Inverse Miniemulsion Enables the Continuous-Flow Synthesis of Controlled Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polymers. 2023

Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
George and Josephine Butler Polymer Research Laboratory, Center for Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Department of Chemistry, University of Florida, P.O. Box 117200, Gainesville, Florida 32611-7200, United States.

We report the controlled synthesis of ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW) polymers (Mn ≥ 106 g/mol) via continuous flow in a tubular reactor. At high monomer conversion, UHMW polymers in homogeneous batch polymerization exhibit high viscosities that pose challenges for employing continuous flow reactors. However, under heterogeneous inverse miniemulsion (IME) conditions, UHMW polymers can be produced within the dispersed phase, while the viscosity of the heterogeneous mixture remains approximately the same as the viscosity of the continuous phase. Conducting such IME polymerizations in flow results in a faster rate of polymerization compared to batch IME polymerizations while still providing excellent control over molecular weight up to 106 g/mol. Crucial emulsion parameters, such as particle size and stability under continuous flow conditions, were examined using dynamic light scattering. A range of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) and poly(4-acryloylmorpholine) polymers with molecular weights of 104-106 g/mol (Đ ≤ 1.31) were produced by this method using water-soluble trithiocarbonates as photoiniferters.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries

Related Publications

Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
May 1992, International journal of peptide and protein research,
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
November 2021, Nature communications,
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
December 2023, Chemical communications (Cambridge, England),
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
August 2017, Biomaterials science,
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
July 2022, Polymers,
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
June 2019, Chemical science,
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
February 2012, Chemical communications (Cambridge, England),
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
December 2018, Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English),
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
June 1972, Science (New York, N.Y.),
Cullen L G Davidson, and Megan E Lott, and Lucca Trachsel, and Alexander J Wong, and Rebecca A Olson, and Diego I Pedro, and W Gregory Sawyer, and Brent S Sumerlin
March 2023, International journal of molecular sciences,
Copied contents to your clipboard!