The interaction between poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and salts in aqueous media: The “salting-out” phenomenon as studied by attenuated total reflection/fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The effect of two strong salting-out salts (Na₂SO₄ and K₂SO₄) on the temperature-induced phase-separation process in aqueous solutions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) was examined by attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and viscosity measurements. On the basis of these measurements, a detailed scenario of the phase-separation process was deduced. The phase-separation scenario of solutions containing PNIPA and water was altered in the presence of sulfate ions. Here, the sulfate ions induced partial intrachain collapse, manifested by a relatively compact structure well below the lower critical solution temperature. This led to a more gradual, smooth phase transition, with temperature-resolved intrachain collapse and interchain aggregation and a lesser extent of hysteresis. Although at the macrolevel one may not be able to differentiate among various scenarios altering the solvent into a poor solvent, the aforementioned microlevel measurements provided a way to expose the difference between raising the temperature and adding cosolutes. Follow-up studies on the effect of salting-in salts will be presented. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 33–46, 2004     

Novel aromatic polyamides bearing pendent diphenylamino or carbazolyl groups

Two new diamines, 2,4‐diaminotriphenylamine ( 3 ) and N‐(2,4‐diaminophenyl)carbazole ( 4 ), were synthesized via the cesium fluoride‐mediated aromatic substitution reactions of 1‐fluoro‐2,4‐dinitrobenzene with diphenylamine and carbazole, followed by palladium‐catalyzed hydrazine reduction. Amorphous and soluble aramids having pendent diphenylamino and carbazolyl groups were prepared by the phosphorylation polycondensation of aromatic dicarboxylic acids with diamines 3 and 4 , respectively. The aramids derived from diamine 3 had sufficiently high molecular weights to permit the casting of flexible and tough films. They exhibited excellent mechanical properties and moderately high softening temperatures in the 221–298 °C range. However, the reactions of diamine 4 with aromatic diacids gave relatively lower molecular weights products that could not afford flexible films. For a comparative purpose, the parent aramids derived from m‐phenylenediamine and aromatic diacids were also prepared and characterized. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3302–3313, 2004     

Synthesis and liquid crystalline properties of new amide‐modified poly(1,4‐cyclohexanedimethylene terephthalate)

New series of cycloaliphatic poly(ester‐amide)s, poly(1,4‐cyclohexanedimethyleneterephthalate‐co‐1,3‐cyclohexanedimethylene terephthalamide), were synthesized through solution polymerization route. The compositions of ester/amide units in the copolymers were varied from 0 to 100% by varying the amount of 1,4‐cyclohexanedimethanol and 1,3‐cyclohexanebis(methylamine) in the feed. The structures of the polymers were confirmed by NMR and FTIR, and the molecular weights were determined by inherent viscosity. The composition analysis by NMR reveals that the reactivity of the diamine toward the acid chlorides is lowered than that of diol, which results in the formation of more ester content in the poly (ester‐amides). The thermal analysis indicate that the new poly(ester‐amide)s having less than 10 mol % of amide linkages are thermotropic liquid crystalline from 200 to 250 °C and a thread like nematic phases are observed under the polarizing microscope. WXRD studies suggest that the liquid crystalline domains promote the nucleation process in the polyester chains and increases the percent crystallinity of the poly(ester‐amide)s. The glass transition temperature of the copolymers initially increases with increase in amide units because of the presence of nematic phases and subsequently follows the Flory–Fox behavior. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 42–52, 2006     

Synthesis and crosslinking of cyano-substituted polyamides and polyimides prepared from 1-(2,2-dicyano-1-hydroxyviyl)-3,5-diaminobenzene,sodium salt

3,5-Dinitrobenzoyl chloide was condensed with malononitrile in the presence of sodium hydroxide under phase-transfer conditions to afford 1-(2,2-dicyano-1-hydroxyvinyl)-3,5-dinitrobenzene, sodium salt, which was catalytically hydrogenated to the corresponding diamine. The latter was used as starting material for the preparation of unsaturated cyanosubstituted polyamides and polyimides. The polymers were soluble in polar aprotic solvents, dilute sodium hydroxide, and certain strong inorganic and organic acids. Upon curing at 300°C for 65 h, crosslinked polymers were obtained that were stable up to 392–404°C in N₂ or air and afforded an anaerobic char yield of 60–71% at 800°C. Their glass transition temperatures as determined by thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) were 221–275°C. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Rigid aromatic fractal polyamides

The preparation of rigid aromatic, highly branched polyamides is described. Owing to the method of preparation and the chosen ratio of difunctional to trifunctional monomers, these entities are highly porous and not dendrimeric in nature. They better conform with the fractal model and are therefore called fractal polyamides (FPs). The effects of variations in the polymerization procedure, in total monomer concentration, in the ratio of amine to carboxyl groups and in the duration of the polycondensation reaction are investigated. Some characterization was performed and the results are presented and briefly discussed.     

Synthesis and characterization of aromatic polyamides containing alkylphthalimido pendent groups

A series of polyisophthalamides containing pendent phthalimido groups and flexible side spacers were prepared from four novel diacids and three commercial aromatic diamines. These polyamides were prepared in high yields and with high molecular weights by direct polycondensation with triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. The weight‐average and number‐average molecular weights, measured by gel permeation chromatography, were 70,000–137,000 and 47,000–86,000 g/mol, respectively. The novel polyamides were amorphous and readily soluble and showed glass‐transition temperatures of 150–240 °C, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the 10% weight‐loss temperatures in nitrogen were 355–430 °C, a significant improvement in thermal stability having been observed with the increase in the side‐chain length. A theoretical quantum mechanical study was successfully carried out to explain these results. Flexible and tough films, cast from polymer solutions, showed tensile strengths of 50–125 MPa. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3711–3724, 2002     

Synthesis and properties of new soluble aromatic polyamides and polyimides on the basis of N,N′‐bis(3‐aminobenzoyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine

A new N‐phenylated amide (N‐phenylamide) unit containing aromatic diamine, N,N′‐bis(3‐aminobenzoyl)‐N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine, was prepared by the condensation of N,N′‐diphenyl‐1,4‐phenylenediamine with 3‐nitrobenzoyl chloride, followed by catalytic reduction. Two series of organosoluble aromatic poly(N‐phenylamide‐imide)s and poly(N‐phenylamide‐amide)s with inherent viscosities of 0.58–0.82 and 0.56–1.21 dL/g were prepared by a conventional two‐stage method and the direct phosphorylation polycondensation, respectively, from the diamine with various aromatic dianhydrides and aromatic dicarboxylic acids. All polyimides and polyamides are amorphous and readily soluble in many organic solvents such as N,N‐dimethylacetamide and N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone. These polymers could be solution cast into transparent, tough, and flexible films with high tensile strengths. These polyimides and polyamides had glass‐transition temperatures in the ranges of 230–258 and 196–229 °C, respectively. Decomposition temperatures of the polyimides for 10% weight loss all occurred above 500 °C in both nitrogen and air atmospheres. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2564–2574, 2002     

Polyterephthalamides with naphthoxy‐pendent groups

A series of new aromatic polyamides having pendent naphthoxy groups were synthesized by the triphenyl phosphite‐activated polycondensation of (2‐naphthoxy)terephthalic acid (NOTPA) with various aromatic diamines in a medium consisting of N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP), pyridine, and calcium chloride. The diacid monomer NOTPA was prepared from the nitro displacement of dimethyl 2‐nitroterephthalate with the potassium naphthoxide of β‐naphthol, followed by base‐induced ester hydrolysis. All the resulting polymers were noncrystalline and readily soluble in aprotic polar solvents such as NMP and N,N‐dimethylacetamide. Almost all the polymers could be solution‐cast to tough, creasable amorphous films with good mechanical properties, the values of tensile strengths ranging from 90 to 124 MPa with initial moduli ranging from 1.72 to 2.51 GPa. Except for two examples, all the other polyamides displayed discernible glass transitions between 189 and 248 °C in the differential scanning calorimetric traces. These polyamides showed insignificant decomposition below 400 °C in nitrogen or air. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1781–1789, 2002     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides derived from di(4-cyanophenyl)isosorbide

New optically active polyamides were synthesized according to two ways: using a microwave-assisted polycondensation of an optically active isosorbide-derived diacylchloride with different aromatic diamines in NMP and using interfacial polymerization from an isosorbide-derived diamine with different diacylchlorides. The polymers are obtained with inherent viscosities in the range from 0.11 to 1.05 dL/g. The DSC and TGA measurements clearly demonstrate the high thermal stability of these polymers when considering the range of the melting points from 200 °C to 300 °C and the absence of decomposition till 350 °C.