Kilogram scale inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur to prepare high capacity polymer electrodes for Li-S batteries

The synthesis of high content sulfur copolymers via the inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur and 1,3-diisopropenylbenzene (DIB) on a one-kilogram scale is reported in a single step process. Investigation into the effects of temperature, reaction scale, and comonomer feed ratios on the inverse vulcanization process of S₈ and DIB were explored to suppress the Trommsdorf effect and enable large scale synthesis of these copolymers. The copolymers were then successfully used as the active cathode materials in Li-S batteries, exhibiting enhanced capacity retention and battery lifetimes (608 mAh/g at 640 cycles) at a C/10 rate. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 173–177     

Novel Surface Modification of Sulfur by Plasma Polymerization and its Application in Dissimilar Rubber-Rubber Blends

In this study, surface modification of elemental sulfur by plasma polymerization with acetylene, perfluorohexane and acrylic acid is described, with the aim of changing the surface properties of sulfur without losing the bulk properties and reactivities in the vulcanization process. Significant improvements are obtained in dissimilar elastomer blends using the encapsulated sulfur powders. The conditions for the plasma polymerization were varied in order to obtain the optimal performance of the modified sulfur. The imperfections in the shell structure, obtained with plasma polymers, act as gateways to release sulfur for the vulcanization reaction.     

Reactive Compression Molding Post-Inverse Vulcanization: A Method to Assemble,Recycle, and Repurpose Sulfur Polymers and Composites

Inverse vulcanization provides dynamic and responsive materials made from elemental sulfur and unsaturated cross-linkers. These polymers have been used in a variety of applications such as energy storage, infrared optics, repairable materials, environmental remediation, and precision fertilizers. In spite of these advances, there is a need for methods to recycle and reprocess these polymers. In this study, polymers prepared by inverse vulcanization are shown to undergo reactive compression molding. In this process, the reactive interfaces of sulfur polymers are brought into contact by mechanical compression. Upon heating these molds at relatively low temperatures (≈100 °C), chemical bonding occurs at the polymer interfaces by S−S metathesis. This method of processing is distinct from previous studies on inverse vulcanization because the polymers examined in this study do not form a liquid phase when heated. Neither compression nor heating alone was sufficient to mold these polymers into new architectures, so this is a new concept in the manipulation of sulfur polymers. Additionally, high-level ab initio calculations revealed that the weakest S−S bond in organic polysulfides decreases linearly in strength from a sulfur rank of 2 to 4, but then remains constant at about 100 kJ mol⁻¹ for higher sulfur rank. This is critical information in engineering these polymers for S−S metathesis. Guided by this insight, polymer repair, recycling, and repurposing into new composites was demonstrated.     

Inverse Vulcanization of Styrylethyltrimethoxysilane–Coated Surfaces,Particles, and Crosslinked Materials

Sulfur as a side product of natural gas and oil refining is an underused resource. Converting landfilled sulfur waste into materials merges the ecological imperative of resource efficiency with economic considerations. A strategy to convert sulfur into polymeric materials is the inverse vulcanization reaction of sulfur with alkenes. However, the materials formed are of limited applicability, because they need to be cured at high temperatures (>130 °C) for many hours. Herein, we report the reaction of elemental sulfur with styrylethyltrimethoxysilane. Marrying the inverse vulcanization and silane chemistry yielded high sulfur content polysilanes, which could be cured via room temperature polycondensation to obtain coated surfaces, particles, and crosslinked materials. The polycondensation was triggered by hydrolysis of poly(sulfur-r-styrylethyltrimethoxysilane) (poly(S_n-r-StyTMS) under mild conditions (HCl, pH 4). For the first time, an inverse vulcanization polymer could be conveniently coated and mildly cured via post-polycondensation. Silica microparticles coated with the high sulfur content polymer could improve their Hg²⁺ ion remediation capability.     

Hybrid cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries

This review demonstrates the approaches to fabricate hybrid cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. This short review does not claim to cover all recently published data; instead, an effort is aimed to show how the critical issues on carbon – sulfur hybrid are addressed based on selected articles in last couple of years. The influence of porous structure of carbon, the confinement effect of polysulfides in narrow micropores, and importance of hierarchical porosity are explained. Besides, the heteroatom doping on carbon in carbon–sulfur hybrids plays a vital role on improvement of bulk electronic conductivity of electrode. This review presents the twin polymerization strategy for direct preparation of nanoscale intermixed hybrid materials. Finally, the formation of sulfur containing copolymers by reacting sulfur melt with functional vinyl monomers are shown in this review with selected examples postulating the respective potential for future generation energy storage technology from the viewpoint of industrial applications.     

Crosslinker Copolymerization for Property Control in Inverse Vulcanization

Sulfur is an underused by-product of the petrochemicals industry. Recent research into inverse vulcanization has shown how this excess sulfur can be transformed into functional polymers, by stabilization with organic crosslinkers. For these interesting new materials to realize their potential for applications, more understanding and control of their physical properties is needed. Here we report four new terpolymers prepared from sulfur and two distinct alkene monomers that can be predictively tuned in glass transition, molecular weight, solubility, mechanical properties, and color.     

Novel segmented copolymers by combination of controlled ionic and radical polymerizations

Transformation of different living and non‐living polymerization mechanisms to controlled/“living” atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in order to prepare block and graft copolymers is described. The synthesis and characterization of macroinitiators and the resulting segmented copolymers is discussed.     

Inverse Vulcanization of a Natural Monoene with Sulfur as Sustainable Electrochemically Active Materials for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

A novel soluble copolymer poly(S-MVT) was synthesized using a relatively quick one-pot solvent-free method, inverse vulcanization. Both of the two raw materials are sustainable, i.e., elemental sulfur is a by-product of the petroleum industry and 4-Methyl-5-vinylthiazole (MVT) is a natural monoene compound. The microstructure of poly(S-MVT) was characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, XPS spectroscopy, XRD, DSC SEM, and TEM. Test results indicated that the copolymers possess protonated thiazole nitrogen atoms, meso/macroporous structure, and solubility in tetrahydrofuran and chloroform. Moreover, the improved electronic properties of poly(S-MVT) relative to elemental sulfur have also been investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The copolymers are utilized successfully as the cathode active material in Li-S batteries. Upon employment, the copolymer with 15% MVT content provided good cycling stability at a capacity of ∼514 mA h g⁻¹ (based on the mass of copolymer) and high Coulombic efficiencies (∼100%) over 100 cycles, as well as great rate performance.     

Poly(2-oxazoline)-Containing Triblock Copolymers: Synthesis and Applications

This review focuses on poly(2-oxazoline) containing triblock copolymers and their applications. A detailed overview of the synthetic techniques is provided. Triblock copolymers solely based on poly(2-oxazoline)s can be synthesized by sequential monomer addition utilizing mono- as well as bifunctional initiators for the cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-oxazolines. Crossover and coupling techniques enable access to triblock copolymers comprising, e.g., polyesters, poly(dimethylsiloxane)s, or polyacrylates in combination with poly(2-oxazoline) based segments. Besides systematic studies to develop structure property relationships, these polymers have been applied, e.g., in drug delivery, as (functionalized) vesicles, in segmented networks or as nanoreactors.     

Sequential crosslinking for mechanical property development in high sulfur content composites

This report details how sequential crosslinking processes can be applied to develop properties in sulfur-bisphenol A composites. Olefinic carbons were first crosslinked by inverse vulcanization (InV) at 180°C and then aryl carbon crosslinking was affected via radical-induced aryl halide-sulfur polymerization (RASP) at 220°C. To demonstrate that these two crosslinking mechanisms are orthogonal and can be used to affect stepwise property changes, O,O′-diallyl-2,2′,5,5′-tetrabromobisphenol A was selected as a comonomer. After InV of the monomer with 90 wt% sulfur, a flexible plastic material having an elongation at break of 89% was obtained, whereas after heating this premade polymer to initiate RASP, the polymer develops a threefold increase in its tensile strength and has an elongation at break of only 29%. The sequential crosslinking strategy demonstrated herein thus provides an innovative approach to tuning the properties of high sulfur-content materials.     

序列结构对苯乙烯/丁二烯共聚物热释电流峰的影响

本文研究聚合方式对苯乙烯/丁二烯共聚物热释电流峰(TSC)的影响。共聚物试样有三个电流峰(β、α和ρ峰)。实验结果表明:聚合方式对β峰(丁二烯局部运动)基本没有影响,但对α峰(丁二烯相的T_g转变)的位置有明显的影响,而且两步法试样有两个α峰;嵌段共聚物试样在高温还有一肩部(苯乙烯相的T_g转变),无规共聚试样没有肩部。由共聚物的序列结构能圆满解释TSC结果,而序列结构决定于聚合方式。因此,本工作将苯乙烯/丁二烯共聚物的序列结构与性能联系起来。     

Study on sequence distribution of segmented poly(urethane urea)s by 13C-NMR spectroscopy: Effect of polymerization procedures

The segmented poly(urethane urea) copolymers were synthesized by one- and two-step polymerization procedures. The copolymers were based on 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate, 3,5-diethyltoluene diamine, and ethylene oxide-capped poly(propylene oxide) diol. The mean sequence lengths of polyurethane soft block and polyurea hard block as well as the sequence distribution of the hard block in the copolymers were estimated from the signals of aromatic carbons in ¹³C-NMR spectra. The results indicated that two-step polymerization led to longer mean sequence lengths and broader hard block sequence distribution than one-step polymerization did. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur and styrene for polymeric cathodes in Li‐S batteries

High sulfur content copolymers were prepared via the inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur with styrene. This reaction was carried out at a relatively low temperature and invokes a new chain transfer mechanism of abstraction of benzylic protons to form stable copolymers. The use of styrene as a comonomer for inverse vulcanization was attractive due to the low cost and wide spread industrial use of styrenics in free radical processes. The copolymers were used as the active cathode material in Li‐S batteries that exhibited outstanding device performance, maintaining 489 mAh/g capacity after 1000 cycles. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 107–116     

Bulk and surface properties of blends with semifluorinated polymers and block copolymers

The goal of the investigation presented here is the development of extremely hydrophobic materials based on polysulfone that can be applied, for instance, as fouling-resistant membrane materials. The concept used is the addition of semifluorinated polymers to polysulfone in suitable blend compositions. The influence of molecular parameters like chain structure of the semifluorinated polymer (segmented block copolymers, random copolymers) and segment molecular weight on the state of phase separation in the bulk and its influence on the surface properties have been systematically examined. It could be shown that segmented block copolymers with semifluorinated polyester segments with intermediate segment molecular weight are more suitable in blends with polysulfone than random polysulfone copolymers having semifluorinated side chains with respect to form homogeneous thin films (coatings) with highly non-wetting properties.     

Perfectly alternating segmented polyimide-polydimethyl siloxane copolymers via transimidization

New strategies for the synthesis of perfectly alternating segmented polyimide-polydimethyl siloxane copolymers were developed by utilizing a transimidization method. Imide oligomers endcapped with 2-aminopyrimidine were reacted with aminopropyl terminated (dimethyl siloxane) oligomers to afford perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers. The polymerization was conducted in solvents such as chlorobenzene and chlorofrom. High molecular weight, fully imidized perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers were obtained within 2 h at temperatures of 60-110°C. The mechanism of the reaction was further elucidated via model compounds and NMR characterization. The block copolymers exhibited two T_gs due to the microphase separation of the polyimide and polysiloxane phases. The T_g of the polyimide phase was a function of the length of the polyimide block. However, partial phase mixing was also evident from the DSC results on the imide siloxane copolymers prepared with low molecular weight polyimide segments. Thermooxidative stability and tensile properties of the perfectly alternating segmented imide siloxane copolymers were found to be principally dependent on the amount of poly (dimethyl siloxane) incorporated in the copolymer and did not correlate with the poly (dimethyl siloxane) or polyimide block lengths. The stress-strain behavior of both solvent cast films or molded films is also reported. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synergistic Effect of Covalent Bonding and Physical Encapsulation of Sulfur in the Pores of a Microporous COF to Improve Cycling Performance in Li-S Batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries stands out as a promising technology for energy storage owing to a combination of favorable characteristics including a high theoretical gravimetric capacity, energy density, inexpensive character, and environmental benignity. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a rapidly developing family of functional nanostructures which combine porosity and crystallinity, and which have been already used in these kinds of batteries to build sulfur electrodes, by embedding sulfur into porous COFs in order to enhance cycle lifetimes. In this contribution, this is taken one step forward and a COF endowed with vinyl groups is used, in order to graft sulfur to the COF skeleton through inverse vulcanization. The main aim of the article is to show the synergistic effect of covalent bonding and physical encapsulation of sulfur in the pores of the COF in order to alleviate the fatal redox shuttling process, to improve the cycling performance, and to provide faster ion diffusion pathways. In addition, it is shown how the material with covalently-bound S provides better electrochemical performance under demanding and/or changeable charge conditions than a parent analogue material with sulfur physically confined, but without covalent linkage.     

用稳定自由基聚合及光引发聚合制备嵌段共聚物

介绍了稳定自由基聚合的反应原理、引发剂设计，以及用稳定自由基聚合制备嵌段共聚物的几种方法：连续加料法、双官能团引发剂法和一步法。对于光引发聚合的原理及硫自由基的稳定性对聚合反应的影响也进行了讨论。     

Amphiphilic block copolymers by a combination of anionic polymerization and selective post-polymerization functionalization

Anionic polymerization is the oldest known living/controlled polymerization methodology that leads to well defined macromolecules. It has been also used, with considerable success, for the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers (AmBC), a class of functional copolymers having interesting self-assembling properties and high potential for applications in various technological fields. The use of mild and effective post-polymerization functionalization/chemical modification reactions on block copolymers has substantially increased the synthetic capabilities of anionic polymerization methodologies, toward the creation of a variety of AmBC. In this feature article we review work done on these directions in the last ten years. Some perspectives and future work on this particular field of polymer science are also discussed.     

On the Robustness of Forward and Inverse Artificial Neural Networks for the Simulation of Ethylene/1‐Butene Copolymerization

Forward and inverse artificial neural network (ANN) models are used to describe ethylene/1‐butene copolymerization with a model catalyst having two site types. The forward ANN predicts number and weight average molecular weights, average comonomer content, and polymer yield as a function of a set of polymerization conditions, while the inverse model estimates polymerization conditions needed to produce copolymers with desired microstructures. The forward model is found to be robust and resilient to random noise introduced into the datasets. The inverse model, however, leads to multiple solutions (several polymerization conditions can produce polymers with similar microstructures) and is sensitive to random noise in the data. Although the polymerization conditions estimated from inverse ANN are different from the model data, the estimated polymerization conditions are found to provide similar microstructures even with the random noise.     

Segmented block copolymers of poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ethylene terephthalate)

A new series of segmented copolymers were synthesized from poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) oligomers and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) by a two‐step solution polymerization reaction. PET oligomers were obtained by glycolysis depolymerization. Structural features were defined by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The copolymer composition was calculated via ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The content of soft PEG segments was higher than that of hard PET segments. A single glass‐transition temperature was detected for all the synthesized segmented copolymers. This observation was found to be independent of the initial PET‐to‐PEG molar ratio. The molar masses of the copolymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4448–4457, 2004