Controlled structure and density of “living” polystyrene brushes on flat silica surfaces

Thin layers of polystyrene were grown from surface-grafted nitroxide initiators via controlled “living” free radical polymerization. The “reactive” Langmuir-Blodgett deposition method allowed an effective control of the initiator layer density leading to PS brushes with different and high grafting density and stretching. The influence of the grafting density on the layer structure was studied. Comparison with theoretical predictions for monodispersed brushes in bad solvent was discussed. The thickness was found to vary linearly with molecular weight and the density dependence was shown using wetting measurements. Special features of controlled radical nitroxide polymerization from a surface were discussed. A direct comparison of the molecular weight and polydispersity between surface and bulk polymers was made by de-grafting the brushes into a toluene/HF solution. Finally, some evidence of a “surface Fischer” effect was shown from re-initiated layers. Received 20 December 2001     

Synthese anionique de polymeres comportant une fonction vinylsilane a l'une ou aux deux extremites de la chaine macromoleculaire

The reaction of vinyldimethylchlorosilane with a living polymer (ω or α,ω carbanionic) leads under certain conditions to the quantitative formation of a vinylsilane group to one or two ends of the macromolecular chain.     

Solvation of uranyl(II), europium(III) and europium(II) cations in "basic" room-temperature ionic liquids: a theoretical study

We report a molecular dynamics study of the solvation of UO2(2+), Eu3+ and Eu2+ ions in two "basic" (Lewis acidity) room-temperature ionic liquids (IL) composed of the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium cation (EMI+) and a mixture of AlCl4- and Cl- anions, in which the Cl-/AlCl4- ratio is about 1 and 3, respectively. The study reveals the importance of the [UO2Cl4]2- species, which spontaneously form during most simulations, and that the first solvation shell of europium is filled with Cl- and AlCl4- ions embedded in a cationic EMI+ shell. The stability of the [UO2Cl4]2- and [Eu(III)Cl6]3- complexes is supported by quantum mechanical calculations, according to which the uranyl and europium cations intrinsically prefer Cl- to the AlCl4- ion. In the gas phase, however, [Eu(III)Cl6]3- and [Eu(II)Cl6]4- complexes are predicted to be metastable and to lose two to three Cl- ions. This contrasts with the results of simulations of complexes in ILs, in which the "solvation" of the europium complexes increases with the number of coordinated chlorides, leading to an equilibrium between different chloro species. The behavior of the hydrated [Eu(OH2)8]3+ complex is considered in the basic liquids; the complex exchanges H2O molecules with Cl- ions to form mixed [EuCl3(OH2)4] and [EuCl4(OH2)3]- complexes. The results of the simulations allow us to better understand the microscopic nature and solvation of lanthanide and actinide complexes in "basic" ionic liquids.     

Studies on bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate. I. Thermal polymerization

The thermal bulk polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in a wide range of temperatures has been studied using a dilatometric reactor. It is shown that, irrespective of the care taken to purify the MMA, the evolution of the time-conversion curve can be explained only if we account for the presence of an impurity associated with the monomer acting as a free radical initiator. The activation energy for the decomposition of this impurity has been estimated as 98 kJ/mol. Having accounted for this impurity, the activation energy for the real thermal polymerization of the MMA has been estimated to be 75 kJ/mol. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Etude de la reaction d'addition de polystyrenes ω-vinylsilane avec une molecule-modele des α,ω-dihydrogeno-polydimethylsiloxanes

Three-block copolymers polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane-polystyrene can be obtained by a hydrosilylation reaction between α,ω-dihydrogeno polydimethylsiloxane and ω-vinylsilane polystyrene molecules.The purpose of the present investigation was to establish by use of a model system, the optical conditions for the synthesis of three-block and multiblock copolymers: reaction temperature and concentrations of reactants and catalyst.     

Study of the Influence of Alkaline Ions (Li, Na and K) on the Structure of the Silicate Entities in Silico Alkaline Sol and on the Formation of the Silico-Calco-Alkaline Gel

The study of silico-calco-alkaline gel is essential to warn against the degradation of concrete due to the alkali-silica reaction. In the laboratory, those gels are simulated by the destabilization of a silico-alkaline sol by calcium ions. Their speed of formation depends on the alkali species. The influence of alkaline ions (Li, Na and K) on the structure of silicate entities in sol and on the gel formation has been studied. The state of polymerization of the silico-alkaline sol was determined by NMR and depends on the alkali species and the molar ratio (Rm = [SiO2]/[A2O] with A = Li, Na or K). It appears that lithium enhances the polymerization. By scattering techniques (SAXS and ELS), the evolution of size and number of scattering particles during gelation can be determined from scattering curves with Guinier approximation. The mechanism of gelation appears as a hierarchic structure composed of several discrete sizes.     

Estimation of band alignment at CdS/Cu2ZnSnS4 hetero-interface by direct XPS measurements

This paper aims to estimate the band alignment to CdS/CZTS hetero-interface by direct X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements. XPS was used to determinate the valence-band offset (VBO) directly by determining the valence band positions at the hetero-interface. The conduction band offset (CBO) value was estimated based on the band gap measurements by UV/Visible spectroscopy and VBO measurements. The position of valence band (VB) changes close to the CdS-CZTS interface and the CBO is cliff-like. The band alignment diagram indicates that the CdS-CZTS interface heterojunction is type II.     

Chain transfer by addition-fragmentation mechanism. VII. Radical polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of ethyl 2-[1-(trimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate and related compounds

Ethyl 2-[1-(trimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate 1 , ethyl 2-[1-(dimethylvinylsilylperoxy)-ethyl]propenoate 2 , ethyl 2-[1-(1-(2-ethoxycarbonyl-1-methyl-2-propenylperoxysilyl)-1-methylethylperoxy)ethyl]propenoate 3 , and 2-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylperoxypropane 4 were synthesized and added to the free radical polymerization of vinylic monomers. 1 and 2 were found to show no homopolymerizability but act as effective chain transfer reagents in radical polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA), styrene (St), and n-butyl acrylate (BA). The estimated chain transfer constants (C_tr) are as follows: C_tr ( 1 ) = 0.15 for MMA, 0.90 for St, and 2.03 for BA at 60°C; C_tr ( 2 ) = 0.12 for MMA, 1.16 for St, and 1.9 for BA at 60°C. ¹H–NMR spectra of poly(St) formed in the presence of 1 is consistent with the view that the polymers bear an oxirane at one terminal and an trimethylsilyloxy fragment at the other end. Moreover, peroxysilane 4 showed very low transfer properties by direct homolytic substitution (SH₂). These findings indicate that the ethyl 2-[1-(substituted dimethylsilylperoxy)ethyl]-propenoates 1–3 undergo chain transfer reaction via a intramolecular homolytic substitution (SHi) following an addition process. Preparation of poly(styrene) up to high conversion in the presence of 3 yielded to the formation of the corresponding polymeric structures bearing hydrolysable C(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)Si(SINGLE BOND)O(SINGLE BOND)C bonds. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Formation of Long,Multicenter π‐[TCNE]22− Dimers in Solution: Solvation and Stability Assessed through Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Purely organic radical ions dimerize in solution at low temperature, forming long, multicenter bonds, despite the metastability of the isolated dimers. Here, we present the first computational study of these π‐dimers in solution, with explicit consideration of solvent molecules and finite temperature effects. By means of force‐field and ab initio molecular dynamics and free energy simulations, the structure and stability of π‐[TCNE]₂^2? (TCNE=tetracyanoethylene) dimers in dichloromethane have been evaluated. Although the dimers dissociate at room temperature, they are stable at 175 K and their structure is similar to the one in the solid state, with a cofacial arrangement of the radicals at an interplanar separation of approximately 3.0 Å. The π‐[TCNE]₂^2? dimers form dissociated ion pairs with the NBu₄⁺ counterions, and their first solvation shell comprises approximately 20 CH₂Cl₂ molecules. Among them, the eight molecules distributed along the equatorial plane of the dimer play a key role in stabilizing the dimer through bridging C?H???N contacts. The calculated free energy of dimerization of TCNE ^{. ?} in solution at 175 K is ?5.5 kcal mol^?1. These results provide the first quantitative model describing the pairing of radical ions in solution, and demonstrate the key role of solvation forces on the dimerization process.     

Straightforward preparation of polymers based on oligodimethylsiloxane and alkylamine

Novel oligodimethylsiloxane‐based polymers with alkyl side chain were synthesized in bulk by step‐growth polymerization between α,ω‐glycidyl ether oligodimethylsiloxanes and a monoalkylamine in the absence of catalyst and at temperatures ranging between 80 and 180 °C. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight results attested for the high reactivity of the amine functions with the glycidyl groups and revealed that the main polymer structure was (A₂B₂)_n type with alkyl moieties as dangling chains. No etherification was observed during the reaction even at high temperatures and the nature of the end groups strongly depended on the molar ratio between glycidyl and amine functions. Polymerization reactions were followed by ¹H NMR and the kinetics of the glycidyl‐amine reaction pointed out the dependence of temperature, molar ratio, and the molar mass of the oligodimethylsiloxane. High conversion rates were obtained, especially with the lowest molecular weight oligodimethylsiloxane. An optimized kinetic model derived from the Horie's model was discussed and permitted to correctly fit the experimental data. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012