Macromolecular Rapid Communications, Vol.33, No.1, 75-79, 2012
Functional Polyolefins: Poly(ethylene)-graft-Poly(tert-butyl acrylate) via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization From a Polybrominated Alkane
Poly(cis-cyclooctene) is synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization in the presence of a chain-transfer agent and quantitatively hydrobrominated. Subsequent graft polymerization of tert-butyl acrylate (tBA) via Cu-catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) from the non-activated secondary alkyl bromide moieties finally results in PE-g-PtBA copolymer brushes. By varying the reaction conditions, a series of well-defined graft copolymers with different graft densities and graft lengths are prepared. The maximum extent of grafting in terms of bromoalkyl groups involved is approximately 80 mol%. DSC measurements on the obtained graft copolymers reveal a decrease in Tm with increasing grafting density.
Keywords:atom transfer radical polymerization;brush copolymer;poly(ethylene);ring-opening metathesis polymerization;ruthenium