Synthesis of Grafted Block Copolymers Based on ε-Caprolactone: Influence of Branches on Their Thermal Behavior

Optically Transparent Polydimethylsiloxane-Ethylene Oxide-Propylene Oxide Multiblock Copolymers Crosslinked with Isocyanurates as Organic Compound Sorbents

New crosslinked (polydimethylsiloxane-ethylene-propylene oxide)-polyisocyanurate multiblock copolymers (MBCs) were synthesized, and their supramolecular structure and sorption characteristics were studied. It was found that the interaction of PPEG and D₄ leads to polyaddition of D₄ initiated by potassium-alcoholate groups. The use of the amphiphilic silica derivatives associated in an oligomeric medium (ASiPs) leads to structuring of the MBC due to the transetherification reaction of the terminal silanol groups of the MBC with ASiPs. It was established that the supramolecular structure of an MBC is built according to the “core-shell” structure. The obtained polymers were tested as sorbents for the development of new methods for the concentration and determination of inorganic compounds. The efficiency of sorption of reagents increased with an increase in the “thickness” of the polydimethylsiloxane component of the “shell” and with a decrease in the size of the polyisocyanurate “core”. The use of the obtained polymers as adsorbents of organic reagents is promising for increasing the efficiency of field methods of chemical testing and inorganic analysis, including the determination of the elemental composition and the detection of traces of contamination.

Tailor-Made, Linear, and “Comb-Like” Polyester-Based Copolymers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Thermal Behavior of Potential 3D-Printing/Electrospinning Candidates

Tailor-made, linear, and “comb-like” poly(ε-caprolactone)-based copolymers were synthesized by employing a combination of controlled polymerization techniques. Poly(dimethylsiloxane-block-ε-caprolactone) copolymers (SCL#) were synthesized by a combination of anionic and ring-opening polymerization (ROP), whereas “comb-like” poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate-co-(hydroxyethylmethacrylate-graft-ε-caprolactone)-block-ε-caprolactone) (HEMACL#) were synthesized through simultaneous ROP and reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. Copolymers were characterized by hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. All polymers exhibited narrow molar masses distributions (Mw/Mn<1.54), and their thermal properties were analyzed by isothermal crystallization kinetics (Avrami’s theory, by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)) and by employing modulated thermogravimetric analysis (MTGA). The macromolecular structure exerts a noticeable effect on the PCL block behavior when compared to the PCL homopolymer, at least for the temperature range studied (16–24°C): less differences in thermal properties were observed for linear block copolymers, whereas for “comb-like” graft copolymers their final crystallization capacity strongly depends on the presence of branches. For both sets of copolymers, the decrease in the resulting melting temperatures and the increase in the half-life crystallization time values might be useful processing parameters, particularly if these copolymers are planned for using as an alternative source of 3D printing or electrospinning materials.

Relationships between Architectures and Properties of Highly Branched Polymers: The Cases of Amorphous Poly(trimethylene carbonate) and Crystalline Poly(ε-caprolactone)

Highly branched polymers (HBPs) are a special class of functional polymeric materials and possess unique properties due to their unique topological structure. A new series of highly branched linear-comb and star-comb amorphous poly(trimethylene carbonate)s (PTMC) and crystalline poly(ε-caprolactone)s (PCL) with well-defined structure and high molecular weight were first synthesized using hydroxylated polybutadiene (HPB) as macroinitiators by simple "one-step" and "graft from" strategies. It is expected that the impact of long-chain, highly branched architecture on the properties of amorphous and crystalline polymers, respectively, is different. We explored systematically for the first time the effect and comparison of branched architectures on the physical and chemical properties of highly branched PTMCs and PCLs, including the intrinsic viscosity, glass transition, thermal degradation, creep property, rheological property, and crystallization and melting behaviors. It is found that the intrinsic viscosities in solution for both comb-branched PTMCs and PCLs were much lower compared with their linear and star counterparts arise from more compact structure and smaller hydrodynamic volumes. For amorphous PTMC, the creep strain and rate increased remarkably with degree of branching increasing due to the shorter side chains making it difficult for the highly branched molecules to entangle. For crystalline PCL, both WAXD and DSC analysis of PCLs with different topological structures indicated that the comb branched architectures have no significant influence on the crystal structure of PCL, but greatly promote the crystallization behavior, e.g., higher crystallinities. The deep understanding of structure-property relationship expects to guide the synthesis of designed functional polymer materials and the processing of polymer products.