Equilibrium Swelling and Solute Diffusion Characteristics of Poly (Methacrylic Acid co-Poloxamer) Hydrogels

Poly(methacrylic acid co-poloxamer) hydrogel networks were synthesized by free radical solution polymerization and their equilibrium swelling and solute permeation properties were characterized. These gels exhibited pH dependant swelling and solute diffusivity due to the formation or disruption of hydrogen bonded complexation between methacrylic acid (MAA) and etheric (EO). In neutral and basic conditions (above the swelling transition pH), the copolymer swelling was greatly higher than acid condition. In complexed hydrogels, the diffusion coefficients of vitamin B12 (VB12) were in the range of 10-10 to 10-7 cm2s-1; While in uncomplexed hydrogels, the values were about 210-6 cm2s-1. The comonomer composition and synthesis conditions have great effect on the structure, and thereby, swelling and solute diffusion characteristics of the resultant hydrogels. For the copolymers with composition of less than or more than 1:1 MAA/EO molar ratio, the plot of lnD vs 1/H-1 followed two different linear equations of 慺ree volume theory? respectively.

CONFORMATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLY(ACRYLIC ACID) AND POLY(METHACRYLIC ACID)

A full-relaxation optimization of molecule and the Dreiding force field are employed to obtain the geometry parameters and the conformational energy surfaces of meso or racemic dyad of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA). Three different carbonyl-bond orientations of side-groups resulted in the differences in depth of potential wells in their energetic contours for a meso or a racemic dyad. These discrepancies are interpreted as a result of various fine structures corresponding to grid search conformations as well as thereby different interactions. The analysis on the most stable conformations of PMAA confirmed that the ester groups are nearly perpendicular to the plane defined by the two adjacent skeletal bonds but may possibly change their relative orientations to meet the requirement of lower energy during the conformational state transition. For each polymer, two global energy maps of a meso and a racemic dyad were finally constructed from the superposition of energy data for the three kinds of side-group orientations by the Boltzmann factors. From an ensemble average, the proposed scheme with three rotational isomeric states (RIS) allowed us to access the experimentally unperturbed dimensions of PAA chain via the configurational statistical mechanics. Although the calculation was based on the short-range, local interactions, it was interested to note that the experimental characteristic ratios just fell within the range calculated for atactic chains.

Nitroxide-Mediated Photo-Controlled/Living Radical Polymerization of Methacrylic Acid

The photo-controlled/living radical polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) was performed at room temperature by irradiation with a high-pressure mercury lamp using azo initiators and 4-methoxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl as the mediator in the presence of (4-tert-butylphenyl)diphenylsulfonium triflate (tBuS) as the accelerator. Whereas the bulk polymerization yielded polymers with a bimodal molecular weight distribution in both the absence and presence of tBuS, the solution polymerization in methanol produced unimodal polymers with the molecular weight distribution of 2.0 - 2.3 in the presence of tBuS. The molecular weight distribution of the resulting poly (MAA) decreased with an in- crease in tBuS. The dilution of the monomer concentration also reduced the molecular weight distribution. The use of the initiator with a low 10-h half-life temperature also effectively controlled the molecular weight. The livingness of the polymerization was confirmed by obtaining linear increases in the first-order conversion versus time, the molecular weight versus the conversion, and the molecular weight versus the reciprocal of the initiator concentration.

PROPERTIES AND SYNTHESIS OF NEW SUPPORTS FOR IMMOBILIZATION OF ENZYMES BY COPOLYMERIZATION OF VINYLENE CARBONATE AND METHACRYLIC ACID

Methacrylic acid first was neutralized with an aqueous solution of NaOH to pH = 6.0 similar to 7.0, vinylene carbonate (VCA) was added to the solution, then monomers were copolymerized in paraffin oil by means of reverse-phase suspension polymerization and hydrophilic copolymeric supports were prepared. The properties of the supports were determined using trypsin and results show that the amount of enzymes coupled to the supports and the specific activity of immobilized trypsin are related to the content of VCA structure units, reaction time and concentration of enzyme solution, etc.

Highly efficient Rod-shape Poly(methacrylic acid-co-styrene-codivinylbenzene)High-performance Liquid Chromatographic Column

A highly efficient copolymer (methacrylic acid - co - styrene - divinylbenzene) in situ making high-performance liquid chromatographic column was prepared and evaluated. The column efficiency calculated in terms of height equivalent to a theoretical plate was 25 mu m and rapid separations of small molecules such as substituted aromatic hydrocarbons and aromatic acids were achieved within five minutes.

Swelling and Drug Release Characteristics of Poly （methacrylic acid-co-poloxamer） hydrogels

Poly (methacrylic acid-co-poloxamer) hydrogel networks were synthesized byfree-radical solution polymerization, and the dynamic swelling and in vitro release properties ofmodel drugs, dextromethorphan hydrobromide (DMP) and vitamin B_(12) (VB_(12)) were studied. Thesegels exhibited pH-dependant swelling and sustained drug release properties, and the water uptakerate and drug release rate in neutral or basic media were higher than that in acidic media. Theresults showed that the water uptake followed non-Fickian or zero order process in neutral or basicmedia, and the release of model drugs from hydrogels of appropriate composition was of zero orderkinetics over a period of several hours.

The Effect of Methacrylic Acid and Maleic Acid on the Isothermal Kinetics of Acrylic Acid Crosslinking Co-polymerization under Conventional and Microwave heating

The kinetics of free-radical crosslinking co-polymerization(FRCCP)of acrylic acid(AA)with both methacrylic acid(MA)(PAMA hydrogel)and maleic acid(MAL)(PAMAL hydrogel)was investigated under the conditions of isothermal conventional heating(CH)and under the conditions of microwave heating(MWH)with controlled cooling.The kinetics curves of FRCCP of PAMA and PAMAL hydrogels under the conditions of CH are described with the kinetics model of second order chemical reaction,whereas the kinetics curves under the conditions of CH are described with the kinetics model of Polany-Winger.It is proved that MWH leads to the changes in the rate of FRCCP and to the changes in the values of the kinetic parameters activation energy(Ea)and pre-exponential factor(lnA).It was found the existence of relationship between the values of the kinetic parameters calculated for MWH and CH for PAMA and PAMAL hydrogel synthesis process,which is well-known as compensation effect.The effect of MWH on the kinetics of FRCCP for PAMA and PAMAL hydrogel formation were explained by applying the model of activation by selective energy transfer(SET).The changes in kinetics model,rate of FRCCP and kinetics parameters,caused with the MWH can found wide application in designing novel technologies for obtaining polymers and for synthesis of polymers with novel physico-chemical properties.The suggested mechanism of activation for polymerisation under the conditions of MWH also enables development of novel reaction systems and technologies for polymers productions.

SOLID PHASE GRAFT COPOLYMERIZATION OF POLYPROPYLENE AND METHACRYLIC ACID

The solid phase graft copolymerization of polypropylene (PP) andmethacrylic acid (MAA) was investigated. benzoyl peroxide(BPO) wasused as initia- tor. The influence of the reactive time,concentration of initiator and monomer on degree of graft and meltflow index of graft copolymer(PP-MAA) was discussed. The effect ofgraft copolymer on mechanical properties of The glass fibre (GF)reinforced PP composites was also Studied. It is proved that graftcopolymer could obviously Increase the interfacial adhesive strengthbetween PP and GF.

Process design and economic analysis of methacrylic acid extraction for three organic solvents

In this work,a techno-economic study for the solvent based extraction of methacrylic acid from an aqueous solution is presented.The involved phase equilibrium calculations in process design are verified by measured experimental data.First,experiments are conducted with different solvent candidates to measure LLE(liquid–liquid equilibrium)data and to establish the effects of extraction temperature and dosage of solvent.Next,the binary interaction parameters for the UNIQUAC model to be used for equilibrium calculations are fine-tuned with measured data.Then,a process for the solvent based extraction of methacrylic acid recovery is designed and verified through simulation with the regressed UNIQUAC model parameters.The optimal configuration of the process flowsheet is determined by minimizing the total annualized cost.Among the three solvent candidates considered-cyclohexane,hexane and toluene-the highest efficiency and the lowest total annualized cost is found with toluene as the solvent.

Influence of Ca/P ratio on the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite for decarboxylation of itaconic acid to methacrylic acid

Methacrylic acid,an important organic chemical,is commercially manufactured starting from fossil feedstock.The decarboxylation of itaconic acid derived for biomass is a green route to the synthesis of methacrylic acid.In view of the problems existing in the researches on this route such as use of noble metal catalyst,harsh reaction conditions and low desired-product yield,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts with different Ca/P molar ratios and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the hydroxyapatite catalyst with a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.58 had the best catalytic activity.The highest yield of MAA up to 61.2%was achieved with basically complete conversion of itaconic acid under the suitable reaction conditions of 1 equivalent of NaOH,2 MPa of N_(2),250℃,and 2 h.On this basis,a reaction network for the decarboxylation of itaconic acid to methacrylic acid catalyzed by hydroxyapatite was established.With the aid of catalyst characterization using X-ray powder diffraction,NH3/CO2 temperature-programmed desorption,N_(2)physisorption,inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry,and scanning electron microscopy,we found that the distribution of surface acid sites and basic sites,crystal growth orientation,texture properties and morphology of hydroxyapatite varied with the Ca/P molar ratio.Furthermore,the change of the crystal growth orientation and its influence on the surface acidity and alkalinity were clarified.

Synthesis,Characterization and Catalytic Application of H_3PW_(12)O_(40)/MCM-48 in the Esterification of Methacrylic Acid with n-butyl Alcohol

A novel environmental friendly catalyst, H3PW12O40/MCM-48, was prepared by impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD and FT-IR. The synthesis of n-butyl methacrylate catalyzed by H3PW12O40/MCM-48 was studied with methacrylic acid and n-butyl alcohol as reactants. H3PW12O40/MCM-48 is an excellent catalyst for synthesizing n-butyl methacrylate and Keggin structure of H3PW12O40 kept unchanged after being impregnated on surface of the molecular sieve support. Effects of n（methacrylic acid）：n（n-butyl alcohol）, catalyst dosage, cyclohexane（water-stripped reagent） and reaction time on yields of the product were investigated. The optimum conditions have been found, that is, molar ratio of acid to alcohol is 1：1.6, mass ratio of catalyst used to the reactants is 0.5% and reaction time is 2.0 h. Under these conditions, the yield of n-butyl methacrylate can reach 93.7%.

A NEW METHOD FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF METHACRYLIC ACID FROM ISOBUTYRALDEHYDE

Isobutyraldehyde was used as starting material via three steps: oxidation, chlorination and dehydro-chlorination to yield methacrylic acid. The total yield of methacrylic acid is 49.7%.

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic application of H4SiW12O40/MCM-48 in the esterification of methacrylic acid with n-butyl alcohol

A novel environmental friendly catalyst, H4SiW12O40/MCM-48, was prepared by impregnation method. The catalysts were characterized by means of XRD and FT-IR. The synthesis of n-butyl methacrylate catalyzed by H4SiW12O40/MCM-48 was studied with methacrylic acid and n-butyl alcohol as reactants. H4SiW12O40/MCM-48 was an excellent catalyst for the synthesis of n-butyl methacrylate and Keggin structure ofH4SiW12O40 kept unchanged after impregnated on surface of the molecular sieve support. Effects of n（methacrylic acid）： n（n-butyl alcohol）, catalyst dosage, cyclohexane （water-stripped reagent） and reaction time on the yields of the product were investigated. The optimum conditions have been found, that is, molar ratio of acid to alcohol is 1：1.5, mass ratio of catalyst used to the reactant is 1.5%, cyclohexane is 10 mL and reaction time is 1.5h. Under these conditions, the yield of n-butyl methacrylate can reach 73.2%.

Removal of nickel(Ⅱ) from aqueous solutions using iminodiacetic acid functionalized polyglycidyl methacrylate grafted-carbon fibers

Iminodiacetic acid functionalized polyglycidyl methacrylate grafted-carbon fibers(PGMA-IDA/CFs) were prepared for Ni(II) removal from aqueous solutions. The effects of solution p H value, temperature and adsorption time were investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of Ni(II) on PGMA-IDA/CFs is 0.923 mmol·L-1· g-1at pH 5.2 and 50 °C. Kinetic data indicate that the adsorption process matches the pseudo-second-order model and Elovich kinetic model. Thermodynamic data suggest that the adsorption process is endothermic spontaneous reaction.

Ionic liquid-assisted preparation of hydroxyapatite and its catalytic performance for decarboxylation of itaconic acid

The synthesis of methacrylic acid from biomass-derived itaconic acid is a green route,for it can get rid of the dependence on fossil resource.In order to solve the problems on this route such as use of a preciousmetal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts by an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal method and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the ionic liquid[Bmim]BF_(4) can affect the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite,provide fluoride ion for fluorination of hydroxyapatite,and adjust the surface acidity and basicity,morphology,textural properties,crystallinity,and composition of hydroxyapatite.The[Bmim]BF4 dosage and hydrothermal temperature can affect the fluoride ion concentration in the hydrothermal system,thus changing the degree of fluoridation of hydroxyapatite.High fluoride-ion concentration can lead to the formation of CaF_(2) and thus significantly decrease the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite.The hydrothermal time mainly affects the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the c axis,leading to different catalytic performance.The suitable conditions for the preparation of this fluoridized hydroxyapatite are as follows:a mass ratio of[Bmim]BF4 to calcium salt=0.2:1,a hydrothermal time of 12 h,and a hydrothermal temperature of 130℃.A maximal methacrylic acid yield of 54.7%was obtained using the fluoridized hydroxyapatite under relatively mild reaction conditions(250℃ and 2 MPa of N_(2))in the absence of a precious-metal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali.

INFLUENCES OF ACID POST-TREATMENT ON THE MORPHOLOGY OF SOAP-FREE P(MMA-EA-MAA)PARTICLES PREPARED BY SEEDED EMULSION POLYMERIZATION

Soap-free poly（methyl methacrylate-ethyl acrylate-methacrylic acid） latex particles with narrow size distribution were synthesized by seeded emulsion polymerization, and the porous particles were created by a stepwise alkali/acid treatment method. Effects of acid treatment conditions on the particle morphology were investigated. Results show that one to three pores were formed inside most of particles after post-treatment. At pH 7.0, when the treatment temperature was lower than 70℃, the size of particles and the volume of pores remained almost unchanged, and these two values increased significantly when the temperature was higher than 70℃. Both the particle size and the pore volume decreased with the increase of initial pH value and treatment time in the acid treatment. As the pH was below 4.0 and the treatment time was longer than 180 min, the particles shrunk in size.

Development of Uric Acid Sensor Based on Molecularly Imprinted Polymetl^acrylic Acid-Modified Hanging Mercury Drop Electrode

Development of uric acid sensor based on molecularly imprinted polymer （MIP） was studi ed. The sensor was developed by coating the imprinted polymethacrylic acid on the surface of a hanging mercury drop ele, ctrode （HMDE） at -1 V （vs. Ag/AgCI） during 60 s. Uric acid was accumulated on the modified electrode at -1 V （vs. Ag/AgC1） during 60 s in acetate buffer pH = 5 and stripped at scan rate of 59 mV/s. Oxidation of uric acid on the surface of modified electrode is irreversible through the diffusion controlled process and polymethacrylic acid is a non-electrical conducting polymer. The current signal obtained from Ehe analysis of uric acid by using HMDE is higher than that of the HMD-palymethacrylic acid （polyMAA）, HMD-MIP and HMD-non imprinted polymer （NIP） electrode. The HMD-MIP has demonstrated its performance as a sensitive voltammetric sensor for uric acid. The modified electrode has been tested for the determination of uric acid in the serum sample with recovery percentage of 95.7% （n = 2）. The limit of detection obtained was 6.0 x 10-10 M.

On-Line Pyrolysis-Liquid Chromatography of （Meth-） Acrylic Acid in Waterborne Polymers Using Cryogenic Injection

Pyrolysis gas chromatography is not a comprehensive analysis method for the determination of acrylics. Polar acrylic monomers show low abundance by gas chromatography. Because of this, a home-made pyrolysis liquid chromatographic injector by means of cryogenic-focussing is developed to determine the presence and concentration of hydroxyl and carboxyl functional monomers present in water- and solvent-borne acrylics. We have shown the prove-of-principle of using cryogenic-focussing for UPLC （pyrolysis-ultra-performance liquid chromatography） injection.

Synthesis of Bifunctional Poly(Vinyl Phosphonic Acid-<i>co</i>-glycidyl Metacrylate-<i>co</i>-divinyl Benzene) Cation-Exchange Resin and Its Indium Adsorption

Poly(vinyl phosphonic acid-co-glycidyl methacrylate-co-divinyl benzene) (PVGD) and PVGD containing an iminodi-acetic acid group (IPVGD), which has indium ion selectivity, were synthesized by suspension polymerization, and their indium adsorption properties were investigated. The synthesized PVGD and IPVGD resins were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and mercury porosimetry. The cation-exchange capacity, the water uptake and the indium adsorption properties were investigated. The cation-exchange capacities of PVGD and IPVGD were 1.2 - 4.5 meq/g and 2.5 - 6.4 meq/g, respectively. The water uptakes were decreased with increasing contents of divinyl benzene (DVB). The water uptake values were 25% - 40% and 20% - 35%, respectively. The optimum adsorption of indium from a pure indium solution and an artificial indium tin oxide (ITO) solution by the PVGD and IPVGD ion-exchange resins were 2.3 and 3.5 meq/g, respectively. The indium adsorption capacities of IPVGD were higher than those of PVGD. The indium ion adsorption selectivity in the artificial ITO solution by PVGD and IPVGD was excellent, and other ions were adsorbed only slightly.

Characterization and Thermal Conductivity of Modified Graphite/Fatty Acid Eutectic/PMMA Form-Stable Phase Change Material

We prepared and characterized a form-stable composite phase change material （PCM） with higher thermal conductivity. Capric acid（CA）-myristic acid（MA） eutectic as core, poly-methyl methacrylate （PMMA） as supportive matrix and modified graphite （MG） powders serving as the thermal conductance improver were blended by bulk- polymerization method. The composite PCMs with different MG mass fraction （2%, 5%, 7%, 10% and 15%） were characterized by FT-IR, SEM, DSC technique and mechanical tests. Thermal conductivities of the composites were measured by transient hot-wire method. The results indicate that MG powders have been successfully inserted into the CA-MA/PMMA matrix without any chemical reaction with each other. The MG/CA-MA/PMMA composites maintain good thermal storage performance while the thermal conductivity has been enhanced significantly. The composite PCM added with 15 wt% MG powders increases approximately as 195.9% in thermal conductivity. Moreover, the thermal conductivity improvement of the composite PCMs is also verified by the melting-freezing experiment, which is profitable for the heat transfer efficiency in latent heat thermal energy storage system.