Papers by Efrosyni Themistou
Carbohydrate Polymers, 2010
... The intrinsic viscosity, [η], values of dextran in different solvents and at different temper... more ... The intrinsic viscosity, [η], values of dextran in different solvents and at different temperatures are determined using the Huggins (1) and Kramer (2) equations ([Flory, 1953] and [Sperling, 2001]) by plotting η sp /C and ln(η rel )/C, respectively, against the polymer concentration ...
Macromolecules, Aug 6, 2004
... Characterization by static light scattering (SLS) and GPC showed that star polymers with DMDM... more ... Characterization by static light scattering (SLS) and GPC showed that star polymers with DMDMAES cores bear a ... Examples of synthesis of polymers bearing hydrolyzable cross-linkers using living polymerization methods are the anionic polymerizations reported by ...
European Polymer Journal, 2007
We report the synthesis of a series of amphiphilic molecular building blocks that can be self-ass... more We report the synthesis of a series of amphiphilic molecular building blocks that can be self-assembled at the air-water interface to form two-and three-dimensional nanostructures with tunable optoelectronic properties. Compression of these molecular building blocks using the Langmuir-Blodgett method gives rise to monolayer and multilayer thin films with different packing densities and electronic properties that are tunable due to varying π-π (hydrophobic) interactions. Depending on the noncovalent interaction between chromophores, we observe a transition toward denser packing with increasing number of phenylene ethynylene repeat units. Additionally, we use quantumchemical simulations to help determine the excited-state electronic structure, intermolecular interactions, and packing trends. Our results demonstrate that the interplay between dipole-dipole and π-π interactions dominates the formation of thin films with various packing densities and determines the associated optical properties.
Polymer nanoparticles (NPs) represent one of the most innovative non-invasive approaches for drug... more Polymer nanoparticles (NPs) represent one of the most innovative non-invasive approaches for drug delivery applications. NPs main objective is to convey the therapeutic molecule be they drugs, proteins, or nucleic acids directly into the target organ or tissue. Many polymers are used for the synthesis of NPs and among the currently most employed materials several biocompatible synthetic polymers, namely polylactic acid (PLA), poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG), can be cited. These molecules are made of simple monomers which are naturally present in the body and therefore easily excreted without being toxic. The present review addresses the different approaches that are most commonly adopted to synthetize biocompatible NPs to date, as well as the experimental strategies designed to load them with therapeutic agents. In fact, drugs may be internalized in the NPs or physically dispersed therein. In this paper the various types of biodegradable polymer NPs will be discussed with emphasis on their applications in drug delivery. Close attention will be devoted to the treatment of cancer, where both active and passive targeting is used to enhance efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity, and to diseases affecting the central nervous system, inasmuch as NPs can be modified to target specific cells or cross membrane barriers.
Research in orthopaedics is now moving away from permanent metallic implants, and looking towards... more Research in orthopaedics is now moving away from permanent metallic implants, and looking towards the use of bioresorbable polymers (e.g. PLLA, PGA and related co-polymers) that, when implanted int...
We report the synthesis of a series of amphiphilic molecular building blocks that can be self-ass... more We report the synthesis of a series of amphiphilic molecular building blocks that can be self-assembled at the air-water interface to form two-and three-dimensional nanostructures with tunable optoelectronic properties. Compression of these molecular building blocks using the Langmuir-Blodgett method gives rise to monolayer and multilayer thin films with different packing densities and electronic properties that are tunable due to varying π-π (hydrophobic) interactions. Depending on the noncovalent interaction between chromophores, we observe a transition toward denser packing with increasing number of phenylene ethynylene repeat units. Additionally, we use quantumchemical simulations to help determine the excited-state electronic structure, intermolecular interactions, and packing trends. Our results demonstrate that the interplay between dipole-dipole and π-π interactions dominates the formation of thin films with various packing densities and determines the associated optical properties.
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Papers by Efrosyni Themistou