Nanoparticle modification by weak polyelectrolytes for pH-sensitive pickering emulsions

The affinity of weak polyelectrolyte coated oxide particles to the oil-water interface can be controlled by the degree of dissociation and the thickness of the weak polyelectrolyte layer. Thereby the oil in water (o/w) emulsification ability of the particles can be enabled. We selected the weak polyacid poly(methacrylic acid sodium salt) and the weak polybase poly(allylamine hydrochloride) for the surface modification of oppositely charged alumina and silica colloids, respectively. The isoelectric point and the pH range of colloidal stability of both particle-polyelectrolyte composites depend on the thickness of the weak polyelectrolyte layer. The pH-dependent wettability of a weak polyelectrolyte-coated oxide surface is characterized by contact angle measurements. The o/w emulsification properties of both particles for the nonpolar oil dodecane and the more polar oil diethylphthalate are investigated by measurements of the droplet size distributions. Highly stable emulsions can be obtained when the degree of dissociation of the weak polyelectrolyte is below 80%. Here the average droplet size depends on the degree of dissociation, and a minimum can be found when 15 to 45% of the monomer units are dissociated. The thickness of the adsorbed polyelectrolyte layer strongly influences the droplet size of dodecane/water emulsion droplets but has a less pronounced impact on the diethylphthalate/water droplets. We explain the dependency of the droplet size on the emulsion pH value and the polyelectrolyte coating thickness with arguments based on the particle-wetting properties, the particle aggregation state, and the oil phase polarity. Cryo-SEM visualization shows that the regularity of the densely packed particles on the oil-water interface correlates with the degree of dissociation of the corresponding polyelectrolyte.     

Novel polyelectrolyte complexes between N-carboxyethylchitosan and synthetic polyelectrolytes

Novel polyelectrolyte complexes (PEC) between the polyampholyte N-carboxyethylchitosan (CECh) and polyacid or polybase have been prepared. The complex formation between CECh and poly(2-acryloylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) or poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) has been studied. The complex CECh/PAMPS is formed in the pH range from 1.2 to 6.0. The complex CECh/PAA is formed in the range 4.8-6.0 and CECh/PEI—from pH 5.4 to 7.0. The stoichiometry of the complexes depends on the pH value of the medium. In case of CECh/PAMPS and CECh/PAA the maximum quantity of complex is formed in excess of CECh and in the case of CECh/PEI—in excess of PEI. It has been shown that PEC formation between CECh and PAMPS improves the haemocompatibility of CECh.     

Colloidal stability of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: influence of natural organic matter and synthetic polyelectrolytes

The colloidal behavior of natural organic matter (NOM) and synthetic poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-coated ferrimagnetic (γFe(2)O(3)) nanoparticles (NPs) was investigated. Humic acid (HA), an important component of NOM, was extracted from a peat soil. Two different molecular weight PAAs were also used for coating. The colloidal stability of the coated magnetic NPs was evaluated as a resultant of the attractive magnetic dipolar and van der Waals forces and the repulsive electrostatic and steric-electrosteric interactions. The conformational alterations of the polyelectrolytes adsorbed on magnetic γFe(2)O(3) NPs and their role in colloidal stability were determined. Pure γFe(2)O(3) NPs were extremely unstable because of aggregation in aqueous solution, but a significant stability enhancement was observed after coating with polyelectrolytes. The steric stabilization factor induced by the polyelectrolyte coating strongly dictated the colloidal stability. The pH-induced conformational change of the adsorbed, weakly charged polyelectrolytes had a significant effect on the colloidal stability. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed the stretched conformation of the HA molecular chains adsorbed on the γFe(2)O(3) NP surface at pH 9, which enhanced the colloidal stability through long-range electrosteric stabilization. The depletion of the polyelectrolyte during the dilution of the NP suspension decreased the colloidal stability under acidic solution conditions. The conformation of the polyelectrolytes adsorbed on the NP surface was altered as a function of the substrate surface charge as viewed from AFM imaging. The polyelectrolyte coating also led to a reduction in magnetic moments and decreased the coercivity of the coated γFe(2)O(3) NPs. Thus, the enhanced stabilization of the coated maghematite NPs may facilitate their delivery in the groundwater for the effective removal of contaminants.     

Fabrication and properties of pH-sensitive nanostructured polyelectrolyte microparticles loaded with insulin

Thorough investigation and comparative study were conducted for insulin-loaded microparticles fabricated by consecutive adsorption of polyanions (dextran sulfate and chitosan sulfate) and polycations (chitosan and protamine) onto protein microaggregates. The possible regulation of insulin release from the particles by variation in polyelectrolyte pairs, in the number of their adsorption cycles and in pH of media was demonstrated. For all studied cases the microparticles showed protective action towards insulin inactivation at acid pH values and protein release at pH > 5, corresponding to human gastro-intestinal conditions.     

Microcapsules made of weak polyelectrolytes: templating and stimuli-responsive properties

Hollow microcapsules composed of the weak polyelectrolytes poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMA) are templated on silicon oxide particles using the layer-by-layer adsorption. The colloidal template is removed with a buffer system of hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride. With this buffer system, the template can be dissolved in mild pH conditions, where the polymeric layers are still stable. The morphology and the thickness of the resulting capsules are investigated with atomic force microscopy. The resulting hollow capsules show pH-dependent properties. The shells are stable over a broad pH range and swell and immediately dissolve for pH values below 2.3 and above 11. If the molecular weight of the poly(methacrylic acid) is increased, the enhanced entanglement of the polymers results in a reversible swelling of the capsules at low and at high pH. The swelling degree is probed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. In addition to the pH-dependent size variations, the different ionization degree of poly(methacrylic acid) as a function of pH is used for the selective binding of calcium ions.     

The interaction between artificial antigenes based on synthetic polyelectrolytes with immune system cell: Physico-chemical aspects

The model study on physico-chemical basis of the tentative mechanism of artificial immunogene action was undertaken. Monodisperse carboxylated polystyrene latex was used as model to investigate the following problems: reversibility of polycation adsorption on the negatively charged surface, migration of macromolecules between particles, adsorption of polycation in the presence of abundant proteins. Polycation was proven to adsorb reversibly and, despite its high affinity to the negatively charged surface, to pass from one disperse phase particle to another. Neither positively nor negatively charged proteins prove to hinder polycation adsorption on the surface.     

Three-dimensional architectures based on lanthanide-substituted double-Keggin-type polyoxometalates and lanthanide cations or lanthanide-organic complexes

A family of three-dimensional (3D) architectures based on lanthanide-substituted polyoxometaloborate building blocks, [LnK(H(2)O)(12)][Ln(H(2)O)(6)](2)[(H(2)O)(4)LnBW(11)O(39)H](2)·20H(2)O (Ln = Ce 1, Nd 2), H(2)K(2)(H(2)O)(n)[(C(6)NO(2)H(5))Ln(H(2)O)(5)](2)[(H(2)O)(4)LnBW(11)O(39)H](2)·18H(2)O (Ln = Ce n = 8 3, Nd n = 9 4, C(6)NO(2)H(5) = pyridine-4-carboxylic acid), have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, powder X-ray diffraction and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Compounds 1 and 2 are isostructural, and are built up of lanthanide-substituted double-Keggin-type polyoxoanions [{(H(2)O)(4)Ln(BW(11)O(39)H)}(2)](10-) linked by Ln(3+) cations to form a 3D open framework with one-dimensional (1D) channels. The polyoxoanion [{(H(2)O)(4)Ln(BW(11)O(39)H)}(2)](10-) consists of two α(1)-type mono-Ln-substituted Keggin anions, constituted by two [BW(11)O(39)H](8-) polyoxoanions and two lanthanide cations. When pyridine-4-carboxylic acid ligand was added to the reaction system of 1, 2, compounds 3, 4 were obtained. Isostructural compounds 3 and 4 are constructed from the lanthanide-substituted double-Keggin-type polyoxoanions [{(H(2)O)(4)Ln(BW(11)O(39)H)}(2)](10-) linked by the [Ln(C(6)NO(2)H(5))](3+) bridges to form a 3D channel framework. From the topological point of view, the 3D nets of compounds 1-4 are binodal with three- and six-connected nodes and exhibit a rutile topology. Compounds 1-4 represent the examples of 3D architectures based on lanthanide-substituted polyoxometalates. The magnetic properties of compounds 1-4 have been studied by measuring their magnetic susceptibility in the temperature range 2-300 K.     

Photostability of complexes based on fluorescent CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles and polyelectrolytes

By means of fluorescence spectroscopy, it has been found that the oscillator strength of the electronic transition in CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles increases when the hydrophilic fluorescent CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles form complexes with cationic and anionic polyelectrolytes. However, an increase in the relative quantum yield and photostability is possible only in the complexes of the anionic shell-covered CdSe/ZnS nanoparticles with polycations. The mechanisms of the effect of ionic interactions on the probabilities and channels of electronic transitions in the nanoparticles are discussed.     

Influence of preadsorbed polyelectrolytes on hydrophobic properties of synthetic aluminosilicates

The influence of preadsorbed polyelectrolyte layers on the hydrophilic-hydrophobic properties of synthetic aluminosilicates of a given composition was studied by determining the heat of wetting and considering the respective thermographic data. It was shown that the interactions of polyelectrolytes follow the mechanisms of physical adsorption with the negatively charged sites of the aluminosilicate surface and the mechanism of activated chemisorption with the positively charged sites. It was concluded that cluster mineral-organic structures formed on the modified gels significantly alter physical and chemical properties of their surface, its wettability, and structural-sorption characteristics.     

Fine synthetic nucleoside chemistry based on nucleoside natural products synthesis

Synthetic nucleoside chemistry based on nucleoside natural products synthesis were described. First, a samarium diiodide (SmI 2)-promoted aldol reaction with the use of alpha-phenylthioketone as an enolate was developed. The characteristics of this reaction are that the enolate can be regioselectively generated and the aldol reaction proceeds under near neutral condition. This reaction is proved to be a powerful reaction for the synthesis of complex nucleoside natural products, and herbicidin B and fully protected tunicaminyluracil, which were undecose nucleoside natural products, were synthesized. Next, the synthetic methodology of the caprazamycins, which are promising antibacterial nucleoside natural products, was also developed by the strategy including beta-selective ribosylation without using a neighboring group participation. Our synthetic route provided a range of key analogues with partial structures to define the pharmacophore. Simplification of the caprazamycins was further pursued to develop diketopiperazine analogs.     

Light-emitting devices based on solid electrolytes and polyelectrolytes

The properties of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on organic layers containing mobile ions, so-called light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs), are reviewed. These devices have some unique properties: their current–voltage characteristics are antisymmetric with respect to the origin and they emit light under both forward and reverse bias. The physical processes involved in the emission from LECs are discussed in terms of a thermodynamic model. Recent work on blends of luminescent and ion-conducting polymers is summarized. In addition, the properties of novel single-component LECs and polyelectrolyte-based devices are presented. The results show that LECs with performances superior to that of conventional LED devices can be fabricated, but questions concerning the transient behavior and degradation mechanisms persist. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assembly of multilayer films from polyelectrolytes containing weak and strong acid moieties

Multilayer films were assembled from a copolymer containing both weakly and strongly charged pendant groups, poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) (PSSMA), deposited in alternation with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH). The strongly charged groups (styrene sulfonate, SS) are expected to form electrostatic linkages (to enhance film stability), while the weakly charged groups (maleic acid, MA) can alter multilayer film properties because they are responsive to external pH changes. In this study, we varied several assembly conditions such as pH, SS/MA ratio in PSSMA, and the ionic strength of the polyelectrolyte solutions. The multilayer films were also treated by immersion into pH 2 and 11 solutions after assembly. Quartz crystal microgravimetry and UV-visible spectrophotometry showed that the thickness of PSSMA/PAH multilayers decreases with increasing assembly pH regardless of whether salt was present in the polyelectrolyte solutions. When no salt was added, the multilayers are thinner, smoother, and grow less regularly. Atomic force microscopy images indicate that the presence of salt in polyelectrolyte solutions results in rougher surface morphologies, and this effect is especially significant in multilayers assembled at pH 2 and pH 11. When both polyelectrolytes are adsorbed at conditions where they are highly charged, salt was necessary to promote regular multilayer growth. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies show that the carboxylic acids in the multilayers are essentially ionized when assembled from different pHs in 0.5 M sodium chloride solutions, whereas some carboxylic acids remain protonated in the multilayers assembled from solutions with no added salt. This resulted in different pH stability regimes when the multilayers were exposed to different pH solutions, post assembly.     

Electrodeposition of layered manganese oxide nanocomposites intercalated with strong and weak polyelectrolytes

Multilayered manganese oxide nanocomposites intercalated with strong (poly(diallyldimethylammonium) chloride, PDDA) and weak (poly(allylamine hydrochloride), PAH) polyelectrolytes can be produced on polycrystalline platinum electrode in a thin film form by a simple, one-step electrochemical route. The process involves a potentiostatic oxidation of aqueous Mn2+ ions at around +1.0 V (vs Ag/AgCl) in the presence of polyelectrolytes. Fully charged PDDA polycations are accommodated tightly in the interlayer space by electrostatic interaction with negative charges on the manganese oxide layers, leading to an interlayer distance of 0.97 nm. The layered film prepared with PAH has a larger polymer content (PAH/Mn molar ratio of 0.98) than that (PDDA/Mn molar ratio of 0.43) made with PDDA because of the smaller charging degree of PAH, exhibiting a larger interlayer distance (1.19 nm). The interlayer PAH contains neutral (-NH2) and positively charged (-NH3(+)) amine groups, and the -NH3(+) groups are associated with Cl- (to generate -NH3(+) Cl- ion pairs) as well as the negatively charged manganese oxide layers. Both polyelectrolytes once incorporated were not ion exchanged with small cations in solution. The layered structure of PDDA/MnO(x) was collapsed during the reduction process in a KCl electrolyte solution, accompanying an expansion of the interlayer as a result of incorporation of K+ ions for charge neutrality. On the contrary, the layered PAH/MnO(x) film showed a good electrochemical response due to the redox reaction of Mn3+/Mn4+ couple with no change in the structure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that, in this case, excess negative charges generated on the manganese oxide layers upon reduction can be balanced by the protons being released from the -NH3(+) Cl- sites in the interlayer PAH; the Cl- anions becoming unnecessary are inevitably excluded from the interlayer, and vice versa upon oxidation.     

Multicomponent flocculating systems based on cationic polyelectrolytes

The kinetics of sedimentation of aqueous kaolin dispersion in the presence of multicomponent flocculating additives was studied. Binary and ternary mixtures based on poly-1,2-dimethyl-5-vinylpyridinium methyl sulfate, poly-N,N-dimethyl-N,N-diallylammonium chloride, and poly-N,N,N-trimethyl-N-methacryloyloxyethylammonium methyl sulfate were used as flocculants. The synergistic effect of the cationic polyelectrolytes in such multicomponent systems was revealed.     

Snake-cage redox polyelectrolytes based on anion-exchange resins

Redox polyelectrolytes are described where the polyphenols hydroquinone, pyrogallol, and catechol were absorbed as counterions by a strong base anion-exchange resin in the hydroxide form, and then polymerized by refluxing in 1:1 mole ratio with formaldehyde in aqueous solution, thus producing a “snake-cage” configuration. The redox capacities of the resins were determined by oxidation with iodine/iodide solution, and found to approach theoretical at between 5.1 and 5.4 meq/g. The rate of oxidation was found to be controlled by diffusion within the particles. Fe³⁺ was unsatisfactory as an oxidant, owing to the exclusion effect by the fixed positive charges in the resin matrix. At low pH the resin beads were light to reddish brown in the reduced form, black in the oxidized form. The resins, especially that based on catechol, showed much greater stability in 1N NaOH solution than simple polyphenol–formaldehyde condensation polymers.     

Soluble polyelectrolytes based on some heterocyclic compounds

With the purpose of synthesizing the new types of soluble polyelectrolytes for special purposes radical polymerization and copolymerization of a number of heterocyclic compounds in solvents of different types with wide interval of pH medium was investigated. Interrelationships between reaction ability of the studied monomers and dielectric polarization of the media was established. An essential influence of water and pH medium on the polymerization rate and molecular weight of the synthesized polymers is found. The obtained effects are described on the basis of ionized monomers. The possibility to synthesize stereoisomeric polymers based on individual 3-buten-1-ynylpiperidinol isomers was shown. Some perspective ways of their practical application are given.     

Effect of counterion condensation on the acid-base equilibrium of a pH-sensitive merocyanine dye covalently attached to polyelectrolytes

Effects of monovalent and divalent counterions on the acid-base equilibrium of a pH-sensitive merocyanine dye covalently attached to copolymers of acrylic acid and acrylamide with varying charge densities (0.28 < ξ < 2.8) were investigated. Added chloride salts of Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and NH⁺₄ (< 0.2 mM) had essentially no effect on pK observed (pK^obs) for the equilibrium. By contrast, the salts of Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, Sr²⁺, and Ba²⁺ caused a significant decrease in pK^obs for the copolymers with larger ξ. With smaller ξ, most likely when ξ < 0.5, no decrease in pK^obs was observed upon addition of the salts of divalent cations. A competitive effect of Ca²⁺ and Na²⁺ ions on pK^obs in the presence of an excess of Na⁺ ions implied that Ca²⁺ ions at very low concentrations were preferentially, and therefore exhaustively, condensed on the polyanions with sufficiently large ξ probably until effective charge density was lowered to 0.5. The observed difference in the influence of the monovalent and divalent cations on pK^obs was discussed in terms of the difference in the microscopic behavior of the condensed monovalent and divalent cations. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Viscoelastic properties of nanostructured natural rubber/polystyrene interpenetrating polymer networks

The effects of the blend ratio and initiating system on the viscoelastic properties of nanostructured natural rubber/polystyrene‐based interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) were investigated in the temperature range of ?80 to 150 °C. The studies were carried out at different frequencies (100, 50, 10, 1, and 0.1 Hz), and their effects on the damping and storage and loss moduli were analyzed. In all cases, tan δ and the storage and loss moduli showed two distinct transitions corresponding to natural rubber and polystyrene phases, which indicated that the system was not miscible on the molecular level. However, a slight inward shift was observed in the IPNs, with respect to the glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of the virgin polymers, showing a certain degree of miscibility or intermixing between the two phases. When the frequency increased from 0.1 to 100 Hz, the T_g values showed a positive shift in all cases. In a comparison of the three initiating systems (dicumyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, and azobisisobutyronitrile), the dicumyl peroxide system showed the highest modulus. The morphology of the IPNs was analyzed with transmission electron microscopy. The micrographs indicated that the system was nanostructured. An attempt was made to relate the viscoelastic behavior to the morphology of the IPNs. Various models, such as the series, parallel, Halpin–Tsai, Kerner, Coran, Takayanagi, and Davies models, were used to model the viscoelastic data. The area under the linear loss modulus curve was larger than that obtained by group contribution analysis; this showed that the damping was influenced by the phase morphology, dual‐phase continuity, and crosslinking of the phases. Finally, the homogeneity of the system was further evaluated with Cole–Cole analysis. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1680–1696, 2003