Atom abstraction-induced polymerization

VII. Atom Abstraction-Induced Ring-Opening Polymerization of... 

Depolymerizations and degradations always accompany atomic radiation. Aside from these statistical events, some vulnerable points in the molecule may be selectively attacked, and so nonrandom or ordered events may also be taking place. Henley (H19) has reviewed the three events which may occur (1) an abstraction of one particular molecule or group of molecules out of the chain (2) further polymerization, in case unsaturation was present or induced or (3) selective decomposition of a specific side chain. 

As discussed in the preceding sections of this chapter, the key to living cationic polymerization is to reduce the effect of chain transfer reactions (Scheme 4) because termination is much less important in the cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers. The primary reason for frequent chain transfer reactions of the growing carbocation (1) is the acidity of the /3-H atoms, next to the carbocationic center, where a considerable part of the positive charge is localized. Because of their electron deficiency, the protons can readily be abstracted by monomers, the counteranion (B ), and other basic components of the systems, to induce chain transfer reactions. It is particularly important to note that cationically polymerizable monomers are, by definition, basic or nucleophilic. Namely, they have an electron-rich carbon-carbon double bond that can be effectively poly-... 

Peroxide Vulcanization of Unsaturated Hydrocarbon Elastomers. The initiation step in peroxide-induced vulcanization is the decomposition of the peroxide to give free radicals. If the elastomer is derived from butadiene or isoprene, the next step is either the abstraction of a hydrogen atom from an allyUc position on the polymer molecule or the addition of the peroxide-derived radical to a double bond of the polymer molecule. In either case, polymeric free radicals are the result (Scheme 17). 

Transition metal complexes functioning as redox catalysts are perhaps the most important components of an ATRP system. (It is, however, possible that some catalytic systems reported for ATRP may lead not only to formation of free radical polymer chains but also to ionic and/or coordination polymerization.) As mentioned previously, the transition metal center of the catalyst should undergo an electron transfer reaction coupled with halogen abstraction and accompanied by expansion of the coordination sphere. In addition, to induce a controlled polymerization process, the oxidized transition metal should rapidly deactivate the propagating polymer chains to form dormant species (Fig. 11.16). The ideal catalyst for ATRP should be highly selective for atom transfer, should not participate in other reactions, and should deactivate extremely fast with diffusion-controlled rate constants. Finther, it should have easily tunable activation rate constants to meet sped c requirements for ATRP monomers. For example, very active catalysts with equilibrium constants K > 10 for styrenes and acrylates are not suitable for methacrylates. 

Chain transfer reactions mostly proceed by abstraction of a monovalent atom such as hydrogen or a halogen. The scission of a bond carbon - oligovalent (e.g., H) atom is of interest for the introduction of endgroups into a polymer produced in a free radical reaction. Radically induced vinyl monomer polymerization with the possibility of chain transfer to a polymer of different chemical structure present in the reaction mixture leads to graft copolymers if bond scission occurs outside the main chain, no matter whether a single atom or a grouping is abstracted. Quite a different result is obtained if a radical attack involves a bond in the main chain of the polymer, if this bond scission occurs at a monovalent atom, which must be at the chain end, there is block copolymer formation. If bond scission occurs inside the polymer backbone, either block or random copolymers are produced [63]. 

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