1,4 polymerization of isoprene by titanate catalyst systems

Titanates are versatile in the 1,4 polymerization of isoprene. The (R′O)₄Ti/RAlCl₂ catalyst gives either cis- or trans-1,4-polyisoprene, depending on the nature of both the titanate and the solvent. Primary titanates give cis-1,4-polyisoprene in both aliphatic and aromatic solvents. Secondary titanates give cis-polyisoprene in aliphatic solvents, and trans-1,4-polyisoprene in aromatic solvents. Tertiary titanates give trans-polyisoprene in both aliphatic and aromatic solvents. A mechanism is postulated which takes into consideration the role of the solvent. ESR studies of the various titanate–RAlCl₂ catalysts were made; the paramagnetic structures are related to polymerization mechanisms.     

Equimolecular binary polydines. V. Equibinary poly(cis-1,4–trans-1,4)butadiene from bis(π-allyl nickel trifluoroacetate)

The preparation of equibinary poly(cis-1,4–trans-1,4)butadiene was investigated in the presence of bis(π-allyl nickel trifluoroacetate) modified with suitable additional ligands. The behavior of the catalytic species in the polymerization reaction as well as the specific basic properties of the equibinary polybutadiene produced support obviously a regular distribution of the cis and trans isomers in the polymer chains.     

Metal-containing initiator systems. VI. Polymerization of butadiene with metal–organic halide systems

The polymerization of butadiene with binary initiator systems consisting of some activated metals and organic halides was investigated at 60°C. From the results obtained, it was found that systems of reduced nickel and methyltrichlorosilane or dimethyldichlorosilane were most effective for the polymerization, and those of reduced nickel and carbon tetrachloride, benzyl chloride, benzyl bromide and benzoyl chloride, showed moderate activity. The polybutadienes obtained with these systems were observed to contain product of more than 80% cis-1,4 microstructure. From detailed studies on the reduced nickel–methyltrichlorosilane system, these polymerization mechanisms were explained by the hypothesis that the initiation occurred through the reaction of the dissociated transition state complex with the monomer or with a trace amount of water, and then the propagation proceeded via a coordinated cationic mechanism. These systems did not show a good activity for the cis-1,4 polymerization of isoprene.     

Synthesis and characterization of polymers of 1,4-hexadienes

The homopolymerization of trans-1,4-hexadiene, cis-1,4-hexadiene, and 5-methyl-1,4-hexadiene was investigated with a variety of catalysts. During polymerization, 1,4-hexadienes undergo concurrent isomerization reactions. The nature and extent of isomerization products are influenced by the monomer structure and polymerization conditions. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) data show that poly(trans-1,4-hexadiene) and poly(cis-1,4-hexadiene) prepared with a Et₃Al/α-TiCl₃/hexamethylphosphoric triamide catalyst system consist mainly of 1,2-polymerization units arranged in a regular head-to-tail sequence. A 300-MHz proton NMR spectrum shows that the trans-hexadiene polymer is isotactic; it also may be the case for the cis-hexadiene polymer. These polymers are the first examples of uncrosslinked ozone-resistant rubbers containing pendant unsaturation on alternating carbon atoms of the saturated carbon-carbon backbone. Polymerization of the 1,4-hexadienes was also studied with VOCl₃- and β-TiCl₃-based catalysts. Microstructures of the resulting polymers are quite complicated due to significant loss of unsaturation, in contrast to those obtained with the α-TiCl₃-based catalyst. In agreement with the literature, there was no discernible monomer isomerization with the VOCl₃ catalyst system.     

Cationic polymerization of 1,3-pentadiene I. infrared, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR investigations on the microstructure of poly(1,3-pentadiene) synthesized with cationic catalysts

This study deals with cationic polymerization of the cis- and trans-isomers of 1,3-pentadiene. The microstructure of the polymer chains is studied by ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and IR spectroscopies. It is shown that the trans-diene gives strictly trans-1,4 and trans-1,2 residual linear insaturations, whereas the cis-isomer yields also cis-1,4, cis-1,2 and 3,4-units whose overall content can reach 10 mol-%. According to the cyclization degree of the macromolecules, ranging from 30 to 70 mol-%, the number of trans-(1,2+1,4) units varies between 33 to 65 mol-% and that of trans-1,2 units between 4 and 20 mol-%. An analytical method is proposed to evaluate the average number of rings present in the polycyclic sequences. It is found that the cyclic fragments of the polymer chains consist of bi- or tri-cyclohexane fused rings containing α tetrasubstituted double bond.     

Carbon-13 NMR of polybutadiene

By using the carbon-13 NMR technique, it is shown that there are no cis-1,4–trans-1,4 linkages in a n-BuLi-catalyzed polybutadiene. The polymer consists of “blocks” of cis-1,4 units and trans-1,4 units separated by isolated vinyl units. Preliminary evidence suggests this might also be true for other types of 1,3-diene polymerization. Some of the implications of this finding on the mechanism of polymerization are discussed. Tacticity triad distributions are readily determined in polybutadienes with high 1,2 addition contents.     

Polymerization of butadiene and vinyl ether with catalyst prepared from π-allyl nickel halide and organic peroxide

The π-allyl nickel halide–organic peroxide system has been found to be active as catalyst for the stereospecific polymerization of butadiene and polymerization of vinyl ether. Benzoyl peroxide is most effective. The catalyst from π-allyl nickel chloride or π-allyl nickel bromide and benzoyl peroxide yields predominantly cis-1,4 polymer with high activity, whereas the catalyst from π-allyl nickel iodide affords predominantly trans-1,4 polymer. The catalyst system can be divided into two parts, a benzene-soluble and a sentially insoluble component. It is concluded that the catalyst activity originates esbenzene-from the insoluble nickel complex which is composed of halogen atom, benzoyloxy group of conjugated structure, allyl group, and nickel. A structure is proposed for the complex.     

Polymerization of cis- and trans-cinnamonitriles by anionic catalysts

cis- and trans-cinnamonitriles were polymerized in the presence of various anionic catalysts such as Grignard reagent, alkali metal naphthalenes, and calcium zinc tetraethyl. It was found that both monomers undergo concurrent geometrical isomerization as well as polymerization. Investigation on the calcium zinc tetraethyl catalyst showed that the trans-nitrile had polymerizability noticeably greater than that of the cis isomer. Polymers resulting from these isomeric monomers had different microstructures. These results seem to be interpretable in terms of the four-centered coordination model of the transition state.     

Polymérisation radicalaire du pentadiène-1,3. II. Microstructure des résidus pentadiéniques dans les homo- et copolymères des cis et trans pentadiènes-1,3 avec l'acrylonitrile

The microstructure of diene units was investigated in radical homopolymers of the cis and trans isomers of 1,3-pentadiene and copolymers with acrylonitrile, synthetized in bulk and emulsion. Experiments were carried out by infrared spectroscopy, 100 MHz ¹H-NMR, and 25 MHz ¹³C-NMR studies. No difference between the bulk and emulsion samples was noted. The microstructure of poly(1,3-pentadiene) is practically independent of the cis or trans configuration of the diene monomer and is as follows: 56–59% trans-1,4, 15–17% cis-1,4, 16–20% trans-1,2 7–10% cis-1,2 and 0% 3,4. On the other hand, up to about 30% of incorporated acrylonitrile (10% in the feed), the microstructure of the pentadiene fraction in the copolymers is not affected. This finding suggests that the penultimate unit has very little influence on the polymerization process involving the terminal pentadienly unit. Beyond 10% of acrylonitrile in the feed, the proportions of the structural units were linearly dependent upon the acrylonitrile content: trans-1,4 content increased whereas the amounts of cis-1,4 trans-1,2 and cis-1,2 decreased (except the cis-1,2 fraction, constant in the copolymers from the cis-diene). These results are discussed on the assumption that the microstructure of pentadiene residues is strongly associated with the acrylonitrile comonomer in the feed.     

Cationic polymerization of cyclic dienes. X. Cationic polymerization of 1-vinylcyclohexene and 3-methyl-1,3-pentadiene

1-Vinylcyclohexene (VCH), which has one of the double bonds in the ring and the other outside the ring, was synthesized and polymerized by cationic catalysts. The reactivity of VCH was very large in the polymerizations catalyzed by boron trifluoride etherate (BF₃OEt₂) and stannic chloride–trichloroacetic acid complex. Similar to other cyclic dienes, the polymerization of VCH was a nonstationary reaction having a very fast initiation step. The polymerization proceeded by either a 1,2- or a 1,4-propagation mode in which vinyl group was always involved. Particularly when BF₃OEt₂ was used as a catalyst, an intramolecular proton or an intramolecular hydride ion transfer reaction took place, resulting in the formation of methyl groups in the polymer. The degree of polymerization of polymer formed was about 10. This indicates the preponderance of monomer transfer reaction. To investigate the reason for the high reactivity of cyclic dienes, cationic copolymerizations of VCH and 3-methyl-cis/trans-1,3-pentadiene (cis/trans-MPD) was carried out. The relative reactivity of monomers decreased in the order VCH > trans-MPD > cis-MPD. On the other hand, the resonance stabilization of monomers decreased in the order VCH > trans-MPD > cis-MPD. Therefore, it could be considered that the monomer reactivity is mainly determined by the stability of carbonium ion intermediate. The relative stability of carbonium ion must be VCH > trans-MPD > cis-MPD. Thus the influence of the conformation of ion on its stability was clearly demonstrated.     

Alternate Transition Metal Complex Based Diene Polymerization

Abstract

In the last decade, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of reports on transition metal complex-mediated butadiene homo- and copolymerization. While typical classical titanium, nickel, cobalt, and neodymium based catalysts have been almost exclusively applied to the production of high cis-1,4-polybutadiene, alternative catalyst systems are currently being developed which enable tuning of the polybutadiene microstructure and permit defined changes in polymer properties such as molecular weight distribution and changes in the polymer glass temperature. Besides new products such as high trans-1,4-polybutadiene or a polymer containing a defined amount of 1,2-polybutadiene, there are butadiene copolymers with different amounts of styrene, isoprene, or ethylene. These new materials should lead to new applications especially in the area of tires, high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and ABS. This review elucidates the new developments in the area of transition metal complex-based butadiene homo- and copolymerization focusing mainly on the transition metal catalyst, the polymerization process and the resulting polymers. Mechanistic details are discussed briefly and wherever useful for the understanding of the polymerization reaction.     

Radiation-induced polymerization at high dose rate. IV. Chloroprene in bulk

Bulk polymerization of chloroprene was studied at 25°C in a wide does rate range. Variations of the rate of polymerization (R_p) and molecular weight as a function of does rate were essentially the same as those in several monomers that are capab;e of radical and cationic polymerizations. The polymerization proceeds with radical mechanism at low dose rate ans with radical and cationic mechanism concurrently at high dose rate. The number-average molecular weight of the high-dose-rate was ca. 2400. Microstructure of the polymers was mainly of trans-1,4 unit with small fraction of cis-1,4 and 3,4-vinyl unit. Fractions of the vinyl unit and the inverted unit in trans-1,4 sequence which increased at high does rate inflected the change of dominant mechanism of polymerization.     

Microstructure of polyisoprene produced by cationic polymerization: NMR spectroscopic study

High-resolution ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, including two-dimensional heteronuclear experiments, has been used to study the microstructure of polyisoprene produced by cationic polymerization. It is shown that macromolecules resulting from both regular and inverse additions are predominantly composed of trans-1,4-units, while 1,2- and 3,4-units are present in small amounts. NMR spectra demonstrate the absence of cis-1,4-units in the polymer, whereas broad signals (pedestals) are related to the presence of saturated structures. It is proposed to determine the content of trans-1,4-, 1,2-, and 3,4-units in cationic polyisoprene via the combined measurements of intensities of signals in the olefinic regions of ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra.     

π-Allyl nickel halide–oxygen system as a catalyst for polymerization of butadiene

The π-allyl nickel halide-oxygen system was found to be active as catalyst for stereospecific polymerization of butadiene. The catalyst from π-allyl nickel chloride or π-allyl nickel bromide yields the polymer of 90% cis-1,4 content with high activity, whereas the catalyst from π-allyl nickel iodide affords a polymer of 70% or less cis-1,4 content. The catalyst systems can be fractionated into two parts on the basis of solubility in benzene. It is concluded that the catalyst activity originates essentially from the benzene-insoluble nickel complex which is composed of oxygen, halogen, σ-allyl group, and nickel. The structure of growing polymer terminal is discussed in relation to the mechanism of the stereospecific polymerization.     

Donor-acceptor complexes in copolymerization. L. Preparation and microstructure of chlorine-containing alternating conjugated diene–acceptor monomer copolymers

Neighboring monomer units cause significant shifts in the infrared absorption peaks attributed to cis- and trans-1,4 units in conjugated diene-acceptor monomer copolymers. Conjugated diene-maleic anhydride alternating copolymers apparently have a predominantly cis-1,4-structure, while alternating diene-SO₂ copolymers have a predominantly trans-1,4 structure. Alternating copolymers of butadiene, isoprene, and pentadiene-1,3 with α-chloroacrylonitrile and methyl α-chloroacrylate, prepared in the presence of Et_1.5AlCl_1.5(EASC), have trans-1,4 unsaturation. Alternating copolymers of chloroprene with acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, α-chloroacrylonitrile, and methyl α-chloroacrylate prepared in the presence of EASC-VOCl₃ have trans-1,4 configuration. The reaction between chloroprene and acrylonitrile in the presence of AlCl₃ yields the cyclic Diel-Alder adduct in the dark and the alternating copolymer under ultraviolet irradiation. The equimolar, presumably alternating, copolymers of chloroprene with methyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate undergo cyclization at 205°C to a far lesser extent than theoretically calculated, to yield five and seven-membered lactones. The polymerization of chloroprene in the presence of EASC and acetonitrile yields a radical homopolymer with trans-1,4 unsaturation.     

Quantitative estimation of trans-1,4 and cis-1,4 isomers in polychloroprene by high-resolution NMR

In the ¹H-NMR spectrum of polychloroprene dissolved in C₆D₆, the ?CH proton signal was separated into two triplet peaks. These triplet signals were assigned to the ?CH proton in the trans-1,4 and cis-1,4 isomers by measurement of ¹H-NMR spectra of 3-chloro-1-butene and a mixture of trans- and cis-2-chloro-2-butene as model compounds for the 1,2, trans-1,4 and cis-1,4 isomers. In ¹H-NMR spectra (220 Mcps) of polychloroprene dissolved in C₆D₆, two triplet signals were separated completely from which the relative concentrations of trans-1,4 and cis-1,4 isomers could be obtained quantitatively.     

Homo- and copolymerization of butadiene and styrene with neodymium tricarboxylate catalysts

Homo- and copolymerizations of butadiene (BD) and styrene (St) with rare-earth metal catalysts, including the most active neodymium (Nd)-based catalysts, have been examined, and the cis-1,4 polymerization mechanism was investigated by the diad analysis of copolymers. Polymerization activity of BD was markedly affected not only by the ligands of the catalysts but also by the central rare-earth metals, whereas that of St was mainly affected by the ligands. In the series of Nd-based catalysts [Nd(OCOR)₃:R = CF₃, CCl₃, CHCl₂, CH₂Cl, CH₃], Nd(OCOCCl₃)₃ gave a maximum polymerization activity of BD, which decreased with increasing or decreasing the pKa value of the ligands. This tendency was different from that for Gd(OCOR)₃ catalysts, where the CF₃ derivative led to the highest polymerization activity of BD. For the polymerization of St and its copolymerization with BD, the maximum activities were attained at R = CCl₃ for both Nd- and Gd-based catalysts. The copolymerization of BD and St with Nd(OCOCCl₃)₃ catalyst was also carried out at various monomer feed ratios, to evaluate the monomer reactivity ratios as r_BD = 5.66 and r_St = 0.86. The cis-1,4 content in BD unit decreased with increasing St content in copolymers. From the diad analysis of copolymers, it was indicated that Nd(OCOCCl₃)₃ catalyst controls the cis-1,4 structure of the BD unit by a back-biting coordination of the penultimate BD unit. Furthermore, the long range coordination of polymer chain by the neodymium catalyst was suggested to assist the cis-1,4 polymerization. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 241–247, 1998     

13C-NMR spectra of cis-polymyrcene and cis-polyfarnesene

Homopolymers of myrcene and farnesene were prepared anionically in pure cyclohexane. The microstructure, determined from an analysis of the ¹³C-NMR spectrum and spin-lattice relaxation times, indicates the polymers are at least 85% cis-1,4, 10% cis-3,4, and under 3% trans-1,4.     

Biomimetic processes. IV. Carbocationic polymerization of isoprene initiated by dimethyl allyl alcohol

In this article, we investigate a new bio‐inspired synthetic route towards NR homologs based on the carbocationic polymerization of isoprene initiated by dimethyl allyl alcohol (DMAOH)/TiCl₄ or BF₃.Et₂O as the catalytic system. This study is the continuation of our studies related to the proof of principle that NR biosynthesis is based on a carbocationic mechanism. It is shown that using the biomimetic strategy of initiation by allylic carbocations, polyisoprene carrying a dimethyl allyl head group is produced almost exclusively via 1,4 addition, yielding repeating units with cis and trans configurations. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 2181–2189, 2009     

Epoxide polymers: Synthesis,stereochemistry, structure,and mechanism

Epoxide polymerization studies have yielded technically important catalysts and polymers. The polymers were studied by cleaving them with Group IA organometallics to monomer, dimer, and trimer glycol fragments. The identification of these glycol fragments has established that the crystalline polymers from the cis- and trans-2,3-epoxybutanes are respectively racemic and meso-diisotactic and that the amorphous polymer from the cis-oxide is disyndiotactic. These studies also showed that the amorphous fraction from propylene oxide polymerization with coordination catalysts contains substantial head-to-head and tail-to-tail segments. This work has led to a much better understanding of the mechanism of epoxide polymerization. These facts were established: (1) epoxides polymerize with inversion of configuration of the ring-opening carbon atom; (2) monosubstituted epoxides polymerize largely by attack on the primary carbon with a coordination catalyst; and (3) two or more metal atoms must be involved in the coordination polymerization of epoxides.