A multi-arm, degradable polyethylene glycol derivative with a high molecular weight that does not cause vacuolation of cells is provided. A degradable polyethylene glycol derivative represented by the following formula (1):

##STR00001##

wherein n1 and n2 are each independently 45-950, W.sup.1 and W.sup.2 are each independently an oligopeptide of 2-47 residues, a1 and a2 are each independently 1-8, Q is a hydrocarbon chain having 2-12 carbon atoms and optionally containing an oxygen atom and/or a nitrogen atom, X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are each independently a functional group capable of reacting with a bio-related substance, and L.sup.1, L.sup.2, L.sup.3, L.sup.4, L.sup.5 and L.sup.6 are each independently a divalent spacer.

There are provided a fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin molded article including a thermoplastic resin [A], carbon fibers [B] and a polyrotaxane [C], the thermoplastic resin [A], the carbon fibers [B] and the polyrotaxane [C] being included in amounts of 40 to 98 parts by weight, 1 to 40 parts by weight and 1 to 20 parts by weight, respectively, based on 100 parts by weight of the total content of the thermoplastic resin [A], the carbon fibers [B] and the polyrotaxane [C], wherein the carbon fibers [B] included in the molded article have a weight-average fiber length [Lw] in a range of 0.5 to 20 mm, and a ratio ([C]/[B]) of the content of the polyrotaxane [C] to that of the carbon fibers [B] is 0.04 or more and 0.5 or less; and a thermoplastic resin molded article which has excellent impact strength and also has excellent conductivity.

A nonlimiting example method of forming highly spherical carbon nanomaterial-graft-polyamide (CNM-g-polyamide) polymer particles may comprising: mixing a mixture comprising: (a) carbon nanomaterial-graft-polyamide (CNM-g-polyamide), wherein the CNM-g-polyamide particles comprises: a polyamide grafted to a carbon nanomaterial, (b) a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the polyamide of the CNM-g-polyamide, optionally (c) a thermoplastic polymer not grafted to a CNM, and optionally (d) an emulsion stabilizer at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the polyamide of the CNM-g-polyamide and the thermoplastic polymer, when included, and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the CNM-g-polyamide in the carrier fluid; cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature to form CNM-g-polyamide particles; and separating the CNM-g-polyamide particles from the carrier fluid.

A polymer/activated carbon composite made up of a branched polyethylenimine and magnetic cores involving Fe.sub.3O.sub.4 disposed activated carbon. The magnetic cores have activated carbonyl groups on the surface. A process for removing organic dyes, such as methyl red, as well as heavy metal ions from a polluted aqueous solution or an industrial wastewater utilizing the composite is introduced. A method of synthesizing the polymer/activated carbon composites is also specified.

A composition comprising the reaction product of a polypropylene comprising at least 50 mol % propylene, and having a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) greater than 6, a branching index (g′.sub.vis) of at least 0.97, and a melt strength greater than 10 cN determined using an extensional rheometer at 190° C.; and within the range from 0.01 to 3 wt % of at least one organic peroxide, by weight of the polypropylene and organic peroxide. Such hyperbranched polypropylenes are useful in films, foamed articles, and thermoformed articles.

The present invention relates to processes for making macromolecular networks, macromolecular networks made by such processes, and methods of using such macromolecular networks to make materials such as ceramics. The macromolecular network's formation rate is controlled by using two species of reactants each of which comprised one functionality. This results in decreased macromolecular network processing costs and superior products.

Residence structures, systems, and related methods are generally provided. Certain embodiments comprise administering (e.g., orally) a residence structure to a subject (e.g., a patient) such that the residence structure is retained at a location internal to the subject for a particular amount of time (e.g., at least about 24 hours) before being released. The residence structure may be, in some cases, a gastric residence structure. In some embodiments, the structures and systems described herein comprise one or more materials configured for high levels of active substances (e.g., a therapeutic agent) loading, high active substance and/or structure stability in acidic environments, mechanical flexibility and strength in an internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), easy passage through the GI tract until delivery to at a desired internal orifice (e.g., gastric cavity), and/or rapid dissolution/degradation in a physiological environment (e.g., intestinal environment) and/or in response to a chemical stimulant (e.g., ingestion of a solution that induces rapid dissolution/degradation). In certain embodiments, the structure has a modular design, combining a material configured for controlled release of therapeutic, diagnostic, and/or enhancement agents with a structural material necessary for gastric residence but configured for controlled and/or tunable degradation/dissolution to determine the time at which retention shape integrity is lost and the structure passes out of the gastric cavity. For example, in certain embodiments, the residence structure comprises a first elastic component, a second component configured to release an active substance (e.g., a therapeutic agent), and, optionally, a linker. In some such embodiments, the linker may be configured to degrade such that the residence structure breaks apart and is released from the location internally of the subject after a predetermined amount of time.

A method for analyzing or detecting methimazole (“MTZ”) comprising contacting a sample suspected of containing MTZ with the dendrimer-stabilized silver nanoparticles and performing surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Graphene-dendrimer-stabilized silver nanoparticles (G-D-Ag).

A method for forming self-assembled inorganic nanostructures. The method includes forming a mixture by adding a plurality of inorganic nanostructures to an aqueous solution under atmospheric pressure. Forming the mixture includes adding a first plurality of inorganic nanostructures to the aqueous solution and adding a second plurality of inorganic nanostructures to the aqueous solution. The first plurality of inorganic nanostructures has a first plurality of superficial sites with an opposite-signed surface zeta potential respective to a surface zeta potential of a second plurality of superficial sites of the second plurality of inorganic nanostructures.

A metal coordination polymer, in particular, a layered metal coordination polymer, can be used as a precursor to form nanostructures of various morphologies and composition. Metal based nanostructures can be prepared from the metal coordination polymers. The nanostructures may have various catalytic properties. The layered metal coordination polymer includes two or more layers, each layer including metal atoms coordinated to an organic linker to form a metal coordination polymer layer.