Oxo‐crown‐ethers as comonomers for tuning polyester properties

2‐Oxo‐12‐crown‐4‐ether (OC) was procured in a novel, two‐step procedure in a 37% overall yield. This interesting hydrophilic lactone was effectively polymerized with Novozym 435 as the catalyst: within 10 min, the monomer conversion was greater than 95%. Poly(2‐oxo‐12‐crown‐4‐ether) [poly(OC)] was obtained as a viscous oil with a glass‐transition temperature of approximately ?40 °C, and it was soluble in water. Subsequently, OC was copolymerized with ω‐pentadecanolactone (PDL). A kinetic evaluation of both monomers showed that for OC, the Michaelis–Menten constant (K_M) and the maximal rate of polymerization (V_max) were 2.7 mol/L and 0.24 mol/L min, respectively, whereas for PDL, K_M and V_max were 0.5 mol/L and 0.09 mol/L min, respectively. Although OC polymerized five times faster than PDL, ¹H NMR analysis of the copolymers revealed a random copolymer structure. Differential scanning calorimetry traces of the copolymers showed that they were semicrystalline and that the melting temperature and melting enthalpy of the copolymers linearly decreased with an increasing amount of OC. The melting temperature of the copolymers could be adequately predicted by the Baur equation, and this suggested that poly (OC) was rejected from the poly(ω‐pentadecanolactone) [poly(PDL)] crystals. Solid‐state NMR studies confirmed that the crystalline phase exclusively consisted of poly (PDL), whereas the amorphous phase was a mixture of OC and PDL units. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2166–2176, 2006     

Effect of Fullerene Volume Fraction on Two‐Dimensional Crystal‐Constructed Supramolecular Liquid Crystals

The volume fraction plays an important role in phase segregated soft matters. We demonstrate here that at high fullerene volume fraction in soft chain‐tethered‐fullerene dyads, different two‐dimensional (2D) crystal‐constructed smectic‐like lamella liquid crystalline (LC) phases can be formed with triple‐layer (S_T phase) or quadruple‐layer (S_Q phase) stacking of fullerenes in 2D crystals. The combination of 2D crystal and LC properties in one system affords these fullerene dyads controlled electron mobility in the range of 10^?5–10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 at room temperature (S_T phase), by regulating the insulated soft layer thickness between 2D crystals via the manipulation of fullerene volume fraction.     

Correlation between local mobility and mechanical properties of high‐speed melt‐spun nylon‐6 fibers

This article establishes the processing–microstructure–motion–property relationship of high‐speed melt‐spun nylon‐6 fibers. From solid‐state ¹H NMR T_1ρ (spin–lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame) relaxation studies, all nylon‐6 fibers spun at 4500–6100 m/min showed three‐component exponential decay with the time constants T_1ρ,I, T_1ρ,II, and T_1ρ,III, indicating that there existed three different motional phases. These phases were assigned to immobile crystalline, intermediate rigid amorphous, and mobile amorphous regions. The determination of the correlation time (τ_c) of the respective phases provided information about the local molecular mobility of each phase with respect to the spinning speed. As the spinning speed increased, τ_c of the crystalline region increased (4500–5200 m/min) and then reached a plateau. However, τ_c for the rigid amorphous region increased from 5200 m/min onward, indicating that the rigid amorphous chains were more oriented and constrained in the spinning speed range of 5500–6100 m/min. The drastic increase of the maximum thermal stress for all fibers from 5500 to 6100 m/min was coincident with the τ_c characteristics of the rigid amorphous region. The significant increase in tenacity and Young's modulus and the large decrease in elongation at break at 5500–6100 m/min were also in good agreement with the local molecular motion of the intermediate rigid amorphous phase in the nylon‐6 fibers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 993–1000, 2001     

Plastic deformation of poly(tetramethylene oxide). II. Molecular orientation as measured by x-ray diffraction and NMR measurements

The orientation of the crystalline and amorphous phases in uniaxially drawn samples of polytetramethylene oxide has been studied by x-ray and NMR methods. Pole figure measurements give the orientation of the crystalline phase. Its dependence on the draw ratio does not obey the pseudoaffine model. The crystalline fraction is derived from NMR measurements at temperatures between T_g and T_m, where the free induction decay (FID) of the unoriented sample can be analyzed in terms of a rigid (crystalline), a constrained, and an amorphous phase. Low temperature (T < T_g) measurements of the NMR second-moment anisotropy in protonated and deuterated samples give a mean orientation of the chains higher than that corresponding to the crystalline phase. The lack of anisotropy in the tail of the FID at temperatures between T_g and T_m indicates no appreciable anisotropy in the truly amorphous interlamellar phase. From this and from the ratio of the P₄/P₂ orientations, factors which obey the “most probable distribution,” it is concluded that the amorphous orientation is due to the layer of constrained chains at the surface of the lamellae.     

Lamellar thickness of crystallizable ethene runs in ethene-propene copolymers by solid state NMR

Crystallizable runs of ethene in ethene-propene copolymers can be identified in ¹³C CPMAS NMR spectra as a resonance at 33 ppm. In the absence of spin diffusion, the variation in intensity of this resonance with a ¹H spin lock will reflect the intrinsic T^H_1ρ. Spin diffusion leads to a more complex relaxation decay, which reflects the local polymer morphology. Simulations of the spin diffusion process have been carried out for a simplified two-phase model for the morphology with the aim of determining whether the lamellar thickness of the crystalline and amorphous regions can be found from the T^H_1ρ observed via the ¹³C NMR spectrum. Calculations covering the expected range of the input parameters, namely the spin diffusion coefficients, domain lengths, and intrinsic relaxation times, show that, providing the intrinsic relaxation time in the amorphous phase is known, an accurate estimate of the crystalline and amorphous lamellar thicknesses can be made. Analysis of simulated T^H_1ρ decays indicate that, in general, the time constant of the fastest decaying component can be identified with the intrinsic relaxation time of the amorphous phase. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Magic angle carbon-13 NMR study of solid poly(ethylene naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate)

Amorphous (1) and semicrystalline (2) samples of poly(ethylene naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylate) (PEN) have been investigated by cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) ¹³C NMR at 26°C (1 and 2), 100°C (1) and 120°C (2) in order to study the phase structure and the local motion of polymer chain segments at temperatures below and close to T_g (120°C). The lineshape of the ethylene unit ¹³C signal in sample 2 is consistent with the presence of two components which were assigned to trans and gauche conformations. The first component arises mainly from the crystalline regions and the second one from the amorphous part. Cross-polarization curves were traced by changing the contact time between carbon and proton reservoirs. T_CH (cross relaxation time) and proton T_1p (spin-lattice relaxation time in the rotating frame) values were obtained as best fit parameters by fitting calculated curves to the experimental data. All ¹³C NMR data are consistent with the presence of highly rigid ethylene units in both semicrystalline and amorphous samples within the temperature range (T) investigated. This result is in disagreement with the ¹H NMR wide line spectra which showed a noticeable narrowing of the linewidth with increasing temperature in the same range, hence indicating a great mobility of the chain segments. To account for this discrepancy a qualitative model based on the existence of two distinct dynamic regions, one where motion is highly restricted and the other one where large reorientations of ethylene group torsional angles take place, is suggested. The NMR results led to the conclusion that three structural phases are present in PEN: crystalline, very rigid amorphous, and very mobile amorphous. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization studies of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) using thermal analysis and far‐infrared spectroscopy

Crystallization of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) by annealing was examined using density measurement, differential scanning calorimetry, and far‐infrared spectroscopy (FIR). Crystallinity, measured by density, increased slowly up to the T_a of 185 °C and increases rapidly once T_a exceeds 185 °C. It was found that thermally induced crystallization is mainly temperature‐dependent above T_a = 185 °C and temperature‐ and time‐dependent below T_a = 60 °C. Two melting transitions, T and T, were observed for those samples annealed above 120 °C. No significant change in T was observed as a function of T_a while T showed strong dependency on T_a. Digital subtraction of the amorphous contribution from the semicrystalline FIR spectra provided characteristic spectra of amorphous and crystalline PTT. The bands at 373, 282, and 92 cm^?1 were assigned to the crystalline phase, while the bands at 525, 406, and 351 cm^?1 were attributed to the amorphous phase. It was shown that FIR spectroscopy can be used as a means to estimate the degree of crystallinity of PTT. The band ratio of 373 and 501 cm^?1 was plotted against crystallinity measured by density and reasonably good correlation was obtained. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 1675–1682, 2007     

Solid-state 13C-NMR studies of the aging of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Solid state ¹³C-NMR was used to investigate the miscibility and subsequent separation of solution-cast blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF₂) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with aging for a range of compositions. It was found that one amorphous phase and intimate mixing of the polymer chains in this phase existed for all compositions of the blends, even after 2 months of aging at room temperature as determined by the proton spin lattice relaxation time T_1ρH in the rotating frame, and the time constant T_CH for transfer of magnetization. The T_1ρH is sensitive to the spatial homogeneity of the blend via spin diffusion and would indicate the presence of phases or domains in the amorphous component of the blend larger than approximately 19 Å. The T_CH is proportional to the inverse sixth power of the interatomic distances needed for transfer of magnetization from proton to carbon and would be sensitive to a separation of polymer chains in the amorphous phase with aging on the order of 4–5 Å. There was an increase of the T_1ρH and T_CH values with aging, indicating that a subtle separation between unlike chains in the amorphous phase was occurring although a single amorphous phase was present.     

ABA‐type liquid crystalline triblock copolymers via nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization: Design,synthesis, and morphologies

We have designed and synthesized rod–coil–rod triblock copolymers of controlled molecular weight by two‐step nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization, where the rod part consists of “mesogen‐jacketed liquid crystalline polymer” (MJLCP). The MJLCP segment examined in our studies is poly{2,5‐bis[(4‐methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene} (MPCS) while the coil part is polyisoprene (PI). Characterization of the triblock copolymers by GPC, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies, TGA, DSC confirmed that the triblock copolymers were comprised of microphase‐separated low T_g amorphous PI and high T_g PMPCS blocks. Analysis of POM and 1D, 2D‐WAXD demonstrated that the triblock copolymers formed nematic liquid crystal phase. Morphological studies using TEM indicated the sample formed lamellar structure. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5949–5956, 2007     

聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯非晶区反式构象结构的探讨

<正> 聚对苯二甲酸乙二酯(PET)的重复单元中有乙撑基。它的碳碳键内旋转产生反式构象(T)和左右式构象(G)。用其不同的构象来表征PET的聚集态结构,对研究结构与性能的关系是十分重要的。许多工作都已指出,乙撑基反式构象的谱带热处理时随结晶度的增加而增加。X-射线衍射的结果证实     

Proton spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times in isotactic polypropylene—III. Effects of molecular weight

Proton spin-lattice (T₁) and spin-spin (T₂) relaxation times of isotactic polypropylene (molecular weights from 1.95 × 10⁵ to 1.78 × 10⁶) were measured at 40° using a wide line pulsed spectrometer operating at 19.8 MHz. Two series of samples with different thermal histories were prepared viz. a “melt-quenched sample” and an “annealed sample”. For all samples two T₁'s, the longer (T₁₁) and the shorter (T_1s), were observed. T₁₁ and T_1s decrease with increasing molecular weight. On the other hand, T_2a the longest T₂, associated with the most mobile amorphous region, increases with increasing molecular weight. The mass fraction of the rigid crystalline region decreases and those of the intermediate and mobile amorphous regions increase with increasing molecular weight. T₁₁ changes approximately linearly with the mass fraction of the crystalline region in the “melt-quenched sample”.     

Structural and conformational changes during thermally‐induced crystallization of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) by infrared spectroscopy

Conformational changes occurring during thermally‐induced crystallization of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) by annealing have been studied using density measurement, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mid‐infrared spectroscopy (MIR). Infrared spectra of amorphous and semicrystalline PTT were obtained, and digital subtraction of the amorphous contribution from the semicrystalline PTT spectra provided characteristic MIR spectra of amorphous and crystalline PTT. The normalized absorbance of 1577, 1173, and 976 cm^?1 were plotted against the crystallinity showing that these bands can be used unambiguously to represent the trans conformation while the band at 1358 cm^?1 can be used to represent gauche conformation of methylene segment. The presence of a weak band at 1358 cm^?1 in the amorphous spectrum suggested that a small amount of gauche conformation is present in the amorphous phase. Infrared spectroscopy has been used for the first time as a means to estimate the trans and gauche conformations of methylene segments in PTT as a function of T_a. The amount of gauche conformation was plotted against the crystalline fraction and the extrapolation of this plot to zero crystalline fraction provided a value of 0.07, suggested that the pure amorphous phase consist of ～ 7% gauche conformation. It was found that the amorphous and crystalline gauche conformation increases at the expense of amorphous trans conformation during thermally induced crystallization of PTT. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 1497–1504, 2008     

Phase Behavior of Polymer Blends

The present report deals with some results on phase behavior, miscibility and phase separation for several polymer blends casting from solutions. These blends are grouped as the amorphous polymer blends, blends containing a crystalline polymer or two crystalline polymers. The blends of PMMA/PVAc were miscible and underwent phase separation at elevated temperature, exhibited LCST behavior. The benzoylated PPO has both UCST and LCST nature. For the systems composed of crystalline polymer poly(ethylene oxide) and amorphous polyurethane, of two crystalline polymers poly(-caprolactone) and poly[3,3,-bis-(chloromethyl) oxetane], appear a single T_g, indicating these blends are miscible. The interaction parameter B's were determined to be –14 J cm^–3, –15 J cm^–3 respectively. Phase separation of phenolphthalein poly(ether ether sulfone)/PEO blends were discussed in terms of thermal properties, such as their melting and crystallization behavior.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Thermodynamic properties of triphenylantimony dibenzoate

The temperature dependence of the heat capacity of triphenylantimony dibenzoate Ph₃Sb(OC(O)Ph)₂ is studied in the range of 6–480 K by means of precision adiabatic vacuum calorimetry and differential scanning calorimetry. The melting of the compound is observed in this temperature range, and its standard thermodynamic characteristics are identified and analyzed. Ph₃Sb(OC(O)Ph)₂ is obtained in a metastable amorphous state in a calorimeter. The standard thermodynamic functions of Ph₃Sb(OC(O)Ph)₂ in the crystalline and liquid states are calculated from the obtained experimental data: C_p^°(T), H°(T)–H°(0), S°(T), and G°(T)–H°(0) for the region from T → 0 to 480 K. The standard entropy of formation of the compound in the crystalline state at T = 298.15 K is determined. Multifractal processing of the low-temperature (T < 50 K) heat capacity of the compound is performed. It is concluded that the structure of the compound has a planar chain topology.     

Local motion in theβ-transition range of partially crystalline polyethylene studied by neutron scattering

We have performed inelastic neutron scattering experiments on protonated and fully deuterated partially crystalline polyethylene. Using a high-resolution, three-axes spectrometer with an energy resolution of 80 eV, it was possible to detect a quasielastic process in the dynamic structure factor with a FWHM of 0.3 meV. This process was shown to be active aboveT ₀=260 K and its FWHM was nearly independent of temperature and scattering vector. The spatial extent of the underlying motional process was displacement increases strongly withT aboveT ₀ up to 4 Ų atT=380 K. Comparison with results from similar work on fully amorphous polymers suggests to relateT ₀ to the glass transition of the amorphous phase in partially crystalline polyethylene. The coherent structure factor showns no evidence for a significant contribution of correlated motion to the process. A speculative explanation of the observed phenomenon as a non-equilibrium soft-mode is proposed.Dedicated to Prof. E. W. Fischer on the occasion of his 65th birthday     

Structure,dynamics and interactions in polymer systems as studied by NMR spectroscopy

The possibilities of NMR spectroscopy in studies of interactions in polymer systems are demonstrated on the example of two types of macromolecular complexes: (i) By measuring ¹H NMR high resolution line intensities, the formation of ordered associated structures of syndiotactic (s) poly(methyl methacrylate)(PMMA) in mixed solvents was quantitatively characterized. The obtained results permit us to assume that the mechanism by which the solvent affects self-association of s-PMMA involves specific interactions of the solvent molecules with PMMA units. Solid state high resolution ¹³C NMR spectra of associated s-PMMA gels were also measured and compared with the spectra of a solid s-PMMA sample. (ii) By using ¹³C solid state NMR spectroscopy, the differences in the structure of the amorphous and crystalline phases in pure poly(ethylene oxide) and its complexes with p-dichlorobenzene or p-nitrophenol were characterized. Prounounced differences also in the dynamic structure of the crystalline phase in these systems are indicated by the relaxation times T₁(C), T_1ρ(C) and T_1ρ(H).     

The temperature dependence of the local free volume in polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene: A positron lifetime study

Positron lifetime measurements, performed in the temperature range 80–300 K, are reported for polyethylene (PE) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The lifetime spectra have been analyzed using the data processing routines LIFSPECFIT and MELT. Two long-lived components appear, which are attributed to pick-off annihilation of ortho-positronium in crystalline regions and at holes in the amorphous phase. The ortho-positronium lifetimes, τ₃ and τ₄, are used to estimate the crystalline packing density and the size of local free volumes in the crystalline and amorphous phases. The interstitial free volume in the crystals exhibits a weak linear increase with the temperature which is attributed to thermal expansion of the crystal unit cell. In the amorphous phase, the hole volume varies between 0.053 and 0.188 nm³ (PE) and between 0.152 and 0.372 nm³ (PTFE). Its temperature variation may be fitted by two straight lines, the intersection of which is used to estimate a glass transition temperature of T_g = 195 K for both PE and PTFE. The slopes of the free volume in the glassy and crystalline phases with the temperature correlate well with each other. The coefficients of thermal expansion of the hole volume are compared with the macroscopic volume change below and above the glass transition. From this comparison a fractional hole volume at T_g of 4.5 (PE) and 5.7% (PTFE) and a number of 0.73 (PE) and 0.36 (PTFE) × 10²⁷ holes/m³ is estimated. Finally, it is found that the intensity of o-Ps annihilation in crystals shows a different temperature dependence to that in the amorphous phase. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1513–1528, 1998     

A 13C NMR study of the effect of γ-irradiation on the chain dynamics of poly(ethylene oxide)

A comparison of solid-state ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of virgin and vacuum γ-irradiated poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) evidences marked differences. The unirradiated PEO shows a well-resolved amorphous resonance and a weak, broad envelope of crystalline resonances, while the irradiated PEO presents well-resolved resonances for both the crystalline and amorphous carbons. Upon recrystallization from the melt both PEO samples yield solid-state ¹³C NMR spectra that are closely similar to that of the virgin, unheated sample. Observation of both melt-recrystallized samples at ?60°C yields similar spectra with well-resolved crystalline resonances. Crosslinking is the predominant chemical change occurring during the γ-irradiation of PEO under vacuum and produces a change in the motional character of the crystalline phase. This change is not the result of a reduction in crystallinity as evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) observations. The most probable explanation is that the crosslinks are concentrated at the surface of the crystalline lamellae with a resultant change in the low frequency molecular motions of the crystalline chains. This motional change shifts the T_1p^H such that the crystalline carbon nuclei can now be cross-polarized at room temperature and the resonance linewidth is reduced. Following melting and recrystallization the motional characteristics of the irradiated PEO are nearly identical to those of the unirradiated sample, probably as a result of a redistribution of the crosslinks throughout the amorphous phase during recrystallization.     

Evolution of crystallinity in photodegraded polyethylene films studied by ft-raman spectroscopy

FT-Raman spectroscopic studies of photodegraded polyethylene films have enabled the evolution of the crystallinity process to be measured. Commercial polyethylene films of M_w=90 000 were exposed in a weathering UV-chamber under known conditions of exposure time and radiant energy. The spectral profiles were modelled using Fourier methods. The relative amounts of the orthorrombic crystalline phase, α_c, the amorphous phase, α_a and the interphase, α_b, were calculated using Raman bands at 1416 cm⁻¹ characteristic of the crystalline phase and the bands at 1080, 1305 cm⁻¹, characteristic of the amorphous phase. The interphase content can be calculated from the relationship αb= 1-(α_c+α_a). It was found that the weathering process affects only the relative intensities of the bands attributed to crystalline and amorphous fractions; the crystalline content increases at the expenses of the amorphous fraction. These results are discussed in terms of the changes in the intermolecular forces caused by radiation exposure.     

A three-phase microstructural model to explain the mechanical relaxations of branched polyethylene: a DSC,WAXD and DMTA combined study

The thermal transitions of well-characterised single-site catalysed polyethylenes having various degrees of short chain branching have been studied by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. A critical discussion based on the results obtained by means of the different techniques is presented. The results suggest that the γ transition is independent of the branching content and degree of crystallinity, pointing towards a sub-glass local relaxation mechanism related to both amorphous and crystalline fractions. The temperature of the β transition, T _β from dynamic mechanical measurements, is in agreement with the glass transition temperature obtained by calorimetry, T _g. Moreover, T _γ, and also T _β are directly related to a change in the thermal expansion coefficient of the amorphous phase observed by X-ray scattering. It is found that the corresponding scattering distance of the amorphous halo depends on crystallinity. In addition, the calorimetric heat capacity values at T _β do not account for the total amorphous fraction determined for each material. The relaxation motions assigned to the amorphous phase glass transition seems to parallel the subsequent melting of the crystalline structure, suggesting a hierarchical motion of different structures as temperature increases. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis supports these observations, showing a broad transition in the phase angle involving first the relaxation of amorphous phase, then the (presumable) more rigid intermediate phase, and finally the crystalline phase, as the temperature increases.