Reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with pentavalent vanadium ion

The reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) with V(V), i.e., pentavalent vanadium ion, was studied in aqueous H₂SO₄ medium. The viscosity change of reaction mixture with time showed a peculiar feature owing to formation of labile complex between V(V) and PVAL and the subsequent decomposition of the complex. On the other hand, the change of viscosity disappeared when NaOH was added during the reaction to neutralize H₂SO₄ in the reaction mixture. Under a suitable condition, the reaction mixture set to a gel as a result of complex formation. It appeared that reactive sites in PVAL responsive to complexing with V(V) were 1,2-glycol unit and 1,2-ketoalcohol unit resulting from the oxidation of 1,2-glycol by V(V). The rate of oxidation was increased with increasing H₂SO₄ concentration. The main-chain scission of PVAL took place to an insignificant extent, unless the reaction condition was severe. Based on the results obtained a reaction mechanism has been proposed.     

Relationship between reduction of ceric ion with poly(vinyl alcohol) and graft copolymerization

Various poly(vinyl alcohol) samples were preliminarily subjected to oxidation treatment with sodium hypochlorite, and the reduction of ceric ion and subsequently initiation in the graft copolymerization in the system containing methyl methacrylate were investigated. The reduction behavior of ceric ion could be subdivided into three parts, each of different reaction rate. In the initial stage of the reaction, there was observed rapid cleavage of the backbone chain of poly(vinyl alcohol) with ceric salts. The amount A of cleavage was proportional to the amount of ceric ion reduced at the initial fastest rate for various samples of different extents of oxidation; cleavage of 1 mole required ca. 10 moles of reduction of ceric ion. Higher carbonyl contents of the sample caused increased A. Graft polymerization was carried out in the same system with the addition of the monomer. The amounts of grafted chains produced were determined, and approximately one mole of grafted chains was obtained for per mole of cleavage. The copolymer is concluded to be blocklike in structure. The contribution of the carbonyl groups in poly(vinyl alcohol) sample to the initiation of the polymerization should be emphasized.     

Reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with superoxide anion

Reaction of pol(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with superoxide anion was carried out in a dimethyl sulfoxide solution at 40°C under nitrogen and changes in the yield of recovered polymer, molecular weight, and chemical structure were examined. Appreciable decreases in the yield of recovered polymer and molecular weight were observed during the reaction, which indicated that a main chain scission of the polymer had occurred. Residual acetyl groups identified by the absorption peaks at ca. 1720 and 1250 cm^?1 in infrared (IR) spectra were removed rapidly and β-diketone groups identified by the peaks at ca. 1640 and 1560 cm^?1 in IR spectra and at ca. 255 nm in ultraviolet (UV) spectra were formed during the reaction. Formation of carboxylate groups was also assumed. The reaction mechanism was discussed on the basis of the results obtained.     

Reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with potassium persulfate and graft copolymerization

A study of the oxidation of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAL) by potassium persulfate (KPS) in aqueous solutions showed that the decomposition of KPS was greatly enhanced by the presence of PVAL, its hydroxyl groups being oxidized to ketones in a yield of about one mole of ketone from one mole of KPS. The decomposition rate of KPS was found to be given by the equation, ?d[S₂O₈^2?]/dt = k[S₂O₈^2?] [PVAL]^1/2, which was essentially the same as in the oxidation of alcohols of low molecular weight by persulfate ion. The occurrence of gelation of PVAL solutions and graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto PVAL in the presence of KPS was evidence for PVAL radical as an intermediate species in the oxidation of PVAL. A characterization study was also carried out for the reaction products of the graft copolymerization of MMA onto PVAL with KPS in dimethyl sulfoxide solution.     

Grafting acrylic acid monomer to poly-(vinyl alcohol) and methyl cellulose by ceric ion

A graft copolymer of acrylic acid on poly(vinyl alcohol) was prepared by use of the ceric ion–polyol redox system in aqueous medium. The graft copolymer obtained was water-soluble under the specified experimental conditions. The efficiency of grafting was determined by measuring carboxyl group content (as expected from acrylic acid unit) in the copolymer by applying the newly developed reverse dye-partition technique. The graft copolymer was also characterized by viscosity and solubility measurements. The effect of varying concentration of catalyst, monomer, and grafting time has also been determined.     

Heterotactic poly(vinyl alcohol)

Bulky substituents in vinyl trialkylsilyl ethers and vinyl trialkylcarbinyl ethers led to heterotactic polymers (H = 66%). The polymers were converted into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and further to poly(vinyl acetate), and tacticity was determined as poly(vinyl acetate). Vinyl triisopropylsilyl ether in nonpolar solvents yielded a heterotactic polymer with a higher percentage of isotactic triads than syndiotactic triads (Hetero-I). Vinyl trialkylcarbinyl ethers in polar solvents gave a heterotactic polymer with more syndiotactic triads than isotactic (Hetero-II). Heterotactic PVA was soluble in water and showed characteristics infrared absorptions. Interestingly, Hetero-I PVA showed no iodine color reaction, but Hetero-II showed a much more intense color reaction than a commercial PVA. The mechanism of heterotactic propagation was discussed in terms of the Markóv chain model.     

Physical properties of ion beam treated electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers

We show that the mechanical properties of nano-sized electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) fibers can be modified using broad-energy ion beam implantation. The elastic moduli were determined using atomic force microscopy multi-point mechanical bending tests on individual fibers before and after treatment. With a dose of 8.0 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm² of nitrogen ion we observed 30% increases in fiber elastic modulus with a simultaneous fiber diameter reduction. Two additional doses of nitrogen ion as well as a 8.0 × 10¹⁵ ions/cm² of helium ion treatment showed that this stiffness improvement effect was dependent on ion dosage and ion species. The surface morphological features of the fiber mat were shown to be unaltered due to the ion beam treatment. Key chemical modifications via nitrogen ion treatment were the introduction of the functional groups amine and amide. These groups are important in promoting cell compatibility on polymer surfaces.     

Reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) with formaldehyde and polymer stereoregularity. Model compounds

The reaction of stereoisomers of pentane-2, 4-diol and heptane-2, 4, 6-triol with formaldehyde was investigated as a model for the formalization reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) in order to determine effect of the stereochemical configuration of the polyol molecules on the reaction. The isotactic (meso) diol portion reacted with formaldehyde to give cis-formal several times faster than did the syndiotactic (dl) diol portion to give trans-formal at 30–80°C. In the reaction of heterotactic (meso-dl) triol which provides both the isotactic and syndiotactic diol portions in a molecule, the proportion of trans-formal in the total formal decreased as the reaction proceeded. This shows that the formation of cis-formal is also favored thermodynamically to a greater extent, and hence the intramolecular migration of trans-formal to cis-formal did occur during the reaction. The rates of hydrolysis of formals of the diols were compared with those of the triols in order to see the effect of a hydroxyl group adjacent to the formal ring on the reaction. No appreciable rate difference was observed between the dimer and trimer models both in cis- and trans- formals. Therefore it was deduced from these results that the increase of the rate of hydrolysis of poly(vinyl formal) with the increase of hydroxyl groups along the polymer chain is a characteristic of macromolecules that is not observed in the low molecular weight models.     

Reaction of sulfur with poly(vinyl chloride)

The reaction of elemental sulfur with poly(vinyl chloride) is studied in 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene and without any solvent under various conditions. Black polymers containing 3.77–57.64% chemically bonded sulfur and, according to IR spectroscopy, including >C=C< and >C=S groups in macromolecules are obtained. It is shown that the diffraction curves of poly(vinyl chloride) and of the reaction product containing 7.82% almost coincide but that the thermal stability of the latter is considerably higher than that of the initial polymer. The prospects of the practical use of the products of the reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) with elemental sulfur are demonstrated.     

Reaction of n-butyllithium with poly(vinyl chloride)

The reactions of poly(vinyl chloride) and butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran were investigated. A deep purple color developed at first with addition of butyllithium to the THF–PVC solution, and a spontaneous color change of the misture occurred successively to blue, green, and finally pale vellow. In these reaction stages, the PVC might be butylated, dehydrochlorinated, and partially lithiated by BuLi. These facts were substantiated by the results of successive reactions with various substances such as Michler's ketone, carbon dioxide, and styrene.     

Study of the miscibility of poly(vinyl pyridines) with poly(vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl alcohol) and their copolymers

Miscibility of poly(4-vinyl pyridine) (P4VP) and poly(2-vinyl pyridine) (P2VP) with poly(viny acetate) (PVAc), poly(vinyl alcohol) PVA and poly(vinyl acetate-co-alcohol) (ACA copolymers) has been investigated over a wide composition range. Differentiaal scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicate that P2VP is immiscible with PVAC, PVA, and their copolymers over the whole composition range. In turn, P4VP appears to be immiscible with PVAC and PVA, but miscible with some ACA copolymers in certain range of composition. The P4VP-ACA phase diagram for different copolymer compositions has been determined. The variation of the glass transition temperature with composition for miscible mixtures was found to follow the Gordon-Taylor equation, with the parameter κ dependent upon copolymer composition. FTIR analysis of blends reveal the existence of specific interactions via hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl groups and the nitrogen of the pyridinic ring, which appear to be decisive for miscibility. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) during the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate using poly(vinyl alcohol) as emulsifier

During the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as stabilizer and potassium persulfate as initiator, the VAc reacts with PVA forming PVA-graft-PVAc. When the grafted polymer reaches a critical size it becomes water-insoluble and precipitates from the aqueous phase contributing to the formation of polymer particles. Since particle formation and therefore the properties of the final latex will depend on the degree of grafting, it is important to quantify and to characterize the grafted PVA. In this work, the quantitative separation and characterization of the grafted water-insoluble PVA was carried out by a two-step selective solubilization of the PVAc latex, first with acetonitrile to separate PVAc homopolymer, followed by water to separate the water-soluble PVA from the remaining acetonitrile-insoluble material. After the separation, the water-soluble and water-insoluble PVA were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses, from which the details of the PVA-graft-PVAc structure were obtained. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The solvation of poly(vinyl alcohol)

The possible incorporation of water molecules within the crystal structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) is discussed. Modelling of the crystal structure suggested that water could be incorporated without severe disruption, and the effect on the X-ray powder diffraction trace was simulated. The effect of variation in tacticity is discussed in terms of the nature of the hydrogen bonding. Simulated traces are compared with experimental data from atactic samples in which a change in the diffraction peak intensities is observed for samples crystallised with water present. This is compared with samples produced from nonaqueous solutions.     

Long branching in poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl alcohol). II. Polymerization of vinyl acetate in the presence of crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)

It is a common view that poly(vinyl acetate) has many branches at the acetyl side group, but that the corresponding poly(vinyl alcohol) has little branching. In order to study the branching in poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl alcohol) which is formed by chain transfer to polymer, the polymerization of ¹⁴C-labeled vinyl acetate in the presence of crosslinked poly(vinyl acetate), which was able to be decrosslinked to give soluble polymers, was investigated at 60°C and 0°C. This system made it possible to separate as well as to distinguish the graft polymer from the newly polymerized homopolymer. Furthermore, the degree of grafting onto the acetoxymethyl group and onto the main chain were estimated. It became clear that, in the polymerization of vinyl acetate, chain transfer to the polymer main chain takes place about 2.4 times as frequently at 60°C as that to the acetoxy group and about 4.8 times as frequently at 0°C.     

Reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) with superoxide anion

Reaction of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with superoxide anion was carried out in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 40°C in a nitrogen atmosphere. Remarkable changes in infrared (IR) spectra of the samples treated with superoxide anion were observed in the following regions: ca. 3300, 1680, 1620, and 765 cm^?1, which suggested the formation of hydroxyl groups, α,β-unsaturated ketone groups, and ethylenic structures. Ultraviolet–visible spectra also showed the formation of polyene structures. The content of chlorine in the polymer decreased and that of oxygen increased with reaction time. The reaction mechanism was discussed on the basis of these results.     

Structural irregularities in poly(vinyl alcohol)

Poly(vinyl alcohols) derived from the product of polymerization of vinyl acetate in methanol have been characterized by various physical and chemical methods before and after NaIO₄ cleavage. The 220-MHz ¹H-NMR spectra confirm the reliability of NaIO₄ titrimetry for estimating 1,2-glycol content and help explain the tendency for viscometry to grossly underestimate the 1,2-glycol content for low molecular weight polymers. The spectra and related chemical evidence indicate that the major endgroups are HOCH₂CH₂? and CH₃CH(OH)CH(OH)CH₂? . ß-Hydroxyethyl groups also occur as short chain branches, mainly attached to α carbon atoms in the normal head-to-tail polymer chain sequence. The concentrations of the branch and endgroups depend on polymerization conditions and help explain polymerization “solvent” effects on physical properties.     

Miscibility and orientation behavior of poly(vinyl alcohol) / poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends

The miscibility of poly(viny1 alcohol)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVA/PVP) blends is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD). The molecular orientation induced by uniaxial stretching of the blends is also examined by WAXD and birefringence measurements. It is shown by the DSC thermal analysis that the polymer pair is miscible, since a single glass transition temperature (T_g) is situated between the T_gs of the two homopolymers at every composition. The T_g versus composition curve does not follow a monotonic function but exhibits a cusp point at a PVP volume fraction of a little under 0.7, as in a case predicted by Kovacs' theory. The presence of a specific intermolecular interaction between the two polymers is suggested by an observed systematic depression in the melting point of the PVA component. A negative value of the polymer-polymer interaction parameter, χ₁₂ = 0.35 (at 513 K), is estimated from a thermodynamic approach via a control experiment using samples crystallized isothermally at various temperatures. The extent of optical birefringence (Δn) of the drawn blends decreases drastically with increasing PVP content up to 80 wt %, when compared at a given draw ratio, and ultimately Δn is found to change from positive to negative at a critical PVP concentration of a little over 80 wt %. Discussion of the molecular orientation behavior takes into consideration a birefringence compensation effect in the miscible amorphous phase due to positive and negative contributions of oriented PVA and PVP, respectively.     

Biocomposites of nanohydroxyapatite with collagen and poly(vinyl alcohol)

Biocomposites of hydroxyapatite, HAp, in conjunction with various binders including poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, and collagen have the potential of serving in various tissue engineering applications, such as in bone repair and reconstruction tasks, especially if the nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite are used. Here, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (n-HAp) were synthesized at the ultimate size range of 10-50 nm and then incorporated into PVA or in situ synthesized in collagen/PVA. The biocomposites of HAp with PVA exhibited relatively high elasticity (as revealed by the linear viscoelastic material functions, characterized upon small-amplitude oscillatory shear) especially upon cryogenic treatment. The incorporation of the collagen into the PVA/HAp biocomposite provided internal porosity to the biocomposite with the pores in the 50-100 nm range for collagen/HAp and 50-500 nm for the collagen/HAp/PVA.     

Interaction of polyoxometalate Mo132 with poly(vinyl alcohol)

Some aspects of the interaction of (NH₄)₄₂[Mo ₇₂ ^VI Mo ₆₀ ^V O₃₇₂(H₃CCOO)₃₀(H₂O)₇₂] · 30H₃CCOONH₄ · 250H₂O (polyoxometalate Mo132) with a water-soluble nonionic polymer (poly(vinyl alcohol) or related poly(vinylpyrrolidone)) were studied in aqueous solutions and in films. A set of methods was used: spectrophotometry, EPR spectroscopy, visual microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, scanning probe microscopy, and potentiometry. The complex-formation features of the system were revealed. The miscibility of the components and their influence on crystallization phenomena were considered. The effect of UV and X-rays on poly(vinyl alcohol) + polyoxometalate films was studied. Poly(vinyl alcohol) stabilizes the polymer. Mutual radiation and thermal stabilization of the polymer and polyoxometalate was discovered. The utility of ion-sensitive electrodes for Mo132 determination in solution was demonstrated.