Consequences of the ‘jacketed’ effect on mesomorphic and orientational properties of ‘side-on fixed’ liquid crystalline polymers

Abstract

The mesomorphic properties have been studied as a function of the degree of polymerization for certain ‘side-on fixed’ polyacrylates. A peculiar evolution of the clearing temperature, T _IN, as well as of the glass transition temperatures, T _g, revealed that beyond a certain backbone length, T _IN and T _g decrease as the main chain length increases. The nematic ‘jacketed’ structure of these polymers induces a more or less high anisotropy of the polymer backbone conformation in the nematic phase and this can counterbalance the usual effect of an increase in the degree of polymerization on the thermodynamical properties of these systems. This evolution allows us to explain the unusual diamagnetic anisotropy anomaly observed as a function of temperature for this type of polymer.     

Liquid-crystalline side chain polymethacrylates II. Variation of spacer and central linkage in nitro-terminated polymers

The thermal behaviour and the mesogenic properties of liquid-crystalline side chain polymers with the structure are described with n = 3, 6, 8 or 11 and Z = -COO-, -CONH- or -N=N-. The polymers were made by radical chain polymerization. Most of them exhibit smectic phases, nematic phases were not observed. The amide linkage which has not yet been described as a structural element in such polymers gives rise to polymers of high polarity and high glass transition temperatures (T_g). In all cases the amide polymers produced the highest T_g values, the ester polymers showing the lowest. The azo polymers exhibited the largest mesophase ranges and the highest clearing temperatures (T_c1) of all the materials investigated. Whereas the T_c1 values for the azopolymers are nearly independent of the length of the spacer those of the amide and ester polymers show rising clearing points with increasing spacer length.     

Investigations of polarization profiles in sandwich cells containing a liquid crystalline polymer by using the heat wave method (LIMM)

The laser intensity modulation method (LIMM) was applied to the investigation of polarization distributions in sandwich cells of a side chain liquid crystalline polymer (LCP). The thermal poling procedure using a pulsating electric field was carried out for the nematic phase at 80°C. After cooling down the samples to room temperature T_R (i.e. below the glass transition temperature, T_g) a rather perfect alignment of the side chains could be obtained. Our first LIMM investigations at T_R show a nearly homogeneous polarization profile in the LCP layer.     

Novel glassy nematic and chiral nematic oligomers derived from 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylic and (1R,3S)-( )-camphoric acids

Novel nematic and chiral nematic liquid crystals capable of vitrification have been synthesized using 1,3,5-cyclohexanetricarboxylic and (1R,3S)-(+)-camphoric acids as the base structures to which cyanotolan, cyanobiphenyl, methoxybiphenylbenzoate nematogenic groups, (S)-(-)-1-phenylethylamine and (S)-(+)-1,3-butanediol chiral moieties are attached. Once the glassy state is induced by quenching or controlled cooling from the isotropic state, these liquid crystals showed no detectable tendency towards crystallization upon heating through the glass transition temperature. In all cases, the ΔC_p and ΔH_c values resulting from the DSC heating scans are comparable to those previously reported for polymer analogues and other low molar mass glassy liquid crystals. In the nematic series with varying spacer lengths, both T_g and T_c are consistently lower than the linear polymer counterparts, in contrast to the siloxane-based systems. It was also demonstrated that cholesteric mesomorphism can be induced following one of the three approaches: chiral nematic mixture, chiral nematic cyclic cooligomer, and pendant nematogenic groups attached to a chiral ring.     

Novel glass-forming liquid crystals. II. Systems containing 1-phenyl-2-(6-cyanonaphth-2-yl)ethyne as a high optical birefringence moiety

A new series of glass-forming molecular materials have been synthesized that incorporate 1-phenyl-2-(6-cyanonaphth-2-yl)ethyne as the high optical birefringence nematogenic moiety and a diphenylacetylenic group as part of the chiral moiety containing (S)-(-)-1-phenylethanol. To facilitate the preparation of chiral nematic systems, the key intermediate, i.e. 1,3,5-cyclohex-anetricarboxylic anhydride chloride, was synthesized and characterized. The thermotropic and optical properties of all products and the blends prepared therefrom were characterized by polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry. It was found that all the resultant molecular materials readily form glasses with a T_g of around 60°C while showing no residual crystallinity below T_g or tendency toward crystallization by heating above T_g. Furthermore, binary blends showed a decreasing degree of miscibility at an increasing extent of structural dissimilarity with the all-chiral/all-nematic systems exhibiting significant phase separation at a chiral mole fraction of 0.16.     

Determination of the glass transition temperature of latex films: Comparison of various methods

The glass transition temperature (T_g) for two latices with different styrene/butadiene compositions was determined by the thermal SPM probe resonance frequency method. The results were compared with the T_g values obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA), process rheometer (PR) and thermo-mechanical analyzer (TMA) measurements. The T_g values detected by the thermal SPM method agreed well with the T_g values obtained by DSC and calculated by the Fox–Flory equation. DMA, on the other hand, showed a significantly higher T_g value for both latices than those obtained from theoretical calculations, the thermal SPM method and DSC. The T_g obtained from the PR curve was slightly higher for the latex with a low styrene content, whereas good agreement was obtained with the thermal SPM data for the latex with a high styrene content. The glass transition temperature determined by TMA agreed fairly well with the thermal SPM data for the latex with the low styrene content, whilst the value of T_g for the second latex was much less than those obtained by the other methods. The thermal SPM method detects changes in thermal behavior (thermal diffusivity, heat capacity) during heating of the latex films rather than changes in the mechanical properties. Information about the sample history could be seen in the thermal SPM curves, which was further associated with the degree of latex film formation, especially when the roughness of the films was taken into consideration.     

Gas permeability in rubbery polyphosphazene membranes

The synthesis, characterization, and gas permeability of 10 new polyphosphazenes has been studied. Additionally, the first gas permeation data has been collected on hydrolytically unstable poly[bis-(chloro)phosphazene]. Gases used in this study include CO₂, CH₄, O₂, N₂, H₂, and Ar. CO₂ was the most permeable gas through any of the phosphazenes and a direct correlation between the T_g of the polymer and CO₂ transport was noted with permeability increasing with decreasing polymer T_g. To a lesser degree, permeability of all the other gases studied also yielded increases with decreasing polymer T_g. The trend observed for these new polymers was further supported by published data for other phosphazenes. Furthermore, permeability data for all gases were found to correlate to the gas condensability and the gas critical pressures, except for hydrogen, suggesting that the nature of the gas is also a significant factor for permeation through rubbery phosphazene membranes. Ideal separation factors () for the CO₂/H₂ and CO₂/CH₄ gas pairs were calculated. For CO₂/CH₄, no increase in was observed with decreasing T_g, however increases in were noted for the CO₂/H₂ pair.     

Melting and glass transitions in paraffinic and naphthenic oils

Naphthenic and paraffinic oils were analyzed by modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC). The results showed several improvements in the analysis of thermal properties when compared with standard DSC. The glass transition temperature (T_g), the enthalpy relaxation at T_g, and the melting endotherms could be deconvoluted, and reversible melting could be identified. This allowed for an easier interpretation of the thermal properties of the oils. With MDSC, the T_gs in mineral oils were found to coincide with endothermic enthalpy relaxation, which is generally regarded as a melting endotherm with standard DSC. A decrease in heat capacity after T_g was attributed to the existence of rigid amorphous material. From Δc_p at T_g and the oil molecular weight, the number of repeat units in the oil chains was estimated at less than 20. The T_g of a hypothetical pure aromatic oil was found to be similar to that for petroleum asphaltenes, and that for a naphthenic oil of infinite molecular weight to be similar to that of petroleum resins.     

Optical and dielectric properties of polyvinylchloride/polymethylmethacrylate blends

The optical and dielectric properties of prepared polyvinychloride/atactic polymethylmethacrylate (PVA/-PMMA) blends are studied as a function of applied field frequency and PMMA content. The observed optical energy gaps and the energy gap tails were determined from the measured absorption spectra. It was found that the applied frequency and the -PMMA concentration have some effects on the physical parameters such as the optical energy gap, the glass transition temperature (T_g), the dielectric constant, and the refractive index. Correlation between the determined optical energy gaps and the measured T_g is presented. The observed changes in these physical parameters are due to structural changes in the amorphous domains, impurities and space charge within the interfaces in the mixed phases.     

聚酰亚胺玻璃化转变温度预测:基团贡献加和法与未知基团赋值

基团贡献加和法(GAP)假设聚合物性质来自于重复单元中各次级基团的贡献, 因此可以通过计算基团贡献值的加和值预测聚合物性质. van Krevelen建立了基团贡献加和法, 计算了数十种聚合物的性质, 包括常用的溶解度参数、 熔点和玻璃化转变温度(T_g)等参数. 聚酰亚胺是由二酐和二胺缩合反应得到的一类高性能聚合物, 其中T_g是决定聚酰亚胺使用温度范围的关键性质. 因此准确预测聚酰亚胺的T_g有助于优化和筛选单体分子结构. 本文首先利用van Krevelen提供的普适性基团贡献值计算了74种聚酰亚胺的T_g, 发现计算值与实验值具有较好的相关性(R²=0.88, s=21 K), 但存在系统误差, 如二者线性拟合斜率为0.78, 远偏离1. 由于普适性贡献值来自于不同聚合物的数据迭代, 对聚酰亚胺体系适用性较差, 必须对基团贡献值进行校正. 本文系统性地提高了刚性基团的贡献值, 同时降低了柔性基团的贡献值. 利用校正后的基团贡献值重新计算了T_g, 其与实验值具有更好的相关性(R²=0.88, s=18 K)和一致性(线性拟合斜率为0.94). 进一步使用上述校正后的已知基团贡献值对未知的7种二酐基团和6种二酐或二胺中的子基团进行赋值. 训练组(82个聚酰亚胺)和测试组(35个聚酰亚胺)数据验证了这13个基团贡献值的可靠性. 本文建立的基团贡献值校正方法和对未知基团的赋值法也可以推广应用于其它芳杂环类聚合物.     

Direct observation of the main-chain conformation of a combined liquid-crystal polymer

The conformation of the main-chain (backbone) of a combined main-chain/side-chain liquid crystalline polymer has been qualitatively determined by small angle neutron scattering in the oriented nematic, the smectic A and the smectic C phases. The polymer backbone presents only a weak anisotropy, of prolate shape, in the nematic and the smectic C phases. A stronger reorientation of the backbones in the direction of the applied magnetic field is measured for the S_A phase. However, this anisotropy remains small compared to the stretching of a main-chain liquid crystal polymer and the smectic structure results apparently from side-chain ordering. On the other hand, hydrodynamic measurements show that the combined polymer, in solvent, is as flexible as a polystyrene chain. This result is compatible with an explanation for the weak observed anisotropy.     

Thermotropic main chain liquid crystalline polyesters containing ferrocene and phosphate units: synthesis and characterization

A new series of liquid crystalline main chain copolyesters were prepared, having ferrocene in the mesogenic segment and a methyl phosphate group along with a methylene spacer. The even numbered methylene groups were varied from two to ten. Liquid crystalline behaviour was investigated on a hot stage optical polarized microscope. Thermal properties of the polymers were analysed by TGA and DSC, revealing that the polymers yield high char products, probably caused by the formation of phosphorus and iron oxides. The glass transition (T_g) temperatures of the polymers were found to be fairly low, the result of the incorporation of bulky phosphorus and ferrocene moieties in the chain. The phase behaviour was analysed and correlated with the structure of the polymers. The liquid crystalline textures of the polymers became more transparent with increasing spacer length. Energy minimized structures for the polymer repeating units reveal that both the ferrocene and phosphorus moieties produce more molecular entanglement, thus reducing the T_g and T_m of the polymers.     

含能增塑剂2,2-偕二硝基丙基三氟丙酸酯的合成及性能

以硝基乙烷为原料, 经缩合、 氧化及酯化反应, 设计合成了含能增塑剂2,2-偕二硝基丙基三氟丙酸酯(DNPTFP); 利用核磁共振波谱、 红外光谱和元素分析对其结构进行了表征. 优化了DNPTFP的合成工艺, 确定酯化反应的较佳反应条件： 以甲苯为反应溶剂, n(2,2-偕二硝基丙醇)∶n(三氟丙酸)=1∶1.10, 催化剂浓硫酸的质量分数为5.0%, 反应温度110 ℃, 反应时间10 h. 在此条件下, DNPTFP的收率和纯度分别为75.2%和99.0%. 热分析测试结果表明, DNPTFP的玻璃化转变温度为-80.5 ℃, 热分解温度为267.59 ℃; 机械感度测试结果表明, DNPTFP的撞击感度为H₅₀=125.9 cm, 摩擦感度为0, 说明DNPTFP具有良好的低温性能、 热稳定性及较低的机械感度. 此外, 相溶性试验、 黏度及玻璃化转变温度测试结果表明, DNPTFP与聚叠氮缩水甘油醚(GAP)相溶性良好, DNPTFP可显著调控GAP的黏度和玻璃化转变温度, 并且随其含量增加黏流活化能逐步降低, 增塑效率逐步升高. 因此, DNPTFP对GAP展现出优良的增塑效果, 在GAP基火炸药配方中有良好的应用前景.     

Comparison of simulated and experimental fundamental ICP parameters

False-color spatial maps of experimentally determined and simulated values of electron number density (n_e), electron temperature (T_e) and heavy-particle temperature (T_g) for an argon inductively coupled plasma (ICP) in the plasma decay region (tail flame) are compared in detail. Experimental and theoretical values are in general very consistent; the difference between experiment and computation is approximately 10% for n_e and T_e and 20% for T_g in the plasma region examined. The errors in n_e and T_e are larger at the edge of the plasma, most likely because air entrainment becomes significant. This comparison provides a link between measurements and the current mathematical model and serves to partially validate both methods. Sources of error in both experiment and theory are considered and discussed.     

Positronium trapping in free volume of polymers

Positronium trapping process caused by slow thermalization of Ps inside intermolecular spaces of polymer is considered. The pickoff annihilation rate of Ps decreases from an initial value, characteristic for the delocalized Ps, to a final value, relating to its localized state. The elastic thermalization lifetime analysis of polymers spectra with a new ETLT program is proposed to determine the total Ps intensity (I_Ps), Ps trapping rate (γ), its initial (τ₀) and final (τ_∞) pickoff lifetimes as well as the relative e⁺–e⁻ contact density (η). The model is tested through the analysis of polyurethane spectra measured in a wide range of temperature, containing the glass transition point (T_g). In contrast to the conventional analysis, I_Ps does not display any change at T_g. The results indicated slow trapping rate (about 1 ns⁻¹) of Ps in the cavities.     

柔性OLED用高耐热聚酰亚胺薄膜的制备与性能

聚酰亚胺(PI)薄膜作为柔性有机发光显示(OLED)基板材料应用时, 需要满足玻璃化转变温度(T_g)大于450 ℃和热膨胀系数(CTE)在0~5×10^-6 K^-1之间. 为了提高PI薄膜的热性能, 本文合成了2,7-占吨酮二胺 (2,7-DAX), 并将其与均苯四甲酸二酐(PMDA)和2-(4-氨基苯基)-5-氨基苯并噁唑(BOA)共聚制备了一系列新型PI薄膜. 研究了PI薄膜的聚集态结构、 耐热性能、 尺寸稳定性和力学性能. 结果表明, 占吨酮结构和苯并噁唑结构提高了PI分子链的刚性与线性, 使分子链在平面内紧密堆积与取向, 制备的PI薄膜综合性能优异, 玻璃化转变温度高于408 ℃, CTE在-5.0×10^-6~8.1×10^-6 K^-1之间, 拉伸强度大于140 MPa, 拉伸模量大于4.2 GPa, 断裂伸长率为7.1%~20%, 5%热失重分解温度(T_5%)在601~624 ℃之间. 其中, PI-50和PI-60薄膜具有超高玻璃化转变温度和超低热膨胀系数, T_g高于450 ℃, CTE分别为2.1×10^-6 K^-1和1.6×10^-6 K^-1. 制备的系列PI薄膜作为柔性OLED基板材料有潜在应用前景.     

The effects of polymer chain rigidification, zeolite pore size and pore blockage on polyethersulfone (PES)-zeolite A mixed matrix membranes

The polyethersulfone (PES)-zeolite 3A, 4A and 5A mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated with a modified solution-casting procedure at high temperatures close to the glass transition temperatures (T_g) of polymer materials. The effects of membrane preparation methodology, zeolite loading and pore size of zeolite on the gas separation performance of these mixed matrix membranes were studied. SEM results show the interface between polymer and zeolite in MMMs experiencing natural cooling is better (i.e., less defective) than that in MMMs experiencing immediate quenching. The increment of glass transition temperature (T_g) of MMMs with zeolite loading confirms the polymer chain rigidification induced by zeolite. The experimental results indicate that a higher zeolite loading results in a decrease in gas permeability and an increase in gas pair selectivity. The unmodified Maxwell model fails to correctly predict the permeability decrease induced by polymer chain rigidification near the zeolite surface and the partial pore blockage of zeolites by the polymer chains. A new modified Maxwell model is therefore proposed. It takes the combined effects of chain rigidification and partial pore blockage of zeolites into calculation. The new model shows much consistent permeability and selectivity predication with experimental data. Surprisingly, an increase in zeolite pore size from 3 to 5 Å generally not only increase gas permeability, but also gas pair selectivity. The O₂/N₂ selectivity of PES-zeolite 3A and PES-zeolite 4A membranes is very similar, while the O₂/N₂ selectivity of PES-zeolite 5A membranes is much higher. This implies the blockage may narrow a part of zeolite 5A pores to approximately 4 Å, which can discriminate the gas pair of O₂ and N₂, and narrow a part of zeolites 3A and 4A pores to smaller sizes. It is concluded that the partial pore blockage of zeolites by the polymer chains has equivalent or more influence on the separation properties of mixed matrix membranes compared with that of the polymer chain rigidification.     

In situ determination of glass transition temperatures in thin polymer films

A method for determining the glass transition temperature T_g of waveguiding NLO-films is presented. This enables for the first time monitoring of the T_g of NLO-films on device substrates in situ. T_g is shown to follow from the temperature dependencies of the refractive index n(T) or the thickness d_f(T) of thin films.     

基于基团贡献法和分子动力学预测聚间苯二甲酰对苯二胺的玻璃化转变温度

采用基团贡献法(GC)和分子动力学法(MD)模拟了聚间苯二甲酰间苯二胺纤维(MPDI)和聚对苯二甲酰对苯二胺(PPTA)的玻璃化转变温度, 并与实验值进行了对比. 结果表明, 使用基团贡献法和分子动力学法测得的MPDI和PPTA的玻璃化转变温度与实验值接近, 说明基团贡献法和分子动力学法可以用来预测芳香族聚酰胺的玻璃化转变温度. 在此基础上, 采用GC和MD预测了聚间苯二甲酰对苯二胺(PPIA)的玻璃化转变温度. 在MD模拟中, 对密度、 比体积、 回转半径和非键相互作用随温度的变化规律进行了分析. 结果表明, 自由体积理论能较好地解释PPIA的玻璃化转变现象, 其中非键相互作用随温度的变化是玻璃化转变的本质原因. PPIA的玻璃化转变温度介于MPDI和PPTA之间, 有望成为综合性能介于两者之间的另一种高性能聚酰胺.