Raft polymerization ofN,N-dimethylacrylamide from magnetic poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) microspheres to suppress nonspecific protein adsorption

Functionalized Particles Designed for Targeted Delivery

Pure bioactive compounds alone can only be exceptionally administered in medical treatment. Usually, drugs are produced as various forms of active compounds and auxiliary substances, combinations assuring the desired healing functions. One of the important drug forms is represented by a combination of active substances and particle-shaped polymer in the nano- or micrometer size range. The review describes recent progress in this field balanced with basic information. After a brief introduction, the paper presents a concise overview of polymers used as components of nano- and microparticle drug carriers. Thereafter, progress in direct synthesis of polymer particles with functional groups is discussed. A section is devoted to formation of particles by self-assembly of homo- and copolymer-bearing functional groups. Special attention is focused on modification of the primary functional groups introduced during particle preparation, including introduction of ligands promoting anchorage of particles onto the chosen living cell types by interactions with specific receptors present in cell membranes. Particular attention is focused on progress in methods suitable for preparation of particles loaded with bioactive substances. The review ends with a brief discussion of the still not answered questions and unsolved problems.

Preparation of morphology-controllable PGMA-DVB microspheres by introducing Span 80 into seed emulsion polymerization

Microporous, hollow, or macroporous polymer spheres were prepared by a seed emulsion polymerisation method. Different from the conventional seeded emulsion polymerization, the sorbitan monooleate (Span 80) was added to the seeded emulsion polymerization. In this study, the monodisperse PS seeds prepared by dispersion polymerization were swelled by dibutyl phthalate (DBP), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), divinylbenzene (DVB) and Span 80 successively. The effect of the amount of Span 80 on the morphology of microspheres was investigated. As different amount of Span 80 was added to the mixture, the poly(glycidyl methacrylate-divinylbenzene) (PGMA-DVB) microspheres showed a variety of morphologies containing microporous, hollow, and macroporous structure. In addition, uniform hollow particles with different pore size can be obtained through adjusting the amount of Span 80.

The obtained PGMA-DVB microspheres showed a variety of morphologies by adjusting the amount of Span 80 in the seeded emulsion polymerization.

Surface-Initiated Controlled Radical Polymerization: State-of-the-Art, Opportunities, and Challenges in Surface and Interface Engineering with Polymer Brushes

The generation of polymer brushes by surface-initiated controlled radical polymerization (SI-CRP) techniques has become a powerful approach to tailor the chemical and physical properties of interfaces and has given rise to great advances in surface and interface engineering. Polymer brushes are defined as thin polymer films in which the individual polymer chains are tethered by one chain end to a solid interface. Significant advances have been made over the past years in the field of polymer brushes. This includes novel developments in SI-CRP, as well as the emergence of novel applications such as catalysis, electronics, nanomaterial synthesis and biosensing. Additionally, polymer brushes prepared via SI-CRP have been utilized to modify the surface of novel substrates such as natural fibers, polymer nanofibers, mesoporous materials, graphene, viruses and protein nanoparticles. The last years have also seen exciting advances in the chemical and physical characterization of polymer brushes, as well as an ever increasing set of computational and simulation tools that allow understanding and predictions of these surface-grafted polymer architectures. The aim of this contribution is to provide a comprehensive review that critically assesses recent advances in the field and highlights the opportunities and challenges for future work.