Carboxy-terminated poly(trimethylene propane trifumarate) (CT-TPF) oligomers were prepared as a mucoadhesive resin using different process variables. The process variables influence the condensation and molecular size and reactivity of the resin leading to different resins with variation in reactivity and molecular size. Four oligomers were prepared by refluxing at different temperatures, TPF1 (refluxing at 70–80°C for 15 min), TPF2 (refluxing at 80–100°C for 60 min), TPF3 (refluxing at 120–140°C for 15 min), and TPF4 (refluxing at 120–140°C for 30 min). A process parameter with refluxing at 120–140°C for 30 min resulted in a higher molecular weight fast setting resin, TPF4 (M_n 2700, M_w 2920 and polydispersity 1.08). Hydrogel adhesives were prepared using TPF4 resin, poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA, M_n 750), and n-vinyl pyrrolidone. TPF4 undergoes setting with setting time 8 ± 0.55 min with PEGDMA and n-vinyl pyrrolidone. The present hydrogel adhesive has higher shear holding time, 105 ± 3 s and peel strength 13 ± 0.002 kg/m at the speed of 0.022 m/s. The aging of the cured adhesive in the simulated biological fluids reveals gradual degradation due to the cross-linked nature of the cured adhesive. The cured hydrogel adhesive is cytocompatible with L929 fibroblast cells. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 20200; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.20200

Electrospinning is a reliable method to produce polymer nanofibers for medical applications. In this report, poly(2-hydroxy ethyl methacrylate) (p(HEMA)) was electrospun using ethanol and water (4:1) to produce nanofibers. Electrospinning parameters such as the polymer concentration, flow rate, electric field, and distance between needle and collector were optimized. Nanofibers with diameters ranging from nano- to micrometer were obtained as seen through a scanning electron microscope. Solvent evaporation, thermal stability, crystallinity, storage modulus, and viscoelastic behavior were analyzed using FTIR, thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction, and dynamical mechanical analysis respectively. This polymer fiber with mechanical strength, high swelling ratio, and good cell viability is shown to be an excellent biocompatible polymer for tissue engineering applications. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21348; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21348

The newly identified natural fabric from the tree of Cordia dichotoma was coated with polycarbonate. Tensile parameters, such as, tensile strength, Young's modulus, and percentage of elongation at the break of the fabrics were determined using a universal testing machine. The effects of alkali treatment and the polycarbonate coating on the tensile properties of the fabric were studied. The morphology of the fabric before and after alkali treatment and polycarbonate coating was studied using the scanning electron and polarized optical microscopic techniques. Improvement in tensile properties, following polycarbonate coating, was attributed to the filling up of the void regions of the uniaxial fabrics with the polycarbonate, thereby facilitating continuity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21349; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21349

Nylon12 (polyamide12)/natural rubber (NR-grade STR 5L)/ compatibilizer blends were prepared by melt blending in a twin-screw extruder with various compatibilizer contents. The copolymer of polystyrene and natural rubber (PS/NR) was used as a compatibilizer. Then a scanning electron microscope was used to study the phase morphology and the mechanical and rheological properties. At the optimum compatibilizer content of 10 phr, the [Nylon12/NR]/[PS/NR] blends showed improved mechanical properties and fine phase morphology (good dispersion of NR in Nylon12 matrix). This is due to decreased domain size of the dispersed rubber phase, leading to decreased deformability of the rubber particle and increased compatibility of the blend. For the flow properties, increased interfacial interaction between NR domains and Nylon12 matrix can result in increased shear viscosity and decreased extrudate swell. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21352; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21352

The rheoviscometric properties of low and high substituted carboxymethyl starch (CMS) 2 wt% aqueous solutions and their dispersions with sodium, calcium, and organomodified montmorillonite (MMT) have been investigated. The influence of MMT type and content on viscosity of CMS (degree of substitution, DS, 0.90)/sodium MMT aqueous dispersions, their stability, and transparency during storage up to 18 months has been investigated. Moreover, the methods of MMT dispergation in low substituted CMS solutions (DS 0.15), that is, mechanical stirring or mechanical and ultrasonication stirring on viscosity have been compared. It resulted in higher viscosity when using the latter mixing procedure (7000 and 9250 mPa·s, respectively, at 1 rpm for CMS (DS 0.15)/7 phr calcium MMT). In addition, thermal resistance of native starch and both CMS with different DS values has been investigated. The results are important as far as commercial applications of CMS solutions or dispersions with MMTs are concerned. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21353; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21353

In this study, octreotide acetate (OTA)–loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres were prepared using an optimized double emulsion solvent evaporation method. The loading capacity (LC) was increased by raising the concentration of OTA in the inner aqueous phase (W1), and burst release was decreased (<10.0%) because the higher viscosity hindered the diffusion of OTA. The in vitro release profiles were closely correlated with in vivo release profiles calculated using the Wagner–Nelson method (r = 0.9876). To evaluate the drug release profiles rapidly, an accelerated release method was developed. In the accelerated release method, the acidic and alkaline buffers (the first 6 h, pH 4.0; the last 18 h, pH 9.6) were used as release media, respectively. Results indicated that the accelerated release profiles (24 h) were closely correlated with the in vivo release profiles (r = 0.9623). Therefore, through optimization of the experiment variables (buffer components and pH), an accelerated release method was developed to evaluate in vivo drug release from microspheres. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21354; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21354

In this study, a novel molecularly imprinted polymer was synthesized using acephate as the template molecule, methacrylic acid as the functional monomer, and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the cross-linker. The imprinted polymer was characterized by the static adsorption experiments, and results showed that it had higher adsorption capacity toward acephate and methamidophos than the nonimprinted polymers. Competitive experiments indicated that this material exhibited low selective recognition properties toward acephate in aqueous solution. This prepared material also offered fast kinetics for the adsorption of acephate. After shaking for 90 min, an adsorption capacity of 9.54 mg/g was obtained, and it almost reached the adsorption equilibrium within 120 min. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21357; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21357

This paper addresses the preparation of polyaniline (PANI) via a rapid mixing method in which a nanosheet (nanoflake) structure was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The microstructures of acid- and ammonia-dedoped PANI samples were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The effects of polymerization conditions (time and temperature of reaction, monomer/oxidant ratio, and acid type) on the polymerization yield, electrical conductivity, and ammonia-sensing performance of PANI-based sensors were investigated using a Taguchi experimental design. It was found that acid type has the most significant effect on polymerization yield and ammonia-sensing property of PANI. The conductivity of PANI films was mostly influenced by reaction time, reaction temperature, and acid type, respectively. Some interesting behaviors were observed for influential factors that have been comprehensively justified. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Technol 2013, 32, 21356; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21356