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Protein adsorption on the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-tethered-chain surface was almost completely suppressed by successive treatment of longer PEG chain followed by treatment of PEG (2 kDa; mixed-PEG tethered-chain surface) because of significant increase in PEG chain density. Using pentaethylenehexamine-ended PEG, which was newly designed by ourselves, antibody/PEG and oligoDNA/PEG co-immobilizations were carried out. The PEG tethered chain was found to work not only as a non-fouling character but also as an improvement in orientation of biomolecules. Thus, it is promising as a high-performance biointerface for versatile applications.
The syntheses of novel copolymers containing indolo[3,2-b]carbazole (INC) moiety were carried out, and the effect of INC content on the physical properties were investigated. All the copolymers were glassy and the decomposition temperatures were nearly 400 °C. It was found that the photoluminescence intensities of the copolymer films decreased with the increase of INC content, which would be caused by the concentration quenching by the intermolecular interaction between INC components. The copolymer with low content of INC moiety exhibited the high emission property and good film-forming ability.
Superhydrophobic coatings (water contact angle >150°) were synthesized by simultaneous spraying of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and nanoparticles with a home-made spraying system. Polymeric ionic liquid poly[(1-vinyl-3-ethyl imidazolium) bis(trifluoromethane sulphonyl) imide] was used as a fluorinated polyelectrolyte alternative to Nafion. For getting superhydrophobic thin films, fumed silica nanoparticles and clay nanorods were introduced into the polyelectrolyte multilayer films. The polymeric ionic liquid derivative showed synthetic advantages compared with the classic fluorinated polyelectrolytes.
We found that the inclusion complexes composed of amylose and poly(glycolic acid-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (P(GA-co-CL)) of a biodegradable polyester were prepared by phosphorylase-catalyzed polymerization of α-D-glucose 1-phosphate from maltoheptaose as a primer in the presence of P(GA-co-CL) (vine-twining polymerization). In addition, it was found that lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of P(GA-co-CL) in the inclusion complex was partly inhibited.
A bio-based fibrous film aimed to be used as food-packaging component was electrospun from blend solutions of cellulose acetate (CA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). CA/PEO blend ratios were varied to unveil the effect of PEO on morphology, moisture-adsorption and tensile properties of the blend fibrous films. The results indicated that the addition of PEO could improve tensile strength, elongation and elasticity of the CA-based fibrous film. Zinc oxide nanoparticles incorporated into the blend fibers were shown to improve tensile and thermal properties of the nanocomposite film.
A microfluidic device with three-dimensional flow channels is fabricated by stereolithography according to a computer-aided design (CAD) model. By injecting water and oil phases into the device, a monodisperse water-in-oil emulsion is formed. We show that monodisperse thermosensitive poly(-isopropylacrylamide) gel particles can be prepared by photopolymerization of a gelation reagent dissolved in the water phase.
Transmission electron microscopy micrograph of (70/30) poly(p-phenylene sulfide)/poly(ethylene-ran-methylacrylate–ran-glycidyl methacrylate) blend containing numerous micelles of copolymers formed in situ during melt mixing in the dispersed phase (stained by RuO4).
