Polymer Chemistry Commons^™

Drug Delivery Strategies For The Treatment Of Advanced Lung Cancer And Various Lung Metastases, Elizabeth Bielski

Wayne State University Dissertations

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Secondary lung tumors metastasized from other cancer sites also remains highly prevalent, in which most metastatic tumors cannot be cured with existing therapies. Chemoresistance (multi drug resistance – MDR) that develops intrinsically or acquired is one of the key factors leading to fatality in these patients. MDR develops form a variety of resistance mechanisms that can occur consecutively or concurrently, therefore, making most current treatments unsuccessful. Current therapies have known to slow tumor growth, but rarely provide a cure. Immunotherapy has seen some promise, including the use …

Surfactant Driven Assembly Of Freeze-Casted, Polymer-Derived Ceramic Nanoparticles On Grapehene Oxide Sheets For Lithium-Ion Battery Anodes, Ali Zein Khater

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Traditional Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) are a reliable and cost-efficient choice for energy storage. LIBs offer high energy density and low self-discharge. Recent developments in electric-based technologies push for replacing historically used Lead-Acid batteries with LIBs. However, LIBs do not yet meet the demands of modern technology. Silicon and graphene oxide (GO) have been identified as promising replacements to improve anode materials. Graphene oxide has a unique sheet-like structure that provides a mechanically stable, light weight material for LIB anodes. Due to its structure, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) is efficiently conductive and resistive to environmental changes. On the other hand, silicon-based …

Synthesis And Catalytic Testing Of A Proline Functionalized Amphiphilic Block Copolymer, Eric Firestone

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Catalysts are reagents used to reduce the amount of energy that a reaction needs to execute, allowing it to proceed at a higher rate while not being consumed. The use of catalyst functionalized amphiphilic copolymer allows easier recovery of the catalyst at the end of the synthesis and allows for the reaction. In water, under appropriate conditions, the amphiphilic block copolymers will form micelles and allow the reaction to occur on the interior of the micelle. The synthesis of amphiphilic copolymer with a hydrophobic O-methacryloyl-trans-4- hydroxy-L-proline and methyl methacrylate end and a hydrophilic acrylic acid end was characterized. The polymer …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Mpims : Metallopolymers Of Intrinsic Microporosity, Kelly Walter

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) are class of polymers known for high surface areas arising from their contorted and rigid backbone structures. While high surface area compounds are applicable in many fields, simultaneous solubility and conductivity in PIMs is still lacking. In general, the monomeric units that form the backbone, necessary to yield inefficient polymer strand packing and contortion, also break conjugation in the along the polymer backbone and therefore limit conductivity. It has been previously noted that extended conjugation and the addition of metal atoms (along the backbone) increases conductivity. We therefore sought to use a strategy whereby the …

Direct Measurement Of Rupture Force Of Single Triazole Molecule By Atomic Force Microscope And Solid Phase Synthesis Of Monodisperse Polyethylene Glycols, Ashok Khanal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This dissertation includes two topics, which are related to each other: (1) Rupture force measurement of single triazole molecule by atomic force microscope (AFM) and (2) Solid phase stepwise synthesis of polyethylene glycols (PEGs).

The reaction of an alkyne and an azide to form a 1,2,3- triazole has found wide applications. However, the stability of triazole under mechanical stress is unclear. We investigated the cycloreversion at the single molecular level using atomic force microscopy. A mica surface functionalized with a molecule containing a 1,2,3-triazole moiety in the middle and an activated ester at the end was prepared. An AFM tip …

Functionalizing Titanium Implants With Bioactive Peptides To Increase Osseointegration, Neil Bernard

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Orthopedic surgeries have continued to increase, but the material of choice remains constant: titanium. Titanium has become the benchmark implant material due to its durability and non-immunogenic properties. However, while high rates of success are correlated with joint replacement surgery, certain patients with predisposed diseases such as diabetes or arthritis may have increased complications.¹ This can be due to lack of osseointegration due to decreased bone formation and mineralization,² which will lead to increased rates of infection or aseptic loosening of the implant from the bone. ³ Current methods to alleviate these complications include invasive revisional surgeries, which …

Block-Copolymer Assisted Fabrication Of Anisotropic Plasmonic Nanostructures, Calbi J. Gunder

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The anisotropic nanostructures of noble metals are of great interest for plasmonic applications due to the possibility of tuning the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) across the UV-VIS-NIR without sacrificing the linewidth as well as to achieve larger local field enhancement. Here, we report a simple and promising fabrication method of anisotropic gold nanostructures film using polystyrene-b-2vinylpyridine (PS-b-P2VP) block copolymers (BCP) as a template. In this approach, PS-b-P2VP spherical micelles were first synthesized as a template followed by selective deposition of Au precursor inside P2VP core of the micelles using ethanol solution of Au salt. Subsequently, heat treatment of the …

Characterization Of Coacervate Systems Using Redox Sensitive Dyes, Caleb Kaiser

All Master's Theses

Coacervates are systems that spontaneously form when two oppositely charged polyelectrolytes are mixed in a concentrated salt solution. When coacervates form, a biphasic equilibrium occurs in the sample with two phases present in the solution. The two phases are described as the dense phase and the lean phase, named after the amount of polyelectrolyte material in each phase. Coacervates have been topics of interest to researchers in a variety of fields including biomedical applications, drug delivery devices, and more. This thesis worked towards the characterization of coacervate systems on the molecular level by investigating the interaction of the polyelectrolytes and …

Fabrication Of Superhydrophobic Gold Film On Polymer Substrates, Siriwan Boonmeewiriya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Superhydrophobic surface was fabricated by a reduction reaction between chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) and sodium formate (HCOONa) on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate without any further surface modification. This generated gold films with superhydrophobic properties examined by water contact angle (WCA) and contact angle hysteresis measurement. Wettability of the fabricated gold film on PDMS substrate can be controlled by the deposition time which provides the WCA > 160o and it could be up to 164.41o with a contact angle hysteresis of 1.93o when the deposition time was prolonged at least 2 hours. To propose the deposition mechanism, the morphological structure and chemical characters of …

Multi-Dimensional Mass Spectrometry For The Characterization Of Glycopolymers, Maria Ganios

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Several glycopolymers synthesized by Activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (ARGET ATRP), were characterized by mass spectrometry to elucidate their microstructure and architecture. Analyses were performed using Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization- Time of Flight/ Time of Flight (MALDI-ToF/ToF) and Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry (ESI-MS) instruments. The linear isopropylidenated glycopolymer (P65B1) analyzed with ESI-MS also was examined with multi-stage mass spectrometry (MSⁿ) using collision induced dissociation (CID) to examine the tetramer parent ion. This glycopolymer was found to be either cyclic or linear (sans end groups) due to the data being fit for both forms …

Preparation Of Polyurethane And Polyisocyanurate Foams Catalyzed By Metal Acetate-Ammonia Complexes, Benjatham Sukkaneewat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Metal acetate-ammonia complex solutions, namely Cu(Amm) and Zn(Amm), were synthesized and characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Cu(Amm) and Zn(Amm) were used as homogeneous catalysts for accelerating gelling (urethane formation) and blowing reactions (CO2 generation) of rigid polyurethane (RPUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams. Potassium octoate solution in diethylene glycol, which was used as a trimerization catalyst, was mixed with Cu(Amm) or Zn(Amm) to give a catalyst mixture which can catalyze gelling, blowing and trimerization reactions for the preparation of PIR foams. The catalytic activity of Cu(Amm) and Zn(Amm) in gelling and blowing reactions was compared to that of …

Pdms-Silver Nanocomposite For Bendable And Stretchable Conductive Stripes, Porapak Suriya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this research, a simple and low-cost protocol for fabricating PDMS-silver composite as flexible conductive polymer is presented. Rod-shaped silver acetate (RS-AcOAg) was synthesized and fabricated into a solvent-cast RS-AcOAg film. The film was thermally decomposed into porous silver structures at 300ºC. The thermal decomposition of RS-AcOAg film induced the formation of silver microparticles (AgNPs) on the surface of RS-AcOAg with the expense of RS-AcOAg rod. AgNPs sintered into bigger particles and turned RS-AcOAg film into porous silver film consisting of interconnected quasi-sphere silver microparticles (AgMPs). The sintered structures transformed porous silver into rigid structures and affected the electrical resistivity …

Enhanced Analysis Of Lignin Dehydrogenation Oligomers Via Mass Spectrometry, Amber Suzanne Bowman

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Effective analytical techniques need to be developed to characterize the products of lignin degradation experiments to be able to generate renewable products from lignin. Mass spectrometry is an valuable analytical approach for lignin characterizaion, but it is hindered by lignin’s poor ionization efficiency, especially in the positive ion mode. In this work, we attempt to improve lignin’s ionization by utilizing electrospray and laser desorption mass spectrometry coupled with the addition of cations and chemical derivatives. We confronted the ionization problem from both a top-down and bottom-up analytical approach by analyzing synthesized monomers, dimers, and polymers along with natural lignin extracts …

Study Of The Effect Of Steric Bulk Of Side Chains On The Properties Of Conjugated Polymers, Bei Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Donor-acceptor conjugated polymers opened a new era for conjugated polymer research due to the abundant selection and combination of different conjugated units. This class of polymers function as semiconductor materials with potential application in plastic consumer electronics. The frontier molecular orbital energies of the polymers are generally determined by the selection of donor and acceptor units in the backbone structure, and their substituents. The side chains attached to the backbone not only affect the solubility of the materials, but also their self-assembly and morphological characteristics, which indirectly govern optoelectronic properties. It is important therefore to consider backbone architectures and the …

Modification Of Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode With Mxene/Conductive Polymer Composites For Hydrogen Peroxide Detection, Supawat Neampet

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

MXene (Ti3C2), a two-dimensional material consisting of transition metal carbides, nitrides or carbonitrides was prepared by etching method for modification electrode of a novel nanocomposites consisting of platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and polyaniline (PANI) via electrodeposition and electropolymerization, respectively. The fabricated MXene/PANI/PtNPs nanocomposite modified on surface screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy SEM) with energy dispersive X-rays spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to verify the presence of nanocomposite materials and indicate their morphologies. This electrode was applied for the detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is a common electroactive product from …

Polyisocyanurate Foams Preparation Catalyzed By Mixtures Of Copper-Amine Complexes/Potassium 2-Ethylhexanoate, Teeraporn Suwannawet

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this research, a new catalyst system for the preparation of polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam was developed. The mixture of copper-amine complex:potassium 2-ethylhexanoate (K-15) and metal-ethanolamine complex:K-15 were used as catalysts. Two copper-amine complexes and two metal-ethanolamine complexes, namely Cu(OAc)2(en)2, Cu(OAc)2(trien), Cu(OAc)2(EA)2 and Zn(OAc)2(EA)2, respectively; where en = ethylene diamine, trien = triethylenetetramine and EA = ethanolamine, were used as catalyst for blowing and gelling reactions. K-15 was used as a catalyst for trimerization reaction. These catalysts could be further used in the preparation of PIR forms without purification. Characterization of catalysts were done by using UV-visible spectroscopy. The factors investigated …

Improved Barrier Properties Of Pp/Ldpe Composite Film: Effect Of Montmorillonite And Poly (Lactic Acid), Supornpat Mooninta

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this research, the properties of polypropylene (PP) were improved for single layer film application by incorporating low density polyethylene (LDPE), poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and montmorillonite (MMT). The polymer composites was prepared by melt blending using a twin screw extruder and the film was produced by cast film extruder. The addition of LDPE in PP improved the elongation at break and tear strength. The PP/LDPE blend at the ratio of 80:20 (w/w) was selected for blending with PLA and MMT and the PP/LDPE/PLA/MMT composite showed the increased tensile modulus while the elongation at break decreased with increasing PLA and MMT …

Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Technique For Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Detection Using Thiol-Functionalized Silver Nanoparticle Films, Sathita Taksadej

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is developed based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using silver nanoparticle films as SERS substrates. The films are fabricated by a Langmuir Blodgett (LB) method and the surface of AgNP films are functionalized with various types of aromatic and aliphatic thiols, i.e., naphthalenethiol, phenylethanethiol, pentanethiol, octanethiol, and dodecanethiol, to create a hydrophobic layer for PAHs to attach on and stay in hot spot. The results indicate that nine kinds of PAHs with different structures, i.e., anthracene, chrysene, naphthacene, naphthalene, phenanthrene, pentacene, perylene, pyrene, and triphenylene, can attach on the surfaces of thiol-modified AgNP …

Preparation And Characterization Of Starch Films Reinforced With Citrate Cellulose Nanocrystals, Prapaporn Nakarat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Citrate-modified bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (citrate CNCs) were prepared by a green one-pot dual acid (citric and hydrochloric acids) method and used them to reinforce three types of starch films; corn, wheat and rice starch films. The average length and width of citrate CNCs were 583 and 46 nm, respectively. The degree of citrate substitution on CNCs was 0.075 and its crystallinity index was closely to the original bacterial cellulose. The effect of various amount of citrate CNCs (0-20%wt of starch) on film property was study. Three starch films showed the same trend of examination results. The film thickness of most …

Preparation Of Alginate Capsule Using Two Coaxial Glass-Tube, Panida Watchanung

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

TEMPO-Oxidized bacterial cellulose (TOBC) were obtained using TEMPO-mediated oxidation (TOBC) to produce carboxylate groups on bacterial cellulose surfaces. TOBC had lower crystallinity but better aqueous dispersion than bacterial cellulose. TOBC was used as a reinforcement agent for production alginate capsules. The alginate capsules for entrapping rice bran oil were made via a coaxial-glass tube. The factors that influenced on the shape and production efficiency of capsules were the gap between tube tip and the Ca2+ ions bath and the viscosity of shell solution. However, these factors had no effect on the size and shell thickness of capsules. Increasing of TOBC …