Local Transient Jamming in Stress Relaxation of Bulk Amorphous Polymers

Bulk amorphous polymers become stretched and parallel-aligned under loading stress,and their intermolecular cooperation slows down the subsequent stress relaxation process.By means of dynamic Monte Carlo simulations,we employed the linear viscoelastic Maxwell model for stress relaxation of single polymers and investigated their intermolecular cooperation in the stress relaxation process of stretched and parallel-aligned bulk amorphous polymers.We carried out thermal fluctuation analysis on the reproduced Debye relaxation and Arrhenius fluid behaviors of bulk polymers.We found a transient state with stretch-coil coexistence among polymers in the stress relaxation process.Further structure analysis revealed a scenario of local jamming at the transient state,resulting in an entropy barrier for stretch-coil transition of partial polymers.The microscopic mechanism of intermolecular cooperation appears as unique to polymer stress relaxation,which interprets the hydrodynamic interactions as one of essential factors raising a high viscosity in bulk amorphous polymers.Our simulations set up a platform of molecular modeling in the study of polymer stress relaxation,which brought new insights into polymer dynamics and the related mechanical/rheological properties.     

Configurational enthalpy of polystyrene

Recent precision measurements of the heats of combustion of atactic and isotactic polystyrene permit an unequivocal calculation of the enthalpy difference in the bulk amorphous forms of the two isomers of this polymer. Contributions to this quantity arise mainly from the differences in nonbonded interactions in the two configurations but may also contain terms relating to higher energy conformations and to intermolecular interactions. The thermochemical and NMR data of specific polymers and of simple molecules are discussed in a comparison with model compound calculations. The thermochemical method has potentially important applications in studying molecular interactions in stereoregular polymers.     

Intermolecular interactions in polymer blends: 1D and 2D NMR studies

Most mixtures of high molecular weight polymers are not miscible in the absence of specific intermolecular interactions. We have used two dimensional NMR in solutions and in the solid state to probe these interactions and to gain a molecular level understanding of the forces that control polymer blend formation. The results show that weak, but specific intermolecular interactions often control the phase structure of polymer blends.     

Nonlinear Viscoelasticity Raised at Low Temperatures by Intermolecular Cooperation of Bulk Amorphous Polymers

We performed dynamic Monte Carlo simulations of stress relaxation in parallel-aligned and uniaxially stretched bulk amorphous polymers at low temperatures.We observed an extra-slowing down in the early stage of stress relaxation,which causes nonlinear viscoelasticity as deviated from Debye relaxation and Arrhenius-fluid behaviors observed previously at high temperatures.Meanwhile,fluctuation analysis of stress relaxation revealed a substantial increase in the stretch fractions of polymers at the transient periods of high-temperature Debye relaxation.Structural analysis of free volume further revealed the scenario that,at low temperatures,the modulus of polymer entropy elasticity decreases with temperature and eventually loses its competition to the imposed modulus (Deborah number becomes larger than one),and hence upon stress relaxation under constant strains,monomers are firstly accumulated nearby two stretching ends of polymers,resulting in tentative global jamming like physical cross-linking there,and thus retarding the coming transient state of stress relaxation.We concluded that intermolecular cooperation raises physical crosslinking for nonlinear viscoelasticity of polymer stress relaxation as well as the rubbery states unique to bulk amorphous polymers.The new microscopic mechanism of the fluid-rubbery transition of polymers may bring insights into the intermolecular cooperation mechanism of glass transition of small molecules,if the fluid-rubbery transition is regarded as an extrapolation of glass transition from low to high molecular weights.     

Relaxation phenomena in latex polymers modified with water-soluble phthalocyanine

The relaxation properties of polymer composites based on latex styrene-alkyl methacrylate polymers and water-soluble 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octa[(3,5-biscarboxy)-phenoxy]phthalocyanine are studied in the temperature range from ?150 to +250°C. Characteristic mechanical loss maxima are observed on the inner friction spectra of unmodified and modified polymers corresponding to various patterns of intermolecular mobility and local and segmental types of intermolecular interactions. The modification of the polymers is accompanied by decreases in their glass-transition temperatures. This effect may be explained by a decrease in the intermolecular interactions of copolymer units in the presence of phthalocyanine.     

AQUEOUS TWO PHASE SYSTEMS FROM CYCLODEXTRIN POLYMERS AND HYDROPHOBICALLY MODIFIED ACRYLIC POLYMERS

In this study, a copolymer of N,N-dimethylacrylamide and hydroxyethyl-methacrylate was synthesized and hydrophobically modified with about 2 mole % of adamantyl groups. The mixing of this modified copolymer with water-soluble β-cyclodextrin polymers reveals thickening properties. Inclusion complexes formation between adamantyl groups and β-cyclodextrin cavities are responsible of intermolecular associations. Above a given total polymer concentration a phase separation occurs, giving a gel phase topped by a liquid phase. We have stated the phase diagram by analysis of the two phases in equilibrium. It has been observed that the two polymers are present in both phases and that the gel phase is more concentrated than the other one. This phase behavior is an original complex coacervation phenomenom which is due to the specific attractive interactions of the two different macromolecules: inclusion complexes formed between the two neutral polymers.     

Luminescence studies in polymers-IX. Polarization of the fluorescence of copolymer films

Energy migration has been directly demonstrated to be very efficient in solid polymers by studying the depolarization of the fluorescence of copolymer films as a function of composition. The results are compared with those obtained for the same copolymers in glassy solution. They indicate that migration is more important in bulk polymers than in dilute glassy solutions owing to intermolecular interactions in agreement with the structural models proposed for amorphous polymers.     

几种典型固体聚合物体系的~（13）C自旋－晶格弛豫特性

用固体高分辨ＮＭＲ系统地研究了几种典型的均聚物，共聚物，聚合物共混物以及用接枝共聚物增容的不相容聚合物共混体系的１３Ｃ自旋－晶格弛豫特性。研究结果表明：１３Ｃ自旋－晶格弛豫时间（Ｔ１（Ｃ））是表征固体聚合物体系的很有用参数，它能提供有关本体聚合物微观形态结构的信息，并可望建立聚合物的微观结构与宏观性能的关系，它不仅能准确无误地反映共混体系中可能存在的各种相互作用，而且能定性地给出相互作用的大小和准确地指明相互作用产生的位置，因而为揭示共混体系的相容机理提供了最直接的证据，另外Ｔ１（Ｃ）还能给出增容剂对不相容共混体系的增容作用和增容机制的直接实验证据     

Structure and aggregation of a helix-forming polymer

We have studied the competition between helix formation and aggregation for a simple polymer model. We present simulation results for a system of two such polymers, examining the potential of mean force, the balance between intermolecular and intramolecular interactions, and the promotion or disruption of secondary structure brought on by the proximity of the two molecules. In particular, we demonstrate that proximity between two such molecules can stabilize secondary structure. However, for this model, observed secondary structure is not stable enough to prevent collapse of the system into an unstructured globule.     

The Grüneisen parameter and Poisson coefficient for glassy organic polymers and inorganic glasses

The Grüneisen lattice parameter has been calculated from the data on the Poisson coefficient for amorphous polymers and glasses. For glassy polymers, the thermodynamic Grüneisen parameter characterizes anharmonicity averaged over intrachain and other vibrational modes, the Grüneisen lattice parameter defines anharmonicity of interchain interactions provided by intermolecular interactions. In the case of alkali silicate glasses, the Grüneisen lattice parameter reflects the anharmonicity of vibrations of ionic sublattice that is formed by alkali-metal ions and nonbridging oxygen atoms.     

Mesoscopic description of solvent effects on polymer dynamics

Solvent effects on polymer dynamics and structure are investigated using a mesoscopic solvent model that accounts for hydrodynamic interactions among the polymer beads. The simulation method combines molecular dynamics of the polymer chain, interacting with the solvent molecules through intermolecular forces, with mesoscopic multiparticle collision dynamics for the solvent molecules. Changes in the intermolecular forces between the polymer beads and mesoscopic solvent molecules are used to vary the solvent conditions from those for good to poor solvents. Polymer collapse and expansion dynamics following changes in solvent conditions are studied for homopolymer and block copolymer solutions. The frictional properties of polymers are also investigated.     

Dielectric relaxation in polymeric solids Part 1. A new model for the interpretation of the shape of the dielectric relaxation function

A model is proposed which explains the shape of the dielectric relaxation function at the glass transition of polymers. The model is based on the idea that the molecular mobility at the glass transition is controlled by intra- and intermolecular interaction. In addition, a specific model for the local chain dynamics in amorphous polymer systems is used. According to the scaling hypothesis of molecular dynamics the model relates the high frequency dependence of the dielectric loss curve to the local chain dynamics and the low frequency dependence to the intermolecular correlation.     

Specificity of the application of disperse and fibrous fillers in heterophase polymer materials

The mechanism of the reinforcing effect of fillers in polymer composition is studied and the relation between the properties and structure of materials is established. It is shown that, upon the addition of even a small amount of filler, properties of polymers change markedly due to intermolecular interactions. Variations in the composition of filled polymers and conditions of their preparation make it possibly to regulate properties of polymers within noticeably wide ranges. Specific features of polymer compositions filled with polymer fibers, the effect of fiber length, and the degree of orientation on the strength of composition are considered. For crosslinked epoxy urethane polymers, the effect of glass and polycaproamide (capron) fibers on the mechanical properties of polymer clutches in glassy and rubbery states is studied. The possibility to realize the shape memory effect for shrinkable filled polymer clutches is demonstrated.     

Polycaprolactone/polystyrene bioblends characterized by thermogravimetry, modulated differential scanning calorimetry and infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy

Polymer blends comprising at least one biodegradable polymer with other polymers are referred to as bioblends. Successful development of bioblends requires the biodegradable polymers to be compatible with other polymer components. Compatibility is normally assessed through the evaluation of the degree of intermolecular interactions between individual components. In this work, the degree of interaction in binary bioblends comprising biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) and polystyrene (PS) was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC) and Fourier transform infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). The TGA studies indicated that incorporation of PCL in PS results in thermal destabilization of PCL/PS bioblends. The MDSC studies showed that some parameters, such as the enthalpies of melting and crystallization, favored partial miscibility of PS in PCL, while others, such as change in the glass transition temperature, favored immiscibility. The FTIR-PAS spectra suggested the presence of intermolecular n-π interactions between PCL and PS and supported the results of TGA and MDSC analyses of PCL/PS bioblends.     

Single polymer dynamics of topologically complex DNA

Single molecule studies allow for the direct observation of polymer dynamics in dilute and concentrated solutions, thereby revealing polymer chain conformations and molecular sub-populations that may be obscured in ensemble-level measurements. Over the past two decades, researchers have used DNA as a model system to study polymer dynamics at the molecular level. The vast majority of studies have focused on linear DNA molecules; however, researchers have recently begun to study polymers with complex topologies and architectures at the single molecule level. Here, we explore recent work in single polymer dynamics focused on topologically complex DNA, including knots, ring polymers, and branched polymers. Experimental, computational, and theoretical advances have enabled in-depth studies of topologically complex DNA, with recent efforts focused on complex molecular conformations, intermolecular interactions, and topology-dependent dynamics. In this article, we highlight recent work aimed at understanding the interplay between molecular-scale behavior and the emergent properties of polymeric materials.     

高分子立构复合结晶的研究进展

立构复合结晶是高分子结晶中的一种普遍现象,也是不同高分子之间共结晶的特殊形式.互为立体异构高分子在共混物和立体嵌段共聚物中可形成立构复合结晶.由于这种独特的链凝聚结构,立构复合结晶材料与相应的同质结晶材料的性能显著不同,立构复合结晶通常可提高高分子材料的熔点、耐热性、结晶能力、结晶度、机械力学性能、耐溶剂性能等.通过立构复合结晶,可使一些非晶或难结晶的高分子转变为可结晶或高结晶度的状态,从而实现材料性能的转变.因此,互为立体异构高分子之间的立构复合结晶为聚合物材料的性能优化和调控提供了有效的途径.文献已报道了多类可立构复合结晶的聚合物体系,包括脂肪族聚酯、脂肪族聚碳酸酯、聚甲基丙烯酸酯、聚酰胺和聚酮等.本文根据聚合物化学结构的不同,针对文献已报道的可立构复合结晶的高分子体系,综述了其立构复合结晶的形成条件、结构特征与物理性质.     

Siloxanes with pendent naphthalene diimides: synthesis and fluorescence quenching

Cyclic siloxanes with pendent naphthalene diimide groups were synthesized via hydrosilylation to form amorphous electron-accepting compounds. Photophysical measurements and >99.9% fluorescence quenching of well-known p-type polymers by the siloxanes demonstrate that these siloxanes form a new class of highly efficient n-type materials that provide some control over intermolecular interactions.     

Three-Strand Conducting Ladder Polymers: Two-Step Electropolymerization of Metallorotaxanes

Sequential polymerization of supramolecular metallorotaxane complexes results in three-stranded conducting ladder polymers. The internal polymer is "sandwiched" between the other two polymers to give molecular wires that are effectively insulated when the outer polymers are in their nonconducting state (shown schematically). The intermolecular conductivity can be mediated by the Cu(1+)/Cu(2+) redox couple.     

The role of surface in the atomic mechanism of fracture of polymers

Highly oriented polymer films were stretched along the axis of orientation. Using i.r. transmission and reflection spectroscopy, the scission of polymer molecules under stress in the volume and in the surface layer ~ lμm thick was studied. The accumulation of scissions of chemical bonds in the surface layer was found to be at least an order more intense than that in the volume. It is shown that this phenomenon is due to considerable heterogeneity of external load distribution over chemical bonds near the surface. It is inferred that the surface plays a leading role in the fracture mechanism of polymers.The intensity of the intermolecular interactions in the volume and on the surface of polymers was studied and was found to be lower in the surface layer. It is proposed that the role of surface in the fracture process results from weakening of the intermolecular interactions.     

Liquid crystalline homopolyesters having main chain calamitic mesogens and one or two side chain azobenzene moieties in the repeat units

Combined semi-rigid homopolyesters, containing both main chain calamitic mesogens and one or two side chain azobenzene units separated by aliphatic (hexamethylene, octamethylene and decamethylene) chains in the polymer repeat units, were prepared and their liquid crystalline properties characterized. Polyesters having two side chain azobenzene units and a main chain biphenyl moiety showed a higher ordered smectic B or smectic F phase, whereas the other polymers containing a main chain 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole unit and one or two side chain methoxyazobenzene units formed a smectic C phase despite the presence of different mesogens in the main and side chains. This is probably due to the compact molecular chain-packing and intra- and intermolecular interactions between the polymer backbones and the two azobenzene units.