Advances in late transition metal catalysts for olefin polymerization/oligomerizarion

In this review article, we have consolidated our recent studies on late transition metal catalysts (mainly Fe, Co) for olefin polymerization/oligomerization. A series of bisiminopyridyl Co(II) and Fe(II) complexes were synthesized. These catalysts when activated with MAO in aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, oligomerize or polymerize ethylene to α-olefins or high molecular weight polymers with exceptionally high activities and selectivities. The electronic and steric effects of allyloxy and benzyloxy substituted bisiminopyridyl Fe(II) and Co(II) complexes were also investigated. The influence of catalyst structure and temperature on the polymerization activity, thermal properties and molecular weight were discussed. The effects of heterogenization of these catalysts on silica and modified SBA-15 were analyzed. The polymerization of polar monomers such as vinyl ethers and methyl methacrylate was tested and no specific trends in activity and polymer molecular weight with changes in steric bulkiness around the metal center were observed with the same catalyst system.     

Roles of rhenium diimine complexes as metal‐ion probes and photosensitizers in functional polyurethanes

Polyurethanes incorporated with rhenium diimine complexes were synthesized. The polymers exhibited interesting morphologies and solution properties. Results from gel permeation chromatography suggested the formation of polymer aggregates in solutions. The polymers could act as probes for metal ions. The addition of metal ions to polymer solutions led to significant changes in the electronic absorption properties of the polymer solutions. This was attributed to the interactions between the polyether moieties and metal ions. The metal complexes could also act as efficient photosensitizers. After doping with charge‐transport viologens, the photoconductivity of the polymers was greatly enhanced. The experimental quantum efficiency was simulated with Onsager's theory. The thermalization distances and the primary yields were typically 12–14 Å and 10^?3, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1708–1715, 2003     

The polarization property and irradiance distribution of incoherent and coherent Gaussian beam combinations

Based on the beam coherence-polarization (BCP) matrix, the polarization property of coherent and incoherent Gaussian beam combinations is studied in detail. The general expressions for the degree of polarization P of the resulting beam in case of incoherent and coherent combinations are derived. It is shown that P is dependent on the incoherent or coherent combination, propagation distance, separation, azimuth of the polarization plane and numbers of beamlets in general. The irradiance distribution of the resulting beam for the coherent cases depends on the azimuth of the polarization plane of beamlets. However, for the incoherent case it does not.     

Dicyclopentadienyl complexes of titanium,niobium, and tungsten in the controlled synthesis of poly(methyl methacrylate)

Organometallic compounds Cp₂TiCl₂, (EtC₅H₄)₂NbCl₂, and (PrⁱC₅H₄)₂WCl₂ were assessed as additives that control polymer chain growth in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. In the presence of compounds mentioned in amounts comparable with that of the initiator, a uniform process with no gel-effect occured and respective linear increase in the molecular weight of the polymer up to high degrees of the monomer conversion was observed.     

过渡金属表面γ-氨丙基三甲氧基硅烷膜的研究

本文对在过渡金属铁、镍电极表面制备得到的γ-氨丙基三甲氧基硅烷(γ-APS)膜进行了研究。实验中对硅烷膜用X-射线光电子能谱(XPS)、现场表面增强拉曼散射光谱(SERS)和原子力显微镜(AFM)进行了表征。X-射线光电子能谱(XPS)的结果发现存在两个N1s峰,表明γ-APS膜中的氨基有两种存在方式:自由氨基和质子化氨基。实验中还发现现场表面增强拉曼散射光谱(SERS)是研究金属/γ-APS体系中界面层结构非常有效的手段,SERS结果表明硅醇羟基和氨基发生了竞争吸附,且γ-APS分子在外加电位等条件的影响下吸附状态会发生一定变化。原子力显微镜(AFM)的表征结果在微观上显示电极表面的γ-APS膜上形成了一种较规则的微孔结构,这种结构可能与基底的性质有关。     

FAST ACCURATE PREDICTION OF BLANK SHAPE IN SHEET METAL FORMING

By using the Finite Element Inverse Approach based on the Hill quadratic anisotrop-ically yield criterion and the quadrilateral element, a fast analyzing software-FASTAMP for the sheet metal forming is developed. The blank shapes of three typical stampings are simulated and compared with numerical results given by the AUTOFORM software and experimental results, respectively. The comparison shows that the FASTAMP can predict blank shape and strain distribution of the stamping more precisely and quickly than those given by the traditional methods and the AUTOFORM.     

Measurements of Optical Signals and Their Spectra in the Femtosecond Range with Additional Phase Modulation

A solution to the phase problem in optics is considered within the context of the analysis of signals changing in time and of the effect of an object under investigation on the probing radiation. The solution is based on the use of a twin-wave interferometer with phase modulation in one of the channels and a spectrometer. The analysis is concerned, in particular, with signals and processes of ultrashort duration. To shift the frequency in the interferometer channel, an electrooptical crystal of ferroelectric perovskite is used as the modulator. Errors of amplitude and phase structures determined are analyzed.     

Controlling the water content of never dried and reswollen bacterial cellulose by the addition of water-soluble polymers to the culture medium

For the modification of medically useful biomaterials from bacterially synthesized cellulose, fleeces of Acetobacter xylinum have been produced in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% (m/v) carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), methylcellulose (MC), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), respectively, in the Hestrin-Schramm culture medium. The incorporation of the water-soluble polymers into cellulose and their influence on the structure, crystal modifications, and material properties are described. With IR and solid-state ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the fleeces, the presence of the cellulose ethers and an increase in the amorphous parts of the cellulose modifications (NMR results) have been detected. The incorporation is represented by a higher product yield, too. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy, a porelike cellulose network structure forms in the presence of CMC and MC. This modified structure increases the water retention ability (expressed as the water content), the ion absorption capacity, and the remaining nitrogen-containing residues from the culture medium or bacteria cells. The water content of bacterial cellulose (BC) in the never dried state and the freeze-dried, reswollen state can be controlled by the CMC concentration in the culture solution. The freeze-dried, reswollen BC-CMC (2.0%) contains 96% water after centrifugation, whereas standard BC has only 73%. About 98% water is included in a BC-MC composite in the wet state, and about 93% is included in the reswollen state synthesized in the presence of 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% MC. These biomaterial composites can be stored in the dried state and reswollen before use, reaching a higher water absorption than pure, never dried BC. The copper ion capacity of BC-CMC composites increases proportionally with the added amount of CMC. BC-CMC (0.5%) can absorb 3 times more copper ions than original BC. In the case of 0.5 and 1.0% PVA additions to the culture solution, this polymer cannot be detected in the cellulose fleeces after they are washed. Nevertheless the presence of PVA in the culture medium effects a decreased product yield, a retention of nitrogen-containing residues in the material during purification, a reduced water absorption ability, and a slightly higher copper ion capacity in comparison with original BC. The water content of freeze-dried, reswollen BC-PVA (0.5%) is only 62%. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 463–470, 2004     

Performance of various activators in ethylene polymerization based on an iron(II) catalyst system

Ethylisobutylaluminoxane (EBAO) and its analogues were synthesized by a reaction between an triethylaluminum (Et₃Al)/triisobutylaluminum (i‐Bu₃Al) mixture and 4‐fluorobenzeneboronic acid, phenylboronic acid, or n‐butaneboronic acid and subsequent hydrolysis with water. They were used as cocatalysts in ethylene polymerization catalyzed by an iron complex {[(ArN?C(Me))₂C₅H₃N]FeCl₂, where Ar is 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl}. Polyethylene with a high molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution was prepared with modified EBAOs, and the performance of the iron complex at high polymerization temperatures was greatly improved. The activators for the iron complex also affected the polymerization activity and the molecular weight of the resultant polyethylene. It was suggested that the stereo and electronic effects of the substitute groups of aluminoxane contributed to the improved performance of the new activators. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1093–1099, 2004     

Metallo‐supramolecular block copolymer micelles: Improved preparation and characterization

Micelles prepared from amphiphilic block copolymers in which a poly(styrene) segment is connected to a poly(ethylene oxide) block via a bis‐(2,2′:6′,2″‐terpyridine‐ruthenium) complex have been intensely studied. In most cases, the micelle populations were found to be strongly heterogeneous in size because of massive micelle/micelle aggregation. In the study reported in this article we tried to improve the homogeneity of the micelle population. The variant preparation procedure developed, which is described here, was used to prepare two “protomer”‐type micelles: PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₇₀ and PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₃₇₅. The dropwise addition of water to a solution of the compounds in dimethylformamide was replaced by the controlled addition of water by a syringe pump. The resulting micelles were characterized by sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium analyses in an analytical ultracentrifuge and by transmission electron microscopy of negatively stained samples. Sedimentation analysis showed virtually unimodal size distributions, in contrast to the findings on micelles prepared previously. PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₇₀ micelles were found to have an average molar mass of 318,000 g/mol (corresponding to 53 protomers per micelle, which is distinctly less than after micelle preparation by the standard method) and an average hydrodynamic diameter (d_h) of 18 nm. For PS₂₀‐[Ru]‐PEO₃₇₅ micelles, the corresponding values were M = 603,000 g/mol (31 protomers per micelle) and d_h = 34 nm. The latter particles were found to be identical to the “equilibrium” micelles prepared in pure water. Both micelle types had a very narrow molar mass distribution but a much broader distribution of s values and thus of hydrodynamic diameters. This indicates a conformational heterogeneity that is stable on the time scale of sedimentation velocity analysis. The findings from electron microscopy were in disagreement with those from the sedimentation analysis both in average micelle diameter and in the width of the distributions, apparently because of imperfections in the staining procedure. The preparation procedure described also may be useful in micelle formation from other types of protomers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4458–4465, 2004