Supramolecular Systems from Natural Polymers and Maleic Polyelectrolytes

Summary: The formation of polyelectrolyte complexes by interaction between chitosan and maleic acid copolymers as strong/weak dibasic polyanions was investigated. The interaction between the sodium salt of maleic acid copolymers with styrene or vinyl acetate and the chitosan hydrochloride in aqueous solution was followed by potentiometric, conductometric and turbidimetric titration. The effect of the added low molecular salt on the complex formation was also investigated. The precipitated complexes were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy and TG analysis. Preliminary layer-by-layer deposition experiments were performed to obtain thin films.     

pH-Dependent Behavior of Hydrophobically Modified Polyelectrolyte Shells of Polymeric Nanoparticles

Summary: The self-assembled core-shell nanoparticles based on fluorescently double-tagged high-molar-mass polystyrene-block-poly(methacrylic acid), PS-PMA, were prepared in aqueous buffers by dialysis from 1,4-dioxane – water mixtures. The conformations of shell-forming PMA chains were studied using nonradiative excitation energy transfer measurements. The study shows that two populations of distinctly different conformations (collapsed and stretched) coexist in the shell and their ratio depends on pH.     

Determination of Poly (Diallyldimethylammonium Chloride ) via Spectrophotometric Titration with Coomassie Brilliant Blue G Dye

Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) is used as organic coagulant in water purification and auxiliary agent in paper production. Determination of PDDA in aqueous solutions is carried out usually by means of polyelectrolyte titration using streaming current detector or o-Toluidine Blue dye for endpoint recognition. The proposed method of PDDA assay takes advantage of Coomassie Brilliant Blue G dye having strong affinity to cationic macromolecules. Titration of PDDA solution with the dye is carried out measuring absorbance at 585 nm. Inflection points of the obtained zigzag photometric curves have good repeatability provided that titration rate is low enough to attain endpoint for 1 hour or more. The method assures rectilinear calibration (R2=0.999 5) in the broad range of PDDA concentrations from 0.3 to 9.6 mg·dm-3.     

Oxidized Dextran as Crosslinker for Chitosan Cryogel Scaffolds and Formation of Polyelectrolyte Complexes between Chitosan and Gelatin

Macroporous scaffolds composed of chitosan and using oxidized dextran as a crosslinker are produced through cryogelation. Introducing gelatin as a third component into the structure results in the formation of mesopores in the pore walls, which are not seen if gelatin is excluded. The mesoporous structure is explained by the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes between chitosan and gelatin before crosslinking takes place. The scaffolds exhibit highly elastic properties withstanding compressions up to 60%. The in vitro biocompatibility of the cryogels is evaluated using fibroblasts from a mouse cell line (L929) and it is seen that the cells adhere and proliferate on the scaffolds. The mesoporous structure seems to have a positive effect on proliferation.

     

表面引发原子转移自由基聚合制备聚电解质修饰的碳纳米管

利用聚电解质对多壁碳纳米管(MWNT)的表面进行修饰,能有效改善碳纳米管在溶剂中的分散性.首先将经硝酸氧化的碳纳米管与二甲亚砜和乙二醇反应,得到羟基修饰的碳纳米管.然后利用羟基与α-溴异丁酰溴(或α-氯丙酰氯)的酯化反应,在碳纳米管的表面引入了原子转移自由基聚合(atom transfer radical polymerization,ATRP)引发基团,引发丙烯酸叔丁酯(tBA)或4-乙烯基吡啶(4VP)聚合,通过投料比的改变,得到接入量不同的聚合物修饰的碳纳米管.利用热重分析(TGA)和红外对聚合物修饰的碳纳米管进行表征.将聚合物修饰的碳纳米管进行水解(或季胺化),制备得到在水溶液中良好分散的聚电解质修饰的碳纳米管.     

离子自组装合成侧链型偶氮复合物及其聚集形态研究

用溶液聚合法制备了4-乙烯基吡啶与丙烯腈的无规共聚物(P4VP-r-AN), 采用¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, DSC和FTIR等手段确定了其结构和组成. 粘度法测得其粘均分子量为1.06×10⁴ g/mol, 由其¹H NMR 谱峰面积估算得到4-乙烯基吡啶链段的质量百分含量约为87.1%. 以质子化的4-乙烯基吡啶-丙烯腈无规共聚物(P4VP^＋-r-AN)为模板, 与酸性间胺黄(MY)在水溶液中通过离子自组装, 制备了一种侧链型偶氮复合物(P4VP-r-AN/MY). 用¹H NMR, FT-IR, DSC, UV-Vis, SEM, TEM和HRTEM&EDS(高分辨率透射电镜与X射线能谱联用)等手段研究了该复合物的聚集形态及自组装过程. 研究发现MY通过静电相互作用复合到P4VP^＋-r-AN链上并发生聚集, 使复合物分子链聚集形成尺寸为10～200 nm的球形聚集体. P4VP-r-AN/MY中, MY与P4VP-r-AN的物质的量之比为0.575. HRTEM&EDS测试结果显示P4VP-AN/MY球形聚集体中硫元素的分布接近球形, 与聚集体的形状几乎一致, 表明MY分子在该组装物中主要以球形纳米聚集体的形式存在.     

Lactate Biosensor Based on the Adsorption of Polyelectrolyte Stabilized Lactate Oxidase into Porous Conductive Carbon

 In this work the development a lactate biosensor is illustrated. Lactate oxidase is stabilized with the cationic polyelectrolyte diethylaminoethyl-dextran, and the resulting enzyme-polyelectrolyte complexes are physically absorbed into a highly porous and conductive carbon electrode for the construction of the biosensor. The amount of diethylaminoethyl-dextran used is optimized with respect to the sensor sensitivity and stability. Optimum results obtained with enzyme solution containing 0.5% w/v diethylaminoethyl-dextran and 200 U/ml lactate oxidase. The resulting biosensors present increased operational (over 240 hours of continuous polarization) and storage stability (more than 5 months), while the reproducibility was calculated to be better than 5.0% RSD.     

An integrative approach for analyzing metal–polyelectrolyte interactions

An integrative approach based on the combined use of both experiments and modelling is discussed here aimed at investigating metal–polyelectrolyte interactions in solution. Electrochemical techniques are applied because of their potential to measure the actual speciation without disturbing the solution physico–chemical equilibrium. The experimental methodologies are complementary since the ranges of applicability depend on the solution composition itself. To complement and interpret the results of these experimental techniques, a physico–chemical association model, based on the so-called ‘chemical model’ of counterion condensation theory, is used. The model considers that, in addition to the usual electrostatic interactions and entropic effects, territorial affinity and chemical bonding interactions take place between the small counterions in solution and the polyelectrolyte. A number of particular cases of metal/polyelectrolyte systems are discussed aimed at showing that the integrative approach leads to additional information about the solution system which can not be deduced from experimental results solely. Future challenges with respect to the applications in the study of natural aquatic systems are pointed out.     

Spherical Polyelectrolyte Brushes as Carriers for Catalytically Active Metal Nanoparticles

Summary: We present a study on the catalytic activity of metal nanoparticles immobilized on spherical polyelectrolyte brushes that act as carriers. The spherical polyelectrolyte brushes consist of a solid core of poly(styrene) onto which long chains of poly(2-methylpropenoyloxyethyl) trimethylammonium chloride are grafted. These positively charged chains form a dense layer of polyelectrolytes on the surface of the core particles (“spherical polyelectrolyte brush”) that tightly binds divalent metal ions, such as AuCl, PdCl or PtCl. The reduction of these ions within the brush layer leads to nearly monodisperse metal nanoparticles. Gold, platinum and palladium nanoparticles with diameters of around 1.25 nm, 2.1 nm and 2.4 nm have been embedded into polyelectrolyte brushes, respectively. The composite particles exhibit excellent colloidal stability. The catalytic activity is investigated by photometrically monitoring the reduction of p-nitrophenol by an excess of NaBH₄ in the presence of the nanoparticles. The kinetic data could be explained by the assumption of a pseudo-first-order reaction with regard to p-nitrophenol. All data demonstrate that spherical polyelectrolyte brushes present an ideal carrier system for metallic nanoparticles.