Novel photopolymerizable biodegradable triblock polymers for tissue engineering scaffolds: synthesis and characterization

For use in micro-patterned scaffolds in tissue engineering, novel diacrylated triblock macromers (PLA-b-PCL-b-PLA, PGA-b-PCL-b-PGA and PCL-b-PEO-b-PCL) were synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). All diacrylated polymers were designed as triblock copolymers and involved biodegradable blocks of relatively non-polar epsilon-caprolactone (CL) and polar monomers such as glycolide (GA), lactide (LA) or ethylene oxide (EO). All triblock polymers were prepared in molecular weights of a few kilo daltons via the anionic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the corresponding lactide, glycolide or caprolactone using stannous octoate [Sn(Oct)(2)] as catalyst. The polymers had low polydispersity indices, ranging from 1.23 to 1.56. Biodegradable polymeric networks were prepared with conversions of 72-84% via photopolymerization of the triblock diacrylated polymers with 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone (DMPA) as photoinitiator. PLA-b-PCL-b-PLA copolymers crumbled easily and were not suitable for micro-patterning. PGA-b-PCL-b-PGA copolymers had higher water contact angles than PCL-b-PEO-b-PCL and were also cytocompatible with Fibroblasts 3T3.     

Synthesis of zwitterionic block copolymers via RAFT polymerization

A series of poly [2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMA)-sodium acrylate (SA)] diblock copolymers were synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The polymerization exhibits controlled characters: well-controlled molecular weight, narrow molecular weight distribution, molecular weight increasing with polymerization time. The zwitterionic diblock copolymers show rich solution behaviors. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) indicated the formation of micelles and reverse micelles of copolymers is affected by net charge density of copolymers. Microcalorimetry studies showed that the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) increases with incorporation of hydrophilic segments in buffer.     

Properties of block and graft copolymers of polybutadiene with small complexed poly(4-vinylpyridine) segments

Various diblocks, triblocks and a graft copolymer of butadiene with 4-vinylpyridine short blocks have been prepared. They were complexed with ZnCl₂ to give ionomer-like materials. For all copolymers, the T_g of the elastomeric block (?84°C to ?91°C) was unchanged by complexation. For all diblocks and triblocks with short blocks (DP _n ～ 3) the storage modulus was only slightly increased by comparison with uncomplexed materials. For the graft copolymer even with short blocks the material is less sensitive to temperature after complexation. For triblocks, when the DP _n of the vinylpyridine blocks was high enough (15 units), complexes were associated in multiplets of large size and the elastomeric properties were retained up to 200°C.     

双（1,2—丙二胺）合铜的TCNQ盐的合成与光谱研究

合成了导电性ＴＣＮＱ盐Ｃｕ（ｐｎ）２（ＴＣＮＱ）ｎ（ｎ＝２和３，ｐｎ＝１，２－丙二胺，ＴＣＮＱ＝７，７，８，８－四氰基对苯二醌二甲烷）。红外光谱、电子光谱和Ｘ－光电子能谱研究表明ＴＣＮＱ盐中存在ＴＣＮＱ°和ＴＣＮＱ－，ＴＣＮＱ°与ＴＣＮＱ－之间发生了部分电子转移，致使铜呈混合价态。它们的粉末室温电导率为１．１×１０－５～２．４×１０－６ｏｈｍ－１ｃｍ－１。     

Enzyme inhibitors as chemical tools to study enzyme catalysis: rational design, synthesis, and applications

Carefully designed molecules that are intimately related to the reaction mechanism of enzymes are often highly selective and potent inhibitors that serve as extremely useful chemical probes for understanding the reaction mechanism and structure of enzymes. This article describes the design, synthesis, and applications of specific inhibitors of two mechanistically distinct groups of enzymes, ATP-dependent amide ligases and Ser- and Thr-hydrolases. Our strategy is based on the premise that stable analogues of the transition state (transition-state analogues) are highly potent inhibitors that serve as good mechanistic probes, and that a key structure of a good inhibitor of one enzyme is also utilized for the inhibitors of other enzymes that share the same chemistry in their catalyzed reactions, irrespective of the degree of structural similarity and evolutionary link between the enzymes. According to these principles, we designed and synthesized a series of phosphinate- and sulfoximine-based transition-state analogue inhibitors of glutathione synthetase, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and asparagine synthetase. For the second group of enzymes, we synthesized a gamma-monofluorophosphono glutamate analogue for mechanism-based affinity labeling of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase and fluorescent phosphonic acid esters for the active-site titration of lipase. These inhibitors were used successfully as ligands for detailed kinetic analyses, X-ray crystallography, and mass analysis of the enzymes to identify the key amino acid residues responsible for catalysis and substrate recognition in the transition state.     

荧光探针法研究PEO-PPO嵌段共聚物胶束的特性

利用十六烷基罗丹明Ｂ作为主要荧光探针，研究了水溶性嵌段共聚物Ｐｌｕｒｏｎｉｃ Ｆ－６８在水溶液中的胶束化行为，研究表明，Ｐｌｕｒｏｎｉｃ－Ｆ－６８形成胶束的监界胶束浓度与温度有极大关系，随温度的升高，其ＣＭＣ值急剧下降，并且温度对胶束的性质也有很大，影响温度升高可导致胶束的微观粘度增大，表现出很强的负粘－温效应，并发现引起这种负粘－温效应的主要原因是Ｐｌｕｒｏｎｉｃ Ｆ－６８分子中聚环氧乙烷（ＰＥ     

SBS与甲基丙烯酸丁酯本体接枝反应的研究

本文研究了以过氧化苯甲酰(BPO)为引发剂,甲基丙烯酸丁酯(BMA)既作溶剂又作为单体与苯乙烯-丁二烯嵌段共聚物(SBS)进行接枝共聚反应。用红外光谱、核磁共振谱及透射电镜表征了接枝共聚物(SBS-g-BMA)的组成及结构,讨论了时间、温度及SBS和BPO的用量对接枝的影响。     

Taking snapshots of photoexcited molecules in disordered media by using pulsed synchrotron X-rays

Photoexcited molecules are quintessential reactants in photochemistry. Structures of these photoexcited molecules in disordered media in which a majority of photochemical reactions take place remained elusive for decades owing to a lack of suitable X-ray sources, despite their importance in understanding fundamental aspects in photochemistry. As new pulsed X-ray sources become available, short-lived excited-state molecular structures in disordered media can now be captured by using laser-pulse pump, X-ray pulse-probe techniques of third-generation synchrotron sources with time resolutions of 30-100 ps, as demonstrated by examples in this review. These studies provide unprecedented information on structural origins of molecular properties in the excited states. By using other ultrafast X-ray facilities that will be completed in the near future, time-resolution for the excited-state structure measurements should reach the femtosecond time scales, which will make "molecular movies" of bond breaking or formation, and vibrational relaxation, a reality.     

苯乙烯-异戊二烯两嵌段共聚物溶液的dn/dc和紫外吸收光谱

本文研究了苯乙烯-异戊二烯两嵌段共聚物在CHCl_3中的折光指数浓度增量(dn/dc)和紫外吸收光谱。嵌段共聚物dn/dc具有很好的加和性,可以测定嵌段共聚物的组成。紫外吸收光谱的结果表明,除低苯乙烯含量的样品外,其它嵌段共聚物都显示明显的紫外增色性(UV hyperchromism)。因此UV和UV-RI双检测GPC不会得到可靠的嵌段共聚物组成数据。这种增色现象与其特征的紫外吸收谱图紧密关联