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Here we report the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO), a cross-linker molecule, to high conversion (>50%) and molecular weight (>100 kDa) without macrogelation. Surprisingly, gelation is suppressed in this system far beyond the expectations predicated both on Flory-Stockmeyer theory and multiple other studies of RAFT polymerization featuring cross-linking moieties. By varying AESO and initiator concentrations, we show how intra- versus intermolecular cross-linking compete, yielding a trade-off between the degree of intramolecular linkages and conversion at gel point. We measured polymer chain characteristics, including molecular weight, chain dimensions, polydispersity, and intrinsic viscosity, using multidetector gel permeation chromatography and NMR to track polymerization kinetics. We show that not only the time and conversion at macrogelation, but also the chain architecture, is largely affected by these reaction conditions. At maximal AESO concentration, the gel point approaches that predicted by the Flory-Stockmeyer theory, and increases in an exponential fashion as the AESO concentration decreases. In the most dilute solutions, macrogelation cannot be detected throughout the entire reaction. Instead, cyclization/intramolecular cross-linking reactions dominate, leading to microgelation. This work is important, especially in that it demonstrates that thermoplastic rubbers could be produced based on multifunctional renewable feedstocks.

In this article, we extend the understanding of gelation suppression in reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization in systems with long primary chains and high crosslinker content, regimes which have been mostly overlooked to date. Using a model methacrylate system, the gel point, apparent propagation rate constants, and polymer architectures are seen to vary in a systematic fashion. By combining our experimental data with several related studies, we introduce a new phenomenological parameter, the "crosslinking tendency," that incorporates monomer concentration and excess functionality to universally describe the gelation suppression in both RAFT-and atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)-controlled radical polymerization systems. The ability of the crosslinking tendency to quantitatively account for a broad range of RAFT and ATRP systems suggests that factors such as monomer architecture and details of activation/deactivation mechanisms may play only a secondary role in gel-point suppression. Disciplines

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Synthesis of hierarchically porous zeolites has drawn intensive interest because of their improved catalytic performance. It is highly desirable to find ways to generate these materials in a low-cost and scalable way for their commercial applications. A solvent evaporation route has been established to synthesize hierarchically porous titanosilicalite-1 (TS-1). In the protocol, hexadecyltrimethoxysilane was added to an ethanolic solution of titanium isopropoxide, tetraethyl orthosilicate and tetrapropylammonium hydroxide, i.e. the embryo solution of TS-1. The solution was subjected to solvent evaporationinduced self-assembly to afford an ordered dry gel. Subsequent steam-assisted crystallization converted the dry gel into a hierarchically porous TS-1. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-visible diffusive reflectance spectroscopy, N 2 physisorption and electron microscopic characterizations have been employed to elucidate the structure. Ti is incorporated into the tetrahedral sites of the MFI structure and mesopores around 20 nm penetrating the crystalline framework are formed. Hexadecyltrimethoxysilane plays a key role in creating mesopores as well as increasing the crystal size. The hierarchically porous TS-1 exhibits improved activity in styrene oxidation and phenol hydroxylation.