Skip to Content

Polymers, Volume 8, Issue 6

2016 June - 37 articles

Cover Story: A pH-responsive theranostic agent based on core cross-linked (CCL) micelles was constructed via thiol–epoxy click chemistry between thiol-terminated tetraphenylethylene derivatives (TPE-4SH) and glycidyl moieties. The resulting CCL micelles were further functionalized: A targeting motif, pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP), and a magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agent were loaded with chemotherapeutic camptothecin (CPT). The as-prepared theranostic vector was efficiently taken up by taking advantage of the pHLIP-facilitated internalization that can be facilely traced by TPE fluorescence and MR imaging. Selective intracellular CPT release was accomplished, due to a hydrophobic-to-hydrophilic transition of micelle cores within acidic organelles. By Jinming Hu. View this paper.
  • Issues are regarded as officially published after their release is announced to the table of contents alert mailing list .
  • You may sign up for email alerts to receive table of contents of newly released issues.
  • PDF is the official format for papers published in both, html and pdf forms. To view the papers in pdf format, click on the "PDF Full-text" link, and use the free Adobe Reader to open them.

Articles (37)

  • Article
  • Open Access
11 Citations
6,821 Views
11 Pages

Molecularly Imprinted Nanofiber Film for Sensitive Sensing 2,4,6-Tribromophenol

  • Limei Huang,
  • Meishan Li,
  • Dan Wu,
  • Xiuling Ma,
  • Zhenyue Wu,
  • Shengchang Xiang and
  • Sheng Chen

22 June 2016

The determination of brominated flame retardants is of great importance, but remains a challenge. Particularly, universal and facile approaches are limited. Here we report a new general approach, combining molecular imprinting and electrospinning, fo...

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
7,682 Views
14 Pages

Quick Preparation of Moisture-Saturated Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Plastics and Their Accelerated Ageing Tests Using Heat and Moisture

  • Masao Kunioka,
  • Tomio Shimada,
  • Hideaki Hagihara,
  • Masahiro Funabashi,
  • Hiroyuki Suda and
  • Hideki Horizono

22 June 2016

A quick method involving the control of heat and water vapor pressure for preparing moisture-saturated carbon fiber-reinforced plastics (CFRP, 8 unidirectional prepreg layers, 1.5 mm thickness, epoxy resin) has been developed. The moisture-saturated...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
62 Citations
16,108 Views
17 Pages

22 June 2016

The Flory–Huggins χ parameter describes the excess free energy of mixing and governs phase behavior for polymer blends and block copolymers. For chemically-distinct nonpolar polymers, the value of χ is dominated by the mismatch in cohesive energy den...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
7,198 Views
13 Pages

New Statistical Models for Copolymerization

  • Martin S. Engler,
  • Kerstin Scheubert,
  • Ulrich S. Schubert and
  • Sebastian Böcker

22 June 2016

For many years, copolymerization has been studied using mathematical and statistical models. Here, we present new Markov chain models for copolymerization kinetics: the Bernoulli and Geometric models. They model copolymer synthesis as a random proces...

  • Article
  • Open Access
43 Citations
9,434 Views
15 Pages

18 June 2016

Knowledge of the interactions between polymer and protein is very important to fabricate the potential materials for many bio-related applications. In this regard, the present work investigated the effect of copolymers on the conformation and thermal...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
5,535 Views
16 Pages

Spatial Rearrangement and Mobility Heterogeneity of an Anionic Lipid Monolayer Induced by the Anchoring of Cationic Semiflexible Polymer Chains

  • Xiaozheng Duan,
  • Yang Zhang,
  • Ran Zhang,
  • Mingming Ding,
  • Tongfei Shi,
  • Lijia An,
  • Qingrong Huang and
  • Wen-Sheng Xu

17 June 2016

We use Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the interactions between cationic semiflexible polymer chains and a model fluid lipid monolayer composed of charge-neutral phosphatidyl-choline (PC), tetravalent anionic phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosph...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
9,568 Views
25 Pages

16 June 2016

The free-radical homopolymerization of 1,3-bis(N,N,N-trimethylammonium)-2-propylmethacrylate dichloride (di-M) and 1,3-bis(N,N,N-trimethylammonium)-2-propylacrylate dichloride (di-A) in aqueous solution yields cationic polyelectrolytes (PEL) with the...

  • Article
  • Open Access
5 Citations
5,334 Views
9 Pages

Crystallization of Poly(3-hexylthiophene) Nanofiber in a Narrow Groove

  • Satoshi Kushi,
  • Ryota Tsukada,
  • Keiichi Noguchi and
  • Takeshi Shimomura

15 June 2016

Whisker-type poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) nanofibers were aligned by restricting their growth direction using an approximately 100–1000 nm wide narrow groove fabricated by thermal nanoimprinting. In grooves made of an amorphous fluoropolyme...

  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
7,687 Views
14 Pages

15 June 2016

A new composite poly(caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) (PCL:PAA 1:5) scaffold was synthesized via dispersion of PCL particles into a PAA network. Silica microspheres (Si) (2–12 μm) were then prepared by a lyophilized micro-emulsion/sol...

  • Article
  • Open Access
27 Citations
8,761 Views
16 Pages

pH- and Metal Ion- Sensitive Hydrogels based on N-[2-(dimethylaminoethyl)acrylamide]

  • Leena Nebhani,
  • Veena Choudhary,
  • Hans-Jürgen P. Adler and
  • Dirk Kuckling

15 June 2016

Smart hydrogels are promising materials for actuators and sensors, as they can respond to small changes in their environment with a large property change. Hydrogels can respond to a variety of stimuli, for example temperature, pH, metal ions, etc. In...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
8,411 Views
32 Pages

Multiphasic Reaction Modeling for Polypropylene Production in a Pilot-Scale Catalytic Reactor

  • Mohammad Jakir Hossain Khan,
  • Mohd Azlan Hussain and
  • Iqbal Mohammed Mujtaba

14 June 2016

In this study, a novel multiphasic model for the calculation of the polypropylene production in a complicated hydrodynamic and the physiochemical environments has been formulated, confirmed and validated. This is a first research attempt that describ...

  • Review
  • Open Access
43 Citations
15,982 Views
25 Pages

Polyglycidol, Its Derivatives, and Polyglycidol-Containing Copolymers—Synthesis and Medical Applications

  • Mateusz Gosecki,
  • Mariusz Gadzinowski,
  • Monika Gosecka,
  • Teresa Basinska and
  • Stanislaw Slomkowski

9 June 2016

Polyglycidol (or polyglycerol) is a biocompatible polymer with a main chain structure similar to that of poly(ethylene oxide) but with a –CH2OH reactive side group in every structural unit. The hydroxyl groups in polyglycidol not only increase the hy...

  • Article
  • Open Access
12 Citations
6,912 Views
19 Pages

SANS from Salt-Free Aqueous Solutions of Hydrophilic and Highly Charged Star-Branched Polyelectrolytes

  • François Boué,
  • Jérôme Combet,
  • Bruno Demé,
  • Martine Heinrich,
  • Jean-Georges Zilliox and
  • Michel Rawiso

8 June 2016

Scattering functions of sodium sulfonated polystyrene (NaPSS) star-branched polyelectrolytes with high sulfonation degrees were measured from their salt-free aqueous solutions, using the Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) technique. Whatever the c...

  • Article
  • Open Access
24 Citations
8,013 Views
20 Pages

8 June 2016

Flow induced crystallization of semi-crystalline polymers is an important issue in polymer science and engineering because the changes in morphology strongly affect the properties of polymer materials. In this study, a phase field technique consideri...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
6,459 Views
9 Pages

Production and Characterization of a Novel, Electrospun, Tri-Layer Polycaprolactone Membrane for the Segregated Co-Culture of Bone and Soft Tissue

  • Sasima Puwanun,
  • Frazer J. Bye,
  • Moira M. Ireland,
  • Sheila MacNeil,
  • Gwendolen C. Reilly and
  • Nicola H. Green

7 June 2016

Composite tissue-engineered constructs combining bone and soft tissue have applications in regenerative medicine, particularly dentistry. This study generated a tri-layer, electrospun, poly-ε-caprolactone membrane, with two microfiber layers separate...

  • Article
  • Open Access
26 Citations
10,258 Views
19 Pages

High Temperature Epoxy Foam: Optimization of Process Parameters

  • Samira El Gazzani,
  • Valérie Nassiet,
  • Jean-Pierre Habas,
  • Christian Freydier and
  • Aline Hilleshein

7 June 2016

For many years, reduction of fuel consumption has been a major aim in terms of both costs and environmental concerns. One option is to reduce the weight of fuel consumers. For this purpose, the use of a lightweight material based on rigid foams is a...

  • Review
  • Open Access
86 Citations
16,098 Views
20 Pages

7 June 2016

The organic/inorganic hybrid materials from polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS, inorganic nanoparticles) and polybenzoxazine (PBZ) have received much interesting recently due to their excellent thermal and mechanical properties, flame retarda...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
10,929 Views
17 Pages

7 June 2016

The development of novel theranostic nanovectors is of particular interest in treating formidable diseases (e.g., cancers). Herein, we report a new tumor-targetable theranostic agent based on core crosslinked (CCL) micelles, possessing tumor targetab...

  • Article
  • Open Access
27 Citations
6,039 Views
11 Pages

7 June 2016

Mass transfer restrictions of scaffolds are currently hindering the development of three-dimensional (3D), clinically viable, and tissue-engineered constructs. For this situation, a 3D poly(lactide-co-glycolide)/hydroxyapatite porous scaffold, which...

  • Article
  • Open Access
36 Citations
8,414 Views
16 Pages

Influence of Polyplex Formation on the Performance of Star-Shaped Polycationic Transfection Agents for Mammalian Cells

  • Alexander Raup,
  • Ullrich Stahlschmidt,
  • Valérie Jérôme,
  • Christopher V. Synatschke,
  • Axel H. E. Müller and
  • Ruth Freitag

6 June 2016

Genetic modification (“transfection”) of mammalian cells using non-viral, synthetic agents such as polycations, is still a challenge. Polyplex formation between the DNA and the polycation is a decisive step in such experiments. Star-shaped polycation...

  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
7,882 Views
9 Pages

6 June 2016

This study describes the preparation of nanoprotein particles having lignin peroxidase (LiP) using a photosensitive microemulsion polymerization technique. The protein-based nano block polymer was synthesized by cross-linking of ligninase enzyme with...

  • Review
  • Open Access
83 Citations
16,298 Views
30 Pages

Polymers in Cartilage Defect Repair of the Knee: Current Status and Future Prospects

  • Ralph M. Jeuken,
  • Alex K. Roth,
  • Ruud J. R. W. Peters,
  • Corrinus C. Van Donkelaar,
  • Jens C. Thies,
  • Lodewijk W. Van Rhijn and
  • Pieter J. Emans

4 June 2016

Cartilage defects in the knee are often seen in young and active patients. There is a need for effective joint preserving treatments in patients suffering from cartilage defects, as untreated defects often lead to osteoarthritis. Within the last two...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
7,831 Views
15 Pages

Volume Phase Transitions of Slide-Ring Gels

  • Akinori Bando,
  • Rumiko Kasahara,
  • Kentaro Kayashima,
  • Yasushi Okumura,
  • Kazuaki Kato,
  • Yasuhiro Sakai,
  • Hideaki Yokoyama,
  • Yuya Shinohara,
  • Yoshiyuki Amemiya and
  • Kohzo Ito

3 June 2016

The volume phase transition of slide-ring gels with freely-movable cross-linking junctions was investigated. Ionic chemical gels with fixed cross-linking junctions undergo volume phase transitions when they have higher than the critical degree of ion...

  • Article
  • Open Access
85 Citations
13,333 Views
16 Pages

3 June 2016

Molecularly imprinting polymers (MIPs) have been extensively applied in chromatography for the separation of chiral drugs. In this review, we mainly summarize recent developments of various MIPs used as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) in high perform...

  • Article
  • Open Access
31 Citations
10,217 Views
14 Pages

Preparation, Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Poly(Glutamic Acid)-b-Polyphenylalanine Polymersomes

  • Evgenia Vlakh,
  • Anastasiia Ananyan,
  • Natalia Zashikhina,
  • Anastasiia Hubina,
  • Aleksander Pogodaev,
  • Mariia Volokitina,
  • Vladimir Sharoyko and
  • Tatiana Tennikova

2 June 2016

Different types of amphiphilic macromolecular structures have been developed within recent decades to prepare the polymer particles considered as drug delivery systems. In the present research the series of amphiphilic block-copolymers containing pol...

  • Review
  • Open Access
28 Citations
7,861 Views
22 Pages

Functionalized Polymers for Enhance Oral Bioavailability of Sensitive Molecules

  • Yolanda Alvarado Pérez,
  • Claudia Muro Urista,
  • Javier Illescas Martínez,
  • María Del Carmen Díaz Nava and
  • Francisco A. Riera Rodríguez

2 June 2016

Currently, many sensitive molecules have been studied for effective oral administration. These substances are biologically active compounds that mainly suffer early degradation in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and physicochemical instability, inac...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
7,706 Views
17 Pages

31 May 2016

The Mark–Houwink–Sakurada (MHS) equation allows for estimation of rheological properties, if the molecular weight is known along with good understanding of the polymer conformation. The intrinsic viscosity of a polymer solution is related to the poly...

  • Article
  • Open Access
40 Citations
8,118 Views
11 Pages

Monotonic and Cyclic Bond Behavior of Deformed CFRP Bars in High Strength Concrete

  • T. Tibet Akbas,
  • Oguz C. Celik,
  • Cem Yalcin and
  • Alper Ilki

31 May 2016

Composite reinforcing bars (rebars) that are used in concrete members with high performance (strength and durability) properties could have beneficial effects on the behavior of these members. This is especially vital when a building is constructed i...

  • Feature Paper
  • Article
  • Open Access
63 Citations
15,669 Views
13 Pages

Engineering Porous Poly(lactic acid) Scaffolds with High Mechanical Performance via a Solid State Extrusion/Porogen Leaching Approach

  • Hua-Mo Yin,
  • Jing Qian,
  • Jin Zhang,
  • Zai-Fu Lin,
  • Jian-Shu Li,
  • Jia-Zhuang Xu and
  • Zhong-Ming Li

31 May 2016

A knotty issue concerning the poor mechanical properties exists in the porogen leaching approach to porous scaffolds, despite its advantage in tuning pore structure. To address this hurdle, solid state extrusion (SSE) combined with porogen leaching w...

  • Article
  • Open Access
92 Citations
12,918 Views
14 Pages

30 May 2016

Lignin is a natural biopolymer with a complex three-dimensional network. It is the second most abundant natural polymer on earth. Commercially, lignin is largely obtained from the waste liquors of pulping and bioethanol productions. In this study, wh...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
10,232 Views
16 Pages

Synthesis of New Polyether Ether Ketone Derivatives with Silver Binding Site and Coordination Compounds of Their Monomers with Different Silver Salts

  • Jérôme Girard,
  • Nathalie Joset,
  • Aurélien Crochet,
  • Milène Tan,
  • Anja Holzheu,
  • Priscilla S. Brunetto and
  • Katharina M. Fromm

30 May 2016

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a well-known polymer used for implants and devices, especially spinal ones. To overcome the biomaterial related infection risks, 4-4′-difluorobenzophenone, the famous PEEK monomer, was modified in order to introduce b...

  • Article
  • Open Access
28 Citations
10,638 Views
13 Pages

27 May 2016

This paper describes a very simple strategy towards self-stabilized poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(hexafluorobutyl acrylate) (PAA-b-PHFBA) block copolymer particles via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)-mediated polymerization-in...

  • Article
  • Open Access
33 Citations
6,090 Views
16 Pages

27 May 2016

Tris(4-(thiophen-2-yl)phenyl)amine- and dithienylpyrrole-based copolymers (P(TTPA-co-DIT) and P(TTPA-co-BDTA)) were electropolymerized on ITO electrode by applying constant potentials of 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 V. Spectroelectrochemical investigations reve...

  • Article
  • Open Access
19 Citations
7,912 Views
13 Pages

Carbon Microparticles from Organosolv Lignin as Filler for Conducting Poly(Lactic Acid)

  • Janea Köhnke,
  • Christian Fürst,
  • Christoph Unterweger,
  • Harald Rennhofer,
  • Helga C. Lichtenegger,
  • Jozef Keckes,
  • Gerhard Emsenhuber,
  • Arunjunai Raj Mahendran,
  • Falk Liebner and
  • Wolfgang Gindl-Altmutter

26 May 2016

Carbon microparticles were produced from organosolv lignin at 2000 °C under argon atmosphere following oxidative thermostabilisation at 250 °C. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering, and electro-conductivity me...

  • Article
  • Open Access
50 Citations
6,574 Views
13 Pages

25 May 2016

The photostability of poly(vinyl chloride), PVC, containing various Schiff base metal complexes (0.5% by weight) was investigated. Various indices corresponding to a number of functional groups were monitored with irradiation of polymeric films to de...

  • Article
  • Open Access
21 Citations
6,705 Views
19 Pages

25 May 2016

Biomacromolecule activity is usually related to its ability to keep a specific structure. However, in solution, many parameters (pH, ionic strength) and external compounds (polyelectrolytes, nanoparticles) can modify biomacromolecule structure as wel...

Get Alerted

Add your email address to receive forthcoming issues of this journal.

XFacebookLinkedIn
Polymers - ISSN 2073-4360