Attractions, water structure, and thermodynamics of hydrophobic polymer collapse

We explore the prospects of a perturbation approach for predicting how weak attractive interactions affect collapse thermodynamics of hydrophobic polymers in water. Specifically, using molecular dynamics simulations of model polymers in explicit water, we show that the hydration structure is sensitive to the strength of the van der Waals attractions but that the hydration contribution to the potential of mean force for collapse is not. We discuss how perturbation theory ideas developed for small spherical apolar solutes need to be modified in order to account for the effect of attractions on the conformational equilibria of polymers.     

Permeation of water as a tool for characterizing the effect of solvent, film thickness and water solubility in cellulose acetate membranes

Cellulose acetate membranes have been used in many applications; of particular interest are reverse osmosis systems, and as a neutral matrix for incorporation of different polymers (e.g., conducting polymers), inorganic ions (e.g., lanthanides) and organic (e.g., pharmaceutical) compounds. The properties of the new polymers derived from cellulose acetate or blends depend on those of cellulose acetate. This work presents an attempt to find links between thermodynamic and kinetic properties of cellulose acetate membranes in equilibrium with water. Water diffusion coefficients in cellulose acetate membranes are reported, measured with a simple water permeation technique. The comparison of these values with the percentage of water uptake and polymer thickness leads to interesting conclusions related with different polymer properties.     

Polyisophthalamides with heteroaromatic pendent rings: Synthesis,physical properties,and water uptake

A set of novel aromatic polyamides containing pyridine pendent groups was prepared from aromatic diamines and new monomers that are 5‐substituted derivatives of isophthalic acid bearing nicotinamide, isonicotinamide, or picolinamide groups. The polymers were obtained in high yield and high molecular weight by the phosphorylation method of polycondensation. They were characterized by spectroscopic and chromatographic methods and several of their properties were investigated. All of the polymers were soluble in polar aprotic solvents and gave films of good mechanical properties. Glass transition temperatures were higher than that of the reference polymer, poly(m‐phenyleneisophthalamide) (IP‐MPD), while the thermal resistance, defined by the initial decomposition temperature observed by thermogravimetry, was in the range 370–420 °C, lower by 30–70 °C than that of IP‐MPD. The presence of a pendent pyridine group and an additional amide side group per repeat unit made the polymers essentially amorphous and greatly improved their abilities to absorb water in comparison with nonsubstituted polyamides. Water uptake values up to 15% were observed at 65% relative humidity. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5300–5311, 2005     

Influence of hydroxyethyl and carboxymethyl celluloses on the rheology,water retention and surface tension of water-suspended microfibrillated cellulose

Cellulose - Water-soluble polymers have been shown to improve the flow rigidity and water retention ability of highly-branched (flocculated) and polydisperse water-suspended MFC, thereby also...     

Novel crosslinked gels with starch derivatives. Polymer‐water interactions. Applications in waste water treatment.

Crosslinked polymers containing starch have been used for the recovery of various pollutants from aqueous solutions. These polymers have been prepared by reticulation of starch‐enriched flour using epichlorohydrin as crosslinking agent. Several studies (kinetics, time, concentration, role of crosslinking agent) are presented here. The results show that these polymers exhibit high sorption capacities toward substituted phenol derivatives. The mechanism of sorption is both physical and steric adsorption in the polymer network and/or the formation of hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interactions.     

Viscoelasticity and water plasticization of polymer-cellulose composite films and paper sheets

Viscoelastic properties of cellulose microfibril—polymer composites and paper sheets were studied with dynamic mechanical analysis as a function of relative humidity in order to assess the bonding properties in cellulosic networks. The amount of associated water in the composites (equilibrium moisture content) was measured by thermogravimetry. Water plasticization was evidenced by DMA both in composite and paper samples. Polymers with high affinity to water, e.g. carboxymethyl cellulose, clearly increased the water plasticization in the composites. The plasticization behavior of paper sheet samples was also influenced by polymers. However, the effect of polymers on the plasticization was different between the composite and the paper samples. The consideration of fiber bonding domain in paper structure as a gel-like layer consisting of cellulose microfibrils, polymers, and associated water can help to unveil some of the complex mechanisms behind the strength in fibrous cellulosic materials.     

Phosphonated oligoallylamine: Synthesis,characterization in water,and development of layer by layer assembly

The work focuses on the synthesis and layer by layer (LbL) assembly of oligoallylamine and phosphonated oligoallylamine. To this aim, the synthesis of oligoallylamine and the phosphonated form have been done by free radical polymerization in aqueous media. First, radical polymerization of acid salt of allylamine was performed. This charged polymer could not be characterized using classical analytical techniques such as size‐exclusion chromatography and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation‐time of flight mass spectroscopy due to presence of cations. This work demonstrated the interest of capillary electrophoresis (CE) to analyze charged oligomers, using very small amounts of samples. Entangled polymer solution CE was used as a size‐based separation technique for the characterization of the molar mass distribution using indirect ultraviolet detection and calibration based on vinyl pyridine standards. Phosphorus‐containing oligoallylamines having a number‐average molar mass of 1600 g mol^?1 and a 2.3 polydispersity index were obtained. When combined using the LbL approach, prepared polymers showed an exponential growth regime as demonstrated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analyses of the LbL‐assembled polymers showed an extraordinary thermal and thermo‐oxidative stability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1244–1251     

Specific thermoresponsive behaviours exhibited by optically active and inactive phenylalanine modified hyperbranched polyethylenimines in water

Optically active and inactive hyperbranched polymers with specific thermoresponsive behaviours in water were reported.Through two steps hyperbranched polyethylenimine (HPEI) polymers terminated with different amount of D-phenylalanine (D-Phe),L-phenylalanine (L-Phe) or DL-phenylalanine (DL-Phe) were prepared and characterized.The analyses on the solution properties by turbidimetry,dynamic light scattering,fluorescence probe and 1H-NMR demonstrated that all the polymers exhibited specific thermoresponsive behaviours in water,including:(1) In the dilute polymer concentration region,increasing the polymer concentration led to the increase of phase transition temperature;(2) The optically inactive thermoresponsive hyperbranched polymers showed a higher cloud-point temperature (Tcp) than their corresponding optically active ones in a relatively higher polymer concentration;(3) At the same polymer concentration the hydrophobic groups of the optically inactive HPEI-DL-Phe formed more perfect hydrophobic domain than those of the optically active HPEI-L-Phe and HPEI-D-Phe.     

Removal of organic micro-pollutants from water by β-cyclodextrin triazine polymers

β-Cyclodextrin (CD) polymers were synthesized by nucleophilic substitutions between β-CD with cyanuric chloride. Insoluble polymers were obtained. Polymers were characterized by DSC, TGA, FTIR, SS-¹³CNMR. Polymers and activated carbon (AC-Darco) were used to remove model micro-pollutants of bisphenol-A (BPA), 2-naphthol, 2-cholor-biphenyl (PCBNO1), benzene and dibutyl phthalate from water. The results showed that β-CD-triazine polymers showed better performance to adsorb BPA compared with activated carbon; β-CD-triazine polymer showed similar performance to activated carbon on removing benzene from water; however, it showed worse performance for removing 2-naphthol, PCBNO1 and dibutylphthalate by comparison with activated carbon. β-CD-triazine polymers with varying ratio of β-CD to cyanuric chloride were synthesized and their performance on model micro-pollutants were evaluated. Removal efficiency of micro-pollutants from water for β-CD-triazine polymers correlated with their CD concentration except for removing benzene which showed similar performance.     

Molecularly imprinted polymers for bisphenol A for HPLC and SPE from water and milk

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) for bisphenol A (BPA) were prepared by two synthetic routes: semi-covalent and noncovalent methodology. The molecular imprinting effect was evaluated using the polymers in HPLC and SPE. Polymers prepared with noncovalent mode were proven more effective. These polymers were applied in SPE facilitating selective retention of BPA from bottled water and milk. The developed sample preparation was simple and efficient comprising only dilution of milk and MISPE prior to LC-MS analysis. Overall MISPE enhanced sample clean-up. Compared with control nonimprinted polymers and conventional C18 SPE cartridges, the MIPs exhibited selective analyte recognition. The method provided quantitative BPA recoveries, very good reproducibility (% RSDs lower than 7%), and low LOD (0.2 ng/g). MIP interacts similarly with deuterated BPA allowing its use as internal standard in LC-MS. The most critical parameters of MISPE were the organic content in loading-washing medium and the washing volume. Low flow rates in the elution step enhanced extraction recovery. Important advantages of the MIP were: the high breakthrough volumes (> 500 mL of water), high mass capacity (> 10 ng/mg of MIP sorbent), good linearity, and good stability in performance for over 35 cycles of use.     

Competitive adsorption of neutral comb polymers and sodium dodecyl sulfate at the air/water interface

The interfacial behavior of aqueous solutions of four different neutral polymers in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been investigated by surface tension measurements and ellipsometry. The polymers comprised linear poly(ethylene oxide) with low and high molecular masses (10(3) and 10(6) Dalton (Da), respectively), and two high molecular mass methacrylate-based comb polymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) side chains. The adsorption isotherms of SDS, determined by Gibbs analysis of surface tension data, are nearly the same in the presence of the high molecular mass linear polymer and the comb polymers. Analysis of the ellipsometric data reveals that while a single surface layer model is appropriate for films of polymer alone, a more sophisticated interfacial layer model is necessary for films of SDS alone. For the polymer/surfactant mixtures, a novel semiempirical approach is proposed to determine the surface excess of polymer, and hence quantify the interfacial composition, through analysis of data from the two techniques. The replacement of the polymer due to surfactant adsorption is much less pronounced for the high molecular mass linear polymer and for the comb polymers than for the low molecular mass linear polymer. This finding is rationalized by the significantly higher adsorption driving force of the larger polymer molecules as well as by their more amphiphilic structure in the case of the comb polymers.     

Living polymers. Their discovery,characterization, and properties

The story of the discovery of living polymers is presented. Living polymers are polymers that retain their ability to propagate and grow to a desired size while their degree of termination or chain transfer is still negligible. Theoretical and mechanistic considerations are discussed. The living polymerization technique provides access to uniform polymers (Poisson molecular weight distribution) of controllable size, block copolymers, functional polymers, and star and comb-shaped polymers. The quantitative aspects of electron transfer are fully discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: ix–xv, 1998     

Molecular imprinting on amphiphilic folded polymers for selective molecular recognition in water

We report amphiphilic folded polymers with imprinted nanocavities for selective molecular recognition in water. For this, a molecular imprinting technique is applied to the polymer synthesis: amphiphilic polymer micelles interacting with template molecules are crosslinked in water to fix the folded architecture and memorize the template structure within the polymers; the removal of the templates provides imprint polymers bearing template-specific nanospaces. Here, a hydrophilic dye bearing two anionic groups, Orange G (OG), is used as a model template. For the imprinting, we design amphiphilic random copolymers bearing hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains, hydrophobic olefin groups, and quaternary ammonium groups that can interact with the template. The copolymers were prepared by living radical polymerization and post functionalization. In the presence of OG and methyl blue (MB), the imprinted nanocavity polymers simultaneously capture both of the dyes in water. The total number of encapsulated dyes increased with increasing the number of polymer-bound quaternary ammonium groups. The selectivity of OG against MB increased with the crosslinking density, while imprint polymers encapsulated OG more efficiently than nonimprint polymers. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 215–224     

Molecularly imprinted polymer sensors for pesticide and insecticide detection in water.

Antibodies, peptides, and enzymes are often used as molecular recognition elements in chemical and biological sensors. However, their lack of stability and signal transduction mechanisms limits their use as sensing devices. Recent advances in the field of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have created synthetic materials that can mimic the function of biological receptors but with less stability constraints. These polymers can provide high sensitivity and selectivity while maintaining excellent thermal and mechanical stability. To further enhance the advantages of the traditional imprinted polymer approach, an additional fluorescent component has been introduced into these polymers. Such a component provides enhanced chemical affinity as well as a method for signal transduction. In this type of imprinted polymer, binding of the target analyte invokes a specific spectral signature from the reporter molecule. Previous work has provided molecularly imprinted polymers that are selective for the hydrolysis products of organophosphorus species such as the nerve agents sarin and soman. (A. L. Jenkins, O. M. Uy and G. M. Murray, Anal. Chem., 1999, 71, 373). In this paper the direct imprinting of non-hydrolyzed organophosphates including pesticides and insecticides is described. Detection limits for these newly developed MIP sensors are less than 10 parts per trillion (ppt) with long linear dynamic ranges (ppt to ppm) and response times of less than 15 min.     

Explanations for water whitening in secondary dispersion and emulsion polymer films

The loss of optical transparency when polymer films are immersed in water, which is called “water whitening,” severely limits their use as clear barrier coatings. It is found that this problem is particularly acute in films deposited from polymers synthesized via emulsion polymerization using surfactants. Water whitening is less severe in secondary dispersion (SD) polymers, which are made by dispersing solution polymers in water without the use of surfactants. NMR relaxometry in combination with optical transmission analysis and electron microscopy reveal that some of the water sorbed in emulsion polymer films is contained within nanosized “pockets” or bubbles that scatter light. In contrast, the water in SD polymer films is mainly confined at particle interfaces, where it scatters light less strongly and its molecular mobility is reduced. The addition of surfactant to a SD creates a periodic structure that displays a stop band in the optical transmission. The total amount of sorbed water is not a good indicator of polymers prone to water whitening. Instead, the particular locations of the water within the film must be considered. Both the amount of water and the size of the local water regions (as are probed by NMR relaxometry) are found to determine water whitening. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 1658–1674     

Amine-rich polymers for water purification applications

Water pollution induced by biological, agricultural, and industrial activities has risen to prominence as a scientific issue as it poses a direct threat to life or water scarcity. Thus, it has become critical to design and develop nanomaterials and understand their properties to combat water pollution. Herein, a survey of amine-rich polymers (ARPs) was conducted. They were classified based on the source of their raw materials, whether natural or synthetic. The chemical structure and essential synthesis routes were shown casually. Ammonium-based polymers, a subclass of these polymers, were also demonstrated. It is beneficial to consolidate the rules for the surface group behavior through the chemical interaction of their containing polymers. The exploitation of ARP in pollutant adsorption, flocculation/coagulation, photocatalysis, and membrane purification was highlighted. Amine groups determine these materials' approaches and their performance in the selected applications. Moreover, ARPs differ among themselves in their internal structure, which helps to determine the impact of the polymer backbones and forms on the performance of amine and ammonium groups. Hence, the crucial roles of amine/ammonium groups have been analyzed, indexed, and explained. Perspectives and indicators are introduced that help design nanomaterials based on these groups to serve environmental purposes. In light of this review, potential directions for the future with ARPs have been proposed.     

The properties of water in solutions of hydrophilic polymers

The properties of water in solutions of hydrophilic polymers were compared with those in solutions of their monomeric analogues. The properties of polar groups grafted to polymeric molecules were known to remain unchanged. A comparison of the properties of water in solutions of polymers and the corresponding monomers under equal conditions therefore allowed us to obtain information about the influence of polymeric bonds on the properties of water in solutions of polymers. Proceeding from this, we analyzed the influence of polymeric chains and three-dimensional polymeric network on the activity and concentration of water in solutions of polymers.     

Multiscale analysis of water uptake and erosion in biodegradable polyarylates

The role of hydration in degradation and erosion of materials, especially biomaterials used in scaffolds and implants, was investigated by studying the distribution of water at length scales from 0.1 nm to 0.1 mm using Raman spectroscopy, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), Raman confocal imaging, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The measurements were demonstrated using l-tyrosine derived polyarylates. Bound- and free- water were characterized using their respective signatures in the Raman spectra. In the presence of deuterium oxide (D₂O), H-D exchange occurred at the amide carbonyl but was not detected at the ester carbonyl. Water appeared to be present in the polymer even in regions where there was little evidence for NH to ND exchange. SANS showed that water is not uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix. The distribution of water can be described as mass fractals in polymers with low water content (∼5 wt%), and surface fractals in polymers with larger water content (15-60 wt%). These fluctuations in the density of water distribution are presumed to be the precursors of the ∼20 μm water pockets seen by Raman confocal imaging, and also give rise to the 10-50 μm porous network seen in SEM. The surfaces of these polymers appeared to resist erosion while the core of the films continued to erode to form a porous structure. This could be due to differences in either the density of the polymer or the solvent environment in the bulk vs. the surface, or a combination of these two factors. There was no correlation between the rate of degradation and the amount of water uptake in these polymers, and this suggests that it is the bound water and not the total amount of water that contributes to hydrolytic degradation.     

Pending templates imprinted polymers—hypothesis,synthesis, adsorption,and chromatographic properties

This is the first time when protein‐imprinted polymers are prepared with “pending templates.” The polymers were synthesized in the presence of a real sample (chicken egg white), rather than any known commercial proteins. Compared with a simultaneously synthesized nonimprinted control polymer, the polymers show higher adsorption capacity for abundant components (as “pending templates”) in the original sample. Chromatography experiments indicated that the columns made of the imprinted polymers could retain abundant species (imprinted) and separate them from those not imprinted. Thus, the sample could be split into dimidiate subfractions with reduced complexities. “Pending template imprinting” suggests a new way to investigate molecular imprinting, especially to dissect, simplify, and analyze complicated samples through a series of polymers just imprinted by the samples per se.     

In situ observation of single polymers adsorbed onto mica surfaces in water

The morphology of a cationic polymer of high molecular weight, poly[2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl(trimethyl)ammoniumchloride], adsorbed on to a mica surface in water was observed in situ using the tapping mode of an atomic force microscope with a high-resolution probe. It was found that the morphology of adsorbed polymers changes with time to be lumplike, floclike, and then fibril-like and that it takes surprisingly a long time for the polymers to relax completely in water, even though they are highly charged. Detailed structures of extended polymers are also discussed.