Thermal investigation of PEG 4000 — oxazepam binary system

A thermal study using DSC and Hot Stage Microscopy (HSM) was carried out to investigate the interaction in solid state of the binary system PEG 4000 — oxazepam, and to establish their phase diagram. The eutectic composition, which melting occurs at lower temperature as compared with the pure components, has been determined. The results obtained by DSC and HSM have indicated that PEG 4000 — oxazepam mixtures displays no obvious incompatibilities, and that the system shows a typical eutectic behaviour. However because of the closeness of the melting of PEG 4000 to the eutectic temperature, it was difficult to determine precisely the eutectic composition and temperature on the basis of DSC measurements alone. The use of heats of fusion corresponding to physical mixtures allowed an estimation of the eutectic composition at 6% w/w oxazepam. Additional information of temperature (57.6C) and composition (5–10% w/w oxazepam) of the eutectic was obtained by HSM using the contact method. This low melting temperature in this range of compositions offers advantages in terms of drug stability and easy manufacture.     

Crystallization behavior and biodegradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(ethylene glycol) multiblock copolymers

Block copolymerization by using isocyanates is an effective method for incorporating PHB and PEG because it can prepare copolymers with good properties, such as toughness, strength, and so on. In this study, we adopted soil suspension system to estimate the biodegradability of a series of PHB/PEG multiblock copolymers with different compositions and block lengths. In the degradation process, the changes in weight loss, molecular weight, and tensile strength were periodically measured to determine the biodegradability, and the surface morphology was also observed by SEM. In contrast to pure PHB, the weight loss of the copolymer was relatively lower. On the other hand, the tensile strength and molecular weight experienced apparent decrease, and for BHG1000-3-1, they reached 46.7% and 77.7% of the initial value, respectively. SEM observation showed that the surface was covered with numerous erosion pits. All these indicate that the degradation indeed took place and long-chain molecules have been hydrolyzed into shorter ones. The crystallization behavior was also investigated by DSC and WAXD. The results showed that both the segments, PEG and PHB, can form crystalline phases at lower PHB contents ranging from 29% to 44%, and when PHB component was more than 60%, only PHB phase can crystallize.     

Surface-grafted polystyrene beads with comb-like poly(ethylene glycol) chains: preparation and biological application

We prepared surface-grafted polystyrene (PS) beads with comb-like poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains. To accomplish this, conventional gel-type PS beads (35-75 microm) were treated with ozone gas to introduce hydroperoxide groups onto the surface. Using these hydroperoxide groups, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA, Mn= 22,000-25,000) was grafted onto the surface of the PS beads. The ester groups of the grafted PMMA were reduced to hydroxyl groups with lithium aluminum hydride (LAH). After adding ethylene oxide (EO) to the hydroxyl groups, we obtained the PS-sg-PEG beads, which had a rugged surface and a diameter of 80-150 microm. We could obtain several kinds of the PS-sg-PEG beads by controlling the chain lengths of the grafted PMMA and the molecular weights of the PEG chains. The grafted PEG layer was about 30-50 microm thick, which was verified from the cross-sectioned views of the fluorescamine-labeled beads. These fluorescence images proved that the beads possessed a pellicular structure. Furthermore, we found that the surface-grafted PEG chains had the characteristic property of reducing non-specific protein adsorption on the beads.     

Simple test system for single molecule recognition force microscopy

We have established an easy-to-use test system for detecting receptor-ligand interactions on the single molecule level using atomic force microscopy (AFM). For this, avidin-biotin, probably the best characterized receptor-ligand pair, was chosen. AFM sensors were prepared containing tethered biotin molecules at sufficiently low surface concentrations appropriate for single molecule studies. A biotin tether, consisting of a 6 nm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain and a functional succinimide group at the other end, was newly synthesized and covalently coupled to amine-functionalized AFM tips. In particular, PEG₈₀₀ diamine was glutarylated, the mono-adduct NH₂-PEG-COOH was isolated by ion exchange chromatography and reacted with biotin succinimidylester to give biotin-PEG-COOH which was then activated as N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester to give the biotin-PEG-NHS conjugate which was coupled to the aminofunctionalized AFM tip. The motional freedom provided by PEG allows for free rotation of the biotin molecule on the AFM sensor and for specific binding to avidin which had been adsorbed to mica surfaces via electrostatic interactions. Specific avidin-biotin recognition events were discriminated from nonspecific tip-mica adhesion by their typical unbinding force (∼40 pN at 1.4 nN/s loading rate), unbinding length (<13 nm), the characteristic nonlinear force-distance relation of the PEG linker, and by specific block with excess of free d-biotin. The convenience of the test system allowed to evaluate, and compare, different methods and conditions of tip aminofunctionalization with respect to specific binding and nonspecific adhesion. It is concluded that this system is well suited as calibration or start-up kit for single molecule recognition force microscopy.     

AB2星型杂臂共聚物的合成及其结晶行为

通过分子设计, 用过量丁二酸酐将单硬酯酸甘油酯的两个羟基转变为羧基, 再以辛酸亚锡为催化剂, 二苯醚为共沸脱水剂, 使其进一步与不同分子量的端羟基聚乙二醇在负压下共沸脱水偶联, 成功地制备了一系列AB2星型杂臂共聚物, 并采用1H NMR、XRD、DSC、FTIR和偏光显微镜等手段对产物及其结晶行为进行了研究. 1H NMR测试结果表明, 所得聚合物是以二丁二酸甘油酯为核, 一条硬酯酸烷基(GMS)臂和两条聚乙二醇(PEG)臂构成的AB2星型杂臂共聚物[GMS-(SA-PEG)2]. DSC和XRD测试结果表明, 在GMS-(SA-PEG)2中, GMS臂和PEG臂都能结晶; GMS臂的存在不仅影响PEG臂的结晶速度, 同时也影响其结晶的完善程度, 导致结晶温度和结晶熔融温度发生变化; GMS臂相对含量越大, 对PEG结晶行为的影响也越大. 利用偏光显微镜对结晶过程的在线观察结果表明, GMS-(SA-PEG)2的结晶形貌不同于线型聚乙二醇的大球晶, 其先形成细碎的束状晶核, 然后逐步出现生长中的球晶结构, 最后所形成的晶体尺寸有大幅度的减小, 而且其形貌和PEG臂的分子量密切相关. 可见AB2星型杂臂共聚物的结晶是先由GMS臂结晶形成小晶核, 然后再诱导PEG臂球晶的生长. 杂臂的引入对于控制星型多臂共聚物的晶形、晶貌具有重要意义.     

Cancer‐associated pH‐responsive tetracopolymeric micelles composed of poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L‐histidine)‐b‐poly(L‐lactic acid)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)

To create a novel vector for specifically delivering anticancer therapy to solid tumors, we used diafiltration to synthesize pH‐sensitive polymeric micelles. The micelles, formed from a tetrablock copolymer [poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(L ‐histidine)‐b‐poly(L ‐lactic acid)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)] consisted of a hydrophobic poly(L ‐histidine) (polyHis) and poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLA) core and a hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) shell, in which we encapsulated the model anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). The robust micelles exhibited a critical micellar concentration (CMC) of 2.1–3.5 µg/ml and an average size of 65–80 nm pH 7.4. Importantly, they showed a pH‐dependent micellar destabilization, due to the concurrent ionization of the polyHis and the rigidity of the PLA in the micellar core. In particular, the molecular weight of PLA block affected the ionization of the micellar core. Depending on the molecular weight of the PLA block, the micelles triggering released DOX at pH 6.8 (i.e. cancer acidic pH) or pH 6.4 (i.e. endosomal pH), making this system a useful tool for specifically treating solid cancers or delivering cytoplasmic cargo in vivo. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spherical and Worm‐Like Micelles from Fructose‐Functionalized Polyether Block Copolymers

This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of d ‐fructose modified poly(ethylene glycol) (Fru‐PEG) and fructose modified poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly(ethyl hexyl glycidyl ether) (Fru‐PEG‐b‐PEHG) that are both prepared by initiation with isopropyliden protected fructose, followed by deprotection of the sugar. The block copolymers are self‐assembled into micelles, and are subsequently characterized by cryo‐TEM and dynamic light scattering. The fluorescent dye Nile red is encapsulated as a model hydrophobic compound and fluorescent marker to perform initial uptake tests with breast cancer cells. The uptake of sugar and nonsugar decorated micelles is compared.     

PEG型酸性温控离子液体中芳香酸和醇的酯化反应

报道了该催化体系在芳香酸和醇酯化反应中的应用. 研究发现, 该离子液体具有优良的催化性能, 产品易分离, 催化剂可循环使用且活性不降低, 催化剂不易流失, 实现了均相催化剂的高效回收和再利用.     

Studies on polyethylene glycol/polyethersulfone composite membranes for FCC gasoline desulphurization by pervaporation

A polyethylene glycol (PEG)/polyethersulfone (PES) composite membrane that can be applied on a commercial (or scale up) plant for fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) gasoline desulphurization was prepared through pre-wetting combined with double-layer coating methodology. Preparation methodology, morphologies characterization and performance test for the composite membranes were conducted. The results indicated that the pre-wetting method effectively confined the intrusion of PEG solution to porous PES support layer in coating process. The composite membrane had a clear-cut boundary surface between the dense active layer and the porous support layer, which was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Pervaporation (PV) experiments indicated that the membrane, with the crosslinking agent amount of 17% and solids content in active layer solution of 16%, had a stable performance for FCC desulphurization. The sulphur enrichment factor came to 3.63, and the total permeation flux was 3.37 kg/m² h. It was found that the PV performance of the composite membrane changed slightly when the thickness of active layer varied from 4.25 μm to 33.26 μm.     

Synthesis of fluorescent probes based on stilbenes and diphenylacetylenes targeting β-amyloid plaques

Three fluorescent probes were synthesized aiming for optical imaging to detect amyloid plaques present in the patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These compounds were prepared via Sonogashira coupling of a well-defined fluorophore (4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene, BODIPY) with the pharmacophore possessing either a stilbene or a diphenylacetylene moiety. Different polyethylene glycol chain lengths were used as linkers between the fluorophore and the pharmacophore to adjust the lipophilicity of these probes. These compounds exhibit strong fluorescence emission between 665 and 680 nm and have very high extinction coefficients comparable to the parent fluorophore, BODIPY dye.