Synthesis and characterization of multiblock copolymers composed of poly(5‐methyl‐5‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one) outer blocks and poly(L‐lactide) inner blocks

Ethylene glycol (EG) initiated, hydroxyl‐telechelic poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) was employed as a macroinitiator in the presence of a stannous octoate catalyst in the ring‐opening polymerization of 5‐methyl‐5‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one (MBC) with the goal of creating A–B–A‐type block copolymers having polycarbonate outer blocks and a polyester center block. Because of transesterification reactions involving the PLLA block, multiblock copolymers of the A–(B–A)_n–B–A type were actually obtained, where A is poly(5‐methyl‐5‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐2‐one), B is PLLA, and n is greater than 0. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy of the product copolymers yielded evidence of the multiblock structure and provided the lactide sequence length. For a PLLA macroinitiator with a number‐average molecular weight of 2500 g/mol, the product block copolymer had an n value of 0.8 and an average lactide sequence length (consecutive C₆H₈O₄ units uninterrupted by either an EG or MBC unit) of 6.1. For a PLLA macroinitiator with a number‐average molecular weight of 14,400 g/mol, n was 18, and the average lactide sequence length was 5.0. Additional evidence of the block copolymer architecture was revealed through the retention of PLLA crystallinity as measured by differential scanning calorimetry and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. Multiblock copolymers with PLLA crystallinity could be achieved only with isolated PLLA macroinitiators; sequential addition of MBC to high‐conversion L ‐lactide polymerizations resulted in excessive randomization, presumably because of residual L ‐lactide monomer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6817–6835, 2006     

Synthesis and cationic photopolymerization of new fluorinated,polyfunctional propenyl ether oligomers

New fluorinated, polyfunctional propenyl ether functionalized resins were synthesized, and their behavior in cationic photopolymerization was investigated. The photopolymerization proceeded efficiently with a high double‐bond conversion (>90%), giving rise to UV‐cured coatings characterized by low glass‐transition temperatures (?33 °C ≤ glass‐transition temperature ≤ ?15 °C) and hydrophobic surface properties. A fluorinated additive was also employed as a reactive additive in the cationic photopolymerization of trimethylolpropane tripropenyl ether, increasing the double‐bond conversion, polymer network flexibility, thermal stability, and surface hydrophobicity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6943–6951, 2006     

Photocrosslinked poly(vinylbenzophenone)‐core micelles via mild Friedel–Crafts benzoylation of polystyrene amphiphiles

Photocrosslinkable poly(vinylbenzophenone)‐containing polymers were synthesized via a one‐step, Friedel–Crafts benzoylation of polystyrene‐containing starting materials [including polystyrene, polystyrene‐block‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate), polystyrene‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide), polystyrene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate), and polystyrene‐block‐poly(n‐butyl acrylate)] with benzoyl trifluoromethanesulfonate as a benzoylation reagent. The use of this mild reagent (which required no added Lewis acid) permitted polymers with well‐defined compositions and narrow molecular weight distributions to be synthesized. Micelles formed from one of these benzoylated polymers, [polystyrene_0.25‐co‐poly(vinylbenzophenone)_0.75]₁₁₅‐block‐poly(acrylic acid)₁₄, were then fixed by the irradiation of the micelle cores with UV light. As the irradiation time was increased, the pendent benzophenone groups crosslinked with other chains in the glassy micelle cores. Dynamic light scattering, spectrofluorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were all used to verify the progress of the crosslinking reaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2604–2614, 2006     

Synthesis of poly(vinyl chloride)‐b‐poly(n‐butyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(vinyl chloride) by the competitive single‐electron‐transfer/degenerative‐chain‐transfer‐mediated living radical polymerization in water

The synthesis of a block copolymer poly(vinyl chloride)‐b‐poly(n‐butyl acrylate)‐b‐poly(vinyl chloride) is reported. This new material was synthesized by single‐electron‐transfer/degenerative‐chain‐transfer‐mediated living radical polymerization (SET‐DTLRP) in two steps. First, a bifunctional macroinitiator of α,ω‐di(iodo)poly (butyl acrylate) [α,ω‐di(iodo)PBA] was synthesized by SET‐DTLRP in water at 25 °C. The macroinitiator was further reinitiated by SET‐DTLRP, leading to the formation of the desired product. This ABA block copolymer was synthesized with high initiator efficiency. The kinetics of the copolymerization reaction was studied for two PBA macroinitiators with number–average molecular weight of 10 k and 20 k. The relationship between the conversion and the number–average molecular weight was found to be linear. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis suggests just one phase, indicating that copolymer behaves as a single material with no phase separation. This methodology provides the access to several block copolymers and other complex architectures that result from combinations of thermoplastics (PVC) and elastomers (PBA). From industrial standpoint, this process is attractive, because of easy experimental setup and the environmental friendly reaction medium. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3001–3008, 2006     

Single electron transfer–degenerative chain transfer living radical polymerization of N‐butyl acrylate catalyzed by Na2S2O4 in water media

Living radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate was achieved by single electron transfer/degenerative‐chain transfer mediated living radical polymerization in water catalyzed by sodium dithionate. The plots of number–average molecular weight versus conversion and ln[M]₀/[M] versus time are linear, indicating a controlled polymerization. This methodology leads to the preparation of α,ω‐di(iodo) poly (butyl acrylate) (α,ω‐di(iodo)PBA) macroinitiators. The influence of polymerization degree ([monomer]/[initiator]), amount of catalyst, concentration of suspending agents and temperature were studied. The molecular weight distributions were determined using a combination of three detectors (TriSEC): right‐angle light scattering (RALLS), a differential viscometer (DV), and refractive index (RI). The methodology studied in this work represents a possible route to prepare well‐tailored macromolecules made of butyl acrylate in an environmental friendly reaction medium. Moreover, such materials can be subsequently functionalized leading to the formation of different block copolymers of composition ABA. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2809–2825, 2006     

Evaluation of piezoelectric PVDF polymers for use in space environments. III. Comparison of the effects of vacuum UV and gamma radiation

Films of piezoelectric PVDF and P(VDF‐TrFE) were exposed to vacuum UV (115–300 nm VUV) and γ‐radiation to investigate how these two forms of radiation affect the chemical, morphological, and piezoelectric properties of the polymers. The extent of crosslinking was almost identical in both polymers after γ‐irradiation, but surprisingly, was significantly higher for the TrFE copolymer after VUV‐irradiation. Changes in the melting behavior were also more significant in the TrFE copolymer after VUV‐irradiation due to both surface and bulk crosslinking, compared with only surface crosslinking for the PVDF films. The piezoelectric properties (measured using d₃₃ piezoelectric coefficients and D‐E hysteresis loops) were unchanged in the PVDF homopolymer, while the TrFE copolymer exhibited more narrow D‐E loops after exposure to either γ‐ or VUV‐radiation. The more severe damage to the TrFE copolymer in comparison with the PVDF homopolymer after VUV‐irradiation is explained by different energy deposition characteristics. The short wavelength, highly energetic photons are undoubtedly absorbed in the surface layers of both polymers, and we propose that while the longer wavelength components of the VUV‐radiation are absorbed by the bulk of the TrFE copolymer causing crosslinking, they are transmitted harmlessly in the PVDF homopolymer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3253–3264, 2006     

Grafting of silica during the processing of silica‐filled SBR: Comparison between length and content of the silane

The treatment of nanoscopic silica grafted in the blend during the processing of silica‐filled styrene butadiene rubber was performed with silane, introduced at different concentrations, or at a constant concentration with a given length of alkyl chain. From swelling measurements in water and in solvent, the maximum silane content that can be grafted has been calculated as a function of the length of the silane alkyl chains as well as their efficiency to cover the silica surface. The found values are close to the values found in the literature for grafting in solution. Moreover, a direct correspondence between the length of the silane alkyl chains and their concentration has been deduced. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 143–152, 2006     

Encapsulation of ZnS:Mn2+ nanocrystals with diblock copolymers

The encapsulation of the nanocrystalline manganese‐doped zinc sulfide (ZnS:Mn) in poly(styrene‐b‐2vinylpyridine) (PS‐PVP) diblock copolymers is reported. Below the critical micelle concentration in the absence of nanocrystals (NCs), inverse micelles of PS‐PVP were induced by adding ZnS:Mn NCs, the presence of which was confirmed by scanning force microscope and dynamic light scattering. In toluene, a PS‐selective solvent, the less‐soluble PVP blocks preferentially surround the ligand‐coated ZnS:Mn NCs. For PS‐PVP encapsulated ZnS:Mn NCs, the ratio of blue emission to orange emission of ZnS:Mn NCs is dependent on both the concentration of PS‐PVP and the solvent quality. The pyridine of PVP blocks form complexes with the Zn atoms via the nitrogen lone pair and thus the sulfur vacancies are passivated. As a result, the defect‐related blue emission is selectively quenched even when the micelles are not formed. As the concentration of PS‐PVP encapsulating the ZnS:Mn NCs increases, the intensity of blue emission decreases. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 3227–3233, 2006     

Acrylic acid level and adhesive performance and peel master‐curves of acrylic pressure‐sensitive adhesives

Three series of pressure‐sensitive adhesives were prepared with constant glass‐transition temperature, using emulsion polymerization. The monomers chosen were butyl acrylate, 2‐ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), and acrylic acid (AA). Within each polymer series, the proportion of AA monomer was held constant for each polymer preparation but acrylic ester monomer levels were varied. Adhesion performance was assessed by measurement of loop tack, static shear resistance, and through the construction of peel master‐curves. Peel master‐curves were generated through peel tests conducted over a range of temperatures and peel rates and through application of the time–temperature superposition principle. Bulk effects dominated by polymer zero shear viscosity change as AA and EHA levels were varied were attributed to the observed effect on static shear resistance and the horizontal displacements of peel master‐curves. Static shear resistance was found to strongly correlate with log(a_C), a parameter introduced to horizontally shift peel master‐curves to form a superposed, “super master‐curve”. An interfacial interaction was proposed to account for deviations observed when loop tack was correlated with log(a_C). Surface rearrangements via hydrogen bonding with the test substrate were suggested as responsible for the interfacial interaction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1237–1252, 2006     

Metallocene copolymers of propene and 1‐hexene: The influence of the comonomer content and thermal history on the structure and mechanical properties

The relationships between the structure and properties have been established for copolymers of propylene and 1‐hexene synthesized with an isotactic metallocene catalyst system. The most important factor affecting the structure and properties of these copolymers is the comonomer content. The thermal treatment, that is, the rate of cooling from the melt, is also important. These factors affect the thermal properties, the degree of crystallinity, and therefore the structural parameters and the viscoelastic behavior. A slow cooling from the melt favors the formation of the γ phase instead of the α modification. Regarding the viscoelastic behavior, the β relaxation, associated with the glass‐transition temperature, is shifted to lower temperatures and its intensity is increased as the 1‐hexene content raises. The microhardness values are correlated with those of the storage modulus deduced from dynamic mechanical thermal analysis curves, and good linear relations have been obtained between these parameters. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1253–1267, 2006