Organostibine mediated controlled/living random copolymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate

The first example of organostibine mediated controlled/living random copolymerization of styrene (St) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was achieved by heating a solution of St/MMA/organostibine mediator at 100 °C or St/MMA/organostibine mediator/AIBN with various monomer feed ratios at 60 °C. The addition of AIBN significantly decreased the reaction temperature and enhanced the rate of copolymerization. The structure of poly(St-co-MMA) was verified by ¹H NMR. The reactivity ratios at 60 °C were determined by the extended Kelen-Tüd?s method to be γ_St = 0.40 and γ_MMA = 0.44. The ln(M]₀/M]) increased linearly with increasing reaction time. The number-average molecular weights of poly(St-co-MMA) increased linearly with conversion. Poly(St-co-MMA) with expected number-average molecular weight and low polydispersity index was formed. The living characteristic was further confirmed by chain-extension of poly(St-co-MMA) to form poly(St-co-MMA)-b-PMMA.