Transformation reactions involving metathesis polymerisation

Transformation reactions provide a facile route to synthesise block copolymers that cannot be made from a single polymerisation mode. A variety of transformation reactions involving free radical, cationic, anionic, group transfer, Ziegler–Natta and metathesis are known. In this article, transformation reaction involving metathesis polymerisation is reviewed.     

Photoinitiated cationic polymerisation of multifunctional systems

Different types of tridimensional polymer networks have been synthetised by photoinitiated cationic polymerisation of vinyl ether and epoxy-functionalised oligomers and polymers. The polymerisation kinetics was followed by real-time infrared (RTIR) spectroscopy, a technique that records directly conversion versus time profiles in a timescale as short as 1 s. The addition of a diacrylate monomer was shown to accelerate the ring-opening polymerisation of epoxidized polyisoprene, with formation of interpenetrating polymer networks having well contrasted properties. A dual polymer network has been generated by photocrosslinking of a polyisoprene functionalised with both epoxy and acrylate groups.     

One-step seed dispersion polymerisation in supercritical carbon dioxide

A single step seed dispersion polymerisation is reported for the first time, in which scCO2 is used simultaneously as both an antisolvent and a polymerisation medium to create polymer-C60 composite microparticles providing additional proof for the mechanism of dispersion polymerisation in scCO2.     

Interfacial polymerisation of anilinium at Langmuir monolayers

Anilinium is strongly adsorbed at monolayers of the phospholipid L-alpha-dimyristoylphosphatidic acid (DMPA) and hexadecanesulfonic acid (HDSA) at the air-water interface, and undergoes chemical polymerisation under conditions where bulk polymerisation does not occur.     

Unusual features of ring‐opening polymerisation

Ring‐opening polymerisation is a mean to transform stepwise polymerisation reactions into chain reactions, the cyclic monomers being prepared by intramolecular condensation of open chain bifunctional monomers [1, 2]. The ring‐opening polymerisation is initiated most conveniently with ionic initiators which may be of macromolecular structure. Thus, block‐ and graft copolymers are obtained.     

The kinetics of hydrogen peroxide initiated polymerisation of methacrylamide

A kinetic study of the aqueous polymerisation of methacrylamide initiated by hydrogen peroxide has shown that the polymerisation proceeds in two stages. The rate of polymerisation up to about 16% conversion is represented by the equation

Within this period, the hydrogen peroxide is completely consumed and a hydroperoxide of methacrylamide is formed. Subsequently this hydroperoxide initiates polymerisation.     

The applicability of DTG to polymerisation studies

The application of derivativ thermogravimetry (DTG) to investigate polymerisation mechanisms is illustrated using the radical polymerisation of di-n-alkyl itaconates as well as the photoinitiated polymerisation of methyl methacrylate by colloidal CdS. The thermal properties of the resulting polymers are described. The advantages and disadvantages of DTG are discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Die Anwendung von DTGA zur Untersuchung von Polymerisationsmechanismen wird anhand der radikalischen Polymerisation von Di-n-alkyl-itakonaten und der fotoinitiierten. Polymerisation von Methylmetacrylat mittels kolloidalem CdS dargestellt. Die thermischen Eigenschaften der erhaltenen Polymere werden beschrieben. Es werden Vor-und Nachteile von DTGA diskutiert.

     

Living radical polymerisation in heterogeneous conditions—suspension polymerisation

Transition metal mediated living radical polymerisation of butyl methacrylate has been demonstrated with a copper(I) halide N-alkyl-2-pyridylmethanimine ligands based catalyst. Optimum conditions were found to be with copper(I) chloride and N-octyl-2-pyridylmethanimine catalyst at 65 °C where conversions of 85% were achieved with polymers of M_n = 8900 g mol⁻¹ (theoretical = 8400 g mol⁻¹) and PDI = 1.23. Both non-ionic and ionic surfactants were employed which were also made by living radical polymerisation. The non-ionic surfactant was a block copolymer of PMMA from a polyethyleneglycol macroinitiator (total M_n = 7600 g mol⁻¹, PDI = 1.20) and the ionic surfactant PDMEAMA-PMMA (total M_n = 8000 g mol⁻¹, PDI = 1.21) with the PDMEAMA block quaternized with MeI (13.8%, 28.4%, 47.7% and 100%). A range of ligands were employed in the suspension polymerisation by varying the alkyl group on the ligand increasing the hydrophobicity (alkyl = propyl (PrMI), pentyl (PMI), octyl (OMI), dodecyl (DMI) and octadecyl (ODMI)). The more hydrophobic ligands were found to be more effective due to lower partitioning into the aqueous phase. Block copolymers of P(EMA)-P(BMA) and P(MMA)-P(BMA) were prepared by first preparing macroinitiators via living radical polymerisation (M_n = 1600 g mol⁻¹ (PDI = 1.23) for P(EMA) and M_n = 1500 g mol⁻¹ (PDI = 1.22) for P(MMA)) and using them for initiation of BMA in suspension polymerisation. Block copolymers had M_n between 12,800 and 13,700 g mol⁻¹ with PDI between 1.33 and 1.54. Block copolymer growth showed excellent linear first order kinetics wrt monomer and demonstrated characteristics expected of a living radical polymerisation. Particle sizes were measured by SEM and DLS with good agreement (1.4-2.8 μm) and SEM showed spherical particles were formed.     

Translucent nanolatexes through emulsion polymerisation of ethyl acrylate

Turbid emulsion systems of ethylacrylate/sodium dodecyl sulphate/water with monomer to surfactant (M/S) ratios 10 and 40 were transformed into stable transparent/translucent nanolatexes through emulsion polymerisation using potassium persulphate as an initiator. The latex particle size was observed to be similar to that obtained by true microemulsion polymerisation where M/S ratio is one. The kinetic plots exhibited two intervals upto M/S ratios 10. AIBN initiated systems showed separation of two phases for the M/S ratio ?10. M/S ratios were varied from 1 to 54 for the comparative study of polymerisation in emulsion and microemulsion media. Gel effect dominance was observed around 40-60% conversion for the microemulsion polymerisation of ethylacrylate. Only one chain per particle was observed for microemulsion system with M/S ratio 1 and three to four chains per particle were observed for the systems with M/S ratios 10 and 40. Unlike M/S=1 system, higher dependency of polymerisation rate on initiator concentration was observed for the systems with M/S=10 and 40. A possible mechanism for such a transformation has been proposed.     

Suspension polymerisation to form polymer beads

The conventional method employed for the production of large beaded particles is suspension polymerisation. A review of suspension polymerisation is presented, with particular reference to variations in chemical composition of the component phases. Both oil-in-water and water-in-oil systems are considered, as are the relevant methods of droplet stabilisation for such systems. Factors governing droplet stability and particle size and morphology are discussed. New developments including the use of continuous type reactors are also included.     

Molecular architecture through group-transfer polymerisation

The “group-transfer” polymerisation process has been applied to the preparation of block, graft, star and H—polymers, Examples of each type are given, together with some discussion of the mechanism of the process.     

Cationic benzyl zirconium heteroscorpionates: synthesis and characterization of a novel ethylene polymerisation catalyst showing an unusual temperature dependent polymerisation mechanism

The reaction of (bpzmp)Zr(CH2Ph)3 with B(C6F5)3 produces the active ethylene polymerisation catalyst [(bpzmp)Zr(CH2Ph)2]+[PhCH2B(C6F5)3]- which showed a temperature dependent polymerisation mechanism identified by variable temperature 1H NMR analysis of the catalyst solution.     

Non-ionic emulsion polymerisation

A process, similar to conventional emulsion polymerisation, is described by which sterically stabilised polymer dispersions are made in water alone. Ionic initiators and surfactants are replaced by non-ionic species, and a copolymerisable stabilising macromonomer is also used. The dispersions have good stability to solvent addition, high shear rates and freeze-thaw cycling; however, the effectiveness of stabilisation depends on the nature of both the monomers and the macromonomers.     

Bis allyl benzoxazine: Synthesis, polymerisation and polymer properties

A bis benzoxazine monomer with allyl groups viz: 2,2′-bis (8-allyl-3-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,3-benzoxazinyl) propane (Bz-allyl) was synthesized via a solventless method from 2,2′diallyl bisphenol-A, paraformaldehyde and aniline. The chemical structure of Bz-allyl was confirmed by FTIR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR analyses. The monomer manifested a two-stage thermal polymerisation pattern. The first stage was attributed to the polymerisation of the allyl groups and the second to the ring - opening polymerisation of benzoxazine moiety. The polymerisation profile was investigated with DSC, FT-IR, TGA and pyrolysis-GC techniques. A polymerisation mechanism involving the electrophilic addition of the propagating iminium cation on the aniline ring in lieu of the activated sites of bisphenol-A, (which are blocked by allyl and alkyl substituents) was proposed. Additional cross-linking was provided by thermal addition polymerization of allyl groups. As a result of altered cross-linking via the aniline moiety and the additional cross-linking via allyl groups, the cured polymer exhibited a T_g of ca. 300 °C and high crosslink density. The thermal stability of this polymer was also substantially higher vis-à-vis that of the bisphenol-A based polybenzoxazine. The work focuses on the manipulation of benzoxazine monomer structure to alter the ring-opening polymerisation mechanism and cross-linking to derive polybenzoxazine with improved properties.     

Electrochemical modulation of sickle cell haemoglobin polymerisation

Sickle cell haemoglobin (HbS) differs from normal haemoglobin by a single amino acid in its beta chain. This amino acid replacement, from glutamic acid to valine, causes polymerisation of proteins into defined long insoluble fibres with a typical diameter of 21.5 nm. The polymerisation is triggered by the formation of deoxyhaemoglobin (deoxyHb) from oxyhaemoglobin (oxyHb) in low oxygen partial pressures, which results in a conformational change in the secondary structure of the protein. We describe an electrochemical method to modulate the oxygen concentration in an optically transparent thin layer cell to produce deoxyhaemoglobin whilst monitoring the extent of polymerisation using turbidity measurements. The oxygen is depleted in the vicinity of the electrode and triggers the polymerisation. The kinetics of polymerisation were investigated using a model for fibrillogenesis describing a two-step process of nucleation followed by elongation. Rate constants describing the nucleation and growth at monomer concentration of 300 mg cm(-3) (4.65 x 10(-3) M) were determined to be 9.45 (+/-0.08) x 10(-6) s(-1) and 1.22 (+/-0.03) x 10(-3) s(-1) respectively, showing that nucleation was far slower than the growth. A similar difference between the rate constants for the nucleation (2.99 (+/-0.4) x 10(-8) s(-1)) and growth (1.08 (+/-0.2) x 10(-3) s(-1)) was seen at monomer concentration of 50 mg cm(-3) (7.75 x 10(-4) M). These results show that nucleation was monomer concentration dependent; however growth was largely independent of monomer concentration. In this study we present a methodology that may be used as a screening method for substances that effect the fibre nucleation and or growth that could be valuable to the pharmaceutical industry for treating sickle cell disease.     

Half-titanocenes for precise olefin polymerisation: effects of ligand substituents and some mechanistic aspects

Selected examples concerning effects of both cyclopentadienyl fragment (Cp') and anionic donor ligand (Y) in nonbridged modified half-titanocenes of the type, Cp'TiX(2)(Y) (X = halogen, alkyl), as new type of olefin polymerisation catalysts have been reviewed. These complexes displayed unique characteristics not only for ethylene (co)polymerisation but also for syndiospecific styrene polymerisation, ethylene/styrene copolymerisation; precise fine tuning of the ligand substituents plays an important role for the successful (co)polymerisation; a different mechanistic consideration for the syndiospecific styrene polymerisation, which can explain the copolymerisation behaviour in this catalysis, has also been introduced.     

The electrochemical polymerisation of a [2]rotaxane

We report the synthesis of a dithienylpyrrole-stoppered rotaxane and its subsequent electrochemical polymerisation onto a platinum working electrode surface. We have shown that the tetracationic cyclophane moiety of the rotaxane does not impair electropolymerisation of this derivative. Indeed, functionalised films can be conveniently prepared by oxidative polymerisation of the dithienylpyrrole stopper units, to yield a network of rotaxane units interconnected by a conducting polymer backbone.     

Intermediates of radiation-induced polymerisation of maleimides studied by ESR

Radicals produced by radiolysis and photolysis of maleimides (maleimide, N-methylmaleimide, N-ethylmaleimide, N-phenyl-maleimide) in bulk have been identified by ESR spectroscopy. γ-Irradiation of maleimides yields up to five different radicals depending on the type of maleimide. Because of the great linewidth of powder ESR spectra, the hyperfine splittings are determined by means of computer simulation. For N-alkyl maleimides the starting species of polymerisation are formed by abstraction of a H-atom from the alkyl group in radiolysis as well as in photolysis. The structure of the propagating radical shows that polymerisation proceeds via the ethylenic double bond. The detection of maleimide ions makes participation of these ions in polymerisation conceivable. Radiolysis of maleimide and N-phenylmaleimide yields the same type of radicals whereas only ions could be detected after u.v.-irradiation.     

Well-controlled reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerisation under ultraviolet radiation at ambient temperature

Controlled reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer radical polymerisation of methyl acrylate was carried out under long-wave (lambda > or = 365 nm) ultraviolet radiation using an acylphosphine oxide as a photoinitiator at ambient temperature; the polymerisation shows a "living" character at high conversions of polymerisation and leads to well-defined polymers with narrow polydispersities (Mw/Mn < 1.1).     

Pseudo helix-sense-selective polymerisation of achiral substituted acetylenes

Pseudo helix-sense-selective polymerisation of a wide range of achiral substituted acetylenes having dynamic covalent bonds has been realised to yield static one-handed helical polymers without any other chiral moieties.