Synthesis,characterization, and photoreaction of photoreactive liquid crystalline block copolyetheresters

Photo-crosslinkable thermotropic liquid crystalline block copolyetheresters with photoreactive hard segment of poly(hexamethylene p-phenylenediacrylate) and soft segment of poly(tetramethylene ether) were synthesized by melt polycondensation from n-butyl-p-phenylenediacrylate, hexamethylene glycol, and poly(tetramethylene ether) glycol (PTMG, M_n = 1000–3000). The influence of molecular weight and composition of PTMG unit on the thermal behavior was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. All synthesized block copolymers show thermotropic liquid crystalline phase and can photo-crosslink by UV irradiation. Photoreaction of the copolymer thin film was carried out using Hg-UV light and investigated by FT–IR spectroscopy and a dynamic viscoelastic analyzer. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 1849–1855, 1997     

Synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymers by a redox process and their spectral characterization

Novel block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) with acrylamide (AAm) and methacrylic acid (MAA) were synthesized using a redox system consisting of ceric ions and PEG in aqueous acidic medium. The molecular weight of PEG in the redox system was varied to obtain a series of block copolymers with differing molecular weights of PEG segment. The polymerization proceeded via macroradical generation, which was substantiated by ESR spectroscopy. This macroradical acted as a redox macroinitiator for the block copolymerization of the vinyl monomers. The formation of the block copolymers was confirmed by fractional precipitation technique.     

The Synthesis of Poly(ethylene oxide)-Block-Polybutylacrylate

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Block copolyesters of poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) and poly(tetramethylene adipate)

Hydroxy‐terminated poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomers with different molecular weights were prepared. The poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomers showed rather high crystallinity, and some of them exhibited a monotropic smectic phase. Block copolyesters with hard segments of poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) and soft segments of poly(tetramethylene adipate) were prepared by coupling the poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomer and a poly(tetramethylene adipate)glycol with methylene‐4,4′‐diphenylene diisocyanate in solution. The block copolyesters were characterized by IR, ¹H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, a polarized microscope, and X‐ray diffraction. The thermal transitions of the block copolyesters were dependent on the composition and the molecular weight of the poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomer used. The hard segments in the block copolyesters showed no liquid crystallinity and exhibited rather low crystallinity or were even amorphous. The molecular weight of the poly(pentamethylene p,p′‐bibenzoate) oligomer used influences the glass‐transition temperature and crystalline properties of the soft segments in the block copolyesters significantly. The effect on the glass‐transition temperature of the soft segments is described as the difference in miscibility between the hard and soft segments. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2626–2636, 2002     

Surface Dynamic Elasticity of Amphiphilic Block Copolymer Monolayers on a Water Surface

The methods of longitudinal and transverse surface waves and of oscillating barrier were used to measure a surface dynamic elasticity of the monolayers of poly(ethylene oxide) and polystyrene block copolymers spread on water within the frequency range of 0.007–520 Hz. At low surface concentrations, the properties of monolayers are determined by the poly(ethylene oxide) block. Upon further monolayer compression, the transition to the regime of polymer brush occurs when the surface dynamic elasticity increases dramatically. Change in the molecular weight of poly(ethylene oxide) block does not lead to the qualitative change in the dependence of surface properties on the degree of monolayer compression. Surface viscosity in the regime of brush significantly differs from the results of calculations made by Buzzaet al. [26]. Possible reasons for this difference are discussed.     

Comparison of micelles formed by amphiphilic star block copolymers prepared in the presence of a nonmetallic monomer activator

In this article, we describe the synthesis of PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers via ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of ester monomers initiated at the hydroxyl end group of the core poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) using HCl Et₂O as a monomer activator. The ROP of ε‐caprolactone (CL), trimethylene carbonate (TMC), or 1,4‐dioxan‐2‐one (DO) was performed to synthesize PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers with one, two, four, and eight arms. The PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers were obtained in quantitative yield, had molecular weights close to the theoretical values calculated from the molar ratio of ester monomers to PEG, and exhibited monomodal GPC curves. The crystallinity of the PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction. Copolymers with a higher arm number had a higher tendency toward crystallization. The crystallinity of the PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers also depended on the nature of the polyester block. The CMCs of the PEG‐b‐PCL star block copolymers, determined from fluorescence measurements, increased with increasing arm number. The CMCs of the four‐arm star block copolymers with different polyester segments increased in the order 4a‐PEG‐b‐PCL < 4a‐PEG‐b‐PDO < 4a‐PEG‐b‐PLGA < 4a‐PEG‐b‐PTMC, suggesting a relationship between CMC and star block copolymer crystallinity. The partition equilibrium constant, K_v, which is an indicator of the hydrophobicity of the micelles of the PEG‐polyester star block copolymers in aqueous media, increased with decreasing arm number and increasing crystallinity. A key aspect of the present work is that we successfully prepared PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers by a metal‐free method. Thus, unlike copolymers synthesized by ROP using a metal as the monomer activator, our copolymers do not contain traces of metals and hence are more suitable for biomedical applications. Moreover, we confirmed that the PEG‐b‐polyester star block copolymers form micelles and hence may be potential hydrophobic drug delivery vehicles. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2084–2096, 2008     

Synthesis of poly(p-dioxanone)-based block copolymers in supercritical carbon dioxide

Poly(p-dioxanone)–poly(ethylene glycol)–poly(p-dioxanone) triblock copolymers (PPDO–PEG–PPDO) were first synthesized by suspension ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of p-dioxanone (PDO) in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) using different molecular weights (2–10 K) of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as macroinitiators. White and fine flow powders were successfully obtained when the molecular weight of PEG was below 6 K and its feed content below 20 wt.%. The ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) result indicated the formation of PPDO–PEG–PPDO block structure even in a confined polymerized environment of particles. All the powderous samples contained irregular shaped particles that were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Except for the copolymer with 10 wt.% PEG10K feed content, the mean particle sizes of other powderous samples showed identical values close to 15 μm. This fact was in agreement with the crystallinity of PPDO in the copolymers measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The water absorption of these copolymers was also measured, and as compared with PPDO homopolymer, the introduction of PEG increased the water absorption of the copolymers. The green and environmentally friendly method disclosed in this work is attractive to directly synthesize biodegradable polymeric particles with potential biomedical applications.     

Synthesis of well‐defined block copolymer composed of flexible amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol) and hydrophobic liquid crystalline segments by living coordination polymerization of allene derivatives and its application to thin film with perpendicularly oriented cylindrical nanostructure

A block copolymer composed of a flexible polar poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and a less polar liquid crystalline poly(allene) segments is prepared by the living coordination polymerization of an allene derivative possessing trans‐azobenzene‐containing mesogenic substituent by the use of a π‐allylnickel macroinitiator bearing PEG segment. The thin film of the block copolymer is prepared by the spin coating of its solution onto mica or silicon wafer which proves to possess perpendicularly oriented nanocylindrical microphase separated structures as supported by the differential calorimetric, polarized optical microscopic, grazing‐incidence small‐angle X‐ray scattering, transmission electron microscope, and atomic force microscope measurements.     

One‐step synthesis of a thienylenepyridazinylenethienylene‐based coil‐rod‐coil copolymer with enhanced emission and improved fluorescence stability

A new coil‐rod‐coil copolymer is synthesized via Sonogashira coupling using one‐step methodology. The copolymer PEG‐OEPETPT‐PEG constitutes of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the coil block, and oligo[p‐(ethynylenephenyleneethynylene)‐alt‐(thienylenepyridazinylenethienylene)] (OEPETPT) as the rod segment. The conjugated polymer PEPETPT with the same conjugated building blocks is also synthesized for comparison. The structures of both polymers are confirmed by NMR, combined with other characterizations. PEG‐OEPETPT‐PEG has a 12 nm blue‐shift in the emission maximum compared with that of PEPETPT, and a higher quantum yield of fluorescence in THF. PEG‐OEPETPTE‐PEG tolerates up to 20% water content in H₂O/THF mixed solvent without significantly changing the emission wavelength and intensity, while the fluorescence of PEPETPT is dramatically quenched by a very small quantity of water. Further photophysical studies about these two polymers indicate that the introduction of PEG coils onto the conjugated block retards the water‐induced‐aggregation and therefore improves the fluorescence stability of PEG‐OEPETPT‐PEG. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013     

Redox polymerization process: An efficient tool for the synthesis of block copolymers

The synthesis of poly(acrylonitrile)-block-poly-(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(acrylonitrile) copolymers has been carried out using a redox system consisting of ceric ion and poly(ethylene glycol)s of various molecular weights in aqueous medium. The generation of intermediate radicals in the redox process has been confirmed by ESR spectroscopy and the polymerization progressing through ‘blocking from’ mechanism has been postulated. The formation of the block copolymers has been confirmed by chemical tests and fractional precipitation technique as well as by FT-IR and FT-NMR [¹H and ¹³C–(¹H)] spectroscopic techniques. The triblock nature of the block copolymers has been ascertained through the cleavage of ether linkage of the PEG segment. TG/DTA studies of the block copolymers with PEG molecular weights of 1000 and above revealed two-stage decomposition, while their DSC traces exhibited a shift in the melting peak of PEG. GPC investigations of the block copolymers manifested a high homogeneity with unimodal distribution of molecular weights. SEM studies indicated significant changes in the morphological characteristics of the block copolymers. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of ABA‐type amphiphilic tri‐block copolymers through anionic polymerization using end functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers

ABA‐type amphiphilic tri‐block copolymers were successfully synthesized from poly(ethylene oxide) derivatives through anionic polymerization. When poly(styrene) anions were reacted with telechelic bromine‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide) ( 1 ) in 2:1 mole ratio, poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(styrene) tri‐block copolymers were formed. Similarly, stable telechelic carbanion‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide), prepared from 1,1‐diphenylethylene‐terminated poly (ethylene oxide) ( 2 ) and sec‐BuLi, was also used to polymerize styrene and methyl methacrylate separately, as a result, poly (styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(styrene) and poly (methyl methacrylate)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(methyl methacrylate) tri‐block copolymers were formed respectively. All these tri‐block copolymers and poly(ethylene oxide) derivatives, 1 and 2 , were characterized by spectroscopic, calorimetric, and chromatographic techniques. Theoretical molecular weights of the tri‐block copolymers were found to be similar to the experimental molecular weights, and narrow polydispersity index was observed for all the tri‐block copolymers. Differential scanning calorimetric studies confirmed the presence of glass transition temperatures of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(styrene), and poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks in the tri‐block copolymers. Poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(styrene) tri‐block copolymers, prepared from polystyryl anion and 1 , were successfully used to prepare micelles, and according to the transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering results, the micelles were spherical in shape with mean average diameter of 106 ± 5 nm. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011     

Novel double hydrophilic block copolymers based on poly(p‐hydroxystyrene) derivatives and poly(ethylene oxide)

The synthesis of three series of double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBCs), consisting of poly(ethylene oxide) as the neutral water soluble block and a second polyelectrolyte block of variable chemistry, is described. The synthetic scheme involves the anionic polymerization of poly(p‐tert‐butoxystyrene‐b‐ethylene oxide) (PtBOS‐PEO) amphiphilic block copolymer precursors followed by the acidic hydrolysis of the hydrophobic poly(p‐tert‐butoxystyrene) (PtBOS) block to an annealed anionic polyelectrolyte poly(p‐hydroxystyrene) (PHOS) block. The PHOS block was subsequently transformed into a high charge density annealed cationic polyelectrolyte namely poly[3,5‐bis(dimethylaminomethylene) hydroxystyrene] (NPHOS), via aminomethylation. Finally, the NPHOS block was transformed into a quenched polyelectrolyte, namely quaternized poly[3,5‐bis(dimethylaminomethylene) hydroxystyrene] (QNPHOS) block by reaction with CH₃I. The solution properties of the different series of the above block polyelectrolyte copolymers have been investigated using static, dynamic and electrophoretic light scattering, turbidimetry, and fluorescence spectroscopy. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5790–5799, 2007     

Melting behavior of ethylene oxide–propylene oxide (sym-PEP) block copolymers

Melting points and lamellar thicknesses have been measured for ethylene oxide–propylene oxide block copolymers (sym-PEP) with central poly(ethylene oxide) block lengths of 70–100 chain units and end poly(propylene oxide) block lengths of 0–30 chain units. Melting points of the block copolymers are lower than those of the corresponding poly(ethylene oxide) homopolymer by an amount (up to 15°C) which increases as the poly(propylene oxide) block length increases. Most samples have more than one melting transition, which can be assigned to variously folded chain crystals. End interfacial free energies σ_e for the various crystals have been estimated by use of Flory's theory of melting of block copolymers. For a given crystal type (e.g., once-folded-chain) σ_e is higher the longer the chain length of the end poly(propylene oxide) blocks. For a given copolymer σ_e is lower, the more highly folded the poly(ethylene oxide) chain.     

Double hydrophilic block copolymers of sodium(2‐sulfamate‐3‐carboxylate)isoprene and ethylene oxide

Poly(sodium(2‐sulfamate‐3‐carboxylate)isoprene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(sodium(2‐sulfamate‐1‐carboxylate)isoprene)‐b‐poly(ethylene oxide) double hydrophilic block copolymers were prepared by selective post polymerization reaction of the polyisoprene block, of poly(isoprene‐b‐ethylene oxide) diblocks or poly(ethylene oxide‐b‐isoprene‐b‐ethylene oxide) triblock precursors, with N‐chlorosulfonyl isocyanate. The precursors were synthesized by anionic polymerization high vacuum techniques and had narrow molecular weight distributions and predictable molecular weights and compositions. The resulting double hydrophilic block copolymers were characterized by FTIR and potentiometric titrations in terms of the incorporated functional groups. Their properties in aqueous solutions were studied by viscometry and dynamic light scattering. The latter techniques revealed a complex dilute solution behavior of the novel block copolymers, resulting from the polyelectrolyte character of the functionalized PI block and showing a dependence on solution ionic strength and pH. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 606–613, 2006     

Synthesis and Enzymatic Degradation of Nylon 66 Copolymers with Poly(Ethyleneglycol)s

Abstract

Nylon 66 (N66) copolymers were prepared by melt polycondensation of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine with 5–80 mol% poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), where the molecular weight (MW) of PEG was 200–1000. The reduced specific viscosity of the copolymers was increased by the copolymerization. The crystallinity and melting temperature (T _m) of N66 components decreased with increasing PEG content, but T _m depression of copolymers at the same mole content decreased with increasing MW of PEG, suggesting that the copolymer structures are not of the random type but of the block type at the higher MW of PEG. The water absorption increased with increasing PEG content, and its increase was much higher at the higher MW of PEG. The enzymatic degradation was estimated by the weight loss of copolymer films in the buffer solution with and without a lipase at 37°C. The weight loss was enhanced appreciably by the presence of a lipase, and increased abruptly at higher PEG content, which was correlated to water absorption and the concentration of ester linkages. The enzymatic degradation of these N66 copolymers was much higher than that of previously reported PET copolymers with PEG. The abrupt increase of weight loss by alkali hydrolysis was fairly comparable to that of water absorption.     

Study of molecular motion of block copolymers in solution by high-resolution proton magnetic resonance

Molecular motions of hydrophobic–hydrophilic water-soluble block copolymers in solution were investigated by high-resolution proton magnetic resonance (NMR). Samples studied include block copolymers of polystyrene–poly(ethylene oxide), polybutadiene–poly(ethylene oxide), and poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide). NMR measurements were carried out varying molecular weight, temperature, and solvent composition. For AB copolymers of polystyrene and poly(ethylene oxide), two peaks caused by the phenyl protons of low-molecular-weight (M?_n = 3,300) copolymer were clearly resolved in D₂O at 100°C, but the phenyl proton peaks of high-molecular-weight (M?_n = 13,500 and 36,000) copolymers were too broad to observe in the same solvent, even at 100°C. It is concluded that polystyrene blocks are more mobile in low-molecular-weight copolymer in water than in high-molecular-weight copolymer in the same solvent because the molecular weight of the polystyrene block of the low-molecular-weight copolymer is itself small. In the mixed solvent D₂O and deuterated tetrahydrofuran (THF-d₈), two peaks caused by the phenyl protons of the high-molecular-weight (M?_n = 36,000) copolymer were clearly resolved at 67°C. It is thought that the molecular motions of the polystyrene blocks are activated by the interaction between these blocks and THF in the mixed solvent.     

Linearly polarized ultraviolet photoreaction of photocrosslinkable polymers comprising the p-phenylenediacrylate group and photoalignment control of liquid crystals on the resultant film

We present (1) the linearly polarized (LP) ultraviolet (UV) photoreaction of block copolyesterethers comprising a hard segment of polyester and soft segment of poly(tetramethylene ether) (PTMG) and (2) the alignment behavior of liquid crystals (LCs) on the resultant photoreacted polymer films. Two kinds of copolyesterethers with different polyester segments of poly(hexamethylene p-phenylenediacrylate) (1a) or poly(hexamethylene p-phenylenediacrylate)-co-poly(hexamethylene 1,4-dibenzoate) (1b) were used in this study. The LP–UV irradiation resulted in a negative optical anisotropy for both polymer films, and a homogeneous photoalignment of LCs was achieved on the photoreacted polymer film. The LC alignment was perpendicular to the electric vector of the incident polarized light for 1a, whereas a reversion of the alignment from parallel to perpendicular was observed for 1b, depending on the irradiation doses. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4000–4006, 1999     

Perfluorocyclobutyl-containing Amphiphilic Block Copolymers Synthesized by RAFT Polymerization

Amphiphilic block copolymers containing hydrophobic perfluorocyclobutyl‐based (PFCB) polyacrylate and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segments were prepared via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The PFCB‐containing acrylate monomer, p‐(2‐(p‐tolyloxy)perfluorocyclobutoxy)‐phenyl acrylate, was first synthesized from commercially available compounds in good yields, and this kind of acrylate monomer can be homopolymerized by free radical polymerization or RAFT polymerization. Kinetic study showed the 2,2′‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) initiated and cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB) mediated RAFT polymerization was in a living fashion, as suggested by the fact that the number‐average molecular weights (M_n) increased linearly with the conversions of the monomer, while the polydispersity indices kept less than 1.10. The block polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n≦1.21) were prepared through RAFT polymerization using PEG monomethyl ether capped with 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate end group as the macro chain transfer agent (mPEG‐CTA). The length of the hydrophobic segment can be tuned by the feed ratio of the PFCB‐based acrylate monomer and the extending of the polymerization time. The micellization behavior of the block copolymers in aqueous media was investigated by the fluorescence probe technique.     

Lamellar structure of poly(ethylene oxide) molecular complexes

The phase diagrams of some binary systems such as poly(ethy lene oxide)-p-dihalogenobenzene, poly(ethylene oxide)-resorcinol and poly(ethylene oxide)-p-nitrophenol show the existence of molecular complexes with a well definite stoichiometry. The crystal structure of these molecular complexes has been determined by wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The morphology of these molecular complexes crystallized from the melt is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and small angle X-ray scattering. PEO-p-dichlorobenzene and PEO-resorcinol complexes crystallize from the melt as extended chains (EC) or integral folded chain (IFC) lamellar crystals. As observed for PEO oligomers, the fraction of EC crystals of PEO-resorcinol increases with the crystallization temperature. However EC crystals are present in a larger range of crystallization temperatures than for pure PEO. On the other hand, the PEO-p-nitrophenol complex crystallizes over all the studied crystallization temperature range as stable non integral folded chain (NIFC) crystals. Explanations related to the crystal structure of these complexes and to their mode of growth are invoked to explain these two deeply different lamellar morphologies.     

Hydrolytic degradation of polyester–polyether block copolymer based on polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene glycol)/polylactide

Polyester–polyether block copolymers based on polycaprolactone/poly(ethylene glycol)/polylactide (PCEL) with various compositions were synthesized by direct copolymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone, L ‐lactide and PEG (6000) in the presence of stannous octoate at 130 °C for 56 hr. The degradation behavior of the copolymers was investigated in a pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution at 37 ±1 °C. Various techniques such as weight, gel permeation chromatography, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffractometry were used to monitor the changes in water absorption, weight loss, molar mass, molar mass distribution, thermal properties and compositions. The results show that the hydrophilicity of copolymer was enhanced with increasing poly(ethylene oxide) content, which led to the PEG sequences fast release and an increase in weight loss of the copolymer. Bimodal chromatograms were detected in the degradation, which were attributed to the degradation mechanism of the partial crystalline polymer proceeding predominantly in amorphous zones. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.