Probing Microscale Structuring-Induced Phase Separation with Fluorescence Recovery Diffusion Dynamics in Poly(ethylene glycol) Solutions.

ABSTRACT: Apart from biocompatibility, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based biomedical constructs require mechanical tunability and optimization of microscale transport for regulation of the release kinetics of biomolecules. This study illustrates the role of inhomogeneities due to aggregates and structuring in the PEG matrix in the microscale diffusion of a fluorescent probe. Comparative analysis of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) profiles with the help of diffusion half-time is used to assess the diffusion coefficient (D). The observations support a nontrivial dependence of diffusion dynamics on polymer concentration (volume fraction, φ) and that of fillers carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and nanoclay bentonite (B). D values follow the Rouse scaling D ∼ φ^-0.5

SUBMITTER: Bhatt S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10536873 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature