Open AccessKinetic investigation of the RAFT polymerization of p ‐acetoxystyrene
Author(s) -
Cauët Solène I.,
Wooley Karen L.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of polymer science part a: polymer chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.768
H-Index - 152
eISSN - 1099-0518
pISSN - 0887-624X
DOI - 10.1002/pola.24024
Subject(s) - chain transfer , polymerization , polymer chemistry , monomer , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , copolymer , chemistry , bulk polymerization , raft , kinetic chain length , living polymerization , solution polymerization , radical polymerization , polymer , organic chemistry
The kinetics of the RAFT polymerization of p ‐acetoxystyrene using a trithiocarbonate chain transfer agent, S ‐1‐dodecyl‐ S ′‐(α,α′‐dimethyl‐α″‐acetic acid)trithiocarbonate, DDMAT, was investigated. Parameters including temperature, percentage initiator, concentration, monomer‐to‐chain transfer agent ratio, and solvent were varied and their impact on the rate of polymerization and quality of the final polymer examined. Linear kinetic plots, linear increase of M n with monomer conversion, and low final molecular weight dispersities were used as criteria for the selection of optimized polymerization conditions, which included a temperature of 70 or 80 °C with 10 mol % AIBN initiator in bulk for low conversions or in 1,4‐dioxane at a monomer‐to‐solvent volume ratio of 1:1 for higher conversions This study opens the way for the use of DDMAT as a chain transfer agent for RAFT polymerization to incorporate p ‐acetoxystyrene together with other functional monomers into well‐defined copolymers, block copolymers, and nanostructures. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 2517–2524, 2010