Comparative behavior of polybutadiene and polynorbornene‐based latices prepared by dispersion ring‐opening metathesis polymerization with a poly(ethylene oxide) macromonomer

This study critically examines the similarities and differences between poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) stabilized latices of polynorbornene and polybutadiene. Features such as the kinetics of copolymerization of norbornene and cyclooctadiene with a macromonomer of PEO, the particles' size and morphology, the type of copolymer formed, and the stability of these latices were investigated and the results obtained are considered. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2705–2716, 2004     

Metallo‐supramolecular block copolymer micelles: Improved preparation and characterization

Micelles prepared from amphiphilic block copolymers in which a poly(styrene) segment is connected to a poly(ethylene oxide) block via a bis‐(2,2′:6′,2″‐terpyridine‐ruthenium) complex have been intensely studied. In most cases, the micelle populations were found to be strongly heterogeneous in size because of massive micelle/micelle aggregation. In the study reported in this article we tried to improve the homogeneity of the micelle population. The variant preparation procedure developed, which is described here, was used to prepare two “protomer”‐type micelles: PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₇₀ and PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₃₇₅. The dropwise addition of water to a solution of the compounds in dimethylformamide was replaced by the controlled addition of water by a syringe pump. The resulting micelles were characterized by sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium analyses in an analytical ultracentrifuge and by transmission electron microscopy of negatively stained samples. Sedimentation analysis showed virtually unimodal size distributions, in contrast to the findings on micelles prepared previously. PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₇₀ micelles were found to have an average molar mass of 318,000 g/mol (corresponding to 53 protomers per micelle, which is distinctly less than after micelle preparation by the standard method) and an average hydrodynamic diameter (d_h) of 18 nm. For PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₃₇₅ micelles, the corresponding values were M = 603,000 g/mol (31 protomers per micelle) and d_h = 34 nm. The latter particles were found to be identical to the “equilibrium” micelles prepared in pure water. Both micelle types had a very narrow molar mass distribution but a much broader distribution of s values and thus of hydrodynamic diameters. This indicates a conformational heterogeneity that is stable on the time scale of sedimentation velocity analysis. The findings from electron microscopy were in disagreement with those from the sedimentation analysis both in average micelle diameter and in the width of the distributions, apparently because of imperfections in the staining procedure. The preparation procedure described also may be useful in micelle formation from other types of protomers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4458–4465, 2004     

Heterochain model for simultaneous long‐chain branching and crosslinking. III. Multicomponent polymerization

The matrix formula developed in the context of heterochain theory, M?_w = M?_wp + WF ( I ? M )^?1 S , was applied to describe the molecular weight development during free‐radical multicomponent polymerization. All of the required probabilistic parameters are expressed in terms of the kinetic‐rate constants and the various concentrations associated with them. In free‐radical polymerization, the number of heterochain types, N, needs to be extrapolated to infinity, and such extrapolation is conducted with only three different N values. This matrix formula can be used as a benchmark test if other approximate approaches can give reasonable estimates of the weight‐average molecular weights. The moment equations with the average pseudo‐kinetic‐rate constants for branching and crosslinking reactions may provide poor estimates when the copolymer composition drift during polymerization is very significant. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2801–2812, 2004     

旋光性与电光效应交互作用及其对旋光晶体电光Q开关的影响

研究了晶体的旋光性与电光效应的交互作用、以及此交互作用对 旋光晶体电光Q开关的影响. 关键词： 旋光性 电光效应 电光Q开关 3Ga₅SiO₁₄晶体')" href="#">La₃Ga₅SiO₁₄晶体     

EQCM Study of the Couple Thallium(I)/Thallium Amalgam at a Thin Film Mercury Electrode

EQCM and voltammetric data show that thallium(I) ions, which are adsorbed in the region of the positive surface charge, most probably, in the form of the ionic pairs, are not reduced. In this potential region, thallium(I) ions are reduced directly from the solution. At more negative potentials, the previously adsorbed stable ionic pairs slowly undergo transition into the less stable form. From this form, thallium(I) ions can be reduced or desorbed into the solution. The process is best described by a model of one electron, i.e., full charge transfer.     

Preparation of Functional Fluorescent Microspheres Used for HTS and Their Interaction with Biomolecules

There is considerable interest in protein adsorption onto microspheres because of its importance in a wide range of biomedical applications, such as artificial tissues and organs, drug delivery systems, biosensors, solid-phase immunoassays, immunomagnetic cell separation and immobilized enzymes or catalyst. It has been well known that the interaction between proteins and microspheres plays important roles in this process. Major interaction involved in the adsorption can be classified as electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen-bonding. Indeed, adsorption of proteins onto microspheres is a complex process and often can involve many dynamic steps, from the initial attachment of the protein on the surface of microspheres to the equilibrium. Also the conformation of proteins probably occurs to a certain degree of deformation or structural change due to the large area of contact. Recently, much interest has been shown in sulfonated microspheres, since sulfonate-group itself is one of components in bio-bodies, as well as is sensitive to the change of pH or ionic strength. Indeed, so far, scanty investigations have been performed in the full range. Also few researches have involved the data on adsorption rate and the maximum amount of protein adsorbed, or the reversibility of the process and conformational change of protein adsorbed as well.In present study, BSA (bovine serum albumin) was chosen as the model protein and sulfonated PMMA [poly(methyl methacrylate)] microspheres as the matrix to investigate the adsorption process.The purpose is to show some information especially the intrinsic information involved by the adsorption process Adsorption of BSA onto sulfonated microspheres (MS) has been investigated as a function of time, protein concentration and pH. The adsorption appears to be a reversible process and the presence of sulfonate groups can play important roles in the adsorption process, so as to increase the amount of protein adsorbed and influences the interaction of BSA molecules. Fig. 1 also shows that the reciprocation between unadsorbed and adsorbed BSA or rearrangement of adsorbed BSA molecules does not produce visible change in the properties of the adsorbed protein. Close to the isoelectric point of BSA (pI 4.7), the amount of protein adsorbed exhibits a maximum. A higher or lower pH results in the significant decrease of the adsorption amount. This is related to the dependence of BSA conformations at different pH conditions.     

A Novel Model for Protein Immobilization on Microspheres

The immobilization of proteins, especially receptor proteins commonly used in high through-put screening of drugs (HTS), have received great attention in recent years. There are many successful isothermal models for describing the adsorption of protein onto solid surface, such as Langmuir model, Bi-Langmuir model, Fowler model, Freundlich model, Freundlich-Langmuir model and Tekmin model etc. In all these models, Langmuir model was the most favorable one model accepted by many researchers, but the experimental results showed that it was not entirely fit to all adsorption behaviors. So new models were required for describing protein adsorption onto microspheres in different conditions.In our research, a novel isothermal model, including Langmuir and other adsorbing behaviors was presented basing on the holding degree of surface active sites and the interaction styles of protein immobilization. In Langmuir model, the adsorbing amount of protein was described as [PS] =Km[P]/1 + K[P], where [PS] was the concentration of adsorbed protein, [P] was the concentration of freeprotein at equilibrium state, and Km and K was constant. According to the interactions of protein and ligands, there were three patterns in the interactions of protein and ligands. On the similar assumption that the interaction of protein and microspheres were three styles, and based on the definition of the holding degree of surface active sites (Y), three adsorption behaviors could be described as Y K[ P ]φ/ K[P]φ+1 or ln K + φ ln[P] =ln(Y/1-Y) in which [P] was the concentration of free protein at equilibrium state, and φ and K was constant. Different scale of φ presented different adsorption behaviors, especially when φ was 1, the adsorption behavior was Langmuir adsorbing model. Figure I indicated the different adsorbing results in different adsorption behaviors (φ＞1, φ＜1,and φ=1).     

Studies on the Adsorption of Asymmetrical Triblock Copolymers by Scheutjens-Fleer Theory and Monte Carlo Simulation

The adsorption of asymmetrical triblock copolymers from a non-selective solvent on solid surface has been studied by using Scheutjens-Fleer mean-field theory and Monte Carlo simulation method on lattice model. The main aim of this paper is to provide detailed computer simulation data, taking A8-kB20Ak as a key example, to study the influence of the structure of copolymer on adsorption behavior and make a comparison between MC and SF results. The simulated results show that the size distribution of various configurations and density-profile are dependent on molecular structure and adsorption energy. The molecular structure will lead to diversity of adsorption behavior. This discrepancy between different structures would be enlarged for the surface coverage and adsorption amount with increasing of the adsorption energy. The surface coverage and the adsorption amount as well as the bound fraction will become larger as symmetry of the molecular structure becomes gradually worse. The adsorption layer becomes thicker with increasing of symmetry of the molecule when adsorption energy is smaller but it becomes thinner when adsorption energy is higher. It is shown that SF theory can reproduce the adsorption behavior of asymmetrical triblock copolymers. However, systematic discrepancy between the theory and simulation still exists.The approximations inherited in the mean-filed theory such as random mixing and the allowance of direct back folding may be responsible for those deviations.