Alternating bioactivity of multilayer thin films assembled from charged derivatives of chitosan

Charged derivatives of chitosan, N-sulfofurfuryl chitosan (SFC) and N-[(2-hydroxyl-3-trimethylammonium)propyl]chitosan chloride (HTACC) were prepared by reductive alkylation of amino groups of chitosan (CHI) using 5-formyl-2-furansulfonic acid, sodium salt (FFSA) as a reagent and ring opening of glycidyltrimethylammonium chloride (GTMAC) by amino groups of chitosan, respectively. The chemical structures of the charged derivatives were verified by (1)H NMR and FTIR analyses. Multilayer assembly of SFC, HTACC, CHI and the selected oppositely charged polyelectrolytes was monitored by a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Stratification of the multilayer film fabricated on plasma-treated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (treated PET) substrate was demonstrated by water contact angle data. The coverage of the assembled films was characterized by AFM and ATR-FTIR analyses. The bioactivity of the deposited multilayer film on the treated PET substrate was tested against selected proteins having a distinctive size and charge. This research strongly suggests that both SFC and HTACC are potential candidates for altering the surface bioactivity of materials.     

Formation of thermo‐sensitive and cross‐linkable micelles by self‐assembly of poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate)‐containing block copolymer

Poly(pentafluorophenyl acrylate)‐block‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PPFPA‐b‐PNIPAM) is synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Light‐responsive moieties of ortho‐nitrobenzyl (ONB)‐protected diamine are partially introduced to the PFPA moieties via postpolymerization modification. The amphiphilic block copolymers are assembled into micelles in water. The ONB‐protected diamine group in the micelle core is released upon UV irradiation, which subsequently induces an in situ cross‐linking by a spontaneous reaction with the remaining PFPA groups in the core and yields stable cross‐linked micelles. Micellization of the copolymers is confirmed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). 4‐Nitro‐7‐piperazino‐2,1,3‐benzoxadiazole (NBD) and pyrene are loaded in the core of cross‐linked micelles to demonstrate the possibility for additional post‐functionalization of residual PFPA moieties and hydrophobic molecule encapsulation, respectively. It is anticipated that these micelles can be alternative cargos for incorporating active compounds that may be useful for advanced applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1103–1113     

On the pyrolysis of aryl cinnamates a convenient entry to unsymmetrical stilbenes

Symmetrical and unsymmetrical stilbenes can be prepared by pyrolysis of the corresponding aryl cinnamates. The mechanism of product formation is discussed.     

Multilayer film assembled from charged derivatives of chitosan: physical characteristics and biological responses

Polyelectrolyte multilayer films were successfully assembled from each of the three charged derivatives of chitosan; N-[(2-hydroxyl-3-trimethylammonium)propyl]chitosan chloride (HTACC), N-succinyl chitosan (SCC) and N-sulfofurfuryl chitosan (SFC), paired with one of the two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) on surface-treated poly(ethylene terephthalate) (treated PET) substrates by alternate layer-by-layer adsorption. Surface coverage and wettability of the multilayer films were determined by AFM and water contact angle measurements, respectively. Analysis by quartz crystal balance with dissipation (QCM-D) has suggested that all multilayer films are relatively rigid and have a high water content associated within their structures, accounting for up to 85-90% (w/w) for films having 7-10 layers. In vitro cytocompatibility tests for the fibroblast-like L929 cell line revealed a slight dependency for cell adhesion and proliferation on the outermost layer. The multilayer film containing HTACC exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. Bearing negative charges, the multilayer films terminating with SFC and having at least 10 layers were capable of suppressing the adsorption of plasma proteins and platelet adhesion at a comparable level to the multilayer film assembled from heparin, a well-known antithrombogenic polymer.