Klaus Tauer

Helical structures are ubiquitous in biological materials and often serve a structural purpose. Bio-inspired helical materials can be challenging to synthesize and rarely reach the degree of hierarchy of their natural counterparts. Here we report the first example of particles synthesized by direct emulsification of polypeptides found to display spiral morphologies in the dry state. The polypeptides were α-helical homo- and copolypeptides of benzyl glutamate and allylglycine. The chirality of the spirals was controlled by the chirality of the α-helices. Notably, right-handed α-helical polypeptides (rich in L residues) produced clockwise spirals, whereas left-handed α-helical polypeptides (rich in D resi-dues) produced the enantiomorphs, i.e., counterclockwise spirals. The disruption of the α-helical conformation by the introduction of chiral defects led to less regular spirals and in some cases their suppression. A hypothesis for the trans-mission of helicity and chirality from a molecular to a higher hierarchical level, involving fibril bundling of coiled α-helices, is proposed.

This study describes the effects of nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and ethylenediaminotetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the mineralization of calcium phosphate from bulk aqueous solution. Mineralization was performed between pH 6 and 9 and with NTA or EDTA concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 15 mM. X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy show that at low pH, mainly brushite precipitates and at higher pH, mostly hydroxyapatite forms. Both additives alter the morphology of the precipitates. Without additive, brushite precipitates as large plates. With NTA, the morphology changes to an unusual rod-like shape. With EDTA, the edges of the particles are rounded and disk-like particles form. Conductivity and pH measurements suggest that the final products form through several intermediate steps.

A solid mixture of reactants undergoes composition inversion to form calcium carbonate.

The assumption that during emulsion polymerization, the monomer molecules simply diffuse through the aqueous phase into the latex particles is a commonplace. However, there are experimental hints that this might not be that easy. Here, simulation results are discussed based on Fick’s diffusion laws regarding the swelling of latex particles. The results of quantitative application of these laws for swelling of latex particles allow the conclusion that the instantaneous replenishment of the consumed monomer during emulsion polymerization requires a close contact between the monomer and the polymer particles.

Multiple suspension particles — a new morphology of polymer particles — are generated on the verge of colloidal stability in the course of redox‐initiated aqueous heterophase copolymerization. These particles consist of block copolymers which are arranged in the form of a micrometer‐sized poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) physical network as scaffold containing nanometer‐sized particles of hydrophobic polymers covalently attached. image

This contribution reports the precipitation copolymerization of lauryl methacrylate–divinylbenzene (LMA–DVB) in stable isolated droplets dispersed in water. The droplets contain either n‐hexadecane (HD) or HD–toluene (HD–T) or toluene as a nonsolvent for the resulting P(LMA–DVB) copolymer. The polymerization proceeds smoothly with an appreciably high content of DVB without the formation of coagulum and thus proves the quite high stability of the droplet reactors. The differences in the interaction between the nonsolvent–copolymer combinations allow the variation of the internal morphology of the particles between core and shell type, highly porous, and solid sphere. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41881.