Cell biosensor for detection of phenol in aqueous solutions

A microbial sensor for concentration measurement of phenol in aqueous solutions has been developed. Phenol-utilizing cellsPseudomonas putida GFS-8 immobilized in poly(vinyl)alcohol cryogel were used as a biological transducer. Relationships between phenol concentration in the activating medium and endogenic cell respiration have been established. Cell respiration and phenol concentration in the assay solution positively correlated at a phenol concentration range of 0.1–2.0 mg/L and were linearly dependent in the range of 0.1–1.0 mg/L. A Clark membrane electrode was the physiochemical transducer. The assay may be completed within 5 min. The cells oxidize phenol, pyrocatechol, mesityl oxide, aniline, and do not react with a number of xenobiotics, sugars, and alcohol. With the exception of aniline, most components found in waste waters from phenol production affect neither the assay process nor the ability of these cells to use phenol as exogenic respiratory substrate. The immobilized cells retained their ability to utilize phenol as an exogenic respiratory substrate for up to 1 mo.     

环氧化交联聚乙烯醇球的制备

由于具备优良的生物相容性及大量可以用于修饰的羟基，交联聚乙烯醇球可以用作医用吸附剂的载体。本文对交联聚乙烯醇球的制备条件进行了详细研究，并讨论了环氧基的固载条件，分析了球的交联度、单体浓度对交联聚乙烯醇珠的粒径分布、溶胀度和环氧基团固载量的影响。     

Influence of the type of epoxy hardener on the structure and properties of interpenetrated vinyl ester/epoxy resins

The morphology–toughness relationship of vinyl ester/cycloaliphatic epoxy hybrid resins of interpenetrating network (IPN) structures was studied as a function of the epoxy hardening. The epoxy was crosslinked via polyaddition reactions (with aliphatic and cycloaliphatic diamines), cationic homopolymerization (via a boron trifluoride complex), and maleic anhydride. Maleic anhydride worked as a dual‐phase crosslinking agent by favoring the formation of a grafted IPN structure between the vinyl ester and epoxy. The type of epoxy hardener strongly affected the IPN morphology and toughness. The toughness was assessed by linear elastic fracture mechanics, which determined the fracture toughness and energy. The more compact the IPN structure was, the lower the fracture energy was of the interpenetrated vinyl ester/epoxy formulations. This resulted in the following toughness ranking: aliphatic diamine > cycloaliphatic diamine ≥ boron trifluoride complex > maleic anhydride. For IPN characterization, the width of the entangling bands and the surface roughness parameters were considered. Their values were deduced from atomic force microscopy scans taken on ion‐etched surfaces. More compact, less rough IPN‐structured resins possessed lower toughness parameters than less compact, rougher structured ones. The latter were less compatible according to dynamic mechanical thermal and thermogravimetric analyses. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5471–5481, 2004     

Near‐infrared spectroscopy investigation of water effects on the cationic photopolymerization of vinyl ether systems

Real‐time Fourier transform near‐infrared spectroscopy has been used to monitor monomer and water concentrations simultaneously during cationic vinyl ether photopolymerization. The use of near‐infrared peak area methods allows the water content to be conveniently and nondestructively determined in any monomer or polymer for which the water peak has previously been calibrated by gravimetric analysis. Although the shape of the absorption band due to absorbed water in a monomer changes with the quantity of water, the integrated intensity from about 5350 to 4900 cm^?1 can be correlated directly to the water concentration, and this region is well removed from the vinyl‐based absorption at approximately 6190 cm^?1. This approach provides a highly informative, dynamic technique for examining the influence of moisture on polymerization reactions. Significant differences have been observed in the effects of absorbed water on the cationic photopolymerization kinetics of vinyl ether monomers with or without an ? OH group. Along with the rapid consumption of water coupled to vinyl ether polymerization, acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis reactions have also been spectroscopically observed, giving rise to the formation of aldehyde groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1985–1998, 2004     

Molecular orientation behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) as influenced by the nanoparticles and plasticizer during uniaxial film stretching in the rubbery stage

The structural evolution during uniaxial stretching of poly(vinyl chloride) films was studied using our real time spectral birefringence stretching machine. The effect of clay loading and the amount of plasticizer as well as the rate effects on the birefringence development and true mechanical response are presented with a final model summarizing the molecular phenomena during stretching. Mechano‐optical studies revealed that birefringence correlated with mechanical response (stress, strain, work) nonlinearly. This was primarily attributed to the preexisting strong network of largely amorphous chains connected via small crystallites that act as physical crosslinking points. These crystallites are not easily destroyed during the high‐speed stretching process as evidenced from the birefringence–true strain curves along with the X‐ray crystallinity measurements. At high speeds, the amorphous chains do not have enough time to relax and hence attain higher orientation levels. The crystallites, however, orient more efficiently when stretched at slow speeds. Apparently, some relaxation of the surrounding amorphous chains helps rotate the crystallites in the stretching direction. Overall birefringence is higher at high stretching speeds for a given true strain value. When the nanoparticles are incorporated, the orientation levels are increased significantly for both the crystalline and amorphous phases. Nanoplatelets increase the continuity of the network because they have strong interaction with the amorphous chains and/or crystallites. This in turn helps transfer the local stresses to the attached chains and increase the orientation levels of the chains. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 724–742, 2005     

Single electron transfer–degenerative chain transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET–DTLRP) of vinyl chloride initiated with methylene iodide and catalyzed by sodium dithionite

Single electron transfer–degenerative chain transfer mediated living radical polymerization (SET–DTLRP) of vinyl chloride (VC) initiated with methylene iodide (CH₂I₂) and catalyzed by sodium dithionite (Na₂S₂O₄) in water at 35 °C produces a telechelic poly(vinyl chloride) (LRP–PVC) with two different active chain ends: ICH ₂ (CH₂CHCl)_n‐1CH₂ CHClI , and 2.0 functionality. The reactivity and initiator efficiency of CH₂I₂ in SET–DTLRP of VC was lower than those of iodoform. A possible mechanism for the CH₂I₂‐initiated SET–DTLRP of VC was suggested. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 773–778, 2005     

Understanding the effect of skin formation on the removal of solvents from semicrystalline polymers

The effect of glassy skin formation on the drying of semicrystalline polymers was investigated with a comprehensive mathematical model developed for multicomponent systems. Polymers with high glass‐transition temperatures can become rubbery at room temperature under the influence of solvents. As the solvents are removed from the polymer, a glassy skin can form and continue to develop. The model takes into account the effects of diffusion‐induced polymer crystallization as well as glassy–rubbery transitions on the overall solvent content and polymer crystallinity. A Vrentas–Duda free‐volume‐based diffusion scheme and crystallization kinetics were used in our model. The polymer–solvent system chosen was a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)–water–methanol system. The drying kinetics of PVA films were obtained by gravimetric methods with swollen films with known water/methanol concentrations. The overall drying behaviors of the polymer system determined by our model and experimental methods were compared and found to match well. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3191–3204, 2005     

States of water in poly(vinyl alcohol) derivative hydrogels

We studied the behavior of absorbed water in equilibrium‐swollen poly(vinyl alcohol) derivative hydrogels by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. By DSC, three types of water were detected, and their relative fractions were estimated. With this technique we also calculated the pore size for every sample. From the nonexponential decay of the spin–spin relaxation data, we distinguished two environmental states of the absorbed water in the samples. The relaxation times were determined. From these data, we calculated the fractions of each type of water for every hydrogel and related them to the degree of crosslinking. The X‐ray study indicated that the water absorbed in these hydrogels forms a single crystalline phase on cooling. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1462–1467, 2003     

Novel photocurable monomers: The synthesis of difunctional vinyl ethers with a phosphonate group and difunctional 1‐propenyl ethers with a phosphonate group and their photoinitiated cationic polymerization

Phosphorus‐containing vinyl ether monomers and 1‐propenyl ether monomers were prepared by the regioselective addition reaction of glycidyl vinyl ether (GVE) or 1‐propenyl glycidyl ether with diaryl phosphonates with quaternary onium salts as catalysts. The reaction of GVE with bis(4‐chlorophenyl) phenylphosphonate gave bis[1‐(4‐chlorophenoxy methyl)‐2‐(vinyloxy)ethyl]phenylphosphonate in a 68% yield. The structures of the resulting phosphorus‐containing vinyl ether monomers and 1‐propenyl ether monomers were confirmed by IR and ¹H NMR spectra and elemental analysis. Photoinitiated cationic polymerizations of the resulting phosphorus‐containing vinyl ether monomers and 1‐propenyl ether monomers were investigated with photoacid generators. The polymerization of vinyl ether groups and 1‐propenyl ether groups of the obtained monomers proceeded very smoothly with a sulfonium‐type cationic photoinitiator, bis[4‐(diphenylsulfonio)phenyl]sulfide‐bis(hexafluorophosphate), upon UV irradiation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3105–3115, 2005     

Diffusion of small molecules through modified poly(vinyl chloride) membranes

The transport properties of a set of four copolymers based on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) have been studied. The nucleophilic substitution of chlorine atoms with 4‐mercaptophenol sodium salt, 2‐thionaphthalene, 4‐(1‐adamantyl) thiophenol, and thiophenolate sodium salt as the nucleophiles has been performed, from low conversion levels (3%) to high levels (40%), and the permeability, solubility, and diffusivity of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and methane have been measured. The introduction of bulky groups to the PVC chain leads to chain separation and results in large increases in the free volume at conversions up to 10%. This brings about a 5‐fold increase in the diffusion coefficients that is almost independent of the bulkiness of the substituent. Solubility is little affected and instead tends to decrease as substitution progresses. The substitution of more than 10% of the chlorine atoms does not result in an improvement in the transport properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 964–971, 2002