N-Benzylated Poly(vinylamine): Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Activity in Ester Cleavage

Hydrophobically-modified poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as a physically-associative, shear-responsive ophthalmic hydrogel

The potential of hydrophobically-modified poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as a shear-responsive, self-associative hydrogel for ophthalmic applications is demonstrated. Hydrophobic modification was achieved via random copolymerization of N-vinylpyrrolidone with N-vinylformamide, the latter of which can be hydrolyzed to expose a desired degree of reactive amine groups permitting grafting of alkyl chlorides of varying alkyl chain lengths. The resulting materials formed highly shear-responsive physical hydrogels, exhibiting tunable shear thinning over 4-5 decades of viscosity from infinite shear to zero shear conditions that facilitates lubrication upon blinking and/or facile injection or drop-based delivery to the anterior or posterior segments of the eye. Viscosity changes due to self-association over time can also be tuned by changing the length of the hydrophobe, with C18-grafted materials exhibiting prolonged thickening over several weeks to form extremely stiff hydrogels and shorter grafts equilibrating significantly faster but forming weaker gels. The hydrogels remained transparent even at very high polymer concentrations (20 wt%) and are demonstrated to facilitate controlled release of a model drug (doxorubicin). The polymers exhibit minimal cytotoxicity in vitro to human corneal epithelial cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells, particularly when lower molecular weight backbone polymers were used. In vivo assessments in rabbits indicated no significant conjunctival edema or redness, secretion, corneal opacity, or iris involvement upon anterior application. Following intravitreal injection in rat eyes, no opacification of the lens, cornea or vitreous, nor any morphological or functional change to the posterior segment was observed. Examination of wholemount tissues and histology demonstrated no adverse effect from the injection or deposition of material. As such, these shear-thinning materials offer potential for drug delivery in both the anterior and posterior segments or as a vitreal replacement that can be easily administered or removed.

Chromo- and fluorophoric water-soluble polymers and silica particles by nucleophilic substitution reaction of poly(vinyl amine)

Novel chromophoric and fluorescent carbonitrile-functionalized poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) and PVAm/silica particles were synthesized by means of nucleophilic aromatic substitution of 8-oxo-8H-acenaphtho[1,2-b]pyrrol-9-carbonitrile (1) with PVAm in water. The water solubility of 1 has been mediated by 2,6-O-β-dimethylcyclodextrin or by pre-adsorption onto silica particles. Furthermore, 1 was converted with isopropylamine into the model compound 1-M. All new compounds were characterized by NMR, FTIR, UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The solvent-dependent UV–vis absorption and fluorescence emission band positions of the model compound and the carbonitrile-functionalized PVAm were studied and interpreted using the empirical Kamlet–Taft solvent parameters π^* (dipolarity/polarizability), α (hydrogen-bond donating capacity) and β (hydrogen-accepting ability) in terms of the linear solvation energy relationship (LSER). The solvent-independent regression coefficients a, b and s were determined using multiple linear correlation analysis. It is shown, that the chains of the polymer have a significant influence on the solvatochromic behavior of 1-P. The structure of the carbonitrile 1-Si bound to polymer-modified silica particles was studied by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) measurements. Fluorescent silica particles were obtained as shown by fluorescence spectroscopy with a diffuse reflectance technique.

pH-dependence of the properties of hydrophobically modified polyvinylamine

A series of N-alkyl or N-benzyl substituted polyvinylamines (PVAm) were prepared and the properties of aqueous solutions were measured as functions of pH. The polymer solutions showed almost no surface activity under acidic conditions whereas surface tension was reduced to 40-50 mN/m around pH 9. Increasing either the degree of hydrophobic substitution or the hydrophobic chain length lowered the pH at which surface tension lowering was observed. Hydrophobic substitution also shifted plots of the degree of ionization versus pH toward lower pH which means lower pH values were required to achieve a given value of polymer charging. The hydrophobically modified PVAm associated in water giving species whose apparent diameter measured by dynamic light scattering decreased with increasing pH, whereas the electrophoretic mobilities of the associated species increased with decreasing pH. Although many hydrophobically modified and pH sensitive polymers have been described in the literature for applications in biomaterials, drug release and as pH sensitive surfactants, the hydrophobically modified PVAms are particularly attractive because they are easily prepared from commercially available polyvinylamines.