The effect of polymer chain length and surface density on the adhesiveness of functionalized polymersomes

Giant cell-like polymer vesicles, polymersomes, made from the diblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-polybutadiene (PEO-PBD), have bilayer structures similar to the cell membrane but have superior and tunable properties for storage and stability. We have modified the terminal hydroxyl of the hydrophilic block with biotin-lysine (biocytin), a biologically derived group that imparts specific adhesiveness to a polymer colloid coated with avidin. The functionalized polymer will form vesicles, either on its own or when mixed with unmodified block copolymers that also form vesicles. The incorporation and mixing of the functionalized polymer into vesicle bilayers is measured using a fluorescent version ofbiocytin with confocal microscopy. The fluorescence signal associated with the vesicle is in proportion with the concentration of functional polymer added during vesicle construction. The adhesiveness of polymer vesicles containing functionalized biotinylated polymer to avidin coated microspheres is measured with micropipet aspiration. Two types of polymer vesicles were constructed: one where the functionalized polymer (molecular weight (MW), 10400 Da) was longer than the surrounding unfunctionalized polymer (MW, 3600 Da) and one where the functionalized polymer (MW, 10400 Da) was the same length as the unfunctionalized polymer. In all cases, the avidin-biotin bonds form kinetically trapped crossbridges that impart little tension as they form but require significantly more tension to break. The relative length of the functionalized polymer on the surface of the vesicle is an important determinant for the adhesion of a polymer vesicle but not for the adsorption of soluble avidin. Greater adhesion strengths are seen where the functionalized polymer is longer than the surrounding polymer. The concentration of functionalized polymer at which adhesion is maximal depends on the relative lengths of the polymers. When the functionalized polymer is the same length as the surface brush of the polymersome membrane, the critical tension is maximal at 10 mol % functionalized polymer concentration. However, when the biocytin groups are attached to a polymer which is larger than the surface brush, the critical tension is maximal at 55 mol % functionalized polymer. These results indicate that polymer mixing and length can control the interfacial adhesion of polymer brushes and must be understood to tune polymersome adhesiveness.     

The Soret effect in dilute polymer solutions: influence of chain length, chain stiffness, and solvent quality

Thermal diffusion in dilute polymer solutions is studied by reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics. The polymers are represented by a generic bead-spring model. The influence of the solvent quality on the Soret coefficient is investigated. At constant temperature and monomer fraction, a better solvent quality causes a higher affinity for the polymer to the cold region. This may even go to thermal-diffusion-induced phase separation. The sign of the Soret coefficient changes in a symmetric nonideal binary Lennard-Jones solution when the solvent quality switches from good to poor. The known independence of the thermal diffusion coefficients of the molecular weight is reproduced for three groups of polymers with different chain stiffnesses. The thermal diffusion coefficients reach constant values at chain lengths of around two to three times the persistence length. Moreover, rigid polymers have higher Soret coefficients and thermal diffusion coefficients than more flexible polymers.     

The physicochemical properties of aqueous mixtures of cationic-anionic surfactants: I. The effect of chain length symmetry

The solution behaviors of equimolar mixtures of cationic-anionic surfactants have been studied by means of the dynamic light scattering technique and surface tension measurements. The surface activity and the micellization properties are different for systems of different hydrophobic chain length symmetry. For systems of lower symmetry (e.g., C₆H₁₃NC₅H₅Br-C₁₂H₂₅SO₄Na mixture), the surface tension at cmc (γ_cmc) is rather high (above 30 mN m⁻¹) and the mixtures form genuinely homogeneous micellar solutions above the cmc. For the systems of high symmetry (e.g., C₈H₁₇NC₅H₅Br-C₈H₁₇SO₄Na mixture), γ_cmc is very low (about 24 mN m⁻¹, near the value of pure hydrocarbon) and in the apparently homogeneous and clear mixtures slightly above cmc, the aggregates grow slowly and eventually form small droplets; as the concentration is further increased, all these solutions become turbid. We have proposed a new concept of conformation energy of aggregates to account for all these phenomena. Mixtures of octyltriethylammonium bromide and sodium octylsulfate form clear homogeneous micellar solutions in keeping with predictions based upon this concept.     

The effect of polyelectrolyte chain length on layer-by-layer protein/polyelectrolyte assembly--an experimental study

The effect of polyelectrolyte chain length on the formation of multilayered assemblies of alternating globular proteins and linear polyanions prepared by the layer-by-layer electrostatic adsorption technique was investigated. The systems studied were albumin/sodium poly(styrenesulfonate), immunoglobulin G/sodium poly(styrenesulfonate), albumin/sodium dextran sulfate, and albumin/heparin. The formation of assemblies was followed using FTIR multiple internal reflection spectroscopy. While the amount of polyelectrolyte adsorbed on the first (primary) protein layer did not depend on its molecular weight, the effect of polyelectrolyte chain length was clearly observed in the following steps of alternating adsorption. Some short-chain polyanion molecules were removed from the surface when a next protein layer was adsorbed from solution. The short polyanion chains were not able to make a sufficient number of ion pairs for stable interaction with additional protein molecules and left the surface as soluble protein/polyanion complexes. The most pronounced effect could be seen with sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) of Mw up to ca. 2 x 10(4), but a detectable effect could be traced even up to Mw ca. 8 x 10(4). Such a pronounced effect, however, was not observed with dextran sulfate. The effect of molecular weight of heparin was clearly observed but all heparins tested, regardless of their molecular weight, effectively assembled with albumin to form multilayer.     

Determination of chain transfer constant to dodecanethiol in styrene/methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate copolymerization and effect of chain length on composition and stereochemical configuration of copolymers

Free radical copolymerization of styrene/methyl methacrylate (S/MMA) and butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate (BA/MMA) in the presence of n-dodecanthiol (DDT) has been studied at 60°C in a 3 mol/L benzene solution using 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as initiator. Overall chain transfer constant to DDT has been determined for both copolymerization systems, as a function of monomer feed composition using complete molecular weight distribution and the Mayo method. Overall transfer coefficients have values which are dependent on both monomer feed composition and individual comonomer transfer values. Composition, sequence distribution, and stereoregularity of copolymers obtained are, in our experimental conditions, independent of copolymer molecular weight. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2913–2925, 1998     

Novel odd/even effect of alkylene chain length on the photopolymerizability of organogelators

[reaction: see text] Starting from diactylene diacarboxylic acids, we have synthesized a series of photopolymerizable organogelators that possess simple amide structures, different alkylene chain lengths, and either optically active or racemic 3,7-dimethyl-1-octylamine units. The alkylene chain length of these compounds exhibits a prominent odd/even effect with respect to the photopolymerization in the gel state and is accompanied by a stereostructural effect on the gelation ability.     

Polyurethane/polyethyl acrylate interpenetrating polymer networks

The thermal decomposition kinetics of polyurethane/polyethyl acrylate interpenetrating polymer networks (PU/PEA IPN) were studied by means of thermogravimetry and derivative thermogravimetry (TG-DTG), and compared with those of polyurethane (PU) and polyethyl acrylate (PEA). The decomposition temperature (T _i) of PU/PEA IPN was found to be higher thanT _i of PEA, but lower thanT _i of PU. Thermal decomposition kinetic parameters,n andE, estimated using Coats-Redfern method, are found for PU/PEA IPN, PU and PEA to be 1.6, 1.9 and 1.1, and 196.6, 258.6 and 139.2 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The results show that PU/PEA IPN is neither a simple mixture of PU and PEA nor a copolymer of them. The mechanism of thermal decomposition of PU/PEA IPN is different from those of PU and PEA. The special network in PU/PEA IPN effectually protects weak bonds in the molecular chain of PU and PEA.We express our thanks to Dr. Yaxiong Xie and Zhiyuong Ren for their help in this work,     

Dependence on chain length of NMR relaxation times in mixtures of alkanes

Many naturally occurring fluids, such as crude oils, consist of a very large number of components. It is often of interest to determine the composition of the fluids in situ. Diffusion coefficients and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation times can be measured in situ and depend on the size of the molecules. It has been shown [D. E. Freed et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 067602 (2005)] that the diffusion coefficient of each component in a mixture of alkanes follows a scaling law in the chain length of that molecule and in the mean chain length of the mixture, and these relations were used to determine the chain length distribution of crude oils from NMR diffusion measurements. In this paper, the behavior of NMR relaxation times in mixtures of chain molecules is addressed. The author explains why one would expect scaling laws for the transverse and longitudinal relaxation times of mixtures of short chain molecules and mixtures of alkanes, in particular. It is shown how the power law dependence on the chain length can be calculated from the scaling laws for the translational diffusion coefficients. The author fits the literature data for NMR relaxation in binary mixtures of alkanes and finds that its dependence on chain length agrees with the theory. Lastly, it is shown how the scaling laws in the chain length and the mean chain length can be used to determine the chain length distribution in crude oils that are high in saturates. A good fit is obtained between the NMR-derived chain length distributions and the ones from gas chromatography.     

Effects of polymer chain length and stiffness on phase separation dynamics of semidilute polymer solution

Three-dimensional dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations were performed to investigate the phase separation dynamics of semidilute polymer solutions with different polymer chain length and stiffness. For the polymer solution composed of shorter and more flexible chains, a crossover of the domain growth exponent from 1/3 to 2/3 was observed during the course of phase separation, indicating that the growth mechanism altered from diffusion to interfacial-tension driven flow. When the chain flexibility was kept the same but the chain was lengthened to allow for the chain entanglement to occur, the growth exponent changed to 1/4 in the diffusion-dominating coarsening regime while the growth exponent remained 2/3 in the flow-dominating regime. When the chain length was kept short but the stiffness was increased, the growth exponent became 1/6 in the diffusion-dominating regime and little effect was observed in the flow-dominating coarsening regime. The slow down of the phase separation dynamics in the diffusion-dominating coarsening could be explained by that the polymer chains could only perform wormlike movement when chain entanglements occurred or when the chain motion was limited by chain stiffness during phase separation. Moreover, when both the effects of chain length and stiffness were enhanced, polymer networks composed of longer and stiffer chains appeared and imposed an energy barrier for phase separation to occur. As a result, the polymer solution with stiffer and longer chains required a larger quench depth to initiate the phase separation and caused the delay in crossover of the coarsening mechanism from diffusion to flow.     

Morphology and thermodynamics of selenium-containing nanosystems: The effect of polymer stabilizers

Nanosystems based on zero-valent selenium and biocompatible polymer stabilizers (polyvinylpyrrolidone with molecular weight (MW) М _w = (10–55) × 10³, poly-N,N,N,N-trimethylacryloyloxyethylammonium methylsulfate with М _w = (30–250) × 10³ and polyethylene glycol with М _w = (1–40) × 10³) are studied by means of static and dynamic light scattering, and the resulting data are compared. Dense spherical multimolecular nanosystems are found to be formed. Morphological and thermodynamic characteristics of selenium-containing nanosystems, depending on the nature and MW of the polymer stabilizer, are determined. It is shown that the properties of nanosystems can be adjusted by varying the molecular weight of the polymer stabilizer.     

Adsorption from polymer mixtures. The effect of molecular mass

Two approaches are used to study the adsorption of components from polydisperse polymer melts. The distribution of components of binary mixture of homopolymers differing only in molecular masses near the neutral wall is studied using the Scheutjens-Fleer lattice model. An increase in the concentration of component with lower molecular mass near the wall observed under the considered conditions is caused by a decrease in the losses of configurational entropy of polymer chains. The adsorption of low-molecular-mass component is calculated for a large set of model parameters. The equation describing adsorption as a function of mixture concentration and parameter (N ₁/N ₂ ? 1) characterizing the difference in chain lengths of N ₁ and N ₂ components is proposed. The proposed equation is a specific case of equation, which was derived using Flory-Huggins lattice theory and the data on the dependences of surface tension on the composition of polydisperse melts.     

The effect of alkyl chain length on the thermodynamic properties of the half esters of o-phthalic acid

The temperature, heat and entropy of fusion of four half esters of o-phthalic acid have been measured. These values are compared to other aromatic acid properties on the basis of molecular weight. The calorimetric data have an accuracy of ±5% and agree well with values predicted from simple entropy, geometric and electronic considerations.     

Fluorescence behaviour of cyanobiphenyl liquid crystal molecules in liquid crystal/polymer composite films

The fluorescence behaviour of the liquid crystal, 4-cyano-4-pentylbiphenyl (5CB), in composite thin films prepared by the photopolymerization of 5CB/diacrylate mixtures, was investigated by means of three different excitation methods, in which the total-internal-reflection or surface-limited excitation method was used for analysis of the fluorescence from an ultra-thin interface layer ( 100nm) in contact with the substrate surface, whereas the fluorescence from the interior bulk was analysed by the through-film excitation method. It was found that intensity ratios of the monomer and excimer emissions of 5CB are significantly lower in the interface layer than in the interior bulk, depending upon photopolymerization conditions as well as upon the structures of the diacrylates used. Scanning electron microscopic observations and light-scattering measurements of some typical composite films showed possible relationships between morphological features and fluorescence characteristics depending upon the diacrylate structures and polymerization conditions. The different fluorescence behaviour has been discussed in terms of differences in mobility and/or aggregation degrees of 5CB molecules arising from dominant molecular interactions with the substrate and polymer surfaces.     

The effect of fluorine-substituted acrylate monomers on the electro-optical and morphological properties of polymer dispersed liquid crystals

The effects of fluorinated acrylate monomers on the electro-optical and morphological properties of polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) films are reported. The partial fluorination of host polymer matrices resulted in improved optical properties and better defined morphologies. An enhancement in contrast ratio was observed for fluorinated systems containing trifluoroethyl acrylate (TFEA) and hexafluoroisopropyl acrylate (HFIPA). Conversely, the incorporation of methyl acrylate (MA), a chemically similar non-fluorinated acrylate, resulted in no appreciable change in contrast ratio and an increase in relaxation time. Scanning electron microscopy morphological studies were conducted to understand further the influence of fluorinated monomers in PDLC systems.     

Hydrophilic chain length dependence of the ionic amphiphilic polymer monolayer structure at the air/water interface

Detailed analysis of an interesting poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) brush structure in water of a diblock copolymer [(Et(2)SB(m)-b-(MMA)(n), where Et(2)SB is diethylsilacyclobutane] monolayer reported previously was performed by X-ray and neutron reflectometry and indicated that the hydrophilic layer formed with a relatively long PMAA chain is not a simple layer but is divided into two layers, that is, a "carpet"-like dense PMAA layer near the hydrophobic layer and a polyelectrolyte brush layer. The hydrophilic chain length dependence of the diblock copolymer monolayer was analyzed using m:n = 30:x polymer samples, especially of the PMAA double layer structure. With the increase in PMAA chain length in polymer samples, a carpet layer is mainly formed up to n approximately 50. With further increase in the PMAA chain length beyond n approximately 50, a well-defined brush layer appears. On the other hand, the variation in hydrophobic layer thickness with methacrylic acid unit is minimum at the critical PMAA length, that is, n approximately 50 under a constant surface pressure condition. It is strongly suggested that the two discrete layers contribute differently to surface pressure. Furthermore, from the comprehensive viewpoint, the major factor for brush formation was clarified not to be the absolute length of the PMAA chain, but the ratio of PEt(2)SB and PMAA chain length is an important factor.     

Effect of the length of a polymer chain on the rate of donor-acceptor electron transfer

We consider the dependence of the rate of activated and tunnel transfer of an electron between a donor and an acceptor separated by a chain of finite length on the energy and relaxation characteristics of the donor, the chain and the acceptor. It is found that the chain length is important for numbers of units not exceeding 5–7.Institute for Theoretical Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, Vol. 27, No. 2, pp. 133–139, March–April, 1991. Original article submitted February 19, 1988.     

The effect of different polymer length on water droplets of reverse AOT microemulsion

We study the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the dynamic and structure of water droplets at the reverse sodium bis-(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) microemulsion. The mixture of water and oil with anionic surfactant AOT can form microemulsion. The dynamic of microemulsion in the presence of PEG is investigated by photon correlation spectroscopy technique. We mainly focus on the variation of the translational diffusion behaviour as a function of the polymer concentration and polymer length scale. By increasing the content of the lowest PEG length scale (M_n = 285), the dynamic of microemulsion slows down. In addition, one relaxation process is distinguished for all polymer concentration. However, for the two higher polymer length scale (M_n = 2200 and 6000), two relaxations are observed and the dynamic of microemulsion speeds up. We used the small angle X-ray scattering technique to monitor the size and the polydispersity of the mixture system (AOT microemulsion/PEG).     

Influence of the surfactant chain length on the fluorescence properties of a water-soluble conjugated polymer

In this work, we report the influence of surfactant chain length and surfactant concentration on the photoluminescence (PL) of water-soluble pi-conjugated poly(thienyl ethylene oxide butyl sulfonate) (PTE-BS). We have used alkylammomium surfactants with 8, 9, 10, and 12 carbon atoms per hydrocarbon chain. The surfactant concentration was varied from 0.125 the critical micelle concentration (CMC) up to 2 times the CMC. The results show that at premicellar concentrations all the surfactants promote the polymer aggregation inducing an increase in the interchain charge transfer by pi-pi interactions, which competes with PL emission processes. However, in the premicellar range, the polymer PL emission is sharply affected by the surfactant chain length. Thus, the PL is quenched by the surfactants with the shortest tails, whereas the surfactants with the longest ones provoke an enhancement of the PL emission. This behavior has been associated with the capacity of the surfactants with the longest hydrocarbon chains to accommodate their tails inside the polymer, obstructing the appearance of pi-pi interchain interactions during aggregation and reducing intrachain defects. By contrast, at the CMC, the surfactant chain length does not modify the PL emission, since the excess of surfactant inhibits polymer aggregation, thus enhancing the efficiency of light emissive processes.