Quantification of end groups in polystyrenes by pyrolysis–gas chromatography

The determination of end groups in polystyrenes (PSts) polymerized anionically with n-butyllithium as the initiator was carried out by pyrolysis-gas chromatography (Py-GC). The relative proportions of the end groups decrease with increasing molecular weight (MW). Consequently, the peaks which reflect the structure of the end groups can be distinguished by comparing pyrograms of samples with different MW. By comparing the intensities of these peaks relative to total intensities of all the peaks in the pyrogram, the numberaverage molecular weight (M_n) of the polymer can be estimated. The observed M_n values of PSts estimated by this method are compared with those determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). By this method it was possible to make direct determination of M_n values of PSts with MWs between 1000 and ca. 1 million. Furthermore, the calibration curve produced by the relative intensity of one of the most characteristic peaks (2-phenyl-1-heptene; C₄H₉? CH₂C (Ph) = CH₂) for the end group to total intensity of all the peaks in the pyrogram, gave rapid and highly reproducible M_n values. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of carboxyl end groups content on the thermal and electrical properties of poly(propylene terephthalate)

Poly(propylene terephthalate) (PPT) samples with different carboxyl terminal groups content were synthesized in bulk and characterized in terms of chemical structure and molecular weight. The thermal behavior was examined by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. All the polymers under investigation show a good thermal stability, however decreasing with increasing carboxyl terminal groups content. No significant change of the glass transition temperature as well as melting temperature values was found in the samples under investigation; on the contrary, the crystallization rate of PPT was found to be affected by carboxyl terminal groups content, regularly decreasing as the amount of -COOH terminal groups is increased. This trend was interpreted on the basis of the interactions among the terminal groups of the polymeric chains, which determine a decrease in the chain mobility. Direct current (dc) electrical behavior was also investigated. The dc charging/discharging currents and electrical conductivity are studied as a function of temperature, time of applied voltage and amount of -COOH terminal groups. The conductivity values were found to increase as the content of -COOH end groups was increased, due to an increment of amount of ionic charge carriers.     

Further studies of end groups derived from benzoyl peroxide

There has been a suggestion that, for polymerizations initiated by benzoyl peroxide, the use of benzene as diluent may cause uncertainties about the conclusions reached from studies of the end groups in the resulting polymers. It is now shown that no substantial changes are caused by the replacement of benzene by other solvents. This finding contributes to the conclusion that any capture of benzoyloxy radicals by benzene is only transitory and does not invalidate the deductions made from the results of analyses of polymers for benzoate and phenyl end groups derived from the peroxide. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2955–2960, 1997     

TGA/FTIR study on thermal degradation of polymethacrylates containing carboxylic groups

In this work, the thermal degradation of polymethacrylates containing carboxylic groups namely poly(methacryloyloxy butanoic acid), PMBA; poly(methacryloyloxy hexanoic acid), PMHA; and poly(p-methacryloyloxy benzoic acid), PMBeA was investigated by TGA/FTIR. Moreover, in order to shed more light on the reaction pathways during the thermal decomposition of these polymers, an FTIR spectroscopic study of structural changes in the degrading material was performed. By TGA it was observed that PMBA exhibited two well-defined degradation stages at 327 and 450 °C; PMHA presents only one main weight loss at ca. 402 °C although from DTG curve it was noted that the single step degradation was composed by two overlapped peaks located at 414 and 449 °C and a small shoulder at 317 °C; finally PMBeA showed three weight loss regions at 265, 353 and 468 °C. From FTIR analysis of the partially degraded samples it was found that the thermal degradation of these polymers resembled that of polymethacrylic acid, i.e. anhydrides were initially formed and then the modified structure is broken to yield an aromatic structure with phenolic groups. In contrast, the analysis by FTIR of the volatile products from the studied polymers differs notably than those obtained for polymethacrylic acid: β-lactones and γ-lactones were released from PMBA and PMHA, respectively, during its thermal degradation, whereas an ester derivative from benzoic acid evolves from PMBeA probably through depolymerization.     

Mechanisms of thermal degradation of polystyrene,polymethacrylonitrile, and their copolymers on flash pyrolysis

The mechanism of thermal degradation of homopolymers of styrene (St) and methacrylonitrile (MAN) and their copolymers was investigated theoretically and experimentally by the pyrolysis gas chromatography using a Curie-point pyrolyzer. Poly(St-co-MAN)s generate dimers and trimers as well as monomers by flash pyrolysis. Parameter α was proposed to account for the competition between the back-biting reaction and depolymerization. The back-biting parameter α is defined as the ratio of rate constants, α = k_bb/k_dp, where k_bb is the rate constant for the back-biting reaction and k_dp is that for depolymerization. The back-biting process is followed by β-scission, where dimer and trimer are generated, and directly correlated with the C—H bond dissociation energies in the polymer chain. Using the back-biting parameter α, where 1/α is equal to the zip length n in depolymerization, the boundary effect for the difference of monomer yields from the homopolymers of St and MAN and their copolymers is well explained. The calculated values of boundary effect parameters, β_St and β_MAN, agreed well with the experimental results. It was found that thermal degradation mechanisms of homo- and copolymers of vinyl compounds can be analyzed comprehensively using the back-biting parameter α and the boundary effect parameter β. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2315–2330, 1998     

Chain end analysis of bisphenol A polysulfone and its relation to molecular weight

The preparation of amine-terminated polysulfone by step polymerization of the monomers bisphenol A and dichlorodiphenyl sulfone in the presence of end-capping reagent 4-aminophenol was investigated. A persistent problem with end-capping strategy as applied to step polymerization is the presence of end groups other than those introduced by the end-capping reagent. These unintended end groups, which can persist in the polymer product even when 100% of the end-capping reagent has reacted, are associated with a proportionate decrease in polymer chain length. This situation renders quantitative analysis of a single type of end group invalid as a method for molecular weight determination. The presence of unintended end groups does not appear to correlate with a particular set of reaction conditions; unintended end groups were found to occur in polymerizations conducted under strong base conditions (NaOH), under weak base conditions (K₂CO₃), and with a wide range of monomer feed ratios. A scheme for unambiguous quantification of chain ends and molecular weight for end-capped polysulfone is described. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1309–1316, 1998     

The effect of fullerene on the resistance to thermal degradation of polymers with different degradation processes

Investigations were made about the effect of fullerene (C₆₀) on the resistance to thermal degradation of high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and bisphenol A polycarbonate (PC) matrix by using thermogravimetric analysis coupled to Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that the influences of C₆₀ on the resistance to the thermal degradation of different polymers were dependent on their thermal degradation mechanism. The resistance to the thermal degradation of HDPE, PP, and PMMA were improved with the addition of C₆₀, especially for HDPE matrix, which indicated that the radical trapping played a dominant role. PP and PMMA released more gaseous products at high temperature by the random scission of C–C backbone; owing to the lower bond dissociation energy of C–C in the backbone for the existence of side chains. Meanwhile, the steric hindrance of side chains also made the radicals hard to recombine with each other and accelerated the random scission, leading to the less effect on the resistance to the thermal degradation of PP and PMMA. However, few changes of resistance to the thermal degradation were found in PC matrix with the addition of C₆₀ for its non-radical degradation mechanism.     

Influence of the curing cycle selection on the thermal degradation of an epoxy-diamine system

Summary Polymers have a great interest for the study and design of new materials. Among these materials are epoxy resins, that have good properties, such as low shrinkage during cure, good adhesion, high water and chemical resistance, etc. They have also fast and easy cure in a broad range of temperatures. TTT diagrams are very helpful to design new epoxy materials as they allow the search for very important final properties, such as thermal stability, conversion or glass transition temperature of a material cured through a selected curing cycle. In this work the dependence of the thermal stability on the selected curing cycle for a DGEBA/1,2 DCH system was studied.     

Characterization of end groups in nylon 6 by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Four samples of Ny6, each terminated by different end groups, i.e., diamino terminated, monoamino terminated (monocapped), dicarboxyl terminated, and amino-carboxyl terminated, were synthesized and analyzed by MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry, in order to accurately characterize their structure by direct identification of mass resolved chains. A self-calibrating method for the MALDI-TOF mass spectra of polymeric samples was used in order to distinguish the end groups existing in the four samples of Ny6. The MALDI-TOF spectra showed the presence of protonated, sodiated, and potassiated ions that were assigned to Ny6 chains containing the expecteted end groups. Furthermore, the MALDI-TOF spectra made possible the simultaneous detection of the cyclic oligomers of Ny6 present in these samples, thus achieving the full structural characterization of the molecular species present in these polyamides. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Racemization on thermal degradation of poly( -lactide) with calcium salt end structure

Poly( -lactide) with calcium salt end structure (PLLA-Ca) is a promising material for PLLA recycling because of the ease of lactide recovery through the unzipping depolymerization process. However, the pyrolysis of PLLA-Ca also causes meso-lactide to form. In this article, the racemization in PLLA-Ca pyrolysis was analyzed in detail with Py-MS, Py-GC/MS, and a glass tube oven. The results suggested that at a temperature lower than 250 °C, nucleophilic attack by a carboxylate anion end on an asymmetrical methyne carbon in a penultimate lactate unit occurred, resulting in the predominant formation of meso-lactide. On the other hand, also at temperatures over 320 °C, by-reactions, such as enolization reactions, caused the meso-lactide to form, but not dominantly. In the temperature range of 250–320 °C, -lactide was produced exclusively, because unzipping depolymerization proceeded as the main reaction. This is a very significant result for PLLA recycling, because PLLA-Ca is an easily recyclable material, which depolymerizes based on the 1st-order weight loss process.     

Preparation and properties of thin films of hyperbranched polyesters with different end groups

Hyperbranched polyesters (HBP) with different end groups were prepared as thin films. They were characterized with regard to their chemical composition, thickness, optical constants and morphology using infrared spectroscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy. The surface properties of the films were determined by zeta‐potential and contact angles measurements. The differences in the molecular structure and surface energetic and acid‐base properties between HBP materials with carboxylic, hydroxy and acetoxy end groups result in differences in their swelling behavior in atmospheric humidity. The swelling behavior at different atmospheric humidity was observed in situ using spectroscopic ellipsometry and reflectometric interference spectroscopy. From the results it can be concluded that HBP films can be used potentially as sensoric materials.     

Thermal degradation kinetics of poly(methylphenylsiloxane) containing methacryloyl groups

The kinetics of the thermal degradation of polymethylphenylsiloxane containing methacryloyl groups (PMPS-M) were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal degradation of PMPS-M had two different processes: “unzipping degradation” and “rearrangement degradation”. The corresponding kinetic parameters of the two degradation stages were determined by using Friedman and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa methods, respectively. Coats-Redfern and Phadnis-Deshpande methods were also used to discuss the probable degradation mechanisms of the two different stages. The results showed that the activation energy obtained from Friedman method was in good agreement with the value obtained using Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method. The solid-state decomposition mechanism followed by the first degradation stage of PMPS-M was a decelerated D₄ type (three-dimensional diffusion controlled reaction). However, as for the second degradation stage of PMPS-M, its solid-state decomposition mechanism corresponded to a sigmoidal A₃ type, a nucleation and growth mechanism.     

Effect of end groups of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) on its biocompatibility

Telechelic poly(n-butyl methacrylate)s (PBMAs) with various end groups were prepared using nonionic, anionic, cationic or zwitterionic azo-type radical initiators and cell adhesion onto the surfaces of the polymers was investigated. The tendency for cell adhesion to the polymers differed with and without pretreatment with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4). The cell adhesion to polymer surfaces without pretreatment was lower than that with pretreatment. The effect of pretreatment with PBS was significant for PBMA with ionic end groups. Furthermore, cell adhesion to the surface of PBMA with zwitterionic end groups was suppressed compared with that to the surfaces of other polymers. It was presumed that positive and negative charges of zwitterionic groups in the same molecule negated each other at pH 7.4 and that the polymers with zwitterionic end groups had no effective charges. The results clearly indicated that biocompatibility of polymers can be changed by the introduction of functional groups at the ends of the polymer chains. Fabrication of functional material surfaces will be anticipated by the similar method in the future.     

Synthesis of methylcyclotetra(hexa)siloxanes with different reactive groups at the same silicon atom

Representatives of methylcyclotetra(hexa)siloxanes with two different reactive groups at the same silicon atom (CH₂=CH and Cl, H and Cl, CH₂=CH and OH) were synthesized for the first time by condensation of trichlorovinylsilane with dihydroxydimethylsilane, and by stepwise condensation of trichloro-and trichlorovinylsilane with 1,3-dihydroxy-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane in the presence of amines (aniline, pyridine, and triethylamine). The condensation with 1,3-dihydroxy-1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane with a large excess of trichlorosilane, unlike the condensation with trichlorovinylsilane, occured intramolecularly to give monochlorotetramethylcyclotrisiloxane in a high yield and intermolecularly to give 1,1,7,7-tetrachloro-3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-1,7-dihydrotetrasiloxane. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by ¹H and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 6, pp. 932–936, June, 2006.     

Chemical modification of copolyimides with bulky pendent groups: Effect of modification on solubility and thermal stability

Two novel copolyimides bearing bulky pendent groups have been prepared by chemical modification of a copolyimide precursor containing carboxylic acid groups. The incorporation of the bulky groups was achieved by esterification of the copolyimide containing carboxylic acid groups with 4-tert-butylbenzyl alcohol. By controlling the carboxylic acid/alcohol ratio, two different degrees of modification were obtained. The actual composition of the modified polymer was estimated by ¹H NMR. They showed better solubility than the copolyimide precursor, where 100% modification yielded the copolyimide with the highest solubility properties. Thermal analyses indicated that the incorporation of bulky pendent groups has a moderate effect on decreasing the thermal degradation temperature and the glass transition temperature.     

Application of complex reaction kinetic models in thermal analysis

The complexity of the phenomena which arise during the heating of the various substances seldom can be described by a single reaction kinetic equation. As a consequence, sophisticated models with several unknown parameters have to be developed. The determination of the unknown parameters and the validation of the models requires the simultaneous evaluation of whole series of experiments. We can accept a model and its parameters if, and only if we get a reasonable fit to several experiments carried out at different experimental conditions. In the field of the thermal analysis the method of least squares alone seldom can select abest model or abest set of parameter values. Nevertheless, the careful evaluation of the experiments may help in the discerning between various chemical or physical assumptions by the quality of the corresponding fit between the experimental and the simulated date. The problem is illustrated by the thermal de-composition of cellulose under various experimental conditions.This research program was funded by the National Science Foundation (grant INT 8914934), the US Hungarian Science and Technology Joint Fund (grants 90b-22 and 93b-375), the Hungarian National Research Fund (OTKA, grant 3077/91) and the Coral Industries Endowment.     

Oligomeric benzimidazoles with reactive end groups

The condensation of aromatic diamines with aromatic dinitriles and the subsequent conversion of the amidines formed to benzimidazole units has been adapted to the preparation of oligomeric benzimidazoles with nitrile and carboxyl end groups. These are promising new dibasic acids for the preparation of heat-stable condensation polymers.     

Polylactides with aldaric ester end groups or chain extending groups

The synthesis and characterisation of a series of poly(S,S-lactides) and poly(RR/SS-lactides) end capped or chain extended with aldaric ester groups are described. The aldaric esters are prepared from acetyl protected d-gluconolactone, d-galactonolactone and d-mannonolactone by ring opening with butanol or 1,4-butanediol, under acidic conditions. The aldaric esters are fully characterised, including by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. They are used as co-initiators, with an ethylzinc complex, to enable the controlled ring opening polymerisation of S,S- and rac-lactide. Thus, a series of polylactides are produced with various carbohydrate chain end or extending groups and are fully characterised, including by NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The polymerisation kinetics are examined, under pseudo first order conditions, and indicate that chain transfer reactions are occurring more rapidly than propagation reactions. The degradation kinetics of the polylactides are examined under acidic conditions; the aldaric esters increase the degradation rates compared to unfunctionalised end groups.     

Study of the microstructure of o/w creams with thermal and rheological methods

Thermogravimetric and rheological investigations of oil/water (o/w) creams prepared with different types of surface-active agents (non-ionic, non-ionic POE-free, ionic) were carried out. Thermogravimetry was aimed at the indirect study of the water bond mechanism in o/w creams and the influence of the composition, type and concentration of the mixed emulsifier on the binding of water incorporated in the structure (interlamellar, bulk) and on the binding proportions. The microstructural changes during application were studied with respect to the stability of the lamellar bilayer. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.