| Abstract: | α‐Hydroxy and α,ω‐dihydroxy polymers of 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) of various molecular weights were synthesized by group transfer polymerization (GTP) in tetrahydrofuran (THF), using 1‐methoxy‐1‐(trimethylsiloxy)‐2‐methyl propene (MTS) as the initiator and tetrabutylammonium bibenzoate (TBABB) as the catalyst. The hydroxyl groups were introduced by adding one 2‐(trimethylsiloxy) ethyl methacrylate (TMSEMA) unit at one or at both ends of the polymer chain. The ends were converted to 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) units after the polymerization by acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) in THF and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR) spectroscopy in CDCl3 were used to determine the molecular weight and composition of the polymers. These mono‐ and difunctional methacrylate polymers can be covalently linked at the hydroxy termini to form star polymers and model networks, respectively. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 1597–1607, 1999 |
