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Uniform PEO Star Polymers Synthesized in Water via Free Radical Polymerization or Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization
Author(s) -
Li Wenwen,
Matyjaszewski Krzysztof
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
macromolecular rapid communications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.348
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1521-3927
pISSN - 1022-1336
DOI - 10.1002/marc.201000477
Subject(s) - atom transfer radical polymerization , polymer chemistry , radical polymerization , divinylbenzene , polymer , polymerization , ethylene glycol , materials science , ethylene oxide , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , chemistry , copolymer , organic chemistry , composite material , styrene
Abstract Amphiphilic star shaped polymers with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) arms and cross‐linked hydrophobic core were synthesized in water via either conventional free radical polymerization (FRP) or atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) techniques using a simple “arm‐first” method. In FRP, PEO based macromonomers (MM) were used as arm precursors, which were then cross‐linked by divinylbenzene (DVB) using 2,2′‐azoisobutyronitrile (AIBN). Uniform star polymers ( $\overline {M} _{{\rm w}} /\overline {M} _{{\rm n}} $ < 1.2) were achieved through adjustment of the ratio of PEO MM, DVB, and AIBN. While in case of ATRP, both PEO MM, and PEO based macroinitiator (MI) were used as arm precursors with ethylene glycol diacrylate as cross‐linker. Even more uniform star polymers with less contamination by low MW polymers were obtained, as compared to the products synthesized by FRP.