Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate in the Presence of Imidazole Derivatives. Kinetics and Polymer Structure

The kinetics of the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of imidazole (Im), 2-methylimidazole (2MIm), or benz-imidazole (BIm) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 15–40°C was investigated by dilatometry. The rate of polymerization, R_p , was expressed by R_p = k[Im] [MMA]², where k = 3.0 × 10^?6 L²/(mol² s) in THF at 30°C. The overall activation energy, E_a , was 6.9 kcal/mol for the Im system and 7.3 kcal/mol for the 2MIm system. The relation between logR_p and 1 T was not linear for the BIm system. The polymers obtained were soluble in acetone, chloroform, benzene, and THF. The melting points of the polymers were in the range of 258–280°C. The ¹H-NMR spectra indicated that the polymers were made up of about 58–72% of syndiotactic structure. The polymerization mechanism is discussed on the basis of these results.     

Synthesis of vinyl ether-capped telechelic poly(tetrahydrofuran)

Vinyl ether-terminated telechelic poly(tetrahydrofuran) (poly(THF)) was synthesized by the reaction of a bifunctional living cationic polymer of THF with an excess of Na⊕⊖OCH₂CH₂ O CHCH₂ in THF at 0°C. The obtained polymer has narrow molecular weight distribution and end functionality close to two.     

Kinetics of the Copolymerization of Methyl Vinyl Ketone and Acrylamide Initiated by the Adduct of Methyl Vinyl Ketone and Imidazole

N-(Butyl-3-one)imidazole acts as an initiating adduct which is formed in the anionic polymerization of methyl vinyl ketone (MVK) induced by imidazole (Im) and is directly formed from Im and the MVK monomer. The kinetics of the anionic homopolymerization of MVK and acrylamide (AAm) under argon in the presence of the adduct were investigated in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The rate of polymerization for the MVK system is expressed as R_p = k[Adduct] [MVK], where k = 3.1 × 10^?6 L/(mol·s)in THF at 30°C. The overall activation energy, E_a , was found to be 5.34 kcal/mol. The R_p for the AAm system is expressed as R_p = k[Adduct] [AAm], where k = 6.8 × 10^?6 L/(mol·s) in THF at 30°C, with E_a 7.78 kcal/mol. The mechanism of the polymerization induced by the initiator adduct is discussed on the basis of these results.     

Preparation of water‐soluble,syndiotacticity‐rich,low molecular weight poly(vinyl alcohol) microfibrils in high yields with the low‐temperature polymerization of vinyl pivalate in tetrahydrofuran and saponification

To prepare water‐soluble, syndiotacticity‐rich poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) microfibrils for various industrial applications, we synthesized syndiotacticity‐rich, low molecular weight PVA by the solution polymerization of vinyl pivalate (VPi) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at low temperatures with 2,2′‐azobis(2,4‐dimethylvaleronitrile) (ADMVN) as an initiator and successive saponification of poly(vinyl pivalate) (PVPi). Effects of the initiator and monomer concentrations and the polymerization temperature were investigated in terms of the polymerization behaviors and molecular structures of PVPi and the corresponding syndiotacticity‐rich PVA. The polymerization rate of VPi in THF was proportional to the 0.91 power of the ADMVN concentration, indicating the heterogeneous nature of THF polymerization. The low‐temperature solution polymerization of VPi in THF with ADMVN proved to be successful in obtaining water‐soluble PVA with a number‐average degree of polymerization (P_n) of 300–900, a syndiotactic dyad content of 60–63%, and an ultimate conversion of VPi into PVPi of over 75%. Despite the low molecular weight of PVA with P_n = 800, water‐soluble PVA microfibrillar fibers were prepared because of the high level of syndiotacticity. In contrast, for PVA with P_n = 330, shapeless and globular morphologies were observed, indicating that molecular weight has an important role in the in situ fibrillation of syndiotacticity‐rich PVA. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1103–1111, 2002     

Living cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether by EtAlCl2 in the presence of ether additives: Cyclic ethers,cyclic formals,and acyclic ethers with oxyethylene units

The living cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) was investigated in the presence of various cyclic and acyclic ethers with 1-(isobutoxy)ethyl acetate [CH₃CH(OiBu)OCOCH₃, 1 ]/EtAlCl₂ initiating system in hexane at 0°C. In particular, the effect of the basicity and steric hindrance of the ethers on the living nature and the polymerization rate was studied. The polymerization in the presence of a wide variety of cyclic ethers [tetrahydrofuran (THF), tetrahydropyran (THP), oxepane, 1,4-dioxane] and cyclic formals (1,3-dioxolane, 1,3-dioxane) gave living polymers with a very narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) (M?_ω/M?_n ≤ 1.1). On the other hand, propylene oxide and oxetane additives resulted in no polymerization, whereas 1,3,5-trioxane gave the nonliving polymer with a broader MWD. The polymerization rates were dependent on the number of oxygen and ring sizes, which were related to the basicity and the steric hindrance. The order of the apparent polymerization rates in the presence of cyclic ether and formal additives was as follows: nonadditive ～ 1,3,5-trioxane ? 1,3-dioxane > 1,3-dioxolane ? 1,4-dioxane ? THP > oxepane ? THF ? oxetane, propylene oxide ? 0. The polymerization in the presence of the cyclic formals was much faster than that of the cyclic ethers: for example, the apparent propagation rate constant k in the presence of 1,3-dioxolane was 10³ times larger than that in the presence of THF. Another series of experiments showed that acyclic ethers with oxyethylene units were effective as additives for the living polymerization with 1 /EtAlCl₂ initiating system in hexane at 0°C. The polymers obtained in the presence of ethylene glycol diethyl ether and diethylene glycol diethyle ether had very narrow molecular weight distribution (M?_ω/M?_n ≤ 1.1), and the M?_n was directly proportional to the monomer conversion. The polymerization behavior was quite different in the polymerization rates and the MWD of the obtained polymers from that in the presence of diethyl ether. These results suggested the polydentate-type interaction or the alternate interaction of two or three ether oxygens in oxyethylene units with the propagating carbocation, to permit the living polymerization of IBVE. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthese und Kristallstrukturen der Nitrido‐Chloro‐Molybdate [Mg(THF)4{NMoCl4(THF)}2] · 4 CH2Cl2 und [Li(12‐Krone‐4)(NMoCl4)]2 · 2 CH2Cl2

Syntheses and Crystal Structures of the Nitrido‐chloro‐molybdates [Mg(THF)₄{NMoCl₄(THF)}₂] · 4 CH₂Cl₂ and [Li(12‐Crown‐4)(NMoCl₄)]₂ · 2 CH₂Cl₂ Both the title compounds as well as [Li(12‐crown‐4)₂]⁺MoNCl₄^– were made from MoNCl₃ and the chlorides MgCl₂ and LiCl, respectively, in dichloromethane suspensions in the presence of tetrahydrofuran and 12‐crown‐4, respectively. They form orange‐red moisture‐sensitive crystals, which were characterized by their IR spectra and partly by crystal structure analyses. [Mg(THF)₄{NMoCl₄(THF)}₂] · 4 CH₂Cl₂ ( 1 ): space group C2/m, Z = 2, lattice dimensions at –50 °C: a = 1736.6(1), b = 1194.8(1), c = 1293.5(2) pm; β = 90.87(1)°; R₁ = 0.037. In 1 the magnesium ion is coordinated octahedrally by the oxygen atoms of the four THF molecules and in trans‐position by the nitrogen atoms of the two [N≡MoCl₄(THF)]^– ions. [Li(12‐crown‐4)(NMoCl₄)]₂ · 2 CH₂Cl₂ ( 2 ): space group P 1, Z = 1, lattice dimensions at –70 °C: a = 930.4(1), b = 957.9(1), c = 1264.6(1) pm; α = 68.91(1)°, β = 81.38(1)°, γ = 63.84(1)°; R₁ = 0.0643. 2 forms a centrosymmetric ion ensemble in the dimeric cation of which, i. e. [Li(12‐crown‐4)]₂²⁺, the lithium ions on the one hand are connected to the four oxygen atoms each of the crown ether molecules in a way not yet known; and in addition, each of the lithium ions enters into a intermolecular Li–O bond with neighboring crown ether molecules under formation of a Li₂O₂ four‐membered ring. The two N≡MoCl₄^– counterions are loosely coordinated to one oxygen atom each of the crown ether molecules with Mo–O distances of 320.2 pm.     

Living anionic polymerization of lauryl methacrylate and synthesis of block copolymers with methyl methacrylate

Anionic polymerization of lauryl methacrylate (LMA) with 1,1‐diphenylhexyl lithium in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ?40 °C resulted in a multimodal and broad molecular weight distribution (MWD) with poor initiator efficiency. In the presence of additives such as dilithium salt of triethylene glycol (G₃Li₂), LiCl, and LiClO₄, the polymerization resulted in polymers with a narrow MWD (≤ 1.10). Diblock copolymers of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and LMA were synthesized by anionic polymerization using DPHLi as initiator in THF at ?40 °C with the sequential addition of monomers. The molecular weight distribution of the polymers was narrow and without homopolymer contamination when LMA was added to living PMMA chain ends. Diblock copolymers with broad/bimodal MWD were obtained with a reverse‐sequence monomer addition. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 875–882, 2004     

Synthesis of polyacetals with various main‐chain structures by the self‐polyaddition of vinyl ethers with a hydroxyl function

To establish the optimum conditions for obtaining high molecular weight polyacetals by the self‐polyaddition of vinyl ethers with a hydroxyl group, we performed the polymerization of 4‐hydroxybutyl vinyl ether (CH₂?CH? O? CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂? OH) with various acidic catalysts [p‐toluene sulfonic acid monohydrate, p‐toluene sulfonic anhydride (TSAA), pyridinium p‐toluene sulfonate, HCl, and BF₃OEt₂] in different solvents (tetrahydrofuran and toluene) at 0 °C. All the polymerizations proceeded exclusively via the polyaddition mechanism to give polyacetals of the structure [? CH(CH₃)? O? CH₂CH₂CH₂CH₂? O? ]_n quantitatively. The reaction with TSAA in tetrahydrofuran led to the highest molecular weight polymers (number‐average molecular weight = 110,000, weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight = 1.59). 2‐Hydroxyethyl vinyl ether, diethylene glycol monovinyl ether, cyclohexane dimethanol monovinyl ether, and tricyclodecane dimethanol monovinyl ether were also employed as monomers, and polyacetals with various main‐chain structures were obtained. This structural variety of the main chain changed the glass‐transition temperature of the polyacetals from approximately ?70 °C to room temperature. These polyacetals were thermally stable but exhibited smooth degradation with a treatment of aqueous acid to give the corresponding diol compounds in quantitative yields. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4053–4064, 2002     

Kinetics and mechanism of the cationic polymerization of tetrahydrofuran in solution. I. THF–CCI4 system

Polymerization of THF in CCl₄ solvent was initiated with 1,3-dioxolan-2-ylium eations with AsF₆^?, PF₆^?, and SbF₆^? anions as well as with esters of fluorosulfonic and trifluoromethanesulfonic acids. With these esters polymerization proceeds with a marked acceleration period, due to slow initiation. The corresponding rate constants of initiation and their dependence on the polarity of the THF/CCl₄ mixture were determined. The rate constant of propagation on the macroion-pairs (k_p^±) of the polytetrahydrofurylium cation with AsF₆^?, PF₆^?, and SbF₆^? and CF₃SO₃^?, anions was found to be independent in CCl₄ solvent on the anion structure and given by the expression: k_p^± = 2.93 × 10^?2 exp {?4.7 × 10³/T} at [THF]₀ = 8.0M. This constant depends on the polarity of the polymerization mixture, and at 25°C for the THF-CCl₄ system, k_p^± = 1.78 × 10^?2 exp {?4.9/D}; thus, in CCl₄ at [THF]₀ = 8.0M, and at 25° k_p^± = 4.0 × 10^?21/mole-sec. In the polymerization with derivatives of CF₃SO₃H (able to form the corresponding macroester) the overall polymerization rate is much lower than that with complex anions because of the reversible conversion of the macroion-pairs into the macroester (internal return). The macroester is much less reactive than the macroionpair (10²–10³ times) in the monomer addition reaction. At [THF]₀ = 8.0M and at 25°C, 96.5% of the growing species exists in the macroester form. Polymerization of THF initiated with derivatives of CF₃SO₃H is a subject of a strong special salt-effect. At a sufficiently high ratio of [AgSbF₆] to [I]₀, where the initiator I is C₂H₅OSO₂CF₃, the overall polymerization rate is equal to that observed for the polymerization of THF on the macroion-pairs, since the internal return within the triflate ion-pair (the macroester formation) is eliminated and polymerization proceeds on the macroion-pairs with SbF₆- anions exclusively.     

Synthesis and Properties of Phosphorus-Containing Aromatic Polyethers

The phosphorus-containing aromatic polyethers were prepared from bis(p-chlorophenyl)phenylphosphine oxide (BCPO) with the sodium salt of several bisphenols by high temperature solution polycondensation. The best result (yield 84%, n _sp /c = 0.15) was obtained from BCPO with bisphenol A (BPA) in dimethyl sulfoxide. However, the polymerization in the solvents such as N, N′-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidone, hexamethylphosphoramide, and N,N′-dimethylformamide, and the polymerization with the other bisphenols HO-C₆H₄-X-C₆H₄?OH, where X = CO, S0₂, CH₃P(O), C₆H₅P(O) in place of BPA gave gumlike polymers. The polymer prepared from BCPO and BPA did not decompose up to ca. 300°C under air or nitrogen atmosphere, but it decomposed slowly at 300–520°C, and decomposed rapidly at 520–540°C. The activation energy (δE) for the maximum rate of weight loss was 47.8 kcal/mole.     

Polymerization of substituted phenylacetylenes with a novel,water‐soluble Rh–vinyl complex in water

A novel, water‐soluble Rh complex, (nbd)Rh[PPh₂(m‐NaOSO₂C₆H₄)] [C(Ph)?CPh₂] ( 1 ) was synthesized by the reaction of [(nbd)RhCl]₂, Ph₂P(m‐NaOSO₂C₆H₄) and Ph₂C?C(Ph)Li, whose structure was determined by NMR and IR spectroscopies. The Rh catalyst 1 induced the polymerization of phenylacetylene (PA) in water to give two kinds of polymers; one was soluble in organic solvents such as tetrahydrofuran (THF) and CHCl₃, and the other was insoluble in common organic solvents. The polymerization of sodium p‐ethynylbenzoate (p‐NaOCO‐PA) homogeneously proceeded with 1 in water at 60 °C to give the polymer in high yield. Poly(p‐NaOCO‐PA) was treated with 1 N HCl and then reacted with (CH₃)₃SiCHN₂ to obtain poly(p‐MeOCO‐PA). The methyl‐esterified polymer was insoluble in THF and CHCl₃, which suggests that the formed poly(p‐MeOCO‐PA) has cis–cisoidal structure. The polymer obtained from the polymerization of [p‐CH₃(OCH₂CH₂)₂O₂CC₆H₄]C?CH with 1 in water was soluble in methanol, ethanol, and THF, and partly soluble in water. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2100–2105, 2004     

Effect of solvent in radical polymerization of butadiene 1-carboxylic acid

The radical polymerization and copolymerization of butadiene 1-carboxylic acid (Bu-1-Acid) were studied in a variety of the electron-donor solvents such as dimethylformamide (DMF), tetrahydrofuran (THF), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), acetonitrile (ACN), and benzene (BZ) using AIBN as an initiator at 50°C. Under these conditions, the polymerization rate of Bu-1-Acid increased in the order, DMF < THF < MEK < ACN < BZ in the various solvents. In copolymerization with styrene [M₂] and acrylonitrile [M₂], the monomer reactivity ratio r₁ increased and r₂ decreased in the same order. Moreover, it was found that Alfrey-Price Q-e value of Bu-1-Acid increased depending on solvent in the order DMF < THF < MEK < ACN < BZ. These variations were correlated to the electron-donating power (Δvcm^?) of the solvents used and are discussed on the basis of the solvation of Bu-1-Acid into the solvent. Also, it was found that the microstructures of these polymers were always trans-1,4 and did not change with the solvent used.     

Generation of highly stable amidate anion in anionic polymerization of 3‐(triethylsilyl)propyl isocyanate

To study living anionic polymerization, 3‐(triethylsilyl)propyl isocyanate (TEtSPI) monomer was synthesized by hydrosilylation of allylamine with triethylsilane and treatment of the resulting amine with triphosgene. The polymerization of TEtSPI was performed with sodium naphthalenide (Na‐Naph) as an initiator and in the absence and presence of sodium tetraphenylborate (NaBPh₄) as an additive in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at ?78 and at ?98 °C. A highly stabilized amidate anion for living polymerization of isocyanates was generated for the first time with the combined effect of the bulky substituent and the shielding action of the additive NaBPh₄, extending the living character at least up to 120 min at ?98 °C. Even the anion could exist at ?78 °C for 10 min. A block copolymer, poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate)‐b‐poly[(3‐triethylsilyl)propyl isocyanate]‐b‐poly(n‐hexyl isocyanate), was synthesized with quantitative yields and controlled molecular weights via living anionic polymerization in THF at ?78 °C for TEtSPI and ?98 °C for n‐hexyl isocyanate, respectively, with Na‐Naph with three times of NaBPh₄ as a common ion salt. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 933–940, 2004     

Cobalt titanate–cobalt oxide composite thin films deposited from heterobimetallic precursor

A single molecular heterobimetallic complex, [Co₂Ti(μ₃‐O)(TFA)₆(THF)₃] (1) [TFA = trifluoroacetate, THF = tetrahydrofuran], was synthesized, structurally and spectroscopically characterized and implemented as a single‐source precursor for the preparation of CoTiO₃–CoO composite thin films by aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). The precursor complex was prepared by interaction of Co(OAc)₂.4H₂O [OAc = (CH₃COO^?)] with Ti(iso‐propoxide)₄ in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid in THF, and was analysed by melting point, CHN, FT‐IR, single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. The precursor complex thermally decomposed at 480 °C to give a residual mass corresponding to a CoTiO₃–CoO composite material. Good‐quality crystalline CoTiO₃–CoO composite thin films deposited at 500 °C by AACVD and characterized through powder X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy show that the crystallites have a rose‐flower‐like morphology with an average petal size in the range of 2–6 µm. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crown ether complexes of sodium and potassium 2-(benzotriazol-2-yl)phenolates: Synthesis and catalysis towards the ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide

Crown ether complexes of sodium and potassium 2-(benzotriazol-2-yl)phenolates were synthesized and characterized. In the presence of BnOH these complexes are highly active catalysts for the controlled ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide. The polymerizations are iso-selective and the P_m of polylactide reached 0.77 when the polymerization was performed in toluene at ?60°C; whereas heterorich-polylactide was obtained when the polymerization was carried out in CH₂Cl₂ or THF.     

Cationic metal nitrosyl complexes. IV. Polymerization of olefins with dinitrosyl iron complexes

The polymerization of styrene was performed with new cationic iron complexes, (Fe(N-O)₂S_n)⁺PF₆^?(BF₄^?, CIO₄^?), where S_n represents solvent molecules such as CH₂Cl₂, THF, and MeCN. Kinetic experiments showed a first-order dependence of (R_p)₀ on the monomer and iron complex concentrations. The molecular weight determinations suggested that the termination process is fast and occurs by chain transfer to monomer. An extension of this polymerization to α-methylstyrene, isobutene, tetrahydrofuran, and styrene-methylmethacrylmate system emphasized the cationic nature of the reaction.     

Stereospecific polymerization of o-methoxystyrene by anionic initiators

o-Methoxystyrene was polymerized with n-butyllithium (n-BuLi), Na naphthalene, and K dispersion as initiators in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and toluene. The stereoregularity of the polymer was investigated by means of the NMR spectroscopy. The methoxy resonance of the spectrum split into ten components due to the tactic pentads. It was found by x-ray examination that the polymer obtained by n-BuLi in toluene at ?45°C was crystalline and highly isotactic. In THF, the stereospecificity of the polymerization was independent of the initiator, and the isotacticity of the polymer increased with increasing reaction temperature. In toluene, the stereospecificity depended on the initiator; i.e., n-BuLi gave a polymer with higher isotacticity than that given by phenylsodium. The fraction of isotactic triad of the polymer obtained by n-BuLi in toluene at ?78°C was more than 90%, but 50% at 50°C. The presence of ca. 1% THF in toluene led to a steep decrease in the isotacticity even at ?78°C. The tacticity of the polymer given by Na naphthalene was not affected by the existence of NaB(C₆H₅)₄ in THF. The polymerization in THF could be explained by Bovey's “single σ” process, while a penultimate effect was observed in the polymerization by n-BuLi in toluene.     

Trityl-initiated copolymerizations of propylene oxide with tetrahydrofuran. VIII. Influence of reaction parameters

The copolymerization of propylene oxide (PO) with tetrahydrofuran (THF) in dichloroethane (DCE) has been studied at ?10, 0, +10, and +20°C. The reactions were initiated by triphenylmethyl cations associated with the following gegenions: PF₆^?, SbF₆^?, and AsF₆^?. The overall energies of activation (E_α of PO and E_a of THF) obtained with the three gegenions increase as one passes from PF₆^? to AsF₆^? then to SbF₆^?, though the magnitude of the increase in each case is not substantial. On the other hand, the associated frequency factors A show a considerable variation with the gegenion. The bimodal distributions of the molecular weights, obtained by GPC with the copolymer produced from reactions initiated with triphenylmethyl hexafluorophosphate, show that the proportions of the lower molecular weight component (L) decrease as the solvent is changed from DCE to toluene, and this is even more marked when bulk polymerization conditions are adopted. The proportions of the higher molecular weight component (H) however increase, as does its molecular weight. The GPC molecular weight distributions of the copolymers initiated with triphenylmethyl hexafluorophosphate in DCE to which water has been added, show that the molecular weight of component H decreases with increasing concentration of water, while that of component L remains practically unchanged at a value of 308. This corresponds to an average degree of polymerization (DP ) of 4 to 5. The NMR and infrared spectra of copolymers prepared in the presence of still higher initial water concentrations indicate that the PO-based polymer segments are present in excess of those required for a 1:1 copolymer.     

Quantum chemical interpretation of the effects induced by tetramethylethylenediamine and dimethoxyethane in RLi non-polar monomer systems

The energetic and electronic parameters of various mono- and bidentate complexes of CH₃Li with N- and O-containing electron donors were calculated by the MNDO method. It was shown that N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMD) forms a more stable bidentate complex with CH₃Li than 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME). However, DME, in contrast to TMD, may form a bis-bidentate complex with CH₃Li in which the C Li bond is weakened to a higher degree than in complexes of CH₃Li with N-containing electron donors. Much lower steric hindrance of DME, as compared to that of TMD, makes an easy formation of bis- and tris-monodentate complexes of DME with CH₃Li possible; in these bis- and tris-monodentate complexes DME was simulated by (CH₃)₂O. Parameters of the C Li bond in the tris-monodentate complexes of (CH₃)₂O and tetrahydrofuran (THF) with CH₃Li are comparable to those of the bis-bidentate complex CH₃Li · 2 DME. These results are in qualitative agreement with experimental data, according to which THF and DME, in contrast to TMD, can favor the formation of separated ion pairs as active sites in anionic polymerization.     

Ultrasonic Solution Degradations of Poly(Alkyl Methacrylates)

Ultrasonic (70 W, 20 kHz) solution (2%) degradations of poly(alkyl methacrylates) have been carried out in toluene at 27°C and in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at -20°C. M_w and M_n of all polymers (before and after sonification) were computed from GPC. Irrespective of the alkyl substituent, M_w decreased rapidly at first and then slowly approached limiting values. All M_w/M_n ratios were in the vicinity of 1.5 at the limiting chain lengths. For identical M_n, the rate constants k were (4.2 ± 2.0) × 10^?6 min^?1 in toluene at 27°C and (5.4 ± 2.0) × 10^?6 min^?1 in THF at -20°C. For poly(isopropyl methacrylate) and poly(octadecyl methacrylate) with higher, but identical, M_n,0, k values were higher ((9.0 ± 1.0) × 10^?6 min^?1 at 27°C and (18.0 ± 1.5) × 10^?6 min^?1 at -20°C). This suggests that M_n,0 and not the bulk size of the alkyl substituents is the factor that determines the rate of degradation. Lowering of the temperature accelerates degradation due primarily to lower chain mobility of poly-(alkyl methacrylates) and enhanced cavitation. The average number of chain scissions ([(M_n)₀/(M_n)_t] - 1) calculated from component degradation data are much higher than those obtained with overall M_n,t values.