Conformational changes of poly(ethylene oxide) in poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends by supercritical carbon dioxide

The effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC CO₂) fluids on the morphology and/or conformation of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) in PEO/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). According to DSC data for a given blend, the melting enthalpy and, therefore, degree of crystallinity of PEO were increased, whereas the melting temperature of PEO was decreased, with SC CO₂ treatment. The enhancement of PEO crystallization with SC CO₂ treatment, as demonstrated by DSC data, was supported by WAXD data. According to FTIR quantitative analyses, before SC CO₂ treatments, the conformation of PEO was transformed from helix to trans planar zigzag via blending with PMMA. This helix‐to‐trans transformation of PEO increased proportionally with increasing PMMA content, with around 0.7% helix‐to‐trans transformation per 1% PMMA incorporation into the blend. For a given blend upon SC CO₂ treatments, the conformation of PEO was transformed from trans to helix. This trans‐to‐helix transformation of PEO decreased with increasing PMMA contents in the blends because of the presence of interactions between the two polymers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 2479–2489, 2004     

Corrosion product formation on zinc-coated steel in wet supercritical carbon dioxide

In a wet supercritical carbon dioxide atmosphere, carbon dioxide is dissolved into water and causes corrosion of zinc-coated steel. The first corrosion products appeared in singular nano-scale initiation sites, which gradually grew in number and size and ultimately covered the whole surface. Zinc hydroxy carbonate was detected as a rapidly forming needle-like corrosion product, which prevailed at short exposure times (from minutes to hours). A prolonged exposure caused conversion of zinc hydroxy carbonate to anhydrous zinc carbonate with high crystallinity and a stable, dense layer was formed on zinc. The chemical transition from zinc hydroxy carbonate to anhydrous carbonate was reported for the first time and is in the light of current literature unique for wet scCO₂ atmosphere.     

Facile synthesis of thermoresponsive block copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide using heterogeneous controlled/living nitroxide-mediated polymerizations in supercritical carbon dioxide

A new protocol for preparation of thermoresponsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide, NIPAM) containing block copolymers is described. It involves two successive heterogeneous controlled/living nitroxide-mediated polymerizations (NMPs) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) using N-tert-butyl-N-[1-diethylphosphono-(2,2-dimethylpropyl)]nitroxide (SG1), as the nitroxide. Precipitation NMPs give narrow dispersity macroinitiators (MIs), and a first report of the controlled/living polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) in scCO₂ is described. The MI is then used in an inverse suspension NMP of NIPAM in scCO₂ resulting in the efficient preparation of block copolymers containing DMA, tert-butyl acrylate and styrene. Aqueous cloud point temperature analysis for poly(DMA)-b-poly(NIPAM) and poly(acrylic acid)-b-poly(NIPAM) shows a significant dependence on poly(NIPAM) chain length for a given AB block copolymer.     

Structural features of binary mixtures of supercritical CO2 with polar entrainers by molecular dynamics simulation

Computer simulations of supercritical carbon dioxide and its mixtures with polar cosolvents: water, methanol, and ethanol (concentration, 0.125 mole fractions) at T = 318 K and ρ = 0.7 g/cm³ are performed. Atom-atom radial distribution functions are calculated by classical molecular dynamics, while the probability distributions of relative orientation of CO₂ molecules in the first and second coordination spheres describing the geometry of the nearest environment of CO₂ molecules and the trajectories of cosolvent molecules are found using Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics. Based on the latter, the conclusions regarding structure and interactions of polar entrainers in their mixtures with supercritical CO₂ are made. It is shown that the microstructure of carbon dioxide varies only slightly upon the introduction of cosolvents.     

New Device for Adding Polar Modifiers to Carbon Dioxide Mobile Phase for Supercritical Fluid Chromatography

Abstract

Adding additional components to supercritical carbon dioxide in supercritical fluid chromatography can extend or significantly alter the fluid solvating properties. Polar samples which are difficult to be analyzed with pure supercritical CO₂ because of their high polarity can be separated by adding polar modifiers to supercritical CO₂. In this paper, a new mixing device using a teflon high capacity filter for adding polar modifiers to carbon dioxide mobile phase is introduced. This new mixing device could keep the amount of modifier in the mobile phase constant for a much longer time than a saturator column. The amount of water or methanol dissolved in supercritical CO₂ was measured by amperometric microsensor which is made of thin film of perfluorosulfonate ionomer(PFSI).     

The phase behavior of fluorinated diols,divinyl adipate and a fluorinated polyester in supercritical carbon dioxide

The use of supercritical carbon dioxide as a reaction medium for polyester synthesis is hindered by the low solubility of diols in CO₂. However, it has been previously demonstrated that fluorinated compounds can exhibit greater miscibility with carbon dioxide than their hydrocarbon analogs. Therefore, the phase behavior of fluorinated diols and divinyl adipate (DVA), an activated diester, in supercritical carbon dioxide has been investigated at 323 K. The phase behavior of equimolar mixtures of DVA with the most carbon dioxide-soluble diol, 3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6-octafluorooctan-1,8-diol (OFOD), was also determined. The solubility of a polyester synthesized from DVA and 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1,4-butanediol (TFBD) was found to be less CO₂-soluble than its monomers. DVA was much more soluble in CO₂ than any of the fluorinated diols, therefore, no attempt was made to fluorinate the DVA structure. Because both substrates and polyester product were soluble in carbon dioxide, the enzymatic synthesis of a fluorinated polyester from DVA and octafluorooctandiol was performed in supercritical carbon dioxide, resulting in a polymer with a weight average molecular weight of 8232 Da.     

水在超临界二氧化碳中作为直接氢供体：一种经典有效的Zn-H2O-CO2体系化学选择性还原硝基苯类化合物为芳香胺

本文报道了在绿色廉价的还原体系Zn-H2O-CO2中,一系列硝基苯类化合物高选择性,高产率(80-97%)地被还原成为相应芳香胺的过程。该反应体系以H2O作为氢源,以CO2作为反应溶剂,实现了还原反应的绿色化。     

Palladium‐catalyzed carbonylation of primary amines in supercritical carbon dioxide

The chemoselectivity of the palladium‐catalyzed carbonylation of amines was affected by the addition of MeOH in supercritical carbon dioxide. The results show different selectivity in supercritical carbon dioxide CO₂(sc) from that in alcohol. Methyl carbamate and its derivatives were obtained in high yields in CO₂(sc).     

Solubilities of lactic acid and 2-hydroxyhexanoic acid in supercritical CO2

Solubilities of lactic acid and 2-hydroxyhexanoic acid in supercritical CO₂ have been measured at T=(311 or 313, 318, 328 K) in the pressure range from 50 to 200 bar. The measurements have been performed using a flow-type apparatus. The solute solubility in compressed carbon dioxide increased with pressure at all investigated temperatures. At pressures below 130 bar, a solubility decrease on temperature increase was observed. An accurate correlation method for the solubility of low volatile substances in supercritical CO₂ has been applied for the interpolation of the experimental results.     

The influence of inert gases on the high-pressure phase equilibria of EH-copolymer/1-hexene/ethylene-mixtures

The influence of the addition of several inert compounds on the phase equilibria of poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene) copolymer solutions in 1-hexene and ethylene was determined at the conditions of the industrial high-pressure copolymerization process. Using a high-pressure autoclave we measured cloud point pressures in dependence on temperature and mixture composition. The temperature was varied in the range of 393 to 493 K. We present the results for quasi-ternary mixtures consisting of a poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene) copolymer (EH), ethylene and an inert compound (helium, nitrogen, CO₂, methane, ethane, propane, n-butane). Also the quasi-quaternary system EH-copolymer/ethylene/1-hexene/nitrogen is discussed. Experiments were carried out at 1-hexene:ethylene mass ratios between 0 and 85:15. Helium, nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide lowered the copolymer solubility. The antisolvent effect decreases in the order helium>nitrogen>methane>CO₂. In contrast, ethane, propane and especially n-butane were found to act as cosolvents.     

Convenient synthesis of microspheres by self-assembly of random copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide

A novel and convenient synthesis of microspheres was attained by molecular self-assembly of random copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide. Poly{2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl acrylate-ran-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate} random copolymers (P[POA-r-DAA]), with 7:3, 8:2, and 9:1 as the molar ratios of 2-(perfluorooctyl)ethyl acrylate (POA)/2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate (DAA), were soluble in supercritical CO₂ and had their cloud points at about 75 bar higher than the critical pressure of CO₂. The CO₂ density at the cloud points decreased with an increase in temperature. Although the copolymers made a slight difference in the cloud point in the absence of perfluoroazelaic acid (PA), they made a marked difference in the presence of PA. The copolymer with a lower DAA content had a cloud point at lower CO₂ density. The scanning electron microscopy observation demonstrated that the copolymers produced microspheres in the presence of PA at 0.5 as PA/DAA in the heterogeneous state below the cloud points. The microspheres were unstable to pressure and changed to unspecific forms as a result of increasing the CO₂ pressure, although the microspheres were stable to temperature. The POA/DAA ratio in the copolymer had effect not only on the cloud point but also on the size of the microspheres. The copolymer with a lower DAA content formed smaller microspheres.     

Pore size engineering in mesoporous silicas using supercritical CO2

In this paper we investigate the use of supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO(2)) for synthesizing calcined mesoporous silicas with tunable pore sizes, wall thickness, and d spacings. Small angle neutron scattering was used to probe the controlled swelling of the triblock copolymer surfactant templating agents, P123 (PEO(20)PPO(69)PEO(20)), P85 (PEO(26)PPO(39)PEO(26)), and F127 (PEO(106)PPO(70)PEO(106)), as a function of CO(2) pressure. The transition from the liquid crystal phase to the calcined mesoporous silicas, formed upon condensation and drying, was also studied in detail. Powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and nitrogen adsorption techniques were used to establish pore diameters, silica wall widths, and the hexagonal packing of the pores within the calcined silicas. Using a direct templating method, the diameters of mesopores and the spacing between the pores could be tuned with a high level of precision. The swelling process was observed to have no detrimental effects on the quality of silica formed, a distinct advantage over conventional swelling techniques, and all of the silicas synthesized in this study were highly ordered over distances of at least 2000 A.     

Supercritical extraction of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Summary Chromatographic methods for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) extracts (essential oil obtained by steam distillation and extracts obtained by carbon dioxide supercritical fluid extraction and methylene chloride) are described. The composition of extracts obtained at different pressures (from 80 bar to 400 bar) and constant temperature (40°C) is discussed. The extraction system thyme— supercritical carbon dioxide was modelled by empirical equations defining the dependence of the total extract (TE) solubility and thymol solubility in CO₂ on the density of carbon dioxide.     

Treatment Variable Effects on Supercritical Gasification of High-Diversity Grassland Perennials

Low-input high-diversity (LIHD) mixtures of native grassland perennials were subjected to a supercritical treatment process with the aim of obtaining hydrogen-rich gases. The process was studied based on the following treatment variables: reaction temperature (374 °C to 575 °C, corresponding to a pressure range of 22.1 to 40 MPa), residence time (10 to 30 min), biomass content in the feed, and catalysts (0% to 4% NaOH and solid alkali CaO–ZrO₂). The gaseous phase produced from gasification of LIHD primarily consisted of hydrogen (H₂), with a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH₄), and carbon dioxide (CO₂). The statistical significance of treatment variables was evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA). It showed that at the level of P?<?0.05, temperature, catalysts, and biomass content in the feed significantly affected gas yields, while residence time was not significant.     

Homogeneous and heterogeneous free radical polymerizations in environmentally responsible supercritical carbon dioxide

Fluoropolymers are used in many technologically demanding applications because of their balance of high-performance properties. A significant impediment to the synthesis of variants of commercially available amorphous fluoropolymers is their general insolubility in most solvents except chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The environmental concerns about CFCs can be circumvented by preparing these technologically important materials in supercritical fluids (SCFs). The homogeneous solution homo- and copolymerization of highly fluorinated acrylic, styrenic and olefinic monomers in supercritical carbon dioxide using free radical methods will be discussed [Science, 257 , 945 (1992)]. Detailed decomposition rates and efficiency factors will be presented for azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) in supercritical carbon dioxide and will be compared to conventional liquid solvents [Macromolecules, 26 , 2663 (1993)]. Additionally, viscosities of polymer solutions in supercritical CO₂ have been measured using a high pressure, falling cylinder viscometer. The results show that the polymer solution viscosities in supercritical CO₂ are an order of magnitude lower than with the same polymers in conventional organic solvents. The results from these homogeneous solution polymerization studies has allowed us to also consider heterogeneous polymerizations in a carbon dioxide continuous phase. Conventional emulsion polymerizations of unsaturated monomers are performed in either aqueous or organic dispersion media with addition of surface active agents (surfactants) to stabilize the colloidal dispersion that forms. With free radical initiators that are preferentially soluble in the continuous phase, high rates of polymerization and high molar mass polymers can be obtained simultaneously. Herein we describe an environmentally responsible alternative to aqueous and organic dispersing media for emulsion polymerizations which utilizes supercritical carbon dioxide, in conjunction with molecularly engineered free radical initiators and amphiphilic molecules that are specifically designed to be interfacially active in CO₂. Conventional lipophilic monomers, exemplified by methyl methacrylate and styrene, can be polymerized heterogeneously using a fluorinated azo-initiator in supercritical CO₂ in the presence of added surfactant to form stable emulsions that result in submicron size particles. Detailed surfactant and initiator syntheses and phase behavior will also be discussed.     

Dry ice-originated supercritical and liquid carbon dioxide extraction of organic pollutants from environmental samples

Packed in a high-pressure vessel and under calculated conditions, dry ice can be used as a source of carbon dioxide for supercritical CO₂ extraction or liquid CO₂ of organic compounds from environmental samples. Coupled with a fluid modifier such as toluene, dry ice-originated supercritical CO₂ (Sc CO₂) achieves quantitative extraction of many volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and semivolatile organic compounds (SOCs) including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), n-alkanes, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from solid matrices. Compared to contemporary manual or automated supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technologies, this novel technique simplifies SFE to a minimum requirement by eliminating the need of a high-pressure pump and any electrical peripherals associated with it. This technique is highly suitable to analytical areas where sample preservation is essential but difficult in the sampling field, or where sample collection, sample preparation, and analysis are to be done in the field.     

Dispersion polymerization of styrene in supercritical carbon dioxide using monofunctional perfluoropolyether and silicone-containing fluoroacrylate stabilizers

The free radical dispersion polymerization of styrene was carried out in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) using two different stabilizers. The polymerizations are performed in the presence of poly(heptadecafluorodecyl acrylate-co-tris(trimethylsilyloxy)silyllpropyl methacrylate) p(HDFDA-co-SiMA) and a commercially available carboxylic acid-terminated perfluoropolyether (Krytox^® 157FSL) as polymerization stabilizers. Dry, fine powdered spherical polystyrene particles were produced under optimised conditions. The resulting high yield of spherical and relatively uniform micron-size polystyrene particles were formed utilizing various amounts of p(HDFDA-co-SiMA) random copolymer. However, it was observed that Krytox^® 157FSL was not a good stabilizer as p(HDFDA-co-SiMA) for the dispersion polymerization of styrene. The particle diameter was shown to be dependent on the type of the stabilizer and the weight percent of the stabilizer added to the system. The effect of varying the concentrations of stabilizers and initiator, reaction time and reaction pressure upon the polymerization yield, molar mass and morphology of polystyrene have been investigated.     

Asymmetric hydrogenation with the use of chiral carborane amidophosphite derivatives in supercritical carbon dioxide and CH2Cl2

New chiral carborane-containing amidophosphites containing the BINOL fragment (BINOL stands for 2,2′-dihydroxy-1,1′-binaphthyl) have been synthesized. The study of efficiency of these compounds as ligands in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of enamides in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) and CH₂Cl₂ showed that enantioselectivity of the process is considerably higher in scCO₂.     

Comparison of supercritical fluid and ultrasound-assisted extraction of carotenoids and chlorophyll a from Dunaliella salina

In the work described here the extraction processes of carotenoids and chlorophylls were analysed using two extraction techniques, namely ultrasound-assisted extraction and supercritical fluid extraction, and the results are compared. The solvents used for the ultrasound-assisted extraction were N,N′-dimethylformamide and methanol and for the supercritical fluid extraction, carbon dioxide. The raw material studied was Dunaliella salina, a microalgae characterized by the high levels of carotenoids present in its cellular structure. The results indicate that the supercritical fluid extraction process is comparable to the ultrasound-assisted extraction when methanol is used as solvent. In addition, the supercritical extraction process is more selective for the recovery of carotenoids than the conventional technique since it leads to higher values for the ratio carotenoids/chlorophylls. Finally, the effects of pressure and temperature on the extraction yields of the supercritical fluid extraction process were studied.