Controlled radical polymerization has proven to be a viableroute to obtain polymers with narrow polydispersities (PDI's)and controlled molecular weights under simple reactionconditions. It also offers control over the chain-]ends of thesynthesized polymer. Atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP) is the most studied and utilized of these techniques. Inthis study ATRP has been utilized as a tool to obtain differentcomplex macromolecular structures. In order to elaborate a system for which a multitude ofchains can polymerize in a controlled manner and in closeproximity to one another, a multifunctional initiator based onpoly(3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane was synthesized. Themacroinitiator was used to initiate ATRP of methyl acrylate(MA). The resulting dendritic-]linear copolymer hybrids hadcontrolled molecular weights and low PDI's. Essentially thesame system was used for the grafting of MA from a solidsubstrate, cellulose. A filter paper was used as cellulosesubstrate and the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose weremodified into bromo-]ester groups, known to initiate ATRP.Subsequent grafting of MA by ATRP on the cellulose made thesurface hydrophobic. The amount of polymer that was attached tothe cellulose could be tailored. In order to control that thesurface polymerization was -eliving-f and hence that thechain-]end functionality was intact, a second layer of ahydrophilic monomer, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, was graftedonto the PMA- grafted cellulose. This dramatically changed thehydrophilicity of the cellulose. Dendronized polymers of generation one, two and three weresynthesized by ATRP of acrylic macromonomers based on2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid. In the macromonomerroute, macromonomers of each generation were polymerized byATRP. The polymerizations resulted in polymers with low PDI's.The kinetics of the reactions were investigated, and thepolymerizations followed first-order kinetics when ethyl2-bromopropionate was used as the initiator. In the-egraft-]onto-f route dendrons were divergently attached to adendronized polymer of generation one, that had been obtainedby ATRP.

<p>Controlled radical polymerization has proven to be a viableroute to obtain polymers with narrow polydispersities (PDI's)and controlled molecular weights under simple reactionconditions. It also offers control over the chain-]ends of thesynthesized polymer. Atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP) is the most studied and utilized of these techniques. Inthis study ATRP has been utilized as a tool to obtain differentcomplex macromolecular structures.</p><p>In order to elaborate a system for which a multitude ofchains can polymerize in a controlled manner and in closeproximity to one another, a multifunctional initiator based onpoly(3-ethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl)oxetane was synthesized. Themacroinitiator was used to initiate ATRP of methyl acrylate(MA). The resulting dendritic-]linear copolymer hybrids hadcontrolled molecular weights and low PDI's. Essentially thesame system was used for the grafting of MA from a solidsubstrate, cellulose. A filter paper was used as cellulosesubstrate and the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose weremodified into bromo-]ester groups, known to initiate ATRP.Subsequent grafting of MA by ATRP on the cellulose made thesurface hydrophobic. The amount of polymer that was attached tothe cellulose could be tailored. In order to control that thesurface polymerization was -eliving-f and hence that thechain-]end functionality was intact, a second layer of ahydrophilic monomer, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, was graftedonto the PMA- grafted cellulose. This dramatically changed thehydrophilicity of the cellulose.</p><p>Dendronized polymers of generation one, two and three weresynthesized by ATRP of acrylic macromonomers based on2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid. In the macromonomerroute, macromonomers of each generation were polymerized byATRP. The polymerizations resulted in polymers with low PDI's.The kinetics of the reactions were investigated, and thepolymerizations followed first-order kinetics when ethyl2-bromopropionate was used as the initiator. In the-egraft-]onto-f route dendrons were divergently attached to adendronized polymer of generation one, that had been obtainedby ATRP.</p>

Controlled radical polymerization (CRP) has emerged as a powerful method of creating polymers with tailored molecular architectures under mild reaction conditions. However, production of these polymers efficiently at an industrial scale will likely require them to be synthesized in the dispersed phase. Three types of CRP are explored, Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP), Nitroxide Mediated Polymerization (NMP) and Catalytic Chain Transfer (CCT) to elucidate the intricacies of creating these novel polymer colloids. Compartmentalization in an ATRP dispersed phase system is explored theoretically to understand the effects of particle size and catalyst concentration on the polymerization. The results suggest that there is an optimal range of particle sizes where the rate of polymerization is greater than that in an equivalent bulk system while maintaining both a lower PDI (polydispersity index) and higher livingness. All three factors are desirable in ATRP but generally cannot be achieved simultaneously in bulk. Compartmentalization manifests itself differently in CCT dispersed phase systems, where the segregation of the CCT agents into different polymer particles leads to multimodal molecular weight distributions. Control over the particle size is notoriously difficult for nitroxide mediated polymerization, as it is challenging to decouple an increase in the particle size with an increase in target molecular weight using a two stage emulsion polymerization approach. This often leads to colloidally unstable latexes for low molecular weight, high solids conditions which are the result of superswelling. We offer several strategies to minimize this problem and create colloidally stable, high solids, n-butyl acrylate latexes by NMP with moderate to high molecular weight targets (>70 kg/mol). Using this synergy between target molecular weight and particle size, high solids (>40 wt.%), high molecular weight (<200 kg/mol) microemulsions (~20 nm) of methyl methacrylate-co-styrene were prepared. Finally, the monomer type and nucleation mechanisms also play a role in determining the particle size distribution in NMP emulsion systems. Using n-butyl methacrylate in emulsion with surfactant concentrations above the critical micelle concentration yields latexes with bimodal particle size distributions. However a surfactant-free approach allows monomodal latexes to be created. / Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-12-03 13:30:15.346

Ultrasound irradiation of a protein or polymer solution at the air:water interface can be used to form hollow microspheres containing an air bubble. By introducing a layer of oil and sonicating the oil:water interface, microspheres containing an oil droplet are formed. The microspheres are stabilised by disulfide crosslinking, have diameters of between 1-20 mm and have a number of applications; gas filled protein microspheres are used as ultrasound contrast agents and oil filled microspheres are being developed for delivery of lipophilic drugs. This project extends the scope of sonochemically produced microspheres to include water-in-oil emulsion filled microspheres, which facilitate encapsulation of hydrophilic species, and polymer microspheres that release their contents in response to an external stimulus. Successful encapsulation of a water in oil emulsion phase is demonstrated using confocal microscopy. Release studies are reported for a number of hydrophilic species (in vitro) including 5,6-carboxyfluorescein, 5-fluorouracil and sodium chloride. Release can be triggered by sonochemical disruption of the microsphere shells or cleavage of the disulfide cross links. Thiol-ene coupling reactions initiated by ultrasound irradiation are reported. In water, ultrasound initiation of thiol-ene reactions with electron rich alkenes results in rates of reaction which compare favourably with conventional thermal initiation. Thiol-ene crosslinking is proposed as an alternative to disulfide crosslinking to stabilise sonochemically produced microspheres. Temperature responsive microspheres are produced via the sonochemical method using a block copolymer of N-isopropylacrylamide and thiolated methacrylic acid, P(MASH-b-NIPAm). The block co-polymer is synthesised using reversible addition-fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerisation and has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 37 ºC. The microspheres formed from this block copolymer can be seen to rupture, releasing their internal oil phase, when heated above 37 ºC. These findings provide a basis from which to develop sonochemically produced polymer microspheres for responsive delivery of both hydrophilic and lipophilic species.

This work reports the investigation of Cu-mediated polymerization systems and its limits, in order to obtain functional branched polymers, in particular star-shaped and graft-shaped polymers. A novel initiator structure has allowed developing a new approach to synthesise sequence controlled multiblock star polymers via Cu-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) in water. This technique allows the preparation of pentablock star shaped polymers in just under 90 minutes of reaction time. The obtained polymers had a good agreement between theoretical and experimental molecular weights and excellent control over molecular weight distribution. Alternatively, the Cu-mediated RDRP of star polymers using a British 1 penny coin was described, displaying similar results as in the literature, providing better experimental conditions. As the copper coin was recovered unharmed, the catalyst was found to be economically very effective. Furthermore, poly(2-ethyl oxazoline) (PEtOx) was polymerized with good control and partially hydrolysed to poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) to yield PEtOx-r-PEI using a microwave reactor. The secondary amines of PEI was converted to macroinitiators, to allow the polymerization of acrylamides in aqueous medium, resulting in graft type polymers based on a poly(oxazoline) backbone with acrylamide side chains. Finally, the synthesis of carbohydrate-monomers was described, which allows to obtain monomers with a different number of carbohydrates (one, two or three). These monomers were polymerised via aqueous SET-LRP, to explore their interaction with carbohydrate binding lectins and to understand the impact on binding of carbohydrate density on polymers and polymer chain length.

Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is a dynamic technique that possesses tremendous potential for the synthesis of novel polymeric materials not possible through conventional free radical polymerization. However, its use on an industrial scale has been limited by the high level of transition metal complex required. Significant advances have been made in the last 5 years towards lowering the level of copper complexes used in ATRP, resulting in novel variants called “activator regenerated by electron transfer” (ARGET) and “single electron transfer-living radical polymerization” (SET-LRP). To fully realize the potential of ATRP, its use in industrially relevant processes must be studied. Continuous processes such as tubular flow reactors and stirred tank reactors (CSTR) can reduce waste, improve productivity and facilitate process scale-up when compared to common batch reactors. The combination of low copper concentration ATRP techniques and continuous processes are especially attractive towards the design of a commercially viable process. This thesis presents a study into ARGET ATRP and SET-LRP as applied to continuous tubular and stirred tank reactors for the production of acrylic and methacrylic polymers. The equilibrium which governs polymerization rate and control over molecular architecture is studied through batch ARGET ATRP experiments. The improved understanding of ARGET ATRP enabled the reduction of ligand from a 3 to 10 fold excess used previously down to a stoichiometric ratio to copper salts. ARGET ATRP was then adapted to a continuous tubular reactor, as well as to a semi-automated CSTR. The design of the reactors and the effect of reaction conditions such as reducing agent concentration and residence time are discussed. The use of common elemental copper(0) such as copper wire and copper tubing is also investigated with SET-LRP for room temperature polymerization of methyl acrylate. SET-LRP is adapted to a CSTR to observe the effects of residence time on reaction rate, molecular weight control as well as copper consumption rate. The use of copper tubing as a catalyst source for SET-LRP is demonstrated and the design of a continuous tubular reactor using a combination of copper and stainless steel tubing is discussed. / Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2012-04-30 16:01:28.916

Bottlebrush polymers are interesting topologies that have become increasingly relevant in various applications including rheology modifiers, super-soft elastomers, photonic crystals, anti-fouling coatings, the in vivo delivery of therapeutic agents, and as promising substrates in lithographic printing. These macromolecules are comprised of numerous polymeric side-chains densely grafted to a polymer backbone. The densely grafted nature of bottlebrush polymers results in steric repulsion between neighboring polymer chains, forcing these macromolecules to adopt a chain-extended conformation. Although these remarkable macromolecules have a many different applications, the transformative potential of the bottlebrush polymer topology has not been realized because the synthesis of high molecular weight bottlebrush polymers is challenging. This dissertation focusses on improving the synthesis of these large macromolecules using the grafting-through strategy in the first section and the transfer-to strategy in the second section. For the first time the effect of anchor group chemistry—the configuration of atoms linking the polymer to a polymerizable norbornene—was studied on the kinetics of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of macromonomers (MMs) initiated by Grubbs 3rd generation catalyst. A variance in the rate of propagation of >4-fold between similar MMs with different anchor groups was observed. This phenomenon was conserved across all MMs tested, regardless of solvent, molecular weight (MW), or repeat unit identity. Experimental and computational studies indicated that the rate differences likely resulted from a combination of varying steric demands and electronic structure among the different anchor groups. This new insight will allow others to achieve high MM conversion and prepare pure, high MW bottlebrush polymers by ROMP grafting-through. The second section of this dissertation deals with a little studied bottlebrush synthesis technique called the transfer-to method. This method is a hybrid of the grafting-from and grafting-to approaches in which the growing polymer side chains detach from the backbone, propagate freely in solution, and then reattach to the backbone in a chain transfer step. Several parameters were investigated to determine optimal conditions for this process. This study provides for the first time a guide to use the transfer-to method to produce high purity bottlebrush polymers with controllable backbone and side chain length. / Ph. D. / Bottlebrush polymers are interesting topologies that have become increasingly relevant in various applications including super-soft elastomers and drug delivery agents. These macromolecules are comprised of numerous polymeric side-chains densely grafted to a polymer backbone. The densely grafted nature of bottlebrush polymers results in steric repulsion between neighboring polymer chains, forcing these macromolecules to adopt a chain-extended or worm like conformation. Although these remarkable macromolecules have a many different applications, the transformative potential of the bottlebrush polymer topology has not been realized because the synthesis of large bottlebrush polymers is challenging. This dissertation focusses on improving the synthesis of these big macromolecules using the grafting-through strategy in the first section and the transfer-to strategy in the second section. For the first time the effect of anchor group chemistry—the configuration of atoms linking the polymer to a polymerizable norbornene—was studied on bottlebrush synthesis. A variance in how fast the polymerization took between similar MMs with different anchor groups was observed. Experimental and computational studies indicated that the differences likely resulted from a combination of varying steric demands and electronic structure among the different anchor groups. This new insight will allow others to achieve high MM conversion and prepare pure, high MW bottlebrush polymers by ROMP grafting-through. The second section of this dissertation deals with a little studied bottlebrush synthesis technique called the transfer-to method. This method is a hybrid of two well-known methods, grafting-from and grafting-to approaches, in which the growing polymer side chains detach from the backbone, polymerize freely in solution, and then reattach to the backbone in a chain transfer step. Several parameters were investigated to determine optimal conditions for this process. This study provides for the first time a guide to use the transfer-to method to produce high purity bottlebrush polymers with controllable sizes.

Photopolymerization is a growing field within the realms of polymer and material science. With diverse applications, ranging from coatings and adhesives to newer technologies such as 3D printing photopolymerization continues to increase its prevalence and influence. This research examines fundamental structure property relationships between large prepolymer structures within a formulation and the resulting impact on thermo-mechanical properties in photocurable resins. Most prepolymer molecules utilize a “one pot” synthesis with little to no control over the placement of photoreactive moieties such as epoxies and (meth) acrylates. We have utilized novel prepolymer molecules synthesized using controlled radical polymerization to allow direct control over the placement of reactive groups. The ability to control the location of reactive groups in prepolymer molecules can also lead to the formation of multiple domains within the resulting photocured thermoset. This separation is achieved by concentrating the reactive groups at specific locations in the prepolymer backbone, e.g. at the end or near the center of the prepolymer molecule. The nonreactive groups may form one domain within the thermoset network while the reactive portion of the prepolymer forms a second phase with reactive diluent molecules. Additionally, various architectures allow greater control over polymer network formation and crosslink density. Through these manipulations of macromolecular architecture, we have been able to manipulate various thermo-mechanical properties. Using various architectured prepolymer, we have been able to generate materials with multiple glass transitions while also increasing the rate of reaction and total conversion as compared to randomly functionalized control formulations.

An experimental and modeling investigation of nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization (NMRP) of styrene using 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) as controller is presented. The objective was to examine the effect of temperature, controller to initiator molar ratio, and initiation mode on conversion, molecular weight and polydispersity development, and also to generate a source of reliable experimental data for parameter estimation and further model validation purposes. Polymerizations with a bimolecular initiator (Benzoyl Peroxide; BPO) were carried out at 120 and 130°C, with TEMPO/BPO molar ratios of 0.9 to 1.5. The effects of temperature and TEMPO/BPO ratio on polydispersity, molecular weight averages and conversion (rate) were studied. Results indicate that increasing temperature increases the rate of polymerization while the decrease in molecular weights is only slight. It was also observed that increasing the ratio of TEMPO/BPO decreased both the rate of polymerization and molecular weights. To investigate the contribution of thermal self-initiation in NMRP of styrene, thermal NMRP of styrene with TEMPO in the absence of initiator was carried out at 120 and 130°C. The results were compared with regular thermal polymerization of styrene and NMRP of styrene in the presence of BPO. It was observed that although the thermal polymerization of styrene can be controlled to some extent in the presence of TEMPO to provide lower polydispersity polystyrene, the polymerization was never as controlled as that obtained by a BPO initiated NMRP. Additional experiments were conducted with a unimolecular initiator and compared to the corresponding bimolecular system with the same level of nitroxide at 120°C, to gain additional insight on the advantages and disadvantages of each system. In addition, the importance of diffusion-controlled (DC) effects on the bimolecular NMRP of styrene was assessed experimentally by creating conditions where DC effects may be present from the outset. The results were corroborated by mathematical modeling and it was concluded that DC-effects are weak in the NMRP of styrene, even in the presence of “worst case scenario” conditions created. Finally, a mathematical (mechanistic) model based on a detailed reaction mechanism for bimolecular NMRP of styrene was presented and the predicted profiles of monomer conversion, molecular weight averages and polydispersity were compared with experimental data. Comparisons suggest that the present understanding of the reaction system is still inconclusive, either because of inaccuracy in values of kinetic rate constants used or because of some possible side reactions taking place in the polymerization system that are not included in the model. This was somewhat surprising, given that papers on controlled radical polymerization, and NMRP in particular, have clearly dominated the scientific polymer literature in the last fifteen years or so.

This thesis presents the results of a study on the kinetics of nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization of styrene with a unimolecular initiator. The primary objective was to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of how a unimolecular-initiating system controls the polymerization process and to clarify the effects of various reaction parameters. Previous work in this field has met with some difficulties in the initiator synthesis, such as low yield and inconsistency of molecular weight. These problems were overcome by adjusting reaction conditions and procedures. Better yields of initiator with consistent molecular weight were produced by the improved methods. Control of polymerization rate and polymer molecular weight in unimolecular nitroxide-mediated radical polymerization was studied by looking at the effects of the three main factors: initiator concentration, temperature, and the initiator molecular weight on polymerization rate, molecular weight and polydispersity. Results indicated that increasing the initiator concentration had no effect on polymerization rate at low conversion, but led to lower polymerization rate at high conversion; higher initiator concentration led to lower molecular weight of the resulting polymer. It was also found that temperature significantly increased the polymerization rate, yet had no effect on number-average molecular weight, Mn, at low conversion, while it caused a plateau at high conversion levels; there was no effect on weight-average molecular weight, Mw, through the whole conversion range. In addition, increasing initiator molecular weight was found to have no effect on either polymerization rate or molecular weight. The experimental molecular weights of the unimolecular system were compared to theoretical molecular weights based on ideal controlled radical polymerization (CRP). The results were found to be close to the theoretical values. This confirmed the advantages of the unimolecular system, namely, the degree of control over molecular weight was nearly ideal (for certain conditions); and molecular weights could thus be predicted by simply following general rules relating to CRP mechanisms.