title: Interaction of hydrophobically end-capped poly(ethylene glycol) with phospholipid vesicles: the hydrocarbon end-chain length dependence.
abstract: We have investigated the adsorption of hydrophobically end-capped poly(ethylene glycol) (HE-PEG) with carbon number (m) in the hydrocarbon end chain ranging from 0 to 16 onto phospholipid membrane by use of quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). QCM-D and SPR studies show that the hydrophobic interaction between HE-PEG chains and the lipid membrane increases with the hydrocarbon chain length. At a low HE-PEG concentration, the adsorption cannot induce a vesicle-to-bilayer transition until the carbon number is up to 16. However, at a high HE-PEG concentration, the adsorption results in a vesicle-to-bilayer transition at m > or = 12. ITC measurements demonstrate that enthalpy change (DeltaH) for the mixing of lipid vesicles with HE-PEG chains is too small to be detectable when m is less than 12. However, DeltaH changes from positive to negative as the carbon number increases from 12 to 16, indicating that the HE-PEG insertion increases with its hydrocarbon end-chain length. The present study reveals that the hydrophobic interaction between the lipid membrane and HE-PEG chains as well as the osmotic pressure drive the adsorption and insertion of such polymer chains.
authors.affiliation: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemical Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xinxin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Guangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Guangzhao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002151:Calorimetry; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007700:Kinetics; D008081:Liposomes / Q000737:chemistry; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D011791:Quartz; D020349:Surface Plasmon Resonance
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons; D008081:Liposomes; D010743:Phospholipids; D011791:Quartz; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols