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Synthesis and Characterization of Large‐Core Star Polymers and Polymer Networks: Effects of Arm Length and Composition of the Cross‐Linking Mixture
Author(s) -
Kafouris Demetris,
Gradzielski Michael,
Patrickios Costas S.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/macp.200800464
Subject(s) - polymer , polymer chemistry , monomer , polymerization , methyl methacrylate , ethylene glycol dimethacrylate , tetrahydrofuran , materials science , methacrylate , polymer architecture , chemistry , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , composite material , methacrylic acid , solvent , engineering
Large‐core star polymers (LCSPs) and polymer networks were prepared using sequential group transfer polymerization (GTP) for the synthesis of linear poly(methyl methacrylate) (polyMMA) arms, followed by their cross‐linking using a mixture of MMA monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) cross‐linker. High monomer/cross‐linker molar ratios and short arms favored the formation of polymer networks, whereas the opposite conditions favored the formation of LCSPs. LCSPs presented two populations: star polymers and covalently linked star polymer aggregates. The size of the non‐aggregated star polymers, and the size and fraction of the star polymer aggregates passed through a maximum as the amount of the monomer in the cross‐linking mixture increased. The degrees of swelling in tetrahydrofuran (THF) of the networks, the sol fraction extracted from them, and the percentage of linear polymer in the sol fraction increased as the degree of polymerization of the arms increased.