Metallation of poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-prop-1-yne) and poly(vinyltrimethylsilane) with superbases

The pathway and degree of metallation of polymers were studied depending on the the conditions (temperature, concentration, nature, and component ratio) of metallation of poly(1-trimethylsilylprop-1-yne) (PTMSP) and poly(vinyltrimethylsilane) (PVTMS) by superbases, viz., BuⁿLi and Bu^sLi, in combination with potassium tert-pentyl oxide (Pe^tOK). For the BuⁿLi—Pe^tOK system (1 : 3), the yield of modified PTMSP reached 90%. In the case of PTMSP, only the Me groups at the double bonds and at the Si atoms undergo metallation, whereas only the Me groups at the Si atoms are metallated in PVTMS. The kinetics of metallation with the BuⁿLi—Pe^tOK system was studied.     

Poly[1‐(trimethylgermyl)‐1‐propyne] and poly[1‐(trimethylsilyl)‐1‐propyne] with various geometries: Their synthesis and properties

The polymerization of 1,2‐disubstituted acetylenes [1‐(trimethylgermyl)‐1‐propyne and 1‐(trimethylsilyl)‐1‐propyne] initiated by Nb‐ and Ta‐based catalytic systems was studied within a wide temperature range (?10 to +80 °C) with solvents (cyclohexane, CCl₄, toluene, anisol, and n‐chlorobutane) with variable dielectric constants (2.023–7.390). Conditions ensuring the synthesis of poly[1‐(trimethylsilyl)‐1‐propyne] (PTMSP) containing 20–80% cis units and poly[1‐(trimethylgermyl)‐1‐propyne] (PTMGP) containing 3–65% cis units were determined. The PTMSP and PTMGP samples were amorphous, exhibited a two‐phase structure characterized by the presence of less ordered regions and regions with an enhanced level of ordering, and differed in solubility. A correlation was found between the cis/trans ratio and the morphology, the geometrical density of PTMSP and PTMGP films, and the gas permeability of the polymers. The gas permeability and solubility behavior of PTMSP and PTMGP were examined in terms of the molecular characteristics of the polymer samples (the thermodynamic Kuhn segment and the Kerr electrooptic effect). It was demonstrated that the gas permeability, as well as the solubility of the polymers, was defined by their supramolecular ordering, which depended on the lengths of continuous sequences composed of units of analogous microstructures and on the flexibility of macrochains. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2133–2155, 2003     

The effect of solvent nature upon the optical anisotropy of poly-(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne)

Optical properties of poly-(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) in solvents with different refractive indices and optical anisotropies have been studied by the dynamic birefringence method. An optical shape-effect has been detected in solvents characterized by refractive indices n_s different from those of dry polymer n_k. It was revealed that this effect is an effect of the macromolecule segment shape; this allowed us to estimate thermodynamic rigidity of the molecular chains under study (A = 82 × 10⁻⁸ cm). It has been found that the optical shear coefficient of the studied polymers solutions in anisotropic solvents exceeds considerably the same parameter in an isotropic solvent. It has been shown that this difference is caused by the solvent anisotropic molecules orientation by the axis of maximal polarizability along the macromolecule backbone. The assumption that the solvent molecules orientation order with respect to chain molecules does not depend on the chain molecule thermodynamic rigidity allowed us to obtain independent estimate of the sizes of static segments of the macromolecules under study (98 × 10⁻⁸ cm).     

Investigations on the peculiar permeation properties of volatile organic compounds and permanent gases through PTMSP

In contrast to common glassy polymers, poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP), a high free volume glassy polymer, shows a preferable permeation of large condensable organic vapors in comparison to permanent gases. In order to investigate this phenomenon, a systematic permeability study over a large activity range has been performed on PTMSP with three types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as diffusing probes: toluene, dimethylketone and dichloromethane. PTMSP was synthesized with different catalytic systems (Nb or Ta based) able to induce controlled sub-molecular cis–trans structures. Whereas dimethylketone and dichloromethane permeability can be correctly described by a classical dual-mode equation, a peculiar bell shaped pattern was obtained for toluene, with a minimum permeability located at an activity value around a=0.3–0.4. In that case, only a dual-mode expression taking into account a concentration dependent diffusion coefficient can account for the results.

On the other hand some apparent conflicting data recorded from PTMSP brand new films were related to the microstructure of the polymer main chain thanks to ¹³C NMR spectroscopy analysis showing importance of cis- and trans-forms of the main chain of PTMSP. cis-Structure is more flexible and can be responsible for the creation of a higher density physical network (HDN) in polymeric matrix; conversely, trans-structure is more rigid and can provide lower density physical network (LDN). The higher permeability recorded for several probes through PTMSP synthesized with TaCl₅/Al(i-Bu)₃ catalytic system compared to those of NbCl₅ based polymer can be explained by the geometric difference of the macromolecule networks.     

Effect of solvent nature on the optical anisotropy of poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) molecules

The optical properties of poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) solutions in solvents possessing optical anisotropy have been studied with dynamic birefringence measurements. In solvents characterized by refractive indexes different from the refractive index of a dry polymer, the optical form effect has been discovered. This effect is determined by the shape asymmetry of a macromolecular segment and its rigidity. Estimates showed that the length of the statistical segment, which characterizes the thermodynamic rigidity of the macromolecular chains under study, is 82 × 10^?8 cm. The shear optical coefficient for solutions of the test polymer in an anisotropic solvent is markedly higher than the corresponding value in an isotropic solvent. This difference is related to the orientation of anisotropic solvent molecules along the main chain of a macromolecule by their highest polarizability axis. Under the assumption that the orientational order of solvent molecules relative to chain macromolecules is independent of the thermodynamic rigidity of chain molecules, the size of the statistical segment of the macromolecules in question has been independently estimated as 98 × 10^?8 cm.     

Living polymerization of 4-methyl-2-pentyne and 1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne initiated by NbCl5-Ph4Sn catalyst

The polymerization of 4-methyl-2-pentyne and 1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne initiated by catalytic systems based on niobium pentachloride and Et₃SiH, Bu₄Sn, Ph₄Sn, and Ph₃SiH as cocatalysts has been investigated. Direct evidence for the living polymerization of 4-methyl-2-pentyne and 1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne with the NbCl₅-Ph₄Sn catalytic system is derived. These are the linear molecular mass dependence on conversion and the continuation of chain propagation after introduction of a new monomer portion.