Surface properties and structures of diblock copolymer and homopolymer with perfluoroalkyl side chains.

The surface free energy of diblock copolymer, composed of methyl methacrylate and 2-perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate (PMMA-b-PFEMA), was compared with that of PFEMA homopolymer (P-PFEMA) in correlation with their structures in the solid state and in the solution using dynamic contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and dynamic light scattering. The PMMA-b-PFEMA film cast from chloroform solution was found to possess very low surface free energy (7.8 mJ/m(2)) compared with the surface free energies of the P-PFEMA (8.

Synthesis and characterization of stimuli-sensitive hydrogels having a different length of ethylene glycol chains carrying phosphate groups: loading and release of lysozyme.

In order to prepare a polymer matrix capable of loading protein at high density, anionic hydrogels were synthesized by copolymerizing a monomer carrying a pendant phosphate group, methacryloyl-polyoxyethyl phosphate, with N-isopropylacrylamide and N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide, and the stumuli-sensitivity of hydrogels was characterized. The number of repeating ethylene glycol units in the phosphate carrying monomer was 1, 2, 5 or 8. Lysozyme bearing a positive net charge was immobilized in the hydrogel through formation of polyelectrolyte complex.

Preparation of reversibly glucose-responsive hydrogels by covalent immobilization of lectin in polymer networks having pendant glucose.

Glucose-responsive hydrogels were prepared by copolymerization of a monomer having a pendant glucose with modified lectin (concanavalin A (ConA)) having vinyl groups. Swelling behavior of ConA-copolymerized glucosyloxyethyl methacrylate (GEMA) hydrogels was discussed from the viewpoint of their synthetic condition and structures. The swelling ratio of the ConA-copolymerized GEMA hydrogels was strongly dependent on the glucose concentration in a buffer solution.

Surface properties and structures of diblock and random copolymers with perfluoroalkyl side chains.

Polymers with perfluoroalkyl side chains have recently attracted a great deal of interest as additives to surface hydrophobicity to values higher than these corresponding to polytetrafluoroethylene. The structure and surface free energy of random and diblock copolymers of methyl methacrylate and 2-perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate (PMMA-r-PFEMA and PMMA-b-PFEMA, respectively) were compared using dynamic contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and reflection-adsorption FT-IR spectroscopy. The PMMA-b-PFEMA solution cast film showed a surface free energy of 7.

Biomolecule-sensitive hydrogels.

Stimuli-sensitive hydrogels have attracted considerable attention as intelligent materials in the biochemical and biomedical fields, since they can sense environmental changes and induce structural changes by themselves. In particular, biomolecule-sensitive hydrogels that undergo swelling changes in response to specific biomolecules have become increasingly important because of their potential applications in the development of biomaterials and drug delivery systems. This article provides an overview of the important and historical research regarding the synthesis and applications of glucose-sensitive hydrogels which exhibit swelling changes in response to glucose concentration.