Polyrotaxanes of Pyrene–Triazole Conjugated Azomethine and α‐Cyclodextrin with High Fluorescence Properties

The paper reports on the preparation of a new 2‐rotaxane monomer through an acid coupling reaction between 1‐pyrenecarboxaldehyde and α‐CD/3,5‐diamino‐1,2,4‐triazole inclusion complex. Pyrenyl groups are large enough to provide a blocking effect toward cyclodextrin de‐threading. The oxidative C? C coupling of 2‐rotaxane in the presence of RuCl₃ catalyst afforded conjugated azomethine polyrotaxanes. The expected modifications of the solubility, morphology, film forming ability for rotaxane polymer were proved. As shown by fluorescence and UV‐vis spectroscopy, a material with optical properties appropriate for use in photonics was obtained.

     

Synthesis of Ethylene/Acrylonitrile Composite Elastomers with Nanosized Polyacrylonitrile Domains Using α‐Dimine‐[N,N] Nickel Dichloride/EASC

A series of ethylene and acrylonitrile composite elastomers were prepared using (1,4‐bis(2,6diisopropylphenyl)‐acenaphtenediimine‐nickel(II))‐dichloride/ethylaluminum sesquichloride (EASC). The xylene‐soluble polymer fraction showed nitrile bands in infrared spectroscopy at 2 245 and 2 214 cm^?1 and polyacrylonitrile‐enriched structures were detected in the xylene‐insoluble fraction by¹H and ¹³C NMR. In addition, TEM detected nanosized polyacrylonitrile domains dispersed in the polyethylene matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry scans conducted from ?70 to 350 °C measured exothermic bands corresponding to the cyclization and aromatization of the nitrile groups dispersed in the polyethylene matrix.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Hyperbranched Polyethylenes Made with Nickel‐α‐Diimine Catalysts

The polymerization of ethylene in the presence of 1,4‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)acenaphthenediiminenickel(II) dichloride ( 1 ) and methylaluminoxane (MAO) gives hyperbranched polyethylene (HBPE) in appropriate reaction conditions. The system 1 /MAO is active in solvents like toluene or hexane at temperatures as high as 80 °C and ethylene pressures ranging from 1 to 15 atm. The polyethylenes obtained show high molecular weights (up to 467 kg · mol^?1) and more than 218 branches per 1 000 backbone carbon atoms, qualifying these materials as hyperbranched. Dynamic‐mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) of these materials shows high β‐transitions, directly related to the branch content of these polyethylenes.

DMTA analysis of polyethylenes obtained with 1 /MAO at 0, 30, and 50 °C (corresponding to entries 1, 2 and 3).     

Functionalized Multi‐Walled Carbon Nanotubes Prepared by In Situ Polycondensation of Polyurethane

Treating MWCNTs with an acidic solution (concentrated H₂SO₄/HNO₃; 3:1) and subsequently with succinic acid peroxide leads to MWCNTs functionalized with carboxyl groups on their sidewalls (or surfaces). These MWCNT‐COOH were converted to MWCNT‐COCl and further to MWCNT‐NH₂. The PU was covalently coated onto the sidewalls (or surfaces) of the MWCNT by in situ polymerization of TDI under ultrasound in the presence of MWCNT‐NH₂. The results show that PU is chemically tethered to the MWCNT sidewalls (or surfaces) via the ～HN? CO? NH～ linkage, with a thickness in the range of approximately 2 to 5 nm, and the amount of grafted PU is about 34 wt.‐%.

     

Photocurable Shape‐Memory Copolymers of ε‐Caprolactone and L‐Lactide

Biodegradable and photocurable block copolymers of ε‐caprolactone and L ‐lactide were synthesized by polycondensation of PLLA diol ( = 10 000 g · mol^?1), PCL diol ( = 10 000 g · mol^?1), and a chain extender bearing a coumarin group. The effect of copolymer composition on the thermal and mechanical properties of the photocured copolymers was studied by means of DSC and cyclic tensile tests. An increase in Young's modulus and a decrease in the tensile strain with increasing PLLA content was observed for the block copolymers. Block copolymers with high PCL content showed good to excellent shape‐memory properties. Random copolymers exhibited R_f and R_r values above 90% at 45 °C for an extremely large tensile strain of 1 000%.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Red‐Emitting Poly(aryleneethynylene)s Based on 2,5‐Bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐3,6‐di(thiophen‐2‐yl)pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole‐1,4(2H,5H)‐dione (DPP)

Synthesis and characterization of a series of PAEs containing DPP units in the main chain are described. of the polymers was in the range 10 800–111 900. The polymers formed a deep blue solution in chloroform with absorption maxima between 589 and 645 nm and optical band gaps ranging from 1.61 to 1.74 eV. When excited at the absorption maxima, the polymer solutions showed red fluorescence with emission maxima between 656 and 676 nm. The polymers exhibited quasi‐reversible oxidation process with HOMO energy levels between ?5.60 and ?6.17 eV. EL properties of three polymers were investigated with device configuration ITO/PEDOT:PSS/Polymer/LiF/Al. When appropriate bias voltage was applied, a red EL with a maximum brightness of 17.5–24 cd · m^?2 could observe from the devices.

     

Amphiphilic Block Copolymers Containing Regioregular Poly(3‐hexylthiophene) and Poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline)

Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)‐block‐poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) amphiphilic rod–coil diblock copolymers have been synthesized by a combination of Grignard metathesis (GRIM) and ring‐opening cationic polymerization. Diblock copolymers containing 5, 15, and 30 mol‐% poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) have been synthesized and characterized. The synthesized rod–coil block copolymers display nanofibrillar morphology where the density of the nanofibrills is dependent on the concentration of the poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) coil segment. The conductivity of the diblock copolymers was lowered from 200 to 35 S · cm^?1 with an increase in the content of the insulating poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) block. By contrast, the field‐effect mobility decreased by 2–3 orders of magnitude upon the incorporation of the poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) insulating segment.

     

Synthesis of a New Macromonomer from 2‐(Dimethylamino)ethyl Methacrylate Bearing 1‐(Isopropenylphenyl)‐1,1‐dimethylmethyl Isocyanate Group

Summary: The telomerization of 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) with 2‐mercaptoethanol in acetonitrile shows that the telogen can react with the monomer by nucleophilic addition. It is to say that the tertiary amino group leads to nucleophilic addition rather than telomerization. The oligomers thus obtained were functionalized with 1‐(isopropenylphenyl)‐1,1‐dimethylmethyl isocyanate (TMI) in anhydrous toluene to afford macromonomers. These macromonomers were copolymerized with styrene and the r₁, r₂ ratio was determined according to Jaacks and Macret's methods. It was thereby demonstrated that the r₁ value for this type of monomer is close to zero.

Structure of the model molecule.     

Spectroelectrochemical and Photovoltaic Characterization of a Solution‐Processable n‐and‐p Type Dopable Pyrrole‐Bearing Conjugated Polymer

D‐A‐D‐type polymers are of high interest in the field of photovoltaics and electrochromism. In this study we report the synthesis and electrochemical properties of PPyBT along with its photophysical properties and photovoltaic performance. PPyBT is soluble in common organic solvents and both n‐ and p‐type dopable, which is a desired property for conjugated polymers. During electrochemistry studies, the onset potentials of the polymer were determined as +0.2 V for oxidation and ?1.4 V for reduction. Using these values, HOMO and LUMO energy levels were calculated. The photovoltaic properties of PPyBT were also studied. PL studies showed that there is a charge transfer between PPyBT (donor) and PCBM (acceptor).

     

Effect of Arrangement of L‐Lactide and D‐Lactide in Poly[(L‐lactide)‐co‐(D‐lactide)] on its Resistance to Hydrolysis Studied by Molecular Modeling

Molecular modeling is used to explain how the resistance of poly[(L ‐lactide)‐co‐(D ‐lactide)] to hydrolysis is affected by the percentages of L ‐ and D ‐lactide and their arrangements in blocks or random arrangements in the polymer. Previous studies on improving the hydrolysis resistance of PLA have involved forming either poly(L ‐lactide)/poly(D ‐lactide) (PLLA/PDLA) polyblends or copolymers of L ‐ and D ‐lactide. In this study, molecular modeling was used to study the hydrolysis resistance of PLA containing various arrangements of L ‐ and D ‐lactide in the polymers. PLA copolymers are found to have less resistance to hydrolysis than a PLLA/PDLA polyblend having the same percentages of L ‐ and D ‐lactide because a polyblend can form more stereocomplexes, which is the most stable structure PLA can form.

     

Synthesis of a Polyphenol with a Mesoionic 6‐Oxo‐1,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐3‐ium‐4‐olate as Pendant Group and Its Photochemical Behavior

This study deals with the synthesis of a polyphenol bearing photosensitive groups, and its photochemical behavior upon UV irradiation. Mesoionic 5‐(4‐hydroxybenzyl)‐6‐oxo‐1,2,3‐triphenyl‐1,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐3‐ium‐4‐olate was prepared by condensation of 4‐benzyloxybenzylmalonic acid with N,N′‐diphenylbenzamidine using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide as condensing agent, followed by deprotection of the benzyl group. The monomer was polymerized by an iron‐salen complex to give a polymer with a mesoionic 6‐oxo‐1,6‐dihydropyrimidin‐3‐ium‐4‐olate moiety as the pendant group. Spin coated polymer films were prepared and characterized. It was shown by IR spectroscopy that irradiation with UV light converted the mesoionic structure to a bis(β‐lactam) structure. Waveguide spectroscopy showed a large decrease in the film thickness without refractive index changes during irradiation.

Time development of the refractive index and the film thickness measured with p‐polarized light.     

Effect of Molecular Structure and Thermal Treatment on Photo‐optical Properties of Photochromic Azobenzene‐containing Polymer Films

Three novel photochromic azobenzene‐containing comb‐shaped polyacrylates are synthesized and their phase behavior and photo‐optical properties are studied. The influence of the side photochromic group structure, thermal treatment, and light irradiation on aggregation of azobenzene chromophores in thin spin‐coated films of the polymers is investigated in detail. Special attention is paid to studying the photo‐orientation processes in polymers films induced by polarized blue light (473 nm). The relationship between the photochromic group architecture, phase behavior, thermal treatment of films, and kinetics of chromophore photo‐orientation is established and discussed. It is found that the position of the N?N bond in chromophores plays an important role in the kinetics of the process, but does not affect the maximum value of dichroism.

     

Pseudo‐Living Anionic Telomerization of Buta‐1,3‐diene

Low‐molecular‐weight liquid polybutadienes (1 000–2 000 g · mol^?1) consisting of 60 mol‐% poly(buta‐1,2‐diene) repeating units were synthesized via anionic telomerization. Maintaining the initiation and reaction temperature at less than 70 °C minimized chain transfer and enabled the polymerization to occur in a living fashion, which resulted in well‐controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersity indices. MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry confirmed that the end groups of liquid polybutadienes synthesized via anionic telomerization contained one benzyl end and one protonated end. In comparison, the end groups of liquid polybutadienes synthesized via living anionic polymerization contained one sec‐butyl or butyl end and one protonated end.

     

Synthesis of Propylene/1‐Butene Copolymers with Ziegler‐Natta Catalyst in Gas‐Phase Copolymerizations, 1

Summary: The appropriate choice of comonomers can be used to create a wide range of polymer properties, leading to considerable improvement of product performance. Experimental runs were performed to evaluate the effect of 1‐butene on the crystallinity, the melt temperature and the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of the final propylene/1‐butene copolymer resins. According to the results obtained, the melt temperature of the copolymer material can be reduced significantly compared to that of the polypropylene homopolymer. The incorporation of 1‐butene into the copolymer chain leads to a decrease of the sealing initiation temperatures of propylene polymer resins. GPC analyses of copolymer samples showed that 1‐butene concentration does not seem to significantly influence either the shape of the MWD or the polydispersity indexes for a given set of reaction conditions. Therefore, a family of propylene/1‐butene random copolymers grades can be successfully developed for gas phase processes for packaging and film applications.

     

Side‐chain Cholesteric Liquid Crystalline Elastomers Derived from Nematic Bis‐olefinic Crosslinking Units

The synthesis of the nematic crosslinking agent (4′‐allyloxy‐benzoyl)‐(4″‐undec‐10‐en‐1‐oyl‐benzoyl)‐p‐benzenediolate ( M ‐ 1 ), the cholesteric monomer cholesteryl undec‐10‐en‐1‐oate ( M ‐ 2 ) and side‐chain cholesteric liquid crystalline elastomers is described. The chemical structures of the obtained monomers and elastomers were confirmed by FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Their mesomorphic properties and phase behavior were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction measurements. The influence of the crosslinking M ‐ 1 units on phase behavior of different elastomers prepared by a one‐step hydrosilation reaction was discussed. The elastomers containing less than 20 mol‐% of the crosslinking M ‐ 1 units showed elasticity, reversible phase transition and cholesteric texture. The experimental results demonstrated that the glass transition temperatures and isotropization temperatures of P ‐ 2 ～ P ‐ 6 increased with increasing the concentration of crosslinking M ‐ 1 units.

Synthesis and schematic representation of elastomers.     

Nanoscale Blends between Immiscible Polymers via Simultaneous Non‐Interfering Polymerisation

Summary: An important topic in polymer science seeks to improve the performances of polymer blends using nanoscale phase segregation. Here, blends between polystyrene and polycaprolactone are realised by a chemical route. The non‐interfering character of the radical polymerisation of styrene and the lanthanide halide initiated ring‐opening polymerisation of caprolactone is assessed. The molecular weights range from 2 000 to 3 500 for polycaprolactone and up to 140 000 for polystyrene, with reasonable polydispersity indexes. From calorimetry measurements, it is shown that polystyrene and low molecular weight polycaprolactone are immiscible. The morphology of the blends between the two immiscible polymers studied by atomic force microscopy is consistent with nanometer‐scale phase segregation.

AFM surface image of a nanoscale blend.     

Block Copolymers Build‐up of Electron and Hole Transport Materials

Summary: In this article we describe the synthesis of various monomers modified with triphenyl‐1,3,5‐triazine side groups as electron transport moieties. By nitroxide‐mediated polymerization with a TEMPO unimer it was possible to obtain polymers with a narrow polydispersity. Furthermore, by living radical polymerization block copolymers were obtained from these monomers. Therefore, microphase separated structures are accessible which possess hole conducting moieties in one phase and electron conducting moieties in the other phase.

General build‐up of the copolymers consisting of hole and electron conductor.     

Preparation and Characterization of Acetoacetoxyethyl Methacrylate‐Based Gels

Novel polymeric gels have been prepared by radical copolymerization of acetoacetoxyethyl methacrylate (AAEM) and hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) in water‐ethanol medium. The influence of the HEMA:AAEM ratio and crosslinker concentration on properties of gels was studied. Independently on gel composition the maximum swelling was detected in chloroform. It was found that PAAEM gels possess phase transition temperature or upper critical solution temperature (UCST) in alcohol‐water solutions. UCST decreases in linear order from 75 to 10 °C when HEMA content in gel structure increases. The minimal UCST of AAEM/HEMA gels in binary alcohol‐water mixtures is shifted toward lower temperatures and lower alcohol concentrations when the alkyl chain of alcohol increases.

AAEM/HEMA gels prepared at different BIS concentrations (1:1 mol‐%, 2:2.5 mol‐%, 3:5 mol‐%).     

Synthesis and Optical Properties of π‐Conjugated Polymers Composed of Benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene and Thiophenes Bearing Electron‐Deficient Ethenyl Groups in the Side Chains

π‐Conjugated polymers composed of dialkoxybenzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene and thiophenes bearing cyano‐alkoxycarbonylethenyl [? CH?C(CO₂R)CN] and bis(alkoxycarbonyl)ethenyl groups [? CH?C(CO₂R)₂] were prepared. The optical properties of the obtained polymers were investigated by UV‐vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy to demonstrate that the absorption maxima of the polymers were tunable by varying the substituent of thiophene unit. The photoluminescence wavelengths and intensities of the polymer in solution were significantly dependent on the polymer side chain. The HOMO energy level of the polymer was lowered by up to ?5.51 eV by introducing electron‐deficient cyano groups. Polymer solar cells based on the new polymers were fabricated to achieve a PCE of 1.90%.

     

Poly(carbazole)‐Based Copolymers Containing Deep‐Blue Chromophore for Polymer Light‐Emitting Diode Applications

A new series of two poly(carbazole)‐based copolymers (poly(9‐hexyl‐carbazole‐co‐9‐(6‐(3‐(4‐phenylquinolin‐2‐yl)carbazol‐9‐yl)hexyl)carbazole) (PCVz) and poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐co‐9‐(6‐(3‐(4‐phenylquinolin‐2‐yl)carbazol‐9‐yl)hexyl)carbazole) (PFCVz)) containing carbazoylphenylquinoline pendant groups were synthesized via the Suzuki coupling reaction for polymer light‐emitting diode applications. The electro‐optical properties of ITO/PEDOT/Polymer/PBD/LiF/Al devices based on these copolymers were investigated using UV‐visible, photoluminescence, and electroluminescence spectroscopy. The turn‐on voltages of the copolymer devices were found to be 6.0–8.0 V. The maximum brightness and luminescence efficiency of the copolymers device were found to be 230 cd · m^?2 and 0.28 cd · A^?1 at 11 V, respectively.