cicCartuja Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de la cartuja

Structure and support induced structure disruption of soft nanoparticles obtained from hydroxylated fatty acids

ICMS

José Alejandro Heredia-Guerrero, Miguel Ángel San-Miguel, Mónica Luna, Eva Domínguez, Antonio Heredia, José Jesús Benítez Soft Matter 2011, Vol. 10, 4357-4363

Soft and spherical nanoparticles, named as cutinsomes, have been prepared from concentrated 9(10),16-dihydroxypalmitic acid (diHPA) in aqueous solution. After isolation, cutinsomes have been chemically and structurally characterized by ATR-FTIR, TEM and dynamic atomic force microscopy (dynamic AFM). The nanoparticle can be described as a lipidic, liquid-like and mostly esterified core surrounded by a polar shell of carboxylate/carboxylic acid molecules. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations have been used to support this model. The structural stability of soft cutinsomes has been tested by deposition on both non-polar (HOPG) and polar (mica) flat substrates. It has been found that the magnitude of the interaction between the polar shell of cutinsomes and the support determines their structure conservation or its spreading or rupture and spill out of the liquid-like content. The structural consistence of these nanoparticles as a function of the polarity of substrate is of interest in elucidating the formation mechanism of cutin, the most abundant biopolyester in nature and a very interesting biomaterial to be mimetized.

Lea la entrevista con José Alejandro Heredia-Guerrero.

Requisitos

  • Pertenecer a uno de los Institutos del cicCartuja
  • Ser menor de 31 años
  • Ser el primer firmante del artículo
  • Haberse publicado en los últimos 6 meses
  • El trabajo debe haberse realizado, al menos en parte, en el cicCartuja

Los artículos seleccionados serán destacados como artículos del mes y participarán en el Premio de Investigación cicCartuja-Ebro Foods, que se entregará al final de cada año. Se concederá un premio al ganador dotado con 6.000 euros y dos accésits de 3.000 euros cada uno para los siguientes clasificados.

 

Bases del Premio