Photooxidation of copolymers of fluorinated olefins and allyl or vinyl ethers

This article reports the results on the photooxidation mechanisms of two copolymers of fluorinated olefins and allyl or vinyl ethers. It is shown that the presence of the fluorine atoms influences strongly both the orientation of the reaction and the photooxidation kinetics. Due to the neighbouring fluorine atoms, the methylene groups in α-position of the oxygen of the ether groups are not equivalent regarding oxidation and the secondary carbon becomes more oxidable than the tertiary one. Because these unexpected results were obtained, the study has been extended to non fluorinated polyethers. On the basis of the results obtained, a general mechanism of the primary oxidation of polyethers is given, and the role played by the fluorine atoms on the orientation of the reactions is discussed.     

Surface active semifluorinated diblock copolymers prepared by group transfer polymerization

Diblock copolymers consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(2-perfluorobutylethyl methacrylate) with narrow molecular weight distribution have been synthesized by group transfer polymerization. Different ratios of the PMMA block to the fluorinated block have been prepared. It was found that all polymers are surface active. Critical micelle concentrations are not dependent on the fluorinated block length. Critical surface tensions, extrapolated from Zisman plots and the dispersion force component of the surface energies extrapolated from Girifalco-Good-Fowkes-Young plots were decreasing with increasing length of the fluorinated block.     

Thermal oxidation of blends of poly(vinyl methyl ether) and modified polystyrenes

Thermal oxidation of blends of poly(vinyl methyl ether) and styrene copolymers containing hydroxyl groups as hydrogen-bond donors was studied. The hydrogen-bonding interaction provide for improved miscibility between the component polymers and more extensive crosspropagation/cross-termination reactions. In addition to their contribution to improved miscibility, phenol groups in the copolymers exhibited apparent antioxidant and prooxidant effects.     

Block Copolymerization of Vinyl Monomers with Macroiniferer

Abstract

Block copolymers composed of a polyether, such as poly(oxytetra-methylene), and vinyl polymers, such as polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(butyl acrylate), and poly(vinyl acetate), were prepared by photopolymerizations of vinyl monomers initiated with a polyether macroiniferter, α - (diethyldithiocarbamylacetyl) - ω - (diethyldithiocar-bamylacetoxy)-poly(oxytetramethylene). ESR spectroscopy and end-group analysis of diethyldithiocarbamyl indicated that block copolymers should be predominantly ABA-type copolymers. The block copolymers were characterized in detail by NMR, GPC, and DSC analysis.     

Synthesis of fluorine‐containing star‐shaped poly(vinyl ether)s via arm‐linking reactions in living cationic polymerization

Various types of fluorine‐containing star‐shaped poly(vinyl ether)s were successfully synthesized by crosslinking reactions of living polymers based on living cationic polymerization. Star polymers with fluorinated arm chains were prepared by the reaction between a divinyl ether and living poly(vinyl ether)s with fluorine groups (C₄F₉, C₆F₁₃, and C₈F₁₇) at the side chain using cationogen/Et_1.5AlCl_1.5 in a fluorinated solvent (dichloropentafluoropropanes), giving star‐shaped fluorinated polymers in high yields with a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution. The concentration of living polymers for the crosslinking reaction and the molar feed ratio of a bifunctional vinyl ether to living polymers affected the yield and molecular weight of the star polymers. Star polymers with block arms were prepared by a linking reaction of living block copolymers of a fluorinated segment and a nonfluorinated segment. Heteroarm star‐shaped polymers containing two‐ or three‐arm species were synthesized using a mixture of different living polymer species for the reaction with a bifunctional vinyl ether. The obtained polymers underwent temperature‐induced solubility transitions in various organic solvents, and their concentrated solutions underwent sol–gel transitions, based on the solubility transition of a thermoresponsive fluorinated segment. Furthermore, a slight amount of fluorine groups were shown to be effective for physical gelation when those were located at the arm ends of a star polymer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

环取代基对金属化聚苯胺衍生物膜修饰电极性能的影响

通过比较聚2，5－二甲氧基苯胺（PDMAn）、聚邻甲基苯胺（POT）和聚间氯苯胺（PmClAn）膜修饰电极的氧化还原电位、沉积在这3种聚合物上的铂微粒的表面形态与晶面取向以及异丙醇在分散Pt微粒的聚苯胺膜修饰电极上的氧化行为，从电子效应和立体效应探讨了聚合物电化学性质与环取代基的关系以及不同聚合基质对Pt沉积机理和有催化性能的影响,结果表明，在硫酸溶液中PDMAn膜修饰电极的氧化还原电位最负、POT次之、PmClAn最正，Pt在PDMAn和POT膜上的电沉积机理与在PmClAn膜上的不同，聚合物膜上沉积的Pt微粒呈现（200)晶面择优取向，其中POT膜上择优取向度最大，PDMAn次之，Pm-ClAn最小，异丙醇在金属化聚合物膜电极上的氧化电位取决于聚苯胺的本质，在POT膜修饰电极上异丙醇的电氧化主要发生在POT的活性电位区，而在PDMAn与PmClAn膜上的电氧化则主要发生在Pt上的氧化电位区，说明聚合物膜不仅作为Pt微粒的分散介质，而且本身有产生催化作用。     

Photodegradation of polyglycidol in aqueous solutions exposed to UV irradiation

The photodegradation of polyglycidol in aqueous solution with UV wavelength of 254 nm was investigated. The experiments were carried out in air at a constant temperature and the photodegradation of polyglycidol (PGl) was compared to that of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), the most widely studied polyether. Size exclusion chromatography with multiangle light scattering detection (SEC-MALLS) was used to measure the changes in the molar masses and molar mass dispersities of polymers during degradation. The molar mass of PGl decreased dramatically during the first period of UV irradiation and then gradually approached a limiting value of 17,000 g/mol, regardless of the initial polymer concentration. PEO was less sensitive to UV irradiation than polyglycidol however, both polymers degrade mainly via chain scission. The degradation of PGl and PEO leads to acidification of their water solution. The photooxidation products were analyzed by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy and the spectrophotometric results revealed that the irradiation of the polymers led to the formation of carbonyl groups in the macromolecular chains. A mechanism accounting for the main routes of PGl photooxidation is proposed.     

Adsorption of well-defined fluorine-containing polymers onto poly(tetrafluoroethylene)

Adsorption of well-defined fluorinated polymers onto clinically relevant poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) substrates offers an attractive method for modifying the surface properties of chemically inert PTFE. Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) was successfully used for synthesis of the polymers in this study: the homopolymers poly(2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene) (PFS), poly(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl acrylate) (PTFPA), and poly(2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate) (PTFPMA) as well as their block copolymers with tert-butyl acrylate ( (t)BA). Water-soluble blocks were synthesized through the hydrolysis of the t-butyl side groups of P( (t)BA) to the corresponding carboxylic acid. Adsorption of selected polymers onto PTFE from a series of solvents (methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), dimethylformamide (DMF), fluorobenzene (FB), dichloromethane (DCM)) was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and sessile water drop measurements. The three homopolymers studied all adsorbed irreversibly (i.e., were not removed by washing) from organic solvents at ambient temperature. PFS displayed the highest adsorption, and was attributed to strong hydrophobic interactions. From angle-resolved XPS it was concluded that PFS became impregnated into the PTFE substrate down to depths of 100 A when using FB as a solvent. The carboxylic acid-containing block copolymers adsorbed more effectively from DMF (a good solvent for the poly(acrylic acid) block) compared to MEK. The resulting modified PTFE substrates displayed high stability with respect to desorption in aqueous solution, yet conformational changes of the adsorbed polymer resulted in a switchable hydrophobic-hydrophilic surface (in air or water, respectively). These results highlight the success of a facile and simple approach to irreversibly adsorb functional polymers to a nonfunctional fluorinated surface.     

Effect of block length on the self-assembly of end-capping perfluoroalkyl moieties on the polymer surface

Most research on copolymers with fluorinated monomers has focused on the relationship between fluorinated monomer content and the corresponding surface structure. However, the influence of the non-fluorinated block on the surface structure of the copolymer film is unknown. Various molecular weight poly(butyl methacrylates) (PBMA) end-capped with 2-perfluorooctylethyl methacrylate (FMA) units (PBMA-ec-FMA) have been synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The effect of the PBMA block length on the surface structure and properties of the polymers both in the solid state and in solution was investigated using various techniques. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses indicated that longer PBMA blocks enhanced both the enrichment of the fluorinated moieties and the order of the packing orientation of the perfluoroalkyl side chains on the surface. This enhancement was attributed mainly to the molecular aggregate structure of the end-capped polymers with long PBMA blocks in the solution and to the interfacial structure at the air/liquid interface, which favors the -(CF₂)₇CF₃ moieties self-assembling on the polymer surface during film formation. This observation suggests that the polyacrylate block structure in fluorinated diblock copolymers, in addition to the fluorinated monomer content, plays an important role in structure formation on the solid surface.     

The influence of amphiphilic polymers on the photocatalytic activity of water-soluble porphyrin photosensitizers

The influence of amphiphilic polymers polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl alcohol), and pluronic F127 (propylene oxide-ethylene oxide triblock copolymer) on the catalytic activity of a number of water-soluble metal-free porphyrin photosensitizers was studied in the reaction of tryptophan photooxidation in aqueous solution. The introduction of the specified polymers was found to enhance the activity of carbon-substituted tetrafluorophenylporpyrin, photoditazine, and dimegin. It was ascertained that introduction of polyvinylpyrrolidone had the strongest effect on the increase in the photooxidation process rate; the change in the activity of porphyrins was 30–70%. The introduction of poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl alcohol), and pluronic F127 was shown to enhance the rate of the process by 10–40%. It was concluded that this polymer effect was connected with the dissociation of aggregates, in which form porphyrin molecules were present in aqueous solutions, as indicated by an increase in fluorescence intensity of porphyrins. The introduction of polymers resulted in a bathochromic shift of the fluorescence bands for all porphyrins, which accounted for the formation of complexes of porphyrin sensitizers with the polymers.     

Synthesis and properties of segmented block copolymers based on mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(tetramethylene oxide) segments

The synthesis and characterisation of segmented block copolymers based on mixtures of hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) and hydrophobic poly(tetramethylene oxide) polyether segments and monodisperse crystallisable bisester tetra-amide segments are reported. The PEO length was varied from 600 to 8000 g/mol and the PTMO length was varied from 650 to 2900 g/mol. The influence of the polyether phase composition on the thermal mechanical and the elastic properties of the resulting copolymers was studied.The use of high melting monodisperse tetra-amide segments resulted in a fast and almost complete crystallisation of the rigid segment. The copolymers had only one polyether glass transition temperature, which suggests that the amorphous polyether segments were homogenously mixed. Thermal analysis of the copolymers showed one polyether melting temperature that was lower than in the case of ideal co-crystallisation between the two polyether segments. However, at PEO or PTMO lengths larger than 2000 g/mol two polyether melting temperatures were observed. The copolymer with the best low temperature properties was based on a mixture of PEO and PTMO segments, both having a molecular weight of 1000 g/mol, at a weight ratio of 30/70.     

Synthesis and self-organization of amphiphilic poly(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-vinylpyrrolidone-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers in solution and bulk

It is shown that the amphiphilic diblock copolymers poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate) can be prepared through the reaction of chain transfer to bis(pentafluorophenyl)germane during the polymerization of N-vinylpyrrolidone and the subsequent postpolymerization of isolated functional polymers in 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate. The dilute-solution behavior and self-organizing ability of functional polymers based on poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) containing end bis(pentafluorophenyl) groups and of amphiphilic diblock copolymers formed on their basis are studied via the methods of static and dynamic light scattering and viscometry. Surface properties at the interface of the films are estimated through the wetting technique.     

聚醚酯嵌段共聚物熔体的流变性能

采用毛细管流变仪测定了组成比、聚醚分子量、熔融时间和熔融温度对嵌段聚醚酯熔体表观粘度的影响．结果发现在所研究的温度和切变速率范围内,该结构聚醚酯熔体为假塑性非牛顿流体,其粘度随聚酯段含量的增加而增加,随熔融时间增加而降低,随聚醚分子量的增大而增大．聚醚酯的零切粘度可由Ｓｐｅｎｃｅｒ Ｄｉｌｌｏｎ 公式外推得到,零切粘度对温度的依赖关系服从Ａｎｄｒａｄｅ 公式．     

Poly(ether amide) triblock and star block copolymers

Triblock and three arm, poly(ether amide) star block copolymers have been synthesized and characterized. Di- and tri-functional amine terminated polyethers were reacted with caprolactam at elevated temperatures to produce the block copolymers. The polyether amines were incorporated at levels ranging from 5%-40%. Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) evaluation reveals no reduction in the crystalline melting point of the polycaprolactam end blocks up to 40% polyether incorporation. Dynamic mechanical spectroscopy and FTIR were used to confirm the incorporation of the polyether. A comparison is made between triblock and star block copolymers, and between poly(propylene glycol) and poly(ethylene glycol) polyether midblocks. These block copolymers have improved impact performance as well as a flexural modulus that first increases and then decreases as the amount of polyether is increased in the block copolymer.     

Synthesis of Vinyl Polymer—Poly (α-Amino Acid) Block Copolymers by End-Reactive Oligomers

In order to synthesize block copolymers consisting of segments having dissimilar properties, vinyl polymer - poly (α-amino acid) block copolymers were synthesized by two different methods. In the first method, the terminal amino groups of polysarcosine, poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate), and poly(γ-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine) were haloacetylated. The mixture of the terminally haloacetylated poly (α-amino acid) and styrene or methyl methacrylate was photoirradiated in the presence of Mo (CO)₆ or heated with Mo(CO)₆, yielding A-B-A-type block copolymers consisting of poly(α-amino cid) (the A component) and vinyl polymer(the B component). The characterization of block copolymers revealed that the thermally initiated polymerization of vinyl compounds by the trichloroacetyl poly(α-amino acid)/Mo(CO)₆ system was most suitable for the synthesis of vinyl polymer - poly-(α-amino acid) block copolymers. In the second method, poly (methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene having a terminal amino group were synthesized by the radical polymerization in the presence of 2-mercaptoethylammonium chloride. Using these polymers having a terminal amino group as an initiator, the block polymerizations of γ-benzyl L-glutamate NCA and e-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine NCA were carried out, yielding A-B-type block copolymer. By eliminating the protecting groups of the side chains of poly(α-amino acid) segment, block copolymers such as poly(methyl methacrylate) with poly(L-glutamic acid) or poly(L-lysine) and polystyrene with poly(L-glutamic acid) and poly(L-lysine) were successfully synthesized.     

Synthesis and characterization of multiblock copolymers based on hydrophilic disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) and hydrophobic partially fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone) for fuel cell applications

Sulfonated fluorinated multiblock copolymers based on high performance polymers were synthesized and evaluated for use as proton exchange membranes (PEMs). The multiblock copolymers consist of fully disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) and partially fluorinated poly(arylene ether ketone) as hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments, respectively. Synthesis of the multiblock copolymers was achieved by a condensation coupling reaction between controlled molecular weight hydrophilic and hydrophobic oligomers. The coupling reaction could be conducted at relatively low temperatures (e.g., 105 °C) by utilizing highly reactive hexafluorobenzene (HFB) as a linkage group. The low coupling reaction temperature could prevent a possible trans‐etherification, which can randomize the hydrophilic‐hydrophobic sequences. Tough ductile membranes were prepared by solution casting and their membrane properties were evaluated. With similar ion exchange capacities (IECs), proton conductivity and water uptake were strongly influenced by the hydrophilic and hydrophobic block sequence lengths. Conductivity and water uptake increased with increasing block length by developing nanophase separated morphologies. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments revealed that the connectivity of the hydrophilic segments was enhanced by increasing the block length. The systematic synthesis and characterization of the copolymers are reported. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 214–222, 2010     

Studies on the ultra-fine transition metal particles dispersed in polymer matrix

A series of complexes of styrene-4-vinylpyridine copolymers (SVP) or poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) and transition metal chlorides were prepared. The transition metal-polymer complexes were used to prepare the ultra-fine metallic particles dispersed in polymer matrix by chemical reduction. The effects of the ion concentration and the polymer backbone on the size of these metal particles were studied. It was found that the transition metal ions may coordinate to pyridine groups in precursor polymers after blending. Upon reduction, the metal ions were transformed into the corresponding metal particles in the range of nanometer scale. The protective polymers take an important role to prevent metal particles from oxidation and excessive aggregation.     

Conformation of the Linear-Dendritic Block Copolymers of Hyperbranched Polyphenylenegermane and Linear Poly(methylmethacrylate)

Dilute solutions of linear-dendritic block copolymers of linear poly(methylmethacrylate) with hyperbranched polyphenylenegermane were investigated by light scattering methods. The obtained results were compared with characteristics of functionalized poly(methylmethacrylate) with -Ge(C₆F₅)₃ terminal groups, linear poly(methylmethacrylate), and hyperbranched polyphenylenegermane. The investigated samples differ by molar masses of the linear components. It was shown that molecules of functionalized poly(methylmethacrylate) in solution have a conformation that is typical for linear polymers in good solvent, while the linear-dendritic polymers in dilute chloroform solution have compact structure and high density in comparison with linear poly(methylmethacrylate).     

Effect of fluorinated groups on photooxidative stability of polymeric protectives applied on marble

Some new protective copolymers and a commercial one have been tested on Candoglia marble, a very low porosity stone. Two of the polymers contained a partially fluorinated methacrylic monomer, 2,2,2 trifluoro ethyl methacrylate (TFEMA), in combination with either an acrylic, methyl acrylate (MA) or a vinyl ether, n-butyl vinyl ether (n-BVE) unit. Two copolymers, ethyl methacrylate/n-butyl vinyl ether and ethyl methacrylate (EMA)/methyl acrylate (Paraloid B72), were non-fluorinated and similar in compositions and molar ratio. The aim of the work is to test the copolymers and compare the performances of fluorinated new polymers with the non fluorinated one and with the largely used commercial product. The results obtained demonstrate that the introduction, even in limited amounts, of fluorine atoms in the side ester groups of methacrylic type polymers really improves their protective effect and the durability of the stone treatments. The best results were obtained with the copolymer TFEM/MA which is the fluorinated homologous of Paraloid B72.     

Photo- and thermal-oxidation of polyethylene: Comparison of mechanisms and influence of unsaturation content

The behaviour of polyethylene with different contents in vinyl and t-vinylene groups have been studied by photooxidation with λ ≥ 300 nm light or by thermooxidation at a temperature of 100 °C. The oxidation was studied by infrared spectroscopy and it was shown that the same oxidation products were obtained, but with different relative concentrations depending on the conditions of ageing, i.e. photochemical or thermal conditions. The mechanisms by which the oxidation products are formed were recalled. The differences between photo- and thermo-oxidation were evidenced on the basis of the stability of ketones that do not accumulate in photochemical conditions, as a result of Norrish reactions. The influence of the initial amount of unsaturated groups on the rates of oxidation was characterized. It was shown that the concentration of unsaturations had no effect on the rate of photooxidation but dramatically influenced the stability in thermooxidative conditions.