Mechanistic transformation approach has been widely applied in polymer synthesis due to its unique feature combining structurally different polymers prepared by different polymerization mechanisms. Reported methods for the formation of block and graft copolymers through mechanistic transformation involve almost all polymerizations modes. However, certain polymerization processes require extensive purification processes, which can be time-consuming and problematic. Recent developments on controlled/living polymerizations involving radical and cationic mechanisms with the ability to control molecular weight and functionality led to new pathways for mechanistic transformations. In this mini-review, we systematically discussed relevant advances in the field through three main titles namely (i) from radical to cationic mechanism, (ii) from cationic to radical mechanism, and (iii) application of specific catalyst systems for both radical and cationic polymerizations.

Ethylene-propene copolymers have been synthesized by three C₁-symmetric metallocene molecules (1, 2, and 3), having tert-butyl substituents on the Cp moiety, on the fluorenyl moiety, or on both moieties, and methylaluminoxane (MAO) at different polymerization temperatures and monomer concentrations. Copolymers were investigated by ¹³C-NMR, ¹H-NMR, and SEC analyses. A relationship was found between [EEE]/[E] ratios and copolymer molar masses in each series: the higher the [EEE]/[E] ratio, the lower the copolymer molar mass. At parity of [EEE]/[E] ratio, copolymer molar mass follows the order 1 >> 3 > 2. Chain end group analysis reveals that copolymers mainly terminate when propene is the last inserted unit, confirming that it is the greater facility of Mt-P-E-poly(E-co-P) to terminate that influences the copolymer molar mass. Among the catalysts considered, catalyst 1, which gives syndiospecific polypropene, gives greater activities, comonomer incorporation, and molar masses. Catalyst 3, which gives isospecific polypropene, in copolymerization performs better than 2, having the same bridge, with respect to activities, ethylene content, and molar masses. The good performance of this catalyst arises from the not necessity of polymer chain to back skip when ethylene is the last inserted unit.

Phosphazene base, t-BuP₂, was employed to catalyze the proton transfer polymerization (PTP) of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), and PTP was further combined with ring-opening polymerization (ROP) to exploit a new type of hybrid copolymerization. The studies on homo-polymerization showed that t-BuP₂ was a particularly efficient catalyst for the polymerization of HEA at room temperature, giving an excellent monomer conversion. Throughout the polymerization, transesterification reactions were unavoidable, which increased the randomness in the structures of the resulting polymers. The studies on copolymerization showed that t-BuP₂ could simultaneously catalyze the hybrid copolymerization via the combination of PTP and ROP at 25 °C. During copolymerization, HEA not only provided hydroxyl groups to initiate the ROP of ε-caprolactone (CL) but also participated in the polymerization as a monomer for PTP. The copolymer composition was approximately equal to the feed ratio, demonstrating the possibility to adjust the polymeric structure by simply changing the monomer feed ratio. This copolymerization reaction provides a simple method for synthesizing degradable functional copolymers from commercially available materials. Hence, it is important not only in polymer chemistry but also in environmental and biomedical engineering.

In combination with methyllithium, a 2,6-bis(amino)phenol zinc complex 1 was used in the ring-opening polymerization of δ-valerolactone in the absence or presence of benzyl alcohol and showed high efficiency, mainly producing cyclic and linear polyvalerolactones, respectively. On the basis of homopolymerization, the ring-opening copolymerization of ε-caprolactone and δ-valerolactone was investigated. The P(CL-co-VL) random copolymers, PCL-b-PVL and PVL-b-PCL diblock copolymers, were prepared by varying the feeding strategy (premixing or sequential feeding). The copolymer composition was adjusted by varying the feeding ratio of two monomers. The structure and thermal properties of obtained polymers were characterized by GPC, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy, and DSC, respectively.

When a polymer is used together with others, its aging process will be affected by the adjacent polymers. This infectious behavior between polymers makes the aging process more complex than that of an individual material. In this study, infectious behavior in photo-oxidation of polymers was investigated. Polypropylenes (PPs), an unstabilized PP and a commercial PP, were chosen as the infection sources. Six typical polymers, high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS), polycarbonate (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and polyamide 6 (PA6), were used as the targets. The degree of oxidation of the targets was evaluated by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). An accelerating effect of two infection sources on the photo-oxidation of the target polymers was observed. Potential infectious agents from the infection sources were detected by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py-GC-MS) and gas chromatography (GC). The acceleration effect of two main infectious agents, i.e. acetone and acetic acid, on the photo-oxidation of the commercial PP was verified. The infectious effect of the infection source on the target polymer was considered to be a comprehensive result of the effects of a variety of infectious agents.

In this work, the Hofmeister effects of nine kinds of anions at different concentrations on the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of the macroporous thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) grafted poly(vinyl alcohol) formaldehyde (PVF-g-PNIPAM) hydrogels are investigated with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Four kinds of anions with strong hydration, including CO₃^2–, SO₄^2–, S₂O₃^2–, and F^–, and four kinds of anions with weak hydration, including Br^–, NO₃^–, I^–, and ClO₄^–, and Cl^– as a medium anion are systematically studied and found to demonstrate the effects of the residual hydroxyl groups and network structure of PVF on the LCST values of PVF-g-PNIPAM hydrogels in comparison with that of neat PNIPAM. On the one hand, the existence of hydroxyl groups on PVF backbone promotes the solubility of grafted PNIPAM due to their hydrophilicity and hydrogen-bond interactions with water. On the other hand, the network structure of as-prepared samples restricts free movements of grafted PNIPAM chains, which results in the increase of LCST values. In addition, the difference of grafting percentage also influences the variation of LCST values of PVF-g-PNIPAM hydrogels under salt concentration.

A series of Diels-Alder reaction cross-linked thermosets with recyclability and healability were prepared from furan-containing aromatic polyamide and bismaleimides with different chemical structures. The structures of synthesized bismaleimides were confirmed by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy; their reversible cross-linking with the furanic polyamide was further detected by ¹H-NMR technique and sol-gel transition behavior. The dynamic mechanical analysis and tensile test revealed the variable thermal and mechanical properties of thermosets cross-linked by different bismaleimides and with different molar ratios of maleimide group to furan group (I_ma/fur). The tensile test also demonstrated that the better recyclability and solvent-assisted healability of thermosets cross-linked could be achieved by more flexible bismaleimides. This work is expected to provide valuable information for design of recyclable and healable high-performance thermosets with desired properties.

Ion segregation is critically important for achieving high ion conductivity for anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Herein, a new bisphenol monomer bearing ten electron-rich phenyl groups was designed and polymerized with various amounts of electron-deficient 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenylsulfone and 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone to yield dense and selective reaction sites for chloromethylation and quaternization. As the most challenging step, chloromethylation was optimized by tuning the reaction temperature, reaction time, and reactant ratios. Ion exchange capacity, water uptake, anion conductivity, mechanical stability, and alkaline stability of the resulting AEMs were characterized in detail. It is found that chloromethylation reaction needed to be carried out at low equivalent of chloromethylation agents to avoid undesirable crosslinking. The QA-PAEKS-20 sample with an IEC of 1.19 mmol·g⁻¹ exhibited a Cl^– conductivity of 11.2 mS·cm⁻¹ and a water uptake of 30.2% at 80 °C, which are promising for AEM applications.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/polystyrene (PS)/carbon black (CB) and poly(ethyl methacrylate) (PEMA)/PS/CB ternary composite films were obtained using solution casting technique to investigate double percolation effect. In both PMMA/PS/CB and PEMA/PS/CB ternary composite films, the CB particles prefer to locate into PS phase based on the results of calculating wetting coefficient, which is also confirmed by SEM images. The conductivity of the films was investigated, and the percolation threshold (ϕ_c) of both ternary composite films with different polymer blend ratios was determined by fitting the McLachlan GEM equation. Conductivity of PMMA/PS/CB ternary composite films showed a typical double percolation effect. However, due to the double emulsion structure of PEMA/PS polymer blends, the PEMA/PS/CB ternary composite films (PEMA/PS = 50/50) showed a higher ϕ_c, even CB only located in PS phase, which conflicts with the double percolation effect. A schematic diagram combined with SEM images was proposed to explain this phenomenon.

In this study, the poly(D-lactide)-block-poly(butylene succinate)-block-poly(D-lactide) (PDLA-b-PBS-b-PDLA) triblock copolymers with a fixed length of PBS and various lengths of PDLA are synthesized, and the crystallization behaviors of the PDLA and PBS blocks are investigated. Although both the crystallization behaviors of PBS and PDLA blocks depend on composition, they exhibit different variations. For the PDLA block, its crystallization behaviors are mainly influenced by temperature and block length. The crystallization signals of PDLA block appear in the B-D 2-2 specimen, and these signals get enhanced with PDLA block length. The crystallization rates tend to decrease with increasing PDLA block lendth during crystallizing at 90 and 100 °C. Crystallizing at higher temperature, the crystallization rates increase at first and then decrease with block length. The crystallization rates decrease as elevating the crystallization temperature. The melting temperatures of PDLA blocks increase with block lengths and crystallization temperatures. For the PBS block, its crystallization behaviors are mainly controlled by the nucleation and confinement from PDLA block. The crystallization and melting enthalpies as well as the crystallization and melting temperatures of PBS block reduce as a longer PDLA block has been copolymerized, while the crystallization rates of the PBS block exhibit unique component dependence, and the highest rate is observed in the B-D 2-2 specimen. The Avrami exponent of PBS crystallites is reduced as a longer PDLA block is incorporated or the sample is crystallized at higher temperature. This investigation provides a convenient route to tune the crystallization behavior of PBS and PLA.