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In situ and time‐resolved ultra small‐angle neutron scattering observation on growing poly(methyl methacrylate)‐ block ‐polystyrene via reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer living radical polymerization
Author(s) -
Motokawa Ryuhei,
Koizumi Satoshi,
Zhao Yue,
Hashimoto Takeji
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of applied crystallography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.429
H-Index - 162
ISSN - 1600-5767
DOI - 10.1107/s0021889807004062
Subject(s) - chain transfer , raft , polystyrene , polymerization , dispersity , living polymerization , gel permeation chromatography , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , polymer chemistry , radical polymerization , methyl methacrylate , materials science , neutron scattering , chemistry , scattering , polymer , optics , physics , composite material
Reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) living radical polymerization of poly(methyl methacrylate)‐ block ‐polystyrene (PMMA‐ b ‐PS) was investigated by a combined method of gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and in situ and time‐resolved ultra small‐angle neutron scattering (tr‐USANS) measurements. GPC enables us to examine a growing single molecule as a function of polymerization time, with respect to monomer conversion, molecular weight ( M n ) and polydispersity index ( M w / M n ) of PMMA‐ b ‐PS. On the other hand, tr‐USANS, observing in meso‐length scales from nm to µm, reveals polymerization‐induced molecular self‐assembly, such as microphase separation by PMMA‐ b ‐PS or macrophase separation between PMMA‐ b ‐PS and homo‐polystyrene (by‐product). By combining these two experimental methods, we elucidated that RAFT living polymerization was retarded by micro‐ and macrophase separations.