Gordon Francis Meijs

Bio: Gordon Francis Meijs is an academic researcher from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. The author has contributed to research in topics: Radical polymerization & Chain transfer. The author has an hindex of 32, co-authored 78 publications receiving 8088 citations. Previous affiliations of Gordon Francis Meijs include Cooperative Research Centre & Ciba Specialty Chemicals.

Living free-radical polymerization by reversible addition - Fragmentation chain transfer: The RAFT process

Abstract: mechanism involves Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer, and we have designated the process the RAFT polymerization. What distinguishes RAFT polymerization from all other methods of controlled/living free-radical polymerization is that it can be used with a wide range of monomers and reaction conditions and in each case it provides controlled molecular weight polymers with very narrow polydispersities (usually <1.2; sometimes <1.1). Living polymerization processes offer many benefits. These include the ability to control molecular weight and polydispersity and to prepare block copolymers and other polymers of complex architecturesmaterials which are not readily synthesized using other methodologies. Therefore, one can understand the current drive to develop a truly effective process which would combine the virtues of living polymerization with versatility and convenience of free-radical polymerization.2-4 However, existing processes described under the banner “living free-radical polymerization” suffer from a number of disadvantages. In particular, they may be applicable to only a limited range of monomers, require reagents that are expensive or difficult to remove, require special polymerization conditions (e.g. high reaction temperatures), and/or show sensitivity to acid or protic monomers. These factors have provided the impetus to search for new and better methods. There are three principal mechanisms that have been put forward to achieve living free-radical polymerization.2,5 The first is polymerization with reversible termination by coupling. Currently, the best example in this class is alkoxyamine-initiated or nitroxidemediated polymerization as first described by Rizzardo et al.6,7 and recently exploited by a number of groups in syntheses of narrow polydispersity polystyrene and related materials.4,8 The second mechanism is radical polymerization with reversible termination by ligand transfer to a metal complex (usually abbreviated as ATRP).9,10 This method has been successfully applied to the polymerization of various acrylic and styrenic monomers. The third mechanism for achieving living character is free-radical polymerization with reversible chain transfer (also termed degenerative chain transfer2). A simplified mechanism for this process is shown in

Extended Wear Ophthalmic Lens

Abstract: An ophthalmic lens suited for extended-wear periods of at least one day on the eye without a clinically significant amount of corneal swelling and without substantial wearer discomfort. The lens has a balance of oxygen permeability and ion or water permeability, with the ion or water permeability being sufficient to provide good on-eye movement, such that a good tear exchange occurs between the lens and the eye. A preferred lens is a copolymerization product of a oxyperm macromer and an ionoperm monomer. The invention encompasses extended wear contact lenses, which include a core having oxygen transmission and ion transmission pathways extending from the inner surface to the outer surface.

The effect of average soft segment length on morphology and properties of a series of polyurethane elastomers. II. SAXS‐DSC annealing study

Abstract: A series of eight thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers were synthesized from 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) chain extender, with poly(hexamethylene oxide) (PHMO) macrodiol soft segments. The PHMO molecular weights employed ranged from 433 g/mol to 1180 g/mol. All materials contained 60% (w/w) of the macrodiol. The materials were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) following up to nine different thermal treatments. In addition, three of the materials were selected for characterization by small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) following similar thermal treatments. The DSC experiments showed the existence of five hard segment melting regions (labelled T1-T5), which were postulated to result from the disordering or melting of sequences containing one to five MDI-derived units, respectively. Evidence for urethane linkage dissociation and reassociation during annealing at temperatures above 150°C is presented. This process aids in the formation of higher melting structures. Annealing temperatures of 80–100°C provided the maximum SAXS scattering intensity values. Materials containing longer soft segments (and, therefore, longer hard segments) were observed to develop and sustain higher melting hard domain structures and also develop maximum average interdomain spacing values at higher annealing temperatures. Another additional series of three PHMO-based polyurethanes having narrower hard segment length distributions, was synthesized and characterized by DSC in the as-synthesized and annealed states. The resulting DSC endotherms provided further evidence to suggest that the T1-T5 endotherms were possibly due to melting of various hard segment length populations.

Shape memory polyurethane or polyurethane-urea polymers

Abstract: The present invention relates to a shape memory polyurethane or polyurethane-urea polymer including a reaction product of: (A) (a) silicon-based macrodiol, silicon-based macrodiamine and/or polyether of the formula (I): A-[(CH2)m-O]n-(CH2)m-A', wherein A and A´ are endcapping groups; m is an integer of 6 or more; and n is an integer of 1 or greater; (b) a diisocyanate; and (c) a chain extender; or (B) (b) a diisocyanate: and (c) a chain extender, said polymer having a glass transition temperature which enables the polymer to be formed into a first shape at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature and maintained in said first shape when the polymer is cooled to a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature, said polymer then being capable of resuming its original shape on heating to a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature. The present invention also relates to a shape memory composition which includes a blend of two or more of the shape memory polyurethane of polyurethane-urea polymers defined above or at least one shape memory polyurethane or polyurethane-urea polymer defined above in combination with another material. The present invention further relates to processes for preparing, materials having improved mechanical properties, clarity, processability, biostability and/or degradation resistance and devices or articles containing the shape memory polyurethane or polyurethane-urea polymer and/or composition defined above.

Living radical polymerization by the RAFT process

Abstract: This paper presents a review of living radical polymerization achieved with thiocarbonylthio compounds [ZC(=S)SR] by a mechanism of reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT). Since we first introduced the technique in 1998, the number of papers and patents on the RAFT process has increased exponentially as the technique has proved to be one of the most versatile for the provision of polymers of well defined architecture. The factors influencing the effectiveness of RAFT agents and outcome of RAFT polymerization are detailed. With this insight, guidelines are presented on how to conduct RAFT and choose RAFT agents to achieve particular structures. A survey is provided of the current scope and applications of the RAFT process in the synthesis of well defined homo-, gradient, diblock, triblock, and star polymers, as well as more complex architectures including microgels and polymer brushes.