The changes in particle charge distribution during rapid growth of particles in the plasma reactor

The changes in particle charging were investigated during the rapid growth of particles in the plasma reactor by the discrete-sectional model and the Gaussian charge distribution function. The particle size distribution becomes bimodal in the plasma reactor and most of the large particles are charged negatively, but some fractions of small particles are in a neutral state or even charged positively. As the particles accumulate in the plasma reactor, the amount of electrons absorbed onto the particles increases, while the electron concentration in the plasma decreases. As the mass generation rate of small particles (monomers) decreases or as the initial electron concentration increases, the electron concentration in the plasmas increases and the particle charge distribution is shifted in the negative direction and the fraction of particles charged negatively and the average number of electrons per particle increase. With the decrease in monomer diameter, the electron concentration decreases in the beginning of plasma discharge, but, later, increases. For high mass generation rate of monomers or for low initial electron concentration or for small monomer diameter, the fraction of particles in a neutral state increases and the particle size distribution becomes broader.     

Assessing the folding propensity of aliphatic units within helical aromatic oligoamide foldamers

Great attention is devoted to hybrid foldamers composed of more than one type of monomers. The folding of such hybrids requires units that may possess very different structures to be compatible. A method to assess this compatibility consists in studying the behavior of a monomer of one type within a sequence of another type of monomer. We have prepared and investigated the structure of flexible aliphatic monomers in the context of the rigid helices of quinoline-carboxamides. NMR and X-ray crystallography show that the rigid helical backbones may impart defined conformation into otherwise flexible units and that compatible folding modes exist between very different monomers.     

Design of random copolymers with statistically controlled monomer sequence distributions via Monte Carlo simulations

We use Monte Carlo simulations to model the formation of random copolymers with tunable monomer sequence distributions. Our scheme is based on the original idea proposed a few years ago by Khokhlov and Khalatur [Physica A 249, 253 (1998); Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 3456 (1999)], who showed that the distribution of species B in A-B random copolymers can be regulated by (a) adjusting the coil size of a homopolymer A and (b) chemically modifying ("coloring") monomers that reside at (or close to) the periphery of the coil with species B. In contrast to Khokhlov and Khalatur's work, who modeled the polymer modification by performing the coloring instantaneously, we let the chemical coloring reaction progress over time using computer simulations. We show that similar to Khokhlov and Khalatur's work, the blockiness (i.e., number of consecutive monomers) of the B species along the A-B copolymer increases with increasing degree of collapse of the parent homopolymer A. A simple analysis of the A-B monomer sequences in the copolymers reveals that monomer sequence distributions in homopolymers "colored" under collapsed conformations possess certain degrees of self-similarity, while there is no correlation found among the monomer sequence distributions formed by coloring homopolymers with expanded conformations.     

Absorbing states in a catalysis model with anti-Arrhenius behavior

We study a model of heterogeneous catalysis with competitive reactions between two monomers A and B. We assume that reactions are dependent on temperature and follow an anti-Arrhenius mechanism. In this model, a monomer A can react with a nearest neighbor monomer A or B, however, reactions between monomers of type B are not allowed. We assume attractive interactions between nearest neighbor monomers as well as between monomers and the catalyst. Through mean-field calculations, at the level of site and pair approximations, and extensive Monte Carlo simulations, we determine the phase diagram of the model in the plane y(A) versus temperature, where y(A) is the probability that a monomer A reaches the catalyst. The model exhibits absorbing and active phases separated by lines of continuous phase transitions. We calculate the static, dynamic, and spreading exponents of the model, and despite the absorbing state be represented by many different microscopic configurations, the model belongs to the directed percolation universality class in two dimensions. Both reaction mechanisms, Arrhenius and anti-Arrhenius, give the same set of critical exponents and do not change the nature of the universality class of the catalytic models.     

Bulk polymerization of diallyl benzene-dicarboxylates I. Influence of temperature on allyl group reactivity

The bulk polymerization of the three isomeric diallyl benzene-dicarboxylates was carried out in the temperature range 80–285°C. The progress of the polymerization process was examined by determination of the conversion of allyl groups double bonds. The reactivity of these groups in the polymerization increases in the following order of isomers: ortho < para < meta at 80–230°C. At temperatures above 200°C the thermal polymerization with activation energies for ortho, meta and para isomers 32, 27, and 28 kcal/mol of allyl group, respectively, has been observed. With the increase of temperature from 80 to 230°C for each of the monomers the number of allyl groups consumed when forming one C? C chain (degree of chain polymerization) decreases, but at the same time the kinetic chain length increases several times. The results have been explained by the growing role of chain transfer reactions with simultaneous increase of an ability to reinitiation by occured radicals. The mechanisms of thermal polymerization have been proposed.     

ABg型单体缩聚反应的动力学分析

研究了AB_g型单体缩聚反应的动力学,导出了分子量分布函数以及数均和重均分子量.一些结果与Flory用统计方法得到的一致.数值计算结果表明,单体上B官能团越多,反应所得的超支化聚合物的分子量分布越宽;多分散性随着A基团转化率的增加而增加,且当反应接近完成时迅速增加,这个结论与Turner等的实验数据定性地一致.     

The transport properties of polyimide isomers containing hexafluoroisopropylidene in the diamine residue

The effect of modification of the central moiety of the dianhydride residue and isomerism on the gas transport and physical properties were compared for six polyimides containing the hexafluoroisopropylidene group in the diamine residue. Substitution of bulkier groups within the dianhydride residue resulted in disruption of chain packing and slight increases in resistance to chain motions which led to an increase in permeability with little loss in selectivity. The permeabilities and diffusivities in the meta connected polyimide isomers were considerably lower than in the para connected polyimide isomers. Similarly, the permselectivities in the meta connected isomers were consistently higher than in the para connected isomers. These lower permeabilities and higher permselectivities were a result of the more dense packing and a significant suppression of small scale motions in the meta connected isomers. The suppression of segmental mobility in the meta connected isomers was indicated by an increase in the sub Tg transition temperatures in these materials relative to the para connected isomers. The differences in transport properties for these polyimides were attributed to contributions by several factors, including: (1) total free volume (2) distribution of free volume (3) intersegmental resistance to chain motions, and (4) intrasegmental resistance to chain motions. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

"Lego" chemistry for the straightforward synthesis of dendrimers

A new straightforward method of synthesis of dendrimers, using two branched monomers (CA(2) and DB(2)), is described. Each generation is obtained in a single quantitative step, with only N(2) or H(2)O as byproducts; generation 4 is obtained in only four steps. The end groups are alternatively phosphines and hydrazines; their versatile reactivity is illustrated by the reaction of generation 4 with a branched CD(5) monomer, which increases the number of end groups in a single step from 48 to 250.     

Complexed copolymerization of vinyl compounds with alkylaluminum halides

The monomer reactivity in the complexed copolymerization of vinyl compounds with alkylaluminum halides has been extensively surveyed. Equimolar copolymers were obtained in various combinations of monomers which are classified into two monomer groups, A and B. The group B monomers are conjugated vinyl compounds having nitrile or carbonyl groups in the conjugated position and form complexes with alkylaluminum halides. The group A monomers are donor monomers having low values, such as olefins, haloolefins, dienes, and unsaturated esters. These A monomers belong to the same group of monomers which give alternating copolymers in conventional radical copolymerization with maleic anhydride, SO₂, and so on. In addition the complexed copolymerization has the same specific characteristics as the conventional alternating copolymerization, i.e., high reactivities of allyl-resonance monomers and inner olefins and no transfer of halogen atom to the copolymers in CCl₄. These features suggest little or no participation of the A monomer radical. The Q-e scheme is also discussed in terms of the monomer reactivity. More than two monomers selected from groups A and B give multicomponent copolymers in which alternating sequential structures hold with respect to A and B. Anomalous mutual reactivities between two B monomers in the terpolymerization were observed and indicate that the nature of radical in the complexed copolymerization may be different from that expected by the Lewis-Mayo equation. The complexed radical mechanism previously proposed is discussed in connection with the specific behavior mentioned above.     

Tuning the molecular properties of polybenzimidazole by copolymerization

In the present work, a series of novel random polybenzimidazole (PBI) copolymers consisting of m- and p-phenylene linkages are synthesized from various stoichiometric mixtures of isophthalic acid (IPA) and terephthalic acid (TPA) with 3,3',4,4'-tetraaminobiphenyl (TAB) by solution copolycondensation in polyphosphoric acid (PPA). The resulting copolymers are characterized by different techniques to obtain their molecular properties parameters. The monomer concentration in the polymerization plays an important role in controlling the molecular weight of the polymer. Surprisingly, a simple change in the dicarboxylic acid architecture from meta (IPA) to para (TPA) increases the molecular weight of the copolymers, which is maximum for the para homopolymer. The low solubility of TPA in PPA is found to be the dominating factor for obtaining the higher molecular weight polymer in the case of the para structure. FT-IR study shows that the introduction of the para structure enhances the conjugation along the polymer chain. The positive deviation of the copolymer composition from the feed ratio is due to the higher reactivity ratio of TPA than IPA, which is obtained from proton NMR studies. The incorporation of the para structure in the chain enhances the thermal stability of the polymers. The para homopolymer shows 59 degrees C lower glass transition temperature compare to the meta homopolymer indicating enhancement of the flexibility of the polymer chain due the introduction of the p-phenylene linkage in the backbone. The T(g) of the copolymers shows both positive and negative deviation from the expected T(g) calculated by the Fox equation. The enhanced conjugation of the polymer chains also influences the photophysical properties of the polymers in solution. All the PBI polymers exhibit strong fluorescence in dimethylacetamide solution. As expected, that all the polymers are amorphous in nature reveals that the copolymerization does not influence the packing characteristics of the PBI chains.     

Crystallographic B-factors highlight energetic frustration in aldolase folding

Kinetic simulations of the folding and unfolding of the mammalian TIM barrel protein aldolase were conducted to determine if a minimalist monomeric Gō model, using the native structure to determine attractive energies in the protein chain, could capture the experimentally determined folding pathway. The folding order, that is, the order in which different secondary structures fold, between the Gō model simulations and that from hydrogen-deuterium exchange experiments, did not agree. To explain this discrepancy, two alternate variant of the basic Gō model were simulated: (1) a monomer Gō model with native contact energies weighted by a statistical potential (SP model) and (2) a monomer Gō model with native contact energies inversely weighted by crystallographic B factors (B model). The B model demonstrated the best agreement between simulation and experiments. The success of the B model is attributed to the ability of B factors to highlight local energetic frustration in the aldolase structure which results in weaker native contacts in these frustrated regions. The predictive success of the B model also reveals the potential use of B factor information for energetic weighting in general protein modeling.     

Microphase separation in block‐random copolymers of styrene, 4‐acetoxystyrene,and 4‐hydroxystyrene

“Block‐random” copolymers—where one or more blocks are themselves random copolymers—offer a flexible modification to the usual block copolymer architecture. For example, in a poly(A)‐poly(A‐ran‐B) diblock consisting of monomer units A and B, the interblock segregation strength can be continuously tuned through the B content of the random block, allowing the design of block copolymers with accessible order‐disorder transitions at arbitrarily high molecular weights. Moreover, the development of controlled radical polymerizations has greatly expanded the palette of accessible monomer units A and B, including units with strongly interacting functional groups. We synthesize a range of copolymers consisting of styrene (S) and acetoxystyrene (AS) units, including copolymers where one block is P(S‐ran‐AS), through nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization. At sufficiently high molecular weights, near‐symmetric PS‐PAS diblocks show well‐ordered lamellar morphologies, while dilution of the repulsive S‐AS interactions in PS‐P(S‐ran‐AS) diblocks yields a phase‐mixed morphology. Cleavage of a sufficient fraction of the AS units in a phase‐mixed PS‐P(S‐ran‐AS) diblock to hydrogen‐bonding hydroxystyrene (HS) units yields, in turn, a microphase‐separated melt. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47:2106–2113, 2009.     

Step‐Growth Copolymerization Between an Immobilized Monomer and a Mobile Monomer in Metal–Organic Frameworks

The A–A/B–B step‐growth copolymerization between a monomer immobilized in the crystalline state and a monomer mobile in the solution state is demonstrated. One of the two monomers was immobilized as organic ligands of the metal–organic framework (MOF) and polymerized with the mobile guest monomer, resulting in the formation of linear polymers. The polymerization behavior was completely different from that of the solution polymerizations. In particular, the degrees of polymerization (DP) converged to a specific value depending on the MOF structures. The inevitable termination is caused not by imperfectness of the polymerization reaction, but by the selection of the two polymerization partners among the several adjacent immobilized monomers. This is fully supported by the Monte Carlo simulation on the basis of the polymerization mechanism. Precise immobilization of monomers in the supramolecular assemblies is a promising way for the controlled A–A/B–B step‐growth polymerization.     

Studies on monomer reactivity ratios. II. A charge-transfer model

A charge-transfer model is proposed for the treatment of monomer reactivity ratios in free-radical bulk polymerization. The procedure involves the assignment of three parameters to each monomer, which can be interpreted as being related to the energies of the highest occupied monomer orbital, the singly occupied radical orbital, and the lowest lying virtual orbital of the monomer. Parameters are found for 17 monomers and computed reactivity ratios for a large number of copolymer systems are tabulated and compared with experiment. Similarities of the present model and the electronegativity scheme are discussed.     

Diffusion-limited hyperbranched polymers with substitution effect

Highly branched structure has the essential influence on macromolecular property and functionality in physics and chemistry. In this work, we proposed a diffusion-limited reaction model with the consideration of macromolecular unit relaxations and substitution effect of monomers to study the structure of hyperbranched polymers prepared by slow monomer addition to a core molecule. The exponential relationship (R(g) ～ N(λ)) between the radius of gyration R(g) and the degree of polymerization N, was systematically analyzed at various branching degrees. It is shown that the effective exponent λ(eff) decreases at lower N and but increases toward that of diffusion-limited aggregation (DLA) clusters (λ(DLA) = 0.4) with the degree of polymerization increasing. The substitution effect of monomers in reaction strongly influences the evolution pathway of λ(eff). With the static light scattering technique, the fractal property of internal chains was further calculated. A general law about the radial distribution of the units of diffusion-limited hyperbranched polymers was found that, at smaller reactivity ratio k(12), the radial density of all monomer units D(A) declines from the center region to the peripheral layer revealing the dense core structure; however, at larger k(12), the density distribution shows a loose-dense-loose structure. These structural characteristics are helpful to deeply understand the property of hyperbranched polymers.     

Copolymerization of vinyl acetate with ethyl α-cyanocinnamate

Trisubstituted ethylene, ethyl α-cyanocinnamate, is readily copolymerized with vinyl acetate by a conventional radical initiator. Terminal, penultimate, and “complex” copolymerization models were applied by using the data of composition of the copolymers obtained in bulk and by copolymerization in benzene, ethyl acetate, and chloroform. The model based on the participation of the monomer complexes describes satisfactorily the deviation from the terminal copolymerization model. The proton NMR analyses of the monomer mixtures indicate that the interaction between the monomers leads to the formation of weak monomer complexes. Kinetic studies of the initial rate dependence on the total monomer concentration and monomer feed composition enabled us to evaluate the degree of participation of the free uncomplexed monomers and the monomer complex in the propagation reactions. The contribution of the complexed monomers in the propagation stages increases with the increase in total monomer concentration. The initial rate of the copolymerization is proportional to the square root of the initiator concentration, thus confirming the bimolecular termination of the macrochains. The rate constants of the addition reactions of the complex and free monomers were evaluated from the kinetic studies. The quantitative kinetic treatment provided information regarding the relative weight of the termination reaction and indicated that the termination in the system occurs predominantly by the cross-termination reaction between two growing polymer radicals with different kinds of monomer units at the ends. Additional information on the termination in this system was obtained from viscosity measurements.     

Stereoselective Copolymerization of Unprotected Polar and Nonpolar Styrenes by an Yttrium Precursor: Control of Polar‐Group Distribution and Mechanism

Styrene underwent unprecedented coordination–insertion copolymerization with naked polar monomers (ortho ‐/meta ‐/para ‐methoxystyrene) in the presence of a pyridyl methylene fluorenyl yttrium catalyst. High activity (1.26×10⁶ g mol_Y⁻¹ h⁻¹) and excellent syndioselectivity were observed, and high‐molecular‐weight copolymers (24.6×10⁴ g mol⁻¹) were obtained. The insertion rate of the polar monomers could be adjusted in the full range of 0–100 % simply by changing the loading of the polar styrene monomer. Strikingly, the copolymers had tapered, gradient, and even random sequence distributions, depending on the position of the polar methoxy group on the phenyl ring and thus on its mode of coordination to the active metal center, as shown by tracking the polymerization process and DFT calculations.     

Chemical properties of a para-benzyne

5,8-Didehydroisoquinolinium ion, a para benzyne analogue, was generated in a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer, and its reactivity toward various neutral reagents was examined. A direct comparison of the reaction kinetics of the para benzyne, a meta isomer, and analogous monoradicals, indicates that the para benzyne is a poorer electrophile but a more reactive radical than its meta isomer.     

The effect of meta versus para substitution on the efficiency of chemiexcitation in the chemically triggered electron-transfer-initiated decomposition of spiroadamantyl dioxetanes

A similar viscosity dependence of the CIEEL efficiencies for the para- and meta-substituted spiroadamantyl dioxetanes 1 has been observed, which implies that an electron-transfer mechanism operates through solvent-caged species for both regioisomers. The pronounced difference in the chemiexcitation yields for the meta- and para-substituted dioxetanes is rationalized in terms of the much larger (ca. 200-fold) rate constant for the electron back-transfer (BET) step to afford the excited meta CIEEL emitter. An in-depth kinetic analysis of the viscosity effect on the excited-state generation for the para versus meta regioisomers supports this conclusion.