Conducting Block Copolymer Nanowires Containing Regioregular Poly(3‐Hexylthiophene) and Polystyrene

Grignard Metathesis polymerization (GRIM) for the synthesis of regioregular poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) proceeds via a “living” chain growth mechanism. Due to the “living” nature of this polymerization regioregular poly(3‐alkylthiophenes) with predetermined molecular weight, narrow molecular weight distributions and desired chain end functionality are now readily available. Allyl terminated poly(3‐hexylthiophene) was successfully used as a precursor for the synthesis of di‐block copolymers containing polystyrene. The addition of “living” poly(styryl)lithium to the allyl terminated regioregular poly(3‐hexylthiophene) generated the di‐block copolymer. Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐b‐polystyrene was also synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. Integration of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) in di‐block copolymers with polystyrene leads to the formation of nanowire morphology and self‐ordered conducting nanostructured materials.     

Determination of Poly(3‐Hydroxybutyrate) using a Combination of Enzymatic Spectrophotometry and Alkaline Hydrolysis

Abstract

A combination of enzyme‐based spectrophotometric analysis and alkaline hydrolysis was developed for the measurement of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The principle of the determination is as follows: alkaline hydrolysis decomposes PHB into its monomer product 3‐hydroxybutyrate, which is followed with enzymatic reaction catalyzed by 3‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase in the presence of nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide (NAD). The product, nicotinamide adenosine dinucleotide with hydrogen (NADH) results in a spectrophotometric signal at 340 nm. This method shows high performance characteristics with simple operations.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan‐graft‐Poly(3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate) Initiated by Ceric (IV) Ion

The grafting of 3‐(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPM) onto chitosan by ceric ion initiation was studied under homogeneous conditions in 2% acetic acid solution. The grafted polymer was characterized by FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR, TGA and XRD and swelling studies. TGA results showed that the incorporation of TMSPM to the chitosan chains decreased the thermal stability of the grafted chitosan. Due to the grafting of TMSPM, the crystallinity of chitosan derivatives was found to be destroyed. The solubility of the grafted chitosan in water was improved. The effects of reaction conditions such as initiator concentration, monomer concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time were studied by determining the grafting parameters such as grafting and grafting efficiency. Under optimum conditions, the grafting parameters were achieved as 1440 and 97%, respectively.     

Studies on the Miscibility of Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and Poly(ethylene oxide) Blends

Miscibility characteristics of poly[2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate] (PHEMA) and poly[ethylene oxide] (PEO) have been investigated by solution viscometry, ultrasonic and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) methods. The interaction parameters were obtained using the viscosity data. Ultrasonic velocity and adiabatic compressibility vs. blend composition have been plotted and are found to be linear. A single glass transition temperature was observed by differential scanning calorimetry. Variation of glass transition temperature (T_g) with composition follows Garden‐Taylor equation. T_g values have also been calculated from the Fox equation. The results obtained reveal that PHEMA forms a miscible blend with PEO in the entire composition range.     

A New Flow‐Injection Chemiluminescence Method for the Determination of Acyclovir and Gancyclovir

Abstract

A rapid and sensitive flow‐injection chemiluminescence (FI‐CL) method, which is based on the CL intensity that generated from the redox reaction of Ce(IV)‐rhodamine B in H₂SO₄ medium, for the determination of acyclovir and gancyclovir is described. For acyclovir, the determination range is 3×10^?8 g mL^?1–7×10^?5 g mL^?1, with 1.56×10^?8 g mL^?1 as its determination limit. During 11 repeated measurements for 1×10^?6 g mL^?1 acyclovir, the relative standard deviation was 2.08%. For gancyclovir, the determination range was 5×10^?8 g mL^?1–7×10^?5 g mL^?1, with 2.35×10^?8 g mL^?1 as its determination limit. The relative standard deviation is 2.83% with 11 repeated measurements of 1×10^?6 g mL^?1 gancyclovir. This method can be successfully used to determine the content of acyclovir and gancyclovir in injections, acyclovir in eye drops, and, maybe, also for other ciclovirs.     

Accurate Mass Determination of Amino Alcohols by Turboionspray／Time—of—Flight Mass Spectrometry

ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＡｍｉｎｏａｌｃｏｈｏｌｓａｒｅａｎｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｔｃｌａｓｓｏｆｃｏｍｐｏｕｎｄｓｉｎｓｙｎｔｈｅｔｉｃｏｒｇａｎｉｃｒｅａｃｔｉｏｎｓ .Ｔｈｅｉｒｍｏｌｅｃｕｌｅｓｔｒｕｃｔｕｒｅｓｂｅｃｏｍｅｕｎｓｔｅａｄｙｗｈｅｎａｎａｌｙｚｅｄｂｙｅｌｅｃｔｒｏｎｉｍｐａｃｔ(ＥＩ) .ＴｈｅｆｒａｇｍｅｎｔｓｏｂｔａｉｎｅｄｆｒｏｍＥＩａｒｅｕｓｕａｌｌｙａｓ ｓｉｇｎｅｄｔｏｎｅｕｔｒａｌｌｏｓｓｅｓｓｕｃｈａｓＨ2 Ｏ ,ＣＨ3 ＯＨ (Ｆｉｇ .1) .ＥＩｉｓｎｏｔａｕｓｅｆｕｌｍｅ…     

Simultaneous Determination of Levomepromazine Hydrochloride and Its Sulfoxide by UV‐Derivative Spectrophotometry and Bivariate Calibration Method

Abstract

Two spectrophotometric methods are proposed for the simultaneous quantification of levomepromazine hydrochloride (LV) and its main degradation product levomepromazine sulfoxide (LV‐SO). One of them is based on the first order derivative spectra generated by the Savitzky‐Golay algorithm (third‐order polynomial degree, Δλ=10 nm). Determination of levomepromazine hydrochloride and its sulfoxide was realized by measurements of amplitudes of derivative spectra at 332 nm and 278 nm, respectively. The Beer law was obeyed in the concentration range 1.5–50 µg/mL for LV and 2.5–50 µg/mL for LV‐SO. The second of the proposed methods utilized the bivariate calibration algorithm. The determination was performed at 302 nm for levomepromazine and at 334 nm for sulfoxide. The elaborated methods allowed determination of LV in the concentration range 1.0–25 µg/mL while LV‐SO was determined in the concentration range 2.0–50 µg/mL.     

Changes of the Molecular Mobility of Poly(ε-caprolactone) upon Drawing,Studied by Dielectric Relaxation Spectroscopy

Dielectric relaxation spectroscopy(DRS) of poly(ε-caprolactone) with different draw ratios showed that the mobility of polymer chains in the amorphous part decreases as the draw ratio increases. The activation energy of the α process, which corresponds to the dynamic glass transition, increases upon drawing. The enlarged gap between the activation energies of the α process and the β process results in a change of continuity at the crossover between the high temperature a process and the α and β processes. At low drawing ratios the a process connects with the β process, while at the highest drawing ratio in our measurements, the a process is continuous with the αprocess. This is consistent with X-ray diffraction results that indicate that upon drawing the polymer chains in the amorphous part align and densify upon drawing. As the draw ratio increases, the α relaxation broadens and decreases its intensity, indicating an increasing heterogeneity. We observed slope changes in the α traces, when the temperature decreases below that at which τα≈ 1 s. This may indicate the glass transition from the ‘rubbery' state to the non-equilibrium glassy state.     

Synthesis and Properties of Poly(AAm‐KMA‐MA) Hydrogels

In this investigation, poly(acrylamide‐co‐potassium methacrylate‐co‐maleic acid) hydrogels, poly(AAm‐KMA‐MA) were synthesized by redox copolymerization in aqueous solution. The effect of reaction parameters, such as concentration of maleic acid, crosslinking agent, initiator and activator, on the swelling behavior was investigated in detail. The swelling/diffusion characteristics were also evaluated for 1,4‐butanediol diacrylate (BDDA) and 1,2‐ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinked hydrogels having different amounts of maleic acid. The results indicate that the water diffusion of hydrogels was of a non‐Fickian type. The hydrogels were characterized by IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their surface characteristics were observed by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, their swelling phenomena in different pH and salt solutions and simulated biological fluids was also studied.     

Increasing the Content of β Phase of Poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene) by Synergistically Controlling Solution Aggregation and Extending Film-forming Time

For poly(9,9-dioctylfluorene)(PFO),β phase (coplanar conformation with the intra-chain torsion angle of 165°) has a greater conjugation length and higher degree of order compared to those of α phase, which favors charge carrier transport. However, the highest content of β phase obtained so far is 45%. We propose to increase the content of β phase by promoting the solution aggregation of PFO molecules and extending film-forming time. For this purpose, 1,8-diiodooctane (DIO) is added to PFO o-xylene solution, which enhances the interaction of PFO chains and improves the planarity of PFO backbone, resulting in the formation of ordered aggregation. The aggregates act as nucleation centers to promote the formation of β phase. The content of β phase increases with increasing DIO concentration and reaches a platform of 39% as DIO is more than 4 vol%. Furthermore, the film is kept in a sealed environment with oxylene atmosphere for 3 h, thus the PFO molecules have enough time to diffuse to the crystallization front and achieve disorder-order transition. As a result, the crystallinity of PFO is improved significantly and the content of β phase increases to 52%, reaching the highest value reported so far.     

The Preparation and Biodegradable Properties of Poly(L‐lactic acid)‐Poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) Multiblock Copolymers

Multi‐block copolymers of PLLA and PCL were prepared by a coupling reaction between PLLA and PCL prepolymers with –NCO end groups. FTIR proved that the products were PLLA‐PCL copolymers. The weight‐average molecular weight of the copolymers was up to 180,000 at a composition of 60% PLLA and 40% PCL. The degradation properties of PLLA and PLLA‐PCL copolymers were studied by a soil burial test and a hydrolysis test in a phosphate‐buffer solution. The degradation rate was estimated by the mass loss, molecular weight reduction, pH value changes and swelling index; the degradation rates of the copolymers were a function of the composition of PLLA and PCL. Increasing PCL content in the copolymers resulted in lower degradation rate.     

Synthesis of Star‐Shaped Poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐b‐Poly(styrene) Block Copolymer by Combining Ring‐Opening Polymerization and Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

Newly designed star‐shaped block copolymers made of poly(?‐caprolactone) (PCL) and polystyrene (PS) were synthesized by combining ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ?‐caprolactone (CL) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene (St). The switch from the first to the second mechanism was obtained by selective transformation of “living” radical sites. First, tri‐ and tetrafunctional initiators were used as an initiator for the “living” ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ?‐caprolactone producing a hydroxyl terminated three or four arm star‐shaped polymer. Next, the OH end groups of PCL star branches were derivatized into 2‐bromoisobutyrate groups which gave rise to the corresponding tri‐ and tetrabromoester ended‐PCL stars; the latter served as macroinitiators for the ATRP of styrene at 110°C in the presence of CuBr/2,2‐bipyridine (Bipy) catalyst system affording star‐shaped block copolymers PCL_n‐b‐PS_n (n=3 or 4). The samples obtained were characterizated by ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy and GPC (gel permeation chromatograph). These copolymers exhibited the expected structure. The crystallization of star‐shaped block copolymers was studied by DSC (differential scanning calorimetry). The results show that when the content of the PS block increased, the T_m of the star‐shaped block copolymer decreased.     

Post‐chemiluminescence Method of the Determination of Loperamide Hydrochloride in Human Plasma and Pharmaceutical by Using Dichlorofluorescein as Chemiluminescence Reagent

Abstract

A post‐chemiluminescence (PCL) was observed when loperamide hydrochloride solution was injected into the reaction mixture after the finish of CL reaction of alkaline N‐Chlorosuccinimide (NCS) and dichlorofluorescein. Based on this phenomenon, a simple, sensitive and fast flow injection PCL method was established for the determination of loperamide hydrochloride. The possible mechanism for the PCL reaction was discussed via the investigation of the CL kinetic characteristics, the CL spectra, the fluorescence spectra. The PCL intensity responded linearly to the concentration of loperamide hydrochloride in the range 8.0×10^?10 to 6.0×10^?7 g · ml^?1 with a linear correlation of 0.9995. The detection limit was 4×10^?10 g · ml^?1. The relative standard deviation was 2.4% for 4.0×10^?8 g · ml^?1 loperamide hydrochloride (n=11). This method has been applied to the determination of loperamide hydrochloride in human plasma and pharmaceutical samples with satisfactory results.     

The Determination of Perphenazine by a New Simple Flow‐Injection Chemiluminescence Method

Abstract

A rapid and simple flow‐injection chemiluminescence (CL) method is described for the determination of perphenazine, which is based on the CL intensity that generated from the redox reaction of Ce (IV)-perphenazine in HNO₃ medium is proportional to the perphenazine concentration without any sensitizers. The proposed method allows the determination range within 1.0×10^?7–7.0 ×10^?5 g mL^?1 with a detection limit of 8.0×10^?8 g mL^?1, and it has been successfully applied to the determination of the perphenazine in pharmaceutical tablet compared well with the official method.     

Preparation and Characterization of Poly(N‐Vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐Methacrylic Acid) Hydrogels

In this study, N‐vinylpyrrolidone (VP)/methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymers have been prepared at three different mole percents, the methacrylic acid composition being around 5, 10, 15%. MAA and VP monomer mixtures have been irradiated in ⁶⁰Co‐γ source at different irradiation doses and percent conversions have been determined gravimetrically. ～80% conversion of monomers into hydrogels were performed at 3.4 kGy irradiation dose. These hydrogels were swollen in distilled water at pH 4.0, 7.0, and 9.0. P(VP/MAA) hydrogel which contains 5% methacrylic acid showed the maximum % swelling at pH 9.0 in water. Diffusion of water was found to be of non‐Fickian character. Diffusion coefficients of water in P(VP/MAA) hydrogels were calculated. Initial swelling rates of P(VP/MAA) hydrogels increased with increasing pH and MAA content in hydrogels. Swelling kinetics of P(VP/MAA) hydrogels was found to be of second order. Thermal behavior of PMAA, PVP and P(VP/MAA) hydrogel were investigated by thermal analysis. P(VP/MAA) hydrogel gained new thermal properties and the temperature for maximum weight loss and temperature for half‐life of P(VP/MAA) hydrogel were determined.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Hydroxyl‐Terminated Poly(γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate)

In order to provide an active end group of hydroxyl group and improve the hydrophility of poly(γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate) (PBLG), ethanolamine (EA) was utilized as the initiator to initiate N‐carboxy‐γ‐benzyl‐L‐glutamate anhydride (Bz‐L‐Glu‐NCA) polymerization. The prepared hydroxyl‐terminated PBLG (HO‐PBLG) was fully characterized by FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, XPS, XRD, DSC, and GPC. The results of FTIR and XRD indicated that the chain conformation of HO‐PBLG predominantly presented α‐helix. The water contact angle was measured to confirm that the hydrophilicity was improved by the introduction of hydroxyl group. Chondrocytes studies showed that the cells attachment efficiency on the HO‐PBLG film was good and the cells grew well.     

Biodegradable Nanocomposites Based on the Polyester Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyhexanoate) and Layered Silicate or Expanded Graphite

Novel nanocomposites based on the biodegradable polymer poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHx) and layered fillers, specifically layered silicate (clay25A) and expanded graphite (EG), were prepared by melt intercalation. The dispersion of the fillers in the PHBHx was characterized by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The effects of the fillers on the polymer structure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were also studied, by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and strain‐stress measurements in elongation, respectively. The WAXD and TEM results showed that the clay25A and EG was exfoliated into well‐dispersed sheets in the polymer matrix, especially when the filler concentration were relatively low. This gave rise to considerable improvements in Young's modulus, and resulted in increases in the thermal degradation. It should be possible to convert the EG dispersions obtained thus far to ones yielding filler‐filler networks that show electrical conductivity.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Photocrosslinking Properties of Poly(1‐(4‐Methacrylamidophenyl)‐1‐(4‐nitrophenyl)prop‐1‐en‐3‐one)

The phenylmethacrylamide monomer, 1‐(4‐methacrylamidophenyl)‐1‐(4‐nitrophenyl)prop‐1‐en‐3‐one (MPNP) containing a photosensitive group was synthesized by reacting 4‐nitrocinnamoylaniline with methacryloyl chloride in the presence of triethylamine at 0–5°C. The functional monomer, MPNP was polymerized in ethyl methyl ketone (EMK) under nitrogen atmosphere at 70°C using benzoyl peroxide (BPO) as the initiator. The synthesized polymer was characterized by UV, IR, ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weight data of the polymer as obtained from gel permeation chromatography suggests a higher tendency for chain termination by radical recombination than disproportionation. The thermal studies of the polymer were obtained from thermogravimetric analysis. The glass transition temperature of the polymer was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The solubility of the polymer was tested in various organic solvents at room temperature. The photosensitivity of the polymer was investigated in various solvents in the presence and absence of triplet photosensitizers. The effect of the different solvents nature and concentration on the rate of photocrosslinking of the polymer were also examined for using the polymer as negative photoresist materials.     

Raman Spectroscopic Study of the Conformation and Melting of Poly(dG) · Poly(dC) and Poly(dG-dC) · Poly(dG-dC) in Aqueous Solution

Raman spectroscopic measurements on aqueous solutions of poly(dG) · poly(dC)indicate that the conformation of the polynucleotides in this double helicalcomplex are distributed between the A and B types at room temperature, the Aform being predominant at –15°C and decreasing progressively upon raising thetemperature to 65°C. A reversible pretransition has been found in this complexnear 70°C. Modifications in the spectra at this temperature indicate no majorconformational changes, but rather suggest altered base pairing and hydration ofthe carbonyl groups, accompanied by a slight distortion of the double helix,resulting in a slightly reduced stacking of the cytosine bases. Measurements inself-pressurized solutions of the complex at high temperature show that it meltsat 103°C in 0.1M NaCl solution (107°C in 0.5M NaCl). These values are somewhatlower than those we have determined in the same manner for the complexpoly(dG-dC) · poly(dG-dC): 117°C in 0.1M MgCl₂ and 113°C or higher in 0.1MNaCl solution.     

A Novel Sensitive Method for the Determination of Cadmium and Lead Based on Magneto‐Voltammetry

Abstract

A novel method for the ultratrace determination of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ based on magneto‐voltammetry was developed. In the presence of a low strength magnetic field of 0.6 T, square wave stripping voltammetry (SWSV) of Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ was performed in this determination. A high concentration of redox species Fe³⁺ was added to the analytes to generate a large cathodic current during the preconcentration step. A large Lorentz force arising from the flux of net current through the magnetic field resulted in convective solution flow due to magnetohydrodynamics. Then more metal ions deposited on the electrode surface at a faster rate and an enhancement as large as 160% for the stripping peak current was observed. Under the optimal conditions, this method exhibits high sensitivities of 5.67 µA µM^?1 for Cd²⁺ and 6.98 µA µM^?1 for Pb²⁺, over the 1×10^?8 – 1×10^?6 mol l^?1 range. Detection limits as low as 9.0×10^?10 and 8.6×10^?10 mol l^?1 for Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ were obtained with a 2 min preconcentration time, respectively. The method was successfully applied to detect Cd²⁺ and Pb²⁺ in real water samples and the results were in agreement with atomic absorption spectrometry.