Summary: The influence of block‐selective solvent on the self‐assembly of polystyrene‐block‐poly[(acrylic acid)‐co‐(methyl acrylate)] was studied. The nature of the block‐selective solvent, which is a binary solvent mixture with different composition, exerts remarkable influence on the morphology of the resulting micelles. When the block‐selective solvent is a binary solvent mixture of acetone and water with acetone content ranging from 0 to 90 vol.‐%, the resulting aggregates are core‐shell spheres with diameter about 60 nm, porous aggregates with diameter of 100, 180 and 250 nm, and core‐shell cauliflower‐like aggregates with size about 200 nm, respectively. The reason that the morphology of resulting micelles changes with acetone content has been discussed. The structure of the resulting micelles is further characterized in detail by DLS and SLS. Morphological tuning is also achieved by using a binary solvent mixture of ethanol and water or a binary solvent mixture of DMF and water as block‐selective solvent. In these cases, core‐shell spheres, hollow aggregates, and incompact aggregates are formed with the ethanol or DMF concentration ranging from 10 to 80 vol.‐%.
PANGMA nanofibers and nanomats with fiber diameters of 200–300 nanometers were fabricated by electrospinning. Cal‐B was covalently immobilized onto the PANGMA nanomats via three different immobilization routes. The properties of the Cal‐B‐immobilized PANGMA nanomats were assayed and compared with the free Cal‐B. The observed Cal‐B loading on these nanomats is up to ≈50 mg · g?1, and their hydrolytic activity is up to ≈2 500 nmol · min?1 · mg?1, much higher than free enzyme powder and also slightly higher than Novozyme 435. Cal‐B immobilized PANGMA nanomats have better reusability, thermal stability, and storage ability than free Cal‐B. They retain over 50% of their initial activity after 15 cycles, over 65% after 10 h heat incubation, and over 75% after 30 d storage.
Benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]diselenophene (BDS) has been incorporated for the first time in a polymer. bis(Stannyl)‐functionalized BDS was copolymerized with 3,3′‐bis(alkyl)‐5,5′‐bithiophenes (dodecyl and tetradecyl side chains) through Stille copolymerization, to yield p‐type polymer semiconductors for organic field‐effect transistor application. The electronic and structural effect of the selenium atoms, compared to sulphur atoms in analogous copolymers, is described. The molecular weight has a decisive influence on the photophysical properties and supramolecular ordering, expressed in field‐effect transistor measurements. Saturation mobilities around 10?2 cm2 · V?1s?1 are obtained on standard silicon substrates.
A novel stereo‐regular organo‐bridged ladder‐like polymethylsiloxane ( LPMS ) was synthesized by a stepwise coupling polymerization on the basis of an amido H‐bonding‐assisted self‐assembling template. The monomer N,N′‐bis{4‐[3‐(diethoxymethylsilyl)propoxy]‐phenyl}terephthalamide ( M ), prepared by hydrosilylation reaction at high temperature, was hydrolyzed in a dilute solution at a low temperature to form a ladder‐like supramolecular intermediate through amido H‐bonding interactions, which was further condensed to form the polymer LPMS . A combination of techniques including 1H NMR, 29Si NMR, and FT‐IR spectroscopies X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the titled polymer LPMS , and the results indicate that the polymer possesses an ordered ladder‐like structure.
We synthesized a series of polystyrene derivatives containing coumarin side groups using polymer analogous reactions. The liquid‐crystal (LC) alignment director for these polymer films was found to be perpendicular to the rubbing direction. The contrast ratio and anchoring‐energy values of these polystyrene derivatives were found to be much greater than those of polystyrene and poly(chloromethylstyrene), indicating that the coumarin side groups increase the aligning ability. For example, the anchoring energy of a polymer with 82 mol‐% of coumarin‐containing monomeric units, compared to polystyrene, is about 7 × 10?5 J · m?2 and 1 × 10?7 J · m?2, respectively.
A new series of disubstituted polyacetylene derivatives that contain multi‐fluorine atoms on the pendent phenyl ring have been synthesized and characterized. The results reveal a greater red‐shift in UV‐vis absorption and PL emission upon incorporating more fluorine atoms on the pendent phenyl ring. Among them, disubstituted polyacetylene with a difluorophenyl group ( PDPA‐2F ) showed the highest luminescent efficiency. The device performance can be promoted by blending a hole‐transporting material TM‐TPD into PDPA‐2F as the active layer or by using a light‐emitting copolymer in which PDPA‐2F was copolymerized with a carbazole group ( PDPA‐2Fcab ). A light‐emitting diode of ITO/PEDOT/ PDPA‐2Fcab /Ca/Al revealed a maximum luminescence of 4230 cd · m?2 at 14 V and a maximum current efficiency of 3.37 cd · A?1 at 7 V.
Poly(4,4‐bis[(3,5‐diethoxybenzoyloxy)methyl]‐1,6‐heptadiyne) is synthesized via cyclopolymerization using modified Grubbs‐ and Schrock‐type initiators. Doping with either I2 or NO+ BF4? yields a conductive polymer with conductivity up to 1.4 × 10?2 S cm?1. The undoped amorphous conjugated polymer is spun into monofilament and multifilament fibers by a wet‐spinning process. Fibers are collected on bobbins with a draw down ratio of 12 resulting in fiber diameters under 60 μm, characterized by scanning electron microscopy. X‐ray diffraction data confirms that the amorphous structure of the polymer is preserved; no additional orientation of the polymer chains occurs during fiber spinning.
Two novel reactive poly(β‐cyanoethylsilsesquioxane) ( CN‐T ) and poly[(β‐cyanoethylsilsesquioxane)‐co‐(β‐methylsilsesquioxane)] ( CN‐Me‐T ) have been synthesized successfully for the first time via stepwise coupling polymerization (SCP). A variety of characterization methods including FTIR, 1H NMR, 29Si NMR, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and vapor pressure osmometry (VPO) were combined to demonstrate that the structures of the title polymers possess ordered ladder‐like structures. As expected, the ionic conductivity of these polymers mixed homogeneously with lithium perchlorate reached 10?6 S · cm?1 at room temperature and obviously increased with the raise of temperature.
Summary: Coumarin containing poly(ethylene glycol) monols and diols were prepared in a telechelic fashion using quantitative end group esterification. The coumarin modified poly(ethylene glycol) monols and diols were solution cast into films (1 to 15 μm) and chain extended via the dimerization of the coumarin derivatives with UVA (>300 nm) light irradiation. The coumarin‐modified PEG diol doubled in molecular weight, and the molecular weight distribution increased from 1.17 to 2.75 upon exposure to 110 J · cm?2 of UVA light. The chain extended poly(ethylene glycol)s were subsequently converted to their original molecular weight via the photocleavage reaction of the coumarin dimer at 254 nm with less than 2 J · cm?2. The photoreversible chain length modulation was monitored utilizing GPC, DSC and UV‐Vis spectroscopy.
A copolymer of 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene and 2,5‐dioctyloxy‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene [co(TFPV‐DOPV)], containing more than 60% of tetrafluorophenylenevinylene monomeric units, was synthesized by the Stille cross‐coupling reaction. Its linear and nonlinear optical properties were investigated. Linear absorption and photoluminescence measurements performed on thin films and solution indicate interchain migration upon excitation. The Z‐scan technique was used to evaluate the third‐order nonlinear susceptibility at λ = 1064 nm. A very high refractive nonlinearity (n2 = (?10 ± 2) × 10?12 cm2 · W?1) was measured with a value one order of magnitude larger than that of the corresponding dialkoxy‐substituted homopolymer.
Nail/spindle‐shaped polyaniline is synthesized by chemically oxidizing aniline with ammonium persulfate in a near‐neutral aqueous medium using PVP as the stabilizing agent. The type of dispersing agent, APS content and aniline concentration have obvious impacts on the morphology of the resulting polyaniline. Typically, in the concentration ranges of 1.5–6 × 10?4 M PVP and 0.02–0.05 M aniline and for molar ratios [APS]:[aniline] of 0.4:1 to 0.8:1, nail/spindle‐shaped polyaniline can be obtained. A possible mechanism is proposed to elucidate the formation process.
Methoxy PEG amine with molecular weight of 5k and ε‐caprolactone with molecular weight of 1 960 were conjugated to a peptide comprising three cysteine residues. The shift of peak molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution in GPC trace without any noticeable shoulder as well as 1H NMR analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of the copolymer. A modified O/W dialysis system was employed to prepare self‐aggregates having the size around 210 nm. During the dialysis, stabilized aggregates were obtained by intermolecular disulfide bonds via oxidation. Critical aggregate concentration (CAC) of the copolymer was determined as 0.07 mg · mL?1 and disulfide‐stabilized self‐aggregates remained stable regardless of the concentration without displaying CAC. Doxorubicin‐loading amount and efficiency was 8.7 and 26.0%, respectively. Release profile of doxorubicin below CAC at 37 °C showed a sustained release and the addition of D ,L ‐dithiothreitol (DTT) after 24 h triggered a burst release of doxorubicin. Intermolecular disulfide bonds via oxidation stabilized the polymeric aggregates even in the diluted condition similar to that in the bloodstream and addition of DTT destabilized the aggregates to burst encapsulated doxorubicin in the reductive condition.
As part of a strategy to explore highly functionalized macromolecular semiconductors, a series of highly substituted twelve‐armed macromolecules F1CzTr‐F3CzTr consisting of truxene, 9‐phenylcarbazole and oligofluorene units were synthesized. To accomplish the synthesis of twelve‐armed targets, a high yield microwave enhanced synthesis method for direct twelve‐fold Suzuki couplings was developed. The resulting materials exhibited high purity and good monodispersity (PDI 1.01–1.03). The molecular weight of the compound F3CzTr achieved 14 266 g · mol?1, representing one of the largest well‐defined starburst conjugated molecules. The thermal, photophysical and electrochemical properties were investigated.
CROP has been used to synthesize well‐defined POXZ with a monofunctional (iodomethane) or a bifunctional (1,3‐diiodopropane) initiator. POXZ has been functionalized with an azido group at one (α‐azido‐POXZ, = 3.58 × 103 g · mol?1) or both ends (α,ω‐azido‐POXZ, = 6.21 × 103 g · mol?1) of the macromolecular chain. The Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition has been investigated between azido‐POXZ and a terminal alkyne on a small or larger molecule (PEG). In each case, the click reaction has been successful and quantitative. In this way, different telechelic polymers (polymers bearing different functions such as acrylate, epoxide, or carboxylic acid) and block copolymers of POXZ and PEG have been prepared. The polymers have been characterized by means of FTIR, 1H NMR, and SEC.
Summary: The polycondensation of 1‐ethynyl‐2,5‐dihexyl‐4‐iodobenzene in the presence of 1‐ethynyl‐2,5‐dihexyl‐4‐(2‐phenylethynyl)benzene proceeds according to the mechanism of initiated chain growth polycondensation. It has allowed the synthesis of oligomers with a desired molecular weight and a narrow molecular weight distribution. The reasons for the side reaction leading to the formation of diyne compounds are revealed and the presumed mechanism is given. This opens prospects for the preparation of defectless poly(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s with required molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions.
Multiarm PEO star polymers with a purely aliphatic polyether structure have been synthesized using hyperbranched polyglycerol (PG) with different molecular weights as a multifunctional initiator. Different degrees of deprotonation of the initiator were studied with respect to molecular weight control. The results show that the degree of deprotonation is a crucial parameter for the synthesis of well‐defined polymers with controlled molecular weights. Partial deprotonation of the PG hydroxyl groups (5–8%) was proven to represent an optimum for the synthesis of star polymers with molecular masses close to the theoretical values. Molecular weights of the stars ranged between 9 000 and 30 000 g · mol?1. MALDI‐ToF spectra confirmed that the PEO arms in the star polymers possess homogeneous lengths.
We have investigated the shape‐memory effects of uniaxially‐deformed, chiral, smectic C (SmC*) elastomers for two different types of crosslinker, namely, a hydroquinone‐type crosslinker and a rod‐like crosslinker. Mesogens tilt with decreasing temperature from the SmA phase to the SmC* phase in SmC* elastomers synthesized with the hydroquinone‐type crosslinker. As for SmC* elastomers with the rod‐like crosslinker, however, not mesogens but smectic layers are tilted in the smectic phases, because the crosslinker is sufficiently rigid to hinder mesogens from tilting. Because the shape change of such elastomers is coupled to the transformation of molecular alignment, SmC* elastomers synthesized with the hydroquinone‐type crosslinker elongate with increasing temperature in SmC* because of the decrease in molecular‐tilt angle, whereas those with the rod‐like crosslinker have an almost constant sample length in the temperature range of the SmC* phase, despite the rearrangement of the layer structure. Both types of elastomer exhibit a reversible shape change that corresponds to the reversible change in molecular alignment during a heating and cooling process, within successive phase transitions between the isotropic phase and the smectic C* phase.
pH‐sensitive micelles formed by interchain hydrogen bonding of poly(methacrylic acid)‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) copolymers were prepared and investigated at pH < 5. Both and Rh of the micelles increase with decreasing pH of the solution, displaying an asymptotic tendency at low pH values. The observed micelles are well‐defined nanoparticles with narrow size distributions (polydispersity ΔRh/Rh ≤ 0.05) comparable with regular diblock copolymer micelles. The CMCs occur slightly below c = 1 × 10?4 g · mL?1. The micelles are negatively charged and their time stability is lower than that of regular copolymer micelles based purely on hydrophobic interactions.
Two oligo‐(aryleneethynylene)s, with coplanarity of main chain and tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) side chains, have been prepared and characterized. The X‐ray diffractions (XRDs) show that their π‐extended coplanar backbones can form continuous π‐stacking. For the two oligomers, one stacks in the inter‐digitation packing mode; another stacks in the end‐to‐end packing mode. Cyclic voltammetries reveal that the two oligomers have almost the same reversible electroactive properties. The TTF units of the two oligomers can be oxidized to TTF . 1+ by Fe(bpy)3(PF6)3 (bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine). The band gaps, deduced from UV‐Vis absorption spectra, are 1.92 and 2.03 eV, respectively. The conductivities of the two oligomers are 1 × 10?5 and 6 × 10?8 S · cm?1 at room temperature. The charge transfer (CT) complexes of the oligomers and tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) exhibit higher conductivity up to 0.2 S · cm?1.
The optimization of photorefractivity (PR) based on a poly(N‐vinylcarbazole) (PVCz) composite devise is proposed from the perspectives of chemistry and physics. The device's PR chemistry (dependence of PVCz's molecular weight) and physics (dependence of grating periodicity and laser wavelength) are studied. Increasing the molecular weight of PVCz from 23 000 to 1 270 000 g mol?1 significantly increases diffraction efficiency, grating build‐up speed (inverse of response time), and sensitivity. Narrowing grating period from 5.1 to 1.1 μm gives faster response time and larger optical gain. Shorter wavelength of writing laser from 633 to 532 nm provides higher diffraction efficiency, faster response time, and larger optical gain.
