pH-sensitive self-assembling property of poly(ethyleneimine)/cinnamic acid mixture and its effect on pH-dependent release of monoolein cubic phase

Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI)/cinnamic acid (CA) mixture was self-assembled into microsphere in aqueous phase. As the pH value increased, the self-assembly became hardly formed. As the molar ratio of the amino group of PEI to the carboxyl group of CA increased, the pH window for the formation of self-assembly became broader. The phase transition temperature of cubic phase was 58.5–67.5°C, depending on the PEI/CA content. The release of dye loaded in cubic phase containing PEI/CA increased in a first-order fashion. The release degree was higher at a lower pH value.     

Carbonaceous microsphere-based superabsorbent polymer as filler for coating of NPK fertilizer: Fabrication,properties, swelling,and nitrogen release characteristics

Recently, the use of controlled release fertilizers in agriculture has resulted in huge benefits in plant growth and cultivation. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP)-coated fertilizers have the added advantage in retaining water in soil after irrigation and also reduce the nutrient release rate from soil in a controlled manner. This study aimed to produce a nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium (NPK) fertilizer coated with superabsorbent carbonaceous microspheres polymer (SPC) by inverse suspension polymerization method with water-retention and controlled release properties. Two sets of experiments were conducted: (1) three different weight percentages and (2) different materials. NPK coated with SPC showed increasing water-retention ability with respect to carbon microsphere percentages and retains >80% water at the 30th day of experiment compared with pure NPK and NPK coated with SAP. The slow release behavior of all samples was investigated by induced coupled plasma mass spectrometry spectrometry and results showed that NPK coated with SAP and SPC has a low release rate with <50% nutrient release compared with uncoated NPK at the 30th day. The release mechanism kinetics of NPK coated with SAP and SPC were studied based on the Kosmeyer–Peppas model. The mechanisms approached Fickian diffusion-controlled release as the n value for both samples was less than 0.5. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 137, 48396.     

One‐pot synthesis of self‐stabilized and carboxyl‐functionalized fluorescent poly(methyl methacrylate) microspheres covalently dyed with tris(8‐hydroquinolinato)aluminium by dispersion polymerization

The dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with fluorescent monomer tris[2‐((8‐hydroxyquinolin‐5‐yl)methoxy)ethyl methacrylate]aluminium (Al‐HQHEMA) was investigated to obtain fluorescent microspheres under varying conditions (such as composition of dispersion medium, and content of stabilizer polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and Al‐HQHEMA) in methanol–water at 70 °C with 2,2′‐azoisobutyronitrile as the initiator. Fluorescent microspheres with particle size of 2.039 µm and uniformity of 0.171 were obtained under the following conditions: methanol–water, 7:3 (v/v); PVP, 15 wt% of MMA; Al‐HQHEMA solution, 1.5 mL. Maleic monoester of monomethoxyl poly(ethylene glycol) (Mal‐MPEG) was used as a comonomer to simultaneously incorporate carboxyl groups and PEG chains. With Mal‐MPEG, no aggregation was observed in the measurements of particle size and size distribution for the obtained microspheres after cleaning off PVP, indicating that self‐stabilized fluorescent microspheres were obtained. While without Mal‐MPEG, obvious aggregation was observed. The determination of surface carboxyl content using aqueous acid–base titration showed that most of the carboxyl groups of Mal‐MPEG were located on the surface of the microspheres. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry     

The critical organic modifier aliphatic tail length for the formation of poly(methyl methacrylate)-montmorillonite nanocomposites

In this article, we report the influence of organic modifier structure (alkyl chain length C8-C20, single vs ditallow) and thereby, the effect of hydrophobicity on the structure, thermal and mechanical properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-clay hybrids. Melt processed PMMA-clay hybrids were characterized using wide-angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The organoclays having an alkyl chain length of more than 12 CH₂ groups resulted in the formation of nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of PMMA increased in the presence of clay. The mean-field lattice model was used to predict the free energy for nanocomposite formation, which showed a reasonable match with the experimental results and provided a general guideline for the proper selection of polymer and organoclay (ie, organic modifier) to obtain nanocomposite. Tensile modulus showed maximum improvement of 58% for the nanocomposites compared to 9% improvement for the composites. Tensile modulus increased with increases in the alkyl chain length of the organic modifier and clay loading. The level of improvement for the tensile properties of nanocomposites prepared from primary and secondary ammonium-modified clay is the same as that obtained with the commercial organoclays.     

ZnIn2S4/In(OH)3 hollow microspheres fabricated by one-step l-cysteine-mediated hydrothermal growth for enhanced hydrogen production and MB degradation

An intervening barrier for photocatalytic water decomposition and pollutant degradation is the frustratingly quick recombination of e⁻ - h⁺ pairs. Delicate design of heterojunction photocatalysts by coupling the semiconductors at nanoscale with well-matched geometrical and electronic alignments is an effective strategy to ameliorate the charge separation. Here a facile and environment-friendly l-cysteine-assisted hydrothermal process under weakly alkaline conditions is demonstrated for the first time to fabricate ZnIn₂S₄/In(OH)₃ hollow microspheres with intimate contact, which are verified by XRD, SEM, (HR)TEM, XPS, N₂ adsorption-desorption, UV–Vis DRS and photoluminescence spectra. ZnIn₂S₄/In(OH)₃ heterostructure (L-cys/Zn²⁺ = 4, molar ratio) with a band-gap of 2.50 eV, demonstrates the best photocatalytic performance for water reduction and MB degradation under visible light, outperforming its counterparts (In(OH)₃ and ZnIn₂S₄). The excellent activity of ZnIn₂S₄/In(OH)₃ heterostructure arises from the intercrossed band-edge positions as well as the unique hollow structure with large surface area and wide pore-size distribution, which are beneficial for the efficient charge migration from bulk to surface as well as at the interface between ZnIn₂S₄ and In(OH)₃. This work provides an efficient and eco-friendly strategy for one-pot synthesis of heterostructured composites with intimate contact for photocatalytic application.     

自交联水性聚氨酯-含氟丙烯酸酯乳液的制备及研究

以异佛尔酮二异氰酸酯(IPDI)、聚碳酸酯二醇(PCDL)、二羟甲基丁酸(DMBA)、1,4-丁二醇(BDO)、甲基丙烯酸羟乙酯(HEMA)为原料合成了双键封端的聚氨酯预聚体;以N-羟乙基丙烯酰胺(HEAA)作交联剂,配合甲基丙烯酸六氟丁酯(HFBMA)等单体进行乳液共聚,制备了自交联水性聚氨酯-含氟丙烯酸酯(FPUA)乳液。研究了HFBMA和HEAA用量对膜耐水性、热性能以及力学性能的影响。结果表明:PUA乳液的耐水性和疏水性随HFBMA用量的增加而增加;随着HEAA用量增加,胶膜的热稳定性增加,拉伸强度增加,伸长率下降;当胶膜中HFBMA质量分数为12%,且HEAA质量分数为2.6%时,乳液的粒径为128 nm,乳液的稳定性较好;胶膜的水接触角为107.6°,吸水率为4.5%,拉伸强度为25.6 MPa,断裂伸长率为268%,10%热失重温度299.6℃。     

Improved compatibility of PET/HDPE blend by using GMA grafted thermoplastic elastomer

ABSTRACT

Herein, graft-modified ethylene-1-octene copolymer (POE-g-GMA) and styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS-g-GMA) were found to be excellent reactive compatibilizers for immiscible poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends via in-situ reaction compatibilization. With increase in compatibilizer amount, uniform phase morphology was observed in all the blends. Thus, exhibiting enhanced mechanical properties, especially, the notched Izod impact strength. In comparison with SBS-g-GMA, compatibilizer POE-g-GMA demonstrated greater impact on the compatibility. The addition of 15% POE-g-GMA produced blends with best mechanical properties. Besides, both POE-g-GMA and SBS-g-GMA enhanced the melt viscosity of PET/HDPE blends.     

Oval cuboid TiO2 particles with mesoporous structure fabricated by using fluorinated block copolymers as templates with photocatalytic performance

In this work, a poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(1H,1H,7H-dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate) (PEG-b-PDFMA) block copolymer was first synthesized by the reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Then a novel facile approach was developed to fabricate oval cuboid TiO₂ particles with mesoporous structure by using the PEG-b-PDFMA block copolymer as a template and titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) as a precursor, followed by evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) process and calcination process. The results show that the PEG-b-PDFMA block copolymer can control the oriented assembly of nanoparticles and act as templates for the formation of a mesopore. It is found that the mass ratio of TBOT/PEG-b-PDFMA and water content in the solution have a significant influence on the morphology of TiO₂ particles. When the mass ratio of TBOT/PEG-b-PDFMA is 0.25/1, oval cuboid TiO₂ particles with mesopores are obtained, which exhibits a high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye under UV light irradiation.     

Novel preparation approach with a 2-step process for spherical particles with high drug loading and controlled size distribution using melt granulation: MALCORE®

A novel approach for preparing drug-containing particles (DCPs) with controlled size distribution and high drug loading was developed using melt granulation. This approach comprises two steps. First, melting component adsorbed particles (MAs) were prepared by mixing and heating the melting components with a porous carrier using a high shear granulator. Second, DCPs were prepared by layering the drug on MAs using a fluidized bed rotor granulator. The time taken for both steps was within 30 min. Adding the polymer in the second step remarkably increased the viscosity of the mixture of melting components and the polymer. Therefore, DCPs could be successfully loaded with a high amount of drug (70% w/w). The particle size distribution of the DCPs was narrow, and it depended on that of the MAs. The flowability of the DCPs was excellent, and the sphericity was close to 1. A unique particle formulation mechanism was suggested based on the observation of DCPs using scanning electron microscopy. The manufacturing time and DCP characteristics were not affected by the manufacturing scale. In conclusion, we have successfully developed a highly efficient novel approach for preparing optimal DCPs through melt granulation, named “Melt Adsorption and Layering with Porosity Core” (MALCORE®).     

膨胀玻化微珠保温砂浆配制技术试验研究

为了进一步降低膨胀玻化微珠保温砂浆的导热系数,并提高其抗压强度,对该砂浆配制技术进行了试验研究。试验结果表明,通过优化配合比,复合掺入高效砂浆发泡剂和β半水石膏,可以在一定程度上改善膨胀玻化微珠保温砂浆性能,扩展其在工程上的应用。