Study of pH-sensitive copolymer/phospholipid complexes using the langmuir balance technique: effect of anchoring sequence and copolymer molecular weight

The behavior of three copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), methacrylic acid (MAA), and hydrophobic moiety was studied at phospholipid monolayer/subphase interfaces. The hydrophobic moieties, N-terminal dioctadecylamine (DODA) and random octadecylacrylate (ODA), were used as anchoring groups. The interactions between a 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DSPC) monolayer and the copolymers were studied using the Langmuir balance technique. The effect of subphase pH, distribution of anchors along the copolymer chain, and copolymer molecular weight on the nature of the interactions between the copolymer chains and the DSPC monolayer were investigated. A first-order kinetics model was used to analyze the copolymers adsorption at the DSPC monolayer/subphase interface and allowed the interaction area between the copolymer chains and the DSPC monolayer, A(x), to be determined. The interaction area appears to depend on the subphase pH and the copolymer molecular weight. On decreasing pH, the interaction area of high molecular weight copolymers increases significantly; this is consistent with the copolymer chain phase transition from an extended coil to a collapsed globule while pH is lowered. In the latter conformation, strong hydrophobic attractive interactions between the copolymer chains and the hydrophobic part of the DSPC monolayer favor the copolymer intercalation, which could eventually provoke the phospholipidic layer destabilization or rupture.     

Deswelling comparison of temperature‐sensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) microgels containing functional ?OH groups with different hydrophilic long side chains

Two monomers containing functional ? OH groups with different hydrophilic long side chains (viz., triethyleneglycol methacrylate (TREGMA) and polyethyleneglycol methacrylate (PEGMA)) were selected to modify the swelling/deswelling behavior of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAM) microgels. Dynamic scattering technique, turbidimetric method, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were employed to investigate the deswelling behavior of the microgels. Experimental results show that the two series of microgels are identical in that incorporation of hydrophilic chains containing ? OH groups causes the volume‐phase transition temperature (VPTT) of pNIPAM microgels to shift to higher temperature; the more hydrophilic the side chains, the more the VPTTs shift. Although PEGMA are more effective in elevating the VPTTs of pNIPAM microgels than TREGMA, p(NIPAM‐co‐TREGMA) microgels show better deswelling properties than p(NIPAM‐co‐PEGMA) microgels, i.e., they have much larger deswelling ratios (α) and display less continuous volume‐phase transition. The VPTTs of the modified microgels can be modulated to well close to the normal body temperature of human beings. These characteristics along with the functional ? OH groups they contain make the microgels competitive candidates for biomaterials. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3575–3583, 2005     

Microphase separation of cationic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) copolymers in water: Effect of the migration of charges

The structures of aqueous copolymer solutions have been examined through small angle neutron scattering. The copolymers contained mostly N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) monomers. Poly (NIPAM) solutions have a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), above which the macromolecules separate from water. A small fraction of ionizable N,N-[(dimethylamino) propyl] methacrylamide (MADAP) monomers was introduced into the macromolecules. This had dramatic consequences on the solution behavior at temperatures above the LCST of PNIPAM, where phase separation would have been expected for the homopolymer. When all MADAP monomers were ionized, it was found that the solutions resisted the phase separation. At short spatial scales, the chains were collapsed but at large scales they formed branched aggregates that did not separate out of water. When only half of the MADAP monomers are ionized, the electrical charges were able to redistribute themselves along the chains. In this case, the rise in temperature caused a microphase separation where the electrical charges were relocated on a fraction of the chains that remained in solution.The other chains (or section of chains) formed large nodules of a polymer rich phase.     

Aggregation behaviour of peptide-polymer conjugates containing linear peptide backbones and multiple polymer side chains prepared by nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization

A series of peptides with an alternating sequence of alkoxyamine conjugated lysine and glycine residues were synthesized by classical solution phase peptide coupling. The resulting peptides containing up to eight alkoxyamine moieties were used as initiators in nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) to obtain peptide-polymer conjugates with well defined linear peptide backbones and a defined number of polymeric side chains. Polymerization of styrene and N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) occurred in a highly controlled fashion. Molecular weight and polydispersity index (PDI) were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Aggregation behaviour of these hybrid materials was investigated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Depending on composition, number and length of the polymer side chains, the conjugates aggregate to different topologies. Whereas peptide-polystyrene conjugates may aggregate to so called honeycomb structures, peptide-poly-N-isopropylacrylamide conjugates show differentiated aggregation behaviour.     

The photophysical properties and morphology of fluorene-alt-benzene based conjugated polymer

A series of fluorene-alt-benzene based conjugated main chain polymers chemically attached with alkyl side chains of different lengths on phenylene rings were designed and synthesized by a palladium catalyzed Suzuki coupling reaction. The UV-vis absorption and fluorescence spectra, thermal stability of spectral property, phase transition behavior and morphology of the synthesized polymers were investigated. With increasing the length of the alkyl side chain, the UV and fluorescence spectra exhibit an obvious blue shift compared with those of the unsubstituted polymer. The alkyl substitution improves the thermal spectral stability of the polymers due to the steric hindrance of the alkyl side chains, thus leading to efficient separation of the main chain backbones. The phase transition behavior is closely related to the length of the alkyl side chains attached on the phenylene rings. The annealed films of the polymers display characteristic nematic liquid crystalline texture. TEM observations indicate that solvent-cast thin deposits of all the polymers show typical fibrillar morphology.     

On the shape of bottle-brush macromolecules: systematic variation of architectural parameters

We measured the form factor of bottle-brush macromolecules under good solvent conditions with small-angle neutron scattering and static light scattering. The systems under investigation are brushes, synthesized via the grafting-from route, built from a poly(alkyl methacrylate) backbone to which poly(n-butyl acrylate) side chains are densely grafted. The aim of our work is to study how the systematic variation of structural parameters such as the side chain length and backbone length change the conformation of the polymer brushes in solution. All spectra can be consistently described by a model, considering the bottle-brush polymers as flexible rods with internal density fluctuations. Parameters discussed are (1) the contour length per main chain monomer l(b), (2) the fractal dimension of the side chains Ds, as well as (3) the fractal dimension D, and (4) the Kuhn length lambdak of the overall brush. l(b)=0.253+/-0.008 nm is found to be independent of the side chain length and equal to the value found for the bare main chain, indicating a strongly stretched conformation for the backbone due to the presence of the side chains. The fractal dimension of the side chains is determined to be Ds=1.75+/-0.07 which is very close to the value of 10.588 approximately 1.70 expected for a three-dimensional self-avoiding random walk (3D-SAW) under good solvent conditions. On larger length scales the overall brush appears to be a 3D-SAW itself (D=1.64+/-0.08) with a Kuhn-step length of lambdak=70+/-4 nm. The value is independent of the side chain length and 46 times larger than the Kuhn length of the bare backbone (lambdak=1.8+/-0.2 nm). The ratio of Kuhn length to brush diameter lambda(k)d>or=20 determines whether lyotropic behavior can be expected or not. Since longer side chains do not lead to more persistent structures, lambda(k)d decreases from 8 to 4 with increasing side chain length and lyotropic behavior becomes unlikely.     

Random copolymerization of macromonomers as a versatile strategy to synthesize mixed-graft block copolymers

The random copolymerization of norbornene-functionalized macromonomers was explored as a method of synthesizing mixed-graft block copolymers (mGBCPs). The copolymerization kinetics of a model system of polystyrene (PS) and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) macromonomers was first analyzed, revealing a gradient composition of side chains along the mGBCP backbone. The phase separation behavior of mGBCPs with PS and PLA side chains of various backbone lengths and side chain molar ratios was investigated, and increasing the backbone length was found to stabilize the phase-separated nanostructures. The graft architecture was also demonstrated to improve the processability of the mGBCP, compared to a linear counterpart. Investigations of mGBCPs comprised of polydimethylsiloxane and poly(ethylene oxide) side chains exemplified the diverse self-assembled morphologies, including a Frank-Kasper A15 phase, that can be obtained with mGBCPs synthesized by random copolymerization of macromonomers. Lastly, a ternary mGBCP was synthesized by the copolymerization of three macromonomers.     

具有不同柱状结构的苯并菲盘状液晶化合物的合成及自组装

合成了3种含有不同长度烷基链的苯并菲盘状液晶化合物; 通过1H NMR 和 MALDI-TOF MS对其结构进行了表征; 利用差示扫描量热法(DSC)、热台偏光显微镜(POM)和小角X射线散射实验(SAXS)对3种液晶化合物的自组装行为进行了研究. 结果表明, 烷基链的长度对苯并菲盘状液晶化合物自组装结构的影响显著. 柔性链为辛基的苯并菲盘状液晶化合物自组装成六方柱状液晶相; 柔性链为十二烷基的化合物自组装成倾斜柱状液晶相; 而柔性链为十六烷基的化合物则未形成液晶相.     

Synthesis of the Functional Hydrogels: Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) Threaded onto the PEG Backbones Via RAFT

Functional poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels were prepared by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of NIPAM in the presence of four-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (4A-PEG) as backbone and 4-cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate functional α -cyclodextrin threaded onto the PEG as chain transfer reagent (CTA).The structure of the hydrogels was characterized in detail with FTIR techniques. The analytical results demonstrated that α -cyclodextrin remains in as-obtained hydrogels. The swelling behavior was investigated and the functional hydrogels (functional gels) showed accelerated shrinking kinetics and higher swelling ratio comparing with conventional hydrogel (CG). It could be attributed to the presence of dangling chains. The hydrogel exhibited rapid swelling and deswelling kinetics. In principle, the hydrogel might find a number of applications including an on-off system and drug delivery systems.     

Effect of n-alkyl and sulfonyl groups on the wetting properties of comblike poly(oxyethylene)s and stick-slip behavior

The influence of side chain length and sulfonyl moiety on the molecular structures and wettability behavior of poly(oxyethylene)s with alkyl sulfonyl side chains (CH(3)-nSE, n = 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10), where n is the number of the carbon atom in the n-alkyl side group, was investigated. CH(3)-nSEs having shorter side chains (n < 5) do not have ordered structures, and their surfaces were found to be more polar than those of CH(3)-nSEs having longer side chains (n ≥ 5). The CH(3)-nSEs having longer side chains show double-layered lamellar structures (n ≥ 5) with well-aligned side chains and low surface energies in the range 21.2-25.8 mN/m. Interestingly, stick-slip behavior was observed only on the surfaces of CH(3)-3SE and CH(3)-4SE when water was used as the test liquid. The surface deformation at the three-phase line was generated from interactions between water and sulfonyl groups, and the optimum side chain lengths were believed to cause the stick-slip behavior.     

长链烷酸接枝羟丙基纤维素相变材料的制备及其性能

采用酯化的方法将具有相变特征的长链脂肪酸接枝到羟丙基纤维素主链上, 得到了一系列性能稳定, 温度范围适宜的高分子固-固相变材料, 并利用傅里叶红外光谱(FT-IR)、核磁共振(NMR)、差示扫描量热仪(DSC)、热失重分析仪(TGA)和X射线散射等技术手段对其化学结构及相变行为进行了研究。 结果表明, 该材料呈现出可逆的固-固相转变特性, 相变温度范围可通过改变脂肪酸的长度调节。 利用棕榈酸、硬脂酸和花生酸获得的相变材料焓值达到60 J/g, 所获得的材料在250 ℃以内不发生热分解。 通过将两种长链脂肪酸混合同时接枝到羟丙基纤维素主链上, 所得产物的吸/放热温度随着混合脂肪酸组分含量的变化而变化, 同时X射线散射的结果也证明羟丙基纤维素混合酯的分子间距是位于其两种单一酯之间的。这一结果为制备一定温度范围内任意相变温度的高分子固-固相变材料提供了简便的方法。     

Study of Phase Separation of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-styrene) Aqueous Solutions with Rayleigh Scattering Technique

A thermally sensitive copolymer, poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐styrene) [P(NIPAM‐co‐St)] (M_n?9.5×10⁵ g/mol and M_w/M_n?1.51) was synthesized by soap‐free emulsion polymerization. The phase separation of the copolymer in water was investigated by Rayleigh scattering (RS) technique. The RS spectra revealed the transition of molecular conformation and the aggregation of molecular chains in the course of phase separation. The coil‐to‐globule and globule‐to‐coil transitions of P(NIPAM‐co‐St) chains were found in one heating‐and‐cooling cycle. By means of Avrami formula, apparent activation energy of phase separation of P(NIPAM‐co‐St) aqueous solutions was estimated. Moreover, a model was proposed to describe the phase separation process.     

On the structure of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) microgel particles

This investigation presents a study of the internal structure of poly(NIPAM/xBA) microgel particles (NIPAM and BA are N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N'-methylene bisacrylamide, respectively). In this study, x is the wt % of BA used during microgel synthesis. Two values of x were used to prepare the microgels, 1 and 10. The microgel dispersions were investigated using photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). These measurements were made as a function of temperature in the range 30-50 degrees C. Scattering maxima were observed for the microgels when the dispersion temperatures were less than their volume phase transition temperatures. The SANS data were fitted using a model which consisted of Porod and Ornstein-Zernike form factors. The analysis showed that the macroscopic hydrodynamic diameter of the microgel particles and the submicroscopic mesh size of the network are linearly related. This is the first study to demonstrate affine swelling for poly(NIPAM/xBA) microgels. Furthermore, the mesh size does not appear to be strongly affected by x. The data suggest that the swollen particles have a mostly homogeneous structure, although evidence for a thin, low segment density shell is presented. The study confirms that poly(NIPAM/xBA) microgel particles have a core-shell structure. The shell has an average thickness of approximately 20 nm for poly(NIPAM/1BA) particles which appears to be independent of temperature over the range studied. The analysis suggests that the particles contained approximately 50 vol % water at 50 degrees C. The molar mass of the poly(NIPAM/1BA) microgel particles was estimated as 6 x 10(9) g mol(-1).     

取代烷基侧链长度对二维纳米结构的影响

合成了一系列烷基取代的间苯三酚衍生物,并在大气条件下用扫描隧道显微镜研究了它们在高定向裂解石墨表面的吸附和组装行为.实验结果表明,这些自组装分子具有条状结构特征.在链长较短的分子图像中,两条平行的烷氧基链肩并肩地排列在苯环的一侧,另一条烷氧基链则排列在苯环的另一侧,链与链之间彼此相互交错排列形成均一的烷基条带.当链长增加时,这种高稳定性和密排结构遭到破坏,出现单个分子和分子对共存的组装结构.这是由于烷基链与烷基链之间以及烷基链与基底之间的作用力共同决定的.通过调控分子烷基链的长度可以得到不同的表面二维纳米结构.     

Influence of main chain on the phase behaviors of side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers with triphenylene mesogens of long alkyl tail substituents

A series of side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers (SCLCPs) containing triphenylene mesogen, in which the long alkyl tail Tp connected directly with main chain, were synthesized successfully. The chemical structures of the monomers were confirmed by ¹H NMR and mass spectrometry. The phase behaviors of polymers were investigated by a combination of techniques, including DSC, POM, 1D/2D WAXD, and SAXS. The experimental results suggested that the type of main chain played an important role in the LC phase structures of these polymers. Because of the steric effects of side chains and the coupling effects between the Tp moieties and the main chains, all the polymers exhibited columnar phase. However, the SCLCPs with poly(vinyl benzene methyl ether) or polynorbornene backbone displayed hexagonal columnar phase, while those with polyacrylate or polymethacrylate backbone presented columnar nematic phase, and the one with poly(vinyl benzoate) main chain showed rectangular columnar phase. Moreover, the clearing temperatures (Ti) changed with change in main chain. Especially, the Ti of the SCLCP with polymethacrylate backbone was above 300 °C. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 754–766     

A study of the structural effects on the liquid-crystalline properties of ionic perylenebis(dicarboximide)s using UV-Vis spectroscopy, polarized light microscopy, and NMR spectroscopy

Ionic perylenebis(dicarboximide)s 1-5 were synthesized. The aggregation and liquid-crystalline properties of these compounds in aqueous solutions were investigated. In the concentration range of approximately 5 x 10-7-5 x 10-4 M, the structures of the ammonium side chains and counterions did not have a significant effect on the electronic transition properties and H-aggregate formation of these compounds. However, the liquid-crystalline phase properties varied with the structure of the side chains and the counterions. Ionic perylenebis(dicarboximide)s 1, 3, and 5 with chloride ions formed nematic (N) phases from the isotropic (I) phase, while 2 and 4 with p-methylbenzenesulfonate ions formed chromonic ribbons from the I phase. Studies by polarized light microscopy and 2H NMR spectroscopy indicated that the N phase of 5 (with gem dimethyl groups) formed at higher concentrations than those observed for 1 and 3 at the same temperature. Furthermore, the N phase of 5 was less ordered compared to those of 1 and 3 at a similar concentration and temperature, presumably due to the bulkiness of the side chains of 5 that hindered the stacking and pi-interactions of the aromatic rings.     

Side‐Chain Engineering of Benzodithiophene‐Fluorinated Quinoxaline Low‐Band‐Gap Co‐polymers for High‐Performance Polymer Solar Cells

A new series of donor–acceptor co‐polymers based on benzodithiophene and quinoxaline with various side chains have been developed for polymer solar cells. The effect of the degree of branching and dimensionality of the side chains were systematically investigated on the thermal stability, optical absorption, energy levels, molecular packing, and photovoltaic performance of the resulting co‐polymers. The results indicated that the linear and 2D conjugated side chains improved the thermal stabilities and optical absorptions. The introduction of alkylthienyl side chains could efficiently lower the energy levels compared with the alkoxyl‐substituted analogues, and the branched alkoxyl side chains could deepen the HOMO levels relative to the linear alkoxyl chains. The branched alkoxyl groups induced better lamellar‐like ordering, but poorer face‐to‐face packing behavior. The 2D conjugated side chains had a negative influence on the crystalline properties of the co‐polymers. The performance of the devices indicated that the branched alkoxyl side chains improved the V_oc, but decreased the J_sc and fill factor (FF). However, the 2D conjugated side chains would increase the V_oc, J_sc, and FF simultaneously. For the first time, our work provides insight into molecular design strategies through side‐chain engineering to achieve efficient polymer solar cells by considering both the degree of branching and dimensionality.     

聚｛11-[(4′-正庚氧基-4-联苯基)羰基]氧-1-十一炔｝的相结构与相转变

采用示差扫描量热法(DSC)、一维(1D)、二维(2D)广角X-射线衍射(WAXD)和偏光显微镜(PLM)等研究手段对聚{11-[(4′-正庚氧基-4-联苯基)羰基]氧-1-十一炔}(PA-9,7)的本体相转变和相结构进行研究,并采用分子动力学方法对相结构进行模拟.结果表明,样品的相转变为近晶B相(SmB)近晶A相(SmA)各向同性态(Iso).在近晶B相中,侧链在层状结构中排列成具有六次对称性的准长程有序结构。     

Solubility and Solution Structure of Cellulose Derivatives

Strongly interacting solvents are needed to dissolve cellulose; therefore, in the past the interpretation of the uncommon solution behavior of cellulose and its derivatives was based mainly on energetic (enthalpic) considerations, for example, hydrogen bonding. These attempts have not been very successful. The present paper demonstrates that entropic effects influence the solution behavior much stronger than hitherto supposed. In the well-known Flory–Huggins theory the driving force for dissolution of flexible chains is the configurational entropy of mixing. This large entropy is strongly reduced by the chain stiffness of the cellulose backbone and by the strictly regular primary structure of this polysaccharide. It strongly reduces the driving force for dissolution. The entropy of mixing becomes largely increased again by the attachment of long side chains and causes solubility with surprising efficiency (hairy rod principle). This effect is demonstrated with several examples. Among others, the surprising insolubility of short, regular-selectively substituted cellulose chains is explained, although long chains of the same substitution pattern are soluble. The striking behavior of cellulose ethers in water is based on the hydrophobic effect, which causes an increased order of the polymer surrounding water molecules. The induced order results in a very pronounced decrease of entropy of mixing that overcompensates the positive configurational entropy of mixing. Common rules of basic thermodynamics now predict phase separation on heating, contrary to the Flory–Huggins theory, which can only predict phase separation on cooling.     

NMR investigation of effect of dissolved salts on the thermoresponsive behavior of oligo(ethylene glycol)‐methacrylate‐based polymers

The synthesis of thermo‐ and ionic‐responsive copolymers based on polyethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA) and 2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl acrylate (TFEA) via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization is described. Reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of OEGMA and TFEA are r_OEGMA = 2.46 and r_TFEA = 0.22, indicating that OEGMA is incorporated more rapidly than TFEA monomers. The copolymers are thermosensitive and exhibit volume phase transitions (lower critical solution behavior) at temperature, which depend on copolymer composition and the presence of added salts in the aqueous solutions. It was found that the copolymers exhibited LCST transitions at temperatures below 353 K only in salt solutions. ¹H NMR measurements indicated that motion of the protons located in and near the hydrophobic main chain are more sensitive to temperature than protons in the hydrophilic OEGMA side chains. The hydrophilic side chains remain largely hydrated; however, the presence of two distinct conformations of the terminal groups of the side chains was confirmed. The influence of OEGMA side chain length, copolymer composition, and salt type on aggregation behavior and dynamics was examined in detail. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2375–2385