Association of hydrophobically α,ω‐end‐capped poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) in water

The α,ω‐end‐capped poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) (C_n‐POXZ‐C_n) have been synthesized by a one‐pot process using cationic ring‐opening polymerization with an appropriate initiator and terminating agent. The polymers bearing different alkyl groups C₁₂ and C₁₈ have molecular weight in the range of 2.4 × 10³ to 14 × 10³ with a small polydispersity index. The solution behavior of the free chains has been analyzed in a nonselective solvent, dichloromethane, by small‐angle neutron scattering and dynamic light scattering. These amphiphilic polymers associate in water to form flower‐like micellar structures. Critical micelle concentrations, investigated by fluorescence technique, are in the range of 0.03–0.5 g L^?1 and are dependent on the hydrophilic/lipophilic balance. The structural properties of the aggregates have also been investigated by viscometry. Intrinsic viscosities of these polymers are in the same range as that of the precursors poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) (POXZ) and mono‐functionalized polymers. Large viscosity increase corresponding to intermicellar bridging was observed in the vicinity of the micelle overlap concentration. Addition of hydroxypropyl β‐cyclodextrin (HβCD) has dissociated the aggregates and the intrinsic viscosities of the HβCD‐end‐capped chains have become comparable with the ones of POXZ precursor chains. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2477–2485, 2010     

Stereoregularity of poly(alkyl α-chloroacrylates) and mechanism of isotactic polymerization

The catalytic activity of the complexes prepared by the reaction of Grignard reagents with ketones, esters, and an epoxide as polymerization catalysts of methyl and ethyl α-chloroacrylates was investigated. The modifiers which gave isotactic polymers were α,β-unsaturated ketones such as benzalacetophenone, benzalacetone, dibenzalacetone, mesityl oxide, and methyl vinyl ketone, and α,β-unsaturated esters such as ethyl cinnamate, ethyl crotonate, and methyl acrylate. Catalysts with butyl ethyl ketone, propiophenone, and propylene oxide as modifiers produced atactic polymers but no isotactic polymers. It was revealed that the complex catalysts having a structure ? C?C? O? MgX (X is halogen) gave isotactic polymers. The mechanism of isotactic polymerization was discussed. In addition, for radical polymerization of ethyl α-chloroacrylate, enthalpy and entropy differences between isotactic and syndiotactic additions were calculated to give ΔH_i^* ? ΔH_s^* = 910 cal/mole and ΔS_i^* ? ΔS_s^* = 0.82 eu.     

Functional syndiotactic poly(β‐hydroxyalkanoate)s via stereoselective ring‐opening copolymerization of rac‐β‐butyrolactone and rac‐allyl‐β‐butyrolactone

The copolymerization of racemic β‐butyrolactone (rac‐BL^Me) with racemic “allyl‐β‐butyrolactone” (rac‐BL^allyl) in toluene, catalyzed by the discrete amino‐alkoxy‐bis(phenolate) yttrium‐amido complex 1 , gave new poly(β‐hydroxyalkanoate)s with unsaturated side chains. The poly(BL^Me‐co‐BL^allyl) copolymers produced have a highly syndiotactic backbone structure (P_r = 0.80–0.84) with a random enchainment of monomer units, as evidenced by ¹³C NMR, and high molecular weight (M_n up to 58,000 g mol^?1) with a narrow polydispersity (M_w/M_n = 1.07–1.37), as determined by GPC. The comonomer incorporation (5–50 mol % rac‐BL^allyl) was a linear function of the feed ratio. The pendant vinyl bond of the side‐chains in those poly(BL^Me‐co‐BL^allyl) copolymers allowed the effective introduction of hydroxy or epoxy groups via dihydroxylation, hydroboration‐oxidation or epoxidation reactions. NMR studies indicated that all of these transformations proceed in an essentially quantitative conversion and do not affect the macromolecular architecture. Some thermal properties (T_m, ΔH_m, T_g) of the prepared polymers have been also evaluated. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3177–3189, 2009     

A facile strategy for synthesis of α,α′‐heterobifunctionalized poly (ε‐caprolactones) and poly (methyl methacrylate)s containing “clickable” aldehyde and allyloxy functional groups using initiator approach

Two new initiators, namely, 4‐(4‐(2‐(4‐(allyloxy) phenyl)‐5‐hydroxypentane 2‐yl) phenoxy)benzaldehyde and 4‐(4‐(allyloxy) phenyl)‐4‐(4‐(4‐formylphenoxy) phenyl) pentyl 2‐bromo‐2‐methyl propanoate containing “clickable” hetero‐functionalities namely aldehyde and allyloxy were synthesized starting from commercially available 4,4′‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl) pentanoic acid. These initiators were utilized, respectively, for ring opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Well‐defined α‐aldehyde, α′‐allyloxy heterobifunctionalized poly(ε‐caprolactones) (M_n,GPC: 5900–29,000, PDI: 1.26–1.43) and poly(methyl methacrylate)s (M_n,GPC: 5300–28800, PDI: 1.19–1.25) were synthesized. The kinetic study of methyl methacrylate polymerization demonstrated controlled polymerization behavior. The presence of aldehyde and allyloxy functionality on polymers was confirmed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Aldehyde‐aminooxy and thiol‐ene metal‐free double click strategy was used to demonstrate reactivity of functional groups on polymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(L‐lactic acid)–poly(ε‐caprolactone) multiblock copolymers by melt polycondensation

An Erratum has been published for this article in J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polym. Chem. (2004) 42(22) 5845 New multiblock copolymers derived from poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared with the coupling reaction between PLLA and PCL oligomers with ? NCO terminals. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹³C NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the copolymers and the results showed that PLLA and PCL were coupled by the reaction between ? NCO groups at the end of the PCL and ? OH (or ? COOH) groups at the end of the PLLA. DSC data indicated that the different compositions of PLLA and PCL had an influence on the thermal and crystallization properties including the glass‐transition temperature (T_g), melting temperature (T_M), crystallizing temperature (T_c), melting enthalpy (ΔH_m), crystallizing enthalpy (ΔH_c), and crystallinity. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was employed to study the effect of the composition of PLLA and PCL and reaction time on the molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution of the copolymers. The weight‐average molecular weight of PLLA–PCL multiblock copolymers was up to 180,000 at a composition of 60% PLLA and 40% PCL, whereas that of the homopolymer of PLLA was only 14,000. A polarized optical microscope was used to observe the crystalline morphology of copolymers; the results showed that all polymers exhibited a spherulitic morphology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5045–5053, 2004     

An electron spin resonance study on γ-irradiated poly( -lactic acid) and poly( -lactic acid)

The effect of gamma irradiation on poly( -lactic acid) ( -PLA) and poly( -lactic acid) ( -PLA), has been examined using ESR spectroscopy and through analysis of the changes in molecular weight. The G values for radical formation of both polylactic acids have been calculated at 77 and 300 K; G(R) = 2.0 at 77 K and G(R) = 1.5 at 300 K for -PLA and G(R) = 2.4 at 77 K and G(R) = 1.2 at 300 K for -PLA. The ESR spectrum at 300 K for the polymers was assigned to one radical, resulting from H atom abstraction from the quaternary carbon atom. The G values for crosslinking and scission have also been determined for the polymers at 300 K; G(S) = 2.3 and G(X) = 0.0 for -PLA, G(S) = 2.4 and G(X) = 0.28 for -PLA.     

Synthesis and micellization of star‐like hyperbranched polymer with poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) arms

Novel star‐like hyperbranched polymers with amphiphilic arms were synthesized via three steps. Hyperbranched poly(amido amine)s containing secondary amine and hydroxyl groups were successfully synthesized via Michael addition polymerization of triacrylamide (TT) and 3‐amino‐1,2‐propanediol (APD) with feed molar ratio of 1:2. ¹H, ¹³C, and HSQC NMR techniques were used to clarify polymerization mechanism and the structures of the resultant hyperbranched polymers. Methoxyl poly(ethylene oxide) acrylate (A‐MPEO) and carboxylic acid‐terminated poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) were sequentially reacted with secondary amine and hydroxyl group, and the core–shell structures with poly(1TT‐2APD) as core and two distinguishing polymer chains, PEO and PCL, as shell were constructed. The star‐like hyperbranched polymers have different sizes in dimethyl sulfonate, chloroform, and deionized water, which were characterized by DLS and ¹H NMR. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1388–1401, 2008     

Microwave‐assisted synthesis of star‐shaped poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(L‐lactide) copolymers and the crystalline morphologies

A monomode microwave reactor was used for the synthesis of designed star‐shaped polymers, which were based on dipentaerythritol with six crystallizable arms of poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐b‐poly(L ‐lactide) (PCL‐b‐PLLA) copolymer via a two‐step ring‐opening polymerization (ROP). The effects of irradiation conditions on the molecular weight were studied. Microwave heating accelerated the ROP of CL and LLA, compared with the conventional heating method. The resultant hexa‐armed polymers were fully characterized by means of FTIR, ¹H NMR spectrum, and GPC. The investigation of thermal properties and crystalline behaviors indicated that the crystalline behaviors of polymers were largely depended on the macromolecular architecture and the length of the block chains. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Nuclear magnetic relaxation of α-13C nuclei of helical poly(γ-hexyl-L-glutamate) and poly(γ-benzyl-L-glutamate)

Spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁), spin-spin relaxation times (T₂), and nuclear Overhauser enhancements (NOE), at 75.5 MHz are reported for α-¹³C nuclei of poly (γ-benzyl-L -glutamate) in deuterated dimethylformamide at 60°C and of poly(γ-hexyl-L -glutamate) in cyclohexanone at 48 and 79°C. It is shown that for molecular weights above 10⁵, the polypeptides cannot be considered as essentially rigid helices with internal librational motions; additional backbone flexing motions contribute to the relaxation behavior.     

Pendant structure governed anion sensing property for sulfonamide‐functionalized poly(phenylacetylene)s bearing various α‐amino acids

The colorimetric detection of anionic species has been studied for α‐amino acid‐conjugated poly(phenylacetylene)s, which were prepared by the polymerization of the ethyl esters of N‐(4‐ethynylphenylsulfonyl)‐L ‐alanine, L ‐isoleucine, L ‐valine, L ‐phenylalanine, L ‐aspartic acid, and L ‐glutamic acid using Rh⁺(2,5‐norbornadiene)[(η⁶‐C₆H₅)B^?(C₆H₅)₃] as the catalyst in CHCl₃. The one‐handed helical conformations of all the sulfonamide‐functionalized polymers were characterized by Cotton effects in the circular dichroism spectra. The addition of anions with a relatively high basicity, such as tetra‐n‐butylammonium acetate and fluoride, induced drastic changes in both the optical and chiroptical properties. On the other hand, anions with a relatively low basicity, such as tetra‐n‐butylammonium nitrate, azide, and bromide, had essentially no effects on the helical conformation of all the sulfonamide‐functionalized polymers. The anion signaling property of the sulfonamide‐functionalized polymers possessing α‐amino acid moieties was significantly affected by the installed residual amino acid structures. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1683–1689, 2010     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly(trimethylenecarbonate‐ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(p‐dioxanone) copolymers

A series of poly(trimethylenecarbonate‐ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(p‐dioxanone) copolymers were prepared with varying feed rations by using two step polymerization reactions. Poly(trimethylenecarbonate)(ε‐caprolactone) random copolymer was synthesized with stannous‐2‐ethylhexanoate and followed by adding p‐dioxanone monomer as the other block. The ring opening polymerization was carried out at high temperature and long reaction time to get high molecular weight polymers. The monofilament fibers were obtained using conventional melting spun methods. The copolymers were identified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The physicochemical properties, such as viscosity, molecular weight, melting point, glass transition temperature, and crystallinity, were studied. The hydrolytic degradation of copolymers was studied in a phosphate buffer solution, pH = 7.2, 37 °C, and a biological absorbable test was performed in rats. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2790–2799, 2005     

The dielectric β-relaxation of poly(bis-benzimidazobenzisoquinolinones)

The dielectric relaxation of poly(bis-benzimidazobenzisoquinolinones) has been studied in the frequency range from 10¹ to 10⁵ Hz and at temperatures from ?150 to +80°C. The data show that the relaxation is due mainly to diffusion of water in the polymer with simultaneous reorientation of water dipoles.     

Aminated PCL‐based copolymers by chemical modification of poly(α‐iodo‐ε‐caprolactone‐co‐ε‐caprolactone)

A novel method is proposed to access to new poly(α‐amino‐ε‐caprolactone‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) using poly(α‐iodo‐ε‐caprolactone‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) as polymeric substrate. First, ring‐opening (co)polymerizations of α‐iodo‐ε‐caprolactone (αIεCL) with ε‐caprolactone (εCL) are performed using tin 2‐ethylhexanoate (Sn(Oct)₂) as catalyst. (Co)polymers are fully characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FTIR, SEC, DSC, and TGA. Then, these iodinated polyesters are used as polymeric substrates to access to poly(α‐amino‐ε‐caprolactone‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) by two different strategies. The first one is the reaction of poly(αIεCL‐co‐εCL) with ammonia, the second one is the reduction of poly(αN₃εCL‐co‐εCL) by hydrogenolysis. This poly(α‐amino‐ε‐caprolactone‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) (F_αNH2εCL < 0.1) opens the way to new cationic and water‐soluble PCL‐based degradable polyesters. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6104–6115, 2009     

Chemical structure of poly(trisubstituted vinylsilane) produced by γ irradiation

The chemical structure of polymers produced by the γ irradiation of monovinylsilanes was studied. γ-ray addition polymerization of monovinylsilanes such as trialkylvinylsilane was very slow, and only the liquid oligomers were formed from them by large radiation dose. The presence of silethylene or silmethylene linkage was ascertained in these polymers by infrared absorption spectroscopy and ¹H-NMR measurement, even when no Si? H bond existed in the monomers. The polymers were supposed to be produced by addition polymerization with intervening silalkylene linkage.     

Crystallization of poly(α-methyl-α-N-propyl-β-propiolactones) prepared from homogeneous and heterogeneous initiators

Half-crystallization times t_½, enthalpies of fusion ΔH, melting temperatures T_f glass transition temperatures T_g x-ray patterns, and morphologies were obtained for nine samples of poly(α-methyl-α-n-propyl-β-propiolactones) prepared from different homogeneous or heterogeneous initiators. The bulk of the results indicates that all samples can be classified into two categories: Polymers A having t_½?, 100 min, ΔH ? 26 J/g, T ? 376 K, T_g ? 275 K, and Polymers B having t_½ ? 10 min, ΔH ? 14.5 J/g T ? 425 K and T_g ? 271 K. Polymers A were prepared with homogeneous initiators while polymers B were polymerized with heterogeneous intiators. The difference in crystallization behavior between polymers A and polymers B is certainly due to a difference in microstructure, brought about by the initiators, which has been qualitatively observed by NMR.     

Poly(γ-alkyl glutamates). I

Good yields of some crystalline γ-alkyl esters of L -glutamic acid were obtained by carrying out the esterfication with a small (20–50 mole-%) excess of alcohol in aqueous hydrochloric acid or 60–80% sulfuric acid followed by neutralization with an alkaline solution. This new method made it possible to synthesize various γ-alkyl L -glutamates, including those higher than ethyl, and consequently, various poly(γ-alkyl L -glutamates) such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, isobutyl, and isoamyl. The conformation of these poly-L -glutamates in the solid state was determined by the infrared absorption method. The molecular motions of the polymers of γ-methyl, -ethyl, -n-propyl, -n-butyl, and-isoamyl L -glutamates and poly(γ-methyl-D -glutamate) in the solid state were studied by NMR, and dielectric and mechanical measurements. At temperatures up to 400°K., the NMR spectra of poly(γ-methyl D -glutamate) can be explained only by rotational motion of the side chain. Also, from NMR results, rotational motion of C?O groups in the side chain of poly(γ-methyl D -glutamate) is expected near room temperature, and such a motion was examined by dielectric measurements. Rotation of C?O groups in the side chains of polymers of γ-methyl, γ-ethyl, γ-n-propyl, γ-n-butyl, and γ-isoamyl L -glutamate was also observed near room temperature by dielectric measurements in the frequency range from 10² to 10⁶ cps. Activation energies obtained by dielectric and mechanical measurements were similar to those for the side chain motions of the corresponding esters of poly(methacrylic acid). Although it has been noted that the molecular motion of poly(γ-benzyl L -glutamate) in the solid state at room temperature may be related to the motion of its back bone, the molecular motion in these poly-L -glutamates at these temperatures can be explained only in terms of side-chain rotation.     

Synthesis of linear and star‐like poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐b‐poly{γ‐2‐[2‐(2‐methoxy‐ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy‐ε‐caprolactone} amphiphilic block copolymers using zinc undecylenate

Linear and star‐like amphiphilic diblock copolymers were synthesized by the ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone and γ‐2‐[2‐(2‐methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy‐ε‐caprolactone monomers using zinc undecylenate as a catalyst. These polymers have potential applications as micellar drug delivery vehicles, therefore the properties of the linear and 4‐arm star‐like structures were examined in terms of their molecular weight, viscosity, thermodynamic stability, size, morphology, and drug loading capacity. Both the star‐like and linear block copolymers showed good thermodynamic stability and degradability. However, the star‐like polymers were shown to have increased stability at lower concentrations with a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 5.62 × 10^?4 g L^?1, which is less than half the concentration of linear polymer needed to form micelles. The star‐like polymeric micelles showed smaller sizes when compared with their linear counterparts and a higher drug loading capacity of doxorubicin, making them better suited for drug delivery purposes. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 3601–3608     

Oxidative Coupling of αω,-Di(cyclopentadienyl)alkane-diides

The Cu^II-induced oxidative coupling of αω,-di(cyclopentadienyl)alkane-diides 6 (n = 2–5) has been shown to proceed mainly by an intermolecular pathway to give polymers 8 , while the yield of intramolecular coupling 6 → 7 strongly decreases with increasing number n of C-atoms of the alkyl chain (Scheme 3). For n = 2, intramolecular coupling may be considerably enhanced by replacing the H-atoms of the CH₂CH₂ bridge of 6a (n = 2) by Me groups. In this case, intramolecular couplings 11 → 20 (Scheme 7) and 22 → 23 + 24 (Scheme 8) are accomplished with a total yield of 59% and 54%, respectively. All the intramolecular couplings investigated so far proceed stereoselectively to give the C₂-symmetrical cyclohexanes 7a, 20 and 23 with a fixed chair conformation. These results are easily explained, if a conformational equilibrium E ? F is operative in which large substituents R are assumed to enhance the gauche-conformation F which is the favored conformation for intramolecular couplings. Bridged dihydropentafulvalenes 20 and 23 are quantitatively rearranged to the thermodynamically favored bridged pentafulvenes 27 and 28 under base or acid catalysis, respectively (Scheme 9).     

Novel synthesis of biodegradable amphiphilic linear and star block copolymers based on poly(ε‐caprolactone) and poly(ethylene glycol)

Biodegradable, amphiphilic, diblock poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(ethylene glycol) (PCL‐b‐PEG), triblock poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL‐b‐PEG‐b‐PCL), and star shaped copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether or poly(ethylene glycol) or star poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium hexamethyldisilazide as a catalyst. Polymerizations were carried out in toluene at room temperature to yield monomodal polymers of controlled molecular weight. The chemical structure of the copolymers was investigated by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The formation of block copolymers was confirmed by ¹³C NMR and DSC investigations. The effects of copolymer composition and molecular structure on the physical properties were investigated by GPC and DSC. For the same PCL chain length, the materials obtained in the case of linear copolymers are viscous whereas in the case of star copolymer solid materials are obtained with low T_g and T_m temperatures. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3975–3985, 2007     

Scalable ambient synthesis of water‐soluble poly(β‐hydroxythio‐ether)s

Proton transfer polymerization through thiol‐epoxy “click” reaction between commercially available and hydrophilic di‐thiol and di‐epoxide monomers is carried out under ambient conditions to furnish water‐soluble polymers. The hydrophilicity of monomers permitted use of aqueous tetrahydrofuran as the reaction medium. A high polarity of this solvent system in turn allowed for using a mild catalyst such as triethylamine for a successful polymerization process. The overall simplicity of the system translated into a simple mixing of monomers and isolation of the reactive polymers in an effortless manner and on any scale required. The structure of the resulting polymers and the extent of di‐sulfide defects are studied with the help of 13C‐ and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. Finally, reactivity of the synthesized polymers is examined through post‐polymerization modification reaction at the backbone sulfur atoms through oxidation reaction. The practicality, modularity, further functionalizability, and water solubility aspects of the described family of new poly(β‐hydroxythio‐ether)s is anticipated to accelerate investigations into their potential utility in bio‐relevant applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3381–3386