Anions initiating

Polyacetaldehyde, a mbbery polymer with an acetal stmcture, was first discovered in 1936 (49,50). More recentiy, it has been shown that a white, nontacky, and highly elastic polymer can be formed by cationic polymerization using BF in Hquid ethylene (51). At temperatures below —75° C using anionic initiators, such as metal alkyls in a hydrocarbon solvent, a crystalline, isotactic polymer is obtained (52). This polymer also has an acetal [poly(oxymethylene)] stmcture. Molecular weights in the range of 800,000—3,000,000 have been reported. Polyacetaldehyde is unstable and depolymerizes in a few days to acetaldehyde. The methods used for stabilizing polyformaldehyde have not been successful with poly acetaldehyde and the polymer has no practical significance (see Acetalresins). 

In the mid-1950s, the Nobel Prize-winning work of K. Ziegler and G. Natta introduced anionic initiators which allowed the stereospecific polymerization of isoprene to yield high cis-1,4 stmcture (3,4). At almost the same time, another route to stereospecific polymer architecture by organometaHic compounds was aimounced (5). 

In solution-based polymerisation, use of the initiating anionic species allows control over the trans /cis microstmcture of the diene portion of the copolymer. In solution SBR, the alkyUithium catalyst allows the 1,2 content to be changed with certain modifying agents such as ethers or amines. The use of anionic initiators to control the molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, and the microstmcture of the copolymer has been reviewed (15). 

Azirines react with enolate anions. Initial nucleophilic attack on phenyl 1-azirine by the enolate anion derived from acetophenone gives intermediate (223) which undergoes 1,2-bond cleavage, cyclization and hydroxyl group elimination to give pyrrole (226). 

Alkyl cyanoacrylate monomers have been copolymerized with a variety of monomers, both by radical and anionic initiation. The radical-initiated copolymerization with acrylic monomers was performed with a sufficient amount of an acid stabilizer present to suppress polymerization by anionic means [19]. This investigation has been covered extensively elsewhere. 

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. 

The addition of living poly(styrene) to AIBN leads finally, especially for high coupling efficiencies, to the elimination of one nitrile group [72]. More recently, Ren et al. [73] have used bis(2-chloroethyl)2,2 -azodiisobu-tyrate (see scheme 19) to terminate anionically initiated poly(butadiene) chains. Since the azo transfer agent possesses two functional groups (Cl) that are able to termi-... 

Addition polymerization is employed primarily with substituted or unsuhstituted olefins and conjugated diolefins. Addition polymerization initiators are free radicals, anions, cations, and coordination compounds. In addition polymerization, a chain grows simply hy adding monomer molecules to a propagating chain. The first step is to add a free radical, a cationic or an anionic initiator (I ) to the monomer. For example, in ethylene polymerization (with a special catalyst), the chain grows hy attaching the ethylene units one after another until the polymer terminates. This type of addition produces a linear polymer ... 

Anionic polymerization is better for vinyl monomers with electron withdrawing groups that stabilize the intermediates. Typical monomers best polymerized by anionic initiators include acrylonitrile, styrene, and butadiene. As with cationic polymerization, a counter ion is present with the propagating chain. The propagation and the termination steps are similar to cationic polymerization. 

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