Enzyme assays are receiving more and more research and application interest because of the rapidly increasing demands of clinical diagnosis, environmental analysis, drug discovery, and molecular biology. Water‐soluble light‐harvesting conjugated polymers (CPs) coordinate the action of a large number of absorbing units to afford an amplified fluorescence signal, which makes them useful as optical platforms in highly sensitive chemical and biological sensors. This Feature Article highlights recent developments of water‐soluble CPs for fluorescent assays of enzymes. Different signal transduction mechanisms, such as electron transfer, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), and aggregation or conformation changes of CPs, are employed in these assays according to the dissimilar nature of enzymes. Potential challenges and future research directions in these approaches based on CPs are also discussed.
The application of microwave irradiation in polymer syntheses and modifications is of continuously growing interest and has received significant international interest since the beginning of the millennium. Preceded by a review that was published 6 years ago, the present paper summarizes the most recent trends in this research area. Radical as well as step‐growth and ring‐opening polymerizations will be addressed; furthermore, the evolution from microwave‐assisted polymerizations to microwave‐assisted material fabrication will be described on the examples of polymeranalogous reactions, polymer/metal composites and bio‐based materials.
A ‘grafting‐from’ approach to synthesize microparticle‐supported conjugated polyelectrolyte brushes is presented. Poly(3‐bromohexylthiophene) is selectively grown from monodisperse organosilica microparticles by surface‐initiated Kumada catalyst‐transfer polycondensation (SI‐KCTP) and then ionizable amino groups are introduced by a two‐step polymer analogous transformation. Optical properties of the resulting microparticle‐supported conjugated polyelectrolyte brushes were found to be dependent on the surrounding chemical environment and thus the particles are promising materials for sensor applications.
Synthesis of a water‐soluble polydiacetylene has been achieved by topochemical polymerization in the solid state of the bis(N‐methylimidazolium)diacetylene monomer. Structural characterization for the monomer by X‐ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy supports a photopolymerization initiated at the surface. Characterization of the polymer (NMR, UV and Raman spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering) is given along with a molecular modelling interpretation of the polymerization in the solid state.
A simple method using water‐soluble conjugated polymers and a DNA intercalator has been proposed for single base pair mismatch detection with enhanced detection efficiency. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) was used as an indicator for unwinding of dsDNA due to base pair mismatch at elevated temperatures. The optical amplification effect of the CPs helps to achieve enhanced detection efficiency.
Two novel monovinyl β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) monomers are synthesized. Their chemical compositions are characterized by means of element analysis, NMR and FT‐IR spectroscopy. The results show that the synthesis techniques used are convenient and efficient. Using N‐isopropylacrylamide as a comonomer, two novel linear copolymers can also be synthesized.
Reactions between the ethylene groups in the backbone of conjugated polymers under UV illumination and heat treatment result in the cross‐linking of the main polymer chains. The cross‐linking leads to two simultaneous results in the polymer: excellent solvent resistance and increased bandgap. Using this reaction, three‐color polymer light‐emitting diodes (PLEDs) with a multi‐layer structure can be easily realized by a dry photo‐pattern in an active‐gas‐free environment. Multi‐layer blue devices with dramatically enhanced efficiency can also be achieved conveniently.
Based on their rigid‐rod structure all‐conjugated, rod‐rod block copolymers show a preferred tendency to self‐assemble into low‐curvature vesicular or lamellar nanostructures independent from their specific chemical structure and composition. This unique and attractive behaviour is clearly illustrated in a few examples of such all‐conjugated block copolymers. The resulting nanostructured heteromaterials may find applications in electronic devices or artificial membranes.
We report a new type of step‐growth radical addition‐coupling polymerization (RACP) involving consecutive addition of carbon‐centered radical derived from α,α′‐dibromo dibasic ester to NO double bond of C‐nitroso compound followed by cross‐coupling of carbon‐centered radical and in situ formed nitroxyl radical, which produces alternating copolymers with high molecular weight and unimodal molecular weight distribution from saturated and unsaturated monomers.
Methyl 2‐(bicyclo[3.1.0]hex‐1‐yl)acrylate ( 1 ) was synthesized from methyl 2‐(cyclopentene‐1‐yl)‐2‐hydroxyacetate by cyclopropanation, followed by oxidation to the corresponding bicyclic 2‐oxoacetate and Wittig olefination with methyltriphenylphosphonium bromide. Initiated with 2,2′‐azoisobutyronitrile at 65 °C in chlorobenzene, the radical homopolymerization of 1 occurred with opening of the cyclopropane ring leading to a polymer with a glass transition temperature of 90 °C. The reactivity of 1 in radical copolymerization was higher than that of methyl methacrylate.
Transparent film materials with excellent mechanical and thermal properties were elaborated by drying a latex suspension of armored polymer/Laponite composite particles. Low‐temperature TEM observation of ultrathin cross‐sections of the films indicated a unique network morphology characterized by a “honeycomb” distribution of the Laponite platelets remindful of the original particles morphology.
The successful activation observed when using ButP4 phosphazene base and thiophenol or bisthiols for the anionic ring opening polymerization (ROP) of di‐n‐propyl cyclopropane‐1,1‐dicarboxylate is described. Well‐defined monofunctional or difunctional polymers with a very narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained through a living process. Quantitative end‐capping of the propagating malonate carbanion was accessible by using either an electrophilic reagent such as allyl bromide or a strong acid such as HCl. Kinetics studies demonstrated a much higher reactivity compared to the conventional route using alkali metal thiophenolates.
Well‐defined diblock condensation copolymers composed of an aromatic polyamide and an aromatic polyether have been synthesized by means of successive chain‐growth condensation polymerizations. Polymerization of a polyamide monomer with an orthogonally difunctional initiator is accompanied with side reactions. On the other hand, polymerization with a monofunctional initiator afforded well‐defined polyamide, which has been converted into a macroinitiator by introduction of a terminal 4‐fluorobenzophenone unit. Well‐defined diblock copolymers are obtained by polymerization of a polyether monomer in the presence of this macroinitiator.
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.
In this study a new way to produce supermacroporous protein structures was investigated. Enzyme‐mediated crosslinking of gelatin or casein was performed in a partly frozen state, which yielded stable, protein‐based cryogels. The reaction kinetics for the formation of cryogels were found to be fairly slow, most likely due to the low temperature (?12 °C) used or due to an increased viscosity owing to the cryo‐concentration taking place. The produced cryogels were characterized with regards to their physical properties and in vitro degradation. Furthermore, cryogels produced from gelatin and casein were evaluated as potential scaffolds by fibroblast cultivation to confirm their in vitro biocompatibility. Gelatin‐ and casein‐based scaffolds both supported cell proliferation and migration through the scaffold.
Summary: An initiator for nitroxide mediated ‘living’ free radical polymerization was prepared with a fluorescent tag attached to the initiating alkyl radical terminus. This was used to synthesize amphiphilic poly(acrylic acid)‐block‐polystyrene diblock copolymers, which self assembled in a tetrahydrofuran/buffer solution to form structures that are visible by fluorescence.
The catalytic properties of bis(phenoxy‐imine) Zr and Hf complexes incorporating perfluorophenyl groups with methylaluminoxane were investigated. The fluorinated complexes produced far higher‐molecular‐weight polyethylenes and ethylene/propylene copolymers with increased activities compared with the non‐fluorinated congeners. Moreover, the fluorinated complexes displayed a higher incorporation ability for propylene.
Fluorescent image patterns of a substituted acetylene polymer film with a large FFV were successfully obtained by a µCP method using several kinds of chemical ink compounds. PO and SCA generated positive‐type fluorescent image patterns. On the other hand, an ethanolic solution of DNT generated a negative‐type fluorescent image pattern due to a significant quenching effect. An NMP solution of NR gave a two‐color image pattern due to an intermolecular energy transfer from PTMSDPA to NR.
This review article describes the preparation of polymer brushes by nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization using either the ‘grafting to’ or the ‘grafting from’ approach. The use of TEMPO as a classical initiator is intensively described. More sophisticated nitroxides are also included in the discussion. Brush formation on flat surfaces such as wafers and also on particles is reported. Finally, some applications of polymer brushes are presented.
