Design of Highly Stable Echogenic Microbubbles through Controlled Assembly of Their Hydrophobin Shell. (27th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gazzera, Lara; Milani, Roberto; Pirrie, Lisa; Schmutz, Marc; Blanck, Christian; Resnati, Giuseppe; Metrangolo, Pierangelo; Krafft, Marie Pierre
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie. Volume 128:Number 35(2016)
• Page Start: 10419
• Page End: 10423
• Publication Date: 2016-07-27
• Subjects: Echogenität -- Fluorkohlenwasserstoffe -- Grenzflächenfilme -- Hydrophobin -- Ultraschallbildgebung; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/ange.201603706
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0044-8249

Abstract

Abstract: Dispersing hydrophobin HFBII under air saturated with perfluorohexane gas limits HFBII aggregation to nanometer‐sizes. Critical basic findings include an unusual co‐adsorption effect caused by the fluorocarbon gas, a strong acceleration of HFBII adsorption at the air/water interface, the incorporation of perfluorohexane into the interfacial film, the suppression of the fluid‐to‐solid 2D phase transition exhibited by HFBII monolayers under air, and a drastic change in film elasticity of both Gibbs and Langmuir films. As a result, perfluorohexane allows the formation of homogenous populations of spherical, narrowly dispersed, exceptionally stable, and echogenic microbubbles.