Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) supplemented with potentiometric measurements was used to follow the time-dependent buildup of a steady-state diffusion layer at the aqueous-phase boundary of lead ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). Differential pulse voltammetry is adapted to SECM for probing the local concentration profiles at the sample side of solvent polymeric membranes. Major factors affecting the membrane transport-related surface concentrations were identified from SECM data and the potentiometric transients obtained under different experimental conditions (inner filling solution composition, membrane thickness, surface pretreatment). The amperometrically determined surface concentrations correlated well with the lower detection limits of the lead ion-selective electrodes.

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Poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) is one of the most promising biodegradable and biocompatible polyesters and is widely used in different biomedical applications. However, little information is available on its solubility and precipitation properties, despite that these solution behavior properties affect its applicability. In order to systematically study these effects, biodegradable and biocompatible poly(ethylene succinate) (PES) was synthesized using ethylene glycol and succinic acid monomers with an equimolar ratio. Despite the optimized reaction temperature (T = 185 °C) of the direct condensation polymerization, relatively low molecular mass values were achieved without using a catalyst, and the Mn was adjustable with the reaction time (40–100 min) in the range of ~850 and ~1300 Da. The obtained crude products were purified by precipitation from THF (“good” solvent) with excess of methanol (“bad” solvent). The solvents for PES oligomers purification were chosen according to the calculated values of solubility parameters by different approaches (Fedors, Hoy and Hoftyzer-van Krevelen). The theta-solvent composition of the PES solution was 0.3 v/v% water and 0.7 v/v% DMSO in this binary mixture. These measurements were also allowed to determine important parameters such as the coefficients A (=0.67) and B (=3.69 × 104) from the Schultz equation, or the Kη (=8.22 × 10−2) and α (=0.52) constants from the Kuhn–Mark–Houwink equation. Hopefully, the prepared PES with different molecular weights is a promising candidate for biomedical applications and the reported data and constants are useful for other researchers who work with this promising polyester.

ABSTRACT. Advanced analytical and impact assessment methods are needed for the development of modern surfactants, so the composition, the effect and other properties of surfactants are examined by analytical tools which may be suitable for the quality testing of the raw materials, the intermediates and the final products. The HLB values of non-ionic surfactants and their mixtures were determined by three different methods: theoretical HLB based on the chemical structure and the given HLB of surfactants, the Greenwald method and an improved, titrimetric method. Our aim was to investigate if the new method to determine the water number and HLB value is suitable for this type of commercial surfactants and their mixtures. The particle size and the turbidity of micelles formed in surfactant solutions were also measured and evaluated.