Dual thermo‐ and pH‐sensitive network‐grafted hydrogels formed by macrocrosslinker as drug delivery system

Dual thermo‐ and pH‐sensitive network‐grafted hydrogels made of poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) network and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) grafting chains were successfully synthesized by the combination of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and click chemistry. PNIPAM having two azide groups at one chain end [PNIPAM‐(N₃)₂] was prepared with an azide‐capped ATRP initiator of N,N‐di(β‐azidoethyl) 2‐chloropropionylamide. Alkyne‐pending poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate‐co‐propargyl acrylate) [P(DMAEMA‐co‐ProA)] was obtained through RAFT copolymerization using dibenzyltrithiocarbonate as chain transfer agent. The subsequent click reaction led to the formation of the network‐grafted hydrogels. The influences of the chemical composition of P(DMAEMA‐co‐ProA) on the properties of the hydrogels were investigated in terms of morphology and swelling/deswelling kinetics. The dual stimulus‐sensitive hydrogels exhibited fast response, high swelling ratio, and reproducible swelling/deswelling cycles under different temperatures and pH values. The uptake and release of ceftriaxone sodium by these hydrogels showed both thermal and pH dependence, suggesting the feasibility of these hydrogels as thermo‐ and pH‐dependent drug release devices. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Thermal and pH responsive high molecular weight poly(urethane‐amine) with high urethane content

Aliphatic poly(urethane‐amine) (PUA) was synthesized from copolymerization of CO₂ and 2‐methylaziridine (MAZ) using Y(CCl₃COO)₃‐ZnEt₂‐glycerine coordination catalyst, the urethane content of PUA was over 80%, and its yield could reach 90%. PUA with molecular weight as high as 31.0 kg/mol was obtained when the copolymerization reaction was carried out in N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), mainly due to the good solubility of PUA in DMAc. PUA exhibited reversible thermo‐responsive property in deionized water, and the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) was highly sensitive to its urethane content and molecular weight, which was observed in a broad window from 37 to 90 °C. Furthermore, the phase transition behavior could also be controlled by change of pH value. When the pH value of the PUA aqueous solution changed from 9.2 to 13, the LCST value of the solution decreased from 48.4 °C to 30 °C. Therefore, the PUA showed thermo‐ and pH‐ dual responsive performance in water. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

A pH‐responsive cyclopolymer having phospho‐ and sulfopropyl pendents in the same repeating unit: Synthesis,characterization, and its application as an antiscalant

A new zwitterionic monomer 3‐[diallyl{3‐(diethoxyphosphoryl)propyl}ammonio]propane‐1‐sulfonate has been synthesized and cyclopolymerized to give the corresponding polyzwitterion (±) (PZ) bearing both phosphonate and sulfonate functionalities on each repeating unit. phosphonate ester hydrolysis in PZ gave a pH‐responsive dibasic polyzwitterionic acid (±) (PZA) bearing ? PO₃H₂ units. The PZA under pH‐induced transformation was converted into polyzwitterion/anion (± ?) (PZAN) and polyzwitterion/dianion (± =) (PZDAN) having respective ? PO₃H^? and ? PO₃^2? units. The polymers′ interesting solubility and viscosity behaviors have been investigated in detail. The apparent protonation constants in salt‐free water and 0.1 M NaCl of the ? PO₃^2? in (± =) (PZDAN) and ? PO₃H^– in (± ?) (PZAN) as well as in their corresponding monomeric units have been determined. Evaluation of antiscaling properties of the PZA using supersaturated solution of CaSO₄ revealed ≈100% scale inhibition efficiency at a meager concentration of 20 ppm for a duration of 45 h at 40 °C. The PZA has the potential to be used effectively as an antiscalant in reverse osmosis plant. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 5130–5142     

Measurement of fiber propagation constants using a prism-fiber coupler

We report on the use of a prism-fiber coupler to determine the propagation constants for the scalar modes in an optical fiber by measuring, respectively, the incident angle, θ_i, and the position of the m-lines coupled out of the fiber by the prism coupler. The position is related to the value of the corresponding propagation constant. The degeneracy of the modes is shown on the m-line photographs. Good agreement is obtained between measured and calculated values of the propagation constants.     

A Microgel Construction Kit for Bioorthogonal Encapsulation and pH‐Controlled Release of Living Cells

pH‐Cleavable cell‐laden microgels with excellent long‐term viabilities were fabricated by combining bioorthogonal strain‐promoted azide–alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) and droplet‐based microfluidics. Poly(ethylene glycol)dicyclooctyne and dendritic poly(glycerol azide) served as bioinert hydrogel precursors. Azide conjugation was performed using different substituted acid‐labile benzacetal linkers that allowed precise control of the microgel degradation kinetics in the interesting pH range between 4.5 and 7.4. By this means, a pH‐controlled release of the encapsulated cells was achieved upon demand with no effect on cell viability and spreading. As a result, the microgel particles can be used for temporary cell encapsulation, allowing the cells to be studied and manipulated during the encapsulation and then be isolated and harvested by decomposition of the microgel scaffolds.     

Thermal Decomposition and Crystallization of Aqueous Sol-Gel Derived Zirconium Acetate Gels: Effects of the Additive Anions

Zirconia powders were prepared by forming gels by desiccation of aqueous precursor solutions of zirconium acetate containing nitric or sulfuric acid at pH 2.4 and 1.4 and pyrolyzing the gels to temperatures up to 825°C. The structure development in the gels and solid pyrolysis products was investigated. The crystalline zirconia structures produced monoclinic (m), metastable cubic (c) and tetragonal (t) polymorphs. The structure transition temperatures were strongly dependent on the pH, the anions and the stoichiometry of the zirconium complex in the precursor solution. The monoclinic polymorph fraction in the zirconia formed by pyrolyzing the gel formed from the precursor solution containing sulfuric acid at pH 2.4 to 750°C approaches zero while this ratio in the zirconia formed by pyrolyzing the gel formed from the precursor solution containing nitric acid at pH 1.4 to 825°C is 0.7.     

溶液中pH对蛋白质乳化能力影响的拉曼光谱研究

本工作采用 FT- Raman光谱仪对不同的 p H值的蛋白质水溶液多次扫描 ,采用酰胺 带的谱图作曲线拟合 ,并以子峰面积表征对应二级结构含量 ,得出二级结构的变化与蛋白质水溶液与乙酸丁酯混合后乳化能力变化的关系。结果表明 :蛋白质分子对 p H变化的敏感程度不一样。蛋白质分子结构的改变是引起蛋白质水溶液在有机溶液中乳化的一个重要因素     

Inorganic complexation of nickel and cobalt in natural waters

The distribution of nickel and cobalt species has been computed, based on the pH-dependent model of Zirino and Yamamoto. The media used in the pH range of 7 to 9 are natural waters like fresh water, sea water and a mixture of them at different compositions, at 25°C temperature and 1 atm pressure. In fresh water, both nickel and cobalt dominate as free cations at lower pH, and as carbonato complexes at higher pH. In sea water, chloro complexes are significant. In mixtures of the two kinds of water, as might be found in a totally mixed estuary, chloro complexes are important, varying slowly with pH. Sea water plays an important role in complexation. The present results are in excellent agreement with experimental data obtained by the resin exchange method.     

Investigation of Microemulsion System for Transdermal Drug Delivery of Amphotericin B

In order to solve the drawback of poor bioavailability by the oral route and infusion-related side effect for Amphotericin B(AmB), microemulsion vehicles composed of isopropyl myristate(IPM), Tween 80, isopropyl alcohol and water for transdermal delivery of AmB were designed. The pseudo-ternary phase diagrams were constructed by the H2O titration method and the structures of the microemulsion were determined by measuring electrical conducti-vities(σ). The diffusion studies of AmB microemulsion were performed via excised rabbit skin on a drug diffusion apparatus. To obtain a high solubization of AmB, three different methods were tested to incorporate AmB into mi-croemulsion. The result suggests adding AmB in the shape of NaOH solution to the O/W blank microemulsion over the phase inversion temperature(PIT) of the emulsifier obtains the maximum drug content(2.96 mg/mL). The pH value of the system could be adjusted to pH8.5 or pH<5.2, in this range AmB molecules converts from aqueous to the hydrophilic shell of the microemulsion droplets, drug precipitate is no more than 5%, and the formulations were corresponding to the characterizations of microemulsion. At pH 5.14, AmB microemulsion with Km 1:1, O/SC 1:9(mass ratio ofoil phase to surfactant/cosurfactant blend), water content 64.6%, drug content (2.93±0.08) mg/mL,showed the maximum permeation rate(3.255±0.64)μg·cm-2·h-1,which is stable for a long time.