Study of Thermal,Phase Morphological and Mechanical Properties of Poly(L-lactide)-b-Poly(ethylene glycol)-b-Poly(L-lactide)/Poly(ethylene glycol)Blend Bioplastics

A poly(L-lactide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(L-lactide)(PLLA-PEG-PLLA)block copolymer has great potential for use as a flexible bioplastic.Highly flexible bioplastics are required for flexible packaging applications.In this work,a PEG was incorporated into block copolymer as a plasticizer by solvent casting.PLLA-PEG-PLLA/PEG blends with different blend ratios were prepared,and the plasticizing effect and miscibility of PEG in block copolymer were intensively investigated compared to PLLA/PEG blends.The results indicated that the PEG was an effective plasticizer for the block copolymer.The blending of PEG decreased glass-transition temperature and accelerated the crystallization of both the PLLA and PLLA-PEG-PLLA matrices.The PEG was completely miscible when blended with block copolymer and it improved thermal stability of the block copolymer matrix but not of the PLLA matrix.Film extensibility of PLLA-PEG-PLLA/PEG blends steadily increased as the PEG ratio increased.These non-toxic and highly flexible PLLA-PEG-PLLA/PEG bioplastics are promising candidates for several applications such as biomedical devices,tissue scaffolds and packaging materials.

Preparation and Thermo-Responsive Properties of Poly(Oligo(Ethylene Glycol)Methacrylate)Copolymers with Hydroxy-Terminated Side Chain

Thermo-responsive random copolymers,poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxyethyl methacrylate-co-(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate)(P(EO_(2)-co-EO_(4/5)))and poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxyethyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol methacrylate(P(EO2-co-EG4/5))are synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP).The successful synthesis and the narrow polydispersity index(PDI)of two copolymers are indicated by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance(1H-NMR)and gel permeation chromatography(GPC)analyses.The transition behaviors of polymers in the aqueous solution are demonstrated by changes in turbidity and particle sizes.The transition behavior of P(EO2-co-EG4/5)is found to be milder than that of P(EO2-co-EO4/5).Moreover,the presence of hydrogen bonds without thermo-responsive properties established by hydroxyl groups in the end-side chain of P(EO_(2)-co-EG_(4/5))hinders the dehydration at the transition temperature(TT).Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectrometry(ATR-FTIR)analysis along with contact angle measurements reveals that both P(EO_(2)-co-EO_(4/5))and P(EO_(2)-co-EG_(4/5))films undergo phase transitions from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity above TT.By examining the swelling and collapse behaviors of the polymer films during phase transitions,it can be concluded that the end hydroxyl groups may establish hydrogen bonds with neighboring ether groups within the films,which remain intact throughout the phase transition process due to their strong bonding interactions.This leads to an increase in steric hindrance within swollen films thereby impeding dehydration processes and inducing hysteresis during phase transitions.

Synthesis and Hydrophilic Performance of Poly(Lactic Acid)-Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Block Copolymers

Lactide was synthesized using lactic acid and stannous octoate as raw material and catalyst, respectively. Poly(lactic acid)-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLA-PEG) was prepared by lactide and poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) via ring-opening polymerization. The most appropriate technological conditions of synthesis of lactide were researched in the paper. The copolymers were measured by Infrared spectroscopy (IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR). The results proved that the lactide and PLA-PEG were synthesized successfully. Hydrophilic performance of the copolymer was measured by a water contact angle tester after prepared into a flat membrane. The water contact angle changed from 81.5? to 71.6?, which proved that the hydrophily of PLA-PEG was better than PLA.

SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL BLOCK COPOLYMERS OF POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID)WITH POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)THROUGH ANIONIC POLYMERISATION

A novel kind of copolymer with ABA-type block structure was synthesized by anionic ring-opening polymerization of beta-butyrolactone (beta-BL) in the presence of a PEG-based dicarboxylates as macroinitiators which were prepared by the esterification of aliphatic cyclic anhydride and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) oligomers (M-n = 2000, 4000 and 6000) and conversion of potassium dicarboxylates. The resultant copolymers as well as the intermediates were characterized by IR, H-1-NMR and GPC.

Poly Ethylene Glycols as Efficient Media for the Synthesis of <i>β</i>-Nitro Styrenes from <i>α</i>, <i>β</i>-Unsaturated Carboxylic Acids and Metal Nitrates under Conventional and Non-Conventional Conditions

Poly ethylene glycols (PEG-200, 400, 600, 4000 and 6000) supported reactions were conducted with certain α, β-unsaturated acids in presence of metal nitrates under solvent free (solid state) and mineral acid free conditions. The reactants were ground in a mortar with a pestle for about 30 minutes. The aromatic acids underwent nitro decarboxylation and afforded β-nitro styrene derivatives in very good yield while α, β-unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic acids gave corresponding nitro derivatives. Addition of PEG accelerated rate of the reaction enormously. Reaction times substantially decreased from several hours to few minutes followed by highly significant increase in the product yield. Among the several PEGs PEG-300 has been found to be much more effective than other PEGs.

Controlled delivery of ibuprofen from poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(ethylene glycol) interpenetrating polymeric network hydrogels

Hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) and poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) were synthesized using glutaraldehyde as crosslinker and investigated for controlled delivery of the common anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen(IBF). To regulate the drug delivery, solid inclusion complexes(ICs) of IBF in β–cyclodextrin(β–CD) were prepared and added to the hydrogels. The ICs were prepared by the microwave irradiation method, which is more environmentally benign. The formation of IC was confirmed by various analytical techniques and the synthesized hydrogels were also characterized. Controlled release of drug was achieved from the hydrogels containing the ICs in comparison to the rapid release from hydrogels containing free IBF.The preliminary kinetic analysis emphasized the crucial role of β–CD in the drug release process that influences the polymer relaxation, thereby leading to prolonged release. The cytotoxicity assay validated the hydrogels as non-toxic in nature and hence can be utilized for controlled delivery of IBF.

SURFACE MODIFICATION OF BLEND FILMS COMPOSED OF SILK FIBROIN AND POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) MACROMER AND THEIR IN VITRO ANTITHROMBOGENICITY

In order to improve the blood compatibility of silk fibroin (SF), poly(ethylene glycol) macromer (PEGM) in different amounts was added to the SF film to incorporate C=C group into the surface of blend films which were then modified by SO2 gas plasma treatment. ATR-FITR and XPS were used to analyze the chemical change which had occurred on the film's surface. When the content of sulfur on the surface of blend films surpasses 1.59%, the antithrombogenicity of plasma treated films increases remarkably due to surface sulfonation. This result implies that SF with blend of PEGM after SO2 plasma treatment have potential use for making blood-contacting biomaterials.

Poly(L-lactide)-Poly(ethylene glycol) Multiblock Copolymers: Synthesis and Properties

Poly (L-lactide)-poly(ethylene glycol) multiblock copolymers with predetermined block lengths were synthesized by polycondensation of PLA diols and PEG diacids. These copolymers presented special properties, such as better miscibility between the two components, low crystallinity and better hydrophilicity, which can be modulated by adjusting the block lengths of the two components.

Y-shaped block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) synthesized by ATRP

Novel Y-shaped block copolymers of poly（ethylene glycol） and poly（N-isopropylacrylamide）, PEG-b-（PNIPAM）2, were successfully synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization （ATRP）. A difunctional macroinitiator was prepared by esterification of 2,2-dichloroacetyl chloride with poly（ethylene glycol） monomethyl ether （PEG）. The copolymers were obtained via the ATRP ofN-isopropylacrylamide （NIPAM） at 30℃ with CuCl/Me6TREN as a catalyst system and DMF/H2O （v/v = 3：1） mixture as solvent. The resulting copolymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography （GPC） and ^1H NMR. These block copolymers show controllable molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions （PDI 〈 1.15）. Their phase transition temperatures and the corresponding enthalpy changes in aqueous solution were measured by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. As a result, the phase transition temperature of PEG45-b-（PNIPAM55）2 is higher than that of PNIPAM, however, the corresponding enthalpy change is much lower, indicating the significant influence of the macromolecular composition and architecture on the phase transition.

THE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF CHITOSAN/POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL/SILICA TERNARY HYBRID ORGANIC-INORGANIC FILMS

The ternary hybrid films consisting of chitosan(CS),polyethylene glycol(PEG)and nano-sized silica which was surface-modified by amino groups(RNSA)were prepared.The structures of the blend membranes were characterized by attenuation total reflection-infrared spectroscopy(ATR-IR),X-ray diffraction(XRD),optical microscopy(OM)and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC).The results showed that the addition of silica affected not only the distribution and crystallinity of PEG on the sample surface,but also the pha...

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Fouling resistance of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes is critical for their long-term usages in terms of stable performance, so convenient approaches to prepare fouling-resistant membranes are always anticipated. Herein, we demonstrate the facile fabrication of antifouling polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol)(PSF-b-PEG, SFEG)composite membranes. SFEG layer was coated onto macroporous supports and cavitated by immerging them in acetone/n-propanol following the mechanism of selective swelling induced pore generation. Thus-produced SFEG membranes possessed high permeance and excellent mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the structures and separation performances of the SFEG layers can be continuously tuned through simply changing swelling durations. More importantly, the hydrophilic PEG chains were spontaneously enriched onto the pore walls through swelling treatment, endowing intrinsic antifouling property to the SFEG membranes. Bovine serum albumin(BSA)/humic acid(HA) fouling tests proved the prominent fouling resistance of SFEG membranes, and the fouling resistance is expected to be long-standing because of the firm connection between PEG chains and PSF matrix by covalent bonding.

PREPARATION OF HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE/POLYETHYLENE-BLOCK-POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)COPOLYMER BLEND POROUS MEMBRANES VIA THERMALLY INDUCED PHASE SEPARATION PROCESS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

High density polyethylene （HDPE）/polyethylene-block-poly（ethylene glycol） （PE-b-PEG） blend porous membranes were prepared via thermally induced phase separation （TIPS） process using diphenyl ether （DPE） as diluent. The phase diagrams of HDPE/PE-b-PEG/DPE systems were determined by optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. By varying the content of PE-b-PEG, the effects of PE-b-PEG copolymer on morphology and crystalline structure of membranes were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and wide angle X-ray diffraction （WAXD）. The chemical compositions of whole membranes and surface layers were characterized by elementary analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy-attenuated total reflection （FTIR-ATR） and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）. Water contact angle, static protein adsorption and water flux experiments were used to evaluate the hydrophilicity, antifouling and water permeation properties of the membranes. It was found that the addition of PE-b-PEG increased the pore size of the obtained blend membranes. In the investigated range of PE-b-PEG content, the PEG blocks could not aggregate into obviously separated domains in membrane matrix. More importantly, PE-b-PEG could not only be retained stably in the membrane matrix during membrane formation, but also enrich at the membrane surface layer. Such stability and surface enrichment of PE-b-PEG endowed the blend membranes with improved hydrophilicity, protein absorption resistance and water permeation properties, which would be substantially beneficial to HDPE membranes for water treatment application.

Mechanism of shales stabilization by hydrophobized poly(ethylene glycol)/K^(+) in water-base drilling fluids

The mechanism of the hydrophobized poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)/K^(+) system inhibiting shale hydration was studied by laboratory experiment. The inhibition performance was evaluated through cuttings hot-rolling dispersion, bentonite inhibition and contact angle tests. The inhibition became stronger as contact angle and PEG concentration increased. A modified cuttings hot-rolling dispersion experiment suggested that these molecular systems did not act through the thermally activated mud emulsion(TAME) mechanism. The interaction of the PEG/K^(+) with clay samples was investigated through adsorption studies and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), X-ray diffraction(XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The adsorption isotherms showed that the presence of K^(+) increased the PEG affinity for the clay surface. This inhibition effect was accompanied by a reduction of the bentonite hydration with PEG adsorption, evidenced by FT-IR, TGA and differential thermogravimetric(DTG) curves. XRD patterns were conclusive in showing that the presence of K^(+) ions limited the expansion of the clay interlamellar region to only one PEG layer, and the terminal hydrophobic segments of the PEG chains turned out to be determinant in enhancement of the inhibitory efficiency. The cuttings hot-rolling dispersion was carried out on water-base drilling fluid with PEG/K^(+), which proved the inhibition performance of PEG/K^(+) in oil field drilling.

RING-OPENING COPOLYMERIZATION OF DL-LACTIDE AND POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL) INITIATED BY LANTHANUM ACETATE AND APPLICATION OF THE COPOLYMER AS MATRIX OF MICROSPHERES CONTAINING VIBRIO CHOLERA ANTIGENS

Poly-dl-lactide-poly(ethylene glycol) (PELA) triblock copolymers were synthesized with lanthanum acetate as the initiator. PELA microspheres with entrapped Vibrio Cholera antigen and outer membrane protein (OMP) were prepared by a double emulsion W/O/W based on solvent extraction methods. The obtained microspheres showed smooth and spherical surface and their size varied between 0.5 and 5.0 mu m, which are suitable for oral targeting delivery system. The distribution tests in rabbits and mice through scanning electronic micrography and fluorescence microscope indicated that microspheres have successfully reached the immunization-related tissues, such as the liver, spleen and intestinal peyer's patches, following oral administration. The PELA microspheres were also evaluated as an efficient antigen delivery system by enhancing a higher protective ratio against live Vibrios Cholera.

Aggregation of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfonate in Poly-ethylene Glycol Aqueous Solutions Studied by Two-dimensional Nuclear Overhauser Enhancement Spectroscopy

Two-dimensional nuclear overhauser enhancement (2D NOESY)measurements show that sodium dodecyl sulfonate SDSN molecules co-aggregate with poly-ethylene glycol PEG in their aqueous solution at a concentration range of SDSN between the so-called co-aggregation concentration (cac) and the. Normal critical micellar concentration (cmc). SDSN micelles are formed when the cmc of SDSN is reached with PEG uniformly distributed in the interior.

AN APPROACH TO SYNTHESIZE POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)-b-POLY(ε-CAPROLACTONE) WITH TERMINAL AMINO GROUP via SCHIFF'S BASE AS AN INITIATOR

A new method to synthesize a degradable terminal amino group-containing copolymer,poly(ethylene glycol)-b- poly(ε-caprolactone)(MPEG-PCL-NH_2),was developed in the following three steps:(1)the ring-opening polymerization (ROP)ofε-caprolactone from the Schiff base prepared from benzatdehyde and ethanolamine(Ph-CH=NCH_2CH_2OH)used as an initiator to obtain heterobifunctional poly(ε-caprolactone)with one terminal Schiff base group and one hydroxyl group (HO-PCL-CH_2CH_2N=CH-Ph);(2)the coupling reaction of two ...

POLYCAPROLACTONE-POLY (ETHYLENE GLYCOL) BLOCK COPOLYMER Ⅲ DRUG RELEASE BEHAVIOR

The drug release behavior of degradable polymer--polycaprolactone-poly (ethyleneglycol)block copolymer(PCE) in vitro was investigated by using 5-Fluoro-uracil (5-Fu) asa model drug under a condition of pH 7. 4 at 37C. It is found that the release rate of 5-Fufrom PCE increased with increasing polyether content of the copolymer. The results showthat the increasing polyether content of the copolymer caused increasing hydrophilicity anddecreasing crystallinity of the PCE copolymer. Thus, the drug release behavior and thedegradable property of the PCE can be controlled by adjusting the composition of thecopolymer.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Polysubstituted Cyclopropanes from Poly(ethylene glycol) Supported Pyridinium Ylide

Polysubstituted cyclopropanes were efficiently prepared with poly（ethylene glycol）（PEG） as soluble support. The reaction of PEG-supported pyridinium ylide with arylidenemalononitrile（R=CN） or ethyl arylidenecyanoa-cetate（R=COOEt） in the presence of triethylamine（TEA） afforded PEG-supported cyclopropanecarboxylates, which were cleaved by 1% KCN/EtOH to obtain polysubstituted cyclopropanes with exclusive trans-selectivity and good yields.

POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE METHYL PHOSPHATE IN THE PRESENCE OF SODIUM POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)ATE

Poly(ethylene methyl phosphate)-poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(ethylene methyl phosphate) triblock copolymers carrying hydroxyl group at both chain ends were synthesized with sodium poly(ethylene glycol)ate as initiator. The effects of the factors such as solvent, amount of the initiator and reaction time were investigated. The copolymers were characterized by IR, H-1-NMR, H-1{P-31}-NMR, C-13-NMR, P-31{H-1}-NMR, and DSC. High molecular weight of the copolymer and high yield of the polymerization were achieved within 3 min at 25 degrees C. The polymerization process was studied by P-31{H-1}-NMR and transesterification was found during longer polymerization time.

PROPERTIES OF SILK FIBROIN/POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)400 BLEND FILMS

The blend film of silk fibroin (SF) and poly(ethylene glycol)400 (PEG400) with a blend ratio of 2/1 (wt/wt) wasprepared simply by dropping a little PEG400 into the SF solution and then casting the mixed aqueous solution at 50℃. Theresulting film exhibited much better mechanical properties in the dry and wet state than SF itself, owing to theconformational change of SF in the blends from the random coil to the β-sheet structure and intermolecular hydrogen bondformation between SF and PEG400. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the initial thermal decomposition temperatureof the blend film was 170℃, which was 80℃ lower than that of SF (250℃) and 20℃ higher than that of PEG400 (150℃),and indicated a Strong interaction between two components of the blend. No crystalline peaks were observed in the X-raydiffraction curve of the blend film. Cell culture test showed that SF/PEG400 was a suitable substrate for the growth of humanumbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).