Zeitschrift für Nanomedizin und biotherapeutische Entdeckung
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Production of Single Polymer Composites and Miscible Polymer Blends via Nano-restructuring From Their Cyclodextrin and Urea Inclusion Compounds

Alan E. Tonelli

Crystalline non-covalent Inclusion Compounds (ICs) have been formed between many guest polymers and several small host molecules, including among them Cyclo-Dextrins (CDs) and Urea (U) hosts. In these ICs, the guest polymer chains are included in the narrow host crystalline lattice channels (0.5-1.0 nm) and are separated and highly extended. Upon the careful removal of the host lattice the guest polymers are coalesced into bulk samples that are organized differently from bulk samples obtained from their solutions and melts. Likely, because such coalesced polymers are more extended and less entangled, they evidence distinct behaviour and properties, which surprisingly are highly resistant to annealing above their Tgs and Tms. Coalesced polymers allow the production of materials with unique behaviours, two types of which are the subject of this review chapter: 1. Single polymer composites formed from as-received and coalesced samples of the same polymer and 2. Intimately mixed blends formed by the coalescence of two or more different polymers from their common ICs. In addition to small molecule additive ICs, both of these coalesced polymer materials can be potentially utilized in a variety of medical applications, some of which are described here.