Premium
Microwave‐Assisted Homogeneous Polymerizations in Water‐Soluble Ionic Liquids: An Alternative and Green Approach for Polymer Synthesis
Author(s) -
GuerreroSanchez Carlos,
Lobert Matthias,
Hoogenboom Richard,
Schubert Ulrich S.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.200600728
Subject(s) - ionic liquid , cationic polymerization , polymer , polymerization , methyl methacrylate , materials science , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , solubility , oxazoline , chemistry , organic chemistry , catalysis , engineering
Water‐soluble ionic liquids (IL) were used as reaction media to perform homogeneous polymerizations under microwave irradiation. The investigated reaction systems include the free radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate and the cationic ring opening polymerizations of 2‐phenyl‐2‐oxazoline and 2‐( m ‐difluorophenyl)‐2‐oxazoline. The incorporation of ILs into the polymerizations showed a more efficient heating profile of the reaction mixtures under microwave irradiation in comparison to the cases without ILs. Moreover, a convenient approach for the polymer isolation and recovery of the ILs for further polymerizations is demonstrated taking advantage of the water solubility of the investigated ILs. This synthetic approach is an alternative, efficient, and green method for the manufacture of hydrophobic polymers which may allow depletion of the emission of volatile organic compounds into the environment and for energy savings.