Cationic polymerization of 2-vinyl-1,3-dioxane

The cationic polymerization of 2-vinyl-1,3-dioxane initiated with triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate was studied with particular emphasis on elucidation of the structure of the polymer. The polymer was a light yellow powdery material with a molecular weight of several thousands which was soluble in most organic solvents. The infrared and NMR investigations on the polymer, together with chemical analyses, showed that the polymer consisted of the three structural units I, II, and III, the contents of which were estimated to be 5–10%, 20–25%, and 65–70%, respectively. The formation of the structural units I and II was discussed in detail.     

Cationic polymerization of 1-ethoxy-1,3-butadiene

cis- and trans-1-Ethoxy-1,3-butadienes were polymerized by a variety of cationic agents in various solvents at ?78°C. The trans ether, which is the more stable isomer, was found to have greater polymerizability than the cis ether. The trans monomer gave polymers predominantly of the trans-1,4 type, whereas the cis monomer showed a tendency toward the formation of polymers having the microstructure of the 1,2 type. It was concluded that, in the cis ether, the carbon atom which is the most vulnerable to the attack of carbonium ions is the one at the 2-position, whereas, in the case of the trans isomer, the terminal 4-carbon is the most reactive center. The conclusion was confirmed from the results of acetal addition reaction catalyzed by boron trifluoride etherate. The marked contrast in the mode of reaction of the two isomeric ethers toward carbonium ions was interpreted in terms of the difference in the degree of bonding in the transition state.     

Synthesis and polymerization of 1- and 2-cyano-1,3-butadienes

1-Cyano-1,3-butadiene and 2-cyano-1,3-butadiene were prepared and designated 1-cyanoprene and 2-cyanoprene, respectively. These compounds, and their intermediates, were characterized by their infrared and proton magnetic resonance spectra. Their polymerizations with lithium or aluminum alkyl catalysts are described. The synthesis of these monomers involves a thermal cracking process (400–500°C). The yield of monomer by this process depends on the positions of the cyano and acetoxy groups in the butene intermediate; if the cyano and the acetoxy groups are attached to the same allylic carbon, a low monomer yield is obtained. The polymers of 1-cyanoprene are the results of 1,4-enchainment (cis and trans) and are amorphous; the polymers of 2-cyanoprene may involve 1,4-enchainment but are partially crystalline. Both of these polymers are thermoplastic.     

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.     

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-isopropenyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolane

Preparation and cationic ring-opening polymerization of 2-isopropenyl-4-methylene-1,3-dioxolane ( VI ) was performed. Unsaturated cyclic acetal VI was prepared by dehydrochlorination of 2-isopropenyl-4-chloromethyl-1,3-dioxolane, which was easily obtained from methacrolein and epichlorohydrin, with sodium methoxide at ambient temperature. The cationic polymerization of VI with BF₃OEt₂ or CF₃SO₃H at ?78°C afforded only crosslinked polymers, whereas the polymerization by CH₃SO₃H gave soluble poly(keto-ether) which consisted of units VII containing an isopropenyl group in the side chain and units VIII containing a carbon-carbon double bond in the main chain. The reaction of VI with ethanethiol in the presence of protic acid was also carried out as a model reaction of the polymerization. The reaction initiated by the addition of proton to the 4-methylene group of VI , and quantitative ring-opening isomerization followed by the addition of ethanethiol afforded acyclic ketone IX and X . On the basis of the model reaction, the polymerization mechanism is also discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Electronic structures of diphospha-1,3-butadienes

SCF LCAO methods have been applied to the electronic structures of 2,3-, 1,3-, and 1,4-diphospha-1,3-butadienes; reactivity features are noted.Translated from Teoreticheskaya i Éksperimental'naya Khimiya, No. 6, pp. 727–729, November–December, 1990.     

Synthesis of new polyazines by 1,4 photochemical or anionic polymerization of 1,2-diaza-1,3-butadienes

Photochemical and anionic polymerizations of 1,2-diaza-1,3-butadienes are described. Photochemical polymerization was smoothly performed by irradiation of some 1-aminocarbonyl-1,2-diaza-1,3-butadienes with high pressure mercury arc (λ = 300 nm) in the presence of allyltributylstannane. Molecular weights (M_w) in the range 14.6-559 × 10² g/mol were obtained. The TGA curve revealed a first weight loss starting at about 200 °C of some 85%, and a second starting at about 300 °C. The DSC showed the glass transition (T_g) at about −34 °C. Anionic polymerization was performed by treatment of some 1-alkoxycarbonyl-1,2-diaza-1,3-butadienes with n-butyllithium. Molecular weights (M_w) in the range 8.44-242 × 10² g/mol were obtained.     

Cationic polymerization of 1,3-pentadiene in the presence of vanadium oxychloride

The cationic polymerization of 1,3-pentadiene in the presence of vanadium oxytrichloride is studied. 1,3-Pentadiene is shown to polymerize at a high rate to high monomer conversions in the absence of proton-donor compounds in the catalytic system. The initial rate of 1,3-pentadiene polymerization is proportional to the concentration of VOCl₃ in the system and demonstrates an extremal dependence on the initial concentration of 1,3-pentadiene. The polymerization process is distinguished by an induction period whose duration increases with a decrease in the reaction temperature. Regardless of polymerization conditions, with an increase in the monomer conversion, the molecular-mass distribution of the polymer widens owing to formation of a high-molecular-mass fraction, which, depending on reaction conditions, can be consumed in formation of the gel fraction. It is shown that the degree of unsaturation and the microstructure of poly(1,3-pentadiene) are almost independent of the polymerization conditions.     

Cationic polymerization of 1,3-pent adiene in the presence of arenes

The cationic polymerizations of 1,3-pentadiene initiated by AlCl3 in n-hexane at 30℃ have been carried out in the presence of various arenes,i.e.,benzene,toluene,p-xylene,o-xylene,m-xylene and mesitylene.The presence of all these arenes have reduced in different degrees the formation of crossliuked products.Namely,the crosslinking reaction,a major side-reaction during the cationic polymerization of 1,3-pentadiene,has been suppressed by adding the aromatic compounds.The results showed that a chain transfer to arene took place and this transfer process hindered the generation of the crosslinked polymer.IR and 1H NMR spectra have confirmed the existence of the corresponding aryl groups in the resulting polymers.     

Cationic polymerization of 4-methyl-1,3-dioxene-4 and copolymerization with tetrahydrofuran

A new monomer, 4-methyl-1,3-dioxene-4 was synthesized from allyl chloride and paraformaldehyde. The monomer was polymerized at room temperature or ?78°C. by boron trifluoride etherate catalyst, and the structure of the obtained polymer was determined by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, and chemical analysis. It was ascertained that the polymerization process proceeded through a ring-opening mechanism at the dioxane ring. In the presence of tetrahydrofuran, the polymerization of 4-methyl-1–1,3-dioxene-4 led to copolymer. The mechanism of the copolymerization is described in detail.     

Construction of dihydropyrimidine skeleton using 1,2,4-trisubstituted-1,3-diaza-1,3-butadienes

Construction of a dihydropyrimidine ring was developed that involved the cyclization of 1,3-diaza-1,3-butadienes having an N-protecting group (N-Cbz, N-Boc, N-alkyl, or N-benzyl) with α,β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds such as ethyl acrylate and p-chlorophenyl vinyl ketone. Consequently, 4-dimethylamino-2-phenyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidines were synthesized in good yields. Subsequently, the β-elimination of the dimethylamino group was carried out with MeI or SiO₂ to afford various N-protecting-2,5-disubstituted-1,6-dihydropyrimidines in good yields. Remarkably, the use of 4-chlorophenyl vinyl ketone directly provided the dihydropyrimidine without the tetrahydropyrimidine intermediate in excellent yield.     

Cationic polymerization of glycidol

Polymerization of glycidyl alcohol induced by boron trifluoride tetrahydrofuran complex (BF₃ ? THF) in ethylene glycol dimethyl ether (DME) and in the presence of BF₃–water or BF₃–glycerol catalyst system was studied. Under any of the conditions employed, the reaction gave water-soluble oligoether with polydispersity of ~1.1. It was shown by mass spectrometry that during polymerization in DME, DME is incorporated into the polymer and glycidol polymerization gives the alkyl-ether. According to calculations for glycidol polymerization in the presence of hydroxy compounds, the calculated number-average degrees of polymerization were higher than the experimental values both in the presence of water and with glycerol; this may be attributable to initiation of new molecules on the hydroxy group of the unreacted monomer.     

Conformational thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of methyl-substituted 1,3-butadienes

The s-trans/s-cis conformational equilibria of 10 methyl-substituted 1,3-butadienes [(E)- and (Z)-1,3-pentadiene; 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene; (E)-2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene; 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene; (E,E)-, (E,Z)-, and (Z,Z)-2,4-hexadiene; 2,5-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene; and (E,E)-2,4-dimethyl-2,4-hexadiene] were explored by trapping high-temperature conformational equilibria by cryogenic deposition. The vapor state enthalpy differences of these s-trans/s-cis conformers, DeltaH(t equilibrium c), were determined by varying the equilibrating temperature and integrating the resulting matrix isolated IR spectra. The results obtained are in good agreement with ab initio calculations at the G3 level. From these thermodynamic parameters, methyl group nonbonded interactions in conjugated 1,3-butadienes were delineated. Rates of decay of s-cis conformers to their s-trans rotamers were obtained in the solid-state by warming up trapped high-temperature equilibrated samples formed from neat depositions. These data were analyzed in terms of dispersive kinetics with matrix site effects in the solid-state modeled by a Gaussian distribution of activation energies. The activation barriers thus obtained were compared with G3 calculations of the enthalpies of activation.     

Cationic polymerization of cyclocarbonates

Trimethylenecarbonate (TMC) and neopentane diol carbonate (NPC) were polymerized with two groups of initiators, proton and carbenium ion donors or Lewis acids. Initiation with methyltriflate, triflic acid or triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate in solution gave satisfactory yields (up to 90%) but only low molecular weights (M_n < 5000), due to rapid back-biting degradation. IR- and NMR-spectroscopy demonstrate that the propagation steps involve alkylation of the carbonyl oxygen and cleavage of the alkyl-0 bond by analogy with lactones. Whereas borontribromide and trichloride form solid complexes with NPC or TMC, but do not initiate a polymerization, boron trifluoride is a good initiator. High yields (up to 99,5%) and high molecular weights (M_w > 10⁵) were obtained. However, in analogy to triflic acid initiated polymerizations all polycarbonates contain ether groups. The molar fraction of the ether groups increases with the reaction temperature. High molecular-weight polycarbonates containing ether groups were also obtained with other strong Lewis acids such as SnCl₄, SnBr₄ and TiCl₄. In contrast, weak Lewis acids such as Bu₂SnBr₂ Bu₃SnOMe and Sn(II)2-ethylhexanoate yield polycarbonates free of ether groups. This finding and the NMR-spectroscopically identified endgroups suggest that these weak Lewis acids initiate an insertion mechanism.