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Macromolecular Rapid Communications Jul 2018The fabrication of polymer brushes via surface-initiated controlled radical polymerizations has progressively developed beyond a simple surface functionalization... (Review)
Review
The fabrication of polymer brushes via surface-initiated controlled radical polymerizations has progressively developed beyond a simple surface functionalization technique, enabling the design of complex polymer interfaces with a quasi-3D molecular organization. The modulation of polymer brush structure has led to an extremely broad tuning potential for technologically relevant interfacial, physicochemical properties, allowing one to precisely tune swelling, nanomechanical, and nanotribological characteristics of polymer films. In addition, the synthesis of multilayer brush interfaces with hierarchical architecture has been exploited to control biological phenomena on modified platforms, such as cell adhesion and settlement, or to fully prevent biological contamination from bacteria. In this feature article, the most recent developments in the synthesis and application of quasi-3D structured polymer brushes are summarized, placing particular attention on how the tuning of grafted-polymer architecture could translate into a variation of interfacial characteristics.
Topics: Acrylic Resins; Cell Adhesion; Molecular Conformation; Polymerization; Polymers; Surface Properties
PubMed: 29786905
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800189 -
Macromolecular Rapid Communications Oct 2017Contact-active antimicrobial polymer surfaces bear cationic charges and kill or deactivate bacteria by interaction with the negatively charged parts of their cell... (Review)
Review
Contact-active antimicrobial polymer surfaces bear cationic charges and kill or deactivate bacteria by interaction with the negatively charged parts of their cell envelope (lipopolysaccharides, peptidoglycan, and membrane lipids). The exact mechanism of this interaction is still under debate. While cationic antimicrobial polymer surfaces can be very useful for short-term applications, they lose their activity once they are contaminated by a sufficiently thick layer of adhering biomolecules or bacterial cell debris. This layer shields incoming bacteria from the antimicrobially active cationic surface moieties. Besides discussing antimicrobial surfaces, this feature article focuses on recent strategies that were developed to overcome the contamination problem. This includes bifunctional materials with simultaneously presented antimicrobial and protein-repellent moieties; polymer surfaces that can be switched from an antimicrobial, cell-attractive to a cell-repellent state; polymer surfaces that can be regenerated by enzyme action; degradable antimicrobial polymers; and antimicrobial polymer surfaces with removable top layers.
Topics: Anti-Infective Agents; Bacteria; Biofilms; Polymers; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Surface Properties
PubMed: 28846821
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201700216 -
Advances in Colloid and Interface... Jan 2014Protection against bacterial infections is an important research field in modern society. Antimicrobial polymers have received considerable attention as next-generation... (Review)
Review
Protection against bacterial infections is an important research field in modern society. Antimicrobial polymers have received considerable attention as next-generation biocides because they represent an ecologically friendly approach that does not promote resistance. In the last decade, many authors have reported the development of nano-sized antimicrobial polymers with enhanced bactericidal performance by increasing the active-area of biocides. This review presents several suitable methods of synthesis of antimicrobial polymer nanomaterials with various shapes, including a nanosphere and fibrous and tubular structures. We also discuss the antimicrobial mechanisms of these polymers. In addition, antimicrobial polymer thin films, which can inhibit bacterial adhesion, are introduced briefly with examples. Our aim is to present synthetic routes and formation mechanisms of various antimicrobial polymer nanostructures.
Topics: Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; Disinfectants; Nanoparticles; Polymerization; Polymers
PubMed: 24332622
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2013.11.007 -
Macromolecular Rapid Communications Jan 2019The generation of tailings as a by product of the bitumen extraction process is one of the largest environmental footprints of oil sands operations. Most of the tailings... (Review)
Review
The generation of tailings as a by product of the bitumen extraction process is one of the largest environmental footprints of oil sands operations. Most of the tailings treatment technologies use polymer flocculants to induce solid-liquid separation. However, due to the complex composition of tailings, conventional flocculants cannot reach the same performance achieved in other wastewater treatments. Over the last couple of decades, the oil sands industry has used acrylamide-based flocculants to treat tailings, achieving major progress in process optimization and integration with mechanical operations, but they still could not reach the required land reclamation targets. Over the last 5 years, the group designed, synthesized, and tested several novel polymer flocculants tailored for oil sands tailings treatment. This feature article communicates recent developments in these innovative polymers. The article first provides a background on tailings generation and treatment, followed by the description of advanced polymer flocculants categorized according to their microstructures such as linear, branched, and graft. The other tailings remediation technologies and one of the initial works on modeling of tailings flocculation is discussed.
Topics: Flocculation; Oils; Polymers
PubMed: 30417463
DOI: 10.1002/marc.201800644 -
Advances in Colloid and Interface... Jul 2022Achievements in polymer chemistry enables to design artificial phase boundaries modified by imprints of selected molecules and some larger structures. These structures... (Review)
Review
Achievements in polymer chemistry enables to design artificial phase boundaries modified by imprints of selected molecules and some larger structures. These structures seem very useful for the design of new materials suitable for affinity chromatography and sensors. In this review, we are overviewing the synthesis of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) and the applicability of these MIPs in the design of affinity sensors. Such MIP-based layers or particles can be used as analyte-recognizing parts for sensors and in some cases they can replace very expensive compounds (e.g.: antibodies, receptors etc.), which are recognizing analyte. Many different polymers can be used for the formation of MIPs, but conducing polymers shows the most attractive capabilities for molecular-imprinting by various chemical compounds. Therefore, the application of conducting polymers (e.g.: polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), and ortho-phenylenediamine) seems very promising. Polypyrrole is one of the most suitable for the development of MIP-based structures with molecular imprints by analytes of various molecular weights. Overoxiation of polypyrrole enables to increase the selectivity of polypyrrole-based MIPs. Methods used for the synthesis of conducting polymer based MIPs are overviewed. Some methods, which are applied for the transduction of analytical signal, are discussed, and challenges and new trends in MIP-technology are foreseen.
Topics: Molecular Imprinting; Molecularly Imprinted Polymers; Polymers; Pyrroles
PubMed: 35609398
DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102693 -
Current Pharmaceutical Design 2016Polymer self-assembled nanostructures are used in pharmaceutical sciences as bioactive molecules' delivery systems for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Micelles,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Polymer self-assembled nanostructures are used in pharmaceutical sciences as bioactive molecules' delivery systems for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Micelles, polyelectrolyte complexes, polymersomes, polymeric nanoparticles, nanogels and polymer grafted liposomes represent delivery vehicles that are marketed and/or under clinical development, as drug formulations.
METHODS
In this mini-review, these, recently appeared in the literature, innovative polymer drug nanocarrier platforms are discussed, starting from their technological development in the laboratory to their potential clinical use, through studies of their biophysics, thermodynamics, physical behavior, morphology, bio-mimicry, therapeutic efficacy and safety. The properties of an ideal drug delivery system are the structural control over size and shape of drug or imaging agent cargo/domain, biocompatibility, nontoxic polymer/ pendant functionality and the precise, nanoscale container and/or scaffolding properties with high drug or imaging agent capacity features. Self-assembled polymer nanostructures exhibit all these properties and could be considered as ideal drug nanocarriers through control of their size, structure and morphology, with the aid of a large variety of parameters, in vitro and in vivo. These modern trends reside at the interface of soft matter self-assembly and pharmaceutical sciences and the technologies for health.
CONCLUSION
Great advantages related to basic science and applications are expected by understanding the self-assembly behavior of these polymeric nanotechnological drug delivery systems, created through bio-inspiration and biomimicry and have potential utilization into clinical applications.
Topics: Drug Carriers; Humans; Nanostructures; Polymers
PubMed: 26898736
DOI: 10.2174/1381612822666160217141232 -
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 -
Physical Biology Jun 2022Polymers are important components of the complex fluid environment for microorganisms. The mechanical effects on bacterial motile behavior due to the viscous or...
Polymers are important components of the complex fluid environment for microorganisms. The mechanical effects on bacterial motile behavior due to the viscous or viscoelastic properties of polymers were extensively studied, whereas possible chemical effects on bacterial motility through bacterial chemoreception of the polymers were unclear. Here we studied the chemotactic response ofto polymeric solutions by combining the bead assay and FRET measurements. We found that the wild-typestrain exhibited an attractant response to widely used polymers such as Ficoll 400, polyethylene glycol (PEG) 20000 and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) 360000, and the response amplitude from chemoreception was much larger than that from the load-dependence of motor switching due to viscosity change. The chemotactic response depended on the type of receptors and the chain length of the polymers. Our findings here provided important new ingredients for further studies of bacterial motile behavior in complex fluids.
Topics: Polymers; Povidone; Viscosity
PubMed: 35545074
DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac6eb1 -
Stomatologija 2017The aim of this study is to review polyether ether ketone (PEEK), its characteristics and use in prosthodontics. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to review polyether ether ketone (PEEK), its characteristics and use in prosthodontics.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Information search for articles about PEEK and it's use in prosthodontics between January 2010 and April 2017 was conducted in Medline via PubMed, Science direct, Wiley online library as well as the Web search Google Scholar sources. Twelve full text articles were selected and used in this review.
RESULTS
143 articles were found in the database using keywords: PEEK, prosthodontics, dentistry. Data on the suitability of PEEK polymer were organized according to mechanical, chemical, physical properties and PEEK surface preparation.
CONCLUSIONS
PEEK polymer is suitable to use in prosthodontics. However, there are not enough statements about complications, biofilm formation on PEEK surface and its resistance to compression. More research should be done to find out the results.
Topics: Benzophenones; Biocompatible Materials; Dental Prosthesis Design; Ketones; Polyethylene Glycols; Polymers
PubMed: 29243680
DOI: No ID Found -
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