ESR study on radical polymerization and its application to microemulsion systems

Well-resolved electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra of propagating radicals of vinyl and diene compounds were observed in a single scan by a conventional CW-ESR spectrometry without the aid of computer accumulation and the specially designed cavity and cells. Although solvents which could be used for ESR measurements were restricted to nonpolar solvents, such as benzene, toluene, and hexane, new information on dynamic behavior and reactivity of the propagating radicals in the radical polymerization of vinyl and diene compounds were obtained. Thus, values of propagation rate constants (k_p) for vinyl and diene compounds were determined by an ESR method. Some of the k_p values were in a fair agreement with those obtained by a pulsed laser polymerization (PLP) method. Furthermore, polymer chain effect on apparent k_p was clearly observed in the radical polymerization of macromonomers and in the microemulsion polymerization. In ESR measurement on inclusion polymerization system, important information on the origin of the 9-line spectrum observed in the radical polymerization of methacrylate propagating radicals was obtained.     

Thermally and Photochemically Induced Charge-Transfer Polymerizations

Polymerizations involving electron donor-acceptor interactions or charge-transfer interactions have been a topic of interest in recent years. Two classes of polymerization are the subjects of major concern in this area. One is a polymerization initiated via charge-transfer interactions involving monomers as one component, which is termed charge-transfer polymerization. The charge-transfer polymerization encompasses both thermal and photochemical processes. The other is an alternating radical copolymerization in which it is thought to be likely that a charge-transfer complex formed between monomer pairs participates as a monomer species in the propagation process of polymerization, the mechanism of which has long been a subject of controversy. Some of the alternating radical copolymerizations are initiated spontaneously via charge-transfer interactions between monomer pairs.     

Radical/Cation Transformation Polymerization and Its Application to the Preparation of Block Copolymers

Abstract

ESR study on the primary radicals obtained by decomposition of azo-compounds showed that primary radicals with electron donating substituents were transformed to the corresponding cations in the presence of electron acceptors such as ph₂I⁺PF^? ₆. Accordingly, propagating radicals are transformed to the corresponding cations in the polymerization of p-methoxy-styrene (MOS), n-butyl vinyl ether (BVE), and N-vinylcarbazole (VCZ) with azoinitiators such as AIBN in the presence of electron acceptors such as Ph₂I⁺PF^? ₆. In the case of BVE, the polymer formation was caused by cationic species produced by the transformation of the initiating radical. The polymerizations of MOS and VCZ were ascribed to the transformation of the growing radical to the corresponding cation during the propagation step which was classified as the radical/cation transformation polymerization. Block copolymers of MOS/cyclohexene oxide (CHO) and VCZ/CHO were effectively prepared by the radical/cation transformation polymerization of the appropriate monomers in the presence of AIBN, electron acceptor and CHO. The formation of block copolymers was characterized by turbidimetry, thin-layer chromatography, and solubility tests.     

Initial stage in radiation polymerization of hydroxyethyl methacrylate-water system at low temperatures

The initial stage in the radiation polymerization of the hydroxyethyl methacrylate water system at low temperatures was studied. The polymerization was accelerated by the presence of water; the effect increased with rising temperature above T_g. The polymerization rate had a maximum near ?50°. The initiating and propagating radicals were identified by studies with ESR. Irradiated hydroxyethyl methacrylate at low temperatures gave a 7-line spectrum, which was assigned to the initiating radical having equivalent protons. This spectrum was changed to a 9-line spectrum at ?120 to ?100°; it was assigned to the propagating radical. The temperature dependence of the ESR spectrum of irradiated hydroxyethyl methacrylate-water systems was studied to examine the effect of water on the propagating radical.     

Anionic Polymerization of α-Methylstyrene. IX. Nature of the Propagating Species

Abstract

The nature of the initiating and propagating species involved in the anionic polymerization of α-methylstyrene has been explored. The earlier hypothesis that multimodal GPC molecular weight distributions in polymers arise solely out of different reaction steps or different ion-pair mechanisms being involved has been modified for poly-α-methylstyrene. Multimodal GPC molecular weight distributions in poly-α-methylstyrene initiated with potassium at 25°C and polymerized at 25°C or higher in THF, p-dioxane, or cyclohexane as solvents have been ascribed to the presence of two different types of tetramers which grow simultaneously but at different rates, each responding to its own well-defined thermodynamic equilibrium and yielding dormant and living polymers. Reaction schemes describing the initiation (at 25°C) and propagation reactions (between -25 and 60°C) in the polymerization (in solution of THF as well as in bulk) of α-methylstyrene initiated with potassium-naphthalene, butyl-lithium, and butyllithium-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) have been presented. The role of coordinating agents naphthalene and TMEDA in changing irreversible propagations into reversible ones has been emphasized.     

Cationic ring-opening polymerization of oxetane derivatives initiated by superacids: Studies on their propagating mechanism and species by means of 19F-NMR

The nature of ring-opening polymerization of oxetane derivatives initiated by triflic acid and triflic anhydride was investigated via ¹⁹F-NMR spectroscopy. Two types of propagating species, which were directly observed from the ¹⁹F-NMR spectra, were found to be oxonium macroions and triflic macroesters. These two propagating species established and equilibrium relationship during the polymerization process. The forming of oxonium macroion active species was highly dependent upon the substituents of the oxetane ring, and were enhanced when a more polar solvent was employed. The initiator effect, which occurred primarily in the initiating stage of the polymerization, is also discussed. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Electron spin resonance studies of propagating radicals in polymerization. II. Acrylate propagating radicals

Ferric chloride-photosensitized free-radical initiation was used to generate propagating radicals in polymerization of acrylic acid (AA), methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate (EA), butyl acrylate (BA), acrylamide (A), and diacetone acrylamide (DAA) in rigid glasses of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, or acetone at near liquid nitrogen temperatures. When the temperatures of the glasses were increased, primary radicals derived from the solvents reacted with the monomers to yield propagating radicals. Formation and conformational changes of the propagating radicals at different temperatures were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. It was concluded that one type of propagating radical was formed in all cases. However, when the temperature of the rigid glass was increased, the structural conformation of the radical that initially allowed the near-equivalent interaction of the α-hydrogen and one of the β-hydrogens with the unpaired electron generated a three-line spectrum.     

Polymerization of Acrylonitrile Initiated by the Mn(III)/Ethane Thiol Redox System

Abstract

Kinetics of vinyl polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by the redox system Mn(III)/ethane thiol were investigated in aqueous sulfuric acid in the temperature range of 30-45°C. The rate of polymerization, rate of manganic ion disappearance, etc. were measured. The effect of certain water-miscible organic solvents, neutral electrolytes, and organic nitrogen compounds on the rate has been investigated. A mechanism involving the formation of a complex between Mn(III) and the thiol, whose decomposition yields the initiating free radical with the polymerization being terminated by mutual combination of the growing radicals, has been suggested.     

Novel solvent effects in the photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate by use of quinoline–bromine charge-transfer complex as photoinitiator

Photopolymerization of MMA was carried out at 40°C in diluted systems by use of quinolinebromine (Q–Br₂) charge-transfer complex as the initiator and chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chlorobenzene, dioxane, THF, acetone, benzene, toluene, quinoline, and pyridine as solvents. The results showed variable monomer exponents ranging from 1 to 3. For chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and chlorobenzene, the monomer exponent observed was unity; for other solvents used, the value of the same exponent was much higher (between 2 and 3). Initiation of polymerization is considered to take place through radicals generated in the polymerization systems by the photodecomposition of (Q–Br₂)–monomer complex (C) formed instantaneously in situ on addition of the Q–Br₂ complex in monomer. The kinetic feature of high monomer exponent is considered to be due to higher order of stabilization of the initiating complex (C) in presence of the respective solvents. In the presence of the retarding solvents, very low or zero initiator exponents were also observed, depending on the nature and concentration of the solvents used. The deviation from the square-root dependence of rate on initiator concentration becomes higher at high solvent and initiator concentrations in general. This novel deviation is explained on the basis of initiator termination, probably via degradative chain transfer involving the solvent-modified initiating complexes and the propagating radicals.     

Hydroperoxide-initiated copolymerization of sulfur dioxide and cyclohexene. I. Characterization of charge-transfer complex and initiation

The copolymerization of cyclohexene and sulfur dioxide to form an alternating copolymer was initiated by tert-butyl hydroperoxide. The enthalpies and entropies of formation of the cyclohexene-sulfur dioxide charge-transfer complex, which is present during the copolymerization, were determined in two solvents by means of ultraviolet spectroscopy. The reduction of ultraviolet absorption during copolymerization afforded a convenient means of investigating reaction kinetics. No evidence of the direct involvement of the complex in polymerization initiation was found. The observation that the use of unpurified cyclohexene led to spontaneous initiation appears to point to adventitiously formed hydroperoxide rather than the charge-transfer complex as providing initiating radicals which are produced by the redox reaction of the hydroperoxide with sulfur dioxide. A competing heterolytic scission reaction was found to result in the formation of tert-butyl peroxide and sulfuric acid. This reaction caused the polymerization reaction to stop after a short period of time due to a time-dependent decrease in initiator concentration.     

Electron spin resonance studies of propagating radicals in polymerization. I. Methacrylate propagating radicals

Ferric chloride-photosensitized free-radical initiation was used to generate propagating radicals in polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA), allyl methacrylate (AMA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), 1,3-butylene dimethacrylate (1,3-BDMA), hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPMA), lauryl methacrylate (LMA), hexyl methacrylate (HMA), and methacrylamide (MA) in rigid glasses of methanol or acetone at near liquid nitrogen temperatures. The formation and conformational changes of these propagating radicals at different temperatures were studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. When methanol was the rigid glass, ·CH₂OH radicals were formed initially and were stable below ?160°C. As the temperature of the rigid glass was increased, the ·CH₂OH radicals reacted with monomer to yield propagating radicals. With the exception of the propagating radical for methacrylamide, the propagating radicals of the methacrylates examined initially generated five-line ESR spectra which gradually changed to nine-line spectra, as temperature of the rigid glass was increased. It was concluded that one type of propagating radical was formed in all cases. However, when the temperature of the rigid glass was increased, the single structural conformation that initially allowed one of the methylene hydrogens and methyl group to interact with the unpaired electron to generate only a five-line spectrum was changed to yield a second conformation that allowed interaction to generate an additional four-line spectrum. Finally, a mixture of the propagating radical for methacrylate monomer in two structural conformations was obtained, and an ESR spectrum consisting of nine lines (5 + 4 lines) was generated. In the case of the propagating radical for methacrylamide this change to yield two structural conformations evidently was hindered, so that only an ESR spectrum consisting of five lines was generated.     

Stereoregular polymerization of methyl vinyl ether with fluoro aluminum initiators

The reactions of HF, BF₃, or certain organic fluorine compounds with AlCl₃, (C₂H₅)₃Al, or ethylaluminum chlorides in chlorinated hydrocarbons give rise to gels which exhibit pronounced stereoregular polymerization initiating ability toward methyl vinyl ether. The active sites are believed to involve species of the type RAlF₄. Polymeric products having a wide range of stereoregularities are obtained. Several polymerization variables were examined. The reaction systems exhibit a variety of appearances and interesting rheological sequences. These are the consequences of differential solubility behaviors of the various stereoregular fractions. The most highly stereoregular fractions may be fabricated as fibers, films, or molded objects. Fractions of intermediate stereoregularity exhibit interesting emulsion-forming properties. Stereoregularity is shown to afford a novel control over degree of water absorption in films.     

Polymerization initiated by the charge-transfer complex of styrene and maleic anhydride in the presence of cumene and of cumene and liquid sulfur dioxide

A polymerization was induced with a charge-transfer type of complex consisting of styrene and maleic anhydride in the presence a solvent such as ethyl benzene, cumene, or p-cymene. No polymer was obtained either when the solvent was missing from the polymerization system or when benzene, toluene, or xylene, which are relatively stable to hydrogen abstraction, was added to the polymerization system. An effective initiation, however, took place when cumene or p-cymene, each of which has a labile hydrogen on an α carbon, was added. On the basis of elementary analysis and infrared spectroscopy the formation of copolymer containing substantially equimolar amounts of styrene and maleic anhydride was ascertained. This polymerization was inhibited by the addition of DPPH, suggesting that the system styrene–maleic anhydride–cumene functions much as a conventional free-radical initiator. On the other hand, when a solution of cumene and liquid sulfur dioxide was added to the polymerization system, polystyrene was obtained. This polymerization was inhibited by the addition of a base such as dimethyl-formamide or dimethyl sulfoxide, indicating that the polymerization proceeds through carbonium ion intermediates. The addition of ethyl benzene or of p-cymene brought about the same result as cumene. It is conceivable that the polymerization is induced by the abstraction of hydrogen attached at the α position of cumene by means of the charge-transfer complex of styrene and maleic anhydride.     

End‐group fidelity in nitroxide‐mediated living free‐radical polymerizations

In this study, new nitroxides based on the 2,2,5‐trimethyl‐4‐phenyl‐3‐azahexane‐3‐oxy skeleton were used to examine chain‐end control during the preparation of polystyrene and poly(t‐butyl acrylate) under living free‐radical conditions. Alkoxyamine‐based initiators with a chromophore attached to either the initiating fragment or the mediating nitroxide fragment were prepared, and the extent of the incorporation of the chromophores at either the initiating end or the propagating chain end was determined. In contrast to 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl piperidinoxy (TEMPO), the incorporation of the initiating and terminating fragment into the polymer chain was extremely high. For both poly(t‐butyl acrylate) and polystyrene with molecular weights less than or equal to 70,000, incorporations at the initiating end of greater than 97% were observed. At the terminating chain end, incorporations of greater than 95% were obtained for molecular weights less than or equal to 50,000. The level of incorporation tended to decrease slightly at higher molecular weights because of the loss of the alkoxyamine propagating unit, which had important consequences for block copolymer formation. These results clearly show that these new α‐H nitroxides could control the polymerization of vinyl monomers such as styrene and t‐butyl acrylate to an extremely high degree, comparable to anionic and atom transfer radical polymerization procedures. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4749–4763, 2000     

The interaction of poly(methacrylate) radicals with diphenyldiacetylenes

The free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the presence of p,p′- disubstituted diphenylbutadiynes was studied. Both the rate and degree of polymerization are somewhat lowered by the presence of the diynes, but the propagating radicals were stabilized giving clear ESR signals of the interacted polyMMA radicals at the polymerization temperature of 70°C. The magnitude of the interaction depended on the electron density of the diynes; in the cases of diphenylbutadiyne and dimethoxycarbonyldiphenylbutadiyne, the intoraction was more enhanced showing ESR signals with smaller spectra widths and increasing the number of radicals with the polymerization time, while in the cases of electron donor-substituted diynes the interaction was weaker and the radical concentration remained constant during the polymerization. These systems are considered to be examples of the stabilization of transient radicals by the direct interaction of radicals with additives without formation or breaking of chemical bonds. No diacetylenic group was found in the polyMMA obtained. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

双官能团硫脲催化丙交酯开环聚合反应的理论研究

用密度泛函理论在B3LYP/6-31G(d)水平上研究了双官能团硫脲催化丙交酯开环聚合反应的微观机理. 讨论了催化聚合反应的两条可能路径: 路径A和路径B. 计算结果表明沿路径A进行的开环聚合反应在能量上是有利的. 从理论上证实了催化剂在聚合反应中所起的双官能团催化作用, 即氨基活化引发剂, 硫脲活化单体, 通过两个基团共同作用, 完成催化开环.     

Vinyl Polymerization. 371. Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate Initiated by the System of Polyvinylferrocene and Carbon Tetrachloride

The polymerization of vinyl monomers initiated with the system of polyvinylferrocene (PVFc) and carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) was carried out in dark. Methyl methacrylate (MMA) and acrylonitrile (AN) could be polymerized, while styrene (St) was hardly polymerized under the conditions used. The polymerization proceeded through a free-radical mechanism and was concluded to be initiated by attack of vinyl monomer, having a polarized vinyl group, on the charge-transfer complex of PVFc/CCl₄. In the polymerization of MMA, the initiating ability of PVFc was much larger than that of ferrocene (Fc-H) or poly(ferrocenylmethyl methacrylate) (PFMMA) and was comparable to that of polyferrocenylenemethylene (PFM). The overall activation energy was estimated to be 34.2 kJ/mole.     

Selenium-Containing π-Conjugated Compounds for Electronic Molecular Materials

Abstract

Novel selenium-containing π-conjugated compounds have been studied for the development of organic metals, superconductors, and field-effect-transistors. Methylenedithiotetraselenafulvalene (MDT-TSF) and its related electron donors are effectively synthesized by the recently developed synthetic method consisting of the one-pot formation of 1,3-diselenole-2-selones, the deprotection/realkylation procedure of the protected tetrachalcogenafulvalene-thiolate and -selenolate, and the ring closing reaction via trans-alkylation on sulfur or selenium atom. These new compounds serve as good electron donors for developing not only highly conducting charge-transfer salts (> 10 ³ S cm^?1) but also superconducting salts. Among six selenium-containing methylenedichalcogeno-tetrachalcogenafulvalenes, we found that four of them can produce superconducting salts, indicating that the present compounds are superior class of electron donors.

For the development of high-performance organic semiconductors for organic field effect transistor (OFET) devices, we focused our attention to selenophene-containing acene-type compounds, namely benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]diselenophene (BDS) derivatives hitherto unknown. A new synthetic method for BDS derivatives consisting of double heterocycle-formation on the central benzene ring has been established and has made it possible to synthesize a range of BDS derivatives. Among them, 2,6-diphenyl derivative (DPh-BDS) shows very high hole mobility of 0.17 cm ² /Vs, which is classified into the highest class of field-effect mobility of organic thin films.     

Quasiliving Carbocationic Polymerization. II. The Discovery: The α-Methylstyrene System

A detailed analysis of elementary reactions of carbocationic polymerization culminated in the prediction and subsequent experimental demonstration of quasiliving polymerization. Quasiliving polymers are formed in a system provided that the process of chain termination and chain transfer to monomer are absent or reversible, i.e., the propagating ability of the chain end is maintained throughout the experiment, and the molecular weight increases in proportion to the cumulative amount of monomer added. The chain end can be active (carbocation) or dormant (reactivable polymeric olefin or cation source). Chain transfer is suppressed by keeping the monomer concentration low. Quasiliving polymerizations are maintained by continuous slow feeding of dilute monomer to a charge containing the initiating or propagating species (quasiliving polymerization technique). A comprehensive kinetic scheme has been developed that describes quasiliving polymerization in quantitative terms. Quasiliving polymerization was demonstrated experimentally in the “H₂O”/BCl₃/α-methylstyrene and cumyl chloride/BCl₃/α-methylstyrene systems. M _n versus monomer input plots are linear over wide ranges, indicating quasiliving conditions, and poly(α-methylstyrenes) with M _n > 2 × 10⁵ have been obtained, Molecular weight distributions were found progressively to narrow and dispersion ratios M _w/M _n to decrease.     

Olefin Polymerization and Copolymerization with Alkylaluminum-lnitiator Systems. VII. Initiation by Electrophilic Halogens

Abstract

The discovery of initiation of cat ionic polymerization of isobutylene and styrene by electrophilic chlorine generated by the reaction of chlorine and trimethylaluminum in the temperature range -40 to -100° is reported. Bromine and trimethylaluminum is a very poor initiating system, and iodine and trimethylaluminum does not initiate the polymerization of either isobutylene or styrene. Polymerization of isobutylene initiated by chlorine and trimethylaluminum shows a linear plot of log M_v vs 1/T with an overall E_DPof ～1.9 kcal, mole. The molecular weights (M_w) of polystyrene obtained with the Cl₂/Me₃Al system appear to be the highest ever reported for cationic polymerization of this monomer under comparable conditions. The mechanism of initiation has been investigated by model experiments: The reaction between Cl₂/ Me₃Al and 2,2,4-trimethyl-l-pentene gave three chlorinated products (2-chloromechyl-4,4-dimethyl-l-pentene, 1-chloro-2,4,4-trimethyl-1-pentene, and 2-chioromethyl-2,4,4-trimethyl-pentane). The position of chlorine in these compounds indicate initiation by electrophilic chlorine, Cl. Some preliminary results obtained using diethylaluminum chloride-halogens as coinitiator-initiator systems are also described.