The Use of Novel F-RAFT Agents in High Temperature and High Pressure Ethene Polymerization: Can Control be Achieved?

Markus Busch; Marion Roth; Martina H. Stenzel; Thomas P. Davis; Christopher Barner-Kowollik

doi:10.1071/CH07200

RESEARCH ARTICLE

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The Use of Novel F-RAFT Agents in High Temperature and High Pressure Ethene Polymerization: Can Control be Achieved?

Markus Busch ^A ^C , Marion Roth ^A , Martina H. Stenzel ^B , Thomas P. Davis ^B and Christopher Barner-Kowollik ^B ^C

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Ernst-Berl-Institute for Technical Chemistry and Macromolecular Science, Technical University of Darmstadt, Petersenstraße 20, D – 64287 Darmstadt, Germany.

^B Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design, School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney NSW 2052, Australia.

^C Corresponding authors. Email: busch@chemie.tu-darmstadt.de; c.barner-kowollik@unsw.edu.au

Australian Journal of Chemistry 60(10) 788-793 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH07200
Submitted: 14 June 2007 Accepted: 4 September 2007 Published: 9 October 2007

Abstract

Simulations are employed to establish the feasibility of achieving controlled/living ethene polymerizations. Such simulations indicate that reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents carrying a fluorine Z group may be suitable to establish control in high-pressure high-temperature ethene polymerizations. Based on these simulations, specific fluorine (F-RAFT) agents have been designed and tested. The initial results are promising and indicate that it may indeed be possible to achieve molecular weight distributions with a polydispersity being significantly lower than that observed in the conventional free radical process. In our initial trials presented here (using the F-RAFT agent isopropylfluorodithioformate), a correlation between the degree of polymerization and conversion can indeed be observed. Both the lowered polydispersity and the linear correlation between molecular weight and conversion indicate that control may in principle be possible.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for stimulating discussions with Dr Michelle Coote (Australian National University). M.R. acknowledges financial support from the Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design during her stay in Australia. C.B.-K. acknowledges receipt of an Australian Professorial Fellowship (ARC) and T.P.D. acknowledges receipt of a Federation Fellowship (ARC).

References

The Use of Novel F-RAFT Agents in High Temperature and High Pressure Ethene Polymerization: Can Control be Achieved?

Abstract

Acknowledgements

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