Negative Temperature Sensitive Hydrogels in Controlled Drug Delivery

Summary: PVP/PNIPAAm copolymers exhibit a temperature sensitive nature that makes them an attractive candidate for controlled drug delivery devices. Diclofenac sodium was added to the monomeric mixture, which included an initiator and crosslinking agent (where appropriate), prior to UV photopolymerisation. It was found that the xerogels retained similar properties as the original samples (not containing drug) at lower levels of drug integration. In all cases, drug dissolution analysis showed that the active agent was released at a slower rate at temperatures above the Lower Critical Solution Temperature (LCST). Interestingly, the drug release trends were almost identical for both the physically and chemically crosslinked hydrogels, when the decrease in transition temperature caused by the incorporated crosslinking agent is taken into consideration. It is believed that both types of copolymers reached a constant maximum swollen weight at a set of temperatures above their transition temperatures. When this swollen plateau is attained, the hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactions are balanced, thus the gel does not swell or shrink further and the drug diffuses out at a constant rate.     

Synthesizing UHMWPE Using Ziegler-Natta Catalyst System of MgCl2(ethoxide type)/ TiCl4/tri-isobutylaluminum

Summery: A Ziegler-Natta catalyst of MgCl₂ (ethoxide type)/TiCl₄ has been synthesized. In order to obtain ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) tri-isobutylaluminum which is less active to chain transfer was used as cocatalyst. Slurry polymerization was carried out for the polymerization of ethylene while, dilute solution viscometry was performed for the viscosity average molecular weight (Mv) measurement. The effect of [Al]/[Ti] molar ratio, temperature, monomer pressure and polymerization time on the Mv and productivity of the catalyst have been investigated. The results showed increasing [Al]/[Ti] ratio in the range of 78–117, decreased the Mv of the obtained polymer from 7.8 × 10⁶ to 3.7 × 10⁶ however, further increase of the ratio, resulted in decreased of by much slower rate up to [Al]/[Ti] = 588. The higher pressure in the range of 1–7 bars showed the higher the Mv of the polymer obtained, while increasing temperature in the range of 50 to 90 °C decreased the Mv from 9.3 × 10⁶ to 3.7 × 10⁶. The Mv rapidly increase with polymerization time in the first 15 minutes of the reaction, this increase was slowly up to the end of the reaction (120 min). Increasing [Al]/[Ti] ratio raised productivity of the catalyst in the range studied. Rising reaction temperature from 50 to 75 °C increased the productivity of the catalyst however, further increase in the temperature up to the 90 °C decreased activity of the catalyst. Monomer pressure in the range 1 to 7 bars yields higher productivity of the catalyst. Also by varying polymerization conditions synthesizing of UHMWPE with Mv in the range of 3 × 10⁶ to 9 × 10⁶ was feasible.     

Solution processable high band gap hosts based on carbazole functionalized cyclic phosphazene cores for application in organic light‐emitting diodes

A new class of solution processable dendrimers based on cyclic phosphazene (CP) cores have been prepared and used as host materials for blue and green organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). The dendrimers are prepared in high yield from minimal step reactions, are soluble in common solvents for solution processing, are amorphous, and have excellent thermal properties necessary for application in OLEDs. OLED efficiencies of 10.3 cd/A (4.2 lm/W) and 35.3 cd/A (33.5 lm/W) were achieved using commercially available FIrpic and Ir(mppy)₃ as blue and green phosphorescent emitters, respectively. These efficiencies were 2× higher than control devices prepared using poly(N‐vinylcarbazole), the most commonly used host material in solution processed phosphorescent OLEDs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Synthesis of copolymers of poly(ether sulfone ether ketone ketone) and poly(ether ketone diphenyl ketone ether ketone ketone) by electrophilic Friedel–Crafts solution polycondensation

A new monomer, 4,4′‐bis(4‐phenoxybenzoyl)diphenyl(BPOBDP), was synthesized via a two‐step synthetic procedure. A series of novel poly(ether sulfone ether ketone ketone)/poly(ether ketone diphenyl ketone ether ketone ketone) copolymers were prepared by electrophilic Friedel–Crafts solution copolycondensation of isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) with a mixture of 4,4′‐diphenoxydiphenylsulfone (DPODPS) and 4,4′‐bis(4‐phenoxybenzoyl)diphenyl (BPOBDP), in the presence of anhydrous aluminum chloride and N‐methylpyrrolidone (NMP) in 1,2‐dichloroethane (DCE). The copolymers with 10–50 mol% DPODPS are semicrystalline and have remarkably increased T_gs over commercially available PEEK and PEKK. The copolymers with 40–50 mol% DPODPS had not only high T_gs of 170–172°C, but also moderate T_ms of 326–333°C, which are extremely suitable for melt processing. These copolymers have tensile strengths of 96.5–108.1 MPa, Young's moduli of 1.98–3.05 GPa, and elongations at break of 13–26% and exhibit excellent thermal stability and good resistance to acidity, alkali, and common organic solvents. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast and sensitive trace metal analysis in aqueous solutions by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy using wood slice substrates

To perform fast and sensitive trace metal analysis in aqueous solutions by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) based on only one single-pulse laser system, a wood slice has been used as a liquid absorber to transform liquid sample analysis to solid sample analysis using LIBS. High detection sensitivity and good reproducibility can be achieved with this approach. Calibration curves for five metal elements, Cr, Mn, Cu, Cd, and Pb under trace concentrations, have been obtained, and the limits of their detection were determined to be in the range of 0.029–0.59 mg L^− 1, 2–3 orders better than those obtained by directly analyzing liquid samples where the laser was focused on a liquid surface. The wood slice was very easy to handle and thus, the whole analysis process took only 4–5 min for each sample. This approach provides a more practical approach for fast and sensitive metal element analysis in aqueous solutions using LIBS, which is especially useful for monitoring toxic heavy metals in water.     

Tautomerism of monochalcogenosilanoic acids CH3Si(O)XH (X = S,Se, Te) in the gas phase and in the polar and aprotic solution: An ab initio computational investigation

Computational investigations by an ab initio molecular orbital method (HF and MP2) with the 6‐311+G(d,p) and 6‐311++G(2df, 2pd) basis sets on the tautomerism of three monochalcogenosilanoic acids CH₃Si(?O)XH (X = S, Se, and Te) in the gas phase and a polar and aprotic solution tetrahydrofuran (THF) was undertaken. Calculated results show that the silanol forms CH₃Si(?X)OH are much more stable than the silanone forms CH₃Si(?O)XH in the gas‐phase, which is different from the monochalcogenocarboxylic acids, where the keto forms CH₃C(?O)XH are dominant. This situation may be attributed to the fact that the Si? O and O? H single bonds in the silanol forms are stronger than the Si? X and X? H single bonds in the silanone forms, respectively, even though the Si?X (X = S, Se, and Te) double bonds are much weaker than the Si?O double bond. These results indicate that the stability of the monochalcogenosilanoic acid tautomers is not determined by the double bond energies, contrary to the earlier explanation based on the incorrect assumption that the Si?S double bond is stronger than the S?O double bond for the tautomeric equilibrium of RSi(?O)SH (R?H, F, Cl, CH₃, OH, NH₂) to shift towards the thione forms [RSi(?S)OH]. The binding with CH₃OCH₃ enhances the preference of the silanol form in the tautomeric equilibrium, and meanwhile significantly lowers the tautomeric barriers by more than 34 kJ/mol in THF solution. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008     

磷酸盐洗脱液再生IMAC-Cu蛋白质芯片

使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和蛋白质芯片检测系统考察了磷酸盐洗脱液pH值和竞争洗脱剂对IMAC-Cu蛋白质芯片再生的影响。 结果表明,随着磷酸盐洗脱液pH值降低,芯片所吸附的蛋白质越容易被去除,但对芯片表面化学结构的破坏也随之加剧。 在洗脱液中加入竞争洗脱剂乙二胺四乙酸（EDTA）或甘氨酸（Gly）可有效改善蛋白质的洗脱效果。 当磷酸盐洗脱液pH=6.5、竞争洗脱剂为0.02 mol/L EDTA、洗脱时间72 h时,芯片的再生效果最佳。     

1H NMR研究溶质浓度对三碳多元醇水溶液氢键作用以及玻璃化的影响

为考察溶质浓度对三碳多元醇水溶液氢键作用以及不同物质玻璃态形成能力的影响,采用¹H NMR外标法研究不同浓度的1-丙醇（NPA）,2-丙醇（IPA）,1,2-丙二醇（PG）,1,3-丙二醇（PD）和丙三醇（glycerol）的水溶液在室温常压下质子化学位移.结果表明:具有CH₃CH（OH）一基团的PG烷基质子的化学位移变化趋势与其他几种醇相比有较大差异.醇羟基质子与水分子的氧形成较强O-H…O氢键.相同摩尔分数下,羟基数的增加导致水质子和羟基质子的化学位移降低,而且羟基位置不同也会导致水质子和羟基质子化学位移差异.这几种三碳多元醇碱性强弱的顺序和降低冰的均相成核温度能力的顺序一致,即glycerol>PG>PD>IPA>NPA,¹H NMR技术表明glycerol和PG更适合用作低温保护剂.     

聚N,N-二乙基丙烯酰胺低聚物水溶液的分子动力学研究

对50个单元构成的聚N,N-二乙基丙烯酰胺(PDEA)低聚物的水溶液体系进行了分子动力学的研究,分别模拟了300 K时的伸展链、310 K时的伸展链以及紧缩链与水构成的体系,对溶液中PDEA周围溶剂水分子的分布情况以及水分子形成氢键的情况进行了统计,结果表明在PDEA周围的水产生了比本体水更有序的结构,形成了更多的氢键,这种有序结构维持到第二水合层甚至更远.发生相分离后,PDEA与水分子形成的氢键大部分未被破坏,水合层中每个水分子形成的氢键数也没有明显变化,但水合层(形成有序结构的水分子)内水分子数目的减少使得总的氢键数目减少,从而造成体系能量增加及熵增加.同时还研究了聚合物及水分子的自扩散系数,表明PDEA影响周围水分子结构的同时,对水的动力学性质也产生了很大影响.