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Hot Article: Thermo- and light-regulated fluorescence resonance energy transfer processes within dually responsive microgels

02 Feb 2011

Thermo- and light-responsive microgels have been made via free radical emulsion polymerisation by researchers from University of Science and Technology of China.

The p(NIPAM–DMNA–NBDAE–RhBEA) microgels swelled and collapsed in response to changes in temperature below and above the lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs), respectively. This reversibly brought the FRET donors (NBDAE) and rhodamine B-based acceptors (RhBEA) into close proximity, allowing tuning of the FRET efficiencies. UV irradiation could also adjust the LCST of the microgels, yielding a dually responsive system.

Interested to know more? Why not read the full article for free: Jun Yin, Haibo Hu, Yonghao Wu and Shiyong Liu, Polym. Chem., 2011, 2, 363–371

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Hot Article: Controlled grafting of polystyrene on silica nanoparticles using NMP: a new route without free initiator to tune the grafted chain length

13 Jan 2011

Polystyrene-grafted silica nanoparticles have been synthesised without using a free initiator by a team of French scientists.

The masses of the grafted chains could be controlled, thus controlling the polymerisation and colloidal stability. This new method avoids the formation of free polymer chains through the use of free nitroxide in the polymerisation step and could find many potential applications in, for example, the field of nanocomposites.

Interested to know more? Why not read the full article for free:
Chloé Chevigny, Didier Gigmes, Denis Bertin, Ralf Schweins, Jacques Jestin and François Boué, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0PY00271B (Advance Article)

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Hot Article: Polythiophene–block–poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate): synthesis and study of a new rod–rod block copolymer

06 Jan 2011

A variety of block copolymers that self assemble into hierarchal structures in solution as well as in the solid state have been created by a team of US and Chinese scientists.

The block copolymers contained poly(3-hexylthiophene) and poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate) and were created from a straightforward procedure in good yield and with high purity. Polymers based on this chemistry could be suitable for organic photovoltaic applications the team claim.

Interested to know more? Why not read the full article for free:
Zong-Quan Wu, Robert J. Ono, Zheng Chen, Zicheng Li and Christopher W. Bielawski, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0PY00299B (Advance Article)

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Hot Article: Hybrid biological spores wrapped in a mesh composed of interpenetrating polymer nanoparticles as “patchy” Pickering stabilizers

23 Dec 2010

A new method for decorating spores with polymer nanoparticles to create an intricate surface morphology has been developed by scientists at the University of Warwick, UK.

Nicholas Ballard and Stefan Bon investigated the behaviour of these hybrid particles at the liquid–liquid interfaces. The particles show very different behaviour from their spherical analogues which shows that roughness of the surface matters.

Read the full article here: Nicholas Ballard and Stefan A. F. Bon, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0PY00335B

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Hot Article: Shedding the hydrophilic mantle of polymersomes

01 Dec 2010

Polymersomes that shed their poly(ethylene glycol) shell have been developed by scientists at Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The polymersomes are formed from block copolymers of polybutadiene-b-poly(ethylene glycol) coupled via an acid sensitive hydrazone moiety. The team found that the minimum amount of surface PEGylation needed to retain stable polymersomes was as low as five percent.

Interested to know more? Why not read the full article for free here: René P. Brinkhuis*, Taco R. Visser, Floris P. J. T. Rutjes and Jan C. M. van Hest, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI:10.1039/C0PY00316F

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Hot Article: Thiol–isocyanate “click” reactions: rapid development of functional polymeric surfaces

23 Nov 2010

Functional, micropatterned and multicomponent polymer brush surfaces were rapidly fabricated using base-catalyzed thiol–isocyanate “click” reactions, by a team of US Scientists.

The team led by Derek Patton at the University of Southern Mississippi, USA, demonstrated thiol–NCO click chemistry can be used as a modular platform for rapid and robust fabrication of highly functional, multicomponent surfaces. The team expect that this approach can be extended to a broad range of surfaces, including three-dimensional particle substrates.

Interested to know more? Why not read the full communication available for free.

Ryan M. Hensarling, Santosh B. Rahane, Arthur P. LeBlanc, Bradley J. Sparks, Evan M. White, Jason Locklin and Derek L. Patton, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI:10.1039/C0PY00292E

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Hot Article: Thiol–yne ‘click’ chemistry as a route to functional lipid mimetics

19 Nov 2010

Thiol-yne chemistry is an efficient mechanism to synthesize A₂B star polymers. In the latest Polymer Chemistry Hot Article, Daniel Savin and co-workers at University of Southern Mississippi, USA, report the synthesis and solution characterization of polypeptide-based stars that serve as lipid mimetic molecules.

Using the thiol–yne convergent synthesis, the team envision a modular approach to functionalize proteins or oligopeptides with lipophilic chains that can imbed seamlessly into a cell membrane.

Fancy knowing more? Why not read the full article for free here:

Sandeep S. Naik, Justin W. Chan, Christopher Comer, Charles E. Hoyle and Daniel A. Savin, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI: 10.1039/C0PY00231C

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Hot Article: Thermoresponsive giant biohybrid amphiphiles

08 Nov 2010

Jeroen Cornelissen and co-workers at Radboud University Nijmegen and the University of Twente created a series of thermoresponsive giant biohybrid amphiphiles.

The polymer component was a random copolymer of ethylene glycol methyl ether acrylate and methoxy ethoxy ethyl acrylate formed by atom transfer radical polymerisation. The team linked the hydrophobic polymer to enhanced green fluorescent protein using a copper-catalysed azide–alkyne cycloaddition. Slow heating allows the giant amphiphiles to self-assemble into spherical micelles with a diameter of approximately 60 nm.

Interested to know more? Read the full article for free here: Christine Lavigueur, Jordi González García, Linda Hendriks, Richard Hoogenboom, Jeroen J. L. M. Cornelissen and Roeland J. M. Nolte, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI:10.1039/C0PY00229A

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Hot Article: Shape evolution control of phase-separated colloidal nanoparticles

02 Nov 2010

In the latest Polymer Chemistry Hot Article, Cathrin Corten and Marek Urban at the University of Southern Mississippi, USA, investigate the evolution of shape in colloidal particles. In the paper they study colloidal nanoparticle made from two phase-separated copolymers poly(methylmethacrylate) (p-MMA)/n-butylacrylate (nBA) and poly(nBA)/pentafluorostyrene (p-PFS).

These studies show for the first time that the synthesis of two distinct phase-separated copolymers within one colloidal nanoparticle allows control of the nanoparticle morphology by compositional and interfacial adjustments.

Interested to know more? Why not read the full article for free here: Cathrin C. Corten and Marek W. Urban, Polym. Chem., 2011, DOI:10.1039/C0PY00220H

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Hot Article: Cyclodextrin functionalized polymers as drug delivery systems

28 Oct 2010

The hollow structure of cyclodextrins makes them promising hosts for drugs. By attaching polymers to the cyclodextrin ring scientists can create new materials to use as drug delivery systems. One advantage of attaching the polymer is that it allows the delivery properties to be tailored by modifying the polymer as well as the cyclodextrin host.

The review by Jiawen Zhou and Helmut Ritter, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany, focuses on the recent advances made with cyclodextrins in polymer chemistry and their applications in drug delivery systems. They discuss the opportunities for using click reactions to covalently attached polymer chains to cyclodextrins, and other examples for functionalizing cyclodextrin.

Fancy knowing more? Read the article for free here:

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