Nanoporous-crystalline films of PPO with parallel and perpendicular polymer chain orientations

Hydrogen Bonded Dimer of an Alcohol with the Derived Carboxylic Acid Triggering their Sorption by Nanoporous-crystalline PPO Films

Films exhibiting nanoporous-crystalline (NC) phases of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide (PPO), which are highly effective to absorb apolar organic guest molecules, are also able to absorb polar molecules (like alcohols and carboxylic acids) but only from concentrated organic solutions. NC PPO films, which do not absorb alcohols and carboxylic acids from diluted aqueous solutions, exhibits a huge uptake (even above 30 wt %) of benzyl alcohol (BAL) and benzoic acid (BA), if BA is obtained by spontaneous room temperature oxidation of BAL in aqueous solution. This phenomenon is rationalized by an easy uptake, mainly by the PPO intrahelical crystalline empty channels, of a BAL/BA 1/1 hydrogen-bonded dimer. This huge uptake of BAL/BA dimer by NC PPO films, which is also fast for films exhibiting the orientation of the crystalline helices perpendicular to the film plane (c⊥ orientation), can be exploited for purification of water from BAL, when present in traces. High and fast sorption of a hydrogen bonded dimer and negligible sorption of the two separate compounds is possibly unprecedented for absorbent materials.

Molecular Features Behind Formation of α or β Co-Crystalline and Nanoporous-Crystalline Phases of PPO

Guest molecular features determining the formation of α and β phases of poly(2-6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) oxide (PPO) are explored by collecting literature data and adding many new film preparations, both by solution casting and by guest sorption in amorphous films. Independently of the considered preparation method, the α-form is favored by the hydrophobic and bulky guest molecules, while the hydrophilic and small guest molecules favor the β-form. Furthermore, molecular modeling studies indicate that the β-form inducer guests establish stronger dispersive interactions with the PPO units than the α-form inducer guests. Thus, the achievement of co-crystalline (and derived nanoporous crystalline) α- and β-forms would result from differences in energy gain due to the host-guest interactions established at the local scale.

Dependence on Film Thickness of Guest-Induced c Perpendicular Orientation in PPO Films

For poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)oxide (PPO) films exhibiting nanoporous-crystalline (NC) phases, c⟂ orientation (i.e., crystalline polymer chain axes being preferentially perpendicular to the film plane) is obtained by crystallization of amorphous films, as induced by sorption of suitable low-molecular-mass guest molecules. The occurrence of c⟂ orientation is relevant for applications of NC PPO films because it markedly increases film transparency as well as guest diffusivity. Surprisingly, we show that the known crystallization procedures lead to c⟂ oriented thick (50-300 μm) films and to unoriented thin (≤20 μm) films. This absence of crystalline phase orientation for thin films is rationalized by fast guest sorption kinetics, which avoid co-crystallization in confined spaces and hence inhibit formation of flat-on lamellae. For thick films exhibiting c⟂ orientation, sigmoid kinetics of guest sorption and of thickening of PPO films are observed, with inflection points associated with guest-induced film plasticization. Corresponding crystallization kinetics are linear with time and show that co-crystal growth is poorly affected by film plasticization. An additional relevant result of this study is the linear relationship between WAXD crystallinity index and DSC melting enthalpy, which allows evaluation of melting enthalpy of the NC α form of PPO (ΔHmο = 42 ± 2 J/g).

Absorption and Isomerization of Azobenzene Guest Molecules in Polymeric Nanoporous Crystalline Phases

PPO co-crystalline (CC) films including azobenzene guest molecules have been prepared and characterized by WAXD, FTIR and UV-Visible measurements. Isomerization reactions of azobenzene (photo-induced trans to cis and spontaneous cis to trans) included in α and β nanoporous-crystalline (NC) phases leading to CC phases, or simply absorbed in amorphous phase have been studied on thick and thin films. Spectroscopic analysis shows that photo-isomerization of azobenzene occurs without expulsion of azobenzene guest molecules from crystalline phases. Sorption studies of α and β NC films immersed into photo-isomerized azobenzene solution reveal a higher selectivity of the β NC phase toward cis azobenzene isomer than the α NC phase, inducing us to propose the β NC phase as particularly suitable for absorbing spherically bulky guest molecules.

c-Perpendicular Orientation of Poly(ʟ-lactide) Films

Poly(ʟ-lactide) (PLLA) films, even of high thickness, exhibiting co-crystalline and crystalline α phases with their chain axes preferentially perpendicular to the film plane (c_⊥ orientation) have been obtained. This c_⊥ orientation, unprecedented for PLLA films, can be achieved by the crystallization of amorphous films as induced by low-temperature sorption of molecules being suitable as guests of PLLA co-crystalline forms, such as N,N-dimethylformamide, cyclopentanone or 1,3-dioxolane. This kind of orientation is shown and quantified by two-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (2D-WAXD) patterns, as taken with the X-ray beam parallel to the film plane (EDGE patterns), which present all the hk0 arcs centered on the meridian. PLLA α-form films, as obtained by low-temperature guest-induced crystallization, also exhibit high transparency, being not far from those of the starting amorphous films.

Axial Orientation of Co-Crystalline Phases of Poly(2,6-Dimethyl-1,4-Phenylene)Oxide Films

Films exhibiting co-crystalline (CC) phases between a polymer host and low-molecular-mass guest molecules are relevant for many applications. As is usual for semi-crystalline polymers, axially oriented films can give relevant information on the crystalline structure, both by Wide Angle X-ray diffraction fiber patterns and by polarized Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Axially oriented CC phases of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)oxide (PPO) with 1,3,5-trimethylbenzene (mesitylene) can be simply obtained by the stretching of CC PPO films. In fact, due to the plasticization effect of this highly boiling guest, PPO orientation can occur in a stretching temperature range (170-175 °C) nearly 50 °C lower than that generally needed for PPO films (220-230 °C). This low stretching temperature range allows avoidance of polymer oxidation, as well as formation of the mesomorphic dense γ PPO phase. Axially oriented CC phases of PPO with toluene, i.e., with a more volatile guest, can be instead obtained by the stretching (in the same low temperature range: 170-175 °C) of CC PPO blend films with polystyrene.