Article
Chemistry, Physical
Krishan Kumar, Pannuru Venkatesu
Summary: This study investigates the impact of proteins on the critical micellization temperature (CMT) and molecular interactions with a triblock copolymer PEG-PPG-PEG. Experimental findings show that proteins can modulate CMT and lead to anomalous behavior at specific concentrations, resulting in the formation of protein-copolymer assemblies with distinct biophysical properties. The use of multiple advanced techniques including molecular docking studies provides insights into the mechanism of CMT variation and the potential applications of the results in biosensors and targeted drug delivery systems.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Ke Wang, Jialu Zhang, Meiyu Si, Zilong Wang, Liru An, Guiyan Liu, Yongfei Zeng
Summary: A series of temperature/pH/CO2/redox-quadruple-responsive ferrocene-containing homopolymers were synthesized and their responsive behavior and self-assembly properties were investigated. These homopolymers exhibited excellent response and modulation performance under multiple stimuli, offering great potential for various applications.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Bahareh Razavi, Mina Soleymani-Kashkooli, Mehdi Salami-Kalajahi, Hossein Roghani-Mamaqani
Summary: The symmetric tri-block copolymer synthesized in the experiment showed different morphologies influenced by pH, with multi-responsiveness to external stimuli. The morphology could be stabilized after UV light irradiation, and the rate of coumarin dimerization depended on its concentration, as well as the size and morphology of the particles.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Daniela de Morais Zanata, Maria Isabel Felisberti
Summary: A series of thermo- and pH-responsive triblock copolymers were synthesized and their phase behavior was comprehensively studied. The copolymers exhibited self-assembly into different aggregates depending on pH and temperature conditions.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Review
Polymer Science
Guangran Shao, Yuan Liu, Rong Cao, Guang Han, Bing Yuan, Wangqing Zhang
Summary: Thermo-responsive block copolymers have attracted a lot of attention due to their mature synthesis technology, well-defined structure, controllable molecular weight, and easy implementation of their nano-assemblies in water through temperature regulation. Previous reviews have mainly focused on their biomedical applications, but these polymers also show promising potential in temperature-regulated adsorption and/or separation, nanoreactors for green organic synthesis, etc. This review summarizes the recent progress in thermo-responsive assembly in water and highlights the applications of five different thermo-responsive block copolymers beyond the biomedical field.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Tongtong Ding, Luyao Xu, Xiangting Liu, Liang Ma, Yingxin Cui, Dalong Li, Xiuhua Sun, Changlu Gao
Summary: By utilizing the structure transformation and copper coordination abilities of amphiphilic copolymers, a controllable and continuous release of copper ions in marine coatings was achieved, thereby enhancing the antibacterial capability. The study demonstrated that the block ratio of the copolymer influenced the bactericidal rate, while the antifouling performance of the coating was primarily determined by the hydrophobic interaction between PLMA and the resin.
PROGRESS IN ORGANIC COATINGS
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Shuqi Dong, Li Liu, Hanying Zhao
Summary: In this study, oxidation-responsive amphiphilic block copolymers were synthesized and self-assemblies with different morphologies were achieved by adjusting the hydrophobic block length. Hybrid polymersomes with Cu2+-cross-linked membrane were fabricated, featuring a responsive property to competitive ligands, thanks to the metal-ligand interaction.
Article
Polymer Science
Xuan Feng, Nan Yan, Jing Jin, Wei Jiang
Summary: The disassembly process of amphiphilic AB block copolymers in selective solvents was investigated using molecular dynamic simulation. The disassembly is controlled by thermodynamic processes that depend on the instability of the system. Bx can be converted to Ax in A2BxB18-x diblock copolymers by external stimuli, and the instability induced by Bx conversion is a function of x. Increasing x leads to the disassembly of the initial vesicles into various structures. In addition, the Bx conversion rate and the amount of converted polymer chains also affect the disassembly process.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Yang Liu, Jianqiu Jin, Hao Xu, Chao Wang, Yanping Yang, Yongjian Zhao, Haihui Han, Tong Hou, Guoliang Yang, Li Zhang, Yongjun Wang, Weian Zhang, Qianqian Liang
Summary: This study presents a novel strategy for delivering Triptolide (TP) at ultralow doses using pH-responsive micelles for the effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The engineered nanomedicine showed promising therapeutic effects with reduced toxicity, suggesting its potential as a safe and effective therapy for RA and other autoimmune diseases.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Thi Ha My Phan, Xiu-Hao Chen, Shiang-Ting Huang, Jeng-Shiung Jan
Summary: This study investigated the hydrogelation of amphiphilic triblock copolymers based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and sheet-like polypeptides. The triblock copolymers were synthesized using PEG-diamine and two L-cysteine derivatives as hydrophilic initiators and hydrophobic segments, respectively. The results showed that the chain length, block ratio, and functional group on the side chain played important roles in determining the amphiphilic balance and non-covalent interactions, which affected the hydrogelation and mechanical properties of the triblock copolymers. In particular, the sheet-like poly(S-benzyl-L-cysteine) was found to be a good hydrogelator. This study highlighted the potential of using amphiphilic triblock copolymers with sheet-like polypeptide segments for preparing hydrogels with tunable properties.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jin-Wook Choi, Jongil An, Seung-Rak Son, Soyern Kim, Jisung Park, Chan Beom Park, Jun Hyup Lee
Summary: A hierarchical self-assembled nanoarchitecture based on the unique self-assembly of block copolymers has been developed for the nanofabrication of functionally versatile materials with a wide range of potential applications. The ultrafast responsive and highly reliable self-constructed polymer nanolayer was fabricated using template-assisted interfacial self-assembly, enabling automatic molecular alignment control. This approach demonstrated improved electro-optical switching speed and alignment stability compared to commercial polyimide layers.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Dmitry V. Orekhov, Alexey P. Sivokhin, Alexander S. Simagin, Oleg A. Kazantsev, Ksenia V. Otopkova, Alexey D. Ovchinnikov, Ilya N. Makhov, Nina B. Melnikova
Summary: Betulin, a natural triterpene, has been modified to increase its solubility in water by incorporating it into an amphiphilic copolymer. Well-defined biocompatible copolymers with high betulin content have been synthesized. These copolymers exhibit thermoresponsive behavior and have potential applications in targeted drug delivery.
POLYMERS FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Cuiping Hou, Chulu Zhou, Jianhua Cheng
Summary: A series of well-defined ABA-triblock copolymers were synthesized by living ring-opening metathesis polymerization, leading to the subsequent formation of amphiphilic ABA-triblock azobenzene copolymers with light-responsive behavior and self-assembly capability. The reversible structural changes of the copolymers under alternating UV and visible light illumination were demonstrated.
Article
Polymer Science
Naoki Ozawa, Ji Ha Lee, Isamu Akiba, Tomoki Nishimura
Summary: Polymer architecture has a significant influence on the morphology of polymer self-assemblies. However, there is limited understanding of how changes in macromolecular architecture affect the structures of self-assemblies and the conformation of polymer chains within them. In this study, we examined the self-assembly behavior of four different amphiphilic copolymers with varying chain configurations. We found that changes in macromolecular architecture can result in the formation of different nanostructures, and the conformation of polymer chains within the self-assemblies also varies.
Article
Polymer Science
Maryam S. Sadeghi, Mohammad Reza Moghbeli, William A. Goddard
Summary: This study utilizes molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the self-assembly of high-molecular weight diblock and triblock polymers in water. The longer systems undergo a morphological transition while the shorter systems form slightly prolate-spheres. Structural features are quantified using chain radius of gyration, shape anisotropy, and hydration, with final structures analyzed through local density components.
JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Paige A. Shaw, Maxime Klausen, Mark Bradley
Summary: A light-responsive polymer capable of controlled release of camptothecin and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was developed, which exhibited high cancer cell killing activity through both camptothecin release and ROS generation.
Article
Polymer Science
Donghui Zhang, Shiqi Liu, Zhihao Cai, Weizhe Luo, Guojian Liu, Runhui Liu
Summary: A straightforward and efficient method for synthesizing NPC monomers has been developed in this study, which enhances the availability of NPC monomers and facilitates the synthesis of polypeptides.
