Biomimetic Block Copolymer Membranes

Malinova, Violeta; Belegrinou, Serena; Ouboter, Dirk de Bruyn; Meier, Wolfgang

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-10479-4_10

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 273 publications

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“…The most prominent approach involves the incorporation of aquaporin into vesicles [20][21][22][23][24] and flat-sheet membranes 25 , as shown in Figure 2, with the expectation of achieving exceptional high water fluxes, similar to those obtained in biological systems. However there are still many issues to be solved.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Block Copolymer Membranes for Aqueous Solution Applications

2016

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Block copolymers are known for their intricate morphology. We review the state of the art of block copolymer membranes and discuss perspectives in this field. The main focus is on pore morphology tuning with a short introduction on non-porous membranes. The two main strategies for pore formation in block copolymer membranes are (i) film casting and selective block sacrifice and (ii) self-assembly and non-solvent induced phase separation (SNIPS). Different fundamental aspects involved in the manufacture of block copolymer membranes are considered, including factors affecting the equilibrium morphology in solid films, self-assembly of copolymer in solutions and macrophase separation by solvent-non-solvent exchange. Different mechanisms are proposed for different depths of the SNIPS membrane. Block copolymer membranes can be prepared with much narrower pore size distribution than homopolymer membranes. Open questions and indications of what we consider the next development steps are finally discussed. They include the synthesis and application of new copolymers and specific functionalization, adding characteristics to respond to stimuli and chemical environment, polymerization-induced phase separation, and the manufacture of organic-inorganic hybrids.3

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Block Copolymer Membranes for Aqueous Solution Applications

2016

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“…Amphiphilic molecules are ubiquitous in cellular biology, where they form membranes and other intracellular structures. Synthetic amphiphiles, commonly made from block copolymers, are becoming increasingly important in the engineering of self-assembled materials [1][2][3][4][5]. In both the biological and polymer contexts, amphiphiles are characterized by their mixed affinity with a solvent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Theoretical prediction of morphological selection in amphiphilic systems

Glasner

2019

Phys. Rev. E

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Biological and synthetic amphiphilic systems exhibit a wide range of morphologies. A density functional model for amphiphilic polymer phase mixtures is utilized to quantify localized equilibria and their stability, and ultimately predict and explain morphological preference. This is done by utilizing matched asymptotic expansions, which produces explicit connections between model parameters and macroscopic properties of equilibrium structures. Bilayers, cylindrical, and spherical micelle and vesicle configurations are found, and formulas which connect their geometry to ambient chemical potential are derived. Dynamics are studied in the context of a free boundary problem which describes the evolution of the hydrophobic-solvent domain interface. Linearization of this problem is used to explicitly determine growth rates and parameter regions of stability. All equilibria are found to have two branches of solutions terminating at a fold in the bifurcation diagram which signals the crossover from competitive stability to instability leading to ripening behavior. Ideally flat bilayers are determined to always possess a long wavelength buckling instability, suggesting that curved structures should be generically preferred. Spherical micelles exhibit morphological instabilities which are suppressed by large enough surface tension. Cylindrical micelles may have short-wavelength pearling and long-wavelength Rayleigh-Plateau-type instabilities. In addition, ideally infinite cylinders have an undulatory instability, suggesting that only finite length structures should be observed. A morphological phase diagram can be assembled which takes into account both existence and stability of different geometries. Consistent with experimental evidence, a bifurcation sequence from spheres to cylinders to vesicles is found as either surface tension or polymer composition increases. Coexistence of different stable morphologies is also observed.

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“…As examples, micelles consist of a hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona, and vesicles are made up of a hydrophilic exterior and interior, which encapsulates bulk solvent. These structures are held together by a hydrophobic layer 1, 2. Polymeric vesicles, also called polymersomes, have many applications, especially in the field of drug delivery 2–5.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐assembly of di‐ and triblock PEG‐pentavaline amphiphiles

Hwang

Wilson-Hill

Ahn

et al. 2010

J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem.

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Nanoparticles formed from amphiphilic block copolymers can be used as drug delivery vehicles for hydrophilic therapeutics. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-peptide copolymers were investigated for their self-assembling properties and as consequent potential delivery systems. Mono-and dihydroxy PEGs were functionalized with a pentavaline sequence bearing Fmoc end groups. The molecular weight of the PEG component was varied to evaluate copolymer size and block number. These di-and tri-block copolymers readily self-assemble in aqueous solution with critical aggregation concentrations (CACs) of 0.46-16.29 lM. At concentrations above the CAC, copolymer solutions form spherical assemblies. Dynamic light scattering studies indicate these aggregates have a broad size distribution, with average diameters between 33 and 127 nm. The copolymers are comprised b-conformations that are stable up to 80 C, as observed by circular dichroism. This peptide secondary structure is retained in solutions up to 50% MeOH as well. The triblock copolymers proved to be the most stable, with copolymers synthesized from 10 kDa PEG having the most stable particles. Loading of carboxyfluorescein at 2-5 mol % shows that these copolymers have the potential to encapsulate hydrophilic drugs for delivery applications. V C 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 49: 871-878, 2011

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Biomimetic Block Copolymer Membranes

Cited by 17 publications

References 273 publications

Block Copolymer Membranes for Aqueous Solution Applications

Block Copolymer Membranes for Aqueous Solution Applications

Theoretical prediction of morphological selection in amphiphilic systems

Self‐assembly of di‐ and triblock PEG‐pentavaline amphiphiles

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