Polymer synthesis ring opening polymerization

Many of the common condensation polymers are listed in Table 1-1. In all instances the polymerization reactions shown are those proceeding by the step polymerization mechanism. This chapter will consider the characteristics of step polymerization in detail. The synthesis of condensation polymers by ring-opening polymerization will be subsequently treated in Chap. 7. A number of different chemical reactions may be used to synthesize polymeric materials by step polymerization. These include esterification, amidation, the formation of urethanes, aromatic substitution, and others. Polymerization usually proceeds by the reactions between two different functional groups, for example, hydroxyl and carboxyl groups, or isocyanate and hydroxyl groups. 

Moore, J. S. Transition Metals in Polymer Synthesis Ring-opening Metathesis Polymerization and Other Transition Metal Polymerization Techniques. In Comprehensive Organometaltic Chemistry // Abel, E. W., Stone, F. G. A., Wilkinson, G., Eds. Elsevier Oxford, 1995 Vol. 12, pp 1209-1232. 

Synthesis of Cyclic Polymers by Ring-Opening Polymerizations. 154... 

Method of synthesis ring-opening polymerization of p-dioxanone in the presence of organometallic catalyst (e.g., zirconium acetylacetone) Li, Y Whng, X-L, Yang, K-K Wang, Y-Z, Polym. Bull., 57,873-880, 2006. 

General Concepts in Synthesis of Nonlinear Polymers by Ring-Opening Polymerization 571... 

Synthesis. The synthesis of poly(dichlotophosphazene) [25034-79-17, (N=PCl2) (4), the patent polymer to over 300 macromolecules of types (1) and (2), is carried out via controlled, ring-opening polymerization of the corresponding cycHc trimer, (N=PCl2)3 [940-71 -6]. 

As early as 1895, the synthesis of polydichlorophosphazene was attempted by H.N. Stokes by thermal ring-opening polymerization of hexachloro-triphosphazene [(NPCl2)3]. The product obtained by H.N. Stokes was a high-molecular weight cross-linked rubbery material called inorganic rubber which is insoluble in all solvents and hydrolytically decomposes into phosphates, ammonia, and hydrochloric acid in the presence of moisture. Because of its insolubility and hydrolytic instability, the polymer found no technological application and remained as a laboratory curiosity. 

In 1964, H.R. Allcock filed a patent claiming the preparation of a soluble polydichlorophosphazene. The polymer obtained can be soluble in organic solvents such as benzene and toluene. This thermal ring-opening polymerization of hexachloro-triphosphazene in the melt at 250°C is the most fully developed and commonly used method for polydichlorophosphazene synthesis to date. 

In polyester synthesis via ring-opening polymerizations, metal catalysts are often used. For medical applications of polyesters, however, there has been concern about harmful effects of the metallic residues. Enzymatic synthesis of a metal-free polyester was demonstrated by the polymerization of l,4-dioxan-2-one using Candida antarctica lipase (lipase CA). Under appropriate reaction conditions, the high molecular weight polymer (molecular weight = 4.1 x 10" ) was obtained. 

In addition to solvent uses, esters of lactic acid can be used to recover pure lactic acid via hydrolysis, which in-tum is used to make optically active dilactide and subsequently polylactic acid used for drag delivery system.5 This method of recovery for certain lactic acid applications is critical in synthesis of medicinal grade polymer because only optically active polymers with low Tg are useful for drug delivery systems. Lactic acid esters themselves can also be directly converted into polymers, (Figure 1), although the commercial route proceeds via ring-opening polymerization of dilactide. 

An alcohol could initiate the ring-opening polymerization of lactones by lipase catalyst ( initiator method ). In the lipase CA-catalyzed polymerization of DDL using 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate as initiator, the methacryloyl group was quantitatively introduced at the polymer terminal, yielding the methacryl-type polyester macromonomer [98]. This methodology was expanded to synthesis of co-alkenyl- and alkynyl-type macromonomers by using 5-hexen-l-ol and 5-hexyn-l-ol as initiator. 

Fig.3A-D. Use of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) for neobiopolymer synthesis A General mechanism of cationic ROP. B Okada s use of cationic ROP to generate polymers with carbohydrate substituents at the terminus. C General mechanism for anionic ROP. D Okada s application of anionic ROP to generate carbohydrate-substituted polymers... 

Sakurai, H. Yoshida, M. Synthesis of Polysilanes by New Procedures Part 1 Ring-opening Polymerizations and the Polymerization of Masked Disilenes. In Silicon-based Polymers The Science and Technology of their Synthesis and Application-, Jones, R. G., Ando, W., Chojnowski, J., Eds. Kluwer Dordrecht, 2000 pp 375-399. 

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