Surface grafting of polymers onto inorganic ultrafine particles: Reaction of functional polymers with acid anhydride groups introduced onto inorganic ultrafine particles

The surface grafting onto inorganic ultrafine particles, such as silica, titanium oxide, and ferrite, by the reaction of acid anhydride groups on the surfaces with functional polymers having hydroxyl and amino groups was examined. The introduction of acid anhydride groups onto inorganic ultrafine particle was achieved by the reaction of hydroxyl groups on these surfaces with 4-trimethoxysilyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride in toluene. The amount of acid anhydride groups introduced onto the surface of ultrafine silica, titanium oxide, and ferrite was determined to be 0.96, 0.47, and 0.31 mmol/g, respectively, by elemental analysis. Functional polymers having terminal hydroxyl or amino groups, such as diol-type poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), and diamine-type polydimethylsiloxane (SDA), reacted with acid anhydride groups on these ultrafine particles to give polymer-grafted ultrafine particles: PPG and SDA were considered to be grafted onto these surfaces with ester and amide bond, respectively. The percentage of grafting increased with increasing acid anhydride group content of the surface: the percentage of grafting of SDA (M_n = 3.9 × 10³) onto silica, titanium oxide, and ferrite reaching 64.7, 33.7, and 24.1%, respectively. These polymer-grafted ultrafine particles gave a stable colloidal dispersion in organic solvents.     

Anionic graft polymerization of vinyl monomers initiated by metallized aromatic rings of graphite powder

Anionic graft polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and styrene from graphite powder initiated by metallized aromatic rings on the surface were investigated. Metalation of the surface was achieved by the reaction of polycondensed aromatic rings of graphite withn-butyllithium (BuLi) in N,N,N,N-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) or hexamethylphosphorous triamide (HMPT) at 0 °C., Anionic polymerizations of MMA and styrene were initiated by metallized graphite, and these polymers were grafted onto the surface. The conversion and percentage of grafting increased by increasing the amount of BuLi used for metalation. When 0.20 g of graphite was treated with 0.4–0.5 mmol of BuLi in TMEDA, the percentage of grafting of PMMA and polystyrene reached the maximum value: PMMA 52.8% (PMMA/graphite =0.528 g/1.0 g) and polystyrene 37.2% (polystyrene/graphite=0.372 g/1.0 g). Grafting of polymers was also confirmed by infrared spectra. Although no metalation of graphite proceeded in toluene, graphite could be metallized even in toluene by the addition of crown ether as a complexing cation agent. The stability of graphite powder in organic solvent dispersion was found to be improved remarkably by grafting of polymer onto the surface.     

Surface-grafting onto aramid powder: reaction of acyl chloride groups on the surface with functional polymers having terminal hydroxyl or amino groups

The surface-grafting of polymers onto aramid, poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide), powder surface by the reaction of acyl chloride groups on the surface with functional polymers having terminal hydroxyl and amino groups was investigated. The introduction of acyl chloride groups onto the aramid powder surface was achieved by the reaction of the aramid powder with adipoyl dichloride: the acyl chloride group content of the surface was estimated to be 1.14 mmol/g (0.17 mmol/m²) by elemental analysis. It was found that by the reaction of acyl chloride groups on the surface with functional polymers, such as terminal diol-type poly(propylene oxide) (PPG) and terminal diamine-type poly(dimethylsiloxane) (SDA), these polymers were grafted onto the aramid powder surface; the percentage of surface grafting of PPG and SDA onto the aramid powder was 16.7 and 22.4%, respectively. The thermogravimetric curve of PPG surface-grafted aramid powder exhibited an initial weight loss at about 250°C and a second weight loss at about 500°C. This indicated that the grafting of PPG is limited to the powder surface. The wettability of the aramid powder surface turned from hydrophobic to hydrophilic by the surface-grafting of PPG onto the surface.     

Spreading and compression of n-hexadecyl acrylate at liquid-air interface

Usingn-hexadecyl acrylate, surface pressure-area (F-A) curves and equilibrium spreading pressuresF ^e were measured at various temperatures (5.7°–46°C) by the Langmuir balance (F-A) and the Wilhelmy-plate method (F ^e). At low temperatures (T<13 °C) condensed films and the liquid-condensed/solid condensed transition can be observed. At high temperatures (T>30 °C) liquid-expanded films occur. In the intermediate range the compression curves have two transition points. The transition pressureF ₁ between liquid-expanded and condensed film has a marked temperature dependence. The transition enthalpiesH ₁ decrease with increasing temperature and become zero at 29.2 °C. The second transition is related to a transition between the condensed films (F ₂). The slight temperature dependence of this transition is accompanied by an increasing change of area as well as by increasing transition enthalpiesH ₂.TheF ^e-T curve has two distinct breaks, at the melting pointT _m and atT=30 °C. The break atT _m is due to the melting process and the break atT=30 °C is caused by a phase transition between a liquid-expanded film and a condensed film.The phase diagram was constructed from the transition pressures. It can be demonstrated that the highest pressures of the thermodynamic stable film occurs atT _m. At temperaturesT>T _m equilibrium spreading pressure and equilibrium collapse pressure are identical whereas atT _m supercompression of the monolayer occurs. The film in this state behaves like a supercooled liquid. Obviously, rupture and collapse of such a film lead to a thermodynamically metastable bulk phase.     

Production of anomalous polymer microspheres having uneven surfaces by “stepwise” heterocoagulation technique

Anomalous polymer microspheres having uneven surfaces were produced by stepwise heterocoagulation technique of small polymer particles (SPs) onto large polymer particles (LPs).SPs andLPs have surface charges opposite to each other in the emulsion states.SPs were produced by emulsion copolymerization of styrene and methacryloyloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride, andLPs by emulsion terpolymerization of styrene, butyl acrylate and methacrylic acid, with nonionic emulsifier being used in both cases. Maximum covering ofLP bySPs was obtained under the conditions that both emulsions were blended without the coagulation at pH 3 at room temperature and then left stand to coagulate with each other at 70 °C for 4 h at pH 9.Part CXI of the series Studies on Suspension and Emulsion.     

New organosols of ZnS and HgS in N,N-dimethylformamide and dimethyl sulfoxide. Use in the preparation of semiconductive polymer-metal sulfide composite films

Organosols of ZnS and HgS in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were prepared by reaction of Zn and Hg salts with H₂S. ZnS in the DMF organosol has a particle size of about 300 Å, determined by an argon laser scattering technique. The form of HgS in the organosols varies with temperature, concentration of HgS, and type of solvent;-HgS in a DMF organosol is converted into-HgS at –30 °C or above. Poly(acrylonitrile)-ZnS or -HgS composite films prepared from organosols are semiconductive, and the electrical conductivity of the film increases by a factor of 10²–10³ on exposure to moisture or alcohol vapour. Poly(acrylonitrile)--HgS composite films, prepared from heated-HgS, show electrical conductivity of a range of 10^–1–10^–2 S cm^–1 and a large electron mobility.     

Polypeptides mixed monolayers: collapse mechanism

The mechanism of the collapse process of monolayers of poly-L-alanine and of its mixtures with poly--methyl-L-glutamate was studied at the water/air interface at temperatures of 15°, 20°, 25°, and 30 °C.From measurements of the collapse surface pressure as a function of molar ratios and from the determination of the collapse kinetics, as well as from ellipsometrical measurements of the thickness of the film, the complete solubility of the components, even in the collapsed phase, was deduced.Furthermore, activation energies and values ofG*,H*, andS* in relationship to the kinetics of this process were deduced; it was shown that this process is constituted of a first phase of nucleation and of a second phase of growth both for the poly-L-alanine alone and for its mixtures with poly--methyl-L-glutamate.     

Dielectric properties of cleaned and monodisperse polystyrene latexes in microwaves

The dielectric behavior (, ) of three well-cleaned monodisperse polystyrene latexes having the same particle size and the same number of chemically-bound surface groups has been studied at a fixed microwave frequency (9.4 GHz), as a function of temperature and surface group (SO ₄ ^– , COO^–, OH).A large dielectric relaxation was observed in the sulfate-stabilized latex, which has the most polar surface end-group. The anomalous behavior in the thermal dependence of the hydroxyl and carboxyl-stabilized latexes (the OH latex being more pronounced than the COO^– latex) may originate from differences in the experimental conditions used for the preparation of such polymer colloids, or due to the presence of ionic species.On the basis of various dielectric models, the apparent volume fractions of the latexes were calculated. The amount of bound water around the latex particle was quantitatively correlated to the polarity of surface end-group (SO ₄ ^– > COO^– > OH). The differences between the calculated and actual values were not only a reflection of the thickness of vicinal water, but could also be indicative of the presence of oligomeric species in the suspension's medium (serum) of the latex. The permittivities of hydrated particle and of bound water were obtained with a non-linear iterative procedure.     

Rigid-rod polymers with flexible side chains

Modeling studies were performed for a rigid-rod polyester with hexadecyloxy side chains (n=16) in order to simulate x-ray scattering curves in the medium angle scattering region (s=4 sin / from 0.2 Å^–1 to 2.2 Å^=t–1). The experimental ones were taken from a material obtained by cooling to room temeperature from the smectic mesophase at 150°C. The wide-angle x-ray diffractograms were calculated for given conformations and molecular arrangements using Debye's equation. The theoretical result thus obtained for a great variety of possible packing models and structures was compared to the experimental result. The size of the effective scattering region is found to be 61×18×52=6×10⁴ ų and consists of approximately five layers, each of which is composed of two rigid rods and 20 side chains. The planes form by the rigid rods, together with the side chains, have a distance of 3.6 Å, the distance between the rods being 26 Å. As the main result, it was found that the side chains form regions with a denser ordering (clustering). The interchain distance for side chains decreases in the regions from 5.3 Å to 4.8 Å.     

Electrically conducting,thermally stable,and mechanically strong CuS-poly(parabanic acid) composite films and their shielding effect of electromagnetic wave

Poly(parabanic acid)-CuS composite film (wt-% of CuS=20–50) prepared by using organosol of CuS (=1500 Å) showed electrical conductivity of 0.1–70 S cm^–1, high thermal stability up to 250°C, high mechanical strength (breaking stress=7.0–12 × 10⁷ Pa), and good shielding effect of electromagnetic wave.     

Effects of pressure and solvent on the diffusion of aromatic compounds through polymers

The diffusion of six azo and five anthraquinone derivatives through nylon 6, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and secondary cellulose acetate films were studied under high hydrostatic pressures of up to 3000 bar and at temperatures 80–130 °C, by analyzing the diffusion profiles yielded in a stacked multiple film, placed in the solution of the diffusant. It was found that the diffusion coefficient,D, of the diffusant decreased with increasing pressure, giving a linear relationship between InD and the pressure, the slope of which gave the activation volume for the diffusion,V . It was revealedV increased linearly with increasing intrinsic molecular volume of the diffusant,V _w , the slopes being different between the azo and the anthraquinone derivatives. The ratio ofV toV _w (V /V _w ) ranged from 0.13 to 0.93, depending in a sensitive manner on the degree of swelling of the polymer matrix which in turn was varied by the solvent. The overall results could be explained in accordance with the formulation,V _{f, local} +V =V _w , whereV _{f, local} represents the free volume contribution. It was proposed thatV _w is increased by solvation when the solvent is good for the diffusant.     

Preparation of asymmetric polymer film by emulsion blend technique

Two kinds of anionic polymer emulsions, of which particle sizes were greatly different, were blended and then cast on a release-paper at 30 °C. One was poly(butyl acrylate) emulsion, 0.46n in diameter, produced by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization, and the other was ethyl acrylate-methyl methacrylate (1/1, mole ratio) copolymer emulsion, 0.02m in diameter, produced by emulsifier-containing emulsion polymerization. The film produced had asymmetric surface properties: the air-side surface was nontacky and the bottom-side surface was tacky. The forming mechanism is discussed.     

An estimation of the surface ionization constant of oleic acid in aqueous sodium chloride solution

The zeta potential () measurements and the site binding theory were utilized for calculations of the parameters of the electrical double layer (edl), ionization, and complexation constants for oleic acid-aqueous sodium chloride solution interface. Assuming that is equal to the diffuse layer potential ( _d ) of the edl, the charge of the diffuse part of the edl was calculated from the Gouy-Chapman equation. The intrinsic ionizaiton constant was then determined by an extrapolation method to be . Subsequently, the surface potential ( ₀) was calculated, and it was found that ₀ changes by 50 mV per pH unit (50 mV/pH) or 42.5 mV/pH for 10^–3 and 10^–2 M NaCl, respectively. For further calculations, the integral capacity of the outer zone of the compact part of the edl was assumed to be for both ionic strengths. It was established that the intrinsic complexation constant for the binding of Na⁺ ions with the surface of oleic acid ispK _Na ^int = 2.9±0.5 if the integral capacity of the inner zone of the compact edl (K ₁) is 80 for 10^–3 M NaCl, but 280 for 10^–2 M NaCl. The use of the sameK ₁ value for both ionic strengths gives a differentpK _Na ^int for different NaCl concentrations, and also provides unrealistic surface charge ( _o ) values greaterfor 10^–3 M NaCl than for 10^–2 M NaCl, at the same pH of the solution.     

Incongruent dissolution of hydroxyapatite in the presence of phosphoserine

Concentrations of phosphate and calcium ions, liberated from the surface of hydroxyapatite (HAP) during the adsorption of phosphoserine (PSer), were determined at 30°C. HAP showed a marked incongruent dissolution behavior in the presence of PSer. That is, the concentration of phosphate ion in solution increases with the addition of PSer due to the ion-exchange between PSer and phosphate ion on HAP (molar ratio of the former to the latter=32), whereas the concentration of calcium ion decreases with this release of phosphate ion, because the solubility product of HAP restricts the concentrations of both ions in solution (calculated values of — log (Ca²⁺)¹⁰ (PO ₄ ^3– )⁶ (OH^–)² were 115.8±1.0). The affinity of PSer to HAP was highest at pH 5.8 where the PSer and the HAP surface had the opposite charges. This electrostatic attraction force between PSer and HAP was shielded to some extent by the addition of KCl.     

Capillary rise of liquids in rectangular tubings

The capillary rise of liquids was investigated in square capillary tubings of different dimensions (e. g. 300 m · 300 m to 1000 m · 1000 m) in the temperature range 25° to 35°C.The data were fitted to an equation:=1/2 · ·g · (S · (C ·H/2 +C ·S)) where is the surface tension of the liquid,S is the side length of the square tubing,H is the capillary rise,C (= 1.089) is a capillary constant.     

Hemolytic activity of polyoxyethylene cholesteryl ethers

Hemolytic activity of nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene cholesteryl ethers, C₂₇H₄₅O(CH₂CH₂O) _n H (Chol-E _n ,n=, 25, 30, 50) and polyoxyethylene dihydrocholeseryl ethers, C₂₇H₄₇O(CH₂CH₂O) _n H (DHChol-E _n ,n=15, 30 50) were measured, changing the concentration of surfactant and erythrocyte at 37 °C. Maximum hemolytic activity was observed in these cholesteryl derivatives with 25–30 oxyethylene units. The time course of hemolysis was also measured as a function of the concentrations of surfactant and erythrocyte. Hemolysis started after a certain induction period,, and then apparently proceeded as a first-order reaction with respect to the erythrocyte concentration. The surfactant inducing 50% hemolysis at low concentration had a small value and large rate constant. The maximum amount of adsorption without inducing hemolysis,a ₀, decreased with increasing polyoxyethylene chain length. Chol-E₂₅ has the maximum activity for the solubilization of egg yolk lecithin at 37 °C. Based on these results, the mechanism of hemolysis by these surfactants was quantitatively discussed.     

Macromolecular conformations at the water-air interface: Interactions between alpha and beta conformations of polypeptides

Bidimensional miscibility between alpha and beta conformations of polypeptides was investigated at the water-air interface in the 15°–30°C temperature range. The polypeptides were poly--methyl-L-glutamate (PGMG), poly--benzyl-L-glutamate (PGBG) and poly--benzyl-L-aspartate (PBBA). The polypeptide conformations, alpha or beta, were checked by IR spectroscopy using the MIR technique.The spreading isotherms for mixed monolayers alpha-PGMG/alpha-PGBG and beta-PGMG/beta-PBBA showed bidimensional miscibility both for alpha-alpha and beta-beta mixtures.For the alpha-alpha system, attractive interactions among the polypeptide alphahelices were found (G_mix<0) and the driving factor appeared to be the entropic one (packing). Compressibility moduli and surface potential measurements showed a fluidification effect of alpha-PGBG on mixed monolayers. In the case of beta-beta mixed monolayers, ideal behaviour was observed and no fluidification effect detected.Scanning electron micrographs made on collapsed monolayers showed hexagonal structures for alpha-alpha mixtures and no well-defined or characterized features for the beta-beta system.     

The effect of segment length and concentration on dielectric properties of polypropyleneoxide-based polyurethanes

Three series of segmented polyurethanes based on MDI, variable chain extender, and polypropylene oxide of MW=1000, 2000, and 3000 were synthesized and their dielectric behavior examined.Dielectric relaxations in the segmented polyurethanes were investigated between –150°C and +150°C in the 100 Hz to 10 kHz range. In general, three transitions, designated as, , and were observed, and ascribed in accordance with calorimetric relaxations to glass transitions of the hard and soft segments, and Shatzki-type motions, respectively. The effect of structure variables such as soft segment size, type of chain extender (ethylene glycol, butane diol, and hexane diol) and soft segment concentration, as well as the effect of interaction of the phases on dielectric properties was discussed. It was found that a certain degree of phase mixing exists in all series, detected by the variation of theT _g of the soft segment with soft segment concentration, contrary to DSC results, which was ascribed to thermal treatment prior to the dielectric measurements. It appears that interfacial polarization becomes important only above the transition temperature.     

Thermally stimulated currents in poly(bis(p-fluorophenoxy)phosphazene)

Thermally stimulated currents (TSC) were examined for poly(bis(p-fluorophenoxy)phosphazene) (PBFPP) film. TSC showed peaks at the glass transition temperature (Tg=–4 °C) and atT(1) (160 °C – 170 °C), where-form crystal phase transformed to mesophase of-form structure. Another peak was found atT _cc betweenTg andT(1). Linear relationship between polarization field and peak current ofT _cc -peak was found, which shows thatT _cc -peak was caused by motion of dipolar groups in crystalline phase. When heating (up to 200 °C) and cooling (down to 20 °C) thermal process was repeated,T _cc -peak shifted to higher temperature region approachingT(1) and simultaneously, the peak current ofT(1)-peak became smaller. Activation energy, time constant of dipolar relaxation and charge mobility were evaluated forT _cc -peak. From these results, it was concluded that-form and more ordered- form crystalline phases coexisted in PBFPP once heated aboveT(1) and the content of- form phase increased by repeated thermal hysteresis.     

XPS analysis (ESCA) of the surface composition of poly(styrene/2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) microspheres produced by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization

Polymer microspheres composed of various compositions of styrene and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were produced by batch emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. The HEMA content at the surface, [HEMA] _s , of the microspheres powdered by freeze-drying was determined by both quantitativeC ^1s /O ^1s analysis andC ^1s peak shape analysis of the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopic spectra. When the HEMA content in the microsphere, [HEMA] _p , was less than about 5 mole%, the [HEMA] _s values determined by the two different methods showed good agreement. At [HEMA]_p above 5 mole %, [HEMA]_s values determined by the first method were about 15 mole % greater than those determined by the second. They both showed a similar tendency with the [HEMA] _s being higher than the [HEMA] _p , e.g., when [HEMA] _p was 1 mole %, [HEMA] _s was 11 mole %. The intensity of the satellite peak due to the ^* transition of the benzene ring of the styrene component decreased with an increase in [HEMA] _p , to zero at 5 mole % of [HEMA] _p . These results indicate that the HEMA component is localized at the surface.Part CVIII of the series Studies on Suspension and Emulsion.