Initiator group transfer

Haddleton, D. M., et al. (1997). Identifying the nature of the active species in the polymerization of methacrylates inhibition of methyl methacrylate homopolymerizations and reactivity ratios for copolymerization of methyl methacrylate/n-butyl methacrylate in classical anionic, alkyUithium/trialkylaluminum-initiated, group transfer polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization, catalytic chain transfer, and classical free radical polymerization. Macromolecules, 30(14) 3992-3998. 

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. 

Mixed aryl selenides have also proven to be excellent ree ents for group transfer reactions.Photolysis of selenides in an inert solvent such as benzene can initiate chain reactions. Substituted radicals can be generated in this manner, from a-selenoe-... 

Substitution, addition, and group transfer reactions can occur intramolecularly. Intramolecular substitution reactions that involve hydrogen abstraction have some important synthetic applications, since they permit functionalization of carbon atoms relatively remote from the initial reaction site. ° The preference for a six-membered cyclic transition state in the hydrogen abstraction step imparts position selectivity to the process ... 

Defect groups or structural irregularities need not impair polymer properties, they are simply units That differ from those described by the generalised formula 1 f Initiating radicals arc formed from those Initiator- or transfer agent-derived radicals that add monomer so as to form propagating radicals (see 3.1). 

Feldman et a .210 211 and Wulff et ul v have examined other forms of template controlled oligomerization of acrylic monomers. The template (23) has initiator and transfer agent groups attached to a rigid template of precisely defined structure.210 "11 Polymerization of MMA in the presence of 23 gave a 3 unit oligo(MMA) as ca 66% of the polymeric product. The stereochemistry of the oligomer was reported to be different" from that of atactic PMMA. 

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,... 

The decarboxylation of the caesium salt of 9-methylanthracene-10-acetic acid occurs at an even lower potential (0.7 V) and affords the dimer as well as the methyl ether (Eq. 40) [342], The low oxidation potentials for the decarboxylation of 54 (0.13 to 0.77 V) [306a] and 55 (—0.17 V) [306b] indicate too, that the initial electron transfer occurs from the amino or aryl group rather than from the carboxylate. 

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]. 

When oligoisobutenes are formed from gaseous isobutene at ambient temperature by BF3 and H20 the initial group is CH3, formed by addition of a proton to the monomer [8]. The predominant terminal groups are double bonds [8] formed by transfer reactions involving elimination of a proton from the growing carbonium ion ... 

The proportions of the different kinds of initial groups depend on the nature and rate of the different transfer reactions by which they are formed and the proportion of initial groups derived from the catalyst will depend on the ratio of the rate of initiation to the sum of the rates of the transfer reactions. Finally, although the main chain of the polyisobutene molecule is very resistant to chemical attack [14], by virtue of its chemical structure and configuration, the end-groups are readily attacked by atmospheric oxidation. 

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