Block copolymers cationic

The main techniques for synthesis of block copolymers in research laboratories around the world are presently anionic polymerization and living polymerization, cationic and radical. The older technique of anionic polymerization is still used widely in the industrial manufacture of block copolymers. Cationic polymerization may be used to polymerize monomers that cannot be polymerized anionically, although it is used for only a limited range of monomers. A summary of block copolymer synthesis techniques has been provided (5). 

Styrene—butadiene block copolymers are made with anionic chain carriers, and low molecular weight PS is made by a cationic mechanism (110). Analytical standards are available for PS prepared by all four mechanisms (see Initiators). 

Considerable advances have taken place in the 1990s with regard to cationic polymerisation of styrene. Its uses to make block copolymers and even living cationic polymerisation have been reported (171). 

Fig. 20. UV initiated cationic cure of epoxidized block copolymer in the presence of alcohol (Kraton Polymer s EKP-207 and L1203 inono-ol).

Low-molecular weight azo compounds have frequently been used in cationic polymerizations producing azo-containing polymers. Thus, the combination of ionically and radically polymerizable monomers into block copolymers has been achieved. Azo compounds were used in all steps of cationic polymerization without any loss of azo function as initiators, as monomers and, finally, as terminating agents. 

Block copolymers have been synthesized on an industrial scale mainly by anionic or cationic polymerization, although monomers for block components are limited to ones capable of the process. Intensive academic and technological interest in radical block copolymerization using macroinitiators is growing. This process can be implemented in plants with easier handling of materials, milder conditions of operation, and a variety of materials to give various kinds of block copolymers to develop a wide application area [1-3]. 

It was theorized that cationic initiators containing Si-Cl functions in conjunction with alkylaluminum compounds would lead to polymers with Si-Cl head-groups which subsequently could be useful for the preparation of block copolymers by coupling. The following equations help to visualize this proposition ... 

Ion coupling of anionic and cationic living polymers is an interesting procedure for the synthesis of a well-defined block copolymer. Attempted coupling of the polystyrene anion with the poly-THF cation initiated by triethyloxonium tetrafluoro-borate yielded a block copolymer mixed with homopolymers394. The block ef-... 

This polymeric oxocarbenium salt readily initiates the cationic ring opening polymerization of oxolane to produce a polystyrene-polyTHF block copolymer. Molecular weight control is provided, polydispersity is narrow and compositional heterogeneity is small59). 

Polystyrene-polytetrahydrofuran block copolymers121122 are an interesting case of coupling between functional polymers The mutual deactivation of living anionic polystyrene and living cationic polyoxolane occurs quantitatively to yield polystyrene-polyoxolane block copolymers. Since either of the initial polymer species can be mono- or difunctional, diblock, triblock or multiblock copolymers can be obtained. 

Yijin X. and Caiyaun P., Block and star-hlock copolymers by mechanism transformation. 3. S-(PTHF-PSt)4 and S-(PTHF-PSt-PMMA)4 from living CROP to ATRP, Macromolecules, 33, 4750, 2000. Feldthusen J., Ivan B., and Mueller A.H.E., Synthesis of linear and star-shaped block copolymers of isobutylene and methacrylates hy combination of living cationic and anionic polymerizations. Macromolecules, 31, 578, 1998. 

Allcock HR, Reeves SD, Nelson JM, Crane CA, and Manners I. Polyphosphazene block copolymers via the controlled cationic, ambient temperature polymerization of phosphoranimines. Macromolecules, 1997, 30, 2213-2215. 

In the same scheme, moreover, it is evident that, besides phosphazene homopolymers, the substitution of the chlorines with two (or more) different substituents leads to the preparation of substituent phosphazene copolymers [263] containing different homosubstituted and heterosubstituted monomeric units. Moreover, the cationic polymerization of phosphoranimines [215-217] produces polymers with hving reactive ends (vide supra) from which the preparation of chain phosphazene copolymers (block copolymers) [220,223,225, 229,232-235,239, 240] formed by different polymeric backbones linked together in a unique macromolecule could be obtained. 

LW Seymour, K Kataoka, AV Kabanov. In PF AV Kabanov, LW Seymour, eds. Cationic Block Copolymers as Self-Assembling Vectors for Gene Delivery. Chichester, UK Wiley, 1998, pp 219-240. 

Vaterite is thermodynamically most unstable in the three crystal structures. Vaterite, however, is expected to be used in various purposes, because it has some features such as high specific surface area, high solubility, high dispersion, and small specific gravity compared with the other two crystal systems. Spherical vaterite crystals have already been reported in the presence of divalent cations [33], a surfactant [bis(2-ethylhexyl)sodium sulfate (AOT)] [32], poly(styrene-sulfonate) [34], poly(vinylalcohol) [13], and double-hydrophilic block copolymers [31]. The control of the particle size of spherical vaterite should be important for application as pigments, fillers and dentifrice. 

Surfactants used as lubricants are added to polymer resins to improve the flow characteristics of the plastic during processing they also stabilise the cells of polyurethane foams during the foaming process. Surfactants are either nonionic (e.g. fatty amides and alcohols), cationic, anionic (dominating class e.g. alkylbenzene sulfonates), zwitterionic, hetero-element or polymeric (e.g. EO-PO block copolymers). Fluorinated anionic surfactants or super surfactants enable a variety of surfaces normally regarded as difficult to wet. These include PE and PP any product required to wet the surface of these polymers will benefit from inclusion of fluorosurfactants. Surfactants are frequently multicomponent formulations, based on petro- or oleochemicals. 

In both anionic and cationic polymerization it is possible to create living polymers . In this process, we starve the reacting species of monomer. Once the monomer is exhausted, the terminal groups of the chains are still activated. If we add more monomer to the reaction vessel, chain groivth will restart. This technique provides us with a uniquely controllable system in which we can add different monomers to living chains to create block copolymers. 

Well-defined phosphazene block copolymers were prepared by the cationic polymerization of phosphoranimines [57]. Block copolymers of the type [N = PCl2]n[N = PR(R )]m were prepared using a wide variety of phos-... 

Kwon, Y. and Faust, R. Synthesis of Polyisobutylene-Based Block Copolymers with Precisely Controlled Architecture by Living Cationic Polymerization. Vol. 167, pp. 107-135. 

Fig. 5.5 (A) Alginate block copolymer structure with random sequences (B) divalent cations induced gelation of alginate (formation of egg-box structure).

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