Gulderen Karakus, Semiha Aydin, Haci Bayram Zengin, Ali Fazil Yenidunya, Zubeyde Akin Polat, [Karakus, Gulderen -- Yenidunya, Ali Fazil] Cumhuriyet Univ, Sch Med, CUTFAM RCCUSM, Res Ctr, TR-58140 Sivas, Turkey -- [Zengin, Haci Bayram] Cumhuriyet Univ, Dept Chem, TR-58140 Sivas, Turkey -- [Polat, Zubeyde Akin] Cumhuriyet Univ, Sch Med, Dept Parasitol, TR-58140 Sivas, Turkey -- [Aydin, Semiha] Erciyes Univ, Technol Res & Developing Ctr, Kayseri, Turkey, KARAKUS, Gulderen -- 0000-0003-2596-9208, and Yenidunya, Ali Fazil -- 0000-0002-9886-977X
WOS: 000318710600009, Three maleic anhydride copolymers were synthesized by free-radical copolymerization. The synthesized products were named as follows: maleic anhydride-styrene (MAST); maleic anhydride-vinyl acetate (MAVA), and maleic anhydride-methyl methacrylate (MAMMA). Initiators used in the reactions were azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN, 70 A degrees C, benzene) for MAST and benzoyl-peroxide [BPO, 80 A degrees C, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)] for MAVA and MAMMA. Structural characterizations were carried out by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance [H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR, and C-13-APT (attached-proton test)] spectrometry. Surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Solubility of the copolymers was examined in water and in twelve different organic solvents. Cytotoxicity of the copolymers and the solvents was evaluated by using a mouse fibroblast cell line (L929), copolymers had almost no toxicity. Of the twelve organic solvents, acetone, MEK, and tetrahydrofuran (THF) produced the least toxicity. MEK was found to be the best solvent and used for the solvation of the copolymers., Sciences Research Projets Foundation of Cumhuriyet University [F258], This study was supported by Sciences Research Projets Foundation of Cumhuriyet University (Project No.: F258).