An Investigation Into the Synthesis of Poly(Co-Maleic Anhydride/Iso-Butyl Vinyl Ether) with RAFT Polymerisation
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The University of New South Wales Faculty of Engineering School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design (CAMD) An investigation into the Synthesis of Poly(co-maleic anhydride/iso-butyl vinyl ether) with RAFT polymerisation A Thesis in Industrial Chemistry by S. C. Lea Submitted for the degree of Masters of Science in Industrial Chemistry October 2006 Table of contents List of symbols.............................................................................................. i Chapter 1. Introduction .............................................................................. 1 References................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 2. Chemistry and mechanism of radical polymerisation............. 4 2.1 Free radical polymerisation ………………………………………...4 2.1.1 Initiation .................................................................................... 4 2.1.2 Propagation............................................................................... 6 2.1.3 Termination ............................................................................... 7 2.1.4 Chain transfer........................................................................... 8 2.1.4.1 Transfer agents....................................................................... 9 2.1.4.2 The transfer constant Ctr and the re-initiation constant Cri... 9 2.1.5 Number and weight average molecular weight ...................... 10 2.1.6 Kinetics of FRP ....................................................................... 11 2.1.7 Kinetic chain length and degree of polymerisation ................ 14 2.1.8 Effect of the transfer agent on the degree of polymerisation.. 15 2.1.9 Molecular weight distribution................................................. 16 2.2 Living radical polymerisation (LRP)……………………………...18 2.3 Features of living radical polymerisation(LRP)…………………..18 2.3.1 LRP processes: Nitrogen Mediated Polymerisation (NMP)... 20 2.3.2 LRP processes: Atom Transfer Radical Polymerisation (ATRP) ………………………………………………………………………..21 2.3.3 LRP processes: Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) .................................................................................. 21 2.3.3.1 Mechanism of the RAFT polymerisation.............................. 22 2.3.3.2 Choice of the RAFT agent.................................................... 25 2.3.3.3 Side reactions in RAFT polymerisation ............................... 27 2.3.3.4 Copolymerisation using the RAFT system ........................... 28 2.3.3.4.1 Random copolymers....................................................... 28 2.3.3.4.2Diblock and triblock copolymers.................................... 29 References...............................................................................................30 Chapter 3. Copolymerisation systems in radical polymerisation............ 32 3.1 Definitions………………………………………………………...32 3.2 Copolymer composition…………………………………………..33 3.2.1 The Terminal model ................................................................ 34 3.2.2 Explicit and Implicit Penultimate Models............................... 37 3.2.3 The Q-e approach to the theory of reactivity.......................... 39 3.3 Influence of the reaction medium…………………………………41 3.4 Alternating copolymers…………………………………………...42 3.4.1 Copolymers of vinyl ethers and maleic anhydride.................. 43 3.4.1.1 Maleic anhydride (MAn)...................................................... 44 3.4.1.2 Vinyl ethers........................................................................... 45 3.4.1.3 Co (maleic anhydride-alt-methyl vinyl ether)...................... 46 3.4.1.4 The synthesis of co (maleic anhydride-alt-iso-butyl vinyl ether)……………………………………………………………….47 References……………………………………………………………...48 Chapter 4. The free radical polymerisation of iso-butyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride....................................................................................... 50 4.1 Experimental procedure................................................................. 50 4.1.1 Purification of reagents and solvents...................................... 50 4.2 Polymerisation procedures ............................................................ 51 4.2.1 Polymerisation in Schlenck tubes............................................ 51 4.2.2 Polymerisation in the presence of DDM as a chain transfer agent…………………………………………………………………………..51 4.2.3 In situ NIR-FTIR spectroscopy polymerisation....................... 52 4.3 Polymerisation kinetics ................................................................. 52 4.3.1 In situ FT- NIR spectroscopy .................................................. 52 4.3.2 1H NMR spectroscopy ............................................................. 54 4.3.3 Gravimetric analysis ............................................................... 55 4.4 Copolymer characterisation........................................................... 56 4.4.1 13C NMR spectroscopy ............................................................ 56 4.4.2 Size Exclusion Chromatography ............................................. 56 4.5 Results and discussion................................................................... 58 4.5.1 FRP in dioxane as a solvent.................................................... 58 4.5.2 FRP in MEK and Acetone as solvents..................................... 61 4.6 Reliability of FT-NIR spectroscopy for the evaluation of the conversion............................................................................................... 66 4.7 Reliability of NMR spectroscopy for the determination of the conversion............................................................................................... 70 4.8 Experiments with dodecylmercaptan (DDM) as a chain transfer agents ...................................................................................................... 72 4.9 Conclusions ................................................................................... 75 References............................................................................................... 75 Chapter 5. Use of RAFT agents to control the radical copolymerisation of MAn and IBVE..................................................................................... 76 5.1 Experimental procedure................................................................. 76 5.1.1. Purification of reagents and solvents...................................... 76 5.2 RAFT agents synthesis.................................................................. 76 5.2.1. Synthesis of benzyl dithiobenzoate (BDTB) ............................ 76 5.2.2. Synthesis of 3-benzyl sulfanyl thiocarbonyl sulfanyl-propionic acid (RAFT acid) ................................................................................. 76 5.2.3. Synthesis of dibenzyl trithiocarbonate (DBTTC) .................... 77 5.3 Polymerisation procedures ............................................................ 77 5.3.1. Polymerisation in Schlenck tubes............................................ 77 5.3.2. In situ NIR-FTIR spectroscopy polymerisation....................... 78 5.4 Polymerisation kinetics ................................................................. 78 5.4.1. In situ FT-NIR spectroscopy .................................................. 78 5.4.2. 1H NMR spectroscopy ............................................................. 78 5.4.3. Gravimetric analysis ............................................................... 78 5.5 Copolymer characterisation........................................................... 79 5.5.1. 13C NMR spectroscopy ............................................................ 79 5.5.2. Size Exclusion Chromatography…………………………………79 5.6 Use of RAFT agents for the control of the molecular weight....... 79 5.6.1. 3-benzyl sulfanyl thiocarbonyl sulfanyl-propionic acid (RAFT acid) and dibenzyl-trithiocarbonate (DBTTC) as RAFT agents. ........ 83 5.7 BDTB as a RAFT agent ................................................................ 89 5.7.1. RAFT polymerisation with BDTB in polar solvents................ 89 5.7.1.1 Acetone................................................................................. 89 5.7.1.2 Ethyl acetate and N, N, dimethyl acetamide........................ 97 5.7.1.3 Characterisation of the two phases....................................... 98 5.7.2. RAFT polymerisation with BDTB in 1,4 dioxane as a solvent ………………………………………………………………………105 5.7.3. Tetrahydrofuran as a solvent ................................................ 117 5.8 Investigation into the colour alteration of a polymerisation mixture containing BDTB as a RAFT agent...................................................... 125 5.9 Conclusions ................................................................................. 127 References............................................................................................. 129 List of symbols and abbreviations Ac = acetone AM = acrylamide CM = chain transfer constant for chain transfer to the monomer CS = chain transfer constant for chain transfer to the solvent or chain transfer agent DMAc = N, N dimethyl acetamide DEE – diethyl ether DPn = number average degree of polymerisation DPw = weight average degree of polymerisation d = number of chains generated by radical-radical termination Eth Ac = ethyl acetate f =initiator efficiency I = generic initiator molecule I = generic