Theory of swelling of a crosslinked substance in equilibrium with a pure solvent in various phases. Part II: The variation of the pressure

A theory of swelling is presented which describes the equilibrium swelling of a body in a solvent in its various states. The pressure dependence of the pressure-concentration swelling curves is treated for the swelling agent occurring in the liquid, crystalline or vapor phase. The slopes of the pressureconcentration swelling curves are dependent on the differential volume of dilution of the solvent and, additionally, on the volume changes of vaporization, crystallization, and sublimation of the solvent corresponding to the state of the swelling agent. At the melting and boiling pressure of the swelling agent the swelling curves change their slopes with a discontinuity, which is most distinct at the evaporation transition. By measurements of the slopes of the swelling curves at the transition pressure the derivative ₁/w₁ at constant temperature and pressure, which is the change of the chemical potential of the solvent with its weight fraction, is obtained. Thus, a further equation is given to test statistical theories at the transition pressures. Simultaneous variations of the swelling with changes of temperature are also treated.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel obtained by gamma radiations

A new polyacrylic acid/polyhydroxybutyrate semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel, the s-IPN/PAA-PHB, was prepared by a gamma radiation-induced polymerization. Thermal behavior was studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while the s-IPNs composition, FTIR spectra, and swelling kinetics were also determined. It was found that the DSC curve showed a melting point which is attributed to polyhydroxybutyrate. The TG curves showed various stages of degradation which are in correspondence of the presence of crosslinked polyacrylic acid and confirmed the higher thermal stability of the polymer network. The s-IPN/PAA-PHB composition was 10% of PHB and 90% of PAA. Moreover, the network reached approximately 600% of swelling in water, so it behaves like a superabsorbent hydrogel.     

Sharp melting of polymer-DNA hybrids: an associative phase separation approach

An associative equilibrium theory describing the sharp melting behavior of polymer-DNA hybrids is developed. The theory considers linear polymers with attached DNAs on each polymer that serve as "stickers" and with a two-state model governing the DNA melting equilibrium. For three or more oligonucleotides on each polymer, solutions of polymer-DNA hybrids are found to undergo phase separation at sufficiently low temperatures. The dense phase dissolves as temperature increases, which leads to a sharp increase in the fraction of non-hybridized DNA near the phase transition temperature, in agreement with experimental absorbance profiles at 260 nm. The melting temperature is predicted to have the same dependence on salt concentration as a solution of unattached DNAs and be weakly sensitive to the concentration of DNA in solution. The melting temperature is predicted to be higher than that of unattached DNA in solution, with the magnitude of the increase sensitive to the DNA hybridization cooperativity. The theoretical predictions are generally in good quantitative agreement with new experimental data (also presented here), which show the effect of the polymer-DNA hybrid length and salt concentration on the melting profiles.     

Characterization of thermo-reversible gels by means of sedimentation equilibria

This paper describes the deformation of gels in a centrifugal field leading to a continuous equilibrium. A gel is considered to be a binary mixture of cross-linked polymer and solvent and is assumed to remain isotropic during the deformation. From the equation for the osmotically effective pressure, called swelling pressure, the thermodynamic properties of a gel can be calculated. For highly swollen gels the expression of Svedberg and Pedersen is obtained. It is shown that the complete concentration dependence of the swelling pressure in the concentration range of the maximally swollen gel up to that at the cell bottom can be measured in a single equilibrium experiment. The homogeneity of weakly cross-linked gels can be examined by means of the method described. Soluble parts which are not incorporated into the polymer network can also be detected if they are present. From the swelling pressure-concentration curves it is possible to derive the thermodynamic properties of the physically crosslinked gelatin/water gels that were investigated. These gels can be described by means of a slightly modified Flory-Huggins equation with an interaction parameter χw in the weight fraction scale, which depends linearly on concentration. The interaction parameters show a dependence on concentration which is explained by an increased branching and crosslinking of the polymer with increasing initial polymer concentration of the gels. At low initial polymer concentration, the primary chains have to aggregate to build up relatively long chains between the network junctions. The static shear modulus G which can be calculated from the network term has the same order of magnitude as the real part of the complex shear modulus which is measured at low frequency.     

Swelling of poly(ethylene oxide) gel in aqueous solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate with added sodium chloride

The swelling behavior of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) gels in aqueous solutions of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with and without NaCl was investigated. In the absence of NaCl, PEO gels with different degrees of cross-linking began to swell from a concentration lower than the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of SDS, then showed sigmoidal enhancements of swelling in a higher SDS concentration region until the degrees of swelling reached maximum values. The SDS concentration at which the swelling began to appear was in reasonable agreement with the critical aggregation concentration (cac) value reported for the aqueous PEO system. For the cases where NaCl was present, the swelling behavior of PEO gel was different from that when NaCl was absent in the following way. The concentrations where the swelling begins to appear, and hence those where the degree of swelling rises steeply, decreased with an increase in NaCl concentration. The ultimate degrees of swelling at higher concentration regions also decreased with an increase in the NaCl concentration. The lowering of the SDS concentrations at which the PEO gel began to swell is in line with the decreases in the cmc of SDS solutions containing NaCl and also with the decreases in the cac of PEO solution. Electronic Publication     

Photocrosslinking of polyethylene. II. Properties of photocrosslinked polyethylene

Some properties of photocrosslinked high density polyethylene (2 mm thick sheets) have been studied. The homogeneity of the network is greatly improved by the application of triallylcyanurate (TAC) as crosslinking agent. The role of TAC in promoting the crosslinking is discussed. The crosslinked PE is found to be durable towards immersion in boiling water. Oxygen permeability increases while density and melting point decrease with increasing degree of crosslinking. The network chain density is obtained using conventional swelling method in boiling xylene, which together with data from melting point depression show that contribution of chain entanglement is insignificant to the gel formation of PE in this work.     

Osmotic deswelling of weakly charged poly(acrylic acid) solutions and gels

The osmotic pressure of weakly charged aqueous poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) solutions and the swelling pressure PAA gels were studied by osmotic deswelling at different degrees of ionization (α). In solution, the osmotic pressure was found to scale linearly with concentration, whereas the scaling power of the swelling pressure of gels was higher (1.66). The effect of the ionization degree on the osmotic coefficient in PAA solutions was in agreement with the theory of Borue and Erukhimovich [Macromolecules, 21 , 3240 (1988)]. Ionization increases the swelling capacity of the PAA gels until a plateau is reached at about 35% neutralization. The concentration at equilibrium swelling scales as C_e ～ α^?0.6. The contribution of the network to the gel swelling pressure is evaluated by subtracting the osmotic pressure of the polymer solution at the same concentration and degree of ionization. In swollen gels the extended network opposes swelling. As the gel is osmotically deswelled, a state of zero network pressure exists at a certain concentration, below which the network elasticity favors swelling. The crossover concentration shifts to lower values as the degrees of ionization increases. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Melting of nascent and thermally treated super-high molecular weight polyethylene

The melting of nascent and thermally treated super-high molecular weight polyethylene (SHMWPE) is investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Higher melting temperatures and enthalpies of the nascent and annealed samples are observed. The melting temperatures and enthalpies of melt crystallized SHMWPE is lower and depends on the temperature of thermal treatment. All melting properties are explained by presuming that the lamellar structure contains a high concentration of entangled tie macromolecules in amorphous regions formed during polymerization. It was supposed that the concentration of the entanglements and the stressed tie molecules are changed with the temperature of the thermal pretreatment.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Monodisperse Thermosensitive Dumbbell‐Shaped Microgels

Monodisperse thermosensitive dumbbell‐shaped core‐shell microgels are fabricated, which consist of a polystyrene core with a cross‐linked poly (N‐isopropylacrylamide) shell. The morphology of the microgels was investigated through cryogenic transmission electron microscopy and depolarized dynamic light scattering. The effective volume fraction and aspect ratio of the system could be adjusted through the swelling of the thermosensitive shell. We observe a phase transition of the microgels to an ordered, crystal‐like state, which is apparent through Bragg‐reflections in the visible range. These observations are further supported by rheological measurements where the shear‐melting of the crystal phase is clearly detected.     

基于光聚合星型PEG-b-PCL大分子单体可生物降解水凝胶的合成及表征

以辛酸亚锡为催化剂 ,通过星型聚乙二醇 (PEG)引发ε 己内酯 (CL)开环聚合 ,制备了PEG b PCL嵌段共聚物 ,进一步以丙烯酸酯封端 ,合成了 3种水溶性大分子单体 .以 2 ,2 二甲氧基 2 苯基苯乙酮为引发剂 ,在紫外光作用下 ,大分子单体在水中由于胶束的形成能够迅速聚合形成水凝胶 .利用1 H NMR、FTIR、DSC、TGA、ESEM、凝胶含量、溶胀比等分析测试手段对大分子单体及其形成的水凝胶进行了表征 .结果表明 ,干胶迅速吸水而达到溶胀平衡 ,水凝胶具有较大的溶胀比和高的水含量 ;随着PEG臂数的增加 ,干胶的熔融峰顶温度下降 ,凝胶的溶胀比减小 ;ESEM图片上清晰地表明水凝胶的网络结构     

Rheological Modeling of Dispersion System of Nano/Microsized Polymer Particles Considering Swelling Behavior

Rheological behavior of dispersion system containing nano/microsized cross-linked polymer particle was studied considering particle hydration and swelling. Viscosity of the dispersion system depends on swelling kinetics of polymer particles. Under shear flow, dispersion of swollen polymer particles is shear thinning. According to experimental results, kinetics of particle swelling and hydration was described well by second-order kinetic equation. Relational expression between equilibrium particle size and influencing factors of swelling such as salt concentration and temperature was presented. Assume that swollen polymer particles are uniform and have a simple core-shell structure, interacting through a repulsive steric potential. The rheological modeling of such dispersion system at low shear rate was presented using the concept of effective volume fraction, which depends on swelling kinetics and interparticle potential. Cross model was introduced to describe shear-thinning behavior. The viscosity equation allows correlation of experimental data of relative viscosity versus shear rate or hydration time; accounting for effect of temperature and salt concentration on viscosity. Predictions of the model have a good agreement with experimental results.     

葡萄糖敏感微凝胶的溶胀动力学研究

通过沉淀聚合法合成了P(NIPAM-co-AA)微凝胶,然后在EDC催化下用3-氨基苯硼酸对微凝胶进行改性,制备了P(NIPAMI-co-AAPBA)微凝胶.红外光谱检测证明改性完全.改性后的微凝胶仍具有很好的温敏性,但由于引入疏水的苯硼酸基团,微凝胶的体积相转变温度大大降低.P(NIPAM-co-AAPBA)微凝胶具...     

Swelling and Release Characteristics of Poly(Sulfopropyl Methacrylate Potassium-Co-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate) Gels

Abstract

A new polyelectrolyte gel consisting of sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate has been synthesized and characterized in terms of swelling and drug release. The swelling of the drug-free gel is influenced by the salt concentration, ranging from a swelling ratio of 44.0 in the absence of NaCl to 3.6 in 2 M NaCl. The degree of swelling does not fluctuate significantly in a variation of swelling ratios from 23.4 to 26.4 with the pH of the swelling medium ranging from 3.0 to 9.8 in 0.01 M NaCl. Even at pH 1.2 the swelling ratio is 10.7 in 0.01 M NaCl. The release of oxprenolol HC1 and diphenhydramine HCl, highly water-soluble drugs, are independent of both buffer concentration (0.01 to 0.1 M) and the pH (1.4 to 7.4) of the dissolution medium. However, the release of less water-soluble drugs, such as propranolol HCl and labetalol HCl, slows down as the pH decreases.     

Molecular dynamics studies of ion distributions for DNA duplexes and DNA clusters: salt effects and connection to DNA melting

We present extensive molecular dynamics simulations of the ion distributions for DNA duplexes and DNA clusters using the Amber force field with implicit water. The distribution of ions and the electrostatic energy of ions around an isolated DNA duplex and clusters of DNA duplexes in different salt (NaCl) concentrations over the range 0.2-1.0 mol/L are determined on the basis of the simulation results. Using the electrostatic energy profile, we determine a local net charge fraction phi, which is found to increase with increasing of salt concentration. For DNA clusters containing two DNA duplexes (DNA pair) or four DNA duplexes, phi increases as the distance between the duplexes decreases. Combining this result with experimental results for the dependence of the DNA melting temperature on bulk salt concentration, we conclude that for a pair of DNA duplexes the melting temperature increases by 5-10 K for interaxis separations of 25-40 A. For a cluster of four DNA duplexes, an even larger melting temperature increase should occur. We argue that this melting temperature increase in dense DNA clusters is responsible for the cooperative melting mechanism in DNA-linked nanoparticle aggregates and DNA-linked polymer aggregates.     

Effect of synthesis parameters on polymethacrylic acid xerogel structures and equilibrium swelling

Hydrogels based on crosslinked polymethacrylic acid were synthesized via free-radical polymerization in aqueous solution, using N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent and 2,2′-azobis-[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane] dihydrochloride as an initiator. The influence of the reaction parameters (the neutralization degree of methacrylic acid and the initial monomer concentration) on the equilibrium swelling degree, the swelling kinetic parameters and the basic structural properties of xerogels was investigated. The change of synthesis parameters leads to the change of the basic structural parameters of xerogel, as well as the equilibrium swelling degree and the initial swelling rate of the hydrogels. It is found that there are power form relationships between the equilibrium swelling degree, the initial swelling rate and the structural xerogel’s properties and the change of the neutralization degree of monomer, i.e. the monomer concentration. The examined correlations proved that the crosslinking density is the crucial parameter which determines all the other investigated structural and swelling parameters. The article is published in the original.     

锌粉-硼砂-硼酸熔融-碘酸钾滴定法测定高硅锡精矿中的锡

针对高硅锡精矿中锡的测定时通常用锌粉-氢氧化钠熔融,精密度差,不能满足分析要求的问题,建立了锌粉-硼砂-硼酸熔融,盐酸浸取,铝粒将锡还原,碘酸钾滴定法测定高硅锡精矿中锡的分析方法。方法结果稳定,精密度好,相对标准偏差在0.19%~0.55%,加标回收率在96.9%~105%。分析结果能够满足高硅锡精矿中锡的测定要求。     

Hydrophobicity and counterion effects on the binding of ionic surfactants to uncharged polymeric hydrogels

Gel swelling experiments have been used to study the binding of ionic surfactants to a series of nonionic alkylacrylamide hydrogels of increasing hydrophobicity. The binding of hexadecyl trimethylammonium (C16TA+) to uncharged gels is sensitive to both the hydrophobicity of the gel and the counterion to the surfactant. There is a minimum hydrophobicity threshold below which binding of the surfactant does not occur, and this is influenced by the counterion to the surfactant. The surfactant concentration at the onset of binding, the critical association concentration (cac), decreases with increasing gel hydrophobicity. The maximum swelling of the gel (at intermediate network hydrophobicity) increases in the order of the Hofmeister series of anions, bromide (Br-) < chloride (Cl-) < acetate (Ac-). At higher gel hydrophobicity, differences in swelling are no longer observed on changing the counterion. A minimum hydrophobicity threshold was also found for the binding of the anionic surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and sodium dodecyl-di(ethylene oxide)-sulfate (SD-(EO)2-S). Differences in the swelling behavior with network hydrophobicity are explained in terms of the degree of saturation of the gel with surfactant at the cmc.     

Self‐oscillation mechanism of hydrogel coupled with chemical oscillations

A novel gel which undergoes an autonomic and periodical swelling‐deswelling oscillation has been prepared by the copolymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) with ruthenium tris(2,2'‐bipyridine) (Ru(bpy)₃) as a catalyst for the Belousov‐Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. In order to enhance the amplitude of swelling‐deswelling oscillations of the gel, we attempted to change the period and amplitude of the redox oscillation by varying the initial concentration of substrates of the BZ reaction. Both period and amplitude of chemical oscillation varied depending on the substrate concentration. This variation led to a change in the swelling‐deswelling oscillation: i.e., the swelling‐deswelling amplitude increased with an increase in the period and amplitude of the redox changes. The change in gel size with ca. 20% to the initial size was obtained as the maximum value. The swelling‐deswelling amplitude of the gel is controllable by changing the initial concentration of substrates or the content of immobilized Ru(bpy)₃ catalyst within the gel.     

Swelling behavior of an aromatic polyimide

The swelling behavior of poly(N, N'-bisphenoxyphenylpyromellitimide) (PMDA-ODA) using dimethylsulfoxide DMSO and N-methylpyrollidinone NMP was investigated by gravimetric means. For PMDA-ODA samples imidized on a substrate, the weight uptake was found to depend linearly on time over a temperature range from 25 to 150°C. For a given temperature of imidization, the equilibrium swelling concentration was found to be independent of the temperature at which the swelling studies were performed. However, the rate of solvent uptake depended strongly on the swelling temperature, yielding an activation energy of about 50 kJ/mol. In general, increasing the initial imidization temperature caused a decrease in the rate of swelling but did not alter the equilibrium swelling concentration. This swelling behavior resembles Case II diffusion typically seen in glassy polymers with some noteworthy exceptions. In cases, where PMDA-ODA was imidized in a free-standing state, no swelling was observed. However, deformation of these isotropic specimens was found to induce substantial swelling.     

Surfactant and polyelectrolyte gel particles that swell reversibly

Mixing of oppositely charged surfactants and polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions can lead to associative phase separation, where the concentrated phase is a viscous liquid, gel, or precipitate. In recent years, this phenomenon has been exploited to form gel-like particles, ranging from approximately 100 to 4000 microm in diameter, whose stability depends on equilibrium phase behavior. As the sample composition is varied, these particles either remain stable (in a two-phase mixture) or dissolve over time. Here, we present the formation of reversibly swelling gel particles from mixtures of N,N,N-trimethylammonium-derivatized hydroxyethyl cellulose (JR-400) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), whose swelling is controlled by the ambient solution conditions. The effects of cross-linking density and surfactant concentration are investigated by gravimetry and confocal microscopy. The resulting particles have a core/shell morphology and undergo reversible swelling/collapse transitions which, depending on the cross-link density, can be either gradual or abrupt with changing SDS concentration.