• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.1534-1538
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• 2011

Uniform, hollow nanosilica spheres were prepared by the chemical coating of cationic polystyrene (cPS) with tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), followed by calcination at 600 $^{\circ}C$ under air. cPS was synthesized by surfactant-free emulsion polymerization using 2,2'-azobis (2-methyl propionamidine) dihydrochloride as the cationic initiator, and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) as a stabilizer. The resulting cPS spheres were 280 nm in diameter, and showed monodispersion. After coating, the hollow silica product was spherically shaped, and 330 nm in diameter, with a narrow distribution of sizes. Dispersion was uniform. Wall thickness was 25 nm, and surface area was 96.4 $m^2/g$, as determined by BET. The uniformity of the wall thickness was strongly dependent upon the cPS surface charge. The effects of TEOS and ammonia concentrations on shape, size, wall thickness, and surface roughness of hollow $SiO_2$ spheres were investigated. We observed that the wall thicknesses of hollow $SiO_2$ spheres increased and that silica size was simultaneously enhanced with increases in TEOS concentrations. When ammonia concentrations were increased, the irregularity of rough surfaces and aggregation of spherical particles were more severe because higher concentrations of ammonia result in faster hydrolysis and condensation of TEOS. These changes caused the silica to grow faster, resulting in hollow $SiO_2$ spheres with irregular, rough surfaces.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.264-269
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• 2004

The present paper deals with improvement in disperse dyeablility as well as imparting of cationic dyeablility to difficultly dyeable polypropylene by a melt blending technique. Isotactic polypropylene (PP) was blended with fibre grade polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), cationic dyeable polyethylene terephthalate (CDPET) and polystyrene (PS), individually. The resulting binary blends were spun and drawn into fibres at draw ratio 2, 2.5, and 3. The compatibility of blends, structural changes of fibres in terms of X-ray crystallinity, relative crystallinity, sonic modulus, birefringence and thermal stability were examined. The blended fibres were found to be disperse dyeable by the conventional method of high temperature and high pressure dyeing. And this dye ability increased with increase in the level of substitution. PP/CDPET blend also exhibited dyeablility with cationic dyes in addition to that with disperse dyes. The optimum level of blending was predicted keeping in view of tenacity and thermal stability of melt blend fibres. The wash fastness properties of the dyed fibres were found to be of high rate.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.401-404
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• 1998

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.173-177
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• 2007

Living anionic and cationic polymerizations have been combined to prepare various types of comb-like copolymers composed of polystyrene (PS) and polyisoprene (PI) blocks, with a precisely controlled architecture. According to the relative placement of these elementary building blocks, combs with randomly distributed PS and PI or with poly(styrene-b-isoprene) diblock branches (I & II, respectively) can be prepared. The reaction procedure initially includes the synthesis of a poly(chloroethylvinyl ether) using living cationic polymerization, which is used as the reactive backbone to successively graft $PS^-Li^+$ and $PI^-Li^+$ or $PI-b-PS^-Li^+$ to obtain structures (I) or (II). The synthesis of Janus-type PS-comb-b-PI-combs (III) initially involves the synthesis of a diblock backbone using living cationic polymerization, which bears two distinct reactive functions having either a protected or activated form. Living $PS^-Li^+$ and $PI^-Li^+$ are then grafted, in two separate steps, onto each of the reactive functions of the backbone, respectively.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 2007

The approach studied in the present work produced an exfoliated state of clay layers via confinement of the charged nano-sized polystyrene (PS) beads within the gallery of swollen pristine clay. It was demonstrated that adsorption of the polymer nanobeads dramatically promotes expansion of the clay gallery. A comparative study of incorporation was conducted by employing organo-modified clay along with two different colloid polymer systems: electrostatically stabilized PS nanobeads and cationic monomer-grafted PS nanobeads. The mechanism of adsorption of the monomer-grafted polymer beads onto clay via cationic exchange between the alkyl ammonium group of the polymer nanobeads and the interlayer sodium cation of the layered silicate was verified by using several techniques. As distinct from the polymer nanobeads formed using conventional miniemulsion polymerization method, competitive adsorption of stabilizing surfactant molecules was be prevented by grafting the surface functional groups into the polymer chain, thereby supporting the observed effective adsorption of the polymer beads. The presence of surface functional groups that support the establishment of strong polymer-clay interactions was suggested to improve the compatibility of the clay with the polymer matrix and eventually play a crucial role in the performance of the final nanocomposites.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.498-505
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• 2007

This study demonstrated the in-situ functionalization with polymers of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) via emulsion polymerization. Polystyrene-functionalized MWNTs were prepared in an aqueous solution containing styrene monomer, non-ionic surfactant and a cationic coupling agent ([2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trime-thylammonium chloride (MATMAC)). This process produced an interesting morphology in which the MWNTs, consisting of bead-string shapes or MWNTs embedded in the beads, when polymer beads were sufficiently large, produced nanohybrid material. This morphology was attributed to the interaction between the cationic coupling agent and the nanotube surface which induced polymerization within the hemimicellar or hemicylindrical structures of surfactant micelles on the surface of the nanotubes. In a solution containing MATMAC alone without surfactant, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were not well-dispersed, and in a solution containing only surfactant without MATMAC, polymeric beads were synthesized in isolation from CNTs and continued to exist separately. The incorporation of MATMAC and surfactant together enabled large amounts of CNTs (> 0.05 wt%) to be well-dispersed in water and very effectively encapsulated by polymer chains. This method could be applied to other well-dispersed CNT solutions containing amphiphilic molecules, regardless of the type (i.e., anionic, cationic or nonionic). In this way, the solubility and dispersion of nanotubes could be increased in a solvent or polymer matrix. By enhancing the interfacial adhesion, this method might also contribute to the improved dispersion of nanotubes in a polymer matrix and thus the creation of superior polymer nanocomposites.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.727-732
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• 2012

Baroplastic poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA)/polystyrene (PS) blends were prepared by mixing PBA and PS emulsions synthesized by cationic and anionic surfactant, respectively. Interestingly, the heterocoagulation of nanoparticles have found to be affected strongly by emulsion concentration but the blends have been prepared with almost same compositions regardless of the amount of reactants. Utilizing this method, PBA/PS/Si hybrid nano-blends were prepared successfully via electrostatic attraction forces between PBA, PS and silica nanoparticles. The hybrid nano-blend having 2 or 5 wt% of silica was then processed to a semi-transparent film at $25^{\circ}C$ under 13.8 MPa for 10 min, which showed 3.0 MPa of tensile strength and 25 MPa of elastic modulus. Therefore, the heterocoagulation technique can be used for preparing baroplastics with uniform compositions of polymer and silica nanoparticles.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.38 no.2 s.115
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• pp.52-60
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• 2006

Environment-friendly shock-absorbing materials were made of wastepaper such as Korean old corrugated containers(KOCC) and Korean old newsprint (KONP) with a vacuum forming method. The plate-like cushioning materials made of KOCC and KONP respectively by vacuum forming showed superior shock-absorbing properties with lower elastic moduli compared to expanded polystyrene (EPS) and pulp mold. Even though the plate-like materials had many free voids in their fiber structure, their apparent densities (${\approx}0.1g/cm^3$) were a little higher than that of EPS (${\approx}0.03g/cm^3$) and much lower than that of pulp mold(${\approx}0.3g/cm^3$). However, the elastic moduli of the cushioning materials made of wastepaper were much lower than that of EPS or pulp mold. This finding implies that the cushioning materials made of KOCC fibers containing more lignin than KONP show better shock-absorbing properties than KONP. Moreover, the cushioning materials made of KOCC and KONP respectively showed greater porosity than pulp mold. The addition of cationic starch to the cushioning materials contributed to the increase in the elastic modulus to the same level as that of EPS. Furthermore, the deterioration in fiber quality by repeated use of wastepaper played a positive role in improving shock-absorbing ability.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.204-211
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• 2008

A platinum-catalyzed polyelectrolyte porous membrane was prepared by solid-state compression of electrospun polystyrene (PS) fibers and in-situ metallization of counter-balanced ionic metal sources on the polymer surface. Using this ion-exchange metal-polymer composite system, fiber entangled pores were formed in the interstitial space of the fibers, which were surrounded by sulfonic acid sites ($SO_3^-$) to give a cation-selective polyelectrolyte porous bed with an ion exchange capacity ($I_{EC}$) of 3.0 meq/g and an ionic conductivity of 0.09 S/cm. The Pt loading was estimated to be 16.32 wt% from the $SO_3^-$ ions on the surface of the sulfonated PS fibers, which interact with the cationic platinum complex, $Pt(NH_3)_4^{2+}$, at a ratio of 3:1 based on steric hindrance and the arrangement of interacting ions. This is in good agreement with the Pt loading of 15.82 wt% measured by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The Pt-loaded sulfonated PS media showed an ionic conductivity of 0.32 S/cm. The in-situ metallized platinum provided a nano-sized and strongly-bound catalyst in robust porous media, which highlights its potential use in various electrochemical and catalytic systems.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.40-46
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• 2011

The synthesis of well-defined poly(styrene-b-isobutylene-b-styrene) (SIBS) triblock copolymers was accomplished by cationic sequential block copolymerization of isobutylene (IB) with styrene (St) using 1,4-di(2-chloro-2-propyl) benzene (DCC) /$TiCl_4$/2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine(DtBP) as an initiating system in methyl chloride ($CH_3Cl$)/methylcyclohexane(MeChx) (50/50 v/v) solvent mixture at $-80^{\circ}C$. The triblock copolymers exhibited excellent thermoplastic and elastomeric characteristics. Tensile strengths and Shore hardness increased with increasing polystyrene (PS) content, while elongation at break decreased. The blood-compatibility of SIBS was assessed by SEM observation of the platelet adhesion, blood clotting time and haemolysis ratio. The haemolysis ratios were below 5% which met the medical materials standard. The platelet adhesion test further indicated that SIBS block copolymers had a good blood compatibility.