Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Natalie Deiringer, Wolfgang Friess
Summary: Peristaltic pumping is a cause for protein particle formation during the manufacturing of bio-pharmaceuticals. The study evaluated tubing selection and found that silicone tubing with high hardness leads to the least protein particles. Proper tubing selection is important to minimize protein particle generation during pumping.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ranajit Barman, Priya Rajdev, Tathagata Mondal, Pradip Dey, Suhrit Ghosh
Summary: This article presents the synthesis of thermoresponsive alternating copolymers based on a segmented polyurethane scaffold. The polymers exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and can form hollow capsules capable of sequestering hydrophilic guests. The LCST can be tuned by adjusting the degree of polymerization (DP) or hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance. The polymeric system shows excellent biocompatibility and has potential applications as a delivery vehicle in biomedical fields.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shubhashis Datta, Veronika Huntosova, Annamaria Jutkova, Robert Seliga, Juraj Kronek, Adriana Tomkova, Lenka Lenkavska, Mariana Macajova, Boris Bilcik, Barbora Kundekova, Ivan Cavarga, Ewa Pavlova, Miroslav Slouf, Pavol Miskovsky, Daniel Jancura
Summary: Due to their simple preparation method and potential applications in biomedical research, amphiphilic gradient copoly(2-oxazoline)s have attracted increasing interest. This study investigated the solubilization ability of a series of these copolymers with different length of hydrophobic side-chains for curcumin. The results showed that the length of hydrophobic side-chain played a crucial role in curcumin loading onto the self-assembled nanoparticles. The kinetic stability of the nanoparticles was studied using FRET and a correlation between their integrity and cellular uptake was observed in human glioblastoma cells.
Article
Polymer Science
Katharina Breul, Sebastian Seiffert
Summary: The rational design of transiently crosslinked polymer gels requires a deep understanding of how molecular and topological factors affect material properties, with distinct differences observed between random PUs and alternating PUs.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Ting Chen, Huanhui Wang, Chaoyi Situ, Tianyou Ye, Haoran Huang, Weilong Lin, Lianyu Zhao, Ziyuan Wang, Jishi Zhao, Yan Li
Summary: A novel geminized cationic amphiphilic polymer,PAGB(n), was synthesized and utilized to desorb asphaltenes by exposing preadsorbed asphaltene layers to PAGB(n) aqueous solution with different concentrations. The desorption process was studied using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle (CA) measurements. The desorbed mass of asphaltenes increased from approximately 31.6 ng/cm² to 799.5 ng/cm² as the concentration of PAGB(n) increased from 0.5 times the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) to 10.0 times the CAC, with significant improvement observed at 5.0 times the CAC. A gradual peeling off process of asphaltenes displaced by PAGB(n) aggregates from the solid/liquid interface was speculated based on the desorbed mass, AFM images, and surface wettability. The self-aggregation behavior of PAGB(n) on the solid-liquid interface was further investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A network aggregate consisting of spherical multisize micelles was formed, and a removal mechanism of asphaltenes from solid surfaces was proposed, providing insight into heavy oil recovery improvement.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Teng Wang, Jiawen Zhang, Ying Cai, Lang Xu, Lingmin Yi
Summary: This study demonstrates that molecular-scale compositional heterogeneities can reduce the nonspecific interaction between proteins and surfaces, leading to improved resistance against surface contamination. The balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments on the surface of the copolymer coatings provides better synergistic effects, resulting in excellent resistance to various proteins.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Salhah H. Alrefaee
Summary: Through DFT computational study, it was found that imidazolium and pyridinium based ionic liquids exhibit good anticorrosive potential, with corrosion inhibition performance depending on the nature of alkyl groups and halide ions. Among the studied ionic liquids, certain compounds were found to show the best corrosion inhibition performance in both imidazolium and pyridinium based categories.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Mingduo Mu, Frans A. M. Leermakers, Jianshe Chen, Melvin Holmes, Rammile Ettelaie
Summary: Polymer architecture has a significant impact on adsorption behavior. By comparing different amphiphilic polymer architectures, it was found that branched structures can be viewed as analogues of linear block polymers based on the location of their adsorbing units.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Michelle M. S. Lee, Eric Y. Y. Yu, Dingyuan Yan, Joe H. C. Chau, Qian Wu, Jacky W. Y. Lam, Dan Ding, Ryan T. K. Kwok, Dong Wang, Ben Zhong Tang
Summary: The aggregation-induced emission photosensitizer (AIEPS) has emerged as a promising option for bacterial theranostics. With the use of cationic AIEPS, it has been possible to discriminate and eliminate bacteria effectively. This study investigates the relationship between hydrophobicity variation of cationic amphiphilic AIEPS and bacterial targeting outcomes, providing insights into the design strategies for better development in bacterial theranostics.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Avinash Chauhan, Dorothy Gogoi, Sanjay Puri, Awaneesh Singh
Summary: This study presents the phase separation dynamics of a binary simple fluid and amphiphilic polymer mixture using dissipative particle dynamics simulation. The results show that the presence of amphiphilic polymers leads to significantly different evolution morphologies and deviation from dynamical scaling. The study also confirms the existence of hydrodynamic growth regimes in low surfactant-influenced phase separation kinetics of binary fluids.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Debela T. Tadele, Rohan Shorey, Tizazu H. Mekonnen
Summary: The use of zein protein as a biopolymeric sustainable material is gaining interest. By esterifying zein with fatty acid chlorides, its film forming and physicochemical properties can be improved. The modified zein films showed significant improvement in melt processibility and mechanical properties.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yusheng Wang, Yijiang Li, Wencheng Xia, Yaoli Peng, Guangyuan Xie
Summary: The study demonstrated that sodium oleate effectively adsorbs on the oxidized coal surface, improving its hydrophobicity and floatability by reacting with oxygen-containing functional groups on the surface. Additionally, the combination of sodium hexametaphosphate and NaOL in oxidized coal flotation significantly reduces the ash content of clean coal.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Wenbo Zhang, Mingwei Liu, Lanlan Yu, Shanshan Mo, Zhun Deng, Shuli Liu, Yanlian Yang, Chen Wang, Chenxuan Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the contribution of various noncovalent interactions to supramolecular assembly by investigating the self-assembly of peptides.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xiaoyu Cao, Chaoyan Liu, Xiaoping Huang, Jianxian Zeng, Jianrong Xue, Rui Zhang, Kaihua Huang, Zhanfang Cao, Hong Zhong
Summary: A novel collector OCETC was synthesized and successfully applied to recover malachite. OCETC reacted with Cu(II) ions on malachite surface, forming chemical bonds and significantly improving the hydrophobicity of malachite. The flotation recovery of malachite using OCETC was comparable to or even better than that using other commonly used collectors.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Gang Xu, Yilin Wang, Qinghua Wang, Jianpeng Ma
Summary: In this study, the performance of the OPUS-Mut side-chain modeling method and other methods were evaluated on three oligomer datasets. OPUS-Mut outperformed other methods in terms of all residues and interfacial residues. The study also demonstrated the effectiveness of their method in evaluating protein-protein docking pose.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Polymer Science
Francisco Fernandez-Trillo, Helen Willcock
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2017)
Article
Polymer Science
Kay E. B. Doncom, Helen Willcock, Rachel K. O'Reilly
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2017)
Article
Polymer Science
Simon P. Bassett, Natasha A. Birkin, James Jennings, Emma Chapman, Rachel K. O'Reilly, Steven M. Howdle, Helen Willcock
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jessica A. Smith, Sarah J. Green, Samuel Petcher, Douglas J. Parker, Bowen Zhang, Max J. H. Worthington, Xiaofeng Wu, Catherine A. Kelly, Thomas Baker, Christopher T. Gibson, Jonathan A. Campbell, David A. Lewis, Mike J. Jenkins, Helen Willcock, Justin M. Chalker, Tom Hasell
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2019)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Raasti Naseem, Liguo Zhao, Vadim Silberschmidt, Yang Liu, Ollie Scaife, Helen Willcock, Senthil Eswaran, Syed Hossainy
JOURNAL OF BIOMATERIALS APPLICATIONS
(2019)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Raasti Naseem, Liguo Zhao, Senthil K. Eswaran, Helen Willcock
POLYMER ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE
(2020)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Leah Williams, Fiona L. Hatton, Helen Willcock, Elisa Mele
Summary: This review provides an overview of recent advancements in electrospinning of temperature- and pH-responsive polymers to create networks of nanofibres with controlled drug delivery profiles for biomedical applications.
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Ran He, Liguo Zhao, Vadim V. Silberschmidt, Helen Willcock, Felix Vogt
Summary: This paper focuses on designing personalized nitinol stents for femoropopliteal arteries using medical imaging and advanced computational mechanics, with the design process based on achieving a healthy lumen area, reducing stress, and improving lumen shape after stenting. The design protocols were effective in developing personalized stents for arteries with diffuse and focal plaques, providing benefits such as double lumen gain and reduced stress compared to commercial stents. The approach suggested in this study can be applied to development of personalized therapies involving stent technology in various medical procedures.
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING C-MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Karina Santiago-Castillo, Aide Minerva Torres-Huerta, Deyanira del Angel-Lopez, Miguel Antonio Dominguez-Crespo, Hector Dorantes-Rosales, Diana Palma-Ramirez, Helen Willcock
Summary: This study reports a two-step process for the preparation of PVA-CTS-Ag electrospun fibers and analyzes their microstructural, mechanical, and antibacterial properties, confirming their potential application in the biomedical field.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
James D. Tinkler, Alberto Scacchi, Maialen Argaiz, Radmila Tomovska, Andrew J. Archer, Helen Willcock, Ignacio Martin-Fabiani
Summary: This study investigates the effects of particle interactions on the size segregation and assembly of colloidal mixtures during drying. By adding a cationic surfactant to a binary latex/silica colloidal dispersion, the researchers observed a reduction in stratification and even suppression of the effect. Higher surfactant concentrations resulted in the formation of armored particles consisting of latex particles coated with smaller silica nanoparticles.
Article
Polymer Science
Catherine J. Marsden, Colum Breen, James D. Tinkler, Thomas R. Berki, Daniel W. Lester, Jonathan Martinelli, Lorenzo Tei, Stephen J. Butler, Helen Willcock
Summary: The controlled synthesis of amphiphilic di-block copolymers allows for the creation of a variety of nanostructures, including block copolymer particles. This study focuses on the synthesis of p(MMA) particles crosslinked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and stabilized by poly(ethylene glycol)-based polymers. The researchers successfully synthesized a range of block copolymer particles and demonstrated the incorporation of a Gd(iii) complex into the particles, resulting in a molecular imaging agent.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Charles Brooker, Richard d'Arcy, Elisa Mele, Helen Willcock
Summary: Inflammatory skin disorders are common and challenging to treat, but the study showed that anti-inflammatory fibrous sheets loaded with PPS nanoparticles have the potential to effectively treat certain types of inflammatory skin conditions. The nanoparticles retained their anti-inflammatory properties after being encapsulated in fibers, and demonstrated high cytocompatibility with human dermal fibroblasts, indicating promise for topical treatment of inflamed tissues characterized by high ROS levels.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thomas R. Berki, Jonathan Martinelli, Lorenzo Tei, Helen Willcock, Stephen J. Butler
Summary: A new synthetic strategy for macromolecular MRI contrast agents was reported, using RAFT polymerization to prepare water-soluble polymeric CAs with enhanced relaxivities compared to clinically used CAs. The study demonstrated significant increases in relaxivities for linear polymers and hyperbranched polymers, showing the potential for more advanced polymeric CAs with multimodal, bioresponsive, or targeting properties.
Meeting Abstract
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anne Mabire, Quentin Brouard, Anais Pitto-Barry, Rebecca Williams, Helen Willcock, Nigel Kirby, Emma Chapman, Rachel O'Reilly
ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2017)
Meeting Abstract
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anne Mabire, Mathew Robin, Helen Willcock, Anais Pitto-Barry, Nigel Kirby, Rachel O'Reilly
ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2017)
