Anionic polymerization graft copolymers

Two PMMA-g-PDMS copolymers were also prepared with roughly similar composition (20 wt% and 26 wt% PDMS) and with the same molecular weight PDMS grafts (M = 10,000) by free radical polymerization and by anionic polymerization. The copolymers were first extracted of any unincorporated methacryloxy-terminated PDMS using supercritical carbon dioxide then they were fractionated with supercritical chlorodifluoromethane. Each fraction was characterized in the same manner as described for the three polymers depicted in figure 9.15 and the results are shown in figure 9.16 (DeSimone et al., 1990). The differences in chemical composition distribution profiles of the copolymers... 

Arborescent graft copolymers having a highly branched PS core and a PEO shell were prepared by a combination of anionic polymerization, grafting onto and from techniques [278]. The synthetic procedure is described in the following scheme (Scheme 107). 

In a similar manner polyisoprene-polyethylene oxide block copolymers can prepared301. It is surprising that the poly(methyl methacrylate) anion can be successfully used for the polymerization of ethylene oxide without chain transfer302. Graft copolymers are also prepared by successive addition of ethylene oxide to the poly-... 

Anionic polymerization techniques can also be applied to the synthesis of graft copolymers 6 7 87 1U). Kennedy s classification 134) is used here as shown in Scheme 5. 

The purpose of this review is to show how anionic polymerization techniques have successfully contributed to the synthesis of a great variety of tailor-made polymer species Homopolymers of controlled molecular weight, co-functional polymers including macromonomers, cyclic macromolecules, star-shaped polymers and model networks, block copolymers and graft copolymers. 

Strongly anionic, highly water-soluble, graft copolymers of starch can be made by adding 2-propenamide and sodium 2,2-dimethyl-3-imino-4-oxohex-5-ene-1-sulfonate (Na DMIH) to the polymerization reactions. See references 43 and 56 for a discussion of these polymers. 

A radical initiator based on the oxidation adduct of an alkyl-9-BBN (47) has been utilized to produce poly(methylmethacrylate) (48) (Fig. 31) from methylmethacrylate monomer by a living anionic polymerization route that does not require the mediation of a metal catalyst. The relatively broad molecular weight distribution (PDI = (MJM ) 2.5) compared with those in living anionic polymerization cases was attributed to the slow initiation of the polymerization.69 A similar radical polymerization route aided by 47 was utilized in the synthesis of functionalized syndiotactic polystyrene (PS) polymers by the copolymerization of styrene.70 The borane groups in the functionalized syndiotactic polystyrenes were transformed into free-radical initiators for the in situ free-radical graft polymerization to prepare s-PS-g-PMMA graft copolymers. 

A combination of TEMPO living free radical (LFRP) and anionic polymerization was used for the synthesis of block-graft, block-brush, and graft-block-graft copolymers of styrene and isoprene [201]. The block-graft copolymers were synthesized by preparing a PS-fo-poly(styrene-co-p-chloromethylstyrene) by LFRP [Scheme 110 (1)], and the subsequent re-... 

During the last 5 years, there have been several reports of multiblock copolymer brushes by the grafting-from method. The most common substrates are gold and silicon oxide layers but there have been reports of diblock brush formation on clay surfaces [37] and silicon-hydride surfaces [38]. Most of the newer reports have utilized ATRP [34,38-43] but there have been a couple of reports that utilized anionic polymerization [44, 45]. Zhao and co-workers [21,22] have used a combination of ATRP and nitroxide-mediated polymerization to prepare mixed poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)Zpolystyrene (PS) brushes from a difunctional initiator. These Y-shaped brushes could be considered block copolymers that are surface immobilized at the block junction. 

Here we discuss dispersion polymerizations that are not related to vinyl monomers and radical polymerization. The first one is the ring-opening polymerization of e-caprolactone in dioxane-heptane (30). A graft copolymer, poly(dodecyl acrylate)-g-poly(e-caprolactone), is used as a stabilizer. The polymerization proceeds via anionic or pseudoanionic mechanism initiated by diethylaluminum ethoxide or other catalysts. The size of poly(caprolactone) particles depends on the composition of stabilizer, ranging from 0.5 to 5 i,m. Lactide was also polymerized in a similar way. Poly(caprolactone) and poly(lactide) particles with a narrow size distribution are expected to be applied as degradable carriers of drugs and bioactive compounds. 

Graft copolymers were prepared by polymerizing ethylene oxide onto the PVN polyradical anion (10), The latter was obtained by reaction of PVN with cesium in tetrahydrofuran solution. The copolymers were extracted with water to remove the PEO homopolymer which was formed as a byproduct. Experimental details and evidence for bond formation between ethylene oxide and the aromatic moiety were presented elsewhere (//). 

The metallocene catalyst with cationic nature and spatially opened active site provides favorable condition for the incorporation of p-alkylstyrene (p-ms) to polyolefins. The p-ms groups can be easily metallated to produce "stable" polymeric anions for graft-from polymerization. With the coexist of anion-polymerizable monomers, we have prepared many graft copolymers, such as PE-g-PS, PE-g-PMMA, PE-g-PAN, PP-g-PS, PP-g-PB, PP-g-PI and PP-g-PMMA. 

Table 4 summarizes the reaction conditions and the experimental results. Overall, the experimental results clearly show a new class of PE graft copolymers which can be conveniently prepared by the tranformation of metallocene catalysis to anionic graft-from polymerization. 

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