Carboxylation of a polypentenamer and preparation of its hydrogenated derivatives

Carboxylated three-membered ring derivatives of a polypentenamer (PP) that contained 82% trans and 17% cis double bonds were prepared by carbene addition of ethyldiazoacetate with a copper catalyst to the double bonds and subsequent hydrogenation of the residual unsaturation. In this way derivatives that contained approximately either 5 or 10 mole % three-membered rings with ester side groups were obtained. These side groups were further reacted by hydrolysis or neutralization to form carboxylic acid and cesium salts of carboxylic acid. Reaction conditions were chosen so that no backbone degradation occurred and side reactions that led to crosslinking were avoided. The derivatives were characterized by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. It was found that an increase in substituent concentration decreased the melting point (T_m) in hydrogenated derivatives and increased the glass transition temperature (T_g) in unhydrogenated derivatives. The cesium salts of carboxylic acid were the least thermally stable among those studied and the hydrogenated derivatives were generally more stable than the unhydrogenated.     

Phosphonylation of a polypentenamer and preparation of its hydrogenated derivatives

Phosphonylated derivatives of a polypentenamer (PP) containing 82% trans and 17% cis double bonds have been prepared by the free-radical addition of dimethylphosphite to the double bonds and subsequent hydrogenation of the residual unsaturation. In this way derivatives were prepared containing approximately 5 and 10 mole % dimethylphosphonate side groups. These side groups were further reacted by hydrolysis or neutralization to form phosphonic acid and cesium phosphonate salts. Reaction conditions were so chosen that no backbone degradation occurred, and side reactions leading to crosslinking were avoided. The derivatives were characterized by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It was found that increasing substituent concentration decreases the melting point T_m in the case of the hydrogenated derivatives and increases the glass transition temperature T_g in the case of the unhydrogenated derivatives. The free acid derivatives are the least thermally stable of all those studied and the hydrogenated derivatives are generally more stable than the unhydrogenated derivatives.     

Synthesis and properties of polydiene and polypentenamer having formyl or hydroxymethyl groups and their photosensitive derivatives

cis-1,4-Polybutadiene and polypentenamer having pendant functional groups such as formyl, aldoxime, hydroxymethyl, or cinnamoyloxymethyl groups have been prepared, and some of their properties were investigated in terms of structural effect on physical properties of these polymers. cis-1, 4-Polybutadiene and polypentenamer having a different content of formyl group were prepared by the hydroformylation reaction with rhodium catalyst under mild conditions. The pendant formyl group was reduced to a hydroxymethyl group by using various reducing agents such as sodium borohydride or sodium trimethoxyborohydride which were effective to avoid a crosslinking reaction among the formyl groups. Glass transition temperature of polypentenamer having hydroxymethyl groups increased with increasing the content of the hydroxymethyl groups in the polymer. Cinnamoyl group was introduced into the polypentenamer having hydroxymethyl groups by reacting with cinnamoyl chloride so as to prepare a photosensitive rubber. The relationships between the photosensitivity of the cinnamoylated polypentenamer and the mobility of polymer main chains have been elucidated. A linear relationship between the photodimerization rate constant and the difference between ultraviolet (UV) irradiation temperature and the glass transition temperature of the polymer was found. It has become apparent that the photosensitivity of cinnamoylated polypentenamer can be estimated by the glass transition temperature of the original polymer, UV irradiation temperature, activation energy of the dimerization, and γ, which is a coefficient of the relationship between the photosensitive group concentration and the glass transition temperature of the polymer.     

Synthesis of silsesquioxanes having photochromic diarylethene pendant groups

Silsesquioxanes having 1-(2-methylbenzo[b]thien-3-yl)-2-[5-(4-butylphenyl)-2,4-dimethylthien-3-yl]perfluorocyclopentenes as the pendant groups were synthesized. Photochemical conversion from the open-ring to the closed-ring form of diarylethenes chemically bonded to polymers was by 15–25% lower than the conversion of the chromophores dispersed in the same matrix. No appreciable difference in the photoconversion of the fixed chromophores was observed below and above the glass transition temperature (T_g) of the polymer films.     

Synthesis, characterization, thermal and optical properties of styrene derivatives having pendant p-substituted benzylic ether groups

The derivatives of styrene monomer, 4-chlorophenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (M1), 4-methoxyphenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (M2), 4-ethylphenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (M3) and 1-naphtylphenyl-4-vinylbenzyl ether (M4) were synthesized. The normal free radical polymerization of monomers in 1,4-dioxane were performed by using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator at 65 °C. The monomers and their homopolymers were characterized by FT-IR, NMR and elemental analyses measurements. The thermal stability of polymers was investigated by thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analysis. Thermal degradation activation energies of the polymers were calculated by the Ozawa and Kissinger methods. In addition, photo-stability tests of the polymers under near-UV irradiation were performed.     

Polyimides based on new diamines having pendant imide groups

New aromatic diamines were prepared in two steps from 4,5‐dichlorophthalic anhydride and primary amines. The resulting 4,5‐dichlorophthalimide was reacted with 4‐mercaptoaniline, so that the chloroatoms were substituted by the mercapto groups (via the sulfide anions). The new diamines were polycondensed either with the diphenyl ether 3,3′,4,4′‐tetracarboxylic anhydride or with bicyclooctane tetracarboxylic anhydride. These polycondensations were conducted in boiling m‐cresol with azeotropic removal of water. The isolated polyimides were characterized by viscosity measurement, IR‐spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. The mass spectra evidenced a high content of cyclic polyimides, indicating nearly perfect reaction conditions. The mass spectra also proved the formation of copolymers containing one diamine with a trialkylamine group in the side chain. High glass transition temperatures but a low crystallization tendency were found by DSC measurements. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 6272–6281, 2005     

Synthesis and properties of widely conjugated polyacetylenes having anthryl and phenanthryl pendant groups

The metathesis polymerization of 1- and 2-ethynylanthracenes (1-EA and 2-EA) and 2- and 3-ethynylphenanthrenes (2-EP and 3-EP) in the presence of various WCl₆-based catalysts produced widely conjugated soluble polymers with relatively high molecular weights. The highest weight-average molecular weights of poly(1-EA) and poly(2-EA) reached 61,000 and 26,000, respectively, when Ph₄Sn was used as cocatalyst, while those of poly(2-EP) and poly(3-EP) reached 23,000 and 65,000, respectively, with Ph₃Bi as cocatalyst. In contrast, MoCl₅-based catalysts were hardly or not effective for these monomers. A large red-shifted peak was observed centering at 570 nm (the cutoff at 750 nm) in the absorption spectrum of poly(1-EA), while the red-shifted peaks were seen around 500 nm (the cutoffs near 700 nm) in the spectra of other polymers, indicating wide conjugations of the polymer chains. The configurational structures of all the polymers confirmed by DSC and ¹H-NMR were trans structures. However, poly(1-EA) and poly(3-EP) appeared to consist partly of cis structures in their main chains. All of the present polymers showed relatively high thermal stability in air compared with poly(phenylacetylene). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 3131–3137, 1998     

Tunable phase transition behaviors of pH-sensitive polyaspartamides having various cationic pendant groups

New pH-sensitive graft copolymers based on poly(2-hydroxyethyl aspartamide) (PHEA) were prepared by attaching various cationic monomers, such as 4-(aminomethyl)pyridine (PY), 1-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole (IM), and N-(3-aminopropyl)dibuthylamine (BU), as pH-sensitive units and octadecylamine (C₁₈) as a hydrophobic segment on poly(succinimide). Phase transition of each copolymer solution occurred at a vicinity of the pK _a value of the cationic groups, and their insoluble pH ranges were broadened as the feed amount of pH-sensitive moieties was increased. Depending on the cationic grafts having different pK _a values, the pH ranges where the copolymer became insoluble could be tuned. Copolymers PHEA-g-C₁₈-PY, PHEA-g-C₁₈-IM, and PHEA-g-C₁₈-BU exhibited phase separations in solutions at pH ranges of 4∼6, 6∼8, and 9∼12, respectively. These polymers have the unique feature of their pH sensitivity profiles being identified to three regimes. Under low pH conditions (below pK _a ), the polymer solution is transparent. At medium pH (around pK _a ), polymer precipitation occurred in solution. At pH > pK _a , the polymer solution is gradually dissolved again.     

Synthesis of methacryloyl-L-alanine derivatives having various carboxyl-protecting groups and thermo-response of its polymer hydrogels

Methacryloyl-L-alanine derivatives having various carboxyl-protecting groups, for example, hydrogen, methyl, ethyl and benzyl groups, were synthesized by reacting L-alanine ester hydrochlorides with methacrylic acid in the presence of triethylamine, by a so-called dicyclohexylcarbodiimide-mediated condensation method. These polymer hydrogels showed a typical thermo-response such as low-temperature-swelling and high-temperature-deswelling, in water, in the range of 0–40°C. Such a response was characterized with regard to kind of carboxyl-protecting group in the hydrogel.     

Synthesis of photoreactive calixarene derivatives containing pendant cyclic ether groups

New photoreactive calixarene derivatives containing cationically polymerizable pendant oxetane groups (calixarenes 1a , b , 2a , b , and 3a , b ) were synthesized in good yields by the substitution reaction of C‐methylcalix[4]resorcinarene (CRA), p‐methylcalix[6]arene (MCA), and p‐tert‐butylcalix[8]arene (BCA) with (3‐methyloxetan‐3‐yl)methyl 4‐toluenesulfonate and (3‐ethyloxetan‐3‐yl)methyl 4‐toluenesulfonate with potassium hydroxide as a base and tetrabutylammonium bromide as a phase‐transfer catalyst in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone, respectively. Calixarene derivatives containing cationically polymerizable pendant oxirane groups (calixarenes 4 , 5 , and 6 ) were also prepared in good yields by the substitution reaction of CRA, MCA, and BCA with epibromohydrin, respectively, with cesium carbonate as a base in N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone. The thermal stability of the obtained calixarene derivatives containing pendant oxetane groups or oxirane groups was examined with thermogravimetric analysis, and it was found that these calixarene derivatives had thermal stability beyond 340 °C. The photochemical reaction of calixarenes 1 , 2 , and 3 containing pendant oxetane groups was examined with certain photoacid generators in the film state. In this reaction system, calixarene 1a , composed of a CRA structure and pendant (3‐methyloxetan‐3‐yl)methyl groups, showed the highest photochemical reactivity when bis‐[4‐(diphenylsulfonio)phenyl]sulfide bis(hexafluorophosphate) was used as the catalyst. The photochemical reaction of calixarenes 4 , 5 , and 6 containing pendant oxirane groups was also examined, and it was found that the photoinitiated cationic polymerization of calixarenes 4 , 5 , and 6 proceeded smoothly under the same conditions; however, the reaction rates were lower than those of the corresponding calixarenes 1 , 2 , and 3 containing pendant oxetane groups. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1169–1179, 2001     

Synthesis and positive‐imaging photosensitivity of soluble polyimides having pendant carboxyl groups

Polyimides having pendant carboxyl groups were prepared by a direct one‐pot polycondensation of 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) with 3,5‐diaminobenzoic acid (DABz) and bis[4‐(3‐aminophenoxy)phenyl]sulfone (m‐BAPS) in the presence of a γ‐valerolactone/pyridine catalyst system using N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP)/toluene mixture as a solvent at 180 °C. The obtained polyimides were soluble in dipolar aprotic solvents such as dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and NMP as well as in tetrahydrofuran and aqueous basic solution. The solubility of the polyimides was dependent on the diamine composition. Photosensitve polyimide (PSPI) systems composed of the polyimides and diazonaphthoquinone compound as a photosensitive material gave positive‐tone behavior by UV irradiation, followed by development with aqueous tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solution. The scanning electron microscopic photograph of the resulting image showed 10‐μm line/space resolution with about 15 μm of film thickness. The PSPIs baked at 350 °C for a short time had excellent thermal resistance comparable to the original polyimides. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 934–946, 2001     

Investigation of pH-responsive properties of polymeric micelles with a core-forming block having pendant cyclic ketal groups

In this study, three kinds of amphiphilic block copolymers, termed MPEG-block-PDMMA, MPEG-block-PCPMA, and MPEG-block-PMPMA, which were composed of one hydrophilic monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (MPEG) block and one hydrophobic polyacrylate block bearing pendant six-member cyclic ketal groups, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). These polymers can disperse in aqueous media to self-assemble into micellar aggregates with a spherical core-shell structure with mean diameter below 300 nm. The stimuli-responsiveness of polymeric micelles from MPEG-block-PDMMA was detected by fluorescence-probe technique at pH 3.5 and 37 °C. The effect of chemical architecture and composition of the polymers on the pH-responsive properties of polymeric micelles was also studied. A combination of pH and temperature to trigger release behavior of these polymeric micelles was discussed by comparing the encapsulated molecule release ability under various pH and temperature conditions and analyzing chemical structural changes of the polymer before and after the triggering.     

Preparation and properties of anion exchange membranes having pyridinium or pyridinium derivatives as anion exchange groups

Anion exchange membranes with pyridinum groups and various pyridinium derivative groups were prepared from a copolymer membrane composed of chloromethylstyrene and divinylbenzene, and pyridine and pyridine derivatives. The anion exchange membranes obtained showed excellent electrochemical properties in electrodialysis. The transport numbers of sulfate ions, bromide ions, nitrate ions, and fluoride ions relative to chloride ions were evaluated in connection with the species of a substituent and the position of the substituent in the pyridinium groups. In general, when a hydrophilic substituent (methanol groups) existed at the 2-position of the pyridinium groups, nitrate ions and bromide ions, which are less hydrated, permeated through the membranes with difficulty, and sulfate ions permeated selectively through the membranes. On the other hand, when hydrophobic groups, for example, ethyl groups, existed at the 2-position of the pyridinium groups, bromide ions and nitrate ionspermeated selectively through the membranes and fluoride ions had difficulty permeating through the membranes. The carbon number of the alkyl chain of 4-alkyl pyridinium groups also affected permeation of nitrate ions and bromide ions due to the change in hydrophilicity of the membranes. Though the hydration of the anions and the species of the substituent at the 2-position of the pyridinium groups were related to selective permeation of the anion through the membranes, permeation of sulfate ions was not as sensitive to the hydrophilicity of the membranes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 49–58, 1998     

Polyimides having pendant hydroxy and acetoxy groups. II. Polyimides derived from bisaminoalcohols

Polyamic acids were prepared from bisaminoalcohols and pyromellitic dianhydride. They were converted to polyimides having pendant hydroxy groups by heating them in toluene or xylene (η_inh = 0.22–0.34 dl/g). Treatment of these polyamic acids with a mixture of pyridine and acetic anhydride gave polyimides having pendant acetoxy groups (η_inh = 0.22–1.04 dl/g). These acetoxypolyimides were converted to hydroxypolyimides (η_inh = 0.20–0.81 dl/g) by an ester-exchange reaction. Furthermore, the hydroxypolyimides were easily acetylated to give acetoxypolyimides.     

Preparation and ionic conductivity of poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers having thiolate groups on the chain ends

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomers having alkali metal thiolate groups on the chain ends (PEO _m -S⁻M⁺) were prepared as an ion conductive matrix. The molecular weight of the PEO part (m) and the content of the thiolate groups in the molecule were changed to analyze the effect of carrier ion concentration in the bulk. In a series of potassium salt derivatives, PEO₃₅₀-SK showed the highest ionic conductivity of 6.42 × 10⁻⁵ S/cm at 50 °C. In spite of a poor degree of dissociation which was derived from the acidity of the thiolate groups, PEO _m -SM showed quite high ionic conductivity among other PEO/salt hybrids. PEO _m -SM had glass transition temperatures (T _g) 20 °C lower than other PEO/salt hybrids. Lowering the T _g was concluded to be effective in providing higher ionic conductivity for PEO-based polymer electrolytes. Received: 30 April 1999 / Accepted: 20 June 1999     

Correlation between physical properties and conformational rigidity of some aromatic polyimides having pendant phenolic groups

Soluble polyimides based on an aromatic diamine containing pendant phenolic group and four different dianhydrides have been synthesized by two-step polycondensation reaction in solution. The polyimides were easily soluble in polar organic solvents and even in less polar solvents and showed high thermal stability, with initial decomposition temperature being above 420 °C. Monte Carlo method was used to calculate conformational rigidity parameters of these polyimides. Some physical properties such as solubility, glass transition temperature and initial decomposition temperature were investigated and compared with those of related polyimides which did not contain any pendant groups based on the same dianhydrides and a diamine without pendant phenolic group. All data were discussed in relation to the rigidity of the chain.

     

Construction of macrocycle-based molecular stairs having pendant 4-aminopyridine, 4-dimethylaminopyridine and isonicotinonitrile groups

Self-assembly directed by dinuclear zinc(II) macrocyclic species with 4-aminopyridine, 4-dimethylaminopyridine and isonicotinonitrile produces four novel trans macrocycle-based complexes, namely three molecular stair elements and one one-dimensional (1D) polymeric stair. Controlled synthesis of the cis or trans isomers of 4-aminopyridine macrocyclic complexes (2a or 2b), where the same rigid macrocyclic platform and counterion are used, can be achieved merely by the substitution of a protonic solvent for a non-protonic solvent, and that is further verified by theoretical calculations. However, when the two hydrogen atoms of the amino group are replaced by methyl groups (i.e. 4-dimethylaminopyridine) in order to block the formation of effective hydrogen bonds, only the trans isomers (3a and 3b) can be obtained, either in protonic or non-protonic solvents. Moreover, when an isonicotinonitrile molecule, which has a stronger coordination ability and may act as a bidentate bridging ligand, is used, an infinite 1D macrocycle-based stair (4b) is generated via compensatory coordinative bonds as well as hydrogen bonding and face-to-face π–π stacking interactions.     

Synthesis of aromatic polyesters having pendant carboxyl groups in the side chains and conversion of the carboxyl groups to other reactive groups

Aromatic polyester, copolyester, and poly(ester-amide-thioester) having pendant carboxyl groups are directly synthesized by the organic phase/water phase interfacial polyconden-sation using low-molecular and polymeric phase transfer catalysts. Spectral analysis of the resulting polymers indicates that the nucleophilicity of salts of phenols to diacid chloride is far higher than that of salts of carboxylic acids and chemoselective esterification occurs in a 100% yield. Even if the polymeric catalyst having amino acid moiety as a nucleophilic group is used in the polycondensation, the polymers do not contain anhydride groups. The polyester can be almost quantitatively converted to polymers with different reactive groups by reacting the pendant carboxyl groups with alkyl halides in a DMA_c-H₂O mixture con-taining K₂CO₃. A bifunctional catalytic mechanism is proposed for the chemical modification of the polyesters. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.