Japan Long-Term Research Visit: Melt Coupling of ImmisciblePolymers by Chain End Reactions

该奖项将支持12个月的长期访问， 教授克里斯Macosko，化学工程系和 美国明尼苏达大学材料科学系教授， 与井上隆教授的合作研究项目， 有机和聚合物材料系教授 Seiichi Nakahama，高分子化学系，东京 理工学院 研究人员计划进行一项 不互溶聚合物链端熔融偶联研究 反应. 聚合物共混物是增长最快的领域， 塑料市场。 研究人员将通过以下方式形成二嵌段共聚物： 在熔融共混过程中反应性地偶联链。 聚苯乙烯和 聚（e-乙烯基-吡啶）将阴离子合成，然后 以官能团终止。 两个反应对将 研究：环酐与胺和环氧与羧基 酸 然后将胺直接加到 活性阴离子链，然后将这种方法扩展到其他 组 这一过程将遵循大小排阻 色谱作为混合强度、时间和 温度，以及官能团的类型和尺寸， 连接的聚合物链。 界面厚度为 通过自动椭圆偏振仪测量。 形态学发育 在熔融混合过程中， 散射 电子显微镜将用于淬火 样品 在有和没有偶联反应的情况下制备的样品， 与预制的二嵌段进行比较。 研究结果应有助于开发新的 创建和控制的形态策略 不混溶聚合物共混物。 井上教授的强项在于 聚合物物理学领域特别是光散射， 形态学和热力学。 他也做了出色的工作 不混溶聚合物共混物的机械性能。 教授 Macosko的专长在于流变学、工艺流程 和中子散射方法。 预计这一 研究项目应提供富有成效的合作。 是 也期待着有业界的参与， 项目，因为每个研究人员都有很强的工业 联系人.

This award will support a twelve month long-term visit by Professor Chris Macosko, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, to Japan for a cooperative research project with Professor Takashi Inoue, Department of Organic and Polymeric Materials and Professor Seiichi Nakahama, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Tokyo Institute of Technology. The researchers plan to undertake a study of melt coupling of immiscible polymers by chain end reactions. Polymer blends are the fastest growing area of the plastics market. The researchers will form diblock coploymers by reactively coupling chains during melt blending. Polystyrene and poly(e-vinyl-pyridine) will be synthesized anionically and then terminated with functional groups. Two reactive pairs will be studied: cyclic anhydride with amine and epoxy with carboxylic acid. They will then directly add an amine to the end of a living anionic chain and then extend this approach to the other groups. This process will be followed by size exclusion chromatography as a function of mixing intensity, time and temperature, as well as the type of functional group and size of the attached polymer chain. The interfacial thickness will be measured by an automated ellipsometer. Morphology development during melt mixing will be followed by time resolved light scattering. Electron microscopy will be used on quenched samples. Samples prepared with and without coupling reaction and with premade diblocks will then be compared. Results of the research should contribute to development of new strategies for creating and controlling the morphology of immiscible polymer blends. Professor Inoue's strengths are in the area of polymer physics particularly light scattering, morphology and thermodynamics. He has also done excellent work on mechanical properties of immiscible polymer blends. Professor Macosko's expertise lies in the areas of rheology, process flows and neutron scattering methods. It is expected that this research project should provide a fruitful collaboration. It is also expected that there will be industry participation in this project since each of the researchers have strong industrial contacts.