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A spin-forbidden reaction is a reaction in which the total electronic spin-state changes. The standard transition-state theory that assumes a reaction occurs on a single potential energy surface with spin-conservation cannot be applied to a spin-forbidden reaction directly. In this work, we derive the crossing coefficient based on the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) theory to quantify the effect of intersystem crossing on the kinetics of spin-forbidden reactions. Acrylates and methacrylates, by themselves, can generate free radicals that initiate polymerization at temperatures above 120 °C. Previous studies suggest that a triplet diradical is a key intermediate in the self-initiation. The formation of a triplet diradical from two closed-shell monomer molecules is a spin-forbidden reaction. This study provides a quantitative analysis of singlet-triplet spin crossover of diradical species in self-initiation of acrylates and methacrylates, taking into account the effect of intersystem crossing. The concept of crossing control is introduced and demonstrated computationally to be a new likely route to generate monoradicals via monomer self-initiation in high temperature polymerization.

This computational and theoretical study deals with chain transfer to solvent (CTS) reactions of methyl acrylate (MA), ethyl acrylate (EA), and n-butyl acrylate (n-BA) self-initiated homopolymerization in solvents such as butanol (polar, protic), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) (polar, aprotic), and p-xylene (nonpolar). The results indicate that abstraction of a hydrogen atom from the methylene group next to the oxygen atom in n-butanol, from the methylene group in MEK, and from a methyl group in p-xylene by a live polymer chain are the most likely mechanisms of CTS reactions in MA, EA, and n-BA. Energy barriers and molecular geometries of reactants, products, and transition states are predicted. The sensitivity of the predictions to three hybrid functionals (B3LYP, X3LYP, and M06-2X) and three different basis sets (6-31G(d,p), 6-311G(d), and 6-311G(d,p)) is investigated. Among n-butanol, sec-butanol, and tert-butanol, tert-butanol has the highest CTS energy barrier and the lowest rate constant. Although the application of the conductor-like screening model (COSMO) does not affect the predicted CTS kinetic parameter values, the application of the polarizable continuum model (PCM) results in higher CTS energy barriers. This increase in the predicted CTS energy barriers is larger for butanol and MEK than for p-xylene. The higher rate constants of chain transfer to n-butanol reactions compared to those of chain transfer to MEK and p-xylene reactions suggest the higher CTS reactivity of n-butanol.

This article presents a computational study of chain transfer to monomer (CTM) reactions in self-initiated high-temperature homopolymerization of alkyl acrylates (methyl, ethyl, and n-butyl acrylate). Several mechanisms of CTM are studied. The effects of the length of live polymer chains and the type of monoradical that initiated the live polymer chains on the energy barriers and rate constants of the involved reaction steps are investigated theoretically. All calculations are carried out using density functional theory. Three types of hybrid functionals (B3LYP, X3LYP, and M06-2X) and four basis sets (6-31G(d), 6-31G(d,p), 6-311G(d), and 6-311G(d,p)) are applied to predict the molecular geometries of the reactants, products and transition sates, and energy barriers. Transition state theory is used to estimate rate constants. The results indicate that abstraction of a hydrogen atom (by live polymer chains) from the methyl group in methyl acrylate, the methylene group in ethyl acrylate, and methylene groups in n-butyl acrylate are the most likely mechanisms of CTM. Also, the rate constants of CTM reactions calculated using M06-2X are in good agreement with those estimated from polymer sample measurements using macroscopic mechanistic models. The rate constant values do not change significantly with the length of live polymer chains. Abstraction of a hydrogen atom by a tertiary radical has a higher energy barrier than abstraction by a secondary radical, which agrees with experimental findings. The calculated and experimental NMR spectra of dead polymer chains produced by CTM reactions are comparable. This theoretical/computational study reveals that CTM occurs most likely via hydrogen abstraction by live polymer chains from the methyl group of methyl acrylate and methylene group(s) of ethyl (n-butyl) acrylate.

This paper presents a systematic computational study of the mechanism of cyclohexanone-monomer co-initiation in high-temperature homopolymerization of methyl acrylate (MA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). Previous experimental studies of spontaneous thermal homopolymerization of MA and MMA showed higher monomer conversion in the presence of cyclohexanone than xylene. However, these studies did not reveal the initiation mechanism(s) or the initiating species. To identify the initiation mechanism and the initiating species, we explore four different mechanisms, (1) Kaim, (2) Flory, (3) α-position hydrogen transfer, and (4) Mayo, using first-principles density functional theory (DFT) and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) calculations. Transition-state geometries for each mechanism are determined using B3LYP/6-31G* and assessed with MP2/6-31G*. Activation energies and rate constants are calculated using transition-state theory. The harmonic oscillator approximation and tunneling corrections are applied to compute the reaction rate constants. This study indicates that α-position hydrogen transfer and Mayo mechanisms have comparable barriers and are capable of generating monoradicals for initiating polymerization of MA and MMA; these two mechanisms can cause cyclohexanone-monomer co-initiation in thermal polymerization of MA and MMA.

This paper presents computational evidence for the occurrence of diradical mechanism of self-initiation in thermal polymerization of methyl methacrylate. Two self-initiation mechanisms of interest were explored with first-principles density functional theory calculations. Singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces were constructed. The formation of two Diels-Alder adducts, cis- and trans-dimethyl 1,2-dimethylcyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylate and dimethyl 2-methyl-5-methylidene-hexanedioate, on the singlet surface was identified. Transition states were calculated using B3LYP/6-31G* and assessed using MP2/6-31G*. The calculated energy barriers and rate constants with different levels of theory were found to show good agreement to corresponding data obtained from laboratory experiments. The presence of a diradical intermediate on the triplet surface was identified. When MCSCF/6-31G* was used, the spin-orbit coupling constant for the singlet to triplet crossover was calculated to be 2.5 cm(-1). The mechanism of monoradical generation via a hydrogen abstraction by both triplet and singlet diradicals from a third monomer was identified to be the most likely mechanism of initiation in spontaneous polymerization of methyl methacrylate.

In this study, the mechanism of self-initiation in spontaneous thermal polymerization of ethyl and n-butyl acrylate is explored using first-principles calculations. Density functional theory (with B3LYP functional and 6-31G* basis set) was used to study [4 + 2] and [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions on the singlet and triplet potential energy surfaces. Diels-Alder (DA) dimers of ethyl acrylate [6-ethoxy-2-ethoxycarbonyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (EDP)] and of n-butyl acrylate [6-butoxy-2-butoxycarbonyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyran (BDP)] were found to form on the singlet surface via the concerted pathway proposed by Mayo. The formation of diethyl cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DECD) and dibutyl cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DBCD) via a nonconcerted pathway was identified on the singlet surface of ethyl and n-butyl acrylate, respectively. The presence of a diradical transition state for the formation of the DECD and DBCD was predicted. Triplet potential energy surfaces for the formation of diradical dimer of ethyl and n-butyl acrylate were computed, and the presence of a triplet diradical intermediate was identified for each of the monomers. A low energy monoradical generation mechanism was identified to be involving hydrogen abstraction by a third acrylate monomer from the triplet diradical species. The molecular structure of the computed monoradical species was found to correlate with chain initiating species of the dominant series of peaks in previously reported electrospray ionization-Fourier transform mass spectra of spontaneously polymerized samples of ethyl and n-butyl acrylate. In view of these observations, it is concluded that this self-initiation mechanism is most likely the initiating mechanism in spontaneous thermal polymerization of alkyl acrylates.

This computational study deals with the mechanism of spontaneous initiation in thermal polymerization of alkyl acrylates (e.g., methyl, ethyl, and n-butyl acrylate). The mechanism is presently still unknown. Density-functional theory (DFT) and Møller-Plesset (MP2) calculations are used to explore the Flory and Mayo mechanisms of self-initiation in methyl acrylate. On the singlet surface, a low-barrier, concerted [4 + 2] Diels-Alder mechanism for the formation of a dihydropyran adduct (DA) and a high-barrier nonconcerted [2 + 2] diradical ((*)M(2s)(*)) mechanism for the formation of dimethyl cyclobutane-1,2-dicarboxylate (DCD) were found using B3LYP/6-31G*. Several levels of theory were used to validate the transition states, and the pathways for the DA and DCD formations on the singlet surface were determined using intrinsic reaction coordinate (IRC) calculations. On the triplet surface, a triplet diradical intermediate ((*)M(2t)(*)) was identified that is structurally similar to (*)M(2s)(*) but lower in energy. The spin-orbit coupling constant for crossover of the diradical from singlet to triplet surface was calculated. Monoradical generation from the two intermediates, DA and (*)M(2t)(*) via hydrogen transfer to or from a third methyl acrylate was studied. It was found that generation of two monoradical species was possible from (*)M(2t)(*) and is proposed as a likely explanation for experimentally observed spontaneous-initiation.