Cationic Homopolymerization Research Articles

A Bio-Based Tackifier Synthesized by Room-Temperature Cationic Copolymerization of Isobutene and β-Pinene

Whereas the cationic homopolymerization of β-pinene and isobutene (IB) have been extensively studied, their copolymerization is still very scarce, and the conditions under which copolymerization can occur are limited to extremely low temperatures. Moreover, the application of the copolymer has not been reported. Here, a series of room-temperature copolymerizations of β-pinene and IB, using group 13 compounds as catalysts, were conducted. The copolymerizations yielded a low molecular weight (Mn ~ 103) and a narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn < 2.0) copolymer, with a satisfactory yield at various comonomer feeds, and their glass transition temperature was predictable from the comonomer composition. Furthermore, the tackifying property of the obtained copolymer was investigated using a 180° peel adhesion test. A blend polymer of the copolymer and a styrene-isoprene triblock copolymer showed a high peeling force (0.58 ± 0.14 N/10 mm) and a glass transition temperature low enough for its application as a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Photo‐controllable cationic homopolymerization and random copolymerization of vinyl ethers based on iridium salt photocatalyst

AbstractTemporal control of chain growth is a central challenge for photoinitiated active polymerization. In this work, we introduced an iridium salt complex‐based catalyst system to achieve fine temporal control of the chain growth process. By electrochemical analysis, compared with the pyran salt photocatalyst, it was found that the iridium salt complex could promote the chain transfer of active species to reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) reagent, thereby generating dormant species, which provided the possibility of time control of the polymerization process. Using this catalytic system, we successfully achieved homopolymerization of vinyl ethers with different substituents and random copolymerization with isobutyl vinyl ethers, which is not only pointed the way for broadening the monomer selection in the future, but also provided an innovative way to prepare new functionalized materials.

3-Alkoxyphthalides as Nonhomopolymerizable, Highly Reactive Comonomers for ABC Pseudo-Periodic Terpolymers and Degradable Polymers via Cationic Co- and Terpolymerizations with Oxiranes and/or Vinyl Ethers

3-Alkoxyphthalides (ROPTs) are promising candidate monomers that react with a cationic species at the carbonyl group and subsequently undergo ring-opening to generate a carbocation adjacent to both aryl and alkoxy groups (oxocarbenium ion). In this study, cationic polymerizations of ROPTs bearing methoxy, isopropoxy, tert-butoxy, or phenoxy groups were investigated with a particular focus on the copolymerizations with oxiranes. Cationic homopolymerization of ROPTs did not occur under any of the examined conditions. In contrast, cationic copolymerizations of ROPT with oxiranes, such as 4-vinyl-1-cyclohexene-1,2-epoxide (VCHO), proceeded smoothly via very frequent crossover reactions. The copolymers could be degraded under acidic conditions due to the cleavage of the acetal moieties generated by the crossover reactions from ROPT to VCHO. Cationic copolymerizations of ROPT with most of the examined vinyl ethers (VEs) and styrene derivatives did not proceed, likely due to inefficient crossover reactions from the vinyl monomers to ROPT. However, cationic terpolymerizations of VE, oxirane, and ROPT successfully proceeded via highly selective crossover reactions, resulting in ABC-type pseudo-periodic terpolymers under optimized conditions.

Visible light‐catalyzed living cationic homopolymerization and copolymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether: Characteristics and mechanism

AbstractOn the basis of synthesizing a highly efficient chain‐transfer agent ethyl (1‐isobutoxyethyl) carbonotrithioate(CTA), living cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether (IBVE) was successfully initiated by visible light catalysis. The random copolymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether and propyl vinyl ether (PVE), cyclohexyl vinyl ether (CyVE), and 2‐chloroethyl vinyl ether (CEVE) was achieved on the basis of investigating the reactivity ratios of vinyl ether monomers. The influence of photocatalyst (PC) concentration and wavelength on the copolymerizations was investigated. It was found that high PC concentration results in a fast polymerization rate. The wavelength of the blue LED was most suitable for this reaction system. This photocatalytic reaction provides a new way for molecular design of cationic polymerization.

Suspension and emulsion aqueous cationic homopolymerization and copolymerization of cyclohexyl vinyl ether by B(C6F5)3 initiating system

Aqueous cationic suspension polymerization and emulsion polymerization of cyclohexyl vinyl ether (CHVE) were successfully achieved by CumOH/B(C6F5)3/Et2O initiating system. The effects of the main initiator concentration, reaction temperature, and surfactant types on the conversion and polymerization rate were investigated. This work broke through the aqueous cationic polymerization of vinyl ether monomer at −15 °C and significantly improved the molecular weight of the polymer. The copolymerization behavior of CHVE with IBVE, n-BVE aqueous suspension polymerization, and emulsion polymerization was investigated. The mechanism of aqueous cationic polymerization of cyclohexyl vinyl ether was proposed.

Cationic homopolymerization of trans-anethole in the presence of solvate ionic liquid comprising LiN(SO2CF3)2 and Lewis bases

Cationic homopolymerization of a biomass-derived monomer, trans-4-methoxy-β-methylstyrene (trans-anethole: Ane), was achieved with a combination of bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and solvate ionic liquid comprising lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and a Lewis base, such as ethyl acetate and diisopropyl ether (iPr2O). The number-average molecular weight (Mn) of the obtained poly(Ane) reached 15.6 × 103 by adding iPr2O in toluene at −10 °C. The solubility of poly(Ane) varied drastically with a change of solvent: the polymers obtained in CH2Cl2 were not completely soluble in common organic solvents such as toluene, chloroform, and tetrahydrofuran, except for 1,1,2,2,-tetrachloroethane (C2H2Cl4) at 140 °C, whereas the polymers obtained in toluene were soluble in these solvents. The 1H NMR spectrum measured in C2D2Cl4 at 140 °C revealed that the stereostructure of poly(Ane) depended significantly on the solvent and the temperature: a polymer with a more regulated stereostructure was obtained from polymerization in CH2Cl2 at −40 °C than those obtained by polymerization in toluene at −10 °C.

Cationic Ring-Opening Co- and Terpolymerizations of Lactic Acid-Derived 1,3-Dioxolan-4-ones with Oxiranes and Vinyl Ethers: Nonhomopolymerizable Monomer for Degradable Co- and Terpolymers.

Lactic acid-derived 1,3-dioxolan-4-ones (DOLOs), which do not undergo cationic homopolymerization, were demonstrated to yield copolymers with oxiranes through a cationic copolymerization via frequent crossover reactions. Acetal and ester moieties were generated in the main chain of the copolymers via crossover reactions from DOLO to oxirane and from oxirane to DOLO, respectively, which is in contrast to the unsuccessful generation of hemiacetal ester moieties in the homopropagation of DOLO. In addition, the terpolymerization of DOLO, oxirane, and vinyl ether (VE) proceeded via crossover reactions, while copolymers could not be generated from VE and DOLO in the absence of oxirane. The obtained co- and terpolymers could be degraded under acidic conditions due to the acetal moieties in the main chain. The strategy devised in this study shows a promising avenue for employing plant-derived "nonhomopolymerizable" compounds as building blocks for the synthesis of degradable co- and terpolymers with general-purpose monomers.

New epoxy composite thermosets with enhanced thermal conductivity and high Tg obtained by cationic homopolymerization

Thermal dissipation is a critical aspect for the performance and lifetime of electronic devices. In this work, novel composites based on a cycloaliphatic epoxy matrix and BN fillers, obtained by cationic curing of mixtures of 3,4‐epoxy cyclohexylmethyl 3,4‐epoxy cyclohexane carboxylate (ECC) with several amounts of hexagonal boron nitride (BN) were prepared and characterized. As cationic initiator a commercial benzylanilinium salt was used, which by addition of triethanolamine, exhibited an excellent latent character and storage stability. The effect of the formulation composition was studied by calorimetry and rheological measurements. The variation of thermal conductivity, thermal stability, thermal expansion coefficient, and thermomechanical and mechanical properties of the composites with the load of BN filler (ranging from 10 to 40 wt%) was evaluated. An improvement of an 800% (1.04 W/m·K) in thermal conductivity was reached in materials with glass transition temperatures >200°C without any loss in electrical insulation. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E1760–E1769, 2018. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers

Epoxy‐Based Azopolymers with Enhanced Photoresponsive Properties Obtained by Cationic Homopolymerization

AbstractAzopolymers are highly versatile materials due to their unique photoresponsive properties. In this contribution, a novel azo‐modified epoxy network is synthesized by cationic homopolymerization with boron trifluoride monoethylamine (BF3.MEA) complex as initiator. The effect of the addition of a fixed content of amino‐functionalized azo chromophore, Disperse Orange 3, into the polymer matrix is studied in detail. First of all, the thermal curing cycle is optimized by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. Then, the resulting bulk azo‐modified epoxy networks are characterized by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), FTIR, DSC, UV–vis spectroscopy, and rheological measurements. Finally, the optical response of thin films of these materials is determined. The results evidence that azo‐modified epoxy networks obtained by cationic polymerization with optimized curing cycle display high Tg values, high maximum photoinduced birefringence, fast writing speed, and exceptionally high remnant anisotropy. Therefore, this material is a promising candidate to be used for optical storage applications.

Novel thermal curing of cycloaliphatic resins by thiol-epoxy click process with several multifunctional thiols

Novel thermosets were prepared by the base-catalysed reaction between a cycloaliphatic resin (ECC) and various thiol crosslinkers. 4-(N,N-Dimethylaminopyridine) (DMAP) was used as base catalyst for the thiol–epoxy reaction. A commercial tetrathiol (PETMP) and three different thiols synthesized by us, 6SH-SQ, 3SH-EU and 3SH-ISO, were tested. 6SH-SQ and 3SH-EU were prepared from vinyl or allyl compounds from renewable resources such as squalene and eugenol, respectively. Thiol 3SH-ISO was prepared starting from commercially available triallyl isocyanurate. A kinetic study of the mixtures was performed using differential scanning calorimetry. Stoichiometric ECC/thiol/DMAP formulations were cured at 120 °C for 1 h, at 150 °C for 1 h and post-cured for 30 min at 200 °C. The materials were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results revealed that the materials obtained from the synthesized thiols had higher thermal stability and glass transition temperatures than those obtained from the commercial PETMP. In addition, all the materials obtained exhibited very good transparency. This study proves the ability of multifunctional thiols to crosslink cycloaliphatic epoxy resins, leading to more flexible materials than those obtained by cationic homopolymerization of ECC or base-catalysed ECC–anhydride copolymerization. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

Alkoxyoxirane, a Unique Cyclic Monomer: Controlled Cationic Homopolymerization Mediated by Long-Lived Species and Copolymerization with Vinyl Ether via Alkoxy Group Transfer

1-Methoxy-2-methylpropylene oxide (MOMPO), an alkoxyoxirane that can generate a carbocation adjacent to an alkoxy group via ring-opening, was demonstrated to polymerize in a controlled manner with the use of a metal chloride as a Lewis acid catalyst. The choice of the initiating system is critical for the successful controlled homopolymerization of this alkoxyoxirane; a GaCl3/THF system was observed to be the best combination for the initiating system. Furthermore, the copolymerization of MOMPO with isopropyl vinyl ether (IPVE) generated long-lived species when CF3SO3H/nBu4NI was used as the initiating system. Surprisingly, the reaction proceeded via the transfer of the alkoxy group in the IPVE unit. More specifically, the isopropoxy group at the penultimate IPVE unit transferred to the MOMPO-derived propagating cation after the crossover reaction from the IPVE-derived carbocation to MOMPO. This type of reaction creates a side group that possesses the ring-opened MOMPO structure with the isopropoxy group. The generation of copolymers via the “alkoxy-group transfer” mechanism is unique to the copolymerization in this study and was confirmed by 1H, 13C, and 2D NMR analyses and by the acid hydrolysis and subsequent reacetalization reactions of the products.

Synthesis and characterization of epoxy-chain end(s) functional macromonomer of polystyrene and its use in photoinitiated cationic polymerization

A novel epoxy chain-end(s) functional polystyrene macromonomer (PSt-CHO) was prepared via free radical polymerization (FRP) of styrene (St) initiated by 4,4′-azobis(3-cyclohexenylmethyl-4-cyanopentanoate) (ACCP) azo initiator and epoxidation on workup with 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid under inert atmosphere in methylene chloride at 0 °C. 4,4′-Azobis(4-cyanopentanoyl chloride) (ACPC) was obtained by the reaction of 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid) (ACPA) with phosphorus pentachloride in methylene chloride. The ACCP was synthesized by the condensation reaction of 3-cyclohexene-1-methanol with ACPC. The FRP of styrene with ACCP has yielded polystyrene with cyclohexene end(s) group (PSt-CH). Epoxidation of the PSt-CH was performed using 3-chloroperoxybenzoic acid to obtain epoxy chain-end(s) functional polystyrene macromonomer (PSt-CHO). This macromonomer was used as precursor in photoinitiated cationic polymerization for obtaining brush-type and graft copolymers. Photoinitiated cationic homopolymerization of the macromonomer in the presence of diphenyliodonium salt at λ = 300 nm yielded brush-type polymers. Photoinitiated cationic copolymerization of the macromonomer with cyclohexene oxide (CHO) monomer and diphenyliodonium salt at λ = 350 nm produced graft copolymers. The polymers synthesized were characterized by means of FTIR, 1HNMR and gel permeation chromatography measurements. All the spectroscopic studies revealed that a macromonomer of polystyrene with cyclohexene oxide (CHO) functionality at the chain end(s) (PSt-CHO) and their brush-type and graft copolymers were obtained.

Highly exfoliated nanostructure in trifunctional epoxy/clay nanocomposites using boron trifluoride as initiator

ABSTRACTEpoxy/clay nanocomposites based upon a trifunctional epoxy resin, triglycidyl p‐amino phenol (TGAP), have been prepared by intercalating an initiator of cationic homopolymerization, a boron trifluoride monoethylamine (BF3·MEA) complex, into the montmorillonite clay galleries before the addition of the TGAP and the curing agent, 4,4‐diamino diphenyl sulfone (DDS), and effecting the isothermal curing reaction. The BF3·MEA enhances the intragallery cationic homopolymerization reaction, which occurs before the extragallery cross‐linking reaction of the TGAP with the DDS, and which hence contributes positively to the mechanism of exfoliation of the clay. The effects of isothermal cure temperature and of BF3·MEA content have been studied, in respect of both the reaction kinetics, monitored by differential scanning calorimetry, and the nanostructure, as identified by small‐angle X‐ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. It is shown that the use of BF3·MEA in this way as an initiator of intragallery homopolymerization significantly improves the degree of exfoliation in the cured nanocomposites. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2014, 131, 40020.

Enhancement of the impact strength of cationically cured cycloaliphatic diepoxide by adding hyperbranched poly(glycidol) partially modified with 10-undecenoyl chains

A hyperbranched poly(glycidol) has been synthesized and modified by acylation with 10-undecenoyl chloride to obtain hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) with different degree of modification. These HBPs have been used as reactive modifiers in a proportion of 3%, 5%, and 10% with respect to a biscicloaliphatic diepoxide cured using ytterbium triflate as thermal cationic initiator. The materials obtained have been characterized and their mechanical properties evaluated. Phase separated materials have been obtained, with a 2-fold increase in impact resistance without sacrificing thermomechanical properties, thermal stability or processability. This good combination of properties can be explained by the achievement of a regular microphase separation with a good interfacial interaction between the microparticles and the epoxy matrix. The compatibility between the HBP and the matrix can be tuned by changing the degree of modification, which leads to a variable amount of available hydroxyl groups of the HBP that can react with the epoxy groups. This chemical bonding occurs through the activated monomer mechanism (AM) which is typical of the cationic homopolymerization of epoxides.

Cationic cure kinetics of a polyoxometalate loaded epoxy nanocomposite

AbstractThe reaction cure kinetics of a novel polyoxometalate (POM) loaded epoxy nanocomposite is described. The POM is dispersed in the epoxy resin up to volume fractions of 0.1. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements show the cure of the epoxy resin to be sensitive to the POM loading. A kinetics study of the cure exotherm confirms that POM acts as a catalyst promoting cationic homopolymerization of the epoxy resin. The cure reaction is shown to propagate through two cure regimes. A fast cure at short time is shown to be propagation by the activated chain end (ACE) mechanism. A slow cure at long time is shown to be propagation by the activated monomer (AM) mechanism. The activation energies for the fast and slow cure regimes agree well with other epoxy based systems that have been confirmed to propagate by the ACE and AM mechanisms.© 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012

Rapid Soybean Oil Copolymers Synthesis by Microwave-Assisted Cationic Polymerization

Soybean oil is one of the most promising renewable raw materials for polymers. Cationic copolymerization with a variety of olefinic monomers gives interesting materials but the curing process is tedious and high temperatures and long reaction times are needed. We studied the cationic homopolymerization of soybean oil and its copolymerization with styrene and divinylbenzene under microwave irradiation using boron trifluoride etherate as initiator and the comparison with conventional heating showed a great enhancement in reaction rates.

Analysis of the cure of epoxy based layered silicate nanocomposites: Reaction kinetics and nanostructure development

AbstractThe cure reaction kinetics of epoxy resin, with organically modified montmorillonite loadings of up to 20 wt % and with stoichiometric conditions, has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry with a view to understanding further the fabrication of epoxy‐based polymer layered silicate nanocomposites. The kinetic analysis of isothermal and nonisothermal cure shows that the autocatalytic model is the more appropriate to describe the kinetics of these reactions, and it is observed that a dominant effect of the montmorillonite is to catalyze the curing reaction. However, it was not possible to model the reactions over the whole range of degrees of conversion, in particular for nonisothermal cure. This attributed to the complexity of the reactions, and especially to the occurrence of etherification by cationic homopolymerization catalyzed by the onium ion of the organically modified montmorillonite. The homopolymerization reaction results in an excess of diamine in the system, and hence in practice the reaction is off stoichiometric, which leads to a reduction in both the heat of cure and the glass transition temperature as the montmorillonite content increases. Small angle X‐ray scattering of the cured nanocomposites shows that an exfoliated nanostructure is obtained in nonisothermal cure at slow heating rates, whereas for nonisothermal cure at faster heating rates, as well as for isothermal cure at 70°C and 100°C, a certain amount of exfoliation is accompanied by the growth of d‐spacings of 1.4 nm and 1.8 nm for dynamic and isothermal cure, respectively, smaller than the d‐spacings of the modified clay before intercalation of the resin. A similar nanostructure, consisting of extensive exfoliation accompanied by a strong scattering at distances less than the d‐spacing of the modified clay, is also found for resin/clay mixtures, before the addition of any crosslinking agent, which have been preconditioned by storage for long times at room temperature. The development of these nanostructures is attributed to the presence of clay agglomerations in the original resin/clay mixtures and highlights the importance of the quality of the dispersion of the clay in the resin in respect of achieving a homogeneous exfoliated nanostructure in the cured nanocomposite. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Thiol−Ene Free-Radical and Vinyl Ether Cationic Hybrid Photopolymerization

The photopolymerization kinetics of mixtures containing a trithiol and a trivinyl ether (in different molar ratios) with a cationic photoinitiator were investigated by real-time infrared and real-time rheology. Using this combination of real-time methods to follow both chemical conversion and rheological property development, a clear picture of physical property development during the complete polymerization process is obtained. This represents the first example of a thiol−ene radical/ene cationic two-step hybrid photopolymerization process in which thiol copolymerizes with vinyl ether functional groups in a rapid radical step growth process followed by vinyl ether cationic homopolymerization. The sequential thiol−vinyl ether copolymerization and the vinyl ether cationic polymerization result in cross-linked networks with thermal and mechanical properties that are combinations of each system.

Cationic copolymerization of ε‐caprolactone and L,L‐lactide by an activated monomer mechanism

AbstractThe cationic homopolymerization and copolymerization of L,L‐lactide and ε‐caprolactone in the presence of alcohol have been studied. The rate of homopolymerization of ε‐caprolactone is slightly higher than that of L,L‐lactide. In the copolymerization, the reverse order of reactivities has been observed, and L,L‐lactide is preferentially incorporated into the copolymer. Both the homopolymerization and copolymerization proceed by an activated monomer mechanism, and the molecular weights and dispersities are controlled {number‐average degree of polymerization = ([M]0 − [M]t)/[I]0, where [M]0 is the initial monomer concentration, [M]t is the monomer concentration at time t, and [I]0 is the initial initiator concentration; weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight ∼1.1–1.3}. An analysis of 13C NMR spectra of the copolymers indicates that transesterification is slow in comparison with propagation, and the microstructure of the copolymers is governed by the relative reactivity of the comonomers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 7071–7081, 2006

Influence of the type of epoxy hardener on the structure and properties of interpenetrated vinyl ester/epoxy resins

AbstractThe morphology–toughness relationship of vinyl ester/cycloaliphatic epoxy hybrid resins of interpenetrating network (IPN) structures was studied as a function of the epoxy hardening. The epoxy was crosslinked via polyaddition reactions (with aliphatic and cycloaliphatic diamines), cationic homopolymerization (via a boron trifluoride complex), and maleic anhydride. Maleic anhydride worked as a dual‐phase crosslinking agent by favoring the formation of a grafted IPN structure between the vinyl ester and epoxy. The type of epoxy hardener strongly affected the IPN morphology and toughness. The toughness was assessed by linear elastic fracture mechanics, which determined the fracture toughness and energy. The more compact the IPN structure was, the lower the fracture energy was of the interpenetrated vinyl ester/epoxy formulations. This resulted in the following toughness ranking: aliphatic diamine > cycloaliphatic diamine ≥ boron trifluoride complex > maleic anhydride. For IPN characterization, the width of the entangling bands and the surface roughness parameters were considered. Their values were deduced from atomic force microscopy scans taken on ion‐etched surfaces. More compact, less rough IPN‐structured resins possessed lower toughness parameters than less compact, rougher structured ones. The latter were less compatible according to dynamic mechanical thermal and thermogravimetric analyses. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5471–5481, 2004