Polymer-matrix materials and methods for making same

• US 20030027930A1
• Filed: 07/19/2002
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: Jureviciute, Irena, Bruckenstein, Stanley
• Application Number:
  US10/200,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20030027930A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/185
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 33/06 Use of macromolecular materials grafting of a monomer onto the substrate A61L33/0088
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 61/122 derived from five- or six-membered heterocyclic compounds, other than imides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 101/00 Compositions of unspecified macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 65/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain C08L7/00 - C08L57/00, C08L61/00 take precedence; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers

Abstract

The present invention relates to a polymer-matrix material including a non-ionic solid matrix and a polymer, wherein the polymer is present on a surface of the non-ionic solid matrix and within an interior bulk of the non-ionic solid matrix. The present invention also relates to methods for forming a polymer within a non-ionic solid matrix. These methods include transporting a polymer precursor or a polymerizing reagent on and into the non-ionic solid matrix and exposing the non-ionic solid matrix to a polymerizing reagent or polymer precursor, respectively, under conditions effective to polymerize the polymer precursor within the non-ionic solid matrix.

Claims

1. A polymer-matrix material comprising a non-ionic solid matrix and a polymer, wherein the polymer is present on a surface of the non-ionic solid matrix and within an interior bulk of the non-ionic solid matrix.

2. A polymer-matrix material according to claim 1, wherein the non-ionic solid matrix is an organic material.

3. A polymer-matrix material according to claim 2, wherein the non-ionic solid matrix is rubber, polypropylene, vinyl, fluorinated ethylene propylene, textile fibers, animal tissue, or silica gel.

4. A polymer-matrix material according to claim 1, wherein the polymer is an electrically conducting polymer or an electroactive polymer.

5. A polymer-matrix material according to claim 4, wherein the polymer is polypyrrole or polyaniline.

6. A polymer-matrix material according to claim 1 comprising about 99-1 wt. % non-ionic solid matrix and about 1-99 wt. % polymer.

7. A method for forming a polymer on and within a non-ionic solid matrix comprising:

transporting a polymer precursor on and into the non-ionic solid matrix and

exposing the non-ionic solid matrix to a polymerizing reagent under conditions effective to polymerize the polymer precursor on and within the non-ionic solid matrix.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the non-ionic solid matrix is an organic material.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the non-ionic solid matrix is rubber, polypropylene, vinyl, fluorinated ethylene propylene, textile fibers, animal tissue, or silica gel.

10. A method according to claim 7, wherein the polymer precursor is pyrrole or aniline.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein said transporting is carried out by osmotic action, capillary action, or partitioning.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the polymerizing reagent is H₂O₂, K₂S₂O₈, K₂Cr₂O₇, FeCl₃, or tetrachloro-1,4 benzoquinone.

13. A method according to claim 7, wherein from about 1% to 100% of the polymer precursor is polymerized.

14. A method according to claim 7 further comprising:

exposing the non-ionic solid matrix to an initial polymerizing reagent prior to said exposing the non-ionic solid matrix to a polymerizing reagent.

15. A method for forming a polymer on and within a non-ionic solid matrix comprising:

transporting a first polymerizing reagent on and into the non-ionic solid matrix and

exposing the non-ionic solid matrix to a polymer precursor under conditions effective to polymerize the polymer precursor within the non-ionic solid matrix.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the non-ionic solid matrix is an organic material.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the non-ionic solid matrix is rubber, polypropylene, vinyl, fluorinated ethylene propylene, textile fibers, animal tissue, or silica gel.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the polymer precursor is pyrrole or aniline.

19. A method according to claim 15, wherein said transporting is carried out by osmotic action, capillary action, or partitioning.

20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the first polymerizing reagent is H₂O₂, K₂S₂O₈, K₂Cr₂O₇, FeCl₃, or tetrachloro-1,4 benzoquinone.

21. A method according to claim 15, wherein from about 1% to 100% of the polymer precursor is polymerized.

22. A method according to claim 15 further comprising:

after said exposing, exposing the non-ionic solid matrix to a second polymerizing reagent.