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Recent Advancement in Polymerization Kinetics

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Physics and Theory".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 4382

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Materials Unit, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Merida 97205, Mexico
Interests: development of membranes for natural gas sweetening and production of high-value streams; membrane system for improved water desalination systems NF and RO; ionic membranes for fuel cell membranes and energy applications; membranes; gas separation; water treatment; ionic membranes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán A.C., Mérida 97205, Mexico
Interests: synthesis of functionalized block copolymers and their application as catalytic membranes; synthesis of Biobased polymers and recycling and reuse of polymers for circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, different polymerization techniques are applied to obtain polymers with unique properties suitable for various applications ranging from high-performance engineering plastics, packaging, energy storage materials, and biomedical applications. Polymers are synthesized by precision methodologies to improve and control their properties such as controlled/living radical polymerization, polycondensation, ring-opening polymerization or superacid catalyzed polyhydroxyalkylation, amongst others. However, their polymerization kinetic behavior can be carried out under a wide range of conditions. Thus, it is important to understand how reactions proceed over time. This information can help us to designing and being able to predict material structure and morphology and obtain new materials with tailored characteristics.

The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the current advances in novel and controlled polymerizations with a strong focus on the associated kinetics and reaction mechanism. 

Dr. Manuel Aguilar Vega
Dr. María Ortencia González-Díaz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymerization
  • polymerization Kinetics
  • polymers

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 4953 KiB  
Article
Precise Modeling of the Particle Size Distribution in Emulsion Polymerization: Numerical and Experimental Studies for Model Validation under Ab Initio Conditions
by Porfirio López-Domínguez, Enrique Saldívar-Guerra, María Esther Trevino and Iván Zapata-González
Polymers 2023, 15(22), 4467; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15224467 - 20 Nov 2023
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Abstract
The particle size distribution (PSD) in emulsion polymerization (EP) has been modeled in the past using either the pseudo bulk (PB) or the 0-1/0-1-2 approaches. There is some controversy on the proper type of model to be used to simulate the experimental PSDs, [...] Read more.
The particle size distribution (PSD) in emulsion polymerization (EP) has been modeled in the past using either the pseudo bulk (PB) or the 0-1/0-1-2 approaches. There is some controversy on the proper type of model to be used to simulate the experimental PSDs, which are apparently broader than the theoretical ones. Additionally, the numerical technique employed to solve the model equations, involving hyperbolic partial differential equations (PDEs) with moving and possibly steep fronts, has to be precise and robust, which is not a trivial matter. A deterministic kinetic model for the PSD evolution of ab initio EP of vinyl monomers was developed to investigate these issues. The model considers three phases, micellar nucleation, and particles that can contain n0 radicals. Finite volume (FV) and weighted-residual methods are used to solve the system of PDEs and compared; their limitations are also identified. The model was validated by comparing predictions with data of monomer conversion and PSD for the batch emulsion homopolymerization of styrene (Sty) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/potassium persulfate (KPS) at 60 °C, as well as the copolymerization of Sty-MMA (50/50; mol/mol) at 50 and 60 °C. It is concluded that the PB model has a structural problem when attempting to adequately represent PSDs with steep fronts, so its use is discouraged. On the other hand, there is no generalized evidence of the need to add a stochastic term to enhance the PSD prediction of EP deterministic models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancement in Polymerization Kinetics)
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16 pages, 2740 KiB  
Article
Effect of the Acid Medium on the Synthesis of Polybenzimidazoles Using Eaton’s Reagent
by Miriam García-Vargas, Mario Rojas-Rodríguez, Joaquín Palacios-Alquisira, Lioudmila Fomina, Carla Aguilar-Lugo and Larissa Alexandrova
Polymers 2023, 15(9), 2130; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15092130 - 29 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1867
Abstract
The influence of trifluoromethanesulfonic (TFSA) superacid on conditions of the synthesis of polybenzimidazoles, such as OPBI and CF3PBI, was studied. It was shown that the polycondensations proceeded smoother and at lower temperatures in the presence of the TFSA in Eaton’s Reagent [...] Read more.
The influence of trifluoromethanesulfonic (TFSA) superacid on conditions of the synthesis of polybenzimidazoles, such as OPBI and CF3PBI, was studied. It was shown that the polycondensations proceeded smoother and at lower temperatures in the presence of the TFSA in Eaton’s Reagent and that polymers of high molecular weights, and readily soluble in organic solvents, were obtained. The effect was more pronounced for CF3PBI, where the low reactivity monomer, 4,4′ (hexafluoroisoproylidene)bis (benzoic acid), was used. CF3PBI was obtained at a moderate temperature of 140 °C with no gel fraction and exhibited an inherent viscosity twice higher than the one obtained by the traditional method. In fact, the addition of TFSA allows the obtention of soluble N-phenyl substituted CF3PBI by direct synthesis, which had not been obtained otherwise. Thus, the use of TFSA is a good media for the synthesis of N-substituted PBIs under relatively mild conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advancement in Polymerization Kinetics)
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