Expanding the Scope of Group Transfer Polymerization Using N-Heterocyclic Carbenes as Catalysts: Application to Miscellaneous (Meth)acrylic Monomers and Kinetic Investigations

Group-Transfer Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (GTPISA) in Non-polar Media: An Organocatalyzed Route to Block Copolymer Nanoparticles at Room Temperature

Polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) enables the synthesis at large scale of a wide variety of functional nanoparticles. However, a large number of works are related to controlled radical polymerization (CRP) methods and are generally undertaken at elevated temperatures (>50 °C). Here is the first report on methacrylate-based nanoparticles fabricated by group transfer polymerization-induced self-assembly (GTPISA) in non-polar media (n-heptane). This GTPISA process is achieved at room temperature (RT) using 1-methoxy-1-(trimethylsiloxy)-2-methylprop-1-ene (MTS) and tetrabutylammonium bis-benzoate (TBABB) as initiator and organic catalyst, respectively. Under these conditions, well-defined metal-free and colorless diblock copolymers are produced with efficient crossover from the non-polar stabilizing poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA) block to the non-soluble poly(benzyl methacrylate) (PBzMA) segment. The resulting PLMA-b-PBzMA block copolymers simultaneously self-assemble into nanostructures of various sizes and morphologies. GTPISA in non-polar solvent proceeds rapidly at RT and avoids the use of sulfur or halogenated compounds or metallic catalysts associated with the implementation of CRP methods, thus expanding the potential of PISA formulations for applications in non-polar environments.

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.

Precision synthesis for well-defined linear and/or architecturally controlled thermoresponsive poly(N-substituted acrylamide)s

We describe the progress in precision polymerizations of specific kinds of N-alkylacrylamides and N,N-dialkylacrylamides to produce polymers showing thermoresponsive properties in aqueous media, which representatively include the reversible-deactivation radical polymerizations...

A Density Functional Theory Study on Et-BAC-Catalyzed 1,6-Conjugate Addition of p-Chlorobenzaldehyde to p-Quinone Methide for the Synthesis of α,α'-Diarylated Ketones

Umpolung-based organocatalysis has made a remarkable breakthrough in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. Among a plethora of umpolung catalysts, bis(amino)cyclopropenylidenes (BACs) have emerged as efficient organocatalysts with potential applications in synthesizing numerous essential organic moieties. In this study, a plausible mechanism for bis(diethylamino)cyclopropenylidene (Et-BAC)-catalyzed synthesis of α,α'-diarylated ketones has been established using the density functional theory (DFT) method. The proposed catalytic cycle of the studied reaction initiates with the nucleophilic interaction of Et-BAC with p-chlorobenzaldehyde to form a zwitterionic intermediate, which is then transformed to a reactive Breslow intermediate. The Breslow intermediate further undergoes a chemoselective and stereoselective 1,6-conjugate addition reaction with p-quinone methide to form a new C-C bond connection. Finally, the generated adduct undergoes a proton shift reaction with the assistance of both 8-diazabicyclo(5.4.0)undec-7-ene (DBU) and protonated DBU to yield the desired product. Conceptual DFT-derived reactivity indices and frontier molecular orbital theory analysis have been successfully utilized to unravel the role of Et-BAC in this studied reaction. In addition to Et-BAC, DBU and protonated DBU also play a very important role in lowering the activation energy barrier of proton transfer steps. This investigation will help in the rational designing of simple nonheterocyclic carbene-mediated novel organic transformations.

Synthesis of well-defined di- and triblock acrylic copolymers consisting of hard poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate) and soft poly(alkyl acrylate) segments by organocatalyzed group transfer polymerization and their glass transition behavior

Well-defined acrylic block copolymers with hard poly(dicyclopentanyl acrylate) and soft poly(n-alkylacrylate) blocks prepared by GTP are observed to undergo microphase separation by rheometry except for the crystallizable poly(n-dodecyl acrylate) series.

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.

Silyl Ketene Acetals/B(C₆F₅)₃ Lewis Pair-Catalyzed Living Group Transfer Polymerization of Renewable Cyclic Acrylic Monomers

This work reveals the silyl ketene acetal (SKA)/B(C₆F₅)₃ Lewis pair-catalyzed room-temperature group transfer polymerization (GTP) of polar acrylic monomers, including methyl linear methacrylate (MMA), and the biorenewable cyclic monomers γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MMBL) and α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MBL) as well. The in situ NMR monitored reaction of SKA with B(C₆F₅)₃ indicated the formation of Frustrated Lewis Pairs (FLPs), although it is sluggish for MMA polymerization, such a FLP system exhibits highly activity and living GTP of MMBL and MBL. Detailed investigations, including the characterization of key reaction intermediates, polymerization kinetics and polymer structures have led to a polymerization mechanism, in which the polymerization is initiated with an intermolecular Michael addition of the ester enolate group of SKA to the vinyl group of B(C₆F₅)₃-activated monomer, while the silyl group is transferred to the carbonyl group of the B(C₆F₅)₃-activated monomer to generate the single-monomer-addition species or the active propagating species; the coordinated B(C₆F₅)₃ is released to the incoming monomer, followed by repeated intermolecular Michael additions in the subsequent propagation cycle. Such neutral SKA analogues are the real active species for the polymerization and are retained in the whole process as confirmed by experimental data and the chain-end analysis by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS). Moreover, using this method, we have successfully synthesized well-defined PMMBL-b-PMBL, PMMBL-b-PMBL-b-PMMBL and random copolymers with the predicated molecular weights (Mn) and narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD).

Chemoselective Lewis pair polymerization of renewable multivinyl-functionalized γ-butyrolactones

Multivinyl-functionalized γ-butyrolactones, γ-vinyl-γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (γVMMBL) and γ-allyl-γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (γAMMBL), have been synthesized from biorenewable ethyl levulinate and effectively polymerized by Lewis pairs consisting of an organic N-heterocyclic carbene Lewis base and a strong organo-Lewis acid E(C6F5)3 (E = Al, B). This Lewis pair polymerization is quantitatively chemoselective, proceeds exclusively via polyaddition across the conjugated α-methylene double bond without participation of the γ-vinyl or γ-allyl double bond, and produces high-molecular-weight functionalized polymers with unimodal molecular-weight distributions. The Al-based Lewis pair produces a polymer with approximately 5.5 times higher molecular weight than that produced by the B-based Lewis pair. The resulting vinyl-functionalized polymers are soluble in common organic solvents and stable at room temperature, and can be thermally cured into crosslinked materials.This article is part of the themed issue 'Frustrated Lewis pair chemistry'.

Organocatalyzed Group Transfer Polymerization

In contrast to the conventional group transfer polymerization (GTP) using a catalyst of either an anionic nucleophile or a transition-metal compound, the organocatalyzed GTP has to a great extent improved the living characteristics of the polymerization from the viewpoints of synthesizing structurally well-defined acrylic polymers and constructing defect-free polymer architectures. In this article, we describe the organocatalyzed GTP from a relatively personal perspective to provide our colleagues with a perspicuous and systematic overview on its recent progress as well as a reply to the curiosity of how excellently the organocatalysts have performed in this field. The stated perspectives of this review mainly cover five aspects, in terms of the assessment of the livingness of the polymerization, limit and scope of applicable monomers, mechanistic studies, control of the polymer structure, and a new GTP methodology involving the use of tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane and hydrosilane.

Organocatalytic and Chemoselective Polymerization of Multivinyl-Functionalized γ-Butyrolactones

Achieving complete chemoselectivity in the polymerization of multivinyl polar monomers is an important yet challenging task, currently achievable only by metal- or metalloid-mediated polymerization processes but in a noncatalytic fashion. Now this work shows that organic N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysts effect rapid, chemoselective, and catalytic polymerization of multivinyl-functionalized γ-butyrolactones, particularly γ-vinyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (VMBL). Thus, the NHC-catalyzed polymerization of VMBL not only is quantitatively chemoselective, proceeding exclusively via polyaddition across the conjugated α-methylene double bond while leaving the γ-vinyl double bond intact, but also requires only an exceptionally low catalyst loading of 50 ppm, thus, exhibiting a remarkably high catalyst turnover frequency of 80000 h^-1 and producing on average 33.6 polymer chains of M_n = 73.8 kg/mol per NHC molecule. The resulting PVMBL can be either thermally cured into cross-linked materials or postfunctionalized with the thiol-ene "click" reaction to achieve complete conversion of the pendant vinyl group on every repeat unit into the corresponding thioether.

Proton-Transfer Polymerization by N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Monomer and Catalyst Scopes and Mechanism for Converting Dimethacrylates into Unsaturated Polyesters

This contribution presents a full account of experimental and theoretical/computational investigations into the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed proton-transfer polymerization (HTP) that converts common dimethacrylates (DMAs) containing no protic groups into unsaturated polyesters. This new HTP proceeds through the step-growth propagation cycles via enamine intermediates, consisting of the proposed conjugate addition-proton transfer-NHC release fundamental steps. This study examines the monomer and catalyst scopes as well as the fundamental steps involved in the overall HTP mechanism. DMAs having six different types of linkages connecting the two methacrylates have been polymerized into the corresponding unsaturated polyesters. The most intriguing unsaturated polyester of the series is that based on the biomass-derived furfuryl dimethacrylate, which showed a unique self-curing ability. Four MeO- and Cl-substituted TPT (1,3,4-triphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene) derivatives as methanol insertion products, (Rx)TPT(MeO/H) (R = MeO, Cl; x = 2, 3), and two free carbenes (catalysts), (OMe2)TPT and (OMe3)TPT, have been synthesized, while (OMe2)TPT(MeO/H) and (OMe2)TPT have also been structurally characterized. The structure/reactivity relationship study revealed that (OMe2)TPT, being both a strong nucleophile and a good leaving group, exhibits the highest HTP activity and also produced the polyester with the highest Mn, while the Cl-substituted TPT derivatives are least active and efficient. Computational studies have provided mechanistic insights into the tail-to-tail dimerization coupling step as a suitable model for the propagation cycle of the HTP. The extensive energy profile was mapped out, and the experimentally observed unicity of the TPT-based catalysts was satisfactorily explained with the thermodynamic formation of key spirocyclic species.

Synthesis of end-functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate) by organocatalyzed group transfer polymerization using functional silyl ketene acetals and α-phenylacrylates

The α and ω-end-functionalization of PMMA by organocatalyzed GTP was achieved using functional silyl ketene acetals and α-phenylacrylates.

Organic acids as efficient catalysts for group transfer polymerization of N,N-disubstituted acrylamide with silyl ketene acetal: polymerization mechanism and synthesis of diblock copolymers

The GTP of N,N-disubstituted acrylamide using organic acid and silyl ketene acetal was intensively investigated.

B(C6F5)3-catalyzed group transfer polymerization of alkyl methacrylates with dimethylphenylsilane through in situ formation of silyl ketene acetal by B(C6F5)3-catalyzed 1,4-hydrosilylation of methacrylate monomer

The B(C₆F₅)₃-catalyzed GTP of alkyl methacrylates using hydrosilane has been studied in this study.

N-heterocyclic carbene-catalysed pentafluorophenylation of aldehydes

N-heterocyclic carbenes have been utilized as highly efficient organocatalysts to catalyse multifluorophenylation of aldehydes with fluorinated aryltrimethylsilanes to afford the corresponding adducts in 49–99% yields.

NHC catalysed trimethylsilylation of terminal alkynes and indoles with Ruppert's reagent under solvent free conditions

A highly efficient organo-catalytic protocol for the trimethylsilylation of terminal alkynes and N-silylation of indoles employing Ruppert's reagent as a trimethylsilyl source have been developed under solvent and fluoride free conditions.

Thermoresponsive properties of 3-, 4-, 6-, and 12-armed star-shaped poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]s prepared by core-first group transfer polymerization

The thermoresponsive behavior of a variety of star-shaped poly[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate]s was intensively investigated by evaluating the effect of mass concentration in aqueous solution, molecular weight, or arm number of the polymers on their cloud points.

Organocatalytic conjugate-addition polymerization of linear and cyclic acrylic monomers by N-heterocyclic carbenes: mechanisms of chain initiation, propagation, and termination

This contribution presents a full account of experimental and theoretical/computational investigations into the mechanisms of chain initiation, propagation, and termination of the recently discovered N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-mediated organocatalytic conjugate-addition polymerization of acrylic monomers. The current study specifically focuses on three commonly used NHCs of vastly different nucleophilicity, 1,3-di-tert-butylimidazolin-2-ylidene (I(t)Bu), 1,3-dimesitylimidazolin-2-ylidene (IMes), and 1,3,4-triphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene (TPT), and two representative acrylic monomers, the linear methyl methacrylate (MMA) and its cyclic analog, biomass-derived renewable γ-methyl-α-methylene-γ-butyrolactone (MMBL). For MMA, there exhibits an exquisite selectivity of the NHC structure for the three types of reactions it promotes: enamine formation (single-monomer addition) by IMes, dimerization (tail-to-tail) by TPT, and polymerization by I(t)Bu. For MMBL, all three NHCs promote no dimerization but polymerization, with the polymerization activity being highly sensitive to the NHC structure and the solvent polarity. Thus, I(t)Bu is the most active catalyst of the series and converts quantitatively 1000-3000 equiv of MMBL in 1 min or 10,000 equiv in 5 min at room temperature to MMBL-based bioplastics with a narrow range of molecular weights of M(n) = 70-85 kg/mol, regardless of the [MMBL]/[I(t)Bu] ratio employed. The I(t)Bu-catalyzed MMBL polymerization reaches an exceptionally high turnover frequency up to 122 s(-1) and a high initiator efficiency value up to 1600%. Unique chain-termination mechanisms have been revealed, accounting for the production of relative high-molecular-weight linear polymers and the catalytic nature of this NHC-mediated conjugate-addition polymerization. Computational studies have provided mechanistic insights into reactivity and selectivity between two competing pathways for each NHC-monomer zwitterionic adduct, namely enamine formation/dimerization through proton transfer vs polymerization through conjugate addition, and mapped out extensive energy profiles for chain initiation, propagation, and termination steps, thereby satisfactorily explaining the experimental observations.

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) as organocatalysts and structural components in metal-free polymer synthesis

The chemistry of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) has witnessed tremendous development in the past two decades: NHCs have not only become versatile ligands for transition metals, but have also emerged as powerful organic catalysts in molecular chemistry and, more recently, in metal-free polymer synthesis. To understand the success of NHCs, this review first presents the electronic properties of NHCs, their main synthetic methods, their handling, and their reactivity. Their ability to activate key functional groups (e.g. aldehydes, esters, heterocycles, silyl ketene acetals, alcohols) is then discussed in the context of molecular chemistry. Focus has been placed on the activation of substrates finding analogies with monomers (e.g. bis-aldehydes, multi-isocyanates, cyclic esters, epoxides, N-carboxyanhydrides, etc.) and/or initiators (e.g. hydroxy- or trimethylsilyl-containing reagents) employed in such "organopolymerisation" reactions utilizing NHCs. A variety of metal-free polymers, including aliphatic polyesters and polyethers, poly(α-peptoid)s, poly(meth)acrylates, polyurethanes, or polysiloxanes can be obtained in this way. The last section covers the use of NHCs as structural components of the polymer chain. Indeed, NHC-based photoinitiators, chain transfer agents or functionalizing agents, as well as bifunctional NHC monomer substrates, can also serve for metal-free polymer synthesis.