Electro-optical studies on synthetic polyelectrolytes—III: Electric birefringence of poly-n-alkyl-4-vinylpyridinium bromides in various solvents

The field strength dependences of the electric birefrigence of poly-N-butyl-4-vinylpyridinium (4-PVP · BuBr) samples have been measured in water and in various organic polar solvents. The observed change of sign of the birefringence, negative in water and positive in nitromethane, is explained by considering the respective influences of the intrinsic and form optical anisotropies. The lower degree of extension of the polyelectrolyte in some organic solvents is attributed to a lower degree of dissociation of the ionic sites. The influence of the dielectric constant and of the functional character of the solvent on the dissociation and solvation processes of the ionic sites is taken into account. Relaxation measurements in dimethylsulphoxide as a function of the molecular weight allow quantitative expression of the degrees of extension and of rigidity of the polyelectrolyte; the presence of aggregates has also been detected in DMSO solutions. A long alkyl chain, such as octyl, attached to the quaternary pyridinium groups strongly modifies the conformation of the polyelectrolyte and a polyelectrolyte-polysoap transition has been observed as a function of the solvent composition in water-ethanol mixtures.     

New Water‐Soluble Cationic Poly(p‐phenylenevinylene) Derivative: the Interaction with DNA and Selective Fluorescence Enhancement Induced by ssDNA

A new cationic cyano‐substituted poly(p‐phenylenevinylene) (N‐CNPPV) is synthesized by Knoevenagel condensation. The water‐soluble polymer shows different emission spectra in different solvents and displays unique fluorescent behaviors in the mixed solvents of water and THF. The new polymer can form a complex with ssDNA by adopting a more planar conformation, exhibiting red shift of emission wavelength and enhancement of fluorescence intensity. By investigating the fluorescent response of N‐CNPPV to various surfactants, we demonstrate that the hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic interaction result in the selective response of N‐CNPPV to ssDNA. This is the first report on selective fluorescence enhancement of conjugated polyelectrolyte induced by ssDNA.     

水溶性荧光共轭聚合物MPS-PPV的聚合新方法及其荧光波长调控研究

在NaOH/C_2H_5OH/DMF液中,实现了水溶性阴离子荧光共轭聚合物聚-[5-甲氧基-2-(3-磺酰化丙氧基)-1,4-苯撑乙烯](MPS-PPV)单体的快速聚合并提高了聚合产率.通过改变溶液中NaOH的浓度,实现了聚合物荧光发射波长的调控.对聚合物进行了元素分析、红外光谱以及分子量的表征,并探讨了不同聚合条件下得到的MPS-PPV的荧光和紫外光谱变化.研究了过氧化氢对MPS-PPV荧光发射波长及强度的影响,据此可测定过氧化氢.与单纯依赖荧光强度变化的过氧化氢检测法比,此法具有更高的选择性,为基于荧光聚合物的新型传感器研制提供了新思路.     

Enhancing the emissive properties of poly(p-phenylenevinylene)-conjugated polyelectrolyte-coated SiO2 nanoparticles

Here we describe single-particle imaging studies conducted on the conjugated polyelecrolyte poly[5-methoxy-2-(3-sulfopropoxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MPS-PPV) supported on SiO(2) nanoparticles. The particles are subjected to a time-programmed sequence involving addition and removal of different additives, including excited-triplet-state quenchers and scavengers of singlet oxygen as well as ground-state oxygen. Our studies show that these additives enhance the emission intensity and photostability of the nanoparticles and may further repair photodamaged conjugated polymer. The ability to monitor the emission from individual particles along multiple cycles under a range of conditions provides a mechanistic insight into the action of these additives.     

SYNTHESIS AND ELECTRO-OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF POLY(2-ETHYNYLPYRIDINIUMTOSYLATE) HAVING PROPAGYL SIDE CHAIN

Novel conjugated ionic polymer was prepared by the polymerization of 2-ethynylpyridine with propargyl tosylate in refluxing methyl alcohol. The polymerization proceeded well in homogeneous manner to give a relatively high yield of polymer. The resulting poly(2-ethynylpyridinium tosylate) having propargyl side chain [poly(EPT-P)] were hygroscopic and soluble in water, methyl alcohol, DMF, and DMSO. The inherent viscosities of the polymers were in the range of 0.08-0.29dL/g. Instrumental analyses using NMR, IR, and UV-visible spectroscopies and elemental analyses indicated that the resulting poly(EPT-P) have a conjugated ionic polymer backbone carrying N-propargyl-2-pyridinium tosylate. Thermal and electro-optical properties of the polymers were also studied.     

表面活性剂对共轭聚合物荧光性质及电荷转移的影响

探讨了表面活性剂存在下, 水溶性阴离子共轭聚合物聚[5-甲氧基-2-(3-磺酰化丙氧基)-1,4-苯撑乙烯](简写为MPS-PPV)的微环境变化对荧光性质及电荷转移的影响. 结果表明, 阳离子表面活性剂及非离子表面活性剂使MPS-PPV荧光增强, 阴离子表面活性剂使其荧光先增强后减弱; 在MPS-PPV/表面活性剂体系中加入电子接受体Pd^2＋, 发现非离子表面活性剂体系的荧光猝灭效率提高, 阴离子及阳离子表面活性剂体系荧光猝灭效率下降. 此研究对研制基于阴离子共聚物的新型生物化学传感器具有一定的指导意义.     

水溶性荧光聚合物用于测定聚赖氨酸

合成了一种水溶性荧光聚合物聚[5-甲氧基-2-(3-磺酰化丙氧基)-1,4-苯撑乙烯](MPS-PPV),对该聚合物进行了元素分析、红外光谱及透射电子显微镜表征.实验结果表明,聚赖氨酸(PLL)对该聚合物荧光具有明显的猝灭作用,据此建立了一种快速灵敏测定聚赖氨酸的新方法,检出限为5.0×10^-10mol/L.探讨了聚赖氨酸猝灭MPS-PPV荧光的机理.     

Heat Effect of the Protonation of Glycine and the Enthalpies of Resolvation of Participating Chemical Species in Water–Dimethylsulfoxide Solvent Mixtures

Enthalpies of the protonation of glycine in water?dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) mixed solvents are determined calorimetrically in the range of DMSO mole fractions of 0.0 to 0.9, at T = 298.15 K and an ionic strength μ = 0.3 (NaClO₄). It is established that the protonation of glycine becomes more exothermic with an increasing mole fraction of DMSO, and the enthalpies of resolvation of glycine and glycinium ions in water?DMSO solvent mixtures are calculated. It is shown that the small changes in the enthalpy of protonation observed at low mole fractions of DMSO are caused by the contributions from the solvation of proton and protonated glycine cancelling each other out. The enthalpy term of the Gibbs energy of the reaction leading to the formation of glycinium ion is estimated along with the enthalpy of resolvation of the reacting species in the water?DMSO mixed solvent.     

Poly(Pyridinium Salt)s Containing 2,7-Diamino-9,9′-Dioctylfluorene Moieties with Various Organic Counterions Exhibiting Both Lyotropic Liquid-Crystalline and Light-Emitting Properties

A series of poly(pyridinium salt)s-fluorene main-chain ionic polymers with various organic counterions were synthesized by using ring-transmutation polymerization and metathesis reactions. Their chemical structures were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), proton (¹H), and fluorine 19 (¹⁹F) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometers. These polymers showed a number-average molecular weight (M_ns) between 96.5 and 107.8 kg/mol and polydispersity index (PDI) in the range of 1.12–1.88. They exhibited fully-grown lyotropic phases in polar protic and aprotic solvents at different critical concentrations. Small-angle X-ray scattering for one polymer example indicates lyotropic structure formation for 60–80% solvent fraction. A lyotropic smectic phase contains 10 nm polymer platelets connected by tie molecules. The structure also incorporates a square packing motif within platelets. Thermal properties of polymers were affected by the size of counterions as determined by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis measurements. Their ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectra in different organic solvents were essentially identical, indicating that the closely spaced π-π* transitions occurred in their conjugated polymer structures. In contrast, the emission spectra of polymers exhibited a positive solvatochromism on changing the polarity of solvents. They emitted green lights in both polar and nonpolar organic solvents and showed blue light in the film-states, but their λ_em peaks were dependent on the size of the counterions. They formed aggregates in polar aprotic and protic solvents with the addition of water (v/v, 0–90%), and their λ_em peaks were blue shifted.     

Comb-shaped poly(ethylene glycol)-modified subtilisin Carlsberg is soluble and highly active in ionic liquids

Subtilisin Carlsberg conjugated with comb-shaped poly(ethylene glycol) was solubilized in common ionic liquids without adding water, and exhibited higher transesterification activity in an ionic liquid, [Emim][Tf2N], than in organic solvents commonly used for enzymatic biotransformation.     

Conformational transition of the core chain in radiation-modified polysilane micelles formed in selective solvents

Poly(methyl acrylate)-grafted poly(methyl-n-propylsilane) (PMPrS-g-PMA) and poly(acrylic acid)-grafted PMPrS (PMPrS-g-PAA) were synthesized by gamma-ray-induced graft polymerization, and the association behavior of these graft copolymers was investigated in selective solvents composed of good and poor solvents for the PMPrS main chain. Fluorescence spectroscopy with perylene as a fluorescent probe revealed that PMPrS-g-PAA in a water/THF mixed solvent self-assembles into micelles with a swollen core of PMPrS chains in the water content range of 50-95%. UV spectroscopy demonstrated that a further increase of the water content gives rise to the conformational transition of the PMPrS chains in the micelle core from the random conformation to the conformation that corresponds to that in the solid state at a water content of ca. 95%, independent of the grafting yield. Similar behavior was also observed in DMSO/THF solutions of PMPrS-g-PMA, for which the conformational transition occurred at the constant DMSO content of ca. 95%. These results indicate that solvatochromic behavior of polysilane, which is a characteristic feature of polysilane, proved to provide information on the inner structure of those micelles: PMPrS chains in the core undergo conformational transition as the content of the poor solvents for PMPrS increases, while maintaining the micelle structure.     

Effect of reaction medium on the radical polymerization and copolymerization of potassium and sodium p-styrenesulphonate

The kinetics of the homogeneous free radical polymerization of potassium p-styrenesulphonate and sodium p-styrenesulphonate (SSS) in water-salt, water-dioxane, water-dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), DMSO—dioxane mixtures and copolymerization of SSS with acrylamide in water-salt and water-DMSO mixtures have been investigated. The overall rate of the process, the kinetic orders with respect to monomer and initiator, overall activation energy and also the properties of the resulting polymers (molecular weight, copolymer composition and compositional inhomogeneity) depend on the nature of the reaction medium. It is mainly connected with the influence of ionic strength (due to varying ionogenic monomer concentration, addition of salts and also the change of the conversion degree) and with the influence of the polarity of solvent on the rate constants for propagation and termination. The chemical and physical characteristic of the reaction mainly influence parameters of the electrostatic interactions in the system “macroradical-counterions-anions of monomer”. This leads to conformational variation of polymer chains and influences the reactivities of growing macroradicals and ionogenic monomers in polymerization and copolymerization. Data on conductivity and viscometric measurements confirmed the dependence of the conformation of polymer and copolymer macromolecules upon the composition of the medium.     

水溶性共轭聚电解质

水溶性共轭聚电解质主要是指含离子型官能团侧链的共轭聚合物,可在水或其它极性有机溶剂中能够溶解。这类化合物把传统共轭聚合物的光电性质和聚电解质的水溶性特点结合在一起,显示出的一些独特性质,可在新一代光电器件制作和化学生物荧光传感器中获得多样的应用。本文总结了近10年来报道的水溶性共轭聚电解质的结构特点和合成方法,以及对不同化学或物理条件下光物理性质的研究,归纳了它们在新一代光电器件制作和荧光传感中的应用,并在此基础上提出了水溶性共轭聚电解质研究中尚待解决的问题,并展望了水溶性共轭聚电解质的应用前景。     

水溶性荧光共轭聚合物MPS-PPV的聚合新方法及其荧光波长调控的研究

在NaOH/C2H5OH/DMF溶液中,实现了水溶性阴离子荧光共轭聚合物聚-[5-甲氧基-2-(3-磺酰化丙氧基)-1,4-苯撑乙烯](MPS-PPV)单体的快速聚合并提高了聚合产率。通过改变溶液中NaOH的浓度,实现了对聚合物荧光发射波长的调控。对聚合物进行了元素分析、红外光谱以及分子量的表征,并探讨了不同聚合条件下得到的MPS-PPV的荧光和紫外光谱变化。研究了过氧化氢对MPS-PPV荧光的影响,为基于荧光聚合物的新型传感器的研制提供了新思路。     

Elaboration of poly(ethyleneimine) coated poly( , -lactic acid) particles. Effect of ionic strength on the surface properties and DNA binding capabilities

Poly( , -lactic acid) (PLA)-based particles, obtained by the emulsification–diffusion process, were surface-modified by electrostatic adsorption of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI). The amount of immobilized PEI and the conformation of the polycation at the interface were dependent on the ionic strength of the media. In the absence of salt, or at low ionic strength, the adsorbed amounts of PEI, the surface charge and the critical concentration for coagulation (CCC) of the modified particles were lower than when the adsorption was achieved at elevated ionic strength. Moreover, at low salt concentration, isotherms were of Langmuir type, suggesting the formation of monolayers. The differences in PEI surface conformation had consequences on the DNA binding capacity of the particles, on the plasmid DNA conformation at the interface and on the DNA release in various media. When PEI was adsorbed in a 50 mM phosphate buffer, the amount of bound plasmid and the strength of binding were higher than when PEI was adsorbed in water. From these differences in physico-chemical properties, one can expect differences in transfection or immunization performances of the vectors.     

Assessing the Functional and Structural Stability of the Met80Ala Mutant of Cytochrome c in Dimethylsulfoxide

The Met80Ala variant of yeast cytochrome c is known to possess electrocatalytic properties that are absent in the wild type form and that make it a promising candidate for biocatalysis and biosensing. The versatility of an enzyme is enhanced by the stability in mixed aqueous/organic solvents that would allow poorly water-soluble substrates to be targeted. In this work, we have evaluated the effect of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) on the functionality of the Met80Ala cytochrome c mutant, by investigating the thermodynamics and kinetics of electron transfer in mixed water/DMSO solutions up to 50% DMSO v/v. In parallel, we have monitored spectroscopically the retention of the main structural features in the same medium, focusing on both the overall protein structure and the heme center. We found that the organic solvent exerts only minor effects on the redox and structural properties of the mutant mostly as a result of the modification of the dielectric constant of the solvent. This would warrant proper functionality of this variant also under these potentially hostile experimental conditions, that differ from the physiological milieu of cytochrome c.     

Relative size selection of a conjugated polyelectrolyte in virus-like protein structures

A conjugated polyelectrolyte poly[(2-methoxy-5-propyloxy sulfonate)-phenyl-ene vinylene] (MPS-PPV) drives the assembly of virus capsid proteins to form single virus-like particles (VLPs) and aggregates with more than two VLPs, with a relative selection of high molecular weight polymer in the latter.     

Effective size and fractal dimension of polyelectrolytes determined by diffusion NMR

Polyelectrolytes are macromolecules containing dissociable or charged groups on the main chain or in side groups. These charges are the basis of the water solubility of polyelectrolytes. The solution properties namely the conformation is determined by an interplay of thermodynamic and electric interactions. The electrostatic interaction is influenced by the ionic strength of the solution. As a measure of the effective size of the macromolecules the hydrodynamic radius is determined from the self-diffusion coefficient measured via pulsed- field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance. From variation of the hydrodynamic radius with molecular weight for each ionic strength, the fractal dimension has been determined for the example of poly(styrenesulfonate). With increasing ionic strength the fractal dimension, which describes the use of space for the fictitious growth of the molecule when increasing the molecular weight, increases. This implies a denser packing of the molecules in higher ionic strength.     

Synthesis and properties of cationic polyelectrolyte with regioregular polyalkylthiophene backbone and ionic‐liquid like side groups

High‐regioregular poly{3‐[6‐(1‐methylimidazolium‐3‐yl)hexyl]thiophene‐2,5‐diyl bromide}, PMHT‐Br, has been prepared by reaction of high‐regioregular (above 92%) poly[3‐(6‐bromohexyl)thiophene‐2,5‐diyl] with 1‐methylimidazole. PMHT‐Br is soluble in water and water miscible solvents such as methanol, DMSO and shows solvatochromism; λ_max (nm): 423 (H₂O); 435 (MeOH); 452 (DMSO). Increased absorption band broadening observed for aqueous solution as well as NMR spectra in D₂O suggests a micelle‐like structure of PMHT‐Br molecules in these solutions: poly(3‐hexylthiophene) core and 1‐methylimidazolium bromide shell. Despite the disturbing effect of ionic groups, the solid‐state PMHT‐Br shows absorption maximum at 520 nm, the band edge at 660 nm (ca. 1.9 eV), and fluorescence emission with maximum at 635 nm, in a good agreement with the polymer regioregularity. Fluorescence emission maxima: λ_em (nm): 598 (H₂O); 562 (MeOH); 574 (DMSO), occur in a vicinity of corresponding adsorption band edges. Plot of electrical conductivity of PMHT‐Br (measured under the dynamic vacuum conditions, 5 × 10^?5 Pa) versus 1/T shows a break at about 70 °C same as the temperature dependence of λ_max of the solid PMHT‐Br. These breaks indicate an increase in the mobility of polymer segments and ions within PMHT‐Br; however, a thermal analysis did not provide solid evidence for it. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 3073–3081, 2010