Alternating copolymers consisting of arylalkyl methacrylates. I. Fluorescence properties of poly(arylalkyl methacrylate-alt-styrene) in organic solution

Alternating and random copolymers of 9-phenanthrylmethyl methacrylate or 2-(9-carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate with styrene were synthesized and their fluorescence properties were examined. There was no noticeable difference in the spectral features of the alternating and random copolymers in tetrahydrofuran (THF), demonstrating that this type of polymers have no quenching sites in the polymer chains. The fluorescence quenching studies indicated that the alternating copolymers permitted singlet-state energy migration as efficiently as the corresponding random copolymers but less efficiently than the random copolymers with higher chromophore contents. These results strongly suggest that to be chromophores close to each other is most important for facilitation of an intramolecular energy migration. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Properties of well‐defined alternating and random copolymers of methacrylates and styrene prepared by controlled/living radical polymerization

The physical properties of well‐defined alternating copolymers poly(methyl methacrylate‐alt‐styrene) and poly(n‐butyl methacrylate‐alt‐styrene), prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization in the presence of Lewis acids, were investigated with differential scanning calorimetry, wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, and dynamic mechanical measurements. The properties were compared with those of random copolymers of the same overall composition and the corresponding homopolymers. Wide‐angle X‐ray scattering data showed that the alternating copolymers possessed a more regular comonomer sequence than the random copolymers. The thermomechanical properties of alternating copolymers and random copolymers were quite similar and typical for amorphous polymers, but in one of the cases studied the glass‐transition temperature for alternating copolymer was remarkably higher than for the random copolymer. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3440–3446, 2005     

Alternating copolymers consisting of arylalkyl methacrylates. II. Effect of coil collapse on fluorescence spectra of alternating copolymers of 2-(9-carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate and aromatic vinyl monomers

Alternating and random copolymers of 2-(9-carbazolyl)ethyl methacrylate with aromatic vinyl monomers were synthesized and their fluorescence properties were compared in good and poor solvents. Contraction of the polymer coils induced the hypochromic effect, i.e., the mutual interaction of the ground-state chromophores, but caused little quenching of their excited state. This is sharp in contrast with the vinyl-type of polymers, exhibiting large interactions in both the ground and excited states. Introduction of bulky groups on the comonomers in the alternating copolymers further suppressed these interactions. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Donor–acceptor complexes in copolymerization. XLIII. Cyclization of alternating and random styrene–(meth)acrylic ester copolymers

Equimolar alternating copolymers of styrene and methyl methacrylate (prepared with Et_1.5AlCl_1.5, SnCl₄, and ZnCl₂) as well as equimolar random copolymer were treated with polyphosphoric acid at 135°C. The extent of cyclization of the alternating copolymers was about 40%, independent of the cotacticity of the copolymer, and there was little or no crosslinking. The random copolymer underwent only 10% cyclization and considerable crosslinking. The extent of cyclization of the alternating copolymer of styrene and methyl acrylate (prepared with Et_1.5AlCl_1.5) was the same as that of the random copolymer and was lower than that of the corresponding methyl methacrylate copolymer. Both alternating and random copolymers underwent extensive crosslinking.     

ALTERNATING COPOLYMERS CONTAINING AN AROMATIC CHROMOPHORE IN EVERY MONOMER UNIT. 2. EXCIMER FORMATION AND INTRAMOLECULAR ENERGY MIGRATION IN ALTERNATING COPOLYMERS OF NAPHTHYLALKYL METHACRYLATE AND VINYLNAPHTHALENE

A series of alternating and random copolymers of 2-naphthylal-kyl methacrylates (NpMMA and NpEMA) and 2-vinylnaphtha-lene (VNp) were synthesized, and their fluorescence properties in tetrahydrofuran (THF) were compared. All of the alternating copolymers containing NpMMA or NpEMA showed a weak ex-cimer emission, indicating that excimer formation between naph-thyl (Np) chromophores in the alternating methacrylate sequences cannot be perfectly inhibited. No distinct difference in the fluorescence from the NpMMA and VNp moieties in poly(NpMMA-alt-VNp) (a-NpVNp) suggests that practically the same chromophores are aligned along the whole polymer chain. This observation is sharp in contrast with the corresponding phenyl polymers exhibiting different spectral features. Fluorescence quenching studies, however, showed no enhancement of the quenching efficiencies for a-NpVNp among the pres-ent polymers. Therefore, energy migration between the nearest-neighboring Np chromophores would inefficiently occur, though this polymer has the highest density of chromophores.     

Polymerization of coordinated monomers. XV. 13C-NMR study on the alternating copolymers of methyl methacrylate with styrene

By the use of various metal halides methyl methacrylate and styrene were copolymerized to produce equimolar alternating sequences and different cotacticities. The ¹³C-NMR spectra of these copolymers were simple in comparison to those of random copolymers because of the fixed monomer sequence which yielded sharply split triplets for carbonyl, methoxy, and quaternary carbons. The relative intensities in these split peaks varied according to the metal halide used. A comparison of the intensities made it possible to obtain clear-cut and quantitative information on the methyl methacrylate-centered triad cotacticity of the copolymers. The spectral assignment with respect to the methoxy carbon was definitely justified by the combined use of partly relaxed Fourier transform and selective decoupling techniques. The spectrum of aromatic C₁ carbon in styrene units also split into three main peaks. From their relative intensities the splitting was attributed to styrene-centered triad cotacticity. The assignment of this carbon was compared with two other assignments made for random copolymers of methyl methacrylate with styrene; they were contradictory, however. Furthermore, an apparent discrepancy was observed between methyl methacrylate-and styrene-centered tactic triads of these alternating copolymers. The origin of this discrepancy suggests a close relationship with the copolymerization mechanism.     

Polymerization behavior of bistrimethylsilyloxycycloalkenes

The radical copolymerizations of bistrimethylsilyloxycycloalkenes, such as 1,2-bistrimethylsilyloxycyclobutene (I), 1,2-bistrimethylsilyloxycyclopentene (II), and 1,2-bistrimethylsilyloxycyclohexene (III), were carried out with acceptor monomers, such as maleic anhydride, N-phenylmaleimide, and methyl methacrylate. I and II gave alternating copolymers with maleic anhydride and random copolymers with N-phenylmaleimide but no copolymer with methyl methacrylate. III gave no copolymer with the acceptor monomers. These polymerization behaviors of bistrimethylsilyloxycycloalkenes were explained primarily in terms of the electron donor–acceptor interaction between both monomers.     

Polymerization behavior of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl methacrylate: A monomer carrying a hindered amine group

Copolymers of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl methacrylate (TPMA) with styrene (S) and with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were synthesized using AIBN as initiator. S–TPMA copolymers from feed ranging from 0.10–0.80 mole fractions TPMA and MMA-TPMA copolymers from feed of 0.04–0.85 mole fractions TPMA were used in the determination of monomer reactivity ratios r₁, r₂. Four different methods were employed in the calculations of r₁ and r₂ and all calculated results were in good agreement with each other. The structure of S–TPMA copolymers was inferred to be of an alternating nature while that of MMA–TPMA copolymers was random. Both copolymers are potential hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS) and are expected to be less extractable from, and more compatible with, polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) base polymers.     

Synthesis and fluorescent properties of conjugated copolymers containing maleimide and fluorene units at the main chain

Yamamoto or Suzuki–Miyaura coupling polymerizations of 2,3‐diiodo‐N‐cyclohexylmaleimide with fluorene derivatives (2,7‐dibromo‐9,9′‐dihexylfluorene and 9,9′‐dihexylfluorene‐2,7‐diboronic acid) were carried out. The number‐average molecular weights (M_n) of the resulting copolymers were 2600–3500 by gel permeation chromatography analysis. The fluorescence emission of the alternating copolymer showed the emission maxima at 551 nm in THF. On the other hand, the random copolymers showed the bimodal emission peaks at 418–420 and 555–557 nm region, respectively. The fluorescence peaks of the random copolymers on the long wavelength region (555–557 nm) were attributed to the conjugated neighboring N‐cyclohexylmaleimide‐9,9′‐dihexylfluorene units in the polymer main chain. Furthermore, the copolymers exhibited the fluorescence solvatochromism by the difference of the polarity of solvents. The alternating and random copolymers showed the different fluorescence solvatochromism, and the emission colors are distinguishable by the naked eye, respectively. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4945–4956     

Polymerization of coordinated monomers. XVIII. Sequence distribution in methyl acrylate–styrene copolymers prepared in the presence of zinc chloride

Methyl acrylate and styrene have been copolymerized in the presence of zinc chloride either by photoinitiation or spontaneously. The copolymerization mechanism is investigated by analyses of copolymers composition and monomer sequence distribution. The resulting copolymers are not always alternating, their composition being dependent especially on the monomer feed ratio. Appreciable deviation to higher methyl acrylate unit content from an equimolar composition occurs at monomer feed fractions of methyl acrylate over 0.7. The larger deviation is induced by higher temperature, by photoirradiation, and by greater dilution of the reaction mixture with toluene. The ¹³C-NMR spectrum of the alternating copolymer shows a sharp singlet at the carbonyl region, whereas the spectra of random copolymers prepared by benzoyl peroxide initiation at 60°C show a triplet splitting at the carbonyl carbon region, irrespective of copolymer composition. The relative intensities of the triplet peaks for the random copolymers are in good correspondence to the contents of triad sequences calculated by means of conventional radical copolymerization theory. These results clearly indicate that the carbonyl splitting is caused predominantly by variation of the monomer sequence and not by variation of the stereosequence. The monomer sequence distribution in the copolymers is thus directly and quantitatively measured from the split carbonyl resonance. Although the same triplet splitting appears in the spectra of methyl acrylate–rich copolymers prepared in the presence of zinc chloride at high feed ratios (>0.7) of methyl acrylate, the relative intensities of the split peaks do not fit the sequence distributions of random copolymers calculated by means of the Lewis–Mayo equation. The copolymerization yielding these peculiar sequences and the alternating sequence in the presence of zinc chloride is fully comprehended by a copolymerization mechanism proceeding between two active coordinated monomers, i.e., the ternary molecular complex composed of zinc chloride, methyl methacrylate, and styrene, and the binary molecular complex composed of zinc chloride and methyl methacrylate.     

General Method for Evaluation of Alternating Tendency in Copolymerization

A new method for deriving expressions for the mole fractions of alternating n-ads and the average lengths of the alternating sequences of n-component copolymers (n > 2) was developed based on the apparatus of finite Markov chains. These characteristics are considered as indexes of alternating tendency forn-component copolymerization. A specific property of n-component copolymerization (n > 3) compared with binary copolymerization is the fact that alternating n-ads might be constructed by two, three, or more types of monomeric units. In order to express this specific property of three and multi-component copolymers the term, alternating order, is introduced. The method developed in the paper permits the alternating indexes to be determined differentially in dependence of alternating order. Expressions for the average lengths and the compositions of all possible alternating sequences starting with a given monomer unit and ending with unit found only at that position, are derived as well. The alternating indexes for binary radical copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate and for ternary radical copolymerization of styrene, methyl methacrylate, and acrylonitrile were determined.     

BAB‐random‐C Monomer Sequence via Radical Terpolymerization of Limonene (A), Maleimide (B), and Methacrylate (C): Terpene Polymers with Randomly Distributed Periodic Sequences

A naturally abundant terpene, limonene (A), was radically polymerized with a maleimide derivative (B) and methacrylate (C) in a fluorinated alcohol to give terpolymers with unprecedented BAB‐random‐C sequences in which the BAB monomer sequence was randomly copolymerized with a C unit. In each binary system, limonene was hardly copolymerized with methacrylate while it was efficiently copolymerized with maleimide to result in a 1:2‐alternating BAB periodic sequence, in part due to the penultimate effects and hydrogen‐bonding interactions with fluoroalcohol. Methacrylate and maleimide were randomly copolymerized to give copolymers rich in methacrylate units with minimal amounts of maleimide–maleimide sequences. Their terpolymerization resulted in a BAB‐r‐C sequence as a consequence of the selective BAB polymerization between limonene and maleimide, the random copolymerization between methacrylate and maleimide, and the lack of copolymerization between limonene and methacrylate.     

Preparation and photochemical study of soluble optically active block copolymethacrylates and azo-containing random copolymethacrylates

A series of soluble optically active block copolymers of trityl methacrylate (TrMA) and cyclohexyldiphenylmethyl methacrylate (CHDPMA) with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl methacrylate (n-BuMA) were synthesized using the complex of 9-fluorenyllithium and (S,S)-(+)-2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-bis(dimethylamino)butane as an initiator in toluene at −78°C. Soluble optically active random copolymers derived from TrMA and azo methacrylates, 6-(4-phenylazophenoxy)hexyl methacrylate (PAHM) and 2-(4-phenylazophenoxy)ethyl methacrylate (PAEM), were obtained under similar anionic polymerization conditions. Optical activities of the copolymers largely depended on the weight percentage of TrMA or CHDPMA component in the polymer chains. Solubility and film formability were significantly improved for the copolymers. Irradiation of optically active TrMA–MMA and CHDPMA–MMA block copolymer films containing photoacid, diphenyl-p-tolylsulfonium triflate, causes the partial hydrolysis of bulky esters and results in the conformational randomization of helical chains, which in turn leads to a significant change in optical rotation of the films. Photoisomerization studies of azo-containing random copolymers indicate that the trans to cis isomerization induces the helical conformation racemization in solution. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Effect of structure of copolymers on the extent of selective sorption in dilute solutions in mixed solvents

The selective sorption of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropanol (TFP) on to the macromolecules of polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) and mixtures of these homopolymers, and also on to the macromolecules of the corresponding random and alternating copolymers has been measured. Dilute polymer solutions in a binary mixed solvent (benzene with 20 vol.-% TFP) have been studied by equilibrium dialysis and differential refractometry. The selective sorption of TFP in this system increases (at a constant copolymer composition) with increasing number of bonds between nonidentical monomer units; it takes up its highest value for the alternating copolymer and its lowest value for the mixture of the homopolymers.     

Polymerization behavior of 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl m-isopropenyl-α,α-dimethylbenzyl carbamate

Copolymers of 1,2,2,6,6-pentamethyl-4-piperidinyl m-isopropenyl-α,α-dimethylbenzyl carbamate (CB) with styrene (S) and with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were synthesized using AIBN as initiator. S–CB copolymers made from feed ranging from 0.45–0.94 mole fractions S and MMA-CB copolymers made from feed of 0.34–0.88 mole fractions MMA were used to determine the monomer reactivity ratios r₁ and r₂. The structure of S–CB copolymers was inferred to be mainly of a random nature and in the MMA–CB copolymerization system there is a stronger tendency to form alternating copolymers. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Unperturbed dimensions of random and alternating styrene/n-alkyl methacrylate copolymers

The steric factors σ of homopolymers of ethyl, n-butyl, and n-octyl methacrylate, of equimolar random and alternating copolymers of these monomers with styrene, and of polystyrene, were determined by measuring intrinsic viscosities in a good solvent (butanone, 25°C) and extrapolating the data thus obtained to zero molecular weight of the polymer. For all comonomeric pairs under investigation, the σ² of an equimolar random copolymer and, particularly, of an alternating copolymer, is higher than the arithmetic mean (σ + σ)/2 of the σ² values of the parent homopolymers. The positive deviation from the linear dependence of σ² on the copolymer composition, expressed as an increment of σ², is proportional to the mole fraction of alternating dyads in the copolymer chain with in the limits of experimental error. The effect of copolymer microstructure on the unperturbed dimensions of the chains has been compared for equimolar copolymers of styrene with methyl, ethyl, n-butyl, and n-octyl methacrylate by using a relative increment ξ defined as the ratio of σ² of the alternating copolymer to (σ + σ)/2. The dependence of ξ on the number of carbon atoms in the alcohol substituent of the methacrylate component of the copolymer seems to exhibit a maximum for ethyl methacrylate.     

Synthesis and characterization of random copolymers of (2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl methacrylate and 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate

Poly[(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-yl)methyl methacrylate)] [poly(solketal methacrylate) (PSMA)] was synthesized by free radical polymerization. By partial hydrolysis of the acetal group, random copolymers of SMA with 2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate (DHPMA) were synthesized whereas complete cleavage lead to poly(2,3-dihydroxypropyl methacrylate) (PDHPMA). The copolymer composition was determined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. FTIR spectroscopy indicates the synthesis of random copolymers with different degrees of hydrogen bonding as measured by a shift of the OH vibration bands. The glass transition temperature of the random copolymers increases linearly with increasing DHPMA content, resulting in a positive deviation from the Fox equation. The thermal degradation of both homopolymers and their random copolymers has been studied. Finally, the solution behaviour of the copolymers and PDHPMA in water studied by dynamic light scattering showed a strong tendency of the polymer chains to form clusters in the size range of 15-62 nm. The size and the kind of associating interactions within the clusters strongly depend on the copolymer composition.     

Poly(sodium styrene sulfonate)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) diblock copolymers through direct atom transfer radical polymerization: Influence of hydrophilic–hydrophobic balance on self-organization in aqueous solution

A series of poly(sodium styrene sulfonate)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate), PSSNa-b-PMMA, amphiphilic diblock copolymers have been synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in N,N-dimethylformamide/water mixtures, starting from a PSSNa macroinitiator. The kinetics of the polymerization was followed by ¹H NMR, while the chemical composition of the copolymers was verified by a variety of techniques, such as ¹H NMR, FTIR and TGA. The MMA content of the copolymers ranges from 0 up to 60 mol%, while the number–average molecular weight of the PSSNa macroinitiator was 9000 g/mol. The self-association of the diblock copolymers in aqueous solution was compared to the respective behavior of similar random P(SSNa-co-MMA) copolymers through optical density measurements, pyrene fluorescence probing, dynamic light scattering and surface tension measurements. It is shown that the diblock copolymers form micellar structures in water, characterized by an increasing hydrophobic character and a decreasing size as the length of the PMMA block increases. These micelle-like structures turn from surface inactive to surface active as the length of the PMMA block increases. Moreover, contrary to the MMA-rich random copolymers, the respective diblock copolymers form water insoluble polymer/surfactant complexes with cationic surfactants such as hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HTAB), leading to materials with antimicrobial activity.     

COPOLYMERIZATION PROCESS OF TRIPHENYLMETHYL METHACRYLATE AND MMA WITH CHIRAL ANIONIC COMPLEX INITIATOR

The copolymerization process of triphenylmethyl methacrylate (TrMA) and methylmethacrylate (MMA) using chiral anionic complex initiator (-) SP-FlLi (Scheme 1) has beenstudied in toluene and THF, respectively. The copolymer obtained in toluene possessed muchhigher specific rotation than that in THF. These copolymers have shown a tendency to a random and a like alternating structure, respectively.     

Synthesis and Gas Permeability of Cyclotetrasiloxane-Containing Methacrylate Copolymers

Abstract

Synthesis and gas permeability of random and block copolymers of a cyclotetrasiloxane-containing methacrylate have been studied in comparison with those of tris(trimethylsiloxy)silane-containing methacrylate (MTTS) copolymers. Random and block copolymers of 3-(heptamethyl cyclotetrasiloxanyl) propyl methacrylate (HCPM) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were prepared by radical copolymerization using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile and a poly(azoinitiator), poly(1,6-hexamethylene 4,4′-azobiscyanopentanoate), respectively. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that HCPM-MMA block copolymers exhibited heterogeneous phases, as evidenced by two distinct glass transition temperatures due to poly-HCPM (PHCPM) block and PMMA block, while the single glass transition temperatures in the homogeneous phases in HCPM-MMA random copolymers lowered with HCPM content. The oxygen and nitrogen gas permeability coefficients of HCPM-MMA random copolymer films measured at 23°C were found to steeply increase with HCPM contents, although those of HCPM-MMA block copolymers slightly increased. The permeability coefficients of MTTS-MMA random copolymers prevailed over those of HCPM-MMA random copolymers despite the same four Si atoms, probably because of its free volume effect. Further, the HCPM content dependency on the diffusion and solubility coefficients, and the effect of crosslinking on their gas permeability were also discussed.