Molecular weight distributions in polymerizing systems with different coexisting active centers

Polymerization of acrylonitrile initiated by organomagnesium compounds Bu₂Mg or BuMgCl leads to almost monodisperse polymers. The molecular weight distribution (MWD) of these polymers is so narrow that it cannot be measured by means of the ultracentrifuge. It remains narrow till high conversions. On the other hand, initiation by complex Bu₃Mg₂I leads to polymers with a broad MWD. From kinetic measurements we know that this reaction is free of chain termination and chain transfer. Also the initiation of chains is practically immediate. The reason for broad MWD in this particular case is the coexistence of different growing centers of polymerization. The propagation constants for these centers are obviously different. If these different active centers can periodically undergo transition from one type into the other the MWD of resulting polymer chains will broaden. A very simple semiquantitative theory for this phenomenon was developed. It shows that the fewer exchanges between the coexisting centers that occur during the reaction time, the broader will be the MWD of the polymer chains. Hence it was concluded that the broadest MWD of products must be found at low conversions. With an increase of reaction time and conversion the MWD becomes more narrow. This peculiar prediction was corroborated by experiment.