Synthesis of NMP/RAFT inifers and preparation of block copolymers |
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Authors: | Claude St Thomas Hortensia Maldonado‐Textle Antal Rockenbauer Laszlo Korecz Nora Nagy Ramiro Guerrero‐Santos |
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Affiliation: | 1. Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada, Blvd. Enrique Reyna No. 140, 25100, Saltillo, Mexico;2. Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pusztaszeriút 59‐67, H‐1025 Budapest, Hungary |
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Abstract: | Two different initiator/transfer agents (inifers) containing an alkoxyamine and a dithiobenzoate were synthetized and used to trigger out either reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization or nitroxide‐mediated polymerization (NMP). α‐Dithiobenzoate‐ω‐alkoxyamine‐difunctional polymers were produced in both cases which were subsequently used as precursors in the formation of block copolymers. This synthetic approach was applied to N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) or polyethylene oxide methacrylate (EOMA) to form α,ω‐heterodifunctional homopolymers via RAFT at 60°C which were chain extended with styrene by activating the alkoxyamine moiety at 120°C. Under such temperature conditions, it is proposed that a tandem NMP/RAFT polymerization is initiated producing a simultaneous growth of polystyrene blocks at both chain‐ends. Self‐assembled nanostructures of these amphiphilic block copolymers were evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012 |
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Keywords: | block copolymers dual controller inifer living polymerization nitroxide‐mediated polymerization reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) reversible‐deactivation radical polymerization |
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