超分子凝胶与介观结构

从介观结构角度综述了超分子凝胶晶体网络结构的形成机理、结构特性对宏观性能的影响以及超分子凝胶的设计与调控,系统总结了超分子凝胶的表征方法.超分子凝胶的性能由层级结构决定,介观结构可大幅提高材料的宏观性能,其结构与性能可以通过四个因素相关联:拓扑结构,相关长度,对称性/有序性和晶体网络间的结合力.基于对超分子凝胶的介观概念更深、更新的理解,该类材料的研究和开发将被推向新的阶段.     

含水量对PAM/PVA互穿网络水凝胶性能的影响

应用分子动力学方法对PAM/PVA互穿网络水凝胶体系进行研究.发现该水凝胶体系的内聚能密度、结合能随着水含量的增加而增加,即体系的稳定性更强.由静态力学性能分析发现随体系含水量的增加,弹性系数、工程模量以及延展性均减小.此外,通过对相关函数的分析,发现H₂O分子与其周围原子、官能团之间主要是通过氢键相互作用,形成氢键的强弱关系为O_water >O_PVA >O_PAM >N_PAM,与形成氢键的可能性(难易)关系一致.     

基于分子动力学模拟的主链型液晶聚合物的新模型

在传统的Gay-Berne (GB)/Lennard-Jones (LJ)模型的基础上，发展了一种用于模拟半刚性主链型液晶聚合物(LCP)的分子级模型，命名为Solo-LJ-SP-GB 模型.单一的LJ联合体和非线性弹簧被用于描述LCP分子中的间隔体.用分子动力学模拟半刚性主链型LCP系统(该系统由169条分子链组成，每两个刚性体之间的间隔体个数为6)时，该模型所需的计算时间不到传统的GB/LJ 模型所需时间的十分之一，大大地提高了计算效率.通过采用该模型模拟半刚性主链型LCP的相变问题，观察到了与半刚性主链型LCP分子中间隔体个数相关的热力学的奇偶效应以及从等方相到向列相的相转变过程.这些模拟结果与当前的试验结果相当符合，从而表明了该模型可以较为准确地描述出半刚性主链型LCP的结构特性. 关键词： Solo-LJ-SP-GB模型 液晶聚合物 分子动力学模拟     

生物大分子多尺度理论和计算方法

分子模拟是研究生物大分子的重要手段. 过去二十年来, 人们将分子模拟与实验研究相结合, 揭示出生物大分子结构和动力学方面的诸多重要性质. 传统分子模拟主要采用全原子分子模型或各种粗粒化的分子模型. 在实际应用中, 传统分子模拟方法通常存在精度或效率瓶颈, 一定程度上限制了其应用范围. 近年来, 多尺度分子模型越来越受到人们的关注. 多尺度分子模型基于统计力学原理, 将全原子模型和粗粒化模型相耦合, 有望克服传统分子模拟方法中的精度/效率瓶颈, 进而拓展分子模拟在生物大分子研究中的应用范围. 根据模型之间的耦合方式, 近年来发展起来的多尺度分子模拟方法可归纳为如下四种类型: 混合分辨多尺度模型、并行耦合多尺度模型、单向耦合多尺度模型、以及自学习多尺度模型. 本文将对上述四类多尺度模型做简要介绍, 并讨论其主要优缺点、应用范围以及进一步发展方向.     

绝缘油在水和酸共同作用下的分子动力学模拟

为探讨水分和温度对变压器油中酸扩散行为的影响,在分子模拟软件内建立了水分子、矿物油分子、甲酸分子的复合模型,水的体积分数分别为1%,3%,5%,甲酸的质量分数为3%.通过分子动力学方法模拟计算了甲酸分子在不同含水量油模型中的扩散系数、径向分布函数以及复合模型的总动能;此外,选取了水体积分数为1%的复合模型为研究对象,以温度为变量进行动力学模拟.结果表明:随着水含量的增多,甲酸的扩散系数并没有逐渐增大,甲酸分子与水分子之间的氢键数目呈逐渐减少的趋势.而随着温度的升高,油模型具有的动能越大,酸分子的扩散逐渐增强.油模型中,含水量越多,水和酸在热运动下碰撞油分子的能量越大;温度越高,相互之间的碰撞越激烈.模拟结果说明水分增加或温度增高,均对油分子的结构稳定性造成一定程度的破坏.     

脱氧核糖核酸柔性的分子动力学模拟:Amber bsc1和bsc0力场的对比研究

脱氧核糖核酸(DNA)的结构柔性对DNA生物功能的实现具有重要作用,全原子分子动力学模拟是一种研究DNA结构柔性的重要方法.DNA的分子动力学力场在Amber bsc0基础上有了进一步的发展,即Amber bsc1.本文采用基于最新bsc1力场和先前bsc0力场的分子动力学模拟对DNA的宏观柔性和微观柔性进行对比研究,发现力场的改进对DNA宏观柔性参量的预测有一定改善,即所预测的拉伸模量和扭转-伸缩耦合比与实验值更为接近,而弯曲持久长度和扭转持久长度两种力场结果皆与实验值一致.微观分析发现,除了滑移量稍变大,bsc1力场得到的微观结构参量如扭转角和倾斜角与实验值更为接近,且新力场下DNA宏观柔性的改善与DNA的微观结构参量及其涨落紧密相关.     

绝缘油在水和酸共同作用下的分子动力学模拟

为探讨水分和温度对变压器油中酸扩散行为的影响,在分子模拟软件内建立了水分子、矿物油分子、甲酸分子的复合模型,水的体积分数分别为1%,3%,5%,甲酸的质量分数为3%.通过分子动力学方法模拟计算了甲酸分子在不同含水量油模型中的扩散系数、径向分布函数以及复合模型的总动能;此外,选取了水体积分数为1%的复合模型为研究对象,以温度为变量进行动力学模拟.结果表明:随着水含量的增多,甲酸的扩散系数并没有逐渐增大,甲酸分子与水分子之间的氢键数目呈逐渐减少的趋势.而随着温度的升高,油模型具有的动能越大,酸分子的扩散逐渐增强.油模型中,含水量越多,水和酸在热运动下碰撞油分子的能量越大;温度越高,相互之间的碰撞越激烈.模拟结果说明水分增加或温度增高,均对油分子的结构稳定性造成一定程度的破坏.     

绝缘油在水和酸共同作用下的分子动力学模拟

为探讨水分和温度对变压器油中酸扩散行为的影响,在分子模拟软件内建立了水分子、矿物油分子、甲酸分子的复合模型,水的体积分数分别为1%,3%,5%,甲酸的质量分数为3%.通过分子动力学方法模拟计算了甲酸分子在不同含水量油模型中的扩散系数、径向分布函数以及复合模型的总动能;此外,选取了水体积分数为1%的复合模型为研究对象,以温度为变量进行动力学模拟.结果表明:随着水含量的增多,甲酸的扩散系数并没有逐渐增大,甲酸分子与水分子之间的氢键数目呈逐渐减少的趋势.而随着温度的升高,油模型具有的动能越大,酸分子的扩散逐渐增强.油模型中,含水量越多,水和酸在热运动下碰撞油分子的能量越大;温度越高,相互之间的碰撞越激烈.模拟结果说明水分增加或温度增高,均对油分子的结构稳定性造成一定程度的破坏.     

碱基序列对DNA分子电子结构的影响

将DNA分子看成一维二元随机序列，利用负本征值理论计算其态密度，针对碱基对分布和相对含量等参量，讨论了DNA分子的电子结构.结果表明碱基对分布和相对含量都对电子能态结构影响较大，说明碱基序列对DNA分子的电子结构影响很大. 关键词： DNA分子 电子态密度 碱基对     

脱氧核糖核酸的核磁共振研究简介

从NMR谱峰归属,NMR约束及结构计算,NMR谱的主要特征,化学位移的环流效应,以及溶液动力学等几个方面简要地介绍了核磁共振在DNA结构和动力学研究中的应用. 指出了DNA的NMR研究中存在着的一些问题. 这些问题主要包括：分子力场中的二面角参数不符合非规整DNA结构中的许多二面角;用分子模拟软件重建DNA结构时没有很好的重现性;DNA的化学位移环流效应理论尚未成熟;“无模型(model-free)”模型在定量解释异核稳态NOE时不理想. 然而,NMR所提供的结构和动力学信息仍然是十分重要的并且极大地深化了人们对DNA的了解.     

Stages in tropoelastin coalescence during synthetic elastin hydrogel formation

Synthetic human tropoelastin was chemically cross-linked to form elastic hydrogel-like structures in vitro. Discrete stages were identified during elastic hydrogel formation by cross-linking tropoelastin with bis(sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate at a range of protein concentrations during this process. In the early stages of this process, particles with the same dimensions as tropoelastin were seen. As hydrogel formation progressed, monomer width fibres were also observed. Overall, four distinct stages were identified: (1) tropoelastin monomers form discrete particles in the order of 200 nm diameter, (2) these particles merge to form larger spheres, (3) spheres coalesce into open linked networks, (4) coalesced spheres consolidate to form a porous structure to give synthetic elastin hydrogels.     

双分散颗粒体系在临界堵塞态的结构特征

堵塞行为是颗粒体系中一种常见的现象,其力学性质与堆积结构的关联非常复杂.本文采用离散元法研究了由两种不同半径颗粒组成的二维双分散无摩擦球形颗粒体系在临界堵塞态所呈现的结构特征,讨论了大小颗粒粒径比与大颗粒百分比对临界堵塞态的影响.数值模拟结果表明,当粒径比小于1.4时,临界平均接触数与大颗粒百分比关系不大,当粒径比大于1.4时随着大颗粒百分比的增大临界平均接触数先减小再增大.而临界体积分数在粒径比小于1.8时随着大颗粒百分比的增加先减小后增大,大于1.8时又基本不随大颗粒百分比而变化.大颗粒百分比在接近0或1时,系统近似为单分散体系,临界平均接触数与体积分数基本不随半径比的增大而变化;在接近0.5时,临界平均接触数随着半径比的增大逐渐减小,而临界体积分数则是先减小后增大.文中对大-小颗粒这一接触类型的百分比也进行了探讨,其值随着大颗粒百分比的增大呈二次函数的变化趋势,粒径比对这一变化趋势只有较小的影响.     

Hydroxyethyl Cellulose-Based Hydrogels with Various Pore Sizes Prepared by Freeze-Drying

Porous hydrogels were prepared from hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) using citric acid (CA) as a cross-linker with the pores formed by a freeze-drying technique prior to the cross-linking reaction. The pore size increased with the increase of the mass ratio of water to HEC during the preparation of the hydrogels. The porous structure of the hydrogels was in favor of the protein adsorption. The results of thermogravimetry demonstrated that the thermal stability of HEC was improved by cross-linking with CA. The data of percent weight remaining in buffer solution with different pH indicated that the hydrogels were stable in both weak acid and base media. The data of the swelling ratio demonstrated a fast swelling property of the hydrogel.     

A numerical model for ultrasonic measurements of swelling and mechanical properties of a swollen PVA hydrogel

This paper presents a numerical model for the evaluation of mechanical properties of a relatively thin hydrogel. The model utilizes a system identification method to evaluate the acoustical parameters from ultrasonic measurement data. The model involves the calculation of the forward model based on an ultrasonic wave propagation incorporating diffraction effect. Ultrasonic measurements of a hydrogel are also performed in a reflection mode. A Nonlinear Least Square (NLS) algorithm is employed to minimize difference between the results from the model and the experimental data. The acoustical parameters associated with the model are effectively modified to achieve the minimum error. As a result, the parameters of PVA hydrogels namely thickness, density, an ultrasonic attenuation coefficient and dispersion velocity are effectively determined. In order to validate the model, the conventional density measurements of hydrogels were also performed.     

Nanoporous Nanocomposite Hydrogels Composed of Polyvinyl Alcohol and Na-montmorillonite

Polyvinyl alcohol nanoporous nanocomposite hydrogels containing various levels of Na-montmorillonite were prepared by a cyclic freezing–thawing technique. An exfoliated morphology of silicate layers was observed for the nanocomposite hydrogels. The uniaxial tensile test indicated that the tensile modulus and tensile strength of the nanocomposite hydrogels increased with increasing Na-montmorillonite content, while their elongation-at-break values decreased. The results showed that by adding 15 wt% of montmorillonite to polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels, the molecular weight of polymer chains between two adjacent cross-links decreased to 56% and the effective cross-linking density increased up to 353%. It is also indicated that all nanocomposite hydrogel samples had nanoscale pore diameters and network mesh sizes less than 30 nm. The nanoporous structure of the nanocomposite hydrogels was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy observations and mercury intrusion porosimetry tests.     

Preparation and Properties of Polyurethane Hydrogels Based on Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate/Polycaprolactone-Polyethylene Glycol

Polyurethane (PU) hydrogel is an important biomedical material for drug controlled release systems, wound dressings and medical bandages. Three series of polyurethane prepolymers based on methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), using diethylene glycol (DEG), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) or dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), as the chain-extender, were prepared. Then the polyurethane hydrogels were obtained from the prepolymers, using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as a cross-linking agent, by free radical polymerization. The influences of the types of chain-extenders and polyols on the contact angle, swelling ratio and morphology of the polyurethane hydrogels were investigated. The effect of the variety of the chain-extenders in the PU hydrogel on the drug release behavior was also studied. The FT-IR results showed that the PU hydrogels were successfully synthesized. The introduction of PEG improved the hydrophilicity of the PU hydrogels. The MDI/PCL-PEG/DEG hydrogel was hydrophobic, and there were small micropores on its surface; while the MDI/PCL-PEG/DMPA and MDI/PCL-PEG/MDEA hydrogels had high hydrophilicity and a micropouous structure on their surface due to the existence of carboxyl and tertiary amino functional groups. The change of chain-extenders had no significant effect on the cumulative drug release of chloramphenicol from the PU hydrogels. However, the introduction of PEG increased the drug release rate. The chloramphenicol release kinetics from the MDI/PCL-PEG hydrogels indicated non-Fickian diffusion.     

Fluxgate magnetorelaxometry of superparamagnetic nanoparticles for hydrogel characterization

A new characterization method for hydrogels based on the relaxation behavior of superparamagnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is proposed. MNPs are incorporated in the hydrogel to examine its network properties. By analyzing their relaxation behavior, incorporated and mobile nanoparticles can be studied. In the case of mobile nanoparticles, the microviscosity of the hydrogel can be determined. Thus, this method allows the studying of gelation as well as the degradation process of hydrogels. Furthermore, the hydrogel can have any shape (e.g. microspheres or larger blocks) and no sample preparation is needed, avoiding artefacts.     

Designing the mechanical properties of peptide-based supramolecular hydrogels for biomedical applications

Hydrogels are a class of special materials that contain a large amount of water and behave like rubber.These materials have found broad applications in tissue engineering,cell culturing,regenerative medicine etc.Recently,the exploration of peptide-based supramolecular hydrogels has greatly expanded the repertoire of hydrogels suitable for biomedical applications.However,the mechanical properties of peptide-based hydrogels are intrinsically weak.Therefore,it is crucial to develop methods that can improve the mechanical stability of such peptide-based hydrogels.In this review,we explore the factors that determine or influence the mechanical stability of peptide-based hydrogels and summarize several key elements that may guide scientists to achieve mechanically improved hydrogels.In addition,we exemplified several methods that have been successfully developed to prepare hydrogels with enhanced mechanical stability.These mechanically strong peptide-based hydrogels may find broad applications as novel biomaterials.It is still challenging to engineer hydrogels in order to mimic the mechanical properties of biological tissues.More hydrogel materials with optimal mechanical properties suitable for various types of biological applications will be available in the near future.     

Assembly of Polypyrrole-Graphene Oxide Hydrogel Nanocomposites and Their Swelling Properties

An effective one-step strategy for the static assembly of hydrogels from polypyrrole (PPy) and graphene oxide (GO) is demonstrated. The static polymerization of pyrrole monomer was carried out in the presence of GO nanosheets, leading to the formation of PPy-GO hydrogels. During the static polymerization process, gelation takes place simultaneously by supramolecular interactions. The well-dispersed GO nanosheets in the polymer networks resulted in a significant improvement in water absorbencies. With only a very low loading of GO in the PPy-GO hydrogels, they exhibited significantly larger water uptake compared to a PPy hydrogel. Even in saline solutions, PPy-GO hydrogels also showed obvious water absorbency. Moreover, the PPy-GO hydrogels exhibited a better water retention ability compared with the control under the same conditions. This method is believed to provide possibilities to combine the extraordinary performances of GO with the multifunctional properties of conducting polymers, thus holding great potential for technical applications in the future.