title: Heterogeneity of polyelectrolyte diffusion in polyelectrolyte-protein coacervates: a 1H pulsed field gradient NMR study.
abstract: Proton pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR was used to study the diffusion of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) in coacervates formed from this polycation and the protein bovine serum albumin (BSA). Application of high (up to 30 T/m) magnetic field gradients in PFG NMR measurements allowed probing the diffusion of PDADMAC on a length scale of displacements as small as 100 nm in coacervates formed at different pH's and ionic strengths, i.e., conditions of varying protein-polycation interaction energy. Studies were carried out for a broad range of diffusion times and corresponding values of the mean square displacements. Several ensembles of PDADMAC polycations with different diffusivities were observed in the measured range of diffusion times. The existence of these ensembles and the pattern of their changes with increasing diffusion time support the hypothesis about the microscopic heterogeneity of PDADMAC-BSA coacervates and also provide evidence for the dynamic disintegration and reformation of dense domains.
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
authors: Amrish R
authors: AR
authors: Menjoge
authors: A Basak
authors: AB
authors: Kayitmazer
authors: Paul L
authors: PL
authors: Dubin
authors: Werner
authors: W
authors: Jaeger
authors: Sergey
authors: S
authors: Vasenkov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004058:Diffusion; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D011522:Protons; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D011522:Protons; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine