Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 )/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) composites were first used as photoinitiator for photochemically mediated controlled/living polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The polymerization was successfully carried out in polyethylene glycol at room temperature with FeCl 3 Á6H 2 O/N,N,N 0 ,N 0 ,N 00 -pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as complex catalyst and ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate as initiator in this case. A pseudo-first-order dependence of the monomer concentration on the polymerization time was observed. TiO 2 /g-C 3 N 4 was verified to be an efficient photoinitiator. The polymerization was controlled to produce poly (methyl methacrylate) with narrow molecular weight distribution and controlled number average molecular weight (M n,GPC ). The M n,GPC matched well with the theoretical values when using both UV and sunlight irradiation as light source. The effects of reaction conditions on the polymerization were investigated. The polymerization could be started and stopped through periodically switching on/off the light. The living nature was further supported by the chain extension experiments.

The activated carbon-containing catalysts (Pd/C and Pt/C) have been prepared by surface modification of the activated carbon with palladium chloride and chloroplatinic acid solution, respectively. The Pt/C catalyst is characterized by XRD pattern. The glyphosate is prepared from catalytic oxidation N-phosphonomethyl iminodiacetic acid. Effect of different catalysts and amount of the catalyst in catalytic oxidation are investigated. Compared with Pt/C catalyst, Pd/C catalyst is more active. Optimum amount of Pd/C catalyst is 45 mol/m3 PMIDA.

Novel thermoresponsive dendronized monomer bearing azobenzene moiety, 4-(4′-(3, 4, 5-tris (2-(2-methoxyethoxy) ethoxy) benzyloxy) phenylazo) benzyl methacrylate, has been successfully synthesized. The chemical structures of intermediate compounds and dendronized monomer were confirmed by FTIR and 1H NMR. The phase transition behaviors of these intermediate compounds and dendronized monomer were investigated. These intermediate compound and dendronized monomer showed remarkably reversible thermoresponsive phase transition behaviors.

Novel dendronized polymers bearing azobenzene moieties in the side chain, poly (2, 5-bis {[3, 4, 5-tri (4-methoxy-4-oxyhexyloxy azobenzene) benzy oxycarbonyl} styrene), has been successfully synthesized. These polymers were characterized by 1H NMR, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized light microscopy (PLM), and one-dimensional wide-angle X-ray diffraction (1D XRD). The effects of molecular weight on liquid-crystalline behavior of these dendronized polymers were also investigated. The results show that the low molecular weight polymer P1 exhibits smecitc A (SmA)-like structure at lower temperature and nematic phase at higher temperature. Further heating P1 above the highest phase transition temperature, the sample becomes isotropic state. With the increasing of molecular weight, the high molecular weight polymer P2 exhibits more versatile intriguing liquid crystalline properties. The sequence of phase transitions of P2 follows: 2D centered rectangular columnar phase (ΦR) scaffold of main-chain and SmB-like structure of side-chain 2D centered rectangular columnar phase (ΦR) scaffold of main-chain and SmA-like structure of side-chain 2D centered rectangular (ΦR) scaffold of main-chain and isotropic side-chain 2D long-range-ordered hexagonal columnar phase (ΦH) of main-chain and isotropic side-chain. The 2D long-range-ordered hexagonal columnar phase (ΦH) of P2 still remains before the sample is completely decomposed.