Properties of a nanocomposite polymer electrolyte from an amorphous comb-branch polymer and nanoparticles

Three fully amorphous comb-branch polymers based on poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) as a backbone and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether of different molecular weights as side chains were synthesized. SiO₂ nanoparticles of various contents and the salt LiCF₃SO₃ were added to these comb-branch polymers to obtain nanocomposite polymer electrolytes. The thermal and transport properties of the samples have been characterized. The maximum conductivity of 2.8×10^–4 S cm^–1 is obtained at 28 °C. In the system the longer side chain of the comb-branch polymer electrolyte increases in ionic conductivity after the addition of nanoparticles. To account for the role of the ceramic fillers in the nanocomposite polymer electrolyte, a model based on a fully amorphous comb-branch polymer matrix in enhancing transport properties of Li⁺ ions is proposed.     

Hydroxyl‐ and amine‐terminated hyperbranched polyurethanes using AB2‐type azide monomers: Synthesis,characterization, fluorescence,and charge‐transfer complexation studies

Novel AB₂‐type azide monomers such as 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy)carbonyl azide (monomer 1) , 3,5‐bis(methylol)phenyl carbonyl azide (monomer 2) , 4‐(methylol phenoxy) isopthaloyl azide (monomer 3) , and 5‐(methylol) isopthaloyl azide (monomer 4) were synthesized. Melt and solution polymerization of these monomers yielded hydroxyl‐ and amine‐terminated hyperbranched polyurethanes with and without flexible ether groups. The structures of theses polymers were established using FT‐IR and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights (M_w) of the polymers were found to vary from 3.2 × 10³ to 5.5 × 10⁴ g/mol depending on the experimental conditions used. The thermal properties of the polymers were evaluated using TGA and DSC: the polymer obtained from monomer ( 1 ) exhibited lowest T_g and highest thermal stability and the polymer obtained from monomer ( 2 ) registered the highest T_g and lowest thermal stability. All the polymers displayed fluorescence maxima in the 425–525 nm range with relatively narrow peak widths indicating that they had pure and intense fluorescence. Also, the polymers formed charge transfer (CT) complexes with electron acceptor molecules such as 7,7,8,8‐tetracyano‐quino‐dimethane (TCNQ) and 1,1,2,2‐tetracyanoethane (TCNE) as evidenced by UV‐visible spectra. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 3337–3351, 2009     

Degradation of poly(acrylates) under SF5+ primary ion bombardment studied using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. 3. Poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) with chemical derivatization

Molecular depth profiling of polymers by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) has focused on the use of polyatomic primary ions due to their low penetration depth and high damage removal rates in some polymers. This study is the third in a series of systematic characterizations of the effect of polymer chemistry on degradation under polyatomic primary ion bombardment. In this study, time‐of‐flight SIMS (ToF‐SIMS) was used to assess 5 keV SF₅⁺‐induced damage of ～90 nm thick spin‐cast poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and ～130 nm thick trifluoroacetic anhydride‐derivatized PHEMA (TFAA‐PHEMA) films. The degradation of these polymers under extended SF₅⁺ bombardment (～2 × 10¹⁴ ions cm^?2) was compared to determine the effect of the pendant group chemistry on their degradation. The sputter rate and ion‐induced damage accumulation rate of PHEMA were similar to a poly(n‐alkyl methacrylate) of similar pendant group length, suggesting that the addition of a terminal hydroxyl group to the alkyl pendant group does not markedly change the stability of poly(n‐alkyl methacrylates) under SF₅⁺ bombardment. The sputter rate and ion‐induced damage accumulation rate of TFAA‐PHEMA were much higher than a poly(n‐alkyl methacrylate) of similar pendant group length, suggesting that derivatization of the terminal hydroxyl group can significantly reduce degradation of the polymer under SF₅⁺ bombardment. This result is in good agreement with the literature on the thermal and radiation‐induced degradation of fluorinated poly(alkyl methacrylates), which suggests that the electron‐withdrawing fluorinated pendant group increases the probability of depolymerization. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Anionic synthesis and detection of fluorescence‐labeled polymers with a terminal anhydride group

To monitor polymer–polymer coupling reactions between two different monofunctional polymers in dilute polymer blends, fluorescence‐labeled anhydride‐functional polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared by conventional anionic polymerization. Sequential trapping of lithiopolystyrene by 1‐(2‐anthryl)‐1‐phenylethylene (APE) and then di‐t‐butyl maleate (4) provided, after pyrolysis, anhydride‐functional fluorescent PS. Fluorescent PMMA anhydride (8) was synthesized with sec‐butyllithium/APE as an initiator for the anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate, trapping by 4, and pyrolysis. These polymers could be reacted with amine‐functional polymers by melt blending, and the reaction progress could be monitored by gel permeation chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection. This technique not only allows monitoring of the coupling reaction with high sensitivity (ca. 100 times more sensitive than refractive index detection) but also permits selective detection because unlabeled polymers are invisible to fluorescence detection. This highly sensitive and selective detection methodology was also used to monitor the coupling reaction of 8 with PS‐NH₂ at a thin‐film interface, which was otherwise difficult to detect by conventional methods. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2177–2185, 2000     

Manipulation of Molecular Weight Distribution Shape as a New Strategy to Control Processing Parameters

Molecular weight and dispersity (Ð ) influence physical and rheological properties of polymers, which are of significant importance in polymer processing technologies. However, these parameters provide only partial information about the precise composition of polymers, which is reflected by the shape and symmetry of molecular weight distribution (MWD). In this work, the effect of MWD symmetry on thermal and rheological properties of polymers with identical molecular weights and Ð is demonstrated. Remarkably, when the MWD is skewed to higher molecular weight, a higher glass transition temperature (T _g), increased stiffness, increased thermal stability, and higher apparent viscosities are observed. These observed differences are attributed to the chain length composition of the polymers, easily controlled by the synthetic strategy. This work demonstrates a versatile approach to engineer the properties of polymers using controlled synthesis to skew the shape of MWD.     

Surface grafting of polymers onto inorganic ultrafine particles: Reaction of functional polymers with acid anhydride groups introduced onto inorganic ultrafine particles

The surface grafting onto inorganic ultrafine particles, such as silica, titanium oxide, and ferrite, by the reaction of acid anhydride groups on the surfaces with functional polymers having hydroxyl and amino groups was examined. The introduction of acid anhydride groups onto inorganic ultrafine particle was achieved by the reaction of hydroxyl groups on these surfaces with 4-trimethoxysilyltetrahydrophthalic anhydride in toluene. The amount of acid anhydride groups introduced onto the surface of ultrafine silica, titanium oxide, and ferrite was determined to be 0.96, 0.47, and 0.31 mmol/g, respectively, by elemental analysis. Functional polymers having terminal hydroxyl or amino groups, such as diol-type poly(propylene glycol) (PPG), and diamine-type polydimethylsiloxane (SDA), reacted with acid anhydride groups on these ultrafine particles to give polymer-grafted ultrafine particles: PPG and SDA were considered to be grafted onto these surfaces with ester and amide bond, respectively. The percentage of grafting increased with increasing acid anhydride group content of the surface: the percentage of grafting of SDA (M_n = 3.9 × 10³) onto silica, titanium oxide, and ferrite reaching 64.7, 33.7, and 24.1%, respectively. These polymer-grafted ultrafine particles gave a stable colloidal dispersion in organic solvents.     

Facile synthesis of soluble aromatic poly(amide amine)s via C–N coupling reaction: Characterization,thermal, and optical properties

Aromatic poly(amide amine)s (APAAs), as novel high‐performance polymers, have been obtained by the condensation polymerization of N,N'‐bis(4‐bromobenzoyl)‐p‐phenylenediamine with two different primary aromatic diamines via palladium‐catalyzed aryl amination reaction. The structures of the polymers are characterized by means of FTIR, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis, the results show a good agreement with the proposed structures. DSC and TGA measurements exhibit that polymers possess high glass transition temperature (T_g > 240 °C) and good thermal stability with high decomposition temperatures (T₅ > 400 °C). These novel polymers also display good solubility. In addition, due to its special structure, APAA‐2 is endowed with significantly strong photonic luminescence in N,N‐dimethylformamide and good electroactivity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4845–4852     

Dielectric Properties of Hyperbranched Polyesteramide with Long Alkyl Chain End Groups

Summary: Hyperbranched polyesteramides were prepared using phethalic anhydride (Ph An) or maleic anhydride (M An) as an A₂ monomer and diethanol amine (DEA) as B′B₂ monomer. Bulk condensation technique was used to synthesize polymers with both OH and modified polymers with long alkyl chain end groups. The prepared polymers were characterized using ¹H-NMR, FTIR and TGA. Solution viscosity for hyperbranched polyester amide with hydroxyl end groups was measured as well. Dielectric and electric properties of the modified samples were investigated over a range of frequency and temperatures. No relaxation peak is noticed in the dielectric spectrum ε(ν) at various temperatures. The illustration of the imaginary part of the electric modulus M″ versus frequency shows a peak which is shifted towards higher frequency in increasing temperature.     

One‐pot synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s from commercially available dicarboxylic acids and multihydroxyl secondary amines

A convenient and cost‐effective strategy for synthesis of hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s from commercially available dicarboxylic acids (A₂) and multihydroxyl secondary amine (CB₂) has been developed. By optimizing the conditions of model reactions, the AB₂‐type intermediates were formed dominantly during the initial reaction stage. Without any purification, the AB₂ intermediate was subjected to thermal polycondensation in the absence of any catalyst to prepare the aliphatic and semiaromatic hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s bearing multi‐hydroxyl end‐groups. The FTIR and ¹H NMR spectra indicated that the polymerization proceeded in the proposed way. The DBs of the resulting polymers were confirmed by a combination of inverse‐gated decoupling ¹³C NMR, and DEPT‐135 NMR techniques. The DBs of the hyperbranched poly(ester‐amide)s were in the range of 0.44–0.73, depending on the structure of the monomers used. The hyperbranched polymers exhibited moderate molecular weights with relatively broad distributions determined by SEC. All the polymers displayed low inherent viscosity (0.11–0.25 dL/g) due to the branched nature. Structural and end‐group effects on the thermal properties of the hyperbranched polymers were investigated using DSC. The thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the resulting polymers exhibit reasonable thermal stability. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5077–5092, 2008     

Synthesis and properties of novel soluble poly(aryl amine ketone)s as high-performance polymers

A series of poly(aryl amine ketone)s have been obtained by the condensation polymerization of different aromatic dibromides with different primary aromatic diamines via palladium-catalyzed aryl amination reaction. The structures of polymers are characterized by means of FT-IR, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The results show an agreement with the proposed structures. DSC and TG measurements show that polymers possess high glass transition temperature (Tg>170℃) and good thermal stability with high decomposition temperatures (TD>450℃). These novel polymers also exhibit good mechanical behaviors and good solubility.     

Segmented polyethylene oxides: A new class of polyethers prepared via melt transetherification

Several segmented polyethylene oxides (SPEOs) were prepared by a melt-transetherification process using 1,4-bis(methoxymethyl)-2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzene and polyethylene glycols (PEGs) of different molecular weights (di-, tri-, and tetraethylene glycols and PEGs of molecular weights 300, 600, 1000, 1500, and 3400) as the monomers. The effect of polymerization temperature (185 and 150 °C) on the molecular weight of SPEOs was studied, and it was shown that the molecular weight is larger at a higher polymerization temperature. The reversal of the polycondensation (transetherification) equilibrium by treatment of the polyethers with excess methanol transformed them completely into the starting monomers. The analysis of the degraded products by mass and NMR spectroscopies revealed that side reactions, such as the self-condensation of diols, are insignificant. The polymers containing shorter PEG spacers are amorphous, whereas the ones with longer PEG spacers are semicrystalline. The glass-transition temperature (T_g) of the SPEOs decreased with increases in the spacer length and attained the value of PEO at PEG-600, whereas the melting transition (T_m), crystallization temperature (T_c), and their enthalpies of transition, (ΔH_m) and (ΔH_c), increased with increases in the spacer length. The introduction of “molecular kinks” into SPEOs by the use of another monomer, 1,3-bis(methoxymethyl)-2,4,5,6-tetramethylbenzene, surprisingly, showed little effect on their thermal properties. A “branched-PEO” analogue, containing pendant oligoethyleneoxy units, was also prepared, and its thermal properties were compared with its linear analogue. Preliminary ionic conductance measurements showed that some of these SPEOs could serve as potential candidates for solid polymer–electrolyte applications. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1615–1628, 2001     

Preparation and characterization of hyperbranched polyaspartimides from bismaleimides and triamines

Hyperbranched polyaspartimides were successfully prepared from bismaleimides (A₂) and triamines (B₃) through the Michael addition reaction. Two bismaleimides of 4,4′‐bismaleimidodiphenylmethane (BMDM) and bis(3‐ethyl‐5‐methyl‐4‐ maleimidophenyl)methane (BEMM) and two triamines of tris(3‐aminophenyl)phosphine oxide (TAPPO) and tris(4‐aminophenyl)amine (TAPA) were employed in the preparation of these hyperbranched polyaspartimides. The chemical structures of the polymers were characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H and ³¹P NMR, and elemental analysis. Degrees of branching ranging from 0.51 to 0.69 were found with the polyaspartimides, ensuring their hyperbranched structure. The polymers also showed good solubility in common solvents, high glass‐transition temperatures of 256 °C, and excellent thermal stability above 370 °C. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5921–5928, 2004     

Chemical Modification of Poly(epichlorohydrin) Using Montmorillonite Clay

Cationic ring opening polymerization of epichlorohydrin (1) and acetic anhydride in the presence of Maghnite- H (Mag-H＋) as a catalyst afforded, ω-diacetylated poly(epichlorohydrin) (P1) in a moderate yield and molecular weight without formation of side products and degradation. P1 was chemically modified with morpholine (2), piperidine (3) and pyrrolidine (4) into the corresponding new functional poly(epichlorohydrin)s (P2—P4) in a moderate reaction conversion . The conversion of P1 into P2—P4 was confirmed by using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy and the yield was calculated from the elemental analysis data according to the mole fraction concept. The obtained functional polymers were further characterized by thermal analysis which showed a substantial increase of the glass transition temperature (Tg). Thus, the chemical modification of α,ω-acetylated PECH using Mag-H＋ offers a simple method for obtaining functional polymers. Mag-H＋ is a montmorillonite sheet silicate clay exchanged with proton.     

Synthesis and characterization of hyperbranched polyimides with good organosolubility and thermal properties based on a new triamine and conventional dianhydrides

A triamine monomer, 1,3,5‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)benzene (TAPOB), was synthesized from phloroglucinol and 4‐chloronitrobenzene, and it was successfully polymerized into soluble hyperbranched polyimides (HB PIs) with commercially available dianhydrides: 4,4′‐(hexafluoroisopropylidene)diphthalic anhydride (6FDA), 4,4′‐oxydiphthalic anhydride (ODPA), and 3,3′,4,4′‐benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA). Different monomer addition methods and different monomer molar ratios resulted in HB PIs with amino or anhydride end groups. From ¹H NMR spectra, the degrees of branching of the amino‐terminated polymers were estimated to be 0.65, 0.62, and 0.67 for 6FDA–TAPOB, ODPA–TAPOB, and BTDA–TAPOB, respectively. All polymers showed good thermal properties with 10% weight‐loss temperatures (T₁₀'s) above 505 °C and glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) of 208–282 °C for various dianhydrides. The anhydride‐terminated HB PIs showed lower T₁₀ and T_g values than their amino‐terminated counterparts. The chemical conversion of the terminal amino or anhydride groups of the 6FDA‐based polyimides into an aromatic imido structure improved their thermal stability, decreased their T_g, and improved their solubility. The HB PIs had moderate molecular weights with broad distributions. The 6FDA‐based HB PIs exhibited good solubility even in common low‐boiling‐point solvents such as chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, and acetone. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3804–3814, 2002     

Polymerization of N,N-Dimethylaminopropyl-Acrylamide Through Hydrogen Transfer Induced by the Propagation of the Polyacrolein Anion

The anionic polymerization of acrolein (AL) with N, N-dimethylamino-propylacrylamide (DMAPA) in the presence of water was investigated in tetrahydrofuran, benzene, and ethanol at 0°C in a nitrogen atmosphere. The resulting polymers were found to be essentially vinyl polymers with one DMAPA attached and an aldehyde side chain. From observations of the polymerization process by ¹H NMR, we find that polymerization was initiated by the hydroxyl anion formed in the thermodynamic equilibrium between the amine of DMAPA and water. The hydrogen transfer reaction of DMAPA was caused by the propagating poly-AL anion. On the other hand, the monomer reactivity ratios and the Q₂-e₂values of DMAPA were determined by the free-radical copolymerization of styrene (St, M₁) with DMAPA and AIBN as initiator.     

New materials based on the reaction of cyclo- and poly-(organo phosphazenes) with SiO2, TiO2 and ZrO2 precursors

A new class of organic-inorganic materials can be prepared, based on inorganic networks and cycloor poly-(organophosphazenes). Poly(organophosphazenes) are polymers characterized by many interesting technological properties. This report is based on a investigation on the reactivity of SiO₂, TiO₂ and ZrO₂ precursors with different phosphazene compounds functionalized with hydroxyl groups, to prepare materials with a hybrid structure. The synthesis of these systems was studied in different experimental conditions. Evidences on the structures and properties of these materials will be presented on the basis of FTIR, SEM and thermal analysis characterization results.     

Structure and properties of new polyester elastomers composed of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) and poly(ethylene oxide)

Series of PTT-b-PEO copolymers with different composition of rigid PTT and PEO flexible segments were synthesized from dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), 1,3-propanediol (PDO), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, M_n = 1000 g/mol) in a two stage process involving transesterification and polycondensation in the melt. The weight fraction of flexible segments was varied between 20 and 70 wt%. The molecular structure of synthesized copolymers was confirmed by ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The superstructure of these polymers was characterized by DSC, DMTA, WAXS and SAXS measurements. It was observed that domains of three types can exist in PTT-b-PEOT copolymers: semi-crystalline PTT, amorphous PEO rich phase (amorphous PEO/PTT blended phase) and semi-crystalline PEO phase. Semi-crystalline PEO phase was observed only at temperature below 0 °C for sample containing the highest concentration of PEO segment. The phase structure, thermal and mechanical properties are effected by copolymer composition. The copolymers containing 30÷70 wt% of PEO segment posses good thermoplastic elastomers properties with high thermal stability. Hardness and tensile strength rise with increase of PTT content in copolymers.     

Retrosynthetic reactions in mass spectrometry. Deacylation of ortho phthalamic acids under electron impact

Ortho Phthalamic acids under electron impact show a retrosynthetic reaction leading to both phthalic anhydride and amine complementary ions, the corresponding neutrals of which are the usual synthetic precursors of the original compounds. The single case of a primary amine derivative is examined, which shows the formation of [M? H₂O]^+˙ ions having the structure of the related N-substituted imide, by a process which parallels a well known thermal reaction. It also gives the species [C₈H₆NO₂]⁺ (of the same nominal mass as phthalic anhydride), the structure of which is still under study. Ionic structures are supported by collision induced mass analyzed ion kinetic energy spectra.     

Synthesis and characterization of chiral azo LCPs with optical properties

ABSTRACT

In this study, we designed, synthesised and characterised two series of cholesteric liquid crystal polymers, QP series and ZP series. With polymethylhydrosiloxane as the main chain, QP series were synthesised by copolymerisation between the monomer M₁ containing a cholesteryl mesogenic unit and the monomer M₂ with a hydroxyl. ZP series, meanwhile, were synthesised by esterification between QP series members and the monomer M₃, a carboxylic acid with an azo mesogenic unit. We characterised chemical structures of all the monomers and polymers by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR, which proved that the target monomers and polymers had been obtained. We observed dramatic colour changes after the introduction of monomer M₃ and Grandjean textures from both QP series and ZP series using POM. In addition, strong selective reflection could be observed as well. Then, we characterised the thermal properties of polymers by DSC, TGA and XRD to explore their phase transition behaviours further. Their photoresponsive and photochromic properties were characterised by UV-Vis spectrum.     

Second-order nonlinear optical hyperbranched polymers via facile ring-opening addition reaction of azetidine-2,4-dione

A new hyperbranched polymeric structure was chosen as a nonlinear optical material. First, a difunctional chromophore, 4-(4′-nitrophenyl-diazenyl) phenyl-1,3-diamine (NDPD) was synthesized, which was then reacted with 4-isocyanato-4′(3,3-dimethyl-2,4-dioxo-azetidino)diphenylmethane (MIA) to form NDPDMIA (A₂ type monomer). The azetidin-2,4-dione functional groups exhibit selective reactivity, which can react only with primary amines under mild conditions. The hyperbranched polymers were synthesized via ring-opening addition reaction between azetidine-2,4-dione (A₂ type monomer) and primary amine (B₃ type monomer). This synthetic scheme comes with easy purification, high yield and rapid synthesis. Chemical structures of the hyperbranched polymers were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and elemental analysis. The inherent viscosity of hyperbranched polymers in DMSO ranged from 0.15 to 0.22 dLg⁻¹. All of the obtained polymers were soluble in DMF, DMAc, and DMSO. Using in situ contact poling, r₃₃ coefficients of 6-16 pm/V and their temporal stability at 60 °C were obtained. Optical loss measurement was also achieved by a prism coupling setup.