• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1161-1167
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• 2010

The effects of addition of non degradable polymers, polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) on the rate of enzymatic degradation of biodegradable poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) have been studied in term of surface structure. Since a component in multicomponent polymeric system has shown surface enrichment, PS and PMMA which have lower surface energy than PLLA were selected as a minor blend component (5 wt%). Enzymatic degradation was carried out at $37^{\circ}C$ and pH 8.5 in the aqueous solution of Proteinase K. Two blend systems, partially miscible (PS/PLLA) and immiscible (PMMA/PLLA), showed the surface enrichment of 4 and 2 times of PS and PMMA, respectively. From the weight loss profile data, the slow degradation rate of both blend films was observed. This indicates that PS or PMMA domains which exist at surface act as a retardant of enzymatic attack.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2006

The development of functional polymeric materials for biomedical application has progressed on the basis of functionality, biocompatibility and biodegradability. In this paper we review the functional polymeric biomaterialsbased systems and propose a range of biomedical applications in the near future. These systems include the functional biodegradable polymers synthesized in our research laboratory, biodegradable polymeric materials, thermosensitive polymeric materials, cationic polymeric materials, non-condensing polymeric biomaterials, bio-polymeric DNA matrix for tissue engineering, and polymeric biomaterials for RNA interference (RNAi) technology.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.66-71
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• 2011

Biocomposites were fabricated with biodegradable polymers and natural fibers. Biocomposites have benefits of low cost, low density, and biodegradability over inorganic fiber composite, and give comparable strength properties. Hydrophobic polymer used for sizing in paper industry, AKD (Akenyl Keten Dimer), was applied to natural fibers, red algae fibers (RAF) in this study, to make fiber surfaces more compatible to hydrophobic nature of matrix polymers. Composites with RAF, kenaf, glass fibers, and carbon fibers have been fabricated by a compression molding method and their thermo-mechanical properties have been studied. Also, the thermal dimensional stability test was done from at 30 to $100^{\circ}C$. The storage moduli and the thermo-mechanical stabilities of polypropylene and poly lactic acid based biocomposites were improved by reinforcing with the RAF and much more with AKD treated fibers. Dimensional stability of biocomposite was also markedly improved by AKD pretrement on RAF.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.446-456
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• 2008

A recent theoretical approach based on the coupling of both the Flory-Huggins (FH) and the Association Equilibria thermodynamic (AET) theories was modified and adapted to study the miscibility properties of a multi-component system formed by two polymers (a proton-donor and a proton-acceptor) and a proton-acceptor solvent, named copolymer(A)/solvent(B)/polymer(C). Compatibility between polymers was mainly attained by hydrogen-bonding between the hydroxyl group on the phenol unit of the poly(styrene-co-vinyl phenol) (PSVPh) and the carbonyl group of the biodegradable and environmentally friendly poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). However, the self-association of PSVPh and specific interactions between the PSVPh and the H-acceptor group (an ether oxygen atom) of the epichlorohydrin (ECH) solvent were also established in a lower extension, which competed with the polymer-polymer association. All the binary specific interactions and their dependence with the system composition as well as with the copolymer content were evaluated and quantified by means of two excess functions of the Gibbs tree energy, ${\Delta}g_{AB}$ and ${\Delta}g_{AC}$. Experimental results from fluorescence spectroscopy were consistent with the theoretical simulations derived with the model, which could also be applied and extended to predict the miscibility in solution of any polymer blend with specific interactions.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.314-319
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• 2005

Four kinds of new aliphatic diols were synthesized by the ring opening reaction of glycolide with 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanediol, or 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, a difunctional initiator, in the presence of stannous octoate catalyst. The resulting diols were melt-polymerized with succinic acid, adipic acid, or suberic acid at 170, 190, or $220^{circ}C$ to produce new sequentially ordered aliphatic polyesters and their corresponding polyesters with random structure. Their glass transition temperatures ($T_g$) ranged from -40 to $30^{circ}C$, The sequentially ordered polyesters prepared at $170^{cir}C$ had higher $T_g$ of 5 to $10^{circ}$ than the polyesters with rand()m structure produced at higher temperature. From in-vitro degradation test the sequentially ordered polyesters was shower in the rate of hydrolysis in a buffer solution than the polymers with random molecular structure.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.203-204
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• 2006

Studies on some biodegradable polymers and other materials such as hydrogels have shown the promising potential for a variety of surgical applications. Postoperative adhesion caused by the natural consequence of surgical wound healing results in problems of the repeated surgery. Recently, scientists have developed absorbable anti-adhesion barriers that can protect a tissue from adhesion in case they are in use; however, they are dissolved when no longer needed. Although these approaches have been attempted to fulfill the criteria for adhesion prevention, none can perfectly prevent adhesions in all situations. Overall of this work, a new method to fabricate an anti-adhesion membrane using biodegradable polymer and hydrogel has been developed. The ideal barrier for preventing postoperative adhesion would have the following properties; it should be (i) resorbable (ii) non-reactive (iii) easy to apply (iv) capable of being fixed in position. In order to fulfill these properties, we adopted solid freeform fabrication method combined with surface modification which includes the hydrogel coating, therefore, inner or outer structure can be controlled and the property of anti adhesion can be improved.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.257-263
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• 2001

The microspheres have been developed as a new drug delivery system. Although many particulate drug carriers, such as liposome, niosome and emulsion, have been introduced, injectable and biodegradable microspheres appears to be a particularly ideal delivery system because the local anesthesia is not necessary for the insertion of large implants and for the removal of the device after the drug release is finished. Biodegradable microspheres with nicotine and triamcinolone acetonide are prepared and evaluated. As biodegradible polymers, PLA (M.W. 15,000, PLA-0015), PLGA (M.W. 17,000, RG 502) and PLGA (M.W. 8,600, RG 502H) are used. This study attempted to prepare and evaluate the nicotine and triamcinolone acetonide-incorporated microspheres, which were prepared by two methods, solvent-evaporation and spray-drying methods. The microspheres, as a disperse system for injections, were evaluated by particle size, size distribution, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release patterns. The differences of preparation method, partition coefficient, types of polymer, and preparation conditions of microspheres influence the particle size, entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release patterns.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.143-149
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• 2001

Poly(aspartic acid), PASP, is a biodegradable, water-soluble polymer and offers a biodegradable alternative to polycarboxylates and other non-degradable water-soluble polymers. PASP one of poly (amino acid)s, possesses carboxylic acid pendant group in its repeating unit, which can be used for various further modification purposes. In this study we prepared high molecular weight polysuccinimide, as the precursor polymer for PASP, by thermal polycondensation ofL-aspartic acid in the presence of phosphoric acid. The polysuccinimide was hydrolyzed with 0.1 N sodium hydroxide, and then acidified to give PASP. High water-absorbent gels were produced by thermal crosslinking of freeze-dried mixture of partially-neutralized PASP and different amount of low moi. wt. PEG-diepoxide compounds in aqueous medium. The swelling behavior of the prepared gels from different size and composition of crosslinking reagent in different media was investigated and the results were discussed. This PASP-based hydrogel materials possessing inherent biodegradability, potential non-toxicity and biocompatibility, is expected to be used as a substrate for various biomedical applications as well as a general purpose super-absorbent polymer.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.289-296
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• 2005

Biodegradable nanocomposites were prepared by mixing a polymer resin and layered silicates by the melt intercalation method. Internal structure of the nanocomposite was characterized by using the small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Nanocomposites having exfoliated and intercalated structures were obtained by employing two different organically modified nanoclays. Rheological properties in shear and extensional flows and biodegradability of nanocomposites were measured. In shear flow, shear thinning behavior and increased storage modulus were observed as the clay loading increased. In extensional flow, strain hardening behavior was observed in well dispersed system. Nanocomposites with the exfoliated structure had better biodegradability than nanocomposites with the intercalated structure or pure polymer.

• Proceedings of the Korean Fiber Society Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.370-371
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• 2003

Poly(lactic acid) is a thermoplastic and biodegradable polymer[1-3]. It has a wide range of application in medical fields such as sutures, screws for bone fractures and drug delivery systems. It has additional potential in other fields like agriculture and packaging. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in star-shaped polymers because they have a higher segment density within the distance of its radius of rotation than linear polymers have under the same conditions.[4] (omitted)