Chains termination

The sequence of propagation reactions is temunated at some point due to annihilation of the radical center of the propagating chain. Two propagating chains are terminated when two radicals combine to form an electron-pair (covalent) bond as in the reaction 

This process is called termination by combination (or coupling). In general terms, this is written as Eq. (6.7a), where ktc is the rate constant for termination by combination (or coupling) or simply the combination rate constant. 

Alternatively, a pair of radicals can form two new molecules by a disproportionation reaction  

Tennination of chain radicals can also occur by a combination of coupling and disproportionation. However, since both the reactions result in the formation of dead (i.e., without any radical center) polymer molecule(s), the termination step can also be represented by 

Ketone oxidation chains terminate when two peroxy radicals react with each other. This is the main reaction of chain termination if the ketone contains no inhibitor and the oxygen pressure is sufficiently high for fast conversion of R- to R02-. The values of kt measured by the chemiluminescence technique [81] are shown in Table 10. 

Rate coefficients and Arrhenius parameters for reaction between two peroxy radicals 

The rate coefficients are seen to be very close for all the ketones studied. A reaction between two ketoperoxy radicals may be assumed to proceed in the same way as that between alkylperoxy radicals [160,161], viz. 

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This reaction illustrates one of the methods by which R. Kuhn synthesised long polyene chains terminated at each end by phenyl groups. 

Numerous applications have been reported. A derivative of the (alkyn-1-yl)nucleosides 295. which have anticancer and antiviral activities, has been synthesized by this reaction. They are also used as chain-terminating nucleosides for DN.A. sequencing[l98,199]. In this reaction, use of DMF as the solvent is most important for successful operation[200]. Only the alkenyl bromide moiety in 2-bromo-3-aceto.xycycloheptene (296) reacts with alkynes without attacking the allylic acetate moiety[201]. 

In practice side reactions intervene to reduce the efficiency of the propagation steps The chain sequence is interrupted whenever two odd electron species combine to give an even electron product Reactions of this type are called chain terminating steps Some commonly observed chain terminating steps m the chlorination of methane are shown m the following equations... 

Detergents are substances including soaps that cleanse by micellar action A large number of synthetic detergents are known One example is sodium lauryl sulfate Sodium lauryl sulfate has a long hydrocarbon chain terminating m a polar sulfate ion and forms soap like micelles m water... 

The hydroxyl at C 2 m D nbose is absent m 2 deoxy d nbose In Chapter 28 we shall see how derivatives of 2 deoxy d nbose called deoxynbonucleotides are the funda mental building blocks of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) the material responsible for stor mg genetic information L Rhamnose is a compound isolated from a number of plants Its carbon chain terminates m a methyl rather than a CH2OH group... 

All the individual steps are catalyzed by enzymes NAD" (Section 15 11) is required as an oxidizing agent and coenzyme A (Figure 26 16) is the acetyl group acceptor Coen zyme A is a thiol its chain terminates m a sulfhydryl (—SH) group Acetylation of the sulfhydryl group of coenzyme A gives acetyl coenzyme A... 

Antioxidants markedly retard the rate of autoxidation throughout the useful life of the polymer. Chain-terminating antioxidants have a reactive —NH or —OH functional group and include compounds such as secondary aryl amines or hindered phenols. They function by transfer of hydrogen to free radicals, principally to peroxy radicals. Butylated hydroxytoluene is a widely used example. 

In practice, it is very difficult to completely exclude water and CO2, so chain termination is often induced by these reactions. 

Chain termination can occur by either combination or disproportionation, depending on the conditions of the process (78,79). 

Poly(ethylene oxide)s [25372-68-3] are made by condensation of ethylene oxide with a basic catalyst. In order to achieve a very high molecular weight, water and other compounds that can act as chain terminators must be rigorously excluded. Polymers up to a molecular weight of 8 million are available commercially in the form of dry powders (27). These must be dissolved carefliUy using similar techniques to those used for dry polyacrylamides. Poly(ethylene oxide)s precipitate from water solutions just below the boiling point (see Polyethers, ethylene oxide polymers). 

During the polymeriza tion process the normal head-to-tad free-radical reaction of vinyl chloride deviates from the normal path and results in sites of lower chemical stabiUty or defect sites along some of the polymer chains. These defect sites are small in number and are formed by autoxidation, chain termination, or chain-branching reactions. Heat stabilizer technology has grown from efforts to either chemically prevent or repair these defect sites. Partial stmctures (3—6) are typical of the defect sites found in PVC homopolymers (2—5). 

One characteristic of chain reactions is that frequentiy some initiating process is required. In hydrocarbon oxidations radicals must be introduced and to be self-sustained, some source of radicals must be produced in a chain-branching step. Moreover, new radicals must be suppHed at a rate sufficient to replace those lost by chain termination. In hydrocarbon oxidation, this usually involves the hydroperoxide cycle (eqs. 1—5). 

New radicals are introduced by thermolysis of the hydroperoxide by chain-branching decomposition (eq. 4). Radicals are removed from the system by chain-termination reaction(s) (eq. 5). Under steady-state conditions, the production of new radicals is in balance with the rate of radical removal by termination reactions and equation 8 appHes for the scheme of equations 1—5 where r. = rate of new radical introduction (eq. 4). 

An alternative chain-terminating decomposition of the tetroxide, known as the Russell mechanism (29), can occur when there is at least one hydrogen atom in an alpha position the products are a ketone, an alcohol and oxygen (eq. 15). This mechanism is troubling on theoretical grounds (1). Questions about its vaUdity remain (30), but it has received some recent support (31). 

This proposal, however, has been criticized on the basis of transition state theory (74). Hydroperoxy radicals produced in reaction 23 or 24 readily participate in chain-terminating reactions (eq. 17) and are only weak hydrogen abstractors. When they succeed in abstracting hydrogen, they generate hydrogen peroxide ... 

The newly formed short-chain radical A then quickly reacts with a monomer molecule to create a primary radical. If subsequent initiation is not fast, AX is considered an inhibitor. Many have studied the influence of chain-transfer reactions on emulsion polymerisation because of the interesting complexities arising from enhanced radical desorption rates from the growing polymer particles (64,65). Chain-transfer reactions are not limited to chain-transfer agents. Chain-transfer to monomer is ia many cases the main chain termination event ia emulsion polymerisation. Chain transfer to polymer leads to branching which can greatiy impact final product properties (66). 

The free-radical polymerization of methacrylic monomers follows a classical chain mechanism in which the chain-propagation step entails the head-to-taH growth of the polymeric free radical by attack on the double bond of the monomer. Chain termination can occur by either combination or disproportionation, depending on the conditions of the process (36). 

The unsaturation present at the end of the polyether chain acts as a chain terminator ia the polyurethane reaction and reduces some of the desired physical properties. Much work has been done ia iadustry to reduce unsaturation while continuing to use the same reactors and hoi ding down the cost. In a study (102) usiag 18-crown-6 ether with potassium hydroxide to polymerise PO, a rate enhancement of approximately 10 was found at 110°C and slightly higher at lower temperature. The activation energy for this process was found to be 65 kj/mol (mol ratio, r = 1.5 crown ether/KOH) compared to 78 kj/mol for the KOH-catalysed polymerisation of PO. It was also feasible to prepare a PPO with 10, 000 having narrow distribution at 40°C with added crown ether (r = 1.5) (103). The polymerisation rate under these conditions is about the same as that without crown ether at 80°C. 

Chains terminate by either of two mechanisms combination or disproportionation. Two chain radicals may combine to form a single bond between... 

Triisopropan olamine is used in natural mbber cross-linking and as a color stabilizer for polyethylene formulations. Chain termination of polybutadiene with triisopropan olamine gives improved cold-flow properties. 

The major use of 4-cumylphenol is as a chain terminator for polycarbonates. Its use in place of phenol gives a polycarbonate with superior properties (33). Eor a low molecular weight polycarbonate used for injection-molding appHcations, the use of 4-cumylphenol as a chain terminator significantly lowers the volatiHty of the resin. Other uses of 4-cumylphenol include the production of phenoHc resins, some of which have appHcations in the electronics industry (34). Another appHcation of 4-cumylphenol involves its reaction with ethylene oxide to form a specialty surfactant. 

This is explained by the low reactivity of the double bond of the allyl compound together with prevalence of chain termination through reaction of allyhc H atoms as shown (2). 

Monofunctional, cyclohexylamine is used as a polyamide polymerization chain terminator to control polymer molecular weight. 3,3,5-Trimethylcyclohexylamines ate usehil fuel additives, corrosion inhibitors, and biocides (50). Dicyclohexylamine has direct uses as a solvent for cephalosporin antibiotic production, as a corrosion inhibitor, and as a fuel oil additive, in addition to serving as an organic intermediate. Cycloahphatic tertiary amines are used as urethane catalysts (72). Dimethylcyclohexylarnine (DMCHA) is marketed by Air Products as POLYCAT 8 for pour-in-place rigid insulating foam. Methyldicyclohexylamine is POLYCAT 12 used for flexible slabstock and molded foam. DM CHA is also sold as a fuel oil additive, which acts as an antioxidant. StericaHy hindered secondary cycloahphatic amines, specifically dicyclohexylamine, effectively catalyze polycarbonate polymerization (73). 

Kadical-addition reactions to unsaturated molecules-. Chain-termination reactions-. 

The manufacture of siHcone polymers via anionic polymerization is widely used in the siHcone industry. The anionic polymerization of cycHc siloxanes can be conducted in a single-batch reactor or in a continuously stirred reactor (94,95). The viscosity of the polymer and type of end groups are easily controUed by the amount of added water or triorganosUyl chain-terminating groups. 

If the initiation reaction is much faster than the propagation reaction, then all chains start to grow at the same time. Because there is no inherent termination step, the statistical distribution of chain lengths is very narrow. The average molecular weight is calculated from the mole ratio of monomer-to-initiator sites. Chain termination is usually accompHshed by adding proton donors, eg, water or alcohols, or electrophiles such as carbon dioxide. 

Polyall lene Oxide Block Copolymers. The higher alkylene oxides derived from propjiene, butylene, styrene (qv), and cyclohexene react with active oxygens in a manner analogous to the reaction of ethylene oxide. Because the hydrophilic oxygen constitutes a smaller proportion of these molecules, the net effect is that the oxides, unlike ethylene oxide, are hydrophobic. The higher oxides are not used commercially as surfactant raw materials except for minor quantities that are employed as chain terminators in polyoxyethylene surfactants to lower the foaming tendency. The hydrophobic nature of propylene oxide units, —CH(CH2)CH20—, has been utilized in several ways in the manufacture of surfactants. Manufacture, properties, and uses of poly(oxyethylene- (9-oxypropylene) have been reviewed (98). 

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