Cécile A. Dreiss

Wormlike micelles: where do we stand? Recent developments, linear rheology and scattering techniques

Wormlike micelles are elongated flexible self-assembly structures formed by the aggregation of amphiphiles. Above a threshold concentration, they entangle into a dynamic network, reminiscent of polymer solutions, and display remarkable visco-elastic properties, which have been exploited in numerous industrial and technological fields. Relating the microstructure of these intricate structures with their bulk properties is still an ongoing quest. In this review, we present a classification of wormlike micelles, with a focus on novel systems and applications. We describe the current state of understanding of their linear rheology and give a detailed account of recent progress in small-angle neutron scattering, a particularly powerful technique to elucidate their microstructure on a wide range of length-scales.

Ultrahigh-Water-Content Supramolecular Hydrogels Exhibiting Multistimuli Responsiveness

Hydrogels are three-dimensional networked materials that are similar to soft biological tissues and have highly variable mechanical properties, making them increasingly important in a variety of biomedical and industrial applications. Herein we report the preparation of extremely high water content hydrogels (up to 99.7% water by weight) driven by strong host-guest complexation with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]). Cellulosic derivatives and commodity polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol) were modified with strongly binding guests for CB[8] ternary complex formation (K(eq) = 10(12) M(-2)). When these polymers were mixed in the presence of CB[8], whereby the overall solid content was 90% cellulosic, a lightly colored, transparent hydrogel was formed instantaneously. The supramolecular nature of these hydrogels affords them with highly tunable mechanical properties, and the dynamics of the CB[8] ternary complex cross-links allows for rapid self-healing of the materials after damage caused by deformation. Moreover, these hydrogels display responsivity to a multitude of external stimuli, including temperature, chemical potential, and competing guests. These materials are easily processed, and the simplicity of their preparation, their availability from inexpensive renewable resources, and the tunability of their properties are distinguishing features for many important water-based applications.

Sustained release of proteins from high water content supramolecular polymer hydrogels.

Self-assembled hydrogels with extremely high water content (up to 99.5%) and highly tunable mechanical properties were prepared from renewable cellulose derivatives. These hydrogels are easily processed and the simplicity of their preparation, their availability from inexpensive renewable resources, and the tunability of their mechanical properties are distinguishing for important biomedical applications. The protein release characteristics were investigated to determine the effect of both the protein molecular weight and polymer loadings of the hydrogels on the protein release rate. Extremely sustained release of bovine serum albumin is observed over the course of 160 days from supramolecular hydrogels containing only 1.5 wt% polymeric constituents. This sustained release far surpasses the current state of the art for protein release from a hydrogel, highlighting these materials as important potential candidates for sustained therapeutic applications.

The oligomerization properties of prion protein are restricted to the H2H3 domain

The propensity of the prion protein (PrP) to adopt different structures is a clue to its pathological behavior. The determination of the region involved in the PrPC to PrPSc conversion is fundamental for the understanding of the mechanisms underlying this process at the molecular level. In this paper, the polymerization of the helical H2H3 domain of ovine PrP (OvPrP) was compared to the full‐length construct (using chromatography and light scattering). We show that the oligomerization patterns are identical, although the H2H3 domain has a higher polymerization rate. Furthermore, the depolymerization kinetics of purified H2H3 oligomers compared to those purified from the full‐length PrP reveal that regions outside H2H3 do not significantly contribute to the oligomerization process. By combining rational mutagenesis and molecular dynamics to investigate the early stages of H2H3 oligomerization, we observe a conformationally stable β‐sheet structure that we propose as a possible nucleus for oligomerization; we also show that single point mutations in H2 and H3 present structural polymorphisms and oligomerization properties that could constitute the basis of species or strain variability.—Chakroun, N., Prigent, S., Dreiss, C. A., Noinville, S., Chapuis, C., Fraternali, F., Rezaei, H. The oligomerization properties of prion protein are restricted to the H2H3 domain. FASEB J. 24, 3222–3231 (2010). www.fasebj.org

On the absolute calibration of bench-top small-angle X-ray scattering instruments: a comparison of different standard methods

Absolute calibration relates the measured (arbitrary) intensity to the differential scattering cross section of the sample, which contains all of the quantitative information specific to the material. The importance of absolute calibration in small-angle scattering experiments has long been recognized. This work details the absolute calibration procedure of a small-angle X-ray scattering instrument from Bruker AXS. The absolute calibration presented here was achieved by using a number of different types of primary and secondary standards. The samples were: a glassy carbon specimen, which had been independently calibrated from neutron radiation; a range of pure liquids, which can be used as primary standards as their differential scattering cross section is directly related to their isothermal compressibility; and a suspension of monodisperse silica particles for which the differential scattering cross section is obtained from Porods law. Good agreement was obtained between the different standard samples, provided that care was taken to obtain significant signal averaging and all sources of background scattering were accounted for. The specimen best suited for routine calibration was the glassy carbon sample, due to its relatively intense scattering and stability over time; however, initial calibration from a primary source is necessary. Pure liquids can be used as primary calibration standards, but the measurements take significantly longer and are, therefore, less suited for frequent use.

Solubilization of Oils or Addition of Monoglycerides Drives the Formation of Wormlike Micelles with an Elliptical Cross-Section in Cholesterol-Based Surfactants : A Study by Rheology, SANS, and Cryo-TEM

We report the formation of wormlike micelles (WLM) in poly(oxyethylene) cholesteryl ether (ChEO(10)) aqueous solutions by the addition of lipophilic monoglycerides at room temperature (monolaurin (ML), monocaprin (MC), and monocaprylin (MCL)) bearing 12-, 10-, and 8-carbon alkyl chains, respectively. A combination of rheology, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and cryo-TEM was used to study their viscoelastic properties and structure. With the successive addition of cosurfactant, a significant increase in viscosity and a clear solidlike behavior is obtained, suggesting the formation of a viscoelastic network of wormlike micelles. Only for MCL is typical Maxwellian behavior obtained. The onset of micellar growth, as detected by the occurrence of solidlike behavior and a significant increase in viscosity, is obtained for 0.30 (1 wt%), 0.34 (1 wt%), and 0.60 (1.5 wt%) cosurfactant/ChEO(10) molar ratios with ML, MC, and MCL, respectively. With ML and MC, extremely long relaxation times (exceeding 20 s) compared to those of MCL are obtained, and zero-shear viscosity values are more than 1 order of magnitude higher than with MCL. These results show that cosurfactants with longer alkyl chain lengths (ML and MC) induce the formation of longer wormlike micelles and do so at lower concentrations. SANS measurements on dilute solutions confirm that the viscoelastic behavior correlates with an increase in contour length and reveals an elliptical cross-section with an axial ratio of around 2. Cryo-TEM images provide visual evidence of the wormlike micelles and confirm the elliptical shape of the cross-section. The addition of small amounts of aliphatic oils (ethyl butyrate, EB, and ethyl caprylate, EC) and cyclic oils (peppermint, PP, and tea tree, TT, oils) to ChEO(10) solutions induces wormlike micelle formation at a lower cosurfactant concentration or even in its absence (for PP, TT, and EC) because of their probable localization in the palisade layer. The viscosity peak and height of the plateau modulus occur at increasing monoglyceride concentration following the order PP ≈ TT > EC > EB > no oil.

Locus-specific microemulsion catalysts for sulfur mustard (HD) chemical warfare agent decontamination.

The rates of catalytic oxidative decontamination of the chemical warfare agent (CWA) sulfur mustard (HD, bis(2-chlororethyl) sulfide) and a range (chloroethyl) sulfide simulants of variable lipophilicity have been examined using a hydrogen peroxide-based microemulsion system. SANS (small-angle neutron scattering), SAXS (small-angle X-ray scattering), PGSE-NMR (pulsed-gradient spin-echo NMR), fluorescence quenching, and electrospray mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) were implemented to examine the distribution of HD, its simulants, and their oxidation/hydrolysis products in a model oil-in-water microemulsion. These measurements not only present a means of interpreting decontamination rates but also a rationale for the design of oxidation catalysts for these toxic materials. Here we show that by localizing manganese-Schiff base catalysts at the oil droplet-water interface or within the droplet core, a range of (chloroethyl) sulfides, including HD, spanning some 7 orders of octanol-water partition coefficient (K(ow)), may be oxidized with equal efficacy using dilute (5 wt. % of aqueous phase) hydrogen peroxide as a noncorrosive, environmentally benign oxidant (e.g., t(1/2) (HD) approximately 18 s, (2-chloroethyl phenyl sulfide, C(6)H(5)SCH(2)CH(2)Cl) approximately 15 s, (thiodiglycol, S(CH(2)CH(2)OH)(2)) approximately 19 s {20 degrees C}). Our observations demonstrate that by programming catalyst lipophilicity to colocalize catalyst and substrate, the inherent compartmentalization of the microemulsion can be exploited to achieve enhanced rates of reaction or to exert control over product selectivity. A combination of SANS, ESI-MS and fluorescence quenching measurements indicate that the enhanced catalytic activity is due to the locus of the catalyst and not a result of partial hydrolysis of the substrate.

Growth, Shrinking, and Breaking of Pluronic Micelles in the Presence of Drugs and/or β-Cyclodextrin, a Study by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering and Fluorescence Spectroscopy

The associative structures between F127 Pluronic micelles and four drugs, namely, lidocaine (LD), pentobarbital sodium salt (PB), sodium naproxen (NP), and sodium salicylate (SAL), were studied by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Different outcomes for the micellar aggregates are observed, which are dependent on the chemical nature of the drug and the presence of charge or otherwise: the micelles grow with LD, are hardly modified with PB, and decrease in size with both NP and SAL. The partition coefficient, determined by fluorescence spectroscopy, is directly correlated to the amount of charge, following NP approximately SAL < PB < LD. All drugs are found to lie at the interfacial layer, with a slightly deeper localization of LD and more superficial for PB. All drugs can form inclusion complexes with heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl) beta-cyclodextrin (hep2,6 beta-CD). Hep2,6 beta-CD, as shown in previous studies (Joseph, J.; Dreiss, C. A.; Cosgrove, T. Langmuir, 2008, 24, 10005-10010; Dreiss, C. A.; Nwabunwanne, E.; Liu, R.; Brooks, N. J. Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 1888-1896), is also able to form a complex with F127, resulting in micellar breakup. In the ternary mixtures, a fine balance of forces is involved, which results in drastic micellar changes, as observed from the SANS patterns. Depending on the ratio of drug, polymer, and hep2,6 beta-CD and the nature of the interactions (which is directly linked to the drug chemical structure), the presence of drug either hinders micellar breakup by beta-CD (at high enough concentration of LD or PB) or leads to micellar growth (NP). These effects are mainly attributed to a preferential drug/beta-CD interaction (except for PB), which, at least in the conditions studied here, explains the higher beta-CD concentration needed for micellar breakup to occur.

Structural transitions in cholesterol-based wormlike micelles induced by encapsulating alkyl ester oils with varying architecture.

The effect of encapsulating oils on the phase behaviour and the microstructure of wormlike micelles formed by polyoxyethylene cholesteryl ether (ChEO(10)) and triethylene glycol monododecyl ether co-surfactant (C(12)EO(3)) was investigated using rheology, Cryo-TEM and small-angle neutron scattering measurements. Six alkyl ester oils bearing small, systematic variations in their molecular structure were encapsulated: ethyl butyrate (EB(24)), ethyl caproate (ECO(26)), ethyl caprylate (EC(28)), methyl enanthate (ME(17)), methyl caprylate (MC(18)) and butyl butyrate (BB(44)), where the subscripts refer to the length of the alkyl chain and fatty acid chain, respectively, on either sides of the ester link. The addition of alkyl ester oils to ChEO(10)/C(12)EO(3) solutions promotes the longitudinal growth of the surfactant aggregates into wormlike micelles possessing an elliptical cross-section, with r(minor) 31±2 Å and r(major) varying from 45 to 70 Å. At fixed alkyl chain length, oils with longer fatty acid chains were found to be more efficient in inducing wormlike micelle formation or their elongation, following the order: EC(28)>ECO(26)>EB(24). Instead, at fixed fatty acid chain length, increasing the alkyl chain has a negative effect on the longitudinal micellar growth (MC(18)>EC(28) and EB(24)>BB(44)). At high co-surfactant concentrations and in the presence of EB(24), an unusual phase of ring-like micelles was detected. Overall, the orientation of the oil molecules within the micelles enables them to act as co-surfactants with a small head-group, decreasing the average cross-section area and promoting longitudinal growth of the micelles into worms.

Molecular Variations in Aromatic Cosolutes: Critical Role in the Rheology of Cationic Wormlike Micelles

Wormlike micelles formed by the addition to cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) of a range of aromatic cosolutes with small molecular variations in their structure were systematically studied. Phenol and derivatives of benzoate and cinnamate were used, and the resulting mixtures were studied by oscillatory, steady-shear rheology, and the microstructure was probed by small-angle neutron scattering. The lengthening of the micelles and their entanglement result in remarkable viscoelastic properties, making rheology a useful tool to assess the effect of structural variations of the cosolutes on wormlike micelle formation. For a fixed concentration of CTAB and cosolute (200 mmol L(-1)), the relaxation time decreases in the following order: phenol > cinnamate> o-hydroxycinnamate > salicylate > o-methoxycinnamate > benzoate > o-methoxybenzoate. The variations in viscoelastic response are rationalized by using Mulliken population analysis to map out the electronic density of the cosolutes and quantify the barrier to rotation of specific groups on the aromatics. We find that the ability of the group attached to the aromatic ring to rotate is crucial in determining the packing of the cosolute at the micellar interface and thus critically impacts the micellar growth and, in turn, the rheological response. These results enable us for the first time to propose design rules for the self-assembly of the surfactants and cosolutes resulting in the formation of wormlike micelles with the cationic surfactant CTAB.