Comblike poly(ethylene oxide)/hydrophobic C6 branched chitosan surfactant polymers as anti-infection surface modifying agents

A series of structurally well-defined poly(ethylene oxide)/hydrophobic C₆ branched chitosan surfactant polymers that undergo surface induced self assembly on hydrophobic biomaterial surfaces were synthesized and characterized. The surfactant polymers consist of low molecular weight (M_w) chitosan backbone with hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and hydrophobic hexyl pendant groups. Chitosan was depolymerized by nitrous acid deaminative cleavage. Hexanal and aldehyde-terminated PEO chains were simultaneously attached to low M_w chitosan hydrochloride via reductive amination. The surfactant polymers were prepared with various ratios of the two side chains. The molecular composition of the surfactant polymers was determined by FT-IR and ¹H NMR. Surface active properties at the air–water interface were determined by Langmuir film balance measurements. The surfactant polymers with PEO/hexyl ratios of 1:3.0 and 1:14.4 were used as surface modifying agents to investigate their anti-infection properties. E. coli adhesion on Silastic^® surface was decreased significantly by the surfactant polymer with PEO/hexyl 1:3.0. Surface growth of adherent E. coli was effectively suppressed by both tested surfactant polymers.     

Extracellular matrix-like surfactant polymers containing arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptides

We report on a novel series of biomimetic polymers exhibiting interfacial properties similar to the extracellular matrix. A series of well-defined surfactant polymers were synthesized by simultaneously incorporating arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide, dextran oligosaccharide, and hexyl ligands with controlled feed ratios onto a poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) backbone. The peptide sequence was H-GSSSGRGDSPA-NH(2) (Pep) having a hydrophilic extender at the amino terminus and capped carboxy terminus. The peptide-to-dextran (Pep:Dex) ratios were varied to create surfactants having 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 mol-% peptide relative to dextran. The surfactants were characterized by IR, NMR and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for composition and surface active properties. AFM confirmed full surface coverage of PVAm(Pep)(100%) on graphite, and supported the mechanism of interdigitation of hexyl ligands between surfactant molecules within a specified range of hexyl chain densities. the attachment and growth of human pulmonary artery endothelial cells on the PVAm(Pep)(100%) surface was identical to the fibronectin positive control. Cell adhesion decreased dramatically with decreasing peptide density on the surfactant polymers. Molecular model of a peptide surfactant polymer, consisting of poly(vinyl amine) backbone with peptide, dextran oligosaccharide and hexyl branches coupled to the polymer chain.     

Wettability of polymeric solids by ternary mixtures composed of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon nonionic surfactants

Contact angle (θ) measurements on poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surface were carried out for the systems containing ternary mixtures of surfactants composed of: p-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenoxypoly(ethylene glycols), Triton X-100 (TX100), Triton X-165 (TX165) and Triton X-114 (TX114), and fluorocarbon surfactants, Zonyl FSN100 (FSN100) and Zonyl FSO100 (FSO100). The aqueous solutions of ternary surfactant mixtures were prepared by adding TX114, FSN100 or FSO100 to binary mixtures of TX100+TX165, where the synergistic effect in the reduction of the surface tension of water (γ(LV)) was determined. From the obtained contact angle values, the relationships between cosθ, the adhesion tension and surface tension of solutions, cosθ and the reciprocal of the surface tension were determined. On the basis of these relationships, the correlation between the critical surface tension of PTFE and PMMA wetting and the surface tension of these polymers as well as the work of adhesion of aqueous solutions of ternary surfactant mixtures to PTFE and PMMA surface were discussed. The critical surface tension of PTFE and PMMA wetting, γ(C), determined from the contact angle measurements of aqueous solutions of surfactants including FSN100 or FSO100 was also discussed in the light of the surface tension changes of PTFE and PMMA under the influence of film formation by fluorocarbon surfactants on the surface of these polymers. The γ(C) values of the studied polymeric solids were found to be different for the mixtures composed of hydrocarbon surfactants in comparison with those of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon surfactants. In the solutions containing fluorocarbon surfactants, the γ(C) values were different taking into account the contact angle in the range of FSN100 and FSO100 concentration corresponding to their unsaturated monolayer at water-air interface or to that saturated.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(vinyl amine)‐based amphiphilic comb‐like dextran glycopolymers by a two‐step method

Poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm)‐based amphiphilic glycopolymers were synthesized by a two‐step method, that is dextran molecules (Dex, M_w = 1500) were attached to the PVAm backbone by reacting amine groups with dextran lactone, and then, hexanoyl groups (Hex) were attached by reacting the PVAm free amine groups with N‐(hexanoyloxy)succinimide. By adjustment of the feed ratios of Dex/Hex, amphiphilic comb‐like glycopolymers with various hydrophilic and hydrophobic balances were prepared, and their structures were characterized by ¹H NMR. Surface activity of the amphiphilic glycopolymers at the air/water interface was demonstrated by reduction in water surface tension. Adsorption of the amphiphilic glycopolymers at the solid/water interface was examined on octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS)‐coated coverslips by water contact angle measurements. The results show that the amphiphilic glycopolymers need about 20 mol % of dextran attachment to make an effective hydrophilic coating. In comparison with the one‐step reaction by addition of dextran lactone and alkyl succinimide simultaneously, the two‐step approach can attach Dex on PVAm as high as possible in the first step, and offers quantitative advantages in controlling the ratio of hydrophilic and hydrophobic chains along the PVAm backbone, resulting in increased water solubility for the final amphiphilic glycopolymers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 192–199, 2006     

苄基取代甜菜碱对聚四氟乙烯表面润湿性的影响

利用座滴法研究了两性离子表面活性剂苄基取代烷基羧基甜菜碱(BCB)和苄基取代烷基磺基甜菜碱(BSB)在聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)表面上的润湿性质,考察了表面活性剂浓度对接触角的影响趋势,并讨论了粘附张力、固-液界面张力和粘附功的变化规律.研究发现,在低浓度时,表面活性剂通过疏水作用吸附到PTFE表面,疏水链苄基取代支链化使其在固-液界面上的吸附明显低于气-液界面,接触角在很大的范围内保持不变.当体相浓度增加到大于临界胶束浓度(cmc)时, BCB和BSB分子在固-液界面上继续吸附,分子逐渐直立,造成PTFE-液体之间的界面张力(γ_SL)进一步降低,表面亲水性增加,接触角随浓度增加明显降低;另一方面, BSB由于具有较大的极性头,在高浓度时空间阻碍作用明显,导致其对PTFE表面润湿性改变程度小于BCB.     

Association between branched poly(ethyleneimine) and sodium dodecyl sulfate in the presence of neutral polymers

In the present paper, the effect of different neutral polymers on the self-assemblies of hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been investigated at different ionization degrees of the polyelectrolyte molecules. The investigated uncharged polymers were poly(ethyleneoxide), poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and dextran samples of different molecular mass. Dynamic light scattering and electrophoretic mobility measurements demonstrate that the high molecular mass PEO or PVP molecules adsorb considerably onto the surface of the PEI/SDS nanoparticles. At appropriate concentrations of PVP or PEO, sterically stabilized colloidal dispersions of the polyelectrolyte/surfactant nanoparticles with hydrophobic core and hydrophilic corona can be prepared. These dispersions have considerable kinetic stability at high ionic strengths where the accelerated coagulation of the PEI/SDS nanoparticles results in precipitation in the absence of the neutral polymers. In contrast, the addition of dextran does not affect considerably the kinetic stability of PEI/SDS mixtures because of its low adsorption affinity towards the surface of the polyelectrolyte/surfactant nanoparticles.     

Surface activity and emulsification properties of hydrophobically modified dextrans

Neutral polymeric surfactants were synthesized by covalent attachment of hydrophobic groups (aromatic rings) onto a polysaccharide backbone (dextran). By changing the conditions of the modification reaction, the number of grafted hydrophobic groups per 100 glucopyranose units (substitution ratio) was varied between 7 and 22. In aqueous solution, these polymers behaved like classical associative polymers as demonstrated by viscometric measurements. The associative behavior was more pronounced when the substitution ratio increased. The surface-active properties of the modified dextrans were evidenced by surface tension (air/water) and interfacial tension (dodecane/water) measurements. In each case the surface or interfacial tension leveled down above a critical polymer concentration, which was attributed to the formation of a dense polymer layer at the liquid-air or liquid-liquid interface. Dodecane-in-water emulsions were prepared using the polymeric surfactants as stabilizers, with oil volume fractions ranging between 5 and 20%. The oil droplet size (measured by dynamic light scattering) was correlated to the amount of polymer in the aqueous phase and to the volume of emulsified oil. The thickness of the adsorbed polymer layer was estimated thanks to zeta potential measurements coupled with size measurements. This thickness increased with the amount of polymer available for adsorption at the interface. The dextran-based surfactants were also applied to emulsion polymerization of styrene and stable polystyrene particles were obtained with a permanent adsorbed dextran layer at their surface. The comparison with the use of an unmodified dextran indicated that the polymeric surfactants were densely packed at the surface of the particles. The colloidal stability of the suspensions of polystyrene particles as well as their protection against protein adsorption (bovine serum albumin, BSA, used as a test protein) were also examined.     

Non-surface activity and micellization of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers in water. Hydrophobic chain length dependence and salt effect on surface activity and the critical micelle concentration

We reported previously (Macromolecules 2003, 36, 5321; Langmuir, 2004, 20, 7412) that amphiphilic diblock copolymers having polyelectrolytes as a hydrophilic segment show almost no surface activity but form micelles in water. In this study, to further investigate this curious and novel phenomenon in surface and interface science, we synthesized another water-soluble ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymer poly(hydrogenated isoprene)-b-sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) PIp-h2-b-PSSNa by living anionic polymerization. Several diblock copolymers with different hydrophobic chain lengths were synthesized and the adsorption behavior at the air/water interface was investigated using surface tension measurement and X-ray reflectivity. A dye-solubilization experiment was carried out to detect the micelle formation. We found that the polymers used in this study also formed micelles above a certain polymer concentration (cmc) without adsorption at the air-water interface under a no-salt condition. Hence, we further confirmed that this phenomenon is universal for amphiphilic ionic block copolymer although it is hard to believe from current surface and interface science. For polymers with long hydrophobic chains (more than three times in length to hydrophilic chain), and at a high salt concentration, a slight adsorption of polymer was observed at the air-water interface. Long hydrophobic chain polymers showed behavior "normal" for low molecular weight ionic surfactants with increasing salt concentration. Hence, the origin of this curious phenomenon might be the macroionic nature of the hydrophilic part. Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed that the hydrodynamic radius of the block copolymer micelle was not largely affected by the addition of salt. The hydrophobic chain length-cmc relationship was found to be unusual; some kind of transition point was found. Furthermore, very interestingly, the cmc of the block copolymer did not decrease with the increase in salt concentration, which is in clear contrast to the fact that cmc of usual ionic small surfactants decreases with increasing salt concentration (Corrin-Harkins law). These behaviors are thought to be the special, but universal, characteristics of ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymers, and the key factor is thought to be a balance between the repulsive force from the water surface by the image charge effect and the hydrophobic adsorption.     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable network hydrogels having both hydrophobic and hydrophilic components with controlled swelling behavior

A new class of biodegradable hydrogels, consisting of hydrophobic poly(D ,L )lactic acid (PDLLA) and hydrophilic dextran segments with a polymer network structure, was synthesized with UV photopolymerization. Unsaturated vinyl groups first were introduced onto the PDLLA and dextran polymer backbones, then followed by a crosslinking reaction of diacrylate-terminated PDLLA and dextran acrylate. The chemical crosslinking forced the hydrophobic PDLLA and hydrophilic dextran segments to mix with each other in the network hydrogels. The new polymers were characterized by standard polymer characterization methods such as NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The effects of reaction time, temperature, and molar ratio of the reactants on the incorporation of acrylate onto the polymer backbone were examined. A series of hydrogels with different dextran/PDLLA composition ratios was prepared, and their swelling behaviors were studied. These new bicomponent network hydrogels had a wide range of hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity that was difficult to achieve in totally hydrophilic hydrogels. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4554–4569, 1999     

Langmuir monolayers and the transferred films of fluorinated amphiphiles containing vinyl groups

The monolayer behavior of long-chain esters of acrylic and methacrylic acids containing perfluoro or partially fluorinated carbon chains at the air/water interface was studied by surface pressure-area isotherm measurements and Brewster angle microscopy. It has been found that a minor change in the chemical structures of these fluorinated amphiphiles, such as a hydrogen substituted at the omega-position of the hydrophobic fluorocarbon tails instead of a fluorine as well as hydrophilic vinyl ester groups inserted between acrylates and methacrylates, induces a drastic change in the isotherms for the monolayers, suggesting different molecular orientation and packing in the films. The monolayers were transferred by horizontal lifting, Langmuir-Blodgett, and surface-lowering methods to give the X-, Y-, and Z-type films, respectively. These films were characterized by scanning probe microscopy, to clarify the mesoscopic surface structures of the molecular films exposed with the hydrophilic or hydrophobic moieties in air, depending upon the dipping methods. The Z-type films with the outermost surface of the fluorinated substituents were examined in relation to the frictional properties that strongly depend upon the fluorine and the hydrogen atoms at the end of the hydrophobic fluorocarbon chains, which is controllable at the atomic level.     

Adsorption of gemini surfactants with dodecyl side chains and different spacers, including partially fluorinated spacers, on different surfaces: neutron reflectometry results

Neutron reflectometry has been used to study the adsorption of two symmetrical cationic (dimethyl ammonium bromide) gemini surfactants with two C(12)H(25) chains and different partially fluorinated spacers at three different surfaces: air/water, hydrophilic silica/water, and hydrophobic (octadecyltricholorosilane (OTS))/water. In addition, the adsorption of purely hydrocarbon geminis with the same side chains and spacers of different lengths has been studied at the same two solid surfaces. The limiting close-packed areas for the two fluorocarbon geminis, C(12)-C(3)fC(6)C(3)-C(12) and C(12)-C(4)fC(4)C(4)-C(12), are 92 and 72 ± 4 at the hydrophilic silica surface, 81 and 89 ± 4 at OTS, and 137 and 106 ± 4 ?(2) at the air/water interface with decreases of 38 and 24% from air/water to the average solid value, respectively. These changes suggest that the packing at the air/water interface is inefficient, and this allows the extra hydrophobicity of the chain environment at the two solid surfaces to promote much more efficient packing. At the air/water interface, the fluorocarbon spacers are on average the fragments furthest away from the underlying water, further out than in the nearest comparable hydrocarbon gemini, C(12)-C(12)-C(12). This is the probable explanation of the much lower value of the area per molecule at the air/water interface of C(12)-C(4)fC(4)C(4)-C(12) compared to that of C(12)-C(12)-C(12). It is also the probable cause of the inefficient packing of the hydrocarbon side chains. At the more hydrophobic OTS surface the situation is reversed and the fluorocarbon spacers are now the furthest from the hydrophobic surface, further out than the spacer in C(12)-C(12)-C(12). This is an unusually large structural change that must be associated with the greatly improved packing at the OTS surface. The efficiency of the packing is also high for the hydrophilic surface, no doubt because the hydrocarbon chains can interact favorably in the adsorbed bilayer core. The values of the area per molecule obtained for the series of hydrocarbon geminis at the air/water, OTS/water and silica/water interfaces are respectively 139, 104, and 98 ± 4 ?(2) for C(12)-C(12)-C(12), 114, 106, and 94 ± 4 ?(2) for C(12)-C(10)-C(12), 104, 84, and 85 ± 4 ?(2) for C(12)-C(6)-C(12), and 78, 66, and 70 ± 3 ?(2) for C(12)-C(3)-C(12). The area per molecule is also about 20% less on average at the two solid surfaces than at the air/water interface. This can also be attributed to more efficient packing caused by the more favorable hydrophobic interactions possible at these two surfaces than at the air/water interface, again showing that the packing at the air/water interface is inefficient and probably resulting from the competition between spacer and chains, which will be most pronounced for the C(12) spacer.     

Stability and ageing of plasma treated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces

In this study CO₂, H₂/H₂O and H₂O low pressure plasma treatment of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) foils and of thin plasma deposited fluorocarbon polymer (PDFP) films with a structure close to PTFE was investigated. The properties of the plasma were analyzed by mass spectroscopy (MS) and optical emission spectroscopy (OES). The modified fluorocarbon surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, electrokinetic measurements and dynamic contact angle measurements in order to find optimized treatment conditions. The results of the surface modification were compared with respect to the efficiency of the plasma treatment and the stability of the modification effect at different ambient conditions. It was shown that the H₂O plasma treatment is the most effective process for the intended modification. The hydrophobic PTFE surface was converted into a more hydrophilic one. The introduced radicals after the H₂O plasma treatment can be utilized subsequently for post plasma reactions such as grafting processes.     

表面活性剂在低能固体表面上的吸附——Ⅱ. 粘附张力法研究碳氟与碳氢表面活性剂的吸附

研究了直接测定粘附张力、推算表面活性剂在低能固体表面上吸附的方法。与文献结果比较, 说明此法可行, 且较γ-θ法~[4]方便、准确、重复性好。研究了C_(12)H_(25)-SO_4Na、C_(16)H_(33)N(CH_3)_3Br、C_7F_(15)COONa水溶液与聚四氟乙烯、石蜡、甲基化玻璃、聚甲基丙烯酸甲醋界面上的粘附张力及吸附, 结果表明: (1)各种表面活性剂在四种固体上的饱和吸附量顺序皆为~ΓPTFE>~ΓAE>~ΓMG>~ΓPMMA与各固体对水粘附张力增加的顺序相同; (2)改善固体亲水性的能力, 对于碳氟固体, 碳氟表面活性剂优于碳氢表面活性剂, 对于碳氢固体则相反。     

Polytetrafluoroethylene Sputtered PES Membranes for Membrane Distillation: Influence of RF Magnetron Sputtering Conditions

Thin films of fluorocarbon were deposited on polyethersulfone membranes via argon plasma sputtering of a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) target in an RF magnetron plasma reactor. The obtained deposited ultrathin coatings had nanoscale roughnesses and high degrees of fluorination. The intensity of fluorine atom in plasma environment during fluorocarbon deposition was investigated. Depending on the deposition conditions comprising working gas pressure, applied RF power, and distance between the target and the substrate, polymeric films with different chemical compositions and/or morphologies were obtained. The morphologies of the films were analyzed by means of SEM, XPS, and AFM. The results suggested that the sputtered film deposited at a higher pressure and longer target–substrate distance and moderate RF power had a surface composition and chemical structure closer to those of the PTFE film. The treated hydrophobic PES membranes with water contact angles as high as 115° were applied for the first time in an air gap membrane distillation setup for removal of benzene as a volatile organic compound from water. The results showed that the plasma-treated membranes have a comparable or superior performance to that of commercial PTFE used in membrane distillation with similar permeate flux and separation factor after 20 h long term performance.     

Entropically mediated polyolefin blend segregation at buried sapphire and air interfaces investigated by infrared-visible sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The segregation behavior of binary polymer blends at hydrophilic solid sapphire and air interfaces was investigated by infrared-visible sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. SFG spectra were collected from a bulk miscible blend consisting of identical molecular weight (approximately 54,000) and similar surface free energy (29-35 dyn/cm) components of atactic polypropylene (aPP) and aspecific poly(ethylene-co-propylene) rubber (aEPR). Characteristic CH resonances of the blend were contrasted with those of the individual components at both buried (sapphire/polymer) and free (air/polymer) interfaces. Preferential segregation of the aPP component was observed after annealing at both air/polymer and sapphire/polymer interfaces. SFG spectra revealed ordering of the polymer backbone segments with the methylene (CH2) groups perpendicular to the surface at the sapphire interface and the methyl (CH3) groups upright at the air interface. The SFG results indicate that the surface composition can be determined from the peak intensities that are characteristic of each component and that conformational entropy played a likely role in surface segregation. aPP occupied a smaller free volume at the surface because of a statistically smaller segment length (aPP is more flexible and has a shorter length). In addition, the high density of the ordered CH3 side branches enhanced the surface activity by allowing the long-chain backbone segments of aPP to order at the surface.     

Micellization of non-surface-active diblock copolymers in water. Special characteristics of poly(styrene)-block-poly(styrenesulfonate)

Strongly ionized amphiphilic diblock copolymers of poly(styrene)-b-poly(styrenesulfonate) with various hydrophilic and hydrophobic chain lengths were synthesized by living radical polymerization, and their properties and self-assembling behavior were systematically investigated by surface tension measurement, foam formation, hydrophobic dye solubilization, X-ray reflectivity, dynamic light scattering, small-angle neutron scattering, small-angle X-ray scattering, and atomic force microscope techniques. These copolymer solutions in pure water did not show a decrease of surface tension with increasing polymer concentration. The solutions also did not show foam formation, and no adsorption at the air/water interface was confirmed by reflectivity experiments. However, in 0.5 M NaCl aq solutions polymer adsorption and foam formation were observed. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) was observed by the dye solubilization experiment in both the solutions with and without added salt, and by dynamic light scattering we confirmed the existence of polymer micelles in solution, even though there was no adsorption of polymer molecules at the water surface in the solution without salt. By the small-angle scattering technique, we confirmed that the micelles have a well-defined core-shell structure and their sizes were 100-150 A depending on the hydrophobic and hydrophilic chain length ratio. The micelle size and shape were unaffected by addition of up to 0.5 M salt. The absence of polymer adsorption at the water surface with micelle formation in a bulk solution, which is now known as a universal characteristic for strongly ionized amphiphilic block copolymers, was attributed to the image charge effect at the air/water interface due to the many charges on the hydrophilic segment.     

Determination of the interfacial characteristics of a series of bolaamphiphilic poly(fluorooxetane) surfactants through molecular dynamics simulation

Constant surface tension (NgammaT) and constant volume (NVT) molecular dynamics simulations have been conducted on a series of bolaamphiphilic alpha,varpi-(diammonium disulfato)poly(fluorooxetane)s and on a typical "long-chain" anionic fluorosurfactant used to improve the flow-and-leveling characteristics of aqueous coatings, to compare their behavior at a water/air interface. Recent research has shown that the poly(fluorooxetane) surfactants considered in this paper could serve as an effective substitute for traditional fluorosurfactants used in flow-and-leveling applications.(1) From molecular dynamics simulation, we have determined the saturated interfacial area per surfactant, interfacial area per surfactant as a function of surface tension, density profiles, the degree of hydration for various atoms in each surfactant, the degree of counterion binding, and order parameters. Our results for saturated interfacial area per surfactant molecule are greater than what has been obtained by other researchers through parametric fitting of interfacial area from experimental surface tension data using the Davies isotherm. Possible explanations for this difference are discussed. The low interfacial areas occupied by each poly(fluorooxetane) at the water/air interface are the result of their ability to adopt a "looped" conformation, in which the carbon and oxygen backbone of each surfactant and the attached perfluoroalkyl chains are forced into the air phase. A geometrically defined penetration parameter was calculated from the density profiles, which reveals that each poly(fluorooxetane) surfactant is more effective at separating the air and water phases than the "long-chain" anionic fluorosurfactant. The degree of hydration measured for different atoms in poly(fluorooxetane) during simulation confirms that a "looped" conformation is adopted in which the surfactant backbone and the perfluoroalkyl chains are lifted away from the water surface. Calculation of order parameters revealed a much lower degree of ordering for the perfluoroalkyl side chains in each bolaamphiphile than in the "long chain" anionic fluorosurfactant. When viewed in the context of the penetration parameter analysis, the density profiles and hydration data suggest why each poly(fluorooxetane) is capable of significantly reducing surface tension when other fluorosurfactants with similarly short perfluoroalkyl moieties provide inadequate surface tension reduction for practical flow-and-leveling applications.     

两亲性杂侧链聚合物刷的合成及其乳化功能

报道了一种随机高密度接枝亲水、疏水聚合物侧链的刷形两亲性聚合物.首先,结合可逆加成-断裂链转移(RAFT)聚合和后修饰方法,得到含叠氮侧基的聚甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯(PGMA-N3)作为主链;再分别合成端炔基聚苯乙烯(PS)和端炔基聚环氧乙烷(PEO),然后通过铜催化的叠氮-炔环加成反应,将疏水性PS和亲水性PEO同时高效的接到PGMA主链上,制得两亲性杂侧链的聚合物刷.由凝胶渗透色谱(SEC)分析得知,在主链叠氮基团与两侧链总炔基的摩尔投料比为1∶1的条件下,PS和PEO的接枝效率很高,都大于90%.通过调节主链长度和2种侧链的投料比,获得不同组成的聚合物刷.通过等质量的甲苯/水混合体系,考察两亲性聚合物刷的乳化能力,发现主链聚合度为100,PS∶PEO比例为70∶30的聚合物刷表现出最佳的乳化性能.     

Nonwettable thin films from hybrid polymer brushes can be hydrophilic

Hybrid brushes composed of two liquid polymers, poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and a highly branched ethoxylated polyethylenimine (EPEI), were synthesized on Si wafers by the "grafting to" method and by applying a combinatorial approach (fabrication of gradient brushes). The combinatorial approach revealed a strong effect of "layer assisted tethering", which allowed us to synthesize hybrid brushes twice as thick as the reference homopolymer brushes. The hybrid brushes are stable thin films that can rapidly and reversibly switch between hydrophilic and hydrophobic states in water and air, respectively. The switching in water affects a rapid release of amino functional groups which can be used to regulate adhesion and reactivity of the material. The switching in air rapidly returns the brush to a hydrophobic state. The hybrid brush is hydrophilic because of two mechanisms: (1) exposure of EPEI chains to the brush-water interface under water, and (2) retention of some fraction of water via swollen EPEI chains (the EPEI chains swell by 2-3 times), which are conserved by a PDMS cap in air. The hybrid brush is wettable under water, and at the same time, the brush is nonwettable in air because water droplets are trapped in a metastable state when the water contact angle is above 90 degrees .     

Probing the association behavior of poly(ethylene glycol)-based amphiphilic comb-like polymer in NaCl solution

The effect of salt on the associative behavior of intramolecular aggregates obtained from poly(ethylene glycol)-based amphiphilic comb-like polymers in aqueous medium at pH 6.2 has been investigated by surface tension, fluorescence probe, dynamic light-scattering, and viscometry techniques. Results reveal that the addition of salt screens the electrostatic repulsion between the charges along the polymer backbone in the aggregates and consequently (1) reduces the surface activity at the air/water interface, (2) leads to the contraction of the polymer backbone, and (3) reduces the hydrodynamic sizes of the aggregates. In contrast, the hydrophobicity of the aggregates remains unperturbed.