THE PROPERTIES OF NANOPARTICLES IN THE SYSTEMS IN THE COLLOIDAL DOMAIN ARE STUDIED AT THE YSU FACULTY OF CHEMISTRY

In the Department of Physical and Colloids Chemistry of YSU, the properties of nanoparticles related to biomedical systems and problems are studied in systems in the colloidal range, such as micellar systems of surfactants, colloidal solutions of bioactive substances (proteins, vitamins, liposomes), dispersion and assimilation systems of drugs as pure, as well as in mixed solvents.

The effect of the essence and composition of the mixed solvents on the behavior of the nanoparticles is also investigated.

According to H. Ghazoyan, nanotechnological research has greatly developed especially in recent decades. Nanoparticles are now widely used in the biomedical field, particularly to overcome the problems of cell targeting and toxicity.

Referring to the biomedical applications of nanoparticles, the YSU associate professor noted, "The high stability and biocompatibility, as well as the low toxicity of the improved nanoparticles, lead to their applications as drug delivery systems, diagnostic tools, and implants."

Speaking about the methods used to conduct research within the YSU internal grant, Heghine Ghazoyan said, "Lighting methods are one of the most important modern methods of research at the nanoscale level. They are the established methods for studying the properties and behavior of particles in designed solutions. During the studies, static, dynamic, and electrophoretic methods of lighting are used."

"Lighting studies are carried out with the Austrian "Anton Paar Litesizer™ 500" lighting device recently acquired by the YSU Physical and Colloids Chemistry Department, which is one of the latest generation multifunctional devices used for the characterization of nano and microparticles in the range of 10nm to 1μm in dispersed systems and solutions", emphasized our interlocutor.

H. Ghazoyan elaborated that it provides an opportunity to determine the particle size, molecular mass, zeta potential, refractive index of the medium, distribution, and diffusion coefficients, and permeability of the medium.

The project also includes a theoretical research component related to the effects and significance of structural features of mixed solvents, multimolecular configurations, and intermolecular electrostatic attraction in the studied systems.

The leader of the scientific group states that protein stability is a relevant issue in the pharmaceutical industry.

One of the key aspects of protein instability is self-association leading to aggregation. It can reduce the effectiveness of protein drugs and even lead to immunological reactions and poisoning.

"Within the framework of the research project, it is possible to determine the size of protein aggregates using the DLC method, and the temperature stability can be estimated by determining the size and intensity of light scattering depending on the temperature change. Under the influence of heat, the protein molecules change their essence: they "melt", which leads to massive aggregation. That's why the decision to change the size is very important," said H. Ghazoyan.

Other systems under investigation are organized micelle systems of surfactants, which are important not only in biomedical but also in technological fields. According to the leader of the scientific group, it is very important to study such organized systems at the nanoscale level.

"It is well known that liposomes are being studied in the biomedical field as drug carriers. They are particularly important in cancer treatment due to their natural ability to target cancerous cells. In particular, the nano-size of liposomes enables them to enter cancerous formations from the blood vessels unhindered, carrying with them the medicinal substance," emphasized H. Ghazoyan.

The aforementioned behavior of nanoparticles in colloidal solutions depends significantly on the essence and composition of the mixed solvents. In that sense, the research that will enable the identification of the effect of organic polar solvents on the structural and surface properties of nanosized particles is important.

The foreign consultant of the project is professor Vitaly Chaban, with whom cooperation includes both scientific and educational activities. The professor has special computing tools that enable him to study the proposed systems. V. Chaban's research activities will be related to the following sections of the program: investigation of problems related to the design of nanoparticles used in drug dispersion and absorption systems, the study of physicochemical properties of mixed solvents, and intermolecular interactions.

During the educational activity, the guest professor will give a lecture at YSU within the framework of modern courses related to theoretical and computational chemistry.

Karine Hovhannisyan