Preparation and publication of chemistry papers in international peer-reviewed journals

Some recommendations presented on the preparation of chemistry papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals, indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. Some advice given on the selection of a journal for publication. Impact factors and other types of classifications for different chemistry journals and publication business models by publishers briefly discussed. Some publishers specialising on publication of chemistry papers considered. Recommendations given on the preparation of each section in a manuscript, quality of illustrations as well as the documents necessary for submission of these to the journal. Some approaches used to revise the manuscript and to deal with reviewer comments also briefly discussed. This work is prepared based on the course “How to write a paper” delivered by the author at the University of Reading (United Kingdom) for a number of years for post-graduate students from physical natural sciences as well as the courses delivered in some institutions of China, Estonia, Kazakhstan and Russia. The course is based on author’s own experience in publishing over 150 papers in different peerreviewed journals, refereeing numerous manuscripts as well as his work as an editor for some journals

Beyond PEGylation: alternative surface-modification of nanoparticles with mucus-inert biomaterials

Mucus is a highly hydrated viscoelastic gel present on various moist surfaces in our body including the eyes, nasal cavity, mouth, gastrointestinal, respiratory and reproductive tracts. It serves as a very efficient barrier that prevents harmful particles, viruses and bacteria from entering the human body. However, the protective function of the mucus also hampers the diffusion of drugs and nanomedicines, which dramatically reduces their efficiency. Functionalisation of nanoparticles with low molecular weight poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGylation) is one of the strategies to enhance their penetration through mucus. Recently a number of other polymers were explored as alternatives to PEGylation. These alternatives include poly(2-alkyl-2-oxazolines), polysarcosine, poly(vinyl alcohol), other hydroxyl-containing non-ionic water-soluble polymers, zwitterionic polymers (polybetains) and mucolytic enzymes. This review discusses the studies reporting the use of these polymers or potential application to facilitate mucus permeation of nanoparticles

Synthesis and Solution Properties of Hydrophobically Modified Polysaccharides

Hydrophobically modified polymers are amphiphilic macromolecules mainly constituted of a hydrophilic backbone and hydrophobic side groups. In aqueous solutions these polymers undergo inter- or intra-molecular hydrophobic association, which results in unusual properties useful for a number of practical applications. The areas of application of these polymers include associative thickeners for enhanced oil recovery, pharmaceuticals, personal care formulations, coatings, adhesives, surfactants, emulsifiers, etc. This review presents the analysis of a literature data on preparation of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides (HMP) and their properties in aqueous solutions. Some of the synthetic methods used for hydrophobic modification of non-ionic (cellulose ethers, starch, dextran, pullulan, etc.), anionic (carboxymethylcellulose, hyaluronic acid, pectic acid, alginic acid, heparin) and cationicВ  olysaccharides (chitosan) are presented. The methodology used for the investigation of solution properties of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides is discussed. Special attention is paid to aggregate and micelle formation in solutions of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides, solubilization of hydrophobic compounds, their rheological properties and surface activity. The effects of polymer architecture (level of hydrophobic substitution, nature of hydrophobic groups, molecular weight of a hydrophilic backbone, etc.), concentration, temperature, presence of inorganic salts and organic solvents on solution properties of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides are discussed. Some applications of hydrophobically modified polysaccharides are briefly highlighted

Modern methods for studying polymer complexes in aqueous and organic solutions

This review summarizes published data concerning modern physicochemical methods used to study complexation processes of polymers in solutions. Some of them—dynamic light scattering, nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, cryotransmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, small-angle neutron scattering, analytical-velocity sedimentation, and luminescence methods—make it possible to gain insight into the structure of polymer complexes, while the other methods, such as isothermal titration calorimetry and surface plasmon resonance, provide an opportunity to assess the intensity of specific interactions between complex components

Mucoadhesion and mucosa-mimetic materials - a mini-review

Mucoadhesion describes an attractive interaction between dosage form and mucosal membrane. The evaluation of mucoadhesive excipients often requires the use of ex vivo mucosal tissues taken from laboratory animals. These can be difficult to source, highly heterogeneous, and require the use of animal products. Thus, from both a user-convenience and ethical point-of-view, it is desirable to produce a synthetic alternative to these tissues - a mucosa-mimetic material. In this mini-review, the use of alternative materials to test the performance of mucoadhesives is reviewed and discussed. There is a surprising prevalence of the use of mucosa-mimics in the literature, which hitherto has not been compiled and compared.Peer reviewe

Synthesis and evaluation of mucoadhesive acryloyl-quaternized PDMAEMA nanogels for ocular drug delivery

Poly((2-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) nanogels were synthesized via surfactant-free free-radical polymerization technique in aqueous conditions utilizing N,N’-methylene-bis-acrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinking agent. The PDMAEMA nanogels were subsequently quaternized with acryloyl chloride in order to yield mucoadhesive materials which incorporate two mucoadhesive concepts; electrostatic interactions and covalent bond forming acrylate groups. The native PDMAEMA nanogels were found to exhibit good mucoadhesive properties on ex vivo bovine conjunctival tissues, which was found to increase proportionally with the degree of quaternization. With a view to determine the ocular drug delivery capabilities of the materials, both quaternized and native nanogels were loaded with pilocarpine hydrochloride via an absorption method, and their in vitro release profiles were analysed. The nanogels were found to exhibit a high loading capacity (>20% of total weight) and a sustained release over 6 h

Polysaccharide food matrices for controlling the release, retention and perception of flavours

Polysaccharides have many roles across both the food and pharmaceutics industries. They are commonly used to enhance viscosity, stabilise emulsions and to add bulk to food products. In the pharmaceutics industry, they are also utilised for their mucoadhesive nature. Mucoadhesive polysaccharides can facilitate retention of active ingredients at mucosal sites for a prolonged time and formulations can be designed to control their release and bioavailability. This study investigates how polysaccharides, with differing physicochemical properties (e.g. functional groups and molecular weight), affect the release and perception of flavour compounds from films. Polysaccharide films were prepared using either high or low viscosity carboxymethyl cellulose, pullulan or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Glucose, vanillin or a combination of both was also added to the films to assess the effect of flavour release and perception over time. The films were assessed for glucose release in vitro, swelling and disintegration times, and mucoadhesive ability. Results show that flavour release and perception depend on the polysaccharide matrix properties; this includes how quickly the films dissolves, the rate of release of tastant compounds, and the mucoadhesive strength of the polysaccharide. A higher viscosity and slower disintegration time resulted in slower release of glucose in vitro and flavour perception in vivo

Enhancement in corneal permeability of riboflavin using calcium sequestering compounds

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid and ethylene glycol-bis(2-aminoethylether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid are polyaminocarboxylic acids that are able to sequester metal ions. Calcium is implicated in maintenance of intercellular matrix, zonula occludens (tight junctions) and zonula adherens of epithelium and endothelium cells. Corneal epithelium is impervious to many aqueous formulations due to it being lipophilic, whereby transcellular drug transit is resisted, whilst tight junctions restrict access via the paracellular route. Research has shown that integrity of tight junctions breaks down through loss of Ca2+ for endothelial and epithelial cells. This study investigates different Ca2+ sequestering compounds and their effect on corneal permeability of riboflavin at physiological pH. Riboflavin is a topically administered ocular drug applied during UV-induced corneal cross-linking for the treatment of keratoconus

Hydrogels in wound management

One of the most prevalent applications of hydrogels is wound management. Thanks to their high water content and unique physical properties, hydrogels could potentially resemble biological tissues including human skin. (Peppas et al. 2000, Gupta et al. 2010, Caló & Khutoryanskiy 2014, Jones et al. 2006) There is active interest in the development of new and advanced hydrogel-based products from both an academic and industrial perspective. In fact, hydrogels exhibit many characteristics of the ‘ideal’ wound dressing. These include: the capability of maintaining a moist environment at the wound site allowing gas exchange (moisture vapour transmission), biocompatibility, fast absorption of wound exudate, protection of newly formed or delicate skin and easy and relatively painless dressing removal. (Thomas 1990, Gupta et al. 2010, Vowden & Vowden 2014, Boateng & Catanzano 2015) In this Chapter we will provide the reader with an overview of the most recent hydrogel materials designed for wound management

Investigation of Physicochemical Properties of PVA-GANT Mucoadhesive Hydrogels

The aim of this work was the manufacture and characterisation of novel chemically cross-linked mucoadhesive PVA-GANT hydrogels prepared by using autoclaving. Particularly, the study was focused on the physicochemical and pharmaceutical properties of these hydrogels with regards to potential applications for drug delivery and wound dressing. PVA-GANT hydrogels with different molar ratios and total concentrations of polymers in solution were prepared using a standard sterilisation autoclave. The physico-chemical properties were characterised by various techniques including IR spectroscopy, Texture Analysis and SEM and thermo-analytical techniques (DSC and TGA). Pharmaceutical characteristics were obtained in drug loading/release tests and microbiological assays. The results have shown that the properties of hydrogels (swelling degree, mechanical properties, internal structure, drug loading/release and antimicrobial properties) are very dependent on the polymer composition