M2 macrophage-binding peptides and polymers and related methods of use are described.

A curable composition may include 100 parts by weight of a polyisobutylene-based polymer (A) having 1.2 or more (meth)acryloyl groups per molecule, 15 to 900 parts by weight of a polyisobutylene-based polymer (B) having 0.5 to 1.0 (meth)acryloyl group per molecule, and 0.001 to 50 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the polymer (A) and the polymer (B), of a polymerization initiator (C). Each of the polymer (A) and the polymer (B) may have a number average molecular weight of 500 to 500,000 as measured by size exclusion chromatography based on polystyrene standards, and a molecular weight distribution (weight-average molecular weight Mw)/(number-average molecular weight Mn) of 1.0 to 2.0.

Disclosed are self-assembled propylene-based bi-layer compositions having a skin layer comprising a propylene-based elastomer-toughened composition and a core layer comprising a propylene-based fiber-reinforced composition, wherein the propylene-based elastomer-toughened composition and propylene-based fiber-reinforced composition self-assemble upon mixing into the skin layer and the core layer. Processes for producing these self-assembled propylene-based compositions are also disclosed.

A peptide-polymer conjugate is provided for use in treating malaria infections, and in particular terminal or drug resistant malaria infections. The conjugate is formed from a polymer to which a peptide having activity against a malaria parasite is co-valently attached. The peptide is a cyclic decapeptide from the closely-related group of tyrocidines, tryptocidines, phenycidines and gramicidin S, and the polymer is a hydrophilic and biocompatible polymer with a terminal thiol, such as poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). The polymer chains can be decorated with a hydrophilic targeting ligand that specifically targets an epitope on red blood cells, and in particular red blood cells infected with a plasmodial parasite. A method for synthesising the peptide-polymer conjugate is also provided.

An electrophoresis dispersion liquid according to the aspect of the invention contains at least one type of electrophoretic particles and a dispersion medium and, in the electrophoresis dispersion liquid, the content of the electrophoretic particles is 10 weight % or more to 30 weight % or less. Furthermore, the electrophoretic particles have base particles and a polymer (particle surface treatment agent) linked with the base particles and, in the electrophoretic particles, the content of the polymer is 5 weight % or more to 15 weight % or less.

The invention relates to a novel polyphosphorus-based chain-end thiol-functionalized polymer, the polymer chain of which comprises units bearing at least one pendant phosphonate function and/or at least one pendant phosphonic function along the chain. This novel polymer is quite particularly suited to participating in a thiol-ene coupling reaction, which affords the possibility of grafting the polyphosphorus-based polymers onto diene polymers, for example.

A quaternary ammonium salt of formula wherein each of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is independently selected from an optionally substituted alkyl, alkenyl or aryl group having less than 8 carbon atoms and R.sup.5 is hydrogen or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group.

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The present invention relates to a cascade process for the preparation of a block copolymer comprising a first type of polyolefin block and at least one type of second polymer block. The process according to the present invention involves the following consecutive steps: A) polymerizing at least one type of olefin monomer using a catalyst system to obtain a first polyolefin block containing a main group metal on at least one chain end; the catalyst system comprising: i) a metal catalyst or metal catalyst precursor comprising a metal from Group 3-10 of the IUPAC Periodic Table of elements; and ii) at least one type of chain transfer agent; and iii) optionally a co-catalyst; B) reacting the first polyolefin block containing a main group metal on at least one chain end obtained in step A) with at least one type of oxidizing agent to obtain a first polyolefin block containing at least one main group metal-functionalized oxidized chain end; and C) forming at least one second polymer block on the first polyolefin block, wherein as a catalytic initiator the main group metal-functionalized oxidized chain end of the first polyolefin block obtained in step B) is used.

Sulfur containing, hydroxyl-telechelic PIBs, hydrolytically and oxidatively resistant, biocompatible and biostable polyurethanes (PUs) made therefrom, and methods for making both are disclosed. Well-defined hydroxyl telechelic PIBs are synthesized by a thiol-ene click photochemical reaction between PIBs carrying unsaturated end groups and 2-mercaptoethanol (HS—CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—OH). This regioselective process affords HO—CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—S-PIB-S—CH.sub.2CH.sub.2—OH (abbreviated herein as HO—S-PIB-S—OH) in high yield. In some embodiments, these HO—S-PIB-S—OH polymers may be reacted with diisocyanates and a chain extender to form sulfur containing PIB-based PUs. These sulfur containing PIB-based PUs have been found to have properties and chemical stability that are very similar to that of PUs made from di-hydroxyl terminated PIBs (OH-PIB-OHs) without sulfur, but have surprisingly increased creep resistance and are easier and less expensive to make.

A method for selectively modifying a base material surface, includes applying a composition on a surface of a base material to form a coating film. The coating film is heated. The base material includes a surface layer which includes a first region including silicon. The composition includes a first polymer and a solvent. The first polymer includes at an end of a main chain or a side chain thereof, a group including a first functional group capable of forming a bond with the silicon. The first region preferably contains a silicon oxide, a silicon nitride, or a silicon oxynitride. The base material preferably further includes a second region that is other than the first region and that contains a metal; and the method preferably further includes, after the heating, removing with a rinse agent a portion formed on the second region, of the coating film.