三维骨架聚合物的孔径调控及其滤光效应

利用二阶段相分离控制方法制备不同孔径的三维骨架聚合物及配位聚合物材料.在第一阶段的反应诱导相分离中,通过加入十二烷基苯磺酸作为相分离抑制剂,控制了环氧树脂在聚乙二醇介质中固化反应的相分离速率和程度;在第二阶段,将处于亚稳状态的聚合物用ZnSO4或CdSO4水溶液处理,在配合作用的推动下发生二次相分离,并稳定三维骨架结构,最终实现了在1~2μm范围内调节孔径大小.研究了三维连续孔道在充满二乙烯基苯高折射液体后的滤光特性,通过引入金属离子改变固体材料折射率的方法,验证了光在高折射液相中的全反射效应,并从定性角度建立三维骨架材料的孔径及分布与透射光波长范围之间的关系,对新光学现象给出了初步解释.     

Interfacial properties of compressible polymer solutions

A chemomechanical model for the interfacial concentration and density in compressible polymer solutions is formulated using variational principles. The nonlinear model with boundary conditions obtained from phase equilibrium calculations gives the coupled concentration and density profiles. The couplings between chemical and mechanical balances are identified and efficient ways to calculate the interfacial structure is identified. A specific model appropriate to high‐pressure processing of the polyolefins is developed using the modified Sanchez Lacombe equation of state. Bakker's formula for the interfacial tension is adapted to compressible polymer solutions. The structure and tension of a flat interface is characterized using the developed model and material properties of three molecular weight hydrogenated polybutadiene; the main variables of interest were the pressure, polymer molecular weight, and temperature. The relation between the pressure profile across the interface and the interfacial tension is characterized. Scaling power laws for interfacial tension and interfacial thickness as a function of pressure are obtained and contrasted with the corresponding laws observed and predicted for incompressible polymer solutions. It is found that the modified Sanchez Lacombe‐based power law prediction predictions for compressible solutions in terms of pressure quenches are similar to those from those obtained by the Flory‐Huggins incompressible model for temperature quenches. The present results provide the basis for the future study of the kinetics of pressure‐induced phase separation in compressible polymer solutions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 640–654, 2009     

Phase separation of polymer solutions on a solvent surface

Study of the dynamics of liquid droplets of dilute and semidilute polymer solutions on the surfaces of liquid subphases representing solvents for corresponding polymers has shown that a spot of a rather stable layer is formed on an air–liquid interface. The spot spreads over a liquid subphase surface to yield a monomolecular polymer layer. At the same time, the solvent passes into the solution, so that the polymer or its concentrated solution remains on the subphase surface. The polymer does not dissolve in the bulk subphase for several hours. The stability of the polymer spot has been explained under the assumption that the interfacial surface possesses elastic properties and hinders the penetration of macromolecules into the bulk subphase. Desolvation of macromolecules followed by phase separation occurs on the surface. The initial rate of the phase separation of the solution is rather high, while the time dependence of the diameter of the spreading spot is described by a scaling law with an exponent almost equal to 2/3.     

Interfacial tension of demixed polymer solutions: augmentation by polymer additives

The interfacial tension between phase separated polymer solutions increases pronouncedly upon the addition of small amounts of incompatible polymers. This feature is demonstrated by means of measurements with solutions of polystyrene in cyclohexane and the following additives: poly(styrene-block-dimethylsiloxane), polyisobutylene and polydimethylsiloxane. Theoretical considerations based on a correlation between the lengths of tie lines and the corresponding interfacial tension corroborate this finding.     

Interfacial polycondensation—Modeling of kinetics and film properties

Interfacial polycondensation (IP) is an important technique used in the encapsulation of a variety of active ingredients and synthesis of thin film composite membranes. The present work seeks to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the reaction, phase separation and film formation in this process, and hence, of how the film properties are influenced by preparation conditions. The model presented here incorporates all the essential physicochemical processes at a fundamental level through simple phenomenologies: ionic equilibria in the aqueous phase, resistances due to external mass transfer, diffusion through polymer film, interfacial reaction, thermodynamics of phase separation, and formation of a coherent film. The model has been tested against the data previously communicated [S.J. Wagh, Studies in interfacial polycondensation. Ph.D. Thesis. IIT Bombay, 2004; S.J. Wagh, S.S. Dhumal, A.K. Suresh, An experimental study of polyurea membrane formation by interfacial polycondensation, Journal of Membrane Science, submitted for publication] on polyurea microcapsules. The influence of the model parameters and preparation conditions, on the properties of the polymer and film and their development during reaction, have been studied. The study provides important insights into the process and should help in designing synthesis methodologies to suit the application.     

Competitive adsorption of neutral comb polymers and sodium dodecyl sulfate at the air/water interface

The interfacial behavior of aqueous solutions of four different neutral polymers in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been investigated by surface tension measurements and ellipsometry. The polymers comprised linear poly(ethylene oxide) with low and high molecular masses (10(3) and 10(6) Dalton (Da), respectively), and two high molecular mass methacrylate-based comb polymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) side chains. The adsorption isotherms of SDS, determined by Gibbs analysis of surface tension data, are nearly the same in the presence of the high molecular mass linear polymer and the comb polymers. Analysis of the ellipsometric data reveals that while a single surface layer model is appropriate for films of polymer alone, a more sophisticated interfacial layer model is necessary for films of SDS alone. For the polymer/surfactant mixtures, a novel semiempirical approach is proposed to determine the surface excess of polymer, and hence quantify the interfacial composition, through analysis of data from the two techniques. The replacement of the polymer due to surfactant adsorption is much less pronounced for the high molecular mass linear polymer and for the comb polymers than for the low molecular mass linear polymer. This finding is rationalized by the significantly higher adsorption driving force of the larger polymer molecules as well as by their more amphiphilic structure in the case of the comb polymers.     

Interfacial profiles of miscible poly(4‐trimethylsilylstyrene)/polyisoprene bilayer films

Compositional profiles of bilayer films in the direction normal to the interfaces have been investigated by neutron reflectivity measurements and analyzed with mean field theory. The bilayer films were prepared with poly(4‐trimethylsilylstyrene) (PTMSS) and polyisoprene (PI), which constitute a miscible polymer pair and whose blends show phase separation at the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) by heating. Because we can accurately control the degree of polymerization of component polymers and can adjust the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter, χ, with the temperature, T, according to the relationship χ = 0.027–9.5/T, the phase behavior and the interfacial structure of PTMSS and PI are predictable by mean field theory. When the bilayer films of PTMSS and PI were set at 90 °C, which is a temperature below the LCST, diffusion at the interface was observed, and the original interface disappeared in several hours; this supports the idea that the polymer pair is miscible. No clear interfaces were identified below the LCST, whereas broad interfaces, compared with that of the strong segregation pairs, were observed above the LCST. The compositions of each layer are consistent with that of the coexisting phase in the polymer blends, and the interfacial widths agree well with the theoretical prediction considering the effect of capillary waves. In addition, all annealed films have a thin surface layer of PTMSS corresponding to surface segregation induced by the lower surface energy of PTMSS (with respect to that of PI). Thus, the interfacial profiles of PTMSS/PI bilayer films have been totally prospected in the framework of mean field theory. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1486–1494, 2005     

Interfacial tension and wetting in colloid-polymer mixtures

We calculate the interfacial tension and the wetting behavior in phase separated colloid-polymer mixtures both for ideal and excluded volume interacting polymers. Within the recently developed extension of the free volume theory to include polymer interactions the interfacial tension of the free interface is calculated by adding a van der Waals squared gradient term. The wetting behavior at a hard wall is calculated following a Cahn-Fisher-Nakanishi approach taking the one- and two-body colloid-wall interactions into account. Comparing results for interacting polymers with those for ideal polymers we find that for interacting polymers the interfacial tension does not increase as steeply as a function of the gas-liquid colloid density difference. Furthermore, the wetting transition shifts to higher polymer concentrations, even to above the triple line. The predictions for both the interfacial tension and the wetting are compared to recent experiments.     

Phase separation dynamics of aqueous solutions of thermoresponsive polymers studied by a laser T-jump technique

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly(vinyl methyl ether) are well-known thermoresponsive polymers. The aqueous solutions of these polymers exhibit a phase transition followed by phase separation with LCST approximately 305-310 K. In the present study, the dynamic behavior of the phase separation was analyzed by a laser T-jump method. Two different T-jump methodologies were employed: the first was a dye-photosensitized T-jump technique (indirect heating) using 532 nm laser pulses, while the other was a direct heating T-jump technique using 1.2 mum laser pulses. Both methods gave similar results. The time constants (tau) of the phase separation were systematically determined for 1-10 wt % aqueous solutions of the polymers, and a hydrodynamic radius (R) dependence for tau was clearly observed. The values of tau increased linearly with increasing square of R. The present behavior is interpretable in the framework of Tanaka's model for the volume phase transition of a gel, since each of the polymer chains are entangled in the present sample solutions, which can be regarded as approximating to a gel in solution.     

Interfacial Tension and the Osmotic Pressure of Solutions of Polar Polymers

It is shown that the Flory-Huggins X₁₂ parameter for a polymer, 1, with a solvent, 2, is proportional to the interfacial tension, Y₁₂, between the polymer and the solvent. In the case of polyethylene glycol (PEG) dissolved in water, the value of Y₁₂ is strongly negative. It is shown that this condition gives rise to a sizable negative value of X₁₂. which in turn engenders a strongly positive second virial coefficient of the osmotic pressure (II) function. X₁₂ values calculated for the PEG-water system from surface tension data of PEG and of water allow the calculation of II for aqueous solutions of PEG of up to 60% (w/v) for PEG of molecular weights of 150,400,6000, and 20 000. The results show an excellent correlation with the II values earlier measured for these polymers by Arnold et al. and furnish an explanation for the unusual lack of dependence of II on the polymer molecular weight and for the very high osmotic pressures observed with aqueous PEG and dextran solutions.     

Concentration dependence of the interfacial tension for aqueous two-phase polymer solutions of dextran and polyethylene glycol

We studied the interfacial tension between coexisting phases of aqueous solutions of dextran and polyethylene glycol. First, we characterized the phase diagram of the system and located the binodal. Second, the tie lines between the coexisting phases were determined using a method that only requires measuring the density of the coexisting phases. The interfacial tension was then measured by a spinning drop tensiometer over a broad range of polymer concentrations close to and above the critical point. In this range, the interfacial tension increases by 4 orders of magnitude with increasing polymer concentration. The scaling exponents of the interfacial tension, the correlation length, and order parameters were evaluated and showed a crossover behavior depending on the distance to the critical concentration. The scaling exponent of the interfacial tension attains the value 1.50 ± 0.01 further away from the critical point, in good agreement with mean field theory, but the increased value 1.67 ± 0.10 closer to this point, which disagrees with the Ising value 1.26. We discuss possible reasons for this discrepancy. The composition and density differences between the two coexisting phases, which may be taken as two possible order parameters, showed the expected crossover from mean field behavior to Ising model behavior as the critical point is approached. The crossover behavior of aqueous two-phase polymer solutions with increasing concentration is similar to that of polymer solutions undergoing phase separation induced by lowering the temperature.     

The kinetics of cation exchange in network calyxarene-containing polymers: the nanoreactor effect

The kinetics of cation exchange from aqueous solutions of electrolytes in network calyxarene-containing polymers with sulfo acid and phenol ionic groups was studied. It was shown that the interaction of the polymers with aqueous solutions of LiCl, NaCl, AgNO₃, LiOH, NaOH, and (CH₃)₄NOH was controlled by ion diffusion in the polymer phase. The nanoreactor effect, that is, a significant increase in the ion exchange rate in sulfonated calyxarene-containing polymers, was observed. The spherical layer model was used to obtain an analytic dependence of conversion on the interdiffusion coefficient and ion exchange duration in bifunctional cationites.     

Interfacial thermodynamics of compressible polymer solutions

A variational model is developed to compute the coupled density and concentration fields that define the structure of planar interface between equilibrium phases of a compressible polymer solution. The solution of the model in conjunction with the modified Sanchez-Lacombe, with parametric data relevant to real polymer solutions, quantifies the role of compressibility on interfacial thermodynamics and interfacial tension. In particular, it is found that pressure pulses originating from density changes compensate chemical stresses. The interfacial tension, based on Bakker's equation, between equilibrium polymer solution phases and corresponding interfacial thickness exhibits pressure scaling behavior analogous to that predicted with temperature for incompressible polymer solutions.     

Depletion-induced phase separation in colloid-polymer mixtures

Phase separation can be induced in a colloidal dispersion by adding non-adsorbing polymers. Depletion of polymer around the colloidal particles induces an effective attraction, leading to demixing at sufficient polymer concentration. This communication reviews theoretical and experimental work carried out on the polymer-mediated attraction between spherical colloids and the resulting phase separation of the polymer-colloid mixture. Theoretical studies have mainly focused on the limits where polymers are small or large as compared to the colloidal size. Recently, however, theories are being developed that cover a wider colloid-polymer size ratio range. In practical systems, size polydispersity and polyelectrolytes (instead of neutral polymers) and/or charges on the colloidal surfaces play a role in polymer-colloid mixtures. The limited amount of theoretical work performed on this is also discussed. Finally, an overview is given on experimental investigations with respect to phase behavior and results obtained with techniques enabling measurement of the depletion-induced interaction potential, the structure factor, the depletion layer thickness and the interfacial tension between the demixed phases of a colloid-polymer mixture.     

Nanomechanical and Chemical Mapping of the Structure and Interfacial Properties in Immiscible Ternary Polymer Systems

It is a challenge to identify each phase in a multi-component polymer system and uniquely determine the interfacial properties between the different phases. Using atomic force microscopy nanomechanical mapping(AFM-NM) and AFM-based infrared spectroscopy(AFMIR), we identify each phase, visualize structural developments, and determine the interfacial properties in a blend of three polymers: high-density polyethylene(HDPE), polyamide(PA6) and poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene)(SEBS). Each phase can be identified from the Young's modulus, along with the structural development within the phases before and after compatibilization. The interfacial widths between HDPE/PA6,HDPE/SEBS and SEBS/PA6 were determined independently in one measurement from a Young's modulus map. The structural, mechanical property development and identity of the phases were determined by AFM-NM, while AFM-IR, providing complementary chemical information,identified interfacial reactions, showed the chemical affinity of a compatibilizer with the component phases, and mapped the distribution of the compatibilizer in the ternary polymer blends. The chemical, structural and interfacial information obtained by these measurements provide information that is essential for producing mechanically robust materials from incompatible mixtures of polymers.     

Interfacial tension in a lower critical solution temperature blend: Effect of temperature,blend composition,and deformation of the interphase

Interfacial tension is a very important material parameter in two‐phase polymer blends. It determines the morphology development during processing, which is crucial for the end‐use properties of the material. Although different techniques for interfacial tension measurement give comparable results for immiscible polymers, the determination of the interfacial tension in lower critical solution temperature blends is not straightforward. This is illustrated for poly(α‐methyl styrene acrylonitrile)/poly(methyl methacrylate)(PαMSAN/PMMA), a slightly incompatible polymer pair. Interfacial tension has been measured with three different techniques: small‐amplitude oscillatory shear, recovery after elongation, and elongation of a multilayer sample. The large differences in these results can be attributed to the fact that most experimental techniques determine an apparent value, rather than the thermodynamic equilibrium value, of the interfacial tension. The latter is only obtained if the measurement is performed under quiescent conditions on a system that is composed of the coexisting PαMSAN‐rich and PMMA‐rich phases. The apparent interfacial tension depends on the actual composition of the phases and on the deformation of the interface. An order of magnitude approximation for such effects has been derived from theoretical considerations. Finally, each of these apparent values can be of practical importance. If a blend is prepared by melt mixing of the pure polymers, a high apparent value of interfacial tension should be considered. If, however, a blend is prepared by phase separation of a homogeneous mixture, the thermodynamic value is important. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 679–690, 2002     

Structural changes of the molecular complexes and consolute phenomena in binary liquid mixtures

Consolute phenomena in the aqueous solutions of the polymers are considered In view of the temperature induced structural changes of the hydrogen bonds between water and functional groups of polymer. The lower and upper critical consolute points are attributed to the appearance of the “critical” concentration of the complexes with one hydrogen bond between single water molecule and functional group of polymer. Namely such kind of the hydrogen bonds are responsible for the formation of the strongly associated water clusters, that may be followed by phase separation. Experimentally observed dependences of the critical consolute temperatures for the aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol on the molecular weight of polymer and adding of salts are well reproduced in the framework of the proposed model.     

Precise synthesis of end‐functionalized thermosensitive poly(vinyl ether)s by living cationic polymerization

A series of poly(2‐methoxyethyl vinyl ether)s with narrow molecular weight distributions and with perfectly defined end groups of varying hydrophobicities was successfully synthesized by base‐assisting living cationic polymerization. The end group was shown to greatly affect the temperature‐induced phase separation behavior of aqueous solutions (lower critical solution temperature‐type phase separation) or organic solutions (upper critical solution temperature‐type phase separation) of the polymers. The cloud points were also influenced largely by the molecular weight and concentration of the polymer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Fate of excited probes in micellar systems

This article presents studies on the photophysical and photochemical behavior of probes within micellar systems: organized emulsifier/polymer aggregates; the intra- and interpolymer association of amphiphilic polymers; monomer-swollen micelles (microdroplets); and the interfacial layer. Pyrene (Py) as a probe is particularly attractive because of its ability to measure the polarity of its microenvironment. Dipyme yields information on the microviscosity of micellar systems. Probes such as laurdan and prodan can be used to explore the surface characteristics of micelles or microdroplets. The dansyl group has a special photophysical property that gives information about the local polarity and mobility (viscosity) of the microenvironment. The organized association of amphiphilic polymer and emulsifier introduces a heterogeneity in the local concentration of the reactants. This heterogeneity also results from the attractive interaction between hydrophilic monomer and emulsifier in the case when the monomer carries a positive charge and the counterpart a negative one, and vice versa. Some emulsifiers can bind to the amphiphilic copolymers by simple partitioning between the aqueous phase and the polymer--non-cooperative association. The interaction between micelles (microdroplets) and charged polymers leads to the formation of mixed micelles. Binding emulsifiers to these polymers was detected at emulsifier concentrations much below the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Emulsifiers often interact cooperatively with polymers at the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) below the CMC, forming micelle-like aggregates within the polymer. The CAC can be taken as a measure of interaction between the emulsifier and polymer. A decrease in the monomer fluorescence intensity of probe-labeled polymer results from increased excimer formation, or higher aggregates within the unimolecular polymeric micelles. An increase in the monomer fluorescence intensity of probe-labeled polymer within the micellar system can be ascribed to shielding of the probe chromophores by emulsifier micelles. The quenching of probe emission by (un)charged hydrophilic monomer depends on partitioning of the monomer between the aqueous phase and the micelles. Penetration of reactants into the interfacial layer determines the quenching of the hydrophobic probe by hydrophilic quencher, or vice versa. Quenching depends on the thickness, density and charge of the interfacial layer. Compartmentalization prevents the carbonyl compound and unsaturated monomer from coming into sufficiently close contact to allow singlet or triplet-monomer interaction. All negatively charged carbonyl probe molecules are quenched with significantly lower rates than the parent neutral hydrophobic benzophenone molecules, which were located further inside the aggregates. This results from the different conformation and allocation of reactants within the micellar system. In the reverse micelles, quenching depends on the amount of water in the interfacial layer and the total area of the water/oil interface.