0000000000365962
AUTHOR
Raniero Mendichi
Donor-Acceptor Polythiophene Copolymers with Tunable Acceptor content for Photoelectric Conversion Devices
The synthesis and characterization of a new series of substituted polythiophenes containing an electron acceptor anthraquinone moiety in the side chain are reported. The acceptor molar content was varied by the co-polymerization of both alkylthiophene and thiophene bearing anthraquinone monomers in different ratios. NMR analysis shows a good correlation between the monomer feed composition at the beginning of the polymerization and the actual unit composition of the backbone. The conjugation length and the chemical composition of the copolymers as a function of the molecular weight have been studied by size exclusion chromatography. Small angle X-ray scattering and UV-Vis absorption spectra…
Polybenzofulvene derivatives bearing dynamic binding sites as potential anticancer drug delivery systems.
In order to obtain new advanced functional materials capable of recognizing drug molecules, the polybenzofulvene backbone of molecular brush poly-6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3k has been functionalized with a “synthetic dynamic receptor” composed of two 1-adamantylurea moieties linked together by means of a dipropyleneamino bridge as in Meijer's bis(adamantylurea) pincer (BAUP). This functional material, bearing synthetic receptors potentially capable of recognizing/loading and then delivering drug molecules, was used to prepare colloidal drug delivery systems (by means of soft interaction with BAUP) for delivering the model anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOXO). The resulting nanostructured drug delivery s…
Time-resolved rheology as a tool to monitor the progress of polymer degradation in the melt state - Part I: Thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation of polyamide 11
Abstract Thermal and thermo-oxidative degradation of polyamide 11 (PA11) in the melt state (T = 215 °C) are studied by resorting to time-resolved mechanical spectroscopy. Such an approach allows to elude the changes in the rheological properties occurring while testing, thus enabling the rigorous study of polymer degradation in the melt state. Different concurrent degradation reactions in oxidative (air) and non-oxidative (N2) environment are promptly guessed by studying the time evolutions of rheological functions. In particular, changes in the zero-frequency complex viscosity reflects changes in the average molecular weight, while the appearance of a yield stress in the complex viscosity …
Molecular characterization of α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide derivatives as potential self-assembling copolymers forming polymeric micelles
A family of graft copolymers derivatives obtained from α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide (PHEA) have been studied as potential self-assembling macromolecules forming stable polymeric micelles at low critical micellar concentration. These polymers are obtained grafting on PHEA poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (Mw 5000 g/mol) (PHEA–PEG), hexadecylamine (PHEA–C16) or both moieties (PHEA–PEG–C16). The PHEA derivatives were characterised by a multi-angle light scattering (MALS) photometer on line to a size exclusion chromatography system in obtaining the molar mass distribution of the polymers. In addition, to investigate the capacity to form micellar aggregates in aqueous medium the MALS pho…
Molecular characterization of α,β-poly[( N -hydroxyethyl)- dl –aspartamide] by light scattering and viscometry studies
Abstract α,β-poly[(N-hydroxyethyl)- dl -aspartamide] (PHEA) is a new synthetic polymer which is of interest in biomedical applications. In this paper, the molecular characterization of PHEA by multi-angle laser light scattering and viscometry off-line and on-line to a size exclusion chromatography system is reported. These techniques furnish an exhaustive and consistent characterization of the PHEA polymer. The fractionation of the PHEA macromolecules was relatively simple. Using an aqueous mobile phase of medium ionic strength, the elution was substantially regular and the macromolecules were not aggregate. The molar mass M of four PHEA samples approximately ranges from 46 to 53 K g/mol, t…
Densely PEGylated polybenzofulvene brushes for potential applications in drug encapsulation
The technique of grafting side chains onto a linear polymeric backbone is commonly used to confer to the new polymeric material with desired properties, such as tunable solubility, ionic charge, biocompatibility, or specific interactions with biological systems. In this paper, two new polybenzofulvene backbones were assembled by spontaneous polymerization of the appropriate benzofulvene monomers (4,6-PO-BF3k and 4&rsquo
Physicochemical Properties of A New PEGylated Polybenzofulvene Brush for Drug Encapsulation
A new polymer brush was synthesized by spontaneous polymerization of benzofulvene macromonomer 6-MOEG-9-T-BF3k bearing a nona(ethylene glycol) side chain linked to the 3-phenylindene scaffold by means of a triazole heterocycle. The polymer structure was studied by SEC-MALS, NMR spectroscopy, and MALDI-TOF MS techniques, and the results supported the role of oligomeric initiatory species in the spontaneous polymerization of polybenzofulvene derivatives. The aggregation features of high molecular weight poly-6-MOEG-9-T-BF3k-FE were investigated by pyrene fluorescence analysis, dynamic light scattering studies, and transmission electron microscopy, which suggested a tendency towards the format…
Hyaluronan-coated polybenzofulvene brushes as biomimetic materials
Hyaluronic acid (HA) forms pericellular coats in many cell types that are involved in the early stages of cell adhesion by interacting with the CD44 receptor. Based on the largely recognized overexpression of the CD44 receptor in tumor tissues, a polybenzofulvene molecular brush has been enveloped into hyaluronan shells to obtain a tri-component polymer brush (TCPB) composed of intrinsically fluorescent backbones bearing nona(ethylene glycol) arms terminated with low molecular weight HA macromolecules. The nanoaggregates obtained in TCPB water dispersions were characterized on the basis of dimensions, zeta potential, and in vitro cell toxicity. This biomimetic multifunctional material beari…
Role of organo-modifier and metal impurities of commercial nanoclays in the photo-and thermo-oxidation of polyamide 11 nanocomposites
The photo-oxidative degradation processes of bio-based PA11 nanocomposites containing montmorillonite (MMT) and the organo-modified Cloisite®
A Click Chemistry-Based “Grafting Through” Approach to the Synthesis of a Biorelevant Polymer Brush
A new biorelevant polymer brush showing a polybenzofulvene backbone was synthesized by a ‘‘grafting through’’ approach based on click chemistry and spontaneous polymerization reactions. The easy polymerization of the relatively complex monomer (6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3k) suggests the existence of a particularly efficient recognition process capable of pre-organizing the monomer molecules for the spontaneous polymerization. 13C-NMR spectroscopy as well as UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy suggested for poly-6-MOEG-9-TM-BF3k the features of a vinyl (1,2) p-stacked polymer. The new polybenzofulvene derivative was found to interact with water at room temperature to give clear water solutions, but TEM…
Hyaluronan-Based Graft Copolymers Bearing Aggregation-Induced Emission Flurogens
In order to develop a technology platform based on two natural compounds from biorenewable resources, a short series of hyaluronan (HA) copolymers grafted with propargylated ferulic acid (HA-FA-Pg) were designed and synthesized to show different grafting degree values and their optical properties were characterized in comparison with reference compounds containing the same ferulate fluorophore. Interestingly, these studies revealed that the ferulate fluorophore was quite sensitive to the restriction of intramolecular motion and its introduction into the rigid HA backbone, as in HA-FA-Pg graft copolymers, led to higher photoluminescence quantum yield values than those obtained with the isola…
Combining Spontaneous Polymerization and Click Reactions for the Synthesis of Polymer Brushes: A "Grafting Onto" Approach
Two novel benzofulvene monomers bearing propargyl or allyl groups have been synthesized by means of readily accessible reactions, and were found to polymerize spontaneously by solvent removal, in the apparent absence of catalysts or initiators, to give the corresponding polybenzofulvene derivatives bearing clickable propargyl or allyl moieties. The clickable propargyl and allyl groups were exploited in appropriate click reactions to develop a powerful and versatile "grafting onto" synthetic methodology for obtaining tailored polymer brushes.
Molecular characterization of α , β -poly(asparthylhydrazide) a new synthetic polymer for biomedical applications
Abstract α , β -Poly(asparthylhydrazide) (PAHy) is a new synthetic polymer that exhibits interesting properties and is a candidate for biomedical applications. In this article the characterization of PAHy polymer by multi-angle laser light scattering (MALS) and single-capillary viscometer (SCV) detectors on-line to a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) system is reported. The SEC–MALS–SCV system furnishes exhaustive and consistent characterization of the PAHy polymer. Further, it is possible to characterize the PAHy polymer through conventional SEC and universal calibration. The universal calibration method gives intrinsic viscosity and dispersity very close to those measured by the absolut…