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Electric-field-dependent size discrimination of large DNA molecules using polymer brush films.

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Title: Electric-field-dependent size discrimination of large DNA molecules using polymer brush films.
Authors: Yi, Hongdong1 (AUTHOR), Itoh, Shintaro1,2 (AUTHOR) shintaro.itoh@mae.nagoya-u.ac.jp, Fukuzawa, Kenji1 (AUTHOR), Zhang, Hedong3 (AUTHOR), Azuma, Naoki1 (AUTHOR)
Source: Sensors & Actuators B: Chemical. Jul2026, Vol. 458, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p.
Subjects: Electric field effects, Neutron reflectivity, Fluorescence microscopy, Surface grafting (Polymer chemistry), Biomedical engineering
Abstract: Effective biomolecule size discrimination is essential for bioanalysis and biomedical engineering. However, traditional techniques for discriminating large DNA molecules, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, are time-consuming, while micro/nanofluidic devices that use nanostructured molecular sieves are costly and impractical for large-scale production. We hypothesized that polymer brush films could effectively separate large DNA by size, functioning as nanoscale molecular sieves. We prepared 100 nm-high hydrated polymer brush films from 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine and examined the electrophoretic mobility of adsorbed λ and T4 DNA (48.5 and 166 kbp, respectively). We visualized individual DNA molecules under different electric fields using fluorescence microscopy and investigated their electrophoretic behavior at the brush–solution interface using neutron reflectivity. We found that DNA mobility in polymer brushes becomes strongly size-dependent above a critical electric field, enabling precise size discrimination. Higher voltages and larger DNA sizes result in more complex morphologies, indicating more frequent DNA–brush interactions. Neutron reflectivity confirmed that stronger electric fields draw DNA molecules closer to the substrate, enhancing DNA–brush interactions and reducing size-exclusion effects. In polymer brush films, DNA–matrix interactions are controlled by electric field strength, unlike in gel electrophoresis, where they rely on polymer density. Optimized polymer brush electrophoresis enables rapid and precise mobility-based size discrimination from single-molecule tracking and simplifies DNA recovery owing to the absence of a three-dimensional mesh structure. These observations highlight the potential of polymer brush films for biomolecular discrimination and analysis, thereby advancing their application in molecular biology and clinical diagnostics. [Display omitted] • Polymer brush films offer a soft, scalable alternative to gel-based DNA sieving. • Electric field strength regulates DNA–brush interactions. • DNA mobility becomes size-dependent above a critical electric field. • Larger DNA adopts complex conformations and shows reduced migration speed. • Neutron reflectivity shows DNA shifts closer to the substrate under stronger fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Engineering Source
Description
Abstract:Effective biomolecule size discrimination is essential for bioanalysis and biomedical engineering. However, traditional techniques for discriminating large DNA molecules, such as pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, are time-consuming, while micro/nanofluidic devices that use nanostructured molecular sieves are costly and impractical for large-scale production. We hypothesized that polymer brush films could effectively separate large DNA by size, functioning as nanoscale molecular sieves. We prepared 100 nm-high hydrated polymer brush films from 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine and examined the electrophoretic mobility of adsorbed λ and T4 DNA (48.5 and 166 kbp, respectively). We visualized individual DNA molecules under different electric fields using fluorescence microscopy and investigated their electrophoretic behavior at the brush–solution interface using neutron reflectivity. We found that DNA mobility in polymer brushes becomes strongly size-dependent above a critical electric field, enabling precise size discrimination. Higher voltages and larger DNA sizes result in more complex morphologies, indicating more frequent DNA–brush interactions. Neutron reflectivity confirmed that stronger electric fields draw DNA molecules closer to the substrate, enhancing DNA–brush interactions and reducing size-exclusion effects. In polymer brush films, DNA–matrix interactions are controlled by electric field strength, unlike in gel electrophoresis, where they rely on polymer density. Optimized polymer brush electrophoresis enables rapid and precise mobility-based size discrimination from single-molecule tracking and simplifies DNA recovery owing to the absence of a three-dimensional mesh structure. These observations highlight the potential of polymer brush films for biomolecular discrimination and analysis, thereby advancing their application in molecular biology and clinical diagnostics. [Display omitted] • Polymer brush films offer a soft, scalable alternative to gel-based DNA sieving. • Electric field strength regulates DNA–brush interactions. • DNA mobility becomes size-dependent above a critical electric field. • Larger DNA adopts complex conformations and shows reduced migration speed. • Neutron reflectivity shows DNA shifts closer to the substrate under stronger fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:09254005
DOI:10.1016/j.snb.2026.139837