Soluble hyperbranched polymer through initiator-fragment incorporation radical copolymerization of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate and α-ethyl β-N-(α-methylbenzyl) itaconamate in benzene

The copolymerizations of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDM) with α-ethyl β-N-(α^′-methylbenzyl) itaconamates (RS- and S-EMBIs) derived from (RS)- and (S)-α-methylbenzylamines were conducted at 70 and 80 °C in benzene using dimethyl 2,2^′-azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) of high concentration as initiator. The copolymerization of EGBM (0.20 mol/l) and RS-EMBI (0.50 mol/l) with MAIB (0.50 mol/l) proceeded homogeneously without any gelation in benzene to give benzene-soluble copolymer in a yield of 55% based on the total weight of EGDM, RS-EMBI and MAIB. The copolymer was soluble in acetone, ethyl acetate, chloroform, tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene, N,N-dimethylformamide and insoluble in n-hexane, methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, and water. The copolymerization system involved ESR-observable propagating radicals derived from EGDM and RS-EMBI, of which the total concentration increased with time in spite of the homogeneous system. The copolymer consisted of EGDM unit (25 mol%), RS-EMBI unit (45 mol%), and methoxycarbonylpropyl group as MAIB-fragment (30 mol%). Such a large number of initiator fragments were incorporated into the copolymer as terminal groups through initiation and primary radical termination, leading to a conclusion that the copolymer was of hyperbranched structure (initiator-fragment incorporation radical copolymerization). Radius of gyration (R_g) and M_w of the copolymer by light scattering measurements in THF were 17.8 nm and 7.7 × 10⁵, respectively. Comparison of these values with those (R_g=27.6 nm and M_w=2.9×10⁵) of linear polystyrene also supported the above conclusion. Reflecting the compact hyperbranched structure, the intrinsic viscosity ([η]) of the copolymer was very low, [η]=0.075 dl/g at 25 °C in THF. The individual copolymer molecules were observed as a nanoparticle by TEM. The copolymerization of EGDM and S-EMBI with MAIB in benzene also gave similar results.