scholarly journals Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Poly(N-Vinylcaprolactam)-b-Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Block Copolymers via the Combination of RAFT/MADIX and Ring-Opening Polymerizations

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1252
Author(s):  
Rodolfo M. Moraes ◽  
Layde T. Carvalho ◽  
Gizelda M. Alves ◽  
Simone F. Medeiros ◽  
Elodie Bourgeat-Lami ◽  
...  

Well-defined amphiphilic, biocompatible and partially biodegradable, thermo-responsive poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-b-poly(ε-caprolactone) (PNVCL-b-PCL) block copolymers were synthesized by combining reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) and ring-opening polymerizations (ROP). Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) containing xanthate and hydroxyl end groups (X–PNVCL–OH) was first synthesized by RAFT/macromolecular design by the interchange of xanthates (RAFT/MADIX) polymerization of NVCL mediated by a chain transfer agent containing a hydroxyl function. The xanthate-end group was then removed from PNVCL by a radical-induced process. Finally, the hydroxyl end-capped PNVCL homopolymer was used as a macroinitiator in the ROP of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) to obtain PNVCL-b-PCL block copolymers. These (co)polymers were characterized by Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR), UV–vis and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the block copolymers in aqueous solution measured by the fluorescence probe technique decreased with increasing the length of the hydrophobic block. However, dynamic light scattering (DLS) demonstrated that the size of the micelles increased with increasing the proportion of hydrophobic segments. The morphology observed by cryo-TEM demonstrated that the micelles have a pointed-oval-shape. UV–vis and DLS analyses showed that these block copolymers have a temperature-responsive behavior with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) that could be tuned by varying the block copolymer composition.

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 955-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khezrollah Khezri ◽  
Yousef Fazli

AbstractHydrophilic silica aerogel nanoparticles surface was modified with hexamethyldisilazane. Then, the resultant modified nanoparticles were used in random copolymerization of styrene and butyl acrylate via activators generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization. Conversion and molecular weight determinations were performed using gas and size exclusion chromatography respectively. Addition of modified nanoparticles by 3 wt% results in a decrease of conversion from 68 to 46 %. Molecular weight of copolymer chains decreases from 12,500 to 7,500 g.mol–1 by addition of 3 wt% modified nanoparticles; however, PDI values increase from 1.1 to 1.4. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy results indicate that the molar ratio of each monomer in the copolymer chains is approximately similar to the initial selected mole ratio of them. Increasing thermal stability of the nanocomposites is demonstrated by thermal gravimetric analysis. Differential scanning calorimetry also shows a decrease in glass transition temperature by increasing modified silica aerogel nanoparticles.


Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyob Wondu ◽  
Hyun Woo Oh ◽  
Jooheon Kim

In this study water-soluble polyurethane (WSPU) was synthesized from isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), and polyethylene glycol (PEG), 2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid or dimethylolpropionic acid (DMPA), butane-1,4-diol (BD), and triethylamine (TEA) using an acetone process. The water solubility was investigated by solubilizing the polymer in water and measuring the contact angle and the results indicated that water solubility and contact angle tendency were increased as the molecular weight of the soft segment decreased, the amount of emulsifier was increased, and soft segment to hard segment ratio was lower. The contact angle of samples without emulsifier was greater than 87°, while that of with emulsifier was less than 67°, indicating a shift from highly hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The WSPU was also analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) to identify the absorption of functional groups and further checked by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The molecular weight of WSPU was measured using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). The structure of the WSPU was confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). The thermal properties of WSPU were analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenxuan Wei ◽  
Li Yang ◽  
Guanjun Chang

Indole-based poly(ether sulfone)s (PINESs), as novel high-performance polymers, have been obtained by the condensation polymerization of 4-hydroxyindole and hydroquinone with activated difluoro monomers via a catalyst-free nucleophilic substitution reaction. The structures of the polymers are characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and the results show good agreement with the proposed structures. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis measurements exhibit that polymers possess high glass transition temperature ( Tgs > 245°C) and good thermal stability with high decomposition temperatures ( Tds > 440°C). In addition, due to their special structure, PINESs are endowed with significantly strong photonic luminescence in N, N-dimethylformamide.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Aouissi ◽  
Zeid Abdullah Al-Othman ◽  
Abdurrahman Salhabi

Polymerization of 1,2-cyclohexene oxide (CHO) in dichloromethane was catalyzed by 12-tungstophosphoric acid (H3PW12O40·13H2O) as a super solid acid. The effect of polymerization parameters such as reaction time, temperature, and catalyst amount was investigated. The effect of acetic anhydride as a ring-opening agent was also investigated. The resulting poly(1,2-cyclohexene oxide) (PCHO) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR), gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). It has been found that the PCHO prepared over H3PW12O40·13H2O has a stereoregularity higher than that prepared over clay and Aluminium alkoxide catalysts. TheTgvalue obtained is due to the microstructure but not to molecular weight. The yield and the molecular weight of the polymer depend strongly on the reaction conditions. Molecular weights can be readily controlled by changing reaction temperature, reaction time, and catalyst amount. Contrary to most polymerization reactions, the molecular weight increases with the temperature increase. Addition of acetic anhydride to the reaction medium increased the yield threefold.


2013 ◽  
Vol 66 (12) ◽  
pp. 1564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lily A. Dayter ◽  
Kate A. Murphy ◽  
Devon A. Shipp

A single reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent, malonate N,N-diphenyldithiocarbamate (MDP-DTC) is shown to successfully mediate the polymerization of several monomers with greatly differing reactivities in radical/RAFT polymerizations, including both vinyl acetate and styrene. The chain transfer constants (Ctr) for MDP-DTC for both these monomers were evaluated; these were found to be ~2.7 in styrene and ~26 in vinyl acetate, indicating moderate control over styrene polymerization and good control of vinyl acetate polymerization. In particular, the MDP-DTC RAFT agent allowed for the synthesis of block copolymers of these two monomers without the need for protonation/deprotonation switching, as has been previously developed with N-(4-pyridinyl)-N-methyldithiocarbamate RAFT agents, or other end-group transformations. The thermal properties of the block copolymers were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, and those with sufficiently high molecular weight and styrene composition appear to undergo phase separation. Thus, MDP-DTC may be useful for the production of other block copolymers consisting of monomers with highly dissimilar reactivities.


2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1139-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zi Sang ◽  
Tiantian Feng ◽  
Wenbin Liu ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Mehdi Derradji

A new series of aniline and aniline-mixed tetrafunctional fluorene-based oxazine monomers were synthesized using 2,7-hydroxy-9,9-bis-(4-hydroxyphenyl) fluorene, paraformaldehyde, and primary amines (including aniline or aniline mixed with n-butylamine or n-octylamine composition). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure of the monomers. The copolymers were obtained by adding the monomers into a typical monofunctional polybenzoxazine (phenol-aniline-based benzoxazine). Differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis were performed to study the thermal properties of the copolymers. The copolymers exhibited high glass transition temperature values (164–201°C). A good thermal stability was also obtained with a 5% weight loss temperature over 355°C and high char yields at 800°C (42–50%).


2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 939 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiwen Pei ◽  
Nadia C. Dharsana ◽  
Andrew B. Lowe

The ethanolic reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer dispersion polymerization (RAFTDP), at 21 wt-%, of 2-(naphthalen-2-yloxy)ethyl methacrylate (NOEMA) and 2-phenoxyethyl methacrylate (POEMA) with a poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] macro-chain transfer agent (CTA) with an average degree of polymerization of 20 (PDMAEMA20) is described. DMAEMA20-b-NOEMAy (y = 20–125) block copolymers were readily prepared under dispersion conditions in ethanol at 70°C. However, the polymerization of NOEMA was not well controlled, with size exclusion chromatograms being distinctly bi or multimodal with measured dispersities . Though NOEMA copolymerization was not ideal, the resulting series of block copolymers did exhibit the anticipated full spectrum of nanoparticle morphologies (spheres, worms, and vesicles). Interestingly, these morphology transitions occurred over a relatively narrow range of block copolymer compositions. In the case of POEMA, copolymerization was also poorly controlled with 1.50 ≤ ĐM ≤ 1.83 for the series of DMAEMA20-b-POEMAy copolymers. In contrast to the NOEMA-based copolymers, the POEMA series only yielded nanoparticles with a spherical morphology whose size increased with increasing average degrees of polymerization of the POEMA block. Collectively, though both NOEMA and POEMA can be utilized in ethanolic RAFT dispersion polymerization formulations, these preliminary studies suggest that neither appears to be an ideal aryl methacrylate choice as comonomer, especially if the goal is to combine the synthesis of well-defined copolymers with efficient nanoparticle formation.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Breeanna Urbanowicz ◽  
William Barnes ◽  
Sabina Koj ◽  
Ian Black ◽  
Stephanie Archer-Hartmann ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: In plants, there is a large diversity of polysaccharides that comprise the cell wall. Each major type of plant cell wall polysaccharide, including cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin, has distinct structures and functions that contribute to wall mechanics and influence plant morphogenesis. In recent years, pectin modification and valorization has attracted much attention due to its expanding roles of pectin in biomass deconstruction, food science, material science, and environmental remediation. However, pectin utilization has been limited by our incomplete knowledge of pectin structure. Herein, we present a workflow of principles relevant for the characterization of polysaccharide primary structure using nature’s most complex polysaccharide, rhamnogalacturonan-II (RG-II), as a model.Results: We outline how to isolate RG-II from celery and duckweed cell wall material and red wine using chemical or enzymatic treatments coupled with size-exclusion chromatography. From there, we demonstrate the use of mass spectrometry (MS)-based techniques to determine the glycosyl residue and linkage compositions of the intact RG II molecule and RG-II-derived oligosaccharides including special considerations for labile monosaccharides. In doing so, we demonstrated that in the duckweed Wolffiella repanda the arabinopyranosyl (Arap) residue of side chain B is substituted at O-2 with rhamnose. As RG-II is further modified by non-glycosyl modifications including methyl-ethers, methyl-esters, and acetyl-esters, we then describe ways to use electrospray-MS to identify these moieties on RG-II-derived oligosaccharides. We then explored the utility of proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) in identifying RG-II-specific sugars and non-glycosyl modifications to complement and extend MS-based approaches. Finally, we describe how to assess the factors that affect RG-35 II dimerization using liquid chromatographic and NMR spectroscopic approaches.Conclusions: The complexity of pectic polysaccharide structures has hampered efforts aimed at their valorization. In this work, we used RG-II as a model to demonstrate the steps necessary to isolate and characterize polysaccharides using chromatographic, MS, and NMR techniques. The principles can be applied to the characterization of other saccharide structures and will help inform researchers on how saccharide structure relates to functional properties in the future.


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