Block copolymerization other methods

Perfluoroalkyl (meth)acrylates FM-12 and FM-15 have been polymerized homogeneously in SCCO2 with copper catalysts/fluorinated ligand systems, but the MWDs of the products are not reported due to the lack of appropriate analytical methods.95 Other flu-orinated monomers (FM-13 and FM-14) were used for block copolymerization with styrene and acrylates with CuBr/L-1 in the bulk under heterogeneous conditions.315... 

Haloester-type trifunctional initiators are obtained from triols by a method similar to those for bifunctional haloesters. 3-arm star polymers of MMA are obtained with dichloroacetates MI-28 and MI-29, for which Ru-1 and Al(acac)3 are employed.228 The polymers have controlled molecular weights and narrow MWDs. Similarly, MI-30 and MI-31 with copper catalysts gave 3-arm star polymers of styrene, acrylates, and methacrylates suitable copper catalysts vary with each monomer.199,326 358 368 The obtained star polymers can be further transformed into star block copolymers comprised of hydrophilic/hydropho-bic368 or organic/inorganic326 segments by block copolymerizations of other monomers. 

A few other methods have been used to prepare polypeptide hybrid copolymers. Inoue polymerized Bn-Glu NCA off of amine-functionalized styrene derivatives, and then copolymerized these end-functionalized polypeptides with either styrene or methyl methacrylate using free radical initiators to yield hybrid comb architecture copolymers [38]. Although unreacted polypeptide was identified and removed by fractionation, copolymers were obtained with polypeptide content that increased with feed ratio. There was no mention if the polypeptide interfered with the radical chemistry. In similar work, Imanishi and coworkers converted the amine-ends of polypeptides to haloacetyl groups that were used to initiate the free radical polymerization of either styrene or methylmethacrylate to yield hybrid block copolymers [39]. Studies using CPC showed that the crude product contained mixtures of copolymers and homopolymers, and so removal of the homopolymers by extraction was necessary. 

Living cationic sequential block copolymerization is one of the simplest and most convenient methods to provide well-defined block copolymers. The successful synthesis of block copolymers via sequential monomer addition relies on the rational selection of polymerization conditions, such as Lewis acid, solvent, additives, and temperature, and on the selection of the appropriate order of monomer addition. For a successful living cationic sequential block copolymerization, the rate of crossover to a second monomer ( ) must be faster than or at least equal to that of the homopolymerization of a second monomer (i p). In other words, efficient crossover could be achieved when the two monomers have similar reactivities or when crossover occurs from the more reactive to the less reactive monomer. When crossover is from the less reactive monomer to the more reactive one a mixture of block copolymer and homopolymer is invariably formed because of the unfavorable Rcr/Rp ratio. The nucleophilicity parameter (N) reported by Mayr s group might be used as the relative scale of monomer reactivity [171]. 

In this book special reference is made to polymer associations of various types -binding of small molecules by polymers, polymer hydration, block-copolymerization, thermoreversible gelation, and their flow properties. These topics do not, by any means, exhaust the possibilities of the method. They serve, however, to illustrate its power. The author hopes that others will be stimulated by what has already been done to attempt further applications of the theory of associating polymer solutions. 

Thus, performing the activation in the presence of radically polymerizable alkenes leads to the first examples of well-defined AB or ABA-type PVDF-block copolymers with styrene (e, e ), butadiene (f, f, vinyl chloride (g, g ), vinyl acetate (h, h ), methyl acrylate (i, i, i"). and acrylonitrile (j, j ), initiated from both the PVDF halide chain ends. While here Mn2(CO)io simply performs irreversible halide activation, and there is no IDT, control of the block copolymerization can be envisioned by other CRP methods. 

Block copolymers from cyclooolelins have been prepared by various experimental techniques [52]. Some interesting methods use living ROMP catalysts, which allow ready synthesis of new products having controllable structures and properties. Other methods apply cross-metathesis between unsaturated polymers and/or polyalkenamers [3], polymerization of cycloolelins in the presence of unsaturated polymers [4], polymerization of two or more cycloolelins of quite different reactivities with classical ROMP catalysts [4], and copolymerization of cycloolefins with other monomers, effected by changing the polymerization mechanism from ROMP to anionic, cationic, Ziegler Natta, and group transfer, and vice versa [6-8, 52]. 

One drawback of these approaches is the possible adverse effects of y-irradiation on any entrapped drugs [see, for example, 162], particularly with the first method which requires relatively high doses of radiation. It is possible, however, that the oil may exert a protective effect on labile drugs and this has still to be investigated in detail. Other block copolymeric surfactants have also been gelled by irradiation, increasing the scope for the use of these surfactant sj stems [163]. Three-ply walled microcapsules formed from a multiple emulsion have recently been described [164]. 

VEs do not readily enter into copolymerization by simple cationic polymerization techniques instead, they can be mixed randomly or in blocks with the aid of living polymerization methods. This is on account of the differences in reactivity, resulting in significant rate differentials. Consequendy, reactivity ratios must be taken into account if random copolymers, instead of mixtures of homopolymers, are to be obtained by standard cationic polymeriza tion (50,51). Table 5 illustrates this situation for butyl vinyl ether (BVE) copolymerized with other VEs. The rate constants of polymerization (kp) can differ by one or two orders of magnitude, resulting in homopolymerization of each monomer or incorporation of the faster monomer, followed by the slower (assuming no chain transfer). 

Most of the methods for synthesizing block copolymers were described previously. Block copolymers are obtained by step copolymerization of polymers with functional end groups capable of reacting with each other (Sec. 2-13c-2). Sequential polymerization methods by living radical, anionic, cationic, and group transfer propagation were described in Secs. 3-15b-4, 5-4a, and 7-12e. The use of telechelic polymers, coupling and transformations reactions were described in Secs. 5-4b, 5-4c, and 5-4d. A few methods not previously described are considered here. 

Copolymerization is a facile method to diversify the structure of polymer materials. However, if the polymerizabiHties of comonomers are far from each other, copolymerization is essentially difficult, resulting in the formation of a mixture of the homopolymers and/or the copolymer with block sequences. This is the case for the anionic copolymerization of epoxide and episulfide, where the po-lymerizabihty of episulfide is much higher than that of epoxide, and the copolymer consisting mostly of -S-C-C-S- and -O-C-C-O- homo sequences is formed [87]. As mentioned in the previous sections, the zinc complex of /-methylpor-phyrin brings about polymerization of both epoxide and episulfide. 

Controlled radical polymerization (CRP) is an attractive tool, because of the resultant controllability of polymerization, and because of it being a versatile method to synthesize of well-defined polymer hybrids. The three main radical polymerization techniques, ATRP, NMP, and RAFT polymerization, have thus been employed. Other techniques, such as the oxidation of borane groups, have also been studied. In general, using CRP techniques, block copolymers can be synthesized from terminally functionalized PO as PO macroinitiator, and block copolymers can be prepared from functionalized PO produced by the copolymerization of olefins with functional monomers. 

All the CRP methods have strengths that can be exploited in particular systems. TEMPO is essentially useful only for the polymerization of styrene-based monomers, whether for the preparation of statistical or block copolymers [38]. The radicals generated through the self-initiation of St help to moderate the rate of polymerization by consuming any excess TEMPO generated by termination reactions, which will not occur with other monomers. Acrylate monomers, for example, are very sensitive to the concentration of free TEMPO and therefore its build-up causes the polymerization to stop. The use of different nitroxides and alkoxyamines like DEPN [73] and TMPAH [71], which provide higher equilibrium constants and allow for faster polymerization rates, has also enabled the homo- and copolymerizations of acrylate monomers, as well as for St at lower temperatures. Block order is important, however, and chain end functionality is reduced when TMPAH functional polymers are chain extended with BA. This may... 

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