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International audienceSafety is one of the most important criteria for electrochemical energy storage devices used in large scale applications such as wind or solar farms. In this context, solid polymer electrolytes based on nanostructured block copolymer electrolytes (BCEs) are promising because their properties can be finely tuned by adjusting simultaneously their block chemistries and polymer architectures. However, there is a need to rationalize the different properties of BCE that are optimal for battery applications. We produced by controlled radical polymerization a large number of BCEs based on either (1) linear poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) or (2) comb PEO as the ionic conductor block, and polystyrene as the structural block. We varied the molecular weight of the PEO-based block, the composition, and the architecture (diblock vs triblock). We performed a systematic analysis of their thermodynamic, ionic transport, and mechanical properties. To verify the potential of BCEs as electrolytes, we evaluated their electrochemical stabilities. Laboratory scale batteries comprising the best BCEs and LiFePO4 as a positive active material were cycled at different rates and temperatures. This process allows the selection of the best architectures and compositions that had been successfully tested in battery prototypes and cycled for more than 600 cycles at high rates without any dendritic growth

International audienceThis review described the potential of the intermolecular radical 1,2-addition from the commercially available BlocBuilder MA alkoxyamine onto activated olefins to synthesize either new functionalized alkoxyamines or various macromolecular architectures. Following this approach, diblock, triblock copolymers, star polymers and hybrid materials are then easily prepared. The various applications of such architectures will be briefly reviewed. Interestingly this new synthetic tool widely expands the range of complex macromolecular architectures which could be obtained by the nitroxide-mediated polymerization (NMP) process

Poly(styrene) macromercaptanes (Mn = 1900, 3600, and 6100 g mol−1, PDI ≈ 1.2) derived from thiocarbonyl thio capped polymers prepared via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization were employed to initiate the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of D,L‐lactide under conditions of organo‐catalyis employing 4,4‐dimethylaminopyridine. Poly(styrene)‐block‐poly(lactide) polymers of number average molecular weights up to 25,000 g mol−1 (PDI ≈ 1.2 to 1.6) were obtained and characterized via multiple detection size exclusion chromatography (SEC) using refractive index as well as UV detection. In addition, diffusion ordered nuclear magnetic resonance and liquid chromatography at critical conditions (of both polystyrene as well as poly(lactide) were employed to assess the copolymers' structure. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that polyethylenes capped with a thiol moiety can also be readily chain extended in a ROP employing D,L‐lactide, evidenced via NMR and high temperature SEC. This study indicates that the direct use of macromercaptantes is indeed a methodology to switch from a radical to a ROP process. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011

International audienceSeparation of functional poly(ethylene oxide) PEO and PEO block copolymers was investigated using liquid chromatography under critical conditions (LCCC) with a mixture of organic solvents as eluent. The optimum eluent is a mixture of 58.05% chloroform, 6.45% methanol, and 35.50% n-heptane (v/v/v) using a reverse phase (C8) column. Unlike what was expected, the elution mechanism is governed by the interaction of a polar end-group with the column. In these conditions, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) functionalized with either an acrylate or alkoxyamine moieties were separated. This allows us to investigate the efficiency of the synthesis of poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene (PEO-b-PS) and polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) b-polystyrene (PS-b-PEO-b-PS) block copolymers prepared via the combination of 1,2 radical intermolecular addition followed by the nitroxide-mediated polymerization NMP of styrene. Amphiphilic diblock PEO-b-PS and triblock PS-b-PEO-b-PS copolymers were also separated from PEO homopolymers using the same experimental conditions. We showed that the PEO block is then invisible, and the calibration curve obtained using PS homopolymer standards could be used to determine the whole molar mass of the PS block in block copolymers with PS and PEO segments, with a weak influence of the architecture

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