Thiol transfer agents

Some typical transfer constants for allyl sulfides are given in Table 6.7. The values of Clt for these reagents are less dependent on the particular monomer than those for halocarbons (Table 6.2) or thiol transfer agents (Table 6.4). The low transfer constant of 32 demonstrates the importance of the activating group Z (cf. 11). 

Tung et al21> have reported on the use of a polymeric thiol transfer agent for use in block copolymer production. Various methods have been used for the anion thiol conversion. Near quantitative yields of thiol arc reported to have been obtained by terminating anionic polymerization with ethylene sulfide and derivatives (Scheme 7.27). Transfer constants for the polymeric thiols are reported to be similar to those of analogous low molecular weight compounds.273... 

The molecular weight of a polymer can be controlled through the use of a chain-transfer agent, as well as by initiator concentration and type, monomer concentration, and solvent type and temperature. Chlorinated aUphatic compounds and thiols are particularly effective chain-transfer agents used for regulating the molecular weight of acryUc polymers (94). Chain-transfer constants (C at 60°C) for some typical agents for poly(methyl acrylate) are as follows (87) ... 

In mbber production, the thiol acts as a chain transfer agent, in which it functions as a hydrogen atom donor to one mbber chain, effectively finishing chain growth for that polymer chain. The sulfur-based radical then either terminates with another radical species or initiates another chain. The thiol is used up in this process. The length of the mbber polymer chain is a function of the thiol concentration. The higher the concentration, the shorter the mbber chain and the softer the mbber. An array of thiols have subsequendy been utilized in the production of many different polymers. Some of these apphcations are as foUow ... 

Often a chain-transfer agent is added to vinyl acetate polymerizations, whether emulsion, suspension, solution, or bulk, to control the polymer molecular weight. Aldehydes, thiols, carbon tetrachloride, etc, have been added. Some emulsion procedures call for the recipe to include a quantity of preformed PVAc emulsion and sometimes antifoamers must be added (see Foams). 

The thiol ( -dodecyl mercaptan) used ia this recipe played a prominent role ia the quaUty control of the product. Such thiols are known as chain-transfer agents and help control the molecular weight of the SBR by means of the foUowiag reaction where M = monomer, eg, butadiene or styrene R(M) = growing free-radical chain k = propagation-rate constant = transfer-rate constant and k = initiation-rate constant. 

However, upon terminating chains with thiols, sulphur centered low-molecular weight radicals are formed that are able to start a polymerization of the remaining monomer B. Therefore, formation of homopolymer consisting of B is inevitable if thiols are used. A suitable alternative to the classical transfer additives are degra-dative chain transfer agents, such as allylmalonic acid... 

Chain transfer is the reaction of a propagating radical with a non-radical substrate (X-Y, Scheme 6.1) to produce a dead polymer chain and a new radical (Y ) capable of initiating a polymer chain. The transfer agent (X-Y) may be a deliberate additive (e.g. a thiol) or it may be the initiator, monomer, polymer, solvent or an adventitious impurity. 

Even in the absence of added transfer agents, all polymerizations may be complicated by transfer to initiator (Sections 3.2.10 and 3.3), solvent (Section 6.2.2.5), monomer (Section 6.2.6) or polymer (Section 6.2.7). The significance of these transfer reactions is dependent upon the particular propagating radicals involved, the reaction medium and the polymerization conditions. Thiol-ene polymerization consists of sequential chain transfer and reinitiation steps and ideally no monomer consumption by propagation (Section 7.5.3). 

The moiery transferred will most often be a hydrogen atom, for example, when the transfer agent is a thiol (e.g. n-butancthiol - Scheme 6.6, Section 6.2.2,1), a hydroperoxide (Section 3,3.2.5), the solvent (6.2.2.5), etc. 

The following sections detail the chemistry undergone by specific transfer agents that react by atom or group transfer by a homolytic substitution mechanism. Thiols, disulfides, and sulfides arc covered in Sections 6.2.2.1,6.2.2.2 and 6.2.2.3 respectively, halocarbons in Section 6.2.2.4, and solvents and other agents in Section 6.2.2.5. The transfer constant data provided have not been critically... 

Traditionally thiols or mercaptans are perhaps the most commonly used transfer agents in radical polymerization. They undergo facile reaction with propagating (and other) radicals with transfer of a hydrogen atom and form a saturated chain end and a thiyl radical (Scheme 6.6). Some typical transfer constants are presented in Table 6.2. The values of the transfer constants depend markedly on the particular monomer and can depend on reaction conditions.4"1 44... 

Table 6.2 Transfer Constants (60 °C, bulk) for Thiols (RSH) with Various Monomers2 Transfer agent C ...

The process may be used to form linear polymers. Nuyken and Volkel224 225 described a method for tclcchclic production, based on the radical initiated reaction of difunctional transfer agents with dienes (e.g. divinyl benzene (13), dimethacrylate esters). However, currently the most common use of thiol-ene... 

One may envisage polymerizations analogous to the thiol-enc process using other bis- or multi transfer agents (e.g. radical-induced hydrosilylation between bis-silanes and dienes). However, none has been described or achieved significance. 

The effect of the initiation and termination processes on compositional heterogeneity can be seen in data presented in Figure 7.3 and Figure 7.4. The data come from a computer simulation of the synthesis of a hydroxy functional oligomer prepared from S, BA, and HEA with a thiol chain transfer agent. The recipe is similar to those used in some coatings applications. 

Two methods for cleaving the nitroxide functionality from polymers made by NMP are summarized in Table 9.23. Transfer agents such as thiols " ordithiuram disulfides (Scheme 9.50) can be used for end group replacement and lead to the... 

T. F. McCallum, III and B. Weinstein. Amine-thiol chain transfer agents. Patent US 5298585, 1994. 

Fig. 1.7 Synthesis of branched vinyl polymer using a divinyl comonomer and balancing level of thiol-free radical transfer agent - the Cross-linker/ Transfer Method (CTM).

Radical chain hydrosilylation of alkenes using RsSiH, where R = alkyl and/ or phenyl, is not very useful in synthesis because the hydrogen abstraction step is slow under standard experimental conditions (cf. Section 3.1). These reactions proceed under drastic conditions (Reaction 5.9) [3], but can be promoted under milder conditions by the presence of catalytic amounts of a thiol [27]. Thus, the propagation steps in Scheme 5.1 are replaced by those reported in Scheme 5.4, where the thiol acts as the catalyst and the H transfer agent (see Iso Section 4.5). 

Also, Kerep and Ritter reported a radical chain transfer agent as a dual initiator, FRP-1 [45]. The first step builds on the fact that hydroxyl groups are much better nucleophiles in enzymatic ROP than thiols. Due to the chemoselectivity of the enzyme, PCLs with predominantly thiol endgroups were obtained, which were subsequently used as macroinitiator for styrene. The authors report that the reaction yield can be further increased by microwave irradiation. Although thiols provide less control over the radical polymerization than RAFT agents, the subsequent radical polymerization successfully leads to the synthesis of PCL-Z -PS. 

When the polymerization of PS with 17 (X=SPr) was carried out in the presence of thiol as the chain transfer agent, a polymer of uniform molecular weight was obtained with the number of the polymer molecules equal to the sum of those of the molecules of the initiator and thiol (immortal character). 

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