Efficient Amine End-Functionalization of Living Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymers

An efficient strategy for the synthesis of monoamine end-functionalized living polymers using ring-opening metathesis polymerization with ruthenium initiators is reported. A new end-capping agent for this purpose was synthesized, and its efficiency for end-functionalization was evaluated using two common ruthenium-based initiators. Finally, terminal cross-metathesis was also explored as another alternative toward the synthesis of amine end-functionalized polymers, and the comparison between the two techniques is presented

Magnetic Levitation To Characterize the Kinetics of Free-Radical Polymerization

This work describes the development of magnetic levitation (MagLev) to characterize the kinetics of free-radical polymerization of water-insoluble, low-molecular-weight monomers that show a large change in density upon polymerization. Maglev measures density, and certain classes of monomers show a large change in density when monomers covalently join in polymer chains. MagLev characterized both the thermal polymerization of methacrylate-based monomers and the photopolymerization of methyl methacrylate and made it possible to determine the orders of reaction and the Arrhenius activation energy of polymerization. MagLev also made it possible to monitor polymerization in the presence of solids (aramid fibers, and carbon fibers, and glass fibers). MagLev offers a new analytical technique to materials and polymer scientists that complements other methods (even those based on density, such as dilatometry), and will be useful in investigating polymerizations, evaluating inhibition of polymerizations, and studying polymerization in the presence of included solid materials (e.g., for composite materials)