Vinyl Polymerization. 431. Vinyl Polymerizations Initiated by Block and Random Poly(Styrene-co-Sodium Methacrylate)

Abstract

The polymerization of some kinds of vinyl monomer was found to occur without an ordinary initiator in aqueous solutions of AB-type block or random copolymers of sodium methacrylate with styrene as a so-called “uncatalyzed polymerization.” Although the spin trapping technique showed that the initiation mechanism by the block copolymer was the same as that by the random copolymer, the initiating ability of the block copolymer was lower than that of the random copolymer. Such results are attributable to the difference in the incorporating ability of monomer into the micelles formed by the block copolymer and into the hydrophobic areas formed by the random copolymer.     

Syntheses of Key Monomers for Advanced Polymer Materials Using Cyclodextrin as Catalyst

Terephthalic acid was synthesized by the carboxylation of benzoic acid with carbon tetrachloride in aqueous sodium hydroxide solution in the presence of cyclodextrin (CyD) and copper powder as catalyst. By the use of β-CyD at the initial molar ratio to benzoic acid of 0.5, the carboxylation at 60 °C for 7 hours produced terephthalic acid in 75 mol% yield with 87% selectivity. The selective synthesis of 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid in 70 mol% yield was achieved by the carboxylation of 4-biphenylcarboxylic acid with carbon tetrachloride in the presence of β-Cyd under similar conditions. The carboxylation of 2-naphthalene carboxylic acid with carbon tetrachloride using β-Cyd under similar conditions produced 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid in 67 mol% yield with 84% selectivity. When α-CyD and γ-CyD were used in place of β-Cyd, both the yields and the selectivities of the dicarboxylic acids were markedly small. In the absence of CyD, carboxylation did not proceed. Inclusion complex formations between β-Cyd and aromatic monocarboxylic acids were indicated by the ¹H chemical shifts of the β-Cyd. The reaction mechanism was discussed on the basis of inclusion complex formation.     

Vinyl Polymerization. 439. Vinyl Polymerization Initiated by Poly(Ethylene Glycol] Diglycolic Acid or its Sodium Salt

Abstract

The polymerization of some kinds of vinyl monomer was found to occur in aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene glycol) diglycolic acid (PEG Acid) or sodium poly(ethylene glycol) diglycolate (PEG Acid Na) through radical mechanisms without any further initiator, as a so-called “uncatalyzed polymerization.” Although the initiating radical species for PEG Acid was determined to be the same as that for PEG Acid Na by means of the spin-trapping technique, the initiating ability of PEG Acid was higher than that of PEG Acid Na. These results are assumed to be attributable to the difference in the initiation mechanisms of the two systems and in the incorporating abilities of monomer into the hydrophobic areas formed by PEG Acid and PEG Acid Na.     

Vinyl Polymerization. 436. Effect of Magnetic Field on Uncatalyzed Polymerization

The radical polymerization of vinyl monomers initiated with several kinds of hydrophilic macromolecule was carried out in a magnetic field. The magnetic field promoted the polymerization; the conversion of monomers and the molecular weight of the polymers obtained increased with increasing field strength in the range of 0–0.1 T. The dependence of the composition and tacticity of the mother polymer on the magnitude of the magnetic field was studied. Using graft or block copolymers, which consisted of hard and soft segments, the effect of a magnetic field was further investigated. The degree of hardness and tightness of the hydrophobic areas (reaction areas) formed by the mother polymer in the aqueous solution was found to affect the magnetic field effect on the uncatalyzed polymerization. The overall activation energy obtained in the magnetic field was almost equal to that obtained without a magnetic field.     

Macromolecule-Metal Complexes for Gas Separation

Macromolecule-copper(I) chloride complexes have been prepared for the separation of carbon monoxide and ethylene from gas mixtures with hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, methane, and water. A toluene solution of a polystyrene-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex can separate carbon monoxide selectively and retains this function even on contact with gas containing water. Strong charge-transfer absorption bands have been found in the 380-500 nm region for the toluene solution of polystyrene-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex. A solution of 1, 3-diphenylpropane-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex also exhibits similar absorption bands. A continuous variation plot using the chemical shift change in ¹³C-NMR shows a 1:1 interaction between 1,3-diphenylpropane and aluminum copper(I) chloride. These results suggest a two-way interaction between the adjacent phenyl groups of polystyrene and aluminum copper(I) chloride. A resin bead of crosslinked polystyrene-aluminum copper(I) chloride complex has been prepared as a solid adsorbent. The water resistance of the solid macromolecular complex depends on the nature of the solvent used in the preparation of the solid adsorbent. Carbon disulfide is a suitable solvent. A selective adsorbent of ethylene has been prepared from a macroreticular polystyrene resin with primary and secondary amino groups and copper(I) chloride. The selectivity of ethylene against ethane and that of carbon monoxide against carbon dioxide increase with an increasing amount of supported copper(I) chloride.     

Characterization of posticlure and the structure-related sex pheromone candidates prepared by epoxidation of (6Z,9Z,11E)-6,9,11-trienes and (3Z,6Z,9Z,11E)-3,6,9,11-tetraenes

trans-11,12-Epoxy-(6Z,9Z)-6,9-henicosadiene (posticlure) has been identified from a pheromone gland of the lymantriid species, Orgyia postica. Since the diversity of Lepidoptera suggests that some species utilize the structure-related epoxy compound as a sex pheromone component, epoxydienes and epoxytrienes derived from (6Z,9Z,11E)-6,9,11-trienes and (3Z,6Z,9Z,11E)-3,6,9,11-tetraenes with a C₁₉–C₂₁ chain were systematically synthesized and the chemical data were accumulated in order to contribute to a new pheromone research. Peracid oxidation of each triene and each tetraene produced, respectively, a mixture of three epoxydienes (cis-6,7-epoxy-9,11-diene; cis-9,10-epoxy-6,11-diene; and trans-11,12-epoxy-6,9-diene) and four epoxytrienes (cis-3,4-epoxy-6,9,11-triene; cis-6,7-epoxy-3,9,11-triene; cis-9,10-epoxy-3,6,11-triene; and trans-11,12-epoxy-3,6,9-triene). While the 9,10-epoxy compounds were unstable and, interestingly, converted into 9-ketone derivatives after chromatography over SiO₂, each positional isomer was isolated by HPLC equipped with an ODS column, and the chemical structure was determined by NMR analysis. On the GC-MS analysis with a DB-23 column, the positional isomers were also eluted separately and characteristic mass spectra were proposed. By comparing the spectral data of the epoxy compounds with a different carbon chain, diagnostic fragment ions reflecting the chemical structure were determined as follows: m/z 79, 109, 113, and M-114 for the 6,7-epoxydienes; m/z 69, 97, 111, 139, and M-111 for the 9,10-epoxydienes; m/z 57, 79, 109, 136, M-151, and M-111 for the 11,12-epoxydienes; m/z 79, 91, 105, and 119 for the 3,4-epoxytrienes; m/z 79, 124, M-124, M-96, and M-69 for the 6,7-epoxytrienes; m/z 79, 95, 109, 137, and M-108 for the 9,10-epoxytrienes; and m/z 79, 134, M-149, M-109, and M-95 for the 11,12-epoxytrienes.     

Selective detection of polyaromatic hydrocarbons on diesel exhaust particles using sputtered neutral mass spectrometry

Aiming for the highly sensitive analysis of aromatic hydrocarbons in organic mixtures, selective ionization using an ultraviolet laser ionization technique was examined for the determination of sputtered neutral species on organic surfaces. The mass spectrum of a model mixture containing pyrene and n‐alkane showed that only pyrene was ionized and detected, whereas a mass spectrum without laser irradiation, i.e. in the case of secondary ion mass spectrometry, was dominated by many n‐alkane fragment peaks. This technique was applied for the detection of polyaromatic hydrocarbons adsorbed on diesel exhaust particles. Two kinds of polyaromatic hydrocarbons were clearly detected because many aliphatic fragment signals were suppressed by means of ultraviolet laser ionization. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Photocycloaddition reaction of methyl 2- and 3-chromonecarboxylates with various alkenes

The irradiation of methyl 2- and 3-chromonecarboxylate in the presence of various alkenes afforded cyclobutane type adducts, whose structures were established by X-ray structural analysis. Methyl 2-chromonecarboxylate showed higher photochemical reactivity than methyl 3-chromonecarboxylate, in which endo adducts were yielded as major products.