Molecular weight anionic chain polymerization

Anionic polymerization, however, can be used to produce high molecular weight narrow distribution polystyrene. If all the chains are initiated at the same time and the temperature is kept low to minimize chain transfer, molecular weight distributions very close to monodisperse can be produced. The commercial uses of these polymers seem to be limited to instrument calibrations and laboratory studies of the effects of molecular weight on rheology and physical properties. However, anionic polymerization as a potential commercial method for producing polystyrene has been extensively studied by Dow and others. The potential for high polymerization rates, complete conversion of... 

The ratio M IMn approaches unity asymptotically as increases. Narrow molecular weight distributions should thus be obtained in living ionic polymerizations with fast initiation in the absence of depropagation, termination, and chain transfer reactions. Values of polydispersity index (PDI) below 1.1 -1.2 are indeed found for many living polymerizations. Molecular weight-standards for polystyrene, poly-isoprene, poly(a-methylstyrene), and poly (methyl methacrylate) are thus synthesized by living anionic polymerizations. However, the termination reactions in methyl methacrylate polymerizations and depropagation in or-methylstyrene polymerizations tend to broaden the PDI in these systems. 

Small angle neutron scattering (SANS) measurements were performed on poly(isoprene) networks at different uniaxial strains, i.e., 1,0 < X (extension ratio) <2.1. The networks were prepared from anionically polymerized, a, oo-dihydroxy-poly(isoprene) precursors (H-chains) and the corresponding poly(isoprene-dg) isotopic counterparts (D-chains), crosslinked in concentrated tetrahydrofuran solutions by trifunctional crosslinkers, tri-isocyanates. The two components of the radius of gyration of elastic strands, parallel and perpendicular to the strain axis, were determined from the vSANS data of the networks with 8% and 15% D-chains. Two molecular weights of D-chains, 26,000 and 64,000, crosslinked with approximately the same molecular weight H-chains (29,000 and 68,000 respectively) were examined for the deformation behaviors. 

SBR is prepared by anionic polymerization initiated by lithium alkyls in cycloaliphatic media as a solvent. The main feature of this class of anionic chain polymerization is that it is a living polymerization, i.e., the polymeric chain ends are able to survive even when monomer is completely depleted and to reinitiate the polymerization reaction when monomer is newly added. Due to the absence of termination reactions, pol5mier active chain ends do not inherently terminate, continuously growing up to tiie complete depletion of monomers this in turn means that the average pol5uner molecular weight can be predicted from the amount of starting material and tiie quantity of the initiator. 

The addition polymerization of a vinyl monomer CH2=CHX involves three distinctly different steps. First, the reactive center must be initiated by a suitable reaction to produce a free radical or an anion or cation reaction site. Next, this reactive entity adds consecutive monomer units to propagate the polymer chain. Finally, the active site is capped off, terminating the polymer formation. If one assumes that the polymer produced is truly a high molecular weight substance, the lack of uniformity at the two ends of the chain—arising in one case from the initiation, and in the other from the termination-can be neglected. Accordingly, the overall reaction can be written... 

In ionic polymerizations termination by combination does not occur, since all of the polymer ions have the same charge. In addition, there are solvents such as dioxane and tetrahydrofuran in which chain transfer reactions are unimportant for anionic polymers. Therefore it is possible for these reactions to continue without transfer or termination until all monomer has reacted. Evidence for this comes from the fact that the polymerization can be reactivated if a second batch of monomer is added after the initial reaction has gone to completion. In this case the molecular weight of the polymer increases, since no new growth centers are initiated. Because of this absence of termination, such polymers are called living polymers. 

The block copolymer produced by Bamford s metal carbonyl/halide-terminated polymers photoinitiating systems are, therefore, more versatile than those based on anionic polymerization, since a wide range of monomers may be incorporated into the block. Although the mean block length is controllable through the parameters that normally determine the mean kinetic chain length in a free radical polymerization, the molecular weight distributions are, of course, much broader than with ionic polymerization and the polymers are, therefore, less well defined,... 

The use of an unsaturated anionic initiator—such as potassium p-vinyl benzoxide—is possible for the ring opening polymerization of oxirane [43]. Although initiation is generally heterogenous, the polymers exhibit the molecular weight expected and a low polydispersity. In this case, the styrene type unsaturation at chain end cannot get involved in the process, as the propagating sites are oxanions. 

Regarding anion radical transfer, low-molecular weight azo compounds were used as terminating agents in anionic polymerizations. An interesting example is the addition of a living polystyrene chain to one nitrile group of AIBN [71]. The terminal styryl anion is likely to form... 

In general, the activation energies for both cationic and anionic polymerization are small. For this reason, low-temperature conditions are normally used to reduce side reactions. Low temperatures also minimize chain transfer reactions. These reactions produce low-molecular weight polymers by disproportionation of the propagating polymer ... 

Values of CP measured in the presence of added PMMA (for example) will depend on how the PMMA was prepared and its molecular weight (i.e. on the concentration of unsaturated ends). PMMA formed by radical polymerization in the presence of a good H-donor transfer agent (or by anionic polymerization) would have only saturated chain ends. These PMMA chains should have a different transfer constant to those formed by normal radical polymerization where termination occurs by a mixture of combination and disproportionation. This could account for some of the variation in the values of CP for this polymer... 

Anionic polymerizations carried out in aprotic solvents with an efficient initiator may lead to molecular weight control (Mn is determined by the monomer to initiator mole ratio) and low polydispersity indices. The chains are linear and the monomer units are placed head-to-tail. Such polymers are commonly used as calibration samples and for investigation of structure-properties relationships. 

Interest in anionic polymerizations arises in part from the reactivity of the living carbanionic sites4 7) Access can be provided to polymers with a functional chain end. Such species are difficult to obtain by other methods. Polycondensations yield ro-functional polymers but they provide neither accurate molecular weight control nor low polydispersity. Recently Kennedy51) developed the inifer technique which is based upon selective transfer to fit vinylic polymers obtained cationically with functions at chain end. Also some cationic ring-opening polymerizations52) without spontaneous termination can yield re-functional polymers upon induced deactivation. Anionic polymerization remains however the most versatile and widely used method to synthesize tailor made re-functional macromolecules. 

Anionic polymerizations are well suited for the synthesis of polymers fitted at chain end with reactive functions. Block copolymers can result from reactions between suitable functions carried by two different functional precursors. In some cases the carbanionic sites themselves are the reactive functions. In other cases, functional polymers (obtained anionically, or by other methods) can be reacted with low molecular weight coupling agents. Here are a few examples ... 

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