Polymers — free-radical chain-growth of styrene
AIBN thermolysis at 65 °C through initiation, head-to-tail propagation, chain transfer and the two termination modes, ending at polystyrene with the dispersity each termination route produces and the square-root rate law.
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{
"nodes": [
{ "id": "aibn", "type": "hexagon", "label": "AIBN initiator", "x": 40, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#ede9fe", "stroke": "#6d28d9", "bold": true },
{ "id": "homo", "type": "summing-junction", "label": "Homolysis of the azo N=N bond", "x": 215, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#fef3c7", "stroke": "#a16207", "bold": true },
{ "id": "rad", "type": "sphere", "label": "Primary radical (CH₃)₂C•CN", "x": 390, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#fef3c7", "stroke": "#a16207", "bold": true },
{ "id": "init", "type": "rounded", "label": "Initiation — radical adds to C=C", "x": 565, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#fef3c7", "stroke": "#a16207" },
{ "id": "chain", "type": "conveyor", "label": "Propagating chain radical", "x": 740, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#fef3c7", "stroke": "#a16207", "bold": true },
{ "id": "prop", "type": "conveyor", "label": "Propagation — ~10³ head-to-tail", "x": 915, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#fef3c7", "stroke": "#a16207", "bold": true },
{ "id": "comb", "type": "or-junction", "label": "Termination by combination", "x": 1090, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#dcfce7", "stroke": "#15803d" },
{ "id": "ps", "type": "honeycomb", "label": "Polystyrene", "x": 1265, "y": 40, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#dcfce7", "stroke": "#15803d", "bold": true },
{ "id": "heat", "type": "gas-flame", "label": "Δ 65 °C in toluene", "x": 40, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#ede9fe", "stroke": "#6d28d9" },
{ "id": "n2", "type": "cloud", "label": "N₂ released — drives homolysis", "x": 215, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#f1f5f9", "stroke": "#475569" },
{ "id": "styrene", "type": "hexagon", "label": "Styrene monomer CH₂=CHPh", "x": 390, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#dbeafe", "stroke": "#1d4ed8", "bold": true },
{ "id": "rate", "type": "clipboard", "label": "Rp = kp[M](f·kd[I]/kt)^½", "x": 565, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#f1f5f9", "stroke": "#475569" },
{ "id": "cta", "type": "arrow-right", "label": "Chain transfer to dodecanethiol", "x": 915, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#ede9fe", "stroke": "#6d28d9" },
{ "id": "disp", "type": "summing-junction", "label": "Termination by disproportionation", "x": 1090, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#fee2e2", "stroke": "#b91c1c" },
{ "id": "dispersity", "type": "bar-chart", "label": "Đ = Mw/Mn ≈ 1.5 to 2.0", "x": 1265, "y": 200, "width": 150, "height": 104, "fill": "#e0f2fe", "stroke": "#0369a1" }
],
"edges": [
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{ "id": "e2", "source": "heat", "target": "homo", "label": "thermolysis", "style": "dashed" },
{ "id": "e3", "source": "homo", "target": "n2", "label": "loses N₂", "style": "dashed" },
{ "id": "e4", "source": "homo", "target": "rad", "thickness": 2.5 },
{ "id": "e5", "source": "rad", "target": "init", "thickness": 2.5 },
{ "id": "e6", "source": "styrene", "target": "init", "label": "first monomer" },
{ "id": "e7", "source": "init", "target": "chain", "thickness": 2.5 },
{ "id": "e8", "source": "chain", "target": "prop", "thickness": 2.5 },
{ "id": "e9", "source": "styrene", "target": "prop", "label": "n further monomers", "style": "dashed" },
{ "id": "e10", "source": "prop", "target": "comb", "label": "two radicals couple" },
{ "id": "e11", "source": "prop", "target": "disp", "label": "H atom transferred" },
{ "id": "e12", "source": "cta", "target": "prop", "label": "caps one chain, starts another", "style": "dashed" },
{ "id": "e13", "source": "comb", "target": "ps", "thickness": 2.5 },
{ "id": "e14", "source": "ps", "target": "dispersity" },
{ "id": "e15", "source": "disp", "target": "dispersity", "label": "broadens the spread", "style": "dashed" },
{ "id": "e16", "source": "rate", "target": "init", "label": "kinetics", "style": "dashed" }
]
}