Amphiphilic silica/fluoropolymer nanoparticles: Synthesis,tem‐responsive and surface properties as protein‐resistance coatings

A series of amphiphilic silica/fluoropolymer nanoparticles of SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) were prepared by silica surface‐initiating atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP) of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) and poly dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate (P12FMA). Their amphiphilic behavior, lower critical solution temperature (LCST), and surface properties as protein‐resistance coatings were characterized. The introduction of hydrophobic P(12FMA) block leads SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) to form individual spherical nanoparticles (～150 nm in water and ～170 nm in THF solution) as P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) shell grafted on SiO₂ core (～130 nm), to gain obvious lower LCST at 36–52 °C and higher thermostability at 290–320 °C than SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA) (LCST = 78–90 °C, T_d = 220 °C). The water‐casted SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) films obtain much rougher surface (125.3–178.4 nm) than THF‐casted films (11.5–16.9 nm) and all SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA) films (26.8–31.3 nm). Therefore, the water‐casted surfaces exhibit obvious higher water adsorption amount (Δf = ?494 ～ ?426 Hz) and harder adsorbed layer (viscoelasticity of ΔD/Δf = ?0.28 ～ ?0.36 × 10^?6/Hz) than SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA) films, but present loser adsorbed layer than THF‐casted films (ΔD/Δf = ?0.29 ～ ?0.63 × 10^?6/Hz). While, the introduction of P(12FMA) segments does not show obviously reduce in the protein‐repelling adsorption of SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) films (△f = ?15.7 ～ ?22.3 Hz) compared with SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA) films (△f = ?8.3 ～ ?11.3 Hz) and no obvious influence on water adsorption of ancient stone. Therefore, SiO₂‐g‐P(PEGMA)‐b‐P(12FMA) is suggested to be used as protein‐resistance coatings. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 381–393     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Reactivity Ratios of Phenyl Methacrylate-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone Copolymers

Free radical solution copolymerization of phenyl methacrylate and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone was carried out using benzoyl peroxide in 2-butanone solution at 70°C. The composition of the copolymer was determined using ¹H-NMR spectra by comparing the intensities of aromatic protons to that of total protons. The results were used to calculaie the copolymerization reactivity ratios by both the Fineman-Ross (F-R) and Kelen-Tüdös (K-T) methods. The reactivity ratios are r ₁ = 4.49 ± 1.27 and r ₂ = 0.05 ± 0.09 as determined by the K-T method. These values are in good agreement with those determined by the F-R method. The FT-infrared and ¹³C-NMR spectra of the copolymer are discussed.     

Composites based on SiO2 micrograins and cobalt-containing nanoparticles: Synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties

Cobalt-containing particles are synthesized on the surface of silicon dioxide micrograins prepared by the Stöber-Fink method. The composition and structure of nanoparticles are determined by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and EXAFS. The average size of cobalt nanoparticles in the samples is found to be 14 ± 5 nm. The resulting composites are shown to be ferromagnetics with low specific magnetization values.     

Synthesis and dosimetric properties of the novel thermoluminescent CaF2:Tm nanoparticles

Calcium fluoride nanoparticles doped with thulium were synthesized for the first time by using the hydrothermal method. The synthesized nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The crystallite size of about 40 nm was estimated by Scherer's formula. The shape and size of the nanoparticles were also observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). T_m–T_stop method and computerized glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) technique were employed to obtain the number of component glow peaks and kinetic parameters of the produced phosphor. Three overlapped thermoluminescence glow peaks were identified at 402, 426 and 467 K in the complex glow curve of this phosphor. The optimized concentration of T_m impurity was obtained at 0.5 mol%. Other thermoluminescence characteristics of this phosphor such as fading, reusability and dose response, reveals superior dosimetry features compared to its microcrystalline counterpart.     

Pulsed-plasma polymerization of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone: Synthesis of a linear polymer

The RF plasma induced polymerization of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone was examined under variable duty-cycle pulsed-plasma conditions. Large-scale progressive changes in the composition of the resultant polymeric films were observed with sequential changes in the plasma duty cycle employed during polymerization, all other plasma variables held constant. The film compositional changes obtained are in the direction of increased retention of the lactam ring of the monomer in the resultant polymers as the duty cycles employed (i.e., the ratio of plasma on to plasma off times) were decreased. Particularly significant are the relatively linear polymeric structures obtained under the exceptionally low-average power deposition conditions made accessible with the pulsed plasma technique. XPS and FTIR spectroscopic examination of these latter films reveal compositions that are similar to those obtained by conventional (i.e., nonplasma) synthesis of the linear polymer. The film chemistry controllability demonstrated in the present study is achieved while maintaining the many advantages of the plasma polymerization approach for surface modifications. This work provides additional support for use of the pulsed operational mode as an effective means of film chemistry control, in particular extending the plasma polymerization technique to include synthesis of linear polymers, in lieu of the more highly crosslinked structures typically produced in conventional continuous-wave plasma polymerization processes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 3121–3129, 1998     

Amphiphilic gold nanoparticles with V-shaped arms

Here we describe a very efficient method to produce well-defined amphiphilic gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with an equal number of hydrophobic and hydrophilic arms which are distributed along the surface of a 2-nm gold core in an alternating fashion. The strategy involves direct coupling of V-shaped block copolymer amphiphile 2 with a carboxylic group at its junction point to mercaptophenol-terminated Au NPs. The reaction proceeds under mild esterification conditions and yields the product with a molecular weight of 40 kDa, high grafting density (2.9 chains/nm2), and extremely low polydispersity (1.07). The big advantage of this approach is the opportunity to avoid the use of expensive and often inaccessible polymeric thiols. The method described here is applicable to any carboxyl-terminated molecules and can be used for the preparation of complex, yet well-defined, macromolecular hybrid structures such as 1 (Au(PB-PEG)n). The new product, which was characterized by a combination of SEC, NMR, UV-vis, DLS, and TEM, represents a unique example of gold nanoparticles soluble in any conventional solvent.     

Styryl-Telechelic Polyisobutylenes. II. Amphiphilic Sequential Copolymers of Styryl-Telechelic Polyisobutylenes with Vinyl Acetate or N-Vinyl-2-pyrrolidone

Styryl-telechelic polyisobutylenes (i.e., linear and three-arm star polyisobutylenes capped with polymerizable p-styryl endgroups St-PIB-St and St-PIB-St) have been copolymerized with vinyl ace State VAc or N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone VP by conventional free radical techniques. The products obtained with St-PIB-St/VAc systems were soluble, most likely branched block copolymers of isobutylene IB and VAc, whereas those prepared with St-PIB-St/VP or St-PIB-St/VP Stcombinations were networks consisting of PIB and poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) PVP sequences. That the copolymerization of St-PIB-St with VAc results in soluble products and that with VP yields networks is due to the very different reactivities of styrene with VAc and with VP. Hydrolysis of VAc units in PID-PV Ac block copolymers gave vinyl alcohol V A units, i.e., these products are branched block copolymers consistion of random VAc/VA composition of these soluble aphiphilic materials was determined from conversion and molecular weight data and by ¹H-NMR soectroscopy; their mechanical properties were examined by stress - strain measurements. The composition of amphiphilic PVP-PIB networks was calculated from conversion and elemental analysis data. These gels were founds to bind both water -soludle dyes (methyl orange) and hydrocarbons (benzene). The first binding constant K¹ that characterizes the binding of methyl orange by these PVP-PIB networks is one order of magnitude larger than that characteristic of the binding of this dye by cross - linked PVP or by serum albumin.     

Synthesis and properties of lead nanoparticles

Lead nanoparticles were synthesized by the thermal decomposition of lead stearate in octanol. The nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, thermal analysis, IR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The lead particle size can be controlled by both varying the concentration of lead stearate in octanol and changing the thermolysis time. Lead nanoparticles have an organic coat composed of decomposition products of lead stearate. This coat prevents the particles from oxidation in air and favors their dissolution in organic solvents.     

水溶性CoFe2O4磁性纳米粒子的制备和磁性研究

采用溶剂热法,分别以FeCl3· 6H2O和CoCl2·4H20为铁源和钴源,二甘醇和二乙醇胺为溶剂和配位剂,制备了水溶性CoFe2O4纳米粒子.采用TEM、XRD、FTIR光谱、热重-差热分析等技术对所得纳米粒子进行表征,并研究了材料的磁学性质.结果表明,这种铁酸钴纳米粒子具有超顺磁性,饱和磁化强度M.达53.2em...     

Glycidyl methacrylate-co-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone coated polypropylene strips: Synthesis, characterization and standardization for dot-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay

Glycidyl methacrylate and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (GMA-co-NVP) copolymers with various GMA:NVP ratios were synthesized by solution polymerization technique in toluene using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as free radical initiator and dip coated onto polypropylene strips. The copolymer composition in polymeric coatings was confirmed by proton NMR spectroscopy. Various techniques like FTIR, SEM and contact angle were used for surface characterization of the polymer coatings. These polymer coated strips were evaluated and standardized for their application in dot-ELISA in two steps. In first step, specificity, sensitivity and reproducibility of the assay on developed polymer coated strips was evaluated through a model system using rabbit anti-goat IgG, goat anti-rabbit IgG and goat anti-rabbit IgG HRP (horseradish peroxidase)-conjugate. Polymer coating with GMA-NVP mol% ratio of 78:22 was able to detect rabbit anti-goat IgG antibody at a concentration as low as 2 ng mL⁻¹ with 1% BSA as blocking agent using antispecies IgG peroxidase conjugate diluted 1500 times. In the second step, the sensitivity and specificity of the developed system was established with human blood and finally used to identify the source of mosquito blood meal which is an important parameter in epidemiological studies, particularly in determining the role of mosquito in malaria transmission. The time duration of standardized assay with developed polymer coated strips was cut down to one hour compared to the 3-4 h required in usual dot-ELISA.     

Synthesis of Amphiphilic Thiatrimethinecyanines

Preparation conditions were optimized for 2-methyl-5-chlorobenzothiazolium quaternary salts with long-chain N-alkyl substituents (C₁₂H₂₅, C₁₅H₃₁, C₁₈H₃₇). They were used in the synthesis of thiatrimethinecyanines conteining in the meso-position phenyl, p-chlorophenyl, or p-fluorophenyl groups.     

Progress on phthalocyanine-conjugated Ag and Au nanoparticles: Synthesis,characterization, and photo-physicochemical properties

Phthalocyanine (Pc) complexes are an important class of dyes with numerous (e.g., biological, photophysical, and analytical) applications. Among the methods used to improve the properties of these complexes, one should mention the introduction of different substituents, variation of the central metal ion, ligand exchange, and conjugation to nanomaterials (e.g., carbon-based nanomaterials and metal nanoparticles (NPs)). This work briefly reviews Pc complex conjugation to Ag and Au NPs, highlights the different NP shapes, and discusses the diversity of conjugation approaches. Moreover, the use of UV–Vis spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamic light scattering and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to characterize Pc-NP hybrids is summarized. The effect of conjugation on Pc photo-physicochemical properties (fluorescence, singlet oxygen generation, triplet state formation, and optical limiting behavior) is discussed, and future perspectives for the synthesis and applications of new hybrids are provided.     

Amphiphilic derivatives of dextran and related nanoparticles

Graft block copolymers of poly(?-caprolactone) containing various amounts of dextran [dextranpoly(?-caprolactone) copolymers] have been prepared and characterized. The methods of obtaining nanoparticles based on the dextran-poly(?-caprolactone) graft block copolymers have been elaborated and optimized. It has been demonstrated that the electrokinetic potential of nanoparticles may be varied relative to the composition of the polymer, the structure of nanoparticles, and the ionic strength of solution. Under physiological conditions, the nanoparticles behave as stable colloids. On the basis of the experimental evidence, conclusions concerning the structure of the nanoparticles have been made.     

Amphiphilic polyethylenes leading to surfactant-free thermoresponsive nanoparticles

Linear copolymers of ethylene and acrylic acid (PEAA) were prepared by catalytic polymerization of ethylene and tert-butyl acrylate followed by hydrolysis of the ester groups. The copolymers contained COOH groups inserted into the crystalline unit cell with formation of intramolecular hydrogen-bonds, as established on the basis of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. A solvent-exchange protocol, with no added surfactant, converted a solution in tetrahydrofuran of a PEAA sample containing 12 mol % of acrylic acid (AA) into a colloidally stable aqueous suspension of nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (HS-DSC) were used to characterize the nanoparticles. They are single crystals of elongated shape with a polar radius of 49 nm (σ = 15 nm) and an equatorial radius of 9 nm (σ = 3 nm) stabilized in aqueous media via carboxylate groups located preferentially on the particle/water interface. The PEAA (AA: 12 mol %) nanoparticles dispersed in aqueous media exhibited a remarkable reversible thermoresponsive behavior upon heating/cooling from 25 to 80 °C.     

Synthesis and studies on photochromic properties of vanadium doped TiO2 nanoparticles

Pure and (0.5–3 at%) vanadium doped TiO₂ nanoparticles have been synthesized by wet chemical method. The as synthesized materials have been characterized by using XRD, atomic force microscope (AFM), Raman, EPR and UV–vis spectroscopy techniques. From XRD studies, both pure as well as vanadium doped TiO₂ have been found to show pure anatase phase. The value of lattice constant c is smaller in doped TiO₂ as compared to undoped and has been found to decrease with increase in vanadium concentration. AFM studies show formation of spherical particles with particle size ～23 nm in all the samples. Photochromic behavior of these materials has been studied by making their films in alkyd resin. Vanadium doped TiO₂ films show reversible change in color from beige-yellow to brownish violet on exposure to UV light. The mechanism of coloration and bleaching process has been discussed.     

Alkyl-terminated crystalline Ge nanoparticles prepared from NaGe: Synthesis, functionalization and optical properties

High purity NaGe was directly prepared by a low-temperature reaction of NaH and Ge. The product was characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. This material is a useful starting reagent for the preparation of Ge nanoparticles. Hydrogen-terminated germanium (Ge) nanoparticles were prepared by reaction of NaGe with NH₄Br. These Ge nanoparticles could be prepared as amorphous or crystalline nanoparticles in quantitative yields and with a narrow size distribution. The nanoparticles were functionalized via thermally initiated hydrogermylation with 1-eicosyne, CH₃(CH₂)₁₇C≡CH to produce alkyl-terminated Ge nanoparticles. The modified Ge nanoparticles were characterized by powder XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The alkyl-functionalized Ge nanoparticles can be expected to have promising applications in many technological and biological areas.     

Synthesis and properties of tadpole-shaped gold nanoparticles

In this communication, gold nanoparticles with a tadpole shape were synthesized by a simple aqueous-phase chemical method. The unusual three-dimensional and crystallized structures were demonstrated by TEM, AFM, and HRTEM methods. The SEM and UV-visible absorption measurements and electrophoresis experiments revealed that the tadpoles had novel optical and electrical properties. These attractive structures and properties are expected to find uses in many fields such as electrics, optics, electrochemistry, and biological sensing.     

Synthesis and properties of water-soluble silica nanoparticles

Methods for synthesis and optimum conditions of the formation of stable water-soluble silica nanoparticles are presented. The silica nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrolytic polycondensation of tetraethoxysilane using two methods: under alkaline conditions (Stöber´s method) or in an acetic acid medium followed by the modification by grafting triethylene oxide moieties on the particle surface. The structure of the modified silica nanoparticles was confirmed by the data of IR and NMR spectroscopy. Polydispersity was evaluated by gel permeation chromatography and dynamic light scattering. The formation and stability of Langmuir monolayers of the silica nanoparticles modified by triethylene oxide moieties were studied.     

聚乙烯吡咯烷酮修饰的CdS纳米晶：多元醇合成、表征和可见光活性

采用溶剂热法合成了具有不同晶粒尺寸的聚乙烯吡咯烷酮（PVP）修饰的CdS纳米晶,并运用XRD,N₂物理吸附,TEM,IR,UV-Vis等手段进行表征。结果表明,所制得的样品均为聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)修饰的CdS纳米晶;添加四甲基氢氧化铵(TMAH)有利于获得晶粒尺寸较小的CdS纳米晶;受纳米晶粒尺寸的影响,CdS纳米晶的吸收边发生蓝移且可见光催化活性明显提高。     

Synthesis,characterization and enhanced electrical properties of CTAB-directed polyaniline nanoparticles

Inverse microemulsion system of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) molecules is utilized for virtually monodispersed and controlled growth of HCl polyaniline (PANI) nanoparticles at room temperature (ca. 300 K). The templated electroconductive polymer reveals lamellar crystalline structure under X-ray diffraction signifying marked sub-chain alignment of the polymerized nanoparticles. The nanostructured polymer has spherically symmetric morphology in a size range of 2.0 nm to 6.0 nm under electron microscope examination. Gel permeation chromatography gives polydispersity index of 1.02 for nanostructured polymer in agreement with the size monodispersity transpired by electron microscopy. The d.c. electrical conductivity σ _dc of PANI at room temperature is 10.11 S/cm whereas the variation of conductivity with temperature in the range 227–303 K reveals that the conducting mechanism can be considered as three-dimensional variable-range-hopping (3D-VRH). UV-Vis spectrum indicates two broad absorption bands due to polaron formation that contributes to enhanced electrical conductivity of the polymer. The fundamental absorption edge in the polymer is formed by direct allowed transitions to the extent that the optical band gap value was found to be 2.35 eV. The crystalline nanostructure and homogeneous doping attained in the cationic template of amphiphile are argued as contributing factors to the enhanced conductivity of the polymer.