@article{SimonovaIvanovMeleshkoetal.2020,
  author    = {Simonova, Maria and Ivanov, Ivan and Meleshko, Tamara and Kopyshev, Alexey and Santer, Svetlana and Yakimansky, Alexander and Filippov, Alexander},
  title     = {Self-assembly of molecular brushes with polyimide backbone and amphiphilic block copolymer side chains in selective solvents},
  series = {Polymers},
  volume    = {12},
  journal   = {Polymers},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2073-4360},
  doi       = {10.3390/polym12122922},
  pages     = {15},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {Three-component molecular brushes with a polyimide backbone and amphiphilic block copolymer side chains with different contents of the "inner" hydrophilic (poly(methacrylic acid)) and "outer" hydrophobic (poly(methyl methacrylate)) blocks were synthesized and characterized by molecular hydrodynamics and optics methods in solutions of chloroform, dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran and ethanol. The peculiarity of the studied polymers is the amphiphilic structure of the grafted chains. The molar masses of the molecular brushes were determined by static and dynamic light scattering in chloroform in which polymers form molecularly disperse solutions. Spontaneous self-assembly of macromolecules was detected in dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran and ethanol. The aggregates size depended on the thermodynamic quality of the solvent as well as on the macromolecular architectural parameters. In dimethylformamide and tetrahydrofuran, the distribution of hydrodynamic radii of aggregates was bimodal, while in ethanol, it was unimodal. Moreover, in ethanol, an increase in the poly(methyl methacrylate) content caused a decrease in the hydrodynamic radius of aggregates. A significant difference in the nature of the blocks included in the brushes determines the selectivity of the used solvents, since their thermodynamic quality with respect to the blocks is different. The macromolecules of the studied graft copolymers tend to self-organization in selective solvents with formation of a core-shell structure with an insoluble solvophobic core surrounded by the solvophilic shell of side chains.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{DragoPawlakWeithoff2020,
  author    = {Drago, Claudia and Pawlak, Julia and Weithoff, Guntram},
  title     = {Biogenic aggregation of small microplastics alters their ingestion by a common freshwater micro-invertebrate},
  series = {Frontiers in Environmental Science},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Environmental Science},
  publisher = {Frontiers Media},
  address   = {Lausanne},
  issn      = {2296-665X},
  doi       = {10.3389/fenvs.2020.574274},
  pages     = {11},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {In recent years, increasing concerns have been raised about the environmental risk of microplastics in freshwater ecosystems. Small microplastics enter the water either directly or accumulate through disintegration of larger plastic particles. These particles might then be ingested by filter-feeding zooplankton, such as rotifers. Particles released into the water may also interact with the biota through the formation of aggregates, which might alter the uptake by zooplankton. In this study, we tested for size-specific aggregation of polystyrene microspheres and their ingestion by a common freshwater rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus. The ingestion of three sizes of polystyrene microspheres (MS) 1-, 3-, and 6-mu m was investigated. Each MS size was tested in combination with three different treatments: MS as the sole food intake, MS in association with food algae and MS aggregated with biogenic matter. After 72 h incubation in pre-filtered natural river water, the majority of the 1-mu m spheres occurred as aggregates. The larger the particles, the higher the relative number of single particles and the larger the aggregates. All particles were ingested by the rotifer following a Type-II functional response. The presence of algae did not influence the ingestion of the MS for all three sizes. The biogenic aggregation of microspheres led to a significant size-dependent alteration in their ingestion. Rotifers ingested more microspheres (MS) when exposed to aggregated 1- and 3-mu m MS as compared to single spheres, whereas fewer aggregated 6-mu m spheres were ingested. This indicates that the small particles when aggregated were in an effective size range for Brachionus, while the aggregated larger spheres became too large to be efficiently ingested. These observations provide the first evidence of a size- and aggregation-dependent feeding interaction between microplastics and rotifers. Microplastics when aggregated with biogenic particles in a natural environment can rapidly change their size-dependent availability. The aggregation properties of microplastics should be taken into account when performing experiments mimicking the natural environment.},
  language  = {en}
}