Lithium 2- , anionic polymerization

The use of alkaU metals for anionic polymerization of diene monomers is primarily of historical interest. A patent disclosure issued in 1911 (16) detailed the use of metallic sodium to polymerize isoprene and other dienes. Independentiy and simultaneously, the use of sodium metal to polymerize butadiene, isoprene, and 2,3-dimethyl-l,3-butadiene was described (17). Interest in alkaU metal-initiated polymerization of 1,3-dienes culminated in the discovery (18) at Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. that polymerization of neat isoprene with lithium dispersion produced high i7j -l,4-polyisoprene, similar in stmcture and properties to Hevea natural mbber (see ELASTOLffiRS,SYNTHETic-POLYisoPRENE Rubber, natural). 

Anionic polymerization of vinyl monomers can be effected with a variety of organometaUic compounds alkyllithium compounds are the most useful class (1,33—35). A variety of simple alkyllithium compounds are available commercially. Most simple alkyllithium compounds are soluble in hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane and cyclohexane and they can be prepared by reaction of the corresponding alkyl chlorides with lithium metal. Methyllithium [917-54-4] and phenyllithium [591-51-5] are available in diethyl ether and cyclohexane—ether solutions, respectively, because they are not soluble in hydrocarbon solvents vinyllithium [917-57-7] and allyllithium [3052-45-7] are also insoluble in hydrocarbon solutions and can only be prepared in ether solutions (38,39). Hydrocarbon-soluble alkyllithium initiators are used directiy to initiate polymerization of styrene and diene monomers quantitatively one unique aspect of hthium-based initiators in hydrocarbon solution is that elastomeric polydienes with high 1,4-microstmcture are obtained (1,24,33—37). Certain alkyllithium compounds can be purified by recrystallization (ethyllithium), sublimation (ethyllithium, /-butyUithium [594-19-4] isopropyllithium [2417-93-8] or distillation (j -butyUithium) (40,41). Unfortunately, / -butyUithium is noncrystaUine and too high boiling to be purified by distiUation (38). Since methyllithium and phenyllithium are crystalline soUds which are insoluble in hydrocarbon solution, they can be precipitated into these solutions and then redissolved in appropriate polar solvents (42,43). OrganometaUic compounds of other alkaU metals are insoluble in hydrocarbon solution and possess negligible vapor pressures as expected for salt-like compounds. 

Other Organolithium Compounds. Organoddithium compounds have utiHty in anionic polymerization of butadiene and styrene. The lithium chain ends can then be converted to useflil functional groups, eg, carboxyl, hydroxyl, etc (139). Lewis bases are requHed for solubdity in hydrocarbon solvents. 

The earliest SIS block copolymers used in PSAs were nominally 15 wt% styrene, with an overall molecular weight on the order of 200,000 Da. The preparation by living anionic polymerization starts with the formation of polystyryl lithium, followed by isoprene addition to form the diblock anion, which is then coupled with a difunctional agent, such as 1,2-dibromoethane to form the triblock (Fig. 5a, path i). Some diblock material is inherently present in the final polymer due to inefficient coupling. The diblock is compatible with the triblock and acts... 

Typical initiators for living anionic polymerization of siloxanes include conventional organoalkali compounds and lithium siloxanolates22). Initiators containing lithium counterions are preferable to sodium or potassium counterions due to the lower catalytic activity of lithium in siloxane redistribution reactions. Living anionic polymeriza-... 

The difficulties encountered in the early studies of anionic polymerization of methyl methacrylate arose from the unfortunate choice of experimental conditions the use of hydrocarbon solvents and of lithium alkyl initiators. The latter are strong bases. Even at —60 °C they not only initiate the conventional vinyl poly-addition, but attack also the ester group of the monomer yielding a vinyl ketone1, a very reactive monomer, and alkoxide 23). Such a process is described by the scheme. 

The mechanism of anionic polymerization of styrene and its derivatives is well known and documented, and does not require reviewing. Polymerization initiated in hydrocarbon solvents by lithium alkyls yields dimeric dormant polymers, (P, Li)2, in equilibrium with the active monomeric chains, P, Li, i.e. 

Some new initiators soluble in hydrocarbons were described during the last few years. Organo-lithium compounds form 1 1 complexes with alkyls of Mg 134,135), Zn 136) or Cd l36), and their usefulness as initiators of anionic polymerization of styrene and the dienes was established 137). 

The research programme into n-butyl lithium initiated, anionic polymerization started at Leeds in 1972 and involved the construction of a pilot scale, continuous stirred tank reactor. This was operated isothermally, to obtain data under a typical range of industrial operating conditions. 

A pilot scale plant, incorporating a three litre continuous stirred tank reactor, was used for an investigation into the n-butyl lithium initiated, anionic polymerization of butadiene in n-hexane solvent. The rig was capable of being operated at elevated temperatures and pressures, comparable with industrial operating conditions. 

The activity of transition metal allyl compounds for the polymerization of vinyl monomers has been studied by Ballard, Janes, and Medinger (10) and their results are summarized in Table II. Monomers that polymerize readily with anionic initiators, such as sodium or lithium alkyls, polymerize vigorously with allyl compounds typical of these are acrylonitrile, methyl methacrylate, and the diene isoprene. Vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, ethyl acrylate, and allylic monomers do not respond to these initiators under the conditions given in Table II. 

The situation changes dramatically when anionic polymerizations are carried out under reaction conditions such that there is strong coordination among the counter-ion, propagating center, and monomer. Thus, when lithium is the counter-ion and polymerization takes place in a solvent of low polarity, the... 

Polymer Synthesis and Characterization. This topic has been extensively discussed in preceeding papers.(2,23,24) However, we will briefly outline the preparative route. The block copolymers were synthesized via the sequential addition method. "Living" anionic polymerization of butadiene, followed by isoprene and more butadiene, was conducted using sec-butyl lithium as the initiator in hydrocarbon solvents under high vacuum. Under these conditions, the mode of addition of butadiene is predominantly 1,4, with between 5-8 mole percent of 1,2 structure.(18) Exhaustive hydrogenation of polymers were carried out in the presence of p-toluenesulfonylhydrazide (19,25) in refluxing xylene. The relative block composition of the polymers were determined via NMR. 

Hyperbranched polymers have also been prepared via living anionic polymerization. The reaction of poly(4-methylstyrene)-fo-polystyrene lithium with a small amount of divinylbenzene, afforded a star-block copolymer with 4-methylstyrene units in the periphery [200]. The methyl groups were subsequently metalated with s-butyllithium/tetramethylethylenediamine. The produced anions initiated the polymerization of a-methylstyrene (Scheme 109). From the radius of gyration to hydrodynamic radius ratio (0.96-1.1) it was concluded that the second generation polymers behaved like soft spheres. 

The most studied catalyst family of this type are lithium alkyls. With relatively non-bulky substituents, for example nBuLi, the polymerization of MMA is complicated by side reactions.4 0 These may be suppressed if bulkier initiators such as 1,1-diphenylhexyllithium are used,431 especially at low temperature (typically —78 °C), allowing the synthesis of block copolymers.432,433 The addition of bulky lithium alkoxides to alkyllithium initiators also retards the rate of intramolecular cyclization, thus allowing the polymerization temperature to be raised.427 LiCl has been used to similar effect, allowing monodisperse PMMA (Mw/Mn = 1.2) to be prepared at —20 °C.434 Sterically hindered lithium aluminum alkyls have been used at ambient (or higher) temperature to polymerize MMA in a controlled way.435 This process has been termed screened anionic polymerization since the bulky alkyl substituents screen the propagating terminus from side reactions. 

Hiller and Funke obtained easily dissolvable linear macromolecules of PVS by anionic polymerization of 1,4-DVB up to conversions of 80-90% [230,231]. In these experiments very low concentrations of n-butyl lithium (n-BuLi) were used and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as solvent. The reactions were carried out at -78 °C and for 7 min. The contents of pendant vinyl groups in the polymer were determined by infrared spectroscopy, mercury-II-acetate addition and catalytic... 

Co-polymerizations and homo-polymerizations of monomers such as dienes or 4-methylene dioxolan, in which two or more types of ion may propagate simultaneously, are further examples of enieidic polymerizations. These dienes, of course, also provide examples of eniedic radical and anionic polymerizations. Indeed the idea of dieidic polymerization has been suggested by several authors in relation to anionic polymerizations it arose from the aggregation in solution of the lithium alkyls [135], and similar phenomena. 

Wang GM, van Beylen M (2003) Influence of 7t-complexing agents on the anionic polymerization of styrene with lithium as counterion in cyclohexane. 1. Effect of durene. Polymer 44 6205-6210... 

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