Linear and Hyperbranched Poly(arylene ether)s from a New Semifluorinated AB Monomer

A new trifluoromethyl-activated AB monomer has been successfully synthesized by Pd-initiated coupling of 4-bromo anisole with 4-fluoro-3-trifluoromethylphenylboronic acid followed by demethylation. The monomer leads to a semifluorinated poly(arylene ether) by nucleophilic displacement polymerization reaction. The AB monomer has been further copolymerized with a corresponding AB ₂ monomer to form the corresponding semifluorinated hyperbranched (hb) poly(arylene ether). The resulting linear and hb poly(arylene ether)s exhibited weight average molecular weight of 75700 and 144100 g/mol, respectively. The hb copolymer exhibited better solubility in different organic solvents compared to the linear poly(arylene ether). The polymers showed excellent thermal stability up to 522°C at 10% wt loss in air and glass transition temperatures as high as 187°C. The mechanical properties of the linear poly(arylene ether) film 1a exhibited tensile strength at break of 89 MPa, elongation at break of up to 3% and a Young’s modulus value of 2.66 GPa. The films of the polymers were hydrophobic in nature and showed water contact angle as high as 93.6°.     

Manipulation of the molecular weight and branching structure of hyperbranched poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s prepared via an A2 + B3 approach

A series of hyperbranched poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s (HB PAEPOs) were prepared via an A₂ + B₃ polymerization scheme with tris(4‐fluorophenyl)phosphine oxide as B₃, and a variety of bisphenols as A₂. The effects of the reactivity of the A₂ monomer, the A:B ratio, the addition mode, the solvent, and the concentration on the final molecular weight, polydispersity index (PDI), and degree of branching (DB) were studied. Soluble HB PAEPOs with weight‐average molecular weights of up to 299,000 Da were achieved. Reactions in which the A₂ component was added slowly resulted in lower DBs (0.2–0.5), whereas the slow addition of the B₃ component provided samples with DBs of approximately 0.75. Reactions performed under high‐dilution conditions afforded completely soluble materials with weight‐average molecular weights of 9000–12,100 Da and PDI values as low as 2.20. The molecular weights achieved under high‐dilution conditions were independent of the mode of monomer addition. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3871–3881, 2003     

Phosphonyl/hydroxyl hydrogen bonding–induced miscibility of poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide/sulfone) statistical copolymers with poly(hydroxy ether) (phenoxy resin): Synthesis and characterization

High molecular weight bisphenol A or hydroquinone‐based poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide/sulfone) homopolymer or statistical copolymers were synthesized and characterized by thermal analysis, gel permeation chromatography, and intrinsic viscosity. Miscibility studies of blends of these copolymers with a (bisphenol A)‐epichlorohydrin based poly(hydroxy ether), termed phenoxy resin, were conducted by infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. All of the data are consistent with strong hydrogen bonding between the phosphonyl groups of the copolymers and the pendent hydroxyl groups of the phenoxy resin as the miscibility‐inducing mechanism. Complete miscibility at all blend compositions was achieved with as little as 20 mol % of phosphine oxide units in the bisphenol A poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide/sulfone) copolymer. Single glass transition temperatures (T_g) from about 100 to 200°C were achieved. Replacement of bisphenol A by hydroquinone in the copolymer synthesis did not significantly affect blend miscibilities. Examination of the data within the framework of four existing blend T_g composition equations revealed T_g elevation attributable to phosphonyl/hydroxyl hydrogen bonding interactions. Because of the structural similarities of phenoxy, epoxy, and vinylester resins, the new poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide/sulfone) copolymers should find many applications as impact‐improving and interphase materials in thermoplastics and thermoset composite blend compositions. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1849–1862, 1999     

Fluoride‐terminated hyperbranched poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s via nucleophilic aromatic substitution

A series of AB_x‐type triarylphosphine oxide monomers, bis‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide ( 4a ), bis‐(3,4‐difluorophenyl)‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)phosphine oxide ( 4b ), and 4‐hydroxyphenyl‐bis‐(3,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)phosphine oxide ( 4c ) were prepared, characterized, and polymerized under nucleophilic aromatic substitution conditions [N‐methylpyrrolidone (NMP), K₂CO₃] to provide the corresponding hyperbranched poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide)s with number‐average molecular weights ranging from 9200 to 14,600 Da. NMR spectroscopic analysis indicated the presence of highly branched products with an approximate degree of branching of 0.57. The polymers were soluble in a variety of typical organic solvents and displayed excellent thermal stability. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1456–1467, 2002     

Miscibility and morphologies of poly(arylene ether phenyl phosphine oxide/sulfone) copolymer/vinyl ester resin mixtures and their cured networks

Nonreactive bisphenol A‐based poly(arylene ether triphenyl phosphine oxide/diphenyl sulfone) statistical copolymers and a poly(arylene ether triphenyl phosphine oxide) homopolymer, each having a number‐average molecular weight of about 20 kg/mol, were synthesized and solution‐blended with a commercial dimethacrylate vinyl ester resin. Free‐radical cured systems produced morphologies that were a function of both the amount of phosphonyl groups and the weight percentage of the copolymers. For example, highly hydrogen‐bonded poly(arylene ether phenyl phosphine oxide) homopolymer/vinyl ester resin mixtures were homogeneous in all proportions both before and after the formation of networks. Copolymers containing low amounts (≤30 mol %) of the phosphonyl groups displayed phase separation either before or during cure. The phase‐separated cured materials generally had phase‐inverted morphologies, such as a continuous thermoplastic copolymer phase and a particulate, discontinuous vinyl ester network phase, except for systems containing a very low copolymer content. The resin modified with a copolymer containing 30 mol % phosphine oxide comonomer showed improved fracture toughness, suggesting the importance of both phase separation and good adhesion between the thermoplastic polymer and the crosslinked vinyl ester filler phase. The results suggested that the copolymers with high amounts of phosphine oxide should be good candidates for interphase sizing materials between a vinyl ester matrix and high‐modulus carbon fibers for advanced composite systems. Copolymers with low amounts of phosphonyl groups can produce tough, vinyl ester‐reinforced plastics. The char yield increases with the concentration of bisphenol A poly(arylene ether phosphine oxide) content, suggesting enhanced fire resistance. The incorporation of thermoplastic copolymers sustains a high glass‐transition temperature but does not significantly affect the thermal degradation onset temperature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2409–2421, 2000     

Synthesis of boron suboxide (B6O) with ball milled boron oxide (B2O3) under lower pressure and temperature

Boron reacted with ball milled boron oxide under pressures between 1 and 5 GPa and at temperatures between 1300 and 1700 °C to afford boron suboxide (B₆O). Icosahedral B₆O grains with diameters ranging from 100 nm to 1.3 μm were prepared. The factors that affect the synthesis of B₆O are investigated. The best sample with crystal size up to 1.3 μm is obtained at 2 GPa and 1400 °C for 6 h. The indentation experiment gave an average Vickers hardness of 32.3 GPa for bulk B₆O sample, which is consistent with previous reports. Bulk B₆O sample exhibits oxidation resistance in air up to 1000 °C and mild oxidation in the temperatures of 1000-1200 °C, which is more oxidation resistant than diamond. It is possible that B₆O could be used as a substitute for diamond in industry because of its relatively mild synthesis conditions, high thermal stability and high hardness.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(arylene ether)s derived from 4,4′‐bishydroxybiphenyl and 4,4′‐bishydroxyterphenyl

A series of poly(arylene ether)s were successfully prepared by aromatic, nucleophilic substitution reactions with various perfluoroalkyl‐activated bisfluoromonomers with 4,4′‐bishydroxybiphenyl and 4,4′‐bishydroxyterphenyl. 4,4′‐Bishydroxyterphenyl was synthesized through the Grignard coupling reaction of magnesium salt of 4‐bromoanisole with dibromobenzene followed by demethylation with pyridine–hydrochloride. The products obtained by the displacement of fluorine atoms exhibited good inherent viscosity, up to 0.77 dL/g, and number‐average molecular weights up to 69,300. These poly(arylene ether)s showed very good thermal stability, up to 548 °C for 5% weight loss according to thermogravimetric analysis under synthetic air, and high glass‐transition temperatures, up to 259 °C according to differential scanning calorimetry, depending on the exact repeat unit structure. These polymers were soluble in a wide range of organic solvents, such as N‐methylpyrrolidone, dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and CHCl₃, and were insoluble in dimethyl sulfoxide and acetone. Thin films of these poly(arylene ether)s showed good transparency and exhibited tensile strengths up to 132 MPa, moduli up to 3.34 GPa, and elongations at break up to 84%, depending on their exact repeating unit structures. These values are comparable to those of high‐performance thermoplastic materials such as poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) and Ultem poly(ether imide) (PEI). These poly(arylene ether)s exhibited low dielectric constants. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 55–69, 2002     

s-Triazine containing flame retardant hyperbranched polyamines: Synthesis, characterization and properties evaluation

A s-triazine containing hyperbranched polyamine (HBPA) has been synthesized from cyanuric chloride and aromatic diamine, 4,4′-(1,4-phenylenediisopropylidene) bis-aniline by nucleophilic displacement polymerization technique using an A₂ + B₃ approach with high yield (>80%). The synthesized polymer has been characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FT-IR spectroscopic studies, elemental analysis, solubility and measurement of solution viscosity. The thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) studies indicate that the polymer is thermostable upto 290 °C without any decomposition and has glass transition temperature of 243 °C. The flame retardancy of the pure powder polymer and the blends with linear commercial polymers such as plasticized PVC and LDPE with this hyperbranched polymer were investigated by the measurement of limiting oxygen index (LOI) value. The results show that the polymer has self-extinguishing characteristic (LOI = 38) and acts as an effective flame retardant additive for the above linear base polymers. The synergistic effect of this hyperbranched flame retardant was observed with triphenyl phosphine oxide in the same base polymers. The flammability efficiency of the hyperbranched polyamine is also evaluated by help of thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The heat aging and leaching in different chemical media did not influence the flame retardancy of the blends.     

Synthesis of Conjugated Hyperbranched Polytriazoles Containing Truxene Units by Click Polymerization

It has been a challenge to synthesize high molecular weight and soluble conjugated hyperbranched poly(1,2,3‐triazole)s (hb‐PTAs). In this paper a series of soluble hyperbranched polytriazoles, whose number‐average molecular weight (M_n) and polydispersity index ranged in (1.2–3.3)×10⁴ and 1.7–3.0, respectively, were synthesized with A₂+B₃ approach. In the polymerization process, diazides A1 – A4 and triyne B1 were used as A₂ and B₃ monomers; Cu(I)‐catalyst, THF and water were used as their reaction system. At room temperature the final molecular weight could be controlled through reaction time, so finally we obtained soluble conjugated hyperbranched poly(1,2,3‐triazole)s hb‐PTAs (1–4 ). The polymers were soluble in common organic solvents, and all emitted blue light; the films of polymers emitted yellow and blue light, due to the difference in the aggregation of their chromophoric units in the solid state. The thermal properties of the final copolymers were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).     

Synthesis and characterization of the B3-monomer and hyperbranched poly(aryl ether ketone)s

Hyperbranched poly(aryl ether ketone)s were prepared by polymerization of hydroquinone (A₂) and 1,3,5-tris[4-(4-fluorobenzoyl)phenoxy]benzene (B₃). The gelation of hyperbranched poly(aryl ether ketone)s was effectively avoided. Hydroxyl-term inated (HPAEK-OH) and fluoro-terminated (HPAEK-F) hyperbranched poly(aryl ether ketone)s were prepared by using different A₂/B₃ mass ratio. The structure of the B₃ monomer was confirmed by MS, ¹H NMR/IR. The glass transition temperatures of the HPAEK-F and HPAEK-OH are 114°C and 162°C respectively. Thermal stability of HPAEK-F is higher than HPAEK-OH. __________ Translated from Acta Scientianum Naturalium Universitatis Jilinensis, 2005, 5 (in Chinese)     

Cyclic(arylene ether) oligomers containing the phenylphosphine oxide moiety

A series of cyclic(arylene ether) oligomers containing the phenylphosphine oxide moiety has been synthesized by reaction of bis(4-fluorophenyl)phenylphosphineoxide with dihydroxy compounds 1a–d as well as 1,2-dihydro-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl) (2H)phthalazin-1-one in DMF in the presence of anhydrous K₂CO₃ under high dilution conditions. These cyclic oligomers are amorphous and have high solubility in organic solvents. The MALDI-TOF-MS technique has been used as a powerful tool to analyze these cyclic systems. The cyclic(arylene ether) oligomers readily undergo anionic ring-opening polymerization in the melt at 350°C by using potassium 4,4′-biphenoxide as the initiator, affording linear, high molecular weight poly(arylene ether)s containing the phenylphosphine oxide moiety. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 519–526, 1998     

Synthesis of multiblock hyperbranched‐linear poly(ether sulfone) copolymers

Hyperbranched poly(ether sulfone) was prepared in the presence of an oligomeric linear poly(ether sulfone) to generate multiblock hyperbranched‐linear (LxHB) copolymers. The LxHB copolymers were prepared in a two‐step, one‐pot synthesis by first polymerizing AB monomer to generate a linear block of a desired molecular weight followed by addition of the AB₂ monomer in a large excess (19:1, AB₂:AB) to generate the hyperbranched block. NMR integration analysis indicates that AB₂:AB ratio is independent of the reaction time. Because the molecular weight still increases with reaction time, these results suggest that polymer growth continues after consumption of monomer by condensation into a multiblock architecture. The LxHB poly(ether sulfone)s have better thermal stability (10% mass loss > 343 vs. 317 °C) and lower T_g (200 vs. > 250 °C) than the hyperbranched homopolymer, higher T_g than the linear homopolymer (<154 °C), while little difference in the solubility character was observed between the two polymers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4785–4793, 2008     

Hyperbranched Poly(ester‐enamine) from Spontaneous Amino‐yne Click Reaction for Stabilization of Gold Nanoparticle Catalysts

Hyperbranched polymers have garnered much attention due to attractive properties and wide applications, such as drug‐controlled release, stimuli‐responsive nano‐objects, photosensitive materials and catalysts. Herein, two types of novel hyperbranched poly(ester‐enamine) (hb‐PEEa) were designed and synthesized via the spontaneous amino‐yne click reaction of A₂ monomer (1, 3‐bis(4‐piperidyl)‐propane (A_2a) or piperazine (A_2b)) and B₃ monomer (trimethylolpropanetripropiolate). According to Flory's hypothesis, gelation is an intrinsic problem in an ideal A₂+B₃ polymerization system. By controlling the polymerization conditions, such as monomer concentration, molar ratio and rate of addition, a non‐ideal A₂+B₃ polymerization system can be established to avoid gelation and to synthesize soluble hb‐PEEa. Due to abundant unreacted alkynyl groups in periphery, the hb‐PEEa can be further functionalized by different amino compounds or their derivates. The as‐prepared amphiphilic PEG‐hb‐PEEa copolymer can readily self‐assemble into micelles in water, which can be used as surfactant to stabilize Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) during reduction of NaBH₄ in aqueous solution. As a demonstration, the as‐prepared PEG‐hb‐PEEa‐supported AuNPs demonstrate good dispersion in water, solvent stability and remarkable catalytic activity for reduction of nitrobenzene compounds.     

Single-crystal growth of Tl2Ru2O7 pyrochlore using high-pressure and flux method

Single crystals of the thallium ruthenium pyrochlore have been grown by flux method under high oxygen pressure. The growth conditions were determined by direct observations using in situ powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) method under high pressure and high temperature. The crystals were grown using NaCl-KCl flux at 1350 °C and B₂O₃ flux at 1150 °C. High growth temperature of 1350 °C for the NaCl-KCl flux caused Pt contamination from the crucible and oxygen deficiency for the crystals obtained. The crystal growth using B₂O₃ flux proceeded at lower temperature by grain growth with material transfer through B₂O₃. The crystal obtained was characterized by single-crystal XRD method, and was found to have a stoichiometric composition, Tl₂Ru₂O_7−δ (δ=0), with a structural phase transition around 120 K. The grain growth technique with B₂O₃ is efficient for high-temperature single-crystal growth under high pressure.     

(La0.4Ba0.4Ca0.2)(Mn0.4Ti0.6)O3: A new titano-manganate with a high dielectric constant and antiferromagnetic interactions

A new perovskite-based titano-manganate, (La_0.4Ba_0.4Ca_0.2)(Mn_0.4Ti_0.6)O₃, has been prepared by the ceramic route at 1100°C. This oxide was found to possess the cubic perovskite structure with  Å (space group ). The refined composition as obtained by Rietveld analysis of powder X-ray data was found to be (La_0.44Ba_0.38Ca_0.18)(Mn_0.43Ti_0.57)O_2.91(3) (R_p=0.0704, wR_p=0.0828). The composition was also ascertained by Energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Iodometric studies led to a slightly higher oxygen content (compared to Rietveld refinement) corresponding to an average manganese oxidation state of 3.05. The above oxide was found to exhibit high dielectric constant (ε) of 6980 at 1 kHz decreasing to 590 at 100 kHz. At high temperatures (200°C) it shows an unusually high dielectric constant of 20,000 at 1 kHz. In addition to the dielectric properties, detailed magnetic studies show evidence of long-range antiferromagnetic interactions near 5 K. The presence of unusually high dielectric constant coupled with the long-range magnetic interactions may open up interesting applications.     

Synthesis, crystal structure, and nonlinear optical properties of Bi2Cu5B4O14

Bi₂Cu₅B₄O₁₄ crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric triclinic space group P1 (No. 1) with cell parameters a=10.1381(11) Å, b=9.3917(11) Å, c=3.4566(4) Å, α=105.570(2)°, β=92.275(2)°, γ=107.783(2)°, Z=1 and R₁=0.0401 and wR₂=0.0980. It is a layered structure that is built up from sheets of rectangular CuO₄ and trigonal BO₃ groups. The sheets are connected by infinite chains of edge shared BiO₆ polyhedra that intersect the bc plane at an angle slightly greater than 90°. The second-harmonic generation efficiency of Bi₂Cu₅B₄O₁₄, using 1064 nm radiation, is about one half times that of KH₂PO₄.     

Alternative Approach to an AB2 Monomer for Hyperbranched Poly(Arylene Ether Ketone Imide)s

An alternative approach to an AB₂ monomer, N‐[3,5‐bis(4‐hydroxybenzoyl)benzene]‐4‐fluorophthalimde, 4, for hyperbranched poly(arylene ether ketone imide)s has been developed. The key steps were a para‐position selective electrophilic aromatic substitution of fluorobenzene with 5‐nitroisophthaloyl dichloride and a subsequent clean conversion of the aryl fluorides to phenol groups using potassium hydroxide as the nucleophile. The overall yield for the synthesis of 4 was 51.6%.     

Crystal structures and thermal properties of Ba(1,2,4-t-Bu3C5H2)2 and Sr(1,2,4-t-Bu3C5H2)2: Precursors for atomic layer deposition

Sterically hindered Lewis base free bis(1,2,4-tri-tert-butylcyclopentadienyl)strontium (1) and bis(1,2,4-tri-tert-butylcyclopentadienyl)barium (2) were synthesized using the common metathesis route and characterized with NMR, MS, TGA/SDTA and XRD. Compound 1 crystallized as a monomer with typical bent structure. Asymmetric unit contains two independent slightly different Sr(t-Bu₃C₅H₂)₂ molecules with Cp(centroid)-Sr-Cp(centroid) angles of 165.1° and 169.4°. Depending on the way of crystallization two polymorphs (2a and 2b) were observed for Ba(t-Bu₃C₅H₂)₂. On sublimation Ba(t-Bu₃C₅H₂)₂ crystallizes as chains in which one methyl group of each Ba(t-Bu₃C₅H₂)₂ unit interacts with neighboring Ba(t-Bu₃C₅H₂)₂ unit’s barium atom. Slow crystallization of waxy evaporation residue of toluene solution results in monoclinic crystals (2b) whose asymmetric unit contains four slightly different individual Ba(t-Bu₃C₅H₂)₂ molecules with Cp(centroid)-Ba-Cp(centroid) angles of 161.3-164.9°. Both compounds prepared are volatile, thermally stable and reactive and thus suitable precursors for atomic layer deposition of thin films.     

Silphos [PCl3−n(SiO2)n]: a heterogeneous phosphine reagent for the conversion of epoxides to β-bromoformates or alkenes

Silphos [PCl_3−n(SiO₂)_n] as a heterogeneous phosphine reagent is efficiently applied for the transformation of epoxides to β-bromoformates in the presence of bromine or N-bromosuccinimide in dimethyl formamide at 0 °C. The combination of Silphos and iodine was also found suitable for the room temperature preparation of alkenes. The use of Silphos provides the advantage of easy separation of the phosphine oxide by-product from the reaction mixture.     

Synthesis,characterization, and comparison of properties of new fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s containing phthalimidine moiety in the main chain

Four new poly(arylene ether)s have been prepared by the reaction of N‐phenyl‐3,3‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine (PA) with four different perfluoroalkylated monomers namely 1,3‐bis(4′‐fluoro‐3′‐trifluoromethyl benzyl) benzene, 4,4′‐bis(4′‐fluoro‐3′‐trifluoromethyl benzyl) biphenyl, 2,6‐bis(4′‐fluoro‐3′‐trifluoromethyl benzyl) pyridine, and 2,5‐bis(4′‐fluoro‐3′‐trifluoromethyl benzyl) thiophene. The poly(arylene ether)s were characterized by different spectroscopic, thermal, mechanical, and electrical techniques. The poly(arylene ether) containing quadriphenyl unit in the main chain showed very high glass transition temperature of 291°C and outstanding thermal stability upto 556°C for 10% weight loss under a 4:1 nitrogen:oxygen mixture. The polymers were soluble in a wide range of organic solvents. Transparent thin films of these polymers exhibited tensile strengths upto 75 MPa and elongation at break upto 32%. The films of these polymers showed low water absorption of 0.26%. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.