Frontal polymerization synthesis and characterization of temperature- and pH-sensitive hydrogels

The temperature- and pH-sensitive hydrogels, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) (P(NIPAM-co-AAc)), were synthesized via frontal polymerization (FP). The reaction components have been varied in order to find their influences on frontal parameters and copolymer features. The results showed that front velocity and front temperature were dependent on the initiator concentration, reactant dilution, and NIPMA/AAc molar ratio. In addition, the morphology and sensitive behavior of the FP hydrogels were mainly affected by monomers’ ratio. Namely, the pore size, swelling abilities, LCST, and response kinetics of copolymer hydrogels obviously increased with the increasing acrylic acid concentration; however, they slightly changed with varying of amounts of initiator and solvent. Finally, in comparison with the hydrogels prepared by conventional batch polymerization, the ones synthesized by frontal polymerization exhibited more homogeneous chain composition and improved microstructure and response ability.     

Synthesis and Swelling Behaviors of P(AMPS-co-AAc) Superabsorbent Hydrogel Produced by Glow-Discharge Electrolysis Plasma

Highly swelling P(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid- co-acrylic acid) (P(AMPS-co-AAc)) superabsorbent hydrogel was synthesized in aqueous solution by a simple one-step using glow-discharge electrolysis plasma technique, in which N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide was used as a crosslinking agent. The structure, thermal stability and morphology of P(AMPS-co-AAc) superabsorbent hydrogel were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. A mechanism for synthesis of P(AMPS-co-AAc) superabsorbent hydrogel was proposed. The reaction parameters affecting the equilibrium swelling (i.e., discharge voltage, discharge time, macroscopic temperature of the liquid phase, mass ratio of AMPS to AAc, and content of crosslinker) were systematically optimized to achieve a superabsorbent hydrogel with a maximum swelling capacity. The hydrogel formed which absorbed about 1,685 g H₂O/g dry hydrogel of the optimized product was used to study the influence of various pH values and salts solutions (NaCl, KCl, MgCl₂, and CaCl₂) on the equilibrium swelling. In addition, swelling kinetics in distilled water and on–off switching behavior were preliminarily investigated. The results showed that superabsorbent hydrogel was responsive to the pH and salts.     

Adsorption of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-4-vinylpyridine) onto core-shell poly(styrene-co-methylacrylic acid) microspheres

Adsorption of the thermoresponsive copolymer of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-4-vinylpyridine) (PNIPAM-co-P4VP) onto the core-shell microspheres of poly(styrene-co-methylacrylic acid) (PS-co-PMAA) is studied. The core-shell PS-co-PMAA microspheres are synthesized by one-stage soap-free polymerization in water. The copolymer of PNIPAM-co-P4VP is synthesized by free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide and 4-vinylpyridine in the mixture of DMF and water using K₂S₂O₈ as initiator. Adsorption of PNIPAM-co-P4VP onto the core-shell PS-co-PMAA microspheres results in formation of the composite microspheres of PS/PMAA-P4VP/PNIPAM. The driven force to adsorb the copolymer of P4VP-co-PNIPAM onto the core-shell PS-co-PMAA microspheres is ascribed to hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic affinity between the P4VP and PMAA segments. The resultant composite microspheres of PS/PMAA-P4VP/PNIPAM with surface chains of PNIPAM are thermoresponsive in water and show a cloud-point temperature at about 33 °C.     

Synthesis and characterization of AgBr nanocomposites by templated amphiphilic comb polymer

A novel amphiphilic graft copolymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-chlorotrifluoroethylene)-g-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (P(VDF-co-CTFE)-g-P4VP) at 65:35 wt.%, respectively, was synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), as confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Silver bromide (AgBr) nanoparticles were in situ generated within the self-assembled P(VDF-co-CTFE)-g-P4VP graft copolymer. TEM, UV–visible spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses support the successful formation of P(VDF-co-CTFE)-g-P4VP nanocomposites consisting of stabilized AgBr nanoparticles mostly 20–40 nm in size, which is presumably due to the capping action of the coordinating pyridine groups of the graft copolymer. The wavenumber of pyridine nitrogen in FT-IR spectra and the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the graft polymer measured by DSC shifted upon the formation of AgBr nanoparticles, indicating specific interactions between the nanoparticles and the graft copolymer matrix.     

The Influence of Reaction Conditions on the Copolymer Composition in Inverse Miniemulsion

Summary: Water-soluble poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid-co-1-vinylimidazole) (P(AMPS-co-1-VIm)) and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane-1-sulfonic acid-co-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (P(AMPS-co-DAMA)) are studied as it is known that the copolymer composition is affected by pH of the monomer phase in inverse miniemulsion. The distribution of the basic monomers in the continuous and dispersed phase changes due to their degrees of protonation. The amounts of the monomers in the cyclohexane phase is determined by gas chromatography, the copolymer composition is studied by elemental and thermogravimetric analysis. An insight into the monomer distribution in the polymer is provided by simultaneous potentiometric and conductometric titration of polymer solutions.     

Brush macro‐RAFT agent mediated dispersion polymerization of styrene in the alcohol/water mixture

Dispersion RAFT polymerization of styrene in the alcohol/water mixture mediated with the brush macro‐RAFT agent of poly[poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether vinylphenyl‐co‐styrene] trithiocarbonate [P(mPEGV‐co‐St)‐TTC] with similar molecular weight but different chemical composition is investigated. Well‐controlled RAFT polymerization including an initial slow homogeneous polymerization and a subsequent fast heterogeneous polymerization at almost complete monomer conversion is achieved. The molecular weight of the synthesized block copolymer increases linearly with the monomer conversion, and the polydispersity is relatively narrow (PDI < 1.3). The RAFT polymerization kinetics is dependent on the chemical composition in the brush macro‐RAFT agents, and those with high content of hydrophobic segment lead to fast RAFT polymerization. The growth of the block copolymer nano‐objects during the RAFT polymerization is explored, and various block copolymer nano‐objects such as nanospheres, worms, vesicles and large‐compound‐micelle‐like particles are prepared. The parameters such as the chemical composition in the brush macro‐RAFT agent, the chain length of the solvatophobic block, the concentration of the feeding monomer and the solvent character affecting the size and morphology of the block copolymer nano‐objects are investigated. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3177–3190     

聚苯乙烯-b-聚丙烯酸模板剂成核段长度对聚苯胺尺寸及性能的影响

以两亲性嵌段共聚物为模板是构筑导电聚合物纳米结构并对其形貌尺寸进行调控的有效方法之一。 嵌段共聚物成核段长度的变化对其胶束化行为有显著影响,进而也会改变受限于其胶束形貌的导电聚合物的形貌尺寸。 形貌尺寸的变化必然导致导电聚合物电化学性能变化。 本文欲通过嵌段共聚物模板诱导实现对聚苯胺(PANI)形貌尺寸的调控并使其电化学性能得到优化,采用可逆加成-断裂链转移自由基聚合(RAFT)法成功合成了嵌段共聚物聚苯乙烯-b-聚丙烯酸PS_x-b-PAA₇₀(x=38、64、101)并以其胶束为“模板”制备了窄相对分子质量分布的PANI。 在成核段(PS)长度较短时,模板诱导形成的棒状PANI颗粒,直径为100~200 nm。当 x=101时PANI呈现空间网状结构,其放电比容量高于其它样品,在电流密度为1 A/g时,其放电比容量可达386.71 F/g。     

Colloidal aqueous dispersion of polyaniline nanotubes grafted non-covalently with poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(acrylic acid) copolymer

Polyaniline (PANI) nanotubes were prepared by oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of two structure-directing agents—salicylic acid (SA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). When using only SA, mainly aggregated nanotube dendrites or coral-like structures have been obtained. Addition of a very small amount of the surfactant SDS, much less than the critical micelle concentration, results in substantial reduction of the aggregated nanotube morphology on the account of isolated PANI nanotubes, which is the favorable structure from the point of view of further modification. In order to make the isolated nanotubes water dispersible, their surface was modified by complex formation (non-covalent grafting) with hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(acrylic acid) copolymer. These water-dispersible PANI nanotubes might be good candidates for some biochemical and biomedical applications.     

以PS-b-P2VP为模板剂诱导调控聚苯胺形貌、尺寸及电化学性能

采用可逆加成-断裂链转移自由基聚合（RAFT）法合成了具有pH响应性的两亲嵌段共聚物聚苯乙烯-b-聚（2-乙烯基吡啶）（PS₁₀₁-b-P2VP₇₀），并以其胶束为"模板"，通过氧化聚合制备聚苯胺（PANI）.通过调节PS₁₀₁-b-P2VP₇₀胶束溶液的pH值，探究PANI颗粒形貌的可控调节及颗粒尺寸与PANI电化学性能之间的关系.利用凝胶渗透色谱（SEC）和核磁共振氢谱（¹H NMR）确定了PS₁₀₁-b-P2VP₇₀的分子量分布及结构；利用傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、透射电子显微镜（TEM）、粒度测试、循环伏安（CV）、计时电位（Chronopotentio-metry）及交流阻抗谱（EIS）对PANI结构、形貌和电化学性能进行了表征.结果表明"模板"法合成的PANI形貌尺寸得到了很好的控制，在pH ≤ 4时其尺寸随pH值的增加而减小；当pH=5时，模板剂中P2VP段疏水性的明显增大导致其胶束颗粒聚集为尺寸较大的聚集体，并使其诱导的PANI颗粒平均粒径显著增大；当pH=4时PANI颗粒在溶液中的平均粒径为141 nm，呈"串状"形貌且分散性最好.PANI具有快速充放电能力和良好的赝电容特性，随颗粒尺寸减小样品电化学性能增强.pH=4时样品电化学活性最好，循环伏安曲线面积最大，放电比容量最高，在电流密度为1 A/g时，其放电比容量可达1411.88 F/g，且该样品阻抗值最小.     

Controllable length adjustment of polyaniline particle with temperature sensitive block copolymer as template

Although the diameter of conductive polymer nanoparticles can be controlled effectively, the uniformity of particle length is still very challenging. In this study, with the temperature‐sensitive block copolymer PS₁₁₁‐b‐PNIPAM₁₁₄ as the template, the morphology and size of polyaniline (PANI) particles had been controllably adjusted through the change of temperature. Additionally, the electrochemical performance of each sample was investigated. After PS₁₁₁‐b‐PNIPAM₁₁₄ was synthesized through the reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerization (RAFT), with its vesicular micelle as the “template”, the PANI particles with uniform length distribution were prepared successfully at 40°C. The average length of PANI particles after template removal was 254.07 nm with a short tail distribution, which was closer to the average than the standard normal distribution. Electrochemical results of PANI showed that it had good electrochemical activity with fast charge and discharge ability. And, with the current density of 1 A·g^?1, its discharge‐specific capacitance could reach up to 805.61 F·g^?1.     

Facile preparation and characterization of copolymer nanoparticles from pyrrole and aniline-2-sulfonic acid

Novel poly(pyrrole-co-aniline-2-sulfonic acid) (PPYAS) nanoparticles were prepared via chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole and aniline-2-sulfonic acid in different aqueous solutions without any external additives. The morphology, structure and electroconductivity of the HCl-doped particles were studied by changing the molar ratio of the oxidant and monomers, and the solvent for polymerization. It was found that the yield, mean diameter and electrical conductivity of the resulting particles varied strongly with the molar ratio of the components. The nanoparticles exhibit a minimum mean diameter of around 62 nm, and good self-stability because of the introduction of sulfo groups into the chains of the copolymer. The preparation affords yield of up to 85%, and the HCl-doped copolymer salts possess an electroconductivity between 0.68 and 0.2 S/cm, depending on the fraction of anilinesulfonic acid.     

Templated synthesis of silver nanoparticles in amphiphilic poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐chlorotrifluoroethylene) comb copolymer

In this study, poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐chlorotrifluoroethylene)‐graft‐poly(oxyethylene methacrylate), P(VDF‐co‐CTFE)‐g‐POEM, an amphiphilic comb copolymer with hydrophobic P(VDF‐co‐CTFE) backbone and hydrophilic POEM side chains at 73:27 wt % was synthesized. The POEM side chains were grafted from the P(VDF‐co‐CTFE) mainchain backbone via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using direct initiation of the chlorine atoms in CTFE units. Synthesis of microphase‐separated P(VDF‐co‐CTFE)‐g‐POEM comb copolymer was successful, as confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), FTIR spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanocomposite films were prepared using the comb copolymer as a template film and the in situ reduction of AgCF₃SO₃ precursor to silver nanoparticles under UV irradiation. Silver nanoparticles with 4–8 nm in average size were in situ created in the solid state template film, as revealed by TEM, UV–visible spectroscopy, and wide angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) presented the selective incorporation and the in situ growth of silver nanoparticles within the hydrophilic POEM domains of microphase‐separated comb copolymer film. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 702–709, 2008     

ABA triblock copolymers with pendant hydroxyl groups prepared by controlled cationic polymerization and their use as delivery carrier for paclitaxel

To improve the hydrophilicity of poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS), this study focuses on the synthesis of novel functional ABA triblock copolymer thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) with polyisobutylene (PIB) as rubbery segments. The precursor poly{(styrene-co-4-[2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy) ethyl]styrene)-b-isobutylene-b-(styrene-co-4-[2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)ethyl]styrene)}(P(St-co-TBDMES)-PIB-P(St-co-TBDMES)) triblock copolymer was first synthesized by living sequential cationic copolymerization of isobutylene (IB) with styrene (St) and 4-[2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy) ethyl]styrene (TBDMES) using 1,4-di(2-chloro-2-propyl)benzene (DiCumCl)/titanium tetrachloride (TiCl₄)/2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine (DtBP) as the initiating system. Then, P(St-co-TBDMES)-PIB-P(St-co-TBDMES) was hydrolyzed in the presence of tetra-butylammonium fluoride to yield poly{[styrene-co-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)styrene]-bisobutylene-b-[styrene-co-4-(2-hydroxyethyl)styrene]} (P(St-co-HOES)-PIB-P(St-co-HOES)) with pendant hydroxyl groups. P(St-co-HOES)-PIB-P(St-co-HOES) used as the paclitaxel carrier was also investigated in this study. Comparing with SIBS, P(St-co-HOES)-PIB-P(St-co-HOES) has exhibited better compatibility with paclitaxel and higher release rate.     

ARGET ATRP 与ROP 结合制备pH 响应两亲性聚合物分子刷及其自组装研究

结合电子转移活化剂再生-原子转移自由基聚合(ARGET ATRP)和开环聚合(ROP)法合成了一种具有无规疏水/ pH 响应结构的两亲性聚合物分子刷聚(甲基丙烯酸聚丙交酯酯-co-甲基丙烯酸)-b-聚甲基丙烯酸单甲氧基聚乙二醇酯 [P(PLAMA-co-MAA)-b-PPEGMA]. 通过核磁共振氢谱(¹H NMR)和凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)表征了聚合物的结构、分子量及分子量分布. 优化了反应条件并合成出分子量可控、分子量分布窄的聚合产物. 采用动态光散射法(DLS)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)研究了聚合物分子刷在水溶液中自组装胶束的粒径、形貌及pH 响应行为. P(PLAMA-co-MAA)-b-PPEGMA 自组装形成粒径分布均匀的球形胶束. 且随着溶液pH 值从7 降低至3, 胶束中的PMAA 逐渐去离子化, 溶胀的胶束逐渐收缩, 粒径由200～300 nm 减小至150 nm 左右; 但当pH 值减小到2 以下, 胶束表面电荷量非常小, 胶束聚集, 使得粒径增大.     

Facile preparation of core‐crosslinked micelles from azide‐containing thermoresponsive double hydrophilic diblock copolymer via click chemistry

Double hydrophilic diblock copolymer, poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide)‐b‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐3‐azidopropylacrylamide) (PDMA‐b‐P(NIPAM‐co‐AzPAM), containing azide moieties in one of the blocks was synthesized via consecutive reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. The obtained diblock copolymer molecularly dissolves in aqueous solution at room temperature, and can further supramolecularly self‐assemble into core‐shell nanoparticles consisting of thermoresponsive P(NIPAM‐co‐AzPAM) cores and water‐soluble PDMA coronas above the lower critical solution temperature of P(NIPAM‐co‐AzPAM) block. As the micelle cores contain reactive azide residues, core crosslinking can be facilely achieved upon addition of difunctional propargyl ether via click chemistry. In an alternate approach in which the PDMA‐b‐P(NIPAM‐co‐AzPAM) diblock copolymer was dissolved in a common organic solvent (DMF), the core‐crosslinked (CCL) micelles can be fabricated via “click” crosslinking upon addition of propargyl ether and subsequent dialysis against water. CCL micelles prepared by the latter approach typically possess larger sizes and broader size distributions, compared with that obtained by the former one. In both cases, the obtained (CCL) micelles possess thermoresponsive cores, and the swelling/shrinking of which can be finely tuned with temperature, rendering them as excellent candidates as intelligent drug nanocarriers. Because of the high efficiency and quite mild conditions of click reactions, we expect that this strategy can be generalized for the structural fixation of other self‐assembled nanostructures. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 860–871, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of thermo-responsive copolymeric nanoparticles of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-N-vinylcaprolactam)

Copolymeric nanoparticles of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N-vinylcaprolactam (VCL) were prepared through free radical polymerization using hydrogen peroxide and l-ascorbic acid as a redox initiator in o/w microemulsion containing sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS). The copolymers were characterized by FTIR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and composition of copolymer was determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Reactivity ratio was determined by linear least square and non-linear least square methods. The morphology and particle size distribution of copolymer latexes was determined through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Copolymers were of less than 50 nm size with spherical morphology and latexes were stable for more than 6 months. Phase transition temperature measured through UV-vis spectrometry, for the synthesized copolymer indicates their potential use in biosensors and targeted drug delivery system. Cytotoxicity of nanoparticles was determined by MTT assay on B16F10 melanoma cell lines. Cell viability data shows the IC₅₀ values of copolymeric nanoparticles to be in the range of 0.01-0.1 mg/mL.     

Investigation of cationic soapless P(St-<Emphasis Type="Italic">co</Emphasis>-DMAEMA) latex and its electrostatic adsorption of laponite

Cationic poly(styrene-co-N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (P(St-co-DMAEMA)) latexes were prepared in the absence of surfactant by using 2,2’ -azobis (2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride (AIBA) as the initiator. The effects of the AIBA concentration, HCl/DMAEMA molar ratio and DMAEMA amount on the emulsion polymerization and the latex properties were investigated. The particle morphology and size, the zeta potential and the amino distribution of the P(St-co-DMAEMA) latexes were characterized by transmission electron microscope (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and conductometric titration, respectively. Results showed that the emulsion polymerization performed smoothly with high monomer conversion and narrow particle size distribution under the optimized conditions with AIBA concentration of 1 wt%, HCl/DMAEMA molar ratio of 1.2 and DMAEMA content of 5 wt%. The diameter of the dried latex particles decreased and the density of amino groups on the particle surfaces increased with increasing the DMAEMA content. The zeta potential of the P(St-co-DMAEMA) latexes was pH-dependent and the zero point was around at pH 7.2. A facile method was developed to fabricate P(St-co-DMAEMA)/laponite hybrid nanoparticles via electrostatic adsorption, in which the loading capacity of laponite platelets reached 17.7 wt%, and the resultant hybrid nanoparticles showed good thermal stability.     

Synthesis and characterization of Fe(II)-coordinated PS-b-P[NIPAM-co-(VBC-Fe-DMAP)] block copolymers

In this work,a new type of block polymers,polystyrene-b-poly[(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-co-(vinyl benzyl chloride)](PS-b-P(NIPAM-co-VBC)),was prepared via reversible addition fragmentation transfer polymerization,then pentacyano(4-(dimethylamino pyridine))ferrate(Fe-DMAP) was attached to VBC units through a quaternization process.The Fe(Ⅱ)-coordinated PS-b-P[NIPAM-co-(VBC-Fe-DMAP)]block copolymers were characterized by ~1H-NMR,FT-IR and TGA.The self-assembly behavior of the block copolymers was also investigated and the micelle morphology was characterized by TEM.It was found that the PS-b-P(NIPAM-co-VBC) block polymer and Fe-coordinated block copolymer could both form spherical micelles in DMF/MeOH mixed solvent.     

Synthesis of poly(4-vinyl pyridine-b-methyl methacrylate) by MAMA-SG1 initiated sequential polymerization and formation of metal loaded block copolymer inverse micelles

Well-defined poly(4-vinylpyridine) (P4VP) was synthesised by nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization using the BlocBuilder MAMA-SG1. The controlled character of the polymerization was confirmed by kinetic measurements and linear increase of the molar mass with monomer conversion. Poly(4-vinylpyridine) terminated with SG1 was then used as macroinitiator and chain extended to form poly(4-vinylpyridine-b-methyl methacrylate) and poly(4-vinylpyridine-b-(methyl methacrylate-co-styrene)) block copolymers. These block copolymers spontaneously organized into spherical inverse micelles in THF with critical micelle concentrations of 0.1 mg/mL for poly(4VP₁₉₀-b-MMA₉₁) and 0.01 mg/mL for poly(4VP₁₉₀-b-(MMA₅₇-co-S₁₈)) and sizes of 70 and 130 nm (DLS), respectively. The inverse micelles were loaded with copper(II)acetate leading to a slight increase in micelle size. The uniform structure of the inverse micelles was confirmed by FeSEM images, while the presence of copper in the micelle core was established by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and FTIR spectroscopy.     

两亲性嵌段共聚物PGMA-b-PMAPEG的制备及其胶束的布洛芬药物控制释放性能

利用自由基可逆加成-断链链转移(RAFT)活性/可控聚合法成功合成了两亲性嵌段共聚物聚(甲基丙烯酸缩水甘油酯)-b聚(甲基丙烯酸聚乙二醇酯)(PGMA-b-PMAPEG).利用傅立叶变换红外光谱、核磁共振谱仪、凝胶渗透色谱仪及透射电镜等分析了所合成聚合物的结构、胶束粒径及形貌.以布洛芬作为模型药物负载于聚合物胶束内,考...