Living free‐radical polymerization of sterically hindered monomers: Improving the understanding of 1,1‐disubstituted monomer systems

The sterically hindered, 1,1‐disubstituted monomers di‐n‐butyl itaconate (DBI), dicyclohexyl itaconate (DCHI), and dimethyl itaconate (DMI) were polymerized with reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) free‐radical polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Cumyl dithiobenzoate, cumyl phenyl dithioacetate, 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate, 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate, and S‐methoxycarbonylphenylmethyl dithiobenzoate were employed as RAFT agents to mediate a series of polymerizations at 60 °C yielding polymers ranging in their number‐average molecular weight from 4500 to 60,000 g mol^?1. The RAFT polymerizations of these hindered monomers displayed hybrid living behavior (between conventional and living free‐radical polymerization) of various degrees depending on the molecular structure of the initial RAFT agent. In addition, DCHI was polymerized via ATRP with a CuCl/methyl benzoate/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine/cyclohexanone system at 60 °C. Both the ATRP and RAFT polymerization of the hindered monomers displayed living characteristics; however, broader than expected molecular weight distributions were observed for the RAFT systems (polydispersity index = 1.15–3.35). To assess the cause of this broadness, chain‐transfer‐to‐monomer constants for DMI, DBI, and DCHI were determined (1.4 × 10^?3, 1.3 × 10^?3, and 1.0 × 10^?3, respectively) at 60 °C. Simulations carried out with the PREDICI program package suggested that chain transfer to monomer contributed to the broadening process. In addition, the experimental results indicated that viscosity had a pronounced effect on the broadness of the molecular weight distributions. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3692–3710, 2006     

Ester–amide exchange in blends of liquid‐crystalline copolyester and polyamide 6

The kinetics of the ester–amide exchange in solution blends of the random liquid‐crystalline polyester copoly(oxybenzoate‐terephthalate) (P64) and polyamide 6 (PA6) were studied with carbon nuclear magnetic resonance. With second‐order reversible reactions assumed, the activation energy of the ester–amide interchange in 30/70, 50/50, and 70/30 P64/PA6 blends were all about 24.0 kcal/mol. The pre‐exponential factors for the ester–amide exchange in 30/70, 50/50, and 70/30 P64/PA6 blends were 2.01 × 10¹¹, 2.59 × 10¹⁰, and 2.74 × 10¹² min⁻¹, respectively. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 2124–2135, 2000     

Organocopper‐catalyzed living radical polymerization initiated with aromatic sulfonyl chlorides

The living radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated from aromatic sulfonyl chlorides and catalyzed by the new catalytic systems CuSBu/bpy CuSPh/bpy and CuCCPh/bpy (bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) is described. For a target degree of polymerization of 200, lowering the ratio of catalyst to sulfonyl chloride group from 1/1 to 0.25/1 mol/mol decreases the values of the experimental rate constant of polymerization from 5.12 × 10⁻², 2.4 × 10⁻², and 1.87 × 10⁻² min⁻¹ to 1.8 × 10⁻³, 4.9 × 10⁻³, and 4.2 × 10⁻³ min⁻¹ for CuSBu, CuSPh, and CuCCPh, respectively, whereas the corresponding initiator efficiency increases from 62 to 99%. The external orders of reaction in the catalyst are 0.79 for CuSPh, 0.88 for CuCCPh, and 1.64 for CuSBu. A mechanistic interpretation that involves the in situ generation of, most likely, the real catalyst CuCl, starting from combinations of CuSBu, CuSPh, and CuCCPh and sulfonyl chloride or alkyl halide growing species, is suggested. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4353–4361, 2000     

1‐(2,6‐dibenzhydryl‐4‐fluorophenylimino)‐2‐aryliminoacenaphthylylnickel halides highly polymerizing ethylene for the polyethylenes with high branches and molecular weights

A series of 1‐(2,6‐dibenzhydryl‐4‐fluorophenylimino)‐ 2‐aryliminoacenaphthylene derivatives ( L1–L5 ) and their halonickel complexes LNiX₂ (X = Br, Ni1–Ni5 ; X = Cl, Ni6–Ni10 ) are synthesized and well characterized. The molecular structures of representative complexes Ni2 and Ni4 are confirmed as the distorted tetrahedron geometry around nickel atom by the single crystal X‐ray diffraction. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane, all nickel complexes show high activities up to 1.49 × 10⁷ g of PE (mol of Ni)^?1 h^?1 toward ethylene polymerization, producing polyethylenes with high branches and molecular weights up to 1.62 × 10⁶ g mol^?1 as well as narrow polydispersity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1369–1378     

RAFT Polymerization of N‐Isopropylacrylamide and Acrylic Acid under γ‐Irradiation in Aqueous Media

Summary: The ambient temperature (20 °C) reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and acrylic acid (AA) conducted directly in aqueous media under γ‐initiation (at dose rates of 30 Gy · h⁻¹) proceeds in a controlled fashion (typically, < 1.2) to near quantitative conversions and up to number‐average molecular weights of 2.5 × 10⁵ g · mol⁻¹ for PNIPAAm and 1.1 × 10⁵ g · mol⁻¹ for PAA via two water‐soluble trithiocarbonate chain transfer agents, i.e., S,S‐bis(α,α′‐dimethyl‐α″‐acetic acid)trithiocarbonate (TRITT) and 3‐benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl propionic acid (BPATT). The generated polymers are successfully chain extended, which suggests that the RAFT agents are stable throughout the polymerization process so that complex and well‐defined architectures can be obtained.

An increase of the monomer/CTA ratio leads to an increase of the molecular weight for the RAFT polymerization of NIPAAm under γ‐radiation in water using TRITT at ambient temperature.     

Thermo‐stable 2‐(arylimino)benzylidene‐9‐arylimino‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydro cyclohepta[b]pyridyliron(II) precatalysts toward ethylene polymerization and highly linear polyethylenes

A series of 2‐(arylimino)benzylidene‐9‐arylimino‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydrocyclohepta[b] pyridyliron(II) chlorides was synthesized and characterized using FT‐IR and elemental analysis, and the molecular structures of complexes Fe3 and Fe4 have been confirmed by the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction as a pseudo‐square‐pyramidal or distorted trigonal‐bipyramidal geometry around the iron core. On activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO) or modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), all iron precatalysts exhibited high activities toward ethylene polymerization with a marvelous thermo‐stability and long lifetime. The Fe4 /MAO system showed highest activity of 1.56 × 10⁷ gPE·mol^?1(Fe)·h^?1 at 70 °C, which is one of the highest activities toward ethylene polymerization by iron precatalysts. Even up to 80 °C, Fe3 /MAO system still persist high activity as 6.87 × 10⁶ g(PE)·mol^?1(Fe)·h^?1, demonstrating remarkable thermal stability for industrial polymerizations (80–100 °C). This was mainly attributing to the phenyl modification of the framework of the iron precatalysts. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 830–842     

Solution characterization of the novel organometallic polymer poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane)

A series of four well‐defined poly(ferrocenyldimethylsilane) (PFS) samples spanning a molecular weight range of approximately 10,000–100,000 g mol⁻¹ was synthesized by the living anionic polymerization of dimethyl[1]silaferrocenophane initiated with n‐BuLi. The polymers possessed narrow polydispersities and were used to characterize the solution behavior of PFS in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The weight‐average molecular weights (M_w ) of the polymers were determined by low‐angle laser light scattering (LALLS), conventional gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and GPC equipped with a triple detector (refractive index, light scattering, and viscosity). The molecular weight calculated by conventional GPC, with polystyrene standards, underestimated the true value in comparison with LALLS and GPC with the triple detection system. The Mark–Houwink parameter a for PFS in THF was 0.62 (k = 2.5 × 10⁻⁴), which is indicative of fairly marginal polymer–solvent interactions. The scaling exponent between the radius of gyration and M_w was 0.54, also consistent with marginal polymer–solvent interactions for PFS in THF. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3032–3041, 2000     

Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of sterically hindered monomers: Toward well‐defined rod/coil architectures

The sterically hindered monomers dibutyl itaconate (DBI) and dicyclohexyl itaconate (DCHI) were polymerized via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) free‐radical polymerization. S,S′‐Bis(α,α′‐dimethyl‐α″‐acetic acid) trithiocarbonate, cumyl dithiobenzoate, and cumyl phenyldithioacetate have been used as RAFT agents to mediate a series of polymerizations at 65 °C yielding rod polymers ranging in number average molecular weight from 9000 to 92,000 g mol^?1. The progress of the polymerization was followed via online Fourier transform–near infrared spectroscopy. The polydispersity indices of the obtained rod polymers were relatively high at 1.4–1.7. The RAFT polymerizations of the hindered monomers used in the present study displayed both ideal living and hybrid behavior between conventional and living polymerization, depending on the RAFT agent used. DCHI rod polymers generated via the RAFT process were subsequently reinitiated in the presence of styrene to produce a range of BAAB and A‐B rod‐coil block copolymers of molecular weights up to 164,000 g mol^?1. The chain extension yields molecular weight distributions that progressively shift to higher molecular weights and are unimodal. Thermogravimetric analysis of the pDCHI‐block‐pStyrene copolymers indicates thermal degradation in two separate steps for the pDCHI and pStyrene blocks. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 2432–2443, 2004     

Radical‐initiated polymerization of β‐methyl‐α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone

β‐Methyl‐α‐methylene‐γ‐butyrolactone (MMBL) was synthesized and then was polymerized in an N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) solution with 2,2‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) initiation. The homopolymer of MMBL was soluble in DMF and acetonitrile. MMBL was homopolymerized without competing depolymerization from 50 to 70 °C. The rate of polymerization (R_p) for MMBL followed the kinetic expression R_p = [AIBN]^0.54[MMBL]^1.04. The overall activation energy was calculated to be 86.9 kJ/mol, k_p/k_t^1/2 was equal to 0.050 (where k_p is the rate constant for propagation and k_t is the rate constant for termination), and the rate of initiation was 2.17 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 s^?1. The free energy of activation, the activation enthalpy, and the activation entropy were 106.0, 84.1, and 0.0658 kJ mol^?1, respectively, for homopolymerization. The initiation efficiency was approximately 1. Styrene and MMBL were copolymerized in DMF solutions at 60 °C with AIBN as the initiator. The reactivity ratios (r₁ = 0.22 and r₂ = 0.73) for this copolymerization were calculated with the Kelen–Tudos method. The general reactivity parameter Q and the polarity parameter e for MMBL were calculated to be 1.54 and 0.55, respectively. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1759–1777, 2003     

Propagation rate coefficients of isobornyl acrylate,tert‐butyl acrylate and 1‐ethoxyethyl acrylate: A high frequency PLP‐SEC study

Pulsed laser polymerization (PLP) coupled to size exclusion chromatography (SEC) is considered to be the most accurate and reliable technique for the determination of absolute propagation rate coefficients, k_p. Herein, k_p data as a function of temperature were determined via PLP‐SEC for three acrylate monomers that are of particular synthetic interest (e.g., for the generation of amphiphilic block copolymers). The high‐T_g monomer isobornyl acrylate (iBoA) as well as the precursor monomers for the synthesis of hydrophilic poly(acrylic acid), tert‐butyl acrylate (tBuA), and 1‐ethoxyethyl acrylate (EEA) were investigated with respect to their propagation rate coefficient in a wide temperature range. By application of a 500 Hz laser repetition rate, data could be obtained up to a temperature of 80 °C. To arrive at absolute values for k_p, the Mark‐Houwink parameters of the polymers have been determined via on‐line light scattering and viscosimetry measurements. These read: K = 5.00 × 10⁵ dL g⁻¹, a = 0.75 (piBoA), K = 19.7 × 10⁵ dL g⁻¹, a = 0.66 (ptBA) and K = 1.53 × 10⁵ dL g⁻¹, a = 0.85 (pEEA). The bulky iBoA monomer shows the lowest propagation rate coefficient among the three monomers, while EEA is the fastest. The activation energies and Arrhenius factors read: (iBoA): log(A/L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) = 7.05 and E_A = 17.0 kJ mol⁻¹; (tBuA): log(A/L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) = 7.28 and E_A = 17.5 kJ mol⁻¹ and (EEA): log(A/L mol⁻¹ s⁻¹) = 6.80 and E_A = 13.8 kJ mol⁻¹. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6641–6654, 2009     

Kinetic study of the radical polymerization behavior of N‐(1‐phenylethylaminocarbonyl)methacrylamide

Polymerization of N‐(1‐phenylethylaminocarbonyl)methacrylamide (PEACMA) with dimethyl 2,2′‐azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) was kinetically studied in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The overall activation energy of the polymerization was estimated to be 84 kJ/mol. The initial polymerization rate (R_p) is given by R_p = k[MAIB]^0.6[PEACMA]^0.9 at 60 °C, being similar to that of the conventional radical polymerization. The polymerization system involved electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopically observable propagating poly(PEACMA) radical under the actual polymerization conditions. ESR‐determined rate constants of propagation and termination were 140 L/mol s and 3.4 × 10⁴ L/mol s at 60 °C, respectively. The addition of LiCl accelerated the polymerization in N,N‐dimethylformamide but did not in DMSO. The copolymerization of PEACMA(M₁) and styrene(M₂) with MAIB in DMSO at 60 °C gave the following copolymerization parameters; r₁ = 0.20, r₂ = 0.51, Q₁ = 0.59, and e₁ = +0.70. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2013–2020, 2005     

Thermolysis of hexasubstituted‐4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazoles: Kinetics and activation parameters

A kinetics study of the thermolysis of a series of hexasubstituted‐4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazoles (pyrazolines 1a: 3,3,4,4‐tetramethyl‐5‐phenyl‐5‐acetoxy; 1b: cis‐3,5‐diphenyl‐3,3,4‐trimethyl‐5‐acetoxy; 1c: cis‐3,5‐diphenyl‐3,4,4‐trimethyl‐5‐methoxy; 1d: 3,3,5‐triphenyl‐4,4‐dimethyl‐5‐acetoxy), which produced the corresponding hexasubstituted cyclopropanes 2a–d in quantitative yields was carried out. The first order rate constants (k₁) for thermal decomposition and activation parameters were determined. The relative reactivity series was found to be 1d >> 1b ∼ 1c > 1a. The activation parameters for thermolysis were found to be: for 1a ΔH‡ = 39.8 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = 14 eu, k_150° = 6.8 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹; for 1b ΔH‡ = 33.5 kcal/mol, ΔS ‡ = 0.2 eu, k_150° = 1.7 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹; for 1c ΔH‡ = 32.7 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.8 eu, k_150° = 1.2 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹; for 1d ΔH‡ = 30.1 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.6 eu, k_150° = 8.8 × 10⁻³s⁻¹. The effect of variation of C3 substituents on the activation parameters for thermolysis paralleled the trend reported for acyclic analogs. The results are consistent with the formation of a (singlet) 1,3‐diradical intermediate with subsequent closure to yield the cyclopropanes. The mechanism of diradical formation appears to involve N₂‐C₃ bond cleavage as the rate determining step rather than simultaneous two bond scission. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 11:299–302, 2000     

Deactivation reactions in the modeled 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy‐mediated free‐radical polymerization of styrene: A comparative study with the 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy/acrylonitrile system

The competitiveness of the combination and disproportionation reactions between a 1‐phenylpropyl radical, standing for a growing polystyryl macroradical, and a 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) radical in the nitroxide‐mediated free‐radical polymerization of styrene was quantitatively evaluated by the study of the transition geometry and the potential energy profiles for the competing reactions with the use of quantum‐mechanical calculations at the density functional theory (DFT) UB3‐LYP/6‐311+G(3df, 2p)//(unrestricted) Austin Model 1 level of theory. The search for transition geometries resulted in six and two transition structures for the radical combination and disproportionation reactions, respectively. The former transition structures, mainly differing in the out‐of‐plane angle of the N? O bond in the transition structure TEMPO molecule, were correlated with the activation energy, which was determined to be in the range of 8.4–19.4 kcal mol^?1 from a single‐point calculation at the DFT UB3‐LYP/6‐311+G(3df, 2p)//unrestricted Austin Model 1 level. The calculated activation energy for the disproportionation reaction was less favorable by a value of more than 30 kcal mol^?1 in comparison with that for the combination reaction. The approximate barrier difference for the TEMPO addition and disproportionation reaction was slightly smaller for the styrene polymerization system than for the acrylonitrile polymerization system, thus indicating that a β‐proton abstraction through a TEMPO radical from the polymer backbone could diminish control over the radical polymerization of styrene with the nitroxide even more than in the latter system. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 232–241, 2007     

Abnormally slow reaction of oppositely charged ions: The kinetics of dopamine hydrochloride oxidation by ammonium peroxydisulfate

The kinetic curves for oxidation of dopamine hydrochloride in aqueous solution in the presence of ammonium peroxydisulfate were obtained by UV–vis spectroscopy and potentiometry. It was shown that the reaction follows the first-order kinetic equation and proceeds at a low rate. The values for the activation energy and the preexponential factor were determined as 75 kJ × mol⁻¹ and 4 × 10⁸ s⁻¹, respectively. The activation entropy was found having a negative value of −89 J × mol⁻¹ × K⁻¹. The first reaction order, the low preexponential factor and the negative activation entropy value for the reaction between the 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)ethanammonium cation and the peroxydisulfate anion were explained by the formation of ionic associates, which slowly enter into the internal redox reaction.     

Effect of the alkylaluminum cocatalyst on ethylene polymerization by a nickel–diimine complex

Different chlorine-free alkylaluminum compounds were active cocatalysts for ethylene polymerization in the presence of 1,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-acenaphthenediimine-dichloronickel (II) (1). The combination of 1 with trimethylaluminum or triisobutylaluminum produced catalytically active species that polymerized ethylene with productivities up to 469 kg_polymer/(mol_Ni · h). The activity of the catalytic system and the properties of the polymeric materials were influenced strongly by the reaction temperature. The polymers had a high molecular weight (up to 642 × 10³ g · mol⁻¹), and the molecular weight increased with the reaction time. The polyethylenes were branched, and the branching could be modulated by the proper choice of reaction parameters. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 4656–4663, 1999     

Kinetic and ESR studies on the radical polymerization of α‐n‐(α′‐methylbenzyl) β‐ethyl itaconamates derived from racemic and (s)‐α‐methylbenzylamines

The polymerization of α‐N‐(α′‐methylbenzyl) β‐ethyl itaconamate derived from racemic α‐methylbenzylamine (RS‐MBEI) by initiation with dimethyl 2,2′‐azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) was studied in methanol kinetically and with ESR spectroscopy. The overall activation energy of polymerization was calculated to be 47 kJ/mol, a very low value. The polymerization rate (R_p ) at 60 °C was expressed by R_p = k[MAIB]^0.5±0.05[RS‐MBEI]^2.9±0.1. The rate constants of propagation (k_p ) and termination (k_t ) were determined by ESR. k_p was very low, ranging from 0.3 to 0.8 L/mol s, and increased with the monomer concentration, whereas k_t (4–17 × l0⁴ L/mol s) decreased with the monomer concentration. Such behaviors of k_p and k_t were responsible for the high dependence of R_p on the monomer concentration. R_p depended considerably on the solvent used. S‐MBEI, derived from (S)‐α‐methylbenzylamine, showed somewhat lower homopolymerizability than RS‐MBEI. The k_p value of RS‐MBEI at 60 °C in benzene was 1.5 times that of S‐MBEI. This was explicable in terms of the different molecular associations of RS‐MBEI and S‐MBEI, as analyzed by ¹H NMR. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4137–4146, 2000     

Kinetics and electron spin resonance study of the radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate mediated by a nitroxide precursor: C‐phenyl‐N‐tert‐butylnitrone

The C‐phenyl‐N‐tert‐butylnitrone/azobisisobutyronitrile pair is able to impart control to the radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate as long as a two‐step process is implemented, that is, the prereaction of the nitrone and the initiator in toluene at 85 °C for 4 h followed by the addition and polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate at 110 °C. The structure of the in situ formed nitroxide has been established from kinetic and electron spin resonance data. The key parameters (the dissociation rate constant, combination rate constant, and equilibrium constant) that govern the process have been evaluated. The equilibrium constant between the dormant and active species is close to 1.6 × 10^?12 mol L^?1 at 110 °C. The dissociation rate constant and the activation energy for the C? ON bond homolysis are 1.9 × 10^?3 s^?1 and 122 ± 15 kJ mol^?1, respectively. The rate constant of recombination between the propagating radical and the nitroxide is as high as 1.2 × 10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1. Finally, well‐defined poly(n‐butyl acrylate)‐b‐polystyrene block copolymers have been successfully prepared. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6299–6311, 2006     

Ring‐opening polymerization of L‐lactide by rare‐earth tris(4‐tert‐butylphenolate) single‐component initiators

The ring‐opening polymerization of L ‐lactide initiated by single‐component rare‐earth tris(4‐tert‐butylphenolate)s was conducted. The influences of the rare‐earth elements, solvents, temperature, monomer and initiator concentrations, and reaction time on the polymerization were investigated in detail. No racemization was found from 70 to 100 °C under the examined conditions. NMR and differential scanning calorimetry measurements further confirmed that the polymerization occurred without epimerization of the monomer or polymer. A kinetic study indicated that the polymerization rate was first‐order with respect to the monomer and initiator concentrations. The overall activation energy of the ring‐opening polymerization was 79.2 kJ mol^?1. ¹H NMR data showed that the L ‐lactide monomer inserted into the growing chains with acyl–oxygen bond cleavage. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 6209–6215, 2004     

Evaluation of propagation rate constants for the free radical polymerization of methacrylonitrile by pulsed laser photolysis

Propagation rate constants for the free radical polymerization of methacrylonitrile (MAN) have been obtained by pulsed laser photolysis (PLP). The temperature dependence of the propagation rate constants indicates a frequency factor of 10^{(6,43 ± 0,26)} L · mol⁻¹ · s⁻¹ and an activation energy of 29,7 ± 1,5 kJ · mol⁻¹. These parameters suggest that the relatively slow rate of propagation in MAN polymerization in relation to other common monomers (methyl methacrylate, styrene) can be attributed to the relative steric bulk and stability of the propagation species.     

Electrochemical behavior of 5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline and oxidative electropolymerization of tris[5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline]iron(II)

The electrochemical behavior of 5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline and tris[5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline]-iron(II) at carbon paste, glassy carbon, and platinum electrodes is reported. The iron complex undergoes electrochemically induced oxidative polymerization from acetonitrile solutions and the resulting polymers are very stable. Charge transport through the polymer films occurs with a charge transfer diffusion coefficient, D_ct, equal to 3.1 × 10⁻⁸ cm² s⁻¹ corresponding to an electron self-exchange rate of 5.2×10⁷M⁻¹ s⁻¹. The activation energy and the entropy change for the charge transfer diffusion process are (approximate values) 32.0 ± 0.12 kJ mol⁻¹ and −24.7 ± 0.4 J K⁻¹ mol⁻¹, respectively.