This study describes a novel and facile synthesis strategy for a styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR)-like polymer via Friedel-Crafts-type reaction between aromatic compounds and polybutadiene using an aluminum chloride as a catalyst. Although gelation was induced by a reaction of a generated carbocation with olefins in other polybutadiene chains in benzene and toluene because of their low electron densities on their rings, anisole with a higher electron density reacted with the polybutadiene carbocation efficiently. The introduction ratio of anisole increased as the reaction proceeded, and the obtained polymer, BRAN polymer, contained 15% anisoles for olefins in the polybutadiene in 4 h at 80 degrees C as estimated by H-1 NMR analysis. The glass-transition temperature (T-g) of the BRAN polymer also increased with anisole content (T-g similar to -50 degrees C when anisole contents 20%). The vulcanizate containing the BRAN polymer showed higher mechanical properties compared to samples using other matrix polymers. (c) 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 841-847