Polymerization of allyl esters of unsaturated acids. I. Cyclopolymerization of methyl allyl maleate

Radical polymerization of methyl allyl maleate is kinetically discussed in terms of cyclopolymerization using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator and benzene as a solvent at 60°C. The ratios of the rate constants of the unimolecular cyclization reaction to those of the bimolecular propagation reaction of the uncyclized allyl and vinyl radicals, K_A and K_V, are estimated to be 9.7 and 1.35 mole/liter by fitting the kinetic equations obtained here to the dependence of the degree of cyclization on monomer concentration, respectively; the large difference between K_A and K_V is also discussed in detail. On the basis of these results the formation mode and the sequence distribution of the structural units of the polymer produced are discussed in detail; thus, for the polymer obtained in the bulk polymerization, about 90% of the cyclic structures can be formed via the intramolecular attack of uncyclized allyl radical on maleic double bond and the probability of succession of the cyclic structural units in diad sequence is exemplified as 0.27.     

Polymerization of allyl esters of unsaturated acids. IX. Controlled ring closure in the radical cyclopolymerization of allyl methacrylate

Radical cyclopolymerization of allyl methacrylate (AMA) was investigated in detail, especially under the specified conditions; that is, above the ceiling temperature for a head-to-tail propagation (ΔG_ht ≥ 0) in the polymerization of methacrylate. Thus the structure of the polymer obtained was examined by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR and infrared (IR) spectroscopy; no existence of unreacted pendant methacrylyl groups was observed, which suggests that, as a cyclopolymerization mechanism of AMA, intermolecular propagation of growing radicals, followed by intramolecular cyclization or intermolecular propagation of the resulting uncyclized methacrylyl radical, occurs exclusively with methacrylyl group. Temperature dependency of cyclization constant K_c was unusual; K_c increased rapidly at elevated temperatures and no linear relationship of ln K_c vs. 1/T was observed. Five-membered ring formation was favored at an elevated temperature and diluted monomer concentration. These results are discussed thermodynamically in terms of controlled ring closure in cyclopolymerization.     

Polymerization of allyl esters of unsaturated acids. IV. Cyclopolymerization of diallyl maleate

Radical polymerization of diallyl maleate is kinetically discussed in terms of cyclopolymerization using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and benzene as a solvent at 60°C. Thus, the kinetic equations involving bicyclo-intramolecular cyclization are derived by assuming steady-state conditions for the different types of radicals, and various parameters involved in the equations are then estimated approximately from an extension of the corresponding model experimental results. The validity of these treatments is confirmed from the comparison with the experimental data including the relationships between the contents of the unreacted allylic and maleic double bonds and the monomer concentrations. In addition, the sequence distribution of the structural units of the polymer produced is discussed; for example, the content of the bicyclic structural units is estimated to be 47.2% at a 10% dilution of the pure monomer.     

Preparation of functional polymers by living anionic polymerization: Polymerization of allyl methacrylate

The anionic polymerization of allyl methacrylate was carried out in tetrahydrofuran, both in the presence and in the absence of LiCl, with a variety of initiators, at various temperatures. It was found that (1,1-diphenylhexyl)lithium and the living oligomers of methyl methacrylate and tert-butyl methacrylate are suitable initiators for the anionic polymerization of this monomer. The temperature should be below −30°C, even in the presence of LiCl, for the living polymerization to occur. When the polymerization proceeded at −60°C, in the presence of LiCl, with (1,1-diphenylhexyl)-lithium as initiator, the number-average molecular weight of the polymer was directly proportional to the monomer conversion and monodisperse poly(allyl methacrylate)s with high molecular weights were obtained. ¹H-NMR and FT-IR indicated that the α CC double bond of the monomer was selectively polymerized and that the allyl group remained unreacted. The prepared poly(allyl methacrylate) is a functional polymer since it contains a reactive CC double bond on each repeating unit. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2901–2906, 1997     

Studies of the polymerization of diallyl compounds. XXII. Polymerization of diallyl oxalate in the evolution of carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures

The polymerization of diallyl oxalate was conducted in the presence of radical initiators at a high temperature range of 80–180°C; a large decrease in degree of polymerization, an increase in residual unsaturation of the resulting polymer, and the evolution of carbon dioxide were observed with the elevation of temperature. These findings were reasonably interpreted by considering the dismutation of the uncyclized growing radical to yield the allyl radical, carbon dioxide, and polymer carrying a terminal double bond. The kinetics of the polymerization of diallyl oxalate in the evolution of carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures were also discussed in detail.     

Polymerization of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) by means of di-sec-butyl peroxydicarbonate

The initial stages of the free radical polymerization of diethylene glycol bis(allyl carbonate) at temperatures of 35–65°C have been studied. The polymer is unsaturated and cyclization to give a 16-membered ring occurs only to a small extent. The kinetic order with respect to the initiator, di-sec-butyl peroxydicarbonate, has an average value of 0.79; the order increases slightly with peroxydicarbonate concentration over the range 0.018–0.22M. The molecular weight of the polymer isolated after 3% polymerization is close to 19,000. It shows no significant dependence on initiator concentration or on temperature. The dominant feature of the bulk polymerization, as in free radical polymerization of the other allyl and diallyl monomers, is degradative chain transfer in which the growing polymer radical abstracts a hydrogen atom from a monomer unit to give a relatively unreactive allylic radical. The dependence of rate on initiator concentration is rationalized if some of these allylic radicals are able to reinitiate polymerization. The transfer constant to monomer is 0.014 at 50°C, assuming that the main termination step involves mutual termination of allylic radicals. Carbon tetrachloride is an active transfer agent with a transfer constant of 0.20 ± 0.04 at 50°C. Toluene, which is less active, has a transfer constant of 0.0064 at 50°C and also retards the polymerization. Some kinetic studies have been made with other initiators, including di-2-methyl-pentanoyl peroxide which initiates polymerization at temperatures as low as 13°C.     

Pursuit of reinitiation efficiency of resonance‐stabilized monomeric allyl radical generated via “degradative monomer chain transfer” in allyl polymerization

For a deeper understanding of allyl polymerization mechanism, the reinitiation efficiency of resonance‐stabilized monomeric allyl radical was pursued because in allyl polymerization it is commonly conceived that the monomeric allyl radical generated via the allylic hydrogen abstraction of growing polymer radical from monomer, i.e., “degradative monomer chain transfer,” has much less tendency to initiate a new polymer chain and, therefore, this monomer chain transfer is essentially a termination reaction. Based on the renewed allyl polymerization mechanism in our preceding article, the monomer chain transfer constant in the polymerization of allyl benzoate was estimated to be 2.7 × 10^?2 at 80 °C under the polymerization condition, where the coupling termination reaction of growing polymer radical with allyl radical was negligible and, concurrently, the reinitiation reaction of allyl radical was enhanced significantly. The reinitiation efficiencies of monomeric allyl radical were pursued by the dead‐end polymerizations of allyl benzoate at 80, 105, and 130 °C using a small amount of initiators; they increased remarkably with raised temperature. Thus, the enhanced reinitiation reactivity of allyl radical at an elevated temperature could bias the well‐known degradative monomer chain transfer characteristic of allyl polymerization toward the chain transfer in common vinyl polymerization. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Reactive oligomers. II. Polymerization of glycol bis(allyl phthalate)s and glycol bis(allyl succinate)s

Seven glycol bis(allyl phthalate)s (GBAP) and four glycol bis(allyl succinate)s (GBASu) as reactive oligomers were prepared and their polymerization behaviors were investigated in detail in terms of cyclopolymerization and gelation as compared with diallyl dicarboxylates. Thus, the rates of polymerization of GBAPs were reduced compared to diallyl phthalate, being attributed to the steric effect on the intermolecular propagation of the uncyclized radical, whereas those of GBASus were enhanced as a consequence of intermolecular association by dipole–dipole interaction in polar GBASu monomers. Cyclization was enhanced in the following order: diallyl aliphatic dicarboxylates series < GBASu series < GBAP series. Gelation was discussed according to Gordon's theory; the actual gel-point conversions increased with an increase in the molecular weight of monomers, although the discrepancy between actual and theoretical gel-point conversion inversely tended to be decreased. The decreased delay in gelation with an increase of the molecular weight of monomers is ascribed to the reduction of excluded volume effects on crosslinking.     

Cyclic Acetal-Photosensitized Polymerization. 9. Photopolymerization of Triallylidene Sorbitol

Abstract

The photopolymerization of triallylidene sorbitol (TAS) was carried out in benzene at 40°C without the usual initiator. The polymerization of TAS was found to be initiated with the ester radical generated via the acetal radical from TAS by means of photoirradiation. The rate of polymerization and the molecular weight of polymer were small due to the degradative chain transfer, It was kinetically investigated from the standpoints of the degradative chain transfer by the allylidene group and the cyclization by three double bonds. The following results were obtained: (1) The relation between the rate of polymerization, R_p, the monomer concentration, [M], could be expressed by [M] /R_p = (A[M] + B)/(3[M] + C), where A, B, and C were constant; (2) the ratio of the rate constant of unimolecular cyclization to the total rate constant of bimolecular propagation and the chain transfer of uncyclized radical was estimated to be 3.0 mol/dm³. A small amount of cyclopolymerization took place.     

Studies of the polymerization of diallyl compounds. XXVI. Enhanced polymerizability by the hydroxyl group in the polymerization of diallyl hydroxydicarboxylates

In order to elucidate the effect of the hydroxyl group on the polymerization of diallyl hydroxydicarboxylates, we investigated in detail the radical polymerizations of diallyl succinate (DASu), diallyl malate (DAMa), and diallyl tartrate (DATa), each of which have similar structure differing only in the number of hydroxyl groups present. The rate of polymerization (R_p) was quite enhanced in the order DASu < DAMa < DATa, in accord with the increase in the number of hydroxyl groups within a monomer unit. The enhanced ability of the allylic monomer radical to reinitiate chain growth was also in the same order, as was clear from the dependence of R_p on the initiator concentration. The dependence of the residual unsaturation of the polymer on the monomer concentration in the polymerizations of DAMa and DATa was abnormal in terms of cyclopolymerization. These results are discussed in connection with the formation of the intermolecular hydrogen bond through the hydroxyl groups.     

Long-lived polymer radicals. VIII. Easy formation of long-lived propagating radicals of vinyl monomers at room temperature

Poly[acryloyl-L-valine (ALV)] microspheres containing peroxy ester groups were prepared by radical copolymerization of ALV with a small amount of di-tert-butyl peroxyfumarate. When the microspheres were irradiated in the presence of second vinyl monomers, long-lived propagating radicals of the second monomers were formed in the microspheres by the reaction of microsphere polymer radicals with the monomers. The presence of a minute quantity of ethyl alcohol served to soften the microspheres and made the polymer radicals more mobile in the microspheres. As a result, sharper ESR spectra of the propagating radicals were observed although their lifetimes became shorter. This microsphere method also yielded easily the stable propagating radicals of a-methylstyrene and 1,1-diphenylethylene which have no homopolymerizability in usual radical polymerization. When N-n-propyldimethacroylamide and N,N′-dimethyl-N,N′-dimethacroylhydrazine, which undergo cyclopolymerization, were used as second monomer, uncyclized polymer radicals were only observed. Some discussions were given on the propagation mechanism of the cyclopolymerization.     

Radical polymerization of allyl alcohol and allyl acetate

Monoallyl compounds are not readily homopolymerized by a conventional free‐radical mechanism. However, the polymerization of allylbiguanide hydrochloride was reported to proceed in a concentrated solution of hydrochloric or phosphoric acid in the presence of a radical initiator. Here we have studied the polymerization of allyl alcohol by a radical initiator in the presence of a Lewis acid (ZnCl₂, CuCl₂ or MgCl₂) in an organic solvent (toluene, hexane, methanol or isopropanol). Reactions were performed either at room temperature or 50°C under an atmosphere of nitrogen or in a sealed tube. The same polymerization was also carried out in water and in a concentrated acid solution. The polymer product was purified by dialysis in 0.2–3.7% yield and confirmed by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and ¹H NMR. The molecular weight range of poly(allyl alcohol) was 10,000–35,000. The polymerization of allyl acetate by the radical initiator under the above conditions gave poly(allyl acetate) with the molecular weight range of 10,000–13,800 by multi‐angle laser light scattering. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polymerization of allyl esters of unsaturated acids. VII. Copolymerization of methyl allyl maleate and fumarate with styrene

Radical copolymerizations of methyl allyl maleate (MAM) and methyl allyl fumarate (MAF) with styrene (St) are carried out in bulk using AIBN as an initiator at 60°C, and their copolymerization behaviors are compared in detail. The different rate features are observed with each other; thus in the MAF-St copolymerization the rate was quite enhanced and, also, the maximum rate was found at the molar ratio of 1:1 in the monomer feed, whereas no maximum phenomenon of the rate was apparent for the MAM—St copolymerization. The copolymerizability of MAF with St was quite high, whereas that of MAM was very poor. The cyclization of MAM or MAF was hindered by the highly reactive St monomer. These results are discussed in terms of the formation of the charge—transfer complex between MAF and St and, furthermore, the cyclocopolymerization kinetics involving the 17 elementary reactions as the propagation reactions.     

Skewered reactions in free‐radical crosslinking (co)polymerizations of liquid polybutadiene as internal olefinic multivinyl crosslinker

As an extension of our continuing studies concerned with the mechanistic discussion of network formation in the free‐radical crosslinking (co)polymerization of multivinyl monomers, this work refers to the skewered reactions in the crosslinking (co)polymerizations of liquid polybutadiene rubber (LBR) as an internal olefinic multivinyl monomer or crosslinker, especially focused on the competitive occurrence of both addition or skewered reaction to internal carbon–carbon (CC) double bonds and abstraction reaction of allylic hydrogens in LBR by growing polymer radical. Thus, LBR is regarded as an internal olefinic multiallyl monomer‐linked allyl groups (? CH?CH? CH₂? ) with methylene units (? CH₂? ). First, gelation in the polymerization of LBR was explored in detail, especially at elevated temperatures. The occurrence of intermolecular crosslinking was easier in the order LBR > LBR containing 20 mol % of 1,2‐structural units > liquid polyisoprene rubber. Then, we pursued the polymerization of LBR using dicumyl peroxide (DCPO) as typical organic peroxide used at elevated temperatures. The primary cumyloxy radical generated by the thermal decomposition of DCPO may add to CC double bond or abstract allylic hydrogen or undergo β‐scission to generate a secondary methyl radical. The initiation by the cumyloxy radical was omitted. The ratio of allylic hydrogen abstraction to β‐scission reaction was estimated; thus, only 39% of cumyloxy radical was used for the allylic hydrogen abstraction reaction. The addition of methyl radical to CC double bond was clearly observed. Finally, we pursued the intermolecular and intramolecular skewered reactions in free‐radical crosslinking LBR/vinyl pivalate copolymerizations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Cyclopolymerization of perfluoroisopropenyl vinylacetate

To develop the polymerization exploiting the interconversion of fluorinated carbon radical to hydrocarbon radical, the radical cyclopolymerization of perfluoroisopropenyl vinylacetate [CF₂?C(CF₃)OCOCH₂CH?CH₂] (FIA) was investigated to afford a polymer possessing mainly five‐membered ring structure with bimodal molecular weight distribution having 1 × 10⁵ as the higher molecular weight. This may be the first example wherein the cyclopolymerization between usual allyl group and fluorinated vinyl group is performed. The degree of cyclization was between 70 and 80% determined by ¹⁹F NMR of as‐polymerized products. The polymer preparation from perfluoroisopropenyl group, which shows scarce homopolymerization reactivity was accomplished. The mechanism that the addition of hydrocarbon radical to perfluoroisopropenyl group to produce fluorinated carbon radical followed by the intramolecular addition reaction onto allyl group to form five‐membered ring is proposed. The hydrolysis of the FIA polymer afforded a polymer possessing hydrophobic fluoroalkyl group with hydrophilic hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3220–3232, 2006     

Polymerization of alkyl allyl oxalates in the evolution of carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures

Radical polymerization of several alkyl allyl oxalates, including methyl allyl oxalate (MAO), ethyl allyl oxalate, propyl allyl oxalate, butyl allyl oxalate, and octyl allyl oxalate, was conducted in the evolution of carbon dioxide at elevated temperatures, and was compared with the anomalous polymerization behavior of diallyl oxalate (DAO) discussed in our earlier article

1 A. Matsumoto, I. Tamura, M. Yamawaki, and M. Oiwa, J. Polym. Sci. Polym. Chem. Ed., 17 , 1419 (1979).

. The kinetic equations for the polymerization of alkyl allyl oxalate were derived following the kinetic treatment of the DAO polymerization by further consideration of the absence of cyclization of the growing polymer radical and the effective reinitiation by alkyl radical, and were then satisfactorily applied to the polymerization of MAO, as a representative alkyl allyl oxalate. The evolution of carbon dioxide in the polymerization of alkyl allyl oxalates was enhanced with the increase of bulkiness of the alkyl substituent, as a result of steric suppression of the propagation of the growing polymer radical.     

Cyclopolymerization. XXI. Radical cyclopolymerization of n,n-diallylmethacrylamide

N,N-Diallylmethacrylamide (DAMA) was synthesized and its radical cyclopolymerizability was investigated. Polymerizations of DAMA were found to proceed according to the standard kinetic equation for radical polymerization except for the diffusion controlled termination reactions owing to higher viscosity of DAMA, in spite of the fact that it contains two allyl groups. DAMA yields polymers with slightly higher degree of cyclization than 50% in dilute solution polymerization. With increasing monomer concentration, the degree of cyclization decreases gradually and it becomes slightly lower value than 50% in concentrated solution polymerizations. It was found that about 86% of pendant unsaturations is allyl group and the rest is methacryloyl group. Structural studies on repeating units showed that possibility for the presence of bicyclic structures (those formed with consumption of three double bonds involved in DAMA) and structural units with two pendant unsaturations (those formed with one double bond in DAMA participated in polymerization) is extremely small. Main repeating cyclic unit was assigned to five-membered monocyclic lactam with an allyl group on its nitrogen, the content of which is estimated to be approximately 86% based on the allyl content. The main fraction of the rest of repeating cyclic structures was attributed to monocyclic pirolidine ring with a methacryloyl group on its nitrogen. These structural investigations and ESR studies of DAMA revealed that the methacryloyl group of DAMA is less reactive than its allyl group as in the case of N-methyl-N-allylmethacrylamide which has already been reported. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Transparent Films from CO2‐Based Polyunsaturated Poly(ether carbonate)s: A Novel Synthesis Strategy and Fast Curing

Transparent films were prepared by cross‐linking polyunsaturated poly(ether carbonate)s obtained by the multicomponent polymerization of CO₂, propylene oxide, maleic anhydride, and allyl glycidyl ether. Poly(ether carbonate)s with ABXBA multiblock structures were obtained by sequential addition of mixtures of propylene oxide/maleic anhydride and propylene oxide/allyl glycidyl ether during the polymerization. The simultaneous addition of both monomer mixtures provided poly(ether carbonate)s with AXA triblock structures. Both types of polyunsaturated poly(ether carbonate)s are characterized by diverse functional groups, that is, terminal hydroxy groups, maleate moieties along the polymer backbone, and pendant allyl groups that allow for versatile polymer chemistry. The combination of double bonds substituted with electron‐acceptor and electron‐donor groups enables particularly facile UV‐ or redox‐initiated free‐radical curing. The resulting materials are transparent and highly interesting for coating applications.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(allyl methacrylate) Obtained by Free Radical Initiator

Allyl methacrylate was polymerized in CCl₄ solution by α,α′‐azoisobutyronitrile at 50, 60, and 70°C. The kinetic curves were auto‐accelarated types at 60 and 70°C, but almost linear at 50°C. Arrhenius activation energy was 77.5 kJ/mol. The polymer was insoluble in common organic solvents. It was characterized by FT‐IR, NMR, DSC, TGA and XPS methods. About 98–99% of allyl side groups were remained as pendant even after completion of the polymerization. The spectroscopic and thermal results showed that polymerization is not a cyclopolymerization type, but may have end group cyclization. The high molecular weight is the main cause of a polymer being insoluble even in the early stage of the polymerization. Molecular weight of 1.1×10⁶ for a soluble polymer fraction was measured by light scattering method. The Tg of polymer was 94°C, and after curing at 150–200°C, increased to 211°C. The thermal pyrolysis of polymer at about 350°C gave an anhydride by linkage type degradation, and side group cyclization. The XPS analysis showed the presence of radical fragments of AIBN (initiator) and CCl₄ (solvent) associated with oligomers.     

Biomimetic processes. IV. Carbocationic polymerization of isoprene initiated by dimethyl allyl alcohol

In this article, we investigate a new bio‐inspired synthetic route towards NR homologs based on the carbocationic polymerization of isoprene initiated by dimethyl allyl alcohol (DMAOH)/TiCl₄ or BF₃.Et₂O as the catalytic system. This study is the continuation of our studies related to the proof of principle that NR biosynthesis is based on a carbocationic mechanism. It is shown that using the biomimetic strategy of initiation by allylic carbocations, polyisoprene carrying a dimethyl allyl head group is produced almost exclusively via 1,4 addition, yielding repeating units with cis and trans configurations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2181–2189, 2009