Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline polyacrylates and non-liquid crystalline polypyrroles from bifunctional monomers

Two kinds of polymerizations of liquid-crystalline N-{{W-{4-[4-(11-acryloyloxy)undecanoxybenzoyl]biphenyleneoxy}alkyl}}pyrrole gave a side-chain liquid-crystalline polyacrylate containing pyrrole group and a non-liquid crystalline polypyrrole containing acrylate group. Liquid crystallinity was determined by DSC and optical polarizing microscope measurements. The monomers having hexyl or decyl group as the alkyl group exhibited an undefined smectic, smectic B, and smectic A phases on the heating stage. The radically polymerized polyacrylate derivatives containing the pyrrole group showed smectic A, smectic C, and undefined smectic phases on the cooling stage. On the other hand, soluble N-substituted polypyrrole derivatives containing the terminal acrylate group which were prepared by chemical oxidative polymerization by ferric chloride catalyst did not show liquid crystallinity. Structure analysis of the polypyrroles performed by ¹H and ¹³C-NMR and FT-IR spectroscopies demonstrated that the polymerization occurred at the pyrrole ring. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3877–3887, 1999     

Preparation and characterization of new micelle-forming cholesterol amphiphiles

New sulfated and sulfonated cholesterol amphiphiles were synthesized and characterized by dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy. The surfactants form micelles with diameters up to 30 nm. Their critical micelle concentration values were determined by conductometry and photometric measurements. Use of the new amphiphiles enables the transfer of an asymmetric hydrogenation reaction into aqueous solution by keeping the activity and increasing the enantioselectivity. Interesting liquid-crystalline behaviour was observed. Received: 7 July 1999 /Accepted in revised form: 5 November 1999     

Production of micron-sized, monodispersed, multihollow polystyrene/poly(3,5-xylidine) composite particles by chemical oxidative seeded polymerization

 Micron-sized, monodispersed polystyrene/poly(3,5-xylidine) composite polymer particles were produced by chemical oxidative seeded polymerization of 3,5-xylidine with 1.37-μm-sized, monodispersed polystyrene seed particles. The chemical oxidative seeded polymerization was conducted in an aqueous medium at 25 °C in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol) as a stabilizer using ammonium persulfate as an oxidant. The composite particles had a multihollow structure. Received: 30 June 1999/Accepted in revised form: 21 October 1999     

Solid-State polymerization of the binary mixture of methacrylate and liquid-crystalline compound by electron beam

Solid-state polymerization of a binary mixture of nonliquid-crystalline monomer and liquidcrystalline compound was carried out using electron beam. The monomers were benzoic acid containing 4-[ω-(meth)acryloyloxyalkyloxy] benzoic acids, in which the alkylene spacer was ethylene, hexamethylene, or undecamethylene. The conversion yield of monomer to polymer to a large extent increased with increasing content of a liquid-crystalline compound with a terminal carboxylic group, such as 4-n-alkyloxybenzoic acid, while the addition of a liquid-crystalline compound without terminal carboxylic group did not affect polymerization of the monomer. Phase diagrams of the mixture of monomer and liquid-crystalline compound were examined using cross-polarizing microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). All mixtures of monomer and 4-n-alkyloxybenzoic acid or liquid-crystalline compound without terminal carboxylic group showed liquid-crystallinity in a broad composition range. It was concluded that liquid-crystalline compounds with terminal carboxylic acid may form hydrogen bondings with methacrylate or acrylate monomer having terminal carboxylic acid which enhance polymerizability of the mixture. The stereoregularity of polymers determined by NMR depended on increasing irradiation dose and temperature rather than the content of the added liquid-crystalline 4-n-decanoxybenzoic acid.     

Complexation in the heptanoic acid–heptylamine system

The complexation between heptylamine and heptanoic acid has been elucidated at 298.15 K using spectroscopic methods and also by measuring macroscopic quantities such as viscosity, conductivity and surface tension. Fourier transform IR and ¹³C NMR measurements point towards the existence of a compound consisting of one amine molecule and one acid molecule in an equimolecular mixing ratio. These suggestions are supported by viscosity and surface tension measurements. This compound is further able to interact with excess acid, but similar behaviour is not observed with excess amine. The equimolecular compound behaves like a catanionic surfactant; this is seen in the phase diagram for the heptylamine–heptanoic acid–water system at 298.15 K, where the dominating phase is the lamellar liquid-crystalline phase. This phase is in equilibrium with almost pure water. At low water content a solution phase extending from the binary heptylamine–heptanoic acid axis and covering all mixing ratios between the amine and the acid is also present. Received: 15 March 1999/Accepted in revised form: 5 July 1999     

Polyelectrolyte-induced vesicle formation in lamellar liquid-crystalline model systems

 The object of the research was to investigate the influence of a semiflexible polyanion (carboxymethylcellulose) in the absence and presence of a more flexible cationic polyelectrolyte [poly(diallyldimethyl-ammonium chloride)] on structure formation in liquid-crystalline model systems consisting of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/ decanol/water. Small-angle X-ray measurements in combination with electron microscopic investigations show the adsorption of the polycation on the SDS head groups. These polymer-modified lamellae form multilamellar vesicles. The semiflexible polyanion was embedded into the liquid crystal without macroscopic phase separation and multivesicular vesicles were formed on the supramolecular level. In combination the oppositely charged polyelectrolytes induce the formation of multivesicular structures where two lamellar structures coexist. Received: 15 July 1999/Accepted in revised form: 22 September 1999     

High-temperature stability of a novel phenylethynyl liquid-crystalline thermoset

We report the synthesis of a new high-temperature liquid-crystalline thermoset based on the phenylethynyl functional group. The monomer was a nematic thermotropic liquid crystal with a melting temperature of 268 °C. The extrapolated onset of the cure exotherm occurred at 313 °C. The cured thermoset retained the nematic liquid-crystalline order of the parent monomer. The monomer and crosslinked resin were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The thermal stability of the crosslinked resin was determined in both air and nitrogen atmospheres at various heating rates. The onset of weight loss in air and nitrogen atmospheres was determined to be 397 and 422 °C, respectively, for a heating rate of 10 °C/min. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4184–4190, 1999     

Liquid-Crystalline Polymer Particles Prepared by Classical Polymerization Techniques

Liquid-crystalline polymer particles prepared by classical polymerization techniques are receiving increased attention as promising candidates for use in a variety of applications including micro-actuators, structurally colored objects, and absorbents. These particles have anisotropic molecular order and liquid-crystalline phases that distinguish them from conventional polymer particles. In this minireview, the preparation of liquid-crystalline polymer particles from classical suspension, (mini-)emulsion, dispersion, and precipitation polymerization reactions are discussed. The particle sizes, molecular orientations, and liquid-crystalline phases produced by each technique are summarized and compared. We conclude with a discussion of the challenges and prospects of the preparation of liquid-crystalline polymer particles by classical polymerization techniques.     

Kinetics of polymerization of styrene-in-water microemulsions

The kinetics of polymerization of styrene-in-water microemulsions was investigated using dilatometry. From plots of percentage conversion versus time, the rate of polymerization, R _p, was determined. From log-log plots of R _p versus styrene and initiator [2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile), AIBN] concentrations the following relationship was established: R _p∝ [styrene]^1.2 [AIBN]^0.46. These exponents are similar to those predicted by the theory of emulsion polymerization. The results also showed a rapid conversion in the initial period (interval 1) followed by a slower rate at longer times (interval 2). It was suggested that in interval 1, the main process in nucleation of the microemulsion droplets, whereas in interval 2 propagation is the more dominant factor. The rapid polymerization of microemulsions is consistent with their structure, whereby very small droplets with flexible interfaces are produced. Received: 2 March 1999 Accepted in revised form: 10 May 1999     

Synthesis and properties of photochromic liquid-crystalline polyacrylates containing a spirooxazine group

The novel photochromic liquid-crystalline polyacrylates containing a spirooxazine group were synthesized. The photochromic polymer containing (4-penta- methyleneoxy)biphenylene moiety at the 5-position of spironaphthoxazine showed nematic phase from 122.9 to 133.8°C. The photochromic polymer containing undeca- methylene instead of pentamethylene showed smectic phase from 93.1 to 169.7°C. On the other hand, the photochromic polymer containing both undecamethylene as a spacer and spironaphthoxazine-bound biphenylene moiety at 9′-position did not show any liquid crystallinity. All spirooxazine-containing liquid-crystalline polymers showed photochromism in the solid state at room temperature. Because the shape of the absorption spectra of the photochromic quenched liquid-crystalline polymer films was almost the same as those of the photochromic amorphous polymer films, the photochromic properties did not depend on the mesophase in the polymers examined. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3513–3522, 1999     

A self-diffusion study in aqueous solution and lyotropic mesophases of amphiphilic block copolymers

 Water-soluble poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO–PPO–PPO) triblock copolymers are high-molecular-weight nonionic copolymers and form micellar solutions and liquid-crystalline mesophases in water. We studied the temperature dependence of polymer and water self-diffusion in solutions and lyotropic mesophases of the PEO₁₃ PPO₃₀ PEO₁₃/water and PEO₂₁ PPO₄₇ PEO₂₁/water binary systems. The self-diffusion measurements were performed by means of the pulsed field gradient spin-echo NMR method. The analysis of the water mobility was realised using “the obstruction factor” and “the two-site model”, which consider the reduction of the water self-diffusion due to the microstructure of the lyotropic aggregates and to the presence of one part of the solvent bound to the polymer aggregate surfaces. We calculated the water obstruction factors and the hydration numbers as a function both of the polymer composition and of the temperature. The results are compared with the data obtained in mesophases formed by classical surfactants. Received: 16 September 1999 Accepted in revised form: 24 November 1999     

Liquid-crystalline ordering in polymeric networks as studied by polarized raman scattering

Uniaxially oriented polymer networks are produced by photoinitiated bulk polymerization of liquid-crystalline diacrylates. The order parameters S₂ and S₄ of the mesogenic moieties in these networks are simultaneously determined by means of the polarized Raman scattering technique. It yields an estimate of the orientation distribution function for different polymerization temperatures and for different lengths of the alkyl chain, present as a spacer in the liquid-crystalline diacrylate.     

Thermodynamic aspects of the heterogeneous structure of “golf-ball-like” polymer particles

Recently, we found that “golf-ball-like” polystyrene (PS)/poly(butyl acrytlate) composite particles could be produced by seeded emulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate with PS seed particles. In this article, the theoretical and experimental thermodynamic instabilities of the golf-ball-like structure are discussed and are compared with core-shell and hemispherical morphologies. Received: 2 February 1999 Accepted in revised form: 3 June 1999     

Effect of water-soluble cross-linker on the growth and properties of ethyl acrylate–methacrylic acid emulsion opolymer particles

Model ethyl acrylate–methacrylic acid copolymer latices and latices of particles cross-linked by copolymerizing small amounts of water-soluble N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide were prepared by nonseeded semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization. Dynamic and static light scattering measurements indicated a slightly higher degree of polydispersity in the case of cross-linked particles, especially in the initial stages of polymerization. The hydrodynamic volume of the alkalinized particles controlling the viscosity properties of the dispersions decreased with the time of polymerization and in the case of cross-linked copolymer almost reached a constant value at about 1 h. The different character of the particle structure was confirmed by differences in particle disintegration after alkali addition or in the presence of methanol. Received: 2 February 1999/Accepted: 28 June 2000     

Poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) copolymers as stabilizers for the synthesis of silica–polystyrene core–shell particles

Following previous works [1, 2], silica–polystyrene core–shell particles have been synthesized by dispersion polymerization of styrene in an ethanol/water mixture in the presence of a poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) block copolymer as stabilizer. Besides the formation of composite core–shell particles, a large number of free latex particles that do not contain silica were also formed. This number decreases as the size of the silica beads decreases from 300 to 29 nm in diameter, and becomes very low compared to the number of composite particles for the smallest silica beads used. In every case, the composite particles could be easily separated from the free latex particles by centrifugation, providing a material made of regular core–shell composite particles. On the basis of the mechanisms involved in dispersion polymerization, hypotheses were formulated to account for the formation of the silica–polystyrene composite particles. Received: 6 May 1999 Accepted in revised form: 29 June 1999     

Hydrophilic magnetic polymer latexes. 2. Encapsulation of adsorbed iron oxide nanoparticles

The encapsulation of seed polymer particles coated by anionic iron oxide nanoparticles has been investigated using N-isopropylacrylamide as a main monomer, N,N-methylene bisacrylamide as a crosslinking agent, itaconic acid as a functional monomer and potassium persulfate as an anionic initiator. The magnetic latexes obtained have been characterized with regard to particle size, iron oxide content and electrophoretic mobility. All these properties have been examined by varying several polymerization parameters: reaction medium, monomer(s) and crosslinking agent concentrations, nature of seed latexes and type of polymerization (batch versus shot process). The magnetic content in the polymer microspheres strongly depends on the polymerization procedure (i.e., encapsulation process) and varies between 6 and 23 wt%, and monodisperse magnetic polymer particles were obtained. Received: 28 December 1999 Accepted in revised form: 15 June 1999     

Effect of the structures of microemulsions on chemical reactions

Two kinds of chemical reactions were studied in two different microemulsion systems: cetyltrimethylammonium bromide/1-butanol/10 and 25% n-octane/water and sodium dodecyl sulfonate/1-butanol/20% styrene/water. One reaction is a hydrolysis reaction, in which aspirin and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene were used as the hydrolysis substrates. The second reaction is the polymerization of styrene, which was initiated by using two initiators, water-soluble K₂S₂O₈ and oil-soluble 2,2′-azobis(isobutyronitrile), and, at the same time, the polymerization of acrylamide, which was initiated by NaHSO₃, was also studied. All the hydrolysis reaction experimental results show that the hydrolysis is greatly affected by the structures and the structural transitions of microemulsions. The hydrolysis rates are higher in water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion media and decrease with the addition of water. The rates increase in bicontinuous (BC) microemulsions and decrease in oil-in-water (O/W) microemulsions. The transition points of the hydrolysis rates occurred at the two microemulsion structural transition points from W/O to BC and from BC to O/W. The polymerization relationships between the conversions of styrene, the molecular weights of polystyrene and the water contents of the microemulsion system were obtained. The effects of microemulsion structures on the sizes of the polystyrene particles and on the molecular weights of the polymers are discussed. Polystyrene particles with diameters of 10–60 nm were observed by microscopy. Our experimental polymerization results show that microemulsions are suitable as media for the production of polymers, the molecular weights and the particle sizes of which can be controlled and predicted by variations in microemulsion structures. Received: 11 July 1999/Accepted: 26 July 1999     

Production of core/shell polystyrene/poly(3,5-xylidine) composite particles by chemical oxidative seeded dispersion polymerization

Micron-sized monodispersed polystyrene (PS)/poly(3,5-xylidine) (PXy) composite particles were produced by chemical oxidative seeded dispersion polymerization of 3,5-xylidine at 20 °C with 1.6-μm-sized monodispersed PS seed particles in HCl aqueous solution, the pH of which was always kept at 2.5 with a pH stat. The composite particles produced consisted of a PS core and a PXy shell. Received: 16 December 1998 Accepted in revised form: 25 March 1999     

A comparative study of a polyindole-based microelectrochemical transistor in aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes

The behaviour of a polyindole-based microelectrochemical transistor in aqueous and non-aqueous electrolytes is described. The polyindole film was grown onto two closely spaced (100 μm) platinum microelectrodes by anodic oxidation of indole (10 mM) from 0.1 M tetrabutylammonium perchlorate in dichloromethane at 1.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The polymerization was carried out for a sufficiently long time in order to connect both Pt microelectrodes, which operated as a transistor when immersed in an electrolytic solution. In this transistor, one microelectrode was a “source” and the other a “drain”; the Ag/AgCl wire reference electrode was used as a “gate”. The drain current (current between source and drain) was modulated by varying the gate potential (potential between source and gate) at a fixed drain potential (potential between source and drain). The transconductances of the transistor were estimated as 0.98 mS/cm and 20.6 mS/cm of channel width (separation between two microelectrodes) in aqueous and non-aqueous solutions, respectively. Received: 6 April 1999 / Accepted: 24 August 1999     

Temperature-induced chiral nematic phase changes of suspensions of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-grafted cellulose nanocrystals

Temperature-induced copolymers of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (PDMAEMA-grafted CNC) were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The graft copolymers were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The size of the original CNC was 10–40 nm in width and 100–400 nm in length, as characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The liquid-crystalline properties of the graft copolymers were investigated by using polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The graft copolymers exhibited fingerprint texture in lyotropic state. The temperature-induced fingerprint texture changes of PDMAEMA-grafted CNC aqueous suspensions were investigated at various temperatures. With increasing temperature, the spacing of the fingerprint lines decreases. Temperature-induced changes of PDMAEMA polymer chains result in changes of fingerprint texture.