title: Mechanically linked polycarbonate.
abstract: The synthesis, by solid-state copolymerization, and characterization of the first polycatenanes based on a commercial polymer are reported. Various amounts of a benzylic amide [2]catenane, the corresponding macrocycle, and a rigid bisphenol fluorene derivative have been quantitatively and homogeneously incorporated into bisphenol A polycarbonate. The resulting copolymers were characterized by size exclusion chromatography coupled with viscosimetry, (1)H NMR, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis. The unexpectedly small influence of [2]catenane incorporation on the glass transition temperature of the copolymers points to remarkable internal mobility of the catenane comonomer rings. A new relaxation linked to the flexible catenane units is also observed. The studies represent a detailed structural characterization of a polymer containing small amounts of mechanical linkages in its backbone and demonstrate that significant effects can be induced by doping conventional polymers with small percentages (2-6% of repeat units) of flexible catenanes.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Physique et de Chimie des Hauts Polymères, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Croix du Sud 1, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Charles-André
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Fustin
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bailly
authors.forename: Guy J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Clarkson
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Groote
authors.forename: Trent H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Galow
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Leigh
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Alexandra M Z
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Slawin
authors.forename: Jenny K Y
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wong