Ionic polymerization termination

In ionic polymerizations termination by combination does not occur, since all of the polymer ions have the same charge. In addition, there are solvents such as dioxane and tetrahydrofuran in which chain transfer reactions are unimportant for anionic polymers. Therefore it is possible for these reactions to continue without transfer or termination until all monomer has reacted. Evidence for this comes from the fact that the polymerization can be reactivated if a second batch of monomer is added after the initial reaction has gone to completion. In this case the molecular weight of the polymer increases, since no new growth centers are initiated. Because of this absence of termination, such polymers are called living polymers. 

Both modes of ionic polymerization are described by the same vocabulary as the corresponding steps in the free-radical mechanism for chain-growth polymerization. However, initiation, propagation, transfer, and termination are quite different than in the free-radical case and, in fact, different in many ways between anionic and cationic mechanisms. Our comments on the ionic mechanisms will touch many of the same points as the free-radical discussion, although in a far more abbreviated form. 

The molecular weight distribution for a polymer like that described above is remarkably narrow compared to free-radical polymerization or even to ionic polymerization in which transfer or termination occurs. The sharpness arises from the nearly simultaneous initiation of all chains and the fact that all active centers grow as long as monomer is present. The following steps outline a quantitative treatment of this effect ... 

Even though the catalyst may be only partially converted to H B", the concentration of these ions may be on the order of 10 times greater than the concentration of free radicals in the corresponding stationary state of the radical mechanism. Likewise, kp for ionic polymerization is on the order of 100 times larger than the sum of the constants for all termination and transfer steps. By contrast, kp/kj which is pertinent for the radical mechanism, is typically on the order of 10. These comparisons illustrate that ionic polymerizations occur very fast even at low temperatures. 

A factor in addition to the RTD and temperature distribution that affects the molecular weight distribution (MWD) is the nature of the chemical reaciion. If the period during which the molecule is growing is short compared with the residence time in the reactor, the MWD in a batch reactor is broader than in a CSTR. This situation holds for many free radical and ionic polymerization processes where the reaction intermediates are very short hved. In cases where the growth period is the same as the residence time in the reactor, the MWD is narrower in batch than in CSTR. Polymerizations that have no termination step—for instance, polycondensations—are of this type. This topic is treated by Denbigh (J. Applied Chem., 1, 227 [1951]). 

The block copolymer produced by Bamford s metal carbonyl/halide-terminated polymers photoinitiating systems are, therefore, more versatile than those based on anionic polymerization, since a wide range of monomers may be incorporated into the block. Although the mean block length is controllable through the parameters that normally determine the mean kinetic chain length in a free radical polymerization, the molecular weight distributions are, of course, much broader than with ionic polymerization and the polymers are, therefore, less well defined,... 

The thermal (or photochemical) decomposition of the azo group gives rise to a radically initiated polymerization. The reactive site F, the transformation site, however, can, depending on its chemical nature, initiate a condensation or addition type reaction. It can also start radical or ionic polymerizations. F may also terminate a polymerization or even enable the azo initiator to act as a monomer in chain polymerizations. 

Ions and ion pairs interact strongly with the solvent, and hence an ionic polymerization is greatly influenced by the environment. Solvation tends to separate the ions and thus the system approaches a state which would be expected in a hypothetical solution deprived of gegen ions. At the same time formation of a solvation shell around the growing center probably slows down the addition. This effect is particularly notable in the termination step and will be discussed further in the next section of this paper. 

Living free-radical polymerization has recently attracted considerable attention since it enables the preparation of polymers with well-controlled composition and molecular architecture previously the exclusive domain of ionic polymerizations, using very robust conditions akin to those of a simple radical polymerization [77 - 86]. In one of the implementations, the grafting is achieved by employing the terminal nitroxide moieties of a monolith prepared in the presence of a stable free radical such as 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-l-pyperidinyloxy (TEMPO). In this way, the monolith is prepared first and its dormant free-... 

While in most of the reports on SIP free radical polymerization is utihzed, the restricted synthetic possibihties and lack of control of the polymerization in terms of the achievable variation of the polymer brush architecture limited its use. The alternatives for the preparation of weU-defined brush systems were hving ionic polymerizations. Recently, controlled radical polymerization techniques has been developed and almost immediately apphed in SIP to prepare stracturally weU-de-fined brush systems. This includes living radical polymerization using nitroxide species such as 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidin-l-oxyl (TEMPO) [285], reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization mainly utilizing dithio-carbamates as iniferters (iniferter describes a molecule that functions as an initiator, chain transfer agent and terminator during polymerization) [286], as well as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) were the free radical is formed by a reversible reduction-oxidation process of added metal complexes [287]. All techniques rely on the principle to drastically reduce the number of free radicals by the formation of a dormant species in equilibrium to an active free radical. By this the characteristic side reactions of free radicals are effectively suppressed. 

Actually it is well known that ionic polymerization need not terminate. They have been termed living polymers. If further monomer is added, weeks or months later there will be a further molecular weight increase as the polymer chains grow longer. As long as the counterion is present (lithium in the preceding case), the anionic end group is perfectly stable. 

Ionic polymerization may also occur with cationic initiations such as protonic acids like HF and H2SO4 or Lewis acids like BF3, AICI3, and SnC. The polymerization of isobutylene is a common example, shown in Fig. 14.5. Note that the two inductively donating methyl groups stabilize the carbocation intermediate. Chain termination, if it does occur, usually proceeds by loss of a proton to form a terminal double bond. This regenerates the catalyst. 

Since the required activation energy for ionic polymerization is small, these reactions may occur at very low temperatures. The carbocations, including the macrocarbocations, repel one another hence, chain termination does not occur by combination but is usually the result of reaction with impurities. 

Unlike ionic polymerizations, the termination of the growing free radical chains usually occurs by coupling of two macroradicals. Thus, the kinetic chain length (v) is equal to DP/2. The chemical and kinetic equations for bimolecular termination are shown below (Equations 6.17 and 6.18). 

Ionic polymerizations are characterized by a wide variety of modes of initiation and termination. Unlike radical polymerization, termination in ionic polymerization never involves the bimolecular reaction between two propagating polymer chains of like charge. Termination of a propagating chain occurs by its reaction with the counterion, solvent, or other species present in the reaction system. 

Overberger, C. G., G. F. Endres and A. Monaci Ionic polymerization. VII. Relative reactivities of mono- and />-dialkylbenzenes as molecular terminating agents in the cationic polymerization of styrene. J. Amer. chem. Soc. 78, 1969 (1956). 

The most important mode of termination of a radical polymerization is the bimolecular interaction of its reactive centers. Radicals rapidly recombine or disproportionate, and these reactions anihilate the growing ends. On the other hand, neither recombination nor disproportionation takes place in an ionic polymerization, and hence a collision between two ionically growing centers usually does not lead to termination. 

A rather special case of bimolecular termination was described recently in the literature by Chien (7). It concerns the polymerization of ethylene initiated by a soluble biscyclopentadienyl titanium dichloride-dimethyl aluminium chloride complex. Such a polymerization should be classified as a coordination polymerization and not as an ionic polymerization. Nevertheless, some similarity to anionic polymerization justifies its discussion at this place. It was shown that the termination is kineti-cally bimolecular, and it is postulated that it involves the reduction of two TiIV+ to TiIII+ complexes, proceeding simultaneously with the disproportion of 2 polymeric chains,... 

In ionic polymerization a hydride (H-) transfer or a proton transfer are the analogues of the hydrogen atom transfer in radical polymerization. A hydride (H-) ion transfer is observed in many isomerizations and dimerizations of hydrocarbons which proceed via carbonium-ion mechanism. A similar process is responsible for chain transfer ip some carbonium-ion polymerizations. The transfer of negative ions like Cl- is also common, e.g. triphenyl methyl chloride is an efficient transfer agent in such a polymerization. Transfer of a proton is, on the other hand, a very common mode of termination of anionic polymerization. Indeed, this mode of termination was discussed previously in connection with branching reactions, and it was postulated in the earliest studies of anionic poly-... 

These early examples of macromonomer synthesis illustrate some of the chief principles that have subsequently led to a great variety of methods. Ionic polymerization is often preferred because of the long lifetime of the active sites. Transfer reactions in free-radical processes are also used quite often, yielding both acceptable molecular weights and an adequate proportion of terminal functions. 

Perhaps the best qualitative and quantitative scavenger studies in these ionic polymerizations have been made with ammonia and several amines. Busier, Martin, and Williams (8) have shown that, at —78°C. the initial polymer yield from irradiated cyclopentadiene increases linearly with the ratio of [C5H6]/[NH3] over the range 1-10. This would be consistent with a mechanism in which all growing chains are terminated by reaction with ammonia, according to ... 

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