. Thrombocytopenia was induced in animals by administration of 3.75 mg/kg of rabbit anti-rat platelet antibody i.v. 30 min before the initiation of the light treatment. This regimen reduced circulating platelet levels from 300000/mm³ to 20000/mm³. Reductions in the luminal diameter of the microvasculature in normal muscle and tumor were observed in control animals given Photofrin and light. Venule leakage of macromolecules was noted shortly after the start of light treatment and continued throughout the period of observation. Animals made thrombocytopenic showed none of these changes after PDT in either normal tissues or tumor. The lack of vessel response correlated with the absence of thromboxane release in blood during PDT. These data suggest that platelets and eicosanoid release are necessary for vessel constriction and blood flow stasis after PDT using Photofrin.     

Adhesion behaviors of human trophoblast cells by contact with endothelial cells

Although it is still not clear whether migratory trophoblasts reach the spiral arteries by migration within blood vessels against blood flow or by a mechanism of directional cell division/proliferation, this process involves the attachment and adhesion of trophoblasts to endothelial cells lining the blood vessel walls. This raises the possibility that the cell–cell contact with endothelial cells may regulate trophoblast cell adhesion behaviors according to the surrounding flow condition. To test this, the adhesion forces of early gestation human trophoblast cells (TCs) cultured on glass slides coated with type I rat collagen or cultured with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were measured quantitatively using a micropipette aspiration technique. Then, the resistance of TCs co-cultured with HUVECs to flow-induced shear stress was assessed with a flow chamber technique. The results showed that the adhesion force of TCs to glass slides coated with collagen was positively correlated with the concentration of collagen. By contact with endothelial cells, the adhesion force and the resistance to shear stress for the TCs were significantly enhanced. The interdiction of integrin β1 interaction remarkably reduced the adhesion forces of TCs to endothelial cells, hence their resistance to shear stress. The results therefore suggest that the contacts of TCs with endothelial cells enhance the adhesion forces of human TCs, partially by regulating with the integrin β1 according to the flow condition (i.e., the shear stress) in such a way to prevent the TCs from being carried downstream by flowing blood.     

Enhancement of surface wettability via the modification of microtextured titanium implant surfaces with polyelectrolytes

Micrometer- and submicrometer-scale surface roughness enhances osteoblast differentiation on titanium (Ti) substrates and increases bone-to-implant contact in vivo. However, the low surface wettability induced by surface roughness can retard initial interactions with the physiological environment. We examined chemical modifications of Ti surfaces [pretreated (PT), R(a) ≤ 0.3 μm; sand blasted/acid etched (SLA), R(a) ≥ 3.0 μm] in order to modify surface hydrophilicity. We designed coating layers of polyelectrolytes that did not alter the surface microstructure but increased surface ionic character, including chitosan (CHI), poly(L-glutamic acid) (PGA), and poly(L-lysine) (PLL). Ti disks were cleaned and sterilized. Surface chemical composition, roughness, wettability, and morphology of surfaces before and after polyelectrolyte coating were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact mode profilometry, contact angle measurement, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). High-resolution XPS spectra data validated the formation of polyelectrolyte layers on top of the Ti surface. The surface coverage of the polyelectrolyte adsorbed on Ti surfaces was evaluated with the pertinent SEM images and XPS peak intensity as a function of polyelectrolyte adsorption time on the Ti surface. PLL was coated in a uniform thin layer on the PT surface. CHI and PGA were coated evenly on PT, albeit in an incomplete monolayer. CHI, PGA, and PLL were coated on the SLA surface with complete coverage. The selected polyelectrolytes enhanced surface wettability without modifying surface roughness. These chemically modified surfaces on implant devices can contribute to the enhancement of osteoblast differentiation.     

A method to construct polyelectrolyte multilayers film containing gold nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles in polyelectrolyte multilayers film can be easily prepared by repeating immersion of a substrate in poly(diallyl dimethylammonium) chloride (PDDA)-AuCl₄⁻ complexes solution followed by reduction Au³⁺ through heating. UV-vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) are used to confirm the successful construction of the polyelectrolyte multilayers film and the formation of gold nanoparticles. The multilayers film shows electrocatalytic activity to dioxygen reduction.     

Surface modification of SPEU films by ozone induced graft copolymerization to improve hemocompatibility

Surface modification of segmented poly(ether urethane) (SPEU) by graft copolymerization with N,N′-dimethyl-N-methacryloyloxyethyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium (DMMSA), a zwitterionic sulfobetaine structure, was conducted. A simple two-step procedure for grafting of DMMSA onto the surface of SPEU film was used. The surface was first treated with ozone to introduce active hydroperoxide groups. The active surface was then exposed to the DMMSA solution in the sealed tube. Grafted SPEU film was characterized by ATR–FTIR, XPS and contact angle measurement. ATR–FTIR and XPS investigations confirmed the graft copolymerization. The monomer concentration, copolymerization temperature and time were varied to maximize the efficiency of DMMSA grafting. The equilibrium water content (EWC) and contact angle measurements showed that the hydrophilicity of the film had been greatly improved. The blood compatibility of the grafted films was evaluated by platelet adhesion in platelet rich plasma (PRP), deposits in blood control and protein adsorption in bovine fibrinogen using SPEU film as the control. No platelet adhesion and no thrombus were observed for the grafted films incubated in PRP for 300 min and in blood for 120 min, respectively. The protein adsorption was reduced on the grafted films after incubation in bovine fibrinogen for 120 min. These results proved that improved blood compatibility was obtained by grafting this new zwitterionic sulfobetaine structure monomer onto SPEU film.     

Polymer-Based Superhydrophobic Coating Fabricated from Polyelectrolyte Multilayers of Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) and Poly(acrylic acid)

Superhydrophobic films mainly based on poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolyte multilayer have been deposited onto cleaned glass substrate by a layer-by-layer dip coating method. 3 bilayers of the PAH and PAA was directly coated onto the substrate as an underlying layer for subsequent coating. Desired surface roughness on the polyelectrolyte bilayers was created by etching the bilayers in hydrochloric acid solution so as to create the open pore having suitable size at the surface. Then, nanoparticles such as SiO₂ and TiO₂ of various sizes were deposited onto the etched polyelectrolyte bilayers. Finally, the surfaces were further modified with semifluorinated silane followed by cross-linking at 180 °C for 2 h to obtain desirable surface morphological features. The effect of etching time and addition of nanoparticles on surface morphology was investigated using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Wetting ability of the prepared film was determined by measuring water droplet contact angle using a goniometer. Adhesion between the superhydrophobic films and the substrate was evaluated by using a standard tape test method (D3359). The adhesion was improved by reducing the organic content in the films.     

In situ Molecular Self-assembly and Sensitive Label-free Detection of Streptavidin via a Wavelength Interrogated Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor

The sensing sensitivity of wavelength interrogated surface plasmon resonance（WISPR） biosensor is improved by self-assembly of polyelectrolyte multilayer（PEM） film of poly（allylamine hydrochloride）（PAH）/ poly（sodium-p-styrenesulfonate）（PSS） on the Au film coated glass chip via the layer-by-layer（LBL） technique. The home-made WISPR with Krestchmann configuration consists of a tungsten-halogen lamp as a photon source and a charge coupled device（CCD） camera as the detector. The influence of PEM film thickness on the optical properties of WISPR biosensors was investigated theoretically and experimentally. In order to achieve higher sensing sensitivity, the PEM film thickness has to be designed as ca.14 nm at an Au layer thickness of 50 nm and an incidental angle of 11.8°. Furthermore, the PEM coated WISPR biosensor can serve as highly sensitive biosensor, in which the biotin-streptavidin is used as bioconjugate pair. After deposition of the PEM film of （biotin/PAH）（PSS/PAH）3, the modified WISPR biosensor is more sensitive to the low concentration（〈0.01 mg/mL） of streptavidin. And the sensing sensitivity can be further increased by one order of magnitude compared with that of the biotin/PAH coated WISPR biosensor. Thus, such low-cost, high-performance and efficient PEM-coated WISPR biosensors have great potentials in a diverse array of fields such as medical diagnostics, drug screening, food safety analysis, environmental monitoring, and homeland security.     

Phospholipid bilayers as biomembrane-like barriers in layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte films

Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayer was created on the surface of an exponentially growing poly(glutamic acid)/poly(lysine) (PGA/PLL) layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte film. The lipid bilayer decreased the surface roughness of the polyelectrolyte film. The layer-by-layer construction of the polyelectrolyte film could be continued on the top of the DPPC layer. The lipid bilayer, however, formed a barrier in the interior of the polyelectrolyte film, which blocked the diffusion (a prerequisite for exponential growth) of the polyelectrolytes. Thus, a new growth regime started in the upper part of the polyelectrolyte film, which was added to embed the DPPC bilayer. The structure and the dynamics of the DPPC bilayer on the polyelectrolyte film surface remained similar to that of its hydrated multibilayers, except that the phase transition became wider. In the case of embedded DPPC bilayers, in addition, the phase-transition temperature also decreased. This is the result of interactions with the nonconcerted movements of the barrier-separated lower and higher parts of the polyelectrolyte film. Gramicidin A (GRA) as a model of lipid-soluble peptides and proteins was successfully incorporated into such DPPC films. The DPPC films, either with or without GRA, were remarkably stable; as many heating-cooling cycles to measure phase transition could be carried out without visible alterations as wanted.     

Plasma protein adsorption and thrombus formation on surface functionalized polypyrrole with and without electrical stimulation

A surface modification technique was developed in which heparin was covalently immobilized onto electrically conductive polypyrrole (PPY) film through poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA) graft copolymerization and subsequent cyanuric chloride activation. In vitro plasma protein adsorption and thrombus formation experiments were carried out on the various films. The PEGMA-graft-copolymerized PPY surfaces with immobilized heparin have good bioactivity indicated by low level of protein adsorption, high ratio of albumin to fibrinogen adsorption, and low thrombus formation, making them potentially good candidates for biomedical applications. Since the PPY film retained significant electrical conductivity after surface modification, the effect of electrical stimulation on protein adsorption and thrombus formation was also evaluated. The covalently immobilized heparin on the PPY film was able to retain its bioactivity after 4 days of immersion in PBS. The film after long-term immersion in PBS also retained sufficient electrical conductivity for electrical stimulation still to be effective for reducing protein adsorption.     

Electrical properties of multilayers from low- and high-molecular-weight polyelectrolytes

The formation of stable multilayer films by using as constituents sodium poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PSS) and poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (PVP) was studied by electrooptics. A strong increase in basicity of the pyridine rings in the electrical field of the oppositely charged PSS chains was suggested to be the driving force for multilayer film formation. A linear increase in the film thickness was registered after deposition of the first three layers, with no dependence on the polyelectrolyte molecular weight. The electrooptical effect was found to increase with increasing area of each next layer, but depended on the molecular weights of both polymers. Polarization of "condensed" counterions along the chains of the last-adsorbed layer was suggested to explain this dependence. Following the counterion dynamics, we come to the conclusion that the electrical properties of the top layer govern the electrooptical behavior of the PSS/PVP film.     

Didodecyldimethylammonium bromide lipid bilayer-protected gold nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization, and self-assembly

Didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) lipid bilayer-protected gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which were stable and hydrophilic, were synthesized by in situ reduction of HAuCl(4) with NaBH(4) in an aqueous medium in the presence of DDAB. As-prepared nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis spectra, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. All these data supported the formation of AuNPs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetric analysis data revealed that DDAB existed in a bilayer structure formed on the particle surface, resulting in a positively charged particle surface. The FTIR spectra also indicated that the DDAB bilayer coated on the surface of AuNPs was probably in the ordered gel phase with some end-gauche defects. On the basis of electrostatic interactions between such AuNPs and anionic polyelectrolyte poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), we successfully fabricated (PSS/AuNP)(n)() multilayers on a cationic polyelectrolyte poly(ethylenimine) coated indium tin oxide substrate via the layer-by-layer self-assembly technique and characterized as-formed multilayers with UV-vis spectra and atomic force microscopy.     

Surface-guided self-assembly of silver nanoparticles on edges of heterogeneous surfaces

A general method for the generation of two-dimensional (2D) ordered silver nanoparticles (av 45 nm) ring array has been demonstrated via controllable self-assembly. The selective self-assembly is conducted on the edges of a gold coated polyelectrolyte film. This film is fabricated using the monolayer polystyrene (PS) spheres (av 600 nm) on a substrate as template, followed by depositing a positively charged polyelectrolyte and gold colloids (av 17 nm) via the layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly technique, and finally by eliminating the PS monolayer. This gold coated polyelectrolyte film has a regular pattern of sharp edges, and those edges are composed of abundant polyelectrolyte. This heterogeneous surface is easily prepared and universal for site-selective absorption of nanoparticles (silver nanoparticles in this paper, av 45 nm). This surface-guided self-assembly is powerful for fabricating micro/nanostructures on the edges of prepatterns. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to characterize the products.     

Thin Organic-Inorganic Anti-Fouling Hybrid-Films for Microreactor Components

Deposit formation and fouling in reactors for polymer production and processing especially in microreactors is a well-known phenomenon. Despite the flow and pressure loss optimized static mixers, fouling occurs on the surfaces of the mixer elements. To improve the performance of such parts even further, stainless steel substrates are coated with ultra-thin films which have low surface energy, good adhesion, and high durability. Perfluorinated organosilane (FOTS) films deposited via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) are compared with FOTS containing zirconium oxide sol-gel films regarding the prevention of deposit formation and fouling during polymerization processes in microreactors. Both film structures led to anti-adhesive properties of microreactor component surfaces during aqueous poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) synthesis. To determine the morphology and surface chemistry of the coatings, different characterization methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy as well as microscopic methods such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are applied. The surface free energy and wetting properties are analyzed by means of contact angle measurements. The application of thin film-coated mixing elements in a microreactor demonstrates a significant lowering in pressure increase caused by a reduced deposit formation.