Ching-Nan Chuang

Assessment of reinforced poly(ethylene glycol) chitosan hydrogels as dressings in a mouse skin wound defect model

Wound dressings of chitosan are biocompatible, biodegradable, antibacterial and hemostatic biomaterials. However, applications for chitosan are limited due to its poor mechanical properties. Here, we conducted an in vivo mouse angiogenesis study on reinforced poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-chitosan (RPC) hydrogels. RPC hydrogels were formed by cross-linking chitosan with PEGs of different molecular weights at various PEG to chitosan ratios in our previous paper. These dressings can keep the wound moist, had good gas exchange capacity, and was capable of absorbing or removing the wound exudate. We examined the ability of these RPC hydrogels and neat chitosan to heal small cuts and full-thickness skin defects on the backs of male Balb/c mice. Histological examination revealed that chitosan suppressed the infiltration of inflammatory cells and accelerated fibroblast proliferation, while PEG enhanced epithelial migration. The RPC hydrogels promoted wound healing in the small cuts and full layer wounds. The optimal RPC hydrogel had a swelling ratio of 100% and a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of about 2000 g/m(2)/day. In addition, they possess good mechanical property and appropriate degradation rates. Thus, the optimal RPC hydrogel formulation functioned effectively as a wound dressing and promoted wound healing.

White-light electrofluorescence switching from electrochemically convertible yellow and blue fluorescent conjugated polymers

We report the study of the fluorescence switching properties of the conjugated copolymers containing triphenylamine, fluorene, benzo[2,1,3]thiadiazole, and cyclic urea moieties. The copolymers show excellent thermal stability and good solubility in polar organic solvents. While the electrofluorescent device (EFD) of P1 emits yellow light under UV excitation, fluorescence intensity is switched off upon electrochemical oxidation. In addition, the fluorescent behavior of the EFD of P1 can be reversibly switched between the non-fluorescent (oxidized) state and the fluorescent (neutral) state with a superb contrast ratio (If/If0) of 21.4. Furthermore, a white-light electrochemical fluorescence switching device is achieved by blending of P1 (yellow) with P2 (blue). Since the fluorescent conjugated polymers of P1 and P2 have their emission simultaneously quenched under the low working potential, the EFD could show a white–dark state of fluorescence with a high contrast ratio (If/If0) of 14.6.

1,3,4-Oxadiazole containing silanes as novel hosts for blue phosphorescent organic light emitting diodes.

Five rigid oxadiazole (OXD) containing silanes, denoted 1-5, have been developed with high morphological stability. Disruption of the π-aromatic conjugation by introduction of Si atoms leads to a large band gap and high triplet energy. Among the OXDs we studied, 2,5-bis(triphenylsilylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole 5 is the best host for FIrpic, with a phosphorescent organic light emitting diode (PHOLED) turn-on voltage of 6.9 V, maximum luminance of 5124 cd/m(2), current efficiency of 39.9 cd/A, and external quantum efficiency of 13.1%. Special molecular stacking in the single crystal of 5 was discussed.

Tunable Electrofluorochromic Device from Electrochemically Controlled Complementary Fluorescent Conjugated Polymer Films

The fluorescent behavior of the electrofluorochromic devices (Type I) of greenish-yellow emitting P1 and blue emitting P2 can be reversibly switched between the nonfluorescent (oxidized) state and the fluorescent (neutral) state with a superb on/off ratio of 23.8 and 21.9, respectively. Moreover, a tunable electrofluorochromic device (Type II) based on two P1 and P2 polymeric layers that are coated individually on two independent ITO electrodes shows switchable blue-white-(greenish-yellow) multifluorescence states.

The thermofluoric behavior of poly(fluorenetolyldiphenylamine)–oxadiazole pair in a polymer matrix

Under UV irradiation, 1,4-bis(5-(4-octan-2-ylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)naphthalene (NOXD) and poly(fluorenetolyldiphenylamine) (PFT) are blue light emissive in solid film. When NOXD and PFT were blended to form a neat thin-film, yellowish exciplex emission was observed. The emissive properties vary when the materials were blended into different kinds of polymeric hosts; while polystyrene–NOXD–PFT (5 : 1 : 1) and PMMA–NOXD–PFT (5 : 1 : 1) showed blue light emission, poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) (P(AN-co-MA))–NOXD–PFT (5 : 1 : 1) showed blue and yellow dual emissions. When the film was heated at 140 °C for 2 min, the yellow light exciplex emission was enhanced. However, upon cooling to ambient temperature, the exciplex emission intensity gradually dropped back. Similar thermofluoric behaviors were observed when the thermally crosslinked polyepoxy-polymercaptan–NOXD–PFT film (20 : 1 : 1) was heated at 160–170 °C; the blue light emissive film showed yellow light emission, and turned white when cooling down to ambient temperature. This thermofluoric phenomenon is recyclable. We attributed the observation of the yellow emission to the segregation of NOXD from the polymeric host at high temperature that allows NOXD to aggregate with PFT, leading to exciplex emission.