PNIPAM chain collapse depends on the molecular weight and grafting density

This study demonstrates that the thermally induced collapse of end-grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32 degrees C depends on the chain grafting density and molecular weight. The polymer was grafted from the surface of a self-assembled monolayer containing the initiator (BrC(CH3)2COO(CH2)11S)2, using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Varying the reaction time and monomer concentration controlled the molecular weight, and diluting the initiator in the monolayer altered the grafting density. Surface force measurements of the polymer films showed that the chain collapse above the LCST decreases with decreasing grafting density and molecular weight. At T > LCST, the advancing water contact angle increases sharply on PNIPAM films of high molecular weight and grafting density, but the change is less pronounced with films of low-molecular-weight chains at lower densities. Below the LCST, the force-distance profiles exhibit nonideal polymer behavior and suggest that the brush architecture comprises dilute outer chains and much denser chains adjacent to the surface.     

Direct observation of the phase transition for a poly(N-isopropylacryamide) layer grafted onto a solid surface by AFM and QCM-D

The temperature-induced structural changes of a thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) layer grafted onto a silica substrate were investigated in aqueous solution using an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). A PNIPAM layer was grafted onto the silicon wafer surface by free radical polymerization of NIPAM to obtain a high molecular weight polymer layer with low-grafting density overall. By AFM imaging, the transition of the grafted PNIPAM chains from a brush-like to a mushroom-like state was clearly visualized: The surface images of the plate were featureless at temperatures below the LCST commensurate with a brush-like layer, whereas above the LCST, a large number of domain structures with a characteristic size of approximately 100 nm were seen on the surface. Both frequency and dissipation data obtained using QCM-D showed a significant change at the LCST. Analysis of these data confirmed that the observed PNIPAM structural transition was caused by a collapse of the brush-like structure as a result of dehydration of the polymer chains.     

Adsorption isotherms and dissipation of adsorbed poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in its swelling and collapsed states

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) physisorbed on gold surfaces in aqueous solutions has been studied using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The adsorption isotherms of the polymer, that is, the adsorbed mass versus the concentration of PNIPAM in solution, show distinctly different behaviors at temperatures below and above a lower critical solution temperature (LCST). Below the LCST, PNIPAM forms a single compact layer in solutions with concentrations up to 100 ppm in weight; above the LCST, much thicker films of PNIPAM form in the same concentration range. Changes in the dissipation factor versus solvent concentration show a behavior similar to those in the isotherms. The difference in the adsorption behavior below and above the LCST can be qualitatively explained in terms of the conformation difference of the polymer in its swelling and collapsed states.     

In situ synthesis of temperature-sensitive hollow microspheres via interfacial polymerization

In this communication, a novel one-pot synthetic strategy for preparing hollow PNIPAM microspheres via an interfacial polymerization approach at the interface of an inverse W/O emulsion has been proposed and demonstrated. The results show that the prepared PNIPAM microspheres have real empty core and polymer shell structure, with a size range of 1-3 mum. The hollow microspheres experienced a reversible swelling and deswelling process by mediating the temperature below and above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNIPAM. The new approach not only provided a unique technical pathway to prepare hollow PNIPAM microspheres in situ under mild reaction conditions but also opened a platform for helping to understand the mechanism of diffusion, migration of the PNIPAM at an oil/water interface above its LCST, and the polymer layer formation mechanism as well.     

Temperature-sensitive swelling of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes with low molecular weight and grafting density

Temperature-sensitive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) brushes with different molecular weights M(n) and grafting densities σ were prepared by the "grafting-to" method. Changes in their physicochemical properties according to temperature were investigated with the help of in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry and in situ attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Brush criteria indicate a transition between a brush conformation below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and an intermediate to mushroom conformation above the LCST. By in situ ellipsometry distinct changes in the brush layer parameters (wet thickness, refractive index, buffer content) were observed. A broadening of the temperature region with maximum deswelling occurred with decreasing grafting density. The brush layer properties were independent of the grafting density below the LCST, but showed a virtually monotonic behavior above the LCST. The midtemperature ?(half) of the deswelling process increased with increasing grafting density. Thus grafting density-dependent design parameters for such functional films were presented. For the first time, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy was used to monitor segment density and hydrogen bonding changes of these very thin PNIPAAm brushes as a function of temperature based on significant variations of the methyl stretching, Amide I, as well as Amide II bands with respect to intensity and wavenumber position. No dependence on M(n) and σ in the wavenumber shift of these bands above the LCST was found. The temperature profile of these band intensities and thus segment density was found to be rather step-like, exceeding temperatures around the LCST, while the respective profile of their wavenumber positions suggested continuous structural and hydration processes. Remaining buffer amounts and residual intermolecular segment/water interaction in the collapsed brushes above the LCST could be confirmed by both in situ methods.     

Unexpected temperature-dependent single chain mechanics of poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) in water

Poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide) (PNIPAM) is a paradigm thermally sensitive polymer, which has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of ~32 °C in water. Herein by AFM-based single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS), we measured the single chain elasticity of PNIPAM across the LCST in water. Below LCST, the force curves obtained at different temperatures have no remarkable difference; while above LCST, an unexpected temperature dependent elasticity is observed, mainly in the middle force regime. We found that 35 °C is a turning point of the variation: from 31 to 35 °C, the middle parts of the force curves drop gradually, whereas from 35 to 40 °C, the middle parts rise gradually. A possible mechanism for the unexpected temperature dependent mechanics is proposed. The single chain contraction against external force upon heating from 35 to 40 °C may cast new light on the design of molecular devices that convert thermal energy to mechanical work.     

Protein adsorption on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes: dependence on grafting density and chain collapse

The protein resistance of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes grafted from silicon wafers was investigated as a function of the chain molecular weight, grafting density, and temperature. Above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32 °C, the collapse of the water-swollen chains, determined by ellipsometry, depends on the grafting density and molecular weight. Ellipsometry, radio assay, and fluorescence imaging demonstrated that, below the lower critical solution temperature, the brushes repel protein as effectively as oligoethylene oxide-terminated monolayers. Above 32 °C, very low levels of protein adsorb on densely grafted brushes, and the amounts of adsorbed protein increase with decreasing brush-grafting-densities. Brushes that do not exhibit a collapse transition also bind protein, even though the chains remain extended above the LCST. These findings suggest possible mechanisms underlying protein interactions with end-grafted poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) brushes.     

Stimulus-responsiveness and drug release from porous silicon films ATRP-grafted with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

In this report, we employ surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) to graft a thermoresponsive polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), of controlled thickness from porous silicon (pSi) films to produce a stimulus-responsive inorganic-organic composite material. The optical properties of this material are studied using interferometric reflectance spectroscopy (IRS) above and below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNIPAM graft polymer with regard to variation of pore sizes and thickness of the pSi layer (using discrete samples and pSi gradients) and also the thickness of the PNIPAM coatings. Our investigations of the composite's thermal switching properties show that pore size, pSi layer thickness, and PNIPAM coating thickness critically influence the material's thermoresponsiveness. This composite material has considerable potential for a range of applications including temperature sensors and feedback controlled drug release. Indeed, we demonstrate that modulation of the temperature around the LCST significantly alters the rate of release of the fluorescent anticancer drug camptothecin from the pSi-PNIPAM composite films.     

Attractive bridging interactions in dense polymer brushes in good solvent measured by atomic force microscopy

Using an atomic force microscope (AFM), we have investigated the interaction forces exerted by latex particles bearing densely grafted polymer brushes consisting of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA), poly(methoxyethylacrylamide) (PMEA), poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), and PMEA-b-PNIPAM in aqueous media (good solvent). The brushes were prepared by controlled surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization, and the hydrodynamic thicknesses were measured by dynamic light scattering. The molecular weight (Mn), grafting density (sigma), and polydispersity (PDI) of the brushes were determined by gel permeation chromatography and multiangle laser light scattering after cleaving the polymer from the latex surface by hydrolysis. Force profiles of PDMA (0.017 nm(-2) < or = sigma < or = 0.17 nm-2) and PMEA (sigma = 0.054 nm-2) brushes were purely repulsive upon compression, with forces increasing with Mn and a, as expected, due to excluded volume interactions. At a sufficiently low grafting density (sigma = 0.012 nm-2), PDMA exhibited a long-range exponentially increasing attractive force followed by repulsion upon further compression. The long-range attractive force is believed to be due to bridging between the free chain ends and the AFM tip. The PNIPAM brush exhibited a bridging force at a grafting density of 0.037 nm(-2), a value lower than the sigma needed to induce bridging in the PDMA brush. Bridging was therefore found to depend on grafting density as well as on the nature of the monomer. The grafting densities of these polymers were larger than those typically associated with bridging. Bridging interactions were used to confirm the presence of PNIPAM in a block copolymer PMEA-b-PNIPAMA brush given that the original PMEA homopolymer brush produced a purely repulsive force. The attractive force was first detected in the block copolymer brush at a separation that increased with the length of the PNIPAM block.     

Switchable surface traps for injectable bead-based chromatography in PDMS microfluidic channels

We report here a reversible microchannel surface capture system for stimuli-responsive grafted bioanalytical beads. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) was grafted onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces by a UV-mediated graft polymerization from a photoinitiator that was preadsorbed in the channel wall. The surface grafting density and resulting switchable hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties were controlled by varying the photo-illumination times and/or the initiator concentration. At limiting PNIPAAm-graft densities, the surfaces demonstrated minimal contact angles of 35 degrees below the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and maximal contact angles of 82 degrees above it. These contact angles could be varied depending on the graft density. The surface grafts are spatially limited to the photo-illuminated region to define where the trap is constructed. The surface traps capture PNIPAAm-grafted nanobeads uniformly above the LCST and facilitate their rapid release as the temperature is reversed to below the LCST. This dual surface trap and injectable chromatography system could be useful in many applications, such as affinity separations, immunoassays, and enzyme bioprocesses, by providing for the controlled capture and release of chromatography beads.     

基于星型杂臂环糊精聚合物的纳米胶束: 构筑及包合特性

通过胺化反应和原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP),合成了以β-环糊精为“核”,以1条聚乙二醇和2~4条聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺为“臂”的双亲水性星型杂臂聚合物(MPEG-CD-PNIPAMx)。通过1H NMR,13C NMR和凝胶渗透色谱/多角度激光光散射联用(SEC/MALLS)对其结构进行了表征。对1H NMR峰面积积分计算得聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺“臂”数为2~4。通过紫外-可见分光光度计测得该星型大分子的较低溶液临界温度(LCST)为37℃。MPEG-CD-PNIPAMx在其水溶液温度达到LCST以上时呈现两亲性,并通过疏水相互作用自组装成以聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺为“核”,以β-环糊精及聚乙二醇为“壳”的纳米级胶束粒子。通过MPEG-CD-PNIPAMx及其胶束粒子在芘溶液中的荧光光谱,发现胶束粒子对疏水性客体小分子的包合可发生在处于壳层的β-环糊精的疏水性空腔和胶束粒子的疏水性内核。     

Controlled Release from and Tissue Response to Physically Bonded Hydrogel Nanoparticle Assembly

Our recent work on synthesis and application of thermally gelling nanoparticle dispersions is briefly reviewed here. These nanoparticles consist of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN) of poly-acrylic acid (PAAc) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). The aqueous IPN nanoparticle dispersions with polymer concentrations above 2.5 wt % underwent an inverse thermoreversible gelation at about 33 °C. Dextran markers of various molecular weights as model macromolecular pseudodrugs were mixed with the IPN nanoparticle dispersion at room temperature. At body temperature, the dispersion became a gel. The dextran release profiles were then measured using UV-visible spectroscopy. The biocompatibility of this nanoparticle assembly was assessed using an animal implantation model.     

聚异丙基丙烯酰胺高分子在甲醇水溶液中溶解性的拉曼光谱研究

通过测量-13℃(低于低临界溶解温度(LCST))时聚异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)高分子在甲醇水溶液中的拉曼光谱非一致效应(NCE),试图从PNIPAM与溶剂分子间的相互作用角度理解PNIPAM的溶解性.通过比较甲醇水溶液中加入PNIPAM前后甲醇分子C-O伸缩所对应的NCE变化,我们认为:甲醇摩尔分数(x)在1.0-0.90范围内,PNIPAM优先吸附甲醇分子;x=0.80-0.50时,PNIPAM优先吸附水分子;而x=0.50-0.20时,PNIPAM破坏了甲醇与水所形成的三元环稳定结构.进一步比较加入PNIPAM或其单元结构--异丙基丙酰胺(NIPPA)对甲醇水溶液NCE的影响,发现PNIPAM通过链段间的疏水协同作用吸附了甲醇分子.我们认为在甲醇水溶液的低浓度区间,这种协同作用破坏了甲醇与水形成的三元环团簇结构,而当温度升高时这种结构又重新形成,导致了PNIPAM在甲醇水溶液中的混致不溶现象.     

Mesoscale simulations of the behavior of charged polymer brushes under normal compression and lateral shear forces

Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) was used to investigate the behavior of two opposing end-grafted charged polymer brushes in aqueous media under normal compression and lateral shear. The effect of polymer molecular weight, degree of ionization, grafting density, ionic strength, and compression on the polymer conformation and the resulting shear force between the opposing polymer layers were investigated. The simulations were carried out for the poly(tert-butyl methacrylate)-block-poly(sodium sulfonate glycidyl methacrylate) copolymer, referred as PtBMA-b-PGMAS, end-attached to a hydrophobic surface for comparison with previous experimental data. Mutual interpenetration of the opposing end-grafted chains upon compression is negligible for highly charged polymer brushes for compression ratios ranging from 2.5 to 0.25. Under electrostatic screening effects or for weakly charged polymer brushes, a significant mutual interpenetration was measured. The variation of interpenetration thickness with separation distance, grafting density, and polymer size follows the same scaling law as the one observed for two opposing grafted neutral brushes in good solvent. However, compression between two opposing charged brushes results in less interpenetration relative to neutral brushes when considering equivalent grafting density and molecular weight. The friction coefficient between two opposing polymer-coated surfaces sliding past each other is shown to be directly correlated with the interpenetration thickness and more specifically to the number of polymer segments within the interpenetration layer.     

Effects of end group polarity and molecular weight on the lower critical solution temperature of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)

The lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) for mass fractionated samples of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) were studied to determine the effect of polymer molecular weight on the LCST using a high throughput temperature gradient apparatus. PNIPAM fractions prepared by a conventional radical polymerization using azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator had LCSTs that were largely invariant with molecular weight or dispersity. Only slight deviations were noted with lower molecular weight samples. An 18‐kDa sample had a 0.6 °C higher LCST. A 56‐kDa sample had a 0.2 °C higher LCST. PNIPAM derivatives prepared with a triphenylmethyl (trityl) functionalized azo initiator were also prepared and mass fractionated. These samples' LCSTs were identical to those of PNIPAM samples prepared using AIBN initiation when higher molecular weight samples were compared. The trityl‐containing PNIPAM fractions' LCSTs varied when the molecular weight decreased below 100 kDa. Acidolysis of the trityl end groups provided a third set of PNIPAM derivatives whose LCST differed only with samples with M_w values < 60 kDa. These results show there is no effect of molecular weight on LCST until the degree of polymerization is such that end group structure becomes significant. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1492–1501, 2006     

ATRP技术用于热敏性高聚物在硅胶表面的接枝

在超细硅胶表面引入原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)的引发基团,通过ATRP技术使N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAM)在硅胶表面接枝聚合,合成得到了具有温敏性的核-壳复合微粒.通过FTIR,TG,EA,SEM,DSC等分析方法对接枝前后的复合粒子进行了分析与表征,结果证明聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)接在了硅胶表面.TG分析得出PNIPAM在硅胶表面的接枝率达到25.2%;DSC分析表明复合硅胶具有温度敏感性,在34.1℃时发生相转变行为;GPC分析得出从复合硅胶表面"劈下"的聚合物PNIPAM的数均分子量约为8000,分子量分布为1.06.复合微粒表面均匀平坦,显示出活性聚合的优越性.     

Effects of Hofmeister Anions on the LCST of PNIPAM as a Function of Molecular Weight

The effect of a series of sodium salts on the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), PNIPAM, was investigated as a function of molecular weight and polymer concentration with a temperature gradient microfluidic device under a dark-field microscope. In solutions containing sufficient concentrations of kosmotropic anions, the phase transition of PNIPAM was resolved into two separate steps for higher molecular weight samples. The first step of this two step transition was found to be sensitive to the polymer's molecular weight and solution concentration, while the second step was not. Moreover, the binding of chaotropic anions to the polymer was also influenced by molecular weight. Both sets of results could be explained by the formation of intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen-bonding between polymer chains. By contrast, the hydrophobic hydration of the isopropyl moieties and polymer backbone was found to be unaffected by either the polymer's molecular weight or solution concentration.     

Switchable photoluminescence of CdTe nanocrystals by temperature-responsive microgels

In the present study, we report a method for preparing a fluorescent thermosensitive hybrid material based on monodisperse, thermosensitive poly( N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) microgels covered with CdTe nanocrystals of 3.2 nm diameter. The CdTe nanocrystals were covalently immobilized on the surface of PNIPAM microgels. The chemical environment around the CdTe nanocrystals was modified by changing the temperature and inducing the microgel volume-phase transition. This change provoked a steep variation in the nanocrystal photoluminescence (PL) intensity in such a way that when the temperature was under the low critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymer (36 degrees C) the PL of the nanocrystals was strongly quenched, whereas above the LCST the PL intensity was restored.     

DNA mutation analysis based on capillary electrochromatography using colloidal poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) particles as pseudostationary phase

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is an interesting class of temperature sensitive, water soluble polymer that has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32 °C. Above the LCST, PNIPAM gets phase-separated and precipitates out from water. The fascinating temperature-sensitive property of PNIPAM has led to a growing interest in diverse fields of applications. Recently, capillary electrochromatography (CEC) has gained attention due to the wide range of applications based on the use of open tubular capillaries. In this paper, the use of phase-separated PNIPAM as a pseudostationary phase for CEC is demonstrated for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Owing to the dynamic coating, the phase-separated PNIPAM particles did not require any immobilization technique and could exist as a mobile stationary phase in the open tubular capillary. The heteroduplex analyses of mutation samples could be successfully performed based on the phase-separated PNIPAM particles in the constructed CEC system. The CEC system, based on PNIPAM particles capable of having a narrow size distribution, shows great potential as an alternative to conventional DNA mutation systems.     

Effect of urea on the conformational behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

The effect of urea on the conformational behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in dilute aqueous solution has been investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence quenching and fluorescence anisotropy measurements via pyrene (Py) probe and acenaphthylene (ACE) label studies. It was demonstrated that urea promotes the partitioning of the hydrophobic probe, Py, towards the bulk aqueous phase at temperatures above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the polymer due to swelling of the compact coil conformation. However, the compact coil structure of the polymer at temperatures greater than its LCST is not completely destroyed, even for urea concentrations up to 3 M, at which the phase transition is hardly observed. As expected, urea has little effect on the conformational behavior of PNIPAM at temperatures below its LCST. Received: 9 February 2000/Accepted: 13 June 2000