Polymerization of ordered tail-to-tail vinyl stearate bilayers

This study is a continuation of previous work done in this laboratory which has demonstrated the possibility of polymerizing built-up monomer multilayers in the solid state. In the present work, the formation, structure, and solid-state polymerization of multilayers of vinyl stearate which can be built up by the method of Langmuir and Blodgett were studied. A new technique to polymerize such films under the water surface was developed. This made possible the formation of poly(vinyl stearate) multilayers with different molecular orientations through bilayer polymerization. The mechanism of deposition and the structure and properties of head-to-tail and head-to-head, tail-to-tail poly(vinyl stearate) multilayers were investigated by using Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and electron diffraction.     

Critical surface tension of poly(vinyl butyral) and poly(vinyl benzal) multilayers and its relation to their surface orientation. I. Effect of surface pressures during deposition

Critical surface tensions γ_c of poly(vinyl butyral) and poly(vinyl benzal) multilayers built up by the Langmuir-Blodgett method were measured with polyhydric alcohols and n-alkanes. The γ_c values of both polymer multilayers increased with increasing pressures of the piston oils used to control pressures of polymers on the water surface during deposition. The γ_c value of poly(vinyl butyral) multilayers built up to lower pressure of the piston oil was approximately consistent with a crystalline hydrocarbon surface, while the γ_c value of the multilayer built up to higher pressure of the piston oil was approximately consistent with a—CH₃ rather than a ? CH₂ ? CH₂? surface. All results for γ_c values of poly(vinyl benzal) multilayers were very close to the γ_c value of benzene ringrich surface. The γ_c value of the multilayer built up to lower pressure of the piston oil almost coincided with the γ_c value for amorphous polystyrene, while the γ_c value for the multilayer built up to higher pressure of the piston oil was in fair agreement with γ_c for an aromatic ring edge in the crystalline state. Values of γ_s^d, the dispersion force contribution to the surface free energy of multilayers calculated by Fowkes' relation, were in fair agreement with the corresponding observed γ_c values, respectively. It is concluded from these measurements that orientations and surface structures in both polymer multilayers are affected by pressure change of piston oils. The properties on monolayers of two polymers at a air-water interface and on barium stearate multilayers are also presented.     

Electron diffraction studies of multilayers of vinyl stearate

Multilayers of vinyl stearate monomer were built up using the Blodgett technique. These were observed at low temperatures by electron diffraction and hexagonally twinned diffraction was observed. The reflections were indexed to be the (200) and (112) resulting from the pure vinyl stearate monoclinic cell. Hexagonal twinning was attributed to three preferred growth directions dictated by the original monolayer order–disorder packing.     

Self-organizing cyclolinear methylcyclohexasiloxane polymers carrying reactive vinyl groups

Atactic cyclolinear organosilicon polymers containing vinyl substituents in RSiO_1.5, R₂SiO or both moieties have been synthesized through the heterofunctional polycondensation of trans,cis-2,8-dihydroxymethyl(vinyl)cyclohexasiloxanes with 2,8-dichloromethyl(vinyl)cyclohexasiloxanes. The structure of the polymers has been studied by ¹H and ²⁹Si NMR and IR spectroscopy, molecular mass measurements, and elemental analysis. The phase behavior of these copolymers in the bulk has been examined by DSC, X-ray diffraction, and polarization optical microscopy. It has been shown that the copolymer can exist in the mesomorphic state in the temperature range from ?100 to +200°C. The X-ray data indicate changes in the interlayer spacing and the type of packing of cyclolinear poly(methylvinylsiloxanes) with an increase in the content of vinyl substituents in the repeating units of the polymer. The ability of cyclolinear poly(methylvinylsiloxanes) to spread over the water/air interface and to form mono-and multilayers has been investigated. As the content of vinyl substituents in the polymer unit is increased to two or four, the ability of polymers to form multilayers is preserved. The incorporation of vinyl substituents into RSiO_1.5 or R₂SiO moieties of polymer units is accompanied by the formation of monolayers.     

γ-Ray-induced copolymerization of ethylene and vinyl chloride in liquid carbon dioxide

The γ-ray-induced copolymerization of ethylene and vinyl chloride with the use of liquid carbon dioxide as a solvent was studied under a total pressure of 400 kg/cm², with a dose rate of 2.5 × 10⁴ rad/hr at 30°C. A rubberlike, sticky polymer is obtained when the molar concentration of vinyl chloride is less than 30% in the monomer mixture, and the polymer is a white powder at higher concentrations of vinyl chloride. Infrared, x-ray, and differential thermal analyses confirm that the polymerization products are noncrystalline, true random copolymers. The rate of copolymerization decreases markedly when a small amount of vinyl chloride is added to ethylene monomer. In the range of vinyl chloride concentration higher than 5%, however, the rate and the molecular weight of copolymer increase with increasing concentration of vinyl chloride. It has been concluded from kinetic considerations based on these results that the rate of initiation increases proportionally with the concentration of vinyl chloride. Further, the growing chain radicals are shown to be deactivated by the cross-termination reaction between the radicals with terminal unit of ethylene and vinyl chloride, and no transfer reaction occurs.     

The free radical initiated polymerization of diethylfumarate

The kinetics of polymerization of diethylfumarate initiated by 1,1′ azo-bis-isobutyronitrile have been studied at temperatures between 60 and 80°. Difficulty in isolating the polymer was overcome by using a petroleum ether-methanol two-phase system to separate the monomer and polymer, and by precipitating the polymer from the methanol phase with an aqueous salt solution. The density of the polymer varied from 1·183 g/cm³ at 80° to 1·211 g/cm³ at 20°, giving volume contractions of approximately 16 per cent for complete conversion of monomer into polymer. The initiator exponent was about 0·45, i.e. slightly lower than normally obtained from free radical initiated vinyl polymerization. The overall energy of activation for the polymerization was 89 ± 2 kJ/mole. Constants for chain transfer with monomer, determined from rate and molecular weight measurements at 60, 70 and 80, were in the region of 0·005 0·017.     

Polymerization of oriented monomers. V. Radiation-induced polymerization of 3n-dodecyl-1-vinylimidazolium iodide in micellar aggregates

In the present study radiation-induced polymerization of 3n-dodecyl-1-vinylimidazolium iodide (I) in micellar aggregates was investigated. For comparison, the corresponding isotropic polymerization of I was also studied. Micellization was obtained in concentrated aqueous solutions; that is, above the monomer's critical micelle concentration (CMC) polymers obtained by both modes of polymerization were treated similarly and subsequently subjected to physical characterization. The main purpose of this study was to investigate whether the degree of organization of the monomer in micelles would affect polymer properties. Attempts to determine tacticity by ¹³C-NMR spectrometry failed because of the particular structure of the polymer. Crystallization of these polymers from ethyl alcohol or acetone was not possible as indicated by x-ray powder diffraction patterns that were characteristic of amorphous polymers. On the other hand, viscosity data of polymers do not depend on the mode of polymerization. It is therefore concluded that micellar aggregates are not sufficiently organized to affect polymer properties.     

Polymerization of diacetylenes in multilayers

A series of amphiphilic diacetylene monocarbonic acids was synthesized, and their ability to form monolayers at the air–water interphase was investigated. Acids with total number of C atoms ≥20 and mp >45°C form surface states suitable to be used for buildup of multilayers by the Langmuir–Blodgett technique. Using the LB technique, multilayers of defined thickness were built up on quartz substrates. The multilayers were polymerized by exposure to a UV light source according to the mechanism of solid-state polymerization of diacetylenes without destruction of the layer structure and with retention of the packing in the individual layers. Thus well-defined polymer multilayers were obtained. The monomer and polymer multilayers were characterized by UV spectra, x-ray small-angle diffraction, and interference microscopic and electron microscopic techniques. The polyconjugated backbones of the polymer chains are all stretched out in the plane of the substrate but not over macroscopic dimensions because the multilayers have a crystalline domain structure. The polymer multilayer films are quite stable under ambient conditions.     

Chain transfer constants for vinyl monomers polymerized in methyl oleate and methyl stearate

Chain transfer constants were obtained for styrene, methyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate and vinyl acetate, polymerized in methyl oleate and methyl stearate at 60°C. Transfer constants increased in the order: methyl methacrylate < styrene < methyl acrylate ? vinyl acetate in both solvents. Average values of the transfer parameters were: for methyl oleate, Q_tr = 2.04 × 10^?4, e_tr = 1.08; for methyl stearate, Q_tr = 0.373 × 10^?4, e_tr = 1.01. Indication that polar species predominate in the transition state is supported by the observed order of reactivity. The usual rate dependence appeared to be followed by all of the monomers except vinyl acetate, which was retarded, severely in methyl oleate. Transfer in methyl oleate was about 5.8 times greater than that found in methyl stearate for these four monomers. The internal allylic double bond of methyl oleate had about the same reactivity in transfer as had the terminal unsaturation in N-allylstearamide at 90°C. Rough estimates were obtained of the monomer transfer constants for the long side-chain homologs of these four monomers from the respective monomer transfer constants and the experimental transfer constants, corrected for transfer to the labile groups of the solvent. It was concluded that the rate of polymerization would determine in large measure the degree of polymerization for the reactive 18-carbon homologs but that the molecular weight of poly(vinyl stearate) and (oleate) will be regulated primarily by transfer to monomer.     

Topotactic solid-state polymerization of 3-aminocrotonamide by radiation

Radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of 3-aminocrotonamide (3-amino-2-butenamide) was carried out at room temperature, in open air atmosphere and under vacuum condition. The polymer obtained was white powder, soluble in methanol, but insoluble in water. The nature of polymers were investigated by IR, UV, x-ray, DP-MS, and elemental analysis to elucidate the mechanism of the polymerization. The polymer was crystalline with melting point in the range of 245–255°C. The cell parameters and space group of monomer and polymers were determined from powder x-ray diffraction patterns. The similarity of crystal structures of monomer and polymer indicated a topotactic polymerization. It was shown by spectroscopic investigations and elemental analyses that the polymerization proceeds by condensation reaction with evolution of one mole ammonia per two combined moles of monomer through a free radical mechanism. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole by transition metal salts

The polymerization of N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) in the presence of transition metal salts such as WCI₆, MoCI₅, TaCl₅ and NbCl₅ under different reaction conditions was studied. In general, aromatic solvents were found to be superior to aliphatic solvents in the polymerization of NVC, i. e., both conversion and molecular weight were higher in aromatic solvents. It was observed that the polymerization reaction proceeds rapidly and almost quantitatively, even at low monomer concentration (< 5 × 10^?2M) and at low catalyst to monomer mole ratio (10^?5) in aromatic solvents. The copolymerization of NVC with acenaphthylene (ACN) was also investigated in solution at room temperature. The resulting homo- and copolymer were characterized by IR, NMR, x-ray diffraction, and elemental analysis. Thermal and photophysical properties are also reported. From the spectral data, the polymerization solvent was found to have a strong influence upon the polymer stereoregularity.     

Topotactic Solid-State Polymerization of Acenaphtylene by Radiation

ABSTRACT

The radiation-induced solid-state polymerization of acenaphthylene was carried out under vacuum at room temperature. The monomer and obtained polymer samples were investigated by UV, FTIR, DSC, TG, and powder X-ray diffraction methods to characterize the polymer and elucidate the polymerization mechanism. The polymer samples were crystalline with melting points ranging in 380-390°C interval. Polymerization takes place through vinyl groups by a radical mechanism and crystal structure of monomer and polymer studied by powder X-ray diffraction were quite similar. The space group for both were P22 ₁ 2 and cell parameters: a = 784.2 (6), b = 798.1(6), c = 1417.0(1) pm for monomer, and a = 791.7(8), b = 803.8(7), c =1431.0(1) pm for polymer. The similarity of crystal structures shows a topotactic polymerization of monomer.     

Preparation of polymandelide by reaction of α-bromophenylacetic acid and triethylamine

Polymandelide was prepared in 77% yield by reaction of α-bromophenylacetic acid and triethylamine. The product was characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR and IR spectra and isolation and identification of mandelic acid from hydrolysis of the polymer. The NMR spectra indicate the presence of tacticity at CH in the polymer. Molecular weights were determined by GPC and viscosity measurements; n values of 12–20 are comparable to those reported for polymandelides prepared by other methods. The x-ray powder diffraction pattern showed the product to be completely amorphous. Thermal decomposition was studied using DSC.     

Preparation of ordered and crosslinked films from liquid crystalline vinyl ether monomers

Thermally stable ordered films were prepared by in-situ photopolymerization of an oriented monomer mixture, consisting of mesogenic monofunctional and bifunctional vinyl ethers. Orientation was achieved by a simple surface treatment, using an unidirectionally rubbed polyimide film. The films restored their orientation when cooled down from temperatures of 200°C. Highly ordered densely crosslinked films have been prepared by polymerization of bifunctional mesogenic vinyl ether monomers. Polymerization from various monomer phases resulted in LC polymer network films with different molecular organizations. It was shown that films with nematic, smectic A and smectic B structures were obtained, the latter having a very high degree of orientation. The films were analyzed with small-angle X-ray scattering, polarized light microscopy and infrared- dichroism measurements.     

Crystallization during polymerization of poly-p-xylylene. III. Crystal structure and molecular orientation as a function of temperature

Polymerization of p-xylylene was carried out from the gas phase with monomer produced by the pyrolysis of [2,2]-p-cyclophane. The crystalline form and preferred orientation of as-polymerized polymer deposited at various temperatures (?196 to 80°C) were investigated by x-ray diffraction methods. The melting behavior and other thermal transitions were studied by DSC. At 80°C the polymer film deposit is a mixture of the α and β forms, while between 60 and 0°C the deposit is of the α form. At lower temperature the polymer deposit is mainly of the β form, which shows diffuse reflections. At liquid nitrogen temperature it is of the β form with sharp reflections, contaminated with a small amount of oligomer. It was also found that at low temperatures, fibrillar crystals grow from the substrate in a direction 45° against the gas flow, and at even lower temperature, well-oriented filmlike crystals grow perpendicular to the substrate surface.     

Branched polystyrene with abundant pendant vinyl functional groups from asymmetric divinyl monomer

Branched polystyrenes with abundant pendant vinyl functional groups were prepared via radical polymerization of an asymmetric divinyl monomer, which possesses a higher reactive styryl and a lower reactive butenyl. Employing a fast reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) equilibrium, the concentration of active propagation chains remained at a low value and thus crosslinking did not occur until a high level of monomer conversion. The combination of a higher reaction temperature (120 °C) and RAFT agent cumyl dithiobenzoate was demonstrated to be optimal for providing both a more highly branched architecture and a higher polymer yield. The molecular weights (M_ws) increased with monomer conversions because of the controlled radical polymerization characteristic, whereas the M_w distributions broadened showing a result of the gradual increase of the degree of branching. The evolution of branched structure has been confirmed by a triple detection size exclusion chromatography (TRI‐SEC) and NMR technique. Furthermore, the double bonds in the side chains were successfully used for chemical modification reactions. ¹H NMR and FTIR measurements reveal that the great mass of pendant vinyl groups were converted to the corresponding objective end‐groups. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 6023–6034, 2008     

Kinetic study of the crosslinking reaction of 1,2‐polybutadiene with dicumyl peroxide in the absence and presence of vinyl acetate

The crosslinking reaction of 1,2-polybutadiene (1,2-PB) with dicumyl peroxide (DCPO) in dioxane was kinetically studied by means of Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FTNIR). The crosslinking reaction was followed in situ by the monitoring of the disappearance of the pendant vinyl group of 1,2-PB with FTNIR. The initial disappearance rate (R₀) of the vinyl group was expressed by R₀ = k[DCPO]^0.8[vinyl group]^−0.2 (120 °C). The overall activation energy of the reaction was estimated to be 38.3 kcal/mol. The unusual rate equation was explained in terms of the polymerization of the pendant vinyl group as an allyl monomer involving degradative chain transfer to the monomer. The reaction mixture involved electron spin resonance (ESR)-observable polymer radicals, of which the concentration rapidly increased with time owing to a progress of crosslinking after an induction period of 200 min. The crosslinking reaction of 1,2-PB with DCPO was also examined in the presence of vinyl acetate (VAc), which was regarded as a copolymerization of the vinyl group with VAc. The vinyl group of 1,2-PB was found to show a reactivity much higher than 1-octene and 3-methyl-1-hexene as model compounds in the copolymerization with VAc. This unexpectedly high reactivity of the vinyl group suggested that an intramolecular polymerization process proceeds between the pendant vinyl groups located on the same polymer chain, possibly leading to the formation of block-like polymer. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4437–4447, 2004     

Solid-state synthesis of a ladder polymer

Solid-state synthesis of a cyclically bound ladder polymer from a cyclic tetradiyne (cyclodotriaconta-1,3,9,11,17,19,25,27-octayne) is described. Irradiation of the colorless, needlelike monomer crystals with interstitially incorporated chloroform with 50 Mrad of ⁶⁰Co γ-ray radiation results in red-brown polymer fibers in nearly quantitative yield. Infrared, Raman, and x-ray diffraction analyses of the polymer are consistent with polymerization by a 1,4-addition reaction at each diacetylene linkage to produce four fully conjugated chains joined together in pairs by a total of four ? (CH₂)₄? interchain linkages per 4.8-Å polymer repeat unit. Conformationally, it appears that the cyclic tetradiyne monomer polymerizes via a chair form. The results of the mechanical and thermal analyses indicate the presence of unreacted diacetylene functionality in the ladder polymer crystals.     

Allyl stearate copolymers and terpolymers: Thermal,mechanical, and solution properties of polymers incorporating vinyl chloride

Poly(allyl stearate) and selected copolymers and terpolymers modified by allyl stearate were investigated in this work. The systems selected and studied over a wide range of composition, included copolymers with vinyl stearate and with vinyl chloride, and terpolymers containing vinyl chloride and allyl stearate, modified further by vinyl stearate or vinyl acetate. Copolymers of allyl stearate and vinyl stearate were studied incrementally across the range of composition. In the ester copolymers the effect of degradative chain transfer on crystallization and solution properties was studied. A relation was obtained between intrinsic viscosities and number-average molecular weights; a shift in molecular weight distribution with increase in allyl component was demonstrated. The crystallinity contributed by the side chains was shown to be characterized by isomorphic replacement regardless of molecular weight. Mechanical properties of internally plasticized copolymers of allyl stearate and vinyl chloride, in a limited composition range, were compared with corresponding data for copolymers of vinyl stearate and vinyl chloride. While molecular weight reduction of the allylic copolymers exceeded that for the vinyl ester system, the effect, in the useful plasticization composition range, was not enough to grossly affect ultimate properties. The glass transitions of the hypothetical amorphous homopolymers of both fatty esters were estimated to be the same. Because this T_g was low (ca. ?110°C), only relatively small mole fractions of allyl stearate were needed for effective plasticization. Isochronal temperature–composition diagrams also showed both systems to be essentially identical, but marked differences were found for diluent mixtures incorporating di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DOP). An empirical equation, previously derived, adequately predicted the decline in degree of polymerization with increase in allyl stearate between the limits of the respective homopolymers for all copolymers studied. Terpolymers followed the trends of the copolymers and offered no special property advantage.     

Effect of diluents on poly(vinyl acetate) dynamics

The effect of diluents and temperature on segmental motion in poly(vinyl acetate) was investigated by both NMR and ESR spectroscopy. Three classes of diluents were studied: chloroform, a thermodynamically good solvent; water, a poor solvent which slightly swells the polymer and lowers its glass transition temperature; and decane, a nonsolvent so poor it does not appear to swell the polymer nor lower the calorimetric glass transition temperature. At all temperatures investigated each type of diluent increased the segmental motion of the polymer over that of the bulk sample. Under the conditions studied, ¹³C and ²H NMR and nitroxide spin-label ESR data gave similar views of segmental motion of the polymer, indicating that in this amorphous polymer the segmental motion of the polymer may be safely inferred from spin-label data.