RAFT Polymerization of Methyl Acrylate in Carbon Dioxide

Summary: Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerizations of methyl acrylate (MA) in solution containing either 22 vol.‐% CO₂ or toluene were performed at 80 °C and 300 bar using cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB) at concentrations between 1.8 × 10^?3 to 2.5 × 10^?2 mol · L^?1 as the RAFT agent. Product molecular weight distributions and average molecular weights indicated the successful control of MA polymerization in CO₂, even at low CDB concentrations. RAFT polymerization rates were strongly retarded by CDB and were lower in CO₂ than in toluene solution. The enhanced fluidity associated with the addition of CO₂ to the polymerizing system provided access to mechanistic details of RAFT polymerization. The data of the present study into MA, together with our recent results on RAFT polymerization of styrene in solution of CO₂ and of toluene, suggest that self‐termination of intermediate RAFT radicals is responsible for retardation in case of high concentrations of this intermediate and in case of enhanced fluidity, which may be achieved by polymerization in solution of CO₂.

     

Synthesis of polydimethylsiloxane‐containing block copolymers via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization

Low polydispersity polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was end functionalized with a reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent by the esterification of hydroxyl terminated PDMS with a carboxylic acid functional RAFT agent. These PDMS‐RAFT agents were able to control the free radical polymerization of styrene and substituted styrene monomers to produce PDMS‐containing block copolymers with low polydispersities and targeted molecular weights. A thin film of polydimethylsiloxane‐block‐polystyrene was prepared by spin coating and exhibited a microphase separated morphology from scanning force microscopy measurements. Controlled swelling of these films in solvent vapor produced morphologies with significant long‐range order. This synthetic route will allow the straightforward production of PDMS‐containing block copolymer libraries that will be useful for investigating their thin film morphological behavior, which has applications in the templating of nanostructured materials.© 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Synthesis and nucleation mechanism of inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide by RAFT polymerization: A comparative study

Well-defined poly (acrylamide) is synthesized by RAFT inverse emulsion polymerization using hydrophilic and lipophilic initiators. The kinetic behavior observed for RAFT inverse emulsion polymerization is similar to that for RAFT inverse miniemulsion polymerization. The nucleation mechanism of inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide is firstly investigated by RAFT polymerization and verified by GPC and SEM measurements. Droplet nucleation is found to be the primary mechanism in the inverse emulsion polymerization of acrylamide. However, polymerization occurring in the continuous phase is not negligible when lipophilic initiator is used.     

Synthesis of novel random and block copolymers of tert-butyldimethylsilyl methacrylate and methyl methacrylate by RAFT polymerization

Hydrophobic-hydrolysable copolymers consisting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and tert-butyldimethylsilyl methacrylate (TBDMSMA) have been synthesized for the first time by Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique using cumyl dithiobenzoate (CDB) and cyanoisopropyl dithiobenzoate (CPDB) as chain transfer agents (CTAs). The monomer reactivity ratios for TBDMSMA (r₁ = 1.40 ± 0.03) and MMA (r₂ = 1.08 ± 0.03) have been determined using a non-linear least-squares fitting method. Well-defined random copolymers PMMA-co-PTBDMSMA have been prepared. Then, the versatility of the RAFT process to synthesize silylated block copolymers with controlled molecular weights and low polydispersities has been demonstrated using two strategies: the synthesis of PMMA-SC(S)Ph or PTBDMSMA-SC(S)Ph as macro-chain transfer agent (macro-CTA) for use in a two step method or an one-pot method which consists in the successive addition of the two monomers. Diblock copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (PDI < 1.2) were obtained from the one-pot method with number-average molecular weight values within the range 10,000-22,000 g mol⁻¹.     

RAFT与点击化学结合合成SiO2/PNIPAm杂化微球

利用可逆加成-断裂链转移(RAFT)聚合与点击化学相结合的方法,将大分子链末端含巯基的聚(N-异丙基丙烯酰胺)(PNIPAm-SH)接枝到SiO2纳米粒子上制备了温度响应的SiO2为核、PNIPAm为壳的核-壳结构的SiO2/PNIPAm纳米杂化微球。采用FTIR、热重分析(TGA)、透射电镜(TEM)和动态光散射(DLS)对SiO2/PNIPAm杂化微球进行了表征。结果表明,SiO2/PNIPAm杂化微球粒径约为286 nm,尺寸均一。热重分析表明,PNIPAm接枝率为87%(质量分数),PNIPAm分子链在SiO2粒子上的接枝密度为0.4分子链/nm2。杂化微球表现出明显的温度响应性,温度从25℃升至35℃时,杂化微球粒径从286 nm减小至268 nm,PNIPAm壳层的厚度从16 nm减小至7 nm。     

Synthesis of amino acid‐based polymers having metronidazole moiety and study of their controlled release in vitro

A new polymeric drug carrier system using amino acid‐based polymers was developed. Amino acid‐based polymers with controlled molar mass and narrow molecular weight distribution have been synthesized by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of four amino acid‐carrying monomers having different chirality and hydrophilicity. Metronidazole (MTZ) was immobilized onto the amino acid‐based polymers, and the release profiles of the polymer‐MTZ adducts were investigated in phosphate buffer solutions (pH = 2.0, 7.4, and 8.5). The model drug was released by the hydrolysis of the ester group, and the release rate and behavior of the polymeric prodrugs strongly depended on the configuration of the amino acid‐based polymers‐MTZ adducts and the pH of the release media. The release kinetics was determined using the Higuchi and Korsmeyer equations, which revealed the release mechanism of the polymeric prodrugs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene using novel heterocycle‐containing chain transfer agents

BACKGROUND: Controlled/‘living’ radical polymerization is a new and robust method to synthesize polymers with predetermined molecular weight, narrow polydispersity and tailored architecture. Several methods have been developed but reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) has several advantages over the other methods. It has been reported that the effectiveness of RAFT agents depends strongly on the nature of the Z and R groups. RESULTS: Three new dithiocarbamates, namely (2‐ethoxy carbonyl)‐prop‐2‐yl‐pyrrole‐1‐carbodithioate (CTA‐A), (1‐phenyl ethyl)‐pyrazole‐1‐carbodithioate (CTA‐B) and (2‐ethoxy carbonyl)‐prop‐2‐yl‐pyrazole‐1‐carbodithioate (CTA‐C), were synthesized for studying the effect of the Z and R group of a chain transfer agent on the RAFT polymerization of styrene, initiated by 2,2′‐azobisisobutyronitrile. Well‐controlled molecular weight with narrow polydispersity (1.10–1.46) was achieved. The increase in molecular weight with conversion is linear and follows first‐order kinetics. CONCLUSION: The detailed kinetic results show that the structure of the activating (Z) group of dithiocarbamates has significant effects on the reactivity of dithiocarbamates towards the polymerization of styrene. In the homopolymerization of styrene it was found that, from the polydispersity index of polystyrenes obtained and the kinetic results, the pyrazole‐based dithiocarbamates (CTA‐B and CTA‐C) are very effective compared to the pyrrole‐based dithiocarbamate (CTA‐A). All the polymerizations show controlled living characters. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

RAFT synthesis of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) and poly(methacrylic acid) homopolymers and block copolymers: Kinetics and characterization

Reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization was used successfully to synthesize temperature‐responsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), poly(methacrylic acid) (PMAA), and their temperature‐responsive block copolymers. Detailed RAFT polymerization kinetics of the homopolymers was studied. PNIPAAm and PMAA homopolymerization showed living characteristics that include a linear relationship between M _n and conversion, controlled molecular weights, and relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI < 1.3). Furthermore, the homopolymers can be reactivated to produce block copolymers. The RAFT agent, carboxymethyl dithiobenzoate (CMDB), proved to control molecular weight and PDI. As the RAFT agent concentration increases, molecular weight and PDI decreased. However, CMDB showed evidence of having a relatively low chain transfer constant as well as degradation during polymerization. Solution of the block copolymers in phosphate buffered saline displayed temperature reversible characteristics at a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) transition of 31°C. A 5 wt % solution of the block copolymers form thermoreversible gels by a self‐assembly mechanism above the LCST. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1191–1201, 2006     

Synthesis of α,ω‐isocyanate telechelic polymethacrylate soft segments with activated ester side functionalities and their use for polyurethane synthesis

The synthetic route for the preparation of α,ω‐isocyanate‐telechelic poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐acryloxysuccinimide) and α,ω‐ isocyanate‐telechelic poly(methyl methacrylate‐co‐acrylamidohexanoic succinimide) soft segments is presented. The strategy includes reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) copolymerization and two post polymerization modification steps. The RAFT polymerizations result in copolymers with an activated ester proportion within the polymer chains of 8% N‐acryloxysuccinimide and 5% 6‐acrylamidohexanoic succinimide. The reactivity ratios of the monomer pairs were determined. In a first post polymerization reaction carboxylic acid homo telechelic polymers were prepared by reacting the ω‐dithiobenzoate end‐group with an excess of azobis(cyanovaleric acid). In a second modification step the α‐ and ω‐carboxylic acid end‐groups were reacted with hexamethylene diisocyanate and 100% isocyanate telechelic copolymers were obtained. Finally segmented polyurethanes were prepared by coupling hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) end capped soft segments with hard segments composed of 1,4‐butanediol and HDI. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Controlled radical alternating copolymerization of N‐phenyl maleimide with ethyl α‐ethylacrylate by reversible addition fragmentation chain‐transfer process

The alternating copolymerization of N‐phenyl maleimide (NPMI) with ethyl α‐ethylacrylate (EEA) by the reversible addition fragmentation chain‐transfer process was investigated. The monomer reactivity ratios were measured and r₁ = 0.19 ± 0.03 for NPMI and r₂ = 0.20 ± 0.04 for EEA. It was found that before about 45% of the comonomer conversion, the molecular weight of the copolymer increased with the conversion, the molecular weight distribution was rather narrow, and the molecular weight of the copolymer approached a constant value, irrespective of the length of the polymerization time. Electronic spin resonance determined that the radical signal disappeared quickly after the conversion of comonomer exceeded 45%, which may be attributed to the coupling termination of the propagating polymer chains with the EEA end with the intermediate radicals when the concentration of comonomers decreased. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 94: 2376–2382, 2004