Synthesis of repeating sequence copolymers of lactic,glycolic, and caprolactic acids

Repeating sequence copolymers of poly(lactic‐co‐caprolactic acid) (PLCA), poly(glycolic‐co‐caprolactic acid) (PGCA), and poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic‐co‐caprolactic acid) (PLGCA) have been synthesized by polymerizing segmers with a known sequence in yields of 50–85% with M_ns ranging from 18–49 kDa. The copolymers exhibited well‐resolved NMR resonances indicating that the sequence encoded in the segmers used in their preparation is retained and that transesterification is minimal. The exact sequences allowed for unambiguous assignment of the NMR spectra, and these standards were compared with the data previously reported for random copolymers. The glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of the PLCA and PGCA copolymers were found to depend primarily on monomer ratio rather than sequence. Sequence dependent T_gs were, however, noted for the PLGCA polymers with 1:1:1 L:G:C ratios; poly LGC and poly GLC exhibited T_gs that differed by nearly 8 °C. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Investigating the effect of nanolayered silicates on blend segmental dynamics and minor component relaxation behavior in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(methyl methacrylate) miscible blends

Polymer–silicate nanocomposites based on poly (ethylene oxide), PEO, poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, and sodium montmorillonite clay were fabricated and characterized to investigate the effect of nanolayered silicates on segmental dynamics of PEO/PMMA blends. X‐ray results indicate the formation of an exfoliated morphology in the nanocomposites. At low silicate contents, an enhancement in segmental dynamics of blend nanocomposites and also PEO, minor component in blend, is observed at temperature region below blend glass transition. This result can be attributed to the improvement of the confinement effect of rigid PMMA matrix on the PEO chains by introducing a low amount of layered silicates. On the other hand, at high silicate contents, an enhancement in segmental dynamics of blend nanocomposites and PEO is observed at temperature region above blend glass transition. This behavior could be interpreted based on the reduction of monomeric friction between two polymer components, which can facilitate segmental motions of blend components in nanocomposite systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Effect of particle agglomeration and interphase on the glass transition temperature of polymer nanocomposites

In this article, we utilize finite element modeling to investigate the effect of nanoparticle agglomeration on the glass transition temperature of polymer nanocomposites. The case of an attractive interaction between polymer and nanofiller is considered for which an interphase domain of gradient properties is developed. This model utilizes representative volume elements that are created and analyzed with varying degrees of nanoparticle clustering and length scale of interphase domain. The viscoelastic properties of the composites are studied using a statistical approach to account for variations due to the random nature of the microstructure. Results show that a monotonic increase in nanofiller clustering not only results in the loss of interphase volume but also obstructs the formation of a percolating interphase network in the nanocomposite. The combined impacts lead to a remarkable decrease of T_g enhancement of clustering nanofillers in comparison with a well‐dispersed configuration. Our simulation results provide qualitative support for experimental observations that clustering observed at high nanofiller concentrations negatively impacts the effects of the nanofiller on overall properties. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Hierarchical structure in polymer‐based drug delivery systems as probed by calorimetric measurements

Thermoporosimetry (TPM), a differential scanning calorimetry technique that relies on the shift of transition temperatures caused by the confinement of liquids, was applied to elucidate the complex morphology of drug‐loaded polymeric microcapsules prepared by the emulsion solvent evaporation method. For the very first time, TPM has been applied simultaneously with two liquids as structural probes. It was found that Miglyol, which dissolves the selected drug (Ibuprofen), is confined inside vesicles having a mean radius of 26.3 nm, whereas water, which is the continuous phase, is trapped inside a swollen polymeric network of Eudragit with an average mesh radius of 1.7 nm. A proposed hierarchical structure is given, which predicts that Eudragit microcapsules are formed from a collection of inert oil vesicles partitioned by polymeric Eudragit membranes swollen by water. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1939–1945, 2010     

一维C_(36)聚合物的C_(36)分子间的电-声相互作用

在用半经验自洽场晶体轨道方法计算能带结构的基础上，并在平均场近似和形变势理论框架下，研究了四种一维线性 C36聚合物模型的 C36分子间电 声耦合常数及其对超导相变和金属 绝缘体相变的影响 .计算结果表明，一维线性 C36聚合物的 C36分子间电 声耦合常数极小，对超导相变和金属 绝缘体相变的影响可以完全忽略 .     

Azo benzene derivatives

Pressure-volume isotherms for 4-(trans-4-butylcylohexyl)benzonitrile were measured by means of piston-cylinder method. This substance has a monotropic nematic phase at atmospheric pressure. But over a pressure, the nature of isotropic to nematic phase transition changed from monotropic to enantiotropic phase transition. It is the first observation in P-V-T experiments that the monotropic isotropic-nematic transition changes enantiotropic under pressure.     

Metal Ion Recognition. Interaction of New Oxygen-Nitrogen Donor Macrocycles with Selected Transition and Post-Transition Metal Ions

As part of an ongoing investigation of the factors influencing metal ionrecognition, we have investigated structure/function relationships involvingthe metal-ion binding by three new N-benzyl-substituted, 15- and 16-membered,macrocyclic ligands incorporating N₂O ₃- and N ₃O ₃-donor sets (withthe N ₃O ₃-system consisting of a N ₂O ₃-macrocyclic ring with an attachedCH ₂CH ₂NCH ₂C ₆H ₅ pendant arm). Selected solid complexes of thelatter ligand were isolated and the X-ray structures of individual Ni(II) and Ag(I) complexeswere obtained.Where solubility permitted, potentiometric titration studies in 95% methanolwere employed to investigate the binding affinities of all three ligand derivativestowards Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), Ag(I) and Pb(II). The 15-memberedN ₂O ₃-ring was found to be selective for Ag(I) over the other six metalsinvestigated, including Cu(II). However, the presence of a further nitrogen donorin the form of the pendant benzylamine functionality in the N ₃O ₃-donorsystem results in an increase in its binding affinity for Ag(I) but an even greaterincrease occurs for Cu(II). As a consequence, the latter ion is now more stronglybound than Ag(I). The factors influencing these respective selectivities are discussed.     

Separation-induced boundary layer transition: Modeling with a non-linear eddy-viscosity model coupled with the laminar kinetic energy equation

We present an effort to model the separation-induced transition on a flat plate with a semi-circular leading edge, using a cubic non-linear eddy-viscosity model combined with the laminar kinetic energy. A non-linear model, compared to a linear one, has the advantage to resolve the anisotropic behavior of the Reynolds-stresses in the near-wall region and it provides a more accurate expression for the generation of turbulence in the transport equation of the turbulence kinetic energy. Although in its original formulation the model is not able to accurately predict the separation-induced transition, the inclusion of the laminar kinetic energy increases its accuracy. The adoption of the laminar kinetic energy by the non-linear model is presented in detail, together with some additional modifications required for the adaption of the laminar kinetic energy into the basic concepts of the non-linear eddy-viscosity model. The computational results using the proposed combined model are shown together with the ones obtained using an isotropic linear eddy-viscosity model, which adopts also the laminar kinetic energy concept and in comparison with the existing experimental data.