Reactive Groups,Spacer Groups and Functional Groups in Macromolecular Design

Several aspects of modern design of macromolecular architecture are discussed: the influence and importance of functional groups which often dominate the characteristics of the macromolecular structure; the importance of the spacer groups that provide flexibility and allow the functional group to act independently from the main chain when the functional group is attached to the main chain.

Examples are given for the synthesis of reactive, telechelic polymers, for polymerizability of monomers whose polymerizable group is separated from the functional group by a flexible methylene spacer, and the reactivity of functional groups separated from the main chain by a spacer group.     

Ueber die Einwirkung der schwefligen S?ure auf frisch gef?llte unl?sliche Schwefelmetalle

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Diffusion in crystalline materials

Recently nuclear scattering of synchrotron radiation proved to be a powerful new method to study the elementary diffusion jump in crystalline solids. The scattered radiation decays faster when atoms move on the time scale of the excited-state lifetime of a Mössbauer isotope because of a loss of coherence. The acceleration of the decay rate differs for different crystal orientations relative to the beam providing information not only about the rates but also about the directions of the elementary jumps. We discuss first applications of the method.

     

History of the Conception of the Us-Japan Seminars on Polymer Synthesis

When the chairman of this US-Japan Symposium on Polymer Synthesis, Professor Virgil Percec, asked me to tell you how the seminar series was conceived and what was involved in initiating such a successful enterprise, I was very pleased to agree to do so. The thoughtfulness of our Chairman reminded me of the writings of an ancient Chinese philosopher who said: “The one who drinks water should think of he who dug the well.” I am glad that we all are drinking the water!

I am presenting here a brief history of the circumstances that led to the US-Japan Seminars on Polymer Synthesis, a cooperative program that I hope will continue for a long time. It was about 25 years ago that the initial idea of a US-Japan Seminar on Polymer Synthesis was realized. This concept led to the very successful first US-Japan Seminar in 1974.     

Head to Head Polymers. 42. Head to Head Poly(Vinyl Halide) Blends: Thermal and Degradation Behavior

Abstract

Improved halogenation techniques for poly(1, 4-butadiene) have made well-defined head to head poly(vinyl chloride) and head to head poly(vinyl bromide) accessible in larger quantities. This allowed the preparation and study of blends of poly(vinyl chloride) or poly(vinyl bromide) with polycaprolactone and poly(methyl methacrylate); blends were also prepared between the poly(vinyl halides). The thermal behavior and the thermal degradation behavior of these blends were investigated. It was confirmed that head to head and head to tail poly(vinyl chloride) are immiscible over almost the entire range of compositions.     

Regular Copolyamides. III. Preparation and Characterization of Regular Aliphatic/Aromatic Copolyoxamides

Regular aliphatic/aromatic copolyoxamides were prepared from diamine-oxamides and aromatic diacid chlorides by interfacial and solution polymerization. Solution polymerization in chloroform or dimethylacetamide is preferred for the preparation of large quantities of polymers but interfacial polymerization is most conveniently carried out for the preparation of polymers with high molecular weight. Aromatic diacid chlorides used included the diacid chlorides of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, two isomeric naphthalene dicarboxylic acids, two cyclo-hexanedicarboxylic acid isomers, as well as 1,1-cyclobutane-dicarboxylic acid. Copolymers of diamine-oxamides with mixtures of acid chlorides of isophthalic and pyridine dicarboxylic acid and isophthalic acid/tetrachloroterephthalic acid have also been prepared. Most polymers are film-forming and are soluble in concentrated sulfuric acid, trifluoroacetic acid, and dimethylacetamide (containing several per cent LiCl). A number of these polymers gave dense or asymmetric membranes, particularly the polymers from ethylene diamine as the aliphatic diamine, particularly poly(iminoethyleneimino-oxalyliminoethyleneiminoisophthaloyl) (p-222I). Diamine oxamides with more than two amide groups in the molecules have been prepared, and in one case polymers with aromatic diacid chlorides have been prepared by interfacial polymerization. All regular aliphatic/aromatic copolyoxamides are high-melting and generally decompose above 350°C without melting. They can, however, be fabricated from solution into brittle fibers or into desalination membranes.     

New Polymer Structures

A number of new polymers have been studied. They include polymers obtained by chain reaction polymerization of olefins and epoxides with functional groups where the polymerizable group was separated from the functional group by an inert spacer group, the preparation of head-to-head polymers, and the preparation of optically active polymers based on the macromolecular asymmetry.