Electrochromic properties and electrochromic device application of copolymer of N‐(4‐(3‐thienyl methylene)‐oxycarbonylphenyl)maleimide with thiophene

A new copolymer of N‐(4‐(3‐thienyl methylene)‐oxycarbonylphenyl)maleimide (MBThi) with thiophene [P(MBThi‐co‐Th)] was synthesized electrochemically in the presence of tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate as the supporting electrolyte, in acetonitrile/borontrifluoride ethylether solvent mixture (80 : 20, v/v). Spectroelectrochemical analysis of the resulting copolymer reflected electronic transitions at 440, 730, and ～1000 nm, revealing π–π* transition, polaron, and bipolaron band formation, respectively. Switching ability was evaluated by a kinetic study via measuring the transmittance (%T) at the maximum contrast. Dual‐type polymer electrochromic devices (ECDs) based on P(MBThi‐co‐Th) and poly(ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT) were constructed. Spectroelectrochemistry, switching ability, and stability of the devices were investigated by UV–vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. These devices exhibit low switching voltages (between 0.0 and +2.0 V) and short switching times with reasonable switching stability under atmospheric conditions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl PolymSci 102: 4500–4505, 2006     

Synthesis of poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐sodium 1‐(acryloyloxy) propan‐2‐yl phosphate) and comparative study on its swelling properties with poly(sodium acrylate) and poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐2‐hydroxypropyl acrylate)

A new superabsorbent copolymer, poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐sodium 1‐(acryloyloxy) propan‐2‐yl phosphate) [P(SA‐co‐SAPP)], was synthesized by a novel prepared monomer, 1‐(acryloyloxy) propan‐2‐yl phosphoryl dichloride. The swelling properties of the superabsorbent were investigated by comparison with poly(sodium acrylate) (PSA) and the copolymer of poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐2‐hydroxypropyl acrylate) [P(SA‐co‐HPA)]. The results showed that (1) the superabsorbent containing sodium 1‐(acryloyloxy) propan‐2‐yl phosphate had higher water absorbency at general testing conditions; (2) the swelling properties of P(SA‐co‐SAPP) and PSA were obviously influenced by pH of solutions, which were different from that of P(SA‐co‐HPA); (3) the swelling process and the saturated water absorbency of all superabsorbents were remarkably affected by cations, especially multivalent ones, while barely affected by anions. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:728–737, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Synthesis of poly[(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐yl)methyl vinyl ether‐co‐N‐phenylmaleimide] and its miscibility in blends with styrene‐acrylonitrile or poly(vinyl chloride)

The aim of the study was to investigate the synthesis of a copolymer bearing cyclic carbonate and its miscibility with styrene/acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) or poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). (2‐Oxo‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐yl)methyl vinyl ether (OVE) as a monomer was synthesized from glycidyl vinyl ether and CO₂ using quaternary ammonium chloride salts as catalysts. The highest reaction rate was observed when tetraoctylammonium chloride (TOAC) was used as a catalyst. Even at the atmospheric pressure of CO₂, the yield of OVE using TOAC was above 80% after 6 h of reaction at 80°C. The copolymer of OVE and N‐phenylmaleimide (NPM) was prepared by radical copolymerization and was characterized by FTIR and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopies and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The monomer reactivity ratios were given as r₁ (OVE) = 0.53–0.57 and r₂ (NPM) = 2.23–2.24 in the copolymerization of OVE and NPM. The films of poly(OVE‐co‐NPM)/SAN and poly(OVE‐co‐NPM)/PVC blends were cast from N‐dimethylformamide. An optical clarity test and DSC analysis showed that poly(OVE‐co‐NPM)/SAN and poly(OVE‐co‐NPM)/PVC blends were both miscible over the whole composition range. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1809–1815, 2000     

Synthesis of poly(aniline‐co‐o‐toluidine) coatings and their corrosion‐protection performance on low‐carbon steel

Strongly adherent poly(aniline‐co‐o‐toluidine) coatings were synthesized on low‐carbon‐steel substrates by the electrochemical copolymerization of aniline with o‐toluidine with sodium tartrate as the supporting electrolyte. These coatings were characterized with cyclic voltammetry, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The formation of the copolymer with the mixture of monomers in the aqueous sodium tartrate solution was ascertained by a critical comparison of the results obtained from the polymerizations of the individual monomers, aniline and o‐toluidine. The optical absorption spectrum of the copolymer was drastically different from the spectra of the respective homopolymers, polyaniline and poly(o‐toluidine). The extent of the corrosion protection offered by poly(aniline‐co‐o‐toluidine) coatings to low‐carbon steel was investigated in aqueous 3% NaCl solutions by open‐circuit‐potential measurements and a potentiodynamic polarization technique. The results of the potentiodynamic polarization measurements showed that the poly(aniline‐co‐o‐toluidine) coatings provided more effective corrosion protection to low‐carbon steel than the respective homopolymers. The corrosion rate depended on the feed ratio of o‐toluidine used for the synthesis of the copolymer coatings. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103:1868–1878, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of conducting copolymer of Trans‐1‐(4‐methyl‐3′‐thienyl)‐2‐(ferrocenyl)ethene with EDOT

Ferrocene‐substituted conducting polymer namely poly(trans‐1‐(4‐methyl‐3′‐thienyl)‐2‐(ferrocenyl)ethene‐co‐3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) [P(MTFE‐co‐EDOT)] was synthesized and its electrochromic properties were studied. Monomer, MTFE, was obtained using 2‐(ferrocenyl)ethene and 3‐methyl‐4‐bromothiophene. The structure of monomer was determined via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR techniques. The copolymer was synthesized using this monomer and EDOT. The resulting copolymer P(MTFE‐co‐EDOT) was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The conductivity measurements of copolymer and PEDOT were accomplished by the four‐probe technique. Although poly(trans‐1‐(4‐methyl‐3′‐thienyl)‐2‐(ferrocenyl)ethene) [P(MTFE)] reveals no electrochromic activity, its copolymer with EDOT has two different colors (violet and gray). Band gap (E_g) and λ_max of P(MTFE‐co‐EDOT) were determined. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Characteristics of dual‐type electrochromic devices based on poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers

Dual‐type polymer electrochromic devices based on [(3‐thienyl)methylmethacrylate]‐co‐[p‐vinyl benzyloxy poly(ethylene oxide)]/polythiophene and thiophene‐capped poly(ethylene oxide)/polythiophene and ethylene dioxythiophene were constructed via electropolymerization. Spectroelectrochemistry, switching ability and stability of the devices were investigated using UV‐visible spectrophotometry and cyclic voltammetry. These devices exhibit low switching voltages and short switching times with reasonable switching stability under atmospheric conditions. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of thiophene functionalized polystyrene copolymers and their electrochemical properties

Thiophene functionalized polystyrene samples (TFPS) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene, followed by Suzuki coupling with 3‐thiophene (Th) boronic acid. Conducting graft polymer of TFPS with thiophene was achieved at 1.5 V in tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate/dichloromethane (TBAFB/DM) by electrochemical methods. Spectroelectrochemical analysis of the resulting copolymers [P(TFPS‐co‐Th)] reflected electronic transitions at 449, 721 and 880 nm, revealing π ? π* transition, polaron and bipolaron band formation, respectively. We also successfully established the utilization of dual type complementary colored polymer electrochromic devices using P(TFPS‐co‐Th)/poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) in sandwich configuration. The switching ability, stability and optical memory of the electrochromic device were investigated by UV–visible spectrophotometry and cyclic voltammetry. Device switches between brown and blue color with a switching time of 1.3 s were prepared with optical contrast (%ΔT) of 25 %. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

One‐pot synthesized poly(vinyl pyrrolidone‐co‐methyl methacrylate‐co‐acrylic acid) blended with poly(ether sulfone) to prepare blood‐compatible membranes

In this study, a random copolymer of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone‐co‐methyl methacrylate‐co‐acrylic acid) was synthesized via a one‐pot reaction with the reversible addition–fragmentation chain‐transfer method and was then blended with poly(ether sulfone) (PES) to prepare flat‐sheet membranes that were expected to have anticoagulant and antifouling properties. The synthesized copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights and molecular weight distributions were determined by gel permeation chromatography. Elemental analysis was used to calculate the molar ratios of vinyl pyrrolidone (VP), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and acrylic acid (AA) in the copolymer. A liquid–liquid phase‐inversion technique was used to prepare the copolymer‐blended PES membranes. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance–FTIR spectroscopy were used to investigate the copolymer on the membrane surfaces. Compared with the pristine PES membrane, the modified PES membranes showed improved hydrophilicity, low hemolysis ratios, decreased protein adsorption, and suppressed platelet adhesion. Furthermore, the thrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time indicated that the blood compatibility of the modified PES membranes were improved. The results of the 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and the cell morphology suggested that the cytocompatibility increased. In addition, the modified membranes showed good protein antifouling properties. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4284–4298, 2013     

Nonionic water‐soluble polymer: Preparation,characterization, and application of poly(1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate) as a polychelatogen

The free‐radical copolymerization of water‐soluble poly(1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate) was carried out with a feed monomer ratio of 75:25 mol %, and the total monomer concentration was 2.67M. The synthesis of the copolymer was carried out in dioxane at 70°C with benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The copolymer composition was obtained with elemental analysis and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. The water‐soluble polymer was characterized with elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Additionally, viscosimetric measurements of the copolymer were performed. The thermal behavior of the copolymer and its complexes were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry techniques under a nitrogen atmosphere. The copolymer showed high thermal stability and a glass transition in the DSC curves. The separation of various metal ions by the water‐soluble poly(1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate) reagent in the aqueous phase with liquid‐phase polymer‐based retention was investigated. The method was based on the retention of inorganic ions by this polymer in a membrane filtration cell and subsequent separation of low‐molar‐mass species from the polymer/metal‐ion complex formed. Poly(1‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐co‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate) could bind metal ions such as Cr(III), Co(II), Zn(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cd(II), and Fe(III) in aqueous solutions at pHs 3, 5, and 7. The retention percentage for all the metal ions in the polymer was increased at pH 7, at which the maximum retention capacity could be observed. The interaction of inorganic ions with the hydrophilic polymer was determined as a function of the pH and filtration factor. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 178–185, 2006     

Electrochromic properties of some bis‐chalcone derivatives‐based nanofibers

Two bis‐chalcone derivatives, (2E,6E)‐2,6‐bis[(thiophen‐2‐yl)methylene]cyclohexanone ( C1 ) and (2E,6E)‐2,6‐bis[(furan‐2‐yl)methylene]cyclohexanone ( C2 )‐based electrochromic (EC) nanofibers were produced in the presence of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as supporting polymer using the electrospinning technique. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy were used to examine morphology and chemical compositions of nanofibers before and after stability test. SEM images of the obtained smooth and bead‐free nanofibers before the stability test showed that both bis‐chalcone derivatives were homogeneously dispersed on the surface of the electrospun nanofibers. Nanofibers of bis‐chalcone derivatives were characterized with Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemical and EC properties of these bis‐chalcone derivatives were investigated. The C1 ‐PMMA nanofiber‐based electrochromic device (ECD) showed higher ΔT_max (41.47%) than that of the C2 ‐PMMA nanofiber‐based ECD (4.67%) during coloration/bleaching at 715 nm. The switching times for coloration and bleaching of C1 ‐PMMA nanofiber‐based ECD were found to be 4.42 and 1.12 s, respectively, and the coloration efficiency was 136.18 cm²/C. Repeated cyclic voltammograms and 1000 cycles of chronoamperometric measurements of the bis‐chalcone derivatives indicated that ECDs have long‐term redox stability. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46010.     

Electrosynthesis and characterization of an electrochromic material from poly(1,6‐bis(2‐thienyl)pyrene) and its application in electrochromic device

Electrochemical polymerization of 1,6‐bis(2‐thienyl)pyrene (BTP) could be achieved in acetonitrile/dichloromethane (ACN/DCM) (1:1, by volume) solution containing sodium perchlorate (NaClO₄) as a supporting electrolyte. The resulting polymer poly(1,6‐bis(2‐thienyl)pyrene) (PBTP) were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV–vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The resulting polymeric film has distinct electrochromic properties and exhibits three different colors under various potentials. Moreover, the PBTP film showed reasonable optical contrast (DT %) at 700 nm is found to be 29% and satisfactory response time is measured as 1.3 s. An electrochromic device (ECD) based on PBTP and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) was also constructed and characterized. This ECD has these qualities: quick switching time, reasonable contrast, and good optical memories and redox stability. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39770.     

Electrochemical preparation of poly(2‐bromoaniline) and poly(aniline‐co‐2‐bromoaniline) in acetonitrile

Electrochemical preparation of poly(2‐bromoaniline) (PBrANI) and poly(aniline‐co‐2‐bromoaniline) [P(An‐co‐2‐BrAn)] was carried out in an acetonitrile solution containing tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) and perchloric acid (HClO₄). The cyclic voltammograms during the copolymerization had many features similar to those for the usual polymerization of aniline. The copolymer exhibits a higher dry electrical conductivity value than that of PBrANI and a lower one than that of PANI. The observed decrease in the conductivity of the copolymer relative to PANI is attributed to the incorporation of bromine moieties into the polyaniline chain. The structure and properties of the polymer and copolymer were elucidated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), FTIR, and UV‐vis spectroscopy. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2460–2468, 2003     

Biodegradable polymer made of styrene and N‐benzyl‐4‐vinylpyridinium chloride

A copolymer of styrene with N‐benzyl‐4‐vinylpyridinium chloride (BVP), poly(styrene‐co‐N‐benzyl‐4‐vinylpyridinium chloride) (PST‐co‐BVP), was degradable by activated sludge in soil when the oligo‐styrene portion was sufficiently small. The degradation of the equimolar copolymer followed first‐order kinetics when the polymer sample was 1.0 or 0.5 g/kg and gave a half‐life of 5.6 days. The degradation of PST‐co‐BVP with a reduced BVP content did not follow first‐order kinetics under the aforementioned conditions but appeared to follow the kinetics when the amount of the polymer sample was sufficiently small. Under the ultimate conditions, the half‐life of PST‐co‐BVP that contained 10.6 mol % BVP was estimated to be 12.5 days, and the half‐life of PST‐co‐BVP that contained 5 mol % BVP was expected to be 30–40 days. The incorporation of 5 mol % BVP appeared sufficient for making PST‐co‐BVP substantially biodegradable if we did not expect exceptionally rapid degradation. PST‐co‐BVP was different from conventional polystyrene but possessed biodegradability. Random scission of the main chain much predominated over uniform scission from the end of the polymer chain in the biodegradation of PST‐co‐BVP. The cleavage of the main chain at BVP appeared predominant over that of oligo‐styrene. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 554–559. 2006     

Synthesis and biodegradability evaluation of 2‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxepane and styrene copolymers

Biodegradable copolymers of 2‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxepane (MDO) and styrene (ST) were synthesized by free‐radical copolymerization using di‐t‐butyl peroxide (DTBP) as the initiator. The copolymers containing ester units were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. Their molecular weight and polydispersity index were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). In vitro enzymatic degradation of poly(MDO‐co‐ST) was performed at 37°C in phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH = 7.4) in the presence of Pseudomonas lipase or crude enzyme extracted from earthworm. The experiment showed that incorporating ester units into C? C backbone chain of polystyrene would result in a biodegradable copolymer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1146–1151, 2007     

Poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate sodium): Synthesis,characterization, and its potential application for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solution

In the current study, poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate sodium), poly(VP‐co‐AMPS), was prepared and used for the removal of Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, and Ni²⁺ ions via a polymer‐enhanced ultrafiltration (PEUF) technique. The copolymer was synthesized by radical polymerization in an aqueous medium with a comonomer feed composition of 50:50 mol %. The molecular structure of the copolymer was elucidated by ATR‐FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and the average molecular weight was obtained by GPC. The copolymer composition was determined to be 0.42 for VP and 0.58 for AMPS by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The copolymer and homopolymers exhibited different retention properties for the metal ions. PAMPS exhibited a high retention capacity for all of the metal ions at both pH values studied. PVP exhibited selectivity for nickel ions. Poly(VP‐co‐AMPS) exhibited a lower retention capacity compared to PAMPS. However, for poly(VP‐co‐AMPS), selectivity for nickel ions was observed, and the retention of copper and cadmium ions increased compared to PVP. The homopolymer mixture containing PAMPS and PVP was inefficient for the retention of the studied metal ions. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41272.     

Relative strength of H‐bonding groups on biodegradable polymer‐based blends in solution

The intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) and poly(styrene‐co‐vinyl phenol) copolymers with mutual solvent epichlorohydrin were thoroughly investigated by steady‐state fluorescence and viscosity techniques. Fluorescence spectroscopy along with viscosity technique was used to asses the intermolecular hydrogen bonding between poly‐(3‐hydroxybutyrate) and its blends with five copolymer samples of styrene–vinyl phenol, containing different proportions of vinyl phenol but similar average molecular weight and polydispersity index. In the case of very low OH contents (2–4 mol %), as expected, both components of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) and poly(styrene‐co‐4‐vinylphenol) chains are well separated and remain so independently of the mixed polymer ratio and overall polymer concentration as well. Conversely, when the OH content reaches 5.8 mol % or more, a significant decrease of the intrinsic fluorescence intensity emitted by the copolymer is detected upon addition of aliquots of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate). In these cases, an average value for the interassociation equilibrium constant, K_A = 8.7, was obtained using a binding model formalism. A good agreement of these results with those obtained from complementary viscosity measurements, through the interaction parameter, Δb, was found. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 900–910, 2006     

Basic characterization of polypropene‐block‐poly(methylene‐1,3‐cyclopentane‐co‐propene) synthesized from propene and 1,5‐hexadiene with modified stopped‐flow method

Block copolymerization of propene and 1,5‐hexadiene was carried out by a modified stopped‐flow polymerization method with an MgCl₂‐supported Ziegler catalyst. The resulting polymer, polypropene‐block‐poly(methylene‐1,3‐cyclopentane‐co‐propene) (PP‐b‐(PMCP‐co‐PP)), in which the crystallizable PP part was linked with the non‐crystallizable PMCP‐co‐PP part, was characterized by optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile testing. The block copolymer having a chemical linkage between PP and PMCP‐co‐PP showed properties different from those of homopolymer, random copolymer and blend polymer. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis,properties and thermal stability of water‐soluble poly(potassium 1‐hydroxyacrylate‐co‐styrene) copolymer

The present work investigates the structure properties of copolymers using thermogravimetric analysis, hot stage microscopy, static light scattering, field emission scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis and a Brookfield viscometer. Poly(potassium 1‐hydroxyacrylate) (PKHA) is a water‐soluble polymer. However, the copolymer of styrene and 2‐isopropyl‐5‐methylene‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐one is not water soluble at equal molar ratio because the polystyrene reduces the solubility. The effect of styrene on poly(potassium 1‐hydroxyacrylate‐co‐styrene) copolymer, i.e. poly(KHA‐co‐St), was investigated for the increasing solubility of the copolymer. The solubility was increased at a lower molar ratio of styrene such as 0.4 in the copolymer. It was found that the copolymer was soluble in water when a content ratio of 68/32 mol% of homopolymer was incorporated in poly(KHA₆₈‐co‐St₃₂) copolymer as determined by NMR analysis. Also the poly(KHA₆₈‐co‐St₃₂) copolymer was found to be salt tolerant, possessed water absorption capacity and was thermally stable up to 183 °C. Moreover, it is shown that the polystyrene content plays a key role in the thermal stability of the copolymer. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Electrochemical synthesis of poly(2‐iodoaniline) and poly(aniline‐co‐2‐iodoaniline) in acetonitrile

Poly(2‐iodoaniline) (PIANI) and poly(aniline‐co‐2‐iodoaniline) [P(An‐co‐2‐IAn)] were synthesized by electrochemical methods in acetonitrile solution containing tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) and perchloric acid (HClO₄). The voltametry of the copolymer shows characteristics similar to those of conventional polyaniline (PANI), and it exhibits higher dry electrical conductivity than PIANI and lower than PANI. The observed decrease in the conductivity of the copolymer relative to PANI is attributed to the incorporation of the iodine moieties into the PANI chain. The structure and properties of these conducting films were characterized by FTIR and UV‐Vis spectroscopy and by an electrochemical method (cyclic voltametry). Conductivity values, FTIR and UV‐Vis spectra of the PIANI and copolymer were compared with those of PANI and the relative solubility of the PIANI and the copolymer powders was determined in various organic solvents. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 1652–1658, 2003     

Preparation and drug‐release behavior of minocycline‐loaded poly[hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol)–methacrylate] films

In this work, biocompatible hydrogel matrices for wound‐dressing materials and controlled drug‐release systems were prepared from poly[hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol)–methacrylate] [p(HEMA‐co‐PEG–MA] films via UV‐initiated photopolymerization. The characterization of the hydrogels was conducted with swelling experiments, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (differential scanning calorimetry), and contact‐angle studies. The water absorbency of the hydrogel films significantly changed with the change of the medium pH from 4.0 to 7.4. The thermal stability of the copolymer was lowered by an increase in the ratio of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to methacrylate (MA) in the film structure. Contact‐angle measurements on the surface of the p(HEMA‐co‐PEG–MA) films demonstrated that the copolymer gave rise to a significant hydrophilic surface in comparison with the homopolymer of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The blood protein adsorption was significantly reduced on the surface of the copolymer hydrogels in comparison with the control homopolymer of HEMA. Model antibiotic (i.e., minocycline) release experiments were performed in physiological buffer saline solutions with a continuous flow release system. The amount of minocycline release was shown to be dependent on the HEMA/PEG–MA ratio. The hydrogels have good antifouling properties and therefore are suitable candidates for wound dressing and other tissue engineering applications. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009