Synthesis and characterization of a novel kind of thermotropic liquid crystalline poly(urea-ester)s based on bis(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-tolyene-2,4-diurea

A new diphenol monomer bis(4′-hydroxy-phenyl)-tolyene-2,4-diurea was synthesized by reaction of 2,4-toylene diisocyanate with p-aminophenol in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The product was characterized by elemental analysis (EA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and ¹H-NMR. And a novel kind of liquid crystalline poly(urea-ester)s were obtained by using this monomer. By using a polarizing microscope with hot stage (POM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD) the polymers were proven to be nematic liquid crystal. The result of DSC showed that the effect of the monomer composition on the melting point of poly(urea-ester)s was significant. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 577–583, 2001     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(ε-caprolactone)-containing amino acid-based poly(ether ester amide)s

A new family of biodegradable amino acid-based poly(ether ester amide)s (AA-PEEAs) consisting of three building blocks [poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), L -phenylalanine (Phe), and aliphatic acid dichloride] were synthesized by a solution polycondensation. Using DMA as the solvent, these PCL-containing Phe-PEEA polymers were obtained with fair to very good yields with weight average molecular weight (M_w) ranging from 6.9 kg/mol to 31.0 kg/mol, depending on the original molecular weight of PCL. The chemical structures of the PCL-containing Phe-PEEA polymers were confirmed by IR and NMR spectra. These PCL-containing Phe-PEEAs had lower T_g than most of the oligoethylene glycol (OEG) based AA-PEEAs due to the more molecular flexibility of the PCL block in the backbones, but had higher T_g than non-amino acid based PEEA. The solubility of the PCL-containing Phe-PEEA polymers in a wide range of common organic solvents, such as THF and chloroform, was significantly improved when comparing with aliphatic diol based poly(ester amide)s and OEG based AA-PEEAs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Synthesis and properties of hyperbranched aqueous poly(urethane–urea) via A<Subscript>2</Subscript> + bB<Subscript>2</Subscript> approach

Hyperbranched aqueous poly(urethane–urea) (HBAPU) was synthesized via A₂ + bB₂ approach using 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate, polycarbonatediol, dimethylol propionic acid and diethanol amine as materials. The structure of the products were characterized by FT-IR and ¹³C NMR. The results showed that the degree of the branching increased with increasing the molar ratio of the nNCO/nOH. The particle size, thermal and mechanical properties were measured by photon correlation spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis and tensile tests, respectively. The particle size of HBAPU was much smaller than that of linear aqueous polyurethane; thermal stability of HBAPU enhanced with decreasing the molar ratio of nNCO/nOH. The tensile tests revealed that HBAPU exhibited excellent tensile properties and the maximum tensile strength was up to 33 MPa.     

In vitro degradation assessment of optically active poly(urethane-imide)s based on α-amino acids

The aim of this work is to obtain optically and biologically active poly(urethane-imide)s (PUIs) using N,N’-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-l-tyrosine dimethyl ester (5) as a chiral and biologically active diphenolic monomer. Step-growth polymerization of diol 5 with various aliphatic and aromatic diisocyanates was carried out by gradual heating technique. The resulting PUIs were characterized with FT-IR, and two of them by ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry were used to determine the thermal properties of the two representative PUIs. The morphology of polymer was studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, in vitro toxicity and biodegradability behaviors of the obtained PUIs were studied in culture media and soil burial degradation which reveals that the synthesized polymers are biologically active and biodegradable in natural environment.     

Highly refractive and organo-soluble poly(amide imide)s based on 5,5′-thiobis(2-amino-4-methyl-thiazole): Synthesis and characterization

A new thioether-bridged diimide-diacid (DIDA) monomer was synthesized from the condensation of 5,5′-thiobis(2-amino-4-methyl-thiazole) (DA) and trimellitic anhydride at 1 : 2 molar ratio. A series of novel organic-soluble poly(amide imide)s (PAIs) bearing flexible thioether linkages and heteroaromatic thiazole groups were synthesized from DIDA with various commercially available aromatic diamines (1–5) via a direct polycondensation method with triphenyl phosphite and pyridine. The resulting polymers were obtained in high yields and possessed inherent viscosities in the range of 0.47–0.91 dL g^–1. All of the polymers were amorphous in nature, showed good solubility and could be easily dissolved in amide-type polar aprotic solvents (e.g., N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N,N-dimethylacetamide), and even dissolved in less polar solvents (e.g., pyridine and tetrahydrofuran). They showed excellent thermal stability with glass transition temperatures between 233–269°C and 10% weight loss temperatures in excess of 480°C in nitrogen and 450°C in air atmosphere. The flexible structure endowed the PAI films with good optical transparency. The optical transmittances of the PAI films at 450 nm were higher than 80% for the thickness of approximately 10 μm. Moreover, the thiazole moieties and flexible thioether linkages in the molecular chains of the PAIs provided them with high refractive indices of 1.7329–1.7509 and low birefringences of 0.0065–0.0098. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Photo- and bio-degradation of poly(ester-urethane)s films based on poly[(R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate] and poly(ε-Caprolactone) blocks

Biodegradable segmented poly(ester-urethane)s derived from telechelic dihydroxy-poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate], acting as hard segments, and poly(ε-caprolactone)-diols, acting as soft segments, using 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate, as non toxic connecting agent, were synthesized. The copolymers were characterized with regard to their molecular weight by GPC and their main thermal transitions by DSC. These copolymers as well as PHB were exposed to UV-irradiation for different time intervals and the changes in the chemical structure were analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy. Under our experimental conditions, it was found that the increase of irradiation time was accompanied by increase of the proportion of the gel fraction and the decrease of the intrinsic viscosity of the soluble fraction of the investigated copolymers. The biodegradability of PHB and poly(ester-urethane) sample containing ~40 wt% PHB before and after UV-irradiation was investigated under soil burial. The results showed that the photolysis in air prior to biodegradation increased the rate of degradation.     

Synthesis of high-stability acidic Ce3 + (La3 + or Sm3 +)~β/Al-MCM-41 and the catalytic performance for the esterification of oleic acid

Ce^3 + (La^3 + or Sm^3 +)~β/Al-MCM-41 molecular sieves were synthesized by impregnation and used to catalyze the esterification of oleic acid with short chain alcohols, such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and isobutanol, to obtain biodiesel. Ce^3 +(La^3 + or Sm^3 +)~β/Al-MCM-41 was found to exhibit excellent catalytic activity and stability. The effect of rare earth elements on the acidity of catalysts was examined in detail by NH₃-TPD and Py-FTIR. The optimum conditions for the esterification of oleic acid with methanol were determined. Moreover, the kinetics of the esterification showed that the average reaction order (n) was 1.92, with an activation energy of 51.46 kJ/mol.     

Synthesis and properties of polyimides based on isomeric (4, 4′-methylenediphenoxyl) bis (phthalic anhydride)s (BPFDAs)

Isomeric (4, 4′-methylenediphenoxyl) bis (phthalic anhydride)s (BPFDAs)were synthesized and their structures were determined via IR spectra and ¹H NMR. Polyimides were then prepared from isomeric BPFDAs and aromatic diamines in N, N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAc) via the conventional two-step method. Polyimides based on 3, 3′-BPFDA are soluble in common organic solvents at room temperature, while polyimides based on 4, 4′-BPFDA were only partially soluble in high-boiling-point solvent even upon heating. The 5% weight-loss temperatures (T _5% ) of these polyimides were in the range of 430–500 °C in air. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) indicated that the glass-transition temperatures of polyimides from 3, 3′-BPFDA are around 10–20 °C higher than those of polyimides from 4, 4′-BPFDA. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction showed that all polyimides are amorphous.     

Novel poly(ε-caprolactone)s bearing amino groups: Synthesis,characterization and biotinylation

A novel functional ε-caprolactone monomer containing protected amino groups, γ-(carbamic acid benzyl ester)-ε-caprolactone (γCABεCL), was successfully synthesized. A series of copolymers [poly(CL-co-CABCL)] were prepared by ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) and γCABεCL in bulk using tin (II)-2-ethylhexanoate [Sn(Oct)₂] as catalyst. The morphology of the copolymers changed from semi-crystalline to amorphous with increasing γCABεCL monomer content. They were further converted into deprotected copolymers [poly(CL-co-ACL)] with free amino groups by hydrogenolysis in the presence of Pd/C. After deprotection, the free amino groups on the copolymer were further modified with biotin. The monomer and the corresponding copolymers were characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, FT-IR, mass, GPC and DSC analysis. The obtained data have confirmed the desired monomer and copolymer structures.     

Synthesis and properties of highly branched poly(urethane–imide) via A2 + B3 approach

A series of highly branched poly(urethane–imide) (HBPUI) were synthesized via A₂ + B₃ approach using isophorone diisocyante (IPDI), polycarbonatediol (PCDL), 3,3′,4,4′-Benzophen-onetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), and poly(oxyalkylene) triamine (ATA) as materials. The structure of the products was characterized by FT-IR and ¹³C-NMR. The molecular weights were characterized by gel permeation chromatograph (GPC). The solution viscosity, thermal, and mechanical properties were measured by rotational rheometer, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile tests, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), respectively. The HBPUI showed lower viscosity than that of linear poly(urethane–imide) (LPUI), nevertheless T _g of HBPUI was higher than that of LPUI. TGA indicated that the thermal degradation of poly(urethane–imide) occurred above 300 °C, which was higher than conventional polyurethane. The tensile strength of HBPUI was obviously improved by increasing the content of BTDA and the molar ratio of [A₂]/[B₃]. The effects of the content of BTDA and the molar ratio of [A₂]/[B₃] on the storage modulus of the polymers were also studied.     

Synthesis and characterization of alternating poly(amide urethane)s from ε-caprolactam, amino alcohols, and diphenyl carbonate

Alternating poly(amide urethane)s from ε-caprolactam, amino alcohols H₂N-(CH₂)_x-OH (x=2-6), and diphenyl carbonate were prepared by polycondensation of α-hydroxy-ω-O-phenylurethanes 4a-e. The degree of oligomerization was adjusted by the conversion. Oligomers with two or three O-phenylurethane end groups and predetermined molecular weight were prepared by polycondensation of the α-hydroxy-ω-O-phenylurethanes 4a-e in the presence of comonomers with O-phenylurethane end groups in a given concentration. In order to prepare oligomers with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups at both chain ends suitable for coupling reactions, chain analogous reactions were performed with amino acids and amino alcohols. The microstructure of the polymers and the nature of end groups was determined by means of ¹H NMR spectroscopy and the molecular weights were determined by means of gel permeation chromatography. The poly(amide urethane)s 5a-e prepared are semicrystalline materials with melting points between 150 and 200 °C.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel amphiphilic poly (ethylene glycol)–poly (ε-caprolactone) graft copolymers

A series of amphiphilic graft copolymers PEO-g-PCL with different poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) molecular weight were successfully synthesized by a combination of anionic ring-opening polymerization (AROP) and coordination-insertion ring-opening polymerization. The linear PEO was produced by AROP of ethylene oxide (EO) and ethoxyethyl glycidyl ether initiated by 2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethoxide potassium, and the hydroxyl groups on the backbone were deprotected after hydrolysis. The ring-opening polymerization of CL was initiated using the linear poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) with hydroxyl group on repeated monomer as macroinitiator and Sn(Oct)₂ as catalyst, then amphiphilic graft copolymers PEO-g-PCL were obtained. By changing the ratio of monomer and macroinitiator, a series of PEO-g-PCL with well-defined structure, molecular weight control, and narrow molecular weight distribution were prepared. The expected intermediates and final products were confirmed by ¹H NMR and GPC analyzes. In addition, these amphiphilic graft copolymers could form spherical aggregates in aqueous solution by self-assemble, which were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, and the critical micelle concentration values of graft copolymers PEO-g-PCL were also examined in this article.     

Synthesis of star poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) by β-cyclodextrin core initiator via ATRP approach in water

Star poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) based on a β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) core macroinitiator was synthesized by means of atomic transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in water using copper(I)/2,2bipyridyl complex as a catalytic system at temperature above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the PNIPAAm. The macroinitiator was prepared by the transesterification reaction of the (β-CD) with 2-bromopropionyl bromide. The LCST of the samples upshifts slightly when the absolute molecular mass of the star PNIPAAm increases. Over the phase transition, the solutions became bluish opalescent due to formation of a heterogeneous phase system consisting of collapsed polymer particles in water. Atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering analyses indicated two populations of self-assembled polymer structure: a larger population and a smaller population. The smaller size suggests to self-assembly of polymer micelles and the large one corresponds to aggregates of polymer micelles or star polymers coupled. Polydispersity of the star PNIPAAm ranged from 1.60 to 4.04 within 15 h of reaction, which was attributed to the collapse of the PNIPAAm chains at temperature above the LCST that causes a decrease of the polymer reactivity. This was also attributed to the star–star coupling that generates twice the value of the polydispersity for any time before 15 h of polymerization.     

Synthesis,characterization and third-order nonlinear optical properties of novel hyperbranched donor–acceptor polyfluorenes based on 1,3,6,8-tertsubstituted carbazole core

Two novel hyperbranched donor–acceptor polyfluorenes based on 1,3,6,8-tertsubstituted carbazole core (4BrCzP1 and 4BrCzP2) were synthesized and characterized. The third order nonlinear optical properties of the materials were studied using Z-scan technique with femtosecond Ti: sapphire laser with delivering pulses of 140 fs at 800 nm. The nonlinear optical refractive index was 9.29 × 10^?8 esu for 4BrCzP1 and 3.19 × 10^?7 esu for 4BrCzP2, respectively. While the third order nonlinear susceptibility was 1.29 × 10^?9 esu for 4BrCzP1 and 4.33 × 10^?9 esu for 4BrCzP2, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the hyperbranched polyfluorenes was a promising candidate in the application of third order nonlinear optical materials.     

Formulation and performance evaluation of hydroxyl terminated hyperbranched polyesters based poly (ester–urethane–urea) coatings on mild steel

A low molecular weight, anticorrosive hyperbranched poly (ester–urethane–urea) [HB-P(EUU)] coatings were formulated using 2nd generation hydroxyl terminated hyperbranched polyesters (OH–HBPEs), isophorone di-isocyanate (IPDI) as a cross linking agent and dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) as a catalyst with certain additives. First, NCO terminated prepolymers (HBPEUs) were formulated by reacting OH–HBPEs with IPDI at NCO:OH ratio of 1.1:1 for 4 h at 70–80 °C, then HBPEUs were mixed with DBTDL and various additives and finally coated on pretreated cold rolled mild steel (MS) substrates by dip coating method. Before applying on MS substrates, viscosity and volume solid of coatings were measured. The molecular structure of HBPEUs was characterized by ATR-FTIR and ¹H NMR analysis. Surface morphology of coated panels was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and found that coating components were homogeneously distributed and surface was smooth and crack free. Performance of coated substrates was evaluated by various tests such as cross hatch and pull off adhesion, abrasion resistance, scratch resistance, impact resistance, flexibility, and pencil hardness. UV stability of coated substrates was evaluated by UV-whether-o-meter and corrosion resistance property was evaluated by salt spray, humidity, polarization and electrochemical impedance (EIS) test. Results were also compared with polyurethane coating based on linear polyester. HB-P(EUU) coatings showed excellent enhancement in mechanical, durability as well as corrosion resistance properties than their linear counterpart.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyrotaxanes comprising α-cyclodextrins and poly(ε-caprolactone) end-capped with poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)s

Biodegradable polyrotaxane (PR)-based triblock copolymers were synthesized via the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) initiated with polypseudorotaxanes (PPRs) consisting of a distal 2-bromopropiomyl bromide end-capping poly(ε-caprolactone) (Br-PCL-Br) and a varying amount of α-cyclodextrins (α-CDs) in the presence of Cu(I)Br/PMDETA at 25 °C in aqueous solution. The copolymers were featured by relatively higher yields from 46.0% to 82.8% as compared with previous reports. Their structure was characterized in detail by using ¹H NMR, ¹³C CP/MAS NMR, GPC, WXRD, DSC and TGA analyses. When a feed molar ratio of NIPAAm to Br-PCL-Br was changed from 50 to 200, the degree of polymerization of PNIPAAm blocks attached to two ends of PPRs was in a range of 158–500. About one third of the added α-CDs were still entrapped on the central PCL chain after the ATRP process. Attaching PNIPAAm rendered the copolymers soluble in aqueous solution showing the thermo-responsibility as evidenced by turbidity measurements.     

New optically active poly(amide-imide)s based on N,N′-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-L-amino acid and 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy) propane: Synthesis and characterization

Five new poly(amide-imide)s 8a–e were synthesized through the direct polycondensation reaction of five chiral N,N′-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-L -amino acids 3a–e with 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy) propane 7 in a medium consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, triphenyl phosfite, calcium chloride, and pyridine. The polycondensation reaction produced a series of novel poly(amide-imide)s containing trimethylene moiety in the main chain in high yield with inherent viscosities between 0.34 and 0.65 dL/g. The resulted polymers were fully characterized by means of FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, inherent viscosity, and solubility tests. Thermal properties of these polymers were investigated by using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal gravimetric (DTG). All of the polymers were soluble at room temperature in polar solvents such as N,N-dimethyl acetamide, N,N-dimethyl formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. N,N′-(pyromellitoyl)-bis-L -amino acids 3a–e were prepared in quantitative yields by the condensation reaction of pyromellitic dianhydride (1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid 1,2,4,5-dianhydide) 1 with L -alanine 2a , L -valine 2b , L -leucine 2c , L -isoleucine 2d , and L -phenyl alanine 2e in acetic acid. Also 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy) propane 7 was synthesized by using a two-step reaction. At first 1,3-bis(4-nitrophenoxy) propane 6 was prepared from the reaction of 4-nitrophenol 4 with 1,3-dibromoprapane 5 in NaOH solution. Then, dinitro compound 6 was reduced by using Na₂S. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of polymers from β-propiolactone and poly(ethylene glycol)s

Uncatalysed polymerizations of β-propiolactone with low-molecular-weight poly(ethylene glycol)s were carried out in bulk, at temperatures in the range of 70 to 120°C. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (n.m.r.) and differential scanning calorimetry (d.s.c.) measurements on the resulting products indicated a block copolymer structure. Gel permeation chromatography (g.p.c.) and d.s.c. analyses showed that in some cases the copolymerization is accompanied by homopolymerization of β-propiolactone, probably due to the presence of residual water in the poly(ethylene glycol). N.m.r. and infra-red (i.r.) spectra of copolymers revealed the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl end groups. The copolymerization reaction may be visualized as a two-step process, in which the ring opening of β-propiolactone takes place on both the hydroxyl groups of poly(ethylene glycol), followed by repetitive monomer addition forming an ester-ether-ester triblock copolymer.     

Synthesis, morphology and mechanical properties of linear triblock copolymers based on poly(α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone)

A series of well-defined triblock copolymers containing middle soft poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PBA) block and outer hard blocks of poly(α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone) homopolymer (PMBL) or random poly (α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone)-r-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer (PMBL-r-PMMA) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Phase separated morphologies of cylindrical or spherical hard block domains arranged in the soft PBA matrix were observed by atomic force microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. The mechanical and thermal properties of the copolymers were thoroughly characterized and their thermoplastic elastomer behavior was studied. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed for all PMBL-b-PBA-b-PMBL copolymers a very broad rubbery plateau range extending up to temperatures of 300 °C. Replacement of the PMBL hard block with the less brittle PMBL-r-PMMA resulted in an improvement of the tensile properties, without compromising the very good thermal stability of the materials.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(ester-urethane-imide)s by Diels–Alder polyaddition

Poly(ester-urethane-imide)s were prepared by Diels–Alder polyaddition of 1,6-hexamethylene-bis(2-furanylmethylcarbamate) with various bismaleimides containing ester groups in the backbone. The Diels–Alder reaction was carried out in m-cresol, at 110°C, followed by thermal and chemical aromatization of tetrahydrophthalimide intermediates. The monomers and polymers were characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Thermal properties of the polymers were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic thermogravimetric analysis.