| Popis: |
Macromolecules are dynamic, flexible, and able to undergo conformational changes in response to their local environments. Many of these transformations are paramount within biological systems. Numerous techniques exist for detection of these states including NMR, SAXS, and optical methods including circular dichroism or optical rotation. These techniques are not without their challenges. Many can be quite involved, require advanced sample preparation, and are easily confounded with the presence of additional components. Here we present a facile route to detection of these conformational transitions using sound velocity within macromolecular solutions. The first test case involves the polymer poly(ε-carbobenzyloxy-l-lysine), PCBL, which has long been known to exhibit an inverse coil-to-helix transition at ∼27 °C when dispersed in the optically clear but UV-opaque m-cresol solvent. We then look to extend this further into other solvents, especially aqueous systems. Sound velocity proves effective at sensing many of these conformational transitions when compared with traditional methods as well as offering a promise on a variety of real world systems. |
