Olefin Polymerization Catalyzed by Double‐Decker Dipalladium Complexes: Low Branched Poly(α‐Olefin)s by Selective Insertion of the Monomer Molecule

Dipalladium complexes of a cyclic bis(diimine) ligand with a double‐decker structure catalyze polymerization of ethylene and α‐olefins and copolymerization of ethylene with 1‐hexene. The polymerization of 1‐hexene yields a polymer that is mainly composed of the hexamethylene unit formed by 2,1‐insertion of the monomer into the palladium–carbon bond, followed by chain‐walking (6,1‐insertion). The polymerization of 4‐methyl‐1‐pentene proceeds by 2,1‐insertion with a selectivity of 92–97 %, and affords the polymer with methyl and 2‐methylhexyl branches. 2,1‐Insertion occurs selectively in all of the polymerization reactions of α‐olefins catalyzed by the dipalladium complexes. Ethylene polymerization with the catalyst at 100 °C lasts over 24 h, whereas the monopalladium–diimine catalyst loses its activity within 8 h at 60 °C. Polyethylene obtained by the dipalladium catalyst is less‐branched and has a higher molecular weight compared to that of the monopalladium catalyst under the same conditions. Copolymerization of ethylene with 1‐hexene affords solid products with melting points and molecular weights that vary depending on the polymerization time, suggesting formation of a block and/or gradient copolymer.     

1,3-双[3-(1-甲氧基-2-羟基丙氧基)丙基]封端聚硅氧烷的合成

以1,3-双[3-(1-甲氧基-2-羟基丙氧基)丙基]四甲基二硅氧烷和八甲基环四硅氧烷(D4)为原料,通过阳离子催化开环聚合制备了1,3-双(3-(1-甲氧基-2-羟基丙氧基)丙基)封端聚硅氧烷,研究了反应温度,反应时间,催化剂种类及加入量对于聚合反应的影响,结果表明,最佳反应条件为:反应温度65℃,反应时间24h,浓硫酸作为催化剂加入量为反应物质量的0.3%,此时反应拥有最高的转化率。通过红外光谱与核磁共振光谱对产物进行了表征。     

Fabrication and performance of microencapsulated phase change materials with hybrid shell by in situ polymerization in Pickering emulsion

Microencapsulated phase change materials (MePCMs) using melamine–formaldehyde resin/SiO₂ as shell were investigated in this paper. Organically modified SiO₂ particles were employed to stabilize Pickering emulsion, and in situ polymerization of melamine and formaldehyde was carried out to form hybrid shell. The performances of resultant MePCMs with hybrid shell were investigated comparatively with the MePCMs with polymer shell. SiO₂ particles raise the microencapsulation efficiency by improving the stability of emulsion and providing a precipitation site for melamine–formaldehyde resin. Also, the mechanical strength, thermal reliability, and anti‐osmosis performance of MePCMs were improved significantly by SiO₂ particles in the shell. Our study shows that Pickering emulsion is a simple and robust template for MePCMs with polymer‐inorganic hybrid shell. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Probing the Coordinative Unsaturation and Local Environment of Ti3+ Sites in an Activated High‐Yield Ziegler–Natta Catalyst

The typical activation of a fourth generation Ziegler–Natta catalyst TiCl₄/MgCl₂/phthalate with triethyl aluminum generates Ti³⁺ centers that are investigated by multi‐frequency continuous wave and pulse EPR methods. Two families of isolated, molecule‐like Ti³⁺ species have been identified. A comparison of the experimentally derived g tensors and ^35,37Cl hyperfine and nuclear‐quadrupole tensors with DFT‐computed values suggests that the dominant EPR‐active Ti³⁺ species is located on MgCl₂(110) surfaces (or equivalent MgCl₂ terminations with tetra‐coordinated Mg). O₂ reactivity tests show that a fraction of these Ti sites is chemically accessible, an important result in view of the search for the true catalyst active site in olefin polymerization.     

Antibacterial behaviour of quaternized poly(vinyl chloride)-g-poly(4-vinyl pyridine) graft copolymers

Amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC) main chains and poly(4-vinyl pyridine)(P4VP) side chains were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP) using direct initiation of chlorine atoms. The successful synthesis of PVC-g-P4 VP graft copolymers was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance(1H-NMR). Transmission electron microscope(TEM) and small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS) analysis showed that PVC-g-P4 VP exhibited microphase-separated, ordered structure with 37.6 nm of domain spacing, which was not observed in neat PVC. For antibacterial applications, the tertiary nitrogen atoms of PVC-gP4 VP was quaternized using 1-bromohexane, as confirmed by FTIR measurements. Bacteria including Escherichia coli(E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus), Bacillus cereus(B. cereus), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa(P. aeruginosa) were completely killed in 24 h on the quaternized PVC-g-P4VP(46% grafting) surface, indicating its excellent antibacterial behavior while it showed to be cytotoxic to mammalian cell.     

Synthesis of polybutadienes with controllable microstructure by a novel binary Nd(3-NBSO3)3/alkylaluminum catalyst system

The polymerization of 1,3-butadiene was examined by using a novel halogen-free neodymium m-nitrobenzenesulfonate(Nd(3-NBSO3)3·donors)/alkylaluminum binary catalyst system. The catalyst showed fairly high activity and controllable selectivity. The microstructure of the resultant polymer was adjustable by variation of electron donor and/or the alkylaluminum. 13C-NMR and thermal analysis demonstrate that the produced polybutadienes have stereo-block chain structures of cis-1,4 and trans-1,4 segments with adjustable Tm and Tc. The neodymium sulfonate-based catalyst is believed to be significant in regulating the chain structure of polydienes and in exploring 1,3-diene polymerization mechanism.     

Synthesis of a PEG-PNIPAm thermosensitive dendritic copolymer and investigation of its self-association

A Novel thermosensitive dendritic copolymer based on polyethylene glycol(PEG) and poly(Nisopropylacrylamide)(PNIPAm) with a cloud point(CP) around 36 ?C was successfully synthesized by preparation of a dendritic polyol and followed by atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide. The dendritic copolymer was characterized using gel-permeation chromatography(GPC), FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The selfassociation behavior of the copolymer in aqueous medium was investigated by dynamic light scattering(DLS) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). These investigations confirmed that the dendritic copolymer showed different association behaviors at various temperatures.     

Surface Modification of Polypropylene by Ethylene Plasma and Its Induced β-Form in Polypropylene

This study aims to investigate the chemical structure and morphology of plasmapolymers produced by deposition of ethylene on the surface of polypropylene. The deposition films(sediments) of ethylene plasma on the surface of polypropylene are nonuniform, and the characterization results indicate the existence of hydroxyl groups and aldehyde(or ketone) groups in the sediments. The sediment of ethylene plasma on the polypropylene surface could induce the growth of β-form crystals in the surface layer of polypropylene.     

Synthesis and characterization of nano Ag end capped L-cysteine bridged diblock copolymer

The target of the present investigation is synthesis and characterization of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer with antibacterial property. Ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (CL) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) was carried out under inert atmosphere by using L-cysteine as a bridging agent in the presence of stannous octoate (SO) as a catalyst. The nano silver end capped diblock copolymer was synthesized by in situ method. Thus obtained nano silver end capped L-cysteine bridged diblock copolymer was characterized by various analytical methods like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and zeta potential. The antimicrobial property of the nano silver end capped diblock copolymer against e-coli was tested.     

Chiral separation abilities of homogeneously synthesized cellulose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamates: Influences of degree of substitution and molecular weight

A series of cellulose 3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamates(CDMPCs) with different degrees of substitution(DS) and degrees of polymerization(DP) were homogeneously synthesized in 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride(Amim Cl). Then, the CDMPCs were coated on silica gel and used as chiral stationary phases(CSPs), and their chiral recognition abilities for seven racemates were evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography. The results showed that DS and DP of CDMPCs had a great influence on chiral recognition abilities of the CSPs. The CSPs with the DS ≈ 1 gives a low chiral recognition to most racemates. On the contrast, the CSPs with the DS ? 2 exhibited high chiral separation abilities. For example, six racemates could be separated on the CSP with CDMPC of DS ≈ 2(CSP-2). Especially, for the enantioseparation of 1-(2-naphthyl) ethanol and Tr?ger's base, CSP-2 gave the highest separation ability in all of CSPs. On the other hand, when the DP of cellulose was in a range from 39 to 220, the chiral separation abilities of CDMPCs increased as the DP increased. This work demonstrates that the structure of cellulose esters such as DS and DP has important effect on their chiral separation ability, and therefore provides a practical method to design and prepare desirable CSPs for different racemates.