Polymer Journal
Vol. 38, No. 1 (January, 2006)

Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

1-20 Polyrotaxane and Polyrotaxane Network: Supramolecular Architectures Based on the Concept of Dynamic Covalent Bond Chemistry  T. Takata [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

This review article concerns with the syntheses of polyrotaxanes and polyrotaxane networks that can be constructed mainly on the basis of the concept of dynamic covalent bond chemistry. Synthesis of poly[3]rotaxane by the reaction of homoditopic monomers utilizing the thiol-disulfide interchange reaction was discussed in detail. Polyrotaxane network was prepared by a similar protocol from a polyfunctional crown ether and a shaped-shaped homoditopic axle containing two sec-ammonium salt moieties and centrally located disulfide bond. Some characteristics of the polyrotaxane network were demonstrated, including the recyclable property as the crosslinked polymer. The meaning and applicability of the reversible crosslinking/decrosslinking system are specially emphasized for potential application.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

21-30 Crystallization Behaviors of Polypropylene/Polyamide-6 Blends Modified by a Maleated Thermoplastic Elastomer  H. Liu, T. Xie, Y. Zhang, Y. Ou, and G. Yang [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

With increasing concentration of the compatibilizer, both crystallization temperature (Tc) and crystallization enthalpy (Δ Hc) of PA6 component in PP/PA6/TPEg blends decreased. When TPEg amount was added up to 24 wt %, the crystallization of PA6 at its bulk Tc was almost completely suppressed and the complete concurrent crystallization of PA6 and PP matrix took place. This fractionated crystallization phenomenon was caused by the reduction in PA6 dispersed phase size due to the compatibilization role of added TPEg.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

31-36 Nanotribology on Polymer Blend Surface by Atomic Force Microscopy  M. Komura, Z. Qiu, T. Ikehara, K. Nakajima, and T. Nishi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Nanotribological properties of polystyrene/poly(vinyl methyl ether) blend surface mainly at its melt state were investigated using frictional loop measurement by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The energy dissipation of the friction showed each peak against both temperature and scan rate. The indentation simultaneously detected was largely restricted above the scan rate where the dissipation energy curve had a peak. We succeeded in drawing master curves for the energy dissipation and indentation depth using the same shift factor aT.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

37-43 Intrinsic Viscosity of Polyoxyethylene Alkyl Ether CiEj Micelles  S. Shirai, S. Yoshimura, and Y. Einaga [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Concentration c dependence of the apparent intrinsic viscosity [η]app for the hexaoxyethylene dodecyl ether C12E6 micelles at various temperatures T. The [η] values significantly increase with c and T, reflecting micellar growth.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

44-49 Photo-promoting Fabrication of Silver Nanoparticles in the Presence of Anthracenyl-Focal PAMAM Dendrons  C. Hirano, T. Imae, Y. Yanagimoto, and Y. Takaguchi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Silver nanoparticles passivated by poly(amido amine) dendron with an anthracenyl-focal point were fabricated by photo-reducing silver ions in water under room light. Silver nanoparticles were a mixture of spheres with a face centered cubic crystal structure and polygons with a hexagonal close packing structure.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

50-56 Novel Rubber Blends Made from Ultra-Fine Full-Vulcanized Powdered Rubber (UFPR)  M. Tian, Y.-W. Tang, Y.-L. Lu, J. Qiao, T. Li, and L.-Q. Zhang [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Novel rubber blends were firstly prepared by compounding ultra-fine full-vulcanized powdered rubber into EPDM matrix. As shown in Figure 1, full-vulcanized powdered SBR (UFSBRPR) can be finely and uniformly dispersed in EPDM as spherical particles with the size close to its original particle size, about 200 nm. Some unexpected and interesting phenomena were observed.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

57-63 Chain Stiffness and Excluded-Volume Effects in Polyelectrolyte Solutions: Characterization of Sodium Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate) in Aqueous Sodium Chloride  J. Yashiro, R. Hagino, S. Sato, and T. Norisuye [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Sodium poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonate) in 0.05 and 0.5 M aqueous NaCl at 25 °C is characterized by static light scattering, sedimentation equilibrium, and viscometry. It is shown that measured intrinsic viscosities and radii of gyration in the respective solvents are consistently described by combinations of the known theories for unperturbed wormlike chains and the quasi-two-parameter theory for excluded-volume effects.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

64-72 Wormlike Micelles of Pentaoxyethylene Tetradecyl Ether C14E5 and Hexaoxyethylene Hexadecyl Ether C16E6  Y. Einaga, Y. Inaba, and M. Syakado [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Temparature and concentration dependence of the micellar length Lw for the polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers CiEj. The Lw values are larger for larger i at fixed j (=5) and for smaller j at fixed i (=14).

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

73-78 Pattern Doping into Non-Substituted Poly(p-phenylene vinylene) by a Simple Vacuum Process for a Multicolored Luminescence Medium  H. Mochizuki, T. Mizokuro, N. Tanigaki, X. Mo, and T. Hiraga [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Functional dyes could be dispersed into non-substituted poly(p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), which shows a poor processability due to its insoluble and infusible, by the vacuum process under the thermal equilibrium state without the structural damage of PPV. Furthermore, a pattern doping with 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran could be carried out resulting in production of multicolored luminescent medium.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

79-84 Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Low-k Polyimides from Aromatic Dianhydrides and Aromatic Diamine Containing Phenylene Ether and Perfluorobiphenyl Units  Y. Watanabe, Y. Shibasaki, S. Ando, and M. Ueda [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Novel fluorinated aromatic polyimides exhibiting very low dielectric constants were prepared from aromatic dianhydrides and aromatic diamines containing phenylene ether and perfluorobiphenyl units. The poly(imide)s showed very low dielectric constants (2.65–2.68) and relatively high thermal stability (5% weight loss temperature around 450 °C).

[Note] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

85-87 Thermal Properties of Monomeric, Dimeric, Trimeric, and Tetrameric Model Compounds for Biodegradable Poly(decamethylene sebacate)  Y. Ogawa, M. Okeda, and N. Matsumoto [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

A series of oligomers for use as a biodegradable aliphatic polyester model such as poly(decamethylene sebacate) were synthesized from sebacic acid, 1,10-decanediol, and decanoic acid. The oligomers (C10-n) were separated by a silica gel column, and pure monomer, dimer, trimer, and tetramer were obtained. The effect of the degree of polymerization on the thermal properties of C10-n was studied. Melting enthalpies and entropies of n-mers were observed to follow a linear equation in terms of n. The equilibrium melting temperature of poly(decamethylene sebacate) obtained from Δ H/Δ S was 94 °C.

[Note] Web Release Date: January 15, 2006

88-90 Synthesis of Soluble Polyimides Based on Alicyclic Dianhydride in Ionic Liquids  Y. Tsuda, T. Yoshida, and T. Kakoi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

This paper reports the application of ionic liquid as solvents for the synthesis of alicyclic polyimides that have the same structure reported previously in our lab. In comparison with the conventional two-step polymerization method using NMP as a solvent, ionic liquids can give the same molecular weight polyimides by shorter reaction time without additional catalysts.