• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.404-407
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• 2003

Two recombinant Escherichia coli strains, GCSC6576 harboring a plasmid pSYL107 containing the Ralstonia eutropha polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis genes and a fadR atoC mutant LS5218 harboring a plasmid pJC4 containing the Alcaligenes latus PHA biosynthesis genes were compared for their ability to synthesize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV) from whey. The 3HV fraction could be increased by acetic acid induction and oleic acid supplementation in flask cultures of recombinant E. coli GCSC6576. With the pH-stat fed-batch culture of recombinant E. coli LS5218, we obtained a cell concentration, a P(3HB-co-3HV) concentration, a P(3HB-co-3HV) content, and a 3HV fraction of 31.8 g/L, 10.6 g/L, 33.4%, and 6.26 mol%, respectively in 39 h.

• Carbon letters
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.173-177
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• 2012

A drug delivery system (DDS) was prepared with a temperature and pH-responsive hydrogel. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc)/poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites were prepared by radical polymerization for the temperature and pH-responsive hydrogels. MWCNTs were employed to improve both the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of the PVA/PAAc/PNIPAAm/MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogels. Various amounts of MWCNTs (0, 0.5, 1 and 3 wt%) were added to the nanocomposite hydrogels. PVA/PAAc/PNIPAAm/MWCNT nanocomposite hydrogels were characterized with a scanning electron microscope. The mechanical properties were measured with a universal testing machine. Swelling and releasing properties of nanocomposite hydrogels were investigated at various temperatures and pHs. Temperature and pH-responsive release behavior was found to be dependent on the content of MWCNTs in nanocomposite hydrogels.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.245-252
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• 2002

Thermodynamics and gas transport properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) blends with polyvinylmethylether (PVME) containing various amount of poly (styrene-b-methylmethacrylate) copolymer (P(S-b-MMA)) as a compatibilizer were studied. To extract interaction energies of binary pairs involved in the blends from the phase separation temperatures using an equation-of-state theory, PVME blends with methylmethacrylate copolymers containing various amount of styrene (SMMA) were prepared. PVME formed miscible blends with methylmethacrylate copolymers containing more than 70 wt% styrene and these miscible blonds showed a LCST-type phase separation behavior. Based on the interaction information obtained here, P(S-b-MMA) copolymer was added to the PMMA/PVME blends to enhance their compatibility. The average diameter of the dispersed rubber particles was gradually decreased for the blends of containing P(S-b-MMA) from 0 to 5 phr and then leveled off at a fixed size. At a fixed bland composition, the gas permeation was also increased as the P(S-b-MMA) content increased from 0 to 5 phr and then leveled off when the P(S-b-MMA) content was higher than 5 phr.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.518-521
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• 2002

Poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate) copolyesters containing both carbon-carbon double and carbon-carbon triple bonds were produced by Pseudomonas oleovorans grown in mixtures of 10-undecynoic acid (10-UND($\equiv$)) and 10-undecenoic acid (10-UND(=)). The PHA content in the dry cells was usually 40 wt%. The bioconversion yield of ($10-UND({\equiv})$) to PHA by P. oleovorans was remarkably enhanced from 1% to over 24% as the fraction of 10-UND(=) in the carbon substrate mixtures increased from 0 to 50%. These values were higher than those obtained when P. oleovorans was grown in the same molar mixtures of ($10-UND({\equiv})$) and nonanoic acid (NA), indicating that 10-UND(=) was more efficient than NA as a cosubstrate in inducing cometabolic PHA production.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.209-214
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• 2002

Miscibility of polysulfone (PSf) with various hydrophilic copolymers was explored. Among these blends, PSf gives homogeneous mixtures with poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-styrene) copolymers [P(VP-S)] when these copolymers contained VP from 68 to 88 wt%. Microporous membranes for the ultrafiltration process were prepared from PSf blends with P(VP-S) copolymers. The membranes prepared from the PSf/(VP-S) blends exhibited higher water flux than the membranes prepared from PSf irrespective of the VP content. The solute rejection examined with the membranes fabricated from the miscible blends was similar to that of PSf membrane. However, the solute rejection examined with the membranes fabricated from the immiscible blends was lower than that of PSf membranes.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.586-592
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• 2004

Poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-grafted polyethylene microbeads (POPM) presenting epoxy groups were prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization of glycidyl methacrylate on the polyethylene microbead. The obtained POPM was characterized by IR spectroscopic, X-ray photoelectrons spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and thermal analyses. Furthermore, the abundance of epoxy groups on the POPM was determined by titration and elemental analysis after amination. The epoxy group content was calculated to be in the range 0.29-0.34 mmol/g when using the titration method, but in the range 0.53-0.59 mmol./g when using elemental analysis (EA) after amination. The lipase was immobilized to the epoxy groups of the POPM under various experi­mental conditions, including changes to the pH and the epoxy group content. The activity of the lipase-immobilized POPM was in the range from 160 to 500 unit/mg-min. The activity of the lipase-immobilized POPM increased upon increasing the epoxy group content. The lipase-immobilized POPM was characterized additionally by SEM, elec­tron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), and EA.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.412-416
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• 2006

The superparamagnetic nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation of $FeCl_3$ and $Na_2SO_3$ with $NH_4OH$ and the surface charge on hydroxyl group by chemisorption was changed depending on pH. We studied correlation between surface charge of magnetite and pH. Using this correlation the properties of poly (acrylic acid) (PAAc) hydrogel embedded with magnetite was studied. The magnetite was characterized by XRD, AFM. and FTIR. The zeta-potential of magnetite was influenced by pH: great positive charge was shown high under the pH 4 and isoelectric point was found at pH 7. The hydrogen bond formed by combining oi PAAc hydrogel and magnetic colloid under pH 4 caused tensile strength to increase, while swelling and elongation at break to decrease. The result confirmed that the magnetic moment was increased proportionally to the content of magnetite.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2001

Vinyl acetate was polymerized in ultraviolet-ray initiated bulk system at low temperatures using 2,2-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (ADMVN) or 2,2-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the photoinitiator, respectively. High molecular weight (HMW) poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) having number-average degree of polymerization ($P_n$) of 3,900-7,800 and syndiotactic diad (S-diad) content of 52.5-54.0% could be prepared by complete saponification of synthesized linear poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) having $P_n$ 5,900-9,400 obtained at conversion of below 30%. $P_n$ of PVA using ADMVN was larger than that of PVA using AIBN. On the other hand, conversion of the former was smaller than that of the latter, and it was found that the initiation rate of the ADMVN was lower than that of AIBN. This could be explained by a fact that the rate of photolysis of AIBN is faster than that of ADMVN due to the higher quantum yield or dissociation rate constant of AIBN than that of ADMVN. The $P_n$, syndiotacticity, and whiteness of PVA from PVAc polymerized at lower temperatures were superior to those of PVA from PVAc polymerized at higher temperatures.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.416-423
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• 2006

The dynamic mechanical thermal properties of poly(hexamethylene terephthalate) (PHT), poly(1,4-cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) (PCT) and their P(HT-co-CT) random copolymers in the amorphous state were examined as a function of temperature and frequency. All the samples exhibited two main relaxation processes in the plot of tan ${\delta}$ versus temperature: the primary ${\alpha}$-relaxation associated with the glass transition and the secondary ${\beta}$-relaxation attributed to the local segmental motions of mostly cyclohexylene rings for PCT and to cooperative motions of methylene, carboxyl, and phenylene groups for PHT. Both ${\alpha}$- and ${\beta}$-relaxation temperatures increased with increasing CT content. The activation energy of the ${\alpha}$-relaxation increased with increasing CT content, whereas that of the ${\beta}$-relaxation decreased. The sub-glassy secondary ${\beta}$-relaxation processes of PCT and PHT were investigated in terms of the cooperativity of main-chain segmental motions.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.71-79
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• 2000

Two typess of copolyesters, poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-4-hydroxy-butyric acid)[P(3HB-co-4HB] and poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid)[P(3HB-co-3HV)], with various monomer ratios and different degree of microstructural heterogeneity were synthesized from Ralstonia eutropha H16 and Hydrogenophaga pseudoflava by using ${\gamma}$-butyrolactone and ${\gamma}$-valerolactone, respectively. The two bacteria showed a large difference in the utilization of ${\gamma}$-butyrolactone for cell growth and PHA synthesis. H. pseudoflava synthesized P(3HB-co-4HB) copolyesters with a wide range of 4HB content from 13 to 96 mol% depending on culture conditions, whiel R. eutropha H16 was able to synthesize the copolyesters containing less than 20 mol% of 4HB. An increase in the 4HB content in the P(3HB-co-4HB) copolyesters synthesized by H. pseud-oflava induced an lowering of their melting temperatures as well as their enthalpies of fusion. The increase in the 4HB content, however, increased the rate of degradation by an extracellular P(3HB) depolymerase. NMR spectros-copy and differential scanning calorimetry showed that the P(3HB-co-4HB) copolyesters from H. pseudoflava were generally microstructurally heterogeneous. The P(3HB-co-4HB) copolyesters) synthesized by R. eutropha H16 were rather random copolymers showing less microstructural heterogeneity than those synthesized by H. pseudoflava. The NMR D value analysis suggested that the monomer distribution of the P(3HB-co-3HV) copolymers from the two bacteria were relatively random.