Methods for preparing water soluble, non-peptidic polymers carrying carboxyl functional groups, particularly carboxylic acid functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymers are disclosed, as are the products of these methods. In general, an ester reagent R(CO)OR, wherein R is a tertiary group and R comprises a functional group X, is reacted with a water soluble, non-peptidic polymer POLY-Y, where Y is a functional group which reacts with X to form a covalent bond, to form a tertiary ester of the polymer, which is then treated with a strong base in aqueous solution, to form a carboxylate salt of the polymer. Typically, this carboxylate salt is then treated with an inorganic acid in aqueous solution, to convert the carboxylate salt to a carboxylic acid, thereby forming a carboxylic acid functionalized polymer.

Disclosed are protein-like polymers and uses thereof. The protein-like polymers generally comprise a polymer of formula (FX1). The polymer of formula (FX1) in some aspects comprises a peptide having similarity or homology to a tandem repeat peptide sequence found in a natural protein or natural peptide, and/or the polymer of formula (FX1) in some aspects comprises a peptide comprising at least one catechol residue.

Disclosed are protein-like polymers and uses thereof. The protein-like polymers generally comprise a polymer of formula (FX1). The polymer of formula (FX1) in some aspects comprises a peptide having similarity or homology to a tandem repeat peptide sequence found in a natural protein or natural peptide, and/or the polymer of formula (FX1) in some aspects comprises a peptide comprising at least one catechol residue.

A method of making a lignocellulose incorporating methacrylate functionality from date palm biomass can include extracting sieved date palm biomass at a first predetermined temperature (110? C.) to obtain an extracted date palm biomass; adding an acid to the extracted date palm biomass to obtain a mixture and stirring and refluxing the mixture at a second predetermined temperature (100? C.) to obtain a refluxed cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin residue; dissolving the refluxed cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin residue in a solvent to obtain a solution; adding triethylamine and methacrylic anhydride to the solution to obtain a reaction solution mixture and stirring while heating the reaction solution mixture to react the triethylamine and the methacrylic anhydride with the solution to obtain a reacted solution mixture; pouring the reacted solution mixture into an ice-cold solvent to obtain a solution mixture and separating cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin residue from the solution mixture via centrifuging; dissolving centrifuged cellulose-lignin residue in water to obtain the lignocellulose incorporating methacrylate functionality.

A method of making a lignocellulose incorporating methacrylate functionality from date palm biomass can include extracting sieved date palm biomass at a first predetermined temperature (110? C.) to obtain an extracted date palm biomass; adding an acid to the extracted date palm biomass to obtain a mixture and stirring and refluxing the mixture at a second predetermined temperature (100? C.) to obtain a refluxed cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin residue; dissolving the refluxed cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin residue in a solvent to obtain a solution; adding triethylamine and methacrylic anhydride to the solution to obtain a reaction solution mixture and stirring while heating the reaction solution mixture to react the triethylamine and the methacrylic anhydride with the solution to obtain a reacted solution mixture; pouring the reacted solution mixture into an ice-cold solvent to obtain a solution mixture and separating cellulose-hemicellulose-lignin residue from the solution mixture via centrifuging; dissolving centrifuged cellulose-lignin residue in water to obtain the lignocellulose incorporating methacrylate functionality.

Methods for conducting controlled grafting-from radical polymerizations from biomolecules under conditions that are biologically compatible are described. The methods provide biomolecule-polymer conjugates with highly controlled structures and narrow polydispersities under aqueous reaction conditions and biological temperatures. Biomolecules, such as proteins and nucleotides can be conjugated to polymers with high levels of control.

The instant invention provides a coating composition, a process of making a coating composition, a coated article, and a method of forming such articles. The coating composition according to the present invention comprises a dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell. The process for making a coating composition according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) selecting a base polymer; (2) selecting a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; (3) selecting one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers; (4) melt-blending said base polymer, said polar polymeric stabilizing agent, and said one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers; (4) contacting said melt-blended base polymer, polar polymeric stabilizing agent and one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers with water and optionally in the presence of a neutralizing agent; (5) thereby forming said dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising said base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising said polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) said one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell. The coated article according to the present invention comprises: a substrate comprising cellulose base material; and a dispersion on at least one surface of said substrate, wherein said dispersion comprises: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell. The method of making a coated article according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) providing a substrate comprising cellulose base material (2) providing a coating composition comprising a dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell; (3) applying said coating composition to at least one surface of said substrate; and (4) thereby making said coated article.

The instant invention provides a coating composition, a process of making a coating composition, a coated article, and a method of forming such articles. The coating composition according to the present invention comprises a dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell. The process for making a coating composition according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) selecting a base polymer; (2) selecting a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; (3) selecting one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers; (4) melt-blending said base polymer, said polar polymeric stabilizing agent, and said one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers; (4) contacting said melt-blended base polymer, polar polymeric stabilizing agent and one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers with water and optionally in the presence of a neutralizing agent; (5) thereby forming said dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising said base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising said polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) said one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell. The coated article according to the present invention comprises: a substrate comprising cellulose base material; and a dispersion on at least one surface of said substrate, wherein said dispersion comprises: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell. The method of making a coated article according to the present invention comprises the steps of: (1) providing a substrate comprising cellulose base material (2) providing a coating composition comprising a dispersion comprising: (a) a core comprising a base polymer; (b) a shell at least partially surrounding said core, wherein said shell comprising a polar polymeric stabilizing agent; and (c) one or more hydrophobic particulate fillers embedded at least partially in said shell; (3) applying said coating composition to at least one surface of said substrate; and (4) thereby making said coated article.

The invention provides polar-modified rice husk waxes obtainable by free-radical grafting of unmodified rice husk waxes with graft comonomers selected from the group of the ,-unsaturated mono- or polybasic carboxylic acids or derivatives thereof. The invention further provides derivatization products prepared by chemical conversion of the polar-modified rice husk waxes of the invention. The invention further provides processes for producing the products of the invention and for the use thereof.

The invention provides polar-modified rice husk waxes obtainable by free-radical grafting of unmodified rice husk waxes with graft comonomers selected from the group of the ,-unsaturated mono- or polybasic carboxylic acids or derivatives thereof. The invention further provides derivatization products prepared by chemical conversion of the polar-modified rice husk waxes of the invention. The invention further provides processes for producing the products of the invention and for the use thereof.