PMMA of two different molecular weights having a single photochromic benzospiropyran (BSP) end-group were synthesized by ATRP. Both polymers exhibit photochroism characterized by the UV induced transition from BSP to benzomerocyanine (BMC) in acetonitrile. A strong molecular weight dependence of the thermal relaxation kinetic of the BMC was found with a significantly faster temperature dependent transition for the higher molecular weight polymer. This suggests an energetically unfavorable non-polar environment of the BMC group in the higher molecular weight polymers while a higher solvation of the BMC in the lower molecular weight polymer contributes to its stabilization.

Thermally stable core–shell Au nanoparticles with highly grafted polymer shell were synthesized by combining RAFT polymerization and click chemistry of copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. To achieve an efficient click reaction between hydrophobic polymers and azide-functionalized Au nanoparticles, the reaction condition was carefully investigated and optimized. The polymer-coated Au NPs were dispersed well in both PS and PS-b-P2VP matrix without any aggregation even after 220 °C annealing for 2 days, proving their extremely high thermal stability.

New series of pyrenylamine-functionalized aromatic polyamides have been prepared from N,N-di(4-carboxyphenyl)-1-aminopyrene with various aromatic diamines via the phosphorylation polyamidation reaction. All the polymers could form morphologically stable and uniform amorphous films using simple solution-casting techniques. They also showed high T_g and good thermal stability. When comparing with the analogous polyamides based on N,N-di(4-aminophenyl)-1-aminopyrene, the present series polyamides displayed a blue-shifted emission in the deep blue region together with an enhanced fluorescence quantum efficiency.

Asymmetrical dendron-like/dendron-like block copolymers PCL₂₀⁸-b-PBLGⁿ (n = 1, 2, and 4) were successfully synthesized by combining CuAAC and ROP. Both the maximal melting temperature and the degree of crystallinity of PCL block decreased with increasing the PBLG branches and/or the chain length; while, the PBLG block progressively transformed from β-sheet to α-helical conformation with increasing the PBLG chain length. Importantly, this establishes a versatile strategy for the synthesis of biodegradable and biomimetic block copolymers with asymmetrical dendritic topology.

Liquid crystalline photoactive macromolecules have been prepared by attaching cinnamate-derived units and cyanobiphenyl units at the periphery of the third generation poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer. Cinnamate dendrimers containing the 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)cinnamate moiety show clearly differentiated absorption regions for the photoactive unit and the LC unit, avoiding interferences with other chromophores in the irradiation experiments.

The introduction of an ethynyl function as tether proved fundamental to modify the electronic connection between the two main fragments of the molecule. The role of such modification is demonstrated by the comparison of electrochemical and optical features of the relative conducting polymer with the analog saturated–tethered species.

In this work, Pickering emulsion polymerization was first combined with a controlled/living radical polymerization (LRP) inside. A series of self-made stable dispersions of ZnO/poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) PSS^-- nanocomposite particles were served as the stabilizer in Pickering emulsion. The 1,1-diphenylethene (DPE)-controlled living block copolymer poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(butyl acrylate) (PMMA-b-PBA) was successfully synthesized in latex particles. The controlled/living characters in Pickering emulsion polymerization were discussed.

Addition of small amounts of activated zinc powder to atom transfer radical polymerization mixture yields colorless solution and elemental copper precipitate at the bottom, within minutes, while retaining the terminal bromides of the polymer. Long-term stirring with zinc powder (i.e., 24 h) results in dehalogenation of the polymer end groups.

π-Conjugated copolymers, PTOTBT, PTEHTBT, and PTt-BTBT, composed of benzothiadiazole as an electron accepting unit and terthiophene as an electron donating unit in the backbone were prepared. Solubility, optical, and thermal properties of the polymers showed strong dependences on their side chain groups. PTEHTBT having 2-ethylhexyl groups in the side chain exhibited absorption maximum (λ_max) at longer wavelength (565 nm) than PTOTBT (534 nm) and PTt-BTBT (495 nm). The prepared polymers were employed to polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT-PSS/polymer:PC₆₁BH/LiF/Al. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the PSC based on PTEHTBT was 1.32%.

π-Conjugated polymers are particularly interesting in the field of electrooptic materials. Coupling-polymerizations of 2,3-dibromo-N-substituted maleimide were carried out using palladium or nickel catalysts. When exposed to ultraviolet light of wavelength 352 nm, a series of 1,4-phenylene- and/or 2,5-thienylene-based copolymers containing N-substituted maleimide derivatives fluoresced in a yellow to blue color.

Total surface energy γ versus storage duration of fluorinated UHMPE treated with 6.7% F₂ + 6.7% O₂ + 86.6% He mixture at 24 °C during 5 (black) and 30 (red) s and 1 (green) and 3 (yellow) min.

We show that given a thermoresponsive shape memory polymer, it is possible to alter a number of its properties, such as the recovery temperature, shape fixity ratio, maximum recovery stress and final recovery stress (and even a right combination of some of them, e.g., the maximum recovery stress and final recovery stress), simply by means of selecting the programming temperature to achieve optimized performance. The underlying mechanisms are revealed, and concerns in real applications are discussed.

Ionic-liquid-containing polymer films were prepared by swelling poly(ethylene glycol)-based networked polymers having lithium salt structures with an ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (EMImFSI), or with an EMImFSI solution of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI). Their fundamental physical properties were investigated.

⁶⁰Co γ-irradiation mediated ATRP of MMA was first reported using copper (II) bromide as the catalyst source, the active copper (I) complex was generated from air-stable copper (II) species under ⁶⁰Co γ-irradiation environment without using any reducing agent at room temperature. The concentration of the copper catalyst that required offering a controlled polymerization of MMA could be drastically reduced to 20 ppm, which showed the superiority of ATRP under ⁶⁰Co γ-irradiation.

Cationic nanocarriers can be pH-reversibly shielded with the titled graft copolymer by electrostatic interactions. The critical de-shielding pH can be modulated simply by varying the degree of succinylation of succinylated chitosan-O-poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylate)SC-POEGMA.

Six alternating conjugated copolymers, comprised of benzo[1,2-b: 4,5-b0] dithiophene (BDT) and thiophene derivatives with/without electron-withdrawing side chains, were designed and synthesized. The introduction of conjugated electron-withdrawing oxadiazole or butyl formate side chain benefits to decrease the bandgaps of the polymers and improve the photovoltaic performance. Under the illumination of AM 1.5, 100 mW/cm2, the photovoltaic cells based on the polymers of PL3 and PL5 exhibit the power conversion efficiencies of 1.98 and 2.06%, respectively.

Linear-hyperbranched hybrid poly(butylene adipate) (HPBA) copolymers were synthesized through a branching reaction between the linear PBA terminated with methyl ester groups and different mols of the 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl) propane as branching agent, in the presence of titanium(IV) isopropoxide as catalyst. Their composition was investigated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, which reveals that all samples were constituted of linear and hyperbranched (HB) macromolecules. HB macromolecules, which have ether bonds and a cyclic branch, were also characterized. The average molar masses (MMs) of HPBAs were calculated by the size exclusion chromatography-MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry absolute calibration method. It shows that HPBAs have a hydrodynamic volume higher than that of linear polystyrenes with similar MMs.

Cyclohexyl and neopentyl p-toluenesulfonates were used as thermally latent initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of benzoxazines. These sulfonates were mixed with benzoxazines without inducing their polymerizations below 100°C until 3 h, while they underwent the thermal dissociation above the specific threshold temperatures to generate p-toluenesulfonic acid, which initiated the ring-opening polymerization of benzoxazines.

The fluorinated and nonamphiphilic PS-b-PHFBMA diblock copolymer was successfully synthesized by ATRP. The TEM images suggest that the morphological structures of aggregates changes from spheres to vesicles with the increasing volume ratio of EtOAc in the solution. By heating the sample, the sizes of vesicles increase, which shows that the resulting polymer is to some extent temperature-sensitive.

Two series of polyimides I–II with methyl-substituted triphenylamine units were prepared from the synthesized diamines with two commercially available tetracarboxylic dianhydrides via a conventional two-step chemical imidization. All the polymers were readily soluble in many polar solvents and showed useful levels of thermal stability. The polymer films showed reversible electrochemistry accompanied by a color change from neutral colorless to green oxidized form. Gas permeability analyses of some polyimides for CO₂, CH₄, O₂, and N₂ were also been investigated.

A new synthetic route for the preparation of poly(methyl methacrylate)/montmorillonite (PMMA/MMT) nanocomposites was reported. In this method, first 4-(dimethylamino)benzoate group was incorporated into silicate layers of clay by esterification reaction and used to produce PMMA/MMT nanocomposites by in situ Type II photoinitiated free radical polymerization. In situ photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate through into the silicate layers by either visible or UV light irradiation leads to PMMA/MMT nanocomposites.

Three kinds of thiophene/furan-oligomer-layered polymers based on xanthene were prepared using Stille coupling polymerization.