Preparation of poly(propylene carbonate)/organophilic rectorite nanocomposites via direct melt intercalation

The completely degradable nanocomposites comprised of poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC) and organo-modified rectorite (OREC) were prepared by direct melt intercalation. The structure and mechanical properties of PPC/OREC nanocomposites were investigated. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results show that the galleries distance of OREC is increased after PPC and OREC melt intercalation, which indicates that PPC molecular chain has intercalated into the layers of OREC. The PPC/OREC nanocomposites with lower OREC content show an increase in thermal decomposition temperature compared with pure PPC. The tensile strength and impact strength of PPC/OREC nanocomposites are improved. When the mass fraction of OREC is 4%, the tensile strength and impact strength of the PPC/OREC nanocomposite increase by 22.86% and 48.58% respectively, compared with pure PPC.

Manipulating Zn^(2+)solvation environment in poly(propylene glycol)-based aqueous Li^(+)/Zn^(2+)electrolytes for high-voltage hybrid ion batteries

Compared with aqueous single-ion batteries,rechargeable aqueous hybrid ion batteries,especially Li^(+)/Zn^(2+)hybrid ion batteries,are receiving extensive interest owing to their low cost,high operating voltage,and energy density.However,their working voltage and lifespan are limited by the decomposition of water and the growth of Zn dendrites.Herein,detrimental side reactions induced by the water reduction and the Zn dendrite growth are successfully suppressed by a poly(propylene glycol)(PPG)-based hybrid ion electrolyte[(1 m Zn(TFSI)2+10 m LiTFSI)in PPG/H2O].The addition of PPG in the electrolyte can not only enhance the bonding strength of hydrogen-bond in water but also tailor the solvation sheath of Zn2+as revealed by synchrotron X-rays.The participated solvation of PPG with Zn^(2+)can weaken Zn-H_(2)O interactions and redistribute Zn^(2+)flux on the surface of the Zn anode,thus inducing favorably even deposition of Zn.In addition,the decomposition of TFSI-contributes a ZnF_(2)-enriched solid electrolyte interface at the Zn anode to further prevent water decomposition and restrain Zn dendrites.The PPG-based electrolyte enables 2.1 V LiMnO_(2)//Zn batteries to deliver high specific capacities(121.7 mAh g^(-1)for a coin cell and 90 mAh g^(-1)for a pouch cell),and maintain 80%of the capacity over 700 cycles at 0.5 C,suggesting a promising pathway for highly reversible aqueous hybrid ion batteries.

Direct synthesis of propylene carbonate from propylene and carbon dioxide catalyzed by quaternary ammonium heteropolyphosphatotungstate–TBAB system

In this paper,we have developed a highly efficient method for the direct preparation of propylene carbonate from propylene and carbon dioxide（CO2） using quaternary ammonium heteropolyphosphatotungstate–quaternary ammonium halide catalytic system with anhydrous hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant through one-pot two-step process.The effects of the amount of tetrabutylammonium bromide（TBAB）,the concentration of hydrogen peroxide and other reaction conditions were investigated.The catalyst system gave an optimum propylene oxide yield（91%） at75°C in oxidation step and the highest propylene carbonate yield（99%） at 140°C and 3.0 MPa in cycloaddition step.Based on the results,a reaction mechanism has been proposed.

Color and Gloss Changes of a Lignin-Based Polyurethane Coating under Accelerated Weathering

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the properties of polyurethane coatings based on lignin nano-particles.For this purpose,the prepared coatings were applied to pine wood surfaces and weathered artificially.Subsequently,color and gloss of the coatings were measured before and after the weathering test.Field emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM)micrographs prepared from the coatings showed that the average size of nano-particles in the polyurethane substrate was approximately 500 nm.Nuclear magnetic resonance(13C-NMR)spectroscopy showed that strong urethane bonds were formed in the nano-lignin-based polyurethane.Differential calorimetric analysis(DSC)test revealed that the glass-transition temperature(Tg)of lignin nanoparticles modified with diethylenetriamine(DETA)was 112.8℃ and Tg of lignin nano-particles modified with ethylenediamine(EDA)was 102.5℃,which is lower than the Tg of un-modified lignin(114.6℃)and lignin modified with DETA(126.8℃)and lignin modified with EDA(131.3℃).The coatings modified with lignin nano-particles had a greater change in gloss.The lignin nano-particles in the modified coating are trapping hydroxyl radicals which reduces photoactivity and yellowing of the polyurethane by about 3 times compared to unmodified polyurethane coatings.After weathering test,the nano-lignin-based coating had a rougher surface with a lower contact angle(0.78°)compared to the unmodified polyurethane coating(0.85°).

Synthesis of propylene carbonate from urea and 1,2-propanediol

The production of propylene carbonate （PC） from urea and 1,2-propanediol （PG） was investigated in a batch process. The catalytic performances of zinc chloride and magnesium chloride were investigated for this reaction system. The influences of various operation conditions on the PC yield were explored. In this work, MgCl2 and ZnCl2 showed the excellent catalytic activity toward PC synthesis, and the yields of propylene carbonate reached 96.5% and 92.4%, respectively. The optimum reaction conditions were as follows： ethanol/urea molar ratio of 4, catalyst concentration of 1.5%, reaction temperature of 160 ℃, reaction time of 3 h, respectively. The route from urea and 1,2-propanediol shows advantages, such as mild reaction condition and safe operation. The catalytic system is environmentally benign.

Studies on the Simultaneous Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate and Poly(ethylene terephthalate): I. Catalytic Activity of Metal Acetate in Transesterification of Ethylene Carbonate with Dimethyl Terephthalate

A novel direct method for preparation of dimethyl carbonate and poly（ethylene terephthalate） from ethylene carbonate and dimethyl terephthalate has been demonstrated in the presence of metal acetate catalysts, lithium acetate dihydrate showed highest catalytic activity with 47.9% yield of dimethyl carbonate. This method was a green chemical process.

Depolymerization of Poly(bisphenol A carbonate) in Subcritical and Supercritical Toluene

The depolymerization of poly（bisphenol A carbonate）（PC） in subcritical and supercritical toluene was studied. The experimental parameters, which influence the depolymerization reaction such as temperature （570-633 K）, pressure （4.0-7.0 MPa）, reaction time （5-60 min）, and toluene to PC weight ratio （3.0-11.0）, were investigated, and the reaction products were determined by CrC, GC/MS and FT-IR spectrometer. It was found that the main product of the depolymerization reaction was bisphenol A（BPA）. BPA accounted for over 55.7% of the depolymerization products at reaction temperature 613 K, pressure 5.0-6.0 MPa, reaction time 15 min and toluene/PC weight ratio of around 7.0.

INFLUENCE OF DIALKYLZINC IN RARE-EARTH TERNARY CATALYST ONTHE COPOLYMERIZATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE AND PROPYLENE OXIDE

Rare-earth ternary catalysts Y（CCl3COO）3-ZnR2-glycerin were prepared for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide （PO）, where dialkylzincs （ZnR2） were diethylzinc, di（n-propyl）zinc, di（n-butyl）zinc, di（i-propyl）zinc, di（i-butyl）zinc, di（s-butyl）zinc,respectively. The Y（CCl3COO）3-ZnR2-glycerin catalysts displayed the highest catalytic activity at the molar ratio of Y（CCl3COO）3：ZnR2：glycerin = 1：20：10. In the same copolymerization condition, catalysts containing dialkylzincs with branched alkyl group showed lower catalytic activity than that with primary alkyl group. For those catalysts including dialkylzincs with primary alkyl group, their catalytic activity decreases with increasing number of carbon atom in the alkyl group with the following sequence： Y（CCl3COO）3-ZnEt2-glycerin 〉 Y（CCl3COO）3-Zn（n- Pr）2-glycerin〉Y（CCl3COO）3-Zn（n-Bu）2-glycerin. However, the alkyl group in the dialkylzinc does not influence the insertion of PO into the propagation chain end.

Preparation and Electrocatalytic Activity of Polyaniline-poly(propylene oxide)

A novel copolymer of polyaniline-poly(propylene oxide) (PAN-PPO) was prepared by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and characterized by FTIR and SEM. It showed good electroactivity for methanol oxidation in H2SO4 solution.

Electrocatalytic Synthesis of Propylene Carbonate from CO_2 and Propylene Oxide

The electrocatalytic synthesis of propylene carbonate（PC） from CO2 and propylene oxide（PO） was studied under mild conditions（PCO2=1.01×105 Pa, t=25 ℃）. Influences of solvents, supporting electrolytes, the passed charge, the nature of electrodes and the current density（j） on the yield of PC were investigated to optimize the electrolytic conditions, with the maximal yield to be 46.2%, the selectivity of propylene carbonate is 100%. The reduction of propylene oxide in the absence and presence of CO2 was examined by cyclic voltammetry. The mechanism of the reaction initiated by the synergistic effect of halides ions of supporting electrolytes with nucleophilicity and the metal ions from scarification anode with Lewis acid acidity was proposed on the basis of our results.

Catalytic Formation of Propylene Carbonate from Supercritical Carbon Dioxide/Propylene Oxide Mixture

Propylene carbonate was synthesized from supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2)/ propylene oxide mixture with phthalocyaninatoaluminium chloride (ClAlPc)/ tetrabutylstmmonium bromide (n-Bu4NBr) as catalyst. The high rate of reaction was attributed to rapid diffusion and the high miscibility of propylene oxide in SC-CO2 under employed conditions. Various reaction periods present different formation rate of propylene carbonate, mainly due to the existence of phase change during the reaction. The experimental results demonstrate that SC-CO2 could be used as not only an environmentally benign solvent but also a carbon precursor in synthesis.

Zn–Ca–Al mixed oxide as efficient catalyst for synthesis of propylene carbonate from urea and 1,2-propylene glycol

A series of Zn–Ca–Al oxides with different CaO and ZnO contents have been prepared and evaluated in the synthesis of propylene carbonate(PC) from 1,2-propylene glycol(PG) and urea in a batch reactor. The effect of catalyst composition, basicity and reaction process parameters such as temperature, catalyst dose, molar ratio of PG to urea, purge gas flow and reaction time has been studied to find suitable reaction conditions for the PC synthesis. The PC selectivity and yield under the desired conditions could reach 98.4% and 90.8%, respectively. The best performing catalyst also exhibited a good reusability without appreciable loss in the PC selectivity and yield after five consecutive reaction runs. In addition, a stepwise reaction pathway involving a 2-hydroxypropyl carbamate intermediate was proposed for the urea alcoholysis to PC in the presence of Zn–Ca–Al catalysts, according to the time dependences of reaction intermediates and products.

SELF-ASSEMBLED MICRO-DOMAINS ON THE UPPERMOST SURFACE OF FLUORINATED POLY(CARBONATE URETHANE)S WITH FLUORINATED SIDE CHAIN ATTACHED ON HARD SEGMENTS

The surface phase separated structure of polyurethanes is always desired due to the advantage of better biocompatibility, compared with the homogeneous one. The key issue is how to control and characterize the surface morphology. In this work, we report the uppermost surface morphology of fluorinated poly(carbonate urethane)s with fluorinated side chains attached to hard segments as studied by AFM, XPS and contact angle measurement. A self-assembled micro-domain with the fluorinated side chain standing up on the uppermost surface has been proposed for polyurethane with higher fluorinated content, based on the result obtained.

Abnormal Polarity Effects of Streamer Discharge in Propylene Carbonate under Microsecond Pulses

Propylene carbonate （PC） has a great potential to be used as an energy storage medium in the compact pulsed power sources due to its high dielectric constant and large resistivity. We investigate both the positive and negative breakdown characteristics of PC. The streamer patterns are obtained by ultra-high-speed cameras. The experimental results show that the positive breakdown voltage of PC is about 135% higher than the negative one, which is abnormal compared with the common liquid. The shape of the positive streamer is filamentary and branchy, while the negative streamer is tree-like and less branched. According to these experimental results, a charge layer structure model at the interface between the metal electrode and liquid is presented. It is suggested that the abnormal polarity effect basically arises from the electric field strength difference in the interface between both electrodes and PC. What is more, the recombination radiation and photoionization also play an important role in the whole discharge process.

Simultaneous Synthesis of Dimethyl Carbonate and Poly（ethylene terephthalate） Using Alkali Metals as Catalysts

Dimethyl 碳酸盐(直接数字控制) 并且(乙烯 terephthalate ) 被乙烯碳酸盐(EC ) 的 transesterification 同时 poly 在这篇论文与暗淡乙醇 terephthalate (DMT ) 综合。没有有毒的物质，这反应是一个优秀绿化学过程。各种各样的碱金属被用作催化剂。结果证明碱金属在某个程度举办了催化活动。反应状况的效果也被学习。当反应在下列条件下面被执行时：反应温度 250 ° C，到 DMT 3:1 的 EC 的臼齿的比率，反应时间 3h，和催化剂总计 0.004 (到 DMT 的臼齿的比率) ，直接数字控制的收益是 68.9% 。

Synthesis, Characterization and in vitro Degradation Properties of Poly(Propylene Fumarate-co-Propylene Sebacate) Networks

Poly(propylene fumarate-co-propylene sebacate) (P(PF-co-PS)) was crosslinked with N-vinyl pyrrolidone (N-VP) to form networks. It was investigated as biodegradable bone cement. In this paper, P(PF-co-PS) was synthesized and characterized by1 H-NMR, FTIR and GPC. The effects of the amount of sebacate segments in P(PF-co-PS) main chains and the quantity of N-vinyl pyrrolidone on the in vitro degradation of the polymer networks were examined. Cylindrical specimens were submerged in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 37 ℃ and the pH value of PBS is 7.4 for 10 weeks. The gravimetry and compressive mechanical properties were tested over the degradation period. Networks formed by P(PF-co-PS)8020/N-VP exhibited higher weight loss and better mechanical properties when compared with poly(propylene fumarate)/N-VP networks. The mechanical properties of P(PF-co-PS)/N-VP can be maintained for a very long time, even for 70 days, the yield strength, fracture strength and compressive modulus are (51.78 ± 2.01) MPa, (52.331 ± 1.84) MPa and (957.78 ± 24.40) MPa, respectively. The results demonstrate that the compressive mechanical properties and degradation velocity can be modulated by the amount of crosslinking agents and sebacate segments along the main chains of copolymers.

Activation of Carbon Dioxide and Synthesis of Propylene Carbonate

Cycloaddition of carbon dioxide and propylene oxide to propylene carbonate catalyzed by tetra-tert-butyl metal phthalocyanine in the presence of tributylamine (TBA) shows higher yield than catalyzed by unsubstituted metal phthalocyanine. Comparing different catalysts of diverse metals, (t-Bu)4PcMg is more active than (t-Bu)4PcFe. But (t-Bu)4PcCo and (t-Bu)4PcNi only have low catalytic activities towards the reaction. Moreover, the yield will increase as the temperature increases.

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Aliphatic Polycarbonates Bearing Pendant Allyl Ether Groups

A new six-membered cyclic carbonate monomer, 5-allyloxytrimethylene carbonate （ATMC）, was synthesized starting from glycerol, and the corresponding polycarbonates, poly（5-allyloxytrimethylene carbonate）（PATMC） were further synthesized by ring-opening polymerization in bulk at 150℃ using stannous octanoate as an initiator. The structures of the monomer and the polymers were confirmed by IR, IH-NMR, 13C-NMR, and GPC analysis.

Effect of Amine Type on Lignin Modification to Evaluate Its Reactivity in Polyol Construction for Non-Isocyanate Polyurethanes(NIPU)

Polyols are groups of organic compounds which contain carbon and are randomly linked to other atoms,especially carbon-carbon and carbon-hydrogen.These compounds are mainly used as reactants to make other polymers.Among biopolymers,lignin is regarded as the base of a new polymer in polyol construction.The present study aimed to investigate the effects of amine type(diethylenetriamine and ethylenediamine)on the modification of lignin-based polyols,so as to provide an alternative to petroleum polyols and,in turn,increase functional groups and reduce their harm to humans’health and the environment.To this aim,first,lignin was extracted from raw liquor.Next,the extracted lignin was reacted with diethylenetriamine(DETA)and ethylenediamine(EDA).Finally,the Mannich method was used for the reaction between amine lignin and propylene carbonate.The results of the Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy analysis showed that modification with DETA led to more structural change in lignin and peak 1100 indicates the presence of C–O bond related to urethane bonds in modified lignin.Moreover,adding propylene carbonate to aminated lignin did not result in much change in the results of the FTIR analysis.Additionally,urethane bonds can be seen in the results of GPC at 400℃–500℃.Furthermore,a slight decrease in thermal stability was observed in lignin modified with amine and propylene carbonate,compared to the raw lignin sample.

TRANSESTERIFICATION OF POLY(BISPHENOL A CARBONATE) WITH AROMATIC AND ALIPHATIC SEGMENTS IN BUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE-CAPROLACTONE COPOLYESTER

In this article, the transesterification of poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) with butylene terephthalate-caprolactone copolyester at a weight ratio 50/50 (BCL(21)) was thoroughly investigated by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ('H-NMR), in conjunction with a model compound. The 1 H-NMR results of the annealed blend PC/BCL(21) show that the formation of bisphenol A-terephthalate ester units is the same as in the annealed blend of PC with PBT, and the transesterification actually occurs between PC and butylene terephthalate (BT) segments in BCL(21). By comparison with the model compound bisphenol A dibutyrate, the new signal appearing at δ= 2.56 in the 1H-NMR spectrum confirms the existence of bisphenol A caprolactone ester units resulting from the exchange reaction of PC with caprolactone (CL) segments. 1H-NMR analysis of the transesterification rates reveals that the reaction of PC with aromatic and aliphatic segments in BCL(21) proceeds in a random manner. The miscibility of the blend PC/BCL(21) copolyester is favorable for the transesterification of PC with BT segments and CL segments.