Laser-initiated polymerization of epoxies in the presence of maleic anhydride

Laser-initiated polymerization of cyclohexene oxide in the presence of maleic anhydride was investigated. The influences of solvents laser irradiation time and the monomer feed ratio on the polymer yield and composition were evaluated. The rate of polymerization increased with an increase in the molar concentration of maleic anhydride in the monomer feed. Short irradiation times of 1–3 min duration gave very high yield of epoxy polymer (>80% conversion). Infrared spectral studies of the polymer product indicated the formation of polyether linkage at lower levels of conversion and an adduct of polyether and maleic anhydride at higher polymer conversions. The quantitative chemical analyses results also showed similar results. The results indicated that the polymerization was initiated by the excited charge transfer complex between the electron donor, cyclohexane oxide, and the electron acceptor–maleic anhydride. In the initial stages of polymerization, cyclohexene oxide undergoes a cationic polymerization in the presence of the radical anion of maleic anhydride. Laser-initiated polymerization of cyclohexene oxide/maleic anhydride is several hundred times more efficient than UV-initiated polymerization, as measured by the energy absorbed by the polymer system.     

Grafting of maleic anhydride to n-eicosane

Maleic anhydride was grafted to the linear hydrocarbon, n-eicosane, at 165°C in the presence of the free radical initiator, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)-3-hexyne. The anhydride has a low solubility in eicosane and a multiple addition procedure was adopted. Grafted product which separated from the reaction mixture was fractionated and analyzed. The fractions contained on average 2–5.5 anhydride units/eicosane residue. ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR studies show that the grafts consist of single succinic anhydride rings. At the concentrations of maleic anhydride chosen for homogeneous reaction ( < 0.02 M) and at 165°C, poly(maleic anhydride) is above its ceiling temperature, so that succinic anhydride radicals cannot add maleic anhydride to form polymer side chains. Instead, these radicals abstract hydrogen atoms to yield grafts consisting of single anhydride units.     

A study of the relative reactivity of maleic anhydride and some maleimides in free radical copolymerization and terpolymerization

Composition data for the free radical copolymerization of maleic anhydride with N-phenylmaleimide in toluene at 60°C have been obtained. Relative reactivity ratios in terminal and penultimate models using nonlinear least-squares optimization routine have been determined. The standard error was found to be somewhat smaller in the penultimate model, but is still larger than the uncertainty estimated for the copolymer composition. Terpolymers of maleic anhydride and styrene with maleimide, N-butylmaleimide, N-phenylmaleimide, and N-carbamylmaleimide were obtained. On the basis of analysis of the product composition at various monomer feeds the relative reactivity of maleic anhydride and maleimides in these reactions is compared and the influence of the structure of thesemonomers on the rate of some chain growth reactions is discussed.     

Polymerization of cyclic ethers in the presence of maleic anhydride. Part I. Polymerization of trioxane and 3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane by γ-rays,ultraviolet light,and benzoyl peroxide

Cyclic ethers such as trioxane and 3,3-bis(chloromethyl)oxetane have been polymerized easily in the presence of maleic anhydride by the irradiation of γ-rays and ultraviolet light. The polymer formed is a homopolymer of cyclic ether. The rate of polymerization is accelerated by suitable amounts of oxygen which is required to form some active species at the initiation step. The polymerization is inhibited by the addition of a small amount of radical scavenger, thus suggesting a radical initiating mechanism. In addition, the polymerization is easily initiated by benzoyl peroxide even in vacuo at or above 50°C. Diaroyl and diacyl peroxides are also effective, and polymerization also proceeds in the presence of chloromaleic anhydride, exactly in the same manner as in maleic anhydride. On the other hand, it is well known that polymerization of these cyclic monomers rarely occurs with radical catalysts and easily with cationic catalysts in the absence of maleic anhydride. From these results, it may be concluded that the polymerization is brought about by means of a radical–cationic species.     

Donor-Acceptor Complexes in Copolymerization. XXXVII. Alternating Diene-Dienophile Copolymers. 5. Formation of Conjugated Diene-Maleic Anhydride Copolymers through Retrograde Dissociation of Furan-Maleic Anhydride Diels-Alder Adduct

Abstract

The equimolar, alternating copolymer of isoprene, as well as other conjugated dienes, and maleic anhydride is formed by the radical catalyzed reaction of the conjugated diene with maleic anhydride in the presence of furan as well as with the furan-maleic anhydride Diels-Alder adduct. The retrograde dissociation of the cyclic adduct above 60°C regenerates furan and maleic anhydride which in the presence of isoprene forms the isoprene-maleic anhydride ground state complex. The latter yields the corresponding cyclic adduct in the absence of a radical catalyst and undergoes excitation and homopolymerization in the presence of a catalyst.     

Complex radical copolymerization of di-n-butylstannyl dimethacrylate with maleic anhydride

Mechanisms of radical copolymerization of di-n-butylstannyl dimethacrylate with maleic anhydride in the presence of 2,2-asobisisobutyronitrile are discussed. Complexing (K_eq) and copolymerization (r₁ and r₂) constants have been determined. Quantitative contributions of cyclization and complexing to reactivity ratios of the monomers under study and to propagation reactions have been estimated. The copolymerization has been found to proceed predominantly at the complex radical cyclocopolymerization step, leading to cyclized and linear unsaturated units in the macromolecule chain.     

Synthesis and polymerization of 8,9-benzo-2-methylene-1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4,4]nonane (BMTN)

8,9-Benzo-2-methylene-1,4,6-trioxaspiro[4,4]nonane (BMTN) was prepared by the reaction of phthalide with epichlorohydrin, followed by dehydrochlorination. BMTN was polymerized with di-t-butyl peroxide (DTBP) to give a solyble polymer with a high molecular weight and good thermal stability. The infrared (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra indicated that the polymer structure contained aromatic ester and ketone in the backbone. T_g and T_m of homopolymer of BMTN were, respectively, 98 and 282°C. BMTN was also readily copolymerized with such vinyl monomers as methyl methacrylate (MMA), acrylonitrile (AN), and maleic anhydride (MA), but not with styrene, in the presence of radical initiators. AN and MA, in particular, were spontaneously copolymerized with BMTN in the absence of radical initiators at 40°C. From the results of ultra violet (UV) spectra it is suggested that spontaneous copolymerization proceeds via a charge-transfer complex between BMTN as an electron donor and AN or MA as an acceptor.     

Polymerization behavior of bistrimethylsilyloxycycloalkenes

The radical copolymerizations of bistrimethylsilyloxycycloalkenes, such as 1,2-bistrimethylsilyloxycyclobutene (I), 1,2-bistrimethylsilyloxycyclopentene (II), and 1,2-bistrimethylsilyloxycyclohexene (III), were carried out with acceptor monomers, such as maleic anhydride, N-phenylmaleimide, and methyl methacrylate. I and II gave alternating copolymers with maleic anhydride and random copolymers with N-phenylmaleimide but no copolymer with methyl methacrylate. III gave no copolymer with the acceptor monomers. These polymerization behaviors of bistrimethylsilyloxycycloalkenes were explained primarily in terms of the electron donor–acceptor interaction between both monomers.     

Polymerization of cyclic ethers in the presence of maleic anhydride. Part II. Investigation of the polymerization mechanism

In order to elucidate the reaction mechanism of both the radiation-induced and benzoyl peroxide-catalyzed polymerizations of cyclic ethers in the presence of maleic anhydride, the development of color during reaction and copolymerization of oxetane derivatives were investigated. Upon addition of a small amount of the γ-ray or ultraviolet-irradiated equimolar solution of a cyclic ether and maleic anhydride to isobutyl vinyl ether, a rapid polymerization took place, and the resulting polymer was confirmed to be a homopolymer of isobutyl vinyl ether. A heated solution of dioxane, maleic anhydride, and a small amount of benzoyl peroxide can initiate the polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether in the same manner. The electrical conductivity of a 1:1 mixture of maleic anhydride and dioxane is increased by about a factor of ten after ultraviolet irradiation. These results indicate that some cationic species are actually formed in the system by irradiation or the decomposition of added benzoyl peroxide. The mechanism of formation of the cationic species responsible for the initiation may be explained as follows. A free radical of an ether is formed by abstraction of a hydrogen atom attached to the carbon adjacent to oxygen atom, followed by a one-electron transfer from the resulting radical to maleic anhydride, an electron acceptor, to yield the cationic species of the ether and the anion-radical of maleic anhydride, respectively. The resulting cationic species as well as the counteranion-radical are resonance-stabilized. Therefore, the present polymerization may be designated a radical-induced cationic polymerization.     

Alternating copolymerization of maleic anhydride with allyl chloroacetate

Some regularities of radical alternating copolymerization of maleic anhydride with allyl chloroacetate are studied. The formation of donor–acceptor complexes between comonomers with complexing constant K_c = 0.052 L/mol is found using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The kinetic parameters for this copolymerization reaction are found and the quantitative contribution of monomer complexes to chain-growth radical reactions is calculated. It is shown that either a “free-monomer” mechanism (dilute solutions) or a “mixed” mechanism (concentrated solutions) prevails for chain growth during radical copolymerization depending on total monomer concentration. It is found that inhibition of degradative chain transfer in the course of the reaction studied takes place owing to the presence of α-chlorine atom in the allyl chloracetate molecule and formation of charge transfer complex.     

Photometric determination of maleic anhydride in maleinized adducts

A procedure is developed for the determination of maleic anhydride in maleinized adducts based on natural oils by the reaction yielding molecular complexes of 2-methylimidazole and maleic anhydride in dimethyl sulfoxide. The procedure can be used for the determination of maleic anhydride in polymers based on a mixture of anhydrides in the presence of acid.     

Calorimetric analysis of the graft polymerization of maleic anhydride onto liquid polybutadienes

The kinetics of the reaction of maleic anhydride with liquid polybutadienes of various microstructures was studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The kinetic results of thermal maleinization show a dependence from m.w. and polybutadiene microstructure. The introduction of a gel inhibitor as copper naphthenate has proved that crosslinking reactions also occur during the maleinization. On the other hand, the maleinization in the presence of a radical initiator as dicumyl peroxide (DCP) shows thermal effects higher than pure thermal reaction with a partial overlap of the calorimetric peaks due to maleinization and crosslinking. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Functionalization of an amorphous ethylene-propylene copolymer by free radical initiated grafting of unsaturated molecules

Functionalization of an amorphous ethylene-propylene copolymer, EPM, has been performed by means of homogeneous grafting reactions of unsaturated molecules such as dibutylmaleate, diethylfumarate, itaconic anhydride, and maleic anhydride, initiated by free radicals. Dicumylperoxide and dibenzoylperoxide have been used as a free radical source and their efficiency has been compared. A different reactivity of the unsaturated molecules has been evidenced. The influence of the nature of the solvent on the functionalization degree has been investigated, revealing a noticeable effect of the solvent either on the amounts of grafted molecules or on the secondary reactions which lead to partial degradation of the functionalized EPM chains.     

Copolymerization of divinyl monomers with maleic and fumaric acid derivatives

The process of formation of reticular copolymer molecular structures produced in free radical copolymerization of divinyl monomers (divinyl ethers of diethylene glycol and hydroquinone, divinyl sulfide, p-divinylbenzene, etc.) with maleic and fumaric acid derivatives is studied. The basic factor that determines the features of molecular and network structures of copolymers is reactivity of the divinyl monomer in copolymerization with monovinyl monomer. The network of copolymers of maleic anhydride with the divinyl ether of hydroquinone is formed out of oligomer microgels. Divinyl sulfide in copolymerization with maleic acid is disposed to cyclocopolymerization; also crosslinking reactions occur. Formation of a network structure of copolymers of divinylbenzene with maleic and fumaric acid derivatives is shown to proceed via an alternating copolymerization mechanism. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36 : 371–378, 1998     

Effect of the initial maleic anhydride content on the grafting of maleic anhydride onto isotactic polypropylene

A series of ¹³C‐enriched maleic anhydride grafted isotactic polypropylene samples were prepared in solution at 170 °C by changes in the initial maleic anhydride content. The NMR spectra of the samples showed that the signals of the maleic anhydride attached to the tertiary carbons of the isotactic polypropylene chains increased considerably with increasing maleic anhydride content, whereas the signals of the maleic anhydride on the radical chain ends (with a single bond) arising from β scission did not. On the other hand, the signals of the maleic anhydride on the radical chain ends with double bonds increased markedly with increasing maleic anhydride content, and this suggested that β scission could occur extensively after maleic anhydride was attached to the tertiary carbons. As a result, the molecular weight of the grafted polypropylene decreased significantly with increasing maleic anhydride content in this study. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5529–5534, 2005     

Synthesis of mono and difunctional oligoisobutylenes—III. Modification of α-chlorooligoisobutylene by reaction with maleic anhydride

Reaction of monofunctional oligoisobutylene with maleic anhydride is described. In a preliminary study, thermal dehydrochlorination of α-chlorooligoisobutylene is examined; the double bond of the resulting olefin can be endo or exo. Ene reaction of maleic anhdride with this oligomer is first studied on a model, 2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene; resulting mixture is completely analysed by ¹³C- and ¹H-NMR spectroscopy: two isomeric oligomer anhydrides are formed. Ene synthesis is also carried out on α-(2-methyl-2-propenyl)oligoisobutylene; only exo bonds are able to react; the functionality of the resulting oligomeric anhydride mixture is 0.92. In the presence of a catalyst (dichloromaleic anhydride) disubstitution can take place, because the double bond formed in the first reaction is able to react a second time with maleic anhydride.     

Donor–acceptor complexes in copolymerization. LVIII. Alternating diene–dienophile copolymers. 12. Structure of furan–maleic anhydride copolymers prepared from the monomers and the diels-Alder adduct

The copolymerization of furan with maleic anhydride in the presence of a perester or azobisiso-butyronitrile at 50 or 70°C yields an unsaturated equimolar, alternating copolymer in which the furan units have 3,4 unsaturation and 2,5 linkages. The furan–maleic anhydride Diels-Alder adduct undergoes retrograde dissociation in solution at 70°C and, in the presence of radical catalysts, yields the same unsaturated alternating copolymer as is obtained from the monomers. The adduct undergoes homopolymerization in the presence of a rapidly decomposing perester at 50°C to yield a saturated polymer having a rearranged structure containing 3-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-5,6-dicarboxylic anhydride repeating units with 2,7 linkages.     

Kinetic studies of grafting of maleic anhydride to hydrocarbon substrates

The kinetics of grafting of maleic anhydride to various hydrocarbon substrates has been investigated. Grafting to eicosane and squalane was effected in the pure hydrocarbons and in 1,2-dichlorobenzene solution, while polyethylene was grafted only in solution. The initiator was 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)-3-hexyne which has a half life of about 1 h at a typical reaction temperature of 150°C. At high concentrations of initiator (Ca. 0.02M), the rate of disappearance of maleic anhydride is linear with time. In the pure hydrocarbons the order with respect to initiator is close to 0.5. In squalane, the overall activation energy is 112 kJ mol^?1; the average number of maleic anhydride molecules grafted per molecule of peroxide decomposed varies from 8 at high rates of initiation to 57 at low rates of initiation. The results are interpreted in terms of a chain mechanism, including a slow propagation step in which a succinic anhydride radical abstracts hydrogen from the same or a different chain. The same general mechanism is proposed for grafting of maleic anhydride to polyethylene and the hydrocarbons in 1,2-dichlorobenzene solution.     

PHOTOCOPOLYMERIZATION OF MALEIC ANHYDRIDE AND VINYL ACETATE IN TETRAHYDROFURAN~*

The copolymerization of maleic anhydride and vinyl acetate in tetrahydrofuran was studied. Results show that the maximum copolymerization rate is in 0.6 mole fraction of maleic anhydride, indicating the involvement of maleic anhydride-tetrahydrofuran charge transfer complex in the chain initiation process. ESR study provides collateral evidence for the formation of maleic anhydride radical and tetrahydrofuran radical.     

Penultimate effects in the copolymerization of maleic anhydride with electron‐rich styrene derivatives

The (controlled) free‐radical copolymerization of maleic anhydride and styrene or derivatives thereof is often thought to provide nearly perfect alternating copolymers. Here, the RAFT copolymerization of electron‐rich styrene derivatives with maleic anhydride is reported. This copolymerization shows distinct penultimate effects, resulting in polymers with increased incorporation of styrene monomers, that is, where a tendency toward periodic (S‐S‐MA) copolymers exists. This work could be a first step towards periodic copolymers based on maleic anhydride and styrene derivatives. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2932–2939