Anionic graft polymerization of methacrylonitrile on potassium starch alkoxide

The anionic graft polymerization of methacrylonitrile on potassium starch alkoxide in dimethyl sulfoxide was studied. Factors affecting the graft polymerization such as monomer and alkoxide concentrations as well as temperature were investigated. The yield of the graft polymers was found to increase with alkoxide concentration, and it was possible to incorporate all the starch into graft polymer. On increasing the monomer concentration the graft polymer yield increased to a flat maximum. At the higher monomer concentrations, the efficiency of monomer in giving graft polymer decreased due to increased homopolymer formation. The composition of the graft polymers varied with increasing monomer concentration, graft polymers having about 40–65% of grafted starch were obtained. With increasing temperature (10 to 60°C), the yield of graft polymer decreased, there was more homopolymerization, but the amount of starch incorporated in the graft remained constant. The structure of the graft polymers was deduced from hydrolysis of the starch backbone of the graft polymers by dilute mineral acid and the determination of the molecular weights of the grafted side chains, and from oxidation by periodic acid, which showed the extent of grafting at the secondary hydroxyl groups. These results have shown that by anionic graft polymerization it is possible to obtain graft polymers having more densely packed grafted side chains of relatively low molecular weights than those obtained previously by free-radical graft polymerization.     

Anionic oligomerization of methacrylonitrile

The anionic oligomerization of methacrylonitrile by alcoholic solutions of sodium alkoxide in dimethyl sulfoxide, methanol and ethanol was studied. The DP of the oligomers was directly proportional to the monomer concentration and inversely proportional to the alcohol concentration, in accordance with the equation DP = K[MAN]/[ROH], K being equal to K_p/K_tr. The value of K in DMSO (with sodium methoxidemethanol) was 2.9 ± 0.2, in methanol was 1.5 ± 0.1, and in ethanol (with sodium ethoxide as initiator) was 1.9 ± 0.1. The physical properties of the oligomers are given.     

Anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile—I. Polymerization with n-butyllithium as initiator

The anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile has been studied at ?75° in toluene and with n-butyllithium as initiator. The kinetics of the polymerization were investigated considering the consumption of both monomer and initiator. BuLi disappears relatively slowly and about 50–60% remains unreacted. A simple kinetic scheme cannot therefore be put forward. All possible side reactions have also been examined. The molecular weight study establishes the living character of this system and gives an initiator efficiency of about 0.2. The contribution of low molecular weight products, typical of the polymerization of polar monomers, is also taken into account. In order to obtain a better understanding of the mechanism of this polymerization, in which unreacted initiator is probably engaged in very stable and inactive mixed associated particles, small amounts of THF (known frequently to break down such aggregates) were added to the system. A rather unexpected slow but complete disappearance of the initiator occurs; the conversion at which the rate of monomer consumption levels off depends on the THF concentration.     

Anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile—II.: Polymerization with 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium and sec-butyllithium as initiators

The anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile has been investigated at ?75° in toluene with 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium and sec-butyllithium as initiators. With both initiators, initiation was fast and no unreacted initiator was left. The efficiency was much higher for 1,1-diphenyl-n-hexyllithium than for sec-butyllithium probably for steric reasons. With both initiators, a second order dependence on initiator was found. To check that this is not an artifact resulting from measurements in a medium starting to gel at a point which is difficult to detect precisely, kinetic measurements were also carried out with 2-polystyryl-l,l-diphenylethyllithium as an initiator. Second order kinetics were again obtained; the propagation rate constants, taking into account the efficiencies of initiators, were the same within experimental error for all three initiators. Viscosity measurements performed on a methacrylonitrile “capped” 2-polystyryl-l,l-diphenylethyllithium initiator showed the living polymethacrylonitrile chains to be associated.     

Anionic polymerization and copolymerization in heterogeneous systems on surfaces with aromatic structure

Methacrylaldehyde, methyl methacrylate, methacrylonitrile, styrene and isoprene readily polymerize on potassium–graphite inclusion compounds in ethereal and hydrocarbon solvents. The structure of polymethacrylaldehyde, poly(methyl methacrylate), and polyisoprene as well as the composition of styrene–acrylonitrile and styrene–isoprene copolymers have been investigated. The copolymers have a high content of styrene units which is interpreted in terms of selective adsorption of styrene on the initiator surface.     

Stereospecific polymerization of methacrylonitrile. IV. Polymerization by ate complex-type catalysts

Methacrylonitrile was polymerized by a number of ate-complex catalysts. The catalysts used were NaAlR₄, LiAlR₄, LiZnR₃, Li₂ZnR₄, RMg[AlR₄], and Mg[AlR₄]₂. It was found that the ate-complex catalysts in which one of the alkyls is replaced by a diphenylamino group are capable of producing polymers with higher degrees of crystallinity than those of polymers obtained by unmodified catalysts. It was shown that the diphenylamide linkage in these catalytic systems must play an important role in the steric control in the propagation steps of this type of polymerization, although the mechanism is not clear at present. The crystallinity index used in this research gave a linear relation against I measured by NMR, and can be used as a measure of the stereo-regularity of the polymer.     

Infrared studies of stereoregular polymerization of methyl methacrylate and methacrylonitrile by organometallic compounds

Infrared spectra of reaction mixtures of methyl methacrylate or methacrylonitrile with an equimolar amount of organometallic compounds were investigated in relation to the stereoregulating ability of the catalysts in polymerization. It was found that the carbonyl or nitrile stretching frequency correlated with the stereoregularity of polymers prepared with the corresponding catalysts; i.e., the higher the frequency, the higher the isotacticity. From these results a mechanism of isotactic polymer formation was proposed, in which catalyst counterion was located near the carbonyl group in polymer terminal and that of monomer to be reacted, and consequently the isotactic polymerization is facilitated.     

Anionic ring opening polymerization by alkali metal solutions

The alkali metal solutions were found to be active initiators in the ring-opening polymerization of β-lactones. The chemistry of those solutions and their activity as initiators were discussed.     

Anionic polymerization of vinyl chloride

Anionic polymerization of vinyl chloride has been studied. Of the organometallic compounds tested as initiators, only butyllithium was found to initiate polymerization. Polymerization in bulk at 0°C and with tert-butyllithium as initiator gave poly(vinyl chloride) in a yield of 38% with M _n = 55,000. Tacticity of the anionic PVC was similar to that of conventional PVC prepared at similar temperatures. Anionic PVC was found to be less branched and more heat-stable than the conventional polymer.     

Anionic polymerization of propylene oxide

The anionic polymerization of propylene oxide with the use of potassium tert-butoxide and naphthalene sodium as initiator and dimethylsulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran and mixtures of both as solvent was investigated. The reactions were carried out in vacuum-sealed dilatometers over the temperature range 20?60°C. The products were analyzed by gelpermeation chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The object of the investigation was to obtain information on the mechanism of the reaction and elucidate some of its kinetic aspects. It is shown that the polymerization occurs by two different processes depending on the experimental conditions: one involving free ions and ion-pairs, the other, ion-pairs alone. In the first case, where DMSO was used as solvent, the order of the reaction with respect to the initiator is greater than unity (～1.7), while in the second case, involving the mixture of DMSO and THF and ion-pairs alone, the reaction order is only one. Transfer to monomer is believed to take place only in the strongly dissociating DMSO medium, where free ions are present.     

Anionic polymerization of methacrylate monomers initiated by lithium dialkylamides

The anionic polymerization of methacrylate monomers has been investigated with lithium dialkylamides as initiators in THF and toluene, respectively. Theoretical arguments and previous studies of mixed aggregates of lithiated organic compounds support the complexity of these systems. Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) shows the highest initiation efficiency (e.g., f = 75% in THF at −78°C). Interestingly enough, lithium chloride has a remarkable beneficial effect on the methacrylates polymerization in THF at −78°C, due to the formation of 1 : 1 mixed dimer with LDA, which promotes a well-controlled anionic polymerization (M_w/M_n = 1.05) with a high initiation efficiency (94%). The less bulky lithium–diethylamide (LDEA) is much less efficient (f = 26%), essentially as a result of some associated “dormant” species and side reactions on the carbonyl group of MMA. Although various types of ligands have been screened, no remarkable improvement of LDEA efficiency has been observed. Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (LTMSA) has also been used to increase the steric hindrance of the initiator. This compound is, however, unable to initiate the methacrylates polymerization, more likely because of a too low basicity and a too strong Li—N bond. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35: 3637–3644, 1997     

Anionic polymerization of Lewis acid-activated methyl methacrylate by enamines

A novel ionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) with a series of enamines (1) in the presence of methylaluminum bis(2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide) (2) was examined. Both nucleophile (1) and electrophile (2) are indispensable for the present polymerization, in which (1) acts as initiator and (2) as activator. MMA polymerization proceeded smoothly in toluene at or below room temperature (r.t.) in the presence of 1 and 2 (1 ∼ 4 mol %, respectively), went to completion within 1 h, and afforded syndiotactic-rich PMMA with molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n) in the 1.1 ∼ 1.4 range. The number-average molecular weight (M_n) of the polymer was significantly higher than that calculated from the feed ratio of 1 to the monomer, indicating low initiating efficiency. Kinetic studies coupled with isolation of an intermediate species proved that the real monomeric species involved in both initiation and propagation was a complex of MMA with 2. The effects of the concentrations of 1, 2, and MMA as well as the temperature of polymerization were also examined. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3671–3679, 1999     

Anionic polymerization of 1,2-butylene oxide

Anionic polymerizations of 1,2-butylene oxide were carried out in vacuum-sealed dilatometers in the range of 30–60°C. Potassium terbutoxide and dimsyl sodium were used as initiators; dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and mixtures of DMSO with tetrahydrofuran were solvents. The polymer products were analyzed by gel permeation chromatography and infrared spectroscopy. The object of the investigation was to obtain information on the mechanism of the reaction and to elucidate some of its kinetic aspects. It has been shown that the polymerizations occur by two different processes, depending on the choice of experimental conditions. One of the processes involves free ions and ion-pairs, the other, ion-pairs alone. In the first case, where dimethyl sulfoxide is used as solvent, the order of the reaction with respect to the initiator concentration far exceeds unity (～1.8), while in the second case, involving mixed solvents, the order of the reaction, for all practical purposes, is one.     

Anionic polymerization of optically active oxiranes

The anionic bulk polymerization of optically active (2R, 3S)-3,4-epoxy-1,2-O-isopropylidenebutane-1,2-diol ( 1 ) and its (2 S, 3 S) diastereomer 2 was studied. Molecular weights and optical activity measurements as well as carbon and proton NMR spectra are reported. The polymers show solvent dependent inversion of the sign of optical rotation. The NMR spectra are consistent with isotactic polymer chains.