Poly(tetrafluorostyrenephosphonic acid)–polysulfone block copolymers and membranes

A series of ionic ABA triblock copolymers having a central polysulfone (PSU) block and poly(2,3,5,6,‐tetrafluorostyrene‐4‐phosphonic acid) (PTFSPA) outer blocks with different lengths were prepared and studied as electrolyte membranes. PSU with terminal benzyl bromide was used as a bifunctional macroinitiator for the formation of poly(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorostyrene) (PPFS) blocks by atom transfer radical polymerization. Selective and complete phosphonation of the PPFS blocks was achieved via a Michaelis?Arbuzov reaction using tris(trimethylsilyl)phosphite at 170 °C. Copolymer films were cast from solution and subsequently fully hydrolyzed to produce transparent flexible proton conducting PTFSPA‐b‐PSU‐b‐PTFSPA membranes with a thermal stability reaching above 270 °C under air, and increasing with the PTFSPA content. Studies of thin copolymer electrolyte membranes by tapping mode atomic force microscopy showed phase separated morphologies with continuous proton conducting PTFSPA nano scale domains. Block copolymer membranes reached a proton conductivity of 0.08 S cm^?1 at 120 °C under fully hydrated conditions, and 0.8 mS cm^?1 under 50% relative humidity at 80 °C. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4657–4666     

Stability constants of some bivalent metal complexes of N-phenyl-o-tolylbenzohydroxamic acid

The stability constants of the Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺, Ni²⁺ and Mu²⁺ complexes of N-phenyl-o-methoxybenzohydroxamic acid at 30° in 50% v/v aqueous dioxan are: log K₁ 10·45, 8·16, 7·52, 6·33; log K₂ 8·90, 6·70, 6·01, 5·59 (for the ions in the order given).     

Poly(butylene terephthalate)–polyarylate blends

In this paper we focus on miscible blends of two engineering polymers: poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and a polyarylate (PAr). The issue of transesterification in these blends will be addressed, followed by a discussion of the crystallization kinetics of PBT, poly(ethylene terephthalate) and several PBT/PAr blends. The ability to estimate polymer–polymer interaction parameters in blends from melting point depression will also be discussed. The amorphous phase behavior of the PBT/PAr blends has been explored primarily using dielectric spectroscopy. For blends in which PBT has crystallized, we observe two relaxations associated with T_g-like motion, and this behavior is interpreted in light of our recent work on order–disorder interphases in crystalline blends.     

Poly(lactic acid)‐based nanocomposites

Classic plastics accumulate in nature causing environmental pollution, yet as a counterbalance they benefit society in many ways. They are versatile, cost‐effective, and can be tailored to have desired properties. The global environment has led to the fabrication of commodity plastics from environmentally degradable polymers. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is the most promising among the environmentally friendly polymers available. PLA‐based plastics have mechanical, thermal, and transparency similar to traditional plastics, and they can be molded and fabricated using the same equipment and procedures. Their material properties are enhanced through nanocomposites, compatibilizers, plasticizers, and other fillers (flame retardant, ultraviolet filter, etc.). This review summarizes mass production techniques and property reinforcements (focusing on nanocomposites and plasticizers) for PLA‐based plastics for commodity use. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Conductivity of Poly(pyrrole)‐Poly(styrene sulfonate) Core–Shell Nanoparticles

The dielectric properties of poly(styrene) nanoparticles decorated at their surfaces with poly(styrene sulfonate) [PSS] brushes and subsequently loaded with polypyrrole (PPy) were studied. These film‐forming materials which may serve as hole‐injection layers in organic light‐emitting diodes, exhibit a core–shell‐type morphology with a core of electrically insulating poly(styrene) and a shell consisting of a corona of PSS chains which form the matrix in which the electrically conducting complex of PPy and PSS is embedded. This conducting complex exists in form of domains of nanoscale dimensions. Thin compressed pellets of these nanoparticles were studied using mainly impedance spectroscopy. Measurements were carried out in the temperature range between 123 and 453 K and frequency range from 10^?1 to 10⁶ Hz. While earlier studies were centered around the effect of polypyrrole volume fraction on the conductivity films and pellets composed of these nanoparticles, the present study reveals in which way the conductivity can be modified by exchange of the mobile inorganic counter ions of PSS. Besides the free‐acid form (H⁺), the Li⁺‐, Na⁺‐ and Cs⁺‐salts of PSS were investigated. The PPy volume fraction was the same for all PPy/PSS core–shell nanoparticles. The distance for phonon‐assisted hopping between next‐neighbor polypyrrolium chains is influenced by the presence of these inorganic cations. For all samples containing PPy, a transition from insulating to conducting behavior in the range of 300‐350 K was found. Using the fluctuation‐induced tunneling model, the average tunneling distance, as well as the potential energy barrier separating neighboring conducting grains was estimated. Finally, a detailed analysis of the dielectric spectra suggests the localization length of the charge carriers to be about 0.33 nm.     

Light Scattering Study of the Antibody–Poly(methacrylic acid) and Antibody–Poly(acrylic acid) Conjugates in Aqueous Solutions

The effect of the conformational state of the polymer coil on the properties of protein–polymer conjugates has been studied for the conjugates of antibody (monoclonal antibody from 6C5 clone against inactivated rabbit muscle glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase; Ab) with poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA) or poly‐(acrylic acid) (PAA). The pH‐dependencies of molecular properties and structural parameters of aqueous solutions (radius of gyration, intensity of scattered light, hydrodynamic diameter, and polydispersity index) of Ab, PMAA, and PAA and their conjugates, i. e., Ab‐PMAA and Ab‐PAA, have been studied using static and dynamic light scattering techniques. While free Ab aggregates in solution and precipitates at its isoelectric point, the covalent attachment of a charged polymer to Ab prevents its association and shifts the precipitation point towards more acidic values (from pH 5.95 for Ab to pH ˜ 4.8 for Ab‐PMAA). The predominant role of the conformational status of the polymer in the process of conjugate precipitation has been considered. Contrary to the precipitation of Ab‐PMAA, the formation of stable colloidal particles was suggested for Ab‐PAA at pH < 4.8. In the conjugates, polymer chains surround the protein globule in an extremely compact manner while Ab significantly affects the polymer conformation. The essentially larger hydrodynamic radii of conjugates, when compared with their radii of gyration, confirm the strong interaction of conjugates with solvent molecules.     

Poly(N‐phenylmaleimide‐co‐acrylic acid)–copper(II) and poly(N‐phenylmaleimide‐co‐acrylic acid)–cobalt(II) complexes: Synthesis,characterization, and thermal behavior

The free‐radical copolymerization of N‐phenylmaleimide (N‐PhMI) with acrylic acid was studied in the range of 25–75 mol % in the feed. The interactions of these copolymers with Cu(II) and Co(II) ions were investigated as a function of the pH and copolymer composition by the use of the ultrafiltration technique. The maximum retention capacity of the copolymers for Co(II) and Cu(II) ions varied from 200 to 250 mg/g and from 210 to 300 mg/g, respectively. The copolymers and polymer–metal complexes of divalent transition‐metal ions were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The thermal behavior was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry (TG). The TG and DSC measurements showed an increase in the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and the thermal stability with an increase in the N‐PhMI concentration in the copolymers. T_g of poly(N‐PhMI‐co‐AA) with copolymer composition 46.5:53.5 mol % was found at 251 °C, and it decreased when the complexes of Co(II) and Cu(II) at pHs 3–7 were formed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4933–4941, 2005     

Block–Stereoblock Copolymers of Poly(ϵ‐Caprolactone) and Poly(Lactic Acid)

A magnesium complex of the type {ONNN}Mg‐HMDS wherein {ONNN} is a sequential tetradentate monoanionic ligand is introduced. In the presence of an alcohol initiator this complex catalyzes the living and immortal homopolymerization of the lactide enantiomers and ?‐caprolactone at room‐temperature with exceptionally high activities, as well as the precise block copolymerization of these monomers in a one‐pot synthesis by sequential monomer addition. Copolymers of unprecedented microstructures such as the PCL‐b‐PLLA‐b‐PDLA and PDLA‐b‐PLLA‐b‐PCL‐b‐PLLA‐b‐PDLA block–stereoblock microstructures that feature unique thermal properties are readily accessed.     

Shape Memory Properties in Poly(ethylene oxide)–Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Copolymers

Memory effects of several copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) were illustrated with photos, determined with shrinkage experiments and characterized by the recovery of samples to their original figures. Copolymers of appropriate composition could undertake an approximately full recovery which is tightly related to the annealing temperature at which shrinkage of samples occurs to some extent. Melting and recrystallization of PEO segments may be responsible for the memory effect. The memory properties of samples almost kept unchanged after many fatigue cycles (e.g. 15–20 cycles), which could make these copolymers useful in practical applications as novel shape memory materials. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structure of poly(ethylene oxide) complexes. II. Poly(ethylene oxide)–mercuric chloride complex

The structure of the crystalline complex of poly(ethylene oxide) with mercuric chloride, whose composition is (CH₂CH₂O)₄ · HgCl₂, has been determined by x-ray diffraction. The unit cell is orthorhombic with the dimensions of a = 13.55 Å, b = 8.58 Å, and c (fiber axis) = 11.75 Å, and the unit cell contains 4 HgCl₂ molecules and 16 CH₂CH₂O units. Four chains pass through the lattice and four monomeric units are contained in the fiber identity period. The space group is Ccmm–D_2h¹⁷, Ccm2¹–C_2v¹², Cc2m–C_2v¹⁶ or C222₁–D₂⁵. The positions of Hg and Cl atoms have been determined by the Patterson function synthesized by the use of intensity data of the fiber sample, and the molecular conformation of poly(ethylene oxide) has been determined by examining the space not occupied by mercuric chloride molecules in the crystal lattice. The conformation of polyethylene oxide in the complex has been found to be the form of T₅GT₅G ; that is, where G and G mean the right- and left-handed gauche forms, respectively. This molecular structure has been confirmed further by the results of the Fourier syntheses by using the more accurate data refined by the intensity measurements with a diffractometer on the powder sample. The bond length between Hg and Cl in the complex (2.30 Å) is a little longer than that of HgCl₂ in the crystal (2.25 Å). This is consistent with the fact that the infrared absorption band associated with the antisymmetric stretching vibration of HgCl₂ shifts to 353 cm^?1 in the complex from 367 cm^?1 in the crystal. It was also found that another type of complex, giving a different infrared spectrum and x-ray diffraction pattern, was obtained when the original complex was soaked much longer in a saturated ether solution of HgCl₂.     

2,6-Diacetylpyridinesalicylaldazine complexes of bivalent metal ions

Summary 2,6-Diacetylpyridinesalicylaldazine (H₂daps) forms complexes [Ni(H₂daps)ClH₂O]Cl, [M(H₂daps)Cl₂H₂O] (M = Mn, Co, Cu or Zn) and [M(daps)(H₂O)₂] (M = Mn, Co, Ni, Cu or Zn) which have been characterized by elemental analyses, physicochemical methods, spectroscopy and X-ray powder diffraction.     

Cisplatin‐Rich Polyoxazoline–Poly(aspartic acid) Supramolecular Nanoparticles

Cisplatin‐rich supramolecular nanoparticles are constructed through the supramolecular inclusion interaction between the admantyl (Ad)‐terminated poly(aspartic acid) (Ad‐P(Asp)) and the β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD)‐terminated poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline). In the formation of the nanoparticles, the β‐CD/admantane inclusion complex integrates poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) and poly(aspartic acid) chains to form pseudoblock copolymers, followed by the coordination between carboxyl groups in P(Asp) block and cisplatin. This coordination interaction drives the formation of nanoparticle and enables cisplatin incorporated into the nanoparticles. The spherical cisplatin‐rich supramolecular nanoparticles have 53% cisplatin‐loading content, good stability, and effective inhibition of the cell proliferation when it is tested in H22 cancer cells. Near‐infrared fluorescence imaging of tumor bearing mice reveals that the cisplatin‐rich nanoparticles can target the tumor in vivo effectively.     

A Poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxypyrrole)–Au@WO3‐Based Electrochromic Pseudocapacitor

A poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxypyrrole)–gold nanoparticle (Au)–tungsten oxide (PEDOP–Au@WO₃) electrochromic supercapacitor electrode capable of optically modulating solar energy while simultaneously storing/releasing energy (in the form of charge) was fabricated for the first time. WO₃ fibers, 50 to 200 nm long and 20 to 60 nm wide, were synthesized by a hydrothermal route and were electrophoretically deposited on a conducting substrate. Au nanoparticles and PEDOP were coated over WO₃ to yield the PEDOP–Au@WO₃ hybrid electrode. The inclusion of Au in the hybrid was confirmed by X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analyses. The nanoscale electronic conductivity, coloration efficiency, and transmission contrast of the hybrid were found to be significantly greater than those of pristine WO₃ and PEDOP. The hybrid showed a high specific discharge capacitance of 130 F g^?1 during coloration, which was four and ten times greater than the capacitance achieved in WO₃ or PEDOP, respectively. We also demonstrate the ability of the PEDOP–Au@WO₃ hybrid, relative to pristine PEDOP, to perform as a superior counter electrode in a solar cell, which is attributed to a higher work function. The capacitance and redox switching capability of the hybrid decreases insignificantly with cycling, thus establishing the viability of this multifunction hybrid for next‐generation sustainable devices such as electrochromic psuedocapacitors because it can concurrently conserve and store energy.