Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable multicomponent amphiphilic conetworks with tunable swelling through combination of ring‐opening polymerization and “click” chemistry method as a controlled release formulation for 2,4‐dichlorophenoxyacetic acid herbicide

Abstract

Funding informationUniversity of Zanjan Multicomponent (two, three, and four component) amphiphilic conetworks (APCNs) with tunable swelling behaviors were fabricated through the ring opening polymerization and click chemistry utilizing various combinations of azide and alkyne functionalized poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly (caprolactone) (PCL) precursors. Prepare azido-terminated star-shaped PCL, azido-terminated PEG, alkyne-terminated PEG, and propargylated pentaerythritol were characterized by hydrogen-1 proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy.The morphology and thermal behavior of the APCNs were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The swelling behavior of APCNs could be manipulated through an establishment of a balance between hydrophilic segments, hydrophobic segments, and cross-linking density.The 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) herbicide was entrapped in APCNs as a model agrochemical to study the release profile from APCNs. The obtained results showed that the release of 2,4-D could be controlled by the swelling degree of APCNs. Finally, the biodegradability rates of APCNs were investigated in agricultural soil. The results exhibited that the decrease in the swelling degree led to decreased degradation rate of APCNs. According to obtained results, these APCNs could be used as biomaterials for the controlled release of agrochemicals.

Increasing the hydrophilicity of star‐shaped amphiphilic co‐networks by using of PEG and dendritic s‐PCL cross‐linkers

“…Therefore, by increasing azide groups for click coupling with PEG dialkyne, the incorporation of PEG in the network, hydrophilicity, and swelling degree of hydrogels increased. According to the previous work of the authors of the present study, swelling degrees of sPCL‐N 3 –based hydrogels were lower than hyperbranch hydrogels (sPCL‐AC‐DEA‐N 3 and sPCL‐AC‐DEA‐AC‐DEA‐N 3 ). Hence, by using this synthetic strategy, the swelling degree of amphiphilic hydrogels could be controlled through regulating branch contents.…”

“…According to the previous work of the authors of the present study, 35 swelling degrees of sPCL-N 3 -based hydrogels were lower than hyperbranch hydrogels (sPCL-AC-DEA-N 3 and sPCL-AC-DEA-AC-DEA-N 3 ). Hence, by using this synthetic strategy, the swelling degree of amphiphilic hydrogels could be controlled through regulating branch contents.…”

“…In the study previously performed by the authors of the present research, various prepolymers and cross-linking agents were exploited to control the swelling behavior of PEG-PCL-based amphiphilic hydrogels, the behaviors which were not systematically predictable due to the utilization of different compositions and the lack of homogeneity in the structure of hydrogels. 35 In the present study, while presenting a new method for controlling the swelling behavior of these hydrogels, the swelling behavior was expected to be controllable and predictable by choosing one cross-linking agent as well as solely increasing the number of branches in the star-shaped crosslinking agent. Therefore, new hyperbranched star-shaped PCL as a cross-linker was synthesized and functionalized with azide groups.…”

Recent Trends in Advanced Polymer Materials in Agriculture Related Applications

“…(b) Structure of the azide and alkyl functional precursors and schematic representation of forming multicomponent amphiphilic networks. Reproduced with permission from ref . Copyright 2019 John Wiley & Sons.…”

Nanoconfined Crosslinked Poly(ionic liquid)s with Unprecedented Selective Swelling Properties Obtained by Alkylation in Nanophase-Separated Poly(1-vinylimidazole)-l-poly(tetrahydrofuran) Conetworks

“…Nanoconfined material structures, including polymers as well, due to the wide range of unique structural features, properties, and effects arising under nanocompartmentalized conditions, have created significant worldwide interest over the last couple of years (see e.g., references [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ] and references therein). The recently emerged polymer conetworks, especially amphiphilic conetworks (APCNs), composed of covalently or supramolecularly bonded, otherwise immiscible, hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer chains, belong to such nanophase-separated materials with mutually nanoconfined macromolecular components [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 ]. Considering that polymers containing imidazole rings, which also play a pivotal role in the major biopolymers and compounds of living organisms, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, enzymes, hormones, vitamins, etc., provide various advantageous properties, like water solubility, strong metal ion coordinating ability, protonation, and alkylation possibilities, we have recently explored the synthesis, nanophasic structure, and properties of poly(1-vinylimidazole)- l -poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PVIm- l -PTHF) and poly(1-vinylimidazole)- l -poly(propylene...…”