Control of reaction mechanisms in cationically polymerized epoxy resins facilitates the adjustment of morphology and mechanical properties

Structure–property relations of cationically polymerized epoxy thermosets with different morphologies are examined. The morphology adjustment of amorphous epoxy based copolymers and partially crystalline polymer alloys is carried out with star‐shaped poly(ε‐caprolactone) (SPCL) bearing various numbers of hydroxyl end groups. These hydroxyl groups are known for their reactivity toward epoxides following the activated monomer (AM) mechanism. For this reason, four‐armed SPCL was synthesized with four hydroxyl end groups (SPCL‐tetraol) and, in addition, with successively esterified ones down to a SPCL with four ester end groups (SPCL‐tetraester). SPCL species bearing fewer or no hydroxyl end groups segregate into needle‐like nanodomains within the epoxy networks and, if the concentration is high enough, also into crystalline domains. The stronger phase separation of SPCL‐tetraester within the epoxy network compared with SPCL‐tetraol is due to a reduction of the AM mechanism. The mechanical properties resulting from different morphologies lead to a trade‐off between higher storage moduli and T_g values in the case of the more phase separated (and partially crystalline) polymer alloys and higher strain at break in the case of the amorphous copolymers. Nevertheless, in both cases toughness is improved or at least kept on the same level as for the pure epoxy resin. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016 , 54, 2188–2199     

Reactivity of Aliphatic and Phenolic Hydroxyl Groups in Kraft Lignin towards 4,4′ MDI

Several efforts have been dedicated to the development of lignin-based polyurethanes (PU) in recent years. The low and heterogeneous reactivity of lignin hydroxyl groups towards diisocyanates, arising from their highly complex chemical structure, limits the application of this biopolymer in PU synthesis. Besides the well-known differences in the reactivity of aliphatic and aromatic hydroxyl groups, experimental work in which the reactivity of both types of hydroxyl, especially the aromatic ones present in syringyl (S-unit), guaiacyl (G-unit), and p-hydroxyphenyl (H-unit) building units are considered and compared, is still lacking in the literature. In this work, the hydroxyl reactivity of two kraft lignin grades towards 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) was investigated. ³¹P NMR allowed the monitoring of the reactivity of each hydroxyl group in the lignin structure. FTIR spectra revealed the evolution of peaks related to hydroxyl consumption and urethane formation. These results might support new PU developments, including the use of unmodified lignin and the synthesis of MDI-functionalized biopolymers or prepolymers.     

Explanation of Ionic Sequences in Various Phenomena. VI. The Formation and Destruction of Helices in Bovine Plasma Albumin in Neutral and Acidic Solutions

Abstract

The structure of bovine plasma albumin (BPA) was examined by optical rotatory dispersion studies at both low (pH 1.5 and 2.0) and high (pH 9.0) pH values in various aqueous salt solutions. The resulting cationic sequences were compared to those observed by Pedersen for values of the sedimentation constant. At pH 9.0 the destruction of the “helix” produces an acidic sequence. The relative pH position of the “helix” transition, the fact that addition of salt increases the apparent helical content of BPA, and the observed acidic-type of sequence rule out the possibility of (1)ionic bonds between carboxylate and ?-amino groups, (2) hydrophobic bonds, or (3) hydrogen bonds between peptide linkages as major contributing forces in the formation of the helix. The stability of the “helix” in BPA between pH 3.0 and 9.0 must therefore be due to hydrogen bonds between carboxylate ions and hydroxyl groups such as those of serine, threonine, and tyrosine. Repulsive forces between the positively charged groups on BPA strengthen these bonds by preventing the expanded form of BPA from collapsing. At pH 2.0 two types of sequences were observed: The s⁰ _{20, w}, [α]_D and a₀ values gave an acidic-type cationic sequence. The b₀ (helix content), λ_c and [λ]₂₃₃ values gave essentially a nonpolar sequence. The nonpolar or hydrophobic salting-out sequences show that the formation of hydrophobic bonds at pH 2.0 hinders the formation of the helix or folded structure. The acidic sequences show that hydrogen bonds between carboxylic acid groups stabilize both the apparent helix or helices and the intermolecular aggregation of the BPA molecules. From a comparison of the S⁰ ₂₀,w values and the helical content of BPA at pH 9.0 it is also concluded that the formation of these apparent helices or folded structures expands or stiffens the BPA molecule.     

Network structure and glass transition of epoxy resins cured with active ester

The effect of network structure on the glass transition temperature (T _g) was examined by differential scanning calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis and dynamic thermomechanometry for epoxy resins cured with mixtures of curing agents consisting of an active ester, 1,3,5-triacetoxybenzene (TAB), and a polyfunctional phenol, 1,3,5-trihydroxybenzene (THB). Free hydroxyl groups are formed from THB after curing, whereas acetyl groups are left from TAB. TheT _g value of cured epoxy resins decreased with increasing TAB content in the curing agent, which is attributed to the looser network structure induced by the steric hindrance of acetyl groups from TAB in the curing reaction and also to the weaker intermolecular interaction and the internal plasticization of acetyl groups from TAB.     

Kinetics study of the UV-initiated cationic polymerization of cycloaliphatic diepoxide resins

Photo-differential scanning calorimetry (photo-DSC) was used to study the cure kinetics of UV-initiated cationic photo-polymerization of epoxy resin monomers in presence of different photoinitiators and to investigate the photo-reactivity with respect to their chemical structure. Two cycloaliphatic diepoxy monomers - 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3,4-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate and bis-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl) adipate - were studied. Both monomers have two terminal epoxy functional groups and differ only in the number of, so-called, “space” carboxylate group and thus the overall length of the molecule. Different kinetics analysis results, including enthalpy of the reaction, induction time, peak maximum, percentage conversion were obtained for both epoxy systems for different amounts of added photoinitiator and at different isothermal temperatures (30-70 °C). Two kinetic parameters - rate coefficient (k) and the order of the initiating reaction (m) - were determined, using an autocatalytic kinetics model. Activation energy for the two epoxies curing process using the Arrhenius equation was calculated as well. Results show that photochemical reactivity is influenced by the chemical structures of monomers.     

Kinetics study of imidazole-cured epoxy-phenol resins

The reaction kinetics of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with different concentrations of imidazole and bisphenol A (BPA) were investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry. Both dynamic and isothermal DSC were studied. Two initiation mechanisms were found to play roles in the curing reactions. One was based on adduct formation of epoxy groups with pyridine-type nitrogen and the other was based on ionic complexes of imidazole and BPA. The subsequent propagation was composed of three main reactions, viz. the epoxide/phenol reaction, the acid/base reaction, and the epoxide/R-O⁻ reaction. A generalized kinetics model was developed and used to predict the conversion of epoxide groups using a wide range of imidazole and BPA concentrations, and cure temperature. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3233–3242, 1999     

Predicting H2S Oxidative Dehydrogenation over Graphene Oxides from First Principles

Spin-polarized periodic density functional theory was performed to characterize H₂S adsorption and dissociation on graphene oxides (GO) surface. The comprehensive reaction network of H₂S oxidation with epoxy and hydroxyl groups of GO was discussed. It is shown that the reduction reaction is mainly governed by epoxide ring opening and hydroxyl hydrogenation which is initiated by H transfer from H₂S or its derivatives. Furthermore, the presence of another OH group at the opposite side relative to the adsorbed H₂S activates the oxygen group to facilitate epoxide ring opening and hydroxyl hydrogenation. For H₂S interaction with -O and -OH groups adsorption on each side of graphene, the pathway is a favorable reaction path by the introduction of intermediate states, the predicted energy barriers are 3.2 and 10.4 kcal/mol, respectively, the second H transfer is the rate-determining step in the whole reaction process. In addition, our calculations suggest that both epoxy and hydroxyl groups can enhance the binding of S to the C-C bonds and the effect of hydroxyl group is more local than that of the epoxy.     

Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Activity of 3Au?1Pd Alloy Nanoparticles/Graphene Composite for Bisphenol A Detection

In this study, a 3Au? 1Pd alloy nanoparticles/graphene composite (3Au? 1Pd alloy NPs/GN) with carboxyl groups and hydroxyl groups was prepared facilely by co‐reduction of graphene oxide (GO), HAuCl₄, K₂PdCl₄, with an Au? Pd alloy molar ratio of 3 : 1. The composite modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) showed a good performance for detecting bisphenol A (BPA) due to the enhanced electron transfer kinetics and large active surface area. The effective enrichment of BPA is attributed to the carboxyl groups and hydroxyl groups on the composite. According to the results of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), the BPA oxidation current is linear to its concentration in the range of 10 nM–5.0 µM (R=0.998), and the detection limit is found to be 4.0 nM (S/N=3).     

Reactivity of dissolving pulps modified by TEMPO-mediated oxidation

The reactivity of dissolving pulps towards derivatization or dissolution is a crucial quality parameter and is mainly determined by the accessibility of the hydroxyl groups. When dissolving pulps are produced from paper-grade pulps by cold caustic extraction (CCE), their reactivity is often inferior as compared to commercial prehydrolysis kraft dissolving pulps. It was hypothesized that pulp reactivity can be enhanced by the introduction of small amounts of substituents to facilitate interchain accessibility. In this study, CCE-treated Eucalyptus globulus kraft paper pulp was subjected to TEMPO-mediated oxidation to initiate partial oxidation of the C₆-hydroxyl groups to carboxyl groups. The effect of this pulp modification on the reactivity towards xanthation and the subsequent dissolution in diluted aqueous alkali solution (viscose process) as well as the dissolution in complexing and non-complexing solvents, respectively, was thoroughly examined. The results revealed that the oxidized pulps rich in C₆-carboxylate groups impeded the xanthation reaction obviously because of the reduced availability of hydroxyl groups. When N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide monohydrate was used as a direct solvent, a very high content of C₆-carboxylate groups was found to reduce the solubility of the pulp fibers as less hydrogen bonds can be formed with NMMO·H₂O. In the case of dissolution in the complexing solvent cupriethylenediamine, the dissolution mechanism of cellulose was not deteriorated by the high content of C₆-carboxylate groups. Instead, the oxidation procedure increased the hydrophilic character and the swelling capacity of the outer cell wall layers allowed homogeneous dissolution.     

Evaluating a four-directional benzene-centered aliphatic polyamine curing agent for epoxy resins

A four-directional benzene-centered aliphatic polyamine, MXBDP, with high functionality and low volatility, is used to cure epoxy resin (DGEBA). Herein we originally report the isothermal cure kinetics and dynamic mechanical properties of DGEBA/MXBDP. Differential scanning calorimetry confirms that MXDBP is more reactive than commercial linear metaxylenediamine and branched Jeffamine T-403 and the isothermal curing reaction is autocatalytic. The Kamal model is found to be able to well describe the curing rate up to the onset of diffusion control, and the excellent match over the whole conversion range is achieved using the extended Kamal model. Interestingly, the isoconversional kinetic analysis indicates that the effective reaction activation energy (E _α ) changes substantially with conversion, and ultimately decreases to a very small value (<10 kJ mol^?1) because of the diffusion-controlled reaction kinetics. Then, dynamic mechanical analysis reveals that DGEBA/MXBDP exhibits the higher α- and β-relaxation temperatures and the much higher crosslink density than DGEBA/metaxylenediamine. Our experiment results support that MXBDP has the high reactivity and improved thermal resistance in combination with the advantages of the high functionality, low volatility and decreased CO₂ absorption. Therefore, MXBDP may be especially suitable for room temperature-cure epoxy coatings and adhesives.     

Kinetics and mechanism of p-isopropenylphenol synthesis via hydrothermal cleavage of bisphenol A

Although bishydroxyarylalkanes are known to be reactive in high-temperature (T > 200 degrees C) liquid water (HTW), no mechanistic insight has been given to explain the reactivity of methylene bridge-containing diaryls under hydrothermal conditions. We examined the kinetics and mechanism of p-isopropenylphenol (IPP) synthesis via bisphenol A (BPA) cleavage in HTW. The cleavage reaction is first order in BPA. Cleavage of BPA in HTW occurs by specific acid catalysis, by specific base catalysis, and by general water catalysis. Under neutral conditions, the dominant mechanism is general base catalysis with water serving as the proton acceptor. We generated a detailed chemical kinetics model for the decomposition reaction based on a base-catalyzed mechanism in the literature. This three-parameter model fit the experimental data for BPA disappearance and formation of IPP and phenol and accurately predicted the yield of the IPP hydrolysis product acetone. Using acid- and base-catalyzed mechanisms, we explain the reactivity in HTW reported for other diaryl groups linked by methylene bridges and propose criteria for assessing the reactivity of methylene bridges under hydrothermal conditions.     

Reactions in aminosilane–epoxy prepolymer systems I. Kinetics of epoxy–amine reactions

The reactions of an epoxy prepolymer based on bisphenol A diglycidylether (DGEBA) with γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (γ-APS) are studied. The results of different techniques are compared: size exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, chemical titration, and Fourier Transform Infrared absorption. Epoxy amine reactions are shown to be faster than the crosslinking reactions between alkoxysilane and hydroxy groups, and thus, can be studied seprately. The reactivity of the epoxy group in DGEBA is compared with that of phenylglycidylether (PGE). And the reactivity of the amine group of γ-APS is compared with that of hexylamine. The kinetic constants are calculated with a mechanism which takes into account both the catalytic and noncatalytic reactions. The ratio r = k₂/k₁ of the reactivity of the secondary to the primary amino-hydrogens was also determined. The values of r are 1.4 for hexylamine and 1.2 for γ-APS. The reactivity of the epoxy groups are the same for both PGE and DGEBA.     

Synthesis and Photoinitiated Cationic Polymerization of Epoxidized Castor Oil and Its Derivatives

ABSTRACT

In this communication we describe the synthesis of epoxidized castor oil (ECO) as an interesting and inexpensive biorenewable monomer by an efficient and low cost epoxidation process. Also described are studies of the photoinitiated cationic polymerization of ECO using diaryliodonium salt photoinitiators. The influence of the structure and the concentration of the photoinitiator on the polymerization are reported. The ability of photosensitizers to accelerate the photopolymerization was also studied. Studies comparing the photopolymerization behavior of ECO with other commercially available epoxidized linseed and soybean oils and with other types of synthetic epoxy monomers were conducted. The excellent reactivity of ECO can be ascribed to the presence of both epoxy and hydroxyl groups in the molecule which permits this material to polymerize mainly by an activated monomer mechanism.

     

Addition effect of erbium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate in the homopolymerization kinetics of a DGEBA resin

Solid bisphenol-A epoxy resin of medium molecular weight was cured using a Lewis acid initiator (erbium(III) trifluoromethanesulfonate) in three different proportions (0.5, 1 and 2 phr). A kinetic study was performed in a differential scanning calorimeter. The complete kinetic triplet was determined (activation energy, pre-exponential factor, and integral function of the degree of conversion) for each system. A kinetic analysis was performed with an integral isoconversional procedure (model-free), and the kinetic model was determined both with the Coats-Redfern method (the obtained isoconversional E value being accepted as the effective activation energy) and through the compensation effect. All the systems followed the same isothermal curing model simulated from non-isothermal ones. The “nucleation and growth” Avrami kinetic model A_3/2 has been proposed as the polymerization kinetic model. The addition of initiator accelerated the reaction having higher influence when low temperatures were applied.     

Description of phenomenological process during thermal formation of an epoxy system in presence of metal nanoparticles using advanced kinetics analysis

The curing process of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)–isophoronediamine (IPDA) system filled with different contents of Fe nanoparticles (nano-Fe) has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis in order to understand the effect of nano-Fe. These studies revealed that high percentage of the nanofiller, i.e. 10 %, results in improved epoxy matrix as evidenced by increasing in the reaction heat and conversion degree. Kinetics of DGEBA/IPDA/10 % nano-Fe cure was studied by calorimetry measurements at isothermal mode. Isothermal kinetic parameters, including k ₁, k ₂, m, and n were determined and it was shown that the reaction kinetics could be expressed well by dα/dt = (k ₁ + k ₂ α ^m)(1?α)ⁿ which called Kamal model. The results also showed that the diffusion control does not occur. The excellent fitting Kamal model with experimental data at the end of the isothermal cure process could be mentioned as evidences here. The dispersion of 10 % nano-Fe into epoxy matrix was analyzed by atomic force microscopy observations.     

Photo - DSC and real time - FT-IR kinetic study of a UV curable epoxy resin containing o-Boehmites

Nanocomposite coatings based on a cycloaliphatic epoxy resin (3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl-3′,4′-epoxycyclohexane carboxylate - CE) with two different o-Boehmites (content ranging from 5 to 10 wt.%) were prepared by cationic photopolymerization. Two different in situ monitoring techniques, photocalorimetry (p-DSC) and real time FT-IR spectroscopy (RT-IR) were used in order to investigate the kinetics of the photopolymerization process. A theoretical approach for establishing the equivalence of the irradiation conditions in the two experimental set-ups was developed in order to compare the obtained results.A substantial correspondence of the two techniques was found for the qualitative trend of the final conversion of the epoxy groups of the filled formulations relatively to the pure CE resin. Conversely, the final conversion of the epoxy groups and the reaction rate were found to be quite different. Higher kinetic profiles were obtained in RT-IR experiments, in which were also observed lower final conversions of the epoxy groups relatively to the p-DSC measurements. The presence of the nanofillers resulted in a decrease in the reactivity of the epoxy system, which was attributed to the light absorbance of Boehmites due to scattering from the clusters in the micron-size range.All the nanocomposites exhibited a high level of transparency and high T_g values, which were found to decrease slightly with increasing the nanofiller content.     

Titanocene-promoted stereoselective eliminations on epoxy alcohols derived from R-(−)-carvone

The reaction of several stereoisomeric epoxy alcohols, obtained from R-(?)-carvone, and their corresponding formates, acetates, and benzoates, promoted by Cp₂TiCl has been studied. The different outcomes of the reaction of epoxy derivatives are rationalized in terms of mechanistically biased processes. The radicals emerging from oxirane cleavage provide two types of reaction: dehydroxylation (deoxycarbonylation) and dehydrogenation.The results offer considerable support for the radical elimination theory of hydroxyl, formyloxyl, and acetoxyl groups. The inability of tertiary radicals to be reduced by the Ti(III) complex is demonstrated unequivocally.     

Bisphenol A reactions with hydroxyl radicals: diverse pathways determined between deionized water and tertiary treated wastewater solutions

The oxidative reactions of bisphenol A (BPA) with radiolytically generated hydroxyl radicals were studied in both deionized water and tertiary treated wastewaters. In deionized water, bisphenol A reacts with the hydroxyl radical by addition to the aromatic ring, k = 6.9 × 10⁹ (±0.2) M⁻¹ s⁻¹, to eventually form the prominent, long-lived, hydroxylated intermediate product. In contrast, in tertiary treated water solutions, although the initial hydroxyl radical addition reaction occurs, the hydroxylation is averted, and a different mechanistic pathway ensues. The removal constant for the hydroxyl radical reaction with BPA is 0.45 ± 0.04 μmol/kGy, corresponding to an overall degradation efficiency of 76%.     

Curing Kinetics of Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A and Diaminodiphenylmethane Using a Mechanistic Model

Summary: The curing kinetics of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) was analyzed using isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) modes by using a simple mechanistic model which includes two rate constants, k₁ and k₂, two reaction orders, n₁ and n₂, and the ratio of initial concentration of hydroxyl group to initial epoxy concentration, c₀. Analyses of DSC data indicated that an autocatalytic reaction existed in the curing process. The mechanistic model proposed in this paper fits the experimental data exactly. Rate constants, k₁ and k₂ have been found to increase with rising curing temperature. The activation energies for the relative reactions were determined to be 66.00 ± 4.21 and 50.74 ± 8.92 kJ/mol, respectively. The complex equivalent constant, K, decreased with increasing temperature. Diffusion control was incorporated to describe the cure in the latter stages.

Comparison of experimental data with the mechanistic model for the curing kinetics of DGEBA with DDM.     

Synthesis of 14-deoxy-benzylidene-8,17-epoxy-diene-andrographolide derivatives and evaluation of their anticancer activities

Synthesis of 14-deoxy-benzylidene-8,17-epoxy-diene-andrographolide derivatives from andrographolide and evaluation of their anticancer activities were described herein. 3,19 hydroxy groups of andrographolide were protected by benzylidene which undergo m-chloroperbenzoic acid mediated epoxydation in moderate yield to form corresponding epoxy derivatives. Thereafter mild basic condition was applied to perform de-hydroxylation at C-14 which resulted in conjugated diene derivatives of benzylidene epoxy andrographolide. These compounds were examined against different human cancer cell lines and were found to inhibit their proliferation at IC₅₀ in the range of 3–20 μM in order to elucidated the role of allylic hydroxyl group at C-14.