Zuzanna Żołek-Tryznowska

Synthesis, characterization and reactivity of a six-membered cyclic glycerol carbonate bearing a free hydroxyl group

Five- and six-membered cyclic carbonates have recently become popular as starting materials for the synthesis of polycarbonates via ring opening polymerization or synthesis of environmentally friendly non-isocyanate polyurethanes. In many cases a five-membered glycerol carbonate has been used in these applications. However, the simplest derivative of glycerol, a six-membered cyclic glycerol carbonate (5-hydroxy-1,3-dioxan-2-one), has not been reported so far. In this work, for the first time, we report a procedure for the synthesis of this monomer from glycerol. The product was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements. Further, the synthesis of bis(2-oxo-1,3-dioxan-5-yl) sebacate, a biscyclic six-membered carbonate, was described. The reactivities of 5-hydroxy-1,3-dioxan-2-one and its biscyclic ester derivative were investigated. No ring opening polymerization of both the monomers was observed, instead an isomerization to appropriate five-membered cyclic carbonates occurred. Unfortunately, the protection of the hydroxyl group 2 with an ester type substituent does not protect it against isomerisation.

Hyperbranched polymers – their application in printing inks

Urania® flexographic printing ink was modified with the commercially available hyperbranched polymer Boltorn H2004. The surface tension of the printing inks was measured and the rheology behaviour of the printing inks was assessed. The flow curves (shear stress vs. shear rate) for the printing inks exhibited pseudoplastic behaviour. Modified flexographic inks were laboratory printed on three different plastic films: polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate. The impact of a small amount of hyperbranched polymer on printing ink colour was examined by optical density, total colour difference ΔE ∗ (CIE L ∗, a ∗, b ∗) and the gloss of the printed film. In general, the addition of the hyperbranched polymer improved the colour fastness and hardness resistance. The influence of the hyperbranched polymer on the rheological properties, optical density, CIE LAB coordinates and colour fastness is discussed.

Wood adhesive application of poly(hydroxyurethane)s synthesized with a dimethyl succinate-based amide backbone

Non-isocyanate poly(hydroxyurethane)s (PHUs) made by reacting bis(cyclic carbonate)s and amines are important alternatives to conventional polyurethanes. In this work, a series of PHUs was synthesized using a solvent-free, catalyst-free method from bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ether dicarbonate and 1,3-diaminopropane using differing molar ratios of dimethyl succinate to change selected properties of each PHU. The obtained PHUs were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopy and their thermal properties and viscosities were determined. We report the use of the obtained PHUs as wood adhesives and the work of adhesion data determined using Owens–Wendt method. The mechanical properties (strength) of different PHU–wood joints were compared. It was found that the addition of dimethyl succinate increases the hydrophobicity of coatings by increasing the water contact angle and decreasing the polar component of the surface free energy of the PHU coatings. PHUs with urethane and amide backbones were stronger than those without.

Hyperbranched polyglycerol as an additive for water-based printing ink

In this work, the application of hyperbranched polyglycerol as a performance additive for water-based printing inks is demonstrated. The hyperbranched polyglycerol, (BPG), was synthesized through anionic ring-opening polymerization from glycidol using 1-butanol as the starting material. The branched structure of BPG is presented and described. The presence of linear, dendritic and terminal units was confirmed by Moore et al. (Prog Surf Sci 88(3):213–236, 2013) 13C NMR spectroscopy. BPG was then used as a performance additive in a water-based flexographic printing ink. The impact of a small amount of hyperbranched BPG on the printing ink color was examined by studying the optical density of a full-tone area, the total color difference, ΔEab*, and the gloss of the dried ink film. The colorfastness to dry and wet rubbing of overprinted samples was studied. The investigated BPG is shown to be able to improve colorfastness to dry and wet rubbing of prints.

Rheology of Printing Inks

In this chapter, the rheological properties of printing inks are presented. The flow properties of printing inks have a significant impact on ink manufacture, printability, and print quality. The Newtonian and non-Newtonian flow behavior of fluids is widely discussed. The thixotropic phenomena and viscoelastic behavior are also presented. Moreover, the methods of determination of flow curve and tack of fluids, including printing inks, are shown. Finally, the rheological properties and viscosity of low-viscosity (liquid) and high-viscosity (paste) printing inks are presented. As a summary, the influence of rheology and viscosity on printability and print quality is widely discussed.

Data on synthesis and characterization of new diglycerol based environmentally friendly non-isocyanate poly(hydroxyurethanes).

This article contains original experimental data, figures and methods to the preparation of non-isocyanate poly(hydroxyurethanes) by an environmentally friendly method without the use of toxic phosgene and isocyanates from bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ether dicarbonate and various diamines (Tryznowski et al., Submitted for publication) [1]. Bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ether dicarbonate was obtained from a one-step procedure from commercially available diglycerol. The product was characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and FTIR spectroscopies and for the first time by X-Ray diffraction measurements. Then, the bis(cyclic carbonate) monomer was used as a precursor for the synthesis of various NIPUs. The NIPUs were prepared in a non-solvent process. Spectral and thermal properties of the NIPUs are compered. Here we give the procedure in order to perform bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ether dicarbonate with high yield and the procedure NIPU synthesis and the complete set of monomer and NIPU analysis (1H NMR, 13C NMR, FTIR, X-Ray).