Anionic polymerization synthesis

Polymerization ofiVIasked Disilenes. A novel approach, namely, the anionic polymerization of masked disilenes, has been used to synthesize a number of poly(dialkylsilanes) as well as the first dialkylamino substituted polysilanes (eq. 13) (111,112). The route is capable of providing monodisperse polymers with relatively high molecular weight M = lO" — 10 ), and holds promise of being a good method for the synthesis of alternating and block copolymers. 

Photoinitiators provide a convenient route for synthesizing vinyl polymers with a variety of different reactive end groups. Under suitable conditions, and in the presence of a vinyl monomer, a block AB or ABA copolymer can be produced which would otherwise be difficult or impossible to produce by another polymerization method. Moreover, synthesis of block copolymers by this route is much more versatile than those based on anionic polymerization, since a wider range of a monomers can be incorporated into the blocks. 

The generic features of these approaches are known from experience in anionic polymerization. However, radical polymerization brings some issues and some advantages. Combinations of strategies (a-d) are also known. Following star formation and with appropriate experimental design to ensure dormant chain end functionality is retained, the arms may be chain extended to give star block copolymers (321). In other cases the dormant functionality can be retained in the core in a manner that allows synthesis of mikto-arm stars (324). 

The arm-first synthesis of star microgels by initiating polymerization or copolymerization of a divinyl monomer such as diviny lbenzene or a bis-maleimide with a polystyryl alkoxyamine was pioneered by Solomon and coworkers.692 693 The general approach had previously been used in anionic polymerization. The method has now been exploited in conjunction with NMP,692 6 ATRP69 700 and RAFT.449 701 702 The product contains dormant functionality in the core. This can be used as a core for subsequent polymerization of a monoene monomer to yield a mikto-arm star (NMP ATRP704). 

Surprisingly, after this very first example, there was a 20 year delay in the literature in the appearance of the second report on siloxane macromonomers. However, during this period there have been numerous studies and developments in the vinyl and diene based macromonomers91 -94). The recent approach to the synthesis of siloxane macromonomers involves the lithiumtrimethylsilanolate initiated anionic polymerization of hexamethyltrisiloxane in THF 95,123). The living chain ends were then terminated by using styrene or methacrylate functional chlorosilanes as shown in Reaction Scheme X. 

Another important consequence of the limitations concerning cross-addition is that anionic polymerization is not suited for the synthesis of random copolymers. If a mixture of two anionically polymerizable monomers is reacted with an initiator, the most electrophilic monomer will polymerize while the other is left almost untouched 30). In other words, a general feature of anionic binary copolymerization is that one of the reactivity ratios is extremely high while the other is close to zero. 

The synthesis of well defined block copolymers exhibiting controlled molecular weight, low compositional heterogeneity and narrow molecular weight distribution is a major success of anionic polymerization techniques 6,7,14-111,112,113). Blocks of unlike chemical nature have a general tendency to undergo microphase separation, thereby producing mesomorphic phases. Block copolymers therefore exhibit unique properties, that prompted numerous studies and applications (e.g. thermoplastic elastomers). 

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 ... 

Anionic polymerization techniques can also be applied to the synthesis of graft copolymers 6 7 87 1U). Kennedy s classification 134) is used here as shown in Scheme 5. 

The purpose of this review is to show how anionic polymerization techniques have successfully contributed to the synthesis of a great variety of tailor-made polymer species Homopolymers of controlled molecular weight, co-functional polymers including macromonomers, cyclic macromolecules, star-shaped polymers and model networks, block copolymers and graft copolymers. 

It is however necessary to prove carefully in each case whether the system is suited for anionic polymerizations, whether no side reactions are involved, whether initiation is fast and quantitative, whether the synthesis conditions are adequate. Accurate polymer characterization is required to check the efficiency of the preparation method. Although anionic polymerizations are extremely efficient and useful in macromolecu-lar engineering, they are no panacea and have to be applied with circumspection and much care. 

Yijin X. and Caiyaun P., Block and star-hlock copolymers by mechanism transformation. 3. S-(PTHF-PSt)4 and S-(PTHF-PSt-PMMA)4 from living CROP to ATRP, Macromolecules, 33, 4750, 2000. Feldthusen J., Ivan B., and Mueller A.H.E., Synthesis of linear and star-shaped block copolymers of isobutylene and methacrylates hy combination of living cationic and anionic polymerizations. Macromolecules, 31, 578, 1998. 

Analogous principles should apply to ionically propagated polymerizations. The terminus of the growing chain, whether cation or anion, can be expected to exhibit preferential addition to one or the other carbon of the vinyl group. Poly isobutylene, normally prepared by cationic polymerization, possesses the head-to-tail structure, as already mentioned. Polystyrenes prepared by cationic or anionic polymerization are not noticeably different from free-radical-poly-merized products of the same molecular weights, which fact indicates a similar chain structure irrespective of the method of synthesis. In the polymerization of 1,3-dienes, however, the structure and arrangement of the units depends markedly on the chain-propagating mechanism (see Sec. 2b). 

The role of reactive centers is performed here by free radicals or ions whose reaction with double bonds in monomer molecules leads to the growth of a polymer chain. The time of its formation may be either essentially less than that of monomer consumption or comparable with it. The first case takes place in the processes of free-radical polymerization whereas the second one is peculiar to the processes of living anionic polymerization. The distinction between these two cases is the most greatly pronounced under copolymerization of two and more monomers when the change in their concentrations over the course of the synthesis induces chemical inhomogeneity of the products formed not only for size but for composition as well. 

Milkovich, R. In Anionic Polymerization Kinetics. Mechanisms and Synthesis ACS Symposium Series No. 166 American Chemical Society Washington, DC, 1981. 

A radical initiator based on the oxidation adduct of an alkyl-9-BBN (47) has been utilized to produce poly(methylmethacrylate) (48) (Fig. 31) from methylmethacrylate monomer by a living anionic polymerization route that does not require the mediation of a metal catalyst. The relatively broad molecular weight distribution (PDI = (MJM ) 2.5) compared with those in living anionic polymerization cases was attributed to the slow initiation of the polymerization.69 A similar radical polymerization route aided by 47 was utilized in the synthesis of functionalized syndiotactic polystyrene (PS) polymers by the copolymerization of styrene.70 The borane groups in the functionalized syndiotactic polystyrenes were transformed into free-radical initiators for the in situ free-radical graft polymerization to prepare s-PS-g-PMMA graft copolymers. 

Polymer Synthesis and Characterization. This topic has been extensively discussed in preceeding papers.(2,23,24) However, we will briefly outline the preparative route. The block copolymers were synthesized via the sequential addition method. "Living" anionic polymerization of butadiene, followed by isoprene and more butadiene, was conducted using sec-butyl lithium as the initiator in hydrocarbon solvents under high vacuum. Under these conditions, the mode of addition of butadiene is predominantly 1,4, with between 5-8 mole percent of 1,2 structure.(18) Exhaustive hydrogenation of polymers were carried out in the presence of p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide (19,25) in refluxing xylene. The relative block composition of the polymers were determined via NMR. 

McGrath, J. E.,editor, "Anionic Polymerization Kinetics, Mechanisms and Synthesis," ACS Symposium Series, No. 166, 1981. 

Since the discovery of living anionic polymerization and the first synthesis of diblock copolymers, this technique has emerged as the most reliable... 

Applying these methodologies monomers such as isobutylene, vinyl ethers, styrene and styrenic derivatives, oxazolines, N-vinyl carbazole, etc. can be efficiently polymerized leading to well-defined structures. Compared to anionic polymerization cationic polymerization requires less demanding experimental conditions and can be applied at room temperature or higher in many cases, and a wide variety of monomers with pendant functional groups can be used. Despite the recent developments in cationic polymerization the method cannot be used with the same success for the synthesis of well-defined complex copolymeric architectures. 

The controlled radical polymerization techniques opened up a new era in polymer synthesis, and further growth and developments are certain. However, the control of the molecular characteristics and the variety of macro-molecular architectures reported by these methods cannot be compared with those obtained by other living polymerization techniques such as anionic polymerization. 

An interesting procedure has been proposed for the synthesis of amylose-b-PS block copolymers through the combination of anionic and enzymatic polymerization [131]. PS end-functionalized with primary amine or dimethylsilyl, -SiMe2H groups were prepared by anionic polymerization techniques, as shown in Scheme 56. The PS chains represented by the curved lines in Scheme 56 were further functionalized with maltoheptaose oligomer either through reductive amination (Scheme 57) or hydrosilyla-tion reactions (Scheme 58). In the first case sodium cyanoborohydride was used to couple the saccharide moiety with the PS primary amine group. 

Anionic polymerization and suitable Unking chemistry were employed for the synthesis of 3-arm PCHD-fc-PS star-block copolymers with PCHD either as the inner or the outer block (Scheme 77) [153]. The block copolymers were prepared by sequential addition of monomers. It was shown that the crossover reaction of either PSIi or PCHDLi was efficient and led to well-defined block copolymers. However, in the case of the PCHD-fc-PSLi copolymers, longer polymerization times were needed for long PCHD... 

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