A new class of biodegradable hydrogels stereocomplexed by enantiomeric oligo(lactide) side chains of poly(HEMA‐g‐OLA)s

Two enantiomeric amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of water soluble poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (HEMA) and biodegradable oligo(L ‐lactide) (OLLA) or oligo(D ‐lactide) (ODLA) were synthesized by free radical copolymerization. HEMA‐OL(D)LA macromonomers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of L ‐ or D ‐lactide. Both HEMA‐OLA macromonomers and graft copolymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. Graft copolymers and their stereocomplexes were analyzed by wide angle X‐ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Due to the formation of stereocomplex crosslinks between poly(HEMA) main chains, amphiphilic, biodegradable hydrogels prepared by blending of two enantiomeric poly(HEMA‐g‐OLLA) and poly(HEMA‐g‐ODLA) degraded more slowly in phosphate buffered saline than individual optically pure poly‐(HEMA‐g‐OL(D)LA).     

SYNTHESIS OF POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)-SILICA NANO-COMPOSITES. II. POLY[METHYL METHACRYLATE-block-(METHYL METHACRYLATE-co-2-HYDROXYETHYL METHACRYLATE)]

ABSTRACT

One kind of poly(methyl methacrylate [MMA]-block-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate [HEMA]) block copolymer and two kinds of poly[MMA1-block-(MMA-co-HEMA)] block-random copolymers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. Then, poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA]-silica nano composites were synthesized by blending perhydropolysilazane (PHPS: NN-110) and block or block-random copolymers in 1,4-dioxane and casting the blend solutions. All composite films were transparent. Silica and organic domains were microphase separated in the composites. The effects of PHEMA content and blend ratio of PHPS to hydroxyl group on the microphase separation were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermal properties of the composites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal gravitic analysis (TGA).     

Preparation of micron-sized composite polymer particles containing hydrophilic 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and their biomedical applications

Micron-sized polystyrene or PS particles were first prepared by dispersion polymerization. Then a series of polystyrene/poly(styrene-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) or PS/P(S-HEMA) composite polymer particles was prepared by seeded copolymerization using different amounts of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) at the constant core/shell ratio of 1/0.5. The produced PS seed and composite polymer particles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy. Adsorption behaviors of some biologically active macromolecules were studied under similar conditions. In each case the magnitude of adsorption on composite polymer particles decreased with the increase in HEMA content in the recipe, which means that the hydrophobic interaction between the surface of the particles and biomolecules decreased. The specific activities of trypsin aqueous solution and adsorbed trypsin on PS seed and composite polymer particles prepared with different HEMA contents were also measured and compared. The activity of adsorbed trypsin on composite polymer particles improved significantly with the incorporation of hydrophilic HEMA.     

Synthesis of graft copolymers by combination of radical photopolymerization and iniferter process

Various PS‐based graft copolymers including polystyrene‐graft‐poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(styrene‐graft‐poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) are prepared via subsequent visible light radical photopolymerization and iniferter processes. Thus, poly(styrene‐co‐4‐chloromethylstyrene) P(S‐co‐VBC) is synthesized by light induced free‐radical polymerization. Then, chloride moieties are substituted with triphenylmethyl (trityl) groups to give trityl‐substituted PS (PS‐trityl) under visible light irradiation using dimanganese decacarbonyl (Mn₂(CO)₁₀) photochemistry. Side chains are then grafted from PS‐trityl backbone via iniferter process to give desired graft copolymers in a controlled manner. The precursor intermediates and the final graft copolymers are analyzed by ¹H NMR, FT‐IR, and GPC measurements. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 1344–1348     

SYNTHESIS OF POLY(METHYL METHACRYLATE)-SILICA NANO-COMPOSITE

ABSTRACT

Transparent organic/pre-ceramic composite films of poly(methyl methacrylate) [PMMA] and perhydropolysilazane [PHPS] were synthesized by blending poly(methyl methacrylate-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [P(MMA-co-HEMA)] random copolymers and PHPS. In the blend films, P(MMA-graft-PHPS) graft copolymers were formed, PMMA and PHPS were microscopically phase-separated in the solid state. Morphology of the microphase separation was investigated by transmission electron microscopy by changing HEMA content of the random copolymers and blend ratio of PHPS to HEMA. To convert PHPS to silica glass, the blend films were calcinated at 100°C. The morphology of the microphase separation of the films was not changed by the calcinations; the calcinated films were transparent. When the molar content of HEMA of P(MMA-co-HEMA) and the molar content of PHPS to HEMA in feed were 14.5% and 150%, respectively, the morphology was well ordered lamellae of PMMA and silica.     

Estimation of heterogeneous surface structure of submicron-sized,composite polymer particles consisting of hydrophobic and hydrophilic components by atomic force microscopy*

Surface structure of submicron-sized poly(styrene/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [P(S/HEMA)] composite particles produced by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization was estimated with atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM force curves were measured in water at different points of the particle surface; it was clarified that the particle surface had a heterogeneous structure consisting of hard and soft parts, which must be, respectively, based on styrene-rich and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-rich parts.     

Dispersion polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using siloxane-based surfactant in supercritical carbon dioxide and in compressed liquid dimethyl ether

The free radical dispersion polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) has been carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) and compressed liquid DME using several surfactants. The polymerization are performed in the presence of fluorine-based poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) [poly(HDFDA)], poly(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6,7,7,8,8,9,9,10,10,10-heptadecafluorodecyl methacrylate) [poly(HDFDMA)], or poly(HDFDMA-co-MMA) and siloxane-based PDMS-g-pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid (Monasil PCA™) or PDMS modified surfactants, SS-5050K™ and KF6017™ as polymerization surfactants. When scCO₂ was used as a polymerization medium, the PHEMA were heavily agglomerated. However, the spherical and relatively uniform poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) particles could be produced even at 20 bar, with a narrow particle size distribution in compressed liquid DME. It was observed that fluorine-based surfactants were not a good surfactant as siloxane-based surfactants for the dispersion polymerization of HEMA. The average particle size of PHEMA was shown to be dependent on the type of the surfactant, the amount of the surfactant and initiator added to the system. The effect of two continuous phases, which are scCO₂ and compressed liquid DME, as a polymerization medium, the surfactant types and the concentration, initiator concentration, and monomer concentration on the morphology and size of the polymer particles was also investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic heterograft copolymers with PAA and PS side chains via “Grafting from” approach

The amphiphilic heterograft copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐2‐(2‐bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐(poly(acrylic acid)/polystyrene) (P(MMA‐co‐BIEM)‐g‐(PAA/PS)) were synthesized successfully by the combination of single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP), single electron transfer‐nitroxide radical coupling (SET‐NRC), atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP) via the “grafting from” approach. First, the linear polymer backbones poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐2‐(2‐bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate) (P(MMA‐co‐BIEM)) were prepared by ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and subsequent esterification of the hydroxyl groups of the HEMA units with 2‐bromoisobutyryl bromide. Then the graft copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐2‐(2‐bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly(t‐butyl acrylate) (P(MMA‐co‐BIEM)‐g‐PtBA) were prepared by SET‐LRP of t‐butyl acrylate (tBA) at room temperature in the presence of 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐yloxyl (TEMPO), where the capping efficiency of TEMPO was so high that nearly every TEMPO trapped one polymer radicals formed by SET. Finally, the formed alkoxyamines via SET‐NRC in the main chain were used to initiate NMP of styrene and following selectively cleavage of t‐butyl esters of the PtBA side chains afforded the amphiphilic heterograft copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐2‐(2‐bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐(poly(t‐butyl acrylate)/polystyrene) (P(MMA‐co–BIEM)‐g‐(PtBA/PS)). The self‐assembly behaviors of the amphiphilic heterograft copolymers P(MMA‐co–BIEM)‐g‐(PAA/PS) in aqueous solution were investigated by AFM and DLS, and the results demonstrated that the morphologies of the formed micelles were dependent on the grafting density. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Complexation of well-controlled low-molecular weight polyelectrolytes with antisense oligonucleotides

The influences of polymer-related properties such as molecular weight, charge density, counter ion, and hydrophilic block on the complexation of polyelectrolytes and a fluorescein-labeled oligonucleotide (ON) were investigated. A series of well-defined and well-controlled 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) polymers and block copolymers were prepared using living anionic and radical polymerization methods. Fluorescence measurement was used to reveal the effects of polymer molecular weight, charge density, and counter ion type on the complexation. PolyDMAEMA samples having double molecular weights of the chosen oligonucleotide gave the optimal complexation performance. Kinetic studies showed that high-molecular weight/high-charge density polymer samples produced very stable complexes. The fully charged polyDMAEMA displayed the strongest binding with the ON. These complexes were therefore less sensitive to the changes in the environment. PolyDMAEMA–DMSQ samples had slightly higher complexation ability than polyDMAEMA–MCQ (DMSQ: dimethylsulfate quat; MCQ: methylchloride quat). Both poly(DMAEMA-b-HEMA) and poly(DMAEMA–MCQ-b-PEG) block copolymers showed good complexation ability and steric stability [HEMA: 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate; PEG: poly(ethylene glycol)]. PEG, but not HEMA block, enhanced the effectiveness of polyDMAEMA–MCQ binding with the ON.     

Preparation of poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate functionalized carbon nanotubes as novel biomaterial nanocomposites

We report a simple method for the functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with a biomedically important polymer, poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)), by chemical grafting of HEMA monomer followed by free radical polymerization. The nanotubes were first oxidized with a mixture of conc. nitric acid and sulfuric acid (1:3), in order to obtain carboxylic acid functionalized MWNTs. Then the grafting of HEMA on to the surface of MWNTs was carried by chemical functionalization of HEMA with acid chloride-bound nanotubes by esterification reaction. FT-IR was used to identify functionalization of -COOH and HEMA groups attached to the surface of the nanotubes. The presence of poly(HEMA) on the nanotubes were confirmed by FESEM, TEM, and TGA analyses. Additionally, the dispersibility of the polymer functionalized nanotubes in methanol was also demonstrated. Considering the biomedical importance of poly(HEMA) and the recent successful in vivo studies on CNTs, in future, these materials are expected to be useful in the pharmaceutical industry as novel biomaterials composites with potential applications in drug delivery.     

Purification of Papain Using Reactive Green 5 Attached Supermacroporous Monolithic Cryogel

Supermacroporous poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) [poly(HEMA)] monolithic cryogel was prepared by radical cryocopolymerization of HEMA with N,N??-methylene bisacrylamide as crosslinker. Reactive Green 5 dye was immobilized to the cryogel with nucleophilic substitution reaction, and this dye attached cryogel column was used for affinity purification of papain from Carica papaya latex. Reactive Green 5-immobilized poly(HEMA) cryogel was characterized by swelling studies, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Maximum papain adsorption capacity was found to be 68.5?mg/g polymer while nonspecific papain adsorption onto plain cryogel was negligible (3.07?mg/g polymer). Papain from C. papaya was purified 42-fold in single step with dye attached cryogel, and purity of papain was shown by silver-stained sodium dodecyl sulfate?Cpolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Synthesis of silver/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) particles via a combination of inverse miniemulsion and silver ion reduction in a "nanoreactor"

Silver salt/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)) hybrid particles were first prepared by inverse miniemulsion polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with silver tetrafluoroborate (AgBF(4)) as a lipophobe. High silver salt loads of up to 13% with respect to the disperse phase were achieved. The silver/poly(HEMA) hybrid particles were subsequently formed via a gas-phase in situ reduction of AgBF(4) by hydrazine on the surfaces of silver salt/poly(HEMA) particles. The formation of silver nanoparticles was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The morphology of the hybrid particles of silver salt/poly(HEMA) and silver/poly(HEMA) was fully characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The influence of the reaction parameters including the type and amount of cosolvent, salt content, and type of surfactant on the particle properties and colloidal stability during the reduction process was thoroughly investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of polytulipalin‐g‐polylactide copolymers

Graft copolymers of poly(tulipalin A) (PT) and poly(DL‐lactide) (PDLLA) (PT‐g‐PDLLA) having various graft lengths and ratios were synthesized by free‐radical copolymerization of α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone (MBL) and PDLLA macromonomers (HEMA‐PDLLA) terminated by 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)‐terminated. HEMA‐PDLLA were synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of DL‐lactide in the presence of HEMA. Both HEMA‐PDLLA and the copolymers were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The thermal properties of the graft copolymers were found to depend on the graft length and the ratio. The copolymers consisting of PDLLA side chains of M_n = 500 Da showed a single T_g between T_gs of the two component polymers, suggesting a miscible state of PT and PDLLA. In contrast, the copolymers consisting of PDLLA side chains of M_n = 1100, 2000, and 7000 Da showed two isolated T_g, suggesting two segregated domains. The AFM phase images of the copolymers supported the single and phase‐separated morphologies for the former and latter systems, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and properties of graft copolymers based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) macromonomers

Graft copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), PHB, segments as long side chains were prepared by the macromonomer method. PHB macromonomers were prepared from the esterification of oligomers with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate at their carboxylic acid end. Esterification products displayed low polydispersity indices (ca. 1.2) and a functionality of over 83%, with a Mn of 2,020. Using free radical polymerization methods, the macromonomers were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate to yield graft (comb type) copolymers at different comonomer feed ratios. The graft copolymers contained from 0.5 to 14 mol-% of PHB blocks, with a glass transition temperature decreasing from 100 to 3 degrees C.     

原子转移自由基聚合法合成大豆分离蛋白-g-聚甲基丙烯酸2-羟乙酯

通过酰胺化反应在大豆分离蛋白(SPI)表面引入溴原子,合成了大分子引发剂SPI-Br,以CuCl和bpy为催化体系,通过原子转移自由基聚合法(ATRP)合成了大豆分离蛋白-g-聚甲基丙烯酸2-羟乙酯(SPI-g-PHEMA).用FTIR1、3C-NMR、GPC对大分子引发剂、接枝产物和接枝物降解链进行结构表征.结果表明,得到了表面接枝聚甲基丙烯酸2-羟乙酯长链的大豆分离蛋白接枝聚合物,用紫外分光光度计(UV)、荧光分光光度计z、eta电位和透射电镜(TEM)表征了接枝产物的溶液性质和微观形态.     

Stereogradient polymers by ruthenium-catalyzed stereospecific living radical copolymerization of two monomers with different stereospecificities and reactivities

Stereogradient polymers, a fundamentally new type of polymers, were prepared by the stereospecific living radical copolymerization of two monomers that have different stereospecificities and reactivities. The ruthenium-catalyzed living radical copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and the silyl-capped HEMA [(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-HEMA] (SiHEMA) in (CF3)2C(Ph)OH afforded stereogradient poly(HEMA), in which the rr content gradually increased from 62 to 77% at 0 degrees C, due to the lower reactivity and the higher syndiospecificity of SiHEMA.     

Chemo-enzymatic synthesis of comb polymers

The paper describes the synthesis and characterization of comb polymers by a two-step chemo-enzymatic process. In the first step macromonomers bearing unsaturation at the chain end were prepared by lipase catalyzed ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) and 1,5-dioxepane-2-one (DXO). The ROP was carried out in bulk at 60 °C under anhydrous conditions using 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) as the initiator. The DP of the macromonomers was controlled by regulating the monomer: HEMA molar feed concentration. The macromonomers were then homo- or co-polymerized in the second step with alkyl methacrylate monomers (methyl methacrylate or HEMA) using AIBN initiated free radical polymerization. Characterization of the polymers was done by ¹H NMR, SEC and DSC techniques.     

Synthesis and characterization of well‐defined poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene)‐graft‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) by sequential controlled polymerization

A new graft copolymer, poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene) ‐graft‐poly(?‐caprolactone), was prepared by combination of reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) with coordination‐insertion ring‐opening polymerization (ROP). The copolymerization of styrene (St) and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was carried out at 60 °C in the presence of 2‐phenylprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate (PPDTB) using AIBN as initiator. The molecular weight of poly (2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene) [poly(HEMA‐co‐St)] increased with the monomer conversion, and the molecular weight distribution was in the range of 1.09 ～ 1.39. The ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ?‐caprolactone was then initiated by the hydroxyl groups of the poly(HEMA‐co‐St) precursors in the presence of stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)₂). GPC and ¹H‐NMR data demonstrated the polymerization courses are under control, and nearly all hydroxyl groups took part in the initiation. The efficiency of grafting was very high. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5523–5529, 2004     

Methacrylate-based monolithic layers for planar chromatography of polymers

A series of macroporous monolithic methacrylate-based materials was synthesized by in situ free radical UV-initiated copolymerization of functional monomers, such as glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), butyl methacrylate (BuMA), 2-aminoethyl methacrylate (AEMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 2-cyanoethyl methacrylate (CEMA), with crosslinking agent, namely, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EDMA). The materials obtained were applied as the stationary phases in simple and robust technique - planar chromatography (PLC). The method of separation layer fabrication representing macroporous polymer monolith bound to the specially prepared glass surface was developed and optimized. The GMA-EDMA and BuMA-EDMA matrixes were successfully applied for the separation of low molecular weight compounds (the mixture of several dies), as well as poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and polystyrene homopolymers of different molecular weights using reversed-phase mechanism. The materials based on copolymers AEMA-HEMA-EDMA and CEMA-HEMA-EDMA were used for normal-phase PLC separation of 2,4-dinitrophenyl amino acids and polystyrene standards.     

PEGDA/HEMA水凝胶等离子体表面改性的研究

采用紫外光聚合法合成了聚乙二醇双丙烯酸酯(PEGDA)/甲基丙烯酸-2-羟基乙酯(HEMA)复合凝胶,在不同的条件下进行等离子处理后,紫外光下进行表面接枝改性。在凝胶表面引入亲水性基团,改善材料的亲水性。研究了不同等离子体处理条件及辐射条件对丙烯酰胺(AAm)接枝率的影响。研究表明,丙烯酰胺接枝率随着等离子体处理时间的增加先增大后减小,随着紫外光照射时间、丙烯酰胺浓度的增大而增大。