Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization (ATRP): Current Status and Future Perspectives

Recoverable Reusable Polyisobutylene (PIB)-Bound Ruthenium Bipyridine (Ru(PIB-bpy)3Cl2) Photoredox Polymerization Catalysts

Polyisobutylene (PIB)-bound ruthenium bipyridine [Ru(PIB-bpy)₃]²⁺ metal complexes were prepared from PIB ligands formed by alkylation of 4,4'-dimethylbipyridine with polyisobutylene bromide. The product Ru(PIB-bpy)₃Cl₂ complexes with at least one PIB ligand per bipyridine unit function as soluble recyclable photoredox catalysts in free radical polymerization of acrylate monomers under visible light irradiation at 25 °C with ethyl 2-bromoisobutyrate as the initiator in the presence of diisopropylethylamine. The polyacrylate products contained only about 1 ppm Ru contamination. This PIB-bound catalyst was recyclable and showed about 50-fold less Ru leaching as compared to Ru leaching in a polymerization catalyzed by the low molecular weight Ru catalyst, Ru(bpy)₃(PF₆)₂.

Ultraviolet Light-Induced Surface-Initiated Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization

UV light-induced surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was reported. This method uses TiO₂ nanoparticles as photoactive materials to reduce Cu(II)/L to a Cu(I)/L complex under UV irradiation by a one-electron transfer process for ATRP with multiple usage of monomer solutions. The growth of polymer brushes can be manipulated by either varying the content of photoactive materials or regulating the irradiation intensity, thereby yielding polymer brushes with controllable thickness, composition, and architecture.

Strategies for the synthesis of thermoplastic polymer nanocomposite materials with high inorganic filling fraction

The governing parameters controlling the miscibility of particle additives within polymeric host media are analyzed for the particular case of silica particle fillers embedded within a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. For athermal polymer-graft modification of particles (corresponding to equal chemical composition of graft and matrix polymer), compatibility is found to be a sensitive function of the degree of polymerization of graft and host polymer chains as well as the particle radius. In agreement with theoretical predictions, uniform particle dispersion is observed if the degree of polymerization of grafted chains is comparable to (or exceeds) the corresponding value of the polymer matrix. The resulting restriction to high degree of polymerization limits the accessible inorganic fraction that is attainable in athermal particle/polymer blends. In contrast, favorable interaction between grafted polymer chains and the polymeric host (as realized in the case of poly(styrene-r-acrylonitrile)-grafted particles embedded within PMMA matrix) is shown to facilitate thermodynamically stable and uniform particle dispersion across the entire compositional range even in the limit of large particle size, short grafted chains, and high molecular matrix chains. The synthesis of thermoplastic composite materials with inorganic fraction exceeding 50 vol % combining quantitative optical limiting within the UV frequency range and polymer-like mechanical properties is demonstrated.

Hemoglobin and red blood cells catalyze atom transfer radical polymerization

Hemoglobin (Hb) is a promiscuous protein that not only transports oxygen, but also catalyzes several biotransformations. A novel in vitro catalytic activity of Hb is described. Bovine Hb and human erythrocytes were found to display ATRPase activity, i.e., they catalyzed the polymerization of vinyl monomers under conditions typical for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGA), and poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) were polymerized using organobromine initiators and the reducing agent ascorbic acid in acidic aqueous solution. In order to avoid chain transfer from polymer radicals to Hb's cysteine residues, the accessible cysteines were blocked by a reaction with a maleimide. The formation of polymers with bromine chain ends, relatively low polydispersity indices (PDI), first order kinetics and an increase in the molecular weight of poly(PEGA) and poly(PEGMA) upon conversion indicate that control of the polymerization by Hb occurred via reversible atom transfer between the protein and the growing polymer chain. For poly(PEGA) and poly(PEGMA), the reactions proceeded with a good to moderate degree of control. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and time-resolved ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy revealed that the protein was stable during polymerization, and only underwent minor conformational changes. As Hb and erythrocytes are readily available, environmentally friendly, and nontoxic, their ATRPase activity is a useful tool for synthetic polymer chemistry. Moreover, this novel activity enhances the understanding of Hb's redox chemistry in the presence of organobromine compounds.

Nanostructured composites obtained by ATRP sleeving of bacterial cellulose nanofibers with acrylate polymers

Novel nanostructured composite materials based on bacterial cellulose membranes (BC) and acrylate polymers were prepared by in situ atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). BC membranes were functionalized with initiating sites, by reaction with 2-bromoisobutyryl bromide (BiBBr), followed by atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and n-butyl acrylate (BA), catalyzed by copper(I) bromide and N,N,N',N″,N″-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA), using two distinct initiator amounts and monomer feeds. The living characteristic of the system was proven by the growth of PBA block from the BC-g-PMMA membrane. The BC nanofiber sleeving was clearly demonstrated by SEM imaging, and its extent can be tuned by controlling the amount of initiating sites and the monomer feed. The ensuing nanocomposites showed high hydrophobicity (contact angles with water up to 134°), good thermal stability (initial degradation temperature in the range 241-275 °C), and were more flexible that the unmodified BC membranes.

Effect of colloidal substrate curvature on pH-responsive polyelectrolyte brush growth

Coatings consisting of polymer brushes are an effective way to modify solid interfaces. Polymer brush-modified hybrid particles have been prepared by surface-initiated activators regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ARGET ATRP) of 2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DEA) on silica particles. We have optimized the synthesis with respect to changing the reducing agent, temperature, and reaction solvent from an aqueous ethanol mixture to an aqueous methanol mixture. Our flexible electrostatically adsorbed macroinitiator approach allows for the modification of a variety of surfaces. Polybasic brushes have been grown on silica particles of different sizes, from 120 to 840 nm in diameter, as well as on wafers, and a comparison of the products has allowed the effect of surface curvature to be elucidated. An examination of the thickness of the dry brush and the aqueous hydrodynamic brush at both pH 7 and at 4 demonstrated that growth increased substantially with substrate curvature for particles with a diameter below 450 nm. This is attributed to the increasing separation between active chain ends, reducing the rate of termination. This is believed to be the first time that this effect has been demonstrated experimentally. Furthermore, we have seen that polymer brush growth on planar wafers was significantly reduced when the reaction mixture was stirred.

Star polymers with a cationic core prepared by ATRP for cellular nucleic acids delivery

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based star polymers with a cationic core were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for in vitro nucleic acid (NA) delivery. The star polymers were synthesized by ATRP of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). Star polymers were characterized by gel permeation chromatography, zeta potential, and dynamic light scattering. These star polymers were combined with either plasmid DNA (pDNA) or short interfering RNA (siRNA) duplexes to form polyplexes for intracellular delivery. These polyplexes with either siRNA or pDNA were highly effective in NA delivery, particularly at relatively low star polymer weight or molar ratios, highlighting the importance of NA release in efficient delivery systems.

Fundamentals of RAFT Polymerization

This chapter sets out to describe the fundamental aspects of radical polymerization with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT polymerization). Following a description of the mechanism we describe aspects of the kinetics of RAFT polymerization, how to select a RAFT agent to achieve optimal control over polymer molecular weight, composition and architecture, and how to avoid side reactions which might lead to retardation or inhibition.

Poly(ethylene oxide) star polymer adsorption at the silica/aqueous interface and displacement by linear poly(ethylene oxide)

Multiarm star copolymers with approximately 460 poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) arms that have a degree of polymerization N = 45 were synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of PEO-methacrylate macromonomers in the presence of divinyl benzene cross-linkers. These are an example of molecular or nanoparticulate brushes that are of interest as steric stabilizers or boundary lubrication agents when adsorbed from solution to a solid/aqueous interface. We use ellipsometry to measure adsorption isotherms at the silica/aqueous interface for PEO star polymers and linear PEO chains having molecular weights comparable either to the star polymer or to the individual arms. The compactness of the PEO star polymers (molecular weight 1.2 × 10(6)) yields a saturation surface excess concentration that is approximately 3.5 times greater than that of the high molecular weight (1 × 10(6)) linear PEO. Adsorption of low molecular weight (6000) linear PEO was below the detection limit. Competitive adsorption experiments were conducted with ellipsometry, complemented by independent quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) measurements. Linear PEO (high molecular weight) displaced preadsorbed PEO star polymers over the course of approximately 1.5 h, to form a mixed adsorbed layer having not only a significantly lower overall polymer surface excess concentration, but also a significantly greater amount of hydrodynamically entrapped water. Challenging a preadsorbed linear PEO (high molecular weight) layer with PEO star polymers produced no measurable change in the overall polymer surface excess concentration, but changes in the QCM-D energy dissipation and resonance frequency suggested that the introduction of PEO star polymers caused a slight swelling of the layer with a correspondingly small increase in entrapped water content.

How far can we push polymer architectures?

We here report the synthesis and characterization of a complex polymeric architecture based on a block copolymer with a cylindrical brush block and a single-chain polymeric nanoparticle block folded due to strong intramolecular hydrogen-bonds. The self-assembly of these constructs on mica surfaces was studied with atomic force microscopy, corroborating the distinct presence of block copolymer architectures.