In this work, we report on the synthesis of a series of polyesters based on 1,6-hexanediol, sebacic acid, and N,N’-dimethylene-bis(pyrrolidone-4-carboxylic acid) (BP-C2), of which the latter is derived from renewable itaconic acid and 1,2-ethanediamine. Copolymers with a varying amount of BP-C2 as dicarboxylic acid are synthesized using a melt-polycondensation reaction…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
The length of pendant side chains in charged, random, comb-shaped polymers dictates the nature of their short-range ordering. Random copolymers, and terpolymer, of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP), styrene, and isoprene were synthesized and subsequently fully quaternized with 1-alkylbromides having varying number of carbons on the alkyl group ranging from 2 to 8.…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
High axial aspect crystalline nanomaterials have emerged as polymeric building blocks for the construction of supermaterials. In contrast to this form, amorphous nanospheres have remained largely untapped. This is especially peculiar in the context of material assembly, due to the wide range of opportunities they offer by virtue of their…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Magnetosomes are membrane-enveloped single-domain ferromagnetic nanoparticles enabling the navigation of magnetotactic bacteria along magnetic field lines. Strict control over each step of biomineralization generates particles of high crystallinity, strong magnetization, and remarkable uniformity in size and shape, which is particularly interesting for many biomedical and biotechnological
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Atomically precise thiolate-gold nanoclusters with well-defined structures attract attention for use in various applications. However, most of the recently reported synthetic methods rely on prolonged synthesis times (a few hours to days) in order to produce high purity materials with a single cluster size. Such extended synthesis times make these…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
We report the fabrication, properties, and bacteria-resistance of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) coatings and free-standing films. Poly(4-styrenesulfonic acid), poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride), and salt were spin-coated into PEC films. After thermal annealing in a humid environment, highly transparent, mechanically strong, and chemically robust films were formed. Notably, we demonstrate
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
We investigated the two-step chemical transformation of a series of symmetric poly(styrene-b-solketal acrylate) (PS-b-PSA) copolymers with varying molecular weights from 1900 to 27?300 g/mol (13 ? N ? 194) synthesized by sequential atom transfer radical polymerization. Through acid-catalyzed hydrolysis, the PSA block is converted into poly(glycerol acrylate) (PGA), which subsequently…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
The complex mechanical deformation behaviour of closed-cell foams is governed by morphological and physical properties such as cell structure and crystallinity. In this study, the micro-, meso- and macroscopic scale of commercially available bead foam was analysed. Statistical distribution of the cell structure including cell size, wall thickness and shape…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Niobium dioxide (NbO2) features a high theoretical capacity and an outstanding electron conductivity, which makes it a promising alternative to the commercial graphite negative electrode. However, studies on NbO2 based lithium-ion battery negative electrodes have been rarely reported. In the present work, NbO2 nanoparticles homogeneously embedded in a carbon matrix…
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020
Excipients are substances that are added to therapeutic products to improve stability, bioavailability, and manufacturability. Undesirable protein-protein interactions (PPI) can lead to self-association and/or high solution viscosity in concentrated protein formulations that are typically greater than 50 mg/mL. Therefore, understanding the effects of excipients on nonspecific PPI is important for
sergio.rodrigues@xenocs.com27 January 2020