Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization of iso-Butyl Methacrylate in Microemulsion with Cationic and Non-Ionic Emulsifiers

✍ Scribed by Yasuyuki Kagawa; Masahiro Kawasaki; Per B. Zetterlund; Hideto Minami; Masayoshi Okubo

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 189 KB
• Volume: 28
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1022-1336
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.200700577

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Direct atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of iso‐butyl methacrylate in microemulsion has been performed successfully for the first time. ATRP was performed at 40 °C with different emulsifier systems: i) the cationic emulsifier n‐tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB); and ii) mixed emulsifier systems based on TTAB and the non‐ionic emulsifiers Emulgen 911 or Emulgen 931. All polymerizations proceeded in a controlled/living fashion, and the microemulsions were transparent with particle diameters less than 15 nm. The emulsifier system TTAB/Emulgen 911 exhibited better control than TTAB only. This is proposed to be caused by complex formation between Emulgen 911 in the organic phase and CuBr~2~ (the deactivator), thus reducing the extent of exit of CuBr~2~ to the aqueous phase. The more hydrophilic Emulgen 931 did not lead to improved control.

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