Influence of Superheated Water on the Hydrogen Bonding and Crystallography of Piperazine-Based (Co)polyamides

• Published in: Langmuir 2009-05, Vol.25 (9), p.5294-5303
• Main Authors: Vinken, Esther, Terry, Ann E, Spoelstra, Anne B, Koning, Cor E, Rastogi, Sanjay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Materials: Nano-and Mesostructured Materials, Polymers, Gels, Liquid Crystals, Composites; Surface physical chemistry
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la804046r

Here we demonstrate that superheated water is a solvent for polyamide 2,14 and piperazine-based copolyamides up to a piperazine content of 62 mol %. The incorporation of piperazine allows for a variation of the hydrogen bond density without altering the crystal structure (i.e., the piperazine units cocrystallize with the PA2,14 units (Hoffmann, S.; Vanhaecht, B.; Devroede, J.; Bras, W.; Koning, C. E.; Rastogi, S. Macromolecules 2005, 38, 1797−1803). It is shown that the crystallization of PA2,14 from superheated water greatly influences the crystal structure. Water molecules incorporated in the PA2,14 crystal lattice cause a slip on the hydrogen bonded planes, resulting in a coexistence of a triclinic and a monoclinic crystal structure. On heating above the Brill transition, the water molecules exit from the lattice, restoring the triclinic crystal structure. With increasing piperazine content, and hence decreasing hydrogen bond density, the dissolution temperature decreases. It is only possible to grow single crystals from superheated water up to a piperazine content of 62 mol %. For these single crystals, the incorporation of water molecules in the vicinity of the amide group is seen by the presence of COO− stretch vibrations with FTIR spectroscopy. These vibrations disappear on heating above the Brill transition temperature, and the water molecules leave the amide groups. For copolyamides with more than 62 mol % piperazine, no Brill transition is observed, no single crystals can be grown from water, and no water molecules are observed in the vicinity of the amide groups (Vinken, E.; Terry, A. E.; Hoffmann, S.; Vanhaecht, B.; Koning, C. E.; Rastogi, S. Macromolecules 2006, 39, 2546−2552). The high piperazine content (co)polyamides have fewer hydrogen bond donors and are therefore less likely to have interactions with the water molecules. This work demonstrates the relation among the Brill transition, the dissolution of polyamide in superheated water, and its influence on the hydrogen bonds and the amide groups.