Rod–coil block copolymers: An iterative synthetic approach via living free-radical procedures

A modular approach has been developed for the synthesis of rod–coil block copolymers involving the initial preparation of a macroinitiator based on the rod block followed by the growth of the coil segment with living free-radical procedures. The key feature of this strategy is the utilization of an alkoxyamine group from the beginning of the synthesis, which serves as a solubilizing group and ensures that each rod block contains a single initiating fragment. Using this approach permits block copolymers based on insoluble biphenyl ester oligomers to be conveniently prepared with coil segments that range from styrenes to acrylates to 1,3-dienes. The tendency of the rod segments to crystallize is strongly dependent on the weight fraction of the rod segment and the chemical nature of the coil segment. Rod–coil molecules containing at least 25–35 wt % polystyrene or poly(n-butyl acrylate) coil segments show a two-dimensional hexagonal arrangement of rod aggregates, as characterized by transmission electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Polyisoprene block copolymers exhibit a lamellar microstructure with short rigid domains in which the rod units lie in an interdigitated smectic C arrangement. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3640–3656, 2003     

TDPAC studies of Hf doped YBCO

Time differential perturbed angular correlation measurements of the 133–482 keVγ-γ cascade of¹⁸¹Ta in Hf-doped YBa₂Cu₃O_7−x are presented. The¹⁸¹Hf precurser nuclei are incorporated into the sample by thermal neutron irradiation. Two quadrupole interaction frequencies are observed in the as-irradiated sample:v _Q1=161±10 MHz with intensityf ₁=75%, asymmetry parameterη ₁=0.32 and damping parameter Λ₁=0.42, andv _Q2=1108±40 MHz withf ₂=25%,η ₂=0.62, and Λ₂=0.60. On annealing the sample in air at various temperaturesT _a and quenching to room temperature,f ₁ remained nearly constant forT _a<600°C andv _Q1 for all annealing temperatures indicating that these are insensitive to oxygen stoichiometry. This frequency is interpreted to be due to¹⁸¹Hf substitutingY sites. BeyondT _a=600°C,f ₁ increased and reached a constant value of 90% forT _a=800°C. The value ofv _Q2 showed a slight variation between 1086 and 1160 MHz, whilef ₂ remained nearly constant at 25% forT _a<600°C. This component is identified to be due to¹⁸¹Hf substituting Cu 1 sites in the Cu-O chains of YBCO. Above 600°Cv _Q2 decreased and reached a value of 808 MHz beyond 750°C.     

Preparation and properties of novel polyhydrazides

A new class of polyhydrazides having aromatic as well as aliphatic units has been synthesized by low-temperature solution polycondensation from equimolar amounts of diacid chloride and dihydrazides in HMPT as solvent. These polyhydrazides have poor solubilities and their intrisnsic viscosities ranged from 0.2 to 0.6 dl/g. X-ray diffractograms of these polyhydrazides show that the polymers having terephthalic acid dihydrazide unit were more crystalline and all the polymers have densities in the range of 1.2-1.8 g/cm³. Thermogravimetric analysis of these polyhydrazides showed initial weight losses commencing at 220–300°C in both air and nitrogen.     

Kinetics of polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the Mn3+-thioacetamide redox system

Kinetics of the polymerization of acrylonitrile has been investigated in aqueous sulfuric acid in a temperature range of 25–45°C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) and the rate of managanic ion disappearance, etc., have been measured. The effect of the various additives, such as water-miscible organic solvents, neutral electrolytes, complexing agents, and surfactants, on the rate has been thoroughly studied. A mechanism that involves the initial complex formation between the thiol form of the thioamide and Mn³⁺, whose decomposition yields the initiating free radical with the polymer chain terminated by mutual combination of growing radicals, has been suggested.     

Low temperature fluorination of sulphur compounds with elemental fluorine

Low temperature fluorination technique is adopted for fluorination of the following sulphur compounds in freon-11 medium (1) Sulphur dioxide (2) Thionyl chloride (3) Sulphuryl chloride (4) Tetrasulphur tetra nitride and (5) Sulphur bromide. All the compounds undergo oxidative fluorination to give rise to sulphur-fluorine compounds except sulphuryl chloride which resists fluorination. Sulphuryl chloride thus behaves as a good solvent medium for fluorination of other reactive compounds like elemental sulphur. Details of the experimental procedures adopted and the identification of the products will be presented.     

Star-shaped azo-based dipolar chromophores: design, synthesis, matrix compatibility, and electro-optic activity

Three new azo-benzene-based push-pull chromophores with dendritic architecture were synthesized as active materials for electro-optic applications. These chromophores were synthesized in six or seven synthetic steps with an overall yield of around 80% per step and high purity. UV-vis spectroscopy showed significant influence of the transient dipole moment on the observed r(33) values. The chromophores were stable to photochemical oxidation in ambient light and air. The electrical poling conditions were optimized for each chromophore as the T(g) of the composite material varied significantly. The highest EO coefficient achieved was 22-25 pm/V at 1550 nm wavelength. STEM analysis of the blends enabled the correlation of the activity of these large chromophores with the blend morphology. An amorphous polycarbonate host effectively disperses the chromophores in 2-20 nm aggregates in the active materials. However, macrophase separation into 200-500 nm aggregates was observed in a methacrylate host matrix.     

Photopolymerization initiated by charge-transfer complex. I. Photopolymerization of methylmethacrylate with the use of quinaldine-bromine and lutidine–bromine charge-transfer complexes as photoinitiator

Photopolymerization of MMA was carried out with quinaldine–bromine (QN–Br₂) and lutidine–bromine (LU–Br₂) charge-transfer complexes as initiators. The rate of polymerization R_p increased with rising monomer concentration and the monomer exponent was computed as unity. At first the rate of polymerization accelerated and then reduced as the initiator concentration was increased. The initiator exponent was 0.5. The reaction was carried out at three different temperatures and overall activation energy was calculated at 4.0 kcal/mol. The kinetic data and other evidence indicate that the overall polymerization takes place in a radical mechanism. A suitable mechanism is suggested.     

Silicon tetrafluoride : Preparation and reduction with lithium aluminium hydride

Pure silicon tetrafluoride can be prepared in 66% yield from silicon tetrachloride by refluxing with lead fluoride in acetonitrile. The gas can be reduced to pure silane by lithium aluminum hydride in diethyl ether.