High-performance and robust high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes with moderate microphase separation by implementation of terphenyl-based polymers

Acid loss and plasticization of phosphoric acid(PA)-doped high-temperature polymer electrolyte membranes(HT-PEMs)are critical limitations to their practical application in fuel cells.To overcome these barriers,poly(terphenyl piperidinium)s constructed from the m-and p-isomers of terphenyl were synthesized to regulate the microstructure of the membrane.Highly rigid p-terphenyl units prompt the formation of moderate PA aggregates,where the ion-pair interaction between piperidinium and biphosphate is reinforced,leading to a reduction in the plasticizing effect.As a result,there are trade-offs between the proton conductivity,mechanical strength,and PA retention of the membranes with varied m/p-isomer ratios.The designed PA-doped PTP-20m membrane exhibits superior ionic conductivity,good mechanical strength,and excellent PA retention over a wide range of temperature(80–160°C)as well as satisfactory resistance to harsh accelerated aging tests.As a result,the membrane presents a desirable combination of performance(1.462 W cm^(-2) under the H_(2)/O_(2)condition,which is 1.5 times higher than that of PBI-based membrane)and durability(300 h at 160°C and 0.2 A cm^(-2))in the fuel cell.The results of this study provide new insights that will guide molecular design from the perspective of microstructure to improve the performance and robustness of HT-PEMs.

Application of the Shrinking Particle Model for the Evaluation of Molecular Recyclability of PET versus Semi-Aromatic Polyesters

The molecular recyclability of poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and three semi-aromatic polyesters poly (phloretic acid) (poly-H), poly (dihydroferulic acid) (poly-G), and poly (dihydrosinapinic acid) (poly-S) is evaluated in this study. PET is an extensively used aromatic polyester, and poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S can be considered semi-aromatic poly (lactic acid) modifications. All these polyesters have been depolymerized at neutral pH and by acid- and base-catalyzed hydrolysis at two temperatures, i.e., 50˚C and 80˚C. Base-catalyzed depolymerization of virgin PET leads to an isolated yield of 38% after 48 hours of reaction at 80˚C. Contrary to these results for PET, almost all the monomers of the semi-aromatic polyesters poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S are recovered with isolated yields larger than 90% at the same temperature after 15 minutes in a facile manner. A shrinking particle model used to determine the global kinetics of the base-catalyzed depolymerization showed that the rate rises with increasing temperature. Using the shrinking particle model, the intrinsic reaction rate constants were determined. It has been demonstrated that the rate coefficients of the depolymerization of the semi-aromatic polyesters poly-H, poly-G, and poly-S are between 2 and 3 orders of magnitude higher than those for PET.

SYNTHESIS,CHARACTERIZATION AND QUENCHING BEHAVIOR OF A CATIONIC POLY(p-PHENYLENEVINYLENE) RELATED COPOLYMER

A cationic poly(p-phenylene vinylene) related copolymer without bulky phenylene substitutents attached to the conjugated backbone was prepared through Wittig reaction.The molecular structure and optical properties were highly investigated through ~1H-NMR,UV and PL spectroscopy.The quenching behavior was also investigated,and the results demonstrate that incomplete quenching exists,which is consistent with the cationic poly(p-phenylene vinylene) related copolymer containing bulky phenylene substitutents,prob...

PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SHISH-KEBAB TYPE LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLY(p-PHENYLENEVINYLENE)

Novel shish-kebab type liquid crystalline poly（p-phenylenevinylene） derivatives were synthesized by Stille coupling reaction from 2,5-bis[（4-n-alkoxyl）benzoyloxy]1,4-dibromobenzene （monomer l） and 1,2-bis（tributylstannyl） ethylene （monomer 2）. The polymers with alkoxy groups are soluble in common organic solvents and exhibit blue fluorescence. Both the cast film and the annealed film have large red-shifts in fluorescence spectra and show yellow fluorescence. The polymers with CN and NO2 groups show poor solubility and green fluorescence. All the polymers possess liquid crystalline smectic phases. The melting point （Tm） of the polymers decreases when the length of the alkoxy tails of the mesogenic units increases. The polymers are easily aligned under a magnetic field of 10 Tesla. It is found that the conjugated backbone and LC side chain are aligned perpendicular and parallel to the magnetic field, respectively. The polymers show optical dichroism in fluorescence spectra, suggesting that they are available for advance materials with linear optical polarization.

Poly(ionic liquid)-crosslinked graphene oxide/carbon nanotube membranes as efficient solar steam generators

Graphene oxide(GO)is regarded as a promising candidate to construct solar absorbers for addressing freshwater crisis,but the easy delamination of GO in water poses a critical challenge for practical solar desalination.Herein,we improve the stability of GO membranes by a self-crosslinking poly(ionic liquid)(PIL)in a mild condition,which crosslinks neighbouring GO nanosheets without blemishing the hydrophilic structure of GO.By further adding carbon nanotubes(CNTs),the sandwiched GO/CNT@PIL(GCP)membrane displays a good stability in pH=1 or 13 solution even for 270 days.The molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that the generation of water nanofluidics in nanochannels of GO nanosheets remarkably reduces the water evaporation enthalpy in GCP membrane,compared to bulk water.Consequently,the GCP membrane exhibits a high evaporation rate(1.87 kg m^(-2)h^(-1))and displays stable evaporation rates for 14 h under 1 kW m^(-2)irradiation.The GCP membrane additionally works very well when using different water sources(e.g.,dye-polluted water)or even strong acidic solution(pH=1)or basic solution(pH=13).More importantly,through bundling pluralities of GCP membrane,an efficient solar desalination device is developed to produce drinkable water from seawater.The average daily drinkable water amount in sunny day is 10.1 kg m^(-2),which meets with the daily drinkable water needs of five adults.The high evaporation rate,long-time durability and good scalability make the GCP membrane an outstanding candidate for practical solar seawater desalination.

Multiblock poly(ether-b-amide)copolymers comprised of PA1212 and PPO-PEO-PPO with specific moisture-responsive and antistatic properties

Functional multiblock poly(ether-b-amide)(PEBA)copolymers,comprised of PA1212(polyamide 1212)as hard segments and Jeffamine ED-2003 as soft segments,were successfully prepared via two-step melt polycondensation without any amidation catalyst.Here,using diamino-terminated poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)(PPO-PEO-PPO),Jeffamine ED-2003,enhances the compatibility between polyamide oligomer and polyether,which is better than the traditional route using hydroxyl-terminated polyether.The chemical structure of multiblock PEBAs,as well as the microphase separated structure with crystalline phase of polyamide and polyether,were confirmed by heteronuclear multiple-bond correlation spectrum,heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation spectrum,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis.The hydrophilic PEBA copolymers showed water adsorption ranging from 87.3%to 17.1%depending on the polyether content,and specially showed moisture responsive behavior within seconds when exposed to moisture.The corresponding mechanism was studied using time-resolved attenuated total reflectance FT-IR spectroscopy in the molecular level and the water diffusion coefficient was estimated to be 1.07×10^(–8)cm^(2)∙s^(-1).Two-dimensional correlation FT-IR spectra analysis was performed to confirm that the interaction between water and polyether phase was in preference to that between water and polyamide matrix,and water molecule only forms hydrogen bond with the polyether segment.Due to the incorporation of PEO segments,the PEBAs have the surface resistivity varying from 5.6×10^(9)to 6.5×10^(10)Ω,which makes PEBA potential candidate as permanent antistatic agent.

嵌段共聚物sPS-b-Poly(S-co-E)的合成与表征

用主催化剂茂基三苄氧基钛和茂基三呋喃甲氧基钛与助催化剂甲基铝氧烷（ＭＡＯ）组成的催化体系研究了先预聚苯乙烯（Ｓ）再引入乙烯（Ｅ）进行的嵌段共聚合反应，发现总的催化效率随苯乙烯预聚合时间的延长而增加．对嵌段共聚合产物用丁酮、四氢呋喃和氯仿进行顺序萃取分离，得到四氢呋喃中的可溶级分即嵌段共聚物ｓＰＳ－ｂ－Ｐｏｌｙ（Ｓ－ｃｏ－Ｅ），占总嵌段共聚合产物的３０％～５０％，其中乙烯链节的含量占总嵌段共聚物的９％～１４％．对嵌段共聚物用ＤＳＣ、ＷＡＸＤ、ＦＴＩＲ。

PLA/PBS/PEG共混体系非等温热分解动力学

为了探究聚乳酸/聚丁二酸丁二醇酯/聚乙二醇(PLA/PBS/PEG)共混体系的热分解行为,通过熔融开炼共混法制备了PLA/PBS/PEG共混体系,利用同步热分析仪考察了不同加热速率下复合材料的热解行为。使用无模型方法Kissinger方程和Ozawa方程计算出了平均活化能,运用模型方法Coats-Redfern方程,将不同的热解机理函数带入其中,计算出活化能,将两个活化能进行对比,以明确最合适的反应模型。结果表明,该复合材料的热解机理函数为G(α)=[1-(1-α)^(-3)]/(-3),即随机成核随后生长。

S-poly(T)plus荧光定量PCR技术在检测肝癌相关miR-199中的临床应用价值

目的探讨S-poly(T)plus荧光定量PCR法与普通Poly(A)加尾法检测外周血血清miR-199敏感度的优劣性。方法采用荧光定量PCR S-poly(T)plus法和Poly(A)加尾法检测肝癌患者和健康人血清miR-199,分别从敏感度、线性关系和重复性三方面进行评估其潜在临床应用价值。结果S-poly(T)plus法检测健康人miR-199的Ct值显著低于Poly(A)加尾法(30.32±0.72 vs.35.42±0.67,P<0.0001);而且S-poly(T)plus法具有更好的线性关系(R2=0.9843±0.0047 vs.R2=0.9573±0.0045,P=0.0027)和更好的的重复性(CV=2.59%vs.CV=3.52%,P=0.010)。S-poly(T)plus法在检测肝癌患者外周血miR-199时具有更好的敏感度。结论S-poly(T)plus荧光定量PCR检测肝癌血清miR-199比Poly(A)加尾法敏感度更高、重复性及稳定性更优。

Synthesis and characterization of new soluble poly(aryl ether nitrile)s containing phthalazinone moiety

A series of novel poly（aryl ether nitrile）s containing phthalazinone moiety were synthesized by the nucleophilic displacement reaction of bisphenol-like monomers （I） with 2,6-difluorobenzonitrile. The inherent viscosities ranged from 0.46 to 1.07 dL g^-1. The glass transition temperatures were in the range of 277-295℃, and the temperatures for 10% weight loss in nitrogen atmosphere were found between 495 and 527 ℃. The structures of these resultant polymers were confirmed by FT-IR and 1^H NMR. Moreover, the properties of poly（aryl ether nitrile）s including solubility and crystallinity were also studied.

Synthesis of Novel Poly(aryl ether amide)s Containing the Phthalazinone Moiety

Two novel heterocyclic diamine monomers: 1,2-dihydro-2-(4-aminophenyl)-4-[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl] (2H)phthalazin-1-one and 1,2-dihydro-2-(4-aminophenyl)-4-[4-(4-aminophenoxy)-3,5-dimethylphenyl](2H)phthalazin-1-one were successfully synthesized from readily available heterocyclic bisphenol-like monomers in two steps in high yield. A series of novel poly(aryl ether amide)s containing the phthalazinone moiety were successfully prepared by the direct polymerization of the novel diamines and aromatic dicarboxylic acids using triphenyl phosphite and pyridine as condensing agents.

SYNTHESIS OF HYPERBRANCHED CONJUGATIVE POLY(ARYLENEETHYNYLENE)S BY ALKYNE POLYCYCLOTRIMERIZATION

A series of new hyperbranched poly(aryleneethynylene)s are synthesized by the copolycyclotrimerizations oftetraynes(Ⅰand Ⅱ)with aliphatic monoynes(A-C)catalyzed by tantalum-,niobium-,and cobalt-based catalysts.All thereactions proceed smoothly and soluble polymers of high molecular weights(M_w up to 3.8×10~4)are obtained in high yields(up to 97%).

LARGELY IMPROVED BLOOD COMPATIBILITY OF POLYURETHANE BY BLENDING WITH FLUORINATED PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE POLYURETHANE

The improvement of biocompatibility of polyurethanes was investigated.The results demonstrate that the blood compatibility of polyurethanes can be further improved by just simply mixing with the fluorinated phosphatidylcholine poly(carbonate urethane)s(FPCPCUs).The solution blending was done by mixing poly(ether urethane)(PEU)with FPCPCU in different compositions.An increased blood compatibility of the blend films was observed with the increase of FPCPCU content,and when FPCPCU content reached to 40 wt%(40F...

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(ether imide)s Containing m-Methyl and Phthalazinone Moieties

Three novel poly(ether imide)s were synthesized by one-step solution polymerization from 2-(3, 4-dicarboxyl-N-phenyl)-4-(3, 4-dicarboxyl-phenoxyl-4-(2-methyl)-phenyl)-2, 3- phthal-azin-1-one dianhydride and three amines, and characterized. The polymers show good solubility and thermal properties.

Composition Dependence of the Thermal Behavior,Morphology and Properties of Biodegradable PBS/PTMO Segment Block Copolymer

A series of aliphatic biodegradable poly（ether-ester）s based on poly（butylene succinate）（PBS）as hard segment and poly（tetramethylene oxide）（PTMO,M_n=1 000 g/mol） as soft segment were synthesized.The composition dependence of thermal behavior,morphology and mechanical properties was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry（DSC）,atomic force microscopy（AFM）,and tensile testing.The crystallization temperature（T_c） and melting temperature（T_m） of the PBS block within poly（ether-ester）s decrease steadily at first,but decrease sharply with PTMO content above 50 wt%.Two crystallization peaks were detected for PTMO in PBSPTMO60 sample,suggesting the occurrence of fractionated crystallization.The crystallization enthalpies（△H_c） and melting enthalpies（△H_m） of PBS block decrease at first,then increase as PTMO content increases further.AFM has demonstrated that phase-separated morphology transforms from a phase of continuous hard matrix to one of continuous soft matrix containing isolated hard domain as PTMO content is increased.Finally,the results of tensile testing show that the poly（ether-ester）s present the behavior of plastics when PTMO content is below 40 wt%,and of thermoplastic elastomers with PTMO content above 50 wt%.By varying the composition of copolymer,the aliphatic poly（ether-ester）s plastics,or especially biodegradable aliphatic poly（ether-ester）s thermoplastic elastomers can be obtained.

SYNTHESIS AND PROPERTIES OF SULFONATED POLY(ARYLENE ETHER) CONTAINING TRIPHENYL METHANE MOIETIES FROM ISOCYNATE MASKED BISPHENOL

A novel sulfonated poly（arylene ether） containing triphenylmethane moieties was synthesized by the sulfonation of a designed parent polymer using chlorosulfonic acid as sulfonation agent. The sulfonation took place at the para position of the pendant phenyl rings because of the specially designed parent polymer. The position and degree of sulfonation were characterized by ^1H-NMR and elemental analysis. The sulfonated polymers are highly soluble in common organic solvents, such as dimethylsulfoxide, N,N＇-dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, ethylene glycol monomethyl ether, and can be readily cast into tough and smooth films from solutions. The films showed good thermal and hydrolysis stabilities. Moreover, Fenton＇s reagent test revealed that the films exhibited superior stability to oxidation. The proton conductivities of the films were comparable with Nation 117 under same conditions. The membrane electrode assembly （MEA） prepared with the asmade film （706 EW, 100 μm dry thickness） shows better cell performance than Nation 115-MEA in the whole current density range.

Swelling acidic poly(ionic liquid)s as efficient catalysts for the esterification of cyclohexene and formic acid

Acidic poly(ionic liquid)s(PILs)with swelling ability were synthesized by free radical copolymerization of N-vinylimidazolium ionic liquids,divinylbenzene(DVB)and sodium acrylate(NaAA),and further acidification by sulfuric acid.The swelling ability of acidic PILs was greatly affected by cross-linker content and chain length of 3-alkyl-substituents on imidazolium.Cross-linked network structures could be observed from the cryogenic scanning electron microscopy(cryo-SEM)images of the swollen acidic PILs in formic acid.Acidic PILs with network structures in swollen state exhibited excellent activities in the esterification of cyclohexene and formic acid,and the catalytic activities were in positive correlation with their swelling abilities.Acidic PIL with 3-octyl-substituent and 2.5 mol%DVB(PIL-C8-2.5DVB-HSO4)had the highest swelling ability in formic acid and exhibited comparable catalytic activities with homogeneous catalysts such as sulfuric acid and p-toluenesulfonic acid.

SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HYPERBRANCHED POLY(ESTER-AMIDE)S BASED ON GALLIC ACID AND DL-2-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID

A novel AB3-type monomer was prepared from gallic acid and DL-2-aminobutyric acid, and used for the synthesis of the biocompatible hyperbranched poly(ester-amide)s by self-polycondensation. The polymers were characterized via FTIR and NMR spectroscopy and thermal analysis, and the average degree of branching of the polymers was estimated to be 0.75. The polymers with abundant acetyl end groups were found to be amorphous with lower intrinsic viscosity, better thermal stability and excellent solubility.

Intracellular distribution and internalization pathways of guanidinylated bioresponsive poly(amido amine)s in gene delivery

Guanidinylated bioresponsive poly(amido amine)s polymers, CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA, weresynthesized by Michael-type addition reaction between guanidine hydrochloride(CAR) orchlorhexidine(CHL) and N,N-cystaminebisacrylamide(CBA). Previous studies have shownthat both polymers had high transfection efficiencies as gene delivery carriers. In this study,we investigated the nucleolus localization abilities and cellular internalization pathways ofthese two polymers in gene delivery. Each polymer condensed plasmid DNA(p DNA) andformed nanoparticle complexes, and then their transfection studies were performed inMCF-7 cells. Both complexes were found enriched in nucleolus after cellular transfection,and their transfection efficiencies were significantly improved when transfection was per-formed on MCF-7 cells arrested at M phase. The transfection efficiency of CAR-CBA-pDNAwas inhibited by chlorpromazine, and cell endosomes were disrupted after being exposedto CAR-CBA-pDNA. In regards to CHL-CBA-pDNA, its transfection efficiency was not affected by three types of endocytosis inhibitors used in the study, and CHL-CBA-pDNA showed no effect on endosomes. Cellular lactate dehydrogenase release and membrane morphology were changed after cells were transfected by the two complexes. The results indicated that both CAR-CBA and CHL-CBA polymers demonstrated good nucleolus localization abilities. It was beneficial for transfection when cells were arrested at M phase. CAR-CBA-pDNA cellular internalization was involved with clathrin-mediated endocytosis pathway, and escaping from endosomal entrapment, while the cellular uptake of CHL-CBA-pDNA occurs via clathrin-and caveolae-independent mechanism.

A MOLECULAR APPROACH TO THE SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL POLYIMIDES

In the past ten years there has been a flurry of activity in the synthesis of new specialty polymers,largely as a result of the increased need for high technology materials. Interest is mainly shown in two distinctcategories of polymers: a) polymers which are used in very small quantities to fulfill critical needs as a part ofdevice systems, and b) high-performance engineering polymers which significantly extend their mechanicaland thermal properties for structural applications. Polyimides and their unparalleled versatility have capturedthe attention and imagination of scientists and engineers. This article describes some of the recent work doneby the author's group on the rational design at the molecular level and the synthesis of polyimides that haveunusual structures and novel properties.