EDTA and pH‐sensitive crosslinking polymerization of acrylic acid, 2‐acrylamidoglycolic acid,and 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid

Network formation was monitored by shear storage modulus (G′) during free radical crosslinking polymerization to investigate the effects of pH and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA; a complex agent). Three types of acrylic monomers, acrylic acid (AAc), 2‐acrylamidoglycolic acid (AmGc), and 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl propanesulfonic acid (AmPS), were polymerized in the presence of a crosslinking agent. The ratio of crosslinking agent (methylene bis‐acrylamide; MBAAm) to monomer was varied as: 0.583 × 10^?3, 1.169 × 10^?3, 1.753 × 10^?3, and 2.338 × 10^?3. G′ of the hydrogel in crosslinking polymerizations of AAc and AmPS was effectively increased by addition of EDTA, which was not the case for the crosslinking polymerization of AmGc. The order of magnitude of G′ differed based on the acidity of monomer. The maximum values of G′ in crosslinking polymerizations of AAc, AmGc, and AmPS were ～20,000 Pa, 6000 Pa, and 400 Pa, respectively. G′ varied linearly with the molecular weight between crosslinks (M_wc). pH and EDTA‐complex affected the rate of intramolecular propagation during crosslinking polymerization. Our results indicated that G′ was primarily affected by the following factors in the order: (1) acidity of monomer, (2) M_wc, and (3) physical interactions induced by pH and EDTA. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41026.     

Synthesis and properties of radiation‐induced acrylamide–acrylic acid hydrogels

Acrylamide (AAm)/acrylic acid (AAc) hydrogels in the cylindirical form were prepared by γ‐irradiating binary systems of AAm/AAc with 2.6–20.0 kGy γ‐rays. The effect of the dose and relative amounts of AAc and pH on the swelling properties, diffusion behavior of water, diffusion coefficients, and network properties of hydrogel systems was investigated. The swelling capacities of AAm/AAc hydrogels were in the range of 1000–3000%, while poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) hydrogels swelled in the range of 450–700%. Water diffusion into hydrogels was found to be non‐Fickian‐type diffusion. Diffusion coefficients of AAm/AAc hydrogels were found between 0.79 × 10^?5 and 2.78 × 10^?5 cm² min^?1. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 3570–3580, 2002     

Photopolymerized pH‐sensitive semi‐IPN: Synthesis,water uptake analysis,and preliminary drug release study

A series of pH‐sensitive semi‐IPN hydrogels, composed of varying amounts of monomer acrylic acid(AAc), crosslinker N,N′ methylene bisacrylamide, polymer cellulose acetate (CA) were synthesized via photoinitiated polymerization in dimethyl formamide (DMF) medium. The CA/P (AAc) hydrogels were characterized by FTIR, and TG analysis. The equilibrium water uptake data was used to determine various network parameters. For all the samples synthesized, the swelling exponent “n,” initial diffusion coefficient D and average diffusion coefficient D_ave were found to be in the range of 0.51–0.72, 3.16 to 7.14 × 10^?6 cm² min^?1 and 94.16–120.56 cm² min^?1, respectively. The hydrogel demonstrated fair pH‐dependent swelling behavior, with nearly 20% swelling in the medium of pH 1.0 and 615% in the medium of pH 7.4 at 37°C, respectively. The gel showed excellent swelling–deswelling cycles which were interpreted quantitatively by first order kinetic swelling and deswelling models. Finally, the preliminary insulin release study, carried out in the media of varying pH, observed almost 16% release of entrapped drug in the simulating gastric fluid (SGF) of pH 1.0 in first 2 h and nearly 51% in next 6 h in simulating intestinal fluid(SIF) of pH 7.4 at 37°C. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2129–2140, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Modification of dextran through the grafting of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and studies of physicochemical phenomena in terms of metal‐ion uptake,swelling capacity,and flocculation

The optimum conditions for grafting N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone onto dextran initiated by a peroxydiphosphate/thiourea redox system were determined through the variation of the concentrations of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, hydrogen ion, potassium peroxydiphosphate, thiourea, and dextran along with the time and temperature. The grafting ratio increased as the concentration of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone increased and reached the maximum value at 24 × 10^?2 mol/dm³. Similarly, when the concentration of hydrogen ion increased, the grafting parameters increased from 3 × 10^?3 to 5 × 10^?3 mol/dm³ and attained the maximum value at 5 × 10^?3 mol/dm³. The grafting ratio, add‐on, and efficiency increased continuously with the concentration of peroxydiphosphate increasing from 0.8 × 10^?2 to 2.4 × 10^?2 mol/dm³. When the concentration of thiourea increased from 0.4 × 10^?2 to 2.0 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, the grafting ratio attained the maximum value at 1.2 × 10^?2 mol/dm³. The grafting parameters decreased continuously as the concentration of dextran increased from 0.6 to 1.4 g/dm³. An attempt was made to study some physicochemical properties in terms of metal‐ion sorption, swelling, and flocculation. Dextran‐g‐N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone was characterized with infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Electrochemical preparation of poly(N‐acetylaniline)/poly‐(4‐styrenesulfonic acid‐co‐maleic acid) composite film towards ascorbic acid sensing

Poly(N‐acetylaniline)/poly(4‐styrenesulfonic acid‐co‐maleic acid) (PNAANI/PSSMA) composite film was prepared by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and was characterized by FTIR and X‐ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The electroactivity of the composite film was high in neutral and basic solutions, and it had been used for amperometric determination of ascorbic acid (AA). Compared with pure PNAANI film, the catalytic activity of the composite film was much better. AA was detected amperometrically in sodium citrate buffer at a potential of 0.3 V (versus SCE). The response current was proportional to the concentration of ascorbic acid in the range of 4.7 × 10^?6 to 5.0 × 10^?5M and 5.0 × 10^?5 to 2.5 × 10^?3M, respectively, with the detection limit of 1.9 × 10^?6 mol L^?1 at a signal to noise ratio 3. In addition, the stability and reusability of the composite film were performed well, and it was satisfying to be used for determination of AA in real fruit juice samples. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

One pot synthesis of xanthan gum‐g‐N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone and study of their metal ion sorption behavior and water swelling property

In this article, graft copolymerization of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone onto xanthan gum initiated by potassium peroxydiphosphate/Ag⁺ system in an aqueous medium has been studied under oxygen free nitrogen atmosphere. Grafting ratio, grafting efficiency, and add on increase on increasing the concentration of potassium peroxydiphosphate (2.0 × 10^?3 to 12 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3), Ag⁺(0.4 × 10^?3 to 2.8 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3), and hydrogen ion concentration from 2 × 10^?3 to 14.0 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3. Maximum grafting has been obtained when xanthan gum and monomer concentration were 0.4 g dm^?3 and 16 × 10^?2 mol dm^?3, respectively, at 35°C and 120 min. Water swelling capacity, swelling ratio, metal ion uptake, and metal retention capacity have also been studied, and it has been found that graft copolymer shows enhancement in these properties than pure xanthan gum. The graft copolymer has been characterized by FTIR and thermal analysis. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan‐g‐methacrylic acid and studies of its additional physicochemical properties,such as swelling,metal‐ion sorption,and flocculation behavior

The aim of this study was to examine the synthesis of a graft copolymer of chitosan and methacrylic acid (MAA) by free‐radical polymerization with a potassium peroxymonosulfate/cyclohexanone (CY) redox system in an inert atmosphere. The optimum reaction conditions affording maximum grafting ratio (%G), grafting efficiency (%E), add on (%A), and conversion (%C) were determined. The grafting parameters were found to increase with increasing concentration of MAA up to 24 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, but thereafter, these parameters decreased. With increasing concentration of peroxymonosulfate from 0.6 × 10^?2 to 1.2 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, %G, %A, and %E increased continuously. All of these grafting parameters increased with increasing concentration of CY up to 1.2 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, but beyond this concentration, the grafting parameters decreased. With various concentrations of chitosan from 0.6 to 1.4 g/dm³, the maximum %G, %A, and %E were obtained at 1.4 g/dm³. %G, %A, and %C decreased continuously with various concentrations of hydrogen ions from 2 × 10^?3 to 6 × 10^?3 mol/dm³. The grafting parameters increased with increasing temperature up to 35°C, but thereafter, these parameters decreased. With increasing time period of reaction from 60 to 180 min, %G, %A, and %E increased up to 120 min, but thereafter, these parameters decreased. The graft copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Affinity‐tuned peroxidase‐like activity of hydrogel‐supported Fe3O4 nanozyme through alteration of crosslinking concentration

In this work, we evaluated the effect of crosslinking concentration on the affinity of poly (2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl‐1‐propansulfonic acid) (PAMPS) hydrogel‐supported Fe₃O₄ nanozyme towards substrates (tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) and H₂O₂). The peroxidase‐like catalytic activity of PAMPS/Fe₃O₄ nanozyme was discussed with respect to crosslinking concentration of PAMPS hydrogel for the oxidation of TMB in the presence of H₂O₂ at room temperature. High catalytic activity was achieved due to good dispersion of Fe₃O₄ nanozyme in the hydrogel network and strong affinity of PAMPS hydrogel‐supported Fe₃O₄ nanozyme towards substrates. The affinity between the hydrogel‐supported Fe₃O₄ nanozyme and substrates can be improved by regulating the crosslinking concentration of PAMPS hydrogel without other trenchant experimental conditions. In addition, the result indicated that H₂O₂ can be detected even at a concentration as low as 1.5 × 10^?6 mol L^?1 with a linear detection range of 1.5–9.8 × 10^?6 mol L^?1. Such investigations not only showed a new approach to improve the affinity and peroxidase‐like activity of Fe₃O₄ nanozyme, but also verified its potential application in bio‐detection and environmental chemistry. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43065.     

Development of dual‐triggered in situ gelling scaffolds for tissue engineering

Hydrogel‐forming materials that mimic the three‐dimensional architecture and properties of tissue are known to have a positive effect on cellular differentiation and growth. A subset of those are in situ gels, which utilise in vivo conditions like pH (e.g. acetate phthalate), temperature (e.g. poloxamer) and ionic concentration (e.g. Gelrite?), and can be used to facilitate the delivery of cells to an affected tissue. Hence, we have developed in situ hydrogels based on gellan and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), which are known to be triggered through ions and temperature, respectively, as matrices to deliver cells. Gellan/HPMC blends had a lower gelation temperature than gellan alone crosslinked with calcium, suggesting the role of the dual trigger. Average storage modulus at a frequency of 10 Hz for gellan crosslinked with 3 mmol L^?1 calcium was 4.53 × 10³ Pa; for 9:1 gellan/HPMC crosslinked with 3 mmol L^?1 calcium was 5.59 × 10³ Pa; and for 8:2 gellan/HPMC crosslinked with 3 mmol L^?1 calcium was 2.13 × 10³ Pa, suggesting tunable stiffness by changing the gellan‐to‐HPMC ratio. Hydrophilicity was confirmed using goniometry with a contact angle much less than 90°, facilitating the passage of cells and electrolytes when using the gels as scaffolds. The gels were also found to be porous and non‐toxic to fibroblast cell line L929 and osteosarcoma cell line MG‐63, which, when encapsulated within the gels, were able to grow and proliferate. These blended hydrogels are suitable as scaffolds to encapsulate cells, with tunable stiffness modulated by varying the concentration of gellan and HPMC. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Graft copolymerization of acrylic acid onto methylcellulose by potassium permanganate‐p‐xylene redox pair

Poly(acrylic acid) was grafted onto methylcellulose in aqueous media by a potassium permanganate‐p‐xylene redox pair. Within the concentration range from 0.93 × 10^?3 to 9.33 × 10^?3M, p‐xylene, the graft copolymerization reaction exhibited minimum and maximum graft yields and was associated with two precursor‐initiating species, a p‐xylyl radical and its diradical derivative. The efficiency of the graft was low, not higher than 12.9% at a p‐xylene concentration of 0.93 × 10^?3M and suggested the dominance of a competitive homopolymerization reaction under homogeneous conditions. The effect of permanganate on the graft yield was normal and optimal at 135% graft yield, corresponding to a concentration of the latter of 33.3 × 10^?3M over the range from 8.3 × 10^?3 to 66.7 × 10^?3M. The conversion in graft yield showed a negative dependence on temperature in the range 30–60°C and suggested a preponderance of high activation energy transfer reaction processes. The calculated composite activation energy for the graft copolymerization was 7.6 kcal/mol. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 278–281, 2004     

A study toward the physicochemical properties of graft copolymer (partially carboxymethylated guar gum‐g‐N,N′‐dimethylacrylamide): Synthesis and characterization

Unreported graft copolymer of N,N′‐dimethylacrylamide (DMA) with partially carboxymethylated guar gum (CmgOH) has been synthesized and the reaction conditions have been optimized for affording maximum grafting using a potassium peroxymonosulphate (PMS)/thiourea (TU) redox initiators under nitrogen atmosphere. The study of graft copolymerization has been performed to observe maximum value of grafting parameters except percentage of homopolymer by varying the concentrations of DMA, PMS, and TU. The grafting parameters increase continuously on increasing the concentration of DMA from 8 × 10^?2 to 24 × 10^?2 mol dm^?3, PMS from 5 × 10^?3 to 21 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3, and TU from 1.6 × 10^?3 to 4.8 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3. The optimum temperature and time for grafting of DMA onto CmgOH were found to be 35°C and 120 min, respectively. The water‐swelling capacity of graft copolymer is investigated. Flocculation property for both coking and noncoking coals is studied for the treatment of coal mine waste water. The graft copolymer is characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Relaxational behavior and swelling‐pH master curves of poly[(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐(ethylene glycol)] hydrogels

Poly[(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐(ethylene glycol)] hydrogels were prepared with a molar ratio of 10:1 of diethylaminoethyl methacrylate to poly(ethylene glycol) of number‐average molecular weights (M_n) 200, 400 and 1000 g mol^?1 using tetra(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate to give a crosslinking ratio between 0.5 and 4.0 %. Glucose oxidase and catalase were immobilized in the matrix during polymerization. The maximum enzyme loading used was 6.6 × 10^?4 g of glucose oxidase per g of polymer. The equilibrium and dynamic swelling properties of these hydrogels were investigated. The pH‐dependent equilibrium swelling characteristics showed a sharp transition between the swollen and the collapsed state at pH 7.0. The dynamic response of the hydrogel discs to pH was analyzed in pulsatile pH conditions. The effects of particle size, crosslinking and molecular weight of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on the dynamic swelling response were investigated. The pulsatile nature of the response was analyzed using Boltzmann superposition. Swelling–pH master curves were obtained. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Particle number and size of polystyrene‐dependent micellar crosslinking polymerization of acrylic acid

The effect of the number and size of polystyrene particles and the concentration of ammonium persulfate used as the initiator on the micellar crosslinking polymerization of acrylic acid was studied by real‐time monitoring of the storage modulus (G ′), the damping factor (tanδ), and the ratio of the complex modulus (G*) to the maximum G* (G*_max) during 1 h of polymerization. The molar ratio (5.83 × 10^?4) of N,N′‐methylenebis‐acrylamide to acrylic acid was fixed. Polystyrene particles were prepared by emulsifier‐free emulsion polymerization. The diameter of the particles ranged from 233 to 696 nm. The results show that crosslinking polymerization was most effective when 1.31 × 10¹² particles were incorporated into the system, while crosslinking polymerization was less effective in the particle‐filled system than in the unfilled polymerization system if the particle number was 50% lower or higher. Crosslinking was also more effective with the use of uncrosslinked firmer and larger particles at the fixed particle number, except for the anomalous behavior observed with 696 nm polystyrene particles. Increasing the feed concentration of the initiator resulted in more efficient crosslinking up to a limiting concentration of 0.765 mg mL^?1 (the molar ratio of initiator to monomer was 8.52 × 10^?4). When this initiator concentration was doubled, the rate of increase of G ′ in the deceleration phase was slower after the network was formed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42851.     

Catalytic potential of a poly(AAc‐co‐HPMA‐cl MBAm)‐matrix‐immobilized lipase from a thermotolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC‐4713

A purified alkaline thermo‐tolerant lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC‐4713 was immobilized on a series of five noble weakly hydrophilic poly(AAc‐co‐HPMA‐cl MBAm) hydrogels. The hydrogel synthesized by copolymerizing acrylic acid and 2‐hydroxy propyl methacrylate in a ratio of 5 : 1 (HG_5:1 matrix) showed maximum binding efficiency for lipase (95.3%, specific activity 1.96 IU mg^?1 of protein). The HG_5:1 immobilized lipase was evaluated for its hydrolytic potential towards p‐NPP by studying the effect of various physical parameters and salt‐ions. The immobilized lipase was highly stable and retained ～92% of its original hydrolytic activity after fifth cycle of reuse for hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl palmitate at pH 7.5 and temperature 55°C. However, when the effect of pH and temperature was studied on free and bound lipase, the HG_5:1 immobilized lipase exhibited a shift in optima for pH and temperature from pH 7.5 and 55°C to 8.5 and 65°C in free and immobilized lipase, respectively. At 1 mM concentration, Fe³⁺, Hg²⁺, NH₄⁺, and Al³⁺ ions promoted and Co²⁺ ions inhibited the hydrolytic activities of free as well as immobilized lipase. However, exposure of either free or immobilized lipase to any of these ions at 5 mM concentration strongly increased the hydrolysis of p‐NPP (by ～3–4 times) in comparison to the biocatalysts not exposed to any of the salt ions. The study concluded that HG_5:1 matrix efficiently immobilized lipase of P. aeruginosa MTCC‐4713, improved the stability of the immobilized biocatalyst towards a higher pH and temperature than the free enzyme and interacted with Fe³⁺, Hg²⁺, NH₄⁺, and Al³⁺ ions to promote rapid hydrolysis of the substrate (p‐NPP). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 4252–4259, 2006     

Studies on graft copolymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine onto guar gum

Graft copolymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine (4‐VP) onto guar gum (GOH) using potassium monopersulfate (PMS)/thioacetamide (TAA) as a redox pair was studied in an aqueous medium under inert atmosphere. The concentration of potassium monopersulfate and thioacetamide should be 1.0 × 10^?2 and 5.0 × 10^?3 mol dm^?3, respectively, for highest grafting ratio and efficiency. Efficient grafting was observed at 19.25 × 10^?2 and 4.87 × 10^?2 mol dm^?3 concentration of 4‐vinylpyridine and sulfuric acid, respectively. The optimum temperature for grafting is 30°C. As the time period of reaction is increased, the grafting ratio increases, whereas efficiency decreases. The plausible mechanism of grafting has been suggested. A sample of guar gum and guar‐ g‐4‐vinylpyridine were subjected to thermogravimetric analysis with the objective of studying the effect of grafting 4‐vinylpyridine on the thermal stability of guar gum. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2380–2385, 2002     

Preparation and properties of porous poly(sodium acrylate‐co‐acrylamide) salt‐resistant superabsorbent composite

A novel semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (semi‐IPNs) porous salt‐resistant superabsorbent composite was prepared by copolymerization of partially neutralized acrylic acid and acrylamide using polyethylene glycol as semi‐IPNs composite, N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide, triene propanol phosphate, and trihydroxymethyl propane glycidol ether as crosslinking agents, methanol, propanol, and butanol as foaming agents, and L ‐ascorbic acid and peroxide hydrogen as initiators. To improve the properties of swollen hydrogel, such as strength, resilience, permeabilities, and dispersion, the copolymer was surface‐crosslinked, and then blended with aluminum sulfate, sodium carbonate, and sodium 1‐octadecanol phosphate in the course of post treatment. The influences of reaction conditions on properties of superabsorbent composite were investigated and optimized, and the water absorbency of superabsorbent composite prepared at optimal conditions in 0.9 wt% NaCl aqueous solution under atmospheric pressure and certain load (P ≈ 2 × 10³ Pa) were 61 g g^?1 and 16.7 g g^?1, respectively. Moreover, the swelling rate reached 22.003 × 10^?3 g (g s)^?1. And the excellent hydrogel properties, such as hydrogel strength, resilience, permeabilities, and dispersion were also obtained. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Effect of side‐chain functionality on the organic field‐effect transistor performance of oligo(p‐phenylenevinylene) derivatives

In order to observe the effects of the substitution of electronegative flourine with aromatic groups in oligo(p ‐phenylenevinylene) compounds on their packing, morphology, and charge carrier mobility, we have synthesized napthol‐substituted oligo(p ‐phenylenevinylene) compounds and examined their solubility, redox properties, thin film morphologies, and charge carrier properties. To date, very few examples of conjugated oligomers bearing napthol side groups have been reported in the literature. After annealing at 150 °C, the mobility of S1, S2, and S3 was 4.0 × 10^?2 cm² V^?1 s^?1, 1.2 × 10^?2 cm² V^?1 s^?1, and 2.6 × 10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1, respectively. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44825.     

Microbiocidal activity of chitosan‐N‐2‐hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride

Chitosan‐N‐2‐hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (QTS) was prepared by reaction of chitosan with glycidyl trimethylammonium chloride, which was characterized by FTIR. QTS with different molecular weights (M_w 41.55 × 10⁴, 9.02 × 10⁴, 3.57 × 10⁴, and 0.17 × 10⁴) showed biocidal activity on Staphylococcua aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcua epidermidis, and Candida albicans. QTS with high molecular weight had high biocidal activity on the gram‐positive bacteria, and the biocidal effect of QTS decreased with decreasing molecular weight from 9.02 × 10⁴ to 0.17 × 10⁴. QTS with M_w 41.55 × 10⁴ exhibits slightly lower biocidal activity on Candida albicans than other QTS samples. However, no remarkable biocidal activity of QTS was found on gram‐negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the concentration up to 10 g L^?1. Existence of cationic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, nonionic surfactant, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ had no remarkable effect on microbiocidal activity of these QTS samples. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3851–3856, 2007     

Dynamic adsorption behaviors between Cu2+ ion and water‐insoluble amphoteric starch in aqueous solutions

Dynamic adsorption behavior between Cu²⁺ ion and water‐insoluble amphoteric starch was investigated. The sorption process occurs in two stages: external mass transport occurs in the early stage and intraparticle diffusion occurs in the long‐term stage. The diffusion rate of Cu²⁺ ion in both stages is concentration dependent. In the external mass‐transport process, the diffusion coefficient (D₁) increases with increasing initial concentration in the low‐ (1 × 10^?3‐4 × 10^?3M) and high‐concentration regions (6 × 10^?3‐10 × 10^?3M). The values of adsorption activation energy (k_d1) in the low‐ and high‐concentration regions are 15.46–24.67 and ?1.80 to ?11.57 kJ/mol, respectively. In the intraparticle diffusion process, the diffusion coefficient (D₂) increases with increasing initial concentration in the low‐concentration region (1 × 10^?3‐2 × 10^?3M) and decreases with increasing initial concentration in the high‐concentration region (4 × 10^?3‐10 × 10^?3M). The k_d2 values in the low‐ and high‐concentration regions are 9.96–15.30 and ?15.53 to ?10.71 kJ/mol, respectively. These results indicate that the diffusion process is endothermic in the low‐concentration region and is exothermic in the high‐concentration region for both stages. The external mass‐transport process is more concentration dependent than the intraparticle diffusion process in the high‐concentration region, and the dependence of concentration for both processes is about equal in the low‐concentration region. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2849–2855, 2001     

Characteristics of poly(AAc5‐co‐HPMA3‐cl‐EGDMA15) hydrogel‐immobilized lipase of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC‐4713

Four series of noble networks were synthesized with acrylic acid (AAc) copolymerized with varying amount of 2‐hydroxy propyl methacrylate or dodecyl methacrylate (AAc/HPMA or AAc/DMA; 5:1 to 5:5, w/w) in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA; 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20%, w/w) as a crosslinker and ammonium per sulfate (APS) as an initiator. Each of the networks was used to immobilize a purified lipase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC‐4713. The lipase was purified by successive salting out with (NH₄)₂SO₄, dialysis, and DEAE anion exchange chromatography. Two of the matrices, E_15a, i.e. [poly (AAc₅‐co‐DMA₁‐cl‐EGDMA₁₅)] and I_15c, i.e. [poly (AAc₅‐co‐HPMA₃‐cl‐EGDMA₁₅)], that showed relatively higher binding efficiency for lipase were selected for further studies. I_15c‐hydrogel retained 58.3% of its initial activity after 10th cycle of repetitive hydrolysis of p‐NPP, and I_15c was thus catalytically more stable and efficient than the other matrix. The I_15c‐hydrogel‐immobilized enzyme showed maximum activity at 65°C and pH 9.5. The hydrolytic activity of free and I_15c‐hydrogel‐immobilized enzyme increased profoundly in the presence of 5 mM chloride salts of Hg²⁺, NH₄⁺, Al³⁺, K⁺, and Fe³⁺. The immobilized lipase was preferentially active on medium chain length p‐nitrophenyl acyl ester (C:8, p‐nitrophenyl caprylate). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 4636–4644, 2006