Radical polymerization thermal reactions

It was not until the invention of iodonium and sulfonium salts as photo-initiators by Crivello (1975) that cationic photo-polymerization became practical (see Crivello et al., 1977,1990,2000). Upon irradiation of these Crivello salts, acids are generated. Another significant difference between free radical and cationic polymerizations is the latter process is a living polymerization— once the acid species is formed, it remains active even after the irradiation is stopped. In contrast to this behavior free radicals die soon after irradiation is stopped. Also, unhke free radical polymerizations cationic reactions are not inhibited by oxygen. Quite often the dark reaction following irradiation can play an important role in enabhng a cationic system to develop its full properties and this leads manufacturers of commercial cationic photopolymers to often recommend a thermal (dark) postcure after carrying out the photo-irradiation process. 

Replacement of Labile Chlorines. When PVC is manufactured, competing reactions to the normal head-to-tail free-radical polymerization can sometimes take place. These side reactions are few ia number yet their presence ia the finished resin can be devastating. These abnormal stmctures have weakened carbon—chlorine bonds and are more susceptible to certain displacement reactions than are the normal PVC carbon—chlorine bonds. Carboxylate and mercaptide salts of certain metals, particularly organotin, zinc, cadmium, and antimony, attack these labile chlorine sites and replace them with a more thermally stable C—O or C—S bound ligand. These electrophilic metal centers can readily coordinate with the electronegative polarized chlorine atoms found at sites similar to stmctures (3—6). 

In the manufacture of highly resident flexible foams and thermoset RIM elastomers, graft or polymer polyols are used. Graft polyols are dispersions of free-radical-polymerized mixtures of acrylonitrile and styrene partially grafted to a polyol. Polymer polyols are available from BASF, Dow, and Union Carbide. In situ polyaddition reaction of isocyanates with amines in a polyol substrate produces PHD (polyhamstoff dispersion) polyols, which are marketed by Bayer (21). In addition, blending of polyether polyols with diethanolamine, followed by reaction with TDI, also affords a urethane/urea dispersion. The polymer or PHD-type polyols increase the load bearing properties and stiffness of flexible foams. Interreactive dispersion polyols are also used in RIM appHcations where elastomers of high modulus, low thermal coefficient of expansion, and improved paintabiUty are needed. 

The trapped radicals, most of which are presumably polymeric species, have been used to initiate graft copolymerization [127,128]. For this purpose, the irradiated polymer is brought into contact with a monomer that can diffuse into the polymer and thus reach the trapped radical sites. This reaction is assumed to lead almost exclusively to graft copolymer and to very little homopolymer since it can be conducted at low temperature, thus minimizing thermal initiation and chain transfer processes. Moreover, low-molecular weight radicals, which would initiate homopolymerization, are not expected to remain trapped at ordinary temperatures. Accordingly, irradiation at low temperatures increases the grafting yield [129]. 

Generation of radicals by redox reactions has also been applied for synthesizing block copolymers. As was mentioned in Section II. D. (see Scheme 23), Ce(IV) is able to form radical sites in hydroxyl-terminated compounds. Thus, Erim et al. [116] produced a hydroxyl-terminated poly(acrylamid) by thermal polymerization using 4,4-azobis(4-cyano pentanol). The polymer formed was in a second step treated with ceric (IV) ammonium nitrate, hence generating oxygen centered radicals capable of starting a second free radical polymeriza-... 

The decomposition of an initiator seldom produces a quantitative yield of initiating radicals. Most thermal and photochemical initiators generate radicals in pairs. The self-reaction of these radicals is often the major pathway for the direct conversion of primary radicals to non-radical products in solution, bulk or suspension polymerization. This cage reaction is substantial even in bulk polymerization at low conversion when the medium is essentially monomer. The importance of the process depends on the rate of diffusion of these species away from one another. 

The initiator in radical polymerization is often regarded simply as a source of radicals. Little attention is paid to the various pathways available for radical generation or to the side reactions that may accompany initiation. The preceding discussion (see 3.2) demonstrated that in selecting initiators (whether thermal, photochemical, redox, etc.) for polymerization, they must be considered in terms of the types of radicals formed, their suitability for use with the particular monomers, solvent, and the other agents present in the polymerization medium, and for the properties they convey to the polymer produced. 

Many reviews detailing aspects of the chemistry of initiators and initiation have appeared.2 45 46 A non-critical summary of thermal decomposition rates is provided in the Polymer Handbook41 43 The subject also receives coverage in most general texts and review s dealing with radical polymerization. References to reviews that detail the reactions of specific classes of initiator are given under the appropriate sub-heading below. 

Only a few diacvl peroxides see widespread use as initiators of polymerization. The reactions of the diaroyl peroxides (36, R=aryl) will be discussed in terms of the chemistry of BPO (Scheme 3.25). The rate of p-scission of thermally generated benzoyloxy radicals is slow relative to cage escape, consequently, both benzoyloxy and phenyl radicals are important as initiating species. In solution, the only significant cage process is reformation of BPO (ca 4% at 80 °C in isooctane) II"l only minute amounts of phenyl benzoate or biphenyl are formed within the cage. Therefore, in the presence of a reactive substrate (e.g. monomer), tire production of radicals can be almost quantitative (see 3.3.2.1.3). 

Photolysis or thermolysis of persulfate ion (41) (also called peroxydisulfate) results in hoinolysis of the 0-0 bond and formation of two sulfate radical anions. The thermal reaction in aqueous media has been widely studied."51 232 The rate of decomposition is a complex function of pH, ionic strength, and concentration. Initiator efficiencies for persulfate in emulsion polymerization are low (0.1-0.3) and depend upon reaction conditions (Le. temperature, initiator concentration)."33... 

This section describes polymerizations of monomer(s) where the initiating radicals are formed from the monomer(s) by a purely thermal reaction (/.e. no other reagents are involved). The adjectives, thermal, self-initialed and spontaneous, are used interchangeably to describe these polymerizations which have been reported for many monomers and monomer combinations. While homopolymerizations of this class typically require above ambient temperatures, copolymerizations involving certain electron-acceptor-electron-donor monomer pairs can occur at or below ambient temperature. 

N-Alkoxylamines 88 are a class of initiators in "living" radical polymerization (Scheme 14). A new methodology for their synthesis mediated by (TMSlsSiH has been developed. The method consists of the trapping of alkyl radicals generated in situ by stable nitroxide radicals. To accomplish this simple reaction sequence, an alkyl bromide or iodide 87 was treated with (TMSlsSiH in the presence of thermally generated f-BuO radicals. The reaction is not a radical chain process and stoichiometric quantities of the radical initiator are required. This method allows the generation of a variety of carbon-centered radicals such as primary, secondary, tertiary, benzylic, allylic, and a-carbonyl, which can be trapped with various nitroxides. 

The rates of radical-forming thermal decomposition of four families of free radical initiators can be predicted from a sum of transition state and reactant state effects. The four families of initiators are trarw-symmetric bisalkyl diazenes,trans-phenyl, alkyl diazenes, peresters and hydrocarbons (carbon-carbon bond homolysis). Transition state effects are calculated by the HMD pi- delocalization energies of the alkyl radicals formed in the reactions. Reactant state effects are estimated from standard steric parameters. For each family of initiators, linear energy relationships have been created for calculating the rates at which members of the family decompose at given temperatures. These numerical relationships should be useful for predicting rates of decomposition for potential new initiators for the free radical polymerization of vinyl monomers under extraordinary conditions. 

The results of the radical polymerization of MM A in bulk at 60-100 °C with 6 as the A-B type thermal iniferter are shown in Fig. 1 [16,81]. In this polymerization, the molecular weight of the polymers produced increased with the reaction time. 

There were several attempts to gain better control on the free radical polymerization process [18, 19], One of these methods was named the iniferter method. The compounds used in this technique can serve as m/tiator, trans/er agent and terminating agent [20-22], Another technique is based on the use of bulky organic compounds such as diaryl or triarylmethyl derivatives [23-25], The main disadvantages of these systems comprise slow initiation, slow exchange, direct reaction of counter radicals with monomers, and their thermal decomposition. Therefore, these techniques did not offer the desired level of control over the polymerization. 

The radiolysis of olefinic monomers results in the formation of cations, anions, and free radicals as described above. It is then possible for these species to initiate chain polymerizations. Whether a polymerization is initiated by the radicals, cations, or anions depends on the monomer and reaction conditions. Most radiation polymerizations are radical polymerizations, especially at higher temperatures where ionic species are not stable and dissociate to yield radicals. Radiolytic initiation can also be achieved using initiators, like those used in thermally initiated and photoinitiated polymerizations, which undergo decomposition on irradiation. 

Various a-methylenemacrolides were enzymatically polymerized to polyesters having polymerizable methacrylic methylene groups in the main chain (Fig. 3, left). The free-radical polymerization of these materials produced crosslinked polymer gels [10, 12]. A different chemoenzymatic approach to crosslinked polymers was recently introduced by van der Meulen et al. for novel biomedical materials [11]. Unsaturated macrolactones like globalide and ambrettolide were polymerized by enzymatic ROP. The clear advantage of the enzymatic process is that polymerizations of macrolactones occur very fast as compared to the chemically catalyzed reactions [13]. Thermal crosslinking of the unsaturated polymers in the melt yielded insoluble and fully amorphous materials (Fig. 3, right). 

Apart from ATRP, the concept of dual initiation was also applied to other (controlled) polymerization techniques. Nitroxide-mediated living free radical polymerization (LFRP) is one example reported by van As et al. and has the advantage that no further metal catalyst is required [43], Employing initiator NMP-1, a PCL macroinitiator was obtained and subsequent polymerization of styrene produced a block copolymer (Scheme 4). With this system, it was for the first time possible to successfully conduct a one-pot chemoenzymatic cascade polymerization from a mixture containing NMP-1, CL, and styrene. Since the activation temperature of NMP is around 100 °C, no radical polymerization will occur at the reaction temperature of the enzymatic ROP. The two reactions could thus be thermally separated by first carrying out the enzymatic polymerization at low temperature and then raising the temperature to around 100 °C to initiate the NMP. Moreover, it was shown that this approach is compatible with the stereoselective polymerization of 4-MeCL for the synthesis of chiral block copolymers. 

The radical polymerization of ethylene, in practice, is initiated by free-radical initiators, although radiation-induced,155 210 photoinduced,211-213 and thermal213,214 initiations are also possible. The temperature of high-pressure polymerization should not exceed 350°C since above this temperature a rapid exothermic (AH = —30.4kcal/mol) thermal decomposition of ethylene can take place leading to a runaway reaction ... 

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