Synthesis of self‐healing polyurethane urea‐based supramolecular materials

Supramolecular polyurethane ureas are expected to have superior mechanical properties primarily due to the reversible, noncovalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding interactions. We synthesized polyurethane prepolymers from small molecular weight of poly(tetramethylene ether)glycol and isophorone diisocyanates, which were end capped with propylamine to synthesize polyurethane ureas with high contents of urea and urethane groups for hydrogen‐bonding formations to facilitate self‐healing. The effects of polyurethane urea molecular weight (3000 ≤ M_n ≤ 9000), crosslinking, and cutting direction were studied in terms of thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties with an emphasis on the self‐healing efficiency. It was found that the thermal self‐healability was more pronounced as the molecular weight of polyurethane urea decreased, showing a maximum of more than 96% with 3000 M_n when the sample was cut along the stretch direction. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 468–474     

Path to achieving molecular dispersion in a dense reactive mixture

A uniform dispersion of reactants is necessary to achieve a complete reaction involving multicomponents. In this study, we have examined the role of plasticizer in the reaction of two seemingly unlikely reactants: a highly crystalline hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) and a strongly hydrogen bonded phenol formaldehyde resin. By combining information from NMR, infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry, we were able to determine the role of specific intermolecular interactions necessary for the plasticizer to dissolve the highly crystalline HMTA and to plasticize the phenol formaldehyde resin in this crosslinking reaction. The presence of the plasticizer increased the segmental mobility, disrupted the hydrogen bonded matrix, and freed the hydroxyl units, which further increased the solubility of the HMTA. Both the endothermic and exothermic transitions are accounted for in the calorimetric data obtained. For the first time, it is possible to obtain the effective molar ratio of each component needed to complete the crosslinking reaction efficiently. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2015 , 53, 1519–1526     

FT-IR study on solvent effects in building blocks of bioactive compounds. V

3-Hydroxy-4-hydroxymethyl pyrrolidin-2-ones, easily prepared from the Baylis–Hillman adduct 1-ethyl-4-methyl-2-hydroxy-3-methylenebutanedioate, are useful intermediates in the synthesis of bioactive compounds. In order to understand the mechanism involved in this reaction, vibrational and Montecarlo molecular mechanics conformational analysis on 1-ethyl-4-methyl-2-hydroxy-3-methylenebutanedioate were carried out, confirming the existence of a low energy intramolecular H-bonded five-member ring.     

A quantum chemical study on structure of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphinoyl)ethane and phenol cocrystal

The cocrystal of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphinoyl)ethane (DPPEO) with phenol (1:1) were studied theoretically with AM1, PM3, MNDO and MINDO/3 semi-empirical methods to elucidate its structure. The bond lengths and angles from theoretical studies of molecule DPPEO/phenol (1:1) were found to be as expected. Theoretical results, concerning with intermolecular van der Waals forces in cocrystal, were compared with the previously obtained experimental data and AM1 results were found to be the best fit for bond lengths and angles of DPPEO/phenol.     

New liquid‐crystalline poly(ester amide)s: The role of nitro groups in the phase behavior

New hydrogen‐bonded liquid‐crystalline poly(ester amide)s (PEA)s were obtained from 1,4‐terephthaloyl[bis‐(3‐nitro‐N‐anthranilic acid)] (5) or 1,4‐terephthaloyl[bis‐(N‐anthranilic acid)] (6), with or without nitro groups, respectively, through the separate condensation of each with hydroquinone or dihydroxynaphthalene. The dicarboxylic monomers were synthesized from 2‐aminobenzoic acid. The phase behavior of the monomers and polymers were studied with differential scanning calorimetry, polarized light microscopy, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction methods. Monomer 5, containing nitro groups, exhibited a smectic liquid‐crystalline phase, whereas the texture of monomer 6 without nitro groups appeared to be nematic. The PEAs containing nitro groups exhibited polymorphism (smectic and nematic), whereas those without nitro groups exhibited only one phase transition (a nematic threaded texture). The changes occurring in the phase behavior of the polymers were explained by the introduction of nitro groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1289–1298, 2004     

Segmental and secondary dynamics in hydrogen‐bonded poly(4‐vinylphenol)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy was used to study the segmental (α) and secondary (β) relaxations in hydrogen‐bonded poly(4‐vinylphenol)/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PVPh/PMMA) blends with PVPh concentrations of 20–80% and at temperatures from ?30 to approximately glass‐transition temperature (T_g) + 80 °C. Miscible blends were obtained by solution casting from methyl ethyl ketone solution, as confirmed by single differential scanning calorimetry T_g and single segmental relaxation process for each blend. The β relaxation of PMMA maintains similar characteristics in blends with PVPh, compared with neat PMMA. Its relaxation time and activation energy are nearly the same in all blends. Furthermore, the dielectric relaxation strength of PMMA β process in the blends is proportional to the concentration of PMMA, suggesting that blending and intermolecular hydrogen bonding do not modify the local intramolecular motion. The α process, however, represents the segmental motions of both components and becomes slower with increasing PVPh concentration because of the higher T_g. This leads to well‐defined α and β relaxations in the blends above the corresponding T_g, which cannot be reliably resolved in neat PMMA without ambiguous curve deconvolution. The PMMA β process still follows an Arrhenius temperature dependence above T_g, but with an activation energy larger than that observed below T_g because of increased relaxation amplitude. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 3405–3415, 2004     

Rotational spectra, conformational structures, and dipole moments of thiodiglycol by jet-cooled FTMW and ab initio calculations

The rotational spectra of three low-energy conformers of thiodiglycol (TDG) (HOCH₂CH₂SCH₂CH₂OH) have been measured in a molecular beam using a pulsed-nozzle Fourier-transform microwave spectrometer. To determine the likely conformational structures with ab initio approach, conformational structures of 2-(ethylthio)ethanol (HOEES) (CH₃CH₂SCH₂CH₂OH) were used as starting points together with the consideration of possible intramolecular hydrogen bonding in TDG. Three lower-energy conformers have been found for TDG at the MP2=Full/6311G** level and ab initio results agree nicely with experimentally determined rotational constants. In addition, Stark measurements were performed for two of the three conformers for dipole moment determinations, adding to our confidence of the conformational structure matches between experimental observations and ab initio calculations. Of the three lower-energy conformers, one displays a compact folded-like structure with strong hydrogen bonding between the two hydroxyl groups and the central sulfide atom. Two other conformers have relatively open chain-like structures with hydrogen bonding between each of the hydroxyl groups to the central sulfur atom, of which one has pure b-type dipole moment according to the ab initio results.     

Molecular Orbital Calculations on 2, 4, 6-Trinitrotoluene

Three ab initio calculations (HF/6-3IG, HF/6-3IG*, and HF/6-3IG**) on 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene were made, The results compare well with xray data, except dihedral angles of NO₂ relative to the plane of the benzene ring. The deviations are attributed to packing forces and steric effects in the crystal. The most stable structure was a torsional angle 10° of the methyl top with the benzene ring, unlike toluene. The rotational barriers of the methyl top and the 4-nitro group are small. Hydrogen bonding, dipole moments and total atomic charges arc calculated.