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Crown Ether As The Phase‐Transfer Catalyst for Free Radical Polymerization of Hydrophobic Vinyl Monomers
Author(s) -
Tarng JengYu,
Shih JengShong
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of the chinese chemical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.329
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 2192-6549
pISSN - 0009-4536
DOI - 10.1002/jccs.199400010
Subject(s) - chemistry , acrylonitrile , polymer chemistry , polymerization , chain transfer , monomer , radical polymerization , bulk polymerization , crown ether , catalysis , styrene , organic chemistry , copolymer , polymer , ion
Various crown ethers were used as phase‐transfer catalysts for free radical polymerizations of some water‐insoluble vinyl monomers such as acrylonitrile, methylmethacrylate and styrene with persulfate as initiator. The catalytic abilities of these crown ethers for free radical polymerization of acrylonitrile with S 2 O 8 2− ion as an initiator were in the order: 18‐crown‐6 > 15‐crown‐4 > 12‐crown‐4 > benzo‐15‐crown‐5 > dibenzo‐18‐crown‐6. Among various persulfates such as Na 2 S 2 O 8 K 2 S 2 O 8 and (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 , ammonium persulfate was the optimum initiator for the polymerization of acrylonitrile catalyzed by 18‐crown‐6 or 15‐crown‐5. Among the organic solvents used, chloroform seems to be the best solvent for the catalytic polymerization of acrylonitrile. An apparent activation energy of 72.9 kJ mol −1 was observed for the polymerization of acrylonitrile. The catalytic reaction rates of free radical polymerization for these hydrophobic vinyl monomers were in the order: acrylonitrile > methylmethacrylate > styrene > isoprene. Effects of concentrations of crown ether, initiator, and nitrogen on the polymerization of these vinyl monomers were investigated.