Sterically stabilized emulsion polymerization of styrene: Pseudo‐semicontinuous approach

The sterically stabilized emulsion polymerization of styrene initiated by a water‐soluble initiator at different temperatures has been investigated. The rate of polymerization (R_p) versus conversion curve shows the two non‐stationary‐rate intervals typical for the polymerization proceeding under non‐stationary‐state conditions. The shape of the R_p versus conversion curve results from two opposite effects—the increased number of particles and the decreased monomer concentration at reaction loci as the polymerization advances. At elevated temperatures the monomer emulsion equilibrates to a two‐phase or three‐phase system. The upper phase is transparent (monomer), and the lower one is blue colored, typical for microemulsion. After stirring such a multiphase system and initiation of polymerization, the initial coarse polymer emulsion was formed. The average size of monomer/polymer particles strongly decreased up to about 40% conversion and then leveled off. The initial large particles are assumed to be highly monomer‐swollen particles formed by the heteroagglomeration of unstable polymer particles and monomer droplets. The size of the “highly monomer” swollen particles continuously decreases with conversion, and they merge with the growing particles at about 40–50% conversion. The monomer droplets and/or large highly monomer‐swollen polymer particles also serve as a reservoir of monomer and emulsifier. The continuous release of nonionic (hydrophobic) emulsifier from the monomer phase increases the colloidal stability of primary particles and the number of polymer particles, that is, the particle nucleation is shifted to the higher conversion region. Variations of the square and cube of the mean droplet radius with aging time indicate that neither the coalescence nor the Ostwald ripening is the main driving force for the droplet instability. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 804–820, 2003     

A new method for the generation of stable phenoxyl radicals by the reaction of [(Me3Si)2N]2E (E = Ge,Sn) with sterically hindered phenols

An unusual reaction of diaminogermylene and diaminostannylene with sterically hindered phenols which leads to the formation of stable phenoxyl radicals in high concentrations was found. The reaction mechanism was proposed. Amides [(Me₃Si)₂N]₂E (E = Ge, Sn) were investigated electrochemically.     

The effect of side substituents on rotation hindrance in polyheteroarylenes

Hindered rotation was considered in calculations of the conformational parameters of a series of polyheteroarylenes with bulky side substituents by the Monte-Carlo method. Within the range of experimental errors, the results of calculations for several polyarylates coincide with the values of conformational rigidity, determined from hydrodynamic experimental data. The proposed procedure was used to estimate the rigidities of a number of polymers with bulky side substuents for which experimental determination is difficult. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 1287–1296, July, 1998.     

Synthesis and axial ligation behaviour of sterically hindered Zn(II)-porphyrin liquid crystals

A new class of low melting liquid crystalline octaalkyloxyporphyrins have been synthesised. Their Zn(II)-complexes display an interesting ligation behaviour towards amines (of varying shapes and sizes), ascribed to the steric hindrance or hydrophobic pockets on both the faces of the porphryin as evidenced from the crystal structure of Zn(II)-octabutyloxyporphyrin.     

Dependence of the rate constants on the treatment of internal rotation modes: the reaction OH + CH3SH --> CH3S + H2O as an example

The title reaction has been used as an example to test the importance of using a hindered rotor treatment instead of a harmonic oscillator model for calculating vibrational partition functions corresponding to low-frequency internal rotation modes. First, a normal-mode analysis according to the Ayala and Schlegel's algorithm has been used to identify the internal rotation modes of methanethiol and the transition state structure. Then, after calculation of the energy barrier for each internal rotation, the corresponding hindered rotor partition functions have been calculated following the CW scheme of Chuang and Truhlar. The results show that the anharmonic treatment produces a rather modest improvement of the rate constants at room temperature or below.     

Dynamic headspace analysis of trace volatile components in polymeric materials by wide bore capillary gas chromatography

A novel dynamic headspace gas chromatographic system equipped with a wide bore capillary column was constructed for direct analysis of less volatile components in polymeric materials such as coating paints. With this system, the determination of typical paint additives such as hindered amine light stabilizers and ultraviolet absorbers could be carried out within a short time.     

Rotational isomerism involving an acetylenic carbon. Part 5: Restricted rotation about acetylenic axis in sterically crowded bis(1-phenyl-9-anthryl)ethynes

The title sterically crowded di-9-anthrylethyne derivative with 3,5-ⁱPr₂-phenyl groups at 1-position showed a barrier to rotation about the acetylenic axis of 18.0 kcal mol⁻¹ based on a dynamic NMR study, which is an extremely high value for acyclic diarylethynes. The mechanism of the dynamic stereochemistry and the substituent effect on the rotational barrier are discussed.     

Aminomethylation of hindered 2-propargyl-1,3-diketones

2-Propargyl-substituted methoxy-1,3-diketones react with alkoxymethylamines or paraform and secondary amines in the presence of CuCl at the acetylene group to afford Mannich bases.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 1293–1295, May, 1996.     

Synthesis, characterization and antifungal activity of copper (II) complexes of sterically hindered o-diphenol derivatives

Cu (II) complexes with 3,5-di(tert-butyl)-1,2-benzenediol (I), 4,6-di(tert-butyl)-1,2,3-benzentriol (II) and sulfur-containing sterically hindered o-diphenol derivatives such as 4,6-di(tert-butyl)-3-(2-hydroxyethylsulfanyl)-1,2-benzenediol (III) and 2-[4,6-di(tert-butyl)-2,3-dihydroxyphenylsulfanyl]acetic acid (IV) have been synthesized and characterized by means of elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FT-IR, ESR, XPS, XPD and conductivity measurements. Antifungal activities of these ligands and their respective Cu (II) complexes have been determined against Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillium lividum, Mucor sp. and Botrytis cinerea. Most of the compounds (both the free ligands and the complexes) exert pronounced antifungal activities (RI  70%), and virtually all of them (apart from the Cu(L^II)₂ complex) have the highest inhibitory properties (RI = 100%) against B. cinerea.     

The effect of the steric hindrance on metallic cation conduction in polymer electrolytes

2,6-Di-t-butylphenol and oligo(ethylene oxide) bound covalently to polyisocyanate were synthesized and characterized. The ionic conductivities of their Li, Na, and K phenolates were studied at various temperatures. The conductivities were in the range of 10^?7?10^?5 S/cm at 30°C. The conductivity of Na and K salts was approximately 10² greater than that of the Li salts. The t-butyl groups serve to dissociate K and Na ions from the phenoxide. The cations, therefore, are more mobile as a result increasing the conductivity. The temperature dependence of ionic conductivity suggests that the migration of ions is controlled by segmental motion of the polymer, shown by linear curves obtained in Vogel–Tammann–Fulchere plots. The polyisocyanate backbone is a rather stiff structure, however, a flexible oligo(ethylene oxide) side chain forms complexes with metal ion. Since the ion transport is associated with the local movement of polymer segments, the rigidity of the polymer backbone does not have much influence on the ion mobility.