Delivery by shock waves of active principle embedded in gelatin-based capsules

PURPOSE: Delivering a drug close to the targeted cells improves its benefit versus risk ratio. A possible method for local drug delivery is to encapsulate the drug into solid microscopic carriers and to release it by ultrasound. The objective of this work was to use shock waves for delivering a molecule loaded in polymeric microcapsules. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ethyl benzoate (EBZ) was encapsulated in spherical gelatin shells by complex coacervation. A piezocomposite shock wave generator (120 mm in diameter, focused at 97 mm, pulse length 1.4 micros) was used for sonicating the capsules and delivering the molecule. Shock parameters (acoustic pressure, number of shocks and shock repetition frequency) were varied in order to measure their influence on EBZ release. A cavitation-inhibitor liquid (Ablasonic) was then used to evaluate the role of cavitation in the capsule disruption. RESULTS: The measurements showed that the mean quantity of released EBZ was proportional to the acoustic pressure of the shock wave (r2 > 0.99), and increased with the number of applied shocks. Up to 88% of encapsulated EBZ could be released within 4 min only (240 shocks, 1 Hz). However, the quantity of released EBZ dropped at high shock rates (above 2Hz). Ultrasound imaging sequences showed that cavitation clouds might form, at high shock rates, along the acoustic axis making the exposure inefficient. Measurements done in Ablasonic showed that cavitation plays a major role in microcapsules disruption. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we designed polymeric capsules that can be disrupted by shock waves. This type of microcapsule is theoretically a suitable vehicle for carrying hydrophobic drugs. Following these positive results, encapsulation of drugs is considered for further medical applications.     

Conception and Evaluation of a Library of Cleavable Mass Tags for Digital Polymers Sequencing

A library of phosphoramidite monomers containing a main-chain cleavable alkoxyamine and a side-chain substituent of variable molar mass (i.e. mass tag) was prepared in this work. These monomers can be used in automated solid-phase phosphoramidite chemistry and therefore incorporated periodically as spacers inside digitally-encoded poly(phosphodiester) chains. Consequently, the formed polymers contain tagged cleavable sites that guide their fragmentation in mass spectrometry sequencing and enhance their digital readability. The spacers were all prepared via a seven steps synthetic procedure. They were afterwards tested for the synthesis and sequencing of model digital polymers. Uniform digitally-encoded polymers were obtained as major species in all cases, even though some minor defects were sometimes detected. Furthermore, the polymers were decoded in pseudo-MS³ conditions, thus confirming the reliability and versatility of the spacers library.     

Influence of the Crystallinity of Silver Nanoparticles on Their Magnetic Properties

The magnetic properties of noble-metal nanoparticles are a puzzling phenomenon, tentatively often explained as a size effect or a ligand effect. Many experimental studies performed to date have attempted to vary these readily available parameters without reaching a definitive conclusion. In an attempt at better understanding the role of core crystallinity on these magnetic properties, we have compared the behavior of silver nanoparticles, which were either single-crystalline or multi-twinned, of almost identical sizes and with the same ligand coating. Our results indicate that single-crystalline nanoparticles tend to behave as classical paramagnetic materials, whereas multi-twinned ones exhibit a combination of para- and ferro-magnetic behaviors. Our hypothesis is that lattice defects within the core bear magnetic moments which couple through conduction electrons, with dipolar interactions also playing a local and macroscopic role.     

Mechanochemical Desymmetrization of Unbiased Bis- and Tris-alkynes to Access 3,5-Isoxazoles-Alkyne Adducts and Unsymmetrical Bis-3,5-isoxazoles**

A mechanochemical desymmetrization of symmetrical bis- and tris-alkynes by a controlled 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction using nitrile oxide dipoles (NOs). This operationally simple protocol allows access to 3,5-isoxazole-alkyne adducts from easily prepared or commercially available symmetrical bis- and tris-alkynes in moderate to excellent yields. In addition, we have highlighted the synthetic utility of 3,5-isoxazole-alkyne by developing a route to access, for the first time, β-ketoenamine-alkyne derivatives, and unsymmetrical bis-3,5-isoxazoles.     

Aggregation phenomena in polyelectrolyte multilayers made from polyelectrolytes bearing bulky functional,hydrophobic fragments

The functionalization of polyelectrolyte multilayers often implies the use of bulky functional fragments, attached to a standard polyelectrolyte matrix. Despite of the high density of non-charged, often hydrophobic substituents, regular film growth by sequential adsorption proceeds easily when an appropriate polyelectrolyte counter ion is chosen. However, the functional fragments may cluster or aggregate. This complication is particularly evident when using chromophores and fluorophores as bulky pendant groups. Attention has to be paid to this phenomenon for the design of functional polyelectrolyte films, as aggregation may modify crucially the properties. The use of charged spacer groups does not necessarily suppress the aggregation of functional side groups. Still, clustering and aggregation depend on the detailed system employed, and are not obligatory. In the case of cationic poly(acrylamide)s labeled with naphthalene and pyrene fluorophores, for instance, the polymers form intramolecular hydrophobic associates in solution, as indicated by strong excimer formation. But the polymers can undergo a conformational rearrangement upon adsorption so that they are decoiled in the adsorbed films. Analogous observations are made for polyanions bearing mesogenic biphenyls fragments. In contrast, polycations functionalized with the dye coumarin 343 show little aggregation in solution, but a marked aggregation in the ESA films.