Properties of block and graft copolymers of polybutadiene with small complexed poly(4-vinylpyridine) segments

Various diblocks, triblocks and a graft copolymer of butadiene with 4-vinylpyridine short blocks have been prepared. They were complexed with ZnCl₂ to give ionomer-like materials. For all copolymers, the T_g of the elastomeric block (?84°C to ?91°C) was unchanged by complexation. For all diblocks and triblocks with short blocks (DP _n ～ 3) the storage modulus was only slightly increased by comparison with uncomplexed materials. For the graft copolymer even with short blocks the material is less sensitive to temperature after complexation. For triblocks, when the DP _n of the vinylpyridine blocks was high enough (15 units), complexes were associated in multiplets of large size and the elastomeric properties were retained up to 200°C.     

Crystallization behavior and biodegradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(ethylene glycol) multiblock copolymers

Block copolymerization by using isocyanates is an effective method for incorporating PHB and PEG because it can prepare copolymers with good properties, such as toughness, strength, and so on. In this study, we adopted soil suspension system to estimate the biodegradability of a series of PHB/PEG multiblock copolymers with different compositions and block lengths. In the degradation process, the changes in weight loss, molecular weight, and tensile strength were periodically measured to determine the biodegradability, and the surface morphology was also observed by SEM. In contrast to pure PHB, the weight loss of the copolymer was relatively lower. On the other hand, the tensile strength and molecular weight experienced apparent decrease, and for BHG1000-3-1, they reached 46.7% and 77.7% of the initial value, respectively. SEM observation showed that the surface was covered with numerous erosion pits. All these indicate that the degradation indeed took place and long-chain molecules have been hydrolyzed into shorter ones. The crystallization behavior was also investigated by DSC and WAXD. The results showed that both the segments, PEG and PHB, can form crystalline phases at lower PHB contents ranging from 29% to 44%, and when PHB component was more than 60%, only PHB phase can crystallize.     

水性丙烯酸酯共聚物交联体系的流变性

用旋转粘度计研究了甲基丙烯酸甲酯／丙烯酸丁酯／丙烯酸三元共聚物水性交联体系的流变性，考察了树脂含量、金属鳌合物含量和氨水水化对其流变性的影响。结果表明：三元共聚物水性交联体系呈非牛顿流体流变行为，具有剪切变稀特性；随树脂含量或鳌合物含量增加，体系的增稠能力得以增强；水化不仅可改善体系的增稠性能，而且可增强体系的非牛顿流变性。     

Highly hydrophobically modified polyelectrolytes: Field variables to control emulsion type

Highly hydrophobically modified (with n-dodecylamide chain) linear poly(acrylic acid)s (HHMPAAH) and poly(sodium acrylate)s (HHMPAANa) with various degrees of grafting (τ) were synthesized and used as emulsifiers of the n-dodecane/water system. The type of emulsion, oil in water (O/W) or water in oil (W/O), was investigated as a function of the polymer chemical structure (τ, salt or acid form of the copolymer) and aqueous phase electrolyte concentration (NaNO₃). Increasing τ and/or salt concentration was found to favor the formation of inverse emulsions. Direct liquid–liquid dispersions are more likely to form with poly(sodium acrylate)s than with poly(acrylic acid)s. Hence, field variables such as τ, pH and ionic strength are relevant parameters to control emulsion type. Moreover, a balanced polyelectrolyte neither soluble in oil nor in water was synthesized for the first time. With this original emulsifier, the dispersion type was found to change from O/W to W/O with polymer salting out. The work provides convenient model system for fundamental studies of polymer conformation at liquid–liquid interfaces. Received: 31 March 1998 Accepted: 30 April 1998     

Quantitative aspects of gradient HPLC of copolymers from styrene and ethyl methacrylate

Summary Prerequisite of quantitative evaluation in chromatography is equivalence of sample composition and detector signal. This includes complete retention and proper elution of all sample constituents. In polymer HPLC, complete retention requires a poor starting eluent, a sufficiently active column, and a low ratio of injection volume to column volume. On small pore columns, insufficient retention caused the polymer to elute either in the interstitial volume (sample exclusion), together with the sample solvent, or immediately after the solvent plug.Stat-copoly(styrene/ethyl methacrylate) samples are more difficultly retained thanstat-copoly(styrene/acrylonitrile) specimes. With the former copolymer it could be shown that incomplete retention did not cause sample demixing. In order to gain complete retention, non-exclusion HPLC of polymers should be performed with columns whose solvent volume is at least 50 times as large as the injection volume. This consequence is of practical importance in chromatographic cross-fractionation where rather large volumes of SEC eluate are injected into the apparatus for gradient HPLC.     

Monolayer films of PS-b-PEO diblock copolymers at the air/water- and an oil/water-interface

 Amphiphilic diblock copolymers consisting of a hydrophobic polystyrene block (PS) and a hydrophilic poly(ethylene oxide) block (PEO) with block sizes of 1000 or 3000 g/mol for both blocks were studied at the air/water and toluene/water interface. Measurements of the film pressure π of spread monolayers at the water surface reveal two limiting regimes of the π−a _m isotherms, in which the mean molecular area a _m is determined either by the size of the hydrophilic or the hydrophobic blocks of the PS-PEO molecules. The interfacial activity of the block copolymers at the toluene/water interface was studied by measuring the interfacial tension σ over a wide range of concentrations. Pronounced differences in the temperature dependence of the interfacial tension were observed, depending mostly on the block length of the hydrophilic PEO block. From the temperature dependence of σ it is inferred that for the block copolymers with the PEO block size of 3000 g/mol the phase inversion temperature (PIT) is well above 60 °C while for those with a PEO block size of 1000 g/mol the PIT is below or near 25 °C in the toluene/water system. Received: 5 February 1998 Accepted: 16 February 1998     

Cis-coordination of the chromate anions in helical Co/Ni block-type polymeric systems. Structural and spectroscopic characteristics of catena(μ-CrO4-O,O′)[Co(HIm)3H2O] and catena(μ-CrO4-O,O′)[Co0.43Ni0.57(HIm)3H2O]

Two polymeric complexes: catena(μ-CrO₄-O,O′)[Co(HIm)₃H₂O] (1) and catena(μ-CrO₄-O,O′)[Co_0.43Ni_0.57(HIm)₃H₂O] (2) (where HIm=imidazole) with a cis-bridging coordination mode of the CrO₄ ²⁻ anion have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray and spectroscopic methods. These crystals were isolated from nine systems of varying reagent molar ratios and three excluding anions: Cl⁻, NO₃ ⁻ and SO₄ ²⁻ exclusively as mer [M(HIm)₃O₃]-type isomers. The unit cell of these isostructural complexes (monoclinic crystal system P2₁ /n) contains two independent helixes, left- and right handed, stabilized by intrahelical and interhelical hydrogen bonding and π–π interaction between pairs of the imidazole rings from neighbouring helixes. The Raman spectra at 77 K of 1 and 2 deconvoluted into lorentzian components revealed the block-type polymeric structure of the complexes. Moreover, the solution studies at millimolar concentrations of 1 and 2 indicated their complete decomposition in water. Four K electronic spectral analysis of the crystals (band deconvolution into gaussian components) enhanced with the data obtained in the polarized light allowed for assignment of the bands to the respective d–d transition (D_4h symmetry). It was found that the metallic centres are independently absorbing species, which supports the suggestion of a block-type structure of the polymers. The respective crystal field parameters for Co and Ni were calculated.     

1,2-丁二醇共聚对聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯结晶行为及力学性能的影响

为了探索生物基乙二醇中的1,2-丁二醇(1,2-BDO)作为共聚单体对生物基聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯(PET)的结晶行为和力学性能的影响。 本文合成了生物基PET均聚物和不同1,2-BDO共聚单元摩尔分数的系列生物基PET共聚物(共聚单体摩尔分数分别为2.0%、2.7%和5.6%),并采用傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)、差示扫描量热仪(DSC)和力学测试等技术手段研究了其结晶行为和力学性能。 结果表明,随着1,2-BDO共聚单元摩尔分数的增加,PET共聚物的熔融温度、结晶速率及结晶度均明显降低,表明1,2-BDO共聚单体的引入破坏了PET分子链的规整性,阻碍了PET链段的结晶。 PET材料的拉伸强度随着1,2-BDO共聚单元摩尔分数的增加而降低,而弯曲强度和弯曲模量略有升高。     

Graft copolymerization of methyl acrylate onto potato starch initiated by ceric ammonium nitrate

A study was made of the ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) initiated graft copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) onto potato starch. The variables affecting the graft were investigated. The optimums have been obtained; they are the concentrations of MA, CAN, and nitric acid (HNO₃) (1.08, 5.0 × 10^?3, and 0.081 mol/L, respectively). The reaction temperature is ca. 50°C and the reaction time is 2 h. The molecular weight of grafted poly(methylacrylate) has been determined. On the basis of experimental results, the mechanism of grafting has been explored, a new kinetic equation of the graft copolymerization is established: R_p = Kk_d [STOH] [Ce⁴⁺] + Kk_pk_d/k_t[STOH][M], where K, k_d, k_p, and k_t are constants. The equation fits the results of experiments. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Silver nanoparticles dispersed within amphiphilic star-block copolymers as templates for plasmon band materials

Formation of silver nanoparticles has been developed based on a template technique. Amphiphilic star-block copolymers employed as single molecule template, utilizing the coordination of Ag⁺ ions with carboxyl groups in the core of the star-block copolymer. Silver nanoparticles have been prepared by the addition of chemical reductant, e.g., NaBH₄. The solution of the resultant nanosphere composites showed yellow due to the surface plasmon resonance. These composites were soluble in organic solvents, because hydrophobic corona of the star-block copolymer protected the fabricated silver nanoparticles from aggregation.