Graft copolymer synthesis grafting through - copolymerization

Synthesis of graft copolymers resembles that of block copolymers with an increased number of reactive sites per macromolecule. There are two techniques similar to those used in block copolymer preparation, namely grafting from and grafting onto preformed chains. Another method, grafting through, is similar to that used in conventional random copolymerization, where in-chain units function as comonomers. 

An alternate route to graft copolymers is by synthesis of macromolecules possessing exactly one polymerizable group in the chain and their subsequent polymerization, i.e. grafting through. Such reactive polymers are macromolecular monomers, i.e. Macromers as abbreviated by Milkovitch 159), who was the first to call the attention of the scientific community to the importance of this field although macromonomers have been prepared and copolymerized as early as 1962 160). 

ATRP is probably the most utilized CRP technique for the synthesis of graft copolymers via the grafting through process. ATRP has been used by a number of groups to polymerize or copolymerize hydrophilic monomers or maaomonomers, including co-methacryloyloxy-PEO maaomonomers. Many efforts have been devoted over the years to design copolymers characterized by a hydrophobic backbone (PS, PMMA) and... 

Modification of natural polysaccharides through various graft copolymerization techniques is discussed in this chapter. Characterization of graft copolymers using different techniques like FT-IR, C-NMR, SEM, XRD, TGA, DTA and DTG along with their physical, chemical and mechanical properties are discussed as a function of different reaction conditions of their synthesis. Applications for modified polysaccharides include drug delivery devices, controlled release of fungicides, selective water absorption from oil-water emulsions and purification of water. 

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