Generation and Characterization of a Library of Novel Biologically Active Functional Surfactants (Surfmers) Using Combined High-Throughput Methods

Abstract

We report the first successful combination of three distinct high-throughput techniques to deliver the accelerated design, synthesis, and property screening of a library of novel, bio-instructive, polymeric, comb-graft surfactants. These threedimensional, surface-active materials were successfully used to control the surface properties of particles by forming a unimolecular deep layer on the surface of the particles via microfluidic processing. This strategy deliberately utilizes the surfactant to both create the stable particles and deliver a desired cell-instructive behavior. Therefore, these specifically designed, highly functional surfactants are critical to promoting a desired cell response. This library contained surfactants constructed from 20 molecularly distinct (meth)acrylic monomers, which had been pre-identified by HT screening to exhibit specific, varied, and desirable bacterial biofilm inhibitory responses. The surfactant's self-assembly properties in water were assessed by developing a novel, fully automated, HT method to determine the critical aggregation concentration. These values were used as the input data to a computational-based evaluation of the key molecular descriptors that dictated aggregation behavior. Thus, this combination of HT techniques facilitated the rapid design, generation, and evaluation of further novel, highly functional, cell-instructive surfaces by application of designed surfactants possessing complex molecular architectures.

Hydrocarbon-Based Statistical Copolymers Outperform Block Copolymers for Stabilization of Ethanol–Water Foams

“…Conventional free-radical polymerization (FRP) is particularly well-suited for the synthesis of statistical copolymers using a wide range of (meth)­acrylic and (meth)­acrylamide monomers. Their broad commercial availability means that such monomers are applicable to high-throughput syntheses to generate libraries of amphiphilic copolymer surfactants . Accordingly, we performed a series of FRP syntheses employing numerous combinations of hydrophilic and hydrophobic comonomers (Scheme and Table ).…”

Predictive Molecular Design and Structure–Property Validation of Novel Terpene-Based, Sustainably Sourced Bacterial Biofilm-Resistant Materials

“…In addition, two copolymers were added to this palette of homopolymers: i BoMA- co -BoMA (polymerized from pure commercially sourced monomers mixed in a molar ratio of 60:40 mol/mol) and poly­(BoMA– i BoMA) mix [polymerized from the column-purified product from the Fe­(III) triflate synthesis]. Meanwhile, to determine the suitability of the new bio-derived monomers to have utility as the basis of novel polymeric surfactants, the mixture of BoMA– i BoMA, obtained from the Fe­(III) triflate synthesis, was copolymerized with poly­(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate ( m PEGMA 300 ) according to a similar procedure showed by the authors …”

“…Meanwhile, to determine the suitability of the new bio-derived monomers to have utility as the basis of novel polymeric surfactants, the mixture of BoMA– i BoMA, obtained from the Fe(III) triflate synthesis, was copolymerized with poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate ( m PEGMA 300 ) according to a similar procedure showed by the authors. 63 …”

“…As such, this work extended the work reported in prior papers by the authors, where the original petrochemically based monomers were used to synthesis bio-instructive surfmers and then surface active particles which were shown to be biofilm-resistant. 63 − 66 Thus, in this study, the preparation of MPs was conducted using the same microfluidic system settings that were utilized in the prior reports; i.e., an O/W droplet flow-focusing chip was used along with a surfactant constructed from randomly polymerized BoMA– i BoMA and m PEGMA 300 ( Figure 6 a). This has given the authors the confidence that these surfmers will also exhibit biofilm resistance in the same way that the petrochemical versions have been reported to exhibit, and a longer-term study of this is now currently underway to explore this aspect.…”

A potential alternative to fungicides using actives-free (meth)acrylate polymers for protection of wheat crops from fungal attachment and infection

“…Thus, for future studies with this monomer, better kinetic control might require a higher CTA concentration or higher solvent/monomer ratio. 30,31…”