The synthesis of high content sulfur copolymers via the inverse vulcanization of elemental sulfur and 1,3-diisopropenylbenzene (DIB) on a one-kilogram scale is reported in a single step process. Investigation into the effects of temperature, reaction scale, and comonomer feed ratios on the inverse vulcanization process of S₈ and DIB were explored to suppress the Trommsdorf effect and enable large scale synthesis of these copolymers. The copolymers were then successfully used as the active cathode materials in Li-S batteries, exhibiting enhanced capacity retention and battery lifetimes (608 mAh/g at 640 cycles) at a C/10 rate. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 173–177

Elementarer Schwefel ist ein weitverbreitetes und preiswertes Material, das bei der Erdgas- und Erdöl-Raffination als Nebenprodukt anfällt. Die Notwendigkeit, neue Energiespeichersysteme zu entwickeln, brachte vor kurzem das Potential von Schwefel als hochleistungsfähiges Kathodenmaterial in Sekundärbatterien ans Licht. Außerdem wurden die nützlichen optischen Eigenschaften schwefelhaltiger Materialien im Infrarotbereich entdeckt. Diese Entwicklungen gepaart mit den wachsenden ökologischen Bedenken im Zusammenhang mit der globalen Produktion von überschüssigem elementarem Schwefel führten zu einem großen Interesse an seiner Nutzung als Rohstoff in Werkstoffanwendungen. Dieser Kurzaufsatz konzentriert sich auf die jüngsten Entwicklungen physikalischer und chemischer Methoden für die direkte Verarbeitung von elementarem Schwefel in der Produktion funktionaler Verbundwerkstoffe und Polymere.

Elemental sulfur is an abundant and inexpensive material obtained as a by-product of natural-gas and petroleum refining operations. Recently, the need for the development of new energy-storage systems brought into light the potential of sulfur as a high-capacity cathode material in secondary batteries. Sulfur-containing materials were also shown to have useful IR optical properties. These developments coupled with growing environmental concerns related to the global production of excess elemental sulfur have led to a keen interest in its utilization as a feedstock in materials applications. This Minireview focuses on the recent developments on physical and chemical methods for directly processing elemental sulfur to produce functional composites and polymers.

The synthesis of poly(octadecyl methacrylate) brushes on planar Si substrates using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is reported. SI-ATRP of octadecyl methacrylate from a silane initiator-modified Si substrate yielded well-defined homopolymer brushes of varying molar mass (5000–38 000 g mol⁻¹) and film thickness from around 2 to 20 nm. Correlation of both free polymer molar mass and brush thicknesses confirmed controlled surface-initiated ATRP from these modified surfaces. By optimization of brush molar mass, film thickness and thin-film processing, we observed side chain crystallization of tethered poly(octadecyl methacrylate) chains, resulting in the formation of lamellar morphologies with high-aspect-ratio nanofibers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The synthesis and thermomechanical properties of a novel class of self-healing perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) is reported. By decoration of 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidone end groups on the termini of low molar mass PFPE, the formation of supramolecular polymers and networks held together via hydrogen bonding associations was achieved. These novel supramolecular polymer materials exhibit a combination of enhanced modulus and elasticity, along with self-healing properties, where rapid self-healing time was demonstrated using dynamic rheological measurements. These types of supramolecular PFPEs are anticipated to be useful for a number of emerging areas in lubrication. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3598–3606