Copolymers, sequential, synthesis

Polymer Synthesis and Characterization. This topic has been extensively discussed in preceeding papers.(2,23,24) However, we will briefly outline the preparative route. The block copolymers were synthesized via the sequential addition method. "Living" anionic polymerization of butadiene, followed by isoprene and more butadiene, was conducted using sec-butyl lithium as the initiator in hydrocarbon solvents under high vacuum. Under these conditions, the mode of addition of butadiene is predominantly 1,4, with between 5-8 mole percent of 1,2 structure.(18) Exhaustive hydrogenation of polymers were carried out in the presence of p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide (19,25) in refluxing xylene. The relative block composition of the polymers were determined via NMR. 

Two methods have been developed for the synthesis of AB diblock copolymers (a) sequential addition of monomers and (b) couphng of two appropriately end-functionalized chains. The first method is the most widely used... 

Further work related to the synthesis of copolymers with either P2VP or P4VP blocks has been reported in the literature. Triblock terpolymers PS-fc-P2VP-fo-PEO were synthesized in THF at - 78 °C by sequential polymerization of styrene and 2VP, initiated by s-BuLi in the presence of IiCl [25]. The living polymer was terminated with EO. The end-hydroxyl group was... 

The direct synthesis of poly(3-sulfopropyl methacrylate)-fr-PMMA, PSP-MA-fr-PMMA (Scheme 27) without the use of protecting chemistry, by sequential monomer addition and ATRP techniques was achieved [77]. A water/DMF 40/60 mixture was used to ensure the homogeneous polymerization of both monomers. CuCl/bipy was the catalytic system used, leading to quantitative conversion and narrow molecular weight distribution. In another approach the PSPMA macroinitiator was isolated by stopping the polymerization at a conversion of 83%. Then using a 40/60 water/DMF mixture MMA was polymerized to give the desired block copolymer. In this case no residual SPMA monomer was present before the polymerization of MMA. The micellar properties of these amphiphilic copolymers were examined. 

The living character of the ROMP promoted by the initiator Ru(CHPh)(Cl)2 (PCy3)2 (Cy = cyclohexane) was tested with the synthesis of diblock, triblock, and tetrablock copolymers of norbornene derivatives carrying acetyl-protected glucose, [2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-glucos-l-O-yl 5-norbornene-2-carboxylate], A or maltose groups, [2,3,6,2/,3/,4/,6/-hepta-0-acetyl-maltos-1-O-yl 5-norbornene-2-carboxylate], B, shown in Scheme 41 [102]. The AB, ABA, and ABAB structures were prepared by sequential addition of monomers with narrow molecular weight distributions to quantitative conversions. 

Anionic polymerization and suitable Unking chemistry were employed for the synthesis of 3-arm PCHD-fc-PS star-block copolymers with PCHD either as the inner or the outer block (Scheme 77) [153]. The block copolymers were prepared by sequential addition of monomers. It was shown that the crossover reaction of either PSIi or PCHDLi was efficient and led to well-defined block copolymers. However, in the case of the PCHD-fc-PSLi copolymers, longer polymerization times were needed for long PCHD... 

For the synthesis of carbohydrate-substituted block copolymers, it might be expected that the addition of acid to the polymerization reactions would result in a rate increase. Indeed, the ROMP of saccharide-modified monomers, when conducted in the presence of para-toluene sulfonic acid under emulsion conditions, successfully yielded block copolymers [52]. A key to the success of these reactions was the isolation of the initiated species, which resulted in its separation from the dissociated phosphine. The initiated ruthenium complex was isolated by starting the polymerization in acidic organic solution, from which the reactive species precipitated. The solvent was removed, and the reactive species was washed with additional degassed solvent. The polymerization was completed under emulsion conditions (in water and DTAB), and additional blocks were generated by the sequential addition of the different monomers. This method of polymerization was successful for both the mannose/galactose polymer and for the mannose polymer with the intervening diol sequence (Fig. 16A,B). 

The additional complexity present in block copolymer synthesis is the order of monomer polymerization and/or the requirement in some cases to modify the reactivity of the propagating center during the transition from one block to the next block. This is due to the requirement that the nucleophilicity of the initiating block be equal or greater than the resulting propagating chain end of the second block. Therefore the synthesis of block copolymers by sequential polymerization generally follows the order dienes/styrenics before vinylpyridines before meth(acrylates) before oxiranes/siloxanes. As a consequence, styrene-MMA block copolymers should be prepared by initial polymerization of styrene followed by MMA, while PEO-MMA block copolymers should be prepared by... 

Some particularities of the extraction of ions from an aqueous organic phase, and of the phase catalyzed polyetherification will be summarized. These will represent the fundamentals of our work on the synthesis of some novel classes of functional polymers and sequential copolymers. Examples will be provided for the synthesis of functional polymers containing only cyclic imino ethers or both cyclic imino ethers as well as their own cationic initiator attached to the same polymer backbone ABA triblock copolymers and (AB)n alternating block copolymers and a novel class of main chain thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers containing functional chain ends, i.e., polyethers. 

The sequential addition method also allows the synthesis of many different block copolymers in which the two monomers have different functional groups, such as epoxide with lactone, lactide or cyclic anhydride, cyclic ether with 2-methyl-2-oxazoline, imine or episul-Hde, lactone with lactide or cyclic carbonate, cycloalkene with acetylene, and ferrocenophane with cyclosiloxane [Aida et al., 1985 Barakat et al., 2001 Dreyfuss and Dreyfuss, 1989 Farren et al., 1989 Inoue and Aida, 1989 Keul et al., 1988 Kobayashi et al., 1990a,b,c Massey et al., 1998 Yasuda et al., 1984]. 

Chiral polymers can be prepared using a one-pot system, i.e., all reactants and catalysts are present at the start of the reaction and both catalysts work simultaneously. However, one can also envisage the synthesis of chiral polymers using catalysts in sequence, either in one pot or even completely independent of each other. This section will deal with the synthesis of chiral block copolymers using different catalysts in sequence. An interesting example of the synthesis of chiral polymers using catalysts in sequence is the synthesis of chiral block copolymers in a sequential approach. Both ATRP and nitroxide-mediated LFRP were evaluated for this purpose. 

This section concerns the first synthesis and characterization of novel octa-arm PSt-h-PIB star-block copolymers [(PSt-h-PIB)g-C8]. The octafunctional initiator 1 was used to prepare PIB stars [61,62] of desired molecular weight, then St was added sequentially to obtain the sought star blocks. Scheme 6 outlines the synthetic strategy. 

This finding is a significant improvement over aqueous ROMP systems using aqueous ROMP catalysts. The propagating species in these reactions is stable. The synthesis of water-soluble block copolymers can be achieved via sequential monomer addition. The polymerization is not of living type in the absence of acid. In addition to eliminating hydroxide ions, which would cause catalyst decomposition, the catalyst activity is also enhanced by the protonation of the phosphine ligands. Remarkably, the acids do not react with the ruthenium alkylidene bond. 

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