A New Acyclic α‐Hydrogen Bearing Nitroxide and its Corresponding Alkoxyamine for Stable Free Radical Polymerization

Summary: The synthesis of the new α‐hydrogen bearing nitroxide, 2,2,5‐trimethyl‐4‐(isopropyl)‐3‐azahexane‐3‐oxyl (BIPNO) ( 4 ), and its corresponding alkoxyamine, N‐tert‐butyl‐N‐(1‐isopropyl‐2‐methyl‐propyl)‐O‐(1‐phenyl‐ethyl)‐hydroxylamine (PhEt‐BIPNO) ( 7 ), are described in this paper. Reaction of styrene with the new nitroxide in the presence of a Jacobsen‐like manganese catalyst, Mn(salen)Cl, at ambient atmosphere afforded the alkoxyamine in 96% yield. Styrene and n‐butyl acrylate were polymerized in bulk in the presence of the new alkoxyamine. The alkoxyamine turned out to be a suitable “initiator” for controlled radical polymerization.

Structure of α‐hydrogen bearing nitroxide and its corresponding alkoxyamine.     

Microwave‐Assisted Ring‐Opening Polymerization of ε‐Caprolactone in the Presence of Ionic Liquid

Summary: Microwave‐assisted ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone in the presence of 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ionic liquid using zinc oxide as a catalyst is investigated. By adding 30 wt.‐% ionic liquid, poly(ε‐caprolactone) with a weight‐average molar mass of 28 500 g · mol⁻¹ is obtained at 85 W for 30 min. The results indicate that the polymerization could be efficiently enhanced in the presence of ionic liquids under microwave irradiation because ionic liquids can effectively absorb microwave energy.

     

Novel C60‐Anchored Two‐Armed Poly(tert‐butyl acrylate): Synthesis and Characterization

Summary: A multistep synthetic procedure for preparing novel C₆₀‐anchored two‐armed poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) was developed. First, two‐armed poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) bearing a malonate ester core with well‐controlled molecular weight was synthesized through atom transfer radical polymerization. The effective Bingel reaction between C₆₀ and the well‐defined polymer was then carried out to yield C₆₀‐anchored polymer. GPC, ¹H NMR, and UV‐vis spectroscopy indicated that the C₆₀‐anchored polymer was a monosubstituted and ‘closed’ 6,6‐ring‐bridged methanofullerene derivative.

Schematic of a novel C₆₀‐anchored two‐armed polymer.     

A New Route for the Modification of Halogen End Groups to Amino End‐Functionalized Poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)s

The synthesis of primary amine end‐functional poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)s has been achieved by using the Gabriel reaction. Polymerization of tert‐butyl acrylate was first achieved by atom transfer radical polymerization using ethyl‐2‐bromoisobutyrate or paramethoxyphenyl‐2‐bromoisobutyrate as initiator. Both resulting polymers, with a bromide‐end atom, were converted into phthalimido intermediates which then were successfully hydrolyzed using potassium hydroxide in tert‐butyl alcohol to result in poly(tert‐butyl acrylate)s terminated by a primary amine function. End group interconversions were followed by ¹H NMR, FT‐IR, and MALDI‐TOF MS measurements. All the results proved that quantitative transformations were achieved at each step. Moreover, the method developed is very easy to carry out.

     

Addition‐Fragmentation Chain Transfer Involving Dimers of α‐Methylvinyl Monomers Studied by ESR Spectroscopy: Competition between Fragmentation and Bimolecular Termination

Detection of the adduct radical by ESR spectroscopy and after‐effect ESR measurements of the adduct radical concentrations in the photosensitized polymerization of styrene (St) in the presence of dimers of α‐methylstyrene (MSD) and methyl methacrylate have revealed that the dominant mechanism of adduct radical loss changes from bimolecular termination to fragmentation as the temperature is increased beyond 90 °C for St/MSD.

     

An Improved Catalytic Method for Alkoxyamine Synthesis – Functionalized and Biradical Initiators for Nitroxide‐Mediated Radical Polymerization

Mn(salen)Cl was applied as a low‐cost catalyst for the formation of alkoxyamines from nitroxides and substituted styrenes. These “unimolecular initiators” for nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) were synthesized using 2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidine‐1‐oxyl and 2,2,5‐trimethyl‐4‐phenyl‐3‐azahexane‐3‐oxyl. Functionalized alkoxyamines were obtained from 4‐vinylbenzyl chloride and 4‐vinylbenzyl alcohol. The divinyl compound 1,2‐bis(4‐vinylphenyl)ethane was converted to an alkoxyamine monomer and to bisaminooxy compounds, which can be used as “biradical initiators” for NMRP.

Formation of alkoxyamines using Mn(salen)Cl as the catalyst.     

A Strategy for Synthesis of Ion‐Bonded Supramolecular Star Polymers by Reversible Addition‐Fragmentation Chain Transfer (RAFT) Polymerization

We have developed a novel strategy for the preparation of ion‐bonded supramolecular star polymers by RAFT polymerization. An ion‐bonded star supramolecule with six functional groups was prepared from a triphenylene derivative containing tertiary amino groups and trithiocarbonate carboxylic acid, and used as the RAFT agent in polymerizations of tert‐butyl acrylate (tBA) and styrene (St). Molecular weights and structures of the polymers were characterized by ¹H NMR and GPC. The results show that the polymerization possesses the character of living free‐radical polymerization and the ion‐bonded supramolecular star polymers PSt, PtBA, and PSt‐b‐PtBA, with six well‐defined arms, were successfully synthesized.

     

One‐Pot Difunctionalization of Poly(ω‐pentadecalactone) with Thiol‐Thiol or Thiol‐Acrylate Groups,Catalyzed by Candida antarctica Lipase B

Summary: An enzymatic one‐pot procedure has been developed for the synthesis of difunctional polyesters containing terminal thiols and acrylates. Candida antarctica lipase B was used as a catalyst for the ring‐opening polymerization of ω‐pentadecalactone. The polymerization was initiated with 6‐mercaptohexanol, then terminated with γ‐thiobutyrolactone or vinyl acrylate to create two types of difunctional polyesters with a very high content of thiol‐thiol or thiol‐acrylate end‐groups.

Difunctionalization of poly‐PDL.     

Nitroxide‐Mediated Radical Dispersion Polymerization of Styrene in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Using a Poly(dimethylsiloxane‐block‐styrene) Alkoxyamine as Initiator and Stabilizer

Summary: Nitroxide‐mediated dispersion polymerization of styrene in supercritical carbon dioxide has been performed successfully at 110 °C using a new polymeric so‐called inistab species, which fulfils the dual functions of an initiator and a colloidal stabilizer. The inistab species comprised a poly(dimethylsiloxane) block and a polystyrene block end‐capped with the nitroxide N‐tert‐N‐butyl‐N‐[1‐diethylphosphono‐(2,2‐dimethylpropyl)] nitroxide (SG1). The dispersion polymerization resulted in sub‐micron sized polymer particles and polymers of narrow polydispersity.

TEM micrograph of PS particles prepared in the dispersion polymerization of S in scCO₂ in the presence of PDMS(\overline M _{\rm n} = 6 500)‐b‐PS(\overline M _{\rm n} = 4 500)‐SG1 at 110 °C.     

Laser Single Pulse Initiated RAFT Polymerization for Assessing Chain‐Length Dependent Radical Termination Kinetics

Summary: A novel method combining RAFT polymerization with pulsed‐laser initiation for determining chain‐length dependent termination rate coefficients, k_t, is presented. Degenerative chain‐transfer in RAFT enables single‐pulse pulsed‐laser polymerization (SP‐PLP) traces to be measured on systems with a narrow radical distribution that remains essentially unchanged during the experiment. SP‐PLP‐RAFT experiments at different polymerization times allow for determining k_t as a function of chain length via classical kinetics assuming chain‐length independent k_t.

Single‐pulse pulsed‐laser polymerization trace for BMPT‐mediated RAFT polymerization of butyl acrylate.     

Nitroxide‐Mediated Aqueous Dispersion Polymerization: From Water‐Soluble Macroalkoxyamine to Thermosensitive Nanogels

Self‐stabilized nanoparticles with a temperature‐responsive poly[(N,N‐diethylacrylamide)‐co‐(N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide)] microgel core and a covalently attached hairy shell were synthesized via a simple nitroxide‐mediated controlled free‐radical aqueous dispersion polymerization, using a poly(sodium acrylate) alkoxyamine macroinitiator. With this method, high solid content, surfactant‐free particle suspensions were prepared, with diameter ranging from 49 to 118 nm at high temperature, and able to reversibly swell with water at low temperature. The proposed method requires a limited number of reagents in a simple polymerization procedure and thus avoids many drawbacks generally encountered in the synthesis of thermally responsive microgel particles.

     

Sub‐Micrometer Sized Hairy Latex Particles Synthesized by Dispersion Polymerization Using Hydrophilic Macromolecular RAFT Agents

Dispersion polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate has been performed in a mixture of ethanol and water in the presence of poly(N‐acryloylmorpholine) (polyNAM). These hydrophilic polymer chains are synthesized by the RAFT process and thus incorporate well‐defined chain ends. The dithioester ω‐end group is used as an efficient chain transfer agent under dispersion polymerization conditions to produce hairy poly(n‐butyl acrylate) latex particles. Moreover, pre‐functionalization of the polyNAM chains on the α‐end by a carbohydrate derivative is also achieved to obtain directly functionalized particles according to the same strategy.

     

Molecularly Imprinted Multi‐Layer Core‐Shell Nanoparticles – A Surface Grafting Approach

Surface initiated living‐radical polymerization (SIP) based on dithiocarbamate iniferters has been used to create molecularly imprinted core‐shell (CS) nanoparticles. Using this approach, propranolol, morphine and naproxen have been successfully imprinted in particle shells (the latter could not be imprinted using conventional aqueous‐based CS methods). Rebinding properties of the imprinted particles appear to be similar to those made by alternative methods. The living radical initiation mechanism makes it possible to build complex multi‐layer particles sequentially. As a demonstration, multi‐layer propranolol‐imprinted particles were generated. Two additional functional shells were grown over the imprinted shell, while the propranolol binding was retained, albeit at a reduced level.

     

Design of a Linear Poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/Fullerene‐Based Donor‐Acceptor Rod‐Coil Block Copolymer

Novel fullerene‐grafted poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT)‐based rod‐coil block copolymers have been synthesized. The regioregular P3HT rod block has been synthesized by a modified Grignard metathesis reaction (GRIM). An original in situ end‐capping reaction has been developed in order to convert the P3HT block into an efficient macro‐initiator for the nitroxide‐mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) of the coil block. Controlled radical polymerization of the second poly(butylacrylate‐stat‐chloromethylstyrene) [P(BA‐stat‐CMS)] block has been done through various conditions leading to different coil block lengths. The final electron donor‐acceptor block copolymer has been obtained after C₆₀ grafting in soft conditions. Copolymers have been characterized by ¹H NMR and size exclusion chromatography. Optical characterizations, before and after C₆₀ grafting, are reported.

     

Synthesis and Self‐Assembly of Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers using a Fluorescently Labeled N‐Alkoxyamine Initiator

Summary: An initiator for nitroxide mediated ‘living’ free radical polymerization was prepared with a fluorescent tag attached to the initiating alkyl radical terminus. This was used to synthesize amphiphilic poly(acrylic acid)‐block‐polystyrene diblock copolymers, which self assembled in a tetrahydrofuran/buffer solution to form structures that are visible by fluorescence.

     

Kinetic Study of 1,5‐Hydrogen Transfer Reactions of Methyl Acrylate and Butyl Acrylate Using Quantum Chemistry

1,5‐Hydrogen transfer reactions in methyl acrylate and butyl acrylate free‐radical polymerization are studied using quantum chemistry and transition state theory to estimate the kinetic parameters (k_tr, E_a, and A) with tetrameric radicals, requiring a number of atoms that ranks among the largest polymeric mimics to date. A two‐step transformation accounted for the overall reaction: rotation from an extended conformation to a coiled conformation and abstraction of the fifth hydrogen atom by the end‐chain radical. UB3LYP/6‐31G(d) was used for geometry optimization, validation of the transition states, and calculation of frequencies that were used to obtain thermodynamic properties. The more computationally demanding level of theory, MPWB1K/6‐31G(d,p), was used for calculation of the electronic energy.

     

High Solids Content,Soap‐Free,Film‐Forming Latexes Stabilized by Laponite Clay Platelets

High solids content film‐forming poly[styrene‐co‐(n‐butyl acrylate)] [poly(Sty‐co‐BuA)] latexes armored with Laponite clay platelets have been synthesized by soap‐free emulsion copolymerization of styrene and n‐butyl acrylate. The polymerizations were performed in batch in the presence of Laponite and a methyl ether acrylate‐terminated poly(ethylene glycol) macromonomer in order to promote polymer/clay association. The overall polymerization kinetics showed a pronounced effect of clay on nucleation and stabilization of the latex particles. Cryo‐transmission electron microscopy observation confirmed the armored morphology and indicated that the majority of Laponite platelets were located at the particle surface. The resulting nanostructured films displayed enhanced mechanical properties.

     

Microwave Accelerated Polymerization of 2‐Phenyl‐5,6‐dihydro‐4H‐1,3‐oxazine: Kinetics and Influence of End‐Groups on Glass Transition Temperature

Summary: The ring‐opening polymerizations of 2‐phenyl‐5,6‐dihydro‐4H‐1,3‐oxazine (PhOZI) with methyl tosylate (MeOTs) and butyl iodide (BuI) as initiators were performed in refluxing butyronitrile. Reaction kinetics under microwave irradiation was compared with conventional oil bath heating. The polymerization rates, under microwave irradiation, showed an acceleration by a factor of 1.8 (independently from the used initiator). The investigation of the thermal properties of the obtained poly(N‐benzoyl‐trimethyleneimine) showed the influence of molecular weight and end‐groups on the glass transition temperature.

The ring‐opening polymerizations of 2‐phenyl‐5,6‐dihydro‐4H‐1,3‐oxazine performed in refluxing butyronitrile.     

A Density Functional Theory Study of Secondary Reactions in n‐Butyl Acrylate Free Radical Polymerization

In this work, secondary reactions involved in the free radical polymerization of butyl acrylate are investigated using quantum chemistry. First, various backbiting reactions are studied by adopting a simplified molecular model suitable for treating long polymer chains. The predicted reaction kinetics suggest the possibility of a radical migration along the poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) chain as a consequence of subsequent j:j + 4 hydrogen abstractions, which are characterized by a low activation energy. Moreover, branching propagation and β‐scission reactions originating from mid‐chain radicals are investigated using a complete PBA model composed of five monomer units. The reaction kinetics involving short‐branch radicals are also examined, and a novel backbiting step leading to the formation of short branches is proposed.

     

Nitroxide‐Mediated Radical Polymerization in Miniemulsion at Stationary State: Rationale for Independence of Polymerization Rate on Nitroxide Partitioning Using Oil‐Phase Initiation

Summary: Simulations based on the kinetics and mechanism of nitroxide‐mediated free radical polymerization (NMP) have been carried out in order to understand the hitherto largely unexplained effects (or lack thereof) of nitroxide partitioning in aqueous miniemulsion NMP. The focus has been on the miniemulsion NMP of styrene mediated by TEMPO and 4‐hydroxy‐TEMPO, two nitroxides with very similar activation‐deactivation equilibria, but very different organic phase‐aqueous phase partition coefficients. The general conclusion is that the organic phase propagating radical and nitroxide concentrations are unaffected by the partition coefficient in the stationary state, but the rate of polymerization and the extent of bimolecular termination increase with increasing nitroxide water solubility in the pre‐stationary state region. Specific NMP systems are, therefore, affected differently by nitroxide partitioning depending on whether polymerization predominantly occurs in the stationary state or not, which in turn is governed mainly by the activation‐deactivation equilibrium constant and the rate of thermal initiation.

Simulated organic‐phase propagating radical concentrations in the presence of thermal initiation for TEMPO‐mediated miniemulsion free radical polymerization of styrene for different nitroxide partitioning coefficients at 125 °C.