Macromolecular Rapid Communications最新文献

Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) equipped with refractive index (RI) and multi-angle light scattering (MALS) detectors was carried out on a polystyrene (PS) sample with the weight-average molecular weight 2.07 ×€10⁴ along with the matrix-assisted laser desorption flight time mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). The MALDI-TO-MS result was corrected by the relative sensitivity, which was found to decay exponentially with the molecular weight. Exchanging the elution volume for molecular weight by the calibration relation, the molecular-weight distribution (MWD) curves were obtained from the chromatograms. The MWD curve determined by the SEC chromatogram was much broader than that obtained by MALS and MALDI-TOF-MS because of the peak-broadening effect. Based on the MWD determined by MALDI-TOF-MS, the RI chromatogram was closely described by the calculated values using the Gaussian function. Based on the results of the PS sample, RI and MALS data of polyethylene oxide samples in water were analyzed using the exponentially modified Gaussian equation.

The stabilization of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) with polymer coatings has received immense research interest as it improves their aqueous dispersion and enhances their pharmacokinetics and biodistribution. A range of functional groups including carboxylic acids, silanes, catechols, and phosphonic acids have been incorporated into polymers and investigated as anchoring groups for IONPs surfaces. While some anchors suffer from limitations such as low affinity, poor stability and undesirable reactivity with some substrate surfaces, pentavalent phosphonic acid groups have been shown to be one of the most effective. Here, a new and alternative polymer-based stabilization strategy for IONPs in aqueous solution, using arsonic acid functional polymers PEG-b-P(AsAm)-IONPs has been developed. The arsonic acid groups were shown to provide efficient and stable anchoring to the IONPs surface with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) confirming particle colloidal stability in water and in phosphate-buffered saline over extended periods of time. Importantly, these polymeric scaffolds are cytocompatible with mouse fibroblast cells (NIH/3T3), encouraging their future biomedical applications.

Front Cover: This cover illustrates the tunable die swelling and post-extrusion behavior of Carbopol-PEO blends during 3D printing. By optimizing elasto-viscoplastic properties, the study reveals how nanoscale structure and rheology govern filament stability, drop formation, and print fidelity enabling predictive control over material deposition through dimensionless parameters like the Ohnesorge and modified Bingham numbers. More details can be found in the Research Article by Ases Akas Mishra, Roland Kádár, and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/marc.202500249).

Back Cover: Bio-Derived Polythioesters with a Glow and a Twist. Luminescent aliphatic polythioesters are synthesized via a chloride-free route and undergo post-polymerization rearrangement into amorphous polydithioesters with tunable structural and optical properties. More details can be found in the Research Article by Hatice Mutlu and co-workers (DOI: 10.1002/marc.202500056).

Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a powerful technique to create microscale structures with high precision, offering significant potential in tissue engineering and drug delivery. While conventional TPP-fabricated drug carriers rely on passive encapsulation, these systems often suffer from low payload capacity and diffusion-controlled release kinetics. To address these challenges, we present the first demonstration of TPP-printed polyprodrug microstructures, where the therapeutic agent is covalently integrated into the polymer network as the repeating unit itself. Estrogen-based diacrylate monomers derived from 17β-estradiol were synthesized via one-step esterification/transesterification to create a photocurable resin. Curing under flood UV irradiation yielded a rigid thermoset (E' ∼2.5 GPa at 25°C) with a glass transition temperature of about 50°C. Using TPP, we fabricated various microscale needles (100 × 100 × 400 µm, 2 µm resolution) from this resin, enabling direct printing of intrinsically therapeutic microstructures without post-processing drug loading. The cured polymer acts as both a structural matrix and a hydrolytically degradable polyprodrug, releasing estradiol through cleavage of ester bonds. By combining covalent drug-polymer integration with high-resolution 3D printing, this work establishes a platform for personalized transdermal drug delivery devices with spatially controlled release profiles determined by microstructure design and polymer degradation kinetics.