Metal-oxygen polymers

Particularly, the formation of new chemical bonds at a metal-polymer interface has recently gained a lot of attention, thanks to development of surface analytical tools. In this connection, photoemission spectroscopies (XPS, UPS) have been extensively used. The adhesion is related to bond formation between the metal atom and the functional groups at the polymer surface. The presence of oxygen containing groups is found to lead to the formation of metal-oxygen-polymer complexes and to increase the adhesion. ... 

In the early 70s it was announced that organotin compounds had been bonded to such plastics as polystyrene, polymethacrylate, polyester, polyvinyl chloride, and cellulose polymer backbones. " These have been termed organometallic polymers (OMP). Triethyltin hydroxide was allowed to react with a copolymer of styrene-maleic anhydride. These polymers can be incorporated in a marine paint which, when applied, would retain an anti-fouling activity through hydrolytic cleavage of the metal-oxygen-polymer bond. 

Similarly, when catalyzed the reaction rate decreases significantly as a function of pH level. The optimum reaction pH level is approximately 9.5 to 10.5. Iron, and especially copper, in the boiler may act as adventitious catalysts. However, as metal transport polymers are frequently employed, iron, copper, or cobalt may be transported away from contact with sulfite, and thus are not available for catalysis. (This may be a serious problem in high-pressure units employing combinations of organic oxygen scavengers and metal ion catalysts.)... 

Neoalkoxy zirconates also provide novel opportunities for the adhesion of fluorinated polymers to metal substrates because the introduction of a zirconate at the interface results in a metal oxygen zirconium VI organo fluoride. 

J. Gillis, R. Sievers, et al., Selective retention of oxygen using chromatographic columns containing metal chelate polymers, Anal. Chem., 57 1572-1577 (1985). 

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