HETEROCYCLIC SCHIFF BASE NEODYMIUM COMPLEX AS CATALYST FOR RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION OF ε-CAPROLACTONE

An aromatic heterocyclic Schiff base neodymium complex bearing thiazole was synthesized and its activity in the ring-opening polymerization ofε-caprolactone(CL)was examined.The conditions of the CL/Nd molar ratio,monomer concentration,polymerization time and temperature were investigated.Activities of ca.171 kg/Nd·h were obtained under the optimum condition(CL/Nd=1600(molar ratio),[CL]=2.26 mol L~(-1),1 h at 50℃),giving a poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL)of number-average molecular weight M_n=5.4×10~4 and molecular weight distribution MWD=1.96.The conversion of CL monomer as high as 94% was observed after polymerized for one hour.The mechanism of coordination polymerization has also been illustrated.     

Morphology, crystallization and mechanical properties of poly(ɛ-caprolactone)/graphene oxide nanocomposites

A series of nanocomposites based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and graphene oxide (GO) were prepared by in situ polymerization. Scanning electron microscopy observation revealed not only a well dispersion of GO but also a strong interfacial interaction between GO and the PCL matrix, as evidenced by the presence of some GO nanosheets embedded in the matrix. Effects of GO nanofillers on the crystal structure, crystallization behavior and spherulitic morphology of the PCL matrix were investigated in detail. The results showed that the crystallization temperature of PCL enhanced significantly due to the presence of GO in the nanocomposites, however, the addition of GO did not affect the crystal structure greatly. Thermal stability of PCL remarkably increased with the addition of GO nanosheets, compared with that of pure PCL. Incorporation of GO greatly improved the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of PCL without a significant loss of the elongation at break.     

RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION OF ε-CAPROLACTONE BY LANTHANOCENE CATALYSIS*

Ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) catalyzed bylanthanocenes, O(C_2H_4C_5H_3CH_3)_2YCl (Cat-YCl) and Me_2Si[(CH_3)_3SiC_5H_3]_2NdCl(Cat-NdCl) has been carried out for the first time. It has been found that both yttroceneand neodymocene are very efficient to catalyze the polymerization of CL, giving high molec-ular weight poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL ). The effects of [cat] / [ε- CL] molar ratio, polymeriza-tion temperature and time, as well as solvents were investigated and polymerization tem-perature is found to be the most important factor affecting the polymerization. The bulkpolymerization gives higher molecular weight PCL and higher conversion than that in solu-tion polymerization. NaBPh_4 was found to promote the polymerization of ε-caprolactone,and thus to increase both the polymerization conversion and MW of poly (ε- caprolactone ).     

Block Copolymer Networks Composed of Poly(ε-caprolactone) and Polyethylene with Triple Shape Memory Properties

In this contribution, we reported a novel synthesis of block copolymer networks composed of poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL) and polyethylene(PE) via the co-hydrolysis and condensation of α,ω-ditriethoxylsilane-terminated PCL and PE telechelics. First, α,ω-dihydroxylterminated PCL and PE telechelics were synthesized via the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and the ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cyclooctene followed by hydrogenation of polycyclooctene. Both α,ω-ditriethoxylsilane-terminated PCL and PE telechelics were obtained via in situ reaction of α,ω-dihydroxyl-terminated PCL and PE telechelics with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane. The formation of networks was evidenced by the solubility and rheological tests. It was found that the block copolymer networks were microphase-separated. The PCL and PE blocks still preserved the crystallinity. Owing to the formation of crosslinked networks, the materials displayed shape memory properties. More importantly, the combination of PCL with PE resulted that the block copolymer networks had the triple shape memory properties, which can be triggered with the melting and crystallization of PCL and PE blocks. The results reported in this work demonstrated that triple shape memory polymers could be prepared via the formation of block copolymer networks.     

Hybrid Copolymerization via the Combination of Proton Transfer and Ring-opening Polymerization

Phosphazene base,t-BuP2,was employed to catalyze the proton transfer polymerization(PTP)of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate(HEA),and PTP was further combined with ring-opening polymerization(ROP)to exploit a new type of hybrid copolymerization.The studies on homopolymerization showed that t-BuP2 was a particularly efficient catalyst for the polymerization of HEA at room temperature,giving an excellent monomer conversion.Throughout the polymerization,transesterification reactions were unavoidable,which increased the randomness in the structures of the resulting polymers.The studies on copolymerization showed that t-BuP2 could simultaneously catalyze the hybrid copolymerization via the combination of PTP and ROP at 25°C.During copolymerization,HEA not only provided hydroxyl groups to initiate the ROP ofε-caprolactone(CL)but also participated in the polymerization as a monomer for PTP.The copolymer composition was approximately equal to the feed ratio,demonstrating the possibility to adjust the polymeric structure by simply changing the monomer feed ratio.This copolymerization reaction provides a simple method for synthesizing degradable functional copolymers from commercially available materials.Hence,it is important not only in polymer chemistry but also in environmental and biomedical engineering.     

Synthesis of heteroarm star polymers comprising poly(4-methylphenyl vinyl sulfoxide) segment by living anionic polymerization

<正>A series of 3-arm ABC and AA'B and 4-arm ABCD,AA'BC and AA′A″B heteroarm star polymers comprising one poly(4-methylphenyl vinyl sulfoxide) segment and other segments such as polystyrene,poly(α-methylstyrene), poly(4-methoxystyrene) and poly(4-trimethylsilylstyrene) were synthesized by living anionic polymerization based on diphenylethylene(DPE) chemistry.The DPE-functionalized polymers were synthesized by iterative methodology,and the objective star polymers were prepared by two distinct methodologies based on anionic polymerization using DPE-functionalized polymers.The first methodology involves an addition reaction of living anionic polymer with excess DPE-functionalized polymer and a subsequent living anionic polymerization of 4-methylphenyl vinyl sulfoxide(MePVSO) initiated from the in situ formed polymer anion with two or three polymer segments.The second methodology comprises an addition reaction of DPE-functionalized polymer with excess sec-BuLi and a following anionic polymerization of MePVSO initiated from the in situ formed polymer anion and 3-methyl-1,1-diphenylpentyl anion as well.Both approaches could afford the target heteroarm star polymers with predetermined molecular weight,narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n1.03) and desired composition,evidenced by SEC,~1H-NMR and SLS analyses.These polymers can be used as model polymers to investigate structure-property relationships in heteroarm star polymers.     

In situ generated,tetrahydrosalen stabilized yttrium borohydride complex:Efficient initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone

In this paper,we report the preparation of a new tertrahydrosalen-stabilized yttrium complex which was employed as an initiator-precursor for the polymerization ofε-caprolactone(ε-CL) in the presence of NaBH_4 to give interesting hydroxytelechelic poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL).The effect of[monomer]/[initiator]([CL]/[I]),temperature and time on the polymerization was investigated.It was found that under the condition:[CL]/[I]= 1200,55℃,toluene:0.5 mL,ε-CL:0.5 mL,PCL with M_w = 32,600 and PDI = 1.47 was obtai...     

Synthesis and Characterization of ABBA Block Copolymer of Glycolide and ε-Caprolactone

A biodegradable ABBA block copolymer was synthesized via the ring-opening co-polymerization of ε-Scaprolactone (CL, B) and glycolide (A) by means of step polymerization in the presence of ethylene glycol as an initiator and stannous octanoate as a catalyst at 110 ℃ for 48 h. The molecular length of the PCL prepolymer(BB) could be adjusted by controlling the molar ratio of the ethylene glycol initiator to ε-caprolactone monomer. The structure and the composition of the block copolymer were determined by the weight ratio of the monomer glycolide (A) to PCL pre-polymer(BB). The block copolymers were characterized by ^1H NMR, GPC, DSC and X-ray. The results confirm the successful synthesis of an ABBA block copolymer.     

Binuclear Aluminum Complexes Supported by Linked Bis(β-diketiminate) Ligands for Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Esters

Binuclear aluminum alkyl complexes 2a–4g supported by linked bis(β-diketiminate) ligands were synthesized via the reaction of AlEt_3 or AlMe_3 and the corresponding proligand in a 2:1 molar ratio with moderate yields. The isolated complexes were well-characterized by ~1H-NMR, ~(13)C-NMR and elemental analysis. The binuclear nature of aluminum complex 2b was further confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study. All complexes 2a–4g could efficiently initiate the ring-opening polymerization(ROP) of ε-caprolactone in toluene. The substituents at the aromatic rings and the linker unit in the auxiliary ligands exerted significant influence on the catalytic behavior of the investigated aluminum complexes. Complex 4g(R~1 = R~2 = Cl) containing propylenyl bridging unit exhibited the highest catalytic activity among these complexes, which might be attributed to the increased electrophilicity of the metal center as well as more opened coordination sphere. The molecular weights of obtained poly(ε-caprolactone)s deviating considerably from the theoretical values indicated that the ROP of ε-caprolactone by complexes 2a–4g was not well-controlled, which was also judged from the broad molecular weight distributions(MWD = 1.47-2.47) of produced poly(ε-caprolactone)s. These complexes proved to be inactive toward the polymerization of rac-lactide alone. In the presence of alcohol the polymerization occurred, which was actually initiated by the decomposition species of the aluminum complex upon the treatment with isopropanol.     

TUNED MECHANICAL PROPERTIES ACHIEVED BY VARYING POLYMER STRUCTURE — KNOWLEDGE THAT GENERATES NEW MATERIALS FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING

By changing both the monomer composition and the polymer structure, we have varied the mechanical properties of resorbable polymers. The polymers were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization using L-lactide （LLA）, ε-caprolactone （εCL）, trimethylene carbonate （TMC） and 1,5-dioxepan-2-one （DXO） as monomers. Well-defined triblock copolymers, microblock copolymers and networks have been evaluated, and comparisons between them show that it is possible to tune the mechanical properties. Triblock copolymers with an amorphous middle block of poly（1,5-dioxepan-2- one） （PDXO） and semi-crystalline end-blocks of poly（ε-caprolactone） （PCL） were stronger and had a higher strain at break than triblock copolymers with poly（L-lactide） （PLLA） as end-blocks. Polymers with both DXO and TMC in the amorphous middle-block and PLLA as end-blocks showed a lower stress at break, but the material gained elasticity, a property which is very valuable in tissue engineering. Mechanical properties of networks, synthesized by a novel method, containing PDXO and PCL are also presented. Although it is difficult to compare them with the uncross-linked polymers, this is an additional way to modify and widen the properties.     

Tetrahydrosalen backboned gadolinium complex as initiator for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone

Tetrahydrosalen ligand was employed in the synthesis of gadolinium complex. The ligand was deprotoned by LiBu, and the afforded lithium salt was reacted with anhydrous GdCl3 to produce the gadolinium complex through salt metathesis. This complex was successfully used to initiate the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. The initiation conditions in different temperature, monomer-to-initiator ratio and time were investigated. Under the condition： [ε-caprolactone]：[catalyst] = 600, 56 ℃, toluene： 2 ml, poly（ε-caprolactone） （PCL） with Mw = 11,2782 and PDI = 1.96 was achieved.     

Construction of photoresponsive supramolecular micelles based on ethyl cellulose graft copolymer

In this work, a UV-Visible light controlled supramolecular system based on ethyl cellulose(EC) was constructed, combining the host-guest interaction of β-cyclodextrin(β-CD) group and trans-isomer of azobenzene(tAzo) group. To link β-CD to the hydrophobic section, renewable EC was used as macroinitiator to initiate the polymerization of ε-caprolactone(ε-CL) to form biocompatible and biodegradable comb copolymer EC-g-PCL, and β-CD was attached to the end of PCL side chain via click reaction. Meanwhile, hydrophilic PEG-tAzo was obtained by N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide(DCC) coupling. Then, the structures of the products were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) and gel permeation chromatography(GPC). Subsequently, with the formation of inclusion complexes by β-CD and tAzo groups, the obtained EC-g-PCL-β-CD/PEG-tAzo supramolecular system self-assembled in water with hydrophobic EC-g-PCL-β-CD as core and hydrophilic PEG-tAzo as shell. Furthermore, dynamic light scattering(DLS) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM) were utilized to investigate the particle size and size distribution, while NMR and UV-Vis spectra were applied to explore the UV-Visible light stimuli-responsiveness of the micelles.     

Preaparation of cationic latexes of poly(styrene-CO-butyl acrylate) and their properties evolution in latex dilution

Cationic latexes were prepared through emulsion copolymerization of styrene(St) and butyl acrylate(BA) with a cationic surfactant,cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide(CTAB).Latex properties,including particle size,size distribution,ζpotential,surface tension and monomer conversion,were determined for latexes prepared with different CTAB amounts. Evolution of these properties during emulsion polymerization was followed in order to understand the mechanism of the particles formation.Results showed that both particle size andζpotential were function of polymerization time and latex solids.Parallel emulsion polymerizations with cationic,anionic charged initiator and charge-free initiators were also carried out,the latex properties were determined at different polymerization time.All these results were attentively interpreted based on the mechanisms of emulsion polymerization,surfactant adsorption and latex particle stabilization.     

Synthesis of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene possessing high content of 1,4-units via anionic polymerization

<正>The hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene(HTPB) possessing high content of 1,4-units was synthesized by anionic polymerization of butadiene,using alkyllithium containing silicon-protected hydroxyl group as initiator and cyclohexane as solvent.The polymers were characterized by GPC,IR and ~1H-NMR.The mechanical properties of cured films were also evaluated.The results show that the content of 1,4-units for HTPBs made by anionic polymerization reaches up to 90%.The molecular weight distribution is very narrow(≤1.05).The functionality of hydroxyl groups approaches 2.Compared with free radical HTPB,the elongation at break of anionic HTPB films increased by 70%,while the tensile strength remained nearly unchanged.This new HTPB can be very useful in solid propellant.     

Crystallization Behavior and Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Poly(ε-caprolactone)/Octaisobutyl-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes Composites Prepared via Different Methods

Two octaisobutyl-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes(oib-POSS)reinforced biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL)composites were prepared via two different methods,i.e.,melt compounding and solution casting,which were named as m PCL/oib-POSS and s PCL/oibPOSS,respectively,in this work.Oib-POSS dispersed finely in both composites;moreover,oib-POSS aggregates were larger in m PCL/oib-POSS than in s PCL/oib-POSS.Despite the different preparation methods,oib-POSS obviously promoted the crystallization of PCL,especially in s PCL/oib-POSS,but did not modify the crystal structure of PCL.The storage moduli of PCL were improved significantly in both composites.PCL/oib-POSS composites with enhanced crystallization behavior and improved dynamic mechanical properties were successfully prepared through both methods;moreover,the solution casting method was more effective than the melt compounding method.     

Enhanced Crystallization Rate of Biodegradable Poly(ε-caprolactone) by Cyanuric Acid as an Efficient Nucleating Agent

The influence of cyanuric acid(CA) as an efficient nucleating agent on the crystallization behavior and morphology of biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL) was extensively studied in this work with several techniques for the first time. The nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior and overall isothermal melt crystallization rate of PCL were significantly enhanced by only a small amount of CA. The addition of CA apparently improved the nonisothermal melt crystallization peak temperature, overall isothermal melt crystallization rate, and nucleation density of PCL spherulites, but did not modify the crystallization mechanism and crystal structure of PCL, indicating that CA was an efficient nucleating agent for the crystallization of PCL. The possible nucleation mechanism of CA on the crystallization of PCL was also discussed on the basis of their crystal structures.     

Direct Comparison of Crystal Nucleation Activity of PCL on Patterned Substrates

A sample containing different regions with poly(ε-caprolactone)(PCL), oriented polyethylene (PE), and oriented isotactic polypropylene (iPP) films in contact with glass slide has been prepared to be observed in the same view field in an optical microscope and the crystallization of PCL in different regions during cooling from 80 °C down to room temperature at a rate of 1 °C·min^-1 was studied. The results showed that the crystallization of PCL started first at the PE surface and then at the iPP surface, while its bulk crystallization occured much later. This indicates that though both PE and iPP are active in nucleating PCL, the nucleation ability of PE is stronger than that of iPP. This was due to a better lattice matching between PCL and PE than that between PCL and iPP. Moreover, since lattice matching existed between every (hk0) lattice planes of both PCL and PE but only between the (100)PCL and (010)iPP lattice planes, the uniaxial orientation feature of the used PE and iPP films resulted in the existence of much more active nucleation sites of PCL on PE than on iPP. This led to the fact that the nucleation density of PCL at PE surface was so high that the crystallization of PCL at PE surface took place in a way like the film developing process with PCL microcrystallites happened everywhere with crystallization proceeding simultaneously. On the other hand, even though iPP also enhanced the nucleation density of PCL evidently, the crystallization of PCL at iPP surface included still a nucleation and crystal growth processes similar to that of its bulk crystallization.     

Drug and plasmid DNA co-delivery nanocarriers based on abctype polypeptide hybrid miktoarm star copolymers

We report on the fabrication of self-assembled micelles from ABC-type miktoarm star polypeptide hybrid copolymers consisting of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(L-lysine), and poly(ε-caprolactone) arms, PEO(-b-PLL)-b-PCL, and their functional applications as co-delivery nanocarriers of chemotherapeutic drugs and plasmid DNA. Miktoarm star copolymer precursors, PEO(-b-PZLL)-b-PCL, were synthesized at first via the combination of consecutive "click" reactions and ring-opening polymerizations (ROP), where PZLL is poly(ε-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine). Subsequently, the deprotection of PZLL arm afforded amphiphilic miktoarm star copolymers, PEO(-b-PLL)-b-PCL. In aqueous media at pH 7.4, PEO(-b-PLL)-b-PCL self-assembles into micelles consisting of PCL cores and hydrophilic PEO/PLL hybrid coronas. The hydrophobic micellar cores can effectively encapsulate model hydrophobic anticancer drug, paclitaxel; whereas positively charged PLL arms within mixed micellar corona are capable of forming electrostatic polyplexes with negatively charged plasmid DNA (pDNA) at N/P ratios higher than ca. 2. Thus, PEO(-b-PLL)-b-PCL micelles can act as co-delivery nanovehicles for both chemotherapeutic drugs and genes. Furthermore, polyplexes of pDNA with paclitaxel-loaded PEO(-b-PLL)-b-PCL micelles exhibited improved transfection efficiency compared to that of pDNA/blank micelles. We expect that the reported strategy of varying chain topologies for the fabrication of co-delivery polymeric nanocarriers can be further applied to integrate with other advantageous functions such as targeting, imaging, and diagnostics.     

TRANSAMIDATION IN THE in situ BLENDING OF POLYAMIDE 1212 WITH POLYAMIDE 6 THROUGH ANIONIC POLYMERIZATION OF CAPROLACTAM

20 wt% polyamide 12(PA1212)pellets were dissolved in molten caprolactam.The caprolactam was then catalyzed at 180℃and polymerized by means of anionic ring-opening polymerization to produce in situ blends of the resultant polyamide 6(PA6)and PA1212.Mechanical blends with same ingredient were prepared through melt blending on a twin-screw extruder.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM)observation revealed that contrary to the mechanical blends with small spherulites embedded in the matrix,no phase-separation existed in the in situ blends.The results of thermal analysis by differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)showed that single melting peak and crystallization peak existed for the in situ blends,while two melting and crystallization peaks appeared for the mechanical blends.The in situ blend film and the mixed blend film,both cast from a dilute formic acid solution with a concentration of 0.5 g/L,remained similar crystallization and melting behavior as above.It is proved by solution ~(13)C-NMR analysis that transamidation took place during the in situ blending,and it is suggested that the combination of temperature increasing and the basic surrounding derived from NaOH during polymerization resulted in the occurrence of transamidation.Furthermore,it is proposed that the interchange reaction between PA1212 and PA6 also resulted from the degradative reaction during the anionic polymerization.     

Synthesis of highly reactive polyisobutylenes with BF<Subscript>3</Subscript>·cyclohexanol initiating system

The selective cationic polymerization of isobutylene（IB）initiated by a BF₃·cyclohexanol（CL）complex was carried out from the mixed C₄ fraction feed containing the 4C saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons at-20℃.The effects of CL concentration,BF₃ concentration,solvent for preparing BF₃·CL complex and polymerization time on the chemical structure of end groups,number-average molecular weight（M_n）and molecular weight distribution（MWD,M_w/M_n）of the resulting polymers were investigated.The experimental results indicate that the BF₃·CL complex initiating system exhibited an extremely high selectivity toward the cationic polymerization of IB in the mixed C₄ fraction feed and low molecular weight（M_n=900-3600）polyisobutylenes（PIBs）with large proportion of exo-double bond end groups were obtained.The exo-double bond content in PIB chain ends increased by increasing CL concentration or by decreasing solvent polarity in initiating system,BF₃ concentration and polymerization time.The M_n and MWD of the resulting PIBs were dependent on the concentrations of CL and BF₃.Highly reactive PIBs with around 90 mol%of exo-double bonds were successfully synthesized by the selective polymerization of IB from the mixed C₄ fraction feed,providing a potentially practical process for its simplicity and low costs.