Search results for "Plastics"
showing 10 items of 2724 documents
Ferroelectric LC-elastomers
1997
Ferroelectric liquid crystalline elastomers combine the rubber elasticity of polymer networks with liquid crystalline phases and ferroelectric ordering. Ferroelectric switching leads therefore to a deformation of the polymer network and an elastic stress. The coupling between both effccts can be varied by changing the topology of the netpoints.
Synthesis strategies and properties of smart amphiphilic networks
1996
This paper briefly surveys recent developments in the field of amphiphilic networks (APN) which are a new class of crosslinked polymer systems consisting of covalently bonded hydrophobic and hydrophilic chain segments. The covalent bonds between immiscible hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymer chains prevent demixing and yield polymer networks with unique structure and properties. Telechelic macromonomers provide the basis for the first generation of APNs obtained by copolymerization of the macromonomer with selected low molecular weight monomers. Synthesis of a variety of APNs using methacrylate-telechelic polyisobutylene (PIB) macromonomers prepared by living carbocationic polymerization (L…
Modular approach toward bioactive fiber meshes carrying oligosaccharides
2010
A modular strategy toward (bio)functional nanofiber meshes by electrospinning is described. In contrast to commonly established, multistep protocols or complex spinning setups, a straightforward single-step procedure is investigated to obtain polymer nanofibers with pentafluorophenyl (Pfp)-activated esters on the surface. The aim was to electrospin, for the first time, poly(pentafluorophenyl methacrylate) (PPfpMA) and PPfpMA/poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) blends, resulting in reactive nanofibers with fiber surfaces that can be functionalized with suitable bioactive entities. While PPfpMA fibers are brittle the spinning of PCL/PPfpMA blends leads to improved mechanical stability of the obt…
Self-organization of hydrophobized polyzwitterions
1992
Abstract Several series of copolymers of different geometry were synthesized from zwitterionic surfactant monomers and polar non-ionic comonomers. Bulk properties were investigated by d.s.c. and X-ray scattering. The copolymers were amorphous, but exhibited superstructures up to high commonomer contents. Solubility of the copolymers was determined as a function of geometry and composition. From the results, a main chain spacer model has been derived. All water-soluble copolymers exhibited characteristic features of classical polysoaps, as shown by surface tension measurements and by solubilization of pyrene. But gradual differences depending on the polymer geometry were observed for the sol…
Micelles Formed by Cylindrical Brush-Coil Block Copolymers
2005
Amphiphilic cylindrical brush-coil block copolymers consisting of a polystyrene coil and a cylindrical brush block with poly(acrylic acid) side chains are prepared by ATRP of t-butylacrylate from a block comacroinitiator. Upon acidolysis of the poly(t-butylacrylate), water-soluble polymers were obtained that were observed to form micelles consisting of 4-5 block copolymers on average in aqueous solution. The star-like nature of such micelles was clearly visualized by scanning force microscopy.
Nanoscale mechanical characterization of polymers by AFM nanoindentations: Critical approach to the elastic characterization
2006
AFM nanoindentations show a dependence of penetration, i.e., the relative motion between the sample and the tip (indenter), on material elastic properties when using the same load. This elationship becomes visible by using of samples being homogeneous down to the scale of nanoindentation. They were prepared from materials covering a broad range of mechanical behavior: from rubbery networks to glassy and semicrystalline polymers. The elastic modulus can be obtained applying Sneddon’s elastic contact mechanics approach. To do this, some calibrations and instrumental features have to be measured accurately. All the polymers tested show that the contact between the tip and the sample is dominat…
A “click” approach to ROMP block copolymers
2008
Amphiphilic block copolymers can be conveniently prepared via convergent syntheses, allowing each individual polymer block to be prepared via the polymerization technique that gives the best architectural control. The convergent “click-chemistry” route presented here, gives access to amphiphilic diblock copolymers prepared from a ring opening metathesis polymer and polyethylene glycol. Because of the high functional group tolerance of ruthenium carbene initiators, highly functional ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) polymer blocks can be prepared. The described synthetic route allows the conjugation of these polymer blocks with other end-functional polymers to give well-defined a…
Liquid Crystals from Polymer-Functionalized TiO2 Nanorod Mesogens
2008
In this work, we functionalized TiO2 nanorods with dopamine-functionalized diblock copolymers. After functionalization, they are well dispersible in organic solvents. Light scattering proves that t...
Novel Amphiphilic Styrene-Based Block Copolymers for Induced Surface Reconstruction
2008
This paper describes the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers by living radical polymerization (NMP) of new styrene-like monomers. The polar monomers (ethylene oxide side chains and free hydroxyl- or amino-groups after deprotection) were polymerized in a “protected form” to adjust the solubility of the monomers. In this way high molar mass polymers with a narrow polydispersity (around or below 1.2) were accessible. In the bulk state hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains demix. By exposing thin films of these polymers to vacuum (air) or alternatively to water or a hydrophilic surface it becomes possible to switch the surface polarity reversibly between contact angles of about 105° and 83°…
Copolymerization of methacryloyl-terminated PMMA macromonomers with methyl methacrylate
1992
Methacryloyl-terminated macromonomers (MM) of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) of two different molecular weights were prepared by group transfer polymerization (GTP). They were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate (MMA) by radical polymerization using toluene as the solvent. The relative reactivity of the MM, 1/r1, decreases with increasing initial MM concentration. This is interpreted as a consequence of the increasing viscosity of the reaction medium leading to an increasing diffusion control of the MM addition. At a constant weight ratio of MMA to MM the reactivity of the longer macromonomer is higher than of the shorter one. Increasing the molar ratio [MMA]/[MM], i.e. increasing the ave…