Synthesis of a cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative for Iysosome-specific and long-term imaging

The development of long-term imaging agents and subcellular imaging materials is of great importance in the research of cancer cell behaviors. In this work, a cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative(PPV) is designed and synthesized to link quaternized N-methyl-imidazole groups as pendants which endow the polymer to bear positive charges. Absorption and fluorescence emission spectra of PPV display a large Stokes shift of 102 nm which is much larger than the commercial cell dyes. Positively charged polymer could adsorb onto the surface of cells via electrostatic interactions followed by cell endocytosis process to enter cells. Importantly, PPV barely has influence on the cell viability through cytotoxicity analysis. The colocalization data demonstrates that PPV and commercial lysosome-specific dye are highly colocalized in the same region, indicating that the green fluorescent PPV mainly distributes in the lysosomes. Moreover, the continuous imaging investigation shows that PPV could stay in cells for more than seven days while the commercial Lyso-Tracker would be extruded by cells after three days. PPV exhibits superior capabilities including strong fluorescence, large Stokes shift, good biocompatibility and high photostablity, which has great potential in the applications of cellular process monitoring.     

Synthesis and characterization of PEGylated comb-like cationic polymer by polycondensation and ATRP

PEGylated poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) with comb-like architecture was synthesized by two-step polymerization. First,poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) malicate)(POEGMA) bearing pendant hydroxyl groups was prepared by direct polycondensation of oligo(ethylene glycol) and malic acid in the presence of scandium triflate as chemoselective catalyst.Then the poly(2- (dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) side chains were grafted from the POEGMA backbone by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) after the hydroxyl groups were modified into bromo-ester form,resulting in a PEGylated cationic copolymer with branched architecture.     

Interactions between cationic mixed micelles and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)

 The conductances of trimethyltetradecylammonium bromide (TTAB) + trimethylhexa decylammonium bromide (HTAB) and TTAB + trimethyldodecylammonium bromide (DTAB) mixtures over the entire mole fraction range were measured in aqueous poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) containing 1–10 wt% PVP at 30 °C. Each conductivity (κ) curve for the TTAB + HTAB mixtures showed two breaks corresponding to two aggregation processes over the whole mole fraction range, except in the case of pure TTAB, where a single break corresponding to the conventional critical micelle concentration (cmc) was observed. In the case of TTAB + DTAB mixtures, each κ curve at a particular mole fraction of TTAB showed only one break, which was quite close to a similar one in pure water. In TTAB + HTAB mixtures, the first break is called the critical aggregation concentration. It is close to the conventional cmc and is attributed to the polymer-free micelle formation, whereas the second break is due to the polymer-bound micellar aggregates. However, no polymer-bound micellar aggregation process was observed in the case of TTAB + DTAB mixtures. Therefore, the presence of micelle–PVP interactions in the TTAB + HTAB case have been attributed to the stronger hydrophobicity of HTAB or TTAB + HTAB micelles in comparison to that of single or mixed micelles of TTAB + DTAB mixtures. From the conductivity data, various micelle parameters in the presence of PVP have been computed and discussed in terms of micelle–polymer interactions. The mixing behavior of TTAB +  HTAB corresponding to the first break, and that of TTAB + DTAB mixtures in the presence of PVP, is close to ideal and is also identical to that in pure water. Received: 26 August 1999 Accepted: 6 November 1999     

Synthesis of cationic core-shell latex particles

Surfactant-free seeded (core-shell) polymerization of cationic polymer colloids is presented. Polystyrene core particles with sizes between 200 nm and 500 nm were synthesized. The number average diameter of the colloidal core particles increased with increasing monomer concentration. Cationic shells were introduced by co-polymerizing styrene with the cationic monomers (vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride (VBTMAC), [(2-methacryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (METMAC) and [(2-(acryloyloxy)ethyl] trimethylammonium chloride (AETMAC) onto the polystyrene cores. The cationic monomer AETMAC, undocumented to our knowledge in colloid synthesis, produced the best cationic shells and could be incorporated at much higher concentrations in the shell compared to the commonly used VBTMAC and METMAC, which yielded undesired polyelectrolyte side products already at relatively low cationic monomer concentrations. In shell formation, feed concentrations of AETMAC between 1.3 mol% (2.4 wt%) and 10.7 mol% (20 wt%) in styrene could be employed, allowing us to control colloid surface charge density over a wide range. The influence of various polymerization parameters (initiator concentration, cross-linking agent, and ionic strength) on the co-polymerization process with AETMAC is discussed. Core-shell particles were characterized using HR-SEM, potentiometric titration and zeta potential measurements.     

一种1,8-萘酰亚胺衍生物检测半胱氨酸荧光探针 的合成及其在活细胞和秀丽隐杆线虫中成像中的运用

基于1,8-萘酰亚胺衍生物,构建了一种检测半胱氨酸(Cys)的新型荧光探针TPFC-Acryloyl。光谱研究表明该探针能有效识别Cys且能够在1min内实现快速响应。探针对Cys的检测表现出高选择性,检测限为2.13μmol/L。经荧光光谱和质谱实验确证其检测机理为：Cys与TPFC-Acryloyl分子中的丙烯酸酯发生共轭加成-环化反应,进而羟基裸露的同时释放出黄色荧光。细胞毒性测试表明探针TPFC-Acryloyl的细胞毒性低。此外,该探针还被成功应用于活细胞和秀丽隐杆线虫中Cys的荧光成像。     

基于阳离子共轭聚合物比色检测HIV逆转录酶的RNase H活性

利用阳离子聚噻吩衍生物与单链DNA和杂合体DNA/RNA通过静电相结合时所产生的紫外吸收变化,建立了一种检测HIV逆转录酶(RT-HIV)的RNase H活性的方法。阳离子聚噻吩衍生物的紫外吸收最大波长位于短波385nm,与单链DNA结合会使聚噻吩衍生物的紫外吸收最大波长红移至525nm;而与杂合体DNA/RNA结合时对其紫外吸收最大波长几乎没有影响,当利用RT-HIV的核糖核酸酶RNase H活性水解掉杂合体中的RNA时,杂合体溶液又会使聚噻吩衍生物的紫外吸收最大波长发生红移。结果表明,紫外吸收最大波长变化明显,甚至直观用肉眼就可以观察到杂合体水解前后溶液颜色的变化。同时还测定了不同时间下RNase H酶水解杂合体中RNA的吸光度变化曲线,计算出了RNase H酶水解的动力学常数和最大初速度。     

Synthesis and cell transfection properties of cationic uracil-morpholino tetramer

Synthesis and cell transfection properties of guanidinium-functionalized uracil morpholino tetramer have been reported for the first time. Due to the basic nature of guanidinium groups they remain protonated under physiological conditions. Such cationic tetramer exhibits efficient cellular uptake properties as visualized by microscopy imaging using fluorescent dye BODIPY. 7′-End of this morpholino tetramer was functionalized with an azide group for conjugation with various types of biomolecules or drugs for cellular delivery.     

Tuning the optical properties of a water-soluble cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene): surfactant complexation with a conjugated polyelectrolyte

In this work, we investigate the emission and absorbance properties of the novel water-soluble cationic conjugated polymer poly{2,5-bis[3-(N,N,N-triethylammonium bromide)-1-oxapropyl]-1,4-phenylenevinylene}, denoted here as P2, in the presence of varying amounts of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). We show that the absolute photoluminescence quantum efficiency (PLQE), the absorption wavelength, and the emission wavelength of an aqueous solution of P2 can be adjusted according to the surfactant/polymer ratio in aqueous solution. In particular, we show that the addition of SDS to P2 increases the polyelectrolyte's PLQE to approximately 40%. An observed red shift in the emission spectra upon addition of the surfactant is attributed to the reduction in electrostatic repulsive interactions between side chains that minimize the benzene ring twisting along the backbone structure. At the surfactant's critical micelle concentration, the P2 chains wrap around the outer surface of the SDS micelles. This work has implications on the development of new stable poly(p-phenylenevinylene)-based photovoltaic and electroluminescent materials with tunable optical properties.     

Synthesis and characterization of a double photochromic initiator for cationic polymerization

A novel cationic photoinitiator namely, 2-benzyl-2-(N,N-dimethyl-2-oxo-2-phenylethyl) ammonium hexafluoroantimonate-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-butane-1-one (BDMPP⁺ ), carrying two photochromophoric groups was synthesized and characterized. Theoretical absorption characteristics of the salt were studied and compared with those obtained experimentally. Photoinitiation activity of this salt was demonstrated by polymerization of various monomers at λ = 350 nm. Upon irradiation by UV light, cationic species formed from homolytic dissociation followed by electron transfer or directly by heterolytic scission initiate cationic polymerization.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel antimicrobial cationic polyelectrolytes

Cationic polyelectrolytes containing quaternary nitrogen atoms within the main chain were prepared via condensation polymerization of epichlorhydrin (ECH) with benzyl amine (BA). Polyelectrolytes having different molecular weights were obtained by varying the ECH/BA mole ratio. Cationic polymers were characterized by ¹H-NMR and gel permeation chromatography. The antimicrobial activity of the polymers was tested against bacteria, yeast, and fungi.     

Controlling layer thickness and photostability of water-soluble cationic poly(p-phenylenevinylene) in multilayer thin films by surfactant complexation

In this work we build on prior studies of the novel water-soluble cationic conjugated polymer known as "P2" (poly{2,5-bis[3-( N, N, N-triethylammonium bromide)-1-oxapropyl]-1,4-phenylenevinylene}) with a focus on its incorporation into thin films for such applications as photovoltaics or electroluminescent devices. Multilayer assemblies were constructed using P2, the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and the polyanion poly(sodium 4-styrene-sulfonate) (PSS) using the technique of layer-by-layer electrostatic self-assembly (LBL-ESA). SDS was observed to affect the layer thicknesses and absorbance characteristics of the films. We show that the optical properties and photo-oxidative resistance can be improved by varying the SDS content in the assemblies. Specifically, the surfactant-complexed poly( p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) shows an enhanced absorption at longer wavelengths as well as improved photostability. Therefore, our work may have broad implications on the development of stable PPV-based materials in general and their efficient integration into thin films technologies.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(vinylcyclohexane) derivatives

Six nearly monodisperse substituted poly(styrene) homopolymers, poly(styrene) (PS), poly(2-methylstyrene) (P2MS), poly(3-methylstyrene) (P3MS), poly(4-methylstyrene) (P4MS), poly(tertiary-butylstyrene) (PtBS), and poly(α-methylstyrene) (FαMS) were anionically polymerized and subsequently saturated using heterogeneous hydrogenation techniques to poly(vinylcyclohexane) (PVCH), poly(2-methylvinylcyclohexane) (P2MVCH), poly(3-methylvinylcyclohexane) (P3MVCH), poly(4-methylvinylcyclohexane) (P4MVCH), and poly(tertiary-butylvinylcyclohexane) (PtBVCH), respectively. In each case, except PαMS, the materials were saturated to > 99% conversion with no chain degradation. PS hydrogenations required the addition of small amounts of tetrahydrofuran to the reaction solvent cyclohexane to enhance miscibility and eliminate large-scale chain degradation. Density gradient and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements were used to characterize the density and glass transition temperature, T_g, of the unsaturated and saturated polymers. Saturation reduces the density by 3% to 11% and changes T_g substantially. The greatest variation in T_g is obtained with the 3-methyl substituted species where a 63°C increase is observed, while the highest measured T_g is 186°C for P2MVCH. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments on binary mixtures of hydrogenous and deuterium labeled PVCH derivatives provided a determination of bulk chain statistics. The statistical segment length is relatively insensitive to vinylcyclohexane ring substitution, except with P3MVCH where a 20% greater value is obtained. ©1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Control of pi-stacking for highly emissive poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s: synthesis and photoluminescence of new tricyclodecane substituted bulky poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s and its copolymers

In the present work, we have demonstrated a facile approach to increase the luminescence of the poly (p-phenylenevinylene)s via controlling the molecular aggregates induced by pi-stacking. We have synthesized new bulky tricyclodecane (TCD) substituted PPVs: poly(2-methoxy-5-tricyclodecanemethyleneoxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (MTCD-PPV), poly(bis-2,5-tricyclodecanemethyleneoxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene) (BTCD-PPV), and a series of symmetrically substituted bulky PPV copolymers (P-1-P-7) covering the entire composition range from 0 to 100 mol %. The structures of the monomers and polymers were confirmed by 1H NMR and FTIR, and the molecular weights were determined by gel permeation chromatography. The composition analysis by NMR revealed that the bulky monomer was highly reactive and the incorporation of bulky units in MEH-PPV increased irrespective of the feed ratio. The polymers possess good solubility, high molecular weights, good thermal stability, and so forth. The molecular weights of the PPV copolymers were also significantly affected by the bulky substitution: the higher the incorporation of bulky units, the lower the molecular weight. The absorption and emission studies revealed that there was no influence on the MEH-PPV by TCD substitution in solution whereas in the solid state the photoluminescence intensity of PPV increased more than 10 times. The luminescence increase in PPV was observed throughout the entire bulk and was not confined to any particular domain in the polymer. The bulky PPV copolymers showed that both the luminescence intensity (in film) and quantum yields (in solution) increased with an increase in the extent of BTCD incorporation in the MEH-PPV and attained a maximum for 50% BTCD. The TCD unit has thus proved to be an efficient bulky susbstituent for PPV as it controls the pi-stack-induced molecular aggregates in the polymer chains by increasing the interchain distances. The new bulky PPV copolymers are highly soluble, thermally stable, and highly luminescent besides being economically cheap compared to the other materials reported so far for the bulkier approach in pi-conjugated materials.     

Interactions of monomeric and dimeric cationic surfactants with anionic polyelectrolytes: a fluorescence study

The interactions of conventional cationic, i.e. dodecyl-(DTAB), tetradecyl-(TTAB), and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromides (HTAB), and dimeric cationic surfactants, i.e. dimethylene bis decyl-(10-2-10), and dodecyldimethylammonium bromides (12-2-12) with anionic polyelectrolytes, were studied by fluorescence measurements. The variation of I₁/I₃ ratio of the fluorescence of pyrene in aqueous solutions of polyelectrolytes was measured as a function of surfactant concentration. A three-step aggregation process involving the critical aggregation concentration (cac) and critical micelle concentration (cmc) was observed in each case. The cationic surfactants with lower hydrophobicity demonstrated higher degree of binding and vice versa.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of cationic guar gum/poly(acrylic acid) hydrogel membranes

Novel hydrogel membranes (coded as GA) based on cationic guar gum (CGG) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were synthesized with various feed compositions. Their structure and properties were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyses and tensile tests. The structure analyses indicated that there existed strong electrostatic interaction between CGG and PAA, which resulted in uniform structure and complete miscibility between the two components. On the basis of thermogravimetric analyses, the activation energies (E_a) of the first degradation of the membranes increased from 34.5 to 77.1 kJ/mol with an increase of CGG content, while the residual ratios of the membranes increased from 7.6 to 36.1 wt% at 600 °C. This indicated an elevated thermal stability of PAA-based materials through an introduction of CGG. The tensile tests exhibited the mechanical properties of the membranes were improved with an increase of CGG content, and the maximum value of 41.1 MPa was reached.     

Synthesis of a novel antimicrobial-modified starch and its adsorption on cellulose fibers: part II––adsorption behaviors of cationic starch on cellulose fibers

The adsorption of guanidine polymer modified starches on cellulose fibers was investigated along with the systematic studies on various influencing factors including temperature, pH, ionic strength and charge density of the starches. The AFM results revealed the relationship between the adhesion force and adsorption capacity. The adsorption capacity is not necessarily proportional to the adhesion force. The conditions for achieving the maximum adsorption were: temperature, 40 °C; pH, 6; C_NaCl, 0 mM and charge density, 0.4 meq/g. The corresponding the normalized adhesion force is approximate 1 mN/m. In terms of the surface roughness determined by AFM, it has been proved that adsorbed starches of high charge density tend to form train structure, whereas those of low charge density tend to form tails and loops. Due the comb molecular structure, the adsorption capacity of the novel cationic starch reaches 124.3 mg/g, which is much greater than those reported previously.     

Synthesis of monodisperse poly(divinylbenzene) microspheres

Highly crosslinked monodisperse poly(divinylbenzene) microspheres were produced by precipitation polymerization with acetonitrile as solvent. The radical initiators AIBN, BPO, and ADVN were used. The process does not require stabilizers of any type, and produces monodisperse particles with diameters between 2 and 5 μm, depending on the conditions. These microspheres do not swell or dissolve in any common solvent, and have clean, stabilizer-free surfaces. The particle formation and growth mechanism is proposed to resemble that of dispersion polymerization, except that the particles are stabilized against coagulation by their rigid, crosslinked surfaces rather than by added stabilizers. Spherical particles were formed only at effective crosslinker/monomer or divinyl/monovinyl ratios larger than 1 : 2. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

以季戊四醇为引发剂的星形聚对二氧环己酮的合成

本文以辛酸亚锡(SnOct2)为催化剂,以季戊四醇(PTOL)为引发剂,引发对二氧环己酮PDO单体开环聚合,合成了具有新颖结构的星形PPDO,研究了单体和引发剂的比例、单体和催化剂的比例、温度、时间等反应条件对聚合反应的影响,结果表明,通过调节PDO和PTOL的比例可以控制聚合产物的分子量。