Novel poly(methyl methacrylate)‐block‐polyurethane‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) tri‐block copolymers through atom transfer radical polymerization

Poly(methyl methacrylate)‐block‐polyurethane‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) tri‐block copolymers have been synthesized successfully through atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate using telechelic bromo‐terminated polyurethane/CuBr/N,N,N,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine initiating system. As the time increases, the number‐average molecular weight increases linearly from 6400 to 37,000. This shows that the poly methyl methacrylate blocks were attached to polyurethane block. As the polymerization time increases, both conversion and molecular weight increased and the molecular weight increases linearly with increasing conversion. These results indicate that the formation of the tri‐block copolymers was through atom transfer radical polymerization mechanism. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectral results of the triblock copolymers show that the molar ratio between polyurethane and poly (methyl methacrylate) blocks is in the range of 1 : 16.3 to 1 : 449.4. Differential scanning calorimetry results show T_g of the soft segment at ?35°C and T_g of the hard segment at 75°C. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis of poly(cyclohexene oxide)‐block‐polystyrene by combination of radical‐promoted cationic polymerization,atom transfer radical polymerization and click chemistry

The combination of radical‐promoted cationic polymerization, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and click chemistry was employed for the efficient preparation of poly(cyclohexene oxide)‐block‐polystyrene (PCHO‐b‐PSt). Alkyne end‐functionalized poly(cyclohexene oxide) (PCHO‐alkyne) was prepared by radical‐promoted cationic polymerization of cyclohexene oxide monomer in the presence of 1,2‐diphenyl‐2‐(2‐propynyloxy)‐1‐ethanone (B‐alkyne) and an onium salt, namely 1‐ethoxy‐2‐methylpyridinium hexafluorophosphate, as the initiating system. The B‐alkyne compound was synthesized using benzoin photoinitiator and propargyl bromide. Well‐defined bromine‐terminated polystyrene (PSt‐Br) was prepared by ATRP using 2‐oxo‐1,2‐diphenylethyl‐2‐bromopropanoate as initiator. Subsequently, the bromine chain end of PSt‐Br was converted to an azide group to obtain PSt‐N₃ by a simple nucleophilic substitution reaction. Then the coupling reaction between the azide end group in PSt‐N₃ and PCHO‐alkyne was performed with Cu(I) catalysis in order to obtain the PCHO‐b‐PSt block copolymer. The structures of all polymers were determined. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of PBMA‐b‐PSt‐b‐PBMA triblock copolymers by atom transfer radical emulsion polymerization

Poly(n‐butyl methacrylate)‐b‐polystyrene‐b‐poly(n‐butyl methacrylate) (PBMA‐b‐PSt‐b‐PBMA) triblock copolymers were successfully synthesized by emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Difunctional polystyrene (PSt) macroinitiators that contained alkyl chloride end‐groups were prepared by ATRP of styrene (St) with CCl₄ as initiator and were used to initiate the ATRP of butyl methacrylate (BMA). The latter procedure was carried out at 85°C with CuCl/4,4′‐di (5‐nonyl)‐2,2′‐bipyridine (dNbpy) as catalyst and polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether (Brij35) as surfactant. Using this technique, triblock copolymers consisting of a PSt center block and PBMA terminal blocks were synthesized. The polymerization was nearly controlled, ATRP of St from those macroinitiators showed linear increases in the number average molecular weight (Mn) with conversion. The block copolymers were characterized with infrared (IR) spectroscopy, hydrogen‐1 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹HNMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of the molecular weight of macroinitiators, concentration of macroinitiator, catalyst, emulsion, and temperature on the polymerization were also investigated. Thermodynamic data and activation parameters for the ATRP were also reported. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1508–1514, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis,characterization, and application of novel amphiphilic poly(D‐gluconamidoethyl methacrylate)‐b‐polyurethane‐b‐ poly(D‐gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) triblock copolymers

Novel amphiphilic ABA‐type poly(D ‐gluconamidoethyl methacrylate)‐b‐polyurethane‐b‐poly(D ‐gluconamidoethyl methacrylate) (PGAMA‐b‐PU‐b‐PGAMA) tri‐block copolymers were successfully synthesized via the combination of the step‐growth and copper‐catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Dihydroxy polyurethane (HO‐PU‐OH) was synthesized by the step‐growth polymerization of hexamethylene diisocyanate with poly(tetramethylene glycol). PGAMA‐b‐PU‐b‐PGAMA block copolymers were synthesized via copper‐catalyzed ATRP of GAMA in N, N‐dimethyl formamide at 20°C in the presence of 2, 2′‐bipyridyl using Br‐PU‐Br as macroinitiator and characterized by ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy and GPC. The resulting block copolymer forms spherical micelles in water as observed in TEM study, and also supported by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and light scattering. Miceller size increases with increase in hydrophilic PGAMA chain length as revealed by DLS study. The critical micellar concentration values of the resulting block copolymers increased with the increase of the chain length of the PGAMA block. Thermal properties of these block copolymers were studied by thermo‐gravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetric study. Spherical Ag‐nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using these block copolymers as stabilizer. The dimension of Ag nanoparticle was tailored by altering the chain length of the hydrophilic block of the copolymer. A mechanism has been proposed for the formation of stable and regulated Ag nanoparticle using various chain length of hydrophilic PGAMA block of the tri‐block copolymer. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Synthesis of poly[(decanoic acid)‐block‐styrene] diblock copolymers and their self‐assembly behavior in aqueous medium

Diblock copolymers, poly[(10‐hydroxydecanoic acid)‐block‐styrene] (PHDA‐b‐PSt), were synthesized by combining enzymatic condensation polymerization of HDA and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) as of St PHDA was first obtained via enzymatic condensation polymerization catalyzed by Novozyme‐435. Subsequently, one terminus of the PHDA chains was modified by reaction with α‐bromopropionyl bromide and the other terminus was protected by chlorotrimethylsilane. The resulting monofunctional macroinitiator was used subsequently in ATRP of St using CuCl/2,2′‐bipyridine as the catalyst system to afford diblock copolymers including biodegradable PHDA blocks and well‐defined PSt blocks. Polymeric nanospheres were prepared by self‐assembly of the PHDA‐b‐PSt diblock copolymers in aqueous medium. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of Pst‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PSt copolymers by atom transfer radical polymerization

Polystyrene‐b‐poly(dimethylsiloxane)‐b‐polystyrene (Pst‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PSt) triblock copolymers were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Commercially available difunctional PDMS containing vinylsilyl terminal species was reacted with hydrogen bromide, resulting in the PDMS macroinitiators for the ATRP of styrene (St). The latter procedure was carried out at 130°C in a phenyl ether solution with CuCl and 4, 4′‐di (5‐nonyl)‐2,2′‐bipyridine (dNbpy) as the catalyzing system. By using this technique, triblock copolymers consisting of a PDMS center block and polystyrene terminal blocks were synthesized. The polymerization was controllable; ATRP of St from those macroinitiators showed linear increases in M_n with conversion. The block copolymers were characterized with IR and ¹H‐NMR. The effects of molecular weight of macroinitiators, macroinitiator concentration, catalyst concentration, and temperature on the polymerization were also investigated. Thermodynamic data and activation parameters for the ATRP are reported. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 3764–3770, 2004     

Chemo‐enzymatic synthesis of poly(2,2,2‐trichloroethyl 10‐hydroxydecanate)‐block‐polystyrene combining enzymatic self‐condensation polymerization and ATRP

Enzymatic polymerization in a non‐natural environment is of interest as an environmentally friendly methodology as an alternative to the use of conventional chemical organometallic catalysts. Chemo‐enzymatic synthesis of the AB‐type diblock copolymer poly(2,2,2‐trichloroethyl 10‐hydroxydecanate)‐block‐polystyrene (PHD‐b‐PSt) was carried out by combining enzymatic self‐condensation polymerization (eSCP) and atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Biocatalyst Novozyme 435 was successful in catalyzing the eSCP of a novel ω‐hydroxyester, i.e. 2,2,2‐trichloroethyl 10‐hydroxydecanate. The resulting ? CCl₃‐terminated PHD initiated the ATRP of styrene, a ‘living’/controlled radical polymerization. The analysis of the hydrolysate from the copolymer proved the presence of a block copolymer structure. In addition, the well‐defined diblock copolymer PHD‐b‐PSt self‐assembled into nanoscale micelles in aqueous solution. The chemo‐enzymatic synthesis of diblock copolymer PHD‐b‐PSt was achieved by the combination of eSCP and ATRP. The structures and composition of the block copolymer were characterized by means of NMR, infrared and gel permeation chromatography measurements. Differential scanning calorimetry analysis showed that a microphase‐separation structure was formed in the copolymer, which was caused by the crystallization of the PHD segments. As investigated with atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering, these micelles had a mean diameter and a spherical shape. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a chemo‐enzymatic synthesis based on eSCP and ATRP. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(n‐butyl methacrylate)‐b‐polystyrene diblock copolymers by atom transfer radical emulsion polymerization

Poly(n‐butyl methacrylate) (PBMA)‐b‐polystyrene (PSt) diblock copolymers were synthesized by emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). PBMA macroinitiators that contained alkyl bromide end groups were obtained by the emulsion ATRP of n‐butyl methacrylate with BrCH₃CHCOOC₂H₅ as the initiator; these were used to initiate the ATRP of styrene (St). The latter procedure was carried out at 85°C with CuCl/4,4′‐di(5‐nonyl)‐2,2′‐bipyridine as the catalyst and polyoxyethylene(23) lauryl ether as the surfactant. With this technique, PBMA‐b‐PSt diblock copolymers were synthesized. The polymerization was nearly controlled; the ATRP of St from the macroinitiators showed linear increases in number‐average molecular weight with conversion. The block copolymers were characterized with IR spectroscopy, ¹H‐NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry. The effects of the molecular weight of the macroinitiators, macroinitiator concentration, catalyst concentration, surfactant concentration, and temperature on the polymerization were also investigated. Thermodynamic data and activation parameters for the ATRP are also reported. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 2123–2129, 2005     

Synthesis of polydimethylsiloxane‐block‐polystyrene‐block‐polydimethylsiloxane via polysiloxane‐based macroinitiator in supercritical CO2

Polydimethylsiloxane‐block‐polystyrene‐block‐polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS‐b‐PS‐b‐PDMS) was synthesized by the radical polymerization of styrene using a polydimethylsiloxane‐based macroazoinitiator (PDMS MAI) in supercritical CO₂. PDMS MAI was synthesized by reacting hydroxy‐terminated PDMS and 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoyl chloride) (ACPC) having a thermodegradable azo‐linkage at room temperature. The polymerization of styrene initiated by PDMS MAI was investigated in a batch system using supercritical CO₂ as the reaction medium. PDMS MAI was found to behave as a polyazoinitiator for radical block copolymerization of styrene, but not as a surfactant. The response surface methodology was used to design the experiments. The parameters used were pressure, temperature, PDMS MAI concentration and reaction time. These parameters were investigated at three levels (?1, 0 and 1). The dependent variable was taken as the polymerization yield of styrene. PDMS MAI and PDMS‐b‐PS‐b‐PDMS copolymers obtained were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. The number‐ and weight‐average molecular weights of block copolymers were determined by gel permeation chromatography. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of block comb‐like copolymers P(A‐MPEO)‐block‐PSt

Amphiphilic block comb‐shaped copolymers, poly[poly(ethylene oxide) methyl ether acrylate]‐block‐polystyrene [P(A‐MPEO)‐block‐PSt] with PSt as a handle, were successfully synthesized via a macromonomer technique. The reaction of MPEO with acryloyl chloride yielded a macromonomer, A‐MPEO. The macroinitiator PSt capped with the dithiobenzoate group (PSt‐SC(S)Ph) was prepared by reversible addition–fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization of styrene in the presence of benzyl dithiobenzoate, and used as macroinitiator in the controlled radical block copolymerization of A‐MPEO at room temperature under ⁶⁰Co irradiation. After the unreacted macromonomer A‐MPEO had been removed by washing with hot saturated saline water, block comb‐shaped copolymers were obtained. Their structure was characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The phase transition and self‐assembling behaviour were investigated by atomic force microscope and differential scanning calorimetry. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of block copolymers from PDMS macroinitiators

The synthesis of polystyrene‐b‐polydimethylsiloxane‐b‐polystyrene (PSt‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PSt) copolymers is described. Commercially available difunctional PDMS containing vinylsilyl terminal species was reacted with hydrogen bromide resulting in the PDMS macroinitiators. The terminal alkyl bromide groups were then used as initiators for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to produce block copolymers. Using this technique, triblock copolymers consisting of a PDMS centre block and polystyrene terminal blocks were synthesized. ATRP of St from those macroinitiators showed linear increases in M_n with conversion, demonstrating the effectiveness of ATRP to synthesize a variety of inorganic/organic polymer hybrids. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Amphiphilic block copolymer poly(lactic acid)‐block‐(glycidylazide polymer)‐block‐polystyrene: synthesis and self‐assembly

The triblock energetic copolymer poly(lactic acid)‐block‐(glycidylazide polymer)‐block‐polystyrene (PLA‐b‐GAP‐b‐PS) was synthesized successfully through atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene and ring‐opening polymerization of d,l ‐lactide. The energetic macroinitiator GAP‐Br, which was made from reacting equimolar GAP with α‐bromoisobutyryl bromide, firstly triggered the ATRP of styrene with its bromide group, and then the hydroxyl group on the GAP end of the resulting diblock copolymer participated in the polymerization of lactide in the presence of stannous octoate. The triblock copolymer PLA‐b‐GAP‐b‐PS had a narrow distribution of molecular weight. In the copolymer, the PS block was solvophilic in toluene and improved the stability of the structure, the PLA block was solvophobic in toluene and served as the sacrificial component for the preparation of porous materials, and GAP was the basic and energetic material. The three blocks of the copolymer were fundamentally thermodynamically immiscible, which led to the self‐assembly of the block copolymer in solution. Further studies showed that the concentration and solubility of the copolymer and the polarity of the solvent affected the morphology and size of the micelles generated from the self‐assembly of PLA‐b‐GAP‐b‐PS. The micelles generated in organic solvents at 10 mg mL^?1 copolymer concentration were spherical but became irregular when water was used as a co‐solvent. The spherical micelles self‐assembled in toluene had three distinct layers, with the diameter of the micelles increasing from 60 to 250 nm as the concentration of the copolymer increased from 5 to 15 mg L^?1. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐polystyrene copolymers obtained by radical polymerization involving chain‐transfer processes

Poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐polystyrene (PEO–PSt) block copolymers were prepared by radical polymerization of styrene in the presence of iodoacetate—terminated PEO (PEO‐I) as a macromolecular chain‐transfer agent. PEO‐I was synthesized by successively converting the OH end‐group of α‐methoxy ω‐hydroxy PEO to chloroacetate and then to the iodoacetate. The chain‐transfer constant of PEO‐I was estimated from the rate of consumption of the transfer agent versus the rate of consumption of the monomer (C_{tr, PEO‐I} = 0.23). Due to the involvement of degenerative transfer, styrene polymerization in the presence of PEO‐I displayed some of the characteristics of a controlled/‘living’ process, namely an increase in the molecular weight and decrease of polydispersity with monomer conversion. However, because of the slow consumption of PEO‐I due to its low chain‐transfer constant, this process was not a fully controlled one, as indicated by the polydispersity being higher than in a controlled polymerization process (1.65 versus < 1.5). The formation of PEO–PSt block copolymers was confirmed by the use of size‐exclusion chromatography and ¹H NMR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of PLLA‐PEOMA comb‐block‐comb type molecular brushes based on AGET ATRP and ring‐opening polymerization

BACKGROUND: Molecular brushes are types of macromolecules with densely grafted side chains on a linear backbone. The synthesis of macromolecular brushes has stimulated much interest due to their great potential in applications in various fields. Poly(L ‐lactide)–poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PLLA‐PEOMA) comb‐block‐comb molecular brushes with controlled molecular weights and narrow molecular weight distributions were successfully synthesized based on a combination of activator generated by electron transfer (AGET) atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and ring‐opening polymerization. The synthetic route is a combination of the ‘grafting through’ method for AGET ATRP of the PEOMA comb block and the ‘grafting from’ method for the synthesis of the PLLA comb block. Poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) was synthesized by ATRP, and PLLA side chains and PEOMA side chains were grown from the backbones and the terminal sites of PHEMA, respectively. RESULTS: The number‐average degrees of polymerization of PLLA chains and poly[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] (PPEOMA) comb blocks were determined using ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and the apparent molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of the brush molecules were measured using gel permeation chromatography. The crystallization of the components in the comb‐block‐comb copolymers was also investigated. The crystallization of PLLA side chains is influenced by PLLA chain length and the content of PPEOMA in the molecular brushes. The comb‐block‐comb copolymer composed of hydrophobic PLLA and hydrophilic PEOMA can self‐assemble into a micellar structure in aqueous solution. CONCLUSION: A combination of AGET ATRP and ring‐opening polymerization is an efficient method to prepare well‐defined comb‐block‐comb molecular brushes. The physical properties of the molecular brushes are closely related to their structures. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene‐co‐butene) block copolymers by anionic living polymerization and subsequent noncatalytic hydrogenation

A series of polystyrene‐b‐polybutadiene (PSt‐b‐PBd) block copolymers with various chain lengths and compositions were synthesized by sequential living anionic polymerization and then converted into the corresponding polystyrene‐b‐poly(ethylene‐co‐butene) (PSt‐b‐PEB) block copolymers through the selective hydrogenation of unsaturated polybutadiene segments. Noncatalytic hydrogenation was carried out with diimide as the hydrogen source. The microstructures of PSt‐b‐PBd and PSt‐b‐PEB were investigated with gel permeation chromatography, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, Fourier transform infrared, and differential scanning calorimetry. The results showed that the hydrogenation reaction was conducted successfully and that the chain length and molecular weight distribution were not altered by hydrogenation. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 2632–2638, 2006     

Synthesis of poly(fluorinated styrene)‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) amphiphilic copolymers via atom transfer radical polymerization: potential application as paper coating materials

BACKGROUND: The surface of a substrate which comprises a fibrous material is brought into contact with a type of amphiphilic block copolymer which comprises hydrophilic/hydrophobic polymeric blocks. These amphiphilic copolymers have been synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. The atom transfer radical polymerization of poly(2,3,4,5,6‐pentafluorostyrene)‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) (PFS‐b‐PEO) copolymers (di‐ and triblock structures) with various ranges of PEO molecular weights was initiated by a PEO chloro‐telechelic macroinitiator. The polymerization, carried out in bulk and catalysed by copper(I) chloride in the presence of 2,2′‐bipyridine ligand, led to A–B–A amphiphilic triblock and A–B amphiphilic diblock structures. RESULTS: With most of the macroinitiators, the living nature of the polymerizations led to block copolymers with narrow molecular weight distributions (1.09 < M_w/M_n < 1.33) and well‐controlled molecular structures. These block copolymers turned out to be water‐soluble through adjustment of the PEO block content (>90 wt%). Of all the block copolymers synthesized, PFS‐b‐PEO(10k)‐b‐PFS containing 10 wt% PFS was found to retard water absorption considerably. CONCLUSION: The printability of paper treated with the copolymers was evaluated with contact angle measurements and felt pen tests. The adsorption of such copolymers at the solid/liquid interface is relevant to the wetting and spreading of liquids on hydrophobic/hydrophilic surfaces. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis of cyclohexanone formaldehyde resin‐methylmethacrylate block‐graft copolymers via ATRP

Well defined block‐graft copolymers of cyclohexanone‐formaldehyde resin (CFR) and methylmethacrylate (MMA) were prepared via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). In the first step, cyclohexanone formaldehyde resin (CFR) containing hydroxyl groups were modified with 2‐bromopropionyl bromide. Resulting multifunctional macroinitiator was used in the ATRP of MMA using copper bromide (CuBr) and N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyl‐diethylenetriamine (PMDETA) as catalyst system at 90°C. The chemical composition and structure of the copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H‐NMR) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and molecular weight measurement. Molecular weight distributions of the CFR graft copolymers were measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). M_n values up to 19,000 associated with narrow molecular weight distributions (polydispersity index (PDI) < 1.6) were obtained with conversions up to 49%. Coating properties of synthesized graft copolymers such as adhesion and gloss values were measured. They exhibited good adhesion properties on Plexiglas substrate. The thermal behaviors of all polymers were conducted using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Synthesis of block copolymers with thermodynamically compatible chain segments: di‐ and triblock copolymers of polystyrene and poly(2,6‐dimethyl‐1,4‐phenylene oxide)

Mono‐ and bifunctional poly(phenylene oxide) (PPO) macroinitiators for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) were prepared by esterification of mono‐ and bishydroxy telechelic PPO with 2‐bromoisobutyryl bromide. The macroinitiators were used for ATRP of styrene to give block copolymers with PPO and polystyrene (PS) segments, namely PPO‐block‐PS and PS‐block‐PPO‐block‐PS. Various ligands were studied in combination with CuBr as ATRP catalysts. Kinetic investigations revealed controlled polymerization processes for certain ligands and temperature ranges. Thermal analysis of the block copolymers by means of DSC revealed only one glass transition temperature as a result of the compatibility of the PS and PPO chain segments and the formation of a single phase; this glass transition temperature can be adjusted over a wide temperature range (ca 100–199 °C), depending on the composition of the block copolymer. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of four‐arm star‐shaped polymers and copolymers

Four‐arm star‐shaped polymers and copolymers were obtained by transition metal‐catalyzed atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The polymers were characterized by FTIR and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. Gel permeation chromatography results indicated the formation of polystyrene and polystyrene‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PS‐b‐PMMA) arms with controlled molecular weights. In dilute solution, the linear polymers had higher inherent viscosities than star‐shaped ones. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a similar degradation mechanism for linear and star‐shaped polymers. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated the successful formation of diblock star‐shaped copolymers. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Synthesis and characterization of AB‐type copolymers poly(L‐lactide)‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) via a convenient route combining ROP and ATRP from a dual initiator

Diblock copolymers of poly(L ‐lactide)‐block‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PLLA‐b‐PMMA) were synthesized through a sequential two‐step strategy, which combines ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) and atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), using a bifunctional initiator, 2,2,2‐trichloroethanol. The trichloro‐terminated poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA‐Cl) with high molecular weight (M_n,GPC = 1–12 × 10⁴ g/mol) was presynthesized through bulk ROP of L ‐lactide (L ‐LA), initiated by the hydroxyl group of the double‐headed initiator, with tin(II) octoate (Sn(Oct)₂) as catalyst. The second segment of the block copolymer was synthesized by the ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA), with PLLA‐Cl as macroinitiator and CuCl/N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDETA) as catalyst, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was chosen as reaction medium due to the poor solubility of the macroinitiator in conventional solvents at the reaction temperature. The trichloroethoxyl terminal group of the macroinitiator was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. The comprehensive results from GPC, FTIR, ¹H‐NMR analysis indicate that diblock copolymers PLLA‐b‐PMMA (M_n,GPC = 5–13 × 10⁴ g/mol) with desired molecular composition were obtained by changing the molar ratio of monomer/initiator. DSC, XRD, and TG analyses establish that the crystallization of copolymers is inhibited with the introduction of PMMA segment, which will be beneficial to ameliorating the brittleness, and furthermore, to improving the thermal performance. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010