Stereoregularity of radically polymerized poly(alkyl acrylates) and poly(trimethylsilyl acrylates) and the preparation of syndiotactic poly(methyl acrylate)

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used to determine the stereoregularity of radically polymerized poly(ethyl acrylates), poly(trimethylsilyl acrylates), and poly(isopropyl acrylate-α,β-d₂). The ethyl acrylate polymers consisted of a random configuration having about 50% of isotactic diads, and their stereoregularities were independent of the polymerization temperature (40 to ?78°C). Poly(trimethylsilyl acrylates) and poly(isopropyl acrylate-α,β-d₂) prepared at low temperatures had a syndiotactic configuration. Syndiotactic poly(methyl acrylate) was derived from syndiotactic poly(trimethylsilyl acrylate). For poly(methyl acrylate), an approximate estimation of the stereoregularity by infrared spectroscopy was proposed.     

The stereoregularity of polyacrylonitrile and its dependence on polymerization temperature

The stereoregularity of polyacrylonitrile was studied by NMR spectroscopy. The methylene protons in isotactic configuration are equivalent in dimethylformamide-d₇ solution and are nonequivalent in dimethylsulfoxide-d₆ solution. In the case of the latter solution the difference in chemical shift between the isotactic methylene protons is 6.6 cps. The stereoregularity of polyacrylonitrile-α-d instead of polyacrylonitrile was determined on the dimethylformamide-d₇ solution. In the radical polymerization all the polyacrylonitrile-α-d's that polymerized at temperatures between 80 and ?78°C. have a configuration consisting of about 50% of isotactic diads and, accordingly, the stereoregularity of polyacrylonitrile does not depend upon the polymerization temperature. Analysis of the NMR spectra of isotactic polyacrylonitrile prepared from acrylonitrile–urea canal complex was also carried out. The NMR spectra of meso- and dl-2,4-dicyanopentanes, dimer models of isotactic and syndiotactic polyacrylonitriles, respectively, were analyzed by a computer program proposed by Bothner-By.     

Stereoregularity of poly(isopropyl acrylate) and its racemization during hydrolysis

The diad tacticity of poly(isopropyl acrylate) was measured from the β-proton absorptions of poly(isopropyl acrylate-α,β-d₂) obtained with a 100 MHz NMR spectrometer, and temperature dependence of the tacticity of the polymers obtained by radical polymerization was determined. Enthalpy and entropy differences between isotactic and syndiotactic addition for poly(isopropyl acrylate) were calculated to give the following values: Δ(ΔS) = 0.7 eu; Δ(ΔH) = 0.51 kcal/mole. In the hydrolysis of poly(isopropyl acrylate-α,β-d₂), it was found that the rate of hydrolysis of poly(isopropyl acrylate) was dependent on the molecular weight rather than on the tacticity. As for the rate of racemization during hydrolysis, the rate for syndiotactic polymer was much faster than that for the isotactic polymer. The exchange reaction of deuterium at α-position with hydrogen occurred in all the polymers during hydrolysis reaction.     

Stereoregularity of poly(2-vinylpyridine) determined by 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy

In order to determine the stereoregularity of poly(2-vinylpyridine), 2-vinylpyridine-β,β-d₂ was synthesized. The ¹H-NMR spectra of the deuterated polymer in D₂SO₄ and o-dichlorobenzene solutions showed three peaks, which were assigned to triad tacticities. Since the absorptions of heterotactic and syndiotactic triads of methine protons overlap those of methylene protons in nondeuterated polymers, only isotactic triad intensities can be obtained from the ¹H-NMR spectra of nondeuterated poly(2-vinylpyridine). The ¹³C-NMR spectra of poly(2-vinylpyridine) were obtained in methanol and sulfuric acid solutions. In methanol solution the absorption was split into three groups, which cannot be explained by triads, and in sulfuric acid solution several peaks were observed. These splittings may be due to pentad tacticity. The results show that poly(2-vinylpyridine) obtained by radical polymerization is an atactic polymer.     

Stereospecific polymerization of benzyl α-(alkoxymethyl) acrylates

α-(Alkoxymethyl) acrylates, such as methyl α-(phenoxymethyl) acrylate, benzyl α-(methoxymethyl)acrylate (BMMA), benzyl α-(benzyloxymethyl)acrylate, and benzyl α-(tert-butoxymethyl)acrylate, were synthesized, and their polymerizability and the stereoregularity of the polymers obtained by radical and anionic methods were investigated. The radically obtained polymers were found to be atactic by ¹³C- and ¹H-NMR analyses, but the polymers obtained with lithium reagents in toluene at −78°C were highly isotactic. Further, it is noteworthy that isotactic polymers were also produced with lithium reagents even in tetrahydrofuran. Effects of polymerization temperature and counter cation on stereoregularity were clearly observed in the polymerization of BMMA, and a potassium reagent afforded an almost atactic polymer. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 721–726, 1997     

Stereoregularity of poly(vinyl ether)

α-Methylvinyl isobutyl and methyl ethers were polymerized cationically and the structure of the polymers was studied by NMR. Poly(α-methylvinyl methyl ether) polymerized with iodine or ferric chloride as catalyst was found to be almost atactic, whereas poly(α-methylvinyl isobutyl ether) polymerized in toluene with BF₃OEt₂ or AlEt₂Cl as catalyst was found to be isotactic. In both cases, the addition of polar solvent resulted in the increase of syndiotactic structure as is the case with polymerization of alkyl vinyl ether. tert-Butyl vinyl ether was polymerized, and the polymer was converted into poly(vinyl acetate), the structure of which was studied by NMR. A nearly linear relationship between the optical density ratio D₇₂₂/D₇₃₆ in poly(tert-butyl vinyl ether) and the isotacticity of the converted poly(vinyl acetate) was observed.     

Rare Earth Metal-Initiated Polymerizations of Polar and Nonpolar Monomers

Abstract

Organolanthanide(III) initiated polymerization of methyl methacryate gave both syndiotactic and isotactic living polymers of high molecular weight. Organolanthanide(III) initiated polymerization of alkyl acrylates also gave high molecular weight poly(alkyl acrylate)s with very narrow molecular weight distribuion in high yield. Molecular weights of the resulting polymers increased linearly with the conversion. Random and block copolymerizations of alkyl acrylates with methyl methacrylate were realized successfully. For the sake of development of the olefin polymerization catalyst, bulky substituents were introduced into Me₂Si bridged Cp rings and they were used as ligands for the lanthanide complexes. Tri- and divalent lanthanide complexes with such ligands showed high activity for olefin polymerization and gave high molecular weight polyolefins.     

Triad tacticity of polyacrylonitrile

The high-resolution NMR spectra of polyacrylonitrile-β,β-d₂ prepared by radical polymerization were determined, and the stereoregularity of the polymer was studied. The NMR spectra of methine protons of polyacrylonitrile-β,β-d₂ in dimethyl sulfoxide-d₆ and a mixture of nitromethane-d₃ and ethylene carbonate showed three partially resolved multiplets. The deuterium-decoupled spectra of the polymer were measured, and three well resolved peaks were observed in the two solvents and dimethylformamide-d₇. These three peaks were analyzed by comparison with the NMR spectra of model compounds and polyacrylonitrile-α-d, and they were assigned to isotactic, heterotactic, and syndiotactic triads with decreasing magnetic field. This order seems to be unchanged in other solvents. Triad stereoregularity of the polymer was determined according to the assignment. Polymerizations of acrylonitrile-β,β-d₂ by radical initiators between ?78°C and 60°C were explained by the Bernoulli trial propagation step. The polymers had an atactic structure, independent of polymerization temperature. This shows that in free-radical polymerization of acrylonitrile, the chain end is not represented as having any particular stereochemistry. Other stereochemical control is necessary to produce tactic polymers. The triad tacticity of isotactic polyacrylonitrile was also determined.     

Synthesis of polyacrylamide samples of known steric structure

The esterification of atactic, syndiotactic and isotactic samples of poly(acrylic acid) by phenol and p-nitrophenol, carried out at 95° in the presence of POCl₃, led only to atactic poly(phenyl and p-nitrophenyl acrylates) respectively, as shown by ¹H-NMR (250 MHz). These polymers and isotactic poly(phenyl acrylate), prepared by anionic polymerization of phenyl acrylate with n-butyllithium, when reacted with ammonia led to bridged polyacrylimides or to linear atactic or isotactic polyacrylamides according to the reaction conditions. Anionic homopolymerization of p-nitrophenyl acrylate did not occur.     

Studies on tacticity of polyacrylonitrile. I. High-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of polyacrylonitrile

The nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of polyacrylonitriles prepared under various polymerization conditions were measured in NaCNS–D₂O solution. The methylenic proton resonance could be separated into two triplets: one is due to the protons of the syndiotactic methylene groups and the other is due to the isotactic ones. The tacticity of polyacrylonitrile could be determined by the ratio of the integrated intensities of the two triplets. Polyacrylonitriles prepared with radical catalysts are approximately 75% syndiotactic, and polyacrylonitriles prepared by the anionic polymerization at low temperature, γ-irradiation in the solid state, Mg molecular beam, and γ-irradiation on the urea canal complex are more isotactic but have no remarkable stereoregularity.     

New initiator system for the anionic polymerization of (meth)acrylates in toluene. IV. Random copolymerization of (meth)acrylates in toluene initiated by s-BuLi ligated by lithium silanolates

Copolymerization of binary mixtures of alkyl (meth)acrylates has been initiated in toluene by a mixed complex of lithium silanolate  (s-BuMe₂SiOLi) and s-BuLi (molar ratio > 21) formed in situ by reaction of s-BuLi with hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D₃). Fully acrylate and methacrylate copolymers, i.e., poly(methyl acrylate-co-n-butyl acrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethyl methacrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate) of a rather narrow molecular weight distribution have been synthesized. However, copolymerization of alkyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate pairs has completely failed, leading to the selective formation of homopoly(acrylate). As result of the isotactic stereoregulation of the alkyl methacrylate polymerization by the s-BuLi/s-BuMe₂SiOLi initiator, highly isotactic random and block copolymers of (alkyl) methacrylates have been prepared and their thermal behavior analyzed. The structure of isotactic poly(ethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) copolymers has been analyzed in more detail by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2525–2535, 1999     

Epoxide Polymerization and Copolymerization with Carbon Dioxide Using Diethylaluminum Chloride-25,27-Dimethoxy-26,28-dihydroxy-p-tert-butyl-Calix[4]arene System as a New Homogeneous Catalyst

ABSTRACT

Previously unknown substituted chelate phenolatoaluminum chloride, (25,27-dimethoxy-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene-26,28-diolato) aluminum chloride, was derived from the reaction of diethyl-aluminum chloride and 25,27-dimethoxy-26,28-dihydroxy-p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene at reactants 1:1 mole ratio. It was applied successfully for the polymerization of propylene oxide and cyclohexene oxide, and their copolymerization with carbon dioxide, leading to respective oligomers and co-oligomers. The catalyst structure and the structure of the obtained low-molecular-weight polymers and copolymers were studied using NMR spectroscopy. Poly(propylene oxide) obtained in the presence of the studied catalyst appeared to contain isotactic diads predominantly, whereas the obtained poly(cyclohexene oxide) did not exhibit any significantly prevailing sequences of either isotactic nor syndiotactic diads. The polymerization mechanism has been proposed and discussed in view of the obtained results.     

Influence of microstructure on the hydrodynamic behavior of poly-α-methylstyrene

The theta temperature of poly-α-methylstyrene in cyclohexane has been found to vary with the stereostructure of the polymer. The observed values range from 305.5°K. for highly syndiotactic material (0.95 syndiotactic diads) to 310.0°K. for anio ically polymerized samples (0.67 syndiotactic diads). Results indicate that the unperturbed dimensions of the polymer increase with increasing isotacticity of the chain, whereas the entropy parameter ψ₁, measured in cyclohexane, decreased as the structure became more isotactic. Measurements of the second virial coefficient in toluene showed an increasing interaction with the solvent as the polymer became more syndiotactic.     

Polimeri vinilici otticamente attivi XXI. Determinazione del tipo e del grado di stereoregolarità in alcuni polivinilchetoni

Using NMR. spectroscopy it has been shown that the stereoregularity in the polyvinylketones prepared with Zn(i-C₄H₉)₂ or LiAlH₄ as initiator is of the isotactic type. A surprisingly high stereoregularity (% isotactic diads > 95) has been observed not only in polymethylvinylketone but also in poly[(S)-1-methyl-propyl]vinylketone.     

Conformational analysis of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)

The poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) is a disubstituted vinyl chain in which the substituents CO₂CH₂CH₂OH and CH₃ differ in size and shape. In order to verify the various characteristics of the PHEMA chain, the conformational energy calculations for meso and racemic diads, which are the segments consisting of the stereoregular isotactic and syndiotactic chains, respectively, were carried out using ECEPP/2 potential. From these calculations, the averaged geometry and the statistical weights were obtained in a local minima. The characteristic ratio, C∞ = (〈r²〉_o/nl²)∞, was determined from the statistical weights and geometries. The calculated C∞ for the isotactic and syndiotactic chain are 10.2 and 2.3, respectively. The characteristic ratio for isotactic chain is larger than that for syndiotactic chain. This shows that the syndiotactic chain is more folded than the isotactic chain is, and that the calculated tendency is in reasonably agreement with the experimental tendency of acrylate polymers.     

Stereocontrol in radical polymerization of acrylic monomers

A clear effect of Lewis acids, such. as scandium trifluoromethanesulfonate [Sc(OTf)₃], on stereocontrol during the radical polymerization of a designed monomer, benzyl α-(methoxymethyl)acrylate was found. This Lewis acid also influenced the stereochemistry in the radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate giving a less syndiotactic and more isotactic polymer, although many Lewis acids were not effective. A catalytic amount of Lewis acids, such as Y(OTf)₃ and Yb(OTf)₃, also significantly enhanced isotactic-specificity during the radical polymerization of acrylamide and its derivatives, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N,N-dimethylacrylamide. Obvious solvent and temperature effects on tacticity were observed in these polymerizations, and poly(NIPAM) with >80% triad isotactic content has been obtained in the presence of Lewis acids.     

Structural investigation of poly (methyl acrylate) by 2D HMBC NMR

Three and four bond order couplings between carbonyl carbon and other neighboring protons have been investigated in detail with the help of 2D heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) spectrum. The methine and methylene protons in pentad and tetrad configuration were found to couple with carbonyl carbon. The intensity ratio of methylene protons’ cross peaks in HMBC spectrum shows that 50% of poly methyl acrylate (PMA) is in isotactic and 50% is in syndiotactic configuration. The configurational analysis was mainly carried out with the help of 2D HMBC spectrum.     

Synthesis and chiral recognition ability of optically active poly{N‐[(R)‐α‐methoxycarbonylbenzyl]methacrylamide} with various tacticities by radical polymerization using Lewis acids

The radical polymerization of an optically active methacrylamide, N‐[(R)‐α‐methoxycarbonylbenzyl]methacrylamide, was carried out in the absence and presence of Lewis acids such as yittribium trifluoromethanesulfonate [Yb(OTf)₃] and scandium trifluoromethanesulfonate [Sc(OTf)₃]. Catalytic amounts of the Lewis acids significantly affected the stereoregularity of the obtained polymers. The polymerization with Yb(OTf)₃ in tetrahydrofuran afforded isotactic polymers (up to mm = 87%), whereas the conventional radical method without the Lewis acid produced polymers rich in syndiotacticity (up to rr = 88%). The radical polymerization in the presence of MgBr₂ proceeded in a heterotactic‐selective manner (mr = 63%). Thus, the isotactic, syndiotactic, and heterotactic poly(methacrylamide)s were synthesized by the radical processes. The chiral recognition abilities of the obtained optically active poly(methacrylamide)s were affected by the stereoregularity. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3354–3360, 2003     

Polymerization of (E)‐1,3‐Pentadiene and (E)‐2‐methyl‐1,3‐pentadiene with neodymium catalysts: Examination of the factors that affect the stereoselectivity

(E)‐1,3‐Pentadiene (EP) and (E)‐2‐methyl‐1,3‐pentadiene (2MP) were polymerized to cis‐1,4 polymers with homogeneous and heterogeneous neodymium catalysts to examine the influence of the physical state of the catalyst on the polymerization stereoselectivity. Data on the polymerization of (E)‐1,3‐hexadiene (EH) are also reported. EP and EH gave cis‐1,4 isotactic polymers both with the homogeneous and with the heterogeneous system, whereas 2MP gave an isotactic cis‐1,4 polymer with the heterogeneous catalyst and a syndiotactic cis‐1,4 polymer, never reported earlier, with the homogeneous one. For comparison, the results obtained with the soluble CpTiCl₃‐based catalyst (Cp = cyclopentadienyl), which gives cis‐1,4 isotactic poly(2MP), are examined. A tentative interpretation is given for the mechanism of the formation of the stereoregular polymers obtained and a complete NMR characterization of the cis‐1,4‐syndiotactic poly(2MP) is reported. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3227–3232     

Hydroxy Functional Acrylates: Enzymatic Synthesis and Free Radical Polymerization

Hydroxy functional acrylates were prepared via transacylation of methyl acrylate with 1,2,6-hexanetriol catalyzed by Candida antarctica lipase B. Under the applied reaction conditions, 70% of the substrate was converted into hydroxy functional acrylates. In a subsequent step, after filtration of the enzyme, the monomer mixture containing methyl acrylate and the new monomers was polymerized via free radical polymerization resulting in a functional copolymer with M_n = 14500 g/mol.