Viscosity of sodium carboxymethylcellulose in ethylene glycol–water mixed solvent media: Separation of the influences of polyion conformation and electrostatic interactions on the reduced viscosity

Precise measurements on the viscosities of the solutions of sodium carboxymethylcellulose in water and three ethylene glycol–water mixtures containing 10, 20, and 30 mass % of ethylene glycol have been reported at 35 °C. Isoionic dilutions were performed at total ionic strengths in the range of 0.0002–0.0008 eqv L^?1 using sodium chloride to obtain the intrinsic viscosities along with the Huggins constants. The influence of the medium and the ionic strength on the intrinsic viscosities have been interpreted from the points of view of the counterion condensation and expansion/contraction of the polyion chains in solution. The variations of Huggins constants, on the other hand, provided information on the intermolecular interactions in these solutions. A convenient method has been proposed to decompose the reduced viscosity of a polyelectrolyte solution into its conformational and electrostatic components. The electrostatic reduced viscosities obtained in the present study, purely from experimental considerations, quantitatively corroborates the conclusions derived from the Huggins constants. Using the Hess and Klein theoretical approach, an expression for the reduced viscosity due to the electrostatic interactions as a function of polyelectrolyte concentration could be obtained and the reported experimental electrostatic contributions could be nicely described with the help of this approach. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 1196–1202, 2010     

Doping phosphoric acid in polybenzimidazole membranes for high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) membranes were doped in phosphoric acid solutions of different concentrations at room temperature. The doping chemistry was studied using the Scatchard method. The energy distribution of the acid complexation in polymer membranes is heterogeneous, that is, there are two different types of sites in PBI for the acid doping. The protonation constants of PBI by phosphoric acid are found to be 12.7 L mol^?1 (K¹) for acid complexing sites with higher affinity, and 0.19 L mol^?1 (K²) for the sites with lower affinity. The dissociation constants for the complexing acid onto these two types of PBI sites are found to be 5.4 × 10^?4 and 3.6 × 10^?2, respectively, that is, about 10 times smaller than that of aqueous phosphoric acid in the first case but 5 times higher in the second. The proton conducting mechanism is also discussed. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2989–2997, 2007     

Behavior of Ionic Liquids Around Charged Metal Complexes: Investigation of Homogeneous Electron Transfer Reactions Between Metal Complexes in Ionic Liquids

The second-order electron transfer reaction between the photo-excited triplet state of [Zn(TPP)]* (TPP?=?5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin) and [Co(sep)]³⁺ (sep?=?sepulchrate?=?1,3,6,8,10,13,16,19-octaazabicyclo[6.6.6]eicosane) was investigated in three ionic liquids (ILs, 1-R-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide with R?=?butyl, pentyl, and hexyl) and in acetonitrile. Results of electrochemical and kinetic measurements indicated that ILs dissociate in the vicinity of charged metal complexes and at electrodes, although the dissociated anionic and cationic components of the ILs seem to exist as pairs around the metal complexes. Second-order rate constants for the electron transfer reaction are 1.88?×?10⁹, 3.65?×?10⁷, 2.63?×?10⁷, and 2.01?×?10⁷ kg·mol^?1·s^?1 in acetonitrile and in the butyl, pentyl and hexyl ILs, respectively, at 298 K, after correction of the contribution of diffusion. The average slope of the plot of the logarithmic second-order rate constants observed in acetonitrile and ILs against the logarithmic viscosity of each solvent was ??0.84. However, the slope of the same plot was much steeper (??4.1) when data for only the three ILs were used. Detailed analyses of the experimental results on the basis of the Latner–Levin cross relation and the Marcus theory lead to the conclusion that the solvent properties such as the dielectric constant and refractive index around the polarized/charged transition states are different from those for the bulk ILs: observed self-exchange rate constants did not exhibit the Pekar factor dependence when dielectric constants and refractive indices for bulk ILs are used.     

Viscosity Molecular Weight Determination of Polyadenylic Acid

Abstract

In this study viscosity measurements of polyadenylic acid (PolyA) in aqueous solution were carried out under different conditions. In the absence of any additives, the polymer degraded during flow through the capillary of a viscometer or when standing still. Degradation during the former was more severe. The degradation of polyadenylic acid can be prevented by addition of an electrolyte such as KCl to increase the ionic strength. However, in this case the deviation from linearity was still considerable at most ionic strength values. The best fit to the Huggins and Kraemer equations was obtained using a Tris–EDTA buffer solution with a final pH of 7.65. Estimation from intrinsic viscosity and weight-average molecular weight values gave k and α as 2.04 × 10^?5 and 0.89 from the equation η = kM ^α. The difference between Huggins (k ₁) and Kraemer (k ₁′) constants was close to 0.50 for all measurements.     

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering study of a weak polyelectrolyte in water

Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) was used to obtain solution parameters of a weak polyelectrolyte in water in the absence of any additives, such as neutralizing agents or salt. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was used as a weak polyelectrolyte from which SAXS data were obtained in the dilute region of 1–10 mg cm^?3. An intrinsic viscosity of 15.7 dL g^?1 was obtained from a plot of reciprocal reduced viscosities versus the concentration. The application of the SAXS data, that is, the contour length (L = 1.97 × 10⁴ Å), the persistence length (a* = 58.5 Å), and the molecular weight (M = 5.9 × 10⁵ Da), to the Yamakawa–Fujii equation suggested that PAA in water at 25 °C could be described as a wormlike chain having a cylindrical body of d = 6 Å. An end‐to‐end distance (r = 1.6 × 10³ Å) was calculated from r = 2a*L ? 2(a*)². The nonisotropic expansion factor (α = 2.9) was calculated for PAA expanding from the random coil in dioxane at 30 °C (Θ temperature) to the wormlike chain in water at 25 °C. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1263–1272, 2003     

Synthesis and evaluation of photoluminescent and electrochemical properties of new aromatic polyamides and polyimides with a kink 1,2‐phenylenediamine moiety

A series of novel triphenylamine‐containing aromatic polyamides and polyimides having a crank and twisted noncoplanar structures were synthesized in inherent viscosities of 0.14–0.64 dL/g and 0.11–0.67 dL/g, respectively. These polymers had useful levels of thermal stability associated with relatively high glass‐transition temperatures (174–311 °C). They exhibited strong UV–Vis absorption bands at around 300 nm in NMP solutions. The PL spectra of these polymers in NMP solutions (1 × 10^?5 M) showed maximum peaks around 396–479 nm. The hole‐transporting and electrochromic properties were examined by electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical methods. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) of the polymer films cast onto an indium‐tin oxide (ITO)‐coated glass substrate exhibited two reversible oxidation redox couples at potentials of 0.70–1.01 V and 1.10–1.46 V, respectively, vs. Ag/AgCl in acetonitrile solution. The polymer films revealed electrochromic characteristics, with a color change from neutral pale yellowish to green and then to a blue oxidized form at applied potentials ranging from 0.00 to 1.75 V. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2587–2603, 2006     

Novel Flow Injection/Potentiometric Measurement of Slightly Soluble Salts in Small Volumes: Determination of Solubility Product Constants of Some Silver Salts

Abstract

The flow injection technique is shown to provide fast, reliable and sensitive determination of solubility product constants of silver acetate, silver sulfate, silver oxide, silver bromate and silver chloride in microliter volume samples. Potentiometric detection using electrodes of the first kind and second kind was used for measuring silver ions and chloride ions, respectively. The solubilities were determined from measurement of the silver ion concentration in the saturated solutions. In the case of silver chloride, the solubility product constant was calculated from the concentrations corresponding to the intersection of the silver ion calibration curve and the chloride ion calibration curve, i.e., where the potentials of the two electrodes are equal. Tenth-molar sodium nitrate was used for all solutions to maintain constant ionic strength. At a concentration range of 1.00 × 10^?2 ? 1.00 × 10^?5 M silver, and 1.00 × 10^?2 ? 1.00 × 10^?4 M chloride, a Nernstian response of 60 m V per decade was obtained. At a sampling rate of 50–70 samples per hour, with 50 μl sample injections, high reproducibility of measurements was achieved, with a -pL 2% relative standard deviation in measured concentrations. The scope and applications of this system are discussed.     

Molar mass distributions and viscosity behavior of perfluorinated sulfonic acid polyelectrolyte aqueous dispersions

Perfluorinated sulfonic acid polyelectrolyte aqueous dispersions originating from similar polymer feed stocks and having similar compositions can have order‐of‐magnitude viscosity differences that are dependent on the manufacturing process. To better understand this phenomenon at the molecular level, a size exclusion chromatography method incorporating static light scattering detection was developed. The initial apparent mass distributions were broad and bimodal for all dispersions. A high‐molar‐mass shoulder was consistent with a previously postulated aggregate structure, and the evidence suggested that molecular aggregation accounted for viscosity variability. The apparent weight‐average molar masses ranged from 1.3 × 10⁶ to 3.9 × 10⁶ g mol^?1. Upon the heating of the dispersions at or above 230 °C, the aggregate structure was broken down, and this resulted in similar low‐viscosity dispersions that had monomodal mass distributions. The weight‐average molar masses were reduced to approximately 2.5 × 10⁵ g mol^?1, and the polydispersities were approximately 1.7–1.8. Shear thinning with higher viscosities and apparent molar masses was rationalized with intrinsic viscosity and other measurements, which supported an anisotropic aggregate structure, with particles that could be significantly overlapped at nominal 11% concentrations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 421–428, 2005     

Some critical aspects in the determination of binding constants by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry at the example of arsenic bindings to sulphur‐containing biomolecules

The influences of reactant concentrations, solvent type, acid strength, pH conditions and ionic strength on the determination of apparent gas‐phase equilibrium constants K using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) were elucidated. As example serves the interaction of the tripeptide glutathione (GSH) with phenylarsine oxide (PAO). It was shown that rising initial concentrations of both reactants were not adequately compensated by increasing signal intensities of the reaction products in the mass spectra. The equilibrium constant for the formation of the phenylarsenic‐substituted peptide species decreased from 1.42 × 10⁵ ± 1.81 × 10⁴ l µmol^?1 to 1.54 × 10⁴ ± 1.5 × 10³ l µmol^?1 with rising initial GSH concentrations from 1 to 10 µM at fixed PAO molarity of 50 µM . K values resulting from a series with a fixed GSH molarity of 5 µM and a PAO molarity varied from 10 to 100 µM remained in a narrower range between 4.59 × 10⁴ ± 2.15 × 10⁴ l µmol^?1 and 1.07 × 10⁴ ± 4.0 × 10³ l µmol^?1. In contrast, consumption numbers calculated from the ion intensity ratios of reaction products to the unreacted peptide were not influenced by the initial reactant concentrations. In a water–acetonitrile–acetic acid mixture (48:50:2, v:v), the consumption of 5 µ M GSH increased from 8.3 ± 1.4% to 39.6 ± 1.6% with increased molar excess of PAO from 2 to 20, respectively. The GSH consumption was considerably enhanced in a changed solvent system consisting of 25% acetonitrile and 75% 10 mM ammonium formate, pH 5.0 (v:v) up to 80% of the original peptide amount at an only threefold molar arsenic excess. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metathesis cyclopolymerization of substituted 1,6‐heptadiyne and dual conductivity of doped polyacetylene bearing branched triazole pendants

The branched triazole group is synthesized by click chemistry via a controlled approach of slow addition of AB₂ compound to a B₂ core, and used as the substituent for 1,6‐heptadiyne monomer. Metathesis cyclopolymerization of monomer is performed well in dichloromethane without the weakly coordinating additive, indicating that the branched triazole itself can stabilize the living propagating chain, to generate branched triazole pendant‐contained polyacetylene with trans‐double bonds and five‐membered ring repeating units along the conjugated backbone. The LiTFSI doped polyacetylenes display ionic conductivities of 2.5–1.8 × 10^?6 S cm^?1; by further doping with iodine, polyacetylenes show the improved ionic and electronic conductivities of 1.3 × 10^?5 and 2.1 × 10^?7 S cm^?1 at 30 °C, respectively. Therefore, these doped polyacetylenes may act as the new electrolyte materials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 485–494     

Spectrophotometric study of holmium complexation in KOH solutions at 25°C

The complexation of Ho³⁺ in HoCl₃ and KOH solutions at 25°C and saturated vapor pressure was studied by an indicator spectrophotometric technique, and the pH values of the investigated solutions were determined. The stability constants of the hydroxo complexes of Ho³⁺ were measured over a range of pH 9.25–10.10 and at μ≤ 4 × 10^?4 and extrapolated to zero ionic strength.     

pH‐Responsive ampholytic terpolymers of acrylamide,sodium 3‐acrylamido‐3‐methylbutanoate,and (3‐acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride. I. Synthesis and characterization

Low-charge-density ampholytic terpolymers composed of acrylamide, sodium 3-acrylamido-3-methylbutanoate (NaAMB), and (3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride were prepared via free-radical polymerization in 0.5 M NaCl to yield terpolymers with random charge distributions. NaOOCH was used as a chain-transfer agent during the polymerization to eliminate the effects of the monomer feed composition on the degree of polymerization (DP) and to suppress gel effects and broadening of the molecular weight distribution. The terpolymer compositions were obtained via ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and the residual counterion content was determined via elemental analysis for Na⁺ and Cl⁻. The molecular weights (MWs) and polydispersity indices (PDIs) were determined via size exclusion chromatography/multi-angle laser light scattering (SEC–MALLS); the terpolymer MWs ranged from 1.3–1.6 × 10⁶ g/mol, corresponding to DPs of 1.6–1.9 × 10⁴ repeat units, with all terpolymers exhibiting PDIs of less than 2.0. Intrinsic viscosities determined from SEC–MALLS data and the Flory–Fox relationship were compared to intrinsic viscosities determined via low-shear dilute-solution viscometry and were found to agree rather well. Data from the SEC–MALLS analysis were used to analyze the radius of gyration/molecular weight (R_g–M) relationships and the Mark–Houwink–Sakurada intrinsic viscosity/molecular weight ([η]–M) relationships for the terpolymers. The R_g–M and [η]–M relationships revealed that most of the terpolymers exhibited little or no excluded volume effects under size exclusion chromatography conditions. Potentiometric titration of terpolymer solutions in deionized water showed that the apparent pK_a value of the poly[acrylamide-co-sodium 3-acrylamido-3-methylbutanoate-co-(3-acrylamidopropyl)trimethylammonium chloride] terpolymers increased with increasing NaAMB content in the terpolymers and increasing ratios of anionic monomer to cationic monomer at a constant terpolymer charge density. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3236–3251, 2004     

Excluded‐volume effects on the chain dimensions and transport coefficients of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) in aqueous sodium chloride

Fifteen samples of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) with weight‐average molecular weights of 3 × 10⁴ to 8 × 10⁵ have been studied by static and dynamic light scattering and viscometry in 0.05 and 0.5 M aqueous NaCl at 25 °C. The measured radii of gyration, translational diffusion coefficients, and intrinsic viscosities at the lower salt concentration exhibit molecular weight dependencies stronger than those predictable for uncharged flexible chains in the good solvent limit. These data and those at the higher NaCl concentration are analyzed, along with previous intrinsic viscosity data covering a broad molecular weight range, in the framework of the quasi‐two‐parameter (QTP) theory with the wormlike chain as the model. It is shown that the relevant theories for the expansion factors in the QTP scheme combined with these theories for the unperturbed wormlike chain are capable of describing the experimental data with a degree of accuracy similar to that known for nonionic flexible polymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 2728–2735, 2002     

Polybenzimidazoles tethered with N‐phenyl 1,2,4‐triazole units as polymer electrolytes for fuel cells

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymers tethered with N‐phenyl 1,2,4‐triazole (NPT) groups were prepared from a newly synthesized aromatic diacid, 3′‐(4‐phenyl‐4H‐1,2,4‐triazole‐3,5‐diyl) dibenzoic acid (PTDBA). The obtained polymers show superior thermal and chemical stability and good solubility in many aprotic solvents. The inherent viscosities of all polymers were around 1 dL/g. They exhibit high thermal stability with initial decomposition temperature ranging from 515 to 530 °C, high glass transition temperature ranging from 375 to 410 °C, and good mechanical properties with tensile stress in the range of 66–98 MPa and modulus 1897–2600 MPa. XRD analysis indicates that these polymers are amorphous in nature. Physicochemical properties such as water and phosphoric acid‐uptake, oxidative stability, and proton conductivity of membranes of these polymers have also been determined. The proton conductivity ranged from 4.7 × 10^?3 to 1.8 × 10^?2 S cm^?1 at 175 °C in dry conditions. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2289–2303, 2009     

Synthesis and ionic conductivity of hyperbranched poly(glycidol)

A novel hyperbranched poly(glycidol) (HPG) was prepared and characterized. The synthesized HPG was used as a substrate of a polymer electrolyte. The ionic conductivity of a blend of HPG, polyurethane (PU), and salt was studied. The ionic conductivity of HPG/PU/LiClO₄ was about 6.6 × 10^?6 S · cm^?1 at 20 °C and 6.3 × 10^?4 S · cm^?1 at 60 °C. The results indicated that HPG showed higher solubility for salt than linear polyether when both had the same [O]/[Li⁺] molar ratio. The main reason was that more cavities and a lower degree of chain entanglement in HPG resulted in a lower glass‐transition temperature and were beneficial for decreasing the aggregation of salt or enhancing the ionic conductivity. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2225–2230, 2001     

Laser photolysis study of the triplet states of fulvic acids in aqueous solutions

The spectral and kinetic characteristics of short-lived intermediates formed during the photolysis of aqueous and alkaline (0.1 mol l^?1 NaOH) solutions of fulvic acids (FA) were studied by the nanosecond laser photolysis technique. Laser photolysis of FA at 337 nm leads to the formation of short-lived triplet states of FA (³FA) with a quantum yield of about 1% and different relatively long-lived intermediates (with decay rate constants in deoxygenated solutions of 1.8 × 10³–2.1 × 10⁵ and 80–160 s^?1, respectively), which are characterized by absorption spectra with maximums at λ ≤ 400 nm. ³FA are quenched by atmospheric oxygen with rate constants of 5.4 × 10⁸–1.1 × 10⁹ l mol^?1 s^?1. Introduction of phenols into the solutions at concentrations up to 0.1 mol l^?1 has no appreciable effect on the decay kinetics of the detected intermediate products of FA photolysis.     

Hyperbranched photo responsive and liquid crystalline azo‐siloxane polymers synthesized by click chemistry

Three new types of hyperbranched photoactive liquid crystalline siloxane polymers containing azo moieties were synthesized using click chemistry methodology. The polymers were soluble in most of the polar solvents like chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, dimethylformamide, dimethyl sulphoxide and dichloromethane. The molecular weights of the polymers were in the range of 9000–12,000 g mol^?1. The trans‐cis photoisomerization of the polymer were studied both under UV radiation and dark. The isomerization rate constants were found to be in the range of 0.7–1.4 × 10^?2 sec^?1 and 7.0 × ?2.5 × 10^?5 sec^?1. The thermotropic behavior of the polymers was studied by using polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The polymers P1 and P2 showed liquid crystalline texture characteristic of nematic phase. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Infinite-dilution viscoelastic properties of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate)

The storage and loss shear moduli G′ and G″ of dilute solutions of two samples of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) with molecular weights (M) of 3.28 × 10⁵ have been measured. The Birnboim–Schrag multiple-lumped resonator technique was used in the frequency range 100–8000 Hz, and the intrinsic moduli were obtained by extrapolation to infinite dilution. Measurements were performed over the temperature range from 1.0 to 25.0°C in aqueous solvents containing from 0 to 60% by weight glycerol and from 0.001 to 0.005M added salt. The large intrinsic viscosities indicated high extension of the polymer, and the frequency dependences of G′ and G″ were matched well by hybrid relaxation spectra combining rodlike and coil-like behavior. In a solvent containing 0.001M sodium ion and no glycerol, the end-over-end rotational relaxation times for the two molecular weights corresponded to proportionality to the 1.7 power of M. With increasing molecular weight, ionic strength, and/or glycerol concentration, the polyelectrolyte appeared to become less extended, and its behavior more nearly coil-like.     

Sizes and conformations of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polyelectrolytes in solutions of various ionic strengths

The hydrodynamic characteristics of macromolecules of a random copolymer of N-methyl-N-vinylacetamide and N-methyl-N-vinylamine hydrochloride containing 43.6% charged units in the molecular-mass range of 27 × 10³ to 355 × 10³ are studied. For solutions in 0.2 M NaCl, sedimentation and translational-diffusion coefficients are determined. For salt-free solutions and for solutions in 0.2 and 5.0 M NaCl, the intrinsic viscosities of the fractions are found. The lengths of the statistical segments of the chains are estimated in terms of the Gray-Bloomfield-Hearst theory. The behavior of the polycation, whose uncharged counterpart is a hydrophilic polymer, is compared to the behavior of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate), whose uncharged counterpart is a hydrophobic polymer. The comparison is based on normalized scaling relations. It is shown that the level of compaction of macromolecules of strong polyelectrolytes at a high ionic strength is determined by the degree of hydrophobicity of their polymer chains. Polyelectrolytes based on hydrophilic polymers cannot be compacted into a preglobular state; their chains preserve a swollen coil conformation up to maximally high values of ionic strength.     

Ozone reduction at Nafion modified Au electrode and the measurement of ozone concentration in highly resistive solutions

The mass transport and charge transfer kinetics of ozone reduction at Nafion coated Au electrodes were studied in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 and highly resistive solutions such as distilled water and tap water. The diffusion coefficient and partition coefficient of ozone in Nafion coating are 1.78×10-6 cm2·s-1 and 2.75 at 25℃ (based on dry state thickness), respectively. The heterogeneous rate constants and Tafel slopes for ozone reduction at bare Au are 4.1×10-6 cm·s-1, 1.0×10-6 cm·s-1 and 181 mV, 207 mV in 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 and distilled water respectively and the corresponding values for Nafion coated Au are 5.5×10-6 cm·s-1, 1.1×10-6 cm·s-1 and 182 mV, 168 mV respectively. The Au microelectrode with 3 μm Nafion coating shows good linearity over the range 0-10 mmol/L ozone in distilled water with sensitivity 61 μA·ppm-1 ·cm-2, detection limit 10 ppb and 95% response time below 5 s at 25℃. The temperature coefficient in range of 11-30℃ is 1.3%.