Vibrational assignments for the CCL stretching region of the Raman spectrum of poly(vinyl chloride)

It is shown that, by assuming that each of the peaks resolved in the CCl stretching region of the Raman spectra of a series of poly(vinyl chloride) gels can be associated with a definite triad structure, most of the peaks can he assigned to syndiotactic, isotactic, or heterotactic triad configurations without reference to the spectra of model compounds or to vibrational calculations. The results are in general agreement with most previous assignments except for the assignment of the peak at 646 cm^–1. Previously this was assigned to syndiotactic material, but it is here assigned to a structure consisting of consecutive syndiotactic, isotactic, and syndiotactic placements in a conformation not very distorted from the planar zigzag conformation.     

Heterotactic poly(vinyl alcohol)

Bulky substituents in vinyl trialkylsilyl ethers and vinyl trialkylcarbinyl ethers led to heterotactic polymers (H = 66%). The polymers were converted into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and further to poly(vinyl acetate), and tacticity was determined as poly(vinyl acetate). Vinyl triisopropylsilyl ether in nonpolar solvents yielded a heterotactic polymer with a higher percentage of isotactic triads than syndiotactic triads (Hetero-I). Vinyl trialkylcarbinyl ethers in polar solvents gave a heterotactic polymer with more syndiotactic triads than isotactic (Hetero-II). Heterotactic PVA was soluble in water and showed characteristics infrared absorptions. Interestingly, Hetero-I PVA showed no iodine color reaction, but Hetero-II showed a much more intense color reaction than a commercial PVA. The mechanism of heterotactic propagation was discussed in terms of the Markóv chain model.     

Raman spectra of extended-chain syndiotactic poly(vinyl chloride)

Raman spectra have been obtained for a typical poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) of low crystallinity and for a highly crystalline sample of syndiotactic PVC obtained by irradiation of a urea-canal complex. Raman measurements have been made on the three different ordered chain structures possible for ordinary PVC. Extended and folded conformations for the syndiotactic structure and a helical structure for the isotactic molecule obey different selection rules and have different dichroic properties in the infrared and Raman spectra. The observed Raman spectrum is consistent with the model of the extended syndiotactic conformation for crystalline PVC. With the new Raman data some additional assignments can be made in the vibrational spectra of PVC.     

NMR study of poly(vinyl formate)

The high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of poly(vinyl formate), yielded, upon examination at 100 Mc./sec., and under the conditions of decoupling, information on the three tactic forms present. The normal and decoupled spectra indicate that only the CHO resonance is sensitive to the stereochemical configuration. The three components of the CHO resonance are tentatively assigned to isotactic (i), heterotactic (h), and syndiotactic (s) triads with increasing field strength, respectively. This assignment was made on the basis of poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(vinyl acetate) derived from poly(vinyl formate). The results show that the tacticity is slightly dependent upon the temperature of free-radical polymerization.     

Stereocontrol in radical polymerization

The stereospecific radical polymerization of vinyl esters, methacrylates, and alpha-substituted acrylates was studied. Fluoroalcohols, as a solvent, have remarkable effects on the stereoregularity of the radical polymerizations of vinyl acetate, vinyl pivalate, and vinyl benzoate, affording polymers rich in syndiotacticity, heterotacticity, and isotacticity, respectively. This method was successfully applied to the polymerization of methacrylates to give syndiotactic polymers. The steric repulsion between the entering monomer and the chain-end monomeric unit bound by the solvent through hydrogen bonding is important for the stereochemical control in these systems. Lewis acid catalysts, such as lanthanide trifluoromethanesulfonates and zinc salts, were also effective for the stereocontrol during the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate, to reduce the syndiotacticity and alpha-(alkoxymethyl)acrylates to synthesize isotactic and syndiotactic polymers. Radical polymerization of the methacrylates bearing a bulky ester group, such as the triphenylmethyl methacrylate derivatives, gave highly isotactic polymers, as in the case of anionic polymerization. In addition, the control of one-handed helical conformation was attained in the radical polymerization of 1-phenyldibenzosuberyl methacrylate using chiral neomenthanethiol or cobalt(II) complexes as an additive.     

Dynamics of structurally disordered poly(vinyl chloride)

Following our previous studies on poly(vinyl chloride) the influence of the existence of head-to-head defects on the vibrational properties and on the vibrational spectra of syndiotactic planar zig-zag poly(vinyl chloride) has been studied. The dynamical aspects and the spectroscopic consequences of the existence of such a kind of defects in an otherwise structurally regular polymer chain are discussed and some comments are made on the use of frequency correlations from model compounds for the interpretation of the infrared and Raman spectra of polymers. The dependency of a few characteristic frequencies on chain length is discussed.     

Reactions of trifluoroacetic acid with poly(vinyl alcohol) and its model compounds. Effect of neighboring hydroxyl groups on the reaction

Reactions of trifluoroacetic acid with poly(vinyl alcohol) and various model alcohols were investigated by observing the fluorine and the proton magnetic resonance spectra of the reaction mixtures. At equilibrium the degree of conversion to ester under given conditions decreased in the order isopropanol, pentane-2,4-diol, heptane-2,4,6-triol and poly(vinyl alcohol). Therefore the equilibrium constant for esterfication of a hydroxyl group is depressed by the presence of neighboring hydroxyl groups. It was observed that the steric structures of the models and polymers also affect the equilibrium position of the reaction and this is mainly ascribable to the fact that meso (isotactic) molecules react more slowly with the acid than do racemic (syndiotactic) molecules. In acid-catalyzed acetylation of the model alcohols with acetic acid no similar dependence on the steric configuration was found. Therefore trifluoroacetylation seems to be specific in this respect.     

Complex refractive indexes for polymers over the infrared spectral region: Specular reflection IR spectra of polymers

A dispersion analysis is used to determine the complex refractive indexes over the infrared for the following polymeric systems: isotactic poly(methyl methacrylate), syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(2-methyl-1-pentene)sulfone, poly(perfluoropropylene oxide), poly(pyromellitimide), poly(styrene), and poly(vinyl alcohol). These were combined with solutions of Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic radiation at interfaces in a FORTRAN computer code to model specular relection infrared spectra. Calculations and experimental data are compared to demonstrate the complicated nature of specular reflection and the ability of the modelling to simulate the observed spectra.     

Stereoregularity of poly(vinyl ether)

α-Methylvinyl isobutyl and methyl ethers were polymerized cationically and the structure of the polymers was studied by NMR. Poly(α-methylvinyl methyl ether) polymerized with iodine or ferric chloride as catalyst was found to be almost atactic, whereas poly(α-methylvinyl isobutyl ether) polymerized in toluene with BF₃OEt₂ or AlEt₂Cl as catalyst was found to be isotactic. In both cases, the addition of polar solvent resulted in the increase of syndiotactic structure as is the case with polymerization of alkyl vinyl ether. tert-Butyl vinyl ether was polymerized, and the polymer was converted into poly(vinyl acetate), the structure of which was studied by NMR. A nearly linear relationship between the optical density ratio D₇₂₂/D₇₃₆ in poly(tert-butyl vinyl ether) and the isotacticity of the converted poly(vinyl acetate) was observed.     

Laser Raman spectroscopy of polyacrylamide

The Raman spectra of polyacrylamide and its covalently crosslinked gel (with N,N′-methylenebis-acrylamide as the crosslinking agent) in the region of 200–3600 cm^?1 are discussed. The vibrational band assignments for polyacrylamide are made on the basis of a comparison with the spectra of acrylamide, acrylic acid, polyacrylic acid, poly(vinyl alcohol), and other vinyl polymers. The Raman spectra of polyacrylamide in the solid phase and in aqueous solution have similar spectral features. The Raman spectra of gels with low crosslink content and of polyacrylamide in aqueous solution are comparable except that one new band, predominantly due to the residual monomer, appears in the gel phase. An analysis based on polarized Raman, infrared and NMR spectra, model building, and group theoretical calculations suggests a structure dominated by isotactic species.     

Poly(vinyl alcohol) obtained through polymerization of some vinyl esters

Bulk and/or solution polymerizations of a series of vinyl esters, e.g., vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl butyrate, vinyl pivalate, and vinyl benzoate were conducted. Iodine-coloration, 1,2-glycol structure, molecular weight, and tacticity (triad and pentad) were measured for the resulting poly(vinyl alcohol)s (PVAs). The iodine-coloration abilities of PVAs, derived from poly(vinyl ester)s that were obtained through bulk polymerization at 60°C, depended on the starting monomer, increasing in the following order: vinyl benzoate < vinyl acetate < vinyl propionate < vinyl butyrate < vinyl pivalate. In solution polymerizations of vinyl propionate and vinyl butyrate, it was revealed that the tacticity of the derived PVAs apparently depended on the type and amount of polymerization solvent employed, as found previously in the case for vinyl acetate. The iodine-coloration of these PVA samples varied in the same order as their syndiotactic content, while no relationship was observed toward their 1,2-glycol content. The probabilities of the syndiotactic propagation at 60°C were estimated as 0.49 (benzoate), 0.54 (acetate), 0.55 (propionate), 0.56 (butyrate), and 0.60 (pivalate), respectively.     

Effect of tacticity and morphology on the formation of persistent electrical polarization in polar polymer membranes

Persistent electrical polarization (heterocharged electret formation) has been studied as a function of stereotacticity, crystallinity, and molecular weight in membranes of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) prepared via different synthetic routes. Membranes of PVA–sodium polystyrenesulfonate (PSSNa) and PVA–poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) copolymers and PVA–PVAc–PSSNa were also investigated. The degree of persistent polarization a pure PVA membrane can support, was found to vary according to isotactic > syndiotactic > heterotactic triad concentrations. Increases in crystallinity tend to decrease persistent polarization, and such changes in crystallinity are probably responsible for the above observed order, since measurements of persistent polarization on noncrystalline PVA–PSSNa membranes were found to vary according to syndiotactic > heterotactic > isotactic with regard to the PVA. Within PVA–PSSNa membranes the presence of acetate groups reverses the behavior of PSSNa from anhancer to an inhibitor of electret formation. The results all support a model in which heterocharged electret formation involves an ion displacement in the direction of the applied field and stabilization of this ion displacement by local hydrogen bonding.     

Effect of solvent for vinyl acetate polymerization on microstructure of poly(vinyl alcohol)

The solution polymerization of vinyl acetate was carried out in several solvents at 0 to 100°C, using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. For the resulting poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), iodinecoloration, 1,2-glycol structure and tacticity were observed. The pentad tacticity of PVA was estimated from its methine carbon spectra by means of ¹³C-FTNMR spectrometer. Iodine-coloration ability of PVA varied markedly with the type of polymerization solvent and decreased in the following order: phenol > aq. phenol > methyl alcohol > ethyl acetate > DMSO, ethylene carbonate. The syndiotactic fraction in PVA also decreased with polymerization solvent in the same order as that of iodine coloration, while 1,2-glycol content of PVA was not almost affected by polymerization solvent except for phenol and aq. phenol. In solution polymerization performed, effect of polymerization temperature on tacticity was less than that of solvent.     

Preparation and (13C)NMR spectroscopy of stereoregular poly(methacrylic acid)

Several procedures for synthesis of stereoregular poly(methacrylic acid) have been examined and the polymer characterized by (¹³C)NMR. Using d⁶ DMSO as solvent for spectroscopy gives better spectra than those previously obtained using aqueous solutions and stereochemical splittings can be resolved in the methyl signals. Free-radical polymerization in toluene solution is a Bernouilli process giving mainly heterotactic/syndiotactic polymer. Polymers produced with free-radical initiation in aqueous solution have a higher, and pH dependent, content of syndiotactic triads. A previously described procedure for producing regular polymers by hydrolysis of poly(trimethylsilyl methacrylate) requires modification to produce isotactic contents of above 90% and does not give truly syndiotactic polymer. In contrast, polymerization with γ-radiation can produce polymers with close to 90% of syndiotactic triads.     

Fluorine NMR spectra of poly(vinyl trifluoroacetate)

Samples of poly(vinyl trifluoroacetate) with differing stereosequences have been prepared. The NMR signals at 56.4 Mc./sec. corresponding to the three types of triadstereosequences of the trifluoroacetate groups (isotactic, heterotactic, and syndiotactic) can be resolved. The results for specific polymers are discussed.     

聚卤乙烯单体性质及构型对链柔性和极性的影响

基于旋转异构态模型和生成矩阵统计方法,推导了极性取代基高分子链均方回转半径和均方偶极矩改进的计算公式,应用于研究聚卤乙烯链构象和构型依赖的性质,包括均方回转半径和偶极矩特征比与构象能、链规整程度和温度的关系.发现构型规整的聚卤乙烯链特征比、温度系数和构象能依赖性质均呈现较大的差异,尤其是间同和全同构型链.如聚卤乙烯间同链偶极矩特征比随主要相互作用Eη变化比例在-0.62～0.05(J/mol)-1之间.相反,构型不规整的聚卤乙烯链的无扰尺寸则比较接近.聚氟乙烯、聚氯乙烯和聚溴乙烯无规链均方偶极矩特征比分别为0.80、0.69和0.59,均方偶极矩温度系数为-0.07×10-3～-0.53×10-3 K-1,与实验结果符合.研究结果表明聚卤乙烯单体性质和构型对其链柔性和链极性的影响是显著的.     

Magnetic circular dichroism studies of aromatic polymers

The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra of syndiotactic and isotactic polymers which contain aromatic chromophores have been found to be sensitive to configurational and conformational differences. For isotactic polymers it was determined that as the aromatic ring moved farther from the main chain the ration of B terms of the polymers to those of their model compounds reached a minimum but increased significantly when the aromatic ring was separated from the main chain by four atoms. This enhancement of MCD is believed to be caused by the alignment of the more flexible side chains which would allow the interaction of the aromatic rings with neighboring groups and could result in a favorable mixing of the ester electronic transition with the aromatic ¹A_1g?¹B_2u transition. This effect was not felt to any great extent by the syndiotactic polymers because the necessary nearest-neighbor interaction was sterically unfavorable. The ratio of the B terms of isotactic poly(phenyl methacrylate) to its model compound decreased as the polymer coil expanded, whereas it increased for the syndiotactic polymer. This effect reflects the different changes that the side chain interaction and orientations undergo in these polymers during coil expansion. The MCD ratios for iso- and syndiotactic poly(phenylethyl methacrylate) were not so sensitive during coil expansion. The ratio of the dipole strengths of the polymers and model compounds paralleled the MCD results, but the ultraviolet (UV) technique was less sensitive than MCD to subtle conformational differences. Poly(benzyl methacrylate) and benzyl pivalate were unsuitable systems for studying the MCD effect because the B terms of these materials approached zero.     

Uniform polymer in synthetic polymer chemistry

The preparation of uniform polymers and their use in fundamental polymer chemistry are reviewed. A typical method of preparation is a combination of living polymerization and supercritical fluid chromatography separation. Synthetic uniform polymers allow us to solve ambiguous problems in polymer chemistry due to molecular weight distribution and are of significant importance for studies on structure–property relationships. A close inspection of an isotactic uniform chloral oligomer with a symmetrical chemical structure reveals that oligomers are the first examples of stable atropisomers of aldehyde oligomers and that their chiroptical properties are due only to their helical geometries. A molecular-level understanding of the mechanism and stoichiometry of the association process of polymer molecules is possible only with uniform polymers, and stereocomplex formation between isotactic and syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate)s in acetone has vigorously been studied by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and NMR. End-functionalized uniform polymers have enabled us to prepare uniform polymer architectures, such as block, graft, comb, and star polymers. A uniform stereoblock poly(methyl methacrylate) with an isotactic (methyl methacrylate)₄₆-syndiotactic (methyl methacrylate)₄₆ structure shows a single SEC peak in chloroform but three peaks in acetone, which are ascribable to intermolecularly and intramolecularly associated complexes and nonassociated molecules. A three-arm star polymer with one isotactic chain and two syndiotactic chains shows a peculiar SEC behavior in acetone due to a braid type of intramolecular stereocomplex formation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 416–431, 2004     

Statistical Chain Dimensions of Poly (vinyl acetal)-Type Molecules

Acetalization of poly(vinyl alcohol) molecules results in acetal ring formation between two successive hydroxyl groups. This will dominate the chain stiffness of poly(vinyl acetal) in different ways, depending on the stereospecificity of poly(vinyl alcohol) used as the starting material. The present paper first deals with calculations of statistical dimensions of hypothetical poly(vinyl acetal) chains with a 100% degree of substitution and different stereospecificities (isotacticity and syndiotacticity). The calculations are essentially identical with those made by Wall and Markovitz, but recent stereochemical knowledges of the acetal ring and poly(vinyl alcohol) are taken into account. The results show that the chain dimension of poly-(vinyl acetal) chain derived from isotactic poly(vinyl alcohol) is much larger than that of poly(vinyl acetal) derived from the syndiotactic one. The treatment used above is extended to more realistic chains that have any degree of stereoregularity and of substitution. As has been anticipated intuitively, it is ascertained that the chain dimensions increase with increase in the degree of substitution for each stereospecificity.     

Conformations et stereoregularite de poly 2 vinyl pyridines—II Etude theorique

The molecular optical anisotropy of isotactic and atactic (anionic) poly 2 vinyl pyridines has been interpreted according to the rotational isomeric state model and in terms of meso and racemic dyads. In the hypothesis of a Bernouillian propagation process, analysis of the results shows that isotactic and atactic compounds contain respectively 98–99% and 9–10% of meso dyads. Therefore the so-called atactic polymer is essentially syndiotactic.