Water-soluble polycarbodiimides and their cytotoxic and antifungal properties.

We have successfully synthesized water-soluble neutral and polyelectrolyte helical polycarbodiimides and studied their biological properties. These polymers were prepared by decorating carbodiimide backbones with nonionic, hydrophilic functional groups such as dimethylamine, piperazine, and morpholine. Additionally, the 3° amines present in these functional groups were quaternized using methyl iodide as the alkylating agent to produce their ionic analogs.

Self-assembling Morphologies Obtained from Helical Polycarbodiimide Copolymers and Their Triazole Derivatives.

A facile method for the preparation of polycarbodiimide-based secondary structures (e.g., nano-rings, "craters," fibers, looped fibers, fibrous networks, ribbons, worm-like aggregates, toroidal structures, and spherical particles) is described.

Utilization of a Meldrum's acid towards functionalized fluoropolymers possessing dual reactivity for thermal crosslinking and post-polymerization modification.

New thermally cross-linkable and/or post-functionalizable perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) polymers containing Meldrum's acid moieties have been successfully prepared via the thermal cyclopolymerization of a new Meldrum's acid functionalized aromatic trifluorovinyl ether (TFVE) monomer.

Identification of the specific, shutter-like conformational reorientation in a chiroptical switching polycarbodiimide by VCD spectroscopy.

The specific conformational states responsible for the unique, reversible temperature- and solvent-driven chiroptical switching process experienced by poly(N-1-naphthyl-N'-octadecyl-carbodiimide) (PNOC) have been identified using VCD spectroscopy and DFT calculations. The distinct VCD spectra of PNOC corresponding to the two specific conformations were obtained for the polymer dissolved in DCM-d2 (state A) and CDCl3 (predominantly state B). To specifically assign the structures of both conformations, two simplified 7mer models were constructed and optimized using DFT calculations.

Evidence of entropy-driven bistability through (15)N NMR analysis of a temperature- and solvent-induced, chiroptical switching polycarbodiimide.

The thermo- and solvo-driven chiroptical switching process observed in specific polycarbodiimides occurs in a concerted fashion with large deviations in specific optical rotation (OR) and CD Cotton effect as a consequence of varying populations of two distinct polymer conformations. These two conformations are clearly visible in the (15)N NMR and IR spectra of the (15)N-labeled poly((15)N-(1-naphthyl)-N'-octadecylcarbodiimide) (Poly-3) and poly((15)N-(1-naphthyl)-(15)N'-octadecylcarbodiimide) (Poly-5). Using van't Hoff analysis, the enthalpies and entropies of switching (ΔHswitching; ΔSswitching) were calculated for both Poly-3 and Poly-5 using the relative integrations of both peaks in the (15)N NMR spectra at different temperatures to measure the populations of each state.

Resolving the Regioregularity of Poly(--hexyl-'-phenylcarbodiimide) via Nitrogen-15 Labeling.

Nitrogen-15 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy (IR) were performed on an isotope-enriched poly(--hexyl-'-phenylcarbodiimide) to determine directly the connectivity and regioregularity of a polymer. Up to this point, the imine, C═N, IR stretch at 1660-1620 cm was thought to be a sufficient handle to elucidate the presence or absence of a regioregular microstructure; however, recent findings cast some uncertainties when expanded to all polycarbodiimides. Therefore, an enriched N NMR study was undertaken to unambiguously resolve that a --hexyl-'-phenylcarbodiimide, when polymerized with a 2,2,2-trifluoroethoxide trichlorotitanium(IV) catalyst in chloroform, will produce a completely regioregular polymer.

Synthesis of Guanidinium Functionalized Polycarbodiimides and Their Antibacterial Activities.

A family of guanidinium-side-chain functionalized polycarbodiimides has been synthesized by allowing an azido guanidinium salt to react with alkyne polycarbodiimides via the copper catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition (Click) reaction. (-) are cationic/amphiphilic polymers in which the global hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance has been tailored by local alteration of the length of alkyl side chain in the repeat unit of polymers prior to polymerization. The shorter alkyl chains yield water-soluble polymers, -, -, and -.

Stable-isotope labeled hydrophobic hydrazide reagents for the relative quantification of N-linked glycans by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

This study presents the development of stable-isotope labeled hydrophobic, hydrazide reagents for the relative quantification of N-linked glycans. The P2GPN "light" ((12)C) and "heavy" ((13)C(6)) pair are used to differentially label two N-linked glycan samples. The samples are combined 1:1, separated using HILIC, and then mass differentiated and quantified using mass spectrometry.

Inhibition of Acinetobacter baumannii biofilm formation on a methacrylate polymer containing a 2-aminoimidazole subunit.

A polymeric composite containing a 2-aminoimidazole derivative was synthesized. It was found that this polymer was resistant to biofilm colonization by Acinetobacter baumannii, no leaching of the 2-aminoimidazole derivative was observed after 2 weeks of treatment with deionized water, and the resulting polymer was not hemolytic.

Synthesis and characterization of random and block copolypeptides derived from gamma-methylglutamate and leucine N-carboxyanhydrides.

The synthesis of random and block copolypolyeptides derived from gamma-methylglutamate and leucine N-carboxyanhydrides using Al-Schiff's base complexes and allylamine as initiators is here reported. The copolymer structures were confirmed by (1)H and (13)C NMR. The calculation of the statistical average block lengths reveals the presence of longer methylglutamate units in the copolymer.

Chiroptical switching polyguanidine synthesized by helix-sense-selective polymerization using [(R)-3,3'-dibromo-2,2'-binaphthoxy](di-tert-butoxy)titanium(IV) catalyst.

A series of chiral binaphthyl titanium alkoxide complexes were synthesized. Among them, chiral titanium complex [(R)-3,3'-dibromo-2,2'-binaphthoxy](di-tert-butoxy)titanium(IV) (R-3) exists as a crystallographic C2 dimer in the solid state but a monomer in solution at room temperature. Application of R-3 in the helix-sense-selective polymerization of achiral carbodiimide, N-(1-anthryl)-N'-octadecylcarbodiimide (1), yielded a well-defined regioregular, stereoregular poly[N-(1-anthryl)-N'-octadecylguanidine] (poly-1b) with a relatively narrow polymer dispersity index of 2.

Helix-sense selective polymerization of carbodiimides: building permanently optically active polymers from achiral monomers.

The helix-sense selective polymerization of achiral monomers by homochiral catalysts was investigated. Polymerization of chiral carbodiimides (N-(R)-2,6-(dimethylheptyl)-N'-phenylcarbodiimide) by achiral catalysts yields polymers that undergo mutorotation at elevated temperatures, thus illustrating that these chains are formed under kinetic rather than thermodynamic control. Building on this observation, the polymerization of achiral carbodiimides by (S-BINOL)Ti(OiPr)2, I, was studied.

Stable helical polyguanidines: poly[N-(1-anthryl)-N'-[(R)- and/or (S)-3,7-dimethyloctyl]guanidines].

Using chiral catalysts of (R)- and/or (S)-BINOL-Ti, the asymmetrical polymerization of achiral monomer, N-(1-anthryl)-N'-n-octadecylcarbodiimide, yielded soluble nonregioregular polyguanidines of Poly-R1 and Poly-S1. A racemization process occurred when the toluene solution of Poly-R1 was annealed at elevated temperatures (70-80 degrees C). Kinetic studies reveal this to be a slow process with an activation energy of ca.