How does the hydrophobic content of methacrylate ABA triblock copolymers affect polymersome formation?

Polymersomes are exciting self-assembled structures with great potential in pharmaceutical applications. A systematic investigation of a novel series of methacrylate-based polymersomes is reported in this study. Five well-defined ABA triblock copolymers with A being based on tri(ethylene glycol) methyl methacrylate and B being based on 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) were synthesized using a living polymerization method. The effect of the composition of the ABA triblock copolymers on the thickness of the hydrophobic membrane of the polymersomes and the release of a model drug is demonstrated.     

嵌段共聚物傅里叶变换拉曼光谱

用傅里叶变换拉曼光谱(FT-Paman)研究了聚环氧乙烷-聚环氧丙烷-聚环氧乙烷(PEO-PPO-PEO)嵌段共聚物的无水样品,发现某些谱带对PEO0-PPO-PEO嵌段共聚物的结构和构象变化敏感,其中某些峰的相对强度的PPO/PEO比率和共聚物的构象有关,研究表明PluronicF68和F88具有一些反式构象的螺旋结构,PluronicP103(P123)是无规则结构,其它的嵌段共聚物处于二者之间.     

反气相色谱法测定苯乙烯-氧乙烯-苯乙烯三嵌段聚合物的表面能

 采用反气相色谱法测定了苯乙烯 氧乙烯 苯乙烯三嵌段聚合物 (PS PEO PS)的色散成分的表面能 (γsd) ,研究探讨了温度及嵌段聚合物链段结构组成对γsd 的影响 ,并确定了γsd 与温度的数学关系式。研究结果表明 :在 70℃～ 12 0℃范围内 ,PS PEO PS的表面能较低 ;随着PS PEO PS表面组成中氧乙烯 (EO)成分的增加 ,色散成分的γsd 增大 ,且对温度的变化极其敏感 :随温度的升高 ,γsd 急剧地呈线性下降。     

磷酰胆碱基pH敏感性ABA型嵌段共聚物的合成与胶束化

采用氯化亚铜/2,2-联二吡啶催化体系, 2,5-二溴己二酸二乙酯为引发剂, 甲醇为溶剂运用希莱克技术, 利用原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)方法合成了ABA型三嵌段共聚物PDEAEMA-b-PMPC-b-PDEAEMA. ¹H NMR和GPC(凝胶渗透色谱)对聚合物组成、结构及分子量进行了表征, 利用透光率、粘度测定研究了嵌段共聚物溶液的pH敏感性, 利用表面张力测定、荧光探针和透射电镜研究了嵌段共聚物胶束化作用, 确定了共聚物水溶液的临界胶束浓度(CMC). 结果表明所合成的ABA型三嵌段共聚物水溶液具有pH敏感性, 其临界相变pH 7～7.5. 调节溶液pH值可实现嵌段共聚物胶束化形成“花状”胶束, 并测定了其临界胶束浓度.     

SDS对PEO-PPO-PEO嵌段共聚物溶液行为的影响

对PEO-PPO-PEO（127）三嵌段共聚物的水溶液行为及添加十二烷基硫酸钠（SDS）后对共聚物溶液行为的影响进行了研究．利用荧光探针技术对不同SDS浓度下F127／SDS体系的胶来形成进行研究,并研究了SDS对F127浓溶液凝胶化行为的影响．结果表明：随着SDS浓度的增大,F127稀溶液胶束的形成受到抑制,SDS浓度愈大,形成的胶束结构就愈疏松．对F127浓溶液来说,SDS与F127摩尔比小于2时,体系易于凝胶化;但当SDS浓度增大,其与F127摩尔比大于2时,体系开始难于凝胶化,直至摩尔比大于5时,体系不再形成凝胶．     

The Morphology of Symmetric Triblock Copolymer Melts Confined in a Slit: A Monte Carlo Simulation

Monte Carlo simulations based on a modified bond‐fluctuation and vacancy‐diffusion algorithm on a simple cubic lattice were employed to examine the morphology of thin films of the symmetric A_mB_2nA_m triblock copolymer confined between two hard homogeneous parallel walls. The walls preferred either segment A or segment B. Parallel lamellae, parallel cylinders and perpendicular cylinders morphologies, dependent on the composition, film thickness and interaction energies, were identified in these simulations, in agreement with the experimental observations of several researchers.     

Multiple Sol‐Gel Transitions of PEG‐PCL‐PEG Triblock Copolymer Aqueous Solution

An aqueous solution of a poly(ethylene glycol)‐polycaprolactone‐poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG‐PCL‐PEG) with a composition of EG₁₃CL₂₃EG₁₃ undergoes multiple transitions, from sol‐to‐gel (hard gel)‐to‐sol‐to‐gel (soft gel)‐to‐sol, in the concentration range 20.0∼35.0 wt.‐%. Through dynamic mechanical analysis, UV‐vis spectrophotometry, small angle X‐ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, microcalorimetry and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, the mechanism of these transitions was investigated. The hard gel and soft gel are distinguished by the crystalline and amorphous state of the PCL. The extent of PEG dehydration and the molecular motion of each block also played a critical role in the multiple transitions. This paper suggests a new mechanism for these multiple transitions driven by temperature changes.

     

Synthesis and Self-assembly of a Linear Coil-Coil-Rod ABC Triblock Copolymer

An interesting order-order transition between two different complex nanostructures was observed in a new liquid crystalline linear coil-coil-rod ABC triblock copolymer（tri BCP）. First, the ABC tri BCP, poly（dimethylsiloxane）-bpolystyrene-b-poly{2,5-bis[（4-methoxyphenyl）oxycarbonyl]styrene}（PDMS-b-PS-b-PMPCS）, was synthesized through sequential atom transfer radical polymerization. The degrees of polymerization of PDMS, PS, and PMPCS blocks are 58, 159, and 106, and the corresponding volume fractions of PDMS, PS, and PMPCS are 0.09, 0.29, and 0.62, respectively. The phase behaviors of the PDMS-b-PS diblock copolymer precursor and the final triblock copolymer were studied by smallangle X-ray scattering, one-dimensional wide-angle X-ray scattering, and transmission electron microscopy experiments. The PDMS-b-PS precursor self-assembles into hexagonally packed cylinders with a relatively small periodic size after thermal annealing. When the triblock copolymer is annealed at a relatively low temperature（120 ○C） at which the PMPCS block is in the amorphous state, the tri BCP forms core-shell hexagonally packed cylinders（CSH） with a relativly large periodic size. After the tri BCP is annealed above 140 ○C at which the PMPCS block transforms to the liquid crystalline（LC） phase, the nanophase-separated structure transforms to a three-phase four-layer lamellar structure（LAM-3P4L）. Thus, accompanied with the transition of the PMPCS blocks from the amorphous state to the LC phase, the order-order transition from CSH to LAM-3P4 L occurs in the PDMS-b-PS-b-PMPCS ABC tri BCP.     

Monte Carlo Simulation of ABA Triblock Copolymer Melts Confined in a Cylindrical Nanotube

Monte Carlo simulations were used to identify the microphase morphologies of ABA triblock copolymer melts confined in a cylindrical nanotube. The influences of the volume fraction of mid‐block B (f_B), the radius of nanotube (R) and the asymmetry of ABA triblock copolymer chain were discussed in detail. When f_B varies, a series of double‐continuous, three‐layer concentric cylinder barrel, porous net, double helixes and the new multiplex structures were observed under different conditions. In addition, the stacked disk, catenoid‐cylinder and multi‐layer concentric cylinder barrel structures occur in turns at changing R. The relation between circular lamellae period L and layer number N_layer of concentric cylinder barrel with the increase of R was investigated to further explain the put‐off phenomenon of microphase transition of the multi‐layer concentric cylinder barrel structures. As for the increase of the asymmetry of ABA triblock copolymer chain, it was concluded that the short A_I segments tend to site at the interface between rich A and B circular lamellae.

     

Synthesis of carbosilane block copolymers by means of a living anionic polymerization of 1,1-diethylsilacyclobutane

Block polymerization of 1,1-diethylsilacyclobutane with styrene derivatives and methacrylate derivatives was investigated. Sequential addition of styrene to a living poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane), which was prepared from phenyllithium and 1,1-diethylsilacyclobutane in THF–hexane at −48°C, gave poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane)-b-polystyrene. Similarly, addition of 4-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)styrene to the living poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane) provided poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane)-b-poly(4-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)styrene). Poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) was obtained by treatment of living poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane) with 1,1-diphenylethylene followed by an addition of methyl methacrylate. Poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane)-b-poly(2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)ethyl methacrylate) was also synthesized by adding 2-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)ethyl methacrylate to the living poly(1,1-diethylsilabutane) which was end-capped with 1,1-diphenylethylene in the presence of lithium chloride. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2699–2706, 1998     

苯乙烯-氧乙烯-苯乙烯三嵌段聚合物的受限结晶行为的反气相分析

 采用反气相法研究了苯乙烯 氧乙烯 苯乙烯三嵌段结晶聚合物 (PS PEO PS)的结晶熔融相变 ,测定了PS PEO PS的结晶度、熔点以及熔程 ,探讨了正构烷烃探针分子的碳链长度对测定结果的影响。研究结果表明 :PS PEO PS的微相分离对PEO链段的结晶行为有较大的影响 ,其晶体结构中存在由多种不完善PEO结晶和PS非结晶构成的中间层 ;正构烷烃探针分子的碳链长度对测定PS PEO PS的熔点和熔程无影响 ,但对结晶度测定和PEO结晶熔融相变的检测影响较大 ,所测得PS PEO PS的结晶度随正构烷烃探针分子碳链的增长而降低。     

Poly(2-oxazoline)-Containing Triblock Copolymers: Synthesis and Applications

This review focuses on poly(2-oxazoline) containing triblock copolymers and their applications. A detailed overview of the synthetic techniques is provided. Triblock copolymers solely based on poly(2-oxazoline)s can be synthesized by sequential monomer addition utilizing mono- as well as bifunctional initiators for the cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-oxazolines. Crossover and coupling techniques enable access to triblock copolymers comprising, e.g., polyesters, poly(dimethylsiloxane)s, or polyacrylates in combination with poly(2-oxazoline) based segments. Besides systematic studies to develop structure property relationships, these polymers have been applied, e.g., in drug delivery, as (functionalized) vesicles, in segmented networks or as nanoreactors.     

A novel route to poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and its amphiphilic block copolymers

The vinyl of the ester group of 2-vinyloxyethyl methacrylate was first selectively reacted with acetic acid to obtain 2-[1-(acetoxy)ethoxy]ethyl methacrylate ( 2 ). This protected monomer was subjected to anionic polymerization in tetrahydrofuran at −60°C in the presence of LiCl, using 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium as initiator. The molecular weight of the polymer could thus be controlled and a narrow molecular weight distribution obtained. The protecting group, 1-(acetoxy)ethyl, could be easily eliminated (by quenching the polymerization reaction with methanol and water) to generate poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)). Block copolymers were also prepared by the sequential anionic polymerization of MMA and 2 or styrene and 2 . They possess narrow molecular weight distributions, and controlled molecular weights and compositions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1865–1872, 1998     

三嵌段共聚物PS-PHB-PS的原子转移自由基聚合

为了克服聚β-羟基丁酸酯(PHB)的弱点, 得到性能良好的新材料, 本文利用原子转移自由基聚合方法, 以Br-PHB-Br为大分子引发剂, 苯乙烯为单体, 在CuBr/N,N,N′,N″,N″-五甲基–二乙基三胺(PMDETA)催化体系作用下合成了一种新的三嵌段共聚物聚苯乙烯-聚β-羟基丁酸酯-聚苯乙烯(PS-PHB-PS). 共聚物的链结构利用¹H NMR和¹³C NMR进行了表征, 分子量特性和链段组成利用凝胶渗透色谱(SEC)方法进行了测定. 聚合物的分子量随单体转化率的增加而线性增加, 分子量分布指数相对较窄. 这些特征都满足原子转移自由基活性聚合的理想要求. 所得到的共聚物PS-PHB-PS具有较好的生物相容性, 与PHB相比具有良好的耐热性.     

Surfaces Coated with Polymer Brushes Work as Carriers for Histidine Ammonia Lyase

The immobilization of enzymes on solid supports is an important challenge in biotechnology and biomedicine. In contrast to other methods, enzyme deposition in polymer brushes offers the benefit of high protein loading that preserves enzymatic activity in part due to the hydrated 3D environment that is available within the brush structure. The authors equipped planar and colloidal silica surfaces with poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate)-based brushes to immobilize Thermoplasma acidophilum histidine ammonia lyase, and analyzed the amount and activity of the immobilized enzyme. The poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) brushes are attached to the solid silica supports either via a “grafting-to” or a “grafting-from” method. It is found that the grafting-from method results in higher amounts of deposited polymer and, consequently, higher amounts of Thermoplasma acidophilum histidine ammonia lyase. All polymer brush-modified surfaces show preserved catalytic activity of the deposited Thermoplasma acidophilum histidine ammonia lyase. However, immobilizing the enzyme in polymer brushes using the grafting-from method resulted in twice the enzymatic activity from the grafting-to approach, illustrating a successful enzyme deposition on a solid support.     

Controlled polymerization of 2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and its block copolymer with N‐isopropylacrylamide by RAFT polymerization

Poly(2‐(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) homopolymers with low polydispersities were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization. The performances of two chain transfer agents, 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate and 4‐cyanopentanic acid dithiobenzoate (CPADB), were compared. It was found that the polymerization of 2‐(diethylamino) ethyl methylacrylate was under good control in the presence of CPADB with 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoic acid) (ACPA) as initiator in 1,4‐dioxane at 70 °C. The kinetic behaviors were investigated under different CPADB/ACPA molar ratios. A long polymerization inhibition period was observed at high [CPADB]/[ACPA] ratio. The influences of [CPADB]/[ACPA] ratio, monomer/[CPADB] ratio, and temperature were studied with respect to monomer conversion, molecular weight control, and polydispersity index (PDI). The PDI decreased from 1.21 to 1.12, as the CPADB/ACPA molar ratio changed from 2 to 10. The molecular weight of PDEAEMA could be controlled by monomer/CPADB molar ratio. The control over MW and PDI was improved as the temperature increased from 60 to 70 °C; however, an additional increase to 80 °C led to a loss of control. Using PDEAEMA macroRAFT agent, pH/thermo double‐responsive block copolymers of PDEAEMA and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PDEAEMA‐b‐PNIPAM) with narrow polydispersity (PDI, 1.24) were synthesized. The lower critical solution temperature of PDEAEMA‐b‐PNIPAM block copolymer depended on the environmental pH. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 3294–3305, 2008     

ABA两亲性嵌段共聚物在双选择性溶剂中自组装行为的Monte Carlo模拟

采用Monte Carlo模拟方法研究了ABA两亲性三嵌段共聚物在两种选择性溶剂中的自组装行为.模拟结果表明,在保证溶剂总浓度一定的情况下,改变两种选择性溶剂的体积比对于ABA两亲性嵌段共聚物自组装所形成的胶束形貌结构有很大影响.随着双选择性溶剂体积比的改变,体系中胶束形貌结构将会发生由囊泡到层状,再到环状、棒状直至球...     

Synthesis,pH‐ and temperature‐induced micellization and gelation of doubly hydrophilic triblock copolymer of poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethylmethacrylate)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethylmethacrylate) in aqueous solutions

A doubly hydrophilic triblock copolymer of poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethyl methacrylate)‐b‐Poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethylmethacrylate) (PDMAEMA‐b‐PEG‐b‐PDMAEMA) with well‐defined structure and narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.21) was synthesized in aqueous medium via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N,N‐dimethylamino‐2‐ethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) initiated by the PEG macroinitiator. The macroinitiator and triblock copolymer were characterized with ¹H NMR and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DSL), transmittance measurement, and rheological characterization were applied to investigate pH‐ and temperature‐induced micellization in the dilute solution of 1 mg/mL when pH > 13 and gelation in the concentrated solution of 25 wt % at pH = 14 and temperatures beyond 80 °C. The unimer of R_h = 3.7 ± 0.8 nm coexisted with micelle of R_h = 45.6 ± 6.5 nm at pH 14. Phase separation occurred in dilute aqueous solution of the triblock copolymer of 1 mg/mL at about 50 °C. Large aggregates with R_h = 300–450 nm were formed after phase separation, which became even larger as R_h = 750–1000 nm with increasing temperature. The gelation temperature determined by rheology measurement was about 80 °C at pH 14 for the 25 wt % aqueous solution of the triblock copolymer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5869–5878, 2008     

Grafting by in situ coupling of epoxy groups of a living copolymer with an anionic living polymer

A tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution of the living random copolymer of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was prepared by the living anionic copolymerization of the two monomers, using 1,1‐diphenylhexyllithium (DPHLi) as initiator, in the presence of LiCl ([LiCl]/[DPHLi]₀ = 3), at −50°C. The copolymer thus obtained has a controlled composition and molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution. By introduction of an anionic living polystyrene (poly(St)) or anionic living polyisoprene (poly(Is)) solution into the above system at −30°C, a coupling reaction took place and a graft copolymer with a polar backbone and nonpolar side chains was produced. The solvent used in the preparation of the living poly(St) or poly(Is) affects the coupling reaction. When benzene was the solvent, a graft copolymer of high purity, controlled graft number and molecular weight, and narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.11–1.21) was obtained. In the coupling reaction, the living poly(St) reacted only with the epoxy groups and not with the carbonyls of the backbone polymer. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 105–112, 1999     

Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) brushes fabricated by surface-mediated RAFT polymerization and their response to pH

In this study, well-defined, high density poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) [poly(DMAEMA)] brushes were fabricated by the combination of the self-assembly of a monolayer of RAFT agent and surface-mediated RAFT polymerization. The whole fabrication process of the poly(DMAEMA) was followed by water contact angles, grazing angle-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Kinetic studies revealed a linear increase in poly(DMAEMA) film thickness with polymerization time, indicating that the chain growth from the surface was a controlled process. Characterization of the poly(DMAEMA) brushes, such as molecular weight and thickness determination, were measured by gel permeation chromatography, and ellipsometry, and the grafting density was estimated. The pH response of the poly(DMAEMA) brushes was further investigated and the results verified the “brush-like” to “mushroom-like” transition of the poly(DMAEMA) chains due to the reversible protonation/deprotonation upon changing the solution pH.