Thermoresponsive,Hydrolytically Degradable Polymer Micelles Intended for Radionuclide Delivery

Novel polymer micelles, prepared by self‐assembling thermoresponsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐graft‐poly[N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide] copolymers with hydrolytically degradable N‐glycosylamine groups between the polymer blocks are proposed for delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic radionuclides into solid tumors. The micelles are formed by fast heating of an aqueous solution of the copolymer to 37 °C. They have a hydrodynamic diameter of 128 nm (measured using dynamic light scattering) and slowly degrade during incubation in aqueous buffer at pH = 7.4. Labeling with both ¹³¹I and ⁹⁰Y proceeds with high yields (>85%). The unlabeled polymers are not cytotoxic for any of the tested murine and human cell lines.

     

Light‐Switchable Polymer from Cationic to Zwitterionic Form: Synthesis,Characterization, and Interactions with DNA and Bacterial Cells

A novel cationic polymer poly(N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐[3‐(methacroylamino) propyl]‐N‐[2‐[(2‐nitrophenyl)methoxy]‐2‐oxo‐ethyl]ammonium chloride) is synthesized by free‐radical polymerization of N‐[3‐(dimethylamino)propyl] methacrylamide and subsequent quaternization with o‐nitrobenzyl 2‐chloroacetate. The photolabile o‐nitrobenzyl carboxymethyl pendant moiety is transformed to the zwitterionic carboxybetaine form upon the irradiation at 365 nm. This feature is used to condense and, upon the light irradiation, to release double‐strand DNA tested by gel electrophoresis and surface plasmon resonance experiments as well as to switch the antibacterial activity to non‐toxic character demonstrated for Escherichia coli bacterial cells in solution and at the surface using the self‐assembled monolayers.

     

Synthesis and Properties of Oligophenylene‐Layered Polymers

We report syntheses of phenylene‐, biphenylene‐, and terphenylene‐layered polymers with a xanthene scaffold by the modified Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling reaction. Their optical properties were studied in detail. The polymer end‐capped by nitrobenzene units, which act as fluorescence quenchers, exhibited the photo‐excited energy transfer from the layered oligophenylenes to the terminal units.

     

Blue‐Light‐Emitting Conjugated Polymers Derived From 2,7‐Carbazoles

Blue‐light‐emitting 2,7‐carbazole‐based conjugated copolymers have been prepared by Yamamoto or Suzuki cross‐coupling reactions. By introducing highly substituted aromatic comonomers, fully soluble high‐molecular‐weight copolymers have been obtained. Moreover, these amorphous polymeric materials exhibit good thermal stability and interesting redox properties. All these features make these new conjugated polymers highly promising for the development of single‐polymer‐layer blue‐light‐emitting diodes.

     

Supramolecular Thermoresponsive Hyperbranched Polymers Constructed from Poly(N‐Isopropylacrylamide) Containing One Adamantyl and Two β‐Cyclodextrin Terminal Moieties

Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) oligomer containing one adamantyl (AD) and two β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) moieties at the chain terminals, AD‐PNIPAM‐(β‐CD)₂, was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and successive click reactions. In aqueous solution, AD‐PNIPAM‐(β‐CD)₂ spontaneously forms supramolecular thermoresponsive hyperbranched polymers via molecular recognition between AD and β‐CD moieties. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first report of the construction of supramolecular thermoresponsive hyperbranched polymers from well‐defined polymeric AB₂ building units.

     

Supramolecular Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles Mediated by Polypseudorotaxane with Thiolated β‐Cyclodextrin

Summary: A water‐soluble gold nanoparticle aggregate 2 was prepared by chloroauric acid and a polypseudorotaxane 1 of mono‐6‐thio‐β‐cyclodextrin with poly(propylene glycol) bis(2‐aminopropyl ether) ( ≈ 2 000) in the presence of sodium borohydride in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. The investigative results indicated that the gold nanoparticle aggregate 2 might act as an efficient DNA‐cleavage reagent.

A typical TEM image of gold nanoparticle aggregate 2 .     

Effect of Cocatalysts on the Catalytic Activities of Tantalum‐ and Niobium‐Based Catalysts for Ring‐Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Norbornene

A series of pentavalent tantalum and niobium complexes with aryloxy ligands was prepared, and their catalytic behavior for the ROMP of norbornene was studied in the presence of an alkylaluminum cocatalyst. Tantalum complexes 1 – 4 showed very high activity for the ROMP of NBE in combination with ⁱBu₃Al to give high‐molecular‐weight polymers. In contrast, the niobium complexes 5 and 6 , as well as NbCl₅, exhibited very high activity upon activation with Me₃Al to give high‐molecular‐weight polymers.

     

Synthesis,Optical, and Electrochemical Properties of the High‐Molecular‐Weight Conjugated Polycarbazoles

Summary: A kind of novel dibromocarbazole monomer bearing three alkyl chains was prepared. Two strategies were developed to improve the solubility and molecular weight of carbazole polymers. One was the polymerization of N‐octyl‐2,7‐bis(4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolan‐2‐yl)carbazole with the alkylated dibromocarbazole. Another one was the polymerization of N‐octyl‐2,7‐bis(4,4,5,5‐tetramethyl‐1,3,2‐dioxaborolan‐2‐yl)carbazole with N‐octyl‐3,6‐dibromocarbazole. All the polymerizations were carried out under palladium‐catalyzed Suzuki polycondensation (SPC) conditions. Through using carbazole monomer bearing three alkyl chains to polymerize, we have successfully boosted the number‐average molecular weight of 2,7‐linked carbazole polymers from not more than 5 to 67 kDa. The high‐molecular‐weight polymers were obtained in high yields and displayed good solubility in common organic solvents. Their optical, electrochemical, and thermal properties were also reported.

Preparation of carbazole polymers by Suzuki polycondensation.     

Thermoresponsive Diblock Copolymer with Tunable Soluble–Insoluble and Soluble–Insoluble–Soluble Transitions

The thermoresponsive transition behavior of a diblock copolymer consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (mPEG) and poly(N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) in aqueous solutions has been investigated. With a specific composition, the copolymer showed a unique tunable phase transition from no response in acidic media to a soluble–insoluble (S‐I) transition in neutral media and an S‐I‐S transition in basic media either in the presence of salt or for salt‐free solutions. The S‐I‐S transition can be tuned over a wide temperature range even to an S‐I type transition just by adding salts. In addition, phase transitions can occur in both pure water and saline solution under practical conditions (30–80 °C), which makes them suitable for a broad range of applications.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Biodegradable Copolymers of 5‐Benzyloxy‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one and Glycolide

A series of novel biodegradable random copolymers of 5‐benzyloxy‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (5‐benzyloxy‐trimethylene carbonate, BTMC) and glycolide were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization. The copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The incorporation of BTMC units into the copolymer chains results in good solubility of the polymers in common solvents. The in vitro degradation rate can be tailored by adjusting the composition of the copolymers.

The in vitro degradation of the homopolymers and poly(BTMC‐co‐GA) copolymers.     

Preparation and Properties of New Soluble π‐Conjugated Polymers Containing a Fumaronitrile Unit in the Main Chain

Summary: A class of new, soluble, π‐conjugated polymers containing a fumaronitrile unit in the main chain were synthesized by the reaction between di(4‐bromophenyl)fumaronitrile and bis(2,2‐dimethylpropane‐1,3‐diyl)‐1,4‐dialkoxyphenylene‐2,5‐diborate employing palladium catalysts. All the polymers were photoluminescent and electrochemically active.

The new soluble π‐conjugated polymers 1a – d with photoluminescence and electrochemical activity synthesized here.     

Novel Chromophore‐Functionalized Poly[2‐(trifluoromethyl) adamantyl acrylate‐methyl vinyl urethane]s with High Poling Stabilities of the Nonlinear Optical Effect

Nonlinear optical vinyl polymers with high glass transition temperature (T_g) were prepared by the functionalization of a fluorinated acrylate‐methyl vinyl isocyanate copolymer. A modified pathway to obtain a thiophene bridged chromophore was worked out. Poled films of the polymers show a fairly high and stable nonlinear optical response, even at elevated temperatures.

The thiophene‐bridged chromophore, based on a substituted dicyanomethylene‐dihydrofuran acceptor, synthesized here.     

Temperature‐Sensitive Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Hydrogels with Macroporous Structure and Fast Response Rate

Macroporous temperature‐sensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) hydrogels were prepared by a novel phase‐separation technique to improve the response properties. In comparison with a conventional PNIPA hydrogel prepared in water, these macroporous hydrogels, prepared by polymerization in aqueous sucrose solutions, have higher swelling ratios at temperatures below the lower critical solution temperature and exhibit much faster response rates to temperature changes.

Scanning electron microscopy image of the surface of a PNIPA hydrogel, prepared in 1.50 M aqueous sucrose solution.     

Novel Spectrally Stable Saturated Blue‐Light‐Emitting Poly[(fluorene)‐co‐(dioctyldibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide)]s

Novel poly[(fluorene)‐co‐(2,8‐dioctyldibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide‐3,7‐diyl)]s were synthesized. The octyl group on the 2,8‐dioctyldibenzothiophene‐S,S‐dioxide (DOSO) unit improved the solubility of the polymers and broadened the optical band gap from 2.95 to 3.20 eV as the content of DOSO unit increases. The electroluminescence (EL) spectra of polymers show CIE coordinates around (0.16, 0.07) independent of the ratio of DOSO units in the polymers, owing to the ICT and steric hindrance dual‐function. A high efficiency of 3.1 cd · A⁻¹ (EQE = 3.9%) was obtained with the configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer/Ba/Al. The results indicate that PF‐3,7DOSOs could be a promising candidate for saturated blue‐emitting polymers with spectral stability and high efficiency.

     

Gold Nanoparticles Functionalized by a Dextran‐Based pH‐ and Temperature‐Sensitive Polymer

A dextran‐based dual‐sensitive polymer is employed to endow gold nanoparticles with stability and pH‐ and temperature‐sensitivity. The dual‐sensitive polymer is prepared by RAFT polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide from trithiocarbonate groups linked to dextran and succinoylation of dextran after polymerization. The functionalized nanoparticles show excellent stability under various conditions and can be stored in powder‐form. UV and DLS measurements confirm that the temperature‐induced optical changes and aggregation behaviors of the particles are strongly dependent on pH.

     

Theoretical Derivation of the Molecular Weight Distribution of End‐Capped Linear Condensation Polymers

End‐capped, low molecular weight polymers have found numerous practical applications. By providing the end‐capper molecules with specific chemical functionality, the polymer material can be equipped with a desired chemical behavior for product application or polymer processing. Using probabilistic methods, formulas are derived for calculating the target molecular weight distribution and its averages for the case of linear condensation polymerization. The formulas are generally applicable, allowing for arbitrary amounts of monofunctional monomers or end‐capper molecules affecting either one or both functional groups involved in the polymerization process.

     

Contractive Polymeric Complex Micelles as Thermo‐Sensitive Nanopumps

Complex micelles were obtained from PS‐b‐PNIPAM‐b‐PAA micelles and PEG‐b‐P4VP block copolymers via the strong electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding between PAA and P4VP blocks in water. The PS block formed the core and the PAA/P4VP complex shell functioned as a semi‐permeable membrane which could control the permeation of small molecules. Between the core and shell, the large fluid‐filled space that was formed with the thermoresponsive PNIPAM gel could retain the loaded drug for a long period of time. With increasing temperature, the shrinkage of the PNIPAM coils pumped the drug out of the complex micelles. The complex micelles functioned as a contractive “nanopump”, which could potentially be applied as a thermosensitive controlled release system.

     

Parallel Algorithm for 3D SCF Simulation of Copolymers With Flexible and Rigid Blocks

Numerical SCFT simulations of inhomogeneous polymers at the mesoscale can easily become computationally extremely demanding as the size (spatial resolution) of the simulated 3D system increases, making massively parallel computing a necessity. A new parallel algorithm for large‐scale 3D SCFT simulations of rod‐coil copolymers with interplay between microphase separation and orientational ordering is presented. For large systems, this algorithm scales well up to 1024 processors, achieving more than 200‐fold speedups. While existing SCFT simulations were limited to studying 1D and 2D models, this algorithm is applied to new, intrinsic 3D structures such as a hexagonally arranged columnar morphology that possesses macroscopic chirality arising as a result of spontaneous symmetry breaking.

     

Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization of Methacrylic Monomers in the Presence of Lewis Acids: Influence on Tacticity

Summary: Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition‐fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization of N‐methyl methacrylamide and methyl methacrylate were investigated in the presence of rare‐earth triflates known to enhance polymer isotacticity. Poly(N‐methyl methacrylamide) with controlled molecular weight, low polydispersity, and enhanced isotacticity was prepared by ATRP and RAFT in the presence of catalytic amounts of yttrium trifluoromethanesulfonate or ytterbium trifluoromethanesulfonate. The tacticity of poly(N‐methyl methacrylamide) depends on the Lewis acid concentration: well‐defined polymers with predominantly either syndiotactic, atactic, or isotactic triads were prepared by adjusting the concentration of the Lewis acid. Simultaneous control of molecular weights, polydispersities, and tacticities in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate was less successful.

Free radical propagation in the presence of a Lewis acid (LA) giving rise to chelate control.