Star‐shaped nanomicelles of polyisobutylene‐polystyrene diblock copolymers. New stabilizer for living dispersion polymerization of styrene

Formation of star‐shaped nanomicelles of polyisobutylene‐polystyrene (PIB‐PS) diblock copolymers in hexane solution is reported. The length of the polystyrene segments were varied in the M_n range of 4000‐13000 g/mol at approximately constant polyisobutylene segments length. The size and the size distribution of the nanomicelles were investigated by dynamic light scattering. Based on static light scattering measurements the mass‐average molecular mass of the micelles and the number of arms were also determined. The synthesized diblock‐copolymers were demonstrated to be capable of stabilizing the growing particles which were formed in the living anionic dispersion polymerization of styrene in hexane.