NEW CONSIDERATION OF THE MECHANISM OF CHAIN TRANSFER TO MONOMER IN ANIONIC-POLYMERIZATION

A new kinetic scheme for chain transfer to monomer in the anionic poly merization of hydrocarbon monomers is presented. The scheme agrees wit h generally accepted views on the chemical mechanism of carbanionic re actions better than the one used previously. It is suggested that the most probable path of the transfer reaction is the proton abstraction from the side group of the monomer, the terminal double bond of the mo nomer molecule remains unchanged, and therefore the intermediate speci es can participate in succeeding reactions as a macromonomer. The disc repancy between the predictions of the proposed scheme and of the prev ious one concerning the molar characteristics of polymers are discusse d and the ways to establish the true mechanism of transfer in particul ar systems are suggested.