Synthesis of polysulfonates containing reactive pendant chloromethyl groups by the polyaddition of bisepoxides with disulfonyl chlorides

Polysulfonates with reactive pendant chloromethyl groups were synthesized by polyadditions of bisepoxides with disulfonyl chlorides. The polyaddition of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BPGE) with m-benzene disulfonyl chloride (m-BDSC) occurred in anisole without any catalyst at 130°C for 24 h. However, polymer with high molecular weight was not obtained. On the other hand, the polyadditions of BPGE with m-BDSC proceeded very smoothly with high yield (81–91%) to give polymers with relatively high molecular weights in anisole at 130°C for 24 h when quaternary phosphonium salts were used as catalysts. The polyaddition was also enhanced by the addition of certain crown ether complexes. However, the catalytic activity of these compounds was less than those of quaternary phosphonium salts. Furthermore, polyadditions of certain bisepoxides with disulfonyl chlorides were also carried out to produce the corresponding polymers under the same reaction conditions. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 249–256, 1998     

p-Nitrophenol permeability and temperature characteristics of an acryloyl-L-proline methyl ester-based porous gel membrane

Thermoresponsive porous gel membranes were synthesized by a simultaneously occurring process consisting of radiation-induced polymerization and crosslinking in aqueous solutions at various concentrations of acryloyl-L -proline methyl ester(A-ProOMe) without a crosslinker. Permeation of p-nitrophenol (PNP) through a thermoresponsive porous gel membrane obtained at a monomer concentration of 80% (w/w) drastically reduced around 14°C, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of linear poly(A-ProOMe) in water, from 0.60 × 10⁻³ cm/min at 10°C to no permeation at 18°C, accompanied by changes in both size and shape of pores associated with gel shrinkage. Moreover, it was found that porous gel membranes with a porosity of approximately 60% had a greater PNP permeability constant through porous gel membranes with mutually connected pores obtained at a monomer concentration of 50% (w/w) than individually supported pores obtained at a monomer concentration of 70% (w/w). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 1495–1500, 1998     

Synthesis of poly(styrene-b-tetrahydrofuran-b-styrene) triblock copolymers by transformation from living cationic into living radical polymerization using 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl as a transforming agent

Synthesis of poly(styrene-b-tetrahydrofuran (THF)-b-styrene) triblock copolymers was performed by transformation from living cationic into living radical polymerization, using 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-hydroxy-TEMPO) as a transforming agent. Sodium 4-oxy-TEMPO, derived from 4-hydroxy-TEMPO, reacted with the living poly(THF), which was prepared by cationic polymerization of THF using trifluoromethanesulfonic acid anhydride as an initiator, resulting in quantitative formation of the poly(THF) with TEMPO at both the chain ends. The resulting polymers were able to serve as a polymeric counter radical for the radical polymerization of styrene by benzoyl peroxide, to give the corresponding triblock copolymer in quantitative efficiency. The polymerization was found to proceed in accordance with a living mechanism, because the conversion of styrene linearly increased over time, and the molar ratio of styrene to THF units in the copolymer also increased as a result of increasing the conversion. The TEM pictures demonstrated that the resulting copolymers promoted microphase segregation. It was found that the films of these copolymers showed contact angles intermediate between those of poly(THF) and of polystyrene. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2059–2068, 1998     

Smectic networks obtained from twin LC epoxy monomers—mechanical deformation of the smectic networks

Deformation experiments were carried out for densely crosslinked smectic-like networks obtained from diepoxy monomers with twin mesogen architecture. For the initially unoriented smectic networks, the network could be aligned up to an orientation parameter of 0.35 by applying 8 MPa of external stress in the rubbery regime. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that the deformed smectic network possesses both smectic-A like and smectic-C like structure. It is thought that after extension domains initially oriented parallel to the external stress displayed a smectic-A-like structure, whereas domains initially tilted with respect to the tensile direction showed a stress-induced smectic-C like structure. A smectic network oriented under a.c. electric fields with an orientation parameter of 0.4 had a smectic-A like structure and possessed linear elasticity in the rubbery regime. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36 : 31–38, 1998     

Synthesis and Characterization of the First Double-Bridged Tetraselenafulvalenophanes

Recrystallization of the isomeric mixtures of 1 a and 1 b obtained by synthesis gave single crystals of the cis-trans and cis-cis isomers, respectively. The unique stacked structures of these compounds were elucidated by X-ray structure analysis.     

Numerical analysis of breaking waves using the moving particle semi-implicit method

The numerical method used in this study is the moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method, which is based on particles and their interactions. The particle number density is implicitly required to be constant to satisfy incompressibility. A semi-implicit algorithm is used for two-dimensional incompressible non-viscous flow analysis. The particles whose particle number densities are below a set point are considered as on the free surface. Grids are not necessary in any calculation steps. It is estimated that most of computation time is used in generation of the list of neighboring particles in a large problem. An algorithm to enhance the computation speed is proposed. The MPS method is applied to numerical simulation of breaking waves on slopes. Two types of breaking waves, plunging and spilling breakers, are observed in the calculation results. The breaker types are classified by using the minimum angular momentum at the wave front. The surf similarity parameter which separates the types agrees well with references. Breaking waves are also calculated with a passively moving float which is modelled by particles. Artificial friction due to the disturbed motion of particles causes errors in the flow velocity distribution which is shown in comparison with the theoretical solution of a cnoidal wave. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Enhancement of electroluminescence intensity in poly(3-alkylthiophene) with different alkyl side-chain length by doping of fluorescent dye

Electroluminescent diodes utilizing poly(3-alkylthiophene) (PAT) containing fluorescent dyes have been fabricated and their unique enhancement of emission characteristics have been studied. Remarkable enhancement of the electroluminescence efficiency has been observed for diodes with PAT doped with oxadiazole derivative (2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole; PBD) and perylene derivative (N,N′ - Bis(2,5 - di - tert - butylphenyl) - 3,4,9,10 - perylenedi- carboximide; BPPC). The mechanism of emission enhancement by doping of PBD into PAT has been discussed with different alkyl side-chain lengths. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of silicon-containing vinyl ether monomers and oligomers and their photoinitiated polymerization

Silicon-containing divinyl ether monomers were synthesized by the addition reaction of glycidyl vinyl ether ( 1 ) with various silyl dichlorides using tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (TBAB) as a catalyst. The reaction of 1 with diphenyl dichlorosilane gave bis-[1-(chloromethyl)-2-(vinyloxy)-ethyl]diphenyl silane ( 3a ) in 89% yield. Polycondensations of 3a with terephthalic acid were also carried out using 1,8-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-7-undecene (DBU) to afford silicon-containing polyfunctional vinyl ether oligomers ( 5 ). A multifunctional Si-monomer with both vinyl ether and methacrylate groups ( 7 ) was prepared by the reaction of 3a with potassium methacrylate using TBAB as a phase transfer catalyst. Photoinitiated cationic polymerizations of these vinyl ether compounds proceeded rapidly using the sulfonium salt, bis-[4-(diphenyl-sulfonio)phenyl]sulfide-bis-hexafluorophoshate (DPSP), as the cationic photoinitiator in neat mixtures upon UV irradiation. Multifunctional monomer 7 with both vinyl ether and methacrylate groups showed “hybrid curing properties” using both DPSP and the radical photoinitiator, 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphoshine oxide (TPO). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 3217–3225, 1997     

Synthesis of polymers in aqueous solutions: Polyaddition of bis(oxazolines) with dithiol in aqueous solutions

Polyaddition of bis(4-mercaptophenyl) sulfide ( BMPS ) with m-phenylenebis(2-oxazoline) ( MPBO ) proceeded very smoothly in the mixtures of aprotic ploar solvents such as N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone ( NMP ) with water to produce the corresponding poly(amide–sulfide) with high molecular weights at 90°C under nitrogen. The reaction of BMPS with MPBO , p-phenylenebis(2-oxazoline), and 1,4-butylenebis(2-oxazoline) was also examined in water under the same conditions, and it was found that the reaction proceeds successfully to give the corresponding poly(amide–sulfide)s with high molecular weights. These results mean that water along as well as the mixed solvents of aprotic polar solvents such as NMP with water can be uses as suitable reaction media for the polyaddition of bis(oxazolines) with dithiol to synthesize poly(amide—sulfide)s with high molecular weights. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2711–2717, 1997