Transformation of copolymerization mechanism of N-phenyl maleimide and ethyl phenylacrylate in the mixture of dioxane and pyridine

The copolymerization of N-phenylmaleimide (NPMI) with ethyl phenylacrylate (EPA) in a mixture of dioxane (DIO) and pyridine (Py) was investigated. The apparent monomer reactivity ratio r₁ (NPMI) = 0.07 ± 0.01 and r₂ (EPA) = 0.09 ± 0.02 in DIO was turned to r₁ (NPMI) = 3.67 ± 0.07 and r₂ (EPA) = 0 ± 0.03 in Py. The copolymerization of NPMI and EPA with the fixed feed ratio (mol/mol 1 : 1) in different volume ratio of DIO/Py showed that the copolymer composition might be varied in a wide range from the 93.5% of NPMI contents in copolymer to 48.7%. When the volume fraction of Py in the mixture of DIO and Py was <10%, the copolymer with nice alternating structure was obtained and the copolymerization could be inhibited completely by hydroquinone; if the fraction of Py was >10%, the following two kinds of copolymers were formed: a copolymer in which the content of NPMI increased with the Py and the copolymerization also could be inhibited by hydroquinone and a copolymer with low molecular weight almost completely composed of homopolymer of NPMI and is not affected by radical inhibitor as hydroquinone. The transformation of the copolymerization mechanism from the radical to anionic, which was dependent on the volume ratio of DIO and Py, was suggested. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2755–2761, 1999     

Copolymerization of glycidyl methacrylate with alkyl acrylate monomers

A newer approach to obtaining acrylic thermoset polymers with adequate hydrophilicity required for various specific end uses is reported. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was copolymerized with n-butyl acrylate (n-BA), isobutyl acrylate (i-BA), and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (2-EHA) in bulk at 60°C. with benzoyl peroxide as free radical initiator. The copolymer composition was determined from the estimation of epoxy group. Reactivity ratios were calculated by the Yezrielev, Brokhina, and Roskin method. For copolymerization of GMA (M₁) with n-BA (M₂) the reactivity ratios were r₁ = 2.15 ± 0.14, r₂ = 0.12 ± 0.03; with i-BA (M₂) they were r₁ = 1.27 ± 0.06, r₂ = 0.33 ± 0.031; and with 2-EHA (M₂) they were r₁ = 2.32 ± 0.14, r₂ = 0.13 ± 0.009. The reactivity ratios were the measure of distribution of monomer units in a copolymer chain; the values obtained are compared and discussed.     

An alternating copolymer of maleimide and atropic acid with narrow molecular weight distribution prepared by radical mechanism

Three basic conditions for preparation of alternating copolymer with narrow molecular weight distribution were derived from the element kinetic equations of binary radical copolymerization. Using maleimide (MI) and atropie acid (ATA) as model monomer pairs and dioxane as the solvent the alternating copolymer with molecular weight distribution in the range of 1.09--1.20 was prepared successfully by charger transfer complex (CTC) mechanism in the presence of benzoyl peroxide at 85℃. The monomer reactivity ratioes r_1(MI)=0.05±0.01 and r_2(ATA)=0.03±0.02 were measured. The alternating eopolymerization was carried out through formation of a contact-type CTG and then alternating addition of MI and ATA monomers. The molecular weight of the copolymers is nearly independent of the feed ratio in a large range and the polymerization rate dropped with an increase in ATA in feed ratio.     

Reactivity ratios and microstructure determination of vinyl acetate–alkyl acrylate copolymers by NMR spectroscopy

(Vinyl acetate)/(ethyl acrylate) (V/E) and (vinyl acetate)/(butyl acrylate) (V/B) copolymers were prepared by free radical solution polymerization. ¹H-NMR spectra of copolymers were used for calculation of copolymer composition. The copolymer composition data were used for determining reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of vinyl acetate with ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate by Kelen-Tudos (KT) and nonlinear Error in Variables methods (EVM). The reactivity ratios obtained are r_v = 0.03 ± 0.03, r_E = 4.68 ± 1.70 (KT method); r_v = 0.03 ± 0.01, r_E = 4.60 ± 0.65 (EV method) for (V/E) copolymers and r_v ? 0.03 ± 0.01, r_B ? 6.67 ± 2.17 (KT method); r_v = 0.03 ± 0.01, r_B = 7.43 ± 0.71 (EV method) for (V/B) copolymers. Microstructure was obtained in terms of the distribution of V- and E-centered triads and V- and B-centered triads for (V/E) and (V/B) copolymers respectively. Homonuclear ¹H 2D-COSY NMR spectra were also recorded to ascertain the existence of coupling between protons in (V/E) as well as (V/B) copolymers. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Reactivity Ratios of Phenyl Methacrylate-N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone Copolymers

Free radical solution copolymerization of phenyl methacrylate and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone was carried out using benzoyl peroxide in 2-butanone solution at 70°C. The composition of the copolymer was determined using ¹H-NMR spectra by comparing the intensities of aromatic protons to that of total protons. The results were used to calculaie the copolymerization reactivity ratios by both the Fineman-Ross (F-R) and Kelen-Tüdös (K-T) methods. The reactivity ratios are r ₁ = 4.49 ± 1.27 and r ₂ = 0.05 ± 0.09 as determined by the K-T method. These values are in good agreement with those determined by the F-R method. The FT-infrared and ¹³C-NMR spectra of the copolymer are discussed.     

Controllability of radical copolymerization of maleimide and ethyl α‐(n‐propyl)acrylate using 1,1,2,2‐tetraphenyl‐1,2‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy) ethane as initiator

The radical copolymerization of maleimide (MI) and ethyl α‐propylacrylate was performed using 1,1,2,2‐tetraphenyl‐1,2‐bis(trimethylsilyloxy) ethane (TPSE) as initiator. The whole copolymerization process might be divided into two stages: in the first stage, the copolymerization was carried out on the common radical mechanism, the molecular weight of the copolymer increased rapidly in much lower conversion (< 85%), and did not depend on the polymerization time and conversion; in the second stage, molecular weight of the copolymer increased linearly with the conversion and the polymerization time. It was found, however, when the conversion was higher than a certain value, for example, more than 36%, the molecular weight of the copolymer was nearly unchangeable with the polymerization time and the molecular weight distribution was widened. The effect of reaction conditions on copolymerization was discussed and the reactivity ratios were calculated by the Kelen–Tudos method, the values were r_MI = 0.13 ± 0.03, r_EPA = 0.58 ± 0.06 for TPSE system and r_MI = 0.12 ± 0.03, r_EPA = 0.52 ± 0.06 for AIBN system. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2872–2878, 2000     

Quantifying and Controlling the Composition and ‘Randomness’ Distributions of Random Copolymers

The effect of disparity in the reactivity ratios of monomer pairs on the composition distribution and microstructure of the resultant copolymer formed through free‐radical polymerization is quantified computationally. This correlation has been determined for the monomer pairs of styrene/methyl methacrylate and styrene/2‐vinyl pyridine for a variety of monomer feed ratios. These monomer pairs were chosen as they represent systems that have been utilized to experimentally examine the importance of copolymer architecture on its ability to compatibilize an immiscible polymer blend. Moreover, their respective random copolymers show conflicting results for this examination. The results of this work show that the difference in the reactivity ratios of styrene and 2‐vinyl pyridine copolymer (r₁ = 0.5, r₂ = 1.3) significantly broadens the composition and randomness distribution of the resultant copolymer. This breadth is not easily avoided as it evolves even in the early stages of the copolymerization. Conversely, for the styrene/methyl methacrylate pair, the reactivity ratios are similar (r₁ = 0.46, r₂ = 0.52) and this results in a copolymer with a narrow composition distribution and sequence distribution dispersion. Stopping the polymerization at early conversion further narrows both distributions. The presented results, therefore, provide fundamental information that must be considered when planning an experimental procedure to evaluate the relative importance of sequence distribution and composition distribution of a random on its application.     

Copolymerization of isopropenyl and isopropylidene oxazolones with styrene

2-Isopropenyl-4-isopropyl-2-oxazolin-5-one (M₂), was copolymerized with styrene (M₁), and the monomer reactivity ratios were determined to be r₁ = 0.31 ± 0.03, r₂ = 1.12 ± 0.10. New isomerized oxazolones (M₂), 2-isopropylidene-4-methyl-3-oxazolin-5-one, 2-isopropylidene-4-isopropyl-3-oxazolin-5-one, and 2-isopropylidene-4-isobutyl-3-oxazolin-5-one were prepared and copolymerized with styrene. The monomer reactivity ratios were: r₁ = 0.36 = 0.07, r₂ = 0.0; r₁ = 0.39 ± 0.06, r₂ = 0.00 ± 0.10; r₁ = 0.39 ± 0.10, r₂ = 0.0, respectively. The isomerized oxazolones showed no tendency towards homopolymerization by radical initiator. From the results of infrared and NMR spectra and hydrolysis of the copolymer, it was indicated that the isomerized oxazolones participated in copolymerization in the form of 1–4 polymerization of the conjugated dienes (exo double bond at C₂ and the C?N in the ring). Copolymers reacted with nucleophilic reagents such as amines and alcohols.     

Determination of the sequence distribution and stereoregularity of ethyl α-benzoyloxymethylacrylate–methyl methacrylate copolymers by means of proton and carbon-13 NMR

Proton and Carbon-13 NMR spectra of ethyl α-benzoyloxymethylacrylate (E)–methyl methacrylate (M) copolymers were analyzed in terms of sequence distribution and stereoregularity of monomer units. The copolymers were prepared by free radical polymerization in benzene at 50°C. The methoxy region of the M proton signal resonance was found to be sensitive to the copolymer composition for M-centred sequences. The carbon-13 NMR spectra of the EM copolymers, in particular the carbonyl signal resonances of carbomethoxy and carboethoxy groups, are discussed in terms of M- and E-centred configurational sequences. The experimental values were in excellent agreement with those calculated taken into account the terminal copolymerization model and Bernoullian distribution of stereoregularity with the statistical parameters determined from reactivity ratios r_E = 0.32 and r_M = 1.34 and the coisotacticity parameters σ_MM = 0.22, σ_EE = 0.70, and σ_ME = σ_EM = σ = 0.30. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 3483–3493, 1997     

Copolymerization of 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate with Alkyl Met hacrylates

2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate (2-HPMA) has been copolym-erized with ethyl methacrylate (EMA), n-butyl methacrylate (BMA), and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) in bulk at 60°C using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. The copolymer composition has been determined from the hydroxyl content. The reactivity ratios have been calculated by the Yezrielev, Brokhina, and Raskin method. For copolymerization of 2-HPMA (M₁) with EMA (M₂), the reactivity ratios are r₁ = 1.807 ± 0.032 and r₂ = 0.245 ± 0.021; with BMA (M₂) they are n = 2.378 ± 0.001 and r₂ = 0.19 ± 0.01; and with EHMA the values are r₁ = 4.370 ± 0.048 and r₂ = 0.103 ± 0.006. Since reactivity ratios are the measure of distribution of monomer units in copolymer chain, the values obtained are compared and discussed. This enables us to choose a suitable copolymer for synthesizing thermoset acrylic polymers, which are obtained from cross-linking of hydroxy functional groups of HPMA units, for specific end-uses.     

Comparative recalculation of the monomer reactivity ratios in copolymerization for styrene and methyl methacrylate

The monomer reactivity ratios (MMRs) in radical copolymerization for styrene and methyl methacrylate were recalculated by five different methods using literature copolymerization data. The use of approximate 95% confidence limits and their visual inspection helps to separate possibly biased copolymer composition data. The recalculated mean MRR values were r₁ (styrene) = 0.501 ± 0.031 and r₂ = 0.472 ± 0.031. The results of the linear least-squares calculation procedures seldom approach the quality of the nonlinear least-squares analysis according to the method of Tidwell and Mortimer.     

Monomer reactivity ratio and Q–e values for copolymerization of hydroxyalkyl acrylates and 2-(1-aziridinyl)ethyl methacrylate with styrene

Copolymers of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, and 2(1-aziridinyl)-ethyl methacrylate (M₂) with styrene (M₁) were prepared in benzene solution at 60°C. Benzoyl peroxide, 0.1–0.2 mole-%, was used as initiator. Copolymer samples with the molar concentrations of M₂ feed ranging from 0.10 to 0.85 were used to determine the reactivity ratios. Elemental analysis and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) were used to determine copolymer compositions. There was a solubility problem when the latter technique was applied. When samples which were completely soluble were analyzed, the results obtained from NMR and elemental analysis were in excellent agreement. The monomer reactivity ratios and the corresponding parameters for the copolymerization of (M₁) with 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate are: r₁ = 0.38 ± 0.02, r₂ = 0.34 ± 0.03; Q₂ = 0.85, e₂ = 0.64; with hydroxypropyl acrylate are: r₁ = 0.45 ± 0.03, r₂ = 0.36 ± 0.03; Q₂ = 0.75, e₂ = 0.56; with 2(1-aziridinyl)ethyl methacrylate are: r₁ = 0.53 ± 0.02, r₂ = 0.63 ± 0.04; Q₂ = 0.82, e₂ = 0.25.     

Copolymerization of 2-Hydtoxypropyl Methacrylate with Alkyl Methacrylates

2-Hydroxypropyl methacrylate (2 HPMA) has been copolym-erized with ethyl methacrylate (EMA), n-butyl methacrylate (BMA), and 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) in bulk at 60°C using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. The copolymer composition has been determined from the hydroxyl content. The reactivity ratios have been calculated by the YBR method. For copolymerization of 2-HPMA (M₁) with EMA (M₂), the reactivity ratios are: r₁=1.807 ± 0.032, r₂=0.245 ± 0.021; with BMA (M₂) they are r₁=2.378 ± 0.001, r₂=0.19 ± 0.01; and with EHMA the values are r₁=4.370 ± 0.048, r₂=0.103 ± 0.006. Since the reactivity ratios are the measure of distribution of monomer units in a copolymer chain, the values obtained are compared and discussed. This enables us to choose a suitable copolymer for synthesizing thermoset acrylic polymers, which are obtained from cross-linking of hydroxy functional groups of HPMA units, for specific end uses.     

Alternating copolymerization of polar vinyl monomers in the presence of zinc chloride. III. NMR study of methyl methacrylate–styrene copolymer

The copolymer composition curve of the methyl methacrylate–styrene copolymer obtained by the copolymerization in the presence of ZnCl₂ has more alternating tendency than that of ordinary methyl methacrylate–styrene copolymer obtained by radical copolymerization. The fine structure of the copolymer was examined by NMR, and the mechanism of the propagation step of the copolymerization in the presence of ZnCl₂, which was proposed in the first report of this series, was verified.     

Copolymers of α-Methylstyrene with N-Cyclohexylacrylamide: Synthesis,Monomer Reactivity Ratios,and Mean Sequence Length

Abstract

Copolymerization of α-methylstyrene and N-cyclohexylacrylamide was carried out in toluene at 60 ± 1°C using azobisisobutyronitrile as the free-radical initiator. The total concentration of the comonomers was 1.5 mol·L^?1 in the solvent. The copolymers were characterized by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy, and the copolymer compositions were determined primarily from the ¹H-NMR spectra. The reactivity ratios were found to be r ₁ = 0.08 ± 0.01 and r ₂ = 2.45 ± 0.03 by the Fineman-Ross method, and r ₁ = 0.06 ± 0.01 and r ₂ = 2.43 ± 0.08 by the Kelen-Tüdös method. Mean sequence lengths in the copolymer were estimated from r ₁ and r ₂ values.     

Copolymerization of 2-sulfoethyl methacrylate

Copolymers of 2-sulfoethyl methacrylate, (SEM) were prepared with ethyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, vinylidene chloride, and styrene in 1,2-dimethoxyethane solution with N,N′-azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The monomer reactivity ratios with SEM (M₁) were: vinylidene chloride, r₁ = 3.6 ± 0.5, r₂ = 0.22 ± 0.03; ethyl acrylate, r₁ = 3.2 ± 0.6, r₂ = 0.30 ± 0.05; ethyl methacrylate, r₁ = 2.0 ± 0.4, r₂ = 1.0 ± 0.1; styrene, r₁ = 0.6 ± 0.2, r₂ = 0.37 ± 0.03. The values of the copolymerization parameters calculated from the monomer reactivity ratios were e = +0.6 and Q = 1.4. Comparison of the monomer reactivities indicates that SEM is similar to ethyl methacrylate with regard to copolymerization reactivity in 1,2-dimethoxyethane solution. The sodium salt of 2-sulfoethyl methacrylate, SEM^?Na^⊕, was copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (M₂) in water solution. Reactivity ratios of r₁ = 0.7 ± 0.1 and r₂ = 1.6 ± 0.1 were obtained, indicating a lower reactivity of SEM^?Na^⊕ in water as compared to SEM in 1,2-dimethoxyethane. This decreased reactivity was attributed to greater ionic repulsion between reacting species in the aqueous medium.     

Living Carbocationic Copolymerizations. V. Synthesis of Isobutylene/p-Methylstyrene Copolymers with the Constant Copolymer Composition Technique in the Leidenfrost Reactor

Abstract

Living copolymerization of the isobutylene (IB)-p-methylstyrene (pMeSt) monomer pair in combination with the constant copolymer composition (CCC) technique produces high molecular weight ( M _n ≈ 100,000 g·mol^?1) and narrow molecular weight distribution ( M _w/ M _n ≈ 1.45) compositionally uniform IB/pMeSt copolymer molecules in the industrially important IB/pMeSt = 97–99/3–1 mol% composition range. Syntheses were carried out with TiCl₄ coinitiator in n-butyl chloride homogeneous solution at ?85°C by the use of the Leidenfrost reactor (i.e., by direct cooling of the charge with liquid nitrogen). In order to carry out the CCC technique it was necessary to obtain reliable copolymerization reactivity ratios. These investigations led to r_IB = 0.5 ± 0.1 and r _pMeSt = 10 ± 4. The attainment of CCC and living copolymerization conditions has been quantitatively demonstrated by dedicated diagnostic plots. Specifically, the attainment of CCC conditions was proven by the analysis of composite rate plots (comonomers input and corresponding copolymer formed versus time) and composition plots (comonomer composition in feed and copolymer formed versus weight of copolymer formed, W _p), and living copolymerization was proven by linearly ascending number-average molecular weight of copolymer ( M _n) versus W _p plots starting at the origin.     

Anionic copolymerization of optically active α-methylbenzyl methacrylate and trityl methacrylate. I. Reactivity of monomers

The monomer reactivity ratios were determined in the anionic copolymerization of (S)- or (RS)-α-methylbenzyl methacrylate (MBMA) and trityl methacrylate (TrMA) with butyllithium at ?78°C, and the stereoregularity of the yielded copolymer was investigated. In the copolymerization of (S)-MBMA (M₁) and TrMA (M₂) in toluene the monomer reactivity ratios were r₁ = 8.55 and r₂ = 0.005. On the other hand, those in the copolymerization of (RS)-MBMA with TrMA were r₁ = 4.30 and r₂ = 0.03. The copolymer of (S)-MBMA and TrMA prepared in toluene was a mixture of two types of copolymer: one consisted mainly of the (S)-MBMA unit and was highly isotactic and the other contained both monomers copiously. The same monomer reactivity ratios, r₁ = 0.39 and r₂ = 0.33, were obtained in the copolymerizations of the (S)-MBMA–TrMA and (RS)-MBMA–TrMA systems in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The microstructures of poly[(S)-MBMA-co-TrMA] and poly-[(RS)-MBMA-co-TrMA] produced in THF were similar where the isotacticity increased with an increase in the content of the TrMA unit.     

Effects of metal salts on polymerization. Part III. Radical polymerizabilities and infrared spectra of vinylpyridines complexed with zinc and cadmium salts

Radical polymerization of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP), 2-vinylpyridine (2-VP), and 2-methyl-5-vinylpyridine (MVP) was studied in concentrated DMF solutions of ZnCl₂, ZnBr₂, ZnI₂, Zn(CH₃COO)₂, and Cd(CH₂COO)₂ at 50°C. Polymerization of 4-VP and MVP was accelerated by the addition of the metal salts, while the polymerization of 2-VP was greatly retarded. The sequence of the accelerating effect of metal salts for 4-VP was in the following order: Cd(CH₃COO)₂ > ZnCl₂ > Zn(CH₃COO)₂ > ZnBr₂ > ZnI₂. This sequence is almost the same as that reported in a previous report for MVP. However, the order was reversed for the retarding effect on the polymerization of 2-VP. At the intermediate concentration of metal salts, polymerization of 4-VP proceeded heterogeneously, which was explained by considering crosslinking of poly-4-VP by the metal ion. Since a linear correlation between the rate R_p and the degree of polymerization was observed for the 4-VP–Zn(CH₃COO)₂ system, the accelerating effect was postulated to be due to the enhancement in k_p. Results of copolymerization of VP with styrene as M₂ in a concentrated solution of Zn(CH₃COO)₂ indicated the strong activation of 4-VP by complex formation (r₁ = 2.7 ± 0.5, r₂ = 0.08 ± 0.03), whereas the change in the monomer reactivity of MVP is smaller (r₁ = 2.0 ± 0.2, r₂ = 0.35 ± 0.05). The behavior of 2-VP was abnormal (r₁ = 3.35 ± 0.3, r₂ = 0.55 ± 0.15, then r₁r₂ > 1), which was attributed to the steric effect by complex formation. Solid complexes formed between pyridine, 4-VP, 2-VP, or MVP and zinc salts were prepared as samples for infrared spectroscopy. The shifts in infrared absorption bands of these amines were studied by comparing the infrared spectra of the amines before and after the complex formation, and the results were interpreted in terms of electronic as well as steric interactions of metal salts with ligands. Conjugation of the metal salt with the ligand π-orbitals was necessary to explain both infrared spectra and polymerization results.