NITROXIDE-MEDIATED FREE RADICAL SYNTHESIS OF MESOGEN-JACKETED LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMERS*

The first TEMPO-mediated "living" free radical polymerization of liquid crystallinemonomer, 2, 5-bis[(4-methoxyphenyl)oxycarbonyl]styrene(MPCS), was carried out at 130℃ withBPO as an initiator. The molecular weight of the polymer can be varied from rather low values to highvalues while maintaining narrow polydispersity. It was observed that the polymerization of MPCSproceeded much faster than that of styrene. A tentative explanation for this fast polymerization wassuggested.     

A synthetic strategy toward branched oligomesogenic phosphonic acids: comparison of alternative pathways

This work is devoted to the elaboration of a practical scheme for the synthesis of dendritic derivatives of gallic acid containing a carboxylate-ω-alkylphosphonic acid group and three terminal promesogenic substituents. Two synthetic strategies toward the target compounds were examined that differ in the sequence of the introduction of the promesogenic units and ω-alkylphosphonic group.     

Novel organogelators based on pyrazine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid derivatives and their mesomorphic behaviors

A series of new low molecular organogelators (LMOGs) with thermotropic mesophase were synthesized via the reaction of 3,6-dimethyl-pyrazine-2,5-dicarboxylic acid with p-alkoxyl anilines. These compounds readily formed stable gels in a variety of organic solvents and their self-assembly behavior, structure–property relationship were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ultra-violet–visible spectroscopy (UV). The results showed a combination of intra-hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking and van der Waals interaction resulted in the aggregation of the organogelators to form three-dimension fibrous networks. The gels formed were multi-responsive to environmental stimuli, such as temperature, fluorinion, and shear stress. More importantly, all the organogelators exhibited thermotropic hexagonal column mesophase as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and variable temperature XRD studies. A control compound was synthesized and its gelling ability was also checked.     

Preparation of mesophase pitch doped with TiO2 or TiC particles

The co-pyrolysis of a petroleum residue with two different sources of titanium (tetrabutyl-ortotitanate (TBO) or titanium carbide nano-powder) was carried out to obtain mesophase pitches containing TiO₂ or TiC nanoparticles. Co-pyrolysis is an appropriate technique to achieve a good dispersion and low particle size. In the case of TBO, TiO₂ nanoparticles (5–20 nm) are observed, which are forming aggregates, the largest of them being 1–2 μm. In the case of TiC nano-particles, they are more difficult to disperse and larger aggregates are formed, although the final material is rather homogenous. The chemistry of pyrolysis for the production of doped and undoped mesophase pitches has been followed by means of solvent insolubility, XRD, XPS, FTIR and elemental analysis. They show evidences of promotion of the formation of mesophase in the presence of the titanium-containing particles, especially in the presence of TiO₂. The final materials can be of great value as precursors to produce high density titanium doped graphites for nuclear and space applications.     

Sinterability enhancement in semicokes obtained by controlled pyrolysis of a petroleum residue

Self-sintering semicokes were prepared by pyrolysis of an aromatic petroleum residue at 460–480 °C and pressures of 0.1–1.0 MPa. The evolution of gases and thermoplasticity from resultant semicokes were monitored by TGA and TMA, respectively. Sintering behaviour of the semicokes is extremely sensitive to pyrolysis conditions which determine contents of volatile matter and binder phase. Semicokes produced at 1.0 MPa have high volatile contents with excessive plasticity. Changes of temperature and soak time, used to reduce volatile matter contents induce reductions to the plasticity and sintering. A lower pyrolysis pressure has a similar effect. Although the operational window is narrow, heat-treated compacts (2500 °C) can be made with high density (1.9 g cm⁻³) and bending strengths >75 MPa. Using high-temperature pyrolysis (460 °C) with a post-treatment at 350–400 °C eliminates light components, without decreasing sintering properties. Compacts from these powders also exhibit high density (1.9 g cm⁻³) with higher bending strengths >90 MPa, comparable or superior to mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) obtained from the same precursor.     

A single parameter determines mesophase transitions in Swollen Liquid Crystals

We report how the control of a single parameter, the co-surfactant, determines the phase transitions of oil-in-water swollen liquid crystals (SLCs) prepared with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), from cubic to hexagonal, lamellar, and finally sponge-like structures. SLCs are complex mixtures (surfactant + co-surfactant + water + salt + oil) usually prepared to form hexagonal mesophases, with cell parameters tunable between 3 and 30 nm. These hexagonal mesophases were successfully used as nanoreactors to prepare a broad range of nanostructured materials. Because the potential of these mesophases as adaptive nanoreactors has not been extended to other liquid crystal geometries than the hexagonal, we studied in a first step the structure evolution of SLCs made with CTAB, cyclohexane, pentanol-1, water and different stabilising salts. We used small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), polarised light microscopy and Freeze-Fracture TEM to provide a partial phase diagram and list the different mesophases obtained as a function of composition. We report that the adjustment of a single parameter, the co-surfactant (pentanol-1), determines the phase transition between cubic, hexagonal, lamellar, and sponge-like structures, all other parameters such as the nature and concentration of salt, or amount of oil being constant.     

退火过程中聚乳酸中间相的形成和结构演化

采用淬火法制备聚乳酸(PLA)非晶薄膜,并利用原位显微红外光谱在线研究PLA非晶薄膜在不同退火温度下的结构演化.结果表明,PLA非晶薄膜存在一个临界结晶温度,当退火温度高于临界结晶温度时,PLA非晶薄膜可以通过分子链的局部调整实现冷结晶,反之,不能发生冷结晶;在冷结晶过程中先出现中间相,随后发生中间相-晶体相的转变;中间相是通过分子链的构象调整和分子链间的堆砌调整产生的,退火温度越高,中间相出现得越早,最终得到的晶体结构越规整.     

MORPHOLOGICAL AND KINETIC STUDIES OF PHASE TRANSITIONS OF A SIDE-CHAIN LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMER

The morphological changes of a side-chain liquid-crystalline polymethacrylate during isotropi-zation and liquid-crystallization transitions were studied by means of polarizing microscopy. These tran-sitions were found to be composed of the initiation of a new phase at local places of the old phase matrix andthe growth of the new phase domains. The kinetics of the liquid-crystallization of the polymer from anisotropic melt to a smectic mesophase was also investigated. The isothermal process of the transition can bedescribed by the Avrami equation. The values of the Avrami exponent were found to be around 2.6, which islower than the value usually obtained for crystallization transition of polymers, but larger than that reportedfor liquid-crystallization transition of main-chain polymers. These results may indicate the difference ingrowth geometry of new phase during transition between crystallization and liquid-crystallization in generaland between liquid-crystallization of main-chain and side-chain polymers. It was found that the liquid-crystallization of the used side-chain polymethacrylate may occur at small undercoolings with hightransformation rate similar to that of main-chain polymers and small-molecule liquid crystals, while thecrystallization of polymers can only proceed at large undercoolings. These phenomena can be explained bythe idea that the surface free energy of nucleus during liquid-crystallization transition is less than that forcrystallization, and evidence was obtained from analysis of the temperature dependence of the transformationrate.     

Investigation on structural changes of isotactic polypropylene mesophase in the heating process by using two-dimensional infrared correlation spectroscopy

Two-dimensional FT-IR correlation spectroscopy was used to reveal the structural changes of isotactic polypropylene(iPP) mesophase during the heating process.The co-relationship among the regular helical bands of iPP was discussed according to synchronous spectrum.The results show that the segments with different length-helixes were found to undergo a disordered process in the temperature range of 25-60 ℃.     

Self-organization and photoreactivity of anthryl dendron having perfluoroalkyl chains at the terminals

A newly designed anthryl dendron having perfluoroalkyl chains at terminals showed thermotropic liquid crystallinity, which was characterized using polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction. The anthryl dendron forms S_B phase at room temperature below 53 °C, at which temperature a phase transition to Col_rd takes place. In a fluorous solvent, regioselective photodimerization of the anthryl dendron occurred to give head-to-head photodimers, although photodimerization in the S_B phase and chloroform gave both head-to-head and head-to-tail photodimers.