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Polymer Hybrid Nanomaterials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 7744

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, GR-26500 Patras, Greece
Interests: macromolecular chemistry; block copolymer self-assembly; "smart" micellar nanoparticles; stimuli responsive hydrogels; controlled drug delivery complex systems

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Guest Editor
Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., 11635 Athens, Greece
Interests: synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers and polyelectrolytes by controlled polymerizations; macromolecular assemblies; hybrid polymer-based nanostructures; nanomedicine
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Organic–inorganic hybrids, comprising polymeric and inorganic components, constitute a very interesting class of modern functional materials. Provided that nanostructured block copolymers together with inorganic nanoparticles are involved, the developed systems exhibit structuration at the nanoscale and afford unprecedented properties, as derived from the combination of the properties of the constituents, which are preserved in the hybrid nanomaterial. Nonetheless, synergistic effects might also emerge, rendering such systems even more interesting and effective. Inorganic nanoparticles exhibit unique optical, magnetic, and catalytic properties but can also substantially improve the conductivity and the mechanical properties of the hybrid. On the other hand, polymers and particularly block copolymers with high design flexibility, able to phase separately at the nanoscale, can endow the nanoparticles with specific properties, like spatial ordering, dispersibility in any media, including biological fluids, and responsiveness to various external stimuli (such as temperature, pH, light, etc.), rendering them “smart” functional hybrids, suitable for specific applications. Therefore, this topic has tremendously attracted the attention of the scientific community and of the industrial sector, as evidenced by the high number of scientific publications and patents, which concern the design, synthesis, properties, and applications of organic–inorganic hybrid polymeric nanomaterials and nanostructures in optics, sensor technology, electronics, catalysis, and biomedicine, for the development of targeting and controlled drug delivery systems, for diagnostics and theranostics.

Prof. Constantinos Tsitsilianis
Dr. Stergios Pispas
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • organic–inorganic hybrids
  • nanomaterials
  • nanostructures
  • nanoparticles
  • block copolymers

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 4142 KiB  
Article
Poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]-b-poly[(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride)] Based Multifunctional Hybrid Nanostructures Encapsulating Magnetic Nanoparticles and DNA
by Angeliki Chroni, Aleksander Forys, Barbara Trzebicka, Adam Alemayehu, Vaclav Tyrpekl and Stergios Pispas
Polymers 2020, 12(6), 1283; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061283 - 3 Jun 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3279
Abstract
We report on the preparation of novel and multifunctional hybrid spherical-shaped nanostructures involving a double-hydrophilic block copolymer, namely the neutral cationic poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]-b-poly[(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride)] (POEGMA-b-PVBTMAC) diblock copolymer, initially complexed with hydrophilic anionic magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and [...] Read more.
We report on the preparation of novel and multifunctional hybrid spherical-shaped nanostructures involving a double-hydrophilic block copolymer, namely the neutral cationic poly[oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]-b-poly[(vinyl benzyl trimethylammonium chloride)] (POEGMA-b-PVBTMAC) diblock copolymer, initially complexed with hydrophilic anionic magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), and subsequently, with short deoxyribonucleic acid (113 bases DNA). The POEGMA-b-PVBTMAC copolymer, the copolymer/MNPs and the copolymer/MNPs/DNA tricomponent hybrid electrostatic complexes were studied by dynamic/electrophoretic light scattering (DLS/ELS) and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) techniques for the determination of their structure and solution properties. The MNPs were complexed efficiently with the oppositely charged diblock chains, leading to well-defined hybrid organic–inorganic spherical-shaped nanostructures. A significant aggregation tendency of the MNPs is noticed in cryo-TEM measurements after the electrostatic complexation of DNA, implying an accumulation of the DNA macromolecules on the surface of the hybrid tricomponent complexes. Magnetophoretic experiments verified that the MNPs maintain their magnetic properties after the complexation initially with the copolymer, and subsequently, within the block polyelectrolyte/MNPs/DNA nanostructures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Hybrid Nanomaterials)
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15 pages, 6520 KiB  
Article
Multicompartmental Mesoporous Silica/Polymer Nanostructured Hybrids: Design Capabilities by Integrating Linear and Star-Shaped Block Copolymers
by Zacharoula Iatridi, Kyriaki Evangelatou, Nikolaos Theodorakis, Athina Angelopoulou, Konstantinos Avgoustakis and Constantinos Tsitsilianis
Polymers 2020, 12(1), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12010051 - 31 Dec 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3973
Abstract
Poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (P2VP-b-PEO) linear diblock copolymer and polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) (PS10PEO10) heteroarm star copolymer were used as building elements to prepare organic–inorganic hybrids. By using the layer-by-layer (LbL) methodology, these elements were integrated on mesoporous [...] Read more.
Poly(2-vinyl pyridine)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (P2VP-b-PEO) linear diblock copolymer and polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide) (PS10PEO10) heteroarm star copolymer were used as building elements to prepare organic–inorganic hybrids. By using the layer-by-layer (LbL) methodology, these elements were integrated on mesoporous silica through non-covalent interactions, namely, ionic and H-bonding. For the latter, tannic acid (TA) was used as an intermediate layer. The deposition of the various layers was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrophoretic measurements, and confocal microscopy. The final silica hybrid, bearing alternating P2VP-b-PEO and PS10PEO10 star layers was capable of carrying one hydrophilic and two hydrophobic chemical species in distinct compartments. These multicompartmental organic–inorganic hybrids could be used as nanostructured carriers for pH-responsive multiple drug delivery and potential theranostic applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Hybrid Nanomaterials)
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