Size exclusion chromatography of branched polymers: Star and comb polymers

Monte Carlo simulations were conducted to estimate the elution curve of size exclusion chromatography (SEC). The present simulation can be applied to various types of branched polymers, as long as the kinetic mechanism of nonlinear polymer formation is given. We considered two types of detector systems, (1) a detector that measures the polymer concentration in the elution volume to determine the calibrated molecular weights, such as by using the differential refractive index detector (RI), and (2) a detector that determines the weight‐average molecular weight of polymers within the elution volume directly, such as a light scattering photometer (LS). For polydisperse star polymers, both detector systems tend to give a reasonable estimate of the true molecular weight distribution (MWD). On the other hand, for comb‐branched polymers, the RI detector underestimates the molecular weight of branched polymers significantly. The LS detector system improves the measured MWD, but still is not exact. The present simulation technique promises to establish various types of complicated reaction mechanisms for nonlinear polymer formation by using the SEC data quantitatively. In addition, the present technique could be used to reinvestigate a large amount of SEC data obtained up to the present to estimate the true MWD.     

The pummerer and the thio-claisen–type rearrangements of naphtho[1,8-bc]-1,5-dithiocin monooxide and N-p-tosylsulfilimine

Naphtho[1,8-bc]-1,5-dithiocin N-p-tosylsulfilimine ( 8 ) and monosulfoxide ( 9 ) were prepared. On treatment with conc. H₂SO₄, both the sulfilimine ( 8 ) and sulfoxide ( 9 ) gave the dithia dication which was converted to the sulfoxide by hydrolysis. The H–D exchange reaction of ( 8 ) took place highly regioselectively to afford the monodeuterated ( 8–D ) at the a-position of the N-tosyl group. The Pummerer rearrangement reaction of monooxide ( 9 ) with acetic anhydride gave the a-acetoxy derivative by the dication ( 10b ), while a new thio-Claisen rearrangement of sulfilimine ( 8 ) t-BuOK in CH₂Cl₂ gave 2-allyl-naphtho[1,8-bc]-1,5-dithiole. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Monte Carlo simulation of size exclusion chromatography for branched polymers formed through free‐radical polymerization with chain transfer to polymer

The elution curves of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) for branched polymers formed through free‐radical polymerization that involves chain transfer to polymer were theoretically investigated by using a Monte Carlo method. We considered two types of measured molecular weight distribution (MWD), (1) the calibrated MWD relative to standard linear polymers, and (2) the MWD obtained by using a light scattering photometer (LS) in which the weight‐average molecular weight of polymers within the elution volume is determined directly. It was found that the calibrated MWD clearly underestimates the high molecular weight tail, and the measured distributions are narrower than the true MWD. On the other hand, the present simulation results showed that the LS method gives reasonable estimates of the true MWDs. The mean square radius of gyration of the polymer molecules having the same molecular weight was also investigated. The radii of gyration showed clear deviation from the Zimm‐Stockmayer equation^[1] because of the non‐random nature of branched structure and the difference in the primary chain length distribution.