Polymerization of Isobutylene Initiated by Laser Vaporization of Metal Targets

Abstract

ABSTRACTA novel technique involving the initiation of polymerization using laser vaporization of metal targets is being explored. In the experiment, metal ions such as Ti+, Zr+, Ag+ are generated in the gas phase by pulsed laser vaporization/ionization of a metal target using the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm). The ions are pulled toward a monomer liquid(isobutylene which can only be polymerized by cationic mechanisms) by applyingappropriate electric fields across the reaction chamber. Under different experimentalconditions (temperature, pressure of a carrier gas, laser energy, electric field strength, reaction time) different polymeric products (viscous liquids or solids) were obtained with average molecular weights ranging from 200 to greater than 106. Full characterization of these materials is currently in progress. This technique could lead to a powerful approach for the synthesis of a wide variety of polymeric materials with unique properties such as stability, strength and photo and electrical conductivity.