Polymer Bulletin, Vol.39, No.5, 559-565, 1997
Synthesis of Triblock and Random Copolymers of 4-Acetoxystyrene and Styrene by Living Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization
Triblock copolymers containing polystyrene (PSt) and poly(4-acetoxystyrene) (PAcOSt) segments have been prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). In the first step one of the two monomers was polymerized in bulk using the initiating system alpha,alpha’-dibromo-p-xylene/CuBr/2,2’-bipyridine (1/1/3). Subsequently the resulting telechelic polymers with active bromo end group structures were used as macroinitiators for the polymerization of the second monomer under ATRP conditions. This process gave PAcOSt-PSt-PAcOSt and PSt-PAcOSt-PSt triblock copolymers with predetermined molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions. Polymerization of a mixture of equal molar amounts of the two monomers yielded a random copolymer with narrow molecular weight distribution.
Keywords:INITIATING SYSTEM;COMPLEXES