Graft copolymer synthesis copolymerization

The counter radical method can also be used for graft copolymer synthesis. Solomon et al. propose two routes [51]. The first one involves copolymerization with a functional monomer such as methacrylate containing pendant al-koxyamine. In the second route, the alkoxyamine is grafted onto a polymer precursor used in a second step to initiate the living polymerization of a second monomer. PBd-g-PMA is prepared this way from PBd. 

Figure 14.26 Synthesis of graft copolymers via copolymerization of macromonomers.

The synthesis of PDMS macromonomers with vinyl silane end-groups and their free-radical copolymerization with vinyl acetate, leading to poly(vinyl acetate)-PDMS graft copolymers, was described 346). The copolymers produced were later hydrolyzed to obtain poly(vinyl alcohol)-PDMS graft copolymers. 

Recently it has been shown that anionic functionalization techniques can be applied to the synthesis of macromonomers — macromolecular monomers — i.e. linear polymers fitted at chain end with a polymerizable unsaturation, most commonly styrene or methacrylic ester 69 71). These species in turn provide easy access to graft copolymers upon radical copolymerization with vinylic or acrylic monomers. 

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. 

The next step concerned the synthesis of the polyester-polyimide copolymers. Triblock copolymers have been prepared by a step-growth copolymerization of stoichiometric amounts of an aromatic diamine and dianhydride (e.g., PMDA and 3FDA, as depicted in Scheme 41a) added with the single oo-amino polyesters as chain end-cappers. Graft copolymers can be prepared as well. In this case, the diamine end-functionalized oligomeric macromonomers are copolymerized with the polyimide condensation comonomers (Scheme 41b). 

Enzymatic polymerizations have been established as a promising and versatile technique in the synthetic toolbox of polymer chemists. The applicability of this technique for homo- and copolymerizations has been known for some time. With the increasing number of reports on the synthesis of more complex structures like block copolymers, graft copolymers, chiral (co)polymers, and chiral crosslinked nanoparticles, its potential further increases. Although not a controlled polymerization technique itself, clever reaction design and integration with other polymerization techniques like controlled radical polymerization allows the procurement of well-defined polymer structures. Specific unique attributes of the enzyme can be applied... 

Experiments were also performed with the aim of polymerizing a mixture of two monomers (69). The reaction rate and the composition of the graft copolymer conform to the rules of mechanochemical synthesis and radical copolymerization. If the two monomers have almost equal reactivities, the composition of the copolymer is approximately that of the initial monomer mixture (Fig. 20). The... 

A pure monomolecular initiation system would be more appropriate for the synthesis of graft copolymers. For the copolymerization of olefins with... 

In the first part of this review we shall consider the various pathways that have been used (or attempted) to synthesize macromolecular monomers. We shall critically discuss the efficiency of the methods that have been proposed, together with the procedures used for the characterization of the species obtained. In the second part we shall describe the various attempts to homopolymerize macromonomers and to use them in copolymerization reactions to obtain graft copolymers. We shall include some potential applications of macromonomers as intermediates to the synthesis of new polymeric materials that have been proposed. 

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