Evolution of molecular weight and molecular weight distribution in ab initio styrene emulsion polymerizations using series of rigid rodlike cationic amphiphiles as surfactants

The emulsion polymerization of styrene is carried out using a series of unconventional rigid rodlike cationic surfactants (1‐[ω‐(4′‐methoxy‐4‐biphenylyloxy)alkyl]pyridinium bromides, PCX) of different lengths. The evolution of the molecular weight ( M ) and molecular weight distribution of the polymers is analyzed to obtain information about the chain stopping mechanism. Our results indicate that the M is strongly dependent on the initial surfactant concentration and is not dependent on the alkyl chain length. The Clay and Gilbert model [ln P ( M ) versus M plots] yields a concave‐up region at low molecular weights and a linear region that extends to high values. The slope of the linear region, which is related to the rate coefficient of the chain transfer to the monomer versus the propagation rate coefficient ratio, decreases as the PCX concentration increases. This behavior indicates that as the PCX concentration increases the chain transfer to monomer becomes the dominant chain stopping mechanism. On the other hand, the ln P ( M ) versus M plots of polymer samples taken at low and high conversions show differences in slope, particularly at low PCX concentration. It is likely that at low conversion the chain transfer to monomer competes with other chain stopping mechanisms that could be associated with a coagulative nucleation process. The formation of a high molecular weight fraction at low conversion supports this explanation. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1513–1523, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10489