No abstract

No abstract

A novel, facile, and efficient one-step copolymerization strategy was developed for the preparation of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) methacrylate monolithic columns using click chemistry. The novel mono-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-ylmethyl)-2-methylacryl-β-CD monomer was synthesized by a click reaction between propargyl methacrylate and mono-6-azido-β-CD, and then monolithic columns were prepared through a one-step in situ copolymerization of the mono-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-ylmethyl)-2-methylacryl-β-CD monomer and ethylene dimethacrylate. The physicochemical properties and column performance of the fabricated monolithic columns were characterized by elemental analysis, SEM, and micro-HPLC. Satisfactory column permeability, efficiency, and separation performance were obtained for the optimized poly(mono-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-ylmethyl)-2-methylacryl-β-CD-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) monolithic columns. Additionally, typical hydrophilic interaction chromatography retention behavior was observed on the monoliths at high acetonitrile content in the mobile phase. Although the enantioselectivity of our monolithic columns did not meet the level of other reported β-CD monolithic columns, this one-step strategy based on click chemistry still provides an interesting and effective model as it offers the possibility to easily prepare related novel CD methacrylate monoliths through a one-step copolymerization strategy.

We study elastic interactions between colloidal particles and deformation landscapes of undulations in a cholesteric liquid crystal under an electric field applied normal to cholesteric layers. The onset of undulation instability is influenced by the presence of colloidal inclusions and, in turn, layers' undulations mediate the spatial patterning of particle locations. We find that the bending of cholesteric layers around a colloidal particle surface prompts the local nucleation of an undulations lattice at electric fields below the well-defined threshold known for liquid crystals without inclusions, and that the onset of the resulting lattice is locally influenced, both dimensionally and orientationally, by the initial arrangements of colloids defined using laser tweezers. Spherical particles tend to spatially localize in the regions of strong distortions of the cholesteric layers, while colloidal nanowires exhibit an additional preference for multistable alignment offset along various vectors of the undulations lattice. Magnetic rotation of superparamagnetic colloidal particles couples with the locally distorted helical axis and undulating cholesteric layers in a manner that allows for a controlled three-dimensional translation of these particles. These interaction modes lend insight into the physics of liquid crystal structure-colloid elastic interactions, as well as point the way towards guided selfassembly of reconfigurable colloidal composites with potential applications in diffraction optics and photonics.2

Selective capturing and purification of C-reactive protein (CRP) from complex biological fluids plays a pivotal role in studying biological activities of CRP in various diseases. However, obvious nonspecific adsorption of proteins was observed on current affinity sorbents, and thus additional purification steps are often required, which could compromise the recovery of the target protein and/or introduce new impurities. In this study, inspired by the highly specific interaction between CRP and the cell membrane, an excellent anti-biofouling compound 2-(methacryloyloxy)­ethyl phosphorylcholine and a highly hydrophilic crosslinker N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide were employed to fabricate a novel cell membrane biomimetic polymer for selective capture of CRP in the presence of calcium ions. Based on the polymer described above, a facile enrichment approach was established after systematic optimization of the washing and elution conditions. With its favorable properties, such as good porosity, weak electrostatic interaction, high hydrophilicity, and biocompatibility, the novel biomimetic polymer exhibits good specificity, selectivity, recovery (near 100%), purity (95%), and a lower nonspecific protein adsorption for CRP in comparison with commercial immobilized p-aminophenyl phosphoryl choline gel and other purification materials. Furthermore, the structural integrity and functionality of CRP in the elution fraction were well preserved and confirmed by circular dichroism spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and immunoturbidimetric assay. Finally, the biomimetic polymer was successfully applied to the selective enrichment of CRP from sera of patients with inflammation and rats. The proposed novel enrichment approach based on the versatile biomimetic polymer can be used for effective CRP purification, which will benefit the in-depth study of its biological roles.