Effect of the Structure of Nonuniform Conducting Polymer Films on Their Electrochemical Impedance Response

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is used to characterize thin p-doped polypyrrole (PPy) films in propylene carbonate (PC) solutions and poly(trifluorophenyl)thiophene (PTFPT), in solutions based on sulfolane (SF). It appears that the latter film is much less swelled compared to the former one. One consequence of this difference is that the PTFPT film shows a much higher bulk resistance compared to that for the PPy film. Another important consequence is that the swelling of the PTFPT film is essentially physically non-homogeneous. Two parallel, uncoupled paths, with different chemical diffusion coefficients, model the experimental results adequately. In order to quantify the impedance spectra for both polymer films, we use a model proposed by Rubinstein et al. explaining the difference in the diffusion coefficients of Ru(bpy)^3+/2+ ₃ within a thin Nafion film. The model can also predict the impedance spectra for composite powdery electrodes containing different particle sizes, such as composite cathodes and graphite anodes used in lithium batteries.     

分子内环化对聚乙烯醇交联体系的影响

以聚乙烯醇(PVA)-戊二醛(GA)体系作为研究对象, 系统地研究了分子内环化对凝胶体系的影响, 为水凝胶体系的网络结构评价奠定了一定的实验基础.     

Thermal behavior and network structure of poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐crotonic acid) hydrogels prepared by radiation‐induced polymerization

Poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone‐crotonic acid) [P(VP/CrA)] hydrogels were prepared by irradiating the ternary mixture of VP/CrA and crosslinking agent ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) in water by γ rays at ambient temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis were performed to evaluate the thermal properties of ionized networks and to establish if they showed thermal differences that could be related to the CrA content in the gel system. The volume swelling ratio of P(VP/CrA) hydrogels were investigated as a function of the pH in the immersing solution. The volume swelling ratio of these hydrogels increased with an increase in pH and a decrease CrA content in the hydrogel. The volume swelling ratio of the hydrogels was also evaluated using an equation, based on the Flory—Huggins thermodynamic theory, the phantom network theory of James–Guth and Donnan theory of swelling of weakly charged ionic gels for determination of the molecular weight between crosslinks and the polymer–solvent interaction parameter (χ). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

WATER STATES IN SBR BASED WATER SWELLING RUBBER

Water swelling rubber (WSR) was prepared by reaction blending SBR andsodium polyacrylate (PAANa). The existing states of water in the WSR was studied bymeans of DSC and TG. It was found that water exists in three states: nonfreezing water,bound freezable water and free water. The relationships between water states and structureof PAANa were investigated. The results showed that the amount of non-freezing waterwas related to total water content, and the ratio of non-freezing water versus -COONagroups on PAANa (mol/mol) was about 4. However, total water content slightly affectedthe content of bound freezable water and remarkably affected the amount of free waer.     

Swelling equilibrium and preferential sorption of crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate) in the mixture acetonitrile + n-butanol

Measurements of preferential sorption,( ₃), determined by refractometry, and swelling equilibrium, ₃ ^–1, of PMMA networks have been carried out in the cosolvent mixture MeCN+BuOH at 25 and 49 C. With an intermediate mixture composition, ₃ ^–1 passes through a maximum at both temperatures. At 25 C MeCN is preferentially adsorbed by the network over most of the composition range, but a small inversion is detected. At 49 C MeCN is preferentially adsorbed over all the composition range.The behavior of the system crosslinked PMMA/MeCN + BuOH is compared with the results obtained for solutions of linear PMMA in mixtures formed by the same two solvents, MeCN and BuOH.     

Preparation, characterization and properties studies of quinine-imprinted polymer in the aqueous phase

The uniform-sized spherical molecularly imprinted polymers were successfully prepared through molecular imprinting technology by two-step seed swelling and mini-emulsion polymerization in the aqueous condition using quinine as template molecules and methacrylic acid (MAA) as functional monomer. The polymers were characterized by IR spectra, thermal-weight analysis, scanning electron microscope and laser particle size analysis. The properties of imprinted polymers were investigated in different organic phases and aqueous media. In the organic media, results suggested that polar interactions (hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions) between acidic monomer/polymer and template molecules are mainly responsible for the binding and recognition; whereas in the aqueous medium, a considerable recognition effect was also obtained where the ionic (electrostatic) interaction and hydrophobic interaction play an important role. The experiments of binding different substrates indicated that the MIPs possessed an excellent rebinding ability and inherent selectivity to quinine. __________ Translated from Zhongshan Dcocue Xuebao/Acta Scientianum Natralium University Sunyatseni, 2005, 44(3)(in Chinese)     

Preparation and evaluation of uniform-sized molecularly imprinted polymer beads used for the separation of sulfamethazine

Uniform-sized molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) beads were prepared using a one-step swelling and polymerization method. The obtained sulfamethazine (SMZ)-imprinted polymer showed high affinity and selectivity toward SMZ and other structurally related sulfonamides in acetonitrile or water-acetonitrile mobile phases, particularly in high aqueous systems. The column performance of the MIPs for SMZ and its analogues could be improved by elevating the column temperature and optimizing the flow rate. The hydrogen-bonding effect plays a significant role in the recognition process of SMZ-imprinted polymer systems in organic media, while the ion-exchange effect, as well as hydrophobic effect, dominates the retention mechanism in aqueous-rich media, in addition to shape recognition.     

Sorption of binary liquid mixtures on polymer networks Part I. Determination of surface excess isotherms and free energy functions

Two groups of polymer networks (polymer resins) are investigated by selective liquid sorption fromn-propanol-water mixtures. Group 1 consists of gel polymerized polar (hydrophilic) ion exchangers which swell in the binary liquid mixture. Group 2 consists of non-polar, non-swelling, macroporous resins. The free energy isotherms accompanying the sorption processes are calculated from the excess isotherms and the bulk activities. The adsorption excess free energies reveal the differences in polarity of the polymer network.     

Characterization of solute-membrane interactions by TMA-measurements

On the basis of relationships derived by Oplatka et al. [1] correlating the derivative of tensile stress with respect to temperature for a polymer strip at constant length, (/T) _t , with the derivative of entropy with respect to strip length, (S/l)_T, relationships are derived relating the derivation of strip length with respect to temperature under constant tensile stress, (l/T), with the derivative of entropy with respect to tensile load, (S/) _T . The developed relationships are applied to evaluate TMA (thermomechanical analysis) measurements performed with asymmetric and homogeneous cellulose acetate membranes where the membrane strips were kept in deionized water. Moreover, TMA measurements were performed with homogeneous CA membranes while maintaining the membrane strips in bathing solutions of different, but in each instance, constant electrolyte concentrationc _s (e.g., LiCl, LiNO₃, Li₂SO₄, CaCl₂; 0 c _s saturation). Under constant tensile stress, , as-cast asymmetric CA membranes, which are kept in deionized water, first elongate with increasing temperature at temperatures up to about 50°C. However, they shrink with a further increase of temperature in the temperature range 50°C up to about 90°C, whereas creeping starts at temperatures beyond 90°C, leading again to an elongation of the strip with a further increase of temperature. The negative apparent coefficient of thermal expansion, existing between 50° to 90°C, is consistent with shrinking phenomena observed with asymmetric CA membranes [2]. In addition, it correlates well with both an entropy decrease with increasing tensile stress at constant strip length and an entropy increase with decreasing strip length at constant tensile stress. Contraction of the strip with increasing temperature at constant tensile load might be due to increasing coil formation of polymer molecules rendered possible by disintegration of joints such as H-bonds between polymer chains. Depending on the electrolyte of the bathing solution and its concentration, homogeneous CA membranes exhibit positive and negative apparent linear coefficients of thermal expansion under constant tensile stress.     

Swelling behavior and mechanical properties of endlinked poly (dimethylsiloxane) networks and randomly crosslinked polyisoprene networks

Measurements of the equilibrium degree of swelling and of the equilibrium modulus were performed on poly(dimethylsiloxane) networks (PDMS) and on polyisoprene vulcanizates. The results support the concept that topological interactions between network chains, e.g. entanglements or the like, have a large influence on the rubber elastic behavior, at least within a certain range of network densities.PDMS networks having network chains of different lengths and varying functionlities of the crosslinks were prepared in bulk by endlinking fractionated ,-divinyl PDMS via multifunctional hydrogen-siloxanes (f=3 to 22). Natural rubber (NR) and synthetic liquid polyisoprene (IR) were cured in bulk with various amounts of dicumyl peroxide to give randomly crosslinked samples.The experimentally determined moduli and degrees of swelling were compared with theoretical predictions based on the phantom network theory and affine network theory, taking into account only chemical crosslinks. The observed discrepancies can be traced back to a contribution of topological interactions (trapped entanglements) to the total effective network density. The modulus and swelling data are consistent, thus ruling out non-equilibrium effects.