The research presented in this thesis focuses on the synthesis of three amphiphilic block copolymer systems containing poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blocks. The polymer systems were developed for use in biomedical applications. The first of these is a series of poly(ethylene oxide-b-oxazoline) (PEO-b-POX) diblock copolymers for use in the progress towards novel nonviral gene transfer vectors. Poly...

In the past few years, an increasing number of in situ-forming systems have been reported in the literature for various biomedical applications, including drug delivery, cell encapsulation, and tissue repair. There are several possible mechanisms that lead to in situ gel formation: solvent exchange, UV-irradiation, ionic cross-linkage, pH change, and temperature modulation. The thermosensitive ...

In this study, we used diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) as a matrix, the ABA block copolymer poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide) (Pluronic F127) as an additive, and diphenyl diaminosulfone (DDS) as a curing agent to prepare flexible epoxy resins through reaction-induced microphase separation (RIMPS). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the existence of hydr...

New poly(vinyl alcohol)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PVA-g-PEG) resins with various PEG chain lengths, which have high loadings and good swelling both in water and organic solvents, have been prepared via an anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide onto PVA beads and applied in solid-phase synthesis, supported TEMPO catalysis and in HR-MAS 1H NMR spectral analysis.

The quantitative relationships between the concentrations of solutions of gelatin, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(ethylene oxide), polyvinylmethylether, and poly(ethylene glycol), and their ability to reduce the solubility of water for Na citrate are presented. The data in general are in harmony with the polarized multilayer theory of protein (and polymer) dominated water in vitro and in living cells.

Hierarchically porous silica monoliths with well-defined interconnected macropores and uniform spherical mesopores were spontaneously prepared by combining polymerization-induced phase separation with an epoxide-mediated sol-gel route without any complicated aging and drying and high-temperature heat treatment. The precise control of pore structures can be realized by using propylene oxide (PO)...

We present a DSC and X-ray scattering study investigating the effect of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) block crystallinity on self-assembly poly(acryloisobutyl silsesquioxane)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(acryloisobutyl silsesquioxane) (POSS-PEO-POSS) triblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)-b- (PEO-POSS) diblock copolymers mixed with lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide salt...

The adsorption of amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(epsilon-caprolactone) and poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(gamma-methyl-epsilon-caprolactone) copolymers in aqueous solution on silica and glass surfaces has been investigated by flow microcalorimetry, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), surface forces, and complementary techniques. The studied copolymers consist of a poly(ethylene oxide) ...