A study of the atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) of water-soluble, acidic, monomers was carried out in aqueous media. The ATRP of sodium methacrylate (MAANa) produced polymers with controlled molecular weights and narrow polydispersities (Me/M, - 1.3) at 90°C. This is the first reported example of direct polymerisation of an acidic monomer via ATRP. Previously, such acidic polymers were produced by polymerisation of protected monomers. In this thesis, copper(l) bromide and iron(II) bromide were investigated as ATRP catalysts. Both were found to be effective when solubilised by 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy). Monomer conversions between 75 and 85 % were obtained in the presence of Cu(l)Brlbipy, and conversions as high as 94 % were obtained in the presence of Fe(II)Br2Ibipy. Kinetic studies carried out on the ATRP of MAANa using the CuBrlbipy catalyst and an oligo(ethylene glycol)-based initiator indicated that polymerisation proceeded via first order kinetics with respect to monomer consumption, and that molecular weight increased linearly with conversion. This is as expected for a living polymerisation. At approximately 75 - 85 % conversion, however, premature termination occurred. Both bromine microanalyses and 'n and 13CNMR studies indicated that the halide-capped polymer chain-ends undergo HBr elimination. Low molecular weight « 10,000 g mol") MAANa homopolymers and oligo(ethylene glycol)-sodium methacrylate block copolymers (PEG-b-PMAANa) were examined as possible macro initiators for the ATRP of sodium 4-styrenesulfonate (SSNa), potassium 3- sulfopropyl methacrylate (SPMAK) and sodium allyl sulfonate (SAS). PEG-b-PMAANa was found to initiate the ATRP of SSNa, yielding a polymer with controlled molecular weight and a polydispersity of 1.23. Initiation of the ATRP of SPMAK and SAS was less successful. This was likely due to the loss of functionality of the MAANa-based polymers. Block copolymers were obtained, however, by macroinitiating the aqueous ATRP of MAANa using a monomethoxy-capped oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate homopolymer. Successful ATRP of MAANa was also achievable at ambient temperatures in the presence of a co-solvent, 2-(dimethylamino)ethanol, DMAE. DMAE appears to dramatically increase the rate of polymerisation whilst still maintaining control when used in equimolar quantities (relative to the monomer). Polymers with predetermined molecular weights and narrow polydispersities were produced in good yield (up to 86 % conversion) within five minutes at 20°C. The ATRP of other hydrophilic monomers was also investigated, albeit in less detail. These monomers included sodium acrylate, mono-2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl succinate, 2- hydroxyethyl acrylate, itaconic acid, and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propanesulfonic acid. Generally less control was achieved for such syntheses than for the ATRP of MAANa.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:341539 |
| Date | January 2000 |
| Creators | Ashford, Emma J. |
| Publisher | University of Sussex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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