Synthesis and Polymerization of Optically Active Di-L-Menthyl Itaconate

Optically active di-L-menthyl itaconate (DMI) was prepared from itaconic acid and L-menthol. DMI was polymerized in bulk at 80°C to give a chiral homopolymer having a specific rotation of -76.9°. DMI (M ₁) was copolymerized with styrene (ST, M ₂), N-cyclohexylmaleimide (CHMI, M ₂), vinyl acetate (VAc, M ₂) and methyl methacrylate (MMA, M ₂) with azobisisobutyronitrile in benzene at 50°C. The monomer reactivity ratios (r ₁, r ₂) and Alfrey-Price Q, e values were determined as r ₁ = 0.56, r ₂ = 0.55, Q ₁ = 0.76, e ₁ = 0.29 for DMI-ST; r ₁ = 0.0, r ₂ = 5.6 for DMI-MMA; r ₁ = 0.0, r ₂ = 0.25 for DMI-VAc; and r ₁ = 0.31, r ₂ = 0.56 for DMI-CHMI. The chiroptical properties of the polymers were investigated.     

Copolymerization Parameters of Itaconic Anhydride in Free-Radical Polymerization

The copolymerization of itaconic anhydride (M₁) with four different monomers (M₂), namely: vinyl acetate, 2-chloro-ethyl acrylate, acrylonitrile, and styrene, was studied. Values of r₁ and r₂ were determined for copolymerizations in benzene and for two of these systems, namely those with vinyl acetate and 2-chloroethyl acrylate. Values of r₁ and r₂ were also determined for copolymerizations in tetra-hydrofuran. The value of ri ranged from 0.53 to 4.8, but it was always very much greater than r2. The Q-e values for itaconic anhydride in all the systems studied were also calculated and the average values for Q₁ = 8.2, e₁ = 1.45 were determined.     

Emulsion polymerization and copolymerization of vinyl benzoate

Emulsion polymerization of vinyl benzoate and its copolymerization with vinyl acetate or styrene are described. The effect of the potassium persulfate initiator, and the sodium lauryl sulfate emulsifier concentration on the rate of vinyl benzote homopolymerization and the molecular weight of the polymers was determined. In copolymerization with vinyl benzoate, both comonomers, vinyl acetate and styrene, decrease the initial polymerization rate. With increasing amounts of styrene in the comonomer mixture the polymerization rate increases but with vinyl acetate an opposite effect is observed. Reactivity ratios of copolymerizations were determined. For the vinyl benzoate [M₁]-styrene [M₂] comonomer system a r₁ = 0.03 and a r₂ = 29.58 and for vinyl benzoate [M₁]-vinyl acetate [M₂], a r₁ = 1.93 and a r₂ = 0.20 was obtained. From the vinyl benzoate-styrene reactivity ratios the Qe parameters were calculated.     

α-Trifluoromethyl vinyl acetate. II

Low conversion, low molecular weight homopolymers of α-trifluoromethyl vinyl acetate have been obtained by pyridine initiation and also by employing very large amounts of benzoyl peroxide. Since allylic hydrogens are not present, it appears that the limiting factor in the polymerization of isopropenyl esters is a slow rate of chain growth rather than degradative chain transfer. Copolymerization of the fluoromonomer (M₂) with vinyl acetate (M₁) yields values of r₁ = 0.25 and r₂ = 0.20, and for the fluoromonomer values of 0.069 and 1.51, respectively, for Q and e. Whereas ultraviolet initiation of equimolar mixtures of α-trifluoromethyl vinyl acetate and vinyl acetate yields low molecular weight copolymers, diisopropyl percarbonate-initiated room temperature bulk copolymerizations and emulsion copolymerizations yield polymers of high DP . Differential thermal analysis of an equimolar copolymer of vinyl acetate and the fluoromonomer surprisingly yields a sharp endotherm reminiscent of crystalline polymers. The unhydrolyzed copolymers in acetone and the alcoholyzed copolymers in 0.1N alkali exhibit Huggins k′ values of 0.3–0.4. Like ordinary poly(vinyl alcohol), the polyfluoroalcohols lose viscosity in dilute alkali due to retrograde aldol condensations. The solubilities of the polyfluoroalcohols, together with their thermal behavior, NMR spectrum, polarized infrared spectrum, refractive index, abilities to form visible polarizers, and other properties are also described.     

Syntheses of Vinyl Sulfoxide/Vinyl Acetate-Type Copolymers

The homopolymerization of a series of alkyl vinyl sulfoxides (CH₂[dbnd]CHSOR; R = CH₃ (MVSO), C₂H₅ (EVSO), t-C₄H₉ (BVSO)) and their copolymerization with vinyl acetate (VAc) with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator at 60°C was attempted. MVSO was found to homopolymerize radically, but EVSO and BVSO were not. Poly-MVSO is soluble in chloroform, methanol, DMSO, and water, but insoluble in acetone and benzene. MVSO and EVSO were found to copolymerize with VAc, but BVSO was not. The copolymerization parameters obtained for both systems were as follows; r₁(MVSO) = 2.23, r₂ (VAc) = 0.09, and r₁(EVSO) = 3.40, r₂ (VAc) = 0.11, respectively. MVSO/vinyl alcohol (VA) copolymers were obtained through the saponification of MVSO/VAc copolymers by sodium hydroxide in methanol. The solubility of MVSO/VAc and of MVSO/VA copolymers toward various solvents was examined, and it was observed that the sulfoxide comonomer has a tendency to give amphiphilicit to poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(vinyl alcohol). The 24 mol% MVSO containing VAc copolymer is soluble in both benzene and water.     

Copolymerization characteristics of S-vinyl-O-tert-butylthiocarbonate

Poly-S-vinyl-O-tert-butylthiocarbonate is an excellent precursor to poly(vinyl mercaptan) because the tert-butyloxycarbonyl blocking group can be removed by either acid hydrolysis or thermolysis under conditions which minimize the oxidation of the liberated mercaptan to disulfide. Dilatometric studies of the homopolymerization of S-vinyl-O-tert-butylthiocarbonate demonstrated that the polymerization rate was directly proportional to the concentration of free-radical initiator; no thermal initiation was observed. The molecular weight of the homopolymers and copolymers ranged from 30,000 to 50,000 (GPC). Copolymerization of S-vinyl-O-tert-butylthiocarbonate (M₂) with styrene, (r₁ = 3.0, r₂ = 0.2), methyl methacrylate (r₁ = 1.40, r₂ = 0.17) and vinyl acetate (r₁ = 0.04, r₂ = 11.0) indicated that a sulfur atom adjacent to the vinyl group increases the resonance stability (Q₂ = 0.5) and the electron density (e₂ = ?1.4) of the double bond and the corresponding radical. Water-soluble copolymers could be prépared by incorporating either N-vinylpyrrolidone (r₁ = 0.12, r₂ = 3.94) or N-isopropylacrylamide (r₁ = 1.17, r₂ = 0.3) with M₂. The water solubility of the copolymers decreased markedly when the tert-butyloxycarbonyl group was removed. Copolymers of M₂ with N-vinyl-O-tert-butylcarbamate (r₁ = 0.13, r₂ = 5.10) were utilized to prepare crosslinked poly(vinyl amine–vinyl mercaptan); the crosslinking resulted from urea linkages formed during thermolysis of the copolymer.     

Copolymerization of Diethyl Vinyl Phosphate with Vinyl Acetate and Acrylonitrile

Free radical-initiated copolymerization of diethyl vinyl phosphate (DEVPA) with vinyl acetate (VAc) and acrylonitrile (AN) was studied. The monomer reactivity ratios for the monomer pairs, determined at 60°C using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator, are: r₁(VAc) = 0.95, r₂(DEVPA) = 0.93; r₁(AN) = 6.6, r₂(DEVPA) = 0.049. The values of the Alfrey-Price constants, Q and e, for DEVPA were calculated to be 0.025 and 0.13, respectively, from the VAc system, and 0.026 and 0.14, respectively, from the AN/DEVPA pair. These results indicate that the general reactivity of DEVPA is almost the same as that of VAc and that the diethylphosphate group is a stronger electron-attracting group than the acetoxy group. The intrinsic viscosity and number-average molecular weight of copolymers decreased as their content of DEVPA units increased, indicating a high degree of chain transfer caused by DEVPA.     

Free-radical homopolymerization and copolymerization of vinylferrocene

The benzene solution homopolymerization of vinylferrocene, initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile, gave a series of benzene-soluble homopolymers. Thus, free-radical copolymerization studies were performed with styrene, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, vinyl acetate, and isoprene in benzene. With the exception of vinyl acetate and isoprene, which did not give copolymers with vinylferrocene under these conditions, smooth production of copolymers occurred. The relative reactivity ratios, r₁ and r₂, were obtained for vinylferrocene–styrene copolymerizations by using the curve-fitting method for the differential form of the copolymer equation, by the Fineman-Ross technique, and by computer fitting of the integrated form of the copolymer equations applied to higher conversion copolymerizations. In styrene (M₂) copolymerizations, the curve-fitting and Fineman-Ross methods both gave r₁ = 0.08, r₂ = 2.50, while the integration method gave r₁ = 0.097, r₂ = 2.91. Application of the integration method to methyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate (M₂) gave values of r₁ = 0.82, r₂ = 0.63; r₁ = 0.52, r₂ = 1.22, respectively. The curve-fitting method gave r₁ = 0.15, r₂ = 0.16 for acrylonitrile (M₂) copolymerizations. From styrene copolymerizations, vinylferrocene exhibited values of Q = 0.145 and e = 0.47.     

The NMR Spectra of Styrene-Itaconate Ester Copolymers Obtained by Free Radical Mechanism

Styrene copolymerized with dimethyl itaconate and with methyl benzyl itaconate by use of a free radical initiator.

Monomer reactivity ratios for styrene (M₁)-dimethyl itaconate (M₂) co-polymerization were r₁ = 0.50 and r₂ = 0.06 and for styrene (M₁-methyl benzyl itaconate (M₂), r₁ = 0.42 and r₂ = 0.19. The nonconjugative methoxycarbonyl affected the monomer reactivity of itaconate toward polystyrene radical.

The NMR spectra of styrene-dimethyl itaconate copolymers were very complex and could not be interpreted because the two methoxy groups have similar chemical shifts.

The NMR spectra of styrene-itaconate copolymers were not so complex if methyl benzyl itaconate was used as comonomer instead of dimethyl itaconate. Methoxy and benzyloxy absorptions were sufficiently separated and “co-isotacticity” could be determined.

It is shown that the nonconjugative methoxycarbonyl group had little influence on the steric course of the cross-propagation reaction between styrene and itaconate.     

Free‐radical copolymerization of vinyl esters using fluoroalcohols as solvents: The solvent effect on the monomer reactivity ratio

Free‐radical copolymerizations of vinyl acetate (VAc = M₁) and other vinyl esters (= M₂) including vinyl pivalate (VPi), vinyl 2,2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)propionate (VF6Pi), and vinyl benzoate (VBz) with fluoroalcohols and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as the solvents were investigated. The fluoroalcohols affected not only the stereochemistry but also the polymerization rate. The polymerization rate was higher in the fluoroalcohols than in THF. The accelerating effect of the fluoroalcohols on the polymerization was probably due to the interaction of the solvents with the ester side groups of the monomers and growing radical species. The difference in the monomer reactivity ratios (r₁, r₂) in THF and 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol was relatively small for all reaction conditions and for the monomers tested in this work, whereas r₁ increased in the VAc‐VF6Pi copolymerization and r₂ decreased in the VAc‐VPi copolymerization when perfluoro‐tert‐butyl alcohol was used as the solvent. These results were ascribed to steric and monomer‐activating effects due to the hydrogen bonding between the monomers and solvents. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 220–228, 2000     

Vinylhydroquinone. III. Copolymerization of vinylhydroquinone and vinyl monomers by tri-n-butylborane

The copolymerization of vinylhydroquinone (VHQ) and vinyl monomers, e.g., methyl methacrylate (MMA), 4-vinyl-pyridine (4VP), acrylamide (AA), and vinyl acetate (VAc), by tri-n-butylborane (TBB) was investigated in cyclohexanone at 30°C under nitrogen. VHQ is assumed to copolymerize with MMA, 4VP, and AA by vinyl polymerization. The following monomer reactivity ratios were obtained (VHQ = M₂): for MMA/VHQ/TBB, r₁ = 0.62, r₂ = 0.17; for 4VP/VHQ/TBB, r₁ = 0.57, r₂ = 0.05; for AA/VHQ/TBB, r₁ = 0.35, r₂ = 0.08. The Q and e values of VHQ were estimated on the basis of these reactivity ratios as Q = 1.4 and e = ?;1.1, which are similar to those of styrene. This suggests that VHQ behaves like styrene rather than as an inhibitor in the TBB-initiated copolymerization. No homopolymerization was observed either under nitrogen or in the presence of oxygen. The reaction mechanism is discussed.     

Determination of the reactivity ratios of methyl acrylate with the vinyl acetate,vinyl 2,2-dimethyl-propanoate,and vinyl 2-ethylhexanoate

The course of composition drift in copolymerization reactions is determined by reactivity ratios of the contributing monomers. Since polymer properties are directly correlated with the resulting chemical composition distribution, reactivity ratios are of paramount importance. Furthermore, obtaining correct reactivity ratios is a prerequisite for good model predictions. For vinyl acetate (VAc), vinyl 2,2-dimethyl-propanoate also known as vinyl pivalate (VPV), and vinyl 2-ethylhexanoate (V2EH), the reactivity ratios with methyl acrylate (MA) have been determined by means of low conversion bulk polymerization. The mol fraction of MA in the resulting copolymer was determined by ¹H-NMR. Nonlinear optimization on the thus-obtained monomer feed–copolymer composition data resulted in the following sets of reactivity ratios: r_MA = 6.9 ± 1.4 and r_VAc = 0.013 ± 0.02; r_MA = 5.5 ± 1.2 and r_VPV = 0.017 ± 0.035; r_MA = 6.9 ± 2.7 and r_V2EH = 0.093 ± 0.23. As a result of the similar and overlapping reactivity data of the three methyl acrylate–vinyl ester monomer systems, for practical puposes these data can be described with one set of reactivity data. Nonlinear optimization of all monomer feed–copolymer composition data together resulted in r_MA = 6.1 ± 0.6 and r_VEst = 0.0087 ± 0.023. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Reactivity ratios and microstructure determination of vinyl acetate–alkyl acrylate copolymers by NMR spectroscopy

(Vinyl acetate)/(ethyl acrylate) (V/E) and (vinyl acetate)/(butyl acrylate) (V/B) copolymers were prepared by free radical solution polymerization. ¹H-NMR spectra of copolymers were used for calculation of copolymer composition. The copolymer composition data were used for determining reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of vinyl acetate with ethyl acrylate and butyl acrylate by Kelen-Tudos (KT) and nonlinear Error in Variables methods (EVM). The reactivity ratios obtained are r_v = 0.03 ± 0.03, r_E = 4.68 ± 1.70 (KT method); r_v = 0.03 ± 0.01, r_E = 4.60 ± 0.65 (EV method) for (V/E) copolymers and r_v ? 0.03 ± 0.01, r_B ? 6.67 ± 2.17 (KT method); r_v = 0.03 ± 0.01, r_B = 7.43 ± 0.71 (EV method) for (V/B) copolymers. Microstructure was obtained in terms of the distribution of V- and E-centered triads and V- and B-centered triads for (V/E) and (V/B) copolymers respectively. Homonuclear ¹H 2D-COSY NMR spectra were also recorded to ascertain the existence of coupling between protons in (V/E) as well as (V/B) copolymers. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and Polymerization of Optically Active Mono-I-Menthyl Itaconate

Optically active mono-l-menthyl itaconate (MMI) was prepared from ita-conic acid and l-menthol. MMI was polymerized in bulk at 80°C to give a chiral homopolymer having -49.5° specific rotation. MMI (M₁ was copolymerized with styrene (ST, M₂), methyl methacrylate (MMA, M₂), and N-cyclohexylmaleimide (CHMI, M₂) by using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the radical initiator and benzene as the polymerization solvent at 50°C. The monomer reactivity ratios (r₁, r₂) and Alfrey-Price Q, e values were determined to be r₁ = 0.28, r₂ = 0.32, Q₁ = 0.90, and e₁ = 0.75 in MMI-ST; r₁ = 0.09 and r₂ = 0.51 in MMI-MMA; and r₁ = 0.78 and r₂ = 0.39 in MMI-CHMI. The chiroptical properties of the polymers were investigated.     

Aminimides. IV. Homo- and copolymerization studies on trimethylamine methacrylimide

Trimethylamine methacrylimide (TAMI) has been homo- and copolymerized with methyl methacrylate, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, hydroxypropyl methacrylate, and acrylonitrile by free-radical initiators to soluble, low molecular weight polymers containing pendant aminimide groups along the backbone of the polymer chains. The reactivity ratios in the copolymerization of TAMI (M₁) with acrylonitrile (M₂) were determined: r₁ = 0.10 ± 0.01, r₂ = 0.37 ± 0.04. The Alfrey-Price Q and e values for TAMI were also calculated: Q = 0.18, e = ?0.60. This preliminary work indicates that TAMI has potential for the preparation of reactive polymers.     

Effect of solvent on the copolymerization of ethylene and vinyl acetate

The ethylene (M₁)–vinyl acetate (M₂) copolymerization at 62°C and 35 kg/cm² with α,α′-azo-bisisobutyronitrile as initiator has been studied in four different solvents, viz., tert-butyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, benzene, and N,N-dimethylformamide. The experimental method used was based on frequent measurement of the composition of the reaction mixture throughout the copolymerization reaction by means of quantitative gas chromatographic analysis. Highly accurate monomer reactivity ratios have been calculated by means of the curve-fitting I procedure. The observed dependence of the r values on the nature of the solvent is surprisingly large and can be correlated with the volume changes (= excess volumes) observed on mixing vinyl acetate (VAc) with the relevant solvent. An increased hydrogen bonding or dipole–dipole interaction through the carbonyl moiety of the acetate side group of VAc, induces a decreased electron density on the vinyl group of VAc, which in turn leads to a decreased VAc reactivity. The differences among the overall rates of copolymerization in the various solvents can be interpreted in terms of a variable chain transfer to solvent and the rate of the subsequent reinitiation by the solvent radical. In the case of benzene, complex formation is believed to play an important part.     

Thermal diffusion and molecular weight calibration of poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)s by thermal field-flow fractionation

Copolymer characterization is accomplished with respect to measurement of thermal diffusion coefficient (D_T) and molecular weight determination by thermal field-flow fractionation. The examined copolymers are the eight poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)s [P(E-V)] having different compositions of vinyl acetate ranging from 25 to 70% and the molecular weight from 110,000 to 285,000, and three polyvinyl acetate standards as component homopolymer. The carrier solvents are tetrahydrofuran, toluene, and chlorobenzene which have different viscosities and thermal conductivities. Measured D_T values vary from 1.36 × 10^?8 to 5.97 × 10_?8 cm²/(s . K) which are dependent on the composition of copolymers and types of carriers. These values increase linearly with the increase of weight percent of vinyl acetate. It is possible to estimate D_T values of polyethylene from the extrapolated intercept in the plots of D_T vs. vinyl acetate wt % of copolymer. Tetrahydrofuran is found to be the appropriate carrier solvent for the separation of P(E-V) copolymers since D_T varies greatly with the increase of wt % in THF. Attempts are made to correlate the measured retention data with molecular sizes of copolymers for the construction of the molecular weight calibration curve. Good correlations (r² ≥ 0.931) are found in which D/D_T values of polymers vary inversely with the product of hydrodynamic volume by weight ratio of vinyl acetate. Based on this relationship, the unknown molecular weight of copolymer sample can be determined from component homopolymers for which standards are readily available. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride with some acid chlorides

Vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride were copolymerized with 10-acryloxydecanoyl chloride and 12-acryloxystearoyl chloride by use of free-radical initiator in solution to obtain copolymers with active chlorine groups. Alternative routes for making such copolymers which consisted of making the corresponding acrylic acid or acrylyl chloride copolymers, followed by reaction with hydroxy acid and finally conversion to the acid chloride by treatment with thionyl chloride, were investigated. The monomer reactivity ratios for the radical copolymerization of vinyl chloride (VCI) and vinylidene chloride (VCl₂) with acrylic acid (AA) and acrylyl chloride (ACI) were determined: VCI–AA, r₁ = 0.025, r₂ = 6.40; VCl–ACl, r₁ = 0.017, r₂ = 2.65; VCl₂–AA, r₁ = 0.46, r₂ = 1.26; VCl–ACl, r₁ = 0.50, r₂ = 1.12.     

Radical copolymerization of novel trifluorovinyl ethers with ethyl vinyl ether and vinyl acetate: Estimating reactivity ratios and understanding reactivity behavior of the propagating radical

Two novel trifluorovinyl ether (TFVE) monomers were copolymerized with either ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) or vinyl acetate (VAc) in a redox‐initiated aqueous emulsion: 1‐(2‐phenoxyethoxy)‐1,2,2‐trifluoroethene (Ph‐TFVE) and 1‐[2‐(2‐ethoxyethoxy)ethoxy]‐1,2,2‐trifluoroethene (Et‐TFVE). Previous studies demonstrated a propensity for radical hydrogen abstraction from the oligoether pendant group during the homopolymerization of Et‐TFVE with continued propagation of the resulting radical, thereby providing the rationale to investigate the copolymerization of our new TFVEs with EVE or VAc. Reactivity ratios were estimated using the error‐in‐variables model from a series of bulk free radical copolymerizations of Ph‐TFVE with EVE or VAc. The reactivity ratios were r_Ph‐TFVE = 0.25 ± 0.07, r_EVE = 0.016 ± 0.04; r_Ph‐TFVE = 0.034 ± 0.04, r_VAc =0.89 ±0.08. Partial hydrolysis of polymers containing VAc to vinyl alcohol (VA) resulted in two terpolymers: poly(Ph‐TFVE‐co‐VAc‐co‐VA) and poly(Et‐TFVE‐co‐VAc‐co‐VA), respectively. We investigated the possibility of hydrogen abstraction from VAc during polymerization by comparing the molar mass before and after hydrolysis. Abstraction from VAc was not apparent during polymerization; however, abstraction from the oligoether pendant group of Et‐TFVE was again evident and was more significant for those copolymers having a greater fraction of Et‐TFVE in the monomer feed. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1344–1354, 2000