Suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride initiated by in situ generated diisobutyryl peroxide

It was found that diacyl peroxides can be formed in situ in a polymerization medium by the reaction of an acid anhydride with hydrogen peroxide. For the specific application to aqueous vinyl chloride polymerization, an initiator system based on the base-catalyzed reaction of isobutyric anhydride with hydrogen peroxide to produce diisobutyryl peroxide gave very good results. In contrast, the acid chloride was completely ineffective as a peroxide precursor in this reaction. Studies pointing to diisobutyryl peroxide as the initiating species; investigations of reactant stoichiometry; and comparison of the in situ system with preformed diisobutyryl peroxide were conducted. It was shown that this system makes possible the polymerization of vinyl chloride at 30°C at rates comparable to those obtained with dialkyl peroxydicarbonates at 50°C, thus demonstrating the ability of this system to initiate vinyl chloride polymerization at low temperature. The rates of vinyl chloride polymerization with the use of different concentrations of in situ diisobutyryl peroxide at 30, 40, and 50°C were determined. Similarly, polymerization rates with the use of combinations of in situ diisobutyryl peroxide and n-propyl peroxydicarbonate were determined. The data obtained demonstrate rapid initiation of the polymerization reaction and a reduction in polymerization time made possible by this dual initiator system. These results were verified in pilot-plant and commercial-scale PVC polymerizations.     

MMA/DVB emulsion surface graft polymerization initiated by UV light

Methyl methacrylate/1,2-divinylbenzene (MMA/DVB) in an opaque emulsion were successfully grafted onto the surface of polymeric substrate under the irradiation of UV light with benzophenone (BP) as a photoinitiator that was previously coated on the substrate surface. Monomer conversion, grafting efficiency, and grafting yields were determined by the gravimetric method. ATR-IR, AFM, and TEM were used to characterize the surface composition, to observe the topography of the grafted substrates, and to view inter-film colloid particles formed by cross-linking. The results reveal that, with the opaque MMA/DVB emulsion system and CPP film as substrate, the monomer conversion is in the range of 15-55%, the grafting efficiency is about 80%, the grafting yield reaches 5%, and the thickness of the graft layer can be controlled in the range 0.09-1.5 microm. Images of AFM show that the graft layer is piled up by nanoparticles (about 30-50 nm in diameter), which are linked together and tied to the substrate surface with covalent bonds. A possible model of surface graft polymerization including surface initiating, nucleation, and shish kebab growing is put forward to interpreting the above results.     

Living anionic surface initiated polymerization (LASIP) of isoprene from silica nano- and glass particles

Living anionic surface initiated polymerization (LASIP) of isoprene from initiator modified silica nano- and glass particles is conducted. In order to prepare polyisoprene-silica composites, the surfaces of the particles are modified with three coupling agents, each bearing a diphenyl ethylene (DPE) moiety with different alkyl-spacer lengths, thus separating the DPE moiety in different distance from the particles’ surfaces. Surface initiated polymerization reactions from modified particle surfaces are performed by using n-BuLi to activate the DPE units and benzene as solvent via LASIP. Grafted polyisoprene-silica composites are analyzed via TGA, resulting in grafting densities of the produced inorganic-polymer composites in the range from 0.10 to 0.24 chains/nm². Analysis via GPC reveals polydispersity values ranging from 1.1 to 1.7. The final microstructure of the grafted polyisoprene is investigated via NMR, revealing 15% 1,2, 35% cis-1,4 and 50% trans-1,4, irrespective of the spacer length of the DPE bearing coupling agent.     

Tailored surface properties of monodispersed polymer particles with PCL hairy chains synthesized by hydroxyl‐initiated ring‐opening polymerization

Polymeric particles with hydrophobic PCL hairy chains were prepared by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) from hydrophilic core particles, which were prepared by soap‐free emulsion polymerization of styrene, 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and divinylbenzene. Due to the incorporation of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate in the core particles, hydroxyl groups on the surface of core particles could be obtained, and in the following ROP of ε‐caprolactone, the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the particles could effectively initiate the polymerization. Various reaction conditions were evaluated to produce hairy particles with optimal grafting efficiency. The presence of hydrophobic polymeric hairs on the surface of particles led to a dramatic improvement in their dispersibility in oil phase. By controlling the grafting amount of PCL on the surface of hydrophilic core particles, the surface properties of the hairy particles could be well tailored, represented the change of water contact angles from 75.0° to 114.6°. The prepared hairy particles were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4552–4563, 2007     

Preparation of poly(methyl methacrylate) microcapsules by in situ polymerization on the surface of calcium carbonate particles

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microcapsules were prepared by the in situ polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide on the surface of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) particles, followed by the dissolution of the CaCO₃ core in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid solution. The microcapsules were characterized using fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The average sizes of the CaCO₃ particles and PMMA capsules were 3.8 ± 0.6 and 4.0 ± 0.6 μm, respectively. A copolymer consisting of MMA and rhodamine B-bearing MMA was also used to prepare microcapsules for fluorescent microscopy observations. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin was enclosed in the PMMA microcapsules and its release properties were studied.     

Preparation of polystyrene particles with narrow particle size distribution by γ-ray initiated miniemulsion polymerization stabilized by polymeric surfactant

Co-60 γ-ray initiated miniemulsion polymerization of styrene stabilized by an alkali soluble polymeric surfactant (ASPS) was studied in this work. The affecting factors, including absorbed dose, dose rate, surfactant concentration, and hexadecane (HD) concentration, were systematically studied. The particle size and particle size distribution (PSD) of final latexes was determined by transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results indicated that polystyrene (PS) particles with narrow PSD could be easily prepared by this method, and the particle size could be controlled from 50 nm to 250 nm by adjusting the concentration of HD and ASPS. HD concentration, surfactant concentration, dose rate and total absorbed dose strongly affected the particle size and PSD of PS latexes.     

Coral-shaped and core-shell structure copolyethylene nanocomposites particles prepared by in situ coordination polymerization

The example of the preparation of nano- and micro-scaled, coral-shaped and core-shell topological morphology of copolyethylene particles promoted by the novel heterogeneous non-metallocene catalyst(m-CH3 Ph O)Ti Cl3/carbon nanotubes(CNTs) was reported. Mass fraction of titanium component of the catalyst was 4.0 wt% determined by ICP analysis. The catalyst system can effectively catalyze polymerization of ethylene and copolymerization of ethylene with 1-hexene. Morphological examination of the obtained polymer particles was carried out by scanning electron microscope(SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscope(HR-TEM) technique. The results revealed that the morphology of the nascent copolyethylene particles looked like coral shape with size in micro-scaled and featured the core-shell structure consisting of CNTs as the core and copolyethylene as the shell.     

Solvent dependent friction force response of polystyrene brushes prepared by surface initiated polymerization

Polystyrene (PS) brushes were prepared on oxide passivated silicon by the surface initiated polymerization (SIP) technique. From an AIBN-type free radical initiator, which was silanized and immobilized on silicon wafers, styrene brushes were directly polymerized and grafted from the surface. The formation of the initiator monolayer and, subsequently, the polymer brush on the surface were monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ellipsometry. Friction force measurements were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), using a 5 microm SiO2 colloidal sphere tip and under systematically varied solvent environments (nonpolar to polar), to demonstrate the dependence of brush lubricity on solvation. The relative uptake of solvents in the PS brush was determined by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and it correlates well with friction data. It is surmised that, in poor solvent environments, the polymer brush exists in a collapsed conformation, giving rise to the higher observed friction response.     

Synthesis of selenium nano-composite (t-Se@PS) by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization

Selenium nanostructures, which are otherwise susceptible to oxidative damage, were encapsulated with a thin layer of polystyrene. The thin layer of polystyrene was grafted onto the surfaces of selenium by a surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization reaction. These encapsulated nanostructures demonstrate an enhanced resistance towards corrosion.     

Peroxidase-catalyzed in situ polymerization of surface orientated caffeic acid

Nanoscale surface patterning and polymerization of caffeic acid on 4-aminothiophenol-functionalized gold surfaces has been demonstrated with dip pen nanolithography (DPN). The diphenolic moiety of caffeic acid can be polymerized by biocatalysis with laccase or horseradish peroxidase. In the present study, the DPN patterned features were polymerized in situ through the use of the peroxidase. Using samples prepared by DPN, microcontact printing, and adsorption on macroscopic substrates, the products were characterized by electrostatic force microscopy (EFM), MALDI-TOF, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-vis, and FT-IR. The in situ surface polymerization resulted in the formation of a quinone structure, while the phenyl ester formed in bulk polymerization reactions was not detected. A different coupling site was observed when comparing the polymers obtained from solution (bulk) vs the surface DPN reactions. The structural differences were attributed to surface-induced pre-organization and orientation of the monomers prior to the enzymatic polymerization step. The results of this study expand the application of DPN technology to surface modification and surface chemistry reactions wherein stereo-regularity and regioselectivity can be exploited.     

Synthesis of magnetic chelator for high-capacity immobilized metal affinity adsorption of protein by cerium initiated graft polymerization

A novel magnetic chelator with high adsorption capacity of protein by immobilized metal affinity adsorption was prepared by cerium (IV) initiated graft polymerization of tentacle-type polymer chains with iminodiacetic acid (IDA) chelating group on magnetic particles with hydroxyl groups. The micron-sized magnetic poly(vinyl acetate-divinylbenzene) (PVAc-DVB) particles were prepared by a modified suspension polymerization in the presence of oleic acid-coated magnetite nanoparticles and subsequently modified by ester exchange reaction to introduce functional hydroxyl groups. Bovine hemoglobin (BHb) was selected as a model protein to investigate the adsorption capacity of these magnetic particles. The magnetic particles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results showed that the magnetic particles had an average size of 5 microm and superparamagnetism with saturation magnetization of 20.0 emu/g at room temperature. The protein adsorption indicated that the graft polymerization of tentacle type polymer chains on the magnetic particles could produce magnetic adsorbents with high adsorption capacity (1428.21 mg/g) and low nonspecific adsorption of protein. The magnetic particles with grafted tentacle polymer chains have potential application in large-scale affinity separation of proteins.     

Graft polymerization of methyl methacrylate from silica initiated by peroxide groups introduced onto the surface

The surface grafting onto ultrafine silica by the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by peroxide groups introduced onto the surface was investigated. The introduction of peroxide groups onto the silica surface was achieved by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with chlorosilyl groups, which were introduced by the treatment of silica with thionyl chloride. The content of diisopropylbenzene peroxide and tert-butyl peroxide groups introduced onto the silica according to the above method was determined to be 0.11 and 0.08 mmol/g, respectively. It was found that the polymerization of MMA is initiated by silica having these peroxide groups. In the polymerization, polyMMA was grafted onto silica surface: the percentage of grafting reached about 70%. Therefore, it was concluded that the polymerization of MMA is initiated by surface radicals formed by the decomposition of peroxide groups on silica and polyMMA is grafted through the propagation from the surface. During the polymerization, ungrafted polyMMA was also formed because of the formation of initiator fragments by the decomposition of peroxide groups: the grafting efficiency of the graft polymerization was 30–40%. PolyMMA-grafted silica produced a stable colloidal dispersion in organic solvents for polyMMA. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of novel size exclusion chromatography support by surface initiated aqueous atom transfer radical polymerization

We report the use of aqueous surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) to grow polymer brushes from a "gigaporous" polymeric chromatography support for use as a novel size exclusion chromatography medium. Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) was grown from hydrolyzable surface initiators via SI-ATRP catalyzed by 1,1,4,7,10,10-hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (HMTETA)/CuCl. Grafted polymer was characterized semiquantitatively by ATR-FTIR and also cleaved and quantitatively characterized for mass, molecular weight, and polydispersity via analytical SEC/MALLS. The synthesis provides control over graft density and allows the creation of dense brushes. Incorporation of negative surface charge was found to be crucial for improving the initiation efficiency. As polymer molecular weight and density could be controlled through reaction conditions, the resulting low-polydispersity grafted polymer brush medium is shown to be suitable for use as a customizable size exclusion chromatography medium for investigating the principals of entropic interaction chromatography. All packed media investigated showed size-dependent partitioning of solutes, even for low graft density systems. Increasing the molecular weight of the grafts allowed solutes more access to the volume fraction in the column available for partitioning. Compared to low graft density media, increased graft density caused eluted solute probes to be retained less within the column and allowed for greater size discrimination of probes whose molecular weights were less than 10(4) kDa.     

Polymer modification of colloidal particles by spontaneous polymerization of surface active monomers

Adsorption and spontaneous polymerization of head- or tail-type surface active monomers having long methylene chains on colloidal silica and δ-alumina were investigated. Both head-type and tail-type ammonium monomers on silica in chloroform or tetrahydrofuran had the maximum adsorption on the respective adsorption isotherm. Above the monomer concentration giving the maximum adsorption, it was observed that the monomer formed micelles or clusters in bulk solution with removal of adsorbed water molecules from the silica surface. At the monomer concentration giving the maximum adsorption, heating the silica suspension containing the monomer at 40°C or 60°C in tetrahydrofuran or chloroform solution resulted in spontaneous polymerization. The composite particles formed by polymerization were observed to have many spots consisting of polymer on the surface. Therefore, it is suggested that the monomers are concentrated by micelle-like aggregation on the silica surface and consecutively spontaneous polymerization takes place. Adsorption of an anion-type monomer having a carboxyl group on δ-alumina, which exhibited a positive ζ potential in neutral aqueous solution, was higher than that on colloidal silica, but did not spontaneously polymerize on alumina. Received: 13 June 1998 Accepted in revised form: 19 August 1998     

Platelet adhesion and protein adsorption on silicone rubber surface by ozone-induced grafted polymerization with carboxybetaine monomer

Platelet adhesion and protein adsorption on the silicone rubber film grafted with N,N'-dimethyl-N-methacryloyloxyethyl-N-(2-carboxyethyl) ammonium (DMMCA) was studied. The grafting was carried out by means of ozone-induced method and was confirmed by ATR-FTIR and XPS investigations. The grafted films possessed relatively hydrophilic surface revealed by contact angle measurement. The blood compatibility of the grafted film was evaluated in vitro by platelet adhesion in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and protein absorption in bovine fibrinogen (BFG) using silicone film as the reference. No substantial platelet adhesion was observed for the grafted films incubated in PRP for 60 and 180 min. The protein absorption was also significantly reduced after incubated in bovine fibrinogen for 60 min. Both the results indicated that the blood compatibility of silicone rubber was greatly improved by ozone-induced grafting of carboxybetaine zwitterionic polymer onto its surface.     

Bismuth microelectrode system with in situ renewable surface for electroanalysis and adsorption studies

A modified scrape method for preparation of nearly single crystalline bismuth microelectrode with the in situ renewable surface and the corresponding measurement system has been worked out, being a promising replacement of the toxic dropping mercury electrode. The cleaved bismuth capillary electrode (BiCCE) surface is renewed in situ by breaking 320 μm long cylinders onto a top of a capillary. This process can be repeated 150 times for the 5 cm long electrode. The AFM data and electrochemical measurements of pyridine adsorption indicate that the cleaved surface consists mainly of the Bi(1 1 1) single crystal plane areas. The very pure in situ renewable surface enables to measure the zero charge potential at the moment of the electrode cleavage. Some examples of electrochemical detection with the BiCCE are shown like trace metal stripping and flow-injection analysis of some ions and organic compounds.     

The cationic polymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone initiated electrochemically by anodic polarization on a Pt surface

The electroinitiated polymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone has been investigated. After electrolysis at controlled potential, a thin, covering, and homogeneous film of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) appears on the electrode. The insolubility of the polymer in its classical solvents implies the existence of a true chemical grafting of macromolecules on the platinum surface. Chain propagation occurs by a cationic mechanism initiated by a direct electron transfer leading to grafted cations on the surface, followed by the nucleophilic attack of neutral molecules. The molecular weight of the polymer was estimated by gel permeation chromatography after having mechanically removed the film from the electrode. A molecular weight distribution curve showing an average value of 16,000 was observed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Nanocapsule of cationic liposomes obtained using "in situ" acrylic acid polymerization: stability, surface charge and biocompatibility

In this work, didecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) (2.5:1) were used to prepare liposomes coated with polyacrylic acid (PAA) using "in situ" polymerization with 2.5, 5 and 25 mM of acrylic acid (AA). The PAA concentrations were chosen to achieve partially to fully covered capsules, and the polymerization reaction was observed with real-time monitoring using dynamic light scattering (NanoDLS). The DDAB:DOPE liposomes showed stability in the tested temperature range (25-70°C), whereas the results confirmed the success of the polymerization according to superficial charge (zeta potential of +66.7±1.2 mV) results and AFM images. For the liposomes that were fully coated with PAA (zeta potential of +0.3±3.9 mV), cytotoxicity was independent of the concentration of albumin. Cationic liposomes and nanocapsules of the stable liposomes coated with PAA were obtained by controlling the surface charge, which was the most important factor related to cytotoxicity. Thus, a potential, safe drug nanocarrier was successfully developed in this work.