Nanoparticles comprise a drug, a first block polymer and a second block polymer. The first block polymer has a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) block and a polycarbonate block bearing a side chain aromatic nitrogen-containing heterocycle (N-heterocycle). The N-heterocycle can be in the form of a base, a hydrosalt of the base, a sulfobetaine adduct of the base, or a combination thereof. The second block polymer has a PEO block and a polycarbonate block bearing a side chain catechol group, which can be present as a catechol, oxidized form of a catechol, and/or a polymerized form of a catechol. The nanoparticles can be dispersed in water and are capable of controlled release of the drug.

Amphiphilic block copolymers (BCPs) were prepared comprising a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a biodegradable polycarbonate block functionalized with disulfide groups and carboxylic acid groups. The BCPs form self-assembled micellar particles in aqueous solution that can be loaded with hydrophobic drugs for therapeutic drug delivery. The loaded particles have small particle sizes (<100 nm), narrow particle size distributions, and high drug loading capacity (up to about 50 wt %) based on total dry weight of the loaded particles. Particles loaded with DOX released the DOX in response to changes in pH and glutathione (GSH) redox chemistry. The loaded particles efficiently delivered and released DOX within tumor cells, effectively suppressing growth of the tumor cells at a similar or even lower drug concentration than free DOX. Blank particles containing no DOX did not induce cytotoxicity to cells.

A method for producing polyether ester carbonate polyols by catalytically adding alkylene oxide and carbon dioxide to an H-functional initiator substance in the presence of a double metal cyanide catalyst. The method comprises the following steps: (α) feeding a partial amount of H-functional initiator substance and/or a suspension agent which does not have any H-functional groups into a reactor, optionally together with DMC catalyst, (γ) adding alkylene oxide and optionally carbon dioxide to the reactor during the reaction. The method is characterized in that in step (γ) lactide is added to the reactor.

A process for producing a polyol block copolymer in a multiple reactor system including a first and second reactor in which a first reaction takes place in the first reactor and a second reaction takes place in the second reactor. The first reaction is the reaction of a carbonate catalyst with CO.sub.2 and epoxide, in the presence of starter and/or solvent to produce polycarbonate polyol copolymer and the second reaction is the reaction of DMC catalyst with the polycarbonate polyol compound of the first reaction and epoxide to produce polyol block copolymer. The product of the first reaction is fed into the second as crude reaction mixture, the epoxide and the polycarbonate polyol compound of the first reaction are fed in a continuous or semi-batch manner, and/or the product of the first reaction has neutral or alkaline pH on addition to the second. The invention further relates to the copolymers and products incorporating such copolymers.

A polyol block copolymer comprising a polycarbonate block, A (-A′-Z′—Z—(Z′-A′).sub.n-), and polyethercarbonate blocks, B. The polyol block copolymer has the polyblock structure:

B-A′-Z′—Z—(Z′-A′-B).sub.n

wherein n=t−1 and wherein t=the number of terminal OH group residues on the block A; and wherein each A′ is independently a polycarbonate chain having at least 70% carbonate linkages, and wherein each B is independently a polyethercarbonate chain having 50-99% ether linkages and at least 1% carbonate linkages; and wherein Z′—Z—(Z′).sub.n is a starter residue. A process of producing a polyol block copolymer from a two step process carried out in two reactors, and products and compositions incorporating such copolymers.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a polycarbonate safely and efficiently. A method for producing a polycarbonate is characterized in comprising the step of irradiating a light to a composition comprising a C.sub.1-4 halogenated hydrocarbon, the specific diol compound and the specific base in the presence of oxygen.

The present application provides polymer materials having the desired properties for implantation into a human or animal body, in particular, biocompatibility, biodegradability, radiopacity and mechanical properties. Methods of making such polymer materials, compositions or devices comprising such polymer materials, and uses of such polymer materials, compositions and devices are also disclosed.

A polymeric binder includes an ion-conducting polymer containing a polymer and a metal ion. The polymer is preferably selected from the group consisting of polyester, polyether, anionic polymer, polycarbonate, and silicone. An all-solid-state secondary battery includes an inorganic solid electrolyte, and the inorganic solid electrolyte in at least an electrode mixture layer or an inorganic solid electrolyte layer is bound together by the polymeric binder.

The present invention relates to a method for producing polyurethane foams by reacting an isocyanate component with an isocyanate-reactive component comprising at least one polyethercarbonate polyol, the reaction taking place in the presence of a component K selected from one or more compounds from the group consisting of K1 esters of mono- or polybasic carboxylic acids whose (first) dissociation has a pKa of 0.5 to 4.0, K2 mono-, di- and polysulfonates of mono- and polyfunctional alcohols, and K3 one or more compounds from the group consisting of K 3.1 esters of phosphoric acid, phosphonic acid, phosphorous acid, phosphinic acid, phosphonous acid and phosphinous acid, these esters each containing no P—OH group, K3.2 oligomeric alkyl phosphates of the general formula (II), where a is an integer from 1 to 10, b is an integer from 1 to 10, R1, R2, R3 and R4 are alkyl groups having at least one carbon, and R1, R2, R3 and R4 are alike or, independently of one another, different, and R5 is a linear alkylene group having at least two carbons or is a branched alkylene group having at least three carbons, and K3.3 comprises oligomeric alkyl phosphates of the general formula (III), where a is an integer from 1 to 10, b is an integer from 1 to 10, R1, R4 and R5 are linear alkylene groups having at least two carbons or are branched alkylene groups having at least three carbons, and R1, R4 and R5 are alike or, independently of one another, different, and R2 and R3 are alkyl groups having at least one carbon, and R2 and R3 are alike or, independently of one another, different. The invention also relates to polyurethane foams produced by the method of the invention and to the use thereof.

The subject disclosure is directed to functionalized bile acids, preparation thereof, and usage thereof for therapeutic and material applications. In one embodiment, a method of generating functionalized bile acid materials can comprise directly activating a carboxylic acid of a bile acid compound using a coupling agent comprising an amide or ester compound, thereby generating an intermediate bile acid derivative material. The method can further comprise attaching a functional group material to the intermediate bile acid derivative material by reacting the functional group material and the intermediate bile acid derivative material, thereby generating a functionalized bile acid material.