Adsorption of charged and neutral polymer chains on silica surfaces: the role of electrostatics, volume exclusion, and hydrogen bonding

A Molecular Theory of Polypeptide Adsorption at Inorganic Surfaces

A faithful description of polypeptide adsorption at ionizable surfaces remains a theoretical challenge from a molecular perspective due to the strong coupling of local thermodynamic nonideality and ionizations of both the adsorbate and substrate that are sensitive to the solution condition such as pH, ion valence, and salt concentration. Building upon a recently developed coarse-grained model for natural amino acids in bulk electrolyte solutions, here we report a molecular theory applicable to polypeptide adsorption on ionizable inorganic surfaces over a broad range of inhomogeneous conditions. Our thermodynamic model is able to account for diverse solution effects as well as the amino-acid sequence on polypeptide adsorption and surface association such as hydrogen bonding or bidentate coordination. The theoretical predictions have been validated by extensive comparison with experimental data for the adsorption isotherms of three representative polypeptides at a titanium surface.

Ecotoxicity of polyelectrolyte formulations in water and soil matrices

Interpolyelectrolyte complexes (IPECs) formed by the interaction of two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes have been proposed as soil structure stabilizers. However, little is known about the environmental safety of IPECs. The goal of this study was to investigate the toxicity of a positively charged IPEC formed by two commercial polymers, namely the cationic biopolymer poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and the anionic biopolymer lignohumate (LH), a humic-based plant growth promoter. Toxicity was assessed using cultures of the bacteria Escherichia coli, the ciliate Paramecium caudatum, mammalian (Bos taurus) spermatozoa in vitro, and three plant species (Sinapis alba, Raphanus sativus, and Triticum durum). The responses of test organisms were evaluated in contact with (1) polymer and water and (2) polymer and soil. In water, PDDA and IPEC were highly toxic to bacteria and ciliates at all concentrations and less toxic to mammalian cells. Higher plants were less sensitive to the polymers, and the toxicity progressively decreased in the order PDDA > IPEC > LH. In soil matrices; the phytotoxicity of PDDA and IPEC was found to be quite low, and none of the polymers was toxic to plants at concentrations that allowed the formation of polymeric soil crusts against erosion. This is because the toxicity of cationic polymers decreases as they enter the soil matrix and bind to organic matter and minerals.

Using Polymer-Surfactant Charge Ratio to Control Synergistic Flocculation of Anionic Particulate Dispersions

This study investigates the flocculation induced destabilization of particulate dispersions by oppositely charged polymer−surfactant complexes, with a particular focus on controlling interactions by modulating the charge ratio Z, (where Z = [+polymer]/[−surfactant]) via [−surfactant] at fixed Cpolymer. Cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (cat-HEC) polymer-sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) complexes were prepared with either excess polymer (Z > 1) or surfactant (Z < 1) charges. Anionic particulate dispersions (Ludox and polystyrene-butadiene Latex) were then exposed to the complexes, and solvent relaxation NMR was used to characterize the particle surfaces before and after exposure. In both particulate dispersions, flocculation induced destabilization was enhanced after exposure to cat-HEC-SDS complexes with Z > 1, leaving any excess particle surfaces uncoated after gentle centrifugation. However, complexes with Z < 1 showed no adsorption and destabilization in the Ludox dispersions and only slight destabilization in the Latex dispersions due to possible hydrophobic interactions. Substituting SDS for non-ionic surfactant (C12E6) showed no additional destabilization of the dispersions, but post-centrifugation relaxation rates indicated preferential adsorption of C12E6 onto the particle surfaces. Since the dominant forces are electrostatic, this study highlights the possibility of controlling the interactions between oppositely charged polymer−surfactant complexes and particle surfaces by modulating Z through [−surfactant].

Chain conformation of polymers adsorbed to clay particles: effects of charge and concentration

High molecular weight polymers are used in industrially important applications where the polymers adsorb onto surfaces of inorganic particles and facilitate dispersion, stabilization or flocculation of formulations. The surface conformation of these adsorbed polymers is key to their performance, yet an understanding of the effects of polymer charge, concentration and molecular weight on polymer conformation is incomplete. Here the adsorption behavior of high molecular weight, non-ionic, polyethylene oxide (PEO) and anionic partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) polymers to a model clay, LAPONITE® (a trademark of BYK Additives, Inc.), was studied by small angle neutron scattering over a range of polymer concentrations. The adsorption of PEO was dependent on polymer concentration at all molecular weights, first adsorbing onto the radial edge of the clay particles and then to the clay faces as polymer concentration increased. While similar behavior was observed at low concentrations of HPAM, above a critical concentration, HPAM desorption results in large clay aggregates, which decrease in size at higher polymer loadings. The difference in adsorption properties as a function of polymer charge and concentration is interpreted in terms of conformational differences of adsorbed polymer at the clay surface. Changes in the volume fraction of adsorbed PEO with polymer concentration indicate changes in the relative amounts of adsorbed chain segments in trains, loops and tails, with no clay aggregation. In contrast, a constant volume fraction of adsorbed HPAM at low concentrations gives way to desorption at higher concentration due to charge repulsion, and depletion aggregation of the clay.

Surface adhesion of viruses and bacteria: Defend only and/or vibrationally extinguish also?! A perspective

Coronaviruses COVID-19, SARS-CoV and NL63 use spikes in their corona to bind to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) sites on cytoskeletal membranes of host cells to deliver their viral payload. While groups such as disulfides in ACE2's zinc metallopeptidase, and also in COVID-19's spikes, facilitate such binding, it is worth exploring how similar complementary sites on materials such as polymers, metals, ceramics, fabrics, and biomaterials promote binding of viruses and bacteria and how they could be further engineered to prevent bioactivity, or to act as agents to collect viral payloads in filters or similar devices. In that vein, this article offers a perspective on novel tools and approaches for chemically and topologically modifying most utilitarian surfaces via defensive topological vibrational engineering to either prevent such adhesion or to enhance adhesion and elicit vibrational characteristics/'musical signatures' from the surfaces so that the structure of the binding sites of viruses and bacteria is permanently altered and/or their cellular machinery is permanently disabled by targeted chemical transformations.

Graphic abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1557/s43580-021-00079-0.

Surfactant-Modulation of the Cationic-Polymer-Induced Aggregation of Anionic Particulate Dispersions

Commodity formulations contain many chemically distinct components and their mutual interactions define the beneficial characteristics of the formulation. Mixing oppositely charged polymers and surfactants invariably induces macroscopic phase separation, to a degree dependent on the prevailing polymer and surface charge densities, and the interaction can be modulated by added ionic surfactants. Here, it is shown that a general universality exists between the charge present on a series of cationic-modified cellulose polymers—the charge being controlled either by the degree of cationic modification of the polymer itself or through the subsequent level of anionic surfactant binding—and its capacity to remove anionic colloidal material from solution, be that silica particles or polystyrene-butadiene lattices. Particulate material not removed from solution bears no adsorbed polymer, i.e., the particle surface is bare. Addition of nonionic surfactant does not negate this universality, implying that the nonionic surfactant is largely a spectator molecule or structure (micelle) in these systems, and that the dominant force is an electrostatic one.

Nanoparticle-Hydrogel Composites: From Molecular Interactions to Macroscopic Behavior

Hydrogels are materials used in a variety of applications, ranging from tissue engineering to drug delivery. The incorporation of nanoparticles to yield composite hydrogels has gained substantial momentum over the years since these afford tailor-making and extend material mechanical properties far beyond those achievable through molecular design of the network component. Here, we review different procedures that have been used to integrate nanoparticles into hydrogels; the types of interactions acting between polymers and nanoparticles; and how these underpin the improved mechanical and optical properties of the gels, including the self-healing ability of these composite gels, as well as serving as the basis for future development. In a less explored approach, hydrogels have been used as dispersants of nanomaterials, allowing a larger exposure of the surface of the nanomaterial and thus a better performance in catalytic and sensor applications. Furthermore, the reporting capacity of integrated nanoparticles in hydrogels to assess hydrogel properties, such as equilibrium swelling and elasticity, is highlighted.

Adsorption Characteristics of Carboxymethylated Lignin on Rigid and Soft Surfaces Probed by Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Limited information is available on the interaction of anionically charged lignin and cationic particles, despite the promising use of anionic lignin as a coagulant and dispersant for suspension systems. The main objective of this study was to discover the fate of lignin on its interaction with rigid and soft surfaces. In this work, carboxymethylated lignin (CML) with two different charge densities were produced, and their adsorption performance on gold and poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC)-coated gold surfaces was comprehensively studied. The viscoelastic properties of adsorbed CML on the gold surface were investigated by means of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. A higher adsorbed amount and compact layer were observed for the adsorption of CML with a lower charge density of -1.16 meq/g (CML1). CML with a higher charge density (-2.92 meq/g), CML2, yielded a lower surface excess density of 2.31 × 10^-6 mol/m² and a higher occupied area per molecule (71.84 Ų) at the interface of water and gold sensor. Below and at equilibrium, CML2 generated a bulkier adsorption layer than did CML1 on the gold sensor and on the PDADMAC-coated sensor. Studies on the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly of CML and PDADMAC revealed that CML1 adsorbed more greatly than CML2 on PDADMAC, and it generated a thicker but less viscoelastic layer. In this system, the greater loss to storage modulus ( G″/ G') value was achieved for CML2, indicating its looser structure in the LBL system. Studies on the LBL assembly of carboxymethylated xylan/PDADMAC and CML/PDADMAC provided concrete evidence for the fate of three-dimensional structure of CML on its adsorption performance.

Functionalization of Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Microspheres for the Highly Selective Removal of Contaminants from Aqueous Solutions and the Analysis of Food-Grade Fish Samples

The proliferation of pollution in aquatic environments has become a growing concernand calls for the development of novel adsorbents capable of selectively removing notorious andrecalcitrant pollutants from these ecosystems. Herein, a general strategy was developed for thesynthesis and functionalization of molecularly imprinted polymer microspheres (MIPs) that couldbe optimized to possess a significant adsorption selectivity to an organic pollutant in aqueousmedia, in addition to a high adsorption capacity. Considering that the molecular imprinting alonewas far from satisfactory to produce a high-performance MIPs-based adsorbent, further structuralengineering and surface functionalization were performed in this study. Although the more carboxylgroups on the surfaces of the MIPs enhanced the adsorption rate and capacity toward an organicpollutant through electrostatic interactions, they did not strengthen the adsorption selectivity in aproportional manner. Through a systematic study, the optimized sample exhibiting both impressiveselectivity and capacity for the adsorption of the organic pollutant was found to possess a smallparticle size, a high specific surface area, a large total pore volume, and an appropriate amount ofsurface carboxyl groups. While the pseudo-second-order kinetic model was found to better describethe process of the adsorption onto the surface of MIPs as compared to the pseudo-first-order kineticmodel, neither Langmuir nor Freundlich isothermal model could be used to well fit the isothermaladsorption data. Increased temperature facilitated the adsorption of the organic pollutant onto theMIPs, as an endothermic process. Furthermore, the optimized MIPs were also successfully employedas a stationary phase for the fabrication of a molecularly imprinted solid phase extraction column,with which purchased food-grade fish samples were effectively examined.

Nonlinear electrophoresis in the presence of dielectric decrement

The nonlinear phenomena that occur in the electric double layer (EDL) that forms at charged surfaces strongly influence electrokinetic effects, including electro-osmosis and electrophoresis. In particular, saturation effects due to either dielectric decrement or ion crowding effects are of paramount importance. Dielectric decrement significantly influences the ionic concentration in the EDL at high ζ potential, leading to the formation of a condensed layer near the particle's surface. In this article, we present a model incorporating both steric effects due to the finite size of ions and dielectric decrement to describe the physics in the electric double layer. The model remains valid in both weakly and strongly nonlinear regimes, as long as the electric double layer remains in quasiequilibrium. We apply this model to the study of two archetypal problems in electrokinetics, namely the electrophoresis of particles with fixed surface charges and the electrophoresis of ideally polarizable particles.

Electrochemical characteristics of ideal polarizable interfaces with limited number of charge carriers

Recent progress in material chemistry and surface engineering has led to emergence of new electrode materials with unique physical and electrochemical properties. Here, we introduce a physical model describing charging of ideal polarizable electrode-electrolyte interface where the electrode is characterized by a limited capacity to store charge. The analytical model treats the electrode and electrolyte phases as independent nonlinear capacitors that are eventually coupled through the condition of equality of the total stored electrical charge opposite in sign. Gouy-Chapman and condensed layer theories applied to a general 1:n valent electrolyte are used to predict dependencies of differential capacitance of the electrolyte phase and surface concentration of the electrical charge on the applied potential. The model of the nonlinear capacitor for the electrode phase is described by a theory of electron donors and acceptors present in conductive solids as a result of thermal fluctuations. Both the differential capacitance and the surface concentration of the electrical charge in the electrode are evaluated as functions of the applied potential and related to the capacity of the electrode phase to accumulate charge and its ability to form electron donors and acceptors. The knowledge of capacitive properties of both phases allows to predict electrochemical characteristics of ideal polarizable interfaces, e.g., current responses in linear sweep voltammetry. The coupled model also shows significant potential drops in the electrode comparable to those in the electrolyte phase for materials with low charge carrier concentrations.