Anionic Polymerization

This work introduces the basic theories and experimental methods of anionic polymerization as well as the synthesis, analysis and characteristics of anionic polymerized products. It details the creation of linear and branched polymers, random and block copolymers, graft and macromonomers, and many other substances. The work emphasizes the relationship between fundamental principles and commercial applications.;College or university bookstores may purchase five or more copies at a special student price, available on request from Marcel Dekker, Inc.

Anionic Polymerization: Principles and Practice describes the unique nature of the anionic mechanism of polymerization. This book is composed of two parts encompassing 11 chapters that cover the aspects of the synthetic possibilities inherent in this system. Part I deals with the various aspects of anionic polymerization mechanism, including the monomers, initiators, solvents, and the involved initiation and propagation reactions. This part also describes the copolymerization and organolithium polymerization reactions of styrene and dienes. Part II explores the applications of anionic polymerization in polymer synthesis. This part specifically tackles the synthesis of narrow molecular weight, branched and a,?-difunctional polymers, and block copolymers. Polymer chemists and researchers who work in the chemical industry and who would wish to utilize the unique features of anionic polymerization in the synthesis of new products will find this book invaluable.

This book presents these important facts: a) The mechanism of anionic polymerization, a more than 50-year challenge in polymer chemistry, has now become better understood; b) Precise synthesis of many polymers with novel architectures (triblock, multi-block, graft, exact graft, comb, cyclic, many armed stars with multi-components, dendrimer-like hyper-branched, and their structural mixed (co)polymers, etc.) have been advanced significantly; c) Based on such polymers, new morphological and self-organizing nano-objects and supra molecular assemblies have been created and widely studied and are considered nanodevices in the fields of nano science and technology; d) New high-tech and industrial applications for polymeric materials synthesized by anionic polymerization have been proposed. These remarkable developments have taken place in the last 15 years. Anionic polymerization continues to be the only truly living polymerization system (100 % termination free under appropriate conditions) and consequently the only one with unique capabilities in the synthesis of well-defined (i.e., precisely controlled molecular weight, nearly mono-disperse molecular weight distribution, structural and compositional homogeneity) complex macromolecular architectures. This book, with contributions from the world’s leading specialists, will be useful for all researchers, including students, working in universities, in research organizations, and in industry.

Over the years the field of anionic polymerization has attracted numerous outstanding scientists, and today it still is being pursued by many researchers all over the world. The exciting discovery of termination-less polymerization processes and living polymers culminating in the development of narrow molecular weight polymers, star polymers, and tailor-made block and graft copolymers, contributed immensely to the rapid expansion of polymer science. Areas of active research in anionic polymerization presently include the structure of ion pairs and their role in regulating polymer structure, ring opening polymerization of heterocyclic monomers, synthesis of well-defined block and graft copolymers including the application of macromers in such systems, telechelic polymers with functional end groups, and other topics. New developments in the organic chemistry of carbanions such as dipolar carbanions impinge on the field of anionic polymerization. More sophisticated characterization techniques have been instrumental in obtaining better correlations between the structure of polymers and that of intermediates leading to their formation. This book contains the proceedings of the international symposium on "Recent Advances in Anionic Polymerization and Related Processes" which was held at the 1986 spring meeting of the American Chemical Society. It was the first Polymer Division-sponsored meeting exclusively devoted to anionic polymerization since the Houston ACS meeting in the spring of 1980. The proceedings of that meeting were published in the book "Anionic Polymerization", ACS Symposium Series No. 166, edited by Dr. J. E. McGrath.

This work introduces the basic theories and experimental methods of anionic polymerization as well as the synthesis, analysis and characteristics of anionic polymerized products. It details the creation of linear and branched polymers, random and block copolymers, graft and macromonomers, and many other substances. The work emphasizes the relations

The living/controlled polymerisation techniques opened new vistas in polymer chemistry. The leading authorities in this field and its pioneers contributed chapters to this collective volume. The controlled polymerisation techniques have enabled preparation of polymers, copolymers, and block copolymers with predetermined molecular weights and narrow polydispersity, in which functional groups or biologically active molecules could be placed at well defined locations. They have also enabled preparation of advanced polymeric structures with precisely determined architectures and improved properties. Moreover, they have provided opportunities for preparation of novel polymeric materials from monomers, which before have not been suitable or accessible for such purposes. Properties of some of these polymeric materials may be significantly different from those of the existing ones. They provide opportunities for new applications. Several patents have already been approved for such speciality applications as, drug delivery, biocompatible surfaces, thermoplastic elastomers, moisture curable sealants, and so on. Many more products, based on polymers fabricated by the living/ controlled polymerisation techniques, will certainly emerge in such specialised areas as, nanotechnology, medical devices, "smart polymers", sensors , smart separation technologies, optical fibres and other optical applications, various biomaterials, etc.

1 Y. Tsujii, K. Ohno, S. Yamamoto, A. Goto, T. Fukuda: Structure and Properties of High-Density Polymer Brushes Prepared by Surface-Initiated Living Radical Polymerization.- 2 D.J. Dyer: Photoinitiated Synthesis of Grafted Polymers.- 3 T. Matsuda: Photoiniferter-Driven Precision Surface Graft Microarchitectures for Biomedical Applications.- 4 R. Advincula: Polymer Brushes by Anionic and Cationic Surface Initiated Polymerization.- 5 M.R. Buchmeiser: Metathesis Polymerization From and To Surfaces.-