Synthesis and characterization of aminocellulose sulfates as novel ampholytic polymers

Amino cellulose sulfate (ACS); namely 6-deoxy-6-(ω-aminoethyl) amino cellulose-2,3(6)-O-sulfate (AECS) and 6-deoxy-6-(2-(bis-N′,N′-(2-aminoethyl)aminoethyl)) amino cellulose-2,3(6)-O-sulfate (BAECS) were prepared by a three step synthesis starting with the functionalization of microcrystalline cellulose with p-toluenesulfonyl (tosyl) groups (degree of substitution, DS_Tos between 0.55 and 1.37). Subsequently the introduction of the sulfate moieties was carried out (DS_Sulf between 1.09 and 1.27) and the tosyl groups at position 6 were replaced by a nucleophilic substitution reaction. As nucleophilic agents 1,2-diaminoethane and tris-(2-aminoethyl)amine were applied, yielding AECS (DS_AEA values between 0.41 and 0.86) and BAECS (DS_BAEA values between 0.32 and 0.74), respectively. The ACS samples were characterized by means of elemental analysis, ¹³C-NMR-, FT-IR-, and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Moreover, the solubility of the samples in water at different pH values and the molecular weights of the samples in aqueous solution were studied.     

Protonation behavior of 6-deoxy-6-(2-aminoethyl)amino cellulose: a potentiometric titration study

The protonation behavior of 6-deoxy-6-(2-aminoethyl)amino cellulose as a novel soluble aminated derivate of cellulose was studied by means of the potentiometric titration technique. The resulting proton binding isotherms exhibit two equivalent steps, which can be described by the standard macroscopic two-pK model, in which the degree of protonation is averaged over all the amine groups. In addition, a microscopic proton binding model was applied, in which the protonation sites are distinguished and the protonation free energy is expanded into an intrinsic term and an electrostatic repulsion between the primary and secondary amine groups. The protonation behavior of 6-deoxy-6-(2-aminoethyl)amino cellulose was compared with a model compound (N-methylethylenediamine).     

Synthesis of per-6-guanidinylated cyclodextrins

Reaction of per(6-amino-6-deoxy-2,3-di-O-methyl)-α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins with N,N′-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-N″-triflylguanidine and triethylamine in tetrahydrofuran gave per[6-N,N′-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)guanidino-6-deoxy-2,3-di-O-methyl]-α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins, respectively. Subsequent cleavage of the protective groups with trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane afforded per(6-deoxy-6-guanidino-2,3-di-O-methyl)-α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrins in very good overall yields.     

Polyglucane derivatives with regular substituent distribution

6-O-trialkylsilyl celluloses, 2,3-O-carboxymethylcelluloses, cellulose-3-O-sulfate, and carboxymethylcellulose block copolymers were synthesized by regioselective functionalization of cellulose and of soluble cellulose intermediates like silyl and methoxy-substituted trityl ethers as well as formates and trifluoroacetates. The preparation and structure characterization (NMR, FTIR, HPLC after chain degradation) of those polyglucane derivatives with regular substituent distribution is of importance to design self-assembly systems and supramolecular structures (liquid-crystalline media, ultrathin films, recognition and bioactive materials).     

Determination of fiber charge components of Lo-solids unbleached kraft pulps

Four different titration methods for measurement of fiber charge were used in this study. Each method gave different fiber charge values depending on the acidity of the end point and the interaction between the fiber chemical components and the titrant. Also, the interactions between the ionizable groups on the fiber had significant effects on the interpretation of these results. The conductometric titrations showed trends similar to the results obtained from the potentiometric titration. The conductometric titrations with NaOH produced higher fiber charge values, higher than the titrations with NaHCO(3). The differences between the results obtained from the potentiometric and polyelectrolyte titrations, which were associated with the dissolved fiber components during the delignification, were linearly related to the Kappa number of pulps. The positive intercept of this linear relationship indicated that the kraft pulping process not only removed the ionizable groups associated with the dissolved components, but at the same time provided conditions to form new ionizable groups in the fibers. The polyelectrolyte titration results indicated that the lignin content in the fibers did not affect the fiber surface charge. Data extracted from the FTIR spectra of protonated fibers were highly correlated with the fiber charge values obtained from the conductometric titration with NaOH.     

Carboxyl groups in pre-treated regenerated cellulose fibres

The influence of peroxide bleaching and slack-mercerization on the amount of acidic groups in regenerated fibres (viscose, modal and lyocell) were studied. Conductometric titration was used to determine the total content of acidic carboxylic groups. Polyelectrolyte titration was used for surface and total charge determination, and to obtain information about the charge distribution and accessibilities of charged groups. Changes in fibre crystallinity to pre-treatment processes were characterized using iodine sorption (Schwertassek method) and correlated to treatments and the amount of carboxylic groups. For all three types of fibres the amount of accessible carboxyl groups was lowered by an increase in the degree of crystallinity. Bleaching with hydrogen peroxide causes some oxidative cellulose damage and, therefore, a larger amount of carboxyl groups (presumably formed at the end of cellulose chains). Slack-mercerization did not significantly change the total amount of acidic groups in the fibres, but their accessibility to cationic polyelectrolytes, in particular to polymers with high molecular weight was substantially lowered. Lidija Fras Zemljič, Zdenka Peršin, and Karin Stana Kleinschek are the members of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE).     

The determination of carboxyl groups in polyethylene terephthalate

Three methods for the determination of carboxyl groups in polyethylene terephthalate are investigated, viz. (a) dissolution in hot benzyl alcohol, addition of chloroform, and titration with benzyl alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution to the phenol red end-point, (b) dissolution in a mixture of o-cresol and chloroform, and potentiometric titration with ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution, and (c) dissolution in a mixture of o-cresol, chloroform and acetone, and titration with ethanolic potassium hydroxide solution with HF-indication of the end-pointThe three methods yield the same results when applied to several samples of different carboxyl content. For several reasons the potentiometric method is preferred to the other two methods.     

Analysis of the oxidation of cellulose fibres by titration and XPS

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of selective oxidation on the surface properties of cotton cellulose fibres. Four different methods to evaluate the accessibility, nature and content of ionisable acidic groups (charge) in the fibres were applied: potentiometric and conductometric titrations, polyelectrolyte adsorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results from this combination of methods show that two processes take place when the oxidation method is applied: elimination of low molecular mass non-cellulosic compounds and formation of new acidic groups in the cellulose chains. Which of these processes is predominating depends on oxidation time, but the first one is initially more important. Polyelectrolyte adsorption and XPS show that the surface concentration of acidic groups is considerably lower than the bulk concentration, i.e. during oxidation the content of carboxyl groups in the surface region decreases, while it increases in amorphous regions. The decrease is due to the dissolution of low molecular weight compounds; the increase is due to the formation of new acidic groups. The use of titration methods in combination with XPS appears to be a very useful tool for identification of the formation and distribution of ionic groups in cotton fibres and their surfaces.     

Reactivity of dissolving pulps modified by TEMPO-mediated oxidation

The reactivity of dissolving pulps towards derivatization or dissolution is a crucial quality parameter and is mainly determined by the accessibility of the hydroxyl groups. When dissolving pulps are produced from paper-grade pulps by cold caustic extraction (CCE), their reactivity is often inferior as compared to commercial prehydrolysis kraft dissolving pulps. It was hypothesized that pulp reactivity can be enhanced by the introduction of small amounts of substituents to facilitate interchain accessibility. In this study, CCE-treated Eucalyptus globulus kraft paper pulp was subjected to TEMPO-mediated oxidation to initiate partial oxidation of the C₆-hydroxyl groups to carboxyl groups. The effect of this pulp modification on the reactivity towards xanthation and the subsequent dissolution in diluted aqueous alkali solution (viscose process) as well as the dissolution in complexing and non-complexing solvents, respectively, was thoroughly examined. The results revealed that the oxidized pulps rich in C₆-carboxylate groups impeded the xanthation reaction obviously because of the reduced availability of hydroxyl groups. When N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate was used as a direct solvent, a very high content of C₆-carboxylate groups was found to reduce the solubility of the pulp fibers as less hydrogen bonds can be formed with NMMO·H₂O. In the case of dissolution in the complexing solvent cupriethylenediamine, the dissolution mechanism of cellulose was not deteriorated by the high content of C₆-carboxylate groups. Instead, the oxidation procedure increased the hydrophilic character and the swelling capacity of the outer cell wall layers allowed homogeneous dissolution.     

Oxidation of cellulose fibers mediated by nonpersistent nitroxyl radicals

Three different nonpersistent radicals bearing >NO^? moiety have been used to oxidize the viscose fibers at room temperature and alkaline pH. The generation of the free radical species was achieved in situ, from their corresponding ? OH precursors: 1‐hydroxybenzotriazole, violuric acid, and N‐hydroxy‐3,4,5,6‐tetraphenylphthalimide. Three different routes were used: (i) in the presence of metallic cocatalyst (lead tetraacetate), (ii) under metal‐free conditions (anthraquinone as organic cocatalyst), and (iii) a homolytically scission of ? OH bond through a 365‐nm UV irradiation. The oxidized fibers were subjected to attenuated total reflection FTIR characterization, potentiometric titration, wide angle X‐ray, energy dispersive X‐ray analyses, microscopic investigations, and solid‐state ¹³C‐NMR. The patterns of CP/MAS ¹³C‐NMR spectra revealed that the oxidation occurred at the C6 primary hydroxyl groups of cellulose. Notably, as a result of the introduction of hydrophilic carboxylate groups, the water retention values of the oxidized fibers increased by 35% as compared to the original nonoxidized sample. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Interpolymer complexation between polyacrylic acid and cellulose ethers: Formation and properties

The interaction between polyacrylic acid and two water‐soluble cellulose ethers (methylcellulose and hydroxyethylcellulose) was studied. Viscometry, velocity sedimentation, small‐angle neutron scattering, and potentiometric titration methods show the formation of stable water‐soluble interpolymer complexes due to hydrogen bonding between nondissociated groups of polyacrylic acid and proton‐acceptor groups of the cellulose ether. Both complexes exhibit polyelectrolyte properties and keep the conformation of the semirigid chain component. The hydrophobic groups in the methylcellulose macromolecule are responsible for the absence of complexes at temperatures greater than 60 °C. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1323–1330, 2000     

Interaction of uranium(VI) with lipopolysaccharide

Bacteria have a great influence on the migration behaviour of heavy metals in the environment. Lipopolysaccharides form the main part of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. We investigated the interaction of the uranyl cation (UO2(2+)) with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa by using potentiometric titration and time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) over a wide pH and concentration range. Generally, LPS consists of a high density of different functionalities for metal binding such as carboxyl, phosphoryl, amino and hydroxyl groups. The dissociation constants and corresponding site densities of these functional groups were determined using potentiometric titration. The combination of both methods, potentiometry and TRLFS, show that at an excess of LPS uranyl phosphoryl coordination dominates, whereas at a slight deficit on LPS compared to uranyl, carboxyl groups also become important for uranyl coordination. The stability constants of one uranyl carboxyl complex and three different uranyl phosphoryl complexes and the luminescence properties of the phosphoryl complexes are reported.     

Surface modification of cellulose nanocrystal with chitosan oligosaccharide for drug delivery applications

A novel drug delivery system based on two of the most abundant natural biopolymers was developed by modifying the surface of oxidized cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) with chitosan oligosaccharide (CS_OS). First, the primary alcohol moieties of CNC were selectively oxidized to carboxyl groups using the 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical catalyst. The amino groups of CS_OS were then reacted with carboxylic acid groups on oxidized CNC (CNC-OX) via the carbodiimide reaction using N-hydroxysuccinimide and 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide as coupling agents. Successful grafting of CS_OS to CNC-OX was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, potentiometric titration, and zeta potential measurements. The grafting resulted in a conversion of ~90 % carboxyl groups on CNC-OX and the degree of substitution was 0.26. CNC–CS_OS nanoparticles showed a binding efficiency of 21.5 % and a drug loading of 14 % w/w. A drug selective electrode was used to directly measure the concentration of procaine hydrochloride released from CNC–CS_OS particles. The in vitro drug release was studied at pH 8 and the nanoparticles revealed a fast release of up to 1 h, which can be used as biocompatible and biodegradable drug carriers for transdermal delivery applications.     

A study on the interaction of cationized chitosan with cellulose surfaces

This investigation describes the interaction of trimethyl chitosans (TMCs) with surfaces of cellulose thin films. The irreversible deposition/adsorption of TMCs with different degrees of cationization was studied with regards to the salt concentration and pH. As substrates, cellulose thin films were prepared by spin coating from trimethylsilyl cellulose and subsequent regeneration to pure cellulose. The pH-dependent zeta potential of cellulose thin films and the charge of TMCs were determined by streaming potential and potentiometric charge titration methods. A quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring was further used as a nanogram sensitive balance to detect the amount of deposited TMCs and the swelling of the bound layers. The morphology of the coatings was additionally characterized by atomic force microscopy and related to the adsorption results. A lower degree of cationization leads to higher amounts of deposited TMCs at all salt concentrations. Higher amounts of salt increase the deposition of TMCs. Protonation of primary amino groups results in the immobilization of less material at lower pH values. The results from this work can further be extended to the modification of regenerated cellulosic materials to obtain surfaces, with amino- and trimethylammonium moieties.     

Potentiometric back titration as a robust and simple method for specific surface area estimation of lignocellulosic fibers

The specific surface area (SSA) of cellulosic or lignocellulosic fibers is seldom reported in the recent literature on papermaking, despite its close relation with the degree of refining and other key pulp properties. Amidst outdated assays (Pulmac permeability test) and methods that, while accurate, are of doubtful usefulness for papermaking purposes (N₂ adsorption–desorption), we suggest a methodology based on the cationic demand. A commonly used cationic polyelectrolyte, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC), became adsorbed onto thermomechanical pulp samples. Then, a potentiometric back titration with an anionic polyelectrolyte measured the cationic demand, expressed as microequivalents of PDADMAC per gram of pulp. Multiplying this value by the surface area of a microequivalent of polymer, considering rod-like conformation in the case of minimum ionic strength, yielded the SSA of the lignocellulosic pulp. Our system assumes that the quaternary ammonium groups were anchored through electrostatic and ion–dipole interactions. Measuring the carboxyl content allowed for discriminating between both kinds of forces. Finally, the model could be validated by plotting the estimated SSA values against the Schopper-Riegler degree, attaining high correlation coefficients (R²?~?0.98). Owing to the high molecular weight of the polyelectrolyte of choice (107 kDa), and more particularly in the case of fine-free pulps, SSA values estimated from the cationic demand were consistently lower than those from dye (Congo red) sorption. Instead of being a drawback, the limited diffusion of PDADMAC through fibers can enable papermakers to attain a more helpful quantification of the available surfaces in operations with low residence times.

     

Reduction of water wettability of nanofibrillated cellulose by adsorption of cationic surfactants

Adsorption isotherms of single and double chain cationic surfactants with different chain length (cetyltrimethyl-, didodecyl- and dihexadecyl ammonium bromide) onto cellulose nanofibrils were determined. Nanofibrillated cellulose, also known as microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), with varying contents of carboxyl groups (different surface charge) was prepared by TEMPO-mediated oxidation followed by mechanical fibrillation. The fibril charge was characterized by potentiometric and conductometric titration. Surfactant adsorption was verified by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Wetting and adhesion of water onto fibril films was determined by contact angle measurements. Small aggregates (admicelles) of surfactant were shown to form on the nanofibril surfaces, well below critical micelle concentrations. The results demonstrate the possibility of using cationic surfactants to systematically control the degree of water wettability of cellulose nanofibrils.     

On the indirect polyelectrolyte titration of cellulosic fibers. Conditions for charge stoichiometry and comparison with ESCA

The effect of electrolyte (NaHCO3) concentration on the adsorption of poly-DADMAC (poly-diallyldimethylammonium chloride) onto cellulosic fibers with different charge profiles was investigated. Surface carboxymethylated fibers were obtained by grafting carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) onto the fiber surface and bulk carboxymethylated fibers were obtained by reacting the fibers with monochloroacetic acid. It was shown that nonionic interactions do not exist between cellulose and poly-DADMAC, rather electrostatic interactions govern the adsorption. Charge stoichiometry prevails under electrolyte-free conditions, whereas surface charge overcompensation occurs at higher electrolyte concentrations. It was shown that charge stoichiometry prevails if the thickness of the electric double layer kappa(-1) was larger than the mean distance between the charges on the fiber surface, as predicted by polyelectrolyte adsorption theories, taking lateral correlation effects into account. In a second set of experiments the ESCA technique served to independently calibrate the polyelectrolyte titrations for determining the surface charge of cellulosic fibers. Various molecular masses of poly-DADMAC were adsorbed to carboxymethylated fibers having different charge profiles. The adsorption of low M(w) poly-DADMAC (7.0 x 10(3)), analyzed by polyelectrolyte titration, was about 10 times higher than that of the high M(w) poly-DADMAC (9.2 x 10(5)). Despite the difference in accessibility of these two polyelectrolytes to the fiber cell wall, ESCA surface analysis showed, as expected, only slight differences between the two polyelectrolytes. This gives strong credibility to the idea that surface charge content of cellulosic fibers can be analyzed by means of adsorption of a high-molecular-mass cationic polymer, i.e., by polyelectrolyte titration.     

Adsorption of chlorhexidine onto cellulosic fibers

Comparative investigations of adsorption properties of chlorhexidine (CHX) on two cellulose fibers, bleached cotton and viscose, were studied in order to obtain dry gauzes covered with known amount of this antiseptic. Adsorption isotherm results carried out at 293 and 323 K can be described by Langmuir isotherm model, nevertheless, at high concentration correlation is better to Freundlich isotherm. Electrokinetic potential evolution with CHX concentration, shows that initial negative zeta potential of cotton and viscose diminish its absolute value as the concentration of the treatment increases; both fibers present an isoelectric point at high concentration of CHX that is 0.3 mM for viscose and 0.8 mM for cotton. Electrostatic interactions between cationic groups of CHX and carboxylic acid groups of the fibers could explain adsorption at low concentration, but when it is higher than these values, possible hydrogen bonding between the amine groups of CHX and hydroxyl groups of cellulose could explain increasing adsorption when it is hindered by electrostatic repulsion as it is predicted by Freundlich model, that describes heterogeneous surface and multilayer adsorption. Adsorption kinetics isotherms reveal that the process is quick with t _1/2 values of 5.4 min for cotton and 2.8 min for viscose. Differences in adsorption behaviour between the two fibers could be attributed to structural differences as we have observed from estimation of CI index based on FTIR spectra. Values obtained 1.6 for viscose and 2.2 for cotton could explain that the amount of CHX adsorbed on viscose is higher than it is on cotton. Finally desorption experiments performed with 0.01 M of NaCl solution at room temperature and pH 6 reveals the possibility of therapeutical application of these fibers although further investigations must be done to optimize the process.     

Rheological aspect on electrospinning of polyamide 6 solutions

Polyamide 6 (PA6) solutions in formic acid (FA) and deionized water cosolvent may behave as polyelectrolyte or neutral solutions depending on the cosolvent composition. In this study, both polyelectrolyte and neutral PA6 solutions were prepared for electrospinning, and their spinnability was correlated with their rheological properties. In addition, the effects of PA6 average molecular weight and carbon nanocapsule (CNC) nanoparticle addition on solution rheology and electrospinnability were investigated. Microstructure and thermal properties of the as-spun fibers were identified by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, polarized Fourier infrared spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Due to the chain expansion, polyelectrolyte solutions with 99 vol.% FA solvent possess much lower entanglement concentration (?_e, ∼1 wt.%) than neutral solutions (∼7 wt.%) prepared by 90 and 85 vol.% FA solvent. Compared with the neutral solution, the polyelectrolyte solution is more advantageous because a lower concentration is sufficient to obtain bead-free PA6 fibers. However, at a concentrated regime of 15 wt.% solution, the obtained fibers exhibit a larger diameter due to the higher entanglement density. For the crystalline structure, the content and orientation of α-form crystals are higher in the PA6 fibers obtained from the polyelectrolyte than from the neutral solution. When PA6 with a lower molecular weight is used, a higher concentration is required to develop the entangled chains to produce bead-free fibers. Homogeneous PA6 solutions filled with CNCs exhibit more elastic behavior than unfilled solutions due to the presence of the CNC–CNC network, aside from the entangled network of PA6 chains. Electrospinning of the CNC-filled solutions yields PA6 fibers with CNC aggregates protruding from the fiber surface. The inclusion of CNC in the PA6/FA solution produces fibers possessing enhanced α-form crystals with reduced orientation. In all cases, DSC heating traces of the as-spun fibers identify a high melting temperature (HMT) phase of PA6. The amount of HMT phase decreases, provided that more water or CNCs are added into the PA6/FA solution for electrospinning.     

Apparent dissociation constants of polycarboxylic acids in presence of polycations

The dissociation behaviour of poly(acrylic acid) and poly(ethylene-alt-maleic acid) has been investigated by both classical potentiometric titration and colloid titration as an alternative way. In the case of colloid titration, the monovalent counterions are assumed to be replaced by the oppositely charged polycation in the course of titration, so that the total concentration of anionic groups of the polycarboxylic acid is determined. As a consequence the apparent dissociation constants determined by polyelectrolyte complex formation do not depend on the degree of dissociation. In contrast to this finding, potentiometric titration is known to result in apparent dissociation constants which decrease with increasing degree of dissociation. The release of protons from the acid groups of the polycarboxylic acids is promoted by the complex formation with the strong cationic polyelectrolyte.