Novel polyesteramide-based di- and triblock copolymers: From thermo-mechanical properties to hydrolytic degradation

Two types of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone (CLo))-co-poly(ε-caprolactam (CLa)) copolymers were prepared by catalyzed hydrolytic ring-opening polymerization. For the first type of materials, the respective cyclic comonomers were added simultaneously in the reaction medium leading to the formation of copolymers having a random distribution of co-units within the polyesteramide sequence, as evidenced by ¹H and ¹³C NMR. For the second type of copolymers, the cyclic comonomers were added sequentially in the reaction medium yielding diblock polyesteramides, again evidenced by NMR. The thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the copolymers were investigated by DSC and DMA and correlated with the copolymer topology and composition. The copolymers were characterized by a storage modulus and α transition temperature intermediate to the modulus and T_g of the corresponding homopolymers. The chemical composition and molecular weight of the copolymers proved to have only a limited effect on the thermo-mechanical properties of the materials. The hydrolytic degradation of random copolymers was studied in a phosphate buffer at 60 °C and discussed in terms of chemical composition and molecular weight of the copolymers.     

Synthesis and Study of Polymeric Ultraviolet Absorbers. II

Polymeric UV absorbers have been prepared by free-radical solution copolymerization at 75°C of methyl methacrylate and 2-hydroxy-4-methacryloyloxybenzophenone monomers at low conversion (around 10%). The composition of the copolymers was determined by UV, IR, and NMR studies. The molecular weight was estimated by GPC. The reactivity ratios were determined by several methods. Viscosity was used to study the effect of copolymer composition and solvents. The copolymers were also analyzed by TGA and DSC, and DSC was used to study the effect of copolymer composition on T_g.     

Melting and crystallization of tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymers

The melting and crystallization of copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene with ethylene, synthesized in bulk and in suspension by semi-flow method, were studied by DSC. X-ray diffractions and infrared spectra of the copolymers were measured and new crystalline reflections different from those of the homopolymers were observed. The melting temperature of the copolymers synthesized in bulk depends strongly on the composition and exhibits several maxima. A certain small decrease in the melting temperature within the range of the alternating composition is observed. For alternating copolymers synthesized in suspension, the peaks are monomodal indicating a higher structural and chemical homogeneity of the copolymer. The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics in the temperature interval from 260 to 255°C of the alternating copolymer prepared in suspension can be described by a modified Avrami equation. The mechanism of nucleation and nuclei growth during the nonisothermal crystallization of the tetrafluoroethylene-ethylene copolymer is close to that of polyethylene.     

Study of molecular motion of block copolymers in solution by high-resolution proton magnetic resonance

Molecular motions of hydrophobic–hydrophilic water-soluble block copolymers in solution were investigated by high-resolution proton magnetic resonance (NMR). Samples studied include block copolymers of polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide), polybutadiene–poly(ethylene oxide), and poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide). NMR measurements were carried out varying molecular weight, temperature, and solvent composition. For AB copolymers of polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide), two peaks caused by the phenyl protons of low-molecular-weight (M?_n = 3,300) copolymer were clearly resolved in D₂O at 100°C, but the phenyl proton peaks of high-molecular-weight (M?_n = 13,500 and 36,000) copolymers were too broad to observe in the same solvent, even at 100°C. It is concluded that polystyrene blocks are more mobile in low-molecular-weight copolymer in water than in high-molecular-weight copolymer in the same solvent because the molecular weight of the polystyrene block of the low-molecular-weight copolymer is itself small. In the mixed solvent D₂O and deuterated tetrahydrofuran (THF-d₈), two peaks caused by the phenyl protons of the high-molecular-weight (M?_n = 36,000) copolymer were clearly resolved at 67°C. It is thought that the molecular motions of the polystyrene blocks are activated by the interaction between these blocks and THF in the mixed solvent.     

Co60 γ-radiation-induced copolymerization of ethylene and carbon monoxide

The γ-radiation-induced free-radical copolymerization of ethylene and CO has been investigated over a wide range of pressure, initial gas composition, radiation intensity, and temperature. At 20°C., concentrations of CO up to 1% retard the polymerization of ethylene. Above this concentration the rate reaches a maximum between 27.5 and 39.2% CO and then decreases. The copolymer composition increases only from 40 to 50% CO when the gas mixture is varied from 5 to 90% CO. A relatively constant reactivity ratio is obtained at 20°C., indicating that CO adds 23.6 times as fast as an ethylene monomer to an ethylene free-radical chain end. For a 50% CO gas mixture, the above value of 23.6 and the copolymerization rate decrease with increasing temperature to 200°C. The kinetic data indicate a temperature-dependent depropagation reaction. Infrared examination of copolymers indicates a polyketone structure containing ? CH₂? CH₂? and ? CO? units. The crystalline melting point increases rapidly from 111 to 242°C., as the CO concentration in the copolymer increases from 27 to 50%. Molecular weight of copolymer formed at 20°C. increased with increasing CO, indicating M?_n values >20,000. Increasing reaction temperature results in decreasing molecular weight. Onset of decomposition for a 50% CO copolymer was measured at ≈250°C.     

Synthesis and hydrolytic degradation of a random copolymer derived from 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one and glycolide

Novel biodegradable copolymers, poly(1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one‐co‐glycolide) [P(DON‐co‐GA)] containing a high proportion of 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one (DON), were synthesized by copolymerizations of DON and glycolide (GA) at 120 °C for 16 h using stannous octoate as catalyst. Chemical composition and microstructural variation of the resulting copolymer were investigated by ¹H‐ and ¹³C NMR and thermal properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). From the ¹³C NMR spectra, it was observed that, apart from the expected preponderance of DON sequences, the minor component, GA, was indeed distributed at various points along the copolymer chain rather than incorporated as distinct blocks, which is consistent with a random sequence distribution. This view also was supported by the DSC results, which showed that most copolymers were amorphous except for one with a relatively high fraction of DON. The conclusion that it was a random structure rather than a statistical copolymer is discussed, using the theories about the mechanism of this type of polymerization in current as a reference. P(DON‐co‐GA) films were prepared by casting the copolymer solution in hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) with two concentrations of the polymeric solution (10 and 25 wt %). The in vitro hydrolytic degradation behaviors of these films were studied in phosphate buffer solution (pH = 7.4) at 37 °C and characterized by DSC, scanning electron microscopy, weight loss, and change in inherent viscosity. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2558–2566, 2004     

Synthesis and characterization of copoly(arylene sulfide)s

Copolymerizations of p-dichlorobenzene (DCB)/4-bromophenyl ether (BPE), DCB/4,4′-dibromobiphenyl (DBB), and DBB/BPE pairs with sodium sulfide under high temperature (270–290°C) utilizing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP) as solvent were carried out to give C(DCB/BPE), C(DCB/DBB), and C(DBB/BPE) copolymers, respectively. The reactivity of dihaloaromatic monomers toward thiolate anion in the polycondensation reaction followed the order DBB > DCB > BPE. The reactivity gap between DBB and DCB toward thiolate anion seemed to be smaller than that between BPE and DCB, resulting in both high yield and high molecular weight in the C(DCB/DBB) copolymers compared to C(DCB/BPE) copolymers. The copolymerization of DBB/BPE pair with sodium sulfide, which has larger reactivity gap than the DCB/DBB or DCB/BPE pair, gave mixtures of PBS and PPSE homopolymers especially in the range of 50–80 mol % BPE in the feed. The C(DCB/DBB) and C(DCB/BPE) copolymers, however, exhibited random copolymer character in all comonomer ratios in the feed as evidenced by copolymer composition and DSC data. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2311–2317, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of semicrystalline triblockcopolymers of isotactic polystyrene and polydimethylsiloxane

iPS‐b‐PDMS‐b‐iPS triblock copolymers were prepared by hydrosilylation of vinyl‐terminated isotactic polystyrenes (iPS) with α,ω‐bis(dimethylsilane)‐terminated poly(dimethylsiloxane)s (PDMS). As a function of the molecular weights of the two components, the triblock copolymer composition was varied between 9.0 and 98 wt % iPS. The resulting triblock copolymers remained soluble during block copolymer synthesis due to slow iPS crystallization in solution. At iPS content exceeding 31 wt %, the iPS crystallization was achieved by postpolymerization annealing and melt processing. The triblock copolymers melted above 200 °C with melting temperatures very similar to those of the corresponding iPS homopolymers. Nanostructure and microstructure formation of both amorphous and semicrystalline triblock copolymers were examined by means of light microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and TEM measurements. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Block polymers from isocyanate-terminated intermediates. II. Preparation of butadiene–ϵ-caprolactam and styrene–ϵ-caprolactam block polymers

Polystyrene–nylon 6 and polybutadiene–nylon 6 block copolymers have been prepared from isocyanate-terminated prepolymers. From extraction and fractionation data the products obtained were found to be mixtures of both homopolymers and pure block copolymer. The polybutadiene–nylon 6 copolymers are extremely pliable at ambient temperatures even at high ?-caprolactam contents (70–80 wt-%). This is true even though these copolymers show a crystalline melting point at 213°C similar to poly-?-caprolactam. Presumably this unusual behavior occurs because of the nature of the synthesis which renders the butadiene portion of these copolymers the continuous phase. Plasticity measurements indicate that pliability is dependent on the molecular weight of the block poly-?-caprolactam.     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable triblock copolymers based on bacterial poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] by atom transfer radical polymerization

Biodegradable poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)–poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate]–poly (tert‐butyl acrylate) triblock copolymers based on bacterial poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. The chain architectures of the triblock copolymers were confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra. Gel permeation chromatography analysis was used to estimate the molecular weight characteristics and lengths of the PHB and poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) blocks of the copolymers. The thermal properties of the copolymers were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). TGA showed that the triblock copolymers underwent stepwise thermal degradation and had better thermal stability than their respective homopolymers, whereas DSC analyses showed that a microphase‐separation structure was formed only in the triblock copolymers with the longer PHB block. As a similar result, from wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction experimentation, the crystalline phase of PHB could not be seen evidently in the triblock copolymers with the shorter PHB block. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the copolymer films was carried at 37 °C and pH 7.4 in a potassium phosphate buffer with an extracellular PHB depolymerase from Penicillum sp. The biodegradability of the triblock copolymers increased with an increase in the PHB block content. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4857–4869, 2005     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly(trimethylenecarbonate‐ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(p‐dioxanone) copolymers

A series of poly(trimethylenecarbonate‐ε‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(p‐dioxanone) copolymers were prepared with varying feed rations by using two step polymerization reactions. Poly(trimethylenecarbonate)(ε‐caprolactone) random copolymer was synthesized with stannous‐2‐ethylhexanoate and followed by adding p‐dioxanone monomer as the other block. The ring opening polymerization was carried out at high temperature and long reaction time to get high molecular weight polymers. The monofilament fibers were obtained using conventional melting spun methods. The copolymers were identified by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The physicochemical properties, such as viscosity, molecular weight, melting point, glass transition temperature, and crystallinity, were studied. The hydrolytic degradation of copolymers was studied in a phosphate buffer solution, pH = 7.2, 37 °C, and a biological absorbable test was performed in rats. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2790–2799, 2005     

Synthesis and characterization of poly (2-vinylpridine)-b-poly (t-butyl methacrylate)

The synthesis of well defined and monodisperse (M_w/M_n ≤ 1.2) narrow molecular weight distribution poly (2-vinylpyridine)-poly (t-butyl methacrylate) (P2VP-PTBMA) AB block copolymers is carried out by initiation of 2-vinylpyridine polymerization by 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium in THF at-78°C, followed by addition of TBMA and termination at ?78°C using MeOH. The formation of the BAB block copolymer is carried out in a similar fashion except that 1,4-dilithio-1,1,4,4-tetraphenylbutane is used as initiator. The corresponding synthesis of P2VP-PMMA block copolymers is carried in a similar manner, except that 1-2 equivalents of TBMA is used to end-functionalize the living P2VP before the addition of MMA. Without the addition of TBMA, trimodal molecular weight distributions in P2VP-b-PMMA are obtained. All the block copolymers are characterized by Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Analytical strategy for the molecular weight determination of random copolymers of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(methacrylic acid)

Molecular weight characterization of random amphiphilic copolymers currently represents an analytical challenge. In particular, molecules composed of methacrylic acid (MAA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) as the repeat units raise issues in commonly used techniques. The present study shows that when random copolymers cannot be properly ionized by MALDI, and hence detected and measured in MS, one possible analytical strategy is to transform them into homopolymers, which are more amenable to this ionization technique. Then, by combining the molecular weight of the so-obtained homopolymers, as measured by MS, with the relative molar proportion of the MMA and MMA units, as given by ¹H NMR spectrum, one can straightforwardly estimate the molecular weight of the initial copolymer. A methylation reaction was performed to transform MAA-MMA copolymer samples into PMMA homopolymers, using trimethylsilyldiazomethane as a derivatization agent. Weight average molecular weight (M _w) parameters of the MAA-MMA copolymers could then be derived from M _w values obtained for the methylated MAA-MMA molecules by MALDI, which were also validated by pulsed gradient spin echo (PGSE) NMR. An alkene function in one of the studied copolymer end-groups was also shown to react with the methylation agent, giving rise to MMA-like polymeric by-products characterized by tandem mass spectrometry and which could be avoided by adjusting the amount of the trimethylsilyldiazomethane in the reaction medium.     

Copolymerization of N-Vinylcarbazole and Vinyl Acetate via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Polymerization

Summary: The reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) random copolymerization of N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) and vinyl acetate (VAc) was carried out using s-benzyl-o-ethyl dithiocarbonate (BED) as the chain transfer agent and 2,2′-azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator in 1,4-dioxane solution at 70 °C. The polymerization showed the characteristics of ‘living’ free radical polymerization behaviors: first order kinetics, linear relationships between molecular weight and conversion, and narrow polydispersity of the polymers. The reactivity ratios of NVC and VAc were calculated via the Kelen–Tudos (KT) and non-linear error in variable (EVM) methods and showed as r₁ = 1.938 ± 0.191, r₂ = 0.116 ± 0.106. The thermal behavior of the copolymers with different content of NVC and VAc was investigated by DSC and TGA. The results showed that the introduction of a VAc segment into copolymer significantly reduced the T_g of the NVC homopolymers. FT-IR spectra, fluorescence spectra, and cyclic voltammetric behavior of these copolymers were also measured and compared with those of NVC homopolymers. The copolymers showed similar oxidative behavior to the NVC homopolymer. However, there was only one reductive potential peak shown for the copolymers at about 0.058 V.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(L‐lactide‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) (B)‐poly(L‐lactide) (A) ABA block copolymers

ABA triblock copolymers of L ‐lactide (LL) and ε‐caprolactone (CL), designated as PLL‐P(LL‐co‐CL)‐PLL, were synthesized via a two‐step ring‐opening polymerization in bulk using diethylene glycol and stannous octoate as the initiating system. In the first‐step reaction, an approximately 50:50 mol% P(LL‐co‐CL) random copolymer (prepolymer) was prepared as the middle (B) block. This was then chain extended in the second‐step reaction by terminal block polymerization with more L ‐lactide. The percentage yields of the triblock copolymers were in excess of 95%. The prepolymers and triblock copolymers were characterized using a combination of dilute‐solution viscometry, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was found that the molecular weight of the prepolymer was controlled primarily by the diethylene glycol concentration. All of the triblock copolymers had molecular weights higher than their respective prepolymers. ¹³C‐NMR analysis confirmed that the prepolymers contained at least some random character and that the triblock copolymers consisted of additional terminal PLL end (A) blocks. From their DSC curves, the triblock copolymers were seen to be semi‐crystalline in morphology. Their glass transition, solid‐state crystallization, and melting temperature ranges, together with their heats of melting, all increased as the PLL end (A) block length increased. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ring-opening polymerization of degradable polyesters

Medium to high molecular weight random copolymers of 1,5-dioxepan-2-one (DXO) and L-lactide (L-LA) or ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) of different compositions have been investigated. Polymerization was conducted in bulk at 110°C using stannous 2-ethylhexanoate as catalyst. Poly(DXO-co-L-LA) is a hydrolysable material with a glass transition temperature (T_g) ranging from −36 up to 58°C depending on the molar composition. The material exhibited crystallinity as long as the amount of DXO did not exceed 50 weight%. Reactivity ratios were determined to r_L-LA=10 and r_DXO=0.1, giving a more blocky structure than expected in a random copolymer. The copolymer between ε-CL and DXO was shown to be a truly random copolymer by ¹³C NMR, as expected from the reactivity ratios, r_DXO=1.6 and r_ε-CL=0.6. T_g of the material was ranging from −64 up to −39°C. The ability of the poly(DXO-co-ε-CL) to crystallize was retained up to a DXO content of 40 weight%. The melting temperature and crystallinity of both copolymers decrease with increasing amount of DXO. Incorporation of semicrystalline comonomers, L-LA or ε-CL, into the amorphous poly(DXO) creates materials with adjustable properties depending on the molar composition.     

Synthesis of new amphiphilic diblock copolymers containing poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(α‐olefin)

This article discusses an effective route to prepare amphiphilic diblock copolymers containing a poly(ethylene oxide) block and a polyolefin block that includes semicrystalline thermoplastics, such as polyethylene and syndiotactic polystyrene (s‐PS), and elastomers, such as poly(ethylene‐co‐1‐octene) and poly(ethylene‐co‐styrene) random copolymers. The broad choice of polyolefin blocks provides the amphiphilic copolymers with a wide range of thermal properties from high melting temperature ～270 °C to low glass‐transition temperature ～?60 °C. The chemistry involves two reaction steps, including the preparation of a borane group‐terminated polyolefin by the combination of a metallocene catalyst and a borane chain‐transfer agent as well as the interconversion of a borane terminal group to an anionic (? O^?K⁺) terminal group for the subsequent ring‐opening polymerization of ethylene oxide. The overall reaction process resembles a transformation from the metallocene polymerization of α‐olefins to the ring‐opening polymerization of ethylene oxide. The well‐defined reaction mechanisms in both steps provide the diblock copolymer with controlled molecular structure in terms of composition, molecular weight, moderate molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 2.5), and absence of homopolymer. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3416–3425, 2002     

Kinetics of free-radical copolymerization of α-methylstyrene and styrene

The free-radical copolymerization of α-methylstyrene and styrene has been studied in toluene and dimethyl phthalate solutions at 60°C. Gas chromatography was used to monitor the rate of consumption of monomers. For styrene alone, the measured rate of polymerization R_p and M?_n of the polymer coincided with values expected from previous studies by other workers. Solution viscosity η affected R_p and M?_n of styrene homopolymers and copolymers as expected on the basis of an inverse proportionality between η^1/2 and termination rate. The rate of initiation by azobisisobutyronitrile appears to be independent of monomer feed composition in this system. Molecular weights of copolymers can be accounted for by considering combinative termination only. The effects of radical chain transfer are not significant. A theory is proposed in which the rate of termination of copolymer radicals is derived statistically from an ideal free-radical polymerization model. This simple theory accounts quantitatively for R_p and M?_n data reported here and for the results of other workers who have favored more complicated reaction models because of the apparent failure of simple copolymer reactivity ratios to predict polymer composition. This deficiency results from systematic losses of low molecular weight copolymer species in some analyses. Copolymer reactivity ratios derived with the assumption of a simple copolymer model and based on rates of monomer loss can be used to predict R_p values measured in other laboratories without necessity for consideration of depropagation or penultimate unit effects. The 60°C rate constants for propagation and termination in styrene homopolymerization were taken to be 176 and 2.7 × 10⁷ mole/l.-sec, respectively. The corresponding figures for α-methylstyrene are 26 and 8.1 × 10⁸ mole/l.-sec. These constants account for the sluggish copolymerization behavior of the latter monomer and the low molecular weights of its copolymers. The simple reaction scheme proposed here suggests that high molecular weight styrene–α-methylstyrene copolymers can be produced at reasonable rates at 60°C by emulsion polymerization. This is shown to be the case.     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ethylene oxide)‐grafted polyethylene copolymer and terpolymer

A series of graft copolymers were synthesized based on ethylene‐co‐m,p‐methylstyrene (EMS) (backbone copolymer), ethylene‐1‐hexene‐m,p‐methylstyrene (EHMS) (backbone terpolymer), and polyethylene glycol monomethyl ethers (PEGM) (grafts) in this study. The PEGMs with molecular weights of 750 and 2000 were used. The chemical composition of the graft copolymers was analyzed by NMR and DSC measurements. The graft copolymers exhibited a phase‐separated morphology with the backbone and the methoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG) grafts forming separate crystalline phases. The MPEG phase had a melting temperature lower than the corresponding MPEG homopolymer, as determined by DSC. The melting point of the crystalline phase formed by the EMS and EHMS main chains was lower than that of pure polymer backbone. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同软段长度PBT-co-PBS-b-PEG嵌段共聚物的合成与表征

用熔融缩聚法合成了一系列具有不同软段长度的聚对苯二甲酸丁二酯 (PBT) co 聚丁二酸丁二酯(PBS) b 聚乙二醇 (PEG)嵌段共聚物 (PTSG) ,考察了PEG分子量 (Mn(PEG) )及PBS摩尔分数 (MPBS)对材料性能的影响 实验表明 ,随Mn(PEG)增加 ,缩聚反应时间延长 ,所得产物分子量均呈较为对称的单峰分布 ,多分散性指数小于 2 0 硬段序列结构分析显示 ,随MPBS 增加 ,PBT平均序列长度减小 ,而PBS平均序列长度增加 ,二者呈无规分布 .受组成及硬段平均序列长度变化影响 ,材料内部呈微观相分离状态 ,DSC曲线上可分别观察到软、硬段熔点及玻璃化转变温度 ;硬段熔点及结晶度随MPBS升高而降低 ,主要是受其平均序列长度变化及共晶作用所致 .材料断裂延伸率及降解速率均随Mn(PEG)及MPBS增加而增加 ,可见提高软段长度及降低硬段结晶度等均能有效改善共聚物高分子链的柔韧性及亲水性 ,赋予共聚物更好的降解性能 .