Yesim Hepuzer Gursel

Preparation of the Sulfonamide Containing Block Copolymer as Polymeric Sorbent for Removal of Mercury from Aqueous Solutions

A new sulfonamide containing polymeric sorbent for the removal of mercury ions from waste waters was prepared starting from poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA- b -PEG- b -PGMA) triblock copolymer prepared by using the ATRP method. Epoxy groups on the block copolymer were functionalized with amino groups. Ammonia-functionalized PGMA- b -PEG- b -PGMA was treated with excess of benzenesulfonyl chloride to obtain a sulfonamide-based polymeric sorbent. The sulfonamide containing the polymeric sorbent with a 3.5 mmol · g−1 total nitrogen content is able to selectively sorb mercury from aqueous solutions. The mercury sorption capacity of the resin is around 3.12 mmol g−1 under non-buffered conditions. Experiments performed in identical conditions with several metal ions revealed that Cd(II), Pb(II), Zn(II), Fe(III), and Fe(II) also were extractable in quantities (0–0.45 mmol/g). The sorbed mercury can be eluted by repeated treatment with 4 M HNO3 without hydrolysis of the sulfonamide groups.

Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties of New Side Chain Liquid Crystalline Oligomers Containing Salicylaldimine Mesogenic Groups

New liquid crystalline salicylaldimine-based homopolymers PLC1 and PLC2 have been synthesized from their corresponding monomers 5-(10-undecenyloxy)-2-[[(4-(hexyloxy)phenyl)imino]methyl]phenol (LC1 ) and 5-(10-undecenyloxy)-2-[[(4-(hexyl)phenyl)imino]methyl]phenol (LC2 ) via free radical polymerization. The polymers were characterized by 1H-NMR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and optical microscopy in polarized light (polarizing microscope). The synthesized polymers have low molecular weights, and so are in the oligomeric domain. The oligomers behave very similarly to their monomers that exhibit smectic mesophases. Replacing the hexyloxy chain by a hexyl chain of the mesogenic unit generates an additional SmC mesophase in the temperature range of both the monomer and oligomer. All the observations suggest that the oligomerization of the liquid crystalline salicylaldimine monomers gives rise to decreased transition temperatures whereas it has no influence on the type and stability of the mesophase formed.

A novel of PEG-conjugated phthalocyanine and evaluation of its photocytotoxicity and antibacterial properties for photodynamic therapy

A poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-conjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanine axially substituted with (PEG1000) chains (SiPc-PEG) was synthesized, and this novel phthalocyanine was characterized by 1H-NMR, FT-IR and UV-Vis spectrophotometric methods. Elemental analysis data were beneficial for the evaluation of the chemical structure of the new compound. The total number of (O–CH2–CH2 units was calculated as 44 and the structure of the new PEG-conjugated silicon phthalocyanine was determined by the use of integral areas in 1H-NMR spectrum and the ratio of SiPc:PEG1000 was found as 1:2. The photophysical and photochemical properties were determined in both DMSO and aqueous solutions. In addition, the photocytotoxicity of the novel PEG-conjugated silicon(IV) phthalocyanine wasalso examined by testing against human cervical-carcinoma (HeLa) and hepato-carcinoma cells (HuH-7). The IC50 value for the SiPc-PEG compound was determined as 0.28 μM for HeLa cells and 0.4μM for HuH-7 cells. These results imply that HeLa cell...