Monomers, vinyl cationic polymerization

Proton transfer to monomer is the best known and most widely studied transfer reaction in the cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers. Cationic polymerization of styrene and isobutylene belong to the comprehensively studied examples More recently, it has been shown by H-NMR that there are two kinds of double bonds formed as result of transfer in the polymerization of isobutylene ... 

It is possible to prepare block copolymers by free-radical initiation, as R. B. Seymour, G. A. Stahl, D. R. Owent, and H. Wood discuss in their chapter. Methyl methacrylate macroradicals were made with peroxide and azo initiators in diluents, and different vinyl monomers were polymerized onto them. Block copolymers of two ethylene imines, one having a long (lauroyl) side chain and one with a short (propionyl) side chain were synthesized by M. H. Litt and T. Matsuda in a two-step cationic polymerization process. Block and random copolymers of episulfides were prepared by E. Cernia, A. Roggero, A. Mazzei, and M. Bruzzone using anionic catalysts of metalated sulfoxides and sulfones. 

Alkenes polymerize cationically by electrophilic addition of the monomer to a growing car-benium ion [8]. Therefore, the monomer must be nucleophilic and capable of stabilizing the resulting positive charge. In addition, the double bond must be the most nucleophilic functionality in the monomer. Some vinyl monomers which polymerize cationically are listed in Eq. (20) in their order of reactivity, which corresponds to the electron-do-... 

A cationic or anionic hydrophilic vinyl monomer is polymerized with a hydrophobic vinyl monomer. This polymer is thinly coated onto a substrate using an appropriate solvent to make a tvidely used sensor as shown in Fig. 2. For example,a copolymer made of a vinyl monomer and reactive cationic monomer is coated on a substrate and has been made into... 

The addition polymerization of a vinyl monomer CH2=CHX involves three distinctly different steps. First, the reactive center must be initiated by a suitable reaction to produce a free radical or an anion or cation reaction site. Next, this reactive entity adds consecutive monomer units to propagate the polymer chain. Finally, the active site is capped off, terminating the polymer formation. If one assumes that the polymer produced is truly a high molecular weight substance, the lack of uniformity at the two ends of the chain—arising in one case from the initiation, and in the other from the termination-can be neglected. Accordingly, the overall reaction can be written... 

The kinds of vinyl monomers which undergo anionic polymerization are those with electron-withdrawing substituents such as the nitrile, carboxyl, and phenyl groups. We represent the catalysts as AB in this discussion these are substances which break into a cation (A ) and an anion (B ) under the conditions of the reaction. In anionic polymerization it is the basic anion which adds across the double bond of the monomer to form the active center for polymerization ... 

In cationic polymerization the active species is the ion which is formed by the addition of a proton from the initiator system to a monomer. For vinyl monomers the type of substituents which promote this type of polymerization are those which are electron supplying, like alkyl, 1,1-dialkyl, aryl, and alkoxy. Isobutylene and a-methyl styrene are examples of monomers which have been polymerized via cationic intermediates. 

A second type of uv curing chemistry is used, employing cationic curing as opposed to free-radical polymerization. This technology uses vinyl ethers and epoxy resins for the oligomers, reactive resins, and monomers. The initiators form Lewis acids upon absorption of the uv energy and the acid causes cationic polymerization. Although this chemistry has improved adhesion and flexibility and offers lower viscosity compared to the typical acrylate system, the cationic chemistry is very sensitive to humidity conditions and amine contamination. Both chemistries are used commercially. 

The observation in 1949 (4) that isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) can be polymerized with stereoregularity ushered in the stereochemical study of polymers, eventually leading to the development of stereoregular polypropylene. In fact, vinyl ethers were key monomers in the early polymer Hterature. Eor example, ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) was first polymerized in the presence of iodine in 1878 and the overall polymerization was systematically studied during the 1920s (5). There has been much academic interest in living cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers and in the unusual compatibiUty of poly(MVE) with polystyrene. 

Complexation of the initiator and/or modification with cocatalysts or activators affords greater polymerization activity (11). Many of the patented processes for commercially available polymers such as poly(MVE) employ BE etherate (12), although vinyl ethers can be polymerized with a variety of acidic compounds, even those unable to initiate other cationic polymerizations of less reactive monomers such as isobutene. Examples are protonic acids (13), Ziegler-Natta catalysts (14), and actinic radiation (15,16). 

Monomer Reactivity. The nature of the side chain R group exerts considerable influence on the reactivity of vinyl ethers toward cationic polymerization. The rate is fastest when the alkyl substituent is branched and electron-donating. Aromatic vinyl ethers are inherently less reactive and susceptible to side reactions. These observations are shown in Table 2. 

VEs do not readily enter into copolymerization by simple cationic polymerization techniques instead, they can be mixed randomly or in blocks with the aid of living polymerization methods. This is on account of the differences in reactivity, resulting in significant rate differentials. Consequendy, reactivity ratios must be taken into account if random copolymers, instead of mixtures of homopolymers, are to be obtained by standard cationic polymeriza tion (50,51). Table 5 illustrates this situation for butyl vinyl ether (BVE) copolymerized with other VEs. The rate constants of polymerization (kp) can differ by one or two orders of magnitude, resulting in homopolymerization of each monomer or incorporation of the faster monomer, followed by the slower (assuming no chain transfer). 

Radical copolymerization is used in the manufacturing of random copolymers of acrylamide with vinyl monomers. Anionic copolymers are obtained by copolymerization of acrylamide with acrylic, methacrylic, maleic, fu-maric, styrenesulfonic, 2-acrylamide-2-methylpro-panesulfonic acids and its salts, etc., as well as by hydrolysis and sulfomethylation of polyacrylamide Cationic copolymers are obtained by copolymerization of acrylamide with jV-dialkylaminoalkyl acrylates and methacrylates, l,2-dimethyl-5-vinylpyridinum sulfate, etc. or by postreactions of polyacrylamide (the Mannich reaction and Hofmann degradation). Nonionic copolymers are obtained by copolymerization of acrylamide with acrylates, methacrylates, styrene derivatives, acrylonitrile, etc. Copolymerization methods are the same as the polymerization of acrylamide. 

Anionic polymerization is better for vinyl monomers with electron withdrawing groups that stabilize the intermediates. Typical monomers best polymerized by anionic initiators include acrylonitrile, styrene, and butadiene. As with cationic polymerization, a counter ion is present with the propagating chain. The propagation and the termination steps are similar to cationic polymerization. 

The initiator can be a radical, an acid, or a base. Historically, as we saw in Section 7.10, radical polymerization was the most common method because it can be carried out with practically any vinyl monomer. Acid-catalyzed (cationic) polymerization, by contrast, is effective only with vinyl monomers that contain an electron-donating group (EDG) capable of stabilizing the chain-carrying carbocation intermediate. Thus, isobutylene (2-methyl-propene) polymerizes rapidly under cationic conditions, but ethylene, vinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile do not. Isobutylene polymerization is carried out commercially at -80 °C, using BF3 and a small amount of water to generate BF3OH- H+ catalyst. The product is used in the manufacture of truck and bicycle inner tubes. 

Synthetic polymers can be classified as either chain-growth polymen or step-growth polymers. Chain-growth polymers are prepared by chain-reaction polymerization of vinyl monomers in the presence of a radical, an anion, or a cation initiator. Radical polymerization is sometimes used, but alkenes such as 2-methylpropene that have electron-donating substituents on the double bond polymerize easily by a cationic route through carbocation intermediates. Similarly, monomers such as methyl -cyanoacrylate that have electron-withdrawing substituents on the double bond polymerize by an anionic, conjugate addition pathway. 

A comparison of the cationic polymerization of 2,3-dihydrofurans with that of furan and 2-alkylfurans shows that the complications of the latters two, arising from the dienic character of the monomers, obviously vanish when the monomer is a simple cyclic vinyl ether with just one reactive site, viz. the carbon-carbon double bond. However, it also points out that ring opening in the polymerization of furans by acidic catalysts in the absence of water is unlikely, because otherwise it would also occur to some degree in the polymerization of dihydrofurans. 

The latter, used to investigate the cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers, is the subject of the presented article. The central point is not to collect all quantum chemical calculations carried out but to interprete some of this calculations in a reaction theoretical manner. 

Our investigations agree with arguments in earlier articles by other authors, namely that empirical reactivity indices provide the best correlation with the goal values of the cationic polymerization (lg krel, DPn, molecular weight). On the other hand, the quantum chemical parameters are often based on such simplified models that quantitative correlations with experimental goal values remain unsatisfactory 84,85>. But HMO calculations for vinyl monomers show, that it is possible to determine intervals of values for quantum chemical parameters which reflect the anionic and cationic polymerizability 72,74) (see part 4.1.1) as well as grades of the reactivity (see part 3.2). 

Table 10. Cationic polymerization ability of vinyl monomers limits of quantum chemical reactivity...

According to Table 10, the relationships for cationic polymerization are not as simple in comparison to those above. Although it is clearly possible to assert limits for characterizing the polymerizability, all parameters used characterize the evident polymerizable monomers acroleine (R = —CHO) and methyl vinyl keton (R = —COCH3) or the non-polymerizable monomer vinyl acetate (R = —OCOCH3) contrary to experimental results. 

The initiation of the cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers by a Lewis acid MtXn in the absence or presence of a coinitiator can proceed in a number of ways depending on the concrete reaction conditions 1,2). 

Vinyl monomers may be polymerized at favorable rates in an aqueous medium containing an emulsifier and a water-soluble initiator. A typical simple Tecipe would consist of the following ingredients with their proportions indicated in parts by weight 100 of monomer, 180 of water, 2 to 5 of a fatty acid soap, and 0.1 to 0.5 of potassium persulfate. Cationic soaps (e.g., dodecylamine hydrochloride) may be used instead of the fatty acid soap, and various other initiators may replace the persulfate (e.g., hydrogen peroxide and ferrous ion, or a water-soluble organic hydroperoxide). 

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