Block and star block copolymers by mechanism transformation. I. Synthesis of PTHF-PSt-PTHF by the transformation of ATRP into CROP

✍ Scribed by Yijin Xu; Caiyuan Pan

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 171 KB
• Volume: 38
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0887-624X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-0518(20000115)38:2<337::aid-pola8>3.0.co;2-3

✦ Synopsis

Polystyrene (PSt) with end-terminal bromine (Br-PSt-Br) was synthesized by the atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene with the difunctional initiator 1,2-bis(2Ј-bromobutyryloxy)ethane in combination with CuBr and bipyridine. The Br-PSt-Br reacted with silver perchlorate at Ϫ78 °C, and the resulting macromolecular initiator was used to initiate the polymerization of tetrahydrofuran. Triblock poly(tetrahydrofuran)-polystyrene-poly(tetrahydrofuran) (PTHF-PSt-PTHF) diol was obtained after propagation at Ϫ15 °C. The conversion of the polymerization was measured by gas chromatography. The structures of the triblock copolymer PTHF-PSt-PTHF diol were characterized by 1 H NMR and gel permeation chromatography. The mechanism of cationic ring-opening polymerization is discussed.