| 1. |
- Zorn, Anna-Marie, et al.
(författare)
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High temperature synthesis of vinyl terminated polymers based on dendronized acrylates : a detailed product analysis study
- 2011
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Ingår i: POLYMER CHEMISTRY. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 1759-9954 .- 1759-9962. ; 2:5, s. 1163-1173
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The combination of dendrons and high temperature acrylate polymerization represents a viable route to form dendronized macromonomers. Dendronized acrylates based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid (bis-MPA) were synthesized using dendrimer synthesis and click chemistry (copper catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC)). The synthesis was carried out up to the 3rd generation and with a carbon spacer length of 6 or 9 between the acrylic function and the dendron core. These dendronized acrylates were subjected to auto-initiated high temperature acrylate polymerization. The polymerization was performed at 140 degrees C in a 5 wt% solution of hexyl acetate with a 2,2'-azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) concentration of 5 x 10(-3) g mol(-1). The vinyl terminated polymers were in-depth characterized via size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and size exclusion chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (SEC-ESI-MS) to assess the generated product spectrum and the efficiency of the process. The achievable number average molecular weight, M-n, was between 1700 and 4400 g mol(-1). The degree of polymerization, DPn, decreases with increasing generations of the dendronized acrylates from 6.3 to 3.4. The purity of vinyl terminated oligomers containing a geminal double bond is up to 83%, with the dendronized acrylates of the 1st generation providing the best result. Moderate deprotection of the acetonide groups occurred spontaneously during the macromonomer formation process and reached its maximum at generation 3.
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| 2. |
- Boujemaoui, Assya, et al.
(författare)
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Facile Preparation Route for Nanostructured Composites : Surface-Initiated Ring-Opening Polymerization of epsilon-Caprolactone from High-Surface-Area Nanopaper
- 2012
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 4:6, s. 3191-3198
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, highly porous nanopaper, i.e., sheets of papers made from non-aggregated nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), have been surface-grafted with poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) by surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization (SI-ROP). The nanopaper has exceptionally high surface area (similar to 300 m(2)/g). The "grafting from" of the nanopapers was compared to "grafting from" of cellulose in the form of filter paper, and in both cases either titanium n-butoxide (Ti(On-Bu)(4)) or tin octoate (Sn(Oct)(2)) was utilized as a catalyst. It was found that a high surface area leads to significantly higher amount of grafted PCL in the substrates when Sn(Oct)2 was utilized as a catalyst. Up to 79 wt % PCL was successfully grafted onto the nanopapers as compared to filter paper where only 2-3 wt % PCL was grafted. However, utilizing Ti(On-Bu)4 this effect was not seen and the grafted amount was essentially similar, irrespectively of surface area. The mechanical properties of the grafted nanopaper proved to be superior to those of pure PCL films, especially at elevated temperatures. The present bottom-up preparation route of NFC-based composites allows high NFC content and provides excellent nanostructural control. This is an important advantage compared with some existing preparation routes where dispersion of the filler in the matrix is challenging.
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| 3. |
- Boujemaoui, Assya, et al.
(författare)
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Polycaprolactone Nanocomposites Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals Surface-Modified via Covalent Grafting or Physisorption : A Comparative Study
- 2017
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1944-8244 .- 1944-8252. ; 9:40, s. 35305-35318
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present work, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have been surface-modified either via covalent grafting or through physisorption of poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) and employed as reinforcement in PCL. Covalent grafting was achieved by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). Two approaches were utilized for the physisorption: using either micelles of poly(dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA-b-PBMA) or latex nanoparticles of poly(dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (P(DMAEMA-co-MAA)-b-PBMA). Block copolymers (PDMAEMA-b-PBMA)s were obtained by ATRP and subsequently micellized. Latex nanoparticles were produced via reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) mediated surfactant-free emulsion polymerization, employing polymer-induced self-assembly (PISA) for the particle formation. For a reliable comparison, the amounts of micelles/latex particles adsorbed and the amount of polymer grafted onto the CNCs were kept similar. Two different chain lengths of PBMA were targeted, below and above the critical molecular weight for chain entanglement of PBMA (M-n,M-c similar to 56 000 g mo1(-1)). Poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) nanocomposites reinforced with unmodified and modified CNCs in different weight percentages (0.5, 1, and 3 wt %) were prepared via melt extrusion. The resulting composites were evaluated by UV-vis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile testing. All materials resulted in higher transparency, greater thermal stability, and stronger mechanical properties than unfilled PCL and nanocomposites containing unmodified CNCs. The degradation temperature of PCL reinforced with grafted CNCs was higher than that of micelle-modified CNCs, and the latter was higher than that of latex-adsorbed CNCs with a long PBMA chain length. The results clearly indicate that covalent grafting is superior to physisorption with regard to thermal and mechanical properties of the final nanocomposite. This unique study is of great value for the future design of CNC-based nanocomposites with tailored properties.
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| 4. |
- Boujemaoui, Assya, et al.
(författare)
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Preparation and characterization of functionalized cellulose nanocrystals
- 2015
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Ingår i: Carbohydrate Polymers. - : Elsevier. - 0144-8617 .- 1879-1344. ; 115, s. 457-464
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this work, a series of functional nanocrystals (F-CNCs) was successfully produced by an efficient preparation method, combining acid hydrolysis and Fischer esterification with various organic acids. Functionalities such as ATRP initiators, double bonds, triple bonds, and thiols could be incorporated on CNCs. Surface modification was confirmed by FT-IR, XPS, and elemental analysis. Physical properties of FC-NCs were assessed by AFM, XRD and TGA. Moreover, ATRP initiator functionalized CNCs were utilized to graft poly(methyl methacrylate) via ATRP, thiol functionalized CNCs were reacted with Ellman's reagent to determine the thiol content and dye disperse red 13 was attached to alkyne functionalized CNCs to estimate the propiolate content. The herein presented method is a highly versatile and straightforward procedure for the preparation of F-CNCs which is believed to be a better alternative for the commonly utilized, extensive, multistep, and time consuming post functionalization methods.
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| 5. |
- Boujemaoui, Assya, et al.
(författare)
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SI-RAFT/MADIX polymerization of vinyl acetate on cellulose nanocrystals for nanocomposite applications
- 2016
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Ingår i: Polymer. - : Elsevier. - 0032-3861 .- 1873-2291. ; 99, s. 240-249
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the present work, poly(vinyl acetate) grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNC-g-PVAc) were prepared via surface initiated reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer and macromolecular design via the interchange of xanthates (SI-RAFT/MADIX) polymerization. Successful grafting of PVAc from CNC was confirmed by FT-IR and TGA analysis. PVAc nanocomposites reinforced with CNC-g-PVAc, as well as pristine CNC for comparison, of different weight percentages (0.5, 1, 3 and 5 wt%) of CNC were prepared via solvent casting. The PVAc reinforced with CNC-g-PVAc resulted in higher transparency and improved mechanical properties compared with unmodified CNC nanocomposites. The addition of 5 wt% CNC-g-PVAc increased the modulus of neat PVAc with as much as 154%. The proposed SI-RAFT/MADIX on CNC could be applied to wide range of monomers, and it is believed to be an efficient and robust method for CNC functionalization, thus expanding the potential applicability of CNC.
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| 6. |
- Boujemaoui, Assya, 1983-
(författare)
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Surface Modification of Nanocellulose towards Composite Applications
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Nanocelluloses have attracted great interest during recent decades owing to their renewability, abundancy and remarkable physical and mechanical properties. The aim of this work was to investigate new strategies for surface modification and functionalization of nanocelluloses and their subsequent incorporation in polymer-host matrices.Nanocomposites of cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were produced by employing CNF nanopaper (NP) as a template and surface-initiated ring-opening polymerization (SI-ROP) of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL). SI-ROP of ε-CL from filter paper (FP) was also carried out for comparison. A larger amount of PCL was grafted from NP than from FP. The grafted NP had stronger mechanical properties than neat PCL.Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-reinforced polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) nanocomposites were also investigated. CNC were modified via “SI-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer and macromolecular design via the interchange of xanthate” (SI-RAFT/MADIX) polymerization of vinyl acetate (VAc). The resulting nanocomposites exhibited improved mechanical performance than the unmodified CNC.It is generally agreed that covalent grafting is superior to physical adsorption for the modification of a reinforcing agent. However, this hypothesis has never been thoroughly investigated. CNC was modified either through covalent grafting or through physical adsorption of poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA). Both methods resulted in improved mechanical performance than that of pure PCL or PCL containing unmodified CNC. However, covalent grafting gave the best mechanical performance even at high relative humidity.Functionalized CNC (F-CNC) were obtained through a versatile methodology employing organic acids bearing a functional group were employed for the simultaneous acid hydrolysis and esterification of cellulose fibers. This provided a facile route for the preparation of F-CNC.
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| 7. |
- Bruce, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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A comparative study of covalent grafting and physical adsorption of PCL onto cellulose
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- A growing concern for the environment has, in the past years, directed the research towards a bigger focus on new “greener” materials, such as cellulose-reinforced options. Cellulose is the most abundant organic raw material in the world and it is a versatile material. However, to be able to use it in applications where it is not inherently compatible, a modification is often necessary.1-3 One common method to achieve this modification is to graft polymers onto/from the cellulose chain. This can change the inherent properties of cellulose to attain new properties, such as dimensional stability and water repellency.3 In addition to this, it has been shown that polyectrolytes can be physiosorbed onto charged surfaces.4 Due to this, it is possible to physically modify cellulose by adsorbing a polymer through electrostatic interactions instead of attaching it with a covalent bond.5However, a more detailed investigation concerning differences of covalent and physical attachment of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) onto cellulose, has to the author’s best knowledge not been performed. Therefore, this project aims to compare these two techniques. Covalently bonded PCL was grafted by surface-initiated ring opening polymerization (SI-ROP) from the cellulose. For the adsorption approach, a block copolymer consisting of PCL and a shorter segment of poly(di(methylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) was made combining ROP and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The PDMAEMA-part was then quaternized, which resulted in a cationically charged chain – a polyelectrolyte. This can then be used as an electrostatic linker allowing the PDMAEMA-PCL copolymer to be adsorbed onto the negatively charged cellulose model surface. Finally, differences between the two approaches are evaluated regarding for example surface coverage and grafting/physiosorption efficiency investigated with techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM).
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Bruce, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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Physical Tuning of Cellulose-Polymer Interactions Utilizing Cationic Block Copolymers Based on PCL and Quaternized PDMAEMA
- 2013
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, the aim was to prepare and evaluate a block copolymer that can be used as a compatabilizer in cellulose fiber-reinforced biocomposites. It as an amphiphilic block copolymer consisting of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), made with ring-opening polymerization (ROP), and a shorter segment of poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) that was synthesized with atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The PDMAEMA-part was made in one single length, while the PCL-part was varied in three different lengths; in total were three block copolymers prepared. In the last step of the synthesis, the PDMAEMA-part was quaternized that turns it into a cationically charged chain – a polyelectrolyte. The block copolymers were then able to form cationic micelles in water, from where they can adsorb, under mild conditions, to anionic surfaces such as silicon oxide and cellulose-model surfaces. This provides the surface with a more hydrophobic character shown with contact angle measurements. Finally, with atomic force microscopy (AFM) force measurements, it was demonstrated that there is a clear entanglement behavior obtained between the block copolymers and a PCL surface at about 60 °C, which is of importance for the information regarding the adhesive interface in a future biocomposite.
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| 10. |
- Bruce, Carl, et al.
(författare)
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Preparation and evaluation of a block copolymer compatibilizer for biocomposite applications
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, the concept of using a free polymer as a compatibilzer in biocomposite applications has been evaluated with focus on the polymer poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL), commonly used in conventional grafting onto/from cellulose. A block copolymer consisting of PCL and a shorter segment of poly(di(methylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) was made combining ring-opening polymerization (ROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The length of the PDMAEMA-part was kept constant, and the PCL-part was varied in three different lengths, yielding three separate block copolymers. As a final step, the PDMAEMA-part was quaternized, which resulted in cationically charged chains –polyelectrolytes. The charged part could then be used as an electrostatic linker allowing the PDMAEMA-PCL copolymer to be adsorbed onto negatively charged cellulose model surfaces. Finally, these cellulose model surfaces were evaluated regarding for example amount of polymer adsorbed and hydrophobic character, investigated with techniques such as quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and contact angle measurements.
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