Phase behaviour of poly(2, 6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide) (PPPO) in mixed solvents
File(s)PPPO_ternary_solutions_revised 9 July 2019.pdf (5.95 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
O'Connell, Róisín A
Porter, Alexandra E
Higgins, Julia S
Cabral, João T
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The solution phase behaviour of poly(2, 6-diphenyl-p-phenylene oxide) (PPPO) is investigated by a combination of turbidimetry, infrared spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering and densitometry, combined with calorimetry and X-ray scattering. We select dichloromethane (DCM) and heptane as, respectively, representative good and poor solvents for the polymer. This ternary system results in a miscibility gap which can be utilised for the design and fabrication of PPPO porous materials, membranes and scaffolds via phase inversion. We establish the phase diagram and resolve the kinetic solidification condition arising from the intersection between the coexistence and glass transition curves. PPPO exhibits a high 230 ∘C and is found to crystallise at 336 ∘C, and melt at 423, 445 ∘C with a double endotherm. The kinetics of demixing and (buoyancy-driven) stratification are quantified by optical imaging and the PPPO-rich phase analysed by SAXS/WAXS to resolve both amorphous and crystalline phases. Equipped with this knowledge, we demonstrate the controlled formation of nodular, bicontinuous and cellular morphologies by non-solvent induced demixing.
Date Issued
2019-10-01
Date Acceptance
2019-06-14
Citation
Polymer, 2019, 180
ISSN
0032-3861
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Polymer
Volume
180
Copyright Statement
© 2019 Published by Elsevier Ltd. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Polymer Science
phase behaviour
Crystallisation
Demixing
Porous materials
ORGANIC VAPOR POLLUTANTS
UNPERTURBED DIMENSIONS
AMBIENT ATMOSPHERES
FORMATION MECHANISM
GAS-TRANSPORT
POLYMER
INVERSION
PERFORMANCE
COLLECTION
SCATTERING
Polymers
03 Chemical Sciences
09 Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 121652
Date Publish Online
2019-07-16