Premium
Tutorial: Thermodynamics of ring‐opening polymerization; Am. Chem. Soc. 199th national meeting, Boston, april 22–27, 1990, 6th international symposium on ring‐opening and cyclo‐polymerization
Author(s) -
Ivin Kenneth J.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
makromolekulare chemie. macromolecular symposia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.257
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1521-3900
pISSN - 0258-0322
DOI - 10.1002/masy.19910420103
Subject(s) - polymerization , monomer , kinetic chain length , chain growth polymerization , polymer , polymer chemistry , bulk polymerization , chemistry , chain transfer , materials science , precipitation polymerization , ring opening polymerization , solvent , solution polymerization , radical polymerization , organic chemistry
The ring‐opening polymerization of cyclic monomers shows the characteristic features of any addition polymerization or any physical aggregation process, in particular a ceiling temperature above which the formation of the aggregate (long‐chain polymer), under given conditions of monomer concentration, solvent and pressure, would involve a positive change of free energy and is therefore impossible. Conversely for a given temperature, pressure and solvent, there is an equilibrium monomer concentration below which long‐chain polymer cannot be formed. Cyclic monomers must therefore have a negative free energy of polymerization, under given conditions, if they are to be capable of undergoing a significant extent of ring‐opening polymerization. The effect of monomer structure, including ring size, on thermodynamic polymerizability is discussed, as well as the possibility of copolymerizing monomers which cannot themselves give homopolymers. Examples are given for various possible mechanisms of polymerization.