CO-Solute control of the self-assembly of a biopolymeric supramolecular structure

✍ Scribed by P.L. san Biagio; J. Newman; F. Madonia; M.U. Palma

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1989
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 567 KB
• Volume: 154
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0009-2614
• DOI: 10.1016/0009-2614(89)87135-0

✦ Synopsis

We report time-resolved experiments on the effects of modulation of hydrophobic interactions by addition of co-solutes on the non-nucleate (spinodal) decomposition of the aqueous sol of a biostructural polysaccharide. Decomposition is known to trigger in this system the self-assembly of an extended supramolecular structure and to provide a canvas for the latter. The present experiments show how the canvas and the final stability of the decomposed system are affected in a non-trivial way by co-solutes, thus demonstrating a simple and cell-free mechanism capable of controlling the assembly, stability and mesoscopic structure of supramolecular order.