Studies in Vinyl Polymerization. Reinitiation by Allyl Chloride Transfer Radicals in the Polymerization of Vinyl Acetate

The kinetics of vinyl acetate polymerization in the presence of allyl chloride were studied by a dilatometric method. The retardation of the rate of polymerization was explained in terms of degradative chain transfer to allyl chloride. Analysis of the polymerization rate data indicates that a relatively large proportion of the allyl chloride transfer radicals is reactive toward initiation.     

Polymérisation et copolymérisation radiochimique du bromure de vinyle

The kinetics of the radiation induced polymerization of vinyl bromide (V Br) were investigated in bulk and in acetonitrile solutions. The reaction proceeds with precipitation. In bulk the conversion curves exhibit slight auto-acceleration and the order with respect to chain initiation is 0.78. The molecular weight of the resulting polymer lies between 110.000 and 120.000: it depends very little on the rate of initiation. This fact, as well as the very high values calculated for the radiolytic yield of chain initiation, indicate efficient chain transfer to the monomer. The addition of acetonitrile strongly reduces the polymerization rate and the conversion curves become auto-retarded. It is assumed that this effect is caused by an unreactive radical resulting from the addition of a growing chain to the nitrile group. The rate of copolymerization of V Br with acrylonitrile exhibits a minimum for a mole fraction of 0.88 of V Br. The reactivity ratios are calculated and the solubilities of the various copolymers are measured.     

Non-steady state model for free radical polymerization

The non-steady state theory for the kinetics of free radical polymerization taking no account of gel-effect is reviewed. Considering the facts that the monomer consumption in chain propagation is much higher than that in chain initiation and the rate constant of chain termination is much larger than that of chain propagation or transfer, a few very close approximations are introduced to solve the set of kinetical differential equations of free radical polymerization. The expressions for various molecular parameters, such as the molecular size function, the number- and weight-average degrees of polymerization and the dispersity, are derived. In accord with the non-steady state theory, the curves of free radical decay with reaction time or monomer conversion and the molecular parameters mentioned can be predicted from the reaction conditions. Several numerical examples are given.     

Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in microemulsion

This tutorial review first details the uncontrolled microemulsion polymerization mechanism, and the RAFT polymerization mechanism to provide the necessary background for examining the RAFT microemulsion polymerization mechanism. The effect of the chain transfer agent per micelle ratio and the chain transfer agent aqueous solubility on the RAFT microemulsion polymerization kinetics, polymer molecular weight and polydispersity, and polymer nanoparticle size are discussed with a focus on oil-in-water microemulsions. Modeling of RAFT microemulsion polymerization kinetics and the resulting final polymer molecular weight are presented to assist with the analysis of observed experimental trends. Lastly, the current significance of RAFT microemulsion polymerization and the future directions are discussed.     

Well‐controlled RAFT polymerization initiated by recyclable surface‐modified Nb(OH)5 nanoparticles under visible light irradiation

A recyclable solid‐state photoinitiator based on the surface modified niobium hydroxide is prepared and successfully introduces into reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization under visible light illumination. It is revealed by gel permeation chromatography analysis that well‐defined polymers with controlled molecular weight and narrow polydispersity index can be achieved when the feed ratio of photoinitiator to the RAFT agent was controlled properly. It is also found that the polymerization is highly responsive to external stimulus and when light is removed from the system polymerization stops almost immediately. In addition, the photoinitiator can be recycled and reused to initiate the polymerization for many times without significant decrease of initiation efficiency. At last, the mechanism for the light initiated polymerization is proposed to illuminate how the initiation and chain propagation proceed. This facile, green and visible light initiation methodology could attract more and more applications in polymer science with the depletion of fossil energy. A recyclable solid‐state photoinitiator based on the surface modified niobium hydroxide was prepared and successfully introduced into reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization under visible light illumination. It is revealed that well‐defined polymers with controlled molecular weight and narrow polydispersity index (PDI) can be achieved when the feed ratio of photoinitiator to the RAFT agent was controlled properly. It is also found that the polymerization is highly responsive to light initiation. In addition, the photoinitiator can be recycled and reused to initiate the polymerization for many times without significant decrease of initiation efficiency. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2715–2724     

端三吡啶基聚异丙基丙烯酰胺的合成及其金属配合物

合成出三吡啶官能化的二硫代酯并以其作为链转移剂进行了异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAAm)的可逆加成断裂链转移(RAFT)聚合,得到分子量可控和窄分子量分布的端三吡啶基聚异丙基丙烯酰胺(tpy-PNIPAAm),聚合反应为对单体浓度的一级动力学关系.Tpy-PNIPAAm在水中既保持了与聚异丙基丙烯酰胺类似的相转变行为,又拥有三吡啶(tpy)的强络合能力.将tpy-PNIPAAm与金属核素模型进行络合得到金属配合物,所得金属配合物在水中拥有与PNIPAAm类似的相转变行为,同时tpy-PNIPAAm的金属配合物由于其两亲性,在水中可以形成纳米粒子,由于纳米粒子间的静电排斥作用,这种纳米粒子即使在高于相转变温度时,仍能稳定于水中.     

Model for Kinetics of Vinyl Chloride Polymerization

This paper gives a critical review of recent models for the polymerization of vinyl chloride. In solution and bulk polymerization the effect of eventual degradative chain transfer to monomer, addition of chain transfer agents, and precipitation of polymer is discussed. A model for emulsion polymerization is described which includes particle formation and kinetics of polymerization where especially desorption and reabsorption of radicals in the particles are included.     

钼体系与铁体系催化丁二稀聚合反应聚合度与链转移的研究

本文分别研究了MoCl_2(n-C_8H_(17)O)_2-(i-Bu)_2Aloph体系,Fe(naph)_2-Al(i-Bu)_3-CH_2=CHCH_2Cl体系催化丁二烯聚合反应中聚合度与引发类型,聚合度与链转移的关系.建议用聚合度-时间曲线来决定是快引发还是慢引发,判断链转移反应的存在.对于慢引发非稳态聚合反应,提出选择准稳态来决定主要的链转移反应.并分别用图解积分法与等速比法处理数据,两种方法得到一致结果. 对等速比法的正确性从理论上进行了分析、采用链转移强度因子T_i表示向i组分转移的程度,并以比值φ_1=T_i/T表征第i种链转移剂的转移能力.     

钼体系与铁体系催化丁二稀聚合反应聚合度与链转移的研究

 本文分别研究了MoCl₂(n-C₈H₁₇O)₂-(i-Bu)₂Aloph体系,Fe(naph)₂-Al(i-Bu)₃-CH₂=CHCH₂Cl体系催化丁二烯聚合反应中聚合度与引发类型,聚合度与链转移的关系.建议用聚合度-时间曲线来决定是快引发还是慢引发,判断链转移反应的存在.对于慢引发非稳态聚合反应,提出选择准稳态来决定主要的链转移反应.并分别用图解积分法与等速比法处理数据,两种方法得到一致结果. 对等速比法的正确性从理论上进行了分析、采用链转移强度因子T_i表示向i组分转移的程度,并以比值φ₁=T_i/T表征第i种链转移剂的转移能力.     

Kinetics of photopolymerization of acrylamide in AOT reverse micelles

The kinetics of the photoinitiated polymerization of acrylamide in toluene/AOT/water inverse microemulsions have been examined for systems initiated by AIBN or a dye: triethanolamine redox reaction. The rates of polymerization were determined by dilatometry, the data being corrected for the effect of reaction exotermicity. For both the oil-soluble and the water-soluble initiating systems, the rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the first power of the incident light intensity. For AIBN-initiated systems, the rate of polymerization was also found to be proportional to the first power of the initiator concentration. The molecular weights of the polymers produced were independent of the rates of polymerization and initiation. These results suggest that exclusively monoradical termination, involving a degradative chain transfer, is occurring in these systems     

On the character of molecular weight distribution of polyethylene produced in the presence of the homogeneous catalytic system (C5H5)2TiCl2Al(C2H5)2Cl

Experimental results obtained when studying the kinetics of ethylene polymerization in toluene, as well as data on fractionating polyethylene, are analysed and compared with the results of theoretical consideration of molecular weight distribution on the basis of the proposed kinetic scheme.The constants of the reactions of propagation, initiation, transfer and termination of polymer chains are evaluated and compared with literature data.     

Kinetic modeling of two-step RAFT process for the production of novel fluorosilicone triblock copolymers

Well-defined poly(dimethylsiloxane)-b-poly(2,2,3,3,4,4,4-heptafluorobutylmethacryl-ate-b-poly(styrene) (PDMS-b-PHFBMA-b-PS) triblock copolymers were prepared by two-step reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. A comprehensive mathematical model for the two-step RAFT polymerization in a batch reactor was presented using the method of moments. The model described molecular weight, monomer conversion and polydispersity index as a function of polymerization time. Good agreements in the polymerization kinetics were achieved for fitting the kinetic profiles with the suggested model. In addition, the model was used to predict the effects of initiator concentration, chain transfer agent concentration and monomer concentration on the two-step RAFT polymerization kinetics. The simulated results showed that for the two-step RAFT polymerizations, the effects initiator concentration, chain transfer agent concentration and monomer concentration are identical and the influence degrees are different yet.     

Kinetic Investigation on the Photopolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Using Iodine Trichloride as Initiator

The photopolymerization of MMA in visible light was studied at 45°C using IC1₃ as the photoinitiator. The initiator exponent was found to be 0.16 and the monomer exponent varied between 1.0 to 1.50, depending on the nature of the solvent. Analysis of the data revealed that the polymerization was induced by a free radical mechanism. Nonideality of the kinetics was explained on the basis of 1) Monomer-dependent chain initiation and 2) Initiator-dependent chain termination via degradative initiator transfer.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of the Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate in a Y(acac)3/n-BuMgCl System

Based on the kinetics equation proposed by T. Kagiya, the kinetic study on the polymerization of methyl methacrylate(MMA) by Y(acac)3/n-BuMgCl was carried out with a dilatometer. It was found that the rate of propagation is the first order with respect to the concentration of both active center and monomer. Thus, the equation of propagation rate can be described as Rp=Kp[c*][M]. In addition, the instantaneous chain initiation and single molecular termination were concluded for the present system. The activation energy is close to 32 kJ/mol. In the polymerization, n-BuMgCl acts not only as the cocatalyst, but also as chain transfer agent with cI=3.6×10-4.     

Living free‐radical polymerization of styrene under a constant source of γ radiation

Living polymerization of styrene was observed using γ radiation as a source of initiation and 1‐phenylethyl phenyldithioacetate as a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent. The γ radiation had little or no detrimental effect on the RAFT agent, with the molecular weight of the polymer increasing linearly with conversion (up to the maximum measured conversions of 30%). The polymerization had kinetics (polym.) consistent with those of a living polymerization (first order in monomer) and proportional to the square root of the radiation‐dose rate. This initiation technique may facilitate the grafting of narrow polydispersity, well‐defined polymers onto existing polymer surfaces as well as allow a wealth of kinetic experiments using the constant radical flux generated by γ radiation. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 19–25, 2002     

Criteria for diffusion limitation in coordination polymerization

The following criteria are proposed to judge whether a coordination polymerization may be diffusion controlled or not: (1) If the number-average molecular weight and polydispersity of the polymer calculated from kinetic rate constants as a function of time agree with the experimental values, the polymerization is not diffusion controlled. (2) The polymerization may be diffusion controlled if the Thiele modulus, the ratio of the characteristic diffusion time to the characteristic reaction time, is much greater than unity; if it is much smaller than unity, the polymerization is reaction controlled. (3) If an initial linear dependence of rate of polymerization on catalyst concentration changes over to a square-root dependence, the polymerization may be diffusion limited. (4) The polymerization is likely to be diffusion limited if the instantaneous rate of polymerization is proportional to the rate of particle growth when the proportionality coefficient is the surface area of the particle. Criterion (1) is a necessary and sufficient condition as stated, as its converse is not true. All the other criteria are merely necessary but not sufficient conditions. The established Ziegler–Natta catalysts have activities too low to cause diffusion limitation; the Phillips catalyst system is likely to be diffusion limited. The polydispersity of polyolefins produced with Ziegler–Natta catalysts are not the consequence of diffusion control but are the characteristics of the catalysts in their kinetics of initiation, propagation, chain transfer, and termination.     

Catalyzed chain transfer to monomer in free radical polymerization

The kinetics and the molecular weight distribution in the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of a cobalt complex of hematoporphyrin tetramethyl ether is investigated. The whole complex of experimental data indicates the new kinetic phenomenon—catalyzed chain transfer to monomer. The possible mechanism of the chain transfer and the chain transfer agent regeneration acts is suggested.     

Emulsion polymerization of styrene using irreversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer agents: effect on the course of the polymerization and molecular weight

The emulsion polymerization of styrene with three different chain transfer agents (CTAs) based on irreversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) mechanism was first reported in this work. The influences of these irreversible AFCT agents on the rate of polymerization, particle size, and molecular weight were investigated. It was found that the intrinsic activity and desorption behaviors of the CTAs determined the efficiency for molecular weight control, rate of polymerization, and particle size in the emulsion polymerization. It has been demonstrated that the rate of polymerization and particle size decreased dramatically in the presence of the irreversible AFCT agents with high chain transfer constant (ethyl α-p-toluenesulfonyl-methacrylate), meanwhile, the molecular weight of the polystyrene could not be controlled well, whereas the irreversible AFCT agents with low chain transfer constant (butyl(2-phenylallyl)sulfane and 2,3-dichloropropene) had a slight effect on the polymerization rate, particle size, and were fairly well for molecular weight control over the whole conversion range in the emulsion polymerization of styrene. The average number of radicals per particle and the number-average molecular weight were calculated by classical radical emulsion polymerization theory, and the experimental results were in good agreement with the results of model calculations, when the irreversible AFCT agents were used as CTAs. The effect of chain transfer agents on the kinetics and nucleation in the emulsion polymerization of styrene can be attributed to desorption of chain-transferred radicals from the polymer particles. The results of this work show that butyl(2-phenylallyl)sulfane as CTA in emulsion polymerization of styrene provides the best balance between the rate of polymerization and the efficiency for molecular weight control conflicting tendencies.     

甲基丙烯酸甲酯聚合动力学和分子量模型及仿真

考虑甲基丙烯酸甲酯聚合过程中体积收缩，反应物和生成物的浓度变化，以及由于凝胶、玻璃化和笼闭等效应对各速率常数和物性参数的影响，从基元反应和物料平衡出发，推导了半间歇，有链转移剂参与情况下的聚合动力学和分子量模型。用模型仿真计算了聚合温度、引发剂、溶剂和链转移剂的种类和浓度等对甲基丙烯酸甲酯聚合动力学和聚合过程中分子量变化的影响规律，并与实验和文献数据进行比较。