Vesicle-micelle transitions driven by ROS, light and heat
Sai Nikhil Subraveti1, Morine G Nader1, Pedram AziziHariri2
1Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA. sraghava@umd.edu.
Nanoscale
|August 29, 2024
Summary
Researchers created ROS-responsive vesicles from PDST and SDBS that transition to micelles when exposed to reactive oxygen species (ROS), light, or heat, enabling triggered solute release.
Area of Science:
- Supramolecular Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Vesicles are nanocontainers for solute encapsulation.
- Vesicle-micelle transitions (VMTs) are key for controlled solute release.
- Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in tumor microenvironments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop ROS-responsive vesicles for triggered solute release.
- To investigate VMTs induced by ROS, light, and temperature.
- To explore the assembly and disassembly mechanisms of catanionic vesicles.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of catanionic vesicles using (4-phenylthiophenyl)diphenyl-sulfonium triflate (PDST) and sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS).
- Induction of VMTs using reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
- Characterization of VMTs using turbidity, light scattering, and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM).
Main Results:
- ROS exposure oxidizes PDST, inducing a VMT from vesicles to micelles.
- VMTs were also triggered by UV light irradiation and heating above a critical temperature.
- The study provides evidence of VMTs through multiple analytical techniques.
Conclusions:
- Catanionic vesicles composed of PDST and SDBS are responsive to ROS, light, and temperature.
- These stimuli-responsive vesicles offer a scalable and cost-effective platform for triggered solute release.
- Understanding the assembly dynamics is crucial for designing advanced drug delivery systems.
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