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Atom‐Transfer Radical Batch and Semibatch Polymerization of Styrene
Author(s) -
Fu Yao,
Mirzaei Ahmad,
Cunningham Michael F.,
Hutchinson Robin A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
macromolecular reaction engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1862-8338
pISSN - 1862-832X
DOI - 10.1002/mren.200700010
Subject(s) - styrene , polymerization , atom transfer radical polymerization , polymer chemistry , solubility , radical polymerization , chemistry , polymer , kinetics , catalysis , chemical engineering , copolymer , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Batch and semibatch styrene polymerizations are carried out using a heterogeneous ATRP catalyst system that provides excellent molecular‐weight control. The observed initiator efficiency is lower for semibatch operation due to the high initiator concentrations required to make a low‐MW polymer. Experiments verified that the insoluble metal complex does not participate in the polymerization and that Cu(I) solubility is an order of magnitude higher than that of Cu(II). A mechanistic model, using kinetic coefficients from literature and the solubility data from this study, provides a good representation of the experimental results.