Grafting onto wool. V. Kinetics of graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate in the viscous media of wool fibers

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate in S-carboxymethylated wool fibers was investigated in the aqueous LiBr-K₂S₂O₈ system. The rate of grafting, the degree of polymerization of graft polymer, and the number of grafting sites were determined on varying the thiol content at a constant concentration of monomer. Kinetic considerations lead to the following expression in agreement with the experimental results: Z/DP = {(k_td + k_tc)/k_p²[M]²} R_p, where Z is the number of DNP endgroups of polymer; DP is the average degree of polymerization; k_p, k_td, and k_tc are the rate constants of propagation, termination by disproportionation, and termination by recombination, respectively; [M] is the concentration of monomer in fibers, and R_p is the overall rate of grafting. For wool fibers in media sufficiently high viscosity, the rate constants k_td and k_tc of diffusion-controlled termination are approximately equal and not affected by the change in cross-link density, provided that the thiol and disulfide interchange occurs. The possibility of occurrence of mechanical bond scission through a radical mechanism is involved in systems with extremely small amounts of thiol groups.     

Endgroup analysis of isolated poly(methyl methacrylate) from graft copolymers of wool

In order to elucidate the termination mechanism in the graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate to unreduced and reduced wool fibers, graft copolymers were prepared by means of the LiBr–K₂S₂O₈ redox sytem without homopolymer or with K₂S₂O₈ only with homopolymer at 30°C. The graft polymers (PMMA) were isolated almost completely from the wool trunk by an HCI-digestion method, leaving a few amino acid residues on the end of the graft polymers. Dinitrophenylation of the isolated polymer was carried out by various methods. The spectral features were almost the same as for dinitrophenylated amino acids of the usual type such as valine, leucine, and methionine, with a maximum in ultraviolet light at 340–345 mμ. From colorimetric analysis of the number of dinitrophenylated amino acid endgroups and the measurement of the average molecular weight of the isolated polymers, the number of amino acid endgroups linked to the graft polymers was calculated to be about one and two per polymer chain in reduced and unreduced wool, respectively, independent of the reaction system, graft-on, and molecular weight of graft polymers. From these facts, it was suggested that the most of isolated polymers are the truly grafted polymers. Also, the termination reactions have been explained as follows. In the unreduced wool, the restriction of mobility of the radical end might be expected, for the confinement of growing chains in wool fibers. This would be favorable to termination by recombination rather than by the disproportionation, since the former has a lower activation energy than the latter. Thus, the formation of intra- or intermolecular crosslinks might be considered between polypeptide chains. On the other hand, in the reduced wool, the mobility of graft polymers might be considered to be greater than that of unreduced wool because of its open structure. Therefore, termination would be principally by disproportionation between graft polymer radicals.     

Mode of termination in the copolymerization of vinyl acetate–isobutyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate–methyl acrylate at 60°C

The mode of termination in the vinyl acetate–isobutyl methacrylate (VA–IBMA) and methyl methacrylate–methyl acrylate (MMA–MA) copolymerization systems has been investigated at 60°C. by using the dye-interaction technique for functional endgroup estimation. The results show that pairs of poly(vinyl acetate) radicals interact almost exclusively through a disproportionation mechanism. In the homopolymerization of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate, about 1.16 and 1.22 carboxyl-containing endgroups per polymer molecule have been estimated, which shows the predominance of disproportionation over combination in these termination reactions. In poly(isobutyl methacrylate) about 1.55 tagged initiator fragments per chain indicate that 29% of the total radicals terminate through the disproportionation mechanism. Cross termination in the (VA–IBMA) copolymerization system occurs almost entirely through combination for monomer feeds richer in isobutyl methacrylate content while for the MMA–MA system, combination is more important at intermediate monomer feed ratios. These results have been discussed in the light of different explanations for the reaction mechanism.     

Grafting vinyl monomers onto wool fibers. III. Graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto wool using hexavalent chromium ion

The use of hexavalent chromium to initiate graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto wool fibers has been investigated. The rate of grafting was determined by varying monomer, chromium(VI), temperature, acidity of the medium, nature of wool, reaction medium, and redox system. The graft yield increases with increasing monomer concentration up to 0.65M, and, with further increase of monomer the graft yield decreases. The graft yield increases with increasing chromium(VI) concentration. The grafting is considerably influenced by chemical modification of wool prior to grafting. The effect of certain inorganic salt and anionic surfactant on the rate of grafting has been investigated. The graft yield is influenced by thiourea concentration; it decreases with increasing thiourea concentration.     

ESR studies of the radiation-induced multiple graft polymerization

The radiation-induced multiple-graft polymerization was studied by an ESR method. When methyl methacrylate vapor was introduced onto preirradiated polyethylene already grafted with styrene, the second step of grafting of methyl methacrylate occurred mainly in the polyethylene portion. The kinetic treatment proved that the termination rate constant k_t of methyl methacrylate decreased with the amount of styrene grafted in advance. On the other hand, when styrene vapor was introduced onto polyethylene grafted with methyl methacrylate, only radicals of poly(methyl methacrylate) decreased. In this case, the second step of grafting of styrene occurred in the poly-(methyl methacrylate) portion which covered the whole surface of the polyethylene powder. When monomer vapors were alternately introduced onto preirradiated polyethylene powder, the second step of grafting occurred at the growing chain end of the first monomer.     

Simulation of Potentially Possible Reactions at the Initial Stages of Free-Radical Polymerization of Styrene and Methyl Methacrylate in the Presence of Fullerene C<Superscript>60</Superscript>

The quantum-chemical simulation of possible reactions occurring at the initial stage of the free-radical polymerizations of styrene and methyl methacrylate in the presence of fullerene C⁶⁰ is performed. The reactions of interaction between initiating and model short-chain growing radicals containing from one to three monomer units with fullerene are considered. It is shown that, at the initial stage of styrene polymerization, the addition of short-chain growing radicals to fullerene predominates (with respect to the reaction of chain propagation). In the case of methyl methacrylate polymerization in the presence of fullerene C⁶⁰, the induction period is absent because of a higher probability of the initiation and chain propagation reactions (compared with the chain-termination reaction of short growing poly(methyl methacrylate) chains on fullerene C⁶⁰). The formation of bis- and trisadducts of fullerene C⁶⁰ with short-chain styrene and methyl methacrylate growing radicals is analyzed. The quantum-chemical simulation results are confirmed by electron spectroscopy and ESR studies.     

Graft polymerization of vinyl monomers onto cellulose in presence of soda lime glass. II

In the sodium bisulfite–soda lime glass initiating system, crude and true grafting yields increased with increasing ratio of methyl methacrylate to cellulose up to a limit; beyond this limiting value, grafting yields decreased due to the increase of the rate of sodium bisulfite-monomer addition over that of polymerization. Limitation was also achieved on increasing the glass to cellulose ratio through increased termination rates by coupling and disproportionation reactions, as the free radicals are increased. In addition, a limiting value was reached with increasing sodium bisulfite concentration; this may be related to the formation of a nonfunctioning disulfite ion at the expense of bisulfite radicals at high concentrations of sodium bisulfite. The temperature plays a role in this initiating system. Maximum rates of conversion and grafting were achieved at the ceiling temperature. Dissociation of the sodium bisulfite, which decreases with temperature, also has an effect.     

Diffusion-controlled vinyl polymerization. IV. Comparison of theory and experiment

Bulk polymerization data of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, and styrene were compared with the predictions of the theory proposed in the earlier parts of this series (I-III). This theory of polymerization kinetics uses the concepts of free volume and chain entanglements to describe the relationship between chain mobility and chain length dependent termination reactions. Excellent agreement was found between the predictions of the theory and the polymerization rate and molecular weight data of the six polymerization systems studied. Emphasis was placed on the ability to explain the development of higher order molecular weight averages (M?_w, M?_z, etc.) because they provide the most crucial tests for such a model. No changes were required in the model as it was applied to the different polymerization systems for a variety of reaction conditions. The theory offers a unified understanding of the diverse polymerization behavior displayed by such systems.     

Application of a new approach to the determination of transfer constants for systems showing retardation

Degradative transfer reactions for diphenylpicrylhydrazine (DPPH-H), 1,3-diphenylpropene (DPP), and fluorene (FLU) have been examined using styrene and methyl methacrylate as monomers. A new procedure has been followed, depending upon analyses of polymers for end groups derived from azobisisobutyronitrile used as initiator for the polymerizations. The method requires information or assumptions about the efficiency of re-initiation during transfer particularly for a monomer, such as methyl methacrylate, for which disproportionation is prominent in the termination process. For DPPH-H, the efficiency of re-initiation is zero; for DPP and FLU with styrene, the efficiencies are close to unity but they are smaller when methyl methacrylate is used. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Grafting Vinyl Monomers onto Wool Fibers. X. Graft Copolymerization of Methyl Methacrylate onto Wool Using Acetylacetonato Complex of Manganese(lII)

The graft copolymerization of methyl methacrylate onto wool fibers was investigated in aqueous solution using the acetylacetonato complex of manganese(III). The rate of grafting was determined by varying the monomer, the complex, the temperature, the acidity of the medium, the nature of the wool, and the reaction medium. The graft yield increases with increasing monomer and complex concentrations. The graft yield also increases with increasing temperature. The grafting is considerably influenced by chemical modification of wool prior to grafting. A suitable mechanism has been proposed and a rate equation has been derived.     

On the initial stage of the free-radical polymerizations of styrene and methyl methacrylate in the presence of fullerene C<Subscript>60</Subscript>

It has been demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that the essentially different inhibiting effects of fullerene C₆₀ on the initial stage of the polymerizations of styrene and methyl methacrylate (including complete hampering of styrene polymerization throughout a long induction period) are of common kinetic nature. The difference arises from the competition between C₆₀ and the monomer not for initiating radicals but for radicals originating from the monomer; that is, the difference stems from the competition between the chain propagation reactions and the termination reactions on fullerene molecules. As a consequence, the further development of the process is determined by the relative reactivities of the radicals toward C₆₀ and towards their parent monomers.     

Fundamental studies of grafting reactions in free radical copolymerization. IV. Grafting of styrene,acrylate, and methacrylate monomers onto vinyl-polybutadiene using benzoyl peroxide and AIBN initiators in solution polymerization.

Vinyl-1,2 polybutadiene (vinyl-PBD) was used as the backbone polymer for the grafting of styrene, methacrylate, and acrylate monomers using both benzoyl peroxide and AIBN initiators. Radical attack on the backbone can occur through the pendant vinyl group or at the tertiary, allylic hydrogen site. Effective graft sites are formed via double bond addition of either primary (initiator) or polymer radicals. The production of tertiary allylic radicals on the backbone chain also occurs and results in moderate to dramatic reaction rate re-tardation in every monomer system. The type of initiator is only important when the polymer radicals are not very reactive, as in the case of styrene, and to a lesser extent for methacrylate monomer. Graft efficiencies are generally higher when using vinyl-PBD than when using cis-PBD. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of graft terpolymers by addition reaction of amino‐terminated polyether to poly(methacrylate)s bearing five‐membered cyclic dithiocarbonate moieties and application of the graft terpolymers as modifiers for wool

Graft terpolymers bearing polyether side chains and poly(methacrylate) stems were synthesized by the graft‐onto reaction of monoamino‐terminated poly(PO₉‐co‐EO₁) to poly{[5‐(methacryloyloxy)methyl‐1,3‐oxathiolane‐2‐thione]‐co‐n‐butyl methacrylate} [poly(DTCMMA‐co‐BuMA)]. The grafting reaction proceeded via the nucleophilic addition of the terminal amino groups to the five‐membered cyclic dithiocarbonate moieties giving thiol moieties, although the grafting efficiency was low (9–34%) due to the steric hindrance of the side chains. The T_g values of the poly{[DTCMMA‐graft‐poly(PO₉‐co‐EO₁)]‐co‐BuMA} ranged 27–47 °C, depending on the amounts of flexible poly(PO₉‐co‐EO₁) chains introduced lowering the T_g values. Poly{[DTCMMA‐graft‐poly(PO₉‐co‐EO₁)]‐co‐BuMA}s bearing thiol groups were applied for the modification of wool via the disulfide exchange reaction. The modified wool had better dye ability toward a pigment from safflower than the original wool owing to the hydrophilic nature of poly{[DTCMMA‐graft‐poly(PO₉‐co‐EO₁)]‐co‐BuMA} introduced. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Photoinitiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate with 14C-labeled benzoin methyl ethers

Three ¹⁴C-labeled benzoin methyl ether (α-methoxy-α-phenylacetophenone) derivatives were utilized as photoinitiators in the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and methyl acrylate (MA). The results of polymer end-group analysis are in accord with a mechanism of benzoin ether photocleavage into initiator radicals and dispute earlier labeling studies which were interpreted as evidence for copolymerization of excited-state benzoin ethers with reactive monomers. In MMA polymerization, the results indicate a preference for termination by disproportionation (～60%) and provide evidence for primary radical termination at 0.041M photoinitiator (optically dense solutions) in neat MMA. Evidence for chain branching by initiator radical hydrogen abstraction from poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) is also presented. The benzoyl and α-methoxybenzyl radicals, produced on photolysis of benzoin methyl ether, appear to be equally effective in both initiation and hydrogen-abstraction processes. Quantum yields at 366 and 313 nm indicate the absence of a wavelength effect.     

Copolymerization of ω-Unsaturated Oligo(Methyl Methacrylate): New Macromonomers

Abstract

The free-radical copolymerization of ω-unsaturated oligo(methyl methacrylate) (1) with each of ethyl acrylate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, and vinyl acetate have been investigated. Incorporation of (1) into the polymer was observed in all cases although the molecular weights of the copolymers were substantially lower than those of the homopolymers obtained in the absence of (1) but under otherwise identical conditions. These experiments, together with a product study of the reactions of (1) with cyanoisopropyl radicals, have shown that the addition of free radicals to the double bond of (1) occurs readily. The sterically hindered radical so formed, however, undergoes facile β-scission, resulting in the termination of chains (chain transfer) in competition with chain propagation. The implications of these findings to the usefulness of (1) in the synthesis of graft copolymers and their relevance to the chemistry of free-radical polymerizations when methyl methacrylate is employed as a monomer or comonomer are discussed.     

Grafting on wool. I. Electron microscopic studies on the location of grafted polymer in wool structure

To determine the location of grafted poly(methyl methacrylate) in orthocortex structure of fine Australian Merino wool fibers, high-resolution electron microscopy was used. Optimal staining conditions for the observation of the deposited polymer were also studied. It was supposed that the grafted polymer is located mainly between the microfibril and matrix and around the protofibrillar subunits, but not in the matrix. The average space occupied by a grafted chain was estimated to be about four times as large as the total residue volume per polymer. It is supposed that the remarkably large space available per polymer chain is related to the excessive swelling seen with respect to the polymer uptake.     

Decomposition of model alkoxyamines in simple and polymerizing systems. I. 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐ N‐oxyl‐based compounds

The thermal decomposition of five alkoxyamines labeled TEMPO–R, where TEMPO was 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidinyl‐N‐oxyl and R was cumyl (Cum), 2‐tert‐butoxy‐carbonyl‐2‐propyl (PEst), phenylethyl (PhEt), 1‐tert‐butoxy‐carbonylethyl (EEst), or 1‐methoxycarbonyl‐3‐methyl‐3‐phenylbutyl (Acrylate‐Cum), was studied with ¹H NMR in the absence and presence of styrene and methyl methacrylate. The major products were alkenes and the hydroxylamine 1‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐ piperidine (TEMPOH), and in monomer‐containing solutions, unimeric and polymeric alkoxyamines and alkenes were also found. Furthermore, the reactions between TEMPO and the radicals EEst and PEst were studied with chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization. In comparison with coupling, TEMPO reacted with the radicals Cum, PEst, PhEt, and EEst and their unimeric styrene adducts by disproportionation to alkenes and TEMPOH only to a minor extent (0.6–3%) but with the radical adducts to methyl methacrylate to a considerable degree (≥20%). Parallel to the radical cleavage, TEMPO–EEst (but not the other alkoxyamines or TEMPO–Acrylate‐Cum) underwent substantial nonradical decay. The consequences for TEMPO‐mediated living radical polymerizations are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 3604–3621, 2001     

Grafting onto wool. I. Ceric ion-initiated grafting of poly(methyl acrylate) onto wool

Poly(methyl acrylate) has been grafted onto wool by using ceric ion as redox initiator in an aqueous medium. Initiation by ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) was carried out in the presence of nitric acid of varying concentration at 35, 45, and 50°C for a period of 1.5 or 3 hr. Percent grafting was found to be dependent on concentrations of acid and monomer, reaction time, and temperature. Above 45°C, a considerable amount of homopolymer was formed; at 35°C, very little grafting of poly(methyl acrylate) was observed. Nitric acid catalyzed the reaction and a concentration of 0.17–0.19M HNO₃ was found suitable.     

Poly(styrene peroxide) and Poly(methyl methacrylate peroxide) for Grafting on Unsaturated Bacterial Polyesters

A new soluble terephthaloyl oligoperoxide (OTP) was synthesized by the reaction of terephthaloyl peroxide and 2,5‐dimethyl 2,5‐dihydroperoxy hexane. Thermal polymerization of vinyl monomers (styrene, methyl methacrylate) with OTP yielded poly(styrene peroxide) (PS‐P) and poly(methyl methacrylate peroxide) (PMMA‐P) which are used in the grafting reactions onto medium chain length unsaturated bacterial polyester obtained from soybean oily acids with Pseudomonas oleovorans poly(3‐hydroxy alkanoate), (PHA). PS‐g‐PHA and PMMA‐g‐PHA graft copolymers isolated from related homopolymers were characterizated by ¹H NMR spectrometry, FT‐IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis and gel permeation chromatographic (GPC) techniques. Swelling measurement of the crosslinked graft copolymers were also measured to calculate q_v values.     

A novel approach to the characterization of end groups in styrene–methyl methacrylate copolymers by pyrolysis–gas chromatography

The end groups of styrene–methyl methacrylate (St‐MMA) copolymers polymerized radically with 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator, which are difficult to characterize even by NMR, were investigated by pyrolysis–gas chromatography. On the resulting pyrograms, characteristic products that formed from the end‐group moiety due to AIBN, such as 2‐cyanopropane, 2‐cyanopropen, and various compounds consisting of an isobutyronitrile group and a monomer unit, were observed together with those from the main chain, such as St and MMA monomers and various dimeric and trimeric products. The relative abundance between the recombination and disproportionation termination reactions in the copolymerization process was estimated from the relative intensities between the characteristic peaks of the end group and those of the main chain. Thus, the estimated abundance for the termination reactions suggested that the polymerization process for this particular copolymer system terminated preferentially by recombination rather than by disproportionation. Furthermore, the relative abundance between the monomer units adjacent to the chain‐end AIBN residues was estimated on the basis of the peak intensities of the products consisting of an isobutyronitrile group and either monomer unit, which reflected the penultimate neighboring structure of the end group in the polymer chain. Thus, the observed results suggested that the isobutyronitrile radical formed by the dissociation of AIBN in the initiation reaction was predominantly adjoined by St monomer rather than by MMA monomer. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1880–1888, 2000