Recent developments in photoinitiated radical polymerization

This article presents the progress made in the development of high-speed photocurable resins and reports the performance of some novel radical-type photoinitiators, acrylate monomers and telechelic oligomers. The polymerization kinetics has been studied by real-time infrared spectroscopy, which records conversion versus time curves for reactions occurring in a fraction of a second. Phosphine oxides are among the most efficient photoinitiators and proved to be particularly well suited for the photocuring of pigmented systems and for solar-assisted polymerization. Acrylate monomers containing a heterocyclic oxygen in their structural unit exhibit an unexpectedly high reactivity. The introduction of an amino group in the chain of a telechelic acrylate-polyester causes a substantial acceleration of the polymerization process. In both cases, the increase in reactivity was attributed to the presence of labile hydrogen atoms which favor chain transfer reactions. The copolymerization of donor-acceptor monomer systems, like vinyl ether-maleate or vinyl ether maleimide, was shown to proceed readily upon UV irradiation, even in the absence of added photoinitiator. Light-induced polymerization was also used to crosslink rapidly polymers functionalized with acrylate or vinyl double bonds, namely acrylated polyisoprene and a styrene-butadiene block copolymer. The addition in small amounts (1 wt%) of a trifunctional thiol was found to speed up drastically the crosslinking polymerization, causing insolubilization of the thermoplastic elastomer to occur after a 0.1 s exposure.     

Polyacrylamide cryogels by photoinitiated free radical polymerization

A novel method for the preparation of poly(acrylamide) cryogels by photoinitiated polymerization of monomeric precursors was described. A series of poly(acrylamide) cryogels were easily prepared by irradiating aqueous solutions containing acrylamide and N,N′‐methylene(bis)acrylamide as monomer and cross‐linker, respectively, in the presence of 1‐[4‐(2‐hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]‐2‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐1‐propane‐1‐one (Irgacure 2959) as water‐soluble photoinitiator with the help of freezing–thawing procedures. Photolysis was conducted at ?13 °C isothermally through specially designed cryostat‐integrated Rayonet merry‐go‐round photoreactor. On comparing the described photochemical method with the conventional redox counter part, the polymerization is initiated, and gelation proceeds only on external stimulation by light. This way, concomitant hydrogel formation usually observed with the redox process as a result of premature polymerization during the cooling process was prevented. The obtained cryogels exhibited superfast swelling behavior. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Simultaneous non-invasive microwave dielectric spectroscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis for studying drying processes

The aim of this paper is to describe how a dynamic mechanical analyser can be used together with the microwave coaxial line technique. This coupling enables the simultaneous recording of changes in the mechanical properties and moisture content of materials as a function of time or temperature at a selected frequency. The sample is placed either directly under the probe or clamped in the sample holder of the dynamic mechanical analyser. Sample positioning and heating is accurately controlled by the mechanical analyser and its temperature controller. Samples can be subjected to a constant static force, a frequency or both. A micro probe, recently designed for measurements on semi-rigid and rigid surfaces [1], and connected to a network analyser was used to monitor the moisture content of the samples.     

A new method for evaluation of the characteristic constant for primary radical termination in free radical polymerization

A new model has been proposed for estimation of the characteristic rate constant for primary radical termination, using the radical life time, rate of polymerization, and rate of initiation. The model can be used to estimate the characteristic rate constant for primary radical termination under most conditions of free radical polymerization. By applying this model to high conversion polymerization data, it is possible to compare the conversion dependence of the characteristic rate constant for primary radical termination and initiation rate as well as the conversion dependence of the termination rate constant.The model has applied to various published experimental data and the results compared with literature values.     

A new method for introduction w-side chain of prostanoid using Barton radical reaction

A new method for introduction w-side chain of prostanoid was described in this note. Starting from acid chloride (3), via Barton radical reaction, a trans α,β-unsaturated ketone sython was introduced.     

A new tetradentate ligand for atom transfer radical polymerization

The properties of a ligand, including molecular structure and substituents, strongly affect the catalyst activity and control of the polymerization in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). A new tetradentate ligand, N,N′‐bis(pyridin‐2‐ylmethyl‐3‐hexoxo‐3‐oxopropyl)ethane‐1,2‐diamine (BPED) was synthesized and examined as the ligand of copper halide for ATRP of styrene (St), methyl acrylate (MA), and methyl methacrylate (MMA), and compared with other analogous linear tetrdendate ligands. The BPED ligand was found to significantly promote the activation reaction: the CuBr/BPED complex reacted with the initiators so fast that a large amount of Cu(II)Br₂/BPED was produced and thus the polymerizations were slow for all the monomers. The reaction of CuCl/BPED with the initiator was also fast, but by reducing the catalyst concentration or adding CuCl₂, the activation reaction could be slowed to establish the equilibrium of ATRP for a well‐controlled living polymerization of MA. CuCl/BPED was found very active for the polymerization of MA. For example, 10 mol% of the catalyst relatively to the initiator was sufficient to mediate a living polymerization of MA. The CuCl/BPED, however, could not catalyze a living polymerization of MMA because the resulting CuCl₂/BPED could not deactivate the growing radicals. The effects of the ligand structures on the catalysis of ATRP are also discussed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3553–3562, 2004     

The photocopy method: measuring living chain distributions in radical polymerization

We have developed a method to measure living chain molecular weight distributions (MWDs) in free radical polymerization (FRP). By laser photolysis of photoinhibitor molecules included in the polymerizing mixture, the living chains are instantaneously flooded with small molecule radicals carrying fluorescent labels. These radicals react with living chain radical end groups, kinetically freezing growth of living chains and simultaneously end -labelling them: the living chain population has been photocopied. The living MWD is obtained from subsequent analysis by GPC equipped with fluorescence detection. We have measured low conversion thermally initiated PMMA living MWDs, Exponential behaviour is found for large chain length N, in accord with classical Flory-Schultz theory, but at smaller N we establish strong deviations, consistent with the stretched exponential predicted by modern FRP theory incorporating first principles chain length dependencies of termination rate constants. However, this behaviour may derive at least partially from distortions produced by the photocopying technique which can generate power law or logarithmic forms at small N.     

Synthesis of new hybrid monomers and oligomers containing cationic and radical polymerizable vinyl groups and their photoinitiated polymerization

New hybrid vinyl monomers with both cationic- and radical-polymerizable vinyl groups were synthesized by the reaction of bis[1(chloromethyl)-2-(vinyloxy)ethyl]terephthalate ( 3 ) with unsaturated carboxylic acids using 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]-undecene-7 (DBU) as a base. The reaction of 3 with methacrylic acid 4a was carried out using DBU in DMSO at 70°C for 24 h to give an 86% yield of the hybrid vinyl monomer ( 5a ). Polycondensation of 3 with unsaturated dicarboxylic acids was also performed using DBU to give hybrid vinyl oligomers with radical polymerizable C (DOUBLE BOND) C groups (V_R) in the main chain and cationic polymerizable vinyl ether moieties (V_C) on the side chain. The photopolymerization of these hybrid vinyl compounds proceeded smoothly in bulk using either a cationic photoinitiator such as a sulfonium salt or a radical photoinitiator such as acyl phosphine oxide under UV irradiation. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A method for studying chain gas-phase processes in a complete mixing flow reactor with recording reaction mixture radiation

An experimental unit for recording reaction mixture radiation, which appears during low-temperature gas-phase oxidation, was constructed and tested. Reaction mixture radiation was recorded as isolated pulsations and series of pulsations.     

Stationary state of frontal radical polymerization processes

Physical causes of the absence of steady-state heat regimes of frontal radical polymerization of vinyl monomers at a nonzero rate of chemical transformations of initial reaction media are discussed. The effect of the dimensionless ??cutting?? temperature of a heat-generation source on the relative velocity of poly-merization front propagation is studied. There is an interval of ??cutting?? temperatures of the source where the velocity of polymerization front propagation is independent of the ??cutting?? temperature of the source. As for combustion processes, the front velocity depends on dimensionless parameters that are intrinsic for the heat regime of the process.     

Phenothiazine photosensitizers for onium salt photoinitiated cationic polymerization

Phenothiazine compounds bearing a wide range of different substituents are excellent photosensitizers for onium salt cationic photoinitiators. These photosensitizers are generally operative in the mid‐ and long‐range regions of the UV spectrum and are especially useful for enhancing the rate of photoinitiated cationic polymerization carried out utilizing both filtered and broadband UV emission sources. In this article, the syntheses of several different substituted phenothiazines are described and the ability of these compounds to photosensitize the photolysis of different onium salt photoinitiators is evaluated. Attempts were made to correlate the structure and spectral characteristics of the phenothiazines with their efficiency of photosensitization in the cationic photopolymerizations of several typical epoxide and vinyl ether monomers. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1187–1197, 2001     

A new method for studying crystallization of amorphous alloys

Experiments on the crystallization of amorphous Fe?Si?B alloys were carried out by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). This new method gives us some important information about the magnetic phase transformation of amorphous alloys, especially the magnetic volume change in crystallization beside the energy change obtained by the traditional DSC and DTA methods. Crystallization activation energies of Fe?Si?B amorphous alloy are calculated from both TG and DTA curves. The experiment also showed that the addition of Nb, Cu and Mo would influence the crystallization transition temperature of amorphous Fe?Si?B alloys greatly.     

可逆加成-断裂链转移自由基聚合研究进展

RAFT(Reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer,可逆加成-断裂链转移)自由基存在链增长自由基与链转移剂(RAFT试剂)之间的可逆蜕化转移,现已广泛应用于聚合物分子结构设计及众多功能高分子材料的合成,受到众多高分子研究者的关注,是一种发展较快的可控/活性聚合技术.本文在简要介绍了RAFT聚合发展历程基础上,综述了RAFT聚合反应机理,RAFT试剂的结构及其对聚合性能的影响,RAFT试剂与单体的匹配性,RAFT聚合实施方法等.同时也对RAFT聚合反应的发展进行了展望.     

A new form of controlled growth free radical polymerization

A new form of controlled growth free radical polymerization leading to narrow polydispersity polymers and/or block copolymers is described. The process is based on the polymerization of monomers in the presence of macromonomers of general structure CH₂=C(Z)CH₂(A)_n [(A)_n= radical leaving group, Z = activating group] and displays many of the characteristics of living polymerizations. The process is most suited to methacrylic monomers but with the appropriate choice of reaction conditions (high temperatures and/or low conversions) it can also be applied to acrylic and styrenic monomers. The macromonomers are conveniently prepared by catalytic chain transfer to alkyl cobalt(III) complexes or by addition-fragmentation chain transfer. The factors which determine the efficiency of cobalt complexes for molecular weight reduction in free radical emulsion and solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate are also discussed.     

Benzophenone based addition fragmentation agent for photoinitiated cationic polymerization

Photoactive allyl ammonium salt (BPEA) containing benzophenone moiety in the structure was synthesized and characterized. Its capability to act as a self-initiating addition fragmentation agent in the photoinitiated cationic polymerization of oxiranes such as cyclohexene oxide and vinyl monomers such as butylvinyl ether was investigated. These monomers turned out to be polymerizable in the presence of BPEA provided free radicals are generated photochemically at λ>300 nm by hydrogen abstraction of excited benzophenone moiety. Accordingly, a free radical adds to the carbon-carbon double bond of a ground state BPEA and fragmentation of the adduct radical results in the formation of reactive ammonium radical cation which is essentially responsible for the initiation.     

Electrochemical activation of chain radical processes by radical organophosphorus cations

It is found that electrochemically generated radical cations of organophosphorus compounds react with substrates that are capable of homolytic cleavage of the element-hydrogen bond via a radical detachment of the hydrogen atom, thus initiating the chain radical addition of the substrates over the double bond of alkenes. The presence of a strong base that is capable of deprotonating intermediate phosphonium salts in electrolyte allows one to set up an electrocatalytic cycle and use organophosphorus compounds in catalytic quantities. The main side reaction in the studied processes is the interaction between radical cations of organophosphorus compounds and olefin which leads to the formation of phosphorylated alkenes.