pH-induced reversible permeability control of the 4-carboxy acrylanilide-methyl methacrylate copolymer membrane

To develop a polymer membrane whose permeability of water-soluble compounds could be controlled in response to a pH change of the medium, a polyelectrolyte membrane containing an aromatic carboxyl group, i.e., 4-carboxyacrylanilide (CAAn)-methyl methacrylate(MMA) copolymer membrane, was prepared. The water content of the CAAn-MMA copolymer membrane increased with increasing pH owing to ionization change in the CAAn moiety. This increase was particularly remarkable in the pH range from 5 to 7. The change in water content was reversible and could be controlled by the CAAn composition in the copolymer. Permeation of 1,4-bis(2-hydroxyethoxy)benzene(DHEB) through the CAAn-MMA copolymer membrane was investigated in solutions of various pH. Change in the permeability of DHEB in function of the pH was similar to the change in membrane water content. This was explained by an increase in the permeation pathway of DHEB in the membrane, in proportion to that in the water content. Moreover, when a pH-sensitive membrane was placed in a solution in which an enzymatic reaction occurred, substrate-induced permeation control of DHEB through the CAAn-MMA copolymer membrane was possible.     

Study on modification of polymers with the aid of the Schmidt reaction

A study of the Schmidt reaction on several polymers with pendant carboxylic and ketone moieties was carried out. Four polymers were used as starting materials: (1) poly(methyl vinyl ketone), (2) poly(acrylic acid), (3) a copolymer of methyl vinyl ketone and acrylic acid, and (4) a copolymer of styrene and acrylic acid. Most reactions were conducted in an acetic acid medium with the exception of one reaction on poly(acrylic acid) which was done in dioxane and another on copolymer of styrene and acrylic acid done in chloroform. It was found that a Schmidt reaction on poly(acrylic acid) in acetic acid solution will lead to intermolecular reactions of the intermediate with the solvent in preference to reactions with neighboring carboxyl groups on the polymer backbone. A tendency of poly(acrylic acid) to form cyclic anhydrides under these reaction conditions interferes with the yield of acetamide units.     

pH-responsive copolymer films by surface-catalyzed growth

We have engineered a new class of pH-responsive polymer films on gold surfaces by first developing a controlled, surface-catalyzed polymerization to prepare a copolymer film consistent with poly(methylene-co-ethyl acetate) and subsequently hydrolyzing the ester side chains to varying extents to yield carboxylic acids (denoted as PM-CO2H). When pH is increased, the acid groups become deprotonated or charged, dramatically increasing their water solubility and greatly altering the film properties. The carboxylic acid content within the copolymer film can be adjusted by changing the monomer concentration ratio used in the polymerization process or the length of time for the hydrolysis. We have designed PM-CO2H films to consist predominately (>95%) of polymethylene (PM) so that the film is hydrophobic in the uncharged state and, thereby, exhibits an extremely large pH-induced response in barrier properties once ionized. The effect of polymer composition on pH response was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), reflectance-absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS), and contact angle measurements. At a 1%-4% molar acid content, the copolymer film exhibits a 5 orders of magnitude change in its resistance to ion transport over 2-3 pH units. The pH at which this response begins can be tailored from pH 5 to pH 10 by decreasing the acid content in the film from 4% to 1%.     

Effects of copolymer concentration and chain length on the pH-responsive behavior of diblock copolymer micellar films

The pH-responsive behavior of adsorbed diblock copolymer films of PDMA-PDEA (poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)) on silica has been characterized using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), an optical reflectometer (OR) and an atomic force microscope (AFM). The copolymer was adsorbed at pH 9 from various copolymer concentrations; QCM-D measurements indicate that the level of desorption when rinsed at pH 9 depends on the initial copolymer concentration. The adsorbed films produced at pH 9 generally have low charge densities; adjusting the solution pH to 4 results in a significant protonation of the constituent copolymers and a related interfacial structural change for the copolymer film. OR studies show no significant change during pH cycling, while QCM-D measurements indicate that the adsorbed mass and dissipation alter dramatically in response to the solution pH. The difference between the QCM-D adsorbed masses and dissipation values at pH 4 and 9 were found to be dependent on the initial copolymer concentration. This is due to differences in the initial conformations within the adsorbed copolymer layers at pH 9. The effect of the PDMA chain length on the pH-responsive behavior has also been studied; both the QCM-D adsorbed mass and dissipation of PDMA54-PDEA24 (shorter PDMA block) at pH 4 and 9 were observed to be greater than those of PDMA9X-PDEA2Y (longer PDMA block). This suggests that the normal extension of the adsorbed PDMA54-PDEA24 copolymer films is more significant than that of the PDMA9X-PDEA2Y films on silica.     

Morpholine-Substituted Rhodamine Analogue with Multi-Configurational Switches for Optical Sensing of pH Gradient under Extreme Acidic Environments

Superior pH-responsive molecules are required for the development of functional materials applicable to advanced molecular technologies. Despite having been widely developed, many rhodamine-based pH-responsive molecules exhibit a single configurational switch for “turn-on”. Herein, we report a new type of rhodamine-based pH-responsive molecule with multi-configurational switches displaying stable two-step structural and color conversion in response to pH. This rhodamine analogue could be successfully applied to optical sensing of pH gradient under extreme acidic environments both in solution and on hydrogel through high-contrast color change. We demonstrated that this multi-responsive character enabled optical memory of different pH information.     

Reversible pH-triggered encapsulation and release of pyrene by adsorbed block copolymer micelles

The well-established ability of copolymer micelles to encapsulate and release hydrophobic molecules has been investigated following their adsorption onto silica particles. Here, a pH-responsive copolymer, poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)- b-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMA(106)- b-PDEA(25)), has been used to study the formation and dissociation of adsorbed micelles through pH variation. This copolymer behaves as free unimers in aqueous solutions below pH 8 and forms micelles 29 nm in hydrodynamic diameter above this pH. Encapsulation and release of a model hydrophobic compound (pyrene) by in situ adjustment of the solution pH has been compared for both free and adsorbed micelles using fluorescence spectrophotometry, epifluorescence microscopy, and zeta potential measurements. At basic pH values, pyrene is solubilized within the cores of micelles adsorbed on silica particles: addition of acid leads to micelle dissociation and release of the pyrene into the bulk aqueous solution. Micelle adsorption does not appear to hinder the extent of pyrene uptake/release. Moreover, this pH-responsive behavior is both reversible and reproducible over multiple pH cycles.     

pH-responsive behavior of selectively quaternized diblock copolymers adsorbed at the silica/aqueous solution interface

The desorption and subsequent pH-responsive behavior of selectively quaternized poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMA-PDEA) films at the silica/aqueous solution interface has been characterized. The copolymer films were prepared at pH 9, where micelle-like surface aggregates are spontaneously formed on silica. The subsequent rinse with a copolymer-free electrolyte solution adjusted to pH 9 causes partial desorption of the weakly or non-quaternized copolymers, but negligible desorption for the highly quaternized copolymers. Further rinsing with a pH 4 electrolyte solution results in additional desorption and extension (swelling) of the remaining adsorbed copolymer film normal to the interface. This pH-responsive behavior is reversible for two pH cycles (9-4-9-4) as monitored by both quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and also zeta potential measurements. The magnitude of the pH-responsive behavior depends on the mean degree of quaternization of the PDMA block. Moreover, a combination of contact angle data, zeta potential measurements and in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies indicates that the pH-responsive behavior is influenced not only by the number of cationic binding sites on the adsorbed copolymer chains but also by the adsorbed layer structure.     

离子型表面活性单体存在下的MMA/BA乳液聚合(Ⅰ)——表面活性单体的合成及其(共)聚合活性

合成了两种离子型表面活性单体(Surfmer)磺化-十二醇-烯丙基甘油-丁二酸酯钠盐(ZC-L)和磺化-十二醇-甲基丙烯酰甘油-丁二酸酯钠盐(ZD-L).着重研究了ZC-L的结构、表面张力行为、均聚及共聚能力.实验结果表明,不同Surfmer用量以及不同固含量下,MMA/BA/Surfmer,MMA/Surfmer及BA/Surfmer共聚乳液的表面张力较高,说明Surfmer已通过共聚结合在乳胶粒上,乳液中残留甚少.对MMA/BA体系,ZC-L的共聚性能比ZD-L好.     

Conformational transition of the copolymer of maleic acid and styrene in aqueous solution. II

The temperature dependence of the conformational transition from a compact to expanded-coil form of the alternating copolymer of maleic acid with styrene in aqueous 0.03M NaCl solution was studied at 15 to 40°C by pH titration, optical titration, and calorimetric measurements. The pH titration curve scarcely changed with temperature. The degree of dissociation of primary carboxyl groups in the copolymer at the midpoint of the conformational transition, determined by the optical titration, was almost independent of temperature. The standard enthalpy change of the transition at 25°C estimated from the calorimetric data was 0.36₃ kcal/mole, which may mean that the difference between the standard free energy changes of the transition at 20°C and 40°C does not exceed experimental error. The enthalpy change agrees well with the heat of transfer of benzene from the hydrophobic to the aqueous medium, and thus the compact form of the copolymer is considered to be stabilized by the hydrophobic interaction between the phenyl residues in the interior of the molecule.     

Characterizing the pH-responsive behavior of thin films of diblock copolymer micelles at the silica/aqueous solution interface

The pH-responsive behavior of cationic diblock poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) copolymer micelles adsorbed at the silica/aqueous solution interface has been characterized. The micellar morphology of this copolymer, initially adsorbed at pH 9, can be dramatically altered by lowering the solution pH. The original micelle-like morphology of the adsorbed copolymer chains at pH 9 completely disappears as the pH is decreased to 4, and a brush-like layer structure is produced. This change results from protonation of the copolymer chains: the subsequent electrostatic repulsions within the film drive the copolymer chains to expand into the aqueous phase. Returning the solution pH from 4 to 9 causes this brush-like layer to collapse, with atomic force microscopy images suggesting degradation of the film. Hence, the pH-responsive behavior of the copolymer film exhibits irreversible morphological changes. Measurements of the adsorbed/desorbed amounts of the copolymer film were conducted using both a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and optical reflectometry (OR). After an initial rinse at both pH values, the OR adsorbed mass becomes almost constant during subsequent pH cycling, whereas the corresponding QCM-D adsorbed mass changes significantly but reversibly in response to the solution pH. Since the QCM-D measures a bound mass that moves in tandem with the surface, the discrepancy with the OR data is due to changes in the amount of bound water in the copolymer film as a result of the pH-induced changes in surface morphology. The larger effective mass observed at pH 4 suggests that the brush-like layer contains much more entrapped water than the micellar films at pH 9. The pH dependence of the contact angle of the adsorbed film is consistent with the changes observed using the other techniques, regardless of whether the solution pH is altered in situ or the aqueous solution is completely replaced. In fact, comparison of these two approaches provides direct evidence of the exposure of adsorbed micelle core blocks to the solution during pH cycling and the concomitant impact upon all the other measurements.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Aqueous Solution Behavior of a pH-responsive Double Hydrophilic Block Copolymer

The pH-responsive double hydrophilic block copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(methacylic acid-co-4-vinyl benzylamine hydrochloride salt) (PEG-b-PMAA/PVBAHS) was synthesized. A series of PEG-b-PMAA/PVBAHS with different molecule weights and compositions were characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, elemental analysis and TGA. With different MAA/VBAHS ratio, the PEG-b-PMAA/PVBAHS copolymers had the different isoelectric point (IEP). Supermolecular structures of the block copolymers could be formed by the interionic interactions at different solution pH. Experiment results showed that the structures of the pH-responsive copolymers in aqueous solution could be changed at different pH environments. The aggregation of this double hydrophilic block copolymer in aqueous solution was determined by both of solution pH and copolymer composition.     

Formation of gold@polymer core-shell particles and gold particle clusters on a template of thermoresponsive and pH-responsive coordination triblock copolymer

Template synthesis of various morphological gold colloidal nanoparticles using a thermoresponsive and pH-responsive coordination triblock copolymer of poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine)-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) is studied. The template morphology of the thermoresponsive and pH-responsive coordination triblock copolymer, which can be tuned by simply changing the pH or temperature of the triblock copolymer aqueous solution, ranges from single chains to core-corona micelles and further to micellar clusters. Various morphological gold colloidal nanoparticles such as discrete gold nanoparticles, gold@polymer core-shell nanoparticles, and gold nanoparticle clusters are synthesized on the corresponding template of the triblock copolymer by first coordination with gold ions and then reduction by NaBH4. All three resultant gold colloidal nanoparticles are stable in aqueous solution, and their sizes are 2, 10, and 7 nm, respectively. The gold@polymer core-shell nanoparticles are thermoresponsive. The gold nanoparticle cluster has a novel structure, and each one holds about 40 single gold nanoparticles.     

Fluorenyl-containing sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s (SPFEEKK) for fuel cell applications

A series of fluorenyl-containing sulfonated poly(aryl ether ether ketone ketone)s (SPFEEKK) were synthesized via aromatic nucleophilic substitution polymerization. The sulfonation content (SC) was controlled by the feed ratios of sulfonated and nonsulfonated monomers. Flexible and strong membranes in the sulfonic acid form were obtained from cast membranes in the sodium salt forms by treatment with acid. The thermal properties, water uptake, swelling ratio, water state, oxidative stability, proton conductivity and methanol permeability were investigated. All the polymers had proton conductivities greater than 1 × 10⁻² S/cm at room temperature, and the conductivity values of m-SPFEEKK-80 and p-SPFEEKK-80 were up to 1.86 × 10⁻¹ and 1.78 × 10⁻¹ S/cm at 100 °C. This series of polymers also possessed good dimensional stability in water and low methanol crossover.     

聚乙二醇-聚谷氨酸-聚丙氨酸三嵌段共聚物的合成及其胶束的pH-响应性药物控制释放

通过大分子引发剂ω-胺基-α-甲氧基聚乙二醇引发N-羧基-α-氨基环内酸酐开环聚合和酸性水解制备了一种具有pH-响应性的三嵌段共聚物聚乙二醇-聚谷氨酸-聚丙氨酸(mPEG-PLGA-PLAA).通过核磁共振、ζ-电势、动态光散射、电子显微镜等手段表征了此类三嵌段共聚物的自组装过程及所形成胶束的pH-响应性.使用圆二色谱和红外光谱,分析了胶束结构随环境pH值转变过程中聚氨基酸链段二级结构的变化.以阿霉素作为模型药物,研究了三嵌段共聚物的载药能力和在不同pH条件下的药物释放能力.在碱性条件下,PLGA链段去质子化,链段从疏水性变为亲水性,胶束中间层由于水合作用变得松散,药物释放速率增加;在酸性条件下,PLGA链段质子化,不带电荷,与阿霉素药物分子间的静电相互作用消失.同时,PLGA链段α-螺旋含量增加,形成由链内氢键维持的刚性棒状结构,将链段周围包埋的药物分子"挤出",加速了药物的释放.     

Determination of sulfonated azo dyes in river water samples by capillary zone electrophoresis

A method based on capillary zone electrophoresis coupled with photodiode-array detection has been developed to determine several sulfonated dyes, including a sulfonated dye (acid yellow 1), and the sulfonated azo dyes acid orange 7, acid orange 12, acid orange 52, acid red 26, acid red 27 and acid red 88. A CElect-FS75 CE column is used. The electrophoresis buffer contains a 1:5 dilution of 10 mM phosphoric acid and tetrabutylammonium hydroxide buffer (pH 11.5), and 25 mM of triethylamine, the final pH being 11.55. The detection limits for the seven dyes ranged from 0.1 to 4.53 microg/ml. Spiked river water samples (100 ml), containing different concentration levels (0.025-0.150 microg/ml) of the dyes were analyzed after acidification (pH 3) and pre-concentration in disposable SPE Oasis HLB, 1 ml cartridges.     

Novel polymeric vesicles with pH-induced deformation character for advanced drug delivery

pH-responsive amphiphilic graft macromolecules consisting of a polyphosphazene backbone, hydrophilic PEG branches and pH-sensitive DPA were successfully synthesized and characterized. The copolymer can self-assemble into vesicles in an aqueous solution with unique inner structure and homogeneously encapsulate both lipophilic and hydrophilic molecules. The pH-dependent structure change of vesicles was also observed by DLS and TEM. Dox-loaded vesicles exhibit a sharp pH-responsive drug release profile and dramatically enhance the cytotoxicity of Dox against Dox-resistant MCF-7/adr cells. These results suggest such vesicles based on pH-responsive polyphosphazene hold great potential for specific drug therapy.     

磺化侧苯基杂萘联苯聚醚酮酮的合成与性能

以4-(3-苯基-4-羟基苯基)-2,3-二氮杂萘-1-酮(DHPZ-P)、 4-(4-羟基苯基)-2,3-二氮杂萘-1-酮(DHPZ)和1,4-二(4'-氟苯甲酰基)苯(BFBB)为原料, 经溶液亲核取代缩聚反应, 通过调节DHPZ-P和DHPZ的比例, 合成了一系列侧苯基杂萘联苯聚醚酮酮(PPEKK-P), 然后以浓硫酸为磺化剂, 制备出一系列磺化侧苯基杂萘联苯聚醚酮酮(SPPEKK-P). 利用傅里叶变换红外光谱(FTIR)和氢核磁共振谱(¹H NMR)对聚合物结构进行表征, 结果表明, 磺酸基团引入到聚合物链的侧苯基上. 采用溶液浇铸法制备SPPEKK-P质子交换膜. SPPEKK-P膜的吸水率、 溶胀率和质子传导率均随离子交换容量(IEC)的增加而增加, 且具有较好的耐氧化性. IEC最高的SPPEKK-P-100膜的质子传导率在95℃能达到7.44×10^-2 S/cm, 且甲醇渗透系数为5.57×10^-8 cm²/s, 阻醇性能优于Nafion117膜.     

含羧酸酯侧基的聚芳醚酮酮醚酮酮的合成与表征

以含羧基侧基的聚芳醚酮酮醚酮酮(PEKKEKK-A)树脂为原料,二氯亚砜(SOCl2)、二氯乙烷(DCE)、吡啶为催化溶剂体系,合成带甲酰氯侧基的聚芳醚酮酮醚酮酮(PEKKEKK-C)树脂.PEKKEKK-C与甲醇、乙醇、丁醇、辛醇、苯酚等发生酯化反应,得到5种含羧酸酯侧基的聚芳醚酮酮醚酮酮(PEKKEKK-E)s.用红外光谱(FTIR)、氢核磁谱(1H-NMR)、广角X射线衍射(WAXD)、热失重(TGA)、示差扫描量热(DSC)等技术对其结构与性能进行了分析表征.结果表明,聚合物为非晶聚集态;玻璃化转变温度(Tg)在175.7～236.8℃之间,较PEKK有较大幅度提高;出现两次热失重平台,分别在335～365℃,460～505℃之间,第一次失重可能由于酯分解所致,第二次失重可能是分子主链开始分解;树脂能溶解于DMAc、NMP、二氯甲烷等普通有机溶剂中,溶剂挥发后成膜性良好,可制成透明薄膜;断裂伸长率在6.34%～15.43%之间,拉伸强度在74.68～85.35MPa之间。     

N-去甲万古霉素亲和吸附剂的合成及性能

将N,N二甲基丙烯酰胺N,N′乙撑双丙烯酰胺共聚物部分水解,在共聚物中引入适量的羧基.含羧基的聚合物与氨基酸甲酯缩合,然后使酯基皂化,将氨基酸引入聚合物.将革兰氏阳性菌细胞壁粘肽的三种类似物(-Gly,-Gly-DAla,-Gly-DAla-DAla)分别引入上述聚合物,合成了3种万古霉素系列抗菌素的亲和吸附剂(Ⅰ,Ⅱ和Ⅲ).结果表明,吸附剂Ⅱ和吸附剂Ⅲ对N去甲万古霉素的吸附量分别为0.80和0.86mmol/g;最佳吸附pH值为6左右;吸附剂Ⅰ的吸附量随着吸附液中盐浓度的增加而显著降低,而吸附液中盐浓度对吸附剂Ⅱ的吸附量影响较小.说明亲和作用在吸附剂Ⅱ的吸附中贡献较大.用0.4mol/LNa₂CO₃(pH9.5)/CH₃CN(体积比为7/3)作为洗脱剂可完全脱附被吸附的N去甲万古霉素.     

717型阴离子交换树脂吸附水溶性芳香族有机污染物研究

研究了717型阴离子交换树脂对苯酚、苯甲酸和十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)等水溶性芳香族污染物吸附过程的基本化学问题.研究结果表明:717型树脂对苯酚、苯甲酸和SDBS的吸附过程均符合Lagergren二级吸附动力学方程,吸附速率均随着温度的升高而加快,吸附表观活化能Ea分别为13.2kJ/mol、59.5kJ/mol和48.1kJ/mol,吸附过程△H0和△S0均为正值,△G0均为负值,吸附能够自发进行;吸附等温模型符合Langmuir等温式;318K时,717型树脂在pH=9.1对SDBS的饱和吸附容量为360mg/g;在pH=10.2,对苯酚和苯甲酸的饱和吸附容量分别为194mg/g和286mg/g.用浓度均为0.5mol/L,体积比为5∶1的NaCl-NaOH混合溶液可快速洗脱树脂上吸附的污染物,洗脱率达98％以上.该树脂对水溶性芳香族污染物吸附容量大,易于再生和循环利用,可用于环境水体中水溶性芳香族有机污染物的吸附治理.