Novel Dual-Grafted Copolymer Bearing Glassy Polystyrene and Crystalline Poly(Ethylene Oxide) as Side Chains

Abstract

A novel grafted copolymer with two different types of side chains was synthesized via a combination of grafting-onto and grafting-from strategy. Graft copolymer with one side chains polybutadiene-graft-polystyrene (PB-g-PS) was first synthesized though the graftingonto method. Following the subsequent grafting-from method, the second kind of side chain was introduced to the copolymer with anionic ring open polymerization of ethylene oxide, obtaining dual-grafted copolymer polybutadiene-graft-(polystyrene; poly(ethylene oxide)) (PB-g-(PS;PEO)). By this combined strategy, linear and star-shaped dual-grafted copolymer were synthesized. The resulting dual-grafted copolymers had controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn < 1.20). The thermal behavior of this dual-grafted copolymer bearing glassy and crystalline side chains was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), revealing that poly(ethylene oxide) grafts underwent confined crystallization, and the star-shaped copolymer had more confinement effects than did the linear ones.

Preparation and Characterization of Biobased Lignin-Co-Polyester/Amide Thermoplastics

“…The BS0.8T, BS0.9T and BS1 lignin copolymers had T m ranging from 78 to 105 °C, the 48 h cured prepolymers were 103–106 °C and these were lower than reported for PBS at 114 °C [ 38 ]. The BA0.8T, BA0.9T and BA1 48 h cured prepolymers and lignin copolymers had T m ’s ranging from 27 to 40 °C and were lower than for PBA (~50 °C) [ 39 ]. The T m for BSu0.8T, BSu0.9T and BSu1 48 h cured prepolymers and lignin copolymers were between 32 to 45 °C and slightly lower than reported for PBSu (~54 °C) [ 36 ].…”