Aqueous Catalytic Polymerization of Olefins

Aqueous Coordination-Insertion Copolymerization for Producing High Molecular Weight Polar Polyolefins

Hydrocarbons, when used as the medium for transition metal catalyzed organic reactions and olefin (co-)polymerization, are ubiquitous. Environmentally friendly water is highly attractive and long-sought, but is greatly challenging as coordination-insertion copolymerization reaction medium of olefin and polar monomers. Unfavorable interactions from both water and polar monomer usually lead to either catalyst deactivation or the formation of low-molecular-weight polymers. Herein, we develop well-behaved neutral phosphinophenolato nickel catalysts, which enable aqueous copolymerization of ethylene and diverse polar monomers to produce significantly high-molecular-weight linear polar polyolefins (219-549 kDa, 0.13-1.29 mol %) in a single-component fashion under mild conditions for the first time. These copolymerization reactions occur better in water than in hydrocarbons such as toluene. The dual characteristics of high molecular weight and the incorporation of a small amount of functional group result in improved surface properties while retain the desirable intrinsic properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

Water-soluble polyphosphonate-based bottlebrush copolymers via aqueous ring-opening metathesis polymerization

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is a versatile method for synthesizing complex macromolecules from various functional monomers. In this work, we report the synthesis of water-soluble and degradable bottlebrush polymers, based on polyphosphoesters (PPEs) via ROMP. First, PPE-macromonomers were synthesized via organocatalytic anionic ring-opening polymerization of 2-ethyl-2-oxo-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane using N-(hydroxyethyl)-cis-5-norbornene-exo-2,3-dicarboximide as the initiator and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as the catalyst. The resulting norbornene-based macromonomers had degrees of polymerization (DPn) ranging from 25 to 243 and narrow molar mass dispersity (Đ ≤ 1.10). Subsequently, these macromonomers were used in ROMP with the Grubbs 3rd-generation bispyridyl complex (Ru-G3) to produce a library of well-defined bottlebrush polymers. The ROMP was carried out either in dioxane or in aqueous conditions, resulting in well-defined and water-soluble bottlebrush PPEs. Furthermore, a two-step protocol was employed to synthesize double hydrophilic diblock bottlebrush copolymers via ROMP in water at neutral pH-values. This general protocol enabled the direct combination of PPEs with ROMP to synthesize well-defined bottlebrush polymers and block copolymers in water. Degradation of the PPE side chains was proven resulting in low molar mass degradation products only. The biocompatible and biodegradable nature of PPEs makes this pathway promising for designing novel biomedical drug carriers or viscosity modifiers, as well as many other potential applications.

A Self-Supporting Strategy for Gas-Phase and Slurry-Phase Ethylene Polymerization using Late-Transition-Metal Catalysts

The polyolefin industry is dominated by gas-phase and slurry-phase polymerization using heterogeneous catalysts. In contrast, academic research is focused on homogeneous systems, especially for late-transition-metal catalysts. The heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts is a general strategy to provide catalyst solutions for existing industrial polyolefin synthesis. Herein, we report an alternative, potentially general strategy for using homogeneous late-transition-metal catalysts in gas-phase and slurry-phase polymerization. In this self-supporting strategy, catalysts with moderate chain-walking capabilities produced porous polymer supports during gas-phase ethylene polymerization. Chain walking, in which the metal center can move up and down the polymer chain during polymerization, ensures that the metal center can travel along the polymer chain to find suitable sites for ethylene enchainment. This strategy enables simple heterogenization of catalysts on solid supports for slurry-phase polymerization. Most importantly, various branched ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylenes can be prepared under various polymerization conditions with proper catalyst selection.

Copper-catalyzed mild desulfonylation of vinyl sulfonyl molecules

The first Cu-catalyzed chemical selective desulfonylation of vinyl sulfonyl molecules to olefins was developed using B₂pin₂–water as the reductant.

Solubility and activity of a phosphinosulfonate palladium catalyst in water with different surfactants

Water-soluble phosphinosulfonate palladium complexes were synthesized by coordination of a surfactant to the metal center.

New phenyl-nickel complexes of bulky 2-iminopyrrolyl chelates: synthesis, characterisation and application as aluminium-free catalysts for the production of hyperbranched polyethylene

A family of mono(2-iminopyrrolyl) complexes with the general formula [Ni{κ2N,N'-5-(aryl)-NC4H2-2-C(H)[double bond, length as m-dash]N-2,6-(aryl)}(C6H5)(PPh3)] were obtained from the reaction of the sodium salts of the newly synthesised 5-aryl-2-(N-arylformimino)pyrroles with the square planar complex trans-[Ni(C6H5)(PPh3)2Cl]. These new iminopyrrole ligand precursors, designed with increasing bulkiness and different electronic properties, and their corresponding nickel(ii) complexes were characterised by NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and their structural features were analysed by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The nickel complexes were tested as aluminium-free catalysts for the polymerisation of ethylene, at low to moderate pressures and different temperatures and in the absence or presence of the phosphine scavenger [Ni(COD)2], giving rise to catalytic activities in the range of 3.61-73.12 kgPE molNi-1 h-1 bar-1. The polyethylene products formed in these catalytic reactions were characterised by GPC/SEC and NMR spectroscopy. Generally, low molecular weight (Mn 510-1300 g mol-1) low viscosity oils were obtained, presenting high branching degrees (80-125 branches per 1000 C atoms), which are characteristic of hyperbranched polyethylene products. In particular, polymerisation reactions using catalyst 7 led to higher viscosity oils with molecular weights between 11 000 and 20 000 g mol-1, and branching degrees of 100-120 branches per 1000 C atoms.

Tailoring Hydrocarbon Polymers and All-Hydrocarbon Composites for Circular Economy

The world population will rapidly grow from 7 to 9 billion by 2050 and this will parallel a surging annual plastics consumption from today's 350 million tons to well beyond 1 billion tons. The switch from a linear economy with its throwaway culture to a circular economy with efficient reuse of waste plastics is therefore mandatory. Hydrocarbon polymers, accounting for more than half the world's plastics production, enable closed-loop recycling and effective product-stewardship systems. High-molar-mass hydrocarbons serve as highly versatile, cost-, resource-, eco- and energy-efficient, durable lightweight materials produced by solvent-free, environmentally benign catalytic olefin polymerization. Nanophase separation and alignment of unentangled hydrocarbon polymers afford 100% recyclable self-reinforcing all-hydrocarbon composites without requiring the addition of either alien fibers or hazardous nanoparticles. Recycling of durable hydrocarbons is far superior to biodegradation. The facile thermal degradation enables liquefaction and quantitative recovery of low molar mass hydrocarbon oil and gas. Teamed up with biomass-to-liquid and carbon dioxide-to-fuel conversions, powered by renewable energy, waste hydrocarbons serve as renewable hydrocarbon feedstocks for the synthesis of high molar mass hydrocarbon materials. Herein, an overview is given on how innovations in catalyst and process technology enable tailoring of advanced recyclable hydrocarbon materials meeting the needs of sustainable development and a circular economy.

New water-soluble Schiff base ligands based on β-cyclodextrin for aqueous biphasic hydroformylation reaction

The synthesis of water-soluble rhodium(I) salicylaldiminato and salicylhydrazonic complexes has been achieved employing two preparative routes. Schiff base condensation between 6A-deoxy-6A-amino-β-CD or 6A-deoxy-6A-hydrazino-β-CD and 5-sodiosulfonato-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (sulfonated salicylaldehyde) (1) or 5-sodiosulfonato-3-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (sulfonated t Bu-salicylaldehyde) (2) led to the formation of the corresponding imine or hydrazone ligands (3, 4, 5 and 6). Reaction of [Rh(COD)2 +BF4 −] with these new ligands in an alkaline solution formed the corresponding rhodium complexes quantitatively. These rhodium(I) complexes could also be prepared in one-pot by mixing, in stoichiometric proportions, the modified β-CDs with the sulfonated salicylaldehyde and with the rhodium precursor in an alkaline solution at room temperature. These rhodium complexes were applied as catalysts in the aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-decene as a model reaction.

Encapsulation of catalyst in block copolymer micelles for the polymerization of ethylene in aqueous medium

The catalytic emulsion polymerization of ethylene has been a long-lasting technical challenge as current techniques still suffer some limitations. Here we report an alternative strategy for the production of semi-crystalline polyethylene latex. Our methodology consists of encapsulating a catalyst precursor within micelles composed of an amphiphilic block copolymer. These micelles act as nanoreactors for the polymerization of ethylene in water. Phosphinosulfonate palladium complexes were used to demonstrate the success of our approach as they were found to be active for hours when encapsulated in micelles. Despite this long stability, the activity of the catalysts in micelles remains significantly lower than in organic solvent, suggesting some catalyst inhibition. The inhibition strength of the different chemicals present in the micelle were determined and compared. The combination of the small volume of the micelles, and the coordination of PEG appear to be the culprits for the low activity observed in micelles.

Water and Carbon Dioxide: A Unique Solvent for the Catalytic Polymerization of Ethylene in Miniemulsion

The catalytic polymerization of ethylene is performed in water pressurized with CO₂ . The size of the initial monomer droplets and of the resulting polymer particles can be varied by simply changing the CO₂ pressure. Furthermore, at identical ethylene partial pressure, the polymerizations performed in the presence of CO₂ are significantly faster than in its absence. Thus, the combination of CO₂ and water is a promising green solvent for catalytic emulsion polymerizations.

A highly active chiral (S,S)-bis(oxazoline) Pd(ii) alkyl complex/activator catalytic system for vinyl polymerization of norbornene in air and water

The air/water-tolerant chiral Pd alkyl complexes/borate systems promote the norbornene polymerization both in air and water using unpretreated technical grade solvent and monomer with extremely high activity up to 1.7 × 10⁹ g PNB per mol_Pd per h.

Hexacoordinate Ru-based olefin metathesis catalysts with pH-responsive N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and N-donor ligands for ROMP reactions in non-aqueous, aqueous and emulsion conditions

Three new ruthenium alkylidene complexes (PCy₃)Cl₂(H₂ITap)Ru=CHSPh (9), (DMAP)₂Cl₂(H₂ITap)Ru=CHPh (11) and (DMAP)₂Cl₂(H₂ITap)Ru=CHSPh (12) have been synthesized bearing the pH-responsive H₂ITap ligand (H₂ITap = 1,3-bis(2’,6’-dimethyl-4’-dimethylaminophenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene). Catalysts 11 and 12 are additionally ligated by two pH-responsive DMAP ligands. The crystal structure was solved for complex 12 by X-ray diffraction. In organic, neutral solution, the catalysts are capable of performing standard ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and ring closing metathesis (RCM) reactions with standard substrates. The ROMP with complex 11 is accelerated in the presence of two equiv of H₃PO₄, but is reduced as soon as the acid amount increased. The metathesis of phenylthiomethylidene catalysts 9 and 12 is sluggish at room temperature, but their ROMP can be dramatically accelerated at 60 °C. Complexes 11 and 12 are soluble in aqueous acid. They display the ability to perform RCM of diallylmalonic acid (DAMA), however, their conversions are very low amounting only to few turnovers before decomposition. However, both catalysts exhibit outstanding performance in the ROMP of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and mixtures of DCPD with cyclooctene (COE) in acidic aqueous microemulsion. With loadings as low as 180 ppm, the catalysts afforded mostly quantitative conversions of these monomers while maintaining the size and shape of the droplets throughout the polymerization process. Furthermore, the coagulate content for all experiments stayed <2%. This represents an unprecedented efficiency in emulsion ROMP based on hydrophilic ruthenium alkylidene complexes.

A hybrid ring-opening metathesis polymerization catalyst based on an engineered variant of the β-barrel protein FhuA

A β-barrel protein hybrid catalyst was prepared by covalently anchoring a Grubbs-Hoveyda type olefin metathesis catalyst at a single accessible cysteine amino acid in the barrel interior of a variant of β-barrel transmembrane protein ferric hydroxamate uptake protein component A (FhuA). Activity of this hybrid catalyst type was demonstrated by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of a 7-oxanorbornene derivative in aqueous solution.

Cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers in aqueous media: from monofunctional oligomers to long-lived polymer chains

Polymer latexes are easily prepared on a multimillion ton scale in industry using free radical initiated emulsion and suspension polymerizations in water, a cheap, nonviscous, heat-controlling, and environmentally benign solvent. Until recently, researchers had done little investigation into ionic polymerization because even a small amount of water would easily deactivate the conventional catalysts used in these processes. In the last decade, however, cationic polymerization in aqueous media has emerged as a new and attractive method for controlling the polymerization reactions using mild experimental conditions. This Account reviews the current science of and future outlook for cationic polymerization of vinyl monomers in aqueous media. We particularly emphasize the design and evolution of catalytic systems and the precision synthesis of functional polymers. Early work to tailor the suspension and emulsion cationic polymerizations of reactive monomers such as p-methoxystyrene and vinyl ethers used long-chain strong acids, called INISURF for their dual roles as initiators and surfactants, and lanthanide triflates. These polymerization processes shared two main features: (i) all reactions (initiation, propagation, and termination) occurred at the particle interface; (ii) synthesized polymers have limits on their molecular weight, attributed to the "critical DP" effect, related to the entry of oligomers inside the particles as they become increasingly hydrophobic. The next generation of catalysts, named "Lewis acid-surfactant combined catalysts" (LASC), shifted the polymerization locus from the interface to the inside of the monomer droplets, allowing for the production of long polymer chains. Recently, catalytic systems based on boranes, (BF(3)OEt(2), B(C(6)F(5))(3), (C(6)F(4)-1,2-[B(C(6)F(5))(2)]), and (C(6)F(4)-1,2-[B(C(12)F(8))](2))), have shown great potential in controlling the cationic polymerization in "wet" solution, containing an excess of water relative to Lewis acid, or aqueous media of such industrially important monomers as styrene, cyclopentadiene, and even isobutylene.

Fluorescent conjugated polymer nanoparticles by polymerization in miniemulsion

Highly fluorescent conjugated polymer nanoparticles were prepared directly by polymerization in aqueous miniemulsion, employing Glaser coupling polymerization as a suitable step-growth reaction. A 4,4'-dinonyl-2,2'-bipyridine-modified catalyst was found to be suited for the polymerization in the aqueous heterophase system. Nanoparticles of poly(arylene diethynylenes) (arylene = 2,5-dialkyoxy phenylenes and 9,9'-dihexyl fluorene) with molecular weights in the range of M(n) 10(4) to 10(5) g mol(-1) and with sizes of < or = 30 nm, as observed by TEM, result. N,N'-di(4-ethynylphenyl)-1,7-di[4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenoxy]perylene-3,4:9,10-tetracarboxdiimide or 2,7-diethynylfluorenone was converted completely during the heterophase polymerization to afford colloidally stable nanoparticles of poly(arylene diethynylenes) with 0.1-2 mol % covalently incorporated perylene dye and 2-9 mol % of covalently incorporated fluorenone dye, respectively. Fluorescence spectroscopy of the aqueous dispersions reveals an efficient energy transfer to the dye in the nanoparticles, which enables a variation of the luminescence emission color between red (lambda(em) (max.) ca. 650 nm) and the green emission of the nanoparticles without dye.