Spectrophotometric Determination of Carbon Dioxide by Bromothymol Blue Solution in DMF-Water

Spectrophotometric determination of gaseous CO₂ by use of Bromothymol Blue (3,3,-dibromothymolsulfonphthalein) (BTB) and potassium hydroxide solution in a N,N-dimethylformaide (DMF)-water was investigated.     

Solvent‐ and counterion‐specific swelling behavior of poly(acrylic acid) gels

The collapse of alkali metal poly(acrylate) (PAAM) gels was investigated for various water/organic solvent mixture systems: methanol (MeOH), ethanol (EtOH), 2‐propanol (2PrOH), t‐butanol (tBuOH), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), acetonitrile (AcN), acetone, tetrahydrofuran (THF), and dioxane. In order to ascertain the counterion specificity in the swelling behavior, four kinds of alkali metal counterions were used: Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, and Cs⁺. Remarkable solvent and counterion specificities were observed for every counterion species and every solvent system, respectively. For example, in aqueous EtOH the dielectric constants (D_cr) at which collapse occurred were in the order PAACs < PAALi < PAAK < PAANa. On the other hand, the D_cr at which PAALi gel collapsed increased in the order tBuOH < dioxane < THF < MeOH < 2PrOH < EtOH < acetone < AcN < DMSO, where the D_cr ranged from about 39 to about 67. This was in contrast to our previous observation for a partially quaternized poly(4‐vinyl pyridine) (P4VP) gel, which collapsed in a much narrower D_cr region in similar mixed solvents. The present solvent‐ and counterion‐specific collapses are discussed on the basis of solvent properties such as the dielectric constant and Gutmann's donor number and acceptor number of a pure solvent. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2791–2800, 2000     

Graft copolymers having hydrophobic backbone and hydrophilic branches. XXX. Preparation of polystyrene‐core nanospheres having a poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) corona

Polystyrene core nanosphere particles possessing 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymers on the corona were prepared by the free radical polymerization of hydrophilic polyMPC macromonomer and hydrophobic styrene with AIBN as a radical initiator in ethanol as a polar solvent. The morphology of the nanospheres was observed by transmission electron micrograph (TEM). The nanospheres were spherical in form and have a narrow size distribution. Their sizes could be controlled by varying the molecular weight of the macromonomer and the amount of it in feed. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) of the nanosphere surfaces suggested that polyMPC chains were located favorably on the surface of the nanosphere. The nanospheres having the polyMPC chains on their surfaces can be significant and useful materials in technological and medical fields. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3052–3058, 2000     

Solid‐phase thermal polymerization of macrocyclic ethylene terephthalate dimer using various transesterification catalysts

Thermal ring‐opening polymerization of a uniform macrocyclic ethylene terephthalate dimer with and without catalyst was investigated for the first time. Although polymerization progressed without a catalyst, the reaction was extremely slow and all the products were colored. Various transesterification catalysts were tested for their activity toward this ring‐opening polymerization. Among the various catalysts, 1,3‐dichloro‐1,1,3,3‐tetrabutyldistannoxane exhibited the highest catalytic activity, and a colorless polymer with a weight‐average molecular weight of 36,100 was obtained in 100% yield by heating for 3 min at 200 °C. It is noteworthy that our method does not need a vacuum because no side products are formed during the process. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3360–3368, 2000     

Nanosphere formation in copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with poly(ethylene glycol) macromonomers

Polymeric nanospheres consisting of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) cores and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) branches on their surfaces were prepared by free radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with PEG macromonomers in ethanol/water mixed solvents. PEG macromonomers having a methacryloyl (MMA‐PEG) and p‐vinylbenzyl (St‐PEG) end group were used. It has become clear that the obtained polymer dispersions form three kinds of states, particle dispersion (milky solution), clear solution, and gel/precipitation. It was found that the reaction parameters such as MMA concentration, molecular weight, and concentration of PEG macromonomers, and water content can affect nanosphere formation in a copolymerization system. The water volume fraction of mixed ethanol/water solvents affected the particle size of the nanospheres. These differences in the formation of nanospheres were due to the solvophilic/solvophobic balance between the copolymers and solvents during the self‐assembling process of the copolymers. The sizes of nanospheres can be controlled by varying concentration of PEG macromonomer and water content in solvents. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1811–1817, 2000     

Synthesis and characterization of ordered polyurethanes from nonsymmetric diisocyanate and ethylene glycol

An ordered polyurethane with a head‐to‐head (H‐H) or tail‐to‐tail (T‐T) content over 95% was prepared by polyaddition reaction of a nonsymmetric monomer, p‐isocyanatobenzyl isocyanate (1) with a symmetric monomer, ethylene glycol (2). The model reactions were studied in detail to demonstrate the feasibility of polymer formation. The polymerization was conducted in THF in the presence of triethylamine (TEA) at 0 °C by slow addition of a half amount of 2 to 1, followed by removing THF and then adding the rest of 2 in DMF at once at 30 °C in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTL). The microstructure of the polymer obtained was investigated by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, and it was found that the polymer had the expected structural regularity. The constitutional regularity of polymers influenced their thermal properties. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2106–2114, 2000     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid crystalline copolyester of 4-hydroxy-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoic acid with 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid

4-Hydroxy-2,3,5,6-tetrafluorobenzoic acid/6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid copolymers (FHBA/HNA copolymer) with different copolymer compositions were prepared and the influence of FHBA residue on the thermal properties and structures of the copolymers were investigated. Introduction of FHBA decreased the crystal/nematic phase transition temperatures(T_CNs) of the FHBA/HNA copolymers. T_CNs of the copolymers were in the temperature range between 200 and 250°C, depending on the copolymer composition. They are approximately 40°C lower than those of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid/HNA copolymers. FHBA/HNA copolymers exhibited low crystallinity, and annealing treatment hardly influenced the crystalline natures. FHBA residue possibly interferes with the recrystallization during annealing. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36 : 413–419, 1998     

A positive-working photosensitive alkaline-developable polyimide with a highly dimensional stability and low dielectric constant based on poly(amic acid) as a polyimide precursor and diazonaphthoquinone as a photosensitive compound

A positive-working photosensitive polyimide precursor based on fluorinated poly(amic acid) (FPAA) and 2,3,4-tris(1-oxo-2-diazonaphthoquinon-4-ylsulfonyloxy)benzophenone (D4SB) as a photosensitive compound has been developed. FPAA was prepared by ring-opening polyaddition of dianhydrides, pyromellitic dianhydride and biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, with diamine, 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine, in methanol. The FPAA film showed excellent transparency to UV light and good solubility in a wide range of organic solvents. The dissolution behavior of FPAA containing 30 wt % D4SB after exposure was studied, and it was found that the difference of dissolution rate between exposed and unexposed parts was enough to get high contrast due to the photochemical reaction of D4SB in the polymer film. The photosensitive fluorinated polyimide (FPI) precursor containing 30 wt % D4SB showed a sensitivity of 80 mJ cm⁻² and a contrast of 7.8 with 365 nm light when it was developed with 0.3% aqueous tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide solution at room temperature. The FPI film cured up to 360°C had a low coefficient of thermal expansion of 10.3 ppm °C⁻¹ and a low dielectric constant of 3.04. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2261–2267, 1998