Group transfer polymerization initiator

A brief review has appeared covering the use of metal-free initiators in living anionic polymerizations of acrylates and a comparison with Du Font s group-transfer polymerization method (149). Tetrabutylammonium thiolates mn room temperature polymerizations to quantitative conversions yielding polymers of narrow molecular weight distributions in dipolar aprotic solvents. Block copolymers are accessible through sequential monomer additions (149—151) and interfacial polymerizations (152,153). 

The anionic polymerization of methacrylates using a silyl ketene acetal initiator has been termed group-transfer polymerization (GTP). First reported by Du Pont researchers in 1983 (100), group-transfer polymerization allows the control of methacrylate molecular stmcture typical of living polymers, but can be conveniendy mn at room temperature and above. The use of GTP to prepare block polymers, comb-graft polymers, loop polymers, star polymers, and functional polymers has been reported (100,101). 

Group-Transfer Polymerization. Living polymerization of acrylic monomers has been carried out using ketene silyl acetals as initiators. This chemistry can be used to make random, block, or graft copolymers of polar monomers. The following scheme demonstrates the synthesis of a methyl methacrylate—lauryl methacrylate (MMA—LMA) AB block copolymer (38). LMA is CH2=C(CH2)COO(CH2) CH2. 

The previous two systems resemble in some way the interesting group-transfer polymerization discovered by the DuPont team 13). The initiator, asilyl ketene acetal, l,... 

These TMS-carbamate-mediated NCA polymerizations resemble to some extent the group-transfer polymerization (GTP) of acrylic monomers initiated by organo-silicon compounds [40]. Unlike GTPs that typically require Lewis acid activators or nucelophilic catalysts to facilitate the polymerization [41], TMS-carbamate-mediated NCA polymerizations do not appear to require any additional catalysts or activators. However, it is still unclear whether the TMS transfer proceeds through an anionic process as in GTP [41] or through a concerted process as illustrated in Scheme 14. 

Webster OW, Hertler WR, Sogah DY, Eamham WB, Rajanbabu TV (1983) Group-transfer polymerization. 1. A New concept for addition polymerization with organo-silicon initiators. J Am Chem Soc 105 5706-5708... 

The controlled polymerization of (meth)acrylates was achieved by anionic polymerization. However, special bulky initiators and very low temperatures (- 78 °C) must be employed in order to avoid side reactions. An alternative procedure for achieving the same results by conducting the polymerization at room temperature was proposed by Webster and Sogah [84], The technique, called group transfer polymerization, involves a catalyzed silicon-mediated sequential Michael addition of a, /f-unsaluralcd esters using silyl ketene acetals as initiators. Nucleophilic (anionic) or Lewis acid catalysts are necessary for the polymerization. Nucleophilic catalysts activate the initiator and are usually employed for the polymerization of methacrylates, whereas Lewis acids activate the monomer and are more suitable for the polymerization of acrylates [85,86]. 

Group transfer polymerization offers another route to LAP of (meth)acrylates without resorting to low temperatures [Hertler, 1994, 1996 Muller, 1990 Quirk et al., 1993 Reetz, 1988 Schubert and Bandermann, 1989, Sogah et al., 1987, 1990 Webster, 1987, 1992, 2000]. The initiator is a silyl ketene acetal (XXIV) that is synthesized from an ester enolate ... 

Group transfer polymerization allows the synthesis of block copolymers of different methacrylate or acrylate monomers, such as methyl methacrylate and allyl methacrylate [Hertler, 1996 Webster and Sogah, 1989]. The synthesis of mixed methacrylate-acrylate block copolymers requires that the less reactive monomer (methacrylate) be polymerized first. The silyl dialkylketene acetal propagating center from methacrylate polymerization is more reactive for initiation of acrylate polymerization than the silyl monoalkylketene acetal propagating center from acrylate polymerization is for initiation of methacrylate polymerization. Bifunctional initiators such as l,4-bis(methoxytri methyl si loxymethylene)cyclohexane (XXXIII) are useful for synthesizing ABA block copolymers where the middle block is methacrylate [Steinbrecht and Bandermann, 1989 Yu et al., 1988]. 

Stars with high arm numbers are commonly prepared by the arm-first method. This procedure involves the synthesis of living precursor arms which are then used to initiate the polymerization of a small amount of a difunctional monomer, i.e., for linking. The difunctional monomer produces a crosslinked microgel (nodule), the core for the arms. The number of arms is a complex function of reaction variables. The arm-first method has been widely used in anionic [3-6,32-34], cationic [35-40], and group transfer polymerizations [41] to prepare star polymers having varying arm numbers and compositions. 

The lithium enolate generated using lithium diisopropylamide [4111-54-0], lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide [58227-87-1], or lithium hexamethyldisilazide [4039-32-17 is a chemical reagent that reacts with other reactants to give a variety of products (37). In the quest for improved stereospecificity, enolates with different cations such as silicon, aluminum, boron, and zinc have also been used (38). In group transfer polymerization, ketene silyl acetals, eg, (CH3)2C=C [OSi(CH3)3] (OCH3) are employed as initiators (39). 

If the living ROMP of norbomene is terminated with a 9-fold excess of terephthalaldehyde, the chains formed carry an aldehyde end-group which, when activated by ZnCl2, can be used to initiate the aldol-group-transfer polymerization of tert-butyldimethylsilyl vinyl ether621. 

Group transfer polymerization meets most of these criteria. However, it is sensitive to protic impurities and the present cost of the initiator is too high. Other living processes for polymerization of (meth)acrylates will be evaluated with respect to these criteria. 

Aldol group transfer polymerization of ferf-butyldimethylsilyl vinyl ether [62] was initiated by pendant aldehyde functions incorporated along a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) backbone [63]. This backbone was a random copolymer prepared by group transfer polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and acetal protected 5-methacryloxy valeraldehyde. After deprotection of the aldehyde initiating group, polymerization proceeded by activation with zinc halide in THF at room temperature. The reaction led to a graft copolymer with PMMA backbone and poly(silyl vinyl ether) or, upon hydrolysis of the ferf-butyldimethylsilyl groups, poly(vinyl alcohol) branches. 

Following quantitative methylation of the co-fert-chloro site by trimethyl aluminum, the methylated polyisobutylene methacrylate macromonomer was co-polymerized with MMA by Group Transfer Polymerization [87]. PMMA-g-PIB graft copolymers with controlled MW and composition were obtained. The structure and physical properties were determined by the [MMA]/[MA-PIB] and [MMA]/[Initiator] ratios. 

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy glycidyl methacrylate group transfer polymerization 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate hydrophobic-lipophilic-balance hydroxypropylcellulose 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate initiator concentration decomposition rate constant propagation rate constant termination rate constant... 

Rh138 was almost the same (almost atactic, slightly syndiotactic) as the tacticity of those obtained with conventional radical initiators such as AIBN under similar conditions. The triad ratio of rr.mr.mm as determined by 13C NMR is usually 58 38 4 and does not change even with the use of chiral and/or bulky ligands.103116 These results may exclude a coordination mechanism and suggest a radical nature. However, the stereochemical structure alone is not strong evidence for the radical polymerization because, for example, group-transfer polymerization, basically via an anionic mechanism, results in a stereo structure of PMMA similar to those for free radical processes.263... 

Measurement of reactivity ratios under normal free-radical and CCT polymerization conditions indicates that CCT is a modified free-radical polymerization as expected.434 The reactivity ratios for MMA and butyl methacrylate were used as a mechanistic probe. Reactivity ratios were 1.04 and 0.81 for classical anionic polymerization, 1.10 and 0.72 for alkyllithium/trialkylaluminum initiated polymerization, 1.76 and 0.67 for group transfer polymerization, 0.98 and 1.26 for atom transfer radical polymerization, 0.75 and 0.98 for CCT, and 0.93 and 1.22 for classical free-radical polymerization. These ratios suggest that ATRP and CCT proceed via radical propagation. 

Recently, several laboratories have reported stereochemical analysis using NMR spectroscopy of series of MMA oligomers (from unimer to pentamer) prepared by radical polymerization with tetraphenylethane initiators,266 by radical telomerization with thiophenol,267 and by group transfer polymerization.268 These polymerization systems are not stereospecific (rather syndio-tactic) and thus the resultant MMA oligomers consist of comparable amounts of some stereoisomers. Cacioli and co-workers267 prepared MMA oligomers by radical telomerization with cobalt (II) tetraphenyl porphyrin, and studied them using two-dimensional NMR. They isolated three of four possible stereoisomers of the pentamer ( = 3) ... 

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