Controlled synthesis of amphiphilic biodegradable polylactide‐grafted dextran copolymers

The whole controlled synthesis of novel amphiphilic polylactide (PLA)‐grafted dextran copolymers was achieved. The control of the architecture of such biodegradable and potentially biocompatible copolymers has required a three‐step synthesis based on the “grafting from” concept. The first step consisted of the partial silylation of the dextran hydroxyl groups. This protection step was followed by the ring‐opening polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide initiated from the remaining OH functions of the partially silylated polysaccharide. The third step involved the silylether group deprotection under very mild conditions. Based on previous studies, in which the control of the first step was achieved, this study is focused on the last two steps. Experimental conditions were investigated to ensure a controlled polymerization of D ,L ‐lactide, in terms of grafting efficiency, graft length, and transesterification limitation. After polymerization, the final step was studied in order to avoid degradation of both polysaccharide backbone and polyester grafts. The chemical stability of dextran backbone was checked throughout each step of the synthesis. PLA‐grafted dextrans and PLA‐grafted (silylated dextrans) were proved to adopt a core‐shell conformation in various solvents. Furthermore, preliminary experiments on the potential use of these amphiphilic grafted copolymers as liquid/liquid interface stabilizers were performed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2577–2588, 2004     

Novel synthesis of biodegradable poly(lactide-co-ethylene glycol) block copolymers

Biodegradable and amphiphilic diblock copolymers [polylactide-block-poly(ethylene glycol)] and triblock copolymers [polylactide-block-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-polylactide] were synthesized by the anionic ring-opening polymerization of lactides in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether or poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium hexamethyldisilazide as a catalyst. The polymerization in toluene at room temperature was very fast, yielding copolymers of controlled molecular weights and tailored molecular architectures. The chemical structure of the copolymers was investigated with ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The formation of block copolymers was confirmed by ¹³C NMR and differential scanning calorimetry investigations. The monomodal profile of the molecular weight distribution by gel permeation chromatography provided further evidence of block copolymer formation as well as the absence of cyclic species. Additional confirmation of the block copolymers was obtained by the substitution of 2-butanol for poly(ethylene glycol); butyl groups were clearly identified by ¹H NMR as polymer chain end groups. The effects of the copolymer composition and lactide stereochemistry on the copolymer properties were examined. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2235–2245, 2007     

Implementation of high throughput experimentation techniques for kinetic reaction testing

Successful implementation of High throughput Experimentation (EE) tools has resulted in their increased acceptance as essential tools in chemical, petrochemical and polymer R&D laboratories. This article provides a number of concrete examples of EE systems, which have been designed and successfully implemented in studies, which focus on deriving reaction kinetic data. The implementation of high throughput EE tools for performing kinetic studies of both catalytic and non-catalytic systems results in a significantly faster acquisition of high-quality kinetic modeling data, required to quantitatively predict the behavior of complex, multistep reactions.     

Rapid synthesis of biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-p-dioxanone) random copolymers under microwave irradiation

<正>Biodegradable poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-p-dioxanone)(PCDO) random copolymers have been synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone(CL) and p-dioxanone(PDO) under microwave irradiation.The effects of irradiation time and different CL/PDO molar feed ratios on the microwave-assisted ring-opening polymerization(MROP) of PCDO have been discussed.The resultant products were characterized by ~1H NMR,GPC and DSC.It was found that the polymerization was completed within 20 min at 140℃.In the presence of different CL/PDO molar feed ratios,the conversions of both monomers were kept relatively constant.DSC sturdy suggested that with increasing the content of PDO in the copolymers,the crystalline degree of the copolymers decreased gradually.It is believed to be a promising biodegradable material.     

Synthesis and modification of new biodegradable copolymers: Serine/glycolic acid based copolymers

Serine/glycolic acid-based biodegradable polymers have been prepared by ring-opening homopolymerization of 3-(O-benzyl)-L -serinylmorpholine-2,5-dione, and ring-opening copolymerization of the morpholine-2,5-dione derivative and L -lactide/ϵ-caprolactone. The homopolymerization was carried out in the melt at 165°C for 3 min using stannous octanoate as the initiator and continued at lower reaction temperatures (130–150°C) for 48 h, using a molar ratio of monomer and initiator of 1000 yielded a polymer of M_n = 4000. The polymer prepared by homopolymerization of the morpholine-2,5-dione derivative was composed of alternating protected serine and glycolic acid residues. Random copolymers of serine and glycolic acid and L -lactic acid/ϵ-caprolactone were synthesized by copolymerization reaction of 3-(O-benzyl)-L -serinylmorpholine-2,5-dione and lactide or ϵ-caprolactone in the melt at 165°C for 3 min and further reaction at 130°C using stannous octanoate as an initiator. The polymers were deprotected and functionalized through the side chain hydroxyl group of serine residues with an acrylate moiety for applications in injectable drug delivery, cell encapsulation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 1901–1907, 1997     

Reverse thermal gelation of aliphatically modified biodegradable triblock copolymers

A simple aliphatic modification demonstrated how to turn a water-soluble biodegradable triblock copolymer synthesized from PEG, L-lactide, and epsilon-caprolactone into a thermoreversible polymer of which aqueous solution underwent a sol-to-gel phase transition upon a mild temperature rise. Thermogelling behavior of the aliphatically modified polymer was dependent on the degree of aliphatic modification and polymer concentration. When the polymer solutions were subcutaneously injected into rats, immediate depot formation has been observed. The polymeric gel depots have lasted for two weeks in vivo. This aliphatically modified thermogelling polymer can find applications in drug delivery.     

Retroviral display and high throughput screening

Retroviruses distinguish themselves from all other mammalian viruses by their abilities to infect and propagate in mammalian cells without causing a cytopathic effect and to stably integrate their genetic information into the genome of the host cell. These unique properties make them an ideal platform for the display and directed evolution of proteins in a mammalian cell environment. This review will describe the essentials about retrovirus biology and then discuss in detail display and screening strategies that have been developed during the past 15 years of retroviral display technology.     

Kinetics and mechanism for synthesis of iodo-containing telomeres and block copolymers at high pressures

Radical telomerization reactions of hexafluoropropylene, perfluoromethyl vinyl ether, and perfluoropropyl vinyl ether in the presence of alkyl iodides were studied at high pressures (1000 MPa). Iodo- and diiodo-containing telomeres were synthesized. Their preparation is almost impossible under usual conditions. The mechanism and kinetics of telomerization were studied. Block copolymers of different structures were synthesized from the obtained telomeres by the “living” radical telomerization method.     

Environmentally friendly synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles assisted by biodegradable dextran‐graft‐lactone copolymers

A simple “green synthesis” of noble metal nanoparticles by direct reaction between Dextran‐graft‐lactone copolymers and metal salts without the need to separately add reducing and stabilizing agents was carried out. The effects of the composition, molecular weights of copolymers and solvents on the characteristics of the nanoparticles were considered. The amphiphilic character of the copolymers seems to be an important factor in the results of the synthesis. According to the results, general correlations between experimental parameters of synthesis and characteristics of the obtained nanoparticles were established. Techniques such as, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, Zeta Potential, dynamic light scattering and Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy, were used for the characterization of the products. The results indicate the possibility of control of the characteristics of the nanostructured material. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Advances in zebrafish high content and high throughput technologies

The zebrafish has emerged as an excellent transitional screening model system between cell-based assays, which are rapid and inexpensive but have limited physiological relevance, and higher vertebrate models, which have better physiological relevance, but are more time-consuming and expensive to deploy. As vertebrates, zebrafish maintain significant evolutionary proximity to humans and have been validated as robust models for drug research, studies of mechanism and behavioral genetics. Unlike higher vertebrate models, zebrafish are well-suited to high-throughput applications owing to their high fecundity, rapid extrauterine development and transparency during organogenesis enabling in vivo labeling and imaging. Recent advances have been made in automating high content and high-throughput zebrafish screens, with the goal of developing fully automated drug screening platforms. The application and continued development of these technologies holds potential clinical significance in drug discovery and elucidating disease mechanisms.     

A stopped-flow microdialysis sampling-flow injection system for automated multivessel high resolution drug dissolution testing

A simple and robust flow injection on-line microdialysis system for multivessel drug dissolution testing is described. Microdialysis probes were used for sampling from the dissolution media. A stopped-flow dialysis mode with a 50-s stopped-flow period followed by 10-s injection at a perfusion rate of 2.8 ml min(-1) for each probe was used to achieve high resolution of dissolution events using relatively simple equipment and operation. The precisions obtained for simultaneous monitoring of dissolution profiles for six tablets were all better than 0.9% (RSD n=80) and the overall sampling frequency of the system was 360 and 60 h(-1) for each test vessel. The dissolution profiles of isoniazid fast-release tablet from three sources were determined to demonstrate the performance of the system.     

Bioreducible micelles and hydrogels with tunable properties from multi-armed biodegradable copolymers

Multi-armed biodegradable block copolymers with a bioreducible core mPCL-b-PEO were for the first time synthesized by thiol-yne click chemistry. They self-assembled into bioreducible micelles and hydrogels in aqueous solution, which demonstrated tunable size, mechanical and drug-release properties.     

Synthesis and aggregation behavior of chitooligosaccharide‐based biodegradable graft copolymers

A series of novel “jellyfish‐like” graft copolymers with chitooligosaccharide (COS) as shorter backbone and poly(ε‐caprolactone) as longer branches were synthesized using ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone via a protection‐polymerization‐deprotection procedure with trimethylsilylchitooligosaccharide as intermediate and triethylaluminum as catalyst precursor. The obtained chitooligosaccharide‐graft‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) polymers possess amphiphilic structure with hydrophilic COS backbone and hydrophobic polycaprolactone branches. Because of this unique “jellyfish‐like” structure, these graft copolymers could self‐assemble to form various morphologies of aggregates in a mixture solution of water and tetrahydrofuran. The transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the formed aggregates exhibited necklace‐like, flower‐like onion vesicle, and tubular morphologies. It is found that the hydrogen‐bonding formed by the hydroxyl and amino groups remained on the COS backbone played an important role during the aggregation of these graft copolymers, and their morphologies were changed with the varying length of poly (ε‐caprolactone) branches, the concentration of the graft copolymer, and the self‐assembly process. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4889–4904, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable homopolymers and block copolymers based on adipic anhydride

Homopolymers of adipic anhydride (AA) and block copolymers of ϵ-caprolactone (ϵ-CL) and AA have been synthesized with aluminum triisopropoxide as an initiator. Homopolymerization was studied at 20°C in toluene and methylene chloride (CH₂Cl₂). The end-group analysis agrees with a coordination insertion mechanism based on the acyl-oxygen cleavage of the AA ring. Living poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL) chains are very efficient macro-initiators for the polymerization of AA, with formation of diblock copolymers of a narrow molecular weight distribution. At our best knowledge, low molecular weight ω-aluminum alkoxide PCL macroinitiators (M_n < 1000) allow the first valuable synthesis of PAA with a molecular weight as high as 58,000 and a quite narrow polydispersity (M_w/M_n = 1.2). Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and ¹³C NMR confirm the blocky structure of the copolymers, in agreement with DSC that shows two melting endotherms and two glass transitions characteristic of the crystalline and amorphous phases of PCL and PAA, respectively. Block copolymers of ϵ-CL and AA are also sensitive to hydrolysis, which makes them possible candidates for biomedical applications. Initiation of the AA polymerization in bulk with aluminum triisopropoxide in the presence of various ligands is also discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Facile synthesis of thermo- and pH-responsive biodegradable microgels

A novel and facile strategy has been designed to prepare biodegradable microgels with thermo- and pH-responsive property. The microgels were synthesized by the crosslinking of N-isopropylacrylamide with vinyl groups functionalized poly(L-glutamic acid) (PGA). The resultant microgels exhibited pH-dependent phase transition behaviors in aqueous solutions and underwent abrupt lower critical solution temperature decrease when the pH was reduced below the pK _a of PGA. Dynamic light scattering measurement revealed that the microgels exhibited shrinkage as the temperature increased or the pH decreased.     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable and weather-durable PET/PEG/NDC copolymers

Polyethylene terephthalate/poly(ethylene glycol)/2, 6-naphthalene dicarboxylate (PET/PEG/NDC) copolymers were synthesized and characterized. The results demonstrated that T _g dramatically decreased—by approximately 20?°C—when 8?wt.% PEG was added to neat PET. However, T _g slightly increased—by around 6?°C—from the reduced value, when a third ingredient, NDC, was incorporated. The melting temperature T _m and fusion enthalpy △H _m decreased when the 8?wt.% PEG was copolymerized. Further incorporation of NDC into the PET/8?% PEG copolymer, after a small initial increase in T _m and △H _m for PET/8?% PEG/2.3?% NDC, caused substantially reduce in both properties for PET/8?% PEG/9.2?% NDC. A mechanical test revealed that PET/8?% PEG/NDC copolymers maintained high mechanical integrity until degradation, verifying that the inclusion of NDC enhances the weatherability of PET/PEG copolymer. The rheological Cole–Cole plots indicated the occurrence of phase separation in PET/PEG melt, but the incorporation of NDC suppressed this incompatibility. The biodegradation results indicated that the degradation comprised two stages—a period of rapid degradation, which was associated with the hydrolysis of PEG segments, and a period of slow degradation, which was caused by erosion of the short aliphatic segments by the microbes.     

Nanostructure synthesis using surfactants and copolymers

Self-assembled structures of surfactants and block copolymers provide a valuable tool for controlling nanostructure formation in polymers and inorganic solids. The past year has seen a huge number of different new nanoparticles and mesostructured solids. A high level of control of the mesoscopic and macroscopic morphologies has been reached for both polymer nanostructures and mesoporous inorganic materials. © 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd.     

Enzymatic synthesis and curing of biodegradable crosslinkable polyesters

The lipase-catalyzed synthesis and curing of polyesters that possess an unsaturated fatty acid moiety in the side chain is described. Lipase-catalyzed polymerization of divinyl sebacate and glycerol in the presence of unsaturated fatty acids produced a crosslinkable polyester possessing the unsaturated group. Candida antarctica lipase showed high catalytic activity for their synthesis. Effects of reaction parameters, such as enzyme amount, temperature, and feed ratio of substrates, have been systematically investigated. The polymerization under reduced pressure improved the polymer yield and molecular weight. Divinyl adipate was also enzymatically polymerized with glycerol and linoleic acid to give the crosslinkable polyester. The polymer obtained using linoleic or linolenic acid, was cured using a cobalt naphthenate catalyst or thermal treatment to give a crosslinked, transparent, polymeric film with a high-gloss surface. The cured film was characterized by pencil-scratch hardness testing and FT-IR spectroscopy. The biodegradability of the obtained film was evaluated by biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) measurement in an activated sludge.