Viscoelasticity-Induced Onset of Slip at the Wall for Polymer Fluids.

The progressive onset of slip at the wall, which corresponds to a slip length increasing with the solicitation time before reaching a plateau, has been investigated for model viscoelastic polymer solutions, allowing one to vary the longest relaxation time while keeping constant solid-fluid interactions. A hydrodynamic model based on a Maxwell fluid and the classical Navier's hypothesis of a linear response for the friction stress at the interface fully accounts for the data. In the limit of the linear viscoelasticity of the fluid, we could postulate a Newtonian response for the interfacial friction coefficient, reflecting the local character of solid-liquid friction mechanisms.

Supramolecular Hydrogel Based on pNIPAm Microgels Connected via Host⁻Guest Interactions.

In this work, host⁻guest supramolecular hydrogels were prepared from poly(-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAm) microgels utilizing electrostatic and host/guest self-assembly. First, pNIPAm microgels bearing a poly(acrylic acid) (pAAc) shell were coated with positively charged -cyclodextrin polymers. Addition of adamantane-substituted dextrans (Dex-Ada) allowed us to establish interparticle connections through -cyclodextrin-adamantane (-Ada) inclusion complex formation, and thus to prepare hierarchical hydrogels.

Temperature-Controlled Slip of Polymer Melts on Ideal Substrates.

The temperature dependence of the hydrodynamic boundary condition between a polydimethylsiloxane melt and two different nonattractive surfaces made of either an octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer or a grafted layer of short polydimethylsiloxane chains has been characterized. We observe a slip length proportional to the fluid viscosity. The temperature dependence is deeply influenced by the surfaces.

Host-guest interaction and structural ordering in polymeric nanoassemblies: Influence of molecular design.

Host-guest nanoassemblies made from spontaneous self-association of host and guest polymers in aqueous solutions have been studied. The specific motivation behind this work was to clarify the impact of the molecular design of the polymers on the interactions between them and on the inner structure of the resulting nanoassemblies. The polymers were composed of a dextran backbone, functionalized with either pendant β-cyclodextrin (CD) or adamantyl (Ada).

Cyclodextrin-Mediated Hierarchical Self-Assembly and Its Potential in Drug Delivery Applications.

Hierarchical self-assembly exploits various non-covalent interactions to manufacture sophisticated organized systems at multiple length scales with interesting properties for pharmaceutical industry such as possibility of spatially controlled drug loading and multiresponsiveness to external stimuli. Cyclodextrin (CD)-mediated host-guest interactions proved to be an efficient tool to construct hierarchical architectures primarily due to the high specificity and reversibility of the inclusion complexation of CDs with a number of hydrophobic guest molecules, their excellent bioavailability, and easiness of chemical modification. In this review, we will outline the recent progress in the development of CD-based hierarchical architectures such as nanoscale drug and gene delivery carriers and physically cross-linked supramolecular hydrogels designed for a sustained release of actives.

Bifunctionalized dextrans for surface PEGylation via multivalent host-guest interactions.

The main goal of this work was to develop a supramolecular chemistry strategy to decorate interfaces with polyethylene glycol (PEG) grafts. A series of novel bifunctionalized dextrans, bearing 40-60 PEG pending chains and 12-24 hydrophobic adamantyl groups, have been prepared by copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. Their binding properties toward native βCD and βCD polymers were characterized both in solution and at interface using isothermal titration microcalorimetry and surface plasmon resonance.