Synthesis of poly(trioctylammonium p-styrenesulfonate) homopolymers and block copolymers by RAFT polymerization

✍ Scribed by Yuqing Liu; Kevin L. Pollock; Kevin A. Cavicchi

• Book ID: 104088102
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 603 KB
• Volume: 50
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0032-3861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2009.10.069

✦ Synopsis

A method to prepare sulfonated polystyrene-containing block copolymers has been investigated by neutralizing styrene sulfonic acid with trioctylamine to produce the hydrophobic monomer trioctylammonium p-styrenesulfonate (SS-TOA). This monomer was polymerized by reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization to produce PSS-TOA homopolymers. A PSS-TOA homopolymer was then used as a macro-RAFT agent for the polymerization of styrene to prepare poly-(trioctylammonium p-styrenesulfonate)-block-poly(styrene) (PSS-TOA-b-PS). These block copolymers could be ion-exchanged to produce either the hydrophilic sodium salt form of PSS or a hydrophobic quaternary ammonium salt. This approach will be useful for preparing PSS-containing block copolymers with a range of hydrophobic blocks for applications such as ion-exchange membranes.