Synthesis of microsequential methylvinylsiloxane–dimethylsiloxane copolymers by nonequilibrium copolymerization

Nonequilibrium anionic ring-opening copolymerization of 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-1,3,5,7-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane (V₄) with hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D₃) was examined as a route to methylvinyl–dimethylsiloxane microsequential copolymers. The copolymerization was carried out in toluene and was initiated with Me₃SiCH₂Li using DMSO as the promoter. Distribution of siloxane units obtained from kinetic analysis based on first-order Markovian statistics was compared with that found from analysis by ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy. Results showed that although chain transfer and back-biting play some role in this system, the kinetics of copolymerization may be described to a reasonable approximation by the first-order Markov model. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 137–145, 1998     

Tunable block copolymers based on a polysiloxane backbone by anionic ring‐opening polymerization

Block copolymers with tunable functional groups were obtained through the postfunctionalization of poly(dimethylsiloxane)‐b‐poly(methylvinylsiloxane) diblock copolymers prepared by the anionic ring‐opening polymerization of cyclotrisiloxanes. As the source of the vinyl‐containing segment, 1,3,5‐trimethyl‐1,3,5‐trivinylcyclotrisiloxane was used. The obtained polymers showed high block purity and a narrow molecular weight distribution. The postmodification was carried out with a two‐step procedure: in the first step, epoxide groups were introduced into the diblock copolymer, and in the second step, the ring opening of the latter functionalities was carried out. A variety of different nucleophiles were used for the ring‐opening reaction, and the influence of selected reaction parameters, such as the dilution and the use of monofunctional and difunctional nucleophiles, on the resulting polymers were investigated. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3975–3985, 2004     

Controlled synthesis of fluorinated copolymers with pendant sulfonates

Novel, fluorinated copolymers with different architectures bearing sulfopropyl groups were synthesized in a three‐step procedure. The first step involved atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of aromatic fluorinated monomers followed by two modification reactions performed on the polymer chain: demethylation and sulfopropylation. As a result two types of fluorinated copolymers were obtained. The first one was synthesized by ATRP of 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐4‐methoxystyrene (TFMS). After the modification steps copolymers with randomly distributed sulfopropyl groups along the backbone were obtained. The second type of copolymers has diblock architecture with one of the blocks being sulfopropylated. They were synthesized via ATRP of 2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorostyrene (FS) initiated by a PTFMS‐macroinitiator followed by demethylation and sulfopropylation of the TFMS‐block. The copolymers were characterized by size‐exclusion chromatography, FTIR, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Their thermal properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analyses. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7827–7834, 2008     

Poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-poly(oxyethylene) multiblock copolymers bearing along the chain regularly spaced pendant amino groups

Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) macromers (M(n) = 1.7-3.8 kDa) which contain one Z-protected -NH2 group per chain were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone in the presence of Sn(oct)2 using as initiator a diamine prepared by condensation of N-Boc-1,6-hexanediamine and N(alpha)-Boc-N(epsilon)-Z-L-Lysine. The coupling of these macromers with -COCl end-capped poly(oxyethylene) (PEO), M(n) = 1.0 kDa, afforded amphiphilic multiblock poly(ether ester)s (PEEs) which have, along the chain, regularly spaced pendant protected amino groups. Deprotection, accomplished without chain degradation, yielded -NH2 groups available for further reactions. The molecular structure of macromers and PEEs was investigated by 1H NMR and SEC. DSC and WAXS analyses showed that macromers and copolymers were semicrystalline and their T(m) increased with increase in the molecular weight of PCL segments. The inherent viscosity values (0.25-0.30 dL x g(-1)), together with SEC analysis results, indicated moderate polymerization degrees.     

Synthesis of optically active polymers containing chiral phosphorus atoms in the main chain

We successfully synthesized optically active polymers by using a chiral bisphosphine, (S,S)‐1,2‐bis[boranato(t‐butyl)methylphosphino]ethane, as a key building block. Their structures were characterized with ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR spectra. The obtained polymers exhibited different glass‐transition temperatures depending on the structure of each comonomer, whereas a model compound had a melting point. According to circular dichroism spectra, the difference in the stereochemistry of the comonomers yielded the different higher‐ordered structures of the polymers induced by chiral phosphine units. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 866–872, 2007     

Optically active polyacrylamides bearing an oxazoline pendant: Influence of stereoregularity on both chiroptical properties and chiral recognition

Enantiopure acrylamide derivatives, N‐[o‐(4‐methyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐oxazol‐2‐yl) phenyl]acrylamide (MeOPAM), N‐[o‐(4‐isopropyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐oxazol‐2‐yl)phenyl]acrylamide (PrⁱOPAM), and N‐[o‐(4‐phenyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐1,3‐oxazol‐2‐yl)phenyl]acrylamide (PhOPAM), were synthesized and radically polymerized in the presence of rare earth metal trifluoromethanesulfonates (Ln(OTf)₃, Ln = La, Nd, Sm, and Y) to yield corresponding optically active polymers. Among these Lewis acids, Y(OTf)₃ was found to be most effective for increasing the isotactic specificity during the radical polymerizations when using n‐butanol as solvent. Also, the effect of the Lewis acids was significantly influenced by the ratio of Ln(OTf)₃ to monomer. The relationship of both chiroptical property and the chiral recognition with the stereoregularity was then examined for the resulting polymers having various tacticity by spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, fluorescence, and circular dichroism. The results indicated that the polymers rich in isotacticity exhibited a favorable enantioselective discrimination ability toward 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol as evidenced by ¹H NMR study, where the characteristic hydroxyl proton signal was split into two peaks that ascribed respectively to the levo‐ and dextro‐isomer; furthermore, the splitting magnitude was linearly correlated with the diad isotacticity of the polymers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Strongly segregated cubic microdomain morphology consistent with the double gyroid phase in high molecular weight diblock copolymers of polystyrene and poly(dimethylsiloxane)

We report the observation of a cubic phase consistent with the double gyroid structure in strongly segregated diblock copolymers of PS‐b‐PDMS over a volume fraction (φ_PDMS) range of ～0.39 to 0.45. The samples have respective molecular weights of 127 kg/mol and 73 kg/mol and degree of segregation Nχ equal to 187 and 106, respectively, at annealing temperature of 130 °C. It is important to highlight that two out of the total four samples investigated, exhibited hexagonally close packed cylindrical domains of PDMS and alternating lamellae at φ_PDMS = 0.39 and 0.45, respectively, indicating the possible narrow range of the DG morphology for the specific diblock copolymers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 2419–2427, 2009     

Synthesis and characterization of model diblock copolymers of poly(dimethylsiloxane) with poly(1,4‐butadiene) or poly(ethylene)

Model diblock copolymers of poly(1,4‐butadiene) (PB) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), PB‐b‐PDMS, were synthesized by the sequential anionic polymerization (high vacuum techniques) of butadiene and hexamethylciclotrisiloxane (D₃) in the presence of sec‐BuLi. By homogeneous hydrogenation of PB‐b‐PDMS, the corresponding poly(ethylene) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) block copolymers, PE‐b‐PDMS, were obtained. The synthesized block copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H and ¹³C NMR), size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and rheology. SEC combined with ¹H NMR analysis indicates that the polydispersity index of the samples (M_w/M_n) is low, and that the chemical composition of the copolymers varies from low to medium PDMS content. According to DSC and TGA experiments, the thermal stability of these block copolymers depends on the PDMS content, whereas TEM analysis reveals ordered arrangements of the microphases. The morphologies observed vary from spherical and cylindrical to lamellar domains. This ordered state (even at high temperatures) was further confirmed by small‐amplitude oscillatory shear flow tests. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1579–1590, 2006     

Regioselective nucleophilic ring-opening reaction of chiral epoxyallyl alcohols: a ready access to the pyran core of macrolactin 3

Herein we report the synthetic strategy towards the pyran core of macrolactin 3 via Sharpless epoxidation, titanium(IV) mediated regioselective ring-opening reaction of epoxyallyl alcohol/epoxy alcohol and oxa-Michael addition as the key steps.     

Antimicrobial and hemolytic activities of copolymers with cationic and hydrophobic groups: a comparison of block and random copolymers

Random and diblock copolymers of 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate are prepared by ATRP. As mimics of cationic antimicrobial peptides, the random and diblock copolymers show similar antimicrobial activities. In contrast, the diblock copolymers have much lower hemolytic activities than the random copolymers. The cell selectivity (HC(50)/MIC, where HC(50) is the concentration to lyse 50% of human red blood cells and MIC is the minimum concentration to inhibit bacterial growth) of the diblock copolymers are 150 to 27,500 times higher than that of random copolymers with similar compositions.     

Synthesis of poly(p‐phenylene)‐poly(4‐diphenylaminostyrene) bipolar block copolymers with a well‐controlled and defined polymer chain structure

A poly(p‐phenylene) (PPP)‐poly(4‐diphenylaminostyrene) (PDAS) bipolar block copolymer was synthesized for the first time. A prerequisite prepolymer, poly(1,3‐cyclohexadiene) (PCHD)‐PDAS binary block copolymer, in which the PCHD block consisted solely of 1,4‐cyclohexadiene (1,4‐CHD) units, was synthesized by living anionic block copolymerization of 1,3‐cyclohexadiene and 4‐diphenylaminostyrene. To obtain the PPP‐PDAS bipolar block copolymer, the dehydrogenation of this prepolymer with quinones was examined, and tetrachloro‐1,2‐(o)‐benzoquinone was found to be an appropriate dehydrogenation reagent. This dehydrogenation reaction was remarkably accelerated by ultrasonic irradiation, effectively yielding the target PPP‐PDAS bipolar block copolymer. The hole and electron drift mobilities for PPP‐PDAS bipolar block copolymer were both on the order of 10^?3 to 10^?4 cm²/V·s, with a negative slope when plotted against the square root of the applied field. Therefore, this bipolar block copolymer was found to act as a bipolar semi‐conducting copolymer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Optically Active Methacrylic Polymers Bearing in the Side Chain the (S)-3-Hydroxypyrrolidinyl Group Linked to trans-bisazoaromatic Chromophore: Synthesis and Characterization

The synthesis by radical homopolymerization of a novel optically active methacrylic polymer containing a side-chain chiral moiety linked to a photochromic bisazoaromatic chromophore has been carried out starting from the related monomer (S)-3-methacryloyloxy-1-[4′-phenylazo-(4-azobenzene)]-pyrrolidine [(S)- MPAAP ]. The polymeric derivate has been fully characterized and its spectroscopic properties compared to those of the monomer and of the corresponding homopolymer bearing only one azoaromatic chromophore in the side chain. The optical activity displayed by the bisazo polymer is discussed in terms of extent of chiral conformation assumed by the macromolecules as a consequence of dipole-dipole interactions between the bisazoaromatic chromophores.     

Synthesis of poly(dimethylsiloxane)‐containing diblock and triblock copolymers by the combination of anionic ring‐opening polymerization of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane and nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization of methyl acrylate,isoprene, and styrene

Poly(dimethylsiloxane)‐containing diblock and triblock copolymers were prepared by the combination of anionic ring‐opening polymerization (AROP) of hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D₃) and nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) of methyl acrylate (MA), isoprene (IP), and styrene (St). The first step was the preparation of a TIPNO‐based alkoxyamine carrying a 4‐bromophenyl group. The alkoxyamine was then treated with Li powder in ether, and AROP of D₃ was carried out using the resulting lithiophenyl alkoxyamine at room temperature, giving functional poly(D₃) with M_w/M_n of 1.09–1.16. NMRPs of MA, St, and IP from the poly(D₃) at 120 °C gave poly(D₃‐b‐MA), poly(D₃‐b‐St), and poly(D₃‐b‐IP) diblock copolymers, and subsequent NMRPs of St from poly(D₃‐b‐MA) and poly(D₃‐b‐IP) at 120 °C gave poly(D₃‐b‐MA‐b‐St) and poly(D₃‐b‐IP‐b‐St) triblock copolymers. The poly(dimethylsiloxane)‐containing diblock and triblock copolymers were analyzed by ¹H NMR and size exclusion chromatography. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 6153–6165, 2005     

Synthesis of poly(tert‐butyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly(dimethylsiloxane) graft copolymers via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

Well‐defined poly(tert‐butyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PtBuMA‐g‐PDMS) graft copolymers were synthesized via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization of methacryloyl‐terminated poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS‐MA) with tert‐butyl methacrylate (tBuMA) in ethyl acetate, using 2,2′‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as the initiator and 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate as the RAFT agent. The RAFT statistical copolymerization of PDMS‐MA with tBuMA is shown to be azeotropic and the obtained PtBuMA‐g‐PDMS graft copolymers have homogeneously distributed branches because of the similar reactivity of monomers (r_tBuMA ≈ r_PDMS‐MA ≈ 1). By the RAFT block copolymerization of PDMS‐MA with tBuMA, moreover, narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 1.3) PtBuMA‐g‐PDMS graft copolymers with gradient or blocky branch spacing were synthesized. The graft copolymers exhibit the glass transitions corresponding to the PDMS and PtBuMA phase, respectively. However, the arrangement of monomer units in copolymer chains and the length of PtBuMA moieties have important effects on the thermal behavior of PtBuMA‐g‐PDMS graft copolymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Branched polystyrene with abundant pendant vinyl functional groups from asymmetric divinyl monomer

Branched polystyrenes with abundant pendant vinyl functional groups were prepared via radical polymerization of an asymmetric divinyl monomer, which possesses a higher reactive styryl and a lower reactive butenyl. Employing a fast reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) equilibrium, the concentration of active propagation chains remained at a low value and thus crosslinking did not occur until a high level of monomer conversion. The combination of a higher reaction temperature (120 °C) and RAFT agent cumyl dithiobenzoate was demonstrated to be optimal for providing both a more highly branched architecture and a higher polymer yield. The molecular weights (M_ws) increased with monomer conversions because of the controlled radical polymerization characteristic, whereas the M_w distributions broadened showing a result of the gradual increase of the degree of branching. The evolution of branched structure has been confirmed by a triple detection size exclusion chromatography (TRI‐SEC) and NMR technique. Furthermore, the double bonds in the side chains were successfully used for chemical modification reactions. ¹H NMR and FTIR measurements reveal that the great mass of pendant vinyl groups were converted to the corresponding objective end‐groups. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6023–6034, 2008     

Bulk hydrosilylation reaction of poly(dimethylsiloxane) chains catalyzed by a platinum salt: Effect of the initial concentration of reactive groups on the final extent of reaction

Model silicone networks obtained by curing linear poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) chains with end‐vinyl groups, (B₂), with a polyfunctional silane‐terminated crosslinker of functionality f, (A_f), through a hydrosilylation reaction have been widely used. In these networks, the principal characteristics of their ultimate molecular structure are strongly affected by the final extent of reaction reached during the crosslinking reaction. This work analyzes the effect of the initial concentration of the reactive end groups on the maximum attainable extent of reaction under normal bulk crosslinking conditions. This was accomplished by examining the reaction between linear B₂ PDMS chains with difunctional and trifunctional silanes. The experimental results were fitted by an exponential equation to have an empirical equation able to predict the maximum extent of reaction to be obtained as a function of the initial concentration of reactive groups. Molecular parameters relevant to this study, such as the degree of polymerization, the weight‐average molecular weight for the A₂ + B₂ system, or the weight fraction of solubles for the A₃ + B₂ system, were calculated with a mean field theory (recursive approach). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1099–1106, 2003     

Catalyzed chain growth of polyethylene on magnesium for the synthesis of macroalkoxyamines: Application to the production of block copolymers using controlled radical polymerization

A synthetic method for the production of polyethylene (PE) chains carrying alkoxyamine end‐group has been proposed first by successfully reacting the well‐known 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐N‐oxyl (TEMPO) and N‐(2‐methyl‐2‐propyl)‐N‐(1‐diethylphosphono‐2,2‐dimethylpropyl)‐N‐oxyl (commonly called SG1) stable radicals with dipolyethylenylmagnesium compounds to give PE‐TEMPO and PE‐SG1. Since the homolytic cleavage of these two macroalkoxyamines for the production of block copolymers using controlled radical polymerization would require temperatures higher than 160 °C, two original new nitroxides (4‐[(2,2‐dimethyl‐4‐(N‐tert‐Butyl‐N‐(1‐diethoxyphosphoryl‐2,2‐dimethylpropyl)aminoxy)‐4‐n‐butoxycarbonyl)butanoyloxyl]‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐1‐oxy, DD1) and 4‐[(2,2‐dimethyl‐4‐(N‐tert‐Butyl‐N‐(1‐diethoxyphosphoryl‐2,2‐dimethylpropyl)aminoxy)‐4‐phenyl) butanoyloxyl]‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐1‐oxy, DD2) containing a TEMPO moiety and incorporating an SG1‐based alkoxyamine (cleavage temperature: 60 °C) were then synthesized. NMR analyses showed that the resulting PE‐DD1 and PE‐DD2 were obtained using this functionalization strategy though with low to moderate yields (from 17% to 40%). PE‐DD2 (40% functionalization) was used under controlled radical polymerization conditions of n‐butyl acrylate. SEC analyses together with ¹H NMR analysis showed that a poly(ethylene‐b‐n‐butyl acrylate) block copolymer was produced and that the polymerization proceeded under control. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2705–2718, 2007     

Methacrylic Polymers Bearing in the Side-Chain an Optically Active Moiety Linked to the trans-4-Azobenzene Chromophore: Chiroptical Properties of Poly[(S)-(+)-N-methyl-(2-methacryloyloxypropanoyl)-4-aminoazobenzene]

The synthesis by radical homopolymerization of a novel optically active methacrylic polymer containing a side-chain chiral moiety linked to a photochromic chromophore has been carried out starting from the related monomer trans-(S)-(+)-N-methyl-(2-methacryloyloxypropanoyl)-4-aminoazobenzene. The chiroptical properties in solution of the polymer have been investigated by circular dichroism and compared with those of the corresponding low molecular weight model compound, trans-(S)-(+)-N-methyl-(2-pivaloyloxypropanoyl)-4-aminoazobenzene. The optical activity displayed by the polymer is discussed in terms of extent of chiral conformations assumed by the macromolecules as a consequence of dipole-dipole interactions between the azoaromatic chromophores.