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Poly(acrylic acid) Undergoes Partial Esterification During RAFT Synthesis in Methanol and Interchain Disulfide Bridging Upon NaOH Treatment
Author(s) -
Pelet Jeisa M.,
Putnam David
Publication year - 2012
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.201200528
Subject(s) - chain transfer , acrylic acid , polymer chemistry , raft , chemistry , polymerization , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , radical polymerization , methanol , polymer , copolymer , organic chemistry
Abstract In this work, poly(acrylic acid) was synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization using 4,4′‐azobis(4‐cyanopentanoic acid) and 4‐cyanopentanoic acid dithiobenzoate as a radical initiator and chain transfer agent, respectively. By varying the reactant ratios, we achieved poly(acrylic acid) with molecular weights up to 55 100 and polydispersities of ≈1.2. Upon characterization of the final products, we detected, as a side reaction, partial esterification of the carboxyl side chain groups when the polymerization was conducted in methanol. Treatment of the esterified polymer with base resulted in acrylic acid homopolymers, but also led to end‐group disulfide bridging, which was reversed using a reducing buffer.