Functionalized zwitterionic and mixed charge polymers and copolymers, methods for making the polymers and copolymers, hydrogels prepared from the functionalized zwitterionic and mixed charge polymers and copolymers, methods for making and using the hydrogels, and zwitterionic and mixed charge polymers and copolymers for administration for therapeutic agents.

The invention concerns methods and compositions for modifying a surface of a material by anchoring a surface modifying additive to a polymer matrix using an anchor molecule, wherein the surface modifying additive and the anchor molecule are both added to a melt phase of the polymer matrix.

Some variations provide a method of forming a transparent icephobic coating, comprising: obtaining a hardenable precursor comprising a first component and a plurality of inclusions containing a second component, wherein one of the first component or the second component is a low-surface-energy polymer, and the other is a hygroscopic material; applying mechanical shear and/or sonication to the hardenable precursor; disposing the hardenable precursor onto a substrate; and curing the hardenable precursor to form a transparent icephobic coating. The coating contains a hardened continuous matrix containing regions of the first component separated from regions of the second component on an average length scale of phase inhomogeneity from 10 nanometers to 10 microns, such as less than 1 micron, or less than 100 nanometers. The transparent icephobic coating may be characterized by a light transmittance of at least 50% at wavelengths from 400 nm to 800 nm, through a 100-micron coating.

High-chi diblock copolymers are disclosed whose self-assembly properties are suitable for forming hole and bar openings for conductive interconnects in a multi-layered structure. The hole and bar openings have reduced critical dimension, improved uniformity, and improved placement error compared to the industry standard poly(styrene)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer (PS-b-PMMA). The BCPs comprise a poly(styrene) block, which can optionally include repeat units derived from trimethylsilyl styrene, and a second block that can be a polycarbonate block or a polyester block. Block copolymers comprising a fluorinated linking group L′ comprising 1-25 fluorines between the blocks can provide further improvement in uniformity of the openings.

A medical device includes a base layer, and a lubrication layer supported on at least a part of the base layer, wherein the lubrication layer contains a block copolymer (A) composed of a first constituting unit derived from a reactive monomer that has an epoxy group and a second constituting unit derived from at least one hydrophilic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and an acrylamide derivative, and a polymer (B) composed of a constituting unit derived from at least one hydrophilic monomer selected from the group consisting of acrylamide and an acrylamide derivative, wherein the block copolymer (A) is contained in a proportion of 20 to 80% by weight relative to the total weight of the block copolymer (A) and the polymer (B), and wherein the block copolymer (A) is crosslinked or polymerized to form a mesh structure.

There are provided efficient and cost-effective methods for purifying biomolecules in solution phase using stimuli-responsive protein-polymer conjugates. The protein-polymer conjugates comprise a target biomolecule-binding protein conjugated to a stimuli-responsive polymer and are reusable.

There are provided efficient and cost-effective methods for purifying biomolecules in solution phase using stimuli-responsive protein-polymer conjugates. The protein-polymer conjugates comprise a target biomolecule-binding protein conjugated to a stimuli-responsive polymer and are reusable.

Described herein are pH responsive compounds, micelles, and compositions useful for the detection of primary and metastatic tumor tissues. Compounds described herein are imaging agents useful for the detection of primary and metastatic tumor tissue (including lymph nodes). Real-time fluorescence imaging during surgery aids surgeon in the detection of metastatic lymph nodes or delineate tumor tissue versus normal tissue, with the goal of achieving negative margins and complete tumor resection.

Provided are a block copolymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution such that the copolymer can be used in a DSA technique, a block copolymer intermediate thereof, and methods for producing the same. A block copolymer intermediate represented by the general formula (1) or (2):

##STR00001##

wherein, in the formulae (1) and (2), each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 independently represents a polymerization initiator residue, each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 independently represents an aromatic group or an alkyl group, Y.sup.1 represents a polymer block of (a)an (meth)acrylic acid ester, Y.sup.2 represents a polymer block of styrene or a derivative thereof, L represents an alkylene group or a phenylene group, X represents a halogen group, and each of m and n independently represents an integer of 1 to 5.

In an aspect, a method of synthesizing a graft copolymer comprises the steps of: copolymerizing a first macromonomer and a first reactive diluent; wherein said first macromonomer comprises a first backbone precursor directly or indirectly covalently linked to a first polymer side chain group; wherein said reactive diluent is provided in the presence of the first macromonomer at an amount selected so as to result in formation said graft copolymer having a first backbone incorporating said diluent and said first macromonomer in a first polymer block characterized by a preselected first graft density or a preselected first graft distribution of said first macromonomer. In some embodiments of this aspect, said preselected first graft density is any value selected from the range of 0.05 to 0.75. In some methods, the composition and amount of said diluent is selected to provide both a first preselected first graft density and a first preselected first graft distribution.