1
|
Smith L, Karimi-Varzaneh HA, Finger S, Giunta G, Troisi A, Carbone P. Framework for a High-Throughput Screening Method to Assess Polymer/Plasticizer Miscibility: The Case of Hydrocarbons in Polyolefins. Macromolecules 2024; 57:4637-4647. [PMID: 38827962 PMCID: PMC11140736 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c01764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Polymer composite materials require softening to reduce their glass transition temperature and improve processability. To this end, plasticizers (PLs), which are small organic molecules, are added to the polymer matrix. The miscibility of these PLs has a large impact on their effectiveness and, therefore, their interactions with the polymer matrix must be carefully considered. Many PL characteristics, including their size, topology, and flexibility, can impact their miscibility and, because of the exponentially large number of PLs, the current trial-and-error approach is very ineffective. In this work, we show that using coarse-grained molecular simulations of a small dataset of 48 PLs, it is possible to identify topological and thermodynamic descriptors that are proxy for their miscibility. Using ad-hoc molecular dynamics simulation setups that are relatively computationally inexpensive, we establish correlations between the PLs' topology, internal flexibility, thermodynamics of aggregation, and degree of miscibility, and use these descriptors to classify the molecules as miscible or immiscible. With all available data, we also construct a decision tree model, which achieves a F1 score of 0.86 ± 0.01 with repeated, stratified 5-fold cross-validation, indicating that this machine learning method can be a promising route to fully automate the screening. By evaluating the individual performance of the descriptors, we show this procedure enables a 10-fold reduction of the test space and provides the basis for the development of workflows that can efficiently screen PLs with a variety of topological features. The approach is used here to screen for apolar PLs in polyisoprene melts, but similar proxies would be valid for other polyolefins, while, in cases where polar interactions drive the miscibility, other descriptors are likely to be needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lois Smith
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13
9PL Manchester, U.K.
| | | | - Sebastian Finger
- Continental
Reifen Deutschland GmbH, Jädekamp 30, D-30419 Hanover, Germany
| | - Giuliana Giunta
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13
9PL Manchester, U.K.
- BASF, Carl-Bosch-Strasse 38, 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
| | - Alessandro Troisi
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, L69 7ZD Liverpool, U.K.
| | - Paola Carbone
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13
9PL Manchester, U.K.
- Department
of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL Manchester, U.K.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lenzi L, Degli Esposti M, Braccini S, Siracusa C, Quartinello F, Guebitz GM, Puppi D, Morselli D, Fabbri P. Further Step in the Transition from Conventional Plasticizers to Versatile Bioplasticizers Obtained by the Valorization of Levulinic Acid and Glycerol. ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING 2023; 11:9455-9469. [PMID: 37389191 PMCID: PMC10302884 DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c01536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
In the last two decades, the use of phthalates has been restricted worldwide due to their well-known toxicity. Nonetheless, phthalates are still widely used for their versatility, high plasticization effect, low cost, and lack of valuable alternatives. This study presents the fully bio-based and versatile glycerol trilevulinate plasticizer (GT) that was obtained by the valorization of glycerol and levulinic acid. The mild-conditions and solvent-free esterification used to synthesize GT was optimized by investigating the product by Fourier transform infrared and NMR spectroscopy. An increasing content of GT, from 10 to 40 parts by weight per hundred parts of resin (phr), was tested with poly(vinyl chloride), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(lactic acid), and poly(caprolactone), which typically present complicated processability and/or mechanical properties. GT produced a significant plasticization effect on both amorphous and semicrystalline polymers, reducing their glass-transition temperature and stiffness, as observed by differential scanning calorimetry measurements and tensile tests. Remarkably, GT also decreased both the melting temperature and crystallinity degree of semicrystalline polymers. Furthermore, GT underwent enzyme-mediated hydrolysis to its initial constituents, envisioning a promising prospective for environmental safety and upcycling. Furthermore, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) tests, using mouse embryo fibroblasts, proved that GT is an unharmful alternative plasticizer, which makes it potentially applicable in the biomedical field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luca Lenzi
- Department
of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), Università di Bologna, Via U. Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Micaela Degli Esposti
- Department
of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), Università di Bologna, Via U. Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Simona Braccini
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
- BIOLab
Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Università di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Siracusa
- Institute
of Environmental Biotechnology University of Natural Resources and
Life Sciences Vienna, Department of Agrobiotechnology, IFA-Tulln, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Felice Quartinello
- Institute
of Environmental Biotechnology University of Natural Resources and
Life Sciences Vienna, Department of Agrobiotechnology, IFA-Tulln, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Georg M. Guebitz
- Institute
of Environmental Biotechnology University of Natural Resources and
Life Sciences Vienna, Department of Agrobiotechnology, IFA-Tulln, Konrad-Lorenz-Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria
| | - Dario Puppi
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
- BIOLab
Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, Università di Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 13, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Davide Morselli
- Department
of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), Università di Bologna, Via U. Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Paola Fabbri
- Department
of Civil, Chemical, Environmental, and Materials Engineering (DICAM), Università di Bologna, Via U. Terracini 28, 40131 Bologna, Italy
- National
Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Via G. Giusti 9, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Balcik M, Wang Y, Pinnau I. Exploring the effect of intra-chain rigidity on mixed-gas separation performance of a Triptycene-Tröger's base ladder polymer (PIM-Trip-TB) by atomistic simulations. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
|
4
|
Sustainable Ketalization of Glycerol with Ethyl Levulinate Catalyzed by the Iron(III)-Based Metal-Organic Framework MIL-88A. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27217229. [PMID: 36364056 PMCID: PMC9658270 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27217229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The catalytic properties of a simple iron-containing MOF based on fumaric acid, MIL-88A, were investigated in the ketalization of ethyl levulinate with glycerol. The corresponding product is a component of current interest as a renewable building block for many uses. Under the following conditions (solventless, 120 °C, stoichiometric ratio, 1% cat.), the reaction proceeds with good yields (85%), and the catalyst can be recovered and recycled without loss of activity, despite some changes in the crystalline lattice and morphology. Moreover, the residual iron content in the product is in the order of units of ppm (≤2), which demonstrates the robustness of the MOF under the reaction conditions.
Collapse
|
5
|
|
6
|
Vikhareva IN, Aminova GK, Mazitova AK. Development of a Highly Efficient Environmentally Friendly Plasticizer. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14091888. [PMID: 35567061 PMCID: PMC9100690 DOI: 10.3390/polym14091888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this work is the synthesis of adipic acid ester and the study of the possibility of its use as a PVC plasticizer. The resulting butyl phenoxyethyl adipate was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The compatibility, effectiveness and plasticizing effect of butyl phenoxyethyl adipate in comparison with dioctylphthalate (DOP) were determined. The new environmentally friendly plasticizer has good compatibility with PVC and high thermal stability. The effectiveness of the plasticizing action of adipate based on the glass-transition temperature was 132.2 °C in relation to pure PVC and 7.7 °C in comparison to compounds based on DOP. An increase in the fluidity of the melt of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds in the temperature range of 160–205 °C by 19–50% confirms a decrease in the energy intensity of the processes of manufacturing and the processing of polymer materials containing a new additive.
Collapse
|
7
|
Zhang S, Zhang X, Meng J, Lu L, Du S, Xu H, Wu S. Study on the Effect of Polymer Excipients on the Dispersibility, Interaction, Solubility, and Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species of Myricetin Solid Dispersion: Experiment and Molecular Simulation. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:1514-1526. [PMID: 35036814 PMCID: PMC8756572 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c06329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Although the preparation of amorphous solid dispersions can improve the solubility of crystalline drugs, there is still a lack of guidance on the micromechanism in the screening and evaluation of polymer excipients. In this study, a particular method of experimental characterization combined with molecular simulation was attempted on solubilization of myricetin (MYR) by solid dispersion. According to the analysis of the dispersibility and hydrogen-bond interaction, the effectiveness of the solid dispersion and the predicted sequence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) > hypromellose (HPMC) > poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as the polymer excipient were verified. Through the dissolution, cell viability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-level detection, the reliability of simulation and micromechanism analysis was further confirmed. This work not only provided the theoretical guidance and screening basis for the miscibility of solid dispersions from the microscopic level but also served as a reference for the modification of new drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sidian Zhang
- State
Key Laboratory of Organic−Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Institute
of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P. R. China
| | - Jie Meng
- Institute
of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P. R. China
| | - Ling Lu
- State
Key Laboratory of Organic−Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China
| | - Shanda Du
- State
Key Laboratory of Organic−Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China
| | - Haiyan Xu
- Institute
of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy
of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, P. R. China
| | - Sizhu Wu
- State
Key Laboratory of Organic−Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Patil CR, Kamble SP, Rode CV. Single‐Pot Alcoholysis of Furfuryl Alcohol to Alkyl Levulinates Using Heterogenized
p
‐TSA Catalyst**. ChemistrySelect 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/slct.202101392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chetana R. Patil
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune 411008 India
| | - Sanjay P. Kamble
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune 411008 India
| | - Chandrashekhar V. Rode
- Chemical Engineering and Process Development Division CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory Dr. Homi Bhabha Road Pune 411008 India
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Melchiorre M, Amendola R, Benessere V, Cucciolito ME, Ruffo F, Esposito R. Solvent-free transesterification of methyl levulinate and esterification of levulinic acid catalyzed by a homogeneous iron(III) dimer complex. MOLECULAR CATALYSIS 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcat.2020.110777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
10
|
Wang YK, Tsai FC, Ma CC, Wang ML, Kuo SW. Using Methacryl-Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane as the Thermal Stabilizer and Plasticizer in Poly(vinyl chloride) Nanocomposites. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1711. [PMID: 31635274 PMCID: PMC6835242 DOI: 10.3390/polym11101711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the influence of methacryl-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (MA-POSS) nanoparticles as a plasticizer and thermal stabilizer for a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) homopolymer and for a poly(vinyl chloride)/dissononyl cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate (PVC/DINCH) binary blend system. The PVC and the PVC/DINCH blend both became flexible, with decreases in their glass transition temperatures and increases in their thermal decomposition temperatures, upon an increase in MA-POSS content, the result of hydrogen bonding between the C=O groups of MA-POSS and the H-CCl units of the PVC, as determined using infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, the first thermal decomposition temperature of the pure PVC, due to the emission of HCl, increased from 290 to 306 °C, that is, the MA-POSS nanoparticles had a retarding effect on the decomposition of the PVC matrix. In tensile tests, all the PVC/DINCH/MA-POSS ternary blends were transparent and displayed flexibility, but their modulus and tensile strength both decreased, while their elongation properties increased, upon an increase in MA-POSS concentration, both before and after thermal annealing. In contrast, the elongation decreased, but the modulus and tensile strength increased, after thermal annealing at 100 °C for 7 days.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Kai Wang
- Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, Center of Crystal Research, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
| | - Fang-Chang Tsai
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, Key Laboratory for the Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials (Ministry of Education), Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organic Chemical Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
| | - Chao-Chen Ma
- UPC Technology Corporation, No.3, Kung-Yeh 2nd Rd., Linyuan Dist., Kaohsiung 832, Taiwan.
| | - Min-Ling Wang
- UPC Technology Corporation, No.3, Kung-Yeh 2nd Rd., Linyuan Dist., Kaohsiung 832, Taiwan.
| | - Shiao-Wei Kuo
- Department of Materials and Optoelectronic Science, Center of Crystal Research, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|