Kinetik der radikalischen Polymerisation von Monomeren mit mesogener Seitengruppe in isotroper und anisotroper Lösung
Kinetics of the Radical Polymerization of Monomers with a Mesogenic Side Group in Isotropic and Anisotropic Solutions
by Alex Groschopp
Date of Examination:2018-02-05
Date of issue:2018-03-19
Advisor:Prof. Dr. Philipp Vana
Referee:Prof. Dr. Martin Suhm
Referee:Prof. Dr. Ricardo Mata
Referee:Dr. Florian Ehlers
Referee:Prof. Dr. Dietmar Stalke
Referee:PD Dr. Thomas Zeuch
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Abstract
English
This work targets the radical polymerization of reactive mesogens in isotropic and anisotropic solution. Kinetic coefficients were determined via pulse-laser polymerization in conjunction with size-exclusion chromatography (PLP–SEC), single-pulse polymerization in conjunction with electron spin resonance spectroscopy (SP–PLP–ESR) and ESR with continuous initiation. The program package PREDICI® was applied for simulation of the processes. Through reversible-addition–fragmentation-chain-transfer (RAFT-) Polymerisation monodisperse polymer samples were synthesized for a methacrylate (MA-HPBCHC), acrylate (A-HPBCHC) and fluoroacrylate (F-HPBCHC) with the mesogenic side-group hexyl 4'-pentyl-[1,1'-bi(cyclohexane)]-4-carboxylate (HPBCHC) and analysed through SEC. Absolute molar masses were determined through combination of light scattering and refractive index detection for the acrylate and methacrylate monomers. Absolute molar masses for FA-HPBCHC polymers were determined through UV-detection of the RAFT end-groups. Through correlation of relative and absolute molar masses the Mark–Houwink-Parameter were determined. The knowledge of these increases significantly the accuracy of PLP–SEC experiments. The determination of the propagation coefficient of MA-HPBCHC and A-HPBCHC via PLP–SEC resulted in both cases in a decrease of kp compared to the literature known trend of increasing kp with increasing side group length for linear alkyl side-group acrylates and methacrylates. This decrease could be an entropic penalty resulting from the sterically demanding side-group. Through investigation of the pulse repetition rate dependency of the PLP–SEC results of A-HPBCHC and comparision with PREDICI® simulations the backbiting coefficient kbb was determined. Hereby an increase of kbb compared to butyl acrylate was observed. This effect could additionally be observed on the percentage of mid-chain radicals under quasi-stationary conditions determined via ESR. The propagation reaction of FA-HPBCHC was investigated via PLP–SEC. This is the first published PLP–SEC investigation of a fluoroacrylate. The resulting kp was observed to be high which is a strong proof of the influence of the fluorine substituent on the kinetics of propagation. The analysis of propagation kinetics of the ethacrylate EA-HPBCHC was performed via ESR in combination with measurements of conversion. EA-HPBCHC showed a very low kp at 60 °C. Because of quasi-stationary conditions, some information regarding the chain-length dependent termination of this system could be extracted additionally from the data. From this, the parameter of short-chain regime αs and kt1,1 were estimated. The chain-length dependent termination of ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA) and MA-HPBCHC was investigated via SP–PLP–ESR in the nematic liquid crystal BL-087. The macroradicals displayed a similar behaviour to those in isotropic solutions. The composite model provided a precise description of the radical decrease after the laser pulse. The exponent αs and αl are similar to those of other methacrylates in bulk. The crossover chain-length (ic) shows for EHMA significantly lower values than in bulk polymerisation. The Arrhenius plot of kt1,1 results in a linear relationship, which neglects an effect of the order parameter on kt1,1. The addition of 5 and 7 wt% of chiral dopant R-5011 showed no influence on αs, αl or ic, but it strongly affected kt1,1. A trend was identified, which shows increasing activation energy of kt,1,1 with increasing amount of chiral dopant.
Keywords: Kinetics of Radical Polymerization; Mesogenic Monomers; SP-PLP-ESR