Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions between [60]fullerenated poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(1‐vinylimidazole) or poly(4‐vinylpyridine)

Miscible blends of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and poly(1‐vinylimidazole) (PVI) have been formed in methanol/water (3/2 v/v) solutions. The incorporation of 0.6 wt % C₆₀ into PHEMA leads to hydrophobic interactions and enhanced hydrogen bonding in miscible blends of [60]fullerenated poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (FPHEMA) with PVI. The incorporation of 2.6 wt % C₆₀ into PHEMA increases its tendency to form interpolymer complexes with PVI. Interpolymer complexes are formed when FPHEMA samples containing 0.6, 1.4, and 2.6 wt % C₆₀ are blended with poly(4‐vinylpyridine). The yields of the complexes increase with increasing C₆₀ content in FPHEMA. Calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies suggest the importance of hydrophobic interactions in C₆₀‐containing blends and complexes. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4316–4327, 2002     

Confocal microscopy studies of shear‐induced coalescence in blends of poly(butyl methacrylate) and poly(2‐ethylhexyl methacrylate)

This article reports the results of confocal fluorescence microscopy studies of shear‐induced coalescence in binary blends of poly(2‐ethylhexyl methacrylate) (PEHMA; 90 wt %) and poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA; 10 wt %). We prepared the blends by casting a mixture of latex dispersions of the components onto a substrate and allowing the film to dry under ambient conditions. The initial morphology of the film was a dispersion of 120‐nm PBMA spheres in a continuous PEHMA matrix. One‐fifth of the PBMA particles were labeled with anthracene, the emission of which we observed with confocal microscopy. The blends were sheared in a parallel‐plate rheometer at 80 and 100 °C for 1 and 10 h. Careful image analysis allowed us to estimate the mean size of the dispersed phase and the width of the size distribution. The results were compared with the theoretical limits of Wu and Taylor. After 10 h of shearing, the mean particle size decreased and the particle distribution became narrower in comparison with the results obtained after 1 h of shearing. We explain this result by inferring that before the sample reached steady‐state morphology, its rate of coalescence was greater than the rate of particle breakup. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2317–2332, 2001     

Radiation synthesis and uranyl‐ion adsorption of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate/maleic acid) hydrogels

A new kind of copolymeric hydrogel adsorbent containing hydrophilic groups that both provides swelling in water and chelates with uranyl ions was synthesized, and its adsorptive ability for recovering uranium from aqueous media was investigated. The uranyl adsorption capacities of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate/maleic acid) hydrogels were determined with a polarographic technique to be 3.2–4.8 (mg UO/g dry gel) from a 15‐ppm uranyl nitrate solution at pH, 6 depending on the molar content of maleic acid in the hydrogel. Adsorption studies showed that other stimuli, the temperature, and the ionic strength of the solution also have important roles in the uranyl‐ion adsorption capacity of these hydrogels. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 277–283, 2001     

Magnetic poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐co‐ethylene dimethacrylate) microspheres by dispersion polymerization

Crosslinked poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐based magnetic microspheres were prepared in a simple one‐step procedure by dispersion polymerization in the presence of several kinds of iron oxides. Cellulose acetate butyrate and dibenzoyl peroxide were used as steric stabilizer and polymerization initiator, respectively, and ethylene dimethacrylate was a crosslinking agent. The resulting product was characterized in terms of particle size, particle size distribution, iron(III) content, and magnetic properties. In the presence of needle‐like maghemite in the polymerization mixture and under suitable conditions, magnetic microspheres with relatively narrow size distribution were formed. An increase in the particle size and, at the same time, a decrease in molecular weight of uncrosslinked polymers resulted, as the continuous phase became richer in 2‐methylpropan‐1‐ol. Coercive force of needle‐like maghemite‐containing particles was higher than that of cubic magnetite‐loaded microspheres. Coercive force increased with the decreasing iron content in the particles. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1161–1171, 2000     

RGDS‐ and SIKVAVS‐Modified Superporous Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications

Three‐dimensional hydrogel supports for mesenchymal and neural stem cells (NSCs) are promising materials for tissue engineering applications such as spinal cord repair. This study involves the preparation and characterization of superporous scaffolds based on a copolymer of 2‐hydroxyethyl and 2‐aminoethyl methacrylate (HEMA and AEMA) crosslinked with ethylene dimethacrylate. Ammonium oxalate is chosen as a suitable porogen because it consists of needle‐like crystals, allowing their parallel arrangement in the polymerization mold. The amino group of AEMA is used to immobilize RGDS and SIKVAVS peptide sequences with an N‐γ‐maleimidobutyryloxy succinimide ester linker. The amount of the peptide on the scaffold is determined using ¹²⁵I radiolabeled SIKVAVS. Both RGDS‐ and SIKVAVS‐modified poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) scaffolds serve as supports for culturing human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and human fetal NSCs. The RGDS sequence is found to be better for MSC and NSC proliferation and growth than SIKVAVS.

     

Comparative studies on miscibility and phase behavior of linear and star poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) blends with poly(vinylidene fluoride)

The comparative studies on the miscibility and phase behavior between the blends of linear and star‐shaped poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) were carried out in this work. The linear poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) was synthesized by the ring opening polymerization of 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline in the presence of methyl p‐toluenesulfonate (MeOTs) whereas the star‐shaped poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) was synthesized with octa(3‐iodopropyl) polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane [(IC₃H₆)₈Si₈O₁₂, OipPOSS] as an octafunctional initiator. The polymers with different topological structures were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It is found that the star‐shaped poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) was miscible with poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), which was evidenced by single glass‐transition temperature behavior and the equilibrium melting‐point depression. Nonetheless, the blends of linear poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) with PVDF were phase‐separated. The difference in miscibility was ascribed to the topological effect of PMOx macromolecules on the miscibility. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 942–952, 2006     

Synthesis of poly[(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4‐yl) methyl methacrylate‐co‐ethyl acrylate] by incorporation of carbon dioxide into epoxide polymer and the miscibility behavior of its blends with poly(methyl methacrylate) or poly(vinyl chloride)

This study was related to the investigation of the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide to a copolymer bearing epoxide and the application of the cyclic carbonate group containing copolymer‐to‐polymer blends. In the synthesis of poly[(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4‐yl) methyl methacrylate‐co‐ethyl acrylate] [poly(DOMA‐co‐EA)] from poly(glycidyl methacrylate‐co‐ethyl acrylate) [poly(GMA‐co‐EA)] and CO₂, quaternary ammonium salts showed good catalytic activity. The films of poly(DOMA‐co‐EA) with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) blends were cast from N,N′‐dimethylformamide solution. The miscibility of the blends of poly(DOMA‐co‐EA) with PMMA or PVC have been investigated both by DSC and visual inspection of the blends. The optical clarity test and DSC analysis showed that poly(DOMA‐co‐EA) containing blends were miscible over the whole composition range. The miscibility behaviors were discussed in terms of Fourier transform infrared spectra and interaction parameters based on the binary interaction model. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1472–1480, 2001     

Synthesis of poly[(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolane‐ 4‐yl)methyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene] by addition reaction of carbon dioxide and its compatibility with poly(methyl methacrylate) or poly(vinyl chloride)

We investigated the chemical fixation of carbon dioxide (CO ₂) to a copolymer bearing epoxide and the application of the cyclic carbonate group containing copolymer to polymer blends. In the synthesis of poly[(2‐oxo‐1,3‐dioxolane‐4‐yl)methyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene] [poly(DOMA‐co‐St)] from the addition of CO ₂ to poly(glycidyl methacrylate‐co‐styrene) [poly(GMA‐co‐St)], quaternary ammonium salts showed good catalytic activity at mild reaction conditions. The CO ₂ addition reaction followed pseudo first‐order kinetics with the concentration of poly(GMA‐co‐St). In order to expand the applications of the CO ₂ fixed copolymer, polymer blends of this copolymer with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were cast from N,N′‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution. Miscibility of blends of poly(DOMA‐co‐St) with PMMA or PVC have been investigated both by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and visual inspection of the blends, and the blends were miscible over the whole composition ranges. The miscibility behaviors were also discussed in terms of FT‐IR spectra. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) in protic media through atom transfer radical polymerization using activators generated by electron transfer

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using activators generated by electron transfer (AGET) was investigated for the controlled polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in a protic solvent, a 3/2 (v/v) mixture of methyl ethyl ketone and methanol. The AGET process enabled ATRP to be started with an air‐stable Cu(II) complex that was reduced in situ by tin(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate. The reaction temperature, Cu catalysts with different ligands, and variation of the initial concentration ratio of HEMA to the initiator were examined for the synthesis of well‐controlled poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and a poly(methyl methacrylate)‐b‐poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) block copolymer. The level of control in AGET ATRP was similar to that in normal ATRP in protic solvents, and this resulted in a linear increase in the molecular weight with the conversion and a narrow molecular weight distribution (weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight < 1.3). © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3787–3796, 2006     

Compatibility and thermal properties of poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/poly(glycidyl methacrylate) blends

Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (PGMA) blends were prepared by a solution‐precipitation procedure. The compatibility and thermal decomposition behavior of the PHB/PGMA blends was studied with differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The blends were immiscible in the as‐blended state, but for the blends with PGMA contents of 50 wt % or more, the compatibility was dramatically changed after 1 min of annealing at 200 °C. In addition, PHB/PGMA blends showed higher thermal stability, as measured by maximum decomposition temperatures and residual weight during thermal degradation. This was probably due to crosslinking reactions of the epoxide groups in the PGMA component with the carboxyl chain ends of PHB fragments during the degradation process, and the occurrence of such reactions can be assigned to the exothermic peaks in the DTA thermograms. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 351–358, 2002     

Hydrophilic nanocomposites based on polyurethane/poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) semi‐IPNs and modified/unmodified nanosilica for biomedical applications

Nanocomposites based on sequential semi‐interpenetrating polymer network (semi‐IPN) of cross‐linked polyurethane and linear poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with 0.25 and 3 wt % of nanosilica filler were prepared and investigated. The unmodified silica, carboxyl‐modified, and amino‐modified silica were used in an attempt to control the microphase separation of the polymer matrix by polymer–filler interactions. A variety of experimental techniques were used to study morphology, thermal transitions, mechanical properties, and polymer dynamics of the nanocomposites. Special attention was paid to the investigation of the hydration properties of the nanocomposites in the perspective of biomedical applications. The results show that the good hydration properties of the semi‐IPN matrix are preserved in the nanocomposites. Effects of water on polymer dynamics were found to be particularly pronounced for the secondary β_sw,_PHEMA and the β_PU relaxations, in agreement with interpretations in terms of hydrogen bonding interactions with specific groups in the structure of the two polymers. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014 , 52, 397–408     

Thermal oxidation of blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(methyl methacrylate)

Thermal oxidation of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and its blends with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were studied using oxygen uptake measurements. The rates of oxidation and maximum oxygen uptake contents were reduced as the content of PMMA was increased in the blends. The results were indicative of a stabilizing effect by PMMA on the oxidation of PEO. The oxidation reaction at 140°C was stopped at various stages and PMMA was separated from PEO and its molecular weights were measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The decrease in the number-average molecular weight of PMMA was larger as the content of PEO increased in the blends. The visual appearance of the films suggested that phase separation did not occur after thermal oxidation. The activation energy for the rates of oxidation in the blends was slightly increased compared to pure PEO. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cross‐Linking and Degradation Properties of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposited Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)

Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) of poly‐2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (pHEMA) biocompatible, biodegradable polymer films were produced alone and cross‐linked with ethylene glycol diacrylate (EGDA). Degree of cross‐linking was controlled via manipulation of the EGDA flow rate, which influenced the amount of swelling and the extent of degradation of the films in an aqueous solution over time. Noncross‐linked pHEMA films swelled 10% more than cross‐linked films after 24 h of incubation in an aqueous environment. Increasing degree of film cross‐linking decreased degradation over time. Thus, PECVD pHEMA films with variable cross‐linking properties enable tuning of gel formation and degradation properties, making these films useful in a variety of biologically significant applications.

     

Poly(phenyl methacrylate) and poly(1‐naphthyl methacrylate) prepared in microemulsions

Phenyl methacrylate and 1‐naphthyl methacrylate were polymerized in microemulsions using stearyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, and a mixture of nonionic Triton surfactants to form latexes that were 20–30 nm in diameter. A temperature of 70 °C was needed to obtain polymers using thermal initiation. The tacticities of poly(phenyl methacrylate) (PPhMA) (55% rr) and poly(1‐naphthyl methacrylate) (P‐1‐NM) (47% rr) were the same as those of the polymers prepared in toluene solutions. The weight average molecular weights were 1 × 10⁶ and 5 × 10⁵ g/mol for PPhMA and P‐1‐NM prepared in microemulsions with very broad distributions. PPhMA samples from microemulsions and solution had the same T_g = 127 °C. P‐1‐NM from microemulsions had T_g = 145–147 °C compared with T_g = 142 °C for P‐1‐NM from solution. The molecular weights and the glass‐transition temperatures of both PPhMA and P‐1‐NM from microemulsions are substantially higher than any previously reported. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 519–524, 2001     

Investigation at the chain segmental level of the miscibility of poly(vinyl chloride)/atactic poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

We employed high‐resolution ¹³C cross‐polarization/magic‐angle‐spinning/dipolar‐decoupling NMR spectroscopy to investigate the miscibility and phase behavior of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blends. The spin–lattice relaxation times of protons in both the laboratory and rotating frames [T₁(H) and T_1ρ(H), respectively] were indirectly measured through ¹³C resonances. The T₁(H) results indicate that the blends are homogeneous, at least on a scale of 200–300 Å, confirming the miscibility of the system from a differential scanning calorimetry study in terms of the replacement of the glass‐transition‐temperature feature. The single decay and composition‐dependent T_1ρ(H) values for each blend further demonstrate that the spin diffusion among all protons in the blends averages out the whole relaxation process; therefore, the blends are homogeneous on a scale of 18–20 Å. The microcrystallinity of PVC disappears upon blending with PMMA, indicating intimate mixing of the two polymers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 39: 2390–2396, 2001     

Functionalization of three‐dimensionally ordered macroporous cross‐linked polystyrene by atom‐transfer radical polymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate and subsequent derivatization

The surface‐initiated atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique was applied to the graft polymerization of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) from three‐dimensionally ordered macroporous crosslinked polystyrene (3DOM CLPS) on which the initiator (benzyl chloride) was immobilized onto the pore wall of 3DOM CLPS by chloromethylation of benzene ring. By the adjustment of the monomer concentration or graft polymerization time, the thickness of grafted polymer layers can be controlled. FTIR analysis confirms that the graft polymerization of HEMA via ATRP had been taken place at the pore wall of 3DOM CLPS. SEM images of PHEMA‐grafted 3DOM CLPS show that the ordered structure is well preserved after graft polymerization and the grafted layers are dense and homogeneous. The maximum thickness of grafted layer is up to 35 nm and the corresponding percent weight increase is 102.8% in this study. Moreover, the PHEMA layers were further functionalized in high yield via their reactive hydroxyl groups under gentle condition. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7950–7959, 2008     

Synthesis of double hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide)‐b‐poly(2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate) by single‐electron transfer–living radical polymerization

In this study, the polymerization of (2‐hydroxyethyl) acrylate (HEA), in polar media, using Cu(0)‐mediated radical polymerization also called single‐electron transfer–living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP) is reported. The kinetics aspects of both the homopolymerization and the copolymerization from a poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) macroinitiator were analyzed by ¹H NMR. The effects of both the ligand and the solvent were studied. The polymerization was shown to reach very high monomer conversions and to proceed in a well‐controlled fashion in the presence of tris[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine Me6‐TREN and N, N,N′, N″, N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). SET‐LRP of HEA was also led in water, and it was shown to be faster than in DMSO. In pure water, Me₆‐TREN allowed a better control over the molar masses and polydispersity indices than PMDETA and TREN. Double hydrophilic PEO‐b‐PHEA block copolymers, exhibiting various PHEA block lengths up to 100 HEA units, were synthesized, in the same manner, from a bromide‐terminated PEO macroinitiator. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and characterization of amphiphilic copolymer of linear poly(ethylene oxide) linked with [poly(styrene‐co‐2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)] using sequential controlled polymerization

A well‐defined amphiphilic copolymer of ‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) linked with comb‐shaped [poly(styrene‐co‐2‐hydeoxyethyl methacrylate)‐graft‐poly(ε‐caprolactone)] (PEO‐b‐P(St‐co‐HEMA)‐g‐PCL) was successfully synthesized by combination of reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) with ring‐opening anionic polymerization and coordination–insertion ring‐opening polymerization (ROP). The α‐methoxy poly(ethylene oxide) (mPEO) with ω,3‐benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsufanylpropionic acid (BSPA) end group (mPEO‐BSPA) was prepared by the reaction of mPEO with 3‐benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsufanyl propionic acid chloride (BSPAC), and the reaction efficiency was close to 100%; then the mPEO‐BSPA was used as a macro‐RAFT agent for the copolymerization of styrene (St) and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The molecular weight of copolymer PEO‐b‐P(St‐co‐HEMA) increased with the monomer conversion, but the molecular weight distribution was a little wide. The influence of molecular weight of macro‐RAFT agent on the polymerization procedure was discussed. The ROP of ε‐caprolactone was then completed by initiation of hydroxyl groups of the PEO‐b‐P(St‐co‐HEMA) precursors in the presence of stannous octoate (Sn(Oct)₂). Thus, the amphiphilic copolymer of linear PEO linked with comb‐like P(St‐co‐HEMA)‐g‐PCL was obtained. The final and intermediate products were characterized in detail by NMR, GPC, and UV. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 467–476, 2006     

Preparation of amphiphilic statistical copolymers of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate with 2‐diethylaminoethyl methacrylate,precursors of water‐soluble copolymers

Statistical copolymers of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and 2‐diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEA) were synthesized at 50 °C by free‐radical copolymerization in bulk and in a 3 mol L^?1 N,N′‐dimethylformamide solution with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. The solvent effect on the apparent monomer reactivity ratios was attributed to the different aggregation states of HEMA monomer in the different solvents. The copolymers obtained were water‐insoluble at a neutral pH but soluble in an acidic medium when the molar fraction of the DEA content was higher than 0.5. The quaternization of DEA residues increased the hydrophilic character of the copolymers, and they became water‐soluble at a neutral pH when the HEMA content was lower than 0.25. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2427–2434, 2002     

Compatibilizing effect of a graft copolymer on bacterial poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Blends of isotactic (natural) poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) are partially miscible, and PHB in excess of 20 wt % segregates as a partially crystalline pure phase. Copolymers containing atactic PHB chains grafted onto a PMMA backbone are used to compatibilize phase‐separated PHB/PMMA blends. Two poly(methyl methacrylate‐g‐hydroxybutyrate) [P(MMA‐g‐HB)] copolymers with different grafting densities and the same length of the grafted chain have been investigated. The copolymer with higher grafting density, containing 67 mol % hydroxybutyrate units, has a beneficial effect on the mechanical properties of PHB/PMMA blends with 30–50% PHB content, which show a remarkable increase in ductility. The main effect of copolymer addition is the inhibition of PHB crystallization. No compatibilizing effect on PHB/PMMA blends with PHB contents higher than 50% is observed with various amounts of P(MMA‐g‐HB) copolymer. In these blends, the graft copolymer is not able to prevent PHB crystallization, and the ternary PHB/PMMA/P(MMA‐g‐HB) blends remain crystalline and brittle. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 1390–1399, 2002