Preparation of macromonomers by copolymerization of methyl acrylate dimer involving β fragmentation

The unsaturated dimer of methyl acrylate [CH₂C(CO₂CH₃)CH₂CH₂CO₂CH₃, or MAD] was copolymerized with various monomers to prepare copolymers bearing the ω-unsaturated end group [CH₂C(CO₂CH₃)CH₂ ] arising from β fragmentation of the MAD propagating radical. Copolymerizations of MAD with cyclohexyl and n-butyl acrylate resulted in copolymers with ω-unsaturated end groups, and increasing the temperature up to 180 °C resulted in an increase in the rate of β fragmentation of MAD radicals relative to propagation. Only a small amount of unsaturated end groups was introduced by copolymerization with ethyl methacrylate (EMA), and the EMA content in the copolymer increased with temperature. These findings could be explained by the reversible addition of the poly(EMA) radical to MAD. The copolymerization with ethyl α-ethyl acrylate (EEA) did yield a copolymer containing unsaturated end groups with MAD units as part of the main chain, although the steric hindrance of the ethyl group suppressed homopropagation and crosspropagation of EEA, resulting in low polymerization rates. Therefore, the copolymerization of MAD with acrylic esters at high temperatures was noted as a convenient route for obtaining acrylate–MAD copolymers bearing unsaturated end groups at the ω end (macromonomer). © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 597–607, 2004     

Fracture mechanism of liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin systems with different phase structures

A liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin was cured at two different temperatures. The phases of the cured systems clearly showed isotropic and nematic polydomain structures, which depended on the curing temperature. The fracture toughness of the systems was measured, and the fracture mechanism was investigated with polarized IR measurements. The nematic polydomain structure system showed considerably higher fracture toughness than the isotropic structure. Moreover, both systems exhibited a reorientation of the network chains near the fracture surface during the fracture process, and the region of the network reorientation in the nematic polydomain structure system was larger than that in the isotropic structure system. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 4044–4052, 2004     

Hydrogel‐like elastic membrane consisting of semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks based on a phosphorylcholine polymer and a segmented polyurethane

To obtain a hydrogel‐like elastic membrane, we prepared semi‐interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) by the radical polymerization of methacrylates such as 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), 2‐hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and triethyleneglycol dimethacrylate diffused into segmented polyurethane (SPU) membranes swollen with a monomer mixture. The values of Young's modulus for the hydrated semi‐IPN membranes were less than that for an SPU membrane because of higher hydration, but they were much higher than that for a hydrated MPC polymer gel (non‐SPU). According to a thermal analysis, the MPC polymer influenced the segment association of SPU. The diffusion coefficient of 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalenesulfonic acid sodium salt from the semi‐IPN membrane could be controlled with different MPC unit concentrations in the membrane, and it was about 7 × 10² times higher than that of the SPU membrane. Fibroblast cell adhesion on the semi‐IPN membrane was effectively reduced by the MPC units. We concluded that semi‐IPNs composed of the MPC polymer and SPU may be novel polymer materials possessing attractive mechanical, diffusive‐release, and nonbiofouling properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 68–75, 2003     

Influence of the network chain orientation on the fracture toughness of a mesogenic epoxy resin modified with CTBN

A biphenol‐type epoxy resin, which had a mesogenic group in the backbone moiety, was modified with carboxy‐terminated butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer (CTBN) as a reactive elastomer, and its fracture toughness was measured. With the addition of CTBN, the fracture toughness of the biphenol‐type epoxy resin significantly increased and became significantly higher than that of a bisphenol A‐type epoxy resin modified with CTBN. The network chain orientation in the cured biphenol‐type epoxy resin system was clearly observed during the fracture process with polarized microscopy Fourier transform infrared measurements, although such a phenomenon was not observed in the bisphenol A‐type epoxy resin system. The high toughness of the cured biphenol‐type system was clearly due to the consumption of the mechanical energy by a large deformation of the matrix resin due to the orientation of the network chains during the fracture process. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1198–1209, 2003     

Thermal properties and fracture toughness of a liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin cured with an aromatic diamine crosslinker having a mesogenic group

A mesogenic‐type curing agent was synthesized to introduce a mesogenic group not only into epoxy resin backbones but also into the crosslink units. In the mesogenic curing agent system, the domain size became larger, and the network arrangement in each domain existed to a greater extent than that in a system cured with the ordinary diamine curing system according to the evidence from polarized optical micrographs and polarized Fourier transform infrared mapping measurements. Moreover, the fracture toughness of the system was considerably improved. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 2486–2494, 2006     

Constituents of holothuroidea.9. Isolation and structure of a new ganglioside molecular species from the sea cucumber Holothuria pervicax

A new ganglioside molecular species, HPG-7 (1) was obtained from the polar fraction of the chloroform/methanol extract of the sea cucumber, Holothuria pervicax. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence, the structure of 1 was determined, and the major component was 1-O-[alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-(N-acetyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl) - (2-->11)-(N-glycolyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->4)-(N-acetyl -alpha-D- neuraminosyl)-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(2S,3S,4R)-2-[(2R)-2- hydroxytetracosanoylamino]-14-methyl-hexadecane-1,3,4-triol. This is the first report on the isolation and structure elucidation of trisialo-ganglioside from sea cucumber. 1 showed neuritogenic activity toward the rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC-12 cell.     

Cyclopolymerization of diallylamine derivatives in dimethyl sulfoxide

Diallyl quaternary ammonium chlorides, bromides and N-alkyldiallylamine hydrochlorides were polymerized with ammonium persulfate (APS) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The dependences of yield and molecular weight of polymers on polymerization conditions were examined and quaternary ammonium chlorides were found to have better polymerizability than bromides. The poly(diallyl quaternary ammonium chlorides) obtained with APS—DMSO system are expected to have quite high molecular weights, as determined from the measurement of limiting viscosity numbers of the polymers in NaCl aqueous solution.     

Radiation-induced crosslinking and grafting of two polyphosphazene elastomers

The radiation-induced crosslinking and grafting of two aryloxy-substituted elastomeric polyphosphazenes have been carried out by both gamma and electron beam irradiation. The classic Charlesby–Pinner [1] plus a simpler approach were used to determine the G(X) values for the crosslinked elastomeric polymers. The apparent G(X) value for the same polymer depended on whether the gamma-ray or the E-beam results were used. The presence of 8.5% repeat units with allylic groups in the side chain increased the G(X) value by an order of magnitude when the irradiation was performed under vacuum with the gamma source. The extent of acrylic acid grafting was also higher for the polymer containing the allylic group. Nearly all the grafted polyphosphazene films were insoluble in THF, a good solvent for the ungrafted samples.     

Oxidation with Fremy's salt—VIII : Peri-effect of a group located at the C5 position of 1-naphthol and related compounds

It has been shown by a series of experiments on 5-alkyl, 5-halo-, and other 5-substituted 1-naphthol derivatives that the product ratio of the ortho- and para-naphthoquinones formed on oxidation with Fremy's salt is controlled by the bulkiness of the C₅-substituent.