Water-soluble Vinyl Monomers Research Articles

Poly(vinylphosphonic acid) grafted hollow microspheres with nanoparticles-stacked polymer shell for uranium selective extraction: Dynamic role translation of ethyl α-cyanoacrylate

Hollow polymer microspheres (MPs) have attracted much attention in the field of separation science and technology due to their low density, high specific surface area, easy chemical modification, and abundant binding sites. However, traditional methods for preparing hollow microspheres typically involve surfactants and expensive templates, which are time-consuming and uneconomical, and are not suitable for large-scale production. Oil-soluble α-ethyl cyanoacrylate (ECA), a highly reactive monomer, has been employed to prepare hollow microspheres efficiently in the current study. Self-stabilizing encapsulation via fast interfacial polymerization of ECA would confer a special Pickering-like emulsion droplet reactor for rapid microcapsule formation. The ECA acts as both a monomer and a Pickering emulsifier during the reaction, in which case the newly formed polyECA (PECA) nanoparticles accumulate at the interface, forming a shell of PECA layer eventually. Excellent mechanical property of the PECA layers prevent droplets from coalescence, resulting in hollow PECA MPs after drying. To provide adsorption sites for chelating of uranyl ions, a water-soluble vinyl monomer grafted with ethylene phosphate (vinylphosphonic acid) was then introduced onto the non-reactive double bonds of the polyECA chain under mild reaction conditions, owning to the slightly amphiphilic nature of the PECA chain. The obtained adsorbent for uranium extraction is thus named as PECA-PO43− MPs. Owing to the accessible affinity sites and hollow structure, PECA-PO43− MPs displayed high adsorption capacities at pH = 7–9, showing remarkable selectivity for uranium even in the presence of various competition ions. Moreover, PECA-PO43− MPs exhibited high stability as well as excellent recyclability toward uranium capture after five regeneration cycles. Therefore, this work not only presents a new clue to fabricate novel functional MPs in a high-efficiency way, but also provides a novel platform for efficient uranium extraction.

Carica papaya Fruit Extract Protects the Cerebellum of Wistar Rats Against Acrylamide-Induced Oxidative Stress

Acrylamide is a water-soluble vinyl monomer produced industrially as an agent for the production of plastics and cosmetics, in waste water management as a flocculation agent, and naturally in fried, baked, and roasted foods, especially when heated beyond 120 °C. Acrylamide (AC) is associated with severe neurotoxic complications through the initiation of oxidative stress. Hence the use of Carica papaya (CP), a natural antioxidant, in protecting the cerebellum of Wistar rats against acrylamide-induced oxidative stress. Forty adult female Wistar rats (180-200 g) were divided into four groups (n=10): Control (1 mL distilled water), AC (25 mg/kg), CP (300 mg/kg), and CP+AC (300 mg/kg+25 mg/kg). All treatments were administered orally for 21 days. Thereafter, the rats were weighed, and neurobehavioural tests were done. The rats were sacrificed, while their cerebella were dissected out and preserved for oxidative stress, antioxidant markers, and histological and immunohistochemical studies. Data were analysed using analysis of variance at p<0.05. There was decreased body weight, locomotor activities, and forelimb grip strength in the AC-treated group compared with the control and other treated groups. Increased lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels, decreased glutathione (GSH) levels, and catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities in the AC-treated groups compared with the control and other treated groups. Histologically, degeneration, pyknosis, shrinking and loss of Purkinje neurons, reactive astrogliosis, and apoptosis occurred in the AC-treated group compared with the control and other treated groups. In conclusion, acrylamide induced oxidative stress in the rat cerebellum, and administration of CP fruit extract offered protection from its neurotoxic effects.

A novel strategy accomplished by cell wall annular thickening with polymer for improving the mechanical performances of plantation wood

Inspired by the multi-level physiological structure of wood cell wall, a bionic method accomplished by annular thickening of cell wall by polymer was proposed to improve the mechanical performances of plantation wood. The thickening mechanism and the contribution of annular thickening of cell wall to the mechanical performances of plantation wood was analyzed. Results indicated that wood cell wall could be annularly thickened by the modification system prepared with water-soluble vinyl monomers and organic solvent. The flexural, compressive and impact strengths of plantation wood were synchronously improved after the treatment. The modulus of rupture of the prepared wood with 22.4% weight percentage gain reached up to 95.7 MPa which was higher than the TB 17 requirement based on the Chinese National Standard (GB 50206). The thickening degree which could be controlled by adjusting modifier concentration was closely related to the mechanical performance of treated wood.

N-heterocyclic Carbene Containing Homogeneous Ru Catalyst for Aqueous Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Water-soluble Vinyl Monomers

This report presents aqueous atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of commonly used acrylate monomers in the presence of N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) containing homogeneous Ru catalyst in neat water. The newly synthesized Ru catalyst includes NHC, which possesses poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a water-soluble component and benzylidene. The water-soluble Ru catalyst enables the polymerization of acrylamide, [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA), and PEG methyl ether methacrylate. Polymerization with this new catalyst displayed typical ATRP behavior such as a low PDI, a direct linear relationship between molecular weight and conversion, and first-order kinetics. The polySBMA (Mn 335.5 kDa and PDI 1.66) was prepared with 91% conversion at 6 h of reaction time with 0.05 mol% catalyst loading in neat water ([catalyst]:[monomer] = 1:2000 at 80 °C). Without the Ru catalyst, the thermally initiated polymerization displayed uncontrolled polymerization (e.g., non-linear kinetics, high PDI, and too fast or slow polymerizations). The Ru catalyst also demonstrated ATRP of the PEG methyl ether methacrylate in an organic solvent, acetonitrile. More detailed studies of initiator amount, solvent concentration, and catalyst amount effects were performed. In turn, the new ATRP will add prominent value to the polymer science field as an initial example of Ru-benzylidene catalyzed ATRP in neat water. Additionally, this will promote various applications of environmentally benign polymerization as well as applications in the biomedical field with high-cost efficiency.

Combination of water-soluble chemical grafting and gradient freezing to fabricate elasticity-enhanced and anisotropic nanocellulose aerogels

Lignocellulosic nanofibrils (CNFs) are among the most well-known renewable and biocompatible materials. Aerogels assembled from these high aspect ratio CNFs are highly porous and ultralight. However, CNF aerogels ultimately exhibit unsatisfactory mechanical properties. This work reports the lamellar-aligned structural design to prepare an elasticity-enhanced CNF aerogel through the combination of chemical grafting with a water-soluble vinyl monomer and gradient freezing, thereby focusing on the relationship between structure and performance. Morphological characterization by scanning electron microscope showed that the large-scale lamellar/porous structure of the elasticity-enhanced aerogel exhibited flyweight densities of 3.31 mg/cm3, porosity of 99.77%, enhanced elasticity at 70% strain, and over 85.4 times water adsorption (by weight) at 20 °C for 20 cycles. Moreover, the carbonized lamellar-aligned aerogel exhibited anisotropic electrical resistivity. The interesting effects of anisotropy and the more environmentally friendly preparation are important contributions to the CNF light porous materials. The fascinating large-scale lamellar-aligned renewable aerogel may be useful for applications such as energy storage, strain sensors, and thermal insulation.

Modification of wood cell wall with water-soluble vinyl monomer to improve dimensional stability and its mechanism

In this work, a new simple and environmentally friendly wood modification method was used to improve the dimensional stability of fast-growing wood. The wood samples were submerged in a neutral aqueous solution of 40% N-isopropylacrylamide/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (NIPAM/HEMA) at a mass ratio of 1/6 in the presence of catalytic amounts of 2,2′-azobis[2-methylpropionamidine] dihydrochloride (AAPH). The impregnated samples were heated at 60 °C for 12 h, followed by a heating period at 103 ± 2 °C for 12 h, in the course of which an in situ graft polymerization occurred in the cell wall. The results of scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analyses indicate that the water-soluble vinyl monomers could effectively permeate into the wood cell walls. Infrared spectra showed that water-soluble monomers were in situ polymerized in wood. The results of XPS indicate that the water-soluble vinyl monomers could graft onto wood cell walls. The dimensional stability of poplar wood modified by the water-soluble vinyl monomers treatment was remarkably improved compared with that of untreated poplar wood.

Improvement of the Performance of Plantation Wood by Grafting Water-Soluble Vinyl Monomers onto Cell Walls

The accomplishment of lightweight reinforcement of wood through an environmentally friendly approach has been seen as a tough nut to crack for a long time. In this study, a novel method inserting water-soluble vinyl monomers into wood cell walls followed by in situ polymerization was proposed. The distributions of the modifiers in the wood cell walls and the graft mechanism between water-soluble vinyl monomers and wood cell wall components were thoroughly investigated. Results indicated that the water-soluble vinyl monomers could effectively permeate into the wood cell walls and connected with the hydroxyl groups of the lignin and polysaccharides via covalent bonds. The lumen of the wood remained unfilled during the modification process, and just a 40% weight gain was achieved. However, a 68.37% antiswelling efficiency was achieved after a water-soluble vinyl monomer treatment under the optimized condition (when 20 wt % of NMA was coadded). The modulus of rupture and modulus of elasticity of the correspon...

Possible Protective Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Histopathological Changes of Acrylamide on Jejunum of Adult Male Albino Rats

Introduction: Acrylamide (ACR) is a water soluble vinyl monomer that has multiple chemical and industrial applications. Several studies were used with liver, kidney, brain, erythrocyte and proved that (ACR) increase glutathione-s-transferase and causing oxidative stress. Jejunum is the most sensitive part of the intestine, and most of the absorption process occurred in it. Ascorbic acid is natural antioxidant that prevents the increased production of free radicals induced by oxidative damage to various cellular components. Aim of the work: to study the effect of ACR on the jejunum of adult male albino rats and to evaluate the possible role of ascorbic acid as a protective agent. Material and methods: A thirty albino rats were divided into 3 groups: Group Ι: were served as untreated control group. Group IIa received ACR 30 mlkg b.w orally dailly for 28days Group IIb: received both ACR 30 mlkg b.w orally simultaneously with ascorbic acid 400ml kg.b.w intraperitoneally daily for 28 day. Results Exposure to ACR led to histological changes in Group IIa in the form of widening and shortening of villi compared to control group sections. There was inflammatory cell infiltration in the lamina propria, Group IIb showed an improvement in comparison with a groupIIa. This improvement include restoration of villous shape and length, less inflammatory cells infiltration Conclusion: ACR led to histopathological changes in jejunum. These changes attenuated by simultaneous administration of ascorbic acid with ACR.

Carbon nanodots-catalyzed free radical polymerization of water-soluble vinyl monomers

Carbon nanodots (T-CNDs) made from green tea can catalyze free radical polymerization of water-soluble vinyl monomers (e.g. NaSS).

High-Density Monomer System for Formation Consolidation/Water-Shutoff Applications

Summary This paper describes an in-situ polymerizable organic monomer hydrogel system for formation consolidation during deepwater drilling applications in which a water-soluble vinyl monomer solution is polymerized in-situ to seal and consolidate unstable geological zones. In deepwater wells, shallow zones may have pore pressures close to parting pressures. In these situations, lost circulation or flowing zones can be difficult to control and can lead to a complete loss of the well. Hydroperoxide and azo initiators are used for polymerizing solutions of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate monomer in aqueous solutions of synthetic seawater, sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), calcium bromide (CaBr2), and zinc bromide (ZnBr2), with densities from 8.6 to 17.5 lbm/gal. These monomer solutions undergo controlled polymerizations in the formation to yield a crosslinked hydrogel matrix that can withstand high differential pressures. A similar monomer system has been used for water-shutoff applications but had never been formulated in heavy brines or used in the cool temperatures (50 to 60°F) typical of the shallow water-flow zones. The use of a high-density hydrogel for consolidation purposes would be an advantage in shallow water-flow zones because the gelant solution of the hydrogel could be spotted over, and allowed to flow into, the problem zone where the gelant flow is driven by the hydrostatic pressure of the treatment fluid. This process enables the use of the monomer system in wells where high-pressure injection of the treatment fluid into the formation is not an option. This article describes the hydrogel system's development, including gel-time curves and compressive strengths of consolidated sandpacks, and discusses factors affecting the performance and application of the system.

Surface modification of polymers—III. Photo-initiated grafting of water soluble vinyl monomers and influence on fibrinogen adsorption

Grafting of water soluble vinyl monomers in the superficial layer of styrene-(ethylene-cobutene)-styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymer has been performed by two different methods taking into account diffusion phenomena. The methods consist in successive or simultaneous diffusion of benzophenone and monomer into the film followed by u.v. irradiation of the film. Grafting of methacrylic acid and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone occurs by both methods, as detected by i.r. transmission spectroscopy. However, only grafting after simultaneous diffusion results in a change of surface properties, characterized by contact angle measurements, 125I human fibrinogen adsorption studies and ATR i.r. spectroscopy. Diffusion of monomer and photo-initiator into SEBS, kinetics of grafting and influence of monomer and benzophenone concentration have been studied.

Acrylamide and polyacrylamide: a review of production, use, environmental fate and neurotoxicity.

Acrylamide is a highly water soluble vinyl monomer formed from the hydration of acrylonitrile. The major commercial use of acrylamide is the formation of polymers. In the environment acrylamide has a high mobility in soil, may travel great distances in ground-water, is biodegradable, and is not absorbed by sediments or affected by water treatment. It is absorbed by all routes of animal exposure. The main metabolite is N-acetyl-S-(3-amino-3-oxypropyl)-cysteine and is excreted predominantly in the urine. Acrylamide produces an ascending central/peripheral axonopathy in man and animals. The major histological findings are swelling of axons and/or decrease in number of large diameter axons. Acrylamide axonopathy is reversible with time, but full recovery depends upon the severity of the intoxication. All reported cases of acrylamide toxicity have been attributed to handling the monomer. Polyacrylamide is non-toxic. Specific clinical features of acrylamide intoxication are more conclusive than electrophysiological, histological or biochemical laboratory tests for diagnosis. Acrylamide can be detected by titration, colorimetry, high performance chromatography, gas chromatography and polarography in air, water, biological fluids, tissues and polyacrylamides. Present research on the effects of acrylamide focuses on developmental and reproductive effects, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity.

Investigation of the persulfate/itaconic acid interaction and implications for emulsion polymerization

AbstractItaconic acid, a carboxylated water‐soluble vinyl monomer, is shown to greatly induce the thermal decomposition of potassium persulfate initiator. From decomposition rate studies carried out at 50, 60, and 70°C, the rate constants for this interaction are found to be increased eight to 15 times as much over the values of rate constants from uninduced decompositions. The induction is found to be particularly sensitive to the concentration of the first anion of itaconic acid and is thought to lead to wastage of initiator radicals. As the polymerization temperature is increased from 50 to 70°C, this interaction between itaconic acid and persulfate leads to worsening monomer conversion levels in acrylate latexes made with both compounds. Employing a water‐soluble azo initiator in the presence of itaconic acid does not result in any induced decomposition of the former. Acrylate latexes prepared with these two compounds have monomer conversion levels which rise as the polymerization temperature is increased, as is expected in conventional emulsion polymerizations.

Grafting onto isotactic polypropylene. III. Gamma rays induced graft copolymerization of water soluble vinyl monomers

AbstractGraft copolymerization of water soluble vinyl monomers such as acrylic acid and acrylamide onto isotactic polypropylene by the pre‐irradiation method has been studied. Grafting was carried out in a water and water‐methanol solvent system. The percentage of grafting has been determined as a function of (i), total dose (ii) concentration of monomers, (iii) reaction time, and (iv) the composition and amount of water‐methanol solvent system. Water was found to be the best solvent for affording maximum grafting. The grafted samples were characterized by spectroscopic and thermogravimetric methods. Acrylic acid was found to be more reactive than acrylamide towards graft copolymerization.

Synthesis and polymerization of new vinyl derivatives of thymine

AbstractN‐acryloyl and N‐methacryloyl derivatives of thymine were prepared by one‐step reaction of silylated thymine with acryloyl chloride and methacryloyl chloride, respectively, in good yields. These vinyl monomers containing thymines were polymerized and copolymerized with water soluble vinyl monomers such as acrylamide and vinylpyrrolidone by free‐radical polymerization. Complex formation between copolymers and RNA in aqueous solution was studied by means of UV spectroscopy.

Synthesis and Properties of Hydrophilic Copolymers Containing 5-Fluorouracil, Thymine, or Adenine

Abstract Hydrophilic copolymers containing 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), thymine, or adenine were prepared by the free-radical copolymerization of methacryloyl-type monomers containing them with water-soluble vinyl monomers such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, vinylpyrroli-done, acrylamide, and 4(5)-vinylimidazole with AIBN as initiator. Complex formation between the copolymers and RNA and between the copolymers having complementary nucleic acid bases in aqueous solution and a DMSO-ethylene glycol was studied by means of UV spectroscopy. These copolymers were found to release the N-hydroxyethyl derivatives of 5-FU, thymine, or adenine by hydrolysis of the ester of the polymer side chain under mild conditions. The effects of the kind of water-soluble comonomer, temperature, pH, and the imidazole group as catalyst on the hydrolysis of the ester are discussed.

Plasma-initiated graft polymerization of water-soluble vinyl monomers onto hydrophobic films and its application to metal ion adsorbing films

Plasma-initiated graft polymerization of water-soluble vinyl monomers such as acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and acrylamide was carried out onto polyethylene, polypropylene and poly(ethylene terephthalate) films. It was found that these monomers could be graft polymerized quite easily to 0.5%–670% of the mass of the dry films by exposing the films to a plasma for 90s, with subsequent post-polymerization at room temperature. Thus, polyethylene films capable of adsorbing and desorbing metal ions reversibly could be prepared by grafting the monomers described.

Plasma-initiated Graft Polymerization of Water-soluble Vinyl Monomers onto Hydrophobic Films and Its Application to Metal Ion Adsorbing Films

Plasma-initiated Graft Polymerization of Water-soluble Vinyl Monomers onto Hydrophobic Films and Its Application to Metal Ion Adsorbing Films

Formation and Quantification of Acrilamide in Vegetable Food Products

Acrylamide is a colorless (or white), odorless, highly water soluble vinyl monomer formed from the hydration of acrylonitrile. 
 The chemical compound acrylamide is an amide with chemical formula C3H5NO and structure. 
 Acrylamide is a white odorless crystalline, soluble in water, ethanol and ether. It is used in papermaking, ore processing, manufacture of permanent-press fabrics, and the manufacture of dyes. Acrylamide is also used to synthesize polyacrylamides which find many uses as water-soluble stabilizers, for instance in waste water treatment and in gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). 
 Acrylamide is also a probable carcinogen found in small quantities in some foods. It is believed to be created in foods when starches and other carbohydrates are overheated (far past 100°C) during cooking. Some sources claim that people in the modern world consume daily on average around 25 micrograms of acrylamide, and that this accounts for a significant number of cases of cancer.