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Selective acetylation of amorphous region of poly(vinyl alcohol) in supercritical carbon dioxide

Polymer Journal volume 55, pages 1287–1293 (2023)Cite this article

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Abstract

The postfunctionalization of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with a hierarchical structure has been challenging because conventional polymer functionalization reactions are performed in homogeneous solution states. In this study, the selective functionalization of PVA was achieved in supercritical carbon dioxide (sc-CO2) through acetylation in the amorphous region only and not in the crystalline region. The crystalline region of PVA was retained in the amorphous-selective acetylated PVA synthesized in sc-CO2. In addition, the oriented structure of the PVA crystallites was maintained even after acetylation of the drawn PVA film in sc-CO2. Moisture adsorption affected the crystalline structure of PVA acetylated in sc-CO2. The acetylated PVA synthesized in sc-CO2 included a larger number of water molecules under humid conditions, and the increase in thickness was smaller than that of randomly acetylated PVA. This reason was the rigid crystalline structure and the sequential hydrophilic PVA units in the PVA acetylated in sc-CO2.

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Acknowledgements

The neutron experiment at the Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of J-PARC was performed under the user program (Proposal No. 2019B0296). This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP22H04546, JP22H04536, JP21K14683, JP20H05222, JP19H05714 and JP19H05717.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kobe University, Rokko, Nada, Kobe, 657-8501, Japan

    Takuya Matsumoto, Miyabi Yorifuji, Ryohei Hori & Takashi Nishino

  2. Department of Molecular and Macromolecular Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, 464-8603, Japan

    Mitsuo Hara

  3. Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, 203-1 Shirakata, Tokai, Ibaraki, 319-1106, Japan

    Norifumi L. Yamada & Hideki Seto

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  1. Takuya Matsumoto
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Correspondence to Takuya Matsumoto or Takashi Nishino.

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Matsumoto, T., Yorifuji, M., Hori, R. et al. Selective acetylation of amorphous region of poly(vinyl alcohol) in supercritical carbon dioxide. Polym J 55, 1287–1293 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-023-00832-2

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