Properties of poly(styrene/alpha-tert-butoxy-omega-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol) microspheres suspended in water. Effect of sodium chloride and temperature on particle diameters and electrophoretic mobility

Hydrodynamic and electrophoretic properties of core-shell poly(styrene/alpha- tert-butoxy-omega-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol) (P(S/PGL)) microspheres suspended in water are described. The microspheres were obtained by surfactant-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene and alpha- tert-butoxy-omega-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol macromonomer ( M n = 2800, M w/ M n = 1.05). The process yielded microspheres with number average diameter D n = 270 nm and with low diameter dispersity index D w/ D n = 1.01. Shells of P(S/PGL) microspheres were enriched in polyglycidol. Molar fraction of polyglycidol monomeric units in the shells (determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) was equal to 0.34, which is much higher than the average molar fraction of polyglycidol monomeric units in whole particles of 0.048. Influences of NaCl concentration and temperature on P(S/PGL) microsphere diameters and on their electrophoretic mobility were investigated. It was found that hydrodynamic diameter of P(S/PGL) microspheres, determined by photon correlation spectroscopy, decreased significantly when temperature did exceed a certain value (transition temperature, T t). It has been found that the decrease is more pronounced for higher concentrations of NaCl in the medium. For microspheres suspended in 10 (-1) M NaCl, the hydrodynamic diameter decreased by 8% whereas for the same particles in pure water the diameter decreased by 5.2%. The process of shrinkage was fully reversible. Values of T t for P(S/PGL) microspheres were lower for higher concentrations of NaCl. Adjustment of salt concentration allowed controlling T t in a range from 44.4 to 49.9 degrees C. 13C NMR relaxation time measurements (T 1) for carbon atoms in polyglycidol macromonomer revealed that T 1 did increase with increasing temperature (in temperature range from 25 to 75 degrees C) indicating higher motion of chains at higher temperature. Addition of NaCl did not induce a substantial change of T 1 in the mentioned temperature range. The swelling-deswelling properties of P(S/PGL) microspheres' interfacial layer affected adsorption of P(S/PGL) particles on modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane mica. It was shown that the deposition of P(S/PGL) microspheres at 25 degrees C on mica led to formation of two-dimensional crystal-shape assemblies, whereas at 60 degrees C (far above T t = 49.8 degrees C in H2O) the microspheres were randomly adsorbed without formation of colloidal crystal assemblies.     

Reliability of Elastic‐Plastic Frame Structures

An effective algorithm for estimating the reliability of frame structures made of an elastic perfectly plastic material is presented. It is assumed that the structure is working in uniaxial state of stress, the material parameters and the limit values of the loads are described by random variables, all loads are acting in a static manner, the probability density functions of all random variables, which describe the structure and loads are known. As the structure reliability measure the probability of failure and corresponding reliability index are regarded. The dead (constant) load and the climatic loads are taken into account. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Electrical conductivity of polycrystalline films of p-sexiphenyl

In this work the results of DC conductivity measurements of polycrystalline p-sexiphenyl thin films are presented. The investigations concerned the effect of temperature, film thickness and electric field on the DC conductivity mechanism. The thickness of the investigated material varied from 0.2 to 2.5 μm. The measurements were carried out for different electrode polarities of the 0 -100 V voltage and at temperatures ranging from 15 to 325 K. Thin films of p-sexiphenyl were obtained by controlled vacuum sublimation on BK-7 glass substrate with gold and aluminium electrodes. Analyzing the obtained results we conclude that injection of the charge carrier from electrodes into the investigated material proceeds by thermionic emission and field emission and it is dependent on temperature and external electric field. The charge carrier transport is controlled by localized states (traps) in the forbidden energy gap. The activation energy calculated from formula ln I = f(1/kT) varied from kT for low temperature up to 1.0 eV.     

Copolymers of 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1] heptane with 1,3-dioxane and promesogenic telechelic oligomers thereof

Copolymers of 7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1] heptane (B) (and of its 2-methyl derivatives) with 1,3-dioxane (D) were obtained by cationic copolymerization initiated with benzoylium hexafluoroantimonate. Structure of copolymers was determined by ₁H- and ₁₃C-NMR. The proportion of the acetal bonds in copolymers was additionally confirmed in studies of the products of hydrolysis (only the acetal bonds hydrolyze). D is unable to homopolymerize for the thermodynamic reasons and therefore mostly pseudoperiodic copolymers (-DB_x-)_y are formed. Nevertheless, the reshuffling reactions are responsible for the appearance of “wrong” units. These are: the separate oxymethylene and oxy-1,3-propylene units (P, subunits of D) located between two B units. Only the acetal bonds are cleaved in the acidic hydrolysis with dilute HCl. This gives the promesogenic telechelic oligomers of mostly HO-P-B_x-OH structure. This article is the first to describe successful cationic copolymerization of a cyclic acetal with a cyclic ether. Moreover, the inability of D to homopolymerize gives the thermodynamic basis of the pseudoperiodic copolymer formation. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 1733–1742, 1997     

Mechanism of particle formation and kinetics of the dispersion polymerization of cyclic esters

Pseudoanionic and anionic polymerizations of ε-caprolactone and lactides in 1,4-dioxane:heptane mixtures containing poly(dodecyl acrylate)-g-poly(ε-caprolactone) yield polyesters in form of microspheres. Monitoring partition of active centers between solution and microspheres revealed that particles are formed during initial period, when macromolecules reach their critical masses (ca. 1 000) and became insoluble. Then, propagation proceeds inside of microspheres into which monomer diffuses from solution. Monitoring of variation of the number of particles in a unit volume of reaction mixture with time indicated that after a primary nucleation the delayed nucleation and aggregation are absent. In effect, microspheres with narrow diameter distribution are obtained. Kinetic measurements revealed that in the dispersion pseudoanionic (initiator (CH₃CH₂)₂AlOCH₂CH₃) and anionic (initiator (CH₃)₃SiONa) polymerizations of ε-caprolactone the overall rates of monomer conversion are from 10 to 30 times higher than for the corresponding polymerizations in solution (THF solvent). Analysis of kinetic equations indicated that the observed faster monomer conversions in polymerizations in dispersed systems are due to the high local concentrations of active centers and monomer in growing microspheres.     

Branched polyether with multiple primary hydroxyl groups: polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyloxetane

Cationic polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-hydroxymethyloxetane gives branched, soluble macromolecules with multiple glycolic end groups. There are approximately 3–4 “normal” units per one branched unit.     

Quantitative comparison of selectivities in the polymerization of cyclic esters

Chain transfer processes (k_tr) taking place in the polymerization (anionic and pseudoanionic) of cyclic esters (lactones) are reviewed. These reactions are mostly responsible for the departure of these systems from the fully controlled (living) polymerizations. The ratios of k_p/k_tr have been determined for a number of initiating systems and the structures of the growing species are related to their selectivity, expressed by k_p/k_tr. It has been shown that the less reactive and more sterically crowded active species polymerize more selectively.     

Hydrophilic Microspheres Containing αα-tert Butoxy-ωω-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol for Immunodiagnostics: Synthesis,Properties and Biomedical Applications

Summary: Synthesis, characteristics and medical diagnostic application of core-shell poly(styrene/α-tert-butoxy-ω-(vinylbenzyl)polyglycidol) (P(S/PGL)) microspheres are described. The particles were prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization of styrene and α-tert-butoxy-ω-(vinylbenzyl)polyglycidol macromonomer (PGL) initiated with potassium persulfate. The polymerization in water yielded microspheres with diameters in the range from 220 to 650 nm, depending on concentration of the macromonomer. Polydispersity was usually below 1.06. The fraction of PGL in interfacial layer of microspheres ranged from 0 to 42 mol.% (estimated by XPS). Microspheres suspended in NaCl solutions manifested fully reversible swelling-deswelling properties of their interfacial layer with characteristic transition temperature (T_t) slightly dependent on NaCl concentration. The adsorption of human serum albumin on the surface of P(S/PGL) microspheres was highly reduced when the PGL surface fraction exceeded 40 mol.%. P(S/PGL) microspheres with immobilized antigens Helicobacter pylori were used for detection of antibodies against. The test was based on monitoring differences in electrophoretic mobility of P(S/PGL) microspheres covalently bound H. pylori antigens and antibodies against H. pylori in blood serum.     

Millimeter scale variations in the isotopic composition of vein sulphide minerals in the Kupferschiefer deposits, Lubin area, SW Poland

A slice of black shale rock cut by various metal sulphide veins of different generations from the Kupferschiefer deposits of Lubin, Poland was subjected to bombardment in a Laser Microprobe Combustion Reactor to produce SO2 for S-isotope analyses. The delta34S values ranged from-22 to-29 per thousand consistent with previous findings using conventional IRMS and attributable to primary generation of H2S by bacterial sulphate reduction. Systematic trends in delta34S values of a few per mil over distances of the order of mm attest to low temperatures of mineralization with accompanying change in the isotope composition of the fluids due to kinetic or equilibrium isotope fractionation.