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Published on: August 17, 2019
Catalyst-controlled stereoselective cationic polymerization of vinyl ethers
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
Researchers developed chiral counterions for stereoselective polymerization of polar vinyl monomers. This method creates isotactic poly(vinyl ether)s with enhanced adhesion for advanced engineering applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Tacticity significantly influences vinyl polymer physical properties.
- Stereoselective polymerization is well-established for nonpolar olefins but challenging for polar vinyl monomers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for stereoselective polymerization of polar vinyl monomers.
- To achieve catalyst-controlled stereoselective polymerization overriding conventional chain-end bias.
Main Methods:
- Design of chiral counterions to influence reactivity and chain-end stereochemistry.
- Application of cationic polymerization for vinyl ether substrates.
Main Results:
- Successful stereoselective polymerization of vinyl ethers.
- Access to a range of isotactic poly(vinyl ether)s with high tacticity.
- Developed polymers exhibit polyolefin-like tensile properties and superior adhesion to polar substrates.
Conclusions:
- Chiral counterions enable catalyst-controlled stereoselective polymerization of polar vinyl monomers.
- The method provides access to novel poly(vinyl ether)s with tunable properties.
- These materials show potential for next-generation engineering applications requiring strong adhesion.
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Ethers can be prepared from organic compounds by various methods. Some of them are discussed below,
Preparation of Ethers by Alcohol Dehydration
In this method, in the presence of protic acids, alcohol dehydrates to produce alkenes and ethers under different conditions. For example, in the presence of sulphuric acid, dehydration of ethanol at 413 K yields ethoxyethane, whereas it yields ethene at 443 K.
Structure and Nomenclature of Ethers
Ethers are organic compounds with an ether functional group which is characterized by an oxygen atom connected to two — identical or different — alkyl, aryl, or vinyl groups. The C–O–C linkage in dimethyl ether — the simplest ether — has an approximately tetrahedral bond angle of 110.3 degrees. The oxygen atom is sp3- hybridized, with the C–O distance being about 140 pm.
Classification of Ethers
Based on their attached substituent...
Crown Ethers
Physical Properties of Ethers
An ether molecule has a net dipole moment due to the polarity of C–O bonds. Subsequently, boiling points of ethers are lower than those of alcohols of comparable molecular weight and slightly higher than those of hydrocarbons of comparable molecular weight (Table 1).
Ethers can act as hydrogen bond acceptors, making them more water-soluble than hydrocarbons, but since ethers cannot act as hydrogen bond donors, they are much less soluble in water than alcohols. Ethers are considered...

