Cellulose-Monomer Interaction and a Revised Mechanism for Graft Copolymerization

Graft copolymerization of electron acceptor acrylic monomers on cellulose involves cellulose-monomer complexation. Cellulose acts as a matrix promoting high localized concentrations of donor-acceptor complexes in which uncomplexed monomer, normally an electron acceptor, behaves as a donor relative to the complexed monomer which has been converted to a stronger acceptor. The cellulose-monomer complexation influences both homopolymerizability and grafting efficiency, e. g. acrylonitrile (AN) and methacrylonitrile (MAN) in the presence of a catalyst and methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the absence of a catalyst. The presence of water, cupric ion, aldehydes, and CCU influence the course of the uncatalyzed reaction. When a donor monomer is present, equimolar alternating rather than random, grafted and ungrafted copolymers are produced, e. g., styrene or butadiene with MMA, MAN, or AN, as a result of the formation of an ordered array of donor-acceptor complexes on the cellulose. The revised mechanism of polymerization involves the homopolymerization of the donor-acceptor complexes, irrespective of the nature of the initiator, and grafting results from termination of the propagating chains by coupling with radicals on the cellulose.