Synthesis and characterization of poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) onto graphene oxide

The polyzwitterionic brushes comprised of poly(2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (pMPC) segments, which are used for surface modification of polymers and biocompatible coatings, were investigated. In this work, reverse surface‐initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (RATRP) of zwitterionic 2‐methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) is employed to tailor the functionality of graphene oxide (GeneO) in a well‐controlled manner and produce a series of well‐defined hemocompatible hybrids (termed as GeneO‐g‐pMPC). The complexes were characterized by FT‐IR, XRD, and Raman. Results show that MPC has been coordinated on the graphene oxide sheet. Thermal stability of the nanocomposites in comparison with the neat copolymer is revealed by thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscope images of the nanoconposite displays pMPC chains were capable of existing on GeneO sheet by RATRP. The biocompatibility properties were measured by plasma recalcification profile tests, hemolysis test, and MTT assays, respectively. The results confirm that the pMPC grafting can substantially enhance the hemocompatibility of the GeneO particles, and the GeneO‐g‐pMPC hybrids can be used as biomaterials without causing any hemolysis. With the versatility of RATRP and the excellent hemocompatibility of zwitterionic polymer chains, the GeneO‐g‐pMPC nanoparticles with desirable blood properties can be readily tailored to cater to various biomedical applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pesticide‐conjugated polyacrylate nanoparticles: novel opportunities for improving the photostability of emamectin benzoate

Emamectin benzoate, a macrocyclic lactone, can be used in low quantities to control arthropod pests, effectively. However, its poor photostability prevents its further use. To delay its photodegradation, novel acrylate‐type polymeric nanoparticles were synthesized and tested as materials for improving pesticide photostability. N‐acylated emamectin benzoate was synthesized via bonding emamectin benzoate to acrylamide. The resulting pesticide, containing the double bond linkage –C=C–N–, was copolymerized with butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate by the emulsion polymerization method. The refined polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectroscopy, and result illustrated the pesticide was conjugated to the polymers. Atomic force microscope and dynamic light scattering analyses were also used for determining the average particle diameters of pesticide–polymer conjugates. Photostability tests showed that the nanoparticles obtained exhibited greatly improved photostability. Additionally, the laboratory toxicity tests demonstrated that the insecticidal effects of the novel emamectin benzoate formulation were better than those of the control pesticide formulation (emamectin benzoate EC). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nitroxide‐mediated Living Radical Polymerization of Styrene with Fluorescent Initiator

A fluorescence method was used for determination of marked chain ends in polystyrene samples prepared by 4‐substituted TEMPO type nitroxide‐mediated living free radical polymerization of styrene. 2,2,6,6‐Tetramethyl‐1‐(1‐phenylethoxy)‐piperidin‐4‐yl‐4‐pyren‐1‐ylbutanoate (PYNOR) was prepared and used as an unimolecular initiator bearing pyrene as a fluorescence mark on mediating nitroxide fragment. The bulk polymerization of styrene at 120°C, in the presence of new unimolecular initiator, was a typical nitroxide mediated living radical polymerization. For comparison, two different molar ratios of initiator and monomer (1∶400 and 1∶1000 initiator ‐ monomer [I:M]) were used for polymerization. When I:M=1∶400, the obtained polydispersity was 1.12 and maximum molecular weight 27,000 g/mol was obtained at 62% conversion. For ratio 1∶1000, slightly higher polydispersity was obtained ?1.26 and the molecular weight was 53,000 g/mol at 70% conversion. The content of the polystyrene chains bearing mediating nitroxide fragment was determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. The intensity of pyrene fluorescence decreased as the molar mass, and the conversion increased as well. The extent of the incorporation of chromophore at propagating chain end or “livingness” of polymerization decreased despite the fact that the polydispersity did not change. The extent of side reaction leading to broadening of polydispersity is suppressed due to the high viscosity of the system at higher conversion. A low extent of “livingness” will have a very negative effect on possible preparation of block copolymers.     

Synthesis of Poly (methyl methacrylate)/Zinc Oxide Nanocomposite with Core-Shell Morphology by Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization

A method to prepare zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles with a covalently bonded poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) shell by surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was reported. First, the initiator for ATRP was covalently bonded onto the surface of zinc oxide nanoparticles through our novel method. Firstly, the surface of ZnO nanoparticle was treated with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane, a silane coupling agent, and then this functionalization nanoparticle was reacted with α-chloro phenyl acetyl chloride to prepare atom transfer radical polymerization macroinitiator. The metal-catalyzed radical polymerization of MMA with ZnOmacroinitiator was performed using a copper catalyst system to give the ZnO-based nanoparticles hybrids linking PMMA segments (poly (methyl methacrylate)/zinc oxide nanocomposite). These hybrid nanoparticles had an exceptionally good dispersability in organic solvents and were subjected to detailed characterization using FTIR, TEM and TGA and DSC analyzed.     

Synthesis of A-B-A Type Block Copolymer of Methyl Methacrylate and Styrene by Living Free-Radical Polymerization†

Abstract

A newly synthesized iniferter, N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-bis(phenethyl)-thiuram disulfide, has been used in the free-radical living polymerization of styrene by a photochemical method. The low molecular weight (M _w = 6000) difunctionalized polystyrene was used as a macroiniferter to photopolymerize methyl methacrylate, and was fractionated to obtain an A-B-A type block copolymer containing two poly(methyl methacrylate) units and one polystyrene unit in each block. The glass transition temperature, thermal stability, and ¹³C NMR of the block copolymer are discussed.     

Grafting onto Wool. XXVII. Graft Copolymerization of MixeD Vinyl Monomers by Use of Ceric Ammonium Nitrate as Redox Initiator

In order to ascertain the effect of a donor monomer, vinyl acetate (VAc), on the graft copolymerization of acceptor monomers, ethyl acrylate (EA) and butyl acrylate (BA), grafting of mixed vinyl monomers (EA + VAc) and (BA + VAc) was carried out on Himachali wool in aqueous medium using ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) as a redox initiator. Graft copolymerization was carried out at different temperatures for various reaction periods. Percent grafting and percent efficiency were determined as functions of 1) concentration of mixed vinyl monomers, 2) concentration of CAN, 3) concentration of HNO₃ 4) temperature, and 5) reaction time. VAc, the donor monomer, was found to decrease percent grafting of EA and BA onto wool.     

Multiple Mechanism of NCA Polymerization: Effect of N-Acetylglycine NCA and Related Additives

Polymerization of α-aminoisobutyric acid NCA by alkaline salts of various basicity as well as amines has been investigated. The study was focused on the effect on the initial polymerization rate of additives such as N-acetylglycine NCA and some other less electrophilic additives (l-acetyl-2-pyrrolidone, 3-acetyl-2-oxazolidone, 1-acetyl-3-methylhydantoin) which are all models of the growing chain end produced by the NCA anion pathway. The acetyl endgroup was detected by 250 MHz ¹H-NMR in all the polymers of α-aminoisobutyric acid NCA obtained in the presence of l-acetyl-3-methylhydantoin and triethyl amine or sodium methoxide initiators, whereas the additives influenced variously the kinetics of polymerization according to the nature of the initiator used. The results were interpreted in the light of a multiple mechanism supposing the simultaneous presence of the initiator anion, its conjugate acid, and NCA anion for basic salt initiation. Thus, the observed effect has to be considered as the sum of an elementary acceleration due to NCA anion and of an elementary deceleration due to the initiator anion. Predominance of the pathways involving NCA anion could be shown this way. This conclusion could be extended to γ-benxyl-L-glutamate NCA which is a more reactive NCA. However, the deceleration observed with some additives led us to believe that a nonnegligible participation of initiator anion during initiation cannot be excluded.     

Optically Active Helical Polymer From Anionic Polymerization of (S)-6-Acrylyl-2,2’-dimethoxy-1,1’-binaphthyl

(S)-6-Acrylyl-2,2’-dimethoxy-1,1’-binaphthyl (ADBN) was synthesized and anionically polymerized using n-BuLi as an initiator. The absolute value of specific optical rotation [α]²⁵₅₈₉ of poly-ADBN is ?118.0 and that is about 8 times that of the starting monomer ADBN. Poly-ADBN was confirmed to exist in the form of one-handed helical structure in solution by means of comparing the specific optical rotation, the CD and UV-Vis spectra with that of ADBN and the model compounds such as (S)-6-propionyl-2,2’-dimethoxy-1,1’-binaphthyl (PDBN) and (S)-6-heptanoyl-2,2’-dimethoxy-1,1’-binaphthyl (HDBN). This conclusion was also confirmed by the fact that the g-value of poly-ADBN is about 13 times as high as that of its monomer and model compounds     

Trends in Kinetic Behavior during Ester-Ester Exchange Reactions in Polyesters by Mass Spectrometry. I

The kinetics of the ester-ester exchange reaction between polyesters from adipic acid and various linear and branched glycols were investigated by mass spectometry using the dimer analysis method (DAM). Rate constants, activation energies, and frequency factors are given for reactions studied in the temperature range of 572–585 K. Correlation of glycol methylene ratios with activation energies and frequency factors shows an alternating trend in kinetic behavior. Reaction systems containing even numbers of methylene groups in the glycol moiety of the reactants exhibited slower reaction rates than systems with odd numbers of methylene groups, while branched reaction systems followed very similar trends when the influence of pendant groups is ignored.     

Preparation and Characterization of Linear and Miktoarm Star Side-Chain Liquid Crystalline block Copolymers with p-Methoxyazobenzene Moieties via a Combination of ATRP and ROP

One linear and two miktoarm star side-chain liquid crystalline (LC) block copolymers with p-methoxyazobenzene moieties were prepared by a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques. First, ROPs of ε -caprolactone (ε -CL) were carried out catalyzed by Sn(Oct)₂ using three multifunctional initiators, hydroxyethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate (AB type), 3-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl)-2-methylpropyl 2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate (A₂B type) and 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propane-1,3-diyl bis(2-bromo-2-methylpropanoate) (A₂B₂ type), at 110°C in toluene, respectively. Second, the previously obtained poly(ε -caprolactone)s (PCLs) with bromines functionalities were used as the macroinitiators to conduct ATRP of 6-(4-methoxy-4-oxy-azobenzene) hexyl methacrylate (MMAZO) with CuBr/PMDETA as the catalyst systems at 85°C in anisole to prepare the linear and miktoarm side-chain LC block copolymers (PCL-b-PMMAZO, (PCL)₂-(PMMAZO) and (PCL)₂-(PMMAZO)₂). The produced polymers were well-controlled with the controlled molecular weights and the relatively narrow molecular weight distributions (M _w/M _n ≤ 1.35). The structures of the obtained polymers were all characterized by NMR, FT-IR and GPC analysis. Furthermore, the LC properties of the linear and miktoarm star block copolymers were also investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermal polarized optical microscopy (POM).