Reversible Addition–Fragmentation Chain‐Transfer Polymerization of Octadecyl Acrylate

Abstract

Polymerization of octadecyl acrylate (ODA) was carried out in benzene solution using the 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate (CPDB) as the reversible addition–fragmentation chain‐transfer (RAFT) agent and AIBN as the initiator. The results show the obtained polymer with controlled molecular weight and low PDI value. The relationships between both of the ln([M ₀]/[M]) vs. reaction time and molecular weight vs. conversion showed a straight line. The block copolymer of ODA and styrene (PODA‐b‐PSt) obtained using poly(octadecyl acrylate) (PODA) as a macro‐RAFT agent. The polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR, DSC, and gel permeation chromatograph (GPC). The effect of molar ratio [CPDB]:[AIBN] and reaction temperature on polymerization was investigated.     

Cationic polymerization of styrene by acetyl perchlorate. II. Steric structure of the polymer and nature of the propagating species

Cationic polymerization of styrene initiated by acetyl perchlorate in CH₂Cl₂ yields a polymer having a bimodal molecular weight distribution. The high molecular weight and the low molecular weight portions of the polymer were separated by thin-layer chromatography, and the steric structure of these separated polymers was investigated by ¹³C NMR spectra. The high molecular weight polymer had a larger racemic dyad content than the low molecular weight material. From the dependence of the steric structure of the polymer on the polarity of a solvent, it was estimated that the propagating species producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the high molecular weight material was a loose ion pair or a free ion, and that producing the low one was a nondissociated species.     

Novel Photosensitive Polymer: Synthesis,Characterization and Thermal Properties of Polymer having Pendant Photocrosslinkable Group

New methacrylic monomer having free radical polymerizable methacryloyl group and photocrosslinkable functional group was synthesized by reacting hydroxyl chalcone with methacryloyl chloride. The monomer was homopolymerized in methyl ethyl ketone solvent using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator at 70°C. The prepared homopolymer was characterized by UV, FT‐IR, ¹H‐NMR and ¹³C‐NMR spectra. The molecular weights (M_w and M_n) were estimated by gel permeation chromatography. The thermal stability of the polymer was measured by thermogravimetric analysis. The glass transition temperature of the polymer was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The photocrosslinking property of the polymer was also studied.     

Controlled ring‐opening polymerization of propylene oxide catalyzed by double metal‐cyanide complex

A double metal‐cyanide catalyst based on Zn₃[Co(CN)₆]₂ was prepared. This catalyst is very effective for the ring‐opening polymerization of propylene oxide. Polyether polyols of moderate molecular weight having low unsaturation (<0.015 meq/g) can be prepared under mild conditions. The molecular weight of polymer is entirely controlled by a reacted monomer‐to‐initiator ratio. The polymers prepared with stepwise addition of monomer exhibit a narrower molecular weight distribution as compared with those prepared with one‐step addition of monomer. Various compounds containing active hydrogen, except basic compounds and low‐carbon carboxylic acid, may be used as initiators. The reaction rate increases with increasing catalyst amount and decreases with rising initiator concentration. Polymerization involves a rapid exchange reaction between the active species and the dormant species. It was also proven that, to a certain extent, the chain termination of this catalytic system is reversible or temporary. ¹³C NMR analysis showed that the polymer has a random distribution of the configurational sequences and head‐to‐tail regiosequence. It is assumed that the polymerization proceeds via a cationic coordination mechanism. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1142–1150, 2002     

STUDY ON CATIONIC RING-OPENING POLYMERIZATION MECHANISM OF 3-ETHYL-3-HYDROXYMETHYL OXETANE

ABSTRACT

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-hydroxylmethyl oxetane was carried out using BF₃·O(C₂H₅)₂ as initiator, and a branched polyether was formed. Typical SEC curves show that the polymer consists of two fractions: one has higher molecular weight (11.7×10⁴～ 9.2×10⁴) and the other has lower molecular weight (3.8×10³～4.0×10³). This probably resulted from the chain-tran sfer reaction of two propagating polymer chains. The structure of the polyEHMO formed was characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. The degree of branching is mainly affected by the propagation mechanism. As the molar ratio of [I]₀/[EHMO]₀ in feed increased, the degree of branching also increased.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyoctenamer with WCl6?e−?Al?CH2Cl2 catalyst system via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization

A typical low‐strain monomer, cyclooctene, was polymerized via ring‐opening metathesis polymerization with electrochemically produced active species. The structural properties of the polyoctenamer were determined by NMR, gel‐permeation chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry. Analysis of the polyoctenamer microstructure by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy indicates that the polymer contains a highly cis stereoconfiguration of the double bonds (σ_c = 0.75). The resulting polymer is of low molecular weight and has a reasonably broad molecular weight distribution (M_w = 18 000, PDI = 1.9). The glass transition temperature and melting point of the polyoctenamer are ?11.3 °C and 36.5 °C respectively. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of Branched Poly (vinyl Acetate) by GPC and Low Angle Laser Light Scattering Photometry

Abstract

Poly (vinyl acetate), PVAC, synthesized by bulk polymerization over a range of initiator concentrations ([AIBN] = 10^?5 to 4 × 10^?3 g-mole/1), temperatures (50°C, 60°C, 70°C, and 80°C) and conversion levels (3 to > 90%) were characterized using low angle laser light scattering (LALLS) photometry to measure M_w of the whole polymers. A number of these samples were characterized using GPC with a differential refractive index (DRI) and LALLS detector to measure the molecular weight distribution (weight fraction versus M_w). M_w for PVAC samples synthesized at suitably low initiator levels at various conversions were found to agree with classical light scattering measurements after Graessley.

An electronic device and a technique which optimizes the sensitivity and the signal-to-noise ratio of the LALLS photometer throughout the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of the GPC chromatogram were devised. These considerably simplify the operation of the LALLS for both offline and online operation with GPC.

Most importantly it was unambiguously shown that the commonly used universal calibration parameter (UCP) with GPC, [n]M_w, is incorrect for polymers with molecules having the same hydrodynamic volume but different molecular weights, i. e., those with only chain branching (LCB), copolymers with compositional drift, and polymer blends. The correct UCP was found to     

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of Styrene Using Multifunctional Iniferter Reagents as Initiators

Summary: Two multifunctional iniferters, 1,4-bis-(α-N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl-isobutyryloxy)-benzene (BDCIB) and 1,3,5-tris-(α-N,N-diethyldithiocarbamyl-isobutyryloxy)-benzene (TDCIB), were successfully synthesized and used as initiators to initiate the polymerization of styrene in the presence of a CuBr/PMDETA complex. The polymerization results demonstrated that the kinetic plots in all cases were first-order to the monomer, the molecular weight of the polymers increased linearly with the monomer conversion; meanwhile, the molecular weight distribution of the polymer was kept to a very low value (M_w/M_n ≤ 1.35). Furthermore, the measured molecular weights were very close to the calculated values, which indicated the high efficiency of the initiator for the polymerization of styrene. The effect of catalyst concentration and initiator concentration was not obvious and the influence of polymerization temperature was apparent, and the polymerization rate increased with the polymerization temperature. The results of chain-extension and ¹H NMR analysis proved that the polymer obtained was capped with diethylthiocarbamoylthiy (DC) group.     

Photoirradiated Fe-Mediated AGET ATRP of Methyl Methacrylate in the Presence of Alcohol

In this study, photoirradiated Fe-mediated AGET (activators generated by electron transfer) atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was investigated at ambient temperature in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) using carbon tetrachloride as initiator, FeCl₃·6H₂O/bipyridine (Bpy) as catalyst complex, and alcohol as reducing agent. Linear semi-logarithmic plot of conversion vs. time was obtained from the kinetic experiments, and the number-average molecular weight increased linearly with monomer conversion and corresponded to the theoretic values with molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n) as low as 1.25, which agreed with the character of controlled/living polymerization. The kinds of alcohol played an important role in photoirradiated Fe-mediated AGET ATRP of MMA. The living characteristics were demonstrated through chain extension experiment. The obtained polymer was characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography.     

Generalized Universal Molecular Weight Calibration Parameter in GPC

Abstract

In this report we show by experimental and theoretical investigations that the commonly used GPC universal calibration parameter, the intrinsic viscosity multiplied by the weight average molecular weight ([η] M^w) is incorrect. The error which can arise by using [η] M to calculate the molecular weight across the GPC chromatogram for nonuniformly branched polymers [poly(vinyl acetate) and low density polyethylene] and copolymers with compositional drift, could be very large. We also show conclusively that the number average molecular weight M_n is the correct average to use for the universal calibration parameter. We therefore recommend that our general universal Calibration parameter [η] M_n be used for calculating the molecular weight across the chromatogram for all polymer systems (linear and branched homopolymers, copolymers with or without compositional drift and for polymer blends).     

Chain transfer to solvent in two-state anionic polymerization, 1. Fast exchange between propagating species

A theoretical consideration of molecular weights and molecular weight distribution (MWD) of polymers formed in anionic polymerization proceeding via active centres of two different types under conditions of chain transfer to solvent with a fast exchange between propagating species is presented. Analytical expressions for number-and weight-average degrees of polymerization are obtained. Expressions for P_n and P_w are shown to be the same as in a one-centre process with the apparent intensity of chain transfer proportional to the weight fraction of the polymer formed via “transferring” centres. The polymers formed possess a moderately wide unimodal MWD. The dependence of the polydispersity index on the effective intensity of chain transfer goes through a maximum; for M₀/I₀ = 10³ the maximum value of P_w /P_n is ca. 4,6. The method is suggested for the estimation of the relative reactivity in chain propagation of two active centres from the dependence of molecular weight on initiator mixture composition. The effects of association of active centres on the average molecular weights are analyzed. The case when one of the centres is dormant is also considered.     

Structural characterization of hydroxyl terminated polyepichlorohydrin obtained using boron trifluoride etherate and stannic chloride as initiators

Epichlorohydrin was polymerized using boron trifluoride etherate or stannic chloride as initiators in presence of diols. The molecular weight of the polymer increased with increase in the ratio of epichlorohydrin to the diol in the reaction mixture. The polymers were characterized by IR, proton NMR and ¹³C NMR analysis. The terminal hydroxyl groups of the polymers were characterized by derivatizing them using trifluoro acetic anhydride and analyzing the resulting ester by NMR. Both primary and secondary hydroxyls were present in the polymer. The primary hydroxyl terminals of the polyepichlorohydrin (PECH) prepared using stannic chloride initiator were twice the amount of that present in the polymer prepared using BF₃ etherate initiator. The ¹³C NMR spectrum of PECH prepared using BF₃ etherate indicates that the polymer backbone is rich in H-T diad. Both cationic and co-ordination mechanisms operate during the polymerization in the presence of SnCl₄ and the ¹³C NMR spectrum of the polymer showed more of T-T and H-H sequences.     

Distribution of Dendritic,Terminal and Linear Units and Relationship between Degree of Branching and Molecular Weight of AB2‐Type Hyperbranched Polymer: A 13C‐NMR Study

Degree of branching (DB) of AB₂‐type hyperbranched polymer has been studied using ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. For this purpose, a series of hyperbranched polyamides based on 3,5‐bis(4‐aminophenoxy)benzoic acid differing in molecular weight was prepared by adopting a fractional precipitation technique. A model compound mimicking exactly the terminal and dendritic units present in the hyperbranched polymer (HBP) was also synthesized in high yield. ¹³C‐NMR spectra of the polymers and the model compound were recorded under exacting experimental conditions. With the help of ¹³C‐NMR spectrum of model compound and the integration values, peaks for terminal (T) units, dendritic (D) units and linear (L) units present in the HBP have been assigned. The spectra of low molecular weight fractions clearly showed that the linear unit is first formed and then the dendritic unit. Plots of mole fraction of individual unit against molecular weight (M_w) and DB against molecular weight (M_w) are constructed. For the first time, it is found that there is a critical molecular weight (the value calculated is between 3200–3500 for the chosen real system) below, which DB is dependent on molecular weight and above which it becomes independent. A new term T+D/L, which has a maximum value of 20 and minimum of 1, characterizing all AB₂‐type hyperbranched polymers in general, has been introduced.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Methacrylates Derived from Morpholine and Pyrrolidine: The Determination of Kinetic Parameters with Thermogravimetric Analysis

Abstract

The synthesis of two new methacrylate esters containing morpholine and pyrrolidine group are described. The monomers produced from the reaction of corresponding morpholino chloroacetamide and pyrrolidino chloroacetamide with sodium methacrylate were polymerized in DMSO solution at 65°C using AIBN as an initiator. The monomers and their polymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H‐ and ¹³C‐NMR spectroscopy. The glass transition temperature of the polymers were investigated by DSC and thermal decomposition activation energies were calculated by the Ozawa method using the SETARAM Labsys thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) thermobalance, respectively. By using gel permeation chromatography, weight average (M¯_w) and number average (M¯_n) molecular weights and polidispersity indices of the polymers were determined.     

Radiation-Induced Polymerization of Urea Canal Complex. Part 4. Radiation-Induced Polymerization of Acrylonitrile in Urea-Ethylene Glycol Supercooled Liquid System

Abstract

Using elementary analysis, NMR on ^{3 1}P and ¹H nuclei, and electroconductivity methods, the acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, formaldehyde, and β-propiolactone anionic polymerization in the presence of triethylphosphine is shown to follow the macrozwitterion mechanism: quartary phosphonium being on one end of a polymer chain and the growing anion on the other. The number of covalent bonds through the whole polymer chain between charges forming the active center increases with the propagation reaction. The active centers stationary concentration in the system is low when connected with both the slow initiation reaction and with the fast active centers termination reaction. Thus the ion interaction of different growing polymer chains can be ignored. The active centers parts occurring in the form of ion pairs (the ends are near and form the “cyclic”) and of free ions (the ends are separated) are determined by the monomolecular equilibrium, and its constant depends upon the macro-zwitterion polymerization degree K_d ⁽ⁿ⁾ = K_d ^(I)n^3/2. Such constant depends upon the chain length affords the macrozwitterion self-accelerated propagation with its length, as the free ion reactivity is more than that of ion pairs. The self-accelerated chain propagation effect shows up as an increase of polymerization initial rate order and polymer molecular weight in the monomer concentration. This effect can be avoided by the introduction of electrolyte into the system, which dissociates into ions and transforms all cyclic ion pairs into the linear form, the latter dissociating independently of chain length. The strict mathematical analysis of stationary and nonstationary polymerization kinetics made it possible to determine all the elementary constants separately: K_i = 5.6 × 10^?4 liters/ (mole) (min); K_- = 2.5 × 10⁴ liter/ (mole) (min); K_± = 2.0 liters/ (mole) (min); K_t = 0.84/min; K_t ¹ = 4/min; K_d ^(I) = 10^?4; K₃ = 0.07 × 10^?4 mole/liter.     

Synthesis and Polymerization of Carbamate-Linked Cyclodextrin Methacrylate Monomers

Abstract

A one-step synthesis for cyclodextrin methacrylate monomers was examined starting from α-, β- and γ-cyclodextrin. The reaction of 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate as well as allylisocyanate with the corresponding cyclodextrin gave the monofunctionalized carbamate-linked cyclodextrin methacrylates 2, 6 and 9 and allylcarbamates 11 and 14 in moderate yields. By NMR spectroscopic means, it could be proven that in all cases only the primary 6-hydroxyl groups of the cyclodextrins reacted with the isocyanate group. For the synthesis of a β-cyclodextrin monoallyl compound, a substitution reaction of purchasable 6-O-monotoluenesulfonyl-β-cyclodextrin with allylamine gave 6-N-allylamino-6-deoxy-β-cyclodextrin 18 in high yield. The reaction of 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate with α-cyclodextrin to the 6-O-carbamoyl-2-methylpropenoylethyl-α-cyclodextrin (2) was optimized so that the monomer 2 could be prepared on a larger scale without chromatographic separation. The aqueous radical homopolymerization of 2 with the peroxodisulfate/bisulfite redox initiator gave the water soluble cyclodextrin polymer 19 in good yield. Its molecular weight was determined by gel permeation chromatography to be M_n = 101,800 corresponding to an average degree of polymerization P_n = 90.     

Model reactions of amine curing of glycidylamine epoxy resins: Homopolymerization of N-methylglycidylaniline

The kinetics of homopolymerization of the monofunctional epoxide N-methylglycidylaniline in the presence of a tertiary amine or an amino alcohol has been followed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography and size exclusion chromatography. The reaction products were identified by mass spectrometry using potassium ionization of desorbed species (K⁺IDS). 1,3-Di-N-methylanilino-2-propanol (P) was the main reaction product and low molecular weight oligomers with M_n > 600 were also formed. The molecular weight and fraction of oligomers decrease with increasing concentration of the initiator. The suggested complex reaction mechanism involves formation of four stable oligomeric series initiated by reaction of the epoxide with either an OH group of (a) the amino alcohol, (b) product P, (c) traces of water, or (d) the tertiary amine to form ionic species resulting in the ionic propagation. Regeneration of the initiator and formation of new initiating centers during the polymerization are the causes of low molecular weights of oligomers. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Copper‐mediated initiators for continuous activator regeneration atom transfer radical polymerization of acrylonitrile

Initiators for continuous activator regeneration atom transfer radical polymerization technique was first accessed to acrylonitrile by using CuBr₂/2,2′‐bipyridine as the catalyst, ethyl 2‐bromoisobutyrate as the halogen initiator, and azobis(isobutyronitrile) as the free radical initiator. The key to success is ascribed to the facile achievement of the rapid equilibrium between active species and dormant species. Effects of ligand, catalyst concentration, free radical initiator concentration, and reaction temperature on the polymerization reaction and molecular weight (MW) as well as polydispersity index (PDI) were investigated in detail. The polymerization proceeded in a controlled/living fashion even though the concentration of copper catalyst decreased to 50 ppm, which is evident in pseudo first‐order kinetics of polymerization, linear increase of molecular weight, low PDI, and high chain‐end functionality of the generated polymer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

An Improved Synthetic Method for Preparing Polyoxyethylene Macromers and a Study of Their Copolymerization with Alkyl Acrylates

Polyoxyethylene macromers were synthesized by polymerization of ethylene oxide in dimethylsulfoxide by using potassium napthalide in tetrahydrofuran as initiator, followed by termination with methacroyl chloride. Potassium naphthalide is more active as an initiator than sodium naphthalide. The initiator in this case was confirmed to be of the monoanionic type. The molecular weight of the macromers can be varied from 2 × 10³ to 1.2 × 10⁴with M_w/M_n = 1.07-1.12. The macromers were characterized by UV, IR, and ¹H NMR, and copolymerized with butyl acrylate, methyl acrylate, or methyl methacrylate. The grafting efficiency can reach about 90%. The graft copolymers were purified by extractions and characterized by GPC, IR, and a Bruss membrane osmometer. The average grafting number of the copolymers varied from 10 to 15.     

Adsorption behavior of end-functionalized polymers modified by iminium ion

In order to clarify the end-functionalization effect of polymers modified by iminium ion, a model compound with a modified chain end was prepared by directly reactingn-butyllithium withN-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and then quenching by the addition of methanol. It is shown that the model compound includes the iminium ion group and that the adsorption bands in the IR-spectra of the chemically modified polymer were similar to those of model compoundThe adsorption behavior of end-functionalized polystyrene(PS-X) and diblock copolymer of PS and polybutadiene(PB) which were modified by iminium ion(PS-PB-X), were examined over a wide range of molecular weights of these polymers. It is evident that the amount of adsorption increased significantly by the end-functionalization and this trend was especially strong in the low molecular weight polymers (M _w<-10⁵). The preference for the end-functionalized polymer was also examined by competitive and sequential adsorption experiments between different molecular weight species. It is shown that a prefered adsorption of PS-X with low molecular mass is pronouced over the adsorption of PS or PS-X with high molecular weight and in the combination of high and low molecular weight species of PS-X, a special enhancement of total adsorption can be observed. This enhancement is based on a combination of different adsorption layers formed by these two molecular weight species.