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A novel potentially biobased aliphatic polyester poly (butylene 2-methylsuccinate) (PBMS) was synthesized from 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and 2-methylsuccinate acid (MSA) via direct esterification and polycondensation route using tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) as catalyst. The reaction conditions were investigated in detail. The proper molar ratio (1.08:1) of BDO to MSA was determined through balancing the reaction efficiency and costs of reactants. TBT was found to be an effective catalyst, and its content (0.1 mol% of MSA) was optimized based on the esterification ratio and intrinsic viscosity. The molecular weight of PBMS polymers was governed by the polycondensation time. The weight average molecular ([M.sub.w]) characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) ranged from 5,800 to 8,700 g/mol. The polyester was also characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR), differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that the glass transition temperature continuously increased with molecular weight. The polyester had excellent thermal stability, and its decomposition temperature increased with the molecular weight. As new potentially biobased polyester plasticizer, desirable mechanical properties were achieved at the weight ratio of PBMS was 80/100 and 50/100. In addition, the PBMS/poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blends had superior migration-resistant property to the low-molecular weight plasticizer dioctyl phthalate for PVC., INTRODUCTION Plasticizers have long been known for their effectiveness in preparing flexible plastics [1-4]. Phthalate esters, the most significant group of polyfvinyl chloride) (PVC) plasticizers, are added in concentrations up [...]

Amphoteric polyacrylamide (AmPAM) was prepared successfully through seeded dispersion polymerization with acrylamide, methacrylatoethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride and acrylic acid as comonomers in ammonium sulfate solution. It was characterized by (1) H nuclear magnetic resonance ((1) H NMR) and elemental analysis. The particle morphology and apparent viscosity of polymer dispersion were obtained by optical microscope and rotary viscometer, respectively. AmPAM dispersion was obtained with low apparent viscosity. The process was smooth without high viscosity stage. The data of (1) H NMR spectrum and elemental analysis indicated that all monomers had participated in the polymerization. The seeded reaction time and the mass ratio of two parts of monomers had significant effects on the dispersion polymerization. The best conditions were seeded reaction time 1.75h and the mass ratio 0.75. The apparent viscosity of AmPAM dispersion depended on the number of particles, particle size and low molecular weight polymer concentration in the continuous phase. AmPAM showed both anti-polyelectrolyte effect and polyelectrolyte effect. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51:1742-1748, 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers, INTRODUCTION Polyelectrolyte contains anionic or cationic groups, while polyampholyte contains both. Compared with cationic and anionic polyelectrolyte, polyampholyte has the advantages of the antipolyelectrolyte effect and a wide pH value [...]

Abstract Background Mu opioid receptor (MOR), which plays key roles in analgesia and also has effects on learning and memory, was reported to distribute abundantly in the patches of the neostriatum. The marginal division (MrD) of the neostriatum, which located at the caudomedial border of the neostriatum, was found to stain for enkephalin and substance P immunoreactivities and this region was found to be involved in learning and memory in our previous study. However, whether MOR also exists in the MrD has not yet been determined. Methods In this study, we used western blot analysis and immunoperoxidase histochemical methods with glucose oxidase-DAB-nickel staining to investigate the expression of MOR in the MrD by comparison to the patches in the neostriatum. Results The results from western blot analyses revealed that the antibody to MOR detected a 53 kDa protein band, which corresponded directly to the molecular weight of MOR. Immunohistochemical results showed that punctate MOR-immunoreacted fibers were observed in the "patch" areas in the rostrodorsal part of the neostriatum but these previous studies showed neither labelled neuronal cell bodies, nor were they shown in the caudal part of the neostriatum. Dorsoventrally oriented dark MOR-immunoreactive nerve fibers with individual labelled fusiform cell bodies were firstly observed in the band at the caudomedial border, the MrD, of the neostriatum. The location of the MOR-immunoreactivity was in the caudomedial border of the neostriatum. The morphology of the labelled fusiform neuronal somatas and the dorsoventrally oriented MOR-immunoreacted fibers in the MrD was distinct from the punctate MOR-immunoreactive diffuse mosaic-patterned patches in the neostriatum. Conclusions The results indicated that MOR was expressed in the MrD as well as in patches in the neostriatum of the rat brain, but with different morphological characteristics. The punctate MOR-immunoreactive and diffuse mosaic-patterned patches were located in the rostrodorsal part of the neostriatum. By contrast, in the MrD, the dorsoventrally parallel oriented MOR-immunoreactive fibers with individual labelled fusiform neuronal somatas were densely packed in the caudomedial border of the neostriatum. The morphological difference in MOR immunoreactivity between the MrD and the patches indicated potential functional differences between them. The MOR most likely plays a role in learning and memory associated functions of the MrD.

Amphoteric polyacrylamide was prepared by dispersion polymerization with acrylamide, dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate methyl chloride, and acrylate acid as monomers, ammonium sulfate (AS) aqueous solution as a reaction medium, poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate methyl chloride) (PDMC) as a stabilizer, and 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride as an initiator. The influence of particle morphology on AmPAM dispersion and other factors and polymerization were investigated. Three crucial factors responsible for particle morphology are the dispersant concentration, sodium chloride concentration, and ionic degree of terpolymer. The ammonium sulfate concentration had relatively less of an effect on particle morphology, but a suitable concentration was necessary to obtain a stable dispersion system. A higher concentration of PDMC could yield more uniform and spherical particles during dispersion polymerization. A small amount of sodium chloride can decrease particle size and dispersion viscosity. These four factors heavily influenced the viscosity of polymer dispersion, and they had a large effect on the intrinsic viscosity of AmPAM except for the AS and NaCl concentration. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Adv Polym Techn 32: E212-E220, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/adv.21264 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]