Terminal polymers, synthesis functional

Synthesis of functional Terminal Polymers. Mono-and di- terminal -OH and - polydienes were prepared according to our published procedures (13.14). Star -OH polydienes were synthesized analogously except that ethyl 6-1ithiohexyl acetaldehyde acetal was used as the initiator and trichloromethylsilane as the joining agent. 

Besides some particular cases such as ozonolysis2,3) or ring-opening polymerization of ketene-acetal type monomers4), the hydroxytelechelic polymers can be synthesized also by anionic polymerization. This process leads to polymers with smaller polydispersity and to a theoretical functionality of two free-radical polymerizations are easier to carry out, cheaper and, therefore, of industrial importance. Several reviews deal with the synthesis of functionally terminated polymers s>6 7, while this paper concerns only radical processes leading to hydroxytelechelic polymers. 

In many cases, these cyclic siloxanes have to be removed from the system by distillation or fractionation, in order to obtain pure products. On the other hand, cyclic siloxanes where n = 3 and n = 4 are the two most important monomers used in the commercial production of various siloxane polymers or oligomers via the so-called equilibration or redistribution reactions which will be discussed in detail in Sect. 2.4. Therefore, in modern silicone technology, aqueous hydrolysis of chloro-silanes is usually employed for the preparation of cyclic siloxane monomers 122> more than for the direct synthesis of the (Si—X) functional oligomers. Equilibration reactions are the method of choice for the synthesis of functionally terminated siloxane oligomers. 

Terminal-functionalized polymers such as macromonomers and telechelics are very important as prepolymer for construction of functional materials. Single-step functionalization of polymer terminal was achieved via lipase catalysis. Alcohols could initiate the ring-opening polymerizahon of lactones by lipase catalyst. The lipase CA-catalyzed polymerizahon of DDL in the presence of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate gave the methacryl-type polyester macromonomer, in which 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate acted as initiator to introduce the methacryloyl group quanhtatively at the polymer terminal ( inihator method ).This methodology was expanded to the synthesis of oo-alkenyl- and alkynyl-type macromonomers by using 5-hexen-l-ol and 5-hexyn-l-ol as initiator, respechvely. 

Dendrimer synthesis involves a repetitive building of generations through alternating chemistry steps which approximately double the mass and surface functionality with every generation as discussed earlier [1-4, 18], Random (statistical) hyperbranched polymer synthesis involves the self-condensation of multifunctional monomers, usually in a one-pot single series of covalent formation events [31], Random hyperbranched polymers and dendrimers of comparable molecular mass have the same number of branch points and terminal units, and any application requiring only these two characteristics could be satisfied by either architectural type. Since dendrimer synthesis requires many defined synthetic and process purification steps while hyperbranched synthesis may involve a one-pot synthetic step with no purification, the dendrimers will necessarily be a much more expensive material to produce. 

Figure 4.7 Synthesis of PNA-functionalized crosslinker molecule and association of a complementary PNA-terminated polymer synthesized by ATRP (Wang et al. 2005).

The phenomenal growth in commercial production of polymers by anionic polymerization can be attributed to the unprecedented control the process provides over the polymer properties. This control is most extensive in organolithium initiated polymerizations and includes polymer composition, microstructure, molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, choice of functional end groups and even monomer sequence distribution in copolymers. Furthermore, a judicious choice of process conditions affords termination and transfer free polymerization which leads to very efficient methods of block polymer synthesis. 

The two anionic approaches (electrophilic termination and functional initiation) to the synthesis of these materials are discussed. The advantages of anionic methods are noted. Furthermore, the special benefits of the use of protected functional initiators and polymers are highlighted.Besides the usual advantages of the anionic methods, the protected functional initiator approach is a high yield and gel-free procedure that allows the attachment of reactive and/or mixed functionalities to polymer chain ends. 

CM has been reported to provide a synthetic tool for immobilization of reagents. Polymer-supported synthesis with an allylsilyl unit as a linker was developed. Divinylbenzene cross-linked allyldimethylsilylpolystyrene has been reported to undergo highly efficient ruthenium-catalyzed CM with functionalized terminal alkenes (Eq. 45) [78]. Products have been liberated by proto-desilylation with trifluoroacetic acid. 

The scope of the living cationic polymerizations and synthetic applications of these functionalized monomers will be treated in the next chapter on polymer synthesis (see Chapter 5, Section III.B). One should note that the feasibility of living processes for these polar monomers further attests to the formation of controlled and stabilized growing species. Conventional nonliving polymerizations, esters, ethers, and other nucleophiles are known to function as chain transfer agents and sometimes as terminators. In addition, the absence of other acid-catalyzed side reactions of the polar substituents, often sensitive to hydrolysis, acidolysis, etc., demonstrates that these polymerization systems are free from free protons that could arise either from incomplete initiation (via addition of protonic acids to monomer) or from chain transfer reactions (/3-proton elimination from the growing end). 

For example, Scheme 6 gives an example of the synthesis of heterotelechelic poly(vinyl ether) by method A, where a-end-functional living polymers, derived from functional initiators, are terminated with the malonate... 

Tonhauser C, Frey H (2010) A road less traveled to functional polymers epoxide termination in living carbanionic polymer synthesis. Macromol Rapid Commun 31 1938-1947... 

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