Study of the isothermal free radical polymerization of some higher <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkyl methacrylates

The free radical polymerizations of higher n-alkyl methacrylates were not investigated in detail until now. In this work, the courses of the isothermal free radical bulk polymerization of dodecyl, quatrodecyl and hexadecyl methacrylates were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of the polymerization temperature and the alkyl group length in the esters on the monomer conversions during polymerization were studied. It was found that the polymerization rate vs. time curves have two maxima. The free radical polymerizations of above-mentioned monomers proceed with slightly expressed gel effect at the temperatures below 90°C, at initiator concentration 1 mass% in monomer.     

Radical polymerization of various alkyl methacrylates in liquid crystalline solvents

The polymerization of methacrylates of methyl, ethyl, butyl, hexyl, octyl, dodecyl, and octadecyl alcohols was studied with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile in the smectic, nematic, cholesteric, and isotropic liquid phases at 50–75°C. N-(4-Methoxyphenylmethylene)phenylamine, N-(4-ethoxyphenyl-methylene)-4-butylphenylamine, cholesteryl octadecanoate, and benzene were used as the solvents. The viscosities of the polymers were enhanced in the mesomorphic solvents. The polymer was converted to the corresponding poly(methyl methacrylate) through hydrolysis and esterification. Tacticities of the resultant poly(methyl methacrylates) were determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The isotacticities of the polymers obtained in the smectic and the nematic phases were basically the same and appeared to be larger than those of the polymers in the cholesteric and isotropic liquid states. The polymerization of the methacrylates of butyl and longer-chain alcohols deviated from Bernoullian statistics and gave polymers more isotactic than those of methyl and ethyl methacrylates.     

Highly heterotactic polymerization of methacrylates — Higher order stereoregulation and stereochemical significance

A combination of tert-butyllithium (t-BuLi) and bis(2,6-di-t-butylphenoxy)methylaluminium (MeAI(ODBP)₂) was found to be an efficient initiator for heterotactic living polymerization of certain alkyl methacrylates in toluene at low temperatures. The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with t-BuLi/MeAI(ODBP)₂ (AI/Li=5 mol/mol) in toluene at −78°C gave heterotactic-rich poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) (heterotactic triad fraction mr = 68%, ratio of weight- to number-average molecular weights M̄w/M̄n = 1.06-1.17). Other alkyl methacrylates also gave heterotactic polymers under the same conditions; in particular, ethyl and butyl methacrylates gave polymers with heterotactic triad fractions of 87%. The highest triad heterotacticity of 91.6% was obtained for the polymerization of ethyl methacrylate at −95°C. Some characteristic features of this stereospecific polymerization were discussed based on the polymerization results combined with other structural information of the polymer such as chain-end stereostructure and stereosequence distribution in the main chain.     

Radiation polymerization and copolymerization of fluorinated acrylates and methacrylates induced by γ-rays

Fluorinated acrylates and methacrylates radiolyzed at 77 K polymerize upon heating in the range from the glass-transition to the melting temperature. In the case of acrylates, the temperature range of postradiation polymerization increases by more than 100 K with the increasing chain length of the perfluorinated substituent from C₂F₄ to C₈F₁₇. The introduction of perfluorinated substituents into methacrylate molecules makes it possible to obtain them in the glassy state and to carry out low-temperature postradiation polymerization, in contrast to their hydrocarbon analogues. The termination rate constant of the polymerization of fluorinated methacrylates has a lower value as compared to conventional methacrylates. The formation of crosslinked structures is suppressed during the copolymerization of fluorinated acrylates with methacrylates. The ESR spectra of growing polymer radicals of fluorinated acrylic ∼CH₂C^·H(COOCH₂C₆F₁₃)∼ and methacrylic CH₂C^·(CH₃)(COOCH₂C₂F₄H)∼ monomers have been identified.     

Studies on diacetylenic vinyl compounds. VI. ESR studies on the polymerization of diacetylene containing acrylate and methacrylates

A number of diacetylene containing acrylate and methacrylates have been synthesized and the interaction between their propagating radicals and the diacetylene groups was studied by ESR spectroscopy. In the case of polymerization at 70°C using AIBN as an initiator, the propagating radicals of methacrylates are temporarily trapped with the diacetylenes with rapid exchange of the electron, thus showing strong signals of the propagating radicals. Gamma irradiation of the frozen state produces a blue color in samples, and the ESR signals were found to be those of uninteracted acrylate and methacrylates. From a comparison of spectral widths, there seems to exist an intramolecular interaction between the radicals and the diacetylene group at the frozen state. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Controlled radical polymerization of anthracene‐containing methacrylate copolymers for stimuli‐responsive materials

Novel reversible networks utilizing photodimerization of crosslinkable anthracene groups and thermal dissociation were investigated. Reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization yielded well‐defined copolymers with 9‐anthrylmethyl methacrylate (AMMA) and other alkyl methacrylates such as methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2‐ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) having different AMMA compositions. Well‐controlled block copolymerization of AMMA and alkyl methacrylates was also successfully accomplished using a trithiocarbonate‐terminated poly(alkyl methacrylate) macro‐chain transfer agent. The anthracene‐containing copolymers showed reversibility via crosslinking based on photodimerization with ultraviolet irradiation and subsequent thermal dissociation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 2302–2311     

Light‐induced controlled free radical polymerization of methacrylates using iron‐based photocatalyst in visible light

A novel visible light mediated catalytic system based on low cost iron complex, that is, Fe(bpy)₃(PF)₆ photocatalyst that initiates and control the free radical polymerization of methacrylates using ethyl α‐bromoisobutyrate (EBriB) as an initiator and 20 watt LED as light source is developed. The polymerization is initiated with turning the light on and immediately terminated by turning the light off. In addition, the molecular weight of polymer can be varied by changing the ratio of monomer and initiator. The merits of the present methodology lie in the use of low cost less precious, highly abundant iron‐based photocatalyst, avoidance of sacrificial donor and need of lower catalyst amount under visible light. The optimum amount of catalyst and initiator were established and successful polymerization of various methacrylates was achieved under the optimized polymerization conditions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2739–2746     

Living polymerizations of acrylic monomers with aluminioporphyrin

Aluminioporphyrin was found to be an excellent initiator for the living polymerizations of methacrylates, acrylates, and methacrylonitrile. Porphinatoaluminium thiolate and enolate were effective in the dark, different from methylporphinatoaluminium which requires irradiation by visible light. The addition of pyridine was necessary for the polymerization of methacrylonitrile, which was accelerated by visible light. By using the living polymer of methyl methacrylate as initiator, block copolymers from acrylic monomers could be synthesized. A system composed of aluminioporphyrin and trialkylaluminium was found highly active for the polymerization of methacrylates.     

Silicon-mediated synthesis of new amphiphilic oligomers

A series of amphiphilic oligomers have been synthesized in which the hydrophobic component was polyisobutylene, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) or dodecane, and the hydrophilic component was poly(vinyl alcohol) or poly(methacrylic acid). These syntheses exploited the chain extension chemistry of aldehyde-functionalized materials using silyl aldol polymerization or the group transfer polymerization of methacrylates. The interfacial character of these new amphiphilic oligomers was examined using water/toluene emulsification tests. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Stereochemistry of the free‐radical polymerization of zinc methacrylates coordinated with a bidentate ligand

The polymerization of zinc methacrylates coordinated with a bidentate ligand ( 1 – 4 ) was carried out in chloroform at 60°C. The polymerization of these monomers gave chloroform‐insoluble polymers. Stereoregularity of the polymers was estimated from ¹H NMR spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate)s (PMMAs) derived from the original polymers. Monomers 1 and 2 gave slightly different polymers compared with conventional ones obtained by polymerization of methacrylic acid, while 3 afforded higher amounts of isotactic polymers than 1 and 2 . Conversely, 4 gave a polymer of high syndiotacticity. Furthermore, the relationship between triad tacticity and monomer concentration in the feed was studied. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the structure of bidentate ligands coordinated with zinc ion influences the stereoregularity of the resulting polymers.     

Stereospecific polymerization of methacrylates by metallocene and related catalysts

Stereospecific—isospecific, syndiospecific, and diastereospecific—polymerizations of methacrylates using group 4 metallocene and related catalysts produce polymethacrylates with controlled stereo‐microstructures. The versatility and stereospecificity of these cat‐ alysts for methyl methacrylate polymerization were demonstrated not only in solution‐phase polymerization, but also in polymerizations on silica surfaces and inside silicate nanogalleries. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3395–3403, 2004     

Synthesis of traditional and ionic polymethacrylates by anion catalyzed group transfer polymerization

The hydrophobic ionic liquid 1‐butyl‐1‐methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide was successfully used as solvent in group transfer polymerization of traditional methacrylates (methyl methacrylate, n‐butyl methacrylate, and benzyl methacrylate) and of ionic liquid methacrylates (ILMAs). This demonstrates that this ionic liquid makes reaction conditions, which do not require the use of ultra‐dried solvents. The ILMAs were N‐[2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]‐N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐alkylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imides bearing methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, or hexyl substituents. Increasing size of the alkyl substituent at the cation results in decreasing glass transition temperature in case of both ionic liquid methacrylates and polymers derived of them. Furthermore, the glass transition temperature is significantly higher for these polymers compared with the ionic liquid methacrylates, and the effect of glass transition temperature reduction with increasing size of the alkyl substituent is stronger for the polymers. A mechanism was proposed explaining the catalytic function of the ionic liquid used as solvent for polymerization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2849–2859     

Mechanism of GTP: Can all of the available data be accommodated?

Group transfer polymerization (GTP)^a of acrylic monomers is a living system mediated by a trialkylsilyl capped growing chain end. The fact that it operates at temperatures as high as 100° C differentiates GTP from living anionic polymerization, which at best operates at 25° C for hindered methacrylates. To accommodate all of the mechanistic data available it appears that at least two mechanistic pathways are required: an associative process for mild nucleophilic catalysts and a dissociative process for strong nucleophilic catalysts.     

Polymerization of Polar Monomers Using Cyclopentadienyl Complexes of the Alkaline Earth Metals

Tetramethylcyclopentadienyl complexes of magnesium, calcium and strontium are efficient catalysts at −78 °C for the solution polymerization of polar monomers such as alkyl methacrylates in the presence of only small amounts of triethylaluminium as cocatalyst. The molecular mass of the resulting polymers is predictable on the monomer/catalyst ratio. The polymerization reaction follows a first order kinetics with respect to the initial catalyst concentration. Block-copolymers are easily available by sequential dosage of the monomer. A living polymerization mechanism is proposed involving activation of the catalyst by alkylation and subsequent insertion of coordinated monomers.     

Investigation of isothermal bulk polymerization ofo-alkyaryl methacrylates by DSC

The kinetics of the AIBN-initiated free radical bulk polymerization of fiveo-alkylphenyl methacrylates was studied by means of DSC in the temperature range 353–373 K, and the enthalpy of polymerization, the overall reaction rate constant and the activation energy were determined. The results were compared with those published recently on correspondingp-alkylaryl methacrylates. All measured reaction rate constants were found to increase with increasing temperature and to decrease with increasingo-alkyl substituent mass and size. It was shown thato-substituents influence the rates of polymerization to a greater extent thanp-substituents. At about 373 K, all differences in rate, most probably resulting from steric hindrance caused by the alkyl groups, disappear in both series, a phenomenon earlier observed for dimethyl phenyl methacrylates.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science of the Republic of Serbia.     

Application of a calorimetric method in radiation-induced polymerization—IV: Determination of propagation and termination rate constants for cyclohexyl-methacrylate

A calorimetric method has been used to study the gamma-induced polymerization of cyclohexyl-methacrylate (CHMA) under non-stationary conditions. As for other methacrylates already studied in this laboratory, the polymerization rate of CHMA is proportional to (dose-rate)${}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ for all temperatures and dose rates examined. The rate constants for propagation and termination have been determined and the results compared with those for methyl, ethyl and n-butyl methacrylates. The $\text{M}$_w values of CHMA, formed in tetrahydrofuran at different dose rates, agree with the kinetic behaviour.     

Anionic polymerization of methacrylate monomers initiated by lithium dialkylamides

The anionic polymerization of methacrylate monomers has been investigated with lithium dialkylamides as initiators in THF and toluene, respectively. Theoretical arguments and previous studies of mixed aggregates of lithiated organic compounds support the complexity of these systems. Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) shows the highest initiation efficiency (e.g., f = 75% in THF at −78°C). Interestingly enough, lithium chloride has a remarkable beneficial effect on the methacrylates polymerization in THF at −78°C, due to the formation of 1 : 1 mixed dimer with LDA, which promotes a well-controlled anionic polymerization (M_w/M_n = 1.05) with a high initiation efficiency (94%). The less bulky lithium–diethylamide (LDEA) is much less efficient (f = 26%), essentially as a result of some associated “dormant” species and side reactions on the carbonyl group of MMA. Although various types of ligands have been screened, no remarkable improvement of LDEA efficiency has been observed. Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (LTMSA) has also been used to increase the steric hindrance of the initiator. This compound is, however, unable to initiate the methacrylates polymerization, more likely because of a too low basicity and a too strong Li—N bond. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 3637–3644, 1997     

Anionic polymerization of acrylates. III. Polymerization of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate initiated by lithium-tert-butoxide

The polymerization of 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EtHA) initiated with lithium-tert-butoxide (t-BuOLi) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and in the temperature range between ?60 and 20°C was investigated. The reaction rate is distinctly temperature-dependent and at ?60°C is already very low, similarly to the polymerization of methacrylates. Molecular weights of the polymers thus formed, particularly at higher temperatures, are inversely proportional to conversion of the monomer due to the slow initiation reaction. This is documented by the low consumption of alkoxide even at long reaction times, which also depends on the reaction temperature. At higher temperatures the polymerization stops spontaneously, due to the greater extent of autotermination reactions. The weak initiating efficiency of the alkoxide decreases still more with decreasing concentration of the monomer during the polymerization, as confirmed by the concentration dependence of the reaction rate in toluene at ?20°C. The results suggest a negligible initiating effect of alkoxides in complex bases, particularly at lower polymerization temperatures. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Photoinitiated polymerization of methacrylates comprising phenyl moieties

Investigation of photopolymerization kinetics of 4-(4-methacryloyloxyphenyl)-butan-2-one (1) in comparison with 2-phenoxyethyl methacrylate (2) and phenyl methacrylate (3) using a UV-LED emitting at 395 nm shows significantly faster polymerization of 1 compared to both 2 and 3 at 40°C. Vitrification affects photopolymerization kinetics of all methacrylates under investigation. Interestingly, quantitative final conversion is observed during photoinitiated polymerization of 1 and 2 whereas 3 shows limited conversion at about 80%. Furthermore, higher degree of polymerization is obtained by photoinitiated polymerization of 1 compared to 2 and 3. This shows that the 3-oxobutyl substituent at the phenyl ring of 1 significantly affects both polymerization kinetics and final conversion of the photoinitiated polymerization. Moreover, an additional higher molecular weight fraction is observed in case of polymerization of 1 at 85°C that is above the glass transition temperature of the polymer formed during photoinitiated polymerization. As a thermal polymerization at 85°C in the absence of light results in a high molecular weight polymer as well, an additional thermal process may be discussed as reason for the higher molecular weight polymer fraction in case of the photopolymer made at 85°C.     

Anionic polymerization of methacrylates by samarium (III) enolate on networked polystyrene: Effects of its sterically confined environment on polymerization behavior

Anionic polymerization of methacrylates under sterically confined environment in a spherical beads‐shaped networked polystyrene (NwPS) matrix is described. The initiator used herein is a samarium (Sm) (III) enolate, which was formed by treatment of 2‐bromoisobutylate immobilized in the side chain of NwPS with Sm (II) iodide. By using this NwPS‐bound initiator, polymerization of a series of methacrylates (=solid‐supported polymerization) was studied to find its two aspects: (1) In the early stages, the rate constant for each methacrylate was comparable to that for its conventional solution‐phase polymerization using a Sm (III) enolate, suggesting that methacrylate can be efficiently supplied to the propagating end by its free permeation without any interference by the networked structure of the matrix. (2) After the early stages, the rate constant decreased remarkably, implying that permeation of methacrylate was sterically interfered by the formed poly(methacrylate) that filled the confined space in NwPS, as supported by a SEM image of the resulting beads, of which pores were filled with the formed polymers. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 1510–1521, 2009