Bi-continuous orthorhombic soft matter phase made of polycatenar molecules

Soft Matter ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (16) ◽  
pp. 3882-3885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Matraszek ◽  
Damian Pociecha ◽  
Nataša Vaupotič ◽  
Mirosław Salamończyk ◽  
Martin Vogrin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate State ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Columnar Phase ◽  
Double Gyroid ◽  
Matter Phase ◽  
Slight Deformation

A slight deformation of a double gyroid structure of a cubic Ia3̄d phase results in the formation of a phase with an orthorhombic Pcab symmetry. The phase seems to be an intermediate state towards a columnar phase made of helical pillars.

scholarly journals Seeing mesoatomic distortions in soft-matter crystals of a double-gyroid block copolymer

Nature ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 575 (7781) ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueyan Feng ◽  
Christopher J. Burke ◽  
Mujin Zhuo ◽  
Hua Guo ◽  
Kaiqi Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Block Copolymer ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Double Gyroid

scholarly journals Architectural Organization of Dinoflagellate Liquid Crystalline Chromosomes

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Wong
Keyword(s):  
Soft Matter ◽  
Liquid Crystalline ◽  
Inner Core ◽  
Dynamic Equilibrium ◽  
Divalent Cations ◽  
Architectural Organization ◽  
Dna Density ◽  
Matter Phase ◽  
Order Structures ◽  
Architectural Protein

Dinoflagellates have some of the largest genome sizes, but lack architectural nucleosomes. Their liquid crystalline chromosomes (LCCs) are the only non-architectural protein-mediated chromosome packaging systems, having high degrees of DNA superhelicity, liquid crystalline condensation and high levels of chromosomal divalent cations. Recent observations on the reversible decompaction–recompaction of higher-order structures implicated that LCCs are composed of superhelical modules (SPMs) comprising highly supercoiled DNA. Orientated polarizing light photomicrography suggested the presence of three compartments with different packaging DNA density in LCCs. Recent and previous biophysical data suggest that LCCs are composed of: (a) the highly birefringent inner core compartment (i) with a high-density columnar-hexagonal mesophase (CH-m); (b) the lower-density core surface compartment (ii.1) consisting of a spiraling chromonema; (c) the birefringent-negative periphery compartment (ii.2) comprising peripheral chromosomal loops. C(ii.1) and C(ii.2) are in dynamic equilibrium, and can merge into a single compartment during dinomitosis, regulated through multiphasic reversible soft-matter phase transitions.

Allosteric regulation of GPCR Rhodopsin by soft matter

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nipuna Weerasinghe ◽  
Steven Fried ◽  
Anna Eitel ◽  
Andrey Struts ◽  
Suchithranga Perera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soft Matter ◽  
Allosteric Regulation

An Initial Concept for Intermediate-State, Passenger-Carrying Urban Air Mobility Operations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael D. Patterson ◽  
Douglas R. Isaacson ◽  
Nancy L. Mendonca ◽  
Natasha A. Neogi ◽  
Kenneth H. Goodrich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intermediate State ◽  
Urban Air ◽  
Initial Concept

Natural Killer Cell Inspired AIE Nanoterminator for Blood-Brain-Barrier Crossing via Tight-Junction Modulation and NIR-II Gliomas Theranostics

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guanjun Deng ◽  
Xinghua Peng ◽  
Zhihong Sun ◽  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Jia Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Killer Cell ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Intracellular Signaling ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Tumor Imaging ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Killer Cell ◽  
Light Illumination ◽  
Blood Brain ◽  
Intracellular Signaling Cascade

Nature has always inspired robotic designs and concepts. It is conceivable that biomimic nanorobots will soon play a prominent role in medicine. In this paper, we developed a natural killer cell-mimic AIE nanoterminator (NK@AIEdots) by coating natural kill cell membrane on the AIE-active polymeric endoskeleton, PBPTV, a highly bright NIR-II AIE-active conjugated polymer. Owning to the AIE and soft-matter characteristics of PBPTV, as-prepared nanoterminator maintained the superior NIR-II brightness (quantum yield ~8%) and good biocompatibility. Besides, they could serve as tight junctions (TJs) modulator to trigger an intracellular signaling cascade, causing TJs disruption and actin cytoskeleton reorganization to form intercellular “green channel” to help themselves crossing Blood-Brain Barriers (BBB) silently. Furthermore, they could initiatively accumulate to glioblastoma cells in the complex brain matrix for high-contrast and through-skull tumor imaging. The tumor growth was also greatly inhibited by these nanoterminator under the NIR light illumination. As far as we known, The QY of PBPTV is the highest among the existing NIR-II luminescent conjugated polymers. Besides, the NK-cell biomimetic nanorobots will open new avenue for BBB-crossing delivery.

Sensitive Mechanocontrolled Luminescence in Cross-Linked Polymer Films

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayumu Karimata ◽  
Pradnya Patil ◽  
Eugene Khaskin ◽  
Sébastien Lapointe ◽  
robert fayzullin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Stress ◽  
Polymer Films ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
Visual Methods ◽  
Photoluminescence Intensity ◽  
Stimuli Responsive ◽  
Responsive Materials ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Mechanical Stretching

Direct translation of mechanical force into changes in chemical behavior on a molecular level has important implication not only for the fundamental understanding of mechanochemical processes, but also for the development of new stimuli-responsive materials. In particular, detection of mechanical stress in polymers via non-destructive methods is important in order to prevent material failure and to study the mechanical properties of soft matter. Herein, we report that highly sensitive changes in photoluminescence intensity can be observed in response to the mechanical stretching of cross-linked polymer films when using stable, (pyridinophane)Cu-based dynamic mechanophores. Upon stretching, the luminescence intensity increases in a fast and reversible manner even at small strain (< 50%) and applied stress (< 0.1 MPa) values. Such sensitivity is unprecedented when compared to previously reported systems based on organic mechanophores. The system also allows for the detection of weak mechanical stress by spectroscopic measurements or by direct visual methods.<br>

Introduction to molecular simulations in soft matter

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-L. Barrat ◽  
J. J. de Pablo
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Numerical Methods ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Soft Matter ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Soft Interfaces ◽  
Molecular Scale ◽  
Soft Matter Physics ◽  
The Continuum

We describe the main features of the coarse-grained models that are typically useful in modelling soft interfaces, from force fields to the continuum descriptions involving density fields. We explain the theoretical basis of the main numerical methods that are used to explore the phase space associated with these models. Finally, three recent examples, illustrating the spirit in which relatively simple simulations can contribute to solving pending problems in soft matter physics, are briefly described. Clearly, a short series of lectures can offer, at best, a biased and restricted view of the available approaches. Our aim here will be to provide the reader with such an overview, with a focus on methods and descriptions that ‘bridge the scale’ between the molecular scale and the continuum or quasi-continuum one. The objective to present a guide to the relevant literature—which has now to a large extent appeared in the form of textbooks.

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