Preparation of uniform rhodamine B-doped SiO2/TiO2 composite microspheres

Uniform rhodamine B (RB)-doped SiO₂/TiO₂ composite microspheres with catalytic and fluorescent properties were prepared by an easy and economical method in this paper. The composite microspheres were built up with well-dispersed silica particles as the cores, RB as both the doped agent and stabilizer, and the TiO₂ shells were obtained through the hydrolysis of TiCl₄ in water bath. The morphology and structure of the particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The characterization results indicate that composite particles are all in spherical shape and have a narrow size distribution. The composite particles calcined above 500 °C reveal clear crystalline reflection peaks of the rutile TiO₂ which exhibits well catalytic property. The photocatalytic experiment was carried out in order to examine the catalytic property of composite microspheres. The fluorescent property of particles was also investigated. Dye-leakage test indicates that RB molecules entrapped in the composite particles by this method are stable inside the particles.     

导电聚间甲基苯胺空心微球的制备及表征

在无任何掺杂酸的条件下,以过硫酸铵(APS)既为氧化剂、又为掺杂剂,采用无模板(template-free)自组装的方法制备了导电聚间甲基苯胺(PMT)空心微球.该空心微球的平均直径约为2μm,壳的厚度约为140nm.研究表明PMT空心微球是以球状的间甲苯胺胶束为软模板(soft-template)经过自组装过程而形成的.借助FTIR、UV-Vis和XRD等结构表征证实自组装的空心微球为导电态的聚间甲基苯胺.     

A MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF POLY（DIVINYLBENZENE-co-ACRYLIC ACID） IN CROSSLINKING PRECIPITATION POLYMERIZATION

Divinylbenzene-80 （DVB-80） and polar monomer acrylic acid （AA） having hydrogen bonding at a total monomer loading of 5 vol% were precipitated-copolymerized in a variety of organic solvents with 2,2＇-azobis（isobutyronitrile） （AIBN） as initiator. The experiments were investigated from a two-dimensional matrix, i.e., the actual crosslinking degree of DVB varying from 0 to 80% and the solvent composition varying from 0 to 100% of toluene mixture with acetonitrile, when the mixture of acetonitrile and toluene was used as the reaction solvent. Under various reaction conditions, six distinct morphologies including soluble polymers, swellable microgels, coagulum, irregular microparticles, and nano-/micrometer microspheres were formed and the structures of these polymer architectures were described. A morphological map was utilized to discuss the effects of both crosslinking degree of DVB and composition of solvent on the transitions between morphology domains. The results demonstrated that the microspheres are formed by an internal contraction due to the marginal solvency of the continuous phase and the crosslinking of the polymer network through the covalent bonding from DVB as well as the interchain hydrogen-bonding between the carboxylic acid units.     

Development of core–shell structure Fe3O4@Ta2O5 microspheres for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides for mass spectrometry analysis

Protein phosphorylation is one of the most important post-translational modifications. Due to the dynamic nature and low stoichiometry of the protein phosphorylation, enrichment of phosphopeptides from proteolytic mixtures is often necessary prior to their characterization by mass spectrometry. Many metal oxides such as titanium dioxide and zirconium dioxide have been successfully applied to isolation and enrichment of phosphopeptides. Recently, niobium pentoxide was proved to have the ability for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides. Considering the proximity of tantalum to niobium, we supposed that Ta₂O₅ can be used as affinity probes for phosphopeptide enrichment. In the work, we synthesized Fe₃O₄@Ta₂O₅ magnetic microspheres with core–shell structure for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides. To demonstrate its ability for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides, we applied Fe₃O₄@Ta₂O₅ magnetic microspheres to isolation and enrichment of the phosphopeptides from tryptic digestion of standard proteins and real samples, and then the enriched peptides were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption mass spectrometry analysis (MALDI-MS) or liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS). Experiment results demonstrate that Ta₂O₅ coated-magnetic microspheres show the excellent potential for selective enrichment of phosphopeptides.     

Synthesis of spherical microcapsules by photopolymerization in aerosols

 The preparation of polymer microcapsules of well defined size in the range of 10–50 μm with different shell thickness to core diameter ratios is described. An aerosol of monodisperse droplets of a homogeneous ternary liquid system which contained a hydrophobic component and a hydrophilic component dissolved in a high-volatile mutual solvent, was produced by dispersing with a vibrating-orifice aerosol generator. After the evaporation of the solvent in a nitrogen atmosphere the particles demix and form a two-phase droplet of core-shell type. These droplets were illuminated with UV light and polymerized to highly monodisperse microcapsules with a solid polymer shell and a liquid core. The properties of the resulting particles (size, size distribution, shell thickness, shape and surface characteristics) were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy on single optically levitated particles, and confocal Raman micro spectroscopy. The microcapsules were highly monodisperse and have spherical shape. Received: 24 July 1996 Accepted: 29 August 1996     

Preparation and characterisation of thermoresponsive poly[(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide-co-(hydroxyethyl acrylate)] microspheres as a matrix for the pulsed release of drugs

Despite the large number of publications and patents concerning pH/thermoresponsive polymers, few data are available concerning the preparation of thermoresponsive cross-linked microspheres from preformed polymers. Therefore, N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylamide-co-(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) copolymers were obtained as a new thermoresponsive material with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 36 degrees C, in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, and with a cross-linkable OH group in their structure. The LCST value was determined both by UV spectroscopy and microcalorimetric analysis. These copolymers were solubilised in acidified aqueous solution below their LCST, dispersed in mineral oil, and transformed into stable microspheres by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The thermoresponsive microspheres were characterised by optical and scanning electron microscopy, degree of swelling, and water retention. The pore dimensions of the microspheres and the retention volumes of some drugs and typical compounds were evaluated at different temperatures by liquid chromatography. Indomethacin, as a model drug, was included in the microspheres by the solvent evaporation method. Finally, the influence of temperature and of temperature cycling on drug release was investigated.     

1,1-二苯基乙烯存在下无皂乳液聚合制备磁性复合微球

报道了一种制备磁性复合微球的方法——DPE法.在自由基控制剂1,1-二苯基乙烯(DPE)存在条件下,甲基丙烯酸甲酯(MMA)与丙烯酸(AA)发生无皂乳液聚合,制备能与Fe3O4粒子相螯合的活性短链共聚物,加入Fe3O4粒子把短链共聚物引到其表面,引发其它单体继续在Fe3O4粒子表面聚合,制备磁性复合微球.研究了AA、DPE、引发剂及Fe3O4粒子加入量等对制备磁性复合微球的影响.并在此基础上,对优化后工艺制备的磁性复合微球进行了TEM、TGA及磁响应性表征.结果表明,利用该新的方法制备出了磁含量为20%、比饱和磁化强度为32.2emu/g、平均粒径为265nm且表面不含任何杂质的磁性复合微球.     

Principle of a new immunoassay based on electrophoretic mobility of poly(styrene/alpha-tert-butoxy-omega-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol) microspheres: application for the determination of helicobacter pylori IgG in blood serum

The principle of a novel latex diagnostic test for the determination of antibodies against Helicobacter pylori in blood sera is described. The test is based on the measurement of the electrophoretic mobility of the microspheres with immobilized H. pylori antigens. The electrophoretic mobility of these microspheres depends on the concentration of the antibodies against H. pylori in suspending medium. Particles with hydrophilic polyglycidol in the surface layer were used for the test. The microspheres were obtained by an emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene and alpha-tert-butoxy-omega-vinylbenzyl-polyglycidol macromonomer (D(n) = 220 nm, diameter polydispersity factor D(w)//D(n) = 1.02). Activation of polyglycidol hydroxyl groups with cyanuric chloride allowed for covalent immobilization of H. pylori antigens. The fraction of H. pylori not specifically adsorbed onto the microspheres was negligible. Changes of the electrophoretic mobility of the microspheres with the surface concentration of the covalently immobilized H. pylori antigens Gamma = (1.6 +/- 0.3) . 10(-3) g m(-2) were suitable for the detection of the antibodies in the sera of patients with titer in the range (determined by the indirect ELISA test) from 1:500 to 1:32 000.     

Ionic‐Liquid‐Grafted Rigid Poly(p‐Phenylene) Microspheres: Efficient Heterogeneous Media for Metal Scavenging and Catalysis

Novel guanidinium ionic liquid‐grafted rigid poly(p‐phenylene) (PPPIL) microspheres have been developed for metal scavenging and catalysis. The noble‐metal nanoparticles supported on the microspheres surface can be used as efficient heterogeneous catalysts. The combination of nanoparticles and ionic liquid fragments on the microsphere surfaces enhance the activity and durability of the catalyst. The PPPIL ? Pd⁰ catalyst has been tested in the Suzuki cross‐coupling reaction, and exhibits much higher catalytic activity than Pd catalysts supported on porous polymer matrices. The PPPIL ? Pd⁰ catalyst can be recycled at least for nine runs without any significant loss of activity. The present approach may, therefore, have potential applications in transition‐metal‐nanocatalyzed reactions.     

Preparation of Micron-size Functional Fluorescent Microspheres

As a kind of special functional microspheres, fluorescent polymer microspheres could be used in cell label and separation, blood flow assay, flow cytometer marking, chemical reaction assay,and in analyst of the transform and diffusion of particles in soil 1. However, one of the most important applications of fluorescent microspheres is in the high-throughput screening of drugs (HTS) 2. Through affinity interaction, radioactive ligands (latent drugs) are bound to fluorescent microspheres covered by receptor, and luminescence is produced by radioactivity, so ligands can be assayed and screened.In this study, we developed a technique for preparing micron-size fluorescent microspheres with different functional groups. The methods included the synthesis of micron-size polystyrene microspheres through the dispersion polymerization of styrene in different media such as ethanol,ethanol-water, and isopropanol; the functional polystyrene microspheres were prepared by introduction of functional monomers into the reaction system of styrene; the functional fluorescent microspheres were obtained by the way of dying functional microspheres in the fluorescent material's ethanol solvent.The average diameter of microspheres was in the range of 1～10 μm, and the distribution was normal distribution. The functional groups included -OH, -CHO, -COOH, -CONH2, and SO3H. The absorbing spectrum and exciting spectrum were tested, the results showed that the maximal absorbance of fluorescent microsphere was near 306.5 nm, and its maximal excitation was near 362 nm. The excitation spectrum of fluorescent material (DPO) and fluorescent microspheres were shown in figure 1, and it indicated that the developed fluorescent microspheres showed the same excitation behavior like DPO, which related to the fluorescent microspheres had stable luminescence property.