Podshivalov Aleksandr, Litvinov Mikhail, Kashurin Aleksandr, Danilova Ksenia
Center for Chemical Engineering, ITMO University, Kronverkskiy Prospekt, 49, 197101 Saint-Petersburg, Russia.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Apr 30;17(9):1236. doi: 10.3390/polym17091236.
In this work, using small-angle X-ray scattering from synchrotron radiation, the macromolecular structure of chitosan and gelatin polyelectrolytes and their mixtures at various pH values and ratios was studied to determine the size and shape of primary supramolecular (bio)PEC. Analysis of the scattering profiles of the initial solutions of chitosan and gelatin with the building of the pair distance function showed the formation of single-modal distributions with a maximum molecular size of 46 and 32.2 nm, respectively. Ab initio reconstruction of the macromolecule's shape showed the formation of objects shaped like an oblate spheroid. In mixtures of chitosan and gelatin at a pH below the isoelectric point, it was found that the scattering structures correspond to the initial biopolymers. However, it is observed that values of the aspect ratio at a ratio above 1:10 gradually increase, which indicates a slight elongation of the average particle and indirectly indicates the formation of dissipative structures of (bio)PEC. In mixtures at a pH above the isoelectric point, it was shown that at ratios above 1:5, the formation of primary supramolecular complexes is observed, which is accompanied by an increase in zero-scattering intensity by about three times, maximum molecular size by two to two-and-a-half times relative to the initial polymers, and the formation of elongated structures corresponding to the cylinder (swollen spiral). It may be a consequence of the increased efficiency of the polyelectrolyte associative interaction between chitosan and gelatin.
在这项工作中,利用同步辐射的小角X射线散射,研究了壳聚糖和明胶聚电解质及其混合物在不同pH值和比例下的大分子结构,以确定初级超分子(生物)聚电解质复合物的尺寸和形状。通过构建对距函数对壳聚糖和明胶初始溶液的散射曲线进行分析,结果表明分别形成了最大分子尺寸为46和32.2 nm的单峰分布。对大分子形状进行从头算重建,结果显示形成了扁球形的物体。在pH低于等电点的壳聚糖和明胶混合物中,发现散射结构与初始生物聚合物相对应。然而,可以观察到,当比例高于1:10时,纵横比的值逐渐增加,这表明平均颗粒略有伸长,并间接表明(生物)聚电解质复合物耗散结构的形成。在pH高于等电点的混合物中,结果表明,当比例高于1:5时,观察到初级超分子复合物的形成,这伴随着零散射强度增加约三倍,最大分子尺寸相对于初始聚合物增加两到两倍半,并形成对应于圆柱体(肿胀螺旋)的细长结构。这可能是壳聚糖和明胶之间聚电解质缔合相互作用效率提高的结果。