Tacticity and structure

The mechanism of B polymerization is summarized in Scheme 4,9. 1,2-, and cis- and trews-1,4-butadiene units may be discriminated by IR, Raman, or H or nC MMR speclroseopy.1 92 94 PB comprises predominantly 1,4-rra//.v-units. A typical composition formed by radical polymerization is 57.3 23.7 19.0 for trans-1,4- c7a -1,4- 1,2-. While the ratio of 1,2- to 1,4-units shows only a small temperature dependence, the effect on the cis-trans ratio appears substantial. Sato et al9J have determined dyad sequences by solution, 3C NMR and found that the distribution of isomeric structures and tacticity is adequately described by Bernoullian statistics. Kawahara et al.94 determined the microslructure (ratio // measurements directly on PB latexes and obtained similar data to that obtained by solution I3C NMR. They94 also characterized crosslinked PB. 

Kim and Somorjai have associated the different tacticity of the polymer with the variation of adsorption sites for the two systems as titrated by mesitylene TPD experiments. As discussed above, the TiCl >,/Au system shows just one mesitylene desorption peak which was associated with desorption from low coordinated sites, while the TiCl c/MgClx exhibits two peaks assigned to regular and low coordinated sites, respectively [23]. Based on this coincidence, Kim and Somorjai claim that isotactic polymer is produced at the low-coordinated site while atactic polymer is produced at the regular surface site. One has to bear in mind, however, that a variety of assumptions enter this interpretation, which may or may not be vahd. Nonetheless it is an interesting and important observation which should be confirmed by further experiments, e.g., structural investigations of the activated catalyst. From these experiments it is clear that the degree of tacticity depends on catalyst preparation and most probably on the surface structure of the catalyst however, the atomistic correlation between structure and tacticity remains to be clarified. 

Further confirmation of the structure and tacticity of poly/5-methyl-l,4-hexadiene)was obtained from X-ray diffraction and u-NMR data of its hydrogenated polymer (Scheme 2). The hydrogenated polymer sample showed a highly crystalline pattern (Figure 7), with diffraction spots that were well defined. This pattern was identical to that of isotactic poly(5-methyl-l-hexene) as reported in the literature (26) (measured identity period, 6.2 A lit., 6.33 A). 

Seki and Tirrell [436] studied the pH-dependent complexation of poly(acrylic acid) derivatives with phospholipid vesicle membranes. These authors found that polyfacrylic acid), poly(methacrylic arid) and poly(ethacrylic acid) modify the properties of a phospholipid vesicle membrane. At or below a critical pH the polymers complex with the membrane, resulting in broadening of the melting transition. The value of the critical pH depends on the chemical structure and tacticity of the polymer and increases with polymer hydro-phobicity from approximately 4.6 for poly(acrylic acid) to approximately 8 for poly(ethacrylic acid). Subsequent photophysical and calorimetric experiments [437] and kinetic studies [398] support the hypothesis that these transitions are caused by pH dependent adsorption of hydrophobic polymeric carboxylic acids... 

The application of this technique to the determination of the polymer structure and tacticity is now almost universally practiced and needs no further discussion. 

Oligostyrene can be effectively analyzed with respect to chemical structure and tacticity. Information on the end-group structure, the degree of... 

Schrock, R. R. Lee, J.-K. O Dell, R. Oskam, J. H. Exploring factors that determine cis/trans structure and tacticity in polymers prepared by ring-opening metathesis polymerization with initiators of the type syn- and anfi-Mo(NAr)(CHCMe2Ph)(OR)2. Observation of a temperature-dependent cis/trans ratio. Macromolecules 1995,28,5933-5940. 

Polystyrene produced by free-radical polymerisation techniques is part syndio-tactic and part atactic in structure and therefore amorphous. In 1955 Natta and his co-workers reported the preparation of substantially isotactic polystyrene using aluminium alkyl-titanium halide catalyst complexes. Similar systems were also patented by Ziegler at about the same time. The use of n-butyl-lithium as a catalyst has been described. Whereas at room temperature atactic polymers are produced, polymerisation at -30°C leads to isotactic polymer, with a narrow molecular weight distribution. 

It will be seen that the molecule has an extremely regular structure and that questions of tacticity do not arise. The polymer is thus capable of crystallisation. 

Millan and coworkers (99-101) also studied the effect of tacticity on the nucleophilic substitution reactions of PVC. Sodium thiophenate and phenol were used for these reactions. The central chlorine in isotactic triads and, to a lesser extent, in heterotactic triads was found to be most reactive. It was concluded that initiation of degradation may occur by normal structures, and polyene build-up may be favored by syndiotic sequence. This... 

The zinc complex of 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoroacetylacetonate forms coordination polymers in reaction with either 2,5-bis(4-ethynylpyridyl)furan or l,2-bis(4-ethynylpyridyl)benzene. The X-ray crystal structures demonstrate an isotactic helical structure for the former and a syndio-tactic structure for the latter in the solid state. Low-temperature 1H and 19F NMR studies gave information on the solution structures of oligomers. Chiral polymers were prepared from L2Zn where L = 3-((trifluoromethyl)hydroxymethylene)-(+)-camphorate. Reaction with 2,5-bis(4-ethy-nylpyridyl)furan gave a linear zigzag structure and reaction with tris(4-pyridyl)methanol a homo-chiral helical polymer.479... 

The structural regularity in such polymers gives rise to optical (D-L isomerism) and tacticity of polymers and geometrical cross-trans isomerism. 

Magnetic resonance (ESR, NMR) Chemical structure, tacticity, conformation, polymer mobility (NMR) Radical, triplet state structure and behaviour (ESR)... 

Tautomerism on polymer should be quite sensitive to neighbouring group effects (composition and unit distribution, steric hindrance and tacticity) and to the microenvironment polarity in solution (copolymer-solvent interactions, critical concentration c of coil interpenetration). The determination of the tautomerism constant KT=(total conjugated forms)/(keto form) in dilute (csemi-dilute (c>c ) solution from H-NMR at 250 MHz and from UV spectroscopy has been reported elsewhere (39,43). The following spectrometric data related to keto-2-picolyl and keto-qui-naldyl structures are quite illustrative ... 

In semi dilute (c>c, [B] = 0.3-0.5 mole.l- ) or dilute (c< c, [B] = 10-2 mole.l- -) solution, Kp is significantly greater for copolymers than for the model compounds whatever the solvent is. For semi-dilute solution in a given solvent, the complex influences of composition, unit distribution and tacticity do not result in definite trends on K, values, as illustrated in table 6 by some representative Kj data related to keto-2-picolyl structures at 25°C. 

The butadiene polymers represent another cornerstone of macromolecular stereochemistry. Butadiene gives rise to four different types of stereoregular polymers two with 1,2 linkage and two with 1,4. The first two, isotactic (62) and syndiotactic (25), conform to the definitions given for vinyl polymers, while the latter have, for eveiy monomer unit, a disubstituted double bond that can exist in the two different, cis and trans, configurations (these terms are defined with reference to the polymer chain). If the monomer units all have the same cis or trans configuration the polymers are called cis- or trans-tactic (30 and 31). The first examples of these stereoisomers were cited in the patent literature as early as 1955-1956 (63). Structural and mechanistic studies in the field have been made by Natta, Porri, Corradini, and associates (65-68). 

The topochemical polymerization of 1,3-diene monomers based on polymer crystal engineering can be used not only for tacticity but also for the other chain structures such as molecular weight [ 102], ladder [84] or sheet [ 103] structures, and also polymer layer structures using intercalation reactions [ 104-107]. Some mechanical and structural properties have already been revealed with well-defined and highly or partly crystalline polymers [ 108-111 ]. A totally solvent-free system for the synthesis of layered polymer crystals was also reported [112]. 

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a most effective and significant method for observing the structure and dynamics of polymer chains both in solution and in the solid state [1]. Undoubtedly the widest application of NMR spectroscopy is in the field of structure determination. The identification of certain atoms or groups in a molecule as well as their position relative to each other can be obtained by one-, two-, and three-dimensional NMR. Of importance to polymerization of vinyl monomers is the orientation of each vinyl monomer unit to the growing chain tacticity. The time scale involved in NMR measurements makes it possible to study certain rate processes, including chemical reaction rates. Other applications are isomerism, internal relaxation, conformational analysis, and tautomerism. 

Beare, M. Structures, Strategies, and Tactics of Transnational Criminal Organizations Critical Issues for Enforcement Paper presented at the Australian Institute of Criminology, Australian Customs Service, and Australian Federal Police Transnational Crime Conference, Canberra, March 9- , 2000. 

The high-c/s polymer of 242 (see above), when made from enantiomeric monomer, has a mainly HH, TT structure and is therefore largely syndiotactic. On the other hand, the 96% Inins polymer made from enantiomeric monomer with RLiC.I(/i-C.I)(r 3 r 3-C. oHi6)]2 as catalyst (C10H16 = 2,7-dimethyloctadienediyl) has an HT structure and is therefore essentially isotactic. These tacticities are as predicted from the pseudo-octahedral model if the ligands are not labile and one site is available for coordination of monomer319 see Section VIII.A.5. 

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