Immobilization of poly(ethylene oxide) on polyethylene using a plasma-induced graft copolymerization process

A radio-frequency glow discharge induced graft copolymerization process has prepared a PAAc-grafted PE film in this present study. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was then covalently immobilized onto PAAc-grafted PE film by a chemical coupling reaction. Carboxylic groups were introduced onto the surface of PE film by exposing the film to an Ar plasma, and the plasma-treated film was then next reacted with a 50% acrylic acid aqueous solution. These functional groups were reacted with bisamino PEO by a coupling agent CMC. ESCA, IR, and water contact angle studies were conducted for characterizing the surfaces of these films during the varied stages of the reaction. Increasing the molecular weight of the PEO attached to the PAAc-grafted PE resulted in an increased wettability of the films. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Flame‐retardant epoxy resins: An approach from organic–inorganic hybrid nanocomposites

Phosphorus‐containing epoxy‐based epoxy–silica hybrid materials with a nanostructure were obtained from bis(3‐glycidyloxy)phenylphosphine oxide, diaminodiphenylmethane, and tetraethoxysilane in the presence of the catalyst p‐toluenesulfonic acid via an in situ sol–gel process. The silica formed on a nanometer scale in the epoxy resin was characterized with Fourier transform infrared, NMR, and scanning electron microscopy. The glass‐transition temperatures of the hybrid epoxy resins increased with the silica content. The nanometer‐scale silica showed an enhancement effect of improving the flame‐retardant properties of the epoxy resins. The phosphorus–silica synergistic effect on the limited oxygen index (LOI) enhancement was also observed with a high LOI value of 44.5. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 986–996, 2001     

Triblock copolymers based on cyclic ethers: Preparation and properties of tetrahydrofuran and 3,3-bis(azidomethyl) oxetane triblock copolymers

Novel energetic thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) based on tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 3,3-bis (azidomethyl) oxetane (BAMO) were prepared in this present study by cationic living polymerization. A bifunctional catalyst, triflic anhydride [(CF₃SO₂)₂)O] was selected to be an initiator for the polymerization THF and BAMO. The resulting polymers were characterized by IR, NMR, and DSC, which demonstrated that triblock copolymers with A-B-A type were formed. The polymers were indicated from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to have decomposed at approximately 243°C. The decomposition enthalpies were determined by DSC. These enthalpies were varied with the poly-BAMO contents of the copolymers. The synthesized polymers exhibited relatively good mechanical properties and thermoplastic characteristics at room temperature. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of temperature‐ and pH‐sensitive hydrogels based on poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) and poly(D,L‐lactide)

A novel series of temperature‐ and pH‐sensitive hydrogels based on poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) and three‐arm poly(D,L ‐lactide) were synthesized via photocopolymerization. For the creation of polymeric networks, two types of macromers terminated with methacrylate groups were prepared: poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) dimethacrylate and three‐arm poly(D,L ‐lactide) trimethacrylate. The chemical structures were analyzed with ¹H NMR and Fourier transform infrared techniques. The thermal behaviors, morphologies, and swelling properties were measured for the characterization of the polymeric networks. All the poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline)/three‐arm poly(D,L ‐lactide)hydrogels provided high water retention capacity and exhibited reversible swelling–shrinking behavior in response to temperature and pH variations. The hydrogels with higher poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) dimethacrylate contents were more effective in raising the swelling ratio and temperature and pH sensitivity. However, higher contents of three‐arm poly(D,L ‐lactide) trimethacrylate produced larger particles and pore sizes in the hydrogels. This study effectively proves that this unique combination of water swellability and biodegradability provides hydrogels with a much wider range of applications in biomedical fields. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1112–1121, 2002     

Preparation and characterization of a homobifunctional silicone rubber membrane grafted with acrylic acid via plasma-induced graft copolymerization

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) was grafted onto the surface of silicone rubber membrane (SR) by plasma-induced graft copolymerization (PIP). Ar-plasma was used to activate the surface of SR. Also, a determination was made of the influences of plasma treatment power, pressure, time, grafted copolymerization reaction time, and monomer concentration on polymerization yield. The surface properties of SR were measured by ATR-FTIR, ESCA, and SIMS. In those analyses, the elemental composition and different carbon bindings on the surface of SR were examined by ESCA with the amount of O1s/C1s being approximately 0.7 at 60 s by Ar-plasma treatment (60 W, 200 mtorr). The peroxide group introduced on SR was measured via 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH). The optimum amount of peroxide groups was 6.85 × 10⁻⁸ mol/cm² at 60 s of Ar-plasma treatment. The peroxide group (33D peak) was introduced onto the surface of SR by negative spectra of SIMS analysis after SR treatment by Ar-plasma. An increase was obtained in grafted polymerization yield with a region of 5 to 50% (v/v) of acrylic acid aqueous solution. Both sites of polyacrylic acid were detected after staining by toluidine blue O. That is, a homobifunctional membrane was developed via this surface modification method. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and characterization of bigraft copolymers based on grafted type peracid polymer

In this study, a radiation-induced copolymer, namely, polyethylene-g-acrylic acid and EVA-g-acrylic acid, in the form of a membrane, particulate, or tube was used as a substrate. The carboxyl groups of the grafted acrylic chains were oxidized into peracids. Optimal conditions for the oxidation, including the catalyst, reaction time, and temperature were investigated. Novel bigraft copolymers were then synthesized from the grafted polymeric peracid. A third component (e.g., 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) was grafted through the decomposition of peracid groups. Abnormality in morphology of the acrylic acid grafted and HEMA bigraft membrane was investigated by SEM and TEM observation, which showed the levelling effect of the third component and manifested a third circular domain generated inside the membrane at high degree of grafting.     

Enhanced thermal properties and flame retardancy from a thermosetting blend of a phosphorus‐containing bismaleimide and epoxy resins

Epoxy resins modified by an organosoluble phosphorus‐containing bismaleimide (3,3′‐bis(maleimidophenyl) ­phenylphosphine oxide; BMPPPO) were prepared by simultaneously curing epoxy/diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM), and BMPPPO. The resulted epoxy resins were found to exhibit glass transition temperatures as high as 212 °C, thermal stability at temperatures over 350 °C, and excellent flame retardancy with Limited oxygen index (LOI) values around 40. Incorporation of BMPPPO into epoxy resins via the thermosetting blend was demonstrated to be an effective way to enhance the thermal properties and flame retardancy simultaneously. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Broad liquid crystalline temperature range of ferroelectric liquid crystals

Novel ferroelectric liquid crystalline compounds, containing the (S)-2-methyl-l -butyl (4-hydroxybiphenyl-4'-carbonyloxy)biphenyl-4-carboxylate mesogenic group and an oligooxyethylene spacer, were synthesized. The mesomorphic properties of these materials were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), optical polarizing microscopy (POM) and powder X-ray diffraction measurement. The results indicate that all members of this series exhibit a very broad temperature mesophase range (reaching a maximum around 210°C) including a blue phase (BP), cholesteric (Ch), twist grain boundary A (TGB_A), chiral smectic C (S*_c), and smectic X (S_x) phases. The mesomorphic properties are discussed and a comparison is made with three phenyl rings of ester core analogues.     

Kinetics of Ag+ contained polymeric complex membranes for facilitated olefin transport

The reactions of silver ion complexes with polyethylene-graft-poly(acrylic acid) (PE-g-AA) and the olefin reversible coordinates with the PE-g-AA–Ag⁺ complex membranes were studied. Infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra confirmed the complex formation between the carboxylic acid of the PE-g-AA and the Ag⁺ ion. Also, the Ag⁺ ion in PE-g-AA-Ag⁺ membrane was assumed to be a fixed carrier that adsorbs and transports olefin, thereby causing a selective olefin/paraffin separation. A theoretical model of the PE-g-AA-Ag⁺ (olefin) complex was proposed. The coordination number of Ag⁺ ion binding to the carboxylic acid of PE-g-AA is about 1.6 in glycerol solution. The coordination number of olefin binding to the Ag⁺ in the PE-g-AA–Ag⁺ complex membrane is 1. Moreover, the kinetics of olefin binding to the PE-g-AA–Ag⁺ complex membranes were studied. The equilibrium, association, and dissociation constants were also presented. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35 : 909–917, 1997