Polymer Journal
Vol. 40, No. 11 (November, 2008)

[Award Accounts: SPSJ Wiley Award Accounts] Web Release Date: June 11, 2008

1031-1041 Synthesis of Polymers Containing Group 15 Elements via Bismetallation of Acetylenic Compounds  K. Naka [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Radical ‘bismetallation′ to carbon-carbon triple bonds based on homolytic cleavage of element-element single bonds is one of the most useful and highly atom-economical methods for carbon- element bond formation. The polymerization between pentamethylpentacycloarsine (cyclo-(MeAs)5) or hexaphenylhexacycloarsine (cyclo-(PhAs)6) with acetylenic compounds in the presence of a catalytic amount of AIBN gave the corresponding poly(vinylene-arsine)s. The methodology of the radical alternating copolymerization was adopted for phosphorus- or antimony-ring compounds and acetylenic compounds to produce poly(vinylene-phosphine)s and poly(vinylene-stibine)s, respectively.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 4, 2008

1042-1048 Preparation of Thermoresponsive Grafted Polysilsesquioxane from Polyacrylamides Having Methoxysilyl End Group  O. Moriya, S. Yamamoto, T. Masuda, M. Kashio, and T. Sugizaki [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

The condensation reaction of polymeric N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) or N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA), having methoxysilyl end group, gave the grafted polysilsesquioxanes soluble in usual organic solvent and water without gelation. The co-condensation enabled the formation of the polysilsesquioxane, which had respective poly(NIPAM) and poly(DMAA) graft chains. All the polymers having methoxysilyl end group and the grafted polysilsesquioxanes showed an amphiphilic property. Furthermore, those contained poly(NIPAM) were provided the expected property of thermoresponsive phase separation in an aqueous solution.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 11, 2008

1049-1059 Molten Tetrabutylammonium Bromide as Eco-Friendly Media for the Synthesis of Optically Active and Thermal Stable Polyamides under Microwave Irradiation  S. Mallakpour and M. Taghavi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

A fairly inexpensive and readily accessible molten ionic liquid, tetrabutylammonium bromide was used for the synthesis of thermal stable and novel optically active polyamides (PAs) from the reaction of dicarboxylic acids with different diisocyanates. Herein we wish to demonstrate that combining ionic liquid and microwave heating is an efficient method for the production of chiral extended PAs under green conditions. In another section of this research, kinetics study and mechanism of thermal decomposition behavior of these PAs was reported.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 11, 2008

1060-1066 Photodimerization and Polymerization of PEG Derivatives through Radical Coupling using Photochemistry of Dithiocarbamate  Y. Nakayama, A. Ishikawa, R. Sato, K. Uchida, and N. Kambe [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

A novel polymerization based on the photochemistry of benzyl N,N-diethydithiocarbamate (BDC) was developed. Upon UV irradiation to a N,N-dimethylformamide solution with extremely thin thickness containing mono-BDC-derivatized PEG or bis-BDC-derivatized PEG respective dimerization or polymerization of the PEG derivatives occurred due to bibenzyl bond formation by radical coupling between benzyl radicals generated in the terminal of the PEG derivatives. The crosslinking may be applied for molecular architecture to prepare more complex-shaped polymers, such as mesh or hyper-branching.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 11, 2008

1067-1073 Phenolic Resin-MWNT Nanocomposites Prepared through an in situ Polymerization Method  J. Cui, Y. Yan, J. Liu, and Q. Wu [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Phenolic resin-based nanocomposites with pristine or carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) as fillers have been prepared through an in situ polymerization method. As compared to pristine MWNT-filled nanocomposite, the carboxylated MWNT-filled one has shown improved thermostability, resulting from the higher dispersion quality of functionalized nanotubes.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 11, 2008

1074-1080 A Monte Carlo Study of the Second Virial Coefficient of Semiflexible Regular Three-Arm Star Polymers  D. Ida and T. Yoshizaki [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Monte Carlo results for the ratio gA2 of the second virial coefficient A2 of a regular three-arm star freely rotating chain to that of a linear one, both having the same total number n of bonds and the same bond angle θ=109° (○), 120° (□), 135° (◇), 165° (△), and 175° (▽), show that gA2 is rather insensitive to change in θ (chain stiffness).

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 18, 2008

1081-1086 Surface Modification of Aluminum Plate with Fluoroalkyl End-capped Acrylic Acid Oligomer/silica Nanocomposites — Oleophobic to Hydrophilic Switching Behavior Adapted to the Environmental Change on the Modified Plate Surface  H. Kakehi, M. Muira, N. Isu, and H. Sawada [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Fluoroalkyl end-capped acrylic acid oligomer/silica nanocomposites were prepared by reaction of the corresponding oligomer with silica nanoparticles in the presence of alkaline silicate in water. These fluorinated nanocomposite can enable the oil droplet to release effectively from the modified aluminum plate surface treated with this composite by soaking this plate into the water bath.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 18, 2008

1087-1093 The Role of Interactions between Halloysite Nanotubes and 2,2′-(1,2-Ethenediyldi-4,1-phenylene) Bisbenzoxazole in Halloysite Reinforced Polypropylene Composites  M. Liu, B. Guo, M. Du, and D. Jia [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Cracking of aggregates of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) during the fracture of polypropylene/HNTs composites is responsible for the improved mechanical properties of the composites. The aggregates are formed by electron transferring between HNTs and 2,2′-(1,2-ethenediyldi-4,1-phenylene) bisbenzoxazole.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 18, 2008

1094-1098 Palladium-mediated Polymerization of Diazoacetamides  E. Ihara, T. Hiraren, T. Itoh, and K. Inoue [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Palladium-mediated polymerization of diazoacetamides bearing various substituents 1–4 is described. Homopolymerization of monomers with n-hexyl or 4-n-octylphenyl group on the nitrogen afforded polymers [poly(N-substituted carbamoylmethylene)], whose all the main chain carbons have N-substituted carbamoly groups. Elemental analysis of the products indicated incorporation of azo group in the main chain. Copolymerization of diazoacetamides 1–4 with a diazoketone, (E)-1-diazo-4-phenyl-3-buten-2-one 5, proceeded efficiently, giving poly(substituted methylene)s with a variety of N-substituted carbamoyl groups in their side chains.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 18, 2008

1099-1104 Thermally Stable and Proton Conductive Ionogel Based on Brønsted Acidic Ionic Liquid with the Support of Silicate Network  T. Mizumo, T. Watanabe, and H. Ohno [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Glass-like gels that can conduct proton without humidification were prepared by sol-gel processing of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) in the presence of Brønsted acidic ionic liquids. Brønsted acidic ionic liquids are mixtures of 1-(1-ethyl-3-imidazolio)butane-4-sulfonate (eim4S) and bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide (HTf2N). The sublimation of HTf2N was successfully suppressed by using excess amount of eim4S. Because of thermal stability of both the ionic liquids and silicate network, the resulting gels showed relatively high ionic conductivity above 10−3 S cm−1 at 150 °C.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 29, 2008

1105-1112 Preparation of α-, ω-End-Functionalized Poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) Heterotelechelics  L. T. N. Lien, M. Kikuchi, A. Narumi, K. Nagai, and S. Kawaguchi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

α- and ω-End-functionalized poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) (PHIC) has been prepared by living coordination polymerization of HIC, followed by termination with carboxylic anhydrides in the presence of Lewis acid. With BF3OEt2 as a Lewis acid and acetic anhydride as a terminator, several α-, ω-PHIC heterotelechelics were successfully prepared with quantitative yield (>98%) and functionality (∼100%). The thermal stability of heterotelechelic PHIC was remarkably enhanced in benzene and solid state.

[Regular Article] Web Release Date: September 29, 2008

1113-1120 Synthesis of Oligo(oxyethylene) Methacrylate-ended Poly(n-hexyl isocyanate) Rodlike Macromonomers and Their Radical Copolymerization Behavior with Methyl Methacrylate  L. T. N. Lien, M. Kikuchi, A. Narumi, K. Nagai, and S. Kawaguchi [Full Text PDF(J-STAGE)]

Novel poly(n-hexyl isocyanate)(PHIC) rodlike macromonomers with an α-oligo(oxyethylene) methacrylate and an ω-acetyl groups (MA-EOm-HIC-n-Ac, where m and n are the degree of polymerization of oxyethylene (EO) and HIC) have been prepared. The influence of a flexible oxyethylene chain on the copolymerizablity with methyl methacrylate (MMA) has been studied. The value of 1/r1 in the copolymerization of the macromonomer (M2) with MMA (M1) is ca. 0.52, irrespective of the oxyethylene length (m).