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A facile one step route that introduces functionality to polymer powders for laser sintering (2024)
Journal Article
Krumins, E., Crawford, L. A., Rogers, D. M., Machado, F., Taresco, V., East, M., …Howdle, S. M. (2024). A facile one step route that introduces functionality to polymer powders for laser sintering. Nature Communications, 15(1), Article 3137. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47376-4

Laser Sintering (LS) is a type of Additive Manufacturing (AM) exploiting laser processing of polymeric particles to produce 3D objects. Because of its ease of processability and thermo-physical properties, polyamide-12 (PA-12) represents ~95% of the... Read More about A facile one step route that introduces functionality to polymer powders for laser sintering.

Glycerol- and diglycerol-based polyesters: Evaluation of backbone alterations upon nano-formulation performance (2024)
Journal Article
Axioti, E., Dixon, E. G., Reynolds-Green, M., Alexander, E. C., Brugnoli, B., Keddie, D. J., …Taresco, V. (2024). Glycerol- and diglycerol-based polyesters: Evaluation of backbone alterations upon nano-formulation performance. Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces, 236, Article 113828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.113828

Despite the success of polyethylene glycol-based (PEGylated) polyesters in the drug delivery and biomedical fields, concerns have arisen regarding PEG's immunogenicity and limited biodegradability. In addition, inherent limitations, including limited... Read More about Glycerol- and diglycerol-based polyesters: Evaluation of backbone alterations upon nano-formulation performance.

Glycerol-based sustainably sourced resin for volumetric printing (2024)
Journal Article
Krumins, E., Lentz, J. C., Sutcliffe, B., Sohaib, A., Jacob, P. L., Brugnoli, B., …Taresco, V. (2024). Glycerol-based sustainably sourced resin for volumetric printing. Green Chemistry, 26(3), 1345-1355. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3gc03607c

Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) represents a revolutionary advancement in the field of Additive Manufacturing, as it allows for the creation of objects in a single, cohesive process, rather than in a layer-by-layer approach. This innovative t... Read More about Glycerol-based sustainably sourced resin for volumetric printing.

Synthesis of core-shell polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide via iterative monomer addition (2023)
Journal Article
Kortsen, K., Reynolds-Green, M., Hopkins, B., McLellan, A., Derry, M. J., Topham, P. D., …Howdle, S. M. (2023). Synthesis of core-shell polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide via iterative monomer addition. Chemical Communications, 59(98), 14536-14539. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cc04969h

A new, robust methodology for the synthesis of polystyrene-poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS-PMMA) core-shell particles using seeded dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide is reported, where the core-shell ratio can be controlled predi... Read More about Synthesis of core-shell polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide via iterative monomer addition.

Self-assembled chitosan-sodium usnate drug delivery nanosystems: Synthesis, characterization, stability studies, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility against 143 B cells (2023)
Journal Article
Brugnoli, B., Mariano, A., Simonis, B., Bombelli, C., Sennato, S., Piozzi, A., …Francolini, I. (2023). Self-assembled chitosan-sodium usnate drug delivery nanosystems: Synthesis, characterization, stability studies, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility against 143 B cells. Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, 6, Article 100373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carpta.2023.100373

Polymers are among the most studied materials as drug carriers, due to their tunable chemical structure and ability to self-assemble to give different types of nanostructures. In this study, chitosan (CS) nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated as carr... Read More about Self-assembled chitosan-sodium usnate drug delivery nanosystems: Synthesis, characterization, stability studies, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo biocompatibility against 143 B cells.

Synthesis of Multifunctional Polymersomes Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (2023)
Journal Article
Phan, H., Cavanagh, R., Jacob, P., Destouches, D., Vacherot, F., Brugnoli, B., …Couturaud, B. (2023). Synthesis of Multifunctional Polymersomes Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly. Polymers, 15(14), Article 3070. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15143070

Polymersomes are an exciting modality for drug delivery due to their structural similarity to biological cells and their ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. In this regard, the current work aimed to develop multifunctional... Read More about Synthesis of Multifunctional Polymersomes Prepared by Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly.

Poly (diglycerol adipate) variants as enhanced nanocarrier replacements in drug delivery applications (2023)
Journal Article
Jacob, P. L., Brugnoli, B., Del Giudice, A., Phan, H., Chauhan, V. M., Beckett, L., …Taresco, V. (2023). Poly (diglycerol adipate) variants as enhanced nanocarrier replacements in drug delivery applications. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 641, 1043-1057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2023.03.124

Sustainably derived poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) has been deemed to deliver all the desirable features expected in a polymeric scaffold for drug-delivery, including biodegradability, biocompatibility, self-assembly into nanoparticles (NPs) and a func... Read More about Poly (diglycerol adipate) variants as enhanced nanocarrier replacements in drug delivery applications.

Modification of Linear Polyethylenimine with Supercritical CO2: From Fluorescent Materials to Covalent Cross-Links (2023)
Journal Article
Mees, M. A., McAllister, T. D., Curia, S., Howdle, S. M., & Hoogenboom, R. (2023). Modification of Linear Polyethylenimine with Supercritical CO2: From Fluorescent Materials to Covalent Cross-Links. Macromolecules, 56(7), 2841-2851. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.2c02443

Along with their DNA binding ability, the secondary amines in linear polyethylenimine (L-PEI) units can also act as a reaction platform to introduce new functionalities. This renders the possibility to make a plethora of copolymers without the burden... Read More about Modification of Linear Polyethylenimine with Supercritical CO2: From Fluorescent Materials to Covalent Cross-Links.

Evaluation of two terpene-derived polymers as consolidants for archaeological wood (2023)
Journal Article
Cutajar, M., Braovac, S., Stockman, R. A., Howdle, S. M., & Harding, S. E. (2023). Evaluation of two terpene-derived polymers as consolidants for archaeological wood. Scientific Reports, 13(1), Article 3664. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-29785-5

The evaluation of two terpene-derived polymers, termed TPA6 and TPA7, as possible consolidants for archaeological wood was carried out. The overall objective of this work was to expand the non-aqueous treatment toolkit which is available for the cons... Read More about Evaluation of two terpene-derived polymers as consolidants for archaeological wood.

Oxidation of Monoterpenes to Form Diols and Triols: A Versatile Toolbox for Polymer Synthesis (2023)
Journal Article
Fowler, H. R., O'Brien, D. M., Keddie, D. J., Alexander, C., Irvine, D. J., Stockman, R. A., …Taresco, V. (2023). Oxidation of Monoterpenes to Form Diols and Triols: A Versatile Toolbox for Polymer Synthesis. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 224(8), Article 2200446. https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202200446

Polyols and polyacrylates have a wide range of applications in polymer synthesis as monomers, initiators, or building blocks in a variety of polymerization reaction types. With an ever-growing need to reduce the global dependency on fossil fuels, fin... Read More about Oxidation of Monoterpenes to Form Diols and Triols: A Versatile Toolbox for Polymer Synthesis.

Predictive Molecular Design and Structure–Property Validation of Novel Terpene-Based, Sustainably Sourced Bacterial Biofilm-Resistant Materials (2023)
Journal Article
Cuzzucoli Crucitti, V., Ilchev, A., Moore, J. C., Fowler, H. R., Dubern, J., Sanni, O., …Irvine, D. J. (2023). Predictive Molecular Design and Structure–Property Validation of Novel Terpene-Based, Sustainably Sourced Bacterial Biofilm-Resistant Materials. Biomacromolecules, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00721

Presented in this work is the use of a molecular descriptor, termed the α parameter, to aid in the design of a series of novel, terpene-based, and sustainable polymers that were resistant to biofilm formation by the model bacterial pathogen Pseudomon... Read More about Predictive Molecular Design and Structure–Property Validation of Novel Terpene-Based, Sustainably Sourced Bacterial Biofilm-Resistant Materials.

Comparative hydrodynamic characterisation of two hydroxylated polymers based on α-pinene- or oleic acid-derived monomers for potential use as archaeological consolidants (2022)
Journal Article
Cutajar, M., Machado, F., Cuzzucoli Crucitti, V., Braovac, S., Stockman, R. A., Howdle, S. M., & Harding, S. E. (2022). Comparative hydrodynamic characterisation of two hydroxylated polymers based on α-pinene- or oleic acid-derived monomers for potential use as archaeological consolidants. Scientific Reports, 12(1), Article 18411. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-21027-4

The Oseberg Viking ship burial is one of the most extensive collections of Viking wooden artefacts ever excavated in Norway. In the early twentieth century, many of these artefacts were treated with alum in order to preserve them, inadvertently leadi... Read More about Comparative hydrodynamic characterisation of two hydroxylated polymers based on α-pinene- or oleic acid-derived monomers for potential use as archaeological consolidants.

N-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide as a functional eROP initiator for the preparation of nanoparticles under “greener” reaction conditions (2022)
Journal Article
Lentz, J. C., Cavanagh, R., Moloney, C., Falcone Pin, B., Kortsen, K., Fowler, H. R., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). N-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide as a functional eROP initiator for the preparation of nanoparticles under “greener” reaction conditions. Polymer Chemistry, 13(42), 6032-6045. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2py00849a

N-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide was used as a functional initiator for the enzymatic ring-opening polymerisation of ϵ-caprolactone and δ-valerolactone. N-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide was found not to undergo self-reaction in the presence of Lipase B from Candid... Read More about N-Hydroxyethyl acrylamide as a functional eROP initiator for the preparation of nanoparticles under “greener” reaction conditions.

Sustainable ABA triblock methacrylate copolymers incorporating both high and low Tg terpene-derived monomers (2022)
Journal Article
Atkinson, R. L., Elsmore, M., Smith, S., Reynolds-Green, M., Topham, P. D., Toolan, D. T., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). Sustainable ABA triblock methacrylate copolymers incorporating both high and low Tg terpene-derived monomers. European Polymer Journal, 179, Article 11567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111567

We report the synthesis of novel terpene-based monomers: nopinyl acrylate and methacrylate, from naturally abundant β-pinene. A very high Tg value was observed for poly(nopinyl methacrylate) when synthesised by free radical polymerisation, and well-d... Read More about Sustainable ABA triblock methacrylate copolymers incorporating both high and low Tg terpene-derived monomers.

A self-crosslinking monomer, α-pinene methacrylate: understanding and exploiting hydrogen abstraction (2022)
Journal Article
Monaghan, O. R., Skowron, S. T., Moore, J. C., Pin-Nó, M., Kortsen, K., Atkinson, R. L., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). A self-crosslinking monomer, α-pinene methacrylate: understanding and exploiting hydrogen abstraction. Polymer Chemistry, 13(39), 5557-5567. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2py00878e

Crosslinking is a valuable route to creating new polymeric materials and normally involves introduction of a cross linker or some form of secondary processing. Here we report the discovery and analysis of a self-crosslinking sustainable terpene deriv... Read More about A self-crosslinking monomer, α-pinene methacrylate: understanding and exploiting hydrogen abstraction.

Antimicrobial ‘inks’ for 3D printing: block copolymer-silver nanoparticle composites synthesised using supercritical CO2 (2022)
Journal Article
Larder, R. R., Krumins, E., Jacob, P. L., Kortsen, K., Cavanagh, R., Jiang, L., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). Antimicrobial ‘inks’ for 3D printing: block copolymer-silver nanoparticle composites synthesised using supercritical CO2. Polymer Chemistry, 13(25), 3768-3779. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2py00398h

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) are widely exploited for their effective antimicrobial activity against a range of pathogens. Their high efficacy in this regard has seen the global demand for AgNP in consumer products steadily increase in recent years, n... Read More about Antimicrobial ‘inks’ for 3D printing: block copolymer-silver nanoparticle composites synthesised using supercritical CO2.

Passerini chemistries for synthesis of polymer pro-drug and polymersome drug delivery nanoparticles (2022)
Journal Article
Travanut, A., Monteiro, P. F., Smith, S., Howdle, S. M., Grabowska, A. M., Kellam, B., …Alexander, C. (2022). Passerini chemistries for synthesis of polymer pro-drug and polymersome drug delivery nanoparticles. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 10, 3895-3905. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2tb00045h

New materials chemistries are urgently needed to overcome the limitations of existing biomedical materials in terms of preparation, functionality and versatility, and also in regards to their compatibility with biological environments. Here, we show... Read More about Passerini chemistries for synthesis of polymer pro-drug and polymersome drug delivery nanoparticles.

Exploiting the tuneable density of scCO2 to improve particle size control for dispersion polymerisations in the presence of poly(dimethyl siloxane) stabilisers (2022)
Journal Article
Kortsen, K., Fowler, H. R., Jacob, P. L., Krumins, E., Lentz, J. C., Souhil, M. R., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). Exploiting the tuneable density of scCO2 to improve particle size control for dispersion polymerisations in the presence of poly(dimethyl siloxane) stabilisers. European Polymer Journal, 168, Article 111108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2022.111108

The dispersion polymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a widely employed method for producing discrete, spherical PMMA particles from traditional solvents, which cover a broad particle size range. With environmental impact becoming an ever mor... Read More about Exploiting the tuneable density of scCO2 to improve particle size control for dispersion polymerisations in the presence of poly(dimethyl siloxane) stabilisers.

Greener extraction-chemical modification-polymerization pipeline of vernolic acid from Ethiopian ironweed plant (2022)
Journal Article
d'Almeida Gameiro, M., Jacob, P. L., Kortsen, K., Ward, T., Taresco, V., Stockman, R. A., …Howdle, S. M. (2022). Greener extraction-chemical modification-polymerization pipeline of vernolic acid from Ethiopian ironweed plant. Journal of Polymer Science, https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20220050

Epoxidized oils are commonly used in the plastics industry as additives in the formulation of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and as monomers in the coating industry. They are produced from petrochemical feedstocks or by chemical epoxidation of natural oils... Read More about Greener extraction-chemical modification-polymerization pipeline of vernolic acid from Ethiopian ironweed plant.

Sustainable terpene triblock copolymers with tuneable properties for pressure sensitive adhesive applications (2022)
Journal Article
Elsmore, M., Atkinson, R., Irvine, D., Howdle, S., & De Focatiis, D. (2022). Sustainable terpene triblock copolymers with tuneable properties for pressure sensitive adhesive applications. Polymer Testing, 109, Article 107530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2022.107530

A series of triblock copolymers in a hard-soft-hard block configuration with varying hard block α-pinene methacrylate content and molecular weight and butyl acrylate soft segment have been synthesised and investigated for viability in pressure sensit... Read More about Sustainable terpene triblock copolymers with tuneable properties for pressure sensitive adhesive applications.

Green enzymatic synthesis and processing of poly (cis-9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) (2021)
Journal Article
Sagnelli, D., Vestri, A., Curia, S., Taresco, V., Santagata, G., Johansson, M. K., & Howdle, S. M. (2021). Green enzymatic synthesis and processing of poly (cis-9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). European Polymer Journal, 161, Article 110827. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110827

There is significant potential for industrial use of renewables for a wide range of materials demanded by society. Plants, trees and algae are increasingly attracting attention as sustainable sources for functionalised and polymerizable building bloc... Read More about Green enzymatic synthesis and processing of poly (cis-9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2).

Synthesis of model terpene-derived copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide for cosmetic applications (2021)
Journal Article
Bennett, T. M., Portal, J., Jeanne-Rose, V., Taupin, S., Ilchev, A., Irvine, D. J., & Howdle, S. M. (2021). Synthesis of model terpene-derived copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide for cosmetic applications. European Polymer Journal, 157, Article 110621. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2021.110621

There is currently a strong drive within the cosmetics industry to replace petroleum based solvents and polymers with renewable alternatives. Copolymers of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2EHA) and maleic anhydride (MA) are interesting model candidates to be... Read More about Synthesis of model terpene-derived copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide for cosmetic applications.

Poly (glycerol adipate) (PGA) backbone modifications with a library of functional diols: Chemical and physical effects (2021)
Journal Article
Jacob, P. L., Ruiz Cantu, L. A., Pearce, A. K., He, Y., Lentz, J. C., Moore, J. C., …Taresco, V. (2021). Poly (glycerol adipate) (PGA) backbone modifications with a library of functional diols: Chemical and physical effects. Polymer, 228, Article 123912. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2021.123912

Enzymatically synthesised poly(glycerol adipate) (PGA) has shown a palette of key desirable properties required for a biomaterial to be considered a ‘versatile polymeric tool’ in the field of drug delivery. PGA and its variations can self-assemble in... Read More about Poly (glycerol adipate) (PGA) backbone modifications with a library of functional diols: Chemical and physical effects.

Functionalisable Epoxy-rich Electrospun Fibres Based on Renewable Terpene for Multi-Purpose Applications (2021)
Journal Article
Montanari, U., Cocchi, D., Brugo, T. M., Pollicino, A., Taresco, V., Romero Fernandez, M., …Gualandi, C. (2021). Functionalisable Epoxy-rich Electrospun Fibres Based on Renewable Terpene for Multi-Purpose Applications. Polymers, 13(11), Article 1804. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13111804

New bio-based polymers capable of either outperforming fossil-based alternatives or possessing new properties and functionalities are of relevant interest in the framework of the circular economy. In this work, a novel bio-based polycarvone acrylate... Read More about Functionalisable Epoxy-rich Electrospun Fibres Based on Renewable Terpene for Multi-Purpose Applications.

RAFT polymerisation of renewable terpene (meth)acrylates and the convergent synthesis of methacrylate-acrylate-methacrylate triblock copolymers (2021)
Journal Article
Atkinson, R. L., Monaghan, O., Elsmore, M. T., Topham, P. D., Toolan, D. T. W., Derry, M. J., …Howdle, S. M. (2021). RAFT polymerisation of renewable terpene (meth)acrylates and the convergent synthesis of methacrylate-acrylate-methacrylate triblock copolymers. Polymer Chemistry, 12(21), 3177-3189. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1py00326g

Terpenes are ideal candidates for sustainable polymer feedstocks, due to their natural abundance and availability from existing waste streams. Previously, we have shown that a range of terpene(meth)acrylate monomers can be synthesised from the most c... Read More about RAFT polymerisation of renewable terpene (meth)acrylates and the convergent synthesis of methacrylate-acrylate-methacrylate triblock copolymers.

Synthesis of water-soluble surfactants using catalysed condensation polymerisation in green reaction media (2021)
Journal Article
Goddard, A. R., Apebende, E. A., Lentz, J. C., Carmichael, K., Taresco, V., Irvine, D. J., & Howdle, S. M. (2021). Synthesis of water-soluble surfactants using catalysed condensation polymerisation in green reaction media. Polymer Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1039/d1py00415h

Sustainable and biobased surfactants are required for a wide range of everyday applications. Key drivers are cost, activity and efficiency of production. Polycondensation is an excellent route to build surfactant chains from bio-sourced monomers, but... Read More about Synthesis of water-soluble surfactants using catalysed condensation polymerisation in green reaction media.

Porous hollow TiO2 microparticles for photocatalysis: exploiting novel ABC triblock terpolymer templates synthesised in supercritical CO2 (2021)
Journal Article
Larder, R. R., Bennett, T. M., Blankenship, L. S., Alves Fernandes, J., Husband, B. K., Atkinson, R. L., …Howdle, S. M. (2021). Porous hollow TiO2 microparticles for photocatalysis: exploiting novel ABC triblock terpolymer templates synthesised in supercritical CO2. Polymer Chemistry, 12(19), 2904-2913. https://doi.org/10.1039/d1py00334h

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) mediated dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is an efficient and green method for synthesising block copolymer microparticles with internal nanostructures. Here we... Read More about Porous hollow TiO2 microparticles for photocatalysis: exploiting novel ABC triblock terpolymer templates synthesised in supercritical CO2.

Terpene polyacrylate TPA5 shows favorable molecular hydrodynamic properties as a potential bioinspired archaeological wood consolidant (2021)
Journal Article
Cutajar, M., Andriulo, F., Thomsett, M. R., Moore, J. C., Couturaud, B., Howdle, S. M., …Harding, S. E. (2021). Terpene polyacrylate TPA5 shows favorable molecular hydrodynamic properties as a potential bioinspired archaeological wood consolidant. Scientific Reports, 11(1), Article 7343. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86543-1

There is currently a pressing need for the development of novel bioinspired consolidants for waterlogged, archaeological wood. Bioinspired materials possess many advantages, such as biocompatibility and sustainability, which makes them ideal to use i... Read More about Terpene polyacrylate TPA5 shows favorable molecular hydrodynamic properties as a potential bioinspired archaeological wood consolidant.

Influence of structure and solubility of chain transfer agents on the RAFT control of dispersion polymerisation in scCO2 (2020)
Journal Article
Alves Costa Pacheco, A., Fernandes Da Silva Filho, A., Kortsen, K., Hanson-Heine, M., Taresco, V., Hirst, J. D., …Howdle, S. M. (2021). Influence of structure and solubility of chain transfer agents on the RAFT control of dispersion polymerisation in scCO2. Chemical Science, 12(3), 1016-1030. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sc05281g

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerisation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) is performed in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) with 2-(dodecylthiocarbonothioylthio)-2-methylpropionic acid (DDMAT) present as chain... Read More about Influence of structure and solubility of chain transfer agents on the RAFT control of dispersion polymerisation in scCO2.

Amylose/cellulose nanofiber composites for all-natural, fully biodegradable and flexible bioplastics (2020)
Journal Article
Xu, J., Sagnelli, D., Faisal, M., Perzon, A., Taresco, V., Mais, M., …Blennow, A. (2021). Amylose/cellulose nanofiber composites for all-natural, fully biodegradable and flexible bioplastics. Carbohydrate Polymers, 253, Article 117277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.117277

Thermoplastic, polysaccharide-based plastics are environmentally friendly. However, typical shortcomings include lack of water resistance and poor mechanical properties. Nanocomposite manufacturing using pure, highly linear, polysaccharides can overc... Read More about Amylose/cellulose nanofiber composites for all-natural, fully biodegradable and flexible bioplastics.

On-line polymerisation monitoring in scCO2: a reliable and inexpensive sampling method in high pressure applications (2020)
Journal Article
Kortsen, K., Pacheco, A. A., Lentz, J. C., Taresco, V., & Howdle, S. M. (2021). On-line polymerisation monitoring in scCO2: a reliable and inexpensive sampling method in high pressure applications. Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 167, Article 105047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2020.105047

A versatile and reliable on-line sampling system for polymerisation reactions in supercritical fluids was developed. By withdrawing a small volume of a high-pressure reaction mixture and expanding it in a controlled volume, reliable kinetic data were... Read More about On-line polymerisation monitoring in scCO2: a reliable and inexpensive sampling method in high pressure applications.

Synthesis of Passerini-3CR Polymers and Assembly into Cytocompatible Polymersomes (2020)
Journal Article
Travanut, A., Monteiro, P. F., Oelmann, S., Howdle, S. M., Grabowska, A. M., Clarke, P. A., …Alexander, C. (2021). Synthesis of Passerini-3CR Polymers and Assembly into Cytocompatible Polymersomes. Macromolecular Rapid Communications, 42(6), Article 2000321. https://doi.org/10.1002/marc.202000321

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Wiley-VCH GmbH The versatility of the Passerini three component reaction (Passerini-3CR) is herein exploited for the synthesis of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer, which self-assembles into polymersomes. Carboxy-funct... Read More about Synthesis of Passerini-3CR Polymers and Assembly into Cytocompatible Polymersomes.

Synthesis of two-phase polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide (2020)
Journal Article
Haddleton, A., Bennett, T. M., Chen, X., Atkinson, R. L., Taresco, V., & Howdle, S. M. (2020). Synthesis of two-phase polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide. Polymer Chemistry, 11(31), 5029-5039 . https://doi.org/10.1039/d0py00729c

The synthesis of particles with discrete phases using traditional emulsion polymerisation is a well-established process. Phase-separated particles have a wide range of applications, such as in coatings, drug delivery, impact modification and as suppo... Read More about Synthesis of two-phase polymer particles in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Clean synthesis of linear and star amphiphilic poly(?-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethyl ethylene phosphonate) block copolymers: assessing self-assembly and surface activity (2020)
Journal Article
Baheti, P., Rheinberger, T., Gimello, O., Bouilhac, C., Wurm, F. R., Lacroix-Desmazes, P., & Howdle, S. M. (2020). Clean synthesis of linear and star amphiphilic poly(?-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethyl ethylene phosphonate) block copolymers: assessing self-assembly and surface activity. Green Chemistry, 22(10), 3248-3261. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0gc00819b

2?Methyltetrahydrofuran (2?MeTHF) as a versatile green solvent for the synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers via ROP, FRP, and RAFT tandem polymerizations (2020)
Journal Article
Englezou, G., Kortsen, K., Pacheco, A. A. C., Cavanagh, R., Lentz, J. C., Krumins, E., …Taresco, V. (2020). 2‐Methyltetrahydrofuran (2‐MeTHF) as a versatile green solvent for the synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers via ROP, FRP, and RAFT tandem polymerizations. Journal of Polymer Science, 58(11), 1571-1581. https://doi.org/10.1002/pol.20200183

2?methyltetrahydrofuran (2?MeTHF) is a readily available, inexpensive, neoteric, bio?based solvent. It has been adopted across a wide range of chemical processes including the batch manufacture of fine chemicals, enzymatic polycondensations and ring... Read More about 2?Methyltetrahydrofuran (2?MeTHF) as a versatile green solvent for the synthesis of amphiphilic copolymers via ROP, FRP, and RAFT tandem polymerizations.

Low-temperature and purification-free stereocontrolled ring-opening polymerisation of lactide in supercritical carbon dioxide (2020)
Journal Article
Bassett, S. P., Russell, A. D., McKeown, P., Robinson, I., Forder, T. R., Taresco, V., …Howdle, S. M. (2020). Low-temperature and purification-free stereocontrolled ring-opening polymerisation of lactide in supercritical carbon dioxide. Green Chemistry, 22(7), 2197-2202. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0gc00352b

A stereoselective, solvent-free ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of lactide (LA) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) is reported for the first time. The key aim is to exploit scCO2 to lower the temperature of traditional melt polymerisations, lo... Read More about Low-temperature and purification-free stereocontrolled ring-opening polymerisation of lactide in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Starch/Poly(glycerol-adipate) Nanocomposites: A Novel Oral Drug Delivery Device (2020)
Journal Article
Vestri, A., Pearce, A. K., Cavanagh, R., Styliari, I. D., Sanders, C., Couturaud, B., …Sagnelli, D. (2020). Starch/Poly(glycerol-adipate) Nanocomposites: A Novel Oral Drug Delivery Device. Coatings, 10(2), Article 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10020125

Biocompatible and bio-based materials are an appealing resource for the pharmaceutical industry. Poly(glycerol-adipate) (PGA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer that can be used to produce self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) able to encapsul... Read More about Starch/Poly(glycerol-adipate) Nanocomposites: A Novel Oral Drug Delivery Device.

Enzymatic One-Pot Synthesis of Renewable and Biodegradable Surfactants in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (scCO2) (2020)
Journal Article
d’Almeida Gamiero, M., Goddard, A. . R., Taresco, V., & Howdle, S. M. (2020). Enzymatic One-Pot Synthesis of Renewable and Biodegradable Surfactants in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (scCO2). Green Chemistry, 22(4), 1308-1318. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9gc04011k

We seek to expand the opportunities to exploit glycerol, a largely untapped renewable feedstock, by exploiting enzymatic catalysis in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2). This work highlights a promising and clean approach to bio-renewable amphiphil... Read More about Enzymatic One-Pot Synthesis of Renewable and Biodegradable Surfactants in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (scCO2).

A ‘greener’ one-pot synthesis of monoterpene-functionalised lactide oligomers (2020)
Journal Article
O'Brien, D. M., Atkinson, R. L., Cavanagh, R., Pacheco, A. A., Larder, R., Kortsen, K., …Taresco, V. (2020). A ‘greener’ one-pot synthesis of monoterpene-functionalised lactide oligomers. European Polymer Journal, 125, 109516. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2020.109516

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd In this work we aimed to achieve a totally sustainable Ring Opening Polymerisation (ROP) process, by harmonising the use of naturally occurring or derivable initiators and the green solvent 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF). First... Read More about A ‘greener’ one-pot synthesis of monoterpene-functionalised lactide oligomers.

Highly coloured and electrophoretically active polymer microparticles via staggered dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide and dodecane (2019)
Journal Article
McAllister, T. D., Bennett, T. M., Petrillo, C., Topping, C., Farrand, L. D., Smith, N., & Howdle, S. M. (2019). Highly coloured and electrophoretically active polymer microparticles via staggered dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide and dodecane. Journal of Materials Chemistry C, 7(39), 12194-12203. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9tc03558c

Devices featuring electrophoretic displays (EPD) have become extremely popular in recent years because of their low power consumption, high readability and thin display designs, but a product with a full colour gamut comparable with liquid crystal di... Read More about Highly coloured and electrophoretically active polymer microparticles via staggered dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide and dodecane.

Starch/Poly (Glycerol-Adipate) Nanocomposite Film as Novel Biocompatible Materials (2019)
Journal Article
Sagnelli, Cavanagh, Xu, Swainson, Blennow, Duncan, …Howdle. (2019). Starch/Poly (Glycerol-Adipate) Nanocomposite Film as Novel Biocompatible Materials. Coatings, 9(8), Article 482. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9080482

Starch is one of the most abundant polysaccharides on the earth and it is the most important source of energy intake for humans. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is also widely used for new bio-based materials. The blending of starch with other molecules m... Read More about Starch/Poly (Glycerol-Adipate) Nanocomposite Film as Novel Biocompatible Materials.

Epoxy–amine oligomers from terpenes with applications in synergistic antifungal treatments (2019)
Journal Article
O’Brien, D. M., Vallieres, C., Alexander, C., Howdle, S. M., Stockman, R. A., & Avery, S. V. (2019). Epoxy–amine oligomers from terpenes with applications in synergistic antifungal treatments. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 7(34), 5222-5229. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9tb00878k

A bis-epoxide monomer was synthesised in two steps from (R)-carvone, a terpenoid renewable feedstock derived from spearmint oil, and used to prepare ?-aminoalcohol oligomers in polyaddition reactions with bis-amines without requiring solvent or catal... Read More about Epoxy–amine oligomers from terpenes with applications in synergistic antifungal treatments.

In situ Crosslinking of Nanostructured Block Copolymer Microparticles in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (2019)
Journal Article
He, G., Bennett, T. M., Alias, K., Jiang, L., Schwab, S., Alauhdin, M., & Howdle, S. M. (2019). In situ Crosslinking of Nanostructured Block Copolymer Microparticles in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide. Polymer Chemistry, 10(29), 3960-3972. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9py00556k

We report a novel and facile approach to “fix” the internal nanostructure of block copolymer (BCP) microparticles via in situ crosslinking copolymerisation in dispersion in supercritical CO2 (scCO2). By delaying the addition of the crosslinker and a... Read More about In situ Crosslinking of Nanostructured Block Copolymer Microparticles in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.

Polyacrylates Derived from Biobased Ethyl Lactate Solvent via SET-LRP (2019)
Journal Article
Bensabeh, N., Moreno, A., Roig, A., Monaghan, O. R., Ronda, J. C., Cádiz, V., …Percec, V. (2019). Polyacrylates Derived from Biobased Ethyl Lactate Solvent via SET-LRP. Biomacromolecules, 20(5), 2135-2147. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b00435

The precise synthesis of polymers derived from alkyl lactate ester acrylates is reported for the first time. Kinetic experiments were conducted to demonstrate that Cu(0) wire-catalyzed single electron transfer-living radical polymerization (SET-LRP)... Read More about Polyacrylates Derived from Biobased Ethyl Lactate Solvent via SET-LRP.

Monitoring morphology evolution within block copolymer microparticles during dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide: a high pressure SAXS study (2019)
Journal Article
Alauhdin, M., Bennett, T. M., He, G., Bassett, S. P., Portale, G., Bras, W., …Howdle, S. M. (2019). Monitoring morphology evolution within block copolymer microparticles during dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide: a high pressure SAXS study. Polymer Chemistry, 10(7), 860-871. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8py01578c

Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide is an effective process for creating block copolymer microparticles with internal nanostructures. Here we report an alternative synthesi... Read More about Monitoring morphology evolution within block copolymer microparticles during dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide: a high pressure SAXS study.

New renewably-sourced polyesters from limonene-derived monomers (2018)
Journal Article
Thomsett, M. R., Moore, J. C., Buchard, A., Stockman, R. A., & Howdle, S. M. (2019). New renewably-sourced polyesters from limonene-derived monomers. Green Chemistry, 21(1), 149-156. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8gc02957a

The functionalisation of limonene has enabled the synthesis of two renewably-sourced monomers for the formation of terpene-derived polyesters. Three methods for the synthesis of the novel hydroxy-acid 6 are reported and their green-credentials scruti... Read More about New renewably-sourced polyesters from limonene-derived monomers.

Clean Block Copolymer Microparticles from Supercritical CO 2 : Universal Templates for the Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Hierarchical Mesostructured Metal Oxides (2018)
Journal Article
Bennett, T. M., He, G., Larder, R. R., Fischer, M. G., Rance, G. A., Fay, M. W., …Howdle, S. M. (2018). Clean Block Copolymer Microparticles from Supercritical CO 2 : Universal Templates for the Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Hierarchical Mesostructured Metal Oxides. Nano Letters, 18(12), 7560-7569. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b03044

© 2018 American Chemical Society. Metal oxide microparticles with well-defined internal mesostructures are promising materials for a variety of different applications, but practical routes to such materials that allow the constituent structural leng... Read More about Clean Block Copolymer Microparticles from Supercritical CO 2 : Universal Templates for the Facile and Scalable Fabrication of Hierarchical Mesostructured Metal Oxides.

Sustainable synthesis and precise characterisation of bio-based star polycaprolactone synthesised with a metal catalyst and with lipase (2018)
Journal Article
Baheti, P., Gimello, O., Bouilhac, C., Lacroix-Desmazes, P., & Howdle, S. M. (2018). Sustainable synthesis and precise characterisation of bio-based star polycaprolactone synthesised with a metal catalyst and with lipase. Polymer Chemistry, 9(47), 5594-5607. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8py01266k

Bio-based building blocks and sustainable synthesis pathways were used to synthesise star-shaped polymers composed of a D-sorbitol core and polycaprolactone arms by ring opening polymerisation (ROP). The use of volatile organic solvents was avoided a... Read More about Sustainable synthesis and precise characterisation of bio-based star polycaprolactone synthesised with a metal catalyst and with lipase.

Antimicrobial peptide encapsulation and sustained release from polymer network particles prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide (2018)
Journal Article
Parilti, R., Caprasse, J., Riva, R., Alexandre, M., Vandegaart, H., Bebrone, C., …Jérôme, C. (2018). Antimicrobial peptide encapsulation and sustained release from polymer network particles prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 532, 112-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2018.07.125

© 2018 Antimicrobial peptide loaded poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) particles were synthesized in supercritical carbon dioxide via one-pot free-radical dispersion polymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and a cross-linker. Discrete particles... Read More about Antimicrobial peptide encapsulation and sustained release from polymer network particles prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Sulindac encapsulation and release from functional poly(HEMA) microparticles prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide (2018)
Journal Article
Parilti, R., Riva, R., Howdle, S. M., Dupont-Gillain, C., & Jerome, C. (2018). Sulindac encapsulation and release from functional poly(HEMA) microparticles prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide. International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 549(1-2), 161-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2018.07.060

Sulindac loaded poly(HEMA) cross-linked microparticles were synthesized via one-pot free radical dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) in presence of photocleavable diblock stabilisers based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and... Read More about Sulindac encapsulation and release from functional poly(HEMA) microparticles prepared in supercritical carbon dioxide.

A facile route to bespoke macro- and mesoporous block copolymer microparticles (2018)
Journal Article
He, G., Bennett, T. M., Alauhdin, M., Fay, M. W., Liu, X., Schwab, S. T., …Howdle, S. M. (in press). A facile route to bespoke macro- and mesoporous block copolymer microparticles. Polymer Chemistry, 9(27), https://doi.org/10.1039/c8py00707a

We report a facile and versatile strategy for the bespoke fabrication of macro- and mesoporous block copolymer microparticles. A clean synthetic route, RAFT dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2), is used to generate block... Read More about A facile route to bespoke macro- and mesoporous block copolymer microparticles.

Biocompatible unimolecular micelles obtained via the Passerini reaction as versatile nanocarriers for potential medical applications (2018)
Journal Article
Oelmann, S., Travanut, A., Barther, D., Romero, M., Howdle, S. M., Alexander, C., & Meier, M. A. (2019). Biocompatible unimolecular micelles obtained via the Passerini reaction as versatile nanocarriers for potential medical applications. Biomacromolecules, 20(1), 90-101. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00592

A Passerini three-component polymerization was performed for the synthesis of amphiphilic star-shaped block copolymers with hydrophobic cores and hydrophilic coronae. The degree of polymerization of the hydrophobic core was varied from 5 to 10 repeat... Read More about Biocompatible unimolecular micelles obtained via the Passerini reaction as versatile nanocarriers for potential medical applications.

Synthesis and control of crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) based viscosity modifiers using dense phase carbon dioxide as a solvent (2018)
Journal Article
Alexander, W., Wickson, J., Duncan, J., Carmichael, K., Irvine, D., & Howdle, S. (2018). Synthesis and control of crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) based viscosity modifiers using dense phase carbon dioxide as a solvent. Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 139, 38-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2018.05.003

We investigate the clean synthesis of a cross-linked poly(acrylic acid) viscosity modifier using supercritical CO2 to replace more hazardous volatile organic solvents that are typically used for this process. The polymers were analysed by aqueous swe... Read More about Synthesis and control of crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) based viscosity modifiers using dense phase carbon dioxide as a solvent.

Can a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) and dense phase carbon dioxide improve processing of polylactide? A high pressure rheology investigation (2017)
Journal Article
Pepper, K., Masson, T., De Focatiis, D. S., & Howdle, S. M. (in press). Can a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) and dense phase carbon dioxide improve processing of polylactide? A high pressure rheology investigation. Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 133(1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2017.10.014

High temperature melts or use of organic solvents are not practicable approaches for encapsulating protein based or thermally labile drugs into degradable polymers. Here, we demonstrate that poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) in combination with supercritic... Read More about Can a combination of poly(ethylene glycol) and dense phase carbon dioxide improve processing of polylactide? A high pressure rheology investigation.

Versatile routes to functional RAFT chain transfer agents through the Passerini multicomponent reaction (2017)
Journal Article
Pearce, A. K., Travanut, A., Couturaud, B., Taresco, V., Howdle, S. M., Alexander, M. R., & Alexander, C. (2017). Versatile routes to functional RAFT chain transfer agents through the Passerini multicomponent reaction. ACS Macro Letters, 6(7), 781-785. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsmacrolett.7b00415

The widespread adoption of RAFT polymerization stems partly from the ease and utility of installing a functional chain transfer agent onto the ends of the generated polymer chains. In parallel, the Passerini multicomponent reaction offers great versa... Read More about Versatile routes to functional RAFT chain transfer agents through the Passerini multicomponent reaction.

One-pot synthesis of micron-sized polybetaine particles: innovative use of supercritical carbon dioxide (2017)
Journal Article
Bassett, S. P., Birkin, N. A., Jennings, J., Champman, E., O'Reilly, R. K., Howdle, S. M., & Willcock, H. (in press). One-pot synthesis of micron-sized polybetaine particles: innovative use of supercritical carbon dioxide. Polymer Chemistry, 8, https://doi.org/10.1039/C7PY00455A

Polybetaines exhibit unique properties combining anti-polyelectrolyte and low protein fouling behaviour, as well as biocompatibility. To date, the synthesis of polybetaine particles >50 nm has proved to be extremely challenging with standard emulsion... Read More about One-pot synthesis of micron-sized polybetaine particles: innovative use of supercritical carbon dioxide.

Mild synthesis of poly(HEMA)-networks as well-defined nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide (2017)
Journal Article
Parilti, R., Alaimo, D., Grignard, B., Boury, F., Howdle, S., & Jerome, C. (2017). Mild synthesis of poly(HEMA)-networks as well-defined nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 5, https://doi.org/10.1039/C7TB00740J

Free-radical dispersion polymerisation of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate was carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) in the presence of stabilisers based on polyethylene oxide (PEO) and poly(heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate) (PFDA). Different a... Read More about Mild synthesis of poly(HEMA)-networks as well-defined nanoparticles in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Bioreducible cross-linked core polymer micelles enhance in vitro activity of methotrexate in breast cancer cells (2017)
Journal Article
Gulfam, M., Matini, T., Monteiro, P. F., Riva, R., Collins, H., Spriggs, K., …Alexander, C. (2017). Bioreducible cross-linked core polymer micelles enhance in vitro activity of methotrexate in breast cancer cells. Biomaterials Science, 5, https://doi.org/10.1039/c6bm00888g

Polymer micelles have emerged as promising carriers for controlled release applications, however, several limitations of micelle-based drug delivery have also been reported. To address these issues, we have synthesized a functional biodegradable and... Read More about Bioreducible cross-linked core polymer micelles enhance in vitro activity of methotrexate in breast cancer cells.

Synthesis of polymeric microcapsules by interfacial-suspension cationic photopolymerisation of divinyl ether monomer in aqueous suspension (2017)
Journal Article
Benedetti, M., Congdon, T. R., Bassett, S. P., Alauhdin, M., Howdle, S. M., Haddleton, D. M., …Schiller, T. L. (2017). Synthesis of polymeric microcapsules by interfacial-suspension cationic photopolymerisation of divinyl ether monomer in aqueous suspension. Polymer Chemistry, 8(6), 972-975. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6py01782g

© 2017 The Royal Society of Chemistry. Polymeric microcapusles have been synthesised with a markedly more hydrophillic monomer than previously reported, triethylene glycol divinyl ether, using cationic photopolymerisation in an aqueous environment. C... Read More about Synthesis of polymeric microcapsules by interfacial-suspension cationic photopolymerisation of divinyl ether monomer in aqueous suspension.

Amphiphilic block copolymers from a renewable ?-decalactone monomer: prediction and characterization of micellar core effects on drug encapsulation and release (2016)
Journal Article
Kakde, D., Taresco, V., Bansal, K. K., Magennis, E. P., Howdle, S. M., Mantovani, G., …Alexander, C. (in press). Amphiphilic block copolymers from a renewable Ɛ-decalactone monomer: prediction and characterization of micellar core effects on drug encapsulation and release. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 44, https://doi.org/10.1039/C6TB01839D

Here we describe a methoxy poly(ethyleneglycol)-b-poly(ε-decalactone) (mPEG-b-PεDL) copolymer and investigate the potential of the copolymer as a vehicle for solubilisation and sustained release of indomethacin (IND). The indomethacin loading and rel... Read More about Amphiphilic block copolymers from a renewable ?-decalactone monomer: prediction and characterization of micellar core effects on drug encapsulation and release.

Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of in vitro toxicity in hepatocytes of linear polyesters with varied aromatic and aliphatic co-monomers (2016)
Journal Article
Kakde, D., Powell, L. G., Bansal, K. K., Howdle, S., Irvine, D., Mantovani, G., …Alexander, C. (2016). Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of in vitro toxicity in hepatocytes of linear polyesters with varied aromatic and aliphatic co-monomers. Journal of Controlled Release, 244(B), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.08.003

Polyesters are extensively used in drug delivery because of their controllable biodegradation properties and perceived favorable cytocompatibility. However, new ester-based materials are continually being sought which can be produced from readily acc... Read More about Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of in vitro toxicity in hepatocytes of linear polyesters with varied aromatic and aliphatic co-monomers.

Block copolymer synthesis by controlled/living radical polymerisation in heterogeneous systems (2016)
Journal Article
Jennings, J., He, G., Howdle, S. M., & Zetterlund, P. B. (in press). Block copolymer synthesis by controlled/living radical polymerisation in heterogeneous systems. Chemical Society Reviews, https://doi.org/10.1039/c6cs00253f

Nanostructured soft materials open up new opportunities in material design and application, and block copolymer self-assembly is one particularly powerful phenomenon that can be exploited for their synthesis. The advent of controlled/living radical p... Read More about Block copolymer synthesis by controlled/living radical polymerisation in heterogeneous systems.

Improved particle size control for the dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide (2016)
Journal Article
McAllister, T. D., Farrand, L. D., & Howdle, S. M. (in press). Improved particle size control for the dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.201600131

Dispersion polymerization is a well-established method of producing polymer particles that are easily handled and processed. With careful choice of reaction conditions this technique can yield well defined, spherical particles for a wide range of app... Read More about Improved particle size control for the dispersion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in supercritical carbon dioxide.

Effect of supercritical CO2 on the copolymerization behavior of cyclohexene oxide/CO2 and copolymer properties with DMC/salen-Co(III) catalyst system (2016)
Journal Article
Meng, Q., Pepper, K., Cheng, R., Howdle, S. M., & Liu, B. (in press). Effect of supercritical CO2 on the copolymerization behavior of cyclohexene oxide/CO2 and copolymer properties with DMC/salen-Co(III) catalyst system. Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1002/pola.28162

The copolymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) was carried out under supercritical CO2 (scCO2) conditions to afford poly (cyclohexene carbonate)(PCHC) in high yield. The scCO2 provided not only the C1 feedstock but also prov... Read More about Effect of supercritical CO2 on the copolymerization behavior of cyclohexene oxide/CO2 and copolymer properties with DMC/salen-Co(III) catalyst system.

Controlled polymerisation and purification of branched poly(lactic acid) surfactants in supercritical carbon dioxide (2016)
Journal Article
Goddard, A. R., Pérez-Nieto, S., Passos, T. M., Quilty, B., Carmichael, K., Irvine, D. J., & Howdle, S. M. (in press). Controlled polymerisation and purification of branched poly(lactic acid) surfactants in supercritical carbon dioxide. Green Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1039/c6gc00745g

Product degradability, sustainability and low-toxicity are driving demand for the synthesis of biobased polymers and surfactants. Here we report the synthesis of novel surface active polymers using cyclic esters (D,L-lactide) and temperature sensitiv... Read More about Controlled polymerisation and purification of branched poly(lactic acid) surfactants in supercritical carbon dioxide.

A facile and green route to terpene derived acrylate and methacrylate monomers and simple free radical polymerisation to yield new renewable polymers and coatings (2016)
Journal Article
Sainz, M. F., Souto, J. A., Regentova, D., Johansson, M. K. G., Timhagen, S. T., Irvine, D. J., …Howdle, S. M. (2016). A facile and green route to terpene derived acrylate and methacrylate monomers and simple free radical polymerisation to yield new renewable polymers and coatings. Polymer Chemistry, 7(16), 2882-2887. https://doi.org/10.1039/c6py00357e

We present new acrylic monomers derived directly from abundant naturally available terpenes via a facile, green and catalytic approach. These monomers can be polymerised to create new polymers with a wide range of mechanical properties that positions... Read More about A facile and green route to terpene derived acrylate and methacrylate monomers and simple free radical polymerisation to yield new renewable polymers and coatings.

Towards sustainable polymeric nano-carriers and surfactants: facile low temperature enzymatic synthesis of bio-based amphiphilic copolymers in scCO2 (2016)
Journal Article
Curia, S., & Howdle, S. M. (2016). Towards sustainable polymeric nano-carriers and surfactants: facile low temperature enzymatic synthesis of bio-based amphiphilic copolymers in scCO2. Polymer Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1039/C6PY00066E

We demonstrate that useful bio-based amphiphilic polymers can be produced enzymatically at a mild temperature, in a solvent-free system and using renewably sourced monomers, by exploiting the unique properties of supercritical CO2 (scCO2). We present... Read More about Towards sustainable polymeric nano-carriers and surfactants: facile low temperature enzymatic synthesis of bio-based amphiphilic copolymers in scCO2.

How does dense phase CO2 influence the phase behaviour of block copolymers synthesised by dispersion polymerisation? (2015)
Journal Article
Jennings, J., Bassett, S., Hermida-Merino, D., Portale, G., Bras, W., Knight, L., …Howdle, S. (2015). How does dense phase CO2 influence the phase behaviour of block copolymers synthesised by dispersion polymerisation?. Polymer Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1039/C5PY01823D

Block copolymers synthesised in supercritical CO2 dispersion undergo in situ self-assembly which can result in a range of nanostructured microparticles. However, our previous study revealed that copolymers with different block combinations possessed... Read More about How does dense phase CO2 influence the phase behaviour of block copolymers synthesised by dispersion polymerisation?.

Green process for green materials: viable low-temperature lipase-catalysed synthesis of renewable telechelics in supercritical CO2 (2015)
Journal Article
Curia, S., Barclay, A., Torron, S., Johansson, M., & Howdle, S. (2015). Green process for green materials: viable low-temperature lipase-catalysed synthesis of renewable telechelics in supercritical CO2. Philosophical Transactions A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 373(2057), https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2015.0073

We present a novel near ambient temperature approach to telechelic renewable polyesters by exploiting the unique properties of supercritical CO2 (scCO2). Bio-based commercially available monomers have been polymerised and functional telechelic materi... Read More about Green process for green materials: viable low-temperature lipase-catalysed synthesis of renewable telechelics in supercritical CO2.

High-pressure rheological analysis of CO2-induced melting point depression and viscosity reduction of poly(?-caprolactone) (2015)
Journal Article
Curia, S., De Focatiis, D. S., & Howdle, S. M. (2015). High-pressure rheological analysis of CO2-induced melting point depression and viscosity reduction of poly(?-caprolactone). Polymer, 69, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2015.05.026

High-pressure rheology has been used to assess the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) on the melting point (Tm) and viscosity of poly (?-caprolactone) (PCL) over a range of temperatures and pressures up to 300 bar over a wide range of sh... Read More about High-pressure rheological analysis of CO2-induced melting point depression and viscosity reduction of poly(?-caprolactone).

Facile one-spot synthesis of highly branched polycaprolactone (2014)
Journal Article
Nguyen, N. T., Thurecht, K. J., Howdle, S. M., & Irvine, D. J. (2014). Facile one-spot synthesis of highly branched polycaprolactone. Polymer Chemistry, 5(8), https://doi.org/10.1039/C3PY01725G

Reported is the first solvent-free (bulk) synthesis of degradable/bioresorbable, highly branched polymers via tin octanoate Sn(Oct2) catalysed controlled ring opening co-polymerisation (ROP) of mono and di-functional lactone monomers that proceed to... Read More about Facile one-spot synthesis of highly branched polycaprolactone.

Bacteria clustering by polymers induces the expression of quorum sense controlled phenotypes (2013)
Journal Article
Lui, L. T., Xue, X., Sui, C., Brown, A., Pritchard, D. I., Halliday, N., …Alexander, C. (2013). Bacteria clustering by polymers induces the expression of quorum sense controlled phenotypes. Nature Chemistry, 5(12), https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.1793

Bacteria deploy a range of chemistries to regulate their behaviour and respond to their environment. Quorum sensing is one mean by which bacteria use chemical reactions to modulate pre-infection behaviour such as surface attachment. Polymers that can... Read More about Bacteria clustering by polymers induces the expression of quorum sense controlled phenotypes.

Interconnectivity and permeability of supercritical fluid-foamed scaffolds and the effect of their structural properties on cell distribution (2013)
Journal Article
Reinwald, Y., Johal, R. K., Ghaemmaghami, A. M., Rose, F. R., Howdle, S. M., & Shakesheff, K. M. (2014). Interconnectivity and permeability of supercritical fluid-foamed scaffolds and the effect of their structural properties on cell distribution. Polymer, 55(1), 435-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymer.2013.09.041

This study aims to investigate interconnectivity and permeability of scCO2-foamed scaffolds and the influence of structural scaffold properties on cell distribution. Supercritical fluid technology was utilized to fabricated scaffolds from 37 kDa, 53... Read More about Interconnectivity and permeability of supercritical fluid-foamed scaffolds and the effect of their structural properties on cell distribution.

Uniform cell colonization of porous 3-D scaffolds achieved using radial control of surface chemistry (2011)
Journal Article
Intranuovo, F., Howard, D., White, L. J., Johal, R. K., Ghaemmaghami, A. M., Favia, P., …Alexander, M. R. (2011). Uniform cell colonization of porous 3-D scaffolds achieved using radial control of surface chemistry. Acta Biomaterialia, 7(9), 3336-3344. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2011.05.020

Uniform cellular distribution is a prerequisite to forming tissue within porous scaffolds, but the seeding process often results in preferential adhesion of cells at the periphery. We develop a vapour phase coating strategy which is readily applicabl... Read More about Uniform cell colonization of porous 3-D scaffolds achieved using radial control of surface chemistry.