Chromatic immunoassay based on polydiacetylene vesicles

A new approach of chromatic immunoassay based on polydiacetylene vesicles is described. Antibodies were covalently coupled with mixed vesicles of 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid (TCDA) and dimyristoylphosphatidycholine (DMPC). The vesicle-antibody conjugates were irradiated with UV light to yield a blue-colored polydiacetylene. After antigen injection, specific immunoreactions took place at the vesicle surface alter polydiacetylene conformation and lead to a color change from blue to red. The chromatic immunoassay described here is simple, rapid, sensitive; the color change was readily discernible by naked eye when the concentration of antigen is 1 ng/mL. Incorporation of DMPC in the mixed vesicles increases the sensitivity of the chromatic immunoassay.     

Size effect of polydiacetylene vesicles functionalized with glycolipids on their colorimetric detection ability

In this paper, the size effect of the polydiacetylene vesicles functionalized with glycolipids on their colorimetric detection ability has been studied. Polydiacetylene vesicles in which were incorporated glycolipids acted as a model system for the affinochromatic property. Visible color changes from blue to red could be observed to the naked eye owing to Con A binding to the sugar moiety and be detected quantitatively by the visible absorption spectrum. In the experiment, small and uniform vesicles were obtained after extrusion through membranes with different pore sizes. The morphology and mean size distribution of the extruded vesicles were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS), respectively. Our work shows that the smaller the vesicles are, the stronger is the effect, making the detection of Con A easier. The results may apply to the sensitivity enhancement of polydiacetylene biosensors for the recognition of other biomolecules.     

Electronic absorption spectroscopy probed side-chain movement in chromic transitions of polydiacetylene vesicles

Thermochromism, solvatochromism, and alkalinochromism of a poly-10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (poly(PCDA)) vesicle solution are studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. The spectroscopic profiles reveal different sequences of side-chain movement during the chromic transitions. The gradual hypsochromic shift and reversibility of the purple solution at low temperature in the thermochromic transition indicates that the transition starts with reversible conformational alteration of methylene side chains leading to metastable purple vesicles. Further heating to 80 degrees C or higher eventually causes the hydrogen bonds at the carboxylic head groups to break and turns the vesicle solution to red. The irreversibility of the red vesicles indicates that it is the most thermodynamically stable form. In the ethanolochromism and alkalinochromism, the processes are however induced at the vesicle-media interface, directly bringing about the hydrogen bond breaking. The purple solutions observed in the ethanolochromism and alkalinochromism cannot reverse back to the blue one. The absorption spectra clearly demonstrate that they are mixtures of the blue and red vesicles.     

Color fingerprinting of proteins by calixarenes embedded in lipid/polydiacetylene vesicles

"Naked eye" color detection of proteins was achieved by embedding calixarene receptors within vesicles comprising phospholipids and the chromatic polymer polydiacetylene. Dramatic visible absorbance changes were induced through electrostatic interactions between the protein surface and the vesicle-incorporated hosts. The colorimetric responses could be induced by micromolar protein concentrations, and furthermore, specific protein fingerprints could be obtained by incorporating different receptors within the vesicles. Fluorescence and circular dichroism experiments confirmed the relationship between the colorimetric phenomena and protein docking on the surface of the chromatic vesicles. The colorimetric assay constitutes a generic platform for high-sensitivity detection of soluble proteins and for evaluation of protein surface charge distribution.     

Selective detection of catecholamines by synthetic receptors embedded in chromatic polydiacetylene vesicles

A new detection scheme for catecholamines was constructed through embedding synthetic receptors within vesicles comprising phospholipids and polydiacetylene. Fluorescence emission of the polydiacetylene was induced through specific interactions between the soluble ligands and the vesicle-incorporated hosts. The system demonstrated remarkable selectivity among structurally similar ligands and achieved much lower detection thresholds compared to that of other reported catecholamine sensors. The chromatic assembly provides a generic route for high sensitivity detection of ligand-receptor interactions.     

Effect of amphiphilic molecules upon chromatic transitions of polydiacetylene vesicles in aqueous solutions

Effect of amphiphilic molecules upon the chromatic transitions of polymerized 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) vesicles in aqueous solutions was reported. The colorimetric response of polymerized PCDA vesicles for 1-pentanol is higher than that for ethanol due to more hydrophobic property of 1-pentanol. The colorimetric response of polymerized PCDA vesicles for sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Triton X-100 is lower than that for cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). The strong ability of CTAB to induce chromatic transition of the vesicles is related to the positively charged headgroups of CTAB, which favors approach of CTAB to the negatively charged carboxylate groups at the vesicle surface. The insertion of alkyl chain of CTAB into the hydrophobic domain perturbs the conformation of the conjugated polymer backbone and induces color change of polydiacetylene vesicles. For a series of alkylamine hydrochloric salts, the longer the alkyl chain, the stronger the ability of alkylamine to induce chromatic transition of polydiacetylene vesicles.     

Supramolecular organization in the solid state of a novel soluble polydiacetylene

The synthesis of the monomer 1,6-bis(3,6-dihexadecyl-N-carbazolyl)-2,4-hexadiyne, its polymerization and the purification of the polymer, which is soluble in common organic solvents, are reported. Results from powder X-ray diffraction studies carried out on the red form of the polymer are discussed. The red polymer chains self-assemble into cylindrical shapes which produce hexagonal columnar mesophases with a transition from a more (Colho) to a less ordered (Colhd) structure around 85 C. The role played by the long alkyl chains in the formation of the supramolecular hexagonal mesophase is emphasized by comparing these results with those obtained from an analogous polymer with dodecyl substituents which exhibits only the Colhd structure over the whole range of temperature explored.     

Triggering blue-red transition response in polydiacetylene vesicles: an electrochemical surface plasmon resonance method

Electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (E-SPR) was used to investigate whether the chromic properties of a polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicle films, adsorbed onto an ultra-thin gold electrode, could be triggered by applied potential. This approach constitutes a preliminary model for a novel approach to the use of a triggered chromic transition, as an indicator of biorecognition headgroup binding in these materials. A PDA chromic blue-red transition was identified in E-SPR against the background Deltaepsilon(e) and Deltaepsilon(m). The latter resulted in a ca. 100 mDeg V(-1) shift in the SPR minimum, in the presence of PDA, with the PDA shielding changes in epsilon(e). Electrochemical charge transfer processes in the pre-oxide/oxide anodic region with adsorbed oxygen and hydroxide, involving a change in Au redox state (Au(0)/Au(+)) were visible in the SPR, due to a change in the gold layer thickness and gold oxide layer. However, the cathodic processes, not involving a change in the Au redox state or a increase/decrease in the surface layer dielectric, did not cause a change in the SPR. Based on this, dramatic changes in the optical properties of the adsorbed PDA film could be triggered at an applied cathodic potential, and were identified using SPR. These correlated with a pH-induced chromic transition. Both protonation and ion binding, linked with headgroup environment, were implicated in causing structural transitions in the adsorbed vesicle layer that may also be linked with their bulk optical properties.     

Phase transition of a single sheet of sashlike polydiacetylene atomic sash on a solid surface

The phase transition of sashlike polydiacetylene (PD) atomic sash in an extrathin (0.4 nm) vapor-deposited monolayer on a graphite (0001) surface has been observed by in-situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The conformation of the atomic sash composed of a row of lying alkyl chains stitched up with a PD chain is different around the crossing points of the alkyl and PD chains in the two phases, and hence the contrast of the STM image is different in the middle of the sashes. The difference is associated with the color transition of bulk PDs.     

Gentle immobilization of nonionic polymersomes on solid substrates

Vesicles from Pluronic L121 (PEO5-PPO68-PEO5) triblock copolymers were first stabilized by a permanent interpenetrating polymer network and then gently immobilized onto a glass or mica surface. Fluorescence-labeled micrometer-sized vesicles were visualized with confocal laser scanning microscopy, and smaller sized capsules, around 100 nm, were probed by liquid atomic force microscopy. The immobilized vesicles were weakly attached to a negatively charged surface via negatively charged polyelectrolytes in combination with Mg2+ ions and can be reversibly detached from the surface by slightly elevated temperatures. To illustrate that the immobilized vesicles remain responsive to external stimuli, we show that it is possible to transform their shape from spherical to cylindrical by introducing a second Pluronic, namely, P123 (PEO20-PPO70-PEO20). The detailed transition process has been recorded in real time by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Electron microscopy studies confirmed that a similar morphology change also occurs in the bulk.     

Polymer crystallization of ultrathin films on solid substrates

Recently, polymer crystallization in ultrathin films (thickness less than 100 nm) on solid substrates has attracted increased attention. As it can be considered to be a quasi-two-dimensional (2D) system with one-dimensional (1D) confinement along the substrate normal, ultrathin polymer film offers unique possibilities for testing the theories of crystallization and for studying the effects of confinement and interface which may invoke new mechanisms other than those applied in bulk crystallization of polymers. In this article, we will summarize the important results of ultrathin film crystallization of polymers obtained in the past decades. The morphologies, the crystallization kinetics, and the transformation between monolayer crystals with various metastabilities are reviewed in depth, with an attempt at discussing the ultrathin polymer film crystallization in the general framework of thermodynamics and kinetics of crystallization.     

Assembly of nanozeolite monolayers on the gold substrates of piezoelectric sensors

Colloidal zeolites NaA (LTA structure type) and ZSM-5 (MFI-type) with crystal diameters of about 100 nm were synthesized as building blocks for the formation of microporous self-limiting monolayers on the piezo-active area (gold electrodes) of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Two different coupling strategies were explored, concerning the modification of either the gold substrate or the external zeolite crystal surface with a bifunctional molecular interface. Diverse analytical methods were employed to fully characterize the materials (dynamic light scattering, X-ray diffraction, infrared and Raman spectroscopy, solid state 29Si NMR spectroscopy, N2 sorption) and to study the process of coupling the zeolite crystals to the gold surface (reflection-absorption IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy). The molecularly selective sensing behavior of these zeolite-coated devices is demonstrated by measuring the full adsorption isotherms of n-butane and i-butane in the microporous films.     

Template functions of particle monolayers on hydrophobic solid substrates

The template function of cationic particle monolayers bearing quaternary ammonium groups on their surfaces towards anionic colloids was investigated in this paper. Monodispersed cationic polymer particles having quaternary ammonium groups were self-organized on octadecylated glass plates through hydrophobic interaction. The morphology of the resulting particle monolayers was changed by tuning hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance of particles to fabricate aggregated type and dispersed type of particle monolayers. Gold and silver colloids were selectively deposited onto the particle monolayers through electrostatic interaction. The deposited gold and silver colloids on particle monolayers showed plasmon absorbance. Fluorescent silica colloids were also selectively deposited on particle monolayers to permit fluorescence labeling of the particle monolayers. Cationic particle monolayers fabricated on hydrophobic solid octadecylated were found to effectively work as templates for the deposition of above mentioned inorganic colloids.     

Mechanisms of fibrinogen adsorption at solid substrates

Adsorption of fibrinogen, modeled as a linear chain of touching beads of various sizes, was theoretically studied using the random sequential adsorption (RSA) model. The adsorption process was assumed to consist of two steps: (i) formation of an irreversibly bound fibrinogen monolayer under the side-on orientation, which is independent of the bulk protein concentration and (ii) formation of the reversibly bound, end-on monolayer, whose coverage was dependent on the bulk concentration. Calculation based on the RSA model showed that the maximum surface concentration of the end-on (reversible) monolayer equals N(⊥∞) = 6.13 × 10(3) μm(-2) which is much larger than the previously found value for the side-on (irreversible) monolayer, equal to N(∞) = 2.27 × 10(3) μm(-2). Hence, the maximum surface concentration of fibrinogen in both orientations is determined to be 8.40 × 10(3) μm(-2) corresponding to the protein coverage of 5.70 mg m(-2) assuming 20% hydration. Additionally, the surface blocking function (ASF) was determined for the end-on fibrinogen adsorption, approximated for the entire range of coverage by the interpolating polynomial. For the coverage approaching the jamming limit, the surface blocking function (ASF) was shown to vanish proportionally to (θ(⊥∞) - θ(⊥))(2). These calculation allowed one to theoretically predict adsorption isotherms for the end-on regime of fibrinogen and adsorption kinetics under various transport conditions (diffusion and convection). Using these theoretical results, a quantitative interpretation of experimental data obtained by TIRF and ellipsometry was successfully performed. The equilibrium adsorption constant for the end-on adsorption regime was found to be 8.04 × 10(-3) m. On the basis of this value, the depth of the adsorption energy minimum, equal to -17.4 kT, was predicted, which corresponds to ΔG = -41.8 kJ mol(-1). This is in accordance with adsorption energy derived as the sum of the van der Waals and electrostatic interactions. Besides having significance for predicting fibrinogen adsorption, theoretical results derived in this work also have implications for basic science providing information on mechanisms of anisotropic protein molecule adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces.     

Nano-patterning of solid substrates by adsorbed dendrimers

Weakly charged solid substrates can be nano-patterned in liquid-like order with large and well-defined spacing by adsorbing poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers; highly charged substrates lead to lower spacing due to electrostatic three-body attractions between the dendrimers and the substrate.     

Spreading of non-Newtonian liquids over solid substrates

The spreading of drops of a non-Newtonian liquid (Ostwald-de Waele liquid) over horizontal solid substrates is theoretically investigated in the case of complete wetting and small dynamic contact angles. Both gravitational and capillary regimes of spreading are considered. The evolution equation deduced for the shape of the spreading drops has self-similar solutions, which allows obtaining spreading laws for both gravitational and capillary regimes of spreading. In the gravitational regime case of spreading the profile of the spreading drop is provided.     

Effect of alkyl chain length on chemical sensing of polydiacetylene and polydiacetylene/ZnO nanocomposites

Polydiacetylenes (PDAs) and PDA/ZnO nanocomposites based on the monomers 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA), 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid (TCDA), and 10,12-docosadiynedioic acid (DCDA) monomers have been investigated for chromatic chemical sensing of a number of organic liquids. Chromatic sensitivity is associated with the interaction of the organic liquid with the PDA side chain to give rise to the strain-induced blue to red colorimetric transition. Attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy demonstrated that in the PDA/ZnO nanocomposites, the PDA side chains form chelates with ZnO. The chromatic properties of PDAs and PDA/ZnO composites in organic liquids, to certain extent, depend on the side-chain length and the number of carboxylic head groups. Pure PDAs and PDA/ZnO nanocomposites in different organic liquids studied by Raman spectroscopy show that the chromatic selectivity of PDAs for certain organic liquids with respect to the blue to red phase transition is closely related to the side-chain structure of the PDAs. Moreover, the interactions are stronger with those PDAs where the blue to red transition is irreversible. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations show that the chromatic sensitivity of the PDAs toward a particular organic correlates with the C–C bond torsion angle of the PDA backbone.     

Roles of head group architecture and side chain length on colorimetric response of polydiacetylene vesicles to temperature, ethanol and pH

In this contribution, we report the relationship between molecular structures of polydiacetylene (PDA) vesicles, fabricated by using three monomers, 10,12-tricosadiynoic acid (TCDA), 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) and N-(2-aminoethyl)pentacosa-10,12-diynamide (AEPCDA), and their color-transition behaviors. The modification of side chain length and head group of the PDA vesicles strongly affects the colorimetric response to temperature, ethanol and pH. A shorter side chain of poly(TCDA) yields weaker inter- and intra-chain dispersion interactions in the bilayers compared to the system of poly(PCDA), which in turn results in a faster color transition upon exposure to all stimuli. A change of head group in poly(AEPCDA) slightly reduces the transition temperature. Interestingly, the colorimetric response of poly(AEPCDA) vesicles to the addition of ethanol is found to occur in a two-step fashion while the response of poly(PCDA) vesicles takes place in a one-step process. The amount of ethanol required for inducing complete color-transition of poly(AEPCDA) vesicles is also much higher, about 87% v/v. The increase of pH to ~9 and ~10 causes a color-transition of poly(TCDA) and poly(PCDA) vesicles, respectively. The poly(AEPCDA) vesicles, on the other hand, change color upon decreasing pH to ~0. The colorimetric response also occurs in a multi-step fashion. These discrepancies are attributed to the architecture of surface layers of poly(AEPCDA), constituting amine and amide groups separated by ethyl linkers.     

Static contact angle hysteresis on smooth, homogeneous solid substrates

A theory of contact angle hysteresis on smooth, homogeneous solid substrates is developed in terms of shape of disjoining/conjoining pressure isotherm and quasi-equilibrium phenomena. It is shown that all contact angles, θ, in the range θ _r?<?θ?<?θ _a, which are different from the unique equilibrium contact angle θ?≠?θ _e, correspond to the state of slow “microscopic” advancing or receding motion of the liquid if θ _e ?<?θ?<?θ _a or θ _r?<?θ?<?θ _e, respectively. This “microscopic” motion almost abruptly becomes fast “macroscopic” advancing or receding motion after the contact angle reaches the critical values θ?=?θ _a or θ _r?=?θ, correspondingly. The values of the static receding, θ _r, and static advancing, θ _a, contact angles in cylindrical capillaries were calculated earlier, based on the shape of disjoining pressure isotherm. It is shown that an advancing contact angle of a droplet on a solid substrate depends on the drop volume and is not a unique characteristic of the liquid–solid system. The suggested mechanism of contact angle hysteresis has direct experimental confirmation.     

Multicomponent membranes on solid substrates: Interfaces for protein binding

Even though lipid membranes deposited on a solid support are now used for more than 20 years as a model system for cellular membranes, their potential has, as yet, not been fully exploited. Only in recent years, the composition of solid supported membranes became more and more complex, which is a prerequisite for the elucidation of biologically relevant protein adsorption processes. Multicomponent bilayers resemble the heterogeneity of the biological membrane, which is composed of hundreds of different lipids varying in their headgroup and acyl chain composition. The development of a multitude of elaborated surface sensitive techniques allows to study the phase behavior of these membranes and their interaction with proteins, some of which will be highlighted in this review.