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Related Concept Videos

Colloids03:22

Colloids

17.8K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
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Colloidal precipitates01:09

Colloidal precipitates

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The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
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Coagulation01:06

Coagulation

366
Colloidal solids are solid particles suspended in solution. They are usually negatively charged, attracting a compact primary layer of positively charged ions, which attract more counterions to form an electrical double layer. Electrostatic repulsion between the charged double layers prevents the particles from colliding, stabilizing the colloids. These solids are often undesirable because they can contain toxins that are difficult to remove. Coagulation is a technique that helps aggregate and...
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Colloids and Suspensions01:17

Colloids and Suspensions

2.2K
Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles visible to the naked eye or seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. The suspended particles in a suspension settle out after some time of mixing. The separation of particles from a suspension is...
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Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes01:09

Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes

468
In complexation reactions, metal cations are the electron pair acceptors, and the ligands are the electron pair donors. The stability of the metal complexes depends primarily on the complexing ability of the central metal ion and the nature of the ligands. Generally, the complexing ability of the metal ion depends on the size and charge of the ion. As the metal ion size increases, the stability of the metal complexes decreases, provided that the valency of the metal ion and the ligands remain...
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Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism00:57

Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism

2.4K
The cationic polymerization mechanism consists of three steps: initiation, propagation, and termination. In the initiation step of the polymerization process, the π bond of a monomer gets protonated by the Lewis acid catalyst, which is formed from boron trifluoride and water. The protonation of the π bond generates a carbocation stabilized by the electron‐donating group. In the propagation step, the π bond of the second monomer acts as a nucleophile and attacks the...
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Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
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Comb Polyelectrolytes Stabilize Complex Coacervate Microdroplet Dispersions.

Shang Gao1, Samanvaya Srivastava1,2,3,4

  • 1Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States.

ACS Macro Letters
|July 5, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Comb polyelectrolytes prevent complex coacervate microdroplets from merging, enabling stable dispersions for enhanced bioreactions. This breakthrough expands their use as artificial cells and bioreactors.

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Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Chemical Engineering
  • Synthetic Biology

Background:

  • Membraneless compartments called complex coacervate microdroplets can sequester molecules and enhance reactions.
  • Their practical application is hindered by uncontrolled merging (coalescence).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a strategy to prevent the coalescence of complex coacervate microdroplets.
  • To create stable complex coacervate dispersions for advanced applications.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized comb polyelectrolytes as stabilizers for complex coacervate microdroplets.
  • Investigated the effect of comb polyelectrolyte concentration and molecular weight on microdroplet properties.
  • Assessed protein sequestration and retention within stabilized microdroplets.
  • Measured the impact of stabilization on protein catalytic activity and bioreaction rates.

Main Results:

  • Achieved months-long stability of complex coacervate dispersions using comb polyelectrolyte stabilization.
  • Demonstrated tunable microdroplet size and stability through control of stabilizer properties.
  • Confirmed spontaneous and sustained sequestration and retention of proteins.
  • Observed significant enhancement (up to 10-fold) in bioreaction rates within stabilized dispersions.

Conclusions:

  • Comb polyelectrolytes effectively mitigate coalescence, creating highly stable complex coacervate microdroplet dispersions.
  • Stabilized microdroplets maintain protein integrity and enhance bioreaction efficiency over extended periods.
  • This approach broadens the potential of complex coacervates in fields like synthetic biology, drug delivery, and food science.