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Chemical knowledge and microfluidic processing technology allow Creative Biolabs to apply many important chemical transformation processes to flow microreactors, including important ion polymerization processes, helping our customers explore and challenge more chemical synthesis possibilities.

Ionic Polymerization

Ionic polymerization is a chain growth polymerization process in which ions or ion pairs are active centers, and usually includes anionic polymerization and cationic polymerization. Similar to the free radical polymerization process, ionic polymerization is also initiated by active compounds with special electrical properties. Common cationic polymerization initiators usually include strong acids, titanium, aluminum, tin halides and some salts, in addition to potassium, sodium, lithium, etc. Reactive metals and their compounds are often used as effective anionic initiators. During ionic polymerization, each charged chain end will interact with the opposite charge of the initiator.

Ionic Polymerization on Chip

The properties of polymers depend on the polymerized topology (cyclic, branched, linear), chemical composition (homopolymer, copolymer) and molecular weight distribution. For ionomers used in special fields, the accuracy of molecular weight distribution is particularly important. The molecular weight distribution of the product is affected by the polymerization reaction mechanism on the one hand, and also by process parameters such as temperature and concentration on the other hand. In addition, unlike free radical polymerization, the rate of ionic polymerization is not only determined by the chemical properties of monomers and the stability of free radicals, but also the reaction conditions, purity of reactants, and solvent polarity are also decisive factors for the success of ionic polymerization.

Fig 1. Ionic polymerization can be transferred to a microfluidic chip. (Takahashi, et al. 2019)

Why Choose Ionic Polymerization Chips?

The minimized size and fluid-structure characteristics of the flow microreactor Creative Biolabs introduced and designed will bring you a different nature and infinite possibilities for your ion polymerization reaction. Our services can help you better manipulate the reaction process and expand the nature of your research, including:

• Temperature Control
  The reaction speed and product quality of ionic polymerization are directly affected by the reaction temperature. The flow microreactor has a good surface area/volume ratio, which ensures heat transfer efficiency. The introduction of the temperature control unit makes accurate and rapid temperature control possible.
• Rapid Mixing
  Ionic polymeric substrates with high activity will start to react immediately after mixing, and the concentration difference of reactants will cause the experiment to be terminated prematurely. In theory, the time required for molecular diffusion is proportional to the square length of the diffusion path, so microstructure reactors can often rebuild solution equilibrium more quickly.
• Residence Time
  In a flow reactor, the residence time of the solution can be directly controlled by changing the flow rate and the length of the microchannel. A longer residence time allows the full reflection of ion polymerization, while a shorter residence time allows the direct manipulation of some unstable intermediates.
• Expansion Units
  Microfluidic chips allow the expansion or parallel operation of multiple systems through the combination of various functional units. These functional modules help chemists more conveniently and quickly realize particle synthesis or collect much data for research in situ.

The microfluidic system applied to ionic polymerization has been extensively researched and developed in recent years. At present, it has successfully transferred the controllable cationic polymerization of methyl styrene, the controllable anionic block copolymerization of styrene, and the active anion of alkyl methacrylate into the flow micro-reaction system and achieved a high-purity output of products.

Fig 2. Schematic of the on-chip ion polymerization process. (Takahashi, et al., 2019)

Our Services

With our cutting-edge micro-processing technology platform and optimized process parameters, Creative Biolabs will help clients from all over the world to develop, design and manufacture microfluidic chips used in the field of ion polymerization. We develop microreactors with specific structures according to your needs, and we can also bring your excellent structural design into reality. With our help, you can design and apply microfluidic reactors, and use accurate and reproducible process parameters to optimize or further advance your experiments. Whether you want to achieve a more advanced chemical synthesis, explore the kinetics and mechanism of reactions, or further explore the infinite possibilities of the combination of chemistry and engineering, we will be your best partner, so don't hesitate to contact us for more information.

Reference

1. Takahashi, Y.; et al. Anionic polymerization using flow microreactors. Molecules. 2019, 24: 1532.

For Research Use Only. Not For Clinical Use.