Microstructure of polymers obtained by cationic polymerization of endo-dicyclopentadiene

endo-Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) was polymerized by various cationic initiating systems in different solvents. IR and ¹H NMR results show that four types of structural units are formed due to the corresponding addition modes: the addition on the norbornenic (NB) double bond generates unit I and rearranged unit II, while the addition on the cyclopentenic (CP) double bond produces unit III and rearranged unit IV. The reaction medium has a stronger effect on the microstructure of the polymer (PDCPD) than initiating systems. The polymers prepared in toluene and n-hexane contain all four structural units, while the polymer produced in methylene chloride is composed of structural units II and IV. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate catalyzed by corundum and characterization of the obtained polymers

The aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was studied using sodium bi-sulfite as initiator in the absence and presence of corundum (Al₂O₃). It was found that corundum has a catalytic effect on the polymerization reaction. The polymers obtained in the presence of corundum were found to have a wider molecular weight distribution than in its absence; this was deduced by thin-layer chromatographic analysis in a binary mixture (benzene: methanol 1:1.5 by volume) at 25°C. The apparent energy of activation was calculated between 40 and 50°C, and was found to be 4.50 × 10⁴ and 1.70 × 10⁴ J/mol in the absence and presence of 0.5 g corundum (type 600 grit)/105 mL of the reaction mixture, respectively.     

Radiation polymerization of acrolein at low temperatures

Radiation polymerization of acrolein in the presence of the additives such as 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, acrylic acid, and water at low temperatures (0–78°C) was studied. The polyacrolein resulting from the polymerization gave a small particlelike microsphere (0.5–5 μm in diameter). The rate of the polymerization reaction of acrolein appeared to be accelerated by the addition of a small amount of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or acrylic acid. The particle size of the polyacrolein particle varied with the condition of the polymerization and increased or decreased with an increase in the addition concentration of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate or acrylic acid.     

Physicomechanical properties of grafted polymers obtained by radiation-induced polymerization by radical and ionic mechanisms

The radiation-induced grafting of acrylonitrile, 4-vinylpyridine, and styrene was carried out by both radical and ionic mechanisms. Grafted polymers with equal percentages of graft were obtained by the radical and ionic propagation of the grafted chains. The molecular weight of homopolymers has been determined. The thermomechanical properties of the graft polymers were investigated. The yield temperatures for the graft polymers obtained by ionic propagation of the grafted chains is higher than that of graft polymers obtained by a radical mechanism. This is attributed to the higher molecular weight of the grafted chains obtained by the radiation-induced grafting by the ionic mechanism. The radiation-induced grafting of polyacrylonitrile increases significantly the thermal stability of polyethylene. The differential thermal analysis shows no marked differences in properties of the polymers.     

Coordination polymers. XIII. Synthesis and investigation of polymers obtained by the reaction of maleic acid with ZnO

In some cases metal dicarboxylates can be considered as polymers. Formation of crystalline or amorphous polymer depends on the type and ratio of the metal ion to the carboxylate ligand and on the preparation conditions. The “polymer salt” synthesized by the reaction of ZnO and maleic acid shows special feature due to the cis configuration of the dicarboxylic acid. The polymer prepared in a water medium has a fibrillar morphology with a helical structure which is changed by heat treatment: a molecular rearrangement takes place which leads finally to amorphous polymer. The reaction of ZnO and fumaric acid (trans configuration) results in monocrystals containing crystal water or, after heat treatment, in powderlike polymer.     

Structure of polymers obtained from sulfur monochloride and olefins containing sulfonium salt structures

Reactions of sulfur monochloride with diolefins lead to polymeric products which can be reduced to diepisulfides in low yield. In reactions with cyclic triolefins, polymers containing tricyclic sulfonium structures are obtained as a results of transannular additions and subsequent transannular displacements. Due to the insolubility and reactivity of these ionic structures, only incomplete structural assignements could be made, but the reactions are studied on similar cyclic structures which provide model systems.     

Additive effect of polyacrylamide on the anionic polymerization of acrolein

The anionic polymerizations of acrolein (AL) in the presence of polyacrylamide (poly-AAm) induced by imidazole (Im), pyridine (Py)–water, and sodium hydorxide as the anionic initiator were carried out kinetically in an ethanol-water mixture at 0°C. The rate of polymerization R_p in the presence of poly-AAm increased markedly in the Im and Py-water systems, whereas the polymerizability of AL is little changed in the potassium persulfate and silver nitrate (redox systems). These results suggest and the interaction between the amide groups in poly-AAm, the initiator, and the AL monomer is intramolecular. It also indicates the presence of interaction between the carbonyl group of the amide compound and the group of Im. On the other hand, the chemical shifts of the proton of Im in the presence of several amide compounds such as acetamide, propionamide, and N,N-dimethylacetamide were observed in CDCl₃ by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. These results were discussed by assuming a conformational change in poly-AAm in the ethanol–water mixture.     

Theoretical investigation of carboranylpyrrole structures and the thermal resistance and conducting properties of carboranylpyrrole polymers

The carboranylpyrrole polymers are functional materials with superior thermal resistance and conducting performances. The carboranylpyrrole structures and Laplacian bond order (LBO) of carborane moiety, as well as the thermal resistance and conducting properties of carboranylpyrrole dimers or polymers, were investigated theoretically. The ¹¹B NMR chemical shifts of 3-(2-methyl-o-carboranyl)alkyl-1H-pyrrole monomers (CP-1 to CP-5) were calculated and analyzed. The average LBO values of some characteristic chemical bonds in the carborane cages of CP-1 to CP-5 molecules were calculated. It is found that the average LBO values of carborane moieties change slightly with the increase in alkyl chain length. The temperature resulting in about 15–20 % weight loss for CP-1, CP-3, CP-4 and CP-5 polymers is predicted to be more than 700 °C. Apart from the C–C bonds in carborane moieties of 3-(2-R-o-carboranyl)propyl-1H-pyrrole (R = CH₂OH, CH₂OCH₃, CN, COCl, Ph) substituents, the LBO values of other bonds in these cages change slightly relative to that in the molecule of 3-(2-methyl-o-carboranyl)propyl-1H-pyrrole (CP-3). The C–C bond LBO values in the carborane cages of these substituents with electron-donating groups (R = CH₂OH, CH₂OCH₃) are bigger than that in CP-3, while those values in those substituents with electron-withdrawing groups (R = CN, COCl, Ph) are smaller than that in CP-3. The polymerization activity calculated for CP-1 to CP-5 monomers increases with the increase in alkyl chain length. The calculated orbital energy gap (?E _LUMO?HOMO) of CP-1 to CP-5 dimers decreases with the increase in alkyl chain length, and accordingly, the electronic conductivity has the potential to increase. In addition, the calculated band gaps of CP-1 to CP-5 dimers cell models also decrease with the increase in alkyl chain length.     

Conformational and neighboring effects in graft polymerization of acrolein onto imidazole-containing polymer

The graft polymerizations of acrolein (AL) onto an imidazole (Im)-containing polymer, such as a homopolymer of 4(5)-vinylimidazole (VIm) and several copolymers of VIm-methyl vinyl ketone, VIm-butyl acrylate, and VIm-2-ethyl hexyl acrylate, have been kinetically carried out in ethanol-water mixture at 0°C. The graft polymerization rate R_p and the degree of graft polymerization increased with increasing concentration of water in the solvent. Moreover, the R_p of the copolymer system having the hydrophobic group as the side chain decreased in comparison with the homopolymer system. Polymerizations of AL in the presence of propionamide or poly-acrylamide (AAm) induced by Im were also kinetically carried out in ethanol-water mixture. The R_p was also affected by the conformational change of poly-AAm. These results were discussed by assuming the conformation of the parent polymer in ethanol-water mixture.     

Surface-initiated polymerization of conjugated polymers

In this feature article, we highlight the recent developments in the chain growth polymerization mechanism of conjugated polymers. With a particular emphasis on Kumada catalyst-transfer polycondensation, this article focuses on the surface-initiated polymerization of conjugated polymers, along with the opportunities and challenges associated with this technique.     

endo-双环戊二烯阳离子聚合及聚合物链结构

使用不同阳离子引发剂和引发体系在甲苯、正己烷和二氯甲烷中引发endo-双环戊二烯(DCPD)聚合, 得到了低分子量的DCPD聚合物(PDCPD), 采用IR和1H NMR对PDCPD链结构进行了表征。结果表明, DCPD分子的降冰片烯(NB)双键和环戊烯(CP)双键均参与了聚合反应并根据不同链增长机理产生四种链结构单元: 通过NB双键的链增长反应可生成直接加成结构单元I和重排结构单元II, 通过CP双键的链增长反应生成直接加成结构单元III和跨环重排单元IV。正己烷和甲苯中所合成了PDCPD包含全部四种结构单元, 并呈现I相似文献   

Influence of the polyether chain on the dissociation of “living” polymers obtained in the anionic polymerization of ethylene oxide

Conductivity studies were carried out on block copolymers of composition K⁺, ?(EO)_n- αMeSt-(St)_x -αMeSt-(EO)_n^?, K⁺, where n = 1–5 or 20, in THF. The conductivity of the solutions exhibits a strong tendency to increase as n is raised up to 3, and to change only slightly on further extension of the polyether chain. An equilibrium between ion pairs and free ions is established in the solution only when n is 1 or 2; for n ? 3, ion triplets are formed also. The dissociation constants for the ion pairs and the ion triplets and their temperature dependence were determined. The formation of ion triplets, as well as the changes in dissociation of the ion species on extending the polyether block, are explained by solvation of the counter-ion by the polyether chain.     

Methods for removal of residual catalyst from polymers prepared by ring opening metathesis polymerization

Methods for removing the residual Grubbs' third generation catalyst from polymers prepared by ring opening metathesis polymerization are reported. Two strategies were investigated for reduction of the residual catalyst in the final polymer product. The first strategy involved the use of heterogeneous functionalized particles to scavenge the catalyst from the solution. Filtration of the particles followed by precipitation produced polymers with 10–60 ppm residual catalyst, depending on the type of particle used, surface functional groups, and number of equivalents. The second strategy used small organic molecules that could coordinate to the metal species and modify the solubility of the catalyst, facilitating partitioning of the catalyst into the precipitation solvent. Several types of molecules with varied functionality reduced the residual catalyst level to 30–120 ppm, depending on the loading. Hydrogenation of the polymer backbone followed by precipitation lowered the residual Ru content from 195 ppm to 10 ppm, suggesting that the difficulty of completely removing the catalyst could be a result of coordination of the metal species to the double bonds in the polymer backbone. Reducing the amount of trace catalyst significantly improved the oxidative stability of the polymer. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Helical structures of conjugate polymers created by oxidative polymerization using synthetic lipid assemblies as templates

The morphology of conjugate polymers (such as poly(ethylenedioxythiophene), poly(pyrrole), and poly(aniline)) can be controlled in their polymerization processes, by applying the concept of the templating method to oxidative polymerization. As oxidative polymerization of these monomers produces cationic intermediates, the anionic assemblies can act as potential templates due to the mutual electrostatic attractive force. Oxidative polymerization of ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT), pyrrole, and aniline was carried out using helical superstructures of synthetic lipid assemblies as templates. Interestingly, we have found that oxidative polymerization of these monomers results in novel polymeric aggregates, such as a helical-tape structure and an intertwined helical structure, and that both the right-handed and left-handed helical structures can be created by a change in the hydrophilic head groups. This is the first example of helical superstructures composed of conjugate polymers that have been designed utilizing a convenient templating method.     

Ring-opening polymerization and depolymerization in respective polymers

Under certain conditions the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic monomers may be reversed to result in a ring-closing depolymerization of the respective polymers. This method of “thermodynamic recycling” was explored for a number of examples such as polytetrahydrofuran, polyalkenamers, poly-ε-caprolactone, polycarbonates, polysiloxanes and respective blockcopolymers.     

Radical polymerization behavior of a vinyl monomer bearing five‐membered cyclic carbonate structure and reactions of the obtained polymers with amines

Radical polymerization behavior of a vinyl substituted cyclic carbonate, 4‐phenyl‐5‐vinyl‐1,3‐dioxoran‐2‐one ( 1 ), is described. Radical polymerization of 1 proceeded through selective vinyl polymerization to produce polymers bearing carbonate groups in the side chain, in contrast to that of an oxirane analogue of 1 , 1‐phenyl‐2‐vinyl oxirane that proceeds via the selective ring‐opening fashion. Although the homopolymerization of 1 produce polymers in relatively lower yield, copolymerizations effectively provided cyclic carbonate‐containing copolymers. Nucleophilic addition of primary amines to the resulting homopolymers and copolymers produced the corresponding multifunctional polymers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 584–592, 2005     

A personal journey on using polymerization in aqueous dispersed media to synthesize polymers with branched structures

Several projects were discussed to demonstrate the intriguing power of radical polymerization in aqueous dispersed media to regulate the branched structures in functional polymeric nanomaterials.     

A personal journey on using polymerization in aqueous dispersed media to synthesize polymers with branched structures

This short review is dedicated to celebrate Prof.Shoukuan Fu's 80 th birthday by discussing several of my accomplished projects over the past twenty years,which all applied radical polymerization in aqueous dispersed media for producing polymers with branched structures.These projects include the use of microemulsion polymerization for syntheses of fluorescent nanoparticles,hairy nanoparticles and hyperbranched polymers;the use of miniemulsion polymerization for synthesis of star polymers and light-emitting nanoparticles;the use of seeded emulsion polymerization for synthesis of hairy nanoparticles and hyperstar polymers;and the use of precipitation polymerization for synthesis of hollow polymer nanocapsules.Discussion of these projects demonstrates intriguing features of polymerization in biphasic dispersed media via either conventional radical polymerization or controlled radical polymerization to effectively regulate the branched structure of functional polymers.     

Nascent structures during the polymerization of ethylene

Summary The polymerization of ethylene under precipitation conditions using substrate supported VCl₃/AlEt₃ catalyst has been studied using electron and optical microscopy together with solid state light scattering. Initially, the nascent polymer appears globular, probably because of its initial pseudo-molten state resulting from the heat of polymerization. The globular particles, each of which are centers of polymerization, expand in diameter by an intussusceptive mechanism of growth. When the substrate is completely covered, continued growth leads to elongated, crimped particles (“worms”) which protrude from the surface and constitute a “grassy” texture. The fundamental aspect of the crystallization is that it occurs under stress, due to the constant insertion of monomer at the catalyst surface displacing and stretching the already laid polymer as it undergoes crystallization. The result is a strained polymer matrix which ultimately forms cracks bridged with fibrils. A model is proposed to describe each aspect of the observed morphology.

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Zusammenfassung Die Polymerisation von ?thylen unter F?llungsbedingungen mit Verwendung eines Substrates, auf dem VCl₃/AlEt₃-Katalysator aufgebracht wurde, wurde mittels Elektronen- und optischen Mikroskop sowie mit Lichtstreuung im festen Zustand untersucht. Anf?nglich erscheint das wachsende Polymer kugelig, wahrscheinlich infolge seines zun?chst pseudo-geschmolzenen Zustandes wegen der Polymerisationsw?rme. Die kugeligen Partikel von denen jedes ein Polymerisationszentrum ist, wachsen im Durchmesser durch den bekannten Einschubmechanismus. Wenn das Substrat vollkommen bedeckt ist, führt das weitere Wachstum zu l?nglichen gewundenen, wurmf?rmigen Gebilden, welche aus der Oberfl?che herausstehen und eine rasen?hnliche Textur erzeugen. Der grunds?tzliche Aspekt der Kristallisation ist der, da? sie unter Spannung geschieht aufgrund der konstanten Einschiebung von Monomeren an der Katalysatoroberfl?che, was das schon gebildete Polymere verlagert und streckt, w?hrend es kristallisiert. Das Ergebnis ist eine gestreckte Polymer-Matrix, die schlie?lich Brüche bildet, überbrückt mit Fibrillen. Es wird ein Modell vorgeschlagen, um jeden Gesichtspunkt der beobachteten Morphologie zu beschreiben.

     

Nascent structures during the polymerization of ethylene

Summary The thermal behaviour of nascent or as grown polyethylene was studied. The analysis of the melting curves of various high molecular weight samples show that the maximum melting points are usually sharper and higher than those corresponding to samples crystallized from the melt or solution in absence of external deformation. The melting points increase with polymerization time and reach at least 412 °K (139 °C) for samples polymerized for few minutes. This usually goes along with the appearance of a higher submaximum around 415°K (142°C) which corresponds to extended chain crystalline material having superheating properties. Such features are explained in terms of a scheme where continuous deformation is operative during polymerization and crystallization of the nascent samples.Taken in part from the Thèse de Doctorat of H. D. Chanzy, CNRS registration number A.O. 3296 (1970). Part I of this series is ref. (4) in this paper.