Synthesis of Vinyl Ether-Based Polymacromonomers with Well-Controlled Structure (ORGANIC MATERIALS CHEMISTRY-Polymeric Materials)

Abstract

The present paper focuses on the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of vinyl ether (VE)- based macromonomers with a methacryloyl group at the chain end. Living cationic polymerization of isobutyl VE (IBVE) initiated with the HCl adduct of a VE carrying a pendant methacryloyl group in conjunction with ZnI2 yielded the macromonomer (MA-PIBVE) with a narrow molecular weight distribution (MWD) (Mw/Mn < 1.1). The ATRP of MA-PIBVE was carried out using a halide initiator and the CuBr/4, 4, -di-n-heptyl-2, 2, -bipyridine catalytic system. The number-average molecular weight of the polymacromonomer increased in proportion to the monomer conversion, while the MWDs stayed fairly narrow (Mw/Mn ~ 1.2). Thus polymacromonomers with controlled chain lengths for both the backbone and the side chain have been synthesized for the first time through a combination of living cationic polymerization and ATRP techniques.