Homogeneous graft copolymerization of chitosan with butyl acrylate by γ‐irradiation via a 6‐O‐maleoyl‐N‐phthaloyl‐chitosan intermediate

The graft copolymerization of butyl acrylate (BA) onto chitosan was tried via a new protection‐graft‐deprotection procedure. About 6‐O‐maleoyl‐N‐phthaloyl‐chitosan was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis (FT‐IR) and ¹H‐NMR. Because the intermediate 6‐O‐maleoyl‐N‐phthaloyl‐chitosan was soluble in organic solvents, the graft copolymerization was carried out in a homogeneous system. Grafting was initiated by γ‐irradiation. The graft extent was dependent on the irradiation dose and the concentration of BA monomer, and copolymers with grafting above 100% were readily prepared. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 489–493, 2006     

Influence of γ‐irradiation on poly(methyl methacrylate)

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was γ‐irradiated (5–20 kGy) by a ¹³⁷Cs source at room temperature in air. The changes in the molecular structure attributed to γ‐irradiation were studied by mechanical testing (flexure and hardness), size‐exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, and both Fourier transform infrared and solution ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used to investigate the influence of the dose of γ rays on the fracture behavior of PMMA. The experimental results confirm that the PMMA degradation process involves chain scission. It was also observed that PMMA presents a brittle fracture mechanism and modifications in the color, becoming yellowish. The mechanical property curves show a similar pattern when the γ‐radiation dose increases. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 886–895, 2002     

Atom‐transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate with α,α′‐dichloroxylene/CuCl/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine initiation system under microwave irradiation

The atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA), using α,α′‐dichloroxylene as initiator and CuCl/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as catalyst was successfully carried out under microwave irradiation (MI). The polymerization of MMA under MI showed linear first‐order rate plots, a linear increase of the number‐average molecular weight with conversion, and low polydispersities, which indicated that the ATRP of MMA was controlled. Using the same experimental conditions, the apparent rate constant (k) under MI (k = 7.6 × 10^?4 s^?1) was higher than that under conventional heating (k = 5.3 × 10^?5 s^?1). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2189–2195, 2004     

Homogeneous graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile onto high α‐cellulose in a dimethyl acetamide and lithium chloride solvent system

Homogeneous graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) monomer onto high α‐cellulose was investigated in a lithium chloride/N,N‐dimethyl acetamide (DMAc/LiCl) solvent system. Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) were used as radical initiators. By varying temperature, time, and monomer concentrations in grafting reactions, the optimum conditions for both initiator systems were fixed. The graft yield for the AN–BPO system was higher than that for the AN–AIBN system. The optimum conditions of reactions were at temperatures of 70 and 60°C with initiator concentrations of 0.4% (0.36 mmol) and 2% (1.24 mmol) for the AN–AIBN and AN–BPO systems, respectively, at a monomer concentration of 5% (14.1 mmol) solution. The number of grafts per cellulose chain was in the range from 2.2 to 1.1 for AN–BPO and 0.5 to 2.1 for the AN–AIBN system. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 630–637, 2003     

Glass transition temperature of methyl methacrylate–ethyl α‐benzoyloxymethylacrylate copolymers

Poly(ethyl α‐benzoyloxymethylacrylate) (EBMA) and copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with EBMA have been prepared by free radical polymerization. Monomer precursors of ethyl α‐benzoyloxymethylacrylate have likewise been polymerized. Glass transition temperatures (T_g) of homo and copolymers have been determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The Johnston equation, which considers the influence of monomeric unit distribution on the copolymer glass transition temperature, has been used to explain the T_g behaviour. T_g12 has been calculated by the application of the Johnston equation, which gave a value markedly lower than the average value expected from the additive contribution of the T_g of the corresponding homopolymers. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Study of radiation‐induced graft copolymerization of butyl acrylate onto chitosan in acetic acid aqueous solution

The graft copolymerization of butyl acrylate onto chitosan in acetic acid aqueous solution was investigated, using the γ‐ray of ⁶⁰Co γ‐irradiation method. Fourier transform infrared spectra analysis, X‐ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy characterized the graft copolymer. The effect of synthesis variables in the graft copolymerization have been discussed in the light of grafting efficiency, grafting percentage, and homopolymer percentage. Hydrophilicity and impact strength of the films formed from copolymer solution were tested and their feasibility as seed coating was studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2855–2860, 2003     

Synthesis and characterization of grafting β‐cyclodextrin with chitosan

Two new adsorbents [β‐cyclodextrin–chitosan (β‐CD–CTS) and β‐cyclodextrin‐6–chitosan (β‐CD‐6‐CTS)] were synthesized by the reaction of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) with epoxy‐activated chitosan (CTS) and the sulfonation of the C‐6 hydroxyl group of β‐cyclodextrin with CTS, respectively. Their structures were confirmed by IR spectral analysis and X‐ray diffraction analysis, and their apparent amount of grafting was determined by ultraviolet spectroscopy. The adsorption properties of β‐CD‐CTS and β‐CD‐6‐CTS for p‐dihydroxybenzene were studied. The experimental results showed that the two new adsorbents exerted adsorption on the carefully chosen target. The highest saturated capacity of p‐dihydroxybenzene of β‐CD‐CTS and β‐CD‐6‐CTS were 51.68 and 46.41 mg/g, respectively. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 860–864, 2004     

Copolymerization with depropagation: Prediction of kinetics and properties of α‐methylstyrene–methyl methacrylate copolymers. II. Bulk copolymerization

In order to calculate some kinetic parameters, such as the reactivity ratios, of the system α‐methylstyrene–methyl methacrylate, the bulk copolymerization of these two monomers with azobis isobutironitrile (AIBN) as a radical initiator was studied. Experiments were performed at the various temperatures of 50, 60, and 80°C with 0.5 mol % of initiator (AIBN). The kinetics, molecular weights, microstructure, and glass transition temperature (T_g) of the copolymers were followed. A software, previously developed (part I), taking into account the equilibrium of the homopolymerization of α‐methylstyrene, was used to simulate the experimental data. The model was in good agreement with all the experimental data. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 72: 1611–1625, 1999     

“Living”/controlled polymerization of methyl acrylate mediated by dithiocarbamates under γ‐ray irradiation

γ‐Ray initiated reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerizations of methyl acrylate (MA) were investigated in bulk using five different dithiocarbamate structures, 2‐phenyl‐benzoimidazole‐1‐carbodithioic acid benzyl ester ( 1b ), 2‐methyl‐benzoimidazole‐1‐carbodithioic acid benzyl ester ( 1c ), 2‐pheny‐indole‐1‐cardithioic acid benzyl ester ( 1d ), 2‐(carbazole‐9‐carbothioylsulfanyl)‐2‐methyl‐propionic acid ester ( 1e ), and carbazole‐9‐carbodithioic acid naphthalene‐1‐ylmethyl ester ( 1f ), as RAFT agents. The experiment results showed that MA polymerized in a controlled way under a low irradiation dose rate, i.e., first‐order kinetic plots, the experimental molecular weights increased linearly with monomer conversions. The polydispersity indices of polymers generally remained at a relatively low value (lower than 1.4). The effect of irradiation dose on the polymerization results was investigated. The obtained polymers were characterized with ¹H NMR and GPC. Chain‐extension reaction was also successfully carried out using the obtained polymer as the macro‐RAFT agent and styrene as the second monomer. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 1769–1775, 2007     

A new approach for the preparation of chitosan from γ‐irradiation of prawn shell: effects of radiation on the characteristics of chitosan

Chitosan is a biodegradable polymer composed of randomly distributed β‐(1,4)‐linked D ‐glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N‐acetyl‐D ‐glucosamine (acetylated unit). It is produced commercially by deacetylation of chitin, which is the structural element in the exoskeleton of crustaceans (such as crabs and shrimps) and the cell walls of fungi. In the work reported, we developed a facile technique for the preparation of chitosan by irradiating prawn shell at various intensities from 2 to 50 kGy. It was observed that γ‐irradiation of prawn shell increased the degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitin at a relatively low alkali concentration during the deacetylation process. Among the various irradiation doses applied to prawn shell, a dose of 50 kGy and 4 h heating in 50% NaOH solution yielded 84.56% DD while the chitosan obtained from non‐irradiated prawn shell with the same reaction conditions had only 74.70% DD. In order to evaluate the effect of γ‐irradiation on the various physicochemical, thermomechanical and morphological properties, the chitosan samples were again irradiated (2–100 kGy) with γ‐radiation. Molecular weight, DD, thermal properties with differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis, particle morphology by scanning electron microscopy, water binding capacity (WBC), fat binding capacity (FBC) and antimicrobial activity were determined and the effects of various γ‐radiation doses were assessed. The DD, WBC, FBC and antimicrobial activity of the chitosan were found to improve on irradiation. It was obvious that irradiation caused a decrease of molecular weight from 187 128 to 64 972 g mol^?1 after applying a radiation dose of 100 kGy which occurred due to the chain scission of chitosan molecules at glycosidic linkages. The decrease of molecular weight increased the water solubility of the chitosan, the extent of which was explored for biomedical applications. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Plasticization of cellulose diacetate by graft copolymerization of ε‐caprolactone and lactic acid

Graft copolymerization of ε‐caprolactone (CL) and lactic acid (LA) onto cellulose diacetate (CDA) at the residual hydroxyl positions was conducted to obtain thermoplastic CDA. The effects of the reaction temperature and time and the CL/LA molar ratio in the feed on the progress of the graft copolymerization were investigated. The molecular weight of CDA was increased by this graft copolymerization. The oxycaproyl and lactyl molar substitutions (MS_CL and MS_LA, respectively) in grafted CDA (g‐CDA) were determined through ¹H‐NMR spectral analysis. These MS values were controllable by changing the reaction conditions adequately. The flow temperature and melt viscosity of g‐CDA decreased with an increase in the total substitution of MS_CL and MS_LA, and transparent polymer sheets could be obtained from the resulting g‐CDA by hot pressing at around 200°C without adding any plasticizer. The mechanical properties of the molded g‐CDA samples varied widely, depending on the different combinations of the MS_CL and MS_LA values; the g‐CDA sheets became elastic when the MS_CL was larger than the MS_LA, and their tensile strengths were enhanced as the MS_LA was increased. It was thus found that CDA was successfully plasticized by this graft copolymerization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 2621–2628, 2002     

Thermal decomposition behavior of γ‐irradiated poly(vinyl acetate)/poly(methyl methacrylate) miscible blends

Miscible polymer blends based on various ratios of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were prepared in film form by the solution casting technique using benzene as a common solvent. The thermal decomposition behavior of these blends and their individual homopolymers before and after γ‐irradiation at various doses (50–250 kGy) was investigated. The thermogravimetric analysis technique was utilized to determine the temperatures at which the maximum value of the rate of reaction (T_max) occurs and the kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition. The rate of reaction curves of the individual homopolymers or their blends before or after γ‐ irradiation displayed similar trends in which the T_max corresponding to all polymers was found to exist in the same position but with different values. These findings and the visual observations of the blend solutions and the transparency of the films gave support to the complete miscibility of these blends. Three transitions were observed along the reaction rate versus temperature curves; the first was around 100–200°C with no defined T_max, which may arise from the evaporation of the solvent. The second T_max was in the 340–380°C range, which depended on the polymer blend and the γ‐irradiation condition. A third transition was seen in the rate of reaction curves only for pure PVAc and its blends with PMMA with ratios up to 50%, regardless of γ‐ irradiation. We concluded that γ‐irradiation improved the thermal stability of PVAc/PMMA blends, even though the PMMA polymer was degradable by γ irradiation. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 1773–1780, 2006     

Surface modification of natural rubber film by UV‐induced graft copolymerization with methyl methacrylate

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was directly grafted on natural rubber (NR) or sulfur prevulcanized (SP) NR surface. The rubber sheet was primarily treated with argon plasma, followed by exposure to air for generating active functional groups. After immersing in a mixture of 30% hydrogen peroxide and MMA in ethanol and water (1 : 1), the MMA grafting took place after UV‐irradiation for 30–120 min. Results from the contact angle measurement and attenuated total reflection–Fourier transform infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy showed that the highest amount of MMA grafting was achieved when using 13 wt % of MMA and UV irradiation time of 60 min. The tensile strength and percentage elongation at break of the modified SPNR sheet, having similar MMA grafting to that of NR, were in acceptable range as indicated in the standard glove's test (ASTM D3577). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 2270–2276, 2007     

Rapid living free‐radical polymerization of methyl acrylate under 60Co γ‐ray irradiation at room temperature

Rapid living free‐radical polymerization of methyl acrylate under ⁶⁰Co γ‐ray irradiation in the presence of benzyl 1H‐imidazole‐1‐carbodithioate at room temperature is reported. The results showed that the polymerization is a fast living process, and that the molecular weight of the polymer is as high as 39 600 g mol^?1 at 68 % conversion with M_w/M_n = 1.09 within 68 min. The polymerization rate was markedly influenced by the structures of thiocarbonylthio compounds. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Spectrophotometric investigation of the copolymerization of styrene or methyl methacrylate with 1,8‐naphthalimide dyes

The copolymerization of styrene or methyl methacrylate with 1,8‐naphthalimide dyes to yield fluorescent side‐group copolymers was investigated. During copolymerization, no changes occurred in the chromophoric systems of the dyes. Colorimetrically, it was found that more that 0.90% of the dyes were chemically bonded to the polymer chain. The effect of polymer coloration was proven by appropriate coloristic characterization. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2463–2470, 2001     

Decreasing miscibility with greater heterogeneity in ternary polymer blend: poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate), poly(α‐methyl styrene) and poly(4‐methyl styrene)

A ternary blend system comprising poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PCHMA), poly(α‐methyl styrene) (PαMS) and poly(4‐methyl styrene) (P4MS) was investigated by thermal analysis, optical and scanning electron microscopy. Ternary phase behaviour was compared with the behaviour for the three constituent binary pairs. This study showed that the ternary blends of PCHMA/PαMS/P4MS in most compositions were miscible, with an apparent glass transition temperature (T_g) and distinct cloud‐point transitions, which were located at lower temperatures than their binary counterparts. However, in a closed‐loop range of compositions roughly near the centre of the triangular phase diagram, some ternary blends displayed phase separation with heterogeneity domains of about 1 µm. Therefore, it is properly concluded that ternary PCHMA/PαMS/P4M is partially miscible with a small closed‐loop immisciblity range, even though all the constituent binary pairs are fully miscible. Thermodynamic backgrounds leading to decreased miscibility and greater heterogeneity in a ternary polymer system in comparison with the binary counterparts are discussed. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

UV‐radiation–induced preirradiation grafting of methyl methacrylate onto lignocellulose fiber in an aqueous medium and characterization

The preirradiation method of grafting has been established by ultraviolet radiation. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was grafted onto jute fiber in an aqueous medium. The variation of graft weight with UV‐radiation time, monomer concentration, and reaction time was investigated. The conversion of monomer into homopolymer and graft copolymer was evaluated. The graft weight passes through a maximum value (～ 122%) with UV‐radiation time. The optimum value of the monomer concentration was evaluated for maximum degree of grafting. Graft copolymerization of MMA onto lignocellulose fiber significantly increases the elongation at break (～ 65%) compared to that of the “as‐received” sample. However, a linear decrease on breaking load was observed with the increase of graft weight. The estimation of degree of grafting was achieved using an IR technique by correlating band intensities with the degree of grafting. Considering the water‐absorption property, the grafted sample showed a maximum up to 61% decrease in hydrophilicity compared to that of the as‐received sample. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 1667–1675, 2004     

国产氯丁胶和MMA的接枝共聚研究

研究了国产CR - 2 4 4可接枝氯丁胶 (CR)和甲基丙烯酸甲酯 (MMA)的接枝共聚反应 ,并成功地进行了 0 .1m3和 1 .0m3的扩试生产。     

Guided tissue regeneration with use of β‐TCP/chitosan composite membrane

Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) membranes with bioabsorbable characteristics have been employed, in recent years, for periodontal procedures to deflect the growth of gingival tissues away from root surface. They provide an isolated space over regions with defective tissues and allow the relatively slow growing periodontal ligament fibroblasts to be repopulated over the root surface. In this study, we have employed chitosan and tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) as viable membrane materials and evaluated their roles in GTR applications. Three types of β‐TCP/chitosan membranes, weight ratio of β‐TCP/chitosan 65 : 35, 33 : 67, and 10 : 90, were prepared for three categories: the mechanical strength to create an effective space; the rapid rate to reach hydrolytic equilibrium in phosphate buffer solution; and the ease of clinical manipulations. Consequently, standardized, transosseous, and critical‐sized (cavity of 8 mm) skull defects were made in adult rabbits, and the defective regions were covered with the specifically prepared chitosan membranes. After 4 weeks of recovering, varying degrees of bone healing were observed beneath the β‐TCP/chitosan membranes in comparison to the control group. The β‐TCP/chitosan membranes covered regions showed a clear boundary space between connective tissues and bony tissues. Over all, good cell‐occlusion and beneficial osteogensis effects by these bioabsorbable materials toward the wound recovery were indicated. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Kinetics for copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with N‐cyclohexylmaleimide

The kinetics for the radical copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with N‐cyclohexylmaleimide (NCMI) was investigated. The initial copolymerization rate R_p is proportional to the initiator concentration to the power of 0.54. The apparent activation energy of the overall copolymerization was measured to be 69.0 kJ/mol. The monomer reactivity ratios were determined to be r_NCMI = 0.42 and r_MMA = 1.63. R_p reduces slightly, and the molecular weight of the resultant copolymer decreases with increasing the concentration of the chain transfer agent N‐dodecanethiol (RSH). The more the transfer agent, the narrower the molecular weight distribution of the resulting copolymer. The following chain‐transfer constant of RSH for the copolymerization of MMA with NCMI in benzene at 50°C was obtained: C_s = 0.23. The glass transition temperature (T_g) of the copolymer increases with increasing f_NCMI, which indicates that adding NCMI can improve the heat resistance of Plexiglas. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 74: 1293–1297, 1999