Atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate catalyzed by FeCl2/iminodiacetic acid

✍ Scribed by Shenmin Zhu; Deyue Yan

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 158 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-624X
• DOI: 10.1002/1099-0518(20001201)38:23<4308::aid-pola170>3.0.co;2-b

✦ Synopsis

The atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene and methyl methacrylate with FeCl 2 /iminodiacetic acid as the catalyst system in bulk was successfully implemented at 70 and 110 °C, respectively. The polymerization was controlled: the molecular weight of the resultant polymer was close to the calculated value, and the molecular weight distribution was relatively narrow (weight-average molecular weight/ number-average molecular weight ϳ 1.5). Block copolymers of polystyrene-b-poly-(methyl methacrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(methyl acrylate) were successfully synthesized, confirming the living nature of the polymerization. A small amount of water added to the reaction system increased the reaction rate and did not affect the living nature of the polymerization system.