Polyaddition reaction in a dispersed medium: elaboration of new core-shell polyurethane particles

The elaboration in a dispersed organic medium of calibrated polyurethane particles with a core-shell structure is presented in this paper. The objective could be achieved by using a series of reactive steric stabilizers of the type ω-(OH)_x-poly(n-butyl acrylate), -polystyrene, -polysiloxane or -polybutadiene (x=1 or 2) that play the role of surfmers during the polyaddition reaction between ethylene glycol and tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate, in cyclohexane as a dispersant medium. The final size of the polyurethane particles (0,5-10 μm) was found to be a function of the steric stabilizer characteristics (nature, molar mass and concentration) and of the addition procedure of the different reactants. These novel particles constituted of a polyurethane core and various shells depending on the stabilizer used exhibit specific and original properties.     

Synthesis of uniform polyurethane particles by step growth polymerization in a dispersed medium

Polyurethane microspheres were prepared by polyaddition of ethylene glycol (EG) and tolylene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) at 60 °C in cyclohexane as the organic dispersion medium, in the presence of dibutyl tin dilaurate (DBTDL) as catalyst and poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymers or P-hydroxypolystyrenes as the steric stabilizers. Different parameters such as the manner of addition of the reactants, the concentration, and length of the stabilizer were varied to tune the polyurethane particle size. When P-OH polystyrenes of low molar mass ([`(M)]_n\bar M_n =2000-3000 g mol^-1) were used as the reactive stabilizers of dispersion, polyurethane particles in a tunable size range of 0.2-5 µm with a narrow size distribution (span = 0.7) could be prepared.     

Controlled radical polymerization of styrene and <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-butyl acrylate mediated by trithiocarbonates

The free-radical bulk homopolymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate at 80°C mediated by dibenzyl trithiocarbonate, poly(styryl) trithiocarbonate, or poly(n-butyl acrylate) trithiocarbonate as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents has been studied. It has been shown that the use of low-and high-molecular-mass reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents makes it possible to efficiently control the molecular-mass characteristics of polymers. In the case of styrene, the rate of polymerization slightly depends on the concentration of the addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent. In contrast, for the polymerization of n-butyl acrylate, the rate significantly decreases with the concentration of the chain-transfer agent. Formation of radical intermediates during the polymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate mediated by trithiocarbonates has been studied by ESR spectroscopy. It has been demonstrated that the polymeric chain-transfer agents are efficient for the synthesis of block copolymers with the controlled block length.     

Low-temperature suspension polymerization of vinyl pivalate for the preparation of syndiotacticity-rich ultrahigh molecular weight poly(vinyl alcohol) microfibrils with high yield

To prepare ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) poly(vinyl pivalate) (PVPi) with high conversion and high linearity for a precursor of syndiotacticity-rich UHMW poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), vinyl pivalate (VPi) was suspension polymerized using a low-temperature initiator, 2,2'-azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (ADMVN), and the effects of polymerization conditions on the polymerization behavior and molecular structures of PVPi and PVA prepared by saponifying PVPi were investigated. Suspension polymerization was slightly inferior to bulk polymerization in increasing the molecular weight of PVA. In contrast, the former was superior in increasing the conversion of the polymer. Suspension polymerization of VPi at 25 °C by controlling various polymerization factors proved to be successful in obtaining PVA of UHMW (number-average degree of polymerization (P_n): 14,700-16,700), high syndiotactic diad content (62%), and of high yield (ultimate conversion of VPi into PVPi: 85-90%). In the case of bulk polymerization of VPi under the same conditions, maximum P_n, conversion of 15,800-17,000, and 25-35% were obtained, respectively. The degree of branching was lower and the P_n and syndiotacticity were higher with PVA prepared from PVPi polymerized at lower temperatures. All PVAs from PVPi suspension-polymerized at 25 °C were fibrous, with a high degree of crystallinity and orientation of the crystallites.     

Synthesis of bis(2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine)-terminated telechelic polymers by RAFT polymerization and ruthenium-polymer complexation thereof

Well-defined polystyrenes and poly(n-butyl acrylate)s of the two ends being functionalized with terpyridine groups were synthesized via addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using a symmetric bisterpyridine-functionalized trithiocarbonate as a chain transfer agent (CTA). Kinetic studies on RAFT mediated thermal polymerization of styrene indicated the controlled polymerization. Corresponding triblock copolymers of styrene and n-butyl acrylate were obtained by utilizing the bisterpyridine-functionalized homopolymers as the macro-CTAs. Supramolecular metallo-polystyrenes with different repeat blocks were prepared by the chelating interaction between the terpyridine ends and Ru(II) ions. The formation of the metallo-polymers was proven by UV-vis spectra and dynamic light scattering (DLS).     

Grafting copolymerization of vinyl monomers on polyimide macroinitiators by the method of atom transfer radical polymerization

Graft copolymers with the main polyimide chain and side chains of poly(n-butyl acrylate), poly(tert-butyl acrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(tert-butyl methacrylate), polystyrene, and polystyrene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization on the multicenter polyimide macroinitiators in the presence of the halide complexes of univalent copper with nitrogen-containing ligands. Polymerization of metha-crylates is most efficiently developed on the polyimide macroinitiators. The obtained graft copolymers initiate the secondary polymerization (“post-polymerization”) of methyl methacrylate. The conditions of detachment of side chains of graft polymethacrylates that do not involve the ester groups of their monomeric units were found. The molecular mass characteristics of the graft copolymers and isolated polymers, being the detached side chains of the copolymers, were determined. The detached side chains of different chemical structures have low values of the polydispersity index. The procedure developed was used for the preparation of new graft polyimides with side chains of poly-4-nitro-4′-[N-methylacryloyloxyethyl-N′-ethyl]amino-azobenzene that cause the nonlinear optical properties and with the side chains of poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) that cause the thermosensitive properties of the copolymers.     

Fourier transform IR spectroscopic study on phase transitions of copolymers of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-isopropylacrylamide and alkyl acrylates in water

Copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (IPA) and alkyl acrylates [methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate, and butyl acrylate] or vinyl acetate have been prepared and their phase transitions in water have been observed by means of IR spectroscopy. The incorporation of these alkyl acrylates into a poly(IPA) (PIPA) chain induces a decrease in the phase-transition temperatures, T_p, and the magnitude increases with increasing size of the alkyl chains. The profiles of the C=O stretching absorption bands of the ester groups [9(C=O)_ester] and the IR bands due to IPA units exhibit critical changes at the T_p of these copolymers. The 9(C=O)_ester bands shift slightly toward higher wavenumbers (blueshift) upon phase transition, while the amide I and amide II bands of the IPA units undergo a blueshift and a redshift, respectively. Analysis of the 9(C=O)_ester band of PIPA-MA by using a curve-fitting method shows that it consists of three components, at 1,703, 1,720, and 1,738 cm^-1. The relative peak area of the largest component (1,720 cm^-1) is almost constant, and those of the 1,703-cm^-1 and 1,738-cm^-1 components increase and decrease with increasing temperature during the phase transition, respectively. However, the changes are rather small, suggesting that changes in hydrogen bonding of the C=O groups of MA units upon phase transition are not significant. The 9(C=O)_ester bands of other comonomers examined here also exhibit similar changes. The situation is consistent with the change in the hydration states of the amide groups of IPA units, most of which associate with water molecules through hydrogen bonds even after the phase separation.     

A new microwave dielectric method for studying photoinitiated chain radical polymerization processes

Measurements of both real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant at a fixed microwave frequency have been performed on n-butyl acrylate/poly(n-butyl acrylate) mixtures. The dielectric constant of the mixtures has been compared with that of neat n-butyl acrylate during UV photoinitiated polymerization. The values of the imaginary part of the dielectric constant thus obtained have allowed determination of the instantaneous monomer concentration and verified the kinetic equation for the photoinitiated polymerization process. The limits of validity of the method as well as its capability of providing detailed kinetic information are also discussed.     

Preparation of polyethylene block copolymers by a combination of postmetallocene catalysis of ethylene polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization

The synthesis of block copolymers consisting of a polyethylene segment and either a poly(meth)acrylate or polystyrene segment was accomplished through the combination of postmetallocene-mediated ethylene polymerization and subsequent atom transfer radical polymerization. A vinyl-terminated polyethylene (number-average molecular weight = 1800, weight-average molecular weight/number-average molecular weight =1.70) was synthesized by the polymerization of ethylene with a phenoxyimine zirconium complex as a catalyst activated with methylalumoxane (MAO). This polyethylene was efficiently converted into an atom transfer radical polymerization macroinitiator by the addition of α-bromoisobutyric acid to the vinyl chain end, and the polyethylene macroinitiator was used for the atom transfer radical polymerization of n-butyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, or styrene; this resulted in defined polyethylene-b-poly(n-butyl acrylate), polyethylene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate), and polyethylene-b-polystyrene block copolymers. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 496–504, 2004     

Synthesis of di‐ and triblock copolymers of styrene and butyl acrylate by controlled atom transfer radical polymerization

Di‐ and triblock copolymers of styrene and butyl acrylate with controlled molar masses (M_n up to ≈ 10⁵) were sequentially prepared by radical atom transfer polymerization in a homogeneous medium using chlorine end capped polymers as initiators and the copper^(I) chloride/bipyridine complex as catalyst, in the presence of dimethylformamide. Random poly(styrene‐co‐butyl acrylate) was synthesized and the cross‐over reactions between Cl end capped polystyrene and poly(butyl acrylate) to the opposite monomers were examined.     

Photolysis of poly(ethyl acrylate) and poly(n–butyl acrylate) in vacuo

Thin films of poly(ethyl acrylate) and poly(n-butyl acrylate) were decomposed in vacuo by means of a high pressure Hg lamp, and the rate of development of volatile products was measured. The main gaseous products were CO, CO₂, and the alcohol, aldehyde, alkane, and formate derived from the respective ester groups. In addition poly(ethyl acrylate) evolved acetal as well as ethyl propionate, while n-butyl valerate was evolved from poly(n-butyl acrylate) only after prolonged exposure. All products and the principal features of the decomposition are discussed.     

Heterogeneous grafting of polypropylene and physical properties of graft blends

Polypropylene powder, as formed by typical Ziegler catalysts, can conveniently be hydroperoxidized in aqueous slurry. A cationic surfactant and potassium persulfate are used to achieve wetting and initiate oxidation. It is proposed that specific reaction between the quaternary ammonium cations and persulfate anion generates a water-insoluble persulfate which decomposes to yield a hydrophobic radical species which initiates oxidation. Graft copolymers were prepared by using this polypropylene hydroperoxide, a redox catalyst, and either dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate or n-butyl acrylate. These graft copolymers, dispersed in polypropylene, form two-phase systems in the solid state. Under synthesis conditions which are believed to yield long side chains, the dispersed, more polar polymer was found in larger domains than observed with shorter side chains. Polypropylene spherulites were also distorted, although per cent crystallinity of the continuous polypropylene phase was hardly affected by the presence of graft. Mixtures of poly(propylene-g-butyl acrylate) and polypropylene are rather extensible and of low modulus. Low temperature tensile impact values are only slightly higher than for pure polypropylene. Addition of poly(butyl acrylate) to these blends increases both the low-speed modulud and high-speed tensile impact relative to the two component blends.     

Synthesis of urethane—acrylic multi-block copolymers via electrochemically mediated ATRP

The electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerisation (eATRP) of n-butyl acrylate was investigated under a variety of catalyst concentrations. Poly(n-butyl acrylate)-block-polyurethane-block-poly(n-butyl acrylate) copolymers were prepared via electrochemically mediated atom transfer radical polymerisation (eATRP) using only 7 × 10^?6 mole % of Cu^II complex. The successful chain extension and formation of penta-block copolymers confirmed the living nature of the poly(alkyl acrylates) prepared by eATRP. In this work, the tri-block and penta-block urethane-acrylate copolymers were synthesised for the first time by using tertiary bromine-terminated polyurethane macro-initiators as transitional products reacting with n-butyl acrylate, and subsequently with tert-butyl acrylate in the presence of the Cu^IIBr₂/TPMA catalyst complex. The results of ¹H NMR spectral studies support the formation of tri-block poly(n-butyl acrylate)-block-polyurethane-block-poly(n-butyl acrylate) copolymers, and penta-block poly(tert-butyl acrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl acrylate)-block-polyurethane-block-poly(n-butyl acrylate)-block-poly(tert-butyl acrylate) copolymers.     

Effect of the molecular weight of poly(vinyl alcohol) on the water stability of a syndiotactic poly(vinyl alcohol)/iodine complex film

To precisely identify the effect of the molecular weight of syndiotactic poly(vinyl alcohol) (s-PVA) on the water stability of a s-PVA/iodine complex film, we prepared four s-PVAs with similar syndiotactic diad (s-diad) contents of about 63% and with different number-average degrees of polymerization, P_n, of 900, 6,000, 10,000, and 17,000, respectively. The desorption behavior of iodine in the s-PVA/iodine complex film in water was investigated in relation to the solubility of s-PVA in water. The degree of solubility of a s-PVA film having different P_n in water at 80 °C was limited to about 0.3-10%, whereas the degrees of solubility of atactic PVA films with P_n of 6,000 and 10,000 were 100% at the same conditions. The degree of iodine desorption of the complex film decreased with increasing P_n of s-PVA. Especially, the degree of iodine desorption of a PVA drawn film having P_n of 17,000 was limited to 2%, regardless of soaking temperature from 40 to 80 °C. The desorption of iodine in water was strongly affected by the dissolution of PVA. In addition, the degree of iodine desorption of the drawn s-PVA/iodine film was larger than that of the undrawn one.     

Electron spin resonance study on polymerization of alkyl acrylates with n-butyl titanate(IV)–triethylaluminum catalyst

n-Butyl titanate(IV)–triethylaluminum catalyst at Al/Ti molar ratios greater than 6 polymerizes methyl and n-butyl acrylates at ?78°C. The polymerization system which includes methyl acrylate at ?78°C, gives two ESR signals with g factors of 1.958 and 1.961 that overlap each other. The absorption intensity of the latter signal is approximately proportional to the polymer chain concentration calculated from polymer yield and the molecular weight. The polymerization system at Al/Ti ratios smaller than 3 has no catalytic activity on the polymerization and shows only the ESR signal with the g factor of 1.958. On the basis of these facts the ESR signal with the g factor of 1.961 is attributed to the active growing end of poly(methyl acrylate) with this catalyst. The character of this active growing end is discussed.     

Aggregative behavior of AB and ABC block copolymers in the solid phase and in a nonselective solvent

Effects of the amount of chemically dissimilar blocks (two or three) and their polarity on the aggregative behavior of АВ and АВС linear block copolymers of various compositions that are based on polystyrene, poly(n-butyl acrylate), and either poly(acrylic acid) or poly(tert-butyl acrylate) in bulk and in the nonselective solvent DMF are studied via differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic light scattering. АВ block copolymers composed of two chemically dissimilar blocks in the diluted solution in DMF are fully dispersed into macromolecular coils. However, the simultaneous incorporation of three incompatible blocks of different polarities (polystyrene, poly(acrylic acid), and poly(n-butyl acrylate)) into the copolymer is accompanied by a well-defined segregation of blocks in the nonselective solvent, regardless of the composition of the block copolymer and the length and sequence of blocks. This phenomenon makes itself evident as the formation of intermacromolecular aggregates in diluted solutions with a mean hydrodynamic radius of 60–120 nm that are stable in the range 10–60°C. A decrease in the level of the thermodynamic incompatibility of blocks (replacement of a poly(acrylic acid) polar block with a less polar poly(tert-butyl acrylate) block) or the selective improvement of solvent quality with respect to the polar block (the addition of LiBr to DMF) suppresses the segregation of blocks and may lead to the formation of a molecularly dispersed solution of the block copolymer.     

Effect of the chemical natures of a monomer and a leaving group in symmetric trithiocarbonate as a reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent on the position of the trithiocarbonate group in macromolecules

The mechanism controlling the formation of polymer chains during the polymerization of vinyl monomers-namely, styrene, 4-vinylpyridine, n-butyl acrylates, and tert-butyl acrylate—mediated by symmetric trithiocarbonates (R-S-C(=S)-S-R) with different leaving groups R is studied. It is shown that the position of the trithiocarbonate fragment in a macromolecule depends on the nature of both the monomer and substituent R in trithiocarbonate. Variations in the structure of the leaving group in the initial reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent and the synthesis conditions makes it possible to direct polymerization to form a structure (symmetric, end, or asymmetric) relative to the trithiocarbonate group.     

New initiator system for the anionic polymerization of (meth)acrylates in toluene. IV. Random copolymerization of (meth)acrylates in toluene initiated by s-BuLi ligated by lithium silanolates

Copolymerization of binary mixtures of alkyl (meth)acrylates has been initiated in toluene by a mixed complex of lithium silanolate  (s-BuMe₂SiOLi) and s-BuLi (molar ratio > 21) formed in situ by reaction of s-BuLi with hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane (D₃). Fully acrylate and methacrylate copolymers, i.e., poly(methyl acrylate-co-n-butyl acrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-ethyl methacrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate), poly(methyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate), poly(isobornyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl methacrylate) of a rather narrow molecular weight distribution have been synthesized. However, copolymerization of alkyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate pairs has completely failed, leading to the selective formation of homopoly(acrylate). As result of the isotactic stereoregulation of the alkyl methacrylate polymerization by the s-BuLi/s-BuMe₂SiOLi initiator, highly isotactic random and block copolymers of (alkyl) methacrylates have been prepared and their thermal behavior analyzed. The structure of isotactic poly(ethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate) copolymers has been analyzed in more detail by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2525–2535, 1999     

Polymer micelles from tadpole-shaped amphiphilic block-graft copolymers prepared by “Grafting-through” ATRP

A series of tadpole-shaped block-graft amphiphilic copolymers, i.e., block copolymers consisting of a cylindrical hydrophilic brush block and a coiled hydrophobic block were synthesized using “grafting-through” atom transfer radical polymerization. A tadpole-shaped block-graft copolymer from polystyrene bromide and a methacryloyl-terminated poly(tert-butyl acrylate) was prepared first. Then, hydrolysis of the poly(tert-butyl acrylate) side chains to polyacrylic acid side chains provided tadpole-shaped block-graft amphiphilic copolymers, which formed pH responsive micelles in water, the latter being confirmed by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy.     

Synthesis of graft copolyimides via controlled radical polymerization of methacrylates with a polyimide macroinitiator

The atom-transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and tert-butyl methacrylate with a polyimide multicenter macroinitiator in the presence of a CuCl-2,2′-bipyridine catalytic system is investigated. The kinetic features of the process, the molecular-weight characteristics of the formed side chains, and the post-polymerization of methyl methacrylate with graft polyimides containing polymethacrylate side chains are studied. The conditions of controlled polymerization yielding graft copolyimides with narrowly dispersed living poly(methyl methacrylate) or poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) side chains of variable lengths are determined.