Des nanocapsules (NCs) biocompatibles destinées à l’administration intraveineuse d’agents anticancéreux hydrophobes ont été élaborées par polymérisation RAFT en miniémulsion, confinée à l’interface liquide/liquide. La polymérisation RAFT a été utilisée pour contrôler la croissance des greffons polymères constituant l’écorce des NCs à partir d’un transurf (macroagent RAFT et tensioactif) multifonctionnel dérivé du dextrane (DexN3-τCTAγ). Des NCs constituées d’une écorce en polymère hydrophobe (poly(méthacrylate de méthyle)) entourant un cœur liquide huileux (Miglyol®810) et recouvertes d’une couronne hydrophile polysaccharide (dextrane) ont ainsi été obtenues. Ces nano-objets ont été caractérisés en termes de taille, de recouvrement en dextrane (quantité de polysaccharide, épaisseur et stabilité), de stabilité colloïdale et de morphologie. La fabrication de NCs à écorce polymère pH-sensible a également été abordée. Enfin, le potentiel biomédical de ces nano-objets a été évalué grâce à différentes études : i) encapsulation et libération d’une substance active modèle, ii) cytotoxicité de NCs, iii) interactions des NCs avec les protéines plasmatiques et iv) fonctionnalisation de la surface des NCs par chimie « click ». / Biocompatible nanocapsules (NCs) for intravenous administration of hydrophobic anticancer agents were produced by interfacial Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) miniemulsion polymerization. Controlled growth of polymeric grafts constituting NCs shell was obtained using a multi-reactive dextran-based transurf called DexN3-τCTAγ (acting both as macroRAFT agent and surfactant) to mediate RAFT polymerization at the liquid/liquid interface. NCs composed of a hydrophobic polymer shell (poly(methyl methacrylate)), an oily liquid core (Miglyol®810) and a hydrophilic polysaccharide coating (dextran) were obtained. These nano-objects were characterized in terms of size, dextran coverage (density, thickness and stability), colloidal stability and morphology. Synthesis of NCs with a pH-sensitive polymer shell was approached. Finally, potential of these nano-objects for biomedical applications was evaluated by studies on different aspects: i) encapsulation and delivery of a model active substance, ii) NCs cytotoxicity, iii) NCs interactions with plasma proteins, and iv) surface functionalization of NCs by “click chemistry”.

Ph. D. (Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / Investment casting process is the most suitable technique for producing high quality castings which are dimensionally accurate with excellent surface finish and complex in nature. Recently with the ever-changing manufacturing landscape, the process has been increasingly used to produce components for the medical, aerospace and sports industry. The present study looked at three investigative scenarios in the development of a pattern material for investment casting process: (i) the development of wax/ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) and wax/linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) blends as the carrier vehicle materials for the development of pattern material for investment casting; (ii) the development of wax/EVA/polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based investment casting pattern and lastly (iii) the development of wax/LLDPE/PMMA based investment casting pattern material. The first part of the studies elucidates the effects in terms of the thermal, mechanical, surface and rheological properties when paraffin wax in blended with poly EVA and LLDPE. The developments involved the extrusion of seven formulations for EVA and also LLDPE using a twin-screw extrusion compounder. The paraffin wax weight percent investigated ranged from 33% to 87% thus encompassing both low and high wax loading ratios. The thermal properties of the developed binary blends were characterized via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The mechanical properties were characterized using three-point bending test. The thermo-mechanical and rheological properties were determined using thermomechanical analysis (TMA) and a rheometer respectively. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the surface texture of the extruded blends. The thermal properties indicated that the thermal stability of paraffin wax is improved when it is blended with both EVA and LLDPE. DSC curves showed two endothermic melting peaks and two exothermic crystallisation peaks. In the case of wax/EVA blends, there was no distinct peak showing the independent melting of neat wax and EVA. The peak at a temperature of 50 – 72 °C corresponds to the melting of the wax/EVA blend. In the case of wax/LLDPE blends, the peak at 50 -66 °C corresponds to the melting of wax whereas the large peak at 112 - 125°C corresponds to the melting of the LLDPE. Wax/EVA and wax/LLDPE had improved mechanical properties as compared to that of neat wax. The rheological properties of both the EVA based and LLDPE based blends indicated that the viscosity of the blends increased as compared to that of neat wax. SEM confirmed that EVA alters the wax crystal habit at higher concentrations. In the case of wax/LLDPE blends, at 20-30 % wax content, a heterogeneous surface was observed, indicating the immiscibility of the paraffin wax within the LLDPE matrix. At a high wax content, there was agglomeration of wax. LLDPE allows amorphous structure of wax to disperse easily between the chains. The second part of the studies focussed on the wax/EVA filled with poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microbeads. TGA behaviour on the pyrolysis of wax/EVA/PMMA showed that the compounds volatilise readily with virtually no residue remaining above 500 °C. The DSC curves indicated that, the incorporation of PMMA reduced the crystallinity of wax/EVA blend. A distinct endothermic peak and another small peak was observed in all the formulations. The mechanical properties of wax/EVA/PMMA improved significantly. The methylene group present in both wax and EVA combined to form a blend with enhanced mechanical properties whereas the PMMA microbeads improved the needle penetration hardness. The melt viscosity of wax/EVA/PMMA increased as the EVA and/or the PMMA content is increased. The rheological experimental data fitted with the data predicted using the modified Krieger and Dougherty expression. The maximum attainable volume fraction of suspended PMMA particles was at max = 0.81. The SEM micrograph of wax/EVA/PMMA revealed a near perfect spherical nature for the filler particles in the wax/EVA polymer matrix. It further shows that the PMMA microbeads were weakly bonded and well distributed in the wax/EVA matrix. The third part of the studies focussed on the wax/LLDPE filled with Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microbeads. The incorporation of LLDPE and PMMA into paraffin wax had a strong influence on the thermal properties, tensile properties, flow properties and its morphology. The TGA analysis showed that there was a slight observable decrease in the melting onset temperatures when the wax content was increased. From the DSC curves, the corresponding values of onset temperatures observed are between melting and crystallization temperature of neat paraffin wax and neat LLDPE. The short chains of the paraffin wax and the fragments formed by scission of wax chain have sufficient energy to escape from the matrix at lower temperatures. The slight decrease in peak temperatures associated with melting and crystallization could be attributed to the decrease in the average lamellar thickness of the blends. The tensile properties by three-point bending tests indicated an increase in the stress with an increase in the LLDPE content. This can be attributed to the formation of paraffin wax crystals in the amorphous phase of the blend which may influence the chain mobility. Since the paraffin wax used for this study had a low viscosity as compared to LLDPE, both LLDPE or PMMA had an influence on the viscosities of the blends. The data obtained from the experiments fitted with the data predicted obtained from the modified Krieger and Dougherty expression. The maximum attainable volume fraction of suspended PMMA particles was at max = 0.74. Similar observation with that of wax/EVA/PMMA was made in terms of the morphology of the wax/LLDPE/PMMA blends. The excellent thermal stabilities, the superior mechanical strength of wax/EVA/PMMA and wax/LLDPE/PMMA and the flow properties with relatively high EVA and also with high PMMA loadings, open new opportunities for EVA and LLDPE based pattern material for in investment casting process. It is worth pursuing further comprehensive studies since it offers a strong potential for realizing further technological improvement in the field of investment casting and rapid prototyping technologies.

Esta tese envolveu o estudo da dinâmica molecular em copolímeros em bloco compostos de poli(metacrilato de metila) (PMMA), poli(ácido acrílico) (PAA) e Poli(acrilato de chumbo) (PAPb) por técnicas de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear e de análise térmica (DSC e DMTA). Estes copolímeros em bloco foram sintetizados visando a obtenção de compostos para serem utilizados, tanto como lentes oftálmicas com maiores índices de refração, como materiais dedicados à proteção radiológica, sendo estas duas propriedades de emprego individual ou integrado. Para o estudo destes materiais, as amostras foram confeccionadas com várias composições, incluindo aquelas nas formas puras contendo apenas um bloco, resultantes da combinação de dois blocos, e as triblocos, com diferentes quantidades relativas de PAPb, variando de 1 a 40%. Para o caso do PMMA, a dinâmica molecular é bem conhecida, sendo caracterizada por uma relaxação β, que envolve mais especificamente movimentos de seus ramos laterais e que ocorre dentro de um amplo intervalo de temperatura centrado em torno da ambiente, e pela transição vítrea, que envolve, predominantemente, movimentos da cadeia principal que ocorrem para temperaturas em torno de 100oC. Devido à extensão destes dois eventos em grandes intervalos de temperatura, eles acabam se superpondo já em temperaturas abaixo de 100oC. O fato da relaxação β ocorrer para o PMMA em torno da temperatura ambiente, confere-lhe uma de suas características mais importantes, não ser quebradiço. Porém, devido à presença do grupo hidroxila no PAA, que permite a ocorrência de ligações de hidrogênio entre os diferentes ramos laterais, a relaxação β é suprimida neste material, tornando-o quebradiço e não adequado para as aplicações desejadas. No caso do copolímero tribloco, espera-se que o PAPb também possa interferir na característica mecânica final do material, em função de sua participação na dinâmica molecular do copolímero. Para este estudo foram preparadas várias amostras com diferentes quantidades relativas de PMMA, PAA e PAPb, de modo entendermos a dinâmica molecular destes materiais, individual e coletivamente, afim de selecionar os mais indicados para as aplicações tecnológicas almejadas. Para o estudo destas amostras, utilizamos tanto técnicas de análise térmica (DSC e DMTA), que fornecem, de forma relativamente rápida, dados importantes sobre a dinâmica macroscópica, quanto métodos básicos e avançados de RMN no estado sólido, que propiciam informações mais detalhadas sobre a dinâmica molecular. Estes estudos indicaram que a presença do PAA, obrigatória na rota de síntese utilizada para a inserção do PAPb, é um elemento indesejável no produto final, pois ele sempre atua na supressão da relaxação β. Adicionalmente, os dados obtidos indicaram que o PAPb, em grandes quantidades, também age na supressão desta relaxação. Embora a proposição destes novos materiais para a área oftálmica não ser muito adequada, já que a quantidade de PAPb necessária para a obtenção de amostras com bons índices de refração deve ser grande (bem acima de 5%, quando elas tornam-se quebradiças), as amostras com pequenos conteúdos de PAPb (até 5%) permitiram uma redução de até 50% dos raios-x incidentes. Finalmente, os estudos realizados por técnicas que observam detalhes da dinâmica molecular, tanto em níveis macroscópicos (DSC e DMTA), quanto moleculares (RMN), ofereceram excelentes informações básicas tanto sobre a mobilidade dos diferentes ramos que compõem os copolímeros em bloco, quanto a interação/miscibilidade entre os diferentes blocos, que afeta também a dinâmica global do sistema. / This thesis involved the study of molecular dynamics in triblock copolymers consisting of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) and Poly (lead acrylate) (PAPb) by solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and thermal analyses (DSC and DMTA). These block copolymers were synthesized in order to obtain materials not only presenting higher refractive index but also offering good radiological protection, which are useful for individual and combined applications. For the study of these materials, the samples were prepared with various compositions, including those in pure form containing only a block, resulting from the combination of two blocks, and the triblock with different relative amounts of PAPb, ranging from 1 to 40%. In the case of PMMA, the molecular dynamics is well known, characterized by a β relaxation, which involves more specifically the ester side-group dynamics occurring within a broad temperature range centered around the room temperature, and the glass transition, predominantly involving the main chain dynamics that occur for temperatures around 100oC. Due to large extension of these two dynamical events in wide temperature ranges, they merge at temperatures below 100oC. The fact that the β relaxation occurs for the PMMA around the room temperature, confers to it one of its most important features, toughness. However, due to the presence of the hydroxyl group in PAA, which allows the occurrence of hydrogen links between different branches, the β relaxation in this material is strongly suppressed, making it brittle and not suitable for the desired applications. In the case of the triblock copolymer, it is also expected that PAPb may also interfere with the mechanical properties of the final material due to its involvement in the full molecular dynamics of the copolymer. For this study, several samples were prepared with different relative amounts of PMMA, PAA and PAPb, in order to understand the molecular dynamics of these materials, individually and collectively, and select the most suitable ones for the desired technological applications. To characterize and study these samples, we employed thermal analyses (DSC and DMTA), which give quick and important data on the macroscopic dynamics, and basic and advanced solid-state NMR methods, which provide more detailed information about he molecular dynamics. These studies indicated that PAA, necessary along the synthesis route used for the insertion of PAPb in the triblock copolymers, is an undesirable element in the final product, because it is always acting on the suppression of β relaxation. Although the proposition of these new materials for the ophthalmic area is not very appropriate, since the amount of PAPb necessary to obtain good refraction indexes would be necessarily large (over 5%, when they become brittle), the samples with small amounts of PAPb (up to 5%, when they present good mechanical properties) allowed a significant reduction of about 50% of the incident x-rays. Finally, using solid-state NMR methods, including modern Exchange experiments and thermal analyses (DSC and DMTA), it was possible to understand in detail the individual and cooperative motions of the main chain and side groups. The most import result obtained indicate that, despite being important inserting PAPB and PAA in the block copolymer for improving the desired optical and x-ray shielding properties, the presence of these blocks tend to suppress the β relaxation, reducing thesample mechanical properties.

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Herstellung nicht hierarchischer und hierarchischer, poröser Polymermembranen mittels eines Templatverfahrens. Bei der Herstellung der hierarchischen Membranen wird eine Stützschicht mit mikrometergroßen Mulden und eine aktive Membranschicht mit submikrometergroßen Poren in einem Arbeitsschritt und aus einem Material erzeugt. Als Template für die Poren der nicht hierarchischen Membranen bzw. Mulden der hierarchischen Membran in der Stützschicht dienen Flüssigkeitstropfen. Diese werden auf Substraten mit Bereichen unterschiedlicher Benetzbarkeit erzeugt. Die Substrate werden anschließend mit einer Polymerlösung überschichtet, welche im Falle der hierarchischen Membranen sphärische, monodisperse Siliziumdioxidpartikel enthält. Die Siliziumdioxidpartikel ordnen sich bevorzugt in der Grenzfläche zwischen den Templattropfen und der Polymerlösung an. Nach Verdunsten des Lösungsmittels, Entfernen des Substrats und ggf. der Siliziumdioxidpartikel werden poröse Polymermembranen erhalten. Die nicht hierarchischen weisen Poren in der Größe der Templattropfen aus. Die hierarchischen Membranen zeigen dagegen eine Stützstruktur mit mikrometergroßen Mulden, entstanden durch die Templattropfen und eine Schicht auf der Oberseite der Membran mit submikrometergroßen Poren, die durch die Siliziumdioxidpartikel gebildet wurden. Außerdem wird gezeigt, wie das dargelegte Verfahren auf die Herstellung von Membranen aus dem Monomer VISIOMER HEMA-TMDI übertragen werden konnte

No description available.

Esta tese envolveu o estudo da dinâmica molecular em copolímeros em bloco compostos de poli(metacrilato de metila) (PMMA), poli(ácido acrílico) (PAA) e Poli(acrilato de chumbo) (PAPb) por técnicas de Ressonância Magnética Nuclear e de análise térmica (DSC e DMTA). Estes copolímeros em bloco foram sintetizados visando a obtenção de compostos para serem utilizados, tanto como lentes oftálmicas com maiores índices de refração, como materiais dedicados à proteção radiológica, sendo estas duas propriedades de emprego individual ou integrado. Para o estudo destes materiais, as amostras foram confeccionadas com várias composições, incluindo aquelas nas formas puras contendo apenas um bloco, resultantes da combinação de dois blocos, e as triblocos, com diferentes quantidades relativas de PAPb, variando de 1 a 40%. Para o caso do PMMA, a dinâmica molecular é bem conhecida, sendo caracterizada por uma relaxação β, que envolve mais especificamente movimentos de seus ramos laterais e que ocorre dentro de um amplo intervalo de temperatura centrado em torno da ambiente, e pela transição vítrea, que envolve, predominantemente, movimentos da cadeia principal que ocorrem para temperaturas em torno de 100oC. Devido à extensão destes dois eventos em grandes intervalos de temperatura, eles acabam se superpondo já em temperaturas abaixo de 100oC. O fato da relaxação β ocorrer para o PMMA em torno da temperatura ambiente, confere-lhe uma de suas características mais importantes, não ser quebradiço. Porém, devido à presença do grupo hidroxila no PAA, que permite a ocorrência de ligações de hidrogênio entre os diferentes ramos laterais, a relaxação β é suprimida neste material, tornando-o quebradiço e não adequado para as aplicações desejadas. No caso do copolímero tribloco, espera-se que o PAPb também possa interferir na característica mecânica final do material, em função de sua participação na dinâmica molecular do copolímero. Para este estudo foram preparadas várias amostras com diferentes quantidades relativas de PMMA, PAA e PAPb, de modo entendermos a dinâmica molecular destes materiais, individual e coletivamente, afim de selecionar os mais indicados para as aplicações tecnológicas almejadas. Para o estudo destas amostras, utilizamos tanto técnicas de análise térmica (DSC e DMTA), que fornecem, de forma relativamente rápida, dados importantes sobre a dinâmica macroscópica, quanto métodos básicos e avançados de RMN no estado sólido, que propiciam informações mais detalhadas sobre a dinâmica molecular. Estes estudos indicaram que a presença do PAA, obrigatória na rota de síntese utilizada para a inserção do PAPb, é um elemento indesejável no produto final, pois ele sempre atua na supressão da relaxação β. Adicionalmente, os dados obtidos indicaram que o PAPb, em grandes quantidades, também age na supressão desta relaxação. Embora a proposição destes novos materiais para a área oftálmica não ser muito adequada, já que a quantidade de PAPb necessária para a obtenção de amostras com bons índices de refração deve ser grande (bem acima de 5%, quando elas tornam-se quebradiças), as amostras com pequenos conteúdos de PAPb (até 5%) permitiram uma redução de até 50% dos raios-x incidentes. Finalmente, os estudos realizados por técnicas que observam detalhes da dinâmica molecular, tanto em níveis macroscópicos (DSC e DMTA), quanto moleculares (RMN), ofereceram excelentes informações básicas tanto sobre a mobilidade dos diferentes ramos que compõem os copolímeros em bloco, quanto a interação/miscibilidade entre os diferentes blocos, que afeta também a dinâmica global do sistema. / This thesis involved the study of molecular dynamics in triblock copolymers consisting of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) and Poly (lead acrylate) (PAPb) by solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and thermal analyses (DSC and DMTA). These block copolymers were synthesized in order to obtain materials not only presenting higher refractive index but also offering good radiological protection, which are useful for individual and combined applications. For the study of these materials, the samples were prepared with various compositions, including those in pure form containing only a block, resulting from the combination of two blocks, and the triblock with different relative amounts of PAPb, ranging from 1 to 40%. In the case of PMMA, the molecular dynamics is well known, characterized by a β relaxation, which involves more specifically the ester side-group dynamics occurring within a broad temperature range centered around the room temperature, and the glass transition, predominantly involving the main chain dynamics that occur for temperatures around 100oC. Due to large extension of these two dynamical events in wide temperature ranges, they merge at temperatures below 100oC. The fact that the β relaxation occurs for the PMMA around the room temperature, confers to it one of its most important features, toughness. However, due to the presence of the hydroxyl group in PAA, which allows the occurrence of hydrogen links between different branches, the β relaxation in this material is strongly suppressed, making it brittle and not suitable for the desired applications. In the case of the triblock copolymer, it is also expected that PAPb may also interfere with the mechanical properties of the final material due to its involvement in the full molecular dynamics of the copolymer. For this study, several samples were prepared with different relative amounts of PMMA, PAA and PAPb, in order to understand the molecular dynamics of these materials, individually and collectively, and select the most suitable ones for the desired technological applications. To characterize and study these samples, we employed thermal analyses (DSC and DMTA), which give quick and important data on the macroscopic dynamics, and basic and advanced solid-state NMR methods, which provide more detailed information about he molecular dynamics. These studies indicated that PAA, necessary along the synthesis route used for the insertion of PAPb in the triblock copolymers, is an undesirable element in the final product, because it is always acting on the suppression of β relaxation. Although the proposition of these new materials for the ophthalmic area is not very appropriate, since the amount of PAPb necessary to obtain good refraction indexes would be necessarily large (over 5%, when they become brittle), the samples with small amounts of PAPb (up to 5%, when they present good mechanical properties) allowed a significant reduction of about 50% of the incident x-rays. Finally, using solid-state NMR methods, including modern Exchange experiments and thermal analyses (DSC and DMTA), it was possible to understand in detail the individual and cooperative motions of the main chain and side groups. The most import result obtained indicate that, despite being important inserting PAPB and PAA in the block copolymer for improving the desired optical and x-ray shielding properties, the presence of these blocks tend to suppress the β relaxation, reducing thesample mechanical properties.

Polymerní nanokompozity na bázi polyhedrálních oligomerních silsesquioxanů (POSS) představují slibnou oblast výzkumu, která potenciálně může využít samouspořádávní při navrhování nových materiálů. Tato diplomová práce popisuje postup přípravy oktafenyl-POSS/PS, oktafenyl-POSS/PMMA a oktamethyl-POSS/PS systémů a charakterizaci jejich termomechanických vlastností v pevné fázi a reologických vlastností v roztoku. Získané výsledky jsou diskutovány s přihlédnutím k teoriím zabývajících se stavem disperze nanočástic.

Gegenstand dieser Arbeit ist die Herstellung nicht hierarchischer und hierarchischer, poröser Polymermembranen mittels eines Templatverfahrens. Bei der Herstellung der hierarchischen Membranen wird eine Stützschicht mit mikrometergroßen Mulden und eine aktive Membranschicht mit submikrometergroßen Poren in einem Arbeitsschritt und aus einem Material erzeugt. Als Template für die Poren der nicht hierarchischen Membranen bzw. Mulden der hierarchischen Membran in der Stützschicht dienen Flüssigkeitstropfen. Diese werden auf Substraten mit Bereichen unterschiedlicher Benetzbarkeit erzeugt. Die Substrate werden anschließend mit einer Polymerlösung überschichtet, welche im Falle der hierarchischen Membranen sphärische, monodisperse Siliziumdioxidpartikel enthält. Die Siliziumdioxidpartikel ordnen sich bevorzugt in der Grenzfläche zwischen den Templattropfen und der Polymerlösung an. Nach Verdunsten des Lösungsmittels, Entfernen des Substrats und ggf. der Siliziumdioxidpartikel werden poröse Polymermembranen erhalten. Die nicht hierarchischen weisen Poren in der Größe der Templattropfen aus. Die hierarchischen Membranen zeigen dagegen eine Stützstruktur mit mikrometergroßen Mulden, entstanden durch die Templattropfen und eine Schicht auf der Oberseite der Membran mit submikrometergroßen Poren, die durch die Siliziumdioxidpartikel gebildet wurden. Außerdem wird gezeigt, wie das dargelegte Verfahren auf die Herstellung von Membranen aus dem Monomer VISIOMER HEMA-TMDI übertragen werden konnte

<p> Over the past decade, the development of surface-initiated living polymerization methods has brought a breakthrough to surface modification owing to their control ability. Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (si-ATRP), as the most popular one, has been widely employed to give novel polymer structures and functionalities to various surfaces for the purposes of tailoring surface properties, introducing new functions, or preparing so-called "smart surfaces", which can respond to external stimuli such as solvent type, pH, temperature, electric and magnetic fields etc. In this thesis, the mechanistic study of the si-ATRP was first carried out through modeling to gain good understanding of si-ATRP. Si-ATRP was then employed to prepare different types of polymer brushes to produce "smart surfaces". </p> <p> The kinetic model was developed using the method of moment. Combined with experimental data, a quantitative analysis was carried out for the si-ATRP mechanism. All information of grafted polymer chains, including active chain concentration, radical concentration, chain length, polydispersity, was illustrated. A new radical termination mechanism, termed as migration-termination, was proposed for si-ATRP. </p> <p> Si-ATRP was then employed to graft poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (POEGMA) block poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) brushes on silicon wafer surfaces. Simple solvent treatment gave nanoscale patterns via the phase segregation of POEGMA and PMMA segments. Various patterns including spherical aggregates, wormlike aggregates, stripe patterns, perforated layers and complete overlayers, were obtained by adjusting the upper block layer thickness. Furthermore, these nanopatterns had a unique stimuli-responsive property, i.e., switching between different morphologies reversibly after being treated with selective solvents. </p> <p> POEGMA-block-poly(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PMETAC) brushes, having two hydrophilic segments, were synthesized by si-ATRP method. A variety of nanopatterns and their stimuli-responsive ability were observed. The adsorption behaviors of fibrinogen on these patterns were thoroughly studied by ellipsometry, water contact angel measurement, AFM and radio labelling method. </p> <p> A novel thermo-responsive copolymer, poly(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate -co-oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (P(ME02MA-co-OEGMA)), was also grafted onto silicon wafers. Its thermo-responsive behavior and chain conformation in aqueous solution were studied by neutron reflectometry (NR). Both extended and collapsed brushes exhibited good protein adsorption resistance. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Polymerní nanokompozity (PNCs) mají slibnou budoucnost jako lehké funkční materiály zpracovatelné aditivními výrobními technologiemi. Jejich rychlému rozšíření však brání silná závislost jejich užitných vlastností na prostorovém uspořádání nanočástic (NP). Schopnost řídit disperzi nanočástic je tak klíčovým předpokladem pro jejich uplatnění ve funkčních kompozitech. Tato práce zkoumá přípravu polymerních nanokompozitů v modelové sklotvorné polymerní matrici roztokovou metodou, technikou schopnou vytvářet prostorové uspořádání nanočástic řízené strukturními a kinetickými parametry přípravného procesu. Prezentované výsledky popisují rozdíly mezi změnami rheologického chování roztoku polystyrenu při oscilačním smyku s vysokou amplitudou (LAOS) vyvolanými nanočásticemi. Výsledky vedou k závěru, že vysoce-afinní OP-POSS nanočástice při nízkých koncentracích dobře interagují s PS a tvoří tuhé agregáty, zatímco nízko-afinní OM-POSS nanočástice za těchto podmínek neovlivňují deformační chování polymerních řetězců. Dále byla pozornost zaměřena na vliv použitého rozpouštědla na uspořádání nanočástic v SiO2/PMMA a SiO2/PS nanokompozitech, který je v literatuře prezentován jako parametr řídící prostorové uspořádání nanočástic v pevném stavu. Důraz byl kladen na kvalitativní rozdíly mezi „špatně dispergovanými“ shluky nanočástic, které byly na základě rheologie a strukturální analýzy (TEM, USAXS) identifikovány jako polymerními řetězci vázané nanočásticové klastry a dva typy agregátů, jeden termodynamického a druhý kinetického původu. Jednotlivé druhy agregátů se vyznačují odlišnými kinetikami vzniku a rozdílnými vlastnostmi jak mezi sebou, tak v porovnání s dispergovanými nanočásticemi. Pozorované typy disperze nanočástic byly kvantitativně posouzeny podle svých rheologických vlastností během roztokové přípravy, podle kterých byla vyhodnocena míra adsorpce polymeru na povrch nanočástic a atrakce ve vypuzeném objemu. Výsledky byly porovnány s teorií PRISM. Důležitost uspořádání nanočástic byla demonstrována na porovnání teplot skelných přechodů různých struktur při stejném chemickém složení.