0000000000621605
AUTHOR
Lian R. Hutchings
Normal-phase (temperature gradient) interaction chromatography – A powerful tool for the characterisation of high molecular weight chain-end functionalised polymers.
Abstract We report here, for the first time, quantitative analysis of end-group functionalisation and the extent of end-group modification of polymers with molar mass up to 200,000 g mol −1 , using a combination of isothermal and temperature gradient interaction chromatography. At such high molecular weights, other common analytical techniques such as MALDI-ToF-MS and NMR spectroscopy are simply unable to offer any quantitative insight into the end-group functionality of polymers. Thus, normal phase isothermal interaction chromatography (NP-IIC) has been used to characterise a series of polystyrene samples, with identical molar mass (c. 90,000 g mol −1 ), each carrying a single chain-end fu…
Towards bio-based tapered block copolymers: the behaviour of myrcene in the statistical anionic copolymerisation
To explore the potential of myrcene (Myr) as a bio-based monoterpene comonomer for styrenic copolymers and to establish its general applicability for the carbanionic copolymerisation, several statistical copolymerisations of myrcene and common monomers like isoprene (I), styrene (S) and 4-methylstyrene (4MS) were carried out in cyclohexane and monitored by in situ1H NMR spectroscopy. Real-time NMR kinetic studies permitted the determination of the reactivity ratios and the composition profile for each monomer combination. While the copolymerisation of Myr/I yielded a gradient copolymer and reactivity ratios of moderate disparity (rMyr = 4.4; rI = 0.23), the statistical copolymerisation of M…