title: Superselective targeting using multivalent polymers.
abstract: Despite their importance for material and life sciences, multivalent interactions between polymers and surfaces remain poorly understood. Combining recent achievements of synthetic chemistry and surface characterization, we have developed a well-defined and highly specific model system based on host/guest interactions. We use this model to study the binding of hyaluronic acid functionalized with host molecules to tunable surfaces displaying different densities of guest molecules. Remarkably, we find that the surface density of bound polymer increases faster than linearly with the surface density of binding sites. Based on predictions from a simple analytical model, we propose that this superselective behavior arises from a combination of enthalpic and entropic effects upon binding of nanoobjects to surfaces, accentuated by the ability of polymer chains to interpenetrate.
authors.affiliation: Biosurfaces Unit, CIC biomaGUNE , Paseo Miramon 182, 20009 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain.
authors.forename: Galina V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Dubacheva
authors.forename: Tine
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Curk
authors.forename: Bortolo M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Mognetti
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Auzély-Velty
authors.forename: Daan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frenkel
authors.forename: Ralf P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D001665:Binding Sites; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D000075163:Metallocenes; D008956:Models, Chemical; D015394:Molecular Structure; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D000075163:Metallocenes; D047392:beta-Cyclodextrins; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; C004998:ferrocene