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     

Synthesis,characterization, and thermal stability of poly (lactic acid)/zinc oxide pillared organic saponite nanocomposites via ring‐opening polymerization of d,l‐lactide

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) was synthesized using d , l ‐lactide monomer and zinc oxide (ZnO) pillared organic saponite as the green catalyst, through ring‐opening polymerization. The effects of stoichiometry of catalyst and polymerization conditions on molecular weight of PLA were evaluated by orthogonal experiment. The optimum polymerization parameters were: 0.5 wt% ZnO pillared organic saponite and reaction conditions of 170°C for 20 hr. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy confirmed the PLA structure. Gel permeation chromatography showed that the average molecular weight of PLA was 48,442 g/mol, and its polydispersity index was 1.875. Differential scanning calorimetry, X‐ray diffraction, and polarized optical microscopy showed that ZnO pillared organic saponite improved the crystallinity of PLA. Thermal gravimetric analysis showed improved thermal stability of PLA because of ZnO pillared organic saponite. Thermal decomposition kinetics of PLA/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites was also studied. The activation energies (E_a) for thermal degradation of PLA and PLA/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites were evaluated by the Kissinger and Ozawa methods, which demonstrated that ZnO pillared organic saponite enhanced E_a of thermal degradation of PLA and significantly improved its thermal stability. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ATRP of styrene catalyzed by elemental Fe(0) and Br2: An easy and economical ATRP process

In this work, zero‐valent iron (Fe(0)) (powder or wire) and elemental bromine (Br₂) were used as the catalysts for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene (St) without any additional initiator at 110 °C. The polymerizations happened with controlled evidence at appropriate molar ratio of Fe(0) to Br₂: a remarkable increase of molecular weights with St conversions, the narrow molecular weight distributions and living polymer chains end‐capped by Br. More Br₂ or less Fe(0) led to a slow polymerization rate but an improved control over molecular weights. After examining the polymer chain ends by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry, it was concluded that the polymerization was initiated by thermal self‐initiation, and regulated by the in situ generated Fe^IIIBr₃. The results suggested that the Fe(0)/Br₂ catalyzing polymerization was a classical ATRP process with easier operation and more economical components. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

ROMP of t-butyl-substituted ferrocenophanes affords soluble conjugated polymers that contain ferrocene moieties in the backbone

A substituted ferrocenophane, 1,1′-((1-tert-butyl)-1,3-butadienylene)ferrocene, was synthesized and polymerized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) to give soluble high molecular weight polymers with ferrocenylene units in the backbone. The monomer readily underwent polymerization upon exposure to a tungsten-based metathesis initiator, W(CHC₆H₄-o-OMe)(NPh)[OCMe(CF₃)₂]₂ (THF), to give high molecular weight polymers (M_w=ca. 300,000). The molecular weights could be varied systematically by adjusting the monomer-to-catalyst ratio. UV/vis spectra revealed a bathochromic shift for the polymer, consistent with enhanced conjugation compared to the monomer. The polymer exhibited thermal properties similar to oligomeric poly(ferrocenylene). Cyclic voltammetry of the polymer suggested that the iron centers are coupled electronically. Upon doping with I₂ vapor, the polymers displayed semiconducting properties (σ=10⁻⁵ S cm⁻¹). Theoretical calculations were used to evaluate the nature of the bonding in these and related polymers.     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly(lactic acid)‐ block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) multiblock copolymer

Biodegradable copolymers of poly(lactic acid)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLA‐b‐PCL) were successfully prepared by two steps. In the first step, lactic acid monomer is oligomerized to low molecular weight prepolymer and copolymerized with the (ε‐caprolactone) diol to prepolymer, and then the molecular weight is raised by joining prepolymer chains together using 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as the chain extender. The polymer was carefully characterized by using ¹H‐NMR analysis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results of ¹H‐NMR and TGA indicate PLA‐b‐PCL prepolymer with number average molecular weights (M_n) of 4000–6000 were obtained. When PCL‐diols are 10 wt%, copolymer is better for chain extension reaction to obtain the polymer with high molecular weight. After chain extension, the weight average molecular weight can reach 250,000 g/mol, as determined by GPC, when the molar ratio of –NCO to –OH was 3:1. DSC curve showed that the degree of crystallization of PLA–PCL copolymer was low, even became amorphous after chain extended reaction. The product exhibits superior mechanical properties with elongation at break above 297% that is much higher than that of PLA chain extended products. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Linear polybenzyls. III. Sterically assisted linear polymerization of 2,5-dimethylbenzyl chloride and α-methylbenzyl chloride

The low-temperature Friedel-Crafts step-growth polymerization reactions of 2,5-dimethylbenzyl chloride with TiCl₄—(C₂H₅)₂AlCl catalyst, and of α-methylbenzyl chloride with AlCl₃ catalyst were investigated for the effect of reaction conditions on polymer molecular weight, linearity, glass transition temperature, and crystalline properties. Premature precipitation of highly crystalline poly(2,5-dimethylbenzyl) prevented the preparation of high molecular weight products from this monomer, while most likely an indanyl-type termination reaction limited the molecular weight of poly(α-methylbenzyl). Model reactions indicated that, under proper conditions, the latter could be prepared with 99% para substitution, and these polymers were crystalline.     

Chain-growth polymerization of azide–alkyne difunctional monomer: Synthesis of star polymer with linear polytriazole arms from a core

This article reports a chain-growth coupling polymerization of AB difunctional monomer via copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction for synthesis of star polymers. Unlike our previously reported CuAAC polymerization of AB _n (n ≥ 2) monomers that spontaneously demonstrated a chain-growth mechanism in synthesis of hyperbranched polymer, the homopolymerization of AB monomer showed a common but less desired step-growth mechanism as the triazole groups aligned in a linear chain could not effectively confine the Cu catalyst in the polymer species. In contrast, the use of polytriazole-based core molecules that contained multiple azido groups successfully switched the polymerization of AB monomers into chain-growth mechanism and produced 3-arm star polymers and multi-arm hyperstar polymers with linear increase of polymer molecular weight with conversion and narrow molecular weight distribution, for example, M_w/M_n ~ 1.05. When acid-degradable hyperbranched polymeric core was used, the obtained hyperstar polymers could be easily degraded under acidic environment, producing linear degraded arms with defined polydispersity. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020 , 58, 84–90     

Cyclopolycondensations. VIII. New Thermally Stable Aromatic Polybenzoxazinones by Solution Polymerization in Polyphosphoric Acid

High molecular weight polybenzoxazinones have been prepared by cyclo-polycondensation reaction of 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid with a variety of aromatic carbonyl compounds using a solution polymerization technique in polyphosphoric acid. From the model reactions of anthranilic acid, and 4,4′-diamino-3,3′-biphenyldicarboxylic acid with benzoyl chloride in polyphosphoric acid, it is established that the cyclopolycondensation proceeds through the formation of an open-chain tractable precursor, polyamic acid of high molecular weight (ninh = 2.66) in the first step, which subsequently undergoes thermal or chemical cyclodehydration along the polymer chain, to yield, in the second step, a fully aromatic polybenz-oxazinone. Polybenzoxazinones thus obtained have excellent thermal stability both in nitrogen and in air.

The optimum polymerization conditions for obtaining polyamic acid of high molecular weight are determined by the study of reaction variables such as polymerization temperatures, monomer concentrations, and reaction time as well as the effect of P₂O₅ concentrations in polyphosphoric acid.     

More about the polymerization of lactides in the presence of stannous octoate

The ring-opening polymerization of lactide cyclic monomers in the bulk in the presence of tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate (stannous octoate or SnOct₂) was reexamined under conditions allowing for the end group characterization of growing chains by high-resolution ¹H-NMR. Data collected for low values of the monomer/initiator (M/I) ratio showed that the DL -lactide ring was opened to yield lactyl octoate-terminated short chains. A cationic-type mechanism involving co-initiation by octanoic acid was proposed to account for experimental findings. The formation of a side product, hydroxytin(II) lactate (HTL), was found which appeared able to initiate lactide polymerization and to yield a high molecular weight PLA50 polymer. However the polymerization with stannous octoate was faster than the HTL one. Anyhow, data suggested that both SnOct₂ and HTL are likely to act simultaneously as initiators during the polymerization of lactides in the presence of SnOct₂. A complete reaction scheme was proposed to account for the presence of the various compounds likely to be formed under these conditions. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 3431–3440, 1997     

In situ formation of Sn(IV) catalyst with increased activity in ε‐caprolactone and L‐lactide polymerization using stannous(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate

Ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ε‐caprolactone and L‐lactide (LA) was studied using stannous(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate (Sn(Oct)₂) with N,N‐dimethylformamide‐dimethyl acetal (DMF‐DMA). DMF‐DMA showed a tenfold improvement in catalytic activity over that of Sn(Oct)₂ under the same conditions. It also enhanced the capability to control molecular weight in the synthesis of small molecular weight polymers of polycaprolactone and polylactide (PLA). The high molecular weight polymerization demonstrated a strong capability to control molecular weight for the polymerization of LA: a molecular weight of PLA exceeding 400,000 was obtained at very low catalytic loadings. The individual polymerization rates of other tin reagents with DMF‐DMA also clearly increased. Applying this methodology could drastically reduce the time and cost required for the fabrication of these products to increase the competitive advantage of manufacturers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Towards high molecular weight poly(bisphenol a carbonate) with excellent thermal stability and mechanical properties by solid-state polymerization

Poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (BPA-PC) was post-polymerized by solid-state polymerization (SSP) after supercritical CO₂-induced crystallization in low molecular weight particles prepolymerized via melt transesterification reaction. The effects of the crystallization conditions on melting behavior and SSP of BPA-PC were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Ubbelohde viscosity method and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The reaction kinetics of the SSP of crystallized prepolymers was studied as a function of reaction temperatures for various reaction periods. As a result, the viscosity average molecular weight of BPA-PC particles (2 mm) increased from 1.9 × 10⁴ g/mol to 2.8 × 10⁴ g/mol after SSP. More importantly, the significantly enhanced thermal stability and mechanical properties of solid-state polymerized BPA-PC, compared with those of melt transesterification polymerized BPA-PC with the same molecular weight, can be ascribed to the substantial avoidance of undergoing high temperature during polymerization. Our work provides a useful method to obtain practical product of BPA-PC with high quality and high molecular weight.     

Cationic polymerization of styrene by acetyl perchlorate. II. Steric structure of the polymer and nature of the propagating species

Cationic polymerization of styrene initiated by acetyl perchlorate in CH₂Cl₂ yields a polymer having a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The high molecular weight and the low molecular weight portions of the polymer were separated by thin-layer chromatography, and the steric structure of these separated polymers was investigated by ¹³C NMR spectra. The high molecular weight polymer had a larger racemic dyad content than the low molecular weight material. From the dependence of the steric structure of the polymer on the polarity of a solvent, it was estimated that the propagating species producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the low one was a nondissociated species.     

Biodegradable Composites of Poly(lactic acid) with Cellulose Fibers Polymerized by Aluminum Triflate

Biodegradable polymer composites consisting of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and cellulose fibers (CF) were prepared by our newly developed method. L-Lactic acid (LA) was reacted by ring-opening polymerization with aluminum triflate as a catalyst, glycerol as an initiator and CF as a filler, in simple plastic tubes at 100 °C for 6 hours. By this method, CF could be mixed with the polymer matrix easily and homogeneously. The molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the PLA matrix were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The M_n of the composite samples decreased from 6200 to 2800 with increasing CF content. The molecular weight distribution of composites was around 2.5 regardless of the CF content. Biodegradation of samples was determined by measuring the results from the Microbial Oxidative Degradation Analyzer (MODA) and the weight loss in compost. Biodegradation of composite samples of PLA with CF increases with increasing CF content as measured by the MODA. Apparent density of composite samples was calculated by using the weight and sizes of column shape specimens. The density of the composite samples was a bit lower than that of PLA pure samples without CF. Mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus and strength were investigated by compression tests using column shape specimens. For the sample with filter paper as CF, the strength of composite samples increases with increasing CF content.     

Solution polymerization of polybenzimidazole

Polybenzimidazoles (PBI) are an important class of heterocyclic polymers that exhibit high thermal and oxidative stabilities. The two dominant polymerization methods used for the synthesis of PBI are the melt/solid polymerization route and solution polymerization using polyphosphoric acid as the solvent. Both methods have been widely used to produce high‐molecular weight PBI, but also highlight the obvious absence of a practical organic solution‐based method of polymerization. This current work explores the synthesis of high‐molecular weight meta‐PBI in N,N‐dimethyl acetamide (DMAc). Initially, model compound studies examined the reactivity of small molecules with various chemical functionalities that could be used to produce 2‐phenyl‐benzimidazole in high yield with minimal side reactions. ¹H NMR and FTIR studies indicated that benzimidazoles could be efficiently synthesized in DMAc by reaction of an o‐diamine and the bisulfite adduct of an aromatic aldehyde. Polymerizations were conducted at various polymer concentrations (2‐26 wt % polymer) using difunctional monomers to optimize reaction conditions in DMAc which resulted in the preparation of high‐molecular weight m‐PBI (inherent viscosities up to 1.3 dL g^?1). TGA and DSC confirmed that m‐PBI produced via this route has comparable properties to that of commercial m‐PBI. This method is advantageous in that it not only allows for high‐polymer concentrations of m‐PBI to be synthesized directly and efficiently, but can be applied to the synthesis of many PBI derivatives. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1795–1802     

Mussel‐inspired decoration of Ni(OH)2 nanosheets on 2D MoS2 towards enhancing thermal and flame retardancy properties of poly(lactic acid)

In the present work, a facile and environmental method was developed to fabricate the novel functionalized MoS₂ hybrid. Firstly, MoS₂ nanosheets were coated with polydopamine (PDA) through the self‐polymerization of dopamine (MoS₂‐PDA) in a buffer solution. Then the decoration of Ni(OH)₂ on the MoS₂‐PDA was synthesized because of the strong affinity of Ni²⁺ with hydroxyl groups in PDA. Finally, the as‐synthesized MoS₂‐PDA@Ni(OH)₂ was introduced into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix to explore flame retardancy, thermal stability, and crystalline property of the composites. As confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), the MoS₂ nanosheets were dually modified with PDA and Ni(OH)₂ without destroying the original structures. The thermal degradation of PLA with MoS₂‐PDA@Ni(OH)₂ generated a notably higher yield of char. Moreover, the crystallization rate of composites is higher than neat PLA. The cone calorimeter test revealed that the introduction of 3% MoS₂‐PDA@Ni(OH)₂ resulted in lower Peak Heat Release Rate (PHRR) (decreased by 21.7%). Thus, the research provided an innovative functionalization method for manufacturing PLA composites with high performances.     

Synthesis and properties of the addition polymer of benzenedithiol with divinylbenzene

Polyaddition of 1,4-benzenedithiol (BDT) to 1,4-divinylbenzene (DVB) was carried out with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile initiator in toluene at 75°C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The polymerization proceeded without an induction period, to give a white polymer with a high molecular weight (M?_w = 110,000) in ca. 90% yield for 2 hr. It was confirmed by ¹H-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), IR (infrared) and sulfur contents that the polymer had an alternating structure of DVB and BDT units. The end-capping reaction of the polymer was also achieved by addition of thiophenol and/or styrene to the polymerization solution at a final stage of the polymerization. The polymer film exhibited a reversible phase transition between a transparent state and an opaque one by thermal mode. The thermal property of the polymer was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis and polarized optical microscope observation with the polymer film. The detailed DSC analysis showed that the end-capped polymer with a relatively low molecular weight (M?_W = 4400–9600) exhibited similar to liquid crystalline behavior. A diffuse reflectance spectrum of the polymer coated on an aluminum plate showed a marked difference in reflective light intensity in the ultraviolet and visible regions: the reversible phase transition between an opaque and a transparent polymer layers was induced by thermal mode. The light transmittance of the polymer film, which was measured by depolarized light intensity method, was very sensitive toward the temperature variation.     

Poly(3-hydroxyoxetane)—an analog of poly(vinyl alcohol): Synthesis,characterization, and properties

The spontaneous polymer formed from 3-hydroxyoxetane (HO), as first reported by Wojtowicz and Polak, is linear, low molecular weight, water-soluble, atactic, poly(3-hydroxyoxetane) (PHO) of high crystallinity with ? OCH₂CH(OH)CH₂OH end units. The highly crystalline nature of this atactic polymer may be related to the crystalline nature of atactic poly(vinyl alcohol) since PHO can be considered a copolymer of vinyl alcohol and formaldehyde. Spontaneous PHO apparently is formed in a cationic polymerization by the carboxylic acids produced by the air oxidation of HO on standing at room temperature for several months. The polymerization can be duplicated by the addition of 2% hydroxyacetic acid to HO. The rate of this unusual cationic polymerization increases greatly with acid strength, e.g., trifluoromethanesulfonic acid reacts explosively with pure HO. A mechanism is proposed for this cationic polymerization. High molecular weight, water-soluble, linear atactic, and highly crystalline PHO (mp = 155°C) was made by polymerizing the trimethylsilyl ether of HO with the i-Bu₃Al–0.7 H₂O cationic catalyst followed by hydrolysis. Two ¹H-NMR methods for measuring the tacticity of PHO were developed based on finding two different types of methylene units at 400 MHz with the methine protons decoupled. Also, an ¹H-NMR method was developed for measuring branching in HO polymers. High molecular weight, linear PHO with enhanced isotacticity (80%) has been obtained in low yield as a water-insoluble fraction with T_m = 223°C. The low molecular weight PHO prepared previously by the base-catalyzed, rearrangement polymerization of glycidol is highly branched.     

有机/无机复合载体负载复合催化剂用于乙烯聚合时有机载体的作用

采用溶胶-凝胶法,将苯乙烯-丙烯酸(P(S-co-AA))共聚物包覆在以硅胶/MgCl2为载体的TiCl3催化剂(M-1催化剂)上,负载(n-BuCp)2ZrCl2后制得TiCl3/(n-BuCp)2ZrCl2复合催化剂,研究聚合物载体P(S-co-AA)在复合催化剂乙烯聚合中的作用.前期实验结果表明有机载体P(S-c...     

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.     

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Styrene Using Multifunctional Iniferter Reagents as Initiators

Summary: Two multifunctional iniferters, 1,4-bis-(α-N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl-isobutyryloxy)-benzene (BDCIB) and 1,3,5-tris-(α-N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl-isobutyryloxy)-benzene (TDCIB), were successfully synthesized and used as initiators to initiate the polymerization of styrene in the presence of a CuBr/PMDETA complex. The polymerization results demonstrated that the kinetic plots in all cases were first-order to the monomer, the molecular weight of the polymers increased linearly with the monomer conversion; meanwhile, the molecular weight distribution of the polymer was kept to a very low value (M_w/M_n ≤ 1.35). Furthermore, the measured molecular weights were very close to the calculated values, which indicated the high efficiency of the initiator for the polymerization of styrene. The effect of catalyst concentration and initiator concentration was not obvious and the influence of polymerization temperature was apparent, and the polymerization rate increased with the polymerization temperature. The results of chain-extension and ¹H NMR analysis proved that the polymer obtained was capped with diethylthiocarbamoylthiy (DC) group.