Chain‐growth limiting reactions in the cationic polymerization of 3‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane

3‐Ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane (EOX) polymerizes readily to branched multihydroxyl polyethers. Molecular weights of the polymers are, however, limited, and macromolecules are predominantly cyclic. This indicates that intramolecular chain transfer to polymer (back‐biting) proceeds in the system. Repeating units in poly‐EOX contain two nucleophilic sites that may participate in back‐biting, namely ether groups and hydroxyl groups. Analysis of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF) mass spectra of poly‐EOX prepared in the presence of analogous polyether that does not contain HO? groups (poly(3,3‐dimethyloxetane)‐poly‐DMOX) shows that the ether group in the repeating unit of poly‐DMOX does not participate in chain transfer to the polymer. However, when DMOX was polymerized in the presence of poly‐EOX, clear evidence of participation of HO? groups in intramolecular chain transfer was obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 245–252, 2004     

Synthesis of polyesters with pendant oxetane groups by the chemoselective alternating copolymerization of 3‐ethyl‐3‐(glycidyloxymethyl)oxetane with carboxylic anhydride and its photochemical reaction

The synthesis of polyesters with pendant oxetane groups by the chemoselective alternating copolymerization of 3‐ethyl‐3‐(glycidyloxymethyl)oxetane (EGMO) with carboxylic anhydride and the photochemical reaction of the resulting polymer was examined. The alternating copolymerization of EGMO with phthalic anhydride proceeded chemoselectively with quaternary onium salts under appropriate reaction conditions, and the corresponding soluble polymers with pendant oxetane groups with number‐average molecular weights of 4700–7200 were obtained in 72–87% yields. Furthermore, the photochemical reaction of the resulting polymers was examined with certain photoacid generators in the film state upon UV irradiation, and it was found that the photocrosslinking reaction of the pendant oxetane groups proceeded smoothly to give the insoluble polymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 1952–1961, 2003     

Tri‐block copolymers of polyethylene glycol and hyperbranched poly‐3‐ethyl‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)oxetane through cationic ring opening polymerization

Tri‐block copolymers of linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hyperbranched poly‐3‐ethyl‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)oxetane (poly‐TMPO) are reported. The novel dumb‐bell shaped polyethers were synthesized in bulk with cationic ringopening polymerization utilizing BF₃OEt₂ as initiator, via drop‐wise addition of the oxetane monomer. The thermal properties of the materials were successfully tuned by varying the amount of poly‐TMPO attached to the PEG‐chains, ranging from a melting point of 54 °C and a degree of crystallinity of 76% for pure PEG, to a melting point of 35 °C and a degree of crystallinity of 12% for the polyether copolymer having an average of 14 TMPO units per PEG chain. The materials are of relatively low polydispersity, with M_n/M_w ranging from 1.2 to 1.4. The materials have been evaluated for usage with the energetic oxidizer ammonium dinitramide. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6191–6200, 2009     

Cationic Polymerization of 3‐Ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane in an Ionic Liquid

Summary: Cationic ring‐opening polymerization of 3‐ethyl‐3‐hydroxymethyloxetane (EOX) in a neutral ionic liquid (1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [bmim][BF₄]) leading to a multihydroxyl, branched polyether proceeds readily to nearly quantitative conversion. Because of the relatively high polarity of ionic liquids, intermolecular hydrogen bonding leading to the formation of aggregates is reduced considerably. On the other hand, intramolecular hydrogen bonding facilitating intramolecular chain transfer is not significantly affected and the molecular weights of polymers are in the same range as those obtained in bulk polymerization or polymerization in organic solvents.

     

Hyperbranched polyethers by ring‐opening polymerization: Contribution of activated monomer mechanism

Propagation in the cationic ring‐opening polymerization of cyclic ethers involves nucleophilic attack of oxygen atoms from the monomer molecules on the cationic growing species (oxonium ions). Such a mechanism is known as the active chain‐end mechanism. If hydroxyl groups containing compounds are present in the system, oxygen atoms of HO? groups may compete with cyclic ether oxygen atoms of monomer molecules in reaction with oxonium ions. At the proper conditions, this reaction may dominate, and propagation may proceed by the activated monomer mechanism, that is, by subsequent addition of protonated monomer molecules to HO? terminated macromolecules. Both mechanisms may contribute to the propagation in the cationic polymerization of monomers containing both functions (i.e., cyclic ether group and hydroxyl groups) within the same molecule. In this article, the mechanism of polymerization of three‐ and four‐membered cyclic ethers containing hydroxymethyl substituents is discussed in terms of competition between two possible mechanisms of propagation that governs the structure of the products—branched polyethers containing multiple terminal hydroxymethyl groups. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 457–468, 2003     

Highly branched and high‐molecular‐weight polyethylenes produced by 1‐[2,6‐bis(bis(4‐fluorophenyl)methyl)‐4‐MeOC6H2N]‐2‐aryliminoacenaphthylnickel(II) halides

A series of unsymmetrical 1‐[2,6‐bis(bis(4‐fluorophenyl)methyl)‐4‐MeOC₆H₂N]‐2‐aryliminoacenaphthene‐nickel(II) halides has been synthesized and fully characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), ¹³C NMR, and ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy as well as elemental analysis. The structures of Ni1 and Ni6 have been confirmed by the single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. On activation with cocatalysts either ethylaluminum sesquichloride or methylaluminoxane, all the title nickel complexes display high activities toward ethylene polymerization up to 16.14 × 10⁶ g polyethylene (PE) mol^?1(Ni) h^?1 at 30 °C, affording PEs with both high branches (up to 103 branches/1000 carbons) and molecular weight (1.12 × 10⁶ g mol^?1) as well as narrow molecular weight distribution. High branching content of PE can be confirmed by high temperature ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. In addition, the PE exhibited remarkable property of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) with high tensile strength (σ_b = 21.7 MPa) and elongation at break (ε_b = 937%) as well as elastic recovery (up to 85%), indicating a better alternative to commercial TPEs. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 130–145     

Sequence‐controlled cationic ring‐opening copolymerization of spiroorthocarbonate and oxetane

Pseudo block and triblock copolymers were synthesized by the cationic ring‐opening copolymerization of 1,5,7,11‐tetraoxaspiro[5.5]undecane (SOC1) with trimethylene oxide (OX) via one‐shot and two‐shot procedures, respectively. When SOC1 and OX were copolymerized cationically with boron trifluoride etherate (BF₃OEt₂) as an initiator in CH₂Cl₂ at 25 °C, OX was consumed faster than SOC1. SOC1 was polymerized from the OX‐rich gradient copolymer produced in the initial stage of the copolymerization to afford the corresponding pseudo block copolymer, poly [(OX‐grad‐SOC1)‐b‐SOC1]. We also succeeded in the synthesis of a pseudo triblock copolymer by the addition of OX during the course of the polymerization of SOC1 before its complete consumption, which provided the corresponding pseudo triblock copolymer, poly[SOC1‐b‐(OX‐grad‐SOC1)‐b‐SOC1]. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3233–3241, 2006     

Radical and cationic polymerizations of 3‐ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyloxetane

3‐Ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyloxetane (EMO) was easily polymerized by dimethyl 2,2′‐azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) as the radical initiator through the opening of the vinyl group. The initial polymerization rate (R_p) at 50 °C in benzene was given by R_p = k[MAIB]^0.55 [EMO]^1.2. The overall activation energy of the polymerization was estimated to be 87 kJ/mol. The number‐average molecular weight (M?_n) of the resulting poly(EMO)s was in the range of 1–3.3 × 10⁵. The polymerization system was found to involve electron spin resonance (ESR) observable propagating poly(EMO) radicals under practical polymerization conditions. ESR‐determined rate constants of propagation (k_p) and termination (k_t) at 60 °C are 120 and 2.41 × 10⁵ L/mol s, respectively—much lower than those of the usual methacrylate esters such as methyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate. The radical copolymerization of EMO (M₁) with styrene (M₂) at 60 °C gave the following copolymerization parameters: r₁ = 0.53, r₂ = 0.43, Q₁ = 0.87, and e₁ = +0.42. EMO was also observed to be polymerized by BF₃OEt₂ as the cationic initiator through the opening of the oxetane ring. The M?_n of the resulting polymer was in the range of 650–3100. The cationic polymerization of radically formed poly(EMO) provided a crosslinked polymer showing distinguishably different thermal behaviors from those of the radical and cationic poly(EMO)s. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1269–1279, 2001     

Synthesis of branched polyisobutylenes via cationic copolymerization of p-chloromethylstyrene and isobutylene

Branched polyisobutylenes (PIBs) with relatively low dispersities (1.4–1.8) and benzylic halide functionalities are synthesized by self-condensing vinyl cationic copolymerization of p-chloromethylstyrene (p-CMS) and isobutylene (IB) coinitiated by TiCl₄. It is found that the [IB]/[p-CMS] feed ratio plays a crucial role for the initiating behavior of p-CMS: the initiation arising from p-CMS is suppressed at [IB]/[p-CMS] ≥17; in contrast, the pendant benzyl chloride moiety of p-CMS monomer in the formed copolymer chains can initiate branching reactions. The resulting branched PIBs are of a gradient composition as well as a gradual increase in branching density due to large disparity in reactivity ratios. This strategy is successfully employed to create branched PIBs with low to moderate molecular weights (M_n, 5 k–78 k Da) through controlling the monomer/initiator mole ratio. However, it is shown that this method failed to obtain branched PIBs with high M_n, bearing a complicated copolymerization mechanism.     

Cationic copolymerization of ε‐caprolactone and L,L‐lactide by an activated monomer mechanism

The cationic homopolymerization and copolymerization of L,L ‐lactide and ε‐caprolactone in the presence of alcohol have been studied. The rate of homopolymerization of ε‐caprolactone is slightly higher than that of L,L ‐lactide. In the copolymerization, the reverse order of reactivities has been observed, and L,L ‐lactide is preferentially incorporated into the copolymer. Both the homopolymerization and copolymerization proceed by an activated monomer mechanism, and the molecular weights and dispersities are controlled {number‐average degree of polymerization = ([M]₀ ? [M]_t)/[I]₀, where [M]₀ is the initial monomer concentration, [M]_t is the monomer concentration at time t, and [I]₀ is the initial initiator concentration; weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight ～1.1–1.3}. An analysis of ¹³C NMR spectra of the copolymers indicates that transesterification is slow in comparison with propagation, and the microstructure of the copolymers is governed by the relative reactivity of the comonomers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 7071–7081, 2006     

Synthesis of polyethers with unsymmetrical structures by the polyaddition of 3‐ethyl‐3‐(glycidyloxymethyl)oxetane with diacyl chlorides

Polyethers with unsymmetrical structures in the main chains and pendant chloromethyl groups were synthesized by the polyaddition of 3‐ethyl‐3‐(glycidyloxymethyl)oxetane (EGMO) with certain diacyl chlorides with quaternary onium salts or pyridine as catalysts. The unsymmetrical polyaddition of EGMO containing two different cyclic ether moieties such as oxirane and oxetane groups with terephthaloyl chloride proceeded smoothly in toluene at 90 °C for 6 h to give polymer 1 with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 51,700 in a 93% yield when tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) was used as a catalyst. The polyaddition also proceeded smoothly under the same conditions when other quaternary onium salts, such as tetrabutylammonium chloride, tetrabutylammonium iodide, tetrabutylphosphonium chloride, and tetrabutylphosphonium bromide, and pyridine were used as catalysts. However, without a catalyst no reaction occurred under the same reaction conditions. Polyadditions of EGMO with isophthaloyl chloride and adipoyl chloride gave polymer 2 (M_n = 28,700) and polymer 3 (M_n = 25,400) in 99 and 65% yields, respectively, under the same conditions. The chemical modification of the resulting polymer, polymer 1 , which contained reactive pendant chloromethyl groups, was also attempted with potassium 3‐phenyl‐2,5‐norbornadiene‐2‐carboxylate with TBAB as a phase‐transfer catalyst, and a polymer with 65 mol % pendant norbornadiene moieties was obtained. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 368–375, 2001     

Polyester oligodiols by cationic AM copolymerization of L,L‐lactide and ε‐caprolactone initiated by diols

Cationic copolymerization of L,L ‐lactide (LA) and ε‐caprolactone (CL) initiated by low molecular weight diols in the presence of acid catalyst gives corresponding copolyesters terminated at both ends with hydroxyl groups in practically quantitative yield. Copolymerization proceeds by Activated Monomer mechanism. LA is consumed preferentially and at the later stages of copolymerization the reaction mixture is enriched with CL. In spite of that, random distribution of both units is observed and end‐groups are mainly ? LA‐OH groups and not ? CL‐OH groups. This is explained by the fact that to reach high conversion of both comonomers the relatively long reaction times are required and at those conditions transesterification reaction becomes significant. Thus the microstructure of copolymers and the nature of the end‐groups is governed by transesterification rather then by the kinetics of comonomers incorporation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3090–3097, 2007     

Tetrahydrofuran and 3,3-bis(chloromethyl) oxetane triblock copolymers synthesized by two-end living cationic polymerization

Triblock copolymers based on tetrahydrofuran (THF) and 3,3-bis(chloromethyl) oxetane (BCMO), BCMO-block-THF-block-BCMO and poly(BCMO-co-THF)-THF-(BCMO-co-THF), have been synthesized by two-end living cationic polymerization with a bifunctional initiator, trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride [(CF₃SO₂)₂O]. The polymers are obtained by using the two end propagating species of poly(THF) to initiate the sequential BCMO polymerization. The resulting polymers are characterized by infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), confirming that the polymers are ABA-type block copolymers. The identities of the molecular weights predetermined and which determined by GPC show the success of predetermining molecular weights of the polymers and preparing well-defined polymers. The narrow polydispersities, 1.1–1.3, indicate that the chains are propagating by a living mechanism. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of hyperbranched aliphatic polyethers via cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane

Thermally initiated cationic ring-opening polymerization of 3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane was carried out using benzyltetramethylenesulfonium hexafluoroantimonate as initiator. The resulting hydroxy-functional polyether was thoroughly analyzed by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and found to have a hyperbranched architecture with a degree of branching of 0.4. The polyether was successfully employed as a multifunctional initiator for ε-caprolactone. Molecular weight measurements on the polyether showed a narrow molecular weight distribution analyzed by SEC and MALDI-TOF (1.3 and 1.4, respectively).     

Synthesis of end‐functionalized polyethers by phosphazene base‐catalyzed ring‐opening polymerization of 1,2‐butylene oxide and glycidyl ether

For the living ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of epoxy monomers, the catalytic activity of organic superbases, tert‐butylimino‐tris(dimethylamino)phosphorane, 1‐tert‐butyl‐2,2,4,4,4‐pentakis(dimethylamino)‐2Λ⁵,4Λ⁵‐catenadi(phosphazene), 2,8,9‐triisobutyl‐2,5,8,9‐tetraaza‐1‐phosphabicyclo[3.3.3]undecane, and 1‐tert‐butyl‐4,4,4‐tris(dimethylamino)‐2,2‐bis[tris(dimethylamino)phosphoranylidenamino]‐2Λ⁵,4Λ⁵‐catenadi(phosphazene) (t‐Bu‐P₄), was confirmed. Among these superbases, only t‐Bu‐P₄ showed catalytic activity for the ROP of 1,2‐butylene oxide (BO) to afford poly(1,2‐butylene oxide) (PBO) with predicted molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution. The results of the kinetic, post‐polymerization experiments, and MALDI‐TOF MS measurement revealed that the t‐Bu‐P₄‐catalyzed ROP of BO proceeded in a living manner in which the alcohol acted as the initiator. This alcohol/t‐Bu‐P₄ system was applicable to the glycidol derivatives, such as benzyl glycidyl ether (BnGE) and t‐butyl glycidyl ether, to afford well‐defined protected polyglycidols. The α‐functionalized polyethers could be obtained using different functionalized initiators, such as 4‐vinylbenzyl alcohol, 5‐hexen‐1‐ol, and 6‐azide‐1‐hexanol. In addition, the well‐defined cyclic‐PBO and PBnGE were successfully synthesized using the combination of t‐Bu‐P₄‐catalyzed ROP and click cyclization. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

cis‐1,4‐specific carbocationic polymerization and copolymerization of 1,3‐dienes initiated by (S,S)‐bis(oxazolinylphenyl)amine chromium complexes

Two new chiral (S,S)‐bis(oxazolinylphenyl)amine chromium dichloride complexes have been synthesized and structurally characterized. In combination with 2 equiv. of borate and an excess of AlR₃, such Cr complexes serve as effective cationic initiators in the stereoregular carbocationic polymerization of 1,3‐dienes such as isoprene (IP) and myrcene (MY), affording cyclized cis‐1,4‐PIPs/PMys (cis‐1,4‐selectivity up to 96%) with cyclic sequence contents ranging from 26% to 87%. Moreover, these Cr initiator systems also exhibit an unprecedented control over sequence distribution of comonomers in the carbocationic copolymerization of IP and MY, preparing novel copolymers with different microstructures from mainly cyclized cis‐1,4‐specific statistical copolymers to cyclic olefin copolymers. The nature of Cr complex, borate, AlR₃, temperature, molar ratio of comonomers has considerable effect on the (co)polymer's yield, stereoselectivity, cyclization, and comonomer sequence distribution. A plausible mechanism is suggested, which gives a new strategy for biomimetic synthesis of natural rubber. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 55, 1250–1259     

Selectivity in anionic and cationic ring‐opening polymerizations of tetramethyl‐1‐(3′‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐1‐phenylcyclotrisiloxane and tetramethyl‐1‐[3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐1‐phenylcyclotrisiloxane

Anionic and cationic ring‐opening polymerizations of two novel cyclotrisiloxanes, tetramethyl‐1‐(3′‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐1‐phenylcyclotrisiloxane ( I ) and tetramethyl‐1‐[3′,5′‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐1‐phenylcyclotrisiloxane ( II ), are reported. Anionic ring‐opening polymerization of I or II leads to copolymers with highly regular microstructures. Copolymers obtained by cationic polymerizations of I or II , initiated by triflic acid, have less regular microstructures characteristic of chemoselective polymerization processes. The composition and microstructure of copolymers have been characterized by ¹H and ²⁹Si‐NMR, the molecular weight distributions by GPC, and the thermal properties by DSC and TGA. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5235–5243, 2004     

Synthesis of novel hyperbranched polymer through cationic ring‐opening multibranching polymerization of 2‐hydroxymethyloxetane

The cationic ring‐opening multibranching polymerization of 2‐hydroxymethyloxetane ( 1 ) as a novel latent AB₂‐type monomer was carried out using trifluoromethane sulfonic acid or trifluoroboron diethyl etherate by a slow‐monomer‐addition (SMA) method. The polymer yield of poly‐1 ranged from ca. 58–88%, which increase with the increasing monomer addition time on the SMA method. The absolute molecular weights (M_w,MALLS) and the polydispersities of poly‐1 were in the range of 8,000–43,500 and 1.45–4.53, respectively, which also increased with the increasing monomer addition time. The Mark‐Houwink‐Sakurada exponents α in 0.2 M NaNO₃ aq. were determined to be 0.02–0.25 for poly‐1 , indicating that poly‐1 has compact forms in the solution because of the highly branched structure. The degree of the branching value of poly‐1 , which was calculated by Frey's equation, ranged from ca. 0.50 to 0.58, which increased with the increasing monomer addition time. The steady shear flow of poly‐1 in aqueous solution exhibited a Newtonian behavior with steady shear viscosities independent of the shear rate. The results of the MALLS, NMR, and viscosity measurements indicated that poly‐1 is composed of a highly branched structure, i.e., the hyperbranched poly (2‐hydroxymethyloxetane). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011