On the role of oil-soluble initiators in the radical polymerization of micellar systems

Polymerization in micellar systems is a technique which allows the preparation of ultrafine as well as coarse latex particles. This article presents a review of the current literature in the field of radical polymerization of classical monomers in micellar systems initiated by oil-soluble initiators. Besides a short introduction to some of the kinetic aspects of emulsion polymerization initiated by water-soluble initiators, we mainly focus on the kinetics and the mechanism of radical polymerization in o/w and w/o micellar systems initiated by classical oil-soluble initiators. The initiation of emulsion polymerization of an unsaturated monomer (styrene, butyl acrylate,...) by a water-soluble initiator (ammonium peroxodisulfate) is well understood. It starts in the aqueous phase and the initiating radicals enter the monomer-swollen micelle. The formed oligomeric radicals are surface active and increase the colloidal stability of the disperse system. Besides, the charged initiating radicals might experience the energetic barrier when entering the charged particle surface. The locus of initiation with oil-soluble initiators is more complex. It can partition between the aqueous-phase and the oil-phase. Besides, the surface-active oil-soluble initiator can penetrate into the interfacial layer. The dissolved oil-soluble initiator in the monomer droplet can experience the cage effect. The small fraction of the oil-soluble initiator dissolved in the aqueous phase takes part in the formation of radicals. The oligomeric radicals formed are uncharged and therefore, they do not experience the energetic barrier when entering the polymer particles. We summarize and discuss the experimental data of radical polymerization of monomers initiated by oil-soluble initiators in terms of partitioning an initiator among the different domains of the multiphase system. The inhibitor approach is used to model the formation of radicals and their history during the polymerization. The nature of the interfacial layer and the type of oil-soluble initiator including the surface active ones are related to the kinetic and colloidal parameters. The emulsifier type and reaction conditions in the polymerization are summarized and discussed.     

The free radical distribution in emulsion polymerization using oil-soluble initiators

A new approach is presented to calculate both the distribution of particles with iradicals and the average number of radicals per particle in emulsion polymerizations carried out using oil-soluble initiators. The convergence and accuracy of the approach were examined. It was found that, in agreement with previously published experimental results, the present approach predicts a kinetic behavior similar to that found for water-soluble initiators. This effect is primarily due to the desorption of initiator radicals from the polymer particles rather than the contribution of the fraction of oil-soluble initiator dissolved in the aqueous phase.     

Kinetics of competitive polymerization in bidisperse seed systems using oil-soluble initiators: Calculation of effect of various dimensionless parameters

Expressions for calculating the stationary state distribution of radicals in a bidisperse seed system initiated by oil-soluble initiators were developed. Dimensionless parameters were used throughout, thus making it possible to obtain general trends without introducing specific numerical values. Desorption and reabsorption of radicals, aqueous phase termi-nation, partition of the initiator into the aqueous phase, and a possible generation of single radicals are taken into account. The radical entry and exit rate coefficients are formulated in terms of power laws with respect to particle diameter. No discrimination of the various radical species and their origin is made. The derivation is based on a probabilistic stationary state analysis leading to third-order recurrence relations that are solved using confluent, hypergeometric Kummer functions. A selection of curves illustrating the effect of various dimensionless parameters on the calculated average number of radicals per particle, the order of volume growth with respect to the particle diameter, and relative rates are given. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Compartmentalized polymerization initiated by oil-soluble initiators. Calculation of average number of radicals per particle

Expressions for calculating the stationary state distribution of radicals in compartmentalized systems with a constant number of reaction loci containing an oil-soluble initiator are given. Besides pairwise formation of radicals in the particles, desorption and reabsorption, water phase termination, solubility of the initiator in the aqueous phase, and the possibility of formation of a single radical species are taken into consideration. The calculation is based on a probabilistic analysis leading to a third-order recurrence relation solved using confluent, hypergeometric Kummer functions. Some calculated curves illustrating the de-pendence of the average number of radicals per particle on various relevant parameters are included. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Free-radical distributions in emulsion polymerization which employs oil-soluble radical generators

The use of oil-soluble radical generators for emulsion polymerization is considered. When radicals are formed in pairs within particles of a seed latex, the occurrence of radical desorption leads to complex kinetics. Use of radical balances and realistic simplifications produce a method for a relatively simple calculation of radical populations in the particles. Examples are restricted, for illustration purposes, to cases where the average number of radicals per particle, n , is less than one. Very low rates of radical desorption cause a substantial increase in n . As the desorption rate increases, the value of n decreases. n increases slowly with radical generation rate. Large decreases in the chain termination rate coefficient (which may accompany a gel effect) can have a negligible effect on the value of n . Radical distributions obtained from oil-soluble initiators can be slightly broader than those expected from the use of water-soluble initiators. The kinetics of emulsion polymerization will be similar for the two types of radical generator when radicals from oil-soluble generators can desorb from the polymer particles.     

On the main locus of radical formation in emulsion polymerization initiated by oil-soluble initiators

The effect of the monomer/water ratio on the rate of polymerization per polymer particle in both seeded emulsion polymerizations and miniemulsion polymerizations was used in an attempt to elucidate the main locus of radical formation in emulsion polymerization initiated by an oil-soluble initiator (AIBN). It was found that, for the rest of conditions constant, the polymerization rate per polymer particle increased when the monomer/water ratio increased, namely when the amount of initiator dissolved in the aqueous phase per polymer particle decreased. This is an evidence against a dominant aqueous phase formation of radicals. On the other hand, these results are consistent with a mechanism in which the radicals are mainly produced in the oil-phase with significant aqueous phase termination.     

Kinetics and mechanisms of emulsion polymerization initiated by oil-soluble initiators. IV. Kinetic modeling of unseeded emulsion polymerization of styrene initiated by 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile

To explain the kinetic features of particle formation and growth in unseeded emulsion polymerization initiated by oil-soluble initiators, a mathematical kinetic model is proposed, based on the assumption that when initiator radicals or monomer radicals in the water phase enter monomer-solubilized emulsifier micelles, initiate polymerization, and propagate to a chain length which is long enough not to desorb from the micelles, the micelles are regarded to be transformed into polymer particles. It is demonstrated by comparing the experimental results obtained in the emulsion polymerization of styrene initiated by the oil-soluble initiator, 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile, with sodium lauryl sulfate as emulsifier that the proposed kinetic model satisfactorily explains the kinetic features such as the effects of initial emulsifier, initiator, and monomer concentrations on both the number of polymer particles produced and the monomer conversion versus time histories. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Polyamide capsules via soft templating with oil drops—2. Subsequent radical polymerization of styrene

The production of composite polyamide–polystyrene microcapsules by successive polycondensation and radical polymerization is easily possible in a one-pot multi-step reaction. The first step is the emulsification of the template oil phase that contains terephthaloylchloride, styrene monomer, if necessary a cyclohexane–chloroform mixture, and the oil-soluble radical initiator in an aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution. Then, the polyamide capsule formation (second step) is started by the addition of an aqueous diamine solution at 25 °C. Subsequently, the radical polymerization (third step) is initiated by raising the temperature. The morphology of the composite capsules depends strongly on the amount of styrene monomer in the oil mixture and the nature of the initiator. Interestingly, the styrene conversion is much lower if water-soluble initiators are used.     

Mechanism of copolymerization of acrylamide with a polymerizable surfactant

Associating polymers have been prepared by radical copolymerization in water of acrylamide with a micelleforming cationic polymerizable surfactant. To estimate the locus of initiation, the polymerizations were carried out in the presence of initiators and radical inhibitors of various solubilities (water-soluble or oil-soluble), and the decay of inhibitor concentration has been monitored by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Conversion–time curves simultaneously determined. The experimental data have been interpreted by taking into account the concentration and lifetime of the different radical species (primary radicals, oligoradicals, inhibitors), their partitioning between the micelles and the aqueous continuous phase, and the dynamics of the micellar system. Analysis of the data provided some insight into the copolymerization mechanism of these micellar systems.     

Emulsion and miniemulsion polymerizations with an oil‐soluble initiator in the presence and absence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger

Butyl acrylate conventional emulsion (macroemulsion) and miniemulsion polymerizations were carried out with an oil‐soluble initiator (azobisisobutyronitrile) in the presence or absence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger. For macroemulsion polymerization, in the presence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger, no particle nucleation occurred, whereas in the absence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger, particle nucleation proceeded as expected. For miniemulsion polymerization, the rate of polymerization was much higher in the absence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger than in its presence. Furthermore, in the absence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger, the miniemulsion polymerization rate increased with reduced droplet size, whereas in the presence of an aqueous‐phase radical scavenger, the trend was reversed. It is concluded that (1) for macroemulsion polymerization, the contribution from free radicals originating in the aqueous‐phase is predominant in the micellar nucleation of particles; (2) free radicals originating in the particle phase contribute to the rate of polymerization and the contribution increases with an increase in the particle size; and (3) for polymer particles with diameters of up to approximately 100 nm, polymerization is initiated from free radicals originating in the aqueous phase. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3200–3211, 2002     

An experimental study on the kinetics and mechanisms of styrene polymerization in oil‐in‐water microemulsion initiated by oil‐soluble initiators

In order to clarify the kinetic role of oil‐soluble initiators in microemulsion polymerization, the oil‐in‐water (O/W) microemulsion polymerizations of styrene are carried out using four kinds of azo‐type oil‐soluble initiators with widely different water‐solubility. The results are compared with those observed when a water‐soluble initiator, potassium persulfate (KPS) is used. For all the oil‐soluble initiators used, the molecular weight of polymers and the average size of polymer particles do not change with the monomer conversion and the initial initiator concentration. The monomer conversion is expressed as a function of r_i^0.5t, where r_i is the rate of radical generation in the whole reaction system and t is the reaction time. These characteristics are quite the same as those observed when KPS is used as an initiator. When the polymerizations are carried out with the rate of radical generation in the whole reaction system fixed at the same value, the rates of polymerization are almost the same for all the oil‐soluble initiators employed, irrespective of their water‐solubility, but are significantly lower (ca. 1/3) than that with KPS. Then, the following conclusions are given: (1) The radicals generated not only in the aqueous phase, but also in the micelle and polymer particle phase are almost equally effective for the polymerization. However, (2) only a small portion (ca. 1/9) of the radicals generated in both phases participate in the polymerization. (3) Bimolecular termination of a growing radical in the polymer particle with an entering radical and with a pair of radicals generated in the polymer particles is negligible, and hence, the molecular weight of polymers is determined only by chain transfer to monomer.     

On the kinetics of styrene emulsion polymerization above CMC. I. A mathematical model

A detailed mathematical model of the kinetics of styrene emulsion polymerization has been proposed. Its main features/assumptions are compartmentalization, micellar and homogeneous nucleation, particle formation by both initiator‐derived and desorbed radicals, dependence on the particle size of the rate coefficients, thermodynamic considerations, and aqueous phase kinetics. The model predicts that micellar nucleation dominates over homogeneous nucleation and that the evolution of the nucleation rate reaches a maximum, where desorbed radicals have an important contribution. Initiator‐derived radicals with only one monomeric unit have also a significant contribution on the rate of capture in particles. The results suggest that the correctness of the instantaneous termination approach depends not only on the size of the particle, but also on the type of entering radical (initiator‐derived or monomeric). © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2201–2218, 2000     

Inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide. I. Contribution to the study of some mechanistic aspects

The inverse emulsion polymerization of aqueous solution of acrylamide in toluene has been studied at 40°C using a blend of surfactants as emulsifying system and oil soluble azo initiators. The azo compound partition between the phases has been measured and the effects of their nature and concentration on the polymerization kinetics have been investigated. The influence of other parameters on the kinetics and particle size of the inverse latex have also been investigated: the nature and amount of the emulsifier system, the stirring rate, and the presence of oil-soluble inhibitor. The particle-size analysis using electron microscopy or dynamic light-scattering methods showed the presence of two populations of particles in the initial monomer emulsion and in the final inverse latex: one with very tiny particles (20 nm diam) and the other with larger particles (80–400 nm diam) which is highly polydispersed. The average size of these large particles undergoes a sharp decrease at a certain percent conversion depending upon the stirring rate. The evolution of the particle size distribution may result from a balance between coalescence and dispersion of the emulsion droplets under the effect of prevailing shear rate due to agitation. Concerning the initiation process, the very low solubility of the azo compound in the aqueous solution, together with the effect of the stirring rate and the presence of an oil-soluble inhibitor on the polymerization kinetics lead to the conclusion that most of the initiaton originates from the capture of radicals or oligomeric radicals produced in the oil phase or in the interfacial layer.     

Synthesis of micron-sized polymeric particles in soap-free emulsion polymerization using oil-soluble initiators and electrolytes

Soap-free emulsion polymerization of styrene using oil-soluble initiators and electrolytes was investigated to synthesize micron-sized polystyrene particles. It was clear that an oil-soluble initiator, such as AIBN, worked like a water-soluble initiator in soap-free emulsion polymerization of styrene to prepare monodispersed particles with negative charges, probably because of the polarization of the electron-attractive functional groups decomposed from the initiators and the pi electron cloud of benzene in a styrene monomer. The addition of an electrolyte enabled secondary particles to effectively promote hetero-coagulation for particle growth by reduction of an electrical double layer and prevention of self-growth. Changing the concentration and type of electrolyte enabled us to control the size up to 12 μm in soap-free emulsion polymerization of styrene using AIBN. Conventionally, organic solvents and surfactants have been used to prepare micron-sized polymeric particles, but this method enabled the synthesis of micron-sized polymeric particles in water using electrolytes without surfactants.     

Characteristics of microemulsion polymerized styrene with water-soluble versus oil-soluble initiators

The effect of oil-soluble versus water-soluble free-radical generators in the polymerization of styrene in oil-in-water (O/W) micromulsions were investigated by photon correlation spectroscopy. The microemulsions were formed by styrene, brine, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), and pentanol. The polymerizations were carried out in two microemulsions that contained droplets differing by a factor of 2.4 in volume. Under the conditions of ? = 0.019 and NaCl/SDS > 2 the microemulsions were stable and the droplets were independent of one another. Both oil-soluble and water-soluble initiators produced polystyrene that contained fractions of two different sizes. In the case of the oil-soluble initiator the droplet size in the microemulsion seemed to be correlated to the size of the product whereas in the case of the water-soluble initiator, there seemed to be little relation.     

Nitroxide mediated living radical polymerization in miniemulsion

The introduction of the aqueous phase into a living radical polymerization increases the complexity of the kinetics by creating the possibility of species partitioning between the aqueous and organic phases, and introducing aqueous phase reactions which could play a significant role particularly in chain initiation and/or particle nucleation. We have conducted a series of styrene miniemulsion polymerizations in which the solubility of initiator and nitroxide have been systematically varied. Experiments were run using either water-soluble (potassium persulphate) or oil-soluble (benzoyl peroxide) initiator, and either TEMPO or 4-hydroxy-TEMPO. These two nitroxides vary considerably in their water solubility. The effects of initiator and nitroxide solubility in water on conversion-time behaviour, molecular weight and initiator efficiency are presented.     

Kinetics of the dispersion polymerization of acrylamide

Aqueous solutions of acrylamide were dispersed with non-ionic surfactants within isoparafinic hydrocarbons to particles of approx. 1 μm and polymerized in a batch reactor by water-soluble and oil-soluble azo-initiators at 42 to 57°C. The resulting conversion-time curves are S-shaped showing a strong gel effect. For maximum rate of polymerization, the following kinetic expressions were determined for the conditions investigated:

$\text{r}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>max</mtext>}}\text{=kC}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>I,o</mtext>}}{}^{0.5}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>M,o</mtext>}}$

for water-soluble initiators;

${}_{\mathrm{<mtext>max</mtext>}}\text{=kC}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>I,o</mtext>}}\text{C}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>E,o</mtext>}}{}^{\mathrm{?0.2}}$

For oil-soluble initiators, the overall rate constant k is a function of interface area and temperature. The interface area is dependent on the phase ratio, stirring speed and temperature. For constant interface areas, an activation energy of 26 kJ/mol was found. The overall activation energy of the polymerization is 88.2 kJ/mol, when temperature dependence of the interphase is not taken into account. Polymerization of acrylamide with oil-soluble initiators can be described at low conversions by a model which considers mass transfer of primary radicals, and to a lesser extent of initiator molecules, from the oil phase into the water phase as rate determining step and termination by primary radicals. The resulting molecular weights of the polymer are extremely high (10⁶g/mol) and depend on temperature, stirring speed and concentration of initiator, emulsifier and monomer.     

水溶性和油溶性引发剂引发γ-甲基丙烯酰氧基丙基三甲氧基硅烷/苯乙烯细乳液共聚合的比较

分别用水溶性的过硫酸钾(KPS)和油溶性的2,2′-偶氮二异丁腈(AIBN)为引发剂引发γ-甲基丙烯酰氧基丙基三甲氧基硅烷(MPS)/苯乙烯(St)细乳液共聚合反应.比较了两类引发剂对MPS/St共聚合动力学(包括硅氧烷水解动力学和MPS/St的自由基共聚合动力学)、乳胶粒稳定性和共聚产物微结构的影响.     

Styrene miniemulsion polymerization initiated by 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile

The effects of various parameters on the dodecyl methacrylate (DMA) or stearyl methacrylate (SMA) containing styrene miniemulsion polymerizations were investigated. These parameters include the type of initiators [2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) vs. sodium persulfate (SPS)], the size of the homogenized monomer droplets, the AIBN concentration, and the SDS concentration. A small quantity of a water-insoluble dye was also incorporated into the polymerization system to study the related particle nucleation mechanisms. The oil-soluble AIBN promotes nucleation in the monomer droplets, whereas homogeneous nucleation predominates in the reaction system with the water-soluble SPS. Homogeneous nucleation, however, cannot be ruled out in the DMA or SMA containing polymerizations with AIBN as the sole initiator. Increasing the level of AIBN or SDS enhances formation of particle nuclei via homogeneous nucleation. The reaction kinetics is primarily controlled by the competitive events of monomer droplet nucleation and homogeneous nucleation. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2537–2550, 1999