Isotactic polymer chain

Isotactic polymer—A polymer in which like groups bonded to the main chain are always on the same side of the chain isotactic polymers have a high degree of crystallinity (e.g., isotactic polypropylene). 

Isopropyl group (Section 2 13) The group (CH3)2CH— Isotactic polymer (Section 7 15) A stereoregular polymer in which the substituent at each successive chirality center is on the same side of the zigzag carbon chain Isotopic cluster (Section 13 22) In mass spectrometry a group of peaks that differ in m/z because they incorporate differ ent isotopes of their component elements lUPAC nomenclature (Section 2 11) The most widely used method of naming organic compounds It uses a set of rules proposed and periodically revised by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry... 

Crystallinity of polypropylene is usually determined by x-ray diffraction (21). Isotactic polymer consists of heHcal molecules, with three monomer units pet chain unit, resulting in a spacing between units of identical conformation of 0.65 nm (Fig. 2a). These molecules interact with others, or different... 

Substituents on the a-carbon atom restrict chain flexibility but, being relatively small, lead to a significantly higher Tg than with polyethylene. Differences in the Tg s of commercial polymers (approx. 104°C), syndiotactic polymers (approx. 115°C) and anionically prepared isotactic polymers (45°C) are generally ascribed to the differences in intermolecular dipole forces acting through the polar groups. 

Because of the chain-stiffening effect of the benzene ring the TgS of commercial materials are in the range 90-100°C and isotactic polymers have similar values (approx. 100°C). A consequence of this Tg value plus the amorphous nature of the polymer is that we have a material that is hard and transparent at room temperature. Isotactic polystyrenes have been known since 1955 but have not been of commercial importance. Syndiotactic polystyrene using metallocene catalysis has recently become of commercial interest. Both stereoregular polymers are crystalline with values of 230°C and 270°C for the isotactic and syndiotactic materials respectively. They are also somewhat brittle (see Section 16.3). 

Isotactic polymer (Section 7.15) A stereoregular polymer in which the substituent at each successive chirality center is on the same side of the zigzag carbon chain. 

Isotactic (Section 31.2) A chain-growth polymer in which the substituents are regularly oriented on the same side of the backbone. 

A polymorphic behavior involving packing of chains having completely different conformations has been found also for isotactic polymers. For instance, isotactic polystyrene, under suitable experimental conditions, can produce crystalline gels in which the chains assume a nearly fully extended conformation [11,12], very close to a truns-planar, rather than the classical conformation of three-fold helix [13]. The two possible conformations proposed for the two crystalline forms of i-PS are shown in Fig. 2. 

In isotactic polymers the configuration of the steric centers on the backbone is identical. The net result is that all side groups are positioned on the same side of the chain, as illustrated schematically in Fig. 1.8 a). 

Stereodefects reduce the overall regularity of an isotactic polymer chain and hinder its ability to crystallize. As the concentration of defects increases, the degree of crystallinity falls, resulting in reduced density, reduced melting temperatures, lower heat distortion temperatures, reduced modulus, and reduced yield stress. 

There are still some non-explained observations. For example, syndiotactic PP was reported [45,46] as being more stable than isotactic polymer. At 140°C, the maximum chemiluminescence intensity was achieved after 2,835 min for syndiotactic PP, while isotactic polymer attained the maximum after only 45 min. Atactic PP was reported to be more stable than the isotactic polymer [46]. An explanation has been offered that the structure of isotactic PP is much more favourable for autooxidation, which proceeds easier via a back-biting mechanism where peroxyl radicals abstract adjacent tertiary hydrogens on the same polymer chain. 

By the time the concentration of monomer is low, the back-skip of the polymer chain to the less-hindered site is faster than the formation of the high-energy alkene coordinated intermediate (IV). For this reason, at low propene concentrations and elevated temperatures isotactic sequences are formed. The probability of monomer coordination at the aspecific site (IV) is enhanced when the propene concentration increases. The consequence is that single stereoerrors [mrrm] are introduced in the isotactic polymer chain. 13C-NMR was able to prove the mechanism because a... 

On the basis of the microstructure of the prevailing isotactic polymer chains, it is well established that the steric control of the heterogeneous Ziegler-Natta catalysts is due to the chirality of the catalytic site and not to the configuration of the last inserted monomer unit.28,29,95... 

Figure 2.8 Side views and projections along chain axis of two enantiomorphous hypothetical helices of isotactic polymer having unit height of 2 A and unit twist t = 144°, corresponding to intersection points of Figure 2.7a a, left-handed helix with s(5/3)l symmetry and t = —144° = 216° a, right-handed helix with s(5/2)l symmetry and t = 144°.27 (Reproduced with permission from Ref. 27. Copyright 1992 by the Societa Chimica Italiana.)...

The conformation of the chains of isotactic polymers in the crystalline state is generally helical and corresponds to a succession of nearly trans and gauche torsion angles, the exact values depending on the bulkiness of the side groups. Molecular mechanics calculations have been extensively used for the prediction of the chain conformation of polymers in the crystal.29... 

Data concerning the chain conformations of isotactic polymers are reported in Table 2.1. In all the observed cases the torsion angles do not deviate more than 20° from the staggered (60° and 180°) values and the number of monomeric units per turn MIN ranges between 3 and 4. Chains of 3-substituted polyolefins, like poly(3-methyl-l-butene), assume a 4/1 helical conformation (T G )4,45,46 while 4-substituted polyolefins, like poly(4-methyl-1-pentene), have less distorted helices with 7/2 symmetry (T G )3.5-39 When the substituent on the side group is far from the chain atoms, as in poly(5-methyl-1-hexene), the polymer crystallizes again with a threefold helical conformation (Table 2.1). Models of the chain conformations found for the polymorphic forms of various isotactic polymers are reported in Figure 2.11. 

For the isotactic polymer, highly extended chains with chain axis of 7.5-7.6 A can be obtained with a helix repeating after two structural units [s(2/l) line repetition group] when 01 02, and 03 are in the range 180° 8, with 8 being 25-30° and 8i + 82 + 83 0.125 The experimental values of the torsion angles found in the crystal structure of i-STCO123 are indeed 0i = —161.5°, 02 = 155.3°, and 03 = -171.4°. Similar values have been found by conformational... 

In the crystal structures of many other isotactic polymers, with chains in threefold or fourfold helical conformations, disorder in the up/down positioning of the chains is present. Typical examples are isotactic polystyrene,34,179 isotactic poly(l-butene),35 and isotactic poly(4-methyl-l-pentene).39,40,153,247... 

A bulky methacrylate, triphenylmethyl methacrylate (TrMA), is a unique monomer which gives an almost 100% isotactic polymer in anionic polymerization with n-butyllithium both in nonpolar and polar solvents. Moreover, even free-radical polymerization affords a highly isotactic polymer from this monomer.23 The isotactic specificity of TrMA polymerization is ascribed to the helical formation of the main chain. When TrMA is polymerized in toluene at —78°C... 

Such polymers are obtained by Zieglar-Natta catalyst. An example of this class of arrangement is natural rubber. Isotactic polymers have high degree of crystallinity, are more denser, and strong because of presence of regularity of the chain structure. 

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