Interaction of small unilamellar vesicles (SUVs), composed of negative diphosphatidylglycerol (cardiolipin, CL(2-)) and neutral dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), with poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide) (PEVP) was studied in water solution above and below the vesicular membrane melting point by means of differential scanning calorimetry, photon correlation spectroscopy, microelectrophoresis, conductometry, and fluorescence techniques. It has been found that CL(2-) species are homogeneously distributed within DPPC-CL(2-) SUV membrane leaflets and between them. Interaction of PEVP with DPPC-CL(2-) SUVs led to drastic structural rearrangements in the membrane if it was in the fluid state (liquid SUVs). Negative CL(2-) molecules migrated from the inner to the outer membrane leaflet and segregated in the vicinity of adsorbed PEVP chains. In addition, PEVP adsorption terminated completely the exchange of lipid molecules between the SUVs. At the same time, the integrity of liquid SUVs contacting PEVP remained unchanged. Since the interaction of PEVP with liquid SUVs was predominantly electrostatic in nature, the polycation could be completely removed from the vesicular membrane by addition of an excess of polyacrylic acid (PAA) polyanions forming a more stable electrostatic complex with PEVP. Removal of PEVP resulted in complete resumption of the original distribution of lipids in lateral and transmembrane directions as well as intervesicular lipid exchange. In contrast, PEVP interacting with DPPC-CL(2-) SUVs formed defects in the vesicular membrane if it was in the gel state (solid SUVs). Such interaction was contributed not only by electrostatic but most likely by hydrophobic interactions involving the defected membrane sites. PEVP kept contacting solid SUVs in the presence of an abundant amount of PAA. The established phenomena may be important for understanding the biological effects of polycations.

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The surface charge of semiconductor nanoparticles, Q, is an important parameter which determines their electrokinetic behavior, stability in water and polar solvents, functions of optical and electronic devices, self-assembly properties, and interactions with cell membranes. We have developed a simple method for quantitative determination of Q in their native aqueous environment. The method does not require the knowledge of exact atomic structure or make assumptions about effects of drying on charge distribution. The method is based on titration of nanoparticle dispersion with a solution of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte. The point of complete neutralization is recognized as an inflection point on the dependence of fluorescence intensity on the amount of polyelectrolyte added. Thioglycolic acid-stabilized CdTe nanoparticles 2 nm in diameter were found to carry an average Q from -2.6 to -5.5 for pH 7.5 to 10, respectively. This charge is found to be smaller than that calculated theoretically for an analogous structure (i.e., Q = -8), presumably due to adsorption of Cd(2+) ions on the stabilizer shell and on Te atoms with unsaturated valence located on the side planes of CdTe tetrahedrons.

Poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromide) (a polycation with a degree of polymerization of 1100) was adsorbed onto liposomes composed of egg lecithin with a 0.05-0.20 molar fraction (nu) of anionic headgroups provided by cardiolipin (a doubly anionic lipid). According to electrophoretic mobility data, this led to total charge neutralization of the liposomes, whereupon the liposomes adopted a positive charge as additional polymer continued to adsorb. Although the liposomes aggregated at the charge-neutralization point, they disassembled into individual liposomes after becoming positively charged. The degree of polymer adsorption was shown to reach a limit. Thus, by measuring the free polymer content in a liposome suspension, it was possible to determine the polymer concentration at which the liposome surface became saturated with polymer. Beyond this point, an electrostatic/steric barrier at the surface suppressed further adsorption. Dynamic light scattering studies of liposomes with and without adsorbed polymer allowed calculation of the polymer film thickness which ranged from 22 to 35 nm as the molar fraction of cardiolipin (nu) increased from 0.05 to 0.20. The greater the content on the anionic lipid in the bilayer, the thicker the polymer film. The maximum number of polymer molecules adsorbed onto the liposomes was estimated: 1-2 molecules for nu = 0.05; 3 molecules for nu = 0.1; 4- molecules for nu = 0.15; and 6 molecules for nu = 0.2. The polymer appears to lie on the liposome surface, rather than embedding into the bilayer, because addition of NaCl easily dislodges the polymer from the liposome into the bulk water.