Polymer Chemistry

Zuzanna Buchwald is a Research Assistant in the Department of Organic Chemistry at Poznan University of Technology, Poznan, Poland. She has completed her PhD in Chemistry in 2017. She is interested in the widely understood materials science for dental applications. Her research is focused on the preparation and characterization of new composite materials for potential restorative applications. Her current research interests are also tooth hard tissues characterization, inverse gas chromatography and spectroscopy, especially the application of these methods in the biomaterials research. She has published 16 papers in SCI journals concerning mainly the characteristics of experimental dental composites with calcium phosphates fillers, recently also with zeolites fillers, characterization of tooth hard tissues and application of Raman spectroscopy and inverse gas chromatography in dental materials research.

The most widely used polymeric matrix for dental restorative materials is based on the photopolymerizable methacrylic resins, mainly Bis- GMA (bisphenol A diglycidyl dimethacrylate), so called Bowen’s resin. The second main component of resinbased composites (RBC) is inorganic filler, which is responsible for the minimizing of the polymerization shrinkage, maximizing the mechanical strength, as well as other crucial properties. Despite the fact that many commercial solutions are present in the market of dental materials, none of them is perfect. Therefore, attempts are still made to design and characterize new groups of restoratives. Promising results were obtained on the basis of the research conducted for experimental RBCs containing calcium phosphates fillers, mainly hydroxyapatite. The second interesting alternative for siliceous fillers is aluminosilicates, e.g. zeolites. The results have shown that these types of materials are promising substitute for classical fillers. Our actual research concerns the application of modified zeolites forms the active filler in dental composites, showing new beneficial properties, e.g. improvement of mechanical strength and curing effectiveness, as well as bioactive effect. This work was produced with the financial support from the Polish National Science Centre (grant no. UMO 2015/17/B/ST8/02388).

Tsukasa Miyazaki is a researcher of polymer science fields and a manager of Utilization Promotion Division and Neutron R&D Division in CROSS. His Research includes Polymer Physics, Thin Polymer Films, Neutron and X-ray Scattering and Reflectivity, Industrial Applications of Polymer Science and Technology.

We have investigated the relationship between the peel strength of a block copolymer-based pressuresensitive adhesive comprising of the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) components from the substrate, and the structural change of microdomains in the interfacial region between the adhesive and the substrate, which is due to the attachment of the adhesive to the substrate. For the PMMA substrate, the PMMA component in the adhesive with a strong interaction to the substrate is attached to the surface of the substrate during an annealing process of the sample at 140 ÌŠC. Next, the PMMA layer adjacent to the substrate surface is overlaid with the PnBA layer covalently connected to the PMMA one, resulting in the horizontal alignment of the lamellae in the interfacial region. The peel strength of the adhesive substantially increases during annealing at 140 ÌŠC, which takes the same time as the completion of the horizontally oriented lamellar structure. On the other hand, in the case of polystyrene (PS) substrate, both the components in the adhesive repel the substrate, leading to the formation of the vertically oriented lamellar structure. That is to say, the PS substrate plays a role as a neutral substrate for both the components. As a result, the peel strength of the adhesive with respect to the PS substrate does not entirely increase on annealing. It is considered that the peel strength of the adhesive is highly correlated to the interfacial energy between the adhesive and substrate, which can be estimated from the microdomain orientation in the interfacial region.

Hsin-Wei Jung is graduated from Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Engineering of biotechnology in Fu Jen Catholic University. His research focuses on the degradation of bioplastics by fungi or actinomyces. His resent publication can be found in the Journal “Polymer Degradation and Stability”. His Research interests are Application of environmental microbiology, Purification of polymer degradation enzyme, gene cloning and enzyme engineering.

Aspergillus fumigatus strain 76T-3 formed clear zones on agar plates containing emulsified polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyethylene succinate (PES), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polycaprolactone (PCL), or polylactide (PLA). The strain grew well at 40 oC in Sabouraud Dextrose Broth. Solution-casted PHB films were almost completely degraded after incubation with 76T-3 at 45 oC for 17 h. An extracellular polyesterdegrading enzyme was purified from the supernatant of 76T-3 cultures in basal medium containing PHB as the sole carbon source. Zymography results portrayed that the purified enzyme degraded PHB, PES, and PBS but not PCL or PLA. The amino acid sequence obtained from LCMS/ MS identified this enzyme to be a PHB depolymerase with a molecular mass of 57 kDa. The optimal reaction condition for the enzyme was pH 6.4 at 55 oC. The recombinant PHB depolymerase (rPhaZ) expressed in E. coli showed the enzyme can act on PHB only and not on PES or PBS.

Emine Gul Cansu-Ergun is an Assistant Professor at Baskent University and is teaching General Chemistry for engineering students. She has obtained her PhD in Polymer Science and Technology Program at Middle East Technical University, Turkey in 2015.Her research interests includes synthesis, characterization and electrochromic device application of conducting polymers and electrochemistry.

Organic electrochromic polymers are in full of consideration due to their tunable electro-optical properties. Second generation electrochromes includes an electron deficient molecule with an electron rich one in the same polymer backbone, resulting in an enhanced conjugation and better optical, electrochemical and thermal properties. These properties can be altered by changing the donor and the acceptor groups in the monomer structure. Moreover, electrochromic polymers are lightweight and low-cost materials. With having those features, they have been using in many fields such as electrochromic devices, organic light emitting diodes, organic solar cells, field effect transistors, screens, biosensing applications and many others. In this study, effect of electron donor unit on the electrochemical and optical properties of an electrochromic polymer was studied. The most well-known donors; selenophene, thiophene, 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene and 3, 4-propylenedioxythiophene donors were combined with the same acceptor unit (2, 2-dimethyl benzimidazole) and the resulting monomers were electrochemically polymerized. The electrochemical and spectrochemical behaviors of the polymers were revealed and compared.

Wael Mahmoud Ahmed Darwish is an Associate Professor of Polymer Science and Technology in the Department of Polymers and Pigments, National Research Centre, Egypt. He was awarded his Doctor degree at Philips University, Germany in 2006. He is a Principle Investigator in a current project concerning photodynamic therapy of cancer and Co-Investigator in many current projects in the field of the use of gold nano-rods in cancer therapy. He was a PI and successfully ended two projects in the field of diagnostic applications of fluorescent materials. He participated as a key-note speaker in many workshops concerning the use of nanotechnology in theranostic applications. His research interests include polymers, nanotechnology, cancer diagnosis and therapy and laser technology.

Highly fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) and quantum dots (QDs) of average particle size of several nanometers were prepared and characterized. Biocompatible polymers such as polyethylenimine (PEI) and carboxylic-ended polycaprolactone (PCLCOOH) were used for preparation of biocompatible (polymer-dots) nanoconjugates via either chemical or electrostatic interactions. Further, this modality allowed for functionalization of the bioconjugates with cancer targeting agents such as folate and/or antibodies. The prepared conjugates were characterized using electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), fluorescence microscopy (FM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), flowcytometry and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The present study opens new avenue for the application of fluorescent polymer conjugates in several cancer theranostic applications.

Pourya Zarshenas has completed his BSc and MSc at Shahid Beheshti University. He wants to continue his academic education in Inorganic Chemistry, Crystal Engineering & Polymer Chemistry. He is a Young Chemist with more than five years of experience in the laboratory and a strong working knowledge of the research. His research interests include Polymer Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Nano composite.

A novel colorimetric sensor based on TiO2/poly (acrylamide-co-methylene bis acrylamideco- dithizone) (TiO2/poly (Am-co-MBA-co-DTz) nanocomposite was synthesized by surface modification of a synthesized TiO2 NPs using vinylic linker, which created a reactive vinyl groups for the polymerization of the Am, MBA and modified dithizone on the surface of modified TiO2 NPs. The prepared polymeric nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). A fast, selective and inexpensive screening-test for recognizing Hg ions contamination in aqueous solution is described to avoid time-consuming and costly determination using atomic absorption spectrometry. This nanostructured composite with polymeric shell contains dithizone was developed as a sensitive and selective sensor for adsorption and detection of mercury ions from aqueous solution at optimized condition.

Pablo studied Chemistry in the University of Barcelona, holds a Master in Polymers in the International University of Menendez Pelayo with a broad and multidisciplinary background in Production, Quality and R&D. He joined important multinationals (BASF, Merck), the most prestigious Spanish Research Centers (Institute for Polymer Science & Technology-CSIC, University of Barcelona) and Innovative SME’s. During his career, multiple experiences in different sectors have resulted in disruptive ideas sustainable products made from Polyurethanes focusing on Construction market. After 12 years involved in R&D projects, Pablo founded INDRESMAT, which has recently received LIOF-LBDF and SME Instrument Phase-1 grants to develop EXTRU-PUR.

Construction polymer materials face the biggest challenge ever since fighting Climate Change is a priority for governments. The use of renewable resources and circularity of materials, the high performance regarding durability and contribution to reduction of energy expenditure on building and houses, the safety of chemicals and absence of additives, as well as the reduction in energy in their manufacturing are today very important market drivers for construction: the 2nd most important market for plastics. Moreover, during last decades, no disruptive technologies have risen to provide sustainable construction plastics at large scale and plastics manufacturers use old technology with just very small innovations. In the mentioned context, EXTRU-PUR is a simple, robust, efficient and versatile technology that will disrupt with high performance and sustainable construction plastics made from Thermoset Polyurethane for first time.

At present demand on polymer compozitions materials having high exploition indices in various areas is increasing from quantity and quality points of view. It stimulates intensity and determines urgency of researches carried out in the field of obtaining of composition materials and control of their properties. Intensification reasons of the researches in the corresponding field can be grounded with following factors: Polymers in pure form don’t have necessary explotation indices; Possibility of purposeful control of polymers indices by various modificating compounds; Natural materials don’t have required indices. A number of researches in the field of obtaining polymer compositions and study of their properties due to the analyses have been carried out and composition materials having various expoitation properties have been obtained. Analysis of the methods of polymer compositions obtaining shows serious development dynamics in the corresponding field. Improvement of the polymer compositions obtaining methods studied last century and researches in the field of analysis of the obtaining methods by precise control of composition structure are being carried out. Availability of a number of researches, scale of the obtained results show development of the corresponding field and necessity of carrying out generalizition in this field. Since 2009, in the carried out researches obtaining methods of polymer compositions purposefully have been analyzed from chemical aspect and generalizations have been done. If we consider the role of polymer compositions in realizing humans’ needs then, scientific practical significance of the researches, including pedagogical significance from specialist preparation point of view become evident.

Dr. Sheta is a Researcher in National Research Centre, Inorganic Chemistry Department, Giza, Egypt. He obtained his B.Sc. and Master’s degrees in Applied Chemistry from Helwan University, Egypt in 2004 and 2010, respectively. He obtained his Ph.D. in Inorganic-Analytical Chemistry from Ain Shams University, Egypt in 2015, he joined the National Research Centre, Egypt in 2013. Technical Manager in Family Medical Laboratory, Giza, Egypt since 2008. He serves as an Editorial board member and reviewer of many international Journals.

In this work a novel copper metal-organic frame works nanoparticles (Cu-MOF-NPs) was synthesized and fully characterized. Cu-MOF-NPs was used for first time as a Nano biosensor for alpha fetoprotein (AFP) quantification as an early test for liver cancer diagnosis photoluminescence (PL) study was carried out for the Cu-MOF-NPs, and the results showed that Cu-MOF-NPs exhibits strong emission at 418 nm after excitation at 354 nm. Moreover, the Stern-Völmer graph shows a linear calibration curve which achieved over a concentration range 1.0 - 520 ng/mL of AFP with a correlation coefficient, 0.997, detection limit 1.18 ng/ mL, and quantitation limit 3.58 ng/mL. According to the remarkable quenching of the PL intensity of Cu-MOF-NPs using various concentrations of AFP, it was successfully used as a biosensor for AFP in serum samples collected from hepatitis A, B and C patient in addition to healthy males and females. The quenching mechanism was well studied, and it has a dynamic type. The present work offers simplicity, low cost, room temperature operation, rapid technique, no consuming time, highly accurate, selectivity, and high sensitivity comparing with most of the published methods.