Eradication of Gram‐Positive and Gram‐Negative Bacteria by Photosensitizers Immobilized in Polystyrene

Immobilization of photosensitizers in polymers opens prospects for their continuous and reusable application. Methylene blue (MB) and Rose Bengal were immobilized in polystyrene by mixing solutions of the photosensitizers in chloroform with a polymer solution, followed by air evaporation of the solvent. This procedure yielded 15–140 μm polymer films with a porous surface structure. The method chosen for immobilization ensured 99% enclosure of the photosensitizer in the polymer. The antimicrobial activity of the immobilized photosensitizers was tested against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. It was found that both immobilized photosensitizers exhibited high antimicrobial properties, and caused by a 1.5–3 log₁₀ reduction in the bacterial concentrations to their total eradication. The bactericidal effect of the immobilized photosensitizers depended on the cell concentration and on the illumination conditions. Scanning electron microscopy was used to prove that immobilized photosensitizers excited by white light caused irreversible damage to microbial cells. Photosensitizers immobilized on a solid phase can be applied for continuous disinfection of wastewater bacteria.     

Phenothiazinium-based photobactericidal materials

Photosensitisers based on the phenothiazinium chromophore have been reported to be bactericidal on illumination via a singlet oxygen-mediated mechanism. The current work reports on the immobilisation of the methylene blue analogue, new methylene blue, in polymer resins, and the preliminary development of photobactericidal materials. The resultant materials exhibited measurable levels of singlet oxygen and were photobactericidal against both Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Such materials may be of use in surface disinfection/infection control in the healthcare milieu.     

Synthesis and characterization of photosensitive cinnamate-modified cellulose acetate butyrate spin-coated or network derivatives

The photochemical behavior of photosensitive materials obtained by spin-coating or network synthesis of a cellulosic polymer bearing photo-cross-linkable cinnamate groups was investigated. First, cinnamate groups were grafted on a cellulose acetate butyrate polymer, with different grafting densities. The photochemical properties of the polymers were studied in solution by UV–visible and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Then spin-coated films and networks were prepared and characterized as a function of the number of cinnamate groups per cellulosic unit. The water-wetting properties of both surfaces were studied by dynamic contact angle measurements, before and after photoirradiation, and subsequent heating. The surfaces obtained by the two methods have significantly different behaviors that can be assigned to the distinct photochemical pathways of the cinnamate groups upon irradiation depending on the sample preparation. Indeed, dimerization reaction is evidenced as the main process in the spin-coated films while the expected isomerization is predominant at the surface of the polymer networks.     

Synthesis and characterization of functionalized carbon black/poly(vinyl alcohol) high refractive index nanocomposites

Carbon black(CB)/polymer composites with high refractive index(RI) were fabricated from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and covalently functionalized nano-CB(PVA-es-CB) by simple esterification reaction.Transmission electron microscopy showed that uniform aggregates of PVA-es-CB nanoparticles with a size smaller than 100 nm formed in the nanocomposite films.EUipsometric measurements indicated that the PVA-es-CB/PVA composite films had a RI in the range 1.520-1.598 linearly increased with the PVA-es-CB volume content.Theoretical equation based on Lorentz-Lorenz theory provided reasonably close estimation of the refractive indices to the experimentally observed values.The hybrid films also revealed relatively good surface planarity,thermal stability and optical transparency.     

Antimicrobial anilinium polymers: The properties of poly(N,N‐dimethylaminophenylene methacrylamide) in solution and as coatings

Antimicrobial polymers have been widely reported to exert strong biocidal effects against bacteria. In contrast with antimicrobial polymers with aliphatic ammonium groups, polymers with anilinium groups have been rarely studied and applied as biocidal materials. In this study, a representative polymer with aniline side functional groups, poly(N,N‐dimethylaminophenylene methacrylamide) (PDMAPMA), was explored as a novel antimicrobial polymer. PDMAPMA was synthesized and its physicochemical properties evaluated. The methyl iodide‐quaternized polymer was tested against the Gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of 16–32 and 64–128 μg mL^?1, respectively. Against the Gram‐negative Escherichia coli, the MIC and MBC were both 64–128 μg mL^?1. To broaden the range of applications, PDMAPMA was coated on substrates via crosslinking to endow the surface with contact‐kill functionality. The effect of charge density of the coatings on the antimicrobial behavior was then investigated, and stronger biocidal performance was observed for films with higher charge density. This study of the biocidal behavior of PDMAPMA both in solution and as coatings is expected to broaden the application of polymers containing aniline side groups and provide more information on the antimicrobial behavior of such materials. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1908–1921     

Reaction kinetics of the esterification of lauric acid in iso-octane using an immobilized biocatalyst

The kinetics of the esterification of lauric acid with geraniol catalyzed by a commercially immobilized lipase preparation fromMucor miehei, Lipozyme, was studied in well-stirred flasks under conditions of no external mass transfer limitations. It was shown that the reaction is inhibited by lauric acid and the reaction mechanism can be described as a Ping-Pong Bi-Bi with Dead-End inhibition caused by lauric acid.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(ether-urethane)s derived from 3,6-diisobutyl-2,5-diketopiperazine and PTMG and study of their degradability in environment

3,6-diisobutyl-2,5-diketopiperazine (DIBDKP) was prepared from L-Leucine with good yield. Then a new class of biodegradable poly(ether-urethane)s (PEUs) was synthesized by the pre-polymerization reaction of DIBDKP with 4,4-methylene-bis-(4-phenylisocyanate) (MDI). Prepolymer reacted with poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PTMG) with molecular weight of 1000 (PTMG-1000) to obtain a series of new poly(ether-urethane-urea)s (PEUU)s. These multiblock copolymers are biodegradable and thermally stable. Some structural characterization and physical properties of these polymers before and after degradation in soil, river water and sludge are reported. The environmental degradation of the polymer films was investigated by SEM, FT-IR, TGA, DSC, GPC and XRD techniques. A significant rate of degradation was occurred in PEU samples under river water and sludge condition. The polymeric films were not toxic to Escherichia coli (Gram negative), Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus (Gram positive) bacteria and showed good biofilm formation on polymer surface. Our results show that hard segment degraded selectively as much as soft segment and these polymers are susceptible to degradation in soil and water.     

微乳液中脂肪酶和含明胶的微乳液凝胶中固定化脂肪酶的催化特性

在双2-乙基己基琥珀酸酯磺酸钠(AOT)油包水微乳液中Calytical脂肪酶催化月桂酸和戊醇的酯化反应动力学研究表明,反应符合乒乓(BiBi)机制.表观速率常数k_m酸=0.13518mol/L,k_m醇=0.22423mol/L,最大反应速度v_max=1.3873×10^-5mol/(L·min·mg).将该脂肪酶固定于含明胶的微乳液凝胶(MBGs)中,制得固定化脂肪酶,含酶MBGs在非极性溶剂中可作为固相催化剂,并研究了其在辛烷中催化酯化的性能.所制得的含酶MBGs物理稳定性好,重复利用10次以上,其转化率仍达初始转化率的90%.     

A Multifunctional Subphthalocyanine Nanosphere for Targeting,Labeling, and Killing of Antibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria

Developing a material that can combat antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, a major global health threat, is an urgent requirement. To tackle this challenge, we synthesized a multifunctional subphthalocyanine (SubPc) polymer nanosphere that has the ability to target, label, and photoinactivate antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in a single treatment with more than 99 % efficiency, even with a dose as low as 4.2 J cm^?2 and a loading concentration of 10 nM . The positively charged nanosphere shell composed of covalently linked SubPc units can increase the local concentration of photosensitizers at therapeutic sites. The nanosphere shows superior performance compared to corresponding monomers presumably because of their enhanced water dispersibility, higher efficiency of singlet‐oxygen generation, and phototoxicity. In addition, this material is useful in fluorescence labeling of living cells and shows promise in photoacoustic imaging of bacteria in vivo.     

A Multifunctional Subphthalocyanine Nanosphere for Targeting,Labeling, and Killing of Antibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria

Developing a material that can combat antibiotic‐resistant bacteria, a major global health threat, is an urgent requirement. To tackle this challenge, we synthesized a multifunctional subphthalocyanine (SubPc) polymer nanosphere that has the ability to target, label, and photoinactivate antibiotic‐resistant bacteria in a single treatment with more than 99 % efficiency, even with a dose as low as 4.2 J cm⁻² and a loading concentration of 10 nM . The positively charged nanosphere shell composed of covalently linked SubPc units can increase the local concentration of photosensitizers at therapeutic sites. The nanosphere shows superior performance compared to corresponding monomers presumably because of their enhanced water dispersibility, higher efficiency of singlet‐oxygen generation, and phototoxicity. In addition, this material is useful in fluorescence labeling of living cells and shows promise in photoacoustic imaging of bacteria in vivo.     

Esterification of sorbitol and lauric acid with catalystp-TSA

Kinetics of the esterification of sorbitol with lauric acid in the presence ofp-TSA as a catalyst has been studied. A kinetic model of reversible second order reaction was proposed for the esterification. Parameters in the model (kinetic constants) were estimated by non-linear regression. The temperature dependence of the rate was calculated from the experimental constants estimated at various temperatures, using the Arrhenius equation. Experimental results are in good accordance with the proposed theoretical model.     

Synthesis,Surface Activity,and Antifogging Property of Triethanolamine Monolaurate Ester

Triethanolamine monolaurate ester was synthesized by lauric acid and triethanolamine (TEA) with a molar ratio around 1:1 and the esterification process was investigated and optimized. The esterification product of lauric acid with TEA was characterized by infrared spectra and nuclear magnetic resonance. The surface tension (γ_CMC) at the critical micelle concentration (CMC) was determined, and the antifogging properties of triethanolamine laurate ester on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films were also measured. The results indicated that the yield of triethanolamine monolaurate ester was more than 69% under optimized esterification condition, the CMC value and γ_CMC of esterification product was 0.91 μg/mL and 22.1 mN/m in aqueous solution at 25 ^oC, respectively. The first-drop time and ten-drop time was 257 and 86 s, respectively, and the antifogging duration of triethanolamine laurate ester on the surface of LDPE film at 60 ^oC was more than 150 h.     

Ferrocene clicked poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) conducting polymer: Characterization, electrochemical and electrochromic properties

The “click” chemistry, Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reaction, was applied to covalently functionalize the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) conducting polymer film with an excellent electron transfer mediator (ferrocene). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopy were used to characterize the ferrocene-grafted PEDOT conducting polymer film, and it was proved that the grafting procedure via click reaction had a high efficiency. The ferrocene groups covalently grafted in the polymer films turned out to own a relatively fast electron transfer rate and show multi-color states via adjusting applied potential.     

Kinetic study on the reaction of lauric acid with ethanol catalyzed by deep eutectic solvent based on cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide

In this work, a novel type of deep eutectic solvents (DES: CTAB–DES) based on cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) was successfully synthesized by mixing CTAB with p-toluenesulfonic acid monohydrate and applied as catalysts for the esterification reaction of ethanol and lauric acid. The kinetics of the reaction of ethanol and lauric acid catalyzed by CTAB–DES was investigated in the temperature range of 328.15–348.15 K. The influence of different parameters including agitation speed, temperature, catalyst loading, and the lauric acid to ethanol molar ratio on the conversion of lauric acid was discussed. The kinetic experimental data obtained were correlated by the pseudo-homogeneous model, and the results show that it can predict the reaction process well. Moreover, CTAB–DES can be reused six times without any significant decrease in catalytic activity.     

In situ Synthesis of Oil Based Polymer Composites Containing Silver Nanoparticles

Using electron transfer reaction and free radical polymerization processes a series of triglyceride oil based polymer‐silver nanocomposites were successfully prepared. The whole process was divided into two simultaneous stages; (i) copolymerization of macromonomers obtained from partial glycerides with styrene and (ii) the reduction of silver nitrate to metallic silver nano particles with radicals stemming from the thermolysis of 2,2′‐azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Nanocomposites were characterized by TEM and TGA. The obtained polymer nanocomposite was also examined in view of antibacterial effect against Gram‐positive, Gram‐negative, and Spore forming bacteria. It was demonstrated that nanocomposite samples exhibited an antibacterial effect against these bacteria. Film properties of the samples as potential coating material were also studied. Nanocomposite samples showed better film properties than that of the polymer without silver nanoparticles.     

Novel Nanostructural Hybride Materials for Photodynamic Theraphy

Photodynamic theraphy (PDT) is a clinically approved method for treatment of cancer and some other diseases. It employs the combination of a drug (photosensitizer) and light to induce photoxicity towards the cancerous cells. The efficiency of currently used photosensitizers is limited due to their aggregation in aqueous media and low chemical purity; usually a mixture of various isomers is used. This paper presents the results of our studies on the development of nanostructural materials for PDT. They are constructed from porphyrin (Po) which is covalently attached to the chain of hydrophylic polymer such as poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and solubilized in lipid bilayer of liposome vesicles. The attachment of Po to the polymer chain improves its solubility in water while the solubilization in liposome carriers helps the dye to penetrate the cell membranes. Physicochemical and photophysical properties of those systems were determined. The in vitro studies on cancer cell lines demonstrated that the photosensitizers are efficiently accumulated in the cells. Their dark toxicity is negligible, while phototoxicity is very high.     

Synthesis and characterization of covalently colored polymer latex based on new polymerizable anthraquinone dyes

Novel polymerizable red and yellow dyes, consisting of anthraquinone chromophore, alkyl spacer, and acryloyl group, were first synthesized and then used as comonomers in the semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization of styrene, butyl acrylate, and methacrylic acid to fabricate polymer latexes. The influences of the dye monomers on the emulsion polymerization process, the latex particle size and its distribution, the molecular weight of the latex polymer, as well as the light fastness of the polymer latex films, were investigated. Results indicated that, despite of the inhibition effect of the polymerizable dyes on polymerization, stable colored polymer latexes could be prepared with high conversion of total monomers, whereas the conversion of the polymerizable dye decreased as increasing the amount of dye. The light fastness of the covalently colored polymer latex films was proved to be much better than that of the noncovalently colored polymer latex films due to the covalent bond of dye and polymer chains.     

Nanocomposites based on crosslinked polyacrylic latex/silver nanoparticles for waterborne high‐performance antibacterial coatings

Functional polymer/AgNPs nanocomposites have been prepared. Silver nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized to which polyacrylamide, PAAm, was covalently bound. PAAm was synthesized via a RAFT reaction and carried thiol and carboxylic acid end groups. Thiol was used to bind the polymer to the metal surface and carboxyl for further reactions. The AgNPs were used in a post‐crosslinking reaction with a separately synthesized poly(butyl acrylate‐co‐methyl methacrylate)/polyglycidyl methacrylate core/shell latex bearing epoxy functional groups. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the functional AgNPs effectively crosslinked the latex polymer, and that the final product had excellent mechanical strength. Antibacterial tests revealed that the nanocomposite films had strong antibacterial activity against all types of the bacteria and the immobilization of silver NPs by crosslinking retarded the release of silver in comparison to the uncrosslinked ones. With the presented method, it is possible to obtain ductile antibacterial nanocomposites to be used as waterborne functional coatings. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 1435–1447     

Novel materials from bis(arene)metal‐containing polyacrylonitrile

Novel bis(arene)metal‐containing polyacrylonitrile materials have been prepared by the polycyanoethylation reaction between acrylonitrile and (arene)₂M (M = Cr or V; arene = PhH, C₆H₄Et₂ or mesitylene) in the absence of solvent. The resulting star‐shaped molecules consist of a central (arene)₂M species with up to four polyacrylonitrile arms covalently bonded to the arene ligands. The materials are readily soluble and films can be cast from solutions in acetonitrile. The IR and solid state ¹³C NMR spectra (or EPR spectrum for the oxidized chromium‐containing polymer) are consistent with the presence of a metal–arene bond and confirm the persistence of the sandwich structure. The properties of the thermolysed materials are consistent with the formation of conjugated naphthyridine‐type structures. The value of |n₂| determined by the degenerate four‐wave mixing technique at 1064 nm with a 6 ns pulse duration for a solution in conc. H₂SO₄ (1 g l⁻¹) of the chromium‐containing polymer pyrolysed at 350 °C was found to be 0.8 × 10⁻¹³ cm² W⁻¹ corresponding to |lRe _χ⁽³⁾| = 0.4 × 10⁻¹¹ esu.     

Elevation of charring level of polyamide-6,6 films via ionic introduction of phosphoric acid and boric acid esters

Phosphorus and boron containing materials have the feature of increasing char formation, which can be effectively used as flame retardants especially in textiles. This paper discusses the ionic addition of phosphorus and boron esters to polyamide-6,6 (PA66), and its effect on the charring level. A mixture of phosphoric acid–boric acid ester at different degrees of esterification (ED) was prepared and two theoretical mechanisms for the esterification reaction were suggested. Ionically grafted polymer films were prepared by introducing the ester of highest ED to PA66–formic acid solution via three different processes: open air (cold) grafting, ultraviolet irradiation grafting, and hot vacuum oven grafting. Thermogravimetry was conducted for all synthesized esters and films, and the formation of new bonds between the ester and PA66 was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.