RESUMO
A biphasic one-pot polymerization method enables the preparation of block copolymers from monomers with similar and competitive reactivities without the addition of external materials. AB diblock copolymers were prepared by encapsulating a frozen solution of monomerâ B on the bottom of a reaction vessel, while the solution polymerization of monomerâ A was conducted in a liquid layer above. Physical separation between the solid and liquid phases permitted only homopolymerization of monomerâ A until heating above the melting point of the lower phase, which released monomerâ B, allowing the addition of the second block to occur. The triggered release of monomerâ B allowed for chain extension without additional deoxygenation steps or exogenous monomer addition. A method for the closed (i.e., without addition of external reagents) one-pot synthesis of block copolymers with conventional glassware using straightforward experimental techniques has thus been developed.