Synthesis and photopolymerizations of new phosphonated monomers for dental applications

Three novel phosphonated methacrylate monomers have been synthesized and studied for use in dental applications. Two of the monomers were synthesized from the reactions of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with (diethoxy‐phosphoryl)‐acetic acid (monomer 1 ) and (2‐hydroxy‐ethyl)‐phosphonic acid dimethyl ester (monomer 2 ). These monomers showed high crosslinking tendencies during thermal bulk and solution polymerizations. The third monomer (monomer 3 ) was prepared by the reaction of bisphenol A diglycidylether (DER) with (diethoxy‐phosphoryl)‐acetic acid and subsequent conversion of the resulting diol to the methacrylate with methacryloyl chloride. The homopolymerization and copolymerization behaviors of the synthesized monomers were also investigated with glycerol dimethacrylate (GDMA), triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), and 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxy propyloxy) phenyl] propane (bis‐GMA) using photodifferential scanning calorimetry at 40 °C using 2,2′‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenyl acetophenone (DMPA) as photoinitiator. Monomer 1 showed polymerization rate similar or greater than dimethacrylates studied here but with higher conversion. The maximum rate of polymerizations decreased in the following order: 1 ～TEGDMA>GDMA～bis‐GMA～ 3 > 2 . A synergistic effect in the rate of polymerization was observed during copolymerizations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2290–2299, 2008     

Development of reactive phosphonated methacrylates

Five novel phosphonated mono‐ and dimethacrylate monomers have been synthesized by two different routes. Monomers 1 and 2 were synthesized by reactions of methacryloyl chloride with diethyl (2‐hydroxyphenyl) phosphonate or tetraethyl (2,5‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐phenylene) bisphosphonate; monomers 3 and 4 by reactions of α‐(chloromethyl)acryloyl chloride (CMAC) first with dimethyl (2‐hydroxyethyl) phosphonate and then with benzoic or formic acids. The reaction of CMAC with two moles of dimethyl (2‐hydroxyethyl) phosphonate gave monomer 5 . Thermal homopolymerization of monomers 1 , 3 , 4 , and 5 and copolymerization of monomer 1 with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were investigated using azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) at 60 °C. Glass transition temperatures were observed for poly‐ 1 , poly(MMA‐co‐ 1 ) (50:50), poly(MMA‐co‐ 1 ) (90:10), PMMA, poly‐ 3 , and poly‐ 5 at 52, 90, 99, 129, 50, and 70 °C, respectively. TGA analysis of these polymers indicated formation of char on combustion. Homo‐ and/or copolymerization behavior of the synthesized monomers with 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxy propyloxy) phenyl] propane (Bis‐GMA) were investigated with photodifferential scanning calorimetry. The maximum rate of polymerizations decreased in the following order: Bis‐GMA～ 3 > 1 > 4 > 5 . The conversions of monomers 1 , 3 , 4 , and 5 (73.9, 85.9, 98.2, and 62.2%) were very high compared with Bis‐GMA (40.5%). © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5737–5746, 2009     

Synthesis and polymerizations of phosphonated‐bis(methacrylamide)s for dental applications

Novel phosphonate and phosphonic acid‐containing bis(methacrylamide)s were synthesized. The phosphonate‐containing monomers ( 1a and 1b ) were synthesized by amidation of 2‐(2‐chlorocarbonyl‐allyloxymethyl)‐acryloylchloride with diethyl 2‐aminoethylphosphonate and diethyl 1‐aminomethylphosphonate. The phosphonic acid‐containing monomers ( 2a and 2b ) were synthesized by hydrolysis of 1a and 1b with trimethylsilyl bromide (TMSBr). All monomers were liquids and dissolved in water and ethanol. Thermal homopolymerization of 1a and 1b in bulk and solution using 2,2′‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) at 80 °C gave crosslinked polymers indicating low cyclization tendencies of these monomers. They were also homopolymerized using photo‐DSC with 2,2′‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenyl acetophenone (DMPA) as photoinitator, and their maximum rates of polymerization were found to be higher than commercial monomers 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxy propyloxy) phenyl] propane (Bis‐GMA) and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), indicating their potential as reactive diluents or crosslinkers in dental materials. In fact, copolymerization with monomer 1a resulted in improvements in photopolymerization kinetics of both Bis‐GMA and HEMA. The acidic nature of the aqueous solutions (pH of 2a : 1.42, 2b : 1.53), stability under aqueous conditions after 1 month of study at 37 °C, interaction of 2a with hydroxyapatite (HAP) as representative of both monomers, and copolymerizability of the same with HEMA make these monomers suitable as adhesive monomers in dental adhesives, although their low observed reactivities may present a drawback. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Facile synthesis of well‐defined pH‐liable Schiff‐base‐type photosensitive polymers via visible‐light‐activated ambient temperature RAFT polymerization

Inspired by the structure character and photosensitive molecular mechanism of natural rhodopsin or bacteriorhodopsin, a novel pH‐liable photosensitive polymer whose chromophores directly bind with Schiff base linkages was designed. Accordingly, 2‐((3‐phenylallylidene)amino)ethyl methacrylate (PAAEMA), 2‐((3‐(4‐fluorophenyl)allylidene)amino)ethyl methacrylate (FPAAEMA), and 2‐((3‐(4‐methoxyphenyl)allylidene)amino)ethyl methacrylate (MPAAEMA) monomers were synthesized. These monomers were polymerized upon irradiating with mild visible light at ambient temperature. The results indicate that Schiff base linkages of these monomers are stable under such mild polymerizing conditions, and the weak absorption of dithioester functionalities in the visible wave range leads to a rapid and well‐controlled RAFT polymerization. The polymerization rate slows down but initialization period significantly shortens on increasing the feed molar ratio of monomer. The pendant electron‐withdrawing‐group‐substituted chromophore improves the reactivity of monomer, but electron‐donating‐group‐substituted chromophore significantly inactivates monomer. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) may well incorporate in this polymer via RAFT random copolymerization of PAAEMA and GMA monomers due to the comparable reactivity ratios of this monomer pair. PolyMPAAEMA exhibits reversible fluorescence emitting or quenching upon deprotonating or protonating the Schiff base linkages. This fluorescence behavior may be of interest in the fabrication of pH‐responsive photosensors, light modulators, or actuators. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6668–6681, 2009     

Synthesis and radical polymerization of dissymmetric fumarates with alkoxyethyl and bulky siloxy groups

Novel dissymmetric fumarate monomers ( 1a – c ) having both an alkoxyethyl group such as 2‐methoxyethyl ( a ), 2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl ( b ), and 2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl ( c ) and a bulky 3‐[tris(trimethylsiloxy)silyl]propyl group were synthesized successfully, and their radical homopolymerizations and copolymerizations with styrene (St) were investigated. Monomer reactivities of the 1a – c in homopolymerizations were enhanced with an increase in the length of alkoxyethyl chains. The enhancement in the reactivity was explained with the suppression of the termination reaction, resulting from the increased steric hindrance induced by an increase in the size of alkoxyethyl chains. Copolymerizations of the 1a – c with St were carried out in bulk in the presence of AIBN at 60 °C, and their copolymerizations proceeded in a highly alternating tendency regardless of alkoxyethyl chain lengths. The Q, e values of the 1a – c were obtained as 0.48, +1.55 for the 1a , 0.66, +1.16 for the 1b , and 0.60, +1.16 for the 1c , respectively, from the terminal model reactivity ratios, and the 1a – c were found to be conjugative, electron‐accepting monomers. Membranes containing the 1a unit, prepared by the copolymerization of 1a with N‐vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) and terpolymerization of 1a , NVP, and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, have higher oxygen permeability than those containing no 1a unit, and also they have much better transparency compared with the membranes containing 3‐[tris(trimethylsilyloxy)silyl]propyl methacrylate unit. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 420–433, 2009     

Poly(L‐glutamic acid) grafted with oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate): Thermal phase transition,secondary structure,and self‐assembly

Thermoresponsive and pH‐responsive graft copolymers, poly(L ‐glutamate)‐g‐oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) and poly(L ‐glutamic acid‐co‐(L ‐glutamate‐g‐oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate))), were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of N‐carboxyanhydride (NCA) monomers and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization of 2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate. The thermoresponsiveness of graft copolymers could be tuned by the molecular weight of oligo(2‐(2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethyl methacrylate) (OMEO₃MA), composition of poly(L ‐glutamic acid) (PLGA) backbone and pH of the aqueous solution. The α‐helical contents of graft copolymers could be influenced by OMEO₃MA length and pH of the aqueous solution. In addition, the graft copolymers exhibited tunable self‐assembly behavior. The hydrodynamic radius (R_h) and critical micellization concentration values of micelles were relevant to the length of OMEO₃MA and the composition of biodegradable PLGA backbone. The R_h could also be adjusted by the temperature and pH values. Lastly, in vitro methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay revealed that the graft copolymers were biocompatible to HeLa cells. Therefore, with good biocompatibility, well‐defined secondary structure, and mono‐, dual‐responsiveness, these graft copolymers are promising stimuli‐responsive materials for biomedical applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Monomers for adhesive polymers. XV. Synthesis,photopolymerization, and adhesive properties of polymerizable β‐ketophosphonic acids

The novel polymerizable β‐ketophosphonic acids 4 , 8 , 10 , and 16 as well as the 9‐(methacryloyloxy)‐nonylphosphonic acid 20 were synthesized in four to eight steps. They were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy and by high‐resolution mass spectra. The free‐radical polymerization of 4 , 8 , 10 , and 16 was carried out in a water/ethanol solution, using 2,2′‐azo(2‐methylpropionamidine)dihydrochloride as initiator. To evaluate the reactivity of the acidic monomers 4 , 8 , 10 , 16 , and 20 , their photopolymerization behavior was investigated by photodifferential scanning calorimeter. Copolymerizations with 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, glycol dimethacrylate, and N,N′‐diethyl‐1,3‐bis‐(acrylamido)propane were studied. The homopolymerization of the corresponding β‐ketophosphonates and their copolymerization with hydroxyethyl methacrylate were also carried out. Self‐etch adhesives based on the β‐ketophosphonic acids 4 , 8 , 10 , and 16 were able to provide high shear bond strengths (SBSs) of dimethacrylate‐based composite to dentin and enamel. The β‐ketophosphonic acid 8 was also shown to exhibit significantly better adhesive properties than the corresponding phosphonic acid 20 . Indeed, the presence of the carbonyl moiety in the β‐position of the phosphonic acid group led to a strong improvement of the composite SBS to dentin and enamel. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 3550–3563     

Study of photopolymers. XXX. Syntheses of new di(meth) acrylate oligomers by addition reactions of epoxy compounds with active esters

Some dimethacrylate oligomers were synthesized by new addition reactions of 2,2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane diglycidyl ether (BPGE) or glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) with phenyl methacrylates such as phenyl methacrylate (PMA), 4-nitrophenyl methacrylate (NPMA), 2,4-dichlorophenyl methacrylate (DCPMA), 4-methoxyphenyl methacrylate (MPMA), and (4-cinnamoyloxy)phenyl methacrylate (CIPMA) using tetrabutylammonium bromide as a catalyst at 120°C. The other new dimethacrylate or diacrylate oligomers were also prepared by the addition reactions of GMA or glycidyl acrylate with active esters such as di(S-phenyl)thioisophthalate (PTIP), di(4-nitrophenyl)isophthalate (NPIP), di(4-nitrophenyl)adipate (NPAD), and di(4-nitrophenyl)sebacate (NPSB) under similar reaction conditions. Furthermore, the rates of photochemical reaction of the obtained dimethacrylate oligomers were measured with 3 mol % of various photosensitizers such as benzoin iso-propyl ether (BIPE), 2-ethylanthraquinone (EAQ), and benzophenone (BP). The rate of photochemical reaction of BPGE-DCPMA oligomer was higher than those of BPGE-PMA, BPGE-NPMA, and BPGE-MPMA oligomers using BIPE as a photosensitizer. However, the photochemical reactivity of the unsensitized BPGE-CIPMA was almost the same as that of the sensitized BPGE-DCPMA. On the other hand, when EAQ was used as a photosensitizer, GMA-PTIP oligomer showed much higher reactivity than GMA-NPAD, GMA-NPSB, and GMA-NPIP oligomers. Also it was shown that the activity of EAQ as a sensitizer was higher than BIPE and BP in the photochemical reaction of BPGE-DCPMA oligomer.     

Hydroxyl Functionalized Uniform‐Porous Beads,Synthesis and Chromatographic Use

Uniform‐porous poly(dihydroxypropyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate), poly(DHPM‐co‐EDM) particles were synthesized as an alternative packing material for reversed phase chromatography. In the synthesis, poly(glycidyl methacrylate‐ethylene dimethacrylate), poly(GMA‐co‐EDM) particles were obtained by a multi‐stage swelling and polymerization protocol, the so called “modified seeded polymerization”. For this purpose, 2.4 µm polystyrene seed particles were first swollen by dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and then by a monomer mixture including glycidyl methacrylate and ethylene dimethacrylate. The repolymerization of monomer phase in the swollen seed particles provided porous uniform particles approximately 7 µm in size. Poly(DHPM‐co‐EDM) particles were obtained by the acid hydrolysis of the particles synthesized with different GMA feed concentrations. These particles were used as column‐packing material in the reversed phase separation of alkylbenzenes. The retention factor‐acetonitrile concentration diagrams clearly showed that the polarity of packing material could be controlled by changing the GMA feed concentration in the “modified seeded polymerization”. The packing materials with more hydrophobic character (i.e., poly(EDM) and poly(DHPM‐co‐EDM) particles produced with the GMA feed concentrations up to 20%) exhibited better chromatographic performance in the reversed phase mode.     

Synthesis of well‐defined glycidyl methacrylate based block copolymers with self‐activation and self‐initiation behaviors via ambient temperature atom transfer radical polymerization

Well‐defined glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) based di‐ and triblock copolymers, with self‐activation and self‐initiation behaviors by incorporation of 2‐(diethylamino) ethyl methacrylate (DEA) blocks, were synthesized via ambient temperature atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The stability of the GMA pendant oxirane rings in tertiary amine environments at ambient temperature was investigated. More importantly, both self‐activation behavior in oxirane ring opening addition reaction and self‐initiation behavior in post‐cure oxirane ring opening crosslinking of these block copolymers were evidenced by ¹H NMR studies. The results demonstrated that the reactivity of pendent oxirane rings was strongly dependant on the nucleophilicity and steric hindrance of tertiary amine moieties and temperature. This facilitated the synthesis of well‐defined block copolymers of GMA and DEA via sequential monomer addition ATRP, particularly for polymerization of GMA monomer at ambient temperature. Moreover, these one‐component GMA based block polymers have novel self‐activation and self‐initiation properties, rendering some potential applications in both enzyme immobilization and GMA‐based thermosetting materials. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2947–2958, 2007     

Synthesis and photopolymerization of new dental monomers from o‐hydroxyaryl phosphonates

Novel aromatic mono‐ and diphosphonate monomers based on t‐butyl α‐bromomethacrylate were prepared for use in dental composites. The synthesis of the two monomers involved three steps: the reaction of diethyl phosphite with phenol or hydroquinone, the rearrangement of the resulting phosphate derivatives into o‐hydroxyaryl phosphonates with lithium diisopropylamide, and the reaction of o‐hydroxyaryl phosphonates with t‐butyl α‐bromomethacrylate. Then, the selective hydrolysis of the t‐butyl ester groups of the monomers with trifluoroacetic acid gave the other carboxylic acid containing monomers. The photopolymerization behaviors of the synthesized monomers with glycerol dimethacrylate and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate were investigated with photodifferential scanning calorimetry at 40 °C with 2,2′‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenyl acetophenone as the photoinitiator. The hydrolysis of the t‐butyl groups of the monomers increased the reactivity and the rates of polymerization of the monomers. The mixtures of the acid monomers showed rates of polymerizations similar to those of homopolymerizations of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate and glycerol dimethacrylate. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6775–6781, 2006     

Synthesis,photopolymerization, and adhesive properties of hydrolytically stable phosphonic acid‐containing (meth)acrylamides

Three novel dental monomers containing phosphonic acid groups ( 1a and 2a , based on diethyl amino(phenyl)methylphosphonate and 3a based on diethyl 1‐aminoheptylphosphonate) were synthesized in two steps: the reaction of α‐aminophosphonates with acryloyl chloride (for monomers 1a and 3a ) or methacryloyl chloride (for 2a ) to give monomers with phosphonate groups, and the hydrolysis of phosphonate groups by using trimethyl silylbromide. Their (and the intermediates') structures were confirmed by FTIR, ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. All the monomers dissolve well in water (1<pH<2) and are hydrolytically stable. Their homo‐ and copolymerizations with 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and HEMA/glycerol dimethacrylate were investigated with photo‐DSC. Thermal polymerization of the new monomers in water or in ethanol/water solution was investigated, giving polymers in good yields. X‐ray diffraction results showed only dicalcium phosphate dehydrate formation upon interaction of 1a ‐ 3a with hydroxyapatite indicating its strong decalcification and that monomer‐Ca salts are highly soluble. Some results were also compared to those with a bisphosphonic acid‐containing methacrylamide ( 4a ) previously reported; and the influence of monomer structure on polymerization/adhesive properties is discussed. These properties, especially hydrolytic stability and good rates of polymerization, make these new monomers suitable candidates as components of dental adhesive mixtures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 511–522     

Synthesis and characterization of novel fluoride‐releasing monomers. II. Dimethacrylates containing bis(aminodiacetic acid) and their ternary zirconium fluoride complexes

Novel dimethacrylate monomers containing bis(aminodiacetic acid) chelating ligands with or without additional hydroxyl groups were synthesized, starting from 2,2‐bis(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methylphenyl)propane. The structures of the monomers were characterized by electrospray mass spectrometry (ESMS), ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The structures and relative stability of fluoride‐releasing monomers containing one or more ternary zirconium fluoride complex moieties were studied by ESMS. The most stable ternary zirconium fluoride complex was in the form of [LZrF]^?, where H₄L is the monomer containing bis(aminodiacetic acid) without additional hydroxyl groups. The synthesized monomer was photopolymerized with camphorquinone and 1‐phenyl‐1,2‐propane‐dione as initiators and N,N‐dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate as the accelerator. The fluoride release, fluoride recharge, compressive strength, and flexure strength were tested on the experimental dental composite containing 13.7 wt % synthesized monomer and three commercial flowable dental composites. The results showed that the experimental composite has significantly higher fluoride release and recharge capabilities than the commercial flowable composites. The compressive strength was comparable to that of the commercial materials. The water sorption and solubility met the requirement of the ISO Specification 4049. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3153–3166, 2005     

Mono- or narrow disperse poly(methacrylate-co-divinylbenzene) microspheres by precipitation polymerization

Precipitation copolymerizations of five mono-vinyl methacrylic monomers including methyl methacrylate (MMA), butyl methacrylate (BMA), dodecyl methacrylate (DMA), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) with divinylbenzene (DVB), in a wide range of comonomer composition, were carried out in acetonitrile to form mono- or narrow disperse crosslinked copolymer microspheres. In addition, two divinyl methacrylic monomers, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), were also copolymerized with DVB, and optionally a third comonomer (GMA or HEMA), to yield similar microspheres in acetonitrile. The possibility of creating porosity was explored for some of the copolymer particles. All these microspheres have clean surfaces due to the absence of any added steric or ionic stabilizer, and they are in the size of the micrometer range, varying from 1 to 7 µm, depending on the type and content of the methacrylic comonomer. Particle size distribution, surface morphology, internal texture, and porosity properties of these particles were studied by a Coulter Multisizer, a scanning electron microscope, a transmission electron microscope, and an Autosorb-1. The effects of comonomers on microsphere formation and morphology are described. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2899–2907, 1999     

Synthesis and evaluation of new phosphonic acid‐functionalized acrylamides with potential biomedical applications

Phosphorus‐containing acidic monomers are able to interact with the inorganic phase of mineralized tissues such as enamel, dentin, and bone. From this perspective, three phosphonic acid‐containing acrylamide monomers with different lengths of alkyl chains were synthesized to be used for both self‐etching dental adhesives and mineralized hydrogel scaffolds. Monomers were synthesized by the reaction of α‐aminophosphonates (diethyl aminomethylphosphonate, diethyl 2‐aminobutan‐2‐ylphosphonate, and diethyl 2‐aminooctan‐2‐ylphosphonate) with acryloyl chloride followed by the hydrolysis of phosphonate groups by using trimethylsilyl bromide. The properties such as pH in the range of mild self‐etching adhesives, hydrolytic stability, high rate of copolymerizations with 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and HEMA/glycerol dimethacrylate, giving high‐molecular‐weight polymers on thermal polymerization, and strong decalcification ability of hydroxyapatite make these monomers good candidates for self‐etching adhesives, although no appreciable effect of the number and size of the α‐substituents was observed. Hydrogel scaffolds containing phosphonic acid groups were fabricated, characterized, and mineralized. Altogether, the results suggest that these phosphonic acid‐containing monomers have suitable properties to be used in fabrication of biomaterials for both dental and bone tissue engineering applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2755–2767     

Synthesis and properties of liquid crystalline urethane methacrylates for dental composite applications

Three novel liquid crystalline methacrylates have been synthesized and characterized to be tested as comonomers in light‐curing dental resin‐based composites. The selected formulations consist of an alkylammonium or cholesteryl urethane methacrylate and 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloyloxypropyl)phenyl]propane (BisGMA) or a BisGMA derivate modified with urethane methacrylate groups, further diluted with triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) and reinforced with 70% filler (zirconium silicate nanopowder, silanized filler). This study addresses the relationships between the LC monomer structure, photopolymerization rates (by differential scanning photo calorimetry), and specific properties of the dental resin composites (volumetric shrinkage, water sorption, water solubility, and hydrophobicity). The investigation of LC properties by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing microscopy indicated that the LC mesophase is stable to room temperature (cationic monomers) or at 40 °C (cholesteryl methacrylate). It was found that the polymerization rate for LC urethane methacrylates used in combination with BisGMA/TEGDMA (0.122–0.136 s^?1) is higher than that of the mesogenic monomers alone (0.085–0.107 s^?1). The structures of the urethane monomers and, consequently, the viscosity of the comonomer mixture influence both the rate and the degree of conversion (44.8–67.5 %) of the photopolymerization process. Polymerization shrinkage measured by pycnometry showed lower values for LC monomers (3.25–3.43 vol %) comparatively with the monomer mixture (5.19–6.65 vol %). Preliminarily, the effect of ammonium groups from two resin composites incorporating alkylammonium structures (4.5 wt %) was tested on Streptococcus mutans, and distinct zone of inhibition was observed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Dimethacrylate derivatives of dimer acid

Dimethacrylate monomers are used in a wide variety of crosslinked polymer applications, including adhesives, coatings, dental restoratives, and stereolithography. The advantages of rapid curing and good mechanical properties offered by these materials are countered by problems with dimensional changes during polymerization and long‐term physical instability resulting from water sorption and loss of residual unreacted monomer. In this work, several examples of hydrophobic monomers based on a dimer acid structure were synthesized, and their monomeric and homopolymer properties were evaluated. The photopolymerization reactivity and conversion were investigated with near‐infrared spectroscopy. Studies of the volumetric shrinkage, water sorption, and water contact angle and three‐point‐bend testing of the homopolymers were also carried out, with the results compared with those of commonly used dimethacrylate monomers. The new monomers produced higher degrees of conversion combined with lower polymerization shrinkage and water sorption values in comparison with conventional monomers. The relatively low crosslink density of dimethacrylates constructed from dimer acid produced polymers with high flexibility and low modulus, as expected; however, changes in the functionality of the group linking the dimer acid core with the methacrylate end groups induced significant property differences. On the basis of the properties demonstrated by the dimer acid monomers and their homopolymers, these new materials appear well suited for applications such as coatings and adhesives. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3921–3929, 2006     

Synthesis and copolymerization of new phosphorus‐containing acrylates

Two phosphorus‐containing acrylate monomers were synthesized from the reaction of ethyl α‐chloromethyl acrylate and t‐butyl α‐bromomethyl acrylate with triethyl phosphite. The selective hydrolysis of the ethyl ester monomer with trimethylsilyl bromide (TMSBr) gave a phosphonic acid monomer. The attempted bulk polymerizations of the monomers at 57–60 °C with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) were unsuccessful; however, the monomers were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in bulk at 60 °C with AIBN. The resulting copolymers produced chars on burning, showing potential as flame‐retardant materials. Additionally, α‐(chloromethyl)acryloyl chloride (CMAC) was reacted with diethyl (hydroxymethyl)phosphonate to obtain a new monomer with identical ester and ether moieties. This monomer was hydrolyzed with TMSBr, homopolymerized, and copolymerized with MMA. The thermal stabilities of the copolymers increased with increasing amounts of the phosphonate monomer in the copolymers. A new route to highly reactive phosphorus‐containing acrylate monomers was developed. A new derivative of CMAC with mixed ester and ether groups was synthesized by substitution, first with diethyl (hydroxymethyl)phosphonate and then with sodium acetate. This monomer showed the highest reactivity and gave a crosslinked polymer. The incorporation of an ester group increased the rate of polymerization. The relative reactivities of the synthesized monomers in photopolymerizations were determined and compared with those of the other phosphorous‐containing acrylate monomers. Changing the monomer structure allowed control of the polymerization reactivity so that new phosphorus‐containing polymers with desirable properties could be obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2207–2217, 2003     

Synthesis and photopolymerization of piperonylamine derivatives as a polymerizable cyclic acetals co‐initiator for light‐cured unfilled dental resins

The aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize N,N‐di(methacryly‐ethoxycarbonyl‐ethyl)‐N‐(1,3‐benzodioxole‐ 5‐methylene)(DMEBM) to replace both triethylene glycol dimethylacrylate(TEGDMA) as a dilute and the non‐polymerizable amine, which is added as a co‐initiator in dental resin mixtures. 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐Hydroxy‐3‐methacryloxypropoxy) phenyl]‐propane (Bis‐GMA) and camphorquinone (CQ) were used as monomer and photoinitiator in these model dental resin systems, in contrast to ethyl 4‐dimethylaminobenzoate (EDMAB) which was usually used as a co‐initiator. DMEBM was synthesized via Michael‐Addition reaction and characterized using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. A mixture of Bis‐GMA/DMEBM/CQ was found to reach the double bond conversion of 67.5%, slightly higher than that of Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA/CQ/EDMAB (66.8%) and Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA/CQ/DMEBM (64.8%). In addition, the glass transition temperature of Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA/CQ/EDMAB (93.4°C) were higher than that of Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA/CQ/DMEBM (89.3 °C) and Bis‐GMA/DMEBM/CQ (80.4°C). The water sorption and solubility of Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA/CQ/DMEBM were higher than that of Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA/CQ/EDMAB and Bis‐GMA/DMEBM/CQ. However, the values were still within the range of the ISO 4049 standards. DMEBM could be used as a potential co‐initiator and diluent for dental composite. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermoresponsive NIPAM block copolymers containing densely grafted poly(vinyl ether) brushes synthesized by a combination of living cationic polymerization and RAFT polymerization

Diblock copolymers consisting of a multibranched polymethacrylate segment with densely grafted poly[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl vinyl ether] pendants and a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) segment were synthesized by a combination of living cationic polymerization and RAFT polymerization. A macromonomer having both a poly[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl vinyl ether] backbone and a terminal methacryloyl group was synthesized by living cationic polymerization. The sequential RAFT copolymerizations of the macromonomer and N‐isopropylacrylamide in this order were performed in aqueous media employing 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate as a chain transfer agent and 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoic acid) as an initiator. The obtained diblock copolymers possessed relatively narrow molecular weight distributions and controlled molecular weights. The thermoresponsive properties of these polymers were investigated. Upon heating, the aqueous solutions of the diblock copolymers exhibited two‐stage thermoresponsive properties denoted by the appearance of two cloud points, indicating that the densely grafted poly[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethyl vinyl ether] pendants and the poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) segments independently responded to temperature. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013