Preparation and characterization of optically active polystyrene via a chiral nitroxide‐mediated polymerization

2,2,6,6‐Tetramethyl‐4‐[d‐(+)‐10‐camphorsulfonyl]‐1‐piperidinyloxy was synthesized and used as a chiral nitroxide for the bulk polymerizations of styrene initiated with benzoyl peroxide (BPO), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD), and thermal initiation. The results showed that the polymerizations proceeded in a controlled/living way; that is, the kinetics presented approximately first‐order plots, and the number‐average molecular weights of the polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight) increased with the monomer conversion linearly. The molecular weight distributions in the case of thermal initiation were narrower than those in the case of BPO and TETD, whereas the polymerization rate with BPO or TETD as an initiator was obviously faster than that with thermal initiation. In addition, successful chain‐extension reactions were carried out, and the structures of the obtained polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography and ¹H NMR. The specific rotations of the polymers were also measured by polarimetric analysis. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1522–1528, 2006     

Fractionation and physico-chemical analysis of degraded lignins from the black liquor of Eucalyptus pellita KP-AQ pulping

The degraded Eucalyptus pellita kraft lignin from the black liquor of KP-AQ pulping was precipitated directly at pH ∼2.0 without further purifying, since the lignin obtained is more representative with a whole distribution of molecular weight. The precipitated lignin was fractionated into six fractions by successive extraction with organic solvents. A comparison study of the lignin heterogeneity between the fractions was made in terms of fractional yield, content of associated polysaccharides, alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation, molecular weight distribution, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and thermal stability. It was found that the lignin fractions contained higher associated hemicelluloses and ratios of non-condensed syringyl/guaiacyl units which were extracted by organic solvents with higher Hildebrand solubility parameters. The results from GPC and TGA showed that the polydispersity and the thermal stability of the lignin fractions increased with increasing molecular weight. In the low molecular weight fraction, small amounts of β-aryl ether bond (β-O-4) surviving the KP-AQ pulping were detected by both ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra.     

Thermal degradation of star-shaped poly(?-caprolactone)

Thermal degradation of a serials of star-shaped poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) with well-defined arm numbers and arm length was investigated. The weight loss of star-shaped PCL during heating process showed a two-stage character, and its dependence on molecular weight and multi-armed structure was well discussed. It was found that the thermal stability could be improved not only by increasing molecular weight but also by increasing arm numbers when the molecular weight is in a certain range. Based on the analyses of pyrolytic products by ¹H NMR and TGA-FTIR, two mechanisms of thermal degradation for the random cleavage of ester bonds of PCL chains were proposed. Ester bonds were pyrolyzed into alkene and carboxyl functional groups in mechanism I while they were pyrolyzed into ketene and hydroxyl functional groups in mechanism II. The effects of multi-armed structure of star-shaped PCL on the cleavage of ester bonds of PCL chains were discussed in terms of the limitation of central “core” on mobility of each PCL arm. Combined the results of viscosity analysis with thermal analysis, it could be concluded that both thermal stability and processability of PCL materials can be improved by controlling the multi-armed structures.     

Synthesis and characterization of multifunctional polyamide 1 using CO2 and urea via environment‐friendly method

The polyamide 1 (PA1) containing the highest density of hydrogen bond and dipole was synthesized using carbon dioxide (CO₂) and urea as raw materials under supercritical CO₂ condition through environment‐friendly method. Three kinds of molecular weights of PA1 were prepared in this study to satisfy different application areas. The chemical structures of PA1 were characterized comprehensively by means of ¹H and ¹³C NMR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elements analysis, intrinsic viscosity, and wide angle X‐ray diffraction. The thermal properties and glass transition temperature were measured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry. The obtained products had intrinsic average molecular weights ranging from 1.29 × 10³ to 1.29 × 10⁴. And the thermal stability and glass transition temperature increased with the increasing of molecular weight. TGA results indicated that the temperatures of 5% and 10% weight loss were 378 and 395 °C, respectively and the maximum decomposition temperatures for the two stages were 416 and 457 °C for the highest molecular weight product. The PA1, a new family member of polyamides, was a potential multifunctional material and found applications as high‐performance material. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 853–859     

Preparation of high molecular weight polybenzoxazine prepolymers containing siloxane unites and properties of their thermosets

High‐molecular‐weight polybenzoxazine prepolymers containing polydimethylsiloane unit in the main‐chain have been synthesized from α,ω‐bis(aminopropyl)polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) (molecular weight = 248, 850, and 1622) and bisphenol‐A with formaldehyde. Moreover, another type of prepolymers was prepared using methylenedianiline (MDA) as codiamine with PDMS. The weight average molecular weight of the obtained prepolymers was estimated from size exclusion chromatography to be in the range of 8000–11,000. The chemical structures of the prepolymers were investigated by ¹H NMR and IR analyses. The prepolymers gave transparent free standing films by casting their dioxane solution. The prepolymer films after thermally cured up to 240 °C gave brown colored transparent and flexible polybenzoxazine films. Tensile test of the films revealed that the elongation at break increased with increasing the molecular weight of PDMS unit. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the thermosets showed that the T_gs were as high as 238–270 °C. The thermosets also revealed high thermal stability as evidenced by the 5% weight loss temperatures in the range of 324–384 °C from thermogravimetic analysis. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

New thermally stable condensation polymers containing central ketal moieties derived from malonaldehydetetramethyl acetal and dihydroxyaromatic compounds

Abstract

A number of new condensation polymers with acetal units in the main chain and having linear and ladder-form structure and high thermal stability were synthesized by solution polycondensation of dihydroxyaromatic compounds with malonaldehydetetramethyl acetal as a reactive protected 1,3-dicarbonyl compound. Optimal conditions for polycondensation were obtained via study of the model compounds. In order to obtain high molecular weight polymers, general investigations on the influence of reaction conditions, such as monomer concentration and reaction temperature were carried out. All polymers were obtained in high yields and moderate inherent viscosity ranging from 0.25 to 0.41?dL/g. The proposed chemical structures of condensation polymers were confirmed by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, FTIR spectroscopies, TGA, and DSC. Thermal analysis indicated that these polymers are stable up to 360?°C, and a 10% weight loss (T₁₀) were recorded on the TG curves in the temperature range of 381–411?°C in nitrogen atmosphere, indicating their good thermal stability.     

Atom transfer radical polymerization synthesis and photoresponsive solution behavior of spiropyran end‐functionalized polymers as simplistic molecular probes

Poly(methyl methacrylate)s (PMMAs) of two different molecular weights having a single photochromic benzospiropyran (BSP) end‐group were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Polymer characterization by ¹H NMR and matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionitiation time of flight‐mass spectroscopy confirms that using an ATRP initiator equipped with BSP, a near quantitative functionalization of the PMMA with the BSP was achieved. Both polymers exhibit photochroism characterized by the UV‐induced transition from BSP to benzomerocyanine (BMC) in acetonitrile. However, a strong molecular weight dependence of the thermal relaxation kinetic of the BMC was found with a significantly faster temperature‐dependent transition for the higher molecular weight polymer. Thermodynamic analysis of the process revealed a higher gain in the entropy of activation ΔS^± for the transition process in the higher molecular weight polymer. This suggests an energetically unfavorable nonpolar environment of the BMC group in the higher molecular weight polymers, although a higher solvation of the BMC in the lower molecular weight polymer contributes to its stabilization. The ability of the BMC polymer end‐groups to organize was shown in metal ion‐binding experiments forming bivalently linked complexes with Co ions. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Heat-resistant pyridine-based poly(ether-ester)s: Synthesis, characterization and properties

A pyridine-based diacid was synthesized via nucleophilic substitution reaction of 4-hydroxy benzoic acid with 2,6-dichloropyridine in the presence of potassium carbonate. The diacid was characterized using FT-IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopic methods and also with elemental analysis. Polycondensation reaction of the diacid with different diols including 1,4-dihydroxy benzene, 1,5-dihydroxy naphthalene, bis-phenol A and bis-phenol-P resulted in preparation of pyridine-based poly(ether-ester)s. The polymers were characterized and their physical and thermal properties including inherent viscosity, molecular weight, solubility, thermal stability, thermal behavior and crystallinity were studied. They revealed high heat-resistance and improved solubility in polar solvents. Structure-property relations for the prepared polyester were also studied.     

Polymerization of α-Methylstyrene with Potassium as Initiator. VII. Thermal Decomposition of the Reaction Products

The polymerization of α-methylstyrene, initiated with high concentrations of potassium in tetrahydrofuran and in p-dioxane or with a butyllithium-tetramethylethylenediamine complex in bulk, was carried out at temperatures above 25°C. The resulting products comprising varying proportions of both low (D + A of [Mbar]w = 2.0 to 4.0 × 10³) and high (B + C of [Mbar]W > 20.0 × 10³) molecular weight components were subjected to 50 min isothermal treatments at different temperatures. The poly-α-methylstyrene samples, prepared under the above mentioned solvent-conditions, which had similar proportions of components D + A and B + C, as characterized by gel permeation chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance showed that their thermal stability decreased with the following order of solvent-conditions: Bulk > p-dioxane > THF. A comparison of the decomposition results obtained with polymers made up of components D + A and B + C and those made up exclusively of component B + C showed that the percent weight-loss and the decrease in molecular weight associated with the latter component B + C is more pronounced when the low molecular weight component D + A is present.     

Poly(lactic acid) Synthesis in Solution Polymerization

The step-growth polymerization of L-lactic acid in solution was studied in this work. In order to attain a polymer with high molecular weight, the water formed during the polymerization must be continuously removed. The use of organic solvents with high boiling point, drying agents and reduced pressure led to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) with high molecular weight, directly from the monomer. Tin (II) chloride dihydrate, SnCl₂.2H₂O, was the best of the catalysts tested as it allowed achieving PLA with a molecular weight close to 80 000 g.mol⁻¹. However, the stereoregurarity control is a severe problem in PLA synthesis by step-growth due to transesterification reactions, which lead to an inversion of the conformation and a decrease of the optical purity of the polymer. Specific rotation measurements were used in this work and showed to be a powerful technique to evaluate the racemization extent. The thermal stability of the PLA samples was evaluated by DSC which exhibits a thermal behaviour similar to the commercial Polylactide.     

Diacetylene-containing polymers IV. Novel diacetylene-containing polyamides and copolyamides

New monomers, bis(3-ethynyl)dianilides, were synthesized from 3-ethynylaniline and different diacid dichlorides and were polymerized by oxidative polycoupling to give soluble high molecular weight film forming diacetylene-containing polyamides. UV-induced and thermal cross-linking of the polymer were studied. A correlation was found between the chain flexibility and the absoprtion peaks of visible spectra of cross-linked polymer films. Third order nonlinear optical susceptibility (χ⁽³⁾) of the polymer films was in the range of 10⁻¹⁰-10⁻⁹ esu.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Hybrid Biopolymers of L-lactic Acid and 2-Pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic Acid

Copolymers of L-lactic acid (LA) and 2-pyrone-4,6-dicarboxylic acid (PDC), a chemically stable metabolic intermediate of lignin, were prepared by dehydrated polycondensation based on stepwise oligomerization followed by post-polymerization in vacuo. When the polymerization was performed in the presence of methanesulfonic acid as a catalyst, the molecular weights of the resulting copolymers were sufficiently high. Furthermore, expansion of the polymeric surface area was found to be an important factor in facilitating dehydration and thereby producing high molecular weight polymers. PDC feed ratio significantly affected the molecular weight because of the different polymerization capability from LA. Relationship between the PDC feed ratio and the molecular weight of the resulting polyesters was for the first time demonstrated quantitatively. The obtained copolymers were characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, IR, and thermal analysis. The high molecular weight copolymers possessed the higher decomposition temperatures than PLLA and their fusible temperature ranges were reasonably expanded.     

Cationic polymerization of L,L‐lactide

Cationic bulk polymerization of L ,L‐ lactide (LA) initiated by trifluromethanesulfonic acid [triflic acid (TfA)] has been studied. At temperatures 120–160 °C, polymerization proceeded to high conversion (>90% within ～8 h) giving polymers with M_n ～ 2 × 10⁴ and relatively high dispersity. Thermogravimetric analysis of resulting polylactide (PLA) indicated that its thermal stability was considerably higher than the thermal stability of linear PLA of comparable molecular weight obtained with ROH/Sn(Oct)₂ initiating system. Also hydrolytic stability of cationically prepared PLA was significantly higher than hydrolytic stability of linear PLA. Because thermal or hydrolytic degradation of PLA starting from end‐groups is considerably faster than random chain scission, both thermal and hydrolytic stability depend on molecular weight of the polymer. High thermal and hydrolytic stability, in spite of moderate molecular weight of cationically prepared PLA, indicate that the fraction of end‐groups is considerably lower than in linear PLA of comparable molecular weight. According to proposed mechanism of cationic LA polymerization growing macromolecules are fitted with terminal ? OH and ? C(O)OSO₂CF₃ end‐groups. The presence of those groups allows efficient end‐to‐end cyclization. Cyclic nature of resulting PLA explains its higher thermal and hydrolytic stability as compared with linear PLA. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2650–2658, 2010     

Improved hydrolytic stability of poly(dl-lactide) with epoxidized soybean oil

The multi-arm star polymer (ESOPLA) was obtained by ring-opening polymerization of dl-lactide using multifunctional epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) as an initiator in the presence of a stannous actuate (SnOct₂) catalyst. Gel permeation chromatography with multi-angle laser light scattering (GPC-MALLS), FTIR, ¹H NMR, thermal analysis and in vitro degradation were used to qualitatively characterize the synthesized polymers. The results revealed that ESO plays an important role in increasing the molecular weight, polymerization rate and monomer conversion rate. Degradation analysis demonstrated that the decrease in molecular weight and the weight loss ratio of the star-shaped ESOPLA were lower than that of linear poly(dl-lactide) (PDLLA). The surface topography of pre- and post-degradation materials was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). These SEM images showed that the linear PDLLA films underwent water erosion more readily than the star-shaped polymer films.     

Multidisciplinary characterization of novel emulsion polymers

A series of novel emulsion styrene‐butadiene copolymer blends were characterized using a multidisciplinary approach involving both analytical and rheological measurements. The blends were composed of 50/50 w/w high molecular weight (ca. 800,000 Da) ESBR and low molecular weight (ca. 200,000 Da) ESBR, each component having a different bound styrene level. When the difference in bound styrene between the two components was greater than 18%, a two phase co‐continuous morphology was observed by scanning probe microscopy, consistent with two glass transitions measured by temperature modulated DSC. Molecular weight and molecular weight distributions were characterized by both size exclusion chromatography and thermal field flow fractionation with multiangle light scattering detection. ThFFF was unique in its ability to detect ultra‐high molecular weight (> 10⁷ Da) fractions suggesting that traditional SEC often under‐estimates polymer molecular weight. Blending polymers of different molecular weights and styrene levels resulted in reduced molecular weight between entanglements which, based on rheological measurements, would be expected to improve processability.     

Amphiphilic Biodegradable Poly(ϵ-caprolactone)-Poly(ethylene glycol) – Poly(ϵ-caprolactone) Triblock Copolymer Synthesis by Maghnite-H+ as a Green Catalyst

Amphiphilic biodegradable (PCL-PEG-PCL) triblock copolymers have been successfully prepared by the ring opening polymerization of ?-caprolactone (CL) in the presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) at 80°C employing Maghnite-H⁺ a non-toxic Montmorillonite clay as catalyst. Maghnite-H⁺ reacts as a solid source of protons to induce ?-caprolactone polymerization. The triblock architecture, molecular weight and thermal properties of the copolymers were characterized by NMR spectra, GPC and DSC analyses. The effect of Maghnite-H⁺ proportion and PEGs on the rate of copolymerization and on average molecular weight of resulting copolymers was studied. A cationic mechanism for the copolymerization reaction was proposed.     

Carboxymethylation of corn starch and characterization using asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation coupled with multiangle light scattering

Asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AsFlFFF) was coupled online with multiangle light scattering (MALS) to study the changes in the molecular weight and the size distribution of the corn starch during carboxymethylation. A corn starch was derivatized with sodium chloroacetate in alcoholic medium under alkaline condition to produce carboxymethyl starches (CMS) having various degrees of substitution (DS). The change in thermal characteristics and granule structure of the native corn starch and CMS were compared using Thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscope. The ionic strength of the carrier liquid (water with 0.02% NaN₃) was optimized by adding 50 mM NaNO₃ to minimize the interactions among the starch molecules and between the starch molecules and the AsFlFFF membrane. A field-programmed AsFlFFF allowed determination of the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of starches within about 25 min. It was found that carboxymethylation of starch results in reduction in the molecular weight due to molecular degradation by the alkaline treatment. The weight-average molecular weight (M_w) was reduced down to about 4.4 × 10⁵ from about 7.2 × 10⁶ when DS was 0.14. It seems AsFlFFF coupled with MALS (AsFlFFF/MALS) is a useful tool for monitoring the changes taking place in the molecular weight and the size of starch during derivatization.     

p-Hydroxybenzoic Acid-Urea-Formaldehyde Copolymers and Their Ion-Exchange Properties

Copolymers (PUF) were synthesized by the condensation of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (P), urea (U), and formaldehyde (F), in the presence of different acidic catalysts and using varied molar ratios of reacting monomers. One of the copolymers having the highest molecular weight was fractionated. Copolymer compositions have been determined on the basis of their elemental analysis and conductometric titrations in the nonaqueous phase. Molecular weights (M_n) have been estimated by VPO. Copolymer prepared by using the stoichiometric properties of the monomers and HCI as catalyst furnished the highest molecular weight (M_n). The viscosity measurements carried out in DMF indicate normal behavior. TGA and DSC data were analyzed to compare the relative thermal stability and estimate the characteristic parameters. IR spectra were studied to elucidate the structure. Chelation ion-exchange properties have also been studied employing the batch equilibration method. The order of selectivity of metal ions by the copolymers is UO₂ ²⁺ > Fe³⁺ >Cu²⁺ > Co²⁺.     

First Example of Schiff Bases Containing Poly(Acryl Amid) in the Synthesis and Characterization

A novel polymeric‐Schiff base derived from the condensation reaction poly(acryl amid) and indole‐3‐carboxaldehyde has been synthesized and their Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes have been prepared. Mol ratio of acrylamid group and Schiff bases group was estimated by means of height of ‐CH multiple peaks and –CH=N‐ peak in ¹H‐NMR spectrum. The studied substances were characterized by molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility, electronic and IR spectral studies. In addition, main units have been suggested with elemental analysis for these substances, and than the weight average molecular weight (M_w) has been suggested. The number average molecular weight (M_n) was determined with a vapor pressure osmometer. Polydispersity index (PDI) found to be ca 1.7 from M_w/M_n for poly‐Schiff bases and their Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes. PAA‐Schiff bases were found to have the highest thermal stablility compared to that of the Co(II) and Ni(II) complexes. The conductivities of the PAA‐Schiff bases and their complexes were measured by the four‐probe technique and were found in the range 10^?5?10^?6 S cm^?1.     

A novel hyperbranched copolymer constituted of triphenylamine and divinyl bipyridyl units

A hyperbranched copolymer (HTP) containing triphenylamine and divinyl bipyridyl units has been synthesized via Heck coupling reaction from 5,5′-divinyl-2,2′-bipyridyl and tris(4-bromophenyl)amine. The polymer had a number-average molecular weight of 1895 and a weight-average molecular weight of 2315, and was readily soluble in common organic solvents, such as THF, DMF and chloroform. The chemical structure of HTP was confirmed by FT-IR, ¹H NMR. Its thermal, electrochemical and optical properties have been investigated. The thermal analysis revealed that the polymer had a good thermal stability with the onset decomposition temperature at ca. 267 °C. The Uv-vis absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectra exhibited that the Stokes shift between the absorption and emission of HTP was relatively large: 103 for HTP solution and 135 nm for HTP film. The electrochemical analysis showed that the electrochemical band gap of HTP was 0.92 eV. The fluorescence of the polymer in solution can be quenched by various transition metal ions and HTP showed different sensitivity in transition metal ions sensing.