Thermal,mechanical and rheological properties of biodegradable poly(propylene carbonate) and poly(butylene carbonate) blends

Poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC) was melt blended in a batch mixer with poly(butylene carbonate)(PBC) in an effort to improve the toughness of the PPC without compromising its biodegradability and biocompatibility. DMA results showed that the PPC/PBC blends were an immiscible two-phase system. With the increase in PBC content, the PPC/PBC blends showed decreased tensile strength, however, the elongation at break was increased to 230% for the 50/50 PPC/PBC blend. From the tensile strength experiments, the Pukanszky model gave credit to the modest interfacial adhesion between PPC and PBC, although PPC/PBC was immscible. The impact strength increased significantly which indicated the toughening effects of the PBC on PPC. SEM examination showed that cavitation and shear yielding were the major toughening mechanisms in the blends subjected the impact tests. TGA measurements showed that the thermal stability of PPC decreased with the incorporation of PBC. Rheological investigation demonstrated that the addition of PBC reduced the value of storage modulus, loss modulus and complex viscosity of the PPC/PBC blends to some extent. Moreover, the addition of PBC was found to increase the processability of PPC in extrusion. The introduction of PBC provided an efficient and novel toughened method to extend the application area of PPC.     

STEREOREGULAR POLY(CYCLOHEXENE CARBONATE)S:UNIQUE CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR

<正>An example of crystalline CO_2-based polymer from the asymmetric alternating copolymerization of CO_2 and cyclohexene oxide is reported.Isotacticity of poly(cyclohexene carbonate)(PCHC)has the critical influence on the crystallinity,and only copolymers with a isotacticity of more than 90%are crystallizable.The stereoregular PCHC is a typical semi-crystalline thermoplastic,and possesses a high melting point(T_m)of 215-230℃and a decomposition temperature of ca.310℃.The spherulitic morphology of(R)-PCHC grows in a clockwise spiral from a center,and that of (S)-PCHC is a counterclockwise spiral,while the stereocomplex of(S)-PCHC/(R)-PCHC(1/1 mass ratio)presents lath-like dendritic crystal.The novel crystalline CO_2-based polycarbonate represents a rare example of optically active polymers with unique crystallization behavior.Our findings reflect the critical influence of stereoregularity on the crystallization for this kind of polymeric materials,and may lead to developments of thermal-resistance CO_2 copolymers for application in engineering thermoplastics.     

Effect of nano-filler dispersion on the thermal, mechanical and water sorption properties of green environmental polymer

Partially exfoliated nanocomposite（2） has been synthesized by intercalation of poly（propylene carbonate）（PPC） into commercial clay,Cloisite 20B（PPC/C-20B）.Nanocomposite 2 was characterized phiso-chemically and exhibited high thermal,mechanical and anti-water sorption properties as compared to PPC and intercalated nanocomposite（1） of PPC/C-20B having same amount of clay.TGA results revealed that the thermal decomposition temperature(T_d,50%) of 2 increased significantly,being 40 K and 17 K higher than that of pure PPC and 1,respectively,while DSC measurements indicated that the nano-filler dispersion of 2 increased the glass transition temperature from 21℃to 31℃.Accordingly,2 showed high elastic modulus,hardness and anti-water absorption capacity.These thermal,mechanical and anti-water absorption improvements are of great importance for the application of PPC as packaging and biomaterials.     

Biodegradable Foaming Material of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/Poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC)

A biodegradable blend foaming material of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)(PBAT)/poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC)was successfully prepared by chemical foaming agent and screw extrusion method.First,PBAT was modified by bis(tert-butyl dioxy isopropyl)benzene(BIBP)for chain extension,and then the extended PBAT(E-PBAT)was foamed with PPC using a twin(single)screw extruder.By analyzing the properties of the blends,we found that Young’s modulus increased from 58.8 MPa of E-PBAT to 244.7 MPa of E-PBAT/PPC 50/50.The viscosity of the polymer has a critical influence on the formation of cells.Compared with neat PBAT(N-PBAT),the viscosity of E-PBAT increased by 3396 Pa·s and E-PBAT/PPC 50/50 increased by 8836 Pa·s.Meanwhile,the dynamic mechanical analysis(DMA)results showed that the storage modulus(E’)at room temperature increased from 538 MPa to 1650 MPa.The various phase morphologies(“sea-island”,“quasi-co-continuous”and“cocontinuous”)and crystallinity of the blends affected the spread velocity of gas and further affected the foaming morphology in E-PBAT/PPC foam.Therefore,through the analysis of phase morphology and foaming mechanism,we concluded that the E-PBAT/PPC 70/30 component has both excellent strength and the best foaming performance.     

Fully Biodegradable Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(propylene carbonate) Shape Memory Materials with Low Recovery Temperature Based on <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> Compatibilization by Dicumyl Peroxide

Fully biodegradable blends with low shape memory recovery temperature were obtained based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC).By virtue of their similar chemical structures,in situ cross-linking reaction initiated by dicumyl peroxide (DCP) between PLA and PPC chains was realized in PLA/PPC blends.Therefore,the compatibility between PLA and PPC was increased,which obviously changed the phase structures and increased the elongation at break of the blends.The compatibilized blends had a recovery performance at 45 ℃.Combining the changes of phase structures,the mechanism of the shape memory was discussed.It was demonstrated that in situ compatibilization by dicumyl peroxide was effective to obtain eco-friendly PLA/PPC blends with good mechanical and shape memory properties.     

Chemical Reduction of CO2 to Different Products during Photo Catalytic Reaction on TiO2 under Diverse Conditions： an Overview

The chemical reduction of CO_2 remains a challenge with respect to the reversal of the oxidative degradation of any organic materials.The conversion of CO_2 into useful substances is essential in developing al- ternative fuels and various raw materials for different in- dustries.This also aids in preventing the continuous rise in tropospheric temperature due to the green house effect of CO_2.In this article an overview of the growth taken place so far in the field of CO_2 chemical reduction is pre- sented.The discussion comprises of photochemical meth- ods for the development of different products,viz.CO, CH_3O_H and CH_4,through chemical reduction of CO_2. This includes the use of photo catalysts,mainly TiO_2, and the role of a hole scavenger(such as 2-propanol)for this purpose.     

Prediction of the internal energy contribution of polydimethylsiloxane during elongation

The aminolysis can effectively introduce primary amine (NH2) groups onto polyester materials, enabling a variety of subsequent surface biofunctionalization reactions. However, less attention has been paid to the basic knowledge of aminolysis reaction in terms of reaction kinetics and its influences on materials properties. In this study, taking the widely used poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) as a typical example, the influences of diamines and solvent property on the surface -NH 2 density are firstly assessed by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and colorimetric analysis. Results show that smaller diamine molecules and nonpolar alcohols could accelerate the reaction. The reaction kinetics with 1,6-hexanediamine is further investigated as a function of temperature, reaction time, and diamine concentration. During the initial stage, the reaction shows a 1 st order kinetics with the diamine concentration and has an activation energy of 54.5 kJ/mol. Ionization state of the NH 2 groups on the PCL surface is determined, revealing that the pK a of NH 3 + (<5) is much lower than that of the corresponding diamine molecules in solution. After aminolysis, surface hydrophilicity of PCL membrane is significantly enhanced, while surface elastic modulus and average molecular weight are decreased to some extent, and others such as weight, surface morphology and bulk mechanical strength are not apparently changed. The introduced NH 2 groups are found to be largely lost at 37 o C, but can be mostly maintained at low temperature.     

Boosting electrocatalytic activity for CO_2 reduction on nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts by co-doping with phosphorus

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂(CERR)to value-added chemicals is an attractive strategy for greenhouse gas mitigation,and carbon recycles utilization.Conventional metal catalysts suffered from low durability and sluggish kinetics impede the practical application.On the other hand,doped carbon materials recently demonstrate superior catalytic performance in CERR,which shows the potential to diminish the problems of metal catalysts to some extent.Herein,we present the design and fabrication of nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P)co-doped metal-free carbon materials as an efficient and stable electrocatalyst for reduction of CO₂ to CO,which exhibits an excellent performance with a high faradaic efficiency of 92%(-0.55 V vs.RHE)and up to 24 h stability.A series of characterizations including TEM and XPS verified that nitrogen and phosphorous are successfully incorporated into the carbon matrix.Moreover,the comparisons between co-doping and single doping catalysts reveal that co-doping can significantly increase CERR performance.The improved catalytic activity is attributed to the synergetic effects between nitrogen and phosphorous dopants,which effectively modulate properties of the active site.The density functional theory(DFT)calculations were also performed to understand the synergy effects of dopants.It is revealed that the phosphorous doping can significantly lower the Gibbs free energy of COOH^*formation.Moreover,the introduction of the second dopants phosphorous can reduce the reaction barrier along the reaction path and cause polarization of density of states at the Fermi level.These changes can greatly enhance the activity of the catalysts.From a combined experimental and computational exploration,current work provides valuable insights into the reaction mechanism of CERR on N,P co-doped carbon catalysts,and the influence from synergy effects between dopants,which paves the way for the rational design of novel metal-free catalysts for CO2 electro-reduction.     

Synthetic Two-dimensional Organic Structures

Synthetic two-dimensional(2 D) polymers have totally different topology structures compared with traditional linear or branched polymers. The peculiar 2 D structures bring superior properties. Although, from linear to 2 D polymers, the study of these new materials is still in its infancy, they already show potential applications especially in optoelectronics, membranes, energy storage and catalysis, etc. In this review, we summarize the recent progress of the 2 D materials from three respects:(1) Chemistry—different types of polymerization reactions or supramolecular assembly to construct the 2 D networks were described;(2) Preparation methods—surface science, crystal engineering approaches and solution synthesis were introduced;(3) Functionalization and some early applications.     

Oligomerization and Polymerization of Ethylene Initiated by a Novel Ni(Ⅱ)-Based Acetyliminopyridine Complexes as Single-Site Catalysts

Novel Ni(Ⅱ)-based acetyliminopyridine complexes 1b, 2b, 3b (1-3b), which are synthesized from ligands 1a, 2a, 3a (1-3a) and [NiCl2(DME)], are suitable precursors for the catalysts that are necessary for ethylene oligomerization and polymerization reactions, activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO). The MAO-treated 1-3b presents an active catalytic center, which may oligomerize and polymerize ethylene to produce linearα-olefins and polyethylene, respectively. The molecular weight distributions of oligomers that are obtained are in good agreement with the Schulz-Flory rules for oligomers>C4. The activity of 3b-MAO complex is 6.3×107 g/(molNi·h) at 50℃. The activities and molecular weight distributions of oligomers show significant reliance on the structures of catalyst precursors.     

Electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to liquid fuels using nanocarbon-based electrodes

Recent advances on the use of nanocarbon-based electrodes for the electrocatalytic conversion of gaseous streams of CO2 to liquid fuels are discussed in this perspective paper. A novel gas-phase electrocatalytic cell, different from the typical electrochemical systems working in liquid phase, was developed. There are several advantages to work in gas phase, e.g. no need to recover the products from a liquid phase and no problems of CO2 solubility, etc. Operating under these conditions and using electrodes based on metal nanoparticles supported over carbon nanotube (CNT) type materials, long C-chain products (in particular isopropanol under optimized conditions, but also hydrocarbons up to C8-C9) were obtained from the reduction of CO2 . Pt-CNT are more stable and give in some cases a higher productivity, but Fe-CNT, particular using N-doped carbon nanotubes, give excellent properties and are preferable to noble-metal-based electrocatalysts for the lower cost. The control of the localization of metal particles at the inner or outer surface of CNT is an importact factor for the product distribution. The nature of the nanocarbon substrate also plays a relevant role in enhancing the productivity and tuning the selectivity towards long C-chain products. The electrodes for the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 are part of a photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) solar cell concept, aimed to develop knowledge for the new generation artificial leaf-type solar cells which can use sunlight and water to convert CO2 to fuels and chemicals. The CO2 reduction to liquid fuels by solar energy is a good attempt to introduce renewables into the existing energy and chemical infrastructures, having a higher energy density and easier transport/storage than other competing solutions (i.e. H2 ).     

Properties of alkylbenzimidazoles for CO2 and SO2 capture and comparisons to ionic liquids

To date, few reports have been concerned with the physical properties of the liquid phases of imidazoles and benzimidazoles-potential starting materials for a great number of ionic liquids. Prior research has indicated that alkylimidazole solvents exhibit different, and potentially advantageous physical properties, when compared to corresponding imidazolium-based ionic liquids. Given that even the most fundamental physical properties of alkylimidazole solvents have only recently been reported, there is still a lack of data for other relevant imidazole derivatives, including benzimidazoles. In this work, we have synthesized a series of eight 1-n-alkylbenzimidazoles, with chain lengths ranging from ethyl to dodecyl, all of which exist as neat liquids at ambient temperature. Their densities and viscosities have been determined as functions of both temperature and molecular weight. Alkylbenzimidazoles have been found to exhibit viscosities that are more similar to imidazolium-based ILs than alkylimidazoles, owed to a large contribution to viscosity from the presence of a fused ring system. Solubilities of CO2 and SO2, two species of concern in the emission of coal-fired power generation, were determined for selected alkylbenzimidazoles to understand what effects a fused ring system might have on gas solubility. For both gases, alkylbenzimidazoles were determined to experience physical, non-chemically reactive, interactions. The solubility of CO2 in alkylbenzimidazoles is 10%-30% less than observed for corresponding ILs and alkylimidazoles. 1-butylbenzimidazole was found to readily absorb at least 0.333 gram SO2 per gram at low pressure and ambient temperature, which could be readily desorbed under an N2 flush, a behavior more similar to imidazolium-based ILs than alkylimidazoles. Thus, we find that as solvents for gas separations, benzimidazoles share characteristics with both ILs and alkylimidazoles.     

CH2,NH,and O heteroatom substitution effects on the electronic,optical,and charge transport properties of a 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole-based derivative:Insights from theory

A set of CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole(BTD)-based derivatives have been investigated theoretically in order to explore their electronic,optical,and charge transport properties.The calculation results show that the electronic and optical properties of the pristine molecule can be easily tuned through changing the S substituent in the central aromatic ring.Based on the calculated maximum emission wavelength,we predict that CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted BTD-based derivatives could be used as red,green,and orange light-emitting materials,respectively.After CH2-,NH-or O-substitution,the oscillator strengths of the emission spectra are enhanced with respect to that of the pristine molecule,implying that these compounds have larger fluorescence intensity.Finally,it can be deduced that CH2-,NH-,and O-substituted BTD-based derivatives may act as hole transport materials in organic light-emitting diodes.     

Polyrotaxane-based triblock copolymers synthesized via ATRP of N-isopropylacrylamide initiated from the terminals of polypseudorotaxane of Br end-capped pluronic 17R4 and β-cyclodextrins

Thermo-responsive polyrotaxane (PR)-based triblock copolymers were synthesized via the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide initiated with self-assemblies made from a distal 2-bromoisobutyryl end-capped Pluronic 17R4 (PPO14-PEG24-PPO14) with a varying amount of β-cyclodextrins (β-CDs) in the presence of Cu(I)Cl/PMDETA at 25 °C in aqueous solution. The molecular structure was characterized by means of H NMR, FTIR, WXRD, GPC, TGA and 1 DSC analyses. About half of β-CDs are still entrapped on the Pluronic 17R4 chain while the number of incorporated NIPAAm monomers is nearly a double feed value in the resulting copolymers. The aggregate morphologies in aqueous solution were evidenced by TEM observations. A two-step thermo-responsive transition arising from a combination of a polypseudorotaxane middle block with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) flanking blocks was also demonstrated by turbidity measurements. Given their thermo-responsive behavior in aqueous solution, these PR-based triblock copolymers show the potential to be used as smart materials for the controlled drug delivery systems, biosensors, and the like.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of nanosized titanium dioxide filled rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

Nano-sized rod-like titanium dioxide (TiO2) filled rigid poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) nanocomposites were prepared by using injection-molding method. Vicat, Charpy impact and tensile tests as well as thermogravimetric and dynamic mechanical analyses were used to characterize the structure and properties of the nanocomposites. The results showed that nano-TiO2 could improve Vicat softening temperature and also improve thermal stability of PVC during the stages of dehydrochlorination and formation of carbonaceous conjugated polyene sequences, which can be ascribed to restriction of the nanoparticles on the segmental relaxation as being evidenced by raises in glass transition and β-relaxation temperatures of PVC upon filling TiO2. Addition of TiO2 nanoparticles less than 40 phr (parts per hundreds of resin) could significantly improve impact strength of the composites while the TiO2 agglomeration at high contents leads to a reduction in impact toughness.     

Survey of recent advances of in the field of π-conjugated heterocyclic azomethines as materials with tuneable properties

This account gives an overview of our recent work in the area of conjugated azomethines derived from 2-aminothiophenes.It will be presented that mild reaction conditions can be used to selectively prepare symmetric and unsymmetric conjugated azomethines.It further will be demonstrated that azomethines consisting of various 5-membered aryl heterocycles lead to chemically,reductively,hydrolytically,and oxidatively robust compounds.The optical and electrochemical properties of these materials can be tuned contingent on the degree of conjugation,type of aryl heterocycle,and by including various electronic groups.The end result is materials having colors spanning 250 nm across the visible spectrum.These colors further can be tuned via electrochemical or chemical doping.The resulting doped states have high color contrasts from their corresponding neutral states.The collective opto-electronic properties and the means to readily tune them,make thiophenoazomethine derivatives interesting materials for potential use in a gamut of applications.     

Ordered cone-structured tin directly grown on carbon paper as efficient electrocatalyst for CO_2 electrochemical reduction to formate

The conversion of carbon dioxide to chemicals by the electrochemical reactions(ERC)is an efficient solution to the current energy crisis and excess CO₂ emissions.It is still a great challenge and of significance to synthesize a highly selective,efficient,and non-noble metal electrocatalyst that facilitates the ERC reaction.A novel triton X-100(C₁₄H₂₂O(C₂H₄O)n)assisted electrodeposition method was developed to synthesize the ordered cone-structured tin(OCSn)electrocatalysts with controllable morphology and structure.The results suggest that Triton X-100 plays an important role in directing the structure of the Sn electrocatalysts during the electrodeposition process.The OCSn synthesized at 60 m A cm^-2 achieves the best performances.It selectively catalyzes the ERC on the onset potential about 110 m V lower than Sn synthesized without Triton X-100.In 0.5 M Na HCO₃,high faradaic efficiency(92%)for formate product on OCSn has been achieved.More prominently,the catalyst presents excellent stability,showing no performance deterioration during 30 h electrolysis.This work provides an efficient,green,and scalable synthesis method of the electrocatalyst for CO₂ reduction to formate.     

Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated polyurethane containing carborane in the main chain: Thermal,mechanical and chemical resistance properties

In this study, two fluorinated polyurethanes(FPU) containing carborane groups in the main chains were firstly designed and synthesized via the reaction of hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer(HDI trimer) with fluorinated polyesters(CFPETs) having hydroxyl-terminated carborane groups at room temperature. The structures of carborane fluorinated polyesters(CFPETs) and polyurethanes(CFPUs) were characterized by gel permeation chromatography(GPC), Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR) measurements. The thermal stability, mechanical properties, Shore A hardness, solvent resistance and acid-alkali resistance of the carborane fluorinated polyurethane films were also studied. Thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) tests manifested that the introduction of carborane groups into the main chain of fluorinated polyurethane endowed the obtained fluorinated polyurethane with excellent thermal stability. The thermal decomposition temperature of carborane fluorinated polyurethane(CFPU) increased by 190 °C compared with that of the carborane-free fluorinated polyurethane(FPU). Even at 800 °C, CFPU showed the char yield of 66.5%, which was higher than that of FPU(34.3%). The carborane-containing fluorinated polyurethanes also showed excellent chemical resistance and prominent mechanical property even after the cured films being immersed into Jet aircraft oil or 37% HCl for 168 h or at high temperature(700 °C). It is found that the structural characteristics of carborane group and the compacted structure of CFPU effectively improve the thermal stability, mechanical property, solvent resistance and acid-alkali resistance of the carborane-free fluorinated polyurethane. These excellent properties make CFPU as the useful raw materials to prepare the high temperature resistant coatings or adhesives for automotive engines, engine or fuel tank of aircraft and other equipment working in high-temperature or high concentrations of acid-alkali environments.     

碘甲烷在碳酸二甲酯直接合成中的作用

Dimethyl carbonate (DMC) is an environmentally friendly compound and a substitutive intermediate for highly toxic phosgene or dimethyl sulfate in carbonylation and methylation reactions as well as a promising octane booster. The common methods for its preparation are the oxidative carbonylation of methanol catalyzed by a variety of transition metal ions and the transesterification of ethylene carbonate or propene carbonate with methanol[1]. The direct synthesis of DMC from carbon dioxide and methanol is a challenging route in which the most abundant carbon resources and a main greenhouse gas is used as feedstock. A new method for the direct synthesis of DMC catalyzed by the methoxide of main group metal has attracted more and more attention since it was reported[2～6] . However the lower conversion of the reaction has become the main obstacle for its application. In this letter, an efficient promoter for the direct synthesis of DMC is reported.     

Preparation and Characterization of Attractive Poly(amino acid)Hydrogels Based on 2-Ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone

Self-healing hydrogels with the shear-thinning property are novel injectable materials and are superior to traditional injectable hydrogels.The self-healing hydrogels based on 2-ureido-4[1 H]-pyrimidinone(UPy)have recently received extensive attention due to their dynamic reversibility of UPy dimerization.However,generally,UPy-based self-healing hydrogels exhibit poor stability,cannot degrade in vivo and can hardly be excreted from the body,which considerably limit their bio-application.Here,using poly(l-glutamic acid)(PLGA)as biodegradable matrix,branchingα-hydroxy-ω-amino poly(ethylene oxide)(HAPEO)as bridging molecule to introduce UPy,and ethyl acrylate polyethylene glycol(MAPEG)to introduce double bond,the hydrogel precursors(PMHU)are prepared.A library of the self-healing hydrogels has been achieved with well self-healable and shear-thinning properties.With the increase of MAPEG grafting ratio,the storage modulus of the self-healing hydrogels decreases.The self-healing hydrogels are stable in solution only for 6 h,hard to meet the requirements of tissue regeneration.Consequently,ultraviolet(UV)photo-crosslinking is involved to obtain the dual crosslinking hydrogels with enhanced mechanical properties and stability.When MAPEG grafting ratio is 35.5%,the dual crosslinking hydrogels can maintain the shape in phosphate-buffered saline solution(PBS)for at least 8 days.Loading with adipose-derived stem cell spheroids,the self-healing hydrogels are injected and self-heal to a whole,and then they are crosslinked in situ via UV-irradiation,obtaining the dual crosslinking hydrogels/cell spheroids complex with cell viability of 86.7%±6.0%,which demonstrates excellent injectability,subcutaneous gelatinization,and biocompatibility of hydrogels as cell carriers.The novel PMHU hydrogels crosslinked by quadruple hydrogen bonding and then dual photo-crosslinking of double bond are expected to be applied for minimal invasive surgery or therapies in tissue engineering.