Matrix mediated alignment of single wall carbon nanotubes in polymer composite films

Alignment of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) in liquid crystalline (LC) polymer matrix imparting orientation to the nanotubes along the nematic director was studied by atomic force microscopy, measurements of electrical conductivity and Raman spectroscopy of the composite in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the nematic director. The composites were prepared through dispersion of SWNT with LC monomer in a common solvent, their alignment in nematic monomer and consequent UV polymerization of the monomer. The anisotropy of electrical and optical properties of the system depends strongly on the concentration of the nanotubes in the range of 1-10% SWNT being especially strong for smaller concentrations and negligible at higher loads. A simple semi-quantitative model is suggested to account for the orientational behavior of nanotubes in nematic matrices. It successfully describes the observed anisotropy of physical properties at microscale (up to 200 μm) in terms of anchoring of the polymer chains to the nanotubes surface and adjustment of the nanotubes orientation to the nematic direction due to such coupling. The increasing disorientation of the nematic domains at higher nanotubes loads is explained as a development of larger number of LC defects induced by the nanotubes in the nematic matrix due to their intrinsic nature of aggregation. The anisotropy of physical properties at macro scale (several millimeters) is much smaller and less dependable on SWNT concentration because differently oriented LC domains effectively wash out the anisotropy.     

Polyurethane foams with 1,3‐pyrimidine ring

Attempts of obtaining of polyurethane foams using polyetherols with 1,3‐pyrimidine ring (obtained in reactions of 6‐aminouracil with oxiranes) are reported. Properties of the foams are investigated, especially their thermal stability. The foams show an improved thermal stability up to 200°C for a long time. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Preparation,structural elucidation,molecular weight determination,and molecular recognition of first‐ and second‐tier dendrimer molecules

1,3,5‐Triglyceratetriazine [first tier (G₁)] and tri(1,3,5‐triglycerate) triazine [second tier (G₂)] dendrimers were prepared with 1,3,5‐trichlorotriazine and sodium glycerate in a 1 : 3 mass ratio in an ethanolic medium.G₁ and G₂ were amorphous, white, solid substances. Their structures were elucidated with IR, ¹H‐NMR, and ¹³C‐NMR, and their thermal stability was studied with thermogravimetric analysis. The activation energy was calculated with the Freeman–Carroll model. Densities, viscosities, and surface tensions for 0.01–0.08 mol/kg aqueous solutions increased at 0.01 mol/kg for sodium glycerate, 1,3,5‐trichlorotriazine, 1,3,5‐triazine triglycerate chloride, G₁, and G₂. These values were measured at 298.15 K. The apparent molal volume, reduced viscosity, and inherent viscosity were calculated from the densities and viscosities, respectively. The data were regressed for the limiting densities, limiting apparent molal volumes, intrinsic viscosities, limiting inherent viscosities, and limiting surface tensions for solute–solvent interactions. The positive limiting apparent molal volume values were noted in the order of G₂ > 1,3,5‐triazine triglycerate chloride > G₁ > 1,3,5‐trichlorotriazine > sodium glycerate, with weaker hydrophilic intermolecular interactions of G₂. The higher intrinsic viscosity and limiting inherent viscosity values for G₂ implied stronger G₂–H₂O hydrophilic interactions, and the higher limiting apparent molal volume of G₂ indicated slightly higher dynamic conformational changes in comparison with G₁, with stronger structural activities. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Furan–thiophene copolymers: Electrosynthesis and electrochemical behavior

The electrochemical copolymerization of furan and thiophene was performed at a constant electrode potential in a binary solvent system consisting of boron trifluoride/ethyl ether and an additional amount of ethyl ether (molar ratio = 1 : 2). The obtained homopolymers and copolymers were characterized with cyclic voltammetry and infrared spectroscopy. The influence of the applied electropolymerization potential and the monomer feed ratio of furan and thiophene on the copolymers was investigated. The furan–thiophene copolymers showed good stability of the redox activity in an acetonitrile‐based electrolyte solution. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Green and self-lubricating polyoxymethylene composites filled with low-density polyethylene and rice husk flour

Polyoxymethylene (POM) composites filled with low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and rice husk flour (RHF) were prepared by injection molding. The POM/5 wt % LDPE/7.5 wt % RHF composite exhibited the lowest wear rate, whereas the coefficient of friction remained low, and the POM/5 wt % LDPE/5 wt % RHF composite had the best mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction analysis was carried out, and the worn surfaces were examined with scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the addition of the filler reduced the crystallinity degree of the POM composites. The main wear mechanism for unfilled POM was adhesion, whereas for the POM composites, wear seemed to occur mainly by fatigue and abrasion. It was experimentally confirmed that the POM composite filled with LDPE and RHF, which is well-performing, low-cost, and environmentally friendly, could be a potential material for tribological applications. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) grafted sodium alginate hydrogel beads for the controlled release of indomethacin

Graft copolymers of sodium alginate (NaAlg) with N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone were prepared using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The graft copolymers (NaAlg‐g‐PVP) were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Polymeric hydrogel beads of NaAlg and NaAlg‐g‐PVP were prepared by crosslinking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker in the hydrochloric acid catalyst (HCl) and these beads were used to deliver anti‐inflammatory drug, indomethacin (IM). Chemical stability of the IM after encapsulation into beads was confirmed by FTIR. Preparation conditions of the NaAlg‐g‐PVP beads were optimized by considering the percentage entrapment efficiency, particle size, swelling capacity and their release data. In vitro release studies were performed in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) for the initial 2 h, followed by simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) for 4 h. Effects of GA concentration, exposure time to GA, drug/polymer (d/p) ratio, and concentration of HCl on the release of IM were discussed. It was observed that IM release from the beads decreased with increasing GA concentration and exposure time. IM release also decreases with increasing d/p ratio and HCl concentration. The highest IM release was obtained to be 77% for beads crosslinked with 0.027M GA. Swelling experiments were also performed to compute molecular mass between crosslinks of the beads. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and magnetic properties of novel fully conjugated polymeric complexes containing 1,10‐phenanthroline

A novel fully conjugated polymer containing 1,10‐phenanthroline (DAPcDOD) was first synthesized by the polycondensation of 2,7‐dimethyl‐2,4,6‐octatriene‐1,8‐dial with 5,6‐diamine‐1,10‐phenanthroline. Three polymeric complexes were first prepared by the reaction of DAPcDOD with NiSO₄, CoCl₂, and FeSO₄, respectively. The structures of the polymer and the complexes were characterized by IR, ¹H‐NMR, and elemental analysis. The magnetic behaviors of these complexes were measured as a function of magnetic field strength (0–50 kOe) at 5 K and as a function of temperature (5–300 K) at a magnetic field strength of 30 kOe. The results show that DAPcDOD–Ni²⁺ and DAPcDOD–Co²⁺ were soft ferromagnets, whereas DAPcDOD–Fe²⁺ exhibited the features of an antiferromagnet. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol)/sodium bromide polymer electrolytes for electrochemical cell applications

Sodium‐ion conducting polymer electrolytes based on poly(vinyl alcohol) complexed with sodium bromide were prepared with a solution‐casting technique. The structure of these films was determined with X‐ray diffraction, and the complexation of the salt with the polymer was confirmed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies. Electrical conductivity was measured with an alternating‐current impedance analyzer in the frequency range of 100 Hz to 1 MHz and in the temperature range of 303–373 K. It was observed that the magnitude of conductivity increased with the increase in the salt concentration as well as the temperature. The nature of the charge transport in these polymer electrolyte films was determined with both Wagner's polarization technique and the Watanabe technique. The dominant conducting species were found to be ions, particularly anions. Optical absorption studies were performed in the wavelength range of 200–600 nm, and the absorption edge, direct band gap, and indirect band gap values were evaluated. Electrochemical cells were fabricated, and their discharge characteristics were studied. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Potentiometric studies of oxidation–reduction reactions with redox copolymers

Polymeric oxidants in the bead form that were macroporous styrene/divinylbenzene copolymers containing N‐chlorosulfonamide functional groups (in sodium or hydrogen form) or N‐bromosulfonamide groups (in sodium form) were synthesized and investigated to determine their oxidizing powers. The redox potentials of the N‐chlorosulfonamide/sulfonamide and N‐bromosulfonamide/sulfonamide systems were determined by potentiometric studies at different pH values with aqueous solutions of Na₂SO₃, KCN, and KSCN as reducers. The formal redox potentials of the N‐chlorosulfonamide copolymers were 0.79, 0.44, and ?0.12 V at pH's of 1.8, 8.45, and 13.6, respectively. The formal redox potential of the N‐bromosulfonamide copolymer was about 100 mV higher in comparable conditions and in solutions over pH = 5 (e.g., 0.56 V at pH = 8.56). The comparatively higher oxidizing power of the N‐bromosulfonamide copolymer was particularly evident in a strong alkaline medium (in which the N‐chlorosulfonamide copolymer was not reactive). In contrast, the N‐chlorosulfonamide copolymer showed strong oxidative properties in acidic media (in which the N‐bromosulfonamide copolymer decomposed itself). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Nondegradative microextrusion of resorbable polyesters for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications: The cases of poly‐lactic‐acid and poly‐caprolactone

In recent years biodegradable polymers, particularly polyesters such as the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL), have gained high interests for their applicability in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields where they're used for manufacturing various different resorbable devices, from tissue engineering scaffolds to controlled drug release systems. Despite many positive characteristics, processability of these materials still remains a critical issue as they easily tend to degrade during manufacturing. In this article we aimed to assess microextrusion as a nondegradative process for manufacturing PLA and PCL. The results we experimentally obtained, that are hereby presented, set a new point in the on‐going debate on degradation during processing of resorbable polymers as they allow to affirm that microextrusion leaves unmodified molecular weight distributions without producing any evident reductions in mean molecular weight. Microextrusion thus represents a risk‐free high molecular weight polymer processing solution for obtaining nondegraded products within pharmaceutical and biomedical production lines, such as for scaffolds for tissue engineering applications or drug delivery. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008