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A robust, redox-active radical polymer, poly(TEMPO-substituted norbornene), was surface-grafted on an indium tin oxide glass substrate. The polymer brush functioned as a redox-induced ‘command surface’ to reversibly switch the alignment of chiral nematic liquid crystals and their light reflection with wavelength selectivity.
Hydrogel microspheres (microgels) are composed of crosslinked hydrophilic or amphiphilic polymer chains and exhibit fascinating properties. Their typical size range (<~10 μm) and their excellent properties promise a variety of attractive applications as for example templates, microreactors, catalysts, coatings, and drug carriers. Against this background, we have conducted systematic research on microgels including their synthesis, characterization, assembly, and applications. In this focus review, we summarize recent results of microgel research mainly from our group and those of our collaborators.
Polymer nanocomposite membranes based on sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) with single-walled carbon nanotubes and fly ash were prepared and their physicochemical properties were studied in detail. The scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses confirm the successful incorporation of carbon nanotubes into the polymer matrix. The SP-CNT-FA-8 membrane provides the highest tensile strength of 74.4 MPa. The incorporation of inorganic nanofiller and fly ash can retard the oxidative degradation of SPEEK, which leads to the expansion of thermal stability. The excellent thermal and mechanical stabilities as well as relatively high proton conductivity of the synthesized electrolyte membranes facilitate them to be used in fuel cells.
Composites of poly(methyl methacrylate) synthesized by the free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate with Aerosol OT (AOT) surfactant added show enhanced resistance to thermal degradation and combustion. Structural analyses over the nm and μm lengthscale show that there are nanoscale domains of hexagonally packed rods and microscale domains of phase-separated surfactant. The self-assembly of AOT occurs concurrently with the combustion resistance. These results show a promising method of introducing structures that result in the desirable properties of thermal stability and combustion resistance into polymer composites.
Three types of block copolymers consisting of polyfluorene and polytriarylamine with benzothiadiazole (BT) moiety are synthesized and characterized to evaluate the effect of chromophore location on electroluminescent performance. BT unit is incorporated at the junction of both blocks (BP 1) in the polytriarylamine block (BP 2) and in the polyfluorene block (BP 3). Electroluminescent device based on BP 1 exhibits the best performance. This result is reasonably explained by taking into consideration the difference of recombination probability in the phase-separated active layers.
Two new π-conjugated naphtho[1,2-b:5,6-b']dithiophene (NDT)-based homopolymers functionalized with alkyl-thienyl or alkylthio-thienyl side chains were synthesized and characterized. To simplify the synthetic route, we performed the palladium-catalyzed dehalogenative polycondensation using hexamethylditin as the condensation reagent. The alkylthio-thienyl-functionalized NDT-based homopolymer exhibited a higher hole mobility in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and higher power conversion efficiency in organic solar cells (OSCs), compared to alkyl-thienyl-functionalized one.
Biomineralization-inspired approaches to thin-film hybrid formation have been applied to the crystallization of organic/inorganic hybrids based on a layered zinc hydroxide compound with 4-ethoxybenzoic acid. The obtained thin-film hybrids exhibit specific orientation of zinc hydroxide layers that are perpendicularly aligned with respect to the plane of the thin films.
A versatile method for stabilizing an excess-handed helical polyisocyanide induced and memorized in the polymer backbone has been developed using divalent and trivalent metal ions that can coordinate to the pendant carboxylate residues in the polyisocyanide, thereby forming a noncovalently cross-linked network through intra- and/or intermolecular coordination. Among the metal ions investigated, the lanthanide ions were proved to be the most efficient and remarkably improved the thermal stability of the helical polyisocyanide in solution as well as in a gel.
