Physical Properties of Catenate Networks

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1) The catenate network formation by end-linking reaction of polymer chains having two reactive end-groups with bifunctional linking reagents is studied theoretically and by computer simulation. It is found that this method, which was first tried by Rigbi and Mark, gives only small amount of rings and ncatenate networks are formed. Another method which gives true catenate network is newly proposed.2) The Brownian motion of polymer chains is newly introduced into the local-knot model, which has previously been proposed by one of the authors. Position of local-knots along a polymer chain is determined by ocally maximizing the Gauss integral. Reptation motion is assigned to a collective motion of local knots along a polymer chain. Expressions of the diffusion coefficient of individual local-knot and its collective motion are derived and the molecular origin of the reptation is discussed.3) Computer simulations are performed on the Brownian motion of polymer chains in catenated networks. As predicted by our theory, we observed many local-knots, which never disappear during the simulation, travel along polymer chains and behave like particles as if repulsion forces act between adjacent local-knots. We also observed a collective motion of these local-knots, which is assigned to the reptation motion. The diffusion coefficient for individual local-knot obtained in the simulation agrees well with that predicted by our theory.