Single-Ionic Conductivityin Poly(Sodium 2-Methacryloyl 3-[Ω-Methoxyl Oligo(Oxyethylene)]Propylsulfonate)

Abstract

Sodium 2-methacryloyl 3-[ω-methoxyl oligo(oxyethylene)] propylsulfonate was synthesized, from which homopolymer-based polyelectrolyte was prepared. The polyelectrolytes thus obtained show single Na⁺ionic conductivity at ambient temperature, neither adding plasticizer nor hybridizing small molecular salt. The conductivity depends considerably on the length of oligo(oxyethylene) side-chain. Optimally, the highest conductivity of 6.0 × 10^?6 S/cm at 25°C is obtained when the number of (CH₂CH₂O) repeating units equals 16. Results indicate that the conductivity data follow WLF and VTF equations. The WLF parameters are found to be comparable with “universal” values, and analysis of the configuration entropy model suggests that the conduction of Na⁺ ions is carried out by an association mechanism.     

Biomimetic Synthesis of Water Soluble Conductive Polypyrrole and Poly(3,4‐Ethylenedioxythiophene)

Abstract

A novel biomimetic method for the synthesis of conducting molecular complexes of polypyrrole (PPYR) and poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) in the presence of a polyelectrolyte, such as polystyrene sulfonate (SPS) is presented. A poly(ethylene glycol) modified hematin (PEG‐Hematin) was used to catalyze the polymerization of pyrrole (PYR) and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) in the presence of SPS to form PPYR/SPS and PEDOT/SPS complexes. UV‐VIS, FT‐IR, and electrical conductivity studies for all complexes indicated the presence of a stable and electrically conductive form of these polymers. Furthermore, the presence of SPS in this complex provides a unique combination of properties such as processability and water‐solubility.     

Surface Properties of Polyacid–Poly(N-Vinyl Pyrrolidone) Complexes

The effect of the complexation of polyacrylic (PAA) and polymethacrylic (PMAA) acids with poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) on their surface properties was studied by measuring surface tension, conductivity, and the viscosity of aqueous mixed polymer solutions, as well as by the potentiometric titration at 293.15 K. The values of relaxation times and the surface activity of polycomplexes were calculated from kinetic data and the surface tension isotherms of the solutions. The complexation was found to increase the surface layer relaxation time, surface activity, and the ability of the macromolecules to reduce the surface tension of solvent. The values of adsorption free energy were calculated for PVP and polycomplexes. They were equal to –22.0, –23.0, and –24.8 kJ/base-mole (per one mole of PVP monomer unit) for PVP and PMAA–PVP and PAA–PVP polycomplexes, respectively.     

Raman Spectroscopic Study of the Conformation and Melting of Poly(dG) · Poly(dC) and Poly(dG-dC) · Poly(dG-dC) in Aqueous Solution

Raman spectroscopic measurements on aqueous solutions of poly(dG) · poly(dC)indicate that the conformation of the polynucleotides in this double helicalcomplex are distributed between the A and B types at room temperature, the Aform being predominant at –15°C and decreasing progressively upon raising thetemperature to 65°C. A reversible pretransition has been found in this complexnear 70°C. Modifications in the spectra at this temperature indicate no majorconformational changes, but rather suggest altered base pairing and hydration ofthe carbonyl groups, accompanied by a slight distortion of the double helix,resulting in a slightly reduced stacking of the cytosine bases. Measurements inself-pressurized solutions of the complex at high temperature show that it meltsat 103°C in 0.1M NaCl solution (107°C in 0.5M NaCl). These values are somewhatlower than those we have determined in the same manner for the complexpoly(dG-dC) · poly(dG-dC): 117°C in 0.1M MgCl₂ and 113°C or higher in 0.1MNaCl solution.     

Relaxation Processes in Poly(vinyl alcohol)–Iodine–Potassium Iodide Supramolecular Structure

Colloid Journal - The dissipative α-relaxation process in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films and in a supramolecular composite structure resulting from the formation of ordered regions in a...     

Electrospun Aligned Poly(L-lactide)/Poly(ϵ-caprolactone) /Poly(ethylene glycol) Blend Fibrous Membranes

Aligned poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)/poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) fibrous membranes were fabricated by electrospinning. Their morphology, thermal stability, mechanical properties, hydrophilic properties and in vitro degradation behaviors were investigated. With increasing the content of PEG, the PLLA/PCL/PEG blend fibers become thinner due to the increment in solution conductivity and decrease in solution viscosity. The thermal stability, hydrophilic properties, the tensile strength and elongation-at-break of PLLA/PCL/PEG blend fibrous membranes were improved, but porosity were decreased with the content of PEG changing from 10 wt% to 30 wt%. Furthermore, the incorporation of PEG enhanced the degradation of the PLLA/PCL/PEG fibrous membranes due to the better hydrophilic properties. In addition, the PLLA/PCL/PEG fibrous membranes have no toxic effect on proliferation of adipose-derived stem cells.     

Cure Kinetics of Poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) Modified Epoxy–Amine System

The cure kinetics of epoxy based on the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) modified with different amounts of poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) (ABS) and cured with 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) was investigated by employing differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The curing reaction was followed by using an isothermal approach over the temperature range 150–180°C. The amount of ABS in the blends was 3.6, 6.9, 10 and 12.9 wt%. Blending of ABS in the epoxy monomer did not change the reaction mechanism of the epoxy network formation, but the reaction rate seems to be decreased with the addition of the thermoplastic. A phenomenological kinetic model was used for kinetic analysis. Activation energies and kinetic parameters were determined by fitting the kinetic model with experimental data. Diffusion control was incorporated to describe the cure in the latter stages, predicting the cure kinetics over the whole range of conversion. The reaction rates for the epoxy blends were found to be lower than that of the neat epoxy. The reaction rates decreased when the ABS contents was increased, due to the dilution effect caused by the ABS on the epoxy/amine reaction mixture.     

Polylactones. 13. Transesterification of Poly(L-Lactide) with Poly(Glycoude), Poly(β-Propio-Lactone), and Poly[ε -Caprolactone)

Homogeneous blends of poly(L-lactide) (M _n = 30 000 to 40 000) and poly(β-propiolactone) or poly(ε-caprolactone) were prepared in solution. The solvent-free blends were subjected to transesterification catalyzed by means of methyl triflate, triflic acid, boron trifluoride, or tributyltin methoxide at 100 or 150°C. At 100°C, transesterification was barely detectable even after 96 h. When poly(β-propiolactone) was used as the reactant at 150°C, degradation was faster than transesterification regardless of the catalyst. The same negative result was obtained for heterogeneous blends of poly(L-lactide) and poly(glycolide). In the case of poly(ε-caprolactone), copolyesters with slightly blocky sequences were obtained with tributyltin methoxide as catalyst, whereas the acidic catalysts caused rapid degradation. The copolyesters were characterized by means of ¹H-NMR spectroscopy with regard to their molar composition, by means of ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy with regard to their sequences, and by means of differential scanning calorimetry with regard to crystallinity.     

Structural Characterization of Poly(α-Fluoroacrylonitrile) and Poly(Ethyl α-Fluoroacrylate)

Abstract

Monomers α-fluoroacrylonitrile (FAN) and ethyl α-fluoroacrylate (EFA) and homopolymers poly(α-fluoroacrylonitrile) (PFAN) and poly-(ethyl α-fluoroacrylate) (PEFA) have been synthesized and spectroscopi-cally characterized in detail for the first time. The ¹³C- and ¹⁹F-NMR spectroscopic results are reported, and the results are correlated to the tacticity and microstructure of both homopolymers. The major portion of the polymers is atactic. TGA analysis of PFAN indicates that the polymer is stable to about 200°C with subsequent loss of HF. PEFA is stable to 300 °C. Molecular weights determined by intrinsic viscosity (M_v ) are found to be about 130,000 for PFAN, and GPC analysis of PEFA indicates a molecular weight (M_n ) of about 36,000. Dielectric permittivities (ε) for PFAN and PEFA were determined to be 8.9 and 4.0, respectively, at 50 Hz.     

Solvation Behaviors of Poly(acrylic acid) in Mixed Solvents of 2-Butoxyethanol + Water

Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) is a well known weak polyelectrolyte in water but little is known about the solvation behavior of PAA in the mixtures of alcohol?+?water. In this study, the solvation behavior of PAA in the mixed solvents composed of 2-butoxyethanol (2BE)?+?water were investigated by measurements of volumetric properties, electrical conductivity, resonance light scattering and dynamic light scattering. All the measured experimental properties showed extrema or abrupt changes at a 2BE mole fraction of about 0.017 in 2BE?+?water. This may be explained by the formation of aggregates of 2BE and water, which is a poor solvent for PAA and results in cononsolvency of PAA in the mixture of the two good solvents, 2BE and water. We found that the volumetric property is sensitive to the occurrence of the specific aggregate of 2BE and water and the interactions in the complex fluid mixtures.     

Crystallization of Poly(ethylene adipate) within γ-Phase Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Matrix

The effects of PEA on the γ-phase PVDF crystal structure and the crystallization of PEA within the pre-existing γ-phase PVDF spherulites have been investigated by optical microscopy(OM), infrared spectroscopy(IR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The results demonstrate that the γ-phase PVDF spherulites consist of the lamellae exhibiting a highly curved scroll-like morphology and develop preferentially in PEA-rich blend. With increasing PEA concentration, the scroll diameter increases and the scrolls are better separated from each other. PEA crystallizes first in the interspherulitic region and transcrystalline layer develops. Subsequently, the transcrystalline layer of PEA continues to grow within the γ-phase PVDF spherulites, e.g., in the region between the scrolls, until impinging on other PEA transcrystalline layers or spherulites. The crystallization kinetics results indicate that the growth rate of PEA crystals in the intraspherulitic region of γ-phase PVDF shows a positive correlation with content of PEA, but a negative one with the crystallization temperature of γ-phase PVDF.     

The Effect of Concentration Parameters on Complexation in the Iron(0)–Iron(II)–Glycine–Water System

The processes of formation of iron(II) complexes in aqueous glycine solutions in the pH range of 1.0–8.0 at 298 K and ionic strength of 1 mol/L (NaClO₄) are studied using Clark and Nikolskii’s oxidation potential method. The type and number of coordinated ligands, the nuclearity, and the total composition of the resulting complexes are determined. The following complex species are formed in the investigated system: [Fe(OH)(H₂O)₅]⁺, [FeHL(H₂O)₅]²⁺, [Fe(HL)(OH)(H₂O)₄]⁺, [Fe(OH)₂(H₂O)₄]⁰, [Fe₂(HL)₂(OH)₂(H₂O)₈]²⁺, and [Fe(HL)₂(H₂O)₄]²⁺. Their formation constants are calculated by the successive iterations method using Yusupov’s theoretical and experimental oxidation function. The model parameters of the resulting coordination compounds are determined.     

Crystallizability of Poly(ε-caprolactone) Blends with Poly(vinylphenol) under Different Conditions

The intermolecular interaction between poly（vinylphenol） （PVPh） and polycaprolactone （PCL） and the crystallization behavior of PCL in PCL/PVPh blends with different compositions and under different conditions were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectra （FTIR） and differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. It has been shown that the PCL in the blends with different blend ratios all exists in crystalline state after solution casting, even though the crystallinity decreases with increasing PVPh content. For the melt crystallized samples, PCL in its 80/20 PCL/PVPh sample can still crystallize. The crystallinity is, however, lower than that of the solution cast sample. For blends containing 50% or 20% PCL, the as-cast samples are semicrystalline and can change to compatible amorphous state after heat treatment process. FTIR analysis shows the existence of hydrogen bonding between PCL and PVPh and the fraction of hydrogen bonds increases remarkably after heat treatment process.     

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) and Poly(lactide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)

Summary: This study reported the preparation and characterization of PCL-b-mPEG (poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)) and PLL-b-mPEG (poly(L-lactide)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)) diblock copolymers by microwave heating and comparison of resulted products the ones with prepared by conventional heating. Diblock copolymers were synthesized successfully by the microwave-assisted ROP in the presence of stannous octoate (SnOct₂) as catalyst under nitrogen atmosphere in different monomer ratios. Structural and functional characterization of copolymers were performed by FTIR, ¹H-NMR and DSC. Molecular weight values were determined by GPC and also calculated from ¹H-NMR. According to the results, microwave irradiation allowed to obtain polymers with very narrow size distribution in very short reaction time. Similar polymers prepared by conventional heating were also synthesized for comparison. Molecular weight and conversion of polymers were increased by irradiation time. This change was continued until a certain time point after which no more increase was observed. It was concluded that microwave irradiation is a succesful method to obtain these diblock copolymers in very short reaction time and with a similar conversion obtained by conventional method.     

Mineral–Carbon Sorbents Based on Aluminium Hydroxide and Atactic Poly(propylene)

The present work is an attempt to use the waste water stream, containing considerable amounts of aluminium chloride, for the manufacture of mineral–carbon sorbents. The use of the wastewater has given a possibility of obtaining a suitable mineral matrix of aluminium hydroxide for the sorbents. Atactic poly(propylene) (APP) have been used as the necessary carbon raw material. The modification of aluminium hydroxide was attained by preliminary mixing with the organic component, followed by carbonisation. Optimum conditions for obtaining Al(OH)₃ have been determined and the effect of the amount of carbon matter on the properties of the materials obtained has been evaluated. The studies have enabled to trace the changes in the structure and properties of the sorbents obtained. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Poly[3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane]–2,4-dinitro-2,4-diazapentane

Constructing phase diagrams for the mixtures of semicrystalline polymers and low molecular mass substances by DSC can meet with difficulties in the case of slow polymer crystallization. A problem of this kind is encountered for high-energy compositions poly[3,3-bis(azidomethyl)oxetane] (PBAMO)–2,4-dinitro-2,4-diazapentane (DNAP). In this study, the experimental phase diagram PBAMO–DNAP is constructed by an optical method, which makes it possible to visualize structural transformations. The kinetic studies by DSC and XRD reveal that 30–50 days of storing a homogenized PBAMO–DNAP mixture at room temperature are needed to attain stationary values of the crystallinity degree and heat of fusion. Even after that, the DSC method cannot deliver a solubility curve of DNAP in PBAMO, which is naturally generated by the optical method. This curve separates a domain of physical gels, effectively crosslinked by polymer crystallites and swollen with the plasticizer molecules, from a two-phase domain, in which the above gel reaches osmotic equilibrium with the pure plasticizer. It is also shown that the melting temperature of DNAP drops with growing the PBAMO content in the mixture, which is consistent with a decrease in the mean size of plasticizer crystals formed in polymer pores during the previous cooling.     

Poly (ether amide) and silica nanocomposites derived from sol–gel process

The sol–gel derived chemically combined organic–inorganic nanocomposites were synthesized from poly(etheramide) and tetraethoxysilane. Reaction of a mixture of 4-aminophenyl ether and 1,3-phenyldiamine with terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) in dimethylacetamide (DMAc) produced the amide chains. These chains were modified with carbonyl chloride end groups using a slight excess of diacid chloride and were then reacted with aminophenyl trimethoxysilane (APTMOS), where the amine group reacted with carbonyl chloride end groups. Hydrolysis/condensation of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and alkoxy groups present in APTMOS developed bonding between the polyamide chains and inorganic silica network generated in situ. By changing the relative proportions of the polymer solution and the amount of TEOS, the composition of hybrid films was varied. Thin hybrid films with various concentrations of silica network obtained after evaporation of the solvent were subjected to mechanical, dynamic mechanical thermal and morphological measurements. The results indicate a gradual increase in the modulus (3.84 GPa) and tensile strength (121 MPa) up to 15-wt.% silica relative to the pure polyamide. The elongation at break point and toughness gradually decrease with addition of silica content. These hybrids were found to be thermally stable up to a temperature of 500 °C. The weight retained above 800 °C was roughly proportional to amount of silica in the matrix. The glass transition temperature and the storage moduli increased with increasing silica concentration. The maximum increase in the T _g value (358 °C) was observed with 15-wt.% silica. Scanning electron micrographs indicated the uniform distribution of silica in the composites with an average particle size ranging from 9 to 47 nm.     

Noncovalent Functionalization of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes by Anionic Polymer Poly(Sodium 4‐Styrenesulfonate) in Water

We have found that polymer poly (sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate) (PSS) is a facile and effective polymer to assist in the dispersion of MWCNTs in aqueous solutions. With the increase of the concentration of PSS solutions, the dispersibility of MWCNTs in PSS solution increases. Cast films of MWCNTs/PSS (2 wt.%) on GC electrode show a typical redox couple at scan rate of 1 V/s in phosphate buffer solution, indicating good electrical conductivity.     

Electrochemical fabrication of novel fluorescent polymeric film: Poly(pyrrole–pyrene)

We describe herein the electrochemical characterization and polymerization of 4-pyren-1-yl-butyric acid 11-pyrrol-1-yl-decyl ester (pyrrole–pyrene) in CH₃CN. The electrochemical oxidation of the pyrrole group at 0.77 V vs Ag/Ag + 10 mM in CH₃CN led to the first example of a fluorescent polypyrrole film. The mechanism of deposition on platinum electrode was studied by voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The optical properties of the polymeric films electrogenerated on ITO electrodes were examined by UV–visible spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy indicating an increase in fluorescence properties by increased polymer thickness. The electrochemical oxidation of pyrenyl group linked to the polypyrrole backbone was carried out at 1.2 V. This additional polymerization was demonstrated by UV–visible spectroscopy and induced the loss of the fluorescence properties of the resulting polymeric film.