Supramolecular structures based on dimeric combinations of cyclodextrin and adamantane via click chemistry

The cyclic starches α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins (CDs) readily form inclusion complexes (ICs) with a large variety of polymers. In polymer-CD-ICs, the CD hosts are threaded by the guest polymers, which must be highly extended, and stacks of polymer threaded host CDs pack closely together and crystallize. When guest polymers are coalesced from their CD-IC crystals, by washing with a solvent good, bad for CD, polymer, or treatment with an amylase enzyme, the guest polymers coalesce into bulk samples whose structures, morphologies, and even conformations are distinct from bulk samples made from their solutions and melts. We generally observe (i) crystallizable homopolymers coalesced from their CD-ICs to evidence increased levels of crystallinity, unusual polymorphs, and higher melting, crystallization, and decomposition temperatures, while coalesced amorphous homopolymers exhibit higher glass-transition temperatures, than samples consolidated from their disordered solutions and melts; (ii) molecularly mixed, intimate blends of two or more polymers that are normally believed to be immiscible can be achieved by coalescence from their common CD-IC crystals, (iii) the phase segregation of incompatible blocks can be controlled (suppressed or increased) when block copolymers are coalesced from their CD-IC crystals, and (iv) the thermal and temporal stabilities of the coalesced and well-mixed homopolymer blends and block copolymers appear to be substantial, thereby suggesting retention of as-coalesced structures and morphologies under normal thermal processing conditions. Furthermore, CDs may be covalently incorporated in polymers both during and after their syntheses, thereby providing a broad range of new functionalities for delivery of additives or to act as sensors or filters. Alternatively, additive-CD-ICs or additives rotaxanated with CDs may be effectively delivered to polymers. As an example, TiO₂—filled polypropylene fibers may be readily dyed in aqueous solution using water soluble CD-rotaxanated azo-dyes.     

Polymers coalesced from their cyclodextrin inclusion complexes: What can they tell us about the morphology of melt‐crystallized polymers?

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic polysaccharides with nano‐size, largely hydrophobic cavities, and exteriors covered with hydrophilic hydroxyl groups, making them water soluble. Threading and filling their cavities with polymer chains produces noncovalently bonded crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs). In this study, we formed fully covered, stoichiometric ICs between guest poly(L ‐lactic acid), poly(ε‐caprolactone), and nylon‐6 chains and host α‐CD. Coalesced samples of all three polymers were obtained after appropriately removing the stacked α‐CD host channels from their ICs. Distinct differential scanning calorimetriy (DSC) thermograms were observed for as‐received and coalesced samples, with the coalesced samples crystallizing faster at higher temperatures from their melts, and this distinction was maintained even after extensive, long‐time melt‐annealing (hours, days, and weeks). We believe this is due to the largely unentangled chains with extended conformations that are more densely packed in the initially coalesced samples. When small amounts (～2 wt %) of the coalesced polymers are used as self‐nucleating agents for their as‐received samples, the resulting self‐nucleated samples show DSC thermograms similar to those of the neat coalesced polymers, including their long‐time stability to melt‐annealing. Coalesced polymers, whether neat or in samples they self‐nucleate, may conserve their organization in the melt (largely extended and unentangled chains) for long periods, because the process of entangling the many chains influenced by a single initially extended unentangled coalesced chain, after it randomly coils, is extremely sluggish. By contrast, in melt‐crystallized or solution‐cast samples, polymer chains generally become fully randomly coiled, interpenetrate, and entangle after being heated and held in their melts for comparatively much shorter times. For example, we have recently observed (DSC) that ultra high molecular weight, gel‐spun spectra polyethylene (PE) fibers^® did not conserve or retain any memory of their as‐spun and highly drawn semicrystalline morphology even after spending as little as 2 min in the melt. As a consequence of the comparison to the behavior of coalesced polymer melts, we believe that polyethylene chains in Spectra fibers^® must be at least intimately dispersed within their crystalline regions, and likely partially coiled and entangled in their noncrystalline regions, thereby facilitating their rapid transformation into a full entanglement network of randomly coiling chains in the melt. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2012     

Reorganization of the structures,morphologies, and conformations of polymers by coalescence from their crystalline inclusion compounds formed with cyclodextrins

We and several other research groups have recently reported the ability of cyclodextrins (CDs) to act as hosts in the formation of inclusion compounds (ICs) with guest polymers. Polymer-CD-ICs are crystalline materials formed by the close packing of host CD stacks, which results in a continuous channel of ∼5-10Å in diameter running down the interior of the CD stacks. The guest polymers are confined to the narrow, continuous CD channels, and so are necessarily highly extended and segregated from neighboring polymer chains by the walls of the CD stacks. We have shown that coalescence of guest polymers from their CD-IC crystals can result in a significant reorganization of the structures, morphologies, and even conformations that are normally observed in their bulk samples. For example, when poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) is coalesced from its γ-CD-IC, we find that in the non-crystalline regions of the sample the PET chains are adopting highly extended kink conformations, which result in their facile recrystallization from the melt and prevent quenching of the coalesced PET to achieve an amorphous sample during rapid cooling from above T_m. We have also created well-mixed blends of normally incompatible polymers by coalescing them from CD-ICs containing both polymers, where they are necessarily spatially proximal. Finally we have found the unique morphologies created by the coalescence of homopolymers, block copolymers, and homopolymer pairs from their CD-ICs are generally stable to heat treatment for substantial periods above their T_m's and/or T_g's, and so may be thermoplastically processed without loss of the unique morphologies achieved through coalescence from their CD-IC crystals.     

Reorganization of the structures,morphologies, and conformations of bulk polymers via coalescence from polymer–cyclodextrin inclusion compounds

Bulk poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) samples have been produced by the coalescence of their segregated, extended chains from the narrow channels of the crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) formed between the γ‐cyclodextrin (CD) host and PET and PC guests, which are reported for the first time. Differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared, and X‐ray observations of PET and PC samples coalesced from their crystalline γ‐CD‐ICs suggest structures and morphologies that are different from those of samples obtained by ordinary solution and melt processing techniques. For example, as‐received PC is generally amorphous with a glass‐transition temperature (T_g) of about 150 °C; when cast from tetrahydrofuran solutions, PC is semicrystalline with a melting temperature (T_m) of about 230 °C; and after PC/γ‐CD‐IC is washed with hot water for the removal of the host γ‐CD and for the coalescence of the guest PC chains, it is semicrystalline but has an elevated T_m value of about 245 °C. PC crystals formed upon the coalescence of highly extended and segregated PC chains from the narrow channels in the γ‐CD host lattice are possibly more chain‐extended and certainly more stable than chain‐folded PC crystals grown from solution. Melting the PC crystals formed by coalescence from PC/γ‐CD‐IC produces a normal amorphous PC melt that, upon cooling, results in typical glassy PC. PET coalesced from its γ‐CD‐IC crystals, although also semicrystalline, displays a T_m value only marginally elevated from that of typical bulk or solution‐crystallized PET samples. However, after the melting of γ‐CD‐IC‐coalesced PET crystals, it is difficult to quench the resultant PET melt into the usual amorphous PET glass, characterized by a T_g value of about 80 °C. Instead, the coalesced PET melt rapidly recrystallizes during the attempted quench, and so upon reheating, it displays neither a T_g nor a crystallization exotherm but simply remelts at the as‐coalesced T_m. This behavior is unaffected by the coalesced PET sample being held above T_m for 2 h, indicating that the extended, unentangled nature of the chains in the noncrystalline regions of the coalesced PET are not easily converted into the completely disordered, randomly coiled, entangled melt. Apparently, the highly extended, unentangled characters of the PC and PET chains in their γ‐CD‐ICs are at least partially retained after they are coalesced. Initial differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and X‐ray observations are described here. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 40: 992–1012, 2002     

Molecular mixing of incompatible polymers through formation of and coalescence from their common crystalline cyclodextrin inclusion compounds

We describe the successful mixing of polymer pairs and triplets that are normally incompatible to form blends that possess molecular‐level homogeneity. This is achieved by the simultaneous formation of crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) between host cyclodextrins (CDs) and two or more guest polymers, followed by coalescing the included guest polymers from their common CD–ICs to form blends. Several such CD–IC fabricated blends, including both polymer1/polymer2 binary and polymer1/ polymer2/polymer3 ternary blends, are described and examined by means of X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and solid‐state NMR to probe their levels of mixing. It is generally observed that homogeneous blends with a molecular‐level mixing of blend components is achieved, even when the blend components are normally immiscible by the usual solution and melt blending techniques. In addition, when block copolymers composed of inherently immiscible blocks are coalesced from their CD–ICs, significant suppression of their normal phase‐segregated morphologies generally occurs. Preliminary observations of the thermal and temporal stabilities of the CD–IC coalesced blends and block copolymers are reported, and CD–IC fabrication of polymer blends and reorganization of block copolymers are suggested as a potentially novel means to achieve a significant expansion of the range of useful polymer materials. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4207–4224, 2004     

Partial miscibility in a nylon‐6/nylon‐66 blend coalesced from their common α‐cyclodextrin inclusion complex

We successfully formed a series of inclusion complexes (ICs) between an α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) host and two kinds of guest polymers, nylon‐6 and nylon‐66. An attempt to achieve an intimate blend between nylon‐6 and nylon‐66 through the formation and dissociation of their common α‐CD IC was made. The formation of all nylon ICs was verified with wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and cross‐polarized/magic‐angle‐spinning ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The experimental results demonstrated that α‐CD could only host single nylon polymer chains in the IC channels, either nylon‐6 or nylon‐66 in their own complexes, and presumably either nylon in neighboring channels of their common IC. The IC‐coalesced blend of nylon‐6 and nylon‐66 was obtained after the removal of the host cyclodextrin from their common IC with dimethyl sulfoxide. The spectroscopic results (FTIR and ¹³C NMR) illustrated that there was a degree of intimate miscibility existing in the IC‐coalesced blend, but not in the solution‐cast physical blend, although X‐ray diffraction patterns showed that the crystal structure of the IC‐coalesced blend was similar to that of the physical blend. DSC thermal profiles suggested that nylon‐66 first formed crystals during coalescence and that the subsequent crystallization of nylon‐6 was greatly affected by the nylon‐66 crystallites because of the close proximity of the two components in portions of the coalesced blend. DSC observations also demonstrated that the melting of the coalesced blend did not lead to complete phase separation of the nylon‐6 and nylon‐66 components. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1369–1378, 2004     

The Nano-threading of Polymers

When guest polymers are threaded by host cyclodextrins (CDs) to form crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs), the included polymer chains are highly extended and separated from neighboring chains. This is a consequence of the stacking of the cyclic oligosaccharides, α-, β-, or γ-CD containing 6, 7, or 8 glucose units, respectively, which produces continuous narrow channels (~0.5–1.0 nm diameters), where the guest polymers are included and confined. Observations that illuminate several important aspects of the nano-threading of polymers to form polymer-CD-ICs are described. These include (i) the competitive CD threading of polymers with different chemical structures and molecular weights from their solutions containing suspended solid or dissolved CDs, (ii) the threading and insertion of undiluted liquid polymers into solid CDs, and (iii) suspension of polymer A or B-CD-IC crystals in a solution of polymer B or A and observation of the transfer of polymer B or A from solution to displace polymer A or B and form polymer B or A-CD-ICs, without dissolution of the CD-ICs. In addition, we report observations of polyolefins adsorbed on zeolites, where we believe the adsorbed polyolefin chains are actually threaded and absorbed into the interiors of the zeolite nano-pores, rather than adsorbed on the zeolite surfaces. All of the above observations were made to assist in answering the question “Why do randomly-coiling polymer chains in solution or the melt become threaded or thread into the nano-pores of dissolved or solid CDs and solid zeolites, where they are highly extended and segregated from other polymer chains?” Though still not fully able to answer this question, we are able to assess the importance of several factors that have been previously suggested to be important in the formation of CD-ICs with both polymer and small-molecule guests and to the nano-threading of polymers in general. In particular, the value in observations of the inclusion of guest polymers, as well as small-molecule guests, into solid CDs suspended in their solutions and in neat guest liquids were made apparent, because interactions between host CDs, between CDs and solvents, and between quests and solvents, which complicate and make understanding the formation of polymer-CD-ICs difficult, are either eliminated or can be independently varied in these experiments.     

Thermal degradation of polycarbonate, poly(vinyl acetate) and their blends

We have recently developed a novel approach for intimately mixing thermodynamically incompatible polymers, which utilizes the formation of inclusion compounds (ICs) formed with host cyclodextrins (CDs), followed by removal of CD and coalescence of the common guest polymers into a blend. In this paper direct insertion probe pyrolysis mass spectrometry (DIP-MS) analyses of polycarbonate (PC), poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and PC/PVAc blends, obtained by coalescence from their inclusion compounds formed with host γ-CD (coalesced blend) and by co-precipitation (physical blend), have been performed. Variations in the thermal stabilities of the coalesced polymers were recorded both by TGA and DIP-MS and compared to the corresponding as-received polymers. It has been determined that for both coalesced and physical blends of PC/PVAc, CH₃COOH formed by deacetylation of PVAc above 300 °C, reacts with PC chains decreasing their thermal stability. This process was more effective for the physical blend, most likely due to enhanced diffusion of CH₃COOH, produced by deacetylation of PVAc, into the PC domains, where it can further react producing low molecular weight PC fragments bearing methyl carbonate chain ends.     

Morphology and dynamics of the poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐b‐poly(L‐lactide) diblock copolymer and its inclusion compound with α‐cyclodextrin: A solid‐state 13C NMR study

A biodegradable diblock copolymer of poly(ϵ‐caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) was synthesized and characterized. The inclusion compound (IC) of this copolymer with α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) was formed and characterized. Wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction showed that in the IC crystals α‐CDs were packed in the channel mode, which isolated and restricted the individual guest copolymer chains to highly extended conformation. Solid‐state ¹³C NMR techniques were used to investigate the morphology and dynamics of both the bulk and α‐CD‐IC isolated PCL‐b‐PLLA chains. The conformation of the PCL blocks isolated within the α‐CD cavities was similar to the crystalline conformation of PCL blocks in the bulk copolymer. Spin–lattice relaxation time (T₁C) measurements revealed a dramatic difference in the mobilities of the semicrystalline bulk copolymer chains and those isolated in the α‐CD‐IC channels. Carbon‐observed proton spin–lattice relaxation in the rotating frame measurements (T_1ρH) showed that the bulk copolymer was phase‐separated, while, in the IC, exchange of proton magnetization through spin‐diffusion between the isolated guest polymer chains and the host α‐CD was not complete. The two‐dimensional solid‐state heteronuclear correlation (HetCor) method was also employed to monitor proton communication in these samples. Intrablock exchange of proton magnetization was observed in both the bulk semicrystalline and IC copolymer samples at short mixing times; however, even at the longest mixing time, interblock proton communication was not observed in either sample. In spite of the physical closeness between the isolated included guest chains and the host α‐CD molecules, efficient proton spin diffusion was not observed between them in the IC. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2086–2096, 2005     

Creation of novel polymer materials by processing with inclusion compounds

The processing of polymer materials from their inclusion compounds (ICs) formed with urea (U) and cyclodextrin (CD) hosts is described. Several examples are presented and serve to demonstrate the fabrication of unique polymer‐polymer composites and blends, including intimate blends of normally incompatible polymers, and the delivery of additives to polymers by means of embedding polymer‐ or additive‐U and CD‐ ICs into carrier polymer films and fibers, followed by coalescence of the IC guest, or by coalescence of two polymers or a polymer and an additive from their common CD‐IC crystals.     

An intimate polycarbonate/poly(methyl methacrylate)/poly(vinyl acetate) ternary blend via coalescence from their common inclusion compound with γ‐cyclodextrin

In this study, we successfully report an intimate ternary blend system of polycarbonate (PC)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) obtained by the simultaneous coalescence of the three guest polymers from their common γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) inclusion compound (IC). The thermal transitions and the homogeneity of the coalesced ternary blend were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The observation of a single, common glass transition strongly suggests the presence of a homogeneous amorphous phase in the coalesced ternary polymer blend. This was further substantiated by solid‐state ¹³C NMR observation of the T_1ρ(¹H)s for each of the blend components. For comparison, ternary blends of PC/PMMA/PVAc were also prepared by traditional coprecipitation and solution casting methods. TGA data showed a thermal stability for the coalesced ternary blend that was improved over the coprecipitated blend, which was phase‐segregated. The presence of possible interactions between the three polymer components was investigated by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The analysis indicates that the ternary blend of these polymers achieved by coalescence from their common γ‐CD–IC results in a homogeneous polymer blend, possibly with improved properties, whereas coprecipitation and solution cast methods produced phase separated polymer blends. It was also found that control of the component polymer molar ratios plays a key role in the miscibility of their coalesced ternary blends. Coalescence of two or more normally immiscible polymers from their common CD–ICs appears to be a general method for obtaining well‐mixed, intimate blends. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4182–4194, 2004     

Unique morphological and thermal behaviors of reorganized poly(ethylene terephthalates)

Bulk poly(ethylene terephthalate) PET has been reorganized both morphologically and conformationally by processing from its inclusion complex (IC) formed with γ‐cyclodextrin (CD). In the narrow channels of its γ‐CD‐IC crystals the included guest PET chains are isolated from neighboring PET chains and the ethylene glycol (EG) units adopt the highly extended g±tg? kink conformations, whose cross‐sectional diameters are ～80% of the diameter of the fully extended, all‐trans crystalline PET conformer, though they are nearly (～95%) as extended. When the highly extended, unentangled guest PET chains are coalesced from their γ‐CD‐IC crystals by exposure to hot water, host γ‐CDs are removed and the PET chains are presumably consolidated into a bulk sample with a morphology and constituent chain conformations not normally found in PET samples solidified from their randomly coiling, possibly entangled, disordered melts and solutions. Observations by polarized light and atomic force microscopies provide visual evidence for widely different semicrystalline morphologies developed in coalesced and as‐received PETs when crystallized from their melts, with possibly chain extended, small crystals and spherulitic, chain‐folded, large crystals, respectively. DSC observations reveal that coalesced PET is rapidly crystallizable from the melt, while as‐received PET is slow to crystallize and is easily quenched into a totally amorphous sample. Analyses of ¹³C‐NMR data strongly indicate that the PET chains in the noncrystalline regions of the coalesced sample remain predominantly in the highly extended kink conformations, with g±tg? EG units, which are required by their inclusion into PET‐γ‐CD‐IC crystals, while the predominantly amorphous PET chains in the as‐received sample have high concentrations of gauche± ? CH₂? CH₂? and trans ? O? CH₂? ,? CH₂? O? EG bond conformations. ¹³C‐NMR T₁(¹³C) and T_1ρ(¹H) relaxation studies show no evidence of a glass transition for coalesced PET, while the as‐received sample shows abrupt changes in both the MHz [T₁(¹³C)] and kHz [T_1ρ(¹H)] motions at T ～ T_g. Preliminary observations of differences in their macroscopic properties are attributed to the very different morphologies and conformations of the constituent chains in these PET samples. Apparently the kink conformers in the noncrystalline regions of coalesced PET are at least partially retained for extended periods even in the melt and are rapidly crystallized upon cooling. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 386–394, 2004     

Glass‐transition temperatures of nanostructured amorphous bulk polymers and their blends

Nanostructured amorphous bulk polymer samples were produced by processing them with small molecule hosts. Urea (U) and gamma‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) were utilized to form crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) with low and high molecular weight as‐received (asr‐) poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), and their blends as included guests. Upon careful removal of the host crystalline U and γ‐CD lattices, nanostructured coalesced (c‐) bulk PVAc, PMMA, and PVAc/PMMA blend samples were obtained, and their glass‐transition temperatures, T_gs, measured. In addition, non‐stoichiometric (n‐s)‐IC samples of each were formed with γ‐CD as the host. The T_gs of the un‐threaded, un‐included portions of their chains were observed as a function of their degree of inclusion. In all the cases, these nanostructured PVAc and PMMA samples exhibited T_gs elevated above those of their as‐received and solution‐cast samples. Based on their comparison, several conclusions were reached concerning how their molecular weights, the organization of chains in their coalesced samples, and the degree of constraint experienced by un‐included portions of their chains in (n‐s)‐γ‐CD‐IC samples with different stoichiometries affect their chain mobilities and resultant T_gs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013 , 51, 1041–1050     

Morphological change of poly (ε‐caprolactone) with a wide range of molecular weight via formation of inclusion complex with α‐cyclodextrin

The effect of molecular weight of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) on the formation and stability of inclusion complexes (ICs) between α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) and PCL was investigated by FTIR, WAXD, and DSC measurements. ICs between α‐CD and PCLs with a wide range of number‐average molecular weight, M_n = 1.21 × 10⁴ – 1.79 × 10⁵, were prepared by mixing the aqueous solution of CD and acetone solution of PCL followed by stirring at 60 °C for 1h and at the room temperature for 1 day. FTIR, WAXD, and DSC measurement showed the PCL chains were included into the α‐CD cavity, and the crystallization of PCL was suppressed in the α‐CD cavity. Stoichiometry and yield of each IC varied with the molecular weight of guest PCL, and the effect of IC formation on the crystallization behaviour of guest polymer decreased with the increase of molecular weight of guest polymer. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1433–1440, 2005     

NMR observation of the conformations and motions of polymers confined to the narrow channels of their inclusion compounds

When polymers are guests in crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) formed with small-molecule hosts, they occupy a unique environment. In a cocrystallization process the small-molecule host forms a crystalline lattice containing long narrow channels where the guest polymer chains are included. Because of the narrow channel diameter and because neighboring channels are separated by walls formed exclusively from the small-molecule host lattice, the included polymer chains are highly extended and separated from polymer chains in other IC channels. As a consequence, polymer-IC crystals provide a unique solid state environment for the included polymer chains and serve as models useful for assessing the contributions made by the inherent behavior of individual polymer chains to the properties of ordered, bulk polymers, which can be obscured by pervasive interactions between their tightly packed polymer chains. In this paper we describe the conformations and motions of polymer chains confined to the narrow channels of the following polymer-ICs: i. polyethylene and trans-1, 4-polybutadiene in their ICs with perhydrotriphenylene, ii. polyepsilon caprolactone and its diblock and triblock copolymers with polybutadiene and poly (ethylene oxide) in their ICs with urea, and iii. nylon-6 in its ICs with alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins. High resolution, solid state NMR serves as both the conformational (C-13 chemical shifts) and motional (relaxation times and line shapes) probe. Comparison with identical NMR measurements performed on the bulk homo- and copolymer samples permits us to draw several conclusions regarding the relationships between the conformations and motions of polymers and their dependence on their ordered solid state environments.     

Nucleation effect of cyclodextrin inclusion complexes on the crystallization of isotactic poly(1‐butene)

The β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) inclusion complexes (ICs) with four kinds of polyolefin were prepared. The crystallization behavior of isotactic poly(1‐butene) (iPB‐1) blended with these CDs and ICs was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The iPB‐1 blended with the ICs was found to exhibit higher crystallization temperature (T_C), smaller spherulites, and faster crystallization rate than neat iPB‐1. These results indicate that the ICs can act as nucleating agent on the crystallization of iPB‐1 and induce the accelerated crystallization. The guest molecules of ICs play an important role in the nucleation effect of ICs on the crystallization of iPB‐1. ICs with polyolefin having higher T_C as guest molecules have higher nucleation effect than the one with polyolefin having lower T_C as guest molecules. And, the CDs and ICs induce different crystal form of iPB‐1. The crystal of iPB‐1 blended with CDs is defective, whereas the crystal of iPB‐1 blended with ICs is more perfect. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 389–395, 2010     

Supramolecular inclusion complexes of star‐shaped poly(ε‐caprolactone) with α‐cyclodextrin

Both star‐shaped poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) having 4 arms (4sPCL) and 6 arms (6sPCL) and linear PCL having 1 arm (LPCL) and 2 arms (2LPCL) were synthesized and then investigated for inclusion complexation with α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD). The supramolecular inclusion complexes (ICs) were in detail characterized by ¹H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide angle X‐ray diffraction, solid‐state carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy using cross‐polarization and magic‐angle spinning, and Fourier transform infrared, respectively. The stoichiometry (CL:CD, mol:mol) of all ICs increased with the increasing branch arm of PCL polymers, and it was in the order of α‐CD‐6sPCL1 ICs > α‐CD‐4sPCL ICs > α‐CD‐2LPCL ICs > α‐CD‐LPCL ICs. All analyses indicated that the branch arms of star‐shaped PCL polymers were included into the hydrophobic α‐CD cavities and their original crystalline properties were completely suppressed. Moreover, the ICs of star‐shaped PCL with α‐CD had a channel‐type crystalline structure similar to that formed between the linear PCL and α‐CD. Furthermore, the thermal stability of the free PCL polymers probably controlled that of the guest polymers included in the ICs. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 4721–4730, 2005     

Intimate blending of binary polymer systems from their common cyclodextrin inclusion compounds

A procedure for the formation of intimate blends of three binary polymer systems polycarbonate (PC)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), PC/poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and PMMA/PVAc is described. PC/PMMA, PC/PVAc, and PMMA/PVAc pairs were included in γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) channels and were then simultaneously coalesced from their common γ‐CD inclusion compounds (ICs) to obtain intimately mixed blends. The formation of ICs between polymer pairs and γ‐CD were confirmed by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It was observed [solution ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)] that the ratios of polymers in coalesced PC/PMMA and PC/PVAc binary blends are significantly different than the starting ratios, and PC was found to be preferentially included in γ‐CD channels when compared with PMMA or PVAc. Physical mixtures of polymer pairs were also prepared by coprecipitation and solution casting methods for comparison. DSC, solid‐state ¹H NMR, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and direct insertion probe pyrolysis mass spectrometry (DIP‐MS) data indicated that the PC/PMMA, PC/PVAc, and PMMA/PVAc binary polymer blends were homogeneously mixed when they were coalesced from their ICs. A single, common glass transition temperature (T_g) recorded by DSC heating scans strongly suggested the presence of a homogeneous amorphous phase in the coalesced binary polymer blends, which is retained after thermal cycling to 270 °C. The physical mixture samples showed two distinct T_gs and ¹H T_1ρ values for the polymer components, which indicated phase‐separated blends with domain sizes above 5 nm, while the coalesced blends exhibited uniform ¹H spin‐lattice relaxation values, indicating intimate blending in the coalesced samples. The TGA results of coalesced and physical binary blends of PC/PMMA and PC/PVAc reveal that in the presence of PC, the thermal stability of both PMMA and PVAc increases. Yet, the presence of PMMA and PVAc decreases the thermal stability of PC itself. DIP‐MS observations suggested that the degradation mechanisms of the polymers changed in the coalesced blends, which was attributed to the presence of molecular interactions between the well‐mixed polymer components in the coalesced samples. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 2578–2593, 2005     

Nucleation effect of cyclodextrin inclusion compounds on the crystallization of polypropylene

The β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) and γ‐cyclodextrin (γ‐CD) inclusion compounds (ICs) with two different molecular weight isotactic polypropylene (iPP) were prepared. The ICs with high molecular weight iPP as guest molecule had lower inclusion rate. The crystallization behavior of iPP blended with the CDs and ICs was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and light scattering. The iPP blended with the ICs was found to exhibit higher crystallization temperature (T_C), smaller spherulites, and faster crystallization rate than those of neat iPP. These results indicate that the ICs play a role of nucleating agent on the crystallization of iPP and induce the accelerated crystallization. Both β‐CD‐iPP ICs and γ‐CD‐iPP ICs with longer iPP molecular chains had better nucleation effect than the ICs with shorter iPP molecular chains. This suggested that the nucleation effect of these ICs was affected by the inclusion rate of ICs. The lower inclusion rate could result in better nucleation effect, due to the interaction of extended iPP molecules inside the CD cavity and iPP molecules in the matrix. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 47: 130–137, 2009     

Macromolecular Recognition and Macroscopic Interactions by Cyclodextrins

Herein macromolecular recognition by cyclodextrins (CDs) is summarized. Recognition of macromolecules by CDs is classified as main‐chain recognition or side‐chain recognition. We found that CDs form inclusion complexes with various polymers with high selectivity. Polyrotaxanes in which many CDs are entrapped in a polymer chain were prepared. Tubular polymers were prepared from the polyrotaxanes. CDs were found to recognize side‐chains of polymers selectively. CD host polymers were found to form gels with guest polymers in water. These gels showed self‐healing properties. When azobenzene was used as a guest, the gel showed sol‐gel transition by photoirradiation. When ferrocene was used, redox‐responsive gels were obtained. Macroscopic self‐assembly through molecular recognition has been discovered. Photoswitchable gel association and dissociation have been observed.