Mechanism of Disulfide–Disulfide Interchange in Polysulfide Polymer Melt Blend by Electron Ionization Mass Spectrometry. II

Abstract

The degree of randomization, q, of structural units in melt blends of the polysulfide homopolymers A(PS1) and B(PS2), wherein the disulfide equivalents D _A/D _B = 1, were studied by electron ionization mass spectrometry. Over the temperature range of 207–219°C, the relaxation process, due to the dominant disulfide–disulfide interchange reactions, is postulated to follow an associative reaction mechanism. These intermolecular disulfide–disulfide interactions promote a transient enhancement of the sulfur rank in the activated complex resulting in formation of the randomized co‐polymer AB. The mass spectrometric experimental design enabled measurement of concentrations of reactants A(PS1) and B(PS2), as well as the randomized copolymer AB, by monitoring the abundance of dimer units a₂, b₂, and ab, respectively as a function of time. The degree of randomization, q, was observed in the absence of catalysts or solvents, notwithstanding the solvent/solute and solute/solvent characteristics of the polymer melt blend. The mechanism of this randomization process, was rationalized on the basis of the properties of sulfur, aided by the observation of macrocyclic monomeric and dimeric units during the retro‐polymerization reactions under the EI/MS conditions employed. The model polysulfide polymers A(PS1) and B(P52), used in this study were synthesized from bis(2‐chloroethyl)ether and bis(2‐chloro ethoxy)methane, respectively.

Keywords:

• Degree of randomization
• Electron ionization mass spectrometry
• Disulfide–disulfide interchange
• Reaction mechanism

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank Jill Williams of Reprographic for preparing the figures and J. F. Kaysen for the preparation of this paper.