Evaluation of the (Allyl alcohol 1,2‐butoxylate‐block‐etoxylate)‐b‐PMMA Copolymers Composition by the Dielectric Measurements

Redox initiated free‐radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with allyl alcohol 1,2‐butoxylate‐block‐etoxylate (AABE) was carried out to yield AABE‐b‐PMMA copolymers at elevated temperatures. The composition of the copolymers depending on the polymerization temperature was qualitatively estimated by the dielectric measurements. It has been seen that AABE segment quantity decreased and PMMA segment quantity increased with increasing the polymerization temperature. The dielectric constant and the dissipation factor of the copolymers were investigated as a function of frequency and temperature. The dielectric constant and the dissipation factor were found to be strongly affected by the polymerization temperature. The highest dielectric constant in all studied temperatures and frequencies was obtained in the case of the copolymer which was prepared at 313 K. The dipolar C‐O and OH groups of the AABE segment have the primary effect on the dielectric constant. The copolymer which was prepared at 323 K, showed the highest dissipation factor near the relaxation temperature of PMMA.     

Preparation and Characteration of UV-cured EA/MMT Nanocomposites Via In-Situ Polymerization

A long-chain surfactant, enzoylbenzyl-N,N-dimethyl-N-octadecylammonium bromide (BDOB) with a benzophenone group, was synthesized to modify the montmorillonites (MMT) for the preparation of nanocomposites via photo-induced polymerization. The BDOB-modified MMT was characterized by the fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the results of XRD indicated that the intercalated structures of BDOB-modified MMT was obtained. The conversion of the bisphenol A epoxy diacrylate (EA) was quantified by the FTIR, and the results indicated that conversion increased with an increase in the amount of BDOB-modified MMT. The morphologies of the UV-cured EA/MMT nanocomposites prepared from this organically modified MMT were studied by means of XRD and TEM, and the results showed that all the samples contained an intercalated structure with partial exfoliated structure. The results of TGA and mechanical properties also indicated that the thermal and mechanical properties of UV-cured nanocomposites were significantly enhanced due to the presence of the long chain surfactant organically modified MMT.     

Solvent effects on radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate: solvent polarity and solvent-monomer interaction

Abstract

New insights for the effects of organic solvent polarities and solvent-monomer interactions on the radical copolymerization for an important copolymer, poly(acrylonitrile-co-methyl acrylate) (PAN-co-MA), were provided in this research. Solvents, dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), were used as reaction media. The polarity of these solvents was in the sequence of DMAc?<?DMF?<?DMSO. By studying the reactivity ratios of AN and MA, the triad fractions of the resultant copolymers, the interactions between monomers and solvents, and the compositions of copolymers at various conversions, we concluded that the solvent polarity had minimal influence on the copolymerization of AN and MA, while the solvent-monomer interactions played important roles. The interactions between monomer-monomer, monomer-solvent, and solvent-solvent, were calculated based on quantum chemistry methods. Both theoretical calculations and experimental results suggested that AN and MA in DMSO tended to aggregate locally, while they could be homogeneously dissolved in DMAc and DMF. The interactions between solvent and monomers could cause local monomer concentration variations, or ‘bootstrap’ effect, which is one of the critical factors affecting the copolymerization process of AN and MA and the chemical structures of the resultant polymers.     

Preparation of Comb‐like Styrene Grafted Silica Nanoparticles

Abstract

Comb‐like polystyrene grafted silica nanoparticles (c‐PS‐SNs) were prepared by the following steps: (a) methacryloxypropyl silica nanoparticles (MPSNs) were used as macromonomer and free radical copolymerized with 4‐vinyl benzyl chloride (VBC) by a solution polymerization method; (b) the product of (A), poly(4‐vinyl benzyl chloride) grafted silica nanoparticle (PVBC‐SN) was separated and then used as a macroinitiator for the surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI‐ATRP) of styrene catalyzed by the complex of Cu(I)Br and 2,2′‐bipyridyl (bipy) in toluene solutions. The structurally well‐defined polymer chains were grown from the nanoparticle surfaces to yield particles composed of a silica core and a well defined, densely grafted outer comb‐like PS layer. A percentage of grafting (PG%) (the weight ratio of the PS grafted with that of the silica charged) of more than 80% was achieved after a polymerizing time of 5?hr.     

Preparation and Surface Properties of Fluorine‐Containing Diblock Copolymers PLMA‐Block‐PFAEA

A series of fluorine‐containing diblock copolymers based on lauryl methacrylate and 1H,1H,2H,2H‐perfluoroalkyl acrylate have been prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The preparation process of PLMA‐Br macroinitiators was controlled within a reasonable time corresponding to the ln [M₀]/[M_t]～time plot of the reaction. FTIR, ¹H‐NMR, GPC and fluorine‐element analysis (FEA) were used to characterize the synthesized block copolymers. The solid surface activity of these polymers was demonstrated by contact angle measurement. The polymer films prepared by block copolymers with more than three fluorinated units showed low dispersion force contributions to the surface energy indicating the presence of the fluorinated block at the surface. The surface activity in solutions was measured by drop‐weight method. Ii is interesting to find, when the fluorine weight percentage is controlled constant, that PLMA‐b‐PFAEA with larger molecular size is more prominent in exploiting the fluorinated structure to reduce the surface tension of solutions. The block copolymer's ability in reducing surface tension of solutions also depends on the type of solvent.     

Bioactive Polymers. XXVI. Immobilization of Pepsin on Biozan R

Pepsin was immobilized on BIOZAN R (Hercules) with dicyclohexylcarbodiimide as activator. The reaction product obtained has a protein content of 35–110 mg/g of polymer and a proteolytic activity between 20.85–28.75 μmol tyrosine/L·min·g of polymer). The coupling reaction rate is maximum under the following conditions: pepsin/BIOZAN R ratio = 0.52 g/g, DCCI/BIOZAN R ratio = 0.2 g/g, pH = 3.4, reaction time = 4 h.     

Polymerization of Acrylamide in Aqueous Solution of Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) at Lower Critical Solution Temperature

Acrylamide (AAm) was found to polymerize in a solution of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) in water at around its lower critical solution temperature (LCST) (32°C) without any initiators. This phenomenon was specifically observed in aqueous solutions of the polymers having LCST such as PNIPAAm and poly(methylvinylether) (PMVE). AAm polymerized only when PNIPAAm and AAm were dissolved in water below LCST of PNIPAAm and then the solution was warmed up to the polymerization temperature (40°C). On the other hand, the polymerization of AAm did not proceed when AAm was added into aqueous PNIPAAm solution during and after the phase separation above 32°C. Furthermore the polymerizability of AAm was remarkably affected by the concentration and molecular weight of the PNIPAAm additives. Under the condition of lower PNIPAAm concentration (0.30 mol/L), the increase in the molecular weight of PNIPAAm considerably increased the molecular weight of the resulting PAAm but decreased the yield of PAAm. Under the condition of higher PNIPAAm concentration (0.60 mol/L) the polymerizability was not so affected by the molecular weight of PNIPAAm, while the molecular weight of PAAm formed by using higher molecular weight PNIPAAm was higher than those of PAAm formed by using lower molecular weight PNIPAAm. Moreover, the molecular weight of PAAm formed by the PNIPAAm induced polymerization of AAm was much higher than that of the polymer obtained by the radical polymerization using AIBN in THF or VA‐ 061 in water.     

The Relationship of Reaction Temperature,Tg and Rich‐Syndiotacticity of Poly(alkyl methacrylate)s in Modified Microemulsion Polymerization

Nanoscale poly(alkyl methacrylate)s including poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(ethyl methacrylate), poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate), poly(iso‐butyl methacrylate) and poly(benzyl methacrylate) were prepared by a modified microemulsion polymerization procedure. NMR analysis suggested that these poly(methacrylate)s samples were higher in syndiotactic content, lower in isotactic content and the glass transition temperatures (T_gs) of them were also higher than those reported in the literature. The tacticities of the poly(methacrylate)s, beside the restricted volume effect of nanoparticles during the modified microemulsion polymerization, were mainly influenced by the reaction temperature, the lower the reaction temperature, the higher the syndiotacticity of the products. The syndiotacticity of the product decreased obviously when the polymerization was carried out at a temperature far above the T_g of the resulting polymer. It was also shown that the tacticity of the polymer was affected by the monomer structure, a monomer with the bulkier alkyl side group would liable to result in a polymer with richer syndiotacticity. Possible mechanism of rich‐syndiotacticity was also discussed.     

Polymerization of N,N-Dimethylaminopropyl-Acrylamide Through Hydrogen Transfer Induced by the Propagation of the Polyacrolein Anion

The anionic polymerization of acrolein (AL) with N, N-dimethylamino-propylacrylamide (DMAPA) in the presence of water was investigated in tetrahydrofuran, benzene, and ethanol at 0°C in a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting polymers were found to be essentially vinyl polymers with one DMAPA attached and an aldehyde side chain. From observations of the polymerization process by ¹H NMR, we find that polymerization was initiated by the hydroxyl anion formed in the thermodynamic equilibrium between the amine of DMAPA and water. The hydrogen transfer reaction of DMAPA was caused by the propagating poly-AL anion. On the other hand, the monomer reactivity ratios and the Q₂-e₂values of DMAPA were determined by the free-radical copolymerization of styrene (St, M₁) with DMAPA and AIBN as initiator.     

Primary Amine‐Initiated Polymerizations of α–Amino Acid N‐Thiocarbonic Acid Anhydrosulfide

The N‐thiocarbonic acid anhydrosulfides NTAs of D,L‐leucine, D,L‐phenylalanine and sarcosine were polymerized in dioxane by addition of n‐hexylamine as initiator. Despite variation of the monomer‐initiator ratio (M/I) only low yields of oligopeptides were obtained from D,L‐Leu‐ and D,L‐Phe‐NTA. Both yields and molecular weights were almost twice as high for polymerizations of Sar‐NTA. MALDI‐TOF mass spectra confirmed that the isolated oligo‐and polypeptides possess the expected structure with one reactive amino end group. Therefore, it is surprising that the polymerizations stopped at low conversions. Two hypotheses explaining this phenomenon are discussed.