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Synthesis and Characterization of Benzyl Methacrylate/Styrene Random Copolymers Prepared by NMP
Author(s) -
Zhang Chi,
Lessard Benoit,
Maric Milan
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
macromolecular reaction engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.37
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1862-8338
pISSN - 1862-832X
DOI - 10.1002/mren.200900069
Subject(s) - copolymer , styrene , polymerization , polymer chemistry , reactivity (psychology) , monomer , chain propagation , materials science , chemistry , crystallography , polymer , organic chemistry , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
BzMA/styrene random copolymers were synthesized in bulk (molar feed compositions f BzMA,0 = 10–90 mol‐%) at 90 °C by NMP with about 10% free SG1 relative to BlocBuilder initiator. Reactivity ratios ( r BzMA = 0.86 ± 0.36, r styrene = 0.27 ± 0.14) were comparable to those reported by conventional radical polymerization. Linear $\overline M _{\rm n} $ increase with conversion was observed up to ∼50% conversion, and all copolymers had low $\overline M _{\rm w} /\overline M _{\rm n} $ = 1.2–1.4. The $\left\langle {k_{\rm p} } \right\rangle \left\langle K \right\rangle $ ( $\left\langle {k_{\rm p} } \right\rangle $ = average propagation rate constant and $\left\langle K \right\rangle $ = average equilibrium constant) exponentially increased with increasing f BzMA,0 . Chain extensions with styrene at 110 °C initiated by BzMA/styrene copolymers made with f BzMA,0 <80 mol‐% were highly living while macroinitatiors with f BzMA,0 >90 mol‐% were not, based on GPC and 31 P NMR results.