Cationic polymerization requirements

Applying these methodologies monomers such as isobutylene, vinyl ethers, styrene and styrenic derivatives, oxazolines, N-vinyl carbazole, etc. can be efficiently polymerized leading to well-defined structures. Compared to anionic polymerization cationic polymerization requires less demanding experimental conditions and can be applied at room temperature or higher in many cases, and a wide variety of monomers with pendant functional groups can be used. Despite the recent developments in cationic polymerization the method cannot be used with the same success for the synthesis of well-defined complex copolymeric architectures. 

In comparison to carbanions, which maintain a full octet of valence electrons, carbenium ions are deficient by two electrons and are much less stable. Therefore, the controlled cationic polymerization requires specialized systems. The instability or high reactivity of the carbenium ions facilitates undesirable side reactions such as bimolecular chain transfer to monomer, /1-proton elimination, and carbenium ion rearrangement. All of that limits the control over the cationic polymerization. 

Cationic polymerization requires relatively stable carbocation intermediates. 

Cationic poiymerization. In cationic chain polymerization the propagating species is a carbocation. Cationic polymerizations require monomers that have electron-releasing groups such as an alkoxy, phenyl, or a vinyl group (Table 14.20). 

Catalysis of cationic polymerization requires formation of Bronsted acid, while the product of interest in connection with free radical cures is an aryl radical. Early results [69] suggested that the photogeneration of acid, followed by an indicator technique, might be more efficient than formation of the radical products, estimated as Phi and Ph2S, for photolysis of Ph2I+ and... 

Poly(e-caprolactone) is another practically important polyester formed by ionic polymerization of the cyclic ester. Cationic polymerization requires relatively high temperatures this enhances proton transfer and decreases the molecular weight, whereas anionic polymerization provides living systems. 

A single catalyst is often not sufficient in cationic polymerizations frequently a cocatalyst is required. 

Particular drawbacks of using alkylsiHcon and alkyltin haHdes with AlCl for the cationic polymerization of terpenes are low yields and the fact that they require rigorously dried feeds (<50 ppm H2O) to be effective. Increased water content results in lower yields and lower softening points (85). Catalyst systems comprised of AlCl with antimony haHdes in the presence or absence of a lower alkyl, alkenyl, or aralkyl haHde are particularly effective in systems containing up to 300 ppm H2O (89,90). Use of 2—12 wt % of a system composed of 2—3 parts AlCl, 0.7—0.9 parts SbCl, and 0—0.2 parts of an organic... 

The mechanism of initiation in cationic polymerization using Friedel-Crafts acids appeared to be clarified by the discovery that most Friedel-Crafts acids, particularly haUdes of boron, titanium, and tin, require an additional cation source to initiate polymerization. Evidence has been accumulating, however, that in many systems Friedel-Crafts acids alone are able to initiate cationic polymerization. The polymerization of isobutylene for instance can be initiated, reportedly even in the absence of an added initiator, by AlBr or AlCl (19), TiCl ( )- Three fundamentally different... 

For continuing polymerization to occur, the ion pair must display reasonable stabiUty. Strongly nucleophilic anions, such as C/ , are not suitable, because the ion pair is unstable with respect to THE and the alkyl haUde. A counterion of relatively low nucleophilicity is required to achieve a controlled and continuing polymerization. Examples of anions of suitably low nucleophilicity are complex ions such as SbE , AsF , PF , SbCf, BE 4, or other anions that can reversibly coUapse to a covalent ester species CF SO, FSO, and CIO . In order to achieve reproducible and predictable results in the cationic polymerization of THE, it is necessary to use pure, dry reagents and dry conditions. High vacuum techniques are required for theoretical studies. Careful work in an inert atmosphere, such as dry nitrogen, is satisfactory for many purposes, including commercial synthesis. 

The y-radiation-induced polymerization requires an extremely high purity reaction system. Trace amounts of water can terminate a cationic reaction and inhibit polymerization. Organic bases such as ammonia and trimethylamine also inhibit polymerization. The y-radiation-induced polymerization of a rigorously dried D obeys the Hayashi-WilHams equation for completely pure systems (150). 

Photopolymerization reactions are widely used for printing and photoresist appHcations (55). Spectral sensitization of cationic polymerization has utilized electron transfer from heteroaromatics, ketones, or dyes to initiators like iodonium or sulfonium salts (60). However, sensitized free-radical polymerization has been the main technology of choice (55). Spectral sensitizers over the wavelength region 300—700 nm are effective. AcryUc monomer polymerization, for example, is sensitized by xanthene, thiazine, acridine, cyanine, and merocyanine dyes. The required free-radical formation via these dyes may be achieved by hydrogen atom-transfer, electron-transfer, or exciplex formation with other initiator components of the photopolymer system. 

The ionic liquid process has a number of advantages over traditional cationic polymerization processes such as the Cosden process, which employs a liquid-phase aluminium(III) chloride catalyst to polymerize butene feedstocks [30]. The separation and removal of the product from the ionic liquid phase as the reaction proceeds allows the polymer to be obtained simply and in a highly pure state. Indeed, the polymer contains so little of the ionic liquid that an aqueous wash step can be dispensed with. This separation also means that further reaction (e.g., isomerization) of the polymer s unsaturated ot-terminus is minimized. In addition to the ease of isolation of the desired product, the ionic liquid is not destroyed by any aqueous washing procedure and so can be reused in subsequent polymerization reactions, resulting in a reduction of operating costs. The ionic liquid technology does not require massive capital investment and is reported to be easily retrofitted to existing Cosden process plants. 

Contrary to the phase separation curve, the sol/gel transition is very sensitive to the temperature more cations are required to get a gel phase when the temperature increases and thus the extension of the gel phase decreases [8]. The sol/gel transition as determined above is well reproducible but overestimates the real amount of cation at the transition. Gelation is a transition from liquid to solid during which the polymeric systems suffers dramatic modifications on their macroscopic viscoelastic behavior. The whole phenomenon can be thus followed by the evolution of the mechanical properties through dynamic experiments. The behaviour of the complex shear modulus G (o)) reflects the distribution of the relaxation time of the growing clusters. At the gel point the broad distribution of... 

Such a mechanism is open to serious objections both on theoretical and experimental grounds. Cationic polymerizations usually are conducted in media of low dielectric constant in which the indicated separation of charge, and its subsequent increase as monomer adds to the chain, would require a considerable energy. Moreover, termination of chains growing in this manner would be a second-order process involving two independent centers such as occurs in free radical polymerizations. Experimental evidence indicates a termination process of lower order (see below). Finally, it appears doubtful that a halide catalyst is effective without a co-catalyst such as water, alcohol, or acetic acid. This is quite definitely true for isobutylene, and it may hold also for other monomers as well. 

Since the condition for formation of high polymers is that the propagation reaction must be faster than all other reactions of the growing species, and since carbonium ions are highly reactive, it is evident that very special conditions are required for the formation of high polymers by cationic polymerization. The general conditions which must be satisfied are ... 

The first species produced in cationic polymerizations are carbocations, and these were unknown as such prior to World War II. It is now known that pure Lewis acids, such as boron trifluoride and aluminum chloride, are not effective as initiators. A trace of a proton-containing Lewis base, such as water, is also required. The Lewis base coordinates with the electrophilic Lewis acid, and the proton is the actual initiator. Since cations cannot exist alone, they are accompanied by a counterion, also called a gegenion. 

Butyl rubber (HR) is widely used for inner tubes and as a sealant. It is produced using the cationic polymerization with the copolymerization of isobutylene in the presence of a small amount (10%) of isoprene. Thus, the random copolymer chain contains a low concentration of widely spaced isolated double bonds, from the isoprene, that are later cross-linked when the butyl rubber is cured. A representation is shown in structure 5.20 where the number of units derived from isobutylene units greatly outnumbers the number of units derived from the isoprene monomer. The steric requirements of the isobutylene-derived units cause the chains to remain apart giving it a low stress to strain value and a low Tg. 

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