No / We describe a series of experiments designed to investigate the conformational transition that highly-branched polymers with ligands undergo when interacting with bacteria, a process that may provide a new sensing mechanism for bacterial detection. Fluorescent highly-branched poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)s (HB-PNIPAM) were prepared by sequential self-condensing radical copolymerizations, using anthrylmethyl methacrylate (AMMA) and fluorescein-O-acrylate (FA) as fluorescent comonomers and 4-vinylbenzyl pyrrole carbodithioate as a branch forming monomer. Differences in reactivity necessitated to first copolymerize AMMA then react with FA in a separate sequential monomer feed step. Modifications of the chain ends produced vancomycin-functional derivatives (HB-PNIPAM-Van). The AMMA and FA labels allow probing of the conformational behaviour of the polymers in solution via fluorescence non-radiative energy transfer experiments. It was shown that interaction of this polymer's end groups with Staphylococcus aureus induced a macromolecular collapse. The data thus provide conclusive evidence for a conformational transition that is driven by binding to a bacterium. / EPSRC

Yes / Branched poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was functionalized with Amphotericin B (AmB) at the chain ends to produce an antifungal material. The polymer showed antifungal properties against AmB-sensitive strains of Candida albicans, Fusarium keratoplasticum and Aspergillus flavus (minimal inhibitory concentration ranged from 5 to 500 µg ml−1) but was not effective against an AmB resistant strain of C. albicans nor against Candida tropicalis. The polymer end groups bound to the AmB target, ergosterol, and the fluorescence spectrum of a dye used as a solvatochromic probe, Nile red, was blue shifted indicating that segments of the polymer became desolvated on binding. The polymer was less toxic to corneal and renal epithelial cells and explanted corneal tissue than the free drug. Also, the polymer did not induce reactive oxygen species release from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, nor did it cause a substantial release of the proinflammatory cytokines, tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β (at 0.5 mg ml−1). / Welcome Trust DBT Alliance (0998800/B/12/Z) and MRC (UK) (grant no. 16038)

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No description available.

Des poly(styrène)s (PS) et poly(oxyde d'éthylène)s (PEO) d'architectures ramifiées et des particules semi-conductrices de poly(3,4-ethylènedioxythiophène)s (PEDOT) ont été synthétisés et utilisés comme supports pour le greffage de ferrocènes (Fc) en leur périphérie. Le greffage s’est effectué par cycloaddition de Huisgen dans le cas des PS et par estérification dans le cas des POE et des PEDOT. La mise en évidence d’une possible interaction entre la terminaison azoture des PS et le système catalytique employé pour la polymérisation radicalaire contrôlée a été faite dans ce travail. Les systèmes obtenus ont été caractérisés et testés par voltampérométrie cyclique pour évaluer leurs propriétés dans le stockage d’électrons pour une application de batterie moléculaire. Les groupements ferrocène peuvent être oxydés et réduits de façon réversible sur les PEO-Fc et les PS-Fc. Pour un taux élevé de Fc, un phénomène de transfert de charge entre le cœur PEDOT et les Fc périphériques a été mis en évidence par voltampéromérie cyclique. / Energy storage system have been developed by grafting ferrocene (Fc) moieties on branched or hyperbranched polystyrene (PS) and polyethyleneoxide (PEO), and on semi-conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) particles. Huisgen cycloaddition has been used to graft Fc at the periphery of PS stars, leading to PS-Fc. Synthesis of PEO-Fc and PEDOT-Fc has been done by esterification reaction. A possible interaction in between azido moieties and the catalytic system used for controlled radical polymerization of styrene has been evidenced in this study. Performances as molecular batteries of PS-Fc, PEO-Fc and PEDOT-Fc have been assessed by cyclic voltammetry. Fc moieties can be reversibly oxidized and reduced on PS-Fc and POE-Fc. For high ferrocene content, cyclic voltammetry showed the occurence of charge transfer between ferrocenyl groups and oxidized PEDOT core.

No description available.