Characterization of dynamically prepared phospholipid-modified reversed-phase columns

Hybrid Bilayer Interfaces within Reversed-Phase Chromatographic Silica Formed by Self-Assembly of Long-Chain Primary Alcohols

Modification of silica interfaces by covalent attachment of functional ligands is a primary means of controlling the interfacial chemistry of porous silicas used in separations, environmental cleanup, and biosensing. Recently, modification of hydrophobic, n-alkyl-silane-functionalized interfaces has been achieved through self-assembly of zwitterionic phospholipids or mixed-charged surfactants to form "hybrid bilayers", producing interfaces that mimic lipid-bilayer partitioning and provide shape-selective partitioning of aromatic hydrocarbons. Charged headgroups, however, introduce electrostatic interactions that strongly influence the retention of ionizable solutes and require careful control over pH and ionic strength in the solution phase. In this work, we propose modification of C18-functionalized chromatographic silica surfaces through self-assembly of long-chain primary alcohols to form uncharged hybrid-bilayer surfaces. Hybrid bilayers formed from alcohols ranging from C12OH to C22OH are investigated with in situ confocal-Raman microscopy, and the spectra indicate that they form highly ordered n-alkane structures, with order increasing as a function of alcohol chain length. Temperature-dependent Raman spectra of C12OH-C22OH hybrid bilayers were collected to investigate their melting transitions. Multivariate curve resolution of these spectra show broad, two-component melting transitions, indicating alcohol and C18 alkyl chains melt simultaneously. These results suggest an interdigitated interfacial structure, where the hydrocarbon chains of the adsorbed alcohol extend into the underlying C18 chains, ordering both layers. Interdigitation is confirmed by a temperature-dependent study of a deuterated C16-OH bilayer, where spectrally resolved Raman bands from deuterated and protiated hydrocarbons melt together. Finally, n-alkyl alcohol bilayers were tested for protein repellency, where no protein adsorption was observed when equilibrated with ∼1 mg/mL bovine serum albumin. Bilayers C16OH in chain length are shelf stable at refrigerated temperatures for months. These results demonstrate long-chain alcohol bilayers can be utilized to control the interfacial hydrocarbon structure of C18-modified silica and have potential for use in separations, biosensing, and anti-biofouling applications.

Hybrid-Lipid Bilayers Induce n-Alkyl-Chain Order in Reversed-Phase Chromatographic Surfaces, Impacting their Shape Selectivity for Aromatic Hydrocarbon Partitioning

Shape selectivity is important in reversed-phase liquid chromatographic separations, where stationary phases are capable of separating geometric isomers, thereby resolving solutes based on their three-dimensional structure or shape rather than other chemical differences. Numerous chromatographic studies have been carried out using n-alkyl-chain-modified columns to understand how molecular shape affects retention. For polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), it was found that planar compounds were selectively retained over nonplanar structures of comparable molecular weight on surfaces with longer n-alkyl chains, higher chain-density, or at lower temperatures, where selectivity likely arises with greater ordering of the n-alkyl chains. A limitation of these studies, however, is the small range of chain ordering that can be achieved and lack of a direct measure of the n-alkyl-chain order of the stationary phases. In this work, we employ a C₁₈ stationary phase modified with a monolayer of phospholipid as a means of significantly varying the n-alkyl chain order. These hybrid-supported lipid bilayers, which have previously been employed as membrane-like stationary phases for measuring lipophilicity, provide a unique approach to control n-alkyl chain ordering by varying the acyl chain length and degree of unsaturation of the phospholipid modifier. The degree of alkyl-chain order of the resulting modified surfaces is determined from the ratio of trans- versus gauche-conformers, measured in situ within individual porous particles by confocal Raman microscopy. This methodology was also used to assess the affinity of these surfaces for planar versus nonplanar PAH molecules. The retention selectivity for the planar versus nonplanar compounds, thus determined, was found to vary significantly and systematically with the degree of order of the acyl/alkyl chains in the hybrid-supported lipid bilayers. The investigation also demonstrates the utility of confocal Raman microscopy for interrogating the impact of solute partitioning on stationary-phase structure within porous chromatographic particles.

Hybrid-Supported Bilayers Formed with Mixed-Charge Surfactants on C18-Functionalized Silica Surfaces

Mixtures of cationic-anionic surfactants have been shown to spontaneously form ordered monolayers at hydrophobic-hydrophilic boundaries, including air-water and oil-water interfaces. In this work, confocal Raman microscopy is used to investigate the structure of hybrid-supported surfactant bilayers (HSSBs) formed by deposition of a distal leaflet of mixed cationic-anionic surfactants onto a proximal leaflet of n-alkane (C₁₈) chains on the interior surfaces of chromatographic silica particles. The surface coverage of the two surfactants in a hybrid bilayer was determined from carbon analysis and the relative Raman scattering of their respective head-groups. Within the measurement uncertainty, the stoichiometric ratio of the two surfactants is one-to-one, equivalent to mixed-charge-surfactant monolayers at air-water and oil-water interfaces and consistent with the role of the head-group electrostatic interactions in their formation. When self-assembled on the hydrophobic surface, pairs of oppositely charged n-alkyl chain surfactants resemble a phospholipid (phosphatidylcholine) molecule, with its zwitterionic head-group and two hydrophobic acyl chain tails. Indeed, the structure of these hybrid-supported surfactant bilayers on C₁₈-modified silica surfaces is similar to that of hybrid-supported lipid bilayers (HSLBs) on the same supports, but with denser and more-ordered n-alkyl chains. Hybrid-supported surfactant bilayers exhibit a melting phase transition (gel to liquid-crystalline phase) with structural and energetic characteristics similar to those of hybrid-supported bilayers prepared from a zwitterionic phospholipid of the same alkyl chain length. These mixed-charge surfactants on n-alkane-modified silica are stable in water over time (months), results that suggest the potential use of these hybrid bilayers for generating supported lipid-bilayer-like surfaces or for separation applications.

Confocal Raman Microscopy Investigation of Phospholipid Monolayers Deposited on Nitrile-Modified Surfaces in Porous Silica Particles

Phospholipid bilayers deposited on a variety of surfaces provide models for investigation of the lipid membrane structure and supports for biocompatible sensors. Hybrid-supported phospholipid bilayers (HSLBs) are stable membrane models for these investigations, typically prepared by self-assembly of a lipid monolayer over an n-alkane-modified surface. HSLBs have been prepared on n-alkyl chain-modified silica and used for lipophilicity-based chromatographic separations. The structure of these hybrid bilayers differs from vesicle membranes where the lipid head group spacing is greater due to interdigitation of the lipid acyl chains with the underlying n-alkyl chains bound to the silica surface. This interdigitated structure exhibits a broader melting transition at a higher temperature due to strong interactions between the lipid acyl chains and the immobile n-alkyl chains bound to silica. In the present work, we seek to reduce the interactions between a lipid monolayer and its supporting substrate by self-assembly of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) on porous silica functionalized with nitrile-terminated surface ligands. The frequency of Raman scattering of the surface -C≡N stretching mode at the lipid-nitrile interface is consistent with an n-alkane-like environment and insensitive to lipid head group charge, indicating that the lipid acyl chains are in contact with the surface nitrile groups. The head group area of this lipid monolayer was determined from the within-particle phospholipid concentration and silica specific surface area and found to be 54 ± 2 Ų, equivalent to the head group area of a DMPC vesicle bilayer. The structure of these nitrile-supported phospholipid monolayers was characterized below and above their melting transition by confocal Raman microscopy and found to be nearly identical to DMPC vesicle bilayers. Their narrow gel-to-fluid-phase melting transition is equivalent to dispersed DMPC vesicles, suggesting that the acyl chain structure on the nitrile support mimics the outer leaflet structure of a vesicle membrane.

Confocal Raman Microscopy Investigation of Self-Assembly of Hybrid Phospholipid Bilayers within Individual Porous Silica Chromatographic Particles

Hybrid-supported phospholipid bilayers are a model structure utilized for measurement of molecular interactions that typically occur at cell membranes. These membrane models are prepared by adsorption of a lipid monolayer onto a stable n-alkyl chain layer that is covalently bound to a support surface. Hybrid bilayers have been adapted to chromatographic retention measurements of lipophilicity through the assembly of a phospholipid monolayer onto n-alkane-modified silica surfaces in reversed-phase chromatographic particles. Recent Raman microscopy studies of these particles have shown that the acyl chains of the phospholipid interact with the C₁₈-alkyl chains immobilized on the silica surface, where both lipid and C₁₈ alkyl chains become ordered because of chain interdigitation. Confocal Raman microscopy has also been used to investigate the association of small molecules with hybrid-lipid bilayers in C₁₈ chromatographic silica particles; the partitioning of model solutes compares favorably to that in lipid vesicle membranes with similar changes in acyl-chain structure (disordering) with solute partitioning. The present study seeks information about how these membrane-mimetic bilayers assemble onto the C₁₈-derivatized silica surfaces of reversed-phase chromatographic silica particles. Confocal Raman microscopy is capable of interrogating the time-dependent internal composition and structure within individual silica particles. The Raman scattering data can be resolved into component Raman spectra and corresponding composition vectors that describe the time-dependent changes in intensity of the component spectra. This analysis provides insight into how the structures of both the lipid and C₁₈ alkyl chains of hybrid lipid bilayers evolve during deposition and organization on the internal surfaces of reversed-phase chromatographic silica particles.

Confocal Raman Microscopy for in Situ Measurement of Phospholipid-Water Partitioning into Model Phospholipid Bilayers within Individual Chromatographic Particles

The phospholipid-water partition coefficient is a commonly measured parameter that correlates with drug efficacy, small-molecule toxicity, and accumulation of molecules in biological systems in the environment. Despite the utility of this parameter, methods for measuring phospholipid-water partition coefficients are limited. This is due to the difficulty of making quantitative measurements in vesicle membranes or supported phospholipid bilayers, both of which are small-volume phases that challenge the sensitivity of many analytical techniques. In this work, we employ in situ confocal Raman microscopy to probe the partitioning of a model membrane-active compound, 2-(4-isobutylphenyl) propionic acid or ibuprofen, into both hybrid- and supported-phospholipid bilayers deposited on the pore walls of individual chromatographic particles. The large surface-area-to-volume ratio of chromatographic silica allows interrogation of a significant lipid bilayer area within a very small volume. The local phospholipid concentration within a confocal probe volume inside the particle can be as high as 0.5 M, which overcomes the sensitivity limitations of making measurements in the limited membrane areas of single vesicles or planar supported bilayers. Quantitative determination of ibuprofen partitioning is achieved by using the phospholipid acyl-chains of the within-particle bilayer as an internal standard. This approach is tested for measurements of pH-dependent partitioning of ibuprofen into both hybrid-lipid and supported-lipid bilayers within silica particles, and the results are compared with octanol-water partitioning and with partitioning into individual optically trapped phospholipid vesicle membranes. Additionally, the impact of ibuprofen partitioning on bilayer structure is evaluated for both within-particle model membranes and compared with the structural impacts of partitioning into vesicle lipid bilayers.

Confocal Raman Microscopy of Hybrid-Supported Phospholipid Bilayers within Individual C18-Functionalized Chromatographic Particles

Measuring lipid-membrane partitioning of small molecules is critical to predicting bioavailability and investigating molecule-membrane interactions. A stable model membrane for such studies has been developed through assembly of a phospholipid monolayer on n-alkane-modified surfaces. These hybrid bilayers have recently been generated within n-alkyl-chain (C18)-modified porous silica and used in chromatographic retention studies of small molecules. Despite their successful application, determining the structure of hybrid bilayers within chromatographic silica is challenging because they reside at buried interfaces within the porous structure. In this work, we employ confocal Raman microscopy to investigate the formation and temperature-dependent structure of hybrid-phospholipid bilayers in C18-modified, porous-silica chromatographic particles. Porous silica provides sufficient surface area within a confocal probe volume centered in an individual particle to readily measure, with Raman microscopy, the formation of an ordered hybrid bilayer of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) with the surface C18 chains. The DMPC surface density was quantified from the relative Raman scattering intensities of C18 and phospholipid acyl chains and found to be ∼40% of a DMPC vesicle membrane. By monitoring Raman spectra acquired versus temperature, the bilayer main phase transition was observed to be broadened and shifted to higher temperature compared to a DMPC vesicle, in agreement with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. Raman scattering of deuterated phospholipid was resolved from protonated C18 chain scattering, showing that the lipid acyl and C18 chains melt simultaneously in a single phase transition. The surface density of lipid in the hybrid bilayer, the ordering of both C18 and lipid acyl chains upon bilayer formation, and decoupling of C18 methylene C-H vibrations by deuterated lipid acyl chains all suggest an interdigitated acyl chain structure. The simultaneous melting of both layers is also consistent with an interdigitated structure, where immobility of surface-grafted C18 chains decreases the cooperativity and increases the melting temperature compared to a vesicle bilayer.

An LC method for the analysis of phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis products and its application to the monitoring of the acyl migration process

An assay for quantitative analysis of phosphatidylcholine (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and its hydrolysis products: 1-hydroxy-2-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and 1-palmitoyl-2-hydroxy-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine and palmitic acid using high-performance liquid chromatography with charge aerosol detector (CAD) was developed. The separation of the compounds of interest was achieved on a reversed-phase/hydrophilic interaction stationary phase with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile:methanol:10mM ammonium acetate solution. The method was applied to control the acyl migration process of LPC regioisomers in the most common solvents used in the synthesis or modification of PC.

Simple coating of capillaries with anionic liposomes in capillary electrophoresis

A new and relatively simple method was developed for coating of capillaries in electrophoresis with liposomes. The liposomes, with a diameter of about 100 nm, are large unilamellar vesicles prepared by extrusion. The liposomes contained 1-palmitoyl-2-oleyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) or POPC with different proportions of bovine brain phosphatidylserine (PS) and cholesterol. They formed a bilayer structure on the silica surface enabling the separation of neutral compounds. The effectiveness of the coating in separation was evaluated with use of uncharged steroids as model compounds. The coating was also studied by measuring the electroosmotic flow. The best results, taking into consideration both separation and stability, were achieved with anionic 80:20 mol% POPC/PS liposomes. In addition, the effect of coating conditions on the results was investigated. Among the buffers studied [N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-(2-ethanesulfonic acid) (HEPES), phosphate, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) and N-tris(hydroxymethyl)methylglycine (Tricine)], HEPES seemed to have a significant effect on the success of the coating. Successful separation of steroids was achieved only when HEPES buffer was used in the coating procedure and in the background electrolyte solution for the separation. With all other buffers the peaks of the model compounds overlapped.