Effect of additives on the initial stage of emulsion polymerization of styrene (St) using poly(vinyl alcohol) as a protective colloid

To realize the mechanism of particle formation followed by the grafting of styrene (St) onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) more precisely, we investigated the influence of additives on model experiments of emulsion polymerizations in 1 ml styrene (St) per 100 ml water at 70 °C using PVA as a protective colloid. In the case of a standard system without additive, experimental results indicate new particle formation, and that 30% of St feed and 30% of the PVA used were grafted. The sulfate radical seldom enters into particles but reacts with PVA, forming the PVA radical that yields the grafting of St onto PVA. The experimental results are thought to arise from a hydrogen abstraction from PVA with a sulfate radical. The addition of low-molecular-weight alcohol, such as isopropyl alcohol (i-PrOH) and n-propyl alcohol (n-PrOH), strongly affected the mechanism of particle formation in terms of a decrease in grafting, due to competition between hydrogen abstraction from PVA and the alcohols with a sulfate radical. Surprisingly, the addition of a low-reactive alcohol, such as t-butyl alcohol (t-BuOH), also resulted in the particle formation with a decrease in grafting, influenced the polymerization locus to be a monomer droplets dispersed by t-BuOH, and confirmed homogeneous nucleation with the increase in the solubility of St in the aqueous phase.     

Effect of initiators on grafting in the initial stage of the emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate using poly(vinyl alcohol) as a protective colloid

 To make clear the reason of unsuitability of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) protective colloid for the emulsion polymerization of conjugated monomers, a model experiment of emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out with ammonium persulfate (APS) or azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) initiators, where a small amount of MMA (1/100th of the concentration compared with ordinary emulsion polymerization) was employed. This corresponds to the initial stage of the emulsion polymerization. Grafting of MMA onto PVA took place remarkably irrespective of the kind of the initiators. Formation of homo-poly(MMA) was observed to a small extent. The formation of new emulsion particles smaller than 100 nm continued to increase to almost the end of the polymerization. PVA molecules in the grafted polymer are supposed to act as stabilizers of newly formed particles. From kinetic treatment using the experimental data, the important issues were derived as follows. Firstly, the sulfate anion radical from APS is much more reactive than the isobutyronitrile radical from AIBN in terms of hydrogen abstraction from PVA. Secondly, high grafting ability of the latter initiator system, notwithstanding the much lower reactivity in the hydrogen abstraction compared with the APS system, is attributed to the relative reactivity of the primary radicals, i.e., hydrogen abstraction reaction from PVA to initiation reaction with MMA. The much slower rate of addition of the isobutyronitrile radical to the monomer compared with that of hydrogen abstraction from PVA facilitates the grafting, although the rate constant of hydrogen abstraction is far smaller than that with the sulfate anion radical by 10⁻⁴ times. Received: 26 April 2001 Accepted: 6 September 2001     

Comparison of the different emulsion polymerization routes between acrylic and vinyl acetate monomers using poly(vinyl alcohol) as the sole stabilizer

The emulsion polymerization of acrylic and vinyl acetate monomers using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as protective colloid has been studied for a long time, whereas rare reports ranged over the lateral comparison of the two systems and the reason for the unstability of the PVA/MMA polymerization system was still indistinct. Here in this paper, a collection of experiments of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and vinyl acetate (VAc) were performed respectively with varied amount of PVA as the sole stabilizer. The grafting extent of the polymerisate was characterized through the fraction and FTIR and it was found that the grafted amount of PVA was even larger in the PVA/MMA copolymers than PVA/VAc copolymers, so the grafted mode of PVA was considered. Based on the kinetics, the slower initiation rate of sulfate radical towards MMA was found to be responsible for the unstability of corresponding colloids accompanied with the relatively quicker hydrogen abstraction of radical to PVA, which resulted in “layer-by-layer” grafting structure inside and the particle surface-grafting density was lowered thereof. This was proved with TEM and static contact angle measurements and a pseudo-homopolymer model was employed to describe the relationship of colloidal stability and the PVA density on surfaces.     

Characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) during the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate using poly(vinyl alcohol) as emulsifier

During the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc) using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as stabilizer and potassium persulfate as initiator, the VAc reacts with PVA forming PVA-graft-PVAc. When the grafted polymer reaches a critical size it becomes water-insoluble and precipitates from the aqueous phase contributing to the formation of polymer particles. Since particle formation and therefore the properties of the final latex will depend on the degree of grafting, it is important to quantify and to characterize the grafted PVA. In this work, the quantitative separation and characterization of the grafted water-insoluble PVA was carried out by a two-step selective solubilization of the PVAc latex, first with acetonitrile to separate PVAc homopolymer, followed by water to separate the water-soluble PVA from the remaining acetonitrile-insoluble material. After the separation, the water-soluble and water-insoluble PVA were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses, from which the details of the PVA-graft-PVAc structure were obtained. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Heterotactic poly(vinyl alcohol)

Bulky substituents in vinyl trialkylsilyl ethers and vinyl trialkylcarbinyl ethers led to heterotactic polymers (H = 66%). The polymers were converted into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and further to poly(vinyl acetate), and tacticity was determined as poly(vinyl acetate). Vinyl triisopropylsilyl ether in nonpolar solvents yielded a heterotactic polymer with a higher percentage of isotactic triads than syndiotactic triads (Hetero-I). Vinyl trialkylcarbinyl ethers in polar solvents gave a heterotactic polymer with more syndiotactic triads than isotactic (Hetero-II). Heterotactic PVA was soluble in water and showed characteristics infrared absorptions. Interestingly, Hetero-I PVA showed no iodine color reaction, but Hetero-II showed a much more intense color reaction than a commercial PVA. The mechanism of heterotactic propagation was discussed in terms of the Markóv chain model.     

Steric stabilization of thermally responsive N-isopropylacrylamide particles by poly(vinyl alcohol)

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was used as a steric stabilizer for the dispersion polymerization of cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) in water. A series of reactions were carried out using PVA of varying molecular weight and degree of hydrolysis. Under appropriate conditions, PNIPAM particles of uniform and controllable size were produced using PVA as the stabilizer. The colloidal stability was investigated by measuring changes in particle size with temperature in aqueous suspensions of varying ionic strength. For comparison, parallel colloidal stability measurements were conducted on PNIPAM particles synthesized with low-molecular-weight ionic surfactants. PVA provides colloidal stability over a wide range of temperature and ionic strength, whereas particles produced with ionic surfactants flocculate in moderate ionic strength solutions upon collapse of the hydrogel as the temperature is increased. Experimental results and theoretical consideration indicate that sterically stabilized PNIPAM particles resulted from the grafting of PVA to the PNIPAM particle surface. The enhanced colloidal stability afforded by PVA allows the temperature-responsive PNIPAM particles to be used under physiological conditions where electrostatic stability is ineffective.     

Synthesis of poly(vinyl alcohol-graft-hyperbranched glycerol)

We report the first example of grafting hyperbranched polyglycerol onto poly(vinyl alcohol) via ring-opening polymerisation of glycidol to prepare poly(vinyl alcohol-graft-hyperbranched glycerol) (P[(VA)-g-(hPG)]). The effects of catalyst, molecular weight of PVA, reaction temperature, water content, moles of reagent, and addition time of reagent were also investigated. P[(VA)-g-(hPG)] with various mole fractions of hPG were prepared and the degrees of substitution and branching were determined. P[(VA)-g-(hPG)] displayed decreased degree of crystallinity and also increased solubility in water, compared to PVA. P[(VA)-g-(hPG)] is shown to be a superior hair styling polymer with a curl retention value of 85% after 4 h. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3041–3047     

Novel approach to the chemical modification of poly(vinyl alcohol): Phosphorylation

The chemical modification of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was performed through oxidation followed by nucleophilic addition. PVA was oxidized by KMnO₄ to form vinyl ketone units along the polymer backbone. The chemical modification of PVA was then conducted through the reaction of the carbonyl group of the vinyl ketone unit with 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO) as a nucleophile. Through this approach, the phosphorous DOPO group was attached onto the carbon atom of the polymer main chain rather than onto the pendent hydroxyl groups of PVA. The formed DOPO‐containing PVA showed improved thermal stability, organosolubility, and flame retardance. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1107–1113, 2003     

Acceleration of laser-induced formation of gold nanoparticles in a poly(vinyl alcohol) film

Gold nanoparticles (AuNps) were fabricated in a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film using the photochemically generated benzophenone ketyl radical and PVA radical by laser irradiation as a reducing agent. The measurements of the surface plasmon band of AuNps indicated that AuNps continued growing in the PVA film for several hours or days after the laser irradiation. The formation process of AuNps in the PVA film was investigated by using laser flash photolysis and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. Additive doping (formic acid or sodium 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate) in the PVA film dramatically accelerated or inhibited the formation rate of the AuNps, respectively. The doping of formic acid accelerated the formation rate of the AuNps by a factor of 10-20. On the contrary, doping of 2-mercaptoethanesulfonate inhibited the formation of AuNps. The mechanisms of the acceleration and inhibition were investigated by using laser flash photolysis. The effects of additives on the formation process of AuNps are discussed.     

Role of grafting in the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate with poly(vinyl alcohol) as an emulsifier. I. Effect of the degree of blockiness on the kinetics and mechanism of grafting

The role of grafting in particle nucleation during the emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate with partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as an emulsifier and potassium persulfate as an initiator was investigated. The polymerizations were carried out in batch with a low solids (10%) recipe. An automated reaction calorimeter (Mettler RC1) was used for the direct monitoring of the kinetics of emulsion polymerizations with three medium molecular weight PVAs differing in their degrees of blockiness (Poval 217EE > 217E > 217). Smith–Ewart case 1 kinetics (average number of free radicals per particle < 0.5) were followed in all cases, and no constant rate in interval II was observed. Contrary to what was expected, a nonlinear relationship was observed between the rate of polymerization (R_p) and the number of particles (N_p). At R_{p max,} N_p (217E) > N_p (217EE) > N_p (217), and the final N_p was independent of the degree of blockiness of PVA. The particle size distributions were broad (particle diameter = 20–100 nm) and bimodal. On the basis of these data, we concluded that particle nucleation was continuous and was accompanied by extensive limited aggregation during the particle growth stages. The evolution of the amounts of grafted PVA and poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) were determined in polymerizations employing the two PVAs differing the most in blockiness (Poval 217EE and 217). The grafted PVAc followed similar profiles, increasing with conversion, particularly near the end of the two reactions. The amounts of grafted PVAc were about the same in the final latexes (37–39%). In contrast, the grafting of PVA was nearly complete by the time monomer droplets had disappeared in each reaction (25% conversion). However, the extent of grafting differed significantly, with the blockier PVA having about one‐third the grafting of the more random PVA (～10% vs ～30%). In these low solids recipes, grafting appeared to be primarily a solution event, occurring predominantly in the aqueous phase and not at the particle/water interface, as was previously speculated. The PVAc grafts grew until the molecules became water‐insoluble and precipitated, forming polymer particles. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3633–3654, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of novel photoactive polymer poly(vinyl alcohol)‐graft‐poly(vinyl naphthalene)

A copolymer of poly(vinyl naphthalene) grafted onto poly(vinyl alcohol) has been synthesized with nitroxide‐mediated controlled radical polymerization. By separating the processes of the generation of grafting sites and polymerization, we can avoid the formation of the homopolymer. Because of its architecture, the polymer is soluble in water, despite the high content of hydrophobic groups. The naphthalene chromophores tend to aggregate, forming hydrophobic microdomains in an aqueous solution. Those aggregates exist in a very constrained environment that leads to extraordinarily large redshifts of both the absorption and emission of the polymer. The polymer acts as an efficient photosensitizer in photoinduced electron transfer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2675–2683, 2006     

Long branching in poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl alcohol). II. Polymerization of vinyl acetate in the presence of crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol)

It is a common view that poly(vinyl acetate) has many branches at the acetyl side group, but that the corresponding poly(vinyl alcohol) has little branching. In order to study the branching in poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl alcohol) which is formed by chain transfer to polymer, the polymerization of ¹⁴C-labeled vinyl acetate in the presence of crosslinked poly(vinyl acetate), which was able to be decrosslinked to give soluble polymers, was investigated at 60°C and 0°C. This system made it possible to separate as well as to distinguish the graft polymer from the newly polymerized homopolymer. Furthermore, the degree of grafting onto the acetoxymethyl group and onto the main chain were estimated. It became clear that, in the polymerization of vinyl acetate, chain transfer to the polymer main chain takes place about 2.4 times as frequently at 60°C as that to the acetoxy group and about 4.8 times as frequently at 0°C.     

Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Study of Probe Diffusion in Poly(vinyl alcohol) Solutions and Gels

In this study, we demonstrate how the diffusion of probe particles in aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions and gels is affected by: (i) the presence of cross-links, (ii) the cross-link density, (iii) the polymer concentration. We apply fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to measure the diffusion time of a rhodamine-based fluorescent particle (TAMRA) and TAMRA-labeled dextran in PVA solutions and gels prepared at various polymer concentrations (1% to 8.6% w/v) and cross-link densities (1/400 to 1/50 cross-link monomers per PVA monomers). The measurements indicate that the probe particles are slowed down with increasing polymer concentration and with increasing cross-link density. Also, FCS can detect differences in the diffusion times measured in “fresh” and “aged” PVA solutions. We find that FCS provides a quantitative measure of network inhomogeneities.     

ESR study on photodecomposition mechanism of oxidized poly(vinyl alcohol)

Photolysis behavior of oxidized poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in which carbonyl groups were introduced by oxidation with sodium hypochlorite and periodic acid was investigated by using ESR spectrometry. Increased formation of PVA radicals was observed in the sample with low degree of oxidation, which showed an emphasized formation of triplet component radical. On the other hand, the formation of radicals tended to be depressed in the highly oxidized sample, and a singlet component was dominant in the ESR spectrum. By examining infrared and ultraviolet spectra of the oxidized sample, the sample was found to contain two structures, a saturated ketone group and an α,β-unsaturated group; the latter structure was intensified with increasing degree of oxidation. Based on ESR studies of the photoirradiated acetone and mesityl oxide, the models of saturated and α,β-unsaturated ketone structures in the oxidized PVA, respectively a photodecomposition mechanism of oxidized PVA was proposed.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Application of Amphiphilic Copolymer Poly(vinyl alcohol)-g-Poly(butyl acrylate)

An amphiphilic graft copolymer poly(vinyl alcohol)-g-poly(butyl acrylate) (PVA-g-PBA) was synthesized by grafting butyl acrylate (BA) onto poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with potassium persulfate (KPS) as free radical initiator in N₂ atmosphere and aqueous medium. The formation of graft copolymer was confirmed by means of infrared spectroscopy (IR). The influences of initiator, monomer concentration and reaction time on the percentage of monomer conversion(C _M), graft degree(Gd) and graft efficiency(Ge) have been discussed in detail. PVA-g-PBA was used as compatibilizer in blends of chlorinated polyethylene (CPE)/ poly(acrylic acid-co-acrylamide)[P(AA-AM)], and the compatibility between CPE and P(AA-AM) was also investigated.     

Influence of covalently bonded dyes on the photooxidative destruction of poly(vinyl alcohol)

The influence of the dye and type of polymer bond on the rate of photo-oxidation in poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films was investigated. C. I. Reactive Yellow 4 and C. I. Reactive Blue 4 dyes and their inactive forms were used as ultraviolet light absorbers. It was shown that in the case of PVA samples dyed with these dyes, the processes of structurizing due to the secondary reactions take place, as it can be supposed on the basis of the changes in the radical concentration yield and growth of intrinsic viscosity. The kinetics of PVA photo-oxidative destruction was investigated by ESR and infrared spectroscopy methods. The loss of strength under photodestruction was checked viscometrically.     

Gamma radiation induced graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers onto poly(vinyl alcohol)

In an attempt to modify water-soluble synthetic polymers, graft Copolymerization of methylmethacrylate (MMA) and ethyl acrylate (EA) onto poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, has been studied by using gamma irradiation from a Co⁶⁰ source as initiator. The graft copolymerization was carried out in an aqueous medium by the mutual method in air. The effect of total dose and concentration of vinyl monomers on percentage of grafting has been determined. Water plays a significant role in the enhancement of graft copolymerization and the optimum amount of water to afford maximum grafting has been evaluated. The effect of CH₃OH on aqueous grafting of MMA and EA by radiation method has been studied. The graft copolymer has been characterized by IR spectroscopic and thermogravimetric methods.     

Effect of alkali halide salt additives on the structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) films cast from aqueous solutions

The molecular structures of poly(vinyl alcohol) films cast from polymer aqueous solutions (1 mol/L) containing 0.1 mol/L of LiCl, NaF, NaCl, KCl, CsCl, KBr, and KI salts are studied via FTIR spectroscopy. The addition of any of these salts except LiCl leads to an increase in the degree of crystallinity of poly(vinyl alcohol) in a film by a factor of 1.3–1.6. In contrast, LiCl significantly decreases the crystallinity of the polymer. It is found that, in the IR spectra of the films containing salt additives, the position of the maximum in the band of the stretching vibrations of OH groups of the polymer is shifted relative to its position in the IR spectra of the films free of salt additives. The magnitude and direction of this band shift depend on the types (anion or cation) and radii of ions comprising salts. The observed effects are interpreted in terms of existing ideas on the interactions of salt ions with the OH groups of water and other hydroxyl-containing molecules.     

大豆分离蛋白/聚乙烯醇的电纺研究

对大豆分离蛋白(SPI)/聚乙烯醇(PVA)的电纺进行了研究, 讨论了溶液性质和甘油的加入对SPI/PVA电纺纤维形貌的影响, 并对SPI/PVA电纺膜进行了成分分析和力学性能表征. 结果表明, 加入甘油可以提高SPI/PVA的可电纺性, 同时使SPI/PVA电纺膜的拉伸强度从不含甘油的(5.17±0.62) MPa下降到含有甘油的(1.67±0.21) MPa, 而伸长率呈增加趋势.     

Crosslinking of poly(vinyl alcohol) using functionalized gold nanoparticles

We report on the preparation of a new class of polymer hydrogels obtained through the chemical crosslinking reaction of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and functionalized gold nanoparticles. Carboxylic group functionalized gold nanoparticles were synthesized, dispersed in a PVA matrix and allow to react with the hydroxyl groups of PVA at high temperature. FT-IR and swelling experiments carried out on the cross-linked samples confirmed that the crosslinking reaction took place. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that functionalized nanoparticles are used as chemical crosslinking agents.