Controlled radical polymerization catalyzed by CuCl/BDE complex in water medium. I. Polymerization of styrene and synthesis of poly(St‐b‐MMA)

The controlled radical polymerization of styrene in water medium, in the presence of polyoxyethylene nonyl phenyl ether, catalyzed and initiated by CuCl/BDE [bis(N,N′‐dimethylaminoethyl)ether]/R—X was studied. The results show that the molecular weight increased with conversion of the monomer. Using this controlled system, the block copolymer, poly(St‐b‐MMA), was successful synthesized in water medium. In reference to the system of CuCl/BDE/PhCH₂Cl, the polymerization may also occur in the micelle to produce a superhigh molecular mass (M_n = 1,500,000) polymer with monodispersion (MWD, M_w/M_n = 1.03). The Cu(I) and Cu(II) partition ratio in two phases, which may affect the reversible deactivation and debase the catalyst efficiency, was detected. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 802–807, 2000     

悬浮聚合法制取不同分子量级别的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯

采用粉状MgCO3 作为分散剂 ,悬浮聚合制取了分子量从 2 4× 10 4 ～ 2 5 4× 10 4 的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯。考察了温度、引发剂种类和浓度、分子量调节剂、转化率对聚合物分子量的影响规律 ,用粘度法测量了聚合物聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯 (PMMA)的分子量。结果表明 :温度的升高、引发剂浓度的增大、分子量调节剂的加入都会导致分子量的减小 ,随着转化率的提高 ,聚合物的分子量增大。在同等条件下 ,引发剂过氧化苯甲酰 (BPO)聚合所得的分子量较偶氮二异丁腈 (AIBN)高。通过实验 ,得到了满足作者需求的分子量 (96× 10 4 ～ 10 0× 10 4 )的聚合物的聚合条件为 :分散剂MgCO3 用量 1% ,单体∶水相 =1∶2 5 (质量比 ) ,引发剂BPO浓度 0 5 % ,反应温度 70℃ ,反应时间 3h。     

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate with a thermal iniferter: Diethyl 2,3‐dicyano‐2,3‐di(p‐tolyl)succinate

A hexa‐substituted ethane type compound, diethyl‐2,3‐dicyano‐2,3‐di(p‐tolyl)succinate (DCDTS), was successfully synthesized and used for initiation of methyl methacrylate (MMA) polymerization. The reaction demonstrated the characteristics of a “living” polymerization; i.e., both the yield and the molecular weight of the resulting polymers increased linearly with increasing reaction time, the molecular‐weight distribution of PMMA obtained was ～1.60 and almost unaffected by the conversion, and the resultant polymer can be chain extended by adding fresh MMA. End group analysis of the resultant PMMA confirmed that DCDTS behaves as a thermal iniferter for MMA polymerization. A block copolymer was prepared from the resultant PMMA, which contains a hexa‐substituted C? C bond functional end group. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 80: 2566–2572, 2001     

Hg(II) removal with polyacrylamide grafted crosslinked poly(vinyl chloride) beads via surface‐initiated controlled/“living” radical polymerization

Polyacrylamide grafted crosslinked poly (vinyl chloride) beads (PAM‐PVC) were prepared by the surface‐initiated controlled/“living” radical polymerization (SI‐CLRP) methodology from the crosslinked poly(vinyl chloride) beads with surface modification with diethyldithiocarbamyl groups under UV irradiation. The macroiniferter, diethyldithiocarbamyl crosslinked poly(vinyl chloride) beads (DEDTC‐PVC) were prepared by the reaction of the surface C? Cl groups with sodium N,N‐diethyl dithiocarbamate. The “grafting from” polymerization exhibited some “living” polymerization characteristics and the percentage of grafting (PG%) increased linearly with polymerizing time and achieved 47.6% after 6 h UV irradiation. The beaded polymer with polyacrylamide surface was also characterized with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Its adsorption property for Hg(II) ion was also investigated preliminarily. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:3385–3390, 2006     

Modeling of “living” free‐radical polymerization processes. I. Batch,semibatch, and continuous tank reactors

A comprehensive mathematical model is developed for “living” free‐radical polymerization carried out in tank reactors and provides a tool for the study of process development and design issues. The model is validated using experimental data for nitroxide‐mediated styrene polymerization and atom transfer radical copolymerization of styrene and n‐butyl acrylate. Simulations show that the presence of reversible capping reactions between growing and dormant polymer chains should boost initiation efficiency when using free nitroxide in conjunction with conventional initiator and also increase the effectiveness of thermal initiation. A study shows the effects of the value of the capping equilibrium constant and capping reaction rate constants for both nitroxide‐mediated styrene polymerization (using alkoxyamine as polymer chain seeds) and atom transfer radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate (using methyl 2‐bromopropionate as chain extension seeds). Also the effect of introducing additional conventional initiator into atom transfer radical polymerization of n‐butyl acrylate is studied. It is found that the characteristics of long chain growth are determined by the fast exchange of radicals between growing and dormant polymer chains. Polymerization results in batch, semibatch, and a series of continuous tank reactors are analyzed. The simulations also show that a semibatch reactor is most flexible for the preparation of polymers with controlled architecture. For continuous tank reactors, the residence time distribution has a significant effect on the development of chain architecture. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 86: 1630–1662, 2002     

Hyperbranched copolymers of p‐(chloromethyl)styrene and N‐cyclohexylmaleimide synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization

The hyperbranched copolymers were obtained by the atom transfer radical copolymerization of p‐(chloromethyl)styrene (CMS) with N‐cyclohexylmaleimide (NCMI) catalyzed by CuCl/2,2′‐bipyridine (bpy) in cyclohexanone (C₆H₁₀O) or anisole (PhOCH₃) with CMS as the inimer. The influences of several factors, such as temperature, solvent, the concentration of CuCl and bpy, and monomer ratio, on the copolymerization were subsequently investigated. The apparent enthalpy of activation for the overall copolymerization was measured to be 37.2 kJ/mol. The fractional orders obtained in the copolymerization were approximately 0.843 and 0.447 for [CuCl]₀ and [bpy]₀, respectively. The monomer reactivity ratios were evaluated to be r_NCMI = 0.107 and r_CMS = 0.136. The glass transition temperature of the resultant hyperbranched copolymer increases with increasing f_NCMI, which indicates that the heat resistance of the copolymer has been improved by increasing NCMI. The prepared hyperbranched CMS/NCMI copolymers were used as macroinitiators for the solution polymerization of styrene to yield star‐shaped poly(CMS‐co‐NCMI)/polystyrene block copolymers by atom transfer radical polymerization. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 78: 1992–1997, 2000     

Aqueous polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by the redox system Ce(IV)-D-Glucose. II: Effect of reaction conditions on polymer molecular weight

The dependence of molecular weight of poly(methyl methacrylate) on reaction conditions, as polymerized in aqueous nitric acid with the redox system ceric ammonium nitrate-glucose, has been studied. The average molecular weights and molecular weight distributions were determined by size-exclusion chromatography. The degree of polymerization was found to increase in the course of a run and was also affected by changes of Ce(IV) and glucose concentrations in the range where the rate of polymerization increased, but not where the rate was independent of Ce(IV) concentration and decreased with glucose concentration. The average molecular weights can be controlled by variations in monomer concentration and in temperature. The polymerization rate was found to attain a maximum with nitric acid concentration whereas the rate of ceric ion consumption increased. A fall in the degree of polymerization was observed on increasing the acid concentration. The effect of nitrate ion concentration as well as of that of certain water-miscible solvents on the above-mentioned parameters has also been studied.     

Atom‐transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate with α,α′‐dichloroxylene/CuCl/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine initiation system under microwave irradiation

The atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA), using α,α′‐dichloroxylene as initiator and CuCl/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine as catalyst was successfully carried out under microwave irradiation (MI). The polymerization of MMA under MI showed linear first‐order rate plots, a linear increase of the number‐average molecular weight with conversion, and low polydispersities, which indicated that the ATRP of MMA was controlled. Using the same experimental conditions, the apparent rate constant (k) under MI (k = 7.6 × 10^?4 s^?1) was higher than that under conventional heating (k = 5.3 × 10^?5 s^?1). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 2189–2195, 2004     

Synthesis of well‐defined comb‐like amphiphilic copolymers with protonizable units in the pendent chains: 1. Preparation of narrow polydispersity copolymers of methyl methacrylate and 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate by atom‐transfer radical polymerization

Well‐defined methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 2‐(trimethylsiloxy)ethyl methacrylate (Pro‐HEMA) copolymers were prepared by atom‐transfer radical polymerization(ATRP), using CuCl/2,2′‐bipyridine as catalytic system and p‐toluenesulfonyl chloride as initiator. ATRP process of MMA and Pro‐HEMA was monitored by ¹H NMR, and the kinetic curves of the MMA/Pro‐HEMA copolymerization were plotted in terms of the ¹H NMR data. At low content of Pro‐HEMA in the feed composition, the copolymerization can be well controlled with the molecular weight, polydispersity and the monomer distribution in the copolymer chain. With the increase of Pro‐HEMA content in the feed mixture, the composition of the final copolymer deviates from the composition of the feed mixture gradually, and gradient copolymers of MMA/Pro‐HEMA can be obtained. Through the hydrolysis process, well‐defined copolymers of MMA/HEMA were obtained from poly(MMA/Pro‐HEMA). Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and thermal behavior of poly(methyl methacrylate)/Maghnia bentonite nanocomposite prepared at room temperature via in situ polymerization initiated by a new Ni(II)α‐benzoinoxime complex

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(methyl methacrylate)/clay nanocomposite (PMMA/OBT) were successfully prepared in dioxan at room temperature via in situ radical polymerization initiated by a new Ni(II)α‐ Benzoinoxime complex as a single component in presence of 3% by weight of an organically modified bentonite (OBT) (originated from Maghnia, Algeria) and characterized by FTIR, ¹H‐NMR and viscometry. Mainly intercalated and partially exfoliated PMMA/OBT nanocomposite was elaborated and evidenced by X‐Ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The intrinsic viscosity of PMMA/OBT nanocomposite is much higher than the one of pure PMMA prepared under the same conditions. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) displayed an increase of 10°C in the glass transition temperature of the elaborated PMMA/OBT nanocomposite relative to the one of pure PMMA. Moreover, the TGA analysis confirms a significant improvement of the thermal stability of PMMA/OBT nanocomposite compared to virgin PMMA: the onset degradation temperature of the nanocomposite, carried out under nitrogen atmosphere, increased by more than 45°C. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Unusual Effect of α-olefins as Chain Transfer Agents in Ethylene Polymerization over the Catalyst with Nonsymmetrical Bis(imino)pyridine Complex of Fe(II) and Modified Methylalumoxane (MMAO) Cocatalyst

Ethylene polymerization with bis(imino)pyridlyiron precatalysts generally produces linear polyethylene (PE) even with the presence of α-olefins because α-olefins are not incorporated into polymeric products. Interestingly, α-olefins, such as hexene-1 or butene-1, have been found to act as effective chain transfer agents in the ethylene polymerization promoted by nonsymmetrical bis(imino)pyridyliron complexes with modified methylalumoxane (MMAO), resulting in higher catalytic activities with higher amounts of polymers with lower molecular weights, and, more importantly, narrower molecular weight distributions of the resultant polyethylenes (PE). This phenomenon confirms the assistance of α-olefins in the chain-termination reaction of iron-initiated polymerization and regeneration of the active species for further polymerization. Besides higher activities of the catalytic system, the formation of linear PE with trans-vinylene terminal groups and lower molecular weights are explained. The observation will provide a new pathway for enhancing catalytic activity and improving the quality of polyethylenes obtained by regulation of molecular weights and molecular weight distribution.     

Interpolymer radical coupling: A toolbox complementary to controlled radical polymerization

The current review focuses on the relevance and practical benefit of interpolymer radical coupling methods. The latter are developing rapidly and constitute a perfectly complementary macromolecular engineering toolbox to the controlled radical polymerization techniques (CRP). Indeed, all structures formed by CRP are likely to be prone to radical coupling reactions, which multiply the available synthetic possibilities. Basically, the coupling systems can be divided in two main categories. The first one, including the atom transfer radical coupling (ATRC), silane radical atom abstraction (SRAA) and cobalt-mediated radical coupling (CMRC), relies on the recombination of macroradicals produced from a dormant species. The second one, including atom transfer nitroxide radical coupling (ATNRC), single electron transfer nitroxide radical coupling (SETNRC), enhanced spin capturing polymerization (ESCP) and nitrone/nitroso mediated radical coupling (NMRC), makes use of a radical scavenger in order to promote the conjugation of the polymer chains. More than a compilation of macromolecular engineering achievements, the present review additionally aims to emphasize the particularities, synthetic potential and present limitations of each system.     

ATRP in the design of functional materials for biomedical applications

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP) is an effective technique for the design and preparation of multifunctional, nanostructured materials for a variety of applications in biology and medicine. ATRP enables precise control over macromolecular structure, order, and functionality, which are important considerations for emerging biomedical designs. This article reviews recent advances in the preparation of polymer-based nanomaterials using ATRP, including polymer bioconjugates, block copolymer-based drug delivery systems, cross-linked microgels/nanogels, diagnostic and imaging platforms, tissue engineering hydrogels, and degradable polymers. It is envisioned that precise engineering at the molecular level will translate to tailored macroscopic physical properties, thus enabling control of the key elements for realized biomedical applications.     

Modifications of carbon for polymer composites and nanocomposites

The various forms of carbon used in composite preparation include mainly carbon-black, carbon nanotubes and nanofibers, graphite and fullerenes. This review presents a detailed literature survey on the various modifications of the carbon nanostructures for nanocomposite preparation focusing upon the works published in the last decade. The modifications of each form of carbon are considered, with a compilation of structure-property relationships of carbon-based polymer nanocomposites. Modifications in both bulk and surface modifications have been reviewed, with comparison of their mechanical, thermal, electrical and barrier properties. A synopsis of the applications of these advanced materials is presented, pointing out gaps to motivate potential research in this field.