SignificancemRNA treatments represent an exciting approach to cure diseases that cannot be tackled with current therapeutics. However, the delivery of mRNA to target cells remains a challenge, but among the existing alternatives, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) offer a promising answer to this. Here we determine the structure of LNPs encapsulating mRNA, consisting of a lipid mixture already evaluated in clinical trials. We show that the lipids are not homogeneously distributed across the LNP, and one of the lipids is localized mainly at its surface. The structural information enabled us to design LNPs that successfully modify intracellular protein production in two clinically relevant cell types. Our findings and approach provide a framework for understanding and optimizing vehicles for mRNA delivery.

We present neutron spin echo experiments that address the much debated topic of dynamic phenomena in polymer melts that are induced by interacting with a confining surface. We find an anchored surface layer that internally is highly mobile and not glassy as heavily promoted in the literature. The polymer dynamics in confinement is, rather, determined by two phases, one fully equal to the bulk polymer and another that is partly anchored at the surface. By strong topological interaction, this phase confines further chains with no direct contact to the surface. These form the often invoked interphase, where the full chain relaxation is impeded through the interaction with the anchored chains. The investigation of liquids under nanoconfinement has been a topic of intense scientific scrutiny for decades [1]. The issues are glass transition, crystallization, and phase separation under confinement [2,3]. Recently, this interest has been amplified by the rising of nanotechnology that aims to create new properties by modifying materials at the nanoscale. Polymers are of particular interest since they offer a large range of applications such as coatings, lubrication, nanocomposites, and in the field of biological macromolecules, biosensors [4].Close to a confining surface, the conformations of a polymer are significantly restricted [5]. In addition, the interactions with the surface will strongly affect the dynamics. Related issues such as adsorption, friction, network formation, effects on the entanglement density, and polymer density changes under confinement have been studied [6][7][8][9]. The importance of these phenomena thereby depends on the type of polymer, the specificity of the interactions, and the topology of the confinement. In particular, experimental results have been interpreted in terms of the formation of a glassy polymer layer close to surfaces [7]. Furthermore, the existence of an interphase with properties between those of the glassy layer and the bulk has been hypothesized [10][11][12].A large number of experimental studies have focused on nanoparticles dispersed in a polymer matrix. Whereas for noninteracting polymers significant effects only occur at high particle loadings, the addition of nanoparticles that interact with a polymer matrix induces dramatic property changes for the resulting polymer nanocomposite [7,9,10,13,14]. In particular, it has been reported that the interaction between OH groups on the surface of nanoparticles and locally polar poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chains lead to the formation of a glassy polymer layer [7,10,13]. Theoretical work and computer simulations of chain adsorption as a function of adsorption strength reveal the existence of different chain conformations including trains, loops, and tails [14].Here, we present an investigation on the dynamics of PDMS chains confined in anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) nanopores. We find that PDMS adsorbs at the surface. However, the formed layer is internally highly mobile and not at all glassy. The siz...

By the use of small angle neutron scattering, the chain conformation in a polymer nanocomposite was studied as a function of the nanoparticle fraction for two different molecular weights. A repulsive system was realized in mixing poly(ethylene-propylene) and hydrophobically modified silica. All nanocomposite SANS data exhibit a pronounced scattering peak at intermediate momentum transfers, which is closely connected with the particle structure. Even under contrast matching conditions, the hydrophobic surface layer of the nanoparticles was found to contribute significantly to the scattering signal. In particular, in the short chain matrix the peak origin is exclusively related to direct particle scattering. In the long chain matrix, an additional peak contribution is present. Possible origins include void correlation scattering or polymer correlation scattering. We show unambiguously that the conformation of short chains with a molecular weight of 3000 g/mol is not visibly disturbed by the presence of the nanoparticles. In contrast to that a polymer matrix with 50 000 g/mol chains is affected by the particle presence. The chain radius of gyration R g decreases.

The control mechanisms involved in the modification of wax crystal dimensions in crude oils and refined fuels are of joint scientific and practical interest. An understanding of these mechanisms allows strategies to be developed that lead to decreases in crude oil pour points or (for refined fuels) cold filter plugging points. The attainment of these goals involves the control and modification of wax crystals that spontaneously form in mixed hydrocarbon systems upon decreasing temperature. This work reports on the influence of random crystalline-amorphous block copolymers (ethylene-butene) upon the rheology of model oils. In a parallel fashion small-angle neutron scattering was exploited to gain microscopic insight as to how added poly(ethylene-butene) copolymers modify the wax crystal structures. The copolymers with different contents of polyethylene are highly selective with respect to wax crystal modification. Thus, the copolymer with the highest crystalline tendency is more efficient for the larger wax molecules while the less crystalline one is more efficient for the lower waxes.