Reactivity and mechanism in the cationic polymerization of p-methoxystyrene initiated by cycloheptatrienyl hexachloroantimonate

The cationic polymerization of p-methoxystyrene initiated by cycloheptatrienyl hexachloroantimonate in dichloromethane solution has been studied in some detail. Reactions proved to be highly exothermic, and rates of monomer consumption were measured using an adiabatic calorimetric technique. Termination was deduced to be insignificant during kinetic lifetimes, and $\text{M}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{n}}$ values in the range 10000–50000 showed chain breaking to occur by transfer mechanisms. Appropriate analysis of conversion/time curves allowed computation of enthalpies of polymerization and rate coefficients for propagation, k_p (obs), under various conditions. Data for k_p (obs) were found to vary with the initial concentrations of initiator and monomer employed, and these dependences are discussed in terms of current theories regarding ion pair/free ion equilibria in nonaqueous solvents. In particular values of 3.6 × 10³ M^?1s^?1 and 4.8 × 10³ M^?1s^?1 at 0° and +10°C respectively for the rate constant for propagation by free poly (p-methoxystyryl) cation have been deduced, and a tentative value of 450 M^?1s^?1 at 0°C has been estimated for the rate constant for propagation by the corresponding hexachloroantimonate ion pairs. These data and the related activation parameters are compared with independent results in the literature. Polymerizations carried out in the presence of excess common ion salt, dimethyl benzyl phenyl ammonium hexachloroantimonate, showed rate depressions far in excess of those predicted by a simple mass law effect, arising possibly as a result of a more dramatic ionic association than simple ion pairing.