Controlled copolymerization of acrylonitrile in bulk via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer mechanism

The pseudoliving radical binary copolymerization of acrylonitrile with methyl acrylate, styrene, n-butyl acrylate, and tert-butyl acrylate in bulk in the presence of the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent dibenzyl trithiocarbonate is performed for the first time. The addition of trithiocarbonate makes it possible to prepare a narrowly dispersed visually optically transparent copolymer in a wide range of monomer-feed compositions even at limiting conversions. Conditions for the synthesis of acrylonitrile copolymers with controlled molecular masses and narrow molecular-mass distributions are ascertained. In the above copolymers, the trithiocarbonate group is shown to be located within the chain.     

Controlled synthesis of styrene and methyl methacrylate copolymers in the presence of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents

Molecular-mass characteristics of styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymers formed via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer copolymerization mediated by dithiobenzoates have been studied. Low-molecular-mass reversible-addition fragmentation chain-transfer agents active in the homopolymerization of both monomers and in the homopolymerization of only one of the monomers (styrene) can be used for the controlled synthesis of narrow dispersed copolymers. Conditions for the synthesis of narrow dispersed block copolymers with the desired structure and molecular mass of the blocks have been found. The polymer reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer agent determines the composition and molecular mass of the first block. The structure of the second block is defined by the composition of the monomer mixture, and the molecular-mass characteristics are set by the concentration of the agent and the conversion of monomers.     

Controlled synthesis of copolymers of vinyl acetate and n-butyl acrylate mediated by trithiocarbonates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents

The formation of copolymers of vinyl acetate and n-butyl acrylate via polymerization mediated by di-tert-butyl trithiocarbonate and dibenzyl trithiocarbonate as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents is studied. Copolymerization mediated by low-molecular-mass reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents and by the copolymers formed in their presence proceeds via the pseudoliving mechanism. As a result, the controlled synthesis of narrowly dispersed copolymers of various compositions and desired molecular masses may be implemented. Variation in the compositions of the copolymers with conversion is investigated, and the reactivity ratios of the comonomers are found to differ significantly (r _VA = 0.01 and r _BA = 5.38). Our experimental data make it possible to infer that gradient copolymers are formed in the systems of interest in a wide range of comonomer mixture compositions.     

Controlled free-radical copolymerization of maleic anhydride and divinyl ether in the presence of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents

The free-radical alternating cyclocopolymerization of maleic anhydride and divinyl ether is studied at 60–80°C in the presence of benzyl dithiobenzoate and dibenzyl trithiocarbonate as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents. It is shown that the structure of the repeating unit of the cyclocopolymer prepared in the presence of a reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent coincides with the structure of the repeating unit of the copolymer synthesized under the conditions of conventional free-radical cyclocopolymerization. When the cyclocopolymer is used as a reversible addition-fragmentation chaintransfer agent, a successive increase in the molecular mass of the copolymer with conversion and formation of the block copolymer in the polymerization of styrene are unambiguous evidence that the copolymerization proceeds according to the pseudoliving radical mechanism.     

Unsymmetrical bifunctional trithiocarbonate as unexpected by-product in the synthesis of a dithioester RAFT agent

The trithiocarbonate 2-(benzylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl) propanoic acid is formed as minor by-product in the synthesis of the dithioester 2-((2-phenylthioacetyl)sulfanyl) propanoic acid via the Grignard route. The mechanism for this side reaction is not clear. The isolated trithiocarbonate may act as unsymmetrical but bifunctional RAFT agent in the aqueous polymerization of N,N-dimethyl acrylamide. Therefore, it is important to separate it completely from the dithioester before engaging the latter in controlled free radical polymerization to guarantee a maximum control.     

High-efficient surface tailoring via reverse atom transfer radical polymerization and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization in an aqueous system initiated by a monocenter redox pair

The commonly used multi-center initiation methods always lead to the formation of quantities of homopolymer in the surface tailoring based on reverse atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. In this study, a monocenter redox pair constructed of silica bearing tert-butyl hydroperoxide groups and ascorbic acid (SiO₂-TBHP/AsAc) was applied to substitute the commonly used initiation method of R-supported RAFT grafting polymerization. All the propagating radicals were restricted on the surface of solid particles during the whole procedure theoretically, resulting in a higher grafting efficiency of 95.1% combined with the “controllable” feature at 10 h. This redox pair was also used to initiate the reverse ATRP in miniemulsion successfully with a grafting efficiency of 86.3% at 10 h. The grafting efficiency obtained under this monocenter initiation method was significantly higher than that of the frequently reported surface modification by reverse ATRP and RAFT polymerization. In addition, the high-efficient surface tailoring was traced and confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and other analysis tests. The advantage of this monocenter redox pair will open a new avenue for the potential “high-efficient” surface tailoring of various materials.     

Multiblock poly(4‐vinylpyridine) and its copolymer prepared with cyclic trithiocarbonate as a reversible addition–fragmentation transfer agent

The polymerization of 4‐vinylpyridine was conducted in the presence of a cyclic trithiocarbonate (4,7‐diphenyl‐[1,3]dithiepane‐2‐thione) as a reversible addition–fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization agent, and a multiblock polymer with narrow‐polydispersity blocks was prepared. Two kinds of multiblock copolymers of styrene and 4‐vinylpyridine, that is, (ABA)_n multi‐triblock copolymers with polystyrene or poly(4‐vinylpyridine) as the outer blocks, were prepared with multiblock polystyrene or poly(4‐vinylpyridine) as a macro‐RAFT agent, respectively. GPC data for the original polymers and polymers cleaved by amine demonstrated the successful synthesis of amphiphilic multiblock copolymers of styrene and 4‐vinylpyridine via two‐step polymerization. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2617–2623, 2007     

Polymer having a trithiocarbonate moiety in the main chain: Application to reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer controlled thermal and photoinduced monomer insertion polymerizations

A polymer having a trithiocarbonate moiety in its main chain was synthesized with a cyclic, five‐membered dithiocarbonate as a building block. The trithiocarbonate in the polymer acted as a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer reagent to mediate a controlled insertion polymerization of styrene into the polymer main chain, giving the corresponding sequence‐ordered polymer having a well‐defined polystyrene segment in the main chain. During the polymerization, the polystyrene segment in the main chain gained its molecular weight, which maintained a linear relationship with the conversion of styrene. The insertion polymerization of styrene was induced not only thermally but also by ultraviolet irradiation. This photoinduced polymerization was well controlled by the trithiocarbonate moiety to give the corresponding polymer, whose structure was virtually the same as that obtained by the thermal polymerization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6324–6331, 2006     

Triethylaluminum as a concentration-dependent coinitiator and chain-transfer agent of free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of benzoquinone

Yields in methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization as a function of triethylaluminum (TEA) concentration have been determined at a constant benzoquinone (BQ) concentration. The polymerization is negligible at [TEA]/[BQ] concentration ratios smaller than 1, but reaches a maximum yield and then decreases for larger TEA concentrations. Molecular weight measurements show a similar trend, although the maximum is shifted with respect to that corresponding to polymer yield. The existence of two reaction mechanisms is shown by rate measurements at constant initial concentrations. One is a fast reaction, over in a few minutes, which accounts for most of the yield after 30 min reaction time. The other is a slower photoinitiated reaction of the products of the fast reaction. The mechanism proposed is based on a chain-transfer reaction between the inhibitor radical, formed by the addition of the polymer radical (M·) to BQ and TEA, giving a reactive ethyl radical: The competition between a pair of reactions of TEA and BQ, i.e., a free-radical reaction corresponding to the conjugate addition and a molecular reaction leading to the BQ reduction product, is held responsible for the observed yield maximum, since the molecular reaction prevails at larger TEA concentrations. The observed drop in the molecular weight is the result of a chain-transfer reaction on TEA, i.e., the substitution of an ethyl group by the growing polymer radical.     

Critical chromatography and mass spectrometry of macromolecules: Determination of the position of a functional group in a chain

The potentials inherent in the method of critical chromatography of macromolecules combined with mass spectrometry for the study of the most complicated characteristic of the macromolecular structure—the determination of the position (the number) of a defect unit or functional group in a sequence of chain units—are considered. Polyurethanes based on poly(propylene oxide) oligomers were used as research objects. Such macromolecules contain a small amount of urethane groups in a chain that differ from mainchain units in the energy of interaction with the surface. Variation in the molecular-mass distribution of the initial poly(propylene oxide) oligomers makes it possible to prepare linear polyurethane macromolecules with different positions of urethane groups. Critical chromatography offers a way to separate macromolecules with different amounts of urethane groups and positions of these groups in chains.     

Free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of dithiobenzoates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agents

The pseudoliving radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in bulk mediated by dithiobenzoates with various leaving groups as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents has been studied. It has been shown that polymerization proceeds under conditions of the low steady-state concentration of radical intermediates; as a result, the steady-state of the process is rapidly achieved even at low conversions. Retardation of polymerization observed at high concentrations of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents is apparently associated with the occurrence of chain termination reactions involving intermediates, as evidenced by the model reaction. The autoacceleration of polymerization is suppressed with an increase in the concentration of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents. An efficient approach to the synthesis of a narrow-dispersed PMMA with the controlled molecular mass has been suggested.     

Controlled radical polymerization of acrylonitrile in the presence of trithiocarbonates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agents

Specific features of pseudo-living radical polymerization of acrylonitrile in dimethyl sulfoxide solution in the presence of low-molecular-weight and polymeric trithiocarbonates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agents were studied.     

Controlled synthesis of acrylic homo- and copolymers in the presence of trithiocarbonates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agents

Formation of homo- and copolymers of various structures (random and block) based on tert-butyl acrylate and n-butyl acrylate via polymerization mediated by trithiocarbonates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents has been studied. The process is found to proceed according to a three-stage mechanism. As a result, it is possible to synthesize symmetric triblock copolymers with the use of polymer trithiocarbonates; the polymer reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer agent predetermines the composition and molecular mass of end blocks, the composition of the monomer mixture determines the structure of the central block, and the concentration of the agent and the conversion of the monomers define its molecular-mass characteristics. The modification of polymerization products gives rise to amphiphilic copolymers.     

S-benzoxazolyl as a stable protecting moiety and a potent anomeric leaving group in oligosaccharide synthesis

As a part of a program for developing new versatile building blocks for stereoselective glycosylation and convergent oligosaccharide synthesis, we demonstrated that S-benzoxazolyl (SBox) glycosides are stable toward major protecting group manipulations employed in carbohydrate chemistry. On the other hand, they can be glycosidated under relatively mild reaction conditions to afford either 1,2-trans or 1,2-cis-linked disaccharides. Selective and chemoselective activations of the SBox moiety were also proved to be feasible, which was demonstrated by synthesizing a number of oligosaccharide sequences.     

Use of acetate as a leaving group in palladium-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution of benzylic esters

The palladium complex prepared in situ from [Pd(η³-C₃H₅)(cod)]BF₄ and bidentate phosphine DPPF was a good catalyst for the nucleophilic substitution of benzyl acetate. Significant acceleration of the palladium-catalyzed substitution was observed when an alcohol was employed as a reaction solvent. The palladium catalyst was effective for the benzylation of various stabilized carbanions, amines, and benzenesulfinate with benzylic acetates.     

Polyimides as cathodic materials in lithium batteries: Effect of the chemical structure of the diamine monomer

Polyimides are being investigated as alternative, environmentally friendly and safe organic electrode materials for lithium and sodium batteries. However, further improvements need the proper chemical design of these polymers. In this paper, the effect of chemical structure of polyimides on their performance as cathodic materials in lithium batteries was investigated in detail. More in particular, we studied polyimides based on seven different diamine monomers in combination with best performing naphthalenic dianhydride monomer. The first set included the so‐called cardo diamines possessing additional redox‐active carbonyl group with the goal to enhance the theoretical capacity of the polymer. Second, several aromatic diamines including additional functionalities such as cyclic amides, anthrone, or quinolidinium groups were investigated. Finally, aliphatic diamines, containing oxyethylene moieties and thus capable to increase the ionic conductivity of the resulting polymer system, were explored. Among the different polyimides, the “cardo” one based on naphthalenic dianhydride and aromatic aniline phthalein with an additional carbonyl group showed the best results in terms of battery performance. Such polyimide was capable to deliver up to 130 mAhg⁻¹ specific capacity (87% of the theoretical value) at 25 °C and at a current density of 250 mAg⁻¹ during 100 charge/discharge cycles. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 714–723     

Facile fabrication of amphiphilic gold nanoparticles with V-shaped brushes from block copolymers with a trithiocarbonate group as the junction

Amphiphilic gold nanoparticles grafted with V-shaped brushes (Au-V-brushes) were prepared by grafting a polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) block copolymer with a trithiocarbonate group as the junction to the Au surface. The obtained Au-V-brushes were subjected to solubility test and UV-vis, FT-IR, TEM and DLS characterizations. It is found that the Au-V-brushes are soluble in both water and organic solvents. In the common solvent DMF, the size of the Au-V-brushes is about 17 nm, whereas in selective solvents (toluene and water) aggregates of 70-90 nm are formed. Phase transfer of the Au-V-brushes from the water phase into the toluene phase occurs upon addition of Na(2)SO(4) into water and the Au-V-brushes can also transfer from the toluene phase to the interface of toluene and water phases after addition of citric acid in the water phase.     

Effect of the linking position of a side chain in bis(quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine as a DNA binding agent

Two bisquinoline derivatives, N,N'-bis(2-quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine (2-BQME) and N,N'-bis(8-quinolylmethyl)ethylenediamine (8-BQME) have been synthesized, and their ability to bind to duplex DNA was studied. 8-BQME bound to DNA more strongly than 2-BQME, judging from the extent of increase in the melting temperature of duplex DNA, the UV-vis spectral change, and ethidium displacement assay. These compounds exhibited apparent AT-specificity suggesting minor groove binding in addition to intercalation.