Polymer Journal
Vol. 38, No. 4 (April, 2006)

Web Release Date: April 15, 2006

311-328 Stereoregular Polymerization within Template Nanospaces  T. Serizawa and M. Akashi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Highly efficient stereoregular polymerizations within template nanospaces using free radical initiators, based on stereocomplexes formed between isotactic and syndiotactic methacrylate polymers are reviewed. Ultrathin films composed of stereocomplex nanostructures were successfully prepared by the layer-by-layer assembly method, and fundamental aspects of film preparation were summarized. Template nanospaces were prepared by the selective solvent extraction of a single component from stereocomplex films composed of it-poly(methyl methacrylate) and st-poly(methacrylic acid). The resulting porous films with designed nanospaces were used for template polymerizations.

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

329-334 Electropolymerization of Aniline on Plastically Deformed Pd Surface: Structure at Micro- and Nano-Scale  A. Eftekhari, M. Kazemzad, and M. Keyanpour-Rad [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Electrochemical polymerization of aniline on the surface of a plastically deformed Pd electrode was investigated. Initially, the Pd electrode was subject of plastic deformation as a result of hydrogen insertion/extraction. Plastically deformed structure of the substrate has a significant influence on the electropolymerization process. In this case, an adherent film with smooth surface is formed. Although the plastically deformed surface is rougher than the conventional Pd surface, the polyaniline film electropolymerized is smoother in both micro- and nano-scale.

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

335-342 Synthesis of Polyglycidol Hydrogel Films Crosslinked with Carboxyl-terminated Poly(ethylene glycol)  B.-S. Kim, J.-S. Im, S.-T. Baek, J.-O. Lee, M. Sigeta, and K. Yoshinaga [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Hydrogel films of hyperbranched PGLD have been prepared using the oligomeric crosslinking agent, carboxyl-terminated PEG of different molecular weights, with the view of largely increasingly the water content while keeping mechanical properties of the films at low crosslinker concentration. Hydrogel films prepared from PEG and exhibited greater swelling behavior and improved mechanical properties at a low crosslinker concentration.

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

343-348 Controlled Oxidation of Dextran for Evolution of Polyether Segment Bearing Pendant Carboxyl Groups for Corrosion Inhibition Applications  K. Oyaizu, A. Yamaguchi, T. Hayashi, Y. Nakamura, D. Yoshii, Y. Ito, and M. Yuasa [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Oxidation of dextran with sodium hypochlorite under basic conditions proceeded selectively without molecular-weight degradation. Spectroscopic measurements revealed that the product contained polyether segment bearing two carboxyl groups per repeating unit. The polymer was water-soluble and showed corrosion inhibition activity for mild steel and biodegradability under conditions for cooling water systems.

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

349-354 Facile Synthesis of Hollow Spheres of Sulfonated Polyanilines  K. R. Reddy, K.-P. Lee, A. I. Gopalan, and A. M. Showkat [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Core-shell type sulfonated polyaniline (SPAN)-iron oxide nanoparticles (IONP) composites (IONP-SPAN-NC) were prepared. The interactions between the positive and negative charges on the surface of IONP with sulfonic acid and amine groups, respectively, in SPAN form the basis for core-shell structure for the composite. Sulfonated polyaniline hollow spheres (SPAN-HS) were generated by preferential removal of IONP. Morphology, optical and magnetic properties of the IONP-SPAN-NC and SPAN-HS were compared.

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

355-363 Thermal Effect and Quenching of Exciplex Fluorescence of Polystyrene Derivatives by Dimethyl Terephthalate in Solid Films  A. E. Ramadhan, R. K. Ahmed, and K. E. Al-Ani [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The effects of added dimethyl terephthalate to the fluorescence emission of poly(4-ethoxystyrene), poly(4-methoxystyrene), poly(4-methoxy α -methyl styrene) and poly(4-methoxyphenyl-styrene) were studied in solid films and in solutions.

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

364-368 Comparative Review on SHS Thermodynamics Applied for Frontal Polymerization of Acrylamide and Triethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate  A. Jeszenszky, S. Szabó, and I. P. Nagy [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The thermodynamic considerations of Self-Heating High-temperature Synthesis were applied for frontal polymerization of acrylamide and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate. The apparent activation energy of the process was also studied.

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

369-375 Electrosyntheses of Freestanding and Conducting Poly[poly(N-vinyl-carbazole)] Films in Tetrahydrofuran Containing Additional Boron Trifluoride Diethyl Etherate  J. Xu, W. Zhou, H. Peng, S. Pu, J. Wang, and L. Yan [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Freestanding and conducting poly[poly(N-vinyl-carbazole)] (PPVK) films with good fluorescence property were synthesized electrochemically by direct anodic oxidation of poly(N-vinyl-carbazole) (PVK) in tetrahydrofuran containing boron trifluoride diethyl etherate (BFEE) (12%, by volume) and Bu4NBF4 (0.05 M). These polymer films had good mechanical properties, which can be easily cut into a variety of structures with a knife or a pair of scissors.

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

376-380 Enhancement of Gas Permeability in HPC, CTA and PMMA under Microwave Irradiation  Y. Nakai, H. Yoshimizu, and Y. Tsujita [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Microwave irradiation results in the enhancement of permeability for various gases in CTA and PMMA. The ratio of the permeability coefficient with microwave to that obtained by a conventional method, -Pmw/-P35, can be considered as a magnitude of the enhancement of permeability. It is suggested that degree of the enhancement of gas permeability depends on the size of gas molecule, the kinds of polar groups and free volume space in polymer.

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

381-386 Fully Hydrophobic Artificial Protein but Water Dispersible due to Large Dipole  M. Fukuda, J. Sugiyama, T. Morita, and S. Kimura [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

A novel hydrophobic peptide was synthesized where three hydrophobic helical peptides were connected together at the C terminals with a shape of three-arm helix. Surprisingly, the fully hydrophobic three-arm helix with molecular weight of 5,228 was dispersible in water despite that it does not carry any explicit hydrophilic group. We concluded that the core of the molecule surrounded by three C terminals of the helical peptides acted as a hydrophilic part to make the molecule amphiphilic, enabling stable vesicle formation in water.

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

387-394 Synthesis of Amphiphilic Polystyrene-b-Poly(acrylic acid) Diblock Copolymers by Iodide-Mediated Radical Polymerization  B. Li, Y. Shi, W. Zhu, Z. Fu, and W. Yang [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Amphiphilic PS-b-PAA diblock copolymers were prepared by iodide-mediated radical polymerization. Firstly, free radical polymerization of styrene was carried out with AIBN as initiater and iodoform as chain-transfer agent, giving iodine atom-ended polystyrene with controlled molecular weights. Secondly, tert-butyl acrylate was polymerization using above obtained polystyrenes as macro-chain-transfer agents and PS-b-PtBA diblock copolymers with controlled molecular weights were obtained. Finally, amphiphilic PS-b-PAA diblock copolymers were prepared by hydrolysis of PS-b-PtBA under the acid condition.

[Note] Web Release Date: April 15, 2006

395-399 Degradation of Aliphatic Polyesters by Vacuum Ultraviolet Irradiation  Y. Li, A. Hayashi, M. Saito, M. Vacha, S. Murase, and H. Sato [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The degradation of aliphatic polyesters, poly-L-lactide (PLA) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), by vacuum ultra-violet irradiation was investigated and compared with that of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Aliphatic polyesters had higher degradation rate than PMMA. It was found that the active species for the degradation by VUV irradiation was negatively charged oxygen and the degradation by VUV light alone is only 10% of one due to the activated species. With electric field from bottom (film side) to top (lamp side), good patterning was obtained for the film with 0.2 μm thickness.

Web Release Date: April 15, 2006

400-403 Threonine in Collagen Triple-helical Structure  N. Jiravanichanun, K. Mizuno, H. P. Bächinger, and K. Okuyama [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The cuticle collagen of some invertebrates form the stable triple-helix despite the low content of imino acid residues and the unusual high content of Thr residues in the Y position of the repeated -Xaa-Yaa-Gly- sequences. The crystal structure of H-(Pro-Pro-Gly)4-4(R)Hyp-Thr-Gly-(Pro-Pro-Gly)4-OH peptide was analyzed by X-ray diffraction method. The side-chain conformation of Thr and the water-mediated hydrogen bond patterns are shown. The OH group of Thr acts like that of 4(R)Hyp and makes the similar water-mediated hydrogen bond patterns as 4(R)Hyp in a triple-helix.