Sponge Mesoporous Silica Formation Using Disordered Phospholipid Bilayers as Template

Lecithin/dodecylamine/lactose mixtures in ethanol/aqueous media led to the formation of sponge mesoporous silica (SMS) materials by means of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as silica source. SMS materials show a “sponge-mesoporous” porosity with a pore diameter of about 5−6 nm, in accordance to the length of a lecithin bilayer. SMS synthesis was developed to create a new class of powerful biocatalysts able to efficiently encapsulate enzymes by adding a porosity control to the classical sol−gel synthesis and by using phospholipids and lactose as protecting agents for the enzymes. In the present study, the formation of SMS was investigated by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) probes inserted inside phospholipid bilayers. The influence of progressive addition of each component (ethanol, dodecylamine, lactose, TEOS) on phospholipid bilayers was first examined; then, the time evolution of EPR spectra during SMS synthesis was studied. Parameters informative of mobility, structure, order, and polarity around the probes were extracted by computer analysis of the EPR line shape. The results were discussed on the basis of solids characterization by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen isotherm, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results, together with the well-known ability of ethanol to promote membrane hemifusion, suggested that the templating structure is a bicontinuous phospholipid bilayer phase, shaped as a gyroid, resulting of multiple membrane hemifusions induced by the high alcohol content used in SMS synthesis. SMS synthesis was compared to hexagonal mesoporous silica (HMS) synthesis accomplished by adding TEOS to a dodecylamine/EtOH/water mixture. EPR evidenced the difference between HMS and SMS synthesis; the latter uses an already organized but slowly growing mesophase of phospholipids, never observed before, whereas the former shows a progressive elongation of micelles into wormlike structures. SMS-type materials represent a new class of biocompatible materials and open a bright perspective for biomolecule processing for pharmaceutical, biocatalysis, biosensors, or biofuel cell applications

Effect of Hydrogenated Cardanol on the Structure of Model Membranes Studied by EPR and NMR

Hydrogenated cardanol (HC) is known to act as an antiobesity, promising antioxidant, and eco-friendly brominating agent. In this respect, it is important to find the way to transport and protect HC into the body; a micellar structure works as the simplest membrane model and may be considered a suitable biocarrier for HC. Therefore, it is useful to analyze the impact of HC in the micellar structure and properties. This study reports a computer aided electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and ¹H NMR investigation of structural variations of cetyltrimetylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles upon insertion of HC at different concentrations and pH variations. Surfactant spin probes inserted in the micelles allowed us to get information on the structure and dynamics of the micelles and the interactions between HC and CTAB. The formation of highly packed HC-CTAB mixed micelles were favored by the occurrence of both hydrophobic (chain–chain) and hydrophilic (between the polar and charged lipid heads) interactions. These interactions were enhanced by neutralization of the acidic HC heads. Different HC localizations into the micelles and micellar structures were identified by changing HC/CTAB relative concentrations and pH. The increase in HC concentration generated mixed micelles characterized by an increased surfactant packing. These results suggested a rod-like shape of the mixed micelles. The increase in pH promoted the insertion of deprotonated HC into less packed micelles, favored by the electrostatic head–head interactions between CTAB and deprotonated-HC surfactants

Effect of Hydrogenated Cardanol on the Structure of Model Membranes Studied by EPR and NMR

Hydrogenated cardanol (HC) is known to act as an antiobesity, promising antioxidant, and eco-friendly brominating agent. In this respect, it is important to find the way to transport and protect HC into the body; a micellar structure works as the simplest membrane model and may be considered a suitable biocarrier for HC. Therefore, it is useful to analyze the impact of HC in the micellar structure and properties. This study reports a computer aided electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and ¹H NMR investigation of structural variations of cetyltrimetylammonium bromide (CTAB) micelles upon insertion of HC at different concentrations and pH variations. Surfactant spin probes inserted in the micelles allowed us to get information on the structure and dynamics of the micelles and the interactions between HC and CTAB. The formation of highly packed HC-CTAB mixed micelles were favored by the occurrence of both hydrophobic (chain–chain) and hydrophilic (between the polar and charged lipid heads) interactions. These interactions were enhanced by neutralization of the acidic HC heads. Different HC localizations into the micelles and micellar structures were identified by changing HC/CTAB relative concentrations and pH. The increase in HC concentration generated mixed micelles characterized by an increased surfactant packing. These results suggested a rod-like shape of the mixed micelles. The increase in pH promoted the insertion of deprotonated HC into less packed micelles, favored by the electrostatic head–head interactions between CTAB and deprotonated-HC surfactants

Cationic Imidazolium Polythiophenes: Effects of Imidazolium-Methylation on Solution Concentration-Driven Aggregation and Surface Free Energy of Films Processed from Solvents with Different Polarity

Cationic imidazolium-functionalized polythiophenes with single- or double-methylation of the imidazolium ring were used to study the impact of imidazolium-methylation on (i) the solution concentration-driven aggregation in the presence of paramagnetic probes with different ionic and hydrophobic constituents and (ii) their surface free energy (SFE) as spin-coated films deposited on plasma-activated glass. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy shows that the differences in film structuration between the polymers with different methylations originate from the early stages of aggregation. In the solid state, higher degree of imidazolium-methylation generates smaller values of total SFE, γS, (by around 2 mN/m), which could be relevant in optoelectronic applications. Methylation also causes a decrease in the polar contribution of γS (γSp), suggesting that methylation decreases the polar nature of the imidazolium ring, probably due to the blocking of its H-bonding capabilities. The values of γS obtained in the present work are similar to the values obtained for doped films of neutral conjugated polymers, such as polyaniline, poly­(3-hexylthiophene), and polypyrrole. However, imidazolium-polythiophenes generate films with a larger predominance of the dispersive component of γS (γSd), probably due to the motion restriction in the ionic functionalities in a conjugated polyelectrolyte, in comparison to regular dopants. The presence of 1,4-dioxane increases γSp, especially, in the polymer with larger imidazolium-methylation (and therefore unable to interact through H-bonding), probably by a decrease of the imidazolium–glass interactions. Singly-methylated imidazolium polythiophenes have been applied as electrode selective (“buffer”) interlayers in conventional and inverted organic solar cells, improving their performance. However, clear structure–function guidelines are still needed for designing high-performance polythiophene-based interlayer materials. Therefore, the information reported in this work could be useful for such applications

Correlation among chemical structure, surface properties and cytotoxicity of N-acyl alanine and serine surfactants

Toxicity is one of the main concern limiting the use of surfactants. Many efforts have been devoted to the development of new amphiphilic molecules characterized by a lower toxicological profile and environmental impact. N-acyl amino acids are a class of anionic surfactants that can find applications in different technological fields as an alternative to sulphate-based surfactants (e.g., sodium dodecyl sulphate).The understanding of the relationship between chemical structure and toxicological profile is fundamental for the disclosure of the full potential of these amphiphiles. With this aim, two series of N-acyl surfactants, with different length of the hydrophobic tails and serine or alanine as polar head, were synthesized and fully characterized.The correlation between the surface and toxicological parameters allowed highlighting the role exerted by the length of the hydrocarbon chain and the polar head on cytotoxicity. The length of the hydrocarbon chain mainly influences surface properties and toxicological parameters, while the amino acid polar head plays a key role only on cellular toxicity. Overall, our data suggest that minor differences in the polar head, not affecting significantly CMC values, may have a strong impact on cytotoxicity.</p

EPR and Rheological Study of Hybrid Interfaces in Gold–Clay–Epoxy Nanocomposites

With the aim to obtain new materials with special properties to be used in various industrial and biomedical applications, ternary “gold–clay–epoxy” nanocomposites and their nanodispersions were prepared using clay decorated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), at different gold contents. Nanocomposites structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Rheology and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) techniques were used in order to evaluate the molecular dynamics in the nanodispersions, as well as dynamics at interfaces in the nanocomposites. The percolation threshold (i.e., the filler content related to the formation of long-range connectivity of particles in the dispersed media) of the gold nanoparticles was determined to be ϕ_p = 0.6 wt % at a fixed clay content of 3 wt %. The flow activation energy and the relaxation time spectrum illustrated the presence of interfacial interactions in the ternary nanodispersions around and above the percolation threshold of AuNPs; these interfacial interactions suppressed the global molecular dynamics. It was found that below ϕ_p the free epoxy polymer chains ratio dominated over the chains attracted on the gold surfaces; thus, the rheological behavior was not significantly changed by the presence of AuNPs. While, around and above ϕ_p, the amount of the bonded epoxy polymer chains on the gold surface was much higher than that of the free chains; thus, a substantial increase in the flow activation energy and shift in the spectra to higher relaxation times appeared. The EPR signals of the nanocomposites depended on the gold nanoparticle contents and the preparation procedure thus providing a fingerprint of the different nanostructures. The EPR results from spin probes indicated that the main effect of the gold nanoparticles above ϕ_p, was to form a more homogeneous, viscous and polar clay–epoxy mixture at the nanoparticle surface. The knowledge obtained from this study is applicable to understand the role of interfaces in ternary nanocomposites with different combinations of nanofiller

Copper(II) Complexes with 4‑Carbomethoxypyrrolidone Functionalized PAMAM-Dendrimers: An EPR Study

The internal flexibility and interacting ability of PAMAM-dendrimers having 4-carbomethoxypyrrolidone-groups as surface groups (termed Gn-Pyr), which may be useful for biomedical purposes, and ion traps were investigated by analyzing the EPR spectra of their copper­(II) complexes. Increasing amounts (with respect to the Pyr groups) of copper­(II) gave rise to different signals constituting the EPR spectra at room and low temperature corresponding to different coordinations of Cu²⁺ inside and outside the dendrimers. At low Cu²⁺ concentrations, CuN₄ coordination involving the DAB core is preferential for G3- and G5-Pyr, while G4-Pyr shows a CuN₃O coordination. CuN₂O₂ coordination into the external dendrimer layer was also contributing to G3- and G4-Pyr spectra. The structures of the proposed copper–dendrimer complexes were also shown. G4-Pyr displays unusual binding ability toward Cu­(II) ions. Mainly the remarkably low toxicity shown by G4-Pyr and its peculiar binding ability leads to a potential use in biomedical fields