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Abstract: Water-soluble β-cyclodextrin-immobilized poly(ethyleneimine) (PEICD) was synthesized by the grafting of β-cyclodextrin to the branched poly(ethyleneimine). In an aqueous solution, this PEICD polymer could encapsulate bisphenol A, known to be a harmful compound. Additionally, the stability constant of bisphenol A to the PEICD polymer was 1.1×104 M−1. However, the water-solubility of PEICD has been making it difficult to utilize it as an environmental material. Therefore, we prepared the DNA–PEICD composite material by mixing the double-stranded DNA and PEICD. This DNA–PEICD composite material was extremely stable in water and possessed both properties of the intercalation into the double-stranded DNA and the encapsulation into the CD cavity. As a result, this material can accumulate various harmful compounds, such as dioxin- and polychlorobiphenyl (PCB)-derivatives and bisphenol A, from a multi-component solution. Therefore, the DNA–PEICD composite material may have the potential to be used as an environmental material. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Large amounts of DNA-enriched biomaterials, such as salmon milts and shellfish gonads, are discarded as industrial waste around the world. Therefore, the utilizations of DNA with the specific function are important for the biomaterial science and the curce technology. We could convert the discarded DNA to an enzymatic collapsible material by the addition of DNA to the artificial polymer material, such as nylon. Although these DNA–artificial polymer composite materials were stable in water, these materials indicated the collapsibility at the DNA-hydrolyzed enzyme, such as Micrococcal nuclease, condition. Additionally, these collapsibilities under enzyme condition were controlled by the number of imino groups in the components of the artificial polymer. Furthermore, these composite materials could create the fiber form with a highly ordered molecular orientation by the reaction at the liquid/liquid interface. The DNA–artificial polymer composite materials may have the potential utility as a novel bio-, medical-, and environmental materials with the enzymatic collapsibility and degradability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]