Copolymerization of styrene and butadiene with Ni(acac)2-methylaluminoxane catalyst

Copolymerization of styrene (St) and butadiene (Bd) with nickel(II) acetylacetonate [Ni(acac)₂]-methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalyst was investigated. Among the metal acetylacetonates [Mt(acac)_x] examined, Ni(acac)₂ showed a high activity for the copolymerization of St and Bd giving copolymers having high cis-1,4-microstructure in Bd units in the copolymer. The effect of alkylaluminum as a cocatalyst on the copolymerization of St and Bd with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst was observed, and MAO was found to be the most effective cocatalyst for the copolymerization. The monomer reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of St and Bd with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst were determined to be r_St = 0.07 and r_Bd = 3.6. Based on the obtained results, it was presumed that the random copolymers with high cis-1,4-microstructure in Bd units could be synthesized with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst without formation of each homopolymer. The polymerization mechanism with the Ni(acac)₂-MAO catalyst was also discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3838–3844, 1999     

Isospecific copolymerization of styrene and a styrene‐terminated polyisoprene macromonomer with the Ni(acac)2/MAO catalyst

The copolymerization of styrene (St) with a styrene‐terminated polyisoprene macromonomer (SIPM) by a nickel(II) acetylacetonate [Ni(acac)₂] catalyst in combination with methylaluminoxane (MAO) was investigated. A SIPM with a high terminal degree of functionalization and a narrow molecular weight distribution was used for the copolymerization of St. The copolymerization proceeded easily to give a high molecular weight graft copolymer. After fractionation of the resulting copolymer with methyl ethyl ketone, the insoluble part had highly isotactic polystyrene in the main chain and polyisoprene in the side chain. Lowering the MAO/Ni molar ratio and the polymerization temperature were favorable to producing isospecific active sites. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1241–1246, 2000     

Copolymerization of epichlorhydrin with maleic anhydride catalyzed by Zn(acac)2

Copolymerization of epichlorhydrin (ECH) with maleic anhydride (MA) was investigated under several conditions. Zinc acetylacetonate [Zn(acac)₂] was found to catalyze the alternate copolymerization of ECH with MA at a mild temperature, resulting in the formation of polyester, the structure of which was confirmed with the aid of infrared, NMR, and elemental analysis. From kinetic studies of copolymerization an apparent first order of reaction with respect to catalyst concentration and to monomer concentration with 1:1 mole mixture was established. A possible initiation mechanism was discussed, and Zn(acac)₂–MA complex was suggested to be an initiating species.     

Copolymerization of 1,3-butadiene and styrene with a neodymium catalyst

Homo- and copolymerization of butadiene and styrene in the presence of the catalyst system Nd(octanoate)₃/CCl₄/Al(iBu)₃ (iBu: isobutyl) were investigated at 60°C in heptane as solvent. The initiating catalyst system is very effective in the polymerization of butadiene. However, the presented copolymerization of butadiene and styrene is only practicable when using a special addition order of the catalyst components and a prescribed ageing phase. Copolymers obtained from various monomer feed ratios were characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and gel-permeation chromatography (GPC). The copolymer characteristics especially microstructure, molar mass and molar-mass distribution (MMD) are strongly dependent on the composition of the monomer mixture.     

Copolymerization of butadiene and styrene with neodymium naphthenate based catalyst

Copolymerization of butadiene (Bd) and styrene (St) was carried out in toluene at 50 °C by a conventional rare earth catalytic system, Nd(naph)₃-Al(i-Bu)₃-Al(i-Bu)₂Cl. It exhibited a high catalytic activity and high stereospecificity in the copolymerization. The influences of the conditions in polymerization on the yield, composition, microstructure and molecular weight of copolymer were thoroughly studied. According to the 13C-NMR spectrum, the resultant copolymer containing 18% St units, and the diad fraction of St-trans Bd or St-vinyl Bd can hardly be found in its 13C-NMR. The cis-1,4 content of Bd unit of the copolymer decreased little with the increase of St content. The GPC curves indicate the presence of two kinds of active sites in the polymerization.     

Copolymerization of butadiene and styrene with a gadolinium tricarboxylate catalyst

Homo- and copolymerizations of butadiene (BD) and styrene (St) were carried out by gadolinium catalysts having various tricarboxylate ligands [Gd(OCOR)₃: R = CH₃, CH₂Cl, CHCl₂, CCl₃, and CF₃], to investigate the effects of ligands and discuss the cis polymerization mechanism. Polymerization of BD with Gd(OCOR)₃—(i—Bu)₃Al—Et₂AlCl catalysts was carried out in hexane at 50°C. By each catalyst, poly(BD) having a high cis content (cis = 97–99%) in 22–85% yields for 2–24 h were obtained. The ligands with low pKa values increased the polymerization activity as follows: R of Gd(OCOR)₃: CF₃ > CCl₃ > CHCl₂ > CH₂Cl ～ CH₃. On the other hand, in the polymerization of St or copolymerization of BD and St under similar conditions, the highest activity was attained by a Gd(OCOCCI₃)₃- based catalyst. The difference in the optimum ligand among the homo- and copolymerization of BD and St was discussed on the basis of energy levels of the catalysts. In the copolymers of BD and St, the cis-1,4 content of the BD unit decreased with increasing St content. Furthermore, according to the diad analysis of copolymers (St content ～ 14.5 mol %) by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, the low cis value of the BD unit was observed in the St-BD diad (cis/trans/vinyl = 24/53/23), while the high cis value of the BD unit remained in the BD-BD diad (cis/trans/vinyl = 89/10/1). These results suggest that the terminal BD unit is controlled by the cis configuration by the coordination between the penultimate cis vinylene unit and the gadolinium metal catalyst, whereas the presence of the penultimate St unit interferes with cis polymerization of the terminal BD unit. The difference in the coordination mechanism in the course of polymerization between rare earth metal and transition metal catalysts such as the Ni(acac)₂ and Co(acac)₃-based catalyst was also discussed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Copolymerization of ethylene with styrene catalyzed by a linked bis(phenolato) titanium catalyst

Copolymerization of ethylene with styrene, catalyzed by 1,4‐dithiabutanediyl‐linked bis(phenolato) titanium complex and methylaluminoxane, produced exclusively ethylene–styrene copolymers with high activity. Copolymerization parameters were calculated to be r_E = 1.2 for ethylene and r_S = 0.031 for styrene, with r_E r_S = 0.037 indicating preference for alternating copolymerization. The copolymer microstructure can be varied by changing the ratio between the monomers in the copolymerization feed, affording copolymers with styrene content up to 68%. The copolymer microstructure was fully elucidated by ¹³C NMR spectroscopy revealing, in the copolymers with styrene content higher than 50%, the presence of long styrene–styrene homosequences, occasionally interrupted by isolated ethylene units. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1908–1913, 2006     

Syndiospecific copolymerization of styrene with styrene terminated isoprene macromonomer by CpTiCl3-methylaluminoxane catalyst

Copolymerization of styrene with styrene terminated polyisoprene macromonomer (SIPM) by CpTiCl₃-methylaluminoxane (MAO) catalyst has been investigated (Cp: cyclopentadienyl). SIPM was prepared by reaction of living polyisoprene initiated with sec-butyllithium (s-BuLi) and p-chloromethylstyrene. The synthesized macromonomer has a high terminal degree of functionalization and a narrow molecular weight distribution. Graft copolymers of polystyrene-graft-polyisoprene have been synthesized with the CpTiCl₃-MAO catalyst. The synthesized graft copolymer was confirmed to have a highly syndiotactic sequence on the main chain.     

Copolymerization of styrene with (Z)-1,3-pentadiene in the presence of a syndiotactic-specific catalyst

Copolymerization of styrene with (Z)-1,3-pentadiene affords copolymers mostly containing 1,2 pentadiene units. Both the styrene and the pentadiene units are in syndiotactic arrangement but the comonomer sequence distribution is far from bernoullian. Interestingly, the behavior of (Z)-1,3-pentadiene does not change much when polymerization temperature raises from −20 to +20°C, notwithstanding that (Z)-1,3-pentadiene affords a 1,2-syndiotactic homopolymer at −20°C but a prevailingly 1,4 cis homopolymer at +20°C. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 2697–2702, 1997     

Copolymerization of styrene with [(2-methacryloyloxy)ethoxy]trimethylsilane

Styrene (monomer-1) has been copolymerized with [(2-methacryloyloxy)ethoxy]trimethylsilane,

, at temperatures between 60 and 100° using benzoylperoxide as initiator. The compositions of the copolymers have been determined by silicon estimation; the reactivity ratios were calculated by the Fineman-Ross method. Arrhenius parameters have been derived. The difference between the activation energies, (E₁₁–E₁₂) favour self-propagation for the styrene radicals, whereas A₁₁/A₁₂ favours cross-propagation. In the case of silane radicals, (E₂₂–E₂₁) favours cross-propagation but A₂₂/A₂₁ favours self-propagation. The intrinsic viscosities and the thermal behaviours of the copolymers were also studied.     

CIDNP study of the Ni(acac)2-catalyzed reaction of triethylaluminum with chloroform

CIDNP effects were found in the Ni(acac)₂-catalyzed reaction of Et₃Al with CHCl₃. The effects appear in the products of transformation of the diffusion radical pair of the ethyl and dichloromethyl radicals. The radical route is a side process in this reaction, and the main products, Et₂AlCl, ethane, and ethylene, are formed by a nonradical route. A general mechanism of the reactions of Et₃Al with CHCl₃ and CCl₄ including radical and ioncoordination processes was suggested. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1003–1006, May, 1999.     

Copolymerization of poly(propylene oxide) methacrylate macromonomer with styrene

Graft copolymers of styrene and poly(propylene oxide) were prepared by reaction between styrene and a poly(propylene oxide) methacrylate macromonomer. The graft copolymers were characterized by i.r., GPC and ¹H-NMR and mechanical properties were examined. The effect of zinc chloride on the copolymerization was evaluated. The results showed a decrease in the incorporation of macromonomer in the graft copolymer when zinc chloride was added to the system. This effect has been attributed to interaction among chains of poly(propylene oxide) and the zinc chloride.     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate by Ziegler-Natta type catalyst systems: Fe(acac)3-AlEt2Br and Fe(acac)3-ZnEt2

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate was carried out with the following Ziegler-Natta type initiating systems: Fe(AcAc)₃-AlEt₂Br, Fe(AcAc)₃-ZnEt₂ (acac = acetyl acetonate). Both the catalyst systems are active under homogeneous conditions in benzene at 40°C for methyl methacrylate polymerization. The polymerization kinetics suggests that the average rate of polymerization was first order with respect to [monomer] for both the catalyst systems, and the overall activation energies were found to be 14.0 and 12.8 kcal mol ^?1.     

Copolymerization of vinylsilanes with styrene

New vinylsilanes (M₂), i. e. phenylvinylsilane (I), allylmethylsilane (II), allylphenylsilane (III), and p-vinylphenylmethylsilane (IV), were prepared and copolymerized with styrene (M₁). The monomer reactivity ratios were r₁ = 5.7 and r₂ = 0, r₁ = 36 and r₂ = 0, r₁ = 29 and r₂ = 0₁, and r₁ = 0.91 and r₂ = 1.1, respectively. From the results of infrared and NMR spectra it was indicated that the vinylsilanes participated in copolymerization in the form of a vinyl type of polymerization and not in the form of a hydrogen-transfer type of polymerization. The reaction of copolymer with alcohols and methyl methacrylate and appropriate catalysts was investigated.     

Synthesis and characterization of the complexes of pentane-2,4-dione with nickel(II) and cobalt(III): [Ni(acac)2].0.5CH3OH and [Co(acac)2NO3].2H2O (acac = pentane-2,4-dione)

Two mononuclear complexes, [Ni(acac)2].0.5CH3OH (1) and[Co(acac)2NO3].2H2O (2) (acac = pentane-2,4-dione), have been synthesized and characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis. Complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with a = 9.295(4), b = 11.450(5), c = 12.974(6) A, V = 1379.1(11) A(3),beta = 92.854(7), and Z = 4. Complex 2 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P(-1) with a= 8.153(9), b = 9.925(11), c = 10.355(12), V = 746.3(15) A(3), alpha = 70.530(16), beta =71.154(15), gamma = 80.698(16) and Z = 2. Complex 1 has a one-dimensional chain-like structure, which is extended by weak hydrogen contacts, while complex 2 shows a three-dimensional network structure.     

Polymerization of cyclohexene oxide with Al(acac)3- silanol catalyst

The polymerization of cyclohexene oxide was investigated with a new catalyst system of Al(acac)₃- silanol compounds. Catalyst activity varied with the ratio of silanol/Al(acac)₃ and the structure of silanol compounds. Catalyst deactivation appeared to be caused by self-condensation of silanol and the addition of silanol to the epoxy ring. Polymer structure was investigated by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The mechanism of the polymerization appears to be cationic.