Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Langmuir. 2011 Sep 6;27(17):10878-85. doi: 10.1021/la201654d. Epub 2011 Jul 27.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable, biocompatible polyesters and very attractive candidates for biomedical applications as materials for tissue engineering. They have a hydrophobic character, but some are able to spread at the air-water interface to form monomolecularly thin films (Langmuir monolayers). This is a very convenient model to analyze PHA self-assembly in two dimensions and to study their molecular interactions with other amphiphilic compounds, which is very important considering compatibility between biomaterials and cell membranes. We used the Langmuir monolayer technique and Brewster angle microscopy to study the properties of poly([R]-3-hydroxy-10-undecenoate) (PHUE) films on the free water surface in various experimental conditions. Moreover, we investigated the interactions between the polymer and one of the main biomembrane components, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC). The addition of lipid to a polymer film does not change the monolayer phase behavior; however, the interactions between these two materials are repulsive and fall in two composition-dependent regimes. In summary, this is the first systematic study of the monolayer behavior of PHUE, thus forming a solid basis for a thorough understanding of material interactions, in particular in the context of biomaterials and implants.
聚羟基脂肪酸酯（PHAs）是可生物降解的、生物相容性的聚酯，作为组织工程材料，它们是生物医学应用中极具吸引力的候选材料。它们具有疏水性，但有些能够在气-液界面上铺展，形成单分子薄的膜（Langmuir 单层膜）。这是一种非常方便的模型，可以分析二维 PHAs 自组装，并研究它们与其他两亲性化合物的分子相互作用，考虑到生物材料与细胞膜之间的相容性，这一点非常重要。我们使用 Langmuir 单层技术和布鲁斯特角显微镜，在各种实验条件下研究了聚([R]-3-羟基-10-十一烯酸酯)（PHUE）在自由水面上的薄膜性质。此外，我们还研究了聚合物与生物膜主要成分之一 1,2-二油酰基-sn-甘油-3-磷酸胆碱（DOPC）之间的相互作用。向聚合物膜中添加脂质不会改变单层相行为；然而，这两种材料之间的相互作用是排斥的，并分为两个依赖于组成的区域。总之，这是 PHUE 单层行为的首次系统研究，为深入了解材料相互作用奠定了坚实的基础，特别是在生物材料和植入物的背景下。
