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Counterion condensation on a polyelectrolyte: A fluorescence quenching study
Riedlová, Kamila ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (advisor) ; Humpolíčková, Jana (referee)
In this thesis, we studied the counterion condensation on the polyelectrolyte chain by means of the fluorescence quenching technique, using poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) labelled by the naphthyl group either at the end or in the middle of the chain and cesium ions as counterions which act as the fluorescence quencher. Both polymer samples were characterized by dynamic light scattering. The interaction of Cs+ ions with the polyelectrolyte was studied in solvents differing in the dielectric permittivity, using mixtures of water with 1,4-dioxane. The results confirm that fluorescence quenching is enhanced by the counterion condensation and that this process is more pronounced in the case of the naphthyl moiety localized in the middle of the PMAA chain.
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Self-Assembly in Mixture of Surfactants and Stimuli-Responsive Polymers with Complex Architecture
Bogomolova, Anna ; Filippov, Sergej (advisor) ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (referee) ; Hanyková, Lenka (referee)
Title: Self-assembly in mixture of surfactants and stimuli-responsive polymers with complex architecture Author: Anna Bogomolova Department: Physical and Macromolecular Chemistry Supervisor: PhD. Sergey K. Filippov, IMC AS CR, v.v.i. Supervisor's e-mail address: filippov@imc.cas.cz Abstract: The issue of construction of complex multi-block copolymers is currently one of the most researched areas. It became a logic consequence of the continuous development in polymer chemistry. Nowadays, a great interest is attracted to multi- responsive block copolymers. As a rule, they consist of hydrophilic, hydrophobic and responsive blocks. That responsive block can be either thermo-sensitive or pH-sensitive as well as sensitive to some other external stimuli. In the present work, we will try to cover topic of stimuli-responsive block copolymers and their interactions with different types of surfactants. Understanding of polymer/surfactant interactions can be a crucial step for future modeling of drug/polymer or protein(DNA)/surfactant interactions. There is a great interest in the investigation of polymer-surfactant interactions. However, while the homopolymer-surfactant interactions are characterized well enough, the same interactions for block copolymers are poorly described. The main development in the latter topic...
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Structural study of the ASK1:thioredoxin complex.
Pšenáková, Katarína ; Obšil, Tomáš (advisor) ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (referee)
5 ABSTRACT The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is an essential member of the cell defense system against stressors. The capability and efficiency of the cell reactions to different stress signals depend on signal transduction pathway, where signals from MAPK kinase kinase (MAP3K) are transferred through phosphorylation to downstream MAPK kinase (MAP2K) and finally to MAPK. Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a member of a MAP3K family and its activation and inhibition has a significant participation in a regulation of cell response to stress stimuli. The regulation of ASK1 has a strong influence in pathogenesis of several diseases, the excessive activation of human ASK1 or failure in the control of its function are associated with cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammatory diseases, infectious diseases, tumorigenesis, asthma, diabetes and ageing. The activity of ASK1 is regulated by its interaction with several proteins, the attention is focused on two physiological inhibitors, mammalian thioredoxin (TRX) and the 14-3-3 protein. ASK1 in its inactive form is inhibited by bonds formation with TRX and 14-3-3, however the explicit mechanism of this interaction is unclear due to the absence of structural data. This work is a part of an extensive research about...
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Polymeric nanoparticles with biodegradable core and chelating polymers for medical purposes
Škodová, Michaela ; Štěpánek, Petr (advisor) ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (referee) ; Holger, Stephan (referee)
$EVWUDFW Application of radionuclides due to their unique nature is still attracting the interest of professionals from different branches of science. In this thesis, the unifying topic is the utilization of various radioactive labels on polymeric carriers for biomedicinal purposes. In the introductory part, the area of use of the investigated substances - in terms of their possible application in nuclear medicine, is presented to the reader. The experimental work is divided into three main sections dealing with synthesis and studying properties of appropriate selected polymers, their metal chelates and radiolabeling. First part of the study describes development of new strategies for labeling of polymeric carriers with radiometal cations and radioiodine, whereas in the following sections of the study synthesis and investigation of biocompatible polymer materials is discussed. New possible approaches in the diagnostics and therapy of cancer by using polymeric chelates as carriers are presented as well as the use of macroporous metal chelating polymer beads as potential therapeutics intended for radioembolization of liver malignancies and for the therapy of Wilson's disease. Investigated polymers have been shown to be non-toxic, to have good in vitro stability and to have the ability to be radiolabeled in...
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Preparation and characterization of nanoparticles formed by polymer-surfactant complexes
Dvořák, Filip ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (advisor) ; Netopilík, Miloš (referee)
In this work, copolymers of celulose-g-polystyrene (cel-PS) and celulose-g- poly(methylmetacrylate) (cel-PMMA) were characterized using static and dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Preparation of nanoparticles of these hydrophobic copolymers in aqueous solution was further studied, by means of precipitation from dioxane solutions using water with added low-molar-mass surfactants sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTMAB). It was shown that the ability of the surfactants to stabilize polymer nanoparticles is driven not only by the hydrophobic effect, but it depends also on specific interactions of the polar group of the surfactant with the surface of the nanoparticles. On the basis of the finding that the efficiency of stabilization of cel-PS copolymers is much higher than in case of linear PS, it can be concluded, that the branched structure of copolymers is favorable for the formation of hydrofobically stabilised polymer-surfactant complexes.
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Nanoparticles based on block copolymer complexes with fluorosurfactants
Škvarla, Juraj ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (advisor) ; Netopilík, Miloš (referee)
This thesis deals with (i) complex nanoaggregates of cationic perfluorinated surfactant N-(1,1,2,2- tetrahydroperfluorodecyl)pyridinium chloride and of double hydrophilic block polyanions poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(methacrylate) and poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly((2-sulfamate-3- carboxylate)isoprene), and with (ii) mixed micelles of amphiphilic copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)- b-poly(e-caprolactone) and nonionic perfluorinated fluorosurfactant Zonyl FSN-100. The study was aimed at the characterization of the association behavior of the block copolymer-fluorosurfactant systems in aqueous solutions depending on the amount of the added surfactant, pH of the solvent and the structure of the copolymers.
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Comicellization of polystyrene-block-poly(acrylic acid) with low-molar-mass surfactants
Paloncýová, Markéta ; Matějíček, Pavel (referee) ; Štěpánek, Miroslav (advisor)
This B.Sc. thesis deals with the study of the effect of low-molar-mass ionic surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and hexydecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) on association behavior of the block copolymer polystyrene-b-polyacrylic acid (PS-b-PAA) in alkaline aqueous solutions. Prepared polymeric nanoparticles were characterized by static and dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy and 1 H NMR spectroscopy. It was found that both surfactants interact only with PAA blocks and their presence in the system leads to worsening of the copolymer solubility which manifests itself in the formation of large micellar aggregates and in precipitation of the copolymer-surfactant complexes.
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