Self-assembling Polysaccharide Polyelectrolytes

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Our goal is to understand how charge regulation in polysaccharide systems affects self-assembly and to use this knowledge to create nanostructured systems that mimic nature and expand the application domain of polysaccharides in fields of drug delivery, wound treatment, and tissue engineering. The project will combine expertise in polysaccharide synthesis and modification, cellulose nanocrystal preparation and characterization, and surface modification and characterization. The German part is the design of water soluble/disperable polysaccharides from xylan and other hemicelluloses from different sources, and curdlan and pullulan as model compound, with ionic substituents and hydrophobic cinnamoyl or cinnamyl photocrosslinking groups for thin film formation structures through layer-by-layer assembly. For this purpose, novel synthesis paths to polysaccharide cationic derivatives (hydroxypropyltrimethylammonium, dialkylammoniumethyl derivatives) and anionic ones (carboxymethyl or sulfur acid half ester derivatives) and cinnamoyl esters and cinnamyl ethers are aspired by control of the degree of substitution (DS) and hence charge density, and the distribution of the functions within the repeating unit and along the polymer chain applying dissolved or swollen polymers vs. conventional paths for synthesis of polysaccharide polyelectrolyte derivatives. The polysaccharide polyelectrolytes are characterized by means of one- and two dimensional NMR, SEC, and HPLC techniques after acidic or enzymatic chain degradation to get a comprehensive structure information.