Base-initiated ring-opening polymerization

Research Focus Preparation of rhenium-based nucleotides by ligand-initiated ring-opening polymerization. 

Acheson process, 566 Acid-initiated ring-opening polymerization comparison widi base-initiated process, 79 kinetics, 79-80 mechanism, 79-81 rate retardation by water, 81 relative reactivities of cyclosiloxanes, 79 step-growth process, 79 Acyclic oligosilanes, photochemical transformations, 432/-433/ Acylsilanes... 

Nylon-6 is the polyamide formed by the ring-opening polymerization of S-caprolactam. The polymerization of S-caprolactam can be initiated by acids, bases, or water. Hydrolytic polymerization initiated by water is often used in industry. The polymerization is carried out commercially in both batch and continuous processes by heating the monomer in the presence of 5—10% water to temperatures of 250—280°C for periods of 12 to more than 24 h. The chemistry of the polymerization is shown by the following reaction sequence. 

By means of a ring-opening polymerization of the condensation type Vlasov et al. [50] synthesized polypeptide based MAIs with azo groups in the polymeric backbone. The method is based on the reaction of a hydracide derivative of AIBN and a N-carboxy anhydride. Containing one central azo group in the polymer main chain, the polymeric azo initiator was used for initiating block copolymerizations of styrene and various methacrylamides. 

Zhong Z, Dijkstra PJ, Birg C, Westerhausen M, Feijen J (2001) A novel and versatile calcium-based initiator system for the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters. Macromolecules 34 3863-3868... 

Cycloalkenes undergo ring-opening polymerization in the presence of coordination initiators based on transition metals to yield polymers containing a double bond, for instance, cyclo-pentene yields polypentenamer [IUPAC poly(pent-l-ene-l,5-diyl)] [Amass, 1989 Cazalis et al., 2000, 2002a,b Claverie and Soula, 2003 Doherty et al., 1986 Ivin, 1984, 1987 Ivin and Mol, 1997 Ofstead, 1988 Schrock, 1990, 1994 Tmka and Gmbbs, 2001], The... 

In contrast to template polycondensation or ring-opening polymerization, template radical polymerization kinetics has been a subject of many papers. Tan and Challa proposed to use the relationship between polymerization rate and concentration of monomer or template as a criterion for distinguishing between Type I and Type II template polymerization. The most popular method is to examine the initial rate or relative rate, Rr, as a function of base mole concentration of the template, [T], at a constant monomer concentration, [M]. For Type I, when strong interactions exist between the monomer and the template, Rr vs. [T] shows a maximum at [T] = [M]q. For type II, Rr increases with [T] to the critical concentration of the template c (the concentration in which template macromolecules start to overlap with each other), and then R is stable, c (concentration in mols per volume) depends on the molecular weight of the template. 

A fast catalyst for the ring-opening polymerization of D4 in solution or in the bulk has been reported by Molenberg and Moller13. They report the use of a phosphazene base in combination with methanol as the initiator, compound 3. 

For selectiveness of initiation of graft reactions, the use of a tin octoate (SnOct2) (or tin(II) 2-ethylhexanoate) catalyst is convenient for preparing this type of copolymers, polysaccharide-gra/f-PHAs, because the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters such as lactides and e-caprolactone (CL) can be initiated efficiently by hydroxo-initiators (i.e. based on hydroxyl groups) in the presence of SnOct2 [12-16], as exemplified in Scheme la. 

Cationic organozinc compounds are expected to be good catalysts for ring opening polymerization reactions of epoxides and lactones because the enhanced Lewis acidity (see Lewis Acids Bases) of the zinc center favors its coordination to the monomer. For example, Walker and coworkers have found that the cationic zinc substituted cyclopentadienyl complex [3,5-Me2C6H3CH2CMe2C5H4Zn(TMEDA)]+ [EtB(C6F5)3] is an active initiator species for the polymerization of cyclohexene oxide and e-caprolactone. ... 

Skorokhodov has recently used an unusual method for initiation. Although applied till now only for vinyl monomers, it is worth noticing, because of its potential use also for the cationic ring-opening polymerization. The method is based on the (3-decay of tritium or organic tritium compounds ... 

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