Effect of Molecular Weight on Thermoelectric Performance of P3HT Analogues with 2-Propoxyethyl Side Chains

By replacing hexyl chains in poly(3-hexylthiophene)(P3HT)with 2-propoxyethyls,four poly(3-(2-propoxyethyl)thiophene)(P3POET)homopolymers with comparable polydispersity indexes(PDI)and regioregularities were prepared herein in addition with step increment of about 7 kDa on numberaverage molecular weight(M_(n))from around 11 to 32 kDa(accordingly denoted as P11k,P18k,P25k,and P32k).When doped in film by FeCl_(3)at the optimized conditions,the maximum power factor(PF_(max))increases greatly from 4.3μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P11k to 8.8μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P18k,and further to 9.7μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P25k,followed by a slight decrease to 9.2μW·m^(-1)·K^(-2)for P32k.The close Seebeck coefficients(S)at PF_(max)are observed in these doped polymer films due to their consistent frontier orbital energy levels and Fermi levels.The main contribution to this PF_(max)evolution thus comes from the corresponding conductivities(σ).Theσvariation of the doped films can be rationally correlated with their microstructure evolution.

Effects of low molecular weight polysaccharide from Sargassum thunbergii against palmitic acid-induced intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocyte and HepG2 cells

Low molecular weight polysaccharides can be isolated from Sargassum thunbergii(LMPST)and in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate the inhibitory effects on lipids.Two natures of LMPST were attained from S.thunbergii and appraised their LMPST on palmitic acid(PA)induced lipid accretion in Hep G2,and 3T3-L1 cells.LMPST treatment lessened lipid deposition and intracellular free fatty acid and triglyceride intensities in PA-treated above mentioned cells.The mechanistic study publicized that LMPST2 significantly suppressed adipogenesis and stimulated the PA-treated 3T3-L1 cells occupied in the lipolysis pathway.Furthermore,in PA-treated Hep G2 cells,the free fatty acid oxidation was significantly increased by LMPST2.Given these constructive properties of LMPST2 from S.thunbergii,is a potential candidate for diminishing the intracellular lipids,and for a therapeutic agent in those conditions.

Pharmacokinetics of fucoidan and low molecular weight fucoidan from Saccharina japonica after oral administration to mice

The brown seaweed,Sacchairna japonica,has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over one thousand years.Oral administration of fucoidan or low molecular weight fucoidan(LMWF)from S.japonica could ameliorate kidney dysfunction in chronic kidney diseases and inhibit diabetic vascular complications.In many studies,LMWF was found to be more potent than fucoidan with high molecular weight.However,the pharmacokinetics of LMWF still remains unclear.The purpose of the research is to compare the pharmacokinetics of fucoidan with high molecular weight(136 kDa)with that low molecular weight(9.5 kDa)after oral administration to ICR mice.Since fucose is the main and representative monosaccharide of fucoidans,we evaluate the pharmacokinetics of fucoidan and LMWF by determining the fucose concentration in mice serum.Both fucoidan and LMWF were absorbed following oral administration.Fucoidan and LMWF were provided to mice by oral administration with 60 mg/kg and the maximum Concentration(C_(max))was found at 2.5 h(0.66±0.32 mg/L)for Fucoidan and 1.5 h(1.01±0.56 mg/L)for LMWF,respectively.It seems that LMWF had a higher area under the curve(AUC_(0–t))and was absorbed more quickly than fucoidan.The estimated bioavailability of LMWF was28.3%in the mice treated with a single dose of 30 mg/kg.In addition,LMWF was found widely spreaded into different tissues following oral administration and the highest concentration was found in kidney at 19.93±7.02μg/g.In this study,we first studied the pharmacokinetics of LMWF,in order to help to understand the function of LMWF.And our results shed light on the potential of development of drugs based on LMWF.

Purification and immunoglobulin E epitopes identification of low molecular weight glutenin:an allergen in Chinese wheat

As one of the most important cereals,wheat(Triticum aestivum)has high nutritional value and is widely cultivated in China.However,wheat can cause severe allergic reactions,and a growing number of people are developing allergies to Chinese wheat.Low molecular weight glutenin(LMW-GS),an important allergen in susceptible populations,is responsible for celiac disease and wheat contacts dermatitis.In this study,LMW-GS was highly purified from Chinese wheat(Xiaoyan 6)and further identified and characterized.In addition,8 peptides were predicted efficiently by 5 immunological tools,among which 5 peptides showed significant immunoglobulin E binding abilities.Two specific epitopes were found to be in the non-conserved region of the amino acid sequence of LMW-GS,which was speculated to be the specific epitope of Chinese wheat.This systematic research of LMW-GS may provide new insights into the prevention of wheat allergy and development of hypoallergenic wheat products.

The Relationship between Bulk Property and Property Distribution in Thin-Wall Injection Molded PP at Different Molecular Weight and Molecular Weight Distribution

Thin-wall injection molded parts have been paid much attention to the lightweight saving from viewpoints of natural resources saving. In the injection molding, skin-core structure can be found in the parts. This skin-core structure affects the property of completed injection molding parts (bulk property) even if in thin-wall injection molding. However, there is a few research about the relationship between bulk property and internal property distribution in the injection molding specimen. In this study, thin-wall injection molded parts of polypropylene (PP) were prepared by 4 different molecular weight and molecular weight distribution to reveal the relationship between bulk property and property distribution. These characteristics were investigated by using tensile test, fracture toughness characterized by Essential Work of Fracture (EWF) method for bulk property and film tensile test by sliced sample for tensile property distribution. The property distribution test results revealed that the highly bulk property sample had thicker highly mechanical property layer on its surface.

PREPARATION OF MICROPOROUS ULTRA HIGH MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYETHYLENE (UHMWPE) BY THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION OF A UHMWPE/LIQUID PARAFFIN MIXTURE

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with a microporous structure was prepared via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS).Liquid paraffin (LP) was used as a diluent in the preparation of microporous UHMWPE. Small angle laser light scattering (SALLS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to determine the phase separation temperatures,i.e.the cloud points and the dynamic crystallization temperatures,respectively.It was found that the cloudI points were coincident with the cr...

Effect of Molecular Weight and Structure on Antitumor Activity of Oxidized Chitosan

Various low molecular weight chitosans were prepared by oxidative degradation with H 2O 2, and characterized by IR, 13C-NMR and gel permeation chromatography. Their carboxylic contents increased with decrease in molecular weight (M w). The antitumor test of the samples against sarcoma 180 tumors suggested that the water-soluble chitosan with higher M w have higher inhibitory ratio in vivo. The introduction of carboxylic group is advantage to water-solubility of chitosan, but more acidic groups might decrease the function of amino groups of chitosan against sarcoma 180 tumor.

Researches on the Internal Molecular Weight Uniformity of Chitosan Biomaterials

Uniform molecular weight(Mw)chitosan(CS)is highly demanded in medical biomaterial industry.This present article described heterogeneous degradation of CS in aqueous HCl/ethanol solution,in which progress uniform Mw CS was successfully prepared.The Mw distribution of CS was measured by gel permeation chromatography(GPC)analysis.Moreover,the structure and properties of degraded CS were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy(^1H NMR),X-ray diffraction(XRD)and thermogravimetric(TG)analysis.In addition,the biocompatibility of degraded CS was also assessed by hemolysis rate(HR)measurement.The Mw of CS dramatically decreased from 246 KDa to 76 k Da at the initial 30 min,and stabilized at 18 kDa after 24 h.GPC analysis results showed that the degraded CS molecular become homogenization.FT-IR and 1 H NMR analysis confirmed the basic structure of CS molecular backbone was not destroyed during this progress.Besides,the water solubility of CS was not significantly influenced by this reaction.Moreover,the XRD analysis revealed that crystallinity of degraded CS increased from 70.32% to 99.25%with time.The TG analysis showed improved thermal stability of degraded CS.HR measurement demonstrated the degraded CS possessed excellent biocompatibility.This simple and efficient heterogeneous degradation would open up a new route to produce uniform Mw CS.

SUPPORTED ZIEGLER-NATTA CATALYSTS FOR ETHYLENE SLURRY POLYMERIZATION AND CONTROL OF MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION OF POLYETHYLENE

The effect of chemical composition of highly active supported Ziegler-Natta catalysts with controlled morphology on the MWD of PE has been studied.It was shown the variation of transition metal compound in the MgCl_2-supported catalyst affect of MWD of PE produced in broad range:Vanadium-magnesium catalyst(VMC)produce PE with broad and bimodal MWD(M_w/M_n=14-21).MWD of PE,produced over titanium-magnesium catalyst(TMC)is narrow or medium depending on Ti content in the catalyst(M_w/M_n=3.1-4.8).The oxidati...

Mechanical, Thermal, Morphological and RheologicalProperties of Polypropylene/Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Blends

In this study, the blends of polypropylene (PP) and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were prepared by the four-and twin-screw extruders, and ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM), as the third component, was added to the binary blends. The mechanical.thermal, morphological and rheological properties of these two blends have been investigated.For the materials blended by the four-screw extruder, a 15 wt-% content of UHMWPE corresponds to a maximum lzod impact strength, and the miscibility enhancement effect of EPDM on PP/UHMWPE blends is very remarkable. Mechanical and thermal properties demonstrate that melt blending by the four-screw extruder is a better prcessing method for PP/UHMWPF blends than that by the twin-screw extruder. A co-continuous structure was observed in blends through TEM, and a novel "linear interpenetrating" toughening mechanism is proposed on the basis of this research

Improving Polylactide Toughness by Plasticizing with Low Molecular Weight Polylactide-Poly(Butylene Succinate)Copolymer

A low-molecular-weight polylactide-poly(butylene succinate)(PLA-PBS)copolymer was synthesized and incorporated into polylactide(PLA)as a novel toughening agent by solvent casting.The copolymer had the same chemical structure and function as PLA and it was used as a plasticizer to PLA.The copolymer was blended with PLA at a weight ratio from 2 to 10 wt%.Phase separation between PLA and PLA-PBS was not observed from their scanning electron microscopy(SEM)images and the crystal structure of PLA almost remained unchanged based on the X-ray diffraction(XRD)measurement.The melt flow index(MFI)of the blends was higher as the amount of PLA-PBS increased,indicating that the block copolymer did improve the mobility of the PLA chains.Moreover,tensile tests revealed that PLA with greater PLA-PBS copolymer exhibited higher elongation at break and it reached the maximum at 8 wt%of PLA-PBS in PLA,which was around 6 times higher than that of pure PLA.Furthermore,the glass transition temperature,measured by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC),markedly decreased with an increasing amount of the copolymer as it decreased from 61.2℃ for pure PLA to 41.3℃when it was blended with 10 wt%PLA-PBS copolymer.Therefore,the PLA-PBS copolymer was shown to be a promising plasticizer for fully biobased and toughened PLA.

Effect of Dissolved Organic Matter on Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Aquatic Environment:Molecular Weight Fractions

At present,a growing number of consumer products contain engineered nanoparticle TiO2(nano⁃TiO2),which has resulted in the consequences of nano⁃TiO2 entering the aquatic environment directly or indirectly at some stage.The fate of nano⁃TiO2 in the aquatic environment has become the key factor which affects its safety application and nanoecotoxicology.This paper aims to investigate how the dissolved organic matters(DOM),especially the molecular weight fractions in the aquatic environment,affect the aggregation,stability,and fate of nano⁃TiO2,and the interaction mechanism of DOM and nano⁃TiO2.Results of dynamic light scattering(DLS)showed that the molecular weight of DOM molecules caused different aggregation rates of nano⁃TiO2 in aqueous solution.Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)results indicated the molecular structure is characteristics of DOM fractions and the mechanisms of bonds formation between DOM and nano⁃TiO2.Results of three⁃dimensional excitation⁃emission matrices(3D⁃EEM)confirmed the FTIR results and implied the increase of the stability of theπ-πconjugated system in the presence of DOM.In addition,low molecular weight of DOM fractions appeared to show more affinity with nano⁃TiO2 than high molecular weight fractions.

Change in molecular weight due to important pfatp6 and pfmdr1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to antimalarial drug:Possible role of epigenetic phenomenon

Malaria is an important tropical mosquito borne infection. It is still the present global public health issue. The management of malaria requires antimalarial drugs. The resistance to antimalarial drugs is a very big problem. The genetic variant is proposed to be an important factor affecting susceptibility to antimalarial drug. Here, the authors studied the change in molecular weight due to important pfatp6 and pfmdr1 polymorphisms and further implied the interrelationship with susceptibility to antimalarial drug. The greatest change can be seen in case of G639D(of pfatp6 polymorphism) while the least change can be seen in the case of N1042D(of pfmdr1 polymorphism). The results from some studies imply that there must be other factors that affect the susceptibility to antimalarial drugs. Those factors might be protein conformation factors, epigenetic factors or environmental factors. Further studies on these aspects should be carried out. It is concluded for possible role of epigenetic phenomenon.

Numerical simulation of effects of operating conditions on the molecular weight of polypropylene using a response surface method

A L4635 Box-Behnken design was used for developing a model to predict and optimize the molecular weight(Mw)of polypropylene(PP);a second-order polynomial regression equation was derived to predict responses.The significance of variables and their interactions were tested by means of the ANOVA with 95% confidence limits;the standardized effects were investigated by Pareto chart,the optimum values of the selected variables were obtained by analyzing the response surface contour plots.The optimized Mwvalue of 1.217×105 g/mol was very close to the industrial value((1.22±0.004)×105 g/mol)at the optimum values.

Histopathologic effects of a low molecular weight heparin on bone healing in rats:a promising adjuvant in dacryocystorhinostomy

AIM: To investigate the effect of short-term prophylactic dose of a low molecular weight heparin(LMWH) drug on the bone healing process in an animal model simulating the osteotomy obtained in dacryocystorhinostomy.METHODS: Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into 2 groups. Subcutaneous injections of enoxaparin1 mg/kg(enoxaparin-treated group) and saline solution(control group) were performed once daily for 4d,beginning on the first preoperative day. The osteotomy was created at the femoral diaphysis in all animals by using a Kirschner wire. Each group was further divided into 2 subgroups depending on the timing of the second operation, 14 or 21 d following initial osteotomy. Patent osteotomy area on the second and the third weeks in each group were calculated by using a computer software on digital micrographs.RESULTS: The patent osteotomy areas at the second and the third weeks were significantly larger in the enoxaparin-treated group than those of the control group(P <0.001 for each time-period). In the control group, the patent osteotomy area at the third week of healing was significantly smaller than that of the second week(P =0.003), whereas there was no significant difference between these two measurements in the enoxaparin-treated group(P =0.185). CONCLUSION: Short-term administration of enoxaparin resultes in a significant alteration in bone healing at 14 and 21 d after injury. LMWHs can be regarded as promising alternative adjuvants in dacryocystorhinostomy after being evaluated with further clinical and animal studies.

Preparation of Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Acetate Succinate with a Narrow Molecular Weight Dispersion

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose acetate succinate(HPMCAS)was successfully synthesized from the reaction of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose with succinic anhydride and acetic anhydride in an acetone/pyridine system.Products with different contents of succinyl groups and acetyl groups were prepared by varying the reaction conditions.In the acetone/pyridine system,equipment corrosion does not occur,the product is easy to wash,and the solvent can be recycled.By varying the concentration of the esterifying agents,products with different ratios of acidic groups can be obtained.Under the optimum conditions,the obtained products had an average molecular weight between 5.39×104 and 5.41×104,a number average molecular weight from 4.97×104 to 5.13×104,and a polydispersity index from 1.05 to 1.08.The products dissolved well in acetone and methanol,and formed films on a mold.The films had good pH-sensitivity,tensile strength,and thermal stability.The formed films could dissolve in solutions with a pH value ranging from 5.4 to 6.4,and are therefore suitable for use as an enteric coating for pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Mechanism of size effects of a filler on the wear behavior of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene

Although the size effects of a filler are closely related to the complex multi-level structures of their polymer composites;unfortunately,such relationships remain poorly understood.In this study,we investigated the effects of various sizes(40-600 nm)of silicon carbide(SiC)fillers on the wear behavior of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene(UHMWPE)in the presence of the silane coupling agent KH-560.All of these SiC fillers improved the wear resistance of UHMWPE significantly,with a medium size(150 nm)being optimal.To examine the reasons for this behavior,we analyzed the multi-level structures of the samples in terms of their matrix structures(crystalline;amorphous;interphase),matrix-filler interactions(physical adsorption;chemical crosslinking;hybrid network)and the external effects of SiC fillers(bearing loads;transferring frictional heat).The high rigidity and thermal conductivity of SiC fillers and,more importantly,the intrinsic characteristics of the matrix structures(larger crystal grains;higher interphase;stronger amorphous entangled networks)were the key parameters affecting the enhancement in the wear-resistance of the UHMWPE.Herein,we also provide interpretations of the corresponding physical effects.Our results should improve our understanding of the structure-property relationships and,thus,should guide the formula design of UHMWPE composites.

Temperature Effect on the Conformation Transition of Ultra-high Molecular Weight Polyethylene/Polypropylene Blends Undergoing Continuous Volume Extensional Flow:A Mesoscopic Simulation

Due to the multiformity and complexity of chain conformation under external flow and the challenge of systematically investigating the transient conformation and dynamic evolution process of polymer chains at the molecular level by means of present experimental techniques,a universal description of both chain conformation and dynamics with respect to continuous volume extensional flow(CVEF)is still absent.Taking into account the temperature effect,we performed dissipative particle dynamics(DPD)simulations with the particles corresponding to the repeat units of polymers over a wide temperature range and analyzed the correlation with the conformational properties of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene/polypropylene(UHMWPE/PP)blend in response to the CVEF.With time evolution,the polymer chains become highly oriented parallel to the flow direction instead of the initial random coiling and self-aggregation.It is found that a high temperature is necessary for more substantial compactness to take place than low temperature.The low-k plateau and low-k peak in structure factor S(k)curves suggest a low degree of conformational diversity and a high degree of chain stretching.It is also concluded that the intra-molecular C-C bond interaction is the main driving force for the dynamics process of the chain conformations undergoing CVEF,where the motion of the alkyl chains is seriously restricted owing to the increase in bond interaction potential,resulting in a reduction of the difference in diffusion rates among alkyl chains.

Degradable preformed particle gel as temporary plugging agent for low-temperature unconventional petroleum reservoirs:Effect of molecular weight of the cross-linking agent

The development of unconventional petroleum resources has gradually become an important succession for increasing oil production.However,the related engineers and researchers are paying more and more attention to the application of temporary plugging agents(TPAs)for their efficient development.TPAs can expand the stimulated reservoir volume(SRV)and facilitate the flow of oil and gas to the bottom of the well.Particle-gels used as temporary plugging agents have the characteristics of the simple injection process,good deformation,high plugging strength,and complete self-degradation performance,which have been widely applied in recent years.In this paper,five samples of DPPG polymerized by different molecular weights of cross-linking agents were prepared.In addition,infrared spectroscopy analysis,differential calorimetry scanning(DSC)analysis,static particle gel swelling and degradation performance evaluation experiments,and dynamic temporary plugging performance experiments in cores were conducted at 34°C.Results show that as the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent(at 0.01 g)in the DPPG molecule decreased from 1,000 to 200 Da,the fewer cross-linking sites of DPPG,the looser the microscopic three-dimensional mesh structure formed.The swelling ratio increased from 7 to 33 times.However,the complete degradation time increased from 40 to 210 min.Moreover,the DSC results confirmed that the higher the molecular weight of the cross-linking agent,the worse is chemical stability and the more prone it to self-degradation.DPPG samples had good temporary plugging performance in reservoir cores.DPPGs prepared by the cross-linking agent with smaller molecular weight has a stronger swelling ratio,higher gel strength,and greater plugging strength in the core permeabilities.Moreover,the degraded DPPG is less damaging to the cores.However,their slower degradation rates take a slightly longer times to reach complete degradation.The results of this paper can provide new ideas and a theoretical basis for the development of particle gel-type temporary plugging agents(TPA)with controllable degradation time in low-temperature reservoirs.It can help to expand the application range of existing DPPG reservoir conditions.

Effect of molecular weight on the quality of poly(alpha-methylstyrene) mandrel

Hollow poly(alpha-methylstyrene)(PAMS)shows application in inertial confinement fusion experiments as the degradable mandrels of glow plasma polymer shells.However,the molecular weight of PAMS has great influence on the quality of mandrels.In this work,this influence was systematically studied using several PAMS samples with different molecular weights.For PAMS shells with 900 mm inner diameter and different wall thickness,when the molecular weight of PAMS is in the range of 300e500 kg·mol^(-1),perfect sphericity and good wall thickness uniformity can be obtained.In contrast,when increasing molecular weight to 800 kg·mol^(-1),the sphericity and the wall thickness uniformity become worse.Moreover,compared with the wall uniformity,the sphericity of PAMS shells was much less sensitive to the molecular weight.The results also showed that the stability of W1/O compound droplets of PAMS shells were less affected by the molecular weight.It was revealed that the wall uniformity and the sphericity of the PAMS shells were associated with the diffusion rates of fluorobenzene(FB).