ESR spectra of poly(methacrylic acid) and poly(methyl methacrylate): Reinterpretation of the 9-line spectrum

The temperature dependence of the ESR spectra of poly(methacrylic acid) and poly-(methyl methacrylate) γ-irradiated at room temperature was studied between ?196°C and +25°C. The conventional 9-line spectrum was observed throughout this range with no significant spectral change, in contrast to the propagating radical ··· CH₂? °C(CH₃)COOR found in methacrylic acid monomer or barium methacrylate dihydrate irradiated at ?196°C. In addition, the irradiation of methacrylic acid monomer with a low dose at 0°C gave the same 13-line spectrum as that of the propagating radical obtained by the irradiation at ?196°C, while prolonged irradiation at 0°C gave the same conventional 9-line spectrum as that of poly(methacrylic acid) or poly(methyl methacrylate). The conventional 9-line spectrum has a much weaker 4-line component than that of the propagating radical. The difference comes from the surrounding matrix, and the conventional 9-line spectrum is well interpreted by introducing the concept of the distribution of the conformational angle in the irregular polymer matrix. From simulation of the ESR spectrum, it was found that the intensity of the 4-line component is very sensitive to the distribution, and that the observed 9-line spectrum is well reproduced assuming a Gaussian distribution (half-height width of 5–6°) around the most probable conformation which is nearly the same as that of the propagating radical, where the conformational angles of the two C? H_β bonds to the half-filled p-orbital are 55° and 65°.     

Electron spin resonance studies of propagating radicals in polymerization. I. Methacrylate propagating radicals

Ferric chloride-photosensitized free-radical initiation was used to generate propagating radicals in polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA), allyl methacrylate (AMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), 1,3-butylene dimethacrylate (1,3-BDMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA), lauryl methacrylate (LMA), hexyl methacrylate (HMA), and methacrylamide (MA) in rigid glasses of methanol or acetone at near liquid nitrogen temperatures. The formation and conformational changes of these propagating radicals at different temperatures were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. When methanol was the rigid glass, ·CH₂OH radicals were formed initially and were stable below ?160°C. As the temperature of the rigid glass was increased, the ·CH₂OH radicals reacted with monomer to yield propagating radicals. With the exception of the propagating radical for methacrylamide, the propagating radicals of the methacrylates examined initially generated five-line ESR spectra which gradually changed to nine-line spectra, as temperature of the rigid glass was increased. It was concluded that one type of propagating radical was formed in all cases. However, when the temperature of the rigid glass was increased, the single structural conformation that initially allowed one of the methylene hydrogens and methyl group to interact with the unpaired electron to generate only a five-line spectrum was changed to yield a second conformation that allowed interaction to generate an additional four-line spectrum. Finally, a mixture of the propagating radical for methacrylate monomer in two structural conformations was obtained, and an ESR spectrum consisting of nine lines (5 + 4 lines) was generated. In the case of the propagating radical for methacrylamide this change to yield two structural conformations evidently was hindered, so that only an ESR spectrum consisting of five lines was generated.     

ESR study on radical polymerization and its application to microemulsion systems

Well-resolved electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of propagating radicals of vinyl and diene compounds were observed in a single scan by a conventional CW-ESR spectrometry without the aid of computer accumulation and the specially designed cavity and cells. Although solvents which could be used for ESR measurements were restricted to nonpolar solvents, such as benzene, toluene, and hexane, new information on dynamic behavior and reactivity of the propagating radicals in the radical polymerization of vinyl and diene compounds were obtained. Thus, values of propagation rate constants (k_p) for vinyl and diene compounds were determined by an ESR method. Some of the k_p values were in a fair agreement with those obtained by a pulsed laser polymerization (PLP) method. Furthermore, polymer chain effect on apparent k_p was clearly observed in the radical polymerization of macromonomers and in the microemulsion polymerization. In ESR measurement on inclusion polymerization system, important information on the origin of the 9-line spectrum observed in the radical polymerization of methacrylate propagating radicals was obtained.     

Change with temperature of the ESR spectra of methacrylic acid radicals

In order to elucidate the structure of methacrylic acid radicals, the change with observation temperature of the ESR spectrum of free radicals trapped in solid methacrylic acid γ-irradiated at ?196°C was studied. Below ?80°C, we found a 9-line spectrum, which is similar to the ordinary 9-line spectrum observed in irradiated poly(methacrylic acid) or poly(methyl methacrylate), but which differs in the stronger intensity of the so-called 4-line component. Our 9-line spectrum changes reversibly into a 13-line spectrum above ?80°C. With broad-line NMR measurements of methacrylic acid, it was found that there is such an unusual crystalline transition around ?30°C that the line width is narrower in the lower-temperature region (phase II) than that in the higher-temperature region (phase I). The change of the ESR spectrum can be interpreted in terms of the exchange of the two β-protons due to the hindered oscillation around the C_α? C_β bond of the single radical ···C_βH₂C_α(CH₃)COOH if one assumes the gradual change of the hindering potential barrier caused by the crystalline transition and the lower barrier in phase II. The modified Bloch treatment gave the hindering potential barrier to be 7.2 kcal/mole in phase I and 1.5 kcal/mole in phase II. The difference between our 9-line spectrum and the ordinary one with the very weak 4-line component comes from the difference of the surrounding matrix.     

ESR studies on radical polymerization of vinyl ethers

ESR studies on the radical polymerization of vinyl ethers were performed from ?50°C to room temperature using di-tert-butylperoxide as a photoinitiator. Well resolved ESR spectra were assigned to propagating radicals of vinyl ethers. Their hyperfine splitting constants due to α-proton were about 16 G, being smaller than those of ethyl acrylate and vinyl acetate. The smaller constants is ascribed to a deviation of the propagating radicals from sp² hybrid structure. The reason why high polymers are not obtained from vinyl ethers by radical polymerization is discussed on the basis of information from the ESR studies.     

Radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of methacrylic acid. II. In-source polymerization

The in-source polymerization of methacrylic acid in the solid state with γ-rays was studied. The conversion rates at various temperatures were obtained as well as the radical concentrations by the measurements of ESR spectrum. The rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to I^0.65 at 0°C. The results could be interpreted on the basis of the assumption that the rate of propagation is proportional to the concentration of the propagating radical, of the monomer, and of the polymer. The addition of water to the monomer seems to accelerate the polymerization reaction. The change of the line shape of the propagating radical during polymerization was interpreted in terms of the change of the matrix which surrounds the propagating radical.     

Polymerization of vinyl monomers by the reaction products of diphenyl sulphoxide with potassium

Diphenyl sulphoxide (DPSO) reacts with an equimolar amount of potassium (K) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ?78° to form a reddish-black solution, giving an electron spin resonance (ESR) signal only below ?70°. The signal is attributed to a very labile DPSO anion radical. The solution of DPSO-K (1/1) reaction products reacts further with another molecular amount of K at this temperature to give no ESR signal. The DPSO-K (1/1) reaction products initiates the polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN), but not the polymerizations of methyl methacrylate (MMA), styrene (St) or isoprene (IP). The active species of the solution initiating the polymerization of AN is assumed to be potassium benzene sulphenate from analyses of the solution and the infra-red spectrum of AN oligomers obtained using the complex. The DPSO-K (1/2) reaction products solution initiates the polymerization of MMA, St and IP as well as AN. The active species initiating the polymerization of MMA, St or IP is assumed to be phenylpotassium.     

Dimethyl 1-hexene-2,5-dicarboxylate,methyl methacrylate dimer,as polymerizable acrylic ester bearing bulky α-substituent

Dimethyl 1-hexene-2,5-dicarboxylate (MMAD), a methyl methacrylate dimer, which is an acrylic ester bearing a large α-substituent, was polymerized and copolymerized. During the bulk polymerization at room temperature, an ESR spectrum assigned to the propagating radical was observed. MMAD which polymerized much slower than methyl methacrylate (MMA) was less reactive in copolymerization than MMA. These findings may exemplify that slow propagation concomitant with termination suppressed with steric hindrance could lead to polymer formation of MMAD. Thermogravimetric analysis of poly(MMAD) exhibited that the degadation through depropagation was facilitated by the α-substituent. A relatively large chain transfer constant of MMAD in MMA polymerization, 9.8 × 10^?3, was evaluated consistent with a considerable decrease in the molecular weight of poly (MMA) in the presence of a small amount of MMAD.     

ESR study of free radicals produced from the reaction of o-substituted phenyl methacrylates with tert-butoxy radical

ESR spectra of radicals produced from the reactions of phenyl methacrylate (PMA) and four o-substituted PMAs, 2,4,6-trimethyl-, 2,6-diisopropyl-, 2,6-di-tert-butyl-, and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methyl-PMAs, with tert-butyoxy radical were measured in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran over the temperature range of ?53 to ?15°C. The coupling constants of the β-methylene protons observed varied with the bulkiness of the o-substituents, whereas the p-substitution did not affect the pattern of the spectra. 2,6-Diisopropyl- and 2,4,6-timethyl-PMAs, which can form homopolymers, gave 5- and 13-line spectra, respectively. For the radicals from 2,6-di-tert-butyl- and 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methyl-PMAs, the same 8-line spectrum was observed, indicating that the coupling constant of one of the β-methylene protons was too small to detect. Conformations of the radicals were deduced from the coupling constants of the β-methylene protons. Variation of the ESR spectrum according to the bulkiness of the o-substituent was interpreted as a consequence of steric interactions between the polymer chain bound to the β carbon and the substituents, and the α-methyl group.     

Studying the Fundamentals of Radical Polymerization Using ESR in Combination with Controlled Radical Polymerization Methods

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy can contribute to understanding both the kinetics and mechanism of radical polymerizations. A series of oligo/poly(meth)acrylates were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and purified to provide well defined radical precursors. Model radicals, with given chain lengths, were generated by reaction of the terminal halogens with an organotin compound and the radicals were observed by ESR spectroscopy. This combination of ESR with ATRPs ability to prepare well defined radical precursors provided significant new information on the properties of radicals in radical polymerizations. ESR spectra of the model radicals generated from tert-butyl methacrylate precursors, with various chain lengths, showed clear chain length dependent changes and a possibility of differentiating between the chain lengths of observed propagating radicals by ESR. The ESR spectrum of each dimeric, trimeric, tetrameric, and pentameric tert-butyl acrylate model radicals, observed at various temperatures, provided clear experimental evidence of a 1,5-hydrogen shift.     

Determination of the rate constants of recombination of macroradicals and stable radicals via the competitive-inhibition method

The rate constants of recombination, k _X, of propagating radicals with nitroxides in pseudoliving radical polymerization are determined via the competitive-inhibition method with the use of ESR spectroscopy. This method is applicable to determination of k _X in the reactions of propagating radicals of styrene, acrylic acid, and methyl methacrylate with two stable radicals, the nitroxide diethylphosphono-2,2-dimethylpropyl nitroxide and the phenoxide galvinoxyl. The values of k _X determined at 50°C increase in the following sequence: diethylphosphono-2,2-dimethylpropyl nitroxide-TEMPO-galvinoxyl. The selectivity of the low-activity propagating radicals of styrene in reactions with stable radicals is shown.     

Study on the long life radicals of hexanediol diacrylate in irradiated urea canal complexes in relation to post-polymerization by irradiation

The properties of radicals formed on irradiating long chain monomers in urea canal complexes were studied by ESR and related to the results of post-polymerzation. The initiating radicals (CH₃-?HCOOR) were trapped in canal complexes as a result of γ-irradiation at relatively high temperature such as 25° and the radicals converted to propagating radicals (～CH₂-?HOOR0 on heating to 70°. The temperature dependence of radical concentration was followed and the decay curves corresponded well with the results of post-polymerization.     

Polymerization of coordinated monomers. V. Polymerization of methyl methacrylate–Lewis acid complexes

The polymerization of the complex of methyl methacrylate with stannic chloride, aluminum trichloride, or boron trifluoride was carried out in toluene solution at several temperatures in the range of 60° to ?78°C by initiation of α,α′-azobisisobutyronicrile or by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. The tacticities of the resulting polymers were determined by NMR spectroscopy. Both the 1:1 and the 2:1 methyl methacrylate–SnCl₄ complexes gave polymers with similar tacticities at the polymerization temperatures above ?60°C. With decreasing temperature below ?60°C, the isotacticity was more favored for the 2:1 complex, whereas the tacticities did not change for the 1:1 complex. On the ESR spectroscopy of the polymerization solution under the irradiation of ultraviolet rays at ?120°C, the 1:1 SnCl₄ complex gave a quintet, while the 2:1 SnCl₄ complex gave both a quintet and a sextet. The sextet became weaker with increasing temperature and disappeared at ?60°C. This behavior of the sextet corresponds to the change of the tacticities of polymer for the 2:1 SnCl₄ complex. An intra–intercomplex addition was suggested for the polymerization of the 2:1 complex, which took a cis-configuration on the basis of its infrared spectra. The sextet can be ascribed to the radical formed by the intracomplex addition reaction, while the quintet can correspond to that formed by the intercomplex addition reaction. The proportion of the intracomplex reaction was estimated to be about 0.25 at ?75°C, and the calculated value of the probability of isotactic diad addition of the intracomplex reaction was found to be almost unity.     

The interaction of poly(methacrylate) radicals with diphenyldiacetylenes

The free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of p,p′- disubstituted diphenylbutadiynes was studied. Both the rate and degree of polymerization are somewhat lowered by the presence of the diynes, but the propagating radicals were stabilized giving clear ESR signals of the interacted polyMMA radicals at the polymerization temperature of 70°C. The magnitude of the interaction depended on the electron density of the diynes; in the cases of diphenylbutadiyne and dimethoxycarbonyldiphenylbutadiyne, the intoraction was more enhanced showing ESR signals with smaller spectra widths and increasing the number of radicals with the polymerization time, while in the cases of electron donor-substituted diynes the interaction was weaker and the radical concentration remained constant during the polymerization. These systems are considered to be examples of the stabilization of transient radicals by the direct interaction of radicals with additives without formation or breaking of chemical bonds. No diacetylenic group was found in the polyMMA obtained. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

ESR study of primary radical formation during mechanical degradation of poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide) solid

Radical formation during mechanical degradation of solid poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phenylene oxide) (PPO) was investigated by electron spin resonance (ESR). The ESR spectrum of PPO fractured at room temperature in air consisted of eight lines with a separation of about 5.5 gauss with g = 2.0043, indicating a small asymmetry. For PPO fractured in liquid nitrogen, a similar spectrum was observed at ?196°C in air or in vacuo. These spectra have been identified as belonging to a 2,6-dimethyl-substituted phenoxy radical and thus indicate the occurrence of main-chain rupture. The phenyl radical which was expected to be formed together with a 2,6-dimethyl-substituted phenoxy radical could not be detected, but at temperatures below ?46°C a small hump was observed at g = 2.034. By subtracting the spectrum observed after decay of this hump from the original one, the resulting curve was the characteristic asymmetric spectrum of a peroxy radical, which was presumably formed by the reaction between a phenyl radical and oxygen. The radical decay curve showed two stepwise-decaying regions; one located in the temperature region between about ?120°C and ?80°C where only a small number of radicals decayed, another located in the temperature region from about ?30°C to 100°C where almost all mechanically formed radicals decayed. The latter radical decay, which occurred considerably below the glass-transition temperature of PPO, was attributed to the molecular motions associated with the mechanical β^* relaxation on the basis of the activation energy and the temperature region.     

Preparation method of porous polymer materials by radiation technique and its application

The radiation polymerization of hydrophilic hydroxyethyl methacrylate monomer solution at temperatures below 0 °C leads to the formation of a porous structure in the polymers. The melting peak of the eutectic water–monomer composition at the eutectic point (above ?24 °C) could be distingushed and a glass transition temperature was observed at ?96 °C. The porous structure was developed after melting small ice pieces in the polymers after polymerization. The porous structure formed above 0 °C contained discontinuous pores and that formed below 0 °C had continuous pores leading to reticular structure. In a mixture of water –dioxane –monomer, the pore diameter decreased with increasing monomer concentration. Replacing dioxane with decane led to a maximum pore diameter at 70% monomer concentration. The pore diameter in 70% monomer concentration using water and dioxane was 1～4 µm, maximum activity in immobilized enzyme tablets was observed at this diameter. The porous structure was also varied by controlling the polymerization temperature. The durability of the immobilized enzyme tablets was demonstrated by the retention of high enzyme activities after repeated batch enzyme reactions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of derivatives of methacrylic acid. III. An electron spin resonance study of radical reactions in irradiated octadecyl methacrylate

The electron spin resonance spectrum of gamma-irradiated octadecyl methacrylate (m.p. ≈ 12°C.) was due to a mixture of three radicals formed by (1) loss of a hydrogen atom from the paraffin chain, (2) addition of a hydrogen atom to the double bond, and (3) addition of a monomer molecule to radicals formed by (1) or (2). On warming monomer added to radicals (1) and (2) between ?170 and ?50°C., and above ?50°C. the spectrum was solely due to propagating methacrylate radicals. The total radical concentration decreased slightly at ?150°C. and was then constant up to ?30°C. A marked decrease in radical concentration occurred from ?30 to +12°C., it took place rapidly and reached an equilibrium value after each successive increase in temperature. Differential thermal analysis indicated a solid—solid phase change at ?30°C. When the sample was kept at 0°C. there was no further decrease in radical concentration even with 50% conversion to polymer. With 2% added chloranil the (chloranil)^? was observed to be of about the same concentration as methacrylate radicals. The initial total radical concentration was lower and decreased to zero by 0°C. on warming. No polymer was obtained.     

Electron spin resonance studies of propagating radicals in polymerization. II. Acrylate propagating radicals

Ferric chloride-photosensitized free-radical initiation was used to generate propagating radicals in polymerization of acrylic acid (AA), methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate (EA), butyl acrylate (BA), acrylamide (A), and diacetone acrylamide (DAA) in rigid glasses of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, or acetone at near liquid nitrogen temperatures. When the temperatures of the glasses were increased, primary radicals derived from the solvents reacted with the monomers to yield propagating radicals. Formation and conformational changes of the propagating radicals at different temperatures were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. It was concluded that one type of propagating radical was formed in all cases. However, when the temperature of the rigid glass was increased, the structural conformation of the radical that initially allowed the near-equivalent interaction of the α-hydrogen and one of the β-hydrogens with the unpaired electron generated a three-line spectrum.     

Main chain scission reaction of poly(methyl methacrylate) caused by two-photon ionization of dopant

The main chain scission reaction of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) doped with N,N,N,′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) was examined by ESR spectroscopy and GPC measurement, and the scission mechanism was analyzed. The two-photon ionization of TMPD with excimer laser excitation at 77 K produced an ester radical anion of PMMA (PMMA·m?), which becomes the main chain tertiary radical ? CH₂? C˙(CH₃)? CH₂? after the detachment of the ester side group by annealing of the sample at room temperature. The main chain scission radical ˙C(CH₃)(COOCH₃)? (PMMA˙) which was produced by the β-scission from? CH₂? ˙C(CH₃)? CH₂? showed the 13-line ESR spectrum instead of the ordinary 9-line, due to the fast quenching of the sample to 77 K. The change of the molecular weight distribution was measured by GPC after several irradiation-and-annealing operations. The simulation of the GPC curve confirmed that the scission re-action occurs at random in the PMMA chain in the solid and the main chain scission yield from the ester radical anion, [PMMA˙]/[PMMA·m?], is 0.30. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cyclopolymerization. VI. Polymerization mechanism of N-methyl-N-allylmethacrylamide at lower temperature

Mechanistic investigations on the polymerization of N-methyl-N-allylmethacrylamide (MAMA) at lower temperature were carried out based upon the ESR studies of MAMA and its monofunctional counterparts irradiated with ⁶⁰Co γ rays. Cyclopolymerizability of MAMA was also studied in connection with the hindered rotation about its amide C? N bond. The propagating radical observed is only related to the methacryl group but not to the allyl group both in MAMA and its monofunctional counterparts. Polymerization at ?78°C yielded a polymer with a lower degree of cyclization(88.8%) as compared with that of polymers formed at higher temperatures (93.5% above 0°C). A structural study revealed that the increment of the unsaturation in the poly-MAMA obtained at ?78°C is due to the allyl group and the content of pendant methacryl group is almost unchanged over the temperature range from ?78 to 120°C. These results led to the conclusion that the polymerization of MAMA at ?78°C proceeds mainly through the methacryl group, the rate-determining step is the cyclization reaction, and, in addition, cyclization reaction scarcely occurs when it polymerizes through the allyl group. Since MAMA is frozen into a glassy state, the effect of glass transition temperature (T_g) has been studied and it was suggested that the polymerization of MAMA proceeds only above T_g.