PREPARATION OF MICROGEL-EPOXY RESIN TWO-PHASE POLYMERS BY IN SITU POLYMERIZATION~*

Microgel-epoxy resin two-phase polymers were prepared by in situ copolymerization of ethylenic monomers with unsaturated polyesters. The choice of monomers and the effect of monomer concentration on microgel particle size were discussed. Agglomeration of particles played a significant role in the early stage of polymerization. The microgel dispersion in epoxy resin was stable after the finish of polymerization. Upon curing the particles remained well dispersed.     

智能型水凝胶

智能型水凝胶是一类具有广泛应用前景的功能高分子材料，但由于传统水凝胶存在一些缺点因而限制了其应用，因此近年来围绕提高传统水凝胶的性能做了大量研究工作。本文从四个主要方面综述了近年来智能型水凝胶改性的研究进展。     

STABILITY OF POLY（N,N＇-METHYLENEBISACRYLAMIDE-co-4-VINYLPYRIDINE） MICROGEL DISPERSION AND ADJUSTMENT OF THE HYDROPHOBICITY IN THE MICROGELS

In the UV-Vis spectra of pure light-scattering systems, there is an exponential relationship between absorbance and wavelength （A = Kλ^-n）. Here, the exponent n is named as flocculation-coagulation parameter. In the present paper, the effects of different additives on the stability of poly（N,N＇-methylenebisacrylamide-co-4-vinylpyridine） （poly（Bis-co-4-VP）） microgel dispersion were studied in detail via this parameter. The results showed that the stability of the dispersion mainly comes from the ionization of pyridine groups, making the microgel positively charged on its surface. This was confirmed by the measurement of Zeta potential and the result of conductometric titration. The result of fluorescence analysis indicated that the hydrophobicity in the microgels is enhanced with the increase in total 4-VP unit content.     

Microgels at droplet interfaces of water-in-oil emulsions—challenges and progress

Most of the commonly used microgels (MGs) are hydrophilic and tend to form oil-in-water emulsions. In this review, we discuss the function of MGs at the droplet interface in order to stabilize water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. This topic addresses both interesting questions in fundamental research and a significant impact for applications, where the w/o emulsion type is of essential importance. Promising approaches to stabilize w/o emulsions with MGs are highlighted from different perspectives, ranging from novel MG modifications to assisted co-stabilization by adding soft or hard particles. We summarize the accumulated knowledge, evaluate the challenges and solutions, and highlight future research trends.     

Preparation of silver-poly(acrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) composite microspheres with patterned surface structures

Acrylamide (AM) and methacrylic acid (MAA) copolymer microgels were prepared by a reverse suspension polymerization technique. The microgels were used as templates for the preparation of silver-poly(acrylamide-co-methacrylic acid) [Ag-P(AM-co-MAA)] composite microspheres. The surface structures of the microspheres prepared in this way are characterized by zigzag-like structures. It was found that the composition of the microgels, the nature and dosage of surfactants, the quantity of the metal, and even the reduction methods employed have a significant effect upon the surface structures of the microspheres. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that Ag formed during the process is in a crystal state of a face-centered cubic structure.     

Structure and polymer dynamics within PNIPAM-based microgel particles

The synthesis of temperature-responsive microgels of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) was first reported in 1986 and, since then, there have been hundreds of publications describing the preparation, characterization and applications of these systems. This paper reviews the developments concerning the study of the structure of PNIPAM-based microgels performed over the last years using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) and also the investigations of the polymer-chain dynamics within the microgels carried out with incoherent elastic and quasielastic neutron scattering, and pulse field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-NMR) techniques. Furthermore, the self-diffusion coefficient of the water molecules within the microgel, determined by means of solvent relaxation NMR, is also discussed as a function of the polymer volume fraction of the microgels.     

Direct measurement of weak depletion force between two surfaces

In a mixture of colloidal particles and polymer molecules,the particles may experience an attractive"depletion force"if the size of the polymer molecule is larger than the interparticle separation.This is because individual polymer molecules experience less conformational entropy if they stay between the particles than they escape the inter-particle space, which results in an osmotic pressure imbalance inside and outside the gap and leads to interparticle attraction.This depletion force has been the subject of several studies since the 1980s,but the direct measurement of this force is still experimentally challenging as it requires the detection of energy variations of the order of k_BT and beyond.We present here our results for applying total internal reflection microscopy(TIRM) to directly measure the interaction between a free-moving particle and a flat surface in solutions consisting of small water-soluble organic molecules or polymeric surfactants.Our results indicate that stable nanobubbles(ca.150 nm) exist free in the above aqueous solutions.More importantly,the existence of such nanobubbles induces an attraction between the spherical particle and flat surface.Using TIRM,we are able to directly measure such weak interaction with a range up to 100 nm.Furthermore,we demonstrate that by employing thermo-sensitive microgel particles as a depleting agent,we are able to quantitatively measure and reversibly control k_BYT-scale depletion attraction as function of solution pH.     

A photodimerization approach to crosslink and functionalize microgels

Microgels were prepared within reverse micelles via photocrosslinking. Gelation resulted from the [2 + 2] photodimerization reaction of nitrocinnamoyl (NC) groups on multi-arm polyethylene glycol (PEG) or gelatin. Because of the potential for biomedical and chemical applications, immobilization capacity within the microgels was investigated. Quantum dots (QDs), for example, share a similar size scale with proteins and can be physically trapped within the microgels. In addition, the optoelectronic properties of QDs could be utilized for analytical, imaging, and therapeutic purposes. Small molecules and recognition sequences (e.g. biotin) can also be covalently immobilized within the microgel networks through the photodimerization reaction. In the presence of biotin-PEG-NC, the resulting microgels added to streptavidin-coated plates. The microgel properties such as biodegradability and degree of swelling may be engineered for particular applications including targeted monitoring and controlled drug delivery systems.     

含β-CD单元VCL共聚物微凝胶的合成与性能研究

采用无皂沉淀聚合法,在水溶液中通过N-乙烯基己内酰胺(VCL)与一种单取代乙烯基β-环糊精单体(GMA-EDA-β-CD)的共聚反应,合成出了含有β-CD结构单元的温敏性VCL/GMA-EDA-β-CD共聚物微凝胶.用红外光谱仪(FTIR)、1H核磁共振仪(1H-NMR)、透射电镜(TEM)及激光粒度仪(DLS)对其结构、形态和性能进行了表征.研究结果表明,β-CD结构单元的加入使共聚物微凝胶的粒径减小,粒径分布变窄,但其温敏性降低.     

Combination of “living” nitroxide-mediated and photoiniferter-induced “grafting from” free-radical polymerizations: From branched copolymers to unimolecular micelles and microgels

We report on solution properties of lightly grafted copolymers composed of polystyrene (PS) backbone (degree of polymerization of PS backbone, N_b=95) and variable length of poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) P(tBuMA) side chains (degree of polymerization of side chains, N_sc=14-222) at fixed number of grafting sites n = 11 and polydispersity index (M_w/M_n) ranging from 1.05 to 2.63. Synthesis of these graft copolymers is based on a novel synthetic route [Gromadzki D, Makuška R, Netopilík M, Holler P, Lokaj J, Janata M, et al. Eur Polym J 2008;44:59-71] involving two independent controlled/“living” polymerization mechanisms, namely nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMP) for the synthesis of the backbone and photoinduced “grafting from” iniferter process for building of P(tBuMA) branches. The viscosity-related contraction factors g^′<1 confirmed high degree of branching of the studied graft copolymers. Dilute solutions of graft copolymers in non-selective solvent (THF), examined by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and viscometry, revealed a transition from comb-like conformation through wormlike-star to a microgel architecture under increasing number of monomeric units in side chains. These data were further supported by the structure factors R_η/R_h and R_g/R_h obtained by independent measurements and extrapolated to infinite dilution. Persistence lengths of the samples exhibiting comb-like topology were larger compared to linear polystyrene backbone and P(tBuMA) side chains in THF suggesting stiffening of the main chain with increasing size of the attached side chains. Unimolecular micelles were detected by DLS and SAXS in solvent selective for grafts, tert-amyl alcohol.