Chain transfer in anionic polymerization. Determination of chain-transfer constants by using carbon-14-labeled chain transfer agents

A method is described in which ¹⁴C-labeled chain-transfer agents are employed to measure chain-transfer constants in anionic polymerization as low as 10^?6. Each chain-transfer step incorporates one molecule of the chain-transfer agent into the polymer so that measurement of the activity and conversion allows evaluation of the chain-transfer constant. This method is independent of the initiator concentration and efficiency, making the technique especially useful when problems with the initiator are encountered. The experimental procedure is described in detail for the case of chain transfer to toluene in the n-butyllithium-initiated polymerization of styrene, where C_RH was found to be 5 × 10^?6. A mathematical treatment is given showing the relationship between the degree of polymerization (DP _n) and chain transfer.     

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.     

Organolanthanide-catalyzed synthesis of phosphine-terminated polyethylenes. Scope and mechanism

Primary and secondary phosphines are investigated as chain-transfer agents for organolanthanide-mediated olefin polymerization. Ethylene polymerizations were carried out with [Cp'(2)LnH](2) and Cp'(2)LnCH(SiMe(3))(2) (Cp' = eta(5)-Me(5)C(5); Ln = La, Sm, Y, Lu) precatalysts in the presence of dicyclohexyl-, diisobutyl-, diethyl-, diphenyl-, cyclohexyl-, and phenylphosphine. In the presence of secondary phosphines, high polymerization activities (up to 10(7) g of polymer/(mol of Ln.atm ethylene.h)) and narrow product polymer polydispersities are observed. For lanthanocene-mediated ethylene polymerizations, the phosphine chain-transfer efficiency correlates with the rate of Ln-CH(SiMe(3))(2) protonolysis by the same phosphines and follows the trend H(2)PPh > H(2)PCy > HPPh(2) > HPEt(2) approximately HP(i)()Bu(2) > HPCy(2). Under the conditions investigated, dicyclohexylphosphine is not an efficient chain-transfer agent for Cp'(2)LaPCy(2)- and Cp'(2)YPCy(2)-mediated ethylene polymerizations. Diisobutylphosphine and diethylphosphine are efficient chain-transfer agents for Cp'(2)La-mediated polymerizations; however, phosphine chain transfer does not appear to be competitive with other chain-transfer pathways in Cp'(2)Y-mediated polymerizations involving diisobutylphosphine. Regardless of the lanthanide metal, diphenylphosphine is an efficient chain-transfer agent for ethylene polymerization. Polymerizations conducted in the presence of primary phosphines produce only low-molecular-weight products. Thus, Cp'(2)Y-mediated ethylene polymerizations conducted in the presence of phenylphosphine and cyclohexylphosphine produce low-molecular-weight phenylphosphine- and cyclohexylphosphine-capped oligomers, respectively. For Cp'(2)YPPh(2)-mediated ethylene polymerizations, a linear relationship is observed between M(n) and [diphenylphosphine](-)(1), consistent with a phosphine protonolytic chain-transfer mechanism.     

Controlled radical polymerization of styrene mediated by dithiobenzoates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents

The radical polymerization of styrene at 60 and 80°C mediated by benzyl dithiobenzoate and poly(styrene dithiobenzoate) as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents has been studied. It has been shown that both agents are characterized by high chain-transfer constants and provide control over molecular-mass characteristics of polymerization products. The number-average molecular mass of polystyrene linearly grows with conversion, and the polymers are characterized by low values of polydispersity indexes. It has been demonstrated that the rate of polymerization significantly decreases with an increase in the concentration of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents. This effect is typical of styrene polymerization mediated by dithiobenzoates. The possible reasons for this phenomenon are discussed.     

Organosilicon hydrides in macromolecular design: Reactions of chain-transfer and hydrosilylation

The chain-transfer constants through silicon hydrides in bulk polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate (MMA) were measured with using 15 organosilicon compounds belonging to four classes: oligoorganohydrosilanes, oligoorganohydrosiloxanes, disilalkanes and alkylhydrosilanes. The linear dependences of the logarithm of chain-transfer constant on the sum of the Taft inductive constants of substituents at silicon atoms of a Si-H group were found. The negative values of reaction constants ρ indicate that an electrophilic attack of macroradical onto a hydrogen atom occurs at the limiting stage of the process. Oligoorganohydrosilanes proved to be the most effective chain-transfer agents that can be explained by high electron-donating properties of R₃Si substituents. The increase of the chain-transfer constant values takes place on the accumulation of both trimethylsilyl and silicon hydride groups in a molecule of hydrosilane. The high electrophilicity of PMMA macroradical as compared with a macroradical of polystyrene (PS) is responsible for a greater sensitivity of the polymerization reaction of MMA to the change of the electron density on a hydrogen atom of the organosilicon chain-transfer agent. In the radical polymerization of MMA and styrene in the presence of the chain-transfer agents till high conversion the polymers with a narrower molecular weight distribution (MWD) in comparison with those synthesized by usual polymerization in bulk are formed. The polymers prepared in the presence of multifunctional silanes can be functionalized by the reaction of hydrosilylation and further used in the synthesis of block copolymers.     

Synthesis of photochromic liquid-crystalline triblock copolymers by pseudoliving reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization

Symmetric photosensitive fully liquid-crystalline triblock copolymers are synthesized by pseudo-living reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer radical polymerization for the first time. The polymerization of 3-[methyl(phenyl)amino]propyl acrylate mediated by three different symmetric trithiocarbonates with various leaving groups is studied. It is shown that reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents make it possible to synthesize narrowly dispersed homopolymers with controlled molecular masses. Poly[(3-[methyl(phenyl)amino]propyl acrylate) trithiocarbonates] are used as polymeric reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents in the block copolymerization of the phenyl benzoate acrylic monomer. The chemical modification of block copolymers yields desirable photosensitive triblock copolymers containing azobenzene groups. The effect of the molecular structure of triblock copolymers on their phase behavior and thermal properties is examined.     

Controlled free-radical azeotropic copolymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate in the presence of tert-butyl dithiobenzoate

The free-radical azeotropic bulk copolymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate at 90°C mediated by tert-butyl dithiobenzoate and copoly(strene—n-butyl acrylate) dithiobenzoate as reversible chain-transfer agents has been studied. It has been shown that low-and high-molecular mass chain-transfer agents allow one to efficiently control the molecular-mass characteristics of the copolymers. For all studied systems, the molecular mass linearly increases with conversion, and the copolymers are characterized by low polydispersity indexes. When polystyryl dithiobenzoate and poly(butyl acrylate) dithiobenzoate are used as polymer reversible chain-transfer agents in the azeotropic copolymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate, the diblock copolymers with the controlled block lengths are prepared. As evidenced by ESR studies, radical intermediates are formed in the course of the azeotropic copolymerization of styrene and n-butyl acrylate mediated by tert-butyl dithiobenzoate and the copolymer reversible chain-transfer agent; the kinetics of formation of these intermediates has been investigated. It has been demonstrated that the rate of the azeotropic copolymerization mediated by low-and high-molecular-mass reversible chain-transfer agents decreases with an increase in their concentration. The possible causes of this phenomenon are discussed.     

Chain transfer in ethylene polymerization. III. An improved method of calculating polymerization chain-transfer constants

The method of determining chain-transfer constants in polymer systems, originally developed by Mayo, has been extended to the simultaneous determination of constants for several transfer agents. The validity of various calculation methods was examined. Particular attention was devoted to the question of how precisely chain-transfer constants are known. This extended method was applied to the determination of chain-transfer constants in ethylene polymerization under conditions where the limiting molecular weight in the absence of transfer agents cannot be directly measured, and it was shown that precision is improved (uncertanty reduced) by simultaneously determining more than one transfer constant.     

Pseudoliving polymerization of vinyl acetate mediated by reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents

The homopolymerization of vinyl acetate mediated by dithiobenzoates and trithiocarbonates as reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents is studied. The polymerization of vinyl acetate is characterized by some distinct features: (i) a substantial role of chain-termination reactions involving radical intermediates in the kinetics of the process that increases as the concentrations of the reversible additionfragmentation chain-transfer agent and the initiator increase and as temperature decreases and (ii) the occurrence of side reactions of chain transfer to monomers and polymers. The role of these reactions significantly increases with conversion of the monomer. Thus, in order to prepare a narrowly dispersed PVA via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer mechanism, the process should be conducted to small conversions (15–20%) at moderately high temperatures (80°C) and at a small molar excess of the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent with respect to the initiator. A technique for the synthesis of block copolymers based on PVA and poly(n-butyl acrylate) via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer mechanism is developed.     

Pseudoliving radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of S,S′-bis(methyl-2-isobutyrate) trithiocarbonate

The polymerization of MMA mediated by symmetric trithiocarbonate as a reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent is studied. It is shown that the process proceeds according to the two-stage pseudoliving radical mechanism. The polymeric reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent is more efficient than its low-molecular-mass analog. The use of the polymeric reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent makes it possible to synthesize narrowly dispersed homopolymers of MMA and related copolymers with a controllable molecular mass. Both chain-transfer agents have practically no effect on the initial rate of copolymerization but allow weakening or even suppression of the gel effect at high conversions.     

Catalytic Chain-Transfer in Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate. I. Chain-Length Dependence of Chain-Transfer Coefficient

Free-radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate has been conducted in the presence of a new catalytic chain-transfer agent at different temperatures. The new catalyst exhibits a strong chain transfer characteristic, and the chain-transfer coefficient varies from 2.8 × 10⁴ to 6.6 × 10⁴ and depends on chain length and temperature. The chain-transfer coefficients decrease with increasing chain length but reach a limiting value for chains more than 8 units in length. The activation energy for the chain transfer coefficient is -10.1 kJ/mol for this catalyst.     

Classical and pseudoliving radical copolymerization of vinyl acetate and acrylic acid in methanol

The homogeneous free-radical copolymerization of vinyl acetate and acrylic acid is studied at 50 and 70°C in methanol with and without the reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent benzyl dithiobenzoate. It is shown that, under conditions of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer copolymerization, the limiting conversion is 32% and the number-average molecular mass increases linearly with conversion. At the same time, in the absence of the reversible addition-fragmentation reversible chain-transfer agent, the conversion of the monomers amounts to 63% and the molecular mass of the copolymers decreases with conversion.     

Controlled synthesis of oligomeric poly(acrylic acid) and its behavior in aqueous solutions

The controlled synthesis of oligomeric poly(acrylic acid) via the pseudoliving radical reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization of acrylic acid in bulk is developed. It is shown that, at high concentrations of reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agents, the polymerization of acrylic acid in bulk occurs via the pseudoliving mechanism, as evidenced by a linear increase in the numberaverage molecular mass of oligomers with conversion and a narrow molecular-mass distribution of the reaction products. The surfactant properties and behavior of the oligomers in aqueous solutions are studied.     

Monomer chain-transfer constants from emulsion copolymerization data: Styrene and α-methylstyrene

Radical chain-transfer constants can be deduced from corresponding measurements of rates and degrees of polymerization in copolymerization experiments. It is particularly useful to carry out such copolymerization in emulsion systems where the normal termination reactions are relatively less important and chain-transfer processes are significant in determining the number-average degree of polymerization. The method is illustrated for copolymerization of styrene and α-methylstyrene at three temperatures. Rate constants for transfer of styryl and α-methylstyryl radicals to either monomer were measured. All the rate constants are consistent with the relative stabilities of the product radicals which could be formed by the various transfer reactions. The procedure described here can be extended for measurements of rate constants for reactions of other potential transfer agents.     

Kinetics of pseudoliving free-radical copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate by the reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer mechanism

The kinetics of copolymerization of styrene with methyl methacrylate in the presence of tert-butyl dithiobenzoate as a reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer agent has been studied. Formation of radical intermediates has been investigated. In a wide range of monomer mixture compositions, the kinetic features of pseudoliving radical copolymerization of this monomer pair in the presence of both a low-molecular-mass reversible addition fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) agent and a polymer RAFT agent being formed are close to the corresponding features of the homopolymerization of styrene.     

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.     

Use of Organohydridodisilanes for Controlling the Molecular-Weight Distribution of High-Conversion Polymers

The polymerization of methyl methacrylate to high conversion in the presence of a series of disilanes as chain-transfer agents was studied, and the chain-transfer constants at low and high conversions were determined. The molecular-weight characteristics of the polymers were estimated by gel permeation chromatography.     

Graft polymers: Chain transfer and branching

The vinyl monomers, methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, and methyl acrylate were polymerized in the presence of chlorinated rubber or poly(vinyl chloride) in homogeneous solution with benzoyl peroxide as catalyst. A graft polymer was formed by a chain-transfer reaction involving the growing polymer radicals to the backbone of chlorinated rubber or poly(vinyl chloride), in addition to homopolymer from the monomer. The homopolymer was isolated from the polymer mixture by fractional precipitation from methyl ethyl ketone solution with methanol as precipitant. The chain-transfer constants for the branching reactions were evaluated. The ratios k_p/(k_t)^1/2 for the grafting reactions were obtained by a correlation of chain-transfer constants with the extent of branching. The chain-transfer data were correlated on the basis of an extension of the Q–e scheme of Alfrey and Price to polymer–polymer transfer reactions. Specific effects due to the backbone are found to have considerable influence on the course of the chaintransfer reactions and k_p/(k_t)^1/2 of the grafting reactions.     

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.     

Chain transfer in ethylene polymerization. VI. The effect of pressure

The chain-transfer reaction, which controls the molecular weight level of the polymer, apparently has not been studied as a function of pressure for ethylene. Therefore, the chain-transfer constants for eleven transfer agents were determined at 1360 and 2380 atm at 130°C. The results were interpreted according to transition-state theory as the difference between the volumes of activation for the transfer and propagation steps. It was found that the effect of pressure on the transfer constant is small for most transfer agents, indicating that the volumes of activation for hydrogen abstraction and addition to the ethylene double bond are similar. Aralkanes, however, gave anomalous results.