Carbon copolymers, molecular weight

Chromium Oxide-Based Catalysts. Chromium oxide-based catalysts were originally developed by Phillips Petroleum Company for the manufacture of HDPE resins subsequendy, they have been modified for ethylene—a-olefin copolymerisation reactions (10). These catalysts use a mixed sihca—titania support containing from 2 to 20 wt % of Ti. After the deposition of chromium species onto the support, the catalyst is first oxidised by an oxygen—air mixture and then reduced at increased temperatures with carbon monoxide. The catalyst systems used for ethylene copolymerisation consist of sohd catalysts and co-catalysts, ie, triaLkylboron or trialkyl aluminum compounds. Ethylene—a-olefin copolymers produced with these catalysts have very broad molecular weight distributions, characterised by M.Jin the 12—35 and MER in the 80—200 range. 

Similarly, carbon disulfide and propylene oxide reactions are cataly2ed by magnesium oxide to yield episulftdes (54), and by derivatives of diethyUiac to yield low molecular weight copolymers (55). Use of tertiary amines as catalysts under pressure produces propylene trithiocarbonate (56). 

The molecular weight (M 10,200,000) represents the highest molecular weight known to date for a linear, synthetic copolymer. DFT calculations suggest that steric congestion, derived from the triethylsilyl group and the amine moiety, near the polymerization reaction center diminishes the rates of chain termination or transfer processes yet permits the monomer access to the active site and the monomer s insertion into the metal-carbon bond (Fig. 21). 

As is expected from these results, it is very difficult to control the polymerization of monomers other than St, e.g., that of MMA, because of the too small dissociation energy of the chain end of poly(MMA). In fact, the polymerization of MMA in the presence of TEMPO yielded the polymer with constant Mn irrespective of conversion, and the Mw/Mn values are similar to those of conventional polymerizations [216]. The disproportionation of the propagating radical and TEMPO would also make the living radical polymerization of MMA difficult. In contrast, the controlled polymerization of MA, whose propagating radical is a secondary carbon radical,has recentlybeen reported [217]. Poly(MA) with a narrow molecular weight distribution and block copolymers were obtained. 

The remarkably high molecular weights of copolymers of dioxolan and styrene, which were achieved by Yamashita, are also easily intelligible in terms of the insertion mechanisms shown in schemes (D) and (E) the fact that cationically produced polystyrenes have low molecular weights is mainly due to proton transfer to monomer from the P-carbon at the growing end of a chain. If there is no growing end but a cyclic oxonium ion, this reaction cannot occur, and thus the principal chainbreaking reaction is frustrated. 

From dimeric to oligomeric sodium acrylate having a molecular weight of 500 was easily biodegraded. However, it seems that the specific microbes utilizing this polyvinyl-type copolymers as a sole carbon source are relatively scarce in the environment, and the biodegradability of these types of copolymers differ according to... 

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