温敏型聚合物PNIPAM的改性及应用研究进展

本文综述了对温敏型聚合物PNIPAM的改性研究及其应用，主要介绍了嵌段共聚法、接枝法、互穿聚合物网络结构法、共混法以及一些特殊的改性方法，总结了近年来PNIPAM改性的最新研究进展，同时总结了各种改性方法的优缺点，并展望了PNIPAM这种温敏性材料以后的发展。     

PU/PNIPAM semi-IPN微孔膜温度响应性研究

将聚氨酯(PU)与聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)半互穿网络聚合物(semi-IPN)通过浸入沉淀相转化方法制备成微孔膜,并从亲水性、吸水溶胀性以及透湿性等方面对其温度响应性进行了讨论.PNIPAM的引入使膜的亲水性、吸水性和透湿性大为改善,并显著提高了膜的温度响应能力;但与此同时也使得膜的韧性降低.当PU/PNIPAM为3/1时,可获得最好的综合性能.同传统无孔致密膜相比,PU/PNIPAM semi-IPN微孔膜的透湿机理是基于微孔的开闭,在维持显著的温敏透湿性的同时可实现较高的高温透湿量.     

温度敏感树形聚合物

温度敏感树形聚合物结合了温敏聚合物对温度具有响应行为的特点以及树形聚合物非线形构造的方式、大尺度、结构易于调节和功能化等特征,在智能材料和生物医药等领域有着重要的研究价值和应用前景。此类聚合物可以通过在树形聚合物表面引入温敏基元、控制聚合物结构的亲疏水比例以及采用温敏基元直接构筑聚合物等方式形成,其温敏性可以通过调控聚合物内部或外部基团的亲疏水性、树枝化基元代数、树形构造方式等得以实现与控制。此外,树形聚合物独特的拓扑结构赋予其与线形聚合物不同的温敏行为及脱水机理。本文综述了包括温敏树枝状大分子、温敏树枝化聚合物、温敏超支化聚合物等不同类型温敏树形聚合物近年来的研究进展,重点介绍这些聚合物的合成方法、温敏行为和拓扑结构对温敏行为的影响,以及在纳米材料、生物医用、分子传感器等方面的应用研究。     

一种温敏型超大孔生物分离介质的制备及表征

采用改性琼脂糖对超大孔聚苯乙烯微球进行亲水化修饰(Agap-PS),通过酰基化反应在微球表面引入溴乙酰基(Agap-PS-Br),然后利用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)反应在Agap-PS-Br表面接枝温敏聚合物刷,得到一种温敏型超大孔生物分离介质(Agap-PS-PNIPAM).考察了配体、催化剂、溶剂和温度对N-异丙基丙烯酰胺ATRP反应的影响,在优化条件下PNIPAM的接枝量达到了15.07 mg/m2.采用红外光谱(FTIR)、扫描电镜(SEM)、压汞分析、激光共聚焦和蛋白吸附等手段对温敏型超大孔生物分离介质进行一系列表征,结果表明接枝温敏聚合物刷后Agap-PS-PNIPAM具有良好的温敏性,没有堵塞微球的超大孔,微球对蛋白的非特异性吸附大大降低.由于温敏聚合物刷发生了从亲水到疏水构象的转变,40℃时Agap-PS-PNIPAM对蛋白的吸附量是25℃时的2.69倍.压力流速实验表明Agap-PS-PNIPAM柱具有背压低、渗透性和机械稳定性好的优点,同样地由于PNIPAM链在40℃时收缩,此时Agap-PS-PNIPAM柱的床层渗透系数比25℃时提高了15.7％.     

AuNPs/PNIPAM复合颗粒的制备及其温敏性质

将金纳米颗粒(AuNPs)组装到聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(PNIPAM)水凝胶微球表面制备出AuNPs/PNIPAM复合颗粒. 将PNIPAM 凝胶的温敏特性与AuNPs的光学性质结合, 通过改变温度调节AuNPs的局部表面等离子共振(LSPR)吸收峰位置. 研究结果表明, 温度升高使AuNPs的LSPR吸收峰发生红移, 并且这种效应是可逆的. 同时发现, AuNPs的光学性质还可以作为表征PNIPAM水凝胶微球温敏行为的一种手段. 利用透射电镜、紫外-可见光谱仪及动态光散射仪对AuNPs/PNIPAM复合颗粒的形貌、光学性质、粒径变化等进行了分析.     

含疏水链节的聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺共聚物的温敏性

采用溶液聚合法合成了一系列N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAM)与甲基丙烯酸甲酯、丙烯酸乙酯、丙烯酸丁酯或甲基丙烯酸丁酯的无规共聚物,用浊度观测法和光散射法测定了不同共聚物水溶液的温敏相转变行为.结果表明:所得共聚物的低临界溶解温度(LCST)均低于均聚物PNIPAM的,酯类单体的结构和含量对共聚物的LCST有显著影响,其中酯基上的烷基对共聚物LCST的影响能力大于丙烯酸酯α位上的烷基,前者对增大共聚物的疏水性有更大贡献.通过NIPAM与特定丙烯酸酯单体进行无规共聚可以合成转变温度低于PNIPAM均聚物且具有预设LCST数值的水溶性温敏聚合物.     

表面张力法研究温敏性接枝共聚物的微胶束化行为

用表面张力法研究了以水溶性可生物降解的葡聚糖为主链 ,具有温敏相变特性的聚 (N 异丙基丙烯酰胺 )为接枝链的葡聚糖 接枝 聚 (N 异丙基丙烯酰胺 ) (Dextran g PNIPAM)共聚物在水溶液中的胶束化行为 .研究结果表明Dextran g PNIPAM体系的微胶束化行为与共聚物结构和溶液体系的温度密切相关 ,接枝共聚物中PNIPAM含量越大 ,水溶液体系的温度越高 ,形成胶束的临界胶束浓度 (CMC)越小 .特别值得指出的是 ,无论水溶液的温度是否高于PNIPAM接枝链段的相变温度 (LCST) ,即PNIPAM链段由亲水性转变为疏水性的温度 ,Dextran g PNIPAM均呈现一个临界胶束浓度大 ,对该现象给予了解释 .     

纳米金-PNIPAM类智能凝胶*

聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺（PNIPAM）类智能凝胶与纳米金（AuNPs）组成的复合材料兼具了金的光学性质和PNIPAM的温敏特性,受到国内外专家学者的普遍关注。本文介绍了该复合物的制备方法,主要包括直接分散法、聚合物基底原位合成法、AuNPs原位合成法、模板法等,并对各自特点进行了说明。此外,文中还对PNIPAM类智能凝胶与AuNPs组成的复合材料的各种应用进行了综述,简要分析了目前存在的问题并展望了今后该材料研究方向。     

新型钴酞菁接枝温敏聚合物的制备及性能

采用2,4,6-三氯-1,3,5-三嗪对四氨基钴酞菁进行改性,并以共价键接枝到聚N-异丙基丙烯酰胺上制得一种新型温敏性高分子催化剂——钴酞菁接枝温敏聚合物,并采用UV-Vis、TG等对其进行表征.对钴酞菁接枝温敏聚合物、温敏聚合物和小分子金属酞菁进行溶解性测试,结果表明与四氨基钴酞菁相比,所合成的钴酞菁接枝温敏聚合物能溶解于水和大多数有机溶剂,且该聚合物水溶液具有良好的温敏性,其最低临界溶解温度(LCST)为34.5℃.采用浊度法考察了不同比例的混合溶剂(乙醇/水、DMF/水)对LCST的影响,结果表明随着有机溶剂含量的增加,LCST先下降后升高,而当有机溶剂增加到一定程度时温敏性消失.本文还考察了钴酞菁接枝温敏聚合物对2-巯基乙醇的催化活性,结果表明随着温度升高,催化活性也不断提高,而当温度超过LCST时催化活性急剧下降,聚合物从溶液中析出.基于这些特性,该温敏聚合物负载酞菁作为一种新型的催化剂可实现均相催化、异相分离.     

手性温敏凝胶Poly(NIPAM-co-AAc-L-Trp)的制备及性能

利用L-色氨酸(L-Trp)为手性源,经酯化、缩合等反应制备手性单体AAc-L-Trp,进而在交联剂N,N’-亚甲基双丙烯酰胺(MBAA)和引发剂偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)的作用下,与N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAM)发生自由基共聚制备了一种可用于手性拆分的新型手性温敏水凝胶Poly(NIPAM-co-AAc-L-Trp),其结构经IR确证.通过对其温敏性研究发现,相比于PNIPAM凝胶,疏水性手性单体的引入使Poly(NIPAM-co-AAc-L-Trp)凝胶的温敏性下降,LCST随着手性单体含量的增加而降低.以DL-苯丙氨酸为模型药物对其手性识别和拆分性能进行研究,结果表明,手性温敏凝胶可选择性地吸附D-型对映体,且吸附量随着手性单体含量增加而增加;提高温度(45°C)有利于手性温敏凝胶对DL-苯丙氨酸的拆分.     

Temperature-modulated photoluminescence of quantum dots

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots (QDs) grafted with thermoresponsive poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) chains have been prepared. As the temperature increases, PNIPAM chains shrink and aggregate so that the QDs exhibit enhanced fluorescence emission. At a temperature around the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM, the fluorescence exhibits a maximum intensity. Our experiments reveal that the fluorescence emission is determined by the interactions between QDs as a function of the interdot distance. The optical interdot distance for the maximum luminescence intensity is approximately 10 nm. The chain length of PNIPAM also has an effect on the luminescence. Short PNIPAM chains are difficult to associate, leading to a large interdot distance, so that the luminescence intensity changes slightly with temperature.     

Activity of enzymes immobilized on microspheres with thermosensitive hairs

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s (PNIPAMs) carboxylated at one chain end or both ends were prepared by polymerization using 4,4-azobis(N,N,-cyanopentanoic acid) (V-501) as an initiator and β-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as a chain transfer reagent. One end group of PNIPAM carboxylated at both ends was conjugated with latex particles, and another with trypsin using carbodiimide. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that PNIPAM on the particles exhibited a drastic phase transition, and that the transition temperature was largely elevated when the enzyme was immobilized at the chain end. Therefore, PNIPAM on the particles showed two phase transitions because of the coexistence of the enzyme-conjugated and non-conjugated PNIPAMs. The activity of trypsin immobilized on the particles with the PNIPAM spacer showed significant temperature dependence. The apparent relative activity increased above the transition temperature of non enzyme-conjugated PNIPAM on the particles. One of the reasons for this is that the diffusion of the substrate changed discontinuously around the transition temperature. Therefore, the temperature dependence of the enzymatic activity was significantly affected by the molecular size of the substrates. The enzymatic activity was also influenced by the surface density of trypsin and PNIPAM on the particle, and the molecular weight of the PNIPAM spacer.     

DNA mutation analysis based on capillary electrochromatography using colloidal poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) particles as pseudostationary phase

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) is an interesting class of temperature sensitive, water soluble polymer that has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 32 °C. Above the LCST, PNIPAM gets phase-separated and precipitates out from water. The fascinating temperature-sensitive property of PNIPAM has led to a growing interest in diverse fields of applications. Recently, capillary electrochromatography (CEC) has gained attention due to the wide range of applications based on the use of open tubular capillaries. In this paper, the use of phase-separated PNIPAM as a pseudostationary phase for CEC is demonstrated for the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Owing to the dynamic coating, the phase-separated PNIPAM particles did not require any immobilization technique and could exist as a mobile stationary phase in the open tubular capillary. The heteroduplex analyses of mutation samples could be successfully performed based on the phase-separated PNIPAM particles in the constructed CEC system. The CEC system, based on PNIPAM particles capable of having a narrow size distribution, shows great potential as an alternative to conventional DNA mutation systems.     

Preparation of Hollow Silica Microspheres via Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

Core-shell structured SiO₂/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (SiO₂/PNIPAM) microspheres were successfully fabricated through hydrolysis and condensation reaction of tertraethyl or-thosilicate (TEOS) on the surface of PNIPAM template at 50 oC. The PNIPAM template can be easily removed by water at room temperature so that SiO₂ hollow microspheres were finally obtained. The transmission electron microscope and scanning electron microscope observations indicated that SiO₂ hollow microspheres with an average diameter of 150 nm can be formed only if there are enough concentration of PNIPAM and TEOS, and the hy-drolysis time of TEOS. FTIR analysis showed that part of PNIPAM remained on the wall of SiO₂ because of the strong interaction between PNIPAM and silica. This work provides a clean and efficient way to prepare hollow microspheres.     

Behavior of temperature-sensitive PNIPAM confined in polyelectrolyte capsules.

Layer-by-layer assembled polyelectrolyte microcapsules are of great interest because they can possibly be used as microcontainers and they show interesting stimuli-responsive properties, which have been recently investigated. Here, we exploit capsules which are made temperature-sensitive by encapsulating poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM). PNIPAM has a cloud point in water at about 32 degrees C, above which it collapses and is insoluble in water. Further this temperature responsiveness can be tuned by addition of various ions at various concentrations. Here, we present the encapsulation of PNIPAM inside polyelectrolyte microcapsules, and describe the dependence of the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) on the nature and the amount of different salts added. With this information, we demonstrate the ability to tune and finely control the collapse of encapsulated PNIPAM. In this light, this system could be used as a microsensor or drug- delivery system.     

Effect of freeze-drying and rehydrating treatment on the thermo-responsive characteristics of poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide) microspheres

Investigations on the effect of freeze-drying and rehydrating treatment on equilibrium volume changes and on the thermo-response rate of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) microspheres were carried out. The experimental results showed that freeze-drying and rehydrating treatment had nearly no effect on the low critical solution temperature and equilibrium volume changes of PNIPAM microspheres. Furthermore, when the PNIPAM microspheres were frozen in only liquid nitrogen through rapid cooling, the response rate of PNIPAM microspheres to environmental temperature change was nearly not affected by the treatment, which was surprisingly different from the macroscopic hydrogel. The dimension effect was responsible for this phenomenon. The micron-sized PNIPAM microsphere itself has a much quicker response rate compared with the bulky hydrogel because the characteristic time of gel deswelling is proportional to the square of a linear dimension of the hydrogel.     

Nanotube Friendly Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)

Poly(N‐ispropylacrylamide) [PNIPAM] is a widely studied polymer for use in biological applications due to its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) being so close to the human body temperature. Unfortunately, attempts to combine carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with PNIPAM have been unsuccessful due to poor interactions between these two materials. In this work, a PNIPAM copolymer with 1 mol‐% pyrene side group [p‐PNIPAM] was used to produce a thermoresponsive polymer capable of stabilizing both single and multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in water. The presence of pyrene in the polymer chain lowers the LCST less than 4 °C and the interaction with nanotubes does not show any influence on LCST. Moreover, p‐PNIPAM stabilized nanotubes show a temperature‐dependent dispersion in water that allows the level of nanotube exfoliation/bundling to be controlled. Cryo‐TEM images, turbidity, and viscosity of these suspensions were used to characterize these thermoresponsive changes. This ability to manipulate the dispersion state of CNTs in water with p‐PNIPAM will likely benefit many biological applications, such as drug delivery, optical sensors, and hydrogels.

     

Swelling kinetics of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) minigels

We synthesize poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) gels with different sizes in the micrometer scale by a slight variation of a recent emulsion polymerization method (ref 1). The procedure is different than that typically used for obtaining macroscopic PNIPAM hydrogels. The resultant minigel suspension is polydisperse thus allowing the swelling kinetics for different gel sizes to be studied; we do so at temperatures below the volume-transition temperature by wetting with water previously dried particles. The resultant swelling is followed by optical video microscopy. We find that the characteristic swelling time scales with the inverse of the particle dimension squared, in agreement with theoretical predictions (ref 2). The proportionality constant is the network diffusion coefficient D, which for the minigels under consideration appears to be in between that of PNIPAM macrogels and the self-diffusion coefficient of water.     

Two phase transitions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) brushes bound to gold nanoparticles

The thermally induced phase transition of the poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brush covalently bound to the surface of the gold nanoparticles was studied using high-sensitivity microcalorimetry. Two types of PNIPAM monolayer protected clusters (MPCs) of gold nanoparticles were employed, denoted as the cumyl- and the cpa-PNIPAM MPCs, bearing either a phenylpropyl end group or a carboxyl end group on each PNIPAM chain, respectively. The PNIPAM chains of both MPCs exhibit two separate transition endotherms; i.e., the first transition with a sharp and narrow endothermic peak occurs at lower temperature, while the second one with a broader peak occurs at higher temperature. With increase of the MPC concentration, the transition temperature corresponding to the first peak only slightly changes but the second transition temperature strongly shifts to lower temperature. The calorimetric enthalpy change in the first transition is much smaller than that in the second transition. The ratio of the calorimetric enthalpy change to the van't Hoff enthalpy change indicates that in the first transition PNIPAM segments show much higher cooperativity than in the second one. The investigation of pH dependence of two-phase transitions further indicates the PNIPAM brush reveals two separate transitions even with a change in interchain/interparticle association. The observations are tentatively rationalized by assuming that the PNIPAM brush can be subdivided into two zones, the inner zone and the outer zone. In the inner zone, the PNIPAM segments are close to the gold surface, densely packed, less hydrated, and undergo the first transition. In the outer zone, on the other hand, the PNIPAM segments are looser and more hydrated, adopt a restricted random coil conformation, and show a phase transition, which is dependent on both concentration of MPC and the chemical nature of the end groups of the PNIPAM chains. Aggregation of the particles, which may also affect the phase transition, is briefly discussed.