Polymer Journal
Vol. 38, No. 2 (February, 2006)

Web Release Date: February 15, 2006

91-108 Immobilized Polysaccharide-Based Chiral Stationary Phases for HPLC  T. Ikai, C. Yamamoto, M. Kamigaito, and Y. Okamoto [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Polysaccharide derivatives are known to show high chiral recognition abilities when used as chiral stationary phases (CSPs) for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This type of CSPs have usually been prepared by coating the polysaccharide derivatives onto macroporous silica gel without a chemical bond. Therefore, rather limited numbers of solvents can be used as eluents. In order to enhance the versatility of the polysaccharide derivative-based CSPs, the derivatives have to be immobilized. Here we review the immobilization methods of the polysaccharide derivatives mainly onto silica gel.

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

109-116 Synthesis and Thermal Properties of Fully Aromatic Polysilarylenesiloxanes  H. Ito, E. Akiyama, Y. Nagase, A. Yamamoto, and S. Fukui [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

We synthesized several fully aromatic polysilarylenesiloxanes via the solution polymerization from the bis(diphenylhydroxysilyl)arylene monomers. And the thermal properties of these polymers and monomers were investigated by using DSC and TGA. The monomers containing the diphenylsilanol group showed higher melting temperatures and thermal degradation temperatures than those of the monomers containing the dimethylsilanol group. The obtained fully aromatic polysilarylenesiloxanes were insoluble powders, and showed melting points at 323 and 391 °C, respectively, and no weight loss in air below 500 °C.

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

117-121 Electrochemical and Spectroscopic Analyses of Lithium Ion Conductive Polymers Prepared by the Copolymerization of Ionic Liquid Monomer with Lithium Salt Monomer  W. Ogihara, N. Suzuki, N. Nakamura, and H. Ohno [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Lithium ion conductive polymer electrolytes have been prepared by copolymerization of imidazolium salt type ionic liquid monomer and lithium salt type monomer. Their ionic conductivity and glass transition temperature were controlled by monomer mixing ratio.

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

122-131 Influence of Morphological Factors on Tensile Properties in the Pre-yield Region of Isotactic Polypropylenes  K. Nitta and N. Yamaguchi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

We examined the molecular and structural variables that govern tensile properties of isotactic polypropylene forming spherulitic morphology. The polypropylenes were crystallized in such a manner as to develop as a wide range as possible in the values of the independent structural variables that describe the solid state. The initial deformations depend strongly on the amorphous regions but are independent of the spherulite size and lamellar thickness.

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

132-144 Organo-soluble and Lightly-colored Fluorinated Polyimides Based on 2,2-Bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]hexafluoropropane Dianhydride and Aromatic Bis(ether amine)s Bearing Pendent Trifluoromethyl Groups  C.-P. Yang, Y.-Y. Su, and M.-Y. Hsu [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Soluble and light-colored poly(ether imide)s (III and IV) were synthesized from 2,2-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxyl)phenyl]hexafluoropropane dianhydride and various aromatic diamines. The III series were lighter-colored and higher optical transparency as compared with the non-fluorinated IV series and the common light-colored aromatic polyimides (V series) based on 6FDA. The III series showed excellent solubility in all testing solvents. These polymers also revealed good tensile strength together with thermal stability. The III series also showed lower dielectric constants and lower moisture absorption than IV series.

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

145-152 Synthesis of Hyperbranched Poly(ester)s with Pendant Hydroxy Groups by the Polyaddition of Bis(oxetane)s with 1,3,5-Benzenetricarboxylic Acid  T. Nishikubo, H. Kudo, and T. Nakagami [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

A new approach to oxetane resins as an application of the reaction of bis(oxetane)s with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid (TMA) was investigated. The reaction of bis(oxetane)s with TMA was examined in the presence of the tetraphenylphosphonium halides as catalysts at 140 °C for 12 h in NMP, affording the hyperbranched poly(ester)s with pendant primary hydroxy groups in satisfactory yields. The obtained polymers were soluble in common organic solvents and tetramethylammonium hydroxide aqueous solution.

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

153-158 First Cumulant of the Dynamic Structure Factor for Polymers in Θ Solvents. Effects of Chain Stiffness and Local Chain Conformation  M. Osa, H. Ueda, T. Yoshizaki, and H. Yamakawa [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The first cumulant Ω(k) of the dynamic structure factor as a function of the magnitude k of the scattering vector was determined for atactic poly(α-methylstyrene) (unfilled circle) and polyisobutylene (filled circle) in the respective Θ solvents. A comparison of the present results along with the previous ones for atactic polystyrene (square) and poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) (triangle) with the helical wormlike chain theory (curve) leads to the conclusion that the plot of η0Ω(k)/kBTk3 against \bark ≡ ‹S2›1/2k is not universal, where η0 is the solvent viscosity, kB the Boltzmann constant, T the absolute temperature, and ‹S2› the mean-square radius of gyration.

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

159-170 Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Novel Acrylic Copolymers  M. B. Dolia, U. S. Patel, A. Ray, and R. M. Patel [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Copolymers of 4-chloro-3-methyl phenyl methacrylate (CMPM) with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were synthesized with different monomer feed ratios using toluene as a solvent and 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator at 70 °C. The copolymers were characterized by IR-spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The copolymer composition was determined by UV and 1H NMR-spectroscopy. The monomer reactivity ratios were determined by applying conventional linearization methods of Fineman–Ross and Kelen–Tudos. The thermal properties have been investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The antimicrobial activity of these polymers against bacteria, fungi and yeast were investigated.

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

171-177 Polymer/silicate Interaction in Nylon 6-Clay Hybrid Studied by Temperature Programmed Pyrolysis Techniques  H. Sato, H. Ohtani, R. Harada, S. Tsuge, M. Kato, and A. Usuki [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Nylon 6-clay hybrid (NCH) samples with different clay contents were gradually heated under a flow of helium carrier gas followed by on-line detection of the pyrolysis products by a mass spectrometer. Observed pyrolysis profiles of nylon 6 matrix in NCH were gradually shifted to lower temperature region with increase in the clay content. This result was caused by the presence of the silicate monolayers of the clay dispersed in nylon 6 matrix.

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

178-183 Study on Phenolic Resins Modified by Copper Nanoparticles  R. Lin, L. Fang, X. Li, Y. Xi, S. Zhang, and P. Sun [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

A new phenol–formaldehyde resin modified by copper nanoparticles had been synthesized. The effects of nanosized copper particles on the thermal properties and toughness of phenolic resins were investigated. It was indicated that copper nanoparticles remarkably improved the thermal stability and the brittleness of the phenolic resins.

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

184-189 Thermal, Structural, and Viscoelastic Characterization of cis-Poly(phenylene vinylene) Related to its Photo-Isomerization  H. Katayama, F. Ozawa, Y. Matsumiya, and H. Watanabe [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

In solvent-cast films at room temperature, cis-poly(phenylene vinylene) (PPV) chains quickly underwent photo-isomerization into trans form (within 45 min). Thus, these chains were expected to be high mobile in the film. This expectation was examined for a cis-PPV sample with Mn=4300. It turned out that the melt-quenched/solvent-cast sample was amorphous at room temperature for few hours and its viscoelastic relaxation time was \cong10 s at room temperature. This result confirmed the high mobility of the cis-PPV chains.

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

190-196 Remarkable Expansion of the Poly(acrylic acid) Chain by Acid-Base Complexation with Low Molecular Weight Amines  Y. Kimura and T. Sato [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The intrinsic viscosity of a poly(acrylic acid) sample with a molecular weight of 4× 106 in aqueous solutions drastically increased by adding isopropyl amine (A-1) or (R)-(+)-1-(phenyl)ethylamine (A-2) at the infinitely high concentration of the hydrochloric salt of the amine, where the electrostatic interaction is completely screened out. The drastic expansion of the poly(acrylic acid) chain by the complexation with the amines may arise from the chain stiffening and enhanced excluded volume effect.