Core-first anionic

The core first method starts from multifunctional initiators and simultaneously grows all the polymer arms from the central core. The method is not useful in the preparation of model star polymers by anionic polymerization. This is due to the difficulties in preparing pure multifunctional organometallic compounds and because of their limited solubility. Nevertheless, considerable effort has been expended in the preparation of controlled divinyl- and diisopropenylbenzene living cores for anionic initiation. The core first method has recently been used successfully in both cationic and living radical polymerization reactions. Also, multiple initiation sites can be easily created along linear and branched polymers, where site isolation avoids many problems. 

The core first method has been applied to prepare four-arm star PMMA. In this case selective degradation of the core allowed unambiguous proof of the star structure. However, the MWD is a little too large to claim that only four-arm star polymers are present [81], Comb PMMAs with randomly placed branches have been prepared by anionic copolymerization of MMA and monodisperse PMMA macromonomers [82], A thorough dilute solution characterization revealed monodisperse samples with 2 to 13 branches. A certain polydispersity of the number of branches has to be expected. This was not detected because the branch length was very short relative to the length of the backbone [83]. Recently, PMMA stars (with 6 and 12 arms) have been prepared from dendritic... 

Although the core-first method is the simplest, success depends on initiator preparation and quantitative initiation under living conditions. This method is of limited use in anionic polymerization because of the generally poor solubility of multifunctional initiators in hydrocarbon solvents [12]. Solubilities of multifunctional initiators are less of an issue in cationic polymerizations, and tri- and tetrafunctional initiators have been used to prepare well-defined three- and four-arm star polymers by this method [7] Except for two reports on the synthesis of hexa-arm polystyrene [27] and hexa-arm polyoxazoHne [26], there is a dearth of information in regard to well-defined multifunctional initiators for the preparation of higher functionality stars. 

Miktoarm stars of the type A2B2, where A is PS and B is PEO, were prepared by the combination of anionic and ATRP methods using the core-first procedure. Pentaerythritol was used as a... 

In the case of star polymers (Scheme 2.28), these include symmetric, asymmetric, and miktoarm stars, which are prepared by reacting active chain ends with a core using the arm-first method or via the core-first method. Miktoarm stars have been reported using anionic, cationic, and ATRP methodologies and typically have AB o "... 

Burchard [65] was the pioneer for the preparation of functional starshaped pol)miers in nonpolar solvents by an anionic core-first method. To build the cores pure / -DVB was reacted with /i-butyllithium in dilute cyclohexane solution. Suspensions of small crosslinked poly(DVB) noduli were obtained that contained numerous lithium organic sites. In a second step, styrene (or isoprene) was added to the living cores and polymerized. The polymeric species obtained exhibit huge molar mass distribution and rather large polydispersity indices. Even if these star-shaped polymers could exhibit active sites at the outer end of the branches, the efficiency of initiation of a second generation of monomers or of hmctionalization was never given by the authors. 

Further advances along that line include the development of anionic polymerization methods with the aim of attaining better control of the functionality in core-first methods and developing original strategies to access so-called heteroarm star-shaped polymers. 

Figure 4d represents in situ encapsulation processes (17,18), an example of which is presented in more detail in Figure 6 (18). The first step is to disperse a water-immiscible Hquid or soHd core material in an aqueous phase that contains urea, melamine, water-soluble urea—formaldehyde condensate, or water-soluble urea—melamine condensate. In many cases, the aqueous phase also contains a system modifier that enhances deposition of the aminoplast capsule sheU (18). This is an anionic polymer or copolymer (Fig. 6). SheU formation occurs once formaldehyde is added and the aqueous phase acidified, eg, pH 2—4.5. The system is heated for several hours at 40—60°C.

The arm-first synthesis of star microgels by initiating polymerization or copolymerization of a divinyl monomer such as diviny lbenzene or a bis-maleimide with a polystyryl alkoxyamine was pioneered by Solomon and coworkers.692 693 The general approach had previously been used in anionic polymerization. The method has now been exploited in conjunction with NMP,692 6 ATRP69 700 and RAFT.449 701 702 The product contains dormant functionality in the core. This can be used as a core for subsequent polymerization of a monoene monomer to yield a mikto-arm star (NMP ATRP704). 

Crystal-field theory (CFT) was constructed as the first theoretical model to account for these spectral differences. Its central idea is simple in the extreme. In free atoms and ions, all electrons, but for our interests particularly the outer or non-core electrons, are subject to three main energetic constraints a) they possess kinetic energy, b) they are attracted to the nucleus and c) they repel one another. (We shall put that a little more exactly, and symbolically, later). Within the environment of other ions, as for example within the lattice of a crystal, those electrons are expected to be subject also to one further constraint. Namely, they will be affected by the non-spherical electric field established by the surrounding ions. That electric field was called the crystalline field , but we now simply call it the crystal field . Since we are almost exclusively concerned with the spectral and other properties of positively charged transition-metal ions surrounded by anions of the lattice, the effect of the crystal field is to repel the electrons. 

For the characterization of Langmuir films, Fulda and coworkers [75-77] used anionic and cationic core-shell particles prepared by emulsifier-free emulsion polymerization. These particles have several advantages over those used in early publications First, the particles do not contain any stabihzer or emulsifier, which is eventually desorbed upon spreading and disturbs the formation of a particle monolayer at the air-water interface. Second, the preparation is a one-step process leading directly to monodisperse particles 0.2-0.5 jim in diameter. Third, the nature of the shell can be easily varied by using different hydrophilic comonomers. In Table 1, the particles and their characteristic properties are hsted. Most of the studies were carried out using anionic particles with polystyrene as core material and polyacrylic acid in the shell. 

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