Synthesis and characterization of poly(11-(4′-cyano-trans-4-stilbenyloxy)undecanyl vinyl ether)

Summary Polymers based on 11-(4-cyano-trans-4-stilbenyloxy)undecanyl vinyl ether have been synthesized by living cationic polymerization, photo-initiated cationic polymerization using onium salts and thermal initiated cationic polymerization using onium salts. The polymers have been characterized by size exclusion chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and polarized light microscopy. Living cationic polymerization resulted in a polymer of low molecular mass M_n3 600, with a uniformity index (D) of 1.2 displaying a focal conic texture indicative of smectic A (s_A) phase with preserved cyanogroup and trans-configuration. Photo-initiation using 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylethoxyphenylphosphine oxide and diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate resulted in an insoluble polymer exhibiting only vague liquid crystalline textures. Initiation with phenothiazine and phenacyltetramethylenesulfonium hexafluoroantimonate also yielded a partly insoluble polymer with a disturbed s_A phase. It is suggested that the monomer and polymer are sensitive towards radicals leading to cross-linking and branching. The thermal initiation on systems with -methylbenzyltetramethylenesulfonium hexafluorophosphate and p-methoxybenzyltetramethylenesulfonium hexafluorophosphate resulted in completely soluble mesomorphic polymers of M_n13 000, D=1.7 and M_n26 000, D=2.8 respectively, in both cases with a preserved cyanogroup and a transconfiguration. Polarized light microscopy revealed a distinct focal conic structure indicative of s_A in both cases.     

The electrochemical properties of polyaniline derivatives: poly(4,4′-diphenylamine methylenes) and poly(4,4′-diphenylimine methines)

Summary The electrochemical properties of poly(4,4-diphenylamine methylenes) and poly(4,4-diphenylimine methines) were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. A dehydrogenation reaction occured when poly(4,4-diphenylamine methylenes) underwent a electrochemical reaction and transformed to poly(4,4-diphenylimine methines). The fully oxidized poly(4,4-diphenylimine methines) had the electrochemical band gaps of 1.60–1.72 eV, which were found to significantly smaller than those of the fully reduced poly(4,4-diphenylamine methylenes).     

New photosensitive and optically active organo-soluble poly(amide–imide)s from N,N′-(bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-tetracarboxylic)-bis-L-amino acids and 1,5-bis(4-aminophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one: synthesis and characterization

A new series of N,N′-(bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-tetracarboxylic)-bis-L-amino acids 3a–g were synthesized by the condensation reaction of bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride 1 with two equimolars of various amino acids such as L-alanine 2a, L-valine 2b, L-leucine 2c, L-isoleucine 2d, L-phenyl alanine 2e, L-2-aminobutyric acid 2f and L-histidine 2g in an acetic acid solution. Also 1,5-bis(4-aminophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one 7 was synthesized by using a two-step reaction. At first 1,5-bis(4-nitrophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one 6 was prepared from the reaction of two equimolars 4-nitrobenzaldehyde 5 and one equimolar acetone 4 in ethanol and NaHCO₃ and dinitro compound 6 was reduced by using Na₂S. Then seven new photosensitive and optically active organo-soluble poly(amide–imide)s (PAIs) 8a–g with good inherent viscosities were synthesized from the direct polycondensation reaction of new N,N′-(bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-tetracarboxylic)-bis-L-amino acids 3a–g with 1,5-bis(4-aminophenyl)penta-1,4-dien-3-one 7 by two different methods such as direct polycondensation in a medium consisting of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/triphenyl phosphite (TPP)/calcium chloride (CaCl₂)/pyridine (py) and direct polycondensation in a tosyl chloride (TsCl)/pyridine (py)/N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) system. The polymerization reactions produced a series of photosensitive and optically active organo-soluble PAIs with high yield and good inherent viscosity. The resulted polymers were fully characterized by means of FTIR and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, inherent viscosity, specific rotation, solubility tests, UV-vis spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and derivative of thermaogravimetric (DTG). These macromolecules exhibited maximum UV-vis absorption at around 370 and 265 nm in a DMF solution.     

Synthesis and properties of poly[2-(4′-oxyphenylene)-5-benzimidazole] and a proton-exchange membrane produced on its basis

A monomer of the A-B type, 3,4-diamino-4′-carboxydiphenyloxide, has been synthesized via a series of consecutive transformations of 5-chloro-2-nitroaniline. The homopolycondensation of the monomer in Eaton’s reagent at 140°C yields poly[2-(4′-oxyphenylene)-5-benzimidazole] soluble in organic solvents. A membrane containing 51% H₃PO₄ (2.9 acid molecules pert monomer unit) and possessing a proton conductivity of 0.025 S/cm at 160°C is produced by doping a polymer film with 60% H₃PO₄.     

Synthesis and characterization of cholesteric liquid crystalline copolysiloxanes containing 4-biphenyl 4-allyloxybenzoate and [S]-1-(2-naphthyl)ethyl 6-[4-(10-undecen-1-yloxy) biphenyl-4′-carbonyloxy]-2-naphthoate side groups

A series of side-chain liquid crystalline copolysiloxanes containing 4-biphenyl 4-allyloxybenzoate and     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ester imide) copolymers from 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride, 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine,and 4-aminophenyl-4′-aminobenzoate

A series of poly(ester imide) (PEsI) copolymers were synthesized using 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (4,4′-BPDA), 2,2′-bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine (TFMB), and 4-aminophenyl-4′-aminobenzoate (APAB) as the monomers. Wide-angle x-ray diffraction results revealed that the average interchain distances of these polymers ranged from 4.6 to 5.7 Å, increasing with the increase of TFMB contents. PEsI-0.3 and PEsI-0.4 exhibited a glass transition temperature (T_g) of 445 and 455°C, respectively, while no distinctive T_g was observed for the PEsI copolymers when the APAB content was >50 mol%. The coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of these PEsI copolymers ranged from 3.8 to 24.2 ppm K⁻¹, increasing with the increase of TFMB contents. The PEsI copolymers exhibited a modulus of 5.7–7.8 GPa, a tensile strength of 282–332 MPa, and an elongation-at-break of 10.2%–23.3%. Furthermore, these copolymers exhibited a dielectric constant of 2.53–2.76, and a low dissipation factor (D_f) of 0.0026–0.0032 at 10 GHz in dry state. Because of their excellent combined properties, these PEsI copolymers are promising candidates as dielectric substrate materials for the applications in next generation flexible printed circuit boards operating at high frequencies.     

Electrochemical synthesis of poly(3′-alkyl-terthiophenes). Characterization and applications

A new series of polymers obtained from 3′-alkyl-terthiophene monomers have been electropolymerized aimed at using them as raw materials for the development of electronic devices, e.g., solar cell and organic light-emitting diodes, among others. The polymers were characterized by infrared and UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Cyclic voltammetry results revealed that during polymerization both terthiophene system and substituent groups are oxidized, but these processes are reversible. The products were tested in solar cells and the maximum yield obtained was 0.01%.     

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     

New optically active poly(amide-imide)s from N,N′-(bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic)bis-l-phenyl alanine and aromatic diamines: synthesis and characterization

In this work, new optically active poly(amide-imide)s (PAIs) having bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic diimide groups were prepared by the reaction of N,N′-(bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic)bis-l-phenyl alanine (4) as a diacid monomer with various readily available aromatic diamines. Triphenyl phosphite (TPP)/pyridine (Py) in the presence of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) were successfully applied for direct polycondensation. The diacid (4) was synthesized by the condensation reaction of bicyclo[2,2,2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (1) with l-phenyl alanine (2) in acetic acid solution. The resulting new polymers were obtained in good yields, inherent viscosities ranging between 0.29 and 0.48 dLg⁻¹ and were characterized with elemental analysis, FT-IR, ¹H-NMR spectroscopy, specific rotation, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA, DTG) techniques. Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the residual weight percent of polymers at 600 °C was between 53.80 and 56.21%, which show these are moderately thermally stable. In addition because of existence of chiral center and optical activity of these polymers, they have potential to be used as chiral stationary phase in chromatography technique for the separation of racemic mixtures.     

Regioselective synthesis and pharmacological activities of spirodibenzo[a,d]cycloheptene-5,2′-[1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives

Some new 3^′,5^′-substituted-5H,3^′ H-spirodibenzo[a, d]cycloheptene-5,2^′-[1,3,4]thiadiazole and 10,11-dihydro-5H,3^′ H-spirodibenzo[a, d]cycloheptene-5,2^′-[1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives 3a–n were regioselectively synthesized under 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 5-thiooxo-5H-dibenzo[a, d]cyclo-heptene and 5-thiooxo-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a, d]cycloheptene with a variety of nitrilimines (generated in situ via dehydrohalogenation of the corresponding hydrazonoyl chlorides in the presence of triethylamine). The new products were tested for antiinflammatory, analgesic, and ulcerogenic score activities comparable to Indomethacin. Compounds 3i–l showed significant activity compared to Indomethacin.     

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 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     

Precursors towards poly-1,1′-ferrocenylacetylene: a simple synthesis of hetero-disubstituted ferrocenylethynes

The synthesis of key monomers for use in the synthesis of poly-1,1′-ferrocenylacetylene (polyferrocenylethyne, PFcE) has been achieved. The monomers are 1′-bromoferrocenylethyne and 1′-iodoferrocenylethyne, which were prepared from 1,1′-dibromo- and 1,1′-diiodoferrocene, respectively, in a simple two-step synthesis. This synthesis complements the pre-existing more elaborate methodology.     

Intercalative redox polymerization and characterization of poly(4-vinylpyridine)–vermiculite nanocomposite

A new nanocomposite material consisting of poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) and vermiculite is synthesized by the intercalative redox polymerization of VP in the gallery of copper(II) ion-exchanged vermiculite. The formation of a single filament of the polymer in the gallery is confirmed by the increase in gallery spacing of 4.7 Å as indicated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Electron spin resonance studies confirm the presence of Cu(II) upon ion exchange and its absence following redox polymerization. The amount of polymer present in the gallery is found to be ∼18–19 mass % by thermogravimetric analysis. Confining the polymer to the gallery spacing in vermiculite results in enhanced thermal stability that is evident from the increase in the initial decomposition temperature by ∼300°C. Differential scanning calorimetry of the nanocomposite indicates that the polymer is confined to a restricted geometry because of the absence of a glass-transition temperature, which confirms the XRD finding. The IR absorption peaks corresponding to PVP and the expected PVP UV π–π* transition at 275 nm, along with the XRD and thermal data confirms that the gallery expansion is due to the PVP filament. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 555–561, 2001     

Preparation and characterization of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly[ε-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-l-lysine] thin films for biomedical applications

The nanoscale architectures evident in the thin films of self-assembling hybrid block copolymers—which are tailored to inherit the advantageous properties of their constituent synthetic (homo)polymer and polypeptide blocks—have continued to inspire a variety of new applications in different fields, including biomedicine. The thin films of symmetric hybrid block copolymer, α-methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly[ε-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-l-lysine], MPEG₁₁₂-b-PLL(Z)₁₇, were prepared by solvent casting in five different solvents and characterized using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric analysis, Derivative Thermogravimetric analysis, Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Contact Angle goniometry, Wide-Angle X-ray Diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Film thickness was estimated to be 51 ± 23 μm by the “step-height” method, using a thickness gauge. Although no significant change to the block copolymer’s microstructure was observed, its solvent-cast films displayed divergent physical and thermal properties. The resulting cast films proved more thermally stable than the bulk but indicated greater block miscibility. Additionally, the thin films of MPEG₁₁₂-b-PLL(Z)₁₇ preserved the microphase separation exhibited by the bulk copolymer albeit with appreciable loss of crystallinity. The surface properties of the polymer–air interface were diverse as were the effects of the casting solvents. Oriented equilibrium morphologies are also evident in some of the as-cast thin films.