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Synthesis and characterization of PBMA‐ b ‐PSt‐ b ‐PBMA triblock copolymers by atom transfer radical emulsion polymerization
Author(s) -
Peng Hui,
Cheng Shiyuan,
Fan Zhiqiang
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.20430
Subject(s) - polymer chemistry , atom transfer radical polymerization , copolymer , materials science , emulsion polymerization , polystyrene , methacrylate , styrene , living free radical polymerization , polymerization , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , radical polymerization , polymer , composite material
Abstract Poly(n‐butyl methacrylate)‐ b ‐polystyrene‐ b ‐poly(n‐butyl methacrylate) (PBMA‐ b ‐PSt‐ b ‐PBMA) triblock copolymers were successfully synthesized by emulsion atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Difunctional polystyrene (PSt) macroinitiators that contained alkyl chloride end‐groups were prepared by ATRP of styrene (St) with CCl 4 as initiator and were used to initiate the ATRP of butyl methacrylate (BMA). The latter procedure was carried out at 85°C with CuCl/4,4′‐di (5‐nonyl)‐2,2′‐bipyridine (dNbpy) as catalyst and polyoxyethylene (23) lauryl ether (Brij35) as surfactant. Using this technique, triblock copolymers consisting of a PSt center block and PBMA terminal blocks were synthesized. The polymerization was nearly controlled, ATRP of St from those macroinitiators showed linear increases in the number average molecular weight ( Mn ) with conversion. The block copolymers were characterized with infrared (IR) spectroscopy, hydrogen‐1 nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 HNMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The effects of the molecular weight of macroinitiators, concentration of macroinitiator, catalyst, emulsion, and temperature on the polymerization were also investigated. Thermodynamic data and activation parameters for the ATRP were also reported. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:1508–1514, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers