Polyelectrolyte complex coacervates (PECCs) result from liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in solutions containing oppositely charged polymers 1. Multiphase polyelectrolyte complex coacervates (MPECCs) result from the combination of multiple, specific PECCs 2. The encapsulation of proteins in PECCs can serve as promising vehicles for the effective delivery of protein-based therapeutics, which are notoriously difficult to deliver. The encapsulation of model proteins, such as Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) 3 or Human Hemoglobin (Hb) 4 have illustrated the protein-encapsulating capabilities of these PECC systems. The encapsulation of proteins in MPECCs is a topic that has yet to be explored; however, it can serve to mimic the structure and function of multiphase membraneless organelles, which are abundantly available in cells. This project sought to understand and quantify the encapsulation of enzymes in both PECC and MPECC models; as well as evaluate their efficiency upon encapsulation, as enzymes are simply proteins with catalytic functions 5. A synthesized library of charged, heterochiral polypeptides were used to form both PECC and MPECC systems. Glucose oxidase (GOx) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were the enzymes chosen to be assessed in both PECC and MPECC systems. Turbidity measurements, in terms of percent mole of polycation, were used to determine the optimal stoichiometric ratio between the polyanion and polyanion, in the presence of a given concentration of both or either enzyme, in which maximum complex formation occurred. Here we report that a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio of polycation to polyanion in either a solution with 25ug/mL HRP and 25ug/mL GOx, a solution with 50ug/mL GOx, or a solution with 50ug/mL HRP leads to the highest level of complexation. Enzyme encapsulation efficiency of individual PECCs for both enzymes was assessed using the Bradford assay, in which the supernatant was used to determine the concentration of enzyme left in the PECC post-centrifugation. Here we report that all PECC systems were able to encapsulate both GOx and HRP. Higher encapsulation efficiencies were seen with GOx samples compared to HRP samples. Enzymatic activity and efficiency were assessed using the 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) assay in the presence of ß-D-glucose. The chromogenic change in intensity over time of each sample was assessed using optical microscopy. Michaelis-Menten graphs were made from the data collected. The resulting data was used to evaluate the Km and Vmax of the enzyme cascade in PECC and MPECC systems compared to a control. Here we report that enzyme cascade efficiency varied among PECC and MPECC samples, with some being more efficient than others. We find that both PECC and MPECC systems generally have lower enzyme-substrate affinity (higher Km) compared to performing the reactions in water. However, this may be related to the need for the substrate to diffuse into a different phase or phases. Interestingly, many of the PECC and MPECC systems have lower Vmax values compared to the water control, indicating a faster enzyme saturation. The enzyme kinetics and efficiency could also be controlled by varying the location of the enzymes in each phase within the MPECC systems. Overall, we show that using MPECC systems allows one to select advantageous properties of individual PECCs and combine them together.

Introduction Oral delivery of proteins faces numerous challenges due to their enzymatic susceptibility and instability in the gastrointestinal tract. In recent years, the polyelectrolyte complexes have been explored for their ability to complex protein and protect them against chemical and enzymatic degradation. However, most of the conventional binary polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) are formed by polycations which are associated with toxicity and non-specific bio-interactions. The aim of this thesis was to prepare a series of ternary polyelectrolyte complexes (APECs) by introduction of a polyanion in the binary complexes to alleviate the aforementioned limitations. Method Eight non-insulin loaded ternary complexes (NIL APECs) were spontaneously formed upon mixing a polycation [polyallylamine (PAH), palmitoyl grafted-PAH (Pa2.5), dimethylamino-1-naphthalenesulfonyl grafted-PAH (Da10) or quaternised palmitoyl-PAH (QPa2.5)] with a polyanion [dextran sulphate (DS) or polyacrylic acid (PAA)] at 2:1 ratio, in the presence of ZnSO4 (4μM). A model protein i.e., insulin was added to a polycation, prior to addition of a polyanion and ZnSO4 to form eight insulin loaded (IL) APECs. PECs were used as a control to compare APECs. The complexes were characterised by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). In vitro stability of the complexes was investigated at pH (1.2-7.4), temperature (25˚C, 37˚C and 45˚C) and ionic strength (NaCl-68mM, 103mM and 145mM). Insulin complexation efficiency was assessed by using bovine insulin ELISA assay kit. The in vitro cytotoxicity was investigated on CaCo2 and J774 cells by MTT (3-4,5 dimethyl thialzol2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. All complexes were evaluated for their haemocompatibility by using haemolysis assay, oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay and immunotoxicity by in vitro and in vivo cytokine generation assay. The potential of the uptake of complexes across CaCo2 cells was determined by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. The underlying mechanism of transport of complexes was determined by TEER measurement, assessment of FITC-Dextran and insulin transport across CaCo2 cells. 15 Results NIL QPa2.5 APECs (except IL QPa2.5-DS) exhibited larger hydrodynamic sizes (228-468nm) than all other APECs, due to the presence of bulky quaternary ammonium moieties. QPa2.5 APECs exhibited lower insulin association efficiency (≤40%) than other APECs (≥55%) due to a competition between the polyanion and insulin for QPa2.5 leading to reduced association of insulin in the complexes. DS based APECs generally offered higher insulin association efficiency (≥75%) than PAA based APECs (≤55%) due to higher molecular weight (6-10kDa) of DS. In comparison to other complexes, Pa2.5 PECs and APECs were more stable at varying temperature, ionic strength and pH due to the presence of long palmitoyl alkyl chain (C16) which reduced the chain flexibility and provided stronger hydrophobic association. The cytotoxicity of polycations on CaCo2 and J774 cells is rated as PAH>Da10=Pa2.5>QPa2.5. The introduction of PAA in Pa2.5 and Da10 brought most significant improvement in IC50 i.e., 14 fold and 16 fold respectively on CaCo2 cells; 9.3 fold and 3.73 fold respectively on J774 cells. In comparison to other complexes, Da10 (8mgml-1) induced higher haemolytic activity (~37%) due to a higher hydrophobic load of 10 percent mole grafting of dansyl pendants. The entire range of APECs displayed ≤12% ROS generation by the CaCo2 cells. The degree of in vitro TNFα production (QPa2.5≥Da10≥Pa2.5=PAH) and in vitro IL-6 generation (QPa2.5≥Pa2.5=PAH≥Da10) by J774 cells established an inverse relationship of cytotoxicity with the cytokine generation. Similar to MTT data, the introduction of PAA in APECs brought more significant reduction in in vitro cytokine secretion than DS based APECs. Pa2.5-PAA brought the most significant reduction in both in vitro and in vivo cytokine generation. All the formulations were able to significantly reduce original TEER, however did not demonstrate appreciable paracellular permeation of a hydrophilic macromolecular tracer of paracellular transport i.e., FITC Dextran. The uptake study revealed internalisation of APECs predominantly by a transcellular route. Transcellular uptake of IL QPa2.5 (≤73%), IL QPa2.5-DS (67%) was higher than their NIL counterparts, whereas the uptake of NIL Pa2.5 (≤89%), NIL Pa2.5-PAA (42%) was higher than their IL counterparts. Conclusion In essence, amphiphilic APECs have shown polyanion dependent ability to reduce polycation associated toxicity and they are able to facilitate transcellular uptake of insulin across CaCo2 cells.

No description available.

L’exploitation de pétrole s’accompagne de la modification des conditions thermodynamiques internes du puits et favorise, entre autres, la formation de dépôts minéraux pouvant obstruer les pores micrométriques de la formation rocheuse, rendant difficile l’extraction d’huile. L’efficacité du traitement anti-dépôts dépend de la concentration minimale d’inhibiteur et de la vitesse de relargage du produit. Dans ce contexte, nous avons étudié deux techniques d’encapsulation permettant d’obtenir un système préventif à libération prolongée contenant un polyélectrolyte anionique comme additif modèle. La première consiste en la formation de nanoparticules de polyélectrolytes complexés. La libération de l’actif encapsulé y a été stimulée par la modulation de la salinité du milieu. À pH basique, la libération de l’actif a lieu via le mécanisme de gonflement /dissociation des particules, à pH acide aucune libération ne parait avoir lieu car les objets précipitent. Le second système est une émulsion inverse (E/H) diluée contenant un actif modèle en phase dispersée. Ces systèmes sont stables et un faible pourcentage d’actif est libéré sous contrainte mécanique. / Many thermodynamic changes occur in reservoir rock when oil is produced. These changes enable scale formation on micrometric rock pores that can block them and impede/block oil extraction. Antiscale treatment efficiency depends on minimal inhibitor concentration and product release rate in fluids downhole. In this context, we have studied two encapsulation techniques allowing us to have a sustainable release system composed of an anionic polyelectrolyte as a model additive. The first formulation consists in formation of polyelectrolyte complexes nanoparticles. In this system, active ingredient release was stimulated through medium ionic strength modulation. Under basic conditions, release takes place in particles swelling/dissociation process; whereas, under acidic condition, particles precipitate and no release can be expected. The second system we have worked on is a diluted reverse (W/O) emulsion, in which dispersed aqueous droplets contain a model additive. These systems are stable and small additive percentage is released under mechanic strain.

This work explores the equilibrium structure and thermodynamic phase behavior of complexes formed by charged polymer chains (polyelectrolytes) and oppositely charged spheres (macroions). Polyelectrolyte-macroion complexes form a common pattern in soft-matter physics, chemistry and biology, and enter in numerous technological applications as well. From a fundamental point of view, such complexes are interesting in that they combine the subtle interplay between electrostatic interactions and elastic as well as entropic effects due to conformational changes of the polymer chain, giving rise to a wide range of structural properties. This forms the central theme of theoretical studies presented in this thesis, which concentrate on a number of different problems involving strongly coupled complexes, i.e. complexes that are characterized by a large adsorption energy and small chain fluctuations. <br><br> In the first part, a global analysis of the structural phase behavior of a single polyelectrolyte-macroion complex is presented based on a dimensionless representation, yielding results that cover a wide range of realistic system parameters. Emphasize is made on the interplay between the effects due to the polyelectrolytes chain length, salt concentration and the macroion charge as well as the mechanical chain persistence length. The results are summarized into generic phase diagrams characterizing the wrapping-dewrapping behavior of a polyelectrolyte chain on a macroion. A fully wrapped chain state is typically obtained at intermediate salt concentrations and chain lengths, where the amount of polyelectrolyte charge adsorbed on the macroion typically exceeds the bare macroion charge leading thus to a highly overcharged complex. <br><br> Perhaps the most striking features occur when a single long polyelectrolyte chain is complexed with many oppositely charged spheres. In biology, such complexes form between DNA (which carries the cell's genetic information) and small oppositely charged histone proteins serving as an efficient mechanism for packing a huge amount of DNA into the micron-size cell nucleus in eucaryotic cells. The resultant complex fiber, known as the chromatin fiber, appears with a diameter of 30~nm under physiological conditions. Recent experiments indicate a zig-zag spatial arrangement for individual DNA-histone complexes (nucleosome core particles) along the chromatin fiber. A numerical method is introduced in this thesis based on a simple generic chain-sphere cell model that enables one to investigate the mechanism of fiber formation on a systematic level by incorporating electrostatic and elastic contributions. As will be shown, stable complex fibers exhibit an impressive variety of structures including zig-zag, solenoidal and beads-on-a-string patterns, depending on system parameters such as salt concentration, sphere charge as well as the chain contour length (per sphere). The present results predict fibers of compact zig-zag structure within the physiologically relevant regime with a diameter of about 30~nm, when DNA-histone parameters are adopted. <br><br> In the next part, a numerical method is developed in order to investigate the role of thermal fluctuations on the structure and thermodynamic phase behavior of polyelectrolyte-macroion complexes. This is based on a saddle-point approximation, which allows to describe the experimentally observed reaction (or complexation) equilibrium in a dilute solution of polyelectrolytes and macroions on a systematic level. This equilibrium is determined by the entropy loss a single polyelectrolyte chain suffers as it binds to an oppositely charged macroion. This latter quantity can be calculated from the spectrum of polyelectrolyte fluctuations around a macroion, which is determined by means of a normal-mode analysis. Thereby, a stability phase diagram is obtained, which exhibits qualitative agreement with experimental findings. <br><br> At elevated complex concentrations, one needs to account for the inter-complex interactions as well. It will be shown that at small separations, complexes undergo structural changes in such a way that positive patches from one complex match up with negative patches on the other. Furthermore, one of the polyelectrolyte chains may bridge between the two complexes. These mechanisms lead to a strong inter-complex attraction. As a result, the second virial coefficient associated with the inter-complex interaction becomes negative at intermediate salt concentrations in qualitative agreement with recent experiments on solutions of nucleosome core particles. / In dieser Arbeit werden Gleichgewichtsstrukturen und die thermodynamischen Phasen von Komplexen aus geladenen Polymeren (Polyelektrolyten) und entgegengesetzt geladenen Kugeln (Makroionen) untersucht. Polyelektrolyt-Makroion-Komplexe bilden ein grundlegendes und wiederkehrendes Prinzip in der Physik weicher Materie sowie in Chemie und Biologie. In zahlreichen technologischen Prozessen finden sich ebenfalls Anwendungsbeispiele für derartige Komplexe. Zusätzlich zu ihrem häufigen Auftreten sind sie aufgrund ihrer Vielfalt von strukturellen Eigenschaften von grundlegendem Interesse. Diese Vielfalt wird durch ein Zusammenspiel von elektrostatischen Wechselwirkungen sowie elastischen und entropischen Effekten aufgrund von Konformationsänderungen in der Polymerkette bedingt und bildet das zentrale Thema der theoretischen Studien, die mit dieser Arbeit vorgelegt werden. Verschiedene Strukturen und Prozesse, die stark gekoppelte Komplexe beinhalten - das sind solche, für die eine hohe Adsorptionsenergie und geringe Fluktuationen in den Polymerketten charakteristisch sind -, bilden das Hauptthema der Arbeit. <br><br> Basierend auf einer dimensionslosen Darstellung wird im ersten Teil der Arbeit in einer umfassenden Analyse das strukturelle Phasenverhalten einzelner Polyelektrolyt-Makroion-Komplexe behandelt. Der Schwerpunkt wird hier auf das Wechselspiel zwischen Effekten aufgrund der Polyelektrolytkettenlänge, ihrer mechanischen Persistenzlänge, der Salzkonzentration und der Ladung des Makroions gelegt. Die Ergebnisse werden in allgemeinen Phasendiagrammen zusammengestellt, das das Aufwickeln-Abwickeln-Verhalten der Polyelektrolytkette auf einem Makroion beschreibt. Ein Zustand mit komplett aufgewickelter Kette tritt typischerweise bei mittleren Salzkonzentrationen und Kettenlängen auf; häufig ist hier die auf dem Makroion adsorbierte Gesamtladung des Polyelektrolyts größ er als die Ladung des nackten Makroions, d.h. es findet in hohem Grad Ladungsinversion statt. <br><br> Äußerst bemerkenswerte Eigenschaften treten auf, wenn eine einzelne lange Polyelektrolytkette viele, ihr entgegengesetzt geladene Kugeln komplexiert. In biologischen Systemen findet man solche Komplexe zwischen DNS, die die genetische Information einer Zelle trägt, und kleinen, entgegengesetzt geladenen Histonproteinen. Diese Komplexe dienen als effizienter Mechanismus, die groß e Menge an DNS im Mikrometer-groß en Zellkern eukaryotischer Zellen zu komprimieren. Die dadurch erhaltene komplexe Faser, eine Chromatinfaser, hat unter physiologischen Bedingungen einen Durchmesser von nur etwa 30~nm. Neue Experimente haben gezeigt, dass eine räumliche Zickzack-Anordnung einzelner DNA-Histon-Komplexe entlang der Chromatinfaser vorliegt. In der hier vorgelegten Arbeit wird eine numerische Methode vorgestellt, die auf einem einfachen Ketten-Kugel-Zell-Modell basiert und die die systematische Untersuchung des Mechnismus zur Faserbildung ermöglicht, wobei sowohl elektrostatische als auch elastische Wechselwirkungen berücksichtigt werden. Es wird gezeigt, dass stabile Komplexfasern in Abhängigkeit von der Salzkonzentration, der Kugelladung und der Kettenkonturlänge eine Vielfalt von Strukturen aufweisen, darunter Zickzack-, Solenoid- und Perlenkettenformen. Für physiologisch relevante Bedingungen werden mit dieser Methode für DNA-Histon-Komplexe Fasern kompakter Zickzack-Struktur mit einem Durchmesser von etwa 30~nm erhalten. <br><br> Im folgenden Teil wird eine numerische Methode entwickelt, um den Einfluss thermischer Fluktuationen auf Struktur und thermodynamisches Phasenverhalten der Polyelektrolyt-Makroion-Komplexe zu untersuchen. Basierend auf der Sattelpunktsnäherung werden die experimentell beobachteten Reaktionsgleichgewichte in verdünnten Lösungen von Polyelektrolyten und Makroionen systematisch beschrieben. Das Gleichgewicht ist durch einen Verlust an Entropie für die einzelne Polyelektrolytkette durch die Bindung an das entgegengesetzt geladene Makroion gekennzeichnet. Diese Größ e wurde aus dem Spektrum der Polyelektrolytfluktuationen um das Makroion erhalten und mittels einer Analyse der Normalmoden berechnet. Hierüber wird ein Phasendiagramm zur Stabilität der Komplexe erhalten, das qualitativ gute Übereinstimmungen mit experimentellen Ergebnissen aufweist. <br><br> Bei höheren Komplexkonzentrationen müssen auch die Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Komplexen berücksichtigt werden. Es wird gezeigt, dass sich die Struktur der Komplexe bei kleinen Abständen so ändert, dass positiv geladene Bereiche eines Komplexes mit negativ geladenen auf einem Nachbarkomplex räumlich korrelieren. Weiterhin können einzelne Polyelektrolytketten als verbrückendes Element zwischen zwei Komplexen dienen. Dieser Mechanismus führt zu starker effektiver Anziehung zwischen den Komplexen. In Übereinstimmung mit kürzlich durchgeführten Experimenten ist als Folge davon der zweite Virialkoeffizient der Wechselwirkung zwischen Komplexen bei mittleren Salzkonzentrationen negativ.

In the past decade there has been a growing interest in one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, such as nanowires, nanotubes and nanorods, owing to their size-dependent optical and electronic properties and their potential application as building blocks, interconnects and functional components for assembling nanodevices. One of the ways to obtain such architectures is a template-directed synthesis which is practically a straightforward route to 1D nanostructures. In this approach, the template simply serves as a scaffold, within (or around) which a different material is generated in situ and shaped into a nanostructure with its morphology complementary to that of the template. It is generally accepted that template-directed synthesis provides a simple, high-throughput, and cost-effective procedure that also allows the complex topology present on the surface of a template to be duplicated in a single step. In the current work, utilization of the molecular bottle brushes as templates is proposed for the fabrication of conductive nanorods. Their non-spherical macromolecular geometries and lengths up to a few hundred nanometers allow the application of these structures in nanowire synthesis. The variety of molecular bottle brush architectures and their composition enables the adjustment of appropriate conditions for the preparation of conductive materials. Moreover, the ability of the brushes to assemble on a surface under certain conditions provides their usage as building blocks for the preparation of complex conductive networks. Here, the preparation, characterization, and applications of molecular bottle brushes are discussed. Two main goals were pursued. First, to deepen the knowledge in the synthesis of molecular bottle brushes, and to investigate their behavior on the surface. Second, to explore the application of the brushes as templates or building blocks for the formation of conductive nanowires. For the purpose, new ways of molecular brush synthesis by using the “grafting to” approach had to be developed. It was found that the reaction of nucleophilic addition based on pentofluorophenol chemistry and a coupling “click chemistry” reaction can be used to fabricate molecular brushes. Both methods showed efficient results and demonstrated high reactivity of the backbone with the end groups of the side chains. The “click chemistry” approach, however, demonstrated better results considering higher thicknesses of the brushes and, therefore, higher grafting density of the side chains. The “grafting to” together with the “grafting from” methods are very powerful synthetic tools, which can be used in the fabrication of any desired molecular bottle brush architectures. Additionally, complexation of oppositely charged bottle polymer brushes at a single-molecule level using AFM and CryoTEM was experimentally investigated. It was found that polyelectrolyte complexes have “scrambled-egg” morphology, where oppositely charged polymer chains are not oriented parallel to each other but cross each other. Furthermore, molecular bottle brushes were used as templates for the preparation of conductive nanowires. Three approaches for their fabrication were tested. It was found that brushes could easily be covered with various conductive materials, for example conductive polymers or metals. It was showed that for very small, tiny objects as molecular bottle brushes, one can use FIB in order to build up electrodes at its ends. The electrodes could be sputtered with an accuracy of 500 nm and further be used in the determination of the conductivity. The molecular bottle brushes covered with palladium showed the resistance of 50 MΩ, which, regarding the size of the brush, corresponds to a conductivity of one single molecule being ~1 S*cm-1. The obtained conductivity data were in good correlation with the data found in literature. We believe that the molecular bottle brushes have high potential applicability for the building of complex conductive networks. Future refinement of the synthetic methods, combined with improvements in structuring and positioning of objects at the nanoscale, could lead to their implementation in the construction of high-performance electronic devices.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T20:36:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6787.pdf: 6528368 bytes, checksum: 59d1763870e2de400270ed05b0ac6675 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-25 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Polyelectrolytes complexes (PECs) are defined as materials formed by combining oppositely charged polyelectrolytes together via ionic interaction. PECs have some unique physical properties such as non-solubility in common organic solvents, high surface hydrophilicity, tunable surface charge, and stable structures. A new type of PEC based on chitosan (CS) and sulfonate poly(ethylene terephthalate) (SPET) were synthesized in two different media, buffer solution and salt solution acidified with acetic acid. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potencial, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravity analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to characterize the chemical structure, particle charge, crystallinity and thermal stability. To assess how the internal structure of the PEC and the subsequent membrane formation can affect water and salts transport capacity of microporous polycarbonate membrane, PECs solutions were spread via casting in commercial membranes with pore size of 5 &#956;m. These membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Water Vapor Flux, Resistance to Ion Migration and Membrane Potential. FTIR results indicated the electrostatic interaction of polyelectrolyte to form the polyelectrolyte complex. From the results of zeta potential it was found that the surfaces of CS/SPET nanoparticles have positive charges of about 25 to 44 mV. TGA curves showed that the PECs were more stable than their polyelectrolytes. The deposition of the PEC on the membranes was confirmed by SEM images and the increase of water vapor flux of membranes indicated that the presence of the complex significantly alter the hydrophilic profile of the polycarbonate matrix. The microfiltration of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells demonstrated that membranes modified with PECs retained more of these organisms than the commercial membrane without modification. / Complexos de polieletrólitos (PECs) são definidos como materiais formados pela combinação de polieletrólitos de cargas opostas via interação eletrostática. PECs possuem algumas propriedades únicas como não solubilidade em solventes comuns, alta hidrofilicidade, superfícies modificáveis e estruturas estáveis. Um novo tipo de PEC baseado em quitosana (QT) e poli(tereftalato de etileno) sulfonado (PET-S) foi sintetizado em dois meios diferentes, uma solução tampão ácida e uma solução salina acidificada. Espectroscopia de infravermelho com transformada de Fourier (FTIR), potencial zeta, difração de raios X, análise termogravimétrica e calorimetria diferencial exploratória foram usados para caracterizar a estrutura química, carga da partícula, cristalinidade e estabilidade térmica. Para avaliar como a estrutura interna do PEC e a subsequente formação de membrana pode afetar o transporte de água e sais em membranas de policarbonato microporosas, soluções de PEC foram espalhadas via casting em membranas comerciais com tamanho de poro de 5 &#956;m. As membranas foram caracterizadas utilizando microscopia eletrônica de varredura, transporte de vapor de água, resistência a migração iônica e potencial de membrana. Resultados de FTIR comprovaram a interação eletrostática entre os polieletrólitos e consequentemente a formação dos PECs. O potencial zeta dos PECs apontou que eles apresentam superfícies positivas que variam de 25 a 44 mV. O TGA demonstrou que os PECs são termicamente mais estáveis do que seus polieletrólitos precursores. A deposição dos PECs sobre as membranas foi confirmada pelo MEV e o aumento do fluxo de vapor de água indicou que a presença dos PECs altera significativamente o caráter hidrofílico do policarbonato. A microfiltração de células Saccharomyces cerevisiae mostrou que as membranas modificadas com PECs reteram mais desses organismos do que a membrana comercial sem modificação.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier les interactions entre polyélectrolytes (PE) de charges opposées par analyse frontale continue en électrophorèse capillaire (FACCE) et par titration calorimétrique isotherme (ITC), en fonction de la force ionique du milieu et des paramètres physico-chimiques relatifs aux deux partenaires (taux de charge chimique, masse molaire, ramification). Un copolymère statistique d’acrylamide et de 2-acrylamido-2-méthyl-propane sulfonate (PAMAMPS) de taux de charge variant entre 15% et 100% a été synthétisé et caractérisé pour cette étude. En tant que polycation modèle, la poly(L-lysine) a été retenue, sous sa forme linéaire (PLL) ou ramifiée / hyperbranchée (DGL). Des mesures par turbidimétrie ont permis d’étudier la stabilité des complexes de polyélectrolytes (PEC) en fonction de la force ionique du milieu. La détermination de la stœchiométrie des PEC par 1H-RMN a permis d’établir une règle générale pour prédire les stœchiométries de charge des PEC. Les paramètres thermodynamiques d’interactions (constantes et stœchiométries d’interaction, contribution entropique et enthalpique) ont été déterminés, par le tracé systématique des isothermes d’adsorption, en considérant le modèle d’interactions des sites indépendants de même énergie. Une dépendance linéaire entre le logarithme des constantes d’interactions et le logarithme de la force ionique a été observée. Cette dépendance en force ionique confirme le caractère entropique des interactions entre PE de charges opposées. Elle permet aussi de quantifier le nombre de contre-ions relargués lors de la formation du PEC. Cette quantité de contre-ions libérés a pu être comparée à la quantité totale de contre-ions condensés. Cette modélisation permet, en outre, de prédire les constantes d’interaction pour des taux de charge intermédiaires et à différentes forces ioniques. / The aim of this thesis is to study the interactions between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes (PE) by frontal analysis continuous capillary electrophoresis (FACCE) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) as a function of the ionic strength of the medium and the physico-chemical properties related to the two partners (chemical charge density, molar mass, ramification). Statistical copolymers of acrylamide and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonate (PAMAMPS) with chemical charge densities varying between 15% and 100% were synthesized and characterized for this study. Poly(L-lysine) under their linear (PLL) or ramified/hyperbranched (DGL) forms were used as model polycations. Turbidity measurements allowed the study of the stability of the polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) as a function of the ionic strength of the medium. PEC charge stoichiometries were measured by 1H-NMR, and a general predictive rule that estimates the PEC charge stoichiometry was enounced. The thermodynamic binding parameters (binding constant, stoichiometry, enthalpic and entropic contributions) were determined, by systematically plotting the isotherms of adsorption, and using the model of independent and identical interacting sites. A linear dependence between the logarithm of the binding constants and the logarithm of the ionic strength was observed. This linear dependence confirmed the entropic character of the interactions between oppositely charged PE and allowed quantifying the number of released counter-ions that were compared to the total number of condensed counter-ions. Furthermore, this modelling allowed predicting the binding constants for intermediate chemical charge densities and at different ionic strengths.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:22:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-09-21Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:06:56Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pazianotto_raa_me_sjrp.pdf: 946780 bytes, checksum: d9dd8103ed5cc8d44a4385ab65ab3dfa (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / No presente trabalho, foram avaliados modelos teóricos para a descrição da autodissociação de poliácido fraco, e para a formação de complexos entre polieletrólitos de cargas opostas. Os modelos descritos utilizam simetria cilíndrica e o modelo celular para representar a solução polieletrolítica. A equação de Poisson-Boltzmann, com condições de contorno que levam em conta a regulação carga-potencial, é utilizada nos modelos teóricos para descrever as interações eletrostáticas. Para auto-dissociação de poliácidos fracos, foram obtidos valores teóricos de pH, calculados em função da concentração de polímeros e de sal, os quais estão em boa concordância com resultados experimentais da diluição do ácido poligalacturônico e alginato. Na formação de complexos, a energia livre eletrostática e energia livre de mistura de Flory-Huggins foram combinadas para obter diagramas de estabilidade teóricos, em diferentes condições, para analisar alguns parâmetros críticos. Estes diagramas apresentam boa concordância quando comparados com resultados experimentais da complexação entre: goma arábica e gelatina, alginato e quitosana, DNA e quitosana, poli-L-lisina e sulfato de condroitina. / In the present work, theoretical models for the weak polyacid self-dissociation and polyelectrolyte complexation were evaluated. The models described use cylindrical symmetry and the polyelectrolyte solution is represented by the cell model. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation with boundary conditions which take into account the charge-potential regulation were used to describe the electrostatic interactions. For weak polyacid self-dissociation, theoretical values of pH, calculated as a function of polymer and salt concentrations, were obtained, and are in good agreement with experimental data of dilution of polygalacturonic acid and alginate. In the complex formation the electrostatic and the Flory- Huggins mixture free energies were combined to obtain stability diagrams in different conditions in order to analyze some critical parameters. The theoretical diagrams have shown good agreement when compared with experimental data for the complexation of: arabic gum/gelatin, alginate/chitosan, DNA/chitosan, poly-L-lysine/chondroitin sulfate.

Orientador: João Ruggiero Neto / Banca: Sergio Paulo Campana Filho / Banca: Márcio José Tiera / Resumo: No presente trabalho, foram avaliados modelos teóricos para a descrição da autodissociação de poliácido fraco, e para a formação de complexos entre polieletrólitos de cargas opostas. Os modelos descritos utilizam simetria cilíndrica e o modelo celular para representar a solução polieletrolítica. A equação de Poisson-Boltzmann, com condições de contorno que levam em conta a regulação carga-potencial, é utilizada nos modelos teóricos para descrever as interações eletrostáticas. Para auto-dissociação de poliácidos fracos, foram obtidos valores teóricos de pH, calculados em função da concentração de polímeros e de sal, os quais estão em boa concordância com resultados experimentais da diluição do ácido poligalacturônico e alginato. Na formação de complexos, a energia livre eletrostática e energia livre de mistura de Flory-Huggins foram combinadas para obter diagramas de estabilidade teóricos, em diferentes condições, para analisar alguns parâmetros críticos. Estes diagramas apresentam boa concordância quando comparados com resultados experimentais da complexação entre: goma arábica e gelatina, alginato e quitosana, DNA e quitosana, poli-L-lisina e sulfato de condroitina. / Abstract: In the present work, theoretical models for the weak polyacid self-dissociation and polyelectrolyte complexation were evaluated. The models described use cylindrical symmetry and the polyelectrolyte solution is represented by the cell model. The Poisson-Boltzmann equation with boundary conditions which take into account the charge-potential regulation were used to describe the electrostatic interactions. For weak polyacid self-dissociation, theoretical values of pH, calculated as a function of polymer and salt concentrations, were obtained, and are in good agreement with experimental data of dilution of polygalacturonic acid and alginate. In the complex formation the electrostatic and the Flory- Huggins mixture free energies were combined to obtain stability diagrams in different conditions in order to analyze some critical parameters. The theoretical diagrams have shown good agreement when compared with experimental data for the complexation of: arabic gum/gelatin, alginate/chitosan, DNA/chitosan, poly-L-lysine/chondroitin sulfate. / Mestre