Microwave‐improved polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone initiated by carboxylic acids

The ring‐opening polymerization of ε‐caprolactone (ε‐CL), initiated by carboxylic acids such as benzoic acid and chlorinated acetic acids under microwave irradiation, was investigated; with this method, no metal catalyst was necessary. The product was characterized as poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) by ¹H NMR spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography. The polymerization was significantly improved under microwave irradiation. The weight‐average molecular weight (M_w) of PCL reached 44,800 g/mol, with a polydispersity index [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n)] of 1.6, when a mixture of ε‐CL and benzoic acid (25/1 molar ratio) was irradiated at 680 W for 240 min, whereas PCL with M_w = 12,100 and M_w/M_n = 4.2 was obtained from the same mixture by a conventional heating method at 210 °C for 240 min. A degradation of the resultant PCL was observed during microwave polymerization with chlorinated acetic acids as initiators, and this induced a decrease in M_w of PCL. However, the degradation was hindered by benzoic acid at low concentrations. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 13–21, 2003     

Controlled release of drug via tuning electrospun polymer carrier

Medicated‐fibers have been obtained through electrospinning after rifampin was dissolved in poly (lactic acid)/chloroform solution. The relationship between polymer variables [such as concentration, molecular weight (M_w), and introducing hydrophilic block] and drug release from the electrospun fibers is disclosed. The results show that polymeric concentration and M_w are crucial for producing the medicated fibers, which influence not only the morphology of the medicated‐fiber but also drug release rate from fiber. At the same M_w, the drug release rate decreases with the increase of spinning concentration. At two different M_w blends, drug release behaviors change. When the low M_w content is in a dominant position, drug release rate depends largely on mixing ratio of two M_w contents; on the other hand, drug release rate is also dependent on concentration of spinning fluid. In addition, the block copolymer [poly‐L ‐lactic acid (PLLA)‐polyethylene glycol‐PLLA] shows faster release rate as compared to homopolymer (PLLA). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011     

Synthesis of a novel [60]fullerene pearl-necklace polymer,poly(4,4′-carbonylbisphenylene trans-2-[60]fullerenobisacetamide)

A novel [60]fullerene pearl-necklace polymer, poly(4,4′-carbonylbisphenylene trans-2-[60]fullerenobisacetamide), was synthesized by a direct polycondensation of trans-2-[60]fullerenobisacetic acid with 4,4′-diaminobenzophenone in the presence of large excesses of triphenyl phosphite and pyridine. In the present polymer, [60]fullerene pearls and diamine linkers were attached to each other by methano-carbonyl connectors. The molecular weight M_w of the polymer was determined to be 4.5 × 10⁴ on the basis of the TOF-MS, and a GPC analysis of the polymer using polystyrene standards showed a weight-average molecular weight of 5.3 × 10⁴. The UV-vis spectrum of the resultant polymer in N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) exhibited a broad absorption (λ_max 310 nm, ε 2.1 × 10⁴ L · mol⁻¹ · cm⁻¹), tailing to longer wavelengths, and a fluorenscence peak centered at 550 nm was observed in DMAc. There was observed a large downfield-shift of the cyclopropane methyne proton in the ¹H-NMR spectra from 4.57 ppm of the ethyl ester to 5.78 ppm of the polyamide. These observations indicate that the present polyamide is a high-molecular-weight [60]fullerene pearl-necklace polymer and that the cyclopropane rings are efficient to make the [60]fullerene cages and the diamine components conjugatable. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3632–3637, 1999     

Chemoselective polyesterification by direct polycondensation

A convenient method for the synthesis of polyester‐containing amino substitutes on the aromatic rings of the backbone has been developed. This polyester was prepared by chemoselective polyesterification of isophthalic acid with bisphenol having an amino group in the presence of the condensing agent diphenyl(2,3‐dihydro‐2‐thioxo‐3‐benzoxazolyl)phosphonate ( 1 ) and 1,5‐diazabicyclo[4,3,0]‐5‐nonene as a base. The model reactions were carried out in detail to elucidate appropriate conditions of chemoselective polyesterification. Direct polycondensation of isopthalic acid with 4,4′‐[1‐(4‐aminophenyl)ethylidene]bisphenol proceeded smoothly under mild conditions and produced the desired polyester with a number average molecular weight of 11,000 and M_w/M_n of 2.22. The polymer obtained was characterized by IR, ¹H, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 78–85, 2001     

Anionic copolymerization of [60]fullerene with styrene initiated by sodium naphthalene

The novel C₆₀–styrene copolymers with different C₆₀ contents were prepared in sodium naphthalene-initiated anionic polymerization reactions. Like the pure polystyrene, these copolymers exhibited the high solvency in many common organic solvents, even for the copolymer with high C₆₀ content. In the polymerization process of C₆₀ with styrene an important side reaction, i.e., reaction of C₆₀ with sodium naphthalene, would occur simultaneously, whereas crosslinking reaction may be negligible. ¹³C-NMR results provided an evidence that C₆₀ was incorporated covalently into the polystyrene backbone. In contrast to pure polystyrene, the TGA spectrum of copolymer containing ∼ 13% of C₆₀ shows two plateaus. The polystyrene chain segment in copolymer decomposed first at 300–400°C. Then the fullerene units reptured from the corresponding polystyrene fragments attached directly to the C₆₀ cores at 500–638°C. XRD evidence indicates that the degree of order of polymers increases with the fullerene content increased in terms of crystallography. Incorporation of C₆₀ into polystyrene results in the formation of new crystal gratings or crystallization phases. In addition, it was also found that [60]fullerene and its polyanion salts [C₆₀ⁿ⁻(M⁺)_n, M = Li, Na] cannot be used to initiate the anionic polymerization of some monomers such as acrylonitrile and styrene, etc.© 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. B Polym. Phys. 36: 2653–2663, 1998     

Electrochemical synthesis of carbonyl- and phosphoryl-containing methano[60]fullerenes

The combined electrochemical reduction of fullerene C₆₀ in the presence of p-bromo-benzoyldibromomethane or bis(diisopropoxyphosphoryl)dibromomethane at a brass electrode in a mixed solvent o-dichlorobenzene-MeCN (3:1 v/v)/0.05 M Bu₄NBF₄ at room temperature affords 61-(p-bromobenzoyl)methano[60]fullerene or 61,61-bis(diisopropoxyphosphoryl)methano[60]fullerene, respectively, in 50% yields.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2681–2685, December, 2004.     

Novel thermally stable triarylamine‐containing aromatic polyamides bearing anthrylamine chromophores for highly efficient green‐light‐emitting materials

A series of novel polyamides with pendent anthrylamine units were prepared via the direct phosphorylation polycondensation from various diamines and the anthrylamine‐based aromatic dicarboxylic acid, 9‐[N,N‐di(4‐carboxyphenyl)amino]anthracene (4). The aromatic polyamides had useful levels of thermal stability associated with relatively high softening temperatures (T_s) (290–300 °C), 10% weight‐loss temperatures (T_d¹⁰) nearly in excess of 550 °C, and char yields at 800 °C in nitrogen higher than 60%. These aromatic polyamides I exhibited highly photoluminescence quantum yield in NMP solution ranges from 55% for Ia to 74% for Ie due to the introduction of anthrylamine chromophores. Cyclic voltammograms of the polyamide films cast onto an indium‐tin oxide (ITO)‐coated glass substrate exhibited one oxidation and reduction couples (E_onset) around 1.10 and ?1.50 V versus Ag/AgCl in acetonitrile (CH₃CN) and DMF solutions, respectively. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 7354–7368, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides containing adamantyl and diamantyl moieties in the main chain

This work synthesized a series of new polyamides by direct polycondensation of 1,3-bis[4-(4-carboxyphenoxy)phenyl]adamantane ( I ) with various diamines. The diacid I was synthesized from 1,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)adamantane in two steps. Polyamides III were soluble in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and pyridine. The polyamides had medium inherent viscosities of 0.30–0.55 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (M_n) of 22,000–36,000. The polyamides III _a and III _b had tensile strengths of 59.8 and 77.5 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 5.8 and 7.6%, and initial moduli of 1.9 and 1.8 GPa, respectively. Their glass transition temperatures were found to be 219–295°C by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that the incorporation of rigid and bulky diamantane into polyamides III _a and III _b leads to high glass transition temperatures (T_gs), at 299 and 286°C, respectively. The decomposition temperatures of polyamides III at a 5% weight loss ranged from 388 to 416°C in air and from 408 to 435°C in N₂ atmosphere. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 785–792, 1998     

Novel neodymium (III) isopropoxide‐methylaluminoxane catalyst for isoprene polymerization

A novel catalyst composed of neodymium (III) isopropoxide [Nd(OiPr)₃] and methylaluminoxane (MAO) was examined in isoprene polymerization. The Nd(OiPr)₃‐MAO catalyst proved to be highly effective in heptane even at low [Al]/[Nd] ratios (ca. 30) to give polyisoprene that possessed high cis‐1,4 stereoregularity (> ca. 90%), a high number‐average molecular weight (M_n ～10⁵), and relatively narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n = 1.9–2.8). The catalyst activity increased with an increasing [Al]/[Nd] ratio from 10 to 80 as well as temperature of aging and polymerization from 0 to 60 °C. The polymerization proceeded in the first order with respect to the monomer concentration. Aliphatic solvents (heptane and cyclohexane) achieved a higher yield and M_n of polymer than toluene as a solvent. The M_w/M_n ratio remained around 2.0, and the gel permeation chromatographic curve was always unimodal, indicating that this system is homogeneous and involves a single active site. The microstructure of polyisoprene was determined by IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR. The cis‐1,4 contents of the final polymers stayed in the range of 90–92%, regardless of reaction conditions, indicating the high stability of stereospecificity of the catalyst. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 1838–1844, 2002     

RAFT synthesis of a water‐soluble triblock copolymer of poly(styrenesulfonate)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(styrenesulfonate) using a macromolecular chain transfer agent in aqueous solution

Triblock copolymers of poly(styrenesulfonate)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(styrenesulfonate) with narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n = 1.28–1.40) and well‐defined structure have been synthesized in aqueous solution at 70 °C via reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) capped with 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate end groups was used as the macro chain transfer agent (PEG macro‐CTA) for sole monomer sodium 4‐styrenesulfonate. The reaction was controllable and displayed living polymerization characteristics and the triblock copolymer had designed molecular weight. The reaction rate depended strongly on the CTA and initiator concentration ratio [CTA]₀/[ACPA]₀: an increase in [CTA]₀/[ACPA]₀ from 1.0 to 5.0 slowed down the polymerization rate and improved the molecular weight distribution with a prolonged induction time. The polymerization proceeded, following first‐order kinetics when [CTA]₀/[ACPA]₀ = 2.5 and 5.0. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 3698–3706, 2007     

Living anionic polymerization of ethylphenylketene: A novel approach to well‐defined polyester synthesis

A living polymerization of ethylphenylketene (EPK) was accomplished. When polymerization of EPK was carried out with butyllithium as an initiator in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at −20 °C, EPK was completely consumed within 5 min, and the corresponding polyester with narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w /M_n ∼ 1.1) was obtained almost quantitatively. Kinetic study of the polymerization at −78 °C revealed that conversion of EPK agreed with the first‐order kinetic equation, and that M_n of the polymer increased in virtually direct proportion to the conversion. Along with these results, successful results in postpolymerization at −20 °C strongly supported living mechanism of the present polymerization. Further, lithium alkoxides having a methoxy group, styryl moiety, and nitroxyl radical, also successfully initiated polymerization of EPK to afford the corresponding polymers having functional initiating ends. In the polymerization with varying feed ratio [EPK]₀/[initiator]₀, the linear relationship between the feed ratio and M_n of the obtained polymer was observed, while maintaining narrow M_w /M_n. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1073–1082, 2000     

Living cationic polymerization of vinyl ether with a cyclic acetal group

The living cationic polymerization of 5‐ethyl‐2‐methyl‐5‐(vinyloxymethyl)‐1,3‐dioxane ( 1 ), a vinyl ether with a cyclic acetal unit, was investigated with various initiating systems in toluene or methylene chloride at 0 to ?30 °C. With initiating systems such as hydrogen chloride (HCl)/zinc chloride (ZnCl₂), isobutyl vinyl ether–acetic acid adduct [CH₃CH(OiBu)OCOCH₃]/tin tetrabromide (SnBr₄)/di‐tert‐butylpyridine (DTBP), and CH₃CH(OiBu)OCOCH₃/ethylaluminum sesquichloride (Et_1.5AlCl_1.5)/ethyl acetate (CH₃COOEt), the number‐average molecular weights (M_n's) of the obtained poly( 1 )s increased in direct proportion to the monomer conversion and produced polymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions [MWDs; weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n) = 1.2–1.3]. To investigate the living nature of the polymerization with CH₃CH(OiBu)OCOCH₃/SnBr₄/DTBP, a second monomer feed was added to the almost polymerized reaction mixture. The added monomer was completely consumed, and the M_n values of the polymers showed a direct increase against the conversion of the added monomer, indicating the formation of a long‐lived propagating species. The glass transition temperature and thermal decomposition temperature of poly( 1 ) (e.g., M_n = 13,600, M_w/M_n = 1.30) were 29 and 308 °C, respectively. The cyclic acetal group in the pendants of the polymer of 1 could be converted to the corresponding two hydroxy groups in a 65% yield by an acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis reaction. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4855–4866, 2007     

Melt polycondensation of L‐lactic acid with Sn(II) catalysts activated by various proton acids: A direct manufacturing route to high molecular weight Poly(L‐lactic acid)

Poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) was produced by the melt polycondensation of L ‐lactic acid. For the optimization of the reaction conditions, various catalyst systems were examined at different temperature and reaction times. It was discovered that Sn(II) catalysts activated by various proton acids can produce high molecular weight PLLA [weight‐average molecular weight (M_w ) ≥ 100,000] in a relatively short reaction time (≤15 h) compared with simple Sn(II)‐based catalysts (SnO, SnCl₂ · 2H₂O), which produce PLLA with an M_w of less than 30,000 after 20 h. The new catalyst system is also superior to the conventional systems in regard to racemization and discoloration of the resultant polymer. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1673–1679, 2000     

Synthesis of arborescent styrene homopolymers and copolymers from epoxidized substrates

The synthesis of arborescent styrenic homopolymers and copolymers was achieved by anionic polymerization and grafting. Styrene and p‐(3‐butenyl)styrene were first copolymerized using sec‐butyllithium in toluene, to generate a linear copolymer with a weight‐average molecular weight M_w = 4000 and M_w/M_n = 1.05. The pendant double bonds of the copolymer were then epoxidized with m‐chloroperbenzoic acid. A comb‐branched (or arborescent generation G0) copolymer was obtained by coupling the epoxidized substrate with living styrene‐p‐(3‐butenyl)styrene copolymer chains with M_w ≈ 5000 in a toluene/tetrahydrofuran mixture. Further cycles of epoxidation and coupling reactions while maintaining M_w ≈ 5000 for the side chains yielded arborescent copolymers of generations G1–G3. A series of arborescent styrene homopolymers was also obtained by grafting M_w ≈ 5000 polystyrene side chains onto the linear and G0–G2 copolymer substrates. Size exclusion chromatography measurements showed that the graft polymers have low polydispersity indices (M_w/M_n = 1.02–1.15) and molecular weights increasing geometrically over successive generations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Synthesis and characterization of new polyamides derived from 1,6-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]diamantane

A series of new polyamides 3 were synthesized by direct polycondensation of the 1,6-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]diamantane (1) with various dicarboxylic acids. The polyamides had inherent viscosities of 0.45–1.90 dL/g and number-average molecular weights (M_n) of 24,000–110,000. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that polymers 3 have two relaxations on the temperature scale between −100 and 400°C. Their α relaxations occurred at high temperatures, ranging from 338 to 389°C. Moreover, these polymers remained quite stable at high temperatures and maintained good mechanical properties (G′ = ca. 10⁸ Pa) up to temperatures close to the main transition markedly exceeding 350°C. Due to the bulky diamantane elements and the flexible ether segments, the polymers 3 were amorphous and soluble in a number of organic solvents such as pyridine, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), and N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc). The polyamides 3 have tensile strengths of 56.7–90.2 MPa, elongation to breakage values of 7.5–27.7%, and initial moduli of 1.8–2.1 GPa. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2185–2192, 1998     

Rare‐earth‐metal‐initiated polymerizations of (meth)acrylates and block copolymerizations of olefins with polar monomers

The organo‐rare‐earth‐metal‐initiated living polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was first discovered in 1992 with (C₅Me₅)₂LnR (where R is H or Me and Ln is Sm, Yb, Y, or La) as an initiator. These polymerizations provided highly syndiotactic (>96%) poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with a high number‐average molecular weight (M_n > 1000 × 10³) and a very narrow molecular weight distribution [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n) < 1.04] quantitatively in a short period. Bridged rare‐earth‐metallocene derivatives were used to perform the block copolymerization of ethylene or 1‐hexene with MMA, methyl acrylate, cyclic carbonate, or ?‐caprolactone in a voluntary ratio. Highly isotactic (97%), monodisperse, high molecular weight (M_n > 500 × 10³, M_w/M_n < 1.1) PMMA was first obtained in 1998 with [(Me₃Si)₃C]₂Yb. Stereocomplexes prepared by the mixing of the resulting syndiotactic and isotactic PMMA revealed improved physical properties. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 39: 1955–1959, 2001     

Glycoconjugated polymer: Synthesis and characterization of poly(vinyl saccharide)‐block‐polystyrene‐block‐poly(vinyl saccharide) as an amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymer

Styrene (St) was polymerized with α,α′‐bis(2′,2′,6′,6′‐tetramethyl‐1′‐piperidinyloxy)‐1,4‐diethylbenzene ( 1 ) as an initiator (bulk, [St]/] 1 ] = 570) at 120 °C for 5.0 h to obtain polystyrene having 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidiloxy moieties on both sides of the chain ends ( 2 ) with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 14,300 and a polydispersity index [weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight (M_w/M_n)] of 1.14. 4‐Vinylbenzyl glucoside peracetate ( 3a ) was polymerized with 2 as a macromolecular initiator and dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as an accelerator in chlorobenzene at 120 °C. The polymerization with the [ 3a ]/[ 2 ]/[DCP] ratio of 30/1/1.2 for 5 h afforded a product in a yield of 73%; it was followed by purification with preparative size exclusion chromatography to provide the ABA triblock copolymer containing the pendant acetyl glucose on both sides of the chain ends ( 4a ; M_n = 21,000, M_w/M_n = 1.16). Similarly, the polymerization of 4‐vinylbenzyl maltohexaoside peracetate produced the ABA triblock copolymer containing the pendant acetyl maltohexaose on both side of the chain end ( 4b ; M_n = 31,800, M_w/M_n = 1.11). Polymers 4a and 4b were modified by deacetylation into amphiphilic ABA triblock copolymers containing the pendant glucose and maltohexaose as hydrophilic segment, 5a and 5b , respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 3978–3985, 2006     

Influence of monofunctional reactants on the physical properties of dimer acid‐based polyamides

Dimer acid‐based polyamides were synthesized by condensation polymerization in the absence and presence of monofunctional reactants. Acetic acid, oleic acid and propyl amine were used as monofunctional reactants. The influences of the equivalent percentage (E%) and type of monofunctional reactant on the physical properties of dimer acid‐based polyamides such as glass transition temperature (T_g), melting point (T_m), heat of fusion (ΔH), degree of polymerization (DP), number average molecular weight (M_n), and kinematic viscosity were investigated. The molecular weight and viscosity of dimer acid‐based polyamides decreased with the increase in equivalent percentage of monofunctional reactant. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies showed that acetic acid and propyl amine had higher effect on the thermal properties of polyamides than that of oleic acid. In the case of polyamides prepared in the presence of acetic acid, the values of T_g, T_m, and ΔH of the polyamides increased remarkably with the increase in acetic acid content. On the contrary, propyl amine had a decreasing effect on the values of T_g, T_m, and ΔH of the polyamides. Incorporation of oleic acid into the polymer structure had no significant effect on the values of T_g and T_m of the dimer acid‐based polyamides. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of reactive three‐arm star‐shaped oligoimides with narrow molecular weight distribution

Series of star‐shaped three arms oligoimides (SOI) with terminal amino groups with narrow MWD ((M_w/M_n = 1.1–2) was synthesized by the one‐stage high‐temperature polycondensation in molten benzoic acid at 140 °C. The (B3+AB′) approach with the “slow addition of monomer” method was used for this synthesis, where B3 is 2,4,6‐tris(4‐aminophenoxy)toluene and AB′ is 3‐aminophenoxy phthalic acid. The SOI arm's length was controlled by the AB′/B3 mole ratio of 10:1, 20:1, 40:1, and 100:1. By the reaction of SOI's terminal amino groups with acetic anhydride, corresponding acetamide derivatives were obtained. SOI synthesized are soluble in selected organic solvents. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 2004–2009     

New ligands for atom‐transfer radical polymerization

A new type of ligands based on organic acids, such as acetic acid, iminodiacetic acid, succinic acid and isophthalic acid, has been successfully employed in the iron‐mediated atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of vinyl monomers, such as styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). The systems containing different organic acids can react at 250°C to 1300°C in “living”/controlled radical polymerizations giving polymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n = 1.2–1.5). ¹H NMR spectroscopy has been used to study the structure of the resulting polymers. Block copolymers were synthesized to confirm the ìlivingî nature of the system. The measured molecular weights are close to the calculated values for the polymerization of MMA and are somewhat lower than the theoretical ones for styrene.