A detailed view of PLGA-mPEG microsphere formation by double emulsion solvent evaporation method

PLGA, m PEG diblock copolymer was synthesized by bulk ring-opening polymerization method. The double emulsion solvent evaporation method was used to prepare bovine serum albumin(BSA)-loaded microspheres. Optical microscopy was used to observe the whole microsphere fabrication process. It is confirmed that the proportion of inner aqueous phase is one of the most critical factors that determines the morphology of microspheres. Double emulsion droplets which have appropriate amount of inner aqueous phase can form closed and dense microspheres, while, too much inner aqueous phase will cause a collapse of the double emulsion droplets, resulting in a loss of drug. The proportion of inner aqueous phase was varied to prepare microspheres of different morphology. The results show that with increasing the amount of inner aqueous phase, a higher percent of broken microspheres and lower encapsulation efficiency appeared, and also, a more severe initial burst release and faster release rate.     

Miniemulsion copolymerization of vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate. II. Mathematical model for the monomer transport

A mathematical model is presented to describe the monomer transport between monomer droplets, aqueous phase, and polymer particles during the course of an emulsion polymerization. The model was used to investigate the role of the cosurfactant (hexadecane) in the miniemulsion copolymerization of 50:50 molar ratio vinyl acetate-butyl acrylate monomer mixture, as well as the effect of the different components and process variables on the rate of copolymerization, monomer distribution between phases, and composition of the copolymer.     

丙烯酰胺在聚乙二醇水溶液中聚合产品的微观形态

采用偶氮类水溶性引发剂2,2′-偶氮二异丙基咪唑啉二盐酸盐(VA044)引发丙烯酰胺(AM)在聚乙二醇(PEG)水溶液中的双水相聚合;研究了引发剂、单体、聚乙二醇浓度及温度对最终产品中聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)液滴形态、尺寸的影响.随着引发剂浓度的增加,液滴由球状变为细长条状;随着温度的上升,球状液滴逐渐趋于条状,然后又重新趋于球状;在初始单体浓度较低时,PAM液滴滴径分布较窄,当其浓度增加后,滴径呈多峰分布;随着PEG浓度的增加,聚合物液滴趋于球状。     

甲基丙烯酸3-三甲氧基硅丙酯/苯乙烯细乳液共聚合过程中的水解及缩合反应

研究了甲基丙烯酸3-三甲氧基硅丙酯(MPS)和苯乙烯(St)细乳液聚合过程中的水解及缩合反应.用气相色谱仪测定聚合过程中水解产物——甲醇的含量来研究MPS的水解度.MPS分子主要在细乳液液滴与水的界面以及乳胶粒与水的界面上发生水解反应.MPS和St比例、介质pH值、乳化剂用量、引发剂类型和用量都会影响MPS的水解程度.缩合产物用29Si固态核磁共振表征,中性条件下,缩合反应受到抑制,在高MPS/St比例的体系中也只生成少量缩合产物.酸性和碱性条件下,缩合产物量均增加,但碱性条件下,体系中仍有一定数量未缩合的硅氧烷存在,这与细乳液聚合独特的液滴成核机理及聚合过程中较少液滴间物质交换有关.     

Emulsion polymerization. VI. Concentration of monomers in latex particles

Nonpolymerizing latex particles surrounded by an aqueous phase saturated with monomer absorb only a finite amount of monomer, even if the monomer is a good solvent for the polymer, because the surface energy of each particle increases on swelling. At equilibrium the change in surface energy and the free energy of mixing exactly balance. Equations based on this thermodynamic principle predict with good accuracy the saturation swelling of crosslinked and uncrosslinked latex particles and the partitioning of monomer between the aqueous phase and latex particles at partial saturation. The available experimental data on swelling of latex polymers with monomers are reviewed. Earlier papers assumed that during emulsion polymerization the monomer concentration in the latex particles is independent of conversion as long as monomer droplets are present. This assumption is shown to be a justifiable approximation. The thermodynamics of the swelling of latex particles with a blend of two monomers is presented. The calculations indicate that copolymerization in emulsion should define reactivity ratios differing from those of homogeneous copolymerization by not more than 40% if the solubility of the comonomers in water is low. The reactivity ratio scheme is strictly applicable to emulsion copolymerization if the solvent properties of the two comonomers are identical.     

Effect of the presence of polymer in miniemulsion droplets on the kinetics of polymerization

Solution of polystyrene in styrene were dispersed in an aqueous gel phase comprising sodium lauryl sulfate, cetyl alcohol, and water using an emulsification process known to produce monomer droplet sizes inthe submicron size range (referred to as miniemulsion droplets). The shelf-life stabilities of these miniemulsions were studied to determine their relative droplet sizes, and the emulsions were concommitantly polymerized in an isothermal batch reaction calorimeter. The polymerization kinetics and final particle sizes produced were compared with miniemulsion and conventional emulsion polymerizations prepared using equivalent recipes without the addition of polystyrene. The results indicate that polymerization of miniemulsions prepared from polymer solutions produce significantly different kinetics than both miniemulsion and conventional emulsion polymerizations. In general, a small amount of polymer greatly increases the rate of polymerization and the final number of particles produced in the polymerization to the extent where even conventional polymerizations carried out above the critical micelle concentration of the surfactant polymerize more slowly. The results are explained by considering the system to be comprised of small, stable pre-formed monomer-swollen polymer particles which are able to efficiently capture aqueous phase radicals. This enables the system to produce a large final number of particles, similar to the initial number of pre-formed polymer particles, as opposed to miniemulsions and micelles in which only a relatively small fraction of the initial number of species (droplets or micelles) become polymer particles. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

On the main locus of radical formation in emulsion polymerization initiated by oil-soluble initiators

The effect of the monomer/water ratio on the rate of polymerization per polymer particle in both seeded emulsion polymerizations and miniemulsion polymerizations was used in an attempt to elucidate the main locus of radical formation in emulsion polymerization initiated by an oil-soluble initiator (AIBN). It was found that, for the rest of conditions constant, the polymerization rate per polymer particle increased when the monomer/water ratio increased, namely when the amount of initiator dissolved in the aqueous phase per polymer particle decreased. This is an evidence against a dominant aqueous phase formation of radicals. On the other hand, these results are consistent with a mechanism in which the radicals are mainly produced in the oil-phase with significant aqueous phase termination.     

Emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile. Part II. Mechanism of emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile

The mechanism of emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile has been studied by measuring by dilatometry and electron microscopy the adsorption of monomer into polymer particles and polymerization characteristics such as rate, degree of polymerization, the growth of the particle during polymerization, and the degree of dispersion. In the emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile, new particles are formed during polymerization at a rate which is proportional to the rate of polymerization and the ratio of unreacted monomer. The total amount of monomer adsorbed on or in the polymer particles is rather small, but the concentration on or in the polymer particles is sufficiently high and proportional to the monomer concentration in aqueous phase. The polymerization proceeds concurrently on or in the polymer particles and in aqueous phase, but the three loci may be continuous rather than discrete. A reaction scheme is introduced here which shows the coexistence of polymerizations on or in the polymer particles and in the aqueous phase.     

甲基丙烯酸甲酯水溶性对其悬浮均聚动力学的影响

通过比较在大水油比下的甲基丙烯酸甲酯 (MMA)悬浮均聚的实验数据以及本体聚合实验结果 ,发现单体的水溶性对其聚合动力学有影响 ,不能用本体聚合动力学代替其悬浮聚合动力学 .为了能更好了解单体的水溶性对其悬浮聚合动力学的影响以及影响动力学的原因 ,在MMA本体聚合动力学模型基础上 ,进一步提出 3个假设 :扣除溶于水相部分的单体量、增长和终止速率参数降低、少部分的油溶性引发剂被带到水相中 ,得到改进的悬浮聚合动力学模型 .运用该模型能很好预测水油比、聚合温度、引发剂浓度等对MMA悬浮聚合动力学的影响 ,且与实验数据能较好吻合     

Size control of phase‐separated liquid crystal droplets in a polymer matrix based on the phase diagram

When a mixture of liquid crystal (LC) and photo reactive monomer is irradiated by UV light, polymerization occurs and LC droplets form through phase separation, producing polymer dispersed LCs (PDLCs). Although size control of LC droplets and reduced amounts of LC in PDLC films are important in applications, precise size control of LC droplets at a low LC fraction has not yet been accomplished. In this study, the phase diagrams of the LC/initial monomer and the LC/polymer during polymerization were used to control LC droplet size at various LC fractions. Both the relative position of the sample in the initial phase diagram and the shift of the phase separation line during polymerization were shown to be important in determining the size of LC droplets. Our results are expected to provide a new strategy for precise size control of LC droplets especially at a low LC fraction range, which would be a great help for PDLC applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

丙烯酰胺在聚乙二醇水溶液中聚合初期的液滴形成与成长过程

用动态激光光散射(DLS)在线观测了丙烯酰胺(AM)在聚乙二醇(PEG)水溶液中聚合初期液滴的出现、生长及聚并过程,考察了PEG分子量和浓度对聚合初期液滴尺寸的影响;用透射电镜(TEM)对聚合初期液滴形态的演变进行了观察,发现与DLS结果能很好吻合.用分光光度计对聚合体系分相点进行确定,采用溴化法测定了聚合体系临界分相时的转化率.随PEG分子量或浓度的升高,临界分相转化率逐渐减小;随温度的升高,临界分相转化率先减小后增大,在50℃左右出现最小值.用凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)对聚合体系临界分相时聚丙烯酰胺(PAM)的分子量进行了研究,变化趋势与临界分相转化率的变化一致.在上述基础上,提出了AM在PEG水溶液中聚合初期的液滴形成、成长机理.     

Inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide. I. Contribution to the study of some mechanistic aspects

The inverse emulsion polymerization of aqueous solution of acrylamide in toluene has been studied at 40°C using a blend of surfactants as emulsifying system and oil soluble azo initiators. The azo compound partition between the phases has been measured and the effects of their nature and concentration on the polymerization kinetics have been investigated. The influence of other parameters on the kinetics and particle size of the inverse latex have also been investigated: the nature and amount of the emulsifier system, the stirring rate, and the presence of oil-soluble inhibitor. The particle-size analysis using electron microscopy or dynamic light-scattering methods showed the presence of two populations of particles in the initial monomer emulsion and in the final inverse latex: one with very tiny particles (20 nm diam) and the other with larger particles (80–400 nm diam) which is highly polydispersed. The average size of these large particles undergoes a sharp decrease at a certain percent conversion depending upon the stirring rate. The evolution of the particle size distribution may result from a balance between coalescence and dispersion of the emulsion droplets under the effect of prevailing shear rate due to agitation. Concerning the initiation process, the very low solubility of the azo compound in the aqueous solution, together with the effect of the stirring rate and the presence of an oil-soluble inhibitor on the polymerization kinetics lead to the conclusion that most of the initiaton originates from the capture of radicals or oligomeric radicals produced in the oil phase or in the interfacial layer.     

Versatile Preparation of Nonspherical Multiple Hydrogel Core PAM/PEG Emulsions and Hierarchical Hydrogel Microarchitectures

The preparation of nonspherical materials composed of separated multicomponents by droplet‐based microfluidics remains a challenge. Based on polymerization‐induced phase separation and droplet coalescence in microfluidics, we prepared emulsions of variously shaped PAM/PEG core/shell droplets and hydrogels composed of two separated components, which show flexible and transformable hierarchical structures and microarchitectures. We find that AM/PEG aqueous droplets form a core/shell structure after polymerization resulting from phase separation. Thus multicore/shell droplets are easily produced by coalescence of core/shell structures. By changing the polymerization temperature and the flow rate, the morphology of the multicore droplets and the hydrogel can be easily adjusted. The hydrogels exhibit apparent anisotropy and different protein release rates depending on their structures. The preparation technique is simple and versatile and the resulting hydrogels have potential applications in many fields.     

Synthesis of macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres by surfactant reverse micelles swelling method

Macroporous poly(glycidyl methacrylate-ethylene dimethacrylate) [P(GMA-EDMA)] particles with pore size around 140-200 nm and poly(glycidyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) [P(GMA-DVB)] particles with pore size of 450 nm were prepared by the surfactant reverse micelles swelling method. This method was similar with the conventional suspension polymerization, and the difference was that higher concentration of surfactant was added in the oil phase. When the oil phase containing surfactant was dispersed in aqueous phase, the surfactant reverse micelles in the oil droplets absorbed water from continuous phase. After polymerization, the large pores were formed by the absorbed water. The effects of the amount and type of surfactants, the cooperation of surfactant and diluents, and the crosslinking agent on the morphology of microspheres were investigated. This study provided a new and simple method to prepare microspheres with the pores of several hundred nanometers, which overcame the disadvantages found in the conventional preparation methods of macroporous microspheres.     

八甲基环四硅氧烷正离子细乳液开环聚合动力学

以十二烷基苯磺酸钠(SDBS)为乳化剂,硫酸或盐酸为催化剂,八甲基环四硅氧烷(D4)为单体,十六烷为共稳定剂,超声预乳化,制备了聚硅氧烷细乳液,研究了超声时间、催化剂用量、乳化剂用量和温度对聚合动力学的影响.结果表明,在一定酸度范围内,聚合速度与硫酸浓度0.81次方、与盐酸浓度1.02次方、与乳化剂浓度-0.66次方成正比,反应的表观活化能为40.56kJ/mol.     

Stability and phase behavior of acrylamide-based emulsions before and after polymerization

The stability and phase behavior of acrylamide-based emulsions, prepared with surfactants consisting of lipophilic Span80 and hydrophilic OP10, before or after polymerization were investigated. The research results indicated that the phase separation behavior of the W/O-type emulsions is related to the toluene/water ratio. When the water volume fraction was larger, the phase separation mechanism was mainly a penetration of aqueous molecules from the dispersed-phase droplets. When the water volume fraction was smaller, the phase separation mechanism was mainly a sedimentation of the separated aqueous droplets. At a fixed toluene/water ratio, the emulsion stability and the emulsion type are related not only to the ratio of the two surfactants but also to the acrylamide concentration, and the effect of increasing acrylamide concentration on the character of the emulsions is similar to that of increasing OP10 mass fraction (increasing HLB value), which determines the corresponding relationship between acrylamide concentration and HLB value in the most stable emulsion system. To obtain the most stable emulsion at a fixed acrylamide concentration, the emulsion with higher acrylamide concentration needs a lower HLB value for the emulsion systems.     

Vinyl Polymerization. 350. Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Initiated by the System Sodium Polyvinyl Sulfonate)/Ferric Chloride/Water

In an aqueous medium, sodium polyvinyl sulfonate)(PVS-Na) initiated radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of ferric chloride. The presence of water and Fe(III) ion was essential. The polymerization was concluded to take place in the aqueous phase. The effects of the amount of water, MMA, Fe(III) ion, and temperature on the polymerization were studied. The mechanism of the initiation is discussed.     

Amphiphilic polysaccharides: useful tools for the preparation of nanoparticles with controlled surface characteristics

Polymeric surfactants obtained by hydrophobic modification of dextran are used as stabilizers for oil-in-water emulsions. The kinetics of interfacial tension decrease is studied as a function of polymer structural characteristics (degree of hydrophobic substitution) and at various polymer concentrations. Several hydrocarbon oils, either aliphatic (octane, decane, dodecane, and hexadecane) or aromatic (styrene), are tested. Kinetics exhibits the same general trends no matter which oil or polymer is considered. The emulsifying properties of the polymeric surfactants are illustrated by the preparation of oil-in-water emulsions. The droplet size at the preparation is correlated to the amount of oil and to the polymer concentration in the aqueous phase. For low polymer/oil ratios, it is shown that the droplet size is limited by the initial amount of polymer. On the contrary, for high polymer/oil ratios, the droplet size seems to level down, indicating that other parameters become predominant. Emulsion aging occurs by Ostwald ripening, and it is demonstrated that the theoretical equation of Lifshitz, Slyozov, and Wagner (LSW) correctly describes the experimental results. The nature of the oil has important effects on emulsion aging, as described by the LSW equation. The aging of emulsions containing oil mixtures is quantitatively described on the basis of the results with pure oils. The influence of polymer chemical structure can be conveniently correlated to interfacial tension results through the LSW equation. On the contrary, the influence of oil volume fraction seems to be overestimated by the usual correction factor, k(phi). The effect of temperature on emulsion aging is finally examined. Miniemulsions stabilized with dextran derivatives are used for the radical polymerization of styrene. Following this procedure, polysaccharide-covered polystyrene nanoparticles are prepared and characterized (size and surface coverage). The size of the particles is directly correlated to that of the initial droplets for styrene volume fractions around 10%. On the contrary, for initial styrene volume fractions around 20%, particles exhibit a larger size than the initial droplets, indicating that coalescence processes take place during polymerization. The amount of dextran at the surface of the particles is determined and compared to the adsorbed amounts resulting from emulsion preparation.     

Liquid-liquid phase transition of protein aqueous solutions isothermally induced by protein cross-linking

We experimentally demonstrated that liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of protein aqueous solutions can be induced by isothermal protein oligomerization. This phenomenon is analogous to LLPS induced by the polymerization of small organic molecules in solution. Specifically, using glutaraldehyde for protein cross-linking, we observed the formation of protein-rich liquid droplets for bovine serum albumin and chicken egg lysozyme at 25 degrees C. These droplets evolved into cross-linked protein microspheres. If the aqueous solutions of the protein monomer do not show LLPS at temperatures lower than the oligomerization temperature, protein-rich droplets are not observed. We experimentally linked the formation of these droplets to the increase of LLPS temperature during protein oligomerization. When macroscopic aggregation competes with LLPS, a rationale choice of pH, polyethylene glycol, and salt concentrations can be used to favor LLPS relative to aggregation. Although glutaraldehyde has been extensively used to cross-link protein molecules, to our knowledge, its use in homogeneous aqueous solutions to induce LLPS has not been previously described. This work contributes to the fundamental understanding of both phase transitions of protein solutions and the morphology of protein condensed phases. It also provides guidance for the development of new methods based on mild experimental conditions for the preparation of protein-based materials.     

细乳液聚合制备阳离子型含氟烷基丙烯酸酯共聚物乳液

采用细乳液聚合技术制备得到稳定的阳离子型甲基丙烯酸甲酯/甲基丙烯酸十八烷基酯/含氟烷基丙烯酸酯共聚物乳液,考察了均质强度(振幅)、均质时间以及难溶助剂十六烷(HD)用量对阳离子型FA共聚物乳胶粒尺寸及形貌的影响.结合TEM和纳米粒度及电位分析仪测试数据分析发现,均质条件的改变明显影响该阳离子型FA共聚物乳胶粒的粒径大小,粒径在80～150nm之间变化.细乳液聚合技术得到内部形态多样的乳胶粒,长链的含氟烷基链微相分离,更有助于提高该FA共聚物乳胶膜的憎水性,水滴在经阳离子型FA细乳液处理后的棉布上的平衡静态接触角最高可达150°.