AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR THE DIIMIDE HYDROGENATION OF BUTADIENE AND ISOPRENE CONTAINING POLYMERS

The hydrogenation of unsaturated polymers with diimide generated in-situ by thermolysis of p-toluenesulfonyl hydrazide (TSH) is a commonly used method for preparing laboratory scale quantities of saturated diene based polymers. The by-products from TSH, particularly p-toluenesulfinic acid, can attack at olefinic sites, adding p-tolylsulfone functionality and degrading polymer molecular weight. The addition of tri-n-propyl amine has been found to eliminate these side reactions in butadiene containing polymers and copolymers, enabling the preparation of polymers devoid of backbone unsaturation. No detectable sulfur-containing impurities were indicated by IR, NMR, or elemental analysis, and no chain degradation was observed via GPC analysis of the hydrogenated polymers. cis-Polybutadiene and butadiene containing random and block copolymers with styrene were hydrogenated cleanly using this technique. A ratio of 2 mol TSH and 2 mol amine/mol of olefin was necessary to assure > 99% hydrogenation, and a w/v ratio of 2 parts butadiene/100 parts o-xylene gave the most efficient hydrogenation. Polymers prepared from isoprene were only partially hydrogenated when treated with TSH in the presence of tri-n-propyl amine, and gave evidence of slight degradation of the polymer structure.