• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.169-177
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• 2008

This paper reports a facile synthesis of new water-soluble poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based amphiphilic block copolymers showing pH sensitive phase transition behaviors. The copolymers were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methacrylamide type of monomers carrying a sulfonamide group using a PEO-based macroinitiator and a Cu(I)Br/$Me_6TREN$ catalytic system in aqueous media. The resulting polymers were characterized by a combination of $^1H$-NMR, size exclusion chromatography, and UV/Visible spectrophotometeric analysis. The micellization of the block copolymers as a drug-loading mechanism in aqueous media using fluorescein salt was examined as a function of pH. The stable micelle formation and its loading efficacy suggest that the block copolymers can be used as precursors for drug-nanocontainers.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.2-8
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• 2003

The self-assembly of polymers can lead to supramolecular systems and is related to the their functions of material and life sciences. In this article, self-assembly of Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, polymer micelles, and polymeric nanoparticles, and their biomedical applications are described. LB surfaces with a well-ordered and layered structure adhered more cells including platelet, hepatocyte, and fibroblast than the cast surfaces with microphase-separated domains. Extensive morphologic changes were observed in LB surface-adhered cells compared to the cast films. Amphiphilic block copolymers, consisting of poly(${\gamma}$-benzyl L-glutamate) (PBLG) as the hydrophobic part and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) [or poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)] as the hydrophilic one, can self-assemble in water to form nanoparticles presumed to be composed of the hydrophilic shell and hydrophobic core. The release characteristics of hydrophobic drugs from these polymeric nanoparticles were dependent on the drug loading contents and chain length of the hydrophobic part of the copolymers. Achiral hydrophobic merocyanine dyes (MDs) were self-assembled in copolymeric nanoparticles, which provided a chiral microenvironment as red-shifted aggregates, and the circular dichroism (CD) of MD was induced in the self-assembled copolymeric nanoparticles.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2010

The objective of this work is to study transdermal delivery of donepezil hydrochloride (DH) using iontophoresis and to evaluate various factors which affect the transdermal transport. After the flux study using 4 kinds of hydrogel, hydrogel containing 8% poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was chosen as the hydrogel for further studies. Under experimental condition, DH was stable. We have studied the effect of polarity, current density, drug concentration and current profile on transdermal flux and compared the results. In vitro flux study was performed at $33^{\circ}C$, using side-by-side diffusion cell and full thickness hairless mouse skin. DH is positively charged at pH 7.4, and anodal delivery was much larger than cathodal and passive delivery at all current densities studied (0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mA/$cm^2$). Cathodal delivery showed higher flux than passive flux. Flux increased as the concentration of DH in hydrogel increased. Pulsatile application of current showed smaller flux value than the application of continuous current. Based on these results, we have evaluated the possibility of delivering enough amount of DH to reach the therapeutic level. The maximum cumulative amount of DH transported for 12 hours was 455 ${\mu}g/cm^2{\cdot}hr$ when the amount of DH in the hydrogel was 3 mg/mL and the current density was 0.4 mA/$cm^2$. If the patch size is 10 $cm^2$, then we can deliver 4.6 mg for 12 hours. Because the daily dosage of DH is 5 mg, it seems possible to deliver clinically effective amount of DH using iontophoresis. This study also provides some information about the role of electrorepulsion and electroosmosis during the transport through skin.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.605-608
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• 2011

Hybrid composite membranes were prepared by coating poly(ethylene oxide) and $SiO_2$ particles onto the porous polypropylene nonwoven matrix. Gel polymer electrolytes prepared by soaking the hybrid composite membranes in an organic electrolyte solution exhibited ionic conductivities higher than $1.1{\times}10^{-3}Scm^{-1}$ at room temperature. Dyesensitized solar cell (DSSC) employing the hybrid composite membrane with PEO and 10 wt % $SiO_2$ exhibited an open circuit voltage of 0.77 V and a short circuit current of 10.78 $mAcm^{-2}$ at an incident light intensity of 100 $mWcm^{-2}$, yielding a conversion efficiency of 5.2%. DSSC employing the hybrid composite membrane showed more stable photovoltaic performance than that of the DSSC assembled with liquid electrolyte.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.295-307
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• 1999

Using a Rheometries Fluids Spectrometer (RFS II), the dynamic viscoelastic properties of aqueous poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) solutions in small amplitude oscillatory shear flow fields have been measured over a wide range of angular frequencies. The angular frequency dependence of the storage and loss moduli at various molecular weights and concentrations was reported in detail, and the result was interpreted using the concept of a Deborah number De. In addition, the experimentally determined critical angular frequency at which the storage and loss moduli become equivalent was compared with the calculated characteristic time (or its inverse value), and their physical significance in analyzing the dynamic viscoelastic behavior was discussed. Finally, the relationship between steady shear flow and dynamic viscoelstic properties was examined by evaluating the applicability of some proposed models that describe the correlations between steady flow viscosity and dynamic viscosity, dynamic fluidity, and complex viscosity. Main results obtained from this study can be summarized as follows: (1) At lower angular frequencies where De<1, the loss modulus is larger than the storage modulus. However, such a relation between the two moduli is reversed at higher angular frequencies where De>l, indicating that the elastic behavior becomes dominant to the viscous behavior at frequency range higher than a critical angular frequency. (2) A critical angular frequency is decreased as an increase in concentration and/or molecular weight. Both the viscous and elastic properties show a stronger dependence on the molecular weight than on the concentration. (3) A characteristic time is increased with increasing concentration and/or molecular weight. The power-law relationship holds between the inverse value of a characteristic time and a critical angular frequency. (4) Among the previously proposed models, the Cox-Merz rule implying the equivalence between the steady flow viscosity and the magnitude of the complex viscosity has the best validity. The Osaki relation can be regarded to some extent as a suitable model. However, the DeWitt, Pao and HusebyBlyler models are not applicable to describe the correlations between steady shear flow and dynamic viscoelastic properties.

• Solar Energy
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.13-22
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• 1997

Drag reduction produced by the dilute solution of polymer under turbulent flow in a rotating disk apparatus(RDA) was investigated in this study for the purpose of potential application to the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion(OTEC) system. Four different molecular weights of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) were used as drag reducing additives, and synthetic seawater was adopted as a solvent. Experiments were undertaken to observe the dependence of drag reduction on various factors such as polymer molecular weight, polymer concentration and the rotating speed of the disk. The concentration dependence on the drag reduction of this polymer system was shown to obey an empirical drag reduction equation of the Virk's universal correlation.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1015-1020
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• 2007

A simple approach to prepare arrays of Au/TiO2 composite nanoparticles by using Au-loaded block copolymers as templates combined with a sol-gel process is described. The organic-inorganic hybrid films with closely packed inorganic nanodomains in organic matrix are produced by spin coating the mixtures of polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO)/HAuCl4 solution and sol-gel precursor solution. After removal of the organic matrix with deep UV irradiation, arrays of Au/TiO2 composite nanoparticles with different compositions or particle sizes can be easily produced. Different photoluminescence (PL) emission spectra from an organic-inorganic hybrid film and arrays of Au/TiO2 composite nanoparticles indicate that TiO2 and Au components exist as separate state in the initial hybrid film and form composite nanoparticles after the removal of the block copolymer matrix.

• Solar Energy
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 1998

Polymer induced turbulent drag reduction in a rotating disk apparatus was investigated using four different molecular weights of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO) in a synthetic seawater solution for the purpose of potential application to the cold water piping in the Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion(OTEC) system. To apply drag reduction to the OTEC we measured the temperature dependence on the drag reduction efficiency. From this study, it was found that the drag reduction efficiency increases with the temperature and the concentration. To measure the drag reduction efficiency during the operation period, the drag reduction behavior was detected as a function of time and the results obtained from the experiment was compared to the Brostow's model equation.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.52-58
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• 2008

The object of this study is to investigate the effects of intermittent cyclic stretching on the smooth muscle cells (SMCs) seeded onto aligned multi-layered fibrous scaffold. To make multi-layered fibrous scaffold, polyurethane (PU) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) were electrospun alternatively, then were immersed into distilled water to extract PEO. Various types of scaffolds were fabricated depending on fiber directions, i.e., aligned or randomly oriented. The direction of stretching was either parallel or vertical to the fiber direction for the aligned scaffolds. The stretching was also applied to the randomly aligned scaffolds. The duration of stretching was 2 min with 15 min resting period. During the stretching, the maximum and minimum strain was adjusted to be 10 and 7%, respectively with the frequency of 1 Hz. The bioactivities of cells on the scaffolds were assessed by quantifying DNA, collagen, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) levels. And the cell morphology was observed by staining F-actin. SMCs under parallel stretching to the fiber direction responded more positively than those in other conditions. From the results, we could explain the morphological effect of a substrate on cellular activities. In addition the synergistic effects of substrate and mechanical stimuli effects were confirmed.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.237-244
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• 1993

The characteristics of composite polymer electrolytes obtained by adding a fine ceramic powder($\gamma-{LiAlO}_{2}$) with a diameter of $1{\mu}$m to a poly(ethylene oxide)/lithium trifluoromethane sulfonate (LiC$F_3$S$O_3$) complex are described in terms of morphological and mechanical behavior. The addition of uniformly dispersed ceramic powder greatly improves the electrical and mechanical properties of solid polymer electrolytes at ambient temperature. For the composite polymer electrolytes under this study, the optimum composition of the $\gamma-{LiAIO}_{2}$ in the composite for maximum ionic conductivity was found to be 20 wt%.