The incorporation of carboxylate groups into temperature‐responsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)‐based hydrogels promotes rapid gel shrinking

Aqueous gel deswelling rates for copolymer hydrogels comprising N‐isopropylacrylamide (IPAAm) and 2‐carboxyisopropylacrylamide (CIPAAm) in response to increasing temperatures were investigated. Compared with pure IPAAm‐based gels, IPAAm–CIPAAm gels shrink very rapidly in response to small temperature increases across their lower critical solution temperature (their volume is reduced by five‐sixths within 60 s). Shrinking rates for these hydrogels increase with increasing CIPAAm content. In contrast, structurally analogous IPAAm–acrylic acid (AAc) copolymer gels lose their temperature sensitivity with the introduction of only a few mole percent of AAc. Additionally, deswelling rates of IPAAm–AAc gels decrease with increasing AAc content. These results indicate that IPAAm–CIPAAm copolymer gels behave distinctly from IPAAm–AAc systems even if both comonomers, CIPAAm and AAc, possess carboxylic acid groups. Thus, we propose that the sensitive deswelling behavior for IPAAm–CIPAAm gels results from strong hydrophobic chain aggregation maintained between network polymer chains due to the similar chemical structures of CIPAAm and IPAAm. This structural homology facilitates aggregation of chain isopropylamide groups for both IPAAm and CIPAAm sequences with increasing temperature. The incorporation of AAc, however, shows no structural homology to IPAAm, inhibiting chain aggregation and limiting collapse. A functionalized temperature‐sensitive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel containing carboxylic acid groups is possible with CIPAAm, producing rapid and large volume changes in response to smaller temperature changes. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 335–342, 2001     

Kinetics and mechanism of grafting of undecylenic acid onto acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer

The graft copolymerization of undecylenic acid onto acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer (ABS) was initiated with benzoyl peroxide (BPO) in a 1,2‐dichloroethane solution. IR spectra confirmed that undecylenic acid was successfully grafted onto the ABS backbone. The influence of the concentrations of undecylenic acid, BPO, and ABS on the graft copolymerization was studied. A reaction mechanism was proposed: the grafting most likely took place through the addition of poly(undecylenic acid) radicals to the double bond of the butadiene region of ABS. A monomer cage effect on the graft reaction was observed to depend on the 1.5 power of the monomer concentration from the experimental results of the initial rate of graft copolymerization. The initial rate of graft copolymerization was written as R_p = 1.77 × 10⁻³[P][I₂][M]^2.5/([P]+2.75[M]^2.5)². © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 486–494, 2001     

Pulsed‐laser polymerization‐gel permeation chromatographic determination of the propagation‐rate coefficient for the methyl acrylate dimer: A sterically hindered monomer

The methyl acrylate dimer (MAD) is a sterically hindered macromonomer, and the propagating radical can fragment to an unsaturated end group. The propagation‐rate coefficient (k_p) for MAD was obtained by pulsed‐laser polymerization (PLP). The Mark–Houwink–Sakaruda parameters required for the analysis of the molecular weight distributions (MWDs) were obtained by multiple‐detector gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with on‐line viscometry. The small radical created by the fragmentation results in a short‐chain polymer that means the MWD may no longer be given by that expected for “ideal” PLP conditions; simulations suggest that the degree of polymerization required for “ideal” PLP conditions can be obtained from the primary point of inflection provided the GPC traces also show a clear secondary inflection point (radicals terminated by the second, rather than the first, pulse subsequent to initiation). Over the temperature range of 40–75 °C, the data can be best fitted by k_p/dm³ mol^?1 s^?1 = 10^6.1 exp(?29.5 kJ mol^?1), with a moderately large joint confidence interval for the Arrhenius parameters. The data are consistent with an increased activation energy and reduced frequency factor as compared with acrylate or methacrylate; both of these changes can be ascribed to hindrance. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3902–3915, 2001     

1H NMR study of the kinetics of substituted aniline polymerization. II. Copolymerization of 2‐methoxyaniline and 3‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid

We investigated the kinetics of the oxidative chemical copolymerization of 2‐methoxyaniline (OMA) and 3‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid (MA) by monitoring monomer depletion with ¹H NMR spectroscopy. We adapted a semiempirical kinetic model, previously used for OMA homopolymerization, for the consumption of both OMA and MA monomers with a large difference in their reactivities. The OMA polymerization rate and end conversion showed a similar dependence on the reaction conditions, as described in the first part of this series, for its homopolymerization. Generally, the MA comonomer had an inhibition effect on the OMA polymerization rate. However, an increase in the initial MA concentration resulted in an increased OMA initiation rate. Because of the higher reactivity of OMA compared with that of MA, the OMA conversion began before the MA conversion, and both the initiation and propagation rates were higher than those for MA. The molar ratios of the converted monomers (MA/OMA) were always significantly lower than the corresponding MA/OMA feed fractions. They depended on the reaction conditions used for the copolymerization. In particular, higher oxidant or MA concentrations, higher temperatures, and a 1 M DCl concentration favored MA conversion, that is, its insertion into the copolymer. The MA end conversion was much smaller than that of OMA, only up to 23%; for a low oxidant concentration (oxidant/monomer‐deficient molar ratio), it was only 6%. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 2482–2493, 2001     

Radiation‐grafted ion‐exchange membranes: Influence of the initial matrix on the synthesis and structure

A series of commercial fluoropolymer films was irradiated with an electron beam, grafted with styrene, and sulfonated. The influence of the initial fluoropolymer on the grafting yields and the properties of the grafted and sulfonated membranes were investigated. The same synthesis procedure can be followed for most fluoropolymers and samples with a similar degree of grafting, and a homogenous polystyrene distribution can be prepared by varying the absorbed dose. The main difference among different fluoropolymer‐based membranes is the water uptake from liquid water that has a roughly linear dependence on the crystallinity of the sample. The more amorphous the initial material, the greater the water uptake. Mechanical properties of the membranes at 50% relative humidity differ less than those of the starting materials and are comparable to those of Nafion® 105. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3008–3017, 2001     

Microemulsion polymerization of styrene stabilized by sodium dodecyl sulfate and short‐chain alcohols

Styrene microemulsion polymerizations with different short‐chain alcohols [n‐C_iH_2i+1OH (C_iOH), where i = 4, 5, or 6] as the cosurfactant were investigated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate and sodium persulfate (SPS) were used as the surfactant and initiator, respectively. The desorption of free radicals out of latex particles played an important role in the polymerization kinetics. An Arrhenius expression for the radical desorption rate coefficient was obtained from the polymerizations at temperatures of 50–70 °C. The polymerization kinetics were not very sensitive to the alkyl chain length of alcohols compared with the temperature effect. The maximal polymerization rate in decreasing order was C₆OH > C₄OH > C₅OH. This was related to the differences in the water solubility of C_iOH and the structure of the oil–water interface. The feasibility of using a water‐insoluble dye to study the particle nucleation mechanisms was also evaluated. The parameters chosen for the study of the particle nucleation mechanisms include the cosurfactant type (C_iOH), the SPS concentration, and the initiator type (oil‐soluble 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile versus water‐soluble SPS). © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3199–3210, 2001     

Kinetics of thiol–ene and thiol–acrylate photopolymerizations with real‐time fourier transform infrared

We used real‐time Fourier transform infrared to monitor the conversion of both thiol and ene (vinyl) functional groups independently during photoinduced thiol–ene photopolymerizations. From these results, the stoichiometry of various thiol–ene and thiol–acrylate polymerizations was determined. For thiol–ene polymerizations, the conversion of ene functional groups was up to 15% greater than the conversion of thiol functional groups. For stoichiometric thiol–acrylate polymerizations, the conversion of the acrylate functional groups was roughly twice that of the thiol functional groups. With kinetic expressions for thiol–acrylate polymerizations, the acrylate propagation kinetic constant was found to be 1.5 times greater than the rate constant for hydrogen abstraction from the thiol. Conversions of thiol–acrylate systems of various initial stoichiometries were successfully predicted with this ratio of propagation and chain‐transfer kinetic constants. Thiol–acrylate systems with different initial stoichiometries exhibited diverse network properties. Thiol–ene systems were initiated with benzophenone and 2,2‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenylacetophenone as initiators and were also polymerized without a photoinitiator. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3311–3319, 2001     

Applicability of equilibrium and kinetic models on the herbicide 4-chloro-2-methyl phenoxyacetic acid adsorption on bituminous shale

Adsorption characteristics of herbicide 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) have been evaluated using bituminous shale (BS) as a model adsorbent-containing solid organic matter in a mineral matrix. The adsorption of MCPA on BS has been studied with varying concentration, temperature, pH and contact time, using batch technique. Adsorption ability of BS increases with increasing temperature and decreasing pH in the studied concentration range of (0.6–4.0) × 10⁻⁴ M. Theoretical curves calculated from Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich (D-R), Langmuir and Temkin isotherm equations show a two-step isotherm shape. The results could be explained by assuming the presence of two-type sites with different affinity on adsorbent surface. Adsorption process is endothermic and entropy controlled at the first stage, and exothermic and enthalpy controlled at the second stage. The mechanism proposed based on surface ionization and complexation model is consistent with the pH dependent experimental results. Kinetic data fit well to both Paterson’s and Nernst Planck model based on homogeneous solid phase diffusion (HSPD). The values of particle diffusion coefficients (D _p ) predicted from both models are comparable each other and independent of temperature and concentration.      

醋酸乙烯酯在硅橡胶上的辐射接枝研究

研究了不同溶剂中的醋酸乙烯酯在硅橡胶上的辐射接技状况及接枝后硅橡胶表面结构情况．结果表明：（１）在硅橡胶－乙酸乙酯－醋酸乙烯酯体系中，接枝有自加速效应；（２）适量加入对苯二酚，接枝诱导期延长，接枝速率下降，凝胶效应消失，辐射接技经验关联式为ＲＰ＝０．２７×［Ｄ］（－０．５６０）×［Ｉ］（０．４９０）×［Ｃ］（０．９２０），接核反应为扩散控制反应；（３）不同的溶剂对硅橡胶接枝有不同的影响，如甲醇发生敏化作用，提高接枝速率，而苯发生惰化作用，降低接枝速率；（４）在合适的甲醇和苯配比时，接枝反应几乎恒速进行，用扫描电镜（ＳＥＭ）观察断面，接枝区比较均一，出现微相分离．