Living Anionic Addition Reaction of 1,1-Diphenylethylene Derivatives: One-Pot Synthesis of ABC-type Chain-End Sequence-Controlled Polymers

J Am Chem Soc. 2021 Aug 4;143(30):11296-11301. doi: 10.1021/jacs.1c04500. Epub 2021 Jul 7.

Abstract

In this study, a 1:1 addition reaction using 1,1-diphenylethylene (DPE) derivatives, referred to as the "living anionic addition reaction", was established to regulate the sequence of vinyl compounds having negligible homopolymerizability. The stoichiometric and successive addition reaction between a DPE anion and more reactive DPE derivatives proceeded quantitatively when the electrophilicity of the DPE derivatives was sufficiently enhanced by electron-withdrawing groups such as (trimethylsilyl)ethynyl and acyl groups. The relative electrophilicity of the DPE derivatives was predicted by Hammett's law and the β-carbon chemical shifts of the carbon-carbon double bonds. AB- and ABC-type chain-end sequence-controlled polystyrenes with well-defined structures were synthesized by reacting two or three DPE derivatives with difunctional anionic living polystyrene in increasing order of their electrophilicity in a one-pot reaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anions / chemistry
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polymerization
  • Polystyrenes / chemical synthesis*
  • Polystyrenes / chemistry
  • Styrenes / chemistry*

Substances

  • Anions
  • Polystyrenes
  • Styrenes
  • 1,1-diphenylethylene