Adipic acid, a highly abundant chemical that can be produced from biomass, was used to prepare an aromatic‐free epoxy resin. Synthesis of the diglycidyl adipate was performed by a one‐step process using epichlorohydrin and by a two‐step process comprising allylation and epoxidation. The viscosity of diglycidyl adipate is 25 mPa·s, which is 99% lower than the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). The storage modulus at 25 °C for cured diglycidyl adipate and DGEBA is 2000 and 3200 MPa, respectively. The alpha transition temperature through peak of the loss modulus and the peak of tan(δ), are 77 °C and 90 °C, respectively. Low‐viscosity epoxy applications are discussed herein. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 2625–2631

Manipulation of bacterial cellulose (BC) morphology is important to tune BC properties to meet specific application requirements. In this study, gelatin was added to cultivation media at 0.1–7.5 wt %. After cultivations, gelatin was removed from the BC matrix, and its effects on BC matrix characteristics and fermentation production efficiency were determined. Higher contents of gelatin in cultivation media (up to 5%) resulted in BC that, from scanning electron microscopy observations, had larger pore sizes and formation of a lamina morphology that was highly unidirectional. Crystallinity remained unchanged between 0.1 and 5 wt % gelatin concentrations (92–95%); however, it decreased to 86% at a gelatin concentration of 7.5 wt %. Mechanical properties showed a positive trend as both the specific modulus and specific strength values increased as the gelatin concentration increased to 5 wt %. A breakdown in the ordered structure of the BC matrix occurs at 7.5 wt % gelatin, with corresponding decreases in the specific modulus and specific strength of the BC. The productivity increased by almost 4-fold relative to the control, reaching 1.64 g·L–1h–1 at the 2.5 wt % gelatin content. Also, the water holding capacity increased by 3-fold relative to the control, reaching 306.6 g of water per g BC at the 5.0 wt % gelatin content. The changes observed in these BC metrics can be explained based on literature findings associated with the formation of gelatin aggregates in the cultivation media and an increase in gel stiffness seen at higher media gelatin concentrations. Overall, this work provides a roadmap for manipulating BC properties while creating highly organized lamina morphologies.

Ionically complexed nanoparticles were prepared from an anionic polysaccharide drug, heparin, entrapped by a positively charged chitosan polysaccharide. In this study, the encapsulation of heparin was studied to optimize properties needed for its oral drug delivery. Chitosan, used in a variety of biomedical applications, was selected as a cationic polymer for heparin encapsulation. These particles were prepared with a slightly positive charge and an appropriate size for oral drug delivery. The release profiles of these ionically complexed nanoparticles were improved by using FDA approved stabilizers, such as pluronic non-ionic surfactant and polyvinyl alcohol. These results obtained in vitro suggest that these stabilized, ionically complexed nanoparticles may be well-suited for the oral drug delivery of heparin into the gastrointestinal tract.

Ionically complexed nanoparticles were prepared from an anionic polysaccharide drug, heparin, entrapped by a positively charged chitosan polysaccharide. In this study, the encapsulation of heparin was studied to optimize properties needed for its oral drug delivery. Chitosan, used in a variety of biomedical applications, was selected as a cationic polymer for heparin encapsulation. These particles were prepared with a slightly positive charge and an appropriate size for oral drug delivery. The release profiles of these ionically complexed nanoparticles were improved by using FDA approved stabilizers, such as pluronic non-ionic surfactant and polyvinyl alcohol. These results obtained in vitro suggest that these stabilized, ionically complexed nanoparticles may be well-suited for the oral drug delivery of heparin into the gastrointestinal tract.