Holmium (Ho), one of the lanthanide elements, shows a high magnetic moment. Here we present a simple, yet highly potential approach for preparing polymer-based magnetic materials from a three-dimensional polymer network composed with poly(acrylic acid) and Ho showing trivalent nature. We have successfully prepared a magnetic polymer network that reacts directly to a magnet by three-dimensionally immobilizing Ho in the polymer matrix. The present method allowed a preparation of wide range of magnetic materials using polymeric scaffolds, e.g., polymer-grafted particles and cross-linked polymer gels. As a result of the high Ho content, these materials responded quickly to the magnet. The discovery of a method to prepare magnetic materials will provide flexibility in materials design and greatly expand the scope of application of magnetic materials.

Zwitterionic methacrylate polymers with either choline phosphate (CP) (poly(MCP)) or phosphorylcholine (PC) (poly(MPC)) side groups were analyzed to characterize the bound hydration water molecules as nonfreezing water (NFW), intermediate water (IW), or free water (FW). This characterization was carried out by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of polymer/water systems, and the enthalpy changes of cold crystallization and melting were determined. The electron pair orientation of CP is opposite to that of PC, and the former binds the alkyl terminal groups at the phosphate esters. The numbers of NFW and IW molecules per monomer unit of poly(MCP) with an isopropyl terminal group were estimated to be 10.7 and 11.3 mol/mol, respectively, which were slightly greater than those of the poly(MCP) bearing an ethyl terminal group. More NFW and IW molecules hydrated the phosphobetaine polyzwitterions, poly(MCP) and poly(MPC), compared with carboxybetaine and sulfobetaine polymers. Moreover, the hydration states of polyelectrolytes were compared with the zwitterionic polymers. Finally, we discuss the relationship between the amount of hydration water and bio-inert properties.

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAM) is one of the most commonly used thermo-responsive polymers. PNIPAM has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of approximately 32 °C, which is close to the temperature of the...

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The microscopic wetting behavior of a water film on the line-patterned surface of a polyelectrolyte brush was directly visualized using an optical microscope by dyeing procedures. Surface line patterns of 5 and 5 μm width or 10 and 5 μm width for the polyelectrolyte brush and hydrophobic monolayer, respectively, were prepared by a photolithography process, chemical vapor adsorption method, and surface-initiated polymerization. A droplet of water containing dye was placed on the line-patterned surface. In front of the contact line, a water film with a nanometer-scale thickness, referred to as a precursor film, elongated along the polymer brush line with time. The elongation velocity at the first stage increased as the brush line width increased. On the other hand, at the second stage after the macroscopic contact line stopped moving, the precursor film continued to elongate in proportion to the 0.6 power of time, independent of the brush thickness, line width, and droplet volume.