Controlled Radical Polymerization in Reaction Field with Hydrogen Bond

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K05791
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Polymer chemistry
• Research Institution: University of Fukui
• Principal Investigator: Sugihara Shinji 福井大学, 学術研究院工学系部門, 准教授 (70377472)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 水素結合 / ラジカル重合 / 精密重合 / RAFT重合 / ビニルエーテル / 温度応答性 / 重合誘起自己組織化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is believed and demonstrated that vinyl ethers cannot be inherently homopolymerized via the (controlled) radical mechanism. Thus, novel controlled radical polymerization of vinyl ether was conducted in reaction field with hydrogen bond. Firstly, effects of alkaline water and comonomers on the free radical polymerization using 2-hydroxyethyl vinyl ether (HEVE) were investigated . The free radical polymerization of HEVE at 40-60 wt% in water (pH >7) proceeded with complete monomer conversion. The copolymerizations of HEVE with other vinyl ethers also proceeded smoothly. In each case, the primary key to success in the copolymerization is proper hydrogen bonding between the vinyl ether oxygen and hydroxyl group in the pendant or non-acidic water as a solvent. Using the resulting copolymers, we demonstrated the free radical polymerization of vinyl ether without hydroxy groups in water with LiOH.

Free Research Field

高分子合成

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「高分子」を新たに合成する方法を見い出すことは，新しいマテリアル創出の第一歩である。特に，全世界で生産される高分子の50%以上は，対応するビニルモノマーのラジカル重合で合成されている。そのような背景を鑑みると，これまでにラジカル単独重合が不可能と言われてきたモノマーの中の一つである「ビニルエーテル」ポリマーに着目し，そのラジカル単独重合に成功した本研究結果は，学術的意義が高いと言える。また，この成果は，従来の工業的なインフラを変更することなく高分子を合成できる点で，社会的意義も大きい。