H NMR study of temperature-induced phase separation in solutions of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-acrylamide) copolymers

¹H NMR spectroscopy was applied to investigate temperature-induced phase separation in solutions of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-acrylamide) [P(IPMAm/AAm)] random copolymers in D₂O, D₂O/ethanol and D₂O/acetone. The NMR relaxation behaviour of water (HDO) was also examined. The effects of P(IPMAm/AAm) composition and the ethanol or acetone content in the mixed solvents on the temperature, width and extent of the phase transition as well as on the mobility of polymer segments and water molecules were characterized. For D₂O solutions of the copolymers prepared with the AAm fraction in the polymerization mixture not exceeding 25 mol% ¹H NMR spectra show dynamic heterogeneity of copolymer chains in mesoglobules where AAm sequences and surrounding short IPMAm sequences are hydrated and mobile, while sufficiently long IPMAm sequences are dehydrated and their mobility is strongly reduced. The obtained results are consistent with the idea that P(IPMAm/AAm) copolymer mesoglobules are rather porous and disordered.     

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)/poly[(N-acetylimino)ethylene] thermosensitive block and graft copolymers

Block and graft copolymers with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and poly[(N-acetylimino)ethylene] (PNAI) sequences were synthesized via PNAI derivatives (macroinitiators or macromers). The polymerization yields for block copolymers synthesized in ethanol, using the PNAI macroinitiator, were low (<10%), except where photochemical polymerization was applied. By contrast, for the copolymerizations of N-isopropylacrylamide with the PNAI macromers, performed in alcoholic solution, quite high polymerization yields, around 80-90%, were reached. ¹H-NMR and IR spectral and differential scanning calorimeter thermal data confirmed the copolymer formation. Thermosensitivity of the copolymers was investigated by means of turbidimetric technique as a function of their nature, average molecular weight and composition. It was found that the length of the chain of the PNAI macromer and the content in hydrophilic PNAI units of the resulted copolymer affected this behavior.     

NMR study of phase separation in D2O/ethanol solutions of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) induced by solvent composition and temperature

¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies were applied to investigate phase separation in solutions of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PIPMAm) in D₂O/ethanol (EtOH) mixtures induced by solvent composition (cononsolvency) and temperature. Effects of EtOH content in D₂O/EtOH mixtures and temperature on the appearance and extent of the phase separation were characterized. Differences in mesoglobules formed during the phase separation induced by cononsolvency and temperature were found. For temperature-induced phase separation, ¹³C spin-spin relaxation times showed that besides the free EtOH expelled from the PIPMAm mesoglobules, there are also EtOH molecules bound in these mesoglobules. On the other hand, virtually no bound EtOH molecules were detected for mesoglobules formed as a consequence of the cononsolvency. For PIPMAm random copolymers containing negatively charged methacrylate units the phase separation induced by solvent composition was not observed.     

1D and 2D NMR studies of N-vinylcarbazole/butyl methacrylate copolymers

Copolymers containing N-vinylcarbazole (V) and butyl methacrylate (B) units of different compositions were synthesized and their compositions were determined from quantitative ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectroscopy. The reactivity ratios of the comonomers were estimated using the Kelen-Tudos and non-linear error in variable methods. The complete spectral assignment in terms of compositional and configurational sequences of the overlapping ¹H and ¹³C{¹H} spectra of the copolymers were done with the help of distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer, 2D heteronuclear single quantum correlation and total correlated spectroscopy experiments.     

Synthesis and phase separation of amine-functional temperature responsive copolymers based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

Free radical copolymerizations of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) and cationic N-(3-aminopropyl) methacrylamide hydrochloride (APMH) were investigated to prepare amine-functional temperature responsive copolymers. The reactivity ratios for NIPAM and APMH were evaluated in media of different ionic strength (r_NIPAM = 0.7 and r_APMH = 0.7-1.2). Phase separation behavior of the random copolymers with only 5 mol% of the APMH was found to be suppressed in pure water at temperatures up to 45 °C due to electrostatic repulsion among the cationic amine groups randomly distributed along the copolymer chain. Alternate sequential addition of PNIPAM/APMH mixtures and pure NIPAM was used to provide increased control of the location of APMH units along the chain. Consequently (close to) homo-PNIPAM block(s) were formed as evidenced by its characteristic phase transition at 33 °C. The influences of the monomer feeding time and feeding interval time to the APMH distribution were investigated to prepare copolymers with thermo-induced phase separation under physiologically relevant temperature and to determine the extent of conjugation to poly(ethylene oxide).     

Complexation between poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) and poly(acrylic acid) in aqueous solution

The complexation between poly(N,N-diethylacrylamide) (PDEA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) in aqueous solution was studied by viscometric, potentiometric, and fluorescence techniques. It was found that an interpolymer complex formed between the two polymers through hydrogen bonding interactions with the stoichiometry of r=0.6 (r is unit molar ratio of PAA/PDEA), and the complex formation show the dependence on pH values. The phase behaviour studies showed that the lower critical solution temperature of the PDEA-PAA aqueous solution gradually increased with the increasing of r from 0.01 to 0.15, until a soluble system in the whole temperature region was obtained, which remained in the range of r=0.15-0.3. At higher PAA concentrations, when r is above 0.3, the system appeared phase separation, and almost no temperature dependence was observed. Based on these conclusion and structure characteristics of PDEA and PAA, a model containing only short sequences of monomer residues was proposed for the structure of PDEA-PAA complex.     

Fast responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels prepared in phenol aqueous solutions

Fast responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) hydrogels with improved properties were prepared in phenol aqueous solutions with different concentrations. Due to the expanded network structure in water, the resulted hydrogels are capable of absorbing a large amount of water, i.e. exhibits a much increased swelling ratio at room temperature. Importantly, the hydrogels demonstrated much faster response rate than that of traditional PNIPAAm hydrogel upon external temperature increase.     

Production of nanoparticles of methyl methacrylate and butyl methacrylate copolymers by microemulsion polymerization in the presence of maleic acid terminated poly(N-acetylethylenimine) macromonomers as cosurfactant

In this study, MMA/BMA copolymer nanoparticles were synthesized in oil-in-water microemulsions that were stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and initiated by potassium persulphate KPS. Maleic acid terminated poly(N-acetylethylenimine) (PNAEI) with two different chain lengths was also included in the recipe, as a cosurfactant and a comonomer. FTIR and ¹H-NMR proved incorporation of the macromonomer in the structure. High polymerization yields were achieved upto 98%. The viscosity average molecular weights of the copolymers were in the range of 2.77-5.50 × 10⁵. The glass transition temperatures of these copolymers were between 50.0 and 63.9 °C. The average diameter of nanoparticles were in range of 40-96 nm. It was possible to produce nanoparticles smaller than 100 nm and with narrower size distributions by using much lower concentrations of SDS by including the macromonomers in the microemulsion polymerization recipe.     

Description of the turbidity measurements near the phase transition temperature of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) copolymers: the effect of pH, concentration, hydrophilic and hydrophobic content on the turbidity

Absorbance values between 300 and 800 nm of aqueous solutions of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-itaconic acid-9.80), poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide-co-itaconic acid-52.05) and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)s containing Tegomer H-Si 2111 end groups and/or blocks were measured using a Shimadzu 160-A UV-visible spectrometer. Turbidities obtained from these absorbance values were used to interpret the macromolecular phase transition from a hydrophilic to a hydrophobic structure of the polymers. The effects of comonomer type and content, concentration of the solutions, pH and temperature on the coil-globule transition were discussed in terms of turbidity form factor, β related to size and shapes of particles and calculated by using the simplified form of Debye equation.The results presented in this work show that the presence of Tegomer H-Si 2111 (Si containing end groups and/or blocks) or high amount of itaconic acid (IA) in the chains prevent a collapse transition from hydrated extended coils to hydrophobic globules, which aggregate and form a separate phase (β<2). Furthermore, it was observed that in the case of concentrated solutions intermolecular hydrophobic interactions between isopropyl groups overcame the repulsive forces resulting from the ionized carboxylic acid groups of IA or surface active nature of Si containing hydrophobic groups (β>2). This stage of the transition corresponds to macroscopic phase separation after an intramolecular process.     

1H NMR study of phase transition of uncharged and negatively charged poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) in D2O solutions

¹H NMR spectroscopy has been applied to the analysis of dynamic-structural changes during temperature-induced phase transition of non-ionized poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide) (PIPMAm) and ionized copolymers of N-isopropylmethacrylamide with sodium methacrylate, all in D₂O solutions with various polymer concentrations (c = 0.1-10 wt.-%) and ionic comonomer mole fractions (i = 0-10 mole %). It was found that the formation of compact globular-like structures during the phase transition is independent of polymer concentration for non-ionized samples; the presence of negative charges on the polymer chains leads to a dependence of the phase transition temperature on c and i. Virtually all PIPMAm segments are in globular-like structures for low polymer concentrations; for c ⩾ 1 wt.-%, this holds only for low content i of the ionic comonomer. An increase in c and i leads to a decrease in the fraction of polymer segments in globular-like structures; for samples with highest values of c and i, the phase transition was not observed.     

ATRP synthesis and association properties of temperature responsive dextran copolymers grafted with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

Temperature responsive copolymers of dextran grafted with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (Dex-g-PNIPAAM) were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in homogeneous mild conditions without using protecting group chemistry. Dextran macroinitiator was synthesized by reaction of dextran with 2-chloropropionyl chloride at room temperature in DMF containing 2% LiCl. ATRP was carried out in DMF:water 50:50 (v/v) mixtures at room temperature with CuBr/Tris(2-dimethylaminoethyl)amine (Me₆TREN) as catalyst. Several grafted copolymers with well defined number and length of low polydispersity grafted chains were prepared. Temperature induced association properties in aqueous solution were studied as a function of temperature and polymer concentration by dynamic light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). LCST, ranging from 35 to 41 °C, was significantly affected by number and length of grafted chains. The fine tuning of LCST around body temperature is an important characteristic not obtainable by conventional radical grafting of PNIPAAM. Well defined spherical nanoparticles were formed above the LCST of PNIPAAM. Hydrodynamic diameter was in the range 73-98 nm.     

Swelling and network parameters of crosslinked thermoreversible hydrogels of poly(N-ethylacrylamide)

Samples of Poly(N-ethylacrylamide) (PEA) have been synthesized by free radical polymerization in water using N,N′-methylene bis-acrylamide (BIS) as crosslinker. Hydrogels obtained by swelling them in water, 15 wt% KCl and 1 wt% sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) were examined by gravimetric, dimensional and compression-strain measurements to afford values of swelling ratio, polymer-solvent interaction parameters, elastic moduli and effective crosslinking density ν_e. Crosslinking inefficiency is evidenced by the low value (0.23) of ν_e relative to the theoretical crosslinking density ν_t based on the content of BIS in the synthesis. A small but finite extrapolated value of ν_e at ν_t = 0 is indicative of hydrophobic physical interactions. In water at 298 K increasing the content of BIS leads to a decrease in swelling and increases in values of elastic moduli and polymer-water interaction parameter. At a fixed content of BIS the values of ν_e and the elastic moduli exhibit an unusual increase with temperature, the crosslinking thus being thermally reversible. It is proposed that this results from a balance between hydrophobic interaction and breakage of hydrophilic hydrogen bonding. Although KCl in the medium decreases the swelling compared with that in water, the opposite effect occurs on incorporation of SDS, which is assumed to confer some polyelectrolyte character to the PEA chains. The finding, that these two swelling media reduce the values of ν_e and elastic moduli cf the value in water, has not been resolved satisfactorily.     

NMR and DSC study of temperature-induced phase transition in aqueous solutions of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-acrylamide) copolymers

Combination of ¹H NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate temperature-induced phase transition in D₂O solutions of poly(N-isopropylmethacrylamide-co-acrylamide) random copolymers. Both the NMR and DSC data showed dependence on the acrylamide (AAm) content in the copolymer; with increasing AAm content, the phase transition is shifted to higher temperatures, and both phase-separated fractions determined by NMR and change of the enthalpy determined by DSC decrease faster than the content of thermosensitive N-isopropylmethacrylamide (NIPMAm) units in the copolymer. NMR data were used to construct van't Hoff plots, and changes of the enthalpy ΔH and entropy ΔS, characterizing the phase transition, were determined. As it follows from comparison of NMR and DSC thermodynamical parameters (ΔH values), the size of the cooperative units (domains), undergoing the transition as a whole, decreases with increasing AAm content in the copolymer since the NIPMAm collapsed domains are separated by regions with hydrated AAm and surrounding NIPMAm sequences.     

Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) and poly(methyl methacrylate) blends: Phase behavior and morphology

In this work blends of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol) (EVOH) with different ethylene contents (27, 32, 38 and 44 mol%) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared by mechanical mixing in the melted state. The miscibility and melting behavior as a function of blend composition and the ethylene content in EVOH copolymers were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The morphology of the cryofractured surfaces was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). DSC and DMTA data show that EVOH/PMMA blends are immiscible, independent of EVOH and blend composition. The SEM analysis in agreement with DMTA analysis indicates that the morphology of phases depends on the blend composition, with phase inversion occurring as the concentration of one or other polymer component increases. However, the copolymer composition apparently does not affect the domain size distribution for blends containing 20 wt% of EVOH or 20 wt% of PMMA. A better phase adhesion is observed mainly for blends with 50 wt% of each polymer component.     

Micellization behavior of diblock and triblock copolymers of poly(t-butyl methacrylate) bearing associating short polystyrene end-blocks

Anionic polymerization high vacuum techniques were employed for the synthesis of a diblock (PS-b-PtBuMA) and two triblock (PS-b-PtBuMA-b-PS) copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly(t-butyl methacrylate) (PtBuMA) bearing similar low molecular weight PS end-block(s). Dilute solution viscometry, as well as static and dynamic light scattering, were employed to assess whether the short PS end-blocks were able to promote association in t-amyl alcohol, a selective solvent for PtBuMA. The effect of macromolecular architecture on the association behavior of the copolymers was also examined.     

Thermogravimetric study of some crosslinked copolymers based on poly(acrylonitrile-co-divinylbenzene)

Copolymer networks based on acrylonitrile (AN)/divinylbenzene (DVB) have been investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG) to evaluate their thermal stability in nitrogen atmosphere. Thermal stability was determined from TG-DTG curves to investigate the influence of AN and DVB in the synthesis of copolymers on the copolymer thermal properties. The TG and DTG curves of copolymers clearly show two thermodegradation stages. The solid residues produced after thermodegradation stages were analyzed by FTIR and elemental analysis (CHN). The decomposition temperatures were dependent on amount of AN and DVB used as the crosslinking agent. The degradation temperatures of copolymers were influenced by the diluent system during their synthesis. FTIR analyses indicate that the cyclization of the polymer proceeds before any mass loss.     

Thermosensitive aggregates self-assembled by an asymmetric block copolymer of dendritic polyether and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)

An asymmetric linear-dendritic block copolymer of polyether dendrimer and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was prepared by an atom transfer radical polymerization method. The self-assembly behavior and thermosensitive property of this copolymer in water were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and fluorescence probe spectroscopy. It was found that the thermosensitive phase transition takes place at the temperature of 37.5 °C; simultaneously the spherical aggregates grow into larger entangled nanotubules. The unique temperature-sensitive supramolecular aggregates may make them especially useful as intelligent capsules for drug delivery systems and as chemical sensors.     

Photophysical processes and photochemical reactions involved in poly(N-vinylcarbazole) and in copolymers with carbazole units

This paper is devoted to the analysis of the photochemical behaviour of copolymers with carbazole units exposed to long-wavelength radiation. These copolymers are constituted of two types of carbazolylethyl methacrylate units (CEM) with octyl methacrylate moieties (OMA). The exposure of copolymers and PVK to UV light results in dramatic modifications of the physical and photophysical properties of the polymer. These modifications can be correlated with modifications of the chemical structure of the matrix. The photoageing of copolymers and PVK has been analysed by fluorescence, ESR, UV-vis and infrared spectroscopies. The effects of crosslinking and chain scissions were determined by gel fraction measurements and size exclusion chromatography.     

Characterization of CdS nanoparticles in solutions of P(TFE-co-PVDF-co-Prop)/N,N-dimethylformamide

We report in here the preparation of CdS nanoparticles (Q-CdS) in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-vinylidenefluoride-co-propylene) (PTFE-co-PVDF-co-Prop) by reaction of cadmium acetate and thiourea at room temperature. The formation and size evolution of Q-CdS particles were followed by optical absorption spectroscopy as a function of the aging process of the solutions. The obtained results indicated that not only the Q-CdS particles were more stable in DMF than in aqueous solutions, probably due to the interaction with the CHNO group, but also they were formed in smaller sizes. The particle size obtained in DMF was estimated in 4-6 nm against 10-20 nm in aqueous solution. The results also showed that the velocity of Q-CdS formation is lower when the reaction was carried out in PTFE-co-PVDF-co-Prop dissolved in DMF. The Q-CdS particles formed in this system were also less stable than in pure DMF, probably due to the interaction of the CHNO fragment and CF₂ of polymer chain or phase segregation.     

Thermochromism in nickel(II) complexes: thermal, solid state H NMR and single crystal X-ray analysis of bis-(N,N-dimethyl-1,2-ethanediamine) nickel(II) perchlorate

The complex bis-(N,N-dimethyl-1,2-ethanediamine) nickel(II) perchlorate undergoes a first-order thermochromic phase transition at ca. 476 K, changing its color from orange to red. The room temperature X-ray crystal structure determination showed that the nickel ion possesses a square-planar geometry with two five membered chelate rings, in the δλ conformation, forming the NiN₄ chromophore. The broad-line ¹H NMR indicates the onset of a dynamic disorder of diamine chelate rings at the phase transition temperature region, while T₁ measurement of ¹H affords the activation energy of the puckering metal chelate rings to be 26 kJ mol⁻¹. The electronic spectrum revealed that a weakening of ligand field around the nickel is associated with the phase transition.