Self-separating homogeneous copper (I) catalysts. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • A heptane-soluble polyisobutylene (PIB)-Cu(I) catalyst was synthesized in a heptane/ethanol latent biphasic solvent system. The addition of water to this initially homogeneous solution produced a biphasic solvent system that separates the PIB-Cu(I) complex from the reaction mixture as a heptane solution. This heptane solution can be used in reactions such as "click" chemistry where the PIB-Cu(I) catalyst is again separated from the reaction mixture as a heptane solution with the products of the reaction mixture being separated in the ethanol phase of the latent biphasic solvent system. This PIB-Cu(I) complex can also be used in an atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of polystyrene. Using the differential solubilities of PIB and polystyrene in heptane, a PIB-complexed Cu(I) species can be separated and recycled for multiple uses in further polymerization reactions with good control over molecular weight and molecular weight distribution. Copyright 2007 American Chemical Society.

published proceedings

  • J Am Chem Soc

altmetric score

  • 3

author list (cited authors)

  • Bergbreiter, D. E., Hamilton, P. N., & Koshti, N. M.

citation count

  • 71

complete list of authors

  • Bergbreiter, David E||Hamilton, Patrick N||Koshti, Nirmal M

publication date

  • September 2007