Issue 2, 2015

Entropy driven chain effects on ligation chemistry

Abstract

We report the investigation of fundamental entropic chain effects that enable the tuning of modular ligation chemistry – for example dynamic Diels–Alder (DA) reactions in materials applications – not only classically via the chemistry of the applied reaction sites, but also via the physical and steric properties of the molecules that are being joined. Having a substantial impact on the reaction equilibrium of the reversible ligation chemistry, these effects are important when transferring reactions from small molecule studies to larger or other entropically very dissimilar systems. The effects on the DA equilibrium and thus the temperature dependent degree of debonding (%debond) of different cyclopentadienyl (di-)functional poly(meth-)acrylate backbones (poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(iso-butyl methacrylate), poly(tert-butyl methacrylate), poly(iso-butyl acrylate), poly(n-butyl acrylate), poly(tert-butyl acrylate), poly(methyl acrylate) and poly(isobornyl acrylate)), linked via a difunctional cyanodithioester (CDTE) were examined via high temperature (HT) NMR spectroscopy as well as temperature dependent (TD) SEC measurements. A significant impact of not only chain mass and length with a difference in the degree of debonding of up to 30% for different lengths of macromonomers of the same polymer type but – remarkably – as well the chain stiffness with a difference in bonding degrees of nearly 20% for isomeric poly(butyl acrylates) is found. The results were predicted, reproduced and interpreted via quantum chemical calculations, leading to a better understanding of the underlying entropic principles.

Graphical abstract: Entropy driven chain effects on ligation chemistry

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
20 Sep 2014
Accepted
02 Nov 2014
First published
03 Nov 2014
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY-NC license

Chem. Sci., 2015,6, 1061-1074

Author version available

Entropy driven chain effects on ligation chemistry

K. Pahnke, J. Brandt, G. Gryn'ova, P. Lindner, R. Schweins, F. G. Schmidt, A. Lederer, M. L. Coote and C. Barner-Kowollik, Chem. Sci., 2015, 6, 1061 DOI: 10.1039/C4SC02908A

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