Increasing Functionality of Fish Leather by Chemical Surface Modifications.

Fish skin is a by-product of the fishing industry, which has become a significant environmental pollutant in recent years. Therefore, there is an emerging interest in developing novel technologies to utilize fish skin as a versatile raw material for the clothing and biomedical industries. Most research on finishing procedures is conducted on cattle leather, and practically very limited information on fish leather finishing is found in the literature.

Hybrid Antibacterial and Electro-conductive Coating for Textiles Based on Cationic Conjugated Polymer.

The development of efficient synthetic strategies for incorporating antibacterial coatings into textiles for pharma and medical applications is of great interest. This paper describes the preparation of functional nonwoven fabrics coated with polyaniline (PANI) via in situ polymerization of aniline in aqueous solution. The effect of three different monomer concentrations on the level of polyaniline coating on the fibers comprising the fabrics, and its electrical resistivities and antibacterial attributes, were studied.

Catalytic Functionalization of C-H Bonds of Azulene by Carbene/Nitrene Incorporation.

The selective catalytic functionalization of the C-H bond of azulene upon incorporation of carbene or nitrene units with metal-based catalysts is described. Ethyl diazoacetate or ArI═NTs are employed as carbene or nitrene precursors, respectively. The azulene derivatives are subsequently employed as building blocks toward more complex structures with potential use as biodegradable materials.

Breakdown of interference rules in azulene, a nonalternant hydrocarbon.

We have designed and synthesized five azulene derivatives containing gold-binding groups at different points of connectivity within the azulene core to probe the effects of quantum interference through single-molecule conductance measurements. We compare conducting paths through the 5-membered ring, 7-membered ring, and across the long axis of azulene. We find that changing the points of connectivity in the azulene impacts the optical properties (as determined from UV-vis absorption spectra) and the conductivity.

Enhanced bioactivity of internally functionalized cationic dendrimers with PEG cores.

Hybrid dendritic-linear block copolymers based on a 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) core were synthesized using an accelerated AB2/CD2 dendritic growth approach through orthogonal amine/epoxy and thiol-yne chemistries. The biological activity of these 4-arm and the corresponding 2-arm hybrid dendrimers revealed an enhanced, dendritic effect with an exponential increase in cell internalization concomitant with increasing amine end groups and low cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the ability of these hybrid dendrimers to induce endosomal escape combined with their facile and efficient synthesis makes them attractive platforms for gene transfection.

Biodegradable, multi-layered coatings for controlled release of small molecules.

Incorporation of orthogonal functional groups into biodegradable polymers permits the fabrication of multi-layered thin films with improved adhesion and tunable degradation profiles. The bi-layer structure also allows for accurate control over small molecule release.

Stimuli-responsive azulene-based conjugated oligomers with polyaniline-like properties.

Novel azulene building blocks, prepared via the cycloaddition of thiophene-S,S-dioxides and fulvenes, allow for incorporation of the seven-membered ring of the azulene nucleus directly into the backbone of conjugated materials. This unique mode of incorporation gives remarkably stable, stimuli-responsive materials upon exposure to acid. This simple doping/dedoping strategy provides for effective optical band gap control and on/off fluorescence switching, reminiscent of polyaniline.