Introduction to polymer chemistry

In this chapter we will discuss a few topics in the area of alkene polymerisations catalysed by homogeneous complexes of early and late transition metals (ETM, LTM). One of the main research themes for the ETM catalysts has been the polymerisation of propene, while industries have also paid a lot of attention to metallocenes giving LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene, for thinner plastic bags). In less than a decade a completely new family of catalysts has been developed which enables one to synthesise regioselective and stereoselective polymers of a wide variety of monomers. These new catalysts are starting to find application on industrial scale, but as yet only reports on commercialisation of (branched) polyethylene and polystyrene have appeared. 

Making polymers is an important application of catalysis and this chapter serves as an introduction to more advanced works in this area [1], Before starting we need to know a few things about polymers, which we will very briefly summarise below. 

Transition metal complexes play a key role in co-ordination polymerisation. 

Polymer molecular properties. Making a polymer of high quality is much more complicated than making butanal, for example, because the material properties of a polymer depend heavily on a number of molecular properties. For example, 1% of mistakes in a propene polymer chain can spoil the properties of a polymer completely (crystallinity for instance), while 10% of a by-product in a butanal synthesis can be removed easily by distillation. PVC contains only 0.1% defects as allylic and tertiary chlorides and this necessitates the use of a large package of stabilisers  

During the preparation the following properties of the polymer have to be tuned  

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Source Data from D. Margerison and G. C. An Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Pergamon, Oxford, 1967. 

MOORE, w. R., An Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, University of London Press, London (1963) PLESCH, p. H., Cationic Polymerisation, Pergamon Press, Oxford (1963)... 

Carraher, C. 2006. Introduction to Polymer Chemistry. Taylor Francis, Boca Raton, FL. 

Hiemenz, P. C, Polymer Chemistry The Basic Concepts, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1984. (Undergraduate level. An introduction to polymer chemistry. Discusses many of the topics relevant to the present chapter.)... 

Much useful information on these and related polymers is given by F. W. Billmeyer, Jr., A Textbook of Polymer Chemistry, Wiley-lnterscience, New York, 1957 J. K. Stille, Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1962 F. Bueche, Physical Properties of Polymers, Wiley-lnterscience, New York, 1962 W. R. Sorenson and T. W. Campbell, Preparative Methods of Polymer Chemistry, Wiley-lnterscience, New York, 1961. 

Many basic texts on polymer science are available. The books by Billmeyer (1971), Brydson (1999) and Boyd and Phillips (1993) provide a wide coverage of the subject. Nicholson (1997) provides a useful elementary introduction to polymer chemistry. The text by Grosberg and Khokhlov (1997) provides an excellent introduction to the basics of polymer properties and behaviour in relation to their underlying molecular structure. The proceedings of the 81st Nobel Symposium, Salaneck, Lundstrom and Ranby (1993), gives an overview of the science of conjugated polymers. 

Seymour, R.B. Introduction to Polymer Chemistry McGraw-Hill New York, 1971. 

R. B. Se5mour, Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1971. Structural adhesive is key to vandal-proof coin box. Adhesives Age, 41 Dec. (1998). 

Margerison, D. and East, G.C., Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Pergamon Press, 1967, chap. 4. 

R. B. Seymour, Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1971. 

C.E. C Ttaher,Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, 2nd edition. WUey, New York, 2007. 

H. Lee, D. Stoffey, and K. Neville, Ne Linear Polymers, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1967. D. Margerison and G. C. East, An Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Pergamon, Oxford,... 

Margerison, D. and East, G. C., An Introduction to Polymer Chemistry , Pergamon Press, New York, 1967. Moore, W. J., Physical Chemistry , 4th ed., Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1972. 

This volume has been set up to reflect the broad classifications mentioned earlier. A brief introduction to polymer chemistry is followed by a tabulation of the various types of polymers that have been used and the methods for their characterization. Thereafter, sections follow that touch on the use of polymers as supports. Examples are given where polymers... 

Okamura S., Nakajima A., Onogi S., Kawai H., NishijimaN., Higashimnra T, Ise N. Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Chapter 4 Various Properties ofPolymaic Mataials. Tolqro Kagakudonin, 1981... 

Okamura, S. et al. (1970). Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto Kagaku Dojin,... 

Okamura, S., Nakajima, A., Onogi, S., Kawai, H., Nishijima, Y, Higashimura, T, and Ise, N. (1970). Introduction to Polymer Chemistry, Kyoto Kagaku Dojin. 

J. K. Stille, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., NY, 1962, Introduction to Polymer Chemistry. 

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