| Abstract: | Polymers containing pendant acetylacetonate (acac) groups suitable for crosslinking through metal complex formation are described. Diene-based copolymers, polystyrene, and polydimethylsiloxane, each containing a measurable number of acac groups distributed along the chains, were synthesized. The polymers were studied both for the amount of acac ligand and for their crosslinking reactions with selected transition metals by ultraviolet (UV) second-derivative spectroscopy. The UV analyses of the polymer systems were compared with their monomer analogs, and the results confirm that the crosslinking chelation reactions of polymer compounds are similar to those of model compounds. Homogeneous chelate crosslinking conditions were developed by using transition-metal salts such as Cu(laurate)2, Fe(laurate)3, and Cr(laurate)3 in solvents such as chloroform and benzene. Polymeric ligands containing 1–5% acac in solution at various concentrations were reacted to form both inter- and intramolecular crosslinkages. The kinetic stability of the chelate crosslinks has been studied by a unique ligand exchange–gel solubility relationship. |
