Air-tolerant poly(3-hexylthiophene) synthesis via catalyst-transfer polymerization

The discovery of catalyst-transfer polymerization and its further developments have led to unprecedented control over the length and sequence of conjugated polymers. However, the methods themselves are technically challenging to perform due to the air- and moisture-sensitivities of the monomers and catalysts. Herein, we report a catalyst-transfer polymerization method that affords poly(3-hexylthiophene) in high yields without using an inert atmosphere. The synthesis capitalizes on a rapid Negishi cross-coupling using a moisture-tolerant organozinc monomer mediated by an air-stable Pd precatalyst. This simple method should make conjugated polymer synthesis more accessible to a broader range of researchers and may be generalizable to other monomer scaffolds.     

Block polymer preparation via both anionic and free radical polymerization

A new method of block polymer preparation using combined anionic and free radical polymerization was investigated. In the method the first monomer was polymerized anionically. The resulting polymeric anions were then reacted with an episulfide to form a polymer with mercaptan end-groups. This mercapto—polymer was mixed with a second monomer(s) in an inert solvent for the free radical polymerization. Conventional free radical initiation methods were used to initiate the polymerization of the second monomer but because of the high chain transfer constant of the mercaptan groups, a large number of the free radical chains would grow from the first polymer to form a block polymer. Block polymers difficult or impossible to make by direct anionic polymerization can thus be prepared. Several block polymers, including the new thermoplastic elastomers, poly[(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)-b-butadiene-b-(styrene-co-acrylonitrile)] and poly(bromostyrene-b-butadiene-b-bromostyrene) were prepared by this method.     

Ferrocene-containing polymers. I. Radiation-induced polymerization of ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate

γ-Ray-induced polymerizations of ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate (FMMA) in crystalline and amorphous states were investigated with kinetical and ESR methods. In the crystalline state the polymerization of FMMA proceeded slowly and gave low-molecular-weight polymers, whereas in the amorphous state it proceeded rapidly and gave polymers of much higher molecular weight. Molecular weight distributions of these polymers were binodal. The temperature dependence and the dose-rate dependence of the polymerization rates were different between the two states. Wide-line nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of the amorphous monomer suggested that the polymerization proceeded in a supercooled state. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of γ-irradiated FMMA and 1,1′-ferrocenyl-di(methyl methacrylate) showed that ferrocene radicals and methacrylic radicals were formed simultaneously at low temperature; with increasing temperature the former radicals disappeared, whereas the latter changed into growing chain radicals. The yields of radicals were relatively low; this means that ferrocene groups in the monomers behave as a radiation energy absorber.     

Supramolecular Polymerization Controlled through Kinetic Trapping

A method of controllable supramolecular polymerization through kinetic trapping is developed. To this end, two bifunctional monomers with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and adamantane end groups were synthesized. The CB[7]‐containing monomer was presaturated with a pH‐responsive competitive guest for kinetic control. Then, the kinetics of supramolecular polymerization of the two monomers was easily controlled through the modulation of pH. As a result, supramolecular polymerization was kinetically trapped at certain stages, and supramolecular polymers with different molecular weights were obtained. It is anticipated that this research will enrich the methods of controllable supramolecular polymerization.     

Narrowly-Distributed Conjugated Polymers Synthesized through Suzuki Polymerization with Palladium(II) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complex Confined in Dendritic Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

A catalytic heterogenous Suzuki polymerization method was developed by confining the Pd(II)-catalyzed cross coupling reactions to take place exclusively in the nanochannels of dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Conjugated polymers with various monomer combinations, including donor-acceptor structures, were obtained in high yields. The molecular weights of the obtained polymers were well controlled with narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI value down to 1.13). All the polymeric products were highly soluble in common organic solvents, granting them with high processability. All the features of this confined Suzuki polymerization method endow the conjugated polymers great potential in optoelectronic applications.     

Copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition-assisted polymerization of linear glucose-derived co/polymers

The synthesis of linear and controllable oligomers and polymers using sugar-derived monomers is still highly challenging. Herein, we present a method allowing the linear polymerization of a bifunctional glucose derivative as monomer, which contained an azide group at C1 and a propargyl group at C4 position of the glucose ring. The reaction conditions were optimized by grafting the monomer onto the surface of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and at the end-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG). For grafting the surface of SiNPs with the monomer, an azide-bearing chlorosilane linker was synthesized and introduced onto SiNPs surface. The copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition using the glucose-derived monomer led to the growth of linear triazole-linked oligosaccharide-mimics on the surface of SiNPs with a degree of polymerization up to 13 and the formation of cyclic trimers and tetramers in the solution. Furthermore, during polymerization of the monomer at end-modified PEG, various linear diblock-copolymers pseudo-cellulose-block-PEG and triblock-copolymers pseudo-cellulose-block-PEG-block-pseudo-cellulose were obtained. The polymerization reactions expired with nearly complete consumption of the monomer and high yields between 88 and 94% were achieved. Obtained block-copolymers showed amphiphilic properties that helped to fractionate obtained polymers into lower and higher molecular weight fractions with narrow polymer dispersity Đ.     

Preparation and application of molecularly imprinted polymer for isolation of chicoric acid from Chicorium intybus L. medicinal plant

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) was synthesized and applied for the extraction of chicoric acid from Chicory herb (Chicorium intybus L.). A computational study was developed to find a suitable template to functional monomer molar ratio for MIP preparations. The molar ratio was chosen based on the comparison of the binding energy of the complexes between the template and functional monomers. Based on the computational results, eight different polymers were prepared using chicoric acid as the template. The MIPs were synthesized in a non-covalent approach via thermal free-radical polymerization, using two different polymerization methods, bulk and suspension. Batch rebinding experiments were performed to evaluate the binding properties of the imprinted polymers. The best results were obtained with a MIP prepared using bulk polymerization with 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) as the functional monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) as the crosslinker with a molar ratio of 1:4:20. The best MIP showed selective binding ability toward chicoric acid in the presence of the template’s structural analogues, caffeic acid, caftaric acid and chlorogenic acid.     

Synthesis of hollow crosslinked miktoarm polymer using miniemulsion as templates

Hollow crosslinked polymers (HCPs) were synthesized using arm first method via atom transfer radical polymerization. The polymerization process was performed in miniemulsion system, in which the macroinitiator, PEG‐Br, was in the water phase, whereas the vinyl‐monomer, 4‐vinylpyridine (4VP), and the crosslinker, DVB, were in the butanone phase. TEM images and light scattering characterization showed that the resultant polymer contained a hollow space, and the volume of the hollow space could be adjusted by changing the ratio of water to butanone. Also, hollow crosslinked Miktoarm polymers (HCMPs) were synthesized through this method when two different macroinitiators, PEG‐Br and PNIPAM‐Br, were used to coinitiate the polymerization of the vinyl‐monomer, 4VP and DVB. The ¹H NMR spectra showed that the hollow polymers contained both PEG arms and PNIPAM arms. The hollow morphologies of the resultant Miktoarm polymers were the same as the HCPs. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 1651–1660, 2009     

荧光聚合物研究进展

本文总结了近年来荧光聚合物的研究进展,主要介绍了荧光聚合物的分类：按其溶解性能可分为非水溶性、水溶性和两亲荧光聚合物三大类;荧光聚合物的合成：荧光化合物为引发剂、荧光化合物为链转移剂、荧光功能单体聚合、荧光化合物与聚合物的化学键合、非荧光功能单体聚合等五种制备荧光聚合物的设计合成方法;荧光聚合物的应用：荧光聚合物在荧光化学传感器、荧光分子温度计、荧光造影、药物载体、荧光探针等方面的应用研究。     

Addition Polymerization of 5-Ethylidene-2-Norbornene in the Presence of Pd N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes

New high-performance catalytic systems based on Pd N-heterocyclic carbene complexes for the selective addition polymerization of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB) were proposed. With these catalysts, polymerization can be conducted at unprecedentedly high monomer/catalyst ratio (up to 5 × 10⁵/1) and gives high-molecular-weight soluble polymers with good film-forming properties. Varying the polymerization conditions (reaction temperature, monomer and catalyst concentrations, monomer/Pd ratio) makes it possible to prepare soluble ENB-based addition polymers with specified molecular weights in reasonable yields.     

Preparation and polymerization of methylenecyclobutene and 1-methyl-3-methylenecyclobutene

Methylenecyclobutene (MCB) and 1-methyl-3-methylenecyclobutene (MMCB) were synthesized, characterized, and polymerized by anionic and cationic initiators. Structural analyses of the polymers were carried out by infrared and NMR spectros-copy. The cationic polymerization of MCB appeared to proceed entirely by a 1,5-propagation mechanism to form low molecular weight polymers in low yields. Anionic polymerization of this monomer, on the other hand, proceeded primarily through a 1,2-propagation path, again forming only low molecular weight polymeric products in low yield. In contrast to MCB, the methyl-substituted monomer, MMCB, polymerized readily with cationic initiators to produce unusually high molecular weight polymers in high conversions. On the basis of both infrared and NMR spectroscopic analyses, it was concluded that the polymers also contained essentially only 1,5-addition repeating units. Anionic initiators such as n-BuLi were unable to induce polymerization of this monomer, but polymerization by Ziegler-Natta catalysts proceeded readily to yield polymers virtually identical in structure and molecular weight to those obtained with cationic initiators.     

Chain‐Growth Click Polymerization of AB2 Monomers for the Formation of Hyperbranched Polymers with Low Polydispersities in a One‐Pot Process

Hyperbranched polymers are important soft nanomaterials but robust synthetic methods with which the polymer structures can be easily controlled have rarely been reported. For the first time, we present a one‐pot one‐batch synthesis of polytriazole‐based hyperbranched polymers with both low polydispersity and a high degree of branching (DB) using a copper‐catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) polymerization. The use of a trifunctional AB₂ monomer that contains one alkyne and two azide groups ensures that all Cu catalysts are bound to polytriazole polymers at low monomer conversion. Subsequent CuAAC polymerization displayed the features of a “living” chain‐growth mechanism with a linear increase in molecular weight with conversion and clean chain extension for repeated monomer additions. Furthermore, the triazole group in a linear (L) monomer unit complexed Cu^I, which catalyzed a faster reaction of the second azide group to quickly convert the L unit into a dendritic unit, producing hyperbranched polymers with DB=0.83.     

Orthogonal Cationic and Radical RAFT Polymerizations to Prepare Bottlebrush Polymers

An orthogonal combination of cationic and radical RAFT polymerizations is used to synthesize bottlebrush polymers using two distinct RAFT agents. Selective consumption of the first RAFT agent is used to control the cationic RAFT polymerization of a vinyl ether monomer bearing a secondary dormant RAFT agent, which subsequently allows side‐chain polymers to be grafted from the pendant RAFT agent by a radical‐mediated RAFT polymerization of a different monomer, thus completing the synthesis of bottlebrush polymers. The high efficiency and selectivity of the cationic and radical RAFT polymerizations allow both polymerizations to be conducted in one‐pot tandem without intermediate purification.     

冬凌草甲素分子印迹聚合物的制备及分子识别性能研究

以抗肿瘤药物分子冬凌草甲素为模板,甲基丙烯酸(MAA)为功能单体,乙二醇二甲基丙烯酸酯(ED-MA)作交联剂,采用沉淀聚合法和本体聚合法,制备对冬凌草甲素具有特定亲和选择性的分子印迹聚合物,并用激光粒度扫描和扫描电镜对聚合物的粒径和表面形貌进行了表征,采用平衡结合实验评价了两类分子印迹聚合物的吸附性能.结果表明,与使用...     

Polypropylene Modification by the Radiation Graft Polymerization of N-Vinylcaprolactam

The radiation graft polymerization of N-vinylcaprolactam onto polypropylene films was studied. The radiation graft polymerization was performed with preirradiation in air (peroxide method) or using a direct method in aqueous solutions and organic solvents. The effects of radiation dose, reaction time, monomer concentration, and homopolymerization inhibitor on the radiation graft polymerization were studied. It was found that the radiation graft polymerization from a monomer emulsion in water occurred at the highest rate. The IR spectra of grafted polymers were obtained. With the use of differential scanning calorimetry and equilibrium swelling in water, it was found that the modified polymers of polypropylene with grafted poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) chains exhibited thermoresponsive properties.     

对苯二胺和均苯三酸及对氨基苯甲酸制备可溶性芳香聚酰胺共聚物的研究

分别通过一步加料和分步加料的方法,以对苯二胺(A2)、均苯三酸(B3)和对氨基苯甲酸(AB)为原料进行溶液缩聚反应,制备了具有良好溶解性的芳香聚酰胺共聚物.产物的结构通过IR、1H-NMR得到证实.采用IR和1H-NMR对一步加料共聚反应的共聚行为进行研究,并初步考察了3种不同单体对反应的影响.     

The synthesis,interfacial, and colloidal properties of waterborne cationic methacrylic co-polymers

Two cationic polymers with similar composition were prepared by two different polymerization methods. By monitoring the evolution of the molar mass and chemical composition during the reactions together with charge density measurements and calculations, it was concluded that the cationic polymer synthesized by emulsion polymerization had a less uniform compositional distribution than the cationic polymer prepared by solution polymerization. Contributing to the heterogeneity was the hydrolysis of one monomer (dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA)) during the synthesis. As a result, the polymer prepared by emulsion polymerization had a more blocky structure and was more surface active as supported by static and dynamic surface tensions data. Fluorescence experiments showed that both polymers formed aggregates at very low concentrations of approximately 0.01 wt%. The aggregates of the polymer prepared by emulsion polymerization were compact, whereas the solution polymerization-based polymer aggregates exhibited a rather expanded geometry.     

Controlled Radical Polymerization of Furfuryl Methacrylate

Atom transfer radical polymerization provides a new method of controlled radical polymerization. The most important advantage of ATRP is that it is tolerant to the different functional groups present in the initiator as well as in the monomer. Furfuryl Methacrylate (FMA) is a specialty monomer, which has applications in coatings, adhesives and in biomedicals. Conventional radical polymerization of FMA leads to excessive gel formation, which limits its applications. In this investigation homo and co-polymerization of FMA has been carried out via ATRP. ATRP of FMA was carried out using CuBr as catalyst and 1, 1, 4, 7, 10, 10 hexamethyltriethylenetetramine (HMTETA) as ligand. There was no gel formation during the polymerization. ATRP of FMA was well controlled with a linear increase of molecular weight (Mn) with monomer conversion. The polymers were characterized by using ¹HNMR, FT-IR and GPC analysis. Interestingly, it was observed that the furfuryl ring was not affected during polymerization.     

三唑酮分子印迹预组装体系的分子模拟与吸附性能

以三唑酮为模板分子, 以丙烯酰胺(AM)、 丙烯酸(AA)、 甲基丙烯酸(MAA)和三氟甲基丙烯酸(TFMAA)为功能单体预组装了分子印迹聚合物体系, 采用半经验法和从头算法, 利用Hyperchem软件模拟了三唑酮与4种功能单体所组成的分子印迹预组装体系的构型、 能量、 反应配比及复合反应的结合能, 选择复合物结合能最高的功能单体用于分子印迹聚合物的合成. 采用密度泛函方法计算了模板与单体在不同致孔剂中的溶剂化能. 结果表明, 三唑酮与三氟甲基丙烯酸所形成复合物的作用力最强, 在非极性溶剂中溶剂化能最弱. 由预组装体系的差示紫外光谱法研究发现, 一分子三唑酮可与两分子三氟甲基丙烯酸在氯仿中形成氢键复合物, 与分子模拟的结果一致. 在最佳模拟条件下, 合成了三唑酮的印迹聚合物, 利用吸附等温线Langmuir和Freundlich模型研究了印迹聚合物的吸附行为及识别机理. 上述方法对于分子印迹体系的筛选及分子印迹聚合物性能的预测有重要的意义.     

Synthesis of poly(benzylidene phthalide)s: A new class of polymers

Pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) was condensed with different aromatic diacetic acids via a Perkin reaction to produce new polymers containing the benzylidenephthalide group in the backbone. Yields ranged from 50 to 90% with inherent viscosities ranging from 0.07 to 0.37 dL/g. Polymerizations at 275°C for 4 h using p-phenylenediacetic acid and PMDA gave the polymer with highest inherent viscosity. However, polymerization under identical conditions of p,p′-diphenyl ether diacetic acid, each with PMDA, yielded poor results. For these two monomers the best polymerization conditions were 250°C for 8 h. In general, the most thermally stable polymer was derived from the diphenyl ether diacetic acid monomer (308°C). This polymer was obtained in highest yields and gave the greatest amount of pyrolytic residue in argon (67%).