Correlation of thermal analysis data and hydrolysis resistance of polycarbonates

The initial activation energy at zero conversionE _o of thermooxidative decomposition has been taken as a measure of thermal stability of polycarbonates (PC) andE _o has been correlated with the relative hydrolysis rater _h as a measure of their hydrolyse resistance. It is suggested that both decomposition processes are initiated by the same mechanism, the attack of hydrolytic agent onto ester C?O bonds. The following values ofE _o have been found: 187 (PC-M)>87 (PC-A)>43 (PC-C) kJ/mol, and they are correlated with values ofr _h being 0.01 (PC-M)<1 (PC-A)<4.4 (PC-C). It has been found, using a computer modeling technique, that bothE _o andr _h depend on the minimized energy of conformations.     

Derivatographic investigations of polycarbonates

Derivatographic non-isothermal investigations of the decomposition of PC in air provide useful information on the characteristic decomposition temperatures and the apparent activation energies of the observed steps of decomposition. The following sequence of apparent activation energies of the pyrolysis step was obtained: PC-M>PC-C>PC-A. The values ofE for PC-M are the highest, due to shielding of the ester linkages by the ortho-methyl substituents.This work was supported by a grant from the National Scientific research Committee.     

Dynamic mechanical and gas transport properties of blends and random copolymers of bisphenol-A polycarbonate and tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonate

Dynamic mechanical and gas transport properties for homogeneous homopolymer blends and random copolymers of bisphenol-A and tetramethyl bisphenol-A polycarbonates (PC-TMPC) were determined. The gas transport measurements were performed at 35°C for the gases He, H₂, O₂, Ar, N₂, CH₄, and CO₂. The results show that the copolymers have lower permeability, apparent diffusion, and solubility coefficients than the blends. Permeability coefficients for blends follow a semilogarithmic ideal mixing rule while copolymers exhibit negative deviations from this. Specific volume measurements show that the free volume available for gas transport is slightly larger in copolymers than in blends of the same composition. These apparently contradictory results may relate to the differences in local mode chain motions observed for the copolymer and blend series. The γ relaxation processes in PC and TMPC seem to operate independently in the blends (no intermolecular coupling) while there is clear evidence for intramolecular coupling in the copolymers. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Crystallization behavior of bisphenol A polycarbonate with a simple vacuum process

The crystallization behavior of an amorphous polymer, bisphenol A polycarbonate (BAPC), was evaluated. BAPC was crystallized by exposure to diphenylpropane, a component of BAPC, by vapor transportation methods. Furthermore, the surface of BAPC was also crystallized by this method. Crystallized BAPC was employed as a novel simple storage medium, and bit patterns were recorded on its surface by laser irradiation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2307–2313, 2005     

Synthesis and characterization of novel poly(ester carbonate)s based on pentaerythritol

Novel poly(ester carbonate)s were synthesized by the ring‐opening polymerization of L ‐lactide and functionalized carbonate monomer 9‐phenyl‐2,4,8,10‐tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecan‐3‐one derived from pentaerythritol with diethyl zinc as an initiator. ¹H NMR analysis revealed that the carbonate content in the copolymer was almost equal to that in the feed. DSC results indicated that T_g of the copolymer increased with increasing carbonate content in the copolymer. Moreover, the protecting benzylidene groups in the copolymer poly(L ‐lactide‐co‐9‐phenyl‐2,4,8,10‐tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecan‐3‐one) were removed by hydrogenation with palladium hydroxide on activated charcoal as a catalyst to give a functional copolymer, poly(L ‐lactide‐co‐2,2‐dihydroxylmethyl‐propylene carbonate), containing pendant primary hydroxyl groups. Complete deprotection was confirmed by ¹H NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. The in vitro degradation rate of the deprotected copolymers was faster than that of the protected copolymers in the presence of proteinase K. The cell morphology and viability on a copolymer film evaluated with ECV‐304 cells showed that poly(ester carbonate)s derived from pentaerythritol are good biocompatible materials suitable for biomedical applications. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45:1737 –1745, 2007     

Synthesis and radical polymerization of styrene‐based monomer having a five‐membered cyclic carbonate structure

A styrene‐based monomer having a five‐membered cyclic carbonate structure, 4‐vinylbenzyl 2,5‐dioxoran‐3‐ylmethyl ether (VBCE), was prepared by lithium bromide‐catalyzed addition of carbon dioxide to 4‐vinylbenxyl glycidyl ether (VBGE). Radical polymerization of the obtained VBCE was carried out using 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. PolyVBCE with number‐averaged molecular weight higher than 13,800 was obtained by a solution polymerization in N,N‐dimethylformamide, N,N‐dimethylacetamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methyl ethyl ketone. The glass transition temperature and 5 wt % decomposition temperature of the polyVBCE were determined to be 52 and 305 °C by differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetry analysis, respectively. It was confirmed that a polymer consisting of the same VBCE repeating unit can be also obtained via chemical modification of polyVBGE, that is, a lithium‐bromide‐catalyzed addition of carbon dioxide to a polyVBGE prepared from a radical polymerization of VBGE. Further copolymerization of VBCE with styrene gave the corresponding copolymer in a high yield. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Novel synthesis of reactive polycarbonates with pendant chloromethyl groups by the polyaddition of bis(oxetane)s with 2,2′‐bis[(4‐chloroformyl)oxyphenyl]propane

The polyaddition of 1,4‐bis[(3‐ethyl‐3‐oxetanyl)methoxymethyl]benzene with 2,2′‐bis[(4‐chloroformyl)oxyphenyl]propane was examined with quaternary onium salts as catalysts. When the polyaddition was carried out with tetrabutylphosphonium bromide in chlorobenzene at 120 °C for 24 h, the corresponding poly(alkyl aryl carbonate) with a high molecular weight (number‐average molecular weight = 16,700) was obtained in an almost quantitative yield. It was found from the ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectra of the obtained polymer that the addition reaction proceeded without any side reactions, providing the polycarbonate with pendant chloromethyl groups in the side chain. The polyaddition of bis{[3‐(3‐ethyloxetanyl)]methyl}terephthalate also proceeded smoothly and gave the corresponding polycarbonate with high molecular weight in a good yield. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2304–2311, 2003     

Novel aliphatic poly(ester‐carbonate) with pendant allyl ester groups and its folic acid functionalization

A series of novel poly(ester‐carbonate)s bearing pendant allyl ester groups P(LA‐co‐MAC)s were prepared by ring‐opening copolymerization of L ‐lactide (LA) and 5‐methyl‐5‐allyloxycarbonyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (MAC) with diethyl zinc (ZnEt₂) as initiator. NMR analysis investigated the microstructure of the copolymer. DSC results indicated that the copolymers displayed a single glass‐transition temperature (T_g), which was indicative of a random copolymer, and the T_g decreased with increasing carbonate content in the copolymer. Then NHS‐activated folic acid (FA) first reacted with 2‐aminoethanethiol to yield FA‐SH; grafting FA‐SH to P(LA‐co‐MAC) in the presence of TEA produced P(LA‐co‐MAC)/FA. The structure of P(LA‐co‐MAC)/FA and its precursor were confirmed by ¹H NMR and XPS analysis. Cell experiments showed that FA‐grafted P(LA‐co‐MAC) had improved adhesion and proliferation behavior of vero cells on the polymer films. Therefore, the novel FA‐grafted block copolymer is expected to find application in drug delivery or tissue engineering. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 1852–1861, 2008     

Block copolymer materials from the organocatalytic ring‐opening polymerization of a pentaerythritol‐derived cyclic carbonate

9‐Phenyl‐2,4,8,10‐tetraoxaspiro[5,5]undecanone (PTO) was synthesized from pentaerythritol via the acid‐catalyzed acetal formation reaction with benzaldehyde and subsequent ring closure with ethyl chloroformate. The cyclic carbonate monomer was subsequently polymerized by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) initiated from 1,4‐butanediol (1,4‐BDO) using the 1‐(3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)‐3‐cyclohexylthiourea and 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene dual organocatalytic system. It was found that the organocatalyst allowed for the synthesis of well‐defined polymers with minimal adverse side reactions and low dispersities. This system was then employed in the ROP of PTO initiated from an α,ω‐dihydroxy poly(caprolactone) (PCL) macroinitiator, with varying molecular weights, to yield a series of A‐B‐A block copolymers. These materials were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and tensile analysis. It was found that the chain extension from PCL with poly(PTO) (PPTO) blocks yielded a thermoplastic material with superior tensile properties (elongation and Young's modulus) to that of the PCL homopolymer. Furthermore, it was noted that the addition of PPTO could be employed to alter the crystallization properties (crystallization temperature (T_c), and percentage crystallization) of the central PCL block. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2279–2286     

Ring-Opening Polymerization of Ethylene Carbonate Catalyzed with Ionic Liquids: Imidazolium Chloroaluminate and Chlorostannate Melts

Ring-opening polymerization of ethylene carbonate in the presence of ionic liquids, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloroaluminate melt and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chlorostannate melt, has been investigated. Polymerization takes place accompanied with decarboxylation even at temperatures below 100°C under the reaction conditions selected to give poly(ethylene ether-carbonate)s.     

Copolycarbonates of isosorbide and various diols

Isosorbide and equimolar amounts of various diols were polycondensed with diphosgene and pyridine. Bisphenol A, 3,3′‐dimethyl bisphenol A, bisphenol C, 1,3‐bis(4‐hydroxybenzoyloxy)propane, and 1,4‐cyclohexane diol were used as comonomers. The compositions were determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy; the random sequences were characterized by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. For the high‐molar‐mass copolycarbonates of bisphenol A, 3,3′‐dimethyl bisphenol A, and bisphenol C, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry proved that the chain growth was mainly limited by cyclization. Copolycarbonates with alternating sequences were obtained by the polycondensation of bisphenol A with isosorbide bischloroformiate or from isosorbide and bisphenol A bischloroformiate. In these cases, large amounts of cyclic oligo‐ and polycarbonates were also formed. The glass‐transition temperatures were determined by differential scanning calorimetry measurements. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3616–3628, 2006     

Biodegradation of aliphatic and aromatic polycarbonates

Polycarbonate is one of the most widely used engineering plastics because of its superior physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Understanding the biodegradation of this polymer is of great importance to answer the increasing problems in waste management of this polymer. Aliphatic polycarbonates are known to biodegrade either through the action of pure enzymes or by bacterial whole cells. Very little information is available that deals with the biodegradation of aromatic polycarbonates. Biodegradation is governed by different factors that include polymer characteristics, type of organism, and nature of pretreatment. The polymer characteristics such as its mobility, tacticity, crystallinity, molecular weight, the type of functional groups and substituents present in its structure, and plasticizers or additives added to the polymer all play an important role in its degradation. The carbonate bond in aliphatic polycarbonates is facile and hence this polymer is easily biodegradable. On the other hand, bisphenol A polycarbonate contains benzene rings and quaternary carbon atoms which form bulky and stiff chains that enhance rigidity. Even though this polycarbonate is amorphous in nature because of considerable free volume, it is non-biodegradable since the carbonate bond is inaccessible to enzymes because of the presence of bulky phenyl groups on either side. In order to facilitate the biodegradation of polymers few pretreatment techniques which include photo-oxidation, gamma-irradiation, or use of chemicals have been tested. Addition of biosurfactants to improve the interaction between the polymer and the microorganisms, and blending with natural or synthetic polymers that degrade easily, can also enhance the biodegradation.     

Synthesis,characterization and properties of polycarbonate containing carboxyl side groups

Diphenolic Acid, DPA [bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentanoic acid] can be made from cellulose-rich waste. The t-butyl ester was converted to homo- and copolycar- bonates (with bis-phenol-A, BPA). Deblocking the ester yielded polycarbonates with pendent carboxyl groups that exhibit all the properties of polyelectrolytes and retain solubility in aqueous base without degradation for long periods.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Biodegradable Copolymers of 5‐Benzyloxy‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one and Glycolide

A series of novel biodegradable random copolymers of 5‐benzyloxy‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (5‐benzyloxy‐trimethylene carbonate, BTMC) and glycolide were synthesized by ring‐opening polymerization. The copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The incorporation of BTMC units into the copolymer chains results in good solubility of the polymers in common solvents. The in vitro degradation rate can be tailored by adjusting the composition of the copolymers.

The in vitro degradation of the homopolymers and poly(BTMC‐co‐GA) copolymers.     

Aliphatic poly(ester‐carbonate)s bearing amino groups and its RGD peptide grafting

This article deals with (1) synthesis of novel cyclic carbonate monomer (2‐oxo [1,3]dioxan‐5‐yl)carbamic acid benzyl ester (CAB) containing protected amino groups; (2) ring‐opening copolymerization of the cyclic monomer with L ‐lactide (LA) to provide novel degradable poly(ester‐carbonate)s with functional groups; (3) removal of the protective benzyloxycarbonyl (Cbz) groups by catalytic hydrogenation to afford the corresponding poly(ester‐co‐carbonate)s with free amino groups; (4) grafting of oligopeptide Gly‐Arg‐Gly‐Asp‐Ser‐Tyr (GRGDSY, abbreviated as RGD) onto the copolymer pendant amino groups in the presence of 1,1′‐carbonyldiimidazole (CDI). The structures of P(LA‐co‐CA/RGD) and its precursor were confirmed by ¹H NMR analysis. Cell experiments showed that P(LA‐co‐CA/RGD) had improved adhesion and proliferation behavior. Therefore, the novel RGD‐grafted block copolymer is promising for cell or tissue engineering applications. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7022–7032, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of star oligo/poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)s containing cholic acid moieties

Star oligo/poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)s containing cholic acid moieties were synthesized through the ring‐opening polymerization of 2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate (DTC) initiated by cholic acid with hydroxyl groups. Through the control of the feed ratio of the initiator cholic acid to the monomer DTC, a series of star oligomers/polymers with different molecular weights were obtained. The star oligomers/polymers were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, combined size exclusion chromatography/multi‐angle laser light scattering analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, polarizing light microscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. Compared with linear poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate), these star oligo/poly(2,2‐dimethyltrimethylene carbonate)s had much faster hydrolytic degradation rates. With one of the star oligomers/polymers, a microsphere drug‐delivery system of a submicrometer size was fabricated with a very convenient ultrasonic dispersion method that did not involve toxic organic solvents. The in vitro drug release was studied. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6688‐6696, 2006     

Preparation of poly(propylene‐co‐γ‐butyrolactone carbonate) and release profiles of drug‐loaded microcapsules

A new aliphatic poly(propylene‐co‐γ‐butyrolactone carbonate) (PPCG) was successfully synthesized through the copolymerization of carbon dioxide, propylene oxide (PO), and γ‐butyrolactone (GBL). GBL was inserted into the backbone of PO–CO₂. The glass transition of PPCG was as high as 16 °C, far higher than that (?1.5 °C) of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC). The decomposition temperatures of PPCG and PPC were only slightly different. Because of the existence of the GBL ester unit, PPCG had stronger degradability than PPC in a pH 7.4 phosphate‐buffered solution. However, when the PO/GBL ratio increased beyond 5:2, the excessive amount of GBL was not added to the polymerization. PPCG and PPC microcapsules were prepared by the water‐in‐oil‐in‐water multiple‐emulsion method. Glucose was encapsulated. The PPCG microcapsules, about 2 μm in diameter, had smooth and spherical surfaces. The glucose release test revealed that the glucose release speed of the PPCG–glucose microcapsules was more than eight times faster than that of the PPC–glucose microcapsules in a pH 7.4 phosphate‐buffered solution. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2468–2475, 2005     

Hyperbranched aryl polycarbonates derived from A2B monomers versus AB2 monomers

Hyperbranched aryl polycarbonates were prepared via the polymerizations of A₂B and AB₂ monomers, which involved the condensation of chloroformate (A) functionalities with tert‐butyldimethylsilyl‐protected phenols (B), facilitated by reactions with silver fluoride. The polymerization of the A₂B monomer gave hyperbranched polycarbonates bearing fluoroformate chain ends, which were hydrolyzed to phenolic chain‐end moieties and further elaborated to tert‐butyldimethylsilyl ether groups. The polymerization of the AB₂ monomer gave tert‐butyldimethylsilyl ether‐terminated hyperbranched polycarbonates. The polymerizations were conducted at 23–70 °C in 20% acetonitrile/tetrahydrofuran in the presence of a stoichiometric excess of silver fluoride for 20–40 h to afford hyperbranched polycarbonates with weight‐average molecular weights exceeding 100,000 Da and polydispersity indices of typically 2–3. The degrees of branching were determined by a reductive degradation procedure followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Alternatively, the degrees of branching were measurable by solution‐state ¹H NMR analyses and agreed with the statistical 50% branching expected for the polymerization of A₂B and AB₂ monomers not experiencing constructive or destructive electronic effects on the reactivity of the multiple functional groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 823–835, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10167     

Copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide with Ln(CCl3COO)3‐based catalyst: The role of rare‐earth compound in the catalytic system

A highly alternative copolymer of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide was obtained using a lanthanide trichloroacetates‐based ternary catalyst. The rare‐earth compound in the ternary catalyst was critical to dramatically raise the yield and molecular weight of the copolymer in addition to maintaining a high alternating ratio of the copolymer. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2751–2754, 2001     

Degradation and Stabilization of Poly(propylene carbonate)

Low‐molecular‐weight poly(propylene carbonate) resins, useful for polyurethane preparation, surfactant production and many other purposes, were obtained by copolymerization of CO₂ and propylene oxide. This study describes an investigation into their stability against thermal degradation, offers details of the random chain‐breaking and “unzipping” processes, and suggests possible methods to avoid degradation.