Cyclocopolymerization of allyl‐acrylate quaternary ammonium salts with diallyldimethylammonium chloride

A series of copolymers of N,N‐dialkyl‐N‐2‐(methoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride, N,N‐dialkyl‐N‐2‐(ethoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride, and N,N‐dialkyl‐N‐2‐(t‐butoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium bromide with diallyldimethylammonium chloride (DADMAC) were prepared in water at 60 °C with 2,2′‐azo‐bis(2‐amidinopropane)dihydrochloride. A strong effect of ester substituents on cyclopolymerization was observed. The methyl and ethyl ester monomers showed high cyclization efficiencies during homopolymerizations and copolymerizations. Unexpectedly, the t‐butyl ester derivatives showed high crosslinking tendencies. Water‐soluble copolymers were obtained only with a decrease in the molar fraction of t‐butyl ester monomer below 30%. Relative reactivities of the allyl‐acrylate monomers in photopolymerizations were compared with the relative reactivity of DADMAC. Allyl‐acrylate monomers were much more reactive than DADMAC; the photopolymerization rate decreased in the following order: N,N‐morpholine‐N‐2‐(t‐butoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium bromide > N,N‐piperidyl‐N‐2‐(t‐butoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium bromide > N,N‐dibutyl‐N‐2‐(ethoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride > N,N‐piperidyl‐N‐2‐(ethoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride ∼ N,N‐morpholine‐N‐2‐(ethoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride ∼ N,N‐piperidyl‐N‐2‐(methoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride > N‐methyl‐N‐butyl‐N‐2‐(ethoxycarbonyl)allyl allyl ammonium chloride. Intrinsic viscosities of the polymers measured in 0.09 M NaCl ranged from 1.06 to 3.20 dL/g. The highest viscosities were obtained for copolymers of the t‐butyl ester monomers with piperidine and morpholine substituents. The copolymer of the t‐butyl ester with piperidine substituent and DADMAC was hydrolyzed in acid to give a polymer with zwitterionic character. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 640–649, 2001     

AuSO4: A True Gold(II) Sulfate with an Au24+ Ion

Red single crystals of AuSO₄ have been obtained by evaporating a solution of Au(OH)₃ in concentrated sulfuric acid. The crystal structure (orthorhombic, Pbca, Z = 8, a = 854.9(2), b = 824.9(3), c = 1001.1(4) pm) exhibits the dumbbell shaped Au₂⁴⁺ cation (bond length Au–Au: 249 pm) which is coordinated by two chelating and two monodentate SO₄^2– groups. The monodentate sulfate anions act as chelating ligand to another Au₂⁴⁺ ion leading to infinite sheets according to [(Au₂)(SO₄)_4/2] which are stacked in [001] direction.     

Microstructural Analysis of Benzoxazine Cationic Ring-Opening Polymerization Pathways

Herein, an evaluation of the initial step of benzoxazine polymerization is presented by mass spectrometry, with a focus on differentiating the phenoxy and phenolic products formed by distinct pathways of the cationic ring opening polymerization (ROP) mechanism of polybenzoxazine formation. The use of infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) and ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) techniques allows for differentiation of the two pathways and provides valuable insights into the ROP mechanism. The results suggest that type I pathway is favored in the initial stages of the reaction yielding the phenoxy product, while type II product should be observed at later stages when the phenoxy product would interconvert to the most stable type II phenolic product. Overall, the findings presented here provide important information on the initial step of the benzoxazine polymerization, allowing the development of optimal polymerization conditions and represents a way to evaluate other multifunctional polymerization processes.     

From Infinite Chains according to 1∞[Zr(S2O7)4/2] in Zr(S2O7)2 to the unprecedented [Zr(S2O7)4]4– Anion in Ag4[Zr(S2O7)4]

The reaction of ZrCl₄ with oleum (65 % SO₃) in the presence of Ag₂SO₄ at 250 °C yielded colorless single crystals of Zr(S₂O₇)₂ [orthorhombic, Pccn, Z = 4, a = 709.08(6) pm, b = 1442.2(2) pm, c = 942.23(9) pm, V = 963.5(2) × 10⁶ pm³]. Zr(S₂O₇)₂ shows Zr⁴⁺ ions in an eightfold distorted square antiprismatic coordination of oxygen atoms belonging to four chelating disulfate units. Each S₂O₇^2– ion is connected to a further Zr⁴⁺ ion leading to chains according to ¹_∞[Zr(S₂O₇)_4/2]. The same reaction at a temperature of 150 °C resulted in the formation of Ag₄[Zr(S₂O₇)₄] [monoclinic, C2/c, Z = 4, a = 1829.35(9) pm, b = 704.37(3) pm, c = 1999.1(1) pm, β = 117.844(2)°, V = 2277.6(2) × 10⁶ pm³]. Ag₄[Zr(S₂O₇)₄] exhibits the unprecedented [Zr(S₂O₇)₄]^4– anion, in which the central Zr⁴⁺ cation is coordinated by four chelating disulfate units. Thus, in Ag₄[Zr(S₂O₇)₄] the ¹_∞[[Zr(S₂O₇)_4/2] chains observed in Zr(S₂O₇)₂ are formally cut into pieces by the implementation of Ag⁺ ions.