The World of Synthetic Polymers.An Industrial Perspective

Synthetic polymers have become the building block in almost every aspects of our daily life. Billions of pounds of polymers are produced each year and the demand is continuously growing both in terms of volume and advanced performance. The general property of a class of polymers is often bounded by the synthetic process that produces the polymer. For example,polyolefins, are non-polar polymers due to the poor tolerance of transition metal catalysts toward polar monomers. Conversely, latices are polar polymers, since the emulsion polymerization process limits the use of non-polar monomers which have low solubility in water. It is highly desirable to be able to design polymer systems with optimum polarity balance to meet the application demand while staying within the industrial manufacturing constraints.An overview of industrial polymerization methods will be followed by a presentation on the recent development of a new emulsion polymerization technology. The technology involves the use of Cyclodextrin, acting as "Phase Transport Catalyst", facilitating the diffusion of very hydrophobic and water insoluble monomers through the aqueous medium. A new class of latex polymers and their attributes will be discussed.     

天然氨基酸水溶液中聚吡咯的电化学合成及其表征

报道了各种天然α-氨基酸水溶液中电化学聚合吡咯获得氨基酸掺杂的聚吡咯.实验表明吡咯在酸性氨基酸电解质中的氧化聚合电位较低,速度较快;而在碱性氨基酸水溶液中几乎无法进行电化学聚合.在电化学聚合过程中,氨基酸既作为支持电解质,又作为对离子被掺杂到聚合物中.该聚吡咯的电导率被测定为0.3～1.0 S/cm,在酸性氨基酸溶液中得到的聚合物电导率明显高于酸性较弱的氨基酸溶液中得到的聚合物,同时聚合物还具有良好的电化学活性和电化学稳定性,在-0.5 V到+0.5 V区间有一对氧化还原峰,该氧化还原峰的形状和特性在100次循环后基本保持不变.通过扫描电镜和透射电镜照片可以看出,不同种氨基酸的掺杂对聚吡咯的形貌具有影响,由于氨基酸的软模板效应,在数种氨基酸水溶液中能制得具有纳米纤维结构的聚吡咯.     

INVERSE EMULSION POLYMERIZATION OF ACRYLAMIDE: POLYMERIZATION KINETICS AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT

Inverse emulsion polymerization confers the benefits of emulsion polymerization kinetics — rapid polymerization rates combined with high polymer molecular weights — on water-soluble polymers, particularly polyacrylamide and its copolymers and derivatives, and allows easy dissolution of the polymer in water by inversion of the latex. The mechanism and kinetics of the inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide in o-xylene containing Tetronic 1102 emulslfier and benzoyl peroxide initiator are described, particularly the formation of 10-200nm multiple emulsion droplets resulting from the particulate emulsifier, and their effect on the polymerization process     

室温自交联丙烯酸酯乳液的制备与表征

使用3种含不饱和双键硅氧烷,乙烯基三(β-甲氧基乙氧基)硅烷(A172)、乙烯基三乙氧基硅烷(VTES)和γ-甲基丙烯酰氧丙基三甲氧基硅烷(A174)为功能单体,采用半连续乳液聚合法制备了室温自交联丙烯酸酯乳液,探讨了硅氧烷功能单体在不同pH条件下水解情况以及其种类和用量对乳液及乳胶膜性能的影响.结果表明,pH在7～9之间时硅氧烷功能单体水解最慢;A172在pH为8.4时5h内就水解完全;增加VTES和A174的用量均能提高乳胶膜的交联度、力学性能和耐水性.控制聚合过程的pH值以抑制硅氧烷功能单体的水解并调节乳液成膜时的pH值以加速硅氧烷功能单体的水解从而增强胶膜的交联程度,发现酸性或碱性条件下得到乳胶膜比中性条件下胶膜的力学和耐水性能均有不同程度的提高,并且在酸性条件下胶膜的性能提高最多.对比使用A174和VTES制备的胶膜,发现这种方法对含有A174胶膜的效果不明显,而含VTES胶膜的性能提高最为显著.     

Vine-twining polymerization: a new preparation method for well-defined supramolecules composed of amylose and synthetic polymers

In this article we describe a new method of polymerization called "vine-twining polymerization" for preparation of well-defined supramolecules, which are amylose-polymer inclusion complexes. The method was achieved by enzymatic polymerization of alpha-D-glucose-1-phosphate catalyzed by phosphorylase in the presence of various synthetic polymers such as polyethers, polyesters, poly(ester-ether), and amphiphilic block copolymer. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and 1H-NMR measurements determined the structures of the products to be inclusion complexes. The XRD patterns were completely different from those of amylose and guest polymers. The 1H-NMR spectra of the products indicated that the structures were composed of amylose and guest polymers. The formation process of the inclusion complexes during the enzymatic polymerization was also evaluated. In addition, we revealed that the bulkiness of the end groups and the hydrophobicity of the guest polymers strongly affected the formation of the inclusion complexes. By means of this method of polymerization, a graft polymer having inclusion complexes as side chains was prepared. Furthermore, as an evolution of the "vine-twining polymerization," we attempted a system of parallel polymerization to form an inclusion complex of amylose with a strongly hydrophobic guest polymer.     

Synergistic effect and fluorination effect in ethylene polymerization by nickel phenoxyiminato catalysts

A series of binuclear nickel phenoxyiminato catalysts with different linkers and fluorine substituents were efficiently synthesized.Binuclear nickel catalysts with rigid linkers showed higher catalytic activity and thermal stability in ethylene polymerization and produced polymers with higher molecular weight possibly due to the larger steric hindrance and metal-metal synergistic effect.The introduction of fluorine atoms on the N-terphenyl moity also enhanced polymerization activity and molecular weight of polymer due to the electronic effect of fluorine atoms.     

The synthesis,interfacial, and colloidal properties of waterborne cationic methacrylic co-polymers

Two cationic polymers with similar composition were prepared by two different polymerization methods. By monitoring the evolution of the molar mass and chemical composition during the reactions together with charge density measurements and calculations, it was concluded that the cationic polymer synthesized by emulsion polymerization had a less uniform compositional distribution than the cationic polymer prepared by solution polymerization. Contributing to the heterogeneity was the hydrolysis of one monomer (dimethylamino ethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA)) during the synthesis. As a result, the polymer prepared by emulsion polymerization had a more blocky structure and was more surface active as supported by static and dynamic surface tensions data. Fluorescence experiments showed that both polymers formed aggregates at very low concentrations of approximately 0.01 wt%. The aggregates of the polymer prepared by emulsion polymerization were compact, whereas the solution polymerization-based polymer aggregates exhibited a rather expanded geometry.     

Polymer catalysts from polymerization catalysts: direct encapsulation of metal catalyst into star polymer core during metal-catalyzed living radical polymerization

Star polymers containing ruthenium complex in the core were prepared by ruthenium-catalyzed living radical polymerization, where the metal catalysts were directly encapsulated on linking reactions of living poly(MMA) in the presence of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a linker and diphenyl-4-styrylphosphine as a ligand incorporated in the core. The products were characterized by SEC/MALLS, UV-vis, NMR, AFM, TEM, and ICP-AES and were employed as polymer catalysts for the oxidation reaction of alcohol.     

Soapless emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate in water in the presence of calcium sulfite

A kinetic study performed on the polymerization of the MMA-K₂S₂O₈-CaSO₃-H₂O system shows that two different shapes of the time-conversion curve were obtained according to the presence or absence of calcium sulfite powder in the reaction mixture. In the absence of the powder, the polymerization behavior is similar to that of the MMA-K₂S₂O₈-H₂O system reported earlier. An attempt was made to apply the kinetic model of the rate of polymerization and the self-nucleation model of polymer particle formation in soapless emulsion polymerization to the present system. One is able to express the experimental time-conversion curves reasonably well. The other can account for the number of polymer particles formed in polymerizations initiated with potassium persulfate alone or calcium sulfite alone but not that in polymerization initiated by both. In the latter case the rate of radical generation and the ionic strength were appreciably enhanced compared with the former. These enhancements might affect the mechanism of polymer particle formation; certain nucleations, such as an aggregative nucleation, might occur simultaneously in addition to the self-nucleation. In the presence of the solid phase the time-conversion curves were similar to that of emulsion polymerization rather than soapless emulsion polymerization, and the molecular weight of polymer formed was smaller than in the absence of the solid phase. It was shown experimentally that the rate of polymerization was remarkably enhanced by an increase in the solid content, whereas the molecular weight of polymer was only slightly affected. As a result, it is considered that calcium sulfite solid provides an important polymerization locus and probably also plays a significant role in radical generation.     

Catalytic and coordination facets of single-site non-metallocene organometallic catalysts with N-heterocyclic scaffolds employed in olefin polymerization

This review discusses the principles underlying mononucleating N-heterocyclic ligand design, selectivity of metal centers, preparation of organometallic catalysts with a N-heterocyclic backbone, and their catalytic activity in olefin oligo/polymerization. A vast number of N-heterocyclic organometallic compounds have been applied for the polymerization on account of their modest cost, low toxicity, and the large availability of transition metals in stable and variable oxidation states, which makes them versatile precursors for these reactions. The main points of focus in this review are the key advances made over more the past 25 years in the design and development of non-metallocene single-site organometallic catalysts bearing different N-heterocyclic scaffolds as a backbone. These catalysts are applied as precursors for the transformation of ethylene, higher α-olefins, and cyclic olefins into oligo/polymers. Emphasis is placed on the architecture of ligand peripheries for tuning the formed polymer properties and the consequences on product formation of different alkyl or aryl substituents directly attached to the metal center in a N-heterocyclic ligand system.     

Development of an ab initio emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization: from microemulsion to emulsion

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) has been successfully extended to an ab initio emulsion system using a "two-step" procedure, in which the final emulsion polymerization system was formed by adding monomer to an ongoing microemulsion ATRP. The newly developed AGET (activators generated by electron transfer) initiation technique was employed in the first stage of this ab initio ATRP. It allows using oxidatively stable Cu(II) species that is reduced in situ by ascorbic acid. The surfactant concentration in the final emulsion system was efficiently decreased to approximately 2 wt % (approximately 10 wt % vs monomer) by decreasing the catalyst concentration and changing the ratio of the monomer added at the microemulsion stage to the monomer added during the second stage. This two-step procedure avoids the necessity of transporting catalysts through the aqueous media during polymerization, resulting in a controlled emulsion polymerization, as evidenced by a linear first-order kinetic plot and formation of a polymer with a relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn = 1.2-1.4). The polymerization typically reached 70-90% monomer conversion in 5-6 h. The resulting polymer had high chain-end functionality and was successfully chain extended to form in situ block copolymers by adding the second monomer to an ongoing emulsion polymerization. The stable latex from the ab initio emulsion ATRP had a particle size approximately 120 +/- 10 nm.     

Emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile. Part I. Role and effect of emulsifiers in the emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile

The role in and effects on the emulsion polymerization of acrylonitrile (AN) of three different groups of emulsifiers, i.e., low molecular emulsfiers, well-known water-soluble polymers, and new water-soluble polymers containing a sulfonate group have been investigated by a dilatometry and electron microscopy. The major part of this paper concentrates on the study of the relation between the properties of the third group of emulsifiers and emulsion polymerization characteristics of AN such as rate, degree of polymerization, diameter and number of particles, and the degree of dispersion, by adding copolymers of AN and sodium p-styrenesulfonate (SSS) having various compositions. In the emulsion polymerization of AN, the hydrophobic portion of the emulsifier seems to act as a kind of nucleus around which polymer molecules precipitate and particle formation may occur, and the hydrophilic portion stabilizes the polymer particles thus formed. As the number of particles and the degree of dispersion increases, the total surface of the particles increases, which may raise the overall rate of polymerization due mainly to an increased polymerization on the surface of the polymer particles. The well-known emulsifiers may be classified by the properties and ratio of the nucleus portion and the stabilizing portion. The unusual effect of emulsifiers on the degree of polymerization may be explained by a chain-transfer mechanism.     

Emulsion procedures for thermally reversible covalent crosslinking of polymers

Quaternization and dequaternization of tertiary amine compounds were employed to obtain thermally reversible ionene networks from aqueous colloidal polymer dispersions prepared via emulsion polymerization. Chlorine‐functionalized polymers prepared via the emulsion copolymerization of styrene (St), butylacrylate (BA), or both with chloromethylstyrene, and amino‐functionalized polymers prepared via the emulsion copolymerization of St, BA, or both with 2‐(dimethylamino)ethylacrylate or 4‐vinylpyridine, were reacted without polymer separation, with a ditertiaryamine crosslinker and a dihalide crosslinker, respectively, to obtain crosslinked polymers. Crosslinked polymers were also obtained via the reaction of a chlorine‐functionalized polymer dispersion with an amino‐functionalized polymer dispersion or via the drying of the polymer blend prepared from the two kinds of dispersions. Reactive solubility experiments, flowability investigations (by thermocompression at ca. 215 °C), IR, and ¹H NMR analyses of the obtained crosslinked polymers indicated that the generated ionene bridges dequaternized on heating and requaternized on cooling. In comparison with solution crosslinking, no organic solvent was employed, and simple procedures were required for the preparation of the thermally reversible covalent crosslinked polymers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4373–4384, 2000     

超临界CO2在高分子合成与制备中的应用

介绍超临界二氧化碳流体作为介质在高分子合成与制备中的研究进展。文中表明，可在超临界二氧化碳中实施氟代单体的自由基溶液聚合、甲基丙烯酸甲酯的分散聚合、丙烯酸的沉淀聚合、丙烯酰胺的反相乳液聚合以及异丁基乙烯基醚的阳离子聚合等多种聚合反应，可用超临界二氧化碳溶胀聚合法制备梯度共混物。此外，超临界二氧化碳还可用于聚合物分级和聚合物微孔、微纤与微球材料的制备等，显示出超临界二氧化碳是一种对环境无污染且价廉的     

Preparation of l‐phenylalanine‐imprinted solid‐phase extraction sorbent by Pickering emulsion polymerization and the selective enrichment of l‐phenylalanine from human urine

A novel l‐ phenylalanine molecularly imprinted solid‐phase extraction sorbent was synthesized by the combination of Pickering emulsion polymerization and ion‐pair dummy template imprinting. Compared to other polymerization methods, the molecularly imprinted polymers thus prepared exhibit a high specific surface, large pore diameter, and appropriate particle size. The key parameters for solid‐phase extraction were optimized, and the result indicated that the molecularly imprinted polymer thus prepared exhibits a good recovery of 98.9% for l‐ phenylalanine. Under the optimized conditions of the procedure, an analytical method for l‐ phenylalanine was well established. By comparing the performance of the molecularly imprinted polymer and a commercial reverse‐phase silica gel, the obtained molecularly imprinted polymer as an solid‐phase extraction sorbent is more suitable, exhibiting high precision (relative standard deviation 3.2%, n = 4) and a low limit of detection (60.0 ± 1.9 nmol·L^?1) for the isolation of l‐ phenylalanine. Based on these results, the combination of the Pickering emulsion polymerization and ion‐pair dummy template imprinting is effective for preparing selective solid‐phase extraction sorbents for the separation of amino acids and organic acids from complex biological samples.     

在18-冠-6存在下苯乙烯无乳化剂乳液聚合

本文研究了在苯乙烯不外加乳化剂的乳液聚合体系中,加入王冠醚18-冠-6对聚合反应及其产物的影响。发现18-冠-6能起到相转移催化作用,并提出两相粒子成核机理,对实验结果作出了合理的解释。     

Polymerization of asymmetric polyfunctional monomers. III. Ionic polymerization of acrylic and methacrylic esters of 2-allylphenol

The polymerization of acrylic and methacrylic esters of 2-allyphenol with different anionic, cationic and coordination catalysts was studied. The polymerization occurs exclusively or predominantly through (meth)acrylic C?C double bonds in all the studied cases. With anionic catalysts the allylic groups are not polymerizable and the polymers have linear structure. Polymerization with catalysts based on dialkylaluminum chloride (alone or associated with some metal salts) yields soluble or partially crosslinked polymers, depending on the reaction conditions. The crosslinking is due to the participation of allylic groups in the polymerization reactions. Copolymers of acrylic and methacrylic esters of 2-allylphenol with styrene, acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, N-vinylcarbazole and 1,3-pentadiene were synthesized by copolymerization in the presence of anionic catalysts and of systems based on dialkylaluminum chloride.     

Polyarylsulfones,synthesis and properties,

A new class of high molecular weight polyarylsulfones is described. Polymer synthesis and structure–property relationships are discussed. The polymers are prepared by Friedel-Crafts type polycondensation of aromatic sulfonyl chlorides with aromatic hydrocarbons. A number of Lewis acids in small quantities are useful as catalysts for the polymerization. The polymerization reaction is carried out at elevated temperatures in the melt or in solution. Inert, nonbasic solvents which are compatible with the Lewis acid catalysts such as nitrobenzene and dimethyl sulfone are useful for conducting the polymerization. Many of the polyarylsulfones are amorphous, rigid thermoplastics with unusually high softening points, having glass transition temperatures in the range of 200–350°C. Outstanding resistance to air oxidation at high temperatures is derived from incorporation of the deactivating sulfone groups in the aromatic polymer backbone. Melt stability and solubility in selected solvents are emphasized as basis for processibility by conventional solution casting and molding techniques. The combination of properties, which in addition to thermal stability includes a high level of mechanical and electrical properties, chemical inertness, and hydrolysis resistance makes these new arylsulfone polymers useful over a wide temperature range and in severe and corrosive environments.     

Enzymatically Crosslinked Emulsion Gels Using Star‐Polymer Stabilizers

A novel type of emulsion gel based on star‐polymer‐stabilized emulsions is highlighted, which contains discrete hydrophobic oil and hydrophilic aqueous solution domains. Well‐defined phenol‐functionalized core‐crosslinked star polymers are synthesized via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT)‐mediated dispersion polymerization and are used as stabilizers for oil‐in‐water emulsions. Horseradish‐peroxidase‐catalyzed polymerization of the phenol moieties in the presence of H₂O₂ enables rapid formation of crosslinked emulsion gels under mild conditions. The crosslinked emulsion gels exhibit enhanced mechanical strength, as well as widely tunable composition.

     

Sonochemical polymerization of miniemulsions in organic liquids/water mixtures

The sonochemical oil-in-water miniemulsion polymerization of n-butyl methacrylate (BMA) has been studied in mixtures with a range of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon liquids under ambient conditions. Measurements of monomer conversion percentage and molecular weights of the BMA polymers were performed to investigate the effect of the various organic liquids on the kinetics of the polymerization process and on the properties of the resultant polymers. Both the rates of polymerization and the molecular weights of the polymers formed were found to be dependent on the amount and type of the organic liquid present in the emulsion. The experimental results revealed that when the organic liquids were aliphatic, there were no significant changes in the rates of BMA polymerization whereas when the organic liquids were aromatic, the rates of polymerization were greatly reduced. Molecular weight data of the BMA polymers showed that in the presence of an organic liquid, the size of the polymer significantly decreased. The results have been interpreted in terms of the formation of a radical complex between the propagating radical and the organic liquid in the oil mixture, as well as chain transfer reactions that affect the kinetics of the polymerization process.