Formation of Copolymer-Ag Nanoparticles Composite Micelles in Three-dimensional Co-flow Focusing Microfluidic Device

A novel method was presented to create composite micelles of amphiphilic copolymers and Ag nanoparticles(NPs) in a three-dimensional co-flow focusing microfluidic device(3D CFMD). Self-assembly of the copolymers was initiated by the fast mixing of water and a blend dispersion of hydrophobic Ag NPs and amphiphilic copolymers. At the same time, the hydrophobic Ag NPs enter the core of copolymer micelles, based on the hydrophobic interaction. The copolymer-Ag NPs composite micelles have a core-shell structure with copolymer shell and Ag NPs core. COMSOL Multiphysics is used to simulate the concentration distribution of copolymers and Ag NPs under different flow rates. Co-assembly microfluidic conditions are determined based on simulation results. Under suitable microfluidic conditions, both block copolymers and gradient copolymers can co-assemble with hydrophobic Ag NPs to form composite micelles, respectively. This microfluidic coassembly method will have a good prospect in the preparation of composite micelles of amphiphilic copolymers and metal nanoparticles.

Influence of Annealing and Additives on the Crystallization Behavior and Properties of Poly(vinyl chloride)

Acetanilide （AC）, adipic acid （AA） and potassium hydrogen phthalate （PHP） were chosen as additives to accelerate PVC crystallization and improve its mechanical properties. The influences of the additives and annealing on the crystallization behavior, micromorphology and the tensile properties were investigated by the thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and the tensile test. Based on the analysis results, it was concluded that the melting peaks ranging from 110 to 200 ℃ and 200 to 240 ℃ were caused by the fusion of the fringed micelle crystals and chain-folded crystals respectively. AC advanced the fringed micelle crystal to develop, while AA and PHP promoted obviously the chain-folded crystal to grow. The addition of the foreign additives did not change the growth pattern ofPVC crystallites, the growth of the micelle crystal was favorable at 110 ℃, and the chain-folded crystal was developed at higher temperature. For PVC/ AA and PVC/PHP, when annealed at 110 ℃, a regular nest like network was formed, the crystallinity and the crystallite size were increased as well, and as a result, the tensile strength, Young＇s modulus and the elongation at break point were improved simultaneously and greatly.

Nanocomposite Polymer Hydrogels Reinforced by Carbon Dots and Hectorite Clay

Herein, two nanoparticles with different dimensions, spherical carbon dots (C-dots) and sheetlike hectorite clay, were used as physical crosslinkers to fabricate C-dots-clay-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)nanocompositehydrogels (coded as C-dots-clay-PNIPAm hydrogels). The mechanical properties, fluorescence features and thermal-responsive properties of the C-dots-clay-PNIPAm hydrogels were evaluated. The experimental results indicate that synergistic effects of C-dots and hectorite clay nanoparticles are able to significantly enhance mechanical properties of the hydrogels. The hydrogels can be stretched up to 1730%with strength as high as 250 kPa when the C-dots concentration is 0.1wt%and the clay concentration is 6wt%. The hydrogels exhibit complete self-healing through autonomic reconstruction of crosslinked network a damaged interface. The hydrogels show favorable thermal-responsive properties with the volume phase transition around 34℃. In addition, the hydrogels are endowed with fluorescence features that are associated with C-dots in the hydrogels. It can be expected that the as-fabricated C-dots-clay-PNIPAm hydrogels are promising for applications in sensors, biomedical carriers and tissue engineering.

Biological Effect Studies of Norfloxacin Complexes on Tetrahymena and Escherichia Coli by Microcalorimetry

Norfloxacin complexes Co（nor）2.8H2O （nor=norfloxaein） and [Co（nor）（phen）]NO3.2H2O （phen=1,10-phenanthroline） were synthesized and their biological activity on Tetrahymena and Escherichia coli （E.coli） was assayed by means of microcalorimetry. Massive experimental parameters such as the growth constant k, inhibitory ratio I, half inhibition concentration IC5o and generation time TG were obtained. Data showed that with the increase of exposing complex concentration, both complexes exhibited strong inhibition during the growth of organisms. While toxic degrees were quite different on Tetrahymena and E.coli, due to various toxic mechanisms. And complex molecular volume and the ability of the complex penetrating into cells may be the keys.

Adsorption of Quaternized-chitosan-modified Reduced Graphene Oxide

A novel quaternized-chitosan-modified reduced graphene oxide（HACC-RGO） combined the adsorption advantages of RGO and 2-Hydroxypropyltrimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan（HACC）. The adsorption property of HACC-RGO sheets for methyl orange（MO） was demonstrated and compared with RGO and HACC. The removal ratios of HACC-RGO sheets reached 92.6% for MO after a 24 h adsorption. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms and thermodynamics were investigated to indicate that the kinetics and equilibrium adsorptions were well-described by pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isotherm model, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. Moreover, monodisperse HACC-RGO/CS beads were fabricated by the microfluidic method. The adsorption and desorption of HACC-RGO/CS beads for MO were studied. After three adsorptiondesorption cycles, the adsorption capacity remained above 55% and the desorption capacity was not below 70%. The HACC-RGO/CS beads can be reused and have great potential applications in removing organic dyes from polluted water.