Synthesis and characterization of side-chain liquid-crystalline poly(ether ester)s having p-substituted biphenyl mesogenic side groups

Several novel mesogenic spiro-orthoester monomers such as 1,6,10-trioxaspiro[4,5]decanes 4 , containing biphenyl mesogens at the C-8 positions of the five- and six-membered spirocyclic ring, through the alkylene spacers of different lengths were prepared by condensation reaction of the corresponding biphenyl mesogenic 1,3-propanediol 3 with 2,2-diethoxytetrahydrofuran, with 50–75% yields. Through cationic double ring-opening polymerization, carried out with boron trifluoride etherate as an initiator (5 mol % vs. monomer) in bulk at 150°C, spiro-orthoester monomers 4 afforded a novel class of side-chain thermotropic LC polymers with a poly(ether ester) as the main chain 8 . The liquid-crystalline properties of the spiro-orthoester monomers and the resulting polymers were examined by differential scanning calorimetry and optical polarized microscopy. Biphase separation was observed in the side-chain liquid-crystalline poly(ether ester)s upon annealing in the broad isotropic region. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2439–2455, 1998     

Transformation of the cationic growing center of poly(tetrahydrofuran) into an anionic one by bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)samarium

Transformation of the cationic growing center of living poly(tetrahydrofuran) [poly(THF)] into an anionic one was achieved in high efficiency (62%) by the end-capping of living poly(THF) with potassium iodide followed by the reduction with bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)samarium (Cp*₂Sm), whereas the direct reduction with Cp*₂Sm without the end-capping resulted in the formation of poly(THF) with pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group at the terminal. The increase in the molecular weight of poly(THF) after the reduction was observed, which indicates the presence of the dimerization of poly(THF) during the reduction. The polymerization of a variety of electrophilic monomers including δ-valerolactone, 2-oxo-1,3-dioxane, and alkyl methacrylates with the macroanion provided good yields of the corresponding block copolymers consisting of both cationically and anionically polymerizable monomers. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2209–2214, 1998     

Ion transport across membranes prepared by gel crystallization

A one-step procedure for the preparation of ion-selective membranes is described. The method employs the thermally induced gel crystallization of ultrahigh molecular weight poly(ethylene) (UHMW-PE) from a dilute xylene solution. After evaporation of the xylene, a microporous UHMW-PE film remains, which can serve as the support for liquid and polymeric ion-selective membranes. The addition of a membrane solvent and suitable receptor molecules to the xylene solution allows a one-step incorporation of these membrane components into the UHMW-PE support. The influence of the preparation conditions of the UHMW-PE support on the rates of the p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene tetraethylester-mediated transport of NaClO₄ was studied. Two concepts to improve the life-time of the membranes are introduced. In a first approach, the addition of photocrosslinkable nitril-substituted siloxane copolymers to the membrane phase has been evaluated. The enhanced viscosity of the membrane phase reduces leaching of carrier and solvent molecules from the membrane into the aqueous phases. In a second approach, the solvent is omitted and the membrane-phase merely consists of a benzo-15-crown-5 or calix[4]arene modified siloxane-copolymer, which is substituted to such a degree that ion transport no longer has to take place via diffusion of host–guest complexes but by jumping of the cations from one fixed carrier to a neighboring carrier. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36 : 383–394, 1998     

Cationic polymerization of 1,3-dioxepane in the presence of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)butanol

Cationic polymerization of 1,3-dioxepane (DOP) initiated by triflic acid was carried out in the presence of 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)butanol (BHMB). The structure and molecular weight of the products were characterized by GPC and NMR spectra. The results showed that molecular weight of the polyacetal obtained could be controlled by the initial mole ratio of DOP/BHMB. GPC showed that as the mole ratio of BHMB/DOP increased, the content of cyclic oligomers also increased. Proton, ¹³C and 2D HMQC-fg NMR demonstrated that no hydroxymethyl group of BHMB appeared as an end group. It was also illustrated by proton NMR that some BHMB units existed in cyclic oligomers. The mechanism of formation of cyclic oligomers was discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2899–2903, 1998     

Thermoplastic elastomer gels. I. Effects of composition and processing on morphology and gel behavior

Thermoplastic elastomer gels (TPEGs) composed of a poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] triblock copolymer and a low-volatility, midblock-compatible mineral oil have been investigated at different oil concentrations to ascertain the effect of composition on TPEG morphology and mechanical properties. The impact of thermal processing is also examined by comparing gels thermally quenched to 0°C or slowly cooled to ambient temperature. Transmission electron micrographs reveal that gels with 70 to 90 wt % oil exhibit styrenic micelles measuring ca. 24 nm in diameter. Variation in composition or cooling rate does not have any perceivable effect on micelle size or shape, whereas the rate at which the gels are cooled influences the extent of microstructural order and the time to rupture (t_R) at constant strain. Dynamic rheological testing confirms the presence of a physically crosslinked network at TPEG compositions ranging from 70 to 90 wt % oil, independent of cooling rate. Results presented here suggest that the dynamic elastic shear modulus (G′) scales as t^α_R where α varies from 0.41 to 0.59, depending on cooling rate. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. B Polym. Phys. 36: 2379–2391, 1998     

Mesoporous Silica from Lyotropic Liquid Crystal Polymer Templates

Amphiphilic block copolymer templates in sol–gel processes yield bicontinuous silicates with distorted hexagonal symmetry (see, for example, the transmission electron migrograph depicted on the right). The long Bragg distance of 8–13 nm combined with the high mechanical and thermal stability suggests some promising prospects for chemistry and materials science.     

Low-Temperature Chemical Approaches for Synthesizing Sulfides and Nitrides of Reactive Transition Metals

The advent of the sol–gel technique over the past several decades and the recognition of its excellent flexibility for synthesizing a large variety of oxide ceramics and glasses in both bulk and thin-film forms has generated considerable interest in using solution-based processes to prepare ceramic materials. Because of the success of the sol–gel technique, a number of other chemical processes have been developed utilizing metalorganic/organometallic starting materials to create molecularly architectured precursors, which have proven effective in synthesizing both oxide and non-oxide materials. In the present study, two different chemical approaches have been implemented to synthesize non-oxides (sulfides and nitrides) of reactive transition-metal elements. Accordingly, a novel thio-sol–gel process for preparing TiS₂ and NbS₂ powders has been studied. In the case of TiS₂ synthesis, the chemical reaction has been examined in detail using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and gas chromatography (GC). The effects of modification of the titanium precursor on the morphology of the final sulfide have also been investigated and are discussed. A second, more generalized process has been developed for synthesizing homogeneous precursors in multicomponent systems. Its utilization in preparing ternary nitrides has been demonstrated, and is also presented. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Water-soluble polymers. 71. pH responsive behavior of terpolymers of sodium acrylate,acrylamide, and the zwitterionic monomer 4-(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanedimethylammonio)butanoate

Terpolymers of sodium acrylate (NaA), acrylamide (AM), and the zwitterionic monomer 4-(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanedimethylammonio) butanoate (AMPDAB) were prepared by the free radical polymerization in 0.5M NaBr aqueous solution using potassium persulfate as the initiator. The feed ratio of AMPDAB : NaA : AM was varied from 5 : 5 : 90 to 40 : 40 : 20 mol %, with the total monomer concentration held constant at 0.45M. Terpolymer compositions were determined by ¹³C NMR. Molecular weights varied from 3.0 × 10⁵ to 9.7 × 10⁶ g/mol. All terpolymers were soluble in deionized water and salt solutions at all pH values. The dilute and semidilute solution behavior of the terpolymers was studied as a function of composition, pH, and added electrolytes. Polyelectrolyte behavior was observed for all terpolymers at pH 8.5, as evidenced by high viscosity values at low polymer concentrations and viscosity decrease in the presence of added electrolytes. The reduced viscosity as a function of decreasing pH exhibits a minimum as the terpolymer undergoes a polyanion/polyzwitterion/polycation transition. Comparison of the solution behavior of the terpolymers to terpolymers of 3-(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane dimethylammonio)-1-propane sulfonate (AMPDAPS), AM, and NaA (AADAPS series) as well as copolymers of AMPDAB and AM (AMPDAB series) have been made. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Controlled synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers with pendant glucose residues by living cationic polymerization

Amphiphilic block copolymers of vinyl ethers (VEs) of the type —[CH₂CH(OCH₂CH₂OR)]_m—[CH₂CH(OiBu)]_n—were synthesized by living cationic polymerization, where R is a D-glucose residue, and m and n are the degrees of polymerization (m = 20–50; n = 11–89). To obtain them, sequential living block copolymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) and the vinyl ether carrying 1,2:5,6-diisopropylidene-D -glucose residue was conducted by using the HCl adduct of IBVE, CH₃CH(OiBu)Cl, as initiator in conjunction with zinc iodide. These precursor block copolymers had a narrow molecular weight distribution (M̄_w/M̄_n ∼ 1.1) and a controlled composition. Treatment of them with a trifluoroacetic acid/water mixture led to the target amphiphiles. The solubility of the amphiphilic block copolymers in various solvents depended strongly on composition or the m/n ratio. Their solvent-cast thin films were observed, under a transmission electron microscope, to exhibit various microphase-separated surface morphologies such as spheres, cylinders, and lamellae, depending on composition. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Novel photoinitiated cationic copolymerizations of 4-methylene-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane

Photoinitiated polymerization of 4-methylene-2-phenyl-1,3-dioxolane ( 1 ) was carried out using either tris (4-methylphenyl) sulfonium hexafluoroantimonate or 4-decyloxyphenyl phenyliodonium hexafluoroantimonate as initiators. ¹H-NMR analyses confirmed exclusive ring-opening while DSC and SEC were used to determine the glass transition temperatures (T_gs) and molecular weights, respectively. Photoinitiated cationic copolymerizations of 1 were investigated with several acyclic and cyclic monomers. Copolymerization of 1 with vinyl ethers and a spiroorthoester resulted in copolymers whose thermal properties were dependent on comonomer ratios. Copolymers of 1 and dihydrofuran or dihydropyran afforded soluble polymers with T_gs significantly higher than the homopolymer of 1 . © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2207–2219, 1997