| Abstract: | The molecular weight averages and the degree of branching, DB, of a hyperbranched polymer obtained by self‐condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP) of a macroinimer A‐(m)γ‐B* is calculated by modifying the existing equations for SCVP. The polydispersity is lowered by a factor (γ + 1), where γ is the degree of polymerization of the macroinimer. DB decreases with γ, however, at full conversion the DB of the polymacroinimer is approximately 60% higher than expected from the “dilution” of an AB* inimer with linear m units. This is the result of the existence of a new kind of branched units. The structure of polymacroinimers is similar to the pattern of a highly branched copolymer obtained by self‐condensing vinyl copolymerization. However, the polydispersity index and the DB of these two processes are different, for a given molecular weight the polydispersity and the DB of the macroinimer is lower than the corresponding parameters for SCVCP at the same value of γ. |
