Effect of the Reaction State on the Polymerization of p-Xylenesulfonium Salts

R. O. GARAY ; R. W. LENZ

JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE PART A-POLYMER CHEMISTRY

JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 1992 vol. 30 p. 977 - 982

0887-624X

1,4-Phenylenebis(methylene) sulfonium salts were polymerized under different conditions to yield p-xylylene sulfonium salt polyelectrolytes in a broad range of molecular weights. The aqueous reaction mixture formed a reversible gel at initial monomer concentrations higher than 1.0M, but at lower concentrations it remained as an emulsion until reaction completion. The effect of reaction time on sulfonium salt polyelectrolytes and polymer yields for both the emulsion and the gel state is discussed. The higher yields obtained when the reaction was carried out in the presence of a water-immiscible organic solvent were apparently due to the effect of this solvent on increasing the concentration of the reactive intermediate that led to the polyelectrolyte. Both the addition of an organic solvent and the variation of the initial monomer concentrations allowed some control over the molecular weight of the polyelectrolyte formed.