An array of branched poly(ɛ-caprolactone)s was successfully synthesized using an one-pot inimer promoted ring-opening multibranching copolymerization (ROCP) reaction. The biorenewable, commercially available yet unexploited comonomer and initiator 2-hydroxy-γ-butyrolactone was chosen as the inimer to extend the use of 5-membered lactones to branched structures and simultaneously avoiding the ty...

We examine the suitability of metal-containing polystyrene beads for the calibration of a mass cytometer instrument, a single particle analyser based on an inductively coupled plasma ion source and a time of flight mass spectrometer. These metal-containing beads are also verified for their use as internal standards for this instrument. These beads were synthesized by multiple-stage dispersion p...

The swelling behavior of acrylamide (AAm)–based polyampholyte hydrogels in water and in aqueous salt (NaCl) solutions was investigated. [(Methacrylamido)propyl]trimethyl-ammonium chloride (MAPTAC) and acrylic acid (AAc) were used as the ionic comonomer in the hydrogel preparation. Three sets of hydrogels containing 70 mol% AAm and 30 mol% ionic comonomers of varying mole ratios were prepared. T...

The use of renewable monomers and green polymerization processes for preparing new synthetic polymers is a hot topic today. In this work we have obtained high molecular weight copolyesters derived from ω-pentadecalactone (PDL), dimethyl succinate (DMS) 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (1,4-CHDM) by combination ring opening (ROP) two step melt polycondensation processes. reaction has been carried in bu...

Lignin, a ubiquitous phenylpropanoid polymer in vascular plant cell walls, is derived primarily from oxidative couplings of monolignols (p-hydroxycinnamyl alcohols). It was discovered recently that a wide range of grasses, including cereals, utilize a member of the flavonoids, tricin (3',5'-dimethoxyflavone), as a natural comonomer with monolignols for cell wall lignification. Previously, we es...

Stimuli responsive pH- and temperature-sensitive hydrogel drug delivery systems, as those based on N-isopropylacrylamide (NiPAAm) and itaconic acid (IA), have been attracting much of the attention of the scientific community nowadays, especially in the field of drug release. By adjusting comonomer composition, the matrix is enabled to protect the incorporated protein in the highly acidic enviro...

We applied H and C NMR spectroscopy to investigate a phase transition and a cononsolvency effect of uncharged poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PIPMAm) and negatively charged PIPMAm copolymers in water/ethanol (D2O/EtOH) mixtures. For this purpose several PIPMAm solutions with various volume mixture compositions of D2O/EtOH (100/0 5/95 vol.-%) were prepared; sodium methacrylate was used as an io...

A number of cyclopentadienyltitanium aryloxide complexes, 1-Ar-2,3,4,5-Me(4)-Cp(2,6-(i)Pr(2)C(6)H(3)O)TiCl(2) (Ar = 4-Me(3)SiPhenyl (5), 4-(i)PrPhenyl (6), 4-MePhenyl (7), 3,5-(CF(3))(2)Phenyl (8)) and (1-Ar-2,3,4,5-Me(4)CpTiCl(2))(2)(OAr'O) (Ar' = 4,4'-(3,3',5,5'-(i)Pr(4)C(6)H(2)-C(6)H(2)), Ar = 4-SiMe(3)Phenyl (9), 4-MePhenyl (10)) were synthesized from the reaction of a corresponding cyclope...

Self-stabilized magnetic polymeric composite nanoparticles of coated poly-(sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonate-co-styrene)/magnetite (PAMPS-Na-co-St/Fe3O4) were prepared by emulsifier-free miniemulsion polymerization using styrene (St) as a monomer, 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid sodium salt (AMPS-Na) as an ionic comonomer, N,N-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as crosslinker, ...