scholarly journals Molecular dynamics of natural rubber as revealed by dielectric spectroscopy: The role of natural cross–linking

Soft Matter ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (15) ◽  
pp. 3636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Carretero–González ◽  
Tiberio A. Ezquerra ◽  
Sureerut Amnuaypornsri ◽  
Shigeyuki Toki ◽  
Raquel Verdejo ◽  
...  
1951 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 777-786
Author(s):  
E. H. Farmer ◽  
C. G. Moore

Abstract The high degree of dehydrogenation effected by tert.-butoxy radicals at the α-methylenic groups of olefins enables these radicals to be used for the carbon-to-carbon cross-linking of unsaturated carbon chains, and especially of the polyisoprenic chains of natural rubber. Such cross-linking amounts to a vulcanization process in which the connecting links between chain molecules are just C—C bonds, which may be expected to have appropriate attributes. An examination has first been made of the cross-linking produced by tert.- butoxy radicals (from di-tert.-butyl peroxide) at 140° between the short iso-prenic chains in 1-methylcyclohexene, 4-methylhept-3-ene, 2,6-dimethylocta-2, 6-diene, and digeranyl. Cross-linking proceeds efficiently in each case, and the points of union in these isoprene units which become directly joined are not confined to original α-methylenic carbon atoms. Where the reagent radicals are in considerable deficit, e.g., one per two or three of the isoprene units present, those olefin molecules which are attacked become linked together mostly by single unions to form aggregates containing two, three or four molecules; but in the tetraisoprenic olefins the extent to which more than one union is formed between some of the directly linked molecules becomes appreciable. In natural rubber, cross-linking occurs smoothly and to nearly the full extent corresponding to the (in practice restricted) proportion of peroxidic reagent employed. Good vulcanizates can be so obtained in which the tensile stength is found to increase towards a maximum and then to decline rapidly as the degree of cross-linking steadily increases. Thus to obtain vulcanizates of the optimum physical characteristics, the degree of cross-linking must be suitably chosen. The role of the peroxidic reagent is almost entirely non-additive and non-degradative.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (05) ◽  
pp. 850-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
F D Rubens ◽  
D W Perry ◽  
M W C Hatton ◽  
P D Bishop ◽  
M A Packham ◽  
...  

SummaryPlatelet accumulation on small- and medium-calibre vascular grafts plays a significant role in graft occlusion. We examined platelet accumulation on the surface of fibrin-coated polyethylene tubing (internal diameter 0.17 cm) during 10 min of flow (l0ml/min) at high wall shear rate (764 s-1). Washed platelets labelled with 51Cr were resuspended in Tyrode solution containing albumin, apyrase and red blood cells (hematocrit 40%). When the thrombin that was used to form the fibrin-coated surface was inactivated with FPRCH2C1 before perfusion of the tubes with the platelet:red blood cell suspension, the accumulation of platelets was 59,840 ± 27,960 platelets per mm2, whereas accumulation on fibrin with residual active thrombin was 316,750 ± 32,560 platelets per mm2 (n = 4). When the fibrin on the surface was cross-linked by including recombinant factor XIII (rFXIII) in the fibrinogen solution used to prepare the fibrin-coated surface, platelet accumulation, after thrombin neutralization, was reduced by the cross-linking from 46,974 ± 9702 to 36,818 ± 7964 platelets per mm2 (n = 12, p <0.01). Platelet accumulation on tubes coated with D-dimer was ten times less than on tubes coated with D-domain; this finding also supports the observation that cross-linking of fibrin with the formation of γ-γ dimers reduces platelet accumulation on the fibrin-coated surface. Thrombin-activated platelets themselves were shown to cross-link fibrin when they had adhered to it during perfusion, or in a static system in which thrombin was used to form clots from FXIII-free fibrinogen in the presence of platelets. Thus, cross-linking of fibrin by FXIII in plasma or from platelets probably decreases the reactivity of the fibrin-containing thrombi to platelets by altering the lysine residue at or near the platelet-binding site of each of the γ-chains of the fibrinogen which was converted into the fibrin of these thrombi.


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (05) ◽  
pp. 0959-0963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Seale ◽  
Sarah Finney ◽  
Roy T Sawyer ◽  
Robert B Wallis

SummaryTridegin is a potent inhibitor of factor Xllla from the leech, Haementeria ghilianii, which inhibits protein cross-linking. It modifies plasmin-mediated fibrin degradation as shown by the absence of D-dimer and approximately halves the time for fibrinolysis. Plasma clots formed in the presence of Tridegin lyse more rapidly when either streptokinase, tissue plasminogen activator or hementin is added 2 h after clot formation. The effect of Tridegin is markedly increased if clots are formed from platelet-rich plasma. Platelet-rich plasma clots are lysed much more slowly by the fibrinolytic enzymes used and if Tridegin is present, the rate of lysis returns almost to that of platelet- free clots. These studies indicate the important role of platelets in conferring resistance to commonly used fibrinolytic enzymes and suggest that protein cross-linking is an important step in this effect. Moreover they indicate that Tridegin, a small polypeptide, may have potential as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy.


Author(s):  
Jay Krishan Dora ◽  
Charchit Saraswat ◽  
Ashish Gour ◽  
Sudipto Ghosh ◽  
Natraj Yedla ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 009524432110061
Author(s):  
Bo Yang ◽  
Balakrishnan Nagarajan ◽  
Pierre Mertiny

Polymers may absorb fluids from their surroundings via the natural phenomenon of swelling. Dimensional changes due to swelling can affect the function of polymer components, such as in the case of seals, microfluidic components and electromechanical sensors. An understanding of the swelling behavior of polymers and means for controlling it can improve the design of polymer components, for example, for the previously mentioned applications. Carbon-based fillers have risen in popularity to be used for the property enhancement of resulting polymer composites. The present investigation focuses on the effects of three carbon-based nano-fillers (graphene nano-platelets, carbon black, and graphene nano-scrolls) on the dimensional changes of polydimethylsiloxane composites due to swelling when immersed in certain organic solvents. For this study, a facile and expedient methodology comprised of optical measurements in conjunction with digital image analysis was developed as the primary experimental technique to quantify swelling dimensional changes of the prepared composites. Other experimental techniques assessed polymer cross-linking densities and elastic mechanical properties of the various materials. The study revealed that the addition of certain carbon-based nano-fillers increased the overall swelling of the composites. The extent of swelling further depended on the organic solvent in which the composites were immersed in. Experimental findings are contrasted with published models for swelling prediction, and the role of filler morphology on swelling behavior is discussed.


Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Iwona Sadura ◽  
Dariusz Latowski ◽  
Jana Oklestkova ◽  
Damian Gruszka ◽  
Marek Chyc ◽  
...  

Plants have developed various acclimation strategies in order to counteract the negative effects of abiotic stresses (including temperature stress), and biological membranes are important elements in these strategies. Brassinosteroids (BR) are plant steroid hormones that regulate plant growth and development and modulate their reaction against many environmental stresses including temperature stress, but their role in modifying the properties of the biological membrane is poorly known. In this paper, we characterise the molecular dynamics of chloroplast membranes that had been isolated from wild-type and a BR-deficient barley mutant that had been acclimated to low and high temperatures in order to enrich the knowledge about the role of BR as regulators of the dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes. The molecular dynamics of the membranes was investigated using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy in both a hydrophilic and hydrophobic area of the membranes. The content of BR was determined, and other important membrane components that affect their molecular dynamics such as chlorophylls, carotenoids and fatty acids in these membranes were also determined. The chloroplast membranes of the BR-mutant had a higher degree of rigidification than the membranes of the wild type. In the hydrophilic area, the most visible differences were observed in plants that had been grown at 20 °C, whereas in the hydrophobic core, they were visible at both 20 and 5 °C. There were no differences in the molecular dynamics of the studied membranes in the chloroplast membranes that had been isolated from plants that had been grown at 27 °C. The role of BR in regulating the molecular dynamics of the photosynthetic membranes will be discussed against the background of an analysis of the photosynthetic pigments and fatty acid composition in the chloroplasts.


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