Synthesis and reversible photocleavage of novel polyurethanes containing coumarin dimer components

Six polyurethanes containing coumarin dimer components in the main chain have been prepared by polyaddition of diisocyanates with anti head-to-head 7-hydroxycoumarin dimer or anti head-to-tail 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin dimer. 7-Acetoxycoumarin and 7-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarin were first prepared and then photodimerized under 350 nm UV light to give anti head-to-head 7-acetoxycoumarin dimer and anti head-to-tail 7-acetoxy-4-methylcoumarin dimer, respectively. After hydrolyzing under acidic conditions to 7-hydroxycoumarin dimer and anti head-to-head 7-hydroxycoumarin dimer, they were polymerized with aliphatic and aromatic diisocyanates in N,N-dimethylacetamide to give the polyurethanes. Addition of dibutyltin dilaurate (T-12) as catalyst increases the polymer yield with the viscosity remaining almost unchanged. It was also found that lithium chloride enhances both the yield and viscosity of the polyurethanes by increasing their solubility possibly through complexation. The polyurethanes are symmetrically photocleaved at cyclobutane rings under 254 nm UV light to dicoumarins. Reversible photodimerization of the photocleaved compounds have also been investigated under 300 and 350 nm UV light. The polyurethanes from aromatic diisocyanates or with 4-methyl substituent exhibit greater reactivity in the photocleavage reaction. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A facile approach to biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-based polyurethanes containing pendant amino groups

A novel biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone)-poly(ethylene glycol)-based polyurethanes (PCL-PEG-PU) with pendant amino groups was synthesized by direct coupling of PEG ester of NH₂-protected-(aspartic acid) (PEG-Asp-PEG diols) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) diols with hexamethylene dissocyanate (HDI) under mild reaction conditions and by subsequent deprotection of benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz) groups. GPC, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR studies confirmed the polymer structures and the complete deprotection. DSC and WXRD results indicated that the crystallinity of the copolymer was enhanced with increasing PCL diols in the copolymer. The content of amino group in the polymer could be adjusted by changing the molar ratio of PEG-Asp-PEG diols to PCL diols. Thus the results of this study provide a good way to prepare polyurethanes bearing hydrophilic PEG segments and reactive amino groups without complicated synthesis.     

Synthesis of poly(methacrylate)s containing 4-hydroxybenzoate functional groups

Synthesis of poly(methacrylate)s containing 4-hydroxybenzoate groups as the functional groups was carried out. First, a methacrylate monomer having 4-benzyloxybenzoate group was prepared. Then, free-radical copolymerization of the monomer with methyl methacrylate in various feed ratios initiated by AIBN was demonstrated to give copolymers, followed by deprotection of the benzyl groups, giving rise to the desired polymers containing 4-hydroxy benzoate groups.     

Optically-active polyurethanes containing coumarin dimer component: Synthesis,characterization, and chiral recognition ability

Optically-active polyurethanes ( 2a-2c ) were prepared by polyaddition reaction of diamide ( 1a, 1b ) and diester ( 1c ) derivatives of chiral coumarin dimer with 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) in chloroform and methyl ethyl ketone, respectively. The inherent viscosity of the polyurethanes are between 0.13 and 0.21 dL/g in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) at 30°C. Treated silica gels were absorbed with ca. 25 wt % of the polyurethanes, and packed as chiral stationary phases for direct optical resolution of 16 racemates with aromatic groups by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Polyurethanes 2a and 2b , obtained from diamide derivatives, show efficient resolution ability to some of the racemates (α = 1.06-1.79), especially the atropic ( R5 ) and trans ( R6-R9 ) isomers. The recognition ability of the polyurethanes can be attributed to the simultaneous aromatic stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions with racemates. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and properties of novel segmented polyurethanes containing alkyl phosphatidylcholine side groups

In this article, we report the synthesis and properties of novel segmented polyurethanes containing alkyl phosphatidylcholine side groups. Alkyl phosphatidylcholine groups were attached to the hard blocks of the polyurethanes. A novel diol, 9-(2-hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-ethylcarbamoyl)-nonyl-phosphatidylcholine (HDEAPC), was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, ¹H-NMR and mass spectroscopy. Two types of polyurethanes, poly(ether urethane)s and poly(carbonate urethane)s, containing alkyl phosphatidylcholine side groups were synthesized using methylenebis(phenylene isocyanate) (MDI), polytetramethyleneoxide (PTMO), poly(1,6-hexyl-1,5-pentylcarbonate) diol (PHPCD), 1,4-butanediol (BDO) and HDEAPC. The obtained phosphatidylcholine polyurethanes had relatively high molecular weights and good mechanical strength, as characterized by GPC and Instron. XPS and contact angle studies revealed that there was enrichment of alkyl phosphatidylcholine side groups near the surface of the polyurethanes. Biocompatibility was evaluated by protein adsorption using conventional polyurethanes as references. The surface of phosphatidylcholine poly(carbonate urethane)s effectively suppressed protein adsorption.     

Synthesis, spectroscopic, and thermal properties of polyurethanes containing zwitterionic sulfobetaine groups

A series of novel polyurethanes (PUs) containing zwitterionic sulfobetaine groups were synthesized from polycarbonatediol with alkyne groups and 3-((2-azidoethyl)dimethylammonio)propane-1-sulfonate using the copper-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (click) reaction. All the polyurethanes were fully characterized by ¹H NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, gel permeation chromatography, and elemental analysis; the thermal properties were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. It has been proved that the thermal stability of zwitterionic sulfobetaine functionalized polyurethanes were greater than the starting alkyne-containing polyurethane. Protein adsorption was measured and it was indicated that PUs with zwitterionic sulfobetain structure are a kind of biocompatible materials with a better anti-protein fouling property compared to the corresponding alkyne-containing polyurethanes.     

Poly(imides) containing hexoxy side groups

Novel poly(imides) containing hexoxy side groups have been prepared through the interaction of 1-hexoxy-3,5-diaminobenzene with binuclear aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides under the conditions of two-stage polycondensation in N-methylpyrrolidone. It was been shown that, upon incorporation of hexoxyl substituents, the solubility of the resulting polyimides is improved and, simultaneously, their softening and thermal degradation temperatures and dielectric constants are decreased.     

Formation of block copolymers from polyurethanes containing reactive disulfides

Block copolymers containing polyether segments and segments of a vinyl polymer have been synthesized. A low molecular weight polyether terminated with isocyanate groups was condensed with bis-(β-hydroxyethyl disulfide) to give polyurethanes containing reactive disulfide linkages. When this polymer was photolyzed in the presence of a vinyl monomer such as styrene, methyl methacrylate, or acrylonitrile, homolytic cleavage of the disulfide polymerized the monomer, giving block copolymers. The mechanical properties of the products were investigated by means of modulus–temperature measurements.     

Thermoplastic polyurethanes containing 12-hydroxymethylabietanol

Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers incorporating the resin acid-derived 12-hydroxymethylabietanol (12-HMA) were prepared, and some physical properties are reported. A polyester macroglycol was prepared from 12-HMA, adipic acid, and ethylene glycol. This macroglycol then was combined with either poly(tetramethylene adipate) glycol (PTAd) or poly(ethylene adipate) glycol (PEAd) and 1,4-butanediol to give a glycol blend of 300 average hydroxyl equivalent weight (OHE). The glycol mixture then was combined with diphenylmethane 4,4′-diisocyanate (MDI) (NCO/OH = 1.0) to give urethane polymers soluble in tetrahydrofuran. Polymers were prepared with 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%, by weight, 12-HMA with PTAd as the other macroglycol and with 0, 10, 15, and 20% 12-HMA with PEAd as the other macroglycol. At 15% 12-HMA, polymers were made from glycol mixtures having 275 and 350 average OHE to demonstrate the effect of changing the hard-segment concentration. The presence of 12-HMA is shown to have its maximum effect on tensile properties at 15–20% in the PTAd series and at 10% in the PEAd series. In general, this effect is an increase in tensile strength and modulus and a decrease in elongation when compared with a similar polymer without the 12-HMA.     

Organometallic polymers containing tricarbonyl(η4-diene)-ruthenium(0) and -iron(0) as pendant groups

Vinyl ethers containing tricarbonyl(14-η⁴-1,3-pentadiene)-ruthenium(0) and -iron(0) species were prepared utilizing selective dienylation with penta-dienylpotassium and were polymerized with cationic initiators to give high molecular weight polymers. The diene-metal moieties were converted into tricarbonyl(13-η³-allyl)metal species by protonation with dry HCl. Tricarbonyl(3-allyl-14-η⁴-1,3-pentadiene)iron(0) also undergoes cationic polymerization but the presence of its isomer, tricarbonyl(3-propenyl-14-η⁴-1,3-pentadiene)iron(0) inhibits the polymerization.     

Poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole-imide)s containing dimethylsilane groups

New poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole-imide)s containing dimethylsilane units have been prepared by solution polycondensation reaction of an aromatic dianhydride incorporating dimethylsilane group, namely bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)dimethylsilane dianhydride, with different aromatic diamines having preformed 1,3,4-oxadiazole ring, such as 2,5-bis(p-aminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, 2,5-bis[p-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole, 2,5-bis[p-(3-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole, 2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(3,5-diaminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole, and 2-(4-dimethylaminophenyl)-5-(3,5-diaminophenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole. The polymers were easily soluble in polar organic solvents, such as N-methylpyrrolidinone, N,N-dimethylformamide, and pyridine, as well as in less polar organic solvents, such as tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. Very thin coatings deposited on silicon wafers exhibited smooth, pinhole-free surface in atomic force microscopy investigations. The polymers showed high thermal stability with decomposition temperature being above 415 °C.They exhibited a glass transition in the temperature range of 202-282 °C, with reasonable interval between glass transition and decomposition temperature. Solutions of the polymers in N,N-dimethylformamide exhibited fluorescence, having maximum emission wavelength in the range of 353-428 nm.     

Blends of metal acetates and polyurethanes containing pyridine groups II. SAXS and EXAFS studies

Polyurethanes containing pendant pyridine units were blended with various metal acetates and studied by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (EXAFS) to better understand the microscopic effect of blending on these materials. An earlier investigation found a dramatic enhancement in mechanical properties after blending, which suggests at least two pyridine units were coordinating to a single cation. This coordination would enable the cation to act as a cross-linking site, which could then cause the observed changes in mechanical properties. To determine the effect of complexation on the microphase-separated domain structure, small-angle x-ray scattering patterns were collected. Neutralization with a metal acetate increased the scattered intensity, which can be explained by an increase in electron density contrast but may also have been due to an improvement in phase separation. The distance between lamellar domains was basically unaffected by the addition of metal acetate, with the exception of nickel acetate. In this instance the distance decreased, which was caused by an improvement of packing inside the hard segments. EXAFS at the nickel and zinc edges indicated that the same qualitative changes occurred in the local environments around both cations after blending versus the unblended acetates. The magnitude of the first shell peak in the radial structure function (RSF) increased significantly upon blending, a result that is difficult to rationalize. The higher shell peaks exhibited significant changes in position and magnitude upon blending, which indicates substantial local rearrangement around the metal cation These fundamental changes in the EXAFS spectra may have been due to complexation between the cation and the pyridine group, but the results were not conclusive. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of novel polyxanthenes from poly(arylene ether)s containing benzoyl groups

Poly(arylene ether)s ( 3 ), ( 4 ) containing pendant benzoyl groups as precursors for novel polyxanthenes ( 7 ), ( 8 ) were prepared by nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2,5-difluoro-4-benzoylbenzophenone ( 1 ) or 2,5-difluoro-4-(4-dodecylbenzoyl)-4′-dodecylbenzophenone ( 2 ) with hydroquinone derivatives in the presence of potassium carbonate in N,N-dimethylacetamide. The polycondensation proceeded smoothly at 165°C and produced poly(arylene ether)s with inherent viscosities up to 0.80 dL/g. The novel polyxanthenes were synthesized via the reduction of poly(arylene ether)s followed by the Friedel-Crafts cyclization of diol polymers. The structure of the polyxanthenes was characterized by ¹H-NMR and IR spectroscopies. Polyxanthene 8 was quite soluble in chloroform and THF. The 10% weight loss temperature of polyxanthene 7 was 510°C in nitrogen and it was 90°C higher than the corresponding poly(arylene ether) 3 . © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2267–2272, 1997     

Diacetylene-containing polymers,II. Polyesters and polyurethanes containing m,m′-butadiynylenedibenzyl groups

Diacetylene-containing polyesters and polyurethanes were prepared by the reaction of m,m-butadiynylenedibenzyl alcohol with isophthaloyl chloride, sebacoyl chloride, hexamethylene diisocyanate and 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate. Their thermal behavior was studied by optical microscope and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The polyesters were crystalline. The polyurethane prepared from hexamethylene diisocyanate and polyphthalates crystallized on cooling from their melts. All turned a reddish brown color on heating at temperatures above 200°C, and prolonged heating led to a black resin, but thermal decomposition could not be avoided. Irradiation by γ-ray and UV light at room temperature deepened the color of the films, but the polymerization of the diacetylene groups was not appreciable. Simultaneous heating and irradiation was necessary to obtain transparent, amorphous, wine red colored films.     

Photomodification of a poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) containing diaryltetrazolyl groups

A new type of membrane polymer, containing a photosensitive moiety, was synthesized. The photochemically induced functionalization and crosslinking of poly [acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene-co-2-(4-ethenyl) phenyl-5-phenyl-2H-tetrazole], ABSV, has been studied. A variety of dipolarophiles and phenolic compounds were applied to alter the polarity of the membrane surface. The functionalization and crosslinking were initiated by photoirradiation. DSC and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the modified polymer. Pervaporation experiments with a cyclohexane/benzene mixture (5 wt% benzene) were carried out, with the results showing, that the photochemical treatment significantly effects both permselectivity and flux. Solubility parameters were found to be useful to interpret the pervaporation data. In general, the selectivity towards benzene increases with the polarity of the membrane surface, i.e., with increasing polarity of the modifier. A mechanism to explain the influence of both functionalization and crosslinking on the membrane performance, is proposed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

New poly(arylene ethers) containing side sulfo groups

New poly(arylene ethers) containing side sulfo groups have been synthesized through the copolycondensation of 3,5-dinitrodiphenyl sulfone 4′-sulfonic acid and 4,4′-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone with bicyclic aromatic bisphenols under the conditions of aromatic nucleophilic substitution. On the basis of the blends of these copolymers with sulfonated poly(arylene ester ether ketone), membranes with satisfactory mechanical characteristics and high proton conductivity have been prepared.     

Poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole-amide)s containing pendent imide groups

A series of new poly(1,3,4-oxadiazole-amide)s containing pendent imide groups has been synthesized by solution polycondensation of aromatic diamines containing preformed 1,3,4-oxadiazole rings with two diacid chlorides containing imide rings. These polymers were also prepared by the reaction of the same diacid chlorides with p-aminobenzhydrazide which were subsequently cyclodehydrated in solid state. The polymers were soluble in polar amidic solvents and some of them gave transparent flexible films by casting from solutions. They showed high thermal stability with decomposition temperatures above 400°C and glass transition temperatures in the range of 245–327°C. They had low dielectric constants, in the range of 3.32–3.94, and good tensile properties.     

Elastomeric polyurethanes modified with geminal bisphosphonate groups

Three types of elastomeric segmented polyurethanes represented by a polyether‐urethane, a polyurethane‐urea, and a polycarbonate‐urethane were introduced into a modified low‐temperature variant of base‐induced N‐alkylation of urethane hard segments with an excess of 1,6‐dibromohexane in N,N′‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc), resulting in the modification of polymers with 0.08–0.26 mmol/g of pendant 6‐bromohexyl groups. Either lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) or sodium hydride was used to initiate the reaction, although LDA was found to be more suitable for the bromoalkylation. Selected bromoalkylated polyurethanes of all three types were reacted with thiol‐containing bisphosphonates, to yield the polymers modified with 0.08–0.12 mmol/g of geminal nonesterified covalently attached bisphosphonate groups. Two thiol‐containing geminal bisphosphonates used in the modifications were prepared via reactions of nucleophilic addition to vinylidene‐bisphosphonic acid. All three types of polyurethanes were found equally suitable for the modifications. The bisphosphonate‐modified polyurethanes with nonmetallic cations on the bisphosphonate groups remain soluble in the solvents suitable for the dissolution of nonmodified polymers and can be processed into films by solvent casting. After the exchange of nonmetallic cations to sodium, the polymers become insoluble in any solvent, probably as a result of the intermolecular coordination of bisphosphonate groups with the metal cations. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 105–116, 2001