Revival of the R-group approach: a "CTA-shuttled" grafting from approach for well-defined cylindrical polymer brushes via RAFT polymerization.
Macromol Rapid Commun
; 35(2): 234-241, 2014 Jan.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24115272
ABSTRACT
The synthesis of well-defined cylindrical polymer brushes (CPBs) from a linear polymer backbone with a high density of RAFT functionalities ("grafting from" approach) is challenging when the chain transfer agent (CTA) is attached to the backbone via its R-group. It is proposed that the difficulties of the R-group approach in controlling the grafting polymerization are induced by the "entrapment" of active free radicals within individual growing CPBs. A facile "CTA-shuttled" R-group approach overcoming this entrapment effect is developed, and used to synthesize well-defined CPBs with polystyrene or poly(tert-butyl acrylate) branches and core-shell CPBs with polystyrene-block-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) branches. The polydispersity index (PDI = 1.23) of the obtained CPBs with polystyrene branches is much lower than that from the conventional R-group approach (PDI = 2.18). Monte Carlo simulations confirm that the advantage of the "CTA-shuttled" R-group approach consists in the release of the active radicals from the trapping CPB systems.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Polímeros
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2014
Tipo de documento:
Article