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.     

Polymerization of isocyanates. IV. Polymerization by aqueous initiator systems

Isocyanates were polymerized by aqueous solutions of numerous alkali salts at a low temperature. Polymer could be obtained even in the presence of a large excess of water to monomer in the polymerization system. The initiating species was proposed to be hydroxide ion.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by tri-n-butylborane–organic halide systems

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by tri-n-butylborane (TBB) was studied in the presence of various organic halides (R′X). It was found that R′X accelerated the polymerization of MMA. Aliphatic halides were more effective than aromatic halides. Cocatalytic effects of butyl halides decreased in the order: n -BuI > n -BuBr > n -BuCl; n -BuBr ? sec-BuBr > i-BuBr > tert-BuBr. In the polymerization of MMA by TBB- n -BuI, the initial rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the concentration of MMA and to the square root of the concentration of TBB-n-BuI. The apparent activation energy was 5.3 kcal/mole. From this and other results, it was assumed that the polymerization of MMA by this initiator system proceeds by a radical mechanism via a weak complex between TBB and R′X; alkyl radicals are formed by the interaction of R′X with TBB. The TBB–R′X system can initiate the polymerization of MMA and AN, but is ineffective in the polymerization of styrene.     

Metal-containing initiator systems. V. Radical and cationic polymerizations with initiator systems of reduced nickel and chlorosilanes

The polymerizations of methyl methacrylate, styrene, and isobutyl vinyl ether with the binary systems of reduced nickel and chlorosilanes [(CH₃)_nSiCl_4?n, n = 0–3] have been investigated. It was found that these systems could act as both radical and cationic initiators, depending on the nature of vinyl monomers used. The kinetic investigations indicated that methyl methacrylate polymerized via a radical mechanism, and the initiating activity of chlorosilanes decreased in the following order: SiCl₄ > CH₃SiCl₃ > (CH₃)₂SiCl₂ > (CH₃)₃SiCl ? 0. Cationic initiations were observed in the polymerizations of styrene and isobutyl vinyl ether. In the latter case, the activity of chlorosilanes was in the following order: (CH₃)₃SiCl > (CH₃)₂SiCl₂ > CH₃SiCl₃ ? SiCl₄. From the results obtained, a possible mechanism of selective initiation with these systems is proposed and discussed.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate with cupric laurate–benzoin system as initiator

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by cupric laurate in combination with benzoin has been investigated in carbon tetrachloride medium at 60°C. The rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the square root of both cupric ion and benzoin concentrations, and to the 1.5th power of the monomer concentration. Spectral studies indicated that there is a complex formation between cupric ion and the monomer methyl methacrylate. A reaction scheme, based on initial formation of the complex and its subsequent reaction with benzoin to produce the free radicals responsible for initiation has been postulated to explain the observed results.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate with cupric laurate-N,N-dimethyl formamide as initiator system

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate with cupric laurate in combination with N,N-dimethyl formamide as initiator was studied in carbon tetrachloride medium at 60°C. The rate of polymerization was found to be proportional to the 3/2th power of the monomer concentrations and to the square root of both cupric laurate and DMF concentrations. Spectroscopic investigations indicated a ternary complex formation involving cupric ion, methyl methacrylate, and DMF. A reaction scheme is suggested on the basis of these results and various kinetic constants have been evaluated.     

Relative reactivity of chloroprene and methyl methacrylate toward initiator radicals

The relative rates of addition of chloroprene (CP) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) toward small model radicals structurally similar to the poly(MMA), poly(methacrylonitrile) and poly(styrene) radical was investigated following the method of Bevington and Huckerby [J Polym Sci Polym Chem 20 (1982) 2655]. Results indicate that these small radicals are significantly more selective toward CP than the corresponding polymer radicals, consistent with earlier reports that penultimate unit effects may be important in the copolymerisation of CP with MMA and styrene. As previous investigations of substituted dienes by the end-group method have given similar results for polymer radicals and small model radicals, this may constitute evidence for a penultimate unit effect that is predominantly electronic rather than steric in origin.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate with dimethylbenzylanilinium chloride

In order to clarify the mechanism of initiation by dimethylbenzylanilinium chloride (DMBAC), the polymerization of methyl methacrylate with DMBAC has been investigated at 60–80°C. From the results of kinetic and tracer studies, it was found that this polymerization proceeded via a radical mechanism and benzyl radical was not an initiating species. However, it was also noted that DMBAC easily dissociated into dimethylaniline and benzyl chloride under the present conditions, and the overall activation energy for the methyl methacrylate polymerization was 14.6 kcal/mole. These observations indicate that initiating radicals other than benzyl radical, i.e., phenyl or methyl radicals, may be produced through a redox interaction between DMBAC and dimethylaniline dissociated from DMBAC.     

AlPO4 as catalyst in organic reactions. IV. Transesterification of methyl methacrylate

Coke deposition on monometallic Pt, Re, Ir, Ge and Sn catalysts supported on -Al₂O₃, and its influence on activity and selectivity over methylcyclopentene reforming was studied. As a result the effect can be interpreted in terms of metal-support interactions that modify the overall catalytic deactivation rates.

---

Pt, Re, Ir, Ge Sn, -Al₂O₃ . , .

     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate catalyzed by nickel complexes with hydroxyindanone-imine ligands

A series of new hydroxyindanone-imine ligands [PhN=CC2H3(CH3)C6H2(CH3)OH] (HL1) and [ArN=CC2H3(CH3)C6H2(R)OH] (Ar = 2,6-i-Pr(2)C(6)H(3), R = Me (HL2), R = H (HL3), and R = Cl (HL4)) were synthesized and characterized. Reactions of hydroxyindanone-imines with Ni(OAc)(2).4H(2)O result in the formation of the trinuclear hexa(indanone-iminato)tri(nickel(II)) complex Ni(3)[PhN=CC2H3(CH3)C6H2(CH3)O](6) (1) and the mononuclear bis(indanone-iminato)nickel(II) complexes Ni[ArN=CC2H3(CH3)C6H2(R)O](2) (Ar = 2,6-i-Pr(2)C(6)H(3), R = Me (2), R = H (3), and R = Cl (4)). All nickel complexes were characterized by their IR, NMR spectra and elemental analyses. In addition, X-ray structure analyses were performed for complexes 1 and 2. After being activated with methylaluminoxane (MAO), these nickel(II) complexes can be used as catalysts for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) to produce syndiotactic-rich PMMA. Catalytic activities and the degree of syndiotacticity of PMMA have been investigated for various reaction conditions.     

Studies on the polymerization of methyl methacrylate activated by azobisisobutyramidine

Kinetic studies on methyl methacrylate polymerization were carried out with watersoluble 2,2′-azobisisobutyramidine (ABA). The rate of polymerization was proportional to the square root of the initiator concentration in the solvents chloroform, methanol, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which confirms the bimolecular nature of the termination reaction. The monomer exponent was unity in chloroform but in methanol and DMSO the rate of polymerization passed through a maximum when plotted against the monmer concentration. This behavior in methanol has been attributed to be due to the enhanced rate of production of radical with increasing proportion of methanol. The rate of decomposition of the ABA has been observed to be faster in methanol than in chloroform. The situation becomes more complicated with DMSO, which was found to reduce the value of δ = (2k_t)^1/2/k_p in methyl methacrylate polymerization. The rate of polymerization was observed to be highly dependent on the nature of the solvent, the rate increasing with increased electrophilicity of the solvent. The dependence of R_p on the solvent has been explained in the light of the stabilization of the transition state due to increased solvation of the basic amidine group of the initiator with the increased electrophilicity of the solvent.     

Vinyl polymerization. 364. Polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated with benzaldehyde

Benzaldehyde (PhCHO) is found to be able to initiate the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA). The rate of polymerization is expressed by the following equation: R_p = const[PhCHO]^0.5[MMA]^1.5. The overall activation energy is estimated to be 56.3 kJ mole^?1. The mechanism of polymerization is discussed.     

Polymerization of coordinated monomers. XVI. Stereoregulation in the alternating copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with styrene in the presence of metal halides

Triad cotacticities of alternating copolymers of methyl methacrylate with styrene prepared in the presence of zinc chloride, ethylaluminium sesquichloride, and ethylboron dichloride are investigated from the mechanistic point of view by means of ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. The cotacticities from ¹H-NMR spectra are obtained accurately by using α-d-styrene in the place of styrene and by measuring the spectra on the copolymer in o-dichlorobenzene at 170°C. The relative intensities of three peaks of the splitting signal for the methoxy protons in the nonalternating copolymers obtained by the use of benzoyl peroxide in the absence of metal halides agree well with the cotacticity distribution calculated theoretically by the Lewis-Mayo mechanism with the stereoregulation following Bernoullian statistics. The splitting signals in the ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectra of the alternating copolymers prepared in the presence of metal halides cannot be explained by the same mechanism. The relative intensities of three peaks of the splitting signals for the methoxy protons and for the carbonyl carbon in the methyl methacrylate unit (the contents of cotactic triads centered by the methyl methacrylate unit) are not equal to those for the aromatic C₁ carbon in the styrene unit (the contents of cotactic triads centered by styrene unit). The value of f²Y - 4fxfz is not equal to zero, where fx, fy, and fz are the cosyndiotactic, coheterotactic, and coisotactic triad contents, respectively, in the alternating copolymer. Copolymers obtained in the presence of zinc chloride are not exactly equimolar alternating but always contain a methyl methacrylate unit in excess, and the relative intensities of the three peaks for the aromatic C₁ carbon change with the copolymer composition. These results are explained by a proposed mechanism: the alternating copolymerization proceeds through the homopolymerization of a ternary molecular complex composed of a metal halide, methyl methacrylate, and styrene, accompanied with the stereoregulation following first-order Markovian statistics; the increase of methyl methacrylate content in the copolymer prepared in the presence of zinc chloride is caused by the participation of the binary molecular complex composed of a metal halide and methyl methacrylate in addition to the ternary molecular complex.     

Polymerization of complexed monomers. II. Alternating copolymers of indene with methyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate

Indene has been copolymerized with polar monomers in the presence of ethylaluminum sesquichloride. The polymers have molecular weights in the 7,000–10,000 range and soften at temperatures above 150°C. The NMR spectra of the copolymers are discussed with reference to polymer structures and chain conformations. Indene is comparable to cyclopentene in reactivity in copolymerizations with methyl acrylate but is much more reactive than cyclopentene toward methyl methacrylate.     

Polymerization initiated by ylide: Polymerization of ethyl methacrylate with the use of 4-picolinium p-chloro phenacylide as initiator

The ylide 4-picolinium, p-chloro phenacylide-initiated thermal polymerization of ethyl methacrylate (EMA) was studied. 4-Picolinium p-chloro phenacylide induces the thermal polymerization of ethyl methacrylate at 65°C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) rose as the initiator concentration increased from 2 × 10^?3 to 4 × 10^?3 M and the initiating exponent was computed as 1.9. The R_p decreased as the concentration of ylide increased from 6 × 10^?2 to 1M. The greater initiator concentration also affected the molecular weight inversely. The polymerization was carried out at different temperatures and the overall activation energy was computed as 4.08 Kcal/mol. Polymerization was inhibited in the presence of hydroquinone as a radical scavenger. Kinetic studies and other data show that the overall polymerization takes place in a radical mechanism. The various kinetic parameters, such as the rate and average degree of polymerization, molecular weight, and energy of activation of the present system, were evaluated.