Crosslinked poly(ethylene oxide) containing siloxanes fabricated through thiol‐ene photochemistry

Homogenous amphiphilic crosslinked polymer films comprising of poly(ethylene oxide) and polysiloxane were synthesized utilizing thiol‐ene “ click ” photochemistry. A systematic variation in polymer composition was Carried out to obtain high quality films with varied amount of siloxane and poly(ethylene oxide). These films showed improved gas separation performance with high gas permeabilities with good CO₂/N₂ selectivity. Furthermore, the resulting films were also tested for its biocompatibility, as a carrier media which allow human adult mesenchymal stem cells to retain their capacity for osteoblastic differentiation after transplantation. The obtained crosslinked films were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, FTIR, Raman‐IR , and small angle X‐ray scattering. The synthesis ease and commercial availability of the starting materials suggests that these new crosslinked polymer networks could find applications in wide range of applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1548–1557     

Amphiphilic thermoset elastomers from metal‐free,click crosslinking of PEG‐grafted silicone surfactants

The hydrophobicity of silicone elastomers can compromise their utility in some biomaterials applications. Few effective processes exist to introduce hydrophilic groups onto a polysiloxane backbone and subsequently crosslink the material into elastomers. This problem can be overcome through the utilization of metal‐free click reactions between azidoalkylsilicones and alkynyl‐modified silicones and/or PEGs to both functionalize and crosslink silicone elastomers. Alkynyl‐functional PEG was clicked onto a fraction of the available azido groups of a functional polysiloxane, yielding azido reactive PDMS‐g‐PEG rake surfactants. The reactive polymers were then used to crosslink alkynyl‐terminated PDMS of different molecular weights. Using simple starting materials, this generic yet versatile method permits the preparation and characterization of a library of amphiphilic thermoset elastomers that vary in their composition, crosslink density, elasticity, hydrogel formation, and wettability. An appropriate balance of PEG length and crosslink density leads to a permanently highly wettable silicone elastomer that demonstrated very low levels of protein adsorption. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1082–1093     

On additives, morphological evolution and dielectric breakdown in low density polyethylene

A series of low density polyethylene systems has been studied with respect to structural evolution and short-term dielectric breakdown behaviour. All materials were based upon a single polymer, that is commonly used in high voltage applications, but with different additives. In all three of these systems, multiple melting transitions were observed, as a result of molecular fractionation effects during crystallization. In the virgin polymer, a space-filling banded spherulitic morphology was found to develop at low temperatures (102 °C and below) whereas, at higher temperatures, only a few isolated axialites were observed. Inclusion of the antioxidant resulted in greatly increased nucleation densities, such that, at low temperatures, no evidence of spherulitic organisation remained. At higher temperatures, sheaf-like lamellar aggregates developed, which were much smaller and much more numerous than in the case of the virgin polymer. Further addition of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) resulted in the rapid formation of a crosslinked network at 200 °C. Some crosslinking also occurred at 150 °C, but over a much longer timescale. Where extensive crosslinking occurred prior to crystallization, the resulting gel inhibited structural development, such that only a few small, isolated sheaves were able to form at 102 °C. In view of the principal application area of this material, the breakdown strength of each of the above systems was then measured and the whole data set was analysed statistically. When structural factors were considered alongside the statistics, no clear trends emerged to indicate that either the compositional or morphological variations were reflected in the short-term electrical failure processes.     

Correlation between the Mechanical Properties and the Amount of Desorbed Water for Composites Based on Low-Density Polyethylene and Linen Yarn Production Waste

The effect of the amount of desorbed water on the mechanical properties of composites based on low-density polyethylene and linen yarn production waste (LW) is analyzed by statistical methods. It is shown that the amount of absorbed water decreases during the desorption process at room temperature both for specimens modified and unmodified with diphenylmethane diisocyanate (DIC.) The most sensitive to the action of water is the elastic modulus, which decreases considerably under the effect of water and is fully restored in the desorption process. The tensile strain also increases with the amount of absorbed water. It is found that the elastic modulus of the unmodified composite correlates linearly with the amount of desorbed water. Between the amount of desorbed water and the tensile strain, as well the specific work of deformation, a negative linear correlation is revealed. After water desorption, all strength and deformation characteristics of both the modified and unmodified composites are fully recovered.__________Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 4, pp. 515–524, July–August, 2005.     

纳米氧化钛-乙二醇溶胶溶液的研究

选用了钛酸丁酯、硬脂酸和乙二醇作为表面活性剂，采用表面化学修饰和表面物理修饰2种方法修饰纳米氧化钛，然后分散在乙二醇溶剂中形成溶胶溶液．并通过红外光谱仪、紫外分光计、原子力显微镜，分析了表面化学修饰后的纳米氧化钛表面化学结构的变化，观测了纳米氧化钛溶胶在乙二醇溶剂中稳定性．试验结果表明表面活性剂与纳米氧化钛的表面的不饱和键之间形成了新的化学结构，粒子表面可能接枝上有机长链，提高了纳米粒子在溶剂中的相容性．表面化学修饰后的纳米氧化钛与乙二醇溶剂形成了较稳定的溶胶体系，而且纳米溶胶粒径较小．表面活性剂添加量与纳米粒子添加量控制在(1～1．2)：1时，可以获得纳米溶胶粒径较小，同时溶胶稳定性较好的纳米氧化钛-乙二醇溶胶体系．     

Advances in late transition metal catalysts for olefin polymerization/oligomerizarion

In this review article, we have consolidated our recent studies on late transition metal catalysts (mainly Fe, Co) for olefin polymerization/oligomerization. A series of bisiminopyridyl Co(II) and Fe(II) complexes were synthesized. These catalysts when activated with MAO in aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, oligomerize or polymerize ethylene to α-olefins or high molecular weight polymers with exceptionally high activities and selectivities. The electronic and steric effects of allyloxy and benzyloxy substituted bisiminopyridyl Fe(II) and Co(II) complexes were also investigated. The influence of catalyst structure and temperature on the polymerization activity, thermal properties and molecular weight were discussed. The effects of heterogenization of these catalysts on silica and modified SBA-15 were analyzed. The polymerization of polar monomers such as vinyl ethers and methyl methacrylate was tested and no specific trends in activity and polymer molecular weight with changes in steric bulkiness around the metal center were observed with the same catalyst system.     

Synthesis and association of poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) copolymers with perfluorocarbon pendent groups connected through polyethylene‐glycol tethers

The synthesis is reported of copolymers of N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and methacrylates containing 2,2′‐dihydroperfluorodecanoyl (RF) groups separated from the methacrylate by long polyethylene glycol (PEG) tether groups (between 1000 and 14,000 Da). At concentrations of between 1 and 8 wt % the copolymers with macromonomer contents of 1 mol % or less give gels in organic solvents such as dioxane, THF, or methanol, as well as in water. Given the low molecular weights, this indicates very efficient association of very low numbers of RF groups. Association and gel formation is enormously enhanced in the presence of longer PEG tethers. This is consistent with smaller poly(N,N,‐dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) intermolecular excluded volume effects that are mediated by the longer PEG tethers and possibly by the incompatibility of PEG and PDMA that may lead to the formation of PEG microdomains. This increases the local concentrations of the RF groups in the PEO domains that are not diluted by the PDMA chains, as would be the case in the absence of PEG tethers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 360–373, 2004     

Functionalization of polyethylene/silane copolymers in posttreatment reactions

7‐Octenyldimethylphenylsilane was copolymerized with ethylene via Et(Ind)₂ZrCl₂ methylaluminoxane catalyst system without loss of catalyst activity or decrease in molar mass. The comonomer contents in the polymer samples were at a level of 0.15–1.0 mol % and the reactive phenylsilane groups were posttreated to different alcoxy‐ and halosilane groups, for example, Si? F, Si? Cl, Si? OCH₃, and Si? OCH₂CH₃. The posttreatment reactions had no major effect on the molar masses or on the thermal properties (measured with differential scanning calorimetry) of the copolymers. The reaction pathways were nearly independent of the comonomer contents and the reactions reached 70–100% conversions. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1461–1467, 2004     

Performance of various activators in ethylene polymerization based on an iron(II) catalyst system

Ethylisobutylaluminoxane (EBAO) and its analogues were synthesized by a reaction between an triethylaluminum (Et₃Al)/triisobutylaluminum (i‐Bu₃Al) mixture and 4‐fluorobenzeneboronic acid, phenylboronic acid, or n‐butaneboronic acid and subsequent hydrolysis with water. They were used as cocatalysts in ethylene polymerization catalyzed by an iron complex {[(ArN?C(Me))₂C₅H₃N]FeCl₂, where Ar is 2,6‐diisopropylphenyl}. Polyethylene with a high molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution was prepared with modified EBAOs, and the performance of the iron complex at high polymerization temperatures was greatly improved. The activators for the iron complex also affected the polymerization activity and the molecular weight of the resultant polyethylene. It was suggested that the stereo and electronic effects of the substitute groups of aluminoxane contributed to the improved performance of the new activators. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1093–1099, 2004     

Radiolytic unsaturation decay in polyethylene. Part III—the effect of certain chain transfer agents

Small amounts of certain halogenated compounds are found to have, at most, only a slight enhancing effect on the radiolytic decay rates of added poly-unsaturated compounds in polyethylene, but significantly increase the elastic modulus at 433 K (melt modulus) obtained thereby. Experiments with model chlorine-containing additives suggest that this increase is due to a more random distribution of polymer and monomer mediated crosslinks in the polymer, that it does not result from a significant increase in crosslinking and that it is mediated by chlorine atoms, in a similar manner to radiolytic hydrogen atoms, through facilitation of long range free radical migration. Although low molecular weight chloro-paraffins inhibit radiolytically induced growth of melt modulus in monomer containing polyethylenes, even very small additions of chlorinated polyethylenes, which form a separate phase, increase the melt modulus. This again indicates that the active species is the chlorine radical.