A new method for synthesizing hyperbranched polymers with reductive groups using redox/RAFT/SCVP

The novel hyperbranced polymers containing reductive groups were successfully prepared and characterized using redox/reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer(RAFT)/self-condensing vinyl polymerization(SCVP) method. Several redox initiating chemicals such as Cu(III)/―CONH2, Ce(IV)/―CONH2 and Ce(IV)/―OH were chosen to increase the free radical generating rate, and the chain transfer agent(CTA) was used to reduce the molecular chain propagating rate, in order to obtain polymers with high degree of branching. Detailed analyses based on the molecular weight, ? value and the degree of branching of polymers(DB) obtained from 1H-NMR spectra and multi detector size exclusion chromatography(MDSEC) suggested the acquiring of hyperbranced polyacrylamides with Cu(III)/―CONH2 and Ce(IV)/―CONH2 as initiator in the presence of the CTA. Meanwhile, the as-prepared poly(N-hydroxymethyl acrylamide)(PNHAM) with higher DB value(0.48) proved that using Ce(IV)/―OH as the initiator could increase the free radical generating rate and diminish the gap between the propagating rate and the initiation rate during the reaction procedure. In addition, the effect of oxidant concentration on the Mark-Houwink index(?) value and the DB was also studied.     

Kinetics and mechanism of the anionic polymerization of acrylamide monomers

The thermodynamics, kinetics, and mechanism of the anionic polymerization of a number of acrylamide monomers has been studied with the use of isothermal and scanning calorimetry, liquid chromatography, ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and chemical analysis of functional groups. It has been demonstrated that the polymerization system shows the living character and the interchain exchange reactions are absent. It has been shown that N,N-diethanolacrylamide and N,N-diethanol(meth)acrylamide are uninvolved in anionic polymerization. The causes of this phenomenon have been ascertained. The products of the anionic polymerization of acrylamides are hyperbranched copolymers containing heterochain and carbochain fragments. Macromolecules contain end amide and acrylamide groups; in some macromolecules, end tert-butoxide groups of the used polymerization initiator are detected. For the products of the anionic polymerization of the acrylamide monomers under study, the temperatures of glass transition and melting have been measured.     

Hydroxyl‐terminated hyperbranched aromatic poly(ether‐ester)s: Synthesis,characterization, end‐group modification,and optical properties

Novel AB₂‐type monomers such as 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy)benzoic acid ( monomer 1 ), methyl 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy) benzoate ( monomer 2 ), and 3,5‐bis(4‐methylolphenoxy)benzoyl chloride ( monomer 3 ) were synthesized. Solution polymerization and melt self‐polycondensation of these monomers yielded hydroxyl‐terminated hyperbranched aromatic poly(ether‐ester)s. The structure of these polymers was established using FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights (M_w) of the polymers were found to vary from 2.0 × 10³ to 1.49 × 10⁴ depending on the polymerization techniques and the experimental conditions used. Suitable model compounds that mimic exactly the dendritic, linear, and terminal units present in the hyperbranched polymer were synthesized for the calculation of degree of branching (DB) and the values ranged from 52 to 93%. The thermal stability of the polymers was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, which showed no virtual weight loss up to 200 °C. The inherent viscosities of the polymers in DMF ranged from 0.010 to 0.120 dL/g. End‐group modification of the hyperbranched polymer was carried out with phenyl isocyanate, 4‐(decyloxy)benzoic acid and methyl red dye. The end‐capping groups were found to change the thermal properties of the polymers such as T_g. The optical properties of hyperbranched polymer and the dye‐capped hyperbranched polymer were investigated using ultraviolet‐absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 5414–5430, 2008     

UV‐activated hydrosilylation: a facile approach for synthesis of hyperbranched polycarbosilanes

A facile approach for synthesis of hyperbranched polycarbosilane from AB₂ monomer via UV‐activated hydrosilylation is presented in this communication. The polymerization process was monitored using real‐time FTIR spectroscopy and the resulting hyperbranched polycarbosilanes were characterized using ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, ²⁹Si‐NMR and SEC/MALLS. It is found that hyperbranched polycarbosilane can be synthesized from methyldiallylsilane via UV‐activated hydrosilylation with bis(acetylacetonato)platinum(II) as catalyst. The polymerization activated by UV irradiation was much faster than that under thermal conditions. The similar degree of branching, average number of branch units and the exponent of the Mark–Houwink equation demonstrate that the hyperbranched polycarbosilane synthesized via UV‐activated polyhydrosilylation possesses almost the same branching structure as that synthesized via thermal‐activated polyhydrosilylation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Electroninitiated polymerization of bis(trichlorophenoxo)-tetramethylethylene diamine copper(II)

Electroninitiated polymerization of bis(trichlorophenoxo)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylene diamine copper(II) was achieved in acetonitrile at various peak potentials of the monomer. A constant potential approach was selected in polymerization reactions. Electrolyses were carried out under air, nitrogen, and oxygen atmospheres. Structural analyses of the polymers were done by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR FT–IR spectroscopy. Molecular weights of the polymers were determined by vapor pressure (isopiestic) method.     

Polyacrylamide networks. Kinetic and structural studies by high field 1H-NMR with polymerization in situ

The crosslinking polymerization of acrylamide (AA) and N,N′-methylene-bis-acrylamide (BA) in aqueous solution at 22°C has been studied by H.R. ¹H-NMR spectroscopy. The initial comonomer mixture was placed inside the NMR spectrometer probe head and the polymerization was followed for 10 hr. This procedure allows measurement of the instant composition of the residual comonomer mixture even during and after gelation and therefore to calculate the composition of the formed copolymer or network. When the reaction was finished, the structure of the most mobile part of the network was also analyzed.     

Synthesis and free-radical polymerization of water-soluble acrylamide monomers

Water-soluble acrylamide monomers N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide, N-(hydroxymethyl)methacrylamide, N,N-diethanolacrylamide, N,N-diethanolmethacrylamide, N,N-methylethanolacrylamide, and N,N-methylethanolmethacrylamide have been synthesized and characterized. The kinetics and thermodynamics of the free-radical polymerization of these monomers and of the model compounds N-isopropylacrylamide and acrylamide have been studied by the methods of isothermal and scanning calorimetry. The structure and the solubility of the said polymers in water and organic solvents have been investigated and their molecular-mass characteristics and temperatures of glass transition (T _g) and melting (T _m) have been examined by DSC, liquid chromatography, ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopy, and chemical analysis of functional groups. Hydrogels and amphiphilic network polymers based on acrylamide monomers have been prepared and characterized.     

Investigation of specific AB2 type hyperbranched polyesterification reaction with Monte Carlo simulation

The AB₂ type bulk polymerization of 3,5-bis(trimethylsiloxy)benzoyl chloride is studied by the reactive 3d bond fluctuation lattice model (3d-BFLM). Through tuning the reactivity parameters, the experimental data are fitted well via an iterative dichotomy method. By using the optimized reactivity parameters, the number-average degree of polymerization and degree of branching obtained in simulation are very close to experimental data. Meanwhile, the information about the weightaverage degree of polymerization and the polydispersity index is provided, and the internal structural properties of hyperbranched polyesters are investigated. Simulation results demonstrate that the 3d-BFLM can be used to study specific hyperbranched polymerizations semi-quantitatively which is helpful to deep understand the kinetics of reactions and make predictions for specific polymerization systems.     

Nitroxide-mediated styrene polymerization initiated by an oxoaminium chloride

An oxoaminium chloride that is prepared by reacting 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinyl-1-oxy (TEMPO) with chlorine in carbon tetrachloride initiates radical polymerization of styrene at 120°C. In the early stages of polymerization, a monomeric adduct, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-(2-chloro-1-phenylethoxy)piperidine, is formed. Thereafter, styrene polymerization exhibiting the characteristics of living polymerization proceeds. High molecular weight polymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions are obtained by this polymerization. ¹H-NMR spectra of the polymers reveal that a chlorine atom and a TEMPO group are present at the α- and ω-termini, respectively. The monomeric adduct was prepared by heating the oxoaminium chloride and styrene in carbon tetrachloride at 65–70°C, and was characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. It was found to be suitable as an initiator for nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization of styrene to make polymers with chlorine on the chain end. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2555–2561, 1998     

Conformation of nonideal hyperbranched polymer in ABn (n = 2, 4) type polymerization

The conformation of hyperbranched polymers from one pot polymerization with AB_n (n = 2, 4) type monomers, applying the reactive 3D bond fluctuation lattice model, are systematically studied using scaling relation R ～ N^λ, where R is the radius of gyration or the hydrodynamic radius of a hyperbranched polymer with the degree of polymerization N. The exponent λ was calculated at various monomer concentrations and group conversions. When the concentration of monomers with the equal reactivity of B groups increases from 0.1 to 0.9, the exponents λ_g and λ_h (corresponding to the radius of gyration and hydrodynamic radius, respectively) are in the ranges of 0.51–0.37 and 0.41–0.34 at the full conversion of A groups. Especially, we find that λ_g decreases linearly with the reaction conversion increasing. The ratio of z‐average radius, R_gz/R_hz, ranges from 1.08 to 1.32 and indicates that hyperbranched polymer is soft macromolecule with penetrable structure. In the case of AB₂ type monomer with unequal reactivities, λ displays complicated dependence on the reaction conversion and the reactivity ratio. The results of our simulation are consistent with those of experiments and theories, and valuable in better understanding the fundamental properties of hyperbranched polymers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 48: 610–616, 2010     

Calculation of topological parameters of hyperbranched macromolecules synthesized via living radical polymerization

Numerical calculations of the kinetic model of synthesis of hyperbranched polymers in the living radical polymerization mode were performed. Analytical expressions were obtained that make it possible to predict the maximum yield of hyperbranched polymers and their topological parameters, such as the branching frequency; the numbers of living ends, monomer units and multiple bonds per macromolecule; and the degree of conversion at the gel point. The model is based on the use of a branching monomer M_m that contains m ≥ 2 polymerizable bonds in its molecule in combination with a monomer M₁ capable of forming linear chains only.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Catechol-Containing Polyacrylamides with Adhesive Properties

In this study, a row of four analogous dopamine acryl- and methacrylamide derivatives, namely N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyethyl) acrylamide, N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyethyl) meth acrylamide, N-phenethyl methacrylamide, N-(4-hydroxyphenethyl) methacrylamide were synthesized and characterized by ¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR, followed by further solvent-based radical polymerization with N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide. All copolymers were characterized by ¹H-NMR, dynamic differential calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography. The dependency of the used comonomer ratios to the molecular mass of the corresponding copolymers has been described. The synthesis of the various polymers serves as a feasibility study and provides important data for a future biometric application in the medical field. We synthesized N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyethyl) acrylamide copolymer up to 80 mol% by free radical polymerization without using any protecting groups. All polymers show identical perfect adhesive properties by a simple scratch test. Further, the monomers were used as a photo reactive glue formulation to test its adherence to a medical titanium surface sample by tensile shear test.     

Atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene initiated by triphenylmethyl chloride

Triphenylmethyl chloride (TPMCl) was employed for the first time as the initiator of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene in the presence of CuCl/N,N,N′,N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) as catalyst and cyclohexanone as solvent. The kinetic plot was first-order with respect to monomer. A linear increase of number average molecular weight (M_n) vs. monomer conversion was observed, and the molecular weight distribution (MWD) was relatively narrow (M_w/M_n = 1.2-1.5). ¹H NMR spectra revealed the ω-Cl group at the chain end. Another two initiators, benzyl chloride (BzCl) and diphenylmethyl chloride (DPMCl), were also employed in contrast with triphenylmethyl chloride to investigate the influence of phenyl numbers on the polymerization.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Hyperbranched Polyesters Based on Isophthalic Acid and Trimethylolpropane

Hydroxyl-terminated hyperbranched polyesters (HBPEs) with aromatic/aliphatic structure were synthesized at three different monomer mole ratios (A₂/B₃=1, 0.9, and 0.6, respectively) by melt polycondensation of isophthalic acid and trimethylolpropane via A₂+ B₃ approach. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated that the expected HBPEs, which showed excellent solubility in a variety of polar solvents such as N, N-dimethyl formamide (DMF), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and terahydrofuran (THF), were produced without gelation during the polymerization. The weight-average molecular weight of HBPEs ranged from 7014 to 8306 and their inherent viscosities were varied from 0.17 to 0.34 dL/g. The degree of branching of the HBPEs was estimated to be 0.39–0.49 by¹H-NMR and ¹³C-NMR measurement. Their glass transition temperature measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was between 64 and 86°C. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) measurement revealed that HBPEs had ca 8.5% weight-loss at 300°C in N₂.     

Synthesis and polymerization of 5‐(methacrylamido)tetrazole,a water‐soluble acidic monomer

The reaction of methacryloyl chloride with 5‐aminotetrazole gave the polymerizable methacrylamide derivative 5‐(methacrylamido)tetrazole ( 4 ) in one step. The monomer had an acidic tetrazole group with a pK_a value of 4.50 ± 0.01 in water methanol (2:1). Radical polymerization proceeded smoothly in dimethyl formamide or, after the conversion of monomer 4 into sodium salt 4‐Na , even in water. A superabsorbent polymer gel was obtained by the copolymerization of 4‐Na and 0.08 mol % N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide. Its water absorbency was about 200 g of water/g of polymer, although the extractable sol content of the gel turned out to be high. The consumption of 4‐Na and acrylamide (as a model compound for the crosslinker) during a radical polymerization at 57 °C in D₂O was followed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Fitting the changes in the monomer concentration to the integrated form of the copolymerization equation gave the reactivity ratios r _4‐Na = 1.10 ± 0.05 and r_acrylamide = 0.45 ± 0.02, which did not differ much from those of an ideal copolymerization. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4333–4343, 2002     

Synthesis of well-defined norbornenyl-terminated poly(alkyl methacrylate)s by group transfer polymerization and their grafting-through ring-opening metathesis polymerization

Highly efficient syntheses of poly(alkyl methacrylate)-based brush polymers were accomplished via a facile group transfer polymerization (GTP) and a consecutive grafting-through ring-opening metathesis polymerization. The GTP system, composed of the norbornenyl-methyl trimethylsilyl ketene acetal initiator and the N-(trimethylsilyl) bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide catalyst, rapidly and quantitatively generates norbornenyl-terminated poly(alkyl methacrylate) macromonomers with very narrow polydispersities (M_w/M_n < 1.10). The ring-opening metathesis polymerization of methacrylate macromonomers using Grubbs third generation catalyst successfully generated a group of methacrylate-based brush polymers, which assured the high quality of the macromonomers obtained from GTP.     

Silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes as initiators for bulk ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of l-lactides

Synthetic, structural and catalysis studies of two silver complexes namely, {[1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3-(N-phenylacetamido)imidazol-2-ylidene]₂Ag}⁺Cl⁻1b, supported over an amido-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, and [1-(i-propyl)-3-(benzyl)imidazol-2-ylidene]AgCl 2b, supported over a non-functionalized N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, are reported. Specifically, 1b, a cationic complex bearing 2:1 NHC ligand to metal ratio, was obtained from the reaction of 1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3-(N-phenylacetamido)imidazolium chloride 1a with Ag₂O in 52% yield. The corresponding 1a was synthesized by the alkylation reaction of 1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenylimidazole) with N-phenyl chloroacetamide in 73% yield. The other silver complex 2b, a neutral complex bearing 1:1 NHC ligand to metal ratio, was obtained from the reaction of 1-(i-propyl)-3-(benzyl)imidazolium chloride 2a with Ag₂O in 42% yield. The 2a was synthesized by the alkylation reaction of 1-(i-propylimidazole) with benzyl chloride in 45% yield. The molecular structures of the imidazolium chloride, 1a, and the silver complexes, 1b and 2b, have been determined by X-ray diffraction studies. The silver complexes, 1b and 2b, successfully catalyze bulk ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of l-lactides at elevated temperatures under solvent-free melt conditions producing moderate to low molecular weight polylactide polymers having narrow molecular weight distributions.     

Electrochemical and chemical polymerization of acrylamide

The electrochemical and chemical polymerization of acrylamide (AA) has been studied. The electrolysis of the monomer in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) containing (C₄H₉)₄NClO₄ as the supporting electrolyte leads to polymer formation in both anode and cathode compartments. The cathodic polymer dissolves in the reaction mixture and the anodic polymer precipitates during the course of polymerization. A plausible mechanism for the anodic and cathodic initiation reaction has been given. The chemical polymerization of acrylamide that has been initiated by HClO₄ is analogous to its anodic polymerization. The polymer yield increases with an increase in concentration of the monomer and HClO₄. Raising the reaction temperature also enhances the polymerization rate. The overall apparent activation energy of the polymerization was determined to be ca. 19 kcal/mole. The copolymerization of acrylamide was carried out with methyl methacrylate (MMA) in a solution of HClO₄ in DMF. The reactivity ratios are r₁ (AA) = 0.25 and r₂ = 2.50. The polymerization with HClO₄ appears to be by a free radical mechanism. When the polymerization of acrylamide is carried out with HClO₄ in H₂O, a crosslinked water-insoluble gel formation takes place.     

Synthesis of amphiphilic linear‐hyperbranched graft‐copolymers via grafting based on linear polyethylene backbone

The synthesis of amphiphilic linear‐hyperbranched graft‐copolymers in a grafting‐from approach is reported. The linear polyethylene with terminated hydroxyls, prepared by copolymerization of ethylene and 10‐undecen‐1‐ol, was used as macroinitiator for ring‐opening multibranching polymerization of glycidol by a typical slow monomer addition approach. Successful attachment of the hyperbranched grafts to the linear polyethylene backbone was confirmed by ¹H/¹³C NMR, GPC, and TGA. The degree of polymerization and M_w/M_n of hyperbranched grafts were efficiently controlled by temperature, deprotonation ratio as well as the molar ratio of glycidol/hydroxyl (N_glycidol/N_OH). The complicated microstructures caused by unsymmetric glycidol structure were analyzed by DEPT and 2D HSQC spectra, the degree of branching of 0.63–0.66 were calculated, indicating the extent of branch is close to theoretical values. The thermal analysis of linear‐hyperbranched copolymers via TGA and DSC is also presented. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a linear‐hyperbranched graft‐copolymer with a crystalline and nonpolar linear‐polyethylene segment. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2014 , 52, 2146–2154     

The thermal polymerization of amino acids revisited; Synthesis and structural characterization of hyperbranched polymers from L‐lysine

This contribution reports on the synthesis of hyperbranched polylysines via thermal polymerization of L ‐lysine hydrochloride. Polymerization of L ‐lysine hydrochloride in the presence of one equivalent KOH at 150 °C resulted in polymers with a number‐average molecular weight of 4600 g/mol and a polydispersity of 2.6 after 48 h. The rate of polymerization could be significantly enhanced and the polymer molecular weight improved by carrying out the polymerization with 3 mol % of an amidation catalyst. Among the different catalysts that were investigated Zr(OⁿBu)₄ was found to be the most effective. Unequivocal support for the branched architecture of the polymers was obtained from ¹H NMR spectroscopy, which allowed the identification and quantification of the four different structural units that constitute the polymer, viz. N^α and N^ε linked linear units, dendritic units and terminal units. The structure of the polymers was found to be relatively independent of the reaction conditions. The degree of branching and the average number of branches varied between 0.35–0.45 and 0.15–0.25, respectively. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 5494–5508, 2007