ATRP Monomers

Monomers which have been successfully polymerized using ATRP include styrenes, acrylates, methacrylates, and several other relatively reactive monomers such as acrylamides, vinylpyridine, and acrylonitrile, which contain groups (e.g., phenyl, carbonyl, nitrile) adjacent to the carbon radicals that stabilize the propagating chains and produce a suf cientiy large atom transfer equilibrium constant. The range of monomers polymerizable by ATRP is thus greater than that accessible by nitroxide-mediated polymerization, since it includes the entire family of methacrylates. However, acidic monomers (e.g., methacrylic acid) have not been successfully polymerized by ATRP and so also halogenated alkenes, alkyl-substimted ole ns, and vinyl esters because of then-very low intrinsic reactivity in radical polymerization and radical addition reactions (and hence, presumably, a very low ATRP equilibrium constant). 

Even under the same conditions of polymerization using the same catalyst, each monomer has its unique atom transfer equilibrium constant for its active and dormant species and the magnitude of this equilibrium constant = Aaet/ deact) determines the polymerization rate (Matyjaszewski 

Too low equihbrinm constant may be the main reason that ATRP of ole ns, halogenated alkenes, and vinyl acetate has not been successful. Since each monomer has a speci c equilibrium constant, optimal conditions for ATRP, which include the type and amount of catalyst, temperature, solvent, and other additives, may be quite different for different monomers (Matyjaszeswki and Xia, 2001). 

A wide range of acrylates with various side chains have been polymerized using ATRP to obtain well-de ned functional polymers, e.g., ATRP of 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, glycidyl acrylate, and tert-butyl acrylate (yielding well-de ned poly(acrylic acid) on hydrolysis). Among several transition metal catalysts, viz., copper, ruthenium, and iron-based systems, which have been successfully used for the controlled ATRP of acrylates, copper appears to be superior in producing well-de ned polyacrylates with low polydispersities. 

For ATRP of acrylonitrile (AN), it is necessary to use a solvent because polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is not soluble in its monomer. Though DMF is a good solvent for PAN, it is not favored because it may also complex with copper. ATRP of AN has been successfully carried out in homogeneous system using ethylene carbonate as the solvent, CuBr(bpy)2 complex as the catalyst and (2-bromopropionitrile as the initiator at temperatures ranging from 44°C to 64°C. 

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Compartmentalization by sequential monomer addition was also successfully demonstrated in the chemoenzymatic synthesis of block copolymers in SCCO2 using lH,lH,2H,2H-perfluorooctyl methacrylate (FOMA) as an ATRP monomer. Detailed analysis of the obtained polymer P(FOMA-i>-PCL) confirmed the presence of predominantly block copolymer structures (16). The clear advantage of the SCCO2 in this approach is that unlike conventional solvents it solubilises the fluorinated monomer. 

We investigated the chemoenzymatic synthesis of block copolymers combining eROP and ATRP using a bifunctional initiator. A detailed analysis of the reaction conditions revealed that a high block copolymer yield can be realized under optimized reaction conditions. Side reactions, such as the formation of PCL homopolymer, in the enzymatic polymerization of CL could be minimized to < 5 % by an optimized enzyme (hying procedure. Moreover, the structure of the bifunctional initiator was foimd to play a major role in the initiation behavior and hence, the yield of PCL macroinitiator. Block copolymers were obtained in a consecutive ATRP. Detailed analysis of the obtained polymer confirmed the presence of predominantly block copolymer structures. Optimization of the one-pot procedure proved more difficult. While the eROP was compatible with the ATRP catalyst, incompatibility with MMA as an ATRP monomer led to side-reactions. A successfiil one-pot synthesis could only be achieved by sequential addition of the ATRP components or partly with inert monomers such as /-butyl methacrylate. One-pot block copolymer synthesis was successful, however, in supercritical carbon dioxide. Side reactions such as those observed in organic solvents were not apparent. 

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. 

ATRP has been widely used for the polymerization of methacrylates. However, a very wide range of monomers, including most of those amenable to conventional radical polymerization, has been used in ATRP. ATRP has also been used in cyclopolymerization (e.g. of 16flm364) and ring opening polymerization or copolymerization e.g. of 16T 115 366 and 162 67). ... 

The selection of reaction conditions for ATRP is dependent on many factors including the particular monomer, initiator and catalyst. 

ATRP is usually performed in solution. Many solvents can be used with the proviso that they do not interact adversely with the catalyst. Common solvents include ketones (butanonc, acetone) and alcohols (2-propanol). Solvents such as anisole and diphenyl ether are frequently used for polymerizations of S and other less polar monomers to provide greater catalyst solubility. 

Emulsion polymerization has proved more difficult. N " Many of the issues discussed under NMP (Section 9.3.6.6) also apply to ATRP in emulsion. The system is made more complex by both activation and deactivation steps being bimolecular. There is both an activator (Mtn) and a deactivator (ML 1) that may partition into the aqueous phase, although the deactivator is generally more water-soluble than the activator because of its higher oxidation state. Like NMP, successful emulsion ATRP requires conditions where there is no discrete monomer droplet phase and a mechanism to remove excess deactivator built up in the particle phase as a consequence of the persistent radical effect.210 214 Reverse ATRP (Section 9.4,1,2) with water soluble dialky 1 diazcncs is the preferred initiation method/87,28 ... 

One of the major advantages of radical polymerization over most other forms of polymerization, (anionic, cationic, coordination) is that statistical copolymers can be prepared from a very wide range of monomer types that can contain various unprotected functionalities. Radical copolymerization and the factors that influence copolymer structure have been discussed in Chapter 7. Copolymerization of macromonomers by NMP, ATRP and RAFT is discussed in Section 9.10.1. 

Lewis acids (dicthylaluminum chloride, ethyl aluminum scsquichloridc) have been used in conjunction with ATRP to provide greater alternating tendency in S-MMA copolytnerization.519 However, poor control was obtained because of interaction between the catalyst (CuCI/dNbpy) and the Lewis acid. Better results were obtained by RAFT polymerization/10 Copper catalysts, in particular Cu(lI)Br/PMDETA, have been shown to coordinate monomer but this has negligible influence on the outcome of copolymerization/6 ... 

The reaction scheme for RAFT copolymerization is relatively complex (Scheme 9.49) when considered alongside that for NMP or ATRP (Scheme 9.48). A summary of RAF T copolymerizations is provided in fable 9.22. An advantage of RAFT over other methods is its greater compatibility with monomers containing protic functionality though as yet few have taken advantage of this in the synthesis of functional copolymers. 

Although, ATRP appears most suited to polymerization of methacrylate monomers, a very w ide range of monomers can and have been used as is... 

Optimal conditions for ATRP depend strongly on the particular monomer(s) to be polymerized. This is mainly due to the strong dependence of the activation-deactivation equilibrium constant (A ), and hence the rate of initiation, on the type of propagating radical (Section 9.4.1.3). When using monomers of different types, polymer isolation and changes in the catalyst are frequently necessary before making the second block... 

Triblock copolymers can be prepared from diblock copolymers by a third monomer addition. They can also be prepared using a bis-funetional NMP or ATRP initiator or a bis-RAFT agent (for examples, see Table 9.13). Symmetrical trithiocarbonates (Table 9.15) should also be considered as bis-RAFT agents in... 

I he method of polymerization needs to be chosen for compatibility with functionality in the cores and the monomers to be used. Star block copolymers have also been reported. Mulli(bromo-compounds) may be used directly as ATRP initiators or they can be converted to RAFT agents. One of the most common... 

With appropriate choice of reaction conditions, hyperbranched polymers can be formed by sclf-condcnsing vinyl polymerization of monomers that additionally contain the appropriate initiator (NMP, ATRP), when the compounds are called inimers, or RAFT agent functionality. Monomers used in this process include 340,716 341717 and 34204 (for NMP), 108714,714 and 344 and related monomers720 723 (for ATRP) and 343408 (for RAFT). Careful control of reaction conditions is required to avoid network formation. 

Several techniques have been applied in attaching the appropriate functionality to the polymer surface. For example, copolymeri/ation of a monomer containing functionality (alkoxyamine e.g. 358 or 359,744 ATRP initiator, e.g. 352,734 RAFT... 

The very small number of growing polymer chains, when compared to the monomer concentration results in a very low overall concentration of free control agent and leads to inefficient capping of chain ends. One solution to this problem is the addition of a free or unbound control agent to the polymerization medium. This can take the form of a low molecular weight alkoxyamine, ATRP initiator, RAFT agent or, alternatively, free deactivator such as nitroxide or Cu(II). This species is often called a sacrificial agent. This solution also leads to the formation of free polymer that must ultimately be removed from the brush. 

In 2003, the van Hest group produced elastin-based side-chain polymers [123]. This research was motivated by the demonstration of the occurrence of an inverse temperature transition in a single repeat of VPGVG [124]. A methacrylate-functionalized VPGVG was synthesized and used as a monomer to perform atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to produce homopolymers (Fig. 16b) or... 

Star polymers are a class of polymers with interesting rheological and physical properties. The tetra-functionalized adamantane cores (adamantyls) have been employed as initiators in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) method applied to styrene and various acrylate monomers (see Fig. 21). 

The chain architecture and chemical structure could be modified by SCVCP leading to a facile, one-pot synthesis of surface-grafted branched polymers. The copolymerization gave an intermediate surface topography and film thickness between the polymer protrusions obtained from SCVP of an AB inimer and the polymer brushes obtained by ATRP of a conventional monomer. The difference in the Br content at the surface between hyperbranched, branched, and linear polymers was confirmed by XPS, suggesting the feasibility to control the surface chemical functionality. The principal result of the works is a demonstration of utility of the surface-initiated SCVP via ATRP to prepare surface-grafted hyperbranched and branched polymers with characteristic architecture and topography. 

The direct synthesis of poly(3-sulfopropyl methacrylate)-fr-PMMA, PSP-MA-fr-PMMA (Scheme 27) without the use of protecting chemistry, by sequential monomer addition and ATRP techniques was achieved [77]. A water/DMF 40/60 mixture was used to ensure the homogeneous polymerization of both monomers. CuCl/bipy was the catalytic system used, leading to quantitative conversion and narrow molecular weight distribution. In another approach the PSPMA macroinitiator was isolated by stopping the polymerization at a conversion of 83%. Then using a 40/60 water/DMF mixture MMA was polymerized to give the desired block copolymer. In this case no residual SPMA monomer was present before the polymerization of MMA. The micellar properties of these amphiphilic copolymers were examined. 

Like all controlled radical polymerization processes, ATRP relies on a rapid equilibration between a very small concentration of active radical sites and a much larger concentration of dormant species, in order to reduce the potential for bimolecular termination (Scheme 3). The radicals are generated via a reversible process catalyzed by a transition metal complex with a suitable redox manifold. An organic initiator (many initiators have been used but halides are the most common), homolytically transfers its halogen atom to the metal center, thereby raising its oxidation state. The radical species thus formed may then undergo addition to one or more vinyl monomer units before the halide is transferred back from the metal. The reader is directed to several comprehensive reviews of this field for more detailed information. 

Several nickel(II) complexes (e.g., (173)-(176)) have successfully been used to catalyze ATRP, especially when coupled with bromo-initiators, although activities are usually lower than with copper, ruthenium or iron systems.416-419 The alkylphosphine complex (175) is thermally more stable than (174) and has been used to polymerize a variety of acrylate monomers between 60 °C and 120 °C.418 Complex (176) is an unusual example of a well-defined zerovalent ATRP catalyst it displays similar activities to the Ni11 complexes, although molecular weight distributions (1.2-1.4) are higher.419 Pd(PPh3)4 has also been investigated and was reported to be less controlled than (176).420... 

Acrylate monomers may also be polymerized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The reader is referred to Section 9.1.3.3 for an overview of catalyst systems. 

Copper-catalyzed ATRP is a multicomponent system, consisting of a monomer, an initiator with a transferable (pseudo)halogen, and a copper complex (composed of a copper (pseudo)halide and nitrogen-based complexing ligand). For a successful... 

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