Spherical and Worm‐Like Micelles from Fructose‐Functionalized Polyether Block Copolymers

This paper presents the synthesis and characterization of d ‐fructose modified poly(ethylene glycol) (Fru‐PEG) and fructose modified poly(ethylene glycol)‐block‐poly(ethyl hexyl glycidyl ether) (Fru‐PEG‐b‐PEHG) that are both prepared by initiation with isopropyliden protected fructose, followed by deprotection of the sugar. The block copolymers are self‐assembled into micelles, and are subsequently characterized by cryo‐TEM and dynamic light scattering. The fluorescent dye Nile red is encapsulated as a model hydrophobic compound and fluorescent marker to perform initial uptake tests with breast cancer cells. The uptake of sugar and nonsugar decorated micelles is compared.     

Properties of polymer track membranes modified by grafting with poly(2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

The properties of track membranes (TM) based on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PETP) and polypropylene (PP) and modified by radiation-induced graft polymerization of 2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine (MVP) andN-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAA) were studied. The rate of grafting and the limiting degree of grafting increase linearly as the pore diameter of TM increases. The gasdynamic and hydrodynamic pore diameters of modified TM were determined. The dependence of water permeability of TM modified by grafting with poly(2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine) (PMVP) on the degree of grafting passes through a maximum, which, according to the data of wetting angle measurements, corresponds to the maximum hydrophilicity. The negative χ-potential of TM changes sign after modification by grafting with PMVP. Thermosensitive TM based on PETP and PP were prepared by radiation-induced graft polymerization of NIPAA. The structure of modified TM was studied by electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 858–864, May, 2000.     

Preparation and Characterization of Exfoliated Poly(ethyleneterephthalate)/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites Using Modified MMTs with Variable Content of Antimony Acetate

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposite was prepared by the direct polymerization with MMTs modified with variable content of antimony acetate (Sb(OAc)₃), which was also used as catalyst polymerization. The modified MMTs (AS‐Sb‐MMT) were prepared by intercalating both Sb(OAc)₃ and amphoteric surfactant (AS) into MMT layers. Nine kinds of Sb‐MMTs [MMT treated with Sb(OAc)₃] with different Sb content were obtained, but only six kinds of PET/MMT nanocomposites could be prepared. ICPAES was used to characterize Sb content of modified MMT, XRD was used to characterize interlayer spacing, IR spectroscopy was used to characterize composition change of Sb catalyst in modified MMT and TEM was used to investigate micromorphology of PET/MMT nanocomposites. Several results are obtained, i.e., (a) Sb content of Sb‐MMT is affected by both drying temperature and washing‐drying sequence, (b) compared with Na‐MMT (unmodified MMT), the change in the interlayer spacing of Sb‐MMT is attributed to the solvent ethylene glycol (EG) rather than the intercalated or absorbed Sb(OAc)₃, (c) based on this, a model is developed to describe the swelling of Na‐MMT and modified MMT by EG and the effect of drying temperature on the interlayer spacing, (d) exfoliation state of MMT in PET matrix of nanocomposites is controlled not only by Sb content and interlayer spacing, but also by the composition of Sb catalyst in modified MMT.     

Polymer-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts. I. A preliminary study of catalyst synthesis

Polymer-supported Ziegler–Natta catalysts based on various polymer carriers were synthesized by different methods, including (1) loading TiCl₄ directly onto the polymer supports; (2) loading TiCl₄ onto the polymer supports modified by magnesium chloride (MgCl₂); (3) loading TiCl₄ onto the polymer supports modified by Grignard reagent (RMgCl); and (4) loading TiCl₄ onto the polymer supports modified by magnesium alkyls (MgR₂). The activity and kinetic features of the catalysts for ethylene polymerization were examined. Among the combinations tested, the best was found to be TiCl₄/n-Bu₂Mg.Et₃Al/poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (92:8), which produced a catalyst of very high activity for ethylene polymerization. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Ethylenebis(5‐chlorosalicylideneiminato)vanadium dichloride immobilized on MgCl2‐based supports as a highly effective precursor for ethylene polymerization

Ethylenebis(5‐chlorosalicylideneiminato)vanadium dichloride supported on MgCl₂(THF)₂ or on the same carrier modified by Et_nAlCl_3?n, where n = 1–3, was used in ethylene polymerization in the presence of MAO or a common alkylaluminium compounds as a cocatalyst. The support type alter vanadium loading and also change the characteristic of the catalytic active sites. Et₂AlCl is the best activator for a catalyst which has been immobilized on a nonmodified support, whereas the systems which contain a carrier which has been modified by an organoaluminium compound reveal the highest activity in conjunction with MAO. That difference, together with different temperature effects on polymerization efficiency (i.e., decrease and increase of catalytic activity for increasing temperatures, respectively) suggest the formation of different types of active sites in the catalytic systems supported on modified and nonmodified magnesium carrier. However, all supported precatalysts possess a long lifetime, still being active towards ethylene polymerization after 2 h. All the systems yield wide MWD polyethylene, while bimodal MWD is found for some part of analyzed samples. Polyethylene with bimodal particle size distribution is formed with the system which contain modified carriers at higher temperatures. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3480–3489, 2009     

Modification of polyethersulfone membranes using terpolymers engineered and integrated antifouling and anticoagulant properties

In this study, random terpolymers of methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(sodium styrene sulfonate‐co‐methyl methacrylate) (MPEG‐P(SSNa‐co‐MMA)) integrated with antifouling and anticoagulant properties were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for the first time and confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The terpolymers with desired antifouling and anticoagulant segments were then used as amphiphilic additives to modify polyethersulfone membranes by an engineering blended approach. Water contact angle (WCA) results indicated that the surface hydrophilicity of the modified membranes enhanced. Protein ultrafiltration experiments showed that the antifouling ability of the modified membranes increased. In addition, the modified membranes showed decreased protein adsorption (bovine serum albumin, BSA), suppressed platelet adhesion, and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermodynamics of nematic phases formed from semiflexible chain polymers

In co[poly(ethylene terephthalate)-p-oxybenzoate] containing 30 mole % oxybenzoate units, the ethylene terephthate units crystallize. The copolymer melts in the temperature range 180–210°C to form a nematic phase which, at a higher temperature, transforms to an isotropic liquid. The latent heat of the first transition is 5 cal/g, and the thermodynamic melting temperature, 247°C, is essentially that expected for a random copolymer of this composition. The nematic → isotropic transition occurs at 244°C, with an enthalpy change of 3.2 cal/g (10% of the heat of fusion of poly(ethylene terephthalate)). We conclude that semiflexible polymers form a nematic phase which is rather highly disordered. The model of the nematic phase treated by Flory is modified to increase its entropy through incorporation of chain bends (which must be correlated in position and direction with those in neighboring molecules). This increases the chain extension, as measured by the fraction (1–f) of collinear chain bonds, required to form the nematic phase. For binary polymer-solvent systems, an appropriate scaling of f values leaves the phase diagram as predicted by Flory's treatment essentially unchanged.     

Surface modification of polyurethane for enhanced blood compatibility

Surfaces of commercial polyurethanes (PUs) were modified by poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafting and/or heparin immobilization or sulfonation to investigate the effect to antithrombogenicity. The hydrophilicity of the modified PUs surface was significantly increased. All the PEO-grafted PU surfaces displayed very little platelet adhesion and activation. The coupled heparin or sulfonate at the end of PEO exhibited anticoagulant activity to extend APTT. Lowering in vitro platelet adhesion of modified PUs led to a prolongation in the ex vivo occlusion time. In particular, the sulfonated PU-PEO surface showed the most enhanced blood compatibility due to the synergistic effects of PEO and SO₃ groups.     

Radical‐cured block copolymer‐modified thermosets

Poly(ethylene‐alt‐propylene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PEP‐PEO) diblock copolymers were synthesized and added at 4 wt % to 2,2‐bis[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloxypropoxy)phenyl]propane (BisGMA), a monomer that cures using free radical chemistry. In separate experiments, poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) was combined as a secondary monomer with BisGMA and the monomers were loaded with 4 wt % PEP‐PEO. The diblock copolymers self‐assembled into well‐dispersed spherical micelles with PEP cores and PEO coronas. No appreciable change in the final extent of cure of the thermosets was caused by the addition of diblock copolymer, except in the case of BisGMA, where the addition of the block copolymer increased extent of cure by 12%. Furthermore, the extent of cure was increased by 29% and 37% with the addition of 25 and 50 wt % PEGDMA, respectively. Elastic modulus and fracture resistance were also determined, and the values indicate that the addition of block copolymers does not significantly toughen the thermoset materials. This finding is surprising when compared with the large increase in fracture resistance seen in block copolymer‐modified epoxies, and an explanation is proposed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Kinetics and mechanism of metallocene‐catalyzed olefin polymerization: Comparison of ethylene,propylene homopolymerizations,and their copolymerization

A series of ethylene, propylene homopolymerizations, and ethylene/propylene copolymerization catalyzed with rac‐Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂/modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) were conducted under the same conditions for different duration ranging from 2.5 to 30 min, and quenched with 2‐thiophenecarbonyl chloride to label a 2‐thiophenecarbonyl on each propagation chain end. The change of active center ratio ([C^*]/[Zr]) with polymerization time in each polymerization system was determined. Changes of polymerization rate, molecular weight, isotacticity (for propylene homopolymerization) and copolymer composition with time were also studied. [C^*]/[Zr] strongly depended on type of monomer, with the propylene homopolymerization system presented much lower [C^*]/[Zr] (ca. 25%) than the ethylene homopolymerization and ethylene–propylene copolymerization systems. In the copolymerization system, [C^*]/[Zr] increased continuously in the reaction process until a maximum value of 98.7% was reached, which was much higher than the maximum [C^*]/[Zr] of ethylene homopolymerization (ca. 70%). The chain propagation rate constant (k_p) of propylene polymerization is very close to that of ethylene polymerization, but the propylene insertion rate constant is much smaller than the ethylene insertion rate constant in the copolymerization system, meaning that the active centers in the homopolymerization system are different from those in the copolymerization system. Ethylene insertion rate constant in the copolymerization system was much higher than that in the ethylene homopolymerization in the first 10 min of reaction. A mechanistic model was proposed to explain the observed activation of ethylene polymerization by propylene addition. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 867–875     

A study on the surface free energy of modified silica fillers and poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers by inverse gas chromatography

The surface free energy of modified silica fillers and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fibers was analyzed by inverse gas chromatography in order to investigate the relationship between their surface characteristics and the performance of the composite formed from these materials. The adsorption isotherms of n-heptane and 1-propanol were determined by the elution-peak-maximum method. The dispersive and polar components of the surface free energy were determined by use of the Young–Dupré equation and the Fowkes equation on the basis of the saturated spreading pressure derived from the Gibbs adsorption equation. The acidity and the basicity of the surface were estimated by the specific retention volume of each probe molecule with different donor number and acceptor number. It was found that the dispersive component of the surface free energy for modified silica fillers was mostly lower than that for original silica filler. The polar component of the surface free energy for ethylene glycol modified silica filler became large, while that for n-butanol modified silica filler decreased remarkably. It was also found that original silica filler exhibited high acidity, while modified silica fillers exhibited low acidity. Although these methods have been applied to PET fibers, the surface free energy could not be determined quantitatively because of the surface change during the pretreatment of PET fibers. It was observed that the polar component of the surface free energy decreased when the pretreatment was made at a temperature higher than the glass-transition temperature of PET. It became clear that the interaction between modified silica fillers and PET fibers correlated well with the basicity of the fillers, but not with their acidity. Received: 18 October 1999 Accepted: 8 February 2000     

Direct Electron Transfer Reaction of Ascorbate Oxidase Immobilized by a Self‐Assembled Monolayer and Polymer Membrane Combined System

This paper reports a novel enzyme‐immobilization method for the direct electron transfer (DET) reaction of ascorbate oxidase from Acremonium sp. HI‐25 (ASOM). ASOM was adsorbed onto a gold electrode modified with a self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkanethiol derivatives and immobilized by a cationic polymer membrane and anionic ω‐carboxyalkanethiol combined system. The redox responses of the immobilized ASOM were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. We found that the DET reaction of ASOM was facilitated by this novel immobilization. On the other hand, the redox responses of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐modified ASOMs were also investigated. ASOM was modified with two types of PEO which possess straight chain‐shaped (PEO₂₀₀₀) or comb‐shaped conformation (PM₆₇). As a result, the DET reactions of PEO‐modified ASOMs were also facilitated by this immobilization method. We concluded that this immobilization method is effective for promoting the DET reaction of ASOMs.     

Compatibility studies of styrene and hydroxyl containing styrene copolymers with poly(ethylene oxide)

Copolymers of styrene with vinylphenyl trifluoromethyl carbinol, p-vinylphenyl trifluoromethyl carbinol, vinylphenyl hexafluorodimethyl carbinol, and p-vinylphenol are conditionally compatible with poly(ethylene oxide), depending on their composition and blending ratios, whereas copolymers of styrene and vinylphenyl methyl carbinol are much less compatible with poly(ethylene oxide), as determined by T_g criteria and differential scanning calorimetry. The crystallinity of poly(ethylene oxide) is changed in the copolymer/poly(ethylene oxide) blends, as indicated by depressions of the poly(ethylene oxide) melting point. Hydrogen-bond formation has been studied in two selected blends by infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Hydrogen bonding dissociation and reassociation as a function of temperature are reported. The conformation changes of poly(ethylene oxide) in the blends, the interaction between copolymer and poly(ethylene oxide) as well as in the reference blend, polystyrene/poly(ethylene oxide), are also investigated.     

Effect of incorporated CdS nanoparticles on the crystallinity and morphology of poly(styrene‐b‐ethylene oxide) diblock copolymers

Surface‐modified CdS nanoparticles selectively dispersed in hexagonally packed poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) cylinders of poly(styrene‐b‐ethylene oxide) (PSEO) block copolymers were prepared. The photoluminescence and ultraviolet–visible characteristics of the presynthesized CdS nanoparticles in N,N‐dimethylformamide and in PEO domains of the PSEO block copolymers were determined. Because of strong interactions between the CdS nanoparticles and PEO chains, as shown by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, the incorporation of the CdS nanoparticles prevented the PEO cylinders from properly crystallizing; this was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction measurements. The intercylinder distance between the swollen and reduced‐crystallinity CdS/PEO cylinders in turn increased, as confirmed by small‐angle X‐ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. At a high CdS concentration (43 wt % or 8.3 vol % with respect to PEO), however, the hexagonally packed cylindrical nanostructure of the PSEO diblock copolymers was destroyed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1220–1229, 2005     

Synthesis of polyrotaxanes based on α-cyclodextrin and poly(ethylene oxide)

Inclusion complexes of poly(ethylene oxide) with α-cyclodextrin are the key compounds in the synthesis of polyrotaxanes. These complexes prepared in aqueous solutions contain free cyclodextrin, which cocrystallizes with the major reaction product. These complexes dissociate upon dissolution in DMF and DMSO to form cyclodextrin and pseudopolyrotaxanes with a low cyclodextrin content. Polyrotaxane was synthesized with the use of poly(ethylene oxide)-α,ω-bis-amine as a linear component. The end-groups of the polymer in the inclusion complex were modified by the reaction with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene. A procedure was developed for purification of a polyrotaxane with high cyclodextrin content. __________ Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 8, pp. 1914–1918, August, 2005.     

Eine stereospezifische Synthese von syn-Bishomochinon über p-Benzochinon-bis(äthylen)ketal

The bis(ethylene)ketal of p-benzoquinone ( 6 ) has been prepared from the bis(ethylene)ketal of cyclohexane-1,4-dione ( 3 ) by bromination with bromine in ether followed by dehydrobromination with potassium t-butoxide. Two intermediate dibromides ( 4 and 5 ) were isolated and their constitutions as well as their configurations determined from spectroscopic properties. Partial hydrolysis of 6 furnished the mono(ethylene)ketal of p-benzoquinone ( 9 ), which was converted stereospecifically to syn-bishomoquinone ( 2 ) by the double addition of sodium dimethylsulfoxonium-methylide. The intermediate mono(ethylene)ketals of syn-bishomoquinone ( 11 ) as well as of the mono(methylene) addition product ( 10 ) were also isolated.     

Synthesis of hydrophilic isotactic polypropylenes promoted by metallocene catalysts

In this paper, the synthesis of isotactic polypropylenes (i‐PP) modified with ? OH groups in sides (iPP‐OH), by combination of polyinsertion ansa‐metallocene catalysis and ring opening of propene oxide (PO), is described. i‐PP sequences interrupted by isolated ethylene/p‐methylstyrene units forms the backbone. This enchainment is obtained by controlled copolymerization of propene with ethylene and p‐methylstyrene comonomers in the presence of rac‐ethylenebis(1‐indenyl)zirconiumdichloride/methylalumoxane system. The metallation reaction of the p‐methyl group with sec‐BuLi generates an anionic center that can be reacted with PO. The iPP‐OH is the result of the monoaddition reaction of PO followed by hydrolysis with acidified methanol. By changing experimental conditions in the backbone synthesis, a tuned number of the functionalizable sites as well as polypropylene sequence lengths can be obtained. As a consequence, iPP samples with a different number of ? OH groups for the backbone can be synthesized after the PO monoaddition reaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 7008–7013, 2006     

Molecular weight dependence of phase behavior of PEO/P(EO‐b‐DMS) blends: Application of Sanchez‐Lacombe lattice fluid theory

Molecular weight dependence of phase separation behavior of the Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)/Poly(ethylene oxide‐block‐dimethylsiloxane) (P(EO‐b‐DMS)) blends was investigated by both experimental and theoretical methods. The cloud point curves of PEO/P(EO‐b‐DMS) blends were obtained by turbidity method. Based on Sanchez‐Lacombe lattice fluid theory (SLLFT), the adjustable parameter, (quantifying the interaction energy between different components), was evaluated by fitting the experimental data in phase diagrams. To calculate the spinodals, binodals, and the volume changes of mixing for these blends, three modified combining rules of the scaling parameters for the block copolymer were introduced. The calculated binodals with those modified combining rules show good agreement with the experimental data. Furthermore, the calculated volume changes during mixing decrease with increasing molecular weight of PEO, and the relationship between the volume changes and temperature is quite different for the mixtures with different molecular weight of PEO. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 452–459, 2008     

A Tandem Catalytic System for the Synthesis of Ethylene–Hex‐1‐ene Copolymers from Ethylene Stock

Summary: A tandem catalytic system, composed of (η⁵‐C₅H₄CMe₂C₆H₅)TiCl₃ ( 1 )/MMAO (modified methyl aluminoxane) and [(η⁵‐C₅Me₄)SiMe₂(tBuN)]TiCl₂ ( 2 )/MMAO, was applied for the synthesis of ethylene–hex‐1‐ene copolymers with ethylene as the only monomer stock. During the reaction, 1 /MMAO trimerized ethylene to hex‐1‐ene, while 2 /MMAO copolymerized ethylene with the in situ produced hex‐1‐ene to poly(ethylene–hex‐1‐ene). By changing the catalyst ratio and reaction conditions, a series of copolymer grades with different hex‐1‐ene fractions at high purity were effectively produced.

The overall strategy of the tandem 1 / 2 /MMAO catalytic system.     

Copolymerization of ethylene with cycloolefins by titanium complexes containing tridentate [o−NSR] ligands

A family of titanium complexes of the general formula [N‐(3,5‐di‐tert‐butylsalicylidene)‐2‐alkylsulfanylanilinato]Ti(IV)Cl₃ 5a – f was prepared from the reaction of TiCl₄ with the potassium salts of the corresponding ligands. These complexes were fully characterized by various spectroscopic techniques and elemental analyses. The molecular structures of 5b and 5e were further confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray analyses. Complexes 5a – f (except for 5c ) exhibited good to high catalytic activities in ethylene copolymerization with cycloolefins such as norbornene, cyclopentene, dicyclopentadiene in the presence of modified methylaluminoxane. The reaction conditions and the steric hindrance of the alkyl substituents on sulfur atom in the precatalysts influenced strongly the copolymerization behaviors and the structures of the resultant copolymers. Complex 5c with bulky tert‐butylthio sidearm showed both low catalytic activity and comonomer incorporation ratio. The n‐alkylthio complexes 5a , 5d – f all exhibited good ethylene copolymerization capabilities with cycloolefins, which is superior to the corresponding phenylthio complex 5g . © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. JPolym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2807–2819, 2008