Polymer–Membrane Interactions

The interactions between synthetic macromolecules and the biological plasma membrane represent an important area of contemporary research. This is a relatively new area with the initial reports appearing only in the past 25 years. The chapter is organized into four main sections focused on neutral, zwitterionic, anionic, and cationic polymers. Anionic and cationic macromolecules encompass the vast majority of studies, while zwitterionic and neutral polymers represent a much smaller fraction of reports. Studies of anionic polymers have focused almost exclusively on poly(carboxylic acids) due to their biologically relevant p K a . Zwitterionic polymers represent the newest addition to the field with fundamental studies reported only in the past few years. Reports on neutral polymers are dominated by pluronic- and N -isopropylacrylamide-based materials. Cationic polymers represent the most chemically diverse class ranging from simple cationic polymers like polyethyleneimine to more synthetically sophisticated structures like those designed to mimic naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides. As polymer scientists advance our ability to tailor-make macromolecules, more complex and specific interactions with plasma membranes will become available. Understanding these interactions will broaden our fundamental knowledge and create new technologies. The area has important relationships to the field of membrane proteins.