Power‐law scaling of structured poly(p‐xylylene) films deposited by oblique angle

This study describes the evolution and growth of structured polymers by oblique angle deposition of poly(p‐xylylene) (PPX) derivatives. The deposition of structured PPX polymers have been demonstrated recently, but the mechanism of growth has not been studied. Here, we provide experimental evidence for the growth of structured PPX polymers by an atomic force microscope, electron microscope, and a profilometer. Individual columns expand with respect to their heights according to a power‐law, d = ch^p, where d is the column diameter, c and p are constants, and h is the height of a column. Values of p for structured poly(chloro‐p‐xylylene), poly(trifloroacetly‐p‐xylylene‐co‐p‐xylylene), and poly(bromo‐p‐xylylene) films are estimated as 0.11 ± 0.01, 0.15 ± 0.01, and 0.18 ± 0.01, respectively. This result is different from the traditional oblique angle deposition processes of nonpolymeric materials where the surface diffusion is low. Further analysis with two‐dimensional power spectral density (PSD) method showed that the ordering of columns is quasi‐periodic. Additionally, the X‐ray and transmission electron microscope characterization of the columns revealed that the columns are semicrystalline. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 640–648, 2008     

Computer simulation of three‐arm star polymers

We show that Shaffer's version of the bond fluctuation model can be used to simulate three‐arm star polymers. We report a simulation study of both single stars and melts of star polymers with arm lengths up to 90 monomer units (approximately twice the entanglement crossover length for linear chains). Center‐of‐mass self‐diffusion of single stars is Rouse‐like (D ˜ N^–1). Due to a limited range of molecular weights we cannot distinguish between a power‐law and an exponential dependence of the star‐melt self‐diffusion coefficient on arm length.     

Steric effects on excimer formation in isotactic and atactic polystyrene and poly(ar-methylstyrene)s in solution

Effects of tacticity and steric hindrance on excimer formation were investigated in isotactic and atactic polystyrene, poly(o-methylstyrene), poly(m-methylstyrene), and poly(p-methylstyrene) in the presence and absence of a quencher (CCl₄). The calculated rate constants for excimer formation in the isotactic polymers except for poly(o-methylstyrene) were almost the same and larger than those in the corresponding atactic polymers. These results indicate that excimer formation was due to not only rotational sampling but also energy migration to trapping sites. It was found that steric hindrance on excimer formation was intimately related to the excition diffusion length in the polymer chain.     

Effects of graft length and density of well‐defined graft polymers on the thermoresponsive behavior and self‐assembly morphology

A series of well‐defined thermoresponsive graft polymers with different lengths and graft densities, poly(glycidyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylate) (PGMA‐g‐PNIPAM), were successfully prepared by combination of controlled/living free radical polymerization and click chemistry. Effects of grafting length and density on the thermoresponsive behavior, aggregating mean diameter, and self‐assembly morphology are systematically investigated. The thermosensitive characteristics of graft polymers in aqueous solution prove that the length and graft density had positive co‐relationship with the lower critical solution temperature value and mean diameter of micelles as well as the size distribution, while the effect of graft length of polymers is more significant than that of density. Transmission electron microscopy analysis shows that the conformations of PGMA₄₅‐g‐PNIPAM₂₀ and PGMA₄₅‐g‐PNIPAM₄₆ with longer length and bigger grafting density in aqueous solutions are spherical nanoparticles with the increasing trend of the diameters, while that of PGMA₄₅‐g‐PNIPAM_{(73, 50%)} shows a spherical‐like morphology, which indicates that the graft length and density have a significant effect on the mean diameter of micelle but not on the self‐assembly morphology. These results reveal that to obtain desired thermoresponsive behavior and self‐assembly morphology of functional polymers, it is essential to design and fabricate the structure of graft polymers with proper length and graft density. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2442–2453     

Synthesis of poly(1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylene)s with high cis‐content and examination of their absorption/emission properties

A series of 1‐chloro‐2‐arylacetylenes [Cl‐C?C‐Ar, Ar = C₆H₅ ( 1 ), C₆H₄‐p‐i Pr ( 2 ), C₆H₄‐p‐Oi Pr ( 3 ), C₆H₄‐p‐NHC(O)Ot Bu ( 4 ), and C₆H₄‐o‐i Pr ( 5 )] were polymerized using (tBu₃P)PdMeCl/silver trifluoromethanesulfonate (AgOTf) and MoCl₅/SnBu₄ catalysts. The corresponding polymers [poly( 1 )–poly( 5 )] with weight‐average molecular weights of 6,500–690,000 were obtained in 10–91% yields. THF‐insoluble parts, presumably high‐molecular weight polymers, were formed together with THF‐soluble polymers by the Pd‐catalyzed polymerization. The Pd catalyst polymerized nonpolar monomers 1 and 2 to give the polymers in yields lower than the Mo catalyst, while the Pd catalyst polymerized polar monomers 3 and 4 to give the corresponding polymers in higher yields. The ¹H NMR and UV–vis absorption spectra of the polymers indicated that the cis‐contents of the Pd‐based polymers were higher than those of the Mo‐based polymers, and the conjugation length of the Pd‐based polymers was shorter than that of the Mo‐based polymers. Pd‐based poly( 5 ) emitted fluorescence most strongly among poly( 1 )–poly( 5 ). © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 382–388     

Spacer‐length‐dependent association in polymers with multiple‐hydrogen‐bonded end groups

Herein, we investigate the influence of spacer length on the homoassociation and heteroassociation of end‐functionalized hydrogen‐bonding polymers based on poly(n‐butyl acrylate). Two monofunctional ureido‐pyrimidinone (UPy) end‐functionalized polymers were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization using self‐complementary UPy‐functional initiators that differ in the spacer length between the multiple‐hydrogen‐bonding group and the chain initiation site. The self‐complementary binding strength (K_dim) of these end‐functionalized polymers was shown to depend critically on the spacer length as evident from ¹H NMR and diffusion‐ordered spectroscopy. In addition, the heteroassociation strength of the end‐functionalized UPy polymers with end‐functionalized polymers containing the complementary 2,7‐diamido‐1,8‐naphthyridine (NaPy) hydrogen‐bond motif is also affected when the aliphatic spacer length is too short. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Electronic Properties of Two Series of Blue-Emitting Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers Based on Cyanostilbene： A Quantum Chemistry Study

One of the drawbacks of the electroluminescence （EL） polymers is that they are usually much better at accepting and transporting holes than electrons due to their inherent richness of π-electrons. One approach improving electron injection and transport in conjugated polymers is to incorporate moieties with high electron affinities. In this theoretical work, to gain an insight into the chemical structure-property relationships was aimed by controllable modification of the main chain structures. Two cyanovinylene derivatives with 2,7-fluorenylene and p-phenylene moieties in the main chains, namely, poly { （2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene- 1,4-ylene）-alt-[ 1,2-bis（p-phenylene）- 1- cyanovinylene]} （PPhCN） and poly{[9,9-dimethyl-2,7-fluorenylene]-alt-[1,2-bis（p-phenylene）-1-cyanovinylene]} （PFCN）, were studied employing density functional theory （DFT） and time dependent density functional theory （TD-DFT） with B3LYP functional. The electronic properties of the neutral molecules, extrapolated ionization potentials （IP） and electron affinities （EA）, and energy gaps were investigated in comparison with pristine poly（2,7- fluorenylene）. From comparison with poly（2,7-fluorenylene） （PF）, the 1,2-bis（p-phenylene）-1-cyanovi-nylene unit was found to be a good electron-withdrawing moiety for electronic materials and the incorporation of 1,2-bis（p- phenylene）-1-cyanovinylene resulted in a narrow band gap and a red shift of both the absorption and photoluminescence emission peaks. Most importantly, the LUMO energies of PFCN are around 1 eV lower than those of PF, which results in the decrement of EA about 0.9 eV, indicating that the 1,2-bis（p-phenylene）-1-cyanovinylene unit has significantly improved the electron-accepting properties of the copolymer PFCN. Substitution of 2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene for 9,9-dimethyl-2,7-fluorenylene induced larger band gaps and thus a blue-shift in absorption and emission peaks, which can be attributed to the better conjugated backbone in PFCN.     

Exploring the electro‐optical properties of conjugated polymers based on oligo‐selenophene and oligo(3,4‐ethylenedioxyselenophene)

For seeking high‐efficiency narrow‐band‐gap donor materials to enhance short‐circuit current density for organic solar cells, a series of oligo‐selenophene (OS) and oligo(3,4‐ethylenedioxyselenophene) (OEDOS) with various chain lengths were designed and characterized using density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT calculations. Based on the results, it can be seen that with increasing chain length of the oligomers in both syn‐ and anti‐adding manners, the bond length alternation is decreased which indicates that the π‐electron delocalization is increased. Also, when the chain length is increased the electronic energy gap and the optical energy gap are decreased. It can be concluded that the syn‐(OS)_n=10,14,15, anti‐(OS)_n=14 and anti‐(OEDOS)_n=7–12 oligomers can act as low‐band‐gap polymers. Therefore they can absorb more sunlight based on maximum wavelength (higher than 620 nm). Furthermore, a red shift in the simulated absorption spectra of (OS)_n and (OEDOS)_n donors is observed. It is found that (OS)_n=14,15 with syn configuration of the extended oligomers is the most suitable donor for the design of high‐performance organic solar cells possessing a narrow electronic band gap, high exciton lifetime and broad and intense absorption spectra that cover the solar spectrum leading to complete light‐harvesting efficiency.     

Facile Synthesis of Well‐Defined Branched Sulfur‐Containing Copolymers: One‐Pot Copolymerization of Carbonyl Sulfide and Epoxide

Topological polymers possess many advantages over linear polymers. However, when it comes to the poly(monothiocarbonate)s, no topological polymers have been reported. Described herein is a facile and efficient approach for synthesizing well‐defined branched poly(monothiocarbonate)s in a “grafting through” manner by copolymerizing carbonyl sulfide (COS) with epichlorohydrin (ECH), where the side‐chain forms in situ. The lengths of the side‐chains are tunable based on reaction temperatures. More importantly, enhancement in thermal properties of the branched copolymer was observed, as the T_g value increased by 22 °C, compared to the linear analogues. When chiral ECH was utilized, semicrystalline branched poly(monothiocarbonate)s were accessible with a T_m value of 112 °C, which is 40 °C higher than that of the corresponding linear poly(monothiocarbonate)s. The strategy presented herein for synthesizing branched polymers provides efficient and concise access to topological polymers.     

Synthesis of hetero‐telechelic polymers by self‐polyaddition of monomers containing both oxetanyl and carboxyl groups

The synthesis and self‐polyaddition of new monomers, o‐, m‐, and p‐[(3‐ethyloxetane‐3‐yl)methoxyethyl]benzoic acid (o‐EOMB, m‐EOMB, and p‐EOMB) containing both oxetanyl groups and carboxyl groups were examined. The reactions of o‐EOMB, m‐EOMB, and p‐EOMB in the presence of tetraphenylphosphonium bromide as a catalyst in o‐dichlorobenzene at 150–170 °C resulted in self‐polyaddition to give the corresponding hetero‐telechelic polymers poly(o‐EOMB), poly(m‐EOMB), and poly(p‐EOMB) with M_ns = 14,500–33,400 in satisfactory yields. The M_n of poly(o‐EOMB) decreased at higher reaction temperatures than 150 °C, unlike those of poly(m‐EOMB) and poly(p‐EOMB), possibly due to inter‐ or intraester exchange side reactions. It was also found that the thermal properties and solubilities of these polymers were supposed with the proposed structures. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7835–7842, 2008     

Degradation of poly(acrylates) under SF5+ primary ion bombardment studied using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. 2. Poly(n‐alkyl methacrylates)

Polyatomic primary ions offer low penetration depth and high damage removal rates in some polymers, facilitating their use in the molecular depth profiling of these polymers by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). This study is the second in a series of systematic characterizations of the effect of polymer chemistry on degradation under polyatomic primary ion bombardment. In this study, time‐of‐flight SIMS (ToF‐SIMS) was used to measure the damage of ～90 nm thick spin‐cast poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(n‐butyl methacrylate), poly(n‐octyl methacrylate) and poly(n‐dodecyl methacrylate) films under extended (～2 × 10¹⁴ ions cm^?2) 5 keV SF₅⁺ bombardment. The degradation of the poly(n‐alkyl methacrylates) were compared to determine the effect of the length of the alkyl pendant group on their degradation under SF₅⁺ bombardment. The sputter rate and stability of the characteristic secondary ion intensities of these polymers decreased linearly with alkyl pendant group length, suggesting that lengthening the n‐alkyl pendant group resulted in increased loss of the alkyl pendant groups and intra‐ or intermolecular cross‐linking under SF₅⁺ bombardment. These results are partially at variance with the literature on the thermal degradation of these polymers, which suggested that these polymers degrade primarily via depolymerization with minimal intra‐ or intermolecular cross‐linking. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Density functional crystal orbital study of cyano‐substituted poly(para‐phenylene‐vinylene) and poly(quinoxaline‐vinylene)

We have calculated the optical and electronic properties of several conjugated organic polymers: poly(p‐phenylene‐vinylene) (PPV) and its derivatives. Cyano substitutions on the phenylene ring: poly(2,5‐dicyano‐p‐phenylene‐vinylene) (2,5‐DCN‐PPV) and on the vinylene linkage: poly(p‐phenylene‐7(,8)‐(di)cyano‐vinylene) are considered. In addition, poly(quinoxaline‐vinylene) (PQV) is studied. The infinite isolated quasi‐1D chains are treated with periodic boundary conditions, using atomic basis sets. In a comparative study of PPV, some issues regarding the selection of the functionals and basis sets are discussed and excitation energies derived from time‐dependent and from ordinary methods are compared. It is concluded that for these polymers the calculations are informative at the B3LYP/6‐31G** density functional theory (DFT) level. The absolute values might change with improved methods, but the similarity of the polymers suggests that the relative characterization is adequate. Band structures are communicated along with characteristics of the highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied crystal orbitals (HOCO and LUCO). Electron affinities, ionization potentials, valence and conduction bandwidths, and effective masses at the bandgap are given. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Synthesis of new poly(amide imide)s with (n‐alkyloxy)phenyloxy side branches

Two series of new poly(amide imide)s having (n‐alkyoxy)phenyloxy side branches with various lengths, poly{p‐phenyleneiminoterephthaloylimino‐p‐phenylene[3,6‐di(n‐alkyloxy)phenyloxy]pyromellitimide}s ( PC _m TA s, m = 4, 8, 12) and poly{p‐phenyleneiminosebacoylimino‐p‐phenylene[3,6‐di(n‐alkyloxy)‐phenyloxy]‐ pyromellitimide}s ( PC _m SeA s, m = 4, 8, 12), were prepared by condensation of terephthalamide‐N,N′‐4,4′‐dianiline ( TA ) and sebacamide‐N,N′‐4,4′‐dianiline ( SeA ) with 3,6‐di[4‐(n‐alkyloxy)phenyloxy]pyromellitic dianhydrides , respectively. The inherent viscosities of the polymers were in the 0.82–1.20 dL/g range. The polymers were highly soluble in N‐methylpyrolidinone (NMP), even at room temperature and soluble in other polar aprotic solvents on heating. The PC _m TA s, which have aromatic backbones, were thermally more stable (431–442 °C) than the PC _m SeA s, which have an octamethylene unit in the main chain (407–409 °C). Degradation of weight up to 900 °C corresponded with the loss of side chain contents. The PC _m TA s exhibited no phase transition, whereas two endothermic peaks were observed for each of the PC _m SeA s. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffractometer investigations revealed that both polymers are amorphous and the n‐alkyloxy side chains are present in a layered structure. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3818–3825, 2001     

Water‐soluble poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) copolymer: Synthesis and characterization

Water‐soluble and photoluminescent block copolymers [poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PEO‐b‐PPV)] were synthesized, in two steps, by the addition of α‐halo‐α′‐alkylsulfinyl‐p‐xylene from activated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains in tetrahydrofuran at 25 °C. This copolymerization, which was derived from the Vanderzande poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) (PPV) synthesis, led to partly converted PEO‐b‐PPV block copolymers mixed with unreacted PEO chains. The yield, length, and composition of these added sequences depended on the experimental conditions, namely, the order of reagent addition, the nature of the monomers, and the addition of an extra base. The addition of lithium tert‐butoxide increased the length of the PPV precursor sequence and reduced spontaneous conversion. The conversion into PPV could be achieved in a second step by a thermal treatment. A spectral analysis of the reactive medium and the composition of the resulting polymers revealed new evidence for an anionic mechanism of the copolymerization process under our experimental conditions. Moreover, the photoluminescence yields were strongly dependant on the conjugation length and on the solvent, with a maximum (70%) in tetrahydrofuran and a minimum (<1%) in water. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4337–4350, 2005     

Thermally reversible covalently bonded linear polymers prepared from a dihalide monomer and a salt of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid

Alkali and earth‐alkali salts of dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylic acid (DCPDCA) were prepared and employed as monomers in the polyesterification with an α,ω‐dihalide monomer, such as 1,4‐dichlorobutane (DCB), 1,4‐dibromobutane (DBB), α,α′‐dichloro‐p‐xylene (DCX), and α,α′‐dibromo‐p‐xylene (DBX). Novel linear polymers that possessed repeating moieties of dicyclopentadiene ( DCPD ) in the backbone were thus prepared. The IR and NMR spectra indicated that poly(tetramethylene dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylate) (PTMDD) with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n ) of about 1× 10⁴ and poly(p‐xylene dicyclopentadiene dicarboxylate) (PXDD) with a M_n of 4–6 × 10³ were obtained with an yield of about 80% via the polyesterification of the alkali salts with DBB and DCX, respectively. The reaction was carried out in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, such as BzMe₃NBr or poly(ethylene glycol), in DMF at 100 °C for 4 h. Oligomers with a lower M_n (1–2 × 10³) were obtained when the earth‐alkali salts were employed as salt monomers. Compared to the irreversible linear polymers, poly(p‐xylene terephthalate) (PXTP) and poly(p‐xylene maleate) (PXM), prepared through the reaction between DCX and the potassium salts of terephthalic and maleic acid, respectively, the specific viscosities (η_sp) of the new linear polymers increased abnormally with the decrease of the temperature from 200 °C to 100 °C. This occurred due to the thermally reversible dedimerization/redimerization of  DCPD moieties of the backbone of the polymers via the catalyst‐free Diels–Alder/retro Diels–Alder cycloadditive reactions. The ratio of the η_sp at 100 °C and 200 °C of the reversible polymers was found to be much higher than that of PXTP and PXM, even when the heating/cooling cycle was carried out several times under a N₂ atmosphere. The obtained results indicated that thermally reversible covalently bonded linear polymer can be obtained by introducing the  DCPD structure into the backbone of the polymer through the polymerization of a monomer containing the  DCPD moiety. The reversible natures of the polymers and oligomers might be useful in preparing easily processable and recyclable polymers and thermosensor materials. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1662–1672, 2000     

Theoretical investigations on the carbazole‐based conjugated polymers containing electron‐donating divinylaryl

The polycarbazoles have been proved to efficiently suppress the keto defect emission. Three carbazole‐based conjugated polymers, poly[9‐methyl‐3‐(4‐vinylstyryl)‐9H‐carbazole] (PBC), poly[9‐methyl‐3‐(2‐(5‐vinylthiophen‐2‐yl)vinyl)‐9H‐carbazole] (PBT) and poly[9‐methyl‐3‐(2‐(5‐vinylfuran‐2‐yl)vinyl)‐9H‐carbazole] (PBF), were investigated by quantum‐chemical techniques, and gain a detailed understanding of the influence of carbazole units and the introduction of electron‐donating on the electronic and optical properties. The electronic properties of the neutral molecules, HOMO‐LUMO gaps (ΔE), in addition to ionization potential (I_p) and electron affinity (E_a), are studied using B3LYP density functional theory. The lowest excitation energies (E_g) and the absorption wavelength are studied using the time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). The calculated results show that all three series of polymers have good planarity. And the highest‐occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies lift about 0.36–0.61 eV and thus the I_P decrease about 0.01–0.19 eV compared to polycarbazole, suggesting the significant improved hole‐accepting and transporting abilities. By introducing the electron‐donating 1,4‐divinylphenylene or 2,5‐divinylthiophene or 2,5‐divinylfuran units in the backbone, and the lowest‐unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies decrease 0.20–0.39 eV. In addition, PBC, PBT and PBF have longer maximal absorption wavelengths than polycarbazole. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 706–714, 2009     

Copolymers of phenylacetylene and para‐nitrophenylacetylene with nonlinear optical properties: Further insight on the conformational structure

Copolymers of phenylacetylene (PA) and para‐nitrophenylacetylene (pNPA), named poly(PA‐co‐pNPA), were obtained in different PA/pNPA ratios and different reaction conditions with Rh(I) catalysts. The structure of the copolymers was investigated with IR, laser Raman, ¹H NMR, electron spin resonance (ESR), and diffuse reflective ultraviolet–visible (DRUV) light spectroscopies. The pristine polymers had a cis–transoidal structure as the predominant conformation with some trans sequences. Detailed ESR studies supported by computer simulation and conformation analysis have suggested that the trans sequences were due to pNPA sequences and that the cis‐C?C bond sequences of pNPA were associated with a stabilized cis radical formed by four to five of pNPA monomers. This particular stabilization was probably the reason for the higher reactivity of pNPA as compared with PA. These cis sequences were preferentially cleaved to generate π radicals. The compression and, to a minor extent, thermal treatment of poly(PA‐co‐pNPA) samples induced a cis‐to‐trans isomerization, leading to a trans–transoidal form with a planar zigzag structure and with a conjugation length up to n = 24 repeat units, determined by DRUV and Raman experiments. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2365–2376, 2004     

Synthesis of third‐order non‐linear optical polymers based on conjugated poly(heteroarylene methines)

A series of 10 new poly(heteroarylene methylenes) containing one pyrrole or thiophene ring alternating with a carbon atom in the main chain were synthesized and characterized. The polymers which were synthesized in the air were found to be partially dehydrogenated by the oxygen, that is, the bridge carbon atoms between pyrrole or thiophene rings were partially sp³ atoms and partially sp² atoms. However the polymers which were synthesized in the flowing nitrogen atmosphere were found to be deoxidized, that is the bridge atoms were sp³ atoms. The deoxidized polymers could be oxidatively dehydrogenated with tetrchlorobenzoquinone. These polymers are useful model systems to investigate the effect of conjugation length on the electronic and optical properties of conjugated polymers. Third‐order optical non‐linearities of the reulting polymers were studied by z‐scan techniques. The results show that the reulting polymers exhibited large third‐order optical non‐linear susceptibilities as large as 10^?8 esu. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic evolution of gases in the γ‐ and helium‐ion radiolyses of solid polymers

The dynamic evolution of gaseous hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide in the γ‐ and ⁴He‐ion radiolyses of solid polymers was investigated. The polymers used include low‐density and high‐density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), Nylon 11, Nylon 6, and poly(dimer acid‐co‐alkyl polyamine). An inline quadrupole mass spectrometer was utilized to monitor the dynamic profiles of the gases produced in the radiolysis. One‐ and two‐dimensional numerical diffusion models were developed to simulate and extract optimum diffusion coefficients and gas yields from the experimental dynamic gas profiles. It was found that the dynamic evolution of molecular hydrogen from the bulk polymer is controlled by its diffusion in most cases, such as CO₂ in poly(methyl methacrylate). In the γ radiolysis of some polymers such as low‐density polyethylene and polypropylene, the dynamic evolution of methane is only partially controlled by the diffusion process, and some other postirradiation process is a factor. It is concluded that the simulation method developed in this article is helpful in understanding and predicting the mechanisms of gas evolution in the radiolysis of solid polymers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B Part B: Polym Phys 39: 1449–1459, 2001