Detailed Study\nof the Interactions between Glycopolymers\nin the Presence of Metal Ions through Quartz Crystal Microbalance\nMethod

Polymer\nself-assemblies driven by enthalpic interactions, such\nas hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, exhibit distinct\nproperties compared to those driven by hydrophobic interactions. Carbohydrate–carbohydrate\ninteractions, which are observed in physiological phenomena, also\nfall under enthalpic interactions. Our group previously reported on\nself-assemblies of methacrylate-type glycopolymers carrying mannose\nunits in the presence of calcium ions; however, a detailed study of\nthese interactions was lacking. In this work, we investigated the\ninteractions between glycopolymers using the quartz crystal microbalance\n(QCM) method. Our quantitative analysis revealed that the interactions\nbetween the glycopolymers were influenced by the carbohydrate structures\nin the side chains, the types of divalent metal ions, and the structures\nof the polymer main chains. Notably, the strongest interaction was\nobserved in the combination of methacrylate-type glycopolymers carrying\nmannose units and calcium ions, demonstrating their potential as a\ndriving force for polymer self-assembly.