Synthesis,thermal and mechanical properties of benzocyclobutene-functionalized siloxane thermosets with different geometric structures

A series of benzocyclobutene-functionalized siloxane thermosets were prepared to investigate the relationship between the monomer’s chemical structure and the properties of the corresponding polymer. Monomer 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-1,3-bis[2′-(4′-benzocyclobutenyl)]vinyldisiloxane (DVS-BCB) and 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-1,3,5,7-tetra[2′-(4′-benzocyclobutenyl)]vinylcyclotetrasiloxane (CYC-BCB) were synthesized by Heck reaction. Copolymer Poly(DVS-BCB-co-POSS) was obtained through incorporating octavinyl-T8-silsesquioxane (Vinyl-POSS) into DVS-BCB matrix via Diels–Alder reaction. The oligomers, P-DVS-BCB, P-CYC-BCB and P-Poly(DVS-BCB-co-POSS), were obtained by refluxing the mesitylene solution of the BCB monomers at the BCB ring opening temperature. The BCB monomers and oligomers showed a similar curing behavior with an exothermic peak temperature near 260 °C. The curing kinetic parameters, the apparent activation energy (E_a), the frequency factor (A) and the reaction order (n), were obtained by non-isothermal DSC method. The BCB polymers possessed good thermal stability (T_d > 450 °C in N₂). Due to the highly crosslinked network structure, CYC-BCB polymer exhibited higher glass transition temperature, higher modulus and lower coefficient of thermal expansion than DVS-BCB and Poly(DVS-BCB-co-POSS) polymers. Moreover, the BCB polymers also demonstrated low dielectric constants (<2.8 at 1 MHz) and low water absorptions. The films prepared from the BCB oligomer solution showed a well planarization (root-mean-square roughness <0.5 nm).     

Preparation of aqueous crosslinked dispersions of functionalized poly(d,l-lactic acid) with a thermomechanical method

Aqueous crosslinked microparticle dispersions were prepared from a copolymer of d,l-lactic acid, 1,4-butanediol, and itaconic acid with a thermomechanical method. The copolymer was prepared in one step polycondensation reaction using Sn(Oct)₂ as a catalyst. A polymer with M_n of 2800 g mol^?1 and a molecular weight distribution of 1.41 was obtained (as determined by SEC), that contained double bonds introduced by the itaconic acid monomer units (6 mol-%, as determined by NMR). Crosslinking ability of the prepared copolymer was demonstrated in bulk by adding a thermal initiator and altering amounts of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) crosslinking agent into molten polymer at 60–150 °C. A crosslinked gel was formed in less than 15 min at 80 °C when 10 wt.% of EGDMA was added and benzoyl peroxide (BPO) was used as the initiator. Aqueous dispersions were prepared of the non-crosslinked copolymer with a thermomechanical method that involved slow addition of aqueous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution into molten copolymer at 60 °C under shear. Dispersions were prepared with 10 wt.% of EGDMA and 2 wt.% of BPO. Crosslinking of the dispersed microparticles was achieved by heating the dispersions at 80 °C for 30 or 60 min. The dispersions were characterized by SEM, DSC, TGA, FT-IR, solid state NMR, and gel content measurements. The effect of crosslinking was clearly seen in SEM images of films cast from the dispersions. The films cast from non-crosslinked dispersions had smooth morphology whereas in films cast from crosslinked dispersions separate spherical particles were observed. During the crosslinking reactions, glass transition temperatures increased (as determined by DSC), thermal stability of the samples increased (as determined by TGA), and the gel content of the samples increased.     

Synthesis and characterization of NLO chromophore with benzo [1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene unit as π-electron bridge

A novel chromophore BDT–TCF with benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene (BDT) unit as electron bridge was synthesized and characterized by UV–vis, NMR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. It is the first time that BDT unit was introduced into NLO materials. The chromophore showed excellent solubility in most common solvents, and good thermal stability for practical applications. The second order nonlinear optical effect was measured by hyper Rayleigh scattering method. The diagonal hyperpolarizability β_zzz of BDT–TCF was 8.2 × 10^?28 and 9.3 × 10^?29 esu in THF solvent and in PMMA polymer matrices, respectively. The potential NLO response indicates that BDT unit is a promising π-electron bridge and an excellent candidate for nonlinear optical devices.     

Chiral linear polymers bonded alternatively with salen and 1,4-dialkoxybenzene: synthesis and application for Ti-catalyzed asymmetric TMSCN addition to aldehydes

The synthesis of chiral linear polymers 1a–b having salen and 1,4-dioctyloxybenzene as alternate segments has been accomplished. The GPC analysis showed the molecular weights corresponding to ca. 15 (M_w = 10,999, M_n = 9165 and PDI = 1.20) repeating units for 1a and ca. 8 (M_w = 8547, M_n = 7883 and PDI = 1.08) repeating units for 1b. Polymers 1a–b have been studied with Ti(OⁱPr)₄ as a recyclable catalyst for the asymmetric addition of TMSCN to aldehydes while the selectivity of the polymer catalyst is identical to that of the monomer. The reactions are efficient affording the cyanohydrins with up to 88% ee. The selectivity of the polymer based catalyst 9a is found to be the same to that of the monomer 10a. The reaction provides the advantages of simplified product isolation and easy recovery and recyclability of polymer catalyst 9a without any loss of activity or selectivity.     

Synthesis and physical characterization of electrically conducting polymers of polynuclear aromatic sulfonyl compounds

Potentially useful conducting polymers of sulfonyl substituted phenanthrene derivatives and non-conducting linear polymers, such as, polystyrene and poly(N-vinylcarbazole) have been synthesized and characterized using IR, thermogravimetric and dielectric measurements. The phenanthrene-based benzene, naphthalene and biphenyl copolysulfones have also been prepared and characterized through these techniques. These pendant and backbone polymer sulfones have exceptionally high thermal stability and electrical conductivity, such that dc conductivity in the range 2.80 × 10^?16 to 2.82 × 10^?7 Ω^?1 cm^?1 and ac conductivity in the range 1.69 × 10^?7 to 2.10 × 10^?6 Ω^?1 cm^?1.     

On the stability and properties of the polyacrylate/Na-MMT nanocomposite obtained by seeded emulsion polymerization

For high performance waterborne coatings usually polymer latexes with low emulsifier content are more preferred. Although polymer/clay nanocomposites offer improved properties, it is difficult to produce clay based nanocomposite latexes containing low emulsifier due to the stabilization problems especially caused by organoclays. Present study deals with the preparation of a tBA/BA/MAA ternary copolymer/clay nanocomposite containing 3 wt.% sodium montmorillonite (Na⁺-MMT) via seeded emulsion polymerization. Experimentally it was observed that even the usage of hydrophilic clay caused stabilization problem and a certain amount of emulsifier (>1 wt.%) was necessary to obtain stable latexes. In addition, the usage of a low molecular weight water soluble polymer as steric barrier was found to increase the stability of system. Obtained nanocomposite latex showed fine particle size diameter (127 nm) and very narrow size distribution (PDI = 0.06). The WAXD and TEM investigations indicated that a mostly exfoliated nanocomposite was obtained. Thermal analyses (DSC, DMTA and TGA) showed that there was no change at T_g of the copolymer while very high improvement was obtained for elastic modulus and a slight increase in thermal stability. According to the rheological measurements, the nanocomposite latex showed a higher low shear viscosity, a stronger shear thinning behavior and an improved physical stability in comparison to the reference latex.     

(Liquid + liquid) equilibria of binary systems containing hyperbranched polymer Boltorn® H2004 – Experimental study and modelling in terms of lattice-cluster theory

(Liquid + liquid) phase equilibria (LLE) of binary mixtures containing hyperbranched polymer Boltorn® H2004 and n-alkanes (n-hexane, n-heptane, n-octane, and n-decane) were studied over the temperature range from about (260 up to 360) K. The polymer is partially miscible with n-alkanes and the solubility decreases with an increase of the chain length of the solvent. Corresponding LLE phase diagrams including spinodal and binodal (liquid + liquid) coexistence curves were calculated in terms of the statistical mechanics – based on the lattice-cluster theory, based only on the upper critical solution temperature, and the polymer chain architecture. The results show semi-qualitative agreement of predicted and experimental equilibrium compositions and temperatures. Boltorn® H2004 reveals complete miscibility in the liquid phase with alcohols (C₁–C₈), aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, and thiophene), and ethers (methyl tetra-butyl ether, ethyl tetra-butyl ether, and tetrahydrofurane).     

Achieving high electrode specific capacitance with materials of low mass specific capacitance: Potentiostatically grown thick micro-nanoporous PEDOT films

Electrode materials for supercapacitors are at present commonly evaluated and selected by their mass specific capacitance (C_M, F g⁻¹). However, using only this parameter may be a misleading practice because the electrode capacitance also depends on kinetics, and may not increase simply by increasing material mass. It is therefore important to complement C_M by the practically accessible electrode specific capacitance (C_E, F cm⁻²) in material selection. Poly[3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene] (PEDOT) has a mass specific capacitance lower than other common conducting polymers, e.g. polyaniline. However, as demonstrated in this communication, this polymer can be potentiostatically grown to very thick films (up to 0.5 mm) that were porous at both micro- and nanometer scales. Measured by both cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectrometry, these thick PEDOT films exhibited electrode specific capacitance (C_E, F cm⁻²) increasing linearly with the film deposition charge, approaching 5 F cm⁻², which is currently the highest amongst all reported materials.     

Effect of compressed CO2 on crystallization and melting behavior of isotactic polypropylene

Compressed gases such as CO₂ above their critical temperatures provide a highly tunable technique that has been shown to induce changes in phase behavior, crystallization kinetics and morphology of the polymers. Gas induced plasticization of the polymer matrix has been studied in a large number of polymers such as polystyrene, and poly(ethylene terephathalate). The knowledge of polymer–gas interactions is fundamental to the study of phenomena such as solubility and diffusivity of gases in polymers, dilation of polymers and in the development of applications such as foams and barrier materials.In this paper, we describe the interactions of compressed CO₂ with isotactic polypropylene (PP). Crystallization of various PPs in presence of compressed CO₂ was evaluated using a high pressure differential scanning calorimeter (HPDSC). CO₂ plasticized the polymer matrix and decreased the crystallization temperature, T_c by ∼8 °C for PP at a pressure of 650 psi CO₂. The decrease as a function of pressure was −0.173 °C/bar and did not change with the molecular architecture of PP. Both crystallization kinetics and melting behavior are evaluated.Since solubility and diffusivity are important thermodynamic parameters that establish the intrinsic gas transport characteristics in a polymer, solubility of CO₂ in PP was measured using a high-pressure electrobalance and compared with cross-linked polyethylene. At 50 °C, solubility followed Henry’s law and at a pressure of 200 psi about 1% CO₂ dissolved in PP. Similar solubility was achieved in PE at a pressure of 160 psi. Higher solubility of CO₂ in PE is attributed to its lower crystallinity and lower T_g, than PP. Diffusion coefficients were calculated from the sorption kinetics using a Fickian transport model. Diffusivity was independent of pressure and PE showed higher diffusivity than PP. Preliminary foaming studies carried out using a batch process indicate that both PP and PE can be foamed from the solid state to form microcellular foams. Cell size and cell density were ∼10 μm and 10⁸ cells/cm³, respectively in PE. Differences in morphology between the foams for these polymers are attributed to the differences in diffusivity.     

A study on size effect of carboxymethyl starch nanogel crosslinked by electron beam radiation

The formation of carboxymethyl starch (CMS) nanogel with 50 nm less particle size was carried out through a radiation crosslinked process on the electron beam (EB) linear accelerator. Changes of intrinsic viscosities and weight averaged molecular weight in the CMS concentration, which ranged from 3 to 10 mg ml^?1 in absorbed doses were investigated. There were some new peaks in the ¹H NMR spectra of CMS nanogel compared with those of CMS polymer. These results were anticipated that the predominant intramolecular crosslinking of dilute CMS aqueous solution occurred while being exposed to a short intense pulse of ionizing radiation. Hydrodynamic radius (often called particle size, R_h) and distribution of particle size were measured by a dynamic light scattering technique. The radiation yield of intermolecular crosslinking of CMS solution was calculated from the expression of G_x (Charlesby, 1960, Jung-Chul, 2010). The influence of the “size effect” was demonstrated by testing culture of Lactobacillus bacteria on MRS agar culture medium containing CMS nanogel and polymer. Results showed that the number of Lactobacillus bacteria growing on nanogel containing culture medium is about 170 cfu/ml and on polymer containing culture medium is only 6 cfu/ml.     

Comments on stabilizing layered manganese oxide electrodes for Li batteries

An electrochemical study of structurally-integrated xLi₂MnO₃•(1 −x)LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂ ‘composite’ materials has been undertaken to investigate the stability of electrochemically-activated electrodes at the Li₂MnO₃-rich end of the Li₂MnO₃–LiMn_0.5Ni_0.5O₂ tie-line, i.e., for 0.7 ≤ x ≤ 0.95. Excellent performance was observed for x = 0.7 in lithium half-cells; comparable to activated electrodes that have significantly lower values of x and are traditionally the preferred materials of choice. Electrodes with higher manganese content (x ≥ 0.8) showed significantly reduced performance. Implications for stabilizing low-cost, manganese-rich, layered lithium-metal-oxide electrode materials are discussed.     

Catenane gel: synthesis of high molecular weight poly[2]catenanes by Sonogashira coupling polymerization

A first catenane polymer gel was obtained by Sonogashira coupling reaction of diiodo[2]catenane and 4,4′-diethynylbiphenyl. Because of the linearity and rigidity of the ethynylene group formed in the coupling reaction, the formation of undesired cyclic dimer was inhibited, and a very high molecular weight (M_n > 2.3 × 10⁵) poly[2]catenane was synthesized. The polymer was gelated without any chemical cross-linkage and swelled in DMF.     

Nanoscale heterogeneities in radiation-cured diacrylate networks: Weakness or asset?

The crosslinking polymerization of multifunctional monomers is known to yield brittle matrices, therefore limiting the development of this technique for the production of high performance composite materials. Among the various possible causes of the brittleness, the spontaneous formation of nanoheterogeneities during radiation-initiated polymerization is supported by atomic force microscopy imaging and by calorimetric analyses. The controlled polymerization-induced phase separation of nanosized clusters of polyethersulfone was evaluated as a means for alleviating the inherent tendency of the diacrylate materials to fragile failure. Various homogeneous formulations including the aromatic diacrylate monomers, and polyethersulfone together with a compatible reactive diluent were prepared and polymerized by electron beam irradiation. The resulting toughened materials show optimized critical stress intensity factor (K_Ic) over 2 MPa m^0.5, whereas the K_Ic value is about 1 MPa m^0.5 for the unmodified reference resin.     

Effects of sensitizer length on radiation crosslinked shape–memory polymers

Shape–memory polymers (SMPs) are smart materials that can be designed to retain a metastable state and upon activation, recover a preprogrammed shape. In this study, poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) is blended with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) of various molecular weights in various concentrations and subsequently exposed to ionizing radiation. PEGDA sensitizes the radiation crosslinking of PMA, lowering the minimum absorbed dose for gelation and increasing the rubbery modulus, after crosslinking. Minimum dose for gelation, as determined by the Charlesby–Pinner equation, decreases from 25.57 kGy for unblended PMA to 2.06 kGy for PMA blended with 10.00 mole% PEGDA. Moreover, increase in the blend concentration of PEGDA increases the crosslinking density of the resulting networks. Sensitizer length, namely M_n of PEGDA, also affects crosslinking and final mechanical properties. Increase in the length of the PEGDA molecule at a constant molar ratio increases the efficacy of the molecule as a radiation sensitizer as determined by the increase in gel fraction and rubbery modulus across doses. However, at a constant weight ratio of PEGDA to PMA, shorter PEGDA chains sensitize more crosslinking because they have more reactive ends per weight fraction. Sensitized samples of PMA with PEGDA were tested for shape–memory properties and showed shape fixity of greater than 99%. Samples had a glass transition temperature near 28 °C and recovered between 97% and 99% of the induced strain when strained to 50%.     

Iron(II) spin transition 1,2,4-triazole chain compounds with novel inorganic fluorinated counteranions

New one-dimensional spin transition coordination polymers of formula [Fe(NH₂trz)₃](AF₆) · nH₂O (A = Ti, Zr, Sn; NH₂trz = 4-amino-1,2,4-triazole) have been synthesized in MeOH and EtOH media. These materials display an abrupt and hysteretic spin transition around 200 K as well as a reversible thermochromic effect on cooling. A preliminary evaluation of the lattice dynamics in the high-spin and low-spin states is presented.     

Temperature and composition dependence of the density and viscosity of binary mixtures of (hyperbranched polymer,B-U3000 + 1-alcohol,or ether)

Density and viscosity were determined for binary mixtures of {hyperbranched polymer, a fatty acid modified dendritic polymer Boltorn U3000 (B-U3000) + 1-alcohol (1-butanol, 1-hexanol, and 1-octanol)} at T = (298.15, 308.15, 318.15, 328.15, and 338.15) K and of {B-U3000 + tert-butyl-methylether (MTBE)} at T = (298.15, 308.15, and 318.15) K and ambient pressure. The temperature dependence of density and viscosity for these systems can be described by linear regression and by the Vogel–Fucher–Tammann equation, respectively. Excess volumes were discussed in a function of mass fractions. Viscosity deviations were calculated and correlated by the Redlich–Kister polynomial expansions using also the mass fractions. The polynomial correlations describe the variation of viscosity with composition. A qualitative discussion on these quantities in terms of molecular interactions is reported.     

CO2 adsorption on granular and monolith carbonaceous materials

We evaluated the CO₂ adsorption capacity on granular and monolith carbonaceous materials, obtained by chemical activation of African palm stones with H₃PO₄, ZnCl₂ and CaCl₂ solutions at different concentrations. Textural properties of the synthesized materials were analyzed using N₂ adsorption measurements at 77 K, the isotherms showed obtaining of materials microporous and moderately mesoporous, with surface areas between 161 and 1700 m²/g and pore volume between 0.09 and 0.64 cm³ g⁻¹. Were observed different behaviors for textural parameters in each series, associated with the activating agent used in the preparation. The materials obtained have a CO₂ adsorption capacity between ∼114 and 254 mg CO₂/g, at atmospheric pressure and 273 K. It was established that the total amount of CO₂ adsorbed under these experimental conditions is defined by the narrow micropore volume (V_n) and increased the total basicity of the materials.     

Kinetic study of nucleophilic reactivity of heterocyclic amines with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan in acetonitrile

The reaction kinetics of 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan with five heterocyclic amines was investigated spectrophotometrically (UV–Vis) in acetonitrile at 20 °C. It was observed that the rate constants of these reactions increased as follows: 2-aminopyrimidine > 2-aminothiazole > 2-aminobenzothiazole > 5-amino-3,4-dimethylisoxazole > 2-amino-5-trifluoromethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazole. Further, second-order rate constants (k₁) pertaining to the C–N and C–C bond forming step of these complexation processes fit to the three parameter equation log k (20 °C) = s_N (N + E), allowing the determination of the nucleophilicity parameters (N) of the five heterocyclic amines. The heterocyclic amines were subsequently ranked on the comprehensive nucleophilicity scale defined by Mayr et al. (2003), providing a direct comparison of n-, π-, and σ-nucleophiles.     

Thermogravimetric and FTIR studies of chitosan blends

Results of spectrophotometric and thermogravimetric studies of chitosan (CH) blends with polyvinyl alcohol (PVAL), starch (S) and hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC) obtained by casting from solutions in the form of transparent films containing 0–1.0 weight fraction of CH were discussed. Blends containing S are homogeneous only in the case of low-weight fraction of S (to 0.3).On the basis of results of thermodegradation in dynamic and isothermal conditions, thermal stability of the tested systems was estimated. Thermogravimetric measurements in dynamic conditions were carried out in the temperature range of 100–450 °C at constant heating rate 15 °C/min. From thermogravimetry (TG) and DTG curves the activation energy and characteristic parameters of degradation of the tested blends were determined. The observed growth of activation energy and T_p—temperature of initial weight loss, T_max—temperature of maximal rate and C_e—degree of conversion at the end of the measurement (at temperature 450 °C) along with the increase of polymer fraction (HPC and S) in the CH blend provides an evidence of improved thermal stability of the systems tested.Investigations in isothermal conditions in air at temperature from 100 to 200 °C confirmed appreciable improvement of CH thermal stability in the blends being tested.Infrared spectroscopic analysis of the blends showed a distinct stabilization of the process of chain scission. In the band at 1080 cm⁻¹ associated with absorption in –C–O–C– group during degradation of the blends at temperature 200 °C much smaller decrease due to molecular scission were observed than in the case of pure CH.     

Thermodynamic study on complex of neodymium with glycine

Neodymium complex with glycine, Nd(Gly)₂Cl₃·3H₂O, was synthesized and characterized by IR spectra. The thermal stability of the complex was tested through TG and DTG and a possible mechanism of thermal decomposition was proposed. The heat capacities of the complex were measured by using an automated adiabatic calorimeter over the temperature range from T = (80 to 380) K, the thermodynamic functions, [H_T − H_298.15] and [S_T − S_298.15], were calculated based on the heat capacity measurements. Two (solid + solid) phase transitions in the ranges of T = (170 to 247) K were observed with the peak temperatures of 184.896 K and 231.217, respectively. The standard molar enthalpy of formation of [Nd(Gly)₂Cl₃·3H₂O] was determined to be (−3081.3 ± 1.1) kJ · mol⁻¹ in terms of an isoperibol solution-reaction calorimeter.