New rigid-rod poly(benzoxazole-imide)s containing chloro-substituted p-phenylene units in the main chain

A series of new poly(o-hydroxy amide-imide)s with high molecular weights were synthesized by low-temperature solution polycondensation from a preformed imide ring and chloro- or dichloro-substituted p-phenylene-containing diacid chlorides of 2,5-bis(trimellitimido)chlorobenzene or 1,4-bis(trimellitimido)-2,5-dichlorobenzene and three bis(o-amino phenol)s. All the poly(o-hydroxy amide-imide)s were readily soluble in a variety of organic solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and N,N-dimethylacetamide. Transparent and flexible films of these polymers were cast from their solutions. The cast films had tensile strengths ranging from 88 to 102 MPa and elongations at break of 8–12%. Subsequent thermal cyclodehydration of the poly(o-hydroxy amide-imide)s afforded novel poly(benzoxazole-imide)s. The poly(benzoxazole-imide)s exhibited glass-transition temperatures in the range of 310–338 °C and were stable up to 500 °C in nitrogen, with 10% weight-loss temperatures recorded between 550 and 570 °C in nitrogen. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4151–4158, 1999     

Synthesis,polymerization, and curing of N‐substituted citraconimidyl acrylate

Several N‐(substituted phenyl) citraconimides containing phenolic hydroxyl groups (I) were prepared. I were esterified with acryloyl chloride producing the corresponding acrylate esters (II). II were free radically polymerized yielding linear polyacrylates (III). The citraconimidyl vinyls did not participate in the polymerization. The resulting polymers (III) were cured thermally or through the crosslinking agent N,N‐(p‐phenylene)dimaleimide. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 427–433, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of new AB-type poly(etherimide)s containing bisphenol moieties

A series of new AB-type poly(etherimide)s having bisphenol-type moiety was prepared by the one-pot polyimidization using triphenylphosphite(TPP) in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone(NMP)/pyridine solution at 150°C. Complete cyclodehydration was observed in the polymerizations as well as in model reactions. Polymers were obtained with inherent viscosities in the 0.27–0.49 dL/g range. The M_n and M_w/M_n of poly[4-(1,4-phenyleneoxy-1,4-phenylenehexafluoro-isopropylidene-1,4-phenylene)oxyphthalimide] (4d) with η_inh = 0.49 dL/g were 73,400 g/mol and 1.5, respectively. Most polymers could readily be dissolved in common organic solvents such as DMAc, NMP, and m-cresol. The polymer 4d was soluble even in chloroform. These polymers had glass transition temperatures between 205 and 235°C, and 5% weight loss temperatures in the range of 511–532°C in nitrogen. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3530–3536, 1999     

Synthesis and properties of aromatic polyamides containing the cyclohexane structure

1,1-Bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane (III) and 1,1-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]cyclohexane (V) were prepared in two main steps starting from the aromatic nucleophilic substitution of p-fluorobenzonitrile and p-chloronitrobenzene, respectively, with 1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)cyclohexane in the presence of potassium carbonate in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents, two series of polyamides with cyclohexylidene cardo groups were directly polycondensated from dicarboxylic acid III with various aromatic diamines or from diamine V with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids in an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution containing dissolved calcium chloride. The polyamides exhibited inherent viscosities in the range of 0.45 to 1.78 dL/g. Almost all of the polymers were readily soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as NMP and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and could afford transparent, flexible, and tough films by solution casting. The glass transition temperatures (T_g) of these aromatic polyamides were in the range of 180–243°C by DSC, and the 10% weight loss temperatures in nitrogen and air were all above 450°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3575–3583, 1999     

Thermally stable,photoactive polymerizable diazenes. Applications in polymer technology

New and useful nonpolymerizable and polymerizable diazene free radical initiators have been designed, based on molecular orbital and empirical linear free energy calculations. The design of the polymerizable diazenes has been based on four requirements: independent reactivities of azo and vinyl moieties, high thermal stability of the trans-diazene isomers, efficient convertability of the trans isomer to the cis isomer, and high thermal reactivity (to produce free radicals) of the cis-diazene isomers. The cis-diazene isomers are obtained from the trans isomers by irradiation with visible light. A new free radical initiator has been shown to be useful in preparing graft copolymers and in crosslinking polymer chains by visible light activation. Poly(styrene-co-2-(meta-styrylazo)-2-methoxypropane) (2) was prepared by the copolymerization of styrene monomer and 2-(meta-styrylazo)-2-methoxypropane (1), either thermally or via a free radical initiator. Copolymer 2 then was reacted with methyl methacrylate monomer in the presence of visible light, to produce poly (styrene-g-methyl methacrylate) (6). Poly(styrene-co-2-(meta-styrylazo)-2-methylpropane) (17), prepared by the copolymerization of styrene monomer and 2-(meta-styrylazo)-2-methylpropane (15), was successfully crosslinked at elevated temperatures. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3203–3213, 1999     

Polymerization of novel trifluorovinyl ethers: Insight into the mechanisms of termination and chain transfer

New trifluorovinyl ether polymers were synthesized with the view toward overcoming the high chemical and thermal stabilities commonly associated with fluoropolymers. Trifluorovinyl ether copolymers, with fluorinated pendant groups, have previously been prepared to overcome limitations in processibility. To further enhance solubility in common organic solvents and to improve processibility, we prepared three new trifluorovinyl ether monomers, having hydrocarbon ether pendant groups, for polymerization: 1-[2-(2-ethoxy ethoxy)ethoxy]-1,2,2-trifluoroethene (Et-TFVE), 1-[2-(2-t-butoxy ethoxy)ethoxy]-1,2,2-trifluoroethene (t-Bu-TFVE), and 1-(2-phenoxy ethoxy)-1,2,2-trifluoroethene (Ph-TFVE). Homopolymers of these three monomers were prepared by aqueous emulsion polymerization with the use of a redox initiator. Poly(Et-TFVE) and poly(Ph-TFVE) were prepared with a range of molar masses, the highest of which had weight average molar masses of 33,800 g mol⁻¹ and 59,000 g mol⁻¹, respectively. As a result of monomer reactivity and structure, the polymerization mechanism was complicated, resulting in β-scission termination/chain transfer for all three polymers and hydrogen abstraction chain transfer for poly(Et-TFVE) and poly(t-Bu-TFVE). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of hydrogen abstraction from the pendant group of the trifluorovinyl ether itself. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3301–3308, 1999     

Characterization and degradation of poly(methylphenylsiloxane)–poly(methyl methacrylate) interpenetrating polymer networks

Poly(methylphenylsiloxane)–poly(methyl methacrylate) interpenetrating polymer networks (PMPS–PMMA IPNs) were prepared by in situ sequential condensation of poly(methylphenylsiloxane) with tetramethyl orthosilicate and polymerization of methyl methacrylate. PMPS–PMMA IPNs were characterized by infrared (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and ²⁹Si and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The mobility of PMPS segments in IPNs, investigated by proton spin–spin relaxation T₂ measurements, is seriously restricted. The PMPS networks have influence on the average activation energy E_a,av of MMA segments in thermal degradation at initial conversion. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1717–1724, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of new copolymers of thiophene and vinylene: Poly(thienylenevinylene)s and poly(terthienylenevinylene)s with thioether side chains

Poly[3,4-bis(3-methylbutylthio)thienylenevinylene], poly[3,4-bis-(S)-(2-methylbutylthio)thienylenevinylene], poly[3′,4′-bis(3-methylbutylthio)-2,2′:5′,2″-terthienylene-5,5″-vinylene], and poly{3′,4′-bis-(S)-[2-methylbutylthio]-2,2′:5′,2″-terthienylene-5,5″-vinylene} have been synthesized. The synthesis starts from the thiophene monomers and trimers, which are formylated to give the corresponding dialdehydes. The dialdehydes are reductively polymerized using a McMurry coupling. The polymers are characterized by GPC, optical spectroscopy (FT-IR, UV-vis, circular dichroism spectroscopy and photoluminescence) and by proton and carbon NMR spectroscopy. The polymers are soluble in common organic solvents, such as THF, chloroform, toluene, benzene and 1,2-dichlorobenzene. The solvatochromism and thermochromism of the polymers in solution are investigated, while the optical activity of the polymers is used to investigate the supramolecular aggregation. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4629–4639, 1999     

Synthesis and film formation of polycarbonate‐co‐ poly(p‐ethylphenol)

The enzyme‐catalyzed synthesis of poly(p‐ethylphenol) (PEP) has received considerable interest in recent years. Nevertheless, the limited molecular weights restricts its application. In our preliminary research, PEP was modified by copolymerization with polycarbonates through both transesterification at high temperature, and triphosgene at low temperature to form polycarbonate‐co‐poly(p‐ethylphenol) (PC‐co‐PEP). FTIR, NMR, GPC, and thermal analysis verified the formation of PC‐co‐PEP. The copolymers have an optical absorption in the UV range. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 169–178, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of thermotropic liquid crystalline poly(ester imide)s

Two closely series of poly(ester imide)s had been synthesized by solution polycondensation of p‐phenylenebis(trimellitate) dianhydride with aliphatic diamines. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) traces of the most poly(ester imide)s exhibited two endotherms representing the solid state to anisotropic phase transition (T_m1) and the anisotropic to isotropic melt transition (T_m2), respectively. Observation under polarizing microscope and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) measurements suggested that the anisotropic phase formed above the melting points (T_m1) had a smectic character. The thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) revealed that the thermal stabilities of the poly(ester imide)s were up to 350°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 211–218, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(aryl amide imide)s derived from diphenyltrimellitic anhydride

The synthesis and characterization of a series of novel poly(aryl amide imide)s based on diphenyltrimellitic anhydride are described. The poly(aryl amide imide)s, having inherent viscosities of 0.39–1.43 dL/g in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone at 30°C, were prepared by polymerization with aromatic diamines in N,N-dimethylacetamide and subsequent chemical imidization. All the polymers were amorphous, readily soluble in aprotic polar solvents such as DMAC, NMP, dimethylsulfoxide, N,N-dimethylformamide, and m-cresol, and could be cast to form flexible and tough films. The glass transition temperatures were in the range of 284–366°C, and the temperatures for 5% weight loss in nitrogen were above 468°C. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4541–4545, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of new cardo polyimides prepared from 5,5-Bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-4,7-methanohexahydroindane

A new cardo diamine monomer, 5,5-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]-4,7-methanohexahydroindane (II), was prepared in two steps with high yield. The monomer was reacted with six different aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) to obtain the corresponding cardo polyimides via the poly(amic acid) precursors and thermal or chemical imidization. All the poly(amic acid)s could be cast from their DMAc solutions and thermally converted into transparent, flexible, and tough polyimide films which were further characterized by x-ray and mechanical analysis. All of the polymers were amorphous and the polyimide films had a tensile strength range of 89–123 MPa, an elongation at break range of 6–10%, and a tensile modulus range of 1.9–2.5 GPa. Polymers V_c, V_e, and V_f exhibited good solubility in a variety of solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), DMAc, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), pyridine, γ-butyrolactone, and even in tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. These polyimides showed glass-transition temperatures between 274 and 299°C and decomposition temperatures at 10% mass loss temperatures ranging from 490 to 521°C and 499 to 532°C in nitrogen and air atmospheres, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2815–2821, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of novel poly(amide-imide)s containing hexafluoroisopropylidene linkage

A series of novel soluble poly(amide-imide)s were prepared from the diimide-dicarboxylic acid, 2,2-bis[N-(4-carboxyphenyl)-phthalimidyl]hexafluoropropane, with various diamines by the direct polycondensation in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone containing CaCl₂ using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents. All the polymers were obtained in quantitative yields with inherent viscosities of 0.78–1.63 dL g⁻¹. The polymers were amorphous and readily soluble in aprotic polar solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide as well as in less polar solvents such as pyridine and γ-butyrolactone, and also in tetrahydrofuran. The polymer films had tensile strength of 84–129 MPa, an elongation at break range of 6–22%, and a tensile modulus range of 2.0–2.7 GPa. The glass transition temperatures of the polymers were determined by DSC method and they were in the range of 240–282°C. These polymers were fairly stable up to a temperature around or above 400°C, and lose 10% weight in the range of 450–514°C and 440–506°C in nitrogen and air, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2629–2635, 1999     

Monomers,polymers, copolymers,resins, and coated silicas containing benzylamine residues planned as artificial substrates of benzylamine oxidase

The new monomers 3-(3-methacryloxypropoxy)benzylamine and 4-(3-methacryloxypropoxy)benzylamine in the form of hydrochlorides have been synthesized and radically copolymerized under various conditions with comonomers of different hydrophilicity, including N-acryloylmorpholine, N-acryloylpyrrolidine, N,N-dimethylacrylamide, and N-vinylbenzoylmorpholine, to obtain linear soluble, granular crosslinked, and silica-based macromolecular systems designed for investigating the action mechanism of benzylamine oxidase. Some characteristics of the prepared materials, including scanning electron microscopy photographs, are reported. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3109–3118, 1999     

Depurination of synthetic poly(inosinic acid) analogues

A poly(inosinic acid) analogue, poly{[1′-(β-hypoxanthine-9-yl)-5′-deoxy-D -erythro-pent-4′-enofuranose]-alt-[maleic acid]} (4), was synthesized by the alternating copolymerization of nucleoside derivative 1 with maleic anhydride and subsequent hydrolysis. N-Glycosidic bonds of the polymer were spontaneously hydrolyzed to liberate hypoxanthine from the polymer backbone in a buffer solution (pH 7.4) at room temperature. The depurination rate constant of the polymer at pH 7.4 and 37°C was measured to be 1.9 × 10⁻⁶ sec⁻¹, which was 10⁵-fold higher than that (3 × 10⁻¹¹ sec⁻¹) of the depurination of DNA that occurred in the biological systems. The increase in the depurination rate was attributable to the high potential energy of the polymer caused by the crowded environment around the bases, so that the polymer was more susceptible to the hydrolysis. Since natural nucleic acids often have compact structures with the crowded environment around the bases by the intricate chain folding, the depurination may also be accelerated in a similar manner in the biological system. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3361–3365, 1999     

Copolymerization of styrene and butadiene with Ni(acac)2-methylaluminoxane catalyst

Copolymerization of styrene (St) and butadiene (Bd) with nickel(II) acetylacetonate [Ni(acac)₂]-methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalyst was investigated. Among the metal acetylacetonates [Mt(acac)_x] examined, Ni(acac)₂ showed a high activity for the copolymerization of St and Bd giving copolymers having high cis-1,4-microstructure in Bd units in the copolymer. The effect of alkylaluminum as a cocatalyst on the copolymerization of St and Bd with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst was observed, and MAO was found to be the most effective cocatalyst for the copolymerization. The monomer reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of St and Bd with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst were determined to be r_St = 0.07 and r_Bd = 3.6. Based on the obtained results, it was presumed that the random copolymers with high cis-1,4-microstructure in Bd units could be synthesized with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst without formation of each homopolymer. The polymerization mechanism with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst was also discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3838–3844, 1999     

Syntheses and antitumor activities of medium molecular weight polymers containing α-ethoxy-exo-3,6-epoxy-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthaloyl-5-fluorouracil

The new monomer, α-ethoxy-exo-3,6-epoxy-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthaloyl-5-fluorouracil (EETFU), was synthesized from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and α-ethoxy-exo-3,6-epoxy-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthaloyl chloride. Its homopolymer and copolymers with acrylic acid (AA) and vinyl acetate (VAc) were synthesized by photopolymerizations using 2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylaceto-phenone. The synthesized samples were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopes, elemental analysis, and gel permeation chromatography. The EETFU contents in poly(EETFU-co-AA) and poly(EETFU-co-VAc) were 40 and 37 mol %, respectively. The number average molecular weights were in range from 8,400 to 10,300. The in vitro cytotoxicities of synthesized samples were evaluated against mouse mammary carcinoma (FM3A), mouse leukemia (P388), and human histiocytic lymphoma (U937) as cancer cell lines and mouse liver cells (AC2F) as a normal cell line. The range of IC₅₀ values obtained from the in vitro test for synthesized samples were 0.03–0.16 µg/mL against cancer cell lines. The in vitro cytotoxicities of polymers were beter than 5-FU. The in vivo antitumor activities of synthesized monomer and polymers were also investigated by mice bearing the sarcoma 180 tumor cells. The in vivo antitumor activities of the synthesized monomer and polymers were greater than those of 5-FU at corresponding dosage concentrations. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2619–2627, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of novel aromatic polyamides with polyalicyclic cardo groups

5,5-Bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]hexahydro-4,7-methanoindan ( 3a ) and 5,5-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]hexahydro-4,7-methanoindan ( 3b ) were prepared in two main steps starting from the aromatic nucleophilic halogen-displacement of p-fluorobenzonitrile and p-chloronitrobenzene, respectively, with 5,5-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)hexahydro-4,7-methanoindan in the presence of potassium carbonate in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). Using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents, two series of polyamides having polyalicyclic cardo units were directly polycondensated from dicarboxylic acid 3a with various aromatic diamines, or from diamine 3b with various aromatic dicarboxylic acids in the N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) solution containing dissolved calcium chloride. High molecular weight polyamides with inherent viscosities between 0.73 and 1.44 dL/g were obtained. All polymers were readily soluble in polar aprotic solvents such as NMP and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and afforded transparent, flexible, and tough films by solution casting. The glass-transition temperatures (T_g) of these aromatic polyamides were in the range of 219–253°C by DSC, and the 10% weight loss temperatures in nitrogen and air were above 467 and 465°C, respectively. A comparative study of some polyamides with an isomeric repeat unit is also presented. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4510–4520, 1999     

Synthesis,characterization, and hydrolysis of PVAc-PS-PVAc via charge transfer polymerization

An ABA triblock copolymer of polyvinyl acetate-b-polystyrene-b-polyvinyl acetate (PVAc-PS-PVAc) was successfully synthesized with a binary system composed of polystyrene with N,N-dimethylaniline end groups (PS_da) and benzophenone to initiate the polymerization of vinyl acetate under UV irradiation. The PS_da was obtained by capping the living polystyrene macrodianion with p-(dimethylamino) benzaldehyde in excess. The PVA-PS-PVA could then be obtained by hydrolysis of PVAc-PS-PVAc in the sodium ethoxide benzene solution. The intermediates and desirable copolymers were characterized by GPC, IR, and ¹H-NMR in detail. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2595–2600, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of poly[4,4-bis(pivaloxymethyl)-1,6-heptadiyne] having high oxygen permselectivity

Cyclopolymerization of 4,4-bis(pivaloxymethyl)-1,6-heptadiyne containing a bulky ester group was examined by group 5,6-transition metal catalysts. Both of the MoCl₅-based and WCl₆-based catalysts were effective for the cyclopolymerization. The obtained polymer was characterized to have planar backbone and recurring cyclic ring structure by various spectroscopy. The poly[4,4-bis(pivaloxymethyl)-1,6-heptadiyne] was soluble in common organic solvents to easily cast the free standing film. The polymer film had good mechanical property and high oxygen permselectivity to nitrogen. The oxygen permeability coefficient (PO₂) and permselectivity of oxygen to nitrogen (PO₂/PN₂) of poly[4,4-bis(pivaloxymethyl)-1,6-heptadiyne] were 19.7 barrer and 5.71, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4135–4139, 1999