Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 5, 2026
13:39
Optical Trapping of Nanoparticles
Published on: January 15, 2013
23.0K
Temperature triggering of kinetically trapped self-assemblies in citrem-phospholipid nanoparticles
Rama Prajapati1, Stefan Salentinig2, Anan Yaghmur1
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Chemistry and Physics of Lipids
|September 18, 2018
Summary
Citrem and soy phosphatidylcholine create hemocompatible liquid crystalline nanoparticles for drug delivery. These nanoparticles offer tunable structures and improved safety compared to Pluronic F127 stabilizers.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Lyotropic non-lamellar liquid crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles are promising drug delivery vehicles.
- Existing Pluronic F127 stabilizers raise concerns regarding complement activation and cytotoxicity.
- There is a need for safe and effective stabilizers for LLC nanocarriers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate Citrem and soy phosphatidylcholine (SPC) as stabilizers for LLC nanoparticles.
- To evaluate the hemocompatibility and structural properties of Citrem/SPC nanodispersions.
- To explore temperature-induced structural transitions in these nano-self-assemblies.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of Citrem/SPC lamellar and non-lamellar liquid crystalline nanodispersions.
- Characterization of nanoparticle size, structure, and surface charge.
- Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to analyze temperature-triggered structural changes.
Main Results:
- Citrem/SPC formulations demonstrated hemocompatibility and low complement activation.
- Batch-to-batch variability in Citrem affected nanoparticle characteristics.
- Temperature and Citrem concentration induced transitions between lamellar, inverse bicontinuous cubic (Pn3m), and hexagonal (H2) phases.
Conclusions:
- Citrem/SPC nanoparticles are hemocompatible and structurally tunable LLC nanocarriers.
- These nanoparticles offer a safer alternative to Pluronic F127 for drug delivery applications.
- The tunable nature of Citrem/SPC systems makes them attractive for developing advanced drug delivery systems.
Related Concept Videos
03:07Kinetic Molecular Theory: Molecular Velocities, Temperature, and Kinetic Energy
29.9K
The kinetic molecular theory qualitatively explains the behaviors described by the various gas laws. The postulates of this theory may be applied in a more quantitative fashion to derive these individual laws.
29.9K
01:41Social Traps
26.9K
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
26.9K
00:23Kinetic Energy
43.4K
Kinetic energy is the ability of an object in motion to do work or enact change. It can take on many forms. For instance, water flowing down a waterfall has kinetic energy. In biological systems, particles of light travel and are absorbed by plants to create chemical energy. Animals consume the chemical energy and give off molecules that carry their scent through the air. They also generate kinetic energy when they run away from predators. Entire systems also possess kinetic energy, like the...
43.4K
01:19Enzyme Kinetics
104.1K
Enzymes speed up reactions by lowering the activation energy of the reactants. The speed at which the enzyme turns reactants into products is called the rate of reaction. Several factors impact the rate of reaction, including the number of available reactants. Enzyme kinetics is the study of how an enzyme changes the rate of a reaction.
Scientists typically study enzyme kinetics with a fixed amount of enzyme in the controlled environment of a test tube. When more reactant, or substrate, is...
Scientists typically study enzyme kinetics with a fixed amount of enzyme in the controlled environment of a test tube. When more reactant, or substrate, is...
104.1K
02:55Temperature Dependence on Reaction Rate
89.1K
The Collision Theory
Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...
Atoms, molecules, or ions must collide before they can react with each other. Atoms must be close together to form chemical bonds. This premise is the basis for a theory that explains many observations regarding chemical kinetics, including factors affecting reaction rates.
The collision theory is based on the postulates that (i) the reaction rate is proportional to the rate of reactant collisions, (ii) the reacting species collide in an orientation allowing contact between...
89.1K
02:41Protein Complex Assembly
16.8K
Proteins can form homomeric complexes with another unit of the same protein or heteromeric complexes with different types. Most protein complexes self-assemble spontaneously via ordered pathways, while some proteins need assembly factors that guide their proper assembly. Despite the crowded intracellular environment, proteins usually interact with their correct partners and form functional complexes.
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
Many viruses self-assemble into a fully functional unit using the infected host cell to...
16.8K