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A promising fluorescent chemosensor for explosives detection has been developed by researchers in China.

The team made hyperbranched polymers by the polycyclotrimerisation of tetraphenylethenes. The compounds were thermally stable with high degradation temperatures under nitrogen and in air. They are non-emissive or weakly fluorescent in solution; they become strong emitters when aggregated in poor solvents and in the solid state, demonstrating aggregation-induced or enhanced emission.

The emission of the polymer in the solution and aggregated states can be quenched efficiently by picric acid (the explosives TNT and DNT exert a similar effect to picric acid on the light emission of the polymer) with large quenching constants, suggesting that it is a promising fluorescent chemosensor for detecting explosives. Read the article for free until 14^th May.

Reference: Rongrong Hu ,  Jacky W. Y. Lam ,  Jianzhao Liu ,  Herman H. Y. Sung ,  Ian D. Williams ,  Zhounan Yue ,  Kam Sing Wong ,  Matthew M. F. Yuen and Ben Zhong Tang, Polym. Chem., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/C2PY20057K (Advance Article)

Glycan-protein interactions represent an important class of mechanisms underlying numerous biological and pathological events that include cell recognition, trafficking, signalling and infection. Glycodendrimers of tunable saccharide loading levels using different types and generations of dendritic substrates were prepared using thio-urea linkage and click chemistries. Luo et al report a general approach to synthesize saccharide modified dendrimers via direct conjugation of underivatized reducing saccharides to hydrazide functionalized dendrimers.

Facile glycosylation of dendrimers for eliciting specific cell-material interactions by Xiaopeng Liu, Jie Liu and Ying Luo Polym. Chem. 2012, 3, 310-313.

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The synthesis of complex macromolecular architectures to control the polymer properties is a key field to study in polymer science. In particular, star shaped polymers have been used in wide range of applications from biomedical field to oil industry.

Constructing star polymers via modular ligation strategies by Ozcan Altintas, Andrew P. Vogt, Christopher Barner-Kowollik and Umit Tunca Polym. Chem. 2012, 3, 34-45.

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Yoshinobu and his co-workers investigated the frictional and lubricational properties of concentrated polymer brushes in ionic liquids and toluene using the colloidal probe AFM technique.

Lubrication mechanism of concentrated polymer brushes in solvents: Effect of solvent viscosity by Akihiro nomura, Kohji Ohno, Takeshi Fukuda, Takaya Sato and Yoshinobu Tsusi Polym. Chem. 2012, 3, 148-153.

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Organic photovoltaics have pushed for the development of photonic materials capable of solution processing for large area low-cost fabrication on light-weight flexible substrates.

Reynolds and his co-workers reported the development of a new p-type polymer with deep HOMO and LUMO energy levels that enabled the fabrication of high open circuit voltage polymer solar cells when blended with fullerene derivatives.

An isoindigo and dithieno[3,2-b:2′,3′-d]silole copolymer for polymer solar cells by Romain Stalder, Caroline Grand, Jegadesan Subbiah, Franky So and John R. Reynolds Polym. Chem. 2012, 1, 89-92.

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Poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) has been an important ingredient for medicine, pharmacy and cosmetics due to its excellent wetting and film forming properties. N-vinyl pyrrolidone (NVP) can be readily polymerized by free radical polymerization; however, it has been a challenge to polymerize this monomer by controlled radical polymerization techniques.

Destarac and his co-workers have demonstrated controlled RAFT/MADIX polymerization of NVP in water and at room temperature. Moreover, they have presented the preparation of poly(acrylamide)-b-(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) for the first time.

Aqueous RAFT/MADIX polymerisation of N-vinyl pyrrolidone at ambient temperature by Aymeric Guinaudeau, Stéphane Mazières, D. James Wilson and Mathias Destarac Polym. Chem. 2011, 3, 81-84.

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A simple and efficient route to well-defined multi-block star copolymers has been developed by scientists at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

Based on copper(0)-mediated living radical polymerization, the method involves a core first approach using a multi-functional initiator in connection with iterative copper(0)-mediated radical polymerization steps. No purification is required between the successive chain extension steps as complete monomer conversion is reached before the addition of each consecutive monomer type.

Synthesis of multi-block copolymer stars using a simple iterative Cu(0)-mediated radical polymerization technique: Cyrille Boyer, Aurelia Derveaux, Per B. Zetterlund and Michael R. Whittaker, Polym. Chem., 2012, 3, 117-123

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A series of thermoresponsive polymers suitable for releasing drugs from polymer nanoparticles have been created by a team at Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, China.

The team synthesised a series of thermoresponsive oligo(ethylene glycol)-grafted polypeptides that can self-assemble into amphiphilic nanoparticles in aqueous solution. These polymers show sharp temperature-dependent phase transitions and the lower critical solution temperature can be adjusted from 22.3 to 74.1 °C by varying the molecular weight, the length of the OEG side chain, the polymer concentration and salt concentration. The polymer nanoparticles are not toxic and the team demonstrated their drug release profiles using doxorubicin as a model drug.

Versatile synthesis of temperature-sensitive polypeptides by click grafting of oligo(ethylene glycol): Yilong Cheng, Chaoliang He, Chunsheng Xiao, Jianxun Ding, Xiuli Zhuang and Xuesi Chen, Polym. Chem., 2011, 2, 2627-2634

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