Thermotropic main chain liquid crystalline polyesters containing ferrocene and phosphate units: synthesis and characterization

A new series of liquid crystalline main chain copolyesters were prepared, having ferrocene in the mesogenic segment and a methyl phosphate group along with a methylene spacer. The even numbered methylene groups were varied from two to ten. Liquid crystalline behaviour was investigated on a hot stage optical polarized microscope. Thermal properties of the polymers were analysed by TGA and DSC, revealing that the polymers yield high char products, probably caused by the formation of phosphorus and iron oxides. The glass transition (T_g) temperatures of the polymers were found to be fairly low, the result of the incorporation of bulky phosphorus and ferrocene moieties in the chain. The phase behaviour was analysed and correlated with the structure of the polymers. The liquid crystalline textures of the polymers became more transparent with increasing spacer length. Energy minimized structures for the polymer repeating units reveal that both the ferrocene and phosphorus moieties produce more molecular entanglement, thus reducing the T_g and T_m of the polymers.     

Consequences of the 'jacketed' effect on mesomorphic and orientational properties of 'side-on fixed' liquid crystalline polymers

The mesomorphic properties have been studied as a function of the degree of polymerization for certain 'side-on fixed' polyacrylates. A peculiar evolution of the clearing temperature, T_IN, as well as of the glass transition temperatures, T_g, revealed that beyond a certain backbone length, T_IN and T_g decrease as the main chain length increases. The nematic 'jacketed' structure of these polymers induces a more or less high anisotropy of the polymer backbone conformation in the nematic phase and this can counterbalance the usual effect of an increase in the degree of polymerization on the thermodynamical properties of these systems. This evolution allows us to explain the unusual diamagnetic anisotropy anomaly observed as a function of temperature for this type of polymer.     

聚酰亚胺玻璃化转变温度预测:基团贡献加和法与未知基团赋值

基团贡献加和法(GAP)假设聚合物性质来自于重复单元中各次级基团的贡献, 因此可以通过计算基团贡献值的加和值预测聚合物性质. van Krevelen建立了基团贡献加和法, 计算了数十种聚合物的性质, 包括常用的溶解度参数、 熔点和玻璃化转变温度(T_g)等参数. 聚酰亚胺是由二酐和二胺缩合反应得到的一类高性能聚合物, 其中T_g是决定聚酰亚胺使用温度范围的关键性质. 因此准确预测聚酰亚胺的T_g有助于优化和筛选单体分子结构. 本文首先利用van Krevelen提供的普适性基团贡献值计算了74种聚酰亚胺的T_g, 发现计算值与实验值具有较好的相关性(R²=0.88, s=21 K), 但存在系统误差, 如二者线性拟合斜率为0.78, 远偏离1. 由于普适性贡献值来自于不同聚合物的数据迭代, 对聚酰亚胺体系适用性较差, 必须对基团贡献值进行校正. 本文系统性地提高了刚性基团的贡献值, 同时降低了柔性基团的贡献值. 利用校正后的基团贡献值重新计算了T_g, 其与实验值具有更好的相关性(R²=0.88, s=18 K)和一致性(线性拟合斜率为0.94). 进一步使用上述校正后的已知基团贡献值对未知的7种二酐基团和6种二酐或二胺中的子基团进行赋值. 训练组(82个聚酰亚胺)和测试组(35个聚酰亚胺)数据验证了这13个基团贡献值的可靠性. 本文建立的基团贡献值校正方法和对未知基团的赋值法也可以推广应用于其它芳杂环类聚合物.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel poly（aryl ether）s containing naphthyl moieties

Two poly(aryl ether)s containing naphthyl moieties were prepared from bis(3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)naphthyl methane (monomer 1) via nucleophilic aromatic substitution polycondensation with bis(4-fluorophenyl) ketone and bis(4-fluorophenyl) sulfone.The structures of these polymers were confirmed by ~1H NMR.The M_n values of the two polymers were 96,200 and 88,600, respectively.The polymers exhibited good thermal stabilities with 5%mass loss at T>400℃and high glass-transition temperature(T_g) of T>250℃...     

Gas permeability in rubbery polyphosphazene membranes

The synthesis, characterization, and gas permeability of 10 new polyphosphazenes has been studied. Additionally, the first gas permeation data has been collected on hydrolytically unstable poly[bis-(chloro)phosphazene]. Gases used in this study include CO₂, CH₄, O₂, N₂, H₂, and Ar. CO₂ was the most permeable gas through any of the phosphazenes and a direct correlation between the T_g of the polymer and CO₂ transport was noted with permeability increasing with decreasing polymer T_g. To a lesser degree, permeability of all the other gases studied also yielded increases with decreasing polymer T_g. The trend observed for these new polymers was further supported by published data for other phosphazenes. Furthermore, permeability data for all gases were found to correlate to the gas condensability and the gas critical pressures, except for hydrogen, suggesting that the nature of the gas is also a significant factor for permeation through rubbery phosphazene membranes. Ideal separation factors () for the CO₂/H₂ and CO₂/CH₄ gas pairs were calculated. For CO₂/CH₄, no increase in was observed with decreasing T_g, however increases in were noted for the CO₂/H₂ pair.     

Prediction of specific retention volumes in gas chromatography by using Kováts and molecular structural coefficients

The Kováts coefficients, K_c,Z, of a stationary phase and the solute's molecular structural coefficients, S_c,i, depend both on the specific retention volume V_g, of a solute or homologous series and on the “log-plot” slope, b, of a chromatographic column. In view of this dependence, the feasibility of predicting V_g in three instances was investigated: (a) V_g prediction of any n-alkane from K_c,Z and retention data of n-decane; (b) V_g prediction of any solute from the temperature dependence of the above parameters and (c) V_g prediction of any term of a homologous series from the correlations of the S_c increments, ΔS_c, with the organic structural function. The possibilities of the method are evaluated in the light of the analysis of the deviations of the predicted V_g values from the measured values.     

Mesomorphic properties of liquid crystalline polysiloxanes and elastomers based on a tri-vinyl crosslinker

A series of crosslinked liquid crystalline polymers and the corresponding uncrosslinked liquid crystalline polymers were prepared by graft copolymerization; their liquid crystalline properties were characterized by DSC, POM and X-ray measurements. The results show that the crosslinking obtained in the isotropic state leads to a reduction of the clearing point (T_c) of the crosslinked polymers, as compared with the corresponding uncrosslinked polymers. The crosslinked polymers with low crosslinking density (P₁-P₇) exhibit nematic mesogenic phases, as do the uncrosslinked polymers. In contrast, a high crosslinking density leads to the crosslinked polymers P₈ and P₉ losing their thermotropic liquid crystalline phases; they instead exhibit stress-induced orientation.     

含有酰胺基或酯基的可降解阳离子Gemini表面活性剂在水溶液中的聚集行为

In the last thirty years, Gemini surfactants with various structures have been designed, synthesized, and demonstrated to show superior physicochemical properties. However, the utilization of non-degradable surfactants, including these Gemini surfactants, poses a threat to the environment; hence, degradable Gemini surfactants are desirable. Herein, biodegradable cationic Gemini surfactants with amide or ester groups in the hydrophobic chains or the spacer were synthesized. A monomeric surfactant containing an amide group and a Gemini surfactant with amide groups both in the hydrophobic chains and the spacer were synthesized for comparison. The effects of amide group location on the aggregation behavior of Gemini surfactants were studied systematically. The differences between the Gemini surfactants with amide groups and Gemini surfactants with ester groups were evaluated by comparing their aggregation behavior and hydrogen bonding formation. The Gemini surfactants with amide groups (C₁₂A-C_n-AC₁₂) in the chains showed much larger exothermic ΔH_mic and more negative ΔG_mic values than those of the corresponding monomeric surfactant C₁₂A; besides, their critical micelle concentration (cmc) was more than one order of magnitude lower than that of C₁₂A. The amide groups located in the hydrophobic alkyl chains promoted hydrogen bonding formation and self-assembly of the Gemini surfactants C₁₂A-C_n-AC₁₂. Moreover, ¹H NMR spectra revealed that the co-effect of a short spacer and hydrogen bonding leads to slow exchange of the C₁₂A-C₂-AC₁₂ molecules between the monomer and the aggregate. For the Gemini surfactant series C₁₂-AC_nA-C₁₂, the amide groups notably increased the spacer length, and largest cmc value and smallest exothermic ΔH_mic value were observed for C₁₂-AC₂A-C₁₂ instead of C₁₂-AC₆A-C₁₂. In C₁₂-AC₁₂A-C₁₂, the spacer was long and sufficiently flexible to adopt a "U"-shaped conformation above the cmc, and it acted as the hydrophobic part of the surfactant, as confirmed by ¹H NMR spectra. Among the Gemini surfactant with amide groups in both the spacer and the hydrophobic alkyl chains, C₁₂A-AC₆A-AC₁₂ had a smaller cmc and I₁/I₃ ratio as well as more exothermic ΔH_mic values than those of C₁₂A-C₆-AC₁₂ and C₁₂-AC₆A-C₁₂. ¹H NMR spectra indicated that an ester-alcohol structural equilibrium exists during aggregation for the Gemini surfactants with ester groups. In addition, the Gemini surfactants with ester groups formed water-mediated hydrogen bonds in the aggregates. This water-mediated hydrogen bonding between ester groups was weaker than the direct hydrogen bonding between amide groups. Therefore, the Gemini surfactants with ester groups, C₁₂E-C₆-EC₁₂ and C₁₂-EC₆E-C₁₂, exhibited lower surface activity, a larger micelle ionization degree, higher micropolarity, and smaller exothermic ΔH_mic and less negative ΔG_mic values than their counterparts with amide groups, C₁₂A-C₆-AC₁₂ and C₁₂-AC₆A-C₁₂.     

(2,6-Diphenyl) phenyl methacrylate—2. Radical copolymerization with methyl methacrylate. The Tgs of its copolymers with an addendum on the polymerization of (2,6-diphenyl) phenyl acrylate

The radical copolymerization of (2,6-diphenyl) phenyl methacrylate (1) with methyl methacrylate in DMF with AIBN at 70°C has the reactivity ratios r₁ = 0.071 and r₂ = 1.42, from which Q₁ = 1.45 and e₁ = 1.20. The copolymers had M_ns in the range of 10,000–40,000 and T_gs ranging from 406 to 480 K from which the hypothetical T_g for poly-1 was deduced as 500 K (227°C). Unlike 1, (2,6-diphenyl) phenyl acrylate could be polymerized to oligomers with M_n of the order of 2500.     

Effect of high-temperature curing on the crosslink structures and dynamic mechanical properties of gum and N330-filled natural rubber vulcanizates

The effects of high-temperature curing and overcuring on the cure characteristics, crosslink structure, physical properties and dynamic mechanical properties (DMPs) of gum and carbon black (N330) filled natural rubber (NR) vulcanizates cured with conventional (CV), semi-efficient (SEV) and efficient (EV) cure systems, which have about the same total crosslink densities under a moderate curing temperature of 150°C, were investigated. The gum NR vulcanizates cured with CV, SEV and EV curing systems have about the same glass transition temperature (T_g) and tan δ values below the temperature of about 0°C, but showed some apparent differences in the tan δ values increasing in the order CVG′ and tan δ values above T_g higher than those of the gum NR vulcanizates.

High-temperature curing and overcuring cause decreases to various extents in the cure plateau torque, Shore A hardness, 300% modulus and tensile strength, and lead to apparent changes in the DMPs. Typically, there is an increase in T_g of all three kinds of gum and N330-filled NR vulcanizates because of changes in the total crosslink densities and crosslink types. The CV vulcanizates show the most significant change in cure characteristics, physical properties and DMPs since the highest content of polysulfidic crosslinks appears in the CV vulcanizate, causing the highest level of reversion and having a dominant effect on the properties.     

Synthesis and characterization of side-chain liquid-crystalline poly(ethyleneimine)s with cyanobiphenyl groups

A series of polyethyleneimine-based side-chain liquid-crystalline polymers substituted with different ratios of cyanobiphenyl as pendent mesogenic groups has been synthesized in which the spacer length varies between two and six methylene units. The structures of the synthesized polymers are confirmed by infrared and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The thermal properties of these polymers have been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that the thermal behaviour of the polymers is strongly dependent on the degree of substitution. Polymers containing more than 69% of mesogenic groups exhibit nematic-type thermotropic liquid-crystalline behaviour with schlieren textures. Below this limit, the polymers are amorphous. Polymers with a higher degree of substitution present the crystalline states. The phase transition temperatures increase and the mesomorphic temperature ranges widen with increasing degree of substitution. The clearing temperatures decrease as the spacer length increases. An odd-even effect in the clearing temperatures is observed and the odd members display the higher values.     

Cholesteric liquid crystalline thermosets: synthesis, structure and properties of ChLCTs/precursor polymers

The synthesis of six liquid crystalline monomers M₁-M₆ and three series of side chain cholesteric liquid crystalline polymers P₁-P₃ is described. The chemical structures of the monomers were characterized by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The structure-property relationships of M₁-M₆ and P₁-P₃ are discussed. Their phase behaviour and optical properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and polarizing optical microscopy. The monomers M₁-M₃ exhibited cholesteric phases; M₄-M₆ showed nematic or smectic phases. The polymer series P₁-P₃ showed cholesteric phases. Experimental results demonstrated that the selective reflection of the cholesteric monomers and homopolymers shifted to the shorter wavelength region (blue shift) with increasing length of the flexible spacer. The selective reflection of the copolymers shifted to the longer wavelength region (red shift) with increasing content of nematic units.     

Miscibility and crystallinity of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) blends

With the objective of developing new biodegradable materials, the miscibility and the crystallinity of blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB), and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), P(3HB-co-3HV), have been studied. P(3HB) (300 kg mol⁻¹)/P(3HB-co-3HV)–10% 3HV (340 kg mol⁻¹) blends were prepared by casting in a wide range of proportions, and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The experimental values for the glass transition temperatures (T_g) are in good agreement with the values provided by the Fox equation, showing that the blends are miscible. It was observed that the T_g and the melting temperature (T_m) decreases with the increase in the P(3HB-co-3HV)–10% 3HV content, while the crystallization temperature (T_c) increases. FT-IR analyses confirmed the decrease on the crystallinity of P(3HB)/P(3HB-co-3HV)–10% 3HV blends with higher copolymer contents. Bands related to the crystallinity were changed, due to the copolymer content that produced miscible and less crystalline blends.     

Positronium trapping in free volume of polymers

Positronium trapping process caused by slow thermalization of Ps inside intermolecular spaces of polymer is considered. The pickoff annihilation rate of Ps decreases from an initial value, characteristic for the delocalized Ps, to a final value, relating to its localized state. The elastic thermalization lifetime analysis of polymers spectra with a new ETLT program is proposed to determine the total Ps intensity (I_Ps), Ps trapping rate (γ), its initial (τ₀) and final (τ_∞) pickoff lifetimes as well as the relative e⁺–e⁻ contact density (η). The model is tested through the analysis of polyurethane spectra measured in a wide range of temperature, containing the glass transition point (T_g). In contrast to the conventional analysis, I_Ps does not display any change at T_g. The results indicated slow trapping rate (about 1 ns⁻¹) of Ps in the cavities.     

柔性OLED用高耐热聚酰亚胺薄膜的制备与性能

聚酰亚胺(PI)薄膜作为柔性有机发光显示(OLED)基板材料应用时, 需要满足玻璃化转变温度(T_g)大于450 ℃和热膨胀系数(CTE)在0~5×10^-6 K^-1之间. 为了提高PI薄膜的热性能, 本文合成了2,7-占吨酮二胺 (2,7-DAX), 并将其与均苯四甲酸二酐(PMDA)和2-(4-氨基苯基)-5-氨基苯并噁唑(BOA)共聚制备了一系列新型PI薄膜. 研究了PI薄膜的聚集态结构、 耐热性能、 尺寸稳定性和力学性能. 结果表明, 占吨酮结构和苯并噁唑结构提高了PI分子链的刚性与线性, 使分子链在平面内紧密堆积与取向, 制备的PI薄膜综合性能优异, 玻璃化转变温度高于408 ℃, CTE在-5.0×10^-6~8.1×10^-6 K^-1之间, 拉伸强度大于140 MPa, 拉伸模量大于4.2 GPa, 断裂伸长率为7.1%~20%, 5%热失重分解温度(T_5%)在601~624 ℃之间. 其中, PI-50和PI-60薄膜具有超高玻璃化转变温度和超低热膨胀系数, T_g高于450 ℃, CTE分别为2.1×10^-6 K^-1和1.6×10^-6 K^-1. 制备的系列PI薄膜作为柔性OLED基板材料有潜在应用前景.     

Determination of the glass transition temperature of latex films: Comparison of various methods

The glass transition temperature (T_g) for two latices with different styrene/butadiene compositions was determined by the thermal SPM probe resonance frequency method. The results were compared with the T_g values obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamical mechanical analysis (DMA), process rheometer (PR) and thermo-mechanical analyzer (TMA) measurements. The T_g values detected by the thermal SPM method agreed well with the T_g values obtained by DSC and calculated by the Fox–Flory equation. DMA, on the other hand, showed a significantly higher T_g value for both latices than those obtained from theoretical calculations, the thermal SPM method and DSC. The T_g obtained from the PR curve was slightly higher for the latex with a low styrene content, whereas good agreement was obtained with the thermal SPM data for the latex with a high styrene content. The glass transition temperature determined by TMA agreed fairly well with the thermal SPM data for the latex with the low styrene content, whilst the value of T_g for the second latex was much less than those obtained by the other methods. The thermal SPM method detects changes in thermal behavior (thermal diffusivity, heat capacity) during heating of the latex films rather than changes in the mechanical properties. Information about the sample history could be seen in the thermal SPM curves, which was further associated with the degree of latex film formation, especially when the roughness of the films was taken into consideration.     

The effects of polymer chain rigidification, zeolite pore size and pore blockage on polyethersulfone (PES)-zeolite A mixed matrix membranes

The polyethersulfone (PES)-zeolite 3A, 4A and 5A mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) were fabricated with a modified solution-casting procedure at high temperatures close to the glass transition temperatures (T_g) of polymer materials. The effects of membrane preparation methodology, zeolite loading and pore size of zeolite on the gas separation performance of these mixed matrix membranes were studied. SEM results show the interface between polymer and zeolite in MMMs experiencing natural cooling is better (i.e., less defective) than that in MMMs experiencing immediate quenching. The increment of glass transition temperature (T_g) of MMMs with zeolite loading confirms the polymer chain rigidification induced by zeolite. The experimental results indicate that a higher zeolite loading results in a decrease in gas permeability and an increase in gas pair selectivity. The unmodified Maxwell model fails to correctly predict the permeability decrease induced by polymer chain rigidification near the zeolite surface and the partial pore blockage of zeolites by the polymer chains. A new modified Maxwell model is therefore proposed. It takes the combined effects of chain rigidification and partial pore blockage of zeolites into calculation. The new model shows much consistent permeability and selectivity predication with experimental data. Surprisingly, an increase in zeolite pore size from 3 to 5 Å generally not only increase gas permeability, but also gas pair selectivity. The O₂/N₂ selectivity of PES-zeolite 3A and PES-zeolite 4A membranes is very similar, while the O₂/N₂ selectivity of PES-zeolite 5A membranes is much higher. This implies the blockage may narrow a part of zeolite 5A pores to approximately 4 Å, which can discriminate the gas pair of O₂ and N₂, and narrow a part of zeolites 3A and 4A pores to smaller sizes. It is concluded that the partial pore blockage of zeolites by the polymer chains has equivalent or more influence on the separation properties of mixed matrix membranes compared with that of the polymer chain rigidification.     

Preparation and characterization of side chain cholesteric liquid crystalline polysiloxanes containing two chiral groups

A series of liquid crystalline (LC) polysiloxanes containing diosgeninyl and menthyl groups (from monomers M₁ and M₂, respectively) were synthesized. The chemical structures of the monomers and polymers obtained were confirmed by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton NMR and carbon-13 NMR. The LC properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, polarizing optical microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Monomer M₁ showed cholesteric oily-streak and spiral textures. Copolymers P₂-P₅ exhibited cholesteric phases. With increasing concentration of M₂ units, the glass transition and clearing temperatures decreased. Experimental results demonstrated that a flexible polymer backbone and a long flexible spacer tended to favour a lower glass transition temperature, higher thermal stability, and wider mesophase temperature range.