Nicholas Ballard , Jon Larrañaga , Kiarash Farajzadehahary , José M. Asua
{"title":"Polymer chemistry informed neural networks (PCINNs) for data-driven modelling of polymerization processes†","authors":"Nicholas Ballard , Jon Larrañaga , Kiarash Farajzadehahary , José M. Asua","doi":"10.1039/d4py00995a","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py00995a","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although the use of neural networks is now widespread in many practical applications, their use as predictive models in scientific work is often challenging due to the high amounts of data required to train the models and the unreliable predictive performance when extrapolating outside of the training dataset. In this work, we demonstrate a method by which our knowledge of polymerization processes in the form of kinetic models can be incorporated into the training process in order to overcome both of these problems in the modelling of polymerization reactions. This allows for the generation of accurate, data-driven predictive models of polymerization processes using datasets as small as a single sample. This approach is demonstrated for an example solution polymerization process where it is shown to significantly outperform purely inductive learning systems, such as conventional neural networks, but can also improve predictions of existing first principles kinetic models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 44","pages":"Pages 4580-4590"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142542078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Guicun Guo , Jiali Wu , Jingwei Zhang , Peng Zhou , Ding Shen , Penghan Li , Guowei Wang
{"title":"Functionalization of nano-objects in living anionic polymerization-induced self-assembly and their use for improving thermal properties of epoxy resins","authors":"Guicun Guo , Jiali Wu , Jingwei Zhang , Peng Zhou , Ding Shen , Penghan Li , Guowei Wang","doi":"10.1039/d4py01008f","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py01008f","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nano-objects generated <em>via</em> a scalable polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) process can serve as organic nanofillers, replacing the widely used inorganic nanofillers in composites. In this contribution, polyisoprene (PI)-<em>b</em>-polystyrene (PS) (PI-<em>b</em>-PS) or PI-<em>b</em>-PS/PS nano-objects were prepared <em>via</em> a living anionic polymerization-induced self-assembly (LAPISA) process or a derived process of living anionic polymerization-induced cooperative assembly (LAPICA) using nonpolar <em>n</em>-heptane as a solvent, which facilitated the control over morphologies and sizes. After the living species in the core region were <em>in situ</em> crosslinked by divinylbenzene (DVB) monomers, stabilized PDVB@(PI-<em>b</em>-PS) or PDVB@(PI-<em>b</em>-PS/PS) nano-objects were generated. After hydroxylated or epoxidized nano-objects were obtained through thiol–ene or epoxidation reactions on the double bonds of the PI stabilizer, the miscibility between the nano-objects and epoxy resin was improved, and the functionalized nano-objects could be introduced into epoxy resin. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) results affirmed that the organic nano-objects could improve the thermal properties of the composites, which were obviously superior to commercial inorganic silica nano-objects. In particular, the composites with smaller spherical nano-objects had a higher glass transition temperature (<em>T</em><sub>g</sub>) than those with larger spherical ones or worm-like ones. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements verified the uniform distribution of organic nano-objects and the formation of sufficiently integrated interfaces between the epoxy resin and nano-objects, thereby improving the thermal properties of the composites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 45","pages":"Pages 4637-4649"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142486256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Shaoju Cao , Mengting Hong , Junyuan Hu , Zhenjiang Li , Jin Huang , Kai Guo
{"title":"Interpretable machining learning assisted insights into bifunctional squaramide catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of lactide†","authors":"Shaoju Cao , Mengting Hong , Junyuan Hu , Zhenjiang Li , Jin Huang , Kai Guo","doi":"10.1039/d4py00866a","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py00866a","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The structural understanding of catalysts is essential for achieving efficient and selective polymerization. In this study, we designed a series of bifunctional catalysts based on squaramide, carboxylates, and alkali cations for the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of lactide. These catalysts exhibited controlled polymerization behavior with narrow dispersity (<em>Đ</em><sub>M</sub> = 1.08–1.12). Kinetic evaluations revealed a linear relationship between the catalyst's chain length and activity for short CH<sub>2</sub> chains (<em>X</em> = 1–4). However, as the CH<sub>2</sub> segments lengthened, an “odd-even” effect on the kinetics was found, suggesting that the chain length alternately enhances or diminishes catalytic activity. The catalytic activity was significantly influenced by the counter cation (Li<sup>+</sup>, Na<sup>+</sup>, K<sup>+</sup>, and Cs<sup>+</sup>) of carboxylate, with larger radius cations showing higher rate constants (<em>k</em><sub>obs Cs<sup>+</sup></sub> > <em>k</em><sub>obs K<sup>+</sup></sub> > <em>k</em><sub>obs Na<sup>+</sup></sub> > <em>k</em><sub>obs Li<sup>+</sup></sub>). Computational studies demonstrated that this correlation resulted from varying binding energies. Moreover, the <em>k</em><sub>obs</sub> value of the catalyst can be tuned by adding different ratios of the crown ether. An interpretable machine learning method was introduced to link physical properties and activities, guiding the further design of effective catalysts for ROP.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 44","pages":"Pages 4562-4569"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142536840","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Catalytic copolymerization of carbon dioxide and cyclohexene oxide by a trinuclear cyclohexane-bridged tetradentate Schiff base chromium complex†","authors":"Jie Huang , Boxiong Shen","doi":"10.1039/d4py00956h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py00956h","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of catalytic systems is a central area of research in carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and epoxy copolymerization. A novel trinuclear cyclohexane-bridged tetradentate Schiff base chromium complex was synthesized as a catalyst for the ring-opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of CO<sub>2</sub> and cyclohexene oxide (CHO), resulting in the formation of poly (cyclohexene carbonate) (PCHC). The impact of polymerization temperature, CO<sub>2</sub> pressure, reaction time, and catalyst loading on complex 's polymerization activity was systematically investigated. It was observed that, with the addition of the co-catalyst PPNN<sub>3</sub> (PPN = bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium), complex exhibited enhanced catalytic activity for the ROCOP of CO<sub>2</sub> and CHO under mild conditions. In contrast, the mononuclear tetradentate Schiff base chromium complex system showed low activity under the same conditions. Compared to complex , complex achieved a higher CHO conversion rate (70%) and 85% PCHC selectivity, with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 419 h<sup>−1</sup>, which is 5.3 times greater than that of complex . Additionally, the polymer produced by complex had a molecular weight of 13 790 g mol<sup>−1</sup>, which is higher than that produced by complex (8800 g mol<sup>−1</sup>) and the commercial Salen CrCl catalyst (9610 g mol<sup>−1</sup>). By varying the amounts of complex and CHO, PCHC with different molecular weights (6000 g mol<sup>−1</sup> to 14 000 g mol<sup>−1</sup>) and low dispersity can be easily obtained. Notably, the activation energy barrier for polycarbonate formation in the complex system was 21.63 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup>, compared to 32.88 kJ mol<sup>−1</sup> in the complex system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 44","pages":"Pages 4519-4528"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142431623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrew J. King , Ryan P. Sherrier , Jeffrey Aubé , Aleksandr V. Zhukhovitskiy
{"title":"Backbone editing of oxidized polyethylene: insertion of oxygen and nitrogen atoms via hydroxyalkyl azide-mediated rearrangements†","authors":"Andrew J. King , Ryan P. Sherrier , Jeffrey Aubé , Aleksandr V. Zhukhovitskiy","doi":"10.1039/d4py00973h","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py00973h","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The properties, applications, and end-of-life considerations of plastics are fundamentally linked to the structure of the polymer backbones at the core of these materials. With that in mind, editing the polymer backbone composition offers exciting opportunities to transform the plastics economy; yet, few examples of such transformations utilize commodity plastics as starting materials. In this work, we describe the development of a tandem C–H oxidation/hydroxyalkyl azide mediated rearrangement strategy that converts polyethylene into “polyethylene-like” materials with iminium ethers, esters, amides, and other pendant chemical functionality. Control over formation of esters or amides is achieved by variation of the hydroxyalkyl azide reagent, as well as processing conditions. By targeting specific functionalities, a variety of thermal and mechanical properties can be accessed. For example, incorporation of iminium ethers decreases the Young's modulus of post-consumer PE from 196 MPa to 69–83 MPa, but conversion of the iminium ethers to esters and amides produces materials with moduli of 212–287 MPa—values higher than the original material. Thus, the demonstration of a modular backbone editing methodology for polyethylene showcases the broader value of this emerging strategy for polymer modification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 44","pages":"Pages 4554-4561"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452353","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Noushin Rajabalinia , Fatemeh Salarhosseini , Robin A. Hutchinson
{"title":"Acrylate–methacrylate radical copolymerization kinetics of sparingly water-soluble monomers in polar and nonpolar solvents†","authors":"Noushin Rajabalinia , Fatemeh Salarhosseini , Robin A. Hutchinson","doi":"10.1039/d4py01015a","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py01015a","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The properties of waterborne polymer dispersions synthesized by emulsion radical polymerization are influenced by reactions in both the aqueous medium and the growing particles. Mathematical models representing the process often do not consider the difference in the propagation rate coefficient (<em>k</em><sub>p</sub>) of monomers in the two phases, despite the body of evidence demonstrating that solvent polarity influences monomer–monomer and monomer-solvent hydrogen-bonding that affects both <em>k</em><sub>p</sub> homopropagation values and copolymerization reactivity ratios. Therefore, it is vital to develop experimental approaches to systematically measure the influence of solvent on the copolymerization kinetics of hydrophobic monomers under conditions that are similar to emulsion systems. In this work, we study the copolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) with di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (DEGMEMA) as models for the common emulsion monomers butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate. As well as varying solvent choice and monomer concentration, MA/DEGMEMA copolymerization kinetics are compared to those of MA with methacrylic acid (MAA) to determine the influence of monomer functionality on its relative reactivity. The findings suggest that the copolymer composition of all methacrylate–acrylate systems – whether involving functional or non-functional monomers – converge to a single curve in protic polar aqueous solution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 44","pages":"Pages 4542-4553"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142486255","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hongji Wang , Xiaojun Ma , Hanyu Yao , Haohao Chang , Yin Lv , Zhong Wei
{"title":"Synthesis of degradable polyester with high molecular weight and excellent mechanical properties through copolymerization modification of poly(butylene succinate)†","authors":"Hongji Wang , Xiaojun Ma , Hanyu Yao , Haohao Chang , Yin Lv , Zhong Wei","doi":"10.1039/d4py01050g","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py01050g","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maintaining the high mechanical properties of degradable polyesters is crucial for their practical application. In this work, tricyclodecanedimethanol (TCD) with a rigid ring structure was introduced into the synthesis of polybutylene succinate (PBS) to form PBTCDS copolyester. The addition of TCD significantly improved the glass transition temperature (<em>T</em><sub>g</sub>), mechanical properties, and barrier properties of the copolyester. The inherent toughness of PBS is limited by its poor elongation at break, which restricts its application range. However, the tensile strength of PBTCDS5 synthesized in this study is 42 MPa, with an elongation at break of 687%. It is noteworthy that the elongation at break of PBTCDS15 reaches 860%, greatly improving the mechanical properties of PBS. Compared with PBS (<em>T</em><sub>g</sub> −31.4 °C), the <em>T</em><sub>g</sub> of the copolyester increased from −29.2 °C to −22.8 °C, thereby improving its thermal properties. The water vapor barrier test showed that the water vapor transmission rate had improved. In addition, water degradation experiments showed that changing the TCD content resulted in different degradation rates, leading to copolyesters with different degradation rates. Ultimately, this method significantly improves mechanical properties while maintaining degradability, thereby broadening the application scope of PBS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 44","pages":"Pages 4570-4579"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142489558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nickel-catalyzed direct synthesis of hyperbranched liquid oligoethylene†","authors":"Mengyao Zhang , Shengyu Dai","doi":"10.1039/d4py00709c","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d4py00709c","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Late transition metal-catalyzed ethylene chain-walking polymerization offers a remarkably convenient method for synthesizing hyperbranched polyethylene. In this study, we created a series of pyridine-imine Ni(<span>ii</span>) complexes with axially flexible cycloalkyl substituents, tailored for the production of hyperbranched oligoethylene oils (HBOEOs). These complexes exhibited moderate activity in HBOEO synthesis, reaching rates of up to 4.90 × 10<sup>5</sup> g mol<sup>−1</sup> h<sup>−1</sup>. The resulting products exhibited low molecular weights (325–523 g mol<sup>−1</sup>) and high branching densities (110–167/1000C). NMR analysis verified their diverse branching structures, with a significant proportion of hyperbranched motifs. Notably, the activity, structure, and properties of the HBOEOs produced by the catalytic system were significantly influenced by alterations in the catalyst structure and oligomerization conditions. Specifically, when compared to rigid phenyl substituents, flexible cycloalkyl substituents proved more effective in promoting the catalytic system to produce HBOEOs with a higher degree of branching and improved liquefaction properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":"15 45","pages":"Pages 4627-4636"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142384328","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kim Jiayi Wu, John M. Tobin, Anli Ji, Yang Shi, Chunchun Ye, Gary S. Nichol, Alessio Fuoco, Mariagiulia Longo, Johannes C. Jansen and Neil B. McKeown
{"title":"The CF3TMS adduct of anthraquinone as a monomer for making polymers with potential as separation membranes†","authors":"Kim Jiayi Wu, John M. Tobin, Anli Ji, Yang Shi, Chunchun Ye, Gary S. Nichol, Alessio Fuoco, Mariagiulia Longo, Johannes C. Jansen and Neil B. McKeown","doi":"10.1039/D4PY01002G","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4PY01002G","url":null,"abstract":"<p >The readily prepared CF<small><sub>3</sub></small>TMS adduct of anthraquinone is shown to be an efficient monomer for superacid-catalysed step-growth polymerisations, as exemplified by its reaction with diphenyl ether. The resulting polymer (<strong>BTFMA-DPE</strong>) is produced rapidly, with high molecular mass, and shows promise as a gas separation membrane material.</p>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":" 42","pages":" 4312-4318"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2024/py/d4py01002g?page=search","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142452354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Haoxin Niu, Yu Li, Ping Zhang, Wenwen Guo, Xin Wang and Yuan Hu
{"title":"Self-healable, reprocessable and anti-flammable eugenol-derived covalent adaptable thermosets based on dynamic covalent boronic esters and thiol–ene click chemistry†","authors":"Haoxin Niu, Yu Li, Ping Zhang, Wenwen Guo, Xin Wang and Yuan Hu","doi":"10.1039/D4PY00684D","DOIUrl":"10.1039/D4PY00684D","url":null,"abstract":"<p >Due to their excellent properties, thermosetting polymer materials have been widely used in many fields. Owing to the restriction of the crosslinked network, traditional thermosetting polymer materials exhibit insolubility and immiscibility. Therefore, the reprocessing of thermosetting polymer materials is a great challenge. With the depletion of petroleum-based resources, the utilization of natural resources for the preparation of bio-based thermosetting polymer materials is a major trend. In this study, eugenol-based covalent adaptable thermosets were prepared <em>via</em> UV curing and thermal curing according to thiol click chemistry. The mechanical properties of the eugenol-based covalent adaptable thermosets, which are better than those of the control sample, can be regulated according to the components. The eugenol-based covalent adaptable thermosets exhibited excellent transparency and UV shielding properties. The introduction of a dynamic covalent boronic ester (BSH) promoted the formation of residual char and enhanced the fire safety of the eugenol-based covalent adaptable thermosets. Owing to the dynamic borate ester bonds in the cross-linked network, the eugenol-based covalent adaptable thermosets exhibited significant stress relaxation behavior, and excellent shape memory function and self-healing properties. The samples were reprocessed at 100 °C several times. After three cycles of pulverizing and hot pressing, the recovery ratio of tensile strength of the reprocessed samples remained above 85%. This study provides a novel strategy for preparing self-healable, reprocessable and anti-flammable covalent adaptable thermosets with tunable mechanical properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":100,"journal":{"name":"Polymer Chemistry","volume":" 48","pages":" 4952-4961"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142443937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}