Metallocene-mediated cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers: Kinetics of polymerization and synthesis and characterization of statistical copolymers

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe cationic polymerization of ethyl, n-butyl and iso-butyl vinyl ether, EVE, BVE and iBVE, respectively, was efficiently conducted using bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)dimethyl hafnium, Cp2HfMe2, or bis(η5-cyclopentadienyl)dimethyl zirconium, Cp2ZrMe2 in combination with either tris(pentafluorophenyl)borate, B(C6F5)3, or tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate dimethylanilinum salt, [B(C6F5)4]−[Me2NHPh]+, as initiation systems. The evolution of polymer yield, molecular weight and molecular weight distribution with time was examined. In addition, the influence of the initiating system, the monomer and the reaction conditions on the control of the polymerization was studied. Furthermore, statistical copolymers of EVE with BVE were prepared employing Cp2HfMe2 and [B(C6F5)4]−[Me2NHPh]+ as the initiation system. The reactivity ratios were estimated using both linear graphical and non-linear methods. Structural parameters of the copolymers were obtained by calculating the dyad sequence fractions and the mean sequence length, which were derived using the monomer reactivity ratios. The glass transition temperatures, Tg, of the copolymers were measured by Differential Scanning Calorimetry, DSC, and the results were compared with predictions based on several theoretical models. The kinetics of thermal decomposition of the copolymers along with the respective homopolymers was studied by thermogravimetric analysis within the framework of the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall and Kissinger methodologies.