Polymer Science, Series A

The behavior of Langmuir monolayers and multilayers at the liquid-air interface of organosilicon macromolecules of various molecular architectures, including linear and cyclolinear polyorganosiloxanes, carbosilane dendrimers, hyperbranched polymers, nanogels, multi-arm stars, dense molecular brushes, is reviewed. Their structure, peculiarities of self-organization and conformational rearrangements at the phase boundary are analyzed, depending on the structure formation in the mass, the formation of mesophases, and the crystal structure. Particular attention is paid to the formation of ordered structures after the collapse of the Langmuir monolayer, such as bilayers and multilayers.

This paper presents the results of a study of the sorption properties of gels based on acrylamide copolymers and amphiphilic monomers containing positively charged groups. Gels were synthesized by radical copolymerization of monomers with N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the structure of amphiphilic monomers on the sorption capacity of the gels for model organic pollutants of varying ionic nature—cationic (methylene blue), anionic (Congo red), and neutral (rifampicin) dyes. Varying the nature and density of charged functional monomers allows for targeted regulation of the sorption characteristics of polymer gels, opening up potential for their use in the selective removal of ionic pollutants from water.

The sorption properties of a hydrogel based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPA) in aqueous solutions of organic dyes (congo red, pyrocatechol violet, rhodamine 6G, eriochrome black) were studied under cyclic temperature changes above and below the polymer LCST. A comparative analysis of changes in the mass of gels and dye absorption was performed. It was shown that the dye presence does not affect the volume-phase transition induced by temperature changes. Low sorption capacity of the PNIPA gel and its dependence on temperature were established. It was shown that the efficiency of absorption, as well as desorption of the dye, depends on its chemical structure.

The mechanical properties, friction and wear of composites based on a mixture of phenol-formaldehyde and phenolphthale-formaldehyde resins reinforced with cotton or polyoxadiazole (POD) fabrics were studied. It was found that the tribological properties of textiles reinforced with POD-fabric are determined by the deformation behavior of the binder, as well as the homogeneity of its distribution over the surface in the friction zone. The friction processes of these textiles based on a mixture of resins are characterized by greater stability and low values of the friction coefficient, compared to composites based on individual binders. The positive effect of mixed binders is preserved in the case of composites reinforced with cotton fabric and is manifested in a decrease in their wear.

The elastic properties of a high-molecular precursor of oil in shale deposits, type IA kerogen, have been studied by molecular modeling methods. Its bulk modulus, Young’s modulus, and Poisson coefficient under reservoir conditions are determined. The dependence of the bulk modulus on the porosity of kerogen at 365 K, which has a decreasing character, is obtained. For the first time, the long-term trajectories of methane molecules in a kerogen matrix at 400 K have been calculated, based on which the diffusion coeffi cient was determined by the Einstein–Smoluchowski method.