• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2004

This work aims at examining the cellular uptake behavior of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles derivatized with a protein transduction domain (PTD) using HeLa cells. For this purpose, $Tat_{49-57}$ peptide derived from transcriptional activation (Tat) protein of HIV type-1 was covalently conjugated to the terminal end of PLGA. Nanoparticles were ten prepared with the $Tat_{49-57}-PLGA$ conjugates by a spontaneous phase inversion method. The prepared particles had a mean diameter of ca. 84 nm, as measured by dynamic light scattering. The interaction of the Tat-PLGA nanoparticles with cells was examined by using confocal laser scanning microscopy. It was found tat Tat-PLGA nanoparticles incubated with HeLa cells could efficiently translocate into cytoplasm, while plain PLGA nanoparticles showed negligible cellular uptake. In addition, even at $4^{\circ}C$ or in the presence of sodium azide significant cellular internalization of Tat-PLGA nanoparticles was still observed. These results indicate that a non-endocytotic translocation mechanism might be involved in the cellular uptake of Tat-PLGA nanoparticles.

• Journal of Adhesion and Interface
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.143-151
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• 2024

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) have shown great potential as a new generation of energy harvesters because they possess many unique properties, including mechanical flexibility, lightweight, semi-transparency, and low-fabrication costs. Recent advancements in molecular structure and device engineering have led to achieving power conversion efficiency (PCE) exceeding 19%. However, these highly efficient active layer materials have been hampered in their commercialization by complex synthesis steps that result in high manufacturing costs. To address this issue, research is actively underway on low-cost active layer materials with simple structures. This paper introduces such cost-effective active layer materials and strategies for their synthesis.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.629-635
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• 2012

Two novel conjugated copolymers utilizing 4,7-dithien-2-yl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (DTBT) coupled with cyano (-CN) substituted vinylene, as the electron deficient moeity, have been synthesized and evaluated in bulk heterojunction solar cell. The electron deficient moeity was coupled with carbazole and fluorene unit by Knoevenagel condition to provide poly(bis-2,7-((Z)-1-cyano-2-(5-(7-(2-thienyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4-yl)-2-thienyl)ethenyl)-alt-9-(1-octylnonyl)-9H-carbazol-2-yl-2-butenenitrile) (PCVCNDTBT) and poly(bis-2,7-((Z)-1-cyano-2-(5-(7-(2-thienyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazol-4-yl)-2-thienyl)ethenyl)-alt-9,9-dihexyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl) (PFVCNDTBT). The optical band gaps of PCVCNDTBT (1.74 eV) and PFVCNDTBT (1.80 eV) are lower than those of PCDTBT (1.88 eV) and PFVDTBT (2.13 eV), which is advantageous to provide better coverage of the solar spectrum in the longer wavelength region. The high $V_{oc}$ value of the PSC of PCVCNDTBT (~0.91 V) is attributed to its lower HOMO energy level ( 5.6 eV) as compared to PCDTBT ( 5.5 eV). Bulk heterojunction solar cells based on the blends of the polymers with [6,6]phenyl-$C_{61}$-butyric acid methyl ester ($PC_{61}BM$) gave power conversion efficiencies of 0.76% for PCVCNDTBT under AM 1.5, 100 mW/$cm^2$.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.393-400
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• 2009

PHEA (hydroxyethyl-aspartamide)-mPEG (methoy-polyethyleneglycol)-$C_{16}$ (hexadecylamine)-ED (ethylenediamine) was prepared as a drug delivery carrier. The structure and molecular weight of polymers were characterized by $^1H$-NMR and gel permeation chromatography. Micelle size and shape were measured by electro-photometer light scattering and transmission electron microscope. The mean diameter of micelles was 23 nm in aqueous solution. To evaluate the potential of these polymeric micelles as a drug carrier, PSI-mPEG-$C_{16}$-ED was conjugated with Cy5.5 for Near-Infrared Fluorescent (NIRF) based optical imaging. PSI-mPEG-$C_{16}$-ED-Cy5.5 was injected intravenously into mice (n=5) and in vivo NIRF imaging was performed during 48 h after injection. The biodistribution study at 24 h after injection showed the longcirculation property of PSI-mPEG-$C_{16}$-ED-Cy5.5. Therefore, PSI-mPEG-$C_{16}$-ED micelles could be a promising drug carrier and imaging agent.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.80-88
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• 2009

Human prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), with comprehensive homology to glandular kallikrein, are representative serum biomarkers of prostate cancer. Dendritic cell (DC), which is the potent antigen-presenting cells(APC) in the immune system, can induce strong T cell responses against viruses, microbial pathogens, and tumors. Therefore, the immunization using DC loaded with tumor-associated antigens is a powerful method for inducing anti-tumor immunity. The CTP (Cytoplasmic Transduction Peptide) technology developed by Creagene which can transport attached bio-polymers like nucleic acids or proteins into the cell with high permeation efficiency. As the active forms of PAP can mediate apoptotic processing, we used multimer forms of PAP as an inactive form for antigen pulsing of DCs. In this study, multimeric forms of CTP-rhPAP was obtained according to the advanced purification process and subsequently confirmed by gel filtration chromatography, western blot and Dynamic Light Scattering. Therefore, CTP-conjugated PA multimers transduced into the cytoplasm were efficiently presented on the cell surface without any harm effect on cells via MHC class I molecules and result in induction of a large number of effector cell.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.273-278
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• 2009

A series of poly[2-(2,6-dimethylpyran-4-ylidene)malononitrile-alt-1,4-bis(dodecyloxy)-2,5-divinylbenzene] (PM-PPV), poly[2-{2,6-Bis-[2-(5-bromothiophen-2-yl)-vinyl]-pyran-4-ylidene}-malononitrile-alt-1,4-bis(dodecyloxy)-2,5-divinylbenzene] (PMT-PPV) and poly[2-[2,6-Bis-(2-{4-[(4-bromophenyl)-phenylamino]-phenyl}-vinyl)-pyran-4-ylidene]-malononitrile-alt-1,4-bis(dodecyloxy)-2,5-divinylbenzene] (PMTPA-PPV) were synthesized by the Heck coupling reaction. The band gap of PM-PPV, PMT-PPV and PMTPA-PPV were 2.18 eV, 1.90 eV and 2.07 eV, respectively. The LUMO energy levels of PM-PPV, PMT-PPV and PMTPA-PPV were 3.65 eV, 3.54 eV and 3.62 eV, respectively and the HOMO energy levels of those were 5.83 eV, 5.61 eV and 5.52 eV, respectively. The photovoltaic devices based on the polymers was fabricated. The efficiency of the solar cells based on PM-PPV, PMT-PPV and PMTPA-PPV were 0.028%, 0.031% and 0.11%, respectively and the open circuit voltage (Voc) was 0.59 V~0.69 V under AM 1.5 G and 1 sun condition ($100mA/cm^2$).

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.417-423
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• 2011

A series of new quinoxaline-based thiophene copolymers (PQx2T, PQx4T, and PQx6T) was synthesized via Yamamoto and Stille coupling reactions. The $M_ws$ of PQx2T, PQx4T, and PQx6T were found to be 20,000, 12,000, and 29,000, with polydispersity indices of 2.0, 1.2, and 1.1, respectively. The UV-visible absorption spectra of the polymers showed two distinct absorption peaks in the ranges 350 - 460 nm and 560 - 600 nm, which arose from the ${\pi}-{\pi}^*$ transition of oligothiophene units and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) between a quinoxaline acceptor and thiophene donor. The HOMO levels of the polymer ranged from -5.37 to -5.17 eV and the LUMO levels ranged from -3.67 to -3.45 eV. The electrochemical bandgaps of PQx2T, PQx4T, and PQx6T were 1.70, 1.71, and 1.72 eV, respectively, thus yielding low bandgap behavior. PQx2T, PQx4T, and PQx6T had open circuit voltages of 0.58, 0.42, and 0.47 V, and short circuit current densities of 2.9, 5.29 and 9.05 mA/$cm^2$, respectively, when $PC_{71}BM$ was used as an acceptor. For the solar cells with PQx2T-PQx6T:$PC_{71}BM$ (1:3) blends, an increase in performance was observed in going from PQx2T to PQx6T. The power conversion efficiencies of PQx2T, PQx4T, and PQx6T devices were found to be 0.69%, 0.73%, and 1.80% under AM 1.5 G (100 mW/$cm^2$) illumination.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.330-336
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• 2002

A quantum-chemical investigation on the conformations and electronic properties of bis[2-{2-methoxy-4,6-di(t-butyl)phenyl}ethenyl]benzenes (MBPBs) as building block for ${\pi}$-conjugate polymer are performed in order to display the effects of t-butyl and methoxy group substitution and of kink(ortho and meta) linkage. The conjugation length of the polymers can be controlled by substituents and kink linkages of backbone. Structures for the molecules, o-, m-, and p-MBPBs as well as unsubstituted o-, m-, and p-DSBs were fully optimized by using semiempirical AM1, PM3 methods, and ab initio HF method with 3-21G(d) basis set. The potential energy curves with respect to the change of single torsion angle are obtained by using semiempirical methods and ab initio HF/3-21G(d) basis set. The curves are similar shape in the molecules with respect to the position of vinylene groups. It is shown that the conformations of the molecules are compromised between the steric repulsion interaction and the degree of the conjugation. Electronic properties of the molecules were obtained by applying the optimized structures and geometries to the ZINDO/S method. ZINDO/S analysis performed on the geometries obtained by AM1 method and HF/3-21G(d) level is reported. The absorption wavelength on the geometries obtained by AM1 method is much longer than that by HF/3-21G(d) level. The absorption wavelength of MBPBs are red shifted with comparison to that of corresponding DSBs in the same torsion angle because of electron donating substituents. The absorption wavelength of isomers with kink(orth and meta) linkage is shorter than that of para linkage.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.373-379
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• 2006

Polymerizable discotic liquid crystals containing diacetylene and acryloyl groups were formed through hydrogen bonding between phloroglucinol core and polymerizable pyridine derivatives, and their photopolymerization behavior was investigated. The discotic complexes exhibited discotic columnar and rectangular columnar mesophases depending on the number of aromatic rings. Photopolymerization of the discotic complexes was carried out by UV irradiation in the liquid crystalline state. IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy affirmed that diacetylene and acryloyl groups were selectively Polymerized, and that crosslinked polymers containing short conjugated diacetylene oligomers were produced by 1,4-addition. X-ray diffraction experiment showed that the columnar order in the discotic complex containing phenyl-pyridine moiety was maintained after photopolymerization, and that the rectangular columnar order in he discotic Complex with biphenyl units was changed to the lamellar order.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.10
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• pp.2963-2968
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• 2014

We report synthesis and photovoltaic properties of two new conjugated copolymers, PCPDTQxF and PDTSQxF, with 6,7-difluoro-2,3-dihexylquinoxaline unit prepared by Stille coupling reaction. The advantage of 6,7-difluoro-2,3-dihexylquinoxaline based copolymer are high PCEs due to lower HOMO energy level, long wavelength absorption and high hole mobility. The solid films of PCPDTQxF and PDTSQxF showed absorption bands with maximum peaks at about 623 and 493 nm and the absorption onsets at 711 and 635 nm, corresponding to band gaps of 1.74 and 1.95 eV, respectively. The oxidation onsets of the PCPDTQxF and PDTSQxF polymers were estimated to be 0.68 and 0.95 V, which correspond to HOMO energy levels of -5.48 and -5.75 eV, respectively. The PDTSQxF has lower HOMO energy level as compared to PCPDTQxF to lead higher $V_{OC}$ value. The device comprising PCPDTQxF:PCBM (1:2) dissolved to a concentration of 1 wt % in ODCB showed $V_{OC}$ value of 0.62 V, $J_{SC}$ value of $1.14mA/cm^2$, and FF of 0.35, which yielded PCE of 0.25%.