2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl acrylate emulsion‐templated porous polymers (PolyHIPEs). Morphology and reactivity studies

A series of monolithic crosslinked polymers with 2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl acrylate as a reactive component was prepared by free radical polymerization of the internal phases of high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs). The volume ratio of water to oil phase (void volume; 60–90%), crosslinker type (divinylbenzene or ethylenglycol dimethacrylate) and quantity (30–50 mol %) and type of porogenic solvent (chlorobenzene, toluene, chloroform, dichloroethane) were altered to study these effects on the structure and reactivity of the monolithic polymers. The polymer supports were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and mercury intrusion porosimetry. SEM images revealed an open cellular structure with voids between 1 and 12 μm and window sizes between 0.3 and 3 μm. The porogen had an influence on the surface area, being larger with added porogen and the influence being highest with toluene. Adding toluene also influenced the void size, increasing the average diameter from ～2 μm (no porogen) to ～12 μm (added toluene). Monolithic supports were functionalized by reaction of the ester moieties with tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine derivative and by hydrolysis of the ester groups to carboxylic acids. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4043–4053, 2007     

Latices of poly(fluoroalkyl mathacrylate)‐b‐poly(butyl methacrylate) copolymers prepared via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization

Poly(fluoroalkyl mathacrylate)‐block‐poly(butyl methacrylate) diblock copolymer latices were synthesized by a two‐step process. In the first step, a homopolymer end‐capped with a dithiobenzoyl group [poly(fluoroalkyl mathacrylate) (PFAMA) or poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)] was prepared in bulk via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization with 2‐cyanoprop‐2‐yl dithiobenzoate as a RAFT agent. In the second step, the homopolymer chain‐transfer agent (macro‐CTA) was dissolved in the second monomer, mixed with a water phase containing a surfactant, and then ultrasonicated to form a miniemulsion. Subsequently, the RAFT‐mediated miniemulsion polymerization of the second monomer (butyl methacrylate or fluoroalkyl mathacrylate) was carried out in the presence of the first block macro‐CTA. The influence of the polymerization sequence of the two kinds of monomers on the colloidal stability and molecular weight distribution was investigated. Gel permeation chromatography analyses and particle size results indicated that using the PFAMA macro‐CTA as the first block was better than using the PBMA RAFT agent with respect to the colloidal stability and the narrow molecular weight distribution of the F‐copolymer latices. The F‐copolymers were characterized with ¹H NMR, ¹⁹F NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Comparing the contact angle of a water droplet on a thin film formed by the fluorinated copolymer with that of PBMA, we found that for the diblock copolymers containing a fluorinated block, the surface energy decreased greatly, and the hydrophobicity increased. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 471–484, 2007     

Iodine transfer copolymerization of vinylidene fluoride and α‐trifluoromethacrylic acid in emulsion process without any surfactants

The synthesis of poly(VDF‐co‐TFMA) copolymers (where VDF and TFMA stand for vinylidene fluoride and α‐trifluoromethacrylic acid, respectively) by iodine transfer polymerization without any surfactant is presented. First, the synthesis and the control of the copolymerization of VDF and TFMA were investigated in the presence of two chain transfer agents, 1‐perfluorohexyl iodide (C₆F₁₃I) and 1,4‐diodoperfluorobutane (IC₄F₈I). TFMA monomer was incorporated in the copolymer in good yields. Moreover, the molecular weights of the resulting poly(VDF‐co‐TFMA) copolymers were in good agreement with the theoretical values for feed of TFMA/VDF ratios that ranged from 50/50 to 0/100 mol %, showing that TFMA does not disturb the controlled radical polymerization of VDF. The microstructures of the produced copolymers were characterized by ¹H and ¹⁹F NMR to assess the amount of each comonomer, and the molecular weights and the end‐groups of the copolymers. The results on the control of the copolymerization were compared to those obtained with and without the presences of TFMA and surfactant. The addition of a low amount of TFMA improved the control of the polymerization of VDF without using any surfactant. Also, the size of particles, assessed by light scattering, was smaller than 200 nm. The addition of TFMA in low proportions, that is, 5 to 10 mol %, enabled us to stabilize the particle size and to decrease the size by one order of magnitude. The emulsifying behavior of TFMA (in low amount in the copolymer, that is, <10 mol %) was similar to those achieved when a surfactant was added. Indeed, neither sedimentation nor destabilization was observed after several days. The reactivity ratios for r_TFMA and r_VDF were 0 and 1.6 at 80 °C, respectively. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 4710–4722, 2009     

Nanostructured latexes made by a sequential multistage emulsion polymerization

A series of linear and lightly crosslinked nanostructured latices was prepared by a sequential multistage semicontinuous emulsion polymerization process alternating styrene (S) and n‐butyl acrylate (BA) monomer feeds five times, that is ten stages, and vice versa, along with several control latices. Transmission electron micrographs of the RuO₄‐stained cross sections of nanostructured and copolymer latex particles and films showed that their particle morphologies were not very different from each other, but the nanostructured latex particles were transformed into a nanocomposite film containing both polystyrene (PS) and poly(n‐butyl acrylate) (PBA) nanodomains interconnected by their diffuse polymer mixtures (i.e. interlayers). The thermal mechanical behaviors of the nanostructured latex films showed broad but single T_gs slightly higher than those of their counterpart copolymer films. These single T_gs indicated that their major component phases were the diffuse interlayers and that they behaved like pseudopolymer alloys. The minimum film formation temperatures of nanostructured latices capped with PBA and PS, respectively, were 15 °C lower than and equal to those of their counterpart copolymer latices, but their T_gs were about 10 °C higher. Consequently, nanostructured latices enabled us to combine good film formation with high strengths for adhesives and coatings applications. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2826–2836, 2006     

Polymer-catalyzed hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl butyrate in an oil/water emulsion

Catalysis of hydrolytic decomposition of p-nitrophenyl butyrate with the copolymer of N-vinylcaprolactam and N-vinylimidazole in an n-dodecane-water emulsion was studied. The reaction rate in the emulsion is higher than that in a solution containing no emulsified dodecane particles. The data obtained indicate that the reactions involving the surface-active substrate and catalyst can be accelerated by interfaces. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2109–2111, December, 2006.     

Preparation of a xanthate‐terminated dextran by click chemistry: Application to the synthesis of polysaccharide‐coated nanoparticles via surfactant‐free ab initio emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate

Stable monodisperse poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) submicronic latex particles were synthesized by ab initio batch emulsion polymerization using a dextran derivative from renewable resource as an efficient steric stabilizer. The dextranend‐functionalized by a xanthate moiety was synthesized by Huisgen's 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition (click chemistry). It was applied as a macromolecular RAFT (reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer) agent in surfactant‐free emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate to form in situ an amphiphilic block copolymer able to efficiently stabilize the latex particles. The method afforded the preparation of high solids content (27%) latices coated by dextran. Both the kinetic study and the molar mass analyses confirmed the involvement of the dithiocarbonate group in the emulsion polymerization process. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2845–2857, 2008     

Preparation of gradient copolymers via ATRP in miniemulsion. II. Forced gradient

A series of forced gradient copolymers with different controlled distribution of monomer units along the copolymer backbone were successfully prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization in miniemulsion. The newly developed initiation technique, known as activators generated by electron transfer, was beneficial for forced gradient copolymers preparation because all polymer chains were initiated within the miniemulsion droplets and the miniemulsion remained stable throughout the entire polymerization. Various monomer pairs with different reactivity ratios were examined in this study, including n‐butyl acrylate/t‐butyl acrylate, n‐butyl methacrylate/methyl methacrylate, and n‐butyl acrylate/styrene. In each case, the added monomer diffused across the aqueous suspending medium and gradient copolymers with different forced distributions of comonomer units along the polymer backbone were obtained. The shape of the gradient along the backbone of the copolymers was influenced by the molar ratio of the monomers, the reactivity ratio of the comonomers as well as the feeding rate. The shape of the gradient was also affected by the relative hydrophobicities of the comonomers. Copolymerizations exhibited good control for all feeding rates and comonomer feeding ratios, as evidenced by narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.20–1.40) and molecular weight increasing smoothly with polymer yield, indicating high initiation efficiency. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1413–1423, 2007     

Miniemulsion polymerization initiated by L‐ascorbic acid and sulfonate/sulfate surfactants

Styrene miniemulsions that were stabilized by common anionic surfactants (sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, and disulfonated alkyl diphenyl oxide sodium salt) polymerized at 25 °C in the presence of L ‐ascorbic acid without the addition of a free‐radical initiator. The polymerizations exhibited high rates and molecular weights, with conversions greater than 70% achieved in less than 1 h and weight‐average molecular weights greater than 1 × 10⁶ g/mol. Polymers did not form in the absence of L ‐ascorbic acid. Although the final conversion was only slightly independent on the L ‐ascorbic acid concentration, it was dependent on the surfactant concentration. The rate and final conversion were also strongly dependent on the surfactant type. Moreover, it was possible to initiate polymerizations with a monomer‐soluble derivative of L ‐ascorbic acid (L ‐ascorbic acid 6‐palmitate), although the rates were dramatically reduced compared with those when water‐soluble L ‐ascorbic acid was used. High yields and high‐molecular‐weight polymers were also produced with butyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate with L ‐ascorbic acid in the presence of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate. The initiation was attributed to an interaction between the surfactant and L ‐ascorbic acid, which formed a redox initiation system that generated radicals capable of adding monomer. These results are of particular significance for redox‐initiated emulsion/miniemulsion polymerizations with L ‐ascorbic acid as the reducing agent and with sulfate or sulfonate surfactants. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 69–80, 2007