Free radical polymerizations, phase

Photochemical cross-linking of DMI-functionalized polymers provides an efficient way to synthesize hydrogels in a selective and controlled manner. By the use of DMI as the chromophore, photocross-linkable copolymers based on NIPAAm and other monomers can be easily synthesized by free-radical polymerization. Phase transition temperatures of the soluble PNIPAAm copolymers can be adjusted between 24.7 and 58.5 °C by changing the amount of chromophore bearing monomer (more hydrophobic) and/or a hydrophilic comonomer. Photocross-linkable co- and terpolymers can be both pH and temperattrre responsive. The transition tem-perattues of the films show similar trends to those of the corresponding linear polymers, and this can be explained in terms of a balance between hydrophobic and hydrophilic side groups in the polymer gel and the osmotic contribution of ionizable comonomers. These polymers could be efficiently converted into gel networks by UV irradiation in the... 

There are two problems in the manufacture of PS removal of the heat of polymeriza tion (ca 700 kj /kg (300 Btu/lb)) of styrene polymerized and the simultaneous handling of a partially converted polymer symp with a viscosity of ca 10 mPa(=cP). The latter problem strongly aggravates the former. A wide variety of solutions to these problems have been reported for the four mechanisms described earlier, ie, free radical, anionic, cationic, and Ziegler, several processes can be used. Table 6 summarizes the processes which have been used to implement each mechanism for Hquid-phase systems. Free-radical polymerization of styrenic systems, primarily in solution, is of principal commercial interest. Details of suspension processes, which are declining in importance, are available (208,209), as are descriptions of emulsion processes (210) and summaries of the historical development of styrene polymerization processes (208,211,212). 

In contrast to ionic chain polymerizations, free radical polymerizations offer a facile route to copolymers ([9] p. 459). The ability of monomers to undergo copolymerization is described by the reactivity ratios, which have been tabulated for many monomer systems for a tabulation of reactivity ratios, see Section 11/154 in Brandrup and Immergut [14]. These tabulations must be used with care, however, as reactivity ratios are not always calculated in an optimum manner [15]. Systems in which one reactivity ratio is much greater than one (1) and the other is much less than one indicate poor copolymerization. Such systems form a mixture of homopolymers rather than a copolymer. Uncontrolled phase separation may take place, and mechanical properties can suffer. An important ramification of the ease of forming copolymers will be discussed in Section 3.1. 

The effects of increasing the concentration of initiator (i.e., increased conversion, decreased M , and broader PDi) and of reducing the reaction temperature (i.e., decreased conversion, increased M , and narrower PDi) for the polymerizations in ambient-temperature ionic liquids are the same as observed in conventional solvents. May et al. have reported similar results and in addition used NMR to investigate the stereochemistry of the PMMA produced in [BMIM][PFgj. They found that the stereochemistry was almost identical to that for PMMA produced by free radical polymerization in conventional solvents [43]. The homopolymerization and copolymerization of several other monomers were also reported. Similarly to the findings of Noda and Watanabe, the polymer was in many cases not soluble in the ionic liquid and thus phase-separated [43, 44]. 

Phase-transfer techniques are widely used for the preparation of polymers. For example, potassium fluoride is used to produce poly(etherketone)s under phase-transfer conditions (Scheme 10.18). Use of this reagent allows the chloroaro-matics to be used as starting material as opposed to the more expensive flu-oroaromatics that are usually employed [23]. This method is suitable for the synthesis of high molecular weight semicrystalline poly(ether ketone)s, although the presence of excess potassium fluoride in the reaction mixture can lead to degradation reactions. The use of a phase transfer catalyst can allow the use of water-soluble radical initiators, such as potassium peroxomonosulfate used to promote the free-radical polymerization of acrylonitrile [24],... 

SINs. Two SIN compositions were studied, one having 10% oil prepolymer and the other 20% oil prepolymer, both dissolved in the styrene-DVB monomer solution. During the synthesis several morphological changes occurred in the mixture. Early in the reaction all components formed a mutual clear solution which was slightly yellow due to the original color of the prepolymer. As the free radical polymerization of styrene began, the polystyrene first produced remained soluble. At a critical concentration, phase separation... 

Rasmussen and co-workers. Chapter 10, have shown that many free-radical polymerizations can be conducted in two-phase systems using potassium persulfate and either crown ethers or quaternary ammonium salts as initiators. When transferred to the organic phase persulfate performs far more efficiently as an initiator than conventional materials such as azobisisobutyronitrile or benzoyl peroxide. In vinyl polymerizations using PTC-persulfate initiation one can exercise precise control over reaction rates, even at low temperatures. Mechanistic aspects of these complicated systems have been worked out for this highly useful and economical method of initiation of free-radical polymerizations. 

A critical survey of the literature on free radical polymerizations in the presence of phase transfer agents indicates that the majority of these reactions are initiated by transfer of an active species (monomer or initiator) from one phase to another, although the exact details of this phase transfer may be influenced by the nature of the phase transfer catalyst and reaction medium. Initial kinetic studies of the solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate utilizing solid potassium persulfate and Aliquat 336 yield the experimental rate law ... 

In 1981 we reported (2, 3) the first examples of free radical polymerizations under phase transfer conditions. Utilizing potassium persulfate and a phase transfer catalyst (e.g. a crown ether or quaternary ammonium salt), we found the solution polymerization of acrylic monomers to be much more facile than when common organic-soluble initiators were used. Somewhat earlier, Voronkov and coworkers had reported (4) that the 1 2 potassium persulfate/18-crown-6 complex could be used to polymerize styrene and methyl methacrylate in methanol. These relatively inefficient polymerizations were apparently conducted under homogeneous conditions, although exact details were somewhat unclear. We subsequently described (5) the... 

More recently, Kunieda has described ( ) a new aspect of phase transfer free radical polymerization. 

Until recently, the most detailed kinetic investigations of phase transfer free radical polymerizations were those of Jayakrishnan and Shah (11, 12). Both of these studies have been conducted in two phase aqueous/organic solvent mixtures with either potassium or ammonium persulfate as the initiator, and have corroborated our earlier conclusions (2, 3)... 

In conclusion, several examples of free radical polymerizations under phase transfer conditions have been described in the literature since the initial reports in 1981. In all of these cases it is apparent that transfer of an active species from one phase to a second phase is intimately involved in the initiation step of the polymerization. However, it is also clear that these are complex reactions mechanistically, and one general kinetic scheme may not be sufficient to describe them all. The extent of phase transfer and the exact species transferred will depend to a large extent upon the nature of the two phases, upon the... 

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (polyNIPAAM), formed by a free radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide, is a water soluble, temperature sensitive polymer. In aqueous solution, it exhibits a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) in the range of 30-35 C depending on the concentration and the chain length of the polymer. Thus, as the solution temperature is raised above the LCST, the polymer undergoes a reversible phase transition characterized by the separation of a solid phase which redissolves when the solution temperature is lowered below the LCST. Its physicochemical properties have been investigated by several laboratories (1-3). 

Because the size of the emulsion droplets dictates the diameter of the resulting capsules, it is possible to use miniemulsions to make nanocapsules. To cite a recent example, Carlos Co and his group developed relatively monodisperse 200-nm capsules by interfacial free-radical polymerization (Scott et al. 2005). Dibutyl maleate in hexadecane was dispersed in a miniemulsion of poly(ethylene glycol)-1000 (PEG-1000) divinyl ether in an aqueous phase. They generated the miniemulsion by sonication and used an interfacially active initiator, 2,2 -azobis(A-octyl-2-methyl-propionamidine) dihydrochloride, to initiate the reaction, coupled with UV irradiation. 

Taylor in 1925 demonstrated that hydrogen atoms generated by the mercury sensitized photodecomposition of hydrogen gas add to ethylene to form ethyl radicals, which were proposed to react with H2 to give the observed ethane and another hydrogen atom. Evidence that polymerization could occur by free radical reactions was found by Taylor and Jones in 1930, by the observation that ethyl radicals formed by the gas phase pyrolysis of diethylmercury or tetraethyllead initiated the polymerization of ethylene, and this process was extended to the solution phase by Cramer. The mechanism of equation (37) (with participation by a third body) was presented for the reaction, - which is in accord with current views, and the mechanism of equation (38) was shown for disproportionation. Staudinger in 1932 wrote a mechanism for free radical polymerization of styrene,but just as did Rice and Rice (equation 32), showed the radical attack on the most substituted carbon (anti-Markovnikov attack). The correct orientation was shown by Flory in 1937. In 1935, O.K. Rice and Sickman reported that ethylene polymerization was also induced by methyl radicals generated from thermolysis of azomethane. 

The various properties exhibited by ILs make them ideal stahonary phases in GLC. ILs exhibit a unique dual-nature selechvity that allows them to separate polar molecules like a polar stationary phase and nonpolar molecules like a nonpolar stationary phase. In addition, the combination of cations and anions can be tuned to add further selectivity for more complex separations. Viscosity, thermal stability, and surface tension are vital properties that dictate the quality and integrity of the stationary phase coating and are additional characteristics that can be controlled when custom designing and synthesizing ILs. Furthermore, thermal stability and the integrity of stationary phase film can be improved by immobilizing the IL by free radical polymerization to form stationary phases suitable for low- moderate-, and high-temperature separations. Chiral ILs have been shown to enantioresolve chiral analytes with reasonable efficiency. 

As mentioned in Section 9.3, Jackson (141) has obtained estimates of the chain-transfer coefficient of the growing radical with polymer in the free-radical polymerization of ethylene, C,p, by choosing the value so as to fit the MWD. As the polymerization conditions for the polymers mentioned in Table 10.1 are not disclosed, it is necessary to choose typical conditions 220° C and 2000 atm will be selected. Under these conditions Ctp, the ratio of the rate constant for attack on polymer (per monomer unit) to that for propagation, in a homogeneous phase, was found to be about 4.0 x 10 3. This is in good agreement with the known transfer coefficients for the lower alkanes (160), when allowance is made for the differences in pressure and temperature (100). The relation between Ctp and k is ... 

The sample used to study the relationship between the volume phase transition and the frictional property is poly( /V-isopropylacrylamide) gel which shows a small discontinuous volume phase transition at 33.6 °C. The sample gel is prepared by free radical polymerization 7.8 g of re-crystallized N-iso-propylacrylamide (main constituent, Kodak), 0.133 g lV,iV -methylenebis-acrylamide (cross-linker, Bio-Rad), 240 ml tetramethylenediamine (accelerator, Bio-Rad), and 40 mg ammonium persulfate (initiator, Mallinckrodt) are dissolved in distilled water (100 ml) at 0°C. The gel mold is immersed in the pre-gel solution and then degassed for 40 min at 0°C. The temperature is raised to 20.0 °C after this treatment to initiate the gelation reaction. The sample gel thus obtained is homogeneous and transparent, at least by visual inspection. 

Gramain and Frere [82] observed that the free radical polymerization of co-meth-acryloyl terminated PEO macromonomers in the aqueous phase deviates from the solution polymerization. Polymerizations initiated by KPS in water were much faster than those that proceeded in the solution. Low molecular weight polymers were formed in the aqueous systems (ca. up to 20 macromonomer units were incorporated into polymer molecules). 

These methods are based on the idea of establishing equilibrium between the active and dormant species in solution phase. In particular, the methods include three major techniques called stable free-radical polymerization (SFRP), atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), and the degenerative chain transfer technique (DCTT) [17]. Although such syntheses pose significant technical problems, these difficulties have all been successively overcome in the last few years. Nevertheless, the procedure of preparation of the resulting copolymers remains somewhat complicated. 

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