Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ekaterina Tsarenko, Ulrich S. Schubert, Ivo Nischang
Summary: Multifunctional nanoparticle formulations for medical purposes have been successfully developed, with a persistent challenge being the quantitative compositional analysis of the NPs with the polymer matrix and encapsulated drugs. In this study, PLGA NPs were formulated and their integrity and size were analyzed using DLS and SEM. Liquid chromatography on reversed-phase silica monolithic columns was used to quantitatively assess the amount of small molecule drugs and NP constituting PLGA polymer. The study demonstrates the viability of reversed-phase monolithic silica in chromatography, providing a valuable strategy for analysis of various precursor polymer systems and drug components in multifunctional drug formulations.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Katherine Gonzalez, Gauri Gangapurwala, Julien Alex, Antje Vollrath, Zoltan Cseresnyes, Christine Weber, Justyna A. Czaplewska, Stephanie Hoeppener, Carl-Magnus Svensson, Thomas Orasch, Thorsten Heinekamp, Carlos Guerrero-Sanchez, Marc Thilo Figge, Ulrich S. Schubert, Axel A. Brakhage
Summary: The study investigated whether polymeric particles (PPs) can reach Aspergillus fumigatus conidia-containing phagolysosomes in macrophages. The results showed that PPs were efficiently taken up by macrophages and co-localized with conidia in the same phagolysosomes. Fusion of phagolysosomes containing PPs with phagolysosomes containing conidia was observed. This suggests that PPs can be used as a carrier system to target intracellular pathogens.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Franziska Hausig-Punke, Gregor Dekevic, Fabian H. Sobotta, Jana I. Solomun, Friederike Richter, Denise Salzig, Anja Traeger, Johannes C. Brendel
Summary: Cationic pH-responsive polymers show promise in cellular delivery by selectively being charged along the endosomal pathway to avoid unintended interactions or cytotoxic side effects. Polypiperazines, a novel hydrophilic class of pH-responsive polymers, effectively bind plasmid DNA (pDNA) and demonstrate high transfection efficiency. Isopropyl modified polypiperazine outperforms linear polyethylenimine (l-PEI) in regions of low N*/P ratios, and the pDNA within piperazine-based polyplexes can be amplified, suggesting different binding mechanisms compared to other transfection polymers. Polypiperazines represent a promising platform for designing effective soluble polymeric vectors that are charge-neutral at physiological conditions, with potential for further optimization.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Maryam Moradi, Michael Jaeger, George R. Newkome, Ulrich S. Schubert
Summary: Plasmon-triggered modulation of fluorophores' photoluminescence brings tremendous opportunities for various applications. The distance between plasmonic components and fluorophores is crucial in plasmon-exciton coupling and the overall optical characteristics of the fluorophores. Developing novel hybrid systems with active tuning of optical properties is in high demand, and incorporating responsive materials like liquid crystals and stimuli-responsive polymers as a separating layer can achieve this.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY C
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhuo Xu, Jose Prince Madalaimuthu, Josef Bernd Slowik, Rico Meitzner, Aman Anand, Shahidul Alam, Hector Corte, Steffi Stumpf, Ulrich S. S. Schubert, Harald Hoppe
Summary: Solution-processed PBDTTT-C-T:PC71BM-based organic solar cells with a blend of organic-inorganic ETLs, including conjugated PDINO molecules and sol-gel derived TiOx, show improved performance compared to cells with a single ETL. The blend ETL reduces bimolecular recombination and trap-assisted recombination, leading to increased efficiency. The integration of compatible organic and inorganic interface materials for simultaneous enhancement of device efficiency and lifetime has potential significance for commercial development of organic solar cells.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Binson Babu, Christof Neumann, Simon Muench, Marcel Enke, Lukas Medenbach, Christian Leibing, Alexandra Lex-Balducci, Andrey Turchanin, Ulrich S. Schubert, Andrea Balducci
Summary: In this work, a new diglyme-based gel-polymer electrolyte (DOKBn-GPE) suitable for potassium-ion capacitors (KIC) is reported. The gel polymer electrolyte shows good mechanical stability, high ionic conductivity (2.84 mS cm-1 at 20 degrees C), and broad electrochemical stability (> 5.0 V). By using this electrolyte in KIC, devices with high energy density and stability during prolonged charge-discharge and float tests can be achieved. These results indicate that the development of diglyme-based gel-polymer electrolytes is a promising strategy for high-performance K-based energy storage devices.
ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ivan A. Volodin, Christian Stolze, Oliver Nolte, Philip Rohland, Martin D. Hager, Ulrich S. Schubert
Summary: An increasing number of redox-active substances with improved electrochemical stability is being studied for potential applications in redox flow batteries. This study compares two recently established stability assessment techniques and evaluates their accuracy in measuring the capacity fade rate of a specific redox species. The results show that both techniques have high standard deviations and may not provide accurate measurements for highly stable redox couples.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Correction
Polymer Science
Lisa Ehrlich, Doris Pospiech, Upenyu L. Muza, Albena Lederer, Julia Muche, Dieter Fischer, Petra Uhlmann, Felix Tzschoeckell, Simon Muench, Martin D. D. Hager, Ulrich S. S. Schubert
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Thomas Orasch, Gauri Gangapurwala, Antje Vollrath, Katherine Gonzalez, Julien Alex, Alicia De San Luis, Christine Weber, Stephanie Hoeppener, Zoltan Cseresnyes, Marc Thilo Figge, Carlos Guerrero-Sanchez, Ulrich S. Schubert, Axel A. Brakhage
Summary: The treatment of life-threatening fungal infections is currently limited and in urgent need of improvement. This study explores the use of polymeric particles for efficient delivery of antifungal compounds to fungal cells. The particles, made of biocompatible polymers, were able to transport hydrophobic cargos into fungal cells and reduce the minimal inhibitory concentration of the encapsulated drug. This research provides insights into improving the delivery of antifungal compounds for more effective treatment.
BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jan Matthias Peschel, Lien Sabrina Reichel, Tim Hoffmann, Christoph Enzensperger, Ulrich Sigmar Schubert, Anja Traeger, Michael Gottschaldt
Summary: This article introduces a modified branched poly(ethylene imine) (bPEI) that is enhanced with d-fructose to improve biocompatibility and target breast cancer cells through the overexpressed GLUT5 transporter. Several fructose-substituted bPEI polymers with varying molecular weights, degrees of substitution, and linker positions are synthesized and characterized. In vitro experiments show reduced cytotoxicity, specific uptake of siRNA polyplexes, and targeted knockdown of GFP in triple-negative breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) compared to noncancer cells (HEK293T) after fructose functionalization of 10 kDa bPEI.
MACROMOLECULAR BIOSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Robin Kampes, Alexander Kleine, Silas Langstein, Stefan Zechel, Martin D. Hager, Ulrich S. Schubert
Summary: This study presents the synthesis and characterization of a clickable iridium(III) complex as a halogen bond-based anion sensor. The functionalization with a polymer, exemplified by poly(ethylene glycol) azide attachment via copper-click-reaction, is demonstrated. The polymeric XB donor complex is extensively characterized and its strong anion complexation capabilities are shown through emission titrations. These findings highlight the potential of using polymeric substituents on the iridium complex to tune its properties or incorporate other functions such as cation complexation sites to exploit cooperative effects.
MACROMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Katharina Leer, Lien S. Reichel, Julian Kimmig, Friederike Richter, Stephanie Hoeppener, Johannes C. Brendel, Stefan Zechel, Ulrich S. Schubert, Anja Traeger
Summary: The success of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines highlights the importance of continued research in non-viral gene carriers. Through the assembly of polymer-based delivery systems and the application of machine learning, an optimal ratio has been identified to overcome the toxicity-efficiency dilemma, showing significant practical implications.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Maryam Moradi, Isabelle Staude, Thomas Pertsch, Michael Jaeger, Ulrich S. Schubert
Summary: By utilizing a spin-coating-based sample fabrication procedure, we developed a gold-quantum dot hybrid system that exhibited reversible photoluminescence switching in response to redox processes. The system relied on a nanometric thick polymer spacer layer that was redox-responsive, enabling attachment of the quantum dots to a gold film. The study demonstrated a reversible and reproducible 2.3 ± 0.6-fold photoluminescence intensity switching factor upon oxidation and reduction of the spacer layer.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Victor D. Lechuga-Islas, Dulce M. M. Sanchez-Cerrillo, Steffi Stumpf, Ramiro Guerrero-Santos, Ulrich S. S. Schubert, Carlos Guerrero-Sanchez
Summary: Inspired by the versatility of functional polymer materials, we developed a family of polymer catalysts that combine efficient catalytic groups with stimuli-responsive properties. By modulating the anion exchange in polymers, we were able to control the physical properties and achieve reversible thermal transitions. These polymer catalysts demonstrated high conversion and selectivity in the depolymerization of post-consumer PET, and their thermo-responsive properties allowed for catalyst recovery and reuse.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mira Behnke, Paul Klemm, Philipp Dahlke, Blerina Shkodra, Baerbel Beringer-Siemers, Justyna Anna Czaplewska, Steffi Stumpf, Paul M. Jordan, Stephanie Schubert, Stephanie Hoeppener, Antje Vollrath, Oliver Werz, Ulrich S. Schubert
Summary: Dextran-based polymers, specifically ethoxy acetalated dextran (Ace-DEX), show potential as drug delivery vehicles due to their easy synthesis, straightforward particle preparation, and pH-dependent degradation. This study compares Ace-DEX with the FDA-approved polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and finds that Ace-DEX has the potential to outperform PLGA in terms of encapsulation properties. Three different methods were used to prepare BRP-187-loaded Ace-DEX nanoparticles and evaluate their physicochemical properties.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS-X
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Greta Camilla Magnano, Marika Quadri, Elisabetta Palazzo, Roberta Lotti, Francesca Loschi, Stefano Dall'Acqua, Michela Abrami, Francesca Larese Filon, Alessandra Marconi, Dritan Hasa
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the loading of sildenafil citrate in three commercial transdermal vehicles using 3D full-thickness skin equivalent and compare the results with permeability experiments using porcine skin. The results showed that the results obtained using the 3D skin equivalent were comparable to those obtained using porcine skin, suggesting that the 3D skin model can be a valid alternative for ex-vivo skin absorption experiments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2024)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
James W. Mckeage, Andrew Z. H. Tan, Andrew J. Taberner
Summary: Needle-free jet injection is a promising alternative drug delivery technique that offers rapid, non-invasive, and large-volume injections. The study presents a prototype multi-orifice nozzle and a computational fluid dynamic model to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of this technology.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2024)
