Polyvinylidene fluoride or polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) is a highly non-reactive thermoplastic fluoropolymer produced by the polymerization of vinylidene difluoride. Its chemical formula is (C2H2F2)n.
In polymer chemistry, a copolymer is a polymer derived from more than one species of monomer. The polymerization of monomers into copolymers is called copolymerization. Copolymers obtained from the copolymerization of two monomer species are sometimes called bipolymers. Those obtained from three and four monomers are called terpolymers and quaterpolymers, respectively. Copolymers can be characterized by a variety of techniques such as NMR spectroscopy and size-exclusion chromatography to determine the molecular size, weight, properties, and composition of the material.
Oxetane, or 1,3-propylene oxide, is a heterocyclic organic compound with the molecular formula C
3H
6O, having a four-membered ring with three carbon atoms and one oxygen atom.
Polylactic acid, also known as poly(lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA), is a plastic material. As a thermoplastic polyester it has the backbone formula (C
3H
4O
2)
n or [–C(CH
3)HC(=O)O–]
n. PLA is formally obtained by condensation of lactic acid C(CH
3)(OH)HCOOH with loss of water. It can also be prepared by ring-opening polymerization of lactide [–C(CH
3)HC(=O)O–]
2, the cyclic dimer of the basic repeating unit. Often PLA is blended with other polymers. PLA can be biodegradable or long-lasting, depending on the manufacturing process, additives and copolymers.
Polyphosphazenes include a wide range of hybrid inorganic-organic polymers with a number of different skeletal architectures with the backbone P-N-P-N-P-N-. In nearly all of these materials two organic side groups are attached to each phosphorus center. Linear polymers have the formula (N=PR1R2)n, where R1 and R2 are organic (see graphic). Other architectures are cyclolinear and cyclomatrix polymers in which small phosphazene rings are connected together by organic chain units. Other architectures are available, such as block copolymer, star, dendritic, or comb-type structures. More than 700 different polyphosphazenes are known, with different side groups (R) and different molecular architectures. Many of these polymers were first synthesized and studied in the research group of Harry R. Allcock.
Sulfolene, or butadiene sulfone is a cyclic organic chemical with a sulfone functional group. It is a white, odorless, crystalline, indefinitely storable solid, which dissolves in water and many organic solvents. The compound is used as a source of butadiene.
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (variously abbreviated PNIPA, PNIPAM, PNIPAAm, NIPA, PNIPAA or PNIPAm) is a temperature-responsive polymer that was first synthesized in the 1950s. It can be synthesized from N-isopropylacrylamide which is commercially available. It is synthesized via free-radical polymerization and is readily functionalized making it useful in a variety of applications.
Temperature-responsive polymers or thermoresponsive polymers are polymers that exhibit drastic and discontinuous changes in their physical properties with temperature. The term is commonly used when the property concerned is solubility in a given solvent, but it may also be used when other properties are affected. Thermoresponsive polymers belong to the class of stimuli-responsive materials, in contrast to temperature-sensitive materials, which change their properties continuously with environmental conditions. In a stricter sense, thermoresponsive polymers display a miscibility gap in their temperature-composition diagram. Depending on whether the miscibility gap is found at high or low temperatures, either an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) or a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) exists.
2-Acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) was a Trademark name by The Lubrizol Corporation. It is a reactive, hydrophilic, sulfonic acid acrylic monomer used to alter the chemical properties of wide variety of anionic polymers. In the 1970s, the earliest patents using this monomer were filed for acrylic fiber manufacturing. Today, there are over several thousands patents and publications involving use of AMPS in many areas including water treatment, oil field, construction chemicals, hydrogels for medical applications, personal care products, emulsion coatings, adhesives, and rheology modifiers. Lubrizol discontinued the production of this monomer in 2017 due to copy-cat production from China and India destroying the profitability of this product.
Polymers with the ability to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses are classified as antimicrobial agents. This class of polymers consists of natural polymers with inherent antimicrobial activity and polymers modified to exhibit antimicrobial activity. Polymers are generally nonvolatile, chemically stable, and can be chemically and physically modified to display desired characteristics and antimicrobial activity. Antimicrobial polymers are a prime candidate for use in the food industry to prevent bacterial contamination and in water sanitation to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in drinking water.
Methyl azide is an organic compound with the formula CH3N3. It is a white solid and it is the simplest organic azide.
Polyfluorene is a polymer with formula (C13H8)n, consisting of fluorene units linked in a linear chain — specifically, at carbon atoms 2 and 7 in the standard fluorene numbering. It can also be described as a chain of benzene rings linked in para positions with an extra methylene bridge connecting every pair of rings.
3,3-Bis(chloromethyl)oxetane (BCMO) is an intermediate in the synthesis of poly(bis oxetane, an energetic polymer that is being studied for use as a propellant binder for rocket fuel.
Poly(ethylene adipate) or PEA is an aliphatic polyester. It is most commonly synthesized from a polycondensation reaction between ethylene glycol and adipic acid. PEA has been studied as it is biodegradable through a variety of mechanisms and also fairly inexpensive compared to other polymers. Its lower molecular weight compared to many polymers aids in its biodegradability.
2-Ethyl-2-oxazoline (EtOx) is an oxazoline which is used particularly as a monomer for the cationic ring-opening polymerization to poly(2-alkyloxazoline)s. This type of polymers are under investigation as readily water-soluble and biocompatible materials for biomedical applications.
Inverse vulcanization is a process that produces polysulfide polymers, which also contain some organic linkers. In contrast, sulfur vulcanization produces material that is predominantly organic but has a small percentage of polysulfide crosslinks.
Polysulfobetaines are zwitterionic polymers that contain a positively charged quaternary ammonium and a negatively charged sulfonate group within one constitutional repeat unit. In recent years, polysulfobetaines have received increasing attention owing to their good biotolerance and ultralow-fouling behavior towards surfaces. These properties are mainly referred to a tightly bound hydration layer around each zwitterionic group, which effectively suppresses protein adsorption and thus, improves anti-fouling behavior. Therefore, polysulfobetaines have been typically employed as ultrafiltration membranes, blood-contacting devices, and drug delivery materials.
Poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) is an aliphatic polycarbonate synthesized from the 6-membered cyclic carbonate, trimethylene carbonate (1,3-propylene carbonate or 1,3-Dioxan-2-one). Trimethylene carbonate (TMC) is a colorless crystalline solid with melting point ranging between 45°C and 48 °C and boiling point at 255°C (at 760 mmHg). TMC is originally synthesized from 1,3-propanediol with phosgene or carbon monoxide, which are highly poisonous gases. Another route is from the transesterification of 1,3-propanediol and dialkylcarbonates. This route is considered "greener" compared to the other one, since precursors can be obtained from renewable resources and carbon dioxide.
Polyoxetane (POX), or poly(oxetane), is synthetic organic heteroatomic thermoplastic polymer with molecular formula (–OCH2CH2CH2–)n. It is polymerized from oxetane monomer, which is a four-membered cyclic ether.
Diallyl carbonate (DAC) is a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. Its structure contains allyl groups and a functional carbonate group. The presence of double bonds in the allyl groups makes it reactive in various chemical processes. This compound plays a key role in the production of polymers, including polycarbonates and polyurethanes. Diallyl carbonate is soluble in ethanol, methanol, toluene, and chloroform. Diallyl carbonate reacts with amines, alcohols, and thiols.
