Grafting, anionic Free-radical

A macromonomer is a macromolecule with a reactive end group that can be homopolymerized or copolymerized with a small monomer by cationic, anionic, free-radical, or coordination polymerization (macromonomers for step-growth polymerization will not be considered here). The resulting species may be a star-like polymer (homopolymerization of the macromonomer), a comblike polymer (copolymerization with the same monomer), or a graft polymer (copolymerization with a different monomer) in which the branches are the macromonomer chains. 

A radical initiator based on the oxidation adduct of an alkyl-9-BBN (47) has been utilized to produce poly(methylmethacrylate) (48) (Fig. 31) from methylmethacrylate monomer by a living anionic polymerization route that does not require the mediation of a metal catalyst. The relatively broad molecular weight distribution (PDI = (MJM ) 2.5) compared with those in living anionic polymerization cases was attributed to the slow initiation of the polymerization.69 A similar radical polymerization route aided by 47 was utilized in the synthesis of functionalized syndiotactic polystyrene (PS) polymers by the copolymerization of styrene.70 The borane groups in the functionalized syndiotactic polystyrenes were transformed into free-radical initiators for the in situ free-radical graft polymerization to prepare s-PS-g-PMMA graft copolymers. 

A combination of TEMPO living free radical (LFRP) and anionic polymerization was used for the synthesis of block-graft, block-brush, and graft-block-graft copolymers of styrene and isoprene [201]. The block-graft copolymers were synthesized by preparing a PS-fo-poly(styrene-co-p-chloromethylstyrene) by LFRP [Scheme 110 (1)], and the subsequent re-... 

The emulsion polymerization process involves the polymerization of liquid monomers that are dispersed in an aqueous surfactant micelle-containing solution. The monomers are solubilized in the surfactant micelles. A water-soluble initiator catalyst, such as sodium persulfate, is added to the aqueous phase. The free radicals generated cause the dispersed monomers to react to produce polymer molecules within the micellar environment. The surfactant plays an additional role in stabilizing dispersion of the produced polymer particles. Thus, the surfactants used both provide micelles to house the monomers and macroradicals, and also stabilize the produced polymer particles [193,790], Anionic surfactants, such as dodecylbenzene sulfonates, are commonly used to provide electrostatic stabilization [193], These tend to cause production of polymer particles having diameters of about 0.1-0.3 pm, whereas when steric stabilization is provided by, for example, graft copolymers, then diameters of about 0.1-10 pm tend to be produced [790,791]. 

Effect of Substrate. Again, polyethylene and ethylene-propylene copolymers are better substrates for block formation than polypropylene (Table XI). Polyethylene is better than polypropylene, and a polyethylene-polypropylene-polyethylene type of block polymer is better than polyethylene. This agrees with what has been found for AFR polymers containing methylvinylpyridine and acrylonitrile. It also supports our belief that AFR polymers are formed by the growing of a free radical polymer onto active ends of anionic polymer chains. If it were a random grafting reaction, it would be hard to explain why a propylene polymer with a more vulnerable tertiary hydrogen should give a lower... 

Ionic routes such as formation of the polymer anion by reaction with a strong base or the direct reaction of a polyamide with sodium are less likely to be used in reactive processing than is free-radical initiation. The process of self-graft polymerization by chain transfer to polymer, when it occurs in a single monomer/polymer system during polymerization, is an example of chain branching that is discussed in the next section. 

After synthesis, the methacryloxy-terminated PDMS macromonomers were purified, and the macromonomers were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate using free-radical, anionic, and group transfer polymerization. Detailed descriptions of the polymerization are provided by DeSimone (1990) and Hellstern (1989). In addition to well-defined graft copolymers, there is... 

Two PMMA-g-PDMS copolymers were also prepared with roughly similar composition (20 wt% and 26 wt% PDMS) and with the same molecular weight PDMS grafts (M = 10,000) by free radical polymerization and by anionic polymerization. The copolymers were first extracted of any unincorporated methacryloxy-terminated PDMS using supercritical carbon dioxide then they were fractionated with supercritical chlorodifluoromethane. Each fraction was characterized in the same manner as described for the three polymers depicted in figure 9.15 and the results are shown in figure 9.16 (DeSimone et al., 1990). The differences in chemical composition distribution profiles of the copolymers... 

Figure 9.16 Experimentally determined CCD profiles for PMMA-g-PDMS copolymers prepared free radically and anionically using 10,000 molecular weight PDMS grafts (DeSimone et al., 1988b).

Anionic-Radical Combinations. Radical grafting of one monomer on the backbone of another polymer is well known and is the basis of an important commercial process for making high impact polystyrene. Styrene is thermally bulk polymerized in the presence of 5 to 10% (by weight) polybutadiene, the polymerization proceeding by a free-radical grafting path (70). 

A patent (71) describes a combination of anionic and radical techniques to produce a variety of graft polymers. The synthesis proceeds via a capped anionic block polymer, the capping producing a polymerizable vinyl end unit. The capped polymer is then free-radical polymerized with a selected vinyl monomer to produce the graft polymer ... 

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