Selected MPEG-b-PDLLA block copolymers have been synthesized by ring-opening polymerization with systematic variation of the chain lengths of the resident hydrophilic and hydrophobic blocks. The size and shape of the micelles that spontaneously form in solution are then controlled by the characteristics of the block copolymer template. All the materials prepared in this study showed the tunable pore size of 20-80 ${\AA}$ with the increase of hydrophobic chain lengths and up to 660 $m^2$/g of specific surface area. The formation mechanism of these nanoporous structures obtained by controlling the micelle size has been confirmed using both liquid and solid state $^{13}C\;and\;^{29}Si$ NMR techniques. This work verifies the formation mechanism of nanoporous structures in which the pore size and wall thickness are closely dependent on the size of hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic shells of the block copolymer templates.

We developed in the present study molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs), using single templates (pentoxifylline, caffeine and theophylline) and mixed-templates (pentoxifylline-caffeine, pentoxifylline-theophylline and caffeine-theophylline). The MIPs were prepared with methacrylic acid (MAA) as the monomer, ethylene glycol dimetharylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinker and 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the initiator. The obtained polymer particles (particle size after grinding was about 25-35 ${\mu}$m) were packed into a HPLC column (3.9 mm i.d. ${\times}$ 150 mm). The selectivity and chromatographic characteristics of the MIPs were studied using acetonitrile as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. UV detector wavelength was set at 270 nm. Different single template MIPs showed different molecular recognitions to the templates and the structurally analogues, according to the rigidity and steric hindrance of the compounds. Recognition was improved on the mixed-template MIPs as a result of the cooperation or sum effect of the templates, whereas on the pentoxifylline-theophylline imprinted polymer, the highest selectivity and affinity were obtained. Separations of the test compounds on different polymers were also investigated.

The potentiometric response of electrode no. 4 based on 1,3-bisbridged cofacial-calix[6]crown-5-ether (IV) gave a sub-Nernstian (45.0 mV/decade) response and the best detection limit (-log $a_{ep}$ = 4.73) towards epinephrine. The responses are decreasing in the order of epinephrine > $K^+$, dopamine > $NH_4^+$ > norepinephrine > $Na^+$. It is remarkable that the proposed electrode shows the reasonable selectivity to epinephrine against other catecholamine neurotransmitters (dopamine and norepinephrine) as well as alkali metal ions.

Two simple, rapid and sensitive spectrophotometric methods for the determination of three fluoroquinolones, namely levofloxacin, norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin have been performed either in pure form or in their tablets. In the first method, levofloxacin and norfloxacin are directly treated with bromocresol green (BCG) in dichloromethane while ciprofloxacin is allowed to react with the same dye in aqueous acidic buffer. Highly yellow colored complex species were formed instantaneously in case of levofloxacin and norfloxacin or after extraction into dichloromethane for ciprofloxacin. The formed complexes are quantified spectrophotometrically at their absorption maxima at 411 nm for levofloxacin and 412 nm for norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The second method involves the reaction of levofloxacin with ${\rho}$-chloranilic acid ( ${\rho}$-CA) and norfloxacin with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) in acetonitrile to give complexes with maximum absorbance at 521 and 333 nm for the two drugs, respectively. Adopting the first procedure, calibration graphs were linear over the range 1- 20 ${\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ with mean percentage recoveries of 100.41 ${\pm}$ 0.72, 99.99 ${\pm}$ 0.54 and 100.23 ${\pm}$ 0.91 for the theree drugs, respectively. For the second procedure, the concentration ranges were 15-250 ${\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ for levofloxacin using ${\rho}$-CA and 0.8-16 ${\mu}g\;mL^{-1}$ for norfloxacin using TCNE with mean percentage recoveries of 99.88 ${\pm}$ 0.45 and 100.26 ${\pm}$ 0.68 for the two drugs, respectively. The proposed methods were successfully applied to determine these drugs in their tablet formulations and the results compared favorably to that of reference methods. The proposed methods are recommended for quality control and routine analysis.

A novel Er(III) complex with oxydiacetate and 1,10-phenanthroline was synthesized and its structure and luminescence properties were characterized. The complex of $[Er(ODA){\cdot}(phen){\cdot}4H_2O]^+$ crystallizes in the monoclinic space group $P2_1$/n with a = 12.216(4) ${\AA}$, b = 16.680(2) ${\AA}$, c = 12.627(3) ${\AA}$, ${\beta}=108.30(2)^{\circ}$, V = 2442.7(11) ${\AA}^3$, Z = 4 and ${\rho}=1.841 g/cm^3$. When the complex is excited at the He-Cd 325-nm line, it produces two broad bands spanning the regions 350-650 nm and 1200-1650 nm. The emission band of the complex is characterized by a series of spectral dips in the visible emission profile. The complex exhibits sensitized near- IR emission via two kinds of energy transfers from phen to Er(III): nonradiative and radiative energy transfers.

Chiral separation of aryalcohols such as 1-phenyl-propanol, 1-phenyl-2-proanol, and 2-phenyl-1-propanol by capillary electrophoresis has been optimized using the overlapping resolution mapping (ORM) scheme. Three critical parameters of the electrophoretic media, i.e. phosphate concentration, sulfated ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin (CD) concentration and pH, were chosen for optimization. The working ranges were initially presumed by 7 preexperiments. Further optimization was carried out by another seven experiments within the narrow working ranges. From the final overlapping resolution mapping all peak pairs, the area of maximum separations were located. Using the conditions of a point in this area, we found that the target compounds were a baseline separated within 30 min. The maximum separation conditions of arylalcohols were a chiral selector concentration of 5.4%, a phosphate concentration of 28 mM, and a pH of 5.0.

The sizes and structures of micelles formed in aqueous solutions of cationic octadecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (OTAC) and anionic ammonium dodecyl sulfate (ADS) surfactants were investigated using smallangle neutron scattering (SANS), self-diffusion coefficients by pulsed-gradient spin-echo (PGSE) NMR, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods. SANS and DLS data indicate that their structures are spherical at concentrations as high as 300 mM. As the total surfactant concentration increases, the peaks of SANS spectra shift to higher scattering vector and become sharper, indicating that the intermicellar distance decreases and its distribution becomes narrower. This is due to more compact packing of surfactant molecules at high concentrations. The intermicellar distance of around 100 ${\AA}$ above 200 mM corresponds approximately to the diameter of one micelle. The sizes of spherical micelles are 61 ${\AA}$ and 41 ${\AA}$ for 9 mM OTAC and 10 mM ADS, respectively. Also the self-diffusion coefficients by PGSE-NMR yield the apparent sizes 96 ${\AA}$ and 31 ${\AA}$ for micelles of 1 mM OTAC and 10 mM ADS, respectively. For ADS solutions of high concentrations (100-300 mM), DLS data show that the micelle size remains constant at $25{\pm}2{\AA}$. This indicates that the transition in micellar shape does not take place up to 300 mM, which is consistent with the SANS results.