Some aspects of anionic butadiene copolymerization

The relationship between ideal copolymerization behavior and the nature of reactive species in butyllithium (n-BuLi) initiated anionic copolymerization of styrene (St)- butadiene (Bd) in nonpolar solvent has been discussed. The monomer reactivity ratios (m.r.r.) for various reactive species were evaluated by kinetic study and statistical approach (using ¹³C NMR data) in St-Bd anionic copolymerization system with THF as polar additive. The Markovian mechanisms for different propagating reactions in this complex copolymerizing system have been postulated. Furthermore, “pseudo” zero order Markovian mechnism could be sophisticatedly established in the n-BuLi/tertiary amyloxy potassium (t-AmOK)/THF initiated St-Bd copolymerization system, provided that the apparent rate constants of both monomers are equal. Thus, by adjusting the ratio of K/Li and THF/Li, copolymers with composition almost identical to the ratio of initial monomer feed composition at different stages of conversion could be obtained.