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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
08:44
Assembly and Characterization of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles
Published on: March 2, 2020
Structure and stability of complex coacervate core micelles with lysozyme
Saskia Lindhoud1, Renko de Vries, Willem Norde
1Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Colloid Science, Dreijenplein 6, Wageningen, The Netherlands. saskia.lindhoud@wur.nl
Biomacromolecules
|May 29, 2007
Summary
Complex coacervate core micelles offer enzyme encapsulation. Replacing polymers with lysozyme protein changes micelle shape and reduces stability, impacting enzyme delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Polymer science
- Biotechnology
- Materials science
Background:
- Enzyme encapsulation in polymers is crucial for modulating enzyme activity and stability.
- Complex coacervate core micelles are an emerging platform for biomolecule encapsulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the formation, structure, and stability of complex coacervate core micelles using enzymes.
- To explore the impact of incorporating lysozyme into micelle cores on their properties.
Main Methods:
- Dynamic light-scattering titrations to study complex formation and salt-induced disintegration.
- Small-angle neutron scattering to analyze micelle core structures.
- Synthesis and characterization of poly(acrylic acid)-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers and poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) homopolymers.
Main Results:
- Micelles formed with a higher proportion of lysozyme exhibited non-spherical shapes compared to spherical micelles formed predominantly with homopolymer.
- The stability of the complex coacervate core micelles decreased as the lysozyme fraction increased.
- Complex formation and salt-induced disintegration were successfully characterized for various homopolymer-lysozyme ratios.
Conclusions:
- The composition of the positively charged component significantly influences the morphology and stability of complex coacervate core micelles.
- Lysozyme incorporation offers a route to tune micelle properties for potential enzyme delivery applications.
- Further research can optimize these systems for enhanced enzyme protection and controlled release.
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