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Biomaterials Sep 2018As a novel kind of polymer with covalently linked core-shell structure, star polymers behave in nanostructure in aqueous medium at all concentration range, as... (Review)
Review
As a novel kind of polymer with covalently linked core-shell structure, star polymers behave in nanostructure in aqueous medium at all concentration range, as unimolecular micelles at high dilution condition and multi-micelle aggregates in other situations. The unique morphologies endow star polymers with excellent stability and functions, making them a promising platform for bio-application. A variety of functions including imaging and therapeutics can be achieved through rational structure design of star polymers, and the existence of plentiful end-groups on shell offers the opportunity for further modification. In the last decades, star polymers have become an attracting platform on fabrication of novel nano-systems for bio-imaging and diagnosis. Focusing on the specific topology and physicochemical properties of star polymers, we have reviewed recent development of star polymer-based unimolecular micelles and their bio-application in imaging and diagnosis. The main content of this review summarizes the synthesis of integrated architecture of star polymers and their self-assembly behavior in aqueous medium, focusing especially on the recent advances on their bio-imaging application and diagnosis use. Finally, we conclude with remarks and give some outlooks for further exploration in this field.
Topics: Diagnostic Imaging; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Liberation; Humans; Micelles; Polymers
PubMed: 29429845
DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.01.051 -
European Journal of Pharmaceutics and... Sep 2019Poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, polymer with a great deal of potential in the field of drug delivery. Active drug molecules can be...
Poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) is a biodegradable, biocompatible, polymer with a great deal of potential in the field of drug delivery. Active drug molecules can be conjugated to the polymer backbone or encapsulated in self-assembled nanoparticles for targeted and systemic delivery. Here, a range of techniques have been used to characterise the enzymatic degradation of PGA extensively for the first time and to provide an indication of the way the polymer will behave and release drug payloads in vivo. Dynamic Light Scattering was used to monitor change in nanoparticle size, indicative of degradation. The release of a fluorescent dye, coupled to PGA, upon incubation with enzymes was measured over a 96 h period as a model of drug release from polymer drug conjugates. The changes to the chemical structure and molecular weight of PGA following enzyme exposure were characterised using FTIR, NMR and GPC. These techniques provided evidence of the biodegradability of PGA, its susceptibility to degradation by a range of enzymes commonly found in the human body and the polymer's potential as a drug delivery platform.
Topics: Adipates; Biodegradable Plastics; Drug Carriers; Drug Compounding; Drug Delivery Systems; Drug Liberation; Glycerol; Humans; Nanoparticles; Polymers
PubMed: 31319123
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2019.07.015 -
Journal of Separation Science Jul 2022A novel boronic acid and carboxyl-modified glucose molecularly imprinted polymer were prepared through suspension polymerization, which is based on 1.0 mmol glucose as...
Preparation of boronic acid and carboxyl-modified molecularly imprinted polymer and application in a novel chromatography mediated hollow fiber membrane to selectively extract glucose from cellulose hydrolysis.
A novel boronic acid and carboxyl-modified glucose molecularly imprinted polymer were prepared through suspension polymerization, which is based on 1.0 mmol glucose as a template, 1.2 mmol methacrylamidophenylboronic acid, and 6.8 mmol methacrylic acids as monomers, 19 mmol ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate, and 1 mmol methylene-bis-acrylamide as crosslinkers. The prepared glucose-molecularly imprinted polymer had a particle size of 25-70 μm, and was thermally stable below 215°C, with a specific surface area of 174.82 m g and average pore size of 9.48 nm. The best selectivity between glucose and fructose was 2.71 and the maximum adsorption capacity of glucose- molecularly imprinted polymer was up to 236.32 mg g which was consistent with the Langmuir adsorption model. The similar adsorption abilities in six successive runs and the good desorption rate (99.4%) verified glucose-molecularly imprinted polymer could be reused. It was successfully used for extracting glucose from cellulose hydrolysis. The adsorption amount of glucose was 2.61 mg/mL and selectivity between glucose and xylose reached 4.12. A newly established chromatography (glucose-molecularly imprinted polymer) mediated hollow fiber membrane method in time separated pure glucose from cellulose hydrolysates on a large scale, and purified glucose solution with a concentration of 3.84 mg/mL was obtained, which offered a feasible way for the industrial production of glucose from cellulose hydrolysates.
Topics: Adsorption; Boronic Acids; Cellulose; Chromatography; Glucose; Hydrolysis; Molecular Imprinting; Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; Plant Extracts; Polymers
PubMed: 35474633
DOI: 10.1002/jssc.202200090 -
Macromolecular Rapid Communications Dec 2022To improve photosensitivity of polymer materials, an effective protocol is to increase the content of photosensitive moieties. However, most of photosensitive units are...
To improve photosensitivity of polymer materials, an effective protocol is to increase the content of photosensitive moieties. However, most of photosensitive units are toxic. The high content is not acceptable for real-world applications. Therefore, achieving photosensitive polymers with low content of photosensitive moieties but maintaining their photosensitivity remains a challenge. Herein, a protocol is reported to address this challenge by combining photosensitive monomers with hygroscopic monomers, where the synergistic action of two types of functional moieties can improve the photosensitivity of polymer network. Upon exposure to light irradiation, the polymer can be driven by not only the structural isomerization of photosensitive units, but also the photothermal effects. This synergistic effect results in the polymer-based soft actuators capable of showing rapid response to light even at the extremely-low content of photosensitive moieties of 2.6 mol.%. Importantly, the combination of hygroscopic and photosensitive moieties provides polymer with multiple responsiveness including acidochromism, humidity responsiveness, photohardening, shape memory, photochromism, and in situ swelling, making it useful in sensing systems, information transmission, and artificial muscles.
Topics: Polymers
PubMed: 35833601
DOI: 10.1002/marc.202200539 -
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in... Jul 2019Further to conventional linear, branched, crosslinked, and dendritic polymers, single chain cyclized/knotted polymers (SCKPs) have emerged as a new class of polymer...
Further to conventional linear, branched, crosslinked, and dendritic polymers, single chain cyclized/knotted polymers (SCKPs) have emerged as a new class of polymer structure with unique properties. Herein, the development of bacteria-resistant SCKPs is reported and the effect of this structure on the resistance of polymer materials to bacteria is investigated. Four SCKPs were synthesized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) homopolymerization of multivinyl monomers (MVMs) and then crosslinked by UV light to form SCKP films. Regardless of MVM type used, the resulting SCKP films showed much higher resistance to bacteria, and up to 75 % less bacterial attachment and biofilm formation, in comparison with the corresponding non-SCKP films. This is due to the altered surface morphology and hydrophobicity of the SCKP films. These results highlight the critical role of the SCKP structure in enhancing the resistance of polymeric materials to bacteria.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Drug Resistance, Bacterial; Escherichia coli; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Molecular Structure; Polymerization; Polymers
PubMed: 31150131
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201904818 -
Advances in Colloid and Interface... Apr 2020In recent years, zwitterionic polymers have been frequently reported to modify various surfaces to enhance hydrophilicity, antifouling and antibacterial properties,... (Review)
Review
In recent years, zwitterionic polymers have been frequently reported to modify various surfaces to enhance hydrophilicity, antifouling and antibacterial properties, which show significant potentials particularly in biological systems. This review focuses on the fabrication, properties and various applications of zwitterionic polymer grafted surfaces. The "graft-from" and "graft-to" strategies, surface grafting copolymerization and post zwitterionization methods were adopted to graft lots type of the zwitterionic polymers on different inorganic/organic surfaces. The inherent hydrophilicity and salt affinity of the zwitterionic polymers endow the modified surfaces with antifouling, antibacterial and lubricating properties, thus the obtained zwitterionic surfaces show potential applications in biosystems. The zwitterionic polymer grafted membranes or stationary phases can effectively separate plasma, water/oil, ions, biomolecules and polar substrates. The nanomedicines with zwitterionic polymer shells have "stealth" effect in the delivery of encapsulated drugs, siRNA or therapeutic proteins. Moreover, the zwitterionic surfaces can be utilized as wound dressing, self-healing or oil extraction materials. The zwitterionic surfaces are expected as excellent support materials for biosensors, they are facing the severe challenges in the surface protection of marine facilities, and the dense ion pair layers may take unexpected role in shielding the grafted surfaces from strong electromagnetic field.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Biofouling; Humans; Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Nanomedicine; Polymerization; Polymers; Salts; Surface Properties
PubMed: 32213350
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2020.102141 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2019This review deals with two overlapping issues, namely polymer chemistry and deep eutectic solvents (DESs). With regard to polymers, specific aspects of synthetic... (Review)
Review
This review deals with two overlapping issues, namely polymer chemistry and deep eutectic solvents (DESs). With regard to polymers, specific aspects of synthetic polymers, polymerization processes producing such polymers, and natural cellulose-based nanopolymers are evaluated. As for DESs, their compliance with green chemistry requirements, their basic properties and involvement in polymer chemistry are discussed. In addition to reviewing the state-of-the-art for selected kinds of polymers, the paper reveals further possibilities in the employment of DESs in polymer chemistry. As an example, the significance of DES polarity and polymer polarity to control polymerization processes, modify polymer properties, and synthesize polymers with a specific structure and behavior, is emphasized.
Topics: Cellulose; Chemistry, Organic; Green Chemistry Technology; Ionic Liquids; Nanostructures; Polymerization; Polymers; Solvents
PubMed: 31684174
DOI: 10.3390/molecules24213978 -
Acta Biomaterialia Feb 2022Conducting polymers (CPs) possess unique electrical and electrochemical properties and hold great potential for different applications in the field of bioelectronics.... (Review)
Review
Conducting polymers (CPs) possess unique electrical and electrochemical properties and hold great potential for different applications in the field of bioelectronics. However, the widespread implementation of CPs in this field has been critically hindered by their poor processibility. There are four key elements that determine the processibility of CPs, which are thermal tunability, chemical stability, solvent compatibility and mechanical robustness. Recent research efforts have focused on enhancing the processibility of these materials through pre- or post-synthesis chemical modifications, the fabrication of CP-based complexes and composites, and the adoption of additive manufacturing techniques. In this review, the physicochemical and structural properties that underlie the performance and processibility of CPs are examined. In addition, current research efforts to overcome technical limitations and broaden the potential applications of CPs in bioelectronics are discussed. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This review details the inherent properties of CPs that have hindered their use in additive manufacturing for the creation of 3D bioelectronics. A fundamental approach is presented with consideration of the chemical structure and how this contributes to their electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. The review then considers how manipulation of these properties has been addressed in the literature including areas where improvements can be made. Finally, the review details the use of CPs in additive manufacturing and the future scope for the use of CPs and their composites in the development of 3D bioelectronics.
Topics: Polymers
PubMed: 34111518
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.05.052 -
Chemical Society Reviews Aug 2019To exert its role of a functional polymer, DNA relies on a molecular self-assembly process that is driven by the interactions of only four units placed in a defined... (Review)
Review
To exert its role of a functional polymer, DNA relies on a molecular self-assembly process that is driven by the interactions of only four units placed in a defined order. Extending the structural diversity of recognition motifs in DNA, to and beyond analogues of the nucleobases, will open doors to self-assembled materials with advanced programmable properties. DNA-inspired systems are becoming useful for numerous applications unachievable by the nucleic acids in their native composition. Potential applications of rationally designed oligo- and polyphosphodiesters reside in the areas of drug delivery, diagnostic signalling and imaging, in systems for efficient energy transfer or the precise ordering on the nanoscale. The field of DNA-inspired phosphodiesters highlights the general value and utility of precision in the composition of oligomers and polymers. In this tutorial review, we will summarize the approaches of directing the self-assembly of DNA-inspired, sequence-specific polyphosphodiesters into soft materials with unique properties. These data expose the so far underexploited potential of DNA-derived systems in solving some of the key issues in various technological areas, such as advanced biomaterials, morphologically defined soft matter or the controlled polymer folding and assembly. Moreover, precise positioning of structurally diverse molecules within a polymer chain creates unmatched opportunities for encoding information on the molecular level and transmitting it further to the microscopic and even macroscopic level via noncovalent interactions.
Topics: Azides; DNA; Liposomes; Organophosphorus Compounds; Polymers
PubMed: 31263808
DOI: 10.1039/c8cs00662h -
Nature Communications Oct 2019Almost all commercial proteins are purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation. Protein-polymer conjugates are synthesized from pure starting materials, and the...
Almost all commercial proteins are purified using ammonium sulfate precipitation. Protein-polymer conjugates are synthesized from pure starting materials, and the struggle to separate conjugates from polymer, native protein, and from isomers has vexed scientists for decades. We have discovered that covalent polymer attachment has a transformational effect on protein solubility in salt solutions. Here, protein-polymer conjugates with a variety of polymers, grafting densities, and polymer lengths are generated using atom transfer radical polymerization. Charged polymers increase conjugate solubility in ammonium sulfate and completely prevent precipitation even at 100% saturation. Atomistic molecular dynamic simulations show the impact is driven by an anti-polyelectrolyte effect from zwitterionic polymers. Uncharged polymers exhibit polymer length-dependent decreased solubility. The differences in salting-out are then used to simply purify mixtures of conjugates and native proteins into single species. Increasing protein solubility in salt solutions through polymer conjugation could lead to many new applications of protein-polymer conjugates.
Topics: Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Polymerization; Polymers; Protein Conformation; Proteins; Salts; Solubility; Solutions
PubMed: 31624254
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12612-9