Photo-induced graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate on cellulose

Graft copolymerization initiated by ultraviolet light irradiation at 40°C in a hard glass vessel under nitrogen was examined. The graft copolymerization was observed to occur easily after some induction period without any use of photosensitizer, though it was found the per cent grafting and the grafting efficiency were markedly affected by the quantities of cellulose and monomer. In the system without cellulose, homopolymerization of methyl methacrylate hardly took place, but the use of cellulose caused the formation of homopolymer too, and a grafting efficiency in the range of 60–80% generally resulted. Ferric chloride or sodium anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonate (AQ) acted on the polymerization reaction as photosensitizers to reduce its induction period. Though ferric chloride acted to develop both the per cent grafting and the number of grafts, not the same effects were observed with AQ. Oxalic acid, which was employed with the object of eliminating very small amount of metals contained in cellulose, was found to act favorably in the formation of grafts, much like ferric chloride.     

Radiation-induced graft copolymerization of N-vinyl carbazole and methyl methacrylate onto cellulose acetate film

N-Vinyl carbazole methyl methacrylate, and the binary mixtures of these monomers were grafted onto cellulose acetate films by taking recourse to Co-60 simultaneous irradiation grafting technique. The effect of various parameters (e.g., solvents, radiation dose, compositions of the monomers, and concentration of the monomers) on the extent of grafting in unitary and binary systems were studied. The optimum conditions for grafting were evaluated. The sensitizing effect of one monomer in the presence of other in the binary system was identified. The relative molecular reactivity and reactivity ratios were computed and these were used in explaining sensitization and the effect of monomer compositions on the extent of grafting in the binary system.     

Studies on graft copolymerization onto cellulose derivatives. XXIX. Photo-induced graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto chitin and oxychitin

Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) onto chitin and oxidized chitin was carried out by a noncatalytic photo-induced and a photo-sensitized method. The isolation method of grafted chains without a decrease in their degree of polymerization (DP) by sulfuric acid hydrolysis and the effects of some factors on the conversion and the grafted chain length have been studied. In case of the photo-induced graft copolymerization, if a small amount of dimethylformaldehyde (DMF) is added in the polymerization system, the induction period is shortened and the degree of grafting and the apparent number of grafted chains increase. The degree of grafting and the apparent number of grafted chains of the oxidized chitin containing a small amount of C?O groups are greater than those of the untreated chitin, but a further increase in C?O groups decreases these values. In the presence of this two species of the chitin samples, the polymerization reaction was carried out as functions of monomer and chitin concentrations. From these results, the mechanisms of the photo-induced graft copolymerization were discussed. It is also clear that the conversion and the apparent number of grafted chains by the noncatalytic photo-induced method are generally larger than those by the photo-sensitized method, and the grafting activity with hydrogen peroxide (HPO) is higher than that with azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN).     

Studies of the graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate by means of the photochemical reduction of ceric ion adsorbed on cellulosic materials

It was observed that the rate of reduction of ceric ion adsorbed on cellulose was remarkably accelerated by irradiation with ultraviolet light, and this behavior depended upon the kind of cellulose. When the graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate on cellulose with adsorbed ceric ion was carried out by irradiation with ultraviolet light, the percent grafting decreased for softwood, bleached sulfite pulp and increased for hardwood semichemical pulp. The average molecular weight of the grafts was observed generally to decrease. If it is assumed that the ceric ions, which are reduced at an accelerated rate in the early stages of reaction with SCP, do not participate in the graft formation, a relation is observed between the modified amount of reduced ceric ion and the number of grafted chains formed, and the molar ratios of these quantities are 12:1 without irradiation and 75:1 to 100:1 with irradiation. Even when the rate of reduction of ceric ion is accelerated, the increase in the number of grafted chains is found to be very small.     

Structure and properties of cellulose graft copolymers. III. Cellulose–methyl methacrylate graft copolymers synthesized by the ceric ion method

The ceric ion-initiated graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto wood cellulose was found to depend on the concentrations of initiator, monomer, and cellulose. The structure of cellulose—methyl methacrylate graft copolymers was studied by hydrolyzing away the cellulose backbone to isolate the grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) branches. The molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of the grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) were determined by using gel-permeation chromatography. The number-average (M?_n) molecular weights ranged from 36 000 to 160 000 and the polydispersity ratios (M?_w/M?_n) varied from 4.0 to 7.0. The grafting frequency or the number of poly(methyl methacrylate) branches per cellulose chain calculated from the per cent grafting and molecular weight data varied from 0.38 to 3.2. The structure of cellulose—methyl methacrylate graft copolymers and the effect of stepwise addition of initiator on the structure are discussed.     

Graft copolymerization onto jute fiber: Ceric ion-initiated graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate

Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was carried out on both defatted and bleached jute fibers using ceric ammonium sulfate (CAS) as the initiator. In order to obtain the optimum condition for grafting, the effects of initiator concentrations, temperature, time of reaction, lignin content of jute, and the monomer concentration were studied. The maximum percent grafting and grafting efficiency were found to be 132% and 0.71, respectively. Kinetic studies showed that at 0.03M CAS, the reaction appeared to obey the second-order process. The activation energies were found to be 7.74 and 5.12 kcal/mole for defatted (lignin content, 15.7%) and chlorite-bleached jute (lignin content 10%), respectively. The activation energies of graft copolymerization of MMA onto jute fiber are compared with the energies of activation of graft copolymerization of acrylonitrile (AN).     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate with ceric ion-methanol redox system

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by Ce⁴⁺ methanol redox system was studied in aqueous solution of nitric acid at 15°C. The polymerization was initiated by primary radicals formed from Ce⁴⁺/alcohol complex. Poly(methyl methacrylate) chains containing the alcohol residue were obtained. Variations in the temperatuare and concentration of the components of the redox system allowed the control of the rate of polymerization and molecular weight of the polymer. The concentration of the hydroxyl end groups in the poly(methyl methacrylate) of low molecular weight was determined by titration and by spectrometric method.     

The role of ceric ion in vinyl polymerization and graft copolymerization

Six kinds of new ceric ion redox initiation systems for vinyl radical polymerization and two kinds of macromolecule graft copolymerization by ceric ion have been briefly reviewed in this paper. The initiators include ceric ion/acetanilide, ceric ion/alkyl phenylcarbamate, ceric ion/4-methoxysuccinyltoluidine, ceric ion/aliphatic aldehyde, ceric ion/aromatic aldehyde, ceric ion/diketone systems. Macromolecules such as poly(ether-urethane) and macromolecules having active pendant groups were selected for graft copolymerization with acrylamide initiated by ceric ion.     

Effects of solvent in photo-induced graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers on cellulose

The effects of swelling of the sample and polymerization solvents were studied for photo-induced graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers on cellulose. The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was activated by swelling of the sample or organic solvent-water solutions within a certain range of their concentrations. Though each organic solvent gave a maximum in per cent grafting and the number of grafts at about 25 vol-% concentration, the initiation reaction scarcely took place at 100% concentration; thus, the solvent itself is considered to have a negative effect. The solvents used in the experiments were all hydrophilic, such as methanol, acetone, and dioxane. The average molecular weight of the grafted PMMA differed in each solvent, indicating a different characteristic effect of solvent on the growing grafted polymer radicals. The presence of ferric ion as a sensitizer stimulated further the contributions of the sample swelling and the organic solvents to the copolymerization reaction. A similar effect was observed for styrene as for MMA, but not for acrylic acid and methacrylic acid.     

Emulsion copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate

Chain transfer constants to monomer have been measured by an emulsion copolymerization technique at 44°C. The monomer transfer constant (ratio of transfer to propagation rate constants) is 1.9 × 10^?5 for styrene polymerization and 0.4 × 10^?5 for the methyl methacrylate reaction. Cross-transfer reactions are important in this system; the sum of the cross-transfer constants is 5.8 × 10^?5. Reactivity ratios measured in emulsion were r₁ (styrene) = 0.44, r₂ = 0.46. Those in bulk polymerizations were r₁ = 0.45, r₂ = 0.48. These sets of values are not significantly different. Monomer feed compcsition in the polymerizing particles is the same as in the monomer droplets in emulsion copolymerization, despite the higher water solubility of methyl methacrylate. The equilibrium monomer concentration in the particles in interval-2 emulsion polymerization was constant and independent of monomer feed composition for feeds containing 0.25–1.0 mole fraction styrene. Radical concentration is estimated to go through a minimum with increasing methyl methacrylate content in the feed. Rates of copolymerization can be calculated a priori when the concentrations of monomers in the polymer particles are known.     

Graft copolymerization of cellulose initiated by ceric salts: Effect of reaction conditions on the consumption of ceric ion

A soluble monomer [methyl acrylate (MA)] and an insoluble monomer [butyl methacrylate (BMA)] were grafted onto cellulose by three types of ceric salts under both oxygen-free conditions and in the presence of oxygen. For comparison, Ce(IV) consumption during cellulose oxidation was also determined under similar reaction conditions. Slightly more Ce(IV) was consumed during cellulose oxidation in the presence of oxygen. During graft copolymerization of MA under oxygen-free conditions, the consumption of Ce(IV) was much lower than during cellulose oxidation regardless of the type of ceric salt employed. The opposite was observed in the presence of oxygen: much more Ce(IV) was consumed during grafting than during cellulose oxidation. The consumption of Ce(IV) in the graft copolymerization of BMA by ceric sulfate was nearly independent of reaction conditions and it was approximately the same as in cellulose oxidation. In the reaction initiated by ceric ammonium nitrate under oxygen-free conditions, less Ce(IV) was once again used up during grafting than during cellulose oxidation. However, the difference was much smaller than in the case of MA.     

Catalytic chain transfer copolymerization of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate

Bis(aqua)bis((difluoroboryl)dimethylglyoximate)cobalt(II) (COBF) has proven to be a very effective catalytic chain transfer agent in the copolymerization of MA and MMA. The chain transfer activity depends on the fraction of MMA in the monomer feed and the total radical concentration. The polymerization can be described by a model that combines features of catalytic chain transfer for MMA homopolymerization and cobalt mediated controlled radical polymerization of MA. According to the model part of the COBF is covalently bonded to MA‐ended polymeric radicals and cannot take part in the chain transfer step. The model can also account for the observed inhibition time that occurs at high chain transfer agent concentration and low fraction of MMA in the monomer feed.     

Radical copolymerization of 2-acryloyl thioxanthone with methyl methacrylate

A novel monomer, 2-acryloyl thioxanthone (TXA), was prepared by reaction of 2-hydroxy thioxanthone with acryloyl chloride. Copolymerization of TXA with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in DMF at 80°C was studied in order to evaluate relative reactivities of these monomers. Values of 1.36 and 0.5 were found for the respective reactivity ratios of MMA and TXA, respectively. The resonance stabilization and polar properties were determined and discussed in terms of spectroscopic data.