Henrik Birkedal

pH-induced metal-ligand cross-links inspired by mussel yield self-healing polymer networks with near-covalent elastic moduli

Growing evidence supports a critical role of metal-ligand coordination in many attributes of biological materials including adhesion, self-assembly, toughness, and hardness without mineralization [Rubin DJ, Miserez A, Waite JH (2010) Advances in Insect Physiology: Insect Integument and Color, eds Jérôme C, Stephen JS (Academic Press, London), pp 75–133]. Coordination between Fe and catechol ligands has recently been correlated to the hardness and high extensibility of the cuticle of mussel byssal threads and proposed to endow self-healing properties [Harrington MJ, Masic A, Holten-Andersen N, Waite JH, Fratzl P (2010) Science 328:216–220]. Inspired by the pH jump experienced by proteins during maturation of a mussel byssus secretion, we have developed a simple method to control catechol-Fe3+ interpolymer cross-linking via pH. The resonance Raman signature of catechol-Fe3+ cross-linked polymer gels at high pH was similar to that from native mussel thread cuticle and the gels displayed elastic moduli (G′) that approach covalently cross-linked gels as well as self-healing properties.

Self-healing mussel-inspired multi-pH-responsive hydrogels.

Self-healing hydrogels can be made using either reversible covalent cross-links or coordination chemistry bonds. Here we present a multi-pH-responsive system inspired by the chemistry of blue mussel adhesive proteins. By attaching DOPA to an amine-functionalized polymer, a multiresponsive system is formed upon reaction with iron. The degree of polymer cross-linking is pH controlled through the pH-dependent DOPA/iron coordination chemistry. This leads to the formation of rapidly self-healing high-strength hydrogels when pH is raised from acidic toward basic values. Close to the pK(a) value, or more precisely the pI value, of the polymer, the gel collapses due to reduced repulsion between polymer chains. Thereby a bistable gel-system is obtained. The present polymer system more closely resembles mussel adhesive proteins than those previously reported and thus also serves as a model system for mussel adhesive chemistry.

Size-Dependent Accumulation of PEGylated Silane-Coated Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles in Murine Tumors.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) can be used as contrast-enhancing agents to visualize tumors by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Here we describe an easy synthesis method of magnetic nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and demonstrate size-dependent accumulation in murine tumors following intravenous injection. Biocompatible iron oxide MNPs coated with PEG were prepared by replacing oleic acid with a biocompatible and commercially available silane-PEG to provide an easy and effective method for chemical coating. The colloidal stable PEGylated MNPs were magnetically separated into two distinct size subpopulations of 20 and 40 nm mean diameters with increased phagocytic uptake observed for the 40 nm size range in vitro. MRI detection revealed greater iron accumulation in murine tumors for 40 nm nanoparticles after intravenous injection. The enhanced MRI contrast of the larger MNPs in the tumor may be a combined result of the size-dependent extravasation and capture by macrophages in the tumor, providing important considerations for improved bioimaging approaches.

Zinc and mechanical prowess in the jaws of nereis a marine worm

Higher animals typically rely on calcification to harden certain tissues such as bones and teeth. Some notable exceptions can be found in invertebrates: The fangs, teeth, and mandibles of diverse arthropod species have been reported to contain high levels of zinc. Considerable quantities of zinc also occur in the jaws of the marine polychaete worm Nereis sp. High copper levels in the polychaete worm Glycera dibranchiata recently were attributed to a copper-based biomineral reinforcing the jaws. In the present article, we attempt to unravel the role of zinc in Nereis limbata jaws, using a combination of position-resolved state-of-the-art techniques. It is shown that the local hardness and stiffness of the jaws correlate with the local zinc concentration, pointing toward a structural role for zinc. Zinc always is detected in tight correlation with chlorine, suggesting the presence of a zinc–chlorine compound. No crystalline inorganic phase was found, however, and results from x-ray absorption spectroscopy further exclude the presence of simple inorganic zinc–chlorine compounds in amorphous form. The correlation of local histidine levels in the protein matrix and zinc concentration leads us to hypothesize a direct coordination of zinc and chlorine to the protein. A comparison of the role of the transition metals zinc and copper in the jaws of two polychaete worm species Nereis and Glycera, respectively, is presented.

Mussel-Inspired Materials: Self-Healing through Coordination Chemistry.

Improved understanding of the underwater attachment strategy of the blue mussels and other marine organisms has inspired researchers to find new routes to advanced materials. Mussels use polyphenols, such as the catechol-containing amino acid 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), to attach to surfaces. Catechols and their analogues can undergo both oxidative covalent cross-linking under alkaline conditions and take part in coordination chemistry. The former has resulted in the widespread use of polydopamine and related materials. The latter is emerging as a tool to make self-healing materials due to the reversible nature of coordination bonds. We review how mussel-inspired materials have been made with a focus on the less developed use of metal coordination and illustrate how this chemistry can be widely to make self-healing materials.

Observation of Uniaxial Negative Thermal Expansion in an Organic Crystal

Reference LCR-ARTICLE-2010-024doi:10.1002/1521-3773(20020301)41:5 3.0.CO;2-R Record created on 2010-01-13, modified on 2017-05-12

Halogenated Veneers: Protein Cross-Linking and Halogenation in the Jaws of Nereis ,a Marine Polychaete Worm

Mineralized tissues are produced by most living organisms for load and impact functions. In contrast, the jaws of the clam worm, Nereis, are hard without mineralization. However, they are peculiarly rich in halogens, which are associated with a variety of post‐translationally modified amino acids, many of which are multiply halogenated by chlorine, bromine, and/or iodine. Several of these modified amino acids, namely dibromohistidine, bromoiodohistidine, chloroiodotyrosine, bromoiodotyrosine, chlorodityrosine, chlorotrityrosine, chlorobromotrityrosine, and bromoiodotrityrosine, have not been previously reported. We have found that the distributions of Cl, Br, and I differ: Cl is widespread whereas Br and I, although not colocalized, are concentrated in proximity to the external jaw surfaces. By using nanoindentation, we show that Br and I are unlikely to play a purely mechanical role, but that the local Zn and Cl concentrations and jaw microstructure are the prime determinants of local jaw hardness. Several of the post‐translationally modified amino acids are akin to those found in various sclerotized structures of invertebrates, and we propose that they are part of a cross‐linked protein casing.

Metals & polymers in the mix: fine-tuning the mechanical properties & color of self-healing mussel-inspired hydrogels

Reversible sacrificial bonds play a crucial role in various biological materials where they serve as load-bearing bonds, facilitating extensibility and/or impart self-healing properties to the biological materials. Recently, the coordination bonds found in blue mussel byssal threads have been mimicked in the design of self-healing hydrogels. Herein we show how the mechanical moduli of mussel-inspired hydrogels based on DOPA-polyallylamine (DOPA-PAA) can be straight-forwardly adjusted by systematically varying the coordinating metal from AlIII, GaIII to InIII. These gels are transparent and only slightly tanned opposite to the black hydrogels obtained using FeIII. Additionally, dark FeIII:DOPA-chitosan gels were synthesized and showed remarkably high storage modulus. The strongest hydrogels were formed around pH 8, which is closer to physiological pH than what was observed in the FeIII:DOPA-PAA system (pHmax∼ 9.5). This finding supports the hypothesis that the maximum in the storage modulus distribution can be adjusted to match a given application by selecting the cationic polymer based on its pKa value.

Anharmonicity in anisotropic displacement parameters

A quasi-harmonic molecular-mean-field model for analyzing anharmonic temperature evolution of anisotropic displacement parameters is described. Anharmonic effects are taken into account through a Gruneisen-type temperature dependence of effective vibrational frequencies. The method is applied to neutron and X-ray diffraction data of hexamethylenetetramine measured between 15 and 298 K. The resulting Gruneisen parameters and other characteristics of molecular motion in the solid state agree well with those obtained from independent vibrational data. The analysis also suggests errors in the ADPs due to insufficient extinction corrections in the diffraction data.

Irregularities in the effect of potassium phosphate in ynamide synthesis.

The yields of ynamides using Hsungs second generation protocol depend substantially on the quality of K(3)PO(4). Samples of K(3)PO(4) from different suppliers were investigated by various techniques, revealing that the use of pure and anhydrous K(3)PO(4) provides higher ynamide yields in comparison to samples contaminated with hydrates (K(3)PO(4) x 1.5 H(2)O and K(3)PO(4) x 7 H(2)O). With high quality K(3)PO(4), a number of ynamides were synthesized in yields of 52-91%. In addition, we report that ynamides can undergo regioselective hydroamination with carbamates.