LCP aromatic polyesters by esterolysis melt polymerization

Polyarylates have previously been synthesized from acetate esters via esterolysis (loss of methyl acetate). This polycondensation can be extended to p‐substituted aromatic monomers for liquid crystal polyesters (LCPs). For AB‐type polymers, methyl p‐acetoxybenzoate and methyl 6‐acetoxynaphthoate were copolymerized to an LCP with reasonable molecular weights. Benzoate esters, methyl 4‐benzoyloxybenzoate (MBB) and methyl 6‐benzoyloxy‐2‐naphthoate (MBN), are also investigated. Several tin and antimony oxide catalysts were effective. The rate of esterolysis polymerization of MBB and MBN is slower than that of the corresponding acidolysis melt polymerization, but fast enough to give relatively high‐molecular‐weight polymers and similar thermal stability as commercial LCP prepared by acidolysis. Using these alternative benzoyloxy groups significantly reduced the color problem, because ketene loss cannot occur. Esterolysis melt polymerizations leading to AB/AABB‐type LCPs were performed using either dimethyl 2,6‐naphthalene dicarboxylate (DMND) or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) with methyl 4‐acetoxybenzoate and phenylhydroquinone diacetate with tin and antimony catalysts. DMT‐based monomer compositions show much faster polymerization than DMND‐based compositions using antimony oxide catalyst. All these LCPs show a T_g in the 140–170 °C range as a result of the inclusion of the naphthalene and/or phenyl hydroquinone units in the polymer chain. Compositions completely off‐balanced on either side still lead to relatively high‐molecular‐weight copolyesters because either excess monomer can be removed during polymerization. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3586–3595, 2000     

开环易位聚合合成瓶刷聚合物

瓶刷聚合物是一类具有独特侧链结构的梳形聚合物。功能性瓶刷聚合物在光子晶体、表面活性剂、医药载体、防污涂层以及智能材料等领域具有良好的应用价值。通过开环易位聚合合成瓶刷聚合物的方法具有合成步骤简单、聚合物接枝密度高和侧链组成均一等优点,在控制聚合物组成、分子量和分散性等方面具有显著优势。本文基于开环易位聚合,简述了合成瓶刷均聚物以及嵌段型、混合型和核-壳型三种类型的瓶刷共聚物的方法,并介绍了合成精确结构的瓶刷聚合物的新进展。     

Luminescent sensors based on coordination polymers with adjustable emissions for detecting biomarker of pollutant ethylbenzene and styrene

Sensitive luminescent probes for phenylglyoxylic acid (PGA), which is a biomarker of ethylbenzene and styrene (EB/S) representing the internal dose of EB/S exposure, have been constructed on the basis of newly designed luminescent coordination polymers (LCPs). Three isostructural LCPs with different lanthanide centers were solvothermally synthesized and fully characterized. All the LCPs 1 – 3 display strong regulated emissions by the adjustable metal–organic coordination interactions. Among LCPs 1 – 3 , the fabricated LCP 2 can quantitatively detect PGA with the highest sensitivity in physiologically relevant ranges. The mechanism study of luminescent responses toward PGA further explains the excellent sensitivity and selectivity of LCP 2 for sensing PGA. The facile, accurate, fast, and recyclable sensing system relying on LCP materials provides a convenient approach for developing sensing platforms with adjustable emissions for assessment of the intoxication level of EB/S.     

SAXS investigations on chiral liquid crystalline polymers: antiferroelectric and ferrielectric structures?

The structure and phase behavior of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) having a common chiral side chain mesogen but different main chain structures have been investigated using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). While the low molecular weight chiral side chain mesogen by itself exhibits ferroelectricity, the SAXS data of the side chain LCP with a flexible polyacrylate backbone contains a bilayered superstructure peak that is indicative of antiferroelectric order. The combined LCP with a nonpolar main chain mesogen also has a bilayered superstructure, but has a different structural organization in the proposed antiferroelectric phase compared to the side chain LCP. Further changes in the phase behavior and structural organization occur when a polar group is introduced into the main chain mesogen. A ferrielectric phase has been proposed to explain the observation of a trilayered superstructure in the corresponding SAXS data. The influence of the chemical structure and connectivity on the phase behavior and superstructure formation in the chiral LCPs is discussed.     

Preparation and properties of self-reinforced polypropylene/liquid crystalline polymer composites

A fast and potentially economic method for creating a composite material of polypropylene (PP) with liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) was explored. The LCPs were dispersed in the PP matrix in a conventional extrusion process and subsequently drawn in order to obtain a highly uniaxially molecular orientation of the LCP fibres. The strongest mechanical properties were found after rapid cooling of the blend, which was optimally exploited in thin filaments where cooling was fast enough to prevent fibre break-up and/or orientation relaxation. To enable the production of extrudates which are thick enough to be cut into self-reinforced pellets, a fused multi-filament technology was developed. In this technology several thin filaments were extruded/drawn and rapidly cooled to a temperature between the crystallisation temperatures of the LCP and the PP. After solidification of the LCP, the single filaments were fused to a multifilament strand and further cooled to room temperature. The thick multifilament LCP reinforced PP strands were cut into pellets and used in injection-and compression-moulding processes. This processing took place between the melting temperature of the PP and the LCP, with retention of the aspect ratio and the molecular orientation of the LCP fibres.     

全芳香族热致液晶聚合物与热塑性树脂聚砜的原位复合材料

用自制的四种全芳香族热致液晶聚合物ＢＰ ＬＣＰ、ＢＰＭ ＬＣＰ、ＢＰＡ ＬＣＰ、ＢＰＳ ＬＣＰ与热塑性树脂聚砜（ＰＳＦ）熔融共混，制备了一系列原位复合材料．研究了所得材料的微观形态、热性能、力学性能等，结果显示：四种液晶聚合物中，ＢＰ ＬＣＰ，ＢＰＳ ＬＣＰ在所用加工条件下可在ＰＳＦ中取向成纤，而且这两种共混物断面上存在皮 核效应；ＢＰＭ ＬＣＰ和ＢＰＡ ＬＣＰ未成纤，均以球状存在于ＰＳＦ中．这四种液晶聚合物与ＰＳＦ的相容性较差，各共混物的Ｔｇ均分别接近于二纯组分的Ｔｇ值，ＳＥＭ照片上明显的相界面也能说明以上问题．液晶聚合物对ＰＳＦ有增强作用，但增强效果不很显著，这可能是二者相容性较差所致     

Azotolane liquid-crystalline polymers: huge change in birefringence by photoinduced alignment change

Novel liquid-crystalline polymers (LCPs) containing a long azotolane moiety were synthesized, and the relationship between the chemical structures and the photoresponsive behavior was investigated. All homogeneously aligned LCP films exhibited extremely high values of birefringence (Deltan) in the wide wavelength range. Specifically, the azotolane LCP with two azobenzene units showed the most efficient change in the alignment of the azotolane moiety with a huge change in Deltan (>/=0.65). This means that the high value of Deltan in the homogeneously aligned state can be converted to the change in Deltan effectively.     

Thermally stimulated current and DSC studies of the broadened glass transition in liquid crystalline polymers

The high sensitivity of the thermally stimulated current, thermal sampling (TS) method is emphasized in a study of the breadth of the glass transition in several liquid-crystalline polymers (LCPs). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was performed on all samples to further quantify the glass transition regions. For “random” copolyester LCPs with widely varying degrees of crystallinity, including highly amorphous samples, very broad glass tran-sition regions were observed. One semicrystalline alternating copolyester and a series of semicrystalline azomethine LCPs were studied as examples of structurally regular polymers. These exhibited relatively sharp glass transitions more comparable to ordinary isotropic amorphous or semicrystalline polymers. The broad glass transitions in the random copolyesters are attributed to structural heterogeneity of the chains. In one example of a moderate-crystallinity random copolyester LCP (Vectra), glass transitions ranging up to ca. 150°C in breadth were determined by the thermal sampling (TS) method and DSC. In other lower crystallinity copolyester LCPs, the main glass transition temperature as determined by DSC was comparable to that determined by TSC although cooperative relaxations of a minor fraction of the overall relaxing species were detected well below the main T_g, by the TS method and not by DSC. Rapid quenches from the isotropic melt to an isotropic glass were possible with one LCP. The anisotropic and isotropic glassy states for this LCP were found to have the same breadth of the glass transition as was determined by the TS method, although TSC and DSC show that T_g is shifted downward by ca. 15°C in the anisotropic glass as compared to the isotropic glass. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

尼龙6/液晶聚合物共混体系中化学反应对体系热行为及形貌的影响

采用漫反射红外光谱法(DRIFT)和示差扫描量热法(DSC)研究了2种不同特性黏数的尼龙6与3种液晶聚合物(Vectra A950、Vectra B950和Rodrun LC5000)之间的酯-酰胺交换反应.DRIFT测试证实了尼龙6与LC5000之间存在化学反应.DSC分析表明,酯-酰胺交换反应使体系中尼龙6的熔点下降、结晶度降低.增加反应时间和增大共混体系中液晶聚合物的含量有利于酯-酰胺交换反应的发生.与Vectra A950和Vectra B950相比,分子链柔性较强的Rodrun LC5000与尼龙6之间的化学反应更容易进行.扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察表明,随着共混时间的延长,分散相形貌由球状粒子发展为短棒状纤维,乃至最终形成直径更细的微纤结构.     

Ceiling Degree of Polymerization for Brush Polymers Prepared via ROMP of Poly(tert-Butyl Acrylate) Macromonomers

Controlled preparation of brush polymers is important in the design of functional materials. In this study, poly(tert-butyl acrylate) macromonomers functionalized with norbornenyl end group(NB-PtBA) were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization in three different molecular weights, 2000(NB-PtBA-2k), 3000(NB-PtBA-3k), and 8000(NB-PtBA-8k). Additionally, brush polymers with PtBA as side chains were synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization(ROMP). Kinetic studies on ROMP of NB-PtBA showed that there was a ceiling degree of polymerization(CDP) for the brush polymers, beyond which the polymerization of NB-PtBA was out of control. For brush polymers of P[NB-PtBA-2k] and P[NB-PtBA-3k], CDPs were estimated to be ca. 400, but the value of P[NB-PtBA-8k] was ca. 100. Therefore, the controlled ROMP of brush polymers was critical at the CDP limit with increased macromonomer molecular weight.     

X-ray microscopy of novel thermoplastic/liquid crystalline polymer blends by mechanical alloying

Incorporation of liquid crystalline polymers (LCPs) into commodity polymers remains a challenge in the design of high-performance, low-cost polymeric blends. Blends of a thermoplastic polymer and a nematic LCP are produced here by mechanical alloying. Functionality sensitive X-ray microscopy reveals LCP dispersions as small as 100 nm in diameter. Intimate mixing remains upon subsequent melt processing, indicating that mechanical alloying is suited for applications such as recycling.     

Drug-loaded, bivalent-bottle-brush polymers by graft-through ROMP

Graft-through ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) using ruthenium N-heterocyclic carbene catalysts has enabled the synthesis of bottle-brush polymers with unprecedented ease and control. Here we report the first bivalent-brush polymers; these materials were prepared by graft-through ROMP of drug-loaded polyethylene-glycol (PEG) based macromonomers (MMs). Anticancer drugs doxorubicin (DOX) and camptothecin (CT) were attached to a norbornene-alkyne-PEG MM via a photocleavable linker. ROMP of either or both drug-loaded MMs generated brush homo- and co-polymers with low polydispersities and defined molecular weights. Release of free DOX and CT from these materials was initiated by exposure to 365 nm light. All of the CT and DOX polymers were at least 10-fold more toxic to human cancer cells after photoinitiated drug release while a copolymer carrying both CT and DOX displayed 30-fold increased toxicity upon irradiation. Graft-through ROMP of drug-loaded macromonomers provides a general method for the systematic study of structure-function relationships for stimuli-responsive polymers in biological systems.     

Flexible Liquid Crystal Polymer Technologies from Microwave to Terahertz Frequencies

With the emergence of fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks, millimeter-wave (mmW) and terahertz (THz) frequencies have attracted ever-growing interest for advanced wireless applications. The traditional printed circuit board materials have become uncompetitive at such high frequencies due to their high dielectric loss and large water absorption rates. As a promising high-frequency alternative, liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) have been widely investigated for use in circuit devices, chip integration, and module packaging over the last decade due to their low loss tangent up to 1.8 THz and good hermeticity. The previous review articles have summarized the chemical properties of LCP films, flexible LCP antennas, and LCP-based antenna-in-package and system-in-package technologies for 5G applications, although these articles did not discuss synthetic LCP technologies. In addition to wireless applications, the attractive mechanical, chemical, and thermal properties of LCP films enable interesting applications in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), biomedical electronics, and microfluidics, which have not been summarized to date. Here, a comprehensive review of flexible LCP technologies covering electric circuits, antennas, integration and packaging technologies, front-end modules, MEMS, biomedical devices, and microfluidics from microwave to THz frequencies is presented for the first time, which gives a broad introduction for those outside or just entering the field and provides perspective and breadth for those who are well established in the field.     

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cis-5-norbornene-endo-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride derivatives using the grubbs third generation catalyst

A series of cis-5-norbornene-endo-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride(NDCA,M1) derivatives(M2-M4) with different types of nonpolar substituted groups were synthesized and characterized by ~1H/~(13)C-NMR and mass spectrometry(MS). Ringopening metathesis polymerization(ROMP) of these monomers using the Grubbs third generation catalyst(G3) generated high molecular weight polymers with much improved solubility compared with the NDCA's homopolymer. It was found that the solubility of these polymers increased with increased substituent's steric hindrance. The living polymerization of NDCA derivative containing the bulkiest substituent(M4) catalyzed by G3 in tetrahydrofuran was confirmed by the kinetic studies with low polydispersity indices(PDI)( 1.30). By using sequential ROMP, well-defined diblock copolymers containing anhydride groups were synthesized.     

液晶嵌段共聚物PET/60PHB-b-PC的合成及结构与性能

采用ＰＥＴ齐聚物的原位乙酰化法通过加入少量乙二醇（ＥＧ）合成了端羟基液晶聚合物ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ，并将其作为大单体，与双酚Ａ及碳酸二苯酯通过熔融酯交换法，进一步制得了液晶嵌段共聚物ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ ｂ ＰＣ．研究了合成规律，并借助粘度测定、ＤＳＣ、偏光显微镜、Ｘ 光衍射和红外光谱分析等手段对合成的液晶嵌段共聚物进行了表征．研究表明，当ＰＥＴ齐聚物的ηｉｎｈ＝００５～００７ｄＬ／ｇ，Ａｃ２Ｏ／ＰＨＢ（ｍｏｌ／ｍｏｌ）＝１３，ＥＧ／ＰＥＴ（ｍｏｌ／ｍｏｌ）＝００６时能获得颜色、液晶性、溶解性均很好的端羟基液晶聚合物ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ，以此液晶聚合物为原料，采用合适的配方与工艺，能获得粘度较高、液晶性较好，并且熔体流动性很好的液晶嵌段共聚物ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ ｂ ＰＣ．通过偏光显微镜与Ｘ 光衍射观察，证明此嵌段共聚物呈现向列型液晶织构，但其液晶态织构与纯ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ、ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ和ＰＣ的混合物明显不同．此外，还初步建立了用红外的分析手段鉴定液晶聚合物ＰＥＴ／６０ＰＨＢ端基的方法．     

Influence of residual impurities on ring‐opening metathesis polymerization after copper(I)‐catalyzed alkyne‐azide cycloaddition click reaction

Bottlebrush polymers (BBPs) are three‐dimensional polymers with great academic and industrial potential owing to their highly tunable and intricate architecture. The most popular method to synthesize BBPs is ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with Grubbs' catalyst, allowing living grafting‐through polymerization of macromonomers of up to ultrahigh molecular weights with narrow molecular weight distribution. In this case, it has been well recognized that the purity of macromonomers (MMs) is critical for a successful ROMP reaction. For MMs synthesized from reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization, Grubbs and Xia demonstrated that the better control of ROMP reaction can be achieved when they are prepared via “growth‐then‐coupling” method that is coupling a norbornenyl group to end‐functionalized prepolymers. However, these MMs can also contain various residual impurities from previous synthetic steps, which can potentially poison the catalyst and hamper the ROMP reaction. Herein, we intentionally doped possible impurities into purified MMs to identify the most poisoning species. As a result, it was found that alkyne‐functionalized norbornene most significantly retarded the ROMP reaction due to a formation of Ru‐vinyl‐carbene intermediates having low catalytic reactivity, whereas the other reagents such as solvent, Cu‐catalyst, ligands, and azido‐terminated prepolymers were relatively inert. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 726–737     

Synthesis and characterization of functional polyethylene with regularly distributed thioester pendants via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization

Four kinds of functional polyethylene carrying thioester pendants were synthesized via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of alkyl cyclopent‐3‐enecarbothioate catalyzed by a ruthenium‐based commercial catalyst and subsequent hydrogenation of the ROMP products (alkyl = ethyl, n‐butyl, n‐octyl, or n‐dodecyl). In these polymers the pendant alkyl thioester groups are precisely distributed along the backbone on every five methylene carbons. Chain structure, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution of the polymers were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, and GPC. The ROMP reactions all reached high monomer conversions, and hydrogenation of the ROMP products were exhaustive. Thermal transitions and side chain crystallization behaviors of the polymer were investigated and characterized by DSC and TGA. Glass transition temperature and melting temperature of these polymers were higher than the counterparts containing ester pendants. TGA analysis indicated that all the thioester‐containing polymers exhibited moderate thermal stability, and the sulfur‐containing polymers show slightly lower thermal stability than their counterparts without sulfur. The new family of functionalized polyethylenes could be used as models of ethylene‐thioacrylate copolymers, and find applications as novel functional materials. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 4027–4036     

Molecular dynamics and ordering of side chain liquid crystal polymers as studied by paramagnetic resonance

Abstract

Molecular dynamics of side chain liquid crystalline polymers (LCP) and their components were studied using the technique of paramagnetic resonance. A cigar shape spin probe (COL) and a nearly spherical spin probe (TPL) were used to study the motions and order of the LCPs. Computer simulations of the observed spectra were performed. Both rotational correlation times and order parameters were extracted from these simulations. We found that LCPs containing 30 per cent and 50 per cent of mesogenic side chains had about the same viscosity as indicated by nearly equal tumbling times at the same temperature. In addition, the LCPs motion is considerably slower than that of the monomeric liquid crystal indicating that the spacer couples the motions of the side chains to those of the main chain. Rotations about axes perpendicular to the side chain are slowed more than rotations about an axis parallel to the side chain. DSC measurements were employed to study the phase transitions. The 30 and 50 per cent LCPs displayed first order NS_A transitions, but the 50 per cent LCPs transition was much weaker, in agreement with McMillan's theory which predicts a first order transition for T _NS/T _NI>0.87 (observed ratios are 0.98, 0.90 and 0.86 for 30, 50 and 100 per cent LCPs, respectively). The 30 per cent LCP has a very short nematic range so that the nematic order, which is not saturated at the NS transition, can couple with the smectic order. This was indicated by a sharp change in slope of the order parameter versus temperature plot as the smectic is entered. The LCPs studied formed a highly ordered glass when cooled in a 1 T field. If one could find a LCP with similar ordering properties whose glass temperature is well above room temperature, then one would have a useful binder for the manufacture of haze-free polymer dispersed liquid crystal displays.     

Synthesis of high performance cyclic olefin polymers using highly efficient WCl6-based catalyst system

Cyclic olefin polymers(COPs) with high glass transition temperature, high transparency(higher than 80%) in the visible light range, excellent thermal stability and outstanding mechanical properties have been synthesized by effective ring opening metathesis polymerization(ROMP) of exo-1,4,4 a,9,9 a,10-hexahydro-9,10(1′,2′)-benzeno-l,4-methanoanthracene(HBM) and dicyclopentadiene(DCPD) or norbornene(NBE) using WCl_6/i-Bu_3Al/ethanol/1-hexene catalyst system, followed by hydrogenation of double bonds. 1-Hexene acted as a molecular weight controller in the polymerization reaction, tuning the number-average molecular weight(M_n) of P-HBM from 5.8 × 10~4 to 41.1 × 10~4. The monomer composition and thermal properties of the copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The saturated polymers exhibited high decomposition temperatures(T_d) around 340 °C and glass transition temperatures(T_g) in the range from 117.5 °C to 219.7 °C. What is more, tensile tests indicated that the mechanical properties of the COPs could be effectively tuned in a wide range by introducing varying amount of small cyclic olefin such as DCPD or NBE.     

Well-defined liquid crystal gels from telechelic polymers

Well-defined liquid crystal networks with controlled molecular weight between cross-links and cross-link functionality were prepared by "click" cross-linking of telechelic polymers produced by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). The networks readily swell in a small molecule liquid crystal, 5CB, to form LC gels with high swelling ratios. These gels exhibit fast, reversible, and low-threshold optic switching under applied electric fields when they are unconstrained between electrodes. For a given electric field, the LC gels prepared from shorter telechelic polymers showed a reduced degree of switching than their counterparts made from longer polymer strands. The reported approach provides control over important parameters for LC networks, such as the length of the network strands between cross-links, cross-linker functionality, and mesogen density. Therefore, it allows a detailed study of relationships between molecular structure and macroscopic properties of these scientifically and technologically interesting networks.