Size effect on competition of two diffusion mechanisms for drug molecules in amorphous polymers

Diffusion of drug molecules in polymer materials is of great importance in controlled drug release, and the investigation of the mechanism of drug release from the polymer matrix would help us to understand the release behavior of the controlled release system. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations were employed to investigate the diffusion mechanisms of penetrant molecules with different sizes in poly(lactic acid-co-ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG). The size effect on the diffusion mechanism of penetrant molecules in polymer matrixes was discussed in detail. A competition mechanism in a two-step diffusion process-(1) motion within the cavities (free volumes), and (2) jumps between cavities or movement of the cavity itself originated from the wriggling of the polymer chains-was observed, and the contributions of these two factors to the diffusion coefficient were successfully separated. With the medium volume of penetrant molecules (e.g., benzene), a competition between these two steps was observed. Step (2) controlled the diffusion when penetrant molecules became bigger.     

Detailed‐atomistic molecular modeling of small molecule diffusion and solution processes in polymeric membrane materials

Atomistic molecular modeling techniques have proven to be a very useful tool for the investigation of the structure and dynamics of dense amorphous membrane polymers and of transport processes in these materials. As illustrations, the results of extensive atomistic molecular dynamics investigations on the transport of different small molecules in flexible chain rubbery and stiff chain glassy polymers are discussed. For this purpose bulk polymer models and interface models for liquid feed mixtures in contact with the upstream site of the respective membrane have been employed. A comparison between the static structure and the dynamic behavior of the free volume in the simulated flexible chain rubbery polymers and stiff chain glassy polymers reveals qualitative differences which are decisive for experimentally observable differences in the diffusion of small molecules in these materials. The simulation results for the interface models reflect important features of experimentally well characterized pervaporation processes.     

Molecular modeling studies of polymeric gas separation and barrier materials: structure and transport mechanisms

Molecular modeling studies have been completed on cis-PTBA(poly(tert-butylacetylene)) and Sixef44 polyimide, two glassy polymers that can be used to form gas separation membranes. The modeling studies show that polymer backbone bond rotations in PTBA are not thermally allowed. This leads to a helical structure for the cis-PTBA chains which pack as if the helices were rigid rods. Here, polymer free volume is formed by the interstitial space between adjacent helices, and gas transport occurs via continuous diffusion through the resulting channel-like free volume. On the other hand, Sixef44 exhibits a flexible polymer backbone, which leads to the formation of irregular voids. In this case, gas molecules are free to move within the voids, but transport occurs only by hopping to an adjacent void, or by void diffusion. In either case, gas transport is closely coupled to polymer backbone motion. Thus, these studies suggest two different types of free volume and gas transport mechanisms. The diffusion mechanism in glassy polymer membranes will depend on the nature of the free volume (e.g. the type of chain packing), and the polymer backbone chain flexibility.     

The influence of the polymer chain stiffness on tracer diffusion in polymeric matrices

The diffusion of penetrants in polymers is of technological importance in many areas including chromatography and fuel cell membranes. In this work, the effect of chain conformations on tracer diffusion is studied using molecular simulations and a percolation theory. The polymeric matrix is composed of tangent hard sphere chains that are fixed in space; conformations are changed by tuning the stiffness of the chains. The tracer diffusion coefficient is relatively insensitive to the chain stiffness when polymer chains are frozen as in polymer glasses with the local chain dynamics switched off. An analysis of the matrix using percolation theory shows that the polymer volume fraction at the free volume percolation threshold is also relatively insensitive to the chain stiffness, consistent with the diffusion results. This is surprising because the site‐site intermolecular pair correlation functions in the matrix are quite sensitive to the chain stiffness. In contrast, the tracer diffusion coefficient in a melt of mobile chains decreases significantly as the chain stiffness is increased. We conclude that tracer diffusion is only weakly correlated with the chain conformations and local chain dynamics plays an important role. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

渗透物在致密聚合物膜中扩散的分形介质模型

利用自由体积理论讨论了渗透物分子在致密聚合物膜内的扩散机理, 提出了“扩散通道”的概念, 建立了渗透物在致密聚合物膜中扩散的分形介质模型, 考虑了自由体积分布对扩散过程的影响. 根据建立的模型, 渗透物在膜内的扩散是由在“扩散通道”上的一系列跳跃构成的. 根据致密膜内扩散通道的关联长度ξ(p)与膜厚L的关系, 可以把扩散分为正常扩散、 过渡扩散和分形扩散三部分, 给出了扩散相图, 提出并解释了分形渡越现象.     

Investigation of water diffusion process in ethyl cellulose-based films by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation analysis

Two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2Dcos) analysis on the time-resolved attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been employed to investigate the diffusion behavior of water in ethyl cellulose/triethyl citrate (EC/TEC) films with varied TEC content. The diffusion coefficients of water in the EC-based films are calculated from the diffusion curves according to the Fickian Diffusion Model. And they are observed to increase with TEC content, possibly caused by the increased free volume in the film matrix. In the 2Dcos analysis, the broad O–H stretching vibration region is split into at least four bands, which can be assigned to four different states of water molecules, that is, bulk water, cluster water, relatively free water and free water. Moreover, it is found that as water molecules disperse into the EC-based films, cluster water with moderate hydrogen bonds diffuses faster than bulk water with strong hydrogen bonds. The relatively free water and free water are formed during the diffusion process due to their interactions with the films matrix, which makes water molecules confined and restricted in limited space.     

Water sorption and transport in a series of polysulfones

Water sorption and transport properties for a series of polysulfones are presented and interpreted in terms of the changes in the structure of the repeat unit compared to that of bisphenol A polysulfone. The differences between the sorption and diffusion of water and of permanent gases in these materials are also discussed. Water has the ability to interact with the polymer and with itself through hydrogen bonding in a way that permanent gases cannot. The equilibrium solubility of water in the polymer, unlike permanent gases, does not have a simple dependence on free volume but correlates more strongly with the frequency of hydrogen bonding sites on the polymer. Analysis of the sorption isotherms using the method of Zimm and Lundberg suggests that water molecules cluster in these polysulfones to various extents. For each polysulfone except polyethersulfone, the water diffusion coefficient decreases with increasing activity, which also suggests water clustering. For most of these materials, the water diffusion coefficient is larger than that of bisphenol A polysulfone and is directly related to the polymer free volume. Water permeability in these materials broadly correlates with the polymer free volume, but a favorable water-polymer interaction can be an overriding factor. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Transport of Propylene Carbonate-LiTFSI Electrolytes in P(VDF-HFP) Using Time-resolved ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy: Diffusion Coefficients and Molecular Interactions

The time-resolved attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared(ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy is employed to investigate the transport mechanism of gel electrolytes by monitoring the diffusion behavior of propylene carbonate-lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide(PC-LiTFSI) solution through poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene)(P(VDF-HFP)) films. Fickian behavior has been observed for both TFSI-and PC. Higher temperature leads to faster diffusion of TFSI~-and PC, which could be related to the increased free volume in P(VDF-HFP)matrix and rapid molecular movements upon heating. Various molecular interactions among LiTFSI, PC and P(VDF-HFP) have been recognized.During the diffusion process, PC molecules, in the form of small clusters, can firstly diffuse through the P(VDF-HFP) film and interact with P(VDFHFP) by dipole-dipole interaction, acting as the plasticizer. Then, Li~+ diffuses into P(VDF-HFP) with the help of ion-dipole interactions between Li~+and C=O of PC. Meanwhile, TFSI-diffuses through the polymer matrix in solvation states. In addition, slight ion-dipole interactions between Li~+and P(VDF-HFP) have been observed as well. Results in this work contribute to a better understanding of transport process in gel polymer electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries and support the development of improved gel polymer electrolytes by rationally regulating molecular interactions.     

Atomistic packing models for experimentally investigated swelling states induced by CO2 in glassy polysulfone and poly(ether sulfone)

Atomistic packing models have been created, which help to better understand the experimentally observed swelling behavior of glassy polysulfone and poly (ether sulfone), under CO₂ gas pressures up to 50 bar at 308 K. The experimental characterization includes the measurement of the time‐dependent volume dilation of the polymer samples after a pressure step and the determination of the corresponding gas concentrations by gravimetric gas‐sorption measurements. The models obtained by force‐field‐based molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics methods allow a detailed atomistic analysis of representative swelling states of polymer/gas systems, with respect to the dilation of the matrix. Also, changes of free volume distribution and backbone mobility are accessible. The behavior of gas molecules in unswollen and swollen polymer matrices is characterized in terms of sorption, diffusion, and plasticization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1874–1897, 2006     

Prediction and estimation of solvent diffusivities in polyacrylate and polymethacrylates

The relationship between polymer side‐chain length and the hole free volume that is effective for solvent diffusion was investigated for polyacrylates and polymethacrylates on the basis of free‐volume theory. Measurements of a polymer's viscoelasticity and solvent diffusivity provided experimental evidence for polymer segment mobility, and the results indicated that hole free volume in a linear polymer increases with hydrocarbon side‐chain length. Because the molecular mechanisms of polymer viscoelasticity and diffusivity are identical, the free‐volume parameters obtained for polyacrylates and polymethacrylates by measuring the polymer viscoelastic‐temperature dependence can reliably be used in predicting the solvent diffusion coefficient. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1393–1400, 2003     

Adsorption and controlled release of Chlortetracycline HCl by using multifunctional polymeric hydrogels

Adsorption and controlled release of Chlortetracycline HCl to and from multifunctional polymeric materials (HEMA/MAA) hydrogels were investigated. P(HEMA/MAA) hydrogels were synthesized by gamma radiation-induced copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA) in aqueous solution. The influence of copolymer composition and pH value of the surrounding medium on the type of water diffusion into the glassy polymer were discussed. Drug, Chlortetracycline HCl containing hydrogels, with different drug concentration to polymer ratios, was loaded by direct adsorption method. The influence of MAA content in the gel on the adsorption capacities of hydrogel was studied. Chlortetracycline HCl adsorption capacity of hydrogels was found to increase from 8 to 138 mg Chlortetracycline HCl per gram dry gel with increasing amount of MAA in the gel system and drug concentration. The effect of pH on the releasing behavior of Chlortetracycline HCl from gel matrix was investigated. In vitro drug release studies in different buffer solutions show that the basic parameters affecting the drug release behavior of hydrogel are the pH of the solution and MAA content of hydrogel.     

Amino acid-based polymeric gel network and its application in different fields

Polymer gels are cross-linked polymeric matrix, having the ability to absorb a large volume of solvent molecules in their network structures. With inherent flexibility and adaptability along with stimuli-responsive behavior, polymer gels have been proven to be a very good candidate to find their potential applications in diverse fields including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, female hygiene materials, drug delivery, wastewater treatment, cosmetics, etc. In recent times, significant number of efforts has been made to develop amino acid fabricated polymeric gel endowed with enhanced aqueous interaction. The inherent nature of the amino acid-based polymeric matrix facilitates the interaction with protein and gene along with the grafting ability to biological molecules. From the industrial point of view, the amino acid-based polymer gel is also viable because of low-cost starting materials, large scalability, etc. In the last decade, a significant amount of research was carried out on amino acid-based polymeric gel in the field of developing stimuli-responsive material, dye separation, oil-spill recovery, biomedical applications, and so on. In this review, we presented detailed insight into the synthesis strategies and applications of amino acid-based polymeric gels of the past decade (2005-present).     

Polarized light-induced anisotropy depending on polymer matrices studied by polarized ftir spectroscopy

Polarized-light induced anisotropy of Disperse Orange 3 (DO3) depending on the polymer matrices was investigated by polarized FTIR spectroscopy. The dynamic behavior of the azo dyes doped in a series of methacrylate polymers was analyzed in terms of the orientation factors. Two factors, the free volume and the local polarity of matrices, are found to govern the dynamic behavior of DO3. It was found that induced anisotropy for trans and cis isomers varies depending on Tg of polymer matrix. Further, the thermal isomerization rate depend on the isomerization mode which is governed by the matrix polarity. The branched-alkyl chains are considered to block the interaction between ester groups and DO3 and introduce the DO3 molecules into the less polar environment.     

Hybrid organo-inorganic clay with nonionic interlayers. mid- and near-IR spectroscopic studies

The intercalation of organic polymers molecules (i.e., PEGs and BRIJ) into a standard Ca-montmorillonite has been studied by XRD, TG, and IR spectroscopy. The polymer intercalation is confirmed by the increasing of the d(001) in XRD spectra as well as by the complex multisteps thermal decomposition behavior of the organo-clay materials. Mid-IR and diffuse reflectance near-IR spectra of the intercalated materials show the polymer diagnostic bands (CH stretching and deformation mode), shifted or changed in shape by the interaction with the clay matrix. Both PEG 1500 and PEG 4000 based materials are likely intercalated in an extended configuration, similar to the amorphous polymer form. BRIJ intercalated polymer spectra suggest the disordered conformation of the alkilic chain in a prevailing "gauche", poorly packed, conformation. Host montmorillonite IR bands, mainly OH and water stretching and deformation fundamentals, combination, and overtone bands, are reduced in intensity by polymer intercalation, pointing out an interaction, likely through H-bonding and/or a possible substitution of cations hydration water molecules.     

基体分子运动对聚偏氟乙烯/碳纤维复合材料的聚合物基正温度系数性能的影响

聚合物基正温度系数(PTC)材料中,基体分子在熔体状态下的运动能力可显著影响填料分布、PTC强度及稳定重复性等,明确其机理有利于高灵敏性且稳定可重复的PTC复合材料的设计与制备.通过探究基体熔体黏度不同的聚偏氟乙烯(PVDF)/碳纤维(CF)的电阻-温度响应行为,可以发现复合材料PTC转变温度区间仅取决于基体化学结构与结晶性,而PTC循环稳定性却受到基体分子运动能力的显著影响.当基体分子运动能力较强时,分子链极易黏附填料在CF表面形成包覆层,导致局部填料间距增大到隧穿距离以上,不利于复合材料导电网络的重建,导致随热循环次数增加,复合材料的室温电阻率有所升高,PTC可重复性略微降低.而对基体分子链缠结明显的PVDF/CF复合材料中,运动能力较弱的分子链不会包覆CF粒子,在多次升温-降温循环后导电通路能恢复到初始状态,复合材料呈现良好的PTC可重复性,将其应用于电路过热保护装置时,复合材料表现出灵敏的温度响应特性及可多次循环的开关特性.     

Chain confinement in polymer nanocomposites and its effect on polymer bulk properties

The issue of chain confinement in nanocomposites remains largely unanswered because experimental systems are plagued by additional complicating variables such as particle–polymer interactions and free volume increases brought upon by the addition of the particles. Using computer simulation of high length chain polymers, we show that simple excluded volume interactions between polymer and nanoparticles lead to a wealth of changes in the diffusion coefficient and entanglement density of the chains. This opens up the possibility of using nanoparticles for tuning polymer properties, such as toughness, melt viscosity, and transient rubberlike behavior. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 687–692, 2010     

DNA diffusion in aqueous solution in presence of suspended particles

Although nanoparticles, which are comparable in size to polymer chains, are widely used as fillers to polymer matrices for developing functional and high performance materials, the dynamics of polymers constrained between solid particles has not been well elucidated. In this study, dynamics of individual polymer under such condition was investigated with fluorescent microscopy using DNA solutions as model systems. For individual T4 and λ DNA molecules in aqueous suspensions of spherical polystyrene particles with diameter of 1 μm, it was found that (i) the radius of gyration of DNA is independent of the particle volume fraction, ?_p, (ii) DNA diffusion is not sensitive to ?_p up to a certain critical ?_p where the average distance between particle surfaces is close to DNA size, and (iii) the DNA diffusion becomes slower at higher ?_p. The diffusion coefficient of DNA was larger, by a factor of 2, in the suspensions at intermediate ?_p than in the corresponding confined geometry (channel/slit between fixed walls), whereas this difference asymptotically vanished with increasing ?_p. This result suggested that the DNA diffusion in the suspensions with intermediate ?_p is accelerated by the particle motion. In fact, the diffusion coefficient measured for DNA in the suspensions was semiquantitatively described by the Rouse constraint‐release model considering the matrix effect on the probe chain diffusion. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 1103–1111, 2009     

Solute diffusion in relation to the glass transition temperature of solute-polymer blends

The transport of various dye solute molecules from amorphous donor polymer films to an amorphous acceptor polymer film has been investigated. Dye diffusion was studied by laminating dye-donor and dye-acceptor films under controlled pressure and temperature. The acceptor medium was kept constant, whereas a wide range of polymer structures were used as binders in the donor system. At constant dye concentration, the transport of the dye molecules from the donor sheet was found to be controlled by the glass transition temperature of the dye-polymer mixture in the donor film. This relationship was ubiquitous for all types of chromophore and polymer studied. The data was found to fit well with free volume considerations and the Williams-Landel-Ferry equation by using the glass transition as that of the dye-polymer blend in the donor matrix.     

Self‐diffusion of small molecules into rubbery polymers: A lattice free‐volume theory

In the framework of the free‐volume (FV) theory, a new equation was derived for the evaluation of self‐diffusion coefficients of small molecules in polymers above the mixture glass transition temperature. The derivation of the equation turned out to be straightforward once the equivalence between the free volume and the unoccupied volume given by thermodynamic lattice theories is assumed. A parameter evaluation scheme is proposed, which is substantially simpler compared with the conventional Vrentas–Duda approach, even without losing generality. The key assumption is discussed, and its consistency is verified from a numerical viewpoint. A comparison with experimental solvent self‐diffusion coefficients for several solvent/polymer binary systems confirmed that the proposed theory presents good correlative ability over wide temperature and composition ranges. Moreover, the introduced thermodynamic foundation allows one to easily include the pressure effect too. In the frame of the proposed lattice free volume theory, the sizes of the polymer jumping units decrease with temperature and increase with pressure. Such behavior converges with theoretical expectations and opens the way for a predictive FV theory. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 529–540, 2010     

Diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide in thermally crystallized syndiotactic polystyrene

The diffusion, solubility, and permeability behavior of oxygen and carbon dioxide were studied in amorphous and semicrystalline syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS). The crystallinity was induced in s‐PS by crystallization from the melt and cold crystallization. Crystalline s‐PS exhibited very different gas permeation behavior depending on the crystallization conditions. The behavior was attributed to the formation of different isomorphic crystalline forms in the solid‐state structure of this polymer. The β crystalline form was virtually impermeable for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide. In contrast, the α crystalline form was highly permeable for the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide. High gas permeability of the α crystals was attributed to the loose crystalline structure of this crystalline form containing nanochannels oriented parallel to the polymer chain direction. A model describing the diffusion and permeability of gas molecules in the composite permeation medium, consisting of the amorphous matrix and the dispersed crystalline phase with nanochannels, was proposed. Cold crystallization of s‐PS led to the formation of a complex ordered phase and resulted in complex permeation behavior. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2519–2538, 2001