Polymerization of cyclic acetals. II. Synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers

The sequential copolymerization of 1,3,6-trioxacyclooctane (TOC) and 1,3-dioxolane (DOL) (B) with various vinyl monomers (A) was investigated. Under appropriate conditions amphiphilic block copolymers of the type AB and ABA were formed. The reaction mixtures and the isolated polymers were analyzed by GPC (double detection—IR and UV at 254 nm), IR, ¹H-, and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. Block copolymers with chosen molecular weights and low polydispersity could be obtained only by sequential copolymerization of p-methoxystyrene on “living” TOC. In the polymerization of DOL with α-methylstyrene and i-butyl vinyl ether (IBVE) transfer reactions take place to a larger degree.