The incorporation of proteins in artificial materials such as membranes offers great opportunities to avail oneself the miscellaneous qualities of proteins and enzymes perfected by nature over millions of years. One possibility to leverage proteins is the modification with artificial polymers. To obtain such protein-polymer conjugates, either a polymer can be grown from the protein surface (grafting-from) or a pre-synthesized polymer attached to the protein (grafting-to). Both techniques were used to synthesize conjugates of different proteins with thermo-responsive polymers in this thesis. First, conjugates were analyzed by protein NMR spectroscopy. Typical characterization techniques for conjugates can verify the successful conjugation and give hints on the secondary structure of the protein. However, the 3-dimensional structure, being highly important for the protein function, cannot be probed by standard techniques. NMR spectroscopy is a unique method allowing to follow even small alterations in the protein structure. A mutant ...

This book presents the reader with a story-based narrative of discovery and development of radiation-induced graft polymerization. The report presented here accomplishes this by relating the inspiring account of research and development based on long-term collaboration among a professor, an engineer, and an entrepreneur. Their goal, ultimately successful, was to come up with a method for grafting functional polymer chains onto existing trunk polymers. The desired outcome was to produce feasible forms for practical use as adsorbents such as porous hollow-fiber membranes, porous sheets, nonwoven fabrics, and fibers. Adsorbents that specifically and efficiently bind to target ions and molecules are essential for capturing uranium species in seawater and antibody drugs in biological fluids and for removing metal ions from ultrapure water and radioactive cesium ions from contaminated water. This unique volume, with its clearly written text and many illustrative figures and diagrams, demonstrates the advantages of the high-adsorption capacity and rate and the easy handling of new polymeric adsorbents over conventional adsorbents. The dynamic behavior of graft chains as described here is certain to appeal especially to chemists, physicists, and material scientists as well as to other readers with an interest in this valuable subject.

Antioxidant Polymers is an exhaustive overview of the recent developments in the field of polymeric materials showing antioxidant properties. This research area has grown rapidly in the last decade because antioxidant polymers have wide industry applications ranging from materials science to biomedical, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Rapid advances in technology require materials with improved property profiles. Polymer modification using grafting and crosslinking are key ways to achieve this in an economical way and without the need for developing new materials. Often widely disparate and in a number of references, practical information on polymer grafting and crosslinking is now available in one volume. Researchers seeking information that bridges the knowledge gap between the scientific principles and industrial applications of polymer crosslinking and grafting will find coverage on the basic science, the methodologies, and a focus on the specific techniques used in a variety of industrial applications such as automotive, laminates, paints, adhesives, and cable. Coverage also includes potential biomedical applications. Descriptions of analytical tools that can be used to evaluate the results are also included.

Most of the untreated surfaces of polymers used in industry are not hydrophilic but hydrophobic. It is, therefore, difficult to bond these nonpolar polymer sur faces directly to other substances like adhesives, printing inks, and paints because they generally consist of polar compounds. On the other hand, polymer surfaces generally adsorb proteins when brought into direct contact with a bio logical system, resulting in cell attachment or platelet aggregation. The protein adsorption and attachment of biological components trigger a subsequent series of mostly adverse biological reactions toward the polymeric materials. Therefore, the technologies for surface modification of polymers or regulation of the polymer surface interaction with other substances have been of prime importance in polymer applications from the advent of polymer industries. Some of the technologies have been directed to introduction of new function alities onto polymer surfaces. The new functionalities introduced include improved surface hydrophilicity, hydrophobicity, bio compatibility, conductivi ty, anti-fogging, anti-fouling, grazing, surface hardness, surface roughness, adhesion, lubrication, and antistatic property. Theoretically, there is a large dif ference in properties between the surface and the bulk of a material and only the outermost surface is enough to be taken into consideration when the sur face properties are concerned. However, this is not the case for polymer surfaces, as the physical structure of the outermost polymer surface is generally not fixed but continuously changing with time due to the microscopic Brownian motion of polymer segments.

Polymer-Protein Conjugates: From Pegylation and Beyond helps researchers by offering a unique reference and guide into this fascinating area. Sections cover the challenges surrounding the homogeneity of conjugates, their purity and polymer toxicity on long-term use, and how to deal with the risk of immunogenicity. These discussions help researchers design new projects by taking into account the latest innovations for safe and site selective polymer conjugation to proteins. PEG has been the gold standard and likely will play this role for many years, but alternatives are coming into the market, some of which have already been launched. After five decades of improvements, the ideas in this book are entering into a new era of innovation because of the advances in genetic engineering, biochemistry and a better understanding of the results from clinical use of PEG conjugates in humans.

Biopolymer Grafting: Applications presents the latest research and developments in the practical application of these methods in industry, both to enable polymer scientists and engineers to keep up with the latest research trends, as well as to propose ideas for further research and application. Research into bio-based polymers has become increasingly prevalent. However, due to challenges related to the properties of these materials compared to synthetic polymers—such as their resistance to chemicals or weather—uptake has not dramatically increased yet. As a result, improvements in surface modification of bio-polymers through graft copolymerization are enormously important, because they will widen the scope of their applications. Relevant industries for application of these methods include automotive, construction, food, packaging, agriculture, textiles and paper. This book provides an overview of the developments made in the area of biopolymer-based graft polymers. Advantages, disadvantages and suggestions for future works are discussed, assisting materials scientists and researchers in mapping out the future of these new "green" materials through value addition to enhance their use. Helps researchers and product developers understand the applications and limitations of biopolymer copolymers or copolymers of natural polymers Offers a roadmap to future applications development in a range of different industries, including automotive, biomedical and packaging Increases familiarity with a range of biopolymer grafting processes, enabling materials scientists and engineers to improve material properties and widen the range of potential biopolymer applications