Issue 42, 2020

Under pressure: electrochemically-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of vinyl chloride

Abstract

The stringent control over the polymerization of less activated monomers remains one major challenge for Reversible Deactivation Radical Polymerizations (RDRP), including Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP). Electrochemically mediated ATRP (eATRP) of a gaseous monomer, vinyl chloride (VC), was successfully achieved for the first time using a stainless-steel 304 (SS304) electrochemical reactor equipped with a simplified electrochemical setup. Controlled polymerizations were confirmed by the good agreement between theoretical and measured molecular weights, as well as the relatively narrow molecular weight distributions. Preservation of chain-end fidelity was verified by chain extension experiments, yielding poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) homopolymers, block and statistical copolymers. The possibility of synthesizing PVC by eATRP is a promising alternative to afford cleaner (co)polymers, with low catalyst concentration. The metal body of the reactor was also successfully used as a cathode. The setup proposed in this contribution opens an avenue for the polymerization of other gaseous monomers.

Graphical abstract: Under pressure: electrochemically-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of vinyl chloride

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jul 2020
Accepted
07 Sep 2020
First published
08 Sep 2020

Polym. Chem., 2020,11, 6745-6762

Author version available

Under pressure: electrochemically-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of vinyl chloride

F. De Bon, D. C. M. Ribeiro, C. M. R. Abreu, R. A. C. Rebelo, A. A. Isse, A. C. Serra, A. Gennaro, K. Matyjaszewski and J. F. J. Coelho, Polym. Chem., 2020, 11, 6745 DOI: 10.1039/D0PY00995D

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