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Albumin-conjugated pH and thermo responsive poly(amino urethane) multiblock copolymers are synthesized. The aqueous solution of the conjugate exhibits pH/temperature dependent sol-gel phase transitions that can be tuned by changing solution concentration and albumin composition. The gel window well covers the physiological condition allowing the flowing liquid to readily form the solid gel under the back of the Sprangue-Dawley (SD) rats. The release profile of lysozyme, as a model protein, shows that the conjugate hydrogel is able to effectively reduce the burst effect, in vivo, and maintain the sustained release of lysozyme over 4 and 2 weeks in the in vitro and in vivo experiments, respectively. Such conjugate hydrogel can be considered as a potential candidate for long-term delivery of proteins.

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A novel heat-sealing performance is achieved by polyethylene (PE) nanocomposites reinforced by ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and montmorillonite (MMT). Appropriate nanocomposite design leads to hermetic seals with a general peelable/easy-open character across the broadest possible sealing temperature range. Observations of the fracture seal surfaces by infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy reveal that this behavior originates from a synergistic effect of the EVA copolymer and the montmorillonite clay nanofiller. Namely, the combination of EVA-copolymers and MMT nanofillers provides sufficiently favorable interactions for nanocomposite formation and mechanical robustness, but weak enough interfacial adhesion to promote a general cohesive failure of the sealant at the EVA/MMT interfaces.