Synthesis of highly water soluble C60 end‐capped vinyl ether oligomers with well‐defined structure

Highly water soluble [60]fullerene (C₆₀) end‐capped vinyl ether (VE) oligomers with well‐defined structure were synthesized by living cationic polymerization technique. The addition reaction between 1‐octynylfulleride anion and oligomeric cationic species of VEs with pendant acetoxyl or malonic ester functions afforded the precursor C₆₀ end‐capped oligomers. The living VE oligomers were prepared by living cationic polymerization of diethyl 2‐(vinyloxy)ethylmalonate (VOEM) and 2‐acetoxyethyl vinyl ether (AcOVE) by the CH₃CH(OR)Cl/ZnI₂ [R = CH₂CH₂OCOCH₃ and CH₂CH₂CH(COOEt)₂, respectively] initiating system. The precursors were obtained as dark brown gummy solid in 33 and 72% yield for AcOVE and VOEM, respectively. UV‐vis and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy indicated the formation of 1,2‐disubstituted dihydrofullerene derivatives. Hydrolysis of the precursors proceeded quantitatively to give the water‐soluble C₆₀ end‐capped oligomers having oligo(sodium 2‐vinyloxyethylmalonate) [oligo(VOEMNa)] and oligo(2‐hydroxyethyl vinyl ether) [oligo(HOVE)] moieties. Solubility measurements revealed the water‐soluble C₆₀ end‐capped oligomer with oligo(VOEMNa) chain to have the excellent aqueous solubility compared to that of the water‐soluble C₆₀ derivatives thus far known; the maximum solubility in water is 96.6 mg/mL, which corresponds to 25.9 mg/mL of the C₆₀ moiety. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3578–3585, 2000     

Synthesis of water‐soluble zwitterionic polysiloxanes

A series of water‐soluble siloxane polymers with pendent phosphorylcholine (PC) and sulfobetaine (SB) zwitterions was prepared using thiol‐ene “click” chemistry. Specifically, well‐defined vinyl‐substituted siloxane homopolymers and block copolymers were functionalized with small molecule zwitterionic thiols at room temperature. Rapid and quantitative substitution of the pendent vinyl groups was achieved, and zwitterionic polysiloxanes of narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained. The PC‐ and SB‐substituted polymers were found to be readily soluble in pure, salt‐free water. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) of these polymers in water were measured using a pyrene fluorescence probe, with CMC values estimated to be <0.01 g/L. Polymer aggregates were studied by dynamic light scattering, and the micelles generated from the PC block copolymers were visualized, after drying, by transmission electron microscopy. Aqueous solutions of these zwitterionic polysiloxanes significantly reduced the oil‐water interfacial surface tension, functioning as polymer amphiphiles that lend stability to oil‐in‐water emulsions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 127–134     

Synthesis of water‐soluble conductive copolymer based on polyaniline

Synthesis and characterization of polyaniline‐grafted poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) (PANI‐g‐PSMA) was carried out to obtain conductive comb copolymers with highly improved processability. First, polyaniline (PANI) was prepared in nano‐scale by chemical synthesis under ultrasonic irradiation. Then the poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) (PSMA) was synthesized by free radical polymerization. Moreover, the PANI was grafted on the PSMA backbone to prepare a comb‐like conductive copolymer for improving its processability as a new method. The products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction patterns. Morphology of the samples was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy images. Finally, the solubility and conductivity of the products were studied, and it resulted in high solubility of the products in water and other common organic solvents in comparison to the pure PANI. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scalable ambient synthesis of water‐soluble poly(β‐hydroxythio‐ether)s

Proton transfer polymerization through thiol‐epoxy “click” reaction between commercially available and hydrophilic di‐thiol and di‐epoxide monomers is carried out under ambient conditions to furnish water‐soluble polymers. The hydrophilicity of monomers permitted use of aqueous tetrahydrofuran as the reaction medium. A high polarity of this solvent system in turn allowed for using a mild catalyst such as triethylamine for a successful polymerization process. The overall simplicity of the system translated into a simple mixing of monomers and isolation of the reactive polymers in an effortless manner and on any scale required. The structure of the resulting polymers and the extent of di‐sulfide defects are studied with the help of 13C‐ and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. Finally, reactivity of the synthesized polymers is examined through post‐polymerization modification reaction at the backbone sulfur atoms through oxidation reaction. The practicality, modularity, further functionalizability, and water solubility aspects of the described family of new poly(β‐hydroxythio‐ether)s is anticipated to accelerate investigations into their potential utility in bio‐relevant applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3381–3386     

Acrylonitrile–maleic anhydride copolymer membrane (II): effects of post‐treatment1

The effects of post‐treatment (including thermal treatment and base treatment) on the structure and performance of acrylonitrile–maleic anhydride (AN‐MA) copolymer membrane were investigated. The water flux decreased gradually (except the deviations when the temperature of thermal treatment was 50 °C or the time of thermal treatment was 50 min but rejection of bovine serum albumin increased slowly with increasing temperature or prolonging the time of thermal treatment. “The swelling effect of water in network” was proposed to explain the deviations. AN‐MA copolymer membrane is not resistant to a base. However, the performance of the membrane can be adjusted by treatment with a dilute base solution. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activities of water‐soluble methacrylate polymers containing quaternary ammonium compounds

New water‐soluble methacrylate polymers with pendant quaternary ammonium (QA) groups were synthesized and used as antibacterial materials. The polymers with pendant QA groups were obtained by the reaction of the alkyl halide groups of a previously synthesized functional methacrylate homopolymer with various tertiary alkyl amines containing 12‐, 14‐, or 16‐carbon alkyl chains. The structures of the functional polymer and the polymers with QA groups were confirmed with Fourier transform infrared and ¹H and ¹³C NMR. The degree of conversion of alkyl halides to QA sites in each polymer was determined by ¹H NMR to be over 90% in all cases. The number‐average molecular weight and polydispersity of the functional polymer were determined by size exclusion chromatography to be 32,500 g/mol and 2.25, respectively. All polymers were thermally stable up to 180 °C according to thermogravimetric analysis. The antibacterial activities of the polymers with pendant QA groups against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were determined with broth‐dilution and spread‐plate methods. All the polymers showed excellent antibacterial activities in the range of 32–256 μg/mL. The antibacterial activity against S. aureus increased with an increase in the alkyl chain length for the ammonium groups, whereas the antibacterial activity against E. coli decreased with increasing alkyl chain length. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5965–5973, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of water‐soluble barbiturate‐ and thiobarbiturate‐functionalized polystyrene

The synthesis and characterization of barbiturate‐ and thiobarbiturate‐functionalized polystyrene from polystyrene homopolymer by polymer‐modification reactions is discussed. Polystyrene homopolymer quantitatively functionalized at the para postion with diethyl oxomalonate functionality was subjected to a condensation reaction with urea and thiourea in the presence of sodium methoxide in methanol. This reaction proceeded essentially to quantitative conversion to the barbiturate‐ (BAPS) and thiobarbiturate‐functionalized polystyrenes (TBAPS) as estimated by ¹H NMR, UV, and IR spectroscopies. Thus, several copolymers of styrene with barbiturate‐ and thiobarbiturate‐functionalized styrene were synthesized. The detailed characterizations of quantitatively functionalized polystyrene using gel permeation chromatographic, IR, UV, and ¹H NMR spectroscopic techniques as well as thermogravimetric analysis are discussed. An application of the newly synthesized polymer in removing Cu(II) ions from aqueous solution is demonstrated. This is the first report on the synthesis of BAPS and TBAPS by the polymer‐modification route or otherwise. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 731–737, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10154     

pH‐responsive photoluminescence properties of a water‐soluble copolymer containing quinoline groups in aqueous solution

The synthesis of a water‐soluble copolymer containing quinoline groups, P(DMAM‐co‐SDPQ), through free radical copolymerization of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide, DMAM, with 2,4‐diphenyl‐6‐(4‐vinylphenyl)quinoline, SDPQ, is presented and the optical properties of the final product are investigated in aqueous solution as a function of pH. It is found that the emission peak of SDPQ is red‐shifted from 411 to 484 nm with decreasing pH, due to the protonation of quinoline groups at low pH, suggesting that this copolymer may function as a luminescent pH‐indicator. Moreover, the copolymer exhibits the characteristics of a luminescent pH‐detector within the pH range 2 < pH < 4, as in this pH region the ratio of the emission intensity at 411 nm over that at 484 nm changes linearly in a logarithmic scale with the pH of the solution. Finally, the formation of less polar quinoline clusters in the aqueous P(DMAM‐co‐SDPQ) solution upon increasing pH was detected through Nile red probing. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 2078–2083, 2010     

Functional dye as a comonomer in a water‐soluble polymer

In many applications, a functional additive is blended into a polymer matrix to enhance its properties. However, when the polymer and functional additive are applied to a surface, the functional molecule may be easily lost. In favorable cases, it may be possible to incorporate the additive directly into the polymer as a comonomer. In this study, a functionalized polymer has been obtained through the combination of linking a photodynamic, antimicrobial dye, Rose Bengal, to vinyl benzyl chloride via etherification and then polymerizing this into a water‐soluble polymer using chain growth copolymerization. Characterization of the efficiency of synthesis, solubility of the final product, and singlet oxygen production rate has been performed. Dialysis was used to determine the extent of incorporation of the dye into the polymer. The chemical structure of the intermediate produced through etherification has been verified. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1594–1599     

Conformational analysis and regioisomerism of mono- and diadducts of O,O-diisopropyl isoxazolinophosphonate with C60

Theoretically, cycloaddition of two molecules of phosphorylated nitrile oxide to C₆₀ can give rise to 22 regioisomers. A simple convenient nomenclature was proposed for their classification based on the well-known Hirsh nomenclature. A combination of HPLC, semiempirical quantum-chemical PM3 calculations, and the dipole moment method demonstrated that the equatorial, trans-4(tt), and trans-3(tt) adducts are most probable.     

Side‐chain polypseudorotaxanes by threading cucurbit[7]uril onto poly‐N‐n‐butyl‐N′‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)‐4,4′‐bipyridinium bromide chloride: Synthesis,characterization, and properties

A novel side‐chain polypseudorotaxanes P4VBVBu/CB[7] was synthesized from poly‐N‐n‐butyl‐N′‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)‐4,4′‐bipyridinium bromide chloride (P4VBVBu) and cucurbit [7]uril (CB[7]) in water by simple stirring at room temperature. CB[7] beads are localized on viologen units in side chains of polypseudorotaxanes as shown by ¹H NMR, IR, XRD, and UV–vis studies, and it is considered that the hydrophobic and charge‐dipole interactions are the driving forces. TGA data show that thermal stability of the polypseudorotaxanes increases with the adding of CB[7] threaded. DLS data show that P4VBVBu and CB[7] could form polypseudorotaxanes, and the average hydrodynamic radius of the polypseudorotaxanes increases with increasing the concentration of CB[7]. The typical cyclic voltammograms indicate that the oxidation reduction characteristic of P4VBVBu is remarkably affected by the addition of CB[7] because of the formation of polypseudorotaxanes and the shielding effects of CB[7] threaded on the viologen units of polypseudorotaxanes. With the increase of the concentration of KBr or K₂SO₄, the formation of the polypseudorotaxanes was inhibited due to the shielding effects of both Br^? or SO to viologen ion and K⁺ to CB[7] by UV–vis. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2135–2142, 2010     

Solvation characteristics of a model water‐soluble polymer

The model water‐soluble polymer poly(ethylene oxide) was used to investigate solvation characteristics in mixtures of d‐water (deuterated water) and d‐alcohols (deuterated alcohols). Three d‐alcohols have been used: d‐methanol, d‐ethanol, and d‐ethylene glycol. Small angle neutron scattering was used to monitor the solvation properties of poly(ethylene oxide) in the d‐solvent mixtures. Nonideal solvent mixing was observed throughout. Solvent mixtures were found to be more effective solvating agents than individual solvents. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3195–3199, 2006     

Well‐defined thermosensitive,water‐soluble polyacrylates and polystyrenics with short pendant oligo(ethylene glycol) groups synthesized by nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization

We report the synthesis and thermosensitive properties of well‐defined water‐soluble polyacrylates and polystyrenics with short pendant oligo(ethylene glycol) groups. Four monomers, methoxydi(ethylene glycol) acrylate (DEGMA), methoxytri(ethylene glycol) acrylate (TEGMA), α‐hydro‐ω‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)tris(oxyethylene) (HTEGSt), and α‐hydro‐ω‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)tetrakis(oxyethylene) (HTrEGSt), were prepared and polymerized by nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization with 2,2,5‐trimethyl‐3‐(1‐phenylethoxy)‐4‐phenyl‐3‐azahexane as an initiator. Kinetics and gel permeation chromatography analysis showed that the polymerizations were controlled processes yielding polymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersities. All polymers could be dissolved in water, forming transparent solutions, and undergo phase transitions when the temperature was above a critical point. The thermosensitive properties were studied by turbidimetry and variable‐temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The cloud points of the polymers of DEGMA, TEGMA, HTEGSt, and HTrEGSt were around 38, 58, 13, and 64 °C, respectively. For all four polymers, the cloud point increased with decreasing concentration and increasing molecular weight in the studied molecular weight range of 5000–30,000 g/mol. The removal of the nitroxide group from the polymer chain end resulted in a higher cloud point. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2454–2467, 2006     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(styrene‐maleic anhydride)‐montmorillonite nanocomposite

Poly(styrene‐maleic anhydride)‐montmorillonite nanocomposites were prepared by intercalation of layered montmorillonite with the polymer ions. Synthetic approaches including polymerization and phosphonium salt formation have been used for polymer intercalation and dispersion of the host layers in the polymer matrix. The ratio of the mineral in the composites ranged 30–50%. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) disclosed that the d₍₀₀₁₎ spacing between the internal lamellar surface were only expanding to about 13 and 15 Å according to the type of phosphonium salt suggesting packing of polymer molecules between the layers. Examination of these materials by scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed spherical nano size particles of average diameter, 350 nm. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and polymerization of 5‐(methacrylamido)tetrazole,a water‐soluble acidic monomer

The reaction of methacryloyl chloride with 5‐aminotetrazole gave the polymerizable methacrylamide derivative 5‐(methacrylamido)tetrazole ( 4 ) in one step. The monomer had an acidic tetrazole group with a pK_a value of 4.50 ± 0.01 in water methanol (2:1). Radical polymerization proceeded smoothly in dimethyl formamide or, after the conversion of monomer 4 into sodium salt 4‐Na , even in water. A superabsorbent polymer gel was obtained by the copolymerization of 4‐Na and 0.08 mol % N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide. Its water absorbency was about 200 g of water/g of polymer, although the extractable sol content of the gel turned out to be high. The consumption of 4‐Na and acrylamide (as a model compound for the crosslinker) during a radical polymerization at 57 °C in D₂O was followed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Fitting the changes in the monomer concentration to the integrated form of the copolymerization equation gave the reactivity ratios r _4‐Na = 1.10 ± 0.05 and r_acrylamide = 0.45 ± 0.02, which did not differ much from those of an ideal copolymerization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4333–4343, 2002     

Synthesis of a water‐soluble diblock copolymer of polysulfonic diphenyl aniline and poly(ethylene oxide)

We report the synthesis of a water‐soluble diblock copolymer composed of polysulfonic diphenyl aniline (PSDA) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), which was prepared by reacting an amine‐terminated PSDA and tosylate PEO (PEO‐Tos). First, a HCl‐mediated polymerization of sulfonic diphenyl aniline monomer with the formation of HCl‐doped PSDA was carried out. After its neutralization and reduction, a secondary amine‐functionalized PSDA was obtained. Second, PEO‐Tos was synthesized via the tosylation of the monohydroxyl PEO methyl ether with tosylol chloride. Diblock copolymers with various PEO segment lengths (PSDA‐b‐PEO‐350 and PSDA‐b‐PEO‐2000) were obtained with PEO‐350 [number‐average molecular weight (M_n) = 350] and PEO‐2000 (M_n = 2000). The prepolymers and diblock copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, NMR, mass spectrometry, and ultraviolet–visible light. They had relatively low conductivities, ranging from 10^?6 to 10^?3 S/cm, because of the withdrawing effect of the sulfonic group as well as the steric effects of the bulky aromatic substitutuents at the N sites of the polyaniline backbone and of the PEO block. These polymers were self‐doped, and an intermolecular self‐doping was suggested. The external doping was, however, more effective. The self‐doping induced aggregation in water among the PSDA backbones, which was also stimulated by the presence of hydrophilic PEO blocks. Furthermore, the electrical conductivities of the diblock copolymers were strongly temperature‐dependent. PSDA‐b‐PEO‐2000 exhibited about one order of magnitude increase in conductivity upon heating from 32 to 57 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2179–2191, 2004     

Functionalization and molecular dynamics study of carboxy‐terminated poly(1‐vinylpyrrolidin‐2‐one): A potential soluble carrier of biomolecules

The reactivity of carboxy‐terminated poly(1‐vinylpyrrolidin‐2‐one) (PVP‐COOH) 40‐mers 1 with various small bi‐functionalized molecules has been investigated. A number of new differently functionalized PVP 3–11 have been successfully obtained demonstrating that the presence of the bulky PVP chain did not hamper the reactivity of the carboxy group. This would imply that in solution the carboxyl group is not buried inside the coil, but well exposed to the solvent, as further confirmed by a molecular dynamics conformational study. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1683–1698, 2008     

End group effect on the thermo‐sensitive properties of well‐defined water‐soluble polystyrenics with short pendant oligo(ethylene glycol) groups synthesized by nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization

The effects of hydrophobic chain end groups on the cloud points of thermo‐sensitive water‐soluble polystyrenics were investigated. Well‐defined poly (4‐vinylbenzyl methoxytris(oxyethylene) ether) (PTEGSt) and poly(α‐hydro‐ω‐(4‐vinylbenzyl)tetrakis(oxyethylene)) (PHTrEGSt) were prepared by nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization using α‐hydrido alkoxyamine initiators including two monomer‐based initiators. The polymers were reduced with (n‐Bu)₃SnH to replace the alkoxyamine end group with hydrogen. In the studied molecular weight range (M_n,GPC = 3000 to 28,000 g/mol), we found that the hydrophobic end groups decreased the cloud point by 1–20 °C depending on the molecular weight and the largest depression was observed at the lowest molar mass. The cloud points of PTEGSt and PHTrEGSt with two hydrophobic end groups, phenylethyl and alkoxyamine, exhibited a monotonic increase with the increase of molecular weight. For polymers with only one hydrophobic end group, either phenylethyl or alkoxyamine, the cloud point initially increased with the increase of molecular weight but leveled off/decreased slightly with further increasing molar mass. For polymers with essentially no end groups, the cloud point decreased with the increase of chain length, which represents the “true” molecular weight dependence of the cloud point. The observed molecular weight dependences of the cloud points of polystyrenics with hydrophobic end group(s) are believed to result from the combined end group effect and “true” molecular weight effect. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3707–3721, 2007     

Effects of divinylbenzene‐maleic anhydride copolymer hollow microspheres on crystallization behaviors,mechanical properties and heat resistance of poly(l‐lactide acid)

Divinylbenzene‐maleic anhydride copolymer hollow microspheres (DMs) were used as novel organic nucleating agents to promote crystallization of poly(l‐lactide acid) (PLLA). The effects of these DMs on crystal behaviors of the PLLA were investigated by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and wide angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). Both isothermal and non‐isothermal processes in DSC demonstrated that the DMs significantly altered the crystal behaviors of PLLA as both crystallization velocity and degree of crystallinity increased with increasing DM loadings from 0 to 3%. Our POM results also indicated that as nucleating agents, the DMs promoted nucleating densities and decreased spherulitic sizes. In addition, WAXD suggeted that the addition of DMs did not induce new types of crystals. Finally, our results showed that the ductility of the PLLA was enhanced by a small amount of DMs during the PLLA crystallization process since 0.5% DMs added to the PLLA resulted in 1.4‐fold increase in the elongation at break in comparision with the neat PLLA.