Microstructural characterization of acrylonitrile/pentyl acrylate copolymers by one and 2‐D NMR spectroscopy

Acrylonitrile/pentyl acrylate (A/P) copolymers of different monomer composition were prepared by solution polymerization using benzoyl peroxide as initiator. Copolymer compositions were determined by elemental analysis and quantitative ¹³C¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. The comonomer reactivity ratios, determined by both Kelen Tudos (KT) and nonlinear error in variables (EVM) methods are r_A = 0.75 and r_p = 0.45. 2‐D heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy (HSQC) was used to simplify the complex ¹H spectra of A/P copolymers in terms of configurational and compositional sequences. The microstructure was obtained in terms of the distribution of A‐ and P‐ centered triad sequences from ¹³C¹H‐NMR spectra of the copolymers. The copolymerization mechanism was found to follow a first order Markov Model. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 533–543, 1999     

Poly(isobornyl methacrylate‐co‐methyl acrylate): Synthesis and stereosequence distribution analysis by NMR spectroscopy

Copolymerization of isobornyl methacrylate and methyl acrylate ( I/M ) is performed by atom transfer radical polymerization using methyl‐2‐bromopropionate as an initiator and PMDETA/CuBr as catalyst under nitrogen atmosphere at 70 °C. The copolymer compositions determined from ¹H NMR spectra are used to determine reactivity ratios of the monomers. The reactivity ratio determined from linear Kelen–Tudos method and non‐linear error‐in‐variable method, are r_I = 1.25 ± 0.10, r_M = 0.84 ± 0.08 and r_I = 1.20, r_M = 0.82, respectively. 1D, distortion less enhancement by polarization transfer and 2D, heteronuclear single quantum coherence, and total correlation spectroscopy NMR experiments are employed to resolve highly overlapped and complex ¹H and ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectra of the copolymers. The carbonyl carbon of I and M units and methyl carbon of I unit are assigned up to triad compositional and configurational sequences, whereas β‐methylene carbons are assigned up to tetrad compositional and configurational sequences. Similarly, methine carbon of I unit is assigned up to triad level. The couplings of carbonyl carbon and quaternary carbon resonances are studied in detail using 2D hetero nuclear multiple bond correlation spectra. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Analysis of β‐CH2 signals in the 13C NMR spectra of the methyl methacrylate–ethyl acrylate copolymer as a tool for microstructure determination

The incremental method of the chemical shift calculation in the ¹³C NMR spectra of the methyl methacrylate–ethyl acrylate copolymer, PMMA/EA, has been applied to the β‐CH₂ carbons. A positive simulation of the DEPT sub‐spectrum shows that it is possible to determine in this way the distribution of configurational‐compositional tetrads providing a tool for microstructure analysis of acrylic copolymers. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2147–2155, 2000     

Synthesis and properties of poly(carbonate‐co‐ester)s obtained by cationic ring‐opening copolymerization of spiroorthocarbonate and ε‐caprolactone

Cationic ring‐opening copolymerization behavior of 1,5,7,11‐tetraoxaspiro[5.5]undecane (SOC1) and ε‐caprolactone (CL), and the thermal behavior of the obtained copolymers are described. When SOC1 and CL were cationically copolymerized under various feed ratios using BF₃OEt₂ as the initiator in CH₂Cl₂ at 25 °C, the corresponding copolymers were obtained in 77–99% yields. The ¹H NMR spectroscopic analysis of the copolymers revealed that the copolymer compositions were almost identical to the feed ratios, and the diad ratios of SOC1–SOC1/SOC1–CL and CL–SOC1/CL–CL are 48.0/52.0 and 54.3/45.7. These observations proved the random structures of the copolymers without containing the long blocks of the homopolymer sequences. Differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) analysis revealed that the melting points and melting entharpies decreased with the increase of the SOC1 unit compositions, suggesting that the copolymers gain flexibility as the SOC1 unit increases. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 2937–2942, 2006     

Atom transfer radical copolymerizationof acrylonitrile/n‐butyl acrylate: Microstructure determination by two‐dimensional nuclearmagnetic resonance spectroscopy

Atom transfer radical polymerization conditions were optimized and standardized with different initiator and catalyst systems. Acrylonitrile/n‐butyl acrylate copolymers were synthesized with 2‐bromopropionitrile as the initiator and CuCl/Cu(0)/2,2′‐bipyridine as the catalyst system. Variations of the feed composition led to copolymers with different compositions. The number‐average molecular weight and the polydispersity index were determined by gel permeation chromatography. Quantitative ¹³C{¹H} NMR was employed to determine the copolymer composition. The reactivity ratios calculated with a methodology based on the Mao–Huglin terminal model were r_A = 1.30 and r_B = 0.68 for acrylonitrile and n‐butyl acrylate, respectively. The reactivity ratios determined by the modified Kelen–Tudos method were r_A = 1.29 ± 0.01 and r_B = 0.67 ± 0.01. ¹³C{¹H} NMR and distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer (DEPT‐45, 90, and 135) were used to distinguish methyl, methylene, methine, and quaternary carbon resonance signals. The overlapping and broad signals of the copolymers were assigned completely to various compositional and configurational sequences by the correlation of one‐dimensional (¹H, ¹³C{¹H}, and DEPT) and two‐dimensional (heteronuclear single quantum coherence, total correlation spectroscopy, and heteronuclear multibond correlation) NMR spectral data. The complete spectral assignments of carbonyl and nitrile carbons were performed with the help of heteronuclear multibond correlation spectra. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2810–2825, 2005     

Poly(acrylonitrile‐co‐methyl methacrylate‐co‐methyl acrylate): Synthesis and stereosequence distribution analysis by 2D NMR

Terpolymers of acrylonitrile (A), methyl methacrylate (B), and methyl acrylate (M) were synthesized under optimized atom transfer radical polymerization conditions using 2‐bromopropionitrile as an initiator and CuBr/dinonyl bipyridine as a catalyst. Variation of the feed composition led to terpolymers with different compositions. Composition of synthesized terpolymers were calculated from quantitative ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectra. Number average molecular weight and polydispersity index were determined by gel permeation chromatography. The overlapping and broad signals of the terpolymers were assigned completely to various compositional and configurational sequences by correlation of one‐dimensional ¹H, ¹³C{¹H}, and distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer and two‐dimensional heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) and total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY). 2D HSQC NMR study shows one to one correlation between carbon and proton signals, while 2D TOCSY spectra were used to confirm 1, 2 bond geminal couplings between nonequivalent protons of same methylene group. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 25–37, 2009     

Synthesis and characterization of model 3‐miktoarm star copolymers of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(2‐vinylpyridine)

3‐Miktoarm star copolymers, 3μ‐D₂V, with two poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and one poly(2‐vinylpyridine) (P2VP) arm, were synthesized by using anionic polymerization–high vacuum techniques and (chloromethylphenylethyl)methyl dichlorosilane, heterofunctional linking agent, with two SiCl groups and one CH₂Cl group. The synthetic strategy involves the selective reaction of the two ? SiCl groups with PDMSOLi living chains, followed by reaction of the remaining chloromethyl group with P2VPLi. Combined molecular characterization results (size exclusion chromatography, membrane osmometry, and ¹H NMR spectroscopy) revealed a high degree of structural and compositional homogeneity. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 614–619, 2006     

Determination of the sequence distribution and stereoregularity of ethyl α-benzoyloxymethylacrylate–methyl methacrylate copolymers by means of proton and carbon-13 NMR

Proton and Carbon-13 NMR spectra of ethyl α-benzoyloxymethylacrylate (E)–methyl methacrylate (M) copolymers were analyzed in terms of sequence distribution and stereoregularity of monomer units. The copolymers were prepared by free radical polymerization in benzene at 50°C. The methoxy region of the M proton signal resonance was found to be sensitive to the copolymer composition for M-centred sequences. The carbon-13 NMR spectra of the EM copolymers, in particular the carbonyl signal resonances of carbomethoxy and carboethoxy groups, are discussed in terms of M- and E-centred configurational sequences. The experimental values were in excellent agreement with those calculated taken into account the terminal copolymerization model and Bernoullian distribution of stereoregularity with the statistical parameters determined from reactivity ratios r_E = 0.32 and r_M = 1.34 and the coisotacticity parameters σ_MM = 0.22, σ_EE = 0.70, and σ_ME = σ_EM = σ = 0.30. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 35 : 3483–3493, 1997     

Copolymerization of isoprene with ethylene catalyzed by cationic half‐sandwich fluorenyl scandium catalysts

Isoprene polymerization and copolymerization with ethylene can be carried out by using cationic half‐sandwich fluorenyl scandium catalysts in situ generated from half‐sandwich fluorenyl scandium dialkyl complexes Flu'Sc(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF)_n, activator, and AlⁱBu₃ under mild conditions. In the isoprene polymerization, all of these cationic half‐sandwich fluorenyl scandium catalysts exhibit high activities (up to 1.89 × 10⁷ g/mol_Sc h) and mainly cis?1,4 selectivities (up to 93%) under similar conditions. In contrast, these catalysts showed different activities and regio‐/stereoselectivities being significantly dependent on the substituents of the fluorenyl ligands in the copolymerization of isoprene with ethylene under an atmosphere of ethylene (1 atm) at room temperature, affording the random copolymers with a wide range of cis?1,4‐isoprene contents (IP content: 64 ? 97%, cis?1,4‐IP units: 65 ? 79%) or almost alternating copolymers containing mainly 3,4‐IP‐alt‐E or/and cis?1,4‐IP‐alt‐E sequences. Moreover, novel high performance polymers have been prepared via selective epoxidation of the vinyl groups of the 1,4‐isoprene units in the IP‐E copolymers. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 2898–2907     

Synthesis,characterization, and self‐assembly of comb‐dendronized amphiphilic block copolymers

Novel amphiphilic comb‐dendronized diblock copolymers composed of hydrophobic Percec‐type dendronized polystyrene block and hydrophilic comb‐like poly(ethylene oxide) grafted polymethacrylate P(PEOMA) block were designed and synthesized via two steps of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). The comb‐like P(PEOMA) prepared by ATRP of macromonomers (PEOMA) with two different molecular weights (M_n = 300 and 475) were used to initiate the sequent ATRP of dendritic styrene macromonomer (DS). The molecular weights and compositions of the obtained block copolymers were determined by ¹H NMR analysis. The copolymers with relatively narrow polydispersities (1.27–1.38) were thus obtained. The bulk properties of comb‐dendronized block copolymers were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). Similar to dendronized homopolymers, the block copolymers exhibited hexagonal columnar liquid‐crystalline phase structure. By using such amphiphilic comb‐dendronized block copolymers as building blocks, the rich self‐assembly morphologies, such as twisted string, vesicle, and large compound micelle (LCM), were obtained in a mixture of CH₃OH and THF. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 4205–4217, 2008     

Poly(vinylpyrrolidone): Configurational assignments by one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy

The configurational assignment of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) prepared by peroxide-initiated solution polymerization was studied by the combination of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy. The broad and overlapping ¹H-NMR and ¹³C{¹H}-NMR spectra of PVP were assigned to the configurational triad, pentad (CH, ²CH₂, ³CH₂, and ⁴CH₂ regions), and tetrad (β-CH₂ region) sequences. The configurational assignments of the various carbon resonances were confirmed with the help of two-dimensional experiments such as heteronuclear single quantum correlation (HSQC), heteronuclear single quantum correlation–total correlation spectroscopy (2-D HSQC–TOCSY). The various geminal and vicinal couplings within the configurational sequences were assigned with the help of total correlation spectroscopy (TOCSY low mixing time). The propagation pathway was studied using the ¹³C{¹H}-NMR (carbonyl carbon) and ¹⁵N{¹H}-NMR spectra. The ¹⁵N{¹H} resonance signals were assigned to pentad-level configurational sequences. The results obtained by the analysis of the area under the resonance signals confirmed that poly(vinylpyrrolidone) obeys Bernoullian statistics. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3922–3928, 1999     

Synthesis and Characterization of Crystalline Styrene‐b‐(Ethylene‐co‐Butylene)‐b‐Styrene Triblock Copolymers

By merit of dual catalysis of the cationic rare‐earth complex [(η⁵‐Flu‐CH₂‐Py)Ho(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF) (Flu = fluorenyl, Py = pyridyl) for the living polymerizations of butadiene (BD) and styrene (St), the crystalline styrene‐butadiene‐styrene (SBS) triblock copolymers consisting of elastic polybutadiene (PBD) sequences with suitable 1,4 regularity (about 70%) and crystalline syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS, [rrrr] > 99%) sequences were successfully synthesized through sequential addition of St, BD, and St monomers. The catalytic system showed high polymerization activities for St and BD in a controlled manner. The crystalline styrene‐b‐(ethylene‐co‐butylene)‐b‐styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymers were obtained by hydrogenation of the above SBS copolymers. The observation of a strong endothermic peak at 266 °C in their differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curves confirmed the existence of the sPS blocks in the crystalline SEBS different from the industrial product Kraton SEBS‐1652. Thermal degradation temperature of the crystalline SEBS (418 ± 2 °C) indicated the well thermostability and process window of this polymer. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 55, 1243–1249     

Synthesis and characterization of model polybutadiene‐1,4‐b‐polydimethylsiloxane‐b‐polybutadiene‐1,4 copolymers

Model copolymers of poly(butadiene) (PB) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), PB‐b‐PDMS‐b‐PB, were synthesized by sequential anionic polymerization (high vacuum techniques) of 1,3‐butadiene and hexamethylciclotrisiloxane (D₃) on sec‐BuLi followed by chlorosilane‐coupling chemistry. The synthesized copolymers were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR), size‐exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). SEC and ¹H NMR results showed low polydispersity indexes (M_w/M_n) and variable siloxane compositions, whereas DSC and TGA experiments indicated that the thermal stability of the triblock copolymers depends on the PDMS composition. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2726–2733, 2007     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(L‐lactic acid)–poly(ε‐caprolactone) multiblock copolymers by melt polycondensation

An Erratum has been published for this article in J. Polym. Sci. Part A: Polym. Chem. (2004) 42(22) 5845 New multiblock copolymers derived from poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) were prepared with the coupling reaction between PLLA and PCL oligomers with ? NCO terminals. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹³C NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the copolymers and the results showed that PLLA and PCL were coupled by the reaction between ? NCO groups at the end of the PCL and ? OH (or ? COOH) groups at the end of the PLLA. DSC data indicated that the different compositions of PLLA and PCL had an influence on the thermal and crystallization properties including the glass‐transition temperature (T_g), melting temperature (T_M), crystallizing temperature (T_c), melting enthalpy (ΔH_m), crystallizing enthalpy (ΔH_c), and crystallinity. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) was employed to study the effect of the composition of PLLA and PCL and reaction time on the molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution of the copolymers. The weight‐average molecular weight of PLLA–PCL multiblock copolymers was up to 180,000 at a composition of 60% PLLA and 40% PCL, whereas that of the homopolymer of PLLA was only 14,000. A polarized optical microscope was used to observe the crystalline morphology of copolymers; the results showed that all polymers exhibited a spherulitic morphology. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5045–5053, 2004     

Microstructure analysis and thermal property of copolymers made of glycolide and ϵ‐caprolactone by stannous octoate

Glycolide (GL) and ?‐caprolactone (CL) were copolymerized in bulk at relatively high temperatures using stannous octoate as a catalyst. To investigate the relationship among microstructure, thermal properties, and crystallinity, three series of copolymers prepared at various reaction temperatures, times, and comonomer feed ratios were prepared and characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR, DSC, and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The 600‐MHz ¹H NMR spectra provided information about not only the copolymer compositions but also about the chain microstructure. The reactivity ratios (r_G and r_C) were calculated from the monomer sequences and were 6.84 and 0.13, respectively. In terms of overall feed compositions, the sequence lengths of the glycolyl units calculated from the reactivity ratios exceeded those measured from the polymeric products. Mechanistic considerations based on reactivity ratios, monomer consumption data, and average sequence lengths are discussed. The unusual phase diagram of GL/CL copolymers implies that the copolymer melting temperature does not depend on its composition alone but rather on the nature of the sequence distribution. The DSC and WAXD measurements show a close relationship between polymer crystallinity and the nature of the polymer sequence. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 544–554, 2002; DOI 10.1002/pola.10123     

Synthesis of cationic diacetylene‐co‐carbazole‐co‐fluorene polymers and their sensitive fluorescent quenching properties with DNA

Two neutral precursor conjugated copolymers based 2,7‐diethynylfluorene and 3,6‐diethynylcarbazole units in the main chain ( PFC and PF2C ) were prepared by Hay coupling polymerization. Their cationic copolymers ( CPFC and CPF2C ) were prepared by the methylation of their diethylpropylamino groups with CH₃I. For comparison, neutral conjugated homopolymers of 2,7‐diethynylfluorene ( PF ), 3,6‐diethynylcarbazole units ( PC ) and their cationic polymers ( CPF and CPC ) were also prepared with the same method. A comparative study on the optical properties of cationic polymers CPFC and CPF2C in DMF and DMF/H₂O showed that they underwent water‐induced aggregation. The spectral behaviors of CPFC and CPF2C with calf thymus DNA showed that a distinct fluorescent quenching took place with minute addition of CT DNA (3.3 × 10^?13 M). The results showed that the polymers would be promising biosensor materials for sensitive detection of DNA. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 4168–4177, 2010     

Ethylene–propylene copolymerization with bis(β‐enaminoketonato) titanium complexes activated with modified methylaluminoxane

Ethylene–propylene copolymerization, using [(Ph)NC(R₂)CHC(R₁)O]₂TiCl₂ (R₁ = CF₃, Ph, or t‐Bu; R₂ = CH₃ or CF₃) titanium complexes activated with modified methylaluminoxane as a cocatalyst, was investigated. High‐molecular‐weight ethylene–propylene copolymers with relatively narrow molecular weight distributions and a broad range of chemical compositions were obtained. Substituents R₁ and R₂ influenced the copolymerization behavior, including the copolymerization activity, methylene sequence distribution, molecular weight, and polydispersity. With small steric hindrance at R₁ and R₂, one complex (R₁ = CF₃; R₂ = CH₃) displayed high catalytic activity and produced copolymers with high propylene incorporation but low molecular weight. The microstructures of the copolymers were analyzed with ¹³C NMR to determine the methylene sequence distribution and number‐average sequence lengths of uninterrupted methylene carbons. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 5846–5854, 2006     

One‐ and two‐dimensional NMR characterization of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/methyl acrylate copolymers

N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/methyl acrylate (V/M) copolymers were prepared by free‐radical bulk polymerization using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The copolymer composition of these copolymers was calculated from ¹H NMR spectra. The radical reactivity ratios for N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (V) and methyl acrylate (M) were r_V = 0.09, r_M = 0.44. These reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of V and M were determined using the Kelen–Tudos and nonlinear least‐squares error‐in‐variable methods. The ¹³C{¹H} and ¹H NMR spectra of these copolymers overlapped and were complex. The complete spectral assignment of the ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectra were done with distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer and two dimensional ¹³C‐¹H heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectroscopic experiments. The two‐dimensional ¹H‐¹H homonuclear total correlation spectroscopic NMR spectrum showed the various bond interactions, thus inferring the possible structure of the copolymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2225–2236, 2002     

One‐ and two‐dimensional NMR characterization of N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/methyl acrylate copolymers

N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone/methyl acrylate (V/M) copolymers were prepared by free‐radical bulk polymerization using benzoyl peroxide as an initiator. The copolymer composition of these copolymers was calculated from ¹H NMR spectra. The radical reactivity ratios for N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (V) and methyl acrylate (M) were r_V = 0.09, r_M = 0.44. These reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of V and M were determined using the Kelen–Tudos and nonlinear least‐squares error‐in‐variable methods. The ¹³C{¹H} and ¹H NMR spectra of these copolymers overlapped and were complex. The complete spectral assignment of the ¹³C and ¹H NMR spectra were done with distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer and two dimensional ¹³C‐¹H heteronuclear single quantum correlation spectroscopic experiments. The two‐dimensional ¹H‐¹H homonuclear total correlation spectroscopic NMR spectrum showed the various bond interactions, thus inferring the possible structure of the copolymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 2225–2236, 2002     

Polymerization and copolymerization of functionalized 2‐alkoxy‐1‐methylenecyclopropanes to form new polymers having alkoxy substituents

The polymers with functionalized alkoxy groups and with narrow molecular weight distribution (M_w/M_n < 1.12) are obtained from the living polymerization of 2‐alkoxy‐1‐methylenecyclopropanes using π‐allylpalladium complex, [(PhC₃H₄)Pd(μ‐Cl)]₂, as the initiator. The polymers with oligoethylene glycol groups in the alkoxy substituent are soluble in water, and hydroboration of the C?C double bond and ensuing addition of the OH groups to C?N bond of alkyl isocyanate produce the polymers with urethane pendant groups. The reaction decreases solubility of the polymer in water significantly. Di‐ and triblock copolymers of the 2‐alkoxy‐1‐methylenecyclopropanes are prepared by consecutive addition of the two or three 2‐alkoxy‐1‐methylenecyclopropane monomers to the Pd initiator. The polymers which contain both hydrophobic butoxy or tert‐butoxy group and hydrophilic oligoethylene glycol group dissolve in water and/or organic solvents, depending on the substituents. The ¹H NMR spectrum of poly( 1a ‐b‐ 1h ) (? (CH₂C(?CH₂)CHOBu)_n? (CH₂C(?CH₂)CH(OCH₂CH₂)₃OMe)_m? ) in D₂O solution exhibits peaks because of the butoxy and ?CH₂ hydrogen in decreased intensity, indicating that the polymer forms micelle particles containing the hydrophilic segments in their external parts. Aqueous solution of the polymer with a small amount of DPH (DPH = 1,6‐diphenyl‐1,3,5‐hexatriene) shows the absorbance due to DPH at concentration of the polymer higher than 5.82 × 10^?5 g mL^?1. Other block copolymers such as poly( 1b ‐b‐ 1h ) and poly( 1a ‐b‐ 1g ) also form the micelles that contain DPH in their core. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 959–972, 2009