Effect of tris(bathophenanthroline) iron(III) on the polymerization of styrene

Abstract

The polymerization of styrene at 60°C initiated by 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) was studied in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) in the presence of tris-(bathophenanthroline)iron(III) complex, [Fe(bathophen) 3 ] 3+ . The complex was prepared in situ by mixing hexakis(N,N-dimethylformamide)iron(III) perchlorate with bathophenanthroline (systematic IUPAC nomenclature : 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline) in the molar ratio of 1 : 3. The equilibrium constant for [Fe(DMF) 6 ] 3+ + 3bathophen r ; [Fe(bathophen) 3 ] 3+ + 6DMF was 3.12 X 10 3 L 3 mol -3 . The transfer constant for bathophenanthroline was found to be 0.38 ± 0.01 for the styrene/DMF system at 60°C. Mean velocity constant at 60°C for interaction of polystyryl radical with [Fe(bathophen) 3 ] 3+ was 3.73 X 10 4 L mol -1 s -1 .