Strategic developments in living anionic polymerization of alkyl (meth)acrylates

Near-infrared Light-Induced Polymerizations: Mechanisms and Applications

Photopolymerizations have garnered significant attention in polymer science due to their low polymerization temperature, high production efficiency, environmental friendliness, and spatial controllability. Despite these merits, the poor penetration and severe chemical damage from ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) light resources pose significant barriers to their success in conventional photopolymerizations. A recent breakthrough involving the utilization of near-infrared (NIR) laser with long wavelength has been exploited for diverse applications. With the combination of a NIR photosensitizer (PS), NIR-induced photopolymerizations have been successfully developed to alleviate the challenges in conventional methods. The enhancement of penetration depth and safety of NIR-induced photopolymerizations can contribute significantly to improving the efficiency of polymerization for production of intricate structures across various scales. In this concept, the typical types of PSs and polymerization mechanisms (PMs) within the NIR-induced photopolymerization systems have been classified in detail. Additionally, the applications of various polymers achieved by NIR-induced photopolymerizations are summarized. Furthermore, research directions and future challenges of this field are also discussed comprehensively.

Topology Controlled All-(Meth)acrylic Thermoplastic Elastomers by Multi-Functional Lewis Pairs-Mediated Polymerization

It remains challenging to synthesize all-(meth)acrylic triblock thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), due to the drastically different reactivities between the acrylates and methacrylates and inevitable occurrence of side reactions during polymerization of acrylates. By taking advantage of the easy structural modulation features of N-heterocyclic olefins (NHOs), we design and synthesize strong nucleophilic tetraphenylethylene-based NHOs varying in the number (i.e. mono-, dual- and tetra-) of initiating functional groups. Its combination with bulky organoaluminum [iBuAl(BHT)2] (BHT=bis(2,6-di-tBu-4-methylphenoxy)) constructs Lewis pair (LP) to realize the living polymerization of both acrylates and methacrylates, furnishing polyacrylates with ultrahigh molecular weight (Mn up to 2174 kg ⋅ mol-1) within 4 min. Moreover, these NHO-based LPs enable us to not only realize the control over the polymers' topology (i.e. linear and star), but also achieve triblock star copolymers in one-step manner. Mechanical studies reveal that the star triblock TPEs exhibit better mechanical properties (elongation at break up to 1863 % and tensile strength up to 19.1 MPa) in comparison with the linear analogs. Moreover, the presence of tetraphenylethylene group in the NHOs entitled the triblock TPEs with excellent AIE properties in both solution and solid state.

Sustainable Elastomers for Actuators: "Green" Synthetic Approaches and Material Properties

Elastomeric materials have great application potential in actuator design and soft robot development. The most common elastomers used for these purposes are polyurethanes, silicones, and acrylic elastomers due to their outstanding physical, mechanical, and electrical properties. Currently, these types of polymers are produced by traditional synthetic methods, which may be harmful to the environment and hazardous to human health. The development of new synthetic routes using green chemistry principles is an important step to reduce the ecological footprint and create more sustainable biocompatible materials. Another promising trend is the synthesis of other types of elastomers from renewable bioresources, such as terpenes, lignin, chitin, various bio-oils, etc. The aim of this review is to address existing approaches to the synthesis of elastomers using "green" chemistry methods, compare the properties of sustainable elastomers with the properties of materials produced by traditional methods, and analyze the feasibility of said sustainable elastomers for the development of actuators. Finally, the advantages and challenges of existing "green" methods of elastomer synthesis will be summarized, along with an estimation of future development prospects.

Quo Vadis Carbanionic Polymerization?

Living anionic polymerization will soon celebrate 70 years of existence. This living polymerization is considered the mother of all living and controlled/living polymerizations since it paved the way for their discovery. It provides methodologies for synthesizing polymers with absolute control of the essential parameters that affect polymer properties, including molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, composition and microstructure, chain-end/in-chain functionality, and architecture. This precise control of living anionic polymerization generated tremendous fundamental and industrial research activities, developing numerous important commodity and specialty polymers. In this Perspective, we present the high importance of living anionic polymerization of vinyl monomers by providing some examples of its significant achievements, presenting its current status, giving several insights into where it is going (Quo Vadis) and what the future holds for this powerful synthetic method. Furthermore, we attempt to explore its advantages and disadvantages compared to controlled/living radical polymerizations, the main competitors of living carbanionic polymerization.

Block Copolymer Synthesis by a Sequential Addition Strategy from the Organocatalytic Group Transfer Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate to the Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactide

Sequential block copolymerization involving comonomers belonging to different classes, e.g., a vinyl-type monomer and a heterocycle, is a challenging task in macromolecular chemistry, as corresponding propagating species do not interconvert easily from one to the other by crossover reactions. Here, it is first evidenced that 1-methoxy 2-methyl 1-trimethylsilyloxypropene (MTS), i.e., a silyl ketene acetal (SKA)-containing initiator, can be used in presence of the P₄ -t-Bu phosphazene organic base to control the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of racemic lactide (rac-LA). The elementary reaction, which rapidly transforms SKA groups into propagating alkoxides, can be leveraged to directly synthesize well-defined poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-polylactide (PMMA-b-PLA) block copolymers. This is achieved using P₄ -t-Bu as the single organic catalyst and MTS as the initiator for the group transfer polymerization (GTP) of methyl methacrylate (MMA), followed by the ROP of rac-LA. Both polymerization methods are implemented under selective and controlled/living conditions at room temperature in THF. This sequential addition strategy further expands the scope of organic catalysis of polymerizations for macromolecular engineering of block copolymers involving propagating species of disparate reactivity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The versatile roles of neutral donor ligands in tuning catalyst performance for the ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters

The use of neutral donor ligands is an effective strategy to modify catalyst structure and performance in the synthesis of sustainable polymers through the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of cyclic esters.

Facile Synthesis of Unimodal Polymethacrylates with Narrow Dispersity via NIR LED Light-Controlled Bromine-Iodine Transformation Reversible-Deactivation Radical Polymerization

A facile and clean strategy for synthesizing unimodal polymethacrylates with narrow dispersity (Đ < 1.10) is successfully developed by a near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diode (LED) light (λ_max = 740 nm)-controlled in situ bromine-iodine transformation reversible-deactivation radical polymerization system without the use of NIR dyes and expensive catalysts. In this system, alkyl iodide ethyl α-iodophenylacetate (EIPA) initiator is generated in situ by the nucleophilic substitution reaction between an alkyl bromide compound ethyl α-bromophenylacetate and sodium iodide (NaI). At the same time, excessive NaI is also acted as a highly active catalyst by forming halogen bonds with terminal iodine of the polymer chains in this system to make it capable of precisely synthesizing polymethacrylates with narrow dispersities (Đ = 1.03-1.10). In addition, the strong penetration ability of NIR LED light is illustrated by the successful polymerization even through 11 pieces of A4 paper.

Two-Step Divergent Synthesis of Monodisperse and Ultra-Long Bottlebrush Polymers from an Easily Purifiable ROMP Monomer

The longest bottlebrush polymers reported so far (up to 7 μm in length) were synthesized in two steps from a norbornene derivative bearing two 2-bromoisobutylate moieties (NB). The key to this achievement is the excellent reactivity of NB in ring opening metathesis polymerization, which proceeded in a well-controlled manner with quantitative conversion of NB for monomer-initiator ratios ranging up to 10,000. The resultant polymer derived from NB was readily converted to various bottlebrush polymers in a divergent synthetic route by grafting vinyl monomers from the 2-bromoisobutylate units in NB via atom transfer radical polymerization. The structure of the ultra-long bottlebrush polymer was directly observed using atomic force microscopy.

Lewis pairs polymerization of polar vinyl monomers

The globally increasing demands for polymer materials stimulate the significantly intense attention focused on the Lewis pair polymerization (LPP) of various polar vinyl monomers catalyzed by Lewis pairs (LPs) composed of Lewis acid (LA) and Lewis base (LB). According to the degree of interaction between LA and LB, LPs could be divided into classical Lewis adduct (CLA), interacting Lewis pair (ILP) and frustrated Lewis pair (FLP). Regulation of the Lewis basicity, Lewis acidity, and steric effects of these LPs has a significant impact on the polymer chain initiation, propagation and termination as well as chain transfer reaction during polymerization. Compared with other polymerization strategies, LPP has shown several unique advantages towards the polymerization of polar vinyl monomers such as high activity, control or livingness, mild conditions, and complete chemo- or regioselectivity. We will comprehensively review the recent advances achieved in the LPP of polar vinyl monomers according to the classification of the employed LPs based on different LAs, by highlighting the key polymerization results, polymerization mechanisms as well as the currently unmet challenges and the future research directions of LPP chemistry.

Block copolymers containing stable radical and fluorinated blocks with long-range ordered morphologies prepared by anionic polymerization

We report a facile synthetic approach to create stable radical block copolymers containing a secondary fluorinated block via anionic polymerization using a bulky, sterically hindered countercation composed of a sodium ion and di-benzo-18-crown-6 complex. The synthetic conditions described in this report allowed for controlled molecular weights and dispersity (<1.3) of both homopolymers: poly(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy-methacrylate) (PTMA) and poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate) (PTFEMA) as well as their block copolymers (PTMA-b-PTFEMA). The stable radical concentration of the polymers was determined by electron spin resonance (ESR) and showed radical content above 70%. An analysis of the microphase morphologies in PTMA-b-PTFEMA thin films via atomic force microscopy (AFM) and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) showed clear evidence of long-range ordering of lamellar and cylindrical morphologies with 32 and 36 nm spacing, respectively. The long-range ordering of the morphologies was developed with the aid of two separate neutral layers: PTMA-ran-PTFEMA-ran-poly(hydroxyl ethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and poly(isobutyl methacrylate) (PiBMA)-ran-PTFEMA-ran-PHEMA, which helped us corroborate, along with the Zisman method, the surface energy estimation of PTMA to be 30.1 mJ/m2.

Anionic Polymerization Using Flow Microreactors

Flow microreactors are expected to make a revolutionary change in chemical synthesis involving various fields of polymer synthesis. In fact, extensive flow microreactor studies have opened up new possibilities in polymer chemistry including cationic polymerization, anionic polymerization, radical polymerization, coordination polymerization, polycondensation and ring-opening polymerization. This review provides an overview of flow microreactors in anionic polymerization and their various applications.

Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polymers Produced by the Immortal Phosphine-Based Catalyst System

A strong organophosphorus superbase, N-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethyl-1,3-dihydro-2H-imidazol-2-imine (IAP3) was combined with a sterically encumbered but modestly acidic Lewis acid (LA), (4-Me-2,6-^t Bu₂ -C₆ H₂ O)Alⁱ Bu₂ ((BHT)Alⁱ Bu₂ ), to synergistically promote the frustrated Lewis pair (FLP)-catalyzed living polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA), achieving ultrahigh molecular weight (UHMW) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with M_n up to 1927 kg mol^-1 and narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) at room temperature (RT). This FLP catalyst system exhibits exceptionally long lifetime polymerization performance even in the absence of free MMA, which could reinitiate the desired living polymerization after the resulting system was held at RT for 24 h.

Polymerization of Polar Monomers Mediated by Main-Group Lewis Acid-Base Pairs

The development of new or more sustainable, active, efficient, controlled, and selective polymerization reactions or processes continues to be crucial for the synthesis of important polymers or materials with specific structures or functions. In this context, the newly emerged polymerization technique enabled by main-group Lewis pairs (LPs), termed as Lewis pair polymerization (LPP), exploits the synergy and cooperativity between the Lewis acid (LA) and Lewis base (LB) sites of LPs, which can be employed as frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), interacting LPs (ILPs), or classical Lewis adducts (CLAs), to effect cooperative monomer activation as well as chain initiation, propagation, termination, and transfer events. Through balancing the Lewis acidity, Lewis basicity, and steric effects of LPs, LPP has shown several unique advantages or intriguing opportunities compared to other polymerization techniques and demonstrated its broad polar monomer scope, high activity, control or livingness, and complete chemo- or regioselectivity, as well as its unique application in materials chemistry. These advances made in LPP are comprehensively reviewed, with the scope of monomers focusing on heteroatom-containing polar monomers, while the polymerizations mediated by main-group LAs and LBs separately that are most relevant to the LPP are also highlighted or updated. Examples of applying the principles of the LPP and LP chemistry as a new platform for advancing materials chemistry are highlighted, and currently unmet challenges in the field of the LPP, and thus the suggested corresponding future research directions, are also presented.

Synthesis of poly(n-hexyl methacrylate)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) via anionic polymerization with t-BuOK as the initiator at ambient temperature

Initiation mechanism of t-BuOK on anionic polymerization of n-HMA in THF.

N-Heterocyclic olefins as initiators for the polymerization of (meth)acrylic monomers: a combined experimental and theoretical approach

The scope and mechanism of N-heterocyclic olefin-initiated polymerizations of acrylic monomers is investigated, including deactivation pathways.

A controlled synthesis method of polystyrene-b-polyisoprene-b-poly(methyl methacrylate) copolymer via anionic polymerization with trace amounts of THF having potential of a commercial scale

A well-defined PS-b-PI-b-PMMA copolymer with rather narrow MWD was synthesized via anionic copolymerization with trace amounts of tetrahydrofuran.

All acrylic-based thermoplastic elastomers with high upper service temperature and superior mechanical properties

All acrylic-based thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) offer potential alternatives to the widely-used styrenic TPEs.

Lithium Enolates Derived from Pyroglutaminol: Aggregation, Solvation, and Atropisomerism

Lithium enolates derived from protected pyroglutaminols were characterized by using (6)Li, (13)C, and (19)F NMR spectroscopies in conjunction with the method of continuous variations. Mixtures of tetrasolvated dimers and tetrasolvated tetramers in different proportions depend on the steric demands of the hemiaminal protecting group, tetrahydrofuran concentration, and the presence or absence of an α-fluoro moiety. The high steric demands of the substituted bicyclo[3.3.0] ring system promote dimers to an unusual extent and allow solvents and atropisomers in cubic tetramers to be observed in the slow-exchange limit. Pyridine used as a (6)Li chemical shift reagent proved useful in assigning solvation numbers.

Structure-Reactivity Relationships in Lithiated Evans Enolates: Influence of Aggregation and Solvation on the Stereochemistry and Mechanism of Aldol Additions

Aldol additions to isobutyraldehyde and cyclohexanone with lithium enolates derived from acylated oxazolidinones (Evans enolates) are described. Previously characterized trisolvated dimeric enolates undergo rapid addition to isobutyraldehyde to give a 12:1 syn:syn selectivity in high yield along with small amounts of one anti isomer. The efficacy of the addition depends critically on aging effects and the reaction quench. Unsolvated tetrameric enolates that form on warming the solutions are unreactive toward isobutyraldehyde and undergo retroaldol reaction under forcing conditions. Additions to cyclohexanone are relatively slow but form a single isomeric adduct in >80% yield. The ketone-derived aldolates are robust. All attempts to control stereoselectivity by controlling aggregation failed. Rate studies of addition to cyclohexanone trace the lack of aggregation-dependent selectivities to a monomer-based mechanism. The synthetic implications and possible utility of lithium enolates in Evans aldol additions are discussed.

Chemical and electrochemical grafting of polythiophene onto polystyrene synthesized via ‘living’ anionic polymerization

A novel strategy for chemical and electrochemical grafting of polythiophene onto a polystyrene backbone synthesized via ‘living’ anionic polymerization is reported.

Solid-State and Solution Structures of Glycinimine-Derived Lithium Enolates

A combination of crystallographic, spectroscopic, and computational studies was applied to study the structures of lithium enolates derived from glycinimines of benzophenone and (+)-camphor. The solvents examined included toluene and toluene containing various concentrations of tetrahydrofuran, N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), (R,R)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylcyclohexanediamine [(R,R)-TMCDA], and (S,S)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylcyclohexanediamine [(S,S)-TMCDA]. Crystal structures show chelated monomers, symmetric disolvated dimers, S4-symmetric tetramers, and both S6- and D3d-symmetric hexamers. (6)Li NMR spectroscopic studies in conjunction with the method of continuous variations show how these species distribute in solution. Density functional theory computations offer insights into experimentally elusive details.

Evans Enolates: Solution Structures of Lithiated Oxazolidinone-Derived Enolates

The results of a combination of (6)Li and (13)C NMR spectroscopic and computational studies of oxazolidinone-based lithium enolates-Evans enolates-in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution revealed a mixture of dimers, tetramers, and oligomers (possibly ladders). The distribution depended on the structure of the oxazolidinone auxiliary, substituent on the enolate, and THF concentration (in THF/toluene mixtures). The unsolvated tetrameric form contained a D(2d)-symmetric core structure, whereas the dimers were determined experimentally and computationally to be trisolvates with several isomeric forms.